Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ To Love Again ❯ Chapter 11 ( Chapter 11 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Silent Tears of Agony 
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.04.2005 | Updated On: 01.06.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 617 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance / Angst | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.04.2005 | Updated On: 01.06.2006 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.7K | Visits: 617 | Status: Completed
Title: To Love Again, Chap: 10
It's that time again, time for me to take a break and work on a new story. (And yes, the breaks are necessary or I would've abandoned this a long time ago.) Anyway I'll be posting a new story after the next chap and I thought it wuld be fun to let YOU guys choose what you wanted, so here are the choices:
Title: Swept Away
Pairing: Soujiro/Misao (It's my chance to redeem myself:)
Description: Misao is trying desperately to draw her brother Aoshi out of his shell and back into the world of the living. But who can fill the ache in her own heart?
Rating: PG-13
Title: Smile for Me
Pairing: Aoshi/Megumi
Description: On her way to Aizu, Meg comes across a man who recognizes her for what she once ones. Aoshi steps in to save her, claiming he is her fiance. What happens when Megumi finds out he isn't such a bad guy and really falls for him? How will Misao take this?
Rating:Pg/Pg-13
Title: Salvation
Pairing: Enishi/Kaoru
Description: Kenshin dies in a drive-by shooting. His wife, Kaoru, becomes an alcoholic and tries to commit suicide. At the hospital, she finds out she is pregnant and meets a troubled young paramedic named Enishi. Later she finds out he is homeless, so she invites him to live w/ her temporarily. What happens when they develop feelings for each other?
Rating: PG-13
Title: Did I Tell You that I Love You?
Pairing: Ranma/Akane
Description: Now in college, Ranma and Akane finally admit their feelings to each other. One day, while Ranma is waiting to make their engagement official, Shampoo attacks him w/ her 411 formula. Now that Ranma thinks he really IS married to Shampoo, is there any chance Akane will get him back?
Rating: PG/PG-13
So let me know which one you want. And if you see one you are interested in writing, ask me and I might be willing to let it go. ttfn
-
Kaoru stumbled out of bed to answer the phone, only to decide it wasn't worth it when she crashed to the floor. To avoid further interruptions, she turned the ringer off, then crawled back into bed. Everything ached, just opening her eyes made the room spin, and speaking of eyes, the had developed a stabbing pain.
Kaoru could only guess her miserable condition was cuased by staying out in the rain too long. She hoped Kenji had faired better. She thought briefly about calling to check, but passed out to quickly.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshin smoothed back his son's sweaty hair and kissed his forehead. Kenji's temperature was a little over 100 and if increased any, Kenshin was going to take him to the hospital. He shifted his position a little.
He felt bad that his son was sick and of course wanted to make him as comfortable as possible, but Kenshin would have preferred it if Kenji would sleep with out being held. Even if it was only long enough to give his back a rest!
Kenshin sighed, 'oh well.' foregoing comfort was just another mark of being a good parent. Besides, Kenshin thought as he reached for the remote, now that Kenji was sleeping, he could watch whatever he wanted! Kenshin had just stopped on a comedy when the doorbell rang.
'Oh, fun.' He looked down at Kenji who seemed to be sleeping pretty soundly. Maybe Kenshin could get away with laying him down on the couch. He cradled Kenji's head with one hand and held his body with the other. But as soon as he leaned over, Kenji predictibly started to whine in protest.
"Kenji it won't hurt you to-" A second rign from the doorbell cut Kenshin off. "Fine," he sighed.
Kenshin was surprised to see Kaoru standing on the other side of the door when he opened it. "I'm sorry," she slurred. "I went to Kenji's school and they said he was sick. And when I got here I realized I forgot my key, so I was hoping Mrs. Miller was here to let me in."
"Mrs. Miller doesn't work here on Fridays." Kenshin looked her up and down. Kaoru looked and sounded like she was drunk, but he didn't figure her as the type to do that. Especially if she had to work.
"You didn't get my message?" Kaoru started to shake her head, but stopped when the world started to spin even more than it already had.
"Uh?" Kenshin sighed, he was doing that a lot lately.
"I left a message saying that I was staying home today so you didn't need to come over."
"Oh." Kaoru frowned. "I didn't check my messages before I left. I guess I'll just go back home then." She let go of the door jamb she had been cluthing onto and swayed forward. Kenshin caught her and understanding dawned on him when he felt how hot she was.
"You're so sick you can barely stand up straight and you drove all the way over here? You're hotter than Kenji is!"
"I took the bus." Kenshin grunted.
"Well at least you have some sense." He sighed. "I guess you can stay here until Sano gets off work, then I'll ask him to take you home."
"Thank you," Kaoru mumbled. Kenshin shifted Kenji over to his left arm and bent down to lift Kaoru over his shoulder.
He regretted taking that action as soon as she threw up all over his back. "I'm sorry," Kaoru apologized in a small, embarrassed voice. Kenshin took a calming breath, willing his anger to leave.
"It's okay. It was just an accident." To prevent any further accidents from occuring, he gently set her back on her feet, instructed her to hold Kenji then carefully picked her up bridal style.
Kenshi grunted under the weight. 'How can someone so small be so heavy?' Kenshin set both of them down on the couch and left. He returned shortly with a bucket and a glass of water.
"Here," he handed Kaoru the glass. "You can rinse your mouth out with this. If you get sick again, use the bucket. I'm going to go clean up." He covered Kaoru and Kenji up with a blanket, then left the room. He was mildly surprised that Kenji hadn't uttered a single complaint concerning his new situation. Especially considerng his disdain for Kaoru.
