A/n Hello dear readers. I was quite nervious about last chapter, to be honest. But I'm glad to see that it was so well received. poor Kaoru just can't seem to catch a break. One adventure tumbles right into another. And I'm glad that people seem to enjoy all the different cultures, it is quite fun to write them.
On to the story!

Chapter 35

"I'll kill them, every last man, woman and child of that savage race." Kenshin raged. Kaoru felt as if her very bones would be crushed against his hard chest as he continued to hold her with his steel arms. She felt that same wild uneasiness as she had when he was a dragon. Like an uncontrollable animal.

"I'm fine. I'm well." Kaoru kept repeating. She glanced wildly around, finding her handmaids in the covered wagon. Its cover was torn but they were all safe. Many of the Fire guards were there too and Kaoru spied the tall, lanky Saitou in the shadows with the rest of his men.

"Are you sure?" Kenshin asked, moving to look and feel at her body, pressing to test for any hurts. He spied the mark on her face, where she had been struck and she winced when Kenshin set his hand on her head where they had knocked her senseless.

"Yes. I'm well enough." She pulled him forward. "But Sano."

At Sano's name, Kenshin followed her under the canopy of the willow. At the sight of his trusted and beloved friend, Kenshin fell to his knees and set a hand at Sano's throat checking the strength of his pulse.

"Kenshin." Kaoru bent and picked up the rest of her clothes and clutched them too her. It hurt her to see the pain and anger on his face. "I had to couple with Sano….to save his life. I-"

But Kenshin shook his head and surged to his feet and was at her side in an instant. Again he enveloped her with his arms. "Thank you." His voice was a hiss as he struggled to control his emotions. He pulled away abruptly. "We need to get him out of here and back into his homelands, that we do. He won't survive here." Now with a plan, Kenshin rushed away to his men.

Kaoru quickly dressed as Kenshin started barking orders. Men rushed in and gathered up Sano. Kaoru followed close as they carried him to the medic wagon. The medic had a bandage around his arm, but it didn't seem to hinder him as he got to work on Sano.

Her maids fell upon her, pulling her away from the cart for them to fuss over her. Her youngest maid had a black eye and a lip busted wide open. Kaoru gasped at the sight of her and fussed just as they were fussing over her. One maid was in tears upon seeing that her Lady was relatively unharmed. The blood that was on her was not her own, but Sano's.

"My Lord!" The medic called, and like magic, Kenshin formed out of the darkness. "He is in a bad way. He is stable for now, but it will not last here."

Kenshin's face was set. "Then he must go to his homelands right now." He called for a few of his men and turned to the ever silent Saitou still leaning against a tree. "Is it possible for me to borrow a few of your men to escort my medic with Sano to his homelands?"

Saitou sighed. "You still refuse to let fate handle things." He sighed as if Kenshin was making a grave mistake and called the men that had brought her to Willow Springs. As they talked of the fasted route to take, Kenshin approached Kaoru.

"It would be a good idea to send your maids with him."

Kaoru glanced at the women. "Is this alright with you?" She asked.

Although they loathed being separated from their Lady once again, two of the maids agreed to go, while the wounded youngest one, Cyan, begged to stay with her. Kaoru wrapped her arms around the girl to calm her while the other two gathered their things and hurried to the wagon. In a rush of wooden wheels and chains, the wagon was off at a clip pace with a handful of Fire and Air men on their horses.

Kaoru could only pray that nothing would slow them down and that there weren't any more Drow out there.

"Let's get to the town." Kaoru overheard Kenshin say to Saitou. The tall man unfolded himself from the shadows.

"We can speak here if you like so that you can follow the boy."

The warlord brought his stallion over to Kaoru and helped her into the saddle. "Talking can wait, my wife needs a healer and rest, that she does."

Kaoru settled herself in the saddle and turned to argue with Kenshin, she didn't want to hold up his conversation and truthfully she wanted to follow Sano. But upon turning, the pain in her side blossomed and Kaoru remembered that she had taken some very hard knocks and as she was carrying the heir, she needed to be careful. She held her tongue as Kenshin's strong warm body settled behind her. She leaned back against him as he wrapped his arms around her and gathered up the reins.

