Away From Me

Disclaimer, Notes and Summary: See first part for any and all applicable rambling. Thoughts in italics and ''. Plain italics and bold type for emphasis.

Part One: Island of Isolation

The sunlight streaming through the window, was enough to disturb Kaoru from her current state of slumber. Lazily, one eye opened.

"Mmmm . . . Kenshinnnn . . . is breakfast ready?" No response..hmm. "Okay, just five more minutes "

Accustomed to the futon, she rolled to her side..and landed rather un-ceremoniously on the floor with a soft 'thud'. Annoyed at this new revelation, Kaoru sat up, first rubbing absently at her legs...since when did she have a raised futon? Puzzled, she brushed a stubborn strand of hair from her brow, stretching her arms over head after the strand had been subdued. It was then she noticed the next piece of the puzzle. When did she start wearing bathrobes? Had she been in a more stable state of mind, she might have wondered how it got on her in the first place..but well, that thought had not entered her mind. Yet. With a scowl on her face, Kaoru pushed up from the floor, determined to piece together some parts of this new found enigma. Why was she here and what was with the bathrobe? She bit her lip in thought, taking in the surroundings of this room; the Western style bed, the furnishings therein..at the very least she knew she wasn't home. A low groan emitted from her as the realization dawned. Enishi had grabbed her..but he had not killed her; instead a piece of cloth had been placed over her mouth. After that, the world around her went black. Which meant, Enishi had taken her somewhere..away from her friends and away from Kenshin. Frustrated, Kaoru balled her fists at her sides, she wanted answers..more importantly she wanted a way out. But if she stood any chance at escape..she would need an equalizer against her physcially dominating kidnapper. A vase caught her attention and with some sort of determination to at the very least find an escape route, Kaoru brandished the weapon. First things first she had to find a way out of this room.

After finding that not only was the door open, but there were no guards present; Kaoru ventured into the hall. She knew she had to get out of there, if only to check on the state of her friends..return to them. More importantly, a return to her friends would mean a return to Kenshin. The silence in the hallway was deafening, but to Kaoru that didn't matter..it only meant less of interfernce and the possibilty of her escape going un-detected. A door at the end of the hall brought new found hope, and with the thought she would soon have her freedom; Kaoru ventured forwards. But, hope began to fade as she gazed over the cliff. Had it not been for the voice behind her, she would have been more than happy to contemplate a new strategy.

"It's no use trying to run away."

Lips pressed into a firm line and a sense of determination running through her veins, Kaoru lifted the vase above her head as she turned to face her kidnapper. But, just as she was about to lower the object, the presence of Enishi stopped her. He was hurt..in the physical sense anyway. Kaoru somewhat doubted he could hurt anymore emotionally than he already was. At any rate, it appeared that Enishi would not prove to be that much of a threat..what with his arm in a sling and being bandaged. That and the lack-luster look in his eye, was not one of someone who was looking for a fight..rather of someone who was merely seeking peace or at least quiet. She wasn't quite sure that he understood the concept of peace. However, just as Kaoru was starting to feel some shread of compassion towards him..he just had to speak and ruin it.

"It's a deserted island, a relay station my organization uses to ship goods by sea into Tokyo. It's at least 20 kilometers to the nearest island, and there are sharks in the area." The look never left his eyes, his voice was dull..all in all it would appear that Enishi was just tired. "On top of that, except for the inlet you see before you, it's all shear vertical precipice. Aside from the weekly ferry, no one can get in or out. In short, it's a natural prison. You'll just have to be patient. Sooner or later I'll send you back to Tokyo."

Kaoru scowled slightly at this bit of information..so she was more or less trapped. Even still, that wasn't enough to completely kill her hope of escaping. Her thoughts clinging to the one good thing he had just relayed to her. Weekly ferry. Surely she could wait long enough for the appearance of this ferry. But until then, time to play dumb, in her smallest voice she asked, "...How soon?"

