Ripples In Time

A/N- This definitely has been a long time coming, I'm just glad that I actually finished it! Anway, I've been looking for someone to help me beta my work and so if your interested, just pm me.

I don't own RK! Duh!

Now onto the fic!

Chapter 6: Living With Your Enemy

The weeks had passed quickly into months and soon Kaoru found herself fitting in rather well with her new 'family.'

Stretching her back and hearing it pop nicely, Kaoru smiled to herself as she lifted her trusty throwing knives and took aim at the tree that sat several feet away. After hitting her mark several times, Kaoru turned and her smile deepened as she watched her new protégé hit the place she had marked on the tree below her own.

"Very good Tsubame, you're getting pretty good at this…but, Yahiko-chan, needs to practice more…" smirking over her shoulder at the other person who was throwing knives at a tree opposite theirs, Kaoru's smirk deepened when Yahiko messed up and threw a knife into the forest.

"Damn it!" Growling, Yahiko turned to face the smug looking Kaoru and the blushing Tsubame, his eyes narrowed, "Why do you always pick on me? I didn't volunteer for this! Kenshin made me do this, so stop bothering me!!"

Shaking her head, Kaoru walked over to the tree and went about yanking her knives out when a scream from behind her sounded, jumping Kaoru whirled and held her knives ready. But what greeted her eyes had her cussing under her breath and throwing the knives in her hand to the ground, "what do you want?"

Chuckling softly, Kenshin released Tsubame gently and laughed out loud when she started blushing again before running over to stand near Yahiko, "Megumi needs you inside quick, I volunteered to make an appearance, how's the training going Yahiko?"

Yahiko merely grunted before he went back to throwing the knives Kaoru had loaned him, smiling at that Kenshin turned back to Kaoru only to see her high pony tail pass right by him.

Unable to resist, Kenshin took a deep whiff of the air and sighed when Kaoru's scent hit him full force, hearing a snickering sound at his side Kenshin glanced over to find Tsubame and Yahiko trying to hold their laughter in.

"What's so funny?" At his words Tsubame broke out in giggles while Yahiko bit his finger while clamping his eyes shut, confused Kenshin walked over and looked down at them both, he narrowed his eyes and watched with satisfaction as they both sobered quickly.

"That's better, now answer my question..." gulping, Yahiko trembled. "You and…Ka…Kaoru," Kenshin felt his jaw tighten as his eyes narrowed, seeing the look in his eyes, Yahiko freaked and blurted the rest out quickly. "Youlikeher!"

Surprise flooded throughout Kenshin as he turned away, a blush starting to burn his cheeks, 'if they've caught on, then Kaoru won't be far behind. She's going to hate me...'

Clearing his throat, Kenshin schooled his expression as he turned back to face Tsubame and Yahiko, "why do you say that Yahiko?" Moments after he had said that, Kenshin watched as Yahiko's expression turned to one that clearly said, 'are you retarded?'

"It's obvious…just like how she looks at you, the only one's who don't notice is you and her, and you call me childish…come one Tsubame, lets go get something to eat." Having said his piece, Yahiko gripped Tsubame's wrist and drug her along with him, past a stunned looking Kenshin and towards the house.

Kenshin could only stare at the trees a few feet before him as his mind repeated Yahiko's words over and over again, growing rather frustrated, Kenshin strode over to where Kaoru's daggers were sitting and lifted one, gripping it hard enough for his knuckles to go white Kenshin flung it deep into the forest as his voice filled the small clearing, "shit!"

Leaning against a nearby tree, Kenshin panted heavily as he grit his teeth, his mind kept going over those words and Kenshin was starting to feel a headache coming on. 'Damn it…what should I do? I thought that she hated me, but if what Yahiko said was true…how can I get closer to her?'

A sudden smile spread across Kenshin's face as a memory from just the other day floated through his minds eye, almost immediately a plan began to form and as Kenshin finally pushed off from the tree, his smile had turned positively feral and his laughter trailed behind him as he started back towards the house.

