Hey again! I'm updating, w00t! This chapter is going to have some angst in it, not between Kaoru and Battousai, but with Kaoru and her parents. Again thanks will be at the bottom! Enjoy.

I don't own any characters from Rurouni Kenshin, no matter how much I want to.

Kaoru woke up again with the distinct impression that she wasn't in her bed, but somewhere else. And yet again, she was correct. Kaoru was in a cage and Battousai was next to her. What had woken her up was the zoo manager who had tapped her shoulder through the bars of the cage.

"How in the hell did you get in there?" the man asked her.

"You're not gonna believe me when I say this, but there was this ferret and he—"

The man finished her sentence for her, "—had a chainsaw and a welder and he locked you in here."

"Yes, actually." Kaoru replied. "How did you know?"

"Well, why do you think the ferret was in a cage with signs reading danger everywhere, he was dangerous of course." The man told her plainly.

"Oi, Battousai!" She called to the comatose redhead next to her. "We can get out now."

He yawned and stretched. "Awwww. Does that mean I won't be locked in a cage with you anymore?"

She glared at him. "Yes, baka, it does. Now move it. I have no excuse this time for my parents, and Kami knows that the truth won't work."

She hoisted Battousai to his feet and they walked off towards the car.

"Have you found out what you'll tell your parents?" he asked her. "I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."

"I have absolutely no clue. I'm just gonna say that we got locked in at the zoo. No more, no less. I hope that'll appease them."

"Want me to come in with you?" he asked as they got into the car.

"Oh god no. My mom would have a fit. She would think we were," Kaoru blushed, "doing things."

"But were we not, Koishii?" he asked, mockingly.

She smacked him on the head. "That's not the point. The point is if my mom even thought anything of that sort I'd never be let out of my room, ever."

"Then I'd just have to come and get you." He told her with a smirk.

"Shut up and drive, Battousai." She growled at him playfully. He started the car and they were off.

"Are you sure that you don't need me to come in with you?" hе askеd hеr.

"I'm sure." She replied. "Thеy are my parents you know."

"If you say so, Koishii." H said and drove off.

Kaoru was filled with the fееling of dread when she walked up to hеr front porch. She took a dееp breath and walked in.

Kaoru too a deep breath and stepped inside her house. As she expected, Kaoru's mother was sitting on the couch next to the front door with a look of anger on her face.

"Where in Kami's name have you been?" her mother asked her, her voice deep with rage. "You disappeared on us twice in one week!"

"Mother, I was at the zoo, it closed and we were stuck there." Kaoru tried to explain then gasped when she discovered she had used 'we' and blown her cover.

"A likely story Kaoru. What did that Himura fellow do to you?" her mother asked.

"Kenshin didn't do anything to me, I just went to the zoo with him to repay him for saving me before." Kaoru tried to explain, she was on the verge of tears. Why wouldn't anyone believe her?

"So, you two are on a first name basis. You had sex with him, didn't you?" her mother asked, but it was more of a statement.

"No we didn't. He's only a close friend." Kaoru kept on trying to tell her mother.

"You love him don't you?" again, she was pressing, making statements in the form of questions.

This was the last straw for Kaoru, she broke down into hysterical sobs. "Yes mother, I do love him. Damnit, I love him more than anything." She tried to wipe her eyes. "He's my Rurouni, and he'll love me forever and always."

"Kaoru," her mother continued, voice still stern. "I don't know what he's done to you, but you wont see him again. You can train at home from now on. If he tries to talk to you, ignore him."

"Mom!" Kaoru cried. "You can't do this to me!"

"Yes I can, and I will. If I catch you talking with him ever again, you're out of here. Unless you abide by my rules, you can stay on the street. "

She had never seen her mother act like this. Her mother had always been kind, sweet, and caring. But maybe her mother, also someone who was reincarnated from the Meji era, could sense what Battousai use to be, a killer. Maybe some maternal instinct recognized him as a murderer, and didn't see that he would only kill those who hurt Kaoru. But whatever the reason, the Hitokiri Battousai was not welcome in Kaoru's home any longer.

Suddenly, she felt a strange sensation come over her, it was a feeling that told her to rebel, just a little bit. "Mother, dear mother." Kaoru told her mom, the tears that had earlier stained her face were gone. "Don't you understand? The Hitokiri Battousai always gets what he wants, and by any means necessary. Doing this is just like sending him an invitation to take me away while I sleep." And with that she ascended the stairs and went to her room.

Kaoru had nothing to do. She was stuck in her room until the next day, which would be Monday. Without anything left to do, she fell into a fitful sleep.

