Disclaimer: Battousai will give me a full sword slash if I don't say that I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or anything from it... oh, and I ah... *feels sword tip poke her back* ... don't own Battousai.

Behind My Back – Chapter Seven – By Cherry Chibi

 'A Wish Upon a Star'

* * * *

Kaoru spat in the man's face. "Don't you ever talk about my mother!" She was silenced when another blow crashed into her cheek. Bruises all over. Cuts bleeding from head to toe. No one was ever there for her then, they were always against her. They planned things to do to her but the only thing that always twisted her heart when these things happened was the question – 'Why?'

* * * *

'Why...' Kaoru thought. 'Why do things happen?' Eyes blinked and stared to the opposite side of the room where a man rested on the other bed that had been moved about two metres away. He was sitting upright and leaning against the wall. Vaguely, Kaoru could see his contorted expression. She pushed herself upright and slid out of bed. Quietly, she walked out of the room with her blanket wrapped over her shoulders. 'The Choshu haven't done anything to me yet... What will they do...?'

She took slow steps towards the window that revealed the night sky. "Mama…" She slid open the window an inch just to feel the cool air flutter into the room and tickled the skin at her fingertips. Slowly piece by piece, she smiled and recited a small quote that had been told to her by her mother many years before.

When you wish upon a star,

Makes no difference who you are...

Anything your heart desires

Will come to you...

Star light, star bright,

First star I see tonight

Wish I may wish I might

Have this wish I wish tonight...

'There's always something to smile about,' Kaoru thought, 'I wish to be happy no matter what the conditions are, I know mama would like that… I would like that.' So at that moment, Kaoru had deciphered her thoughts. The past couldn't be changed and that she could only learn from her mistakes but now is time for her to live the present and worry about her future. Times were becoming harder, since now she is a captive of an assassin and a girl who can't remember any recent occurrences.

"There's no point escaping through the window."

Kaoru glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "There's no point escaping." She adjusted the blanket higher onto her shoulders. "If I run, I will only cause problems." In the mist of darkness, she slid the window closed and crawled back on her bed into a sitting position. Leaning against her knees, she examined her captor.

Battousai's slit pupils were watching her doubtfully. Anyone would make up an excuse to cover up their attempts to escape. That's what he has learnt over time. He snapped out of thought when Kaoru giggled.

"You are so unusual." She laughed a bit more, "I always thought that anyway, when you visited the Akabeko..." Was she spinning more of her mind playing webs? He couldn't be sure. Hell, he hadn't even made a definite judgement on the girl yet. He didn't know a lot about her either, besides the fact that this girl had some unusual ability which, if abused, can be deadly. So, following his careful judgement, he treated her with his same cold, brutality and mysteriousness.

Silence took place again and the air of the room warmed up. Kaoru continued examining him with a slight amusement flickering on the edges of her eyes. Her complexion lightened and beamed like a child's face that knew no fear or pain. Battousai turned his eyes away with annoyance. Even though he was good at them, he hated them. Psychological games. Mental challenges tired him out faster than any physical challenge and they triggered his anger, frustration and even slight satisfaction quicker too.

"Aren't you tired?" Kaoru asked. The stretch of silence left the question lingering onto the droplets of moisture in the air. Battousai remained stiff with his alertness, as always, prepared for any surprises that may arise.

Finally an answer. "An assassin only rests lightly." Stalling for time. He didn't want to have to deal with answering several foolish questions that had escaped the girl's mouth due to her curiosities. Though...

Battousai glanced a second time over to Kaoru, finding her gentle smile. Her face, showing the know it all. Showing her confidence. Radiating her uniqueness. "Kenshin..." She started cautiously, mingled with a gentle sigh as if her normal tone would shatter the room, "An assassin may rest lightly but you don't speak truthfully of yourself. You get nightmares don't you? Meaning that you have less sleep than any other assassin."

Damn the gifted child. He knew that this conversation was completely under her control. In her hand. Her glowing blue eyes revealed that. It would be wise of him to keep his shield up. He decided not to answer or reply in any way. He turned his gaze away once more to the wall in front of him. He heard a light, soft pat - a foot landing on the carpet, followed by another step and another. Three and a half steps to be exact before Kaoru was seated on the edge of his bed, without her blanket shielding her bare shoulders or her legs. The white silk night dress clung onto her body by two thin straps that looked as if they could slip off gracefully.

He closed his amber eyes hoping that he would be able to shut out the distraction. But soon realised his mistake when he figured that by submitting himself to darkness had strengthened his senses of smell and hearing. The gentle scent of sweetness, a sweetness that couldn't be described so easily, could the description of how sake would taste sweet when you take your sip under autumn's full moon make a good description? No. Nowhere near.

Soft breathing. Evenly pace breaths. Nothing else. A complete contrast to what he had been expecting from a victim of an abduction-like situation. He could hear his heart calm into a slower rhythm. The warmth of the room was a relaxing change to his cold, tense muscles. Warmth embraced him. Slowly pulling him in. The lassitude bringing calmness inside. Even with eyes closed, he could see the gentle smile.

* * * *

 "Amazing… truly amazing." Iizuka said in awe as he listened to Katsura explain certain facts to him. Gratefully, by the looks of how much the old man was feeding to him about Empaths, he wouldn't have to force the information out of the Kamiya Girl.

 "I trust that you would keep this information confidential?" Katsura questioned. Iizuka gave him a meaningless nod. 'Believe all you want Iizuka,' Katsura thought, 'You're a bigger fool than them.' After a moment of silence, Katsura dismissed the traitor, watching the man leave the room to head back to the Shinsengumi base – towards his own death.

