Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk in the Sunlight ❯ No Longer Alone ( Chapter 6 )

[ 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.

Chapter 6 - No Longer Alone

Kaoru absently fingered the soft material nestled snuggly in her lap and glanced to the clock again. It was almost time to go see Dr. Genzai, if she didn't get moving she wouldn't have time to drop off the cloak and boots before her appointment. And yet for some reason she still couldn't force herself out of the chair.

With a scowl she rubbed her forehead in irritation and sighed. Oh, she knew why she couldn’t; she still didn't fully believe him when he said he wanted this chance. She'd been burned too many times by people who'd said they didn't care about her illness. Way too many, so why did she think he would be any different? Biting back another sigh, she squeezed the bridge of her nose in an effort to relieve the dull throb trying to materialize in her head. And yet, for the most part she did believe him, she couldn't explain it but she trusted him where she had never trusted anyone else before.

"Hey Sampson. What's so different about our neighbor this time?"

A low growl rumbled out of her best friend from where he lay on his pillow a few feet away. Surprised, she glanced at him and chuckled at the glare fixed on her, "Oh, that's right. You don't like him."

Sampson growled again in answer and promptly closed his eyes as if to say the conversation was over. Shaking her head, she pushed out of the chair and grabbed the boots sitting at her feet. "You may not like him, but he's the one who got me home this morning buddy. You may have no choice but to put up with him because I do like him."

Sampson grumbled again as if to say over his dead body, but didn't bother to look at her. Smiling, Kaoru headed into the foyer and slipped on her shoes, some people may think dogs were stupid but she knew better. Sampson had always been the first to know when people's interest in her was a lie and yet this time she couldn't agree with him. Not to mention that this time his dislike seemed different too, more violent, as if Kenshin was a true threat to her. That was something she couldn't understand, it was too bad he wasn't human so she could ask him why, but that of course was quite impossible. All she could go by was his actions which, if this morning proved anything, was most definitely not in Kenshin's favor.

She couldn' help but grin at the reaction her pooch had had to the cloak and boots this morning when she'd gotten home. Must be they smelled like Kenshin because as soon as she'd taken them off he'd tried to sink his teeth into them. It had been a touchy thing trying get them away from him. Shaking her head, she chuckled lightly at the memory; it was definitely going to be a trial to get Sampson to at the least tolerate Kenshin. Maybe it would be best to keep them apart for now until she herself found out the truth about his interest.

Convinced that would be the best course of action, Kaoru tucked Kenshin's cloak and boots in her arms. "Bye Sampson, I'll be back later."

A single bark greeted her statement. Heading out the door, she closed it soundly behind her and stopped on the porch to cast a glance at the house beside hers. Was she ready for this? Snorting, she smiled. Not even close, but that didn't change the fact that these belonged to Kenshin, she had to return them sometime and now was as good a time as any.

Fending off the sudden urge to simply head for the clinic, she took measured steps off the porch and headed for Kenshin's porch before she lost her nerve. Quietly making her way up the steps, she came to a stop just in front of the door and simply stared at the polished wood. Okay, now all she had to do was knock. C'mon Kaoru you can do this, lift your arm and knock. And yet, instead of heeding the voice in her head's advice, she simply stood there and stared at the smooth wood gleaming in the waning moonlight.

And then the decision was taken out of her hands as the door all of a sudden swung open and she found herself staring into the surprised violet gaze of her fiery-haired neighbor.

"Kaoru?"

Blushing profusely at the small grin slowly growing on Kenshin's lips, Kaoru did her best to hide the stunned expression that must have taken up residence on her face and thrust the cloak and boots at him. "Here."

Kenshin smiled and simply took the offered items. "Thank you. Would you like to come in?"

Kaoru shook her head and took a step back. Taking a second to get herself back together, she finally met the questioning look in Kenshin's eyes, "I can't. I have to go see Dr. Genzai."

Kenshin's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Is there something wrong?"

