Summary: When a captured assassin escapes, he takes a hostage along as insurance. Now she has to lead him to safety or he will kill her. Will she be able to ever return? AU. BKK. "She was the girl he had watched from across the fence, he would know her anywhere."

Disclaimer: Kenshin doesn't belong to me. He and all the characters of Rurouni Kenshin were created by the fabulous Watsuki Nobuhiro.

Rating: M

Thanks to all the people who have reviewed, or put this story in their favorites, I'm so glad that this story has generated such tremendous interest. Your response has been overwhelmingly kind and I want to thank each and everyone of you. It's been a while since I last updated. I hope it will make up for the wait. Let me know what you think of it.

Since this is an AU fic, I have taken a few liberties with history in this chapter. There is a railroad running through the country. Now I confess I do not know whether railroads had been set up in Japan before the Meiji Era but in this story railroads have been around for some years so please don't be alarmed if you come across a scene at a railway station in this chapter.

Also, Yahiko is in his late teens in this fic.

The suspension of disbelief can work wonders…..trust me.

The Dance of the Firefly

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Chapter 5: The Journey Forward

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Recap

Kaoru bit her lip silently. The walls were slowly closing around her. She looked back at the village, the place where she had lived her entire life. The only place she knew in the whole world. It suddenly seemed so small, and the road she stood upon so vast. She turned away from it and looked at the prisoner uncertainly.

He sighed. "I need you to come with me. They're looking for a prisoner travelling alone. If you come with me, I will be less easy to catch. And besides, right now, if you go back home, your father will kill you. But if you come back later, you can say that I kidnapped you, which I did, and everything will go back to normal. Even if your father doesn't believe you, which he won't, consider the way he found us, but your friends in the village will stand by you." He spoke softly, trying to persuade her in any way possible. Kaoru nibbled on her lip, thinking carefully. He smirked. He had won.

"Where are we going?"

The prisoner smiled. "Kyoto."

End of Recap

Kaoru fought the languid voice in her head that asked her to close her eyes and go back to sleep. The ground was moving! She swallowed and felt her rough tongue scrape against the roof of her mouth. It was so dry that it felt scratchy. The heaviness of her eyelids forced her to shut her eyes at least three times before she finally managed to open them. She looked up. The sky was light, it was past an hour or so after dawn. She looked about and was not surprised to find that the ominous cloud cover had not left with the torrential winds that accompanied the storm the previous night. Even the morning sun seemed subdued and damp, its rays struggling to break through the thick rain clouds on the horizon.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes with her fingers. It was time to wake up. She straightened and looked about in puzzlement. She was hoisted up on the back of the prisoner who walked along silently as though it was the most normal thing in the world for him. His katana and wakizashi were secured to his hip, the small bag that held a meagre portion of food and a kimono for her hung around his neck and he walked steadily despite her weight.

They had left the village behind and from what she recognized of the fields and meadows around them, they were headed towards the railroad station. The rainwater had all but disappeared, as they were now on higher ground. She squirmed. The prisoner turned his head slightly towards her.

"You've finally decided to wake up. I was beginning to fear that I'd have to carry you all the way." Having said that, he unceremoniously dropped her on the ground. Her knees buckled and she fell in a heap on the ground. The prisoner swung his shoulder back and forth and kept walking.

Kaoru glared at his back. She stood unsteadily and rubbed her knee, pressing it gingerly to check for any further damage. Tossing her head slightly, she swore softly under the breath and cursed the prisoner for dragging her about like this.

"Hey! Hey, listen to me!" She yelled behind him. He stopped, turned and looked at her with a bemused expression in his eyes.

"What is it?"

"You could have warned me that you were going to do that."

His raised an eyebrow. "You're right, I could have." He replied.

Kaoru shook her head in disbelief, "Well, can you at least apologise? I would appreciate being considered something more than a sack of potatoes."

"Now that's an interesting issue you've addressed, see, in times of famine and general scarcity, a sack of potatoes would be considered infinitely more precious than a girl, even one as beautiful as you. So if you feel that you've been treated like a sack of potatoes, you should really take it as a compliment."

"A compliment? Are you insane….and wait a minute! Did you just say I was beautiful?"

"Yes", he replied quietly. "Is there a problem with that?"

