Disclaimer: I don't own anything; I'm nothing more than a poor college student

From Me: Okay this is my first fanfic so I desperately want reviews and I love constructive criticism. I'm starting with a prologue and a chapter and I'll go from there, depending on, ya know my other life….not on a computer. I got this idea while watching trust and betrayal and at first the Kenji was going to be Kenshin but, I changed it. Oh and Sano married Megumi in this story. And Kenshin and Kaoru have two other older children (because Kenshin needs a reason to stay at the dojo…if his only son disappeared we all know he would to, to go looking for him) Okay, let's do this!

Prologue

Kenshin grasped his youngest sons' sticky hand tightly in his as he wove through the crowd trying to reach Akabeko. It was just his luck that Kenji had gotten horribly dirty on the day that Misao and Aoshi were to meet them at Akabeko, have lunch and stay for about a week. How was he supposed to know that Kenji, instead of sitting quietly like his mother had told him to, had ran into the backyard and covered himself with mud? Kaoru's bokken and voice had made it perfectly clear who would be cleaning the 5 year old up. But he knew it was all just a façade to hide how anxious she was over seeing Misao and Aoshi again, they hadn't seen them since they had last gotten together, about a year ago. She had taken the older two children to Akabeko already and Yahiko would already be there with Tsubame. Sano and a very pregnant Megumi would have already arrived by now also.

"Tousan" a slightly miffed voice called from the path, "You're going to fast." Kenshin looked down at Kenji and could see the sweat dropping down from his nose and the way he was panting.

Kenshin put on his trademark Rurouni grin for the boy. "Well Kenji if you had listened to your mother in the first place, we wouldn't be so late, that we wouldn't." Kenji made a small face and crossed his arms over his chest. Kenshin sighed and offered his arms to the boy. "Would you like me to carry you the rest of the way?" Kenji made an even worse face then before and walked ahead of his father. Kenshin smiled and walked slower, but still briskly, behind his independent son.

---

Kaoru was close to just jumping up and going to look for those two herself. What was taking them so long? When she had left Kenshin was getting ready to give Kenji yet another bath from yet another one of his antics in the mud. It had been raining all week and he was having a ball, much to the chagrin of this respective parents. He was a bouncing ball of energy and it was hard to keep a track on him. She didn't mean to blow up on Kenshin like that; she knew how hard it was to keep an eye on Kenji. With his father's red hair and her blue eyes he was sight to behold and with a sharp mind and fast body he was a hard one to control. In all truth she had never had much trouble with the two others.

Kai, 10, rested easily on the wall, chatting breezily with Sano, while Kaori, 7, sat with her. They both favored her looks more, both of them having black hair but Kenshins violet eyes. It also seemed like they favored the Rurouni side of Kenshin's personality more, both of them being more laid back and less hyper then their younger brother. She sighed and looked at the door again.

"Kaoru, where is Ken-san and Kenji-chan anyway?" Megumi said, munching on some food, while eyeing Kaoru wickedly. She could tell that Kaoru was worried and she intended on picking her about it. But before Kaoru could answer, or make a smart comment, the door to Akabeko flung open and two familiar people walked through the door.

Kenshin wearily sat down while Kenji flew into Yahiko and proceeded to spout gibberish into his ear. "So," Kaoru said trying to contain the annoyance in her voice, "What took you two so long?" Kenshin smiled, "Kenji didn't want to take a bath, and after this one was done he had to change his clothes and make sure Kenji didn't run off." Kaoru smiled and patted Kenshin on the shoulder sympathetically.

His mind was shattered when a loud voice broke threw the quiet chatter. "Hey, I brought sake, now that everyone's here can we drink?" Sano said smiling and chewing on his fishbone. "No stupid we have children here; we don't want them to be corrupted by you!" Kaoru shouted at him, even though all three of her children had seen her drink more than enough times. "Don't yell at my husband, little girl!" Megumi shouted back.

Pretty soon the whole restaurant was filled with bickering and shouting, with Kenshin covering up Kaori and Kenji's ears occasionally and Sano holding Megumi back trying to convince her yelling was not good for the baby. Misao and Yahiko joined the fray to, all of them yelling and bickering, but in all having a good time. And then the sake was brought out again, but everyone was enjoying themselves to much to really care about the kids, except of course their parents.

"Kenshin, how about Kaori and Kenji go outside to play?" Kaoru asked lightly, knowing all to well how bad she could get when it came to sake. "Yes, they probably shouldn't be witness to this yet…Kai's seen it enough times he'll be fine" and with that he led the two to the backyard of Akabeko. "Okay kids" he said trying his hardest to be serious, "stay in this backyard and don't leave and don't talk to any strangers, just stay here and play." The two nodded and watched while their father walked back into the restaurant.

