Complete Me

Author's Notes: Edit: corrected inconsistencies – thanks to the attentive readers for bringing it up. AND thank you for everyone telling me what they liked about the story; it's really helpful.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and advice. I know this is also a short chapter but if I don't publish it now, I won't have another chance to for another month or two. So I hope you can bear with the shortness of it.

Chapter 3: Scattergram

Greater love has no one than this

That he lay down his life for his friends

(John 15:13)

Kaoru winced as Megumi pushed her uncooperative limbs onto a hospital bed. As the doctor tucked the thin sheets around her, Kaoru shivered.

"I don't know how to explain it, Megumi," she said quietly, sinking into the mattress and pulling the sheets up to her chin. "It happened so quickly, just like at Kanryuu's lab when…"

Her voice trailed off into silence. Megumi turned around, following Kaoru's line of sight, and saw Aoshi and Kenshin waiting in the doorway.

"What did you bring him here for, you idiotic ninj-"

"He did take her to us, Megumi-san," Aoshi interrupted shortly, as he took a few clipped steps into the room.

From the outside, Kenshin watched as Aoshi stepped up to Kaoru's side and placed a hand on her shoulder. The pale girl looked up into the tall man's face with a fond smile.

"I am fine, Aoshi," she said quietly, "Please don't worry about me."

"You have always said that, Kaoru-san," he replied, "And I have never complied."

Kaoru sighed as her face relaxed, her lips turned up contently as she leaned back into her pillow. "I'm sorry to cause you to worry."

Aoshi shook his head and turned to Megumi, who was unashamedly staring at Kenshin.

"Is there something you wish to ask me, Takani-san?" Kenshin asked her, his voice light but his muscles tense under her unabashed scrutiny.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, mister," she said, her voice scathing.

"Megumi," Kaoru said, her eyes closed tiredly, "Please don't give Kenshin such a hard time. It isn't his fault."

"How can you say that?" Megumi asked, her sharp eyes still trained on the red-head, "He was-"

"Megumi-san," Aoshi interceded, "At the very least, you should speak with Himura outside so that Kaoru-san can get some rest. You should know that she needs it."

"You," she jabbed an accusing finger at Kenshin, "Outside."

As Megumi stalked out, followed by a clueless Kenshin, Kaoru tugged at Aoshi's dark sleeve. "He doesn't remember. Please, don't let her tell him about the past, Aoshi," she whispered breathlessly, "I know she means well but I don't want him to know."

Aoshi frowned lightly as Kaoru's fingers slipped from his sleeve. Her arm fell against the sheets as she sank into a deep, drug-induced sleep. He quickly turned exited the small room, following the sound of footsteps.

Kenshin was mildly bewildered by the doctor's apparent aversion to him. He blinked as she spun around to face him as soon as they were out of Kaoru's hearing range.

"What exactly are you doing?" She demanded, as she jabbed a long red nail into his chest. "I told you-" She broke off mid-sentence as Aoshi, who suddenly appeared behind her, placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned in to whisper something into her ear. Kenshin watched as the doctor's eyebrows shot up. She knocked Aoshi's hand from her shoulder as whirled around to face him. "Are you sure?" Her voice was shrill with disbelief.

In response, Aoshi only nodded calmly. Megumi shook her head stubbornly.

"Impossible. I cannot imagine her doing such a thing." She grabbed the collar of Aoshi's shirt and pulled his ear to her lips. Her teeth tight, she whispered harshly, "She loved him. Why would she make him forget her?"

Aoshi pried her fingers from his shirt and pulled away gently. "I do not know."

Megumi spun back around to point her finger at Kenshin again – only to find he was no longer there. "When did he-?" She searched the corridor for a sign of the man. "I didn't even hear him go."

"He may have lost his memories," Aoshi commented dryly, "But not his skill."

-d-b-

Kenshin stood over Kaoru's sleeping form, his eyes resting on her tranquil face. By the way her eyes moved beneath their pale lids, he knew she was dreaming.

About what, he wondered to himself.

His lips thinned as he watched the shallow rise and fall of her chest. She was an enigma, this young woman. At every turn, another mystery presented itself. How was it, he asked himself, that he had never even questioned her age. Her slim frame, her childlike face, her speech patterns – all screamed adolescence. And yet, he had always assumed that they were alike.