Kaoru looked away. "No…no problem, I mean….thank you, but you shouldn't say things like that. It's not appropriate." she hurried past him. The prisoner was amused.

"Oh?" He quickened his stride to fall in place with her. "And why isn't it appropriate?"

"It just isn't, and besides we are not familiar. I am just accompanying you till I figure out a way to fix the mess you made of my life."

She stopped short as the prisoner caught her wrist and pulled her back. She winced and frowned at him, "What?"

Kenshin was about to tell her that she should learn to accept compliments and accept the fact that men were going to become a nuisance in the not-so-distant future. The Ishin Shishi headquarters were notorious for being dry havens run by revolutionary zeal. There was scarce a woman in sight, let alone an exquisite one like her. It was going to be a challenge keeping her out of trouble and keeping every female-crazy recruit out of her way, but he'd do it…somehow.

Something in the way she had changed the subject when he told her she was beautiful told him she hadn't heard those words nearly as enough as it was necessary. Well, he wasn't very surprised. With the kind of man her father was, he doubted any of the village boys would risk wooing her. Idiots. But it wasn't right. For a girl as courageous and kind as her to have the kind of self esteem issues she did was astonishing.

How could she be surprised at her own attractiveness? She was very beautiful, with the kind of face that stood out in a crowd. She moved carefully and with natural grace, her voice was husky and didn't shrill, her eyes sparkled like jewels, she was kind and helpful and possessed a rare courage to stand up for what was right despite being called names and being abused for it and yet she didn't think she was beautiful. Women are funny creatures.

But, he didn't tell her any of this.

He just watched her face for a few minutes before brushing his thumb against her cheek. "You have dirt on your face."

"Huh?"

"Clean up a little," he pulled a clean handkerchief from his sleeve and dipped it into one of the many stone basins placed along the field paths by villagers to collect water. He wrung the handkerchief and held it to her face, swiftly wiping away all traces of dirt, grime, sweat and tears. Kaoru watched him silently as he turned her face this way and that. As he wiped the cloth over her dry lips, she let her eyes drop.

It was a perfectly innocent act yet he made it seem so intimate and swollen with meaning. Or maybe it was just her. Maybe it was her who was reading to much into his gestures, his words and his looks. She was simply being ultra sensitive to the situation. He just wanted her to clean her face up because he didn't want to drag a ragamuffin to the railroad. It would draw to much attention to them. He was striking enough already without her adding to the strange picture they made. And the only reason why he was cleaning her face himself was because he didn't trust her to do a decent enough job.

She should actually be feeling annoyed with him instead of getting tongue-tied.

He surveyed her carefully after finishing. Satisfied, he smiled at her and stuffed the handkerchief down his sleeve again.

She raised an eyebrow. "Do I look decent enough to be in your exalted company my lord?"

"Yes, now you do." He grinned. Kaoru glared at him. Biting back a scathing reply, she shook her head. Her hair came undone. It was wet at the scalp and dry at the ends. Stringy strands of her hair stuck to her fingers as she tore them quickly through to make a ponytail. When she was finished, she looked at the prisoner, who'd taken the bag of food and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'm ready now."

The prisoner nodded and they set off towards the station at a brisk pace. The railroad would be heavily guarded and news of the prisoner's break from the garrison would have reached by now but if they were careful they could easily make it to one of the trains bound for Kyoto.

Despite the heavy offensive launched by the revolutionaries, the shogun had seen fit to keep the train running. The trains were a symbol of the power and reach of the Shogun. Discontinuing trains to Kyoto would tantamount to accepting that the city was all but taken by the revolutionaries. Something that the shogun would never bear. Ando so, even though the uninterrupted run of the trains in and out of Kyoto gave the revolutionaries just as much an advantage of mobility through the country as it gave the shogun armies, the Shogun were loath to do anything about it.

As they drew near the entrance to the station, the prisoner suddenly turned to her and asked, "What is your name?"

Kaoru suppressed an urge to laugh. It wasn't that surprising really. They'd only met yesterday. It had rained all through the night, dawn was breaking when they left Enishi's house and now it was mid morning. This time yesterday, she had been bending over a garrison field, weeding. And today, she was on the run with an enemy soldier, a man who didn't even know her name.

"It's Kaoru."

"Kaoru?"

"Yes."

The prisoner nodded slowly. "It suits you."

"What….what is your name?"

