Author: hiya! I'm glad to see that my story is coming along good and that its actually updating!! ^^ before it wasn't updating my chapters so I was sad ;-; XD well anyway, this is chapter 3, so please enjoy!

P.s. Oh and sorry, in the first chapter, the whispering was suppose to be Italic but it didn't work XD But that's ok cuz I can just say 'he/she whispered' in it's place. Sorry for the little confusion XD!

The evil witch: thanks! It's my first one so it my not be all 'WONDEROUS' and crap like that, but I'm glad that you like it! :D I'll try to keep up the good work! Thanks for the review ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin or the show *tear* but I do own this story :DDD

Chapter 3: On my own with you

'Can I...can I save her?'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kenshin raced through the smoking dojo to where he had sensed her ki. He began to feel it weaken slightly 'Oh no!!' He mentally shouted. He continued to search even quicker, if possible, through the flames, in search of her. He decided that it may as well be better to yell out her name.

"MISS KAORU!! WHERE ARE YOU?!?!" Kenshin shouted as loud as he possibly could. The smoke was choking him. 'If she isn't burnt by now, then she most likely would have past out! Damn!!' He mentally screamed. But them, to his dismay, he heard a faint cry for help.

"HELP!! PLEASE!! SOMEONE HELP ME!! KENSHIN!! ANYBODY!!" Kenshin gasped.

"MISS KAORU I'M COMING!!" Kenshin fallowed the sound of her cry until he reached a door. Without hesitation, he kicked the door down, and found Kaoru, huddled in a little curled up ball on the floor, with a horrible raspy cough. Kenshin didn't take the time to say her name. He took off his training gi, and wrapped her up in it. He picked her up, bridal style, and ran out if the room. The smoke was starting to blind his vision. It was getting way too hazy for him to see. He could only think of one thing. 'I hope this works!' Kenshin thought. He then crouched into a sword fighting stance, known as the battojutsu! He closed his eyes, and charged! He felt the burning wood on his skin, but didn't pay any mind to it. He was almost out. Almost through the burning dojo. Then he rammed into the last wall and it collapsed. 'Finally...I'm finally out of there.' He then placed Kaoru softly onto the ground after making sure they were far enough away from the dojo. He removed the crisped gi from her and found her eyes halfway open, brimmed with tears.

"why?..." He heard her small muffled question.

"Why what?.." Kenshin asked through huffs.

"why did you save me?...I...I could have been with my mother and father if I died...so WHY DID YOU SAVE ME?!" Kaoru screamed through teary eyes. Kenshin's eyes became stern.

"You can die when ever you like! But you and I are young, and we haven't even barley begun to live our lives! It takes no effort at all to die. But it takes a lot more courage to live. I didn't just grab you and run! It was practically impossible to not see what lie in a heap next to you! I saw your parents, and I saw how they were killed. If they were alive, I'm positive that if they were to die, they would never forgive themselves for letting you die, at such a fragile age, just to be with them. You an I...we're pretty much near the same age I think. I wouldn't forgive myself either, for letting someone I knew I could have saved, be killed at this age." Kenshin said with a serious tone. Kaoru looked down in shame and let her tears fall onto the caked ground. Kenshin knew what kind of sadness she was in. He was also an orphan for that matter. He knew it may seem a bit forward but he knew it was worth a try.

"Miss Kaoru, I'm also an orphan, and I know what it's like to lose your parents...I'm not trying to...take advantage of you, but if you need to cry, I'm right here." Kenshin said in a comforting tone. Kaoru looked up to his face and he smiled. She didn't even hesitate, before she jumped into his arms, and cried her heart out onto his shoulder. Kenshin wasn't expecting this kind of reaction, but they were friends, and she needed someone right then. He brought up his free hand, that wasn't supporting him and patted her back ever so softly. "Cry as long as you like..." Kenshin said. Just as he was about to relax, he felt the weight being lifted. He re-opened his eyes, to find himself staring into the eye of an angry Kaoru.

"Oro" Kenshin squeaked

"Just because I lost my parents and my village, doesn't mean I'm going to be a cry baby over it!!" Kaoru shouted, fallowed by a 'hmph'. Kenshin smiled. 'I knew that there was some fire in her spirit.' "Well ok then. We can be on our way if you've recovered, and also we have to hurry because there might still be some shinsengumi members around!" Kenshin said standing up. "Oh...and uh...could I have my training gi back? Eh heh, heh." Kenshin said with a nervous smile.

"oh uh...here." Kaoru said taking off the gi with a faint blush. Kenshin chuckled, and put his simmered training gi on.

"Well, since you're now homeless, and I have no place to go either, we might as well get going then." Kenshin said. He heard the pitter patter of feet behind him, and turned around to see Kaoru head cast downward. "What's the matter?" Kenshin questioned.

"Um...could you tell me more about yourself, because...I don't want to be traveling with a bum I don't know one thing about." Kaoru mumbled just audible. She heard a huge 'POW' and looked up to see Kenshin on the ground with his feet in the air.

"Am I really a bum?" Kenshin asked in a 'I'm-not-impressed' tone. He heard Kaoru giggle, and couldn't help but smile.

"I really didn't mean it that way. But anyway, could we sort of...trade life stories?" Kaoru asked again.

"Sure why not. Just fallow me! I'll lead us to a safer place then here!" Kenshin said, motioning for Kaoru to fallow.

Kaoru fallowed him, while in her won thoughts...

'Mother...Father...I thank you...for blessing me with this young man...if it wasn't for him...I would have killed myself...at only 13.............thank you so much'

That's all for now :D! Please review!!