A/N: Sorry it's taking me so long to get these chapters out! Been really busy lately! Thanks to Aikida who was my beta for this chapter.

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FairyMage - Wellllll… I think I got removed for my writing is LATER chapters. These chapters I don't think is what the person that complained was worried about. Yes, I'm sorry, but my editing is horrible.

Me, Random Person of Doom - I've changed a few things, mostly for editing, but that's about it.

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Chapter 5 - Where's Katsura?

Kenshin watched Neko chase a butterfly the next morning. They were out in the back of the inn and the sun had just risen. Kenshin sighed, tired. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this exhausted. He had stayed up all night before and had never felt this tired. He replayed the events of last night in his head. He had waited for Neko to fall asleep then he was going to leave but every time he tried she would reach out and grabbed the back of his gi in her sleep. In the end he laid there next to her until the first rays of light shown through the window. Then he had sat up and gotten out of the bed. His movements had woken Neko up and she smiled up at him. "Thank-you Kenshin. I slept without any nightmares! Did you have any nightmares?"

He had taken her to breakfast where she ate a bit nervously around the other men but not quite as afraid as she had been when they had walked down the hall together yesterday. Her heard some of the others whisper about Neko, wondering what she was doing here and why she was with the Battòsai. He pretended not to hear. When Neko finished he took her out back because she had been very bouncy and needed to burn off some energy.

Now she was chasing a little yellow butterfly that had flown into the backyard. She tiptoed silently through the dewy grass keeping her back arched as she slowly stalked the butterfly. She tensed her muscles preparing to pounce when her shadow fell on the butterfly and it took flight. Neko jumped anyway cupping her hands but she missed the butterfly. "Come back!" She called as she stood and gave chase after it.

Kenshin watched her in her futile efforts to catch the elusive butterfly for a few moments before falling back into his thoughts. Katsura should be back today and he could help find Neko's uncle. Katsura should be able to figure out what to do with Neko in the meantime. There was no way she was going to sleep in his room again. "Kenshin! Look!" Neko called pulling him from his thoughts. Kenshin looked down at Neko's cupped hands as she held them up towards his face and she slowly opened them. Inside the little butterfly sat opening and closing it's wings slowly. It's tiny legs feeling Neko's skin as it tapped them. Then without warning it flew up, nearly collding Kenshin's face before flying away. Neko laughed and waved goodbye to the butterfly as it grew even smaller in the distance. Kenshin smiled at Neko. She wasn't that bad.

"Okay Neko, time to go." He said heading inside.

She ran up beside him. "Where are we going?"

"You need some new clothes so we are going to buy you some."

Neko started to skip and jump around. "We're going shopping!" They went shopping and Kenshin thought they would never get back to the inn. Neko looked over every piece of clothing and always asked what he thought about it. He never knew shopping for a couple of new clothes would take so long. In the end Neko finally picked out four different kimonos her size. Kenshin used the money he had gotten form the Innkeeper the night before to pay for them.

When the two returned to the Inn Kenshin was surprised to find that Katsura had still not arrived. Kenshin went to his room closely followed by Neko. Kenshin sat down and closed his eyes to meditate like he did nearly everyday. Especially on days like this when he needed to think. Neko sat quietly for a few minutes but then got bored. She started to play with her doll humming as she did so. "Am I going to live here now?" She asked Kenshin.

"No."

"Where am I going to live?"

"I don't know."

"Am I going to live with you?"

"No." Kenshin was growing just a little annoyed by all of Neko's innocent questions when all he wanted to do was think.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to think."

"Oh." She was quiet for a few seconds. "What are you thinking about?"

"Things." Why wouldn't she be quiet.

"What kind of things?"

Kenshin sighed. "I'm trying to think about what to do with you until I can talk to Katsura."

"Oh." Again she was quiet. "Who's Katsura."

Kenshin could feel his body tensing in anger. "He's my boss."

"Oh! What do you do? Do you save people? Like you saved me!" She was excited now.

Kenshin rose to his feet. "Why don't you go look around the inn?"

"Will you come with me?"

"No, I'm going to stay here and think."

"I don't want to go alone. Can't I stay here with you?"

"Yes, but only if you're quiet." Kenshin sat back down, took a deep breath, and started to lose himself in his thoughts.

"What do you do?" Neko asked unable to be quiet until she knew the answer.

"Neko." Kenshin rose to his feet and so did Neko. He put a hand on her back and walked her out of his room. "Just stay around the inn all right. You'll be fine and if anyone gives you a problem tell them you're with Himura, okay? They'll leave you alone."

"But…"

"Neko you'll be fine. I just want a little time to think is all." He shut the door and walked back to the middle of the room and sat down.

