Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is copyrighted by its respective owner(s). No copyright infringement intended.

Warnings: AU Japan. Violence and swordfighting.

Chapter 1: All Work and No Play

14 June 1879

With the new moon rising, only the brightest of stars glittered against the inky backdrop of the sky. A hot breath of wind slithered around, offering no respite from the summer heat. It was late enough that while a few houses still had their lanterns on, most of the city was already asleep in preparation for the next day. Under the cover of darkness, the faintest of shadows bobbed against the wall as two dozen men scurried to take position around the massive building. Feet shuffled and the occasional terse whisper of orders floated along the silence, but nothing else disturbed the serenity of the night.

Kaoru's steps made no sound on the paved path as she strode up the walkway towards the government building. She noticed a few lights flickering through the window in the upper floors, but nothing downstairs. That was a blessing; the scouting report hadn't indicated if archers were present or not. But with the heavy darkness, they couldn't shoot anyway and she didn't have to worry about turning into a pin cushion.

She paused twenty feet away from the front doors and studied the building. The structure was quite similar to the one back home, built with thick wood in various compositions. But instead of a tall tower in the center, the city of Hamamatsu's central office was a three level monstrocity boasting late feudal era architecture with the sloping roofs and stylized, curvy eaves. It was probably one of the oldest buildings there, but well-maintained.

Someone hurried up to her side, moving as silently as she had. "Inspector, everyone is in place," he reported quietly.

She glanced at the man whom she had appointed her lieutenant for this operation. Unlike the nervous jitters emanating from the other police officers, Mishima Ei'ichiro remained calm as he waited for further orders from her. With his tall, lean stature and classic Japanese features, the nineteen year old young man was very popular with women wherever he went. He joined the police department only two months ago but had quickly established himself as loyal, smart, and fearless. Kaoru nodded. "Commence the operation, Mishima."

Mishima returned the nod and stepped forward, hand on his sword. "Hayashi Sora! You are hereby ordered, in the name of the Shogunate, to come out and submit yourself for arrest! All others who are in there with you should also surrender without delay." He projected his voice, unusually loud so it shattered the stillness.

Waiting for a response, Kaoru listened intently. The faint shuffle of feet from the upper levels indicated movement, and the lanterns inside were suddenly extinguished, plunging the entire area into further darkness. When no reply came, even as frantic whispers floated down from the windows, she nodded again to her deputy.

Ei'ichiro turned and gestured with his arm, indicating the first wave of officers to move in with the battering ram. Two other men lit torches and hurried to stand on either side of the double front doors, illuminating the entrance so the log could breach through the portal.

Six deputies approached, holding onto pegs hammered into a monstrous fifty-pound log. With minimal fuss, as one, they rushed towards the front door and shattered the barrier so completely the only part left on the hinges protruded out from an inch. The half dozen men then scurried backwards so the other officers could swarm inside, shouting orders as soon as they crossed the threshold.

"They broke the doors!" Kaoru heard someone cry out. An instant later, the unmistakable sound of fighting drifted from the front room.

Ei'ichiro unsheathed his sword and followed the men inside, letting out a feral yell of his own. Kaoru watched several torches bobbing in the room, giving off just enough light for both the criminals and officers to engage each other. Shouts and clangs of weapons filled the air as bodies dropped to the ground, most of them wearing dirty kimonos and not the pristine uniforms of the police.

Pursing her lips, Kaoru considered the situation unfolding in front of her. According to the intelligence report on the situation in Hamamatsu, a group of fifty-plus bandits had somehow managed to overtake the government building in the city, killing a civilian and wounding seven others. The head of the bandit group, Hayashi Sora, didn't seem enough of a criminal mastermind to pull off such a daring feat, yet he was credited for this attack. He also wasn't known for his bravery, which meant there was a possibility of him trying to escape amid the chaos.

Satisfied her men had everything under control - the criminals outnumbered them but their lack of skills evened the odds quite nicely - Kaoru turned to her left and strolled towards the back of the building. Passing by several white birch trees in full bloom which masked her presence, she heard shuffling and a voice hissed, "Hurry up, Sora! What are you doing?"

"I'm stuck! These windows aren't made for grown men to climb out of and escape, you know!"

