Well, my lovely readers, this is it! I want to thank each and every one of you who have stuck with me for so long. Your patience and support have been monumental! I especially thank those who have reviewed, because it really is wonderful knowing that you have taken the time to let me know what you thought- even if it was just a few words. That encouragement motivated me at many points in writing this, and without you I'm not sure this would have ever been completed. You guys are the best! I appreciate all the support and love you've given me, so I dedicate this to all of you!

Happy reading, and best wishes to all of you!

With a lopsided smile tugging at her cheeks, Kaoru slowly opened her eyes and stretched as she sat up. Bright green grass brushed against her ankles and the heavenly glow of a full moon bathed her in an ethereal light that she found more and more welcoming each time she woke up.

Looking around, she quickly caught sight of a man sitting beside her, and as their eyes locked, he reached out his hand to grasp her fingers gently. Painfully beautiful lavender irises seemed to brighten and warm as if smiling at her, and she felt her chest swell as he brought the back of her hand to his lips tenderly. The kiss he planted there was like a butterfly's wing grazing against her skin.

It was impossible to fight the corners of her lips rising even further, and suddenly she found herself feeling airborne. Her arms wrapped around his soul as she tackled him to the ground, grinning and giggling all the while. The sound of his own mirth reached her ears and as she pulled away just enough to gaze at him, she caught the most breathtaking smile she'd ever seen grace his features.

Heart beating even faster against her ribs, she felt her insides soften and melt away. Unable to contain herself, she reached down and brushed a few stray hairs away from his cheeks and then leaned down to kiss him. His arms wrapped around her in return, one around her waist and the other weaving itself into her hair and against her scalp, wordlessly demanding that she never pull away again.

Their lips feathered against each other delicately, but as tender as the kiss was, a fiery craving for more flickered within her. Something deep within her chest. Something hot and consuming and painful and wonderful and free… and yet she wanted to tether that aching spot to the man underneath her forever so that he would know she was his.

When her lungs began to protest, she pulled away slightly and rested her forehead against his as they panted for breath. Cupping his cheek, she smiled at him, melting over and over again at the emotions etched into his eyes. Devotion. Passion. Assurance.

"Kenshin," she whispered against his lips. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever known."

She felt his grin grow, and before she knew what was happening, he'd captured her lips again, his hands clutching her even closer to him. Over and over again, he kissed her. Always tenderly. Always gently. Always with the promise of something deep. Something that words could never fully express.

"I… was… wondering…" she said between kisses, and he finally rested his head on the ground again, staring up into her eyes, allowing her to voice her thoughts. "You told me that you had asked my soul what I wanted most, and I was… I was wondering what you want most?"

She felt his lips graze the tip of her nose, but suddenly he was no longer underneath her. She wasn't laying down at all, for that matter, and the grassy field had faded away entirely. Shimmering into its place was a house. Her house. And Kaoru saw an image of herself sitting all the way across the yard on the edge of the engawa, swinging her legs back and forth with a silly grin crinkling her cheeks. Kaoru followed the gaze to a man in a pink gi running around the yard as he chased someone.

Peals of laughter reached Kaoru's ears, and her eyes widened and softened at the same time. Her hand shot up to her mouth and tears sprung to the corners of her eyes. The thrumming between her ribs sped up until it ached, but the heat that rose within her chest washed against the shock, soothing her with fire and passion and love.

Kenshin had been wrong, she distantly realized. He'd been wrong when he told her that his soul could only show her memories, because here she was, looking at something that had not happened yet. Something that he wanted to happen. What he wanted most…

The giggles got louder as the Kenshin before her drew closer to his prey, and suddenly a blob of cloth and scarlet dove at the dream-Kaoru who was sitting on the engawa. Quickly, she pulled the person up, shielding him within her arms as lilac eyes peeked around her and a tongue appeared from between a scrunched up face of victory.

"Safe now!" the boy squealed happily, as dream-Kaoru shifted him to rest beside her. A boy. A boy with all too familiar eyes and a mane of scarlet hair and a grin as big as the moon.

Kenshin laughed heartily at them, agreeing that the boy was indeed safe. He held his hands up in mock defeat as he strode over to the porch and planted a kiss at the junction of dream-Kaoru's lips. "Come now, my little one," he said, offering a hand to help the boy stand. "Let's go cook dinner now. I hear they're hungry," he added, and the boy giggled as Kaoru shot him a disbelieving glare.

The boy rose to his feet, rising almost as high as dream-Kaoru's head, even though she was still seated on a mound of pillows. "Baby's hungry, mama!" he giggled, and then kissed her on the cheek before departing with Kenshin.

