Death & Faded Memories
She was a sight to truly behold; standing with the deadly blade raised to his neck in her seemingly fragile hand. There was an undeniable force and power in her eyes. He stood watching her: features twisted in anger and confusion, she shivered slightly and breathed deeply to maintain her composure and keep the katana steady. But inside she was battling herself.
For a moment he didn't care whether or not she actually did severe his head and put an end to the miserable existence he'd grown to loath. He'd been alone for centuries and never thought he would come across a creature such as her. She was the cleansing fire he needed to burn away all his sins in and he wanted to let her do what she was so close to doing. But his senses shook him back to reality and he knew very well that that could not happen, not now at least.
He kept his hand over the razor sharp edge of the blade and slowly lowered it from his neck. She resisted the movement and settled for keeping it pointed over his shirtless chest and at his heart. His blood dripped to the mat of the room and she was shocked at the bright red liquid oozing from his hand.
"I didn't know vampires bled" she stated frankly keeping her eyes between his and the dripping blood.
"There's a great deal you don't know" he spoke softly. She remembered that smooth baritone voice, and how only earlier she was contemplating her feelings for him.
His eyes began to glow brilliant amber getting darker and she found no escape from his gaze. Her heartbeat slowed and her breathing became more regular. She was filled with a warmth and peace that dulled her movements but she couldn't understand why; she didn't want to. The only matter of importance for her was his eyes as hers began to burn from the intensity of the long day.
Amaya managed to tear her gaze away from his and looked once more at the sword and where his hand still grasped it. The blood stopped dripping to the ground and was instead steadily coating the long blade, traveling towards her. The shiny thick liquid made its way the length of the sword where it reached the hand guard.
She yelped as it coated the hand guard and slithered its way closer to her flesh making her promptly drop the sword. As it hit the mat and made a muted thud she looked back up at Kenshin who only continued to stare at her.
Confusion was replaced once more by anger and she couldn't control her body anymore as she lunged towards him.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" she screamed and demanded while attacking him. "IT'S YOUR FAULT I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ISN'T IT?" she continued to try to kick, punch and attack but he only dodged her attempts.
Her rage fueled her to keep going and demand answers from the monster in front of her. Thoughts of murder, suicide, death and sadness filled her mind as images of unknown people flashed in front of her. The quick and powerful attacks she forced on Kenshin slowed and he easily caught her slender wrists in his hands. She stood swirling from the distant memories pressed close to Kenshin.
Amaya grasped the side of her head with both hands and groaned from the mental onslaught all the while with Kenshin's hands never hers. She saw flashes of a woman lying mutely naked on a bed, her eyes closed tight. Then just as quickly the shadow was before her again; his yellow eyes looking directly at her, his icy hands lurching forward. She tried to turn from him, but he was everywhere. Through his laughter she heard it again, "Kaoru…"
She screamed and fell to the floor in an attempt to stop the visions forcing Kenshin to let her go. Her tears gushed out and she kept her hands over her ears in an attempt to drown out the laughter. "No…no…" she wimpered.
Kenshin crouched down beside her and tried to separate her hands from her ears, "Its okay…" he tried not knowing what to say to her. As he placed his hands on hers, she recoiled from the touch and scooted away from him.
"If you're going to kill me, you'd better do it now damnit" she spat angrily through her tears.
"I don't want to hurt you in the least" he stated while retrieving his katana from the ground. He sheathed it and returned it back to the wall.
"I'm not going to be your filthy toy!"
Kenshin looked back at her with shock across his features, but quickly understood why she would say that. "She's a smart girl…"
"Like I said, you've been living with us for weeks now and if we wanted to hurt you, you'd already be dead. Now's not the time for nonsense and irrational thinking. That man Saitou, he's the one you've been running from. Remember your dream?" He crouched down by her again as she still sat on the ground.
She didn't say anything and reflected on her dream. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how right he was. "I…I don't know what he wants from me…I'm not even sure if I know him" she mumbled.
"Well he knows you it seems and wants you back very badly."
She thought about this and her heart twisted at the thought of being anywhere near that man again. "He called me Kaoru" she replied softly. "Is that my name?"
He could do nothing but look on as she tried to make sense of it all. "Kaoru" he repeated in this thoughts, "Fragarant…it's fitting I suppose."
Her eyes were still filled with tears as the realization hit her all at once. "He knows me, knows who I am…but…"
Kenshin couldn't help but to wipe away some of her tears, "But?"
She looked up at him and frowned, "But how? H-how does he know me? What am I to him?"
