Disclaimer: Nah, I'm bored of these disclaimers…I'm not gonna do them anymore…:evil grin:

(Saito walks out looking his usual annoyed self) That's right, since that idiot did it for her last time, she thinks she doesn't have to anymore…she wants me to do it! Authoresses and their egos…this is ridiculous, no one tells the Wolf of Mibu what to do!

SSD: Alright Saito I'm cool with that, but lets just remember who's got the Wolf of Mibu's cigarettes. :waves them in front of him:

Saito:evil mutterings: She doesn't own Kenshin, or any of the rest of them. And despite what she may think otherwise…she doesn't own the Wolf of Mibu! Now give me the blasted cigarettes!

SSD: Unfortunately I must agree with him on that one. Now back to the story…

Two Steps Behind

(A few days after the events that ended the last chapter)

Kaoru looked over the table to Kenshin, poking her food with a fork, but more focused on watching the man with her. He was quiet, staring hard at the food in front of him as if it would somehow give him answers he sought.

"Kenshin?" she finally spoke, leaning over slightly trying to catch his attention.

He looked up as if startled, but then smiled warmly at her. "Sorry…I was just thinking…"

"So I gathered…anything special?" Kaoru asked, smiling back.

Kenshin shook his head, really his mind was still on work, and how he still felt something was wrong, but he wasn't about to bring that up to her, not now, when they were supposed to be having a good time, a date even. "No, not really…except for maybe how nice my companion is looking today…" even at his words a slight blush crept up his face as he watched her from behind unruly bangs.

Kaoru laughed and blushed. "Thanks…" she took another bite of her food. "It's something I just kind of threw on…I'm trying to pack up some stuff and line up a hotel room…the crazies that run the apartments I live in decided they needed to fumigate or something because someone was complaining about bugs or something stupid like that…and they're telling everyone they can't stay there while they do it." she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

Kenshin looked at her concerned. "How long are they making you leave?"

Kaoru shrugged. "I don't know, couple days probably. Not that big of a deal really."

"You don't have to do that, get a hotel that is." Kenshin told her, then as she looked at him confused, he hurried to explain. "You could stay at my place for a while…if you wanted that is…"

"I don't know…I wouldn't want to put you out…" Kaoru started to shake her head.

"You wouldn't, honestly. You work swing shift…when you get off I'm coming on duty. We wouldn't even be there at the same time for most of it…" Unfortunately. He blushed again suddenly at the thought, but quickly pushed it away.

Kaoru looked at him hard for a long moment. "If you're sure it wouldn't be a problem…"

Kenshin smiled again. "Not at all, that it wouldn't."

Kaoru looked relieved. "Thank you…it'd be great!" she started to grin. "You're a great guy!"

Kenshin looked down, but she caught his smile. "I'm not that great, that I'm not."

Kaoru said nothing, but she still smiled.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

After lunch, Kenshin returned to his house, trotting up the sidewalk and keying open his door with a new spring in his step. Kaoru had agreed to come over once she had her stuff together, after her shift, and Kenshin was looking forward to her arrival. It was the first time he'd felt like this about anyone since…since…

His smile fell as his mind shifted back to her. Since he'd been seeing so much of Kaoru he'd almost been neglecting her. Walking into the bedroom he sat down on the edge of the bed looking at the picture sitting on his nightstand. Reaching out he picked it up, looking at the dark haired gently smiling woman who had her arms around a younger Kenshin's neck, as if pulling him back into the shot. He closed his eyes lying back on the bed. He could remember the day, the heat, the scent of the ocean; he could see her as if she was standing there.

"Tomoe…" he spoke quietly into the dim room. "I'm sorry…I haven't forgotten about you. I…never could do that…"

Nothing but silence greeted his words. He licked his lips slightly before he spoke again.

"I still love you, and I always will. But…I've met someone…she's so alive and so…so…she's not like you…. but she…kind of makes me think of you…she's beautiful…and I think I'm falling in love with her…" Kenshin sighed.

Again several moments of silence passed.