She was immediately aware that she was exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally. Her feelings had been a whirlwind all day. Fear, sadness, determination, even more fear, rage. She had felt it all in such a short window of hours. She was normally quite calm and in check with her emotions, as a Water should be, but…

Kenshin's hand palmed the swell of her belly and she realized she was a slave of her pregnant hormones. Perhaps that was why she struggled to control herself.

It had to be why.

She turned her head and pressed her face into Kenshin's neck and fought to keep anymore tears from escaping. He smelled of sweat and blood.

"I'm sorry." Kaoru heard herself say with a shaky voice. The stallion picked up the pace to keep up with the rest of the group as they moved further East and deeper into the willows.

"Shh" Kenshin hushed, his hand still curled around her belly.

"I shouldn't have wandered so far away from the group." She said softly as they came alongside Saitou and his men.

"I said hush, that I did." Kenshin returned gently. "We'll talk about it later. Right now I'm glad you are not seriously harmed."

"But Sano."

"You are all that matters to me right now. You and the one yet to come." His hand stilled on her belly as his other arm tightened around her for a moment. "Sano will understand if he takes third place."

As an Earth, Kaoru was sure Sano would indeed understand.

Kaoru's thoughts started to fade in and out as the trees went by faster and faster. Was she falling unconscious again? Perhaps she should let it happen. Just once...she was so tired anyway, perhaps the rest would be good for her.

Her whole body went warm and all the pain started to fade away. Above her, giant white trees seemed to glow softly in the darkness. Then there were more and more of them. With windows of warm golden light. Soft music and voices all around. And the entire time Kaoru felt nothing but the strong arms of her husband around her.

... . . ...

Kaoru sighed, her face scrunched in confusion. Trees with windows in them? Perhaps she'd been hit harder than she thought. As it was, her whole body felt like it was floating on air. She turned her head and a sudden white light flooded the other side of her eyelids. She thought she should wince at the harshness, but instead, it felt warm, soft, and light, like the wings of a dove.

Inky black lashes fluttered at the light and Kaoru found herself looking out a window streaming in daylight. A large delicately arched window lined with gauzy white sheers that drifted in the slight breeze. Windows?

Kaoru glanced around, the ceiling sloped gently toward a bay of windows on the other side of the room. Through those windows she could see giant white tree trunks.

"Oh!" Kaoru gasped softly. She really must have went unconscious. Was she in Willow Springs? The actual town? She lifted her head to look down at the impossibly fluffy bed. It was so soft, it felt like a cloud. The cover over her looked like a blanket sewn from pillows, but it hardly felt like there was any weight on her body. It was the color of cream which matched almost everything else in the room. Light lemon yellow,, cream,, eggshell and white. The bed was made of the same white wood as the window and was engraved with many swirls and twisting knots.

There was movement to her left and she turned her head to see two people walk pass the window. They drifted in through an arched opening that Kaoru thought was yet another window. Apparently, it was an open doorway. How odd. Perhaps Air fae were not worried about security or privacy.

The two figures approached her bed and Kaoru saw that their ecru robes were much like the healer robes of her Keep.

"Oh, she's awake, that she is." said the lithe blonde as she approached the bed. Her pale eyes were large and her skin as smooth as porcelain. Classic Air female.

"How are you feeling?" the other asked. She was a bit shorter, slender but with deep aqua eyes and deep ebony hair. A Water female.

Kaoru went to speak but found that her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth.

"Oh, here, my dear." The water fae reached for a glass pitcher on a side table and pored a small amount in a cup and helped Kaoru to sit up so she could drink. The air fae glided over to the other side of the bed and adjusted her pillows so Kaoru could lean against them as she sat up.

"Thank you." Kaoru rasped after drinking the water.

"This one must inform Lord Himura that you have regained consciousness, that I do. This one will look in on the others, Misaki" the Air fae bowed her head to Kaoru and floated away on silent footfalls.

