"Miss Kaoru? Miss Kaoru?"

Kaoru blinked and came out of her daydream, looking up to see a smiling red haired rurouni standing before her, "Didn't you hear me, Miss Kaoru?" he asked softly.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Kenshin I was somewhere else. What were you saying?"

"I said that I was heading out now, that I am. Do you need anything from town?"

"No thanks, Kenshin."

"Alright, I'll see you later then, that I will."

Kenshin turned on his heel and started out of the dojo to head into town to retrieve the necessary ingredients he needed to prepare dinner. Kaoru sighed and shook her head to clear the image of the stranger from her mind. It had been almost ten years since she'd last seen him and she'd never thought about him before until just recently. For some reason she couldn't help but run his image through her mind over and over, as if trying to make him materialize by just thinking about him. It had always bothered her that she didn't know what he looked like. He said he would return one day but how would she know it was him if she had never seen his face?

Kaoru huffed at her thought, "get a hold of yourself, Kaoru. Why should it matter if you don't recognize him? It's been ten years. If he hasn't shown up by now he's not going to!"

Even so, she couldn't help but imagine the mysterious stranger once more as she stood to head into the training hall. She needed to work off some stress and since Yahiko wasn't there to complain, that gave her the perfect opportunity to practice some of the more difficult kata. Kaoru grabbed her bokken from the wall and held it at the ready, pausing briefly as a strange feeling washed over her, "I have a bad feeling about something… I hope it's just my imagination."

Kenshin hummed softly to himself as he walked back to the dojo, tofu in hand. He was in an unusually good mood today for some reason and he couldn't help but wonder why. Sure, everything had been peaceful and perfect at the dojo lately. There hadn't been any battles, no one coming and trying to kill him, not even Saito had come around to pick a fight lately. The peace and quiet he didn't mind, the slight tickle in his throat he felt as he hummed his song, however, made him feel a bit uneasy. He usually didn't hum to himself unless he was about to be sick and the slight pressure beginning to build within his head seemed to confirm that fact. He hated being sick, he didn't act like himself when he was ill and on top of that he didn't want to get Kaoru sick.

She had been under a lot of stress lately and catching his cold wouldn't do her any good in the least. The master at a nearby dojo had been injured during a burglary so for the past two weeks Kaoru had been traveling back and forth between the two dojos to teach his, as well as her own, classes. She was tired and aggravated, which was why he decided to leave her alone for a while at the dojo. He hadn't really needed to get anything for dinner, he had everything he needed but he figured Kaoru could use the time to herself to unwind.

A sneeze suddenly overtook him and he paused to let it out, a pained sound escaping him as the sneeze made his head throb he wiped his nose on his sleeve he felt a mischievous presence sneaking up behind him. He thought nothing of it until he suddenly felt someone grab his ponytail and yank hard. "Ow!"

Kenshin quickly turned, halting his sword in mid-draw when he saw the smiling face of his opponent, "Oh, it's you…"

Kaoru finished her kata with one hard thrust forward into her invisible opponent, wiping the sweat from her brow with a relieved sigh. That workout really helped her to feel better. It had been a long time since she could just go crazy and do whatever she wanted during practice. Yahiko was a great partner but he was also a great complainer. When their training didn't involve something he could actually use in a fight he didn't want to hear it and would complain incessantly until Kaoru finally gave up and let him leave. She smiled. She loved that boy, even if he was a pain, she would have to make him work harder for leaving before she woke up this morning.

As Kaoru was putting away her bokken she heard two high-pitched voices calling out to her, "Auntie Kaoru!"

"Ayame, Suzume! Over here!" she called out, stepping into the hall.

"Auntie Kaoru!"

The little girls ran to her and hugged her tightly, smiling up at the older woman, "Hey Auntie Kaoru! Do you wanna play with us?" Ayame asked cheerfully

"Yeah, Auntie Kaoru, play with us!" Suzume added, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

Kaoru smiled and nodded, "alright, what do you want to play?"

"Prince and Princess!"

"What's that?" Kaoru asked, arching a brow.

"We're the samurai and we kidnap the princess then a prince has to come and rescue her, like in the story!" Ayame explained enthusiastically.

"Sounds like fun, but who is the princess? You, Suzume?"

"No, Auntie Kaoru, you're the princess." Ayame giggled

"Me? Ok, so I guess that one of you is the samurai and one is the prince, right?"

"Ayame is the samurai."

Suzume pointed to her sister and Kaoru couldn't help but laugh, "Alright so Suzume is the prince, right?"

"No! Uncle Kenny is the prince!" Ayame huffed.