"Now wait just a minute!" she called after them shifting herself carefully. Instantly, Kenshin was beside her again, helping her rise to her feet. Helping her because her belly was swollen out past her feet. Stretching lightly, she allowed Kenshin to rest his hand on her elbow as he led her and the boy toward the kitchen. "Kami knows you'll make a mess like last time if I'm not in there to keep an eye on you two."

The boy instantly thrust a finger at his father. "Daddy's fault! Not looking!"

Dream-Kaoru's cheerful laughter echoed through the yard. "It's alright, my darling Kenji. We can all cook together so miso doesn't end up all over the floors again, alright?"

"Yeah!" the boy shouted as they all disappeared around a corner.

Kaoru stood in the middle of the yard, her knees shaking and her eyes misted over so much she could barely see anything at all, and her chest ached with an emotion that was strong and demanding and consuming like a raging fire.

She felt arms close around her, and she turned, weeping loudly into Kenshin's shoulder, unable to contain the swarming sensations within her. She clutched onto his gi and cried, even as she laughed, and she felt her tears soak through the material on his chest.

"You want to live," she sobbed gratefully. "You want to create life and live and be happy. Oh, Kenshin, nothing would make me happier!"

She felt silly, howling so loudly and uncontrollably from being so overjoyed. She hadn't known it was even possible for such an overpowering surge of warmth and elation to sweep across a human. It was like a tsunami of everything good, all washing against her heart all at once. It left her staggering, and absolutely nothing could have formed a better dream for the future.

"You want life," she cried. "You want life…"

Kaoru, wake up.

Blinking against her tears, she clenched her fingers around Kenshin's biceps, trying to find feeling in her legs again.

Kaoru. Wake up now.

What? Why?

You need to wake up!

She wiped at her eyes, finally pulling herself away from Kenshin, who was looking at her seriously. Like something was wrong. There was a sense of furious urgency in the voice.

KAORU!

Eyes shooting open, the wooden ceiling above her came into focus, blotting out the dream, and she blinked rapidly as she sat up. A heartbeat later, the shoji screen was brushed aside and Kenshin came barreling into her room. "You need to get up," he said, his voice laced with anger. She was already shoving the covers off her legs when he reached out to help pull her to her feet.

The transition between teary happiness and panic threw Kaoru off-kilter, and her mind forcefully swam against a current of haziness, trying to catch up and make sense of the situation.

"What's wrong?" she asked, beyond alarmed at his abrupt appearance. Had his soul really woken her? He wasn't angry with her for asking anything of his soul, was he? Did he feel like she'd pried too far?

"We're surrounded. I think it's the Yakuza. There are dozens of them closing in around the walls right now."

Kaoru had already ripped herself away from his grasp and was running to the far corner of her room where her bokken and Kenshin's old sword rested. She wrapped her fingers around the familiar wooden hilt and ran with Kenshin onto the engawa. "I'll take the kids into the dojo," she said, and was already beginning to run off, but his hand wrapped around her wrist.

Turning around, she felt warm lips plant themselves firmly on her own. Hunger. Fear. Anger. Worry.

"Be safe, koishii," he whispered, leaving her momentarily frozen. He'd never used an endearing name with her before. The concern in his eyes flickered back and forth like a flame.

"Y-you too," she managed, and then he was gone.

Kaoru blinked once, and then snapped back into focus, breaking into a sprint down the halls. "Everyone, wake up!" she said as she shoved the shoji aside loudly. The three occupants shot upright, but she was already in the adjacent room before they'd even registered her words. "Up! Everyone up!" she kept saying, and within seconds, she was surrounded by all nine children. "It will be alright," she said quickly, authority and assurance coating her tone. "Everything will be fine. I need everyone to move into the dojo right now, alright? Calmly. Everyone needs to stay calm, alright?"

Wide, terrified eyes stared at her, but they all nodded and followed after her through the house. Yahiko stormed into the hallway a few seconds later, wiping his bleary eyes tiredly. "Yakuza?" he guessed, and his frown deepened as Kaoru nodded. "Don't worry," he said automatically to the kids as they ran onto the outer porch. "They don't stand a chance against us." His voice was all confidence, and Kaoru could see how reassured the kids were as a result. Kaoru and Yahiko wouldn't lie to them, right?

Kaoru flung the dojo shoji open and after everyone tumbled inside, she slammed the door shut again. "Go grab your bokkens," she said calmly, as she reached for another one for herself. She heard their feet race over to the bokken racks as they wordlessly fumbled for the training swords.

