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OK, I am back with chapter 2, even if nobody reviewed the first! pout I guess it's for my enjoyment alone, oh well.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin... yadda, yadda. Did not create it... (I am not a dude! hence my pn!!!) etc, etc....

Stuck on You

Chapter 2- Morning Surprises

The next morning Yahiko awoke sore and still dead tired. Kaoru had made him do ALL of his chores before he could even think of turning in, not to mention, his head had become a sort of punching bag when he had first arrived. He stretched, painfully. Yahiko wasn't so little anymore, he knew Kaoru only did stuff like that cause she cared, "But does busu really have to hit me that hard?"

He looked around, it was still rather dark out, nobody would be up for at least another half hour. That would give him plenty of time to get to Tae's. Megumi had stayed there making the 'herbal tea'. It was all part of the cover story they had made.

At any rate Yahiko threw on his clothes and snuck off the grounds.

----

Yahiko grit his teeth, this was about the fifth time he had knocked on the door, and no one answered, no one even seemed to stir inside. He began pounding away, "HEY!! YA BUNCH OF OL-"

He was cut off when the door swung open and a hand wrapped around his mouth, effectively shutting him up and dragging him inside.

He flailed around a bit before he was dropped and hit the floor. "Hey! What the hell is wrong with all of you??" He looked up at three very tired, very irrate looking adults. It seems they had just about as much sleep as he did.

"Be quiet! You fool, you wouldn't want to wake your little girlfriend up, she's the only one who's gotten any sleep aro-" Sano's rant was short lived as Yahiko pounced.

"She's not my girlfriend!!!"

"Ah! Get off ya lunatic!!" Sano ran around panicked as Yahiko litteraly tried to bite off his head. "Help get him offa me!!!

Megumi sighed, then lifted the heavy wooden ladle that seemed to have become a permanent attachment to her arm and hit them both hard enough to knock them out.

The two dropped to the ground in a series of thuds and grunts.

"Now then," Tae began, her voice weak, it had been the longest night of her life, "I think we have your attention." She said to the pile of limbs on the floor that had begun to untangle itself.

"Yea go on." Sano said, rubbing his very tender head.

"All you have to do is get them to drink this, preferably around the same time. And that's it, you're done. No more sneaky tasks." Tae said rubbing her temples, Kami was she tired.

Megumi held up the small bottle which contained the specially formulated tea. At the look on Sano's face she had to roll her eyes, "It won't burn you for Kami's sake! Just take it and get out of here quick. Tae and I are going to get some R&R."

"Hey! What about-" Tae put up a hand. "You know Kaoru will have a nice bokken ready if she finds you are nowhere to be found."

That shut him up and the two boys solemnly made their way back.

----

Kaoru was slowly putting together the rice balls. Breakfast was almost done. She was actually quite proud of herself, she had gotten up far before anyone else in order to do this.

Now I know what you're all thinking, 'Oh, poor, poor guys! They're all going to starve!' Not so. Kenshin had been instructing her on how to cook for a couple of weeks now and she finally felt she was ready to give it a shot without his supervision. Hopefully it would turn out all right.

When the light padding of feet came into her hearing she began to panic. Hopefully no one would halt her efforts. Instead of immediately seeing someone she got greeted, well kind of anyway.

"Oi, Kenshin! That food smells great, we're starved!" It was Sano. Why in the world was he here so early. Kaoru could see it now, the looks of horror and utter disgust on their faces when they saw who had made the food.

A vein popped near her temple. "Hey! I don't appreciate being mistaken for a man!" She managed to shout indignantly as both Sano ans Yahiko appeared in the doorway.

When they saw her their spirits plummeted. "Oh man, my luck seems to have gone on vacation." Sano whined, stomach growling.

Yahiko just groaned. "What's wrong with you busu? I thought you had finally learned the kitchen was no place for you."

That was the last straw, Kaoru was on her feet in a flash. "Well guess what? Deal with it, because either you eat this or you starve! Besides, I was under the impression that 'it smells great'." She mimicked.

They looked a little stunned, but they remained quiet. For a half-second. When they began to complain under their breaths and mutter, she sighed. "Just sit down and be quiet. I'll go tell Kenshin breakfast is ready."

Yahiko sat down, but Sano suddenly saw their opportunity. "Hey kid, gimme that tea stuff."

