A/N: Pretty last chapter. Rated for mature themes. Kenshin not mine. End note and start reading.

Eternity in a Grain of Sand

Chapter 7

"I hate flying," Kaoru murmured to herself, her fingers digging into the armrest of the seat.

"We could've avoided all this if you would've just used a transport spell." Kenshin murmured, placing his hand over hers to keep her from shattering the plastic.

"I'm not showing up half-drained when Saitoh's the one who's calling. Knowing him we're saving all of vampire kind and we have to do it before lunch."

The redhead gave a light chuckle, but kept his eyes trained out the window. They'd just passed the last of the mainland of Europe. The English Channel glistened beneath them in the weak sunlight, dark waters broiling slightly.

"Nearly there, Kaoru. Just relax."

She glared at him before forcibly removing her hand from under his. "I hate flying," she muttered again, closing her eyes as she felt the plane begin its descent.

Half an hour later, they were stepping into the main terminal of the London Airport. Kaoru easily spotted Saitoh, though she was surprised he had come in person. His lanky figure leaned against a pillar. A curl of smoke drifted away from him in defiance of the no-smoking signs posted around the building. A glint of golden eyes found her and he turned his head slightly toward them, acknowledging them both.

Slowly, the two vampires made their way to the Wolf, pushing through crowds of people absorbed in late arrivals and lost luggage.

"Glad to see you were so prompt," Saitoh drawled when they were in hearing range. "Get your bags and follow me. I've already provided a car for you."

"How kind," Kaoru snapped, still irritable from the flight. Kenshin placed a calming hand on her shoulder but she pulled away, quickly moving to the baggage claim.

"You'll have to forgive her," he told Saitoh. "Flying does not agree with her and she's still angry with you for calling us…again."

"She doesn't suspect?" the Wolf questioned, his eyes on the ancient vampiress.

"Not a thing." Predatory grins bloomed on both their faces.

oOoOoOoOo

They followed Saitoh through the narrow streets of London, Kenshin driving and Kaoru brooding. All too soon they arrived at a hotel that was far too ritzy for Kaoru's taste. She had a distinct feeling that Saitoh didn't give a shit. The Wolf stepped out of his car and waited for them.

"You'll stay here. They're expecting you. All you need to do is give your names. And they cater to people of…distinct tastes, so you need not worry about hunting."

"What about the reason you called us here?" Kaoru asked, her teeth bared slightly in annoyance.

"All in good time, Kaoru. Try to have some patience. See the sights. Tower of London should be quite romantic."

With that, he left them, shadows settling on his broad shoulders in the twilight of evening. "Was he always this sarcastic?" Kaoru murmured to herself.

"Always," Kenshin told her, leaning down to nibble her chin slightly before lifting their suitcases and moving through the revolving doors. Kaoru followed, her mind clearly elsewhere. Kenshin retrieved their key and led Kaoru to their room with a firm hand on her shoulder.

The room was luxurious, but at least it was simple. Dark reds and smooth neutrals were accented with splashes of purple. The art on the wall was real, not some mass-produced print. Kaoru admired the brush strokes for a moment before moving to inspect the bathroom. She grinned in spite of herself when she saw the large whirlpool bathtub. When was the last time she'd allowed herself the luxury of a good soak?

Kenshin snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck fondly. "Care to try it out?" he whispered.

She smacked his arm and loosed herself of his grip. "You are such a nymphomaniac."

"I went more than century without sex. I'm allowed to be a little perverted."

"I went five centuries. Keep your damn libido under control."

Kenshin sighed slightly. She was still far too irritable from the flight and an irritable Kaoru made for poor conversation. "Are you hungry?" he asked, moving to the small phone with the intent of calling room service.

"A bit, but I could use a drink more."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. Kaoru had never been one for drinking. Maybe Saitoh's call was stressing her more than he'd realized. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Margarita. I'm wishing this was Spain instead of England."

"Maybe we can stop there after this."

"No. Enough traveling. We're going to pick a spot and stay there for at least fifty years, if not more."

He did not question her. He'd seen far too much traveling in the past few years as it was. Quietly he picked up the phone and ordered both drinks and supper. Saitoh had been quite truthful in saying the hotel catered to…unusual needs. When the bellhop arrived, he was bearing a margarita, a bottle of champagne, and two metal thermoses that smelled of warm blood.

"Thank you," Kaoru murmured to the young man, flipping a few Euros to him. He caught them with a smug grin, bowed, and backed out of the door. Kaoru lifted her margarita and began licking salt off the rim of the glass. Kenshin watched with half-lidded eyes, but decided he would wait until Kaoru was a little looser before he attempted anything again. Instead, he lifted one thermos and began his supper.

