Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN..though I wish I owned Kenshin.

Kaiya-Chan: There is more to come with flashbacks of her past. It's totally sad, yet romantic at the same time. There will be no spoilers...wait unless you count the K/Kness here, but that's a whole other fanfic! Anyway. I thank-you for reviewing my fanfic!

Chapter Two: Wake Up Call

"Kenshin!" Kaoru called. He walked into the kitchen area.

"Morning." He said yawning. Kaoru burst out laughing. "What? I say morning that I do and you laugh that you do. Something is wrong that it is."

"No. Nothing is wrong. Your hair is out of its ponytail and your bangs are sticking up."

"Oh. That they are." He sat down and waited while she began to carefully brush out his hair. She tenderly parted the bangs out and put it together. He stared straight ahead thinking of other times when he'd had to do this.

/Flashback/

"Kenshin get back here!" Tomoe called. Kenshin came running back into the house and sat down in front of her. "You have a major cowlick mister and I'm not letting you out of my sight until it is fixed." He smiled and sat there quietly while she tenderly brushed his hair and put it up. When he got up to leave she put a hand on his shoulder to let him know he needed to return the favor and he did.

"What would you like to do tomorrow?" He asked just about finished. She thought a moment.

"Can we go for a walk?" She asked. He knelt behind her and put his arms around her.

"Of course." They sat there like that a moment before he went out to finish chopping the firewood. A man came calling for him ten minutes later.

"Himura Kenshin?" He asked. Kenshin nodded taking the note and reading it. Be grateful you have such a woman to care for. Marry her. Take care of her. For me. Kenshin turned the note over, but could find nothing to tell him who it was from. He looked at the siding screen doors to the house and back at his work. He smiled. He abandoned the firewood and went back inside. Hears plates drop and a cry of surprise!

/End flashback/

"Kenshin?" Kaoru called to the man sitting in her kitchen deep inside his memories. He turned at the sound of his name and smiled.

"Kenshin this is for you." Sanouske said handing him a note. Kenshin's heart pounded as he had just been thinking of such a note. His hands shook as he unfolded it. A single cherry blossom petal fell out.

My dearest Kenshin:

By the time you get this you will be thirty and already falling for another. Remember that I did fall in love with you and I died for you. Please darling. marry Kaoru. You deserve each other more than you and I deserved one another. She never once hated you. She always loved you. I must say that seeing you two together makes me happy. Marry her or I will haunt you and make you not able to bear children. Kenshin winced at the thought of never having children. Oh! I'm remembering things we used to do together. Remember the day we got married? The cherry blossoms were floating, but it wasn't really the time for them to fall. Oh darling. marry her. You would make me so happy.

Love Always,

Tomoe.

Kenshin folded the letter and looked at Kaoru. Even if I didn't marry her I'd still love her. Why have I denied myself this love for so long? I know...Tomoe and her death, but I see no reason not to be with Kaoru. Just as long as I don't hurt her. He thought walking up behind her and putting his arms around her waist. She as startled at first and even blushed, but turned around moments later and hugged him back. Yahiko walked in at that moment and smiled. Kenshin's world spun as he breathed in the scent of Kaoru. Cherry Blossom's and a hint of chamomile. She smelled so wonderful. Kenshin tried not to give into himself, but finally gave in and ran a hand over her raven black hair, then down her back to pull her flat against him. She wouldn't pull away as she too held onto him as tightly as possible. Reluctantly Kenshin did let her go, but let his hands linger on her for awhile.

"I'm sorry Kaoru-dono." She smiled and shook her head.

"There's nothing to be sorry about Kenshin-san." Kenshin smiled and turned to leave the room when he saw Yahiko. Kaoru saw him too and her face turned pale. She chewed on her bottom lip and felt herself get hot.

"It's nothing I've not already seen guys. Get over it and get on with your lives!" He cried walking from the room. Wow I must be getting soft. I didn't even call Kaoru a name this time!

