Disclaimer: I don't own RK. All original characters are mine to claim.

Synopsis: What would you do if you stepped out of your bathroom and there was a man pointing a gun at you? And what if the one man sent to protect you, was the one who didn't believe in you? She had become a target, even before she was aware of it. Modern day AU. KK story.

'…' - thoughts

On with the story!

THE TARGET

Chapter One: It's me against you

"Name."

"Kamiya Kaoru."

"Age."

"Twenty-eight."

"Birth date."

"June 24th. I don't understand why-"

"I ask you to please answer my questions straight." Kenshin said coldly, cutting her speech. He watched expressionless as her sapphire blue orbs, so rare amongst Japanese, flashed angrily for a brief second, before lowering to stare at the table between them.

Most intriguing sapphire blue eyes…

"Birth place."

The words left his mouth and he saw: the hesitance, the fear, the beating heart, the irregular breathing. She was like an open book and Kenshin read all the information he needed.

She was going to lie.

Raising her eyes, she answered shortly. "Japan." And the lie was out.

Narrowing his eyes, but not enough for her to notice, Kenshin resumed his questionnaire. "Parents?"

Taken aback with the question, Kaoru's forehead wrinkled. "What? What does that has to do with anything?"

"Again, answer the questions asked." The arrogant policeman said coldly.

Surpassing the urge to roll her eyes, Kaoru replied. "Deceased."

"Relatives?"

"No."

"Quite lonely, ne?"

Kaoru choose not to answer the question. Every minute she sat on that chair, she grow more and more nervous, tired, confused, and afraid. Someone had tried to kill her, and she was being accused of being the killer. The Kenshin person was becoming more ironic and she started to feel her temper boiling. The day had been long enough…too long…and the worst was that…

…no one was giving her the answers she needed.

"Tell me, Kamiya-san…" Kenshin said, and Kaoru raised her eyes to look at him. "Why were you taking a bath at midnight in a completely dark apartment?"

Fighting her fear for the small man in front of her, Kaoru forced herself to hold his eyes in hers. "I like taking baths."

An arrogant eyebrow rose enough for her to see.

What on Earth was wrong with this guy?

"Why not in the morning?"

"I took one in the morning." She stated calmly, trying to fill her insides with some version of peace.

"And another at midnight. Why so many baths?"

Her temper was raising; she could sense the blood pulping inside her veins. "They say water cleans the soul." She shot at him.

"Do you need to clean yours?" He asked right back at her.

'No, do you?' Kaoru thought, but shut her mouth before the words could come out and mess things even more…what a night she was having… Sighing, she replied. "I just like to go to sleep freshened up."

Kenshin was about to reply, but the door opened revealing Soujiro, who had some folders in his hand. Muttering something at Kenshin's ears, making it impossible for Kaoru to listen, Kenshin nodded shortly and the brown haired officer left the room. Opening the folders in his hand, his amber eyes scanned the information quickly, until he spotted what he wanted. Taking the picture attached to the folder, he placed the small paper and the folder page he wanted in front of Kaoru.

Leaning back against his chair, Kenshin looked at his prey. "Kamiya-san, do you know that man?"

Kaoru lowered her eyes, landing on the picture on top of the table. In there, was the face of a man. But not just any man…

…it was him.

Shivering despite herself, she raised her eyes back to the arrogant officer. "No."

"No?"

Clenching her teeth, she shook her head. "Not before tonight."

"Hum…" Kenshin voiced, thinking for a moment, before leaning forward and pointing to a specific line in the text. "You'll see there, Kamiya-san, that the man you killed today had no police record. Nothing in those files could accuse him for being a murderer."

At that sentence, she raised her eyes from the paper and replied confidently. "I don't have a record either, so why do you insist on treating me as one?"

"Because you killed him." Kenshin said pointedly, scanning all her reactions. She was smart…but he was smarter.

Narrowing her eyebrows, she defended herself. "It was self defence! I thought that wasn't a crime!"

"That is not a crime, but there are no signs of aggression on you, neither of any forced entrance in your apartment."

"What are you-"

"This means that he either had a key or someone opened the door for him." He said, cutting her sentence like a sharp knife.

As if processing the accusation, the room fell silent, waiting for Kaoru's reaction. In fact, she was stunned. Stupefied with the accusations, with the irony…with cold man in front of her. "That's not possible." She said at last.

"Then how do you explain the fact that the house wasn't broken in, nor you have emergency fire stairs?"

"Maybe he teleported himself into the bedroom…" The tall man, Sano, said shortly, grinning at the redhead policeman.

Turning to look at the tall officer, Kenshin smirked coldly. "You're right Sano. That's a possibility."

