Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Findings of Earth ❯ Piece of Cake ( Chapter 8 )

The Findings of Earth

A/N: You just wouldn't believe how much work I have to do! I'm so sorry I kept you waiting this long but I just couldn't find the time to write sooner. I hope you can forgive me. I know that you waited a long time for this chapter and I know that waiting can be really boring so I really hope you'll forgive me for this delay.

From the last chapter:

He didn't say anything, he didn't have to, his touch was enough for her so she remained in his arms crying for the life she had lost but holding her hope for a new one.

Chapter VIII

Piece of Cake

Their embrace was broken by a loud noise downstairs. Some one had broken down one of the doors and they could hear footsteps coming up. Kenshin got up immediately and held Kaoru behind him. He was going to protect her no matter what.

Kaoru stood back, she noticed how Kenshin stood in front of her in a ready stance, his eyes never leaving the hallway and his new sword in one hand.

He could sense them coming and just by hearing their footsteps he knew there where four of them. They were probably just a vigilance group sent by the first boss to check the house out. Kenshin had spent a lot of time in that gang and he knew the way the worked. He knew they were carrying guns, they always did. He only had that sword to protect himself with, but he wasn't concerned about himself, he only cared about the girl standing right behind him.

"Kaoru get inside one of the rooms now"

Kaoru hesitated for a second but she did as she was told, she knew that she couldn't argue with Kenshin when he acted that way.

Kenshin sensed them coming closer and closer. He waited patiently for the first of them to appear.

The men climbed the stairs carelessly, they were checking the house but they didn't expect to find anyone there. It was a routine job, the used to do that sort of things all the time. That's why they were so surprised when the first one of them fell unconscious on the floor. Neither he or the others saw the blow, it was so fast that they couldn't notice.

"What the he-" Said another when he was hit in the face by the hilt of a sheathed sword.

The remaining two took a step back as they saw their former comrade in front of them holding a sword and looking at them with eyes they never thought could exist.

They had known Kenshin since he joined the gang. Kenshin was their pet, they always found excuses to hit him and whenever he was punished, witch was often, all of them had the chance to torture him themselves. All of them knew that the skinny kid they first met had grown and was strong and dangerous. All of them knew that Kenshin was very skillful. That was the only thing that kept the first boss from killing him, Kenshin was a problem, he never liked the way the gang operated and he always disagree with their methods but the boss kept him alive just because he was strong. Never the less Kenshin never did anything to them, he never acted out of anger towards them and he had a lot of reasons. That was why they couldn't believe the story of the night of his escape. Kenshin was powerful but he always controlled his temper, but after what they heard, they though that maybe the skinny boy they had tortured all those years would finally respond.

The men instantly reached for their guns. Kenshin just stood looking at the two men pointing guns at him and a smirk crossed his face.

"Do you really think you can stop me with that?"

The men held their guns high and looked at him.

"Yes we can" said one of them as he put his finger in the trigger "that is unless you learned to dodge bullets."

A shot was heard. He man closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them Kenshin wasn't there. He took a breath of relieve as he look down to the floor hoping to find the boy's body. His heart stopped when he didn't saw it.

"It looks like I did learn" Said a voice beside him. The man couldn't react, a blow to his face made him fall to the ground.

A crack was heard and Kenshin looked at the sword he was holding in his hand. The rare and precious katana wasn't unsheathed, but Kenshin had used the hilt of the sword to knock all of the men out and now it was broken.

Kenshin couldn't think about it to much because he felt the cold metal of a gun pressed behind his neck.

"Stay still so I don't have to kill you" Said the man behind him.

Kenshin smiled when he noticed the almost undetectable shaking in the man's hand. It took him only a few seconds to turn around and get the gun of the man's hand. The man fell back frightened by Kenshin. Kenshin just threw the gun aside and approached the man. He stood in front of him as the man looked up at him with frightened eyes.

"What are your orders?" Asked Kenshin to the last conscious man.

The man stayed quiet just looking up at Kenshin.

"Don't make me ask you again" Kenshin never raised his voice or unsheathed his sword, but the tone of his voice and the way his violet eyes shined with sparks of amber were enough to make the man speak.

"Th.. the first bo… boss.. he ordered us to come here and… and… wait for you. He said… he wanted… you… you and the girl back today"

"He still wants me alive?" Asked Kenshin more to himself that to the man.

"Yes… he said he wanted you alive and back today"

Kenshin ignored the men and relaxed.

"Kaoru you can come out now" He said in his normal voice, but before he was himself again he gave one last look to the man.

"Don't try anything stupid" He said as Kaoru came out of a room.

She stood there looking at the mess and the injured men but she didn't say a thing. Kenshin held her hand and started walking.

"Let's go" He said.

The men just stayed there watching them leave. He could have taken his gun back and chased them but he didn't dared, now he knew the real Kenshin and he wanted to stay as far away from him as possible.

* * *

Kenshin and Kaoru left the house through the back door and walked to the bus stop. The sat at the bench waiting for the bus and Kenshin took his coat and covered the sword with it.

