A/N: Here is the next chapter! Yay! I'm glad to see people are still reading this and is still interested in it! Yay! Oh! I forgot to mention this before, but if there are any mistakes still in the chapter. It's my fault. Sometimes I forgot to change things my beta pointed out to me because I'm stupid like that. -grins- Silly me! Aikida once more was my beta for this chapter. THANKS SO MUCH!
REVIEWERS!
lolo popoki - Thanks SOOOOO much for the support!
animeinsomniac - Well… thanks for saying all my works are wonderful, but you must not have read some of my earlier stories… they sink compared to Amber Eyed Angel. BUT THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE COMPLEMENT AND THE SUPPORT!
tsumesgirl05 - Glad you're liking the story on the second read through!
Shadow Wolves - Wow… I think you've read this more then I have. -winks- As for the name of Neko's master, I do name him later. Those last couple chapters were suppose to be from Neko's perceptive since she doesn't know her Master's name, he is called such.
Hikari and Koi - I LOVE Kenshin torture stories! If you want some to read I run the Kenshin Torture C2 here on fanfiction . net if you want to check it out.
Chibi Binasu-chan - Yes, I guess some of my methods were violent, but couldn't they have sent me a warning instead? I would have listened and changed it. They didn't need to delete the whole thing. And technically…. I only hinted at rape. -grins like a lair who just got away with a lie- I never said anything about rape, and Neko was only molested, never fully raped.
Chapter 4 - A New Start
Kenshin took Neko to a restaurant which was relativity empty. He figured that would be the best place to think and he was sure the girl he had just helped, again, would be hungry. "What would you like to eat?" He asked her. He himself turned to look at the menu.
Neko squirmed in her seat a bit. "Um, I…" She trailed off and stared hard at a spot on the table. "I can't read."
Kenshin shrugged, it wasn't uncommon for someone to be unable to read. So he ordered soup for her and tea for himself. He picked up his tea when it was set before him and began to sip it. "If you're still hungry we'll order more."
"Okay Angel."
Kenshin nearly choked on his tea. He must have heard her wrong. "What did you call me?"
Neko smiled brightly. "Makoto told me." She said happily. "He said you were an angel."
He sat down his cup. "I'm not an angel." He shut his eyes for a moment thinking. 'I'm more of a demon.'
"Yes you are. You helped me, twice!" She held up two figures.
Kenshin shook his head. "No. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
Neko cocked her head. He had to be an angel so why wouldn't he admit it. She smiled as a thought accrued to her. Maybe nobody was supposed to know he was an angel. She could keep his secret. She sipped her soup a little. "What's your name?"
Kenshin sighed. The angel thing had really shocked him. "Himura. Himura, Kenshin."
"I like your name!" She said happily. "I'm Midori, Neko!"
"Neko? You're name is Neko?"
"I like my name!"
"It suits you." Neko smiled at Kenshin and Kenshin could feel the corner of his lips wanting to curl up, something they hadn't wanted to do in a long while. The bouncy, smiling little girl was so cheerful, even around someone like him. Most kids her age would look the other way or cower behind their mothers when he walked down the street but here she sat at the same table with him laughing and smiling and calling him an angel! It almost made him laugh thinking about it.
As Neko ate Kenshin had her retell what had happened since they had parted. He could feel his anger rise as she told of the night she had been sold into slavery, how Makoto had taken a beating for her, the night she had been sold again and had to leave Makoto behind. She told him of her branding, of Akina. When she told him about her dreams he blushed slightly, then she told him how she would practice running so one day she could escape her Master, but the thing that made him the most upset was how Neko explained what happened the night her Master had been gentle with her. "I didn't know what he was going to do, but I knew it was bad." She said tears now flowing down the sides of her face as she relived all those moments.
Kenshin could feel his fists tighten. He had let that man off too easy. One reason he had let him walk away was because for now it was still legal to own slaves. He would have a big enough shock when the Revolution came and he lost all of his slaves but now; he shook his head angry with himself. If he ever saw that man again he would make sure he couldn't touch girls like that ever again.
"What about your family?" He asked wanting to change the subject. "You said you had family."
"Yes one uncle."
"Do you know where you uncle is?"
"Yes! He is fighting for the patriots!" She said a big smile on her face.
Kenshin sighed. If he were fighting, it would be hard to locate him. That was if he was even still alive. "Did he have a wife?"
"No, not yet." Kenshin sighed. Neko would have to come back with him to the Inn. At lest for tonight.
When Neko had her fill the two left the restaurant together. When they were outside Neko grabbed Kenshin's hand. Kenshin looked down at the hand in his stupidly. He hadn't held someone's hand like this since… Tomoe. For a second he wanted to rip his hand away from hers but he also wanted to keep hanging on. Neko smiled up at him and he walked letting her hang onto his hand. As they walked Neko looked at all they passed her eyes wide in wonder. She used to come to this city all the time with her mom and dad but that seemed so long ago now.
