Author's Note: Here's the third chapter! I'm practically done with 4, so it will be up on time! Whoo Hoo! Go Adelaide! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kenshin, Christmas, or the song 12 Days of Christmas. I do own the idea to this story, 12 Days of Christmas though, and I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've liked writing it.
On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Three French Hens
December 6
The Day Before:
"Hello, Misao? This is Kenshin. I need your help with something, could you meet me at the café this afternoon after your class? Oh, and bring Megumi with you as well."
"What is this about Kenshin?" Misao asked.
"I will tell you later. I have to go. See you around 2?"
"Yes, and I'll tell Megumi to meet us there."
"Thank you so much Misao!" Kenshin said hanging up the phone. So far, everything was going according to plan. Lets just hope neither of them will let the cat out of the bag Kenshin thought as he walked into his one o'clock class. He needed Misao and Megumi's help on this one. They would be more than happy to help out, if he knew them. And he liked to think that he did. They were Karou's friends, as well as his, and he knew what they already thought of what he was doing, but for what he was doing next, he needed their, help, well cooperation more than help as it was.
"Kenshin that's a great idea." Aoshi said as the five of them sat around a table at the campus's café.
"It took awhile to come up with, but when we went out for brunch last week and she said how much she loved eggs, it came to me all of sudden.
"She'll love it Ken-san!" Megumi said. "Why don't you every do anything like that for me rooster head!" she added with a slap to the back of Sano's head.
"Geez, thanks Kenshin, really." Sano said, giving Kenshin a look that said, now I'll have to do something REALLY cool for Christmas, to out do you.
"Sorry Sano." Kenshin said, sympathizing with his friend.
"Okay, so what do you need our help with than Kenshin?" Misao asked.
"I need you two to be out of the room."
"Why don't you just have her stay at the apartment?"
"Because Aoshi and Sano would be there, or at your dorm. It would be much better for you two to stay at the apartment, while I go to the dorm."
"How do you plan to get in?"
"Well, I was hoping the girls and you guys could be going "Christmas shopping" early in the morning. Karou already has all of hers done. If you leave early enough in the morning, you could let me in as you leave, and Kaoru would still be asleep."
"You seem to have it all worked out." Aoshi said.
"I didn't want to say anything to you guys until I did have it all planned out. This way you shouldn't be able to let anything slip out either."
"Good planning."
"I could have gone with my original plan and told you when I got to the dorm tomorrow with the food and told you guys to go to the apartment."
"That's mean. You don't trust us with this?" Misao said.
"Yes I do, that's why I chose to do it this way instead. You should be able to keep your mouth closed for less than 24 hours."
"What are you going to do about classes?"
"Her morning class is canceled tomorrow. Conveniently." Kenshin said.
"How did you pull that one off?" Sano asked, a shocked expression on his face.
"I didn't. Like I just said, convenient." Kenshin answered them.
"Amazing." Megumi said.
"Well, I'm to the store for supplies for tomorrow morning. I will see you guys later for dinner alright?"
"Hey, Have fun dude."
"Bye Ken-san!"
"Have a good afternoon Himura!"
"Bye Battousai."
"1 dozen eggs, milk, green pepper, cheese..." Kenshin said to himself as he looked between his written list and the shopping cart before him. He still needed onions and tomatoes. "Here they are." Kenshin said, picking a sweet onion and orange juice out of the bin that was a good size and didn't have any marks on it.
His cell phone rang as he turned to go to the juice aisle. "Yes, Himura speaking."
"Hey where are you Kenshin?" Kaoru said from the other end of the phone.
"I'm at the grocery store picking up some supplies for the apartment."
"Did you forget that we were meeting to study?" Karou asked.
"I still have a half hour. I'm reaching for the last thing right now."
"It's already 2! We were meeting at 2!" karou said.
"No, remember, we changed it to 2:30."
"Really?"
"Yes, remember that's what I asked you about before we went to class this morning."
"I'm sorry, I was so out of it this morning. I over slept so everything was rushed, practice, shower, getting dress, talking to you."
"It's okay. I understand." Kenshin said, starting to go through the self check out line.
"I'll see you in a half hour at the apartment?"
"Sure thing. Don't forget to bring your plan for the project, we should probably start working on that as well." Kenshin reminded her.
"Yes, Yes, I already have it in my bookbag." Karou said.
"I'm almost done here, do you want me to pick you up?"
"Sure, if you want to."
"Of course I do." Kenshin said, putting the last thing in the bag. "I'll see you in a few minutes, I'm paying right now."
"Okay, see you in a few!" Karou said. As Karou hung up the phone, she thought of something. "Aoshi, when didn't you guys go shopping just the other day?"
"Shopping? Grocery shopping?" Aoshi asked.
"Yes."
"Yeah, we did, but we forgot a few things, so Kenshin went this afternoon. Why?"
"Oh. That's where he was when I called him. Just wondering." Karou answered, going to her desk.
