A Wanderer's Sword

A Sequel to "Broken Hearts"

Ch. 10

Reminiscence

Kenshin sat in the warm summer sunlight looking up across the grassy lawn behind the dojo. He was lazily carving away at a stick, humming a dreamy tune as he was Kaoru hanging up the laundry. He smiled a childish giddy smile as he watched her reach up on the very tips of her toes, her long ebony hair dancing in the breeze. His heart skipped a beat and he felt his cheeks go red as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

Suddenly his hand slipped and it gashed a thin cut into his thumb. He let out a quick little yelp as it began to bleed. "Ouch!"

"What happened?" Kaoru said looking curiously down at him.

Kenshin leapt up in surprise and came within inches of her face. He blushed strangely and said, "I cut my finger, that I did."

"Well what'd you do that for?" Kaoru teased taking hold of his hand and examining it carefully. She took a clean cloth from a pile and wrapped it firmly but gently around his hand. "There you go!"

"Oro?" he said as she looked up into his face.

"I love it when you do that…" she whispered softly, and shyly. Her eyes were strangely locked with his in a long silence, she still holding his hand.

Kenshin blushed, he could feel his heart racing, the impulse driving him, but he held back. But he didn't have to move, she placed a silky soft hand on his cheek moving closer, so close he could have sworn he heard her heart beat in his chest. Her lips were nearing his, he could feel the warmth of her breath on his face.

Their lips locked in the sweet caress of two lover's kiss. He placed his hand on her smooth neck, enjoying every second of their embrace. His heart beating ever wilder in his chest he pulled her closer, if that was even possible. There was no distinguishing between him and her they were one, forever chained in each others passionate and lustful grip.

Suddenly an icy shiver went down Kenshin's back and he opened his eyes to see her melting away into the whirling smoke that was encircling him. He reached out desperately for her, she doing the same, but it was no use for a bright light shown down and she was entirely blurred from view.

Kenshin blinked and opened his eyes. The sun had finally raised over the distant horizon, lighting up the woodland around him with an eerie pinkish glow, the gray sky slowly fading into blue. He sat still and closed his eyes softly but desperately, trying with all his might to hold onto the image of Kaoru's joyous face and the sweet taste of her kiss.

Meanwhile, nearly three hundred miles away in a wild and mountainous jungle Kaoru slept uneasily dreaming on and off. It had been almost six weeks since she had been kidnapped and as her unborn baby grew bigger and bigger she became more and more restless.

Kaoru rolled over on the hard ground uncomfortably as her baby gave a light kick, but she did not awake, for she was holding on too tight to the few moments of piece she had gotten in weeks. She murmured softly and smiled at the picture inside her head.

"Kenshin what are you doing?" Kaoru smiled warmly watching Kenshin lift Suzume and Ayame who held onto his arms giggling.

"Uncle Kenny's so strong!" Suzume said as he let them down gently.

"Again, again!" cried Ayame jumping up and down excitedly.

"No, Uncle Kenny's much too tired, that he is." He said whipping sweet of his face, his eyes swirling with dizziness.

"Will you make me fly then?" Ayame said tugging on his gi and looking up at him with puppy eyes. "Please."

"Ayame I—"

"Me too! Me too!" Suzume said tugging on him as well.

"I—"

"PLEASE!" they said in unison.

"Well fine okay…but just once more!" he gave in.

Kaoru laughed joyfully as she watched him pick up Ayame and lift her above his head running about the grassy lawn. She watched him dreamily for what seemed like hours before he finally fell to the ground exhausted. Even then they did not leave him be.

"Suzume! Ayame!" called Dr. Genzai from behind her.

When Kaoru was finally able to approach Kenshin she heard him mumble something about finally being rescued. As Suzume and Ayame finally dashed off, she sat down beside him.

"You look tired, that you do." Kenshin said looking at her concerned. "Do you need anything?"

"You're the one that looks tired!" Kaoru said with teasing smile. "Besides I'm fine."

"Those two wore me out, that they did." He said with a strange look on his face.

"You worried me." Kaoru said so quietly it was barely audible, her voice quivered terribly. "I—I didn't know if you would come back alive…"

Kenshin looked off into the horizon, the large orange sun sinking into evening. After a long silence he looked back. "I didn't know if I would make it either." He said looking her in the eyes for the first time. "But I knew I couldn't let Shishio destroy innocent lives."

Kaoru looked down briefly, taking in a deep breath, as if trying to gather up enough courage to say something that was difficult to talk about. But when she looked into his eyes all her bravery failed her and she only smiled weakly.

"Miss Kaoru I—" he broke off but after another moment continued. "Miss Kaoru I…was just wandering if there was something you were trying to ask."

Kaoru heart skipped a beat, could he tell? Was she that obvious? Or perhaps she was blushing, she did feel a bit warm. She shifted nervously and her hand can upon something smooth. She looked down quickly, her hand was upon his.

She pulled back her hand quickly, looking up at Kenshin's face. She was definitely blushing now, for he was staring deep into her eyes, as if searching for the key to her heart. He placed his hand gently on her cheek.

He suddenly frowned, "Are you sure you're okay? I think you have a fever, that you do."

WHACK!

Kaoru hit him angrily on the head and he fell back painfully.

"What was that for?" he asked painfully.

Kaoru's breathing returned to normal and her heart stopped racing. He had only been eyeing her because he thought she was ill, not for anything else, especially not—

"I've got a lot of things to do before I go to bed! Good night Kenshin!"

"Wait Kaoru!" Kenshin called after her.

She turned around surprised. He came up to her, very close. "Miss Kaoru—" he fumbled for the words. "I—I…"

"Hey you wake up!" came a cruel voice as something hard hit Kaoru's head. "How about some breakfast woman!"

Kaoru groaned annoyed but slowly sat herself up. The sunlight poured in through the cracks in the hut's walls and onto the dusty ground. Kaoru looked about disappointedly, it had all been a dream, a dream of the past.

TO BE CONTINUED