Note:  Keep in mind that during those times (Meiji era), people are extremely
           concious of their honor, valor, chivalry and all that stuff.  Honorable
           women (like Kaoru), are supposed to be treated with respect.  Killing
            people who are defenseless was considered a VERY dishonorable act.
Disclaimer:  Nobuhiro Watsuki owns all regular characters.  I am making NO money
                    out of this.
 

Kaoru's Future...

"Is this really necessary?  I'm worried about my dojo..."
It was past noon and Kaoru was still in Tae-san's house wearing a blue and
lavender silk formal kimono (the ones with the longer sleeves and skirt),
with most of her hair tied with a ribbon into stylish curls atop her head,
the strands that weren't long enough just framed her face, modelling for
Tae-san as she put some final adjustments in the dress.  Tae-san just kept
looking at Kaoru from all angles.
"You have to remember, Kaoru, you're doing this for the future of the
dojo... or would you rather just adopt Yahiko and deprive yourself of the
pleasures of being a mother and wife?"
Tae-san never took her eyes off Kaoru even after the younger woman sighed
audibly.  She smoothed one last wrinkle on the kimono and took a few steps
back and admired her handiwork.  She smiled broadly at what she saw.
Tae-san had always had a talent for showing the true beauty of women and
enhancing their physical attributes... Kaoru was stunning.  The deep shades
of lavender and blue complemented Kaoru's ivory complection, dark hair
color, and her eyes.  All that was missing was the dark green sash to tie
the kimono with.
"Now where is that sash..."
Kaoru gasped and tightly clutched the hems of her kimono as Tae-san slid
open the door and called out for Tsubame-chan to find and bring her the dark
green sash.  Tae-san closed the door and faced a distressed looking Kaoru.
She smiled.
"Don't worry, there are no men in my house at this time;  it's only me and
Tsubame-chan... you're actually very lucky that today our boss let the both
of us take a day off to rest and relax..."
Kaoru's face flushed deep red.
"Even then!  --Please, Tae-san, don't do that again!"
Tae-san chuckled a little bit at Kaoru's face and the door slowly opened and
Tsubame-chan entered with the green sash.  Her eyes widened as she saw Kaoru.
"Sugoi, Kaoru-san!  --You look beautiful!"
Kaoru blushed at the compliment and Tae-san beamed.
"Wait until I put some paint (make-up) on her face, then she'll be even more
beautiful!"
Tsubame-chan nodded and handed Tae-san the sash.  She took another look at
Kaoru and smiled innocently.
"Are you going out to catch a husband, Kaoru-san?"
Kaoru's face became even redder and Tae-san reprimanded Tsubame-chan.
"Kaoru just wants to be especially pretty for today, that's all.  That's why
I'm lending her my favorite kimono when I was her age."
"Oh, gomen... I didn't realize..."
"That's okay, Tsubame-chan... now can you go and prepare us something to
eat, please?  --I just realized we haven't eaten lunch yet."
"Hai!"
Tsubame-chan smiled broadly and went out the door, closing it behind her.
Kaoru loosened her grip on the dress.
"Tsubame-chan is such a nice and innocent girl...  it's so nice of you to
have taken her in."
Tae-san turned to her and began to smoothen the kimono again and wrap the
sash around Kaoru's waist.
"Yes, and she's such a nice and helpful girl to have around the house...
Too bad though that her hair and eyes won't match the color of this
kimono...  There!  --I'm done!"
Tae-san looked at Kaoru from all angles with a critical eye... and she liked
what she saw.  She had purposely tied and tightened the sash a little bit
lower than the prescribed height to enhace Kaoru's figure and slim waist, as
well as to make her look older and taller than she really is.  She handed
Kaoru a hand mirror to look at her new dress and she glowed.
"Can I go now, Tae-san?"
"It's not time to leave yet, Kaoru... Alright, now for the make-up..."
**********************************
*Where is she?*
Kenshin thought as he did the laundry... he'd been waiting for Kaoru to
return from wherever she went off too but she never did.  Now it was past
two o'clock and STILL she hasn't arrived.  Needless to say, he was getting
worried.  He kept thinking of all the people who swore revenge on him
kidnapping Kaoru and threatening her... he sighed.  He didn't even notice
Ayaname and Suzume pour soap suds all over his head and make little sculptures.
*I'm sure she's fine... she can handle herself...*
Yahiko cast a worried glance at Kenshin and turned to Sano, who was just
beside him.
