I'm back with an all new story. I can honestly say this one will be totally new for me, I'm so happy with all the inspiration I have with this. I don't know why, but I'm being to hit all of it at once, so we'll see where it goes. I'm working on multiple others as well, but for now, you'll have to stay in love with Kenshin and Kaoru (smiles).

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters.

"You have got to be kidding me," Kenshin growled. "No."

"Kenshin, don't be so close-minded." Tomoe, his long-time friend and manager crossed her arms over her chest in feminine protest.

"You want me to date a fan; have you lost your ever loving mind?" He looked disgusted as he glared at her and Misao, his personal stylist. They were in this together; he was more than aware of that.

"Think of all the publicity," she argued, throwing her hands out in front of her, like it would make a better point.

"Yeah, think of the publicity," Misao snickered in his ear as she removed his makeup.

Kenshin was a singer; a very popular one at that. His tour had just kicked off; he would go around the country and hold concerts for fans. Tonight's concert had been a huge success, and he was pleased to know he had so many people cheering for his success. Unfortunately, no matter how many people loved him, he hated the fact that he had to wear makeup… and he only needed it because of the lights; they made his face look washed out.

"You're such a traitor," he hissed at her in mock outrage. Publicity definitely wouldn't hurt him, but he didn't need it. They just wanted to make a scene, keeping everyone from forgetting about him.

"Come on, Kenshin." Misao smiled at him soothingly. "It won't be bad."

"Thanks, guys," he sighed, giving into the fact that there was nothing he could do about this. They wanted what was best for his career, he knew, but was this really necessary? Sometimes they were a little too damned pushy for his liking. "Fine, I'll think about it," he murmured into the silence.

Tomoe squealed, coming up to him and kissing his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered into his ear before leaving the room; a slight bounce in her step.

As Kenshin watched her leave, another sigh escaped him. He was doing that a lot tonight. As Misao stepped away from him, he stood up and entered the makeshift closet they had set up for him. He pulled off his stage clothes, black leather that was way too extravagant for his liking, and after a while, they were incredibly uncomfortable. As he slipped out of them, he slid into a pair of comfortable jeans and a lilac shirt, covering it with a light black jacket to block the night air.

When he walked back out, Misao stared at him curiously. "Why do you do that to yourself?" She asked as she turned to pick up her case.

"Do what," he asked as he pulled the hairband out of his hair, letting it fall down his back.

"If you like her, why don't you tell her?" Misao had a knack for being blunt, a little too blunt sometimes. When she picked up on something, she went after it, full force.

"Why do you think," he asked as he approached her. "Hey Tomoe, I know that you're happily married and in love with your husband, but I think we could go well together," he grimaced as the words left his mouth. "Yeah, that would work out brilliantly."

Misao laughed at his out of character words. "That's so romantic, Kenshin. She couldn't help but say yes to you then." The sarcasm that was laced in her voice was more than apparent and he smiled kindly at her. She absent mindedly ran her hand through his hair before her face lit up. "Hey, why don't you ask Aoshi-"

"No."

"But-"

"No, Misao," Kenshin looked at her through the reflection of the mirror that stood in front of them; her hand was still in his hair. "I don't care how long Aoshi and I have been friends. I won't even entertain the idea of asking him for relationship advice."

Misao let out a laugh as she pictured how that situation would pan out. "It was worth a try," she said with a shrug.

"I appreciate it." He pulled her hand out of his hair and laid a gentle kiss on her the back of her hand. "Don't worry. I'll think of something."

She gave him a nod before taking a deep breath. "You ready to go?"

Kenshin nodded. "Yeah, I really need some sleep." While the tour had just kicked off, this was already his third stop and he was finally back in his hometown. He didn't know why Tomoe had insisted on starting somewhere else, but he hadn't questioned her decision.

He couldn't wait to get home and into his own bed, drifting off into a comatose sleep. He grinned to himself at how peaceful that would be. He constantly felt exhausted and there was no place like home.

Kenshin took Misao's hand in his as they walked to his waiting car. This woman beside him was a dear friend, even with the short time she'd been with his team. He looked at her like a little sister. Misao's hand tightened in his as fans waited for them outside, screaming his name and cheering him on. He waved and gave them a tired smile. He appreciated the encouragement, but he really was too tired to put on a mask that he was invincible, even against sleep.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out against the intense noise of the fans. The screams that had been ones of joy immediately turned to terror as they ducked and scattered, trying to avoid being hit. Kenshin turned and tucked Misao into his chest as he pulled her to the ground, a bullet whizzing past him and into the side of his car.

They lay there, unable to move as the sounds of guns firing still filled the air. It felt like an eternity before silenced took control. Time seemed to freeze as no one made a sound and all too soon, it was over. Kenshin's security team instantly came to the rescue, local law enforcement following right behind them.

"Mr. Himura," one man yelled as the team made their way to his side. "Sir, are you all right?"

Kenshin was on his feet in an instant before looking down at Misao. "Are you okay," his eyes quickly scanned over her body.

She opened her mouth to reply, but her name rang through the air. "Misao!" They all looked to see Aoshi, who was frantically making his way towards them.

"Aoshi," she whispered as she reached out for her husband. He was in her arms instantly as she pulled him close. "It hurts." Her words were loud enough for all around her to hear. As he pulled back, Kenshin cursed; she'd been hit. It wasn't serious, but still enough to piss Aoshi off.

Aoshi slowly rose to his feet, turning to the singer. "Himura-"

"Aoshi," she said as she grasped his hand. "Kenshin saved me." He was back by her side before she could blink, waiting for her to continue with her explanation. "He covered me when the bullets were coming towards us. Please…"

He just continued to look at her as his gaze softened into understanding. Standing to his feet again, held out his hand towards Kenshin.