"I'll be back Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said walking from the dojo. It's been so long. I wonder how I'll sleep tonight. The feel of Kaoru pressed to me like that... He trailed off in his thoughts and tried to push the newfound thought from his mind. Kaoru would be ashamed if she knew how he was suddenly thinking of her. He made himself start thinking again of Anasim, as he had been earlier that morning. I hope you have better luck in your love life than I. He thought going up to a shrine he had set up for Tomoe. Cherry Blossoms had been planted years before here and now they were blooming. Now it was more for everyone in the house. He took from his pocket the letter and placed it there.

"Tomoe you were always full of surprises, but you must understand that just because I've admitted to loving Kaoru doesn't mean I'm going to marry her right away. I need time to adjust and so does she. I will marry her I promise, but only when the time is right." He lit an incense and stuck the non burning end in the ground. He then left. Kenshin made his way back to his room through the woods and along the creek. The sound of the water seemed to soothe him in a way. When he reached his room he found the sword he'd somehow gotten back from the revolution. His Wakazashi. He shivered knowing he had kept it tucked away under a floorboard in the room.

"Kenshin-san." A voice called from the shadows.

"Miss Anasim."

"It's been awhile."

"I know. What brings you here?"

"Like I said it's been awhile."

"How have you been?"

"I've been ok. I just got back from the mountains thanks to you."

"What made you go there?" Kenshin asked sitting down on a mat and directing her to do so too. She moved fluidly from the shadows and sat before him.

"This place is like no other. There is a burnt hillside where once grew happiness. Yet now there is only the stench of death. I know this. I've been there. I've been in search of answers that I would get no where, but with you. I also had a talk with Kogoro."

"And how is he?"

"He's shocked."

"But why?" Kenshin asked a smile playing at his lips. So she sat and explained to him what she had told Kogoro. "So you were Criteto that you were?"

"It was my alias. I wanted to so badly take your place, because I knew I could handle it, but not man wanted me for such a purpose. My master Hitotsu explained to me just how lustful a man can be, but I didn't come here to talk about me. I came for you."

"What do you mean?"

"It's been two years since I have seen you. I spent a year in the mountain you see. I had to come and see you all. Sadly I see that Dr. Genzai has left us."

"What did you think about?"

"Things." She replied.

"Your brother."

"Among other things." She replied placing before her his long blade.

"You should not have brought such an evil filled thing in this house Miss Anasim." Their eyes connected and she felt it again. That pull that said he's apart of you.

"Yes. Well, I had no choice. Get up and face the past like a man Kenshin." She ordered standing. He stood too gripping his long sword. They got into fighting stances. To Anasim it felt like she was fighting someone equal to her in strength, speed, and skill, but only one other person could have actually accomplished that. The air rushed past them as they fought. Finally Anasim landed much worse for wares. "Look at your sword." Kenshin lifted it to find blood.

"I struck you that I did." He said. It was a slow tilt as he dropped his sword to catch her and lay her on a mat.

"It's not that bad." She grunted.

"It's not that bad my katana! This is worse than any living person's wound I've ever seen Miss Anasim."

"Just..."

"My god! I thought you two were adults not children!" Kaoru cried. She'd come running when she'd heard the sound of things breaking. Kenshin politely stood and paced with his back turned. "Kenshin stop. You look like a nervous soon to be father. Besides, you'll wear a hole in that floor if you don't stop pacing." Kaoru turned back to her work and cried out in surprise.

"What? What is it?" Kenshin asked.

"My God woman. What have you been doing these years?" Kaoru asked her.

"I've had worse believe me. Besides the worst scar isn't on the outside. It's on the inside."

"But these scars were from some pretty bad wounds Miss Anasim." Kenshin said.

"Let's just say I took the anger out on the people I killed Kenshin-san, but that doesn't mean it was right." Kenshin looked away having seen things he shouldn't. When Kaoru finished patching Anasim up she moved from the room to get some soup.

"Rest well Miss Anasim." Kenshin said leaving the room. Kaoru came in about ten minutes later with some soup.

"Here you are. I'm sure that you are hungry from your travels."

"That's so kind of you." Kaoru helped her sit up on a pillow and fed her. "Feather beds are nice." she whispered to herself.

"Well. Kenshin does like his comfort." Kaoru said.