"Oi, Sano... does Kenshin seem a little out of it today?"
"Was that a trick question?  --He's been washing the same shirt for ten
minutes!"
"Hm... what do you suppose he's thinking about?"
Sano eyed Yahiko sarcastically.
"Are you blind as WELL as stupid?!  --Who do you THINK he's thinking about?"
Strangely enough, Yahiko decided to let that one slip by.
"You know, it would be a lot better on all of us if the two of them just get
together already..."
"Feh.  Let them play their lovers' games... it's none of our business..."
Sano and Yahiko sat in silence for a couple of minutes, enjoying the
peacefulness of it all, and watching Kenshin wash the same shirt over and
over again listlessly while the two little girls giggled and made bunny ears
on his hair.
Sano spoke up at last.
"Ne, it's awfully quiet without Jo-chan around, no?"
"Yeah... very peaceful..."
Sano grinned and lay down on the wooden floor of the hallway.
"I could get used to this..."
His eyes began to droop lazily...
"I'M HOME!!!!"
Sano's eyes bulged open and Yahiko laughed.  They were about to start
another fight when Kenshin went flying over their heads, wearing an apron
with his sleeves rolled up and soap suds in his hair, to where the voice
came from.
"Kaoru-dono, welcome ho..."  Kenshin finished his sentence with a gasp.
******************************
Sano and Yahiko entered a very interesting scene.
There stood Kenshin cheeks the same color of his hair, eyes wide open and
gaping at who looked like Kaoru...  Sano and Yahiko stopped dead in their
tracks.
"Is that Kaoru...?" Sano whispered to Yahiko.
"...I don't know...  Maybe she's some royalty or something who got lost..."
Yahiko whispered back.
"Maybe..." Sano began but was cut off by a familiar voice.
"How do you like my new kimono?"
The tall and beautiful lady did a full circle in her dress.
"Well...?"
There was no response from the three men (notice I included Yahiko as to not
to anger him  ;P ) and Kaoru began to get angry.
"One of you could AT LEAST answer me!!"
At this Sano and Yahiko returned to their senses, but it was Sano who spoke
up first.
"Do we know you?"
Kaoru's blood boiled.  She was about to shorten Sano's life considerably
when Tae-san spoke up.
"Now, now, Kaoru... remember what I told you about your temper..."  she
smiled, "they just don't recognize you..."
Tae-san turned to the three wide-eyed males, "well, what do you three think?
Doesn't Kaoru look so attractive?"
"She looks better than an ugly hag..." Yahiko said and rubbed his nose with
his hand.
"Not much difference..."  Sano said nonchalantly.
Kenshin just gaped.
Kaoru blushed, not because of the complements but because of the way Kenshin
was staring at her.  Tae-san beamed proudly.
"Well, then, I must get going... Sayonara."
Sano grabbed Yahiko's arm as Tae-san turned to leave.
"We can't let you go all alone!  Yahiko and I will accompany you!"
"Nani?!" Yahiko began to protest but Sano tightened his grip and motioned to
Kaoru and Kenshin, Yahiko's eyes widened in understanding and he snickered.
"Hai!  Sano and I will protect you!"
Tae-san smiled warmly, "oh that's so sweet of both of you!  --I'll even
treat the two of you to snacks later, if that's all right with you, Kenshin."
Kenshin finally returned from Lala Land and smiled, soap bubbles falling
from his hair.
"Of course it's okay with me, we don't have much food in the house anyway."
Tae-san nodded and went out the gate, followed by Sano and Yahiko.
**************************
Kenshin quietly chopped and cleaned the fish for dinner all the while
cursing himself for not being able to see this coming.  Now he knew why
Kaoru was upset this morning and the reason behind the sudden change in
wardrobe;  Dr. Genzai wanted her married.  He knew that Kaoru-dono was
already past marrying age... and an heir to the Kamiya dojo through
blood-line was essential... and to make matters worse, all of his friends
seem to be conspiring together to get him and Kaoru alone in the house.
After Sano and Yahiko left, Megumi conveniently arrived a little while later
to take Ayaname and Suzume home with her.  He knew Sano, Yahiko, and Tae-san
had something to do with it.  He thought that Megumi was on his side... He
sighed helplessly.
