I am happy to say that NO ONE has guessed Kenshin's plot! I considered the things people guessed, but they were a little too overused, so I came up with something more original. Don't ask me, just read!

…Oh, yeah. Me no own.

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Chapter 3: A Plot in Three Parts

The morning dawned as it always did, with Kenshin cooking breakfast. He set the plates on the table as Kaoru walked in, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She accepted a bowl from Kenshin and took her place at the table. Yahiko walked in, wide awake, and sat. He took the food offered and shoveled it down his throat at an inhuman pace. Kaoru glared at him, but Yahiko didn't notice. He caught Kenshin's eye and Kenshin nodded ever so slightly.

"Bu- er, Kaoru?" Yahiko asked. Kaoru looked at him, surprised.

"What do you want, Yahiko?" Yahiko looked at his now empty bowl.

"Could… Could we trainsomewhereelsetoday?" He asked in a rush. Kaoru blinked, sorting out the jumble.

"Like where?" He looked up.

"Well, I found this really great clearing in the woods, and since it's such a nice day out I thought a change of pace might be good…" Kenshin had to smile. The boy was good! Kaoru nodded happily.

"Alright, Let me change clothes and we can go." Kaoru left, and Yahiko flashed Kenshin a victory sign.

Kenshin sighed. Stage One.

After bidding the two a good training session and farewell, Kenshin turned his attention to the house.

"No point in waiting," he said to himself. Tying back his sleeves, he went to work. Under his care, every floor was polished, every surface dusted, anything dirty in the house was cleaned. Any dust in the house would answer to him!

Finding that done, he went shopping. Not for much, but enough that would have gotten him in trouble had Kaoru been there. Heading back to the dojo, he saw the sun high in the sky. Almost noon. Almost time for Stage Two. Shaking sweat from his eyes, he tidied himself up and gathered the laundry.

Just in time, for as he poured in the water, Kaoru and Yahiko walked in. Hastily he beckoned to Kaoru. She walked toward him, curious.

"Kenshin, what is it?" He fished a kimono out of the water and showed her a small miso stain.

"Kaoru-dono, sessha is at a loss. Sessha doesn't think this kimono can be saved." He mumbled. She stepped closer to inspect the stain.

"It doesn't look that bad." He held his breath and waited. Please let her believe me, he thought. Finally she took a step back.

"Oh, well, if it doesn't come out this time, we can scrap the kimono. I didn't really like that one anyway." At that moment Megumi walked through the gate. Kenshin tried hard not to let his relief show.

So far, so good.

"Hey, Tanuki!" Kaoru looked over her shoulder and saw the fox doctor. She blinked in surprise.

"Megumi? What are you doing here?" Fox ears appeared on the doctor's head.

"Well, I was just thinking… Do you know Hiroshiito-san's shop?" Kaoru's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, that gorgeous kimono shop that opened a while back right? Fabulous kimonos…" Kaoru looked down. "Too expensive for me, though…" She trailed off.

"Ohohohohoho, I just thought you'd like to know that he's having a sale…" Kaoru perked up at the word 'sale.'

"…Half off…" Kaoru head popped up and her eyes began to shine.

"Only today." Megumi finished. Kaoru's eyes bugged out.

"Ack! Gotta go! Kenshin- no, you're doing laundry, Yahiko's training, Sano's gambling, Megumi, wanna come with me?" She finished desperately. Megumi put a hand to the side of her mouth.

"Ohohohoho, I don't think you understand, Tanuki, I came to get you." Kaoru grabbed Megumi's hand.

"Then let's go!"

Yup, thought Kenshin, So far, so good.

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Megumi and Kaoru reached the shop only moments later. A gaggle of women yammered around a display of beautiful silk kimonos. Megumi spotted the storekeeper and caught his eye. She jerked her head toward Kaoru. He nodded and bustled over, grabbing a kimono laid aside.

