Another chapter done! I am sorry that I am not answering the reviewers directly this chapter. It seems that my family has conspired against me so that I can not. Lots of cleaning to do today and I wanted to get this out.

A lot of information is in this chapter, and after this one I will be able to start writing the darker side to this story. So stick with me and expect a little B/K action in the next chapter. Feel free to leave suggestions if you think something needs to be explained for or whatnot. It makes perfect sense in my head but I may have forgotten something to make it sound real in yours.

Hope you all enjoy.

Ravyn

I do not own the Kenshin-Gumi, but if they were given to me I would not terribly mind!

(Edited)

Sano leaned against the wall of the building across from the Akebeko. His instincts were on edge now that Kenshin was amber-eyed all the time. It wasn't limited to him feeling strongly about a situation. It had been a long time since his friend had walked this edge and he worried about him.

Which meant that Kenshin was going to want everyone to be with in fingertips reach, meaning that he was going to have to talk to Shinomori. Aoshi Shinomori was a man that could be found in very few places and hid in the shadows as well as Kenshin.

Which meant you had to keep your eyes on the few places you could count on him surfacing from time to time.

"Sanosuke." His quite voice broke out of the shadows.

Sano looked up with a slight smile. 'You also have to let Aoshi come to you.' "Aoshi," he said lightly. The fact that silence was his only greeting didn't faze him after the last century.

"Have you found anything on Misao?" Sano asked in a muted voice. If there was anything Kenshin and Aoshi agreed on it was the attempt to find the two women that had been taken so prematurely from their hands. It had bonded them in a way that left everyone else outside a little chilled but unwilling to enter.

"No." It was terse and flat as it had always been. If Misao was hoping that hundreds of years made him open up, she was going to be disappointed. "Enishi is up to something." Sano casually commented as he looked across the street at Tae's restaurant.

"Yes." The clipped word was like ice between them.

"Kenshin thinks it might have something to do with Shishio." Sano continued.

"Yes." Frigid. Cold.

"So you might want to see him the next few days to compare notes. Whatever he is up to is going to be centered around a little girl. Yahiko's sources are not sure exactly who it is yet but he is almost certain it's a half-breed."

The silence that permeated the air was enough to cause Sanosuke to push off the wall and start the trek back to his and Megumi's apartment. He didn't look back. Aoshi was normally gone before you were finished talking to him anyway.

If he had looked back he might have seen Aoshi's features twisted into an expression that might have been loneliness.

It could have been the moonlight.

Kaoru ran down the empty side street letting all the vulgar language she knew run through her head before falling from her lips in fast bursts of panted vulgarity. Sometime when the graveyard shift tried to send you to the grave it really sucked. Kaoru mentally went over the ammunition she had on her person one more time and swore again. In new and more complex phrasings.

Her boots made odd clipping noises as she dodged the trashcans and other unoriginal objects in her path. Her long hair was tied high and it clung to her shoulders and neck with the humidity that had been promising rain all afternoon.

'Just my luck that it would open up now,' Kaoru thought furiously as the first splatters of heavy raindrops hit the filthy pavement. Kaoru reached down and grasped the end of the silver chain wrapped around her waist in a white-knuckled grip. She always wore it tripled around her waist; it made and excellent weapon against those with fangs. Especially when they were chasing her through dark alleys.

Kaoru skidded as she put on her breaks, hooking the chain from her waist and turning to meet those who were following her. She held it almost as if she was holding a large whip in her hands. Her bangs were plastered to her face as the rain continued to beat against her and her eyes were dark with suppressed temper.

"If it isn't a little girl who thinks she can just walk into our territory." A voice hissed between his sharp teeth. She had always wondered how difficult it was to talk about a mouth full of daggers and grinned to herself as blood flecked off his torn flesh.

"A very tasty looking morsel indeed." She hated innuendoes; especially badly given ones.

Vampires that drank blood were the worst scum of the earth. Kaoru's eyes narrowed to furious slits, her expression showing just how irritated she was. Her hands tightened on the belt-made-whip in her hands and she gave them a grim smile. She was getting drenched and ruining her favorite leather jacket. Not only that but it had been to a group similar to this that her father had died in the hands of. Kaoru felt a surge of satisfied aggression at the idea that she was going to turn them into bits of salami.

It really was the only sort of dicing she was good at.

