Reading Each Others' Heart

She walked down the road from the marketplace back to Kamiya Dojo. Her hair, as it almost always was, was pulled back in a tail with her favorite blue-green ribbon. She was dressed in a yellow kimono carrying a bucket full of the tofu for dinner that evening.

Ever since the rurouni, the vagabond Himura Kenshin had entered her life, her food expenses had gone through the roof. She seemed to have been collecting a troupe of lost souls. Yahiko, Sanosuke, Megumi and lastly, Kenshin. These people had become her family and filled the void left behind since the death of her parents. True, she had Doctor Ginzai and his two granddaughters but they just did not offer her the compnaionship she craved.

Yahiko was the younger brother she never had, a friend, and her student. They did fight a lot, but deep down they cared immensely for one another and would do anything for each other.

Sanosuke was a gruff and fierce man, seemingly filled with a burning rage for a government that betrayed him. And yet there was kindness and a brotherly protectiveness to him, but he would be the last person to admit to it.

Megumi was a woman trying to make amends for what she had done, and fighting a battle against a society that did not accept female doctors all to kindly. Yet she was healing the sick, and healing herself as well.

Then there was Kenshin.

Kaoru sighed languidly.

There was no way around it. She was in love, and every time he fought someone it tore her up inside with fear.

Would he kill this time? Would he leave the dojo for good? Would he be hurt or killed?

Yet she never told him not to go. The closest she came was saying "ki o tsukete ne" (take care), looking at him with entreaty in her eyes, or a gentle yet firm tug on his clothes. She knew that he had to live his own life, and that if there was ever to be anything between them it had to be free. She knew he had a past he was trying to reconcile with and until then there was no point in even wondering about what it would be like to be courted by him.

But that knowledge was a cold comfort. It didn't keep her warm at night, but kept her awake, restless in bed with one fear resting heavily upon her heart.

"What if when I wake he is gone?"

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+===================================================+
| Rurouni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Romantan- Fanfic |
| "Ishin Denshin - Reading Each Other's Heart" |
+===================================================+
by: K. C. "Kaoru-sensei" Hulsman (kaorusensei@hotmail.com)
Special thanks: William "Shinomori Aoshi" Buacharern (willcbua@ktb.net)
Who was both an advisor and a co-conspirator. ^_^x ========================================================================


Kaoru looked up into the sky praying for patience and strength to carry on. After a while she lowered her head back down lost in introspection.

She did not know when she had fallen in love with him. She just realized one day that she did not want to live her life without him. Everytime she saw him doing the laundry, or cooking, or playing with Doctor Ginazai's grandchildren her heart just melted. He was so kind, so tender, his eyes so warm yet haunted. He did things around the dojo without being asked. He helped out as much as he could. She loved him for that. She loved him for bringing together a family that took away the horrible void in her life. He helped her cleanse her father's name from scandal. He gave her the gift of a student in Yahiko when she so badly needed one. Most importantly of all he gave her the gift of his friendship.

Thoughts of this rumbled around in Kaoru's distracted mind but the sound of a child's panicked voice woke her from her thoughts.

"Nani?" (What)

She followed the sound. Her thoughts on Kenshin tucked into the hidden recesses in her mind as she made her way toward the sound. She ended up in an alleyway, and before barging in she stuck her head cautiously around the corner to get an idea of the situation.

She saw two young children a boy and a girl crying plaintively at three government officers. And what she saw the officers doing made her bones chill.

"STOP! Please stop... it's just a cat, stop hurting it," whined a worried little boy's voice.

"Shut up you stupid brat," spoke one of the officers as he backhanded the boy, kicked the near-dead cat, and grabbed the girl.

"Aren't you a pretty little bitch," said the officer as he caressed her hair in a way that just made Kaoru's bile rise to her mouth.

Coming out of nowhere, she stormed the officers and smashed her bucket with the tofu in it over the man's head who was holding the little girl, watching the wooden vessel splinter in her hands.