Truly, she was but a child. Unlike himself, she could not possibly carry the burden of upholding the new peace Kyoto had forged for itself. He still remembered the horrors of the old government, remembered his disappeared parents and neighbors, remembered the screams that still echoed in his dreams. Kenshin did not know how the peace had been restored but he knew that he was willing to kill, willing to wield his lethal technique to make sure it stayed. Someone of her age couldn't possibly understand.

And yet…

Her face was smooth in sleep, he mused, uncreased by the faint worry lines that ran across her forehead when she would look away from him suddenly while they were together. It was an expression too mature for someone of her age. He frowned slightly at the thought. When he had first met her in the park, he had felt warmed by the sunshine in her smile. But the more he tried to draw close to her, the further he felt. Even when she smiled, he found himself feeling as if something was not quite right; as if there was something he was missing. More and more often he caught her looking away as if she had suddenly tasted something vile and could not stand to let him see her grimace.

The mystery surrounding her stretched further.

Why would she insist on coming to a relatively unknown clinic instead of a hospital? Why did her doctor hate him so? Why would an obviously skilled martial artist be working at a clinic? The questions rushed through his mind.

At her side, Kaoru's fingers twitched slightly.

Drawn to the sudden movement, Kenshin's gaze fell to her hands. His eyes widened as he noticed the thick calluses on her palm and the thin white scar lines that ran up her forearm. Why hadn't he noticed this before? He reached forward to run his fingers down the length of one glossy lock of black hair. He let the smooth strands slide through his fingertips and then gently lifted the tips to brush against his lips.

Who was this girl?

-d-b-

When Kaoru slowly drifted awake, light was filtering through the slightly swaying blinds. She inhaled the crisp morning air, distantly hearing the rush of morning traffic outside. With a sigh, she turned onto her side. Opening her eyes lazily, she stretched her arm across the mattress to embrace Kenshin's bare shoulder.

When her fingers hit the cold metal of the hospital bed instead of warm skin, she shot up into a sitting position, her eyes searching frantically.

Then a wave of pain hit her and she fell back, her palms pressed to her forehead.

"Kenshin?" She rasped, as her eyes began to burn.

Her head started to pound and she clenched her teeth in pain. It felt as if electric shocks were racing across down every nerve ending in her body and as if her stomach was desperately trying to heave itself upward.

"Kenshin!" This time it was a shriek of pain.

Both Aoshi and Megumi came barreling through the door. Megumi rushed to Kaoru's beside. Panicked, she pressed her fingers to Kaoru's pulse point.

"Too fast," she said breathlessly.

"What is wrong with her?" Aoshi broke his usual silence as he watched Megumi try to grab Kaoru's shaking limbs and push her back into lying down.

"I don't know," Megumi snapped angrily.

"Stop it!" Kaoru arched suddenly, her eyes wide and unseeing and her body twisting violently.

Megumi struggled to hold her still. She glared at Aoshi over her shoulder. "You idiot," she yelled, "Help me, you stupid man."

Aoshi's face contorted in a rare show of anger as he moved forward to restrain Kaoru's tossing torso. "How could you let this happen?" He demanded accusingly. "What kind of doctor are you?"

"It's not my fault, you fool." Megumi snapped back, stepping back to pull out a syringe. She filled the syringe and tapped it to remove the air bubbles. "If you had just protected her when she was with us, none of this would ever have happened." She grasped Kaoru's forearm and injected the clear liquid. "It's your fault for not being strong enough to stop Battousai from…"

Megumi's angry voice trailed off into silence as Kaoru fell limp and unconscious. An awkward silence hung in the air between them. The doctor slowly let Kaoru's arm slip from her fingers and fall to the bed.

"Aoshi," she began, her voice quiet and strained, "I don't know what came over me." She stopped for a moment.

"I, as well," Aoshi said, filling the uncomfortable silence, "I do not know why I said such things. I apologize."

Megumi nodded, vaguely registering that Aoshi had left the room. She continued to stare at Kaoru, pursing her lips. The young girl's lips were still trembling slightly and her delicate brows were knit together in consternation. Megumi tenderly brushed a damp lock of hair from Kaoru's temple.