Kaoru couldn't help but smile at the clear concern written all over his face. Shaking her head, she quietly replied, "No. He just has to check to make sure there was no exposure."

"Oh..." Kenshin mumbled with a relieved sigh. "... then would you like to come to dinner after your appointment?"

This time it was Kaoru's turn to be surprised. Without thinking she stuttered, "I...I guess." And then it finally dawned on her what she'd inadvertently agreed to. "Wai-"

"No. You said you'd come." Kenshin cut in before she could back out. "So I can expect you no later than say, midnight?"

Kaoru let out a hiss in frustration, by the look in his eyes he wasn't going to let her off the hook no matter how hard she tried. Unconsciously nibbling on her bottom lip, she finally sighed and gave in, "Okay, I'll come. I should be back by then." Glancing down to her watch she took another step back. It was time to go or she'd be late. "Well, that is if I get going now."

Kenshin simply nodded and smiled. "I'll be expecting you then."

Kaoru met his smile with one of her own and moved to leave, "I'll be back, I promise." And with that she spun on her heel and quickly made her way out onto the deserted road. Casting one last glance over her shoulder, she smiled shyly at the thought of dinner with him as she watched the door close. She had to admit the prospect was intimidating but on the other hand it was also kind of exciting. She'd never been invited out like that before, ever.

Ah, but first she had to get through the appointment with Dr. Genzai. Crinkling her nose at the thought she sighed. This was not going to be just a patient/doctor visit. This was going to be much more personal than that. She knew from the tone of his voice this morning that he wasn't the least bit happy she'd put herself into harm's way like that. But that wasn't the only thing that would upset him. She still hadn't told him just how she'd gotten home. She knew he wasn't going to take the fact that Kenshin had brought her home well. Especially after their recent conversation.

Scowling at the thought, she picked up her pace. It didn't matter anyway, what was done, was done. Besides, it was her life, she could be friends with whoever she liked, no matter what anyone else said. But that was easily said when one wasn't facing the unofficial patriarch of her family.

And sadly Kaoru found out just how true that thought was when twenty minutes later she sat beneath the piercing black eyes of her adopted grandfather. Fidgeting nervously under his intense regard, she tried to figure out just how it was this man could make her feel like a child.

"Do you realize what could have happened to you this morning if you'd been caught out in the sun?!" Dr. Genzai asked sharply as he ran the hand held light over her skin searching every inch for any sign of possible damage.

Biting her lip, Kaoru simply nodded and shifted her attention to the light running down her arm. Yes, she knew. At best she would have only been burned, but at worst that very same burn, if bad enough, would have caused a severe infection and an inflammation of the skin cancer she'd already fought against most of her life. If she'd been caught with no protection but the sunscreen she used religiously she could very well have died from the exposure.

"Then what possessed you to work that late?!" Dr. Genzai bit out angrily.

Flinching at his tone, Kaoru clenched her fist and looked him dead in the eye. "I didn't do it on purpose. I forgot to push the set button on my watch, that's all."

Dr. Genzai remained quiet as he shifted his attention from her arms to her legs and then he finally spoke. "Maybe it would be best if you went home. At least at home you would have your parents to look after you since it seems you can't do it yourself."

Stung, Kaoru fisted her hand even tighter and did her best to keep her temper. "I didn't mean for this to happen, Dr. Genzai. It was an accident that will never happen again."

Dr. Genzai simply snorted in disbelief and motioned for her to stand so he could do the backside of her legs. "How exactly did you get home this morning, Kaoru?"

Kaoru bit back a sigh and scowled. Maybe she should tell him she'd made it home by the skin of her teeth before the sun was fully up. But then again if she was reading his tone right he already knew. Somehow he already knew Kenshin had been the one to rescue her this morning.

Taking a deep breath she mumbled, "Himura-san came for me, just as the sun came up. He had a cloak and boots that kept the sun away from me so I could go home."

