Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ A Walk in the Sunlight ❯ Breaking the News ( Chapter 19 )

[ 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 19 - Breaking the News

Kaoru glanced up from the book she'd been attempting to read as a soft swishing filled the quiet livingroom and smiled as she watched her mother pull the heavy, protective curtains all the way open. Flipping the book closed, she tossed it onto the sofa beside her and stretched her arms to the ceiling in an effort to loosen up the muscles that had tightened in her back. Finally. What an extremely long day today had turned out to be.

A sardonic smirk touched her lips and with a tired sigh, she dropped her hands back into her lap. Of course it would have helped if she'd been able to sleep for more than a couple of hours. But she couldn't, not now. The house felt too empty, too quiet for her to sleep. Glancing to the place where Sampson's bed had rested in front of the window, she smiled sadly. She knew her parents had removed any trace of him for her benefit, but in the end it didn't matter. To be honest she wished they had just left everything where it was, that way she may have been able to fool herself into believing that he was just outside and not completely gone.

Snorting softly at herself, she tried to ignore the sharp pain that speared her chest and stretched again in an effort to alleviate the dull throb that rose up every time her mind drifted to Sampson. Some would say she was crazy for mourning him like this, but she couldn't help it. He had been the only real friend she'd had.

"What time will Himura-san be coming tonight?"

Startled from her thoughts, Kaoru snapped her eyes to her mother who stood watching her with a small understanding smile. She almost winced as the knot she'd managed to untie earlier balled into a fist again. And that was the other reason why she couldn't sleep. Tonight was the night. She and Kenshin had agreed last night when she'd gone back to see him that the sooner they broke the news to her parents the better, and up until this very moment she had wholeheartedly agreed. But now... with his arrival less than a half an hour away she had to admit that she wasn't sure she was quite up to this just yet.

She almost flinched as a soft rustling of newspaper came from the chair her father was occupying near the window. Swallowing nervously, she studiously avoided the black eyes she could feel boring into her head and muttered, "He said he would be here about ten."

"And then we will finally know what's going on?" Her father interjected, his clipped tone making it sound more like a demand than a question.

Digging up the best smile she could, Kaoru slid a glance to her father, "Yes. Tonight everything will be explained." Absently tugging at the hem of her t-shirt she quietly added, "And I promise it's not bad... not really."

"Then why haven't you told us yourself?" Her mother asked as she settled down into the chair opposite her father.

Kaoru resisted the urge to roll her eyes and swallowed a weary sigh as she sagged heavily into the sofa cushions. She really wished they would stop this. They both had been like this since she'd told them that there was something she needed to tell them. She could understand their concern since both she, and Kenshin before her, had refused to say anything, but that didn't stop her from wishing they would just wait patiently. It's not like they had to wait very long and she knew if she tried to do this herself they'd think she was insane and probably hate Kenshin even more.

Inhaling deeply, she was just about to repeat what she'd told them earlier when the doorbell suddenly sounded into the tense air, cutting her off. Startled, she snapped widened eyes to the door beyond the wall in a vain attempt to see who it was as the knot in her gut tightened even more. It couldn't be that time already!

Out of the corner of her eye she saw her mother start to head for the door and she flew off the sofa. "I'll get it." Without waiting for an answer she quickly headed into the foyer. She wasn't ready for this, not in any way, shape or form. Sighing softly, she slowed as she rounded the wall between the door and livingroom. But that didn't matter did it. She'd made this decision and she wasn't going to back out now, not when she was this close to having what she'd wanted for so long. Somehow she would make them understand, make them see that what she would be doing was not evil but the miracle she'd been hoping for her entire life.

A tiny smirk tilted up the corner her lips and she resisted the urge to scoff. Okay, maybe not a miracle but at least with this she would have the life they had all wished for and she would be there until their dying day, not the other way around. At the thought a heady feeling flooded through her veins, the knot in her belly loosening again. And that right there was worth all the stress she had to suffer through right now. For that one reason she would endure whatever her parents threw at her until she convinced them that this was all they'd ever wanted.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the doorbell rang again, reminding her that there was a reason why she was standing in the foyer. With a sheepish smile, she quickly closed the distance to the door and tugged it open before Kenshin decided to leave, "Sorry for ma- " She stopped dead when she noticed her visitor wasn't the one she'd been expecting, "Dr. Genzai?..."