"Sorry girls, but Kenshin isn't here right now."

"AW!" both girls' faces fell in disappointment and Kaoru tried to comfort them, "It's ok, he should be back soon so he can rescue me when he gets here."

"Ok! Let's get started Auntie Kaoru!"

"Yeah, let's get started!"

Kenshin tried to hurry back to the dojo. He had lost a lot of time during his encounter, nearly losing the tofu and half his hair in the process. He made sure to keep a few steps ahead of his attacker as they followed behind him, smiling at the hundredth groan they let out, "Oh come on, Himura! You're not STILL mad at me are you?"

"You nearly pulled my head off, that you did, Miss Misao."

"I said I was sorry and besides, you got hair to spare!"

"I suppose I do. But aside from that it's nice to see both of you again, that it is. Have you been well lately, Aoshi?"

He turned to the taller man behind him and he nodded slightly, "Yes." Came the simple reply.

Kenshin smiled and opened the gate to the dojo and stepped aside to let Misao and Aoshi in before he shut and locked the gate back, "Miss Kaoru, tadaima!"

There was no answer. He called again "Miss Kaoru?"

Again nothing but silence and he began to worry. Had something happened to Kaoru while he was gone? Had someone captured her? Kenshin strained his ears to hear the faintest sound, heightening his other senses to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary. Suddenly he heard giggling and a familiar shout from the back of the dojo, "help! Someone please help me!"

"Miss Kaoru!"

Kenshin dropped the bucket in his hands, the tofu forgotten as he raced to the back of the dojo with Misao and Aoshi close behind. He rounded the corner, sword drawn and ready to fight, "Miss Kaoru! Are you alright?!"

He paused in mid-step when he saw the unusual scene before him. He saw Kaoru sitting on the edge of the porch her back against one of the support beams, making note of the rope wrapped around her arms and waist that pinned her to the beam. But what got his attention was not her bound form, but the cheerful smile that graced her pretty lips! What was going on here? She was being held captive and was she smiling about it? Had she been drugged as well as captured? If so then what else had they done to her? And where were they now?

He approached her slowly, still on guard and glancing around with cautious narrowed eyes, "Miss Kaoru?"

Kaoru raised her gaze to meet his, "Oh, hey Kenshin."

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"Oh it's not what you think, Kenshin," she answered quickly with a smile, seeing the distress on his handsome face. "I was captured by two little samurai so now I have to wait for a prince to come and rescue me."

"Oro?"

"What're you talkin' about, Miss Kaoru?!" Misao interjected, poking her head out from behind Kenshin.

"Oh Misao! It's good to see you. What brings you here?"

"We came to see you but I didn't expect to see you tied up and happy about it. Is this some kind of new game you and Himura have come up with for when the others aren't around?"

Kenshin and Kaoru both flushed a crimson color, "NO!" they shouted.

"I've done some strange and harsh things in my life, Miss Misao, that I have, but I have never tied a woman in order to do something to her!" Kenshin snapped softly as he sheathed his sakabatou.

Seeing how she'd struck a nerve Misao grinned and continued to tease him, "maybe you should Himura, then maybe you wouldn't be so grumpy and uptight all the time."

"MISS MISAO!"

Kenshin flushed brighter and everyone laughed at the embarrassed ex-hitokiri, more than amused by his shyness. He had been the most feared man in Japan at one point, striking terror into the heart of anyone who dared to cross his path or get in his way; emotion and embarrassment never showing on his cold, emotionless face even in the most compromising of situations. Now however, if you said something regarding him and Kaoru, or anything intimate for that matter, he wouldn't be able to look at you, nor could you distinguish between his face and his hair for the next hour. Ayame and Suzume suddenly came running around the corner, bokkens in hand, laughing. They saw Kenshin and shouted at the top of their lungs, "Uncle Kenny!"

They practically tackled the red head as he knelt down to meet them, "Ayame, Suzume, what're you two doing here? Is Dr. Gensai with you?"

"No, Auntie Megumi dropped us off so she and Grandpa could go help a lady in town."

"Yeah, a sick lady in town." Suzume chirped smiling.

"I see. So do you two know what happened to Miss Kaoru?"

"Yeah we kidnapped her!" Ayame stated proudly, holding up her bokken.

Kenshin couldn't suppress his smile as relief and amusement replaced his anger, "You did?"

"Yeah and now we need a prince to rescue her!"

"That's you, Uncle Kenny!" Suzume ordered, poking him in the nose.

Kenshin laughed, "That's me, huh? Ok, so what do I have to do to rescue Miss Kaoru?"

