A/N: Well...this is going to be more than a two shot...sorry. It's not going to be a great long multichapter...maybe only one more section and an epilogue so...enjoy it while it lasts...let's let the mystery unravel itself...

IV.

Once Kaoru finished her (annoying) interview with the director, she made her way to the hospital that was nearest where she had called from. Once she walked inside, she wondered if she would be able to see Shinta, even though she was the one that had called 911. She took in a deep breath and walked up to the nurse's station.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat to get the attention of the male nurse behind the desk. After a little bit of goading she was able to get the room number out of the man, mostly by convincing him that she was Shinta's girlfriend and that she desperately needed to see him.

While standing in the elevator, she wondered for a moment what she would say to him. And then she wondered what she would call him. When she asked his name, he told her to refer to him as Shinta, but by knowing that he went by Kenny, and that the name he went by as a child was Kenshin, the only thing that she could really do was speculate.

All she did was think of words, and by the time that she got to the door of the wing that he was in, there was nothing to show for it. She had her mouth closed with the words knocking on her teeth, but she didn't think any of it would matter.

She entered and tried to be soundless. She was met with the gaze of an old man lying in the first bed. Kaoru bowed her head to him and walked on to the second bed on her right side. Shinta was lying there, half asleep, with his hands rested neatly over his stomach.

It was maybe without all of the clothes on that she could see him clearly. His collar bones stuck out of his skin like twigs that had been jammed up underneath. His wrists were so small that the band around one of them looked heavy. Instead of being free flowing like he had been on the street, dancing and looking jovial, his body had turned angular, rough, and somewhat cocked. Almost like his weathered hands.

"You're the girl from earlier," he surprised her by speaking. Kaoru nodded. She approached him closer, and she noticed a gleam on his skin where the nurses had likely lathered his sunburned face with some kind of aloe cream. There was a clear definition between where his clothes had covered his skin and what skin was exposed.

Kaoru couldn't stop herself from putting her hand over top of his. She wanted to feel how rough they were, maybe just to know that it was real. "Kaoru, right?" he asked. The girl nodded and ran her fingers along some of the cracks that were etch on his palms. He didn't deny her, only watched with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"Look, I uh…"she pulled away from him, afraid that she was being too intimate. She wanted to ask him so many questions, but just by looking at him she felt that she wouldn't get any answers. Instead she pulled a business card from her portfolio and scribbled over it. "I know this is random but, you did pass out on me and…and I feel involved now," she admitted, and she slipped the card into his hand. "Have you heard anything from the doctor?"

"No," he shook his head. "They told me that they would be running tests, and they put me in here. So I guess I'm just waiting."

"They say what they think is wrong?"

Shinta shrugged. "Not really. It could be anything since I passed out."

Even as he spoke about himself, it seemed as though he was speaking about someone else while he was doing it. Kaoru shook her head and tried to imagine this man dressed neatly and fed well. For a moment, the image of the teen star flashed before her eyes. She could see the precocious face that he had, and the gleaming eyes that convinced anyone to do what he wanted.

"I want you to call me when you get word," Kaoru said, and she tapped the hand that she had placed the card in. "Will you?"

"Of course," he nodded. "Where are you going?"

"I have to catch a flight for a job," she said. "I'll be back by tomorrow night at the latest, alright? I'll come back and see you."

He nodded, and his eyes were transfixed on the business card. Kaoru left after that, knowing that if she didn't separate that she was bound to miss her flight.

V.

On the plane ride from Los Angeles to Dulles airport, Kaoru listened to the recording of her and Hiko and began compiling useful information. Despite the director's rudeness, she couldn't deny that he had given her decent enough anecdotes to provide a background story. As she listened further, she could hear some kind of sympathy or guilt in his voice, as though everything he was saying was going to be said at a wake.

Kaoru rented a car to take her from the airport and started south into Virginia. In her hands were directions to a small town where a film shoot was taking place. She was next going to talk to Sam Sagara. Though Kamatari had a rough time coming up with Sam's location, the man was more the happy to talk to Kaoru. As she spoke to him over the phone, Kaoru made it clear what she was going to talk about as she didn't want to be denied by him like she had with Hiko. Sam only laughed at her and said: "Well, I see what I do for you, but I can't promise that it will be a whole lot."

The journalist slowed the car as she reached an exit, not sure that she was in the right place. There was a sign that was pointing to the town that she had written down on the paper. There seemed to be little sign of life, especially if there was a film crew in the vicinity. She travelled the length of the exit until it became a bumpy mess. She pulled off at a gas station and sat there drinking in the scenery.

