A/N: This chapter was started when I finished the prologue so I hope I still have the same feelings from Kenji even in this chapter. He is a caring boy but he has some rage that won't be settled for a while. Also I'm going to work on Kenshin's character of this story he a little too stupid earlier.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin though that would be amazing

Warnings: Mentions of KaoruxAoshi, cursing.

Kenji had his head in Hikaru's lap as they sat on a park bench. She was stroking his hair and staring off into space, but that didn't bother him. Selfishly he felt better when she was closed down than when she actually began to cry. Yesterday had been the first custody hearing and Hikaru had rushed over his house bawling, crying, and moaning about the fact that her parents were getting a very messy divorce. At some points Kenji wanted to tell her, quite harshly, that she wasn't the only one suffering from a divorce. There were three other people Kenji could name off the bat.

Yet, today Hikaru had stopped crying or even mentioning the fact of what was happening with her family. Maybe she had seen one of the glares Kenji had sent her way as something to say shut up, or maybe she was getting worse and shutting down. Now that he thought about it, it made him feel bad that he was enjoying her silence. He glanced up and noted that she was still staring off into space but her hands hadn't stopped threading through his hair.

"Um, Hikaru?" he tested out his voice and she tensed before looking down at him with sad eyes.

"Yes?"

"My mother has decided to throw a huge party which means she's borrowing Saito's huge television for my birthday party," he winced he sounded so lame, "so I was wondering if you could make it. It'll be chaperoned big time." He added the last part because her father was extremely protective of his daughter. Kenji sometimes wondered if it was because Hikaru took after her mother in the looks department and her mother was very pretty.

"Chaperones?" Hikaru's voice sounded tinny and fake. Kenji felt a bout of rage envelop him. He started yelling before he realized he had opened his mouth.

"God! Hikaru get over it! You're parents are getting divorced! Whoopie! At least they're not like mine who are still pining after one another and still doing nothing about it!" Kenji jerked his head off of her lap and glared at her furiously. Hikaru's green eyes widened and she looked shocked before moving off the bench. Her eyes didn't narrow nor did they lower she just stared at him.

"Have I really been causing you all that pain?" Kenji nodded at her question and folded his arms over his chest. She sighed deeply and finally lowered her eyes. "Well then I'm sorry for being such a bother," her voice had an edged to it and Kenji knew the second after the words left her lips that it had been the wrong thing to do.

" 'Karu!" he jumped off the bench and ran to her grasping her arm as he did. " 'Karu, I'm well, I'm," he stuttered with the apology and Hikaru just shook her head.

"You don't have to apologize Kenji. I was being selfish, but right now I just want to brood about it. And since that makes you remember that I thought I should just leave you be. I'll come to you party and I promise I'll be in a much, much better mood," she forced a smile and moved to peck him on the cheek, yet Kenji didn't let her go.

"No, you can brood here plus you said yourself you don't want to go home," Kenji said. Hikaru raised her eyebrows and then after a few moments of contemplating she gave a shrug.

"Okay." And with that she allowed him to lead her to one of the hills where they usually hung out. They both settled down in the grass and just stared at the sky. "So, Kenji how is your history project going?" she asked. It seemed she wasn't going to brood like she had said she would. Kenji felt a stab of guilt. She was putting on a show for him.

"Fine I just need to do a little more research and I've got it down."

"That's good."

"Yeah how about you?"

"I have to wait until I get some peace and quite with my mother you know because since my father decided to kick her out of the house I, I, I'm not allowed to be with her alone," Hikaru stuttered and Kenji could tell that the tears were coming. Part of him wanted to groan but the other half did feel sorry for her. Kenji moved to hug her when the sound of his cellphone stopped him. He jammed his hand into his pocket and drew out the device before flipping it open and placing it to his ears.

"Hello?" Kenji answered.

"Hey," the sound of his mother's voice made him smile, "I'm sorry to break some bad news to you, but I have to work later than usual so would you go to your Uncle Sano's for dinner?" Kenji frowned at her request.

"Do you have a date or something after that?"

