Author's Note: I'm sorry it took so long for the update. Hopefully I'll be able to start updating at a more regular pace. I really enjoyed reading all the great reviews everyone left. Thanks so much. I hope you continue to review and enjoy. Thanks for the support! I hope everyone had a great summer! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

White Tides of Dazzled Dreams

Chapter 3

"Tides of Doubt"

The acrid smell of wet paint saturated the air of the room as the small dark-haired woman rolled a deep navy color onto the walls. Sniffing, Misao stepped back to admire her handiwork, placing her hands on her hips, careful to keep the paint-soaked roller away from her jeans. Tapping her toe against the floor as she contemplated her next move, she pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side. Bending down, she placed the roller in the plastic orange paint pan and grabbed a thinning roll of bright blue tape. To avoid unwanted paint touching the white moldings along the middle of the wall, Misao taped the boundaries. Once done, she dampened the roller with the navy paint and started to paint the wall again.

The waiting room she now painted was small and square-shaped, allowing enough room for a handful of chairs and receptionist desk. The deep navy color of the walls exuded a serious tone, while the wood floors created a homey, yet professional quality. A sheet covered the wooden floors as Misao painted to avoid paint from marring the gleaming wood.

Misao worked alone, the others in the small office elsewhere, helping to remodel another room. In a short time, it would officially be an office of law, home to Aoshi Shinomori and Kenshin Himura. Misao had worked for the duo previously as their receptionist in the time that they had worked in Chicago three years ago. When Kenshin's wife died, they had moved outside the city to a more rural area for a quieter existence. For reasons unknown to her, they had come back to the city though, and Misao was unsure as to whether she was happy about their new change in address or not.

Raising her arm to itch her nose with her wrist, Misao sighed and cast a weary look at the closed door to her right, which opened to a small hallway leading to currently empty offices. During the three years they had been gone, she'd worked as waitress. Receptionist jobs had been few and far between at the time of her immediate unemployment, and money wasn't something she could have done without, especially with the steep price of helping her sister save up money for college classes. It was her sister's dream of eventually becoming a doctor, but she had to graduate with a bachelor's degree first. Megumi, her sister, had received a scholarship from the University of Chicago which paid for two-thirds her expenses. Misao helped her pay the remaining sum.

Like Megumi, Misao had also had a dream. Had, as in past tense, though. The minute Aoshi and Kenshin had moved their practice out of Chicago had pretty much deflated her pathetically obvious dreams. It sucked to have your inner-most feelings shoved in your face in the moment you're most vulnerable. Misao inwardly cringed as she remembered to look of blank inattention on Aoshi's face when she had, at the spur of the moment, revealed how she really felt about the dour, handsome, and silent man whom she had come to love in the time she had worked for him. At the time, her romantic heart had come up with the ridiculous scenario that he would sweep her in his arms and take her away with him to his new home and they'd live happily ever after.

Misao snorted. She'd read too many damn fairy tales growing up. They brainwashed you. Seriously.

Kenshin, not Aoshi, called her last week, asking if she wanted her old job back, working as their receptionist again. If she could relive the moment, she'd say 'no' and slam the phone down, but the second she had thought of seeing Aoshi again, she had literally melted and agreed over the phone without a second thought. Her commonsense apparently only showed up when it wasn't needed, like this morning when she opted forgo the puddle in the middle of the sidewalk instead of walking through it and soaking her feet. Though wet feet would have merely been inconvenient, this situation a disaster.

When she walked through the door earlier that morning, the first thing she had seen was Aoshi. He hadn't changed in the three years; his black hair remained the same length, he wore the same type of clothes, and the expression on his handsome face was identical the one molded on his features when she had last seen him. Her legs had turned to jelly as she wobbled weakly at the doorway, looking a complete idiot. Good thing there was a handle to hold onto, or the embarrassing situation would have turned into a veritable nightmare. Finally composing herself after a few long seconds, shuffling her feet, and feeling her face grow bright red, she had managed a weak greeting. He answered with a typical nod and left the room when Kenshin called him.

She hadn't seen him again, thank goodness. Secretly, she was afraid her silly knees would give out again, and she'd land face first in the blue paint. Walking home looking like a blue smurf wasn't a fanciful thought. Shifting her stance, Misao braced one hand against her hip as she rolled the paint onto the wall. Wait till she told Megumi about her new job. She'd flip.