Kenshin set to cleaning up the mess on the floor, making no effort to hide the disgust he felt for his unpleasant task. He wasn't sure what had made him offer to let Kaoru stay. He only knew felt bad for her, coming all this way in her condition for nothing.
Once finished, he checked in on Kaoru and his son before heading upstairs to take a shower.
.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kaoru woke up to hte feeling of something hard being shoved in her mouth and automatically turned her head away.
"Miss Kamiya, I need to take your temperature." Kaoru backed away even further from the voice, not recognizing what it was saying or whom it belonged to; only that it was male.
"No Soujiro," she whimpered.
"I don't know who Soujiro is, but he isn't here." Kenshin put a hand on her shoulder. "It's me, Kenshin. You're boss." He added the last part wondering, again, so worried about her when she was being so difficult. Kaoru stayed firmly squished into the corner of the couch.
"Kaoru," it felt odd saying her first name, but he was hoping it would pull her out of whatever her problem was. "Please, I need to take your temperature." His tactic seemed to work because when he grabbed her chin, she didn't resist as much as before. Kensin took the thermometer out of her mouth and frowned when he saw the display read 104.
"I take it back, you are an idiot. What posessed you to come work with this high of a fever?" Kaoru mumbled something Kenshin couldn't hear. "What was that?" He asked leaning forward.
"I said I was worried about Kenji. If this was an ordinary job, I would have called in sick. But somebody had to take care of Kenji." Kenshin sat back in silence, he was touched that she cared so much but still . . .
"And what, exactly, did you think you could do when you can barely stand up?" He had meant for his question to be taken rhetorically, but Kaoru opened pained eyes and answered him.
"I'm sorry for caring." Her tone was soft, but Kenshin could hear the hurt and anger in her voice. Kenshin looked away and flushed with guilt. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad, he was only worried about her and Kenji and stress often made him snappish.
"I shouldn't have . . ." He sighed and clenched his fist. For reasons unknown to him, apologizing often made him nervous. "I'm sorry. You were just trying to be helpful." He looked up in surprise when he heard a light chuckle. Kaoru cocked her head to the side.
"That didn't hurt too much now did it?" Kenshin raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Mocking your boss now are you?"
"Mm. I guess I like to live dangerously." She looked down at Kenji as if noticing him for the first time. She frowned and touched his forehead. "He's sick. I'm sorry, it's my fault." Kenshin inclined his head in curiosity.
"What makes you say that?"
"Kenji went outside, against my wishes, the other night. When I found him, we wound up having a mud fight. I knew we shouldn't have, I was worried he would get sick. But I was so glad he was actually having fun with me that I allowed it." She ran a hand through Kenji's sweaty hair and glanced over at Kenshin. His eyes were closed, his expression unreadable. Kaoru bit her lip and apologized again.
"We all make mistakes." He looked off to the side. "Goodness knows I've made enough of them," he whispered in a barely audible voice.
Kaoru nodded her head in relief. "Thank you. When Kenji is better, I'll apologize to him as well." Kenshin furrowed his brows.
"If he disobeyed you, I'm not sure he should get one." Kaoru blushed slightly.
"As long as I'm confessing, I should let you know I punished Kenji the other day." Kenshin raised his eyebrow causing Kaoru to swallow. But she couldn't really stop now.
"I made Kenji stay in his room for something he had done earlier."
"I see." Kenshin smiled ever so slightly and held his chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Well, I suppose you should have the right to discipline Kenji if he gets out of hand." He narrowed his eyes to look at her sternly. "But I don't want you physically punishing him." Not with out knowing how far she would go. Kaoru carefully shook her head.
"I won't." Kenshin nodded his head and tucked the blanket more securely around Kenji. "He seems to be comfortable with you. Do you mind if I leave him with you while I go upstairs to catch up on some work?" Kenshin looked up to see that Kaoru was already dead to the world.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshi nrubbed his eyes and stretched. Looking at his watch he found that it was time to check on Kenji and Kaoru again.
Kenshin was upset that Kenji's fever hadn't gone down, but at least it hadn't gone up. Unlike Kaoru's. Kenshin frowned down at the thermometer.
'105 is way to high. That could kill her.' Kenshin rocked slightly back and forth in agitation. 'I already gave her the maximum dose of Tylenol. Any more could hurt her. And I can't neglect Kenji completely just to take care of her.' He sighed heavily, it looked as if some help was in order.
He picked up the phone and punched in his sister's number. "Megumi I need your help."
"Well hello to you too," was Megumi's reply to Kenshin's abrupt greeting. Kenshin clenched his teeth in agitation. Now wasn't the time to be jovial!
"Megumi, I'm serious. You know Kenjis sick, well Kaoru came over to watch him and it turns out she's even worse than he is. And neither of them are getting any better."
"Have you given them any Tylenol?" Megumi's voice had dropped its teasing note and was now serious.
"Yes, yes. I gave them the maximum dosage of Tylenol. I wiped them down with cool, wet rags. And I have given them plenty of fluids. I've done it all. Now I need your help."
Megumi sighed. "All right, but it will take some. I need to find someone to watch the kids." Kensin smiled in relief.
"Thanks Meg, you're the best." A teasing note came back into Megumi's voice.
"That's right, and don't you forget it." Kenshin rolled his eyes and hung up.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshin smiled when he opened the door to see his sister on the other side. "That was fast."
"Sano agreed to come home early."
"Ah. I'm sure you really had to twist his arm to get him to do that." Megumi smiled and followed Kenshin to where Kenji and Kaoru were resting.
"Oh, they don't look good." Megumi knelt in front of them and felt their foreheads, causing Kaoru to open bleary eyes.
"Mama?" She asked in her native tongue. Megumi frowned and shook her head.