"You have to beat the strong samurai!" Ayame held her bokken in front of her like she had seen Kenshin do before and Suzume followed suit, "yeah, that's us!"

"Oh I see. So I have to beat you do I? Very well, if it's to save Miss Kaoru I shall defeat you, evil samurai! That I shall!"

The girls took off and Kenshin unsheathed his sakabatou, handing the blade to Aoshi, "Aoshi, could you hold this for me?"

"Sure."

Aoshi took the blade and Kenshin took off after Ayame and Suzume, sheath in hand. Misao laughed and sat next to Kaoru, patting her knee, "can you believe Himura would stoop so low as to play a silly game like this?"

"Leave him alone, Misao. He loves to play with Ayame and Suzume. Besides, it keeps his mind off of the past so just leave him be."

"If you say so. I still say he's an idiot."

They looked up as the girls came squealing around the corner, Kenshin a step behind. He was obviously not trying to catch them but they thought he was and held up their bokken to fight him. Ayame looked to her sister, "Suzume, you guard the princess! I'll fight the prince!"

"Ok Ayame!"

Suzume got on the porch with Misao's help and put her bokken on Kaoru's head, "I have the princess!"

Kaoru giggled and went along with the game, "Oh prince Kenshin! Save me!"

Kenshin laughed as well, "Fear not, Princess Kaoru! I will save you that I will! Samurai Ayame, release the princess!"

"No! HA!"

Ayame charged at him and he dodged with ease. She swung again and he let her hit him in the arm, pretending to shout out in pain, "darn you, samurai! You're better than I thought!"

"That's right! Now die!"

Kenshin jumped away from her and tapped her on the top of the head with his sheath, "I have slain you, samurai Ayame!"

Ayame grabbed her chest and smiled, "OH! Curse you, prince!" she fell to the ground, sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth to emphasize that she was dead.

Kenshin turned to Suzume and held up his sheath, "you're next samurai Suzume. Release the princess and you can live."

"No!"

Suzume left her "post" next to Kaoru and came at him. Kenshin put up his hand and held her with his palm on her forehead, keeping her in front of him as she began to swing wildly, unable to reach him. Suzume huffed at him, "no fair Uncle Kenny!"

"This is war, Suzume, I don't have to play fair, that I don't."

Suzume stuck her tongue out at him and backed away before coming at him again. She swung at his leg and he once again took the blow, crying out in real pain as she cracked his shin sharply with the wooden sword.

"OW! You have to do better than that, samurai Suzume! HA!"

Kenshin repeated his killing strike on Suzume and she too fell to the ground groaning. The red head laughed and put his sheath back in his sash, going up to Kaoru and pulling the rope away. They hadn't managed to make a decent knot it so it was incredibly easy to free her. Kaoru giggled and hugged him with exaggerated joy, "Oh my prince! You saved me!"

Kenshin put a hand on her shoulder, smiling into her gi, "yes, you are safe now, that you are, princess Kaoru."

Kenshin stood and helped her up, looking at a disgusted Misao when she groaned loudly, "what's wrong, Miss Misao?"

"I just cant' believe you, Himura!"

"Why? What did I…."

He was cut short when he heard a voice call out to him from behind, "not so fast prince Kenny!"

They all turned and saw Ayame standing holding her bokken once more, "You didn't kill me, prince Kenny! You still have to beat me!"

Kenshin shook his head and pretended to be surprised, "What? No one has ever survived my attack before! Curse you, samurai Ayame!"

"Here goes nothing! HA!"

Kenshin pulled his sheath again and blocked her attack and took off around the corner, "you have to catch me first, samurai!"

"Come back here, Uncle Kenny! I haven't killed you yet!"

"Yeah, me too!"

Suzume got up and followed her sister to slay Kenshin, getting Kaoru to laugh, "this is so cute!"

"No it's not, it's pathetic!" Misao shouted, once more expressing her anger towards the infamous swordsman.

"Oh come now, it isn't all that bad."

"This is supposed to be Battousai the manslayer! And he's playing rescue the princess with five year olds and losing!"

"I must agree with Misao," Aoshi spoke up softly for the first time since they'd been there, "even though it is just a game I imagine Battousai's commanding officers are turning over in their graves at this child's play."

"Oh you two get over it! It makes everyone happy and besides it's fun. Anyways, I'm sure you're tired so let me show you to a room."

