*sigh* Hello everyone. This is my *second* attempt at this fic…grrr…stupid bakas deleted my story…anyways, I guess what this means is that I can't do any lemon stories in here *cries*. But I know you still wanna find out what happens, so I have rewritten this to an edited version. *shakes fist at ff.net* YA HEAR!?!?! EDITTED!!!

….Gomen. *bows* ^^ Anyways, to read the *un*edited *twitch* version of this story, simply go to my homepage. Meanwhile, this is still rated R for strong language, violence, and adult situations. NO LEMONESS INVOLVED!!! Do NOT delete this!!!

…As you can see, dear readers, I am very upset over the deletion. But no matter. I present to you the first chapter of this story. Enjoy! ^__^

~~~***~~~

In the stillness of the room, Kaoru sat up from her sleep, panting hard, very awake. It was always the same—and she really had no idea what it could mean. Glancing around, she sighed. She collapsed back down, closed her eyes, and thought about the nightmare entering her dreams for the last week…the nightmare about Kenshin…

It was always nighttime. She would be chopping something for dinner, and then happen to peer out the window. Kenshin would always be standing there, motionless, his back to her. Kaoru called to him, and he always was unresponsive. He would just……stand there. Finally Kaoru would walk outside to question him. The closer she walked to him, the more he turned to look at her. In this nightmare she would always almost reach Kenshin. He looked at her with some sort of emotion Kaoru was not familiar with, and started to say something to her. Suddenly, faceless assassins would dart out of the earth, seemingly, and lunge at him. Kenshin would always pull out his reversed blade sword and raise it. Then, for some inexplicable reason he always looked at her right then, with the same unknown emotion in his eyes. Puzzled, Kaoru mouthed 'why?' while watching him lower his sword, leaving him vulnerable. The assassins saw this and quickly rammed their weapons into him. Kenshin's eyes grew wide and a look of severe pain came upon his face, his eyes flickering amber. It would always be for a split second, because Kaoru woke up at this point every single time.

"Why do I always dream of that each night? Could this mean……something will happen to him…? What is it trying to say?" Sighing, she moved back against the blankets. Kenshin is the strongest fighter to ever live, she thought. Nothing could harm him. Reassuring herself, sleep washed over her again.

~~~***~~~

Kenshin moved silently across the hallway. Quietly he opened the door into Kaoru's room a crack and looked inside. He saw her sleeping peacefully. Opening the door a little wider, he stepped inside. She looked so gentle, so……angelic, almost. 'Miss Kaoru would give me a hard whack on the head if she saw me doing this, that she would.' He thought nervously. But he couldn't resist. Kenshin reached down and took a strand of her hair. Crouching down, he stroked her strands gently, completely reassuring himself that she was okay.

Unknown to Kaoru, lately Kenshin had a very uneasy feeling for the past few days in his gut. Something was going to happen, and he knew that he would need to fight. And somehow………something inside had told him she would be involved. A kidnap? Or maybe an innocent bystander in an upcoming battle?

He forced himself not to think about it anymore. Kaoru was the strongest-willed woman he knew. She could take care of herself. Looking down at her sleeping form, he laid his hand on hers slightly. Nothing would ever happen to her, not if he was careful. 'But what does it mean? Is something going to happen?' At that moment she stirred, and Kenshin left the room as swiftly as lightning while she awoke, wondering what it was she had just felt on her hand a moment ago.

~~~***~~~

Later that day…

Kaoru held her broom tightly, pausing to watch the happy rurouni play with the young Suzume in the yard. At the moment he was carrying her on his shoulders and racing across the area, with her giggling every step.

"Suzume, Uncle Kenshin needs a little rest, that he does."

"Waa!! Faster Uncle Kenshin! Whee!!"

Sighing, he complied for a few more minutes, and then set her down. She dazingly walked to her ball and started bouncing it up and down. Kaoru chuckled a little. He walked over to her and laid down on the grass.

"C'mon, Kenshin. Let's go."

He sat up. "Doko? Do you want me to do something, Miss Kaoru?"

"Yes." She handed him a bucket. "Go and get some water, please?"

"Hai!" He nodded and reached for the handle. For a split instant they looked at each other's eyes, and something passed through them. Kenshin grasped the handle and by doing so accidentally touched a little of Kaoru's hand. Both shrunk their hands immediately back from the touch and quickly turned away. After complete silence for a few seconds, Kenshin nodded slowly to her and walked down to retrieve the water. Kaoru stood motionless for a minute or two then started sweeping again.

'That look he gave me…what was in his eyes? There was something in there, I'm sure of it." She thought about her nightmare again. "If that would ever happen to him, I don't know what I'd do…such a gentle man he is. And I can't help but feel that if, maybe, under different circumstances perhaps he and I…well…" She continued sweeping and stared at the ground. "At any rate I won't allow anything to happen to him."

"Happen to who, Miss Kaoru?" Kenshin asked, approaching her with a full bucket of water. Kaoru flustered slightly and looked him over for a brief moment. Although compared to most of his opponents Kenshin was scrawny, she knew that he held his own. She looked at his arm, which held the bucket, and the bulge of his muscle from the weight. A slight gust of wind came up, and she could see his red hair gently swaying along. Her eyes trailed down to-

"Miss…Kaoru?" He looked at her.

Her eyes fell to the broom once more and began sweeping quickly.

"Miss Kaoru, what do you want me to do with this water you asked me to bring?" He was still standing there.

Her mind raced. She didn't actually need the water for anything at the moment now that she thought about it. "Oh, um, put the bucket by the clothes that need washing."

"You did that this morning, that you did. Don't you remember?"

She continued to stare at the broom, hoping he wouldn't see that her face was the same color as his hair. 'Come on, think Kaoru!' "Oh—yes, that's right. Well then…I guess you can bring it over in the kitchen and set it to a boil for me, I'll be making dinner soon, so…"

"Oro? But Miss Kaoru, you don't normally start dinner in the middle of the afternoon, that you don't…"

She was becoming irritated. "I know, I know! But please, just do this for me, okay?" Her sweeping pace quickened and she turned her back to him. Puzzled, Kenshin nodded and went into the kitchen to complete the task given to him.

When he was done he came around one side of the dojo and watched Kaoru from afar. His uneasy feeling rushed back to him, but he pushed it away to the back of his mind, where it usually laid. He watched her as she sat down for a moment and laid her head back. Her fragile body relaxed, and Kenshin smiled. Her hair half covered her face with the wind blowing gently down. Her chest fell up and down from breathing. She looked so peaceful that Kenshin didn't want to tell her the water was probably boiled by now.

