Sorry peeps, no response for this chapter… I promise to include it in the next chapter and it'll be very well thought out… Anyhoo, read on and enjoy!

Disclaimer: *whistles to self* Nothing, nadda, nilche, nimic is mine…

Chapter 10

The hot steam drew lines as it lifted upward into the cold air of the late night. Hushed were the voices of the two people still awake. Hearts had been understood and forgiven and now minds were being put to rest by words carrying an incredible weight not immediately grasped by either person. Not yet, for that matter.

Kaoru spoke and Kenshin listened, his expression not betraying the warnings going off in his mind concerning what he was hearing. His back was braced and leaning against the wall of the hallway, in an effort to preserve support  of some sort through the conversation. Kaoru sat a few feet away, hunched over her cup of tea.

"It is as I suspected. A rebel group from the government decided to create their own form of justice by spilling innocent blood."

Kaoru nodded and closed her eyes, the thought of that blood having come in the form of those she'd loved caused her to breathe in a sharp breath and hold at bay the stinging sensation coming to her eyes. Kenshin moved and sat closer to her, gently sweeping her hair over her shoulder, he began to rub soothing circles on her upper back. She looked at him with heavy eyes and a small smile, the sign of healing present but the memory of it all still remaining as a painful truth time would never dull.

"That man, Saitou, said that they were on their way to Kyoto… He also said something about the Christians from the Doshisha school. They'll probably be the next targeted." Her heart went out toward her fellow believers, knowing full well the danger that was coming their way.

Kaoru squeezed her eyes shut again, and bit her lip. Kenshin watched and continued to comfort her as best as he could. The bond between Kaoru and the other Christians seemed to be unlike anything he had encountered, this bond joining their hearts in prayer and concern for one another no matter the distance between them. He began to understand that this wasn't a fabrication of an ideal. It was a faith not far from the grasp of even the simplest of men, for Sano and even little Yahiko held true to the words of that book, the Bible. His heart, too, went out to those persecuted and punished for simply believing something foreign to their land. Yet even his heart of compassion withered in comparison to the woman who apparently found it more comfortable to lean her head on his left shoulder and stare out into the night. He knew she was thinking about what could be done with this information, and his thoughts were flowing along the same lines. What could be done? Kenshin had only one idea, and he was sure it was the only thing that could be done from their position.

"Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, causing her head to turn toward his face. He smiled at seeing he had gotten her attention. "I think we should take a trip of our own, that I do."

Kaoru just stared at him with a mixture of surprise and awe, a smile appearing at what she had heard. The way he had said "we" struck her with a wonderful warmth. Kenshin identified himself with her, a Christian and a plague to the traditional majority of their country, and his words were spoken without any trace of doubt or shame.

She was stunned into silence, her heart touched by his continuing selfless behavior. "You would do that? Come with me? I mean… You've already done so much for me…" Kenshin shifted a little and straightened his back. The movement caused Kaoru's head to fall passed his shoulder, closer now to stare into his eyes as she waited to hear his answer.

His eyes turned away from her face to gaze out before him, the trace of a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Why do you find that unbelievable, Miss Kaoru? For a woman of faith, you sure do have little of that in me." His words drew out a frown on the young woman's face. He could see out the corner of his eye, it being a mere few inches from his own.

"Kenshin!" She sat up and smacked him playfully in the chest, having observed the smirk with her own eyes. He feigned hurt as he covered where he was hit, soon sharing in the laugh she gave. In the corner of his mind he registered that his left side felt cold from the sudden absence of Kaoru's warm body leaning against his. Pushing that thought away, he returned to lean against the wall, finding it much more comfortable.

They fell into another silence with eyes staring off into the dark of night and minds whirling in thought. All that lasted a few minutes until Kenshin felt a weight slump against his shoulder. Kaoru nestled herself closer to him than before, her head neatly tucked away in the space between his shoulder and neck. He unconsciously held his breath as her soft hair tickled his sensitive skin. She couldn't see his face from that position which meant he would get away with the blush her actions were giving him.