Nothing but silence met her statement. Swallowing nervously, she finally dug up the courage to peek over her shoulder and wilted slightly at the obvious concern written all over his face. "Its okay, Dr. Genzai. Kenshin isn't what you think. He can't be or he wouldn't have been able to help me this morning."

Dr. Genzai gave no indication that he'd heard what she'd said and instead continued his methodical search. Waiting impatiently for him to finish the scan, she turned to face him again when he set the light aside and whispered, "He doesn't want to hurt me, Dr. Genzai, he actually wants to be my friend. He knows, but for some reason he still wants to be my friend."

A barely audible sigh whispered from between Dr. Genzai's lips and Kaoru felt her heart squeeze. "I hope that's the truth, Kaoru. I don't know why he seems to be different but please be careful. That's all I ask." Setting the light back in it's case, he closed the lid and finally gave her a small smile. "At least it seems whatever he had to cover you kept you safe because you haven't been exposed at all that I can tell. But let me know if you feel sick at all over the next couple of days, I may have missed a small spot that could still lead to an infection."

Feeling a rush of relief at the news, Kaoru smiled and pushed off the table, "I will. I promise. So are we still on for next Wednesday?"

"Yes. We still need to do a CAT scan but I'll hold off until then since it's only been a couple of days since the last one."

"Okay, I'll see you then." And with that she headed for the door. "Goodnight Dr. Genzai."

A muffled 'goodnight' came from her adopted grandfather as she slipped out into the pale moonlight illuminating the street. Glancing to her watch, she smiled. A quarter after eleven, she still had plenty of time. Now all she needed was something that would settle the butterflies that had all of a sudden danced to life in her belly. Quietly admonishing herself for her lack of a backbone, she took off down the road towards home.

It was too late to back out now anyway. She'd never been one to back out of anything once she'd given her word and this time was no different. Besides it had been weeks since she'd had a decent meal besides the ones she'd snagged at the Akabeko. Cooking had never been one of her strong points so when she didn't grab something at the Akabeko she wound up having to suffer her own cooking. Not a good idea unless one had an iron stomach. Maybe if she was lucky Kenshin was a chef. Now that would be nice.

Smiling at the thought, she picked up her pace. Really it didn't matter, his cooking had to be better than hers.

Kenshin glanced to the clock again as he slid the knife through the chicken breast laid out on the cutting board. A quarter to twelve. She'd be here any time now, well that is if she didn't back out. Smirking at the thought, he cubed the chicken and scraped it into a bowl; if she wasn't here by twelve thirty he'd simply go look for her and invite her again. He wasn't about to give up when he'd finally managed to put a crack in the wall she'd built around her.

Grabbing the last piece of chicken, he set to work getting it ready for the stir fry he'd planned for dinner. He still found it rather ironic that she'd shown up on his porch at the exact same time he'd been setting out to invite her to dinner.

A light knock came at the door and Kenshin grinned as he washed his hands and headed for the foyer. Quickly closing the distance, he threw back the lock and opened the door. His grin turned into a full blown smile when his eyes lit on Kaoru who stood with her back to him as if she was just about ready to leave.

"You came back."

Kaoru jumped as Kenshin's voice whispered into the quiet night. Spinning on him, she narrowed her eyes and scowled, "Was there any question I wouldn't? You did sucker me into it after all."

Kenshin smiled sheepishly. "That I did, but if I hadn't you wouldn't have come, would you?"

"Maybe... maybe not..." Kaoru grumbled red-faced. Was she really that transparent?

Kenshin chuckled lightly and took a step back, motioning for her to enter before he headed back into the kitchen. "I just started dinner but it won't take long to fix." And then he stopped and glanced over his shoulder, "You like stir fry don't you?"

Surprised by the question, Kaoru simply nodded and finally stepped over the threshold into his domain. A strange feeling whispered through her body as Kenshin's unique scent enveloped her, the feeling making the hair on her arms stand on end. Doing her best to shake it off, she quietly closed the door behind her and stood just inside the door, at a loss for what to do.

