Kenshin dove, wings erupting from his back and then streamlining against him as he plummeted after her.

He caught Kaoru, crushing her against his chest, his wings flared and gave a strong flap that slowed them and then stopped their descent.

She was unconscious, a ring of bruises encircling her throat and another one at her temple, he choked back a snarl.

The angel would pay for hurting her. When he was done he would begging for death.

Kenshin closed his eyes and transported them back to the house.

Arariel jumped to his feet when Kenshin appeared with Kaoru in his arms. His eyes widened at the sight they made. He stepped toward them and then took that step back as he caught sight of the expression on Kenshin's face.

"Is she ok?" He asked softly.

Kenshin shook his head silently and carried her into the bedroom, Arariel following a few steps behind and watching quietly as he laid her down on the bed.

Kenshin's face was grim as he bent over and examined her. Kaoru was pale but breathing steadily if shallowly... Already he could see bruises forming on her skin darkening... He nearly bared his teeth.

"Take care of her," Kenshin said turning to Arariel.

Watch her.

Protect her.

"What are you doing?" Arariel asked. There was a look in Kenshin's eyes that he hadn't seen for a long, long time and a smart person would have backed away quickly and taken off running.

"Finding who hurt her."

"How?" Arariel asked softly.

The look that Kenshin gave him made him keep his mouth wisely shut. His eyes had turned so dark they were nearly black and there was a tension about him that spoke of violence and that blood would be shed.

Don't ask and I won't have to tell you.

"Do you need help?"

"No," Kenshin shook his head. "Just take care of her."

Arariel nodded and Kenshin vanished.

Arariel let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as Kenshin disappeared. Murmuring softly he called for a medicinal case and set to work on healing Kaoru. She would be fine.

Whoever hurt he wouldn't.

000

Hours later he returned.

If Kenshin had unnerved him earlier, Arariel was downright scared now.

His eyes were a dark gold and glittered in the light. His face was pale and everything about him hummed with a focused energy that had not been as powerful in the hours before now.

Arariel had told him to be careful about smiting people.

It appeared he had forgotten that little note of advice.

There wasn't a scent of blood or taint of magic clinging to him.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

Which either meant Kenshin had gotten covered in blood and cleaned it off so thoroughly you couldn't sense it.

...Or he had killed him in a way that did not involve spilling blood.

Arariel was suddenly sharply reminded of the fact that Kenshin had spent much of his life being tortured.

You couldn't be tortured yourself without picking up a few tips on how to do it.

Kenshin was unmarked and unwounded. Arariel would have almost preferred him to appear with blood covering him. Almost…

"How is she?" His voice was calm... with notes of concern for Kaoru... but otherwise his it was completely and utterly calm.

Arariel felt his stomach twist.

"She's sleeping," he told him softly. "I gave her a healing potion and she's doing well."

Kenshin nodded his eyes distant.

"Did he say anything about who sent him?" Arariel asked carefully.

"No," Kenshin murmured. "He tore out his own tongue before I could ask him that."

Despite himself Arariel flinched.

"How did you find him?" Arariel almost dreaded the answer.

"I just pictured him and teleported myself to where he was." Kenshin said.

Oh good... there went his thoughts of Kenshin performing blood sacrifices or committing mass murder on his way to finding him.

Arariel was relieved... slightly.

"I Protect and Serve, Arariel," Kenshin said softly.

"You weren't like this before..." Arariel said carefully.

"I Served," Kenshin corrected him. "But now I Protect. I Protect Kaoru because I want to-because I love her... I'm still the Kasshin's attack-dog even though the leash that is holding on to me is different." Something flickered in his eyes, a mixture of emotions Arariel couldn't decipher.

He nodded wordlessly.

Kenshin's closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them again his eyes had shifted back slightly to their regular golden color and he sighed softly. "I'm going to go check on Kaoru."

"Are you hungry?" Arariel offered. "I... could make something?"

"No," Kenshin shook his head. "But thank you."

He turned and headed toward their bedroom and Arariel watched him go wondering if there was enough alcohol in the house to get drunk on.

He had been around a pissed off Kenshin before.

But a possessive-concerned-pissed off Kenshin was a whole other story.

Hopefully only one person – the angel that had harmed Kaoru had died – with Kenshin, Arariel wasn't able to tell at the moment.

'I think we passed a bar on the way here yesterday,' he mused. 'I might take go visit… who knows I might find some stupid people to put out of their misery.' With that optimistic thought in mind he left the house in haste.

000

Kaoru was still asleep, Kenshin saw as he entered the room. The healing potion Arariel had given her, kept her unconscious while her body healed. Her breathing had even out and was deeper and the bruises around her neck and at her temple appeared to have faded a little.

He sighed feeling calmer just being around her.

Better.

He curled up against her on the bed and pulled her into his arms.

Kaoru made a soft sound and snuggled against him.

Kenshin pressed a kiss against her forehead and let his wings appear and cover her.

She was safe.

She was with him.

No one could hurt her.

No one would hurt her as long as he was near her.

And if they tried…

His arms tensed slightly around her.

He wouldn't let them.

000

Kaoru's head ached faintly and she felt groggy. There was an odd taste in her mouth, faintly metallic and bitter. She swallowed several times in an effort to rid her mouth of it even before she attempted to open her eyes.

She was pressed against something… someone… Breathing deeply she inhaled the scent of ginger. There were arms wrapped around her waist and holding her tightly.

Kenshin.

What was she doing… last thing she remembered was being at the cliff…

She opened her eyes slightly and blinked to find Kenshin watching her with a look in his eyes that worried her.

"What…?" She asked.

Kenshin's arms tightened around her and he buried his face in the hollow of her neck.

"Kenshin…?" He was shaking slightly.

