3. Chapter 3 (1/2)

kenshin was kneeling in the corner surrounded by police officers and

a small crowd that gathered, with a woman crying into his arms.

kaoru stepped foreword.

kaoru kenshin…

kenshin was looking down, with his face buried in the woman's hair,

when he looked up kaoru saw something she had never and had never

thought she would see…kenshin was crying.

kaoru:!

kenshin put his face back down into the woman's hair.

kaoru: kenshin….

the woman shoved him back.

woman: you you…bastard how could you do that, you promised!!

kenshin just looked at her and didn't flinch. she slapped him

again, harder this time, he fell back.

kaoru got rid of the crowd; it was only her, kenshin, and the woman.

(yahiko and sano went to taes') kenshin was lying on his back; he

made no effort to get back up. the woman crawled over him. she was

looking down into his face, tears from her eyes dripped onto his

face.

kaoru could hardly keep herself from kicking that woman's ass. what

did he have a wife that wasn't dead?!

kenshin: i'm sorry….i really am

the woman slapped him a few times across the face. that was it for

kaoru, she shoved the woman. kaoru was pissed.

kaoru: hey!! that's enough! you have no reason to h-

the woman cut her off.

woman: oh i have a good reason to be hitting this this-

kaoru: stop everyone just stop!! what is going on?! kenshin stood slowly up and looked at kaoru, his face was red and

there were the beginnings of welts on his face. wow she hit his face

really hard, kaoru thought.

kenshin: kaoru….dono, this one…um…she's kaede, um …she's…

kaoru had never seen kenshin like that before. the woman interrupted.

woman: i'm his older sister.

woman: i'm his older sister.

kaoru could feel her jaw literally hit the ground.

kaoru: sis-sis-sister?! kenshin you have a sister! you never told me

that.

kenshin looked at her his eyes were sad, yet showed love to her at

the same time.

kenshin: this one is really sorry kaoru-dono… it just that well…

kaede: he thought i was dead.

kaoru: dead?!

kenshin: why not finish this at the dojo?

kaoru silently nodded. kenshin motioned to kaede to follow them.

she glared at him.

kaede: i don't need your damn help. kenshin began walking in the direction of the dojo. kaoru turned to

kaede.

kaoru: swallow your pride and listen to kenshin. i don't know any

thing about you, but right now i think you are an ass. you finally

see kenshin; you said he thought you were dead. if not for yourself

for kenshin, come to the kamiya dojo, soon okay.

kaede didn't respond. kaoru turned away and ran to catch up to

kenshin.

kaede could see him look over at the girl as she fell into step with

him, what had he called her kaoru maybe? kaede slumped against a

nearby wall.

kenshin and kaoru walked most of the way back to the dojo in silence.

when they came to the

idge that was right before the dojo, kenshin

turned to her and took her arm, he looked hurt. kaoru looked at him.

kenshin: this one is sorry if you were worried kaoru-dono.

kaoru: why would i be worried kenshin?

kenshin: when kaede hit this one you looked…looked…

kenshin couldn't finish. it had been …fear he thought, that he

had seen in her beautiful violet eyes.

kaoru; i thought she really wanted to hurt you kenshin, i was…scared.

not that i would have let her do anything to you anyway. i would have

kicked her-

she was cut off as kenshin started to laugh. it was a beautiful

laugh, she thought. wait she thought, had she ever heard him

laugh….no she thought, she never had. as he stopped and looked at

her again, his eyes were different. she couldn't stop looking into

them. kenshin draped his arm around her shoulders, and began walking

to the dojo once again.

not long after they returned to the dojo, kaede showed up. she just

walked in, kenshin was finishing the laundry and kaoru was sparing

with yahiko. kenshin looked up at her, and stood up in front of her;

kaoru and yahiko stopped and walked over to them. yahiko stared at

her. she glanced down at him, and his eyes stayed on her.

kaede: ya know, it's rude to stare kid.

yahiko was startled and his eyes fell as a blush filled his face.

kaede looked around.

kaede: well, well, you did good here kid, helping to run a dojo, very

um…un-batosai of you.

yahiko gasped and looked at kenshin, then kaoru, then back to

kenshin.

yahiko: she knows…who is she? wait, kid, aren't you talkin about

kenshin. what the hell is goin on?

they all ignored him.

kaoru: i knew it.

kaede looked at her, she had a weird look in her eyes, and kaoru was