A/n hi everyone. Sorry for such a long wait. I was busy working on my other stories and then I sort of misplaced this story hehe. But I found it again yeah for us. So I won't keep you waiting, I'm glad to see so many who like this story, even if it is a little diddy of a story. On to the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kenshin

"Where did Kaoru go?" Misao asked coming out of her empty office. In the crook of her elbow hung the straps of the plastic shopping bag that contained their lunch.

Two other workers in nearby offices shrugged as they walked past.

"Man, I was only gone for maybe five minutes." Misao grumbled.

"I saw her just now, and you were gone for fifteen minutes Misao." Said their secretary.

"Well did she say where she was going Scama?" Misao rushed the man's desk.

He shook his head. "I saw her hurry out of here just after you left. She looked in a rush; she didn't even say where she was going, she didn't clock out or anything." He looked worried, which made Misao worry.

"Hang on." Misao dug out her cellphone and punched Kaoru's number. She set her phone to her ear just in time to hear a hard rattling from Kaoru's office. Both Misao and Scama took the few steps to the room and there they found Kaoru's cell on vibration and rattling on the hard wood of her desk. Misao flipped her phone closed and slipped it back in her pocket. "Kaoru hardly goes anywhere without her phone." Misao scooped up the cellphone and flipped it open to check Kaoru's call history. "She missed a call from someplace called "Home." I wonder if that's her parent's home. They called many times but she only answered the last call."

… . . …

Kaoru found herself moving though she had no idea where. Her mind was a blank, her head hurt, her eyes dry and stinging. She realized she was in a cab but she had no idea where she had told the driver to take her. She was not surprised to find herself standing on the sidewalk looking up at the same apartment complex she left a few days ago.

Night had fallen. Had it really been that many hours already? What had she done before getting a cab? All she could remember was running. What time was it anyways? All she knew was that it was dark. With stumbling steps she walked to the door and tapped the correct buttons with heavy jabs of her finger. Once inside she ignored the startled look of the security guard and placed herself in the elevator and hit the button to his floor. What would he say to her showing up at his door...who knows how late it was... and it wasn't one of the days he had agreed to meet with her. What if he was with another woman right now?

The thought made her shattered heart burn anew and fresh hot tears filled her eyes. Kami, what was she supposed to do? She couldn't go to Misao, she just couldn't. And she couldn't bear the thought of being with her family. Not yet.

He was the first person she thought about...he was who she wanted to be with. She glanced down at herself when the elevator doors popped open. She was surprised to find she was wearing her house slippers, when did she go home? She couldn't remember going home. She didn't even change from the jeans and t-shirt she had been wearing when she answered the phone in her office...she had no make-up, her hair was a mess, and she was just thankful enough that she remembered to grab her purse before wandering out of her home.

She stopped at his door, her shoulders hung low and her head fell forward to press against his door. She was breaking the rules by being here on a non-visit day. Would he be mad? She didn't know, all she knew was that she needed him. With a shuddering breath Kaoru stood up straight and knocked on the door before she could stop herself.

A moment passed. And another.

Then Kaoru could hear the door unlocking and it swung open. Her red-headed stranger stood there with a glass in his hand and a startled look on his face.

"Kami," He whispered and he looked her up and down.

She must look a sight. Kaoru tried to give him a smile, but it only came out a grimace that started the tears anew.

"What happened?" he asked as he reached out and wrapped one arm around her shoulders to pull her in. He shut and locked the door and set his glass down as he turned her to face him. "Why are you here?"

"I .." Kaoru hung her head. Now that she was here she knew that the reason was far too personal for her handsome stranger to want to deal with. She should have gone home to her family.

"You can tell me." He whispered both hands on her shoulders.

Kaoru looked down at the button up shirt he wore. It was a lovely shade of deep green that made his red hair so beautiful. With tears falling, she looked up at his face. She could instantly see the worry in his eyes turn to pain at the sight of hers. He reached up with both hands and used his thumbs to wipe the tears away. But new ones fell just as fast as he swept them away. "I got a call f-from my family this afternoon…"

"Yes?" He dipped his head slightly to catch her eyes.

