Ok people guess what I'm back and with chapter nuber three!!! Yay wow this fic,. Is writing itself I tell ya. I just hope that everything will turn out as I want it cause right now I have NO complete control over this waaaa!!!!!!

Ok were we last left of in the other chapter was when Kenshin and Kaoru went to take a little stroll…..

PREPARATIONS, PREPARATIONS,

PRT. II

Kaoru and Kenshin were walking to the market silently, neither of them knowing what to say. On rare occasions were they going out alone, and I mean ALONE. Not with someone trailing behind them, or being left behind; either way they had always gone out with the gang but this time was different since they both were completely alone well, except for the people surrounding them.

Kenshin was feeling very nervous since it was his first time he went on a date, not even with Tomoe he had gone purposely out just the two of them. He felt his hands getting sweaty and tried to wipe them on his shirt but he was just too nervous to move a muscle, well except for walking of course.

'How did I get into this, I know I would do anything for Kaoru but it's just that I don't know how to act…'

Well then leave it up to me rurouni, come on you know you can't handle women since you're a klutz, so let me out and I will get her to the place you and I want to be with her in no time.

'Shut up I don't want to argue about this again, she IS going to be treated with respect, just like Tomoe was…'

Hey don't you dare bring Tomoe into this she has nothing to do with it; just don't say her name at all ok,

'Fine, but there will be one time you will have to let go of the past Battousai'

Look I will never ever forget Tomoe whether you like it or not, she was very kind to us, so you just shut up about her.

'I WILL NEVER FORGET Tomoe, she holds a dear place in my heart but she is not here now and it is time to move on, just think about it.'

Fine but let me just tell you something…

'Look I don't want to know ok, I have a huge problem right now'

I am just

'Shut up!!'

All I want to say is

'I'm not listening lalalalalalalalalala'

Look their looking at Kaoru ok!!! Those men over there and I don't like it.

'WHAT!! And you didn't tell me sooner.'

Just do something about it or I will!!!

Kenshin shot death glares at the men ogling at Kaoru, he was very protective over her, and so was the Battousai; he just expresses things in a different way than others, just because it's different it doesn't mean it's wrong.

Kaoru saw Kenshin, and she was surprised to see that he was changing faces for a long time now, and she wanted him to say something to her since they were just walking, so she showed a little cleavage for him, but other men got the view so when she saw this she put the Kimono back in place she didn't want to show her accessories to anyone but Kenshin. At that thought she blushed, naughty thoughts came in and she just looked away so Kenhsin wouldn't see her, but she quickly let go of those thoughts, too much time around Megumi she figured. To Kaoru's surprise she did get Kenshin's attention because he glared at the men who were watching her and finally spoke to her.

"So um Kaoru that is a nice kimono you're wearing, I haven't seen it before, is it new?"

"Well I bought it a few months ago, for special occasions…do you really like it?" Kaoru was very nervous this time, she got what she wanted but now didn't know what to say so she decided to play it cool and be herself, hoping that it would work.

Kenshin saw her dress and eyed it very carefully it was very beautiful, and it suited her like perfection, he had been mesmerized by her beauty, but then again to him she always would be perfection.

"It is a beautiful dress but the one who wears it is even more." He said looking into her sapphire eyes and smiling at her, he noticed the blush that appeared on her face as he said those words, she looked lovely; and wondered how she would look tomorrow night

'Dashing'

No; surpassed perfection.

'Yeah, I guess she will'

Finally agreed with something.

"Thank you Kenshin" and with that they continued walking and talking about things, but always looking into each other's eyes. When they finally reached the market they eyed many of the things that were on display, but Kenshin's eye saw something that would take the next part of the plan into action.

"Look Kenshin isn't it soo cute!!" She was holding a penguin stuffed animal, but it was blue and around the belly it was light blue, and its little bow tie was black. She looked at it very carefully and remembered one of the stuffed animals that her father had given her; she had loved that bear so much.

--------------FLASHBACK-------------

"Kaoru, today you are going to be five years old, happy birthday sweetheart!" Kaoru's father hugged her while her mother came in her room with a cake and some candles on it, five to be exact. They started singing her that happy birthday song and kissed her.

"I want pwesents !!!, pwesents, pwesents!" Kaoru said hugging her father when he gave her a pink box with paper wrap, she eagerly opened it and gasped at what she saw inside, there was the little bear that she had wanted at the store.

she lay there on the bed for a while looking at the brown bear with the beady sparkling eyes and the little blue bow that it had around it's neck which was tied carefully and was in perfect place.

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANKYOU!!!!" Kaoru said while jumping on her bed with her pj's still on. Then she noticed something on the bear that she hadn't seen before at the store.

