Like I promised last chapter, Enishi's here! -grabs Enishi out of nowhere and glomps him fiercely-

Enishi: -turning blue as he mouths words HELP ME-

Sano: -rolls eyes- Anyways, hope ya like the chapter. -turns to mentally unbalanced authoress and blue Enishi- OI! Let go you otaku deathtrap! He NEEDS air!

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Chapter 4: Running

She sprinted down the small street, jumping over small obstacles on the way while drawing strange looks from pedestrians. She couldn't help the small grin that sneaked onto her face. It had been a while since she ran.

To run, to just run, made her feel like she could escape anything sometimes.

The problem was, she always had to stop running at some point, then all that she had left behind would catch up with her.

She ran onto the small bridge, stopping to admire the calm river under it, breathing heavily as she caught her breath. She watched as the river went on its busy path to the ocean, never stopping and never resting. What would it be like to just be a river? To simply run all day?

She shouldered the sack on her shoulder as she watched the river, becoming fully absorbed in the small crescent waves that lapped against the posts of the bridge. She stepped up to the rail, craning her neck down to see better.

If she didn't find him, if he was gone, then would she start running again?

She stayed there, staring at the flowing river, drowning in a stream of memories.

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He could hear the sounds of glasses clinking and chopsticks hitting bowls underneath the loud laughter of all the men and the women that were entertaining them. The elaborately dressed women giggled giddily at every bad joke that was said, and he could see the men's eyes light up as they looked at the entertainers longingly.

The sound was deafening.

He urged down an oncoming headache by pushing his temples with his fingers, closing his eyes.

Gods, he wished he could just skip this stupid party.

He was about to excuse himself when one of the captains stood up, holding his glass of wine and looking around with a beet red face.

"Let's not forget why we are here today," he said, his voice heavy with alcohol. He looked around the large hall, calling the attention of the men. "We are here to celebrate the union of our two clans under Master Enishi!" The hall roared in agreement, waving their wine around wildly, making his headache finally burst through. He held in a loud groan.

"To show our support, and our loyalty," the captain continued. "We all chipped in, with our new raises, and got you a gift." There was a buzz of excitement as a few servants pulled in a huge rectangular object on a cart through the door.

"No offense, Master Enishi," the captain said jovially, "but we think you need a little pick-me-up. Something that'll cheer you up and keep you warm every night." There was a small wave of mischievous laughter in the hall, presumably from the people that knew what the gift was. He kept a straight face as he looked at the large cart that was being pushed over to him. He could see bars under the silk covering as it swayed slightly.

What the hell had these men gotten him? A tiger?

"Let me say, Master Enishi," the captain said as he swaggered over to the cage. "That I chose this one especially for you, and I'll be a little more than disappointed if you don't like it." He gripped the silk covering as he turned to look at the anticipating faces of all the other men around him. With one final grin at Enishi, he ripped the covering off with an elaborate flourish, letting the covering fall to the ground with a flutter.

A girl dressed in a deep gold silk Chinese dress was sitting in the cage, head tilted down so he couldn't see her face. Her ebony hair was tied up in two braided buns at the bottom of her head, which were decorated with gold and black ribbons. She made no notion of noticing that the cover was now off, and seemed determined not to look up and to ignore the whistles from various men. Enishi's eyebrow went up a fraction of an inch.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Master Enishi," the captain said, obviously nervous. "She has the spirit of a tiger, and never obeys orders directly. Of course, we all know you will be able to tame her." Enishi didn't answer at the man's poor attempt at flattery as he reached into the cage and shook her shoulder. He could feel anger flare in her aura, but just as soon as it had appeared, it was gone. The man muttered something harsh towards her, and she finally gave in. She looked up at him.

He found himself looking into angrily cold slate blue eyes. A flash of surprise flickered through them, but he made no motion of noticing. They stared each other down for what seemed to be eternity, as if their faces had been set in stone, showing no emotion.

The captain said something again, and, although he hadn't heard exactly what was said, Enishi could feel the nervousness coming from the man. He kept frigid eye contact with the girl, even as she was being pushed out of the room, until she blinked and turned away. He also blinked, and realized that everyone in the hall was looking at him.

