Disclaimer - I don't own Rurouni Kenshin.

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Toy Store

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Her Sister's House III

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They parked a block away in case Tom was a paranoid drunk, and snuck through a neighbor's yard to reach the back door of her sister's house.

"Here's the key," Kaoru whispered as she handed it to Kenshin. "There're two locks, and this works on both of them."

"Alright." He fumbled finding the unfamiliar keyhole in the dark.

"Hurry up, before one of the neighbors sees and calls the cops," Kaoru urged.

"Is that really such a bad thing?" Kenshin asked, just as the key finally slid in one of the locks.

He didn't let her go in first since they didn't know if Tom was armed, although most likely her sister would have mentioned that on the phone. He made Kaoru stand behind him and to the left of the door as he pushed it open as gently as possible and pocketed the key. He could hear two raised voices coming from the living room. One, he recognized as Kaoru's sister, the other, he assumed, was Tom.

"Kenshin, I'll lead the way once we get in," Kaoru whispered. "I've been in her house a hundred times. I know the layout."

"I know it too," he said calmly, silencing her and probably making her wonder. His past relationship with her sister was something they hadn't discussed yet.

"I'm not happy about this, Kenshin," she said softly as he turned the knob and eased the door open. She was angry. She was angry and she was terrified for her sister, whose voice they both could now hear clear as day as they slipped inside. Kenshin heard the soft snick of Kaoru locking the door and sliding the bolt behind him, as they'd agreed in the car. He walked softly through the kitchen, careful to make no noise, conscious of Kaoru following him.

A drunken male voice asked who she thought she was, fucking locking herself in the bathroom. Kenshin shot Kaoru a questioning look and she nodded. It was Tom. She looked more determined and scared now than angry. Her sister's voice was muffled now. She'd probably hidden herself in the bathroom, or at least behind a locked door. But her voice was full of tears he hadn't been able to hear from outside. He stepped around the corner.

No one was in the living room, but he looked to his left, where he knew the hallway was, and saw Tom standing in front of the third door down on the right, the bathroom door. The man was drunk, so far gone he wavered while leaning heavily against the door. But he wasn't armed, at least not in any obvious place, and that was good.

"Tom, get back from the door," Kenshin ordered, stepping into the hallway.

Tom looked up at him blearily. "Who th'hell're you?"

"My name is Kenshin," he told Tom, motioning for Kaoru to step into the hallway. "You have to go now, Tom."

"Kaoru?" Tom slurred, ignoring him and looking at Kaoru where she stood next to Kenshin. "What're you doin' here?"

"Elaine called me," Kaoru told him. Her voice was even and confident, Kenshin noted with relief. "She said you were beating her up."

"I didn't," he said, sounding confused. "My dad died, so I got drunk."

"You did," Kaoru told him sharply. "You need to leave now."

Tom nodded. He pushed himself off the bathroom door with difficulty and started lumbering towards them. His knuckles were bleeding; it looked like he'd punched something rough, and his eyes were red. Kenshin was more worried about Kaoru's sister, Elaine. He hadn't heard a sound from her since they'd entered the house.

"In case I did, I didn't mean to hit her," Tom said, just as he was passing them in the hallway. "It's just, my dad-"

"Go away," Kaoru said, her voice catching.

"Go to your sister," Kenshin told her quietly, keeping his eyes on Tom. "I'll make sure he leaves."

"Thanks," she said shakily. He felt her body heat fade behind him as she slipped down the hallway.

"I messed up," Tom said, as if he expected Kenshin to forgive him.

"Walk to the front door," Kenshin told him, surprised when Tom actually did, making the wavering trek through the living room in silence. He fumbled with the door, but managed to open it and lurched into the dark. Kenshin shut and locked the door. Out the front window Tom walked away down the street and turned the corner. He'd probably get picked up by the police on general principal. Kenshin waited until he was sure Tom was gone for the night before he hurried down the hallway and into the bathroom.

"Thanks, Kenshin," Elaine said as soon as she saw him standing in the doorway. She was sitting on the floor next to the toilet. It smelled like she'd already thrown up. Kaoru was sitting next to her, massaging her shoulders worriedly.

"How bad are you hurt?" he asked, noting her black eye and bruised left wrist.

"Just my wrist and I banged my elbow," she said. "I told you I could take care of myself. Don't mind the vomiting- I think I ate something before Tom came."

"What about your eye?" Kaoru asked her gently.

"Tom didn't do that, I did on the corner of the counter before he came over. I had to the urge to puke so suddenly that I hit it bending over." She sighed loudly. "If I hadn't been feeling so sick, I wouldn't have this horrible black eye."

Kaoru glanced up to meet his eyes and he knew she didn't believe her. "We're taking you to the hospital."

"I said I'm fine," her sister fussed weakly.

"But you've been crying," Kaoru protested.

"It just took you so long to get here, I was feeling a little depressed," Elaine said, her voice starting to catch. "Tom's out there having an emotional breakdown that I couldn't stop." Her voice trembled. "And Kaoru, I'm pregnant with his baby." She burst into tears.