A/N: I'm so sad…I can't write a dramatic story even if I tried…well this IS suppose

to be a dramatic story! Remember…this IS my first fic…but then I'll just work

harder now to make it a drama…OKAY! Moving on…

~*~

Anyone missed this story? Did you? Sorry I was busy typing my new fic called

"Royal Past". Check that one out! It's doing pretty good so far…it's a bit crappy I

think…read and give me your opinions! Well this fic is back! Sorry for not updating

it for quite some time.

Disclaimer: I no own Rurouni Kenshin. LOL…okay I'll be serious…I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

~*~*~*~*~ Us After This ~*~*~*~*~

Chapter 9: A New Day and Friendship

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~…~ = Thoughts

"…"= Speaking

~*~*~*~*~*~*~Previous Chapter~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What a weird kid…can't blame him since he does look weird himself…it's not everyday you see someone with red hair and a cross-shaped scar on their face…" she snorted out.

~*~

The next day Kenshin came by to Megumi and Misao's house. Loud crashes and screams started to emerge from the huge home. Kenshin immediately ran to the front door and into the house towards the kitchen.

"AH! No Misao! Don't stack the plates like that!" Megumi screamed. Soon the pile of plates fell on the floor from the sink.

"NO MISAO! You don't kick the washing machine to get it started!" Megumi whined and a couple more bangs were brought towards the machine. The machine finally started and Megumi let's out a sigh, "At least she got the machine started…"

Water soon overflowed from the laundry room to Megumi's feet. Megumi's face was impassive, "Misao…how much detergent did you put in?"

"Opps…sorry Megumi…" Misao said nervously.

Megumi let's out a deep sigh, "That's okay Misao…none of us knows how to wash dishes, or do laundry…we've been spoiled by Kaoru…that's for sure…"

Misao gave a weak smile and gave Megumi a hug. Kenshin watched the whole scene appear before him.

"And now we know she's blind forever…" Misao said sadly.

"She doesn't deserve anything like this…to been orphaned a few months after birth, to think that she was being a burden to this family, nearly lost her life, and now to lose her eyesight because of Kenshin…" Megumi whispered silently.

"Yo Megumi! The front door was open! So we just came in ourselves!" Sano cried rushing in the kitchen and saw Kenshin, "Oh…hey Kenshin…"

"Hello Misao…" Aoshi said gently, "We're going to visit Kaoru today, are you going Kenshin?"

Kenshin stared at everyone and then towards Misao and hesitated. Misao noticed the change and went up to Kenshin.

"Sorry Kenshin…I was just upset yesterday…I didn't mean to scare you like that." Misao apologized. Kenshin let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay…I'll go then…" he replied and everyone cheered.

Misao and Aoshi took Aoshi's car and headed to the hospital. Sano and Megumi took another car and they also left leaving Kenshin with himself. Kenshin slowly got into his car.

~I can't keep this sealed within' me forever…~

He took out his cell phone and dialed a few numbers, "Hello Yumi?"

~*~

Kaoru woke up with a happy smile.

~Good morning to darkness for the rest of my life…~

She heard the door creak opened and faced to where the sound was, "Who's there?"

"IT'S US!!!!!!!!!" Misao shouted and jumped on Kaoru's bed sending Kaoru off her bed.

Kaoru screamed but was shortly cut off when she felt a pair of arms catching her.

"Hello there Kaoru…" Kenshin said gently while holding her.

"Hello Kenshin…" she said cheerfully, everyone was surprised at the way she acted towards him. Not with anger but with cheerfulness. Kenshin only stayed silent.

"So Kaoru…you must be really bored being here huh? Especially at night since there's no one to talk to?" Megumi asked while approaching Kaoru.

Kaoru began to blush slightly pink, "Not really…"

"Ohhh? Well then who's been keeping you company at night then?" Misao asked with curiosity dripping from her words.

"Um…well…just this guy…" Kaoru's reply was cut right off.

"—Oh? Ohohohohoho! Kaoru's got a mysterious boyfriend!" Megumi shouted out loud making Kaoru blush bright red.

Kenshin watched Megumi and everyone one laugh, he was the only one not laughing. Instead he felt his blood boil from the thought of Kaoru seeing some mysterious stranger in the night, his fist clenched tightly. Sano saw Kenshin's reaction and decides to change the subject.

"So uh…are you sure you're not going to be lonely when we leave?" Sano asked.

"Yup! Don't worry…I can hear the birds outside chirping happily so it's a beautiful day, is that right?"

"Yeah…sure is beautiful…" Megumi said dreamily.

"Then all of you guys should go out today…" Megumi and everyone snapped out of their usual state and stared wide-eye at her.

"Are you sure?" Misao asked.

"I'm really sure! I'll keep myself company…trust me! Now go and have fun!" Kaoru replied impatiently.

"Ok, ok! We'll go…but if you need us call us okay? Don't hesitate!" Sano said to Kaoru.

"I won't…don't worry!"

"Okay missy…we're going to go now…but don't worry we'll visit everyday around the afternoon okay?" Sano said before leaving out with Megumi.

"Okay! Bye!" Kaoru said happily.

