Date started: January 1, 2005

Hello readers! Thank you very much for the reviews, I greatly appreciate them. Do not worry; Kaoru will not be rendered useless much longer. It's just that I needed to start the story that way. Things will begin to make more sense as the story goes along. I tend to bring things out slowly, hoping to make a reader wanting more. Now, I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Butterfly Kisses

By: Hotaru

Rating: R; for language, gore, and some adult material

Standard Disclaimer:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin in any way whatsoever. I do, however, own any characters that I may introduce as my own, and this plot line. If I catch you stealing it, you grovel at my feet and beg forgiveness, or die.

Chapter 2

Kaoru lay in the back seat, across the leather cushions of the car spaced out completely. The car had been in motion for about an hour now, and she had gone into this state of mind after about half an hour. Her eyes were now dry, the tears having stopped. The sapphire orbs were no longer filled with grief, but with anger, and hate, obviously for the men whom had killed the only person she could consider her family.

Her so called "rescuer," was concentrated completely on the road. He had not spoken a word to her, nor she to him. "How could he just leave Yahiko like that!" she thought angrily. Her wounds were still throbbing from the earlier events, but she ignored it. She didn't care that they could be bleeding. Her only thoughts were of the one whom had started it all. The one named "Shishio." The leader of the Juppongatana, of Japan, and the one she would now find of her own free will, and destroy.

She would not take sides. Nothing would stop her from avenging Yahiko's death. Nothing.

He sat at the wheel, concentrated on the road, while on the back seat as well. Battousai noticed she had stopped crying, and had since then, not uttered a sound. Shutting his fierce, amber eyes momentarily, he noticed her ki was flaring dangerously bright with anger and hatred.

"She definitely needs to calm down... with that much ki..." He let his thoughts wander as he concentrated on the road, "She's probably not even aware of it, or of how to control it."

"Well?" A raspy voice asked.

A short, stocky man, with a lime green mohawk and biker gear, answered coolly, "HE showed up, and killed all five of them and took the girl. The boy was killed by a gun shot."

"WHAT! Why would they want her! They don't even know what she is!" A man stepped forward, wearing traditional garb, his face and hands laced with bandaging.

"Shishio-sama, I don't know why exactly Battousai took her. But all I know is that it is going to be a hell of a lot harder to get her now that she's in their hands... it was already hard to begin wi-"

"Don't start." Shishio cut in, "We will have to figure out another way to get her. Get out of my sight."

The biker bowed respectfully, and immediately left.

The car jerked to a stop. Kaoru lay as she had been for the entire four hour drive. It was nearing two in the morning, and she had fallen asleep, and remained asleep as Battousai came around and lifted her out of the car.

He carried her towards a tall building. Entering through a side door, he carried her upstairs, and ended at the top floor. Walking down the hall, Battousai took no notice of the richly carved doors, or the fine rugs along the hallway. He stared down to the endof the hallway at one solitary door. Upon reaching it, he knocked once. "Come in."

The red head went into the dark room, lit only by a dim lamp, and placed the sleeping girl on a chair and shook her, "Wake up." The shadow of a person could be made out in another chair, but no features. After several more tries, there was success in awakening Kaoru.

Amber eyes flashed over to the figure, "I brought her like you asked."

Kaoru sat glaring into nothingness. Battousai noticed her ki flare again, even more powerful than the first time.

The shadowy man spoke up, "Thank you Battousai." He then directed his conversation to Kaoru, "Kamiya-san, I know things might be confusing right now, but it will all make sense soon."

Her blue eyes leered over to the speaker, flickering with anger, "Oh really?" She sarcastically said, "Like things aren't already confusing? I have been chased for two years, and then captured several times, most recently barely escaping with my life. And now, the only person I considered family has been killed. So, tell me, why shouldn't, things make sense, when all this has happened for some unknown reason."

Battousai was shifting his gaze from the two, back and forth; the cool and collected man, and then the fiery, angry young woman.

"We can remedy your questions, if you will answer ours."

She smartly countered, "I wouldn't be able to answer your questions, because I don't have any answers." Kaoru was starting take note of the pain in her body, but she did not show it on her face, "My only concern right now, is to get these damned wounds healed, and find Shishio. I will avenge Yahiko's death." Her sapphire eyes were darker than normal.

Battousai noticed the already powerful ki spread even more, becoming so strong he could feel it's presence like the wind, almost see it emanating off her body. He decided to speak, "Perhaps it would be better to talk another day, when Kamiya-san is not so tired."

The man noticed a slight tone of warning in the assassin's voice, and nodded, "I agree, how about a few days?"

Kaoru let out a sigh of relief, "FINALLY! Maybe I can GO HOME." She emphasized the last two words. She was still glaring, but not so coldly, as she was glad to be able to leave the room.

"I think not Kamiya-san. You shall stay with Kenshin." Kenshin took a slight step forward of surprise, and Kaoru nearly leaped out of her seat, but was stopped by a groan of pain, and the grasping of her side, "Kenshin, make sure her wounds are tended." With that, the shadowed man stood and left the room.

