Ange: It's been over a month and I apologize for this. School has been really hectic right now and it still is but I'm making time for you all. I wanted to get this out on the 7th at the latest but there were complications. Moving on, remember when I said that there will be only one or two chapters left? Well, change of plans. This is the final chapter! Insert evil laughter here Kidding, kidding! Sorry I couldn't resist. But my plot took a little detour so it may be longer. I don't want to put a number on it because that might change again. About the forum thing, we're going to have to axe that. Sorry to all of the anon. readers and reviewers but if you want a response you're going to have to pm me, email, or sign up (which I want to stress is completely free and you don't even need to put any stories up if you don't want.) I think that's about all other than enjoy so…yeah.

Disclaimer: I'm having a brain fart moment so come back to me later on this.

The Torture

Chapter Seis- Confliction

Riddle me this:

I am what cowards run from and what heroes face. I am the catalyst before a fight and the regret of its aftermath. I am the blame of trouble and the praise of rebellion. I am the action to what has previously been stilted. I am what uncover the lies, the truths, and the fears. Without me there exists no progress. With me there exists no absolute peace.

What am I?

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I am confrontation.

Kaoru stalled in the kitchen taking more time than needed. She couldn't go out there and face him, at least not yet. Will there ever be a time that she'll be able to? She was preparing drinks for the two of them- simple green tea, nothing special. But she'll need it for the ordeal she'll soon have to face. Hell, she needed it already.

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The kettle shrilled confidently signaling its readiness. If only she could be that of herself as well. Kaoru prepared their drinks, pouring the steaming water over the teabags. She already knew how Kenshin liked his- strong like his coffee.

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Strong like him

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She let her own teabag seep in the water longer; she needed to in order to help soothe her already frayed nerves. Regretfully realizing that there was nothing left to delay her, Kaoru left the sanctuary of her kitchen to enter the newly sanctioned battlegrounds of her living room. Carrying the cups on a leveled tray she gingerly set them down on her low coffee table putting their tea on their own respective coasters. She kept her eyes focused on her task not wanting to look into Kenshin's fierce gaze just yet.

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Escaping back into the kitchen for some treats to go with the tea, she spotted a packaged box of English cookies in her pantry which she hurriedly fished out. She couldn't remember when she bought them or why she would've even wanted to but this all worked out to her favor in the end. Checking to see that they weren't expired, she then dumped the contents on a small plate grabbing a jar of honey on her way out as well. The honey would help make her tea concoction even more potent and with her current standing more is better. If she thought she would've gotten away with it she would've added alcohol to her tea as well but with Kenshin's presence she didn't dare.

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She already pushed him far enough already.

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Kaoru reentered the living room feeling Kenshin's stare bore into hers even from across the room. She set down the cookies and diligently mixed in the honey with her tea, stirring it more than required. It was only after she had taken a sip out of her drink that she allowed herself to look up into Kenshin's eyes.

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To get lost inside his gaze once more.

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His eyes were so heated and intense. Once again she wished for her stolen contacts that offered at least one method of defense against Kenshin. But he had snatched them right from her eyes and now she lay bare and vulnerable before him. The fault lay solely with her though, but it was all too easy to blame everything on him. Why did he have to show up into her life again? One heart break was more than enough for her.

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She wasn't sure she was strong enough to go through it again.

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"Kaoru," Kenshin said interrupting her wayward thoughts. She started, so lost in thought that she didn't realize he was talking to her for a moment and when she did she used anger to hide her growing embarrassment.

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"What?" she bit back, trying to keep her voice strong and steady.

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It didn't work.

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Kenshin just smiled at her mild outburst turning his attentions back to his cooling green tea. "It's been two years," he replied absently staring down into the contents of his cup, "that's more than enough time to give me the answers."

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"Answers to what?"

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He stared up at her, his eyes pinning her to the spot, "Answers to the questions that you already know."

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And with that said she knew there was no use hiding anymore, not with the truth staring her down in the face.

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But the more she thought about their situation the more angry she became and she quickly grabbed hold of it grateful for this familiar emotion rather than the uncertainties that she was previously plagued with. So Kaoru glared back at him her eyes hard like blue crystals and for the moment she remained unaffected by Kenshin's fiery eyes. How dare he stride in here and just as calmly demand answers from her! She had sacrificed too much to allow him to gain the upper hand. If he wanted answers he had to do it on her terms and on her own time.

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If she decided to tell him at all that is.

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Kaoru forcibly banked her anger not wanting to alert Kenshin to any ulterior motives. She slowly took a deep drag of her draught to help settle her racing mind. Sinking back into her western sofa she patiently waited to once again catch Kenshin's attention which had been distracted by the English treats lying out before him.