Content with finishing off the traitor, Katsura leaned back in his seat wearing a cruel smile upon his lips. Things were definitely going his way. After all, he was Katsura Kogoro. The mastermind of the Choshu faction.

* * * *

 "Sometimes I think that Katsura overdoes things." Uno said while going through her paperwork that was due in a couple of days time. She twirled the pen around her fingertips and then glanced up at Takasugi. "Something wrong?" Noticing his eyes on her, colour rose to her cheeks as a light pink.

Takasugi shook his head with a gentle smile. "Of course not dear," He walked behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

 "Do you think that Kaoru will soften Battousai?" Uno asked, she remained busy, writing and signing things carefully, searching for any signs of trouble. "I mean, the Tomoe events really stirred him up."

 "As Katsura said, even if we felt sympathy for him, he should have not gotten involved with her in the first place. It was entirely Battousai's own business, it had nothing to do with the Choshu." Takasugi replied, "But, I do think that Kaoru would be different." He planted a soft kiss on Uno's crown. "I'll be hitting the shower."

Uno smiled while she watched him leave the room. 'Maybe your right, Tomoe wasn't the Choshu's problem, Katsura never set any tasks involving the woman nor did he interfere with the relationship.' After a moment of silence, Uno continued working but was brought to a stop again when she heard Takasugi in a coughing fit. A frown formed and she rose from her seat. She rushed to the bathroom and her heart pounded to find him clutching onto the sink with one hand while the other clasped over his mouth. Blood seeped through his fingertips. "Takasugi…"

The man forced a smile, "I think it would be best if we part." Uno immediately shook her head. "Uno, its better that way... I don't…"

 "I've stayed by you for this long, what difference would it make if I stayed longer?" Uno wasn't willing to back away now. She couldn't leave her partner nor could she stand him leaving her. "The doctors say that as long as you take the medication, you'll be fine. Come on, I've never seen you give up on something before so why now?" She held his arm and pulled him up.

Seeing Uno's warm smile and sincerity, Takasugi felt guilt pile inside as he knew that he didn't deserve a woman like Uno. Someone who is so loyal and passionate. He sometimes asked himself what the woman actually saw in him. A gentle touch on his cheek transferred his attention to the beautiful woman's eyes. Auburn pools held him there. A feeling of comfort like when you feel warm in a freezing cold night.

* * * *

Battousai woke, finding himself tucked in bed. The blankets pulled over his shoulder. 'Did I just sleep?' He sat upright. Light poured into the room through the window. The other bed across the room was neat and the bags that had been sitting at the foot of the bed were gone. There weren't many things different but it felt like there were a million things that had changed.

He checked the time and instantly noticed that it was already 10 o'clock. That meant that he had slept in a full 5 hours and that was definitely unusual. In seconds, he flung the blanket off himself and rushed out of the bedroom. In his hurry he bumped into Kaoru who had just got out of the bathroom.

 "Oh, sorry." Kaoru said with a smile. "Did you sleep well?" She eyed him carefully. Her exterior was certainly a contrast to last night's. What could have caused that sudden change? Battousai didn't reply, instead, he hastened his steps towards the bathroom.

Kaoru breathed out slowly. 'Did I say something wrong?' She entered the bedroom and opened an in built closet where she had packed her clothing.

* * * *

Why was she so annoying? How could she smile in her situation? It didn't make sense. She didn't make sense. What had made her so annoying? In fact, what was she really? Questions. Questions. Questions. They were showering on him like the water from the showerhead. One moment, she would be a normal captive and therefore, he would be fine about it – that's what he is used to. Then, suddenly, she is acting as if she was some sort of roommate – that was the unexpected.

He could list all the strange things about the girl. The way she could easily smile. The way she talks. The way she acts like a know-it-all, like how she could read your mind. But the thing was, she couldn't read minds. She senses the essence of the future. That was all. She only tastes tiny bits and pieces of the future.

Battousai turned off the taps with frustration. Steam flew in the air and swirled as he moved. Why was she still alive anyway? Katsura would have never left anyone like her alive. She may be his daughter but why should that make an exception?

However, even though the front of his mind was clearly hating the change, at the back, things were different. The protective side if that's the way to describe it. A side that feared shedding her blood. A thought came and he froze. He knew this feeling. He knew what it was. But how could it be possible in less than two days?

* * * *

AN: Hey everyone! Remember me? Of course you do! Why else would you be remembering? Lol. Thanks for reading and for the wonderful reviews! ^-^x I've finally got around to writing and updating. Sorry for the very long wait. I'm so busy this year (loads and loads of homework…. I have no social life anymore!!! *sobs*).

Ixchen: Hello! Long time no see! ^-^x Thanks for the review!

Kik-ting: Thanks for reviewing. ^-^x Yeah, it is true that it would be hard to see how Kaoru would react, after all, its kinda like imagining yourself with Kaoru's personality and trying to figure out how you would react.

Kaoru-Gal: Sorry I couldn't update sooner. However, hope you enjoyed this chappy!

Mav1: Thanks a heap! Hope you liked this chap as well!

Battousai's Girl: To answer your question, an Empath is a word that I made up from the word 'empathy'. So it sort of explains it itself. I thought that I should have made some sort of name for the abilities that Katsura, Kaoru and Kikuno have instead of continuing to say 'ability' over and over. I will explain more about Empaths as the fic goes. Remind me if I go off track! ^-^x Thanks!

Until next time everyone!

Cherry Chibi.