The door to her right opened and Kenshin stepped into the small room, his eyes scanning the almost finished paint job. A small smile showed his pleasure at her fast work and his violet eyes warmed pleasantly when they settled on her slightly pale face. Though they hadn't talked much to each other in the past, there was a silent friendship between the two. Not spoken about and not overanalyzed by either, they were comfortable with each other.

"Almost done?" he asked.

"Mmm, pretty much. Just a few touch ups and everything will be in the clear."

"Good. Aoshi wants to open the office as soon as humanly possible. He's worried about loosing clients."

Misao smiled slightly and averted her gaze. "Ah, now how come I don't believe that? Aoshi worried?"

Kenshin chuckled. "Mildly concerned?"

"That's better."

"I know it's only noon, but it's a Saturday and I don't want to wear you out on your first day back with us. I'm sure Megumi has the whole afternoon planned out for the both of you, and I'd hate to have you miss her festivities," he told her.

"You know my sister too well. I managed to escape the apartment this morning before she gave me the rundown of our day on the town," Misao grinned. "She's already tried to call me nine times."

Kenshin nodded. "Well, go on. I can put away the paint. I'll see you on Monday?"

He noticed the hesitant tilt of her head, the slow intake of breath. Her eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion as she smiled faintly. "Yeah. I'll see you on Monday." Slipping her bare feet into her leather sandals, Misao reached down and picked up her green purse sprinkled with little purple flowers. Lifting a hand in farewell, she waved as she pushed open the tinted door and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

As she started home, her feet moving mechanically, she sighed. Why hadn't she taken the option Kenshin had subtly given moments ago to quit and walk away from the duo? It had been all she thought about during the time before she arrived this morning and the entire time she had painted the walls.

Grudgingly deciding to be honest with herself, she slowly admitted she had felt a little happy when she saw Aoshi earlier. Well, maybe really happy. She'd forgotten the thrill of seeing him, the familiar twist in her stomach and the knot which always formed in her throat. He was the only man who made her feel that way, and Misao wondered if he would be the only man in her entire life that, unbeknownst to said men, would sink his claws into her heart the moment she laid eyes on him, hooking her for better or for worse. Spending time with Aoshi would help her decide what to do with her future. And maybe it would decide who she spent her future with as well.

Misao lifted her head and watched the hazy sky crawl at a sloth's pace. As she walked, her hands clenched at her sides and her back gradually straightened. A new resolve clutched her heart as her worried expression melted into a more devious, more calculated look. Aoshi better watch out.

Gripping the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, Kenshin grimaced. The smell of the wet paint was starting to give him a headache. If there was one smell in the world that he hated, abhorred, detested…it was paint. It seemed to seep spitefully into his mind and wreak painful havoc with his nerves. Stepping out into the narrow hall, he walked to the open door of the first office on the right. Standing in the doorway, he leaned against the frame and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I think I'm going to head out."

Aoshi looked up from the boxes he was moving. "Okay. Get here early tomorrow and we can start moving in some of the furniture." He appeared distracted for a moment as his eyes searched the room. As if remembering a stray thought, Aoshi hesitated and turned back to Kenshin. "Did you ever get your coffee mug back?"

Smiling ruefully, Kenshin nodded as he scratched the back of his neck. "Got it this morning. My neighbor had already filled it with coffee, too. Really good coffee."

At hearing Kenshin's answer, his concentration shifted back to his boxes and turned away from him. "Good. Now you don't have buy another one."

Kenshin nodded, letting his eyes scan the room. "See you tomorrow, then."

Leaving the doorway, Kenshin walked down the remaining stretch of hallway, turning to step into another office. Grabbing his small ring of keys from on top of a stack of boxes, he put them into his pocket and headed out of the building.

He locked the entrance door behind him, and swiftly inhaled the fresh air of midday. Clearing his head of the paint fumes, he sighed and jammed his hands into his pockets. The walk home may take a while, but Kenshin welcomed the silent and meditative time. The outside air surrounding him and the bustle of people around him gave him an anonymity that he relished. Taking his time, his gait was slow and methodical, his thoughts distant.

Wrapped so totally in his mental ramblings, he almost didn't realize a while later when he arrived at his apartment building. The sound of childish giggles snapped him out of his encompassing reverie. Lifting his gaze, he realized he was ten feet away from a decorative lemonade stand. A wooden crate about two feet tall covered with a purple tablecloth sat before him. The table cloth was decorated with sparkly swirls of green glitter and yellow star stickers which had started to fall off the fabric. A small cardboard sign was taped to the front of the crate. It read: lemondaide: 5 cents. Two small girls were busy pouring the lukewarm yellow liquid into clear plastic cups. A familiar young woman sat beside them in an orange striped lawn-chair, carefully supervising their actions.