"If you don't hurry, I'm leaving here without you!" the first voice replied, the tone bordering on the edge of hysteria.

Kaoru stopped beside one of the trees, allowing her eyes to adjust further to the darkness of the back garden until she could see two shadows. One tugged on the other whose body was half wedged through the window. The backyard, as far as she could see, was large but only had a handful of maple trees and a tiny koi pond off to the far side. Apparently maintaining a flourishing garden wasn't a priority in the city. A path cut through the carpet of grass, meandering down until it hit the back gate located one hundred and fifty yards away from the building.

"Ow! You're tugging too hard, Yue!"

Yue had to be Matsuda Yue, Hayashi Sora's partner in crime. The tall man grunted as he pulled. "Don't just hang there, help me!"

The two men continued making noises, oblivious to anything else around them. Kaoru watched and waited until Yue finally managed to drag Sora through the gap. As both men fell and groaned in pain from the impact, she realized that Hayashi Sora wasn't a small man around the girth by any stretch of the imagination. No wonder he had trouble climbing through the window.

They finally heaved up to their feet and started scurrying towards the back gate to flee the officers. Deciding it was time to make her presence known, Kaoru strode forward to intercept the two men. "Going somewhere so soon, gentlemen?" she called.

One of the men - Hayashi - shrieked and hid behind his friend. The other gasped and backed away, eyes darting around for some sort of escape. Both men almost tripped over each other but found their footing just in time. "W-who are you?" Matsuda squeaked.

Kaoru smiled pleasantly at them, though she wasn't sure they saw it in the darkness. "Who, me? I'm just an overworked, underpaid police Inspector being dragged out to participate in these night raids."

The taller, thinner man straightened up, as if hearing an opportunity from her nonchalant words. "Oh, really? Then perhaps we can make a deal?"

She tried not to snicker from the utter predictability of men like them who thought everyone was as greedy or gullible as themselves. "Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"Simple. You look the other way and let us go. In exchange, we'll leave money for you in a place of our agreement as a thank-you." Matsuda straightened his gi, yanking it free from Hayashi's grip. "What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"Hmm. Tempting, but I'll have to decline your kind offer. In the meantime, we can add 'bribery' to your list of charges." Now openly grinning, Kaoru stalked towards them, her left hand moving to hold her saya while her right hand shifted onto the tsuka in preparation to draw.

"Aiiiiii!" Hayashi groaned and his eyes rolled up and backwards before collapsing on the ground in a heap.

Matsuda appeared to have a sturdier constitution, but his voice no longer sounded certain or confident. "Wait, wait! We deserve a trial! Y-you can't kill us! Stop!"

His voice broke on the last word, making Kaoru grin even harder. "Oh, I can't? Who's going to see what's happening here? They won't believe you, a disreputable criminal, but they'll certainly believe a police Inspector." She was close enough now to see the whites of Matsuda's terrified eyes. His eyes drifted to her katana and she made a jerking motion as if to unsheath and slice him. But instead of drawing her sword, Kaoru turned to the left as her right elbow lashed out and connected with Matsuda's jaw, jerking his head up. At the unexpected hit, he collapsed on top of his friend with a moan.

"Too easy," she murmured, staring down at the crumpled men. Hearing rapid footsteps behind her, Kaoru turned to direct the approaching officers to tie them up and take them into custody. But as she spoke, a flash of something moving swiftly caught the corner of her left eye near the back gate. She instantly shifted into a defensive position, hand resting back on her sword as she swept her gaze around several times. She could have sworn it was someone wearing red.

But nothing moved except her officers and, a long minute later, Kaoru finally relaxed and straightened her posture. Once certain the two criminals were tied up securely, she made her way back to what remained of the front door and met up with her lieutenant.

"Inspector! All the men have been arrested and await transport to the prison cells," Mishima reported. There was a small cut just over his right eye and his normally pristine uniform shirt was pulled from his pants and torn on the left sleeve. Sweat dripped from his hair but the exhilaration of a good fight shone in his eyes.

"Good. Hayashi and his friend are in the back. They'll be taken directly to interrogation. Any casualties?"

