So many reviews… ::Sniffle:: I think I'm going to cry out of pure happiness… WAAAAAAAAAH!!! Anywho, tank ou. This chapter is longer then the others... THREE PAGES! But don't worry, I won't take three weeks to update. That would be cruel! O.O I feel I made Kenshin a bit OOC this chapter... I mean, really OOC. But I'll let you be the judge of that. ()

Disclaimer:
If Alyssa owned RK, there would be tons of bricks flying through her window. TONS.

Chapter three

Kaoru's hand print lay on Kenshin's cheek. All eyes were wide, Yahiko's, Tsubame's, Megumi's, Tae's, Saonosuke's, Misao's… Even Aoshi looked shocked. ::No…:: Kaoru knew what she had done. She over reacted. Again. She knew for sure Kenshin would leave now. Kaoru turned tail and ran into one of the back rooms, closing it. She fell to the floor, crying. "It's my fault… It's all my fault…" And memories of the events that took place earlier that day flowed back.

Misao and Aoshi had surprised everyone by visiting. They were traveling along the shoreline and decided to take the scenic route to Tokyo. "And then I caught a fish THIS big and it almost escaped, but then Lord Aoshi jumped out of the boat to get it for me! He took off his shirt so he wouldn't catch cold… I wish he was clumsier and got wet a lot more!" Misao giggled, having a blast about telling Kaoru and Megumi about her trip.

"That sounds like fun." Kaoru smiled, trying to keep her face from falling.

"Yeah, but the best part was when Lord Aoshi nearly spat out his tea after I told him that jumping out of the boat made him seem a lot more like Himura!" Kaoru wanted to laugh, but instead, her eyes softened. Jumping out of a boat for a silly fish was something that Kenshin WOULD do. "Kaoru?"

"Yes?" Kaoru looked down at Misao.

Misao spoke softly. "Is everything okay? Whenever I mention something even remotely close to Himura, you look so sad…"

Kaoru nodded. "We're just having a little argument is all."

"About what?"

"You're an idiot." Aoshi sighed. "A huge, big, fat, stupid, unbelievable idiot."

Kenshin face faulted. "Fat?"

"Kaoru has her own opinions, you need to respect that."

"But it's wrong!" Kenshin stated. "What if it were ME to be executed?"

"Then Kaoru would do everything in her power to try and stop it, just as I'm sure that mans family and friends tried too. What you don't understand, Himura, is that you and Kaoru will disagree… In this case you need to agree to do that."

"…" Sanosuke raised a finger and tilted his head. "I'm lost."

Aoshi rolled his eyes. "Himura and Kaoru don't agree… It's like Misao and I. I like Shitake mushrooms, and she doesn't, but we respect each others decisions."

Sanosuke's eyes were wide. "Misao doesn't like shitake mushrooms?! She was practically inhaling them when we were in Kyoto!"

Aoshi sweat dropped. "She did it for me. The point is, Himura, you need to tell Kaoru that it's okay for her to think what she thinks, as long as she respects what you think and you'll do the same for her."

Kenshin nodded. "We're supposed to meet at the Akebeko, right? I'll tell her there."

The boys ended up at the Akebeko a few moments after the girls. They sat in silence, eating. Misao was sitting next to Yahiko and Megumi, avoiding Kaoru's glances. "Now you two are fighting?!"

Misao glared at Yahiko. "What's your problem?"

"Kenshin against Kaoru, Sanosuke against Megumi… And now you're teaming up with the guys?! What's this stupid fight about anyways?!" Yahiko slammed his chopsticks onto the table.

Kenshin pat Yahiko's head. "It is nothing, Yahiko, that it is. And Kaoru… I'd like to apologize." Kaoru's eyes light up she was about to shout 'Me too Kenshin, let's never fight again!', but Kenshin was still talking and it would be rude to interrupt. "And I respect your views, even if you're wrong."

At that moment Kaoru knew that she should have butted in. "What?"

Aoshi sighed. ::Idiot.::

"I'm WRONG? Who gave you permission to decide whether or not I'm wrong?!" Kaoru screamed.

"Ms. Kaoru, I-"

Kaoru cut him off. "Where do you get off saying 'You're wrong'?! How STUPID could you be?!"

"You're the one who's stupid, stupid!" Kenshin yelled back, pointing at Kaoru.

"What did you just call me?!" Yahiko wanted to slap his forehead. It was like watching B-grade actors duke it out!

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" Kenshin repeated.

Aoshi closed his eyes. ::You're the one that's stupid.::

Kaoru lost it she took her hand, swung it back and slapped Kenshin right on the cheek.

Kaoru sat on the floor in the room, her back resting on the door. She remembered the silence, Misao glaring at Kaoru and saying that she was wrong and that she sided with Kenshin. Why did she have to open her big fat mouth? Why did she have to lose her temper? Why did everyone have to fight. Kaoru was just about ready to go back, say she was wrong and wanted to forget about everything and wanted it all to go back to how it used to be. "And that's what I'll do."

Kaoru had to admit, she'd miss hanging out with Megumi like she had been recently. But, it wouldn't last forever anyways. Besides, Megumi and Sanosuke were bound to fight and Kaoru would end up on Megumi's side. Kaoru opened the door and saw Megumi with a worried look on her face standing in front of her. "He's gone!"

The wanderer has wandered again… Or perhaps he has just run away. Who is to blame, and will anything ever be the same again? And will the wanderer get advice from the person he least expected it from?
And so ends chapter three! I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last. I'm not too proud of this one, but things I did not explain in this chapter, like what Misao said to Kaoru, can be brought up next time. I got 12 reviews. Twelve. I was expecting four or five at the most, but 12?! I thank EVERYONE. The readers, the reviewers, the puuchuu's… You've all been so great. Sniffle. Thank you. (Cries)

TimeWarper As we have learned from this chapter, it is okay to have our own opinions. I like Kaoru supporting what she supports and I like Kenshin supporting what he supports. If you want it switched in your brain, fine, but this is my fic, and this is what I'm doing to it.

samuraiduck27 It must be a sign of the apacolypse, ne? XP

Terru-McElrath O.O I absolutely love you. THANKS SO MUCH! You get a virtual pizza. What a wonderful review, you definitaly gave me a major boost in my self esteem on writing! Thanks again, so so much!

half-breed-demon-fox O.o Thanks for being so... Supportive? () Thanks for the review.