"But it's a little hot." she murmured.

"That's because you have a fever."

"I don't remember ever having a fever in my life. Oh could you take that to Kenshin in this?" Anasim handed Kaoru Kenshin's katana.

"Alright, but may I ask why."

"He just needs to keep it."

"Ok."

"Oro."

"Are you getting as delusional as Kenshin is now?" Kaoru asked feeling her forehead to see just how hot it really was.

"I guess I must be." she said drifting into unconsciousness.

/Dreams/

"Shinta!" a woman called to a little boy with red hair.

"Coming Mom!" He called running towards her.

"Shinta!" Another called. This girl had black hair. A big dog suddenly bounded out of the woods right towards Shinta. "Shinta!" She cried running towards him. The dog seeing the girl evaporated and then everything around her evaporated and she was 20. Dead bodies took the place of her childhood. She sank to her knees in the blood that flowed across the land. It disappeared as suddenly as her childhood and a man walked toward her.

"Why do you cry?" He asked. She looked at him, tears and blood messing with her vision to where she could not see him clearly.

"Because I can't find my Shinta." She whispered. The man reached out his hands to her.

"Then darling... be quiet. Still your tears. I am your brother and I have come to you...that I have." Anasim stood with his help. Her cheek bled and so did his.

"My Shinta." She whispered. He pulled her close to him and held her there. She wouldn't have let their hug end in a million years, but suddenly she was pulled from his arms to those days she'd had to kill that dog, but now... now it was different. For this time she had a sword in her hand. "Get away!" She cried swinging the sword and officially making its blood spill.

"ANASIM!" A voice cried. Her little brother fought the men who had a hold of him.

"HOLD ON LITTLE BROTHER!" She called. He reached for her hand, but it seemed no matter what they did they couldn't reach each other. "LET GO OF HIM! LEAVE MY LITTLE BROTHER ALONE!" She screamed trying to get to him. "NO! SHINTA!" She cried sinking to her knees. The scene faded and she was kneeling in blood. She was older too. A sword came silently, but she was prepared. She brought her own sword to the fray. The sound of a broken sword tinkled to a halt and she stood. "Die!" She hissed swinging her sword and beheading the man. She walked along caring for nothing. The thoughts faded completely from her mind, all, but one. The thought to kill. Another man ran at her; attacking. His blood spattered her kimono and her hair. Another and another came to her. Each died the same until her kimono was soaked so much it weighed her down. Not one inch of her was uncovered. Even her hair was matted with dried blood. Coming to a creek she stopped and lay her katana within easy reach. She took off her sandles and wadded in till she could lay back and let the blood wash off her. For miles the river ran with blood. She got out; dripping water; and put back on her sandles. A branch snapped behind her and she whirled, picking up her katana, only to find a dog there. He barked once, twice, then took off in the direction she had just come. No doubt to eat those bodies. She thought. Then her mind went blank again. She looked up at the changing scene to see her 50 some year old master. "Sensei." she said bowing low.

"Do not play innocent with me."he said.

"Master?" She questioned.

"You go out and meet him every night."

"But master!"

"No but mastering me young lady. I know what you are doing with him." She blushed. As much as she knew he'd love to catch her at that she had never betrayed herself.

"I have never defiled myself that way!"

"Oh no. You are only a dirty whore!" Suddenly the sound of metal grinding against metal could be heard. The scene moved again as she landed on the ground. This time she was fighting Tomoe for her place beside Kenshin. This never happened. Why am I going through this? She cried to herself. Tomoe changed and flipped to the different people in her life until finally she screamed from lack of anything better to do.

/End Dream/

Kaoru observed from the doorway as Anasim moaned and tossed about on the futon. The stench of death hung over the room like a blanket. Kenshin walked in beside her and stood there staring at Anasim. He heard her scream "Hold on little brother!" and then "Let go of him! Leave my brother alone! NO!" She moved a little as if she were running and then she plopped down a little bit as if she had fallen to her knees. "SHINTA!" then she was quiet. All but the moans and whimpers coming from her mouth. Kenshin's eyes grew wide as his heart began to pound.