Great…not only they didn't believe in her but were starting to be sarcastic…"God…I just want to go home…" She murmured tiredly.

"We'll discuss that matter in a few moments. What is your profession Kamiya-san?"

'More questions?' Kaoru thought, sighing inwardly. "I'm an elementary school teacher."

"Really? What subject?" He asked, with no emotion in his voice, making obvious that he couldn't care less for the matter, had he not the job to question her.

"Geography."

"What country are you studying now?"

"Italy…" Kaoru answered slowly, not quite getting the reason for this particular question…what on Earth could relate what she was teaching to her students with the episode that happened a few hours ago?

Not even blinking, he continued questioning with a heavy stare. "Do you eat lunch at school?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"With fellow teachers?"

Kaoru shook her head, furrowing her brows. "Not usually. Why do you need to know that?"

"That is for me to know. Do you think there's someone at your school who would want you dead?" Kenshin asked seriously.

That caused her to widen her eyes. "No, of course not." She said, inwardly trying to remember of any incident that might have occurred, but failed miserably. She was a pacific woman, who didn't have any friends…therefore she didn't have enemies either. Not in the school.

Kenshin noticed her eyes stare blankly for a second, before returning their attention to him once again. What could she be thinking? Shrugging the thought aside, he entered one of the main questions of the case: how did the man entered the apartment without breaking in. "Where do you keep your keys?"

"Inside my purse." She answered straight.

"Have you left your purse somewhere out of your sight lately?"

Kaoru shook her head again. "No."

"Do you have a spare key?" Kenshin asked, touching his pain absently.

"No."

Raising an eyebrow, he tilted his head slightly. "No? Some neighbour, best friend, landlord…" He said, gesturing with his hand.

"No one else has my house key." She said, cutting his words. He did have the tendency to doubt her answers and repeat himself. Which, at the moment, was annoying Kaoru extremely.

"Making everything even more complicated."

Kaoru sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Look, Sir, why would I call the police right after I murdered him if I wasn't innocent?" She asked honestly, slowly opening her lids to stare at Kenshin.

Although it was visible that Kaoru was getting tired and more confused by the second, Kenshin showed no mercy or sympathy for the woman in front of him, answering her question in a hard, cold way. "Six years ago, we received a call from a desperate woman, claiming that her two twin three year old sons had gone missing. For three days we searched everywhere for the kids, with no signs of any of them. On the fourth day we finally found them, buried alive in their backyard. Does that answer your question?"

'And now you're traumatized and think everyone is like that woman.' Kaoru thought briefly, questioning for a moment how it was possible that someone like this man was still exercising this profession and how no one decided to retire him. "Every case is a case." She told him quietly.

"Indeed. That's why she's in prison and I'm here, questioning you."

Silence followed his words and Kaoru watched tiredly as he glanced to his wrist watch, and then turned to the tall broom haired officer.

"Sano, please show Kamiya-san her cell for the night." Kenshin said causally, as if it there wasn't anything to be worried about.

At those words, Kaoru's head shot and her eyes widened as the tall man, Sano, started walking towards her. Shaking her head vigorously, she rose from the chair and started walking backwards. "What? NO! You can't arrest me!" She shouted, feeling her body shaking in anticipation. When two large and strong hands connected to her arms, she panicked. "I didn't do anything! I'm NOT a murderer! STOP!" She shouted desperately, struggling against the tall officer's hold.

"You are not being arrested Kamiya-san and I advise you not to struggle." Kenshin stated calmly, staring hard at the struggling woman.

"Calm down." Sano said, wincing after receiving a heavy footstep from the girl in his arms. He could somehow understand the fear she was feeling at the moment.

And, sure, Kenshin wasn't helping the situation. At all.

Coldly, Kenshin continued his speech, stepping aside to allow his fellow officer to walk to the door. "Because we're still working at your house to collect evidence, you can't go back to the apartment, and since you've already said you have no family or friends to take you in, you'll stay here."

She opened her mouth, but he cut her. "And don't worry, there's no one inside the cell. Tomorrow morning, we'll talk again."

"Why can't I stay at a motel or something?" She questioned, feeling her eyes burning from new fresh tears. Her voice came out unstable, reminding her of how vulnerable she was amongst them.

Not wasting a second, he replied briefly. "Because you're under investigation. Good evening Kamiya-san. Sano."

'Good evening?' Kaoru thought, looking in disbelief at the man's expressionless face as she felt herself being pulled out of the room. The door closed behind her, sealing her freedom for what it seems forever. She passed the reception, where people of all kinds filled papers, cried, cursed and complained. Desperate mothers, illegal prostitutes, complaining neighbours, dangerous criminals…all where together in that God forbidden place, which looked like Hell itself.

