A/N: Sorry for not being able to update sooner. I'm currently having a writer's block and unfortunately, an artist's block, too.. -_- Since I didn't take summer classes I think I would be able to make it up for everyone. Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter. BTW, RK's going to be re-animated! YIPEEE! (pops out champagne from nowhere) they also released a new game for their 15th anniversary! WELCOME BACK Kenshin! I'm having RK saisen madness now.. yes, I have the game!^^

DISCLAIMER: Standard Disclaimer Applies

WARNING: Lots of characters' POVs. For those who have not seen Trust and Betrayal yet, you may not want some spoilers. Read at your own risk.. and sorry for the confusion. From now on, I would like to make some amendments.

"oro"- denotes speaking

oro – might be applied for flashbacks or emphasis on words

"oro"- dialogues inside flashbacks

'oro'- thoughts

The Freezing Fire and the Warm Ice

~Tiger-Lily~

CHAPTER 4 – Denials

Kaoru tried to focus her attention on their current situation rather than her newfound realization. Not knowing what to feel. with all her mixed up emotions, she brought her hands up to his face and held it up to meet the gaze of the sobbing stranger.

Like he was a child needing to be comforted, she drew his face into her embrace. '

Kami, please tell me what to do… ' She wanted to, but couldn't sink into the depths of his thoughts- those that gave him this trauma. She wanted him to open up, so she could know and try to ease his soul. One of her hands left his cheek to try and prevent another wave of tears welling his eyes.

"Shhh…" She ran her hands up and down his back. "It's alright now, no one's gonna hurt you." She didn't have time to process what she'd just said, but she was even more surprised when he answered her back.

"Cold... Please," his voice cracked. "I don't want to go back there..."

His arms came around her torso and she sucked in a breath when he buried his head deeper onto her shoulder. He must hear her erratic breath, because of his grip on her.

She tried to push him away enough so she could ask him about "that" place, the one he didn't want to go back to.

"Please, Angel…" he pleaded. "Promise me, you won't leave me again..."

"Eh?" Kaoru was confused both because he'd called her that nickname again and how could she possibly have left him before, when she didn't even know his name? Of course she'd never left him since he was under her care. 'I have no idea what he's talking about...'

But, her sympathy exceeded the confusion. She continued drawing circles on his back, comforting any aftershocks of the trauma left by his nightmares.

"I…" She paused, "I promise..."

What must've been plaguing his nightmares? Dark memories… Ghosts maybe? Souls of those he knew... Perhaps, whatever had which left him in the state she'd found him?

She waited patiently for the last of his sobs to die out. Now that his hiccups subsided and his breathing calmed, she could tell that he'd already fallen asleep. She debated leaving him to wake up on the cold floor or tucking him in on his futon… The former would probably be a good idea, considering that he'd fallen asleep that way, if it weren't for the subtle tightening of his hold on her, whenever he felt she was letting go... She even thought about allowing him to sleep in her arms.

'And then what? He'd wake up to find an obscenely dressed woman groping him?' That was how he'd likely see it. Or maybe she was being paranoid, afraid to wake him up and face the consequences of her naivety.

She tried to move again but he held on tighter. It was like being gripped by a giant koala bear- one wrong move and she'd be struggling for breath,.

Another thing that bugged her was that he seemed to think he was freezing, confirming it as he mumbled something about being cold. For Kaoru, with all that crying and snuggling, she'd already broken into a sweat. His body temperature felt normal against her. How could he possibly feel cold, now that he'd lost his fever?

'But how am I going to explain all of this to him?' She gave a mental equivalent of a whine. Yes, the other nights she'd rushed to him he'd been ill, so she'd kept it secret, letting it pass casually. But now she was afraid of telling him and the attack this morning only made it worse.

"He... really didn't remember anything…" she mumbled quietly. She didn't know whether she wanted to feel disappointed or glad. She wanted him to know that she was- and would be always- here for him during the times he fought with his inner demons. But salvaging a bit of her dignity, she felt it better for him not to know.

Every night, he'd calmed with her touches, soothed by her whispers… and yet she didn't even know his name.

His name.

Why wouldn't he tell her that simple thing?

It seemed impossible that he wouldn't remember this. With her glued to him, not to mention that her upper torso was separated from him only by the flimsy fabric of her yukata, only a tug away from baring everything.

She sucked in a breath, sort of a silent "eep."

'What would he do to me if he found out?...' She began to panic. What would they make of her now? What would HE make of her now? She could feel the steady heave of his chest against her with their thin night robes and that notion made it harder for her to think coherent thoughts as her breasts pressed against his every intake of air.