Sam had left a number for her "in case she got lost". She could see why. The little town was fairly simple looking, but all the same, there was nothing telling her where exactly she should go. With a bit of fear in her stomach, Kaoru pulled out her cell phone and dialed. She'd spoken to people that were more powerful than Sam (hell, she had just spoken to Hiko Seijuuro, a man who was notorious for turning down interviews), but Sam was the kind of guy that she wouldn't mind being friends with, or even (if the world were just) going out with. She dialed the number and waited several heartbeats, telling herself that after ten she would hang up. He answered on nine.

"Sam Sagara," Kaoru took a deep breath.

"Hi, it's Kaoru Kamiya."

"Yeah, hey Missy," Kaoru raised a brow at the nickname. "I take it ya can't find me?"

"I found a Sunoco, that's about it," the journalist put her hand on her stomach, the airline pretzels and soda not enough to appease her. "Where do I go from there?"

"Just take the road you were taking when coming in until you two churches directly across from each other. Take a right and continue down that road. You'll see a ruddy blue pickup. That'll be me waiting for you."

Kaoru turned out on the road the moment that Sam had started talking. She was halfway down that road by the time finished his explanation. She laughed and hung up with him, afraid that she was going to say something stupid. For some reason, whenever she got the opportunity to speak to someone that she really wanted to speak to, interviewee or otherwise, she always sounded more sober when she was in person than when she was on the phone.

The old truck was hard to miss, and Sam was even harder. He leaned against the side of the truck casually, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes poised toward Kaoru as she slowed to approach him. He raised a hand and waved to her. Kaoru's heart melted.

It took the journalist a moment to gather her bearings and feel professional. Sam was approaching her car as she gathered her things. When she jammed her tape recorder into her coat pocket, he was knocking on her window. Kaoru rolled it down and smiled, and a giddy and nervous laughter hid in the back of her throat.

"Prettier than I thought you would be," Sam said. Kaoru got out of the car and stood in front of Sam with her knees knocking together like first grader. "Sano Sagara, nice ta meet ya."

"Sano? Don't go by Sam?"

"Well, I do but I figure since you seem to have the Japanese heritage thing going on that it I could be a little lax. People probably call you…what…Carrie?"

"Sometimes."

"Names are names. I mean, technically Sagara isn't my original last name but it's still official. My mom remarried and I took the second guys name, it was easier I guess, 'specially in this biz."

"So, was Sam suggested by your manager or agent or whoever?"

"Nah," he batted his hand dramatically. "My Mom's not Japanese so I was always called Sam at home. They just named me traditionally 'cause that's why my dad wanted," he shrugged. "Anyways enough about me, why don't we start?"

"Start?" she looked around at where they stood on the side of the road. Though it was neatly barren, only a few houses nearby, Kaoru didn't know if it was exactly the best place to be conducting an interview. She looked back up at Sam who had taken her lead and began looking around as well.

"Guess this isn't an opportune place for you?" Sano asked. Kaoru raised her brows when he nudged his hand behind her back and began to lead her down the road. "But…the cars…?"

"No one will take the cars," Sano said. "And I don't know about you, but I like keeping my keys on me."

Kaoru smiled brightly. "Yeah, guess that's true."

They walked for what seemed to be about a mile and chewed over nothing as though they were friends for the longest time. Sano did most of the talking, and Kaoru was giggling at everything he said because everything seemed to be a joke. He only stopped walking once to light up a cigarette, but even then he didn't stop talking.

"You do this to all the journalists you talk to?" she managed to ask as he took a breath.

"All what journalists?" he replied.

"Well, I mean, I'm sure you talk to journalists all the time," Kaoru said. "I mean, you are a movie star and stud-stuff," she didn't catch herself, but Sano only laughed at her. "Sorry. It's what I meant though."

"No need to apologize. It's a nice compliment since they have me with this shitty hairdo," Sano ran his hand through the thick mane that hung to his shoulders. The only thing that had it tamed was a bandanna wrapped around his forehead. The more that Kaoru looked at him, the more that she realized he looked like any eighties rock star—at least from the neck up.

"I guess I should ask what kind of movie they have you doing then?"