Yahiko glared at him, "I'm not a-"

"I know, sorry I forgot. Just give me that tea already will ya? They'll be back before we know it."

The switch was made hastily as Sano poured the normal tea out the window and replaced it with the 'voodoo tea' as he has so lovingly dubbed it. Just in time too, because Kaoru walked in followed by Kenshin just as he sat down.

As everyone was served Yahiko planned his course of action, perhaps he should just take small, tentative bites to avoid gagging. Then again, that would probably prolong his torture, so when everyone was ready to eat he was the first to stuff a whole portion in his mouth.

Everyone, even Kenshin watched him closely for a reaction. This may be disastrous, and Yahiko was not one for a kind white lie. After a few moments he had swallowed and a look of amazement took over his face. "Wow, that was pretty good."

At Kaoru's beam of joy he had to interject, "For a busu." A loud snap was heard as she produced a bokken from air (or so it seemed) and hit him clean on the head.

Breakfast went pretty well after that. Kaoru was so happy that everyone was actually enjoying her food that she never noticed that neither Sano, or Yahiko had touched their tea.

Kenshin had however, but decided it was simply because they were too busy stuffing their faces. He never once suspected that he was being poisoned, for lack of a better word, as he drank the highly aromatic brew.

----

The day went by smoothly, and Yahiko had begun to think the stupid tea hadn't worked, in a way it was relieveing, then again,, it was another plan foiled.

After he had finished his morning chores, Kaoru had allowed him to go take a nap. The kid looked wiped out, even Sano said he was heading home and probably wouldn't be back for lunch. Very off indeed, but Kaoru had no time to ponder on that one. She had her own dilemma.

All day she had been getting very strong urges to be near Kenshin. Not that she normally didn't want to, but it was abnormally distracting. She could barely concentrate on her work, and she'd find herself walking off in his general direction. 'What the hell is wrong with you Kaoru no baka. You're acting like a lovesick puppy.' A nasty little voice in the back of her mind taunted her saying that she was.

At one point in the middle of trying to read a book, she growled and threw it down. This was pointless, completely pointless. She couldn't even get past one sentence. There must be something seriously wrong with her. She should talk to Megumi. Even she had noticed Kaoru was distracted so she had told her to just try to sit down and relax. 'Well guess what doctor! Your advice isn't working.'

Halfway to the kitchen, (Megumi had offered to make lunch since Kenshin was going to get some things from the garden.) Kaoru stopped and headed outside. Maybe if she spent a little time with him, she would get over her crazy need to follow him around.

----

Kenshin ripped at the weeds that had begun to grow furiously. 'Sessha is losing his mind, de gozaru. I cannot simply walk up to Kaoru-dono and tell her that she cannot leave my side. She would think sessha is crazed, or that she is somehow in danger.' Kenshin sighed and looked at the vegetables, they were almost all destroyed right along with the weeds. 'Perhaps you have just been too long without a woman.' His mind sniggered at him. "Oro?" His eyes widened, "Now I am also losing my concentration. Get a hold of yourself Himura."

He shook his head in an attempt to clear the object of his affection away, but, it was useless.

"Kenshin!"

He jumped almost three feet in the air, "Hai, Kaoru-dono?" He hoped he didn't look as quilty or as relieved as he felt. She walked until she was only an arms length away from him.

"Are you all right Kenshin? You don't look too good." She asked putting a hand to his head. He instantly felt better, like her presence would keep him from losing it.

"Aa, sessha is fine. Do not worry yourself. Did you need anything?"

"No, I just came to see how you were doing." She looked towards the vegetables and he smiled sheepishly. "You sure you're ok Kenshin? Why don't I help you and then we can go inside and see how Megumi's doing."

He nodded. He couldn't speak for fear that he would end up spilling out that he felt better now that she was here, and that would lead to a bunch of rather awkward questions. She already thought he was sick as it was.

Kaoru smiled as she worked to repair what she could of the damage in the garden. Now that she was only a few feet away from him, she was able to concentrate on the task at hand. Kami forbid he knew that her sanity was slipping.

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Ahh!!!I am a horrible writer! And I dare to have criticized others!!!

Anyway, next chapter, lets just say it's going to be one hell of a night in this humble home!