OMG, I can't believe how wonderful you lovely fanfic.net people are out there!!!! ^_________________________^ muchas gracias to Jason M. Lee for his great and insightful advice about the flower thing!!! ( Thanks Jason!!

Also a note to Fuuko-san: I changed the ending of the first chappie!!! It was a pretty interesting idea about the 'thank you' thing instead of the name!! I think it sounds pretty cool. ^_^

If you want, you can re-read the first chap to see the changes I made. ^_^ But anyways, on with the story!!!

Chapter 2: Her Life

I stared absentmindedly at the soft blue petals of the single forget- me-not stem sitting in a skinny vase at my windowsill. It had only been yesterday and the memory of the red-haired man still burned crisply in my mind. Ever since I had returned from my late shift at the flower shop that day, I couldn't get his purple eyes, his strange cross-scar, or his glowing smile out of my head. My chin was propped upon my hands as I sat, inhaling the sweet floral perfume and watching the early morning sunlight bathe my flower in its sweet nourishment.

"Hey, Nee-san, you lazy bum, wake up!!"

A sharp smack fell onto my head, as I snapped it around to find my younger brother, holding a small wooden sword ready in his right hand.

"Yahiko, you little prick!!" I yelled and reached out to grab the small stick, only to get smacked on the head once more by his hidden left hand. I roared and launched myself at him, chasing his little butt in a full circle around the house before catching him and bringing him kicking and yelling back into the house.

Yahiko was Jii-san's real blood relation, his grandson, unlike me. He was born five years after the kind old man had found me on the streets of Hakkaido. His parents had shortly after been robbed violently one night by a group of terrorizing men, also losing their house to the thieves' torches. They were both now working arduously in Tokyo, slowly but steadily earning back their life savings. But during this time period, they couldn't afford to care of their baby boy Yahiko, and left him in the care of Jii- san. Yahiko's mother and father visit whenever they have the time and money to spare and together, Jii-san, Yahiko-chan, and I live together happily like a real family.

"Don't be so rough on Yahiko, Kaoru-chan," came the chuckle of Jii- san I carried Yahiko (now throwing a tantrum) through the front door.

"He hit me several times with his annoying little stick and called me a 'lazy bum'!" I said, giving Yahiko a hearty shake.

"All I did was wake her from Lala-land, the place she's been stuck in ever since yesterday!" he yelled back angrily.

As we squabbled aimlessly, Jii-san chuckled and shook his head, "What loving siblings they are..." As he stepped forward to put a stop to our daily bickering, a shout from the small dirt road leading from their house sounded and we all turned to the source. A young man with salient locks of black hair protruding from his head and smug grin spread across his face.

This man's name was Sanosuke Sagara, Super-fighter, Super-cutie (AN: heck ya!!! ^_^), and Super-flirt. He strutted proudly down the road, with his usual fish bone hanging from the side of his mouth. He wore what he always did: an open gi with a large Kanji character painted on it, the character for 'evil'. 'Evil' was far from Sano's real personality, though he often participated in nightly gambling and underground street fights. In truth, he was a very kind person and as my close friend since childhood, became like a brother to me.

"Hey, how's it goin'?" he said, waving his hand and bowing to Jii-san in respect. When he spotted the little brat caught in my chokehold, he broke out into fits of laughter. "Only you, kid, can piss off Kaoru and walk out alive!!"

"What do you mean by that?!" I yelled, giving up on Yahiko and slapping Sano soundly on the shoulder. Jii-san chuckled once more as I yelled angrily at both Yahiko and Sano, who were erupting in teasing laughter. My my, children these days... he smiled, shaking his head.

**************************************************************************** **

The semi-circular sun radiated its vibrant orange and reds from the horizon. My feet walked numbly along the uneven terrain, kicking a rock or two. In my hand, I held a towel and a bar of crude soap. The trees were full and green and the grass soft. Flowers perfumed the spring air, but the scent of damp rain was still prominent from the showers of spring.

My mind thinks most in silence and as the silence pressed upon me, thoughts raced to my head and stuck like bees to honey. Flashes of red-hair and violet eyes flew before my eyes. I stopped and shock my head, then continued walking. His image, his voice, both stung my memory every minute I was awake. I was now making my way to the hot springs in hope of finding a cure for the jumbled mess inside my head.