"No…I can't.. I must not let him know about this…" she decided. "He must not remember. It'll be like the other nights… It HAS to be.."

Should morning come and he switch to those golden eyes again, she'd just go with the flow. Though she much preferred the violet ones belonging to the vulnerable being in her arms right now.

His having an alter ego amused her: One a child and the other a savage. She'd already had enough of his insufferable side, why would the Gods not let it be the other way around? Unless he could make use of his savageness on other intimate instances…

'Where did that just came from?' She snapped back to the reality of her situation when she felt him stir. Panic clouded her brain again. She nervously jerked her head from side to side, searching for ways of escaping. Her plan slowly started to vanish as his stirring became frequent.

'Maybe I can just shake him off me and dash to the door… Right.' Better for him to wake up without her there. At least she'd save some dignity and it might look like she hadn't expected it to happen… or had she?

It's now or never. Kamiya Kaoru had to make a fast decision, but, this was for the best. She took a deep breath and, within seconds, had broken loose of his grip, taking advantage of his stirrings and quickly made her way to the door, ignoring the thump of his stubborn head hitting the matted floor.

OoOoO

It was hard to run on tiptoe, but it didn't matter to her. She had to get away from him, knowing him, he might have woken the minute she shoved him loose.

"Gods! There's no way he couldn't know about it!" She panted really hard, both from the nervousness and the distance she had to cover in such a short time.

Just as she returned to the promise of safety in her own room, Kaoru slumped against the paper doors. Even the moon seemed to go against her as it hid behind the clouds, stealing the illumination from the room. She tried to muffle her ragged breathing in order to listen for any footfalls in the hall.

…

Silence. He did not come after her... Good. She didn't have any idea whether or not he was awake from her sudden escape, anyway. And the important thing was…

She looked down at her trembling hands. Strange, but she felt like she had ran off from a killer chasing her when all she'd done was flee from the person she'd rather he be.

Yes, what's important was that she was able to see that part of him, to know that there was something vulnerable inside him… and that she was able to ease him.

Her senses were fully awake. She could still feel him, that prickly mass of his hair on her neck, his damp face, his chest against hers, his arms…

There would definitely be no sleep for her tonight.

OoOoO

He was on that familiar road again, walking blindly. The cushion of snow under his heels gave him the feeling of impending agony. The explosives had robbed the last of his senses but he couldn't care any less, for he dared not to trust his senses. It was dark but he was surely seeing figures inside his mind. Suddenly, the cold cushion was gone from beneath his feet. He opened blinded eyes. He could feel it. Someone was watching him… following him… The scent of plum blossoms wafted through his nose.

No!

It was the cursed memory that day. Déjà vu. Cold hands covered his eyes, censoring him. What was it that he shouldn't see? He heard his own words tumbling from his mouth "I will… protect you."

Tomoe… Tomoe... Tomoe…

He broke free from those hands, staying still as the images reeled in. A cross dividing the rays from the setting sun into four planes. A shawl draped over it.

It couldn't be! He would alter everything that happened, even if it was just a dream. He'd take any chance to change what was done. He opened his eyes in tune with the drawing back of his sword.

I will protect you.

He altered it. He was able to save her this time… but now what? Before any coherent thought formed in his mind, he felt something stab him. His eyes closed, and then his mind stopped reeling. This was how it was supposed to be. He should be the one to receive this blow in the first place.

At least he'd saved her.

He fell to the cold snow- which felt somehow colder than before. He couldn't feel his limbs. It took him seconds to realize that there had been a second thud. He opened his eyes and his mind broke.

It was her face, mere inches away from his. Lifeless. Blood rushed from her chin. Her eyes were staring blankly at him boring into him… blaming him- swallowing him to depths he did not even know existed, till then. Her skin was cold and as frozen as snow. Trembling, her cold hands reached out to touch his scar. When he felt something cold touching his skin he realized that she was holding her wakizashi against his scarred cheek.

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't look away. His neck was frozen. He wanted to avert his face from the threat of the steel, but he could not, and would not deny this to her. Yes, he had accepted worse cuts than these, and lived. Now with her inflicting this scar, he accepted the truth that even he could not stop what had really happened. He closed his eyes, waiting for the slicing pain to come.

Then he felt warmth seeping into him again. The hint of jasmine. His salvation.

"A-angel?,…" he stuttered.

