A/N: Reveiw Responses at end of chapter. Also, I have included a few extra responses for those people I am missing reviews from. I just want you to know I still think about you and you are sorely missed. KnT

Chapter Twenty-five

A Wolf's Eyes

Place:Somberman Lighthouse

Time: November 1, 2001

Sunday Morning, 8:07 a.m.

'What kind of an asshole am I?' Saitou stared hard into the dark brown eyes of his son as he struggled to deal with the mess they had all somehow ended up in. 'I knew I should have done something when the police were here... but no, I just had to let them handle it and keep my mouth shut. Well, not anymore.'

"Ruakii, we have to try and figure out where those two would be from here. Do you know your way around this place?"

"A little, I guess." The teenager shrugged as he led his father out the door into the hallway. "There are lots of smaller rooms down through here, and then there's the kitchen and stuff."

"Are you kidding? The lighthouse isn't that big?"

"Dad," Ruakii gave his father an irritated glare. "The building goes down behind the bluff. You don't see it all from the road and up front. Geez, What did ya think?"

Scowling, Saitou pursed his lips and gave his son an exasperated shove. "Shut-up, and just show me. Something tells me we don't have a hellofa lot of time."

"This is pretty much it, dad." The boy indicated the narrow hallway of doors. "The kitchen is off one of these. So, you want to just start opening doors?"

"That's what we're here for." From that point, each door was opened the room beyond carefully explored before moving on to the next. Saitou felt the moisture dry up in his mouth as room after room greeted him with silence. "I thought Quii said they were fighting? Where is all the noise?"

"Beats me, but if you want my opinion..."

"I don't. I can figure out for myself what the silence could mean, Ruakii. I don't need you painting pictures for me."

"Yes sir." They were standing on opposite sides of the hall and Ruakii was just pushing into the door of the room he intended to examine when his father hissed and swore viciously.

"Fucking hell." Saitou flew from the door and knelt swiftly beside the first fallen form he reached. "Kenshin–Oh my God. He's been stabbed, there's blood all over him and the floor. Jesus, Ruakii, find me something to stuff over this wound before he bleeds to death." A trembling hand carefully brushed the shaggy red bangs off the pale face. "What the hell happened here, kid? What in the name of god happened?"

A few minutes passed and the room exploded with female cries and a flurry of cloth. "Don't move him!" Saitou growled when Dharma reached for her son. "We don't know what else is wrong with him. And you do not want to fuck with any evidence."

"Evidence?" Dharma looked into Saitou's golden eyes. "What do you mean by evidence?"

"The police are going to want to figure out who started this little dance–in the very least who finished it and how. Things are not always what they seem, Dharma." Saitou pulled out his cell phone and punched the keys for 911.

Slowly Dharma turned to look at the other body. The one no one had really paid any attention to. The hulking form of her husband lay on its back. Clothes covered with blood made it difficult to determine just exactly where he was wounded, but the grisly stump of his right wrist was enough wound to satisfy anyone. Slowly she moved from her son's side and carefully knelt next to Hiko surveying the damage done to him.

"I pray that you've made your peace with God, Hiko." She whispered as she reached out and brushed the hair off his face. "Because your soul is bound for hell if you haven't."

"Papa is already in hell, momma." Dharma turned to look into the angelic face of her small daughter prepared to admonish her for cursing, but found she could not. The large blue eyes were dry of wetness and her little jaw was set in an unyielding line. "Him and the bad man keep trying to kill Kenshin, and God isn't going to let that happen anymore."

"What do you mean, baby? What does God have to do with it?"

"He took them, momma."

"Who took them, Cleo?" Dharma put her arm around the stoic looking little girl and pulled her close. "You aren't making sense, honey."

"Yes I am, momma. You just aren't listening." Cleo pulled away from her mothers arms and went to kneel beside her fallen brother. "God took them all someplace so he can fix what happened. So Kenshin won't be dead and so Papa won't be a bad man anymore."

"Cleo, honey, God can't change what's happened. Your brother and father are hurt very badly and we need to get them to a hospital..."

"That's just here, momma." Cleo tossed her hands up in the air in childish anger. "God took the rest of them–like what's inside, and made them all go someplace so he can fix this. He doesn't want Kenshin to be dead again, but he has to fix Papa so that won't happen."

