Chapter 4

The air was crisp and cool, the dew of the morning having left, leaving everything fresh in it's wake. The sky was a clear blue, and only a few scattered clouds filled it's wide, open space. It was a beautiful day, one in which peace could not only be seen in nature, but lived out among the simplicity of it all.

With a lazy hand he rubbed at his eyes, removing the sleep to clear his vision. The first thing to become clear was a wooden ceiling. He blinked a couple of times, his mind clearing the haze around it. He remembered where he was. *The Kamiya dojo…*

Smiling he stretched his arms up and over his head, yawning a long yawn of content. Finally, he sat up, listening to the music from the birds greeting him through the window of the room. The bright noon day sun hung in perfect alignment with his line of vision. Suddenly he frowned.

*Noon day sun?* In an instant Kenshin was up, making his bed and folding the covers. He couldn't believe he had slept in, scolding himself under his breath for staying up so late last night. He finished the bed and remained on his knees when he thought of the reason he stayed up. He ran his hand through his hair, standing to his feet his eyes stared off into space with his mind busy.

*She had listened to me, to my past, and didn't turn away. Instead of the unease from being uncomfortable, she had compassion in her eyes, and tears…* The sound of a soft rapping drew his attention to his door.

" Just a minute." Gathering his hair together, Kenshin tied it back and tightened his robe around himself before opening the door. He was met with the friendly smile of the lord of the house, Mr. Kamiya. Kenshin smiled in return at the kind man.

"Good morning, Kenshin. Or should I say good afternoon?" Kenshin looked down at his feet, silently scolding himself again for sleeping in as late as he had.

"My apologies, sir… I don't know what came over me to sleep so much…" Mr. Kamiya placed a comforting hand on the younger one's shoulder.

"It is perfectly fine, my boy. Sleep as long as you wish, you are a guest here, remember?" Kenshin nodded once and Mr. Kamiya simply chuckled in return. Kenshin noticed the similarity behind the older man's hand on his shoulder to Kaoru's hand resting on the same spot the night before.

"What could I possibly do to repay you for your kindness you've shown me?"

"You've already thanked us so there isn't much else that can be done." Mr. Kamiya stepped back and picked up a bag he had set down earlier. Out of it he took a piece of paper with what looked to be an address, Kenshin thought. Mr. Kamiya held it out and Kenshin took it, wondering what it was.

"I'm going to be leaving in a couple of minutes. We don't hold classes on Sundays…" Pointing at the paper, Mr. Kamiya continued. " I'll be paying a visit to one of my students. He fell ill a few days ago and I promised Kaoru I would go see how he is." Kenshin was touched at the concern the sensei had for his students. The older man picked up the bag and slung it over his shoulder.

" At least allow me to assist in some of the chores around here. I'm afraid I need something to keep me busy or else I feel useless and a unnecessary burden upon your shoulders." The older man consented with a nod and defeat written in his weathered features.

"Mr. Kamiya…" Kenshin found himself calling the man walking down the hall. When he had seen he'd drawn his attention Kenshin asked a question that surprised even himself for some reason. "Is Miss Kaoru going to accompany you?"

The older man's smile broadened, if possible, and shook his head no. "She's been asleep all morning. I didn't have the heart to wake her, she looked so peaceful." Kenshin smiled softly, bowing in respect before turning back into his room to change.

After a few minutes Kenshin was in a dark blue gi and white pants. Looking himself over he sighed at seeing the wrinkles in his attire and smoothed them over with his hands before giving up with another sigh. Stepping outside he breathed in the cool air, thinking that the day was too perfect for one to be cooped up inside. He stretched his arms one last time behind his back, enjoying the tingling of the blood flowing to his lazy muscles, and stopped to look at the note he still held in his hand. On the bottom was written something else:

Kenshin, feel at home and prepare whatever it is you want to eat from what we have in the kitchen pantry. If your cooking parallels that of young Kaoru's, then feel free to eat what is left over from last night's dinner.