He dared not open his eyes and used his mind to try and locate the tiny speck of light that was her. Then- in an instant- she was there again. Warmth enveloped him, but he couldn't stop shivering. It's not enough, he had to feel her inside him, absorb everything she offered. When she reached him, he was swallowed by the light. He felt like he was floating, lifted up by her. How long had he wanted to be this close to her? Her strong arms. that he knew were his haven, welcomed him with such warmth, more than he ever knew possible.

Such strong arms, yet so comforting. He snuggled into her tenderness and nuzzled her neck. The cold feeling started to ebb away as he let himself sob his heart out to her... Only her. Not caring if it would hurt her or not, he held tightly to her as if she was his life line. Indeed, she was.

He remembered the sting of ice cold steel on his cheek. Whimpering, he pleaded with her, not wanting to go back to that nightmare again. Still clinging to her, he remembered the first time she'd come to him. Then the past nights he'd called for her. She was so near, yet so far. He needed this closeness, assuring himself, not only of her soft voice but also her embrace- not just her touches, but her whole being.

"... promise me you won't leave me again." Worried that she might refuse, he pressed his lips to her creamy neck, wooing her.

He'd felt giddy when she promised. Nothing else would be sweeter to him. He snuggled deeper to her, sinking into her. As the cold started to slowly ease from his body and certain she would be there, he drifted to sleep.

In the morning's light, he knew that was the worst nightmare he'd had. It was almost real and the bite he felt in his heart was even more insufferable because he hadn't protected her and he was slapped again by his own words.

Nothing would ever change what had been done. Not even going back.

Kenshin got up and started dressing. It would be a good morning to fix them breakfast. It wouldn't hurt to pay her back a little for her generosity. As he fumbled with his clothes he felt sore. He remembered hitting his head last night, though he couldn't recall how.

Both his nightmare and his angel had been real- yes, she was his. She belonged to him, not only in his dreams. He could still taste her scent in the air.

She had been here. In his room.

He brought his hands to his lips, trying to find remnants of her there, bringing the reality of the feel of her because she IS real, not just a figment of his imagination.

This time he was sure. She would not, and could never deny it. He knew that she was "her." His angel... within his reach.

He just needed to confirm it. Wondering why she'd left out that detail when telling him about the nights when he was wracked with fever.

'Is she denying it, or she was too embarrassed to tell me about it?' he wondered. A dark haired, blue-eyed woman, smelling like jasmine blooms. A smell that was uniquely hers. Judging from the scent which still lingered in his room, he could tell that she'd stayed longer last night. She wouldn't have gotten enough sleep last night, and that made him feel angry at himself.

OoOoO

"I can't go out like this!" Kaoru stomped her feet for the hundredth time that morning. "Not with him scrutinizing me! That mocking attitude of his!" She couldn't get away from her mirror, hoping that somehow, a different angle would lessen the dark bags under her eyes.

Nothing was going to make the morning any worse than when she heard a knock at her shoji. She hesitated. Should she open the door to face him, then slam it back HARD in his face or jump past him and dash to the gates of the dojo thus avoiding him. Both would seem pretty suspicious and at the same time obvious, so with angry steps, she settled for the 'act as if nothing had happened' ploy. Maybe it would save her, if he didn't remember last night. Acting pissed off could always do the job.

She opened the door for him, mustering every bit of politeness. If it weren't for his mocking smile, it wouldn't be so painfully hard to keep her composure.

She was surprised that he seemed to be acting normal, she'd half expected him to remember and confront her about it, but it looked like he didn't. That meant he really didn't know how he acted at night and how she did. Now, she only had to deal with his daily routine of pestering her.

"What are you doing up so early? Planning ways to ruin my already devastated day for me?" she asked sarcastically

He chuckled, "How 'bout you? Something kept you up last night?" He emphasized the question with his finger, pointing at the obvious dark circles under her eyes. He leaned in closer to have a good look, gaining a warning growl from her. A few hours of lost sleep had not reduced her fiery temper any less. She seemed touchy about the "sleep talk" which proved his assumption true. His angel sure was a wild one to tame.

The images from last night flashed her mind again and she tried hard not to blush. "I had a good night's sleep, thank you. And what are you doing in my room anyway?" She looked at him. "If you don't have anything to say just – "

Before she could shut the door in his face, he caught it with his own hand. 'I should be the one asking you that question, silly girl'

"Hey! Let go! I'm trying to dress in here!" She sounded irritated now, though he was sure she was lying because she had already donned her proper kimono and just wanted to be rid of his presence.

