Deep Sea

Disclaimer: Don't own Kenshin!!! Don't sue me, I'm running out of money!

Joh: Okay, I know I've made you guys wait for a really long time to read this final chapter…but please be patient with me! School has been a hassle…I've been…not doing so well in my honors classes so I had to take a few weeks away from writing to bring up my grades. And I really can't make any mistakes with this last chapter…I'm going to try and make this as long as possible to make up for the wait!

Jessie:Wow, that was a really long note!

Joh: I know! I'm proud of myself.

Jessie: You should be.

Warnings: This is the last chapter…that's it….yeah…and I really won't appreciate any reviews stating how disspointed they were in the ending. I chose to end it this way cuz it's my story and I can do that, okay?

0o0o0o0

Kaoru gripped the belt of delicate shells tightly in her small fist, holding it close to her chest. She closed her eyes, taking in deep, steadying breaths. Never before in her life had she ever felt so torn.

Standing before her was the man she had come to love, despite her bitterness towards his kind. And then in his arms was held her child…her child. But…just waiting outside the open window lay the deep pool of blue and green, her home.

Azure orbs opened slowly, glazed over with unshed tears. She studied her lover's face carefully, almost mournfully. Kenshin Himura. The arrogant man who had blackmailed her into living with him. Who had so carelessly taken her from her home and forced her upon land.

She had hated him with every fiber of her being. Cursed him, glared at him, spat at him…and yet…

Now it was painful to think of a future without him.

Kaoru smiled bitterly and held out her arms for her baby. Kenshin handed the infant to her, gazing at her with such intensity that she couldn't bear to meet his eyes. She cradled Kenji in her arms, stroking his flushed cheeks with a finger. He hiccupped and blinked his wide blue-green eyes at her, licking his lips contentedly.

Her smile relaxed as she held him, rocking him back and forth gently. "He's beautiful." She finally said, smoothing out his red wisps of hair.

Kenshin smiled and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yes…he is. He has your eyes."

"And he has your hair," she pecked a soft kiss on Kenji's forehead. "I wonder who he'll take after personality wise."

Kenshin chuckled and reached forward to touch her cheek. "Probably after you…he'll be stubborn like you. I can tell."

Kaoru arched an eyebrow. "Is that so? I remember you being just as stubborn as me."

They both laughed softly before trailing off into a silence, broken only by the gentle crash of waves in the distance. Kenshin let his hand drop back to his side. "Kaoru…what are you going to do?"

Kaoru stared down at the baby, chewing on her bottom lip. Living as a human…with the two most important people in her life…or…returning to the sea where she was truly at home.

For a moment she wished that she had never come across Kenshin…then she wouldn't have to be in such a painful situation right now. But at the same time that would mean she would never have learned what it felt like to love someone as dearly as she did now.

She tilted her head slightly and gazed out the open bay window, trailing her eyes across the sea's horizon. The way the waves broken upon the sandy shore…the way the sun glowed upon the water's surface. She could still feel the way the sea muffled almost all noise, entering you into another world.

A small tear slipped down her cheek as she turned back to face Kenshin, smiling. "Kenshin…I love you."

Kenshin closed his eyes and fisted his hand in the white bed sheets. They way she said those last three words explained it all. He knew her answer and for the first time in his life he felt like crying.

"I'm sorry…I love you." She whispered so softly that the waves in the background almost blocked out her voice.

Their eyes locked, both thick with emotion. "Why?" He finally asked.

She handed the baby to him before leaning close to him, whispering against his cheek. "I'll always love you…but…I can't live here. I don't belong on land."

He reached up and tilted her face gently to the side and kissed her. Her breathed her in as he pressed closer to her, releasing his emotions into the gesture. After one breathless moment they parted, panting slightly.

Kaoru leaned her forehead against his, noses brushing. "I want you to raise him." she murmured. "He's half merman so he'll grown quickly. Aging only slows down when we reach our teens. I want you to raise him like he's a full human. Don't tell him otherwise."

"Whatever you want." Kenshin replied softly.

"Thank you."

0o0

Kenshin stood on the shore, hair whipping about his face from the wind. He stood very still…almost like a rock.

Kaoru walked ahead of him, wading delicately into the water. The sea rippled about her as she moved gracefully forwards. Not stopping to look behind, not even pausing. She knew that she couldn't hesitate. It would only make things more painful for the both of them.

She took a shaky breath as she stopped once she was waist high in the water, wrapping the belt around her slender waist. She could feel her legs tingling, merging together and creating an odd sensation running through the rest of her body.

The cold wind struck at her bare skin but she embraced the feeling as she closed her eyes.

A flash of gold caught her eyes under the water before she dived headfirst into the sea, plunging back into the depths of her home. Her golden-scaled tale flashed once above the water, as if waving goodbye to her lover standing upon the sandy beach, before disappearing into the waves along with her.

0o0

Kenshin sat by the water's edge for a long time, staring off into the waves as if hoping that she would return. But he knew she wouldn't. And strangely…he wasn't mad at her for choosing the sea…in fact; he knew she would have chosen that all along.

He had, of course, hoped that she would remain on land and marry him…but hopes are different from facts.

He clutched his knees to his chest and rested his chin on them. His skin was riddled with goose bumps but he didn't want to leave the sea just yet…not yet…not while the sun was still out.

A sliver of the sun cast an orange glow across the darkening sky, lighting up the waves into a reddish blue kind of color.

He wiggled his bare feet deeper into the sand, not bothering to wipe his eyes as tears fell freely.

Her smile.

A seagull called out as it flew overhead.

Her scowl.

The wind rustled the overhanging tress.

Her laugh.

The waves lapped against the shoreline, tickling his toes.

Her eyes.

The water danced and glowed in the setting sun, shining a dazzling array of colors.

Kaoru.

Kaoru.

Kaoru.

He smiled slightly. "You never belonged to me, did you?" he whispered to himself, sighing. No, she had always belonged to the sea. Always.

The sound of muffled footsteps alerted him to another's presence but he didn't bother turning around. A firm hand clasped his shoulder.

"She went home, didn't she?"

Kenshin said nothing as his friend took a seat on the sand beside him.

"Why don't you come back inside?" Sano finally suggested after a long silence.

"No. Not yet."

Sano shook his head, sighing. He ran a hand through his unruly brown hair, frowning. "You got a son to take care of. Did you forget?" he stood and held out a hand for Kenshin. "She left you a part of her."

Kenshin looked up into his friend's face blankly before smiling slightly. "Kenji."

"That's right. You're a father so you better start behaving like one. I took care of the kid up until now while you were sulking but I think miss little mermaid wanted you to raise him, not me." Sano grinned as he helped Kenshin to his feet.

"And it's not like she died. She's still out there, thinking of you." He finished.

Kenshin nodded and glanced back at the sea one last time. He remembered the way Kenji's eyes had danced the same way Kaoru's had. "Yeah…she's not completely gone."

The sea whispered its agreement.

Owari

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Joh: …Yeah…Hope you guys don't hate it. I might be making a little one-shot epilogue thing to this…nothing big though. I know a lot of you guys are probably really disappointed and angry with me right now…but please…don't flame.

Jessie: That wasn't….long at all….

Joh: Yeah I know…but…it's all about quality not quantity, right? And I might be doing a small one-shot sequel…I'm not sure yet. So review please!