Disclameri dont own Rurouni Kenshin or any of the charectors! Except Taeya...she is mine. . Please enjoy!

Chapter 2

"Stop it! I said stop! They are wounded and weak…there is not need to go after them! Stop it! Onegai, stop!"

"Taeya!"

"Onegai…"

"Taeya…wake up!"

"Stop!"

Taeya shot up as she awoke form her unrelenting nightmare. She blushed slightly as she stared up at Sanosuke's chocolate brown eyes. A thought hit her fast and her eyes slowly narrowed as her hand fisted and punched Sano hard on the cheek.

"What the hell? What are you doing in my room!"

"Che, I couldn't stand your yelling. You've been mumbling and screaming since you fell asleep. Kaoru and the others are on the other side of the dojo so they couldn't hear you…that's why I came in here and woke you up. You said some nasty stuff while you were asleep…wanna tell me what it was about?" he said as he rubbed his left cheek absently.

"Nothing," Taeya said simply as she looked up at him like nothing had happened.

"Alright, kirei…why don't you want to tell me? It's not like I'm going to go round telling people."

"I know that," snapped Taeya with such force that Sano visibly flinched. Taeya noticed and took a deep breath, "Let's just say that I don't want to remember what I saw, ok? I just want to let it be and let it fade away."

"Until another nightmare comes and reminds you of whatever it is that you did?" Sano received a cold glare and dropped it, "Fine, I wont press the issue if you don't want me to. However….Taeya….do you want….I mean, can I give you a little tour of Tokyo? I-if you don't mind that is."

A look of confusion settle on Taeya's face but slowly disappeared as a warm smile appeared on her lips, "Sure…why not?"

She continued to look up at Sano, mystified by his eyes until she heard a familiar chuckle.

"Yeesh, I didn't think that you guys would get that friendly that fast! Where's the fire?" chuckled Yahiko.

"Why you…mind your own business runt!" roared Sanosuke as he chased after Yahiko, leaving Taeya alone once more.

Taeya smiled and quickly folded her futon and put hair in a high ponytail. She rushed out of her room to find Kaoru. 'I wonder what Sano would think if he saw me in-' she didn't finish her thought as she ran into Kaoru sweeping the dojo. "Kaoru-san?"

"Hmm? Oh Taeya-san…you are up already?"

"Yeah, I'm up…I'm not much of a late sleeper. I-I wanted to ask you for a favor," she asked nervously.

"Sure, what kind of favor?" asked Kaoru as she stopped sweeping to pay attention to her knew friend.

Taeya looked around slowly to see if Sano was trying to ease drop in their conversation and found Sano and Yahiko hiding behind a tree around ten feet away. She walked up to Kaoru and began whispering into her ear.

"Can you hear anything Yahiko?"

"How can I hear anything over your big mouth? Shut up and maybe I'll catch something."

The two saw Kaoru's expression turn into one of excitement as she listened to whatever it was that Taeya was telling her. They saw Kaoru nod enthusiastically as Taeya pooled away and stared at her. The two girls quickly jogged off to Kaoru's room and closed the door.

"Hmmm….I wonder what it was that they were talking about," said Yahiko as he thought for a minute before Sano smacked him over the head with an annoyed look on his face.

"You mean to tell me that you didn't hear anything that they said?"

"Iie, I didn't hear anything. What could those two onnas be up to?"

"Anou…maa ne we have to wait 'til they come out don't we?"

"Here, try this one on," Kaoru said as she handed Taeya a beautiful snow white kimono with blood red roses that had a gold color outlining them; making them stand out more. Taeya just stared at the kimono in Kaoru's arms.

"What's the matter? You don't like it? Let me go and get a different one then, hold on."

"Iie, Iie…it's not that it's just……I don't know how to put it on. I've never even owned one of these things," she said with an embarrassed smile.

"Well then why didn't you say so before? Here…let me help you, and let's do something nice with your hair. Sano will like that."

"Grrr…what is taking her so long? I told the guys I'd be there at noon and it's almost time and I'm not there! If she isn't out in the nest two seconds I'm leaving without her!" shouted Sanosuke as he paced back and forth on the sand.

"Kami-sama…are you always this impatient?" asked Taeya sweetly.

Sano jumped slightly as he heard her sweet voice. He turned to look at her and his jaw practically fell to the floor as he stared at Taeya in Kaoru's kimono, her black ebony hair was loose and fell around her like a water fall, stopping below her high thigh.

"I was only…kidding. You don't really think I'd leave without you…ne?"

"So…where are you taking me? Somewhere I can have some fun I hope. Do you have money?"

"Eeto…hey, Kaoru…can you lend me some money? " Kaoru and Taeya practically feel over, "You mean you don't have any money!"

