"Wh...What would make you think that," Kenshin stuttered. Tomoe was staring carefully at him in a way that was completely freaking him out. What if she remembered him and hated him again? That would be more than he could bear. He let out a deep sigh. "No, I'm not your brother, but I know you," he said while staring down at the floor. He wondered how her real brother would react when he found out. That would certainly be interesting. Tomoe continued to stare at him with eager eyes. "Please, please tell me everything that you know about me," she pleaded. Kenshin shook his head. "No, not now, not yet, I can't," he said. He couldn't even imagine how he would begin telling her. Tomoe's face fell, but she moved closer to him. "I was that much of a shame to you, wasn't I," she said with a shaking voice. Kenshin quickly shook his head. "No, no, never," he said while taking her hand. "I was the only one who was a source of shame, and that's why I just can't tell you everything right now," he said. "Than take me with you," Tomoe said with her voice full of emotion. "Please, please take me with you! I'll do anything, and I promise you that I won't be a burden," she continued. "We can run away together, right now. I'm not crazy like they say I am. I was just desperate before, but I can get us out without anybody noticing," she said . Kenshin stared at her. After all she'd been through because of him, he felt that he didn't have a right to refuse her anything. "All right", he said while reaching to touch her hair. There was no way that he could possibly resist being close to her now. "I'll take you with me, Tomoe, but I can't guaruntee that you can stay with me for long," he answered. Tomoe, she thought. So that's my name. Such a simple, common name. That thought suddenly caused her to remember the stranger before her. The stranger that looked all too familiar. "Tell me your name," she said. "Oh, it's Kenshin," he answered, feeling stupid for having failed to properly introduce himself. "Kenshin." Tomoe whispered to herself. Speaking the name caused her to feel a sharp pain all throughout her body. A pain that would've been agonizing, were it not for the intense joy and pleasure that came along with it.
The next morning, Kenshin stared at Tomoe fast asleep on the futon at the inn. The years had been kind to her. She had a new, more mature kind of beauty than he remembered. Kenshin wondered if it was all just some crazy dream he was having and if he would wake up soon, sad and alone. But he knew that he hadn't slept a minute that whole night. How on earth could he, with her right there? He was exhausted after their escape though. It had been a pretty amusing diversion, the type of thing he would've laughed at years ago. It had been easy for Kenshin to distract the nuns with some small talk while Tomoe snuck away and changed into a spare serving girl's kimono. After all, it had been ages since most of them had spoke to a man, especially an attractive one. When Tomoe gave a signal that she was ready, he told them that he had some urgent business to attend to and left to join her at their planned meeting place in a secluded area behind the temple. "We did it," she whispered while laughing sweetly and mischievously. It was the first time that he'd ever seen her laugh like that, and he was mesmerized. All of his self-control fell completely to the ground, and before he even had a chance to think about it, his mouth was on hers and he let her scent completely overpower him. God, she tasted exactly the way he remembered. He wasn't dreaming, she was real, she was alive; he could feel her heart beating. Just as he had wished for so badly long ago, so many times, but now that he had her again, what was he going to do with her? After all, he had tried so hard to move on. As strong as his feelings were for her, she was his past, and not even her being alive would change that. He had another wife now, and a child and they were his family. She just didn't fit in with the picture of his life now and it killed him. Sure, he knew all too well that the majority of men kept lovers that their wives and children never knew about, or pretended not to know about, but he would rather die than degrade Tomoe like that and betray Kaoru at the same time. They both deserved so much more. He reluctantly seperated his mouth from Tomoe's and looked her straight in the eye. "Let's just pretend that didn't happen," he said.