"RUN!" she screamed to the kids, who after a shocked moment of pause ran as fast as their young legs would take them. The poor cat however, laid on the ground breathing its last breaths, and then died with a heavy whimpering sigh.

The man she had hit was cursing heavily and getting up woozily to his feet while the other two started to give chase. She put up a fight by using their momentum to throw them to the ground, but was greatly hampered by her kimono. As soon as she could, she ripped up the bottom of her kimono to allow her legs better manuervability. She was at a distinct disadvantage, being both outnumbered and having no weapon save her own body and ingenuity. She did have one thing going in her favor; the alleyway was to small to use guns without possibly shooting an ally, and it was too small for swords as well.

As the one man steadied himself on his feet, Kaoru was up to her neck with the other two assailants. One grabbed her by her hair; Kaoru instinctively responded with a wicked kick that caught him in the groin. The other one managed to send an uppercut into her abdomen, making Kaoru lose her wind and stumble back. As she did so, her foot slipped on the spilled tofu and she fell to her knees feeling her ankle roll underneath her.

"Shimatta!!" (Damn!!)

Feeling the pain rip through her ankle, she put her weight on her hands and swept out at the two with her good foot, managing to trip the officer who was grasping his family jewels. The other one managed to evade the sweep and kicked at her arms as she fell back down. She gets up biting her lip in pain from her hurt ankle and went into the best defensive stance she could manage with her back to the wall.

Meanwhile, the officer who she originally had struck with the bucket and the other who had his bells rung, managed to recover and she was now forced to fight all three of them. Sadly, she did not last long.

The head officer noticed how she favored her right ankle and began to aim every attack at it. Eventually, a connecting kick managed to sweep her off of her feet. Before she had time to do more than put her arms in front of her in a block, they all converged on her. The ringleader managed to get past her arms and slammed her head hard into the nearby wall.

A trail of dark crimson blood marked the place where her head was mercilessly bashed against the wall. Her vision was going all black, speckled with bright spots of light. She fought frantically to remain conscious, trying in a vain attempt to get her lethargic limbs to respond again.

"Bitch! You're gonna give us a good time after spoiling our fun!" said the head officer, grabbing her by her throat slowly choking her as he groped her breasts while roughly starting to loosen her kimono.

Tears streamed from Kaoru's eyes as she screamed out a silent scream for help in her mind. Her lips were parted... but no sound besides a hoarse sound of air could be heard. She tried with weak, rapidly going numb, limbs to fight them off, but to no avail.

"Yamero!" (Stop!)

Then just as the government officers were about to completely disrobe her a shadow looms up over the assorted group. The dying ember of a cigarette was seen as it arcs from the new person's hands away into the recesses of the alleyway.

The newcomer stood there with an evil grin, cracking his knuckles. He grinned evilly from ear to ear while uttering a single phrase.

"Aku. Zoku. Zan." (Sin. Swift. Slay.)

The assailants looked up in time to scramble hastily to their feet, which they could not manage to do very well as they tripped over Kaoru's body.

The high-pitched sound of fists impacting flesh and bone echoed hollowly in the alleyway. A few various moans and thuds punctuated the bone-crunching sounds, then all was silent

Kaoru gasped frantically for air. Her face faded from blue to a more healthy color, and she blinked fervently trying to see as well as stirred trying to get up.

"Kaoru."

She heard the voice, and yet she did not notice it.

"Kaoru?"

She felt a cool hand on her forehead, and her eyes fluttered open as she blinked away the black spots from her vision trying to make her eyes focus.

"Oi. Kaoru!"

She focused her vision on the one before her....

"Saitoh-san..."

She said it in immense relief. She stirred some more and tried to get up, but only managed to pass out from the concussion she had obtained.

Saitoh checked Kaoru over to make sure she had no serious injuries and could only find her head wound to be of any concern as far as blood loss was concerned. He deftly pulled her kimono back up to cover her, and used one of the men's shirts as a bandage for her head. He noticed her ankle, and decided to let a doctor deal with that.

Footsteps were heard running into the alleyway. Saitoh did not even bother to turn his head to speak to the just-arrived policemen.