The blood was indeed still warm, though he could tell that it had been chilled before. The taste on his tongue was unusual, though he was grateful that it was not human. He watched Kaoru start in on her margarita as he tried to identify what manner of creature had donated the blood. Perhaps a magical creature? He'd never had hippogryph but the blood on his tongue did remind him of a horse.

"Is there anything you want to do while we're here?" he asked quietly, as she crossed to their balcony and looked out on the city.

"Not here, but I would like to visit a friend in Ireland after we're finished here."

"Oh?"

"Her name's Megumi. Maybe you know her. A white witch who married a werewolf. They were the talk of the underworld about fifty years ago."

"I remember the rumors, but I've never met her personally. Anything else? You don't want to play the tourist?"

"Not unless there's anything you want to see. The architecture tends to lose its charm after it's been restored. I much prefer the buildings in their original states."

"Surely there must be something in London that you weren't around to see built."

"Well…that giant Ferris wheel is pretty new," she murmured.

"You hate flying, but you'll go on a giant Ferris wheel."

"They are two entirely different things. Besides, I could probably survive falling from the Ferris wheel."

Kenshin nodded and downed the last of his blood. Kaoru was looser now. More relaxed. He stood and set his thermos back on the tray. She didn't turn as he crossed the room and began to massage her shoulders. Rather, she bowed her head and relaxed into his touch, enjoying the feel of his fingers nimbly working her tense muscles.

"Don't think I don't know you're just trying to get me into bed."

"Whatever works, darling. Whatever works."

"Mmmm…"

Kenshin slipped his hands under her shirt and kneaded her lower back, dropping an occasional kiss on her neck. When she'd had enough, she turned into his arms and kissed him, dropping all pretense of not giving him what he wanted. As their lips and tongues danced, he began to undo the buttons of her shirt, running his fingers over each inch of revealed skin with reverent butterfly touches.

Slowly they maneuvered to the bed, where Kaoru broke from his lips to pull his shirt over his head. She took control of the situation and pushed him back onto the coverlet, dusting his chest with kisses. He submitted to her movements and contented himself with running his palms over her back and neck.

"Kaoru?" he murmured as she nipped one of his ribs.

"Mmmm?" she asked, too absorbed in the scent of his skin to really answer.

"Kaoru, I have a question for you."

She paused from where she'd been undoing the button of his jeans and looked up into his golden eyes. "And you need to ask it now because?"

"I want to know."

She stared at him intently, waiting. Kenshin was embarrassed to feel his cheeks flame under her gaze, mostly because of the question he was about to ask. "Can vampires…have children?"

Her head quirked to the side to look at him, clearly his question something completely unexpected. "Didn't I ever tell you?"

He shook his head and his red hair fell away from his face. Kaoru crossed her arms over his stomach and set her chin on them, her eyes thoughtful. "Scientifically, vampires are capable of producing children. I remember reading the studies somewhere. Females have fertile eggs and males have viable sperm. However, the chances of vampires actually conceiving are…poor. And that's putting it kindly. I believe the chances of an unmated couple having a child are close to one in one million."

"What about a mated couple."

"Better. About one in 225,000."

"Has it ever happened?"

"To my knowledge, only once. Saitoh and Tokio were lucky enough to have a biological child."

"How does the child…age?"

"From what Saitoh was willing to tell me, the child ages slowly until he or she reaches what equates to the twenties of the human lifespan. Then they stop completely. There's more too it, but…he was not very forthcoming on details. Is there a particular reason you're asking this, Kenshin?" Though she hated asking the question, she did want to know exactly where he was going with his thoughts.

Kenshin sighed and sat up, forcing Kaoru to sit up with him. He pulled her into onto his lap so that she straddled his thighs and then looped his arms around her back. "I won't lie to you, Kaoru. I want to build a life with you and I would be very happy if we were to have a child. Believe it or not, I do have a small dream of being a father. If you feel differently, that's fine. But this is where I stand."

Kaoru didn't say anything. Her face was buried in his neck and he could not see how she took his words. It made him nervous. Her fingers were tracing patterns on the skin of his back, but the movement seemed absent and lacking.

He's doing it again, Kaoru thought to herself. I let my guard down around him now without even realizing it. What the hell am I doing? Do I even know what I want from this relationship?

"Kaoru?"

"Shut up and kiss me," she whispered harshly, pressing down on his hips slightly. Kenshin could hear the edge in her voice, but he complied. Things moved quickly from there, Kaoru making love to him with what almost seemed like angry movements: rough bites soothes with kisses, harsh nails in his flesh followed by the caress of a tongue.