"Police found my brother today in an empty apartment downtown…he's dead." With that said all semblance of her control broke. She had been in a state of shock since the phone call. She could hardly remember half the things she did, but at that moment she allowed herself to fall apart.

Her stranger didn't say anything. He held her up as her legs gave out and he let her sob like a small child. After a minute or two he scooped her up in his arms and too her to his bedroom where he placed her in bed and pulled a thick quilt over her.

"I'm s-sorry for coming when it's not T-Tuesday." She said between sobs as he tucked the quilt tightly around her.

"Shhh, never mind that." He said in a firm, but not unkind tone. He climbed into bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Cry now."

And she did.

She didn't know how long she cried, only that she stopped because her chest hurt, her eyes burned and her head felt like it was about to split open. Her stranger and slipped away from her a few times. Once to bring her tissues, again for some water and now as she had finally quieted down, he was off again and returned with a tray. Kaoru sat up and leaned against the pillows and he set the tray down. There was water and juice, a bowl of hot soup and pain killers. Kaoru gladly took the two white pills and sipped slowly on the hot soup. Every so often a hot tear would roll from her red and swollen eyes. But she had let go of all her grief and all that was left was sadness.

"What do you know? You can talk about it, that you can." He said once she had finished with her meal and he snuggled up beside her once more. His arms were wrapped tightly about her body and he felt surprisingly warm against her skin.

"Not much." Kaoru said after a moment. She felt a little numb now, as if she was dreaming. "He was shot. The empty apartment looked to be a popular hang- out for druggies." She was silent, resting her cheek against his chest. "If my aunt told me anymore, I didn't hear it."

"You were at work?" his breath tickled across her forehead.

"Yes. I don't really remember leaving work, only the urge to get away from the source of the news, the phone." She winced. "I left my best friend just as she went to get us some lunch, I never told her. I bet she's worried about me." Kaoru paused, her eyes closed, breathing in the woody, spicy scent of him. "I guess I went home, but I don't remember. Know I did because I'm wearing my house slippers." The one's he had removed before tucking her into bed. "I just remember running, and then looking out through the cab window. I had no idea where the cabbie was taking me. I thought perhaps I was going home to my family, but then we pulled up to your apartment and I knew I had wanted to be with you right now. I can't face my family, or my friends. I needed someone who would understand…but not be as upset…I needed someone to be strong." She paused a moment, her blue eyes sliding open as she lifted her head. "I'm sorry for needing you to be the strong one.

"It's alright, that it is." His voice was rough and rasped with emotion.

Kaoru closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

… . . …

"He took care of me all that night and all the rest of the day." Kaoru said. It had been a few weeks since she found out about her brother's death. She was sitting on her sofa and the tv droned on at a low volume. Misao sat beside her on the sofa; they were both munching popcorn and sipping soda. It was the first time that the two friends had a chance to sit together and really talk.

"You scared the shit outta me by vanishing like that. When I found out about your bother I rushed over here. I figured you were at home getting ready to stay with your family. I saw that you were here, your door was unlocked, but you weren't here. I figured you had already left to be with your family and had just forgotten to lock your door. I would have understood; you were upset." She shrugged, reaching for another handful of fluffy popped corn. "I had no idea you ran off to be with him."

Kaoru nodded. "He sent me home once he made sure I would be alright. Then I packed up and went home to be with the family."

"I'm still sorry that you lost your brother."

Kaoru could only nod, emotion built up again and the popcorn seemed to stick in her throat as she tried to swallow it. It still hurt to think about Yahiko. "He made some pretty bad friends apparently. He had no drugs in him when they did the autopsy." That made things a little better, at least she and the family knew he didn't get lost down the road of illicit drugs. "He only had a little bit of alcohol in his system."

