Dream

Two shadow figures came into the room, I ran to my mother for protection but it was too late. A man grabbed me and another grabbed my mother both of us were put into seperate cars. " MOM!" I cried, but she couldn't hear me as the door slammed shut in front of me cutting off any communication I had with her. I cried, I thrashed but it was no use and I became tired. The men drove both me and my mother to a cliff where we were knocked out and thrown off, I didn't know how I survived the hit, but my mother died, along with my baby brother who was yet to be born. I lay there blood flowing from my head wound, paralyzed, I couldn't move.

It was morning the next day when some kids came by and took me in and that's how I became one of them as part of a family.

End of Dream

GASP

Waking up to a start, sapphyre eyes examined the room it was still dark out and she could only make a faint outline of the old lady and sighed. ' That was just a dream. Calm down, it already happened. Get over it.' Kaoru thought mentally to herself. The old lady suddenly woke up and found that Kaoru was awake.

" Kaoru-chan. Is there something wrong dear?" Kaoru shook her head and laid back down on her futon before wiping the tears away,

' Mom... I miss you. If I hadn't met Aoshi, Kenii and Sano... I probably be dead by now.' Kaoru thought as she tried to go back to sleep. About five hours later, Kaoru woke up and went down to the shop where the old lady was waiting.

" Is Sano not up yet?" Kaoru asked.

" I'm right here, dufus. Now come on." a voice replied. Kaoru looked out and found that Sano was waiting for her. Kaoru puffed up her cheeks in annoyance and grabbed the list before following Sano out to their first customer.

Kaoru looked at her surroundings and realized that they weren't going to their first customer. She caught up with Sano and replied,

" What are we doing here, Sano?" Sano just continued on and stopped at a shop she knew all too well. " Sano?" Kaoru wondered. Sano looked back at her and smirked,

" Stay here, Okay Jou-chan?" Sano walked inside the shop, Kaoru stood outside in the hot sun for about at least a 30 good minutes before Sano came out with a gift. Examining it, Kaoru replied,

" Who's that for?" Sano smirked.

" Misao." Sano replied. Kaoru was taken aback.

' Her?! Why her?' Kaoru thought inwardly.

" Admit it Kaoru, you thought this is for you right?" Sano asked. His face looked like it was asking for a punch, Kaoru was surely to give him one.

" Quit jerking me around!" Kaoru cried as she tried to land a punch in, but Sano just easily dodged it. Sano ran off,

" Catch me if you can, Jou-chan!" Sano was definately playing with her. Kaoru ran off after him,

" We have to finish the errands, first Sano!" Kaoru cried. Sano wasn't listening as he turned the corner into an alleyway where he bumped into a couple of boys. " Sano!" Kaoru cried, but before she could turn into the corner that Sano had disappeared into, Sano was flung back out. Kaoru rushed over to him and replied,

" Sano, are you all right?" Sano spit out blood from his mouth. He glared at the boys that walked out of the alley's shadow, holding the present that he had bought earlier that day.

" Oh look, he has himself a lady. What's your name, girl?" the leader of the pack replied. Kaoru shivered and Sano shielded her from their wandering eyes.

" Kaoru get back." Sano replied as Kaoru hid behind him and the towns people began to flock to the little dispute that started to begin.

" Oh look, the little boy is trying to be a hero." the leader replied. Sano just growled.

" Give me the gift back, now!" Sano cried running at them, he was able to land a punch in the leader's face and made a grab at the present, but wasn't able to when a kick to the stomach sent him stumbling back before another kick was aimed at him from above sending his face straight into the dirt. Kaoru could only gasp at the scene.

" Get up, Sano!" Kaoru cried. Sano twitched painfully on the dirt floor. " Sano!" Kaoru cried as the pack began to walk up to him.

" You want your gift back? Here it is!" the leader replied throwing the gift on the floor before smashing it under his foot grinding it under his heel. Sano could only watch in horror as his gift was dirtied.

