Letter of Marque
Sequel to Between the Devil and the Deep
A Rurouni Kenshin AU Fic
by Gemini

Rated R: For cursing and other naughty things

Disclaimer: This Rurouni Kenshin franchise is owned and operated by Earl "Nobuhiro" Watsuki,
Tim "Shonen" Jump and "Sony" Jones. There are also a few silent partners I can't recall.

The events in this story take place one year after the end of 'Between the Devil and the Deep'

Chapter 3: Blackmail

Not a new chapter, but someone pointed out that Tae called Kaoru by her real name and, well, Tae doesn't know
her real name. My mistake. Argh. So, it's fixed. Thanks for pointing that out!

Kaoru tried to take a deep breath to calm herself before she and Aoshi crashed Tae Sekihara's party, but unfortunately, her corset was preventing all but the shallowest of breaths. "Fuck. I think I'm going to pass out." She hissed.

Aoshi, who was currently trying to prevent himself from loosening the tie around his neck that Misao had nearly garroted him with, merely grunted in response.

Their escort for the evening, Maiko Hamaguchi, turned around and gave them both a baleful glare. "Listen to me you two, I am taking a considerable risk bringing you here tonight and vouching for your identities. I'd really prefer it if you could at least try to pretend to be of gentle birth."

Kaoru sighed, or at least attempted to. "I'm sorry, Aunt Maiko. We'll try."

Maiko shook her head. "Your mother, Lord rest her soul, would be scandalized by your behavior, Kaoru. She might have been married to a pirate, but she was a lady."

The younger woman's shoulders slumped and Maiko's expression softened. "I'm sorry to be so harsh, dear, it's just that, well…your mother was my best friend and she had such high hopes for you…" She broke off when the butler opened the front door.

"Invitation?" The butler asked officiously. Maiko handed him the heavy cream colored card and gave their names.

He ushered them into the grand entrance hall and loudly announced their arrival, much to Kaoru and Aoshi's mortification.

Kaoru slipped her arm into Aoshi's and held on for dear life, plastering a smile on her face, hoping to appear normal.

Her eyes roved from one privileged face to another, wondering which one was the Admiral Kamo Serizawa, the man she and Aoshi were looking for. Suddenly, a completely unexpected face entered her field of vision and she felt herself pale. Captain Kenshin Himura was staring back at her, looking as though he had just seen a ghost.

Aoshi glanced down at her when her grip tightened almost painfully on his arm. Following her gaze, he immediately recognized the Captain. "Shit." He cursed under his breath.

Before Kaoru could formulate a plan, or even a coherent thought amidst all the confused emotions currently overtaking her mind, the party's hostess, Tae Sekihara, swooped down on the three of them.

"Maiko, you made it after all!" She exclaimed as she hugged her friend. "I am very happy to see you, it's been ages!" Tae gave her friend one last squeeze before turning to the pair standing behind them, still as statues.

"And who are your friends? I don't believe I've had the honor…"

Maiko smiled, years of living in high society having honed her acting ability. "Oh, Tae, my dear, I hope you don't mind me bringing them. This is Keiko and Hiroshi Fujiwara. They are distant cousins to my late husband who have come from the country to visit. I might not have imposed, but they did so much want to come to one of your famous parties."

Flattered, Tae smiled brightly and took Kaoru's free hand. "No, no, you two are welcome in my home. So, Keiko and Hiroshi, are you husband and wife?"

Kaoru blinked in surprise. "No, brother and sister." She replied.

"And are either of you married?" Tae asked, eyeing Kaoru speculatively.

"Oh, no, I'm not, but my brother is spoken for." Kaoru replied, slightly confused. Aoshi pinched her arm at her off-handed acknowledgement of his and Misao's relationship. She gritted her teeth in pain, but said nothing.

"Wonderful!" Tae clapped her hands together. "Let me introduce you around, Keiko." Ignoring Aoshi, she took Kaoru's arm and led her towards the banquet hall. "Maiko, will you please make sure Hiroshi gets acquainted with the guests as well?" She called over her shoulder, smiling brilliantly at her friend.

