UNFORGIVEABLE KINDNESS

Kaoru awoke several hours later to a pounding head. Her eyes were unfocused and she could hear someone hollering for Megumi. It had sounded like Jiro but she couldn't tell and she was too out of it to try and figure it out. She could faintly remember most of the fight, with only bits and pieces missing. The ugly man that had attacked her stood most clear in her mind. Right next to the pain in her arm.

Megumi came in a moment later poking and pressing on the gash, making her grit her teeth in pain. With every small press of Megumi's fingers, more pain jolted up her arm and the throbbing increased. More words were exchanged but Kaoru wasn't listening. She didn't want to listen, she just wanted people to go away and leave her alone.

Now that she was more awake she could see who was in the room. Jiro was at her left side smiling at her from above. Megumi was at her other side patching up her arm. Sano was leaning against the wall calmly chewing a fishbone and it sounded as though Dr. Gensai was outside the door with Ayame, Sazume, and Hiroshi trying to keep them from bounding into the room and crushing an injured Kaoru. Kenshin was nowhere to be found.

She wasn't dying and she certainly didn't feel as if she needed as much attention as she was receiving now. She wished she could sit up but knew that neither Jiro nor Megumi would let her up until they were certain she was fully healed.

"Kaoru? How are you feeling?" It seemed that once Megumi had finished patching up her arm she had shooed everyone else out of the room save for Jiro.

"Fine." Kaoru didn't elaborate. Her throat was dry and she didn't feel much like talking. Jiro disappeared for a moment and she suddenly found precious water being poured into her mouth after Jiro's arm had raised her head off of the futon.

Once she was lowered back down again Jiro studied her face. Periwinkle blue eyes roved from her face, to her injured arm and back to her face again, concern showing in their depths. Kaoru's heart softened at his look. Jiro was so protective of her, even if she only had a scrape to the elbow.

"I'll let you rest but I'll be back later to check on you." He said softly as he planted a gentle kiss on her lips and left the room.

Kaoru sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. No matter what happened in life it seemed that Jiro was always there to help her through it. There was never a time that she could recall that something had happened that he hadn't been there to share it with her. The last thing she thought just before she drifted off to sleep was that it was nice to be loved.

Koaru woke again after the sun had set. A low candle was burning sending flickering shadows onto the walls. She slowly sat herself up using her good arm taking extra caution to not move her the injured one. Just as soon as she sat up she realized her mistake and her eyes slammed shut again. Purple dots swirled behind her eyelids and she bent forward as dizziness overtook her. Just as her head was righting itself she felt strong arms lift her and place her against the wall for support. She didn't open her eyes.

"Jiro?"

"No." Her eyes sprang open and she looked beside her. Violet eyes met hers and there was an awkward silence. When she couldn't look at him anymore she turned her head instead to study the dancing flame of the candle.

"Are you feeling any better?" His voice was softer than she had heard it any time before.

"A little." For this one moment she could forget her anger at him. She didn't feel she had the energy for a cold shoulder move, and the atmosphere combined with his presence seemed to relax her.

There was that silence again. After ten years of being apart, being together became rather difficult.

"Would you mind telling me what happened?" She looked at him again, curiosity written into her features. Why would he care so much? She decided to indulge him anyway, for the sake of conversation.

When she got to the bit about Jiro having suddenly disappeared, his face hardened. She pretended not to notice and finished her story. Once she was done there was another awkward silence between them. Kaoru didn't say anything because of the look on Kenshin's face. She wondered what he was thinking. Kenshin because he was so angry at Jiro he thought that if he said anything it would come out completely wrong and make Kaoru close him off.

Kaoru finally summoned up the courage, "Um...was there anything else Kenshin?"

He jumped when he heard her voice. This seemed to jolt him from his previous state of anger and he looked at her seriously, "I think, Kaoru-dono, that you should be careful."

She was caught between being angry at him and asking him why he had such a sudden interest in her well-being. She settled on the former.

"You don't have to tell me that, Kenshin. It was just an accident. Despite what you think I can take care of myself." She figured she could make a hundred loathsome comments about his leaving, but decided she didn't have the energy to get into a big argument about it.

"That's not what I meant by it, Kaoru-dono, that it was not." He hesitated. "It may not have been an accident."

As soon as he said it he wished he hadn't. The anger flared in her eyes, their usual crystal clear blue turning a deep shade of the stormy ocean. Her strength seemed to return to her suddenly, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her voice was deadly soft, something much worse than if she had been yelling.

"Are you saying it was Jiro's fault that I got sidetracked and left behind?" He hesitated too long. Her voice raised slightly, but she kept it low enough so as not to alert anyone. She wanted to have her say, make him leave, and be alone.

"You have no right to come here and say things like that. Especially since you suddenly show up on our doorstep after ten years, and without a decent explanation to come with it. You have no idea how hard it was for me. Then I finally got over it and forgot all about you and you had to show up again. I can never forgive what you did."

There was a pregnant pause. Kenshin looked disgusted with himself and Kaoru was weak and shaking. Then there was Kenshin lifting her into his arms and gently placing her back onto the futon, always being mindful of her arm. He hovered over her, one hand resting on her cheek.

Koaru's anger was quickly replaced by shock. This was Kenshin after all. Her current object of undeniable hate. Her eyes were locked onto his deep purple ones unable to look away. And when his voice sounded in her ears all of her anger was forgotten for the moment.

"I'm sorry. I never meant it to happen that way, that I did not. Even though you don't forgive me I still can not let anything harm you now that I'm here." His expression was completely serious. She was suddenly aware of the hand laying against her cheek, his warm body so close to hers. Her already drugged mind seemed to shut down completely. All else completely faded from her mind and the only thing important was Kenshin who was above her.

"I'll leave now. You're tired." With those softly spoken words his warm presence was gone and she was staring at the ceiling, leaving her wondering.

A little bit of fluff? A teaser maybe? Color guard has started again, but what happened last year will NOT happen again. This story should have already been finished and I apologize for dragging this out. I'm really trying, but lately I've been terribly busy with not much time left for writing. Please forgive me and review? ::bows:: I love you all!