Kaoru gave the glass back and smiled at the woman. "Misaki? Am I in a hospital?" She glanced down at the stark white and plain cotton robe on her body. The kind of clothing that was made to fit many shapes and sizes.

The healer tipped her head with a sympathetic and rueful smile. "Yes, my Lady. I fear you broke a rib and cracked two others, and you took a pretty hard hit to the head." The healer moved to tuck the blankets back around Kaoru's body. "Thankfully you seem to be healing well and your pregnancy seems un-compromised." The woman sat by the bed and took up Kaoru's wrist to take her pulse.

Kaoru waited silently until she was done. "I didn't think I was hurt that badly." She said softly as the woman took her face in her hands to peer closely into her eyes.

"Follow my finger, please." The healer held up her index finger and drifted it left and right over and over again. Kaoru did as she was told. Once satisfied, the healer sat back.

"Will I have to stay here long? I know my Lord Husband will be wanting to leave here as soon as we can."

Misaki stood and turned to leave, pausing at the foot of her bed. "You should have a few days of observation. You've frightened your husband by sleeping so long. We feared a concussion and that you slipped into a coma."

Kaoru balked. "A coma?" She glanced around the room. Was she only asleep for the night? "How long have I been asleep?"

"Three days, Mrs. Himura."

Kaoru felt like she was floating again. "Three days?" She breathed softly to herself.

The woman gave her a gentle smile. "You have a very loving husband, he fretted over you the first night and day, refused to leave your side and helped with your care. He's a very sweet man, for a Fire."

Kaoru found herself nodding. She had been asleep for days, Sano would be far ahead of them by now, perhaps even in his own lands. She felt bad for slowing Kenshin down. "Where is my Husband now?"

"He left the second day, I believe to the church to pray. Then I believe he had some business that took him away." She smiled, "Don't worry, My Lady, I'm sure he'll be right over shortly. Are you hungry?"

Kaoru didn't think she would want food but she had been without for three days. They would most likely let her leave sooner if she were eating well and up and moving. She nodded her head. "Yes please."

"I'll have a tray brought up to you. Call out if you need anything." With a dip of her head, the Water female zipped out of the room, passed the windows and vanished around the corner.

Kaoru leaned back against her pillows and tried to recall the last three days. But there was nothing, not even dreams. She squirmed, she didn't like the idea of being so helpless. And worse, it was in front of Kenshin. Kaoru bit her bottom lip. She shouldn't think that he would see her as weak. He already told her she couldn't be something she wasn't. And she couldn't help if the knock to her head rattled her brains a bit.

All that really mattered was that the baby was fine. Kaoru wrapped her arms around her middle and sighed. Her eyes drifted to the right where beams of sunlight flickered in the swaying sheer curtains.

"Finally, Mrs. Himura." came a voice from the sheer curtains on the other side of the room.

Turning, Kaoru found a young man. He was tall and lithe like all Air fae but had dark hair and eyes. They felt a bit out of place on the soft blues and creams of his long flowing clothes.
"Hello." Kaoru smiled and the man returned her smile, eyes never leaving her face as he moved around the windows to step through the doorway into her room.

"It's a pleasure to finally met you, that it is." He pulled a chair from the side and set it beside her bed and sat, back ramrod straight, hands resting in his lap.

Curious, Kaoru tipped her head to the side. "I'm afraid I don't know you, sir." She confessed.

"Oh, you wouldn't, my Lady. This one is an acquaintance of your husband, Kenshin Himura."

Kaoru shifted, wanting to look away from such dark piercing eyes. Yet she found herself drawn to them. "Have you known my Lord Husband for long?" The Air Empire was where Kenshin was raised after all.

"Oh, a few years." He turned and looked away from her for the first time. She caught movement in his lap but when she looked, he was only smoothing the wrinkles from his long tunic.

"I fear he isn't nearby at the moment, but he should be arriving shortly." Kaoru informed. Wondering if this was the man Kenshin wanted to speak with.