Her adopted grandfather simply smiled and inclined his head in greeting. "Good evening, Kaoru-san."

At a loss Kaoru could only stare at him in silence. What exactly was he doing here?

"Himura-san came to the clinic this afternoon and asked if I would come by tonight to help... explain the situation." Dr. Genzai said, answering her unspoken question.

"Oh..." Kaoru murmured and waved him in. A small smile crept across her lips as she closed the door and quietly watched him vanish into the house. She hadn't even thought of asking him to come. But the truth was, if anyone could help get her parents to understand it was him. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as she'd originally thought. Heartened by the thought, she was just about to follow him into the livingroom when the doorbell sang out again.

With a grin, she spun around and pulled it open to reveal the one she had been waiting for... and to her surprise, one other she hadn't. Her eyebrows vanished into her bangs and she gave Kenshin an inquiring look. With a small smile he waved at Megumi who stood behind him. "I thought it would be best if Megumi was here to answer any questions they may have about my kind."

Another 'oh..' dropped from her lips as Kenshin and Megumi stepped into the house. Peeking out the door to see if anyone else was going to pop up that she wasn't expecting, she nearly jumped when Kenshin spoke up from right behind her. "I promise we are the last."

Kaoru scowled as her face heated up at his obvious amusement. All but slamming the door closed, she spun on him and was just about to tell him to shut it when she saw the disarming smile he was giving her. Oh, now that wasn't fair. But fair or not it had done the job. Her irritation immediately vanished and she scowled at the knowing smirk Megumi was trying her best to hide.

And then the butterflies she'd managed to tame earlier took flight in her belly as her mother called out, "Is that Himura-san, Kaoru?"

Absently swallowing, she shot a nervous glance at Kenshin who gave her a reassuring smile and lightly grasped her good hand. The feel of his palm against hers gave her some much needed reassurance and she met his smile with one of her own then took a deep breath and led him into the livingroom, Megumi following in their footsteps. She wasn't the least bit surprised when her mother and her father both straightened at the sight of Megumi.

Successfully fending off the smile that was pulling hard at the edge of her lips, Kaoru waved Megumi forward and introduced her. "Mom, Dad, this is Takani Megumi a... relative of Kenshin's."

Megumi smiled and, with more grace then Kaoru had ever seen in her life, bowed deep in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Kaoru nearly sighed when her mother gave Megumi a welcoming smile and inclined her head in return. "The pleasure is ours. Please forgive our surprise, we didn't expect to have any visitors besides Himura-san this evening."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Megumi relax and smiled in relief. One down, one to go. Stealing a glance at her father, she frowned slightly at the distrustful look darkening his face. And the one left was going to be the hardest. With a soft sigh, she shook her head. She loved him, she really did but sometimes he could be just a little bit overprotective of her, not to mention stubborn as a bull. Shaking her head again, she was just about explain Dr. Genzai and Megumi's presence further when he spoke up, the hard edge in his voice making her inwardly cringe.

"All right, Kaoru. What's this all about? Why are Dr. Genzai and this woman here?"

Kaoru half smiled and tried to ignore the icy fingers of dread slithering down her spine. With a deep breath, she released Kenshin's hand and settled down on the sofa across from him. Taking a moment to figure out how she should start, she tossed a glance at Dr. Genzai as she felt Kenshin seat himself beside her. The miniscule nod of assurance her adopted grandfather gave her was what she seemed to need and she finally glanced to her mother, then let her attention drift back to her father who sat patiently waiting for an answer and jumped off the bridge.

"What would you say if there was a way for me to... live... like everyone else?"

Kaoru almost laughed as a stunned look flew across both of their faces. To say she hadn't expected that would be a lie, but it was still very odd to see her father at a loss like this. Unfortunately it only took him a minute to regain his composure and then his eyes narrowed skeptically, "That's not possible, unless Dr. Genzai has found a cure."

At his words her mother snapped her attention to Dr. Genzai, "Did you?..."

Dr. Genzai smiled gently and shook his head. "No, there is no cure. But there is another way that will give her both the sun and a lifetime to enjoy it."

