Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Now and Forever ❯ A broken heart ( Chapter 4 )

~ Now and Forever ~

Chapter 4: A Broken Heart

Disclaimer: <Standard disclaimers apply….> -as usual, besides, I don't own any of them. (",x); ( I am starting to sound like a broken record here… aren't I?)

For a wounded heart that will never heal…

Warm violet eyes filled with love and protectiveness…

Fiery strands of hair…

The distinctive cross scar…

Faint ginger scent…

A husky murmur… "I promise I will come back… Kaoru-koishii…"

Kaoru awoke to the concerned faces of Yahiko, Megumi, and Sano.

After dragging Kaoru's limp form from the courtyard to her room, Yahiko immediately rushed to Megumi's clinic and briefed her on what happened then rushed to get Sano, leaving Megumi to rush to the dojo. Arriving at the dojo, Megumi checked on Kaoru to see if anything was amiss. When she was sure that she has just fainted, she breathed a sigh of relief. Now to wait for that Tori Atama and kid. Truth be told, she panicked when Yahiko came in a rush telling her to go to the dojo to check on Kaoru. Looking at the girl in lying in front of her she sighed.

*Kaoru-chan's usually a very strong girl. She wouldn't break this easily….unless…* she turned her head at the sound of hurried footsteps outside Kaoru's room, to be met by a gasping Yahiko and a very worried Sanosuke.

"Oi! Fox! Is jou-chan OK? 'Cause Kenshin's gonna kill us if anything ever happens to her." Sano told Megumi.

Megumi glared at Sano, "Quit calling me fox you damn tori atama! And yes, I know Ken-san's going to kill us if anything whatsoever happens to her and another yes, Kaoru-chan's OK. She just fainted…"

"That's what I'm afraid of." Yahiko whispered.

Two heads turned to him… "Kenshin is the cause of all this." He whispered

Sano shook Yahiko by the collar, "Say that again?!"

"Kenshin's the cause of all this."

"Why would you say that?" Megumi asked him, worry starting to cloud her eyes.

"This." Yahiko then handed them the letter they received earlier that day. After reading the letter Sano swore and crumpled the letter, Megumi looked shell-shocked with what she read.

"Fuck! This isn't true! Kenshin's made it through tougher battles than this and still he made it back. Kenshin's a survivor. He's not going to give up just like that… especially when he has jou-chan waiting here for him." He yelled

"I agree with Sano. It's just impossible." Megumi added as Yahiko nodded.

"I just hope that Kaoru will listen to us and keep on believing that Kenshin's truly out there." He added just as they heard a slight moan coming from the sleeping girl.

"Guys, she's waking up!" he told them quickly moving to her side.

Kaoru opened her eyes weakly. Her friends concerned faces met her. Sitting up on her futon she grasped the covers until her knuckles turned white. Turning stricken blue eyes already filling with tears, up to her friends, she tried to speak but no sound came out.

Megumi inched closer to the stricken girl, "Kaoru-chan, don't worry. Someone must've been playing a cruel joke on us. You know Kenshin won't let anything happen to him to make you worry."

"Yeah. You know jou-chan, Kenshin's one tough guy. And if I remember it correctly, you were his reason for fighting back and surviving his fight with Shishio. He was determined to come back to you, nothing would have stopped him, not even death itself."

Kaoru looked at Sano and whispered in a very tiny voice, so unlike her usual self that it scared the shit out of Yahiko. If anything, his sensei was strong and will withstand anything in her path if need be. He never saw her like this before. The only time he saw Kaoru like this was the time when Kenshin left them to fight Shishio. Kami, he didn't know what he'll do if anything ever happens to Kaoru, he already sees her as the nee-san he never had. If anything ever happens… it's going to kill him.

A week later, Megumi continued to worry with the Kamiya kasshin shihondai, she had flatly refused to eat or move from her futon. Occasionally, she would go out of her room to stare at the stars and when they tried to talk to her, they got no response whatsoever from the usually fiery girl. She sighed, if Kaoru doesn't pull out of this herself, she's going to kill herself. No matter how she tried to help out, if the patient doesn't want to be treated, there was nothing she could do. It hurts, it pained her so much that she couldn't help the one person she really cared for as little sister. As much as she was knowledgeable in the field of healing, what can she, a mere doctor, help in healing a broken heart?

As Sanosuke entered the gates of the dojo, he was met with the painful silence which befell the dojo since that damned letter arrived. Yahiko and jou-chan's laughter's and shouts echoing in the entire compound and Kenshin's laughter at their bickering haunted his memory. How he wished to hear those sounds again. If he weren't so worried to leave Megumi alone here with a very weak Kaoru, he would have went to Kyoto and looked for Kenshin himself. Demo… even if Yahiko, though the brat that he was, did everything he could to protect jou-chan, the little so-called tokyo samurai wouln't be able to do a thing if someone really had the intention to kill jou-chan… after all, she is Kenshin's weakness… as is he to hers.

"Ei, you just gonna stand there all day?"

Sano turned to look at Yahiko. Even as much as he was trying to hide it, it was plain obvious on his face and eyes that was worried with Kenshin and Kaoru. "So, how's jou-chan doing?"

Yahiko shook his head, "No changes. She's refused to move, eat or even talk…"

Yahiko shook a little, he didn't want anybody to see how weak and vulnerable he really was without Kenshin and Kaoru… especially not Sano. But as if Sano read his thoughts, he heard him whisper, "It's okay to cry, Yahiko. Let it out. All of us are worried with jou-chan…"

And with that, Yahiko cried into Sano's chest. "I… don't know what to do. If it weren't for Kenshin's understanding and Kaoru's kindness, I wouldn't be here right now. And from what Kenshin told me… it was Kaoru who built this family we have now. It… it was… Kaoru who brought Kenshin in first, then me…then you came… then Megumi… then the others followed. Kaoru's the pillar of our family… I.. don't… Sano! I don't want to lose them both! I don't want to be alone!"

Sano sighed. True. Kaoru was the pillar of their crazy but little family. They can't afford to lose the very person who brought them all together. "Yahiko, don't worry we won't lose her. And Kenshin will be back, I'm just sure of it."

Yahiko looked up to Sano, "Hai… demo, how will we….?"

"I don't know Yahiko… I really don't know. Demo, well find a way, for Kaoru-chan's sake."

Yahiko nodded determinedly. He won't give up. Whatever it takes, he's not going to give up. For the person who took him in, his sensei, for the person who took care of him as a mother would, and someone who stood by his side as a big sister. I won't give up on you Kaoru… I won't give up on my family... this I promise you, on my life.

To be continued…

Chapter 5: Returning Home

AN:

Yes, I admit it's short, demo…:sighs: Don't worry I'll try to make it up on the following chapters… please. Reviews, comments and suggestions. Onegai, no flames. I'm just beginner at this. Thanks.