It seemed the future of his organization depended on his liking this gift.

So he gave a slight nod.

Even though this had been the worst present they had given him yet, including the pair of fuchsia slippers and bathrobe they had gotten last year. That may have been somewhat of a joke from one of his more audacious captains, but that didn't stop him from putting them on his Battousai dummy, drenching it in oil, and catching it on fire.

Grins broke out on all the men's faces as they toasted for the future, and the celebration continued.

He shifted in his seat, hiding his weariness with boredom.

Now he couldn't leave early.

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She gripped the tree branch tightly as she shuffled along it with trepidation, looking down nervously at the ground beneath her. Her garment caught in a small branch, and she mentally cursed the wretched dress that hindered her as much as a pair of shackles would. She ripped the fabric loose and continued shuffling along the branch. She finally made it to the wall, and after a few hesitant glances at the street on the other side, she lightly jumped onto it. She stood up straight, balancing carefully as she walked down the wall to the stall that had been built against it.

All she had to do was slide down onto the roof then jump onto the ground, then she was out.

She hopped down to the packed ground and wasted no time in completing her escape into the dark city.

She was willing to once again become another faceless street soul just to get away from him.

The monster from her nightmares.

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Enishi walked into his room, throwing his coat onto the chair. He sighed, wishing that party would be his last, but knowing it wasn't. He was about to collapse onto his bed when he realized that the sheets had been disturbed.

Someone had been sitting in his bed.

He frowned, making a mental vow to punish whoever had been careless enough to leave his bed how it was.

That's when he remembered the girl that had been given to him earlier that evening.

He partially raised an eyebrow, wondering where they had left the girl. He put two and two together, and realized she had probably been dumped on his bed.

But then, where was she now?

He walked into the next room, immediately noticing the opened door that led to the garden. He walked out to the large yard, noting the blatantly obvious trail that led to a large tree at the corner. It was tall enough to go over the large wall that cut his house off from the rest of Shanghai. He looked up into the branches, noticing a piece of gold silk that was stuck in the bark. He sighed as he began to climb the tree.

The girl had run away.

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She yawned widely as she continued walking briskly through the currently deserted streets of Shanghai, save for a few dormant bodies that were slumped against the shabby houses and shops. It would be dawn soon, but she had to keep going, she had to get as far as she could if there was even a shimmer of hope of escaping.

She could escape from the past ten painful years.

She pushed down the feeling that she knew was bogging up.

She knew that no matter where she went, even if it was on the other side of the world, he would still be alive.

And he would still be the one that killed her happiness.

She grimaced as she pushed the thought out, then put on a worn out mask of apathy that she had been wearing for so long.

She just couldn't care anymore.

"Where do you think you're going?" she heard a voice behind her say. A chill ran down her spine as she froze, slowly turning her head to see a man standing behind her. His aquamarine eyes were barely noticeable in the half light, although his white hair stood out fluorescently. She caught a gasp that had almost escaped her lips and forced it back down her throat.

He continued looking at her with a slightly annoyed look visible on the frown of his lips. She clenched her teeth and broke into a run, closing her eyes as she hurtled forward.

Suddenly she smashed into a very solid object, making her fall back as the object grabbed her wrist and held her steady. She hesitantly opened her eyes. This time the gasp broke through her defenses as she looked up into a pair of cold eyes, half hidden by dark blue sunglasses.

But he had just been behind her... Hadn't he?

"Unfortunately for both of us, I can't let you go," he frowned. "What would those idiots that gave you to me think if I let you escape?" The mask of indifference was gone as she glared at him coldly.

"I don't care," she hissed. "Let me go."

"No." He gazed down at her intently, and she found her eyes glued to his. They glared at each other for minutes as the sun's red gaze washed the shacks around them in an eerie blood red. She blinked, breaking the trance as she felt her hand begin to throb painfully in his hard grip. She bit her lip nervously as she clenched both her hands into fists.