Her mother's eyes widened in what Kaoru could only call cautious hope as a stifling silence enveloped the livingroom. Moments later her father broke the silence and asked the question they could all feel hovering in the air.

"How?"

Silently releasing the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Kaoru swallowed nervously and tried to dig up the courage to tell them the truth. And now came the really hard part, making them believe and accept her decision. Kenshin must have sensed her hesitance because she felt his hand slip under hers and grasp it gently. Smiling gratefully, she twined her fingers through his then took a deep breath and said, "By letting Kenshin make me into something like him."

Her father's eyes narrowed in irritation. "What do you mean 'something like him'?"

Kaoru sighed softly. Okay, this wasn't going so well. Dropping her eyes to her and Kenshin's clasped hands, she tried to figure out the best way to break this to them. She almost wished one of the others would speak up and save her from this but she knew that wasn't going to happen. And deep down she really didn't want that, but that didn't change the fact that it would make things so much easier right about now.

Snorting softly at her lack of a backbone, she shook her head at herself and slid her attention back to her parents. The best way would be to just come out and say it. And with one last steadying breath, she did just that.

"You see, Kenshin isn't exactly... human...," she admitted softly. She inwardly winced as her father's eyes narrowed even more but before he could say anything she pushed on and finished before she lost her nerve again, "... he's a vampire."

The shocked disbelief that flew across both of her parent's faces hit her like a fist and she clasped Kenshin's hand in a death grip; the deafening silence filling the livingroom nearly stealing her breath away. She started to tremble slightly as the silence continued to stretch, the black look slowly overcoming her father's face enough to make even the most hardened of hearts falter. And then he slid a baleful glare to Kenshin and shattered the silence, "Get. Out."

Kaoru's eyes flew wide at the undisguised rage coloring her father's voice and then they narrowed dangerously as she felt Kenshin tense beside her. She knew her father was stubborn but this was going too far. He would listen whether he liked it or not. With a glare that rivaled her father's, Kaoru was just about to tell him that Kenshin wasn't going anywhere until they listened when her adopted grandfather spoke up from where he was sitting, quietly watching the exchange.

"I wouldn't send him away just yet." He said softly, capturing both of her parents’ attention. Kaoru almost smiled at the reassuring glance he surreptitiously tossed her way before he continued, "Not until you've heard what they have to say."

Any relief she may have garnered from him instantly vanished though as her father's face darkened even more, and then he exploded.

"Are you telling me you believe this!?" Her father nearly shouted, his patience obviously paper thin. "That he's some kind of... creature of the night!"

Unfazed, Dr. Genzai simply smiled. "Yes. Himura-san is a vampire. This I know for a fact and you should too, given his differences." Waving a hand at Kenshin, he added, "Have you ever seen anyone with eyes like Himura-san and Takani-san? No human has pupils that are permanently dilated. That in itself gives them away."

Kaoru smirked slightly at the horror tinged look of understanding that crept across both her parent's faces as they slid their attention to Kenshin and Megumi and really looked at the undeniable evidence that had been there all along. And then, for the first time since he'd arrived, Kenshin spoke, "What Kaoru and Dr. Genzai say is true. Megumi and I are no longer human. And haven't been for many years now." He paused to let that sink in and then added, "There is one other way to know our kind but it doesn't show itself unless one is looking for it."

For a moment neither of them said anything and then her mother eyes widened slightly in understanding and she broke the tense silence with one word. "Fangs."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kaoru saw a small smile twitch the corner of Kenshin's lips but he somehow managed to keep it at bay and simply nodded, "Yes. Even though you haven't noticed them yet, we do have them."

Kaoru fought the urge to roll her eyes when she noticed her father's eyes narrowing again. "Then show us these fangs," he demanded, clearly not believing that they existed.

Unperturbed, Kenshin smirked. "Watch closely and you will see for yourself that we are what we say we are." And with that he smiled and then let his lips pull back into a wide revealing grin. Curious to see his fangs, Kaoru leaned forward slightly so she too could see what her parents would see and inhaled sharply at the distinct difference his fangs made in his appearance; the razor sharp canines making the easy going Kenshin she'd grown to love into something far more dangerous. Tilting her head to the side slightly, she smiled softly. And yet, even though the fangs brought out the more primal side of him she didn't fear him, not like she should. And then it dawned on her that it wouldn't be all that much longer before she too had those same features.