"Miss?" Kaoru turned. "Might I interest you in this one?" He showed her a midnight blue kimono with silver sakura on the sleeves and bottom hem. The eri had intricate silver embroidering of still more tiny sakura. The overall effect was so marvelous that Megumi felt her breath leave her. Kaoru gasped and stared at the work of art with awe. Megumi had to hand it to that man. She didn't think he'd've known so much about fashion, (I mean, look at what he wears every day!) but it appeared he would keep surprising her. Kaoru reached for the kimono with trembling fingers, then withdrew her hand.

"I… I couldn't. It's too beautiful for a plain girl like me." She muttered. The storekeeper didn't back down. He could smell a sale.

"Ah, but Miss, forgive me being forward, but you are most certainly beautiful. Perhaps the kimono would make others realize it, too?" Megumi could almost hear Kaoru's thoughts. Kenshin. Kenshin would see her in this kimono and maybe he would think her beautiful, too? Megumi shook her head in disgust. Tanuki was so easy to read. Just say the magic words and you'll have her hopping to do it. Kaoru looked up, eyes shining.

"I'll take it!" The man smiled and wrapped it in paper. After a brief haggle, Kaoru and Megumi walked on, with a new lilt in Kaoru's step.

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5 ½ hours later, Kaoru was startled to see the sun setting.

"Ah! I can't believe we stayed out so long!" She exclaimed. Megumi smiled.

"Tanuki, I think you needed it. A girl's day out, I mean. To take your mind off things and help ease some worries." Kaoru's mind flickered over to Kenshin. And then she realized.

"Kenshin!" She burst out. Megumi looked at her in alarm. She couldn't have figured it out yet!

"What?" Kaoru stopped and turned to Megumi.

"Poor Kenshin, we've been gone ages, he must be so worried! We've got to get back!" Megumi slapped her forehead while calculating time. Perfect.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, Tanuki, we should be going." And with that they headed down the slowly darkening road. Suddenly Kaoru's stomach growled. She blushed.

"I sure hope Kenshin's cooking dinner." Megumi laughed as they rounded the corner a block away from the dojo.

"Of course he is, can't you smell it?" And indeed, a mouthwatering aroma was floating in the air. Kaoru lifted her nose, then picked up the pace.

"Come on, Megumi, we don't want it to get cold!" Megumi laughed and lengthened her stride. When they reached the gate, she knocked twice on it, loudly, before entering.

Alright, Ken-san. My part's done. Stage Three's all you.

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Inside the dining room, Kenshin froze. That knock was Megumi's sign that the girls were back. Biting back last-minute nerves, he hurried to get everything in place. Then he opened the shoji, just enough to let his head through.

"Get ready…" He breathed to the people behind him. They nodded and got into position. He took a deep breath.

Stage Three, here we go.

"Oh, Kaoru-dono…" he started, meeting her eyes squarely for the first time in days. "Could you come here, please?"

"Sure." She walked closer.

"NOW!" Kenshin slammed open the shoji and everyone jumped up from their hiding places.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAORU!" Everyone shouted.

"-dono!" Kenshin added. Kaoru looked a little stunned. She looked like she'd been hit in the face with a board, actually. Everyone was there, even Maekawa-sensei from the dojo across town. Then the wave of aroma hit her and she looked down at the table. She gasped. Every single one of her favorite foods were there, plus others she'd only heard about. The table held a feast worthy of the empress in Kaoru's eyes. She looked back to Kenshin, who was grinning like a fool.

"Kenshin… you… you… you JERK! You had me all worried over a little party!" She exploded.

"Ah, well, sessha isn't very good at hiding things. Sessha thought if you looked me in the eyes you could tell sessha was plotting something…" He mumbled, scratching the back of his head. Kaoru sighed in resignation. Men.

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Wow, talk about real life coming back to bite you in the butt! Really meant to get this up sooner, I really did! Please accept sessha's humble apologies! …Now that that's out of the way, there is one more chapter. I'll get it typed and posted as soon as humanly possible, I swear!