"Fix your father..." Dharma exchanged bewildered looks with the other two adults. "How does God fix your father?" The sound of sirens greeted her question and she watched as Saitou leapt up and disappeared out the door. "Time will tell."

OoooooooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooOooooooooo

Place:Evermore General Hospital

Time: 9:22 a.m.

"We have two criticals coming in, Dr. Hoffman. Both with multiple lacerations and stab wounds. Massive loss of blood. Three unconscious, cause unknown. No wounds." The blue eyed nurse waited for the young resident to look up from his paperwork and locked eyes with him. "Four teenagers from the private school, and one unknown adult male."

"Great, what a way to start the day." The young ER Intern raked a hand through his thick blonde hair and pulled himself out of his chair. "Alright people," he shouted through the small emergency room. "Let's get moving. Trauma one is open and ready for customers, and it looks like we got five coming in for coffee and donuts."

"What we got, boss?"

"Two with stab wounds and blood loss, so I want every unit of O neg we got in the freezer, and three unconscious from unknown causes. Lots of blankets and saline. I want gowns, gloves, and masks people. We don't know if we're dealing with a virus outbreak or what, and I don't want any of you exposed. Got me?"

"Loud and clear, boss man." The eleven person crew of nurses and orderlies fanned out across the brightly lit room grabbing saline bags, IV poles and tubing, gloves, gowns, and every other item that could possibly be wanted or needed. It was like a well ordered beehive. Organized chaos.

"Dr. Hoffman?" The older woman who ran the admissions desk poked her head around the corner.

"What, Mary?"

"The police are on their way."

"Go figure." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. This was going to be a very long day. "You know where to send them, Mary. Just make sure there's coffee and call the cafeteria. See if they have anything they can send up to keep them occupied."

"Yes, sir. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank-you, Mary. Just try to keep them out of my way until things settle down."

"I will, doctor." She sighed and returned to her desk. "This is going to be a long day." She muttered under her breath as she sat down.

Three hours later Sargent Randy Thomas was setting in a hospital waiting room, a cup of coffee in one hand and a grilled cheese in the other. His pale green eyes were bloodshot and the frown thinning his lips told everyone to keep their distance unless it was important. A yellow notepad sat on the short table in front of him. Several pages were filled with his nearly illegible chicken-scratch handwriting, and he was studying them intently.

He'd thought he was through with this particular mess a couple of days ago when he order that stuffy, asshole lawyer to leave town, but no such luck. It appeared that same asshole lawyer had kidnaped two of the young girls from the private school and then somehow gotten himself mixed up in a sword fight with his step-son. How in the hell any of that occurred was beyond his rational powers of understanding, and how the kid, a bunch of his friends, and that same asshole ended up out at the abandoned lighthouse was an even further reach. Randy had not seen a mess like this in years, and he could hardly wait to see what forensics came up with at the fight scene.

"More coffee, Sarg?"

"No thanks, Ben. I'm good."

Ben looked at the bent head of his partner as he took a seat opposite him on the other side of the table. Randy had been going over his interview notes for over an hour now, and the silence was starting to work on Ben's nerves. "What are you trying to find in there, Randy? The answers are the same as they were 2 hours ago."

"Yes, I know. That is part of what bothers me so much. How can any of this bullshit be true?" He flipped a page and started going over the statement he'd taken from the school master. "I can see why everyone thinks this kid is innocent now, but I'll be damned if I could prove it. And now he's gone and sliced and diced his old man–not exactly the greatest thing he could have done, you know?"

"Yeah, I agree, but there has to be more to this than what we are seeing on the surface. You know Master Saitou. He would never stand up for the kid if he didn't really believe he was innocent."

"I know that too, but you saw the kids file the same as I did. If I was him, I'd want to take out that slimy bastard too, but that doesn't make it okay." Randy looked up and met the gaze of his partner over his styron foam coffee cup. "If he's the instigator of this little blood dance, well–his days outside are numbered."

"What do you mean by that, Officer?"

Randy turned to face the source of the new voice and found himself face to face with a woman he had never met. She appeared to be in her mid to late fifties. Her soft blonde hair was streaked with gray, but her eyes remained a sharp, intense aquamarine that took him breath away.

"I–ah, I'm sorry," He stuttered as he exchanged a confused glance with Ben. "Are you part of this investigation?"

"I am." Her chin rose and her eyes flashed defiantly. "I'm probably more involved than anyone else you've talked to."

