This chapter is a bit of a hodgepodge. Some are bits I had written some time ago. And then it was just a matter of filling in the holes. Hope you enjoy!

As always the characters below are not mine but created by Nobuhiro Watsuki

"Are you sure there isn't anything I can do?"

"Nope! I'm just about done."

Kenshin sat back and closed his laptop. It was rare that he didn't work on a Sunday and today had been no exception. Aoshi had called him early in the morning, stating Takagi had finally returned to the city. Now it was just a matter of getting him to meet. He had been going over the offer for Tagahashi all afternoon, listening to the bangs and sounds that came from the kitchen.

She had started off in a good mood. When at one point he heard her cursing, he had attempted to help, but she had pushed him out of the kitchen, quite literally. He was going to pretend he hadn't noticed something burning on the stovetop.

"I can at least open some wine. Or would you prefer I pour some whiskey."

Kaoru appeared in the doorway. "Wine is good. I pulled a bottle. It's already on the table." She handed him a wine key and disappeared back inside. He stared down at it and hesitated. Not that he didn't know how to work the instrument, but he rarely drank wine at home, usually saving it for when he was out dining.

Moving to the table, he chuckled when he heard her utter another soft curse. He picked up the bottle studying the label. It looked like it was Italian. He pulled out the blade and went to remove the foil as he had witnessed her doing a number of times. However, it refused to cut cleanly, and Kenshin finally attempted to slit the foil up the middle. He ended up slicing his thumb. With a hiss, he put it to his mouth. The woman made it look so easy.

After a few more moments, he managed to work the cork from the bottle. It made a louder pop than he anticipated, and he almost dropped the bottle. He cast a guilty look towards the kitchen, but the woman didn't appear. He poured two glasses and picked one up. As she had shown him, he put his nose into the glass. He smelled dusty earth and bright strawberry but couldn't discern much more than that.

"Ready?" She called.

"Hai." Kenshin took his seat, anticipating what the woman had been creating for the better part of four hours.

She emerged with a basket of garlic bread and two plates of heaping spaghetti. He admired how she managed to balance all three. Deftly she placed on plate in front of him, then the basket, and lastly her own plate on the table. "That's quite a party trick." He commented as she sat down.

"What?" Her blue eyes looked up at him.

"Carrying all that at once."

Kaoru waved a hand dismissively. "I'm out of practice. I used to be able to carry up to five plates at a time."

"Really?"

"Tricks of the trade." She offered with a grin. "Shall we?"

Kenshin turned his attention to the plate in front of him. He breathed in, smelling the garlic and fresh tomatoes. He frowned slightly. Did it also seem as though something was burning? "Cheers." He offered her merrily, lifting his glass. Kaoru clinked hers to his and took a sip, her azure eyes watching him anxiously.

"Looks delicious." He told her, trying to assuage the anxiety that rolled off her.

"I hope so."

She watched him anxiously as Kenshin stuck his fork into the mound of pasta. The intensity in her blue eyes made him a touch nervous. He twirled and gingerly placed the food into his mouth. He paused and forced himself to chew. The pasta was undercooked, and he tried to soften the crunch as he caught an underdone strand. The sauce was bland and tasted slightly scorched. He swallowed and smiled at her.

"It's...good."

A smile of relief broke out on her face. "Really?"

Kenshin nodded and reached for a piece of the garlic bread. Surely, she couldn't have messed that up. He cringed when he spotted the completely black underside. Without looking further, he put it in his mouth. He wasn't sure how she managed to completely burn the underside and have the top be still cold. Meanwhile she had put her own forkful of pasta in her mouth. He fought the urge to cough and looked at her as her eyes grew wide.

"It's awful." She declared.

"It's not that bad."

"Seriously?" She stared at him.

He reached for his wine glass. At least there he was confident the woman knew what she was about. "It's not the best spaghetti I've ever had, no."

"It's the worst."

He shook his head and took another bite of the pasta. He paused and once more forced himself to swallow. "Okay, it's not good." He reluctantly admitted.

"How long would you continue to eat it if I hadn't said anything."

He grinned mischievously at her. "Chinese or pizza?"

"Chinese."

He rose and picked up their plates. "I can get it." She rose as well.