"I'm afraid for her life Kenshin. Her fever is so high. I don't know if she'll make it."

"She will make it that she will. Miss Anasim is a fighter that she is. I have no doubts that I don't." He walked past Kaoru into the room and knelt beside the sleeping woman who lay helpless in her dreams. "Sh." He whispered putting his hand on her forehead. She whimpered. "Why do you cry out so?" He asked seeing the tears seep through her closed eyes. Kenshin reached to take her hands.

"Because I can't find my brother."

"Then darling... still your tears. I am your brother and I have come for you." He whispered smoothing back the hair on her forehead and kissing her there. KAoru cam in with a bowl of water and proceeded to cool Anasim's forehead and neck off.

"Kenshin why such confidence?" She asked.

"Because I lived that I did and so will she." He replied.

"But I don't understand."

" Miss Anasim and I have survived many hardships that we have. I don't remember much about the day they took me. I didn't remember until she screamed for Shinta. Then it jolted me that it did. She's my sister that she is. For two years I've been under her nose that I have." Kaoru smiled at him and stood to leave them alone.

"Kenshin you can reach her. I don't know how to talk to her the way you do. You can relate to her I can't."

"Miss Kaoru I've revisited my past enough that I have." She sighed.

"Alright." She said leaving the room.

A month passed and still no sign of life besides the moans and cries from Anasim.

/Dreams/

I killed them. All of them. My friends. Anasim ran hearing the blood pound in her ears. Nothing would come to her as she ran. Nothing but darkness. A path she could not see awaiting her and her death.

"Somebody help me!" She screamed falling head long into a hole. Suddenly her whole body jerked as she was grabbed. She screamed.

/End Dreams/

Kaoru ran to the door at the sound of Anasim hitting the floor. She yanked it open and found Kenshin in there trying to stop Anasim from struggling with him. He was trying to change her bandage.

"Kenshin help her!" Kaoru cried dropping to her knees beside him. Kenshin pinned her hands down and got on top of her, hoping that would stop her. She still struggled, but not as much.

"Miss Anasim please listen to me. Please." she squirmed some more. "Remember that time it was my 6th birthday? You were given a few coins to go buy me something." He grunted in pain as she'd just kneed him somewhere important. "Please Miss Anasim I need you. I need to be able to talk to you and catch up with you on everything that happened to me. I need to be able to be a brother to you. Please Miss Anasim. Please." She struggled with him some more and he rolled off of her. She settled on the futon and smiled in her dreams.

"Kenshin I had better leave you."

"Yes. It might be best." She stood and walked from the room. Kenshin turned his attention fully on Anasim. "My sister. Why do you remember so the things that have passed?"She stirred on the futon and opened her eyes. She looked up to see him peering down at her and smiled, but then moments later burst into tears. She crawled up to him and cried on his lap. The younger comforted the older trying his best to sooth the hurt child inside the woman.

"I'm so sorry brother!" She cried. "I didn't want them to take you, but I had no choice. I had no choice in the matter. I wish that I had found you sooner. Oh brother! Oh brother!"

"You opened your eyes my sister. You opened your eyes to face the pain and the sunlight shining on to your darkened world."

"So many people tried to help me on my way, So little time and there's still so much left to say, There's no explaining all the things that I've been through, But I've finally fought my way to you I finally fought my way to you, Now the day is ending and the night begins to fall, Sometimes I wonder if I'll make it back at all, I gave up everything I had and ever knew, But I finally found my way ,Finally found my way, I finally found my way to you. I finally found my way to you.. My brother." she said trying to hold back her tears. He pulled her up to look into his eyes. She saw the way his eyes shined with love and how much he was feeling. All the emotions that were shining through to her.

"You've done all you had to. I understand my sister. I don't remember everything about that day because I wanted to forget it. It took me till you cried my name to figure it all out."

"I know brother. Oh my Shinta. I know." She closed her eyes willing the pain to go away.

"Are you in pain?" He asked. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"No. I am fine." She lied standing and leaning against him. He held her to him and walked her out onto the porch. The cool feel of autumn blew around them. Anasim smiled. All her time in her memories had left the world to revolve without her. The summer had turned into autumn and soon would be winter again. "Come. Let's go inside. I have presents!" She exclaimed.