"Well, not really it's more a meeting of the minds," Kaoru laughed, "Remember I just got appointed to be the head of my division."

"Is it with a male?" he ignored her other comment.

"Yes, it is Kenji," she sounded exasperated.

"Then it's probably a date to him," Kenji reasoned.

"No, Mr. Shinomori is far too professional. Now will you go to your Uncle's?"

"Yeah, sure I'll go, but you have to admit it's a date," Kenji tried to joke and ignored the hollow feeling in his stomach. His mother, his mother dating someone else only to be hurt when it couldn't work and the fact that his father had had a happy relationship for five years didn't help. None of the men she ever dated were good enough, not even his father was good enough.

"It's a business date," she laughed over the phone and Kenji could almost picture her rolling her eyes at him.

"Fine if you want to lie to yourself go ahead," he made sure it sounded as if he were joking.

"Well then I will. See you tonight at your Uncle's?" she asked.

"Yeah, see you mom."

"I love you."

"You too," he mumbled the last part. Kaoru chuckled a little and then told him to tell Hikaru hello. Kenji rolled his eyes and turned towards Hikaru who had finished crying and was looking at him with a slightly forced smile on her face.

"You're mom?"

"Yeah, and she says hello. She has a date except she wants me to believe it's a business date," Kenji frowned.

"Really anyone you know of?" Hikaru drew her knees up and rested her chin on them.

"No, I only know that he works in a different section and that he's the head of that department along with that his last name is Shinomori," Kenji shrugged.

"Sounds like a suit," Hikaru gave a slight smile, a real one, her humor was returning.

"Yeah especially since my mom works with and for suits," Kenji agreed. Once again his cellphone rang and the red haired boy frowned who would be calling him now? Yahiko was at kendo club practice, Tsubame was still working, and there could be no one else who would be calling. With out looking at the ID, again, he flipped it open and said, "Hello?"

"Hello," Kenji cringed and felt some sort of fury rise in his stomach. His father's voice always grated on him. He must have been silent for too long because Kenshin asked, "Hello? Kenji are you still there?" Kenji let out a sigh to let his father know he was listening. "Look, Kenji I just called to wish you an early birthday because I'm not sure if I can make it to your birthday party. Something has come up with my work. So, happy birthday, Kenji I hope it's good even if I don't get to be there. Kenji?"

"Yeah, thanks," Kenji replied curtly before hanging up abruptly. Turning to Hikaru who was no doubt wondering what had transpired. He ignored her look and told her the basics of what was going to happen. He said, "I'm going to my Uncle Sano's, so I'll walk you home." Hikaru made no comment about being out of the loop and stood along with him.

They were walking down her street when she finally spoke. "Um, Kenji was that your dad?"

"Yeah."

"What did he want?"

"To wish me happy birthday."

"Well that was thoughtful of him," she said and Kenji snorted in disgust.

"Nothing about him is thoughtful." He looked at Hikaru and saw she was going to open her mouth in a reply, but then she closed it and shook her head. They arrived at her childhood home in silence but it didn't stay that way. Hikaru's mother was storming out of the house a duffel bag under her arm. Kenji watch fascinated as Hikaru's mother seemed to still glide and look elegant as she left the house angrily. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a bun and her green eyes, the same ones Hikaru had inherited, were narrowed. She stopped screaming back at the door where most likely Hikaru's father stood when she saw the two teens.

"Hikaru, I was just going to go look for you," her mother smiled uneasily. It was most likely due to the fact that Hikaru never responded well when her parents argued.

"Oh, why?" Kenji looked at Hikaru in shock she actually sounded normal for once.

"Well, I was hoping I could convince you to stay with me for the weekend."

"Is that my bag?"

"If you say yes."

"Okay, sure," Hikaru nodded. She walked forward and then stopped in her tracks turning around she said somewhat lifelessly, "See you at your birthday party Kenji."

"Yeah see you," Kenji waved as Hikaru and her mother got into the car. Once the car was out of sight Kenji looked up to see Hikaru's father glower at him. His black hair plastered to his forehead by sweat. Honestly Kenji never knew what Hikaru's mother had seen in him, and was partly thankful deep, deep, deep, deep down that Hikaru took mostly after her mother. Kenji returned the glare before turning around and walking towards his Uncle Sano's house.