"They're in custody, put them in jail. Kuno, bring a carriage and a doctor now."

One of the policemen ran out of the alley, following his orders, and the rest of the men detained Kaoru's attackers and carted them off to jail. Saitoh stood with his trademark scowl alongside Kaoru, smoking a cigarette as he waited for Kuno's return.

* * * * * * *


Kaoru awoke in her bedding in her room at Kamiya Dojo. For a moment she thought it had all just been a bad dream, but when she went to sit up, her head began to swim. She brought a hand to her face and winced in pain as it came in contact with her puffy and swollen eye.

She heard low voices in the other room, and strained her ears to try to figure out who was out there and what they were saying.

"I am going to need a medical report to enter as evidence," asked a male voice.

"I'll give you one but only with her permission," replied a female one.

"I understand."

"Must you really question her as soon as she wakes? I'd much prefer her to rest and not be stressed out more than she already has today."

"I have to make a report, and it is best to find out what happened from her as soon after as possible. I need the details, Takani-san, otherwise those men will be back out on the streets. I am under a time restraint imposed by the law."

"I shouldn't allow it. But I'll leave the decision up to Kaoru when she wakes."

"Very well."

Kaoru sat there for a while trying to figure out what she wanted to do. She did not want to have to deal with this right now, but she did not want those men to walk free either. She searched deep inside of her for the strength to confront her horror, and found it. Putting her fears aside she slowly and gingerly got up, being careful of both her head and her ankle and limped into the other room.

Megumi and Saitoh looked up in unison.

"Kaoru-chan, you should be in bed!"

Kaoru shook her head sadly. "Gomen, Megumi, but I'd like to finish up some business I believe I have with Saitoh-san first."

Megumi bowed her head. "As you wish. But you'll sit down and do it, and drink some medicinal tea."

"Hai."

Kaoru gingerly sat down, and was mildly surprised when she felt Saitoh gently helping her down. Megumi went into the kitchen and returned with a foul smelling tea, but Kaoru dutifully drunk ever last drop.

"Kaoru, I need to know in your own words what happened." He spoke softly, which amazed Kaoru yet again.

Kaoru stared down into her empty tea cup, Megumi got up and put a hand briefly on her shoulder and went into the other room.

"If you need me, I'll be cleaning up in the kitchen."

"Arigato, Megumi."

Kaoru sighed, looking back down in her cup, remaining silent for the longest time. Saitoh merely sat across from her waiting for her to begin when she was ready.

"I was walking home with the groceries...." she began softly.

Finally she finished her tale and Saitoh finished his tea.

"Arigato Kaoru. I will have your words written out and I'll come by for you to sign it and verify that it is true. I also need permission for Megumi to release to me a report on how bad physically you were hurt."

Saitoh coughed a bit uneasily.

"I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that those men get punished to the full extent of the law."

Saitoh nodded grimly.

"I'll see to that Kaoru. I'll go attend to it."

Saitoh got up to leave and as he walked out, Kaoru called softly after him.

"Domo arigato gozaimasu (thank you very much), Saitoh-san."

Saitoh nodded his head as he headed out into the twilight back to the police station.

As Saitoh walked out of the dojo he passed a small kid running in.

"Hellwo????"

"Yes? Come in please?"

A very shy and scared little kid came running in.

"I'm looking for Doctor Megumi... Haha ue (mother) is so sick! Something wrong with her belly."

Megumi walked in.

"Keiji-kun? Does your mother need me?"

Keiji nodded his head frantically.

"OK let's go." said Megumi as she grabbed her stuff, but she paused at the door. "Kaoru-chan?"

Kaoru smiled sadly. "Go Megumi, I'll be fine."

Megumi nodded curtly as she ran off after the little kid.

Kaoru sighed and gingerly got up limping and carrying in both her and Saitoh's cups into the kitchen. She put weight down on her foot wrong and fell to the floor, the cups breaking into pieces.