And then Kenshin solved her dilemma by calling out from the kitchen, "You can come in if you'd like, Kaoru. I promise I won't bite."

Blushing to the roots of her hair, she scowled and walked into the livingroom where she could see Kenshin at the counter in the kitchen. "What makes you think I'm afraid of you?"

Kenshin slid his eyes up to her and pinned her with a knowing look. "Do I really need to say?"

Kaoru's scowl deepened before she sighed and dropped her eyes, "It's not that I'm afraid of you. It's more like... I've never had anyone want my company like this. I guess I don't know what to do."

Kenshin gave her an understanding smile and went back to chopping vegetables. "There's nothing special you have to do, Kaoru. If you want you can just look around."

"Really! ... I can?" Kaoru blurted out surprised. Horrified by her brazenness she flushed a deep red.

Without looking up Kenshin chuckled and gave her a small nod. "Sure. Wander around all you want, I have nothing to hide."

Kaoru stayed right where she was still unsure if he meant what he said. Unconsciously nibbling on her bottom lip she asked, "Are you sure it's okay?"

Finally looking up from his task, Kenshin simply smiled. "Either that or you can help me out here..."

Kaoru simply stared at him as if he were insane and then she busted out laughing. "Trust me, the kitchen is the last place you want me, unless you really don't want to live through the night." Ignoring his quirked eyebrow, Kaoru flashed him a smile and wandered further into the livingroom, "I think we would both be better off if I did what you say and simply looked around."

No answer came from behind her and she took that as acceptance and started making her way towards the other side of the room where a set of shelves were lined against the wall, a sheathed katana hanging on the wall just to the side of it. Resting her eyes on the gleaming sheath, she felt a pang of homesickness swim through her chest; the sight reminding her of home.

In her family's dojo in Sapporo her father also had a lone katana hanging on the wall, a katana that he said once belonged to her great great grandfather; the founding father of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Her father had once told her the story of when her long dead ancestor had laid aside his sword to begin a form of kenjutsu that instead focused on giving life, not taking it.

Without thinking she reached out for the blade but stopped just inches from it's worn sheath. What was she doing! She couldn't touch something as personal as this. Swallowing nervously she peeked over her shoulder at the redhead who had his full attention fixed on the carrots he was now slicing up. Hesitating for a second, she finally gave in to her desire and asked, "Kenshin, is it okay if I take down this katana?"

Kenshin's hand stopped mid slice and he glanced up with an unreadable expression before it melted away to be replaced by a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yes, but be careful I just sharpened it the other day."

Unnerved by the cool look Kenshin had fixed on her, Kaoru hesitated for a split second before her curiosity got the better of her, "I will. I just want to feel it. It's been a while since I've held a real katana." And with that she reached up and gently lifted it from the wall mount and loosened the blade. Slowly drawing the blade from the sheath she inhaled sharply when the blade was about halfway out. This wasn't a katana... it was a sakabatou.

Stunned, she continued to remove the blade until it was free of the sheath and then she brought it up to get a better look at the well honed blade. "I've never seen anything like this before," she whispered more to herself than the man who was now watching her intently. Oblivious to her audience, Kaoru set the sheath down and stepped back into the middle of the livingroom where there was enough room to take a couple of practice swings. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself and swung the blade in a crosswise downward arch before flipping it in her hand and changing it's trajectory to slice the air in front of her at waist height. It was a move her father had taught her when she'd begged to learn more after learning all there was of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. She couldn't help but grin as the blade cut through the air, a gentle whoosh filling her ears as the blade whipped out in front of her. Finishing the step, she halted the blade mere inches away from the wall and smiled, what was truly surprising was the balance seemed to fit her perfectly as if this blade had been made for her.