Kenshin took it and they clapped each other on the back as paramedics made their way to Misao.

"Mrs. Shinamori, we need to take you to the hospital."

Misao's eyes widened in alerted terror; she hated hospitals with a passion.

"Don't worry," Aoshi whispered as he grabbed her hand. "Nothing will happen."

Kenshin stepped away, inadvertently drawing their attention. "I'll get Tomeo and we'll meet you there." He turned on his heel and began to walk away, sensing they wanted a private moment before she was taken to the hospital.

"Aoshi, can you do me a favor," she asked once Kenshin was out of earshot. She reached for his hand again.

He took it eagerly, gently squeezing it in reassurance. "Anything."

"At home, in my day journal, look in the 'K' section; 'Kamiya' is the name you're looking for her." She looked into his eyes. "Call her and tell her where I am."

Aoshi looked at his injured wife with mild surprise. This name was one he'd never heard before. "Who is she?"

Misao couldn't blame her husband for his confusion. She hadn't ever mentioned Kaoru to anyone, not since she was much younger. She needed her now though, and Aoshi was the only one she trusted to get in contact with her. "I haven't seen her for a long time," she admitted. "But she's my best friend."

Kaoru lay in bed, listening to music on her iPod. The usic was soft and sweet, and she was feeling sorry for herself. It had been two weeks since she'd returned home from Hokkaido. An assignment had taken her there for two years and finally it was over. She wanted to forget, to move on with her life, ignoring the horrible experience. She hadn't felt like this in years and she didn't know how she could get through it again.

She sighed and sat up. "Okay Kaoru, this is no time to have a pity party. You're back on the market, so let's get going." Her market was almost nonexistent. There were others out there like her, but none advertised themselves as much as she did. She liked to keep going, jumping from one assignment to the next.

She quickly shed her close and put on a fresh tank top and shorts before going to her desk and turning on her laptop. She clicked the keys rapidly, setting up her profile again. This explained who she was and what she did; her life. Of course, it was fake, but no one else knew that. When she was on an assignment, nothing existed; nothing. She was a ghost.

But now she was back. Kaoru looked over her work and smiled. "Here we go." Enter.

She pushed herself away from the desk and grabbed her purse before she walked out of her apartment. Kaoru walked down the street in the freezing weather. "It feels so good to be back," she breathed in the air. God, she had missed this. Hokkaido had been great, but it wasn't home. Tokyo… Tokyou would always be home.

She stepped into the gym and was greeted by a familiar face. "Hey missy, how have you been?"

Kaoru smiled at the warm welcome. "I've been fine, and how about yourself?"

"I've been doing well," he smiled back at her. "I haven't seen you in forever," he pouted playfully.

"It's been two years, not forever. I didn't know you cared," she playfully flirted. They always did this, even back before she left. They weren't anything more than friends and they both knew that. This was all innocent fun.

"Ah, ah, ah," he shook his finger in her face as a warning, before pushing his hand down in an exaggerated manner, showing her the ring that sat on his finger, "can't flirt anymore."

Grabbing his hand, she stared at the gold band around his ring finger. "Sano, who did you get to marry,' she grinned.

"Me, though I don't know how sometimes."

Kaoru looked over his shoulder at the woman who had answered her. When her eyes landed on a very pregnant woman, her eyes lit up. "Megumi," her grin widened in surprise she walked around the counter to hug the woman. "When did this happen?"

"A year ago," she smiled. "This little guy is due in three months."

Aw, congratulations you guys." She hugged Megumi again before turning to hug Sanosuke.

"So, what are you doing here?" He asked her.

"I'm here to work out," she gestured to her attire. "I need to blow off some steam." And waste time.

"If you want to blow off steam, go find a guy." He answered without thinking.

"Sanosuke," Megumi yelled, outraged.

"Sorry, that slipped out." He looked sheepishly between the two women. "Go ahead, I'll cover it."

Kaoru laughed, a blush on her face. "Thanks."

As she walked back to where the equipment was, she stepped onto the treadmill and placed ear buds in her ear, turning on her music. Kenshin Himura. She started walking, slowly leading up to a jog before speeding up to an all-out run. Yeah, this was it. She needed this run. One mile, that was it and then she would move onto something. Find a man; she scoffed as she remembered Sano's words.

Kaoru hadn't been paying attention and before she knew it, eight minutes had passed and she had just passed one mile. Smiling to herself, she stepped away and headed towards the weights. Twenty pounds in each hand, she began to stretch. She smiled to herself again, noticing that she was working up a good sweat. She loved it. Kaoru felt so alive when she exercised. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, surprising her. "This is Kamiya."

"Miss Kamiya, my name is Aoshi Shinamori."

"What can I do for you, Mr. Shinamori?" She wasn't used to calls this late, but she wasn't going to complain. A client was a client and she was grateful for the contact in general.

"My wife, Misao, asked me to call you."

Kaoru's eyebrows rose. She hadn't heard from Misao in years. She'd missed her best friend dearly, but why was this man, supposedly her husband, calling in her stead? "What happened to her?" The way she'd asked gave her an ominous feeling; hopefully nothing bad.

"She was in an accident. She wants to see you, though she wouldn't tell me why."

"Where is she," Kaoru was already putting the weights away when she asked.

"She's at Tokyo hospital."

"Thank you Mr. Shinamori, I'm on my way now." She hung up the phone as she made her way to the front of the gym. Giving a quick goodbye to the couple, she ran out and towards the hospital.

Here's chapter one. It might seem a little rushed, I know, but I really just needed to set the stage. I hope you all like it. Thoughts?

-K