Authors Notes: Thanks a lot, all of you! I'm so glad that you like my new story! I didn't expect to get so much positive feed back :)

Thanks so much-

Reignashii

Blue feary

Bubble buddy

Monkeystarz

Legolasestelstar

Kitsune55

Horse-crazy-gurl

Unknown beedee

Battousaifriends

Melli-chan

Fantasy angel victoria

Half-breed-demon-fox

and special thanks to:

Kanzen Ne Tsuki for the support :)

Thank you all for the reviews!

I've also had a couple requests to post more to the chapters. If anyone else thinks the same, don't be afraid to say so! I'll take any suggestions or constructive criticism. I mean, I do it all the time –sweat drop- :D;;

Chapter 3 – Right on the Mark

Kenshin's eyes slowly fluttered open. They were slightly glazed over from the long slumber that he awoke from. His eyes were a little heavy. He remembered then that he had cried until he just fell asleep.

He slowly lifted his heavy head off the computer desk, his coffee mug still in his hand. He rubbed his face slightly and then ran his hand back through his chin length locks.

He breathed in and stretched slightly, but just by doing so, his eyes caught site of the clock. He stopped in mid stretch and squinted his eyes slightly. He quickly looked over to the digital clock alarm by his bed.

The time read '10:19 pm'. Kenshin gasped and quickly got up and grabbed the small device and looked at it thoroughly.

"Oh, crap!"

Kenshin quickly dropped the small clock and ran out of the room. He dashed into the kitchen and grabbed his car keys, quickly getting on his light weight jacket and while speeding out the door and closing it, he caused the end of his jacket to get caught in the door way.

He quickly re-opened the door then closed it, locked it, then zipped to his car.

Hopping into it, he jammed the keys into the ignition and started his car. Backing out of the driveway rather recklessly, he sped down the road to where he was suppose to be nearly an hour ago.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man."

Kenshin would have bit at his fingernails if he had any length to them. He cursed and muttered darkly at any red light he encountered on the way, and he wouldn't bother with stop signs.

In record time, he made it to Kaoru's house. He almost mauled her mailbox when pulling into the driveway, and could have gotten whiplash with the abrupt stop.

He rushed out of his car and up to the front door. He knocked on in several times, trying to catch his breath. Kaoru opened the door and jolted back slightly.

"Mr. Himura!"

Kenshin almost fell through the doorway.

"I am so sorry, Mrs. Kamiya! You see, I-" Before he could finish his sentence, she cut him off by placing a finger to her lips.

"Shhh… They're all asleep." She whispered to him, a smile playing on her lips. Kenshin's eyes held confusion as he peeked into the living room where all the kids were sound asleep on either a couch, cushion, or chair.

"We just finished watching the movie 'Day after Tomorrow' and they all fell sound asleep. I'm glad I didn't wake Kenji when I moved since he fell asleep on my shoulder." She smiled and laughed quietly.

"You've got a wonderful son, Mr. Himura."

Kenshin's eyes widened slightly. His amethyst eyes glittered with delight at the comment. Finally, someone was seeing the side of his son that seemed to be under the mask all the time.

"Ugh…"

A small groan emitted from over near the couches. Kenji was groggily rubbing his eyes that were glossed over in a dreamy state. He shifted his head, looking around.

"…Kaoru?"

Kenji looked around for her and then finally, he drowsily turned around fully, spotting both Kaoru and his father near the door way. His eyes suddenly opened extensively.

"Dad!"

He quickly got up from the couch and rushed over to him, tackling him in an embrace around his fathers waist. Kenshin laughed a little, stumbling slightly from the sudden impact. He almost gasped in surprise. His son never did that. He simply smiled and ruffled his sons hair.

"Did you have fun?"

Kenshin wasn't expecting what came next. His sons eyes, for the first time in a very long time, sparkled with bliss as he bobbed his head up and down like a lighthearted child. The corners of Kenshin's mouth slowly dragged upward into a smile.

"I'm glad to hear that. Listen, I'm sorry I'm late, Kenji…"

Kenji, once again, surprised his father with his reaction. He just kept a vibrant smile on his face while shaking his head.

"It's alright. I didn't' even notice what time it was…- wait…I still don't know what time it is…" Kenji just shifted his gaze over to the left slightly, clearing his throat embarrassedly.

Kaoru and Kenshin shared a small laugh while Kaoru told him it was 10:32. Kenji's eyes widened as he scratched the back of his head.

"Geez, you are late, dad."

Kenshin laughed nervously as he rubbed his neck. He then stood up fully and beamed at Kaoru. He placed a hand on Kenji's head.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kamiya. I really appreciate you taking Kenji in on such short notice."

She smiled sweetly and nodded.