Blushing at the thought, she reached for the sheath and slowly slid the blade home. Replacing it in the wall mount, she turned towards her host and reddened even more at the startled violet gaze fixed on her. Extremely embarrassed by her boldness she mumbled, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that it's just -"

"It's okay." Kenshin cut in, shifting his attention back the cutting board. "I was just surprised to see you handle it so easily."

Still beet red, Kaoru turned around and started eyeing the various knickknacks lining the shelf beside the sakabatou and tried to get herself back together. "My family founded the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu so I've been practicing kenjutsu since I was very little, but it's not very often I get to touch a real blade."

"Ah, I see." Kenshin whispered and then she heard him set to work again slicing th carrots. To embarrassed to face him again, she instead gave her full attention to a collection of tea cups filling the shelf before her and smirked. Kenshin was definitely different; one didn't expect to find a set of delicate tea cups in a bachelor's house. Eyeing the detail with which they'd been painted she smiled, but she had to admit he did have excellent taste, she'd never seen such a beautiful set in her life.

Shaking her head at the strangeness of it all, Kaoru made to move on to the next shelf but stopped when she caught sight of the picture sitting quietly amidst the tea set. Taking a step back to get a better look, she inhaled sharply as her eyes settled on the serene beauty of the woman captured in the yellowed photo, her sad smile radiating a gentle beauty like none she'd ever seen before. And then it hit her, maybe Kenshin wasn't a bachelor after all.

Fending off the small twinge of jealousy that whispered through her chest at the thought, she reached out to run her fingers along the cool frame and glanced over her shoulder, "Kenshin, who's this?"

Kenshin looked up to see what she was asking about and paled. Confused by his reaction, she was just about to ask him what was the matter when he all of a sudden hissed in pain. Surprised, Kaoru dropped her eyes to the cutting board beneath his hands and was shocked to see a puddle of blood pooling on the board from the wound he'd somehow inflicted on his hand. Spurred by the sight, she hurried into the kitchen to help.

"What happened?! Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out for his injured hand. All of a sudden, Kenshin's eyes flew wide and he stumbled back, the look of horror painted across his face making her pause.

"No! Don't touch me!"

Stunned, Kaoru simply stared at him as he grabbed a towel off the counter. "Are you okay?" she asked, hesitantly reaching out again to help him. She stopped when he took another step back and nodded.

"Yes, I'm alright. It's just a scratch."

And without another word he headed for the bathroom. Confused, Kaoru simply stared after him until he vanished down the hall. Well that had been strange. Shrugging to herself, she grabbed a handful of napkins from the counter and walked the bloodied cutting board to the garbage to throw away the contaminated carrots; being careful not to get any of the blood on her. Setting the board in the sink, she grabbed the damp cloth hanging in the sink and wiped the counter to make sure all the blood had been cleaned up then hesitantly made her way to the closed bathroom door.

"Kenshin? Are you sure you're okay?"

Kenshin simply stared at the closed door and did his best to get himself back together. That had been close... too close. "Yes, I'm okay but don't touch anything. I'll clean it up when I come out."

A long silence met his statement and then...

"Too late. I already took care of everything."

Suddenly sick, Kenshin shot to his feet and flung the door open, "You didn't get any on you, did you!?"

When all Kaoru did was stare at him in stunned silence, he grabbed her wrist and inspected her hand. He nearly sighed at finding no sign of blood or a wound that would allow his blood to infect her. Satisfied, he dropped that one and did the same to the other one, his knees weakening slightly at finding her skin unblemished with no sign of contamination. Deep down he knew she wasn't contaminated because if she was then she wouldn't be standing here, but still...

"Why would it matter if I got any on me?" Kaoru asked, finally finding her voice. "It's not like it could hurt me, it's just blood."

Kenshin met the curious sapphire gaze fixed on him, and bit his tongue to keep from letting out the sarcastic chuckle tickling the back of his throat. Wouldn't hurt her... she had no idea, none what so ever. And that was his own fault. Maybe getting close to her really was a bad idea.

"Here, let me help you with your hand."