Kenshin finally put a few possibilities of her words together in his mind. "Saitou has been a hunter for as long as I've been on this Earth and if he knows her, and clearly claimed her back on the balcony…she must be…"
His eyes snapped shut and he winced at the thought of such a notion. "It would make sense Himura" came that annoying inner voice of reason, "She's an excellent fighter without even realizing it. She clearly knows him from somewhere as her dreams indicate…a hunter and his apprentice perhaps?"
He looked down at her again as she continued to fight the mental stress bearing down on her. "The right thing to do is probably kill her" it egged him on. He thought of the possibility, "I...I can't do that" he decided. "You must! She's a hunter and was probably sent here to destroy you and everyone in this house!" the voice screamed at him.
"No, she was left for dead at the side of the road probably trying to escape that lunatic."
She looked up at him with teary blue eyes, her gaze questioning him, pleading with him to help her, save her. The world had long spun out of her grasp and she was thrown into tortured darkness of her own mind. He continued to look into those electric blue eyes and knew that she would the biggest disruption in his existence and he welcomed it with open arms.
Without another word he gathered her up in his arms and carried her, still crying into his chest, out of the room. She wanted to fight back, wanted to argue and find out what was going on and how he was involved. But instead she sunk her head into the warm soft skin as exhaustion and fatigue overpowered her. Kenshin slowly entered her tortured mind and willed her to sleep, apologizing for his methods.
He walked up to his chambers and set her down gently in the oversized bed all the while continuing to mentally put her at ease. The time was already well past one in the morning and he knew that she would stay asleep throughout the day, in fact, he would ensure that.
Kenshin sat at the edge of the bed looking down at her; face still stained with tears, eyelashes batted down touching the tops of her cheeks, her skin looked pale against the thick blackness of her hair. He swept hair some aside and wondered what the outcome of this night would be for him.
Only weeks ago he'd been living in solitude thinking he wanted it that way. He'd been happy just surviving, but she'd come along and was proving to be quite the entrancing disruption to all that. He rose and covered her with a warm blanket and took one final look down at her.
Walking out of the room, he could sense the rest of them waiting in her chambers. He entered her room and saw them: Aoshi, Misao, Sano, Megumi, Yahiko and even Ninna gathered inside. They gave him a questioning look as he pulled on his black button down shirt.
"She's asleep right now. We'll get more answers once she's rested" he replied.
"How the hell does that bastard know her?" Sano asked clearly irritated at Saitou's escape.
"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Aoshi interrupted, "She's either an apprentice or his…" he looked at Kenshin knowingly.
"She's neither" Kenshin interrupted.
The group looked at him in shock, "How can you be sure?" Megumi finally broke in.
"Because otherwise she wouldn't have been left at death's door on the side of the road if she were his trusted apprentice. He would've used her to get to one of us and then kill us."
"I don't understand any of this" Yahiko replied.
"She was running away from him in one of the dreams that I was able to look into. And it seems like she was trying to escape him that night as well."
"Okay, even if that were true, why wouldn't he have just sliced and diced her?" Sano questioned in his rough unapologetic tone. "Why the ragged, wolf-like wounds that were left behind? And that would mean that he'd done the same to those other humans as well, but why? He's a vampire hunter after all, not psycho serial murder. Or not?"
"Well with the likes of Saitou you never know!" Misao added.
"This is very disturbing. What are we doing with her?" Aoshi asked.
Kenshin had expected the question to come up and prepared to face the possible backlash of his decision. "She will continue to stay here" he started.
All of their necks snapped in his direction with a bewildered look on their faces. Sano started, "What? Kenshin, there's still a strong possibility she's a hunter. And even if she isn't, you heard what Saitou said about coming back for her."
"Since when are we afraid of that bastard?" Kenshin roared. "If he wants her so badly than I'm assuming it's in our best interest to keep her here. Saitou has much bigger plans and all the pieces have not yet been put together. The murders, the type of wounds, and her...we have no clear answers right now. For the time being she will stay here!"
All but one accepted his decision, "Are you mad?" Ninna shrieked. She stood from the settee, her fists in tight balls as she yelled at him. "She's not only a human but for all we know a hunter. Who's to say that she hasn't regained her memory and isn't plotting to sever our heads at this very moment?"
Kenshin glared back at the insolent young woman, "Are you scared Ninna?" he mocked. "Of a pathetic little human? A mortal has you trembling like an insect?" he growled.
She calmed at the sight of the angry man but still held fast to her convictions. "You're making a terrible mistake keeping her here. She will be the downfall of this house that much I am sure of."
"As long as I am here that will not happen" Kenshin replied. "She poses no immediate threat to us right now and we still need her. No one is to harm her or so much as even read her thoughts" he addressed the group.