When she was finally finished with him, Kenshin was exhausted, but Kaoru lay awake long into the night.

oOoOoOoOo

As the early hours of dawn approached, Kaoru glanced at her lover. He was still lost to the world, his chest rising with slow deep breaths. Slowly, absently, she twirled a strand of his red hair on her finger and gazed at him. His long hair spread on the pillow beneath him in a fiery wreath, shining silver and purple in the dim light of the city. His arms were still loosely looped around her.

With a sigh, she disengaged herself from him, stood, and dressed. On their balcony, she gazed out into a city of shadows. Fog had descended, turning everything blurry and insubstantial. The streets were quiet and muffled, unreal. The chill scent of night drifted on the air, beckoning like a crooked finger. Kaoru took a final glance back at Kenshin before vaulting the railing and landing on the sidewalk below. With only a cursory glance to make sure she hadn't been seen, she took off into the deepness of night.

Kaoru wandered where her feet deigned to take her. Through narrow streets she wandered for hours on end. Everywhere from the poorest slums to the richest neighborhoods was hers to explore. No one bothered her, a woman confident in her power and edged with shadows sharp enough to cut.

Eventually, she found herself in one of her favorite spots in all of London. The Thames glistened at her feet, black gilded in silver. It was quiet tonight, hardly even moving as thought the weight of the fog pressed down too strongly for it to fight. Across the river, Kaoru could see the indistinct outline of the new Globe Theatre. She could not help but scoff at it. A pale replica of times long past.

She felt his presence before he made himself known. By now, she was so attuned to all that he was that it was nearly impossible for him to hide from her. He made no sound as he approached, stopping a few feet from her.

"Kenshin," she said lowly, thrusting her hands in her pockets.

He moved to stand next to her then, wordless for a moment. His aura made her shiver. She could feel the chill within it.

"Thinking of seeing a play?" he asked, voice almost neutral, but growling with a hint of something: disappointment, hurt, or anger. Perhaps all three.

"No. Just thinking."

"May I inquire as to what?"

"You and I. What we are and what we might be."

"Why did you leave?"

"To see if you trusted me, to see if I trusted myself. And to see what you would do when you woke up to an empty room."

He was quiet for a moment. "What do you mean to see if I trusted you?"

"I wanted to know if you're willing to believe that I'm not running from you again."

"Kaoru…"

"Don't start, Kenshin," she said, turning towards him. "You need not justify yourself."

He watched her through narrowed golden eyes. Her outline was indistinct and for a moment, he feared she'd dissipate in the fog like so much smoke.

"You're angry with me for following you."

"No. I told you. You're justified in following me. I've run from you enough times to make sure of that. I just…I don't know."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, both to reassure her and to reassure himself that she was not about to disappear, become yet another ghost in a haunted city.

"I don't plan on running from you again, Kenshin. You're far too used to getting your way for that."

He digested her words, trying to let his mind work past the slight insult. Then he pulled her closer, slipping his hands around the small of her back. His eyes were dark and serious as he spoke again.

"But you would run, if you thought it would protect me from harm or pain greater than your leaving would cause."

"Most likely."

"I would follow you."

She smiled then, a slow sad smile. "I know you would," she whispered, before closing the gap between him for a lingering kiss. "I know you would."

They stood for long moments as the world began to wake up around them. Kenshin's forehead pressed against hers lightly as she let out a slight sigh. "Let's go back to the hotel."

He nodded and picked her up, ignoring her protests. She had taken liberties tonight so he would also. Within minutes, they were back at the hotel. The sun was cresting the horizon, turning the fog pink and gold.

oOoOoOoOo

"Tell me why exactly we're meeting you in a dress shop, Saitoh."

"Because you require a dress."

Kaoru eyed the Wolf, a scowl growing on her face. "You've brought me here for one of those monkey suited affairs where we all dance around witty words and pretend to like each other. That's what this is all about, isn't it?"

"Pick a dress, Kaoru," he told her, ignoring her increasing glare. "I'll send a car tonight to pick you up. If you're not ready, the driver has permission to manhandle you."

"Kenshin wouldn't let him."

"No," the redhead said behind her, "I'd help him."

She turned on him, fire sparking in her eyes. "You had a part in this?"

Kenshin did not answer, but he wore a shit-eating grin on his face that made her seriously consider the merits of punching him, kicking the Wolf, and making a run for it.

"Come on, Kaoru," he said after a moment of potential violence. "Let's pick out a dress for you."

