D/C: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…sniff sniff

Alright, I'm really happy with my reviews, they really encouraged me…maybe I do have a romantic touch in me. . Anyway, thanx to all of you for the splendid reviews…and black slashed dragon; no, I'm not a super human, I'm just an ordinary human just like you; two legs, two arms, two eyes-I don't wear glasses (He he, I read your bio).

Anyway, here's the third chapter.

Enjoy.

Chapter 3: Phonecalls

Megumi flung her arms around Sanosuke's neck and gave him a peck on the cheek.

Sano frowned. 'Okay, what do you want? Money? Clothes? A new car? Don't tell me you drove yours into another lake' he said.

Megumi laughed and sat down beside him. 'No, silly!' she said. 'Can't a woman appreciate her husband?'

'Not if she's Megumi, she can't' he replied.

'Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!' she protested.

'It means…' he said, then paused to consider. 'Where's my breakfast? I'm hungry'

'Oh, don't worry about that…Kaoru and Misao are preparing breakfast right now' she told him. 'A token of their gratitude for letting them stay here'

'Uh-huh…well, it's never too late to write my will' he muttered.

'C'mon, cut them some slack…they're not such bad cooks!' she said, and then they heard a crash from the kitchen. 'But I'd better check on them just the same'

She hurried over to the kitchen, and found Kaoru standing in the middle, staring at the shattered remains of a china dish, while Misao stood behind her, her fist in her mouth to block her laughter.

'Oh, Megumi!' Kaoru cried. 'I'm so sorry! And this was your favorite dish!!'

'Don't tell me…the one with the rose pattern, right?' Megumi said, trying to remain calm.

Kaoru nodded. 'It was Misao's fault, though! She poked me from behind!' she snarled, glaring at Misao.

'I did not!!' Misao huffed.

'Yes, you did!' Kaoru snapped.

'Well, it's not my fault your hands are so slippery!' Misao replied.

Megumi sighed. 'Can you two finish this discussion later?' she pleaded. 'I can practically hear Sano's stomach roaring!'

It was a few minutes before they had all settled to the table.

Sano didn't touch the food. He seemed to be muttering his prayers.

'Oh, come on, Sanosuke! You're exaggerating! My cooking's loads better now! Ask Ke…' Kaoru said, and her voice trailed off.

'Kenshin?' he continued for her.

Kaoru stared down at her plate, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.

Why did the mention of Kenshin's name hurt her so much?

Because you still love him, stupid…her rational mind answered.

Sano was still frowning at her. Megumi noticed that and tried to distract him.

'Hey, Sano…how about you try some of these muffins?' Megumi suggested. 'And don't worry, I've prepared these ones'

It worked. Sano accepted the muffin from Megumi, and started to dig in.

Kaoru didn't touch the food. She had suddenly lost her appetite.

She pushed her plate away from her, and got up from the table.

'Where are you going? You haven't eaten anything yet' Sano said through a mouthful of muffins.

'I'm just not hungry' she murmured. 'What are you complaining for, anyway? All the more food for you, anyway' she cracked.

'Yeah, as if you eat that much, anyway' he sneered.

'You've never seen me when I'm hungry' she replied, shaking a warning finger in his face.

Then she walked back to her room. She went inside and shut the door after her.

She threw herself on the bed, and felt the warm tears rolling down either side of herself.

Will she ever be okay? Will she ever be normal?

Meanwhile…

Kenshin pressed down the alarm button to shut up the shrill ringing which was particularly drilling a hole in his head.

He didn't know why he had set the alarm in the first place, anyway, because he hadn't slept for a single moment last night.

And it wasn't due to the splitting headache the Sake had given him, it was because he hadn't stopped thinking about Kaoru the whole night.

He had to reach Kaoru somehow, he had to talk to her, understand what this was about…because he had no idea why this was happening to him.

He didn't feel like going to work today, maybe he should call in sick or something, because he was feeling ill, really ill.

As he reached out for the mouthpiece, and idea struck him.

Why, of course! He could call Kaoru! He could dial up her cell phone number and talk to her, hear her sweet voice again.

He picked up the mouthpiece, dialed her number and sat listening to the rhythmic tone of the telephone.

Come on, Kaoru…pick up…please pick up…

She picked up. 'Hello? Kaoru Kamiya speaking' came her voice on the other end.

Kenshin's heart beat furiously in his chest.

'Kaoru…' he croaked.

Then he heard Kaoru utter a gasp, and then the line was dead.

Kenshin stared in shock at the mouthpiece. He couldn't believe Kaoru had hung up in his face.

But then, Kaoru had also slapped him and ran out of the house.

Something was seriously wrong.

Meanwhile, at Megumi's…

Kaoru's hand shook as she gripped her cell phone.

Hearing Kenshin's voice has completely shaken her…what would happen if she actually saw him? Would she break down completely?

Yes, it was true she had appeared so tough yesterday when she had ran out on him, but the truth was that she had been a total wreck on the inside.

It's not easy to wake up and find that your husband's betrayed you.

It also wasn't easy for her to hang up in Kenshin's face, but it came out automatically; a natural reflex action.

She placed the phone back on the nightstand and curled up on the bed.

The door opened, and Megumi poked her head inside.

'Kaoru?' she said.

Kaoru considered not responding, but she sighed and spoke anyway. 'Yes?' she murmured.

'Are you okay?' she asked.

'Yeah, fine' she said shortly.

'I wanted to apologize for having such an inconsiderate husband' Megumi said, sounding bemused.

Kaoru managed a small smile. 'It's okay, he didn't know' she replied.

'Good thing too' Megumi said seriously. 'Do you realize what Sano might do if he knows about this?'

'No, what?' Kaoru asked curiously.