"Alright" Misao yelled on top of the tables, already thoroughly drunk, "Let the party begin". And, oh, begin it did.

---

Kenji was playing among the barrels in back of Akabeko while his sister quietly sat on the steps with a stick making figures in the dirt. He wasn't in the least bit surprised when they were sent out here. This tended to happen a lot when Aunt Megumi and Uncle Sano came to visit. It used to be Kai was sent outside or in their rooms with them, but now they just let him stay.

Kenji looked threw the back gate. He was bored with playing with the barrels and there was nothing else to do. The backyard was surprisingly bare of any playthings that held his interest. He knew his father had said to stay there…but when had he listened to his father anyway? With one last glance toward his sister he started to undo the lock.

"Kenji!" The sharp cry jolted his senses. He turned to see his sister staring him down, stick in hand. "Tousan, told us not to leave" she said with a glare. "I'm bored" he replied, looking down at his feet.

Kaori huffed and pushed him back to the barrels. "Play with those" she said starting to move back to her seat at the step. Kenji huffed and sat down in one of the barrels and started thinking up a plan for escape.

His sister was asleep and the party was going full force in Akabeko. He doubted anyone could hear him if he opened the gate walked around then came back. It was a whole lot more fun then just sitting in a barrel. And he knew his sister was fast asleep. He had been watching her for at least an hour, waiting for the right time to open the door to freedom. And now was the time to strike.

He deftly pulled himself out of the hated barrel and pulled the latch from the gate. He pushed with all of his might against the door and was greeted with the fresh scent of freedom. Kenji walked among the people feeling great pride in himself at being outside without the shadow of his father, or brother, or Yahiko or any other guardian. His plan was if he came back soon his father would never notice he was gone, and Kaori would still be asleep. It was perfect, so long as he got back on time.

But unfortunately, now he was lost. Kenji looked to his left and looked to his right. There weren't as many people around, and it was starting to get a little dark. Kenji shivered a little. This didn't look like his neighborhood. The dilapidated buildings and filth looked nothing like his clean dojo, or any of the houses near it for that matter.

Then he heard voices coming towards him. Before he could scream, or run, he is pulled up by a man in strange clothes, with a very pretty lady leaning on his arm.

"Say, Goro" the lady drawls, "Is this child an orphan you think...should we take him?"

Goro closes his eyes and sighs. They had been going to all the orphanages, searching for children to put on boats and send to different parts of Japan or even America. The child sex trade business was booming in that land and buyers were clamoring for children in the markets of San Francisco. And he had made a profit off of the deals.

Goro winces and looks at the kid with the teeth sunk into his arm. With the look he gets a good glimpse of the kid. Goro gasps. The kid, frankly, is beautiful he thought immediately. Its hair was a soft brownish red color down to its shoulders and when the child finally opened its eyes to glare at him, he saw the eyes were a sky blue color. And then Goro smiles despite the still throbbing pain in his arm.

"Well Sayuri, we're almost full on the boat but" Goro looks at Kenji again while Kenji glares back, "we can afford one more".

Kenji has no idea what the man is talking about. Boat, one more, Sayuri he didn't know these people and he was starting to feel uncharacteristically scared. But before he could even scream or kick the man, or bite him again he felt the cold chill of a cloth under his nose. Before everything went black and he found himself on a boat with stinky strange children he clearly remembered the fingers below him with nails painted red. And he remembered the sick, strange smile on the mans face.

---

Most everyone in Akabeko was royally wasted. Yahiko had his head in Tsubames lap (who had not drank anything because, she frankly didn't like the way sake tasted). Megumi who hadn't had anything to drink on account of the baby laid half asleep on her drunken husband's chest. Misao leaning over the table a little bit of drool coming out of her open mouth while Aoshi sat in the same position he had been sitting in the whole entire day. Kai was asleep in a corner to himself. Kenshin and Kaoru both half drunk, but tipping the scales were leaning back to back on one another.

"Kenshin" Kaoru mumbled almost incoherently. "Mmmm, yes Kaoru" Kenshin replied rubbing his hands thru his hair, almost feeling the horrible hangover he would be having in the morning.

"Where are Kaori and Kenji?"

Kenshin was out of his drunken stupor in a millisecond and was already throwing his ki to make sure Kaori and Kenji were still in the backyard. Kaori…yes she's fine she's just asleep…Kenji…oh kami-sama. He wasn't there. I should've seen this coming a mile away Kenshin thought.

Kaoru turned around at her husband's sudden jump and could see the look on his face. She knew one of her children had gone missing. And she knew which one was the most likely suspect.

