Okay, so I edited the details for this story before posting this chapter. I changed it from Kaoru/Hiko to Kaoru/Kenshin. This story has taken a completely different twist from what I originally planned. It's hard to get three such strong-willed characters such as Kaoru, Hiko, and Battosai to cooperate with me in any way. After I finish this one I would like to try again with my original idea in mind.

Please enjoy.

Chapter 4: Repossession

Kaoru was dumbfounded. "I must be dreaming," she said softly as she ran her hands across his face. "You're not really here."

"Hai, Kaoru, I am."

She traced the scar on his left-cheek. "Sure you are."

Kenshin let out an exasperated sigh and possessively put his lips on hers. Kaoru responded with fervor. That is until she realized that the kiss was real, that she really wasn't dreaming.

Hiko had agreed with Kaoru's suggestion that they sleep in separate rooms. Neither one could allow themselves to become attached. He would be leaving in a few days and didn't want to complicate her life further. In an effort to make the separation easier, he had suppressed his ki before going to sleep so she wouldn't sense his presence. Also, he wouldn't allow himself to fall into a deep sleep in case she woke up frightened. After everything that she had experienced he wasn't sure what kind of nightmares she had been having, and after his experience with Kenshin in his younger days, knew she was in desperate need of comfort.

It was in this state of light sleep that Hiko sensed Kaoru's ki become suddenly frightened. And she wasn't just scared, she was terrified. He jumped off his futon and was halfway to her room when he stopped dead in his tracks.

She wasn't alone. There was a second ki originating from her room. Hiko couldn't believe that his baka deshi had shown up after everything he had done to that poor girl. He was determined Kenshin was going to pay dearly for what he had done.

Kaoru was sitting in the corner, having backed away as far a possible from Kenshin in the small room, her hand held out to keep him back. Tears were running down her face and she just kept muttering, "Why?" to herself over and over as she shook her head violently back and forth.

Kenshin was kneeling before her in the darknes, trying to calm her down but nothing he said reached her ears. He was so focused on Kaoru that he had failed to notice his master's ki up to the point her Hiko reached the shoji and the rage he was emitting almost knocked Kenshin off balance.

Hiko slid the shoji back with such force that the wood splintered. Kenshin was on his feet in an instant, ready to defend Kaoru.

"Get away from her," Hiko growled, trying as best he could not to attack the smaller redhead.

"Why, Shishou? What are you doing in Tokyo anyway?" Kenshin asked, genuinely confused.

Hiko growled low in his chest and took a few steps closer to Kenshin, hand on his katana, ready to pounce. "Doing what I do best: Cleaning up your messes."

Kenshin looked up at his master questioningly. Hiko averted his gaze and looked down to make sure Kaoru was alright. Kenshin noticed and protectively drew his sakabato. "Don't touch my wife."

Hiko barked a laugh. He was behind Kenshin in an instant, Kaoru in his arms so Kenshin wouldn't be dumb enough to strike. "What if I told you she was my woman now?"

"That can't be."

Kaoru still wasn't responding to them. She hadn't fought Hiko off when he moved to pick her up, but she didn't relax in his arms either. She was still muttering to herself and was blinded from her own tears.

"Can't it? Do you see what you've done to her? All she's done since the day she met you is love you and watch over and look at how you've repaid her. She an emotional wreck; has been for a long time."

"Kaoru?" Kenshin asked tentatively.

Nothing.

"Do you know that she almost died?"

That hit Kenshin like a brick wall. "No, I had no idea."

"Yeah, she did. She had almost drowned, having fallen asleep in the bathhouse. I saved her, but only just." He gave Kenshin a moment to let the information sink in. "You as good as killed her. Just like Tomoe."

Kenshin released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, the anger and remorse coming off him in waves. He raised his sword, glaring at Hiko with glowing amber eyes. "Release my wife."

"So you expect to just waltz back in here and resume everything from where you let off? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but she doesn't want you here anymore. Sagara would make a better husband than you." Kenshin lunged and Hiko easily dodged it. "If you think that even as Battosai you can defeat me, you are sorely mistaken. And I would advise my baka deshi to refrain from doing that again because you risk injuring Kaoru."

"Don't say her name. Don't you dare say her name."

