The Ties of Love

Hi people. If any of my other fans are here thanks for reading my other fanfics. This is the second chapter of The Ties of Love. I hope you like it.

Chapter 2: When We Meet Again

Tomoe found an inn soon after her encounter with the hitokiri. The moment she paid she went to lie down. She was exhausted and after that encounter she was even more exhausted. The moment her head hit the pillow she was asleep.

(Several hours later)

She awoke to the noise of the inn. It was dark when she woke up meaning that she slept all day, it was also raining. She dressed quickly and grabbed her umbrella. She went down stairs and out the door. The rain was coming down hard but she still walked to the nearest bar. She went inside, sat down, and ordered some sake. She did not see the knowing looks in some men's eyes or the flash of recognition in an amber pair of eyes. She lifted the cup to her lips and after she had drank several cups the men got up and came over to where she was.

"Ohaiyo. Why don't you come over there with us? We'll show you a good time."

"Ite. Arigato for the offer but I am not interested. Please leave me alone." Tomoe said.

"What! We samurai fight for you people and this is the thanks we get."

"Hey leave her alone." A man called out.

"Who said that?"

No one answered.

"That's what we thought." One of the men grabbed her hand.

That was all it took to make the young hitokiri move. "The lady said to leave her alone. Japan does not need false imperialists like you fighting in this war. Go back home and do not let me see you again else I will kill you."

Tomoe realized that the man was going to unsheathe his katana but for some reason he didn't. She then saw that the boy had the man's katana hilt blocked by one hand. Could not the man pull out his katana? Was he not stronger than this tiny boy was? She saw the fear in the man's eyes. The man turned and left muttering dark things under his breath. The others left as well.

"Gomen nasai for the trouble." Kenshin threw some coins on the table.

"Not at all. Arigato for stopping those men. I'm afraid it would have gone very wrong if you hadn't."

"There is no need to thank this one. I am just doing what a good swordsmen should do." The hitokiri turned and left on cat like feet.

Tomoe hesitated for an instant before doing the same. She followed the boy and suddenly stopped. The boy was fighting against an unseen foe. He had a chain wrapped around him. Fear shifted through her. Was the boy going to die? She watched as the man on the roof jumped at the same time the boy shifted and caught the hilt of the chained sword. The man came down swiftly and the boy brought the sword up. It sliced through the man and blood splashed everywhere. It was on him, the ground, and there was blood on her. She looked at him. "You made it rain blood. I always thought it was a myth."

'So tired.' She thought, 'I have to sleep.'

She stepped closer to him and then fainted. Kenshin rushed forward and caught her. He didn't know what to do with the woman. Finally he decided that he couldn't let her go. 'She might tell someone.' He reasoned. He walked to the inn carefully making sure no one followed him. He opened the shoji with his foot and Okami was on him in an instant.

"Himura, just what do you think your doing? Well boy?" She seemed angry.

"Gomen nasai Okami-san. She followed me out of a bar. She saw me kill someone. I did not think it wise to just leave her there or to kill her." He blurted out.

His face was almost as red as his hair. Okami sighed. Himura was still so young despite his hard, cold exterior. "Well, she'll have to sleep in your room."

"NANI?!" Kenshin's horrified cry rang through the halls bringing several men out of their rooms.

"Himura you heard me. You brought her here so you will take care of her and let her stay in your room."

"But she can't! I mean…aaaaarrrrggg." He groaned in frustration, "Why me? Why can't she stay in one of the other rooms?"

"There are no more rooms. She will stay in yours. End of discussion. When she wakes up you may ask her to leave or let her stay. It is up to you."

"Well then if she has to stay in my room at least have her clean. I…" he trailed off and then turned and walked outside.

Okami heard water being splashed and knew Kenshin was rinsing the blood off of himself. She sighed gently. "That boy was so different now then when he was younger." She said to herself aloud. She washed Tomoe and then put her in a yukata. When Kenshin came inside in a clean robe Okami pointed to Tomoe. He picked Tomoe up and carried her to his room. He laid her on the futon and covered her with the blanket. He moved away from her, sat by the window, placed his wakizashi on the low table, covered with books, beside him, and placed his katana on his shoulder if he should need it quickly. He slowly slipped into a troubled sleep where nightmares plagued him.

Tomoe awoke in the morning to the sound of people starting to wake up and she got up to find herself clothed in a clean yukata. She turned around and saw Kenshin. She blushed because he was only clothed in a robe. His head was bowed and his shoulder stooped in exhaustion. 'You would never think such a boy was so tired the way he carried himself so proudly.' She thought. She slipped on her now clean kimono and went down stairs.

Okami saw Tomoe come down the stairs and smiled, "Ohaiyo, miss. Is Himura awake?"

"Himura? You mean the boy?"

"Hai."

"Ite. He was still asleep so I left him alone. He looked very tired." Tomoe said.

"He is tired. He is always tired nowadays. If Katsura-san had never given Himura such a demanding task the boy would not be this way. He would still be the same sweet, quiet boy I knew. I told Katsura-san that it was too much for a boy to handle but Himura took the job anyway. He did it for the sake of the people that were oppressed and hurt by those who were richer and more powerful than them. He was such an idealistic boy, so full of dreams and hope. I wish that sweet boy would come back to us. Kami-sama knows we need more idealistic boys like him." Okami said.

Kenshin woke up an hour later and realized that the woman was gone. He changed into his hamaka, undershirt, and gi before leaving the room. He opened several doors as he looked for her. He walked down the stairs and nearly ran into her before he saw her. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Helping serve trays."