"No! You put too much in that one, Suzume!" the girl with shoulder length brown hair exclaimed as the smaller girl with pigtails, Suzume, overfilled a plastic cup. "Fill it like Kaoru told us!" Prying the pitcher from her sister's hands, Ayame reached for a cup and showed her sister what she meant.

"That's what I did," Suzume whined as she bounced up and down impatiently. "Isn't it, Kaoru? Isn't that what I did?"

Kaoru leaned forward, and patted Suzume's head reassuringly. "You did overfill it slightly, honey. Why don't you try it again? I'm sure you'll get it perfect next time."

Suzume pouted for a moment, disappointed with verification of her failure, but as she watched her older sister fill another cup, she decided she could do it better than her. Ten times better in fact.

"I didn't know you helped run a lemonade stand?" Kenshin started as he stepped closer, watching the young girls work, then turning his gaze to Kaoru's face.

If she was surprised to see him, she didn't show it. Her dark hair was pulled back in its customary ponytail, anchored with a yellow ribbon. The yellow t-shirt she wore advertised the lemonade for sale. A wide smile creased her lips as she cocked her head to the side in greeting. "Oh, yes. This is a tradition. Every first Saturday of the month, the three of us set up our lemonade stand and sell lemonade. Saturday is also gardening day, but in my current condition it's a little hard to get down in the dirt and plant," she replied with a grin as she patted her pregnant swell. "But I drafted my brother to help plant. He's on the other side of the building with the flowers."

Suzume looked up from her five full cups of lemonade. "You want some mister? It's only 5 cents," she exclaimed holding out both her hands showing him ten fingers.

Ayame grabbed one of her sister's hands. "Five is only one hand."

Kenshin chuckled and reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to Suzume. Her eyes rounded, and she sent Kaoru a wide-eyed look of astonishment. "How much does he get with this, Kaoru? A thousand cups?"

Kaoru shook her head with a surprised laugh. "No, not quite that much." Turning to Kenshin, she said, "I'm not sure we have enough change for you."

"Oh, I don't need change. Just give me one cup and consider the rest a donation to your business."

"What's a donation?" asked Suzume.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Kaoru replied, "It will help us buy supplies next month for our stand."

"Really? That's great," the small girl exclaimed, excitement apparent in her voice. "Thanks mister." Grabbing the cup she had overfilled, she tried to hand it to Kenshin without spilling any liquid. Small drops of lemonade spilled over the top of the cup despite her careful movements. With a bright smile, she said, "You get the mostest lemonade. Here!"

Kenshin gingerly picked it up and took a sip of the bitter brew. "Very good! Thanks so much girls."

"You're welcome!" both exclaimed together, happy he seemed to enjoy their lemonade. "We made it ourselves."

Kaoru smiled at him, and leaned back in her chair. Brushing her bangs from her forehead, she silently studied him. "Thanks for stopping by. I wish we had more high paying customers like you," she teased.

Kenshin chuckled, and backed away from their stand, heading to the front door of the apartment building. Waving slightly, he promised to return next time they set up their stand. Kaoru watched him disappear into the building, happy he had bought lemonade from the little girls. They now bubbled with excitement, renewed in their attempt to get people to buy their lemonade.

"Why didn't you just tell her we were busy," Yahiko grumbled, glaring at Sano's back. "This is ridiculous. If I wanted to plant flowers, I'd be in the landscaping or gardening business. I thought you told me we would be doing something interesting today when you called me last night?"

"It is interesting. It's supposed to be teaching you patience."

"To hell with patience. You can't actually mean you like doing this?"

Dropping the pink planting shovel he held in his hand, Sano turned to give Yahiko a withering glare. "No. I don't. But there are some things that have to be done that we don't like doing. And this happens to be one of them, kid."

Brushing the sweat from his brow, Yahiko leaned back away from the flower bed and lifted a dirty hand. "You lied to me so you'd get free labor!"

"I did not," Sano replied, picking up his small shovel and burying it in the moist soil. "Quit whining."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Yahiko watched Sano sneeze and shake his head to clear his sinuses. "Kaoru did this on purpose to punish us for our behavior at the dojo yesterday."