"You should have called me. I would've be more than willing to keep you company last night," he said with a sly voice.

"You –" Her fists tightened and prepared to launch a punch on that pretty face of his when he grabbed it before it collide with his jaw.

"Oh, I'm sorry… I gave you the wrong idea... what were you thinking anyway?" His grin grew wider, then he nodded appreciatively. "Oh," he said, sounding enlightened. "I wasn't actually referring to that... but now that brought it up, I wouldn't have declined." He tilted her face towards his with his fingers.

He admired dark shade of red that flowed to her cheeks, darker even than his hair. She swatted his hand away and walked past him, not entirely believing the he would let her get away, but needing to try. Her day couldn't get any more annoying. The pissed off girl's instincts proved true when she bumped into a wall.

She knew every inch of her house and was disoriented until she realized the wall she had ran into was actually the man's chest.

"H-How did you?" she stammered. Looking back at him, then at the door of her room, then back to him again.

"You should know how to be polite when someone's talking to you."

She had no time to respond before she felt her head tilted upwards to meet his intense gaze. Her eyes grew wide when she was pulled to him swiftly, in a fluid motion. Realization kicked in.

He kissed her.

The movement of his lips erased any thoughts from her mind. Her brain just stopped functioning as she reveled in the feeling of being kissed. She didn't know how to react... her lips.

He slowly let her go when he realized what he'd done. He cursed himself mentally. How could he lose control like that? He'd just taken advantage of a young maiden, who not only saved his life, but offered him a place to stay, despite his attitude toward her. It was plainly a chaste kiss on the lips, but he'd felt sparks fly upon touching her lips with his own. Her scent engulfed him again. There was no one who could evoke those feelings in him but his angel.

Ashamed, he turned his back to her and started toward the kitchen but stopped when he heard her voice.

"I… I'll be late this afternoon. Don't come after me. Stay here and look after the dojo." Her voice was voice was laced with determination. Without looking back, she headed out.

His eyes followed her, reaching out with the thought that she might turn back to him.

He rubbed his temples. 'Look what you've done, idiot- you just scared the hell out of her...' He frowned. 'Nice move, you just made yourself look like a pervert on the loose.'

OoOoO

Kaoru really had no idea where to go at the moment. Right now, she just wanted to stay away from him so she would be able to think clearly.

'That was my first kiss!' she fumed. She'd expected her first kiss to be with someone she could fall head-over-heels for, and to be done with romance. But instead it was stolen by a stranger! A totally strange stranger! Now she was sure she'd die an old virgin.

'I won't be good enough for anyone anymore!' She felt like crying but remained outwardly composed. When she reached the river she sat on a rotting log, not minding the risk of staining her kimono. She only had a vague recollection of the taste of his lips because of the fleeting sensation. Why did he kiss her? She was inexperienced with these kind of things, but from the list of things she'd imagined happening today, that certainly wasn't among them.

She needed to bounce back from this turn of events, so this might be a perfect time to pay her good friend, Tae, a visit at the Akabeko. Maybe she would understand her situation and get some good advice from a woman she could trust. She stood up with new found courage, straightening out her clothing and heading to town.

OoOoO

The idea of breakfast was immediately shoved aside as the red-haired man contemplated what he'd just done. Gone was the perfect breakfast for both of them. Even their meager friendship had thinned by his reckless actions. Like her, he needed some space to think, but even without her there, he couldn't concentrate knowing he was within the grounds of her dojo. It only made him feel worse about himself for taking things which she had obviously not offered.

'Where could that woman be now?'

He was sure she hadn't been planning to go out that day and there was no one to stop him if he decided to follow her, even though she'd told him to stay. There's no way he's just going to sit around here waiting for her, not after what had happened between them this morning. With adrenaline coursing through him, he decided to make chase.

No one escapes the legendary manslayer. No one.

OoOoO

The familiar noise inside the homely restaurant made her feel at ease. She searched through the crowd of people, in search of the signature kerchief that adorned Seikihara Tae's head. She spotted her, attending to a group of costumers already making their order. Kaoru waved and caught her attention immediately. Her eyes glimmered with excitement as she waved back, indicating Kaoru should wait for her. The younger woman stood by the side of the hall, waiting for her friend to finish.

"Minako-san!" Tae shouted from across the room to one of the waiters. A young waitress made her way fast through the crowds to attend to Tae's costumers. She turned to make excuses as she finally walked towards Kaoru's direction.