Startled, Kenshin took a step back and fisted his hand so she couldn't see that there was no longer any wound to take care of. "No, I can get it. I'll be out as soon as I take care of it."

For several heartbeats Kaoru just peered at him through narrowed eyes and then she finally nodded. "Alright, I guess I'll go start chopping up some more carrots then. Do you have another cutting board?"

Relieved, Kenshin relaxed somewhat and nodded, "Yes, there's one in the cupboard beside the stove. You'll see it as soon as you open the door."

"Okay, I'll get the carrots cut up then." And with that she headed for the kitchen. Biting back a sigh, Kenshin turned back into the bathroom and set to work cleaning the blood from his hand then wrapped the freshly healed skin in a bandage. More than likely he had over reacted but he wouldn't take the chance. He wouldn't let the same thing happen to her as had happened to Tomoe. Not when he knew the consequences this time.

Oblivious to Kenshin's musings, Kaoru left him to his task and wandered into the kitchen to retrieve the cutting board from the cupboard Kenshin had described. Setting to work on the remaining carrots she did her best to figure what had just happened. Why would it matter if she'd touched his blood? Did he have some kind of disease or something? Maybe that was it; he also had some kind of disease that was passed by blood or something like that. A small smirk turned up the corner of her lip at the thought, maybe in the end they were more alike than either of them thought.

"I can take over if you'd like?"

Startled from her thoughts, Kaoru glanced up from the carrots and shook her head. "I can manage this but don't make me cook them. You just might die of food poisoning if you do."

Kenshin smiled and set the wok on the stove in preparation. "Alright, you cut those up and I'll set to work making dinner. Sound fair?"

Kaoru couldn't help but smile at the small grin still lingering on his lips, "Sounds fair." Giving her attention back to the last remaining carrots, she tried to dig up the courage to ask him about what had just happened. Finally she threw caution to the wind and asked, "Why were you worried that I might touch your blood? Is it because you have a disease too?"

Kenshin paused in pouring out the oil needed and sighed, "I guess you could say that..." finishing with the oil, he set it aside and looked dead at her, "... just do me a favor and never touch it okay?"

Confused, Kaoru simply stared at him for several seconds before she shrugged, "Okay. But if you're dying I'm going to touch you whether you like it or not."

Kenshin let out a relieved chuckle, well since that would never happen she was safe. "Sounds fair. So, should we get this dinner ready?"

Kaoru grinned and held out the freshly cut carrots, "Here you go... you cook and I'll go let Sampson out..." blushing at the confused look that passed across Kenshin's face, she added, "I just remembered that I kinda forgot to let him out before I came over."

"Oh.." Kenshin whispered. Quirking an eyebrow he asked, "You will be back right?"

Kaoru gave him a wide smile, "Never fear Himura-san, I'm rather fond of your company. I'll be back, I promise." And with that she headed for the door. To say she was fond of his company was an understatement, more like she found herself extremely comfortable in his company. More than she ever had been before with anybody else. Maybe this friendship really would work out for a change.

True to her word, twenty minutes later Kaoru settled into a chair in Kenshin's dining room and inhaled deeply as the mingling scents of chicken and veggies permeated her nose. "It smells delicious."

Kenshin smiled as he set a heaping plate before her and offered her a set of chopsticks. "Thank you. I hope it tastes as good as it smells," he said as he set his own plate down and settled into the chair directly across from her.

"It will." Putting her hands together, she bowed slightly and whispered, “ Itadakimasu” then dug in. Lifting a piece of chicken, she set it on her tongue and nearly purred at the instant flavor filling her mouth. Oh, now this was heaven. He had absolutely nothing to worry about, it definitely tasted as good as it smelled, if not better.

"So, I take it you like it?" Kenshin asked, doing his best to hide the smirk teasing his lips.

