Author's Note: Sorry it took this long to post this chapter. Still not too happy with it but then again, I'm never completely happy with what I write... I'm still debating on where to go with this story. If I get stuck completely then I'm going to go with the Kat not being human thing. If not then she stays human and I figure out something else. Anyways, here's chapter four!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!

Chapter Three

Something was keeping Kat from falling asleep that night. She had long ago abandoned her futon and had taken up wandering the halls for something to do to distract her mind. Kat gazed out across the yard from the covered porch that ran along the sides of the house. She noticed that the Japanese maple had a few branches broken off of it. The green leaves reminded her of bamboo rustling in the wind.

Kat stepped off the porch and wandered over to the blooming sakura tree her mother had planted before she had died. 'I don't belong here,' Kat told herself. 'Everyone knows I'm a half breed and they treat me like dirt! Why did my father have to take an American for a wife?! Why did he leave me here alone to take care of this dojo?'

Kat was nearing the gates that lead to the city streets when she heard shouting and loud hurried footsteps. The shouts were still soft and a ways away so Kat hurried to the side door next to the massive gate that lead into the dojo.

No sooner had Kat thrown open the door when she saw someone running towards her. It was a man and he appeared to be having a hard time staying on his feet. Kat was surprised when he stumbled and tripped. The person fell to the ground face first in a heap of skin and clothing.

Something was trailing behind him and like a ton of bricks it hit Kat. This man was bleeding to death and someone was chasing him. She was amazed when the man tried to pick himself up. He succeeded by using the hilt of his sword to support his weight. A moment that seemed like a lifetime passed by before the man turned to look at her. A flash of recognition raced across his face and he seemed satisfied that she had found him. In an instant, the man had gone limp and crumpled to the ground once again. This time he didn't get up and Kat began to panic.

The footsteps were getting closer and she made a split second decision that this man needed to be saved. Kat raced out into the street and grabbed onto the limp body, pulling as hard as she could to drag him inside the door.

'I have to hide him!' Kat spotted the woodpile and remembered that she had once used it as a child to hide in. She flung the tarp off and thanked god that no one had filled up the space she had once played in. Kat shoved the man inside and slid the tarp back over the pile. Her heart was pounding so hard she thought it was going to burst.

Another wave of panic rushed over her when she noticed that she had left a trail of blood from the street to the woodpile behind her. She desperately tried to wipe the blood from the pile to the door away with the wing of her kimono when she saw Aoshi emerge from one of the rooms that bordered the hall. Panicking, Kat once again made a fast decision and climbed on top of the man she had just saved, pulling the tarp covering the woodpile back in place.

A few seconds passed before Aoshi's silhouette was cast on the rough canvas. He past Kat and her hiding place. She guessed that he was at the door by the gate and hurried voices confirmed her thoughts.

"Where did he go?!" a furious voice yelled.

"Where did who go?" Aoshi's replied.

"Did you see a man walk by?" another male voice asked.

"I just came out here to see what was going on," Aoshi explained. "I haven't been here more than a few seconds."

"Saitou, the blood trail ends right here in the middle of the street!" someone exclaimed.

A curse followed and someone else spoke in hurried tones, "We're looking for the Battousai!"

"Saitou, do you think that he could have taken to the rooftops?"

"You're looking for the Battousai?" Aoshi's surprise rang in his question.

There were a few more whispers before someone cursed again, "Damn it! This doesn't make any sense!"

The men had obviously forgotten about Aoshi and his voice spoke again, "I hope you find him because if I find him before you he's as good as dead."

"Let's go!" someone ordered and Kat could hear them run off.

A door slammed shut and Aoshi's form was cast on the tarp again before Kat knew for sure that she was alone. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding in. Her heart was still pounding hard in her chest as she pulled the tarp away from the pile to check that no one was there. She let it drop back into place before grabbing the man she was partly sitting on. Kat dragged him outside then pulled the tarp off the wood pile. She wrapped the man's limp body in the tarp then dragged him across the yard to the entrance of her room.

She slid the door open as quietly as she could before pulling the man in behind her and sliding the door shut. She had checked to see if there was a blood trail on the hall but other than the scuffs from shoes, there was no sign that anyone had just dragged a half dead person across the floor.

Kat took a deep breath before she could get the courage to unwrap the tarp. She had completely forgotten what the men at the gate had been speaking about and as she removed the tarp from the man's face, she couldn't help but let out a choked scream.

"Are you alright Kat?" Aoshi's voice asked.

He seemed to be extremely close by and Kat guessed that he hadn't yet returned to his own room. "I'm fine," she assured, "It's just a spider."

"Please stay in your room tonight alright? The Shinsengumi just came by looking for the Battousai..."

His concern touched Kat but she cut him off, "I'll stay in my room. You don't have to worry about that."

As his footsteps disappeared Kat turned her gaze back on the man before her. Her stomach did a flip flop and she leaned over to throw up.

'It's the Battousai...'

(Author's Note: Hope school doesn't suck too much for you guys yet. I know it does for me... :P Hopefully things will settle down next week. I'm thinking of starting an anime club at my school. That should be interesting... PLEASE REIVEW!!!)