"Hai. I'm glad to see your up. Did you sleep well?"

"…er…"

"Never mind."

"What is your name?" Kenshin asked.

"Yukishiro Tomoe." She answered. "What is your name?"

"Himura Kenshin."

"Kenshin. What a nice name." She turned away from him and opened the shoji. The men in the room looked up at her.

"Oi, Himura is this your woman that you brought home last night? Well?" Iizuka gave Kenshin an odd look.

Kenshin blushed as he put his hand on the hilt of his katana. "Iizuka…you push your luck too much." He snarled.

"Oi, gomen nasai. Jeesh I forgot he was the Battousai for a minute. If you tease him you're asking for your head to be handed to you." Iizuka shook his head.

Kenshin sat at the far side of the room away from everyone. Tomoe gave him a tray and then continued on the other side of the room. Kenshin watched her from the corner on his eye as she continued to serve people. Once he was finished he left. He went back to his room and picked up a book. He was in there for most of the day before Iizuka came in.

"Oi, Battousai I have another assignment for you."

"Hai. It will be done."

"I know."

Iizuka left Kenshin alone then and he studied the names and place where he would find his targets. There were only three this night. He sighed. He would be glad when the war was over.

He walked down the stairs and out of the inn. He went to his favorite place to think the river under the bridge. He sat there quietly and thought about his life so far. It seemed that his life may have been better off on the mountain but here he could help people. His head came up when he felt a familiar ki. 'Hagime Saito.' He thought.

"Battousai you can come out now. I know you are there." Saito said.

Kenshin walked out from under the bridge and looked up. He didn't want to fight right now. He was to confused to want to fight. He just looked at Saito before walking back under the bridge. He sat down, brought his knees up to his chest, and laid his chin on his knees. He sighed quietly in confusion. Why did that woman make him feel odd? Why did she make his heart beat faster? Why did she make him think of improper things about her? Why? I t made no sense.

Saito felt the strange pitch in the Battousai's ki and knew that the Battousai was confused over something. He walked off the bridge and looked down the hill. The Battousai sat there under the bridge. His eyes were a light amethyst color, and his ki confused, tired, and there was no malice in him at the moment. "Battousai, what is wrong with you? I've never seen you like this."

"You're not here to kill me are you?" was the only thing he got. The Battousai's voice was soft and no malice tinted it. It was almost like silk because it was a soft whisper.

"Ite. Now tell me what is wrong." Saito sat across from him about a good 7 feet.

"Nothing that should bother you. You probably haven't ever had this kind of problem. Just go away and leave me alone. I will find the answer on my own. Good day Saito."

"Hmph." Saito stood up and went back up to the bridge. 'That was odd.' He thought.

'I wonder what got into Saito. We are mortal enemies. I guess I'll never understand that man.' Kenshin thought. He stood up and walked away. His eyes were downcast and far away. He was so lost in thought that when he opened the front gate he ran straight into Tomoe.

"Ooooff."

"Aaaahhh." Tomoe let out a soft scream of fear as they fell to the ground.

Kenshin tried to position himself under her and wound up with her sitting on him while he lay on the ground panting. His breath had been knocked out of him when he hit the ground. He blushed when he realized how she was sitting on him, "Um, Tomoe-san could you move. You're sitting on my lap."

"Oh! Gomen nasai Himura-san!"

"Ite! It is my fault. I should have been watching where I was going. If I had I would not have knocked you down." He kept his gaze on the ground ashamed of himself and his actions.

"I accept your apology. Will you accept mine? I should have been watching to."

"Hai." He went around her and went quickly to his room. He did not come out the whole day. He read until it was time for him to leave for his assignment. He left silently and came back silently. Tomoe was waiting for him a worried expression on her face. He went to the sink and washed his hands. Tomoe noticed he washed his hands until they were almost raw.

"Stop. You're hurting yourself." She laid her hands over his and pulled them out of the water. She handed him the towel to dry his hands. Then she saw the scar on his face; it was bleeding. She pulled out another cloth and raised it to his face. His eyes gentled and his shoulders sagged with an unseen weight. Tears filled her eyes as she realized how much pain he was in. She had only known him less than two days but she hugged him trying to take some of his pain. His pain was the kind that would haunt him for the rest of his life. She remembered what Okami had said after Kenshin had left.

(Flashback)

"The light slowly died out of Himura's eyes as each assignment came and went. Soon there was nothing but those cold amber eyes that everyone knows so well. Do you want to know why I am letting you stay since Himura can't make up his mind?"

"Why?"

"Because you brought back that light. You made a small piece of him open up to the world. It had been so long since he had even blushed. That was until he brought you home. I thought he would die of embarrassment when I caught him trying to bring you inside without me knowing. That is why I am telling you this. You can make sure the light stays in his eyes. You're the only one who can do this. Please Tomoe, do this for me. Bring back my sweet, gentle Himura."

(End flashback)

'I will bring back his happiness. And maybe I can be happy too. If I bring back the boy is that not as good as killing the hitokiri? I know what I can do now. I will bring him back.' She thought.

Kenshin let his arms go around Tomoe. She was trying so hard to comfort him and it was working. "Arigato, Tomoe-san."

"Your welcome."

That is it for now. Thanks for reading. Please review. I hope you liked it. If you have any advice it will be welcomed. Will be rated R later because of future chapters.