"Please, call me Kaoru. For one, I'm not married, and two, 'Mrs. Kamiya' makes me sound old." She stuck her tongue out playfully while laughing slightly. Kenshin smiled as well and nodded.

"Alright, um… Kaoru."

It was a bit awkward to call her by her name. He hadn't talked to her in a true conversation since high school. It felt so strange, thinking this was your best friend you're talking to and you can't even get comfortable.

He held out his hand while Kaoru reacted quickly by picking up her arm and placing her slender hand in his, gripping it in a friendly shake.

Kenshin's mouth cocked into an awkward grin as he pulled back from the shake. He then slowly turned around and started for the door, Kenji by his side.

"Hey dad, hold on a sec."

Kenshin stopped and looked at his son. Kenji stopped and turned around and walked over to Kaoru and looked up at her before wrapping his arms around her waist in a hug. Kaoru simply smiled and rubbed her hand on his head.

"Thanks for everything today, Kaoru."

His comment was slightly muffled by her clothing. Kenshin just stared in awe. Kenji had never thanked, let alone hugged a care taker before. When Kenji pulled back, Kenshin could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Kenji was crying. There was a small wet patch on Kaoru's shirt where his face had been. But his face still held a smile. Kaoru's smile didn't falter either. It only grew brighter as she gave him a small noogie.

"You're welcome, kiddo. You're welcome here anytime."

Kenji nodded and returned to his position next to his father. Kenshin still couldn't figure out a reason as to why Kenji would be crying. Kenshin looked at his son a moment before looking back up to where Kaoru stood, arms folded, a pleasant smile on her face.

He just shook his head slightly and smiled, leading his son and himself out the doorway. He looked back and waved a goodbye, Kaoru waving back in response.

Once they were safely in the car and had drove out of the driveway, Kenshin turned to his son once he was stopped at a red light.

"Kenji… why were you crying…?"

Kenji just looked up to his dad and smiled the brightest smile Kenshin had ever seen in a long time.

"I was happy…"

Kenshin just continued to look at his son in confusion. Why would he be that happy…? Kenshin then snapped out of his thoughts when his son began to talk again.

"When I was at her house, I was expecting it to be all the same. Demands and yelling; talked to as if I don't know the A,B,C's; constant chores and nothing fun to do."

Kenshin was still in astonishment from what he was hearing from his son. Was this truly what all babysitters did? Or was it only the one's he hired? When he was younger, he never had babysitters…

"But Kaoru was different. She didn't want us to call her by her last name because she wanted to be seen as a friend, not as someone in charge of all of us like she owned us. Those were her words. And we didn't run around all doing chores while she watched the T.V."

Kenshin was just about to say something when he was interrupted by a loud honking behind him. He then noticed that the light had turned green and quickly stepped on the gas. The man behind him looked as though he was going to murder him, but thanks to Kenshin's daze, the light had stayed green long enough and turned orange just as Kenshin stepped on it, leaving the man behind another red light.

Kenshin sighed in relief and shook his head. Things were just so out of line today. But despite the odd incident, Kenji continued to speak his mind.

" She let us be ourselves. She let us be kids. Because that's what we are. We're kids. Not adults. And we just need time to be kids. We need to fool around and cause chaos. Because it comes back to bite you when you're older. She said that the people who were never allowed to be a kid, turnout to have a very rough future…"

Kenshin lowered his head a little. He could agree with that fact. Although he may not be in debt or live on the streets or some such, he didn't live the life of luxury he would have liked…

-Flash back-

"Kenshin, stop that right this instant and go to bed!"

A young boy, around the age of five, sat on the cold wooden floor of the city orphanage. His glittering lavender eyes looked up to the livid woman who stood in the doorway to the room of all the orphans.

"It's late and you should be in bed, young man!"

"But Mrs. Iruna, I'm not sleepy."

His five-year-old childish voice was heartwarming, yet true. He looked up from the small spinning top that had slowly wobbled to a stop. The older lady's angry gaze didn't waver as she stomped over to wear he sat on the floor

His eyes flooded with fear as they slowly sprouted ready-to-fall tears as he tried to scramble up to his feet to flee. The slippery wood floor against his torn socks prevented him from doing so.

She picked him up and bent him over her knee. He bit his lip as she lifted her wrinkled old hand and slapped him several times over his tender bottom. But not once did he let out a cry. She placed him in his bed, not bothering to tuck him in, and ordered him to stay there or else.

Once she walked out of the room, and all was silent, the little boy finally let the tears fall from his eyes. He longed for the loving touch his mother used to give him, and the deep, yet soothing laughter his father made whenever he would do something silly.

And slowly, clutching the last gift from his parents to him closely, he fell asleep; the top still clutched in his small hands.

-End of Flashback-

"Hey dad?"