"Aoshi," the doctor said as she stepped from the room, "This can't be normal."

"It never has been." Aoshi straightened to his full height as he stepped away from the wall he'd been leaning against. His arms were tensely folded across his chest.

"If only we knew more," Megumi thought aloud, "I just have no idea what is causing this in her."

Aoshi closed his eyes, his face blank. "It stretches out, and ripples like the waves of the ocean." He paused and caught himself from swaying backward. "Its force is like the rage of a typhoon."

Instinctively, Megumi stretched out a hand to steady the suddenly pale man. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Aoshi opened his blue eyes. "Her aura," he stated, "That is how her aura feels."

Megumi could only frown.

-d-b-

"Let me get this straight." He took a long, lazy drag from the cigarette that dangled casually from between his white-gloved fingertips. "You don't remember."

"That's correct, sir."

"Hmph." He studied the orange glow at the burning end of his cigarette. He blew on it through his teeth and watched the white ash fly away. "And I thought it was just a rumor."

"What is, sir?"

Hajime Saitoh, captain of the police, turned his ginger-colored eyes on one of the newer additions to his police force – an addition he had certainly resisted. He smiled, showing his perfectly white teeth, a smile that would make almost anyone pee their pants. "Well, Kenshin Himura, I just don't know if I should tell you." Eyes narrowing, he ground the butt of his cigarette into a nearby ashtray. "And what exactly do you want again?"

Kenshin didn't blink. "I want permission to search for any police files that include my or Kamiya-san's name."

"Well," Saitoh said, inhaling with sarcastic patience, "I can see why it would benefit your memoryif you were to look up files on yourself – which, I might add, will probably yield nothing – but why on the girl?"

"I'm not sure."

Saitoh rolled his eyes.

"But I think we have some kind of connection." Kenshin did not flinch under Saitoh's stare; rather, he seemed to grow in stature under it.

"And if you do have a sort of connection," Saitoh drawled, his tone dripping with undisguised scorn, "Are you sure you want to discover what it is?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He raised one eyebrow.

"Have you ever thought that there might be a reason that you can't remember what you did?" Saitoh pulled another cigarette from the box on his desk. "You," he nearly spat, "might be better off not knowing."

"Why would you say that?" Kenshin's tone was cautious.

"You don't think I can see through your flimsy façade?" Saitoh snorted as he stood, slowly stalking around the desk. "If you were trying to hide your skill, you did a rather poor job of it. It's quite easy for me to tell you are trained in some form of martial arts. And quite well, at that."

"Why would my skills be of any relevance?" Kenshin frowned.

Saitoh flicked the ash from his newly lit cigarette. He spoke quietly, blowing smoke toward the ceiling. "You really have forgotten haven't you?" He smirked humorlessly. "You're quite fortunate to have lost the memory of that time," he said under his breath. Then, louder, "Very well, you have my permission. But, don't blame me when you regret it."

-d-b-

He was sitting on a park bench, watching the sun set. It was beautiful, he admitted to himself, all the pastel colours blending into each other. Suddenly, he bent over with his palm pressed onto his mouth. He coughed violently, his chest shaking.

Soujiro sat up and, wiping his hand on his handkerchief, struggled to breath.

"You've worked hard."

Soujiro smiled widely as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "I try."

"Just a little more is all I ask of you."

"Of course." His smiled brightened impossibly as he turned back to stare at the red in the sunset.

-d-b-

"Megumi," Kaoru struggled to keep her voice from trembling, "Please, Megumi." She felt very far away, as if she were reaching through a dense fog of pain.

"I don't know, Kaoru," Megumi said, her voice reluctant, "The drug isn't legal and if you are caught with it … I don't want you to draw attention to yourself."

"And dropping to the ground in convulsions won't draw attention?" Kaoru laughed weakly. "These episodes, I've never had so many in such a short period of time. I can't fight them, Megumi."

Megumi looked away. "This pill, Kaoru," she said quietly, "I developed it while I was still … working for Kanryu." She swallowed. "Nothing good can come of that time. Nothing I did then was for anyone's benefit."