"Himura Kenshin. Now, what are we to tell that guard at the station?"

"You could tell them that I am your sister and you're taking me to Kyoto to stay with you because you're worried about me staying here alone."

Kenshin looked at her appreciatively. "That's fantastic, except for the sister part. I never would have thought you could be so wily."

"I'm learning fast." Despite her annoyance with him just a minute ago, Kaoru smiled back at him happily. He seemed taken aback for a minute but responded with a small smile of his own.

"Good."

Kaoru realized with a shock that this was the first time in months that she' d smiled so easily and so happily. She was happy….after so long. The last time she'd been happy was when Enishi had been with her…but that was almost a year ago. A year was a long time for someone to find a reason to smile again. She glanced at the prisoner. Perhaps, this wasn't so bad. Leaving the village, leaving everything she knew was frightening but also fraught with new possibilities. She was finally going to see the world beyond the hills that ringed the village.

She was going further than she'd ever imagined possible. A whole new world existed beyond these fields and these hills. A world where men were fighting each other for ideas they believed in, a world where heroism, adventure and danger walked hand in hand. It was a world Kenshin knew so well but a world she knew nothing about.

How would she respond to the hundreds of new experiences, sights and feelings that were going to be a part of it? She didn't know yet. But one thing was certain. She would not be a victim in this journey. She may have been taken by force and against her will but she was determined to squeeze every ounce of adventure from this journey. Because once she returned to the village, she would never get another chance to leave.

And although she loved the village, she knew that the outside world was also worth taking a chance for. Kenshin was waiting for her at the gate.

They entered the station and attached themselves to a large group of farmers with lots of baggage. The farmers in the group ranged from the obviously affluent to the not-so-well off. Some carried large bundles on their heads while others were trying to pacify their horses. Two persons in such a large group would pass through unnoticed. As the checking guard drew near, Kaoru and Kenshin bent their heads and started to ferry the stray sheep away from the tracks and back towards the group.

"Stay close," he whispered to her. Kaoru nodded in agreement. They continued to walk alongside the sheep till they were cleared and allowed onto the platform. Kenshin immediately clasped her elbow and led her away from the group. His pace made it hard for her to keep up. She yanked at his sleeve.

"Kenshin, stop walking so fast," she muttered into his ear. He turned to look at her.

Kaoru took a deep breath. "Look, stop acting like you're expecting to be caught and try and walk at decent pace, so I don't look like I'm having to run to keep up with you."

Kenshin smirked. "Are you giving me advice?"

"Well, you can choose not to take it, but that would be stupid. Your choice."

"Don't get me wrong. But you're the same girl who wanted to hand me over to the garrison soldiers last night. And today, you're telling me how to seem less inconspicuous. I'm a little confused."

Kaoru squirmed under the force of his stare. "Well, things are different today."

"How different?"

"I've decided….not to apologise for my life anymore. I was meant to be in this world, I mean….I was important enough for my mother to give birth to me even though my father hated me. All my life….all I've wished for is death. But….I don't want to die anymore. What I mean is, not like this, not without having lived even for a single day. I'm ready to face my life and live it. I don't just want to go through the motions of living. I want to do something worthwhile, even if it is for a day."

"Getting me back to Kyoto - is that your worthwhile act? I thought you had your loyalties clearly marked."

"I still do. You are still an enemy but….I owe you."

"What are you talking about? You owe me nothing."

"This is the first time I've come to the railroad station."

"Now you're scaring me. When I dropped you, are you sure you didn't hurt your head?"

Kaoru smiled, "No."

"You must have. You've just forgotten all about it."

Kaoru couldn't help it. She covered her mouth with her fingers and laughed. Kenshin's eyebrows shot up and he cautiously looked around to make sure nobody else could hear them. He tried to frown disapprovingly but watching her laugh melted the cautious, suspicious voice in his head that told him he should stop her.

As she laughed, slowly her eyes gave into tears. Kaoru sniffled between sobs and laughter. She patted her sleeves, looking for something to dry her eyes with and settled for wiping her tears with her fingers when she found nothing. She sniffled again.

"If you're finished with the water works, maybe we can board the train," Kenshin remarked dryly. He rolled his eyes in his head. Women and tears. Sure fire recipe for disaster.