(Dream mode SPOILER)

Kaoru felt his presence draw near. It was Kenshin, her husband, and father of their son Kenji. He had come back from the second war. He had finally returned. She had kept everything to be like it had been when he left for his second war. They wanted him to fight because of what he was, not what he is.

Kaoru pulled herself out of the bed she lay in, her body broken and scarred from the disease. She slowly and painfully started to walk toward the entrance of her dojo, each step she took causing her great amounts of pain. But then she saw him. He was covered in bandages, as was she, and he appeared to have walked home.

Kenshin saw her and used his last remaining strength to make it to Kaoru and give her a hug. They both fell to the ground, exhausted. She held him close and kissed him softly on the lips. He kissed back, and they embraced for what seemed like hours to the separated lovers.

Carefully Kaoru leaned back against a tree and held his head in her lap. "I love you Kenshin." She murmured to him, brushing a lock of hair from his face, only to discover it was cold. She frantically places a finger on his neck, there was no pulse and he wasn't breathing.

Her world broke into thousands of colored shards, everything was spinning, and she was unraveling. Kaoru cried and held his dead body close to her, frantically hoping that he'd live. But he didn't, he never came to life. Kenshin's soul was gone, only his body remained. And though Kaoru's body lived on for many more years, it was only in body, and not in spirit.

(End dream, end spoiler)

Kaoru woke up sweating. The dream of Kenshin's death felt so real to her. She gasped, her breath coming in ragged. Everything her mother had told her before slipped her mind. She had to talk to someone who understood. Kaoru quickly flipped through the phone directory and found Battousai's name. She dialed the phone with shaky fingers.

"Hello?" he picked up the phone, his voice filled with annoyance at being woken up.

"Battousai," Kaoru said and burst into tears.

His voice immediately took on concern, "Kaoru, what's the matter."

"I just," she broke into tears again. "This dream, Kenshin died in my arms all over again." She gave a cracked sob and cried some more.

"Kaoru," Battousai said, his voice soothing. "Remember, it was only a dream. I'll always be here for you no matter what. Do you want me to come over and keep you company?" he asked.

Kaoru never got to answer. The phone was removed from the wall. Kaoru gasped and dropped the receiver, it was her mother, and she was livid with rage.

"I warned you Kaoru!" she screamed at her. "Tomorrow you're gone. Don't come back after school, Kaoru."

And again, Kaoru burst into tears. At that same moment across town, Battousai was afraid for Kaoru. He though the worst.

"Damnit!" he cried. "I should have killed Enishi when I had the chance." Battousai speedily put on his gi and pants, he was going hunting. His eyes lost their purple cover and turned a bright molten gold color. His hair was flying free, and he made the perfect picture of the revolution. Battousai grabbed his sword and flew at a god like speed down the stairs and across the parking lot, his car was too slow for this job. Battousai ran through the traffic and across Tokyo, no one even saw him, they only felt a light breeze.

He stopped right outside Kaoru's window, it was on the second floor. He jumped and landed with a 'thump' on the open windowsill.

It wasn't Enishi, as he had imagined, but it was someone he knew. Kaoru's mother had a hand raised, ready to slap the crying Kaoru.

"Mrs. Kamiya, don't you dare." He said in a icy tone as smooth as silk. "If you hurt my Koishii, I cannot be held responsible for my actions." He informed her and jumped off the sill into the room.

Kaoru's mother gasped when she saw the man had bright gold eyes, that could burn into your soul. "W...who are you." She stammered.

"I am the Hitokiri Battousai. The very same one which stalked Japan centuries ago. I am, what you might call Kaoru's guardian angel, who also serves as her lover in whatever new reincarnated form she takes. My sworn duty is to protect her." Battousai told the entire story in a nutshell. If this didn't knock some sense into Kaoru's mother, he didn't know what would.

He stalked over to Kaoru and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Go back to bed, Mrs. Kamiya, and leave Kaoru with me."

Her mother nodded, afraid, and stumbled back to bed in disbelief. Battousai held Kaoru close, and she fell asleep in his arms.

The next morning, Kaoru awoke to find herself tucked in bed safe and alone. She got dressed and went downstairs, wondering whether last night was a dream or not. Her parents greeted her with cold stares.

"Kaoru, don't come back until you let go of Mr. Himura." Her mother told her with tears in her eyes. "It's for your own good."

Kaoru gave a long sigh an walked out the door. The part about Battousai had been a dream after all.

WEEEE! Chappie done...yeah!