Sorry about the (relatively) long update. I know I promised to update every day but I've been hanging out with my friend before vacationis over. One of my friends was reading this and sawid that it was alot like Tomoe and Kenshin, at least to part when he brings her to his place. I didn't realize this whenI writing it, I am sorry if this bothered yo like it did my friend. But I can honestly say that this story may start like Kenshin and Tomoe but its definetly isn't going to end the same way...with that said here'sthe latest chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any other characters...I no steal, you no sue...


Chapter Three: Lectures and Escapes

Kenshin awoke to the grating sound of someone scratching against the shoji. His eyes flickered open. He was actually in a deep sleep! Judging by the amount of light coming through the windows it was noon. He growled he slept too long. He looked at his bed to find it empty. The sheets were still wrinkled and it took him a second to realize what happened. Kaoru left. His room smelled heavy of jasmine. He began to wonder if she drugged him. He rushed to the door. He had to get to Kaoru before anyone noticed he brought someone home last night. He paused and thought. That sounds wrong!

The shoji was jammed shut. "Damn it," he cursed losing his temper quickly at the door. Then he drew his sword and cut the shoji not caring what hell the innkeeper would give him. A surprised voice from inside the hall awakened his mind. Standing in the hall was a black haired man named Izuka (is that the guy's name.) He raised an eyebrow at Kenshin's abrupt manner.

Kenshin looked at the shoji to find a long dagger embedded in the wood frame locking the door. He swore louder and Izuka laughed. "What's got you in a frenzy?" He asked obviously enjoying his tantrum.

"Where the hell did she go?" He asked, more to himself than the man laughing at his misfortune.

"She?" He asked curious. "Oh. I get it." He said with a sly grin breaking out. "You had a woman here and she ditched you in the morning. That's sad. That's why you go to the brothels so-." He was cut off by Kenshin's evil glare and he clicked his sword his sheath. Izuka jumped back.

He took off in a hurry. Izuka peered into Kenshin's room through the gaping hole in the door. He smelled the scent of jasmine. "So he did have a woman." He said. "Wait until everyone finds out about this!" He left whistling a tune with a huge grin imagining the look on everyone's face.

Kenshin could still sense Kaoru's chi. She only had a ten-minute head start. Damn, he thought. She's quick and clever. He sensed that she had stopped. He slowed down his pace. Then he saw her. He stopped and watched her curiously. She was kneeling in front of a stone. Sickly Kenshin realized it was a fresh grave. It had to be her father's. He looked at it grimly. Have he been one day quicker, he would have been the one to send him to his grave? Then how could he face the grieving girl if he had?

"You can come out Battousai." She said her voice hoarse from crying. She turned around to look at Kenshin. Her tearstained face possessed a heavenly glow. She was an angel touched with sorrow.

"You broke my door." He said. He cursed himself for blurting out something so irrelevant when she was crying. She gave him a soft chuckle and a half-smile.

"I am sorry, but you destroyed my pillows." She said. "So we're even." Kenshin was surprised. She was so different from the angry girl that kicked him in the head. He felt like he was looking at an alter ego.

"Where are you going to go?" He asked, straight to the question they were both dreading. Trouble was written across her face. Kenshin felt torn. He wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know how. So he stood here like a brick watching her crumble to pieces.

"I have no where to go." She said her voice haunted.

"Would you-," He paused. He really shouldn't be asking this. He just met her, and she didn't like him. But somehow he couldn't help but ask. "Stay with me?" Her face lit up and he quickly added. "Until you can find a place of your own and those men stop hunting you." Her shoulders fell a little, but she smiled.

"Sure." She said. "Battousai."

"Please call me Kenshin."


Kenshin and Kaoru returned to find frenzy in the inn. The innkeeper was demanding to know where Kenshin was and the men exclaimed that didn't know where he was. Rumor had it Katsura was after Kenshin and he ditched his mission for a girl.

"It this normal?" Kaoru asked quietly eyeing the crowd of people squabbling. Kenshin sighed and put a hand to his forehead.

"Yeah…" He said regretting bringing Kaoru here.

"HIMURA-SAN!" the unmistakable voice of the innkeeper stopped all the chaos. Everyone stared at him. "WHY IS GOD'S NAME IS THERE A GAPING HOLE IN YOUR DOOR!" Kaoru raised an eyebrow at Kenshin, who closed his eyes trying to control his temper.

"It was jammed shut I needed to get out." He said bluntly. Kaoru watched in horror. She caused this problem. Kenshin's control was evaporating. The madwoman's rants rolled off of him like water.

"Please." Kaoru said her voice cutting through. "It's my fault the door was jammed. I drove a knife through the frame to lock it. It's not Ken-," she pause and then corrected herself, "Himura-san's fault."

The woman looked at Kaoru with a new respect. She looked at Kenshin who taken back by the woman as well. "Is that so?" She eyed Kenshin.

"Yes. I will work to fix it." She said bowing.

"It's settled then. You can help cook for these free-loaders." She raised her voice so everyone could hear. "At sunset come to the kitchens. Good day." She nodded and turned to leave.

"You didn't have to do that." Kenshin told Kaoru. She looked up at him and smiled. "I could have paid for it."

"No." She said. "I feel bad for causing you trouble so I'll going to fix it myself." Kenshin was taken back for the second time in five minutes. "Now where I am exactly." She asked looking around. The crowd dispersed, but Katsura and Izuka walked up to Kenshin and Kaoru.