Kenshin didn't really understand the last part but was grateful none the less. He walked to the kitchen, wondering what it was he could whip up in a few minutes time to appease his temperamental stomach. It had started talking to him the moment he woke up, yet he couldn't manage to ignore it for too long, he concluded. Standing in the doorway of the kitchen, he glanced around until seeing a barrel of rice, deciding to start from there.

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Kaoru moved her head to the side, facing the way of her door. Her nose was the first part of her to fully awaken, taking her eyes the longest to take follow suit. Sitting up she took in a long sniff of what it was her nose was sending to make her brain go wild. *Heavenly…* she mumbled to herself, describing the scent to herself as best she could. Opening her eyes she smiled lazily… *I wonder what father is making today…* She pulled herself out from under her covers as much as she could and kicked the rest of them off from where they gathered around her ankles. Sleep still efficaciously governing her actions, she stood on shaky legs and managed to slip into a nice kimono without wrinkling the fine material, the inviting smell being her only motivation. Her hands fumbled a little with her obi, yet she finally succeeded in setting it in place. Finished with changing her attire Kaoru stumbled out her door and held onto the wall for support. The kitchen was straight ahead as were her eyes, fixed on a goal her and her stomach were ready and impatient to reach. She frowned at the grumbling noises emitted from her lower torso, promising it that food was on it's way. Now if only she could move a little faster…

Kenshin was keeping himself busy, silently chewing on a piece of carrot as he chopped other vegetables for a soup. He scooped the pieces into his hands and dropped them into the pot of water boiling on the wood stove, stirring carefully afterwards. His mind wandered, taking on his current profession, and replayed the time he had learned to cook this soup. An old woman, living alone in an old shack, took him in one cold day and insisted he stay the night. Having gone to the market that day he gave her what he had bought in return for her hospitality. The old woman took the vegetables and tofu with a grateful smile, disappearing into the nook towards the rear of the small house. He waited for her return patiently, only to be presented with one of the best soups he had ever tasted. After hearing of the secret behind the amazing meal, he wrote it down and made it when given the chance. He recalled how inviting it was to be treated with such genuine warmth, despite his being a wanderer.

*The same way I've been treated here by the Kamiya's.* He nodded his head, affirming his unspoken words with a bright smile. *I haven't smiled this much in a long time.* Turning his attention to the task at hand, he grabbed a nearby spoon to taste test what he had made. Blowing air on it a couple of times, Kenshin brought up to his lips…

His eyes quickly averted themselves to the doorway, the place of origin of the low noise he had heard. Leaning there against the doorframe was a beautifully dressed Kaoru, her hair slightly disheveled and eyes clouded with what appeared to be a mixture of shock and awe.

"Your stomach is speaking just as mine had a couple of minutes ago, Miss Kaoru." Laughing softly, he watched as Kaoru quickly covered her stomach with one hand, a blush immediately imbedded in her cheeks.

" I guess sleeping in does that to you." Kaoru eyes fell to the floor, still slightly embarrassed about her loud stomach. Recovering a little she changed the subject. " I didn't know you knew how to cook…" Laughing she added, " It smells really good." Kenshin looked at the spoon held in his hand and waved for her to come inside. He held out the spoon for her to taste his work, hoping that it wasn't too bad. With her cheeks still a darker shade then normal, Kaoru stepped up shyly and tasted the soup he held out to her. He brought the spoon back from her mouth, eager to see her reaction.

"I can't believe you, Kenshin…" Her voice was low, and Kenshin mistook it as disappointment. He dropped eyes on the soup in the pot, wondering what he could have done wrong. Then he heard her laugh, causing him further confusion. "Gosh, you cook better than me!" She shook her head and licked her lips. "That was the best soup I've tasted in years… I'm jealous."

Her words made Kenshin smile and join in on the laughter. "And here I was thinking that you hated it from the look of disappointment I saw in your eyes."

"But that was disappointment…" She affirmed.

"Oro?" He was right back to a place of confusion. Kaoru giggled at the face he made when he spoke. She thought it was cute.