"What are you up to Kenshin?" Karou asked. They had been studying for about an hour already, and Karou could smell the dinner that Aoshi and Misao where cooking in the kitchen.
"I'm not up to anything, but studying –or trying to, at least. You want me to go over the era's again with you?" Kenshin asked, looking up at his girlfriend. She was sitting in the easy chair next to the couch he was sitting on. Her hair was put up into a sloppy bun, pencils stuck all over the place.
"No, I think I got it." Karou said. "Why won't you tell me what you are up to?" She answered closing her eyes.
"Because I can't tell you anything, since I'm not up to anything." Kenshin replied, leaning back and closing his eyes.
"So what's up with the 12 days of Christmas theme?" Karou asked, opening her eyes again to look at Kenshin.
"Just my Christmas gifts this year."
"Really?"
"Of course, I wanted to do something different."
"Oh. Hm." Karou said, closing her eyes again.
"What was the 'hm' about?" Kenshin said, leaning forward.
"Just thinking."
"That could get us into trouble." He said with a smirk on his face. Karou's eyes popped open, "Well when ever your brain starts working, it always gets us into trouble, and I'm the usually the one that gets us out of trouble." She replied with a smirk of her own.
"Guys do you know anything about what Kenshin is planning for day three? I have a feeling it's going to be tomorrow." Karou asked Misao and Megumi later that night as they were working on homework back in their dorm.
"No, he hasn't told us anything about it." Megumi answered.
"Is it going to be tomorrow?" Karou asked.
"I believe he's doing something every other day." Misao answered her.
"Yeah, I've kinda figured that out. It was three days ago that he gave me the first gift, and yesterday was day two." Karou said.
"I don't know. He hasn't said anything to us." Megumi said.
"She's sound asleep still. Her alarm should be going off in about twenty minutes so she can get some work done before her classes start." Megumi said as she let Kenshin and Misao into the room.
"Thanks. That'll be perfect. Everything is ready, I just have to set everything up." Kenshin said, sitting down the picnic basket he had brought with him, along with a cooler.
"How did you keep everything hot? You made everything at the apartment right? Misao asked.
"Yeah, I did. I learned this trick on TV a few months ago to keeping things hot when you want to travel with them. Either with the drink thermoses or the coolers like this one, you fill it with hot water, splash it around a bit, then dump the water. This keeps the food hot for about an hour. I wrapped the food containers in foil to keep in the heat as well." Kenshin said, spreading a blanket in the middle of the room and setting two places for himself and Karou.
"Well, we better be going. Don't want to be here any longer. Have fun." Misao said as she and Megumi left the room, closing the door behind them.
Kenshin laid out the food on the dishes, three eggs, three pieces of bacon, three thin slices of bread baked last night, a glass for water, one for orange juice, then a mug for the hot chocolate that he had made this morning as well. He placed the three stems of Jasmine and three holly sprigs that were in a vase, in between their two plates. He stood up and looked at the table. He made a few small adjustments. It was
time to wake Karou up.
He walked through the makeshift doorway they had between the bedroom area and the living area of their room and looked towards Karou's bed. She was completely covered by her blue comforter. He could barely make out the top of her head. He walked over to her bedand knelt down next to her, slipping the comforter down to her shoulders. She was faced towards him, sleeping soundly. She shifted slightly to move down beneath the covers more.
"Karou, it's time to wake up." Kenshin said.
"Just a few more minutes. Please, it's warm under the covers Mom." Karou said, making Kenshin chuckle, the frown slightly. Karou's Mom and Dad had been killed in a car accident during her 7th grade year.
"Karou, it's Kenshin, come on Koshi, wake up." He said, shaking her shoulder a bit.
"Just a few more minutes."
"Nope. Not today. Get up." Kenshin said, standing and pulling the blankets back.
"Kenshin! That's cold." Karou said half asleep still. Sitting up, a look of surprise took over the sleepiness. "Kenshin! What are you doing here?" She said, jumping up, slipping her feet into slippers, and putting on her robe, pulling it tightly around her. "Where are Megumi and Misao?" She asked, looking around the room.
"They said something about Christmas Shopping before classes." Kenshin answered smoothly. He had thought up answers to just about anything Karou could ask him. That was just the easiest question.
"What are you doing here?" Karou asked, looking up at him.
"I thought you would have figured it out by now." Kenshin answered, smiling.
"Well, today is Day Three, right?
"Right." Kenshin answered.
"Three French Hens. Can't wait to see what you did for this one. Letme get dressed."
"No reason. It's here."
"Here? Where?"
"In the living room." Kenshin, taking her hand and leading her to the eating area he had arranged. Karou just stood there for a few minutes, looking back and forth between the food laid out and him, then
circling, looking at each detail.
"Kenshin, it's absolutely beautiful!" Karou said, coming to stand in front of him.
"You like it than?" Kenshin asked.
"It's wonderful." Karou said hugging him.
"That's good. You want to eat? It's getting cold."
"Yes! I'm starving!"