He shook his head. "None. The bandits weren't very skilled. A few will be mighty sore tomorrow, but everyone will live."

Kaoru nodded in approval. "Excellent. Make sure to do a complete sweep of the building and inform the Council members they can return to work tomorrow. Then head back home with our men in the morning. I'll report to the Inspector General of our findings and make my own way back if he doesn't need me further. Send any plans or messages found inside to the capital immediately for further examination."

"Yes, Inspector!" Ei'ichiro bowed and strode back to the building, bellowing orders.

She watched him direct the deputies who scrambled to obey his commands instantly. For a brief moment, jealousy reared up from his natural leadership skills and charisma which people recognized and responded to without hesitation. Kaoru knew she could lead just as well, but as one of the few women officers in Japan, it took much longer for her to gain the same level of respect. She much preferred to stay in her own city where her officers and citizens knew her.

Shrugging off the sting of envy, Kaoru turned and headed down the road. Before the raid, she'd been given a message that the Inspector General had stopped by on his way back to the capital. He had taken over the city Inspector's office where, no doubt, he waited for the results of the operation.

She and the Inspector General had, at best, a complicated relationship which seemed to sour the more she gained independence and confidence as Inspector of Toei. But Saitou Hajime wasn't the type to begrudge using the talents he had under his command, no matter his feelings. Kaoru had been selected to lead the raid at Hamamatsu because he trusted her to root out the criminals with little casualties and minimal damage.

The Inspector's office was only a brisk walk from the government building and she arrived within minutes, entering through the open gate. Lanterns lit the path to the main door, flooding the area with light since the police department was technically open all day and all night in the battle against crime. But, much like her own hometown, only a skeleton crew remained on hand at this hour, depending on how big the city was and how rampant crime was. In Hamamatsu, as she entered the building and made her way towards the offices in the back, crime appeared minimal as she only saw two officers chatting in the shared space for deputies.

As she'd suspected, Saitou had taken over the Inspector's office and the poor man, who'd been rudely shuffled aside during the operation, was relegated to seething in the corner. Kaoru ignored him because there was nothing she could do for his bruised ego. But she also didn't have any pity for him since it was his negligence that allowed the criminals to move into the city and disrupt the normal flow of governmental duties. Without acknowledging the man, who might be fired or at least severely reprimanded and demoted before the morning dawned, she called out, "Pardon the intrusion, Inspector General."

"Enter."

Sliding the door open, Kaoru slipped inside and shut it behind her before striding up to his desk. Saitou Hajime didn't look up as she bowed in respectful greeting. There was a chair next to her but since she hadn't been instructed to sit, she stood waiting. Kaoru didn't mind; the wood chair wasn't as comfortable as a tatami mat and she consoled herself with the fact that her office hadn't been upgraded to reflect the Western influence - yet. It would probably come soon, no matter how much she tried to cling to the old ways.

Waiting was part of the game, so Kaoru studied her former teacher and current boss as he continued working. As Inspector General, Saitou led all the local Inspectors in each city who reported directly to him. He wielded an enormous amount of power as one of the Shogun's trusted advisors but he also wasn't afraid to wade in the thick of battle when necessary. Kaoru had heard stories during the civil war of his brutal efficiency and nothing had changed that, even with the elevation of his position.

She had worked directly under his supervision in Kyoto until their ideals no longer allowed them to mesh well together. It had taken a lot of convincing for Saitou to accept her request to become the Inspector to the medium sized city Kaoru now called home, but it was far better this way. They got along well enough - until the issue of executions were brought up, legal or otherwise. Saitou espoused his views on 'Aku Soku Zan' and she...well, she refused to kill.

He didn't look at all different in the one-and-a-half years since she had left his tutelage, his hair still dark and slicked back and several strands of long bangs hanging over his face. Amber eyes that had the power to literally freeze the unwary in their tracks were trained on his papers. The light at the end of his cigarette edged closer to the butt, thin wisps of smoke curling to obscure his sharp features for a moment. Saitou continued to read the report in front of him, making the occasional notation with an ink pen without acknowledging her.

Kaoru tried not to sigh. Saitou had summoned her, but he wasn't above using his position to make her squirm. She hated that he took special care to do it to her and not any other Inspectors, but what else could she do?