"Really, how's that?" Randy frowned at her but indicated for her to join them. "I don't recall meeting you when this monkey shoot started a couple days back."

"And you wouldn't have. My name is Elaine Lindquist. I am the County Social Worker assigned to Mr. Himura's case when he arrived here at Ivy Payne three years ago."

"Ah, I see." Randy flipped back several pages and squinted at his notes. "You and your colleagues have been treating and evaluating the kid since his placement... Dr. Elaine Lindquist?"

"Yes, I have a Phd. in adolescent psychology, and Kenshin Himura has been one of my most unique, if not difficult cases."

"I can well imagine. It isn't everyday you get to try and control a murdering animal inside a herd of sheep."

Elaine's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Kenshin is not a murdering animal, Officer. He is an exceptionally intelligent young man whose been given a tremendous burden to bear."

"Is that how you see him? As the victim here?"

"Yes."

"Do you know what he's done–this time?"

"I know what is being alleged that he's done, but I will not believe it unless he tells me he did it himself." She laid her briefcase on the table and snapped the locks open. "There are a few things about young Kenshin that you should know before you start cleaning out a cell for him. He's not what you'd expect."

"I already know that, Doctor. I met the kid myself a couple of days ago. He has a lot of guts for someone his age." Randy accepted the folder Elaine passed to him and casually flipped it open. "Just for the record, Doc, I don't think the kid's guilty either."

"You don't? And what has led you to think that, Officer?" Elaine put her briefcase on the floor next to her chair and then trained her attention on the man setting opposite her.

"I met his old man too." Green eyes met with aquamarine and locked. "There is something wrong with the way that man thinks."

"More than you know," she replied in a stiff voice. "More than you know."

"Do you know the story the kid's mother is telling now? Have you heard it?"

"N-no." Elaine looked from one policeman to the other as the two of them exchanged a poignant look. "I have never been able to get more than five words out of either of Kenshin's parents in the last three years. The mystery of that child's homelife has been a personal plague of mine from the moment I laid eyes on him."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing seemed to fit."

"As in..."

"Kenshin was labeled emotionally unstable with violent tendencies towards authority figures, but from the first time I interviewed him, the label just didn't seem to be him." Sighing heavily, Elaine pulled a cigarette out of her purse. "You mind?" She asked, and both men shrugged. It took her only a moment to light the cigarette and then she took a hard pull off of it holding the smoke inside her lungs for a full ten seconds before blowing it out in a slow, steady stream.

"You see," she began as she crossed her legs and folded her free hand under the opposite elbow. "Kenshin has been a project of mine ever since he came to Ivy Payne."

"Why is that?" Randy motioned for Ben to go get more coffee. "He's just another kid. What's so special about him?"

"That's just it, Officer. Kenshin is not just another kid. He's an extraordinary kid."

"Meaning?"

"Well, for starters, he smarter than you and me put together. He has an IQ somewhere around 180 and he has more artistic tendencies than violent ones."

"180? Are you shitting me, Doc?"

"No. He's a genius." Elaine took another pull on her cigarette. "Mathematics, Chemistry, History... it never seemed to matter what subject he took, his grades were perfect. Only he was never the perfect student."

"How so?"

"Difficult to get along with. He hates authority figures but not in a malicious way. He likes to–well, he likes to play with them." A smirk covered her face. "He's a master manipulator and he's no ones fool."

"You lost me, Doc. What are you getting at?"

"He's disrespectful to a fault, Officer. Insubordinate, peevish, and arrogant. But I have never seen him show violent tendencies that would stand up to what he was accused of and convicted for."

"You mean killing that old man up in New York." It was a statement more than a question, and Randy watched the woman nod her head in agreement. "So, you think he was framed or what?"

"I think he was set up after the fact. I have no doubt he was there and knows exactly what happened that night, but no one gave him the chance to tell his side of it."

"Nope, his old man had him on a bus shipped out of the state before much of anything got done."

"Don't you think that's odd, Officer? That a father would send his child so far away, and then hardly ever bring the family to visit? Are you aware that Kenshin did not see his youngest sister, Cleo, for over three years?"

"No, I don't recall ever hearing that." Another look was exchanged between the partners. "What kind of a kid is he–really?"

"Are you asking me for my professional opinion–or my gut instinct?"

"Both. What is he if he isn't the little animal everyone's been told he is?"