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But when his eyes met hers again it was a struggle to remain unaffected.

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Kenshin was silent obviously waiting for her to open the conversation. Great, just when she wanted him to talk he just had to go all silent on her. This may be harder than she had anticipated.

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"No."

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Kaoru blurted that simple statement out waiting until he made the connection before moving on. She was a little disappointed though that he didn't show any emotions on his face. This had to be as hard on him as it was on her, right? Ignoring her insecurities, Kaoru plowed on and explained her voice hard despite the turmoil she felt inside her.

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"What right do you have to demand this?" she argued adding fuel to her previously banked anger, letting it show on her flushed face. "I may have had two years to prepare for this but in truth I've only had ten minutes since you arrived unannounced to answer you. And so I refuse to be ordered around by the likes of you."

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Avoiding Kenshin's darkening eyes Kaoru continued on determined to be undeterred, "I left you for a reason on my own terms so I will give you the reason on my own terms and nobody else's… including you."

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Feeling exhausted Kaoru tried to read Kenshin's reaction but his eyes were like shutters blocking out everything to the viewer. In the past she could interpret any expression on his face but now it was unreadable to her and it felt like she was staring in the face of a stranger.

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What had happened to him in these last two years?

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Kaoru only felt apprehension when Kenshin's darkened eyes suddenly lit up, certain that it only spelled trouble for her. And her suspicions were justified when a softly echoed dry chuckle escaped from his mouth.

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"So this is your game." He mused thoroughly entertained. Kenshin couldn't hold back his smirk that came because of Kaoru's apparent irritation at his demeaning label.

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"For you maybe," she stated, "but this is as real as it can get for me."

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Glancing at her clock Kaoru's eyes widened at the time- was it that late already? She rose up from her sofa bending over to collect their discarded treats and empty teacups while awkwardly balancing the honey bottle as well. Entering into her kitchen she deposited her load in their rightful places. She left the cups and the plates in the sink failing to scrounge up enough energy to wash them but with what she went through today who would expect her to?

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Reaching over she turned off the lights letting the room be bathed in moonlight. Turning around Kaoru jumped in surprise at the sudden appearance of Kenshin's shadowed in the dark. Squaring her shoulders she lifted her chin determined not to be intimidated…again.

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"Look, your scare tactics won't work on me this time around so stop trying. It's late and I'm tired so all this…mess will have to wait."

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"I will not leave you." Kenshin heatedly replied the thought of it unthinkable to him.

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"Fine," she said giving in, "but I don't want to see your face again until morning."

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Kaoru attempted to stride pass him the thought of her bed calling out to her. But she almost out of the kitchen to only have Kenshin once again trap her using his body as a barrier. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

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Didn't she just learn from this already?

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Determined not to be subdued in this situation Kaoru glared up at her captor ready to argue her way out of this position. But once her eyes met his, her mind was blank- her voice silent. The moonlight coupled with the darkness they were immersed in made Kenshin's eyes glow and like a fly drawn to the light she was lost.

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And she wasn't sure if she wanted to be found.

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Kaoru could only stand transfixed in his lit gaze as he moved closer his lips faintly brushing against the shell of her ear. And when she thought that she couldn't fall any deeper he faintly whispered to her, the husky sound stirring up something that lied dormant in her for the last two years.

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"And you will not leave me."

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With that said Kenshin stepped away releasing the hold he had one her. Just as quietly as he entered he left the room supposedly in search of pillows and blankets. But Kaoru didn't register this too far gone with her inner conflict to notice.

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Sinking to the floor in a graceless heap she tried with no avail to banish the emotions that Kenshin's little action awakened. Thoughts of bed fled her and she couldn't even think of sleeping not with her feeling more alive than she had since she discarded her past two years ago. It was at this moment she realized that she was in too deep much more than she first imagined but she couldn't back out now, ruining all that she had gained. No, she will keep with the plan forsaking her heart in the process. She was repeating her past in the process but this was more for his sake than for her own. Now if only Kenshin can come to realize it himself. Tonight, she knew she'll get no rest.

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But really, she more than deserved it.

A/N: It's so cool that my pen name initials spell out the abbreviation for author's note. So hopefully everyone enjoyed this chapter. I didn't really like how I ended it but it's the best I could do at this moment. My grammar may be somewhat lacking still but I believe that I am getting better, or is that just wishful thinking? This chapter's riddle has got to be my favorite and it was solely composed by yours truly. No clue when the next chapter will go up but if I have any say in it (which I should because it's my story) it should be out within a month. And before I go I want to thank every reader anonymous or signed for reviewing or just reading this story for the matter. So 'til next time…