"Oh, This one didn't come to see him." He turned to face her once again. "This one came to see you, my dear."

Kaoru blinked. "Me?"

"Himura never breathed a word about being married to you." Those ever dark eyes grew wider and Kaoru caught a flash of blue within them.

The Water lady shifted in her bed, keeping her back straight even though she wanted nothing more but to rest against the pillows. "He said as much to me before. I'm sorry sir, what is your name?"

His eyes went wide at this information but ignored her question. "Oh? What did he tell you? That it was a scandal that broke wide open?"

Kaoru glanced up as a young air female glided in on silent steps with a tray in her hands. The mysterious young man jumped up and took the tray from her. The twinge in her head was starting to turn into a headache and Kaoru fought the urge to press her hand to the pain.

"This one will take care of this, you're dismissed, that you are." He told her firmly.

The young lady only bobbed her head and floated away. The young man set her tray on the bedside table as soft as a breeze, not even the glass of juice trembled. "It was all anyone talked about for weeks, even after he fled here."

"Here?" As in this town?

His smile flashed again. "Oh yes. He didn't tell you this was his old haunt?"

Kaoru shook her head. She thought this was simply a random town that happened to be the closest safe haven for them to go.

"Interesting." teeth flashing. "This one wonders what else he hasn't told you."

"Enishi!"

Both of them jumped at the shout and the young man whirled around and Kaoru leaned to look around him to see her husband at the doorway. Eyes burning with fire and lips pulled back over his sharp teeth. He was strange looking dressed in flowing robes with long sleeves. His hair was down, flowing like a hood of crimson around his face and shoulders. Some of it spilled over both shoulders and the rest down his back. A yellow circlet at his forehead dipped behind his ears to vanish with the curtain of red hair.

"You got here sooner than this one thought." The man breathed.

"Out." Kenshin shifted and pointed out the door. The light, gauzy sleeve all but snapped at the speed of his movement. "Now." The word was more of a growl and Kaoru actually felt goosebumps wash from the top of her head down to her legs. She glanced at the young man who had blanched as pale as his cream cape.

"This one just wanted to met the one you hid from us all." His back went straight.

Kaoru's eyes swung back to Kenshin who had in that short moment, advanced into the room so fast that both she and the young man jerked back in surprise. Kenshin clamped his hands on his shoulders and all but threw the man toward the open doorway. The man hardly regained his footing when Kenshin went to shove him away but the young man must have anticipated the move because he backed away on one smooth move and didn't allow Kenshin's hands to touch him again. Kenshin didn't pause, he kept his advancements until the two of them were out of sight.

Kaoru was left sitting there, mouth open, her hands twisting the feather filled blanket. What was that all about? Kenshin called him Enishi, but the name didn't sound like one of the ones he spoke to Sano about. He had said this was Kenshin's old haunt, perhaps then he was an old friend. He seemed younger than Kenshin, but with his Air looks, it was impossible to tell his age. He might be older for all she knew! And Kenshin didn't look at all happy that he was here.

The pain in her head doubled and she set a hand against the tender lump on her skull.

Perhaps…there was bad blood between them. Kenshin had said he pretended he was not married all those years, she could see how that information coming to light would cause a stir, especially among friends.

At a sound, she glance upward and watched Kenshin stalk back into the room and advance upon her bed. He set a knee into the deep blankets and leaned to wrap his arms around her. It was like being embraced by a man made of hot iron. His temper had been pushed it seemed. Kaoru swallowed her questions and gently wrapped her arms around him. She felt weak and breakable compared to him. She hated feeling that way.

"Kiga" He whispered into her hair, his hand petting the back of her head as gentle as one would a small kitten. "You gave this one a fright, that you did. Don't ever sleep that long again."

"I didn't mean too." Kaoru rasped, clearing her throat to find a stronger voice. "I didn't know I slept for so long, otherwise I would have woken up sooner." She joked. It was quite interesting to hear Kenshin speak with a slight melodic cadence. He had spent so long in the Air Kingdom it was a wonder that he hadn't lost his original accent completely. She thought perhaps he hadn't picked it up, but here it was. Soft, flowing words that he spoke with a gentle rhythm. How swiftly the speech returned to him.