"Her name is Kaoru…I want to get closer to her, but I wanted to tell you…I want you to know that I'll always love you…but it's been 10 years…as much as I wish things could have been different…I can't bring you back…"

For a moment he looked at the image in his mind, and he thought he saw her smile a little as a sense of peace came over him. "I'll protect her…. I promise that…" he murmured as he drifted to sleep with the picture still gripped in his hands.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sano yawned as he shuffled his way through the living room of his apartment, pushing some old newspapers to the floor to make room to sprawl on the couch, and pushing aside old dishes to make room on the table to put his lunch, a TV dinner he'd found in the back of the freezer. He didn't have the obsessive housekeeping skills Kenshin did, and only cleaned up when he either had company over, or when he seemed to have ran out of dishes or clothes. It wasn't as if he was home that much anyway, except for the past few days since his release from the hospital. That and at work they'd had him on light duty, mostly reports and paperwork. Sano made a face, it wasn't work to inspire or motivate anyone really.

He winced slightly as he moved his sore shoulder, it was still stiff, but better, and he hoped to be able to talk, coerce, or bribe Seijuro to let him back out on patrol tonight. Sano turned his attention back to the blaring TV, then started flipping through channels. "Soap Opera…infomercial…cartoons….The All Golf Channel! I'm paying how much for cable…to get 300 something damn channels…and none of them are playing anything worth watching?" Sano ranted to the thin air, and was about to toss the remote aside in frustration, but one more click of the button brought up something that caught his attention.

"…Breaking news. This report is just in. There are reports of a bombing within a business complex. It seems that just one office was targeted, and this matches the pattern set up by a series of bombings almost two weeks ago…police on the scene…"

"Shit!" Sano muttered. "Not again! I thought we caught this guy!"

He shoved aside paper heaped on the floor to find his phone, and grabbing it he dialed in Kenshin's number. "Seems the guy was right…."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

At first the sound of the ringing phone didn't register, but Kenshin shot awake when something landed on his chest. Opening his eyes he looked up to see his cat staring back in his face. The next thing he heard was the phone ringing. Pushing aside the cat, and the picture he had still been holding, he jumped up from the bed, running into the kitchen where his phone was and grabbing up the receiver.

"Hello?"

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sano waited impatiently until he heard Kenshin's voice come on the other side of the line.

"Hey Kenshin…. we got trouble…"

"What are you talking about?" Kenshin sounded almost impatient.

"You watching the news?"

"No I'm not Sano…what is going on?" Kenshin demanded.

"Turn on channel 5." Sano told him, still watching the breaking news footage rolling.

"Sano, what is this about…fine give me just a moment…"

There was a faint thump of Kenshin putting the phone down, then of him moving around in the other room, then the white noise of the TV coming on. There was a long moment where nothing else was heard, until Sano heard Kenshin pick up the phone again.

"Well?" Sano asked.

"I told them…I told them!" Kenshin's frustration was returning. "I knew it wasn't her!"

"So it seems our bomber is still out there…or we got a copy cat." Sano mused.

"No, it's our bomber. When I get in there I'm going right to Seijuro, I'm tired of playing this damn game!" Kenshin said, sudden fierceness in his voice. "This has gone on long enough!"

"Kenshin…just don't…" Sano started.

"If I'm not there when you get in, you'll know why." Kenshin said, then the line was dead.

Sano looked at the phone for a long moment before putting it back. Kenshin was getting very weird lately, there was something going on he wasn't letting on. And Sano intended to find out what.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kaoru was walking up the path to Kenshin's house when he came out; ready for work with a look she'd never seen on his face.

"Kenshin, what is it?" She asked, worried.

"This has gone on long enough, and dammit, Seijuro is going to listen to me!" He said, determination thick in his voice.

"What are you talking about?"

"The bombing, I knew it wasn't the woman they caught." Kenshin looked hard at her, his face softening just slightly when he saw the worry and fear on her face. "Don't worry…nothing's gonna happen to you and…I won't do anything crazy."

Kaoru didn't look convinced, but gave him another hug, which he returned just as strongly, before pulling away. "I need to go. Make yourself at home…anything in there you can use." He forced a smile, but his expression quickly turned hard and serious again.

She watched him walk down the drive, get into his truck and pull out onto the street and sighed. No matter what he said, she did, and would worry about him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kenshin burst into Seijuro's office with a ferocity that surprised the police Captain. He put his hand over the receiver of the phone he was talking on and glared at Kenshin.