"Not good at all." Megumi stood up. "I'll go fill the tub with some cool water. You carry them upstairs. If that doesn't work, I'll help you take them to the hospital." Kenshin nodded and bent to pick up his son and Kaoru. Kaoru moaned and tightened her grip on Kenshin.
"Dad." Kenshin sighed, it worried him that she was so delusional, but at least she wasn't cowering from him anymore. Kenshin hurried upstairs and tried to set them in the tub. "No!" Kaoru clung tightly onto Kenshin's clothes. "Don't leave me dad." Kenshin worked to untangle her finger from his shirt.
"Kaoru, I'm sorry but I'm not you're dad."
"Please don't leave me again," Kaoru started to cry. Megumi reached a hand outto stroke Kaoru's face.
"Shh. Kaoru honey, if you don't calm down you're going to hurt yourself or Kenji."
"Mama." Kaoru whimpered.
Megumi sighed. "Yes, if it will calm you down then I'm your mom." Hearing this seemed to calm Kaoru down, and she allowed Kenshin to set her in the tub. Megumi patted a cool cloth over Kaoru while Kenshin bathed his son. "It feels like she's actually cooling down. But so is the water. Why don't you take Kenji and get a change of clothes for Kaoru." Kenshin changed his son as quickly as possible, then grabbed his own pajamas for Kaoru.
"Here," he handed the clothes to Megumi then turned to leave.
"You might as well stay. You're just going to have to come right back in to carry her out." Megumi winked, "just promise not to peek." Kenshin flushed scarlet.
"ME! GU! MI!" Kenshin crossed his arms and scowled. "You know I wouldn't peek."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Kenshin smirked.
"No you're not." Megumi giggled.
"Yeah, you're right. All finished," she sang. Kenshin turned around. His clothes were a little too big on her, but he thought she looked adorable. Kenshin shook his head, he shouldn't think such thoughts about his employee. He should just put her to bed so she could rest and get better. He picked her up and seet her down next to Kenji, tucking the blankets securely around them both. Kenji immediately moved closer to Kaoru so could snuggle up to her, and Kaoru did the same. Kenshi nsmiled and took their temperature again. He was delighted to find that both of the fevers had gone down a little. Not much but enough to ease some of his worry.
After about an hour Megumi excused himself. "I'm sorry Ken, but I have to leave now. Taki needs to be fed." Not to mention she was dead tired.
"That's fine," Kenshin replied somewhat distractedly. He was trying to tend to Kenji who had just woken up fussing about his stuffy nose.
"I'll call you tomorrow." Kenshin nodded his head.
"Thanks for your help." He looked down at Kenji. "Hey, buddy. It's gonna be okay." He kissed his hair and rubbed his back soothingly. "I know I"m not very good at it, but would you like me to sing for you?" Kenji his head against his father's chest, sniffing miserably.
Kaoru opened her eyes dazedly, recognizing Kenshin's form and how he was attending to his son. She wondered, fleetingly, what her life would have been like if she had married him instead of Soujiro. Or even if she had met Kenshin first. She seemed to think there was something wrong with that thought, but fell asleep before she could fully anilyze it.
-
Eep! This chapter is short. And hasn't been spell-checked. But I was gettig bored with it. And I'm lazy. So...yeah.
In the next chapter (should it cooperate) we'll see some KK fluff! And AM are back! And we get to see Kamatari! Oh joy! :)
Recommended Fanfic
"As I Watch You from a Distance" by Nadachi-chan. Yeah, it's you're standard Kenshin and Kaoru are arranged to be married, but they didn't know it and Ken's already got a girlfriend fic. But, I still like it. And we get to see a mean Kenshin! (That didn't use to appeal to me, but it does now for some reason.)
MY REVIEWERS
mediaminer
nana-chan - Ah, well thank you. Here's a new chap for your reading pleasure. Thanks for reviewing! :)
elisa ang - You reviewed before, didn't you? Yeah, I'm sorry about that chapter, but there seems to be nothing I can do about it. -.- Yes, I think it's going to be starting FAIRLY soon, but I don't want to rush it. Thanks for reviewing! :)
fanfiction
I LUV Anime 0.0 - Thank you SO much for not telilng me it's been too long since I've updated. I'm tired of people telling me I'm overdue when it's only been a couple of weeks. Sorry, I'm ranting. So what stories have you been reading then? I'm glad you like this one. Thanks for reviewing! :)
Crystel - Did you review under another name before? Because I checked I can't seem to find any Crystel in me reviews. Your review really made me feel good. I'm glad you can review again, and just knowing you are reading this story encourages me. Thanks for your review! :)
Sakura Arielle - I'm curious what the other .5 point would be for. A timely update? :) Thanks for your review! :)
Anime Girl - I wouldn't want you to die, so I hope you are happy with this update. Thanks for your review! :)
Pinay Tiger - Even worse? O.o I shudder at the thought. :) Thank you. And thanks for your review! :)
Ahiru - Your e-mail address made me smile. :) I'm glad it scared you. It means my writing is getting better. (yay!) Thanks for your review! :)
Easy-Company-506/101 - It hadn't been all that long since I last updated, only a few weeks. But just so you know, I'm trying to update every two months. Okay? Thanks for your review! :)
laku - Yep, it was very nice. And relieving too, I'm sure. Thanks for your review! :)
GranolaBar - He is cute isn't he? You just can't help but want to hug him and pinch his cheeks. (Then again, he might try to kick you if you did that.) Well, wait no more because here it is! Thanks for your review! :)
am1289 - Well, this is about as fast as I'm going to update, but at least you get to read more. Thanks for your review! :)
sarah - Really? That's so sweet of you. Yaeh, it is kind of cute, in a . . . heart-wrenching sort of way. (I'm a cruel person aren't I?) Thanks for your review! :)
Ria san - I didn't really thnk that was such bad place to leave off. Yep, but you don't have to wait any longer. Thanks for your review! :)
Triste1 - I try to update every two months. Oh well, could you give me an example of my errors please? So I know what to look out for. (Did you know, the health board only allows 3 cats per household? Which means my family has been in violation, twice. Good thing they didn't know about it. :) I'm sorry you felt it was rushed. I like him too! Have you ever seen the episode where he finally catches the road-runner? (Poor Wiley.)
