Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. Don't sue me! I'm poor! This story is for entertainment only and is no way meant to be offensive!

Warning: The story is PG-13, but chapter ratings will vary.

Rating: PG

Author's Note: THANKS SO MUCH TO THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO REVIEW! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^__^

~~ denotes shifts in time/character perspective, ** denotes character's thoughts

***For Susan…***

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Touch Me Deeply

Chapter 10: The Memory of Your Kiss

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Mars Colony 320: Kyoto II

Year: 2502

"It can't be," Kenshin whispered slowly, clutching the limp girl to his chest, mindless of the battle still raging on around him. It no longer held any importance. Nothing mattered, not the battle, not the senseless war. The world around him had come crashing down. She was dead. "No…I can't…I can't lose you again…it took me so long to find you…"

As people shouted for his attention, Kenshin reached out a hand to Kaoru's face, trailing slender fingers over the elegant arch of her eyebrows, the sultry lines of her lips.

"Kaoru," he murmured, cupping her cheeks gently as tears wound their way down his pale cheeks. "I couldn't protect you…forgive me…" He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in the lightest, briefest of touches. "I'm sorry."

He hugged the girl to him once more, weeping softly, ignoring the soldiers rushing around him. After a moment, he stopped stroking her raven hair, coming to a decision that caused him pain, but that he knew to be right. "I will take you back to Yukishiro, Kaoru. I will give him the chance to say good-bye…He deserves that much…if it hadn't been for me, you would still be…alive…"

Before he could make a move to get to his feet, though, Kaoru suddenly jerked in his arms, mouth falling open in a gasp as she began to cough violently, her chest rising and falling unsteadily.

"K-K-Kenshin," she choked out, some of the color rushing back into her cheeks. Her hand came up to clutch at her chest and she whimpered desperately.

Noticing the way her fingers were moving on her bulletproof vest, the major reached up, helping her un-strap the heavy article and shoving it off her slim shoulders. Once it had been removed, Kaoru breathed easier, but still grabbed at her chest, her features twisting in pain.

Kenshin gently stilled her hands, fingers moving over her chest, carefully inspecting for injuries. When he reached her ribcage, his hand paused. He prodded gently and Kaoru nearly screamed.

"A couple of your ribs are broken," he murmured, helping her sit up. "Do you think you can walk?"

"I…I don't know…"

"Lean on me," Kenshin urged softly, helping the sergeant to her feet. He had to get her back to the main facilities, but he doubted they would be able to walk without being attacked. He needed to have at least one hand free to defend them both if necessary. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head, trying to stem the constant flow of tears streaming down her cheeks. The pain was so intense she could barely bring herself to speak. She leaned on the major as he began to walk, his free hand reaching for one of the laser blasters on his belt as the other curled around her slim waist, holding her against him gently.

They reached the facilities in record time, Kenshin occasionally having to pause to fight for a few moments as he wove easily throughout the huddles of soldiers. Kaoru was only half-conscious as he moved past the privates guarding the entrance. Noting the dangerous expression on his face, no one thought to stop him and ask what he was doing.

He tucked his blaster back into its holster once they stepped inside the building, scooping Kaoru into his arms and making his way to the medical building quickly. The sergeant leaned her head against his shoulder, whimpering softly.

"It's okay," he soothed softly. "We're almost there..."

It was mere moments before he stepped into the building, snapping commands at the first doctor he saw as he laid the girl on a tall, metal table. "We need to get her into a healing chamber immediately."

"Yes, Sir!" the doctor replied, moving forward to inspect the sergeant before he motioned a nurse to join him. "Go set up tank number three."

The healing chamber, or tank as it was more often called, was in actuality a circular glass encasement, similar to that of a fish aquarium, which would fill with a liquid similar to human embryonic fluid once it was prepared. If reached in time, it could heal the most grievous of injuries in days to weeks. An injury such as Kaoru's would take no more than an hour or two to repair.

"Will she be all right?" Kenshin asked the doctor as the sergeant was wheeled away.

The doctor nodded hastily. "Of course. She'll be fine. She has three broken ribs, a few lacerations, and I think one of her lungs might have been injured as well, but we can heal all of that in no time. The tank will give us a print out of her injuries once the cycle is complete."

"Thank you."

The doctor nodded quickly, rushing away as another injured soldier was brought into the building.

Kenshin sank into a metal chair with a sigh, fingers coming up to bury themselves in his crimson hair. Inwardly, he was still reeling from the emotions that had bombarded him when he had thought Kaoru was dead. Now that he thought back, he berated himself for not thinking clearly. With the force that the object had hit her in the chest, it was only natural that the wind had been knocked out of her lungs. If he had been thinking rationally, he would have checked her pulse before assuming that she had died. But the moment he had realized her chest had stopped moving, all rationality and logical thought had fled his mind, leaving behind nothing but emotional wreckage.