He was determined to put his plan in motion as soon as possible, 'she won't even know what hit her.'

Meanwhile inside the house, Kaoru started on her second cup of coffee, after what Megumi had told her just a few minutes before and what had happened after, 'I just can't believe this…'

Flashback-

Kaoru was silently fuming to herself as she passed by Kenshin and heard his intake of breath, he was smelling her again, 'why does he keep doing that? It's very annoying…yet…sweet…' shaking those thoughts off, Kaoru made her way inside, wondering just what Megumi had to tell her that was so important.

Upon entering Megumi's room, Kaoru was shocked to see that Megumi was sitting close to the fireplace and her body was shaking uncontrollably as tears streamed down her face, worried Kaoru made her way over and knelt next to Megumi to comfort her.

"Megumi, what's wrong…did…did something happen?" At hearing Kaoru's voice, Megumi flinched slightly before she turned to face Kaoru.

Kaoru couldn't stop the gasp that passed her lips as she studied the face before her, Megumi's eyes were swollen from crying and her face was stained with tears, there were clear signs that she had also gone without sleep.

But it was the vulnerable look in her eyes that had Kaoru wrapping her arms about Megumi and holding her close as she gently rocked Megumi back and forth, "it's alright…you can trust me Megumi, I promise this will stay just between you and me..."

For several moments Kaoru was answered by only silence but when Megumi pushed back against Kaoru's chest and looked her in the eyes, Kaoru knew that this was something really big, "why?"

Confused Kaoru shifted slightly as she pulled Megumi to her feet and helped her to the couch nearby before they both sat down, "what do you mean 'why', why what?"

"Why are you being so kind to me…you once hunted my kind, yet here you are…trying to help me…why?" Megumi's voice was low and broken, but Kaoru understood the meaning behind those words, "it's true…I have hunted your kind, but you are my friend Megumi, I don't care if you're a vampire or not. I regret what I have done…it wasn't my place to kill just because of my past, but that isn't why I'm here now. I want to help you Megumi, please, just trust me…"

Megumi just smiled as she nodded her head and shifted on the couch to look back at the fireplace, she was no longer crying but she hadn't even made a move to clear away her tears, sighing, Kaoru used one of her sleeves and cleaned Megumi's face up as best she could.

"…is." Her brows knitting, Kaoru paused mid wipe as she gave Megumi a confused look, "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that, what did you say?"

Shifting again, Megumi turned to face Kaoru, her eyes hard. "It's his, Sano's…I…I don't know how this is going to work out and I don't know what to do! Please Kaoru, tell me, what should I do?" At this point, Megumi was gripping Kaoru's shirt roughly and Kaoru was completely lost.

"Alright, first, calm down and start from the beginning, because you are making absolutely no sence to me." Smiling sheepishly, Megumi bowed her head slightly before she slowly released Kaoru's shirt and instead gripped her hand, "I understand…and I'm sorry, I'm just so scared right now."

Kaoru just nodded her head, sighing, Megumi placed her free hand on her stomach. "I'm pregnant."

"What?! H…how?" Kaoru couldn't believe her ears as her eyes zoomed in on Megumi's belly, looking at it as if she was in the twilight zone or something, a small laugh greeted her and Kaoru let her eyes drift up to meet the amused ones of Megumi. Feeling her face burn with a blush, Kaoru cleared her throat, "I mean, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm about a week along and I have no idea how to approach the father…" something clicked in Kaoru's mind at Megumi's words and her eyes only continued to widen, "you mean, Sano is the father?"

Megumi just nodded her head as she gripped Kaoru's hand in a tight grip, "he is…but I doubt he'd believe me, even if I told him. Kaoru, I…I love him…but, I tried to tell him but he was busy at the time and I suppose that I lost my nerve. Now though, he'll definitely hate me but that isn't what I fear the most, it's my child."

