Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin does not and will not ever belong to me.

Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story! Trying to update as soon as possible!

A Shard of Eternity

Chapter Three: Scarlet

Love is like the wind

You can feel it, you can touch it

But can you catch it?

She drove all night, her path illuminated by the moon and the streetlights. Her eyes wanted to close and rest, but she kept them open, driving…and thinking. Thinking of the past…thinking of the life she would have led…but couldn't…

Finally, when a thin sliver of gold that was the sun, appeared over the mountains, Kaoru stopped her car by the road. She closed her eyes and slept through sunrise, dreaming only of scarlet hair.

Kaoru yawned and opened her eyes. Peering about her, she realized that she had parked on the streets of a very small town. Children ran about the streets, laughing, and small, dusty antique shops lined the roads of the town. From the corner of her eye, Kaoru saw something…something red…something scarlet. Something she had seen in her dreams…

She turned and saw him…It was a young man, with rusty red hair. His eyes were a mixture of amber, lavender, and gold-a surprising combination that both startled and amazed her. The man sat at the edge of the sidewalk, painting something on a giant canvas. Kaoru stumbled out of the car. Who is he? she thought.And why was he in her dreams? She walked towards him uncertainly… He turned to her and smiled.

"Good morning! I see you've woken up!" the man smiled brightly. "I hope you don't mind that I've painted you. You looked quite graceful in that car sleeping, that you did!"

Kaoru looked at the canvas. It couldn't be her in the picture. The girl in the picture looked much too…serene. Sure, the girl in the picture had the same black hair, the same pale face….but that couldn't be her….

"…O-of course I don't mind…" Kaoru's face suddenly turned red with a strange notion. " You aren't some kind of pervert are you, drawing people while they're sleeping?"

The man smiled and laughed. "Of course not! I am a painter. I paint things that look beautiful and natural to me."

Her face turned an even brighter shade of red as he continued, "So where are you from?"

"Me? I'm from….I don't….I…I don't really have a home. I'm a wanderer…" Kaoru whispered.

The man nodded. "I see. Well, I'm Kenshin HImura. As I've mentioned before, I'm an artist, or painter. What's your name?"

"Kaoru….just Kaoru." She said.

"That is a very elegant name." Kenshin commented. "Would you like some lunch? My treat? Our only restaurant, The Songbirds, are quite excellent, that they are. I can leave my paints and canvas here. No one would care. So how about it?"

Kaoru's mind raced. Should she? It had been a long time since she had gone out on a date. But his wasn't really a date….it was just a…..outing with a….friend. Well, it wouldn't hurt to eat lunch with Kenshin. Besides, Kenshin was….cute

"I'll understand if you don't want to eat-"

"It's fine with me," Kaoru said, smiling for the first time in a long time.

He offered his hand. Hesitating just a bit, she reached out her own hand to grasp his. All her thoughts of immortality were washed away…At this moment, she wanted just to have fun…with Kenshin.

Note: He he...slightly longer! Whoopee!