"Hisashiburi Kaoru-chan! You haven't visited us for a while!"

Kaoru's stress was forgotten as she took in the older woman's greeting. "Yes," she paused, scanning the busy surroundings. "It seems that you have plenty of costumers this season."

"Uhn," She agreed. "Winter is always the busiest season in the restaurant. Most of the costumers are tourists and would like to try the specialties of Tokyo…" Her eyes found Kaoru's. "You look like you haven't gotten any sleep at all…"

"Ah, this? It's just n-nothing really... "she lied.

Tae sighed. "You must really take care of your health... Speaking of which, is Dr. Gensai in town? I know he always spends winter at your dojo."

Reminded of the unfortunate occurrence, she shook her head. "I guess, I'll just be alone this year…"

Tae's troubled look urged her to continue "Dr. Gensai sent me a letter last week saying that he would attend to those in Kyoto… but he already sent me a parcel of medicines to keep me supplied in case of an epidemic this winter. It just arrived days ago onboard a trading ship."

"A trading ship? Then you must've heard the news about a trading ship that exploded!" At this, Kaoru felt her forgotten panic rising in her chest again. "Good thing your parcel wasn't on that ship."

"Yes, I've heard about it. It was the night before the ship carrying my parcel arrived." She prevented her voice from shaking. "Rumors spread that some pirates did it."

"Now that you've mentioned it..." She made a gesture, counting her fingers. "Five days ago, the townspeople found dead bodies by the shore and some by the wharf."

At this, Kaoru cringed.

"They say the corpses were mutilated and already rotting by the time the people noticed them, because they'd started to smell." When she saw Kaoru's expression, she recoiled from the gory topic. "But another thing was confusing though…"

"What?"

"They say that it's the pirates' doing… but the bodies that they found, most of them are identified as pirates.."

OoOoO

The look everyone had been giving him since he came out of the streets unnerved him. His clothes were properly mended- thanks to her- so that wasn't it. The two things he suspected must be amiss were the color of his hair and the sword he carried. As much as he hated it, he needed to give it a try and approach one of them to ask if they'd noticed the raven haired girl.

No one seemed the approachable type, most giving him suspicious looks. He looked around a corner and found an old man.

"Excuse me, but, I was looking for a young woman ... I'm from the dojo not far from here and I was wondering if she'd passed this way."

In the past, he was the epitome of stealth when it came to hunting down his assignments, but this crowded town seemed to be making it hard for him to track her down. Most of his tasks were done at night and he wasn't used of coming out like this in the morning.

The old man seemed not to hear his question. Sighing, he decided to drop the inquiry and abruptly started back to his feet when a voice called out to him.

"Are you talking about Kamiya-san?" A young man with ratty clothes walked toward him.

'And to think that I've looked worse in my old gi,' he thought.

"Pardon my father, he lost his hearing years ago. You have said that you're from the dojo right?"

Kenshin acknowledging him, nodding, "Yes, have you seen her?"

"Yep, she went down the direction of the river a few minutes ago." He pointed west. "She seemed to be in a hurry… are you her–?"

"Thanks," he cut the boy off as he hurried to the river, ignoring the hanging question, which he knew he couldn't answer.

OoOoO

"The authorities are still searching for any survivors," she said as she handed Kaoru another cup of tea. They'd already moved to a less crowded corner in the restaurant to continue their talk. "But I don't think they've found anyone yet."

Kaoru sipped her hot tea, letting the liquid calm her raging stomach since she hadn't yet eaten since the morning. She was nervous where this conversation might lead, but knew it would be rude to just stop her, when they'd gotten the chance to talk again.

She didn't want to talk about what had happened to her these past few days, in connection to their current topic, but she did want to tell her about the stolen first kiss, and ask for some advice on how she should deal with the arrogant man she'd been harboring under her roof.

"Yet?" she inquired instead.

"Days ago, some people who came to pass by the wharf that early morning, said that they'd seen a woman in a yukata, carrying a drenched man. They didn't recognize her face. But you see, I don't even believe it. Come to think of it, how could someone dress so improperly, in such a public place?"

Kaoru almost choked on her drink. 'That was actually what I wanted to tell you!' she wanted to say. She was the girl who saved a man by the shore and had been caring for him since she'd brought him home. Could she trust Tae enough to tell her this? There was no one else she could turn to, especially now that she might be holding someone wanted by the authorities under her roof.

That was enough pressure for her today. Setting down the beverage, she stood up.

