--I just re-edited this! Man, thanks PrincessSakura4...that'd be weird...Tae...and Yahiko...shivers--

A couple months have passed in the story since the last chapter. I know I've been skipping around a lot, but everything's pretty much going to go straight from here. There's a serious part comin' up that might turn out to be a little sad. Also I decided to change the rating back to PG-13 bc it was only really one chapter that was R rated. If anyone objects to that though I will change it back.

Chapter Twenty Four: Heartache in Paradise

Kaoru smiled at Kenshin who sat silently beside her, his fingers twirling absentmindedly over a loose string in his tattered gi, his thoughts seemingly far away. It was a peaceful evening, the evening's breeze toying with the loose strands of her raven hair, her eyes twinkling in a peaceful resonance. Kenji was sound asleep in her lap, his small fist curled tight around the cloth of her kimono, his face serene and quiet.

Kaoru looked down at him and brushed a hand tenderly across his soft cheek. He stirred slightly, his eyelids fluttering for a second before he settled back down again. She looked down at him, an unexplainable sense of warmth and love burying in her heart. Never had she been so happy before, here with Kenshin and their child, something that they had made together, someone so precious and unique.

Her eyes began to tear up and she sighed heavily. 'This is too perfect. Everything's been going too well. I don't want anything to happen to them, Kenji and Kenshin. But I can feel it, I can feel it coming.'

Kenshin seemed to come out of his daze and he turned his violet gaze on his wife and son. "Kaoru?" he called softly his eyes wondering at her sudden sadness. He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her against his chest in a comforting embrace. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Kaoru closed her eyes and leaned against his warm body, her small frame humming with the contact of his skin on hers. "Nothing...everything is so perfect...."

Kenshin felt guilt rise within him when he thought of what he had not told her yet. He would have to leave for a while, for possibly a long while. Even though his heart longed to stay here forever, he had no choice. It hurt so badly, but he could not bring himself to tell her. 'Not yet...just a little longer...just a little more peace...and I will tell her...'

"Hello Megumi! How's the baby?" Kaoru asked cheerfully as Megumi stepped up to the dojo, her delinquent husband hanging grudgingly at her side. Her stomach was really showing her pregnancy now and Kaoru felt kind of sorry for Sano. He knew nothing about women, much less pregnant women.

Kaoru had just been sweeping out the front porch, watching Kenji play blissfully around in the yard. Kenshin was out at the market this sunshiny morning and Kaoru was feeling particularly content. Everything just seemed so right.

"Fine, thank you, if only this baka would be around the house more often!" she exclaimed as she turned and smacked the sulking Sano on the head.

"Hey!" he moaned, rubbing his head dejectedly, but not managing to look innocent.

"Where's Yahiko today?" Megumi inquired when the young boy failed to appear.

Kaoru giggled slightly and shook her head. "He's off visiting Tsubame again. He's been head-over-heels for her since he first met her..."

"And Sir Ken? Where has your husband wandered off to this time?" Megumi joked.

For Kaoru this was not some simple joke, but a horror that had happened many times. Her smile froze for a second as she remembered, but then she shook it off and laughed. Megumi had not meant it like that...

"Kenshin went to the market." She said, as she set aside the broom. "Would you like to come inside for a while? You're bound to be tired."

Sano perked up. "Yah, I'd love to! Do you got some sake?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes and smacked him on the head. "I didn't mean you, freeloader. You can stay outside and watch Kenji!" She said as she led Megumi inside of the house.

"Why me?" Sano implored to the sky as he sat on the dusty ground, Kenji pulling roughly on his clothes.

Kenshin strolled idly through the market, his eyes drifting to look at various expensive items that he knew he could never afford. He sighed as he stopped at a particular store to gaze in at the jewelry that he knew would look so beautiful on his Kaoru. That's when he heard voices drifting across the air.

"Yah, that's what I just heard. They're going to the continent to fight," said a loud burly masculine voice.

"You can't be serious?" A nervous voice replied.

"Dead serious. I was thinking of joining myself. I heard that they asked the Hitokiri Battousai to go over there and help train the troops." He assured.

"You mean that guy with the cross scar that we've seen around here, Kenshin Himura?" he said tentatively.

"Yep. That's him. Amazing isn't it. Sometimes it's hard to remember that he was the same vicious murder."

Kenshin's eyes glazed over in pain and he turned away as to not listen anymore. He bit his lip and continued on his way. 'Kaoru...how can I ever tell you without breaking your heart?'

--Anyone thinking of 'Reflection' here or is it just me?--