"Nonsense. You cooked. It is only appropriate that I clean."

"Except I didn't cook well."

He shrugged. She followed behind him into the kitchen with the wine. "It's not going to be hard to clean." He went to the trash can, opened it and dumped both plates into the garbage.

"I spent a long time working on that." She scoffed.

Kenshin looked over at her. "Really?"

She shrugged sipping her wine. "I did want it to be nice."

"It was a nice thought." He told her, grinning at her. He rinsed the dishes in the sink and placed them in the dishwasher. He accepted the glass she handed to him. He tapped her glass. "Next time."

Kaoru's face lit up in a beautiful smile. The other night it was her passion that had called to him. Tonight, it was her sincerity that drew him in. Kenshin caught her eye and leaned in slightly to her.

Her smile faltered. "I'm not much of a cook. I don't suggest there be a next time."

"Perhaps I could prepare dinner for you. You can pick out the wine."

"It's a date." She murmured.

Kenshin breathed in deeply and then stepped away from her. "There are menus in the small desk."

The woman nodded and turned, drinking from her glass of wine. She left the kitchen and Kenshin leaned against the counter. He took a deep breath, taking a sip of the red wine. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her. However, she had shied away from him ever since the dinner party. He knew that it was through necessity of the charade that had brought her to his office asking to relocate to his apartment for a few weeks. He didn't mind her in his apartment at all. He was beginning to think he wouldn't mind her in his bed either.

"Do you want to look, or do you know what you would want?" Kaoru called from the other room.

He ran his hand over his face with a sigh and pushed away from the counter. "Order a nice array of food and we'll share."

He came into the living room. The sight of Kaoru, her hips leaning against the desk, her bare feet up on the back of the chair made him come up short. She looked totally at home. His thought from only a moment ago hit him and a niggling prospect entered his mind, that the charade had already ended, and they could easily slip into an actual relationship.

Kaoru picked up her phone and placed an order. Watching her, he looked at her more closely. Her long dark hair was pulled back into what he was beginning to recognize as her signature ponytail. A few strands had curled around her cheekbones which seemed to have a natural glow. Her dark azure blue eyes glanced over at him as she shook her head at whatever the person on the other line was telling her.

She ended her call and crossed her arms over her ample bosom. Kaoru cocked her head to the side and caught his eye. "What?"

Kenshin shook his head and moved from his vantage spot. "Nothing. How long?"

She shrugged. "Fifteen minutes?"

"What shall we do until then?"

"What got you into the hotel business?"

He moved to the couch, thinking about how to answer her question. "My father and uncle bought their first hotel, a little b & b about thirty-five years ago. They turned it into a thriving business, and it grew. I had my first job as a bellboy when I was fifteen. I worked my way up the ranks and was running it by the time I was twenty-one. I convinced Hiko to allow me to invest in a hotel of my own. He agreed and thus the Palladium came to fruition."

"And you made it into a success."

"I like to think so. But it operates under the parameters he set forth, so it doesn't fully feel like it's mine."

She removed her seat from the back of the chair and climbed over the back of the couch to perch on the end. "Why is Hiko so determined to see you settle?"

Kenshin sighed. "I believe he is ready to retire in a sense. He wants me to take over the empire. Meanwhile I would prefer just to focus on the Palladium. My desire is that once I secure the Gold Coast resort, I will be able to buy out the Palladium and use it as my flagship to create my own empire."

"That makes sense." She stated, drinking the last of her wine. She glanced back to where the bottle sat on the table.

Swiftly he rose to retrieve it. He topped off her glass and sat down next to her. "Why did you get into wine?"

Kaoru tapped her nose as she thought it through. "I had a similar path I suppose you could say. I went to school for business management. During my junior year, I had a falling out with my roommates and was forced to get a job. Like most people I started bartending. I discovered wine. After graduation, I struggled to find a day job. After a few years, I moved into management and pursued to become a Sommelier. I met some people and, after being certified, secured an internship in Bordeaux. When I came back, Lornat was looking for someone to take charge of the three concepts they had at the time as they were looking to open a fourth. My timing was perfect."

"What kind of a falling out did you have?"

She held her finger up and shook her head. "It's my turn."