"Nope…I'm sorta short on cash. I promise I'll pay you back…I promise!"

"Grrr…you better! If you don't you wont have a meal for a week, you hear me Sanosuke!"

"Yeah yeah, I hear you jou-chan, no need to get grumpy." Sano took the money and slipped it in his pocket as he silently winked at Kaoru. He turned around and put his arm around Taeya's shoulders as he walked up to her and led her out the door to the dojo. "Don't wait up for us jou-chan!" he called out as the vanished around the corner.

Kaoru turned back and headed to the back of the dojo, 'I wonder if there is something between Sano and Taeya.'

"So…do you want to tell me what it was that haunted you last night, kirei?"

"Grrrr… I told you not to call me that!" she roared. Her voice changed from one of anger to one of softness and sadness as she spoke, "I… was dreaming about my parents."

"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" asked a confused Sano.

"No. I dreamt of the night that the imperialists slaughtered them…right in front of my eyes."

"Sano's face hardened as he fully apprehended why she didn't want to talk about it in the first place; her memories were too painful and she didn't want to remember them outside of her nightmares. "Those dirty imperialist pigs tend to do a lot of that. They don't give a damn who gets in their way. They even kill people little kids look up to," Sano said as he fisted his hand and looked over at his side at some stores that they passed as they continued to walk.

"You know…sometimes I forget that I'm not the only one that's had a hard life with a bad past that I can never forget. Knowing that you had it bad too, reminds me that I'm not as alone as I sometimes seem to think," she said with a warm smile.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," said Sano with a grin. Five or six minutes passed in complete silence as the two tried to bring up a conversation but didn't find the right words to.

Finally, Taeya stopped suddenly and looked questioningly at Sano, "Where are we going?"

"He-he he…don't tell me you suddenly got scared. Is the big and powerful Taeya afraid to gamble?"

"Who says I'm afraid? I just don't want to be put behind bars when a baka cop comes wonderin' inside," she said as she crossed her arms across her chest and turned her head to the side with her nose in the air.

"Oh c'mon kirei, admit it…you're afraid to go in and gamble 'gainst me 'cause you know I'm gonna win," Sano said as he smiled at her.

Taeya uncrossed her arms and rose to the challenge as she shouted at Sano, "If you want me to whip your sorry little butt at dice then that's your call! Don't come whinin' to me! Let's get to it!"

Taeya and Sano stood at the door; she put out her arm to open the door but was stopped by Sano's. She raised an eyebrow at him, "Nan da? You're not having second thoughts…are you tori-atama?"

"Not at all…kirei. Just stay close to me when we go inside all right? Not too many girls come 'round here and…anou, let's just say the guys aren't too friendly with women."

"You sayin' they might want to pick a fight? Hn, no prob…you know I can handle myself."

"That's exactly what I don't want. Listen, if you start a fight the police will some and I don't want to be thrown in jail for the night, 'right?"

Taeya opened the door and stepped inside with Sanosuke. Various whistles were heard as Taeya entered the dark room and sat down with Sanosuke.

"Oi Sano, who's the babe?"

Heh, calm down Tohoe. She's with me so she's off limits. Oi, want to play doubles?"

"Sure! Genji and I always beat you, who's your partner this time?"

"You're lookin' at her pal," said Taeya as she grabbed Sano's sake cup and dice.

"Are you sure?"

"Course! What you think I can't play?"

"Alright missy, but you'll lose having Sano as a partner. He's no good at dice."

"Kaoru-dono? Where did Taeya-dono go, I thought she was still in bed."

"Sanosuke and Taeya left about two hours ago Kenshin, why?"

"Oh nothing, I just wanted to ask her something is all," Kenshin looked over at Kaoru and smiled sweetly as he continued to do the laundry. "Seeing Taeya-dono again makes me very happy, that it does. She is great company to have around and helps around the dojo, ne Kaoru-dono?"

Hai…she is. Kenshin, can I ask you something?"

"Of course Kaoru-dono."

"About Taeya-san…do you…like her?"

"Oro? Well hai, I do…but most likely not in the way you think I do Kaoru-dono."

"Kenshin…"

Kenshin stopped hanging the laundry and walked up to Kaoru, his hands on her shoulders. "Kaoru-dono, there is only one person that I feel like that for," he said as he looked into her ocean blue eyes.

"Kenshin…" Kaoru didn't finish her sentence as she hugged Kenshin and buried her face in his chest as her eyes slowly began to water.

"What will it be?"

"Odds! Two and five!"

"Oi, onna…you sure? You don't want to lose all the money now, do you?" asked Sano.

Taeya grabbed the sake from his hand and drank the rest of it; "Of course I'm sure! I've gotten them all right so far, ne?"