His hand went from her head and slipped under the blankets to her belly, palming the swell that was starting to be an obvious obsession with him. With a sigh he pulled away and sat in the now vacant chair and pulled the food tray from the table to sit it in her lap.

"Kenshin, who was that man?" She blurted before the moment passed by.

Those ever glowing eyes shuttered for a moment. "An old acquaintance."

"He seemed very strange." Kaoru went for the glass of juice and sipped it carefully. It was overwhelmingly sweet and flavorful. Her eyes never left her husband as she picked around her plate and picked a shiny cherry tomato to bite. "He seemed..."

"He hates me, that he does." Kenshin interrupted. "This one made a large mess hiding my married status from everyone." He crossed his legs as he leaned back in the chair and steepled his hands in his lap. He relaxed them at once and instead set them flat on his thighs.

Kaoru went silent, only nodding her head and turning her eyes downward to her plate to see a half game hen sitting on her plate beside the vegetables and fruit. It was cut into sections with a deep orange and sticky glaze. Kaoru at once felt her stomach tighten. She was starving. The Water female attacked it with her knife and fork and found the glaze sweet and a bit spicy and it only made her want to eat more.

"Interesting food for a hospital." Kaoru muttered around her mouthful, daring to look up at her husband. Would he take the change in topic, or was she being too obvious? She didn't want to change the subject, but it was easy to see that he was uncomfortable and she wanted to give him a way out if he wanted to take it.

"It's made to encourage appetite." Kenshin took the out. "Air fae tend to lack much desire for food, which can make healing difficult. So it is necessary to increase appetites in the hospital."

"It works very well. This is something I would like to look into for the Keep." Kaoru took another bite.

"Kaoru, this one does not want you near that man ever again. Do you understand me?"

Kaoru almost coughed on her chicken. She turned those large blue eyes to him as she carefully swallowed her bite. She thought the subject had changed. But he sat, stiff as a tree trunk, silent and still, Eyes glowing as he watched her from under his copper brows.

The Lady set her silver down and cleared her throat. "Is he dangerous?" She asked softly.

"Extremely." Kenshin sat forward, leaning his weight on his elbows that rested on his knees. "This one made many enemies with his lie. And that is my consequence. Unfortunately, it also involves you. This one would hope those that he wronged would be honorable enough to leave you, an innocent, unmolested." There was a tick at his brow that told Kaoru just how much anger he was actually holding inside.

"That man is very unstable and not at all mature enough to leave you out of any ideas of revenge he may have."

"Revenge? Kenshin, what did your lie do to cause such anger here?" Kaoru gasped.

"It is not as bad as you think, my dear. This one is only unlucky that the one hit the hardest was the one that is equally as deadly." He tried to smile to reassure her but this information was far too much to try and cover with a tight lipped smile.

Kaoru sat, eying her plate but no longer wanting to eat. "Are you in danger?" she whispered, eyes darting to the giant arched windows and doors that were open to the world outside.

Kenshin jerked awake at her words. "This one is sorry for making you worry." Kenshin bobbed his head.

Despite the seriousness of the moment, Kaoru couldn't help the twitch of her lips at how easily Kenshin fell back into the Air habits and ways of speaking. She left him to thoughts that obviously troubled him in which he didn't want to share with her. She wanted to keep pressing. Was the man a danger to them? Did he speak with the one he was to met up with? Was it bad news? What of Sano? Any news? But she held her tongue and instead focused on eating.

... . . ...

The healers returned and examined Kaoru yet again. Kenshin hovered to the side. Not enough to be in the way, but close enough to watch their every move. He must have found them satisfactory, for near the end of their examination, he settled back on the edge of his chair.