"Your turn?" He chuckled. "Are we playing twenty questions?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Seemed as good an activity as any. We are after all engaged."

"That's what the world thinks." His eyes strayed to the diamond ring on her finger.

She noticed it and pressed her lips together. "I guess I don't need to wear it except when we go out."

Kenshin shook his head and took her hand as she put down her glass to remove the ring. "You should always wear it. It appears you never know when you might run into someone. Besides, it suits you."

"But here, it's just you and I."

"That it is."

Kenshin hadn't let go of her hand and he looked up at her, to determine what thoughts ran through her head. Her eyes were focused on the diamond and slowly she lifted her gaze to his. Anxiously she wet her lips, and he felt his attention drawn there.

The buzzer sounded, signaling the arrival of their food. Kaoru immediately sat back, her cheeks turning crimson. Kenshin fought the urge to swear as he rose to the phone. He picked it up. "Send them up."

He glanced over at Kaoru. She had curled up on the couch and reached for the remote control to the television. He pulled out his wallet as a knock sounded on the door. He shook his head with a disappointed sigh and headed to the foyer. Opening the door, he was a bit startled to see a woman standing there and not the delivery guy.

"Kenshin! It's so good to see you again. I do hope I'm not intruding."

It took a second for him to place her and he narrowed his eyes speculatively at the auburn-haired woman. "What can I help you with?" He asked.

The woman hesitated, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Is Kaoru home? I've been trying to reach her to invite her to a luncheon at the Garden Club."

Kaoru hadn't mentioned it to him, though there didn't seem as though there was reason why she would. "She is."

Aya paused when he didn't move out of the way. "May I see her?"

Releasing a deep breath, he stepped out of the way and gestured for her to enter. She looked around the foyer and started to shrug out of her coat. "If you're just here to drop off an invitation, I don't expect you'll be long. As it is, you are interrupting." He stated flatly.

Surprise was evident in her dark eyes. "Oh. Well, where is she?"

"Was that dinner?"

Kaoru came around the corner and skidded to a halt when she spotted the pair. "Aya. What an unexpected surprise." She stated flatly.

"I was just saying to your fiancé that I hoped you weren't busy."

"And I was explaining to her that we were attempting to have an intimate evening at home." Kenshin stated, allowing a touch more derision to come through in his tone.

Kaoru glanced at him, startled. He heard the phone ring, probably this time to alert him to the arrival of their food. He went to the phone, telling the doorman to allow the delivery man up. He listened to the conversation, his dislike for the woman growing by the second.

"I just wanted to catch up. If you're busy, I'll head out. Yvonne and I are hosting a luncheon at the Garden Club for board members on the Juvenile Diabetes Association. I'm co-chair and wanted to know if you would be interested in joining us."

"For the luncheon?"

"And on the board. We're looking for a new sponsor."

"I probably won't be able to. I do have a job that requires quite a bit of my time."

Aya snorted derisively. "Once you're married, you'll be expected to join these things. You can't continue with your frivolous hobby as the wife of someone as important as Kenshin."

Kenshin opened his mouth to step in and argue but Kaoru beat him to it. "Actually Aya, I have no intention of giving up my job after the wedding. It's not a frivolous hobby but a passion. It's one of the things that makes Kenshin and I perfect for each other. I respect his passions as he respects mine. I will not have time to donate to the cause unfortunately, though I'm sure you'd much prefer my money anyway."

He peered around the corner to look at her, a bit taken aback by her declaration. Anger flared in the socialite's eyes. "I see." She stated coolly. "How long do you actually think you can carry on the charade of being Kenshin's trophy and keep a separate life? It doesn't work that way in today's society."

"Honestly, I could care less about today's society. Tell Yvonne thank you, but I'm afraid I will have to decline the offer."

Aya shook her head. "Still the same old Kaoru." She snorted. "You think you're too good to be a part of it. You're going to have to accept the fact that as Kenshin's wife there are certain rules you have to abide by when you go out in public."

"Really? Like being an asshole? On no, you just leave that business to your husband. You stand off to the sides, pulling the strings so you can come off as the gracious, vindicated ice queen you've always been."

The socialite sucked in her breath. "How dare you." She hissed.

