Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin…not even one single character…

First of all, thanx for the reviews, I was really thrilled when I saw the no. 43 there! ! I was totally glad u all liked the third chapter, and hope u equally like this chapter.

Enjoy. (Hmmm…I have to work on my Vocabulary, I keep using this word! What other word is there for enjoy?)

Chapter 4: Hatred

'Kenshin did that?!'

Sano's fists clenched as he sat listening to Kaoru.

Kaoru nodded.

'That jerk!' Sano hissed

Megumi touched his arm. 'What are you going to do?' she asked.

'What am I going to do?' he repeated. 'I'll clobber Kenshin if I have to'

'No!' Kaoru cried, and they all stared at her. 'I mean, I don't want you to get into trouble because of me…let me handle this on my own'

'Alright' he muttered. 'God, I told him you were here…I'm sorry Kaoru…if you had only told me…'

'If we had told you, you would've already thrown Kenshin out of your office window' Misao cracked.

Kaoru smiled. 'It's okay, Sano…don't worry about it' she assured him. 'Did he tell you when he'll be arriving?'

Sano shook his head.

'Listen, Kaoru…don't get too worked up about seeing Kenshin' Megumi told her. 'Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you help me fix lunch? It'll help you keep your mind off things'

'Yeah, okay' Kaoru agreed.

So…

'Um…Megumi? How do we fold eggs?' Kaoru asked.

'What?!' Misao cried.

'That's what's written here' Kaoru said.

'You can't fold eggs!' Misao said dubiously.

Megumi laughed. 'Oh, don't be silly' she said. 'It means adding and stirring the eggs gently in the mixture'

'Oh' Kaoru and Misao said in unison.

'Here, let me show you' Megumi offered. She cracked an egg, and poured its contents into the boiling pot on the oven. The she grabbed a spoon and started stirring the mixture. 'See?'

'Let me give it a try' Kaoru said, and Megumi handed her an egg.

'Hey, can I try too?' Misao pleaded.

'Uh…' Megumi hesitated. Misao managed to make a mess out of the smallest things, could she really trust her with eggs?

'Please!!' Misao cried.

'Oh, okay…be careful though' Megumi murmured.

Misao took an egg. Then she tried to crack it against the hem of the pot, but it wouldn't crack.

'Easy now, Misao' Megumi said.

'Boy, will I have something to tell Aoshi when he returns! Me, cooking!' Misao exclaimed, trying to crack the egg again. 'Hey! This isn't fair! It opened easily with you!'

'Be careful' Megumi murmured.

Misao hit the egg against the pot again, gently at first, but way too roughly after a few moments.

Too roughly the egg shattered…

Misao and the spotless stove were sprayed with egg-yolk.

Megumi was fuming.

'He he' Misao said, weakly. 'Megumi…I don't think eggs agreed well with me'

'You don't think?!' Megumi repeated angrily.

Meanwhile…

Kenshin stood in front of the building where Sano and Megumi were staying…where Kaoru was staying.

He took in a deep breath and pushed the gate's door open.

He took the lift to the third floor, and took slow, yet determined steps towards the apartment.

He rang the bell.

He waited for a couple of minutes, but no one opened the door for him.

He rang the bell again, but still no one answered the door.

He frowned. Could they have gone out?

He pressed his ear against the door.

No, they weren't out.

Kenshin could hear low voices inside the apartment. Why weren't they opening up?

He pressed the buzzer again, and kept his finger in place while counting slowly to sixty.

And by the time he'd counted twenty-two, the door flung open.
'Why can't you just take the hint and leave?!' Sano shouted, standing in the doorway.

Kenshin stared, dumbfounded, at his best friend. 'Sano…?' he said questioningly.

'Don't play innocent with me, Kenshin…' Sano warned him. 'Kaoru told us what a big creep you are'

'What?!' Kenshin cried. 'But, Sano, I haven't done anything!'

'Hah! Could you possibly come up with a lamer lie?' Sano sneered.

'Sano, please…could I just see Kaoru?' Kenshin pleaded.

'Why? So you could hurt her even more? Isn't it what you've done to her enough to satisfy you?' Sano snapped.

'But what have I done, Sano? I want to know' Kenshin said desperately.

Sano stared at him. 'You're disgusting' he spat.

He started to close the door, but Kenshin pushed against it to prevent him from shutting it…from shutting him from Kaoru…

'Sano, I need to talk to Kaoru, please!' he cried.

'Go away, Kenshin…you're not welcome here' Sano hissed.

'Kaoru! Kaoru!' Kenshin shouted through the narrow opening of the door.

'Shut up!' Sano snapped. 'Don't you get it? Kaoru doesn't want to see you'

'But I want to see her!' he said in a strained voice.

He pushed with all his might against the door, and managed to slip into the apartment before Sano could shut the door.

'Hey!' Sano said angrily.

Kenshin ran into the apartment, and looked wildly around.

He saw Megumi and Misao standing by the kitchen's door, as if guarding it.