Kenshin on the other hand had a thousand thoughts running through his mind. What was he going to do with this kid? She couldn't possibly stay with him. She would need new clothes. What was Katsura going to say? She was going to have to stay at the Inn for now. He couldn't trust leaving her with someone again. Maybe one of the Inn women would want to take her in, he could trust them. What was he going to do with this kid? In the midst of all his thinking Kenshin looked at one of the shopkeepers and stopped. "Wait here." He instructed Neko before walking off. Neko entertained herself by looking up at all the different shops. "Here." He said handing her what he had bought.
Neko turned and her eyes brightened when she saw what he held. It was a simple small grass doll. "For me?" She said breathlessly. He nodded. Slowly she brought up her hands and took it from him. She looked at the doll and smiled at it. The doll was made from grass with some black fabric at the top for hair. It had a green cloth wrapped around it's body for clothing. Neko hugged the doll close to her. "Thank-you!" She would treasure that doll forever, a gift from her angel.
"You're welcome." She took his hand again and they continued. Kenshin took her to the inn he and other Ishin Shishi members were currently staying at. Katsura was not there currently but he was suppose to be by tomorrow, he would have to wait until then. As he walked through the halls awkward glances where thrown his way. Kenshin easily ignored them but Neko grew nervous under their staring eyes. She moved closer to Kenshin's side not sure what these men with swords were intending with their strange looks. She hugged the doll closer to her feeling comforted by the doll's closeness to her.
Kenshin took Neko to his room when they entered and shut the door. He let her hand go and knelt down on the floor to think. He looked at Neko closely trying to feel her emotions. Out in the hall she had been scared to death needing to move closer to him for comfort. Now that she was alone she seemed fine. "Wait here. I'll be right back."
"Where are you going!" Neko asked nervously. "Can't I come?"
Kenshin shook his head. "No, I need to see something. I'll be back in a couple seconds." He left the room shutting the door behind him. Outside the room Kenshin didn't go anywhere. He stood and read Neko's emotions. The fear she had felt before in the hall tripled, she was anxious and nervous. She was either afraid of being alone or afraid of people. Kenshin guessed it was a little of both. When he re-entered the room he felt her fear suddenly peak but disappeared once she had seen who had entered the room.
"That didn't take long!" She said happy to see him again.
Kenshin nodded but inwardly sighed. Having her sleep in her own room would be pointless, she would be too scared. "Tonight you are going to sleep here. Tomorrow I'm going to talk to someone."
"All right." Kenshin shut his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Kenshin?"
"Yes?"
"I have to go to the bathroom." Kenshin sighed and rose to lead the way.
Darkness. Even if he wasn't an assassin anymore he still knew how to use darkness to his full advantage. Running from rooftop from rooftop to get there as quickly as possible Kenshin made his way to the Inn where he had dropped Neko off at just a few short months ago. It was just outside of the city. He dropped down silently as a cat and ran the rest of the way on the ground.
The Innkeeper was checking someone in when the red head walked through the door. He wiped a little bit of sweat off of his head as he talked to the man he was checking in not yet bothering to look at the man who had just entered. "Be with you in a second." He called out.
"I don't think you want to make me wait." Although he hated his nickname sometimes it came in handy for getting things done quickly.
The Innkeeper looked up and studied the man who had walked through his door. He had red hair, a cross shaped scar, and amber eyes. The Battòsai! A lump grew in the Innkeeper's throat as the Battòsai moved towards the counter. "How… how can I help you?"
"I want to know why you thought you could trick me?"
"Trick you sir?" The Innkeeper went through his memories furiously trying to recall any moment he could have been so stupid as to offend the Battòsai. The man who had been checking in stood and stared at what was happening too afraid to move.
" A few months ago, a man brought in a young girl to your Inn. He gave you money and instructions to take care of her and help her contact her family and if her family could not be gotten hold of in the meantime that man would be back in three days to pick her up?"
'Oh Kami!' The Innkeeper thought; fearing for his life. 'Was that him?' He thought back to that night. A young man had brought in a child and what had he looked like? He didn't have red hair did he? Yes, yes he had. Well he certainly didn't have a cross shaped scar. Now that he thought of it he had. Oh Kami, he hadn't known. The rumors where just starting back then he had thought the Battòsai to look more like a bloodthirsty killer not the teenager that stood before him once again. Oh Kami, he was going to die. He had pissed off the Battòsai. Finding his voice the Innkeeper spoke. "Why do you care about that girl?"
Kenshin ignored the question. "I'm curious, what did happen to her? I know she didn't go with her Uncle like you told me." He laid his hand casually on the hilt of his sword.
The action made the Innkeeper gulp. "I… I sold her to a slave trader."