"What's the matter?" She asked softly, a lump growing in her throat.

"You don't remember do you?" His voice was so low she barely heard it.

"Remember what…?" Kaoru's brows furrowed. The last thing she remembered was watching the sea and then… nothing.

"Why does my head hurt?" She murmured.

"An angel attacked you," Kenshin's voice was soft but the growl in it made her eyes widen. "You are never leaving my sight again."

"Kenshin…" Kaoru said.

"Ever." He told her firmly.

"Kenshin…" Kaoru tried again.

"If I have to chain myself to you…"

"Kenshin!" Kaoru snapped interrupting him.

He blinked at her. "…Yes?"

"Tell me what happened and stop acting like an idiot."

"Not acting like an idiot," he protested, eyes narrowing.

"Yes, you are." Kaoru retorted. "Tell me what happened before I hit you."

Despite himself, Kenshin smiled. If Kaoru was making threats she had to be fine. And the look in her eyes confirmed it, she was ready to smack him hard if he didn't calm down and explain himself.

"An angel attacked you," Kenshin repeated.

"I gather that much from the way my head is hurting," Kaoru said.

"Your head is hurting?"

Kaoru batted away his hands, glaring at him.

"Yes it is and if you touch me I'll bite your hands off. Tell me what happened after the angel attacked me."

"Fine," Kenshin raked a hand through his hair. "I sensed you being attacked and arrived to find you being strangled and held over the edge of a cliff."

Kaoru flinched. "And...?" She prodded gently.

"He threatened to kill you. And then flung you off the cliff and got away."

Kaoru blinked, "what did you do?"

"Caught you and brought you back here."

There was something in his tone of voice that had Kaoru narrowing her eyes at him. "And what else?"

"Nothing," Kenshin replied.

"You're leaving something out aren't you?"

"No I'm not…"

"Kenshin you can't lie to save your life. What did you do?"

"Found the angel and killed him," some of the snarl came back into his voice and she raised her eyebrows at him.

"Dare I ask how you killed him?"

Kenshin pressed a kiss to her forehead, "You don't want to know."

Kaoru winced, "I'd rather you tell me than have my mind come up with scenarios."

"Itorehimlimbfromlimbandthenburnedthepieceandscatteredtheashes…" Kenshin muttered quickly.

"Say it slowly," Kaoru told him.

"I tore him limb from limb, then burned the pieces and scattered the ashes." He had done more but Kaoru didn't need to know about that.

"Oh," Kaoru said faintly, her eyes widened and she paled slightly

Kenshin avoided her eyes.

"Kenshin?" She touched his cheek and forced him to look at her.

"Yes?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine with the fact that you… killed him. Just… don't… make it a habit okay?" Kaoru bit her lip.

"You aren't… disgusted?"

"You had a reason," Kaoru closed her eyes – she was the reason. "You aren't just doing it simply because you can."

"No I'm not," Kenshin said.

"Did he suffer?" Kaoru asked.

Kenshin blinked. Did she really want to know?

"Not too much," he told her. At least not after he'd torn his head off…

Kaoru relaxed slightly against him, "good."

"Good that he didn't suffer?" Kenshin blinked at her.

"Yes, good," Kaoru informed him.

Kenshin blinked at her again and decided to drop that subject.

"Do you want anything to eat?" He asked.

"Maybe something warm to drink," Kaoru murmured. "My throat still hurts a little."

"We have some honey and lemon in the kitchen. I can fix you a drink." Kenshin offered.

Kaoru smiled, "that sounds nice."

Kenshin dropped a kiss on her cheek, "I'll be right back. Stay there."

"Mmm," Kaoru murmured and snuggled back against the sheets.

Kenshin reappeared a moment later with a mug of hot lemon tea.

Kaoru sat up and accepted the mug from him, waiting as he settled himself around her before drinking. It made her throat feel better to drink it. The hot water along with honey soothed it.

Sighing Kenshin curled around her.

Kaoru sipped at her drink and when she finished Kenshin levitated it onto the bedside table.

"Better?" Kenshin asked softly.

"Yes," Kaoru said quietly.

His fingertips ghosted over the bruises ringing her neck and his eyes narrowed. Kaoru gasped softly as he lowered his mouth to her neck retracing the path he had taken with his fingers. His tongue flicked out gently stroking her skin.

With another gentle kiss against her neck, he captured her mouth with his and Kaoru sighed, melting against him. His kiss was tender but there was a note of possessiveness to it. He nipped her bottom lip, tongue slipping inside her mouth to tangle with hers. His hand came up to cup the back of her head as he kissed her.

He pulled away and pressed a light kiss at the corner of her mouth and then nuzzled at her throat gently, mindful of the bruises. He sighed and she shivered as his breath fluttered over her skin.

"I am sorry." He murmured.

"For what?" Kaoru blinked.

"You got hurt."

"It wasn't your fault," Kaoru repeated. "Didn't we just have this conversation already?"

"Yes," Kenshin murmured softly.

"So let's stop having it already."

"If you say so," Kenshin sighed and nuzzled her hair, breathing her scent deep in an effort to calm himself. Kaoru sighed and tucked her head underneath his chin, his arms wrapping around her.

She was still tired. Whatever she had been given was making her groggy. With a sigh she pressed her nose into the hollow of his throat and felt her body relax against him.

"Tired," she murmured softly.

Kenshin's arms tightened around her ever so briefly. "Go to sleep."

"Mmm…" Kaoru murmured. "Stay with me?"

"Of course," He was never leaving her side again.

Her eyes drifted close and she fell asleep quickly, and he watched over her for some time before his eyes too closed and he joined her in sleep.

000

Sorry it took so long. It was being stubborn – the next chapter won't take as long (hopefully…)

Shiin