Sano and Megumi came running into the dojo. Megumi had come with a lamp, and used it to lite the ones around the room.

"Sanouske, get me some towels and bandages! Hurry! We need to stop the bleeding." Megumi said, taking Kaouru from Kenshin. "Kenshin, You're in shock. Just calm down. Jou-chan will need you when she wakes up."

He watched, helpless, as the doctor tried to save Kaouru. He watched her long after the doctor had left.

-two days later.-

People came and went. Sanouske, Aoushi, Misaou, Yahiko, Ayame and Sazume, Dr. Gensai, Saito, and Megumi.

Aoushi and Misaou were to be here for a week, and it was already planned ahead. Plates of food were set down near him, but he didn't eat. He just sat there, watching her breathe. Noone spoke to him, and if they had, he hadn't heard them.

Then a deep, solomn voice broke through his thoughts. "You can't blame yourself, battosai." Kenshin looked up to see Aoushi sitting on the other side of Kaouru, a slender hand on her forehead before he replaced the rag.

Kenshin stared at him.

"You can't protect everyone at all moments. I know." They were interrupted by Kaouru's sigh, she shifted and turned toward Aoushi's warm hand. "We will find the ones that did this to her. But until then, keep calm. You will do better with a cool head. Kenshin." He rose and left.

Kaouru wimpered at the loss of heat, but stayed asleep.

Kenshin stared dumbly at the leader of the juppongattana. The prince of ice had actually used his name.

His hand brushed against Kaouru's face, and she nuzzled into the warmth, trying to move the appendages that Megumi had casted.

Her eyelashes fluttered and she shot strait up, her eyes panicked and wild.

"Kaouru-dono!?" Kenshin said, startled.

She scrambled away from him, grabbing a fallen bokken as she backed away.

"Kaouru-dono..It's alright. It's me, kenshin." he said, his hands up. The Sakaba Tou on the floor a foot away to his left.

"K...Kenshin?" she said, blinking swimming blue eyes.

She suddenly launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him as much as she could.

"Kaouru-dono...It's alright. We're going to find who did this to you." He whispered as she cried into his chest.

"He..he said he was going...Kill..." He heard the muffled stutters.

He hugged her to him for a moment before he lifted her face to his.

He kissed her forehead and helped her to lie down again. "It's alright, Kaouru. Just rest." He said, closing her eyes with a calloused palm.

He watched her sleep, peaceful and calm, now. She was going to be okay.

---------------

Flashback-

Kaouru stared out the shojo. it was raining again, pounding the ground.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy, like she was about to collapse. She looked down at the edge of the porch, focusing on the ledge to level herself.

When she thought she could stand, she pushed herself up, one hand on the wall. "So, you are Miss kamiya." came a deep, ominous voice from behind her.

"What do you want here?" She turned. She found herself in shock. A man, halfway between Kenshin and Sanouske's height, stood in the middle of the dojo. His flaring red hair shone in the sunset light.

"I want to kill everything. But first, I want to kill everything you love, including my precious little brother." He said, attacking her visiously.

"Who are you?!" She demanded, blocking one blow after the other.

"I'm your executioner." he said, attacking her with the sheath of the sword, breaking her right leg.

He suddenly disappeared. She stared around the room helplessly. Biting back screams of pain as she cradled the injured leg.

Then the world went black.

End Flashback.-

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Sanouske watched the ruroni sit motionless, one hand in jou-chan's, the other grasped the hilt of the sakaba.

Yahiko stepped up beside him. "He still ain't moved?" He asked, staring at the red haired ruroni.

"Nope. He won't eat or drink or nothin'." He turned and left.

They had been keeping a close watch on the two in the dojo. Unofficial shifts. Each understanding what was at stake here. What it meant. Enishi had shown that to them. Kenshin would go mad if kaouru was even touched wrongly.

They each sat and watched the ronin, tried to get him to talk. But each received no response.

Aoushi walked past Yahiko and into the dojo, the ice prince had come earlier, but had left to go to town. This was the only time Yahiko had seen kenshin look suprised, or even reacted.

Aoushi said something, and kenshin replied. Then he walked out, past Yahiko and out of the gate.

Yahiko stared at the open gate before he heard a scream and turned back toward the partially open shojo.

He watched as Kenshin talked Kaouru down, then she tackled him, her body wracking with trembling sobs.

He shut the shojo and walked out into the yard. If Kaouru caught him slacking off, she would hit him for sure.

--------

Kenshin heard the steady 'swoosh swoosh' of a boken from outside. Yahiko must be practicing.

Kenshin smiled slightly as the world spun around him. Three days without sleep had finally caught up with him.

He ate a little of the cold food on the tray, setting it down distastefully. Cold food didn't suit him well, and he had become picky living here for three years.

he tried to blink away the dizziness, and the world twisted violently as his vision went black.

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Okay, yall. That's it for this chapter! Cliffie! Ha!

What is reality? -a universal question.