I apologize for the late post. Being in this world means holidays are regular days. We are so close to the end, and I bequeath this as an early holiday gift. I know it's not quite the resolution we all yet seek. I hope everyone is safe!


"Kaoru?" She looked up from where she was ardently stuffing wine lists. Normally she would pass the chore off to the hostess, but today she had needed something to distract her. Unfortunately, the task was mind numbingly boring and her mind wandered all over the place. "There's a man at the bar asking for you."

Her heart stopped as she wondered if Kenshin had finally come to see her after the last week. When she had moved out, she had immediately blocked his number. If he had attempted to reach out to her, she would have no knowledge. When Sanosuke had let it slip the redhead had returned the city, she had unblocked him, hoping he would call. However, there had been nothing. Maybe now he had decided to make a personal appearance. She pressed her lips together and sat up a bit straighter. "Who is it?"

The server merely shrugged and returned back to the main dining room. Quickly she rose to her feet and practically ran towards the bar. Before she reached it, she stopped and composed herself. Even if Kenshin had come to her, she could hardly let him think it mattered. She closed her eyes fighting the urge to be sick. Of course it mattered!

She should never have let her fear of the situation get in the way. If she had just told him how she felt, would he have asked her to stay?

Inhaling a deep breath, Kaoru rounded the corner, her blue eyes searching for the familiar flash of red. She didn't spot it and felt her disappointment mount. Curious now as to who might be here to see her, she peered around the gathering crowd. Then she saw him.

The man was hard to miss, and even if she hadn't recognized him, she would have made note of him. Still as stunningly beautiful as ever, he tilted his head to the side as he raised his drink to his lips. He was drinking champagne, and she fought the wry grin wondering if was due to their brief meeting weeks ago.

The dark eyes saw her, and he nodded his head slightly. She pasted on the grin and sighed. She walked behind the bar and approached him from this side. For some reason she felt safer with the separation though she knew it was nothing more than a facade. "Hello Hiko." She greeted Kenshin's uncle.

"Well, well, Kamiya Kaoru. Looking stunning as always, I imagine."

"You would have to imagine." She told him starkly. "We've met one other time so how would you know what is usual?"

He merely quirked his lip before sipping his wine. "You should consider carrying sake here. If you like I could make some recommendations."

"Sure." She flashed her fake grin, the one she used with patronizing guests. "What do you want?" She couldn't believe that Kenshin would have the audacity to send the man to speak to her after all this time.

His dark eyes flashed. "You recall the last time we spoke. You've disappointed me. I was counting on you."

Irritation swelled inside her. She fought the disappointment that clearly the man was here on his own agenda. "Your disappointment is misguided. He walked out on me."

"Really? He left for a business trip. You moved out of the penthouse several days before the end of your agreement with him."

Kaoru blinked; her mouth opened slightly in surprise. Hiko merely lifted an eyebrow at her. "You think I didn't know? Shinomori works for me. " He offered her a grin. "Also, my niece talks too much. From time to time, I actually listen to her."

"So you know the whole thing was a lie. It had to end eventually."

"Except it didn't."

"Didn't have to end?" She rolled her eyes. "I hate to break it to you, but it ended. He walked out, I left. End of story."

"Only it didn't end."

Kaoru stared at him, wishing she could see what thoughts churned inside his head. "What do you mean it didn't end?" She demanded.

Hiko tossed back the last of his champagne. "It hasn't ended as my idiotic nephew is still sitting in his apartment pining away after you."

His words had her barking loudly in laughter. "You have got to be kidding."

He blinked and Kaoru realized he had managed to surprise him. "Why would you think that?"

"Do you want me to reiterate the fact that he...left...me."

He brushed a hand in the air. "And again, he went on a trip. Do you want me to reiterate the fact that you moved out days before the official agreement came to an end? The way I see it, you left him."

Kaoru opened her mouth to argue, but then his words registered. She stared at him almost horrified. Her blue eyes widened. Is that what Kenshin thought?

"I didn't leave him." She argued, standing by what she recalled. "He practically kicked me out. And then he flew away because for him, it was all about him buying that damn resort."

"Did he?"

"Did he what?" She demanded.

"Did he tell you to leave?"

"He told me to move my things. It would give me time to settle before he returned."

"His exact words?"

"Yes." Kaoru blinked. Was it? She thought back. Her mind reeled as she tried to recall exactly what Kenshin had told her that morning. "He said…. get my things." She said slowly, changing the wording. "It would give me time to settle in his absence."