"No, she didn't."

"Oh, yes, she did."

"How is that?" Sano replied, his voice filled with sarcasm. "Enlighten me."

"Don't you think she's trying to send us message, making us plant Pansies? She does know you're slightly allergic to them, doesn't she?"

Frowning, Sano nodded. "But she didn't pick what we plant. The owner of the building did that."

Shaking his head, eyes gleaming, Yahiko leaned forward, grabbing one of the magenta pansies from the plastic container and shoved it in Sano's face. "Believe what you want to, but I know Kaoru did this on purpose!"

Sighing and covering the delicate root system of a different pansy he just placed in the soil, Sano replied, "I think you have serious problems." He plucked the gnarled pansy from Yahiko's outthrust hand and started to plant it. "I think you should find a hobby. Besides the dojo, I mean. Maybe reading would help you keep calm."

Yahiko snorted as he brushed his dirt covered fingers on the front of his faded blue jeans. "Maybe you should take some of your own advice, and find a hobby other than picking fights with strangers."

Sano chose to ignore that comment as he continued to plant the small flowers.

"Besides," Yahiko continued, "I already have a hobby."

"What's that?"

"Annoying you."

Evening receded calmly into night; the lazy pink light of dusk slowly dimming into a deep purple that draped the sky. Through the open blinds covering his window, Kenshin watched the traffic trickle and the amount of people on the sidewalk dwindle as the frenzied pace of daytime slowed to a sluggish crawl. His stomach growled loudly, interrupting his thoughts. He hadn't eaten since that morning when he had wolfed down a stale piece of slightly brown toast on his way out the door. Because of the lack of kitchen supplies and food, he decided to order take-out again for the third time that week. Though he now had furniture, he needed to work on unpacking his cooking utensils which were in one of the many boxes lined up against the walls of his apartment.

He was heading to refrigerator to study the bright orange flyer advertising restaurants that deliver in the area, when he heard a soft knock on his door. Searching his mind for who could possibly be at his door, he was pleasantly surprised when he found Kaoru on the other side, a full plastic Tupperware container in her hands.

Smiling friendly, she thrust it forward, obviously expecting him to take it. "I noticed you've been getting takeout these past few days and was wondering if you'd like some real food. I always seem to make more than I need, and since it usually just sits in my refrigerator and goes bad before I get around to eating the rest of it, I figured you could enjoy it."

Kenshin took the container from her and started to thank her, when she continued on.

"I'll admit, I'm not much of a cook, but I've learned a few things from the classes I've been taking recently, and I feel I have lasagna down pretty well."

"I'm not much a cook myself," Kenshin admitted with a sheepish shrug. "I can cook a few things, but not a lot. At least enough to keep me alive."

Kaoru hummed in agreement. "I wanted to thank you as well for being nice to the two little girls today. They recently just moved here, because their parents were killed in a car accident. They live with their elderly grandfather who actually owns the building. They live on the top floor. The lemonade stand is something that they can look forward to that's different from their usual routine of daycare. You really made them happy with the five dollars."

"Well, I'm happy they liked it so much."

"Hey, Kaoru," Sano said from behind her, "I'm going across the street to the convenience store to get some milk and soda. Are you craving anything weird tonight?"

Pursing her lips, she turned around, brushing her ponytail off her shoulder and onto her back. "No. But I would like some vanilla ice cream to keep in the freezer just in case."

"Right," he replied, turning and leaving her in the hallway, taking the stairs two at a time as he descended.

Kaoru turned around to face Kenshin again, her eyebrows drawn together in a slight frown. "I don't like leaving Yahiko alone in my apartment. He always manages to damage something. Just give me back the container when you're through."

Kenshin nodded, thanked her again and closed the door. She stood in the hallway for a few moments, her eyes on his closed door. She was intrigued by her neighbor, wondering why a hint of sadness touched his gaze every once and while. And why he seemed so distant and drawn into himself. In a way, she could relate to the melancholy that clung to him, and to the solitude he so visibly wished for. But, where she kept it as a defense, he seemed to keep his sorrow as a reminder of the past. Of a past that seemed to haunt him.

Kaoru sighed and shook herself. Walking the few steps back to her apartment, she relaxed. Placing a hand on her stomach, she felt her heart glow with warmth. She stepped into the cozy, familiar atmosphere of her apartment with an easy smile on her lips.