"It's kinda hush hush, but I can tell you that it's going to be a major main role for me. It's gonna be good. I can feel came at the perfect time too, let me tell you. They've been running me ragged with all these scenes. Guess I asked for it. It's fun, don't get me wrong, but I'm doing ten, twelve hours at a time. I told them today that I was exhausted and if they wanted any good acting they were going to have to wait for me."

"Something tells me you're lying."

Sanosuke shrugged. "What's it matter? You're gonna get your interview ain't ya?"

"I got a time limit?" Kaoru asked. Now they were standing outside a yoke yellow building, and the journalist kept looking at it and wondering if they were going into it. It wasn't a private residence, but it wasn't too public looking because only two cars were in the parking lot.

"No, not in least. But I won't keep you too long. You probably got a lot of investigating you're doing," he eased her towards the yellow building. "I hope I don't offend ya by getting grub in the meantime." Sano tossed the cigarette to the ground and stubbed it out.

"No, no, it's fine."

They walked into the building which Kaoru figured out was a restaurant, though it didn't have the feel on the outside. Other than a small placard hanging from the porch, it looked like a badly renovated house that was made into a restaurant on a pipe dream. Still, she always liked country cooking and she wasn't about to deny something to eat, especially if she was sitting down with Sanosuke.

"Why Sam," a girl came out from behind a counter. "You seem to like my cookin' don't ya?"

"Brought a friend this time," Sanosuke said. "You don't mind if we go outside though, do ya? I know you don't have it open but I'd like this to be kinda private."

The woman nodded and led them to the back. "So, what would you two like to drink?"

"Coke okay with you?" Sanosuke asked. Kaoru nodded. "Two Cokes please."

The woman left, and when Sanosuke looked back to Kaoru her tape recorder was out and ready. She had her hands neatly folded over a writing pad, and her eyes were poised at Sanosuke with a hard stare. She had lost the bubbly and gone to the professional. Sanosuke bobbed his shoulders and leaned his elbows on the table.

"Sorry to suck the fun out of this, but I want to get to business," Kaoru said. In the back of her mind was that she had given Shinta her phone number and she was waiting for him to use it at any random time. She could think of many things that could cause him to pass out and bleed from his nose, yet none of them seemed promising. She told herself that she should have felt his head for any odd lumps, but up until now she wasn't considering any diseases.

"It's all right. I understand. Ask your questions."

"Well, to start, how old were you when you first met Kenny Hartman?"

"Kenny? Well, I'd say I met him when I was like…six, seven maybe. I got lucky and was a guest star on It's a Big Deal and I was playing his cousin on there. I ended up with a reoccurring role 'cause he wanted to work with me. 'Course, that was till he was twelve."

"What'd you think about him?"

"He was a little shit most of the time. Not in the bad way, I mean, but he was a nosy little thing. He wanted to know a lot of things, and he was always into what was going on when we were on set. I watched him this one day…he walked up to Hiko, this was early on mind you, and he started talking to him like he was twenty. I swear Hiko was looking this kid and the eye and going 'what the hell' but he was still paying attention."

"Hiko said he usually took Kenny's advice," Kaoru said. "Said that there was something about his face that was convincing. Do you think so?"

"Convincing? Sure, he was a cute kid. And as he got older, he was just blessed with those good looks. There was a magic about it. Plus the kid was smart as shit. He talked like an adult, but then again, he was an only child," Sanosuke leaned back in his seat when the waitress brought out the drinks. She asked for their orders, and Kaoru ordered lightly while Sanosuke ordered what sounded like a four course meal. "One thing you need to understand is that Hiko's a little biased on the kid."

"Why's that?"

"Well, other than the fact that he thought of the kid as his own half the time? See, Kenny was close to Hiko for a long time, don't let anyone fool you. The sourpuss only says the shit he says because he's guilty."

"Guilty? What's he guilty for?"

"See, this is where I get hazy," Sanosuke leaned back. "It was during that summer, I think. There was a lot of weird shit that was going on."

"Like what?"

"Well, something was happening to Kenshin. He was just turning into this rebellious kid. Not like having all night parties with strippers rebellious, but he wasn't listening to his parents, he was skipping work, and he was getting in with the wrong crowd a little."

"What? Drugs?"

Sanosuke shrugged. "I don't know if he ever actually did them, I just know that he was around Tammy a lot, and Tammy had this bad tendency. You see…Tammy didn't flower into the industry until she was about sixteen. She was three years older than Ken, give or take, but he took to her immediately. She started out as a model, nothing big but enough to catch Ken's eye. He hounded and hounded Hiko till he took her on for a movie. She didn't have much talent but, between you and me, she had the greatest set of ha-has and when you put her in a movie where she wore a bikini, boy did it sell."

