AN: OK, i heard some complaints that the chappies were too short so i posted like two at once! whee! read on!

Standard disclaimer, btw...

Chapter III: Kaoru's Dream

I left Kenshin in the kitchen and headed to my bedroom where I got changed, got into bed and let myself fall into sleep. It came easily after the heavy training. I guess, now that I think about it, I was training to keep my mind off of him. It worked pretty well, too, but stopped working when I did. I couldn't keep my eyes off of him when I saw him in the kitchen a few moments ago.

I dreamt of Kenshin, go figure. I walked up to him and asked him to love me. I don't know what was going through my head but it was a dream, so who cares?

No, he told me, I cannot be with you, though I long so much to love you. I do love you actually…But I can't…I…

Argh! What a jerk! Can't he see that I need him!

I stared to cry, uncontrollably, and as I cried, Kenshin and the room we were in disappeared from my sight and I was back in my bedroom, where I walked over and sat on my futon, curled up in a ball. I love Kenshin, I said to myself, Why won't he love me back?

Then, all of a sudden, the shoji door slid open and my father stood there, "Kaoru, what the hell are you doing?"

Father? I asked, unbelieving.

"If you love him so much then why don't you tell him! Why do you suffer like this, my Kaoru?"

Father, I started tearfully, He doesn't love me back, at least not in the way I love him, anyway…

"Kaoru, he loves you…with all of his heart. Can't you see the way he longs for you? He wants to kiss you. He wants to hold you. Hold him back, Kaoru. I watch over you Kaoru, and quite frankly, I'm disappointed."

Father?

"I want you to be happy, and you're not at all happy, are you?"

I looked down at my feet, ashamed.

"You will wake up and go to him. You will tell him you love him and won't accept 'no' for an answer. You be the boss, Kaoru, my tough little girl. Then kiss him. Kiss him good. 'Cause believe me, that'll make you happy."

But father I couldn't possibly! He…I…We…We can never be! I just know it!

I started to cry again, "Kaoru," My father said scolding me, "Discipline is part of all training, so be punished for your foolishness now Kaoru." And he smacked me right on the left cheek! Then he kissed my forehead, "I'm sorry, Kaoru, but you must take this punishment and you'll take back what you said in time, hopefully."

He turned and left the room and I laid down on my futon, drifting back into sleep, or actually, waking up…

Part II

Chapter IV: Awakening

I woke up with sore arms. I don't know why. The only one really pushing themselves yesterday was Kaoru, bless her. I lay there with my eyes closed, I knew it wasn't even past dawn yet. I reached up to rub my eyes with the palms of my hands and noticed that my hands were softer than usual. Must have been all the laundry I did yesterday; the suds really help with the roughness. I've noticed that the detergent I use for the clothes is good moisturizer. It's really helped…What? Okay, I'll stop talking about laundry…

Was it just me or did my eyelashes feel longer? I ran my hands down face, noticing as I did that I couldn't feel my scar. It must finally be healing! Kaoru will probably be pleased. She never said anything about it but I think she'd be pleased if it were gone...I let my arms fall to the floor, thinking about the dream I had last night. Tomoe kissed me. It was quite steamy. Ah! What am I thinking? She's dead! I have to go see Kaoru like she said. I might not tell her anything but…it's worth going to see her…

I opened my eyes at last, letting them get used to the light. But wait…That wasn't the ceiling I fell asleep to…I got tense. There was no way someone could have moved me during my sleep. It just…It wasn't logical! I'm an ex-assassin, buddy, I got senses like all the wild animals you here about in stories and such. Okay, stay calm, I told myself. Breathe in, breathe out…Maybe you're imagining it…

I sat up and noticed that I was in Kaoru's room. Now, I don't tend to swear, but what the hell was I doing in Kaoru's room! I hope I didn't sleep walk or something, because she would surely scream if she woke up and saw me next to her. I looked down next to me where I thought Kaoru would be. She wasn't there. But…I looked down at myself and…

"ORO!"

(o.o)

I woke up confused by the dream I had the night before. I decided to do as my father said in my dream and go to Kenshin. I was up early enough so I could probably catch him before he started to make breakfast. I would corner him and I would tell him. I had to or it would be on my conscience forever.

