A quick Author's note: Big BIG thank you to Hikaru!!  ^_^ Okay, you can read now..
Part Twelve
 

 Kaoru woke up later that morning to find Hitokiri Battou-sai in her bedroom.  When she opened her eyes for the first time that day, she looked at the ceiling, thinking that she only had two more days of lies to go.  In two days, she would've earned all the money she needed to pay the back taxes and a bonus as well.  With that, she planned on treating the whole family at Akabeko.  She smiled drowsily and leaned forward to sit up, stretched her arms above her and
yawned.  As her gaze moved from the ceiling to the wall before her, she almost didn't realize that she had company till her eyes met those of Battou-sai.
 Surprised, Kaoru's hands gripped the bed covering before her as she studied the man before her.  She didn't know what it was about him, but she definately wasn't scared of him.  When her eyes met his, instead of the cold, blankness of the Battou-sai she'd seen before, these eyes were hot and smoldering.  As if he was more of a man than a killing machine.  As if he was a man who definately wanted--Then again, all of that could've been her imagination, because when she blinked, Kenshin was Kenshin again.
 "Good morning, Kaoru-dono."  Kenshin's greeting did little to abate the blush that had risen from all the heat she had imagined earlier.
 "Um..good morning, Kenshin." Already flustered, she couldn't even ask him why he was in her room at all.  She grew even more flustered when Kenshin's eyes closed and he told her, "Kaoru-dono, perhaps if you made yourself a little more presentable, we could talk."
 She looked down at herself to discover that the robe she slept in at night had loosened enough to create a very plunging neckline.  Shyly, she brought the sides together till she felt comfortable and sighed, "Alright, Kenshin, what did you want to talk to me about?"
 Kenshin's eyes opened slowly and it almost seemed as if he was scared of what he would see next.  Kenshin moved his sakaba sword from the shoulder it had been resting on to the floor before him.  "Kaoru-dono, tell me what you know about Kawasaka, please."
 Kaoru's first thought was, does Kenshin know that Kawasaka-san kissed me? Kaoru's cheeks were ablaze and her eyes lowered as she tried to gather her thoughts together.
 "Um..well.."
 "Kaoru-dono, is something wrong?"  The urgency in Kenshin's voice encouraged her to meet his gaze.
 "N.no, not at all."  She smiled blandly before going on, "Um, Kawasaka-san is, I guess a very nice person for the type of businesses he runs."
 "What type of businesses?" Kenshin inquired.
  Kaoru shrugged. "Well,he has the tavern, his um...upstairs business, and I think he may work for the government, too. I saw some papers. I'm not sure..."
 "Kaoru-dono, how do you know about these papers?"
 "Well, when I was in his room waiting for him, I noticed some papers with the government seal on his desk."
 "In his room?"  Kenshin's usually pleasant demeanor evaporated to be replaced by a hard look, "Kaoru-dono, what were you doing in his room?"
 Kaoru looked at the tatami that served as the flooring of her room, "Well, I heard he wanted to see me..so...I....went."
 "Did he touch you or hurt you in anyway?" Kenshin's voice lowered even more, Kaoru knew he wasn't happy with her, she just couldn't figure out why. She nervously answered,
 "No, he didn't hurt me! He barely touched me..at all."
 Kenshin knew she was lying, again. Tired of her lies, he decided to confront her. Kenshin rose to his feet menacingly and came to stand besides Kaoru before kneeling beside her.  Though the look in his eyes was hard, his voice was gentle when he spoke,
 "Kaoru-dono, you must tell me the truth about this.  Did he hurt you?"
 Kaoru's eyes were awash with tears as she shook her head negatively, not trusting her voice, but speaking anyway, "No...but-"
 "Please, tell me Kaoru..dono."  Kaoru felt herself melting into his eyes, but the guilt of the kiss with Kawasaka stopped her from allowing that of herself.  She lowered her eyes to the floor where she could see her hands, so close to Kenshin's.  Brokenly, she whispered,
 "But..he did kiss me." Kaoru's hands covered her face in shame and guilt.  With her eyes tightly shut against any reprimand from Kenshin, she miserably sat, lonelier than she'd ever been before.  She then heard the rustle of cloth next to her and her wrists were held gently before being pulled away from her face.  Surprise caused Kaoru's eyes to snap open and to
meet Kenshin's.