"Are you sure Kaoru that you don't want our company?" Misao asked concerned.

"Really! I'm fine! Now go!" Kaoru commanded.

"Okay we'll go now! Bye!" Misao said as she went with Aoshi to the front door with Sano and Megumi.

"BYE!!!!" Kaoru shouted harshly making everyone run out the door as soon as possible.

The room was completely silent but Kaoru knew better than to believe that, "You go out too Kenshin…" Kaoru said silently.

Kaoru heard the chair move and heard the door open and Kenshin began to scream happily.

"THANK YOU! I thought you were going to keep me in here forever! I'm free!" Kenshin said happily as he closed the door, "Free!"

Kaoru only twitched her eyes while sitting on her bed, "Jerk…" She took a long deep breath and leaned on her pillow. The room stood silent until a voice rang out disturbing the peace, "Are you sure you want me to leave?"

Kaoru nearly leaped off of her bed with a heart attack, "I thought I told you to get out!" With that she threw the pillow from where the sound was coming from. She wondered if the pillow had hit him and her answer came with a satisfying sound 'thump'.

"Dang…you got a lot of strength with that arm…" Kenshin replied while rubbing his head.

"Whatever…are you going to go now?" Kaoru asked impatiently.

"Fine…I know when I'm not wanted…I'll go now…sheesh!" Kenshin said rather exaggeratedly. Kaoru finally heard the door open.

"But if you need me, call me okay?" Kenshin said gently making Kaoru filled with butterflies in her stomach.

"Okay…bye…" Kaoru said and she heard the door finally close.

Once again she heard the door open but this time sounds of high heels echoed through the whole room.

~ Megumi and Sano left a while ago…so did Misao…Kenshin don't wear high heel shoes… or does he? WAIT! He's a guy…he wouldn't do that…okay then who is it? ~

"Who's there?" Kaoru asked with a serious tone.

"It's me…" the voice was soft and filled with gentleness. Kaoru immediately recognized who it was.

"Yumi…?"

~*~

Misao, Aoshi, Megumi, and Sano walked together as a group at the park, all of them let out a big sigh.

"Kaoru might seem happy but she's torn up inside…" Megumi said sadly as the group walked down the sidewalk together.

"I wish we could help ease her pain in some way…" Misao said with hope while staring into the sky.

"I know I wish we could…" Sano paused, "—You know what? We can!"

"What do you mean by "we can?" Megumi asked curiously. Sano immediately ran and the rest chased after him towards the flower garden.

Misao ran ahead and mumbled angrily, "Why couldn't he just tell us the plan before running off?"

Misao stopped right after Sano stopped, soon Megumi and Aoshi stopped behind Misao causing a chain reaction of falling people. Misao began to fall down first.

"Aoshi!!!" Misao cried as she headed down towards the ground. Aoshi ran fast and managed to prevent Misao from hitting the floor. As for Megumi and Sano…

"Get off me fox, you're heavy!" Sano shouted angrily.

"Ohohohoho…but I feel so much safer here." Megumi said happily while fox ears appeared out of nowhere making Misao and Aoshi sweat drop.

"If you don't get off quickly then we'll lose out chance!" Sano shouted breathlessly.

"Ohohohohoho—huh?" Megumi stopped and got off Sano immediately.

 "What do you mean?" Misao asked shortly after Megumi got off Sano's back.

Sano patted some dust off him and stared over the gates of the rose garden. There stood none other that Kenshin by himself.

"No way! THE Kenshin Himura is ALONE!? Now that's weird!" Misao cried out unbelievably while staring with her mouth wide opened.

Megumi closed Misao's jaw and mumbled silently to herself then looked back to where Kenshin was. "Why would he be here of all places?"

"This is where Kenshin goes when he's depressed," Sano said to everyone, "Only Aoshi and I know about this secret of his. And since he has been pretty sad lately I figured that he'd have to be here sometime."

"WOW…Sano you're so smart!" Megumi said in sarcastic tone.

Sano glared at her for a moment and turned back to Misao and Aoshi. He began to smirk, "Who's up for a little kidnapping?"

~*~

"Come in! Sit down Yumi!" Kaoru said cheerfully trying to conceal her suspicions.

~What's she doing here? ~

Kaoru heard a chair squeak and pulled right next to her bed. The air in the room suddenly became tense and silent.

"I brought flowers for you," Yumi said quietly trying to get rid of the tension in the room.

"Thanks…too bad I can't see it…" Kaoru said gruffly. Kaoru heard the chair next to her squeak uncomfortably, she immediately sensed Yumi's guilt, "But I don't blame you…you didn't know I was blind…" Once again the chair shifted again and sniffing sounds could be heard.

"Why?" Yumi said through bits of tears coming out, "Why did you save Kenshin's life like that? His life isn't worth as much as yours! So why!?"

"I couldn't let him die…" Kaoru said quietly, "I just couldn't even if I did know your plan…"

"Yeah…Kenshin told me that you found out…we didn't want Mika to get into this business so we decided to handle it ourselves…"

"Who is Mika anyways?" Kaoru wondered aloud.

