Sano…

Hearing his name escape from her lips stopped his heart. This, all of this was his fault. He caused them to find Kaoru, Megumi left for dead, and the kid almost starved to death. Why was it everyone he cared for he ended up hurting?

Falling to his knees he kissed her hand softly. Touching her like a glass doll that needed to be handles with care. Care he didn't think he was capable of giving.

"I'm sorry Megumi."

"Don't Sano…I could have ran with you, but I didn't. I knew this could happen when I turned you down, but I just didn't want to see you die."

A tear fell from his eyes, "I thought I'd die before I heard you say that Fox"

"If you tell anyone I said that I will deny it."

"Why, all I want is to be with you. Why is that something to hide?"

"Because when people know they know your weakness. They will do anything to take that love from you."

"They tried that Fox and I'm still here. I'm not leaving you just because you're afraid to love me." Turning he turned to leave.

"Wait, don't leave me here alone."

"Doc said you needed rest, us yelling isn't you resting."

"Please, I don't want to be alone." Her begging was the last straw. Megumi never begged that just wasn't her. Sano slowly began to understand how afraid she had to be. Evan though he knew he should leave and inform his friend about Missy's traveling partner, he couldn't turned away from her.

"When you fall asleep, I'm out of here."

Megumi didn't make a sound only reached out her hand and grabbed his. Smiling allowed his presence to calm her for a moment. A moment she prayed could happen again and again until the end of their days.

Hiko frowned releasing he was out of sake. With his drink now gone he found that there was a bird in his house. Knowing it was from his idiot student and that meant he was in over his head. Replaced his frown with a smile, he had been bored for some time. Where ever his student went entertainment was sure to fallow.

Kaoru walked out of the house that she was now lady of. Everyone was asking if she was okay, needed anything, just doing too much. She wasn't use to being taken care of.

When she lived with her father he thought her how to do things and she did them. It wasn't that her father didn't want to spoil her; they just had other things to take care of. Sometimes she got lonely having no other female to talk to but that was okay. Life wasn't always roses.

Now however she was overwhelm with people thinking she couldn't do for herself. It was the same when her father students saw him training her to succeed him. They too thought she couldn't handle herself. But the ass kicking she gave them left no room for arguments.

Soon all thoughts of the past stopped when she saw a lake brilliant in the moon light. Since her father's death she hadn't seen the beauty that life still had to offer. Always covered in death and hate the sight gave her peace and hope. Hope that this life she was given wouldn't be fill with blood shed. That was her father's hope that he passed on to his daughter.

"I thought I'd find you here."

"Ba…Kenshin I didn't hear you."

"I know, and I'm glad you made it back here."

"What"

"I don't know your whole story. Only that your father was killed by the same people your mother ran away from. We are still searching for why but the people who are looking for you still don't know I am helping you. So you don't have to worry."

"Why are you really helping me? You can only use that I saved your life for so long."

Moving closer to Kaoru he pulled her into his lap and gazed at the moon. "When I became a man slayer I left a lot of things behind. When I met Tomoe I found one thing that I thought I'd lost forever. She showed me I could love and still be loved. So engross was I in the idea that I could love I didn't see that she wasn't happy. I never really married her, but she was seen as my woman. Before you found me I'd just return with news that I was no long being used to kill. I was early and thought to surprise her." His grip on her tightens and she felt hot tears as he rested his head on top of hers.

"She was with another man and I saw red. She noticed me before he did and protected him from my sword. I don't know if it killed her or not. Only that her blood was on me when she said she was sorry. I was in shock when the others found and beat me. I was ready to die because love was out of my grasps. If she couldn't love me then no one could. But you saved me Kaoru. You came and I thought that maybe I would have love of my own. I can't make you love me, so we will make a deal."

Too chocked up to speak she nodded her head, "We get to know each other and let fate have its way. If by the time this is over and I haven't gained your love I will leave you be. If you show me that there is any trace of love for me in your heart I will pursue it."

Again she nodded and thought if she should tell her own story. Hope was what she was looking for, maybe not like this but who really got things the way they wanted.

"My mother was called the blue rose. She was deadly and beautiful. My father was a passing sword for higher. When he met my mother he was smitten. They would meet in secret until they deiced to runway together. My grandfather had many children and wouldn't miss one girl child. For a time they were happy and my mother became use to the idea of being truly free. Years later I was born and my mother found out that someone was killing off members of her family. She told my father to take me and run; if they didn't know about me then no one would come looking. He didn't like the idea so she forced his hand."

"I was ten when he told me my mother didn't die having me, but to protect me. He held her ashes by his bed and would speak to her each day. Many women would try but none could hold my father's attention. When I turned fourteen I met Sano and soon fell for him." Kenshin growled and that caused Kaoru to giggle.

"He was my best friend and I took his brotherly ways too far. I thought he did it because he was in love with me, but he simply loved me. Some gang moved into town and had a prized woman they showed off. Sano fell hard and before I knew it I'd lost him. My father asked Sano to help some of his student to learn hand to hand because of the gangs, but Sano disappeared. When I came back from the market my father was dead and Sano was gone. Later I found out that he tried to run away with that damn Fox. It broke my heart he chose her over our family."

Tears slide out of her eyes even though she fought to keep them away. "The only student that stayed was Yahiko my father had taken him in after saving his life. A week after my father died Sano was dropped off at the dojo drunk. The man told me to run and we've been running since."

More tears came but she didn't do anything to stop them. Surprisingly she felt a little better telling someone her sorrows. It had a calming affect she hadn't felt since before her father was killed. Thinking now she thought maybe she should give Kenshin a try.

While they sat there Kenshin thought over what she told him. He'd heard of the missing Eeriest how another family thought to whip them out to gain power. So long as an heir lived the rules of the family were in place. But if they should die out then a new ruling family would be in place and set new laws. He pitted whoever it was coming after them. They had no idea the trouble they were in once he found them.

Megumi watched as her love slept besides. She cried now that he couldn't see her tears. Wondering how strong was his love for her, if it ended with her beauty were it began.

If she told him she was supposed to kill him would he believe that she wouldn't to it. That she knew the raccoon's father was going to be killed the day he came to her. Still she said nothing and had no intention of telling him the truth. What he didn't know couldn't hurt them.

There is a lot of background info in the chp. Hope you liked it and please remember to R&R.

I want to thank

Mysterious person 101

Morningwolf

Icequeen89

KaOrU HiMuRa24

SRAS9

Hapiflower

The Golden Lily Secret

Hikari-hime 01

Please continue to R&R!