"He's a very sensitive, very loyal son." She leaned over and flicked the ash off her smoke. "And he loves his family more than anything else in this world. I think he'd die for them–any one of them."

"His mother says he used to take beatings for himself and his brother from the old man. She says he was beaten unconscious more times than she cares to remember, but it never changed anything." Randy took a drink of his coffee. "He would constantly put himself between his father and the rest of the family in order to try and protect them from him. She says he used to pull the asshole off her and then suffer the consequences."

"Oh God–Kenshin." Elaine covered her eyes with her free hand and drew in a shaky breath. "I had a feeling it was something like that. What else has she said to you?"

"She says her husband fixed the jail deal for the kid. Said it was an agreement she made with him so the boy wouldn't end up in mainstream lock-up."

"But he's innocent."

"Yeah, but the old man fed him to the courts on a silver platter. Never even got him a defense attorney."

"Why?"

"He wanted the kid gone out of the house–out of his way. She said he told her if she didn't agree to his terms, he'd either throw her and the boy out without a dime, or–"

"Or what?" A chill crawled up Elaine's spine as she met the pale green eyes of the policeman.

"Or he'd kill him." Randy choked down another swallow of his coffee and handed his cup to Ben. "More coffee, please?"

"Sure, I think we could all use some." Ben rose and walked out of the room in search of another coffee pot.

"I never dreamed... Oh that poor boy. All these years..." A catch in Elaine's voice caught the attention of the policeman setting with her.

"It's not your fault, Doc, if that's what you're thinking." He reached out and dropped the file in the middle of the table. "It's not really anyone's, but we have to find a way to get this kid back with his family, and that tyrant away from them."

"Maybe I can help you, Sargent Thomas."

Randy looked up and sighed as he recognized one of the detectives from homicide. "What did you find out there, Wil? Anything interesting?"

"You could say that." The tall lanky man shrugged out of his tan trench and sat down next to Randy. "We are fairly certain of what took place turning the ah, the duel." He cast a suspicious blue look at the older woman setting opposite him.

"It's okay, Wil. This is Dr. Elaine Lundquist..."

"The social worker?" Wil stretched out his hand toward Elaine. "I've heard of you, Dr. Lundquist. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank-you, Detective..."

"Landers, William Landers."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Detective Landers." Elaine stubbed out her cigarette. "What new information do you have to offer this little party we have going?"

"Well, the evidence out at the lighthouse was fairly straightforward." Wil accepted a fresh cup of coffee from Ben who then left to find one for himself. "There was little doubt that Mr. Seijuro was the instigator of the fight. We found a shattered wooden chair with blood, tissue, and red hair imbedded in the splinters. Apparently, he used it to whallop the young man over the head right when he walked through the door. Caught him by complete surprise I'd say."

"He smashed a chair over the kids head?" Randy's wide eyed stare told the detective he wasn't quite buying that. "If he did, the boy would have been knocked unconscious."

"Not necessarily." Wil shook his head and placed the cup on the table. "There is a smear of blood on the floor where he landed, but other than that, there is no evidence that the blow really slowed him down. He must have a hell of a thick skull."

"You got that right." Elaine smiled wanly. "And a stubborn nature to go with it."

"Well, he must be a hell of a kid because he put up a good fight. There's blood all over that room, but from what we can tell, most of it belongs to his father."

"To his father? But I thought they were both wounded?"

"Yes, they were. Grievously so, but it appears that the boy is better at fencing than his father. He cut him up a few times before the end."

"Do you think it was self defense?" Randy leaned back, leveling his gaze at the detective. "Was he protecting himself?"

"Yes, but he was also protecting those two girls. There is evidence of them being in the room as well, and the report says that they were found in another room farther down the hallway, is that right?"

"Yes, one was comatose, the other; she's the school master's daughter, she was awake and running off at the mouth when we got there. She says the father attacked the son."

"She saw it?"

"Um-hum. Said the kid made her and the other girl leave. Told them to go find his brother."

"One of the other unconscious victims?"

"Yes, the smaller of the two boys. The other is Aoshi Shinomori"

"It that Okon's boy?"

"Yes, do you know him?"

"Yeah. He comes down to the station every so often to use the police library. Fascinating kid. So smart he'd scare the shit out of you."

"Sounds like two of a kind." Randy looked pointedly at Elaine who nodded. "You think they are friends?"

"It would make sense, but Kenshin has never been one to make friends."