They wandered through the boutique, Kaoru purposefully refusing to even glance at the wares. Kenshin did her job instead, picking gowns of every shape and color for her to try on. By the time they'd made it to the dressing room, Kaoru was quite certain that the red head was asking for certain death, or at least castration. He pushed her lightly into the room with several dresses that nearly filled the rest of the space she had left.

"I will get you back for this, Himura," she cried at him as he quickly shut the door behind her.

"I'm sure you will," he told her, his voice just daring further argument. He stood outside the dressing room for approximately ten minutes before speaking again. "Am I going to have to come in there and help you?" The tone of his voice gave Kaoru a mental picture of his damned smirk.

"That won't be necessary, you pervert."

"Then pick something, or I will happily pick it for you."

Her muffled growl sounded from within the depths of the room. The rustle of cloth sounded and a moment later, the door opened.

"That was qu…" Kenshin's voice faded off as he managed to get a look at her.

Kaoru had chosen a slinky blue evening gown that hugged her curves until her knees, where it hung in a straight line to a small train. A slit traveled up the front of the dress until just above her knee, showing the smooth white skin beneath. Her neckline plunged, held together only by a small black and silver clasp wrought in the shape of a butterfly. The fabric shimmered under his gaze, the impression of stars at night glinting among the midnight fabric. As she turned, he saw that the straps tied behind her neck, leaving her back completely exposed to his hungry gaze.

"Are you happy now?" she demanded, flashing an angry gaze over her shoulder. Kenshin's answered by pushing her back into the dressing room and following. Among the masses of dress fabric, he somehow managed to pin her against the wall.

"You are a bitch, you know that?" he demanded as his lips perused her neck.

"I was quite aware, thank you. Now you will get out of the dressing room because we are going to get you a tux."

"Already have one," he murmured as he dared to travel a little lower along her collarbone.

"You're still getting out of the dressing room."

"Am I?"

"If you don't, rest assured that the family jewels will be placed in immediate danger."

He moved back slightly, smirking at her while his eyes burned hot gold from under his bangs. "We're not finished. Be sure of that."

Then he slipped out, leaving her half wishing she would've hit him and half wishing that she hadn't stopped him.

oOoOoOoOo

Saitoh had not been kidding when he said he'd send a driver to force her to the gala. Kenshin had also not been kidding when he said he'd help the driver. This made for a rather uncomfortable drive through the streets of London in which the driver kept his shoulders hunched as though that would protect his neck from being broken and Kenshin had to sit with the uncomfortable knowledge that he was in a confined space with a very annoyed Kaoru.

Slowly, the car pulled to a stop in front of what appeared to be a decrepit and condemned building. The driver opened the doors for them and Kenshin had to bodily lift a scowling Kaoru from the car. "You are sleeping in the lobby tonight," she hissed as he dragged her towards the entrance, covered in yellow warning tape.

"Sure I am," he told her, his smirk only goading her foul mood.

They slipped past the tape easily enough and followed the sound of revelers towards the damnable ball, gala, or whatever the hell it was supposed to be. A smallish man who smelled like a goblin but looked like a human was waiting outside a pair of marvelously decayed double doors.

"Ah, Battousai," he murmured in a husky and slightly slurred voice, "a pleasure to see you once again. You have brought a consort?"

Kaoru huffed at the term and shot a glare at Kenshin. He shrugged helplessly before saying, "I have, Tilney. This is the vampiress and Council Member Kaoru Kamiya. She's here under Saitoh's express invitation."

The goblin's grin widened slightly as he bowed. "A pleasure, milady. I'll announce you now."

He flung open the wide doors and Kaoru felt a flush rise in her cheeks as every head in the room towards them…and there were a great many heads. "Kenshin Himura, Vampiri Battousai and his consort Council Member Kaoru Kamiya, Vampira Eternal."

The sound of her old nickname rolling through the room suddenly made Kaoru feel more at home. It was simply another gathering of political snipers, no different than the masques of five hundred years ago. She straightened and met the incredulous glares of the crowd.

Kenshin slowly led her through the throng as they began to gossip yet again, toying with the newest idea that the Eternal was back in the underworld and she was accompanied by one of its most dangerous vampires. They wandered through the crush until they found Saitoh and Tokio on the outskirts, seated in a mish-mash of chairs that varied from thrones to rocking chairs to director's seats.

Saitoh had seated himself on a rather imposing throne constructed of some sort of heavily lacquered wood. Tokio was beside him on a slightly more amiable easy chair with some of the stuffing leaking out. The Wolf smirked at them as they approached but his wife immediately stood and hugged Kaoru. "It's been such a long time," she murmured as she pulled back. "I do hope you'll tell me of your adventures."