"A slave trader." Kenshin repeated. "A slave trader! How dare you tell such a lie!" Kenshin took a firm grasp and unsheathed his sword. He pointed it at the Innkeeper and the sweaty man thought that was the end. "If I ever find out that you did something like that again I'll kill you. I'll be watching this Inn very closely and all who stays here will have the wrath of Battòsai to worry about for the rest of their lives for giving their money to sweaty, greedy pigs like you!" The man who had been trying to check in ran out screaming. Kenshin smirked. That should hinder this man's business quite a bit. "Now I want you to repay me my money I wasted here. I also want the money you received from that slave trader." Kenshin lowered his sword and the Innkeeper quickly got the money out and handed it over. "Do you know where I can find the man that bought Neko?"
"Neko? Oh! The girl!" The Innkeeper shook his head. "No! I swear! He just happened to be passing through. I have no idea where he or the girl is. Please! I beg you!"
Kenshin sheathed his blade, he believed the man. "I shall spare your pathetic life for now, but if you ever do anything like this again I'll return and then I'll take more then just the money you owe me." The man quivered as Kenshin left.
Kenshin let out a sigh when he was alone. Wild rumors were sure to spread but he was sure that the Inn would never be the same. With the rumors that the wrath of Battòsai would fall on anyone who stayed there should keep most people away. He had been able to punish the man without taking his life. He wanted to find the slave traders who had bought Neko but he guessed that they traveled quite often and it would be nearly impossible for him to track them and still be around on call for whenever Katsura would need him. He would not be able to help Neko's friend Makoto. What of the man that had beat her? Surly it would be easier to find him but not tonight. He had to return now, he had done all he could for now to repay Neko the pain he had cost her for being so foolish.
Kenshin entered his room through the open window. He found Neko right where he had left her: sleeping on his bed and hugging the straw doll he had bought her close to her chest. She was wearing one of his sleeping garments which was ten sizes too big but it had been the best he could do.
Kenshin hopped into the room and not bothering to change propped himself up against the wall just a few feet away from Neko and tried to sleep. For a long time sleep evaded him as ever twitch from Neko caused his reflexes and nerves to act up. He sighed. Sleeping in the same room so close to someone was going to be difficult. He eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.
Neko, on the other hand, did dream. She dreamt that she and her mother where cleaning the house. Her father came home and scooped her up in his strong arms. She was laughing and so were her mother and father. Nothing could ruin this day but from behind her dad two narrow leering eyes appeared. Neko wanted to yell out and warn her father but her voice was gone. The two eyes were personified by a man she knew as Saito. His sword came out of nowhere and she felt her father's muscles slacken as he dropped her. They both fell to the ground. "Daddy?" She mouthed her voice still gone but when she shook him his head rolled away from his body. She screamed but no sound came from her mouth. She turned to her mother for help but she too was on the ground the life pouring from her body and forming a puddle around her body. Tears streamed down Neko's face as she looked up to see Saito standing over her. His sword racing towards her.
Neko opened her eyes her breath catching in her chest as she woke up just as Saito's blade bit her. She reached up and touched her head right by the corner of her eye. Tears had left their salty trail there. She let her finger linger there as new warm tears slipped down her face tracing the old one's trial.
She slowly sat up and looked toward her angel. He was sleeping. She rose from his bed clutching his clothes close and tiptoed toward him. When she had, had a bad before, she would sneak up on Makoto and gently wake him. She was so quiet, like a cat that he never once heard her walking up even if he had already been awake. Now she used that talent of hers to walk up to the Battòsai without his notice. She reached out her hand to touch him.
Kenshin's senses went off and he reached up and grabbed Neko's wrist. He then moved to strangle the girl but stopped himself when he saw who it was. His heart was racing as he saw that she was crying. He had scared her, he just knew it. So he was surprised when she cried., "I had a bad dream!" and fell into him.
Kenshin was absolutely flabbergasted to find the girl crying into his chest babbling about her dream. Hadn't she been afraid when he had grabbed her? He didn't know it but she had mistaken the grab as his way of telling her he was awake. A blush started to rise to Kenshin cheeks when Neko asked an innocent question. "Will you sleep next to me please?"
"We're in the same room!" He said trying to back out of it.
"Please!" She wailed. "I'm scared!" Neko continued to cry until she told Kenshin everything that had happened in her dream, although she had left Saito nameless, and he had promised to sleep next to her.
She climbed back into bed and slid over to make enough room on the mat for him. Kenshin's checks where a bright red as he lay down next to her facing away from her. "Why am I so embarrassed?" He yelled at himself. "She's just a scared kid. She could have been my sister if we were related." Saying that didn't make him feel any better especially when Neko rubbed against his back to assure herself he was there and she was safe. It was going to be a long sleepless night.