He smiled..a smile that did not reach his eyes, but still showed some signs of life...a smile brought on by his thoughts. 'As soon as Battousai dies'.."Well..not long"

That was somewhat satisfactory to her..at least she had some sort of time frame. She hoped anyway. "Just tell me one thing." Her arms had long since gone limp, the vase set gently on the deck. No use for it now. "Why didn't you kill me? I was sure . . . I'd be killed"

The pause in his response caused her to stiffen just slightly and that did not go un-noticed by Enishi. He was just being the perfect predator..his true prey would be before him soon enough. He had the perfect bait and now, all he had to do was wait. He had every opportunity to kill her and plenty of opportunities to do so, but that wasn't he intended..just yet. He would have been content to just leave it at that, but he knew that if he didn't make some sort of response to this girl; her determination to escape which would then effectively ruin his plans would just come back. That simply could not happen. He turned to go back inside, but not before informing her. "That's not something we need to talk about."

Well that got her no where. Kaoru scowled again..why must this man be so frustrating? 'Was it pity?' She frowned, in her mind..Enishi wasn't capable of feeling anything but hatred. the more she thought about it, and as her thought drifted back to more recent memories of the encounters with the white-haired loon, realization dawned. ' . No. That can't be it. He all but said during the fight that there was no such thing in his heart. I don't understand.' She bit her lip as the thoughts continued to consume her troubled mind. 'But it seems like his revenge is complete. Something's happening to Kenshin. Kenshin--' Her eyes went wide with fear, she just knew that for whatever reasons, she had to get back to Kenshin ' .. I can't leave it like this. Somehow, I have to get off this island!'

The rest of the day..or night or whatever the time it was, passed without further incident. It appeared that the white-haired kidnapper wanted nothing to do with her. Which meant that she could move about un-detected..albiet in a bathrobe but still un-detected. All she had to do was wait for her perfect chance to escape. Unfortunately, that moment would not yet arrive and so, Kaoru drifted off into a restless slumber.

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The next day...

Kaoru watched on with baited breath as a ship came in to view..this was her big chance to get out of here and return to those she loved, return to where she belonged. Carefully she crept back, lest her plans of escape should be noticed by either Enishi or his henchmen. It seemed that Kaoru wasn't the only one eager to leave this island paradise..Gein was preparing to leave, just as Kaoru got her make-shift weapon ready. Wryly, she shook her head at the broom-handle; how Yahiko would laugh at her right now..or perhaps praise her for actually thinking. She tsk'd softly at the thought of her only student..since she had started teaching him the two had formed a bond that could best be described as brother and sister. True enough, they were teacher and student, but in the Kenshin-gumi..she and Yahiko were the siblings always at each other's throats. Sanosuke was the over bearing, over protective but well meaning idiot type..while Kenshin? Kenshin was the one who held the strings attached to her heart. The corners of her mouth curved up just slightly at the thought of her beloved red haired wanderer. Determined, she clutched the weapon in her hands; purposeful strides bringing her closer to the door..and to her target.

Enishi's ears pricked just slightly..Kaoru may have been silent, but she wasn't subtle. His back may have been to her, a vision clouding his mind, but that all ended when a sharp voice filled his ears..screaming for him to 'prepare yourself'. Agitated he turned sharply, glaring daggers at the girl. Just as the broom handle was coming down, one hand shot up. He hissed through his teeth. "You..." His other hand shot forward, gripping her shoulder tightly. "...This substitue"

She struggled, attempting to free herself from the death grip he had. And even in this struggle, her voice remained calm. She met his death glare with an indifferent look. "Let go"

His response was to bring up her other hand, clasp them together briefly and hurl the broom handle away. This task complete. "Die" He hissed, releasing her hands only to pin her shoulders to the wall. "Your death will complete my Justice."

She nearly lost her composure, and broke the eye contact she had with the enraged man long enough to sum up her situation. If she could just get her knee up..

