Author's Note: Hiya Minna-san! LadySword04 here with another chapter for you to read and review! You guys make me feel special when you review! Thank-you to Invader Zim and Luna for sticking with me, and Thank-you to astro-24, theWolf24, and Lily of the Shadow for joining me! As always, personalized reviews are at the bottom.

Disclaimer: As ALWAYS, I do NOT own Rurouni Kenshin, it's characters are however, under my control for the duration of this fic., which by the way I hope you are enjoying!

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By: LadySword04

February 27, 2004

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Previously On Breaking That 'Sessha' Habit of His. . . .

'Playing mind games is kinda fun. Make him think he's crazy, get him to recognize his bad habit, and drive him nuts so he stops!' Kaoru happily thought as she sank back into the water, allowing it to soothe her aching muscles.

'I knew it! My mind was playing tricks on me. No one said 'sessha' today, I'm just simply hearing things. What a relief.' He thought as he got up and dusted off his hakamas.

"Kaoru-dono, seeing as you are all set, Sessha is going to start preparing lunch, that he is."

Upon hearing a muffled 'um hmm' he turned and went to the kitchen to prepare the noon meal.

Chapter 3: A Bath And Memories Long Untouched By Others

Kaoru was still in the furo long after Kenshin had left and just as the water around her body had begun to cool. After he had left, Kaoru had immersed herself in her thoughts about what else she could possibly do to him that day.

'This is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. . . playing mind games with him all day is rather amusing. I just hope this works.' She crossed her fingers before clasping her hands together in front of her in a pleading manner. Biting her lip before she began her prayer, she asked Kami for the strength to carry this plan of hers out, and for the luck it would most certainly require to have it work. After returning from her mental prayer to her protective Kami, she continued with her thoughts.

'What am I talking about? It's working faster than you think.' She chided herself for doubting her plan. 'You know Kami will help you since your task is so noble, and since you haven't asked him for something or for help in a long time, plus you always pray for others when you get the chance. Look, you already have him worked up and thinking he's insane. We thought it was going to take a week to set him off, but it worked in only a few hours! At this rate, we'll have him using 'I' and 'Me' before you know it!'

With a wide grin on her face, she let out an excited squeak, though it was muffled by a hand over her mouth; she didn't want Kenshin to hear her and become concerned that someone was trying to kidnap her, or that she had been hurt. Aside from that, she most certainly did not want him barging in on her like he had after just meeting her. If he heard her, he definitely would come in to 'save her' she reminded herself.

Kaoru then decided that she had been in the bath long enough. 'If I stay in here any longer, I am going to get all wrinkly!' she thought. With that, she got up out of the water, dried off, and dressed in a kimono. The kimono was a deep cobalt blue with a silver obi. On the bottom was a silver sakura with petals on its branches, and even more silver ones blowing in the breeze. In the sky above the tree flew white cranes in the distance.

She walked back to her room to sit on her futon and comb out her wet hair. After she let it dry for a long enough period of time while combing it out, she completed the ensemble with her favorite and oh so indispensable indigo ribbon.

'I hope Megumi is working her magic in the kitchen helping Kenshin prepare lunch. She better be doing a good job. . .or I'll wring her neck!' Kaoru thought with an evil smirk on her face as her anger began to rise. 'Maybe I should go and check on them to make sure she is holding up her end of the deal.'

With that last thought, Kaoru walked out of her door and down the hall to the kitchen. When there, she pressed her ear up to the door and listened in on the conversation that was now going on.

******** In The Kitchen *********

"Sir Ken, you MUST let Sessha help you with that!" Megumi stated before giving her characteristic laugh and shyly putting up a 'fox paw' to her face, and taking the knife from him. With that done, she turned to the counter to begin cutting the tofu and various vegetables.

'Here we go AGAIN! Just when I thought that I was safe from that word!' Kenshin thought while frowning. Realizing that his face was showing some form of emotion which was not acceptable of a warrior, he quickly put on a rurouni grin before she could turn around and see him frowning.

"Oh no Megumi-dono, you have already helped Sessha out by doing the laundry, and with Sano no less! You most certainly have done enough de gozaru yo!" He replied emphatically in an almost pleading manner though. He really loved making lunch, and Megumi wouldn't let him. (A/N: gee, sounds sorta like a pouting kid doesn't he?)