I found the warm spring easily from visiting it often and set my things down on a large rock sitting hear the shore. Undressing and placing my clothes on the rock as well, I dipped my foot gingerly into the hot water and let out a sigh of content. Slipping my body completely into the soothing hot water, I felt the all tension that nagged at my body evaporate. Leaning my head back, I closed my eyes and sighed again.

A soft rustle sounded in the bushes. I opened my eyes and glanced to the left. When I couldn't see or hear any other noise, I sat up, a chill running down my spine. My heart pumped vigorously and I took in deep long breaths in attempt to calm myself. The silence overwhelmed me, and I shouted, "Who's there?" to the emptiness.

A snap of a twig erupted in the air. I snapped my head around me, trying to make sense where the sound was coming from. A lump in my throat formed as I realized the situation I was in: I was naked and absolutely vulnerable with no one accompanying me. I gulped and tried to calm my restless nerves.

I began to swim to the middle of the heated pond, hoping for as much protection as I could get. With my eyes wide open, I waited for the intruder to make another move and, hopefully, be able to locate him and escape. For reassurance, I cried out again, "Who's there?"

"Is someone here?" replied a voice.

A spiky, black-haired emerged from the bushes wearing an open gi and a fish bone in his mouth. His jaw nearly fell off his mouth, as did mine.

"K-Kaoru?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

*****Ten minutes later******

"Gomen, ok? GOMEN!!"

I walked, eyebrows knitted and arms crossed. Sano walked with me to my right holding his throbbing head. He now wore two large bumps on his head along with his bright red headband.

"You freaked the hell outta me, Sano!" I yelled.

"I didn't know you were there, ok?!!" he retorted, receiving another sound smack on the head. He clutched his head in pain.

"God dammit, that HURTS!!!" he cried, massaging the pain mussing his spiked hair.

"Well, that's you're fault," I replied curtly and increased the speed my pace so that he was left behind to rub his rooster head.

"Jou-chan! Don't be that way! You know it was unintentional," he said jogging up to my side. I stayed silent with my lips pursed and kept my eyes on the road. I could sense the alarm and guilt washing over him and inwardly smiled, scolding myself for being such a fox.

Sano sighed. "Ok, what do you want me to do," he said, slumping his shoulders in defeat.

"Well, let's see," I said, placing my fingertip gingerly on my bottom lip and smiled. "How about being my slave, for..." I pondered "I week?"

His jaw dropped. "A WEEK??"

I stuck my hands at my hips. "It isn't THAT bad!!!! Just be my slave for 7 days. JUST 7 days."

"Jou-chan, I'd rather fall into the pits of hell than be your slave."

*WHACK!!*

"Itaaii!!!!"

"Oh, save it. You're gonna work for me and you're gonna work hard," I declared. Sano mumbled incomprehensibly under his breath.

"Hey, Jou-chan," he suddenly mentioned, tugging on the side of my sleeve.

"What?" I asked, expecting another wave of pointless complaining.

"That grove by the river. Do you remember? We used to play there all the time." Sano smiled.

"Yeah, I remember," I said, stopping to gaze at the familiar place, reflecting on past memories.

Those memories were pleasant. Consisting of two children, giggling and chasing each from tree to tree. One was a girl, the other was a boy: Kaoru and Sano. They had always been close friends; relying on each other through the hardships life threw at them. The bond they had formed was not an easy one to break. Every summer, when the leaves grew thick and green and the fruits were sweet and ripe, they would frolic together in the grove, spending their days from morning till evening in the beautiful playground.

I felt a weight rest on my shoulders and found Sano's well-toned arm resting there. He smiled placidly, his hair an amazing fiery raven in the blazing sunset.

"I'll always be here for you, Jou-chan," he said, his mouth curving into a handsome smile. Surprised by his intimate words, I cast him a sidelong glance. Sano grinned mischievously and leaned his lips to my ear so that I could feel puffs of warm air as he spoke.