You know, I was thinking about Soujiro as I portray him in this story, and he really isn't all that OOC. In the show, he had mental problems, family issues, (oops, that hasn't been addressed yet here. Well, now you know.) and he was a merciless killer. Really, if one thinks about it, abusing isn't all that far away, eh? Oh, I don't mind. I think its cool that you took the time to leave a long one. Thanks for the review! :)
Nixy-chan - You wanna now what's scary? I had already thought of an accident scene very similar to your dream before you told me about it. I realized later that it wouldn't work for this story, but that's still very creepy! I like the Soujiro idea, so I'll try to use it. Thanks. And Thanks for your review! :) (And yes, Tomoe died in an auto accident.)
Starr Stealer - Thanks for yor review! :)
crossfire - I updated! Thanks for your review! :)
Kinomoto - Thanks for yor review! :)
Strawberry'd - Yeah, I hate that when an author takes so long updating you can't remember what happened last chap. (And now I'm guilty of that! Eep!) Well, Kenshin can't be in every one, can he? Besides, I felt it was more important to develop the Kenji/Kaoru relationship. Well, you're just going to have to wait about Soujiro to find out. But no, Kenji won't be mad. I had considered it, but I think that KK's relationship took long enough developing that he warmed up to the idea. Plus, Kaoru wasn't conciously trying to get Ken's attention. Thanks for your review! :)
Becky - Okay, I'll try to write that (but I cant promise anything). Thanks for your review! :)
rain angst - Thanks for your review! :)
becky - I think you misread it, she told Kenji not to open the door, you know in case some lunatic came up and tried to kidnap him or kill him. (Hey, it happens. Sad but true.) No, no shower scenes. Thanks for your review! :)
DragonBlade666 - Thank you for asking, that was sweet of you. Well, I had just read about an author who's mom died and they blamed themselves, so they weren't going to write anymore, because they felt their obsession killed her. I just thought that was so SAD, and I'm already prone to depression, so there you have it. No, no other RK characters were nannies. It's an interesting thought though, I wish I had thought of it! Thanks for your review! :)
Tree - Well, you'll just have to read to find out! Thanks for your review! :)
Via x Infinito I loved your last chapter to CIHW. I hope Kao doesn't die! And that they get a chance to talk! Yeah, you're right, they don't but I wanted to get on to this chap. (There will be other chapters for me to rectify this. :) Wow, so many people are tellign me their scared. I didn't know I could do that. (I don't feel anything when I'm writing because I'm too busy trying to feel what the characters would feel, so I appreciate everybody letting me know what the ovreall feeling of the story is.) Yes, they have. Poor Kenji. Yes, but it can't be all smooth sailing. (As you said, kids don't always listen.) Thanks for your review! :)
Hei Ying - I'm afraid your e-mail wasn't recorded, that's why I havent e-mailed you. If you want, you can try again. But leave it in the box designated for your e-mail this time and then it should be recorded. Thank you for asking, that was very nice of you. :) I had just read about another author who's mom died and they blamed themselves. I just thought that was really sad. Thanks for your review! :)
royal blueKitsune - It's nice to know you're very enthusiastic about this story, but I'm afraid weekly updates are not possible. I will try to update every two months however. Yes, the whole point of this story is to get KK together. But neither of them is conciously seeking the other's attention. They're too hurt right now. And Kaoru's more worried about Kenji. Well, Kenji won't be totally obedient. Nobody can go from devil to angel overnight. :) And as another review said, kids don't always listen. Thanks for your review! :)
Sims Are Awesome - Thanks for your review! :)
Miko Kagome Archer - Updating more often would be nice, but it simply isn't possible. (Im sure you can understand.) I will try to update every two months, however. Thanks for your review! :)
Battousai-chan - Yes, but it's only temporary. Portraying him as a brat is too much fun to stop. Thanks for yoru review! :)
upsidedownfrown - He's back! Thanks for your review! :)
vixenia - Thanks for your review! :)
I would like to thank the following people for puttng this story on their favorites list: Ammersonlovey, angelic-innocence00, animefanrk, Art3m1s, ayani63645, aznangel91, bravedragon, Ceylonna, clamsofmacabre, CrypticMaidenRK, dancinggypsie, DarkBlossom900, De Lazy Lime, Element Sister, EmmyAwards, EmpressKona, Emrys-chan, Emyralld, ForgottenDreamsUnshedTears, glory angel 5, HBkGRl4Ever, Hikyuu Tera, Himuro Kirie, Horosha no Kage, I LUV Anime 0.0, inukenny, Jupiter's Light, Kaname-chan, Kenshinlover2005, Kodora Fairy, Lady Sora Love, livworld, Mageblood, Minny May Yukibura, mizuki, MysticaElfGoddess, nes, Night Imp, Nixy-Chan, pandabear13, poeticdespair, Poi Poi, rain angst, RamenLuvinMnster, rdeveranime, RedAndBlackDragon, Reignashii, Rurouni-Inu, Sapphirefoxgirl, sato onigri, Scented Candles, Seishun Gakuen, sha.la.la.la.la., Shojin Takaru, Siriuslover, Starr Stealer, sweetyfanfic, tearose66, Tima-san, Triste1, Vision2, vixenia, & whitesparkles99 It means a lot to me.