Ninna looked towards the redhead wanting desperately to kick back another remark about that, but chose to stay silent. They'd all clearly lost their good sense to the whims of that woman and she'd known that since the night he'd brought her into the house. "You will regret this decision one way or the other…" she walked out of the room.
"Kenshin?" Megumi started.
"I know Megumi. I know exactly what I'm doing and I hope that you all keep a little faith in me after all these years" he looked at them.
"We support your decision Kenshin" Misao smiled.
Sano merely smirked and nodded as did Yahiko and Megumi.
"Even if we don't know all the reasons behind it" Aoshi added.
"I have no secrets from any of you. We are all friends, comrades, family and more. I swore to protect this house and I don't plan on failing any of you" he squarely looked each one of them in the eye.
"So what's next?" Sano asked.
"We need to track Saitou and figure out what his plans are exactly. We still need to figure out about the murders and finally how this girl fits into everything. My gut tells me that she's the key to sort this entire mess out. Sano and Yahiko, I need you two to get more security and patrols in and around the estate. Aoshi, I need to know what Saitou is up and if he's in any way connected to the murders. Megumi and Misao…" he turned towards the two women sympathetically, knowing their connection with the young girl, "I need you two to help gain back her trust in us."
"But how?" Misao asked remembering the look on her friends' face at the front door. "There's just no way she'll even look at us the same!"
"I'm not sure yet, but patience! I'm afraid her mental health is at its breaking point. I know this will be trying on all of us, but intend to take full responsibility for her." Kenshin looked around at the group once more before telling them about his plans.
"I should also let you know that I will be meeting with Soujiro to find out once and for all whether or not they are involved in any of this."
Sano's mouth was agape at the last statement, "What? You mean you're actually going to sit down with that fleabag? What the hell for?"
"Sano, I've already sent word to him requesting the meeting under the clause of the treaty that was signed by both packs. We will be sitting down this Friday and Aoshi will accompany me since it seems you can't hold your tongue in front of the wolves."
"Keh, just as well that I not be there. Otherwise there'd be a lot of fur flying!" Sano leaned against the bed post.
"In any case" Kenshin started, shaking Sano's comments off, "I need to have his word on whether or not they are behind all of this. Soujiro may be a wolf but he has a great deal of honor and respected by almost all the factions of his kind. This meeting must happen. Aoshi?"
"I will be there" he iceman stated.
Kenshin looked down at the empty bed and remembered the slumbering woman just a few feet away. "Friends be on guard these next few days and report with any new information you gain. Until tomorrow then" he bid them goodnight and walked out.
The group dispersed and retreated to their respective chambers. Kenshin walked into his darkened room to find her still sleeping soundly in his bed. Her chest rose and fell at a steady pace and her mind was still at peace. He lowered himself into a large chair across from the massive bed where he could continuously see her. Pouring himself another glass of the intoxicating liquid, he sipped quietly while deep in thought.
There was no moving him from her side for the rest of the night and he regretted giving her the bedroom with such easy access from the balcony. "But then again I didn't expect her to be attacked by him" he remarked. "What does she have to do with Saitou anyhow?"
He considered everything from Saitou being her master and she his apprentice to the sickening possibility that they could've been lovers. He quickly banished the later thought. "Not possible, she was running away from him with such fear…it's just not possible." He looked towards her sleeping in peace knowing that he was only thinking that for his own peace of mind. "Kaoru, Amaya, whatever your name is I will not let him have you."
"Yes and that makes her job all the easier Himura" came the familiar voice. "You just sit here entranced by her, like an imbecile." Kenshin flung the chalice clear across the room and it shattered into indistinguishable pieces on the floor.
Wiping the sweat from his brow and removing his shirt, he decided there would be no rest for him tonight. He retrieved his katana from atop the large stone mantle adjacent to the bed and walked out into the cool night air on the balcony. He scanned the area beyond the castle and cursed himself for not being able to sense the damned hunter sooner.
"I saw him in her dreams, and then knew that someone was following her at work and I still didn't realize it. Damnit…" he began to battle the invisible adversary, his blade slicing through the crisp air silently. His eyes glowed as he continued on for hours longer.
"Never again will that bastard touch anyone in this house."
--- ------ --------- ------------
Hours later as dawn had spread its fresh sunrays over the land Kenshin heard a knock at his door. He frowned slightly and strode towards the door, katana still in hand.
"Aoshi…" Kenshin was slightly surprised to see the man at his doorway.
"Something's happened you need to get dressed and head into town right away" was his response, which Kenshin noted was rushed. "I'll wait downstairs."