Finally, he set the pen down and looked over the report one last time before nodding in satisfaction. He set it aside and lifted his eyes up to look her over. "You look ridiculous in that outfit."

She gritted her teeth to rein in her temper before making an effort to relax her jaw so her tone would sound normal. "I believe it was you who relayed the order for all police officers to wear it." The new police uniform, to replace the hakama and gi and haori, had changed to trousers, a white shirt, and a stiff, buttoned uniform jacket. A cap and shiny black boots completed the ensemble. Deputies were to wear black while the Inspectors wore a dove gray color.

"Maybe it means you're not suited for the job."

Eyes narrowing at the insult, Kaoru met his gaze with a steely look of her own. She could hardly believe he would start an argument now when they had more important things to discuss, but apparently she had given him too much credit to focus on the situation at hand and not her. "Are you questioning my competence, Inspector General?"

Saitou smirked at the clipped words and took the cigarette from his mouth, crushing it into a dish set at his left elbow. He changed the subject abruptly. "Report."

Kaoru took a deep breath to restore her equilibrium. She'd always had a temper, but it never came out more than when dealing with her former teacher. Saitou knew it and goaded her in ways only he could. "Hayashi Sora and his group were all captured and are awaiting transportation to the capital. We searched the building they took over, but there wasn't much information to glean. Whatever we recover is being sent to the capital for further analysis."

Grunting in acknowledgement, Saitou leaned back in his chair and stared at her for a long moment. "Hayashi was just another pawn, then," he commented.

She nodded. "I believe so."

Absently reaching into the desk drawer, Saitou shook out another cigarette stick and pulled out a pack of matches. With one sure strike, he lit the match and set the cigarette going. "This is the fourth city which has been taken over by bandits, but all of them are run by idiots. They're obviously being armed and directed and ultimately controlled by somebody. It's no longer a coincidence, not after the similar situations occurring this many times. Someone is arming and instructing these second-rate swordsmen to take over the local government while being very careful to hide their identity."

The situation seemed eerily familiar to what nearly happened in her city last year. But with the help of a certain rurouni, the plans to take over Toei were stopped and the local masterminds were arrested. "We don't have any leads on who it could be?" Kaoru asked even though she suspected the answer.

"None."

They fell silent as they both contemplated the impact of that statement. Finally, Saitou reached for another stack of papers on his desk as he spoke around the cigarette. "Go home. I'll send word if we get any more information."

Kaoru nodded and offered him one more bow. "Goodbye, Sensei," she murmured and turned to head out.

"Are you still seeing him?"

The question froze her in mid-step and Kaoru stiffened. The tone was almost…friendly, but she knew he didn't approve of her relationship with the red-haired former wanderer. Why, she didn't understand, but Kenshin seemed to and he took it in stride. "Yes."

Saitou grunted but sounded resigned. "Before I forget, there's a letter for you from home. Pick it up on your way out."

She perked up. Hurrying out of the borrowed office, Kaoru stopped by the secretary's desk. On it was a folded paper with her name on it in beautiful kanji. The familiar handwriting caused her heart to lurch in both happiness and pain. Clutching the letter to her chest, she almost flew down the steps and burst outside to find a quiet place to read the message.

Takagi Tokio, her surrogate mother, had written a long letter to fill her in with all the happenings of her two young boys, the neighbors, and the community. Kaoru read it twice, relishing the images conjured up from the message, though she hadn't seen them in eighteen months. Her last memory of Tokio's eldest son was a gurgling toddler just learning to walk and she had never even met her younger foster brother, Tsuyoshi, who was born recently.

Reading the letter left her longing to see them, but it wasn't meant to be. She had duties she couldn't shirk as Inspector. If Kaoru ever traveled to see the Saitou family in Kyoto, she would have to make it a long visit. It wouldn't be easy for her to take time off to visit them on a regular basis. And with the current upheaval happening all over the country, her request for leave would never be granted. Saitou would need her; going home to Toei now was a respite, but she had a feeling it would only be a brief one.

