Hi!
First of all thanks to all of you who review: lhaine07; kenkaofan; Lydia the tygeropean; kyoandyuya and Tanya. T
Thanks for your compliments and for sharing your opinions. I love to read it... And you encouraged and comfort me a lot.
Yes I agree... Shishio is the best. Eh!Eh!
In what concerns to the flowers... It was a client who sent the flowers the one I said that tried to grab Kaoru's hand when she was serving the drinks... I think it was in Chapter 12... Do you remember?
This chapter is soft... Maybe because the next one will be a little to explosive...
But I hope you to enjoy it anyway.
Chapter 14 – A Day before hell
Kaoru couldn't stand to look at those flowers on her room. She didn't cared which client gave them, so she took them to Yumi's: "It's not as you're betraying someone by keeping them, you know?"
Kaoru smiled. Yumi knew her well.
"You're still too attached to let go." – Yumi concluded – "That's ok, I can keep them."
Kaoru give her the flowers happily: "Thank you."
Yumi put them on top of the table and stared at them for a while: "In exchange you'll chose something from my 'portfolio'." – she said with a funny expression.
"What do you mean?" – Kaoru asked as she saw the other woman taking a black velvet chest from the drawer. "Well, this is a trade. You give me something and I give you something in return." – she opened the chest and Kaoru's eyes widened at the jewels on the inside:
"Whoah…" – she looked at Yumi – "This were all gifts?" – Yumi nod.
All jewels were so feminine and shinny… But something caught Kaoru's attention:
"Who gave you this?" – she pointed to a military plate that seemed to contrast with all the jewels.
"An American." – Yumi answered - "He didn't gave me… he end up forgetting it here. I just didn't throw that thing away because it's made of silver and if I want to dissolve it can give me some cash." – she shrugged her shoulders and Kaoru smiled: "I want this one."
The look of disbelief on Yumi's face only made Kaoru laugh: "Are you sure? From all the jewels here you choose the ugliest of them all?" – she pointed to Kaoru: "You're certainly not going to wear that, do you?"
"No. I have a plan for it." – Yumi shrugged her shoulders again and sighed: "Ok, so be it."
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As Kaoru left her alone Yumi looks at the red empty bottle beside her futon and remembers the last night events:
::::
He appeared on the room but she didn't saw him immediately. She was alone with Yumiko serving the clients.
Where did Kaoru go?
He sat in front of her on the other side of the counter: "I want a drink."
She immediately recognized his voice and looked up.
He grinned as she said: "There's been a long time since the last time."
"Too long." – he replied. "I think we have a special "vintage" waiting for us on your room."
And before she could know Yumi was driven by him to the upper rooms.
::
They drank that expansive sake he gave her the last time.
His voice was rough but it seemed to calmed her as she remembers of laying her head on his chest while hearing him speaking about Japan and its weakness. "If I was the one to rule…"
"So do you like power?" – she said contemplating the flame that appeared on his eyes.
"I love it." – he answered - "And someday I will rule this country and make it strong, like it always should have been." – then he turned his attention to her: "And you will be by my side."
She snorted and got up: "You're just saying that now, but in the end, if you became that powerful man you'll no longer care for me or this place." – she said turning his back on him.
She was tired, tired of those promises. A lot of men promised her things and failed to their word.
So why would she trust him?
Then, she felt his hands on her arms and in a second she was facing his intensive glare: "A man is only powerful as his promises are. And I am promising you this, woman: You'll be by my side when I conquer this country."
She gasped as he kissed her. As if it was the first time she was kissed.
:::
Kaoru was on the outside talking to Yahiko. Trying to cheer him up. He is really down as his mother doesn't become better. She was having some trouble breathing and he was getting pretty worried.
But in the meanwhile he was called to do an errand and their conversation end up sooner:
"I Have to go Kaoru." – his brown eyes looked back at the girl he was starting to know.
"Ok." – she smiled.
He started walking away but then he stopped and looked back at her: "Thank you for the care."
"You're welcome." – She replied as he turned to leave.
Kaoru stood there for a while thinking about how she and her father used to spend the evenings talking… But she got up to leave before nostalgic could take over her.
As she comes into her room, Kaoru finds a package on her futon.
Along with the package there was also a letter, her fingers opened the envelope:
Enjoy the reading.
I could read it myself but I really don't want to get inside of a woman's head.
I hope that in the end you can give me the names I want.
Saito
Kaoru hands trembled.
This is Tome's diary.
This… diary is her last chance.
She sits and starts reading it from back to front... Last events could be the most important ones.
As she started to read... her eyes widened in shock.
:::::
Kenshin was at his house… resting.
There will be a long meeting at night and he knows it's going to be boring.
But he has to be there. He is forced to be there, and yet, his mind is elsewhere.
Shishio's words still ranging inside his mind: A good man is never far from his woman…
Although there were no civil boundaries between them, Kenshin felt she was connected to him… his woman… But then, he failed to protect her because he was not near her when she needed the most… he put himself away from her.
How could a lunatic like Shishio knew something he didn't?
He could not go to town and talk to her, he would have to leave to Katsura's place soon… But he wanted to talk to her, he needed to talk to her…
It was when Something took him away from his thoughts.
Someone was approaching his house quickly. At the beginning his hands flew to his sword but then he noticed he knew the person's ki.
She stopped in front of the gate and Kenshin could sense the anxiety and apprehension that person carried.
He got up and walked in her direction just to allow his eyes to see what his mind had imagined.
Kaoru.
Kenshin noticed she was arching and was still trying to catch her breath. Like she had runt all the way there.