 Kenshin looked deeply into Kaoru's eyes, lifting a hand to pull a strand of hair back behind her ear. Then he brushed her bangs from her eyes. He watched Kaoru watch him.  He smiled gently and wiped the remaining tears away from her face. Then, he looked down at his hand and sighed before he stood up and returned to his original spot.  Again he placed his sakaba sword on his
shoulder and kept his gaze to the floor, "Kaoru-dono, are you aware that last night a couple of government officials were killed by the same samurai who have been murdering the people who approach the city by the north road?"  When Kaoru shook her head negatively he continued, "Well, I have reason to believe that Kawasaka Ikeda is behind it."  At Kaoru's look of shock, he continued, "I believe that Kawasaka has been murdering innocent people because that shields
him and his group from when they actually want to assassinate government officals.  With so many murders on the north road, the government will consider it bad luck that the officials were murdered by disgruntled samurai and not an actual political group who are intercepting government documents."
 Kaoru could only think back to last night when she'd seen the wound on Kawasaka's back.  A hand went to cover her mouth in dismay. She had been by herself in a room with that...murderer...he had KISSED her, no less..shocked beyond belief, she closed her eyes before tears could escape them.
 "Kaoru-dono, do you know a Maku who works at the tavern?"
 Kaoru's eyes opened slowly, "Yes...I know her."
 "Who is she?"  Kaoru tried to keep her growing panic to herself.
 "She's a singer." Kaoru watched Kenshin's reaction.  He seemed almost surprised before turning serious again, "I believe she may be in danger.  I recieved a...clue from Kawasaka that she could be a victim if I don't do something about her.  I found this clue outside the dojo, so he knows that I'm here."
 He knows that I'm here, too, Kaoru thought. And he knows who I really am!  "So, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin continued, "I don't what you going back to that place,it's too dangerous for you."
 Dangerous, Kaoru thought, what rights did he have over her to tell her what was dangerous for her? Upset,Kaoru used the shock of finding out about Kawasaka as well as her guilt for lying to Kenshin and turned it into anger. Anger that all her hard work singing may not be paid, anger that this baka- red-head here didn't even realize that she was the same WOMAN who kissed him
and made him blush almost a week ago. Angry that Kawasaka had the nerve to kiss her after committing an act of murder, then tried to sweet talk her into leaving Kenshin for him! Kenshin!  It's hard to leave what you'll never have, she thought bitterly and at the bottom of all these thoughts was the terror of losing the one home she's ever had. The only thing of her parents that had survived as long as she had.
 "Kenshin.." Kaoru's voice was cold like the wind, "Please leave."
 "Kaoru-dono?"  Kenshin could almost see the storm brewing around Kaoru, he could feel her emotions stronger than he ever could before.  He stood up, glad that he carried the only sword in the room.  "Now, Kaoru-dono, are you alright?"
 Kaoru stood up and pushed Kenshin towards the door, "No, I'm not alright! Not that you care! Get OUT!"
 Kenshin planted both of his feet firmly to the flooring and refused to budge. With Kaoru still pushing on him, he had no other option than to put his arms around her to still her movements.  Startled, Kaoru stopped pushing and just stood still.
 "Shh. Kaoru-dono, it's going to be alright." Kenshin's whispered words strangely comforted Kaoru and she nodded against his chest.  When Kenshin was sure that Kaoru was more calm, he stepped away from her.
 "Kenshin..I need to go back one more time to get my money. I'll go with Megumi, but I have to go back on more time. I don't want Kawasaka suspicous. I have to-"
 Kenshin nodded, "Okay Kaoru-dono. I'll go with you and Megumi tonight."
 "NO! I mean..no, you need to go to the north road tonight to make sure no one else is hurt.  I'll be fine.  You could send Sanosuke and Yahiko with us.."
 Kenshin looked at Kaoru and noticed that her gaze didn't meet his, She's still hiding something, he thought.
 "Alright, Kaoru-dono.  But I want you to be careful."
 Kaoru nodded, "Thank you, Kenshin. I will be."
 Kenshin nodded in return before leaving Kaoru's room.
 Kaoru waited for the door to slide completely shut before she sighed and sat down on the floor.  If Kawasaka didn't pay her, she would lose her dojo and land to the government.
 "Hm..." she mused aloud, "I wonder how much returned government documents are
worth.."