She had been faithful all of her life, but now, she couldn't help but wonder why God was allowing this to happen.

Passing the chaotic room, they entered another corridor, more silenced, and she soon understood why.

The cells.

Sano opened the first door, leading to a large and long corridor, filled with cells on its left and right. Passing a couple of them, Kaoru shivered under the intensive looks from the men inside. They looked like lions waiting for a new fresh piece of meat.

Suddenly, they stopped in front of an empty cell. It looked so depressing, much worse than the cells people see in the movies. It was dark, grey and poor. Kaoru felt the heavy hand on her middle back gently pushing her forward. Entering the small space, she turned to the tall guard feeling absolute miserable.

"Stay calm Jou-chan. You're not being handcuffed, see? Consider this cell…a motel's room." He said, grinning sympathetically before turning around, closing the door behind him.

Breathing heavily, Kaoru turned to look at the grey cell and collapsed, sobbing freely against the concrete floor.

Inside the soundproofed room, Kenshin sighed, sitting down on the chair. Grabbing the recorder, he started rewinding it. His mind was working a thousand miles per second, as he recalled all the information from the previous interrogation. This seemed like a puzzle, with all its pieces lost around the world. And he would have to collect them…one by one.

The sound of the tape stopping mixed with the door being opened. Pressing the STOP button, Kenshin followed the new arrival with his cat-like eyes.

"You know we can't hold her more than this night. We haven't enough evidences to prove it was a homicide." A young woman said seriously, sitting on the chair. For a moment, neither said anything, enjoying their complicity in silence. Kenshin took a moment to observe the female in front of him. Her night dark hair framed her face, safely wrapped up into a long braid, making it pleasurably beautiful but teasingly out of men's reach. Bright emerald eyes glanced deeply into his eyes, trying to read what was in his mind…eyes that carried so much innocence yet so much knowledge.

Makimachi Misao was indeed a beautiful young woman.

Taking a deep breath, Kenshin nodded. "Yes…I'll put her on house arrest."

Pleased with his answer, Misao smiled. "That's the regular procedure."

"And you'll be guarding her." He said quietly, fighting back the urge to grin at her wide opened mouth.

"What? Kenshin-" Misao started to protest, but her voice died in her throat when her superior gave her one of his open-your-mouth-and-I'll-shoot-you glares.

Sighing despite herself, Misao rolled her eyes at him. "Fine, boss. Fine."

Softening his eyes, Kenshin told her the following procedures. "Pack your bags tonight. We'll set a watch around her house and will follow her steps 24/7. She's an elementary school teacher, so you'll go with her to the school."

"With what excuse?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"You're learning how to be a teacher."

Wrinkling her nose, Misao smirked. "That sucks."

Rolling his eyes inwardly, Kenshin exhaled impatiently. "Then make up something. I don't care. Just don't loose her from your." He said sternly to the rising young officer.

Straightening her clothes, she nodded. "Yes sir." Having no reaction from the male officer, she walked slowly to the door. When her hands touched the doorknob, her superior spoke again.

"And Misao…"

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him over her shoulder. "Nani?"

"Be careful." It wasn't an order, and it wasn't a favour. It was a promise.

And she accepted. "Sure. It's like you don't know me…" Misao answered, grinning widely, showing her perfect white teeth.

With a heavy snort, Kenshin rolled his neck from side to side. "I know you too much for my own health." He murmured, loud enough for her ears to catch the message.

Laughing, Misao exited the room, leaving a tired redhead man sitting on a chair. Kenshin stared at the empty chair in front of him, returning to his earlier thoughts.

The woman was a mystery. She looked so fragile and innocent, but had killed a man. The man, 1,90cm, was holding a loaded gun but didn't shoot once. The house wasn't broken in, so he either had a key or knocked on the door.

Why didn't he shoot her?

How did he enter?

Was she innocent?

Was the man her boyfriend?

Everybody had a gun in these days…which could explain the fact that he was holding one.

Did he know her?

What did she do wrong to have someone wanting her dead?

Or maybe she didn't do anything wrong and killed him for another reason.

What was the truth?

…And what was not?

To Be Continued…

A/N: Hello people! Here's the newest chapter of THE TARGET. I inform everyone that I'm writing the new chapter of Story of My life and that is going to be my next update. I'm working really hard on my life and my time is really short to read or write my stories…

I thank everyone who reviewed! It's my first story with 22 reviews on the first chapter and I'm so happy and honoured!

So please tell me what you think of this chapter, okay?

Bye bye everyone!

Agnes.

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