She felt Kaoru's cold fingers close around hers. The younger woman drew her tense hand into her lap. She patted it reassuringly. "It's okay, Megumi."

"No, no it's not. We tested this drug on human subjects. And not all of them," she drew in a shaky breath, "reacted normally."

"You've given me this pill before."

"But only very rarely – never in the amounts you would need to keep these episodes at bay."

Kaoru squeezed Megumi's hand. "Please Megumi, I can't bear it. And every time they happen, I can hear you shouting. I can even hear Aoshi shouting."

"We'll stop-"

"It's not only that. I see … things." Kaoru shuddered involuntarily. For a moment, she was silent. Then, she looked up, her eyes pleading. "Please, Megumi."

The doctor took a deep breath. "I'll give you some, Kaoru. But you have to promise not to take more than one a day – and only if you wake up with the symptoms you've been having lately. The violent nausea, head pain and dizziness."

"I promise."

"And one more thing."

"Yes?"

"I want you to tell me, Kaoru," Megumi said, "Why you did it."

"Did what?"

Megumi smiled sadly. "Why did you take away his memory? Why would you choose to be alone?"

"I'm not alone, Megumi."

The older woman cupped Kaoru's cheek in her palm. "And I'll always be here for you. But we both know that you and Kenshin, hateful as he was, had a connection like none other. So why, why would you do this to yourself?"

Kaoru's cheerful smile melted away into an empty expression. "I loved him," she said simply as tears filled her eyes. "And they were going to kill him. I made the choice to save him." Her expression remained emotionless, even as tears tumbled down her cheeks. "I can still see his eyes." Her voice grew distant. "I can still remember the moment when he forgot who I was." Kaoru paused, her facial muscles stiffening in resolve. "But he is alive and that is all that matters."

Megumi suddenly pulled her into herself, her own chest shaking. Kaoru looked over her friend's shoulder, the bitter tears stinging her eyes and burning paths of history down her face. Aoshi stared back at her from the doorway, his blue eyes unreadable.

Kaoru spoke to him over Megumi's shoulder, her voice steady despite her despair. "It's okay," she said, "I wanted to give him the chance to enjoy the peace he worked so hard for. It's okay."

Aoshi didn't need to tell her that she was trying to convince herself. He didn't need to say that she hadn't really wanted to give up her happiness for his, although she did it because she loved him. He didn't reveal that he knew that it wasn't okay, that it would never truly be okay.

But instead of telling her that he could see through her mask, he walked over to where she was staring impassively at him from over Megumi's shoulder. Without a word, he placed his hand on her head, his palm covering her forehead.

Kaoru closed her eyes.

-d-b-

They had been happy once.

When he closed his eyes, he could still see their small house. It was crowded in between other houses and shadowed by the walls surrounding it but it had still been a happy home to him. They'd only had a small courtyard, not even any grass, but he'd always played amongst the potted plants that his mother loved to take care of. He'd play in the shadow of the west wall while his mother carefully sprayed the tropical fronds with her misting bottle.

And then, when the sun began to cast orange and purple hues across the sky, the door to their courtyard would scrape open and his father would step through. At that moment, Kenshin could see his mother's face light up. He remembered the strong hand that would pat his head as his father passed.

But their happiness had been stolen away.

Kenshin remembered the first event that had begun his small family's spiral downward. The screams had come from just outside their wooden courtyard door. From behind his mother's skirts, he had peered through the cracks between the door and its frame. He couldn't see anything but moving shadows, but he could hear.

And what he heard, he wished he hadn't.

There were screams. It was one voice, screaming loud enough for many people. Oddly enough, the neighborhood suddenly seemed quieter than the grave.

But his father, his brave, foolish father, had never once been able to stand by and watch injustice. So, Kenshin had watched his father swing the doors to darkness open and step outside. He watched, for the last time, as his father disappeared into the alley outside their home.

And then came the sickening sound of tearing flesh. Perhaps the screaming had stopped. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. He could never be sure, because his mother had pulled him back into the house and they had huddled themselves into a corner.

Then he had realized that he couldn't hear over his own screams.

-d-b-

"Yahiko." Kaoru opened her eyes, a genuine smile stretching across her face. "Don't call me that."