"papa, this ribbon wasn't on the bear when we went to the store, how come it has it now?" she asked while looking at her father with eyes that were in full confusion, expecting to be enlightened.

"That is a gift from you mother, she thought the bear needed something special, for a special girl."

"Thank you mama!! And it's blue!! My favourite colour. This is the bestest birthday ever." She hugged them real tight and gave them kisses and hurried to the shower and to change into her special dress…

------------------------------------END----------------------------------------------

"Kaoru, Kaoru, are you ok?" said Kenshin while waving his hand across her face to see if he could get her attention, she had been looking at the penguin for a while now and he was starting to get worried, he didn't want her to remember dark things about her past, all he wanted was for her to have a good time.

"Huh? Oh yeah I'm alright Kenshin, don't worry about me I was just remembering something." And with that said she took the stuffed animal in her hands and squeezed it and laughed. Kenshin thought that was pretty odd but decided to let it go, 'Must be something she remembered'

Are you blind, dense or just slow?

'What do you mean?'

Hello!!! She wants that stupid penguin! Buy it for her.

'I thought that wasn't manly…'

Yeah well it is, just kind of mushy, but guys buy those things

'Are you going soft Battousai? I would say you are but hell, what do I know; I only share the same body with you…'

Hey I never go soft; I just don't want to be trapped in an idiot's body

'Quit with the insults'

"Isn't it cute? I had a bear when I was a little girl, my father gave it to me on my fifth birthday, jajaja I said that it was the best gift ever, but now I know I have been given a better one..." Kaoru said while looking into Kenshin's eyes, and knowing that he wouldn't understand what she had said, but in that she was wrong.

"How much?"

"Oh no Kenshin you don't have to buy it for me, I was just saying!" She put the stuffed animal on the counter again and tugged at his sleeve while walking away, trying to get him to move with her.

"It's only 7.50 yen" the man said with a smile on his face. Preparing the bag to pack the penguin in, he had seen many of those cases and in the end the 'lady' always went home with her present in her arms, cherishing it.

"ok then I will take it, Kaoru stop tugging at my sleeve, I will buy it for you whether you like it or not" and that said he bought it and started walking towards other stores, but he had his eye on one in particular and started walking towards it grabbing Kaoru by the hand. He had debated on grabbing her hand or not, but finally gave in into the Battousai's protests, he knew his other half was getting soft but he didn't mention it anymore afraid that his other half would get pissed of at him and do something out of the question with Kaoru.

Kaoru noticed that Kenshin hadn't given her the blue penguin, she found it odd but decided that he maybe had something in mind, something more romantic; not cheesy but just simple and sweet. She smiled at the thought, but then smirked.

'Just perfect….'

When they arrived at the store, the clerk smiled at them and offered them many things; all of them fancy things "for the beautiful lady" he said. Kaoru was amazed by all the wonderful and shiny things that the man held in his hand, but Kenshin just brushed them off telling him that's not what he wanted. After many futile tries to get him to buy some of the expensive things he said plainly:

"Ok then what do you want"

'Ok Battousai, I want to buy a ribbon for her; which colour?'

Umm, well lets see since I'm so interested in fashion and care about it like a woman would, I would say : what the hell is wrong with you??

'Sorry I just wanted an opinion; I'm not very good with womanly tastes'

Oh and I look like I do???

'Well…'

Just don't even bother finishing that!!

'I guess I'm on my own'

Why don't you ask her, it'll save the you the trouble.

'That would take the whole romantisiscmszsmsz, I don't now how to pronounce it!'

jajajaaja,

"I'll take that purple ribbon please." Kenshin said while pointing at a stack of ribbons of many different colours.

The man grabbed the ribbon and placed it in a long narrow box.

"The box is on the house" he said while winking at Kenshin. Kenshin just smiled at the man and with his eyes thanked him. Kaoru had been staring at another direction when Kenshin was buying the ribbon, thinking about other things…

"Well we're here Misao, but nobody else is here" Aoshi said while walking around the dojo a few times while Misao was looking inside the house.

"Well they said they'd be here, I just wonder where they could be." Misao and Aoshi had been called by Sano and told them about the plan and that they needed them fast to get everything ready. Misao had wanted to go the minute the letter got in her hands but her Aoshi said that it would be a long trip and they needed to rest, so they would be leaving the next moring; she complied with that idea just grateful that he hadn't turned down the idea. She just couldn't wait to see her best friend happy with Himura.

"Looks like something delayed them, maybe we should go to Sanosuke's house to see if everything's in order."

"Don't be so paranoid Aoshi–sama, I'm sure they will be here in a while." And they waited, and waited and waited.

"That's it when that rooster comes here I will tear him apart until he whines like a little girl!!" Misao's patience had run out, she couldn't stand it anymore; she had waited just too long.