"That's not very nice!" He heard her call from behind the closed door.

For awhile Neko stood by the door unsure of what to do. Why had her angel done that? Was he mad at her? Her chest felt heavy as her head drooped. She walked, dragging her feet, away from the door.

She roamed the halls without any idea of where she was going. A few people passed her in the halls and she could feel the fear growing inside her as they moved closer to each other. Each time she expected someone to reach out and take her back to her Master like whoever had grabbed her when she was trying to run away but no one did. Most of them ignored her but a couple men did stop and asked her why she was there.

One man did stop in front of her though. He made no attempts to grab her but Neko was still nervous. She held her doll close to her as the man spoke. "Who are you? Are you the innkeeper's daughter?"

Neko was scared to death but she remembered what her angel had told her. "I'm with Himura." She said clearly. The man's face paled a little before he nodded and walked off. Neko was surprised at how effective that sentence was. She continued her walk.

Kenshin rose from where he sat and went to the door. He shouldn't have gotten so mad at Neko like that. She was just a curious kid. He was a little surprised when she wasn't at the door like he had thought she would be. "Neko?" He said softly looking down both ends of the hall. Kenshin moved out of his room and began his search for Neko.

It didn't take him long to find her but he was surprised at the relief he felt when he found her safe. "Kenshin!" She said happy to see him. "Are you still mad at me." She then added sadly.

"I'm sorry Neko. I shouldn't have done that. I'm not mad at you." If anyone had been in the halls they would have been quite surprised to see the mighty Battòsai apologizing to a child. Kenshin took Neko outback again to play.

For awhile Neko entertained herself. Kenshin watched her dully. "He looks bored." Neko said talking to her doll. "Let's cheer him up!" Neko ran up to Kenshin who looked at her questionably. "Kenshin?"

"Yes?"

Neko reached out her hand and touched Kenshin's leg. "Tag! You're it!" She ran off giggling and laughing. Kenshin watched her run away. Tag? Did she really want him to play tag with her? "Come on! You have to chase me! You do know how to play tag don't you?" Oh he knew how to play tag but it just felt so… weird to be asked to play. "Come on!" Kenshin slowly walked toward Neko, smiling inside. He would have to remember not to run too fast. He started to speed up and Neko took off running and laughing.

Kenshin chased Neko for a long time going just fast enough for her to be out of arm's reach. He finally tagged her when she tripped. Neko giggled and picked herself off the ground and gave chase after Kenshin. She was fast for her age but Kenshin still had to hold back a large amount of speed so she was just behind them. After awhile Kenshin slowed down enough for Neko to catch him. This went on back and forth until: "Himura, what are you doing?" Reizo said stepping outside.

Kenshin stopped abruptly and Neko ran into him. "Nothing." He cleared his throat. "Is Katsura here yet?"

"No." Reizo seemed nervous. "You don't think the Shi-"

"No." Kenshin answered quickly more because he didn't want to hear it and second he didn't think it was time to panic just yet. "He's probably just running late."

"Yeah." Reizo said but he didn't feel comforted by this. Katsura was hardly ever late.

"What's going on?" Neko said not understanding the conversation.

"Nothing." Kenshin said sharply. "Come on it's time for dinner." They ate dinner together then went outside to do a little people watching. Neko sat on the ground playing with her doll and Kenshin sat on a nearby bench watching her. "She's going to have to sleep in my room again tonight." Kenshin groaned slightly. "Please no nightmares tonight." He moved his eyes up to the darkening sky. Where was Katsura?

That night went by a lot easier and with more sleep then the previous. There were no nightmares and Neko laid pretty still so Kenshin awoke the next morning feeling slightly rejuvenated. He was even able to leave the room without waking Neko giving him a little time to himself to put his thoughts together.

When Neko woke up she was slightly alarmed to find her angel missing. "Kenshin?" She called out. She left the room to look for him. "Kenshin?" She called out softly in the hall. She thought she heard the door leading outside opening. She navigated herself towards the front door to see if it was Kenshin. She was slightly surprised to see a strange man. He was a generally good-looking man with black hair. His face looked rather young and he wore his hair in a topknot. He had to be an important person from the way he held himself.

"Who are you?" The man asked when he spotted Neko staring at him.

"I'm with Himura." She said hoping the man would leave her alone.

"Himura? Himura brought you here?" Neko gulped. She wasn't expecting another question. Why did this man react differently from all the other men here?

Kenshin rounded the corner having sensed the new arrival's coming. "Katsura." He spoke when he saw him.

"Aw. So you're Katsura!" Neko said understanding a little more. This man was Kenshin's boss.

"Yes. I am." He turned to Kenshin. "Himura, who is she?"