Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk in the Sunlight ❯ Complications ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer - Sadly, I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the sole property of Nobuhiro Watsuki and the many companies who have purchased the rights.

Once again, please forgive the lateness of this chapter. It looks like I'll be folllowing the three week update schedule like I did for Forever Mine, especially with summer coming. Anyway, I hope you will find it was worth the wait.

Chapter 4 - Complications

Dr. Genzai took a sip of his water and glanced to the clock. A quarter to three, the sun would be up in less than three hours so she must be home by now. Reaching out, he let his hand hover over the phone for a minute before finally making up his mind. Picking it up, he dialed in Kaoru's number and waited impatiently for her to pick up. He couldn't take the risk. He would never forgive himself if he let a killer like that man take her away before her time.

A small frown played across his lips as the phone rang four times with no answer, maybe she wasn't home yet. But then where would she be? Confused, he tried to ignore the feeling that he was too late and listened as the phone rang one last time before her answering machine picked up..

Hello. You've reached the Kamiya residence. I'm unable to come to the phone right now so please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Hesitating for a second in indecision, his fist tightened on the phone. And then the beep sounded into the earpiece and any doubt instantly vanished. "Kaoru-san, would you please call me when you get this message. There is something I would like to talk to you about."

Dropping the phone back into the cradle, he bit back a sigh and headed into his bedroom. Now all he could do was wait and hope that Kaoru's stubborn need to keep others at arm's length would keep her safe until he finally had the chance to tell her the truth.

Kenshin simply stared in disbelief at the glowing screen of his laptop and tried to force his mind to accept all he'd just read. In all the years he'd walked this earth he had never, in his wildest dreams, thought he would run across anything like this. He had seen many different diseases over the years but none that were so similar to the cursed life of a vampire. Absolutely none.

But now he understood.

Settling back in the chair, he rested his head back and stared at the ceiling. If this was indeed what Kaoru had then that would explain a lot. And after an hour and a half of searching the internet, the only thing he'd been able to come up with was this disease, this Xeroderma Pigmentosum. Glancing back to the screen, he frowned, and as far as he could tell through all the medical jargon there was no cure. She was forever trapped in the darkness, cursed to hide from the sun's killing rays... as he had been not so long ago.

Heaving a sigh, he closed the screen down and pushed out of the chair; heading for his front porch. But in truth, he didn't know if this was what she had or not. And he wouldn't until he had a chance to ask her which, thanks to his idiocy last night, would most likely not be any time soon. Shaking his head at himself, he wandered out into the warm predawn morning and settled on the porch. Leaning back against the wall, he watched and waited for the sun to make its appearance. And yet, deep down he knew this disease was what kept her from the sun. Everything made sense if he compared what he'd seen these last weeks to what he'd just read.

Slowly the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon and Kenshin smiled as they brushed against his face, the warmth temporarily heating his perpetually cool skin. If there was anything he didn't regret about that night so long ago it was this, the chance to feel the sun again after hundreds of years of being deprived of its warmth. That had been the one thing he'd missed the most when Katsura-san had changed him, the soul cleansing warmth of the sun.

Shifting his attention to the quiet house beside his, his smile slowly dropped into a frown. But Kaoru had never had this chance had she? If she indeed had XP then she'd never felt the sun's warm rays brushing against her skin without pain. Not once.

Sobered by the thought, he shifted his attention back to the rising sun and sagged even more against the wall. But one thing he still didn't understand was why she felt the need to hide this information. Why hadn't she just told him about her disease? Did she believe he wouldn't want anything to do with her because of it?

Confused, he shook his head and cast one last glance to her house before he stood and made his way back into his own house. But one thing she didn't understand yet was that it didn't matter if she was sick, he wasn't going to give up on her this easily. She had managed to get under his skin and he wasn't going to let something as simple as her illness keep him from at least becoming her friend, and maybe more if she would allow it. A sardonic smirk tickled his lips, well at least for the next ten years or so. He would never tell her what he was, so there was no way he could share her entire life with her.

Sagging at the thought, he wandered into the livingroom and collapsed on the sofa. If only he could...