"A lot of things seem to have changed for that boy lately." Randy flipped through his notes again. "The unconscious girl is his–girlfriend?"

"Kaoru Kamiya. Yes, that is what Master Saitou has told me, and that in itself, is astonishing."

"Why? All boys have girlfriends."

"Not Kenshin. He's made it his life's pursuit to stay as far away from people as possible. He doesn't like attachments."

OooooooooooooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooo

Place: Sedgmont, New York

Time: 10:43 a.m.

"Himura!" Aoshi swung down of the horse and rushed to his friend, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Are you alright?" His urgent gaze traveled up and down the body of the redhead searching for wounds or other injuries.

"Yes, Aoshi." Kenshin smiled blandly and gripped his friend by the forearm. "But we all seem to be in a bit of a predicament."

"Does that mean you know what's going on?" Aoshi's clear blue eyes gazed intently down at Kenshin. "Because, it seems to me things have gotten a little bit strange since you and I last saw each other."

"You could say that." Kenshin angled his head and indicated Kaoru and Soujiro. "It would seem that there is a lot more to this story than any of us figured on. How much do you know?"

"Not much really. I was having an interesting conversation with a young woman named Cassandra when I ended up here... wherever the hell 'here' is." He absently took the reins of his horse in one hand and walked with Kenshin over to his other two friends. "I gather you are yourself again?" Kaoru nodded and reached out to take Aoshi's hand. "It is nice to see 'you' again."

"I suppose it is nice to be seen."

"Hmmm," He smiled down at her and squeezed her hand. "I gathered from Cassandra that Soujiro here is her younger brother, Ethan, but I have no idea who I am or what I have to do with this mess. All she said was my name was 'Elliot' and then I blacked out. Do you know what I'm doing here?"

"Well," Kaoru pursed her lips and cast a wary glance in Kenshin's direction. "Do you know 'when' we are?"

"When? What are you talking about 'when'?"

"We're in the past, Aoshi. Like 1800 and something in the past, and it looks like we're all here as ourselves. At least ourselves from 300 years ago."

"I knew I wasn't going to like this." He sighed and looked at Soujiro. "I'd just like to know what the hell I'm doing here. It was obvious that I wasn't a member of Cassandra or Edmond's families, but she didn't get a chance to tell me 'who' I was before all this happened. So," He looked pointedly at Kenshin. "Who the hell am I?"

"You're Daniel's youngest brother, Aoshi. Your name is Elliot March and you were Cassandra's best friend. You offered to marry her but her father refused because you were only a carpenter and Daniel was the heir to your father's holdings."

"Sandy told me that you and she wanted to get married but that she ended up with Daniel because of the money and social status issues." Soujiro looked down at his feet as he shuffled them in the loose dirt. "You knew what an animal your brother was and you knew he was abusing her, so you tried to help her and Edmond get away."

"I knew she was in love with someone else after she got married?" Aoshi looked shocked.

"Yes, and you did everything you could to make sure she would be happy." Another odd look passed between Soujiro and Kenshin. "We aren't totally certain, but we think Daniel killed you after he found out you helped them escape."

"K–killed me?"

"We don't know for sure... but that is what Sandy thinks."

"Sandy?" Aoshi looked into Soujiro's serious face. "You call her Sandy?"

"Um, yeah. It just sort of popped out when we were talking. I guess I remembered a few little things."

"What else do you know, Soujiro?" Kenshin walked up to his brother and put his hand on his arm. "Is there stuff you haven't told me?" When Soujiro refused to meet his eyes, Kenshin knew something was very wrong. "What else, little brother? What else is there?"

"He kills me too. In a duel over Sandy's honor or something. So it appears Daniel does us all in... every last fucking one of us."

"Shit!" Kenshin turned to look at a shocked Aoshi and a pale Kaoru. "I guess that answers our question from a little while ago."

"What question?" Aoshi stared at him.

"What we are all doing here."

"And that would be?"

"Someone who gets killed isn't supposed to. We're supposed to stop that."

"Okay, so that makes reasonable sense, but there is still one more question to answer."

"What?" Kenshin met Aoshi's piercing look.

"Which one of us isn't supposed to die?"

"There is one more question none of you have considered yet." All eyes turned to Kaoru as she stepped into the middle of the small group. "Are we looking for Daniel... or are we looking for Mr. Seijuro?"

