Heart Of The Battousai

Chapter 5 - Strange Visitor

TWO YEARS LATER

"Kenshin... Kenshin!"

"Oro?"

He shook himself from his memories and looked over beside of him, coming eye to eye with an angry Kaoru, "You're daydreaming again, let's go before it gets too dark."

"Yes ma'am."

They met up with Sanosuke and Yahiko outside and they headed off into town, there was a fair in town and they wanted to go out for a day of fun. Once they got there Sanosuke and Yahiko went off their own ways and Kenshin and Kaoru started looking around at all of the different booths. Kenshin watched with a smile as Kaoru bounced about like a child, smiling and pointing to things she thought was pretty. Near the end of one of the rows she stopped at a little booth and tugged on Kenshin's sleeve, "Kenshin, come look at this!"

"What is it, Miss Kaoru?"

"Look at these dolls, aren't they cute?"

Kenshin looked down at all the different dolls and smiled, "They are."

"Hey there's Tae, I'm going to go talk to her, I'll be right back."

Kenshin watched her bound off to see her friend before he looked back to the dolls, some were smaller than others and some were quite large for dolls. One in particular caught his attention and he picked it up to look at it, it was a little girl dressed in a purple kimono and a pink obi, she had long black hair and dark eyes and a cute smile. He chuckled softly and ran his hand across the face of the doll, "This looks like Tamaiya..."

"Hey Kenshin."

"Huh? Oh, hello, Miss Kaoru, did Miss Tae leave already?"

"Yeah, she has to get back to work, what do you have there?"

"It's just a doll, that it is."

"It's really pretty, are you going to buy it?"

Kenshin smiled and set the doll back where he found it, "No, not right now, let's go find Sano and Yahiko and go home now, shall we?"

They searched the fair up and down but found no trace of their friends, one of the workers told them that he saw them heading down the road towards the dojo. Kenshin and Kaoru decided to head off as well, walking side by side, but as they started to leave Kaoru nudged Kenshin in the shoulder, "Why didn't you want to buy the doll, Kenshin?"

"It's not that I didn't want to buy it, Miss Kaoru, I just don't have any money with me at the moment, that I don't."

Kenshin looked to the ground and thought bitterly to himself, "It would bring back too many memories any ways."

Kaoru frowned at his words, she thought for sure that he had money with him, maybe he was just too embarrassed to buy it for himself, "If you had the money would you have bought it?"

"Sure, I'd like to have it one day, that I would, I just can't right now, that I can't."

She smiled as an idea came to her and she stopped in mid-step, "Hey Kenshin, I just remembered, I forgot something, I'll be right back."

"Alright, be careful, Miss Kaoru."

"I will." Kaoru giggled and ran off back into the fair.

Kenshin leaned against a tree and waited for her to return, she came back about twenty minutes later, a small bag in her hands, "Kenshin, what're you still doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure that you got home safely, that I did, let's get home now before it gets too dark."

He took her hand in his own and they started off down the road, walking in silence for several moments until his curiosity got the better of him, "So what did you buy, Miss Kaoru?"

"Just something."

Kenshin smiled, she'd show him later on so he knew not to press further. It didn't take long to reach the dojo but by that time it was well past dark and they found that Sanosuke and Yahiko had already gone to bed, tired by the day's events. Kenshin checked on them before returning to Kaoru, smiling to himself, "They're gone, I guess that means that we're by ourselves, Miss Kaoru, that it does."

"I guess so, oh I have something for you, Kenshin."

"What is it, Miss Kaoru?"

"Here you go."

She flashed him a big smile and handed him the bag, getting him to give her a playfully suspicious smile, "What is this?"

"Open it."

Kenshin couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm as he opened the bag, letting out a soft gasp when he saw what she'd gotten him, "It's the doll I was looking at, Miss Kaoru... why did you..."

"Because I saw how much you liked it and I thought that you should have it. You never buy anything for yourself so I decided to do it for you, I hope you're not upset with me, I just thought you might like it."

Kenshin looked down at the little doll in his hands and he smiled, a real smile but Kaoru didn't see it due to his long bangs shielding his face. She started to worry that she'd offended him and reached out to touch his arm, "Kenshin?"

Before she could do anything else he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, "Thank you, Miss Kaoru, I don't know how to repay you for this, that I don't."

Kaoru smiled, "You already have."

"No, not yet I haven't."

"What do you mean?"

He pulled back to look her in the eyes, smiling lovingly at her as she looked up at him with confused eyes, "Ken..."

