Gunshots rang out. In the last minute, she pushed him out of the way. As he fell backwards, he watched her get shot twice before falling down to the ground with a giant thud. “IYAAAAAAA!!!” he screamed tearfully, ‘Kaoru!’

She just looked up at him with sad, watery eyes. Kneeling down to her, he saw that blood was pouring out in rivers and that her eyes were slowly closing. With a heavy breath, the eyelids fell shut and claws scraped at the ground.

“Daijoubu… I’ll get you to a doctor… you’re going to make it!” he told her, “Please hang on… don’t give up!” He then faced the cops with such anger, that his Battousai side overtook him. In one fleeting moment, he sped into a complete circle, taking down all of the police with his battoujutsu. He then tried to lift the bleeding body onto his back, “I won’t let you down…”

”Kenshin!!” Yahiko exclaimed, he and the others coming out of their hiding spots, “What the hell are you doing?! That’s the Tanuki Kaishuu!!”

”I know that!!” he yelled back, still struggling to lift the large and furry animal, “Demo… demo… I love her!!”

All of their mouths dropped open. “K-Ken-han, are you crazy?!” Tae exclaimed, “She’s a beast! She destroys things and eats people!! You’re a different species for crying out loud!!”

”I don’t care! I know it’s crazy… but I don’t care about that!” Kenshin argued, her blood all over him, “I’ve loved her since the moment I met her… and I’m not going to let her die on me like this… not when we’ve only just begun! I won’t let it end this way!!”

Katsu stepped forward, holding the frantic Tae and Yahiko back, “I’ll help you, Himura-san. We’ll get Tanuki-san to a doctor as soon as possible… let’s see, hm…” He paused to think, then snapped his fingers, “Aa! I have the wheel barrel we used to bring all the bombs. We’ll remove the bombs and put them elsewhere, then use it to bring Tanuki-san to Genzai’s clinic.”

“Arigatou…” he uttered, bowing his head. He then turned to the suffering raccoon, holding her paw. ‘There’s still hope… we’re going to make it. I promise!’

* * *
When they got to the clinic, Genzai was already in with a patient. “At this hour?!” Kenshin cried, pleading with Megumi outside, “But she’ll die if no one looks to her wounds now!”

Megumi peered over his shoulder at the enormous tanuki in the wheel barrel. “E-to… you say it’s got two gunshot wounds?”

“Hai! You’ve got to do something, Megumi-dono!”

“Demo… I really should help Genzai-sensei… this patient’s wounds are serious!”

His brow darkened, “This is more important!!” he exclaimed, almost shaking her.

She looked him over a bit surprised. “More important than Kaoru-chan?”

”What are you talking about!? Nothing is more important than her! Now, hurry up and help me save her life!!” he snapped, pointing at the raccoon.

Megumi was shocked by his response, but agreed to help him anyway. Tae and Yahiko watched as Katsu, Kenshin, and Megumi carried the tanuki into a spare operation room. Sanosuke suddenly came out of the bushes. “Oh! What’s going on?!”

“Kenshin’s freaking out over the tanu…” Yahiko stopped in the middle of his sentence and face faulted. “SANOSUKE?! Where are your clothes?!”

Sanosuke was holding a bucket in front of himself. “It ain’t my fault. Those cops wouldn’t believe me until I took the suit off. But then they kept chasing me anyways. So I got this far… and my clothes are at Tae’s place!”

Tae was checking him out from behind. “Fufufufu, and I think they will stay there. Looks like you’ll have to come with me to get them later…”

”EH?!” he cried, getting scared. He dropped his bucket and ran off into the house, more screams ensuing. “GOMEN, FOX!!”

* * *
After the operation, Kenshin stayed by her side, holding her paw, “You’re going to make it. Daijoubu, I’m here…”

Megumi stood off to the distance. ‘What in the hell…?!’ Genzai suddenly poke his tired head in the doorway, touching her arm. “Is she…?”

”Hm?” Kenshin turned around and saw they talking. Megumi’s eyes were filled with tears. “What’s wrong?” he asked, going towards them.