Kaoru helped Misao and Aoshi get settled into the room just down the hall from hers, watching as Kenshin came by every once in awhile with Ayame and Suzume in toe, huffing and puffing as they tried to catch their opponent. Aoshi stayed in his room to meditate and Misao and Kaoru sat on the porch to catch up on the past year since they'd last seen one another. Sanosuke, Megumi and Yahiko returned to the dojo a short time later and looked around, "Where's Kenshin?" Sanosuke asked

"He's running around here playing with Ayame and Suzume. They're trying to kill him." Kaoru explained the rescue mission to the others, getting them all to laugh at the silliness of it all.

"I can't believe Kenshin would do something so stupid. I mean… he's Battousai!" Yahiko snorted with slight disgust and disbelief.

"Thank you! Someone who understands!" Misao exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air.

"I have to say that I think it's very sweet of Sir Ken to play with the girls. He'll make such a good father one day." Megumi said dreamily, her fox ears appearing on her head as Kaoru glared at her, catching the double meaning of her words.

Sanosuke chuckled, "yeah he would, if Missy ever caught him off guard, that is."

Kaoru flushed and punched his foot, getting him to cry out and hop up and down on his uninjured foot. Just then Kenshin came around the corner, groaning loudly, "OH! You got me! You have bested me… you evil… samurai!"

He fell to the ground, holding one of the girls' bokken between his rib cage and his left arm as if he had been stabbed. Everyone arched an eyebrow at the fallen warrior and Kaoru tapped him with her foot, "Kenshin?"

He cracked open one eye to look at her, "hm?" he answered softly.

"What're you doing?"

"They killed me, that they did."

He shut his eye again as the girls came around the corner, cheering at their victory, "Yey! We beat the prince!"

"Yeah me and Ayame beat the prince!"

"Good job girls, it's about time someone killed him." Sanosuke turned his gaze to his fallen friend, unable to hold back his amusement, "You managed to survive a revolution and Shishio and ya got killed by a five-year old little girl with a bokken, what a way to go there, Kenshin." Sanosuke joked, getting a laugh from everyone, except from the slain Kenshin of course.

They saw Kenshin scrunch his nose in slight frustration, knowing he wanted to retaliate against Sanosuke's remark but trying to be dead at the same time. Ayame and Suzume knelt next to him and shook his shoulder, "wake up Uncle Kenny, we were just playing." Ayame pleaded with a smile.

"Yeah, don't die, Uncle Kenny."

He didn't answer and Megumi chuckled, "if I recall, a prince can be brought back to life by a kiss from a princess."

"Yeah! Come kiss Uncle Kenny, Auntie Kaoru and wake him up!" Ayame suggested innocently.

Kaoru flushed at the thought, "Oh, he's just playing, he's not really dead. Besides he doesn't want me to kiss him I'm sure."

"But then how are we going to save Uncle Kenny?" Ayame pouted.

Suzume answered the call, "I'll save Uncle Kenny!"

She leaned down and placed a rough, wet kiss to Kenshin's still lips, getting everyone to laugh at the scene when his eyes shot open and his hair stood on end, shock evident on his face as Suzume looked down at him and smiled, "YEY! I saved Uncle Kenny!"

Kenshin sat up and flushed, patting her head, "you certainly did."

"How come you're red, Uncle Kenny?" she asked him sweetly.

"Because it's not everyday I get kissed by a beautiful girl, that it isn't. Also, you're not supposed to kiss me like that, that you're not."

"How come?" both girls asked simultaneously as Kenshin tried to think of an answer to give them.

"Well, because that's…. that's a… grown up kiss that it is."

"A grown up kiss?" they asked together.

"Yes, only grown ups are supposed to kiss like that. You are supposed to kiss like this," he leaned in and kissed both girls on the forehead, getting them to giggle and wipe it away.

"So that's a kid kiss?" Ayame asked to clarify his meaning.

"Yes."

"Oh ok! Well we saw a grown up kiss before so we thought that was what we were supposed to do." Suzume explained.

"Oh really? Who did you see kiss like that?" Kenshin asked as he stood and dusted himself off.

"We saw Uncle Sano kissing Auntie Megumi like that the other day."

"Yeah, Uncle Sano kissed Auntie Megumi."

Everyone gasped and looked over at the pair, noting that they had both turned the color of Kenshin's hair as everyone busted up laughing and cheering, "Woo hoo! Go Sanosuke!" Yahiko jeered.

"We had no idea you two were a couple, Miss Megumi!" Kaoru managed to spit out between her fits of laughter.

Megumi huffed and took Ayame and Suzume by the hands, "come on girls, it's time to go home now, say bye!"

"Bye!" they called out as Megumi lead them out of the dojo.

Once they left Kenshin turned to Sanosuke grinning, "Well Sano, what do you have to say for yourself? Shame on you for accosting Miss Megumi in such a manner!"