" You bastards!" Sano cried as he grabbed onto the leader's feet that was still planted on top of his gift. The leader looked down and smirked, jerking away from the hand, he stepped on Sano's outstreched hand and Sano cried out in pain. Kaoru was crying now,

" Sano! Somebody stop him!" Kaoru cried. As if her prayers were answered, a faint whistle was heard in the distance as it came closer. The pack decided to make a run for it as the towns people went back to what they were doing. Kaoru ran to Sano and helped him up, his knuckles were raw and blood was dripping from his split lip. Sano bent down to pick up his ruined gift.

" Damn it!" Sano ground out.

" It's okay, not like Misao needs it right?" Kaoru replied after a moment.

" Actually, I lied about this being Misao's present." Sano said. Kaoru was a bit surprised.

" It's wasn't for her? Then... who was it for?" Kaoru asked. Sano smiled sheepishly and replied,

" For you, Jou-chan." Kaoru stood there wide eyed.

" WHAT?!" Kaoru cried.

" Sorry." Sano apologized.

" Wait 'till I see them again. Argh! I'm going to kill them!" Kaoru replied, Sano held her back.

" No, Jou-chan! It's all right." Sano cried.

" Fine. Let's finish these errands, then we find them." Kaoru growled walking in the direction of their first customer.

Some of the customers were a bit irritated when they got their order a bit off schedule. Both Kaoru and Sano apologized and when they gave Misao her order, she was all concerned for the rooster head.

" Come inside and I'll clean those wounds for you. That's the least I could do." Misao offered. Sano thanked her and Misao looked over at Kaoru, " You're welcome to rest, Miss." Kaoru could only scowl at that smiling face of hers. She walked in after Sano and sat down on the couch while Misao went to get the first aid kit and began attending to Sano's wounds. After Sano was patched up, Sano and Kaoru thanked Misao for her time and continued with their deliveries.

They took a break and Kaoru decided to ask what Sano had bought her. " Hmm? You want to know what I bought you?" Sano wondered.

" Yeah." Kaoru nodded. Sano thought again,

" The dress that you was looking at yesterday. I bought it for you but now it's trashed." Sano sighed. Kaoru burned in anger.

' That dress? Sano bought me that dress? The dress that I've long to get? Damn those punks! Once I get my hands on them... they'll wish they never have touch that gift in the first place!' Kaoru growled.

" K-Kaoru?" Sano stuttered.

" What?" Kaoru replied, an evil glint in her eyes.

" Forget that dress. Let's continue with our deliveries and go home, huh?" Sano decided to change the subject.

" NO! I... I really liked that dress... it was one of a kind!" Kaoru cried. Sano could only sigh again.

" Well, sorry. But it's gone now."

" Wahhhh!!!!!!!!" Kaoru whined falling to the ground. Sano was shocked that she would cause a scene.

" K-Kaoru. Please stand up." Sano replied as people whispered to each other as they passed the two children by. Sano was embarassed and hauled Kaoru up by her arms. " Let's get going, huh?" Kaoru wailed even louder, enough to annoy Sano. He tossed Kaoru over his shoulder as she stopped for a moment, realizing what Sano had just done.

" Hey, let me down Sano!" Kaoru cried pounding on his back.

" NO." Sano huffed walking to their destination, never letting Kaoru off his back for a minute. Kaoru could only groan with the thought of the one of a kind dress being lost forever.

They had finally finished with their deliveries, Sano was happy, Kaoru was depressed and angry. While walking home, Sano replied,

" Neh, Kaoru?" Kaoru looked at Sano, wondering what was wrong.

" What is it, Sano?" Kaoru replied.

" I-" Sano sighed, " Do you really like Kenshin that much?" Sano asked.

" Of course I do! That's why I'm trying so hard to keep this bet between us!" Kaoru cried. " Hey! You're changing the subject aren't you!" Kaoru grumbled. Sano sighed again.

" Sano..." Kaoru whispered.

" It's nothing. I'm sorry I couldn't protect the dress." Sano said.

" It's all right. I'm just glad that you're even alive." Kaoru said. " Now let's get home, I'm hungry!" Kaoru replied running ahead, smiling Sano ran after her. Even though Sano knew Kaoru's love for the red head, he couldn't help but feel slightly jealous... he knew that his feelings won't be returned. Sano will wait until the moment for her to slip up and grant him the kiss that he wanted so much. A kiss from the girl he had always had a crush on; Kaoru Kamiya.