Maiko nodded, a slightly amused glint in her eye. She took Aoshi's arm and steered him towards the party. "Looks like she's decided to make Kaoru a project." She observed.

"Project?" Aoshi frowned, confused.

Maiko giggled. "Tae has a bit of an obsession when it comes to matchmaking. She can't stand the idea of someone who is of marriageable age not being married or at least engaged."

Aoshi sighed. "I doubt she'll get very far with Kaoru. She's not the marrying type."

"Nonsense! She just needs to find the right man to settle down with." Maiko replied, waving to a friend across the room.

Privately, Aoshi disagreed, Kaoru was not the type to ever settle down, but he kept his mouth shut and allowed her to drag him around the room.

Tae introduced Kaoru to several single young men, all rich and reasonably good looking. None of them had anything interesting to say, however, and Kaoru found her eyes straying back to where Kenshin was standing. He was looking around the room, perhaps trying to locate her. She was glad he didn't know where she was at the moment, it gave her time to study the young woman currently attached to him.

She was pretty, in a delicate lady-like way, with thick black hair pinned up in the latest style. Large diamond tear drops decorated her ears and her wrists were similarly adorned, so much so that she seemed to sparkle every time she moved. Her dress was daringly low cut, frothy with lace and beading. Her pretty mouth was set in a pout that Kaoru was almost certain she must practice in the mirror everyday to achieve maximum results with men.

Kaoru's eyes weren't the only ones on the young woman. Many of the men in the room were also staring, occasionally directing envious glances at Kenshin. Kaoru was glad her corset prevented her from sighing. The young woman on his arm must be the fiancée she had heard gossip about. The stab of jealousy she felt in her gut annoyed her and she wished she didn't care that Kenshin was getting married. But she did, and seeing him with his gorgeous fiancée hurt her more than she could have ever imagined it would.

"Keiko?" Tae gently patted Kaoru's arm, bring her attention back to the hostess.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry, Madame Sekihara, my mind wandered." Kaoru apologized.

A smile played over Tae's lips. "He is quite handsome, isn't he?" she asked.

Kaoru colored slightly. "Who?"

Tae tittered. "Captain Kenshin Himura." She replied. "The handsome young man you've been staring at all night."

Kaoru's blush intensified; she was mortified at being caught.

"Oh, I don't blame you one bit. I must admit, if I wasn't a married woman…" Tae trailed off with a laugh. "Well, never mind. Anyway, it's quite scandalous how that Yuki Hidaka has thrown herself at him, and poor Kenshin wants nothing to do with her."
Kaoru's ears perked up. "What?"

Tae leaned in, eager to share the gossip. "That woman who's all but draped herself over him is Yuki Hidaka. She and her mother are quite important socially, but rumor has it that Madame Hidaka's late husband gambled all their money away, so she's trying to marry her daughter off to the richest man they can find."

"Captain Himura's rich?" Kaoru couldn't hide her surprise. "I was aware that Naval Captains did well for themselves, but I'd never venture to accuse them of being wealthy."

"Well, Captain Himura's wealth doesn't come from the Navy. He inherited it, when he turned 25. It's quite a sad story, really." Tae replied, shaking her head.

Kaoru lifted an eyebrow.

Seeing her interest and always willing to share a good story, Tae motioned Kaoru closer.

"From what I understand, Captain Himura's parents died when he was a little boy and he was sent to live with a distant relative who didn't want him. Now, he comes from a very wealthy family on his mother's side and when they died, he inherited everything, including a large estate in the north. But since he was a little boy, everything was put into trust until he was older. His relative, an uncle, I think, didn't tell him he had any money, so poor Captain Himura felt that he was entirely in the man's debt. Well, when he was fourteen or so, he fell in love with a servant's daughter." Tae paused here and shook her head sadly. "When his uncle found out, he was furious and cut Captain Himura off entirely, so he joined the Navy. He and the girl decided that when he made enough money to support them, they would get married. But he was gone almost all the time, and she was lonely, I guess, and eventually, she fell in love with someone else. By the time poor Captain Himura had been promoted to Captain, the youngest in Navy history, I might add, she was engaged to this other man. He was quite devastated."