The thought that she was dead would have driven him insane, he was sure of it. He would not have been able to survive the mental anguish of losing her three lifetimes in a row. The very thought made his heart twist painfully. She could not die again, not before they had the chance to live a complete and happy life together.

He sat there for the next hour, not bothering to change his uniform. His own comfort could wait until he was certain she was all right. Until she was fully healed, he would not be more than a few feet from her side.

He could hear the sounds of the battle outside, raging on without him. He supposed he should have dropped her off and rushed back out into the fray, but he had to be sure she was safe. He would not leave her side. It was impossible. His heart would not allow it.

"They're being driven back!" a nurse announced suddenly. "I've just been informed that we have won. They are retreating."

Kenshin breathed a sigh of relief. For now, the colony was safe. He knew that he would be reprimanded for leaving the battle and abandoning his peers, but his punishment would be far from severe. Lieutenant Claire was a good man. He would understand the major's position.

"Sir, the process has been completed," a nurse informed him softly. "She is being taken to a room on the second floor. Room twenty-thirty, I believe."

"Thank you," the redhead murmured, getting to his feet quickly.

He reached the afore mentioned room in minutes. Kaoru lay on the bed, the color returning to her cheeks, raven hair draped over the white sheets beneath her. Her eyes were closed, dark lashes casting shadows on her delicate skin.

Kenshin sank into the chair beside her bed, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest. Almost unconsciously, he reached for her hand and cupped it gently in his own, his thumb moving in circles over the sensitive skin of her palm.

"Kenshin?"

He looked up in surprise, finding her navy eyes open and trained on his face. "You're awake…"

She nodded, smiling slightly. "Thank you…for helping me…I…I heard some of what you said while I was struggling to breath again…for a moment it felt like I couldn't move or make a sound…"

The redhead dropped his violet gaze to his hands, one of which still held hers lightly. "What did you hear?"

Kaoru blushed slightly. "Well, actually, I heard everything…"

Kenshin kept his head bowed. "I guess it wasn't really a surprise. I already told you how I feel…"

"Yes, but I didn't really know the depth of it," the sergeant murmured slowly. "When you thought I was dead…the sound of your voice…it broke my heart…but I'm glad that you would have taken me to Enishi…to let him say good-bye…"

Kenshin looked up at her words, violet eyes filled with such intensity that Kaoru felt as if the breath had been stolen from her body once more. "I would rather see you happy with him for a thousand lifetimes, than watch you die again…"

Kaoru swallowed thickly, one trembling hand coming up to touch his face gently. "Kenshin…"

He closed his eyes, shaking his head briefly. "Don't say anything, Kaoru, I—"

The redhead's words were cut off abruptly as she pressed her lips to his, kissing him chastely.

Kenshin groaned softly, surprised, but unable to resist the temptation of her mouth. He released her hand to bury his fingers in her raven hair, leaning forward over the mattress as he tried to deepen the kiss, his tongue teasing the seam of her lips, begging for entrance.

With a tiny whimper, Kaoru parted her lips, allowing his tongue to snake into her mouth and rub against her own. For a moment, she gave in to the kiss, allowing him to taste her even as she relished his own unique flavor, but suddenly the image of Enishi's face sprung into her mind. She thought of his touch, his face, the way he slept, the adorable wildness of his hair…his love.

Kaoru brought her hands up to Kenshin's chest, nudging him back even as she turned her head away. "I'm sorry…we can't do this…"

The major stared at her in confusion, breathing roughly. "What?"

"I love him."

"Kaoru—"

"I love him!" Kaoru interrupted, hand coming up to her mouth. "I can't betray him now…"

TBC…

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Hello, minna! Thanks for reading!

PLEASE REVIEW! INSPIRE ME!

REVIEWS = HAPPY MIDORI = FASTER CHAPTERS

Miyu Sakura – LOL! I'm breathing, I'm breathing.

ArtemisMoon - ::blush:: Thanks for the compliment! You're very sweet!

Firuze – Thanks for defending me! ::hands Firuze a chibi-Enishi plushy::

Zippo – No other RK cast members will show up in this fic, but I might do a sequel with more of them in it.

nemo – The war is meant to be vague for now. I will go into more depth with it as the chapters progress. (I'm more of an inner turmoil girl myself, too…)

Inuki – Well, if this does turn out to be nothing more than well written mush, I'm sorry, that wasn't what I was intending. @_@x: Oro! ::prepares to be hit with the giant yam::

Everyone else – Kaoru isn't dead ^_^. Had you there for a minute, ne? THANKS FOR REVIEWING!

~Midori^_^