See you in October, and don't forget to vote on the stories! :)
It's that time again, time for me to take a break and work on a new story. (And yes, the breaks are necessary or I would've abandoned this a long time ago.) Anyway I'll be posting a new story after the next chap and I thought it wuld be fun to let YOU guys choose what you wanted, so here are the choices:
Title: Swept Away
Pairing: Soujiro/Misao (It's my chance to redeem myself:)
Description: Misao is trying desperately to draw her brother Aoshi out of his shell and back into the world of the living. But who can fill the ache in her own heart?
Rating: PG-13
Title: Smile for Me
Pairing: Aoshi/Megumi
Description: On her way to Aizu, Meg comes across a man who recognizes her for what she once ones. Aoshi steps in to save her, claiming he is her fiance. What happens when Megumi finds out he isn't such a bad guy and really falls for him? How will Misao take this?
Rating:Pg/Pg-13
Title: Salvation
Pairing: Enishi/Kaoru
Description: Kenshin dies in a drive-by shooting. His wife, Kaoru, becomes an alcoholic and tries to commit suicide. At the hospital, she finds out she is pregnant and meets a troubled young paramedic named Enishi. Later she finds out he is homeless, so she invites him to live w/ her temporarily. What happens when they develop feelings for each other?
Rating: PG-13
Title: Did I Tell You that I Love You?
Pairing: Ranma/Akane
Description: Now in college, Ranma and Akane finally admit their feelings to each other. One day, while Ranma is waiting to make their engagement official, Shampoo attacks him w/ her 411 formula. Now that Ranma thinks he really IS married to Shampoo, is there any chance Akane will get him back?
Rating: PG/PG-13
So let me know which one you want. And if you see one you are interested in writing, ask me and I might be willing to let it go. ttfn
-
Kaoru stumbled out of bed to answer the phone, only to decide it wasn't worth it when she crashed to the floor. To avoid further interruptions, she turned the ringer off, then crawled back into bed. Everything ached, just opening her eyes made the room spin, and speaking of eyes, the had developed a stabbing pain.
Kaoru could only guess her miserable condition was cuased by staying out in the rain too long. She hoped Kenji had faired better. She thought briefly about calling to check, but passed out to quickly.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshin smoothed back his son's sweaty hair and kissed his forehead. Kenji's temperature was a little over 100 and if increased any, Kenshin was going to take him to the hospital. He shifted his position a little.
He felt bad that his son was sick and of course wanted to make him as comfortable as possible, but Kenshin would have preferred it if Kenji would sleep with out being held. Even if it was only long enough to give his back a rest!
Kenshin sighed, 'oh well.' foregoing comfort was just another mark of being a good parent. Besides, Kenshin thought as he reached for the remote, now that Kenji was sleeping, he could watch whatever he wanted! Kenshin had just stopped on a comedy when the doorbell rang.
'Oh, fun.' He looked down at Kenji who seemed to be sleeping pretty soundly. Maybe Kenshin could get away with laying him down on the couch. He cradled Kenji's head with one hand and held his body with the other. But as soon as he leaned over, Kenji predictibly started to whine in protest.
"Kenji it won't hurt you to-" A second rign from the doorbell cut Kenshin off. "Fine," he sighed.
Kenshin was surprised to see Kaoru standing on the other side of the door when he opened it. "I'm sorry," she slurred. "I went to Kenji's school and they said he was sick. And when I got here I realized I forgot my key, so I was hoping Mrs. Miller was here to let me in."
"Mrs. Miller doesn't work here on Fridays." Kenshin looked her up and down. Kaoru looked and sounded like she was drunk, but he didn't figure her as the type to do that. Especially if she had to work.
"You didn't get my message?" Kaoru started to shake her head, but stopped when the world started to spin even more than it already had.
"Uh?" Kenshin sighed, he was doing that a lot lately.
"I left a message saying that I was staying home today so you didn't need to come over."
"Oh." Kaoru frowned. "I didn't check my messages before I left. I guess I'll just go back home then." She let go of the door jamb she had been cluthing onto and swayed forward. Kenshin caught her and understanding dawned on him when he felt how hot she was.
"You're so sick you can barely stand up straight and you drove all the way over here? You're hotter than Kenji is!"
"I took the bus." Kenshin grunted.
"Well at least you have some sense." He sighed. "I guess you can stay here until Sano gets off work, then I'll ask him to take you home."
"Thank you," Kaoru mumbled. Kenshin shifted Kenji over to his left arm and bent down to lift Kaoru over his shoulder.
He regretted taking that action as soon as she threw up all over his back. "I'm sorry," Kaoru apologized in a small, embarrassed voice. Kenshin took a calming breath, willing his anger to leave.
"It's okay. It was just an accident." To prevent any further accidents from occuring, he gently set her back on her feet, instructed her to hold Kenji then carefully picked her up bridal style.
Kenshi grunted under the weight. 'How can someone so small be so heavy?' Kenshin set both of them down on the couch and left. He returned shortly with a bucket and a glass of water.
"Here," he handed Kaoru the glass. "You can rinse your mouth out with this. If you get sick again, use the bucket. I'm going to go clean up." He covered Kaoru and Kenji up with a blanket, then left the room. He was mildly surprised that Kenji hadn't uttered a single complaint concerning his new situation. Especially considerng his disdain for Kaoru.
Kenshin set to cleaning up the mess on the floor, making no effort to hide the disgust he felt for his unpleasant task. He wasn't sure what had made him offer to let Kaoru stay. He only knew felt bad for her, coming all this way in her condition for nothing.
Once finished, he checked in on Kaoru and his son before heading upstairs to take a shower.