Kaoru looked over at Kenshin, who was still scanning the crowd for her and felt a strange lurch in her stomach. Did he still love that woman? Who was she?

Tae wasn't finished with her story. "Well, all this would have been enough, except that last year, he found out this woman, who had married a minister and spent most of her time working with the poor, had contracted a deadly disease and died, along with her husband."

Suddenly, Kaoru had an inkling where Tae was going with this tale.

"The woman had a son, named Yahiko, and when she died, she left him in Captain Himura's care. It was quite a shock to the poor man. Not only to have the woman he loved die, but to suddenly be a father? And then, when he was sailing back with the boy, their ship was sunk in a storm and the two of them nearly died. Luckily, they were rescued by a passing ship." Tae was quite enjoying herself. "Captain Himura has proven to be a rather good father to that little boy. But I keep telling him he needs to find a wife, anyone, except of course, Yuki, but he won't listen to me. He's quite stubborn."

Kaoru listened to this virtual stranger spill out the details of Kenshin's life with fascination. She had picked up bits of similar information in the year since she had last seen him, but Tae had truly shed some new light on the man. She glanced at him again, and this time she caught his eye.

He raised an eyebrow at her, a silent question.

She frowned and turned away, bringing her attention back to Tae, who was still prattling on about how Kenshin needed to stop being so stubborn and marry.

"So he's not engaged to this Yuki?" she asked her hostess.

"Heavens, no! I'd venture to say that he dislikes her quite a bit. He's been trying to figure out a way to get rid of her and her mother for months without being rude, but I'm fairly certain that he'll have to resort to being rude in the near future or else he'll find himself at the altar." Tae laughed. "They've practically got the invitations drawn up."

Kaoru wanted to laugh out loud in relief, but she was fairly certain that would be highly inappropriate. Instead, she began to formulate a plan. "Madame Sekihara, I have heard wonderful things about your gardens. Would you be so kind as to direct me to them?"

Tae perked up, she was rather proud of her gardens. "Well certainly. I'd be happy to give you a tour, if you'd like."

"Oh no, I couldn't be so rude as to take you away from your guests, Madame Sekihara, just point the way and I'll give myself a tour." Kaoru responded.

Tae smiled. "All right, all you need to do is go out those large doors at the back of the room and that will put you on the patio. The gardens are right there." She pointed toward an ornate pair of glass and wood doors.

Kaoru gave her thanks and began winding her way through the room towards the doors. She glanced back at Kenshin and then at the doors, hoping he'd get the message. As nonchalantly as possible, she slipped outside and onto the patio, gasping slightly when she saw the grounds. Tae's gardens were truly beautiful. In honor of the party, there were small, delicate lanterns sprinkled about, giving the whole area an almost magical feeling. A marble water fountain complete with fat, smiling cherubim sprayed water into the cool night air. She studied it for a moment before stepping onto the ornately carved stones that formed the walkway that wound through the carefully placed rose bushes, hedges, flower beds and trees.

Lifting her skirts so they wouldn't drag on the ground, she followed the pathway until she reached a secluded little niche, formed by the intersection of two hedges. There she stood in breathless anticipation, hoping Kenshin would have gotten the hint and followed her.

Just as she was about to give up, she heard a quick, assured step approaching. A moment later, he appeared, looking dashing in his Captain's uniform. "Kenshin." She whispered, catching his attention.

Of all the greetings she expected from him, the one he chose surprised her. Instead of asking her how she was or what she was doing there, he grabbed her, looping one strong arm around her waist and cradling her face with his free hand. She didn't have time to protest before his mouth descended upon hers and she was drowning in him.

Eventually, they had to break apart, breathing being rather difficult.

Gasping for air, Kaoru managed a faint, "Well, hello to you, too."