Involuntarily shivering at the thought, Kaoru almost didn't hear the sharp intake of breath that came a heartbeat after her own. Ripping her attention from Kenshin, she glanced to her mother and was shocked to see the sickening white pallor of her mother's face.

Frightened, she shouted, "Mom!" and jumped up. At the call, her mother snapped her eyes to her and Kaoru stopped dead at the haunted look lurking deep in the sapphire eyes so much like hers. And then her mother shook her head as if she'd just awoken from a dream and waved a shaking hand at her to sit back down.

"I'm all right. It's just a shock to find out that Himura-san isn't who we thought he was." She said quietly with a hollow smile.

Settling back down, Kaoru flinched at what her mother implied and decided to leave that alone for now. Instead she glanced to her father for his reaction and was marginally surprised to see him staring at Kenshin as if he'd grown another head. And then he too seemed to awaken but instead of the grudging acceptance her mother had given, she found herself facing an anger like she'd never seen before.

"So the reason you are here tonight is to tell us that you plan to make our daughter into a... thing... like you?" He inquired softly in a tone that made Kaoru's blood run cold. And then before Kenshin could so much as nod, he exploded. "What makes you think I'm going to allow you to steal what little bit of life Kaoru still has to make her into a soulless creature as you are?! I would rather have her die than let her become something like you!"

Kaoru winced as his voice rose, the anger washing off of him in waves stealing her breath away. Steeling herself against the nearly overwhelming desire to hide, she inhaled deeply and was just about to tell him that she wouldn't be a killer when Megumi spoke up from behind them.

"We aren't completely soulless, Kamiya-san."

Startled, Kaoru snapped her head around so fast she was sure she must have disjointed something in the process and asked, "What do you mean?"

Megumi gave her a small smile then shifted her attention back to her parents. "When Caine first started creating others to fill the emptiness in his life, he found that anyone who ingested his blood did become what you have said, Kamiya-san. They became nothing but mindless creatures with no other thought than to feed. Because of this he had to destroy all he had created and found himself once again alone which for us, is one of the harshest cruelties we can suffer." With a wane smile, she shrugged, "Although there are a chosen few who endure it anyway like Kenshin and myself."

With a sigh, she crossed her arms and continued, "Anyway, Caine finally figured out that it was the loss of the soul that caused those he changed to become monsters. I'm not exactly sure how he did it, but somehow he found a way to hold a small portion of the soul in the body while he was making the change so they would remain sane afterwards. And he passed this knowledge on in his blood. So basically there is no way a vampire can be born completely soulless."

Surprised, Kaoru glanced to Kenshin for confirmation and was shocked to see a look of utter confusion painted across his face. Megumi must have seen it too because she smirked at him and shrugged, "I didn't know either until I found a journal written by him about five years ago."

"Ah..." Kenshin whispered with an understanding smile. And then he gave his attention back to her parents and asked, "Are you willing to listen now?"

Kaoru frowned as she watched her father's eyes narrow again but before he had a chance to say anything her mother inclined her head and said, "For now we will listen but I cannot guarantee we will agree to whatever you think you can do for her."

Her father scowled darkly and Kaoru tensed, afraid he wasn't going to agree but then he looked dead at her and gave her a curt nod, "For you I will listen."

Kaoru gave him a genuine smile and sagged heavily in relief as tears started to burn the backs of her eyes, "Thanks, Dad."

When all he did was snort softly in answer, Kaoru smirked and took a moment to gather her thoughts, then she began, "I guess the first thing you need to know is that although Kenshin may look like Takani-san he isn't like the rest of his kind anymore. He's more like us than them now and has been for a very long time. "

Kaoru secretly smiled as her mother's forehead creased in confusion. "What do you mean, he isn't like the rest?"

Kenshin gave her hand a squeeze and answered for her, "I underwent a second change some time ago that did something none had ever believed possible. It made me as close to human as I could possibly get."

Kaoru smiled as her parent's eyebrows rose in surprise and she continued to explain, "He doesn't have to feed anymore and even though he is a vampire he can do the one thing I can't do. He can go into the sun."

When nothing but silence met her revelation, she smiled softly and pushed on, "The truth is, if I let him change me into a vampire like him then I will have the sun, and... I will live."