Kenshin jerked out of his thoughts from his past and looked at his son.

"Yes?"

"Don't you think so?"

Kenshin cocked his head to the side. He must have not caught Kenji's question.

"Think what?"

"That Kaoru is pretty and really nice."

Kenshin stuttered slightly with his words. He couldn't find anything to say that would sound like a proper response to the question his son was asking him so bluntly. Kenshin shrugged his shoulders multiple times and stuttered with 'ums' and 'uhs'. Kenji smiled and turned back to facing forward.

"Yeah, I thought so."

Kenshin turned to his son.

"W-what are you talking about?"

Kenji sighed and rolled his eyes, resting his cheek on his hand that was perched on the door, propped up by his elbow.

"Dad, it's sooo obvious!"

Kenshin continued to exchange confused glances from the road to his son. What was he talking about? Kenshin simply shook his head to indicate that he had no clue what his son was trying to hint to him.

"Kenji, I don't know what you mean."

Kenji rolled his eyes again and looked at his dad, eyes half mast.

"You like Kaoru."

Kenshin's eyes widened. Was his son serious?! He just couldn't be! Kenshin came back with a retort, stumbling over his words, his face painted with a tinge of red.

"Kenji you can't- I don't- ugh, we've only known her for a day!! How can you- Kenji, that's absurd."

Kenji simply smirked slyly and snickered while Kenshin shifted uncomfortably in his seat, glaring at the road in front of him.

"Ha…I knew it."

Kenshin gave Kenji a look of surprised annoyance, much like the look teachers get when they assign a project that applies reading 100 pages about Vincent van Gogh and his life about cutting off his ear and mailing it to his lover.

"Kenji, you don't know how ridiculous you sound right now!!"

The smirk on Kenji's face never faltered.

"When does admitting that you love someone after a day not ridiculous?"

Kenshin tried to reply back to that, but found himself stumped. He was just silenced by his son. Now if that didn't look bad, he didn't know what did. Then again, next to Van Gogh's desperate attempt to flatter his lover with his ear, he didn't look too bad.

With Kenshin's silence, Kenji scoffed again and shook his head in confidence. Kenshin finally thought of something to say after his son's cheerful reaction, however.

"Then why are you so happy? I'm not admitting that I do, because I don't, but tell me why you don't seem to have a problem with it, eh?"

Kenji stopped his snickering and became silent. Kenshin looked over at him and was surprised when he saw how serious his son seemed at the moment.

"Well…I guess I was just…fanaticizing..."

Kenshin glanced at his son and tapped the steering wheel thoughtfully.

"About what, pray tell?"

Kenji swayed his head from left to right and replied hesitantly.

"Well…I- ahh, forget it."

Kenshin ushered his son to keep going.

"Well… you know…" Kenji's voice started to twist into a dreamy like state as his gaze drifted off else where.

"…I've always…wondered what it would be like…to have a mom…"

Kenshin's heart almost stopped. Was his son thinking about being deprived of the motherly touch? Was he thinking about where he came from? Was he plotting to trick him into telling himself where his biological mother is, and whom she may be?!

"W-why is that…?"

Kenji's face twisted in thought.

"Well…I dunno, I just thought it'd be nice…I mean…I've seen you often at the dinner table late at night just sitting there with your elbows on it. You have the hanging light on and that's it, and you have your hands laced together and your resting your chin on them…you look like your in deep thought, dad…"

Kenshin lowered his head slightly.

"Yeah…well…- hey, what have you been doing up late out of bed!?"

Kenji rolled his eyes again.

"For one, the bathroom is downstairs, and two, you can't expect me to just stay in bed like a little goodie two-shoe."

Kenshin sighed and continued to look ahead of him. His thoughts began to buzz around in his head. Questions that he needed answers to, and answers that needed questions.

"Kenji, what makes you think I like Mrs. Kam-…Kaoru?" He had to get into the habit of calling her by her first name so she wouldn't be displeased…but why would he care?

"It's just the way you look at her, dad. I mean, you stare for moment, and your face goes red just slightly. You always seem to have a smile on your face when around her, and you act clumsy. You know, the works."

Kenshin jerked back in surprise.

"I…I do?" He never noticed it. He couldn't feel himself blushing, or smiling too much. But then again, the muscles in his cheeks did feel slightly sore.

Kenshin just shook his head, denying his own thoughts.

"Kenji, you're just seeing things."

Kenji just smiled and stared out the window. He could tell his dad was denying it. He just wondered if he would ever admit it.

"Feh…like that'd ever happen."

Kenshin looked over at his son.

"What was that…?"

Kenji simply shook his head and smiled a big innocent smile.

"Nothing, father…nothing at all…"

Lendra-chan: Well? What do you think? You like? You don't like? Please let me know

Review!!