"ORORORORORORORO!!!!!!" Kenshin woke to being thrown across the room, and then strangled, then kicked, then strangled again. "ORORORORORORO!!"

"Hentai! Hentai! Hentaiiiiii!!!!" screamed the very hysterical Kaoru. She finally broke down, as all of her injuries started to hurt at once. "ITAI!!!" she cried, she and the swirly-eyed rurouni lying on the floor in pain, "Doushite... Everything... hurts..."

'Kaoru...' Kenshin looked over at her, the confusion in her face and the tears in the corner of her eyes, as she couldn't move. 'I forgot... what they told me...'

Flashback to when Kenshin just got there. Sanosuke and Megumi had put him into a hot bath to thaw him off. "Truth is... Kaoru-chan doesn't remember you or any of us..." Megumi explained, sitting on the edge of the tub, "She doesn't even know her own baby."

"Sonna baka na!" Kenshin exclaimed, "H-How...?" The words tumbled out of his mouth. He could just see the reassuring face she had on as he turned and walked away. 'I shouldn't have left... I shouldn't have... I was only thinking about myself, and now...'

"Oi Kenshin," Sanosuke splashed some water into his face, "Jou-chan is still Jou-chan... It'll take time, but if we all help her, and not scare her, she'll be all right."

'Sou de gozaru...' Kenshin slowly moved towards her, reaching for her shoulder. 'I must've scared her... It's understandable that she attacked me - she doesn't know the fact that we're... I better be more careful...' He felt the tenseness as he finally touched the fabric of her robe. "E-to... sore wa..."

"DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU YOU YOU HENTAI!!!!"

Kenshin blushed. 'I haven't been reprimanded like this for a long time...'

The door then slid open. "We heard screaming! Are you all right, Jou--??" Sanosuke stopped and stared over at the turned-over futon and the two lying on the floor. "OI!!! KENSHIN!! TEMEE! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Ken-san!" Megumi walked over and wrapped an arm around his head, "Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?? You're still under my care and I'm sure your condition won't get better if you don't rest~!"

"Oro... H-Hai, Megumi-dono..."

"Forgive him, Kaoru-chan... He's under heavy medication and must've come in here by accident. He's not normally so bold with women."

"H-Hai..." Kaoru stammered, finally calming down. Blushing at the floor, she gripped at her robe. "Demo... Who is he?"

There was a long pause. Sanosuke looked impatient and was about to blurt out the truth, when Megumi threw her hand over his mouth and slammed him into the floor. "ORO..."

Kenshin put on a sad smile. "I'm Himura Kenshin. I've been living here with you for a while now."

"Sou desu ka... E-to..." Kaoru's face was turning redder and redder, "Y-You must be... a servant...?"

"IYA YO! I-I do the chores willingly..." He held up his sakabatou. "I'm a swordsman. Although I know the role of samurai are not needed in this time, I will gladly use my sword to protect others. To use my potential for good, that's what I..."

Both of their attention moved to the couple off to the side; Megumi was repeatedly slamming Sanosuke's head into the floor. "BAKA, DON'T SAY ANYTHING!"

"URESEH! BOKE-ONNA!!" Sanosuke retaliated by pulling her hair. Megumi took out the claws and the scene got ugly.

Both Kaoru and Kenshin sweat-beaded. "Daijoubu da... They're normally like this."

"S-Sou desu ka..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tsubaki walked down the hallway with a tray of food. 'Not everyone had dinner. That's not good... With these kind of conditions, everyone should eat properly to stay healthy...' She closed her eyes momentarily. 'Kaoru-san...'

In the instant that she closed her eyes, she happen to run into someone. "Aa! Tsubame-san!" Shizuka was still there, and fortunately kept the tray from dropping. "Daijoubu?"

"H-Hai... Gomen nasai... I was just thinking about something..." she replied, "Ano, by any chance do you know where Keisuke-san is? I believe he hasn't had anything to eat yet..."

"I think I saw him in the other room. Here, I'll take that from you," Shizuka held up the tray and noted, "It'll be a good excuse..."