"I love to see that vein pulse in your neck, my sweet. Let me taste you." The voice was gravelly and spittle showered the flooding earth and she twisted her wrist so that the chain started to make a whirling noise over the sounds of the rain.

It was the vein ticking under her eye that they should be worried about.

It was the Vampire that moved forward from the right that got hit first. Flesh met silver in a hissing shock that ended when she wrapped the chain around his neck. The creature screamed and attempted to wrestle away and she used the force of his movement to slam him into a wall. Wrenching the coils of silver free from his neck she ducked as she felt another one lunge.

A whistling noise in the darkness told her she wasn't fighting alone.

Misao dropped the last one with two well placed Kunai. The silver lined edges slammed through the unprotected eyes and they died before they hit the ground. "Disgusting things," Misao growled as she walked over to the still body and kicked it solidly in the ribs before yanking her kunai out. The small woman hardly batted a lash at the damage she had created and ignored the oozing wounds as she wiped them clean on the vampires clothes.

Kaoru nodded to her friend in agreement and sighed when the thunder boomed across the sky. It acted like a signal and the sky poured down on them until it was impossible to hear your own heartbeat outside of the noise. The two women jogged to an overhanging and took shelter from the rain. They were drenched but they had no intentions of standing under the abuse. Cold clothing was plastered to their bodies and they shivered.

"Have you heard anything from Soujiro?" Kaoru questioned as she shook raindrops from her hair and wiped her lashes dry. Pulling her soaked shirt away from her body she sighed in defeat.

"Sou-chan?" Misao questioned cheerfully as if they had not just dispatched two creatures of darkness. "Nope. I do know he had a meeting with the Wolf but you know he would contact us if he had anymore information to give us." Her face turned thoughtful. "If he knew what was good for him, anyway."

Kaoru sighed and nodded and watched the rain beat Tokyo. She did not relish the idea of being out there in it but there was a girl to find and the weather had never slowed them down before. "Misao do you have any idea of where to start looking?" Kaoru asked as she stood and rolled her shoulders and necks to remove some of the cinks.

The grin that Misao gave could easily light up all of Japan if someone ever tapped into it as an energy source. "I think its time to say hello to an old friend of ours."

Kaoru felt a smug grin slowly begin to form on her own lips.

"So it's vampire hunting time?" She questioned lightly.

Misao just grinned. "Actually I made a point to locate him a few days ago when we where handed a few days vacation. As we are never given that much time off I figured we would be having a big case." She winked outrageously. "It always pay to out think the boss."

Kaoru smiled at the brain that actually did work behind Misao's crazy laughter. "So where is it this time? A gambling joint, a whore house, or a bar?" She motioned for Misao to lead her friend into the torrents of rain and both woman pulled there jackets closer. "My money is on the bar. He hasn't done that in a while."

"Neither." Misao said as the water dripped off her lashes and lips. "It's even better this time. He is working in an antique sword shop just off downtown. We can be there in about ten to fifteen minuets." She sighed. "I suppose I will have to go and get a car from the office.One without leather seating."

Kaoru laughed and stepped out into the rain. Hopefully the rain would let up eventually because she hadn't thought of bringing an umbrella with her. It was sitting nice and cozy next to her couch ready for her to grab.

The nagging impression that someone was supposed to turn the corner and offer her one had chills running up her spine. Shaking the feeling loose she trudged on. She and Misao raced through the dark and used various overhanging to get where they wanted to go with the least amount of rain hitting them.

A nine year old Kaoru stared at her daddy with wide- eyes that where a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Never fear. Even at nine Kaoru believed that the world belonged at her fingertips; never the other way around. .

"Daddy, why did you kill him?" Her expression was confused as she demanded the answer to the question that no nine-year-old dared ask. Kaoru had never been an easy child. She was too much like her mother.

"Kaoru, is it wrong to kill something that is living?" Her father's beloved voice softly voiced the question as he bent at the knees until he met his daughter's eyes. He gently brushed back her wind tossed bangs from her uncertain eyes.

The little girl nodded solemnly. "Very wrong Daddy," her voice was serious in the way that only little children can take the world.

He nodded. "That is right. But some things, like that man, are already dead. They have no soul and no heartbeat." He traced her features with his eyes. "You can't kill what is already dead."

The little girl's brow wrinkled together in confusion. "But Daddy, he is a vampire and some of them are alive!" Her voice was earnest.