.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kaoru woke up to hte feeling of something hard being shoved in her mouth and automatically turned her head away.
"Miss Kamiya, I need to take your temperature." Kaoru backed away even further from the voice, not recognizing what it was saying or whom it belonged to; only that it was male.
"No Soujiro," she whimpered.
"I don't know who Soujiro is, but he isn't here." Kenshin put a hand on her shoulder. "It's me, Kenshin. You're boss." He added the last part wondering, again, so worried about her when she was being so difficult. Kaoru stayed firmly squished into the corner of the couch.
"Kaoru," it felt odd saying her first name, but he was hoping it would pull her out of whatever her problem was. "Please, I need to take your temperature." His tactic seemed to work because when he grabbed her chin, she didn't resist as much as before. Kensin took the thermometer out of her mouth and frowned when he saw the display read 104.
"I take it back, you are an idiot. What posessed you to come work with this high of a fever?" Kaoru mumbled something Kenshin couldn't hear. "What was that?" He asked leaning forward.
"I said I was worried about Kenji. If this was an ordinary job, I would have called in sick. But somebody had to take care of Kenji." Kenshin sat back in silence, he was touched that she cared so much but still . . .
"And what, exactly, did you think you could do when you can barely stand up?" He had meant for his question to be taken rhetorically, but Kaoru opened pained eyes and answered him.
"I'm sorry for caring." Her tone was soft, but Kenshin could hear the hurt and anger in her voice. Kenshin looked away and flushed with guilt. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad, he was only worried about her and Kenji and stress often made him snappish.
"I shouldn't have . . ." He sighed and clenched his fist. For reasons unknown to him, apologizing often made him nervous. "I'm sorry. You were just trying to be helpful." He looked up in surprise when he heard a light chuckle. Kaoru cocked her head to the side.
"That didn't hurt too much now did it?" Kenshin raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Mocking your boss now are you?"
"Mm. I guess I like to live dangerously." She looked down at Kenji as if noticing him for the first time. She frowned and touched his forehead. "He's sick. I'm sorry, it's my fault." Kenshin inclined his head in curiosity.
"What makes you say that?"
"Kenji went outside, against my wishes, the other night. When I found him, we wound up having a mud fight. I knew we shouldn't have, I was worried he would get sick. But I was so glad he was actually having fun with me that I allowed it." She ran a hand through Kenji's sweaty hair and glanced over at Kenshin. His eyes were closed, his expression unreadable. Kaoru bit her lip and apologized again.
"We all make mistakes." He looked off to the side. "Goodness knows I've made enough of them," he whispered in a barely audible voice.
Kaoru nodded her head in relief. "Thank you. When Kenji is better, I'll apologize to him as well." Kenshin furrowed his brows.
"If he disobeyed you, I'm not sure he should get one." Kaoru blushed slightly.
"As long as I'm confessing, I should let you know I punished Kenji the other day." Kenshin raised his eyebrow causing Kaoru to swallow. But she couldn't really stop now.
"I made Kenji stay in his room for something he had done earlier."
"I see." Kenshin smiled ever so slightly and held his chin between his thumb and forefinger. "Well, I suppose you should have the right to discipline Kenji if he gets out of hand." He narrowed his eyes to look at her sternly. "But I don't want you physically punishing him." Not with out knowing how far she would go. Kaoru carefully shook her head.
"I won't." Kenshin nodded his head and tucked the blanket more securely around Kenji. "He seems to be comfortable with you. Do you mind if I leave him with you while I go upstairs to catch up on some work?" Kenshin looked up to see that Kaoru was already dead to the world.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshi nrubbed his eyes and stretched. Looking at his watch he found that it was time to check on Kenji and Kaoru again.
Kenshin was upset that Kenji's fever hadn't gone down, but at least it hadn't gone up. Unlike Kaoru's. Kenshin frowned down at the thermometer.
'105 is way to high. That could kill her.' Kenshin rocked slightly back and forth in agitation. 'I already gave her the maximum dose of Tylenol. Any more could hurt her. And I can't neglect Kenji completely just to take care of her.' He sighed heavily, it looked as if some help was in order.
He picked up the phone and punched in his sister's number. "Megumi I need your help."
"Well hello to you too," was Megumi's reply to Kenshin's abrupt greeting. Kenshin clenched his teeth in agitation. Now wasn't the time to be jovial!
"Megumi, I'm serious. You know Kenjis sick, well Kaoru came over to watch him and it turns out she's even worse than he is. And neither of them are getting any better."
"Have you given them any Tylenol?" Megumi's voice had dropped its teasing note and was now serious.
"Yes, yes. I gave them the maximum dosage of Tylenol. I wiped them down with cool, wet rags. And I have given them plenty of fluids. I've done it all. Now I need your help."
Megumi sighed. "All right, but it will take some. I need to find someone to watch the kids." Kensin smiled in relief.
"Thanks Meg, you're the best." A teasing note came back into Megumi's voice.
"That's right, and don't you forget it." Kenshin rolled his eyes and hung up.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Kenshin smiled when he opened the door to see his sister on the other side. "That was fast."
"Sano agreed to come home early."
"Ah. I'm sure you really had to twist his arm to get him to do that." Megumi smiled and followed Kenshin to where Kenji and Kaoru were resting.
"Oh, they don't look good." Megumi knelt in front of them and felt their foreheads, causing Kaoru to open bleary eyes.
"Mama?" She asked in her native tongue. Megumi frowned and shook her head.
"Not good at all." Megumi stood up. "I'll go fill the tub with some cool water. You carry them upstairs. If that doesn't work, I'll help you take them to the hospital." Kenshin nodded and bent to pick up his son and Kaoru. Kaoru moaned and tightened her grip on Kenshin.
