A/N: I'm sorry about the long wait! I hope you can forgive me, anyways here's the newest chapter and I hope you enjoy it! Reviews would be nice! Sorry that this chapter is so short!

I DO NOT OWN RUROUNI KENSHIN!

PLEASE REVIEW!

A Wild Rose

Summary: Kaoru, a young heiress to a huge fortune runs away from home after a proposal of marriage. On her journey to get away from her family, she meets up with some very different people and finds love in one of them. But what happens when her family finds her? KaoruxKenshin

Chapter 3

"Hey fox! What's for dinner?"

She braced herself for the next encounter. She stood up and brushed off her kimono. At least for this one she was ready. She walked out of her room and into the kitchen where a tall man with spiky brown hair stood. He was chewing on a fish bone and was leaning against the stove which wasn't turned on.

"Hello… Who are you?"

"Kaoru, Kaoru Kamiya." Kaoru stuck out her arm knowing that this was one way to greet someone new in America.

"Nice to meet you Kaoru, I'm Sano." Sano answered and reached and shook her hand lightly. "Very formal, huh?"

"I guess." Kaoru said and blushed slightly. She looked around for a way to get out of this situation. Sano titled his head and looked at her questioning.

"When did you get here?"

"I don't really remember." Kaoru replied sheepishly and Sano laughed.

"Alright, well I'm going to see what Megumi's cooking for dinner. See you there I guess… Oh and Kenshin's outside if you need something." Sano waved and left the room.

"Kenshin." She repeated and watched him walk away.

"Yes Miss Kaoru?" Kaoru jumped and turned around. Kenshin was carrying a laundry basket with wet clothes in it. "Need something?"

"No… No, I was just saying hello to Sano."

"Alright, well I'll be out back again if you need anything."

"Okay." Kaoru sighed and leaned against the wall. She was safe from all of these encounters for now. She looked around for Yahiko; maybe she could make mends with him… Probably not, but maybe it was worth a try? She shrugged and kept looking. Megumi stood in the dining room with her hands on her hips.

"Hey Miss Megumi."

"Oh hey Kaoru…" Megumi said absently and placed a finger on her lips. She sighed and brushed some of her hair out of her face. "I know I'm missing something, but I just can't find out what it is. Yahiko! Can you come out here?" Megumi called and Yahiko appeared in the doorway with a girl the same age as him.

"What is it?" Yahiko questioned, not even trying to hid the fact that he was irritated by Megumi. She dropped her hands to the side and spun around to see the girl and Yahiko.

"Hey Lena, I wasn't expecting you for dinner, but you're welcome to stay." Lena bowed politely and shook her head.

"I couldn't, Tae expects me back in a couple of minutes, but thank you anyways." She glanced over and Kaoru and waved slightly to her. "I'm Lena, Yahiko's friend." The way she said 'friend' sounded like they were more then friends, but Kaoru wasn't going to point that out. She knew that Tsubame would have been broken hearted if she was here now. Tsubame loved Yahiko.

"I'm Kaoru." She said and took her hand when she stuck it out and shook it. Kaoru released and looked to Megumi who had her hands back up to her hips and was pacing around the room.

"Do you know if something's missing Yahiko? Because I can't seem to figure out what it is." Megumi tapped her lip lightly again – it seemed to be an addiction. Yahiko shrugged.

"I don't know."

"I knew you wouldn't be any help… Kaoru?" She perked up at the sound of her name.

"Yes?" Kaoru questioned and stood up straighter, Yahiko choked in the background.

"Does anything seem missing?" Kaoru looked at the dining room table. It was perfect and so shiny, all the pots and plates were set out perfectly and it looked beautiful. She had never seen anything so pretty before. She saw that all the pots were empty and frowned.

"Where's all the food?" Kaoru questioned and Megumi threw her hands up. She exhaled loudly and walked out to the backyard.

"You idiot! You ate all my food. I JUST COOKED THAT!" Kaoru, Lena, and Yahiko followed her and heard a bang. Megumi had hit Sano on the head with a wet shirt that Kenshin had been washing.

"Oro?" Kenshin spoke up when Sano had nothing to say. "I don't think he meant it Miss Megumi."

"Oh – he meant it Kenshin, he ate all my food! It was meant for all of us, not just him." She whacked him once more before turning back to the dojo. She sighed and looked at Lena.

" Lena, do you think it would be alright to go to the restaurant to eat?"

"Of course Miss Megumi!" Lena smiled and walked inside the dojo. Everybody followed after her and soon all of them were at the small restaurant that Lena and her boss Tae worked at. Megumi sat next to the aisle where the waitresses walked by, while Kenshin sat next to her, Yahiko next to him, Sano next to him, and Kaoru next to him.

"I can't believe he ate all the food." Yahiko mumbled and Sano shot death glares at him.

"I didn't mean too, but I was hungry."

"You could have saved me something at least." Yahiko muttered and Sano shook his head. He laughed and chewed on a fish bone.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I was hungry!" Sano stared at him.

"Does that mean you're not hungry anymore?" Sano and Yahiko continued to fight as Kenshin got up and sat down next to Kaoru. He smiled at her and she blushed.

"How are you enjoying your stay?"

"It's very different from what I expected." Kaoru said quietly and brushed her kimono off. She looked at Megumi who was chatting with a tall brown-haired girl. Kenshin saw her starring at her and smiled.

"That's Miss Tae."

" Miss Tae." She repeated and smiled, "I'm glad that you found me in the forest Kenshin."

"I am glad that I found you in the forest too Miss Kaoru," Kenshin paused. "You could have died and nobody wants that."

"Oh and you're so sure." Yahiko shouted from across the table and Kaoru glared at him.

"I don't think we were talking to you."

"Doesn't matter, ugly."

"Brat!" She yelled and glanced over at Kenshin whose eyes had gone into swirls. "Kenshin? Is something wrong?"

Kenshin's eyes returned to normal, he stood up and went back to sitting next to Megumi. "Nothing's wrong Miss Kaoru." He smiled at her before talking to Megumi. She hated how she felt when she was around him, she felt nervous and childish. She shook her head, she didn't believe in love – she had never really believed in love after what her father had done to her mother. Her mother was gone, she shouldn't be thinking about this.

She looked around and caught a glance at somebody very familiar running by.

End of Chapter 3