AN: A longer chapter this time to make up for the really short chapter 15. Sorry for any mistakes. I just finished writing it, and I wanted to post it now since I don't know when I'll have time to edit it. I hope you enjoy, and please review, I only got 2 for the last chapter, and I was tempted to wait until I got a few more...

Disclaimer: Wow, I haven't done one of these in a while, I always forget about it... Anyway, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, if I did I wouldn't be writing fan-fiction, now would I?

Always and Forever

By: Mika Saito

Chapter 16- Wedding Day

Kaoru picked at her food restlessly. The past few days had passed in a blur, a flurry of finalizing the wedding plans, spending time with Atsuko, Tomoe, and Enishi, and worrying about telling Enishi that she really didn't want to marry him anymore.

Sitting in the room that had been hers for a week now, it seemed hard to believe that she was supposed to be getting married today. Or it would have been were it not for the wedding kimono that lay on the bed, waiting to be worn.

Quietly she pushed the plate away from herself and rose from the chair that had been brought in with the small table.

"I can't do this," she murmured, pacing the room. Panic choked her; her throat tightened painfully as tears filled her eyes.

"You wouldn't have to if you'd told him while you had the chance," Tomoe told her kindly from the bed, where she sat watching the blue eyed woman.

"That's not what I meant," Kaoru forced out, trying to dislodge the lump in her throat. "I can't marry him, but I can't break it off either. I just can't." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Kaoru, sit down and take a deep breath," Tomoe ordered, seeing the younger woman starting to really fall apart. Kaoru sat on the hard chair, shoulder slumping in defeat. "Just calm down. You know I'll do anything I can to help."

"I know," Kaoru sighed, relaxing a little, "but I should do this myself."

"Are you all right now?"

"Yes. Thanks for calming me down."

"Anytime. You might not end up as my sister-in-law, but you're still a good friend." Kaoru smiled gratefully at this.

A knock at the door brought her back to the present, and she had to swallow the rising panic before calling out.

"Come in."

"Kaoru-chan, you need to start getting ready now," Megumi said, stepping into the room.

"I know," Kaoru forced a smile, rising from her seat.

Tomoe stood and picked up the kimono, holding it up for Kaoru to take. Kaoru took it, a fake smile plastered on her face for Megumi's sake.

"You nervous?" Megumi asked, sitting on the bed with Tomoe while Kaoru stepped into the bathroom to change.

"Yeah," she answered uncertainly. She was nervous, but not for the actual wedding.

Megumi shot Tomoe a look at the hesitant answer, but didn't say anything about it, choosing to make small talk with Tomoe while waiting for Kaoru to come out of the bathroom.

"All right, how does it look?" Kaoru asked, stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

"Beautiful," Tomoe nodded approvingly. Megumi just grinned, having already seen Kaoru in it.

"Now sit," Megumi ordered, motioning towards the chair at the table. "We need to do something with your hair."

"Do we have to?" Kaoru asked, laughing lightly when Megumi glared at her.

"Yes, now sit." She ordered again.

"All right," she sat in the seat, folding her hands in her lap and waiting for Megumi to do what she wanted with her hair.

Enishi paced nervously, his eyes darting to the clock every few minutes.

"Enishi, calm down," Takeshi told his son calmly, getting tired of watching the silver haired man stride back and forth across the small room. Enishi glanced at his father before dropping heavily into a seat across from him.

"I should have told her yesterday. I had the perfect chance while we were watching that movie..." He ran a hand through his hair.

"Then why didn't you?" Takeshi questioned.

"I don't know..." Enishi groaned, slipping further down into the seat and hiding his face in his hands.

"It's not to late. You're not married to her yet, you can still call it off," the older man offered kindly. Enishi didn't respond, made no move or sound to show that he'd heard what his father had said.

"You're right," he said finally. "I'm going to tell her... when she gets here."

"Why not go back to the house and tell her now?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow.

"They'd probably leave the house to come here before I got there." Takeshi nodded, smiling slightly as Enishi got up and left the room, no doubt to stand near the temple doors to await Kaoru's arrival.

"What do you think?" Megumi stepped back and let Kaoru move to look in the mirror. After an hour of pulling and being poke with bobby pins Kaoru was glad to finally be able to move.

She looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and felt a pang of guilt. Megumi had pulled her hair back and up a little, curling it so that the length fell in a wave of curls down her back. A few pale pink flowers had been pinned in, and a few loose strands fell to frame her face.

"I like it," she finally managed to say.

"We'd better get going, otherwise we are going to be late," Tomoe pushed Megumi towards the door then grabbed Kaoru's arm and pulled her along.

The drive to the temple was shorter than Kaoru remembered it. Megumi and Tomoe talked a little, but thankfully refrained from pulling Kaoru into the conversation. Tomoe shot her small looks every now and then to ensure that she didn't break down, but otherwise decided to leave her to her thoughts.

"We're here, Kaoru," Megumi told her, touching her arm to get her attention, as the car pulled up outside the temple.

"All right," she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment to gather her strength. When she opened them she looked at Megumi. "Lets do this," she murmured, sliding out of the car after her friends.

"You can still call it off," Tomoe whispered to her, voice quiet enough that Megumi couldn't hear her.

"But I won't. Not now. Not when Enishi's right in there waiting for me, and expecting me to walk down the aisle and say my vows with him today." Tomoe nodded briefly before stepping up to take the lead.

"What was that about?" Megumi asked, an eyebrow raised curiously.

"Nothing," Kaoru responded, shaking her head slightly. Megumi accepted the answer quietly, though she knew that it was something.

"Kaoru," Enishi called name the moment she stepped through the door.

"You're not supposed to see her before the ceremony, Enishi," Tomoe told him, glancing at Kaoru over her shoulder.

"I need to talk to her," he responded, meeting Kaoru's eyes over his sisters shoulder.

"Kaoru?" Tomoe turned to look at her.

"It's okay, Tomoe." Tomoe nodded and dragged Megumi away.

"Come on," Enishi motioned towards a hallway to their right.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked as they started walking along the hallway.

"It's about the wedding..." He trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"What about it?" She forced her voice to stay calm, not wanting to show the glimmer of hope that had sprung to life at his words.

"I... I want to call it off," his turquoise gaze lifted from their study of the floor to look at her.

'Thank you," the words slipped out before she could stop them. "I'm sorry," she gasped, realizing her words.

"It's all right," he chuckled, looking relieved. "You should go to him," he told her, turning back towards the main hall, "I'll explain to the guests."

"Wait. What?" Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what he meant.

"Go to Kenshin, Kaoru. You love him, it's obvious. And he loves you." He clarified, walking backwards.

"But, what about you?"

"Truthfully? I love you, Kaoru, but not the way he does. And," he blushed, "there's someone else I love more."

"Thank you, Enishi," she smiled, rushed forward to give him a hug before darting past him.

"You're welcome," he smiled at her retreating back.

AN: Yay! Just 2 more chapters until the end!!! I dunno when the next chapter will be finished. I'm having a bit of a problem keeping up with my 5 college classes this semester... I'm surprised I got this one finished so soon... Anyway, I'd expect the next chapter to be out in at least 2 weeks, but probably more.

Thank you to the 2 reviewers... I wish there were more of you, but I seem to have lost a few readers... Sapphireracoongal, and Mikki G