"Thanks for the tea, Tae-san…" She made a polite bow. "... I guess, I should be heading home for now." Dipping her head low for the second time, she exited the place with quick strides, leaving a confused Tae and a half-finished cup of tea.

"This must be it," he muttered to himself. "There's no other river out here but this one." He looked around, searching for Kaoru's familiar figure. 'Kuso!' He cursed under his breath. 'She might have left already.' But he was sure she hadn't gotten far. A possibility crossed his mind.

Maybe she'd decided to go back.

On his way back, he passed by a group of people huddled in a corner and wished he hadn't, when he overheard something in their conversation.

"-Yes, the Kamiya girl," one of them whispered. He listened carefully to the hushed voices.

"She hasn't given classes since that day, has she?"

"Of course she wouldn't! She doesn't want to let anyone to see the criminal!"

"To think I once believed her dojo's foolish philosophy..."

"What do you expect from someone who teaches the art of killing? She's more a criminal herself!"

"At least she decided to come to terms with what's left of her humanity..."

"What do you mean?"

The answer came in a softer voice, so that he needed to concentrate just to hear it.

"I saw several police men earlier and I heard they're heading towards the dojo... Who knows, maybe she just wanted the dough and that's why she kept him, just to turn him over the authorities in due time."

He'd heard enough. Gathering what was left of his scattered emotions, he fled.

OoOoO

As she neared the gates of her dojo, Kaoru wondered why the people she passed seemed to be avoiding her. Frowning, she felt something was wrong. She walked faster, then came to a halt when she noticed dark uniformed figures standing just outside her gate. When she realized just who they were, she made a detour and used the gate at the back of the dojo. Good thing the gate was unbolted, so she crept in noiselessly through the house. She searched for him, wanting nothing but to tell him that he had to get away as soon as possible. She felt bad for feeling like she'd helped a criminal. In the end, she was the one who stained her family's name.

"Sorry father..." She felt like tearing up but decided it wasn't the time for it. She'd gone too far to ever back out. Just as she'd made several rounds of the whole compound, her worry faltered. She couldn't even feel his ki in the vicinity.

Thank Kami, she sighed to herself. He was out, even when she'd told him to stay here. His stubbornness could be handy at times.

Now that she had nothing to hide, she felt ready to face those who were waiting outside. Kaoru remembered her conversation with Tae. Of course, by now they'd probably found out about him staying here. Wherever he is now, I hope that he's safe.

She ran to open the gate when she heard their insistent knocking which she'd failed to notice earlier because of her nervousness. Even with their polite greeting, she could almost taste the venom in their voices. Their patience had almost run out.

"Good morning, good sirs. Is... there something that I could do for you?"

"We have a search warrant for the dojo. It's been reported that someone wanted by the authorities is currently residing here under your humble refuge." He held out a document.

"We believe you've heard of the pirates attack several days ago? The person said to be under your protection might be the only witness of that occurrence."

Kaoru's temper flared. "I'm not keeping a criminal! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" She paused, finding a weak spot to aim for. "Don't tell me this is how you do your job nowadays! I can't believe the police would stoop so low, basing judgment on random gossip!"

"Hold your tongue woman! You dare insult the name of justice once again and we'll take you into custody without second thought!"

A calmer man came forward and gestured for them to leave the talking to him.

"I'm sorry if we've offended you, ma'am, but would you mind telling us what you know?"

Kaoru, a little calmer with this one's approach, timidly answered.

"I found him- a person- at the dock one morning and nursed him back to health. I don't know anything about him yet." 'He refused to tell me anything,' she wanted to say but remained silent about it.

"That's exactly why we're here." He removed his cap.

"I'm telling you, if he truly was one of the pirates, I'd have turned him over to you first hand!" she reasoned out.

Betrayed byher mind, she asked herself, 'Could you, Kaoru? Would you?'

"Who said that we're accusing him of being a pirate?" A sour-looking policeman said, with cold, measured words.

"For all you know little girl, I'm afraid that you didn't know that the one you might be harboring under your roof is the Hitokiri Battousai."

TBC

*Hisashiburi- long time no see

I happen to re-read the first 2 chapters of this fic and I almost had seppuku for realizing those lame mistakes on my grammar… My goodness..I could understand now why my beta had been having a hard time polishing those RRROOUGHH drafts. (sighs) Sooo… I did a double take and re-posted the edited version. Try checking it out.

PURE FANSERVICE FOR THIS CHAPPY!

Please REVIEW…Im going to be 18 (at last!) this 29th...It's my birthday so treat me to one ^^