~~~***~~~

Kaoru stood up from her small break and went into the kitchen. There she found Sano and Yahiko, arguing about petty stuff as usual. Sighing heavily, she went to prepare for supper.

"Look Sano, I agreed to you that if I cleaned up the dojo you would go get the groceries. I did my part!"

"Not true, kiddo." Sano pointed to a nearby corner. "That spot over there doesn't look clean to me."

"WHADDAYA MEAN!??!"

"IT'S GOT COBWEBS ALL OVER!!!"

"DOES NOT!!!!

"I think you should stop fighting, that I do." Kenshin entered the room and the two fell silent, glaring daggers at each other.

"Dinner!" A familiar voice called from somewhere.

"Dinner!" All three shouted happily, and they raced each other to the room.

~~~***~~~

Later, in the evening…

Sano and Yahiko had already gone to bed, tired from arguing so much. Kenshin helped Kaoru clean up dinner, and now it was about time that both of them went to bed, too.

"Miss Kaoru, would you like me to finish washing these dishes so you can go to bed now?"

"Hm, no that's alright, I'll finish these up too. Besides, I…" She stopped herself.

Kenshin looked at her from the corner of his eye, waiting for her to finish.

"Er, I………don't want to go to bed. Not right now anyways."

"Oro? Why not? It's been a long day for you."

"Yes, well…" She paused, considering. Kenshin waited patiently. "For the past week or so, I've been having a nightmare each time I go to sleep."

Kenshin froze. 'Does it have something to do with…?' "What kind of nightmare, Miss Kaoru?"

She stood silent for a moment. "Never mind, Kenshin. I'll go to bed after all. The nightmare isn't as bad now because I've seen it so many times." She said flatly. Kaoru made a move to turn away and leave, but a gentle yet strong hand grasped her arm. She looked at him.

"Onegai? Please tell me?" He asked again. She looked at him in surprise. Why would he care so much about some stupid nightmare?

"Well…let's just say that I hope it never, ever comes true." Alarms set off in his mind. She turned to leave, and he let her go.

~~~***~~~

Kaoru finished getting ready, then laid down. She didn't want to go to sleep. However, her mind faded away, and eventually she drifted into slumber.

The dream was…different for some reason. What was going on? Instead of outside the dojo, they were in a street somewhere, running from something. The street never ended—she could always see the way to the dojo but they never reached it. Something chased them—someone? Multiple footsteps could be heard. Kenshin looked behind them and quickened his pace. Kaoru did the same but saw nothing, only hearing footsteps. Was there 10?—No, more like 15. Eventually she fell down. The echoing footsteps fell upon her. Kenshin turned to her and raised his sword like he did in the other dream, ready to attack, but then gave her the same look as before and lowered it. The footsteps darted onto him. He fell forward, cuts upon him from nowhere.

She sat up, screaming "Kenshin!!"

~~~***~~~

Earlier…

Kenshin finished the dishes and wandered through the dojo, thinking. Why was he so uneasy tonight? An attack was coming? Perhaps, or maybe not. The sky was clear outside. He took a deep breath and was about to head into his room for the night, when he heard something from inside the dojo—a familiar voice had cried out his name. Realizing who it was, he was gone in a blur.

Peering into her room, he saw Kaoru sitting up, obviously not sleeping. She immediately noticed him walking in. Kenshin crouched down next to her.

"K-Kenshin, I………you…"

"Are you alright, Miss Kaoru?"

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't normally call out to me in the middle of the night, that you don't."

She blushed. Did HE hear her say something? Turning her side to him, she said, "My dream…it was different this time…" She shook her head, puzzled. Why was she telling this to him? She didn't exactly owe him a detailed explanation…

"Oro?"

Kaoru smiled, hoping he would accept it. "It's okay, I'm fine now."

Kenshin nodded, and the two sat in silence for a few seconds. Then Kaoru got up, saying, "Kenshin, would you like to go for a walk with me? I'm not really tired right now and I don't want to go to sleep."

"I wouldn't mind doing that, Miss Kaoru. But you're sure you aren't tired at all?"

'Heh, always the worry-wart…' "Believe me, I'm not. Well then…yokatta desu! Let's go." She walked out and he followed.

Well that's all for this first chapter. REVIEW PLEASE!! ^^ My policy is that I never put up a new chapter unless I see that I have enough reviews. And I promise, the next chapter WILL have more…interesting stuff! ^_^ Aww, aren't they just adorable together?

Hope you liked reading this so far! Review, and bye for now!