Kaoru nodded. Kenshin shook his head slightly and then took her elbow again. He whispered, "Okay, your friend the district Dan gave me documents identifying me as a soldier, so we can travel free. The only thing to do is look confident."

"Okay."

"And…uh…Kaoru," he looked a little uneasy, "I may have to imply certain things….." he clamped his mouth shut. "You know what, I'll just tell them you're my sister, much as I hate to. The other alternative just won't work."

"The other alternative?"

"Yeah, because try as you might, there's not a snowball's chance in hell that you'll ever look vulgar enough to pass for the alternative."

Kaoru blushed as the "alternative" became clear to her. She frowned at him. "I would have never put you down as melodramatic, but now I'm having doubts."

Kenshin's only response was to shrug. They moved on and as they approached the train, Kaoru became aware of someone yelling her name. She tried to turn around but Kenshin was having none of that. He yanked her elbow roughly and kept her close to him. The incessant calling grew louder as the person calling her got closer. Kaoru once again tried to turn. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a young boy dressed in the regulation navy blue gi and hakama of the district Home Guard. His hair spiked out in all directions and he ran towards her at full speed, hollering her name.

Kaoru groaned inwardly. There could not be a worse time for Yahiko Myojin to make an appearance. She had known Yahiko her entire life, and if he wanted to speak to her then there was no way he was letting her get away without having a word.

She pulled Kenshin's arm. "Kenshin, stop. I know him."

"All the more reason to lose him." Kenshin snapped back.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko called out.

"Please Kenshin, he won't stop till he speaks to me."

"KAORU!!!" Yelling now, Yahiko ran ahead as fast as he could. People stared and jumped out of his way as he approached.

"Damn it! Fine. Two minutes. Get rid of him." Kenshin looked around cautiously. The guard at the gate had become interested in what was going on and had left his post, choosing to saunter towards the source of al the noise. Kenshin swore under his breath.

Kaoru turned and smiled softly at the young boy. Yahiko stopped short in front of her, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

"Where are you going Kaoru? I've been calling you for so long. Why didn't you stop? I had to run all the way away from my post." He bent over, still trying to regain his composure.

"Your post? Are you on duty here Yahiko?"

Yahiko snorted. "Well of course. That's why I'm here. I wanted to be at the garrison but they didn't have enough men here so I agreed to lend them a hand." Kaoru smiled. Yahiko's sense of self importance hadn't changed a bit. "Haven't seen you in ages. Where are you going?"

"Well, I …..uh…."

"Oh. Are you going to Tae's village?"

Kaoru nodded vigorously. "Yes."

His face fell. "Oh, but," he looked at the train, "this train is bound for Kyoto, didn't you say Tae's village was in the mountains?"

Kaoru struggled to find words. "Well, it's near Kyoto."

"Oh okay. Well, I'll need to see some papers." He looked sheepish. "I mean, I know its you Kaoru and you're the last person to cause any sort of trouble but, well, rules are rules. So, do you have your papers?"

Kenshin thrust the documents in her hand. Kaoru gave them to Yahiko, who looked at Kenshin suspiciously.

"Err….Kaoru," He grabbed her hand and dragged her a few paces away, looking suspiciously at Kenshin, he poked her in the ribs, "who's that guy?"

Kaoru stole a glance towards Kenshin, who glowered at her, and tossed his head imperiously.

"He….he's from Tae's village. They sent him to come get me because I can't travel by myself." She wondered if Yahiko would fall for something so loosely fabricated.

Yahiko looked at Kenshin once more, eyeing his swords with grudging admiration and envy. "Is he an officer? He sure looks like it. And look at those swords, never seen anything like them."

Kaoru glanced back at Kenshin. "Something like that. But, you must have seen swords like that before Yahiko, don't the officers in our district Guard have something similar."

Yahiko laughed. "No way. Not swords like that. Those swords look handcrafted specifically for this guy. He wears them like a second skin, I've never seen a man so comfortable with his swords."

They were both silent as Yahiko looked at the documents carefully. She stole a look at Kenshin who was tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. Yahiko finally finished.

"Well, this all seems in order." He was about to give the papers back when another boy joined him. He was wearing the same uniform and looked about as old as Yahiko. He fervently whispered something in his ear and jerked his arm to a point behind Kaoru.

Kaoru watched with amusement as Yahiko's expression changed completely and he eagerly turned around.