She grabbed a second bokken and shoved it down into the shoji track, confident that it would hinder the invaders for at least a few more seconds, if it came to it. Flying around to face everyone, she beheld a beautiful scene that nearly stopped her entirely.

All of her students- all ten of them- were anxiously gripping the handles of their weapons. Their grips and their defensive stances were perfect, and though fear tainted their expressions, they still stood shoulder to shoulder, just as they had during their first lesson the day before.

Yahiko stood closest to her, his eyes burning in rage, wordlessly conveying that he would never allow anyone close to the kids. Kids that he'd seen so much of himself in. He had been an orphan, after all, and it had only been a few years since Kaoru had taken him in. The wounds weren't fresh by any means, but seeing orphans here, being targeted by the same gang that tormented him was infuriating, and he felt his blood boiling with the need to protect them.

A raging surge of pride crackled through Kaoru, and she nodded at the boy who would be her successor firmly. "Right," she said, shaking herself free from panic and allowing herself to fall into the familiar rhythm of training. "Remember our first lesson?" There was a murmur of affirmation. "Good. What did I tell you about the Kamiya Kassin-Ryu?"

Shingo spoke up first, his voice quivering only slightly. "It's the sword that gives life."

"That's exactly right, Shingo," she said, as she pulled off her socks. Fighting in a yukata was not ideal by any means, but she'd had no time to change into her traditional training attire. Wide pant legs and free calves had simply not been an option, so she'd have to make due with her confined leg room somehow. "The sword that gives life. And how could a weapon that has brought so much death be used to give life?"

There was apparent hesitation that coursed through her students. Finally, Yasuo swallowed forcefully, sounding more insightful than ever before. "It gives life by protecting others. Like right now. We will use these swords to protect each other. To allow our lives to continue."

Kaoru smiled at him. "Yes. There will sometimes be fights that are started by very angry people- people who will not listen to words of reason. And when you cannot reason with them, and when they begin to attack you or the innocent people around you, the Kamiya Kassin-Ryu will help you fight back. It's never to be used to pick fights with others, right?"

"Yes, sensei!"

"Instead, it's used as a defense. Because unfortunately, words of wisdom will not work with all people. Now, remember the third kata I showed you?"

They automatically shifted their legs into the appropriate position and held their bokkens up at exactly the right angle.

"Perfect," she said. "This is a kata of defense. It can be used when your enemy is attacking you head-on. Go through it with me now."

Together, they coursed through the motions a few times, until voices outside got louder and louder. It seemed like they were drawing closer, and though the children tried to mask their fear, most of them were unsuccessful.

"It'll be alright," she assured them, and then turned to face the outer door. Her shoulders were tense and her calves coiled, ready to leap at any intruders that dared slide the shoji open. She itched to spread her legs a bit farther apart for more secure balance, but her damnable sleeping yukata was keeping her from her normal range of motions. She'd absolutely still be able to hold her own, but she still regretted that they hadn't attacked while she'd been dressed more appropriately. But then again, what was the point of invading at night, if not to catch enemies off guard?

The framework rattled violently as the shadowed outlines of several men fell across the screen. They tried to pull the door open, but when that proved useless, they backed up slightly and barreled right through the door, tearing through the framework in a startling crash of shattering noise. Screams erupted from behind as four gruff men cackled evilly and stomped into the dojo.

Fury surged through Kaoru's bones, and she was racing at them in a blink. She hit the first man in the neck more quickly than he could react, and he dropped to the ground, unconscious. The second man received what would turn into a colorful bruise on his forehead, followed by a stab straight to his private area. Down for the count.

In the same continuous motion, she whipped her wooden blade around into the third man, who had stepped much too close to the kids for her to be comfortable with. The bokken hit him in his left kneecap, and the motion was quickly repeated on the other knee. He stumbled slightly but kept going, so Kaoru retaliated with a succession of moves devised to strike his neck, sword wrist, and then the weakest spot in his side.

He fell to the ground as well, but there was still one intruder left off to the side, so Kaoru spun around and unflinchingly arced the blade above her head. Her eyes widened, and she was able to bring the weapon to a stop a hair's breadth from Sanosuke's cheek.

"Thanks for not hittin' the face, Missy," he grinned.