"Fuck! I hadn't even thought about that. We could be dealing with my old man instead of Daniel. But if we are, he would have to be as confused as the rest of us... wouldn't he?"

"Only if it is your father, Kenshin. What if we are still dealing with Daniel? What will we do then?"

"Hope we know more than he does."

OoooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooooOooooooooooooooooooOooooo

Place: March Home, Sedgmont

Time: 11:23 a.m.

"What the he..." He shook his head and groped for the blankets covering him. He felt like he was burning up he was so hot, and sweat was plastering his fine black hair to his damp forehead. "I must have had more to drink than I thought. Damn!" Swinging he feet to the floor, he sat up on the edge of the bed and dropped his aching head into his hands with a groan. "Father is going to have my head if I don't show up at the church before evening services. Agggh!"

The tall man with black hair stumbled out of his bed and shuffled over to the porcelain wash basin. Dumping in a moderate amount of water, he dunked his entire head into the cool soothing liquid. It wouldn't do for him to show up looking like he had a hang over. The Reverend would have a holy fit and it wouldn't matter who saw him punish his son. It had happened before, why shouldn't it happen again?

'Because I won't let it.' Emerald green eyes glared heatedly into the small mirror hanging over the basin as the man wiped his face dry. 'I won't ever be made a fool of again by that fucking old man, or anyone else for that matter.'

He dressed hurriedly and left his room taking the back stairs out of the house so his mother wouldn't see him. Once out on the street he nonchalantly tucked his hands into the waist of his pants and ambled off toward the old church. It was a bright, chilly morning but spring was on the way and soon things would warm up. He nodded politely to a group of women and then again to a pair of gentlemen that he passed on his way and received polite greetings in return.

'Stupid fools.' He spat inside his head. 'If they only knew what I really thought of them they wouldn't be so amiable with me.' An acidic smile crossed his well-shaped mouth for a moment as he tipped his head to a rather plump, homely woman. 'When the old man is dead and I run this Parish things will be different. I'll be the most powerful man in town, and they won't even know it. I'll demand larger donations for the collection and I'll make sure all those uppity business owners know that if they want things to keep going well for them here in Sedgmont, they'll have to 'pay the piper'. Oh yes, and pay him very well.'

"It's about time, Daniel. Where have you been? The day is half over and I haven't seen your brother for hours." Reverend Maxwell March looked at his oldest son with narrowed eyes. "Have you been drinking again?"

"No sir. I had a headache last night and slept quite badly." Daniel offered his father one of his best innocent smiles as he joined him in the Parish office. "I'm sorry I'm late, father. What is that your saying about Elliot?"

"He got up and left early this morning to go look at the land for the new church, but has not returned and that was several hours ago. He doesn't usually take this long before he comes back, and I was under the impression he and Ethan O'Massy were going to start the ground breaking soon."

"I wouldn't know, father. You know Elliot doesn't talk to me about such things. 'E's always running off to do his own business and leaving me out of it." Daniel took a chair close to his father's desk and sat down. "Perhaps e's gone over to the O'Massy's to fetch young Ethan. Would you like me to go look for him?"

"No. It's just as well that you stay away from the O'Massy's until after you and Cassandra are married next week. You know it is bad luck to see the bride so close to your joining."

"Nah, I don't believe all that hog-swaller, father. I never have. If I want to see me Cassy, I will and no one is going to stop that."

"Daniel." The Reverend's voice was sharp and he was pleased to see his son flinch. "I will not have you dishonoring the girl before you are wed. You will keep your distance as is dictated by holy law and see her only during services. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, now as for your brother, I believe he will come here before he fetches young Ethan. I have the construction plans for the church here in my desk. There is not much he can accomplish without those."

"Aye, I suppose that is true enough. If you don't want me to go find him, what would you have me doing here, father?"

"Do your job, Daniel. Clean the Chapel. We have evening services tonight and the floor needs sweeping." The Reverend waved his son off and turned to his ledger. "The pews need polishing as well, so I am more than certain there is enough work to keep you occupied until services begin."

"Aye. That there should." Though his voice sounded agreeable, inside Daniel was seething with fury. How dare that shriveled old man tell him to clean and polish like an old woman's maid? None-the-less, he stood and left the room retrieving a broom from a nearby closet.