'He'll be pissed off…and trust me, you don't want to have to face Sano while he's pissed off' Megumi told her. 'Although you wouldn't mind if he spilled his rage over Kenshin, would you?'

Kaoru paused. Did she want Kenshin to get hurt? Did she really want that?

'Would you?' Megumi repeated, looking slightly puzzled.

Kaoru hesitated. 'I don't know…' she murmured.

Megumi sighed. 'Well, you'd better know, because Sano'll meet Kenshin at work, anyway' she said.

Kaoru jerked up. 'Oh, no! I totally forgot about that!' she cried. 'Where's Sano?!'

Megumi shook her head. 'He's left a couple of minutes ago' she said.

'Can't you call him up on his cell phone or something?' she asked, frantically.

'You know how Sano is, Kaoru…technology and him aren't a match made in heaven' Megumi said apologetically.

Kaoru's shoulders sagged. 'He doesn't have a cell phone?' she asked.

'No, I'm afraid not' Megumi murmured.

Later…

Sano took the lift up to this office. He was pinned back against the wall of the elevator by the crowds of people.

Grimacing slightly, he pushed the man in front of him to make some room for himself.

Two men stepped out on the fourth floor. Three others left the elevator on the seventh floor.

Sano sighed impatiently. Why did his office have to be on the twentieth floor?!

By the time they reached the fifteenth floor, he was the only person left on the lift. He pressed the button for shutting the door.

'No, wait, Sano! Hold it open for me!'

Automatically, Sano pressed the button which holds the doors open.

He stared when Kenshin stepped onto the lift.

'Hi' Kenshin said, panting slightly. 'Seventeenth floor, please'

Sano frowned. 'Back so soon?' he asked, pressing the button.

'Huh?' Kenshin said, confused.

'I thought you were in Spain' Sano replied.

'Spain? The last place I was was home, and I was debating whether or not I should go to work' Kenshin said. 'Who told you I had gone to Spain?'

'Kaoru told me' Sano said.

Kenshin grabbed Sano by the front of his clothes. 'Where have you seen Kaoru?!' he demanded. 'Do you know where she is?!'

'Whoa! Easy!' Sano said, pushing Kenshin away from him.

Kenshin's face became a deep shade of red. 'Sorry' he muttered. Then he looked at Sano. 'Do you know, then? Where Kaoru is, I mean'

'Yeah, she's staying with us' Sano said, frowning again. 'Didn't you know?'

Kenshin sighed. 'She hadn't told you, then?' he asked.

'Told us what? What are you talking about, Kenshin?' Sano demanded.

Kenshin smiled and shook his head. 'Nothing, don't worry yourself with it' he told him.

They got to the seventeenth floor. The doors opened and Kenshin stepped out of the elevator.

'Thank you, Sano!' he called over his shoulder.

Sano frowned. Why did he feel that he'd somehow been cheated?

Meanwhile…

'What do I do?! This is the third message this morning! I can't live like this!' Kaoru cried.

Misao sighed. 'You have to face Kenshin sooner or later, Kaoru, and you know it' she said. 'I just don't understand why you didn't confront him immediately'

'Because I was scared, Megumi, that's why' Kaoru told her.

'Scared?' Megumi repeated.

'Scared of turning into a blubbering wreck in front of Kenshin' Kaoru murmured. 'I knew that if I did, I'd start crying and uttering nonsense…and besides, confronting him would make it all seem so real, and I'm still hoping this would turn out to be a bad nightmare…although I know it isn't'

Megumi went silent.

'What's in those messages, anyway?' Misao asked after a moment.

'Well…' Kaoru said, clicking the Inbox in her phone open. 'This is the first one…Kaoru, I love you…I want you back, please…and…Kaoru, I need to see you, I really can't live without you…and…You know, Kaoru…I think we'll be seeing each other sooner than you think'

'Sooner than you think?' Misao repeated. 'What does that mean?'

'I dunno' Kaoru murmured. 'Do you suppose Sano told Kenshin I'm here?'

Megumi cocked her head to one side. 'Maybe' she said.

'Oh, this isn't good, isn't good at all' Kaoru mumbled.

'Even if Kenshin comes, we don't necessarily have to let him in' Misao pointed out.

'Yeah' Kaoru snorted. 'As if he'd take a no for an answer'

'You'll just have to talk to him, Kaoru' Megumi said.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Kaoru jumped.

'Stop being so edgy, Kaoru…it's only the phone' Megumi snapped, as she got up to answer it.

She picked up the receiver. 'Hello? Megumi Sagara speaking' she said.

'Hey, Meg' came Sano's voice on the other end.

'Oh, hi, Sano!' she exclaimed, and Kaoru seemed to relax a bit. 'What? Have you forgotten something?'

'No' he muttered. 'I just…I met Kenshin today at work, and he said he had never gone to Spain'

'Oh' Megumi said, toying with the cord of the phone.

'Megumi, am I having hallucinations? I thought Kaoru said Kenshin had gone to Spain!' Sano said, sounding rather shrill.

Megumi laughed. 'No, Sano, don't worry…you're not having hallucinations' she assured him.

'So what's going on?!' he demanded. 'I told Kenshin that Kaoru's staying with us, and his face lit up…as if he didn't know that already'

Megumi sighed. 'Just a sec, Sano' she said, and covered the mouthpiece with her hand.

'What does Sano want?' Kaoru asked.

'You were right, Sano told Kenshin' Megumi told her.

Kaoru groaned.

She was going to have to face Kenshin, after all…

A/N: So…? Was it nice? Did u like it? I hope u did coz I'm hoping for more reviews (my hints r just too subtle, huh?) But it's not tough; really, all you have to do is press that little button!

-ZEN