Thanks for the reviews everyone! Thanks especially to Kaida-chan for pointing out my mistake. I don't know how I missed that!

Standard Disclaimers apply.

Chapter Three-Of Investigations and Late-Night Visitors

Kenshin was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of his name. He glanced at Yahiko, who had stopped mid-swing. Their eyes locked for a split second before both took off running from the dojo. They found Kaoru and Tae in the courtyard between the house and the training hall. Tae was barely managing to hold Kaoru up.

"What happened?" Kenshin demanded, relieving Tae from having to support Kaoru's weight.

"Kaoru-chan had to use the bathroom. We were going back to her room when she started feeling dizzy."

"Okay…" Kenshin gently lifted the half-conscious woman, cradling her in his arms.

"She didn't want me to call you…" Tae paused to see Kenshin's reaction, knowing this would be important. He froze, about to turn in the direction of the house. Knowing she had his attention, she continued. "Something about feeling weak." Kenshin's eyes widened, but he didn't reply. Instead, he returned Kaoru to her room, noticing on the way how pale her face had gotten. Fleetingly, he missed her face being red with anger at Yahiko. He carefully laid her back on her bed and pulled the blankets over her.

"What…happened?" Kaoru asked groggily.

"You nearly fainted," Kenshin answered. "You should sleep some more." The same annoyed look crossed Kaoru's features and she opened her mouth to protest. Thinking better of it, she closed her mouth.

"Okay," she grumbled, yawning, to her frustration, and fell back asleep. Tae and Yahiko were standing in the doorway. The three walked back out to the courtyard where Yahiko turned to go into the training hall to return to his training.

"I should get back to the restaurant," Tae said to Kenshin.

"This one will walk with you."

"Okay, thanks Kenshin-san." They started out for the restaurant, but before leaving, Kenshin let Yahiko know where he was going. As they were walking, Kenshin thought of the two people that were in the restaurant earlier.

"Do you remember seeing a tall woman wearing a cloak before? She was eating at the restaurant when this one was there."

"Yes…I think so," Tae responded. "What about her?"

"Has she been there before?"

"I'm pretty sure…" She chewed her lip in thought. "Yeah! I didn't like her much. She was very rude to me when I accidentally dropped a bowl of rice by her table."

"When was this?"

"About ten days ago. She was there with a man."

"What did he look like?"

"He wasn't very clean, and he was kind of scary looking. It was sort of obvious that he hadn't bathed in a while. We were going to ask him to leave, but he left quickly anyway."

"Did he have any scars?" Kenshin asked. "On his face?"

"Why…yes. There was a scar across his eye." Tae seemed puzzled as to how Kenshin knew this. "Why do you ask?"

"That is Furu Ichiro-the man who attacked Kaoru-dono." The response was a gasp. "This one believes there will be another attack."

"What can I do to help?"

"This one needs you to send a message if the woman or the man who was with her today comes back to the restaurant."

"Of course! Is there anything else?" They had reached the restaurant.

"No, but this one will let you know if there is."

"Okay. We'll help with anything!" She smiled encouragingly before entering the Akabeka to help with the dinner rush.

This entire exchange was observed from around the corner of a building. Thinking Kenshin was unaware of him, the intruder slipped away to inform his mistress of the conversation. Kenshin, leaving no clue of his knowledge of the spy, went back home.

"What do you mean 'he knows of us'!" The intruder cringed at the screech. "Be more specific! Does he know who I am?"

"No, madam. He does not know your identity. He only knows that you exist."

"Did he see you?"

"No, ma'am."

"Good. Tell me exactly what you heard." The spy related the conversation to his mistress.

"I left when the girl went into the restaurant," he said. "I would advise against going back there."

"No," the woman said sharply. "If I suddenly stop, they will grow even more suspicious."

"For your safety, madam."

"Perhaps you are correct after all," she replied after some thought. "Anyway, they are not aware that we know."

"Right madam."

"I shall not return there."

"Very good choice," the spy bowed low before exiting the room.

As soon as Kenshin got home, he went to inform Yahiko of the spy. Yahiko was still practicing with his bokken.

"Wait, what?" Yahiko asked, a puzzled look on his face. "You saw some woman with some guy. The woman was there with Furu Ichiro before the attack here? Now they know we know?"

"…erm…right," Kenshin replied. "They do not know that this one saw their spy, though."