'You'll pay for this, old man.' He thought as he furiously yanked the broom across the hardwood floor. 'One day I'll see the skin peal off your bones and listen to you scream in pain while I stand and laugh in your fucking face. Aye, I look forward to that day. It will be the beginning of something marvelous.'

TBC

Review Response:

Half-breed-demon-fox: Glad you're loving it. :) Hope you still enjoy.

Psychotic-catster: You crazy little girl. You are soooo funny. I swear, every time I get one of your reviews I laugh a good 4-5 minutes. I know Kenshin was a little OOC but I needed him to feel that way because of the time shift. I hope this chapter gets things back on track for you. God Bless, dear one. Tsuki-san

Lere: Lere, my beloved. Oh, sweetie... forgive me. I haven't written for so long and I should have. I have been thinking about you often but have not put it into words.

This chapter was so hard to write and it has taken me so long to get it done. I am really hoping that I'm getting back into my groove. I feel link I've been floundering for such a long time trying to get my muse back. I want to thank you for always being there and sticking it out with me. You are the dearest and most loved. I need to write to you. I really do. God bless, my love. Tsuki

Erica6060: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will hang around for the rest. :)

JD Fielding: Ah, JD... Do you think my writers block is gone? Is my work coming back up to par? I am so worried about it. It has been so difficult to get things to come together and mesh the way I want them to.

I want to thank you, dear friend, for staying with me through thick and thin. You don't know how much it means to me. You are one of the lights in the darkness for me. I wish there were a way to tell you more how dear you are to me without it sounding really mushy and ooey-gooey... but you are. I really want you to know that. And the reviews you leave me are one of the reasons I keep writing. You keep me going. Thanks... Tsuki-san

Immortal-Blood: You must have a very cool friend. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have to tell you something interesting... your name actually helped inspire me to work on one of my other fictions... "Do You Want to Live Forever?". It's a vampire fic and for some reason your name gave me some really great ideas. Thanks. :) God Bless, Tsuki-san

xia-xue: Cool! You aren't confused anymore. I am soooo glad. LOLOL. I hate the pictures on the front of those romance novels too. Shudders... they didn't used to be so bad, but they are getting worse as time goes by. My boys got a new X-box game... Ninja Gaiden. The graphics are awesome!! I haven't played it yet, but I plan to. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Catch ya laterz. Tsuki-san

Rain-angst: Ah, my sweet friend. :) I love to see you everywhere you pop up. You just make me smile and leave a warm feeling in my heart. Your continued support and encouragement mean the world to me. I really love you. Thanks. Tsuki-san (I can see the cabin all covered in snow with smoke coming out the chimney now... very homey and comfortable looking.)

Cattiedono: Oh, sweet beloved... how my heart warms to see you whenever and wherever you are. My thoughts are with you always and my friendship is yours for always. You are dear to my heart and mean more to me than I can say. Thank you for being there. Tsuki-san

Luraia Soul: Not confused anymore? I am so glad. I was getting worried there for a bit. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, chica-chan. You are one of my favorite reviewers and sweetest fans. I am always looking for your name among my reviews. Thanks for being there. Tsuki-san

Nguardian: Oh my sweet friend... what can I say to you? There are no words to describe my emotions. You are so dear to me... such a sweet and dear friend. You have come to mean so much to me in such a short period of time. Your intelligence and aptitude for clear mindedness help keep me on track more than you know, and you have found a permanent place in my heart. Thank you for being there for me. And thank you for everything you do. I love you. Tsuki-san

Lendra-chan: You go girly.... you nag that woman about those stories... she still hasn't updated a single one. Tell her to email me, I'd like to know what's going on in her head. :) As for you... you are just my little sweetheart. You know I love you. And you are getting so much better. You're my angel. Take care, and thanks for being there for me. Your support means the world to me. God bless, honey. Tsuki-san

BelleDayNight: Oh shit! I swear I am going to work on 'Saitou's Ranch', I swear I am. As for everything else... are you really sure my work has come back up to par? I still feel like I'm missing part of my muse, but I am trying to get it back on track. I trust your opinions. I knew you'd be happy about the Aoshi stuff... LOL. Everytime I write him I think about you. Oh, and speaking of which, I found some new pictures I'll have to send them to you. Love you, dearest friend. Miss seeing you on-line. Hope you're having fun at home. God bless, Tsuki-san

legolas-Estelstar: bows down and bangs head on floor until it bleeds please forgive this sessha... it was completely unintentional that you were left off my last review response. I beg your humble forgiveness. As soon as I read your review, I went back and posted a response at the beginning of the last chapter just for you. I felt like I could have cried. Gomen, dear one. Gomen. Tsuki-san