Kaoru gave a sardonic laugh. "They were hardly glamorous, Tokio. I'm more interested to learn what's become of you and your son. I can't believe you're still with Saitoh after all these years. I would've gone mad."

"Don't think it hadn't crossed my mind," the other vampiress murmured just loud enough for her husband to hear. He glared at her before dismissing the words by pulling out a cigarette.

"Glad you made it, Kaoru. I would've been most disappointed if you killed my driver. He's a good man for jobs like that."

"I'm glad to know I amuse you, Saitoh. Rest assured we will only be here until the acceptable time to revel has passed. Then we will be leaving. Understood?"

"Of course," he said with a smirk. "However, you two will be starting the first dance once everyone has arrived."

Kaoru stopped dead in the process of making a snarky reply, her brain ceasing to function for a moment. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me. First dance. You are one of the guests of honor after all, and the highest ranking at that."

Kenshin was forced to make some quick maneuvers as he dragged her away from attempting to injure Saitoh. When she did finally stop struggling, she immediately grabbed a shot from the nearest waiter and downed it in one swallow. "When we get home, I'm going to tie you up and leave you for the crows and vultures to pick at," she growled at Kenshin.

"Sounds enjoyable," he told her, enjoying the glare she was sending him far too much for her own tastes. The doors opened again and another couple entered, some sort of sorcerer and his assistant.

Kaoru found and nursed a Long Island Iced Tea as she half-listened to the conversation around her. There were murmurs abounding about Kenshin and her. She amused herself by listening to how very wrong most of them were. Beneath the thrum of gossip, there were undertones of politics. A werewolf agreed to merge his pack with another for territory gain. Two faeries quietly arranged an assassination of a demon. One vampire schemed to become lord of a city.

The streams of underhandedness assaulted her ears and began to give her a headache that the alcohol was not really helping. She was surprised when she felt a hand remove her Long Island from her and set it aside. She sat stiffly as Kenshin wrapped his arms around her stomach and pressed lips to her neck.

"Relax," he murmured. "The intrigue is all part of the game and we don't have to play the game, remember? Don't worry about it."

"You fail to understand that that's the way I work. That's why Saitoh likes having me on the Council. I can tell him about almost any alliance in the underworld because I'm the one who worries about them all."

"Mmm…Well he'll have to wait a while. You've been out of the loop for many years. Best to let it assimilate slowly."

She only nodded, leaning back against his chest and quietly enjoying the feel of his lips against her pulse. He loosened his hold slightly as the crowd began to push back against the edges of the room, clearing the way for a dance floor. Kaoru sighed and wearily stood as a faerie orchestra made its way into the room.

"I suppose we have to dance," she said as Kenshin took her arm.

"I suppose we do."

Before them, Saitoh made his way to the center of the floor, Tokio at his side. "Welcome everyone, to our annual London Ball. We're pleased to have you."

The crowd murmured and cheered in assent. "To begin our first dance of the evening, we are honored to welcome Vampiri Battousai and Vampira Eternal." Murmurs sounded louder within the crowd as they immediately jumped on another piece of gossip to pass along.

"Do you still remember how to waltz?" Kenshin asked in her ear as they made their way to Saitoh.

"My dear Kenshin," she told him as she bowed slightly to Saitoh, "I was alive when the invented the waltz. I do hope you can keep up."

She flashed him a smile that seemed so unusual on her face that he nearly forgot to take her waist and hand as the conductor tapped out a beat. Quiet echoed within the grand room as they waited for the music to begin. Kaoru suddenly felt very alone with Kenshin.

The music started, ethereal and haunting, yet at the same time uplifting and quick. There was nothing else like faerie music to bring forth the desire to dance. Kenshin swept her away in the melody as her feet moved unconsciously to follow. She admired his quiet grace and easy technique with the steps, red hair flowing slightly behind him as they twirled. The music echoed in her ears and she lost herself to it, urging Kenshin to more difficult dance steps, more complicated turns. He grinned slightly as he lifted her into the air, her dress flowing out behind her. As he set her back down, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Are you, in fact, enjoying yourself?"

"Don't let it go to your head," she replied as other couples began to filter on to the floor. Though others were dancing, a wide space was left for Kenshin and Kaoru to finish their dance. As the crowd grew more boisterous, so too did the music, changing suddenly to a swift 4/4 that seemed somewhat reminiscent of Latin. Kenshin immediately pulled her into a salsa which she joined with abandon, though she'd never been formally trained. He led well and it was easy for her to follow.