Kenshin got up and immediately headed to the backyard. He picked up Kaori gently and went back inside Akabeko laying her on her mothers lap. "Kaoru I'm going to look for Kenji, wait here till I get back and don't leave" he whispered into her ear. Kenji had probably just ran off but he didn't want Kaoru out alone just in case.

The blood left Kaoru's face and she nodded numbly running her fingers through her daughters' silky hair. Kenji probably just ran off, she told herself, yes, that's it, and Kenshin will find him soon. But, still, Kenshin had many enemies and if any of them found Kenji and hurt him…well there would be hell to pay.

Kenshin walked back into the backyard to find Aoshi already there.

"You're son, Battousai, went left" Aoshi said in his characteristic cold manner, "I suggest we start asking shop vendors and people have they seen him"

Kenshin nodded his eyes amber, he was all business now. He folded his arms and walked out of the open gates with Aoshi in tow to look for his son.

"The lady said she saw Kenji-chan near the docks" Aoshi said turning to Kenshin but he was already running towards the docks.

Dammit, Kenshin thought, as he ran toward the wharf. How could Kenji have gotten this far in this amount of time? He didn't even know Kenji was able to or even tall enough to be able to open locks like that, to get out of the backyard. How had he managed to get as far as the water? Unless, Kenshin thought, someone brought him here. Rage bloomed up like a flower inside him and threatened to be released at any moment.

Kenshin stopped at the docks and turned to Aoshi his eyes blazing. "What now?" he hissed at the man.

Aoshi nearly took a step back. Even though he wielded a sakabatou and didn't kill, he knew Kenshin was very dangerous in this situation. He also knew that Kenji, as a child near water during sunset could very well have drowned and be lost forever in the ocean's cold depths. Aoshi swallowed and answered still retaining his calm voice but very cautious on the inside.

"Ask someone else, they've all seen him so far, and he should be around here somewhere".

Kenshin nodded and looked the dock over trying to see anyone who he could ask. The place was quiet and not a lot of people walked here for leisure. Kenshin abruptly walked over and looked in-between two barrels and found a little girl, shaking and looking at him with big eyes.

Kenshin put out his hand to the girl and tried to coax her out from in-between the barrels. The girl only shook slightly.

Kenshin tried putting on his trademark smile (despite his murderous looking eyes) and talked to the girl. "I promise I won't hurt you I only want to talk what's your name?"

The little girl lifted her head and murmured "Tsuya".

"That's a pretty name Tsuya, can you come out from between those barrels please so that we can talk"

Tsuya shook her head.

"Ok, can you tell me where your parents are?"

"I'm an orphan" Tsuya replied.

"Well Tsuya, can you tell me why you're out here alone and hiding from someone?" He could feel it in here ki, she was hiding something and was hiding from someone. And this was the general area where Kenji had gone. Maybe she had seen him; all he needed to do was gently coax it out of her.

Tsuya eyes opened wide and she crawled from out between the barrels.

"I'm hiding from that man and woman" she said her eyes darting around, "They took me from the orphanage and I thought they were adopting me, but when they put me on that boat there was a lot of other children and I didn't like it, so when no one was looking I jumped off the boat and hid under the docks planks" She was near breathless by the time she was done talking.

Kenshin felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew exactly the kind of boat Tsuya was on and he had a bad feeling Kenji might be on it to.

"Tsuya" his mouth going a little dry, "Where is the boat you were on?"

Tsuya blinked and pointed an empty spot in the water. "Well, it was there", Tsuya, blinked again and pointed at Kenshin, "Say, there was a boy with hair like yours on the boat, he was asleep and no one could wake him up, and they were playing all in his hair and stuff". She squinted her eyes a bit, "Are you his father?"

"Battousai I don't see this boat anywhere, I think it may have already left"

Aoshi's voice bit thru Kenshins mind and he scanned the water looking for any, any sign at all of the boat his son was on. The water just went on endlessly, without a boat on it at all. Kenshin felt everything go numb and he could feel his stomach hitting the ground. His heart started pounding and his breath came in short gasps like he was losing oxygen and he needed air, air!!!

Then everything slowed to an almost stop, his mind, his heart, his whole body.

Then everything he was seeing turned red.

---

This is the prologue, so and I do have the 1st chp. done I'm just working some kinks out in it, editing and trying to make it sound right.

Was this a little lengthy? I promise it picks up speed, since this takes place, 10 years before my main story does.

It was hard trying to create a scenario where Kenshin isn't being as watchful as he should. I mean, I at least think Kenshin would be an amazingly protective father and watch over his kids like a hawk, so it's hard to try to make him not do that. Hence, the party situation I came up with.

Well, it'll get darker, I promise that at least.

I need reviews. I have no idea what I'm doing and even constructive criticism helps. I would adore some feedback and the more feedback I get, the faster and more exited I get to write…so please review!!!!

See ya~