"Eh?" Tsubame couldn't help but feel a bit curious. She watched as Shizuka walked around the corner and decided to follow her. 'A long time ago... Shizuka-san was engaged to Keisuke-san... They broke it off many times, but somehow they always ended up back together... Perhaps it was because they really cared about each other... Or they really cared about Kaoru-chan and didn't want to hurt her feelings... Whatever the reason... Even today...' Tsubame peered into the small crack in the door. 'I can't help but feel that nothing has changed at all...'

Keisuke was sitting in the dojo, sipping some tea that had gone cold. He was sitting in the place where Kaoru would normally sit, staring up at the big scroll on the wall, that read: 'The Sword which brings out the Potential'

"Douzo," Shizuka noted, placing the tray on the floor next to him. He didn't move and acknowledge the food offering, but continued to sip away. "Honto ni..." she uttered, leaning over to him, "Are you really Keisuke?"

At this, he put down his cup and turned towards her. "What do you think?"

"Watashi..." Her voice drifted off as she thought about the events that occurred around his death. 'I didn't... I refused to see him at the hospital... then I refused to go to his funeral... Really, this coldness is only expected, demo...! That doesn't change the fact that he is here now... that I didn't see for myself... Is this really...?'

"How's Kuma? Hachi no yatsu?"

"Eh? Oh... they're both fine... Kuma had gone home to spend time with his famiy, and Hachi-san is working on a case at the moment."

"Sou ka... everyone's doing fine. Omae...?"

"Un, everything is working out. I took over the business after Otousan died. Kuma couldn't, because of his family and his job with the police force. No one thought I could do it, but I've been able to take care of myself since."

"Hmm? So you didn't get married after all?"

"H-how could I...?" she blurted out. Instead, she swallowed her words and blushed down at the floor.

Keisuke chuckled and went to pick up the bowl of soup. "Heh, so now you're an old maid. Really Shizuka, don't tell me you're still restricting 'fun' in your life. I always figured it'd come to this..."

She gripped at her kimono, slowly smiling. "You're still the same too... Even though it was over 10 years ago, you seem like you haven't changed at all..."

The two of them didn't say anything after that. Tsubame backed away from the door and started to head back. 'It's like the past has collided with the present... No one is quite sure what to do... What can you do when someone comes back from the dead...?'

* * * * * * * * * * *
"Kore de yoshi," Megumi tucked Kaoru back into the futon after checking on her, "Just be sure to rest and let me know if anything gets worse."

"Shitsureishimasu," Yutaro stood in the doorway with the baby, "Kenji is a little upset. I was going to escort Shizuka-san home, so could you take him for a while, Ka--..." His voice trailed off as he saw the look of obliviousness in her face. "E-to..."

Kenshin got up and reached for the weeping child. "I'll take him. I think Kenji needs to go to bed anyways. I'll see you all in the morning." He and Yutaro then silently left, closing the door behind them.

"Ano..." Kaoru looked back and forth around the room at the solemn faces. "So... Kenji-chan is... Kenshin-san's son...?"

"Sou da," Sanosuke said, crossing his arms. "Kenji's almost a year old. He's growing fast if you ask me. Cute kid na?"

She slowly nodded, still a little distraught. "Kenji's mother is...?"

"She left," Megumi replied. In the background, Sanosuke's eyes flashed. ("Oi oi!!") But Megumi felt creative and kept on going. "She left them behind for another man..."

"Sonna...!" Kaoru had sat up, her face full of sympathy, "That's cruel... What kind of a person could...?"

"Sou desu wa... She was really a thoughtless woman! Very stupid indeed!"

"OI TEME!!" Sanosuke snagged her over by the arm and snarled in her ear, "(Knock it off already!)"

"(Ohohoho, but this is all so much fun...)"

"(If we leave now, we can have fun ourselves...)"

Megumi looked at his cute smile, then over at the still stunned Kaoru. "Ara~!" she said, getting up on her feet, "It's time for us to be going~! I'll see you tomorrow, Kaoru-chan~!"

