Alright, guys. I know I'm horrible at updates. I wish I could do them faster, but I've had major writers block and I'm completely overloaded with schoolwork. The senior year sucks. Plus I have to write for the school paper and learn some FFA stuff. I'll try my best to keep you happy. Please forgive me.

New Information

"Aw! My head." That's all Kaoru could say as she walked into her office the next morning. It had been hard enough to get her clothes back on when she crawled out of bed. She had to try and do it with all the construction going on in the streets. As she walked to work, her head pounded from even the slightest noise. She couldn't even remember what happened between leaving her small apartment and walking to her office.

As she sat down, Sano approached her with a grin. He had never seen her this miserable, but he knew why.

"How was the birthday present, little missy?" The only response he got out of her was a growl. "It was pretty strong, though I didn't think one glass of it would make you this hung-over. You must be a lightweight. That's what happens when you first…"

"I drank the whole bottle," Kaoru moaned in her hands.

"What? The whole bottle? But why?" Kaoru lifted her head to glare at him, which made Sano jump. He knew to drop it when she gave him that glare, but he had other things to tell her. "Listen, you should have fox look at you. Maybe she can give you something for that hangover. Just take it easy next time. Oh, and Takito wants to see you. He says he has some forensics reports for you to look at." Kaoru nodded. Just as Sano left, she spotted Saitou walking her way. The last thing she needed now was a lecture from him. Nevertheless, she straightened herself up as best as she could and followed him to his office when he signaled to her.

"Sit, Kamiya." Kaoru did as she was told after closing the door. When she was seated, she looked into her superior's eyes. She could never tell when he was happy or disappointed, but she knew his anger just by looking at his cold, wolf-like eyes.

"Sir, I'm sorry I was late this morning," Kaoru started. "There is no excuse for it and I…"

"On the contrary, Kamiya, I'm not all that mad at you. In fact, I was informed by Himura that you weren't feeling up to par, and that you needed some rest. He told me to give you the day off, but I can see that you don't need it."

Kenshin was the one that took care of me? she thought. She couldn't believe it. After shooting all those rounds at him, he took care of her? She suddenly felt awful for treating him so badly, but she still had a job to do.

"Saitou-san, I do not need any time off. As you know, I have work to do. I will find out who killed all those innocent women, no matter what happens."

"I appreciate you dedication, but you should go to Takani-san about your hangover. You are dismissed." Kaoru bowed and staggered out the door. Damn, that Saitou. I can't get anything passed him. Before she could get to the elevator, she bumped into someone, sending her backwards on the floor. Damn it, who the hell…

"Kaoru-domo, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you." Kaoru looked up to Kenshin offering a helping hand to her. When she was on her feet, she started to blush at the redhead. He had strong arms, and his voice was so soft. She was brought out of her trance when she heard his voice again. "Are you alright, Kaoru-domo?" She quickly pulled away from him, as if she was angry.

"I'm fine. You should watch where you are going." Kenshin smiled at the little detective. He had never seen anyone so prideful, so he continued to talk.

"You are right. Please forgive me. Are you feeling better this morning?"

"I'm fine." Kaoru turned back to him. She hated being wrong, but she knew what she had to do. "Listen, Kenshin. I want to thank you for last night. I was drunk, and I caused you so much trouble."

"It was no trouble, Kaoru-domo. I am here to help you. If you need anything, just let me know." He bowed and then let her go to the elevator. As the doors closed, Kaoru leaned against the wall for support. Why had this man made her feel so warm? She should hate him for trying to take over her territory. She didn't need any help in this case. Then again, it would be nice to have him around for company.

When Kaoru got to forensics, she immediately went to Takito's lab table. Takito was almost twice her age, but he still looked like he was in his late twenties. He was very trim for his height, but his brown, short hair and brown eyes was that of an ordinary Japanese man. Kaoru had always enjoyed being around Takito because he was like an older brother. She knew she could trust him, and that's why she always told him her secrets, work-related or not. She gave him a smile as she approached him.

"Hey, Takito. What do you got for me?" Takito quickly dug through his messy desk until he found his glasses. He was a bit of a nerd, but he was one of the nicest men she knew, along with one of the smartest.

"I compiled a report together on all the victims. This murderer goes after all the pretty, young ones. We know that he rapes them and then strangles them after branding them. It looked like Tomoe was the only one that wasn't tortured for awhile. He must have been in a hurry or something. Also, it appears that he killed the victims somewhere else and dumped the bodies."

"Anything else?" Kaoru asked as the technician's eyes lit up.

"Yes, something very interesting. It appears that all women were raped, but there is one factor missing. There is no semen."

"How do you know he didn't use a condom?"

"When you use a condom, a man usually gets sticky fingers and makes a mess on his victim, especially when they are struggling. He probably wouldn't have had time to put it on. So I have two theories. One, he either withdrew or…"

"He is a she," Kaoru interrupted.

"You always have to ruin it, but you are right. The person could have made it look like rape, so it is possible that our suspect is a woman."

"Good job, Takito. Keep it up. I'll see you later." She was about to leave when Takito stopped her.

"By the way, Kaoru, I was wondering if you would like to go on a date this Friday." Kaoru sighed as she stopped at the door.

"I'm sorry, Takito, but as long as this killer is out there, I can't stop for anything."

"Can't blame a man for trying. You're going to have a long investigation. This guy is pretty smart. He won't leave any traces. We do know he is about 120 lbs by the amount of pressure he or she puts on the victims."

"I'll remember that. Thanks again."

Yeah, it was a bit boring. It will get better. I was just giving you more detail. I'm trying to make this really good. I'll update soon. Thanks for all the reviews. Cya.