Her father swung his precious flower into his arms and started walking. "Yes. But the vampires that feed of human's are not alive. They depend on us for there next breath."

Her little brow creased again. "You mean when they try to eat us?" Kaoru paid far more attention to the horror stories her friend's parents whispered and her father mourned at her loss of innocence. "Like they did to Mommy?"

He stopped his walk then. "Kaoru, where did you here that?"

Kaoru looked up him with eyes the color of navy and blinked. "I don't remember."

Her father wondered how this had gone from a conversation of killing to her mother, but sighed just the same. "Yes. But Kaoru, people can change. To kill a living being out of spite, hate, or anger is wrong. There may come a time when you have to choose between someone you love and the death of someone else, and it won't be easy."

Kaoru stared at her father not quite understanding the words that came from his mouth.


"The Vampires that drink blood to survive are not alive Kaoru. They are bodies without souls and without the ability to live. There are Vampires that do not need our help to live and they are breathing, living creatures and it would be wrong to kill them. But those who need us for there own survival our not something you need to worry about killing. They are already dead. "

Kaoru smiled then.

"Okay."

Sano leaned against the windowpane as he watched the rain fall the glass in a rather soothing motion. He smiled slightly as he felt slender arms wrap around his waist.

"It's coming down out there." Megumi commented softly against his arm as she looked over his shoulder. Sano grasped her hands in his and agreed mentally.

"I have this feeling that something is going down tonight." Sano's voice was unusually grave.

Megumi looked up at his face. Still framed by his gravity defying hair with his warm eyes that seemed to have matured over the years. They had been together for so long now.

Megumi leaned against him and allowed her thoughts to drift back into the past. She had upset when she had found out that Sano had not only inherited the ability to live for an extremely long time, but acquired a set of fangs to go with it. It had been unnaturally to the doctor inside her.

What had really chaffed against her grain was when he had told her that she was his and that she would be his mate. There had been no asking her opinion on the matter. Nothing but that stubborn finality that had shook her down to her core.

It had taken Kenshin a few hours to patch him up. She had done everything in her power to avoid him after that point and had succeeded better than she would have thought possibly. He had done his best to win her over and in the end he had managed, slowly introducing her to his nature and life. She was still under the impression that Kenshin had taken him aside at one point and politely told him how to clean up his act just a little.

A grim smile curved her lips. Or a lot.

"Have you mentioned it to Kenshin?" Megumi asked as she leaned against the warmth of his back.

Sano sighed. "I've tried calling him several times. He isn't picking up his phone. Last time I tried it just went straight to his voice mail. He has it turned off for some reason."

Megumi sighed and pushed away from him, heading towards her closer. "I suppose we should go out and find him. If its bothering you that much then it might be important."

Sano turned in surprise.

"Fox, it's raining."

Megumi turned and her expression was wicked. "Yes, it's raining. As in wet clothing, wet hair, and wet everything." Her grin widened slightly. "But, isn't that why they made umbrella's?"

Sano turned all the way around, his face surprised, and eyed his wife.

They forgot the umbrella.

Kaoru smiled brightly as she walked into the antique shop; her grin edging on fanatical as she headed toward the front counter. Anji. As far as Kaoru and Misao knew he had no surname. He had most likely taken measures to make it disappear. Anji was the biggest man Kaoru knew. He was an ex-monk who held an air about him that practically screamed "I know something you don't know."

His Futae no Kiwami was an attack that Karou had never seen an equal of. He was Kaoru and Misao's best source of information in the Underworld. He had his eye on everything and everyone. The only problem was they normally had to resort to extreme measures to make him speak.

"Anji." Kaoru cooed as she leaned against the glass counter. As she waited for the big Vampire to turn around she eyed the swords in the case and was rather impressed.

There where some rather rare swords in here.

"Kaoru, I can only hope that you are here for a sword." His voice was smooth.

"If information is considered a sword," Kaoru said airily as she turned. Reaching out she grasped the hand of a sword next to the counter and pulled it out of the sheath with a ringing sound.

"Please don't handle the merchandise." His voice was pained.

Kaoru smirked and executed a perfect down swing with it. "Anji, all I need is a tiny bit of information." Her voice was in the same sugary sweet tones.

"Kaoru-san the last time you needed information, the place I was working exploded from large amounts of plastic explosives." His voice was dry now.

Kaoru sighed. "That wasn't my fault. You were a bouncer at a...exotic ladies place, so you should be thanking me. That job should have compromised your values." She scolded.