Her soft breathing was enough to lull anyone to sleep, that is if they weren't thinking of a past so vivid in it's distractions it was enough to keep anyone awake. Dark blue eyes closed in the satisfaction that he allowed her to snuggle closer to him. The lack of sleep and rational thinking allowed her to be a little more bold in comparison to how she would have been while clear-headed. If he were to ask for a reason behind her actions she would have told him it was due to the cold. Her mouth took on a smile, tired yet content, glad that he didn't protest.

Kaoru sensed Kenshin's silence was thought induced and she breathed out with a yawn, "What are you thinking about, Kenshin?" Another second or two past between them until he answered in a subdued tone, low from an exhaustion that could have been either physical or mental.

"I've got a lot of memories in Kyoto, that I do." He paused a bit, then continued on in the same tone. "Those memories were left behind, buried in the sands of the city I spent many precious years in."

"I'm sorry Kenshin… I never knew that those scars you carry on your heart were so deep. Your voice betrays the calm and collected front you put on, yet I promise to help you, just as you've helped me." Kaoru's words were spoken in soft sleepy breaths, so low that Kenshin had to quiet his heart to hear them. There it was again, that wisdom that seemed to surpass any she could have gotten on her own. Words that surpassed her years, just like the ones she spoke to him his first night at the dojo. He knew there was something to these words, them having struck a direct cord in him once again. It was, in a way, unbelievable that such a young woman would know of the demons of the past plaguing his mind. Sure, he had told her some of how his life used to be, but this sympathy was far beyond her own doing. Kenshin would ever dare to call it, in some respects… supernatural.

He folded his arms around her and nuzzled her head with his chin, touched by her kindness and amazed by it all at the same. She sighed and closed her eyes, bringing Kenshin to smile and hold back a laugh at the situation. *She seems comfortable… I think she may enjoy this.* The thought made him feel odd in his stomach, and his mind screaming at him to not go further with his thought. *She may like me, but probably not as anything more than a friend or brother. Not as I like her, at least…* 

He looked down at the person in his arms, sleeping peacefully and without a care keeping her up. He knew that she had a faith to stand on and a hope that allowed her the rest she was receiving, even in the arms of a man whose name chilled the blood of any who heard it. But not anymore… Kenshin smiled and nestled his chin delicately against her hair, and he too fell into a quiet sleep. The warmth of her back pressed against his chest and the steady rhythm of her beating heart allowed Kenshin the perfect condition to fall asleep himself. The last train of thought running it's course through his conscious mind was one concerning if he, too, could ever be as content as the dark haired woman who had captured his curiosity and possibly… his heart.

*Wonder if permanent change is possible? To get away from the past and leave it in… Kyoto…* His bright violet eyes were laden with sleep, heavy enough to pull them to a close with one last thought. * I would give my heart to find it…*

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Kaoru lips were lifted into a soft smile, her mind playing a beautiful scene behind her closed eyes.

It was such a comforting dream of endless fields of green littered with flowers growing wildly among the blades of tall grass. She was lying on her back and the grass rose up around her, enveloping her with vibrant colors and the distinct smells of each fragrant flower. A soft shadow stood in the way of her sun light, causing her to look up at the person above her with such admiration and adoration. The only thing she could do was smile and close her eyes again as the beautiful scents overcame her. She was enjoying the warmth of the cloudless day, and most of all, enjoying the company she was keeping. Kaoru stretched her arms over her head and smiled as her friend sat down next to her, a smile fitting perfectly on his cheerful face. She reached out a hand and placed it on his cheek, his head moving closer to her touch. Without any thought she ran her index finger along the two lines that crossed each other in the middle of his skin, the scars as soft as fine silk but also as deep and rough as a raging sea. She heard him inhale a sharp breath and pull his face away, bringing her to sit up with worry. Had her touch scared him? What was he afraid of?

"It's not you, Kaoru, it's me."