That seemed to loosen her father's tongue and he growled, "Are you telling me that you want to be like that. Not dead, but not alive either?"

Kaoru involuntarily flinched at the cold truth he had so easily stated. What he said was true but even if she wasn't... normal, it would still be worth it. She'd desperately wanted the sun her entire life and they both knew it.

"You're not thinking of doing this just so that you can go into the sun, are you?" Her mother asked, the hint of disapproval in her voice cutting Kaoru deep.

Swallowing tightly, Kaoru shook her head. "No. I also want to do this so I can live long enough to see my parents grow old," she stated resolutely, surprising both of them. Tightening her hold on Kenshin's hand, she took what courage she could from him and finally said what they didn't seem to understand, "I don't want to die. I never have, even though I knew it was inevitable a part of me still dared to hope, and now Kenshin is giving me a way to live and... I plan on taking it."

The gasp of shock that met her statement made her flinch but she refused to back down. She was going to do this, no matter what they said. Glancing to Dr. Genzai, she gave him a beseeching look and silently pleaded for some help. She nearly wilted in relief at the slight smile he gave her and then he spoke up.

"Kaoru-san isn't asking your permission. She has already made the decision to do this, now all wants is to know if you two will accept her even after she undergoes the change."

Kaoru smiled sadly as her mother flinched ever so slightly and threw him an angry glare. "How do you expect me to accept this?! She won't even be human anymore!" She all but shouted, each word striking Kaoru harder than a fist. Clenching Kenshin's hand in a white knuckled fist, she bit her lip hard in an effort to overcome the ache threatening to rip her chest apart and dropped her eyes closed. That hurt... a lot.

"Would you really just throw her away when you now have the chance to have her with you for the rest of your life, Kazumi?" Dr. Genzai threw back angrily.

A bone deep sigh sounded into the quiet that fell and Kaoru slid her eyes back open. She winced at the hurt confusion clouding her mother's face. She hadn't expected that, not in a million years. Sagging wearily in defeat, she fended off the tears blurring her vision and stared at a spot on the floor between her feet. She didn't dare look at her father. There was no way she'd be able to convince him if she couldn't even manage to get her mother to understand. She wilted even further at the thought and brushed her hand down her cheek to wipe away the single tear that had managed to escape. She was going to lose them. Just when she'd managed to find the life she'd desperately wished for she was going to lose them. That stung more than anything else she'd ever had to endure. How could they just throw her away?

The almost inaudible clearing of her father's throat pulled her from her misery and she prepared herself for the explosion she'd knew was coming. And yet what came was the complete opposite of what she'd been expecting.

"What exactly will this change do to her?"

Stunned, Kaoru snapped her head up and managed by sheer force of will to keep her chin from dropping to her knees. She had never, in her wildest dreams thought she'd get through to him first. Valiantly trying to control the sudden surge of hope straightening her spine, she glanced to Kenshin and prayed he'd only tell them what needed to be told.

Kenshin must have sensed her anxiety because he slid a quick glance her way and squeezed her hand reassuringly before he gave his full attention to her father and said, "To put it bluntly, the first change will kill her humanity. The second will restore a portion of what she has lost, and give her the one thing she has wanted her entire life. The sun."

A sharp gasp shattered the immediate silence that followed and Kaoru flinched. Studiously avoiding her mother's eyes, she waited for the explosion she could feel brewing. If Kenshin kept up like this they'd throw him out for sure. Spearing him with a glare out of the corner of her eye, she was just about to try to calm her parents down when Kenshin continued, "I didn't say that to scare you," he said with a soft smile to her mother, "I only wished for you to understand the physical aspect of the change."

At this point Kenshin released her hand and leaned forward to capture her parent's undivided attention. "But to be honest that part doesn't really matter. What does, is the fact that even though Kaoru will no longer be human as you know it, mentally and emotionally she will still be the same girl you have called daughter these last nineteen years." With a small shrug he smiled. "In the end all this change will do is give her a chance to enjoy an entire life with the parents she loves, beneath the bright rays of the sun she has been denied since birth."

You could have heard a pin drop in the absolute stillness that fell as Kenshin's last statement faded.