She flung a glare around him, only to find the man she'd been aiming to hit a second ago already sprawled out and unconscious across the floor. Ensuring that no other threats were immediately in range, she returned her gaze to the tall fighter. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Was stayin' at the orph'n'ge, righ'?" He swayed slightly, and Kaoru suspected that he'd been there alone, with nothing better to do than drink. His breath reeked of sake, the stench curling around her nose unforgivingly. "Kenshin said it'd be a good idea for me ta stay 'er for now. Jus'n case, righ? 'n I saw 'ese punks snoopin' around, so I kicked a couple-a asses, 'n by the time I was done with'em, the rest're gone."

"So you figured they'd come here?" Yahiko asked, afraid to raise his voice as loud as Sanosuke's. No need to attract more attention, after all. The bumbling fool was doing a good enough job of that on his own. "And keep it down, would ya?"

"Don' give me any-a tha'," Sanosuke grumbled to him. "I'm 'ere ta help ya."

"Yeah, right," Yahiko breathed, rolling his eyes. "'Cause you can do so much when you're this drunk."

"Don' doubt me, ya smelly troll," he retorted easily. "'n I don' gotta keep it down when they a'ready know where we are! Seri'sly…" he groaned, and then planted his left foot firmly in the ground and extended his right foot backwards like an enraged mule. A Yakuza man tumbled to the ground, out cold. "Tha' was rude!" he shouted down at him. "I was talkin'!" Turning back to Kaoru, he said, "An'way, don' worry. Kenshin's a'ready taken mos' of 'em down-"

Chaos.

One second they were alone, and the next, there were several men trying to barge in through the door. "Yahiko, stay back with them!" Kaoru heard herself saying, but even the sound of her voice was already a memory, and she found herself leaping to fight the intruders angrily.

Yes, Kenshin had very likely taken most of them out, but he was only one person, and therefore could not defend every angle of the house at the same time. It was only logical for people to have slipped passed him.

And besides, if she hadn't gotten a chance to slam her bokken into someone, she would have been even more livid. She would NOT stand around and have other people fight her battles. Sure, it had been Kenshin who had initially upset the Yakuza, but Kaoru had whole-heartedly agreed in both supporting him and publicly denouncing the gang. She had just as much reason to defend her home and the people inside of it, and she'd be damned if she'd let Kenshin do all the work!

Six men barged into the room. Their appearance was swift and loud and unfiltered as they cackled and raised their metal blades against her and Sanosuke. She could see it in their eyes- they thought her weak and they thought Sanosuke was a lanky, drunken fool. They thought they'd breeze by without much resistance at all.

Kaoru snorted at their thrilled expressions.

Sanosuke leisurely stood by while one of the men slashed at him with a katana. The taller man remained unfazed, though, and the attacker stared at him, dumbfounded. "What're you-" but the intruder's words were cut off by his sudden screaming. The man fell backward, clutching his forehead and shrieking loudly.

"Oh, come on!" Sanosuke yelled at him. "Tha' wasn' even a full fist! Tha' was jus' a finger!"

Two men rounded on Kaoru at once. The first to strike aimed at her legs, and seconds later, the other man aimed a strike at her chest. Coordination was incredible to see between the two, and Kaoru was momentarily astounded. How surprising to have seen some teamwork!

They'd expected her to jump over the first attack and accidentally plunge herself into the second man's blade. Instead she jumped, pulled her legs up against her rear end, and dove headfirst onto the wooden floor to her left. In the same motion, she drew her arm back and horizontally struck a third man in the shins as she twisted around. A groan escaped him as he rolled along the ground in agony.

The man who'd swung at her legs had countered by spinning around and running at her headlong. Right- so the fifth kata it was. Easily, she swung her arm around, her fingers gripping in the wooden handle of her bokken tightly. The first part of the kata hit him directly in the abdomen- a strike that was quickly followed by a stab at the chest and a slice diagonally into the neck.

He landed with a loud thunk and cried out in pain, absently groaning about how a woman had no right to strike him.

Laughing hollowly, Kaoru whipped herself back into a new kata as she faced the other attacker. She gazed at the man- short, stocky, and wearing a grin larger than a kitsune ready to engage in mischief.

It didn't take much. Her moves were flawless, she knew. She hit him right in the chest and the temple before he'd so much as lifted his weapon, and in seconds he was already falling to the ground, defeated.

Kaoru very nearly laughed at them. These were the fabled fighters of the Yakuza? These were the men everyone in the city was watching their backs for? It was Kenshin, if anyone, they should have been worried about. Not some Yakuza idiot.

"KAORU!" That was Yahiko's voice, but before she had time to do anything more that recognize it, she felt foreign hands sliding around her mouth. The hands were forceful and sickening as they rubbed against her lips to get a solid grip of her face. Rough. Rancid. Sweaty. What was he doing?