"I'm sorry Kaoru but the sword broke in the fight"

"Is it bad?" Kaoru asked "I mean, I really don't care about it but can you still use it"

"Well yes, it's just the hilt, but it can be fixed"

Kaoru thought for a moment and then spoke again.

"I know where it can be fixed. My dad used to take me to this antique store when I was little, the old man that tended it was a sword collector. He had a lot of swords, I remember he was always trying to get my dad to sold him this one but he wouldn't do it. Anyway, this guy can fix old swords and I'm sure he'll be able to fix this one."

"Wouldn't that be expensive Kaoru?"

"That's no problem, we have money"

"Kaoru I don't think is fair for me to use the money your dad left you. I broke the sword so I should pay for the repairs."

"Kenshin don't be stupid! You have no money and I happen to think that saving my life and protecting me is payment enough."

Kenshin was about to speak again but Kaoru put two fingers in his mouth preventing him from talking.

"That's our bus" She said as she climbed in to the bus and pay for both of them. Kenshin followed her silently with the sword in his hand.

Kaoru immediately chose a seat at the back of the bus. She sat and looked out the window for a few moments watching the streets and buildings pass by. Kenshin silently looked at her. He didn't know why but he felt that he knew her forever.

"So" Said Kaoru tuning around unexpectedly "Tell m more about you. I want to know more"

"What do you want to know?" Asked Kenshin a little surprised for the question.

"I don't know, anything, everything… What do you like to do?"

"Like to do?"

"Yes, for example, I like cake so I love going out and eating, but I hate cooking and I'm really bad at it, what about you?"

Kenshin just looked at her for a moment. Somehow every word she said made perfect sense; he felt like he knew exactly what she was going to say. He came back to reality when he noticed those expectant blue eyes looking at him.

"Oh… well… I've never had cake so I really don't know if I would like it. But in the other hand I'm not that bad at cooking. I used to cook almost every day for the gang"

"You never had cake in your entire live?" Asked Kaoru not believing what she heard.

"No"

"No cheese cake, no caramel cake, no chocolate cake!"

"I'm sorry… no"

"You know what? "Said Kaoru with a big smile on her face "After we get that sword fixed I'm taking you to eat the first cake of your life and you are going to love it! I just can't let someone live without cake that is cruel!"

Kenshin smiled as he heard Kaoru talking about the wonders of cake for the rest of the bus ride and he began wondering if the cake was really that good.

The finally arrived at their stop and got out of the bus.

"Come on Kenshin, it's not far"

The walked for a little while through some streets of the city and Kenshin just looked at it amazed. He rarely left the safe house and when he did it was at night, so looking at the city at day was a new experience for him.

Finally they arrived at a small shop filled with a very antique you can possible think of. Kaoru entered slowly with Kenshin fallowing right behind.

"Hello? Yamada-san, are you here?"

A few moments latter an old man with a long white bear and thick glasses came into the room.

"Can I help you?" He asked without taking his eyes off them.

"Yamada-san" Said Kaoru approaching the old man "Don't you remember me? I'm Kaoru, my dad used to bring me here when I was little"

The man looked at Kaoru for a moment with confused eyes and then when he saw her eyes he recognized the little girl that use to jump around his store a few years before.

"Kaoru-chan! You've grown a lot" Said the old man with a smile on his face "Just look at you! You are beautiful! So how have things been? How is your father?"

Kaoru took a deep breath and her eyes expressed the sadness she felt. Kenshin put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "My dad died a few days ago"

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that" Said the man as he lowered his eyes "He was a good man"

"Yes he was" Said Kaoru as she gave the old man a soft smile.

After an awkward silence the ma finally asked them what he could do for them.

"Well" said Kaoru as she took the sword from Kenshin "Do you remember my father sword? The hilt broke and I was hoping you could fix it"

The old man took the sword and examined it for a moment.

"Well of course I can fix it. It is not a difficult job, the problem is that I can't just put any hilt. You see, this is a valuable ancient katana so to replace the original hilt I'll have to use one from another sword of the same time and getting that could be expensive"

Before Kaoru or Kenshin could answer the man exited the room and came back shortly with another sheathed sword in his hand.

"This sword is ancient but it isn't very valuable… it's in good condition, but I think I could take the hilt of this one and put it in yours"

Kaoru was listening to the old man words but Kenshin couldn't do anything but look at the sword the old man had in his hand. There was something about that sword… something that made Kenshin felt like he had met a friend he hadn't seen in a long time. He could feel the sword in his hand, he knew exactly how much it weighted, how fast it was, the sound it made when in clashed with another sword. He could feel it by his side, he could see himself wielding that sword.

"Why isn't that sword valuable?" Asked Kaoru

"It's not a normal sword" Said the old man "it's a --"

"It's a sakabatou" Interrupted Kenshin.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I just want to thank everyone that reviewed and specially lere and Mimiko_ for pushing me to write this chapter soon. Hope you liked the chapter and please write and tell me what you think and thanx for being so patient with me.