With a yawn that cracked her jaw Kaoru stretched her arms and clicked her computer off. The notes that usually sounded when it was done rang clearly in the silent office. She looked around and patted the picture of her and Kenji lovingly before heading out of her office. Megumi and Yumi were chatting about something and Kaoru wondered if she really wanted to know what it was because usually it was either their respective lovers or about setting her up with some guy.

"Oh Kaoru I'm glad you showed up. Now tell this devious fox that you are indeed going out on a date with Mr. Aoshi Shinomori!" Yumi pointed right in Megumi's face and the black haired woman had a look on her face that said she was very close to biting the other woman's finger off.

"It's not a date, we're having a business meeting," Kaoru sighed rubbing her temples, but her words didn't seem to connect because Yumi gave a laugh of triumph while Megumi just looked at Kaoru shocked.

"You're going out with Mr. Shinomori?" Megumi seemed thoroughly shocked maybe it was because she worked under Aoshi Shinomori and knew far more about him than Kaoru did.

"No, well technically, yes in a way, but not like we're really interested and going to start to date!" Kaoru waved her hands before her face and sighed. The two older women looked at each other and shook their head.

"Pathetic, Aoshi Shinomori is interested," Yumi shook her head as if Kaoru was a dumb student.

"Yeah he is he hasn't had a "business" dinner during the whole time I've worked for him and there have been a few changes in the heads of divisions during the time he's been working," Megumi added.

"Though she'll have to be careful," Yumi frowned.

"Yes she will," Megumi agreed. Kaoru raised her eyebrow confused.

"What?" she asked.

"Misao likes Mr. Shinomori, a lot," Megumi explained and Kaoru felt her stomach drop she was meeting the "Aoshi" the one guy who could get Misao to shut up just because he was in the same room. She had never met the fabled Aoshi and had started to doubt his existence, but now she was forced to see that Aoshi, Misao's Aoshi, was real.

"But then again she told me that she was swearing him off because he wouldn't notice as she was and she wanted to knock his socks off. So he's free game." Yumi gave a cheshire grin.

"Yeah, sure, but it's only a business date. Nothing more," Kaoru insisted before pushed through the two women. She used the elevator and then waited for Aoshi in the lobby. It didn't take before the very tall man arrived on an elevator opposite of the one she had taken. A cellphone was placed next to his ear and he was talking quietly. Yet, she could gather a few words at a time. He was unhappy about something that wasn't going well and he wanted to find someone or something. When he spotted her he gave a nod and said good-bye to the other person on the line.

"Hello Mr. Shinomori," she smiled.

"Ms. Kamiya," he replied, "shall we go?"

"Yes," Kaoru nodded and couldn't help but feel at least slightly enchanted by him. He was quite handsome so Kaoru understood why Misao had been enthralled by him. Wait, she stopped when had she begun to think of Misao's attraction as past tense? She winced and Aoshi slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Are you okay Ms. Kamiya?"

"You can call me Kaoru, and I'm fine," she nodded trying to keep her feelings checked.

"Aoshi then," there was a slight quirk to his lips but other than that nothing on his face moved. Well, this will be an interesting dinner date, Kaoru mused.

Kenji sat on his Uncle Sano's couch with him watching a football game. Sano had a can of beer clutch in his hand and he was cursing under his breath as his team was losing. Sanosuke Sagara was not Kenji's uncle by blood, but he was his father's brother due to both of them were adopted.

"So, kid why are you here?" Sano asked taking a sip of beer.

"Mom has a date," Kenji sighed.

"Oh really anyone I might know?"

"Um, his last name is Shinomori," Kenji shrugged not knowing much else. Of course the red head's attention was on the screen so when Sanosuke's eyes went wide with recognition Kenji missed it.

"O-oh, never heard of him," Sano shook his head and looked at the space above the television. Jou-chan what are you thinking? He sighed and returned his gaze to the television just in time to see his team score a touchdown. Sano leapt from his seat and pumped his hands in the air. "Yes! Lots of money here I come! Okay you're my good luck from now on," he grinned and wrapped an arm around Kenji's neck and gave him a noogie.