"Are you sure it was the same woman?"

"Yes, Tae-san saw her there before. She remembered the scar across Furu Ichiro's eye as well."

"We should tell Kaoru and Sano."

"You get Sano. This one will be in Kaoru-dono's room. Bring him there, okay?"

"Right!" Yahiko ran off to find Sano. Kenshin went immediately to Kaoru's room. She was awake and staring out the window when he entered the room. She saw him and smiled but then frowned upon noticing the serious expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"This one will tell you when Yahiko returns with Sano," Kenshin answered. "How do you feel?"

"I feel okay," Kaoru answered. "I don't want to take the medicine, though. It makes me feel sick."

"The doctor said it would help."

"I'm not going to take it," Kaoru responded sharply.

"Oro?" Kenshin hadn't expected to get snapped at. He nodded anyway, knowing he wasn't going to win this one. If only she would have agreed, though…it would stop her pain… "Alright then, Kaoru-dono, you don't have to take it."

"Sorry, Kenshin. I just want to be able to do stuff. The medicine makes me dizzy and nauseous."

"Don't worry about it, Kaoru-dono. This one understands." Just as he finished his sentence, Sano and Yahiko entered the room.

"What is it now?" Sano demanded. "The kid wouldn't tell me anything!" Yahiko opened his mouth to protest at being called a kid, but thought better of it when Kenshin started to speak.

"Well, as this one told Yahiko…" Kenshin repeated his little story to Kaoru and Sano. When he finished, a look of fear was evident in Kaoru's eyes. She quickly pushed it away and cleared it from her eyes.

"They're still trying…?" Kaoru tried to keep her voice steady.

"Don't worry, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said gently, "they will not succeed."

"How exactly are we supposed to stop them?" Sano asked. "We don't even know who they are."

"Don't you think they'll attack when Kaoru can't defend herself?" Yahiko asked.

"Yes, this one agrees," Kenshin replied. "There must be someone with her almost all the time." Kaoru smiled at little, knowing her family would protect her. At the same time, however, she felt annoyed that it seemed like she would have no time to herself.

"Kaoru-dono, do you know where Furu Ichiro received his training?"

"Umm…" Kenshin couldn't help but think she was cute with the thoughtful look on her face. "I'm pretty sure it was at a dojo in Kyoto."

"Oh…that far?"

"Yes…after we sent him away, he left town. We only heard that he got into a dojo there."

"So you have no idea which one?"

"No…there weren't very many then, but I was only eleven years old then it happened. I heard my father talking with someone else in the dojo."

"Why did your father send him away?" Yahiko wondered.

"He said something about an evil feeling." Kaoru replied, pushing a smile onto her lips. She wanted them to cheep up a little. Kenshin took notice and allowed a smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh." Yahiko answered simply. The four continued talking until Kaoru grew tired. Kenshin decided that he would stay with her during the night and Yahiko brought him a futon and some extra blankets. The three continued taking turns staying with Kaoru, except when Tae came to visit. Late in the afternoon of fourth day that Kaoru had to remain bed-ridden, the doctor returned to visit her.

"How are you feeling, Kaoru-san?" The doctor asked. "Has the pain medicine helped?"

"I haven't been taking it," She replied. "It made me dizzy and nauseous."

"Oh really? Wow! You mush have a really high pain tolerance." Kaoru smiled at the compliment. The doctor checked her laceration and saw that it was healing well. He told this to Kaoru and Kenshin.

"Can I get up now?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea." The doctor smiled. "You may find yourself light-headed, though. When you lay down for a somewhat long period of time, your balance is a little off. Just make sure there is someone with you and don't be up for too long."

"Okay."

"You're doing a good job taking care of her, Kenshin-san."

"Thank you, sir." Kenshin bowed slightly.

"I will check on you again in a week or so. I'll be available if you two need anything." He exchanged bows with Kenshin and left to return to another patient.

"I'd like to go to the garden," Kaoru said.

"Sure," Kenshin replied. He helped her sit up and then stand. Kaoru was able to support her own weight as she walked, but she hung onto Kenshin's arm for balance. Slowly, they made their way to the garden. In the garden, there was a stone bench under a tree. Kaoru directed them to the bench and sat down with Kenshin next to her. The pair sat in a comfortable silence, Kaoru just enjoying the warm breeze.

