a/n: it's late. I know. And I apologize, but things have been a little hectic now that I'm going back to school and travel tryouts have been going on this week so...

Disclaimer: Aoshi is not handcuffed to my bed. I swear it.

Exchange
Chapter 9: Answers, Part II

Akira smirked. He was here. And from the sound of things, he was angry. Good. Fights were more interesting when the opponent was angered. Especially if your opponent was Battousai.

He had no problem believing that the Battousai would make it to the cabin. Akira knew that he was sure to go through them easily, despite how much those lousy humans claimed they would eliminate him.

They were naïve.

Not only was Battousai stronger and smarter than them, he was also a half-breed. They were all going to die. Hopefully, however, with the amount of men he'd assembled, they would at least weaken him or tire him.

Tomoe had made it painfully obvious that she was no longer loyal to them or their race. Instead, she'd chosen this… this monster. Her fists were pounding on the locked door and he sighed. She was so loud. He would never forgive Battousai for taking her away from him. His eyes narrowed in anger. He walked to the door and gave it a loud knock.

"If you don't stop this instant, I will kill him before your eyes."

The pounding stopped and was replaced with the sound of loud sobs. "Akira!"

"Tomoe, you made your choice. I can no longer help you," he told her, moving away from the door.

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Kenshin slashed through his enemies wondering if this was for real or not. He had been expecting a demon or something… Not these pathetic weaklings. He growled in agitation. There were so many of them… What they didn't have in force, they definitely made up in numbers.

By the time he made it to the cabin he felt as if his arm was going to fall off.

"Battousai," Akira greeted, hopping down from the tree he'd been perched on.

"Where is she?" he demanded, skipping the introductions.

"She is safe," he assured him. "She will always be safe as long as I'm around."

"Either release her, or prepare to die."

"Well, since I have no intention of letting her go… I guess you'll have to fight me." He smirked again.

"Your funeral," Kenshin said gravely, moving into an offensive stance with his sword held ready.

Akira laughed and unsheathed his own sword. "Die, Battousai!"

Their swords met with a force that had Akira's blade vibrating.

So it began.

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Tomoe gasped when she heard their swords clash. She turned her attention back to the lock she was attempting to pick with her hairpin. It was any different than the locks she had picked before… After a few seconds that felt like minutes, the locked clicked but she doubted that either man heard it in the heat of their battle.

She rushed out of the house as Kenshin sheathed his sword and slid into a Battoujutsu stance. His cheek was bleeding and she felt a pang of regret. Her decisions had led her to this…

Akira lifted his sword and let out a fierce battle cry and Tomoe let out a whimper. She ran as fast as her trembling legs would carry her to stop him, but it was too late. Kenshin was too far gone into his attack to stop now and both swords hit her.

The next few moments felt as if they were played back in slow motion.

Kenshin gasped and tried to pull back the moment he noticed her, but it was in vain. Akira looked just as horrified as him when his own sword slashed through one of her delicate shoulders. However, his horror was short lived as Kenshin's swing stayed true and pierced him much the way it had Tomoe.

Kenshin's sword clattered to the ground as he caught Tomoe's body. "Tomoe… Tomoe!" he whispered.

"Kenshin…" she mumbled a smile spreading over her face. "Don't cry, love… This is how it should be…"

"Tomoe, no… No!"

Her hand raised and he belatedly noticed the knife and with her last movement completed the cross that Akira had started on his cheek. Tears ran down his face unchecked as he clutched her lifeless body to him…

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Kaoru stared into Hiko's hard eyes, her own just as hard.

"I see," she said after a long moment of silence.

"That's not quite the end. After that he went crazy," Hiko said softly. "He turned into the monster that he hadn't been in the beginning thanks to her. He threw himself into his work."

"I understand."

"Do you? Can you save him the way she did before she ruined him?"

"Hiko, I don't love him."

Hiko sighed. "I know that."

"I can save him without ruining him," she promised.

He nodded accepting her words. She thanked him and bid him farewell before leaving his office to deal with her thoughts. Kenshin was waiting for her, but he said nothing, noticing the troubled expression on her face.

Kenshin had loved Tomoe. It was more than she thought possible. Tomoe had loved Kenshin. That was more than she had thought possible. She had always imagined Kenshin as a mindless killer who took pleasure in kidnapping young demon women and torturing them. He hadn't thought he actually cared.

She had judged him.

It was something she had vowed she would never do. As leader, she was in no position to judge anyone before knowing what they were truly like, but she had heard the rumors and… She almost growled in her disgust with herself. Since when did she base opinions entirely on rumor? Never.

She shook her head and decided that from now on, she would judge him on the man he was today. Not the rumors that had plagued her dreams with nightmares of her friend's horrific and unconfirmed death for months. She looked over at Kenshin who was concentrating on the road and held back a sigh. Since she'd known him he'd been… it was difficult to explain.

He had mood swings that made her want to shut him up in that ridiculous cage of hers. But then he had that soft, sweet side to him. What had the other night been all about? She had been expecting him to make such a ruckus as he came in that day, but he'd done anything but. He'd stroked her cheek with the utmost care and she wondered if it was real. She hadn't believed someone so cruel could show such tenderness.

She shook her head again. Such thoughts would lead her somewhere she didn't want to go. She turned to more pressing issues. How was she going to save him without ruining him? Sure, she could guarantee that she wouldn't die, but she couldn't guarantee that he would come out of it with his heart.

a/n: -sigh- I know. It's shorter than what I would've liked (and I'm sure what you would have liked) but Tomoe's story just... It didn't drag out shall we say. Review, please!