Her eyes, already clouded with worry, soon looked at the young redheaded man with puzzlement. "What do you mean? Why won't you let me help you heal? Your wounds are still deep and…"

"You cannot help me, dear Kaoru," Kenshin's fading voice spoke, growing distant with every word." No one can…" He disappeared from Kaoru's sight and she jumped to her feet to see where he had gone.

"Kenshin!!" She ran through the grass, frantically searching for him. The once soft blades of green began to cut as razors through her kimono, drawing crimson lines along her pale skin of her legs as she continued forward. Finally she stopped, out of breath from the exertion, and fell to her knees. Her throat was dry from yelling his name, and her eyes were now too blurred with tears to see anything clearly. Amidst the beauty of the nature around her she wept, sobbed for the one thing far more precious than the beauty of the world… a soul.

"Ken…shin…" Kaoru stared down at her hands, her limp and useless hands lying in her lap, distorted in a way she had never seen with her own eyes. It hadn't hit her until now that maybe it was true, she could not help him. Her hands, as they were, remained nothing but useless, and though the will of her heart made up for the loss it simply wasn't enough. "What can I do?" Weakly pounding a fist in the ground, she sobbed. "I can't do it alone…"

"You wont be alone, I will always be here. If he seeks with his heart he will find Me. Live your life so he may see the promise of life found only through Me." The voice, as quiet as a whisper, seemed to be emanating from inside her, speaking through and to her very own heart. She lost all feeling of the world around her, but in closing her tear stained eyes she knew of one thing, the last and only real hope was now as clear as day. Reality hit her, but it came with a comfort blow perfect to dispel the worry and fear she had of not knowing what could be done to help such a lost soul. At that instant, she understood that she herself couldn't help Kenshin heal his wounds, at least, not by herself.

"Thank you… Lord." She whispered back, a smile and a tear accompanying the words.

Her senses began to awaken as her mind let go of her dream, giving her a chance to choose what it was she wanted to do with this new found knowledge. She shifted her head to the side and cuddled closer to the cloth she was resting on. It was only when she opened her eyes did she realize that she had her face buried in the robe of a man she was sleeping against. He himself was sleeping soundly. It wasn't everyday one would wake up literally in the arms of the one they admired from afar and Kaoru, still governed by her semi conscious mind, remained where she moved with the rise and fall of his chest. Tilting her head up enough to see his face, she quietly observed his handsome face at the enjoyable distance of a few mere inches. His eyes were closed, as was normal for any sleeping person, and his thick lashes curled as they were closed together. *Gentle eyes,* she mused to herself with an internal smile. Fiery red hair hung loosely over his forehead and framed his high cheek bones, casting shadows to his light cream colored skin. His nose was a perfect shape, not too big, not too small, and his steady breath came in and out in rhythm to his heart beat. *Cute nose,* her internal smile widened at her silliness. Next her eyes wandered down to his lips. There they were pink and plump from the warmth and looking as soft and smooth as she could have imagined them to be. She itched to raise a fine finger over to touch them and put her mind to rest concerning it's thoughts, yet she gathered whatever will power was awake at that time in the morning and resisted. *Such thoughts… I should be ashamed of myself.* After a quick scolding of herself, she moved on to complete her observation of his face. Her eyes visited the place that had been the place her hand touched in her dream. His left cheek was near enough for Kaoru to make out the two distinct lines that marred its surface, out of place on his soft features. They must have been pretty deep from the way the skin healed over them, deep enough to leave their mark on his soul. After seeing it in his eyes, countless times, Kaoru knew of that the pain reached deep enough to touch the inner most part of his being, his eternal soul.

Kenshin shifted under her weight, a slight frown forming on his brow at the movement. Kaoru quickly closed her eyes, and pretended to be asleep. She hid the smile that immediately came when she both felt and heard him gasp softly at finding a woman comfortably nestled against his chest asleep. His heart beat slowed down from the speed it picked up upon first waking up. She felt a warm hand brush the hair that had fallen askew across her forehead and cheek to the side, lingering a moment. He removed his hand and sighed was sounded a bit on the sad side.