Sanosuke turned away, decided to shift the embarrassment onto someone else, "well what did you expect when you kept refusing me, Kenshin?"

Everyone gasped at the snide remark. They all knew he was joking but they were waiting to see how angry Kenshin had gotten at it. But instead of seeing him glaring at Sanosuke, he smiled and rested a hand on the taller man's shoulder, "you know you're the only man in my life, Sano. I just can't be with you because Miss Kaoru won't let me."

He winked at her and she laughed, not expecting Kenshin to go along with the joke, especially not in that way.

Sanosuke turned to him, stunned, "What?!"

Kenshin's eyes began to fleck with gold as he playfully hugged Sanosuke's arm, "that's right, you're my man, Sano. And don't worry I still care for you, even if you did kiss Miss Megumi."

Sanosuke punched the older man, rather roughly in the arm, pushing him away, "get away from me you psychopathic little pervert!"

Everyone laughed at the scene, not used to seeing Sanosuke so embarrassed. Usually it was Kenshin and Kaoru getting embarrassed in such a manner so it was quite a treat to see someone else getting it for once. Kenshin paused in his laugh to let out a harsh set of coughs, catching everyone's attention, "You ok, Himura?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine, Miss Misao, that I am. Just a cough is all."

"Are you sure, Kenshin, you look like you don't feel well." Kaoru added, a hint of worry in her voice.

Kenshin shook them off and started down the hallway towards the kitchen, "oh no, I'm fine. I just ran a bit too much is all, it's nothing to worry about that it isn't. I'll go start dinner now, that I will."

Sanosuke called after him, "you sure that's all it is, Kenshin?"

Kenshin halted in his steps, a dark smirk gracing his lips as he turned to his friend, eyes shielded by his long bangs, "I was fine until I kissed you. I must have caught that cold you got from Megumi."

Everyone's mouths hit the floor as he disappeared into the kitchen doorway, not at all expecting such a crude comment from the rurouni, "What the hell just happened?" Sanosuke asked stunned.

"Yeah, Kenshin's been acting weird lately." Yahiko added.

"I don't know. I've never seen him act this way before. Do you think he's sick?" Kaoru asked worriedly.

"Of course he's sick, Kaoru, he's Battousai. But is he getting sick? Probably."

"SANOSUKE!" Kaoru snapped at him.

Yahiko laughed, "yeah! Even more proof he's a sick man is that he likes women like Kaoru!"

"What was that, Yahiko?!"

"You heard me! Kenshin has a weird taste in ugly women like you! But I guess after being alone for ten years wandering around, anyone would like the first girl they saw. In Kenshin's case it just happened to be you, Kaoru."

"Why you little brat! Come here!"

Yahiko took off and Kaoru gave chase while the others watched eagerly as the pair ran laps around the dojo.

Kenshin listened to the fight from inside the kitchen as he diced through some vegatables, smiling when he heard Yahiko shout in pain, "serves him right, calling Kaoru ugly. Maybe I should give him a knock upside the head, too."

He gasped audibly, shocked by his own harsh thought towards the boy, "what's the matter with me? First I said those awful things to Sano and now I'm thinking badly about poor Yahiko who's getting beaten to a pulp. Damn it! I knew I was getting sick! I have to see if I can find a way to get out of the dojo until I can get over this before I say something I'll really regret."

He glanced up and saw Yahiko hurry down the hall, an infuriated Kaoru close behind. He could feel amber creeping into his eyes as he watched the pair begin to spar. Noticing with unusually keen eyes how her body moved gracefully as she twisted the young man into shapes the human body was not designed to endure. She laughed then, her sweet innocent laugh that he had come to know and love. The laugh that made his heart melt and his desires flare whenever he heard it. Yahiko managed to grab her lapel and she threw him, causing her gi to slip off of one shoulder, exposing a bit of the pale, silky flesh that lay beneath the worn material. Amber took over his vision for a moment but he quickly pushed it away, turning back to the vegetables he was cutting, "I have to get out of here before I say something I'll regret."

Kenshin dared one more glance at Kaoru as she pulled her gi back into place, laughing once more and causing the amber to force its way back into his amethyst gaze as the tip of the knife grazed his finger, drawing blood, "Before…before I do something I'll regret."

Chapter 2! YEY! Hope it wasn't too cutesy and silly. I know it seems to be getting away from the plot a bit but I promise there is method to my madness! (Mostly). Just wait! Next chappie will have more action and a lot more problems for our sweet rurouni and Miss Kaoru. Who knows, maybe someone will show up? See you then! Thanks for reading!