I took a deep breath and noticed that there was an unfamiliar smell this morning. It smelled like…Kenshin…

I rubbed my face, noticing new calluses on my hands from the hard training I did yesterday. I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be, which was good. If I was I would probably have a hard time today with Yahiko. It felt like I had a strange welt on my left cheek, though, it didn't hurt. What could that be from?

I decided to get up and look in my mirror to see what it was, but when I sat up and looked around for it, I noticed, I was in Kenshin's room! Oh, no, did my dream last night make me sleep walk into his room! I did dream that I walked over to his room and told him to love me but…! Oh, if he saw me in his room…! It would be a complete nightmare! I'd have to explain and…!

I frantically looked around and saw that Kenshin was no where in sight. That was weird. If he woke up before me and saw me lying in his bed…I was in panic. Did he already find out and didn't care? Did he already get up to make breakfast? Oh, what a nightmare…I didn't think I could face him…I stood up, and that's when I noticed…

I screamed.

(oo)

I heard myself scream at about the time that I screamed "Oro" in Kaoru's voice. I said "Oro" because when I looked down at myself I noticed I had a pair of something on my chest that I hadn't the night previously…It shocked me, to say the least…I also discovered that I had ebony black hair that was braided neatly down my back. I was Kaoru!

I ran to my room to see myself standing there on the futon in complete and utter shock. I figured it was Kaoru. I looked at myself. No, Kaoru looked at me, but she was actually me. No…Kaoru looked at me in my body! Wait! Argh! Kaoru looked at me and I looked at her, and we both screamed, I in a high pitched scream that was not my own, and she in a lower scream that was. We stared at each other for a long time.

"K-K-Kaoru-dono? Is that you?" I asked in a familiar female voice.

"K-K-Kenshin? W-What happened? Why are we like this! What did you do!"

"Oro! This one didn't do it, Kaoru-dono! This one was wondering if you knew what was going on!"

Kaoru grabbed her hair in fistfuls. Well, actually, it was my hair, but…She let go and smacked herself, no, himself, no myself, wait…She smacked herself on the face hard and started muttering about waking up. Just then Yahiko walked up to us.

"What are you guys doing! You woke up the whole dojo!"

Kaoru looked at him furiously, in a way that I certainly wouldn't look, "Yahiko, you're the only other person in this dojo besides us!"

"Woah, Kenshin, who shoved a pole up you're—"

"Yahiko!" I shouted.

Kaoru's eyes were wide, so basically my eyes were wide…Aw, forget it…"K-Kenshin?"

"Yeah, your name…What's wrong with you, Kenshin? Are you sick or something?" Yahiko asked, frightened.

"Yeah…Yeah, sick or…something…" He…She said, laying back down on the futon, "…Sick…Yahiko? Can you leave Kensh—I mean Kaoru and I alone?"

"'I?' You're not using that dumb 'this unworthy one' thing anymore?" Yahiko inquired.

"Will you leave Kaoru and this one alone for a few minutes then?"

"Sheesh, okay then, lovebirds, do your thing…"

"Lovebirds?" I asked in shock as he walked outside.

"Kenshin? How do we turn back?" Kaoru asked, looking up at me from the futon, "I want my own body back…"

"Um…Well…This one thinks…we should…uh…act like each other until we figure out what to do…There's nothing else that can be done…"

Kaoru sat up again, "So I have to talk like you and everything?"

"Oro…And…I…shall talk like you as well, that I wi--…um…as well…" I tried not to use my annoying speaking habits. It was strange to hear Kaoru's voice come out of me.

Then Yahiko's voice sounded from a distant room, "Oi, Kenshin! Since you're sick does that mean the hag has to cook!"

I looked down at Kaoru sadly as she clenched my fists, "This one is better now, Yahiko!" She said as calmly as possible. Then she whispered at me, "Yell at him, Kenshin!"

"Uh…uh…What's wrong with my cooking, Yahiko!" I said as Kaoru-like as I could sound. I smiled at me…no, Kaoru smiled at me…I'm confused…

AN: so that was the chapter i thought you'd kill me for. yeah, it all starts here...review please