Scowling, he shook his head. No. To entertain that thought would only bring about her ruin, he wouldn't do that again. Besides, it wouldn't work, he knew that for certain. It would be best if he simply cherished what time she gave him, and when the time came, to let her go.

A sad smile tickled his lips as his eyes settled on the yellowed photo sitting innocently on the shelf across the room. Yes, it would be best to let her go as he should have back then. He wouldn't let the past repeat itself.

Kaoru sighed and finally found the energy to uncurl from in front of the door as the first rays of sunlight started to peek through the open curtains in the livingroom. Shoving off the floor, she grabbed her bokken and edged around the room until she could reach the drawstring and pulled the heavy curtains closed. Sagging into the chair beside the window, she settled heavily into the cushiony softness. Why did he have to know? Why couldn't he just leave? Life would be so much easier if he would just leave.

Fending of the crushing loneliness she'd thought she'd buried some time ago, she scowled. She was not going to let this redheaded, violet-eyed man turn her back into the mess she'd been when she'd been in Sapporo. She wasn't going to let him take away the happiness she'd managed to gain here, not when she had so little time to enjoy it as it was.

A sudden weight settled on her shoulders at the thought and she sagged even further into the chair. Why did he have to show up? When she'd moved here all she'd wanted was a little peace and a fresh start. And to that end she'd only told two people of her illness, the local grocer so she'd be able to get food and Tae because she'd really wanted the job. He had no right to demand an answer to his question. And yet...

Heaving a sigh, Kaoru shoved the thought from her mind as a wave of exhaustion flooded through her body. In the end she wasn't going to tell him so he might as well leave, it would be better for both of them. Stifling a yawn, she finally gave in and glanced to Sampson, "Come on buddy, it's time for bed."

Sampson peeked one eye open and then slowly rose and made his slow way towards the bedroom and his much more comfortable pillow beside her bed. Grinning half-heartedly, she pushed out of the chair and turned to follow him but stopped when she noticed the blinking light on the answering machine.

Confused, she quirked an eyebrow and leaned over to push the play button...

Kaoru-san, would you please call me when you get this message. There is something I would like to talk to you about.

Kaoru was taken aback as Dr. Genzai's gravelly voice filtered into the quiet room. Wha-... her train of thought was interrupted though as the answering machine rattled of the time the message was left just before it kicked off. 3 am! What the heck could Dr. Genzai be calling about so early in the morning!? Swallowing nervously, she reached for the phone but stopped when it hit her what time it was. She couldn't call him back now, it was only five-thirty in the morning. He'd be in bed. And yet...

Letting her hand hover over the phone for a second, she finally sighed and let her arm drop back to her side. If whatever he'd wanted to talk about was really that important he would have come to the house or at the very least he would have continued to call until he'd gotten a hold of her. So there was no need to wake him for something trivial.

Satisfied with her reasoning, Kaoru turned her back on the phone and headed for her room. She'd call him when she got up, whatever it was could wait until then.

A few hours later, Kaoru rose up out of the darkness and laid half awake as the distinct feeling that she'd had all the sleep her body needed flowed through her veins. Doing her level best to ignore the feeling and go back to sleep, she buried her head under the pillow and tried to reclaim the peaceful darkness to avail. Finally giving in, she rolled over and glance at the time. 2:26pm. Figures. Flopping onto her back, she flung an arm over her eyes and sighed. That's what she got for going to bed so early, normally she'd hold out until late morning and sleep through the afternoon and most of the evening. But thanks to her persistant neighbor she'd been completely drained this morning.

A shuffling beside the bed drew her from her thoughts and she glanced to the huge chocolate brown eyes fixed on her. "I bet you need to go out huh?"

Sampson barked in answer and Kaoru sighed. She couldn't stay in bed any longer anyway, even if there was nothing to do. Scowling at the thought, she rolled out of bed and tossed on her black robe. Grabbing the gloves beside the bed she quickly slipped them on and grabbed the hat and sunglasses still resting on the night table.

"Alright. Come on."