"Hey! Quit it!" Kenji pushed Sano off of him and surprisingly he was successful. Sano smirked and couldn't help but remember Kenshin doing the same thing when they were younger. Kenshin had always been stronger than he seemed and it wasn't until he found out certain things about Kenshin did he know why the boy was strong. As first a foster child and then adopted son of Hiko Seijuro he had come to terms with Hiko's odd teaching habits and Tae's great cooking. Still he would always remember the man who he had gotten his last name from. The foster parent before Hiko.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah anyway what time do you think your mom will be back because I need you to stay for the whole game buddy!" Sanosuke grinned. Unlike his father Kenji seemed like a very good luck charm. A very, very good luck charm.

"I don't think she'll come home early. It is a business date, or what's what she wanted me to think," Kenji sighed.

"Business?" Sanosuke tried not to choke on his own spit because he could never see Kaoru mixed up in that sort of business.

"Yeah, he works at the same place as mom," Kenji clarified.

"Oh yeah? Really? Wow," Sanosuke felt very relieved. They didn't talk much for the rest of the game and in the fourth quarter as the two teams were tied Kaoru decided to knock on the door and let herself in.

"Hey Sano, C'mon Kenji let's go," Kaoru smiled. Kenji rolled his eyes as once again his mother was treating him like a baby. The biggest reason why he didn't fuss about how he could stay home alone was one he had the cooking skills of his mother and two he actually like hanging out with his Uncle Sano.

"Sure whatever, bye," Kenji waved at Sano and ignored the older man's protests that he still needed his good luck charm. He also noticed his mother shaking her head and giving a chuckle.

Kenji woke up in his bed smelling pancakes. Which was an odd occurrence because while his mother was not as nearly as bad at cooking as she had once been she definitely had not enough skills to make chocolate chip pancakes. Slipping out of bed he ran into the kitchen where one person he knew would be there. His grandfather was standing there next to his mother as they cooked together. Hiko would make comments in which Kaoru would appropriately, or what Hiko believed would be an appropriate, responded to. It was strange Kenji thought, his father's family was so close to his mother it was almost as if they were still…no he shook his head that was not something to think about.

"Well, look whose up," Kaoru turned a smiled at him, "Saito is going to set things up for use soon so when he rings the bell would you get it?" Kenji nodded before plopping down in the chair, and it seemed fate was against him for that was exactly when the door rang. With deliberately slow movements he opened the door expecting to see Saito but instead there was a different man. A tall man with black hair and blue eyes he had a familiar briefcase in his hands.

"Can I help you?" Kenji asked.

"Is this the residence of Ms. Kamiya?" he asked. Kenji almost reeled back in laughter because the only people ever to call her Ms. Kamiya were his teachers, and this man was definitely not his teacher.

"Uh, yeah. What do you need Mr.…?"

"Aoshi Shinomori," the man supplied, "and I was just dropping off her briefcase it seems she left it in my car." Aoshi held out the brief case to Kenji. The red head eyed him critically. So this was the guy his mother had went out on a date with, he frowned. For his outward appearance Kenji saw nothing really wrong about him except that he seemed to be made of ice, but may be that was just an act. Kenji was in the process of accepting the briefcase when his mother came around the corner.

"Oh Aoshi! What are you doing here?" her face light up a little and Kenji furrowed his brows. So his mother liked him at least, but that still didn't mean he gave the man consent to anything about his mother.

"I came by to give you back this," he held up the briefcase and Kaoru smiled again.

"Oh, well thank you Aoshi that was very thoughtful of you." Kenji rolled his eyes at their comments and shuffled back to the kitchen, but he lingered in the doorway hoping to hear maybe something.

"Also I would like to ask you if you would like to go have dinner with me and afterwards go to the Fair." Kenji stilled so quickly that Hiko took time to move away from his cooking and check out what was going. The older man peered around to see his daughter-in-law, he still thought of her like that, and an unknown man just staring at each other. Kaoru was unusually flushed and the man, while Hiko's eyes could see it he wasn't sure anyone else would notice, was nervous.

