Disclaimer: Stop, stop! Stop the in-coming of lawyers! This is only a result of too much time and imagination! I no steal, that I don't!

Author's Note: and here's the long-awaited chapter describing what went on after kenshin left… by the way, please excuse my poor diction in a certain part as meri-san has never had any experience writing this kind of eh…genre… …meri-san recommends that people who are easily offended by whatsoever steer away from the section labeled '1', although it is rather mild and poorly composed. Oh well…

Like I said, this chapter explains what happened five years ago, so the whole thing's a FLASH-BACK. FIVE YEARS AGO. THINK TIME MACHINE.

UPDATE: Well, here's the new edited version of chapter five. Changes are mostly made in the section around the bottom of the page, to explain how Kaoru got involved with Gohei in the first place. Which also kind of answers kenshinlover2002's question…

…

Chapter Five: Five Years Ago.

Kaoru bent over and threw up. She felt sick and shaken to the core. What was wrong with her? The young kendo master cleaned up and headed to the dining room where Sanosuke, Yahiko and the Gensais were having breakfast.

"Oei, Jou-chan, what's up with you lately? You seem so… spaced out." Observed Sanosuke as she sat down next to him.

"I threw up again." Kaoru stated bluntly.

The former Zanza pondered on this, but was distracted by Yahiko's non-stop chomping and slurping. Finally, he settled for a good-old fashioned knock on the ten-year old's head.

"Ow!" cried Yahisko, rubbing his head. "What did you do that for?"

"Just to remind some of us that there are certain things other than food that we need to focus on now," Sanosuke told Kaoru's bratty student.

"Well, maybe it's because of Ugly's yucky cooking that she's down with food poisoning," Yahiko tried to joke. Now, Sanosuke simply slapped his head in exasperation.

Kaoru put down her chopsticks; her appetite wasn't there anymore, just like the past few days. Just then, she felt her friend's calloused hand on hers.

"Jou-chan, leave that little brat to me and go see Kitsune about your throwing up," Sanosuke's voice was gentle but firm.

Kaoru nodded. All right," she replied, and went to change into her kimono before leaving for the clinic.

…

It was close to a month since Kenshin had left her for the days of a rurouni, but only three days since the nausea had set in for no apparent reason, yet those three days seemed more than a lifetime.

Now, Kamiya Kaoru, 18-year old master of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, the one who faced Kamatari of the Juppon Gatana, was waiting anxiously and somewhat nervously for Megumi's diagnosis.

"Kaoru," Megumi called her, her expression a seeming mixture of a certain anger and pity caused by something. "Please sit down." She said quietly. Kaoru did as told. The lady doctor looked at her for a few moments, as if contemplating what to do next.

Finally she spoke, "Kaoru, be honest with me: How far did you and Ken-san go in your… relationship?" The young girl felt as if Megumi had just taken a knife and pierced it into the very centre of her heart.

"Nani?" she cried, shocked. "What are you talking about?" Kaoru couldn't fathom why Megumi would say such a thing… the numbness she felt after Kenshin's departure now sprang up as a sharp jolt of pain- she knew how downcast Megumi was upon hearing the news but… why bring it up again? Was the past coming back to haunt her? Would the mistake she made by letting Kenshin into her life never cease to be with her throughout her entire life?

The lady doctor must have seen the look of hurt on Kaoru's face, because she took the young woman's hands in hers, looked into her eyes and said clearly, "You're going to have a baby, Kaoru."

Dame… thought Kaoru, numb with shock. But how? And when?

As if in reply, a memory long hidden away in the back of her hand sprang up before her… it was that night before Enishi's duel with Kenshin at the Dojo.

…

1. I want to stay with you.

The words rang in Kaoru's head as she threaded softly in the Dojo, not wanting to disturb anyone from their sleep, especially when rest was so important to the different individuals facing a tough and perilous fight the following day.

The kendo master shivered slightly; it was a cold night, and the 18-yr old fully planned to head back to her warm futon.

Kaoru sopped outside Kenshin's room, then opened the door a tiny bit to check on him.

"Kaoru-dono," the gentle-eyed rurouni greeted her, looking up at the young girl standing outside his room. "What are you doing outside? It's cold tonight. Please come in, that you should."

Kaoru complied, feeling a bit odd that Kenshin had asked her to step into his room… and alone. Of course, the Dojo belonged to her, and Kaoru was free to step in anywhere she wanted as and when she liked, but the rurouni usually preferred privacy… why now, did he simply invite her in? A cold breeze blew in then, and Kaoru made her decision to step into the room and close the door behind her.