Resisting the nearly overpowering urge to fidget, Kaoru instead wrapped her good hand around her numb one and watched her parents; anxiously waiting for one of them to say something. There was nothing more she could add to that, Kenshin had managed to say it all. And in such a way that she had a feeling even her stubborn father had been touched, even if he wasn't showing it.

And then the silence was finally broken when her mother hesitantly asked, "Will she... really be no different than she is now?"

Letting out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Kaoru glance to Kenshin just in time to see him smile warmly and incline his head. "The only changes will be superficial. After the change she will have eyes like ours, her skin will most likely whiten even more and she will have fangs even though she will have no use for them."

"But she won't want to... do what you others have to do to survive?" Her mother pressed on, obviously needing this reassurance. Kaoru shook her head and smiled but before she had a chance to say anything, Megumi spoke up from behind her.

"With the second change, her need and desire for blood will cease to exist. Her body will live off the constantly renewing cells of her own blood, as it does now. In essence she will be nothing more than a human with an extended lifetime. Although she won't need to eat or drink like normal humans."

Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed as her mother finally smiled softly and nodded in seeming acceptance. And then her father asked the one question she'd been hoping to avoid.

"How long is this extended life?"

Kaoru cast a silencing glance at Kenshin and quickly answered, "It's only as long as I wish it to be."

"Will you continue to age?" Her mother asked before her father could probe her any further.

At this Kenshin shook head. "No. Like me she will be forever nineteen. The change will freeze her body as it is right now, or will be once her skin has time to fully heal. We won't do the change until after she is back to her old self again."

Kaoru smiled at the strange look her mother threw at her and shrugged. "At least I won't have to worry about wrinkles or anything like that," she said lightly in an effort to set her mother at ease again. Unfortunately it didn't work.

"So, that means no matter how much time passes or how old we get, you will always be this young?"

Kaoru inwardly winced at the slightly panicked tone of her mother's voice and simply nodded, "Yes. I'll be like this for the rest of my life." With a sardonic smirk, she shrugged again, "I know it sounds insane but to me it doesn't matter. I don't care if I'm not normal. All I want is the chance to live, really live like everyone else."

For the first time since the discussion began her mother gave her a genuine smile and Kaoru sighed silently in relief.

"You're really going to do this, aren't you?"

Kaoru smiled hesitantly and nodded but before she could say anything, her father spoke up and asked, "What about your fingers. Will this change heal them?"

Kaoru swallowed tightly and shook her head, "No, the change won't heal them. But - "

"You won't have to worry about that Kaoru-san," Megumi cut in gently. "When it comes time you will have the use of your hand, I promise."

Caught off guard, Kaoru swung her head around as a sudden surge of hope threatened to steal her breath away. "Really?"

Megumi grinned and inclined her head. "Yes, I have a way to reanimate your fingers so when you undergo the change your fingers will be alive again."

Kaoru's mouth rounded into a silent 'oh' and then she grinned wide as a warm tingling feeling flooded through her veins. Dropping her attention to her lap, she clenched her teeth tight in an effort to keep a shout of glee from breaking free and poked at her numb fingers. She'd have her hand back. She'd really have her hand back!

"Why haven't I heard of this before?" Dr. Genzai asked quietly. "There is nothing in the medical books about this."

"Because up until today, you didn't know there was a doctor like me. And my findings can't be published since most involve our blood."

Kaoru glanced up at that and smirked at the calculating look that crossed her adopted grandfather's face. Megumi must have seen it too because she chuckled and said, "We'll get together soon Genzai-san and talk about all the things I've experimented with."

Dr. Genzai inclined his head as a ghost of a smile whispered across his lips. "I'll be looking forward to that discussion."

Kaoru hid a smile. Those two had just met their match but she had admit, that would be one interesting conversation.

"How soon will you be undergoing this... change?" Her mother asked, drawing everyone's attention back to the discussion.

Kaoru shrugged and glanced to Kenshin. To be honest, she had no idea, they hadn't really talked about that yet.

"It depends on how much longer it will take for her skin to completely heal." Kenshin replied with an inquiring glance to Dr. Genzai.

Dr. Genzai smiled at the round about question. "The blisters should be healed in a week or so and the remaining redness should be gone in a couple of days."

"A week then?" Her mother clarified. "So soon..."