"Let! Me! Go!" she yelled at him as she began to thrash in his arms. He didn't loosen his iron grip, however, and soon she began to hit him with her free hand repeatedly. She kept pummeling his hard chest with her fist until her hand began to hurt and her arm began to tire. She looked up at him, horrified to find that he had hardly flinched after her onslaught.

She doubled her efforts as she screamed loudly, waking the several people that were sleeping around them, drawing curious looks. He decided to end her futile efforts before anyone of importance saw him.

He swiftly grabbed her hand as she brought it down once again, making her shake both her arms fiercely as she tried to free them from his immovable grip. He didn't move however, and she was soon tired out, looking up at him with eyes laced with defeat and dread.

He felt his stomach churn in slight remorse.

"We have to go now," he said, almost gently. Her look deepened as she bit her lip nervously, feebly shaking her head. He could tell she had been beaten. "Let's go." He began to pull her forward, but she dug her heels into the ground, a final attempt at resistance. He gave her an annoyed weary look that clearly showed how he was tired of her, but she returned it by digging her heels in even deeper.

This girl's stubbornness rivaled his own.

But still, he wouldn't be beaten so easily.

He suddenly moved forward and scooped her up easily, slinging her over his shoulder like a sack. It took her a second to react from the shock, but soon she was yelling and screaming for nonexistent help, pounding his back with balled fists.

His eyebrow gave an involuntary twitch of annoyance as he walked back to his mansion.

He'd have to cut that tree down.

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He let her slide off his shoulder onto his bed, watching as she fell down in a crumpled and defeated heap. She had stopped yelling sometime during his walk back, finally accepting her downfall, but she didn't say or do anything as she remained slumped down in the silk comforters.

There was something unnerving about seeing someone with so much spirit seem so... broken.

"I hate you..." she said in a nearly inaudible whisper. His brow furrowed as he frowned at her.

"Would you have rather had me send my men to get you?" he replied icily. "Trust me when I say they would've done more than just carry you back here." She didn't answer as she clenched her fists in the sheets, gripping them tightly as her knuckles whitened.

"Don't blame me," he frowned. "Blame the bastards that sold you into prostitution."

"I wasn't sold," she muttered. "I was tricked..." He didn't answer as he turned his back to her, hardly feeling surprised. It wasn't uncommon to hear of young girls who were tricked into getting into debt or had husbands that were in debt. They were forced to pay it off by entering brothels and tea houses, becoming slaves for the rest of their lives.

"In any case, don't run away again," he said as he began to walk to the door. "At least here you'll be safe."

"From what?" she said as she stared angrily at his back.

"From Shanghai," he replied simply, turning his head to look at her. She gave him a defiant look.

"I'd rather be out there," she spat angrily. He rolled his eyes.

"Look, if it'll make you feel any better, I have no intentions of sleeping with you," he said, an irritated tone in his voice. She held down the surprise she felt, but he saw it flash through her blue eyes. She didn't answer as she kept glaring at him.

"I don't sleep with whores," he said as he turned and walked out the door. She grit her teeth as anger bubbled inside her.

"Good, because I don't sleep with thugs," she shot venomously back at him. He shrugged, ignoring her incomprehension of the difference between an arms dealer and a common street thug.

"Oh, by the way, what's your name?" he asked as he stopped at the doorway. She arched her eyebrows in slight surprise.

"My name?" she asked skeptically.

"What? You don't have one?" She shot daggers at him as he grinned slightly.

"It's... it's Mei-mei," she responded, looking away. He looked at her for a second more, then nodded listlessly as he finally stepped out of the room, leaving her alone.

She sighed heavily as she heard the door close, feeling relief flood her at the thought of not having to face him every night.

Then again, he could be lying.

She made herself comfortable in a sitting position, watching the door as if daring it to open.

What she would do if he did come, she had no idea. But she could at least make the whole experience miserable.

She willed her eyes to remain open as her eyelids drooped dangerously, watching the door intently.

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"NO! Don't do it!!" a semi-faraway voice yelled, pulling her back to the present. She looked up, irritated at whoever had knocked her out of her thoughts. The young boy with light brown hair from Himura's dojo ran up to her, panting heavily.

