I don't own any characters of Rurouni Kenshin...blah...blah...

Blood and Tears - by JesusWolf

Chapter 1 - Secrets

Someone banged on the door of the Kamiya Dojo and Sanosuke approached. He opened the door and Kaoru fell to her knees in front of him. Her kimono was torn and slightly loose and her long raven hair was streaming down her back and shoulders. "Kenshin!" she breathed between tears. "What's wrong little missy?"

Kenshin heard the commotion from the kitchen and rushed to the scene. His eyes widened at the sight of Kaoru on her knees in tears. "Miss Kaoru!" (Kaoru - Dono in Japanese)

He rushed to her side and kneeled beside her. "What's wrong Miss Kaoru? What happened?"

'Kenshin...I can't tell you...you'll...you'll turn...Battousai...'

He gently shook her, "Miss Kaoru, please tell me, did someone hurt you?" She tried to stop crying but her sobs only increased. Kenshin saw that her right shoulder was cut and blood stained her kimono.

Sanosuke stood there not knowing what to do.

"You're shoulder's cut...a knife?" He had to know what happened. She brought her hands, which were crossed over her shoulders, down in front of her face. Blood. But this blood was not her own. Her hands were stained with the blood of a man.

Her eyes grew dim and she weakened. "Ken...shin..." He leaned over to catch her as she fell in his arms. 'Her innocent hands are stained with blood...'

Her eyes opened to Kenshin sitting in front of her. She slowly sat up on her futon and stared at him for a while with dull melancholy eyes. Her right shoulder was bandaged. She looked down at her hands, no longer stained. The blood wasn't there but she still saw it.

"Kenshin...I can't...tell you..." She never wanted to see the Battousai again, she only wanted to see Kenshin.

He moved closer to her and laid his hand gently on her arm. "Miss Kaoru, it will do no good to keep this inside of you, it will only cause more pain." 'Pain...so much pain...I'm used to it by now...'

"Miss Kaoru, please tell me." He brought her chin up so that she could see his soft violet eyes pleading for her to speak."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

More soon - please read and review. :) -JesusWolf