"What….here? No way. Really….oh heavens, it really is her….!" Both the boys began to nudge and whisper loudly amongst themselves. Kaoru cleared her throat. Yahiko looked at her distractedly.

"What? Oh yes! Ummm……this is all fine Kaoru. You can go. See you when you come back." Yahiko spoke hurriedly, and kept glancing behind his shoulder, as though he couldn't wait to get away sooner.

"So I'll see you when I come back, Yahiko?" She asked mischievously. Yahiko nodded and began to edge away, the other boy already walking away. Kenshin was back at her side, trying to steer her away from the conversation.

"Yeah Kaoru…sure…" Yahiko looked like he was ready to run.

"Be sure to come see me next time." Kaoru couldn't resist keeping the teen engaged in conversation even as he tried to get away from her and Kenshin almost tore her arm off with his pull.

Yahiko nodded quickly. "Yeah , yeah sure Kaoru…"

"I'll make you some nice soba."

Yahiko looked at her almost pleadingly. "Yeah Kaoru…listen, I really need to go right now." He rushed away from her and joined his friend who was talking to a woman who had just entered the platform. She was dressed in a loose kimono, whose folds did absolutely nothing to cover her properly. Her face was heavily made up, her shoulders were bare, and her swell of her breasts was visible too. She held her sandals in her hand and rolled her hips suggestively as she walked.

Kaoru felt her jaw drop at the sight, but even more surprising was the way Yahiko and his friend fawned over the woman and hung upon her every word. She couldn't see what attracted them so to her. She had no decency, and she wasn't even beautiful, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Kenshin pulled at her elbow again. She turned to him.

He stared at her pensively, then followed the direction of her gaze to where the prostitute was laughing loudly at something the boys said. He looked back at her and smirked.

"What?" She asked belligerently.

He shook his head slightly and stepped up to her. Placing his hands around her waist, he lifted her into the railcar in a fluid movement. Kaoru was too taken aback to say anything. He swung himself into the railcar after her and ushered her to a seat next to a window. He sat opposite her.

"What were you trying to do, Kaoru? Keep your young friend away from the whore?" he smirked.

"I wasn't….well even if I was, I wasn't very successful, was I? It's disgusting." She replied with spirit.

"What is? The whore or the fact that the boy was running after her?"

Kaoru looked at him. "What is it that you men find so fascinating about women like that? I could see it in the eyes of every man on the platform, even Yahiko. Everyone wanted to be with her. I just don't understand why."

Kenshin hid a smile. How could he explain the fascination of a whore to a young girl like her? There was nothing more restful in the world than a whore. A man could be himself with a whore, he could say anything he wanted and he wouldn't be badgered about it in the morning. There was no pressure about being heroic, or even brave in front of a whore. You could tell her your fears and know that she'd forget them before the night was out.

Kaoru watched him carefully. "What are you thinking of?"

"Nothing. How is your leg?"

Kaoru looked down at her shin. She hadn't thought about it since she'd woken up. It was healing. Blood had clotted over and it would fine soon.

"It's alright now. I hadn't even noticed it."

"Good." He leaned forward and beckoned to her. "Come here."

"Huh?"

"I need to sleep."

Kaoru blinked. Of course. He hadn't slept a wink last night. After his escape, he broke into her house, created a mess, then dragged her off with him to the Dan's house and then…carried her all night. He must be exhausted even though it didn't show.

"Oh, ummm…yes, of course." She sat straight with her hands neatly folded in her lap. Kenshin looked around the rail car. The war with the rebels meant that troops were being ferried about all the time, and they tended to leave things behind when things became too heated. There was a bedroll someone had forgotten underneath one of the seats in the opposite corner of the car. Kenshin pulled it out and dumped it at her feet. He dusted it off a bit and sat down on it. And then, without a word of warning, he leaned against Kaoru's legs and rested his head in her lap.

Kaoru jumped. "What…what are you doing? Stop it!" She scrambled up.

Kenshin glared at her. "I need to sleep and make sure you don't run away while I doze off."

"I am not about to run away. I promised to accompany you till Kyoto."

"Yes, but with all these soldiers about, I can't trust you not to get ideas about running away to try your luck at getting back home."

"I'm not about to hold your head in my lap just for that."