*I bet he's thinking about Kyoto.* Kaoru couldn't push the frown away from showing on her face. Kenshin was watching her and smiled at seeing her eyes flutter open.

"Miss Kaoru… I-"     

"Good morning, Kenshin." Kaoru cut him off, knowing he wanted to try and explain their position but she didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to spoil the already innocent situation.  She smiled and scooted away so she could stretch her arms over her head and yawn. Kenshin's face was blank as he stared at her, a warm smile coming at seeing how at ease the young woman was.

*Interesting…* Kenshin thought, storing it away for future dissection. *At least I know she is 100 percent comfortable around me.* It softened his heart and eased some of the pain at knowing that she knew of his former identity and still remained perfectly normal around him, not a uncomfortable bone in her body. She drew his attention back to her by way of a muffled giggle coming from her direction. He arched a brow, wondered at what was amusing her so much. She kept one hand covering her mouth and the other pointing at his head.

"Oro?"

"Kenshin… heh heh… your hair…" Kaoru moved back towards him and motioned for him to lean his head forward. He complied and he felt her hands reach behind it and pull his hair free of its tie. His hair fell over his shoulders and his back, and he heard Kaoru's melodic giggle again.

"What was wrong with my hair?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"It was sticking up like Sano's from the way you leaned against the wall… I had to fix it before I died laughing. Now, turn around so I can fix your hair properly." She said with another laugh, Kenshin joining in and turning as she had asked. Her slender fingers ran through his strands of fiery red in an effort to smooth it out, letting it fall through and back in place like fine silk. She continued to comb through it, gathering it together at the base of his neck.  Kenshin closed his eyes at the chilling sensation her touch gave him, hoping that she would stop soon, and at the same time, not really wanting it to cease. Finally, she tied his hair in it's usual way, letting it trail down just above his lower back.

"Thank you, Miss Kaoru." He turned around to face a smiling Kaoru. He loved her smile and the way it lifted his spirit every time he saw it. With that, he offered her a smile of his own. Unbeknownst to the rurouni, his smile warmed another's heart as well, and that heart belonged to the woman kneeling before him. He watched as she stood up first and offered her hand for him to take.

"Come on, lets get breakfast ready and then we can talk about that trip of ours. I'm sure Sano and Yahiko will wake up once they smell the food, then we can ask them what they think."

Kenshin nodded, took her hand and rose to his feet.

"Sounds like a plan, that it does."

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"What are you thinking Missy?" Sano spoke between mouthfuls of rice. "I can't believe you're actually thinking about doing this. You've never really traveled before, and do you know how dangerous Kyoto is these days. Oh man, it isn't pretty." Sano turned his eyes to the Kenshin, who had remained silent through out the entire conversation so far. "What do you make of this Kenshin?"

The man mentioned cleared his throat, still keeping his eyes fixed at the table as he spoke. "It was I who suggested this idea, Sanosuke, so do not blame Miss Kaoru." Kenshin's voice was subdued, and Sano knew to trust the older man, no matter how protective he felt of Kaoru. She was, after all, like a sister to him.

Sano placed his chopsticks down next to his empty bowl and scratched his neck, a look of submission and apology written on his face. "Gosh, I'm sorry Kaoru… I just… um…"

"I know, Sano, and thank you." She smiled at him as he raised his eyes to meet her. He gave a smile of defeat and shrugged his shoulders.

"You know you aren't going to leave me here, especially with this crazy rooster head. He'd probably hang by my ankles until you guys came back." Yahiko huffed, folding his across his chest with a pout. "I want to help catch those murderers as much as you do, Kaoru."