A dark cackle echoed from his chest against her back and through her bones, making Kaoru's eyes widen. He'd gotten her. He shouldn't have been so close. Shouldn't have had his arms wrapped across her breasts and around her biceps so familiarly. Shouldn't have had his face hovering right beside hers and he shouldn't have been breathing revoltingly down her neck.

An innate, primal instinct screamed at her to flail wildly, to shove him away. She almost succumbed to the automatic reaction, but a voice in her head calmly demanded otherwise. Her father's voice. Her brother's voice. Both of them from when they'd trained her as a young girl. If captured, writhing about will accomplish little, they'd told her all those years ago. It's much wiser to pinpoint a weakness and wait until it can be exploited.

It felt horribly, sickeningly wrong to allow the putrid oaf to drag her closer to the children. Kaoru tried to avoid their wide, horrified eyes, instead opting to keep her own eyes downcast. She wanted to tell them it would be alright, that she was not giving up and that she'd never let anyone hurt them. But the filthy hand still splayed across her lips forbade her to speak, and she forced herself to focus on his body language instead.

His chest rose heavily against her back, his arms were sweaty, and he was favoring his left foot. From the way he jerkily stepped along the wall, never turning his back to Sanosuke and Yahiko, it was clear that he felt confident enough to know what he was doing, but he also wasn't freely offering any vulnerabilities. He was sure with his level of skill, to an extent, but he still needed hostages as added assurance. By capturing her, he'd not only removed one of the three capable fighters in the room, but he'd also effectively frozen the two men in their tracks.

Right… so he was confident, but he also had enough doubt, and that was all she'd needed to know.

Running through the succession of motions several times in her head, she focused on his steps. Right foot. Slight dragging of the left. Right foot. Slight dragging of the left. Right foot. Slight-

She drew in a breath from her unobstructed nostrils and slammed her heel down as forcefully as she could. Her damnable yukata restrained her from fully drawing up her leg, but she made up for the lack of power by hitting the little nub of bone that protruded against the inside of his ankle.

An agonized yelp scrambled from his lips, and as his grip loosened, Kaoru thrust out her elbows, ducked, and spun away from him. Her motions severely unbalanced him, and he staggered backward, slamming the back of his skull into a support beam. His eyes lost focus for a moment and his hands shot out, trying to drag her back into him, but her elbow was already flying into the center of his chest. The motion was immediately followed by her fist soaring up into his gut, and with a pained groan, he slid to the ground.

There was a surge of noise from all points in the room, but Kaoru's first priority was the children. Visually ensuring that all of them were safe and not in any sort of direct danger, she cast them a certain smile, knowing that they were afraid and needed to be comforted.

They gave her their full attention, even though something else was happening behind her. Another six or seven men, she vaguely guessed, but Sanosuke and Yahiko would be able to hold them off for a few more seconds.

"When you're captured, like that, the first thing your body tells you to do is fight back," she told them, recalling the lesson she'd been taught so long ago. With her sleeve, she wiped furiously at her lips, trying to remove the taste of sweat and grease. The soft flesh was raw and numb after a few seconds, but she was finally satisfied that she'd removed his revolting taste. "But when the person is stronger than you, flailing will only allow him to get a stronger grip. You must outsmart them instead. Pay attention to them, and find out where their weaknesses are. This buffoon had injured his ankle earlier, so I used that to my advantage to escape."

The kids were wide-eyed as they absorbed every one of her words. They'd been terrified for her, but seeing her so gracefully escape her captor had sent their hearts soaring in exhilaration. Their sensei was smart and experienced, and she knew exactly what she was doing.

Kaoru turned back to the center of the room, taking in the sight of Sanosuke's fist diving directly into the side of someone's head, causing his body to slump to the ground instantly. The fighter was unhindered, and he jumped over the unconscious body to the next man who was trying to climb through the fragmented door.

Yahiko, on the other hand, was using the eighth kata, and Kaoru watched his bokken swing around with expert ease and grace. If she hadn't known better, she'd have assumed that the little brat was more seasoned than he actually was. His footwork was flawless, his spine perfectly aligned with each swing, and his wrists firmly held at exactly the right angles. The only criticism Kaoru could think of was his shoulders, darn it¸ which were slightly hunched in his eagerness.

That would need some work, and she also vaguely realized that it was something he'd only be able to refine in more advanced training. She'd have to step up his lessons, she noted.

"Fear is what makes us human," she said over her shoulder to the kids. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. Fear can be used to help you. To make you stronger. To give you courage. Courage would never be borne without first worrying about someone's safety."