Kenshin chuckled and ran a gloved finger down her cheek in a move that was oddly possessive. "Nice to see you." He replied.

They stood in silence for a long moment; before he finally asked her the question she had been dreading.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you, Kaoru, but it didn't escape my notice that you're here as Keiko Fujiwara. Just what is going on?" He asked, quirking an elegant eyebrow.

Kaoru pushed away from him. "Nothing you need to worry about. I'm here doing surveillance."

"Since when do pirates do surveillance? Are you planning on robbing Tae?" He joked.

She frowned. "No, I'm not planning on robbing Tae. And, I can't tell you anything else."

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Not another mission. Who are you saving this time?"

"Listen to me, Kenshin, I need you to understand, this does not involve you. And I am not about to put either your person or your career in danger. Just pretend you don't know me." She said seriously.

He leaned forward, pinning her between his body and the shrub. "How could I pretend not to know you when all I want to do is kiss you?"

She blushed. "Well, fight the urge. Go back inside and busy yourself with fending off the advances of that barracuda."

He smiled. "Jealous?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Kaoru pushed him away and scowled. "Quit it! Just go back inside and pretend you don't know me, okay? I have work to do."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment before responding. "I will, if you do something for me."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"Perhaps. Are you going to hear me out, or am I going to have to start calling you Kaoru in front of the party guests?" His smile turned wicked.

She huffed but waived at him to continue.

"Come to my house tomorrow. I want to see you without having to hide in the bushes." He stepped close to her, one gloved hand moving to hold her arm so she couldn't escape. "I live two miles south of here." He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers, not quite a kiss. "I expect you to join me for lunch. Yahiko will be thrilled to see you."

She scowled, chafing at the idea of being ordered around by a man, even one she was in love with.

"Do we have a deal?" He asked, tightening his hold on her arm.

She hesitated, wondering if she should call his bluff. She sincerely doubted that he'd do anything to endanger her, after all. The trouble was that she did want to see him again. Finally, after a long silent moment, she nodded. "Fine. I'll be there."

He released her arm. "Good. We have a lot to talk about. It's been a whole year since I saw you last, after all."

"Kenshin? Keennsshhiinnnn!" Yuki's voice sang out over the bushes. "Mama saw you come out here, where are you, darling?"

"Shit." Kenshin cursed. "That woman…I swear…"

Kaoru giggled. "She seems quite…charming." She said coyly. She stepped back and smiled brightly. "I'll leave you to your lady love, Captain. Until tomorrow." She waved and disappeared into the dark recess of an unlit portion of Tae's garden, leaving Kenshin to fend off the amorous advances of the 'barracuda' completely on his own.

Sighing, he raked a hand through his hair and set off down the path towards where Yuki was standing, hollering for him.

"There you are! Why didn't you tell me you wanted to walk in the gardens? I would have gladly gone with you. It's so romantic…" Yuki took his arm and beamed up at him.

He gritted his teeth and swallowed a rude retort. 'I'll get you for this tomorrow, Kaoru.' He thought and smiled.

A/N: Sigh. November completely sucked, people. D-E-P-R-E-S-S-I-N-G.

I actually had a completely different chapter written up, but then today, I sat down in a rage and typed up this bad boy. I've been feeling extra pirate-y lately thanks to the DVD release of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and the news that there will be a sequel with the original actors. (At least, according to this magazine I read). So, rock on.

Anyway, plot points, plot points...

Um, Serizawa Kamo was a real guy in the Shinsengumi. He was a bad, bad man who abused the power that the 'gumi had and
so was drummed out of the corps, as it were. With a sword. I thought he would make a perfect bad guy.

So, what was Katsu up to? What did he find out? Seriously, tell me 'cause I don't know.

I'm in the middle of moving and attempting to salvage a few important aspects of my life, so I can't promise super fast updates, but I'll try to get at least two more chapters out before the New Year. Thanks for all your feedback. Nothing motivates like swords. Of course, if you promised me cookies and Orlando Bloom, I might be motivated to write faster. Heh.