Kaoru gave her mother a crooked grin, "It has to be soon or I might not get the chance. No one knows when this disease is going to finish the job and I don't want to wait too long or I might die."

Her mother sighed softly and gave her a resigned smile. "I know, but that doesn't give me much time to come to terms with the differences you'll have once this is all said and done."

Kaoru's eyes widened a little at what her mother implied and she suddenly found it very hard to breath. Swallowing thickly around the knot that was doing its damnedest to choke her, she wet her lips and whispered, "Does that mean that you will still want to see me even after I do this."

Her mother chuckled lightly and gave her a heartwarming smile. "Of course I do. No matter what you will always be my daughter."

No sooner had the words fallen from her mother's lips then Kaoru was across the room, wrapping her mother in a tight hug. "I was really hoping you would say that..." she whispered into her mother's hair as a thin trail of tears slipped silently down her cheek.

Her mother chuckled again and hugged her a little bit tighter. "Was there ever a question I wouldn't?"

Kaoru smiled at her mother's teasing tone. Releasing her grip, she wiped at the wetness on her cheek and settled back on her heels, "Honestly? Yes..." Casting a surreptitious glance at her father to see how he was taking this, she was surprised to see an almost non-existent smile curling the edge of his lips. Lightened by the sight, she continued, "... I wasn't sure if you guys could stand having a vampire for a daughter."

"We won't have a vampire for a daughter." Her father stated softly, stunning everyone in the room. "We will have a daughter who found a way to live when Kami-sama had condemned her death."

Thrown completely off guard, Kaoru simply stared at him opened mouth for a moment before she sprang up and threw herself at him; wrapping in a bone crushing hug. "Thanks, Dad..." she managed to choke out around the lump that now seemed to fill her entire throat. She was surprised when her normally stoic father suddenly wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. "As your mother said, you will always be our daughter no matter what."

A bright smile lit up her face as she pulled back and settled on the arm of the chair he was occupying. But before she could say anything more, her father slid a hard glare at Kenshin and said, "Your life will be forfeit should anything happen to Kaoru during this change. Understood?"

Kaoru tensed as her eyes flew wide and she winced as her stomach tightened into a fist. Maybe their decision to leave out the part of her possibly dying during the change hadn't been such a good idea. She didn't even want to think about what her father might try to do to Kenshin if she did die during the change.

Kenshin must not have felt the same way though because he inclined his head in understanding and said, "I wouldn't want it any other way."

Kaoru cocked an eyebrow and simply stared at him as if he was insane. She nearly growled when all he did was smile, and then much to her surprise he pushed off the sofa and bowed, "If there is nothing else, I think it's time Takani-san and I took our leave. She has some things to complete before the change and I need to contact those who will be helping me."

Kaoru felt a tiny sliver of panic tighten her chest at the thought of him leaving. Scowling at herself, she tried to fend off the irrational feeling. What was wrong with her?! It's not like he was going away, or very far for that matter.

"We understand. You are more than welcome to come by whenever you wish." Her mother replied softly.

Kenshin and Megumi both bowed at this and with one last smile to her they headed for the door. Before she even knew what she was doing Kaoru jumped up and said, "I'll walk you out."

Kenshin stopped and glanced at her with one of those smiles that made her insides burn. With a small nod he waited for her to join them then follow silently behind her as she led them to the door. Acutely aware of his eyes on her back, Kaoru swallowed thickly and tried to ignore the butterflies dancing merrily in her belly. There was still one other thing she wanted to talk to him about, but now that she had managed to get him pretty much alone, she had no idea how to go about doing it. Thing was, she had to have his approval before she could ask her parents and that had seemed easy to get when she'd only been imagining the conversation.

But now that she was faced with the actual man...

Scowling at herself, Kaoru roughly tugged the door open and stepped out onto the lightly lit porch. It was now or never and she didn't think she'd last a week if all the days ended up like today. Even if she'd only been here for a month and a half this house held too many memories. Way too many.

With that last thought she, spun around as Kenshin closed the door behind he and Megumi and asked, "Kenshin, can I talk to you about something?"

She almost smiled at the surprised look that flew across his face and then he smiled, "Sure." With a glance to Megumi he said, "Wait for me before you head back, I need to talk to you."