"Oh yeah, maybe you should work on that bust size. I swear they look smaller when you don't wear clothes"

*BAM*

I cracked my knuckles as the jagged-haired man lay sprawled on the road. My face adorned a fierce shade of red, from anger or embarrassment, I couldn't tell (anger most likely ^^;;). To my disappointment, my victim lay laughing hysterically rather than moaning in pain before my feet. I glared viciously, preparing my leg for a swift blow to his ribs.

"You shoulda seen your face! Red as beets!!" Sano crowed, rolling over onto his side, shoulders shuddering in mirth.

"Sano, you JERK!!!" I cried kicking his side repeatedly. It only made him guffaw louder, the sound aggravating me further.

"Will you stop laughing?! It's not that funny!" I yelled angrily, collapsing onto the ground next to him and gave him a hard pound in the arm. He rolled over to face me, his cheeks rosy from laughter and eyes crinkled in merriment. He grasped my hand in his own rough fingers and smiled teasingly.

"Sorry, Jou-chan," he apologized, stroking my knuckles affectionately, as a dog nudges his master's hand for forgiveness. I felt my rage dissipate in his blameless earth-brown eyes. Pouting, I turned away from him.

"Fine fine, but you still owe me for a week," I said, grinning.

"Aw, come on, it was only once!" he whimpered.

"Is there going to be a twice then??" I tested dangerously. Sano stroked his chin thoughtfully, a roguish smile in his eyes. I slapped my hand across his arm in disbelief, earning a chuckle of mirth from his ceaseless tongue. His laugh was inconceivably contagious, an involuntary giggle bubbling form my own throat as we both laughed in unison, bathing in the shine of the setting sun.

Small amber orbs gazed unblinkingly from the midst of a shallow thicket, observing in silence, the girl and boy chortle carelessly upon the dusty country road. The yellow jewels blinked and vanished, with only the grass to know it was ever there, as a swift wind blew away all traces of the spy.

A small twine tugged roughly at the back of my mind, a familiar tug, and an indescribable feeling welled up inside my chest. The same feeling that had graced me that one rainy night. My giggles abruptly ceased as I glanced around in confusion. My heart screamed for it to return, squirming in my chest, eager to chase it to the ends of the earth. Sano squeezed my hand tightly.

"Is there something wrong?" she questioned, concerned with my alarmed expression.

"It's just, I thought I heard something..." I glanced around again, my eyes resting on a nearby thicket, where a lonely firefly fluttered innocently. My heart cried in defeat. Perhaps my infatuation with that crimson-haired man had grown to the extent of casting illusions in my head. I exhaled piteously, whimpering to myself that I'd sworn I'd felt him nearby, so close that I could almost feel those lovely blood-red strands sifting through my fingertips...

But no, my mind scolded me, how can that be? How can just a feeling give you evidence that he was here?

I turned my head back once more to stare longingly at the empty thicket before I headed back toward the village with Sano. I dismissed the feeling of amber eyes gazing after me, with the soft red tufts hovering over glittering gold, surveying me with stoic indifference.

**************************************************************************** **

AN: whoo, lookie, I updated!!! I've had this chappie on my comp for a LONG LONG time, so the AN at the beginning is kinda old. My blooming love story's getting boring to write so I decided to try to work on my other ficcy's for a change. ^_^;;;; I'm surprised "One Night in the Rain" still gets some new reviews once in while. ^_^

Sigh, I love rain, so I'm gonna try to make this fic a pretty one, so it'll take longer to update since I'll spend more time on it. Rain is so nice...it always makes he feel so refreshed and happy. ^__^ Especially since I love in AZ. ^^;;; Oh oh oh!!! It's raining right now in fact!!! ^_____^

Kenshin is just as good as rain too. He makes me feel all fuzzy and happy inside though. ^________^ :huge grin::

Kenshin: o__O oro??

Meow-chan: *sees kenshin* *SQUEALS* YEEEEEEEE!!!! Kenshin-chan!! *runs around Kenshin in circles, screaming* KEEENNNNSSSHIIIINNNNN~!!!!!!! OvO *charges at Ken-chan and glomps him*

Kenshin: GAH!!! X______x

Meow-chan: *snuggly wuggly* You're so CUTE!!!!! ^v^

Hmm........I kind of feel sorry for Kenshin. Let's hope he prays every night he'll never meet me. ^__^;;;;;

R&R!!

Ja ne!

~meow-chan~