Heading for the back door, she tossed on the hat and sunglasses and grabbed the hook for the lead that led out back. Clicking it onto Sampson's collar, she positioned herself behind the door to avoid the sunlight and opened it just enough for Sampson to snake his way outside. She hissed as unfiltered sunlight spilled through the open door, her sensitive eyes immediately watering. Snapping them closed, she quickly slammed the door behind Sampson and waited for the little spots to fade from her closed lids. Taking off the sunglasses, she rubbed the wetness from her cheeks and sighed. They were getting worse, even the sunglasses weren't helping as much as they used to. But then again it had been a very long time since she'd had to face the midday sun like she'd just done. Normally the sun would still be on the other side of the house when she'd let Sampson out before bed. Another reason why she usually stayed up in the morning instead of getting up in the afternoon.

Biting back another sigh, she tossed her hat on the table beside the door. Pulling off the gloves, she shrugged out of her robe and headed back into her room. She should have expected this though, she was getting older so things were bound to start deteriorating. Hopefully, her sensitivity to ultraviolet light getting worse was the only change.

Scowling, she shrugged off the thought and headed into the bathroom for a shower. There was nothing she could do about it anyway except stay away from the sun. She couldn't live her life in constant fear of the inevitable, there was no way to stop what was coming and she knew it.

Twenty minutes later, Kaoru finished combing out her damp hair and tied it up into a ponytail. Glancing to the clock on her nightstand she frowned, 3pm. Now what was she supposed to do. It wasn't like she could go outside yet. Kami, if there was anything she truly hated it was this, being trapped in the house until the sun finally went down. Maybe moving down here had been a bad idea, at least at home she'd had the dojo. Her father had outfitted the dojo so that she could go in any time of the day and practice. She had to admit she really did miss that freedom.

Tamping down the pang of homesickness that tightened her chest, she scowled at her selfishness and wandered back out into the livingroom. Yes, she may have had to sacrifice some things for Sampson but he was worth it. As if he somehow knew she was thinking of him the object of her thoughts barked at the back door. Smiling, she backtracked into her bedroom and donned all the necessary clothes to brave the door again. Not bothering to put on the sunglasses she headed to the back door and positioned herself behind the door again. Simply closing her eyes, she opened the door and waited until she heard Sampson come all the way through then closed it soundly behind him.

Before she even had a chance to open her eyes Sampson flicked out his tongue and caught her on the back of her gloved hand. Chuckling, she popped her eyes open and scratched his head. Yes, he was most definitely worth the sacrifices she'd had to make. Releasing him from the leash, she put it back on its hook and dropped to her knees to give him a hug, "I wouldn't know what to do without you, buddy."

Sampson simply flicked his tongue out to lick the shell of her ear. Giggling, she pulled away, "Hey, didn't I say no more sneak attacks!" Sampson barked in triumph and worked his way out of her hold. With his head held high and a slight spring in his step he headed off into the darkened livingroom. Stunned, Kaoru simply watched him saunter away before she busted out laughing. He really was too much sometimes.

Shaking her head at his antics, she continued to chuckle as she followed in his footsteps; removing her anti-sun gear in the process. Tossing them over the back of the chair in the corner, she dropped onto the sofa and stared off into space. Ok, what now? And then she remembered she had a phone call to make. Leaning over, she grabbed the phone and quickly dialed in the clinic number. Three rings later the phone was picked up...

Hello?

"Hi Dr. Genzai, it's Kaoru."

Ah, Kaoru-san. You're up early. Is everything okay?

A humorless smile tickled her lips, "Yeah, everything's okay, I just went to bed a little bit too early this morning. So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

An extended pause met her question and Kaoru had to fight down the small twinge of panic that suddenly rose up in her chest. "Dr. Genzai?"

Do you mind if I come over a little later this afternoon, Kaoru-san? I would rather talk to you face to face about this.

Confused, Kaoru quirked an eyebrow. 'Um, sure. It's nothing serious is it?" she asked, suddenly afraid. Dr. Genzai must have heard the strain in her voice because he quickly came back on.

It has nothing to do with your health, Kaoru. It's about something else.

Immensely relieved, Kaoru let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and smiled, "Oh, okay. So what time do you think you'll be here?"

I should be there around six. Is that okay?

"Sure. I'll be waiting."

Alright, see you then. And with that the line went dead. Hitting the off button, Kaoru simply stared at the phone in confusion. What could be so important that he felt the need to come to her house? She couldn't think of anything that would drive him to make the trip to her house. Well, anything but her illness, and that was what made it really weird; whatever it was didn't have anything to do with her illness. Now that was strange.