Kaoru grimaced at Sanosuke description, but he seemed quite proud. Kaoru tapped her fingers against the table and leaned her head to both sides. After there was a mild silence, Kaoru rolled her hand, insinuating that Sanosuke needed to go on. He ran his fingers through his hair and thought a moment.

"She was knee deep in shit before she came to Hiko, mostly because her other model friends had gotten her into a coupla things. I don't know what she was into really; probably coke, maybe some pot…I don't know. Either way, her drawing Ken in was pissing Hiko off. She was going with Kenshin; secretly I guess you could say, because she was with this sports guy, Akira."

"Kiyosato? The tennis player?"

"Yeah," he nodded, and his lips pursed together when the food was brought out and placed before them. He rubbed his hands together, and Kaoru was surprised that he wasn't drooling on himself. He pulled up a napkin and curled it in one hand, the other taking the fork and stabbing it into what looked like pulled pork. "See, she was engage to Kiyosato at the time. Everyone knew about it, thought it was a good pair, but she was off flinging with Kenshin. Now, I don't know if they did anything…but, I wouldn't doubt it."

Sanosuke didn't mind talking with his mouth full. Kaoru shook her head and picked at her salad. "So what happened that day? Where you're hazy about stuff?"

"Well, it was in August, real hot day. That kinda day where you're so miserable that you don't even want to get out of your chair. I had arrived real early that morning, was all decked out for the movie scene. I was ten; I noticed that Hiko and Tammy had went into a trailer and hadn't come out, and I needed to talk to Hiko about something, so I went up and opened the door. Neither noticed. When I opened it I could hear voices…."

"… clean up your fucking act," Hiko's voice was hushed. Sanosuke craned his neck to look into the trailer. At the far end, Hiko had Tammy backed into a corner and was jabbing a finger at her. Despite her position, she was hardly afraid. In fact, she hardly looked like she was anything but a zombie. Her eyes were glassy and she looked a little weak in the knees. She laughed.

"Yeah, what are you gonna do it Mr. Hot-Shot Director?" her voice had a seductive tone that even the ten year old couldn't miss. "Hm? Ya gonna punish me for it? Huh?"

Tammy reached out and touched his wrist. Hiko drew away. "You're an ignorant bitch sometimes. You're given the world on a platter and you're going to waste it on this nonsense! I'd think if Ken vouched for you, the least you could do is try to look upstanding."

Tammy wavered, walking forward. "C'mon, let me say I'm sorry, all right? I won't do it ever again."

She was pushed up against the wall. The trailer shook. Sanosuke jolted and hid a gasp by covering his mouth.

"I will not have you ruining me and everything I've worked for. My reputation is at stake if this goes public, and I'm not about to have an ignorant bitch like you ruin it for me."

Tammy got a sly little grin and put her hands out again, pressing them somewhere below Hiko's belt. The director back away from her and made sure that he was at an angle that she couldn't touch him.

"You're not working today; I forbid it. And if you come like this ever again I will make sure no one in this town will hire you. Got that?"

Tammy was steady, her arms at her sides, her head cocked to the side as though she were a confused little child. At the time, Sanosuke adored her. She was tall, lithe, and had an overall look to her that just screamed model. The way she walked, the way to she talked. She was his fantasy before he knew how to get creative.

Hiko looked over and saw him peaking in the doorway. "What are you doing?" he asked, and rushed over, ushering Sanosuke out. "You've got better things to be doing than gawking. You and Ken have lines to work on."

"He pushed me all the way to the set that day, and I didn't say a word. I mean, now that I think about it, it all makes sense. Tammy had come to the set high or…did it while she was there and Hiko found out. Of course, he was pissed. See…he's pretty strict about his beliefs, and he's always stuck by a code of his own. It's a good code, nothing wrong, except when you cross it."

"Why's that so important to what happened to Kenny?"

Sanosuke set down his fork and napkin and leaned back in his seat. His face went pensive. "It was that day. Hiko had wanted me to go and do lines with Ken, but when I found him, Hiko pulled him aside and started talking to him. I really didn't pay attention. Ken walked to the trailer. Never really saw him much after that…"

"He…went missing? Took off or something?"