"Party gone bad?" Misao wondered.

"The police don't know." It was really the first time she had talked about it to anyone other than her family. And the first time she could talk without being overcome with emotion. She went through her time of grief and anger and now all that was left was acceptance.

"You haven't been back to see him, your stranger." Misao brought back the original subject. "You lived without him for almost a month…how was it."

Kaoru was watching the tv without really seeing what was on the screen. She sighed and looked back at Misao. "Hard. At first I was alright because I had so much to think about with the funeral and helping my family. But once it started to settle down and I was back in my right mind…he's all I can think about Misao."

"Tomorrow's one of the days you can go see him right?"

"Right."

"Are you going to go?" Misao sipped from the straw in her soda. "It would be a great time to break it all off you know. You haven't seen him in a while and you even spent some time without him on your mind."

It was true. Kaoru had struggled with the idea for the past two days that she'd been back in town. Had he moved on? Was he waiting for her?

The idea that he had moved on was heart wrenching, but the thought that he might be waiting for her was just as heart wrenching. She couldn't bear the thought of either. It was nice to have the time without him on her mind. And yet that time had been hell. It was all just a ball of confusing emotions rolling around in her gut.

… . . …

In the end, Kaoru knew she had to go see him. She dressed in casual clothes. Jeans and a bright top with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and tied with a ribbon. She put on just a touch of makeup and a swipe of light perfume before heading out. Kaoru twisted her fingers in her lap as she sat in the cab heading across town to his building. What would he say after not seeing her for so long?

Would he be surprised? Upset? Would he not care at all? Did he move on? Was he wondering how she was doing as she was wondering about him? She sighed and rested her head against the glass window. So many thoughts raced through her head. What would Misao think about her going back to him after being away for so long? Misao was right, Kaoru had detoxed herself from this red-headed stranger…now she was going back to him like a clean drug addict taking a hit of his favorite drug. But already she was standing in the front of his building, looking up at the many floors. Nervous and excited, Kaoru took a deep breath and walked to the glass doors.

The main lobby was empty, save the same old guard that had greeted her with a tip of his head and a smile. Again he tipped his head and smiled but then he jumped slightly and held out his hand.

"One moment Ma'am." He said in a kind tone as she disappeared under his desk and shuffled around.

He had never spoken to her before; curious, Kaoru stepped up to the desk as the old man straightened up and handed her an envelope. He didn't say a word, only smiled and tipped his head again.

Dismissed, Kaoru stepped away with the white envelope in her hand. It was blank, nothing telling who it was for or who it was from. Confused, Kaoru opened it and pulled the slip of cream stationary paper and unfolded it.

Strong yet wispy handwriting greeted her.

My Dear Beautiful Stranger,

You came to me in your time of need. I'm glad you did. I was glad I was able to help you, even if it was to just give you a shoulder to cry on. But I realized I could no longer go on with this game with you. I was getting too personal, you were getting to personal. And the main problem was that I liked it. My Stranger, I can't give you what you need. Not yet.

Forgive me. Your Stranger.

Kaoru found herself rushing to the elevator before she even finished the last line. What did he mean he could no longer give her what she needed? Was he telling her it was time to move on? Why would he tell her in a letter? It didn't seem like him.

After what felt like ages the elevator door slide open and Kaoru rushed into the hall but came up short when she saw her stranger's door propped open. Two uniformed men were walking back and fourth from the apartment to a small cart that sat in the hall. Kaoru stepped forward and stole a peek in her stranger's apartment.

It was empty.

They were cleaning it and getting it ready for the next renter the uniformed workers had told her when they saw her gazing in. Kaoru stood stunned at the door way. There was nothing she could do, so slowly, Kaoru turned and headed back to the elevator.

a/n…Kaoru is in shock poor thing. First Yahiko, now this. Where did he go? What will she do now? Reviewers! What should happen now? Ideas are welcomed.