Shrugging, she dropped the phone back into its cradle and sighed. No use worrying about it now, she'd know in a couple of hours. Glancing around the darkened livingroom, she sagged bonelessly into the sofa and scowled. Now the million dollar question of the day was what was she supposed to do to keep her entertained until Dr. Genzai came over. She'd done all the house cleaning yesterday so that was out. Casting a quick glance to the computer situated in the corner of the livingroom away from the windows she eyed the stack of files still sitting untouched. She could always pick up where she'd left off on those yesterday morning.

Shaking her head, she immediately threw the idea out. Doing that would only put her back to sleep and she most definitely didn't need any more sleep. Besides the company she was entering them for had given her a month and a half to finish and she was already about half done. At this rate she'd be done well before they were due.

Heaving a sigh, she sagged even further into the cushiony softness. Too bad there wasn't any room to practice, she could really use a little bit more time since last night her practice had been cut short. A small frown tickled her lips at the reminder of her redheaded neighbor. Yes, he had definitely thrown a wrench into her training session.

At the thought, Kaoru found herself irritated all over again by his intrusion and her frown quickly turned into a scowl. Shoving off the sofa, she stretched long and hard, no use dwelling on that either, maybe if she was lucky he'd left town like he was originally going to do. And yet for some reason she didn't think that very likely, he didn't seem like the type to give up.

Doing her level best to ignore the tiny sliver of hope that blossomed in her chest at the thought of him still being here, she wandered to the empty bedroom on the opposite side of the house. Coming to the closed door, she slid it open and took a minute to visually measure the space minus the little bit of furniture lining its walls again.

She'd thought of using this room for training once before but had hesitated because of its size. Now taking a good look at it she realized that it just might work, it had to be at least twelve feet by twelve feet. It would have to work because she wasn't going to let her training be curtailed by the lack of a dojo. She’d make do with what she had, which was this fairly large, unused bedroom. And she'd even been smart enough to hang the UV blinds and sun-blocking curtains in here already so all she really had to do was move the small table and dresser out of the room and she'd be all set. What was really surprising about this room was the hardwood floor, the rest of the house had tatami mats but this one room had a seamless hardwood floor. And on top of that it also looked as if the ceiling was just a little bit higher in here than it was in the rest of the house. It was almost as if this room had been made as a small dojo.

Snorting at the thought, she shook her head at her idiocy and quickly set about clearing the items out of the room and then went to change into her training clothes. Excited by the prospect of being able to practice whenever she wanted to, she eagerly donned her blue hakama and white gi. Grabbing her bokken from the wall, she quickly made her way back to the other side of the house and stepped lightly into the middle of her makeshift dojo. Now to see if she would indeed be able to practice in here. Centering herself she slowly stepped through the beginning steps of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu and smiled, so far so good. Stepping up to the next level, her smile widened when she found she could also do these in here. Taking it to the next level she inhaled sharply when her overhand swing just barely missed the ceiling. Ok, maybe she wouldn't be able to practice all the moves in here, but at least she could keep in practice with the easier one's when she was trapped inside.

Satisfied with her findings, Kaoru set to work and simply lost herself once again in the familiar motions, quietly passing the time until Dr. Genzai came.

Kenshin sighed and glanced to the quiet house beside his as the sun continued its slow descent towards the western horizon. It wouldn't be too much longer before Kaoru would finally be free to come outside again. Of course, he had no idea how exactly he was going to go about approaching her yet, but that didn't quench his desire to see her again. He would figure out some way to breach the gap he'd made last night, of that there was no question. But one thing he had come to realize since he'd found out the truth was that maybe it wouldn't be such a good idea to confront her about her illness just yet. He had a feeling that, if anything, confronting her would drive her even further away from him. For some reason she didn't like people to know, he couldn't understand why that would be, but maybe it would be best not to let her know he knew just yet.