"Why not? It's true, you old hag." A wickedly mischievous grin spread over the young boy's features. "Where've you been, ugly?"

She swatted playfully at his arm.

"You getting slow or what?"

She smiled slowly. Yahiko's grin dropped slightly.

"Are you okay?" He asked, shuffling closer.

"Of course."

The boy snorted, looking away.

"Brat." Kaoru's fingers snapped out to pinch his cheek.

"Ow, you old hag!" Yahiko cried out indignantly, slapping her hand away, "What was that for?"

"For looking miserable in a hospital. You'll depress the patient with that expression, young man."

"For your information, this is a clinic."

"Nitpicker." She dismissed the fact with a wave of her hand. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Just making sure you haven't got your sorry butt in too much trouble."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about trouble." Kaoru laughed with a wink. She sat up with a sigh. She stretched out her arms. "So, where are you living now, Yahiko?"

"Here, there and anywhere." He sat in the armchair beside her bed at stared at the wall. "I was wondering, actually, if I could come stay at your place for a bit."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. At her prolonged silence, Yahiko peered at her warily from the corner of his eye.

"This is Megumi's idea, isn't it?"

"Aoshi's, actually."

"Well, I can't blame them for worrying."

"No," Yahiko agreed with a mocking smirk, "You can't. You're just a walking accident."

Kaoru smacked him affectionately. "Where are they, anyway?"

"Downstairs. Waiting for your lazy behind to get in gear."

"Well, when do we go?"

"Now, would be good."

"Well, you little ingrate, help me up."

"Weakling."

"Delinquent."

Yahiko, despite his gruff insults, supported Kaoru's elbow firmly as she pushed herself off the bed. When her bare soles touched the cool tile, she nearly jumped.

"Careful, old hag." Yahiko steadied her. "You're getting weak in your old age."

"Thank you." She spoke sarcastically, ruffling his spiky hair.

"Ready?"

Kaoru nodded and, placing one hand on his short shoulder for support, they turned and headed for the door. She stopped abruptly. "My clothes."

"Oh, for the love of-"

"I'm not going to take the bus in this half-open night gown."

"Well I'm not going to make another trip-"

"I said, I'm not going to take the bus-"

"Don't worry."

Kaoru froze and Yahiko stiffened as they turned to face the owner of that unmistakable voice. Kenshin was standing a mere five feet away.

"You-" Yahiko began, "You promised that she would be-"

"Kenshin," Kaoru interrupted, digging her fingers into Yahiko's shoulder, "This is Yahiko, one of my … friends." She swallowed as Kenshin cocked an eyebrow at the boy, dipping in a courteous bow. "I wasn't expecting you."

"I'm sorry," he said, stepping forward, "I couldn't come until now. I've had some business to take care of."

"Business?" Yahiko asked testily.

Kenshin nodded and smiled. "A little investigative work." His gaze was steady on Kaoru's face.

"Investigative?"

Although he was answering the boy, Kenshin's eyes did not leave Kaoru's. "I'm a police officer, young man."

"You?" Yahiko erupted incredulously. "You are a police officer?"

"Yes, in fact I am." He suddenly seemed very close. "Kaoru?" He held out his hand.

She took a deep breath and took his hand, letting him guide her forward and toward him. There was something in his expression that was making her apprehensive. His smile was warm, but there was a guarded, unreadable look in his eyes that made Kaoru feel cornered.

Instead of immediately turning to walk her out into the hallway, Kenshin led her even closer to himself so that they were almost nose to nose. "I'll take you and Yahiko home," Kenshin offered in such a way that Kaoru knew it was not debatable.

So, she responded in the only fashion she could muster the strength for.

She nodded.

"Good," Kenshin said with a cheerful smile that did not quite reach his eyes. He leaned in, his breath heating her cheek. "And Kaoru," he said, "Once we get there, there are a few things I would like to ask you about."

Kaoru's mouth went dry.

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. She wondered, as the blood rushed to her ears, if all that she had sacrificed had been in vain. Had she lain down her happiness, only to have the past rear its ugly head again?

He tucked her arm in his and gently began steer her out, Yahiko in tow.

And all she could hear were her own screams.