Not satisfied with his remark, Megumi turned him around swiftly before whisking him out of the kitchen while telling him to stay out.

"Sessha has everything under control, that she does. Go on, find something else to do while Sessha here finishes up."

"Oh alright, I guess." He remarked in defeat. It was pointless to fight with either of the two women he knew; much to Battousai's dismay, he always lost. When he did manage to win, Kaoru would produce that magical bokken of doom and promptly silence him with a swing or two from it. That girl was something else; even the Battousai with his god-like speed couldn't avoid its inevitable connection with his head.

****** Back with Kaoru ********

By that time, Kaoru had made her escape into the courtyard and out of the gate to stand by her favorite sakura tree on the road just outside of the gate. She was quick, exiting and even arriving at her destination before either of the two 'chefs' could catch her spying on them. 'It's a good thing she's living up to my expectations.' She thought as she placed a palm on the tree. Letting the memories flood back to her, she closed her eyes as a smile graced her lips. Shortly after, she began to sing a song once taught to her by someone she held very dear.

******** Back with Kenshin ********

'Kami-sama! Everyone keeps taking care of all of my favorite chores! Not to mention the fact that they are all acting strange today. I have to ask about this at lunch'

His final thought completed, he set about cleaning the floor of the porch joining the courtyard. 'I can at least get this done while everyone is occupied elsewhere. And, I can get it done before lunch. I think that would make Kaoru-dono very happy, that I do.'

With that final thought, he set about cleaning the floors, propelled by the thought that he could finally successfully complete a task without getting interrupted. Doing chores seemed to bring some semblance of structure and purpose to his life anyway. He moved to the well to draw the water, then run to the kitchen and grab a rag while Megumi was too busy to notice his presence.

With the bucket in his hand, and a rag over his shoulder, he moved once again out onto the porch to begin his task.

That's when he heard a faint singing noise.

'I must go and find out who is singing and if they are in need any of my assistance' he thought as he gently set the bucket and rag on the porch.

Following the sound out of the dojo gate, and then down the road a way, he saw someone familiar standing next to a sakura tree. Her back was facing him and one hand was placed palm side against its smooth bark. The wind had picked up a bit a little earlier in the afternoon, and was now gently tugging at her raven tresses causing them to dance with a life all of their own.

Her hair was then loosed from the restrictive ribbon that held it captive, and moved in a graceful manner to one side of her body. Her free hand came up from its place at her side, and held the stray hairs out of her face; wind tended to snap it painfully about the face and in the eyes, leaving a stinging sensation Kaoru did not want to encounter today. Some of the memories she had been dredging up stung enough as it was. Today held a special memory and significance for her.

Standing there with the sun lighting her features and her hair being swept up by the wind, he admitted to himself that she was indeed beautiful. For a few minutes, he stood there admiring her from afar; kind of ironic in a way. She was the one thing in the world that he wanted most, but could never have. The distance between them was in a way symbolic, and now only confirmed how distant the two were. Sure, he was friends with her, but something was still separating the two.

Completely forgetting the task at hand, and just relying on instinct and his feet only to take him back to the dojo, he was surprised when he found himself creeping up silently, as if on padded paws behind her. Moving to the other side of the tree, he softly greeted her.

"Hello Kaoru-dono. What brings you out here? Lunch will be ready in a short while that it will, and the wind is a bit chilly for you to be standing in it with wet hair from a bath not too long ago." He added in a manner that he hoped would convince her to come inside.

"Kenshin? Hi! Sessha was just admiring the sakura and the few perfect petals that may fall." After a slight hesitation she continued, "My Okaa-san and Otu-san used to watch the sakura petals fall together while they were still alive." She added with a bittersweet smile graced her features as she continued, "Come to think of it, this day eight years ago exactly was the last day that I was able to watch with my Okaa-san. She had fallen ill months ago but insisted on coming out to take in the scenery on our special day." At this, a few tears slid down her cheek, but were quickly brushed away before she continued with, "A few days later she left this world for another."