"Don't... do it... it's not... worth it..." he said between gasps for air as he clutched the rail, supporting himself. Then he took in a deep breath.

"You can't give up everything just because you can't find him!" he said in one breath. She raised her eyebrow at him skeptically.

"What're you talking about?" she asked, looking at him while she rested the sack of rice on the rail. His eyes widened as scratched his face nervously.

"Um, well," he said, looking uncomfortable. "It's just, well, you looked... I mean, you seemed as if..."

"I wasn't going to jump," she said, laughing softly. "I have to finish this errand." She motioned to the sack she was carrying.

"An errand? Are you working?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," she smiled. "I'm out of money and, well..." She didn't have to finish, since her stomach emitted a large and hungry growl. "Yes, that."

"Oh, er, sorry," he said, giving her a sheepish grin as he put his hand behind his head. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that. I was acting too much like Yahiko..."

"It's all right," she smiled, arching her eyebrow at his last comment. "I should be going now. I've wasted too much time catching my breath. Nice to see you again." She gave him a slight bow as she began to walk away.

"Hey, wait, um, where're you heading?" he asked.

"To, er, Akabeko," she responded, straining her memory to remember the name of her employer. His face lit up as he walked up to her.

"That's where I'm headed!" he said happily. "I'll walk there with you, um, if you don't mind, that is." He blushed slightly as she smiled down at him.

"No, that's fine, I could use the company," she said as she began walking. "I haven't talked to anyone since I last saw you five days ago." He grinned as he evened his stride with her.

Soon he was telling her about his time in Germany and how he had sworn to defeat his nemesis, Yahiko. He was gonna kick his ass soon then he would...

She listened as he continued talking, feeling happy to just have someone around her that she could understand.

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Authoress' sugar burst:

(Note: The flashbacks aren't really her flashbacks, so the point of view is still omniscient.)

I hope no one gets mad at her being so mean to Enishi. Very stark difference to the Mei-mei (you finally know her name!!) that's looking for him. But you've gotta realize that she spends some time with Enishi, and obviously something happens between them to change their relationship. There wasn't much of that in this chapter, since this was more about how they met again, but there will be later (really!). Also, the whole thing about her being a prostitute will be explained. I know, it seems to have come out of the blue, but there is reason... I think... You'll just have to wait and see.

Reader Responses:

WhiteRabbit5:Well, Yutarou did come back some time between the end of the Jinchuu ark to when Yahiko gets the sakabatou. Watsuki-sensei didn't specify, so I just sped up his return. He comes in handy in the next chapter and later when the story progresses. It is such a pain to keep translating everything, I'm glad it paid off with genuineness! Thanks for your great review! (wide eyed you're really good at analyzing stuff, geez)

Liem: Hi! (yay! you're still reading!!) Yeah, my brain was mush after the whole dialogue between her and Kenshin. Any more scenes with her talking to a non-chinese speaking person and I swear I'd burst. Oh, and I'm sorry, but Sano's not in this fic! (doesn't that suck? Sano: yes.) At this time he's probably getting drunk somewhere in America (remember how he left at the end?). Anyways, thanks for reading!

Oh, and you both commented on the manga thing (lol). No, I guess manga probably wasn't around at that time. But in one of the filler episodes (I think it was the one where Yahiko steals Kenshin's sakabatou, but I'm not sure) you see a stack of samurai manga that Yahiko had been reading (at least, I'm pretty sure it was manga). Hey, if they can do it and broadcast it all over Japan and the US, then I can put it in my fic! Mwa ha ha!!

Thanks for your comments, they've really kept me going... even though I've gotta admit that I wish I had more readers (ooo, I'm so selfish).

SO, if you are a new reader, THEN LEAVE A REVIEW TOO!! I'd appreciate it much.

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REVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEWREVIEW....

Sano and Enishi: SHUT UP ALREADY!! THEY GET IT!!

Kie: phooey...

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Next Chapter: The white tiger is found! (ahh, symbolism...)