Kaoru looked like she was going to faint! She hadn't seen Enishi in years, yet he still was as handsome as before. " Wait! This is Enishi i'm talking about! He kidnapped me for crying-out-loud!" Kaoru was so deep in thought that she didn't notice she was falling off the edge of the bed until- OOOOFF!! She fell flat on the floor and red with embarrassment.

Enishi shook his head, amused, and gave Kaoru his hand to help her up. "Figures, the Battosai would choose a clumsy girl."

Kaoru accepted his hand sheepishly, but got a little bold and decided to ask Enishi a question. "Uh..Enishi?"

"Hmmn?" He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow

"Why did you..I mean, what made you... why did you save me?"

Enishi was caught off guard with her question. " Why had I saved her?" Enishi still pondered that thought...."It's not like me to go out and save some retched girl! Maybe I just drank some bad tea."

Kaoru stood there patiently waiting for an answer.

Enishi saw her staring and put on the sternest face he could muster, " I thought i'd be doing the Battousai a favor."

After her encounter with Enishi, Kaoru forgot all about that name. Now, she remembered. Her eyes filled with tears, and she clenched her fist tightly. "I never want to hear that name again!"

Enishi seemed too shocked to move! " She hates the Battousai?! When did this change of heart come to be?" Showing the first sign of emotion that day, Enishi put his hand on Kaoru's shoulder. " Do you want to tell me about it?"

Kaoru was the shocked one now. " Why would Enishi care about me feelings?" She looked at his face. It was still stern but his eyes had softened, and they seemed to be looking at her very soul. More tears flooded her eyes and poured onto her cheeks. "Oh Enishi!" Kaoru flung her body into his arms.

This act scared the h&!l out of Enishi! The only girl that ever hugged him in his life was his sister, and she was dead. He tensed at that thought, and Kaoru noticed.

" Enishi? What's wrong?" Kaoru looked into his eyes and noticed how glassy they seemed. "Was Enishi crying?" Kaoru thought.

" I can't tell her! What would she say?" Enishi furrowed his brows, and stared into Kaoru's eyes. "It doesn't matter, just tell me what's hurting you."

Kaoru smiled at his rare tenderness. "If you insist." She lead him to the bed and motioned him to sit down.

Enishi accepted her offer and sat down next to her. " You can tell me whenever your ready."

Kaoru sighed and started, " It all happened a couple days ago."

*// Flashback //*

"It was a nice day for the winter season. The birds were singing, and the wind was dancing through the trees. Kaoru was just finishing her morning chores around the dojo. Kenshin wasn't there to help her because he said he wasn't feeling well, so he went to Megumi's for a check-up. Kaoru was all alone. Sano and Yahiko went shopping earlier that morning. "Who knows when they will be back!" Kaoru laughed. " I wish Kenshin were here with me. Kaoru yearned to see him. " I do hope that he feels better." Kaoru made a silent prayer that Kenshin would be okay.

* Four hours later

Kaoru was in the kitchen making lunch when she heard laughing. "Sano and Yahiko must be back!" She smiled. "Now I will finally have some company." Kaoru ran to the door to greet them when she noticed that it wasn't Sano or Yahiko. To her surprise, it was Kenshin and Megumi! Kaoru ran out the door, "Kenshin, you must be feeling better!" She embraced him happily. "I'm so glad your okay!"

Kenshin just stared at her, then looked at Megumi. "Who is this wench?" Megumi just laughed.

Kaoru looked at Kenshin questionably. "What do you mean? Of coarse you know me, and why would you call me a wench!? What wrong with you Kenshin?"

"Poor, poor Kaoru." Megumi smirked. "Your beloved Kenshin belongs to me!"

Kaoru glared at Megumi. "Kenshin has a mind of his own! He never shown any signs of loving you!"

"My dear Kaoru, did he ever show signs of loving you?"

That caught Kaoru for a moment. "Did he ever love me?" She thought. Then she looked back at Megumi. "Of coarse he loved me! He helped me around the dojo, he always protected me, and...

Megumi cut her off. " Just because he helps you around the dojo, and protects your sorry carcass, doesn't mean that he loves you! He'll never love someone as pitiful as you!"

Tears fell from Kaoru's eyes. "He does love me Megumi, I see it in his eyes."

"Well look at his eyes now Kaoru, do you see that 'love' now?

Kaoru looked into Kenshin's eyes. There was no feeling there, they were as hard as stone. More tears poured from her eyes as she clutched her breaking heart.

"Megumi's right Kaoru, I don't love you, and never have." Kenshin's cold eyes still stared at her.

....I don't love you, and never have." ... I don't love you, and never have." That kept replaying in Kaoru's mind. "I was so sure that he loved me!"

" Now it's time for you to leave Kaoru, and never return." Megumi said in a threatening tone.

Anger flared in Kaoru's eyes. " This is my dojo! I will never leave it!"

"So be it." Megumi snapped her fingers, and Kenshin picked up Kaoru.

" Kenshin, put me down! What are you doing?" Horror crept across Kaoru's face as she saw huge drop before her. **Author note...The dojo was built on a wide hill and at one end of the hill, there was a huge drop that went to the remaining land below.** Kenshin was going to throw her down the hill! "Kenshin stop! Why are you doing this!"

Kenshin raised Kaoru above his head. "Goodbye, Kaoru." With one move of his hands, he sent Kaoru flying down the hill.

Kaoru felt like she hit every sharp object imaginable. She kept rolling and rolling, hitting rocks and branches, until she finally reached the bottom. She tried her best to stand up, but she couldn't. After the fifth try, she managed to get on her feet. She walked for hours, she didn't even noticed the fresh layer of snow on the ground or the little flakes tickling her bruised and bloody face. With all her energy gone she fell to the ground, thinking she would never get up again.

*// End Flashback//*

Kaoru wiped the tears from her eyes. "That must have been when you found me."

Enishi nodded his head, then looked out the window. "Well it's getting late. I'll make you dinner then you should sleep because you look like you need your rest."

"Thanks for listening Enishi, it really means a lot to me." She looked up at him and smiled. She didn't expect him to smile or say anything, because she knew how he didn't like showing a lot of emotion.

Enishi nodded his head. "Anytime." Then he left the room

That surprised Kaoru. She just stared at the door from which he departed. "Maybe someone does care about me." But before she could give it any more thought, she fell asleep.

Enishi walked back into the room, figuring that she was asleep. Seeing that his predictions were correct, he walked over to her bed and brushed his hand across her cheek. "Sweet dreams, Kaoru." He placed a blanket over her still form, and quietly left the room.