Frowning at the thought, he shifted his attention back to the blade he was honing. Testing it's inside edge he smiled, almost there. Dribbling a little more water on to the whetstone, he went back to dragging the blade over the smooth stone. How long had it been since he'd had this blade made? It seemed like such a long time since he'd vowed to never kill again with his vampire strength. It sickened him just how easy he could snuff out a life with just his bare hands. It was that very ability that had driven him to have this sakabatou made. After the war that had nearly wiped out the vampire race he'd vowed never to use his innate ability to rend a man limb from limb again and because of that this blade had been born. In truth he should have died in that war like so many of his 'family' but thanks to his love for Tomoe he'd done his best to remain alive. And that had been the biggest mistake of his life.

Ignoring the twinge of pain that speared his chest, Kenshin slid the blade along the stone a couple of more times and then tested its edge. A smile turned up the corner of his lips at the blade's lethal sharpness. He may not kill with it but he would incapacitate with it if he needed to. Satisfied with his work, he slid the blade home in its sheath and cast one last glance to the silent house next door before he stood and, with blade and whetstone in tow, headed back into the house. It was finally time to get ready for his next impromptu meeting with his stubborn neighbor. He may not be able to confront her about her illness right now but he fully intended on continuing to 'accidentally' run into her as often as he could until she started to at least tolerate him. Once he managed to work his way into her good graces, the rest would be easy.

A small smirk tickled his lips at the thought; Kamiya-san had no idea whose attention she'd unintentionally caught. None at all.

Kaoru sagged bonelessly to the hardwood floor and smiled, now that was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. Nothing felt quite as good as a nice long workout, well at least this time. Smiling ruefully at the memory of her last workout, she took a minute to rest her well used muscles and glanced at her watch. 5:30pm. Dr. Genzai would be here in about a half an hour, that left her plenty of time for another shower. With a grin she pushed off the floor and stretched long and hard. Yes, a nice hot shower would feel like heaven right about now.

Anticipating the sweet heat to come she stretched one last time and headed towards the door. She jumped when the doorbell all of a sudden sounded into the quiet house, quickly followed by Sampson's warning bark. Hurrying out into the livingroom, she stopped at the entrance to the foyer and called out over Sampson's barking, "Who is it?"

"Dr. Genzai. May I come in?"

Surprised, she stepped into the foyer and unlocked the door, "Sure, give me a second to get back into the livingroom." A quiet 'okay' came through the door as she made her back into the livingroom. Hiding herself on the opposite side of the foyer wall she called out, "Okay. you can come in."

The front door immediately opened and she heard Dr. Genzai hurry in. "Forgive me for arriving early, Kaoru-san. My last patient cancelled."

Kaoru grinned, "No problem." A second later she heard the door close and Sampson bounded into the entryway to accost his second favorite play toy. Dr. Genzai chuckled at his enthusiasm and scratched his head as he deftly avoided his tongue, "I see Sampson is doing much better down here. It seems this move was for the best."

Kaoru snorted and wandered to the doorway leading to the foyer, "I don't know about that. He's almost like a puppy again." Reaching out, she grabbed Sampson's collar and gave it a tug, "Come on, buddy, let Dr. Genzai at least get into the house."

Sampson immediately sat down and tossed an innocent look over his shoulder. Chuckling lightly, Kaoru scratched his head, "You're too much sometimes." Glancing back to Dr. Genzai she asked, "Would you like something to drink? I have water and iced tea... or hot tea if you'd rather."

Dr. Genzai smiled, "A glass of iced tea would be nice, thank you. It's been exceptionally hot today."

Kaoru smiled and headed for the kitchen, "That's one of the nice things about being trapped inside during the day. I don't have to worry about that kind of heat."

Dr. Genzai frowned as he changed his shoes for slippers and stepped into the livingroom. Her tone called her a liar; he knew she would do anything to be able to go out into the sunshine just once. And for the last fifteen years he'd done his best to make that dream come true, but so far he'd come up empty-handed. He had tried everything, consulted with hundreds of doctors to no avail. There was absolutely nothing he could do for this child but watch as the disease took her away from those who loved her.

Sighing, he made his way into the darkened livingroom and settled into the chair beside the heavily curtained windows, Sampson quietly following behind. What truly sickened him was the fact that this innocent child was destined to die well before her time, but there were those who also walked this earth who fed off the life of others so they would never die. And that was what made her disease that much more cruel, their ability to live even though they too were banned from the sun. It wasn't fair, not at all.