The sensation of being whirled around and around was making Kaoru lose focus. She could feel that the song was about to end and was quite pleasantly surprised when Kenshin pulled her into a dip, his body leaning over hers slightly. The last flutist finished with a flourish and the crowd burst into applause, whether for the dance or for the orchestra Kaoru did not know.

"That was…impressive," she murmured at Kenshin as he slowly righted her. The next song was struck up, but they remained unmoving on the dance floor.

"I had a lot of spare time," he told her, easy grin alighting his face.

"Clearly." He laughed at the dry tone of her voice and dragged her off the floor. She followed without question, slowly replaying the last few moments in her head. No wonder he was so good in bed if he could move like that on a dance floor.

In short order, she found herself standing before a young man she'd never laid eyes on before. The boy's black hair stuck up in unruly defiance and the stubborn set of his chin made Kaoru immediately like him a little more.

"Kaoru, this is Yahiko Myojin. He's…a pupil of mine for lack of a better term."

"Pupil?" The boy had no aura to speak of and, unless her nose was fooled by the other scents of the room, was human.

"What he means to say," Yahiko said cheekily, "is he picked me up off the streets and has been caring for me ever since."

Kenshin shot a small glare at the boy but continued with introductions. "Yahiko, this is Council Member Kaoru Kamiya…"

"Vampira Eternal," the boy finished. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Heard it all when they let you guys in. She's not at all what I expected, Kenshin. I thought you said she was beautiful."

Kaoru snapped out of her slight fog to flash fang at the boy. "What was that?"

"You heard me. You're really kind of ugly."

"You little guttersnipe! I…I should…" But Kenshin was already dragging her away again.

"And you took him in why?" she growled, her eyes flashing slightly.

"I assure you, he's not that rude. He's just testing you, as it were. The boy shows surprising loyalty for one who was abandoned when his mother was turned."

"I never would have expected it of you. I'm the one who foolishly takes in strays. You don't."

"I couldn't just leave him to bleed to death. After that he stuck…a bit like a burr, actually."

He introduced her to more and more people. A whirl of colors and faces and wings and fangs flashed through her mind. Faeries and Weres and vampires and many other odd and less numerous magical creatures were taken through the careful social dance of pretending to like one another as Kenshin dragged Kaoru along.

"You've become a social butterfly in my absence, Kenshin." Her voice teased lightly.

"Not at all. I just like to know who I'm working for, in case I have to threaten them or some such nonsense."

"Mmm," she murmured noncommittally.

They wandered further into the ballroom, introducing or reintroducing themselves as was fitting. Kaoru felt ill at ease with those who could still remember her. She could sense the disapproval in them like acrid smoke burning from their skin. Those people she made an effort to avoid, but many attendees were far too young to have even heard of her legend. For that she was grateful.

"Let's get some fresh air," Kenshin suggested, leading her towards another set of glass double doors on the other side of the room. "They keep faerie gardens here and they're quite beautiful at night."

She nodded in complacence, quickly dropping off the conversation she'd been having with a hag who most unfortunately remembered Kaoru's fall vividly. They wandered through the crowd without even a jostle and Kaoru couldn't help but quietly wonder at the power Kenshin held among the people around them. They tripped over themselves to get out of his way.

In the gardens, Kaoru pulled away from the redhead to silently admire. He had been quite truthful; the gardens were gorgeous. All manner of unusual plants crowded the pathways. Luminescent flowers glittered against the grass. Trees that looked like spun sugar hung willowy boughs into the pathways. All around, the perfume of flowers permeated but did not overpower. Just to her right, a peacock suddenly appeared, though its feathers produced a purple light.

"Quite beautiful," she murmured, reaching out to touch a blossom that tinkled like glass in the wind.

"Indeed," Kenshin told her, his arms snaking around her shoulders. She had a feeling that he did not mean the garden. "Let's walk."

They passed other revelers escaping into the night air. Some had come to enjoy the gardens. Others had come to enjoy more carnal pleasures. Kaoru ignored them as best she could as they wandered deeper into the jungle-like atmosphere. Kenshin kept close to her, his hands almost always on her in some way or another. She shivered when he brushed a kiss against her temple.

"We are not doing this out here," she murmured as he turned her into his embrace.

"Not at all."

His lips continued a gentle perusal until she placed a finger against them. He quirked a brow at her questioningly, but stopped his advances.

"Have you thought about last night at all?" she asked quietly. He frowned and pulled farther away, clearly uncomfortable with the subject.