Sighing, and just a little deflated at the thought, Kaoru folded up the letter and slid it into the pocket of her shirt underneath the gray uniform jacket. It wouldn't do to mope. She would write back when she got home and resumed her regular duties. And finally, maybe she would have some time to spend with a certain rurouni.

She caught a police caravan going in the northern direction of home and arrived the next night. Situated in higher planes, the wagons bypassed her city and dropped her off so she had an hour's travel on foot. Tired from the jarring ride - comfort was not a consideration when it came to police transports - Kaoru nevertheless picked up speed as she walked the last few miles home. A deputy on guard at the southern gate bowed to her as she strode into the city. "Welcome back, Inspector!"

She smiled at the officer. "It's good to be back." And it was. She hadn't realized how much Toei had become her home until she returned from the special mission.

Even though she started to feel as though iron shackles of exhaustion were attached to her feet, Kaoru stopped by the prison to see who was in there and for what reason since it was on her way home. The cells were all empty and a quick glance at the arrest log indicated only a few offenders had passed through here. She frowned; the numbers were a bit lower than expected, but perhaps the weather played a part. Most criminals, like most people, preferred not to go out in extreme weather, hot or cold or rainy.

Well, it was something she'd ask her second-in-command when she saw him. Leaving the building, Kaoru headed towards her office for a quick check-in before going home.

Okon, her secretary, didn't seem surprised to see her already home despite not having sent word earlier. "Sano-san is out on the field with the new recruit," she explained while sorting out a stack of papers. "There's been a lower number of incidents in the past week so everything's been somewhat easygoing. Nothing for you to worry about." Okon paused in mid-shuffle and cast a quick up-and-down look at her. "You look tired. Go home and rest, Kaoru-san. There's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow."

Fighting back a yawn, Kaoru nodded. "Okay. Just let Sano know I'm back. I'll be at home if anyone needs me." But she wasn't worried; Sano, her friend and Deputy Inspector, was quite capable of handling anything that could happen in her absence short of a full city riot.

So Kaoru trudged out of the station. But instead of going home, she turned towards the northwest where the row houses were situated. As she passed the simple wooden structures, the familiar neighborhood caused a small wave of nostalgia. Her first home had been in this section, back when she initially came to the city and started her tenure as Inspector. Now, a year and a few months later, Kaoru had moved to a more permanent and reputable location, as Okon put it.

In her place, Kenshin moved in. Renting the tiny room was a big step for the former rurouni as he hadn't had a permanent home in over fourteen years. Kaoru smiled to herself as she recalled Kenshin inviting her, Sano, and Megumi over for dinner to celebrate the auspicious moment. The four of them had barely been able to squeeze into the room, but it didn't detract from the fun they had.

The memories of their time together were full of laughter but few. Kaoru could count on two hands the number of times they had spent together in the past three months. Although Kenshin denied he would ever leave and travel for months on end as he had before, he still left for days at a time, and sometimes even as long as a week before returning mysteriously, looking tired and distracted. But the next day he was his old cheery self again. When Kaoru asked him what he did, Kenshin would simply shrug and offer vague answers. It bothered her that he'd hold back on something like this, but she couldn't force him to tell her. She knew he would when he was ready, and not before then. Between her work and his whatever Kenshin did when he traveled, it never seemed to work in their favor to spend any quality time together.

The thought that he was still hiding something from her somewhat dampened her enthusiasm. But as Kaoru approached the last home on the right, flutters of anticipation grew in her stomach and her steps quickened to knock on the wood.

The door immediately opened and Kenshin stood there. His face brightened when he saw her but Kaoru noticed the tired crinkles around his eyes and how his shoulders drooped. Had he just come home himself? "Kaoru-dono, you're back!" he exclaimed. "When did you arrive?"

"Just a bit ago. I wanted to say hello before I fell asleep for sixteen hours."

"You must have traveled non-stop," he commented with sympathy.

"I did. But I wanted to get home." Kaoru considered adding that she wanted to see him but sudden uncharacteristic shyness choked the words back. "Um, why don't we get together for dinner with Sano and Megumi-san tomorrow night? I need to catch up on what happened while I was gone and that'll probably take most of the day. I want to have something to look forward to."