"You're in my house. I dare to speak or do whatever I like. That means I can kick your bony ass out of here."

Silence greeted her pronouncement. "You and I both know that you made all of this nonsense up. You always had to best me and now you think you've done it."

"What the hell are you talking about? Kenshin is my fiancé. I'm wearing his ring on my finger. I'm in his house; no, I'm sorry, our house. Perhaps you should stop spending all your time trying to ruin my relationship and focus on your own."

There was a sound of clothing and Kenshin peered once again around the corner as a knock sounded on the door. Aya was putting her coat back on and flung open the door to reveal a delivery guy. "You just wait, Kaoru. You will get yours."

"I welcome to see what you honestly can do. In the meantime, get out of my house."

The woman stormed through the door, past the teenager. He finally came around into the foyer and stood with his hands in his pockets. Kaoru stood watching the figure get onto the elevator. Abruptly she turned to the young man. "You brought food." She said with a wisp of a smile.

"Uh, yeah." He held out the bag. "That will be $38.57."

Kaoru nodded and reached for her purse that was sitting on the table by the door. She pulled out several bills. "No change. Sorry for the show." she apologized.

The guy took the money and glanced at it. "You gave me too much miss."

"Nonsense. Have a good night." She closed the door and placed the bags on the table. With a sigh she leaned wearily against the door.

He came to her slowly. "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him and offered him a smile. "I've been waiting a long time to say something like that to her."

"I must admit, I was ready to shred her if you didn't."

Her grin deepened and she stood up. "I appreciate that." She moved past him and back into the kitchen, snagging the food on her way. "What do you say we open another bottle of wine?"

The elevator door chimed, and Megumi stepped into the vestibule of the executive office. She nodded at Clara and strode towards her desk. "You have an admirer."

Megumi paused outside her office. "What are you talking about?" She flipped the light in her office and stopped when she saw the flowers on her desk.

"They were delivered first thing." The blonde gushed. "Who are the from?"

"Not sure." She shrugged out of her jacket and flung it over her chair. She studied the large bouquet of lilies, wondering who would have sent them. She spotted the card and plucked it out.

**Until I see you again, know that I'm thinking about you. - Sano **

She felt herself blush as a smile graced her features. "How did he know?"

"Know? Who are they from?"

"You recall the brunette who asked me for coffee?"

"He was hot! Are you dating?"

Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she looked up at the blonde. "I don't really know."

Outside, the elevator dinged, signaling the arrival of someone else. She peered out as Clara quickly returned to her desk. Aoshi came towards her, already reaching into his bag. He pulled out a folder and handed it to her. "Takagi has finally come out of the woodwork. Kenshin will want to find out about possibly setting up a meeting in the next two days."

"I'll take care of it first thing."

His dark cobalt eyes spotted the lilies. "Flowers?"

"They're from Sanosuke."

"Maybe I should take page from his book."

Megumi looked up at him sharply. "I didn't know you and Misao had started dating."

He offered her a shrug and turned to head to his own office. She grinned to herself knowing it would be the most that she would get from the man in regards to his relationship with the petite woman.

Her phone beeped and she went to pull out her phone. A message from Kenshin had him making the same request as Aoshi. She replied that she was on it and inquired when he would be in the office. When he didn't immediately respond, she wondered what had happened over the weekend. She had taken a chance yesterday and reached out to Kaoru about meeting for coffee. She had responded that her and Kenshin were having a night in.

The elevator chimed again, and she looked up to see the redhead moving through the space. She immediately grabbed the folder Aoshi had given her along with her notebook. She followed him into his office and closed the door behind her. He placed his bag on the desk and shrugged out of his coat. "I know you will be following up with Takagi and setting up the meeting. But I've received word the Tagahashi is also in town. I think he's here for the charity event tomorrow evening. Follow up with Kaoru and ensure that we have seats."

She wrote everything down as he laid it out. "You need me to confirm with Kaoru about tomorrow evening?"

"She knows about it. But it's a formal auction; black tie. You'll probably want to hire a team to prep her for the dinner."

"Timing, not so much she needs to rearrange her schedule, again." She muttered as she made notes.

"What was that?"