Kenshin wasted no time in pulling on a fresh pair of black slacks and black sweater shirt and slipping into his black leather loafers. He took one last look over the sleeping young woman and shot out the door.
Sano, Megumi and Misao were already downstairs waiting with Aoshi.
"Sano, Megumi, Misao, stay with her and make sure she's okay. Don't wake her until I'm back or otherwise say so."
"No problem Kenshin, we'll stay with her" Misao replied as Megumi and Sano nodded.
With that, the two men rushed out and rode in silence towards the office. Kenshin almost didn't want to know what he was being rushed to and for what reason. "Damnit, why do I sense Saitou has something to do with this?"
-------- ------------- ------ HOURS EARLIER ------- ---------------
A woman moves into a darkened underground bar/club/lounge for the rich and exclusive. Her tight red wrap dress clings to every curve as a plunging neckline dares to nearly expose her ample chest. Her raven hair sways half way down her slender back as she carries her drink. Making her way to the table where she's seated, she catches the eye of nearly every man in the place.
Slipping into her seat, her hooded black eyes are obstructed from view behind the veil of smoke rising from the cigarette in her mouth. She looks around the room, purposely making eye contact with any delectable looking man and suggestively sucking on the nicotine stick between her slender fingers. Her perfect red lips, matching the color of her dress, leave their impression on the glass and cigarette she's enjoying.
The music is soft and seductive, the air thick with smoke, alcohol, drugs and sex. Dozens of others are scattered about the recesses of the room either enjoying the music or somehow escaping reality.
From the corner of her eyes she sees a man enter the room. His mere presence demands attention. He has an impressive tall build and is dressed in a long dark overcoat with black straight hair and intense yellow eyes that are now scanning the room. They settle on her and she gives him a coy smile while taking another sip of the bitter liquid in her glass.
He takes the hint and walks over to her, a slick smile curling up on his lips towards the seductive creature. He stands over the table waiting to be invited to sit. She decides to toy with him for a bit, "Well hello. I haven't seen you around before. New in town?"
"Very" he simply replies.
"Would you like to join me for a drink?" she sits back in her chair and slowly crosses her legs giving him just enough of a peak of her creamy thighs.
"I'd like that" he says taking a seat next to her. "You are?"
She smiles and takes another drag of her cigarette, "Tomoe. And you?"
"Saitou" he takes her hand and kisses it.
"Well Saitou, what brings you here?"
"Business."
"Oh, all fun and no play?" she smiles.
He chuckles and places a cold hand on her thigh under the table, "I certainly hope not."
"My aren't we forward?" she giggles and scoots forward in the chair, which only makes his hand travel higher under her dress.
"I know what I want when I see it" he replies, his lips curling into a smile once again.
A giggle erupted through her throat and she leans closer to him, her eyes dripping with intoxication. This man was so forward, so bold. Somehow he reminded her of a certain redhead that denied her pleasure today.
"So Tomoe, tell me what you do for fun?"
"Well…usually I'm here with acquaintances, but they're all too busy for me tonight" she pouted. "What did you have in mind?" she added with a devilish grin.
He only grinned at her, "Let me get you another drink" and walked towards the bar.
Meanwhile Tomoe finished her cigarette and wondered what her redhead is busy with tonight. She always hated it when he wouldn't come and see her on nights like this. She needed him badly and their encounter at his office in the afternoon only heightened her drive and desires.
"Saitou" she rolled the name around in her mind before deciding that he would be good enough fun for the night. "To pass the time at least" she decided and pulled out a small tin box from her purse. Inside was a clutter of small circular blue pills, each one stamped with a butterfly insignia. She quickly removed one and placed it on her tongue where went it to work.
After the man returned with their drinks, she continued to purr and whisper into his ear as they sipped and watched the crowd. She told him about herself and he listened intently as if she were the only person in the room he was interested in.
Soon her senses dulled as the world became much happier and more serene. Her body tingled for touch and sensation. He leaned towards her and stroked some hair framing her face, "Why don't we go somewhere more private?"
She smiled at him through her relaxed eyes and took his hand, leading him through a remote doorway at the back of the club. They were inside of a dimly lit storage room which was lined with stacks of boxes. An old wooden bar lay further inside, the remnants of the renovation work performed on the club a few months prior.
She climbed on top of it and he pressed himself between her legs as his hands explored her body. Tomoe closed her eyes and took in the sweet sensation of his touch. She gasped every time he would expose more flesh and take it into his hands, "You're hands are so cold" she shuddered.