"Hai, you have. All right, you heard the lady! Two and five!"

Tohoe rolled the dice on the center of the four of them and gawked with wide eyes when the dice stopped rolling and revealed non other than two and five.

Taeya jumped up and down in delight and threw her arms around Sano as she continued to jump up and down. "We won Sano! We won! Wai wai!"

"Hh-he he…indeed we did kirei. Oi Tohoe, give us our winnings and we'll be on our way before we clear you of all your money," said Sano with a sly grin.

"Alright, but bring her around more often, ne Sano? She's good!"

"Yeah yeah. C'mon Taeya, let's get goin'. It's getting' pretty late."

"Alright you party pooper," she said as she stood and followed Sanosuke out the door with the large bag of money.

Once they were outside, Sano looked down at Taeya and grinned. "Maybe I shouldn't have given you all that sake Taeya, you look drunk."

"Wha ever, I'm not dwunk," she slurred.

"Sure…if you say so kirei."

"I tolds you not to calls me that's!" she roared.

"Calm down onna. I was only kidding!"

"I knows, I knows….I was just teasings yous," she said with a grin.

"So…what do you wanna talk 'bout?"

"Don't knows…………Sano, don't you have a…girlfriend?"

Sano looked down at her and then laughed. "What? I just asked yous a question!"

"Yeah, I know but…your voice is so kawaii," he said in between his laughs.

Taeya smiled and looked up at him, "Well, are you going to answer the question?"

"Iie, I don't have a girlfriend. You got a boyfriend?"

Taeya blushed slightly but answered with a soft smile, " I haven't had the time for any boyfriends. I'm always atraveling through places and not enough time to meet anybody. Just movin' through."

"But you are going to stay here in Tokyo…ne?"

Taeya blinked and looked at Sano, "Ara?"

"You heard me. Will you stay?"

Taeya looked down at the ground as a shy smile leapt to her lips, "Hai, maa ne."

"Yakusoku?" he asked with a tint of hope.

"Hai…yakusoku." Her shy smile never left her lips as they continued to walk in silence until they reached the dojo and were at their rooms. Taeya looked up at Sano and quickly on her tiptoes and planted a small kiss on his cheek, "Oyasumi nasai, Sano."

"Oyasumi nasai," said Sano slowly as he marveled in the kiss he received. Taeya entered her room and closed the door behind her at the same time Sano did.

"This isn't suppose to happen Hakmi…you said she buried her feelings long ago during the revolution, after you betrayed her. We can't have her fall in love with that ex-gangster Sagara," said an ominous voice hiding in the shadow of the trees near the dojo.

"Forgive me sir, I thought she had. On her way here she didn't show any signs of emotion and when she fought against those thieves the night before…she sounded as if she never stopped killing."

"How ironic. The poor girl doesn't even know she is being used to our advantage. By coming here…she shows great weakness. Now we can destroy both her and Himura."

"Sir…don't you think they suspect something?"

"Of course not, let us leave before someone sees us." The two strangers in the dark left as swiftly as they had come, leaving no trace that they were near the dojo.

Taeya giggled silently as she laid her head on her futon and remembered the look of surprise on Sano's face when she kissed his cheek. 'He looked so…so kawaii,' she thought fondly as she stared up at the ceiling. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she fell into a peaceful sleep with no nightmares.

Sano stared up at the ceiling and a sly smile crept up on his lips as he repaid the kiss Taeya gave him only minutes before. Sano fell asleep with the sweet memory fresh in his mind.

Sano awoke as he felt the hot beamed on his face and a soft murmur made its way to his ears. He slowly opened his eyes and was met with Taeya's angelic face.

"Onayou tori-atama!" she chimed happily.

Sano blinked slowly as he stared at her happy expression. "What are you doing up so early Taeya?"

She giggled innocently as she looked out the window. "Early? Sano, I think that sake last night really did a number on you. It's the middle of the day, sleepy head."

Sano removed the blankets and stood up on his feet as he starred down at Taeya, "What was with last night, huh…or are you going to tell me that you were slightly drunk?"

"Ara? Last night?" she furrowed her eyebrows as she thought for a long moment before blushing slightly and then looked up to Sano saying, "Oh, he-he he…by last night you meant…the kiss…eeto…I don't know I just…wanted to see how you reacted to it I guess. Hmh-hmh…and you sure had one funny face last night tori-atama! Ha ha ha ha ha!" She bent over and hugged her stomach with both hands as she began to laugh at the memory of Sanosuke's face the night before.

Sano smile at her, "Well excuse me kirei…I wasn't expecting you to do something like that. Tell jou-chan and Kenshin if they need any help I'll be out in a sec, alright?"

"Alright, see ya in a little while, ne?"

