A/N: New reviewers always make my day. Big thanks to all the folks out there who read and review. Also thanks to the people who read and put my story on their favorites list. Here's my next chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own all the extreme awesomeness that is Kenshin…so there.

Chapter 4: New Problems, New Feelings

Kenshin had no time to lose. The most important thing in the world right now was getting Kaoru to safety. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if she were to get incredibly sick or even…No! He wasn't going to think about that right now. He scooped her up and used his lightning fast speed to run to the clinic. Mika was just going to have to come after him later. What made things worse was that they were almost home when this happened. He had to hurry.

"Ken…shin." Kaoru opened her eyes but for only a second.

"Please Miss Kaoru hang on!" Kenshin started to run even faster. To make things even worse it started to rain. Kenshin ran inside the clinic and almost ran into the wall.

"Kenshin what's wrong?" asked Megumi.

"Please Miss Megumi you have to hurry! Kaoru got hit by a poisoned dart, we must save her!"

Megumi yelled to Sano to bring her some things and got a futon for Kaoru to lie on. Kenshin put her down but was reluctant to let go. Megumi knew he wanted to be there for Kaoru but she had to do this in total quiet.

"Kenshin, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I know your anxious but I can't have you asking questions while I do this. Please just wait outside."

Kenshin knew he had to go but he couldn't just leave her. With a defeated sigh Kenshin left the room and closed the shoji behind him. Just because he couldn't be in the room doesn't mean he couldn't sit right next to it. Sano came by and sat next to him. Kenshin looked up with sad eyes.

"Don't worry Kenshin, Megumi has always helped us out, Kaoru will be fine."

"What if I didn't get here fast enough? What if the poison spreads?"

"You, Kenshin Himura, not get here fast enough? I highly doubt that."

Kenshin smiled. He had to admit he was pretty fast. Then the worry took over again. "Sano, I just don't know what I'd do if anything happened to her. She's…" Kenshin looked down.

"Kaoru is too stubborn to give up Kenshin. I assure you she will be fine."

Mika burst into the clinic. She was soaking wet. She ran over to where Kenshin and Sano were and flung herself at Kenshin. Then, she started to cry.

"Keshin…I'm, I'm so s-s-sorry! It's a-a-all my fa-ult Ka-aoru is hurt!"

"Miss Mika, I assure you that was another assassination attempt at me," Kenshin replied. He was slightly agitated but didn't have the heart to push Mika off him.

"No Ken-shin, you, you don't understand! My family and I were witnesses to a murder. That gang in the woods…they worked for the guy who caused the murder. He told us if we ever told anyone about it, we would, we would die."

"Miss Mika, what are you talking about?" Kenshin shook her slightly to stop the sobbing.

"Listen, the guy who was murdered was a very powerful owner of a fish market. My family and I were coming home from a restaurant when we saw him beaten to death in an alley. The man who killed him was a rival fish seller. He warned us never to tell a soul. My fa-father being the good man he was told the p-police right away. The man was taken to jail. He was supposed to be killed but he, but he…"

"Yes Miss Mika?"

"He escaped. So I am assuming that the fire at my house wasn't by accident. That man was trying to get back at my family. I kn-know that the dart was meant for me."

Sano grabbed her wrist. "So you're saying that it's your fault Kaoru got hurt?"

"Wait, Miss Mika, how do you know that dart was meant for you. How are you positive?"

"After you ran off with Kaoru I p-picked up the dart. The head of the dart was a swordfish. I knew right then it was that f-fish market owner."

Sano got up and smacked his fists together. "Well Mika, if you're not safe that means no one is."

"Don't worry Miss Mika, I won't let you or Miss Kaoru get hurt, that I won't. It would defeat the only purpose I have left in life, which is to protect others."

Mika smiled at that thought but then more tears clouded her eyes. "I just really hope Kaoru is okay."

Megumi opened the shoji. "I managed to get all the poison out, any sooner and it would have been too late."

"So she's all right Miss Megumi?" Kenshin started to feel a little better.

"Yes, she's just fine Kenshin. Do you want some time with her?"

"Please, let me just see her for a few minutes."

"Good because that is the only amount of time I am allowing you. She's going to have to stay here for tonight but you can come by tomorrow and pick her and Yahiko up. A little rest and she'll be just fine."