"Disappointed with myself, I meant." Kaoru sighed to herself, a slight smirk on her lips. " I guess I'm not cut out to be good at certain things." She sat on a nearby stool with a thump, clearly still a bit tired. Kenshin concluded that to be true after watching her stifle a yawn with her hand.

Soon Kenshin finished with the cooking, and wiped his hands on a small towel, giving his work a once over with a smile of approval. He turned around to face where Kaoru was sitting only to find her asleep, her head resting on the wall behind her. He decided to let her sleep and wake her up once he had set up the meal. With a small chuckle, he left the young woman alone for a couple of minutes.

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Lunch was great, according to Kaoru and Kenshin humbly kept his eyes low as he bowed in thanks. Kaoru found her eyes glued to the man in front of her, following his every movement as he gathered the dishes. She lost herself in thought. *This man is so… different from any other I've met.* Her musings were cut into by a voice etched with worry.

"Miss Kaoru, are you feeling well? You haven't blinked in a couple of minutes, that you haven't." He was kneeling next to her, concern knitting his brows together. She slowly moved her eyes to look into his, and swallowed at the how rich in color they were. The beautiful violet was mixed with a hint of dark blue, causing them to shimmer brighter then she had ever seen them before, and trust her, she'd seen them plenty of times since his arrival. Her eyes couldn't leave his and she wordlessly nodded, and fortunately for her Kenshin took this as a sign of her well being. He left the spot next to her vacant and returned to his task of clearing the table.

Kaoru stood up, and brushed imaginary crumbs off her kimono. Next she bent down to pick up the plate the rice balls had been on. With a loud resounding smack both her and Kenshin were on opposite sides of the table respectively rubbing the spots their heads had met one another.

Kenshin, with one eye closed and the other one squinting, glanced up to watch Kaoru nurture her head and massage at the bump that had undoubtedly risen from the contact. Once their eyes had met across the table, both were laughing pretty hard. Kenshin was the first to collect his bearings, and being the gentleman he was, he held out a hand to assist Kaoru to her feet.

"Why don't I go and do something else, and you can finish the dishes. There aren't too many more to do." Kaoru saw nothing wrong with his suggestion and turned to finish her chore but was stopped by a cough from Kenshin. She turned around, eyebrows up in question.

"Yes?"

"Um… I'm not sure what it is you would want me to do. After all it is your home, you know better what there is to be done than I do."

Kaoru placed her hands against her hips in thought, and then something came over her eyes at having come to a conclusion. She looked to be a little unsure with what she wanted to tell him, Kenshin having seen her demeanor take on that of an innocence he'd seen in children who were getting ready to plead their case. Kenshin prepared himself, meeting her gaze full on…

"Kenshin, you know how I told you I'm not too fond of doing the laundry, right? Well,…" she dug her toe bashfully into the rug as she spoke. "… I was wondering if you would want to dot it." Kenshin wanted to laugh at how embarrassed she seemed to be at having asked him to do such a simple task.

"It would be my pleasure, I assure you, Miss Kaoru. I've already told your father that if I am to be welcomed into your home, the least I can do is assist in the chores that need to be done."

Kaoru affirmed herself that every time this man's mouth opened, she'd found herself liking him all the more.

"So talented…" She mumbled to as she watched him out of the corner of her eye. He smiled to himself, having picked  up the quietly spoken words with his sharp hearing. He walked out to look for the laundry he was told was by the bathhouse door. There, leaning up against the wall, was a large pile of clothes overflowing over the edges of what appeared to be a wooden basket underneath.

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The night came quickly, and no sign of Mr. Kamiya was seen. Kenshin sat back against the wall near the porch, having been left to dwell in his thoughts for the time being. Kaoru excused herself to her room after dinner, leaving him alone to sit and watch the stars on his own.

With the comfort of company waiting just around the corner he felt more content than he had ever been in years. Sometimes he saw himself as nothing short of selfish when he desired to talk to someone, sit near someone, and feel that he had a right to live among the people of the era he helped create. This was one of those times. His work ensured the existence of a better time, yet he couldn't let go of what his work asked of him. For all the things he'd done and seen, he thought justice would be done by way of exile from the land he'd helped establish. He didn't deserve to be around the ones untainted by the governments shady past. His screaming, guilt ridden mind made this truth clear to him.

