Disclaimer: still don't own the series or the characters.*sniffle*
(Might get a little angstish later but I don't know it just depends on my mood)
AN: well here it comes Kaoru's secret... ___________________
Kaoru's POV:
Kaoru took a deep breath and started to tell Kenshin everything. "I guess I will start from the beginning... My mother died when I was 13.
"My father was still away he never knew that she was even ill in the first place. My brother and I were left in charge of training my father's pupils when he left. At that time we had up to 20 students. I don't even remember anymore. It was autumn when my mother started to get bad. She became blind the summer before and some times forgot and would try to leave the bed and she would fall because she was too weak to even stand, and she would always call out for Kenji-" Kaoru stopped and closed her eyes an image of her mother burned inside her. She was a woman who looked remarkably like Kaoru, except withered and pale lying on a bed, her expression totally gaunt and starved of life.
"Miss Kaoru-" Kenshin began but he stopped as he looked at her.
"Kenji- he always was restless" She continued not even noticing Kenshin had said anything. "And he was seemed to grow distant..."
FLASHBACK:
It was a cold autumn day and a 13 year-old Kaoru had set out early to get some food and her mother's medicine from Dr. Genzai. Normally he would have taken the medicine to the family himself, but something had come up and he couldn't get away to deliver it to them.
Kaoru walked down the road towards the town thinking of a lot of things to herself. 'Kenji was acting weird this morning.' She thought 'he didn't want to come to town, he seems increasingly different lately.' But she sighed and walked on. She entered Dr. Genzai's home.
"Dr. Genzai?" she called.
"Hold on ma'am I will be there in just a second." Came a voice from the back of the house. Soon he appeared from a room "Ahh little Kaoru how are you today?"
"I am fine Dr. Genzai; do you have my mother's medicine?" She was very direct. She didn't like leaving the dojo or her mother for to long.
"Yes here you go little miss." He said and smiled his old grandpa smile.
"How much do I owe you?" she said digging for some money.
"Oh no, you don't need to pay for that." He smiled.
Kaoru looked at him strangely "Thank you." She said as she left the Doctor's home and went to finish her shopping.
Kaoru soon arrived home. She felt something like a cold chill shooting through her spine as she walked through the door of the dojo. It was quiet, to quiet.
"Kenji?!" she yelled.
No answer.
"Mom?!" she yelled a little worried now.
Again no answer.
Kaoru walked through to her mother's room her heart beginning to race, 'something isn't right' she thought. Kaoru looked around but her mother wasn't in her bed. "Mom?" she said looking around. It was then that she noticed something, a foot on the ground on the far side of the bed. "Mom?" she said cautiously. She walked over to that side of the bed. And then she saw the thing that she feared the most... Kaoru had lost her voice otherwise she would have screamed. It was her mother on the floor she was cold. Her fragile body was curled up she seemed so afraid. She was dead... END FLASHBACK
Kaoru had started to cry she never expected to tell anyone about this, especially not Kenshin. She composed herself and started again. "I was too late. She had been gone for a while, the doctor said that it was the illness that killed her, but I knew better...
"After I had gained enough courage to get up I went to the kitchen and then I found this." Kaoru held up a letter that she had pulled out from inside her kimono, "Kenji had left that morning just after I did." Kaoru handed Kenshin the letter and he read it.
My dearest sister Kaoru,
Please forgive me. I never planed to leave but I feel that I have to. I am suffocating here. I can't stand it any longer, I need to get out and be on my own, I am nearly 18 and a man. I leave here knowing that you will be ok, and you will be able to take care of mother. You where the one looking out for her all the time anyway so I don't have to worry about that. Please forgive me but I have closed down the dojo for now. I am sure once father returns you will be able to start over again. Kiss mother good-bye for me, I didn't have the heart to tell her she looked so peaceful sleeping and all. I am sorry that I must leave like this but I think it is easier for all of us this way.
Love always your brother
-Kenji
"After reading the letter I then realized something, I realized what happened to my mother. She had tried to get out of bed. She had no idea she was blind she saw images in her head and she thought she could get up. But she was too weak, and she fell, she couldn't get up on her own. She must have called for him...she always called for him. When he didn't answer she must have been so afraid. And that's how she died... afraid and alone." Kaoru was shaking, she never had to say that out loud before and for some reason it felt comforting knowing it was Kenshin she had told. 'He's been so quiet, it's eerie' she thought as she looked at him.
"And that's why you have such an animosity towards your brother?" Kenshin said letting what she told him sink in.
"That is a part of it. There is one more thing." She started to tell him the rest. "Soon after mother died I sent word to my father and he finally came back. He had asked me where Kenji was. And for the first time I lied for him. I knew if I told my father that Kenji just walked out just before mother died, he would be crushed so I told him that he had left after she had passed so that he could 'find himself' Father seemed to understand and seemed almost proud of him." Kaoru smiled as she remembered her father, she was truly a 'daddy's girl' she shook her head and continued. "My father became a part of the police force and started to bring back students to the Kamiya Dojo again. Time went on life seemed to become normal or at least as close as it could get. One day not long before my father was killed, Kenji reappeared. He had come back with stories and treasures. Father was so proud of his son."