Hiko sat back. "And there it is."

Kaoru blinked at him blankly. "What?

"He believes you left him; you think he left. Clearly you two cannot communicate properly."

"Kenshin and I communicate…fine."

"Obviously." He snorted. "Did he say move your things out?"

Kaoru opened her mouth to say yes, but then realized that he hadn't actually said those words. "He ...just said get my things."

The man shook his head. "You two deserve each other." He muttered. "It's amazing how such a simple statement, changing a single word can make all the difference."

"You're telling me that he wanted me to get my things, as move in? As opposed to out?"

"Would you?"

"But most of my things were already there."

"Most, but not all."

She opened her mouth, but then closed it again. "Kenshin …wanted me to move in?"

"It would appear that way."

Blinking back the tears that threatened, she took in a deep breath. A thought occurred to her. "How do you know?" She asked lightly.

"Because I know my nephew better than he knows himself." Hiko placed a fifty on the bar and rose. "One last thing."

Fighting back tears, Kaoru looked up at him. "I can't imagine you have much more to tell me that I would find interesting." She told him drily.

Hiko's lip curled. "Kenshin bought the ring."

"What ring?"

"Your engagement ring."

His words had her growing still. "I was told it was only on loan." She murmured.

The man shrugged. "It was. And then the day before he left town, he made an investment of his own."


The sentences on the screen blurred as Kenshin attempted to focus. Words from Hiko kept echoing in his head. Words the man said kept trying to trigger something, but every time he thought about it, the memory alluded him.

It was the surprise to learn Hiko actually supported the venture that had initially rattled him. But then he had brought up Kaoru. The notion his uncle had been aware of the agreement didn't shock him, but rather that he claimed Kenshin was in the wrong. The woman had moved out on her own, without provocation, despite what he had said to her. Right?

"Where is he?"

The words rang through the outer office and through the door. Kenshin closed his eyes, not having a clue as to where this could go. Outside the rain pelted down, matching his mood. So far, he had managed to evade his cousin, but it appeared his luck had run out. Neither Megumi nor Aoshi had yet to say anything to him about the botched ending to his relationship with Kaoru. He didn't know if Megumi had seen the woman though she had asked to leave early the day before to see Sagara.

It had taken every fiber of his being to not ask after Kaoru. Given the nature of the abrupt end, it was only a matter of time before Misao came looking for answers, that is ,if she hadn't already found them herself. He sat back in his chair, bracing himself for the petite woman.

She strode into his office and slammed the door behind her. He winced at the sound and breathed in deeply through his nose. "To what do I owe this honor?"

"Don't give me that nonsense. You have royally fucked up. The magazine has gone to print."

In all the chaos, he had totally forgotten about the photo shoot from weeks ago. Inwardly he groaned. "I can explain."

"I don't want your explanation."

"Then what do you want?"

Misao flung an envelope on his desk. "Look at them."

Kenshin slowly opened the large envelope. The first photo caught his eye. There had been three shoots, one at the restaurant and two at the hotel. The first proof showed a picture of them laughing at a table. While it didn't strike him of anything of note, it caught a certain thought within him. He tried to stamp down the surge of pain the photos evoked and looked at them objectively. He perused through the pictures, admiring the photographer's art. It wasn't until he reached the photos of when he and Kaoru had been in the wine cellar he paused.

The first photo caught the two of them in a very candid embrace. Kaoru hung on the ladder, but he reached behind her and nuzzled her neck. Her head thrown back, the glee on her face could not be ignored.

The next photo was of him on his knees. She stared at him, her grip on the ladder was loose, her attention on him, but her brow raised as though she actually didn't know what he would ask. He held the ring to her. The look in azure eyes was expressive.

He flipped the page and stopped again. Now Kaoru looked at the ring in wonder, but it was his own gaze that caught his attention. The violet eyes, trained on her, held a state of wonder, as though the woman would actually agree to marry him.

"This is not the look of two people who are not in love with each other." She declared.

Kenshin looked up at her. "She left."

"Who cares? Go after her."

"It wasn't real, Misao." He told her loudly.

"What do you mean?" She demanded.

He threw the photos on the desk and sat back. "It was nothing more than a charade. Our time came to an end."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"It was a lie!" He exploded out of his chair. "Kaoru-dono bumped into me one afternoon and asked me to pretend. She wanted to prove something to two women from her past. I thought to use her situation to my benefit to get Hiko off my back." He stared out the window. "I went with it to appease her."

"Why would you do that?"