Startled, Kaoru blushed to the roots of her hair and met his knowing look, "Yes. It tastes even better than it smells. It's been a long time since I've had stir fry, let alone stir fry that tastes this good." Lifting chopsticks filled with vegetables, she stopped just before she reached her mouth and peered at him suspiciously, "You wouldn't happen to be a chef would you?"

Kenshin simply grinned and shook his head. "No, but when I lived with shishou, it was either I cooked or we went hungry." Absently picking at his own food, he added, "It wasn't that he didn't know how to cook but he figured when he took me in I needed to earn my keep so he taught me how to cook."

"Ah, so I can thank your shishou for this excellent meal," Kaoru said before popping the delectable veggies into her mouth.

Kenshin chuckled and simply shrugged. "I suppose you could."

A comfortable silence fell between them after that and Kaoru ate with relish, the menagerie of tastes making her taste buds sing in happiness. And yet, throughout the meal, she watched in wonder as Kenshin picked at his, only taking a bite of chicken every once in a while.

Swallowing the last bite of her own meal, she finally asked, "Why haven't you eaten? Aren't you hungry?"

Kenshin snapped to attention at the question and smiled sheepishly, "Actually, I don't have much of an appetite. I'm sorry." Glancing to her now empty plate, he grinned, "I see you enjoyed it though..."

Kaoru blushed and scowled at his knowing smirk, "If you ever eat my cooking you'll understand." And with that she grabbed her plate and headed for the kitchen. Setting it in the sink, she glanced over her shoulder to Kenshin who was following close behind with his own plate, "Would you like me to do the dishes?"

Kenshin gave her an indulgent smile and let his eyes drift to the area underneath the countertop beside her. Following his line of sight, she blushed a deep red when she saw the dishwasher nestled under the counter. "Oh... well, can I at least load the dishwasher then?"

Kenshin scraped his plate off into the garbage and set it in the sink on top of hers, "I have a better idea. Why don't we grab a glass of tea and go outside onto the back porch and simply enjoy what's left of the night."

Kaoru shrugged and glanced to her watch, "I can for a little while. I still have to take Sampson to the park. I promised I'd take him when I got home tonight so he could run."

"No problem. You can leave whenever you want to." Opening the fridge, Kenshin grabbed the tea and set it on the counter, "Can you get the glasses, they're in the cupboard above your head."

With a nod, Kaoru flipped open the cupboard and grabbed to glasses; setting them on the counter beside the tea. Kenshin quickly filled them to the brim and stored the tea back in the fridge. Grabbing both glasses before she could get one Kenshin headed for the back door. "Are you coming?"

Quirking an eyebrow, Kaoru followed in his footsteps and stepped out into the warm night air. Taking a deep breath, she glanced up to lady moon and smiled. This had been a lot more fun than she'd thought it would be. To be honest she was really starting to like Kenshin. His strange eyes aside, he was very nice and extremely easy to get along with. Actually, if she thought about it, for the most part she hadn't really noticed his odd eyes tonight, she had simply seen him.

"Penny for you thoughts..."

Kaoru jumped and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I was just thinking about how much fun tonight has been." Accepting the glass of tea he held out to her, she settled down on the porch and dangled her legs over the edge. "Thanks for inviting me."

"You're very welcome. I have to admit, it's been a long time since I've had anyone here. It was nice." Kenshin whispered as he settled on the porch beside her.

Peeking at him out of the corner of her eye, Kaoru did her best to dig up the courage to ask about the exceptionally beautiful woman again. He'd said she was the first in a long time, maybe he really was a bachelor. Shifting her attention back out to the moonlit yard, she took a deep breath and decided to jump off the cliff.

"Kenshin, who is the woman in that picture?"

A long silence passed and Kaoru felt her face begin to redden and then Kenshin finally said, "She was my wife. She died a very long time ago."

Kaoru's eyes widened at his admission. Hanging her head slightly in embarrassment, she stared at her hands and mumbled, "Oh... I'm sorry. I... I shouldn't have asked."

Kenshin sighed and reached out to still her twisting hands. Startled by the action, Kaoru snapped her head up and met the soft violet gaze fixed on her.