She was cut off when he placed a hand to her lips, silencing her before he took her face between his hands and leaned down to her, allowing his lips to meet hers in a tender kiss. Kaoru gasped softly against his mouth, completely shocked by this move but she made no move to push him away as she began to get lost in the feeling of his lips against hers. All too soon he pulled away from her, love and appreciation shiny brightly deep within his violet eyes, "Thank you, Kaoru, goodnight."

He released her from his embrace and headed off to his room, not noticing the happy smile Kaoru had on her face as she watched him leave. She finally found her legs and made her way to her room, she couldn't believe what had just happened, Kenshin had kissed her! She had always wanted him to but she never thought he actually would, she had to practically threaten him to get him to hold her hand. She wasn't about to complain though, if he was starting to open up to her then she could deal with these little surprises, in fact, she was looking forward to them.

Kenshin laid down and ran his fingers over the doll's face, it looked so much like his little Tamaiya but it still wasn't the same as the real one. He missed her so much and he had a home now, he had wanted to go and get her when Kaoru asked him to stay but then all the fighting started and then Shishio came up and it was just too dangerous for her to come stay with him. But now things were quiet and peaceful, he had no reason to keep her away now, but how could he leave and not make the others suspicious? If they went with him then he would have to tell them in front of Tamaiya how he got her and of course Sanosuke wouldn't believe him and start to tease him, knowing full well what one had to do to create a child. He smiled softly, he loved his friends, they were his family now and he was sure they would welcome Tamaiya, it had been two years since the last time he saw her and he often wondered how she looked now, how much she had grown and even if she still practiced or not.

He looked at the doll's face and smiled, "I will see you again, I'll talk to Kaoru and the others and I'll leave around dusk. I promise, Tamaiya, I'm going to keep my promise to you and bring you home, just wait a little longer."

With that thought in mind he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, unconsciously holding the little doll to his chest.

The next day, as usual, Kenshin was the first one up and he went about his normal routine and cooked breakfast for everyone. After they finished eating they all decided to hang out outside for awhile, Yahiko started practicing as Kaoru and Sanosuke watched him while Kenshin started the laundry. As he was hanging up the wet clothes he thought about how to bring up the subject of leaving to Kaoru and the others, they never did like it when he mentioned the words, "I'm leaving." After he put the last shirt up he finally decided just to come out and say it as he sat next to Kaoru on the porch, "I might be leaving later tonight, Miss Kaoru."

"What!" all asked in shock

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going somewhere for awhile, it may take a couple of days but I'll be back as soon as I can, that I will."

"Where are you going, we'll all go with ya." Sanosuke said

"I'd prefer that you didn't Sano, this is something that I've been meaning to do for a couple of years now, that it is. It's a promise that I made to someone but I won't be gone for very long, that I won't, I'll come back, I promise."

"Will... will you be safe?" Kaoru asked worriedly

"Of course, Miss Kaoru, and may I ask a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Well... I'm going to see an old friend and I'd like you all to meet them, if that's ok."

Kaoru smiled, "Why didn't you just tell us that you wanted to go see a friend?"

"I figured you'd give me the third degree, that I did."

"No, we're not going to ask you about it, but of course you can bring your friend over and he can stay as long as he likes."

Kenshin smiled and hugged her, "Thank you, Miss Kaoru, it won't be that long, I promise."

"It will be if you're not here."

"Are you sure you'll be ok, Kenshin?" Yahiko asked

"Yes, I'll be fine, Yahiko, that I will."

"So when are you leaving?" Sanosuke asked

"Sometime either near dusk or early tomorrow."

"Kenshin that's..."

Kaoru paused when they heard a knock at the door, she went and answered it, seeing a cloaked figure there, "Yes, can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a man named Kenshin Himura, I was told I could find him here."

"Yes, Kenshin lives here, is there something wrong?"

"Not at all, I'm just an old friend of his and I'd like to see him is all, may I speak with him?"

"Of course, come on in."

"Thank you."

Kaoru stepped aside and let the person enter, noticing that he was much shorter than she was but she kept her thoughts to herself and shut the door, "I'm Kamiya Kaoru."

"Nice to meet you, that it is."

"That it is? He talks like Kenshin, it must just be a coincidence."

Kaoru pushed the thought into the back of her mind and she lead him to the back where the others were, "Kenshin, you have a visitor."

"Who is it, Miss Kaoru?"

The person stepped past Kaoru and into the others' view, his voice soft and timid, "Are you Kenshin Himura?"

"I am and who might you be?" Kenshin grasped his sword, sensing something unusual coming from the stranger.

He simply chuckled and raised his hands to his cloak, "I thought you would recognize me, that I did, but it has been awhile so I guess I've changed a little, that I have, but it is good to see you again... Master."

"Master?" everyone asked in surprise

The hood fell from the man's head and Kenshin's eyes went wide when he saw who his visitor was.