"Sure, that seems like fun," Kaoru nodded and Hiko cursed his idiot son under his breath. In all truth Hiko was much fonder of Kaoru than he was with Tomoe, his son's girlfriend. The only saving grace Kenshin had was he had never asked Tomoe to marry him nor he really step the relationship up, thus it wouldn't be too long before Tomoe, who Hiko admitted was a smart girl, would tire of his lazy idiot son. However, if the boy made Kaoru happy then, Hiko decided, he wouldn't interfere. Going back to the cooking he slipped his phone from out of his pocket and dialed the number.

"Hey, you idiot, you're going to lose her. So you have any feelings for her what so ever you better cut that thing short and come to your son's birthday," Hiko grumbled not even greeting the person at the other end. The words that came from the other end caused Hiko to furrow his brows and almost cuss out his son. He was about to speak when Kenji grabbed the phone.

"It's going to be a serious relationship," he snapped and listened as Kenshin spoke, but after listen to half of what Kenshin was really saying Kenji narrowed his eyes and handed the phone back.

Kenji sat in the kitchen chair staring at his hands wondering why in the world he had done something like that. Why had he tried to help his father win his mother back when he hated the bastard? It didn't make sense. Actually the Aoshi guy seemed so nice, and his father had done nothing but screw up. Well, if he was honest he would have to say his dad hadn't been totally horrible all the time, but it was close enough!

The party was in full swing as people were chatting and the "kids" were playing video games on Saito's big screen. The only unfortunate thing was that along with the big screen came Saito, though it seemed that Hikaru's mother was keeping him busy with some small talk. Fortunately Hikaru hadn't noticed them nor the semi casual touching that came from Hikaru's mother. Though Kenji thoroughly believed that Tokio was a very brave woman for daring to touch Saito.

Kenji turned his attention back to his video game, as Yahiko was kicking his butt, when a flash of familiar red hair caught his attention Standing in the door way with a long rectangle box under his arm was Kenshin Himura, his father and ex-husband of Kaoru Kamiya. The whole party seemed to stop when the people noticed him, but what Kenji noticed the most was his father seemed dirty and tired. What the hell has he been doing digging in the garden? Yeah important job my ass! Kenji scoffed, but he turned his attention quickly to his mother who looked shocked to say the least. Sanosuke was standing beside her in a protective manner and Saito looked utterly pissed off, while Hiko was smirking.

Kenji paused the video game and rushed over to her mother's side in hope to protect her.

Kaoru stared at her ex-husband shocked. He wasn't suppose to come she had nicely and politely invited him to their son's birthday and then almost jumped for joy when he said he had a job to do. She wasn't ready to see him, she hadn't prepared herself to encounter him. Thus the reason why she was standing there like a total moron while the "men protected the little lady". She felt sick with her reaction and quickly tried to cover it, but Kenshin he was looking so good even if he did look a little worse for the wear. His hair was falling out of its ponytail and his sharp eyes were at intense as when she first met him. She shook her head harshly and tried to ride herself of the thoughts. It was then she noticed that Kenji was standing directly in front of her in hopes to protect her. A sad smile passed over her face. He was always trying to protect her. Leaning over she placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Why don't you go greet your father."

A/N: Huzzah! I finished this one the same day as the prologue I feel victorious. Also as you can see my rewrites are different than the original, but have no fear! They will lead up to the same point as the other ones. It's just that Kenshin will be a better person in these ones well slightly and Kenji will be angrier and well there will be a little more Aoshi and Kaoru, and Soujiro and Kaoru in this one. Thank you for reading!

I hope to keep this story continued even after I finish all the rewrites. And to all of you who find my story again thank you for reading and the new readers I hope you enjoy the twists and turns as much as I do.

Thanks to: poems2songs and Scarylady, who both had read the first variation of Divorce and still wanted me to continue. It made me feel warm and happy. This chapter is for you two because you were my only two reviewers.

Next chapter will be up on Saturday the 26th.