He only grunted as his lips slithered up and down her slender throat. She wrapped her arm around his neck and pressed herself against him as he hardened. He easily slipped her dress off her shoulders and hungrily took a soft mound of her breast in his mouth. She moaned and gasped at his wet mouth over her skin and begged him for more.
Her blood was filled with the intoxicating drugs and her mind and body screamed for more of what he was doing to her. She kept her eyes closed and back arched to give him better access as he quickly plunged into her. His hands wrapped around her thighs and shook her back and fourth around him, each time causing her to moan in satisfaction.
He slipped off the remainder of her dress and took in her entire slender figure, drinking her in with his tainted yellow eyes. His seemingly blunt nails dug into the soft flesh of her thighs causing immediate bruising and breaking of her delicate skin. She too far gone to notice any of the pain and could only beg for more.
Saitou's eyes scanned her skin and he immediately noticed the familiar puncture wounds just under one of her breasts. They were fresh and he knew immediately who had marked the woman in such a fashion. She'd not be turned or obviously drained of her life as she was now writhing under him, so he assumed that she was a willing mistress.
He stopped his thrusts at that thought and the woman beneath him clawed at his chest in retaliation. She was hungry and desperate for more and lightly punched his chest with her small fists.
Rage flooded him and he brought a harsh slap across her fragile face. She yelped in surprise and looked back him with a trickle of blood dripping down her chin. Her eyes were no longer the clouded and glazed over shallow of black, but filled with fear and anger. She held the side of her face and looked accusingly up at him.
He only smirked back at her, "What's wrong? Don't like it that rough?"
She pushed him off of her and tried to gather her clothing, hopping off the bar. "Don't you ever lay a hand on me!" he pointed a red talon at him and turned to dress. "You'll pay for that!"
His anger only rose and he harshly spun her around towards him, causing the clothing to drop out of her hands. "I only thought that since you're the Battousai's little fuck toy, you wouldn't mind a little pain. What's wrong you don't like anyone else digging into this creamy skin of yours" he fondled her breast.
She squirmed under his harsh touch and looked at him with anger, "What the hell are you talking about you sick freak? Get your hands off of me…" she tried to wiggle out of his hold.
He brought down another swift slap across her face nearly sending her to the ground, but he kept her steady in his arms. By now the alcohol and pills were wreaking their own havoc on her mind and body. All she wanted to do was get away from this man as her stomach churned. Saitou looked at the frightened woman in his arms and the trickles of blood coming down her chin and neck. The sight of the liquid filled him with even more fury.
He spun her around and pushed her up against the bar, forcing himself into her from behind. He thrashed harder and harder inside of her as she continued to scream and tried in vain to get away. Her screams weren't heard by anyone and he reveled at the sounds he was eliciting.
"I thought you liked like this bitch" he spat harshly pumping in and out, his hand squeezing her breast from underneath. She only cried out in pain as he twisted the stiff nipple between his fingers. "Yes, you like just like this you filthy vampire fucker" he growled.
Tomoe only responded with her pleads to be set free and for him to not hurt her. She begged for someone to hear her screams and to be rescued, but knew deep in her heart that would not happen. Tears rolled down her face and mixed with the blood already there as she endured several more minutes of his ravaged assault on her body.
After he was done, she thought with a glimmer of hope that he would set her free. She curled onto the floor, still naked, against the bar and prayed that he would leave at any moment. He pulled up his pants and went to his overcoat as she internally sighed in relief thinking he'd had enough. He took something out of the coat and stood for several moments with his back to her.
When he turned around she finally caught sight of what he was holding. Her heart dropped not only from the sight of the shiny metal weapon in his hands, but the glint in his beady yellow eyes and then the laugh. It filled the entire room and she shook with fear as he closed the distance between.
"You see my dear Tomoe, the man you know as Kenshin Himura has something very important of mine and won't give it back. And so it's only fair that I keep what's his."
She snapped from her stupor for a moment recognizing the redhead's name on the sicko's lips. Her lips parted to say something, but her voice dried up in her throat.
"Oh don't worry" he crouched down in front of her, "I'm not the bastard he is. I plan on returning his possession" he leaned in closely to her, "Just…in a few pieces" he smirked.
Tomoe's eye widened in terror as the weapon cut into her flesh, the patrons of the club never heard her bloody screams.
------ ---------- ---------- ------------
The black Mercedes pulled up to the police and Kenshin looked over at Aoshi.
"Another body was found, but this one has a connection with you it seems."
Kenshin digested the possibilities of that as both men exited the car. They walked quickly through the police station and made their way to an office at the back. Without knocking, Aoshi opened the door and stepped inside followed by Kenshin.
