Even the Bakamatsu can have a Happy Ending

By: Shiara-dono

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Sadly.

Chapter 4

Kaoru couldn't sleep that night. Too many things were troubling her. She had let her anger overcome her and had almost killed a man. And she was afraid Kenshin would leave. She sat up. Kenshin… Even though he was Battousai, she cared about him. She wanted him to stay.

She gave up on the idea of sleeping. With a sigh, she walked out onto the dojo grounds. A gentle breeze teased her, and she loosed her hair from its braid. A creak made her turn to ward the shed. The door was open. Wary, and a bit curious, she walked over and peered inside.

Kenshin was in there. He had changed back into his bloodstained gi and hakama and was in the process of picking up his daisho.

I knew it. He is going to leave. She fought back a wave of sadness. "Kenshin?" A slight quiver in her voice betrayed her, revealing her emotions.

"O… oro? Kaoru-dono?" He turned, amber eyes reflecting the small amount of moonlight. "What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Her chin quivered. "Would you have left without saying goodbye?"

Kenshin's eyes took on a violet shade. "Iie. I… I didn't know… what to say."

"'Goodbye' works well." Kaoru replied bitterly.

Kenshin chuckled. Sorrow tightened like a band around his heart. "I can't stay, Kaoru. Your life was put in danger today because of me. I don't want that to happen again." He paused. "Maybe… maybe someday I can come back here."

She slapped him, hard. A few tears dropped from her eyes and she brushed them away angrily. "Come back? You won't come back! You'll die out there, just like my father! How dare you decide to leave! You don't… I mean, I… I…" The right words wouldn't come. So, she opted for showing him what she meant. She grabbed a handful of his fiery red bangs and pulled him down the few inches to her level, pressing her lips to his.

Oro?! His surprise was obvious. She had done the one thing that could catch him off guard. She pulled away after a moment and looked him in the eye. "I just wanted you to know that I will hate you for leaving." She turned to walk back inside.

Kenshin pulled her back into a tight embrace. He held her close for a long time. Finally, he pulled away and took her hand. He walked her back to her room, hesitantly leaning in to kiss her. "Oyasumi, Kaoru-dono. And… gomen."

When Kaoru awoke in the morning, Kenshin was gone. She felt lost the first few days, not sure what to do. Finally, she went to see Megumi, not really surprised to find Sanosuke there. Kaoru sat down and the whole story spilled from her mouth. For a few minutes after, all was quiet.

"That damn Ishin Shishi." Sanosuke muttered with detest.

Megumi finished doctoring Sanosuke's hand. "So, what are you going to do now, Tanuki?"

"I don't know." Kaoru wiped her eyes. "I want to see him again. I want him to come back to the dojo with me."

"Then it's obvious. Go get him. Show him how wrong he was to leave." She turned to Sanosuke. "You are not to fight him when they return."

"He's Ishin Shishi! Of course I'm going to fight him."

"Sa. No. Suke. You are not to fight him. Understand?" Megumi stared him down.

"……hai…"

She approached the men warily, eyes flashing in anger. Her bokken was poised for attack. "Is this where I can find Battousai?"

"Possibly." One of the men replied. He nodded toward her bokken. "What are you going to do with that?"

"Use it to knock some sense into him. Will you allow me to pass?"

"You have a death wish?"

She narrowed her eyes. "He won't kill me."

The man stepped aside to let her by. She must be crazy.

It had been a month since his return. He had tracked down the Shinsengumi who had killed Kaoru's father and had taken care of him. He was weary of all the blood. His sighed, sipping the sake someone set before him. He grimaced. Everything he ate or drank was starting to taste like blood again.

"Witnesses say you hesitated last night."

Kenshin looked up. "I told you, Katsura-san. I do not want to kill anymore. I only continue so the new era will come. Then I will leave."

"To return to the girl you told me about?"

"If possible. That is what I'd like to do." Of course, that's if she lets me.

The shoji to the room slid open and a man stumbled in. His eyes were wide, as if he were frightened.

"What's the matter, Matakei-san?"

"There… there's a girl out there looking for Battousai. She only has a wooden sword, but… she's strong! She's beating everyone who attacks her!"

Wooden sword? Kenshin slowly paled. His amber eyes held disbelief and shock. "Masaka. She… she wouldn't have."

The shoji slammed open. Everyone in the room turned. Kaoru stood there, bokken in front of her. She stared coldly at Kenshin, the amber in her gaze rivaling his own. "You."

I'm so dead. "Ka… Kaoru? How did you-? Why are you here?"

She pointed her bokken at him. "Baka! I came to beat you senseless and take you back to the dojo!"