She knelt down beside Kenshin, studying his eyes of a lavender shade, hidden partially by the fiery red hair that made him so recognizable. Kenshin's eyes, bright during the light of day, now looked so mysterious yet warm at night when the sun set and the pale moon rose over Tokyo.

Her gaze trailed the two scars carved in the shape of a cross, down to his swordsman's hands, resting on his upper calf…

"Kaoru-dono," she looked up, startled. Kenshin was looking at her in a puzzled kind of way. Inwardly, she chastised herself. How could she be looking at Kenshin like that? It was just plain rude and…

Not wanting to think anymore about it, she muttered an apology and stood to leave, but felt Kenshin holding her back.

"Kaoru-dono," began Kenshin, as if a little unsure of what to say. "Sessha was thinking of what you said to me today, that I was."

They both lapsed into silence, thinking about their previous conversation.

Kaoru-dono!

I found you…

They walked on…

Kenshin, you told me before that a sword is a weapon, and kenjutsu is the art of killing, but that you liked the naive joke that a sword could protect life better than reality. Lately, when I see Yahiko or these kids, I think that now the 'art' of kenjutsu is becoming a 'way,' the new age has really come . . . Then we'll be at peace, and that naive joke really will be reality. And then, if we can all stay together, things could be all right.

Yes . . But it's impossible.

What?

Times change. Even kenjutsu will change. But people don't change. That doesn't happen. In the half-year that he's been learning kenjutsu, Yahiko's been growing up with amazing speed. He'll become a praiseworthy swordsman, and pass through the gates of the dojo into the Meiji era. Sanosuke's been living there with everyone, but he's a man of such caliber that this town won't hold him long. In the not-too-distant future, he'll set out into the wide world. Miss Megumi will return to Aizu to look for her family. And she'll use her excellent medical skills to help the injured and sick. The others are the same . . . They all walk their own paths, live their own lives. A journey without farewells, a beginning without end. It's a little lonely, but that's how it is.

But . . . I want to stay with you.

"You remember, Kaoru?" Kenshin asked her. Kaoru shivered slightly when she noticed that he had dropped the "dono".

Kaoru turned her sapphire orbs away, not wanting her inner thoughts to betray her, but keeping her ears tuned for his next sentence.

"The best thing I ever heard after "I don't care about your past" was that." Kenshin continued. His hands reached out and cupped Kaoru's porcelain-like face, lavender gaze squarely meeting bright sapphire orbs.

"But…" said Kaoru.

1.She never got to finish her sentence, for Kenshin pulled her face even closer to his and gave her a hard, long kiss. Her eyes widened in mild shock, then as if pulled by a hidden motion, she wrapped her arms tightly around his frame, not wanting to let go of his hold.

Kenshin broke the contact, his face only inches away from hers, his gaze turned out. "I am sorry, that I am," he muttered. "I didn't mean to shock you like that, that I didn't. Please leave, Kaoru-dono…I'm afraid of…"

"Of what?" Kaoru interrupted." I'm not afraid of what path I will walk on if I continue by your side. I want to stay with you… forever. Please…"

The rurouni gave in to the raven-haired girl's pleas, pulling her tightly into his embrace, kissing her once more, loosening his hold and allowing his grips to fully encircle her, showing her a totally different feeling, a new way to love the person of your affections.

Kaoru gave in to Kenshin, as did Kenshin give in to her plea to return her love totally.

1.In the end she never went back to her own room after all. Kaoru spent the entire night in Kenshin's embrace, not wanting to leave him, not for even a single second, not after what he had showed and given to her, something that no one else in the world could ever give to her.

There was no real explanation behind this: perhaps it was the fear of the on-coming duel with Yukishiro Enishi- though strong, Kenshin's body was already torn from the combat he faced in Kyoto, and Megumi predicted permanent injuries and even death for the rurouni if he ever fought intensely again; possibly it was the result of Kaoru's confession, sparking Kenshin's decision to return her love and the security they could rest in as both sides now knew for sure that their feelings for each other were true.

Or maybe it was a combination of everything: desire to be with one another, the need for someone to hold during cold nights and many other nights, someone you could show your love to, and most importantly, someone you could share something precious with, that something which couldn't be given to more than two people at a time.

1. Kenshin warned Kaoru that true love would hurt, but the young girl replied that she was not afraid of anything. However, love in the flesh was a totally different thing from what Kaoru expected.