"But were not going there to catch them, Yahiko. We wish to warn the Kumamoto group before there's a repeat of what happened here." Kaoru's hands found the material of the kimono in her lap and twisted her hands into it as she spoke. She knew revenge was not hers to take, but the idea of having one of the greatest swordsmen by her side changed things a bit. She shook her head once, forcing the idea of having Kenshin fight for her revenge out of her mind. It wasn't fair, to her or to him, to think in such a way. *He's trying to leave that behind, and if he fights again, especially in Kyoto, there's no telling how it'll affect his already damaged soul.*

"Miss Kaoru, are you feeling well?" Kenshin's words of concern brought her back out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, I think so… I was just thinking about something." Turning to Yahiko and Sano she noticed that their expressions said they didn't believe her. "What?"

"You just seem a little more spacey than usual, Kaoru. I guess that's all ugly girls can do when they don't have boyfriends." Yahiko knew better than to mess around with Kaoru, especially when she was trying to be serious. But he hated to see her eyes downcast with worry or sadness, even for a second. From the daggers Kaoru was glaring at him, he knew his distracting comment must have worked to change her mood a bit.

 Kaoru's knuckles turned white as she twisted the material in between her fingers. She wanted more than anything to leap across the table and strangle the little boy for his discourteous comment, yet restrained herself and decided an icy stare would suffice.

"So when do you think we should leave?" Sano asked, ignoring the glaring contest going on between Yahiko and Kaoru in order to face Kenshin. The redhead shook his head, thinking for a second before opening his mouth.

"By this afternoon, the latest. There's a town just on the outskirts of Tokyo that has an Inn where we could stay." Kenshin frowned at realizing something. "Though not many people travel in that direction, the cost of a room is quite high, that it is. I'm not too sure my pocket has enough for four people."

Sano scooted back and leaned against the wall, picking his teeth with a fish bone from the meal. "That's okay, I think I have some from a game of craps from last week." Out of the corner of his eye, the brunette noticed Kaoru frowned and shook her head at hearing of where he acquired his income. " Hey, it pays the bills, Missy…"

Yahiko got up without excusing himself and ran off towards his room. In less than a couple minutes he was back holding a small wooden box the size of one of his palms. He sat back down, and with everyone's eyes trained on him, he opened it. In it were a few pieces of what looked to be silver and… gold.

"Where did you get that, Yahiko?" Kaoru asked, astounded by what the little boy owned.

"My father collected coins and he helped me start too…" The boy's brown eyes fell on the coins lovingly. He picked one up and held it to his face, trying to read the inscriptions he had learned were in English. "He and mom gave me these for my 11th Birthday, three months ago."

"They are beautiful, Yahiko, that they are." Kenshin interjected, meeting the boy's gaze with a smile. Yahiko turned back to the silver piece in his hand, turning it over with an innocent look of awe. Even Sano's eyes fell kindly on the young boy sitting next to him.

"These are more than enough to pay for everything we need to get to Kyoto, I'm sure of it." Yahiko's willingness to sacrifice his gift shown through his eyes, the eyes searching out those of the rest of the group. No one said a word, everyone refusing to meet his gaze. "Come on, let me help with something too. After all, my parents were taken by those swords. The least I can do is make sure we get there in time to do something." His eyes were welling up with tears, tears he tried to hold back, but his voice wavered with every word he used to get his point across. "Kaoru… please, let me do this."

The woman's eyes slowly returned to his, meeting them with a reluctance that he knew was breaking her heart. "If you wish, Yahiko."

"But we will only use it if our funds run down completely." Yahiko's glossy eyes turned toward the rurouni. "I do not want you to loose such a precious gift, Yahiko. The memory of it is enough to ease your mind, I can tell, but the look in your eyes tells of a story far beyond a simple recollection. You understand?"

Yahiko wiped a sleeve across his face and smiled, firmly nodding his head once. "Okay."

"Then it's settled, the four of us are leaving in a few hours." The tall man rose to his feet, the fish bone still sticking out of his mouth. "Guess I better go pack and say bye to a certain fox lady." The last comment was said with a wink and Kaoru and Kenshin smiled, knowing full well of the admiration the fist fighter had for the young doctor.