Megumi just took his hands, as if begging. “Kaoru-chan… she needs you at her side, Ken-san. Hayaku…”

He blinked a little. ”I know that. I’ve been here the whole time…”

“What are you talking about?” Genzai asked, “Kaoru-chan… she’s been in an accident. The carriage she was in overturned and she’s been seriously hurt. I’ve tried everything…”

As Genzai went into the details, Kenshin’s eyes widen. ‘Masaka!’ He turned slightly and looked at the recovering raccoon on the futon, then past the speaking doctors to the room across the hall, ‘Sou na… sou na… Kaoru is…?!’

“I’M SO STUPID!!!!!” he exclaimed, shoving them out of his way. He rushed into the room and saw her body lying on the operation table, her body covered with bandages. “Kaoru!”

In the corner, Smith was crying. “What a horrible experience!! Darling, don’t die!!!” He then saw Kenshin and grabbed his sleeve, “It happened so fast. We were just on our way to the warehouse when there were these gunshots and the horses got scared. And then everything just went wrong…”

“Is she… is she going to die?” Kenshin uttered, tears filling his eyes too.

Megumi cut in, “I hope not. Demo, Kaoru-chan is strong… she won’t give up too easily.” She walked over to Kenshin and handed him a robe. “Could you help me dress her and put her in a futon. She needs this time to recover.”

“H-Hai…” he uttered, staring at the floor, ‘How could I not been at her side…?’

* * *
The night went on forever. Sanosuke and the others had gone home, but Kenshin remained in the room with her. She looked so pale and fragile in the moonlight. He wondered what was going in her mind. What she was dreaming about.

It was cold and tiring, but he stayed sitting at her side the entire night, not closing his eyes nor lying down. In the morning, he had not budged nor made any effort to do so. Lucky for him, Yahiko returned with a change of clothing, since his were still covered with blood. For that time, he went and changed, then splashed some water in his face.

”Wai wai!! Tanuki-chan!!” Ayame and Suzume chimed. They were playing with the oversized raccoon that seemed a bit healthier, and strangely gentler with the children. They were feeding her onigiri and tying ribbons on her.

“Looks like we’ve got a new pet!” Genzai laughed, petting her head as the girls climbed on her back, “She could be a guard-raccoon. Ahahahaha~!”

Kenshin sighed and walked back into the room. Kaoru still wasn’t waking up. Turning his head, he saw the flowers left by Smith, and also a wrapped package. Frowning, he wondered if he had been with her instead, would this have happened to her?

‘It’s too late to regret and think about that… what matters is that she gets better.’ he told himself, taking her hand, ‘Come on, Kaoru… I’m here with you.’

Hours passed. Megumi came by and tried to give him something to eat, but he refused. She checked up on the girl and sighed, for nothing had changed. Leaving, she ran into Katsu, Tae, and Sanosuke outside, “We don’t know.”

”Aa,” Sanosuke uttered, “We just wanted to let her know we’re here and tell Kenshin, it’s gonna be all right. Demo…” Kenshin was in tears, holding their linked hands to his face. Sanosuke sighed and closed the screen, “It’s better we just leave them alone.”

”Sou nee. We really can’t do anything right now, but hope for the best.”

Tae frowned sadly, “Poor Kaoru-chan… somehow I feel we were all responsible. If we hadn’t been after the Tanuki-kaishuu and if we hadn’t detained Takani-han from helping Genzai-sensei…”

”Shh,” Katsu said, putting his hand on her shoulder, “Don’t think like that. We all didn’t know better, and there’s no use blaming ourselves. We’ve got to stay hopeful that Kamiya-san will make it all right.” She slowly nodded, smiling a little.

Yahiko then walked over, “Oi, some reporters want to talk to you guys… about the Tanuki-kaishuu hunt. C’mon…” The group reluctantly went after him.