"Battousai, what the hell happened last night?" Kenshin opened his mouth to respond but Katsura continued. "When didn't you do what I asked?" Kenshin shifted uneasy knowing Kaoru would catch on quickly. He felt her chi growing, and he knew he was going regret this soon.

"This is your boss?" Kaoru asked icily. Kenshin nodded. She looked at Katsura. Then before Kenshin could stop her, Kaoru lunged forward and slapped him across the face. Kenshin grabbed her wrist and trying to pull her back, but she was so damn strong. She went to hit him again. "Why did you send him to kill my father? What do you have against my family?" Kenshin pulled her back horrified that she had the guts to strike his boss.

Katsura held a hand to his face and staggered backwards. "Kamiya-san I presume?" He said. "I would appreciate if you didn't direct your anger at me." She struggled against Kenshin and he hooked and locked both her arms behind her. "Himura what is the meaning of this?"

"She was the only one in the place you send me. Kamiya Koshijiro was already dead." Katsura raised a brow but didn't interrupt. "There were men that attacked us."

"That will do." Katsura said. "Kaoru-san, do you know who were after you?" She swallowed.

"Yes." She said. "They were part of the same group who killed my father."

"Do you know why they were after your father?" He asked gently. It was obvious to Kenshin that he was trying to calm her down, and sighed. His boss was wasting his time.

"I don't know. Why are you after him?" She demanded shrilly. Kenshin's arms tightened around hers. Katsura seem desperate not to answer that question. And who could blame him really? It's not easy telling someone that you wanted to kill someone they loved.

"Himura please take her somewhere else to keep an eye out for her. She has seen too much and can't be released." Katsura said finally and he left. Izuka eyed Kenshin and Kaoru who spit at his feet. He smirked at the young couple. They matched each other in spirit. There was no doubt about it.


Kenshin was sitting near a stream. Kaoru was wading up to her knees. She had rolled up her pant legs to her mid-thigh. Kenshin tried not to notice her long slim legs. They were slightly muscular. I bet they're soft, he thought.

Kaoru's back was to her admirer. "Aren't you going to join?" She asked. He looked at in surprise. Did she really expect a hitokiri to go wading with her?

"No." He said dismissively. After seeing her crestfallen face he felt like chastising himself for doing this to her. But kept his mouth shut and continued to watch her through lowered lashes.

"How old are you?" Kaoru asked startling him. He looked up at her.

"17." He said. She thought about it. "And you?"

"15." She said. "Do you-," she paused, "do you have any family left?" Her question struck him in the heart, but her pained expression was worse.

"No." He said. "They died of cholera while I was really young." Kaoru looked at his sad face sat next to him.

"So I guess we are both alone in this world." Kenshin considered this. He was alone. Somehow he never realized it, and to hear it aloud was a slap to the face. "Sucks, huh?" She said with a fake smile. Kenshin couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't about to describe it as 'sucks,' but it fit.

Kaoru sighed and looked at the skyline. "Shit," she said. Kenshin sprung up.

"What?" He asked.

"I was supposed to help with the cooking." She said. Kenshin grimaced. He envisioned the meals he despised.

"That woman's cooking is so horrible I don't think anything could match it." He said. Kaoru looked down. Kenshin didn't notice and continued. "You can find some other way to make it up. I don't want you to leave." Kaoru's head shot up and Kenshin belatedly realized what he said. "You know, in case those freaks find you again."

"Oh, right." Kaoru said disappointed. "I suppose we better get going. I don't want to be out after dark." Kenshin watched her. He lived in the dark so it didn't bother him. In fact he loved the dark and preferred to be out during the night than day. But if Kaoru wanted to leave, he would respect her wishes.

"Let's go then." He said. Kaoru hesitated and he turned to look at her. Her face was clouded with an emotion he didn't understand. Her chi was gentle but at the same time touched with sadness. "Kaoru…dono?" He added at the last second and she looked away. What is the hell is with her, he thought genuinely confused, although deep within he knew. She didn't want to leave, for some reason…

"I'm sorry I just was thinking about something…stupid," she said. She shrugged. "Let's go then." She said smiling at Kenshin. He felt his chest grow hot as his heartbeat raced as thought in the heat of battle. He loved her smile.

They walked back in silence for the majority of the time. It was completely dark and Kaoru grew restless. Kenshin noticed but said nothing. A loud crash caught their attention and she shrank away and backed up. She ran into Kenshin but he didn't seem to mind. He drew his sword. Kaoru drew closer to him afraid. She knew who were coming and she hated them. Her hand clenched a fistful of Kenshin's black gi. She was whimpering.

"Don't worry," Kenshin whispered in her ear. "Just stay near me." She nodded. Normally she wouldn't be afraid but these men were her living nightmares. If they had slaughtered her father who was much more skilled than her, she shivered at the thought of what that could do to a fifteen-year old girl.

"I'm scared." She said.

"I know. But I won't let them get you." Kaoru flushed forgetting her fear for a split second. Why was he so nice to her after knowing her for a day? She saw a man dressed in black approaching. Her grip tightened and Kenshin looked at the man with glaring amber eyes.

"Kamiya and…" he paused in disbelief. "The Battousai! I never thought I would see this!"


Let me know if you think this was dragging a bit. I am disappointed by Kaoru's confontation with Katsura but there will be more in future chapters, so hold on. To clearify Kaoru isn't a coward in this fic, she isjust scared to death with the group of men after her, but she is very brave and I hate writing her so scared but for the plot...its important. okI'llshut up now...

Please Review. I want to know how many loyal fans I have.

Silent. Midnight. Rose.