Anji turned and Kaoru once again wondered why she had been given the nickname of Raccoon when the man in front of her was the one with two permanent black eyes.

"Kaoru-san." He said softly his eyes expressing him amusement and annoyance.

"If you don't tell me what I want to know Anji, Misao is going to be more than willing to drop by every day for the next two weeks." Kaoru knew the man need his peace and quiet, apparently his reason for working in an antique shop.

Misao was anything but peace and quite.

Anji sighed. "What do you want Kaoru-san?"

Kaoru beamed up at him in an uncanny impression of Misao. "It's about a little girl."

Kaoru blinked at the expression that crossed Anji's face. "Anji?"

"Kaoru what exactly are you wanting with the hybrid child?" His voice had gone utterly neutral and she tucked her brows together.

She hated it when Anji knew more than she did without really trying.

"Why does everyone keep referring to her as that? She more than likely has a name. And you know what my job is Anji, we find and hide. We got a scoop on this little girl this morning." Her eyes narrowed in thought. "You are not part of the faction that wants her dead as well are you?" Her voice stopped being sweet.

"No. At least not now, but at least in one point of my life I would have been." He sighed softly. "But that was many years ago, Kaoru-san."

Kaoru nodded. "Anji, what can you tell me?"

"There is an old abandoned apartment building near that old Dojo that Vampires have been using to hide out in." his voice was resigned.

Kaoru nodded slowly. "I think I know what you are talking about. The one that has that old statue of a sword out in the front?"

Anji nodded. "It's rumored that the little girl is being hidden there."

Kaoru thanked him and turned to leave. "Kaoru-san, be careful. On a night like tonight with a full moon, not only Vampires are going to be hunting."

Kaoru felt a chill run down her back. She hated Werewolves. "Thanks."

He watched as she left the bell tickling and moved to the back to begin to box up the more expensive swords, it appeared he was going to have to switch jobs again.

Kaoru slipped outside and sighed in relief when she was not immediately pelted with raindrops. She looked at her watch and groaned. She was supposed to be meeting Misao at the Akebeko in a few moments. Misao was supposed to have gone and retrieved them a car.

Which car Misao grabbed was also something of interest since the agency switched cars often so that there agents (especially Kaoru and Misao's department) could not be recognized by there means of transportation.

Kaoru sighed as she slipped into Tae's restaurant and sat in one the booths along the back wall. She winced when she heard her clothes squelch along the booth seat and ran a hand through her dark bangs.

"Kaoru-san!" The excited voice of her friend caused her head to come up. "Are you aware that you are very wet?"

Kaoru smiled at Tae and shook her wet ponytail. "Very aware. I am waiting on Misao actually."

Tae looked at her for a long while. "Ah. One of those nights."

Kaoru sighed darkly. "Yes. It's been a very long and very wet night and its not even midnight yet." She squeezed her bangs and watched water drip from her fingers.

Tae stared hard at her friend. "Be careful tonight. Full Moon always adds to the danger, and you aware of what is going to coming up soon?"

Kaoru blinked. "You mean besides my case?" her brows beetled over her brows and she stared the petite restaurant owner.

Tae nodded. "Its about to get very dangerous for women with strong Ki like yours and Misao's." her voice was low with warning.

Kaoru let her gaze linger on the quiet restaurant. Most of Tae's customers came in late and stayed late. "Tae I think you had better explain." Her voice was firm as she fought down a sense of unease.

Tae sat down and sighed. "It's the Blood Moon Kaoru."

Kaoru blinked. "The what?"

"Every hundred and fifty years all of the dark energy and ki that has built up influences the male's of both species of the Underworld. The ki that is going to be given off is made much stronger. It allows even the weakest of Vampires to be able to claim a strong mate." Her tone was rhythmic as she worried her apron with her hands.

Kaoru blinked. "But I thought only certain vampires could claim one."

"No. Only certain vampires can change one...that is one of the reasons so many move to the Blood Paths, so that they can build up their power so that they can mate."

Kaoru chewed on her bottom lip. "So what does this Blood Moon have to do with it?"

"Well not only does it allow someone to be raised from the dead if there is enough power, but it also allows those who have built up a reserve of blood ki to be strong enough to bond a woman, vampire or human, to them."