They both glared at each other. The silence stretched uncomfortably. Suddenly the door clattered and the boy who had been with Yahiko earlier burst through the doors with the platform prostitute on his arm. They didn't notice Kaoru and Kenshin sitting in the corner. The woman giggled incessantly and began to loosen her clothes. Kaoru gasped and looked away.

"Kenshin," she breathed, "make them go away."

Kenshin looked unruffled. He stared coolly at the heated pair who were swiftly becoming a tangled mass of arms and legs.

Kaoru bit her lip. "Kenshin! Make them stop or tell them to go somewhere else. Please, I can't…..just make them stop."

"Are you going to behave?"

She snapped her head back at him. "I can't believe you'd use this to…..fine! Just get rid of them!"

Kenshin smirked unrepentently. He stood and loudly tapped the seat with the hilt of his wakizashi. The quivering mass of flesh that was the woman and her client froze. The boy's head emerged from behind her chest. His eyes froze the sight of Kenshin. He didn't wait to question anything, but just stammered an apology and led the woman away.

Kenshin turned back to Kaoru. "Now, will you please let me rest?"

Kaoru looked sullen but nodded. He sat down on the bedroll once more and rested his head on her knees. Kaoru fidgeted slightly and froze when his arm curled around her legs, holding them in place. He felt warm and before she knew it, he was asleep. She looked out the window. The activity and bustle that had greeted their arrival was dying away. There were only a few people left on the platform. She doubted anyone else would board this rail car; it was the last one on the train and had a deserted and desolate look; windows were smashed, the floor was strewn with debris. It looked less like a rail car and more like a battlefield.

The blast of a whistle jerked her senses. A train pulled into the track adjacent. A crowd appeared out of nowhere. People were handing down luggage, greeting each other or talking to the guard. Two of the guards were jotting something down on a paper. They conferred amongst themselves. After much nodding and head shaking, they turned towards station house, where the signals and switches that operated the trains were controlled. One of the guards waved and was answered by a green flag furling at the window. It was time to go. Kaoru held her breath in anticipation. She was going to ride on a train! A whistle blew and the train lurched forward. Kenshin's head rolled a bit and he muttered darkly. Unconsciously, she placed her hand on his forehead and patted softly. The muttering ceased instantly.

The train groaned, the wheels slowly began to turn and the engine chugged the train forward slowly. Kaoru watched as the faces of the people outside began to change as the train moved. There was a flash of brilliant blue. Kaoru turned. It was a young girl, perhaps a year younger than herself. Her hair was styled fashionably and decorated with an enamelled wooden comb. Her kimono was an exquisite blue silk, and she looked like a little porcelain doll. She carried an umbrella to shield her face and stepped very prettily onto the platform.

As she held her hand out, a young man appeared at her side, dressed just as handsomely as her. Kaoru frowned. Another man carrying luggage was shielding him from her sight. She craned her neck as the train came closer to the pair. They stepped forward.

Kaoru's breath hitched in her throat. Enishi……It was Enishi, without a doubt. You couldn't mistake Enishi for anyone else. Nobody in the world had that striking white hair, brilliant blue eyes and that studied, confident posture. Enishi. But…..who was that girl?

Kaoru placed her fingers on the bars of the window. The window came directly opposite to Enishi. He suddenly looked up. Their eyes met. Shock and disbelief flooded his face. He stared at her in confusion. The train picked up speed. Kaoru turned, still watching him. He whispered something to the girl and began to run after the train. Kaoru bit her lip and tore her fingers from the window.

"Kaoru? Kaoru!" He called out her name several times. She turned to look at him one more. He seemed distraught but he caught up with the train and looked into the window.

"What are you doing here? Where are you going?"

"Enishi….I….."

"Speak up Kaoru, where are you going?"

"I…." Words failed her. What could she tell him? That her courage and patience had finally broken, that she no longer wanted to live as though she didn't have the right, that she wanted to find out what her purpose was in life, that she was willing helping a known assassin and enemy escape by shielding him with her presence. There was nothing in all her reasons that she could say that would make sense or be acceptable to him.

As the train gained speed, Enishi fell behind. "Kaoru!"

She had left behind all her relations in life, including the only man who had ever loved her.

And she'd done it for a man who called her beautiful in one instant and threatened to kill her in the next.

Author's Note

Ahhhh, long time no write. Thank you all for reading. Please review.