"Ok. We'll go inside. Don't get to hurried into activity mind you."

"Yes brother." They laughed and walked into the sitting room. Everyone was sitting in there.

"Oh and then, then Sano comes walking in with a broom. Yahiko looks at him and asks whether he's been riding it and Sano hit Yahiko in the head with it. So Kaoru comes in and starts yelling at Yahiko for making noise and at Sano for hitting him and Yahiko calls Kaoru names. I'm standing there looking at them like they are children and Kaoru hits me on top of the head." Anasim clutched her side trying not split the stitches.

"Ok. Gather around my friends. Gather around. I have gifts for everyone." She exclaimed sitting on the floor. "Seeing as I am awake I thought it would be good to give you the things I had wanted to give you when I came. Thanks to Kenshin I am no longer a delirious swords woman who has a bad case of thrashing and moaning in her sleep. Oh and kicking people in very important places. Now. I want you to know I thank you. I know I've been a burden on you all." Kenshin smiled at her from his spot right at the front.

"It is ok." He whispered to her.

"I know, but the memories were so vivid. They still linger there in my mind." She waved her hands and started handing out packages. Everyone ripped theirs open and sat admiring what they had gotten. Anasim looked over at Kaoru, who blushed red, and then at Sano who was practically drooling.

"What did you get?" Kenshin asked Sano.

"Something Yahiko can never see. No matter how old he is."

"Then you shouldn't be looking at it either." Kaoru said.

"Don't spoil my fun please." He begged. Anasim lay there and closed her eyes listening to the sounds of her family.

"Oh." She heard Kenshin say and then an "O...R...O!" As Kaoru hit him on the head.

"Uncle Kenny!" Ayame and Suzume running and jumping on him. He moved to protect himself. They all were laughing happily. Anasim smiled picking up the garbage.

"Girls! Bed!" Anasim said. The girls looked up at her and then ran around giving out hugs. "You too Yahiko." For once he didn't complain. Kenshin bent to pick up the photo album that Anasim had given him. It held sketches of people he barely knew.

"Thank-you Anasim." he said.

"I'll leave you two to catch up on things." Kaoru said leaving the room. Kenshin had his hand raised and mouth slightly open having thought of saying something and going after her, but then thought better of it. She sat down before the fire and patted the ground beside her.

"Come here brother." He sat down beside her and looked into the fire with her. "I want to ask you how you forgot."

"I didn't forget Anasim. You don't forget the memories. At least not the good ones. I blocked most of the bad as well as I could, but there was no way to block it all and in turn blocking it blocked some of the good. I'm sorry I went with them that day I wanted to stay that I did."

"It's ok little brother." She said pulling him to her and running her hand through his hair to sooth him. "I still love you more than anything in the world Shinta-san."

"I know." he said.

"It's not your fault. None of it was. You did what you had to and I'm proud of you Shinta-san. No matter how wrong it was." He looked up at her and smiled.

"I know Aniasim-Chan. I know." He stood and pulled her with him.

"I need to go." She said softly. He nodded. They hugged and she kissed his cheek. "I love you." She said trying not to break into tears. He rubbed her back.

"You come back to me. I need you Anasim. I really do. You're my other half. My other half to the revolution that you are." She nodded and kissed his cheek one last time.

"I will come back to you." She said turning with a flourish and walking away.

A/N: I think it turned out ok.. Not all I had hopped for it to, but still great. I hope you like the next instalment! If not well..tell me now! Also the words in italics that say this So many people tried to help me on my way, So little time and there's still so much left to say, There's no explaining all the things that I've been through, But I've finally fought my way to you I finally fought my way to you, Now the day is ending and the night begins to fall, Sometimes I wonder if I'll make it back at all, I gave up everything I had and ever knew, But I finally found my way ,Finally found my way, I finally found my way to you. Those are Kiss lyrics. I was trying to find a song that was cute. Thank- you! Please Review!

P.S. Be sure to visit any of the people in my Favorite authors! They are good authors. Read their work!