Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is property of Nabuhiro Watsuki. The characters are only used and cruelly distorted for the purpose of this story.

Interlude: Waiting in time

She had discovered too late that she wasn't for him.

She had realized on time that she could move forward and start searching for someone else.

She had tried and tried again, but at the end, it was always the same conclusion.

He had stolen her heart too early in time to do anything about it.

He had stolen it, and then broke it as if it was a simple piece of glass.

And she hated him for that.

And she hated herself for still loving him.

oo-------------------------------------ooo------------------------------------oo

As children ran around the seats of Gate 16's waiting room making some people stare at them in dislike due to the noise, a dark haired woman sat quietly reading a thick book as if she was alienated from the small chaos.

She turned a page and then tapped her fingers against the plastic seat. Sighing in boredom, she took her glasses off and put the book back in her carry on bag. She glanced at the electronic sign at the other side of the room and frowned.

It read that her flight was going to be late. This was the second the time they showed that. She had been in the airport for almost five hours and her patience was starting to run short. If it wasn't for the fact that she needed to go back for her friend's engagement celebration – and that she hadn't been home for almost over a year – she could have cared less and just gone back to her apartment and ask for a refund for her plane tickets.

Taking out her cell phone, she dialled a familiar number and waited for the person to pick up.

"Hey, Misao. It's me. My flight has been delayed so I won't be back for at least another three hours. Don't go to the airport; I'll just take a cab. See you then, byes."

She left the voicemail and put her phone back inside her jacket's pocket. She looked at the sign again twitched her lips.

She still had another good hour at Gate 16 before she could be inside the plane.

oo--------------------------------------ooo---------------------------------------oo

He received the message and immediately called her secretary to check if he could cancel his next two appointments. Unluckily, it wasn't possible.

He sat annoyed at his desk and took a glance at the silver picture frame that was standing next to his computer. His lips curved up in a small smile and slender fingers traced the contours of the face of a grinning young woman.

His eyes continued to study the face he had engraved so lovingly in his memory and couldn't help but let a sad sigh out from his mouth.

"It seems that I'll have to wait for a bit longer to see you again." He whispered as he recalled their last encounter – one that had left him in despair and regret, one that he had deserved but refused to accept.

He acknowledged that it had been his fault but he didn't accept the fact that she had walked away from his life.

He needed her. He needed her because he loved her.

oo----------------------------------------ooo---------------------------------------oo

The door opened and his back straightened as he noticed that she had come back. He rapidly stood up and took deep breaths.

"What are you doing here? Misao, I told you not to call him!" Kaoru demanded as she saw the red haired man standing in the middle of her living room, her cousin sitting on a couch nearby, her expression nervous and anxious.

"She called me because what you've just done is completely ridiculous!" Kenshin demanded as he fisted his hands. "I also have a saying in this, Kaoru!"

The blue eyed woman snorted and raised and eyebrow.

"All I know is that since last night I don't care about what you have to say. Also, there's nothing ridiculous in cancelling something that was never going to happen."

At her words, Kenshin's lips thinned.

"Listen, I know how you may be feeling but please let me explain. We cannot break something we have been waiting for so long. Kaoru, please, I still love you and…"

"Right. No, you listen to me," Kaoru interrupted, fury flashing in her eyes, although the volume of her voice was still the same, "You should have thought about your so called love before you started your secret meetings with that woman. You lied to me, you betrayed me. I spent almost four years of my life believing in every single word you told me, trusting that you would care for me as you promised. I was an idiot!"

"Kaoru…" Kenshin tried to speak but was cut off before he could continue. .

"I'm not done yet!" Kaoru said, this time being louder. "I'd been having suspicions since last year but I refused to see the truth. I always told myself that you were disappearing during some weekends because you needed to have some work done for the company, even if you were in vacation time. Then, you proposed. How happy I was. All my doubts were washed away."

Tears started to fall from Kaoru's eyes but she suppressed a sob and continued speaking.

"I continued loving you like a stupid fool until yesterday, when she sent me the pictures and your secret notes…"

Upon seeing her friend breaking down, Misao stood up slowly, attempting to go to her side to bring her some comfort. However, she was stopped by Kaoru's next words.

"Don't Misao. You have done enough."

Misao looked at Kaoru with pained eyes and sat back, tears also starting to fall down from her eyes. Kaoru stared at Kenshin and wiped away the tears that were clouding her vision.

"You're a liar, a fucking liar. I don't want to marry someone like you. I don't want to marry a man who doesn't respect me, who says that he loves me but that is cheating on me nonetheless."

Kenshin winced and tried to walk towards her, to hug her tightly and tell her that he had learnt his lesson, that he was a stupid bastard, that he needed her forgiveness, that he loved her more than his own life and needed her with him.

But he couldn't.

Her words were speaking the truth and he couldn't do anything but to stay silent, to stay rooted on his place unable to move because of the shame he felt, the regret, and the shock of knowing that she was willingly walking away from him, leaving their years of happiness behind because he was – as she had said it – a lying bastard who had betrayed her trust and love.