"Ne."

Taeya skipped out of Sano's room with a sly smile and once her foot touched the sand on the ground she jogged around trying to find Kenshin. "Himura!" shouted Taeya happily, "Himura! Himu--"Taeya smacked straight into Yahiko as she rounded the corner.

"Hay, watch were you're going busu!" whaled Yahiko.

"How dare you call me ugly! You don't know who you're dealing with squirt! Why don't you watch where you are going Yahiko-kun? I'm not Kaoru so you better watch it!"

"Oi, I'm not a little kid! You might not look a thing like Kaoru but you sure shout like she does!"

"Oooh, you! I'll get you!" Yahiko ran back around the corner and sprinted across the yard as fast as he could with Taeya extremely close behind him.

"Ha ha! You can't catch me!" shouted Yahiko as he ducked over Taeya. He began to run in the other direction but instead hit the ground roughly as Taeya jumped on him.

"Ha! What were you sayin' Yahiko-kun?" she said with a wide grin as she hot off and lifted him off the ground with her hand.

"Okay…I was wrong. Now put me down and don't tell anyone. Alright?"

"Humph…only if you stop calling me busu, got it?"

"Hai hai," he grumbled as he walked back inside the dojo.

"Taeya-dono…is that you?" asked a soft voice.

"Himura, there you are! I have been lookin' all over for you!" Taeya said happily as she walked over to Kenshin who was busy doing the laundry.

"Ah…Taeya-dono, I was going to ask id you wanted to go to the market with me. Kaoru-dono gave me a rather large shopping list today, that she did. Could you come with me?"

"Sure thing Himura."

After Kenshin had finished the laundry, he and Taeya walked over to the market. Taeya seemed rather happy today and had a joyous smile as she entered the market with Kenshin. "Did something happen the other night Taeya-dono? With Sano's little tour of Tokyo I mean," Kenshin said as he reached over and grabbed the rice.

"Ara? Eeto…nothing…happened last night. H-he just showed me some of the stores in Tokyo," she said as she smiled nervously.

"Uhuh…you needn't be embarrassed Taeya-dono. Sano told me," he said as he grabbed the soy sauce on the shelf.

"H-he did? Sou na? Honki de? Even the part about us gambling?" she said slowly as she blinked.

"Anou…hai. Do not worry Taeya-dono, it is all right with me. This isn't that first time Sano's been gambling," he said with a smile.

"Himura…eeto…can you keep a secret?"

"Of course Taeya-dono."

"Last night…I gave Sano…a kiss," she said slowly as she tried to hide her blush.

Kenshin stared at her with wide eyes, Taeya looked at him and read his expression. "Not that kind of kiss! I meant on the cheek!"

Kenshin's expression slowly changed as he grabbed the salt to his right. "So then…I guess you plan on staying with us?"

"Hai…if it is okay with you and Kaoru-san that is."

"I'm sure Kaoru-dono would be pleased. However…have you told Saonosuke about the night we last saw each other?"

Taeya looked at Kenshin with a confused expression, "Wakaranai, what do you mean Himura? Does he have something to do with that night?"

"Hai, indeed he does. Sanosuke was a member of the Sekihotai." Taeya's expression turned into one of pain and sorrow.

"So…t-that's where I…knew him from. I had a feeling I had…met him somewhere before but…I wasn't…sure of where."

"It was not your fault Taeya-dono. You didn't want to be there in the first place…you can't blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault," he said softly as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Bur Kenshin……I was there. I raised my word and…and I killed some of their members…and…and…" she cut off not being able to finish as a wave of guilt rushed over her.

"Daijobou ka?"

"Daijobou…it's just that I feel so bad."

"Are you going to tell Sano?"

"I have to…other wise…he'll find out sooner or later and he wont be very happy no will he?" she said softly as they exited the market. The rest of the way home was in silence, Taeya was battling herself all the way to the dojo. Taeya froze instantly as she saw Sano talking with Kaoru.

"Don't worry, I'll leave the two of you alone Taeya-dono," said Kenshin as he walked up to Kaoru, mumbling something in her ear. Kaoru quickly nodded and followed Kenshin inside the dojo.

"Oi…you want to tell me something or are you just going to stare at me with that face?" asked Sano as he turned to look at her from where he was standing.

Taeya looked at Sano with a mixture of seriousness and sadness that could not compare to any other.

"You know," said Sanosuke as he walked and stood in front of her, "that serious expression doesn't suit you at all. What's wrong?"

DUN DUN DUN!!! Hat to leave you in a bad spot but I had to stop at some point…right? . if I get some reviews I'll post the next chapter in the next two week instead of three, alright? Thanx for those who have read and think it's ok. Love you all!