* * *
It was night again. Kenshin still hadn’t slept. His eyes were now beginning to sting. ‘Iya… I have to stay awake… for Kaoru’s sake… I have to…’ But his eyelids were feeling heavy and his own body was going against him, ‘Iyaa! I can’t! I have to…!’

Within moments, he slumped to the floor on his side, facing Kaoru. In the pale blue lighting, she somehow looked dead. Reaching out his hand to her, the scene became blurry and darker. Losing the battle to sleep, his hand dropped on the edge of the futon, and his eyes closed.

The dreams he had were restless. In some he imagined her accident happening before her eyes, her final cries reserved for him before she blacked out. In other times, he would be running aimlessly through the city, still unable to find her. And when he did find her, she would be lying in the futon, lifeless.

“Sou na… this can be happening… I haven’t told you yet… I haven’t…” Kenshin gripped at his head, the world becoming a nightmarish maze of corpses going to take him to his own grave as well.

“IYAAAAAA!!!”

* * *
His eyes flickered open. He was lying on the floor and there was a puddle of drool by his mouth. Blinded a little from the sunlight, he peered a little bit from under the blanket that was on him. ‘Kaoru?’ The futon was empty, “Kaoru!”

But she was gone. Sitting up, he frantically looked around the room. It was as empty as it was, and some things were taken away. ‘Did she…?!’ Turning around, he noticed the screen was open and that was the source of sunlight and cool air, which was moving. Listening to some morning birds, he again gripped at the blanket he had on him, ‘Where did this come from…?’

He then saw a shadow coming along the side of the screen wall. Finally she came into the doorway, “Ohayou!” she said cheerfully.

“K-Kaoru-dono!” he gasped, jumping on his feet, “You’re… you’re…!”

She nodded, tugging a bit on her yukata. Her arms and fingers were all covered with bandages, her hair tied back in a ribbon. Moving to him slowly, she almost fell, but he came to support her. “Gomen, I seemed to have worried everyone…”

”Iya, chigao yo! Sessha should’ve been there…” he said, his hands on her waist as she gripped at his arms. “Kaoru-dono… Sessha…”

Kaoru lifted her face to his, him becoming frozen. Mouth still wide open, he couldn’t finish, because she had moved against him, her putting her arms around him.

“Kenshin, gomen. This is all my fault. I was working late to earn some money at the sewing warehouse where Smith supervises. To make even extra money I stayed even later to help close… this whole time I had been sneaking out and not telling you the truth… will you ever forgive me?”

”Of course de gozaru yo!” he gasped, still unable to move. Just feeling her so close, he had been going through rush of emotions. He couldn’t believe she was holding onto him and that she had come back to him. All that he was feeling, he couldn’t find the words.

“Kenshin, and this whole thing about Smith-san… I know it’s so scandalous, but there’s nothing going on between us. He’s my boss… and he’s very flirtatious, and even obsessive at times. It’s just I was new to the job and bad at using the new machinery, I often had to go to his office and get some medical aid.”

”That’s what happened to your hands…” he uttered, finally lifting his arm. He slid his hand over a bandaged one, hoping not to see her flinch with pain. But she was still holding onto him so tightly, “Doushita de gozaru? Why were you trying to earn some money… at such a place no less?”

”Datte…” she said softly, “I wanted to… to give you something…”

“Oro?” he uttered, moving away and looking down at her in surprised. She just knelt down and picked up the package. Smiling, she handed him it. Slowly he tore it open and saw a folded white gi and overcoat and blue hakama. “For Sessha?”

”Hai!” she said, blushing, “I bought the gi and hakama… demo, I sewed the coat myself. I-is it about right? I tried to get your measurements…”

”Oro!” he cried, “That time you were in Sessha's room?!”

“Y-You knew I was there?!” she replied, blushing more, “I-I didn’t know… why didn’t you say anything… and I had… oh!”

Kenshin smiled uneasily, recalling what he had guessed what she was doing, "Daijoubu de gozaru. Daga, why did you go to all this trouble… for Sessha?”