"H-Hai... thank you for your trouble," Kaoru replied. They then left her alone to go about their 'fun'. When they had gone, Kaoru sadly gazed off into the dark room, clutching at her futon. 'I can't help but feel for Kenshin-san and Kenji-chan...'

* * * * * * * * * *
The next morning, Kaoru pulled open her door and stared out at the blue sky and beaming sun. "O HA YOU GO ZA I MA SU~!" she exclaimed, stretching out her arms.

"Ohayou!" Kenshin called back. He was outside, sweeping the pathway. Kaoru slipped into her sandals and hopped down to him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Un! I feel brand new!" she replied, "Ano, is someone making breakfast?"

"I was going to..."

"Daijoubu!!" she said, waving her hand in his face, "I'll do it!"

As she started to head for the kitchen, Kenshin stopped her at the last minute. "E-to... about last night... Gomen... I didn't mean..."

She turned towards him, a bright smile on her face. "Don't worry about it... It's forgotten. However, if you do try something again, I'll have to give you a good punch... Ne?"

"H-Hai..." Kenshin smiled too, watching her rush off into the kitchen, followed by the sound of crashing and pots falling. 'Dakara... Kaoru is still Kaoru...'

My gift is my song
And this one is for you

Kenshin finished his sweeping, and then went to hang the laundry. From his spot, he could watch Kaoru in the kitchen, hesitantly putting the ingredients together.

And you can tell everybody
That this is your song
And may be quite simple that
Now that it's done

Later, Kenshin gathered up the others to sit at the table. Yahiko, Yutaro, and Tsubame all crowded around as Kaoru started to serve them. "Gomen, minna ... I don't think it tastes good."

She stopped and watched them take the first bites. "OISHII!" Yahiko blurted out. He quickly covered his mouth, turning all red.

"Eh? Nani Nani??" Kaoru was in very much shock as she looked back and forth as the continuation of eating. "It's good??"

"Hai! Sou desu!" Tsubame chimed, "It's very delicious; that's Yahiko-kun was trying to say..."

Yahiko narrowed his eyes and muttered under his breath. "Honto... The brainwashed busu doesn't remember that she's really a terrible cook..."

"NANI!?!??" An angry Kaoru picked up a radish and threw it at him, the oversized vegetable colliding with his head and he went unconscious. Kenshin, feeding Kenji some baby food, started laughing.

I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words

"Eh?" Kaoru stopped her rage trip and stared over at the amused swordsman. "Nani yo?? Ne! What are you laughing at, Kenkaku-san??"

How wonderful life is
Now you're in the world

After the meal, Megumi arrived to look after the injured. But Yahiko, tired of being an invalid and pissed off at Kaoru, rushed off with his shinai. "OI!! BUSU!!!" he hollered, running around the house and looking for her, "COME OUT! LET'S SETTLE THIS!!!"

He went past Kenshin, who was cleaning up after everyone (with Kenji in a back pouch). He then spotted Kaoru sitting atop the house, drinking tea. He went up to join her. "A-Ano... is it safe??" she asked, looking at the happy child. Kenshin cheerfully nodded and the two of them stared off into the sky.

I sat on the roof
And I kicked off the moss

The breeze picked up and Kenshin watched as the strands of hair flew around her face. "For some reason... Everything seems strange to me... How in the world did all this end up in my hands? I don't understand it at all."

"You don't have to understand... It's okay not to..."

Well singing these verses
Well they, they got me quite cross

"Demo," she replied, hugging her knees, "I haven't done anything in my life to deserve this. Surely my father would have found someone to inherit it all... I'm not fit to run the dojo on my own..."

"Kaoru..." Kenshin watched her some more, sadly adding to himself, 'She doesn't know... She doesn't know what she's done... What she means to us all... to me...'

But the suns been kind
While I wrote this song
It's for people like you
That keep it turned on.

He slowly got up and turned to climb off the roof. "I better get back to doing the morning chores."

"Un! Thanks for talking to me... Soshite, Kenji-chan..."

