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Stranger from the Past: Part 3
Kenshin never did sleep that night, and well before the sun ever peeked over the horizon, Kenshin rose from his bed, tidied up the room, and made breakfast.Kenshin looked at through the window in the kitchen out into the dojo yard, and saw n his mind's eye so many images, so many memories of Kaoru. Of her smile, her laughter, her anger as she chased Yahiko with a bokken, her loyalty, her sense of justice as she fought those enemies who came after him or came after any innocent. He recalled the tears in her eyes…, the quiet look of her face, when she was thinking, staring up at the night sky.
"Oro," he said surprised looking down at his hand. Only then realizing he looked down, that he had cut himself while cutting up the vegetables for breakfast.
With a mechanically efficiency he tended to his small wound as he finished up breakfast and left it by the cooling stove to keep warm. He didn't eat a bite himself, he had no appetite to eat, not this morning, or maybe any other.
Why eat… why live… again I'm left with nothing…
Even Kenshin was surprised at his own thought, despite it all he could only recall one other time when he felt a deeply depression melancholy like this, after Tomoe's death. Then he lived cause dying would be the easy way, he had things to atone for. But somehow even though he felt he had things to atone for, he found forgiveness in Kaoru's heart, he found healing and comfort and a place he could call home. But without that he was even more lost than after Tomoe's death, because now he had no purpose at all…
Kaoru… Why is it that my love ones always leave me, or I them? Maybe I'm cursed and was never meant to know happiness….
Kenshin blinked back stubbornly the tears that threatened to spill, took a deep breath and decided he couldn't say goodbye to Kaoru not like this, he needed to get himself in better control.
He headed out of the dojo only to bump into a yawning, slowly waking, barely human thing that could be called Yahiko.
"Morning," the bleary eyed youth mumbled.
"Ohayou, Yahiko."
Yahiko rubbed his eyes and blinked at Kenshin." Oi are you going somewhere?"
"Hai, I have some errands to run, I left breakfast by the stove, take care of things till I get back please."
Yahiko nodded his head, the sleep clearing from his eyes. "You can count on me Kenshin."
Yahiko trailed off a bit more alert to go get cleaned up, Kenshin with a heavy sigh set off so he could rebuild the walls in his heart.
"Hey hag! It's time you got up!" * * *
Kaoru awoke quite rudely to Yahiko pulling at her and calling her hag.
"BAKA!" she screamed as she gave him a good whallop on the head. "How dare you go into a ladies room!"
"Lady, what lady? I only see an old ugly hag late for my lessons!"
Yahiko saw the flash of anger and hurt in Kaoru's eyes, and only then saw the puffy swollen eyes, and dark circles beneath them, and instantly regretted every word he said.
With a sound near a sob she yelled at him "Go do 500 kata's! NOW!"
Yahiko merely nodded his head meekly and set off, pausing at the door>
"Kaoru, gomen."
With that he walked out of her room shutting the door behind her, and only when he was half way down the hall did he begin to hear her cry.
Kaoru… did you and Kenshin fight?
He walked worriedly and feeling extremely guilty to the dojo and began kata number 1 of his punishment.
* * *
Kaoru emerged sometime later, and had washed her face, though even Yahiko could still tell she had been crying.
"Yahiko, how many have you done?"
Yahiko turned to her and was very polite as he answered her. "I've done sixhundreed and twenty one Kaoru-Sensei."
Kaoru looked at Yahiko mildly surprised, and smiled sadly.
"Very well then, why don't you get cleaned up, don't you work at the Akabeko today?"
"Hai."
"Yahiko, have you seen Kenshin today?"
"Hai, he left early said something about some errands, are you sure you want me to go to the Akabeko, I can stay if you'd like?"
"Iie, Yahiko, go to work, I'll be fine."
She turned back around leaving the dojo, Yahiko frowning after her retreating back.
Hmm I think I might want to talk to Sano about this… he usually tends to show up when I work to tease me… I hope he is there today.
Hours had passed and still no Kenshin. Kaoru decided that she might as well make use of this time and clean all the futons in the house. So she went by each persons' rooms removing the bedding, it was when she opened Kenshin's room that she got a shock. * * *
All his stuff packed? Nani?!"
The futons she had already picked up fell from her nerveless fingers as she sank to the floor to numb to cry. She just sat there rocking back and forth holding her knees as she looked at Kenshin's one small sack.
Kenshin….
A couple of hours passed before Kaoru shakily got to her feet and left the room. She went outside and collapsed on the dojo steps leaning wearily against the wall, breathing as if she had just run a marathon and fought Saitoh and won. * * *
She closed her eyes and let the sunlight bake into her chilled body. It was then she heard the creak of the gate, that she looked up into a pair of distant violet eyes.
Kenshin….
Kenshin looked at her and could tell, She knows…
Kenshin with unsure steps walked hesitantly forward.
"Kaoru-do-"
Intense blue eyes stared into his as she interrupted. "Don't. Don't say it. Don't go. This is your home now.. you're family…. I don't want you to go…"
She said more but Kenshin couldn't make it out over her heart-wrenching sobs.
Unconciously he stepped forward until his arms were around her, and held her fiercely not wanting to let her go.
"Kaoru… I'll only be in the way… you're promised to someone else… I won't ruin your chance at happiness."
His arms held her saying he'd never let her go, his words and mind saying that he must.
Kaoru took a calming breath and whispered fiercely into his ear, "You are my happiness… I love you… isn't that enough?"
Kenshin's eyes welled with tears, as he crushed her to his body, feeling the heat of her body warm his chilled heart.
"But what about him?"
"I don't know…. I just don't know…. I love you, but I have a duty to him… please stay, I need you."
Kenshin closed his eyes as he breathed haggardly fighting with himself, he opened his eyes as he sighed feeling the tension in him ebb away as he made his decision.
"I'll stay, so long as you want me."
Kaoru half sobbed with relief but felt her heart jump at what he next said.
"I love you and I want you happy, no matter what decision you make I'll honor it. Even if it means you marry him… I'll always be here for you a friend, a brother. Whatever you need me to be."
Kaoru raised her head from his shoulder and looked into his tear filled eyes.
"Kenshin?"
Kenshin smiled bitterly at her.
"I want you to make the decision you have to without worrying about me…"
Kaoru closed her eyes and nestled her head against his neck the words sinking in.
He loves me so much… I love him so much… I can't make a decision without worrying about him… what am I going to do? I know what my heart wants… I want him… but I have a duty to my parents, I must honor their arrangement… what am I going to do… mother… father…. What should I do?
End Part 3