Kaoru gritted her teeth, willing herself not to scream as he came nearer and nearer. Kenshin noticed and planted a light kiss on Kaoru, assuring her that it wouldn't hurt anymore after that. As the time passed in a flawless way…

Finally he gave it to her. The love which you can receive from someone at his own will, the very gift that can only be exchanged between two people who will stay by each other's side to the very end.

I want to stay with you.

"Dame!" Kaoru protested. It was too much for the 18-yr old to handle. First the breakup, and now she had his baby. What would the neighbours say? More importantly, how was she going to raise the newborn on her own?

"I don't want the baby!"

Megumi's face turned white, her expression frozen in utter shock at what the young expectant mother had just told her. "How dare you say that!" she gasped in horror. "Do you what it's like to have a life in your hands, depending on you for its very survival and existence? All I could do in the past was just destroying life after life that you brought before me but you have a say in the baby's life! You have the chance to choose! What are you going to gain by killing the bay?"

"You don't understand," the raven-haired girl retorted, "This is Kenshin's child. It'll only represent everything to do with Kenshin and remind me of whatever I want to forget! Why should I go through the pain once more?"

Kaoru broke down then, her tears spilling forth. Megumi softened. She felt then that she shouldn't be so harsh on her. Taking the sobbing girl into her arms, she consoled her softly, "Now now, you silly thing, this baby is yours too. It'll take after you too, not only the father. Besides, when the waiting is over, you will only have to take one look at the baby and I can bet all my life that you won't even want to turn your gaze away from the newborn. Believe me."

…

Kaoru left the clinic an hour later, trudging back to the Dojo slowly. Very soon she would be walking at a much slower pace, weighed down by her pregnancy.

Kamiya Kaoru, however, was already weighed down by a thousand other problems. Even if she decided to keep the child, how was she going to cope financially? She doubted that drunken freeloader and a bratty kid would be of much help

She could ask for Megumi's assistance… no. She was much too busy with her own duties as a doctor to deal with such matters as these. Misao? No, the girl was a year younger than herself, not at all at the age to handle such cases.

As soon as she entered the Dojo, Sanosuke came towards her. "So Jou-chan, what's the bug?" he asked her. Kaoru looked at him, then burst into tears again and cried onto his shoulder.

…

A few days later, Kaoru went to get tofu. She was oblivious to the world around her, lost in her own troubles and worries.

She almost walked past the large mansion without noticing the rather large, beefy man standing at the gate.

Hiruma Gohei, the very man whose one goal was to bring down the Kamiya Dojo and the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. "I was hoping you would stop by here Kamiya Kaoru." He smirked.

Kaoru felt hatred for one of the assholes who had turned her entire life upside-down.

"I see you still have the question about money, don't you?" he asked her in a mocking tone.

A rhetorical question, one that expects no answer, because it is already an answer in itself.

Kaoru replied with a hostile glare. "I bet that you gave up on answering that question of why you never went on being the greatest swordsman you so wanted to be?" she asked, knowing full well the effect of her words, another rhetorical question.

Gohei bristled at her remark. Both knew that the issue of him being denied forever the chance of practicing swordsmanship was highly sensitive and it could trigger off something big.

"You'd better be careful what you say, bitch," he threatened menacingly. "You don't want to get into unnecessary trouble, do you? Always remember: never bite the hand that will feed you in the future."

…

Kaoru spent the next few days, puzzling over how Gohei knew about her financial problems. What did he mean the hand that would feed her?

She placed her hand on her still flat stomach, noting grimly that soon it would get bigger and bigger, inviting unwanted gossip and many other problems. And then what?

The young mother-to-be sighed, feeling somewhat defeated. Just how was she going to solve her problem? Soon, she would have to stop giving lessons to the other schools, and when the baby was born, all her time would be taken up caring for the child. Money couldn't last forever; raising a child cost a lot. Who could she turn to now?

never bite the hand that will feed you in the future

…

"Hiruma Gohei?"

Everyone stared at Kaoru in wide-eyed shock. Even the eighteen-year old herself was a little surprised at first when she thought of her old enemy. But as time passed, she was growing more and more desperate for financial help.

"Are you sure about this Kaoru?" Megumi asked her, as she contemplated silently on giving the kendo teacher a full mental checkup to make sure she was in a right state of mind.

Kaoru kept silent, not wanting to answer the lady doctor's question. She really didn't like to stoop so low as to ask Gohei for help but…who else could she turn to?