"Why, is it too painful to have someone tell you the truth? Kaoru almost died because of you. You almost injured Kaoru by attacking my while I'm holding her. You do nothing but bring Kaoru harm."

Kenshin threw his head back and growled loudly, restraining himself from attacking. "I want my wife back. Now."

"It's seems you have a problem then. She doesn't want to go anywhere with you." Hiko looked around the room. "As far as I'm concerned, this is her dojo. You have no claim here. You kept the marriage secret and now can't prove that it has ever existed."

"It doesn't change the fact that the three of us know she is my wife, and you will return her to me and leave my home."

"There you go again, baka deshi. You're the one that's leaving, not me. I'll be staying until I'm certain she safe from you."

"She safer with me than anyone else, including you, Shishou."

"Is that so? Just look at her! Does she look alright to you?" Kenshin said nothing. "Kenshin, do you realize that she had a panic attack from just hearing your name? The mind can't handle rejection like you've shown her repetitively. Her heart cannot keep reliving this pain. It will eventually destroy her. Is that what you want for her?"

"Kaoru?" Kenshin asked again, this time not so softly. "Kaoru, can you hear me?" He reached his hand out, but did not touch her.

She heard him alright. Her entire body tensed up. Hiko gently shook her to get her to breathe again. After that she started shaking violently in his arms.

"See what I was talking about? You need to leave. Now. Before she hurts herself. I can't calm her down if she can feel you presence."

"I'm not just giving her up without a fight."

"Then go into the woods and don't come back here until I send for you. She won't remember much of this and after I tell her what happened she'll be able to make her decision. Leave her alone until then."

"Fine. But I won't be far." Kenshin turned and walked out of the room and into the night.

When Hiko was certain he was no longer in the dojo he laid Kaoru back down on her futon. He noticed that the further away Kenshin got, the calmer she became until the only evidence of the ordeal were the tear stains on her face.

"Kaoru, he's gone. You need to go back to sleep, okay? I'm not going to let him hurt you again." Hiko moved back from her but she grabbed his hand.

"Don't leave me alone."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to sit next to the wall, okay?"

"Okay."

Hiko sat against the wall closest to her, using his ki to calm her down. He knew it didn't take her long to fall asleep, but it wasn't a restful slumber. He could sense Kenshin stalking around outside the dojo and knew that the rurouni's patience wouldn't last forever.

"He just can't make anything easy for me, can he?"

Kaoru woke for the third time late that afternoon. After only having slept restlessly for less than a hour, Hiko had made some tea to let her remain asleep. Hiko noticed that after taking effect she wasn't thrashing about on the futon as much and her talking quieted to infrequent murmurs.

She sat up, rubbing her face. "What time is it?"

"Late afternoon. You don't have a clock in here and I haven't left so I don't know exactly."

"I've been asleep for more than half a day?" She turned her head to face him. "What did you put in that tea?"

"Don't worry about it. It helped you sleep didn't it?"

"If you say so. But, please, don't give me what ever it was again because I have a terrific headache."

"I can promise you that my tea did not cause your headache." She just looked at him. "It's stress, Kaoru."

"Stress?"

"Stress, anxiety, anger, fear." He considered her for a moment. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"I think so. I remember dreaming that Kenshin had come back and then realizing it wasn't a dream. I remember hearing both your voices, but not what you said. And then he was gone and you were telling me to go back to sleep and gave me that awful tea."

"That about sums it up."

Kaoru pulled her knees under her chin and sat starring at the wall. Hiko did not interrupt her.

"Hiko?" she asked quietly.

"Hmm?"

She turned her head to the shoji leading outside. "I can feel him out there. Waiting for me." She turned back to Hiko. "What does he want?"

"Exactly what he told you last night. To return home. Or what was his home before he so irresponsibly left you." He didn't bother hiding the disdain in his voice. "I told him that his presence was hurting you and he needed to stay far enough away for you to make a rational decision." He made firm eye contact with her. "There is no time deadline for you to make said decision. I told him that one way or the other, I would inform him of what you want."

"I don't know what I want."

"I don't expect you to."

"He won't let me go."

"I can only imagine how confusing this has all been for you. No one's going to make this decision for you, although he would if he could. This is something you need to figure out for yourself."

"Do you think I should forgive him?"

"Only you know the answer to that."

"I thought you might say that."