Kaoru shook her head in despair. "Kenji stayed for a while; I almost thought he would stay for good. I never said anything about mother's death to him or father.
"My father was killed not to long after Kenji came back. We thought it odd but my father had left a will. I never knew anything about it until it was too late, Kenji and I where obviously left everything but Kenji was left the deed to the Dojo. I guess my father figured I would be married and living with my husband rather than still living here teaching. I think he had that planned for Kenji." Kaoru looked at the sky again and noticed the stars had disappeared and that the sun was starting to rise. "Kenji never took the deed (though he still legally owns all rights to this place); he left in the dead of night a few days after my father's funeral, leaving me alone once again. And now he has come back, using the fact that he owns this place, and not me, so he figures that he can stay here as long as he wants and I can't do a single thing, Kenshin he could kick any of us out on the street and leave us with no place to go. I wouldn't be surprised if he did it either." Kaoru now had a sort of panicked tone in her voice
Kenshin sat there, he was a little shocked that Kaoru had been hiding this from him. "I don't think he would kick anyone out." He said slowly, "If he is as restless as you say he is he may leave again soon. So you may not have to worry."
Kaoru smiled at him. She knew in her heart that it wasn't that easy and she had a feeling that Kenshin knew that also.
Kenshin's POV:
He couldn't believe what she had just told him, but then the words that she said when he first met her and then again these last few days seemed to ring in his head: 'We have a few things in our past that we don't want to talk about...' Kenshin stood up. And looked down at the courtyard. "You should go to bed you aren't fully well after what happened yesterday."
Kaoru stood up behind him and wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I'm not tired."
Kenshin turned around and smiled, "I think we should get off of this roof before someone falls." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
* * *
They eventually got off the roof and where standing on the ground. Kaoru cuddled up to Kenshin and sighed, "Thank you"
"Hmm?" He said as he held her close.
"I would have never told anyone about this until now." Kaoru closed her eye's maybe she was a little more tired than she thought.
"I see... Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin looked at her. She had fallen asleep in his arms. He picked her up once again, and placed her in his room, but this time he lay down next to her and fell asleep himself.
To be continued...
____________________________
AN: Well there ya go her secret's out, so what did ya think? (And the end was a little fluffy) Well don't worry there is still more to this story (like I would end a story here!) ...Hey what ever happened to Yahiko anyone notice he never showed up?
(Might get a little angstish later but I don't know it just depends on my mood)
AN: well here it comes Kaoru's secret... ___________________
Kaoru's POV:
Kaoru took a deep breath and started to tell Kenshin everything. "I guess I will start from the beginning... My mother died when I was 13.
"My father was still away he never knew that she was even ill in the first place. My brother and I were left in charge of training my father's pupils when he left. At that time we had up to 20 students. I don't even remember anymore. It was autumn when my mother started to get bad. She became blind the summer before and some times forgot and would try to leave the bed and she would fall because she was too weak to even stand, and she would always call out for Kenji-" Kaoru stopped and closed her eyes an image of her mother burned inside her. She was a woman who looked remarkably like Kaoru, except withered and pale lying on a bed, her expression totally gaunt and starved of life.
"Miss Kaoru-" Kenshin began but he stopped as he looked at her.
"Kenji- he always was restless" She continued not even noticing Kenshin had said anything. "And he was seemed to grow distant..."
FLASHBACK:
It was a cold autumn day and a 13 year-old Kaoru had set out early to get some food and her mother's medicine from Dr. Genzai. Normally he would have taken the medicine to the family himself, but something had come up and he couldn't get away to deliver it to them.
Kaoru walked down the road towards the town thinking of a lot of things to herself. 'Kenji was acting weird this morning.' She thought 'he didn't want to come to town, he seems increasingly different lately.' But she sighed and walked on. She entered Dr. Genzai's home.
"Dr. Genzai?" she called.
"Hold on ma'am I will be there in just a second." Came a voice from the back of the house. Soon he appeared from a room "Ahh little Kaoru how are you today?"
"I am fine Dr. Genzai; do you have my mother's medicine?" She was very direct. She didn't like leaving the dojo or her mother for to long.
"Yes here you go little miss." He said and smiled his old grandpa smile.
"How much do I owe you?" she said digging for some money.
"Oh no, you don't need to pay for that." He smiled.
Kaoru looked at him strangely "Thank you." She said as she left the Doctor's home and went to finish her shopping.
Kaoru soon arrived home. She felt something like a cold chill shooting through her spine as she walked through the door of the dojo. It was quiet, to quiet.
"Kenji?!" she yelled.
No answer.
"Mom?!" she yelled a little worried now.
Again no answer.