Kaoru sighed. "Great. Just peachy-keen-tastic"

Tae smiled. "I am sure you and Misao are going to be fine. As it is I think she just pulled up." She gave a short bow. "Take care of yourself."

Kaoru nodded her thanks and sighed. Slipping out of the booth Kaoru grimaced when she felt her socks squelch. Boots she may have on, but apparently not waterproof boots.

Slipping into the seat Kaoru sighed in relief when she sat on a towel covered seat. "We need to head the abandoned apartments about two blocks from the antique shop."

Misao smiled. "What did you threaten him with this time?"

Kaoru covered her smile with her hand. "Oh just the usual."

Amber eyes watched the shadows solidify a few feet down from him and he let a small smirk play at his lips. His eyes narrowed as he watched the vampires he had been trailing start to speak in hushed whispers.

"Is the child in our possession yet?"

The voice that answered was even lower than the first answered. Kenshin slipped back into the shadows as he heard the cursing that ensued. So far the child was still missing.

Kenshin snarled to himself as he moved across the rooftops. He knew how important this child was, but he still was going to have to keep his eyes open for another type of girl.

Kaoru.

He stopped once he was atop one the taller buildings. Closing his eyes he sent out the feelers that he had found to be the best way to track those around him. His eyes snapped open and seemed to burn with an unholy light as he smirked. A low laugh vibrated in his chest.

Kaoru.

He smiled darkly and let out a low howl.

'I am coming.'

Kaoru sat up in the seat and shuddered. She could have sworn she heard something. Shrugging she reached into the glove department and pulled out her handgun and holstered it. Misao always brought her a gun.

"Misao, do you have everything you need?" Kaoru turned and watched the girl finish grabbing the last of her Kunai. Her expression was grim as she looked up.

"Let's roll."

Kaoru nodded and both women got out of the car and started the walk into the apartment.

"Kaoru, on the shit meter, this ranks a good solid eight." Misao hissed feeling the darker vibes.

Kaoru had to agree with her. "How in the world are we supposed to find the child?"

Hopefully it was soon. Kaoru turned behind her as if she was expecting something to jump out of the shadows.

In a crazy way she almost did.

Twenty minutes later, Misao was cursing everything under the moon and attempting to pick a locked door in the amount of time it took the break the sound barrier.

'I am going to kill Sou-chan.'

She heard the sounds of Kaoru's gun going off in repeated blasts and swore again. Hearing the tall tell click she reached behind her and grabbed Kaoru's arm and heaved.

Both women tumbled into the room with a thud.

Spinning Misao kicked the door closed and scanned the room repeatedly. Nothing.

"Tell me again how we got into this mess." Misao demanded. She was out of Kunai except for the lone one she always kept for emergencies.

"Well, you decided the direct approach would be the best idea. Then we got ambushed by at least ten blood suckers who thought we would make a great side buffet. After that we busted our way down the front door and like another bunch of idiots we decided it would be great to run up the stairs." Her sentences were broken with pants as she kept up her guard.

Misao swore as the door at her back shuddered under the impact of multiple bodies.

"It's not nice to use bad words."

Both women turned in surprise. Sitting in a chair hidden because of the lack of light was a dark haired child with the palest green eyes Misao had ever seen. The large eyes and slightly pointed teeth said she was a vampire but the flushed skin said human.

Hybrid.

"Cutie, who are you?" Misao asked softly.

"I am Rei." She grinned a gap-toothed smile. "The Lady said you would come."

Kaoru blinked repeatedly. "What Lady?"

"The Lady with brown eyes." Her voice was matter of fact.

Kaoru nodded slowly and Misao blinked. There was obviously something here they didn't understand. "Misao, take Rei and get out that window. There should be a fire escape. I will cover you two." Her tone was fierce and it brooked no arguments.

Misao turned and looked at her friend in alarm. The pounding on the door had stopped.

Not good. It wouldn't be long before something came through the door.

"I mean it Misao. I still have one more round to go. Besides you climb faster than I do even with added weight." Karou's blue eyes were hard. "Get going."

Misao sighed and walked over to the girl. "You ready to leave?"

The little girl nodded and a few moments later Misao was climbing out the window and had a set of arms wrapped out her shoulders in a piggyback motion.

Kaoru headed towards the door itself when she heard a whisper of a sound and turned in time to see the door collapse on itself. Kaoru froze in shock as she was left starring at a red- haired man. His eyes were burning amber.

"Kaoru."