Kenshin, Sanosuke and Yahiko were walking up the path and heard the noise. The three turn to look at one another and Sano supplied a "kore wa nan da yo?!" (what the hell is that?!) The three of them ran up the dojo steps and followed the sounds into the kitchen, where they found Kaoru on her knees with fragments of the broken cups around her.

"Kaoru-dono, daijobu de gozaru yo?" (are you okay) spoke Kenshin with worry.

"I'll be fine Kenshin."

Sanosuke walked around her to help pick up the broken pieces and looked up at her.

"Kuso!! (Shit!!) What the hell happened to you *Ojouchan?"

*Author's Note: (Ojouchan: Sanosuke loves to call Kaoru this, which roughly translates out to "Little Missy". ^_^x )*

Kaoru looked up into his face, then looked down. Kenshin and Yahiko in concern moved around and saw what Sano was so upset about, and their faces were that of horror, rage, and fear. Kenshin reached out and gently lifted her head with his finger back up so that she was looking into his eyes.

"Kaoru-dono, what happened?"

Kenshin said it with such softness mixed with worry, and yet Kaoru saw the gleam of the hitokiri (killer) battousai in his eyes. That gleam made her stomach churn cold, and feeling his finger on her face and the softness in his voice just made her want to surrender to her impulse and need to cry in his arms. But she did not. She was so afraid that if she did that would make the hitokiri come out more.

"It's nothing. It has already been taken care of," Kaoru said it softly her voice thick with emotion.

Kenshin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Sanosuke and Yahiko exchanged worried glances.

"Kaoru-dono, please tell us what happened."

Kaoru lowered her head back down, and sighed wearily.

"I was coming back home from buying the groceries, when I came across some of the police bullying on some kids and a cat. I got involved, we fought... Saitoh-san came along arrested them and threw them in jail."

Kaoru raised her head back up, Kenshin and Sanosuke both narrowed their eyes at her obvious pause in the story.

"Yahiko-kun, please go get some water so we can clean up the mess in the kitchen" asked Kenshin.

"Geesh... alright I'll go get it," said Yahiko as he walked out of the room scuffling his feet on the floor.

As soon as Yahiko was out of ear shot, Kenshin began his questioning again.

"There is more to this than you have said."

Kaoru sighed sadly, hanging her head in shame as she nodded her head softly.

"Hai, there is more... when they attacked me... I was so outnumbered and without a weapon..." she stopped. Choking back on sobs and took a few deep breaths calming herself down. "They... they tried to be...." Kaoru struggled visibly with the words..." tried to be physically intimate with me. That was when Saitoh-san came in and took care of them."

Kaoru hanged her head even more, soft tears falling down her face in the darkened kitchen. Sanosuke could be heard cursing softly under his breath. Kenshin was deathly quiet, he reached out with his fingers and deftly wiped away the tears from her eyes. Then gotup and walked out of the kitchen heading out for the police station.

Kaoru looked up as she heard him leave, her expression changing from one of sadness to one of shock and fear.

"Ken...shin?"

Kenshin did not even pause, or turned around, he just kept walking out of the dojo into town.

Kaoru got up shakily to her feet, biting her lip in pain at her throbbing ankle, and started out after him.

"Sanosuke! Stop standing there! We've got to stop him!"

Yahiko came back in the room with a bucket ladened with water.

"Oi, where's Kenshin going?"

"He's going to the police station!" said Kaoru, "We've got to stop him!"

"Eh?"

Yahiko dropped the bucket of water in surprise and shock. The water slopped messily all over the floor, but was unnoticed as Sanosuke ran out after Kenshin, Kaoru limped out. Yahiko stood there in shock, and then started running after everyone else.

"Hey wait up! What happened???," Yahiko yelled out as he ran to catch up with everyone.

As Yahiko was about to run a-breast of Kaoru, he was amazed as he watched Kaoru (who's never been on a horse before that he knows of) hop into a vacant saddle and started off toward the police station. Sanosuke was completely out of sight.

"Che! (damn). They left without me!"

Yahiko redoubled his efforts and ran flat out for the police station.

Go to Part 2