Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin nor any of it's characters. I do own any characters that I made up and the plot.

Shiroi Hikari: Gomen Nasai for taking so long to put this chapter up! I've had really bad writer's block for all of my stories, and I just barely managed to complete this one. I apologize that it is so short, and I promise that as soon as my writer's block is over, the next one will be out.

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Blood Red Love

Chapter Four

Questions Over Brunch

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Kaoru's POV

I sighed slightly as I listened to the happy chatter around me, this morning's events completely forgotten. I still wanted answers, though. Why did the apperance of that man, Yukishiro Enishi, cause my sudden memory? The memory that I had pushed to the far recesses of my mind, where I thought it could never surface again. But I was wrong.

"Ne, Megumi-san, I have a question for you." I said quietly as I picked at the fruit salad I had ordered for breakfast.

"Yes? And don't be so formal, Kaoru-chan. We're friends right?" The pretty forensics doctor said as she swallowed her pancake. I smiled slightly and nodded, but my face instantly returned to seriousness as I gazed into Megumi's eyes.

"That man earlier, Yukishiro Enishi, who exactly was he?" I asked quietly. Megumi laughed fakely.

"I told you earlier." She said as she turned her face away from mine. I sighed, irritated.

"Fine. If you won't tell, I'll just ask him myself." I grumbled. That got Megumi to turn to me in a haste.

"WHAT!?" She shrieked. The restaurant that we had chosen to eat at became eerily quiet. I laughed sheepishly and covered Megumi's mouth before she could say anything else.

"Ne, is something wrong, Kaoru-chan?" Tae asked worriedly as she put down her fork. I shook my head.

"No, I was just asking Megumi-chan a question." I responded. Tae nodded and went back to talking with Misao and Tsubame. I turned to Megumi, my eyes narrowed.

"You didn't have to yell." I grumbled as I removed my hand.

"Didn't have to yell!? What are you thinking!?" Megumi hissed loudly, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. I sweatdropped and scooted my chair closer to Megumi, ignoring the danger bells ringing in my head.

"When we saw Yukishiro-san, a memory popped into my head. One I had stored away long ago, hoping that it would never resurface. And Yukishiro-san seems so familiar to me... I really need to see him again, Megumi." I said, on the point of pleading with Megumi.

Megumi eyed me, and then sighed.

"You are a stubborn Tanuki, you know that?" She grumbled as she grabbed a pen and wrote an address down on a napkin.

"This is the hotel that he was rumored to be staying at. Please be careful, Kaoru. Yukishiro is a dangerous man." Megumi warned as I took the napkin. I nodded and smiled at her, my eyes questioning.

"And how do you know where he is staying?" I asked suspiciously. Megumi laughed as fox ears appeared atop her head.

"A woman knows these things. Gossip is a wonderful thing in the forensics building..." Megumi said wisely as she laughed again. I smiled and shook my head.

"Thank you, Megumi. I'll be sure to go by there after we finish our tour today." I said as I finished off my breakfast/lunch. Megumi nodded and finished her food.

"Ne, where are we going first, Kenshin?" Yahiko asked through a mouthful of waffles.

"Yahiko! Don't speak with your mouth full!" I scolded him as I whacked him lightly on the head.

"Itai! Don't hit me busu!" Yahiko yelled at me as he nursed the large bump on his head. I sweatdropped.

"I didn't even hit you that hard, Yahiko-CHAN." I growled. Yahiko stuck his tongue out at me as he stole a piece of my food.

"ARGH! Yahiko!" I snarled.

"Now, now, no more fighting. We should get going. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to go first?" Kenshin asked, effectively breaking up the small argument between Yahiko and I.

"I say we show them around the school area so Yahiko can know where to go when he starts school up. Isn't Yahiko going to the same school as Tsubame?" Misao asked as she pushed her plate away.

"Yes. And that is a great idea, Misao-chan." Tae said as she smiled at Misao, who smiled back.

"Well, we'd better get going then. It's already noon, and we haven't even started our tour yet." Sano said as the group paid and stood up to leave.

"Okay." Aoshi grumbled as the large group left the small restaurant. I giggled quietly as Misao beamed up at 'her Aoshi-sama'. They were quite cute together. And I most definitely admit that Aoshi is certainly easy on the eyes... So are Sano and Kenshin...

Bah! What the heck am I thinking!?

I mentally snorted and turned to Megumi, who was eyeing Sano from the corner of her eye. I smiled slightly, though my eyes darkened a little bit. All of these people had ones that they loved, and they were probably loved back by them. I knew Kenshin wasn't available that was proven by the wedding ring he wore, and I knew that Megumi liked Sano, and that Misao liked Aoshi.

Would there ever be someone for me?

I sighed quietly, as memories of my family overcame my mind. Everyone that I had loved had been destroyed, all except for Yahiko, who I treasured the most, despite the way we acted.

I was jolted out of my thoughts by Yahiko's yell.

"Kaoru! Look how big the school is!" He gawked at the huge buildings in front of him. My eyes widened as well, though I kept my reaction more discreet.

"Everyone says that when they first see it. It's actually three schools combined into one. Elementary, Middle, and High. The college is up on the north side of town, where Aoshi-kun lives." Tsubame informed Yahiko as the two stood next to each, gazing at 'Minato Secondary School' in front of them.

"Well, I guess we should check out Kaoru's new work now." Megumi said as the group continued on.

"You work there as well, ne, Megumi?" I asked as we strolled towards the Minato Police Department.

"Yes. As does Aoshi. As well as two of our other friends. Well, semi-friends. Hajime Saitou and Chou. I still haven't found out Chou's last name..." Megumi trailed off. I frowned and nudged her in the side.

"Oh! Anyways, Aoshi's the lead detective, Saitou's the lead police officer, and Chou works in Forensics as well. You should be partnered up with him on your first job, as I work mainly in DNA and Trace. We should be paired up later on, though." Megumi continued to chat as the group made their way towards the fairly large Police Department.

"Wow, this is the place I'll be working in?" I asked as I gazed around the busy waiting area, where both police and criminals waited. I sweatdropped slightly.

Criminals have to sit in a waiting room with music, coffee and doughnuts?

"Excuse me, can we please speak to Hajime-sempai and Chou-san?" Megumi asked the secretary at the front desk.

"Ah! Megumi-san! Of course you can!" The secretary chirped happily as she punched some numbers in on the phone.

After a brief chat, she hung up the phone and turned to us with a smile.

"Hajime-sempai is in his office. Chou-san is out on a job right now, but he should be back in around an hour." She informed us. Megumi nodded her thanks and turned to the group.

"Kenshin, Sano, Tsubame, and Tae. Please stay out here while we talk with Saitou. I'm afraid his office is a few sizes too small to fit all of us in there. Plus the only ones he really needs to talk to are Kaoru, Aoshi, and myself. Yahiko may come along because Kaoru is his sister and needs to know what she will be doing. Understood?" Megumi asked, daring anyone to question her authority. The four nodded, and then we left to Saitou's office.

Shiroi Hikari: Meh, that wasn't as a short a chapter as my Wolf's Rain fic. ::Shrugs:: Oh well. I guess I can write this fic better. Anyways, I had to cut it off there because I can't think of anything else to write at the moment. Next chapter Kaoru will meet Saitou, and maybe Chou. As for other characters that will show up in here: Soujirou, Shishio, Yume, Hiko, Tomoe, and maybe Kenji. It depends on what I feel like writing.

Ja ne and please review!

::Shiroi Hikari::