Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Sadly, I never will.

Gin-Soaked Roses

Chapter Seven (Epilogue)

The willows danced with the summer wind, and the sun cast a gentle eye upon the earth. The park was full of playing children, loving couples, and barking dogs as Kaoru walked slowly along with winding path. Kenji tagged along behind her, pulling the little blond puppy he had received for his seventh birthday along with him.

"Kenji, be careful!" she shouted back at him, unable to resist a cheerful laugh. The name felt so right on her lips, back to the way it should be. After his syndicate fell to the police… all the danger had been lifted.

She walked without fear, laughing as the puppy pulled Kenji along instead of the other way around. The two frolicked in the open grass of the park, Kenji playfully imitating the puppy as it rolled around in the grass. They had named the puppy Jiro after Kenji's grandfather, Kaoru's father. Kaoru smiled. Her father had been half of Kenji's namesake. The other half...

She shook her head. A warm breeze caressed her hair, which was pulled up in a ponytail like she used to wear.

Kenji's shout of laughter stirred her from her thoughts, and she turned to see him being chased by the puppy around the park. He loved being Kenji again, practically forgetting ever being Jake and never asking questions about the whole thing. It was confusing enough to her, let alone to a seven-year-old boy. As for 'Uncle Kenny'...

She sighed and settled on a bench that faced towards where Kenji was playing. He hadn't left her thoughts or dreams since he had left, two months ago. No one knew where he had gone and her heart berated her for being the one who pushed him away.

A flash of red…

She followed it quickly with her eyes, not believing what she saw. Jumping up from the bench, she glanced quickly at Kenji to make sure he was okay before rushing off down the path. The mop of red bounced in and out of the crowds. Unfortunately he wasn't very tall or else she really could have seen him in the sea of black hair. She tried to call out to him, but she couldn't find her voice.

Shoving through people and ignoring their annoyed shouts, she finally reached him, grabbing his shoulder. Time froze.

He turned around slowly, amethyst eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Katie…" he said softly, eyes darting away from hers to scan the crowd for lurking enemies. Kaoru took a moment to look back at Kenji, still running through the grass with Jiro. "I… I couldn't leave. Not after seeing him… after seeing you." His eyes danced with hope, his hands trembling with the urge to grab her. With a gentle smile, Kaoru looked up at Kenshin.

Love… not yet. The broken fragments of her heart still prodded painfully at her lungs and stole breath from her body with every moment she looked at him; but a second chance she was willing to give. And maybe, just maybe… with time… he could put her heart back together.

Without a word, Kaoru took his hand and dragged him out of the crowd towards Kenji. The little boy ran up to his 'Uncle Kenny,' dragging Jiro all the way on a bright red leash. Questions stormed through Kenshin's eyes as he gazed at her; her cold rejection of him two months ago still echoed in his thoughts.

"I don't understand-"

"It's a new beginning, Kenshin," she said with a smile, looking down to Kenji. She knelt down beside her son, dragging Kenshin down with her. "Kenji, honey, I'd like you to meet someone very special. This is Kenshin."

"I know him- he's Uncle Kenny!" Kenji shouted excitedly.

"When you met him a while ago, he was Uncle Kenny. But you were also Jake, remember?" Kenji nodded solemnly; Kenshin watched breathlessly. "Baby, this is Kenshin- your Daddy." Both redheads opened their eyes wide, but Kenji soon broke into a smile and threw his arms around Kenshin's neck, bouncing with happiness.

"I have a Daddy now!" he shouted with glee, while Kenshin looked up, confused but full of similar happiness, at Kaoru.

"Katie, I thought you didn't want me-"

"I don't." Kenshin's face fell. "At least, not the way you want me, not yet… But it's a start, Kenshin. It's a very good start." Kaoru ran her fingers briefly through his hair, smiling.

"And Kenshin? Call me Kaoru."

The End.

A/N: Hello again, everyone! This is the only chapter I changed- it's been bothering me since I wrote it so long ago. For anyone new, the original had them kiss and make-up (very rush-rush; what can I say, I was sloppy) in like two sentences; it was rather unrealistic. I thought of extending it even further, but there wasn't too much to say. So instead, I changed it- now, instead of being instantly back together, Kaoru's letting him into her life once again; they're starting off slow.

Oh, and I know it's confusing, so- Kaoru and Kenji are back to their original names because Kenshin's syndicate was disbanded by the police, so there aren't any threats. But Kenshin doesn't know that (he knows about the syndicate, but not the names) so he wouldn't know to call them Kaoru and Kenji again. Hopefully it's not too confusing.

Thank you so much to all who reviewed and read my story- I appreciate it so, so much! And thank you for listening to my rant.

Sincerely,

Sevick