Kaoru was definitely in the kitchen.

'Please, let me in' he said, as he approached them.

'No way' Megumi said coldly.

'Please!' he cried. He looked across their shoulders, and saw Kaoru. She was sitting there on a stool, her head bowed, hands in her lap. 'Kaoru!!'

She didn't look up at him.

Kenshin pushed against Megumi and Misao. Kaoru was only a few feet away from him, and they were blocking his way to her.

Kenshin managed to break into the kitchen.

'We told you to get out!' Misao said furiously. She grabbed his arm and tugged. 'C'mon! Don't you understand English? I said OUT!'

'Misao…stop'

Kenshin stared at Kaoru, so did Megumi, Misao and Sano.

'Let me get him out of here, Kaoru' Sano offered.

'No, leave me alone with him…' she said, and looked at the three of them with shimmering eyes. '…please'

'Alright, but call us if you need anything' Megumi reluctantly agreed, and dragged Sano and Misao out of the kitchen.

'Kaoru…' Kenshin whispered, touching her shoulder.

Kaoru brushed his hand away and hugged herself. 'Why do you want, Kenshin?' she rasped.

The coldness of her voice stunned him. 'I…I…why is this happening to us, Kaoru?' he asked.

'Why?!' she repeated, incredulously. 'Why don't you ask yourself, Kenshin?'

'How am I supposed to ask myself if I don't know what's going on in the first place?' he asked, desperately.

'You don't know?!' she said shrilly. 'You don't know that you've hurt me in the cruelest way in which a husband could hurt his wife?!'

'No, I don't!' he said, exasperated. 'So, please…please tell me what I've done!'

Kaoru jumped up to her feet, and glared at him. 'You just make me sick!' she shot at him.

'No, Kaoru…please don't say that' Kenshin said.

Kaoru approached him. She was now so close he could see the tears forming at her eyes.

'Kaoru?' he said.

'I want you out of here, and out of my life' she hissed.

Kenshin felt as if she had just slapped him. 'No…' he croaked.

'I said out' she said.

'Give me a chance, Kaoru…' he pleaded.

'Out' she said.

'Let me…' he said.

'OUT!!' she screamed. 'I don't want to see you ever again, Kenshin…you understand?! Not ever!'

'But I love you, Kaoru, I really do' he told her.

Kaoru's eyes leaked with tears. She buried her face in her hands, and rushed out of the kitchen, sobbing.

Kenshin made a move to follow her…but Sano blocked his way.

'I think you've said enough' he said sharply.

'No, no…I have to talk to her' Kenshin said, trying to duck beneath Sano's arm.

'You won't see Kaoru anymore' Sano said, grabbing Kenshin around the waist. He dragged him towards the door, and Kenshin thrashed helplessly in his arms.

'Let go of me!' he yelled.

Sano pulled the door open and practically threw Kenshin out of the house.

Kenshin stared up from the floor at the towering figure of Sano.

'You won't come here anymore, call anymore, or see Kaoru anymore, understand?' he rasped.

Kenshin scrambled up to his feet. 'You have no right to set such rules!' he shouted. 'Kaoru's my wife; I can see her any time I want!'

'Oh, yeah? Well, this is my house, and Kaoru's staying in it…and as long as she's here, you can do nothing' Sano said.

And with that, he slammed the door shut in Kenshin's face.

Kenshin stared in shock at the door of the apartment which housed the people he used to believe as his best friends…and his wife.

Meanwhile…

'Kaoru, please calm down!'

Kaoru sobbed into Megumi's shoulder. Her body shook hard under Megumi's arms.

'I can't believe he kept saying that…as if he had done nothing!' she choked.

'Of all the nerve' Misao said.

'I know!' Kaoru cried. 'And what more? He said…he said he loves me! As if I'm gonna fall for that crap!'

'Who was he kidding?' Megumi said.

Sano walked into the room, and Megumi looked questioningly at him.

'Don't worry, he's gone' he assured her.

'You can relax now, Kaoru…Sano got him out of here' Megumi told her.

'Really?' Kaoru whispered.

'Yeah, he's gone away for good' Sano said.

Kaoru managed a small smile. 'Thanks, guys…really, thanks for standing with me in this' she croaked.

'Hey, no problem' Misao chirped. 'What are friends for?'

'Yeah…you're right' Kaoru murmured.

'Forget Kenshin, Kaoru…he's not worth the trouble' Sano said.

'Yes, Kaoru…you'll see how much better you're gonna feel once you get Kenshin out of your mind' Megumi said.

Kaoru smiled weakly.

They didn't know how much she wanted to forget Kenshin. The problem was…she simply couldn't.

A/N: Now, don't start pouting and cursing, I know u all wanted Kaoru and Kenshin to make up, but more…and I mean MORE is yet to come, u just wait and see. Anyway, I hope u liked this one…and u can express ur likeness by just pressing that little button and sending me a review…hehe…

oh, and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of u!

-ZEN.