The assassin was staring at the gasping Kaoru. He walked in front of her, and she looked up angrily into his piercing, golden eyes, "I will not stay with you!" He leaned down in an attempt to pick her up, but she recoiled, trying to get out of his reach. She met the back of her chair. Kenshin let out a sigh, and stood back up, "Look-"

"I can walk by myself. I will NOT be treated like a wimpy child." Kaoru then slowly stood up, she braced herself slightly on the back of the chair, and she started walking surely. She went to the door, and opened it. Before exiting, she turned to Battousai, and coolly stated, "Well, if I am going to be forced to stay with you, I presume you know where you are going to be taking me."

Kenshin flashed his amber eyes towards her, and then quickly exited the room, "Follow me." Kaoru looked at him strangely, and followed him as fast as she could to an elevator. The ride was silent, as it had been in the car. When they reached the tenth floor, they left the elevator, and the assassin led her down the hall, until they stood in front of one of the doorways. Kaoru was out of breath and panting heavily. She leaned against the wall, and let out a sigh.

Battousai noticed that once they were out of the room with his boss, and she was now down here, her ki's radiation greatly decreased, "Good... she won't be so vulnerable to predators if she keeps it low like that." Taking out a set of keys, he unlocked the door, and then grabbed Kaoru's upper arm and pulled her in.

After he flicked on the lights, Kaoru immediately pulled away from his grasp, and turned to stare at the room. It had a couch with a fireplace in front of it, unlit. There were no major decorations in the room, only a place in the far corner which looked like something to rest a gun or, "a katana," she thought. There was a small kitchen to her left, nothing fancy, and a small table. She noticed a small hallway and saw two doors. Kaoru did her best to keep her face emotionless; not letting him know that she thought the apartment was grand. The man walked past her and into the kitchen. He looked in some cabinets for something. Kaoru continued looking around the room and spotted a window. Stepping over towards it, she peeped through the blinds in an attempt to see if there were any ledges or fire escapes nearby

"Don't even think about it," came the cool voice of her now captor. She turned to stare him down, unflinching, "How do you know what I think? I may have just been looking out at the city. It's not like you can read people's minds."

"And if I could, what would you do?" Kenshin smiled coyly, waiting for her reply. None came and he continued, "I can not read your thoughts, but your actions revealed your intentions. If you intend on getting to Shishio, then you better learn to be more secretive and controlling."

"Secretive? Controlling? Damn you, I can fight for myself, I don't need assistance." Kaoru retorted angrily. She hated it when men misjudged her just because she was a girl.

Battousai stepped out of the kitchen with bandages in hand, "Not in the state you are in." He gestured towards the couch, "Sit."

"I will do what I please."

"No. You will sit, and that is that." He glared dangerously towards her. Kaoru decided she better do as told, and did so. He finally removed his long black coat, and placed his swords where Kaoru had presumed they would go. Then, he came over and said, "Where are all your wounds?"

"My arm and... umm, my upper body." Kaoru flushed bright red, "You know, I will do it myself." She reached for the bandages where Battousai had placed them, but he stopped her by grabbing them first. He shook his head, "No. My master told me to take care of your wounds, and I will do so." She flushed even brighter red, more so in anger than embarrassment.

"Damnit, no! Have you no sense of decency!" She stood up angrily, and ignored the sharp pain of rising so fast, "Hand me those!" She pointed at the bandages, "And where's the bathroom?" She demanded. Kenshin sensed her ki flare up again, and decided not to argue, wanting it to go back down to normal. He handed her the bandages, and said, "The first door."

Kaoru stormed off towards the room he directed, and was quickly greeted by the slamming of the door. Kenshin sat on the couch and took an intake of breath, "This girl is going to be a pain..." He concentrated on her radiating self. Steadily, her ki rose again, this time because of hatred, "That, is the first thing I'm going to do... teach her to gain control of her ki."

The teen looked at herself in the mirror. She looked a mess, and to add to it, she was exhausted from exertion and the time. Quickly, she unraveled the bandage on her arm, and looked at the gash. It was bleeding slightly; however, she quickly bandaged it, not wanting to remember what had caused it.She took off her shirt and swiftly re-bandaged her torso, with slight difficulty.Putting her shirt back on, she took her hair down out of its high ponytail, and then tried to brush through it with her fingers. After the failed attempt, she just resorted to putting it up in a bun. While she was doing all of this, her thoughts concentrated on one thing: how she would get to the leader of Japan, Shishio, and destroy him. She would get revenge for the trouble she had been given the past two years, and most of all: Yahiko.

To be continued...

Well, this chapter was not as dramatic as the first, but perhaps more informative? More will be revealed in the next chapter. Another thing, Shishio is the only person who knows what it is that Kaoru possesses. It shall all be revealed in time, maybe in a few more chapters. I go back to school tomorrow, so I won't have a lot of time to write, so don't kill me. Anyway, until next time.

Date finished: January 3, 2005