Hiko moved across the room to kneel in front of her and took one of her small hands in his, resuming eye contact. "Do you want my opinion?"

"Hai."

"Then listen closely because I will only interfere once, understood?" She nodded. "Alright. I think that if you are willing to forgive him and allow him to come back into your home and try again then you should. However, there will always be that insecurity. You will never know if he is home for good. It could end up eating away at both of you and drive you apart eventually.

"But I also know you don't need to be alone. That you deserve much better. Someone who isn't going to hurt you like that. You've done nothing that warrants such treatment. You deserve to be happy again. You've lived your life for him for too long. Live it for yourself, if only for a small time."

"Hai."

"That's all you'll hear me say about this." Kaoru nodded and turned her head towards outside again, but didn't remover her hand from his. "I'll go prepare the bath."

Kaoru was sitting in the tub, looking back on everything that had changed so suddenly in her life in the last few days.

"It's been months since Kenshin left. Months. And just when I finally get the courage to actually live again instead of just going through the routine he shows back up. The progress that I'd made in these few days with Hiko here, he undid in an instant. What am I going to do?"

Hiko noticed that Kaoru had been in the bathhouse an awfully long time. As he approached the building he heard her crying loudly. "Kaoru?"

She sniffled and took a few deep breaths to calm her voice.

"H-hai?"

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying."

He sighed. "We've gone through this before, you can't lie to me." He heard her whimper and then there was a splash. "Kaoru?" Silence. "Kaoru!" No answer. "KAORU!" Still nothing.

He was inside the bathhouse in an instant, just in time to see Kaoru's head break the surface of the steamy water. His sigh of relief was loud enough to alert her to his presence.

"Oh! Um, Hiko, what are you doing in here? I told you I'm fine."

"I heard a splash and then you wouldn't answer when I called your name. I've already rescued you from drowning in here once. What was I supposed to think?" She just starred at him. He moved to sit next to the tub as she drew her knees under her chin. "What were you trying to do?"

"Clear my head. Going completely underneath the water and feeling it wrap itself around my body helps me calm down. It also washes away the tears."

"It may wash away the tear stains, but your face is still puffy and your eyes still red."

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"He's still out there isn't he?" Hiko nodded in answer. "How close?"

"He's followed you around behind the fence. He's just on the other side—waiting, watching. He almost came vaulting over to get to you when he heard me call out your name, but he stopped himself."

"He wants me back. Nothing's going to stop him."

"Don't admit defeat. I've already told you that the decision to allow him to come back is yours and yours alone." He moved across the room to grab a towel and yukata and held them out to her. "It's time for you to get out of the water."

Kaoru said nothing as she took the towel from him and dried herself off. Hiko held out the yukata as she slid her arms into the sleeves.

"Arigato."

"Don't mention it. Now, go put on a clean Kimono. Dinner is almost ready."

That night Kaoru was sitting on the porch, watching the fireflies float around the yard. Hiko had gone to get some more sake, promising he would be back soon.

Kaoru was feeling restless and aggravated. She got up from the porch and began to dance around the yard in the midst of the glowing insects. Her geta caught on something in the dirt and she stumbled to the ground laughing. The bright bugs floated around her magically.

"I haven't felt this good in months," she told them. "How I wish I could be free like you and fly away with no other purpose but to look pretty." She sighed wistfully. "How I wish everything could be easy again."

"It can."

Kaoru's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the deep voice behind her. She hadn't made the decision to get up and turn around, so he came to kneel in front of her. He reached out to help her to her feet but she jumped back from him and stood on her own. She was ready to bolt at the first chance she got, knowing he could catch her before she took half a step.

"Kaoru." His deep silky voice was her undoing. She had no choice but to look at him. Those glowing amber eyes that were so like the fireflies she had been chasing called to her fiercely.

"Kaoru." He said again. This time he reached his left hand out to her. "Come to me." She moved her hand out, but didn't take his. He tilted his head down, unleashing the full power of his tempting eyes upon her. His voice became even more captivating. "Kaoru-koishii, aishiteru."

She slowly closed the distance between their fingers. Kenshin slowly wrapped his around hers, not wanting to scare her. He ever so slightly tugged on her arm. Her mind didn't register the force and she stepped into his arms. He released her fingers to wrap his left arm around her waist while his right tilted her chin upwards. His eyes seemed to bore into her own.