"Oh, there they are," Yahiko's voice could be heard. Tae stepped into the garden from be hind him and took a seat next to Kaoru.

"I came here and I couldn't find you two," Tae smiled. "I brought some food from the restaurant."

"Thank you, Tae-san." Kaoru said, taking the bowl of rice handed to her. The bowl was followed by a set of chopsticks and she began eating. Tae handed Kenshin chopsticks and a bowl of rice as well.

"Have you seen the woman at all?" Kenshin asked between bites.

"No," Tae responded. "Odd, isn't it?"

"No, she had a spy watching us," Kenshin answered quietly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, very sure. The spy doesn't know that this one was aware of him, though." Kenshin looked up when Yahiko returned to the garden.

"Officer Hira is here again, Kenshin. He needs to talk with you and Kaoru."

"Bring him here," Kenshin answered. Yahiko nodded and walked away.

"I should get back to the restaurant," Tae said. She took the empty bowls and stood up. With a smile, Kaoru thanked her for visiting. Tae smiled back and left. She passed Yahiko and Officer Hira on the way out.

"Good to see you're up and around again, Kaoru-san," the police officer greeted.

"Thank you."

"I need you to tell me what happened again. The last time, you were very tired, so I just need to verify the facts."

"Okay…" Again, Kaoru told the events and he took notes. Kenshin found himself lost in her voice as she spoke. Her words only served the purpose of reiterating the fact that he should have been there sooner. He tried unsuccessfully to block out her words and only hear her voice. Officer Hiro's words brought him out of his daze.

"This is all I need."

"Have you been able to trace Furu Ichiro?"

"Yes. He trained at a mixed martial arts dojo in Kyoto."

"Just like I said," Kaoru stated. Kenshin smiled at nodded at her.

"As of right now, however, we do not know where he is," Officer Hiro replied. "Nor do we know where the two men, that kid-Yahiko, right?-described are."

"Are you still searching?" Kaoru questioned.

"Yes. We have police in nearby villages looking as well. I must be leaving," He said. "I'll let you know of any new information."

"Thank you, officer," Kenshin said as the officer exited the garden.

"Why didn't you tell him about seeing that woman? They may have helped us with guards or something."

"This one is not completely sure she was involved. Also, this one was able to defeat the last man easily, so it will be no danger. This one does not want to endanger anyone else with out reason."

"But, what if you're not here?"

"This one will not be lured away like that again." Kenshin lowered his head, his hair covering his dual-colored eyes. Kaoru could see that he was blaming himself. She sighed lightly and reached over to rest her hand softly on his arm. His head jerked up and he looked over at her.

"Kenshin…it's not your fault. I know you would not have gone…you didn't know what was going to happen."

"Yes, but what if this one had gotten back too late?"

"That doesn't matter; you got back in time and 'what-ifs' don't matter now."

"Thank you, Kaoru-dono," he met her eyes, "for forgiving me." Kaoru saw the frustration in his eyes at the same time he used the word 'me'. Her eyes widened and she couldn't speak for a moment. The eyes of a Hitokiri stared at her for only a second more and then those of a Rurouni returned.

"There's nothing to forgive…" she murmured finally. He said nothing, only pulled her gently to his side and hugged her with one arm. They remained like this for a few minutes before Kenshin felt her lean on him more.

"You're growing tired."

"Mm-hmm…" She mumbled sleepily. She wondered idly where she suddenly got the courage to lean on Kenshin like this. But then again, he was the one who hugged her first, right?

"This one will take you to your room." He stood and helped her up. "…it's Sano's turn to stay with you."

"It's not nightfall yet." She hoped he wouldn't be too dense to get the hint.

"Yes, you're right. This one will sit with you for a while until Sano returns."

"Okay," Kaoru replied. They had reached her room and she laid down on her futon once more. Kaoru soon fell asleep and through the window, Kenshin watched the sun set. It was nearly completely dark before Sano finally showed up. Kenshin stood and the taller man took his spot. Sano sat down with a dull thud, which woke Kaoru. She gasped and turned quickly towards him, cringing at the sharp pain in her side.

"Calm down, Jou-chan. It's just me." Sano said.

"Oh…" Kaoru relaxed. Now she was wide awake; Sano, on the other hand, quickly fell asleep. His even snore slowly lulled Kaoru back to sleep as well. Half the night had passed when a man looked into Kaoru's window. He picked up a pebble and nailed Sano with it. He woke with a start and saw his friend grinning at him.