*What am I going to do?!*
*******************************
*What the hell am I going to do?!*
Kaoru silently complained to herself as she trimmed some out of place low
branches on their cherry blossom tree in their back yard.  She let go of the
branch in her hand.  She couldn't believe what was happening.  Now here she
was, all alone with Kenshin... She quietly swore to kill Sano and Yahiko for
leaving.  She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she never even notice
a pair of glazed shadowed eyes watch her from above.
"Huh?"
Kaoru looked up as she heard her dojo's gong sound for the second time.
When she got to the main gate Kenshin was already there, wearing his apron,
greeting a city police officer.
Kenshin smiled warmly, "welcome, sir... what brings you to this humble dojo?"
Kaoru smiled beside herself as the officer blinked twice at Kenshin's
over-friendly voice and his attire, she was sure he has heard the rumors
surrounding Kenshin, how he's supposed to be superhuman in skill and
god-like in speed.  Her eyes crinkled as she giggled silently;  the officer
stepped forward.
"Well, you see... there has been news from the other district nearby... of
a-- of a rapist on the loose."
Kaoru's eyes widened as Kenshin's lost their friendliness.
"Nani?  ...A rapist?  Here?"  Kenshin spoke, his voice low and steely.  He
glanced at Kaoru and her eye-catching kimono...  his eyes turned into slits.
Kaoru stepped forward, voice showing obvious worry, "are you sure, officer?
The rapist is really in this part of Tokyo?"
The officer nodded solemnly, "yes, there has been witnesses claiming to have
seen a man of his description raoming around town.  --But there is more..."
"Then can we discuss this inside the house?"  Kenshin offered.
Kaoru followed the officer inside the house.  She paused at the door frame
of one room and glanced worriedly around her.  She gasped in surprise as
Kenshin put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently, she smiled up at him
and went inside the room.  Kenshin slid the door closed as he enterd.
The officer continued, "the killer seems to choose his victims..."  he
paused and looked at Kaoru pointedly and was about to speak when Kenshin
interrupted him.
"Killer?  He kills his victims?  And you say he chooses them?"
"Yes.  This... murderer is not your regular criminal.  He seems to prefer
his victims to be..." the officer paused tentatively and motioned to Kaoru.
Kenshin shook his head, "no, whatever you say to me, you say to Kaoru-dono."
The police man nodded, "very well then, this--" he retrieved a rough sketch
of a man's face, "--is what the killer looks like, we got this from the
police sation of the other district."
Kaoru and Kenshin peered into the scrap of paper and found themselves
staring at a thin man's face with a long scar running through the whole of
the right side of his face.  The other part of his face and his neck was a
litter of smaller cuts and scratches.  Kaoru gasped.
"His face is--is..."
"Yes," the officer began again, "we believe that he obtain those scars and
scratches from his victims... you see, this man likes to give his victims a
fighting chance, and he seems to be also very skilled with knives, and uses
them against his victims."
"Is there anything else we should know about him?" Kenshin asked, his voice
serious.
"Yes... he prefers to attack couples."  The officer further explained at the
pair's confused looks, "he likes to choose couples because of the method he
uses to commit his crime.  First he ambushes the couple, and of course the
man will try to defend the girl... after the man loses, the killer will
paralyze him with some sort of drug, bring the couple to some sort of
apartment or room and proceed to... to rape the girl and afterwards kill
her, then the killer leaves, leaving us to find the man dillusional and a
woman's dead body.  After a few hours the man will die, we're still not sure
if it's because of the drug, or the shock and heartbreak.  We don't know the
specific nature of the drug, but it appears to be extremely potent and
effective."
Silence filled the room for a couple of minutes.  Kaoru's eyes were wide and
unbelieving while Kenshin's were dark and chilling.
"You--you can't be serious!" Kaoru spoke up finally.  The officer shook his
head and her eyes became angry.  She stood up, "then we'll help you catch him!"
"No."
Kaoru faced Kenshin and her voice was high and angry.
"What do you expect us to do?  --Let this--this... madman, run around the
town doing whatever he wants?!"
Kenshin stood up and addressed the officer, looking very scary--even with
the apron on and sleeves rolled up.
"What exactly did you come here for?"
The officer stood up, "we want your help to hunt him down."
"Iie." Kenshin said almost immediately and Kaoru gasped.
"You can't be serious, Kenshin!  If you don't help, then--"
"I don't think even I can hunt him down... For what you've told me, officer,
I don't think he is your ordinary killer...  I won't be able to locate
him... the best tactic is to lure him out."
Kenshin slid the door open and gazed at the sky.
*********************************