"Detective Suzuki this is Kenshin Himura" Aoshi introduced.
The feeble looking man rose from his chair, his hair peppered with gray and white, his skin tan and wrinkled. His dark brown eyes gleamed as he shook Kenshin's hand. He wore a crumpled white button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark wool slacks that did nothing to hide his protruding belly.
"Ah, Mr. Himura thank you for coming in, please have a seat."
The three men sat down in the squeaky wooden chairs and Suzuki took a sip of his black coffee. Kenshin noted the darkened bags under the man's eyes and the solemn look on his face.
"Mr. Himura I'm sure you've heard of the streak of violent serial murders going in this area" his gruff voice started.
"Of course, it's been splashed over every newspaper and news program" Kenshin responded calmly.
"In all my years of being apart of the force, I've never seen the extreme amount of brutality that's evident in these murders. We're dealing with quite the sick bastard" he looked Kenshin squarely in the eyes.
Kenshin understood the mind games that people in law enforcement try to play. They like to give you a good mind fuck before catching the lies in your own words. He'd never been particularly happy with law enforcement as it had a history of violence and corruption within its ranks.
He only nodded at the detectives words.
Suzuki eyed the redhead for several minutes before continuing, "There's been another body discovered Mr. Himura."
"I've been informed of that" Kenshin replied dryly.
Suzuki cocked an eyebrow, "And you're not concerned that it could be someone you know or love? You're a smart enough man to realize we don't bring people in here without good reason."
"My family and friends are all safe at home detective, I only saw them an hour ago as I was leaving to come here." He purposely kept his voice composed and casual.
"Hmm," the detective rummaged through some of the manila files on his cluttered desk and pulled one out of the bundle.
Kenshin heard the detective recite the name in his head before the old man could utter the words. "It can't be…"
"Are you familiar with one Miss Tomoe Yukishiro?" the man asked sternly.
"Yes I am, she's a close friend" he answered, his mind still buzzing from the thoughts.
"Mr. Himura, I regret to inform you that Miss Yukishiro has been found murdered" the detective paused in order to gage the reaction.
Kenshin caught on and widened eyes in disbelief, "Tomoe? But…I just saw her yesterday afternoon! How can this be?"
Suzuki scribbled down some notes at Kenshin's words and looked back at him, "She was found approximately 5:30 this morning by the employees of a bar and lounge in the storage room where she'd been visiting. Her family has already been notified and we're getting a timeline together of her whereabouts from yesterday. We were informed that she visited you at your business sometime yesterday."
Aoshi: "He's trying to either rule you in or out as a possible suspect or person of interest."
Kenshin: "Yes I realize that. Saitou has gone too far. Why would he kill Tomoe? She was not turned."
Aoshi: "You're so sure it's Saitou?"
Kenshin: "That bastard mentioned something about watching out for what's mine, I never assumed he considered that to Tomoe. And he did follow Amaya yesterday afternoon. There's a good possibility that he saw me sending Tomoe off in the cab from my office."
Aoshi: "So she was with you yesterday?"
Kenshin: "She showed up unannounced and stayed in my office for a few hours. He's playing games with me."
The detective watched on as Kenshin wrinkled his brows in concentration.
"I uh…damnit this is just not possible" Kenshin rubbed his forehead and looked back the detective, "I'm sorry detective, but this is all too much to take in. I just can't recall the exact time right now, but I know it was after lunch. I just can't believe Tomoe is gone…" He understood the reasoning that those in law enforcement used to tell between who was lying to them or not, and chose his words carefully. Giving him an exact date and time would seem too rehearsed for someone going through the shock of just finding out a friend was brutally murdered.
"I'm sorry for your loss Mr. Himura" the old man replied as he scribbled down more notes.
"I can check with my secretary who keeps track of that and have her contact you."
"I understand Mr. Himura, the shock and pain of loosing a loved one does blur details from even a day ago. But I must trouble you for one more inconvenience on your part."
"What's that?"
"I must ask if Miss Tomoe was just a friend, or something more."
Kenshin read where the man was taking the line of questioning and cut him off to the point, "We were involved off and on, but remained friends through it all. She had her life and I had mine, but that doesn't mean we didn't care about each other."
"When was the last date of his involvement?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean to ask, when was the last time you two were intimate?"
"I don't know how this has to do with you finding her murderer Detective."
"I'm sorry to get personal Mr. Himura, but we think that she had been either intimate or been sexually assaulted just before her murder."
Kenshin thought about the black-eyed woman, "Why does that not surprise me."