Katsura watched in amusement as the hitokiri quailed under the woman's angry glare.

"But… but-"

She laughed humorlessly. "Did you expect me to wait quietly at the dojo? What if you never came back?!"

"Young lady." Another hitokiri broke in. "Do you realize who that is you're talking to?"

Kaoru turned her glare toward the speaker. "I do. And if you'll excuse us, we are having a conversation." She face Kenshin again. "Why are you here?"

"The Shinsengumi-" Kenshin began.

"Ah. Retaliation, I see. And then what, Kenshin?"

There was a collective gasp of shock. Kaoru glared. "You act like you've never heard his name before!"

"Usually not his first name, lady."

"It's what he told me to call him by, so that's what I'm doing. So, Kenshin. Will you return to the life of a hitokiri? What about wanting to give it up? Will you throw that away? Because, if that's the case, I'll knock you out myself! Maybe that will prove that your thinking is messed up!"

Someone snickered. Kenshin flicked his katana an inch out of its sheath and the snickering died.

Katsura cleared his throat. "Himura-san, is this the girl you were telling me about?"

"Hai, Katsura-san. This is Kamiya Kaoru."

"Kamiya-san, rather than embarrass him further, perhaps you and Himura-san should continue your fight in his room."

"He could do with some embarrassing." Kaoru muttered.

"Oro!"

Kaoru sighed. "However, I will do ask you ask. Arigato."

Katsura merely chuckled as Kenshin led Kaoru elsewhere. 'Fiery' definitely describes her well. To think that I'd once again see Hitokiri Battousai lose a battle of words with a woman. Maybe he'll have more luck with this one.

Kenshin sighed, closing the shoji to his room behind him and removing his daisho.

Kaoru suddenly found herself in his arms. "Baka." She muttered quietly, returning the embrace. "I still hate you for leaving."

He pulled away. "Oro? You… hate me?"

Kaoru fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Iie. I don't hate you. I hate the fact that you left." She glanced around the room, eyebrow rising in surprise. "There's no futon in here."

Kenshin smiled guiltily. "Truth is, I haven't slept on a futon in years. I've grown so used to sleeping against the wall. I thought it might be odd for you if I didn't use a futon while I was at the dojo, so I did, even though it was a bit uncomfortable."

"Baka…" She muttered again.

"So… what will you do now, Kaoru-dono?"

"First, tell you to leave off the 'dono.' It's really starting to get on my nerves." Kaoru grinned at him. "I'm still determined to get you to leave this life."

"Katsura-san says the war should end soon."

"Good. I'll be staying here until then."

"Oro?"

"Don't 'oro' me. I'm staying for a couple of reasons. You left before sparring with me. It's easier to spar if we're in the same room, much less the same town. If I'm here, you have a reason to return, alive, from your fights. And, I… I wanted… to be near you. Yahiko is taking care of the dojo, so don't protest!" (Kenshin shut his mouth.) "I want your word you won't die out there."

"Anything can happen, Kaoru-do… Kaoru."

She growled. "That's not the answer I want!"

"Gomen. But it's the best I can give."

"Fine." She mumbled, irritated. "Spar?"

"Why?"

"I feel like training. And I have yet to see you fight."

He chuckled. "Very well. I'll go see if anyone has a bokken I can use." Fat chance. He grabbed his daisho. "Be right back."

His eyes regained their amber coloring the moment he exited his room. He slid the shoji to the meeting room open. The quiet whispers died instantly.

The silence was finally broken. "So, Himura-san." One fellow Ishin Shishi commented. "She's a beauty. Is that your woman, or can I have a go with her?"

His sword was out of its sheath and pointed at the man's throat before he even thought about it. "I don't care which side you're on. If you dare touch Kaoru, I'll slit you in half." He slowly withdrew his blade. "Same goes for all of you." He slid his sword back into its sheath. "Katsura-san, do you have a bokken handy?"

Katsura raised an eyebrow in surprise. "A bokken, Himura-san?"

"Hai."

"Iie. I don't. But I think the inn lady might know where you can get one."

"Arigato." Kenshin bowed, then left the room.

Everyone began to breathe again. "Guess that means she's his woman, after all…"

He finally managed to locate a bokken and returned to his room. Kaoru was sitting in the middle of the room, waiting.

"Took you long enough."

"It is difficult to find a bokken in this era. Most use swords." He removed his daisho, setting it and small odds and ends against one wall. He bowed to her, amber eyes sparkling. "Shall we?"

She jumped up and charged. He sidestepped and lazily swung his bokken at her.

Damn him, he's toying with me! Kaoru growled. "You're going easy on me!"

"Hai."