When he was satisfied her face wouldn't drop he used his hand to bring a strand of her hair across his face and inhaled her scent deeply. "Kami-sama help me, but I've missed you." He dropped her hair and instead held the back of her head softly while he whispered. "I've missed you so much. So very much." And he dipped his head down to claim her mouth in a gentle kiss, still wary of frightening her. Kaoru responded to his kiss, molding her body against his as she opened her mouth, letting him claim her. She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her even closer to him.

When he had to break the kiss to let her breathe his mouth trailed along her jaw and then began its way down her neck. She let herself go limp in his arms, trying to absorb the situation. That is until his body stiffened and he pushed her away from him.

It wasn't a forceful push but Kaoru hadn't expected it and still landed on her backside, starring disbelievingly up at him.

"HOW COULD YOU LET HIM TOUCH YOU?" Kenshin's hands were fisted in his hair as he starred down at her with a look of utter revulsion.

She saw the look in his eyes and began crying, knowing he was about to leave her again. Kenshin saw her tears and his penetrating stare softened just a bit. "I want an answer," he said in a dangerously flat tone.

"Y-you left me! I-I thought t-that you were n-never c-coming back!"

"Why would you go to another man?" He couldn't hide the hurt and pain that took residence on his face. He dropped to the ground beside her, watching her cry. Tears began to form in his own eyes and he called out to her again. "Kaoru, please." His voice was pleading.

Kaoru noticed that there was no harshness in his tone and opened her eyes to look at him through the tears. "K-Kenshin . . ." she said as she moved her hand to his cheek when she saw the violet orbs gazing sadly down on her. Kenshin opened his arms and she went into them willingly, her tears beginning anew. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, her face on his shoulder. She couldn't speak and let her tears and sobs convey her feelings.

Kenshin understood everything she couldn't say. "I'm so, so sorry, koishii. I'm so very sorry." He clutched her even tighter, his own tears escaping now. "I want to come home, Kaoru. I can't live without you. I know that now."

They sat there together, holding each other until the tears stopped. Kenshin pulled back to face his wife and didn't like what he saw.

"No," she whispered. Kenshin's eyes widened, gold flecks sparkling dangerously again. "Not yet."

His shoulders slumped. "Why?"

"Because I'm not ready. Because I never stopped loving you."

Understanding showed on his face and his sad smile returned to his lips. "So bet it." He took her hand in his and placed it to his heart, then bent his head to place a chaste kiss on her forehead and disappeared into the darkness.

Hiko found her moments later. She was still on the ground, tears silently streaming down her face, one hand stretched out before her, not having left where Kenshin had last held it to his heart. Hiko stooped down to pick her up from the ground and began walking towards her room with a distressed look on his face, sake jug forgotten in the grass.

When she realized that he had her and was moving her further away from Kenshin she lost it. "NO!" she screamed into the night as she tried to climb over his shoulders in her attempt to get to him. "KENSHIN!" But he didn't come for her. Hiko held her tightly and listened to her pitiful screams, his pace still slow and steady. She beat on him, clawed at his skin, trying to get free.

She admitted defeat when he slid the first shoji closed, creating a thing barrier between her and her husband. Her tears fell silent again and she slumped against his larger frame.

Once in her room she crumpled to the floor. After realizing that she needed help, he dressed her in one of her yukatas and placed her beneath the quilt on her futon. Her sobs doubled when he tried to move away from her. So he removed his gi and slid under the blanket with her. She moved into his warmth and cried herself to sleep.

"I know you're out there, Kenshin. I know you're listening to every word I say." He spoke clearly and quietly, not wanting to wake Kaoru. "Know this: I do not love this woman as you do, yet I will do everything in my power to protect her should you even consider harming her again. If she wants to welcome you home, I will gladly let her do so but you must let her come to the decision on her terms. Don't come near her again until I send word to you I'll move her to Kyoto with as soon as possible. You cannot hope to defeat me. You've been warned."

Outside the dojo Kenshin heard everything his master said, amber eyes glowing menacingly in the darkness. "I've heard everything you have to say, shishou. Don't underestimate your student. I will get my wife back. I swear it."

Thanks so much to those who have stayed with me so far. Your support is greatly appreciated. Please review and let me know how you feel.