Confused by this Kaoru gave Megumi a questioning look but her gaze was caught by a flash of dark brown a few feet away through the slightly ajar door, Kaoru schooled her expression to remain in confusion when on the inside she was laughing to herself.

"How could you fear your child, you should fear for your child but not fear it," gripping Megumi's shoulder, Kaoru flashed Megumi a gentle smile.

Megumi just shook her head as more tears started to gather in her eyes, "You don't seem to understand Kaoru, think about it. I am a vampire and he is a Lycan, my child will be part of both, have you ever heard of such a union?"

Kaoru could only gape at Megumi's words, she couldn't believe that she hadn't realized it sooner, "I…I am sorry, I guess I wasn't thinking. No I haven't ever heard of such at thing ever happening, why…isn't that just something natural that happens if a Vampire and a Lycan fall in love?"

Megumi just smiled as she stroked her hand over her stomach again, she let her eyes close as she let her head tip forewords, "true but if one of either species finds out, they will kill not only myself, but the father and my child. It is rumored that if a child of such a union is born, then the child will be the end of both our kinds. I don't believe this though…but I don't know about Sano, he might wish the death of this child as well. That is what I fear…"

"Oh…I see, but I don't approve. No one should attempt such a thing, the child would be innocent and doesn't deserve to be killed just for what it is. No Megumi, you have nothing to fear…I will protect you and your child. If Sano tries to even lay a single finger on you or your child in an attempt to harm either of you, I will make sure he never sees the light of day again. That's a promise."

Megumi jerked as her eyes fell upon Kaoru, shock and adoration was clearly written within her eyes, "do…do you really mean that Kaoru?"

Kaoru merely chuckled and nodded her head, placing her hands on her knees, Kaoru got up and walked towards the doorway nearby. As soon as she reached it, Kaoru turned and smirked at Megumi before reaching into the doorway and tugging out, none other than Sano himself.

Megumi's face lit with confusion as her mouth dropped open, her eyes passed from Kaoru to Sano and back again with a question in them, "I saw him spying a little earlier and I think it's about time that you two talked this out. If you guys need me, I'll be in my room."

Releasing Sano, Kaoru waved her hand before she turned and started out the door, but a voice calling after her stopped her short, "Thank you Kaoru, for listening to me…I hope you have better luck with Kenshin."

Karou jerked at that and turned wide eyes upon Megumi and Sano, they were both flashing her sheepish smiles, "what do you mean?"

Sano just chuckled, "forget it missy, it's not that important, just run along." Kaoru flashed Sano a glare before she turned and continued on her way, once she reached her room, Kaoru shut the door and grabbed a cup of the coffee that she had brewed earlier.

End Flashback-

Chugging the rest of her second cup, Kaoru shifted from where she was leaning against the wall, walking over to the bed Kaoru sat down. Resting her head in her hands, Kaoru forced herself to think over the last couple of months that she had been living here.

Things had been easier to adapt to than Kaoru had thought they would be, at first she had felt uncomfortable and wary of being with those she considered enemies, but as time passed she grew to know them and Kaoru knew that she should be grateful to Kenshin for showing her a life like this one.

A life filled with friends and love, feeling a blush rise on her cheeks, Kaoru shook her head at where her thoughts were leading her. "I can't love Kenshin…he's a Lycan and I'm a human, besides, he'd never want someone like me anyway. I've killed many of his kind and even if it is only now that I have stopped, I will be forever stained with their innocent blood on my hands…"

Feeling tears start to fill her eyes, Kaoru buried her face in her hands, 'I haven't cried sence that day, all those years ago. Why am I crying now of all times? Do…do I really love Kenshin?'

Hearing a soft knocking at her door, Kaoru quickly whipped at her eyes before adjusting her clothes, "come in." As the door opened and closed, Kaoru's eyes narrowed at the person standing before her, "what do you want Kenshin?"

A/N- And the end has come...the next chapter should be out next month, I'll do my best to update soon. Again, sorry for the wait...till next time...

Ja Ne!