Next to her, Sanosuke cursed under his breath. Kaoru knew full well his reason: he detested Gohei for having made use of him and nearly forcing him to resort to mindless murder.

"But do you really need to, Jou-chan?" the former Zanza asked her. Kaoru nodded. "I have to for the baby," she said.

Sanosuke nodded reluctantly.

…

"So you have finally decided to come crawling back," sneered Gohei.

"No, I'm not," Kaoru retorted, bristling at the insult thrown at her.

"Fine." He leaned back in his chair, "What did you come here for?"

Kaoru forced her tongue to move; it was the hardest thing she had ever done. The raven-haired girl felt disgusted at having to beg him for "donations", and even more uneasy at being alone with him.

"I need your financial help." She finally spoke. Gohei raised his eyebrows in mock amusement, "Oh? But why? I thought you'd manage to survive on your own but-? No. I'm not going to waste my money on someone who erased my chance of ever becoming the greatest swordsman alive! Go on, get out!"

"But-" Kaoru faltered.

"I said, GET OUT!" Gohei roared.

"Dame!" protested Kaoru, getting desperate. She couldn't fail at this, otherwise she would lose the chance of being able to raise her child without endless difficulties. There was no other choice left; she had to tell him, "I'm pregnant, I need the money to raise the baby."

Minutes passed as they both stare at each other. Kaoru balled her fists and squeezed tightly, silently begging Gohei to say yes. Then, he suddenly threw back his head and laughed loudly.

"So Battousai has a successor and he's not even around to share the responsibility?" Gohei smirked. Kaoru glared daggers at him. "State your price."

"My what?" Kaoru asked, puzzled.

"What will you give me if I help you?" Gohei replied.

Kaoru hesitated. What did she have that Gohei wanted? Finally, she found the answer: her Dojo.

"What do you want?" she asked in an uncertain tone.

"It's obvious isn't it?" he shot back sarcastically. "Give me your Dojo, and let me do whatever I want with it, and I'll handle all your finances for you."

Give him her Dojo? To have him in charge of running the daily affairs? Let him take over everything when she had fought so hard to keep it out of his hands?

Couldn't there possibly be something else that he wanted?

"Demo…" she said.

Gohei shrugged nonchalantly, "Unless you want me to refuse…?"

"Fine. It's a deal."

There was absolutely no other choice left.

…

Megumi was right; she won the "bet". Nine moths later, when the bulge in Kaoru's abdomen gave way, everyone gathered to see the latest addition to the Kamiya Dojo.

The minute the newbon came into the world, the young mother couldn't take her eyes off him. Kenshin's offspring, his son was a spitting image of his gather; his head was covered by flaming red hair the shade of fire, and he seemed to have a certain air about him that was very similar in Kenshin as well. In fact, they were both the same in every aspect for the fact that he had Kaoru's eyes.

"Well, looks like Ken-san didn't totally dump us. It seems that he left something behind… for you." The lady doctor smiled at the mother and her newborn.

"At least he doesn't look like Ugly, or I'd have nightmares about seeing double!" interrupted Yahiko.

One second later, Yahiko was knocked out by Sanosuke's Futae No Kiwami. He lay there slumped, his eyes swirling like mini whirlpools.

"So what are you going to name him?"

Kaoru took one look at the baby cuddled in her arms.

"Kenji."

…

And so five years passed, each year seeming better than the last as Kaoru raised her son. When they were together, time seemed to have stopped, allowing both mother and son to appreciate every moment they were in each other's presence.

Only there was something missing, something that couldn't be replaced, a reminder that stayed there no matter how much time passed.

…

author's note: -pantpant- fingers…are…oh…so…very…tired… anyways yeah, here's what happened after Kenshin left. I FINALLY got this chapter done! It makes me feel so good to know I've completed another part in Timeless Love! This fic seems to be the most-read here, compared to my other works.

For the parts labeled '1', I know… it's totally crap! Like I said, I've no experience at all! It's more hints if you ask me… never intended for that part to be THAT long but I guess I just wanted to show just how much Kenshin and Kaoru love each other.

Last part of my boring after-speech: Happy Birthday, Kazuki-san! P Other than that, meri-san is just pleased that she got this thing finished, after a long wait of two weeks.

Until the next chapter! –grin5- Muazziez!

UPDATE: Well, that pretty much says why Kaoru let Gohei take over the Dojo, and all that. IMO, she would never allow that to happen, but considering the circumstances… well, all mothers want the best for their child, right? Yes, and I fully agree that Gohei IS truly a bastard.