Megumi froze, realized that she had voiced her opinion out loud. Sometimes she wondered if he fully realized how much he snapped his fingers and expected those around him to jump. "What time will you want the limo to pick you up?"

"7:15 is fine. How many dresses did you purchase for her?"

Megumi thought back on the Saturday they had gone. That had seemed a lifetime ago, over two months. Something about that time frame gave her pause. "We probably need a new dress unless you have an issue with her wearing something again."

He paused. "See if you can arrange something for this evening. I'll be working late as we finalize the details for our proposal."

"You're hoping to wrangle in Takagi before then?"

"We have to." Kenshin opened his laptop. "He's my ace in my sleeve so to speak. Tagahashi hasn't accepted Shishio's offer as of yet, but that's not to say that I can't have every weapon at my disposal when we do meet."

"I'll call her right away."

The violet eyes shifted their attention to his computer and Megumi accepted the dismissal. As she stepped into her office, her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. She couldn't help the bubble of giddiness that threatened. "And to what do I owe this honor?" She answered as she entered her office, closing the door behind her.

"Did you get them?"

"I did." She grinned as she reached out and absently stroked one of the petals.

"And?"

"They're beautiful. Thank you."

"I want to see you."

She sighed and moved to her chair. "Believe it or not, I want to see you." She admitted.

"Tonight?"

"I can't. Actually, I have to reach out to Kaoru and see if she can go shopping for an event tomorrow."

"Bummer."

"Actually, I have a thought." She sat up. "What are your plans tonight?"

"I was hoping to take you to dinner."

"How about a shopping spree instead?"

Sanosuke kept his hands in his pockets, afraid to touch anything. The attendant of the boutique approached them with a tray of champagne. He hesitated and glanced at Kaoru who was at his side. She eyed the glasses as well. "They're complimentary." The woman offered.

"In that case, bring the bottle." He joked, accepting the glass.

Kaoru shot him a dirty look before accepting one as well. "Shall we get started?" They both turned to another woman with a sleek bob. Her dark hair glistened in the light.

"I'm sorry. I think we're still waiting for someone. I didn't even know you would still be open when I agreed."

"Nonsense! Our client list is very exclusive and when we heard we would be dressing the fiancé of Himura Kenshin, we were more than happy to wait for you."

Sano looked around at the posh space, totally out of his element. When Megumi had invited him to come this evening, he had agreed, just wanting the opportunity to see the sexy fox. He had waited all weekend to reach out and only on a suggestion from Kaoru had he taken the chance and sent her flowers. Roses had seemed too obvious, so he had sent lilies instead. She had sounded happy to hear from him when he had finally called her once he got the notification the bouquet had been delivered.

Behind them a bell sounded and the attendant who had offered them champagne hurried to the door. After a brief exchange over the intercom, the door opened and the woman on his mind entered the room.

"Sorry I'm late." She pulled her scarf from around her neck and placed it on the rack next to the door. "Did I miss anything?"

"We were just about to get started." The dark-haired woman stated. "I haven't yet had a chance to introduce myself. I'm Miaka, the proprietor of this establishment." The attendant hurried forward with a third glass of champagne for her. "We were just about to start."

"Excellent!" Megumi came towards Kaoru and the two women paused before sharing an embrace. She turned towards him, and Sano hesitated between wanting to kiss her or just nod. Instead, he offered his hand. Megumi stared at it for a moment before gingerly taking it. "Okay."

Before he could stop himself, he lifted her fingers and pressed a kiss to her knuckles as he watched her. He grinned at the blush that flooded her cheekbones and slowly lowered her hand. She took a deep drink from her glass and then turned back towards the woman. "I had a rack asked to be set aside?"

"Of course!" Miaka snapped her fingers. The younger woman rushed to the back. "Unless there is anything in the shop that has caught your eye." She turned towards Kaoru who fingered a black sequined dress.

Kaoru turned abruptly. "I trust your judgment."

The attendant came back, a rack of dresses behind her. "What is the nature of the event your attending?"

"Black tie auction." Megumi announced. She strode towards the dresses with Kaoru distantly coming up behind her. She began searching through the dresses, sipping on her champagne. "This one to start."