"Why are you always so determined to ruin a perfectly good moment?"

"Because sometimes, afterwards, they get better again."

He moved away, red hair slipping over her fingers as he went. He stood silhouetted by the light of the faerie flowers all around them, head bent pensively.

"I've thought about it," he admitted. "You are right; I'll admit that much. I'm still afraid you'll run again, even though I know for a fact either Saitoh or I would come after you in a heartbeat. I just can't see why you would leave. I don't understand why it's not enough for you."

She smiled gently before turning to gaze at a small fruit that shone with silver peach fuzz. "It's not that you're not enough. Some of the happiest memories I have are with you. It's just that I've been running for so long it's hard to stop again. Even now, I just want to get out of this place and wander around London."

"Why don't we?"

She blinked at him for a moment. "What?"

"Let's get out of here."

oOoOoOoOo

"You know," Kaoru commented, slightly breathless, "when you said 'let's get out of here,' I had assumed you meant let's go back to the hotel room. This possibility hadn't even occurred to me."

Through careful maneuvering, she and Kenshin had managed to sneak into the heart of Big Ben. Kaoru's normal inhuman stamina was struggling to keep up with Kenshin's god-like speed. It's just not fair. I'm three thousand years old for gods' sakes. He couldn't wait for the elderly or something?

As though hearing her thoughts, Kenshin suddenly paused on the stairs and looked back at her. "Trust me, it's worth it."

"You've done this before?" she asked incredulously as she caught up to him.

"Many, many times."

"Why?"

"You'll see, if you would only be patient."

"I've used up my span of patience for the night on the rabble back at the ball."

He chuckled but said nothing more. They continued their climb in silence. After another minute of slightly slower climbing, they finally emerged in the top of the tower. Kaoru could not help but stare up in wonder at the gigantic gears and mechanical pieces all around her. They all groaned quietly in the darkness, the clink of the time keeping coins starkly audible in contrast. She turned eyes toward the giant illuminated face and stared in wonder at the silhouettes of the hands and numbers.

"Come on," Kenshin motioned, urging her closer to one face. She followed, still in awe. With all the power vampires possessed, they still had never created anything nearly as wondrous as the clock she now stood in. Human persistence never ceased to amaze her.

Kenshin quietly opened a small window set to perfectly match one segment of the clock face. Kaoru slowly leaned out and took in the sight. All of London glittered beneath them. The night was unusually clear and she could see some of the brighter stars normally blotted out by light pollution. The Thames glittered as a silver and black ribbon sharply cutting through the city. She sighed in bliss.

"Wasn't it worth it?" Kenshin teased as he peered over her shoulder into the darkened city. "It's nearly midnight though. You may want to cover your ears."

"Why?"

"Think, Kaoru. Big Ben is named is named after a thirteen ton bell hung somewhere among all these gears. It's loud enough for most of London to hear. Cover your ears."

She glanced up at the minute hand to see that it was nearly at the apex of its journey and hurriedly clapped her hands to her ears as she began to whisper a muffling spell. She spread the magic to encompass Kenshin. Slowly, the cloak of supernatural settled on her ears, making her feel quite deaf. A moment later, the bell began to toll its midnight call. Even with the spell, Kaoru could faintly hear its massive swings. More than hearing though, she felt them. The tower vibrated beneath her feet with the reverberations of the sound. She could almost imagine the stones groaning in protest and had to remind herself that the tower had been standing for nearly two hundred years. She counted vibrations until twelve had passed and waited a moment before hesitantly lifting the spell.

"I must say," Kenshin murmured as he shook the deafness from his ears, "that was much better than the other times. It nearly made my ears bleed the last time I was here."

They stood and gazed out at London as the last vestiges of the bell tones faded away. Kaoru slowly leaned her head against Kenshin's shoulder, enjoying the moment as much as she could. Everything was so tangible. Even the fabled Neverland seemed in reach. Kaoru wanted to steal one of Kenshin's swords from his waist so she could cut the moment out of time and keep it for herself, for when things were looking bleaker.

"Have you thought about where you want to go from here?" he whispered in her ear after a moment. "Once we're done in Ireland?"

"A bit. I've only ever seen the Northern Lights a handful of times. How do you feel about Alaska?"

He gave her an incredulous glance. "It's beautiful, but I get the feeling you're avoiding people."

"What ever gave you that idea?" she asked wryly. He chuckled slightly and took one of her hands in his own to kiss it.

"Alaska would be wonderful," he told her softly, tilting her chin up with his other hand to kiss her. She almost didn't notice when he slipped something on her finger.