Sanosuke chuckled. "If he took off, he hid in plain sight," he pulled a phone from his pocket and pressed a few buttons. "I always like to keep this picture on me, just 'cause it reminds me that he was still out there."

Kaoru leaned in, and she scribbled on her notepad as she looked at the black and white photo. The grayish hair and skin with just enough light bouncing off his forehead to make it shine. He was wearing sunglasses and a button up shirt, half open. He looked defined, like a yuppie only much more hip. "That was 1993; it was a Calvin Klein advertisement. I knew it was him the moment I looked at him. You never forget him."

"Wouldn't Hiko know this was him?" Kaoru asked. She stared at the picture, knowing that the features were the same. Nineteen years old…he didn't look homeless. He looked fit and trim; healthy.

"He might have if he'd seen it. He might have let it go, you know? Fooled himself that it wasn't Kenshin. You see…Hiko lost a part of himself when he lost Kenshin."

"So he…disappeared that day?"

"Sorta. See, there was this accident."

"Accident?"

Sanosuke nodded. "Kinda hush hush, too. Something that Tammy was involved in."

"What happened?"

"Well…far as I know, she tried to drive herself home and got into a bad wreck. Car looked like she should have been sawed in half, but she survived. Don't know if I'd call her lucky though I mean…she was comatose for weeks. Floating in limbo. I think Ken left because he thought it was his fault somehow."

"Why would it be his fault?"

"I don't know. He was crazy like that," Sanosuke rolled his eyes. "I wish it hadn't drove him off, whatever it was, but this picture sorta tells me that there was something for him. He wasn't completely left alone in the world. 'A course, his parents didn't know a thing about it. As far as I know his Dad's cirrhotic and his mother's working as a waitress in Bakersfield."

"He fired them, right?"

"Yeah." He picked at his food. "They never reported him missing, so I guess maybe they knew. I don't think you'd ever get a word out of the, so I wouldn't go trying."

"What about Tammy? You think she'd know?"

Sanosuke shook his head. "Doubt she remembers much. See, the accident left her in a state that was less than fortunate. Luckily, Akira didn't care what she was like, he loved her. He kept on the tennis circuit for a while, as you probably know, but in the meantime he was taking care of Tammy because her injuries were so compromising."

"Do many know what's wrong with her?"

"I don't even know that much, I just know she fell of the map and no one really cared. She was just a model and a mediocre actress at best. Plus, with the fact that Ken went missing, it was almost completely covered up, so if anyone did notice, they didn't say much."

Kaoru turned off the tape recorder. "So, would I be expecting too much if I went and seen her?" she asked, finishing up the rest of her food. "Or, could I even go and see her?"

"You could. Akira would probably let you talk to her. He'd probably know a bit about what happened that day…" he paused at the sound of Kaoru's phone ringing. She pulled it out and pressed it to her ear.

"Shinta?" she asked, almost breathless. "Shinta, wha…what's the matter? Talk…talk slower. Please…I don't…I don't understand. What…?" she paused, and Sanosuke leaned forward when she saw her face go stricken. "Shinta? Shinta?" She brought the phone down and looked at it. She pressed a button and put it up to ear again. After a few moments she brought it down again. "Can…can you give me Tammy and Akira's address?"

Sanosuke lowered his head. "Shinta? He…he used to call himself that…have you been talking to him?"

"It's why I'm doing this," she said. "I found him the other day; he had passed out and I got him help…now…I just…he was muttering about something, and I don't know what he was talking about. It was…"She shook her head. "I…I have to do. Okay?"

"Hey," Sanosuke got up and followed her. "Here, let me give you the address and phone number," he said, taking the pen and writing it on her notepad. "Where…where was he? In L.A.?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I gotta get back to L.A., see if he's alright."

Sanosuke looked back at the restaurant. "All right. I'll…see you later."

VI.

But when Kaoru got back to Los Angeles, there was no Shinta to be found. When she arrived at the hospital and asked for him, they told her that he walked out of the hospital of his own accord. "Why would you let him do that?" she demanded. "He…he might be really sick."

The nurse was resigned and didn't give Kaoru a definitive answer. She left the hospital and looked around, wondering if he was close by. It had been hours. He could have been anywhere in L.A. or anywhere in California, as far as she was concerned. She sighed and thought about the phone call. He was talking quickly, something like a con. He didn't sound the same as he did when she visited him before. It was like he had drawn into some alternate realm. He sounded like an annoying teenager that was telling her off. He was stuttering, too.