Kaoru walked through to her mother's room her heart beginning to race, 'something isn't right' she thought. Kaoru looked around but her mother wasn't in her bed. "Mom?" she said looking around. It was then that she noticed something, a foot on the ground on the far side of the bed. "Mom?" she said cautiously. She walked over to that side of the bed. And then she saw the thing that she feared the most... Kaoru had lost her voice otherwise she would have screamed. It was her mother on the floor she was cold. Her fragile body was curled up she seemed so afraid. She was dead... END FLASHBACK
Kaoru had started to cry she never expected to tell anyone about this, especially not Kenshin. She composed herself and started again. "I was too late. She had been gone for a while, the doctor said that it was the illness that killed her, but I knew better...
"After I had gained enough courage to get up I went to the kitchen and then I found this." Kaoru held up a letter that she had pulled out from inside her kimono, "Kenji had left that morning just after I did." Kaoru handed Kenshin the letter and he read it.
My dearest sister Kaoru,
Please forgive me. I never planed to leave but I feel that I have to. I am suffocating here. I can't stand it any longer, I need to get out and be on my own, I am nearly 18 and a man. I leave here knowing that you will be ok, and you will be able to take care of mother. You where the one looking out for her all the time anyway so I don't have to worry about that. Please forgive me but I have closed down the dojo for now. I am sure once father returns you will be able to start over again. Kiss mother good-bye for me, I didn't have the heart to tell her she looked so peaceful sleeping and all. I am sorry that I must leave like this but I think it is easier for all of us this way.
Love always your brother
-Kenji
"After reading the letter I then realized something, I realized what happened to my mother. She had tried to get out of bed. She had no idea she was blind she saw images in her head and she thought she could get up. But she was too weak, and she fell, she couldn't get up on her own. She must have called for him...she always called for him. When he didn't answer she must have been so afraid. And that's how she died... afraid and alone." Kaoru was shaking, she never had to say that out loud before and for some reason it felt comforting knowing it was Kenshin she had told. 'He's been so quiet, it's eerie' she thought as she looked at him.
"And that's why you have such an animosity towards your brother?" Kenshin said letting what she told him sink in.
"That is a part of it. There is one more thing." She started to tell him the rest. "Soon after mother died I sent word to my father and he finally came back. He had asked me where Kenji was. And for the first time I lied for him. I knew if I told my father that Kenji just walked out just before mother died, he would be crushed so I told him that he had left after she had passed so that he could 'find himself' Father seemed to understand and seemed almost proud of him." Kaoru smiled as she remembered her father, she was truly a 'daddy's girl' she shook her head and continued. "My father became a part of the police force and started to bring back students to the Kamiya Dojo again. Time went on life seemed to become normal or at least as close as it could get. One day not long before my father was killed, Kenji reappeared. He had come back with stories and treasures. Father was so proud of his son."
Kaoru shook her head in despair. "Kenji stayed for a while; I almost thought he would stay for good. I never said anything about mother's death to him or father.
"My father was killed not to long after Kenji came back. We thought it odd but my father had left a will. I never knew anything about it until it was too late, Kenji and I where obviously left everything but Kenji was left the deed to the Dojo. I guess my father figured I would be married and living with my husband rather than still living here teaching. I think he had that planned for Kenji." Kaoru looked at the sky again and noticed the stars had disappeared and that the sun was starting to rise. "Kenji never took the deed (though he still legally owns all rights to this place); he left in the dead of night a few days after my father's funeral, leaving me alone once again. And now he has come back, using the fact that he owns this place, and not me, so he figures that he can stay here as long as he wants and I can't do a single thing, Kenshin he could kick any of us out on the street and leave us with no place to go. I wouldn't be surprised if he did it either." Kaoru now had a sort of panicked tone in her voice
Kenshin sat there, he was a little shocked that Kaoru had been hiding this from him. "I don't think he would kick anyone out." He said slowly, "If he is as restless as you say he is he may leave again soon. So you may not have to worry."
Kaoru smiled at him. She knew in her heart that it wasn't that easy and she had a feeling that Kenshin knew that also.
Kenshin's POV:
He couldn't believe what she had just told him, but then the words that she said when he first met her and then again these last few days seemed to ring in his head: 'We have a few things in our past that we don't want to talk about...' Kenshin stood up. And looked down at the courtyard. "You should go to bed you aren't fully well after what happened yesterday."
Kaoru stood up behind him and wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I'm not tired."
Kenshin turned around and smiled, "I think we should get off of this roof before someone falls." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
* * *
They eventually got off the roof and where standing on the ground. Kaoru cuddled up to Kenshin and sighed, "Thank you"
"Hmm?" He said as he held her close.
"I would have never told anyone about this until now." Kaoru closed her eye's maybe she was a little more tired than she thought.
"I see... Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin looked at her. She had fallen asleep in his arms. He picked her up once again, and placed her in his room, but this time he lay down next to her and fell asleep himself.
To be continued...
____________________________
AN: Well there ya go her secret's out, so what did ya think? (And the end was a little fluffy) Well don't worry there is still more to this story (like I would end a story here!) ...Hey what ever happened to Yahiko anyone notice he never showed up?