She quickly closed her eyes and forced a smile. All the while she was pretending to be enjoying the feeling of the sun on her face in order to hide the stream of tears that were burning in her eyelids in an attempt to be permitted their escape down her cheeks.

A wistful look then overtook her face again as she turned to Kenshin to ask a question of her own. "What brings you out here Kenshin?" she innocently asked him, noticing that her query had caught him off guard.

Kenshin was now fidgeting, mentally that is. 'Now what do I tell her? I don't even know myself why I came out here anymore! How should I reply to that without sounding weird or stupid? I wonder if it would be alright if I told her how I felt about her. I mean, I have been waiting a long time to tell her.' (A/N: Kenshin and Sano have worked past his whole I am not worthy of her because 'I am so stained and old' while she is so 'perfect and innocent and should not be tainted' problem that we all read about).

"Oro? Oh, ano. . . ano. . hehe." He blinked and tried to act confused while donning his loveable rurouni grin.

'Oh great. That was smooth. She probably thinks that I am a complete idiot!' he scolded himself.

Arching an eyebrow at him, she turned back to the view she had been admiring before he interrupted her. 'Wow. That would have been the perfect opportunity for him to come out and tell me how he feels about me, if anything at all, and he wasted it! I guess Sano was right. Kenshin just sees me as a friend and a perpetual burden that he has to watch over at all times.' A frown now was plastered her firmly on her face.

After a moment of admiring her profile and how the light played on her features, Kenshin turned and both tilted his head back and closed his eyes just like Kaoru.

Kenshin now could feel a strange emotion now emanating from her ki, but before he could do or say anything to break their companionable silence, Megumi called.

"Lunch is ready Minna-san!" She rose her voice to be loud enough for all in a half mile radius to hear. (A/N uncharacteristic of her I know. . . had to do it!).

Kaoru swiftly came out of her reverie and walked at a brisk pace into the dojo. Kenshin was left to think his own thoughts, and allowing himself to recover from his mental bashing for a few minutes before he too bolted inside.

(A/N: I mean can you blame them for scurrying inside? I know I can't, what with Yahiko and Sano in there already probably halfway done with everything set before them!?! Hurry before they scarf it all!)

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Author's End Rant: Yeay! Chapter 3 is done! *does little dance!* Hope it was a quick enough update! I know from experience how aggravating it is when people don't update fast enough! LOL. . .but I do understand that everyone other than me actually does have a life outside and away from their computer and school! 

Personal Replies:

astro-24: Thanks for that compliment! So happy to know that you think this story is a hit! Boy did that make my day!

Invader Zim: Glad to hear that you found Chapter 2 funny. I too feel sorry for Kenshin, but it will all work out in the end I hope! I am also glad to hear that you think his 'Sessha' habit is annoying too! Hope a one week wait wasn't too long. That's pretty much when I am able to update. . .Thank Kami for weekends! Just too much to do during the week! I hope you stick with me! Your opinions mean lots to me and you encourage me to continue! *smiles* Thanks!

Luna: Hi again to you as well! Glad to see you are sticking with me on this fic! Thanks for the compliment! I hope you see how Megumi played a part in this. . .minor to start, but more to come no worries! I hope I updated fast enough so that you didn't have to do anything drastic! *looks over shoulder wondering when someone is gonna' jump her and force her to type 'til her hands fall off*

theWolf24: Thank-you for the compliment as well! I am excited and encouraged to know that people like my story, including you! I don't mind the habit too much as it's part of what makes Kenshin who he is. . .I mean, we wouldn't love him as much if not for his idiosyncrasies right!?! I know I wouldn't! Sorry for making you talk like the rurouni. . . I take full responsibility as it is my fault as you say! Hopefully by the end you too will be broken of the habit. . . or the spell you're under while reading this (I think it's a spell) wears off! I appreciate being added into your Favorite Stories list! It really made my day. You're the first to say that! *big smile*

Lily of the Shadow: It makes me smile to know that you think my fic is funny and made you giggle. I hope this fic is living up to what you expect of it!

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Hiya! Please Review if you liked it or hated it! Your opinions mean the world to me, and I would love to know what you think! If I get a couple more reviews and have the time I may even post two next week!