"Dad." Kenshin sighed, it worried him that she was so delusional, but at least she wasn't cowering from him anymore. Kenshin hurried upstairs and tried to set them in the tub. "No!" Kaoru clung tightly onto Kenshin's clothes. "Don't leave me dad." Kenshin worked to untangle her finger from his shirt.
"Kaoru, I'm sorry but I'm not you're dad."
"Please don't leave me again," Kaoru started to cry. Megumi reached a hand outto stroke Kaoru's face.
"Shh. Kaoru honey, if you don't calm down you're going to hurt yourself or Kenji."
"Mama." Kaoru whimpered.
Megumi sighed. "Yes, if it will calm you down then I'm your mom." Hearing this seemed to calm Kaoru down, and she allowed Kenshin to set her in the tub. Megumi patted a cool cloth over Kaoru while Kenshin bathed his son. "It feels like she's actually cooling down. But so is the water. Why don't you take Kenji and get a change of clothes for Kaoru." Kenshin changed his son as quickly as possible, then grabbed his own pajamas for Kaoru.
"Here," he handed the clothes to Megumi then turned to leave.
"You might as well stay. You're just going to have to come right back in to carry her out." Megumi winked, "just promise not to peek." Kenshin flushed scarlet.
"ME! GU! MI!" Kenshin crossed his arms and scowled. "You know I wouldn't peek."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Kenshin smirked.
"No you're not." Megumi giggled.
"Yeah, you're right. All finished," she sang. Kenshin turned around. His clothes were a little too big on her, but he thought she looked adorable. Kenshin shook his head, he shouldn't think such thoughts about his employee. He should just put her to bed so she could rest and get better. He picked her up and seet her down next to Kenji, tucking the blankets securely around them both. Kenji immediately moved closer to Kaoru so could snuggle up to her, and Kaoru did the same. Kenshi nsmiled and took their temperature again. He was delighted to find that both of the fevers had gone down a little. Not much but enough to ease some of his worry.
After about an hour Megumi excused himself. "I'm sorry Ken, but I have to leave now. Taki needs to be fed." Not to mention she was dead tired.
"That's fine," Kenshin replied somewhat distractedly. He was trying to tend to Kenji who had just woken up fussing about his stuffy nose.
"I'll call you tomorrow." Kenshin nodded his head.
"Thanks for your help." He looked down at Kenji. "Hey, buddy. It's gonna be okay." He kissed his hair and rubbed his back soothingly. "I know I"m not very good at it, but would you like me to sing for you?" Kenji his head against his father's chest, sniffing miserably.
Kaoru opened her eyes dazedly, recognizing Kenshin's form and how he was attending to his son. She wondered, fleetingly, what her life would have been like if she had married him instead of Soujiro. Or even if she had met Kenshin first. She seemed to think there was something wrong with that thought, but fell asleep before she could fully anilyze it.
-
Eep! This chapter is short. And hasn't been spell-checked. But I was gettig bored with it. And I'm lazy. So...yeah.
In the next chapter (should it cooperate) we'll see some KK fluff! And AM are back! And we get to see Kamatari! Oh joy! :)
Recommended Fanfic
"As I Watch You from a Distance" by Nadachi-chan. Yeah, it's you're standard Kenshin and Kaoru are arranged to be married, but they didn't know it and Ken's already got a girlfriend fic. But, I still like it. And we get to see a mean Kenshin! (That didn't use to appeal to me, but it does now for some reason.)
MY REVIEWERS
mediaminer
nana-chan - Ah, well thank you. Here's a new chap for your reading pleasure. Thanks for reviewing! :)
elisa ang - You reviewed before, didn't you? Yeah, I'm sorry about that chapter, but there seems to be nothing I can do about it. -.- Yes, I think it's going to be starting FAIRLY soon, but I don't want to rush it. Thanks for reviewing! :)
fanfiction
I LUV Anime 0.0 - Thank you SO much for not telilng me it's been too long since I've updated. I'm tired of people telling me I'm overdue when it's only been a couple of weeks. Sorry, I'm ranting. So what stories have you been reading then? I'm glad you like this one. Thanks for reviewing! :)
Crystel - Did you review under another name before? Because I checked I can't seem to find any Crystel in me reviews. Your review really made me feel good. I'm glad you can review again, and just knowing you are reading this story encourages me. Thanks for your review! :)
Sakura Arielle - I'm curious what the other .5 point would be for. A timely update? :) Thanks for your review! :)
Anime Girl - I wouldn't want you to die, so I hope you are happy with this update. Thanks for your review! :)
Pinay Tiger - Even worse? O.o I shudder at the thought. :) Thank you. And thanks for your review! :)
Ahiru - Your e-mail address made me smile. :) I'm glad it scared you. It means my writing is getting better. (yay!) Thanks for your review! :)
Easy-Company-506/101 - It hadn't been all that long since I last updated, only a few weeks. But just so you know, I'm trying to update every two months. Okay? Thanks for your review! :)
laku - Yep, it was very nice. And relieving too, I'm sure. Thanks for your review! :)
GranolaBar - He is cute isn't he? You just can't help but want to hug him and pinch his cheeks. (Then again, he might try to kick you if you did that.) Well, wait no more because here it is! Thanks for your review! :)
am1289 - Well, this is about as fast as I'm going to update, but at least you get to read more. Thanks for your review! :)
sarah - Really? That's so sweet of you. Yaeh, it is kind of cute, in a . . . heart-wrenching sort of way. (I'm a cruel person aren't I?) Thanks for your review! :)
Ria san - I didn't really thnk that was such bad place to leave off. Yep, but you don't have to wait any longer. Thanks for your review! :)
Triste1 - I try to update every two months. Oh well, could you give me an example of my errors please? So I know what to look out for. (Did you know, the health board only allows 3 cats per household? Which means my family has been in violation, twice. Good thing they didn't know about it. :) I'm sorry you felt it was rushed. I like him too! Have you ever seen the episode where he finally catches the road-runner? (Poor Wiley.)