And without looking back again, she jumped headfirst into the fray. By then there were five intruders in the room, which oddly enough didn't seem like that many. Sanosuke and Yahiko were holding them back expertly, and Kaoru almost stayed back to let them take care of the brawl themselves. But then she caught sight of Sanosuke swaying dangerously, laughing as he plowed his fist into another man's jaw.

Sanosuke was too drunk, and though he was invigorated by this kind of action, Kaoru knew him well enough to see when he was overexerting himself. If she didn't step in now, his hangover would be amplified several times, and while he deserved it for drinking so much in the first place, he had arrived just in time to help them. That was enough to warrant her saving his puny rear.

Never mind the fact that these horrible rats were infesting her house and her dojo, and her blood was boiling hotter than a furious tea kettle.

She dove forward, bokken held up firmly in her enraged fists, but she ensured that her stance remained perfectly disciplined. There was no room for error now, not with so much at stake. Relying on her training was essential, and she quickly calculated all the angles she could attack from.

There was a loud crash. An explosion, almost. Splintering wood was sent flying everywhere, along with chaotic shouts and pained screams. The men that had been in front of her two heartbeats ago were now gone. All of them. They'd all vanished in a flash, and before Kaoru's racing mind could comprehend what had happened, the sight of red hair filled her vision and she was effectively captured in a warm embrace of scarlet and spice and warmth.

"Koishii," he whispered against the shell of her ear, his arms tightening more and more around her chest and back. "Are you hurt?"

"No," she stammered, blinking rapidly in an attempt to return the world back into focus. She tried to look around his shoulder to ensure that everyone had been taken care of, but even as she tried to peer past him, she knew that he would never have let his guard down if she was still in danger. "Are you?"

He exhaled deeply, as if a mountain had been lifted from his chest. She wondered if he'd sensed the brief panic in her ki when she'd been captured. "No," he breathed. "I'm not hurt." His arms clenched around her even more tightly, rubbing her cheek against the material of his gi even more. "Everything will be alright," he whispered. Kaoru was half certain that the words were meant as an assurance to himself, more than to her.

As her chest seized with a beautifully suffocating emotion, her grip around his waist contracted. "Yes, Kenshin," she told him. "Everything will be just fine."

Getting the children to bed had been easy enough, and though Kaoru and Kenshin had succeeded in reassuring them that everything would be alright, they were still too excited to get any rest. Kaoru could hear them chatting all the way from their rooms to the edge of the engawa where she was sitting.

Sanosuke and Yahiko had taken off almost immediately to get the police, but Kaoru knew the station was a distance away and it would take some time for enough backup to be summoned. She wasn't concerned with the Yakuza- they were all sprawled out unconscious all across the yard and dojo. Kaoru didn't want to count how many there were, but there was no way for them to number less than six dozen. Beyond that estimate, she was just too angry and too drained to care. Fortunately, neither she nor her friends had sustained any injuries, aside perhaps from a sprain or two, and they'd all managed to steer clear of getting Yakuza blood on themselves.

Kenshin alternated between circling around the yard and wrapping Kaoru firmly in his grasp. No words were exchanged, but Kaoru could glean enough from his body as he held her. His limbs were always stiff for a few seconds after they wrapped around her, until they registered the fact that was alive and breathing and well. That's when he sagged against her gratefully, his needy grip tightening around her. Then, a few moments later, he'd noticeably force himself to pull back, and with a kiss on her temple, he'd disappear for another circuit around the yard to ensure no one had regained consciousness.

It didn't take as long as Kaoru had expected for the police to show up, but it was possible that her perception of time was skewed by her adrenaline and subsequent exhaustion. A team of officers began the back-breaking process of dragging each of the Yakuza to a series of horse-drawn carriages that had stopped just outside her gate. The carriages were of the traditional sort used to transport criminals, and were piled to capacity with the unconscious punks who had stormed Kaoru's home.

Kaoru and her three borders each gave their reports of the night, though none of them thought it was particularly necessary. The evidence was staggeringly in their favor, and Kenshin quietly assured her that he'd make sure everything would be taken care of properly. His tone refuted argument, and they'd all waved exhaustedly at the police chief, who was the last one to leave the residence.

The chief had promised to station men all around the Kamiya residence for the rest of the night and the following few nights, which Kaoru had gratefully accepted, even though she was confident that they would have no further incidents. To have dozens of their best men defeated by four adults and a bunch of kids was a humiliating blow to the Yakuza leaders. To repeat the mistake would have been nothing short of sheer stupidity on their parts- especially now that their targets were aware and well-guarded.