Kaoru was reluctant to leave toward Malibu to visit Akira and Tammy. As she made her way down, she kept her eyes out for Shinta wherever she thought he might be. She never saw him, and wondered what had happened to him in those moments during that phone call. It was almost like he didn't recognize her. He was mumbling a name, but it wasn't Kaoru.

Kaoru stopped her search, at least mentally, and delved herself toward the mission of speaking to Akira and Tammy as the cab pulled up to the semi-palatial home. She would have expected something grander considering Akira's once proud status as a professional tennis player. She looked at the address to make sure it was right. Before she got there, she had called to make sure they were in. It was Akira who had answered. His disposition was calm, and when she made her request, he showed a moment of reluctance before telling her it was alright.

She rang the doorbell and clutched her portfolio tight, nervous that she would be rejected at the last minute (which had happened to her more than she would have liked). She heard footsteps approach and her lips upturned. The door opened to a man who looked to be able forty something, though handsome in his own right. He wore a neat polo shirt and slacks and poked out the door cautiously.

"Hi, Mr. Kiyosato," Kaoru extended her hand. "I'm Kaoru Kamiya; I'm the one you talked to on the phone with."

"Ah, yes Ms. Kamiya. Please, come in," he opened the door to a large foyer. "You got here at the perfect time, Tomoe's feeling well today."

Kaoru wanted to pretend that she didn't know the things that Sanosuke had told her. "That's good to hear."

"Would you like something to drink? Coffee, tea?"

"No thanks. I sorta…filled myself on soda on the flight."

The foyer branched of into two different directions. To her left was a dining room that was hanging off of the kitchen. To her left was an open living room that had a tropical feel to it and just behind it was a large window that led to a deck. She could see the ocean just beyond it, the waves crashing gently against the white beaches. "Would she prefer to be called Tomoe?" asked Kaoru. "Most people call her Tammy."

"She responds better to Tomoe," Akira said. He took slow and steady steps into the living room. Kaoru was searching for the girl that he remembered from the picture. She was a beauty queen. Her skin was light and creamy, like a pearl, but her hair was dark as onyx and had very little sheen. She was sure the girl would be aged into a fine looking older woman. Even as she had thoughts of the kind of accident that Tomoe might have been in, she couldn't count it into the equation.

Akira was heading towards the deck, and Kaoru was following shortly behind, anxiety building. The man was speaking quietly to someone on the deck, but Kaoru was unable to see if it was Tomoe or not. She crinkled her nose and stood, inching toward the deck. When Akira looked up, he motioned for her to come outside.

"Someone wants to talk to you," Akira said softly. When Kaoru saw Tomoe, she was jolted by the figure. She wasn't revolting. There were remnants of beauty splashed over her face; her skin was still pale, and her hair was still an onyx like before, but the poise and grace she had was faded away as she leaned awkwardly to the right, her cheek nearly touching her shoulder. Though there were no marks on her face other than Time's lines, she could clearly see a large gash across the woman's stomach where it was partially exposed. Akira picked the woman up from the lounge chair and placed her in a wheelchair, her eyes forward. "You don't mind talking to her do you?"

Akira pulled up a chair for Kaoru and urged her to sit. He was in the middle of them like a referee, his hands on his knees. Kaoru's heart beat heavily, and she pouted. The images of Tomoe floated to her mind, and she had nearly discounted the memory that Sanosuke had told her. She blinked a few times and pulled out her tape recorder.

"My name is Kaoru Kamiya," Kaoru said, "I…I was wondering if you wouldn't mind talking about the summer of 1989. I'm doing an article."

If there was any emotion that Kaoru could ever remember from the interview, it was watching as Tomoe's eyes widen and her mouth twitch. Her arm curled toward her chest, though her fingers seemed to enjoy moving in the opposite direction. She was looking to Akira for guidance, but he was staying quiet.

"I…I'll….talk," her words were coarse, as though she had sand in her mouth and was speaking between the times that she would grind the sand. She took careful breaths and looked around at the world for her own leisure. "What do you…do you want to know?"

"I've been talking to some people," she said. "I spoke with…Hiko and Sano these past few days." The look was dying away, but Kaoru could sense some kind of urgency in Tomoe that she couldn't exactly explain. Tomoe was looking toward the ocean, and her wrist was turning in some kind of turn that seemed more rhythmic than anything else. "Sano told me about a day that happened in August, and that after that day, Kenny Hartman disappeared."