Kenshin approaches the small gate and opens it without taking his eye away from her.
Kaoru, placed her hand on her chest. Her heart is pounding so fast… she didn't remember to run like this… never in her life. She tries to talk but no voice came out.
"Please come in." – he said softly but she hesitates an image on her mind:
:
"I am going to prove my innocence to you." –Kaoru remembered her words the last time she was on this house. : "And in that day Kenshin, you will come to me and ask me for forgiveness…And I will not forgive you."
:
"There's been a long time since the last time you've been here. " – he says aware of her hesitation.
Kaoru shook the thoughts off her mind and goes straight to the point: "You're having a meeting tonight, don't you?"
Kenshin stares at her in disbelief. "How do you know?"
"That doesn't matter. I am here to tell you to be careful."
Kenshin made a suspicious look: "You're hiding something."
"You're going to be attacked." – she prompted.
His eyebrow knitted together: "How do you know?" For much urgency her words carried he couldn't stop himself from ignoring their message. He was focused on her.
"Are you not listening to me? Now it's not time for you to wonder about my sources but to do something about the information I am giving, maybe change the place of the meeting, reinforce the security…" – her hands moved frantically: " I don't know! Do something!"
"Your sources can be lying to you, they may use you to deceive me." – He took a step close to her.
His heart was ignoring her message and focusing on her instead.
Minutes ago he was asking for a chance to be with her and she appeared there! He needed to take that chance.
"My source is secure." – she replied.
"How can you be so sure? You can't rely that much on people."
"Yes, I do know that." – The way she answered made him feel guilty, as she was including him in the group of people who she doesn't trust.
He sighed and his hands invited her: "Please, come in. Let's talk without being interrupted." Kenshin remembered himself that the last time they met a bouquet interrupted them.
She shook her head and took two steps back: "I have to go back to work."
He took a step forward: "I thought you're working at night."
She is running away from me.
"I work during the day, but a friend got sick and I am doing double-shifts, so I have to go.." - her voice failed as she noticed he wasn't giving up easily.
"Let me walk you to the restaurant then." – he hoped that they could talk along the way, but her reaction proved him wrong.
"No." – Kaoru's answer was immediate. "I want to go alone."
That said she turned her back on him and started walking away.
:::::
Something changed in him.
I've noticed that in the last time we met but I thought he was acting differently because he felt I was still nervous because of the attack…. But, now… He invited me to come in… and talk. – Kaoru wasn't paying attention to the road, she was lost in her thoughts about Kenshin.
She was still angry with him…
No, not angry… Hurt…
But Kaoru doubted that someday she would be capable of fulfilling her promise of never forgiving him.
Suddenly she felt someone standing on her away and gasped at the sight of the person in front her.
"I need to talk to you." – Kaoru stared at her in disbelief. Tomoe was the last person she was expecting to see. "We have nothing to talk about." – Kaoru replied walking away, but Tomoe grabbed the sleeve of her kimono. "Please Kaoru san, you don't know how miserable my life has been since I came here.
"Your life is miserable? Your life? And what about my life?" – she exploded. But noticing the sadness on her eyes Kaoru immediately regretted of the way she spoke.
The weight of your burden is written all over your face... But what is your burden Tomoe?
"Please I don't want to talk to you, not now." – she end up saying. There were too many things at the same time.
The other woman nod respectfully and replied: "Then, I will search for you in a proper moment. Maybe Tomorrow morning?" – she asked.
Kaoru sighed. She couldn't face Tomoe for many reasons. One of them was the diary she kept on her room. "Ok."
:::::
As he saw Katsura talking, his mind flew to Kaoru and how she seemed to avoid stepping inside his house. The house that once has been hers too. She was so nervous, so fragile, and all he wanted to do was to make her come in and talk. Maybe he could ease the things between them… maybe he could ask her for forgiveness… even if he wasn't sure of anything…
As the thoughts about her filled his mind the meeting ended up faster than what he thought.
As It ended and everything seemed quiet Kenshin concluded Kaoru sources were lying to her. And if they were lying to her then she was in danger.
The next thing he would do was to go to the restaurant and use any necessary means to convince her to come to his house so that he could lay an eye on her.
But the quietness disappeared as he heard screams from the guards on the outside.
As Saigoro opens the door a claw comes from the roof and smashes a man's head in a blink of the eye, then a bunch of men with katanas appeared out of nowhere. They dressed in black and their faces were covered with masks...
They were under attack.
Just Like she said.
Kenshin tried to shield Katsura and knock as many guys as he could. Bringing Shishio was a good idea, because he also was a good fighter, unless his manners, of course…
"We have to stop the guy on the roof." – Kenshin thought... But if he left Katsura's side he was sure they would targeted him.
Apparently Shishio read Kenshin's thoughts because as soon as he got up to the roof Kenshin saw a claw hitting the ground and a man without an arm in 's sword finished him off.
That almost put an end to the fight.
::::
Kenshin sighed. Many were injured and some of them allucinating.
Poisoned Kunais. – Kenshin thought. It would be a long night.
Kaoru… who are you dealing with?
"It was a good thing you reinforced the security today Kenshin." – Katsura said placing a hand on Kenshin's shoulders before he left to help Okubo.
:::::::::::::
So, Kaoru is avoiding Kenshin as much as she can. And he wants to be with as much as he can...
The next chapter it's going to bring a turmoil on the story...
In what concerns to the military plate I speak, the one Yumi gave to Kaoru, I didn't knew how do you call that, but I put the image of the object I meant as the image of this story...
Please review.
Kisses
Jou chan