"Don't even think it" He snarled, looming closer to her. His voice low, hot breath leaving icy word lingering in her ear. "Unless you want to greet your beloved Battousai with broken legs."

It took a moment for Kaoru to calm her nerves, which was hard enough to do..what with the grip this maniac had on her. Still, her reply rolled off easily. "Kenshin has long since left the days of Battousai behind."

"Fool" Enishi's mouth curled into a sinister smile. "As long as my nee-san still haunts him..as long as that scar remains. He will never leave those days behind."

"Kenshin is a wanderer, not a Battousai" She repeated as calm as possible.

"I wonder then" His fingers gripped her shoulders tighter, the smile dropping from his face..not that it made much of a difference. "Would he become the Battousai if you were dead?"

Kaoru steeled her nerves as one of his hand slipped upwards, coming about her throat. "....I"

"That's what I thought" His grip tightened around her throat just slightly..but as soon as the grip tightened it was released. "But...He's not here. Your death won't do me much good right now. Except for shark bait." He sneered, releasing the grip on her shoulder. "Leave my sight."

Flustered, Kaoru pressed her lips into a firm line. Tossing her head as best she could before she stormed back inside. She was not going to let this man get the best of her. Absolutely, positively not. He was the enemy. She frowned, flopping down on the western style bed, absently drawing the robe tighter around her. A scowl marred her brow as she thought about the most recent events here. He was absolutely detestable, conniving, heartless. Jerk. Her lower lip trembled slightly, as she slipped the robe off one shoulder. That was going to leave a lovely looking mark. Heartless, ruthless, good for nothing..didn't he even realize his own strength? She blinked, pulling the robe tighter around her as some realization dawned. He was still recovering from his battle with Kenshin and she was far from just skin and bones. Annoyed, she flopped back, staring at the ceiling. Enishi had yet another chance to really hurt her..to really harm her. But he didn't. That thought troubled her more than the bruises that were beginning to form. How strong was he? Sapphire eyes shut tightly, if only to stop the impending tears from leaking. She was determined not to cry, lest she show some signs of weakness. She had to be strong in this mad-man's prescence.

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Enishi was positively puzzled. Grown men feared him and yet this girl, this kendo instructor..she didn't fear him. At least she wanted him to believe that and up until a few minutes ago she was doing a fairly good job convincing him. Silently, he slipped away from the door that she had carelessly left ajar. It wasn't enough for him to stand completely in the doorway, but it was enough for him to at least observe his prisoner. There was just something about Kamiya Kaoru that remained a mystery...a puzzle. He frowned, stalking back quietly through the halls to the balcony. At first he thought it was simple..Kamiya was merely a substitute, a replacement for his nee-san. But, after the recent un-ladylike outbursts..not to mention the attempted attacks on his being..he was beginning to think otherwise. She was rude, outspoken, un-graceful..so un-like his nee-san. Come to think of it, there were really only two similarities between Kamiya and his late sister. One that they were both rather attractive..in their own way at least. Kamiya wasn't nearly as beautiful or captivating as Tomoe had been ..at least in his own opinion. Enishi tipped his head upwards, resting his hands on the rail. The next thing they had in common only sent strings of anger and rage through him. They both loved that stupid fool..Battousai. A low growl escaped him as he thought of the many ways he would maim and torture Battousai before he delievered the final strike. Then he would finally have his sister's smile back. His head dipped slightly, in acknowledgement to the foreces that were driving him before he stepped back from the balcony to brood in his chair.

"I will avenge you nee-san.." Words slipped away to the wind. "Then you will smile again."

Author Notes: Just wanted to say thank you to the reviewers. Even if it's a small word or two, I do appreciate it.. And to answer your question: MaryDFair-You'll see what happens...I promise. I do agree with ya though..I love E/K and the Sou/Misao..look for a piece with those two coming shortly.