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Each one had spent the rest of the late morning and early afternoon in their rooms packing what they needed for the trip. Lunch was made quickly and eaten in the same manner. Soon, everyone had their bags out on the porch, and now they patiently waited for Sano's arrival. Kenshin sat with his eyes closed, sword leaning up against his inner thigh. With his eyes closed he decided it best to meditate a little before taking on this journey. He hadn't traveled in over three months now and he was wondering what to make of it all. Moving that out of mind, he focused to clear it of anything and return it to a state of peace. Kenshin finished his quick exercise and opened his eyes. Upon glancing across from him he noticed Kaoru to be in a similar position with her eyes closed. She had changed into her white training robe and navy blue hakumas and was now leaning over her hands with her eyes closed. Her eye brows would crease in concentration once in a while as she remained silent, her hands clasped together. Kenshin's eyes were riveted to her form as he sensed the intensity with which Kaoru was focusing her energy.

*What is she doing?* He asked himself, never having seen her so tense and relaxed at the same time while concentrating on something. Her lips would twitch every once in a while, as if she were saying something but there was nothing but silence. After another couple of minutes Kenshin noticed her shoulders ease up, and she sat back. Opening her eyes, she averted them to the sound of someone coming through the yard's gate. Kenshin, too, stole his eyes from the young woman to find not only Sano in the yard, but the young doctor Megumi by his side.

"Hi, sorry I'm late. I had more than my things to pick up." Sano grinned and Megumi elbowed him in the ribs.

"Don't listen to him. I just wanted to come by and see if I can be of any assistance. I had something left over from my trips toward the Kyoto area, and since I don't have any more patients in that area I think you can use them." The long haired woman pulled a small envelope out of her bag and walked over to hand it to Kaoru. Kaoru opened it up to reveal five train tickets.

"Miss Megumi, I don't know what to say. Thank you very much." Kaoru got up and hugged the older woman who returned the gesture.

"What is it? The fox wouldn't let me know on our way here." Sano walked over, hands in pockets in his usual leisure style. When he noticed what it was in the envelope he paled. "Wha- what? Train tickets? Oh no, I'm not going now!" Sano bellowed, a frightened wiping the smug look that he usually wore.

"What's wrong Sano? Miss Megumi was very kind in giving these to us, that she was."

"I don't know about you Kenshin, but those things are the work of the devil! They run on some sort of voodoo magic and stuff like that." Sano shivered and hugged his arms around himself.

"You're just a big baby, Sano. There's nothing wrong with trains. Besides, it'll get us there faster anyhow." Yahiko got up from where he sat and stood right next to the tall man, looking up at his face.

"Ah, shut it Yahiko. If you want to ride the express to Hell, I'm not going to stop you. But no one is going to make me get on that thing, you hear me, no one." Sano lifted his chin in the air as if setting his words in stone.

Megumi looked over to Yahiko and winked at him. "Don't worry, I'll get him on the train, you just see." Yahiko smiled to himself, wondering what kind of torture Megumi would subject the rooster headed man to in order to get him on the train. 

"Okay, then it's set. We leave for Kyoto tonight." Kaoru said with a large smile. Everyone nodded outside of Sano who lost his haughty expression in exchange for a nauseous one.

Holding his stomach Sano sat down. "I think I'm going to be sick…"

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A/N: I am soooo sorry for the late update. The end of the school quarter is winding down and I'm rushing to study and turn in papers about things ranging from Indiana Jones to my pet bug Gourdy… I'll explain it if you ask me ^^. It's proving to be nothing less than stressful with a capital S… Plus, I feel all icky and junk… I think I'm coming down with something, again… ugh! Anyhoo, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter… it is the longest one I've written so far. Over five thousand words… Hoowie! That's a butt-load of words! Oh well, I had fun. Okay, once again I want to say thanks to all my reviewers. You people make writing extremely enjoyable. Next chapter will be up in around a week, or maybe earlier… don't know yet. So review, take care, and God bless! Ciao ~ The Honorable Gucci