"It'd been a few weeks detective. I don't record such events in a log book so I can't give you an exact date" Kenshin snapped back.
"I understand you're upset Mr. Himura. I have no further questions right now and if I need anything further, we'll be in touch." He rose from his as did Kenshin and Aoshi.
"Aoshi, thanks for your assistance" the two men shook hands.
Kenshin made sure to have a hurt enough look on his face to pacify the man's suspicions as they shook hands.
Aoshi: "I'll meet you in the car shortly."
Kenshin nodded and walked out of the police station and back into the car. He bent his head down allowing deep red bangs to cover his eyes. "Tomoe you sick woman, what did you get yourself involved in?"
Aoshi turned to the detective, "I'd like to examine the crime scene a little further."
"Aoshi, I've known you for the past 5 years and have come to you for help in the past about unsolved cold cases. I trust you completely, but your friend is tied to our victim so I just don't know how objective you could be…"
"Tomoe was a friend of Kenshins' not mine. I gather her remains are still there?"
The detective nodded as he handed him a badge, "The coroner hasn't been able to pick up all her pieces of the floor yet. The sick fuck really messed her up."
"I'll let you know if I find anything" Aoshi moved towards the door.
"One more thing" Suzuki yelled at him from behind, "your friend Kenshin…"
"He has nothing to do with it. She was rich and spoiled and had too many lovers to count and so we must assume it's the same mass serial killer. Kenshin was home all night and only left when I brought him here this morning. I can attest to that." Aoshi finished his statement and walked out of the room.
Suzuki nodded and stared at the name scribbled before on the paper, "Kenshin Himura" he stated absently. "Looks like you're off the hook" he crossed out the name with his pen.
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Kenshin sat with his fists tightly balled up as he and Aoshi made their way to the crime scene. He looked tentatively out the window, searching the paved jungle for any signs of Saitou.
"He's out there laughing at us" he growled.
"Control your anger" Aoshi instructed cooly, "he wanted to do this either because of Amaya or to lure you out…or both."
"I should've been more careful. One thing I don't understand why he's come back to do this after all these years?"
"Because he's a sick man with too much blood on his own hands and he accuses us of being the animals" Aoshi finished.
"Yes, but he's also smart and decisive. The murders, Amaya, and now this, they are all connected to him."
The car pulled up in front of the club amidst a barrage of police cars. The two men walked silently and quickly past the reporters already on the scene and after flashing the badge Suzuki gave Aoshi, they easily gained entrance to the club.
Kenshin could smell the taint of decaying blood and flesh filling the air. It was undeniably hers, mixed with alcohol and drugs. "So she was doped up again" he thought sourly. They made their way to the back room, which was already taped off with yellow caution tape.
The officers on the scene recognized Aoshi and quickly gave him admittance to the storage room where the coroners were still working. They stood from the doorway and looked in. Kenshin had seen a great deal of gory war and battle scenes in his time, but this was obvious overkill.
The walls were thoroughly coated with her blood. Body parts and entrails were strewn about over the floor; the blood had already coagulated and begun to dry. Kenshin could see a hand with brilliant red nails covered in her own blood to side of him. She had been hacked into bits and he'd gone so far as to sever her head.
Kenshin saw remnants of her torso lying on the ground and looked up to see her head dangling by ebony locks from the ceiling fan. Her almond shaped eyes had lost all light a long time ago, and had receded up into her head. Her mouth was stained at the edges with blood as it leaked down onto the ground.
"Have you found anything of interest?" Aoshi asked one of the officers on the scene.
"No sir" the young man responded. "Just some personal effects: her purse with ID and cash along with some drugs."
"Witnesses?" Aoshi asked.
"A few patrons reported that she was speaking to a man of about 6 feet and big build. They said that he wore a dark long trench and had straight black hair. They were spotted drinking together and acting as if they'd known each other for a while. Then no one knows how she ended up in the storage room or if she'd gone in with him. No one could even recall him leaving the club."
Aoshi nodded towards the young officer as he and Kenshin softly spoke.
"It's definitely him" Aoshi stated.
Kenshin only nodded and looked at the severed head one last time before turning and leaving, "Good bye Tomoe."
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The two went directly back home to gather their thoughts and ideas before making another decision. Aoshi against his nature even suggested that they hunt the hunter before any more damage could be done. Thankfully, she was notoriously known to keep a few different lovers and had gained a reputation for being wild so there wouldn't be too harsh of a focus on Kenshin in the public eye.
Kenshin just listened to the words wondering how he'd been so careless as to have let Saitou ravage the city for so long.
"I feel like I've failed them already. Last night with Amaya being so close to being taken away and now Tomoe's death. Saitou…you will have to pay for this."