"I loved you, Kenshin, more than anything in this world. But it seems that you simply didn't love me like I did." Kaoru started to move around the room and when she passed by him, she didn't look at him. She only continued moving towards her bedroom.

"The cancellation of the contract and the refund check are in the envelope. You can take it if you want." She placed a white envelope on the coffee table. "The ring is inside as well. You don't have anything else to do in here, Kenshin. Good-bye and go home."

The wooden door of her room shut and a click was heard, indicating that she had locked herself.

Misao looked at Kenshin and took pity on his lost expression. She shook her head and moved towards him, placing a hand on his shoulders once she was next to his side.

"Kenshin," She said softly, her heart aching at his sorrowful eyes.

"I won't accept it, Misao." Kenshin spoke, his voice cracking in the process. "I won't lose her. Not like this." He turned his head to look at his cousin.

Misao bowed her head and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Kenshin." She said almost inaudibly. She raised her head and looked at his moist eyes. "She's right. You've been lying to her. How could you?"

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply holding a sob in his throat. When he opened his eyes, they shone as he stared back at his cousin.

"I won't lose her. I won't allow it."

After saying those words, he went to take his coat from the hanger and left the apartment.

Kenshin's hold around the steering wheel tightened as he remembered that day. Almost two years had passed since their last meeting.

He had gone to visit her the next day but she was at work, and when he had called, she didn't answer. He tried the day after but she had left to a nearby city for a project. By the time of her return, he had been sent out of the country for a month to seal an important contract. He had come back home with the hopes to win her back; however, those hopes sank when he learnt that she had accepted to be transferred to another country for a year.

From then on, endless hours were spent in her search. Phone calls were made only to find out that the numbers that were given to him were either wrong or had changed over the months.

She had occasionally written to her friends and he had gotten her address from his cousin, however, when he sent her long letters, only short replies arrived with the simple words of leaving her alone, that she didn't have anything to do with him anymore. Most of the times, there were no replies at all.

Life was punishing him for his mistakes and he knew it. But he had suffered enough, of that he was sure. He had lost the love of his life and he was condemned to be trapped in a living nightmare.

Professionally, he was still the successful executive who earned good amounts of money each month. Women liked him and they were more than delighted to spend hours with him just for the sake of having him next to them. He was the reason of envy among men and some women. Anything he wanted he could basically have.

But he didn't want anything but her.

He missed her warmth, her comfort, her smiles, and her love.

He needed her for she was why he wanted to be a better man.

He needed his light back, his other side.

Pain had been eating him. His heart was starting to break by each passing second.

He had paid for his stupidity and he had paid a lot. Life needed to reward him now. It was only fair.

She was coming back tonight and he couldn't wait to see her again.

To ask for her forgiveness, and if possible, to ask for her love for one more time.

oo-----------------------------------ooo------------------------------------oo

Kaoru lay on her bed exhausted after her long journey back home. She didn't even bother to change from her jeans and sweater into her pyjamas. She was just too tired to care.

She blankly stared at her darkened ceiling and heard the faint noises that were coming from the living room, where Misao and her long time boyfriend were watching a movie.

She was glad she was back. She really was, but she wasn't thrilled by the idea that one of these days she was going to see him again. He had tried to contact her so many times but during all those opportunities, she had simply refused to. She knew it was childish from her part – not to accept any explanations – but nobody could blame her. Who would want explanations when everything had been laid on the table so clearly?

Kenshin had been cheating on her for an entire year, even before he had proposed, and by what his "lover" had told her during a phone call, it seemed that he hadn't intended to break up that affair anytime soon. Even more, the other woman had dared to tell her that she was the one in their way because Kenshin was only marrying her out of pity.

Kaoru's hold around the phone tightened at the words of the stranger in the other line.

"He doesn't want you. The pictures speak for themselves. He has been with me for a long time, and he's only marrying you because he feels sorry for you. He told me that he would get a divorce as soon as possible, but it doesn't make sense to go through all that hassle. It's better for you to finish it now, you know?" The voice was sluggish yet very serious.

"Stop it, stop it now, please." Kaoru's eyes started to moisten as she struggled for words. "If you're a prankster, please, this is not funny." She continued difficultly.

"This is not a joke. You have the pictures, and if you don't believe me, come to his office today around 5:30. I'm supposed to meet him today at that time. Well, actually, I meet him almost everyday at that time in his office…"

Kaoru couldn't handle it anymore and hang up the phone. This was just a bad dream, a bad dream she was going to wake up from pretty soon. She was going to open her eyes and find herself inside her apartment with all her friends over there to celebrate her birthday. Kenshin was going to hug her, kiss her, and then tell her how much he loved her.

Nothing that that woman had told her was true.

But the pictures on her desk showed otherwise.