"Ken…Kenshin," she said, correcting Kaoru. "Kenshin Himura. I…I remember him," she nodded to herself. "Confident boy…l-love s-struck."

"That's what Sano told me. Said he had a great interest in you. But he told me about one day that wasn't so nice. About the day that you were hurt."

Akira straightened his back. Kaoru could imagine him lunging toward her, or steering her on another course, away from the accident so Tomoe wouldn't have to think about it. Kaoru could already see the gears in the woman's head turning as she tried to recover the memories. As Kaoru waited, she looked to Tomoe's legs which, from the knee, seemed very crooked. One of her ankles was in a brace. Her toenails were painted purple.

"Kogoro was a wonderful man…"she said. Kaoru had to think a moment, but realized that she was talking about the producer.

"Kogoro Katsura?"

"He… he was the one that was…nice and helped…Ken…as he helped with the movie…"

"What do you mean?"

Tomoe must have been laughing, but it sounded more like a dying cough. "He was…in love with…m-me. Kogoro was…had a wife and…and family bu…but he loved me. So…so he was willing to he…help me out any way that he….he could. And when Ken came with…a movie, he…helped. I think he…played cards with Hiko…"

"So Kenshin used leverage to get you into the movie."

"I…I…"she looked lost and turned to Akira again. Akira only nodded to her as some king of reassurance. "M-men loved me…and…and it took me a while to….to realize that I…only loved A-A-Akira. Before then…before then I loved many, many men….and I loved Kogoro…and I loved Ken…and I…used them for whatever I wanted…"

"Did you really love Ken at all? Or was it just so you could further your career?"

"M…em….I loved him...in that way…"she said, and one of her eyes blinked. Kaoru took it for a wink and blushed. "Kogoro had this…t-this nice c-car," she began coughing a little and Akira finally stood. Out of his pocket he drew a handkerchief and he wiped off the corners of her mouth where it seemed that her mouth had filled with saliva. She saw the ring on Akira's finger, and looked to make sure that Tomoe's was reciprocated. She couldn't imagine the kind of life that Akira lived with Tomoe every day. First when he was still on the tennis circuit and she was supposed to be her own, self-sustaining woman. After all these years, love and devotion still lingered. It was to the point that Akira knew all of the trysts and all of the little strives he had went through before he was able to claim Tomoe.

Kaoru wondered if he cherished her incapacity.

When Akira drew away, Kaoru looked back to Tomoe who was trying to choke her words back up.

"Th-that was my favorite car. I…I had told Kogoro that I would have it someday. He would…he would laugh at me and tell me that no…amount of money could buy his…his precious car," she was nodding again. "It…its one of the best memories I have….sitting in the passenger seat next to Ken…I was…holding tight to him…and he was being real pushy and teasing me….I was making it hard on him 'cause he still had his temps…"

"When was that?"

"He had…had to beg Hiko to let me…to let him drive me home…I was out of my mind and…and I didn't think it was a bad idea. It wasn't…far to the hotel. Then…oh that was such a beautiful car…"

Kaoru looked to Akira, still stony, and back to Tomoe as her eyes floated to the sky. "You were hit by Kogoro? And Kenshin was driving?"

"Yes."

"Was the passenger side of the car struck?" Kaoru asked.

"Yes…I…I don't…remember the….the accident well, I…I remember that…Firebird as it…as it came toward us and…and then…."she started to tear up. Akira stood up once again and came by his wife, hugging her delicately. She leaned against his chest. That was when Akira looked at her sternly. He patted his wife on the shoulder and murmured something to her. She nodded.

"I'm going to take her to bed," Kaoru shut off the tape recorder and gathered her things. "You don't have to leave just yet. I can tell you some things just as well as she can."

Akira left her standing on the deck with all of her things bunched up under her arm. She looked around at the serenity of the Malibu beach, and it brought her comfort to watch as the waves came crashing against the sand. A strong gust of wind came, blowing right through Kaoru as though she had holes all over her body. She chilled and looked around, waiting for Akira to come back.

When he did, Kaoru turned and gave a weak smile, as if there was no happiness in the household and she wasn't allowed to bring any in with her as Akira coaxed her inside and pulled the curtain closed. The light in the room dimmed, and the sound of the ocean became muffled.

"She's never been well after," he said.

"I'm sorry if I caused any problems," Kaoru said. "I didn't mean to bring up anything that I shouldn't have."