Kaoru stared at him for a moment, her face becoming serious, “Because…” She moved against him once more, “You’re someone special to me…”

“Kaoru…dono...” he uttered, blushing.

"I know you think I'm young and not immature enough to have such strong feelings, but I do, and I mean all of this... please believe me…”

"Iya! Sessha believes you, demo..." he said in her ear, "You're not too young. Well, you are younger than by ten years, but that's beside the point. What Sessha feels about you... Sessha can't begin to tell you... datte Sessha is so terrible with words."

"Daijoubu, I don't mind... I just want to be near you always."

"Kaoru-dono," he uttered, still trying to put his feelings into words, "Arigatou for everything... for being as you are... Sessha... ore... I need you, Kaoru..."

Her eyes lit up. "Honto ni? Oh, Kenshin!" she cried, happily. She then pressed a kiss on his cheek, "I'm so glad..."

Kenshin gazed down at her crying face which had turned into his shoulder. He could also still feel her soft kiss on face. 'Am I dreaming??' He wanted to someone to pinch him or give him a good smack. She had done all these things for him and said such strong feelings to someone as him - this couldn’t be reality. But as he lifted his arms onto her back, she felt real and so was the heartbeat that was vibrating between them.

"This isn’t a dream, Kenshin..."

* * *
”Yaa, Kaoru-chan!” Genzai called, walking into the room, “It’s time for your medication and a checkup, and … OH!!” He stopped and gazed at the two in an embrace. “G-Gomen, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I-I should have knocked first...!"

Kaoru shook her head and released him, smiling at the doctors, “Daijoubu. Kenshin was just glad I was okay. You can check me now.”

”Sou nee” Megumi said, eying over the red-faced rurouni, “By the looks of it, Ken-san was really glad… and a little turned-on...”

"That's not so!" Kaoru argued, glaring at the laughing fox doctor, "Nee, Kenshin??"

He simply went, "Orororororo…” To avoid further conflict, he threw himself out of the room.

“Oi,” Sanosuke said, pulling him over and putting his arm around him, “Did ya finally tell her?? Hm??”

Kenshin blushed. "Sessha and Kaoru-dono...we held together de gozaru. Aaa..." His eyes suddenly widen. "ORO! TANUKI-DONO!!!" The oversized raccoon was playing with the girls, then came over and started licking his face. "Ororororo!!"

“By the way, Jou-chan said that she knew this raccoon… She saw it a couple weeks ago and took care of its wounds and fed it. We think it was her cooking that made this tanuki grow so big… the tanuki’s been looking for Kaoru’s cooking for days…”

Yahiko grinned. “That’s why it stormed the dojo and places all over Tokyo. But once ya feed the girl, she’s so kind and gentle.”

There was suddenly some crashing indoors and a scream. ”NANI?! KENSHIN AND SANOSUKE ARE LOVERS?!”

”Oro, K-Kaoru-dono!!” Kenshin gasped, pushing Sanosuke away from him, “You’ve got the wrong idea de gozaru!!”

With fox-ears, Megumi replied, “Ohohoho! It’s the truth! I heard it from Tae-san and the other girls… they’re the happiest couple in Tokyo!”

As Kenshin ran towards the room, Sanosuke started strangling Yahiko, yelling, ”I’ll kill you! TEME!!!”

Kaoru pointed at Kenshin. "Mou! You've got some explaining to do!!"

“SESSHA IS STRAIGHT!!” he exclaimed to his teary eyed beloved, "Kaoru-dono, honto ni!! Sessha can prove it to you!"

"NANI!? PROVE IT?! Y-YOU MEAN...?!" she exclaimed, redfaced. In the next instant, she fainted, him catching her before she hit the ground.

Megumi slyly moved into the picture, "Ara, Ken-san, do you still need to gather evidence??? HM???"

"Oro..." he gasped, frightful.

All the while, Sanosuke and Yahiko continued to fight, Megumi tried to go after Kenshin who ran for cover, still holding onto the unconscious Kaoru. Genzai patted the raccoon on the head, "Maa maa, what a good tanuki ..."

fin