"Why not? It helped me land the deal I'd been working towards all these months."

"Why the ring? Why let her move in? Why the dinner party?" She wrinkled her nose. "You hate those things."

His thoughts whirred. "It wouldn't do either of us any good if I didn't go all out."

"Bullshit." He glanced at her where Misao stood, her hands on her hips. "There is so much you did that was beyond what would have been necessary for such a farce. You bought her ring. You introduced her to Hiko." She reached down and spread out the photos. "These do not look like two people who don't know each other intimately." Misao shook her head. "Maybe you two met under suspect circumstances, but perhaps it was meant to be. It wasn't a lie."

Kenshin looked down at the photo she pointed to. He had risen to his feet and pressed her hand to his lips. They stared into each other's eyes. He recalled the moment vividly, remembered wondering how this woman had entered his life. It might have been then that he began to marvel at the idea of having her as a more permanent fixture at his side.

"Can you honestly tell me you feel nothing for her?" She flung another sheaf of paper at him. He recognized it for one of the tabloid rags. In front of him was the photo shot from the last charity event he had taken her to; the night everything had changed between them. "Tell me that isn't a picture of two people in love."

Reluctantly he looked down at the photo. He had always tried to usher her quickly through the photo op, but he seemed to recall this one. They had paused and on a whim, he had turned to her. He had pressed his forehead to hers. The photo had managed to catch the moment they had both opened their eyes. He grinned at her, his attention solely focused on the woman. Her lips were parted, a sense of wonder clear in her azure gaze. Together they appeared to not care about anything going on around them. "Convince me, you feel nothing for this woman."

His violet eyes raised to meet hers. Misao waited for an answer. "I can't." Kenshin admitted.

Her green eyes widened at his admission. "Then why not go do something about it?"

His eyes strayed back to the picture of them in the wine room. Picking up the photograph, Kenshin looked at the profile of the woman. A soft smile played at her lips. He felt his resolve weaken. "You assume she would want to be with me." He murmured.

"You allowed her to move in with you. Over the years that you and Tomoe were together, you never once lived with her. Did nothing ever happen between you and Kaoru?"

He didn't answer her, instead returned his attention to the window. He thought about their night together a week ago. She had left while he had been away. "Perhaps it did become more than just a simple white lie." He confessed.

Misao sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. "Why do you think she left?"

"I don't know."

"Come on Kenshin. I could tell you why. You keep everything inside, rarely allowing anyone to see what you're really thinking. You had a meeting that you left town for, days before your arrangement was to end. Did you offer her any inkling that perhaps you were interested in eradicating it? That you wanted to purse the relationship with her?"

He replayed the scene in his mind. He had asked her to move in permanently with him. Wait... he had, hadn't he? Hiko had continuously asked him what specifically he had said to the woman. Still upset about the whole thing, he hadn't given it much thought. He had told her to get her things and get settled. Realization dawned. He hadn't told her where to get her things from, where he wanted her to settle. He had been anxious and his own fear, despite what had happened between them, had made him stumble over his words.

He swore softly. No wonder Kaoru had stared at him. He had told her to move her things. She must have thought he meant move out. He had assumed they had already decided to nix their agreement and move forward. Instead, she must have thought he had wanted to continue; And end it.

"I am a first-class asshole." He muttered.

"Duh!" Misao cried.

When he had returned to find her stuff gone, he had thought she had made her choice. Instead, she was complying with what she thought he wanted. Sighing he turned to the petite woman standing in front of him.

"How do I fix it?"

"You bought the ring?"

She had said that earlier, but not notated it. "I did." He had purchased it before he left, already decided on what he wanted.

"Then I suggest you go and give it to the person for whom you bought it for. Right now. This moment."

He glanced at the window. "It's raining."

"Your point?"

Kenshin pressed his lips together. He picked up the phone and pressed the line for Megumi. After a moment, the tall woman entered the room, her demeanor chilly at best. Aware of his mistake, he now could discern the reason for her attitude the past few days.

"You summoned?"

"I need you to find out where Kaoru is this evening. Where she is right now."

The dark eyes blinked, and she glanced at Misao before returning her gaze to him. "Why?"

He leaned down and opened the bottom drawer. He had put the box there after he had found her gone, not bearing to be able to look at it, but unable to return it after he had confirmed the purchase last week. "There's something I have to ask her."


I recognize this chapter is on the shorter side. However, I'm making a promise…. I will post the finale. There's one last piece to come together. And until then, kisses!