The Water healer placed her hands around Kaoru's belly, softly pressing the sides of the growing bulge. It hit Kaoru then, that she was starting to show, that it was real, there was life inside of her and now it was out in the open. She most likely wouldn't of been able to hide it any longer. The Lady of the Keep felt conflicted. She felt a great weight off her shoulders. No longer did she have to hide her condition, from anyone. But on the other hand, such information was dangerous to let out to those that could be their enemies.

"Is she well enough to be moved?" Kenshin asked, trying to look around the healer to see her ministrations.

"Well enough." The Air healer said, walking around her bed to address the Lord. "We had hoped to keep her here for a while longer. Gentle travel, my Lord. If you must."

"We must." Kenshin said with a sigh. "But not for another day or two. This one wants to be sure she can take the trip."

"I can travel." Kaoru snapped and then winced as the water healer touched a tender spot over her ribs.

"We were able to heal your ribs, my Lady, but the soft tissue is still bruised." She chastised softly. "You need more healing."

"This one will see to that, that he will." Kenshin grumbled, out of his chair to pace in front of the open windows.

"Very good." The water healer smiled down at Kaoru as her face blazed. "Then you should be fine for travel but if you feel weak, dizzy or nauseous, you must take it easy, my Lady."

Kaoru nodded. "I understand."

"Although that bump on your head has been healed, you may still get head pains." The healer warned as she helped Kaoru to sit up.

"I'm sure the waters at the Keep will be able to help me with all of that." Kaoru was in a rush to change the subject of her healing. The young healer smile turned secretive and she gave Kaoru a pat.

"Your Lord husband appears very capable of taking care of you." she assured and then turned on her heel to Kenshin. "Any trouble and you bring her right here, understand?"

"This one understands." Kenshin bobbed his head repeatedly, apparently forgetting in that moment that he was a Lord.

"We will leave you to get dressed." The healers nodded their heads at the pair of them and drifted silently away.

"I'm starting to understand why you're so silent when you walk." Kaoru mumbled as Kenshin walked around to the bedside table and started pulling a change of her clothes from the set of cubicles. "Where did you get that?" Kaoru noticed her favorite yellow kimono.

"This one took it from your trunk. Your maid recommended it, that she did."

Kaoru recalled the youngest girl who didn't want to be separated from her. She hoped the poor girl didn't suffer from the worry she caused everyone by sleeping for days. "The poor thing, I hope she's well." Kenshin set himself behind her to untie the laces holding the overly large hospital gown on.

"What are you doing!" Kaoru gasped as she gestured to the wide open windows and doorway that lacked a door.

"Getting you dressed." Kenshin clicked his tongue at her like a nursemaid trying to dress a squirmy child. "No one can see you."

Kaoru fell silent and let Kenshin undress her and hand out her underthings. Kaoru quickly dressed, taking a moment to examine the dark stain on her side. The memory of falling off her mare flashed in her mind and she sighed.

Kenshin was watching her and slowly held out her under robe as she slipped her arms into the sleeves. "How did you get that?" He asked in a careful tone as he turned for the bright yellow Kimono. It was a fitting color for the Air Realm. Though it was the wrong style, at least it was the right color.

"My horse was rammed, I think." Kaoru's brows knitted together as she struggled to recall those first few moments. "I didn't see them coming, I was slammed, and I fell and hit the ground."

She didn't need to see Kenshin to know that his Fire anger was rising again. She could feel the heat and ki rolling off of him and filling the small room. "I don't think that Fire rage of yours is good to have spread in a hospital, Kenshin." She said softly as she rushed to finish dressing. Years of dressing herself meant she made quick work of tying the Obi.

Kenshin took firm hold of her as they left the room. His grip on her elbow was reassuring rather than hard. He wanted her to lean on him, to trust him, and Kaoru was content to and left her sick room with a smile.

She came up short as they reached the outside. Kenshin paused and turned to find her features wide open in wonder. She didn't care if he caught her gawking like a child. She had never seen such a place.

Trees, massive trees everywhere, and the room she left was built within one! She edged away from Kenshin to look out over the railing that looked to be made of more vines than wood. Kenshin kept his grip on her, but made way for her to look around.