Oblivious to Dr. Genzai's musings, Kaoru poured out two brimming glasses of iced tea and headed back into the livingroom. Offering the aged doctor his glass, she settled onto the sofa when he took it and sipped at her own. "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Dr. Genzai took a sip of his tea then set it on the table beside the chair. "Last night after you left I had another visitor at the clinic. A redheaded man with violet eyes. He- "

"Do you mean Himura-san?" Kaoru cut in surprised. What would he be doing at the clinic that late at night?

Dr. Genzai sighed as the name fell from her lips. "So you know him already?"

Kaoru shrugged, confused by the doctor's tone, "Not really, he's my neighbor. We've met a couple of times but I can't say that I know him. Why?"

Dr. Genzai settled heavily into the chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Confused by his actions, Kaoru simply waited for whatever it was that seemed to be bothering her surrogate grandfather. Finally, after several seconds of silence he asked, "Do you remember my wife, Kaoru?"

Beyond confused, Kaoru quirked an eyebrow, "A little. Why?"

Instead of answering her question, Dr. Genzai looked at her from beneath hooded lids and asked her another question. "Do you remember when she died?"

Kaoru sagged into the sofa and sighed. That was one thing she did remember. Genzai-san's sudden death had shaken her entire family, not to mention everyone else in the district. Like her husband, she'd been a well known and respected doctor, together they'd run a small clinic in the neighborhood where Kaoru had grown up. But that had all changed one snowy night in the middle of January. Genzai-san had stayed after closing to finish up some filing and such when the clinic had been robbed and the thief had killed her when she'd resisted. That had been ten years ago.

Fending off the tears all of a sudden burning her eyes, she scowled, "Yes, I remember. Did they catch the thief?"

"No. And I don't think they ever will."

Taking another sip of his tea, Dr. Genzai pushed out of the chair and started to pace. Shocked to see him so on edge Kaoru frowned, something was seriously wrong. She had never seen him like this. Ever.

"Are you alright, Dr. Genzai?"

The aged doctor immediately stopped his pacing and looked her dead in the eye. "It wasn't a thief that killed my wife, Kaoru. It was a vampire."

Stunned, Kaoru simply stared at him as if he were insane and then as the truth of what he'd said fully hit her; she had to clamp down on her lip to keep herself from busting out laughing. A vampire?!! There was no such thing as vampires!

Dr. Genzai's eyes narrowed at the obvious disbelief on Kaoru's face. "This is no lie, Kaoru. I saw him kill her with my own eyes." Passing a hand over his face, he collapsed into the chair again, "He took what he wanted from her and then ripped out her throat when he was finished. I couldn't save her, I came too late to save her but I will save you if I can."

Dumbfounded, all Kaoru could do was stare at him. Her mind was telling her there was no way this was possible, but the look on his face said that he had indeed watched his wife die before his very eyes. Swallowing, Kaoru sipped at her tea and frowned, it couldn't be true though. Vampires were nothing but creatures created to scare unruly children. They weren't real, at least not in the true sense. How many times in her life had she herself been called a vampire? Too many to count.

Scowling at the thought she shook her head. Why was he bringing this up now anyway? What exactly had prompted this conversation? Confused, Kaoru met the haunted look fixed on her and decided to humor him to get that answer. "Why are you telling me this now, Dr. Genzai?"

"Because the man who came to the clinic asking about you last night is a vampire. I won't let the same thing happen to you that happened to my wife."

Kaoru's eyes widened and a chuckle escaped against her will, "Kenshin isn't a vampire, Dr. Genzai. That's impossible."

Dr. Genzai gave her a look that said he knew better than that. "Why do you say that?"

Kaoru smiled, "Because all the stories I've ever heard about vampires say they die when they go into the sunlight, just like me, but Kenshin can go into the sun. I've seen him myself."

A heavy silence fell between them and Kaoru watched as a flicker of doubt passed across the doctor's face before it vanished beneath a look of determination. "I don't know about that, but what I do know is he has the very same eyes as the man who killed my wife." Pushing out of the chair, Dr. Genzai shook his head and sighed. "I knew you wouldn't believe me but could you at least humor an old man and stay away from this 'Kenshin' for me. If not for me, then for your parents. They're going to lose you soon enough, I don't want it to be any sooner than it has to be."