And though Kaoru asked Kenshin several times to leave the Yakuza to the police, he carefully avoided promising anything and kept his expression guarded. Kaoru had no doubts that he'd confront the Yakuza leader the first chance he got, and that Kenshin would make sure that they understood to never so much as consider threatening those under his protection again.

Kenshin never left Kaoru's side as she made a final sweep of her home, making sure everyone was accounted for and safely tucked into bed. She counted herself fortunate that none of the younger kids were too afraid to sleep. Passing by their rooms one last time told her that exhaustion had finally taken them, and Kaoru knew that they have no problems sleeping for the remainder of the night.

The sword instructor ensured for the third time that the front gate was locked, and wasn't surprised at all when Kenshin followed her to her room to bid her a good night. She paused at her door for several heartbeats, and she vaguely felt her shoulders rise and fall with each quick breath she drew. When she finally turned to him, his eyes met hers and darkened slightly at her open expression. She knew he saw her raw gratitude shining through her pupils and hovering closely around her irises.

Kenshin remained still only long enough for Kaoru to reach up and wrap her fingers into the strands of hair just above the hair tie at the base of his neck. Leaning forward slightly onto her toes, she caught his lips with her own.

His own hands were cupping her cheeks in an instant, and he returned the kiss with mirroring tenderness. Typically after a few seconds she pulled away, but this time she took a small step closer so that their bodies were within a whisper of each other. The fabric of their clothing grazed each other as her other hand rose and tentatively rested on his hip.

He paused very briefly, as if surprised, but then she felt his lips curve upward just before he began pulling gently at her bottom lip. His coaxing saw quick results, and as she parted her lips, he ran his tongue across them.

Kaoru had no idea what to do when his tongue brushed against hers, and her fingers clenched in his hair at the strange, yet delightful feeling. Taking his time, he slowly lured her tongue to dance with his, and when she began to respond, he stroked the pad of his thumb against her cheek reassuringly. The motion sent a sparkle of warmth racing through her veins, and she vaguely realized that her hand on his hip had tightened and that the tiny gap between them no longer existed. With each passing second, the heat in her blood became more and more wonderfully unbearable, and she knew that she had to do something about it.

However, before she could even think of what to do, he gradually, but resolutely, slowed down. With a few delicious kisses against her lips, he finally pulled his head away. A sound of disappointment escaped her throat, and a moment later when his eyes found hers, she could see that his restraint wasn't much more intact than her own.

They were still standing in her bedroom doorway, and though the pale moonlight was illuminating her face, she could see him well enough in the shadows. Heavenly beams of ghostly light cascaded around his head, wrapping him in a soft glow. His smile was tender, even if his eyes were hazed in desire, and he looked so beautiful that it made the muscles in her chest tighten almost painfully.

"Koishii." His breathing was ragged. "I-"

"I love you, Kenshin." The whispered words had floated away before she could stop herself, but even if she could, she wouldn't have retracted them.

She was certain of it- certain of the blinding, roaring, unsurmountable tenderness that had curled up against her being. The feeling of sunlight and bliss and peace had been constricting around her for many weeks, and though she'd immediately known what the meek feelings would bloom into, she couldn't have imagined their power. She could never have fathomed the deep-seated longing to adhere her limbs around his and just hold him close to her until the end of time. She couldn't have imagined that his eyes would ever have the power to both render her immobile and to make her want to throw herself at him. She couldn't have believed that the sound of his voice or the sight of his smile would have been overpowering enough to make her forcibly refrain from squealing aloud in mirth.

Kaoru watched as his eyes softened and danced and sang all at once. The edge of his lips quirked upward and the grin that took command of his cheeks was so adorable that she felt her bones heat up and begin to melt away. The hands that were still on her cheeks trembled slightly, and for three heartbeats he seemed like he simply couldn't handle the sheer power of her words.

Then, as if someone had snapped their fingers, he blinked and then his lips had descended into dozens of kisses that feathered all around her face. "My little koishii," he murmured between kisses. "My darling, beautiful Kaoru." He pulled away to gaze at her again, and she immediately began drowning in the raw affection that stared back at her. "I love you. For eternity. For longer than eternity." His words were quiet, but that did not strip them of their strength. She felt his endearments sink underneath her skin and into her blood, and she knew beyond all doubt that he was speaking the truth. The only truth. "My heart… my soul… belongs to you, Kaoru." She shivered as his lips caressed her name, but at the same time the fire in his eyes caused heat to ripple through her. "For eternity, I am yours."