She plucked a gown of deep purple from the rack. "It's strapless." Kaoru stated. She glanced awkwardly around. "I didn't think about…" She glanced at Sano. "Undergarments."

"Not to worry." Miaka declared she snapped her fingers. "You appear to be a 34c?" Kaoru flushed but nodded. The younger woman appeared with a try of various brassieres. "Try this one." She handed the garment to Kaoru and then the dress to the woman. "Dressing rooms are through there."

Kaoru disappeared behind one of the doors with the attendant close behind. Miaka moved to the front desk. Sano sat down, sipping the bubbles. Megumi sat down next to him. "You know, this isn't exactly what I had in mind when I told you I wanted to see you." He murmured to her.

"I'll buy you a drink after."

He liked the sound of that. "Why am I here anyway, Kitsune?"

Megumi took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about what you said."

"I've said a lot of things to you."

"About Kaoru and Kenshin being in love."

"They are."

"Well clearly, we need them to realize it. This might be the last opportunity."

"Why do you say that?"

She sighed. "The deal? The whole reason Kenshin even agreed to this whole thing? Tomorrow Kenshin is looking to finalize it. After that he won't have a need to keep Kaoru around. Plus, I think they only agreed to three months anyway."

"So why am I here?"

"For the male perspective."

"Kaoru is my best friend. I don't look at her that way. I don't see how my perspective would matter."

"Believe me, it will."

"Here she comes!" Miaka announced, having taken up a place next to the door. It opened and Kaoru came through. The gown was stunning, though seemed a bit dated. While it was strapless, it fell in a single shimmer to her feet. Kaoru stepped up onto the small dais and looked in the mirror. She wrinkled her nose. Instantly she went to pull the dress up. "I don't know."

Megumi was immediately up and searching through the gowns again. "This one." She plucked another dress in a dark midnight blue. Kaoru sighed and disappeared behind the door again.

The woman reemerged a few minutes later. The dress looked stunning on her, but still Sano didn't see how his thoughts would matter. Megumi was at the rack, and handed her a third dress, this one in black. Then one in a dark red, and lastly another in green. While none of the dress were horrid, Kaoru still looked great, no one could agree on a gown for the woman.

"This is hopeless." Kaoru cried after the tenth dress she tried on.

"Wait!" Miaka clapped her hands. "I have some dresses that just arrived today. I think I might have one that could work." She disappeared into the back and came back a few moments with a garment bag. "This might be it. Fresh from the runways in Milan."

"I'll try it, but after this, I'm going home. I have to be up early since I have to be at this event tomorrow evening."

Megumi sat back down next to him. "This has to be the one." She muttered.

"After this, "He turned to her. "A late dinner?"

She glanced at her phone. "It's almost ten."

"Your point?"

Her dark brown eyes met his and she offered him a grin. "Okay."

Sano grinned and heard the door open for Kaoru. He glanced at her and turned to say something to Megumi before turning his eyes back to his best friend. Before he had a chance to stop, he uttered a low whistle. The woman at his side turned as well and a delighted grin broke out on her face. She placed a hand on his thigh. "And that is why you are here."

Kaoru stepped in front of the mirror and slowly turned.

From the front it appeared somewhat modest, only a hint of the woman's cleavage visible. With a scooped neckline allowed for her collar bones to be framed. Glittered by crystals that caught he light, the top was a deep cerulean blue before fading into midnights and the shades of purples at her feet. It cinched through the hips before flaring out in layers of satin. As she turned, the gown had no back and it clung to her in all the right ways. Sano, who had never thought of his friend in any kind of romantic or sexual way, shifted slightly at the sight of her in the dress.

"Kenshin isn't going to know what to do with himself." He muttered, drinking the last of his champagne.

"Of course, we have matching shoes. I'm not sure about a necklace."

"I can take care of that." Megumi was already on her phone, sending off an email.

Kaoru turned to them, a s mile on her face. "What do you think?"

"If you weren't my best friend, I'd fall in love with you when I saw you in that." He stated.

The remark got a smack on his arm and a dirty look from his friend. He glanced at the woman at his side. "You know I'm only interested in you Kitsune. You wanted my opinion and I'm giving it."

"We'll take it." Both Megumi and Kaoru chimed at the same time.

And there you have it. Kisses until next time!