After a destructed childhood, Kaoru is a cold and heartless girl. People call her the Ice Queen and she is the most isolated person at school. Until Kenshin comes along and he is intrigued by this girl. Soon he finds himself wanting to know more about this mysterious girl...but will she let him?
"Daddy! Daddy! I drew you a picture!" Seven-year old Kaoru excitedly handed her father a piece of paper. "Me and Mommy just came back from the zoo! I drew you a big lion Daddy, because you weren't there." She looked up at him expectantly.
Kaoru's father took it and laid it on the side, not even bothering to glance at it. "Not now, Kaoru. Can't you see Daddy's busy watching T.V.?"
Kaoru stared at him with such hurt bewilderment, her sapphire eyes shone with tears. "But…but Daddy…"
"AW! NO! Look, now you made me missed the play! Stupid girl…go to your mother." He roughly pushed her out of his face as he continued to watch the football play unfold, downing the rest of his beer bottle.
"AND WHILE YOUR AT IT, TELL THAT WHORE YOU CALL YOUR MOTHER TO BUY ME MORE BEER!" he yelled back to Kaoru.
Kaoru sniffed and ran upstairs to where her mother lay in bed.
"Mommy…" she whispered.
"Oh, honey…I know Daddy isn't very nice right now…don't worry. Things will get better…I promise." Her mother's weary face looked down upon her daughter. She stroked Kaoru's hair while the little girl wept in her mother's arms. When at last Kaoru was asleep, she lay her down on the bed and stood up to talk to her husband. She needed to have a word with him.
"Husband…" Kaoru's mother said sternly.
He looked up. "What have I told you? You are either to address me as 'Sir' or 'Mr. Kamiya.' It isn't that hard, you idiotic woman."
She ignored him. "How could you? She's your DAUGHTER! She loves you very much…why can't you do the same?"
"Get out of my face, you whore." He hissed.
"No…you listen to me. All this success…all this glory…look what it's turned you into! A monster! A drunken bastard." She spat.
"SHUT UP!" he roared and raised his fist to strike her hard. That would teach the little bitch to watch her mouth.
As she lay still on the floor he continued to kick her and beat her and scream until he finally stopped. Everything was quiet except for her soft whimpers and his harsh, ragged breathing.
"Learn your place, woman." He growled.
"I know where I belong…" she sat up slowly. "And it isn't here."
Standing up, she stated, "I'm leaving."
He only stared at her for a moment before he burst out laughing.
"Leave? You can't leave me and you know it. Without me, you're nothing but a pathetic, helpless whore. If you leave, you and your daughter will be out on the streets." And with that he shoved her back down and stalked out the door.
Kaoru's mother sank back to her knees. Finally letting the pain and pressure wash over her she began to cry. She cried and cried all by herself, just like she has done every night for months.
And all Kaoru could do was watch.
She had awoken with a start when she heard her father's angry screeches. Creeping downstairs, she hid around a corner and watched her father relentlessly beating up her mother. It was more than enough to make her cry again.
"Oh Daddy…please stop," she begged quietly.
When at last he did stop her mother burst into tears. It wasn't the first time she's seen her cry but it hurt every time she did. Every night she'd hear her mother crying her heart out and she desperately wished she could do something about it.
She knew her father was evil, there was no doubt about it. But she loved him, as much as he ignored her and as much as he hit her mother, she loved him.
Finally gathering the courage to speak, she crept over to her mother and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Mommy?" she whispered.
"Oh! Kaoru, honey." Her mother brushed the tears out of her eyes.
"Mommy…are you okay?"
"Of course, sweetie. I, uh, just fell…ya…but I'm okay now." She quickly stood up.
Kaoru knew her mother was lying to her…again. She loved her mom more than the world but she wished she would stop lying. Countless times she had promised that things would get better. Countless times she had pretended that everything was fine. But it's gone on for too long.
"C'mon, Kaoru. It's time for bed." She started back upstairs but Kaoru stood in place.
"No, Mommy." She stated firmly.
"What?" her mother slowly descended the steps again.
"Mommy…this has gone on for way too long! Why do you let him do this to you? To us?" her voice began to rise with every word she spoke.
"He makes you CRY, Mom…he hurts you and he hurts me. Why are we still here? Why, Mommy?" Kaoru's bottom lip began to quiver as she felt some new tears springing to action.
Tears were already streaming down her mother's face.
"I know you heard him, Kaoru…and he's right. If we go, we'll be on the streets. Do you want that?" her mother bent down to hug her tight, but Kaoru pushed her away.
"I'd want anything but to be in this dump!" she screamed and ran up the stairs.
Kaoru's mother sat on the couch. Her daughter was right. It wasn't fair. She realized it was too late for her to escape, but maybe not for Kaoru. She could get Kaoru out of this…she just had to!
Contemplating what she could possibly do with the seven-year old girl, she finally had an idea.
"Kaoru!" her mother began springing up the steps. "Kaoru!"
"What," came Kaoru's muffled reply as her mother found her lying face down on her pillow.
"Pack your things honey, you're leaving." She began hustling about, throwing open a small suitcase and packing a few clothing articles and money.
"We are?" Kaoru was excited. Finally! A chance to escape!
"No…YOU are," her mother replied.
"Wait…what? JUST me? But…but Mom…I can't-"
"You can!" Kaoru's mother took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "You are a clever girl, Kaoru. I'm giving you $500, and a knife."
Kaoru's eyes widened when her mother spoke of the knife. She couldn't use it! What would she need it for?
"You're going to escape. Okay, honey? You're going to get out of this…this hellhole…and you're going to grow up to be a smart girl and raise a healthy family and be everything your father and I weren't."
Kaoru looked through her mother's eyes. They were practically black. She remembered when they were a sparkling sapphire…much like her own.
"But, what about you, Mommy?" Kaoru asked.
"It's too late for me…I'm stuck Kaoru. I waited too long…somehow…I knew this day was going to come. It's too bad I didn't listen to myself the first time…" her mother sighed.
"I can't. I can't leave you! Not with that monster!" Kaoru argued.
"No! Do this for ME. I need you to go out there! I need you to go…please Kaoru…for me…please…" she begged.
Kaoru hesitated. "Okay…but only for you. I will come back though."
Her mother gave a watery smile. "Okay."
The next few minutes were spent on the last of the packing and some planning. Her mother gave Kaoru pointers on where to go and where not to go. The streets were dangerous at this time of night.
It wasn't before long Kaoru was out in the street, lugging her suitcase and giving a very sorrowful goodbye to her mother.
"Bye…Kaoru…I love you." Her mother hugged her precious daughter tightly, perhaps for the last time.
"Bye Mommy…I love you!" Kaoru sniffed before pulling back and walking down the road.
She didn't look back.
More to come! Please keep reading! Or at least review...good? Bad? REVIEW!