His sincerity was so overpowering that tears pooled in her eyes and she felt like she'd grown wings and was soaring through the sapphire heavens. There was no way to fight the grin that pulled at her lips and, unable to bear it any longer, she launched herself at him, sending them both stumbling onto the engawa and farther into the moonlight. He caught his balance after a moment, but her lips were already on his and both of them forgot where they were until they had to part for breath.

Breathing heavily, Kaoru linked her fingers in his own and coyly pulled him into her room. She nearly giggled at his widening eyes, but forcibly kept her composure. "We're going to behave ourselves tonight, Kenshin." Her words were playful, yet he knew that she meant them.

"It-it's not proper-" he began, but the sound of the shoji sliding shut behind him silenced his protest.

"Well, by this time tomorrow it will be proper, won't it?" The room was dark and she could barely make out his expression, but she could glean enough to know that his jaw had fallen open. "… Perhaps even expected?" It took a great deal of concentration to bite back a laugh at the thoughts that may have streamed across his consciousness.

He recovered quickly enough, and suddenly she was encased in his arms and she discovered that her mouth no longer belonged to herself. Belatedly, her mind caught up to the fact that his sinful lips were grazing against hers with mind-numbing tenderness. "Absolutely expected," he breathed once he could muster the willpower to pull away long enough to utter the words.

Her hair was suddenly free from its ribbon, and his hand had burrowed between the strands and against her scalp, massing her skin so effectively that she felt herself leaning against him, no longer focusing on her balance. She distantly heard a sound that suspiciously resembled purring, but she didn't care to know if it came from her or not.

Their lips refused to leave each other, even as they gasped for breath, and Kaoru was vaguely aware that Kenshin was directing her toward her futon.

Her chest exploded in apprehension, but she knew that she could trust him. She knew even without him ever expressly telling her, that he would never cross the line he'd set for himself.

Slowly, he lowered himself onto her futon, pulling lightly at her hands to coax her down beside him. His grip was loose and she knew that she could retreat if she really wanted to, but this was right. She was no longer afraid of him. She no longer doubted him. There was no need to struggle against him any longer because he'd proven himself over and over, and he really had become a wonderful person. This was right!

She knelt down, but her breathing was ragged and she swallowed loudly.

His lips were suddenly grazing the sensitive shell of her ear. "I will not dishonor you, koishii." He kept his eyes trained on her own, assuring her in the darkness that his promise was not empty.

Again, he was tenderly kissing her, and her tense muscles eased enough to allow him to lay her down on her back. He reclined so that he was resting on his right side next to her, with his left hand cupping her cheek once more. His lips grazed her own, then they paused as he pulled away slightly. Her eyelids lazily opened, wondering why he'd stopped, and her breath caught in her throat. "Please, Kaoru," he whispered. "I will promise whatever you wish of me. Anything. And I will do everything I can to make you happy. I swear it. Please marry me... please be my wife."

Kaoru felt a grin stretch across her face so wide that it was almost difficult to speak. "Of course," she giggled, tears of joy pooling in her eyes. "Yes, Kenshin. Anything to see you smile."

He made a sound then- some kind of throaty purr that was a mix between a needy groan and a joyful laugh, and then their lips were fused together once more for what seemed like hours. Somewhere amidst the sensual dancing of their tongues, he'd directed her into a position where he was lying flat on his back and she lying beside him with her right leg draped over his and her hand was linked with his own and resting across the thin fabric that covered his chiseled chest.

Finally, when exhaustion had begun to weave its caresses around her consciousness, Kaoru pulled away and rested her head on his shoulder. Her muscles relaxed within a few heartbeats, and she felt herself trying to nuzzle herself closer to him. She couldn't find the words to describe how comfortable she was, despite the tingles of nervous excitement still spread through her veins. She shifted her head to get a better look at his face, and he met her gaze with gentle fire.

His thumb stroked the back of her hand affectionately, successfully causing her skin to erupt in gooseflesh. His voice lowered to a whisper that was full of irrefutable promise. "Tomorrow we will be husband and wife, koishii."

Too drained from the tiring events of the day, Kaoru could give a throaty murmur of approval. Then she plopped her head down in the crook of his neck and nosed her way closer to him.

He rewarded her with a kiss atop on her head, as it was the only place his lips could reach without upsetting her relaxed position. "Good," he mumbled against her hair before resting his head back again.

Lovingly tucked in a silk-embroidered pouch beside her mother's mirror, a small kanji charm gleamed merrily as they drifted off to a peaceful sleep.