Her anger was on the rise. She swung, then turned and jabbed where she thought he would move to. He evaded both times. She tried everything she could to get under his guard, but there were no cracks. "Why aren't you fighting me for real?!"

"I do not wish to hurt you, Kaoru-dono."

She visibly snapped. Glaring daggers at him, she lunged. "I told you, enough with the 'DONO!!!'"

Kenshin went to evade. A sudden pain shot through him, halting his flight.

Kaoru's bokken hit home on Kenshin's shoulder, and he fell painfully.

Kaoru deflated instantly, dropping her bokken. "Kenshin! Are you alright?!"

"Hai…" He muttered, distracted by the pain in his abdomen. "I guess you won."

"You paused."

"Ano… hai. Momentary lapse in judgment." He stood, rubbing his shoulder. "Arigato, Kaoru. That was fun. If you'll excuse me, I must go talk to Katsura-san. I'll have someone bring you dinner." He left.

"Matte! ……baka…"

"Katsura-san?"

Katsura turned. "Hmm? Oh, Himura-san." He noticed the hitokiri's sudden unease. "What is it?"

"Katsura-san, I… I need to see a doctor."

"I thought you hated doctors."

"I do, but… something's not right."

Not right? What is he hiding from me? One look at the hitokiri told him Kenshin would never tell him. "I'll send for a doctor immediately."

"Ano, if it's not to much trouble, I'd prefer to go there myself. Less suspicion than if we bring a doctor here."

"… very well. You can go."

"Also… if someone would take Kaoru dinner?"

Katsura nodded again, this time smiling.

Kenshin fidgeted. "Hold still, Himura-san!" The doctor scolded.

"Gomen." Kenshin mumbled.

The doctor finished his examination. Kenshin gratefully pulled his gi back on.

"Well, Himura-san, whoever patched you up last did a good job. Two of the wounds are healing just fine. It's the one in your abdomen that concerns me. It seems an infection has set in. I'll give you some medicine for it and a salve to rub on the wound. The medicine will counteract the infection. The salve will help with the pain and take away some of the redness."

"Arigato, sensei."

"Did the doctor examine you, Himura-san?"

"Hai, Katsura-san. He gave me some medicine." He paused. "Ano… might it be possible to keep this from Kaoru? I don't want her to worry."

"Worry about what?" A voice asked.

Kenshin gasped and turned. Kaoru stood there, a quizzical look on her face.

"Uh… uh… it's nothing, Kaoru-do… Kaoru!"

Kaoru narrowed her eyes at him, sighing inwardly. He still doesn't fully trust me.

Kenshin saw the hurt. He gulped, attempting to ignore the pain of knowing he was the one causing that hurt. "Ano, Katsura-san? Where will Kaoru sleep?"

Katsura smirked. "In your room."

"Nani?!?!?!" They asked in unison.

"We have no extra rooms, Himura-san, you know that. Just pull out a futon for her. It will be like last-" He paused, realizing Kenshin was giving him a rather pained death glare. "I mean, it'll be easier for you to protect her."

Yay, another chapter done! Looks like about another two chapters before we reach the end of the story. Thanks again to all those who continue to read this story. Next chapter, Kenshin and Kaoru share a tender moment! Ja ne!

I had a couple of interesting questions posed to me in reviews that I would like to answer. One was asking about why Kaoru didn't freak out when she found out Kenshin is Battousai. A couple of reasons for that. One is that it is an era of hitokiri, so she's more familiar with them, especially with her father being in the war. Another is that during the two weeks Kenshin was at her dojo, she started to care about him. She got to see who he was, with the exception of the killer part.

The other question was why is Kenshin still a hitokiri even though Tomoe's dead. I left Kenshin as a hitokiri because it was easier for the story to flow that way.

Glossary:

Battousai: what Kenshin was called during the revolution, so named because of his Battou jutsu

gi: a type of Japanese shirt that allows easy movement

hakama: same as above, only they're pants

daisho: a set of swords that a samurai wore, usually a katana and a wakizashi

dono: 'miss.' Kenshin uses it. It's more formal than -san

iie: no

oyasumi: night or goodnight

gomen: sorry. Each is more formal than the preceding one

ishin shishi: the side that Kenshin was on

tanuki: raccoon. Megumi's name for Kaoru

shinsengumi: the side opposing the Ishin Shishi

shoji: door made of rice paper

masaka: impossible; it can't be

baka: idiot

hitokiri: manslayer

arigato: thank you

futon: Japanese bed. It's more or less padding on the ground

bokken: wooden sword

hai: yes

ano: um

matte: wait

sensei: teacher. Also used for doctors, or someone accomplished in something

nani: what