MZ. AmbER EYES: Good to see you, love. I read your story... It should have won something. I really mean that. I thought it was very good. In fact, I printed it out so I could hold on to it. You guys did a great job. I has be great getting to talk to you online... I like to think I can call you my friend now. I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for staying with me for so long. It means so much. You are one of the lights. God bless, dear one. Tsuki-san

kik-ting: I like coming up with old word phrases that I used to hear when I was a kid. 'Smack-dab' was something my mom used to say all the time. LOL. Glad you liked it. I'm so glad to see you're still here. I hope you stick around, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. God bless, Tsuki

Steph: Hey girly! Nice to see you! Glad you didn't let the horse get the better of you. It's always best to let them know who the boss is. :) I am happy you liked the chapter... I hope you liked this one too. I wanted to thank you for hanging in there with me all this time. It means a lot to me. God bless, sweetie. Tsuki-san

De Lazy Lime: Aloha, Limey-chan! :) Yes, things are going to get messy. How did you know? LOL. I am so happy to see you, but then, I am always happy to see you. You brighten up my life in ways you can't imagine. Your calling me 'Okaasan' just tickles me pink and I love it. :) I love you too. Take care, and never lose that smile. It means the world to me. Tsuki-san

kenji25samx: You're welcome. :) I always try to reply to my reviewers. If they take time to talk to me, I should take the time to talk back. After all, it is you guys that keep me inspired to write. If I didn't have you out there supporting me, I wouldn't have much of a reason to continue. Thanks for being there, and I feel like we are friends. All my fans are my friends. They are my second family. God Bless, Tsuki-san

s-jane: Thank you for everything. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And I hope to see you again. God bless, tsuki-san

inuiyoukai's cousin: LOLOLOLOLOL! Sugar highs are the greatest. Your review made me laugh for a good 3 minutes. Thanks, I needed it. God bless... tsuki-san

Pixel-the-evil-fairy: I'll forever think of 'fern gulley'. LOLOL. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review... thanks for supporting me and being there. I have gotten so I look for your name in my reviews, and love seeing it there. You leave a warm spot in my heart. God bless, Tsuki-san

Kodora Fairy: Thank you for telling me your putting me on your alert list. It humbles me to know you like my work that much. I hope I can live up to your expectations in the future, and I hope you enjoyed this last chapter. It was a beastie to write. Tsuki-san

Kean: I wondered where you were... I'm so glad I didn't lose you. I was worried. You are one of my favorite fans. It would have broken my heart. I'm so happy you're still here. I value your opinions. You are always honest with me. Thank you. Tsuki-san

End Notes for Reviewers I am missing: :(

Sephiress: I know you're out there, I just miss you when you're gone.

Blueliath: You are missed, Blue.

Chibi-nadia: I missed you this time around.

Miguela: Hoping you are still out there.

Sick Gallaxy: I miss you. You haven't been here for so long. Are your pockets empty?

The Lone Lemon: I have missed seeing you for some time. I hope your are still reading.

Midi Tenshi: Hello Angel Girl. I missed you. I hope you are well.

HaPPy BuNNy: I am missing you, young one. It has been a long time.

Kaoru890: You are missed, Miss Kaoru.

InuLimbo: I enjoyed our time together. I hope to see you again.

MM: You are always missed once you appear in my reviews. I always look.

Fangsofthedragon: Your presence has been sorely missed. The spirit of the dragon was greatly appreciated.

OneBlackTear: You are missed. I would wish to see you again.

Unknown beedee: Oh young one, I surely miss seeing you. It has been awhile.

Polaris Fire Star: I hope I have not lost you. You were with me for so long. You are missed.

Silenced Doves: I have looked for you to come back. I hope you are still reading.

Kagura: Kagura-love... you are missed, dear one.

Ixchen: Oh my, I have missed you so much. I hope you are still out there.

ChibiNoMiko: I always look for you to come back. You are missed.

Star074: I hope you are still reading. I would wish to see you again.

RkfanN930: I hope you are still there.

Paisita: You are sprely missed, dear friend.

NovemberDusk: It has been a long time, my friend. I miss your voice.

God bless to all, and Happy Holidays. Kanzen ne Tsuki