Kenshin's face fell. "I'd love to but I need to leave tomorrow morning. I promised a friend I'd help out with a situation he's in."

"Oh." Kaoru held back a sigh. Once again, their schedules didn't seem quite conducive for getting together. With her luck, Saitou would be calling her to another operation right when Kenshin returned. If she were the suspicious sort, she'd wonder if her foster father had a hand in the timing of everything somehow. But Kaoru brushed that thought aside almost immediately. Saitou may not approve of Kenshin, but he was far too busy to meddle in her personal relationships.

"I'm sorry," Kenshin said, and he genuinely looked remorseful. "Maybe when I get back? I don't think it should take more than a week."

"Of course," she answered, trying to buoy herself so he wouldn't feel even worse about something he couldn't control. After all, Kenshin didn't know when she'd return from Hamamatsu. How could she expect him to put his life on hold and wait for her?

Even as she scolded herself for being so selfish, a small part of her still wondered why he couldn't turn his friend down or postpone his trip for a few more days. Surely it wasn't an emergency else Kenshin would have left immediately. But the fact that he waited until tomorrow morning meant it couldn't be that urgent.

"I'm sorry," Kenshin said again. "It's a long trip to Kyoto and I need to get some rest so…"

Kaoru stared at him for a long moment, hardly able to believe her ears. To add salt to the wound, he was now not-so-subtly trying to get her to leave? "Fine," she replied shortly. "It's late and I'm tired too. Good night. Have a safe trip." She whirled around to leave, fighting to keep the hurt and disappointment from springing tears to her eyes.

"Wait, Kaoru-dono!" he called.

She didn't stop but she heard the door snap shut and tensed, only stopping when a hand grasped her arm to prevent her from stomping further away. "Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said again, this time with an edge of desperation in his voice. "Please, I know we haven't spent much time together, but it won't be like this forever. I just need to help this friend out because I promised him."

Staring at the ground and willing her vision not to blur, Kaoru breathed in and out a few times as she struggled to control her emotions. Of all the things she knew about Kenshin, it was that he would never turn down a request for help, not if he could do something. Guilt and responsibility rode him hard, harder than anyone she had seen, to the point where Kaoru wondered if he ever thought about himself. But that was also one of the things she liked about him too, that he was so unselfish with his time and his skills, doing what he could do to bring peace and comfort to everyone around him. How could she begrudge him of lending a hand when she would do the same?

So she sighed and finally turned to face him. "Okay," she murmured.

The look of shock mingled with tentative hope on his face was almost comical, had she been in the mood to laugh. "Okay?" he repeated.

"Yes. I know you're helping people who need it." Kaoru squared her shoulders, wishing she hadn't given in to childish petulance. "And I need to be more understanding of that fact, too. It's just bad timing with all the odd takeovers happening and Saitou-sensei calling me to help. It's not your fault."

"And it's not yours," he told her earnestly. His violet eyes, always so gentle and warm, held a glimmer of emotion that she didn't dare name. "When I return, let's spend some time together. Even if I have to sit in your office while you do paperwork, I'll come and keep you company. Agreed?"

Her heart warmed at the plan. It was a little silly and Okon might not be too pleased with the company when she was supposed to concentrate on working, but it showed Kenshin really did want to spend time with her. He cared for her, and that was enough for now. "Agreed," she answered, hoping her grin wasn't too wide. "Then I'll see you when you get back."

Kenshin searched her face for a long moment. Then he stunned her by suddenly stepping closer to draw her into an embrace. Kaoru bit back a gasp as warm arms encircled her and pressed her close. The heat of his body seeped through her uniform until a deep flush worked its way up from her neck to her cheeks. No one except her family had ever hugged her and it felt nothing like this. In this position, there seemed to be no barriers between them except thin layers of clothing. "Wait for me, Kaoru-dono," he breathed in her ear.

"I-I will," she whispered, still dumbfounded at the intimate and tender gesture.

When he finally let go and Kaoru headed back home, she could still feel his heat lingering on her skin and clothes. And she wondered at the unconscious, desperate plea in his voice when he asked her to wait.

AN: Here is the (long-awaited?) sequel to Defender! I am thrilled to share this story with you because this series is just so close to my heart. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know what you think!