You know, I was thinking about Soujiro as I portray him in this story, and he really isn't all that OOC. In the show, he had mental problems, family issues, (oops, that hasn't been addressed yet here. Well, now you know.) and he was a merciless killer. Really, if one thinks about it, abusing isn't all that far away, eh? Oh, I don't mind. I think its cool that you took the time to leave a long one. Thanks for the review! :)
Nixy-chan - You wanna now what's scary? I had already thought of an accident scene very similar to your dream before you told me about it. I realized later that it wouldn't work for this story, but that's still very creepy! I like the Soujiro idea, so I'll try to use it. Thanks. And Thanks for your review! :) (And yes, Tomoe died in an auto accident.)
Starr Stealer - Thanks for yor review! :)
crossfire - I updated! Thanks for your review! :)
Kinomoto - Thanks for yor review! :)
Strawberry'd - Yeah, I hate that when an author takes so long updating you can't remember what happened last chap. (And now I'm guilty of that! Eep!) Well, Kenshin can't be in every one, can he? Besides, I felt it was more important to develop the Kenji/Kaoru relationship. Well, you're just going to have to wait about Soujiro to find out. But no, Kenji won't be mad. I had considered it, but I think that KK's relationship took long enough developing that he warmed up to the idea. Plus, Kaoru wasn't conciously trying to get Ken's attention. Thanks for your review! :)
Becky - Okay, I'll try to write that (but I cant promise anything). Thanks for your review! :)
rain angst - Thanks for your review! :)
becky - I think you misread it, she told Kenji not to open the door, you know in case some lunatic came up and tried to kidnap him or kill him. (Hey, it happens. Sad but true.) No, no shower scenes. Thanks for your review! :)
DragonBlade666 - Thank you for asking, that was sweet of you. Well, I had just read about an author who's mom died and they blamed themselves, so they weren't going to write anymore, because they felt their obsession killed her. I just thought that was so SAD, and I'm already prone to depression, so there you have it. No, no other RK characters were nannies. It's an interesting thought though, I wish I had thought of it! Thanks for your review! :)
Tree - Well, you'll just have to read to find out! Thanks for your review! :)
Via x Infinito I loved your last chapter to CIHW. I hope Kao doesn't die! And that they get a chance to talk! Yeah, you're right, they don't but I wanted to get on to this chap. (There will be other chapters for me to rectify this. :) Wow, so many people are tellign me their scared. I didn't know I could do that. (I don't feel anything when I'm writing because I'm too busy trying to feel what the characters would feel, so I appreciate everybody letting me know what the ovreall feeling of the story is.) Yes, they have. Poor Kenji. Yes, but it can't be all smooth sailing. (As you said, kids don't always listen.) Thanks for your review! :)
Hei Ying - I'm afraid your e-mail wasn't recorded, that's why I havent e-mailed you. If you want, you can try again. But leave it in the box designated for your e-mail this time and then it should be recorded. Thank you for asking, that was very nice of you. :) I had just read about another author who's mom died and they blamed themselves. I just thought that was really sad. Thanks for your review! :)
royal blueKitsune - It's nice to know you're very enthusiastic about this story, but I'm afraid weekly updates are not possible. I will try to update every two months however. Yes, the whole point of this story is to get KK together. But neither of them is conciously seeking the other's attention. They're too hurt right now. And Kaoru's more worried about Kenji. Well, Kenji won't be totally obedient. Nobody can go from devil to angel overnight. :) And as another review said, kids don't always listen. Thanks for your review! :)
Sims Are Awesome - Thanks for your review! :)
Miko Kagome Archer - Updating more often would be nice, but it simply isn't possible. (Im sure you can understand.) I will try to update every two months, however. Thanks for your review! :)
Battousai-chan - Yes, but it's only temporary. Portraying him as a brat is too much fun to stop. Thanks for yoru review! :)
upsidedownfrown - He's back! Thanks for your review! :)
vixenia - Thanks for your review! :)
I would like to thank the following people for puttng this story on their favorites list: Ammersonlovey, angelic-innocence00, animefanrk, Art3m1s, ayani63645, aznangel91, bravedragon, Ceylonna, clamsofmacabre, CrypticMaidenRK, dancinggypsie, DarkBlossom900, De Lazy Lime, Element Sister, EmmyAwards, EmpressKona, Emrys-chan, Emyralld, ForgottenDreamsUnshedTears, glory angel 5, HBkGRl4Ever, Hikyuu Tera, Himuro Kirie, Horosha no Kage, I LUV Anime 0.0, inukenny, Jupiter's Light, Kaname-chan, Kenshinlover2005, Kodora Fairy, Lady Sora Love, livworld, Mageblood, Minny May Yukibura, mizuki, MysticaElfGoddess, nes, Night Imp, Nixy-Chan, pandabear13, poeticdespair, Poi Poi, rain angst, RamenLuvinMnster, rdeveranime, RedAndBlackDragon, Reignashii, Rurouni-Inu, Sapphirefoxgirl, sato onigri, Scented Candles, Seishun Gakuen, sha.la.la.la.la., Shojin Takaru, Siriuslover, Starr Stealer, sweetyfanfic, tearose66, Tima-san, Triste1, Vision2, vixenia, & whitesparkles99 It means a lot to me.
See you in October, and don't forget to vote on the stories! :)