"Hey, Uncle Ken!" Two little girls ran towards Kenshin as he was putting the clothes on the line. "Hey, girls, what are you doing this--whoa! Be careful now!" They both jumped on Kenshin legs and begging him to walk around with them on him. He laughed and smiled at the two girls as he walked outside around the dojo. "Yay! Uncle Kenny!" The girls giggled. "What are you two doing?" Kaoru came outside with a beam on her face. "Just playing," said the girls innocently as they jumped off Kenshin's legs. "You need to let Kenshin do his work or he'll be out here until midnight! Come in girls and help me, okay?" Kenshin looked at the two young girls and said, "Now, you listen to Miss Kaoru. After we're all done working, then I'll buy you a treat, that I will, okay? Go ahead!" "Yay!" They hugged Kenshin and ran inside the dojo. "Thanks Kenshin!" Kaoru smiled at him. He smiled back. For a moment or two they didn't know if they should say something or go on with what they were doing. " mmm...?" Kaoru blushed. She was never this awkward with him before. She could usually say something. Kenshin looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet. "Well, I better finish my work if I going to take them out to the town and buy them something..." Kenshin looked back up at her pink face. What was this feeling? Love? He loved her as family but As a wife? "Yeah I've got to clean the floors... Ummm, I l see ya in a minute?" She didn't know whether to ask or to say. She turned around and went inside, pausing for a moment afterward and rubbing her face as if to get the blush off.

Kenshin resumed with his work. Kaoru, Do I love you more than I thought? He finished hanging up the clothes and he went to the well behind the dojo. Kaoru would need water if she was going to clean the floors. And for some reason, he wanted to see her again. He filled up the bucket and turned around. "Oh!" He ran into Kaoru who was right behind him, and knocked her down. "Ouch! My arm.." Kenshin put down the water bucket and helped her up. "Are you okay Miss Kaoru?! I didn't mean to I just was going to get you some water for your floor, that I was. I didn't--" She smiled up at him. "Is that what you were doing? I was wondering why you were by the well." They both seemed to notice the position they were in and blushed. Kaoru was up against Kenshin, who was holding the arm he hit and also had an arm around her waist. Kenshin was wondering what he should do, but Sano already seemed to answer that question. "Hey! Kiss her already Kenshin!" Sano jumped off the roof of the dojo and landed next to them. Kenshin and Kaoru moved away from each other. Kaoru blushed and smacked Sano. "Kenshin was just helping me up! Why were you on the roof?!" Kenshin picked up the water bucket so that they couldn't see his blushing face. "You had some leaks coming through I decided to fix it since it was my room it was coming into." He smirked, "I'll let you keep on doing what you were doing. I've got to go inside right now anyways." Kenshin looked back up when he left and Kaoru said, "Thanks for the water Kenshin. Ummm, I can take it now." He shook his head. "I've got it Miss Kaoru. I'll bring it in." They walked into the dojo and Kenshin told the girls he would take them out. "Yay! Can we Kaoru?" Kaoru smiled. "You're done for now! Go ahead!" They all left. Kaoru watched, longing to be with them, but she knew she had other business to complete.

"Uncle Ken! Uncle Ken! Can I have this?!" Kenshin and the two girls were in a candy shop. One of the two girls ran up to him with a lollipop the size of Kenshin hand. "Will you be able to finish it?" "Yeah! ooo! Uncle Kenny, can I have one too?" They both gazed up at him. He looked down and smiled. "Okay, I guess." "Yay!" They both ran up to the owner of the shop and told him that they were gonna get candy. Kenshin smiled and paid for the candy.

Suddenly, Sano ran in, "Kenshin! I've been lookin all over for ya! It's Yahiko! He's down by the river!! We were playing around and--" "Let's talk as we run, Sano." Kenshin and Sano both picked up a girl and ran off towards the lake. "Well, anyways Yahiko and I were fighting--not for real, he was practicing, but then he toppled backwards and fell into the river! Now, he says his foot is stuck on something and he can't get out. Jou-Chan is staying with him, trying to help But there's nothing much she can do! I tried to get him myself, but the water current was too strong, so I thought if we both used our strength..." They caught up to the lake and Yahiko was already out and laughing on the ground saying, "And you should have seen his face! He was actually worried!" Kenshin and Sano put down the girls. Sano cracked his knuckles, "Why you little brat!" Yahiko turned towards him and saw the look on Sano's face and sped off. "Come back here you twit!" He ran after him till you couldn't see them anymore.

Kaoru sighed and Kenshin stood there, not knowing what to say. Kaoru shook her head, "That boy's gonna have to get out of those childish games I don't blame Sano if he hurts him. I was scared to death when Sano called and I came over here to find Yahiko in the river. But once Sano left he jumped out and started laughing! He told me that Sano pushed him in, so he wanted to teach him a lesson, Yahiko-baka." Kenshin mind was in space, but finally came to reality when the two girls pulled on his pant legs. "Thank you Uncle Ken! We're gonna go home now and tell Yahiko to be good!" They ran off and now Kaoru and Kenshin were alone. Kenshin mumbled something about how funny kids are. Kaoru said, "So, what did you get the girls?" And she sat up against the tree sighing. Kenshin moved in closer. "They wanted candy, so I bought them a lollipop It wasn'r too much..." He picked up some small rocks and was skidding them across the river. She smiled at him. "Kenshin come here." He turned around, and he saw a smile on her face that he hadn't seen before. He obeyed, and sat next to her. "I was feeding the birds this morning and the prettiest one flew up and landed about three feet away from me... I still have some food... You wanna see how close they'll come?" She didn't know really what to say, but as long as he was this close to her she'd say anything to keep him there. "Sure, but Miss Kaoru I still have some chores to do at home..." She looked up at him. "Just for awhile. Please?" He smiled down at her. "If that's what you want Kaoru." Anything for you. She put her head on his shoulder and threw some birdseed out in front of them. She noticed something, "Kenshin, you didn't call me 'Miss Kaoru'." She smiled up at him. "Sorry, I was just--" "I like that." She kissed him and he returned the kiss to her sweet small lips. They sat there awhile, lost in the moment, until a few birds came down and started eating the food. She turned her head away and whispered, "Look, Kenshin!" They watched as the birds, next to their feet, ate their food. "Here.." Kenshin took some seeds that were next to him and held her hand. He poured some into her hand and held it up with his. A small bird, which looked like a bird that had just learned how to fly, came close and flew onto her hands. Kaoru gasped and smiled up at him again. Kenshin smiled at her and pet the bird softly on one of his wings. It didn't seem to mind...

Yes, I know I the queen of cheesiness, but I liked the whole bird idea Although.. I know I going thru this story way too fast, aren't i? Lol. Oh well. Soorrryy..

BTW if anyone doesn't know, baka means stupid in Japanese

BUT NE WAYS, only two people rated it out of 105 (bakas!!!), so i'm only going to post this next chapter for them, since they reviews and/or added it as a fave or alert. But i'm still trying to do the same thing -- 3 reviews on this one to keep it going too. PLZ. PLZ. PLZ.

This IS a really short story, but putting it into parties fun, cuz each part has its own name and I like making up titles

NEWAYs COMMENTS PLZ and then I l seeyah in the next art

CIAO