"She loves Kenshin…she don't want anyone else to get in her way…" Yumi answered.

"I know…she possessed by a one sided love…" Kaoru interrupted, "But you're not…so why are you involved with Mika?"

Yumi looked at Kaoru with wide eyes.

~ How does she know that I'm not like Mika? ~

"H—ho—how did you find out that I don't like Kenshin like everyone else does?" Yumi asked shocked.

"It's so obvious…you call Kenshin, Kenshin not Himura like everyone else. And the way you speak of him isn't like Mika or those other fan club members. You don't like him do you?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"You really want to know?" Yumi asked, she saw Kaoru nodded and sighed, "It's Mika's older brother, Shishio." Kaoru gasped.

"I know…he's the gangster but…" Yumi was cut off by Kaoru's loud gasp.

"That's so romantic!" Kaoru exclaimed, Yumi just stared at Kaoru like she was crazy, "So you're watching over his little sister?"

Yumi smiled, "Yeah…that's pretty much it, however, Mika doesn't want me to watch over her just because I love her brother. So she considered me as one of Kenshin's fans, so I became her best friend and she assumed that I love Kenshin like she does."

"Oh…I see…" was all Kaoru said while fumbling with her blanket, "—so how long have you been with him?"

Yumi began to smile and laugh, "You're very curious aren't you? Well I can't blame you." Soon she began chattering all about Shishio, Kaoru sat and listened to all the stuff Yumi said with interest.

~*~

"Let me go!!!" a muffled voice came out of a brown sack, "Let me out now or I'll hurt you!"

Misao went over and poked the sack. "Hey!…stop…that tickles…hahahaha!" Misao continued poking it until it shook violently, "Haha…okay! Stop it, stop it!!!" Misao stopped and opened the sack and out popped Kenshin gasping for air.

"Misao! Aoshi! Sano! Megumi!" Kenshin shouted and look around the place he's at, "Why did you kidnap me and bring me to your house?"

Megumi fox ears popped and she began to laugh, "Ohohohoho…we got some stuff to do with you!"

Kenshin backed up into the living room wall with fear as Aoshi and Sano approached him grinning mischievously. Kenshin was soon pinned against the wall, Aoshi held one arm and Sano held the other. Misao soon came in between Aoshi and Sano with a long rope.

"Hehehe…" she chuckled evilly as her eyes shimmer with a plan. Kenshin only whimpered, "Oh no…"

~*~

What's going to happen next? Send in reviews to find out!

Review Responses:

The evil witch- thanks for reviewing my stories! Glad you liked the last chapter!

niccw55- Yeah…the last chapter was extra long. Glad you like it though! However, I divided that long chapter into 2 so that's better right? Okay…thanks you for reviewing!

kaoru kamiya- wow…I never expected anyone to cry for any of my stories. Well…is Kaoru going to stay blind forever? You'll find out next chapter!

Kimiko5- Glad you like that last chapter. Thank you for reviewing!

k- Yes…I now about my verb tenses…I have problems with it…sorry so much about it disturbing you. If you can…please send the errors to me. Thank you so much. My e-mail is aznxcharmedone@yahoo.com

Magenta2- Wow…I never expected much emotions from the last chapter. I'm so happy that you like the last chapter. About Kaoru regaining her eyesight…well…that'll come next chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

Gatesu Botan- Glad you like my fan fic! Um…about Kaoru getting her eyesight back…that'll come next chapter. What the heck is Kenshin doing? Hmm…let's just say it's something his subconscious state is doing. And the suspence on the fan fic will never end! Muahaha! Well…I don't know…haha…thanks for reviewing!

Darky- I'm so sorry for "repeating" my last chapter! I didn't mean to really do that…it's just that I wanted to separate one LONG chapter into two so it'll make it easier for everyone to read. Sorry about that. Thanks for the reviewing all my chapters! The question about Shinta…well…you'll find out later. I'm not going to spill anything out.

Kitsune KeNsHiN- Wow…I'm really honored to hear that this is one of the greatest fan fics read! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I'm so sorry for letting you down by not updating earlier. I'm sorry about that. But I will try to update it a lot more. I hope…anyways, thank you for reviewing!

are-en1- About Kenshin and Shinta being the same person…well I think you know that answer! I'm glad you like my story! Thank you!!!

XxSilentxDreamerxX- Thank you for enjoying my fan fic! I hope you liked this one too!

moonlight-xxx-sonata- I'm sorry if this fic doesn't suit your taste. I'll try hard to add more fun in it! Don't worry…but then I'm also trying to mix it with drama…so it's really going to be hard….thank you for your useful review!

Anonymus- Thank you for the review! I feel so SPECIAL! THANK YOU! And yes…Kenshin and Shinta is the same person. That's all I'll tell you! THANK YOU AGAIN for REVIEWING!

syren888- Wow…you're reading all my fics? That's impressive. Thank you so much! And thanks a lot for reading.

NARGIEGIRL21- YUP! I love using spell check! It's very useful! YUP! Thanks for reviewing!

And for the rest of you people who also read this story thank you!!! Tune in next

Time to see what happens next! Till then bye!