Kenshin stepped inside. Mika was going to go too but Megumi closed the shoji before she could get in. Mika looked up at her angrily.

"Megumi, I need to see if she's okay!"

"I already told you Mika, she's just fine."

"Why can't I go in then?"

"Let Kenshin have some time with her. You can go in after. It would be better if one person went in at a time because Kaoru is still dizzy." Yes, Megumi did make that part up but she thought Kenshin and Kaoru needed some alone time. Mika couldn't be upset with her if she didn't know that. Afterall, she was the doctor.

"Okay…." Mika sat back against the wall.

Kenshin went and kneeled next to the futon. "Miss Kaoru?"

Kaoru opened those big blue eyes of hers and looked over at Kenshin. "Oh Kenshin, you saved me."

"I couldn't let anything happen to you. You should know that, that you should." He flashed his rurouni smile at her.

"Yes, I do know that. Thank you so much. Oh, you can tell Mika that it's not her fault."

"Wait Miss Koaru how did you…"

"The door is only an inch thick, I heard everything."

"Oh…so, are you all right then?"

"Yes, I'm just a little tired."

Kenshin muttered some sort of thanks to himself but Kaoru just giggled. "I really like that sound Miss Kaoru."

"Excuse me?"

"Your laugh, it makes me feel…warm inside."

Kaoru's cheeks were tinged with pink. "Oh, um…thank you." Just then she was thrown into a coughing fit but just as quickly as it started, it stopped.

Kenshin grabbed her hand. "Kaoru are you all right?"

"Yes I'm…fine." Did she hear what she thought she heard?

"Okay, well Miss Kaoru, I think I'll leave you to rest now.

Yes, she must have heard incorrectly. "Okay Kenshin, thank you for caring so much."

"After all the things you've done for me, you deserve it, that you do." Kenshin got up to leave. Kaoru wasn't the only one who noticed he left off his signature "Miss".

"Kenshin…" called Kaoru.

"Yes Miss Kaoru?"

"Um…" Kaoru wanted to say "I love you and see you tomorrow" but only was able to get out the last part. "See you tomorrow."

"Goodnight Miss Kaoru, get some rest."

Somehow Kenshin knew deep within his heart the true meaning of that message. Kaoru didn't deserve someone like him. Plus he was a whole ten years older. Now wasn't the right time for saying feelings he's kept inside for so long but maybe one day…For now, he was going to have to stick with loving glances and hidden messages. Body language did help too. Wait, no nasty thoughts!

Kenshin thanked Miss Megumi and left to finally go home with Mika. It was raining so they had to take umbrellas. Mika opened hers and noticed there were holes in it.

"Oh dear, I'm not going to be able to use this."

"It's all right Miss Mika, I can just walk in the rain."

"No Kenshin, why don't we just share one"?

"Well, okay."

So they walked home in the pouring rain. When they got back to the dojo they shared some tea. Kenshin told Mika some of the funnier stories of the dojo residents to lighten the sad mood that had been in place.

"Thank you for the tea Kenshin, I'm going to sleep now."

"Your welcome Miss Mika, goodnight."

Kenshin went to his room after cleaning up and was going to his futon but stopped short of it. For some reason, a comfortable futon didn't seem too comfortable to him at the time. So, he took a place on the wall in his favorite corner and drifted off to sleep. His sword was neatly tucked underneath his arm. He dreamed of him and Kaoru at a frozen lakeside, sharing some miso soup.

Back at the clinic, Kaoru was having the same dream. It was such a pretty lake but it was completely frozen. It had just snowed so it looked like a white fluffy blanket covering the lake. Kenshin and Kaoru were sitting under a tree, eating some miso soup. He was talking about how beautiful the lake was, just like her. Then, he kissed her. Both she and Kenshin woke up. If that was a dream, why did it seem so real? Her lips were still tingling and she was slightly breathless. What did this mean?

A/N: Well, there is my "wonderful" chapter four. I hope it wasn't too short. Yes, dream sequence will be important in the future. If I don't get more reviews than my usual reviewers I might consider stopping the story. Maybe I'll keep going just for them because I personally hate people who stop good stories. Well, is my story good enough to keep going? Let me know!