*Untainted, innocent…like young Kaoru. Her hands are so pure while mine remain bloodstained after all these years.* 

Kenshin stood up and decided to check on Kaoru and tell her of his plans of staying the night and leaving in the morning. *I don't deserve to stay among such innocence. My identity will catch up to me soon enough if I stay, and I don't want to chance it soiling the honor of the Kamiya name.*   

The noise of the front gate quickly caught his attention and he momentarily forgot his task at hand. He stood there in front of Kaoru's door, yet his mind was tuned toward the voices coming from the yard, one voice being that of Mr. Kamiya. Just as he turned to head in that direction he heard the sliding of a door behind him, followed by the light footfalls of Kaoru.

" I think your father is home. Does he normally bring people home with him?" He asked, curious at what felt to be the presence of two other men. She furrowed her brow in thought.

"Not really, no…" Her eyes went wide just as soon as the words came out of her mouth. Pushing past Kenshin, she ran to get to the yard. He sensed her urgency and ran close behind her, perplexed as to what could have gotten her so worried. The other two men, he sensed, weren't hostile in nature by way of the careful tone they had been using with the sensei. Kenshin knew Kaoru had good reason to react the way she had, yet he had a feeling himself he'd rather not know.

The sight before his eyes made his hands twitch and ball up in disbelief. Kaoru stood only a few feet in front of him, and from the tension in her shoulders, he could tell she wanted to cry but restrained it.

There, with support from a tall young man, was a battered looking Lord Kamiya. His face was covered by dry blood having come from a cut above his swollen eye and busted nose and lip. Amazingly, there still remained a peaceful nature about him, despite his frail state. Kaoru was the first to speak.

" …father…" Her voice was so small, so fragile, Kenshin thought she was going to break if she spoke any more.

" You have nothing to worry about, my dear. Sano here saw the group around the corner and stopped it from getting any worse." He tried to let out a chuckle of reassurance but it came out as a wheeze. The man holding him up, looked at Kenshin with sharp brown eyes, a million questions in a simple hard stare, and then returned to gaze softly on the young woman now holding her father.

Kenshin had a million questions to ask concerning the other man's relation to the Kamiya's, but most importantly, what was it that happened to Mr. Kamiya.

" Kenshin?" Kaoru turned around with remnants of tears hanging in her long lashes, Kenshin's heart going out at seeing her try and hide her distress. He walked closer to her, not wanting her to speak any louder than she had to.

"Yes, Miss Kaoru…" His voice was soft, and Kaoru's eyes sparkled with a small smile.

"Would you help Sano take my father into his room? I'm going to go and get the doctor. I'll be gone for only a few minutes." Kenshin took one of Kaoru's hands in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Of course I will, you need not worry. You be careful, Miss Kaoru." She affirmed his concern with a pat on his hands just before slipping the other out from under his touch. She went to talk to the police officer that had come in with Mr. Kamiya and the one referred to as Sano, and left soon after.

Kenshin went and pulled Mr. Kamiya's free arm over his shoulder and began to walk towards the latter's room, moving him slowly with Sano's help.

A/N: Okay, I am back with another chapter… and this one was pretty long, if you ask me. Something's are left unexplained, I know. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter for the answers. This chapter was actually fun to write, but I think the next one will blow these last ones away! I started on it already (yesterday in the Commons at school) and I'm finding myself totally immersed in it! And oh yeah, don't forget to acknowledge the arrival of our favorite spiky haired fist fighter, Sano!!! I love his character and I can't wait to include him more into the story ^_^.

I'll update as soon as I think the next chapter is good enough. I hope there are no grammar mistakes (thanks Ari and Kat ), and if so… I can live with that ^_~. Anyhoo, God bless and I hope you like what you've read so far! Ciao~ The Honorable Gucci