It was a city built within the trees! She had thought it had all been a dream, seeing glowing windows within the trees that night. But it wasn't a dream. The canopy of branches and leaves stretched far over their head, weaving together to create a feeling of a ceiling high above them. Light glittered down in flashes as the leaves danced in the wind. Staircases spiraled down the tree trunks, the railing were covered in vines that grew fruit and sweet smelling flowers. Bridges of rope and wood hung suspended from tree to tree, dozens of them spouted out of each tree to reach for another tree. Some right next door, some to trees far off into the distance.

Kaoru turned to look at the great window of her room and found that though the sheer see-through curtains allowed her a limited view of the outside, that they completely blocked all sight from the other side. There would have been no way anyone would be able to see who was inside.

"This is amazing." Kaoru gasped softly, turning to look at a suspension bridge so wide that three men stood shoulder to shoulder hauling a produce cart across it. Kenshin led her down a few steps and onto one of the bridges. Kaoru expected it to start swaying under their steps, but instead it was solid and steady and only gave the slightest of trembles as they walked.

"With all these bridges, how does one not get lost?" Kaoru wondered.

"Memory." Was all Kenshin said with a smile as he tucked her hand into his elbow and drew her close.

... . . ...

After a few bridges and down one spiraling staircase. Kenshin came to a stop. "This one needs to gather his things, that he does." He said with an apologetic bob of his head. Kaoru glanced up at the tree. They had stopped at an arched doorway with a golden plaque on the door etched in swirling Air alphabet.

Kenshin produced a key from the yards of robes he wore, unlocked the door and stepped inside. Kaoru followed and found herself in a large but empty room. It was dusty and dark, as the massive windows had been shuttered. Enough light leaked through the slats to give them light to see by.

"This one kept his things in here so that he could be closer to the hospital, that he did. The guards and your maid are with Saitou. The man was charitable enough to keep them and provide this one with "Appropriate" clothing." Kenshin gestured to the regal flowing Air robes on his body.

Looking around, Kaoru spotted faded marks on the walls, like ghosts of where things hung. The white washed walls had a slightly different color where it was easy to see something had been there for years.

"Was...was this your home?" Kaoru breathed, wincing as even her soft voice echoed in the empty space.

"Yes, this one is getting ready to sell it."

So, this was Kenshin's personal space for all those years. Kaoru wandered further in as Kenshin packed some clothes away in a pack he had sitting in the corner. She reached out to touch the dark wood of a built in shelf. What of his did he put here? Swords? She turned and stepped with soft and slow footfalls past the kitchen and down a hall to a series of rooms. One was covered in more shelves, perhaps a study or library. And then three more bare rooms. Such a large place.

This was there Kenshin and Tomoe were together.

The thought popped in her mind. She didn't want it to, or expect it to, but it was such an obvious observation. She paused in the hall, nearly in mid-step and realized she didn't want to see anymore. She didn't want to know. Not yet, not right now.

With a breath, and a hand out on the wall to steady her swaying form, she turned and found Kenshin watching her from the start of the hallway.

"What do you think of this false bachelor's roost?"

"Um...It's very nice, do all Air fae have such large apartments?"

"Not usually, this would be thought of as overly large for one man…." His voice went soft. He took a breath as if the thought he had fled away. "Anyways, this one is selling it now. No point in keeping hold of it."

"But what if you ever visit?" surely he must still have friends here.

Kenshin shook his head, his hair a shimmering curtain as he did so. "This one doesn't plan on coming back here for anything other than military business." He looked up and around, his eyes growing distant for a moment before flashing with emotion. "There are many memories here." He said, amber eyes drifting over to her. "And this one does not want to remember them, that he does not."

Kaoru had been such a bag of jumbled emotions as of late, she was surprised when her calm and controlled Water mask slipped on with ease. "I understand."

A/n Oh dear, Kenshin sure did make a mess of things, it seems. At least he understands what he has done and has made peace with it. I do worry for Kaoru though. I feel she needed that long sleep. So much is happening to her.
Thank you for reading!
Reviews are much loved.