They reached the estate quicker than usual and Kenshin called into the office letting Ms. Tsao know that he and Amaya would not be in for today. He hadn't rested in seemingly days and met with his trusted group in the sitting room downstairs.
"How is she?" Kenshin asked as Misao bounced in, happy to see Aoshi back.
"She's still asleep. Megumi decided that she just couldn't take her appearance anymore and had the maids sponge her off and change her. But other than that, she's where you left her."
"Thank you" he replied.
She smiled and took her place by Aoshi as Sano, Megumi, Yahiko and Ninna made their way into the room.
Kenshin decided to tell them what had happened to Tomoe and how she was connected to him. There would be no secrets from this crowd.
---------- ----------------- SHORT WHILE LATER--------------- ------------
The young woman upstairs, in her freshly changed pajamas and combed hair still lay in bed. Her small frame shivered every so often from the visions of her dreams. Images that haunted her previously now made their way back into her mind.
A small child no more of three years of age sat on the ground crying uncontrollably. Her large blue eyes were filled with tears and her perfect rosy pout quivered from fright. The little girl continued to cry with her head bent into her hands and call for her mother.
She looked around to find that she was still locked up in the dilapidated dark room and all alone. They'd taken her mother from her, and she scratched at the wooden door feebly trying to escape and help her. Defeated, she'd curled up in the middle of the room as her small form shivered.
"Mommy…" she repeated over and over. Her throat was now too sore to continue her cries for help and pleads to be with her mother.
Closing her eyes and wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she rocked back and forth wondering when she would see her again. Her still form was shaken awake to the sound of the door locks unlatching. She sat up in place and looked in wide-eyed anticipation and fear towards the door.
It sung open and creaked horribly on it hinges, revealing a looming presence in the doorway. It looked down at her with piercing, tainted angry yellow eyes. After a few moments of silence it slowly inched in stalking towards her. Its heavy black boots making loud thuds as it walked, and the floor seemed to shake beneath her. She checked again and realized that she was the one shaking.
"Where's my mommy?" she asked with all the strength she could muster.
The figure didn't answer and only grew closer, its presence inescapable, its eyes piercing through her. She asked again through the fresh batch of tears spilling down her soft cheeks, "Where's my mommy?"
No answer again, only a menacing chuckle as an icy hand reached towards her. She lurched back and tried to escape it, but a chill soon rocked her small frame as the hand grabbed her.
She could do nothing but scream.
The young woman snapped up from the bed, her hair blanketing her features behind it, and her breath escaping in deep gasps. Her skin was moist from the sweat and she clutched the soft sheets tightly in her fists.
Still gasping for air and the images running through her mind, she pushed back the hair from her face. Looking up she saw a pair of amber colored eyes looking back at her. For a moment she was filled with panic as she remembered the eyes from the dream.
But she soon realized that these eyes were different as the man made his way closer to her side. Blazing red hair swaying behind him, dressed entirely in black, his features were perfection. She knew this man was not the one stalking her in those nightmares; he was not the one that had taken everything away from her.
She looked at him and he at her with an unspoken understanding of calm and assurance of safety. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her, and she could clearly see that now. He walked to her side and sat beside her at the edge of the bed.
Slowly he ran his hand through her hair and she felt gentle shivers travel up and down her spine. The shivers weren't from fear but from the warmth that her body lacked and she automatically sank into his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around him, her tears falling freely now.
He embraced her tightly and gently stroked her hair and back, realizing he needed to hold her just as badly. He brushed his lips softly on her forehead.
"Kaoru?" he asked quietly.
She nodded her head in response, her voice barely able to reply. "Yes" she cried after a few more sobs, "I…remember everything."
He continued to hold her in his arms.
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I must say thanks once again to all my wonderful reviewers. You guys really made me want to update sooner! And I promise, as long as you review, I will reply directly to you since I can't through the fic.
Sorry about all the scene changes and jumps back and forth in time…I hope they weren't too confusing. The stuff in italics was obviously Kao's dream sequence.
Detective Suzuki was more of a personal recollection I had about law enforcement. I'm not against them or anything. In fact I know a few great cops and he's supposed to be representative of them and their dogged determination.
So anyhow…yea, she remembers and from now on it's Kaoru! hehe
But you ask how is she connected to Saitou and what exactly does she remember? Well kiddies, you'll just have to wait and find out.
Tomoe's death scene was gruesome and even made me cringe as I wrote it so restrain your flames please.
Thanks again to a certain psycho from San Diego who inspired me to be particularly ruthless concerning her death. :evil grin: