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Crossing the Line	By : HauntedReality Category: Rurouni Kenshin > General Views: 5367 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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DISCLAIMER: Of the many things that are mine to possess,
Rurouni Kenshin and his companions are not among them.

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�She chose him,� Sano thought darkly as he walked quickly
away from the spot he had last seen Kaoru. He needed distance from the tree
where he held her tightly in his arms and breathed in her fresh scent. He cared
not where he was going, only that he wouldn�t be in the place where she had pressed
her soft lips to his, sending his heart soaring in ways he had never even
believed possible.

It would have been his most treasured memory if it hadn�t
been for one thing--the way she had said
his name before running in his direction.

Sano released a deep sigh. He knew he couldn�t blame Kaoru
for her decision. Even he idealized Kenshin, so how could he hold it against
her? He never should have had a shot with her in the first place. She was his
best friend�s girl. Sure, Kenshin had never taken the steps necessary to make
that official, but any fool could see the truth. And if Sano knew anything
about himself, it was that he was a fool--a lonely fool.

Head slung so low it almost rested against his bare chest,
hands in his pant�s pockets, he continued to walk. The familiar flapping of his
white jacket was strangely absent. He vaguely wondered if it was still wrapped
around Kaoru�s thin frame. Perhaps it was rippling along the blades of grass as
she ran into her awaiting rurouni�s arms.

The mental image of them together was too hard for the
former fighter-for-hire�s brain to process. He needed space from all the things
that would remind him of his lost Kaoru. Instinctively, he knew she would be
mad he had left, but he also knew Kenshin would need time for the rift between
them to narrow. In the long run it would be better for everyone if he just
disappeared for a bit.

�I�ve never branded myself as a wanderer the way Kenshin
has, but I�ve never stayed in one place too long either. I could have stayed
longer. I could have stayed forever to be with her.� Sano coughed when he felt
a strange tickle at the back of his throat. Surely, the great Zanza could not
be crying?

�I�ve always figured I�d go to China if something happened
and I needed to get out of Japan for awhile. I guess this
counts as �something happening.��

The wind flowed across his solitary form sending the tail of
his bandana into a manic dance across the sky. He surveyed the place he had
called home for the last year and thought of all the people he was leaving
behind.

�I will come back someday, Kaoru, this I swear.�

If anyone had been close enough to see his face, he or she
would have noticed a strange glistening in the powerful man�s chocolate eyes.
He ended his dramatic reverie and continued on; now toward a specific
destination.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

�Ken...shin...� she stumbled in response to the statement he
had made about her choosing Sano over him. Her cheeks felt hot and her heart
pounded within her chest audibly. There was no need to argue or deny it.

Somewhere along the way her feelings for Kenshin shifted. He
still meant the world to her and she couldn�t imagine her life without him, but
the infatuation had grown dim with months of being abandoned and
underappreciated. Kenshin was as much his own enemy as timing was.

There may have been a chance for him to turn things around if
Sano hadn�t come into the equation, but if he had not then Kenshin would never
have shown any interest, and Kaoru would still be alone.

�I never wanted to hurt you,� they each said perfectly in sync.

Small smiles formed on the pair, and their tensed features
relaxed a little.

�Megumi told me I was going to break someone�s heart. I
think she was wrong. I seem to be breaking many hearts today.� Kaoru said as
the smile died upon her lips.

�You cannot blame yourself for this situation. You did not manipulate
events to be this way. It simply happened because you are such a kind, giving,
and...� Kenshin blushed deeply, �beautiful woman. Any man who is not in love
with you is a fool.�

Kaoru clenched her eyes shut as she took in words she had
longed for the red head to say for countless months. �Oh Kenshin, if you felt
this way why didn�t you do anything when we came back from Kyoto? Why didn�t
you give me any signs that you returned my feelings?� There was a desperate
cadence to her voice as she thought of all the nights she laid on her futon
feeling secluded and unwanted by the man standing next to her.

�How could I? You deserve better than the love of a killer.�

Just as those words parted Kenshin�s lips, Kaoru�s palm met
his cheek. He pulled back, rubbing the sore spot. There was something in her
stance that told him it was better not to release one of his famous �oros,� but
rarely had it seemed so appropriate.

�I thought we already went over this. How dare you say such
things about yourself?� Her anger suddenly evaporated, and Kaoru collapsed to
her knees as she continued without looking directly at the shocked man. �I said
unforgivable things to you when I stormed out. Why am I still on some kind of
pedestal in your mind? Nothing I said was true! You are kind and gentle and
caring! Stop hating yourself!

�Please, just stop hating yourself.� For what seemed like
the millionth time in the last few days, Kaoru�s eyes were met with flowing
tears. When she felt him surround her, the saline assault lessened slightly.

�You chose wisely. I suspect he would do anything for you,
whereas it seems there is one thing at least I would never be able to
accomplish for you.�

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

�Kami, I hate trains.�

The late afternoon sun stung Sano�s eyes as he stared sadly
at the train before him. �Next stop�the land of broken hearts.� He took a
halting step toward the train for boarding, and his lungs rebuked him.
Breathing faster, he swallowed and found his throat was dry.

�I can�t do this. I can�t leave her. I don�t know how much
it is going to hurt to watch her with him, but I have to stay and find out. She
has lost too many people. I can�t deliberately make myself one of them.�

He let the ticket slip from his hand, and it slowly fell to
the rocky ground. He tried to get his breathing under control, but as he
turned, what he saw prevented any chance of that.

�Kaoru��

�You must be surprised to see me if you are calling me by my
given name.� She watched as his face took on a variety of new and exciting
colors at her presence. �Kenshin told me I should probably look for you before
you did something stupid. Did I make it in time?�

�Kenshin...� Sano stumbled, still in shock that she was
really standing there.

�This relationship is going to be a little dull for me if
all you can do is say the occasional name,� Kaoru said playfully.

�Relationship? Sano said, clearly confused, when he realized
she had just made fun of him for not knowing what to say. �We have a
relationship?�

�Unless you aren�t interested,� she replied with the same
casual air her previous statements held, but this time there was a great deal of
fear just under the surface.

Still at a loss for words, Sano tried another approach. He
ran toward the awaiting girl, scooped her into his arms, and spun her around in
front of a gawking crowd of travelers. When the enthusiastic spin ended he
crashed his lips into hers sending a surge of energy through both their bodies.
They were spinning again, but this time without moving.

They remained interlocked until their lungs ached for
breath. Pulling away just slightly to get a better view of his dark haired beauty
his expression became more serious. �Are you sure about this--about us?�

Kaoru nodded with her entire body and beamed at the former
fighter-for-hire. �I could tell you about the distance I always felt between
Kenshin and myself or the way my feelings for him changed from the affection
you feel for a partner to that you feel for a brother. But that isn�t why I am
here. I don�t need to make a comparison between the two of you. You did not
�win� because he �lost� or vice versa.

�I am with you because I love you.� She pressed a chase kiss
to his cheek. �I love the way you make me laugh, and the way you make me crazy,
and the way you make me want to hit you and kiss you at the same time.� With
each statement he received another kiss; two on his forehead and one on his
nose. �I love the way you worry about me and the way you boldly go through life
shirtless.� His temple and earlobe were each granted tiny, warm kisses. �I love
your ridiculously messy hair and the way you watch over me when you think I�m
not paying attention.� Her lips touched his chin and the corner of his mouth. �So
just in case I haven�t made it clear enough yet...I love you, Sanosuke Sagara.�
As she spoke these words she curled her arms around his neck and pulled him
into a slow, deep kiss.

�You certainly know how to drive a point home,� he joked
lightly after an extended pause where they just held each other close. He slid
one of his hands across her cheek as he watched her intently; scarcely able to
believe she was really there. His fingers drew through her long silken hair as
he murmured almost to himself, �I don�t know what I ever did to deserve you.�

He did not want to spoil the moment, but there was still
something bothering him. Sano�s eyelids slid lower as he asked, �What about Kenshin?�
in a quiet voice.

Her eyes became glossy as she considered his valid question.
�He...he understands.� Her voice was low and sorrowful.

�Kaoru?� Sano encouraged while keeping a tight hold on her
waist.

�We had a long talk. I think he knew what my heart wanted
even before I did.� She forced a small smile. �He wants us to be happy.�

�He wants you to
be happy, you mean,� Sano said with more than a trace of guilt.

�No, I mean us. Your friendship means a lot to him, Sano. He
said he doesn�t hold anything against you. He wanted me to tell you he thinks
you are a good man who acted honorably.�

The hard crease in Sano�s brow relaxed as he heard the
heart-felt words of his closest friend giving him absolution. Taking a sharp
breath, he processed the rest of her words. �Why did he want you to tell me?�

Kaoru�s eyes lidded slightly as she struggled with the
explanation. �I tried so hard to convince him to stay. I told him how much we
both needed him--how much the whole town depended on him and cared about him--but
his mind was made up.�

Her mind flashed back to her conversation with Kenshin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

�I am sorry, Kaoru-dono. I am not doing this to hurt you or
Sano. I still have many things to atone for, and I think I will be most able to
do that while traveling. The longer I remain in one place the more likely those
around me are to become targets of my former enemies.�

�NO! We can take care of ourselves. We have done it before!�
she cried out.

�And you have been hurt before. I will not allow that to
happen again,� he said resolutely.

�How can you protect us if you are not even here? They won�t
know that you have left! Please, just stay. We will face whatever comes
together.�

�I will make my presence known elsewhere to prevent that
eventuality,� he replied solemnly.

�But...!� Kenshin silenced her next wave of desperate
pleadings by gripping her hand in his own rough hand. Her head hung low and
through clenched teeth she managed to ask the question that was weighing
heavily upon her. �Are you punishing me?�

�Never!� he responded quickly.

Then in a calming tone he continued. �I am a rurouni,
Kaoru-dono. When I was young I allowed others to choose my path for me. It
became a path of blood-shed and loss. In order to absolve myself I wandered. I
was lost. Then our paths crossed. You helped me find purpose and direction. I
am leaving a different man than I was when we met.

�But make no mistake, I must leave again. I bear neither you
nor Sano any ill-will for what has happened. I wish nothing but your happiness,
and I know now it is a happiness I never would have succeeded in bringing you.
However, as much as I want to support you, I know I cannot easily watch the two
of you together. It would only put a strain on all of us, and I would once
again be the cause of your sorrow.�

As he finished he lifted a finger to the edge of her eyes to
take away the tears that formed there.

�So now I just have to accept that I lose you forever?� she
asked in a shaky voice.

�Not forever. I found you once through my travels. I will
find you again someday.� He released her hand and stood. Even with his slight
stature she felt like he was towering over her. �I will retrieve my things and
be gone. You should find Sano. He may be doing something foolish if the
condition you arrived in is to tell me anything of your last parting.�

�WHAT!?! Right now?! You are leaving now?!� She leapt to her
feet to face him.

�I think it is wise to do this as soon as possible,� his
bangs shaded his eyes from view, but her brilliant blue eyes shown with rage
and exasperation.

She flung herself at his chest, grabbing him around the
center, and holding tight as her tears soaked his gi. His arms remained
awkwardly hanging at his sides as he restrained himself from showing her the
affection he felt.

Kaoru flinched as though she had been slapped by his
reluctance to return the hug. Moving away from his frozen form her tears fell
faster. Kenshin�s muscles burned from the effort it required to prevent himself
from holding her. He feared if he was to do so that he would be unable to let
her go.

Nevertheless, just as she had lifted herself from him, he
pulled her back into the embrace. Her tears never dimmed, but there were now
tears of happiness mixed in with those of heartbreak and loss.

Kenshin closed his eyes and allowed himself
to live in that pocket of time. For that one moment, he felt her warm body
pressed to his, smelled the sweet scent of her hair, and relished the sound of
her heart steadily beating against his chest.

He held her and understood what it would be like to be
happy--to be complete. He held her and he knew for certain there was nothing in
heaven or on earth that could tear her out of his arms--nothing but him.

He still had obligations to his ghosts, and no amount of
love or longing would change that. He had already decided Kaoru would be better
off with a man who could allow himself the privilege of loving; someone who was
not haunted or tainted by an inescapable past.

Her tears had passed, and she knew her time with the rurouni
was running low. As much as she wanted to convince Kenshin to stay she knew it
was impossible. And there was a growing desire to find Sano and explain why she
had acted so strangely earlier. Kenshin was probably right about him being
confused by her actions. After all, she had been confused.

�Will you be here when we get back?� she asked hopefully.

Kenshin only shook his head. They shared a long look and
then Kaoru found herself running away from the red headed man who had come into
her life and changed it forever. She didn�t want to say good-bye. She didn�t
want to make it official. She wanted to believe he would return sooner than he
had made it sound, but thoughts of the departing Kenshin quickly cleared as a
frightening thought occurred to her. She changed direction slightly so she
would arrive at the train station.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kaoru and Sano walked back to the dojo at an extremely
leisurely pace. They wanted to enjoy their time together as much as they didn�t
want to return to Kenshin�s absence. The sun was sinking low into the horizon,
casting a wide array of colors upon the sky. Strips of indigo, violet, orange,
and red stretched out in front of the couple.

They walked hand-in-hand with their shoulders pressed
against each other; as though they were each afraid the other would simply
disappear if there was no physical connection. They continued in silence,
allowing the enormity of the day�s events settle upon them.

By the time they reached the familiar grove of trees in
Katsu�s painting, it was already dark and the fireflies could be seen.

Sano became nervous. He was uncertain as to how Kaoru would
react to the sight, especially after the way she responded to just the painting.
He strained his senses so he could hang on every sound and movement from the
small girl nestled beside him. He heard her take a deep breath, and he braced
himself for whatever would happen next.

�Yaaaaaaaaawn!�
Kaoru emitted loudly and then glanced up sheepishly at the tall, spiky haired
man. �I guess I�m kind of sleepy.�

�Yeah? I think I have a solution for that.� And Sano lifted
her up into his arms and hugged the giggling girl to his chest.

�I think I could get used to traveling like this,� she
sighed happily while drifting off to sleep in his arms.

�I think you are going to have to,� he said as he planted a
kiss on her forehead.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AUTHOR�S NOTE: Please avoid killing me until the end. There is
one chapter remaining. Actually, if you could wait until after the sequel too,
that would be great. The next chapter is going to have a lot of guest
appearances from other characters (Aoshi, Saitou,
etc.) and I think it will be a lot of fun after all these heavy chapters. Oh,
and just so everyone knows...the sequel is NOT a Megumi/Kenshin pairing.

I LOOOOOOOVE reviews. Seriously,
you have no idea how excited I am when I get one. So PLEASE review!

FF: lolo popoki (I think the rare pairing is rarer than you
are thinking. Seriously, it is out there, and she won�t even be introduced in
this story, but she was in the anime...briefly), x1nfernal (hehe, I think I
follow the way you�re drifting. Thanks!), BelleDayNight (Thank you for taking a
sneak peek at this chapter and for your good points! And, of course, thank you
for your thoughtful reviews and encouragement! You are most awesome. Everyone
go read her stories, now. She rocks!) Angel6582 (I almost feel like I know you
even though we�ve never spoken directly. I really appreciate all your reviews.
They make the writing process more rewarding. I don�t have any new Kaoru/Sano
story ideas just yet, but I love this pairing so I think it is very possible),
Phi-Dono (Yea! New reviewer! Alternative ending, eh?
Well, I�d be lying if I said I hadn�t thought about it. And I was kind of
surprised no one else has requested it yet. I haven�t discounted the
possibility, but I don�t want to weaken the real ending by doing an alternate,
so currently I�m leaning toward no. But does anyone else want to see what that
would be like?)

AFF: De Lazy Lady Lime (I have plans for both Kenshin and
Megumi, but they have nothing to do with one another. Promise), thebigW (Sorry if my Yahiko threw
you, but I think he definitely showed some maturity throughout the anime. And I
have tried to pepper in a little immaturity along the way for him as well. I
hope you like the way I am wrapping things up overall), DivinePunishment (I�m
glad you care enough about the story to threaten me! Um...that came out wrong.
Anyway, it is always exciting when K/K fans take enjoyment in this story even
though it is an alternate pairing. And who knows, maybe I will end up doing a
Kenshin/Kaoru story at some point. Keep a look out on my profile)

MM: Come on guys, review!!!
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Crossing the Line