And with that Dr. Genzai slowly made his way to the foyer. Kaoru stifled a sigh and rose to follow him. "If it makes you feel any better, I've already chased him away so please don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Seeing the tension still tightening his shoulders, she tried to lighten the mood and added, "Besides, I have Sampson to protect me from the evils that lurk in the darkness."

Dr. Genzai gave her a wane smile and for the first time in her life Kaoru saw just how old her doctor/grandfather had become. Spurred by the realization, she did something she'd never done before, she leaned over and gave him a hug, "Don't worry so much. I'll be fine and who knows maybe you will still find some way to save me."

Feeling a bout of tears begin to burn her eyes, she let him go and spun around to leave the foyer so he could leave. A single tear did slide free when he whispered, "I'll try my best to save you, Kaoru. I promise." And then she heard him open the door and leave as quietly as he'd come. Sagging against the wall, she sighed and wiped the wetness from her cheek. She knew it was useless but still, it would be nice.

Scowling at herself, she shoved the thought from her mind and wandered to the side of the house that faced Kenshin's. Being careful not to disturb the UV shield behind it, she gingerly pulled the curtain back and looked out at the seemingly empty house beside hers. A vampire, huh? Well if he was then she'd better get a stake ready to drive through his heart or maybe some garlic to keep him away.

Snickering at the thought, she was just about to drop the curtain when the object of her amusement stepped out onto his front porch and stared off at something on the road. A small frown tickled her lips at the sight of the supposed 'vampire' standing in the fading sunlight. And there was the truth, he couldn't be a vampire, it was impossible. What was she thinking anyway? Vampires were not real. Her breath caught though as, all of a sudden, his piercing violet eyes found hers across the distance. And for the first time since she'd met him she really looked at his eyes and saw something she'd never seen before.

Suddenly extremely nervous, Kaoru dropped the curtain and shook her head. Impossible, vampires didn't exist. He just had strange eyes, that was all. And with that final thought she spun on her heel and headed off to take a shower. No use worrying about it anyway, she'd made it quite clear last night that she wanted nothing to do with him. Hopefully he would heed her wish and stay away.

Kenshin scowled and swore under his breath as he watched the elderly doctor leave Kaoru's house. He was too late, the doctor had already told her the truth.

Sickened by the thought, he continued to watch the old man make his way down Kaoru's sidewalk and out onto the deserted road. Quietly stepping out onto his porch, he sighed as his anger slowly fell away. It wasn't the doctor's fault. To be honest he'd never expected the doctor to move this fast. But then again, as far as the doctor knew he was a threat, one who could possibly threaten Kaoru's life. It was his own fault for underestimating the affection this man held for his raven-haired neighbor and now it may be to late.

Sagging against the corner of the house, he shook his head at his idiocy. First he'd managed to alienate her last night with his callousness and now, thanks to his confidence he'd added the possibility that she would believe what the doctor had told her. At this rate he would never get into her good graces. Rubbing his forehead in frustration, he cast a glance at the house beside his. He was surprised to find himself looking into the guarded sapphire gaze that seemed to haunt his every waking moment.

A small smile tickled his lips as he watched her watch him, the look in her eyes weighing something and then all of a sudden her eyes widened slightly in surprise and she dropped the curtain. Confused, Kenshin quirked an eyebrow and continued to watch the window in hopes that she would come back, when she didn't he sighed and pushed off the house to head back inside.

Well thanks to this new complication, things were going to be a little bit more difficult but he wasn't going to let this stop him. And who knows, maybe he was worrying for nothing. Most people these days didn't believe in vampires, hopefully she would be the same. But even if she did believe she would have to question his ability to go into the sun. That in itself should belie anything the good doctor said.

Shrugging, he headed into the house to wait out the last couple of hours before the sun set. It didn't matter anyway, he was going to continue to follow his plan to work his way into her life. She may say she doesn't want him around, but he knew she was just as lonely as he'd been all these years.

The truth was there in her sad sapphire eyes... she needed this just as much as he did.

Please review and let me know what you think.