Quickly she broke the kiss and glanced down. A small wring wrapped around her finger in a delicate Celtic knot of wrought silver wire. Nestled within the wire were several opals no bigger than a small pebble. It was faerie made and she felt their honeysuckle magic dancing through the cool metal. Quickly, she looked up at Kenshin's face again.

"I know it's a purely human gesture," he told her as he kissed the hand again, "but I wanted you to have it anyway."

"Kenshin…"

"Don't. I'm not expecting a damn thing from you. That's the nature of love, if you remember correctly. This is a symbol for you to keep. Even if you should run, it's my promise to find you again. You have my heart in your hands."

To show her, he turned her palm over so the smooth wires on the bottom of the ring were visible. His fingers brushed over the single rune there and a small illusion appeared in her palm. It was not a heart, as she had been expecting. Instead, a tiny bird sat in her hand. It was the color of a bright sunrise, golden breast fading into flame red and autumn orange plumage. When the bird quirked its head to gaze at her, she saw that its small eyes were bright as amethysts.

Of their own volition, her fingers reached out to touch the bird. Her wonder increased when the illusion remained solid to her touch. Powerful magic was instilled in the ring upon her finger. The bird pressed up into her caress and opened its tiny black beak, emitting a rolling call that reminded her of a trilling reed pipe. It rose and fell in echoes through the clock tower. When the last of the calls were gone, she kissed the little bird on the head before brushing over the rune again.

She looked at Kenshin and for the first time in his memory, he could see every emotion on her face completely unguarded. "You…" she murmured, shaking her head as she tried to hold back tears, "you…jerk." His eyebrows rose in surprise as she threw her arms around him and kissed him fiercely.

He watched her face for a moment before closing his eyes and giving in to her demanding tongue. Her fingers wove in his hair and held on tightly to the lifeline he had thrown her. "You jerk," she whispered again, as she pulled away.

He pressed his forehead to hers as they both breathed, her eyes shut as she fought to stop tears from spilling over. "And why am I a jerk?" he asked quietly, weaving one hand into the silken hair against the back of her neck as his other hand pressed into the small of her back.

She laughed slightly, almost but not quite bitterly, and pressed into his embrace. He thought for a moment that she might not answer at all. But then… "Because you made me fall in love with you."

His heart stopped for a moment, and then restarted ten fold. His first impulse was to kiss her, his second to make love to her, but most of all, he wanted to laugh. The deep sound of his voice truly expressing his joy was such a rare sound that all Kaoru could do was bask in the reverberations against her ears.

"I'm glad," he whispered back to her, raising her up slightly for another, deeper kiss.

Epilogue

Kenshin and Kaoru moved to Alaska, a mated couple, just one week after their night in Big Ben. They lived there quite peacefully, save for the occasional power-seeking vampire, for the better part of fifty years, but decided to move to Europe when their son was born.

Life was by no means perfect for them. Kenshin still occasionally woke up in the middle of the night to an empty bed. He could always find her, but on those nights it didn't matter. She seemed worlds away.

On some days, Kenshin left just after dawn and didn't return until late into the night. On those nights, he always came home smelling of blood…far too much blood. After he bathed, they often lay together for hours, Kaoru acting as the anchor that held him in the world of sanity.

The Blood Council relied on the couple far too much. Kaoru was often being called on for her opinions in political disputes, not just because of her knowledge of the political alliances of the underworld, but also because bickering factions often silenced their bitter tongues with one angry glance from the ancient vampiress. Kenshin was often called on to eliminate "threats" in the area Kaoru was visiting, even though he was no longer in service to the Council.

When their son was born, Saitoh shifted eyes away from them though, leaving them to raise the boy in peace. They named him Kenji and he had the fiery hair of his father and the ghostly silver eyes of his mother when she was angry. And though life wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination…it was far more than either vampire had ever expected it to be. After all, neither had expected redemption for the dark phantoms of their past. Neither of them ever truly expected to be happy. But they were.

A/N: No glossary to speak of this time around. Don't think I used any unfamiliar words. And so it is finally done. I'm sad, but happy at the same time. One must eventually move on after all. Besides, it's not like I don't have a zillion and one more plot bunnies lined up. I hope you all enjoyed this, especially since I had to rewrite half of it due to the sheer idiocy of technology. For those interested, I'm publishing the drabbles I've written for Triumvirata on this site and will also be posting a preview to my next story at the Triumvirata site. A link can be found on my author's page. Last but not least, I want to personally thank each and every one of you for reading this story and giving such wonderful comments. RBK especially. You are all wonderful!