Megumi gave him a sly smile and nodded. "Alright but don't be too long, I still have to find that herb." When Kenshin nodded, Megumi glance to her and inclined her head, "See you soon, Kaoru-san." And with that she was gone.

Stunned by her exit, Kaoru simply stared at the spot the tall woman had recently been occupying. How could they move so fast? She hadn't seen her move so much as a finger before she was gone.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Kenshin asked softly.

Startled out of her reverie, Kaoru took a deep breath as her attention drifted to him and decided to just come out and say it. And with one last settling breath she did just that.

"I was just wondering if it would be okay for me to stay with you?" She said in a rush, her words nearly tripping over themselves. Dropping her eyes to the polished wood at her feet, she pushed on completely oblivious to the stunned look Kenshin had fixed on her. "I mean you have an extra room so I was just wondering if you would let me use it. I can't stand to be in this house without Sampson. It hurts too much."

A barely audible "Ah..." whispered into the humid night air as she finished and she hazarded a glance to Kenshin. She felt her heart flip in her chest when she saw the soft smile he was giving her.

"Of course you can stay with me."

Kaoru's eyebrows rose slightly at his easy acceptance. "Really? It's okay?"

Kenshin smiled wide, "Yes." And then he took a step back towards the front door and asked, "Would you like my help talking to your parents about this?"

Kaoru's eyes flew wide at the suggestion and she threw herself in front of the door. "No! I... I can do it." Smiling sheepishly, she shrugged, "I think it would be better if I talked to them by myself about this. I'll be over afterwards, okay?"

Kenshin smirked and closed the distance between them. "I'll be waiting." And with that he dropped a soft, lingering kiss on her slightly parted lips and then was gone just as fast as Megumi had been minutes ago. Reaching up she trailed her fingers across her lips and smiled, then turned to go back into the house. Staying with Kenshin was going to be... interesting.

"I see Kaoru has just made your life easier." Megumi said quietly as soon as Kenshin flashed back into being right in front of her.

With a sigh, Kenshin leaned heavily against the railing of his front porch and cut right to the chase, "Is it really necessary to do that before the change?"

Megumi snorted softly and crossed her arms as she settled against the outside wall of his house. "The truth?... Yes." She said matter of factly."If there is any damage to be done then it's best to make sure it's done before the change." With a small shrug, she sighed. "Because of her age, it is possible that there will be no damage her first time. But if there is and her first time doesn't come until after the change, the damage will heal... continuously, causing her pain and discomfort every time you two have sex. Would you really want to do that to her?"

Kenshin exhaled softly in defeat and shook his head, "No. I don't want to do that to her."

"I didn't think so." Megumi said quietly with a smile. And then the smile dropped into a suggestive smirk. "And besides, will it really be all that hard to take care of this with her sleeping under your roof?"

The smile that quirked Kenshin's lips was almost predatory, "No, it won't."

Megumi chuckled at that and pushed off the wall. "If this was all you wanted to talk about, then I should be going. I still need to find the herb I'm going to need for Kaoru's fingers."

With an understanding nod, Kenshin straightened himself, "Yeah, that was it. Do you think you'll be ready in a week?"

Megumi gave him a crooked smile and headed for the stairs. "Shouldn't be a problem. I have Sano off collecting everything else I need, so I should be done in a day or two." A with that she gave him one last smile and vanished into the moonless night.

Kenshin couldn't help the smirk that lifted the edge of his lips. She was almost as much of a show-off as Hiko was. Snorting silently at the thought, he headed into the house, now that Kaoru would be staying with him he better make sure all the rooms were sun-proofed enough to keep her protected for the next week. It wouldn't do to have to postpone the change due to his negligence. Not to mention her father would probably gut him if he let any more harm come to her.

Shaking his head, he set to work checking the rooms to make sure the curtains were heavy enough to keep her safe. It would be interesting to see if Kaoru would be able to convince them to let her stay here. But then again he'd never met anyone quite like her before. And he knew he never would again, in any lifetime. With a smile, he hit the light for his bedroom and carefully checked it to make sure there was no chance of sunlight touching her in here. She would do it. And once she was here with him, the rest would fall into place.

At the thought, his smile slowly dropped into a secret little smirk and he shut the light off in his room and set about checking the room Kaoru thought she would be occupying. She had no idea what she was walking into. None what so ever...

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