Just then Sano came running with Yahiko, Megumi, and Tsubame trailing behind him. They had finished their argument until they could say no more and decided to take Tsubame with them to meet with Misao and Aoshi, they thought that she could help with the preparations for the night in the akabeko.

"Sorry we're late, it's just something delayed us" Sano explained leaving the argument part; he didn't want to get into it again.

"Yeah well you won't be that sorry after I finish you!! We have waited here for an eternity!!!" Misao said while getting ready to punch Sano, and she did get a few punches in him until Megumi separated him and said that they needed to get everything ready for tomorrow night. They all agreed and were off to making plans for the akabeko, asking Tsubame if this or that could be done.

"Where are we going now Kenshin?" Kaoru and Kenshin had seen many things around the stores but then Kenshin headed into another direction.

They finally reached the place where they would be staying, he laid down a blanket for him and Kaoru to sit, it was a quiet afternoon in the park, save the kids that were running and having fun with their friends.

"Wow, I've never been to this part of town before, how'd you find this place?" she said while looking all around, the flowers, the roses and the grass that surrounded them.

"Well a friend recommended it to me…" he said while patting a space beside him o the blanket for her to sit. She did so and they watched the sakura petals fall around them like rain, but only with a smooth slow rhythm; like if they were dancing.

They chatted for a while and Kaoru saw some kids that were facing each other holding both hands and twirling around, screaming of happiness as they went round and round. Kaoru smiled and pulled Kenshin on his feet and did the same as those kids, they twirled and twirled both of them looking into each other's eyes while laughing, they danced around for a while and Kaoru smirked at Kenshin and let him go, Kenshin went flying onto the ground and bounced on his butt a few times and when he stopped he stared wide eyed at Kaoru, seeing her and hearing her laughter; it sounded angelic to him; almost hypnotising.

She stood there bending over with laughter, throwing her head back a few times. When she stopped she couldn't find Kenshin, she looked around but only saw strangers sitting quietly eating their lunch.

"Kenhsin, Kenshin!!! Where are you??" she called a few more times and decided to go have a look around further. She was beginning to get worried; she thought that her little prank had angered Kenshin. Then she felt a man's hands cover her eyes, but she wasn't afraid, she knew who it was; she could feel him. She laughed with excitement. Kenshin let her go and twirled her around, so she would be facing him; she gasped at the sight: there he was with a beautiful bouquet of flowers of all kinds and the sunset just behind him with sakura petals flying across his face, he looked heavenly. He smiled his usual rurouni smile and gave her the flowers with some food that he had bought.

"In case you were hungry" he said while giving her the food

"And in case you needed complementing your beauty" he said while giving her the bouquet . she smiled as she took the flowers, and thanked him.

They sat in their blanket and chatted along,

"Here this is for you," he said while giving her the penguin, he wanted to give it to her at a special moment. He gave it to her and smiled looking at her.

Aren't you forgetting something?

'What do you mean?'

The ribbon!!!

'Oh yeah!!'

I can't believe this, once I thought that there was a limit, you come and do this…

'Watch it!!'

Yeah sure sure.

'Or else'

Or else what, huh?

'Or else I will buy another "pink" shirt, and matching pants too!!'

Will the torture ever end????

Kaoru saw that Kenshin was making his faces again, and giggled; although it was kinda weird she found it funny and amusing. She thought about her remark the other day; "her little face-changing rurouni" she laughed at that thought and looked at him.

Kenshin saw he was changing faces again and groaned internally; things just had to happen to him, of all people.

Then Kenshin gave her the box with the ribbon in it and she just loved it. She hugged him tight and said thank you.

They decided it was time to go home so they started walking.

'Everything's going perfect, just perfect' thought Kaoru as she entered the dojo and said hello to Misao and Aoshi, and they talked for a long time. It was time for them to go to sleep now, and Misao, Kaoru, Megumi, and Tsubame shared the same room, Aoshi and Kenshin slept in Kenshin's room, and Sano and Yahiko slept together.

They went to sleep and peacefully, except for a few arguments heard in Yahiko's room; it had been a bad idea to put them together but what was done was done now. They all prepared for tomorrow; they knew it was going to be a big day.

Ok…………….. It's very early, it's 7:45; I am going to stop here because I'm tired, really, I know

It's still early but I haven't eaten and I just feel tired, so until next time folks!!! Thank you for the reviews that you have given me!!! It really puts my hopes up for this story!! I love you I love you I love you!!!!!!!

Next time I may answer some of the reviews!! See ya until next time

Let me know what you thought of this chapter please; let me know that I don't suck!!!!!!

XOXO

Jouko-chan

(click, click click)