Kaoru let a loud sigh come out of her mouth and rolled to lie on her stomach. It wouldn't take long for him to know that she was back since Misao was his cousin, and although Kaoru knew her best friend understood her feelings towards Kenshin, Misao was still Kenshin's relative.

Kaoru knew Misao loved her like a sister, but she also loved Kenshin very dearly. Somehow, Misao wanted to protect them both but in the process, she just couldn't. One way or the other, someone had to be hurt.

Misao had suspected about Kenshin having an affair early in time, but she had dismissed the possibility when he asked for Kaoru's hand. However, those suspicions came back a month before the wedding but she kept shut because she wanted to be absolutely sure before she hurt her best friend with the heart-breaking news. Too bad that fate screwed up everything and Kaoru found out in the worst way possible.

The little wench Kenshin had been having an affair with called Kaoru and sent her pictures on her birthday. And to make matters even worse, she had told Kaoru that she was meeting him at his office later on the day if she needed a confirmation. Of course, Kaoru went and her body went rigid when she indeed found the two of them kissing on his desk, him above her.

Kaoru was devastated and angry, even at Misao for not letting her know of her unconfirmed suspicions. Anything would have helped her to avoid all the pain she went through.

But the past was in the past, and though the pain was still there, she needed to move on.

Kaoru got off her bed when she heard a knock on her door. It was Aoshi, Misao's boyfriend.

"Misao asks if you want some food in case you haven't eaten in the plane." He asked with a polite tone.

The blue-eyed woman shook her head and offered him a small smile.

"I'm okay, Aoshi. I'm just tired. Thanks for the offer though."

Aoshi nodded and retreated to the kitchen where Misao was putting a frozen spinach quiche inside the oven.

"She doesn't want anything." Aoshi spoke as he sat at the kitchen table.

Misao shut the oven's door close and turned to look at Aoshi.

"Did she look ok?" Misao asked concerned.

Aoshi eyed his girlfriend questioningly before he spoke again.

"Sort of. She said she was tired."

Misao nodded and started towards the living room. Aoshi followed from behind.

She sat on the couch she had been sitting moments ago, a frown marring her face.

"What's the problem, Misao?" Aoshi spoke concerned.

His girlfriend looked up at him and blinked several times before offering him a watery smile.

"Nothing, everything is alright. Come, let's just finish the movie."

oo-------------------------------------ooo-----------------------------------oo

"Is she here?" Kenshin asked excitedly and nervously at the same time. He had left home early so he could go to see Kaoru before going to work.

Misao shook her head sadly and let him enter the apartment.

"I'm sorry, Kenshin, but she left early this morning. She went jogging and she said that she was going to run some errands before coming back."

Dejectedly, Kenshin sat down on the loveseat that was in front of him with a heavy moan.

"Do you know how long it may take her?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry."

Misao sat next to Kenshin and looked at him from the corner of her eyes.

"I know you have been waiting for this for very long but you must know that she may not be ready to talk to you yet."

"What do you mean?" Kenshin asked, surprised at his cousin's words.

"Well, she's still hurting, Ken, and… I don't know, what happened between the two of you, I mean, what you did wasn't nice…"

"I know!" Kenshin groaned.

"She was reluctant to come back, you know? She's only here because a very close friend begged her to come for her engagement party. I mean, Kaoru misses Tokyo and what not, but being abroad has helped her to heal a bit, but she's not completely healed yet."

Silence followed and the only noise that could be heard was the occasional honking of some cars from outside.

"You know I love her still, right?"

Misao closed her eyes and opened them again. She took Kenshin's hand in both of hers.

"I know, Kenshin, but…"

"And you know that I regret everything I did."

Misao nodded her head.

"And you also know that I've suffered as well after her departure. Then," Kenshin looked at Misao and his amethyst eyes pierced at her aqua ones. "Help me, Misao. I need her. Now more than ever."

Misao continued staring at Kenshin and then she turned her head away.

She loved Kaoru and she knew that right now, her best friend still needed time. However, Kenshin's suffering was also too unbearable. Seeing him like this, waiting desperately for a chance whenever he could during all this time, was just too painful.

"Alright. I'll do what I can."

At her words, Kenshin suddenly hugged her very tightly.

"Thank you."

Misao patted his back.

"I'll call you if she stays long enough for you to meet her here."

Kenshin moved apart and smiled brightly at Misao for the first time in what it seemed like ages.

"You're the best."

Misao smiled back.

"But Kenshin, I have one condition for you."

The red haired man raised an eyebrow and nodded once to consent his approval.

"If things work out but you hurt her again, you're done buddy."

Kenshin chuckled but agreed nonetheless.

"I hope everything works out for you."

Misao thought as she watched her cousin leave the apartment and close the door behind him.

"Good luck, Kenshin."

oo---------------------------------------------------ooo-------------------------------------------------------oo

This was long! It was supposed to be the last chapter before the final one but now it ended up being just an interlude! I tell you people, the more I write the longer this is getting.

Oh well, until next time,

Vic