"Let's go!" The friend hissed, a little too loud, waking Kaoru. She was startled at first,

"I can't!" Sano gestured at Kaoru's seemingly sleeping form.

"She'll be fine! One night won't kill her!"

"No, I-"

"Go ahead, Sano," Kaoru whispered. "I'll be fine." He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off again. "Just go!" He nodded, standing up. He jumped through the window and was gone. Kaoru smiled a little; she finally had a little privacy. Now, she could sleep soundly with out waking up when Sano suddenly snored louder than usual. Still smiling lightly, she drifted back to sleep.

Kaoru didn't wake up when another dull thud could be heard as someone entered her room through the window. The man smiled malevolently as he approached her. He was reaching to cover her mouth when she woke up. Her eyes widened and she let out a piercing scream. The scream ended abruptly as he clapped a hand over Kaoru's mouth. He didn't have a chance to go anything else, though.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko was standing in the doorway. The man was knocked sideways and landed against the wall under the window. After delivering the blow, Kenshin stood between Kaoru and the intruder. Kaoru pushed herself into a seated position as Kenshin turned to her.

"Are you alright, Kaoru-dono?"

"Yes…" she mumbled, trying to calm her racing heart. She didn't care how many years of sword practice she had; it was still scary to wake up to an unknown man looming over her.

"Good," Kenshin replied. His eyes narrowed as he turned back to the would-be assassin. The man had managed to stand up. As he leaned against the wall for support, two large men seemed to appear outside the window.

"It's them!" Yahiko gasped from his place in the doorway. "They tied me up!"

My orders were to kill the girl," the intruder said to the two men, "not to fight Battousai."

"Who do your orders come from?" Yahiko asked. The intruder merely looked at him and laughed at the question. "Well?"

"You'll find out soon enough." The man laughed once more and jumped out the window. All three men were gone.

"You may return to bed, Yahiko," Kenshin said gently.

"Umm…okay." Yahiko turned and trudged back to his room.

"This one has failed you once again, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin knelt in front of her. The amber eyes remained.

"Oh Kenshin, you didn't fail at anything!"

"This one should have been here."

"No, Kenshin. You need rest as well." Movement in the window caught her eyes and Kenshin followed her gaze. Sano had returned and was about to climb back through the window.

"Uh-oh…" Sano muttered, seeing the look on Kenshin's face.

"Where were you?" Kenshin demanded.

"I was out," Sano replied. Kenshin narrowed his eyes, but Kaoru spoke up.

"I told him it was okay…I just wanted some privacy…" Kenshin's eyes softened back to his normal amethyst as he glanced over at Kaoru. He sighed before turning back to Sano.

"It would be better if this one remained here for the rest of the night. You can go back to your room, Sano." Sano nodded and left the room to get some sleep. Again, Kenshin looked back at Kaoru. "You should try to go back to sleep."

"You're right…"

"Why did you not report in last night?" An angry female voice demanded. The three attackers knelt before her.

"We did not want to wake you, ma'am." The largest answered.

"Well, did you succeed!" The lack of a reply gave her their answer. "What happened this time?" All three winced at the high-pitched voice.

"The Rurouni showed up."

"It was supposed to be Sanosuke guarding her! My information was incorrect?"

"There was no one there when I entered; just the girl," the intruder responded this time.

"Then how did Kenshin know?"

"The girl woke up before I could kill her and screamed. I was unable to muffle it fast enough and he showed up."

"I will give you one more chance!" She screeched at the two large men. "You will bring her to me, since you cannot seem to get this right!"

"Yes, madam." The largest answered as the three rose. The two bowed and left the room.

"And you!" The woman rounded on the hired assassin. "You will go with them. If you do not manage to bring her here, you will not be paid anything at all. Do not fail me again! Attack soon. Then will not be expecting another so quickly. When you get her, do not allow Kenshin to follow."

"Yes, ma'am." He bowed at the waist and left the room.

"This is much harder than it should be," the woman muttered to herself. "If only Kenshin would stop interfering. This is for his own good."

I'm so sorry for the amount of time between updates! I've been so busy! Anyway, I have the rest of this fic written out, so I promise this one will not join the sea of unfinished fics! Thanks for the reviews everyone!