"Its fine," Akira replied. "She gets tired and cries a lot," he said it with no sympathy and Kaoru only wished that she had her tape recorder on to catch it. She flicked it on. "She's been fragile for the longest time. When she was in the accident, they didn't think that she would survive. She had multiple internal and external injuries…brain damage naturally. I know this is crazy but that'd when I figured out how much I loved her.

"They…they told me that she'd never walk again. The brain damage might leave her with short term memory loss…amnesia…lots of other difficulties I can't even remember. I just kept thinking about how she would be okay and that we'd get through this, and we did. When she was well enough we got married. It was nice."

"Not to…be rude," Kaoru said, not entirely interested in the life of the couple. "The day of the accident, were you nearby?"

"No, I was pretty far away and I didn't get the news until later that afternoon."

"Were you there pretty immediately?"

"As soon as I was able," he said. "I…I forfeited a match because of it."

Kaoru nodded and scribbled on her notepad. "Did you ever see Ken after the accident?"

"Yeah, once," Akira tapped his fingers against his chin. "It was real late at night and I was in the ICU with Tomoe. He came through the door, just him. He looked real hazy. He was taken to the doctor too. He had hit his head against the window pretty hard and had a thick bandage across the side of his face," Akira motioned by swiping down the left side. "I didn't think he'd say anything to me, and he didn't. He just walked up to Tomoe and looked at her, crying."

The room was very dim. There was an orchestra of noises coming from the breathing tubes and the heart monitor. Akira had nearly fallen asleep at Tomoe's side. He couldn't touch any part of her because she seemed so fragile, so he simply sat her side and talked to her, pausing when he could imagine her speaking to him.

He jolted awake when the door opened. The only people that had come since eight were the nurses, but even they were scarce. He looked to the clock that read past eleven and then to the character standing before him looking like a flower that had gotten too much water.

Kenshin walked up to Tomoe and put his hand on the bedrail. Tears immediately came to his eyes and he reached out towards her face, only to pull back. "Oh Tammy…"he shook his head. "I'm so sorry Tammy…I didn't mean to do this."

"It wasn't your fault Ken," Akira reassured him. When Kenshin looked toward Akira, there was a strange half-cocked look. It wasn't something that Akira was familiar with. Kenshin's eyes were usually extremely soft and welcoming, like a young child's. Now they looked rough and wolfish. Akira knew the boy probably had a concussion, just by his manner. "It's Kogoro's fault. He's the one that hit you guys."

"If…if I hadn't been so persistent to drive then she wouldn't be dead."

"Ken," Akira got out of his seat. "I know it's pretty bleak, but she'll survive. I promise," Akira said. "Look at her. She's breathing and she's alive. She's got a pulse."

Kenshin looked up to him as sanely as he possibly could and said: "What are you talking about? She's dead. She's right there…" he nudged away that hand that Akira had placed on his shoulder, and before Akira could try and persuade the teen of anything, he was out the door and down the hall, running toward who Akira believed was Kenshin's mother. The tennis player looked back to his soon to be wife and wondered what Kenshin was seeing. He thought it was just a guilty conscience.

"I never saw him after that. Like everyone said, he disappeared. He did a vanishing act and never returned to the set, or to see Tomoe or any of his friends. His parents were devastated, but they never said anything."

"So…what do you think was a matter with him?"

"I think something fell loose when he hit his head and it's never been right since. He seemed like it was a temporary lapse but, at the same time, he was so convinced that he was right and I was wrong. I could just see it in him."

Kaoru shut off her tape recorder. She had found her answer, in some way, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to know more. She could write a short article on all of her material and get Kamatari off her back. She could do a lot of things…but they wouldn't feel resolved.

"You think I'd be able to speak with Kogoro?"

"You could, but I don't think he'd be much help. Last I heard, he was pretty sick and not at all with his family," Akira's ears perked at the sound of wailing coming from the other room.

"I'm going to go. Thank you for your time," Akira nodded and quickly showed her to the door.

"I was glad to help," he said, but she felt as though she were pushed out of the house. It was just as well. She sighed and looked down to her tape recorder, her face nearly falling off of the muscles beneath it. She wanted to feel so many things, but sadness was taking over. For Tomoe, for Hiko, for Kogoro, for Akira…but especially for the now missing Kenshin.

That was her next goal: try and find the missing man.

A/N: this is the end of this section...I hope it all makes sense. If it doesn't, then feel free to ask questions. Till next time, KenSan out!