"BUSU!!" Yahiko had spotted her and was angrily pointing at her. "GET YER LAZY ASS DOWN HERE SO I COULD KICK IT!!!"

"Dame desu!" Tsubame cried, trying to collect the injured back into the sickroom so Megumi could have a look at their progress, "Yahiko-kun, please try to calm down! Violence is not the answer to anythi--!"

"DAMN TANUKI!!"

So excuse me forgetting
But these things I do
You see I've forgotten
If they're green or they're blue

"Now it's 'Tanuki'?? You don't know when to quit, do you Brat??" Kaoru said, getting up from her seat. She then slipped on the roof and started to fall. "AA...?!"

Kaoru opened her eyes to see that she hadn't fallen, but was caught. Kenshin held her in his arms, with Kenji laughing over his shoulder. "Daijoubu??"

Anyway the thing is
What I really mean is
Yours are the sweetest eyes
That I've ever seen

"KYAA!" Kaoru clobbered Kenshin and scrambled back on her own feet. "Hai! D-Daijoubu desu! G-Gomen nasai… it’s a reflex!"

"Oro..."

Before anything else could happen, they all stopped to hear the door slide open. "Cheh..." muttered a very sleepy looking Keisuke, "Is it morning already??"

"OH!!" Kaoru's face lit up. "Keisuke, ohayou gozaimasu~!"

"Yo..." he uttered, coming outside and rubbing his eyes. He paused to look over at Kenshin who was rubbing the bump on his head. “I’m glad you’re all right now, Himura-san.”

”Arigatou for your concern, Keisuke-dono… Shikashi, you missed breakfast and it seems we’re out of food.”

”SONNA!!” Kaoru exclaimed, “I’ll go to town and buy something right away!!” She then took off, running down the road.

Keisuke chuckled and scratched his head. “Mattaku… that girl never changes.”

”Considering the circumstances, it seems dangerous for Kaoru-san to go off by herself,” Tsubame noted, looking around. “Besides, Kaoru-san forgot her purse…” General face-fault.

“Daijoubu daze,” Keisuke replied, pointing at himself. “I’ll go after her and protect her from harm.”

Kenshin watched with a heavy heart as Keisuke took in a run after her. ‘I’m counting on you…’ He looked over at the saddened baby. ‘Sorry, Kenji…’

Tsubame then noted, “Keisuke-san forgot the purse too.” Another general face-fault.

And you can tell everybody
This is your song

Keisuke easily caught up with Kaoru, who greeted him with a punch. Keisuke blocked and the two of them laughed – going on as though it was back when they were younger.

And it may be quite simple
But now that it's done

The two of them walk side by side along the river towards town, being silent all of a sudden. Kaoru suddenly blurted out, “I knew… you’d come back…

Keisuke crossed his arms, turning his face away. “It’s only temporary, Kaoru-chan.”

I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words

Kaoru’s footsteps slowed down. He finally noticed that she had stopped completely and was standing in the middle of the road with her head bowed. “Doushita?” he asked, turning towards her, “Come on, forget it. Let’s keep going.”

”Iie… I don’t want…”

”Kaoru-chan…?”

”I don’t want to… just keep going…”

How wonderful life is
Now you're in the world

Kaoru suddenly leapt into the river. “KA-KAORU-CHAN!!!” Keisuke stared in panic as the girl splashed around in the rushing currents, the disappeared under surface. ‘S-Shimatta!! Kaoru-chan doesn’t know how to swim!!’

Keisuke leapt in after her, swimming to catch up to where he figured she’d be headed. He then dove under and searched the waves for her. Finally he found her and carried her to shore. The two of them rested on the ground, soaked and panting.

“Wha… what were you thinking…?”

”I thought… no matter what happens… whenever I’m in trouble, I know… Keisuke would come save me… Keisuke will be there for me…” Kaoru lifted a smile over at him. “Always…”

Keisuke looked surprised, but his eyes softened as he stared into hers. “Kaoru-chan…”

I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
Now you're in the world