"What the hell do you want?" he lifted up the phone again. "I gotta go, call you back." He slammed the phone down and glared hard at Kenshin. "This had better be good Himura!"

Kenshin stalked to the desk and thumped his hands down on the edges. "I was right. It wasn't her. But you refused to listen, and now someone else is dead!"

"Himura, if this is about the bombing…"

"You're damn right it is! Because we still have a bomber at large, and you are going to have to face the fact that we are dealing with something major here! I demand you listen to…" Kenshin fumed, Seijuro was very surprised, he wasn't used to this kind of anger coming off the small, easygoing man, but he quickly recovered himself.

"I don't have to listen to anything! I have a team of experts on this case, and I don't need you in here every day yelling at me! Now get out of my office, and for the last time…leave this damn case alone!" Seijuro shouted back at Kenshin.

The redhead seemed to compose himself, but his next actions were even more surprising then his outburst.

"I can't do that Sir. I can't just turn my back on what's happening here." He took off his badge and dropped it onto Seijuro's desk.

"What are you doing? If you quit on me…if I find out you've taken this into your own hands, I'll have a warrant out for your arrest so fast you won't know what hit you!" Seijuro threatened.

"Then so be it." Kenshin said quietly, locking eyes with Seijuro for a long moment before turning on his heel and leaving the office before the Captain could totally comprehend what had just happened.

Once outside Kenshin strode back to his car, the others had already left, but he had to talk to them. It was a long shot, but his partners were the only chance he had right now. In the cab of his truck he dug in the glove compartment until he found his emergency cell phone, and praying it had some charge left on it dialed Sano's pager that he knew his friend always had with him. He left a short message, then drove out of the police lot. He hoped the man listened to what he'd asked, it was the only shot he had right now.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

About 15 minutes later found Kenshin parking his truck behind the Akebeko, a small restaurant and coffee shop, popular with the locals, and one of Unit 42's favorite 'breaking places'.

Walking through the door he was met with a young woman wearing a uniform and carrying a pot of coffee.

"Ah Kenshin…your friends are here, they're at the booth in the corner…" she spoke in a Texas accent, eyeing him and raising a brow to see him out of uniform, but decided it was best not to ask.

"Thanks Tae…" Kenshin was relieved to hear they were here.

He walked into the back, and slid into the booth with the three other officers, all of whom looked at him curiously.

"Ok, I got them to come…but you gotta tell us what's going on. Your message made no sense." Sano raised a brow, looking at his best friend.

"I'm sorry if I pulled you off anything…" Kenshin said, suddenly feeling guilty for even thinking of involving them in this. This was his fight, not theirs.

"Just the same thing we do all the time." Yahiko started to roll his eyes, but instead they drifted to a young, rather cute waitress working with Tae. He caught himself a moment later and looked back to Kenshin. "We can just say we're on break anyway."

Saitou tapped some ash from his ever-present cigarette into an empty mug in front of him. "Sagara tells me you had a talk with the Captain. It doesn't look like it went well."

"I quit." Kenshin said simply.

Sano almost spat out a mouth full of coffee, then started to cough. "You did…. what!"

"He wouldn't listen to me, he wouldn't believe me…and I can't just let this go…" Kenshin looked at them.

"And you want us to help you." Saitou said flatly.

"Just…what are you trying to do?" Yahiko asked.

"Yeah." Sano had recovered by this point. "Ever since this started you've been really weird. Jumpy…angry about everything. Just what is it about this Shishio and Juppongatana that you know that you're not saying?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, looking hard at Kenshin.

Kenshin sighed, looking at the three faces with him. "I'm sorry…you're right. You at least have the right to know what the story is…"

He looked at Saitou who only shrugged.

"It was ten years ago…When Saitou and I were both special tactics and operations officers…"

Author's Note: And in the next chapter it will finally be revealed just what Kenshin did that everyone keeps talking about, what Shishio is so angry about, and the back-story that leads us to this point. But the story itself is far from over…stay tuned for the next chapter!

I especially want to thank charmedsword for your wonderful review; I do tend to agree with you about AU fics. (though not all of them, I have read some that are very good) but I decided to try my hand at a modern AU that wasn't romance or high school centered. Thanks again though, I was starting to loose my inspiration for this story, but that review brought it back for me!