"Don't be sorry. It was a long time ago."

Emboldened by his understanding smile, she pushed on and asked, "How did she die?"

At this question, Kenshin's smile dropped away and he let her hands go. Shifting his attention out to the moonlit yard, he whispered, "She died because of a terrible mistake I made."

"Oh..." Kaoru muttered, embarrassed again. Taking a sip of her tea, she was just about to get up and leave before she put her foot in her mouth again when it suddenly hit her. If she remembered right, the woman in the photo had been dressed in a very old style kimono and, if she wasn't mistaken, the backdrop of the photo had been a city street from what had to be the early nineteen hundreds... if not before. Why hadn't she realized it before? If that was true then how could that woman be his wife?

Confused, Kaoru couldn't stop herself from asking, "Kenshin, when was that picture taken?"

She jumped when Kenshin snapped his head around, the startled look in his eyes making her pause. For several seconds he simply stared at her and then he finally said, "It was -"

At that very moment Sampson started to bark furiously cutting him off and they both jumped. Surprised, Kaoru shot to her feet and called out, "Sampson, what's wrong?"

In answer Sampson's bark became louder and more demanding and she finally realized what it must be. He wasn't happy she was over here at the enemy's house. Shaking her head at his antics, she turned to Kenshin and gave him a regretful smile. "Well, it looks like I better go. Thank you so much for a wonderful night. I've had a lot of fun."

Kenshin smiled. "I've had fun too. We should do this again sometime."

Blushing at the look he had fixed on her, Kaoru thanked every god she could think of that it was too dark for him to see. Getting herself back together she nodded, "I'd like that." And with that she stepped off the porch and cast one last glance over her shoulder, "So until then, I guess this is goodnight."

"I guess it is. Goodnight, Kaoru."

Much to her dismay, a shiver of pleasure whispered down her spine at the way he said her name. Swallowing nervously, she immediately headed for home before she did or said something that would give her away. At this rate she may find herself in over her head. It was suppose to be only friendship, that's all she had time for. She didn't have time for anything else, nor did she have the desire for anything more.

Not now. It was far too late.

And yet...

From beneath hooded lids Kenshin watched Kaoru until she'd made it safely into her own yard and unhooked Sampson. Watching as she disappeared into her house, he finally reached down and retrieved their glasses then headed into his own house. How the hell could have he forgotten to put that picture away? If there was anything in his house that would give him away it was that.

Emptying the tea into the sink, he set the glasses onto the counter and headed into the livingroom. Coming to the photo, he slowly reached out and lifted it from its home amidst the tea set Tomoe had painted herself, "I'm sorry love, but I have to put you away for now."

Running his finger along the frame he headed for his bedroom and opened the closet where his safe sat tucked into the far corner. Quickly spinning the combination to unlock it he pulled open the door and dropped his eyes once more to the serene eyes staring at him from behind the glass, "I'm truly sorry love, but after all these years I've finally found someone who needs me again and I don't want to lose her just yet. But you haven’t been forgotten... nor will you ever be. I promise."

And with that he gently set the photo on top of the various deeds and stocks also tucked within and closed the door. Settling back on his heels he let a small smile play across his lips, Tomoe would always be a part of him but now, for the first time in all the years since her death he was ready to move forward and find what happiness he could in this cold life. Keeping his secret was going to be extremely hard, of that he was certain, but that still wasn't going to stop him. After tonight he knew for a certainty that Kaoru was indeed warming up to him and he wasn't going to let this chance pass him by. Not if he could at all help it.

Ten years, that's all he wanted just those measly ten years with her by his side. It wasn't too much to ask for, was it?

Before I go, I'd like to let you know that this will be the last chapter until after I come back from vacation. More than likely the next chapter won't be up until mid to late July. I'm truly very sorry for the long wait but trust me when I say, this vacation is very much needed.

So until then, please review and let me know what you think.