Crossing the Line

CROSSING THE LINE - Chapter 2: All Dressed Up…

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

I was sooooooo excited to see so many reviews to my story,
and so quickly! I assure you all, this is my first fanfic. And furthermore, my
first chapter story ever. I have done a lot of journalism style writing and a
little original creative writing in the past though. I really hope this next installment
is well liked, and chapter three isn’t far behind. Enjoy!

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“Um…Sano?”

Kenshin could feel his friend excitedly darting about
him--releasing his ponytail, repositioning his shirt, and just before he could
touch the cloth belt at his waist--Sano’s hand was carefully removed.

Sano took a few steps back to examine his work.

“No, this will never do. Maybe we should get you a new
outfit. Something less…pink.”

Eyes wide, and mouth slightly agape at his babbling
friend--Kenshin’s only response was a very distressed--“It’s purple.”

“Huh? Oh, sure Ken. Well, maybe she won’t care anyway.”

Predicting, with precision, the complex offensive moves of
his opponents was something Kenshin needed only slightly more concentration
than breathing to perform. But understanding Sano, especially now, seemed quite
beyond him.

“Sano, what are you talking about? Who won’t care?”

“Well hopefully Jou-chan. No, you should put your hair back
up. I don’t think it works down. Oh, and maybe take a bath. You are covered in
dust from sweeping the dojo. It couldn’t hurt at least.”

“Kaoru-dono? What does she have to do with this? And you are
the one who undid the ponytail.”

“That’s fine, just make sure you are ready early, or you
won’t get a good table.”

“Are you going somewhere Kenshin?” Kaoru asked, trying to
hold back a note of disappointment in her voice that didn’t go unnoticed by
Sanosuke. Kenshin had not noticed her approach due te zee zealous preening of
the taller man.

“Oh! I ruined the surprise! I’m so sorry Kenshin, I know you
wanted to tell her yourself.”

“Oro!” Kenshin was only confused up to this point, but now
he was afraid too.

Beside him, a timid and slightly nervous Kaoru looked to the
two men for clarification. Sano had an alarmingly chipper smile plastered to
his face, while Kenshin looked as though he may pass out at any moment. ‘Is he
playing a joke on me? What could Kenshin want to tell me?’

“Tell me what?” she finally asked, wishing she hadn’t come
out of the dojo to find her wayward student.

 <:p>

“Kenshin is taking you to the Akebeko for dinner tonight.”
With that Sano put an arm around Kenshin to keep him from falling, and applied
an extra squeeze to prevent any unnecessary oro-ing.

Momentarily skeptical, a wide-eyed innocent-looking Kaoru
met Kenshin’s eyes for confirmation.

Not knowing what else to do--the manipulated Rurouni gave
his best impersonation of a smile--and that was all Kaoru needed.

After squeaking out a happy-sounding, but totally
unintelligible statement, she hurriedly made the way to her room for bathing
supplies. It was still early, but she wanted to have as much time as possible
to prepare for that evening. Yahiko’s lessons would just have to be doubled
tomorrow.

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

Sano smiled to himself as he watched Kaoru depart. She had
practically been glowing, and Sano was feeling very good about his plan. That
is until he could feel a violet gaze burning into his back. Slowly turning to
face the much smaller, but deadly redhead, he began to rethink the situation.

Stern eyes told Sano this normally gentle Rurouni was on
guard, and he needed to think fast, and talk faster.

“Whoa, Kenshin. Can’t you see I did that for you?” He saw
unconvinced eyes narrow as he continued faster. “You’ve been working so hard
lately, with all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. And Jou-chan has been
stressed out with taking care of so many freeloaders, it seemed like she needed
a night away from all the chaos of the dojo. I figured it was the perfect plan.

“You do want Jou-chan to be happy don’t you?”

His final words hit home. Kenshin’s eyes became thoughtful,
and his features relaxed. Sano breathed a deep sigh of relief. ‘This plan is
actually going along pretty well. I may have those debts paid off sooner than I
thought.’

Kenshin thought back to Kaoru’s distracted demeanor earlier.
‘Perhaps Sano is correct. She has been…different lately. Some good food
and a break from the dojo may help.

‘However, I don’t really understand why he is so set on me
taking her alone. Yahiko and Sano can be rather loud at times, I suppose.
Getting away from that might be a pleasant change of pace for her, but I think
he is hiding something.’

“I’m not sure I agree with your tactics, but I suppose your
heart was in the right place.”

“Great! Now we just have to get you ready for tonight.”

“That is still many hours away,” Kenshin replied with surprise.

“I know--we don’t have much time left to fix that hair.”
With that Sano swaggered away to retrieve grooming supplies while a dumbfounded
Kenshin released a stream of oros.

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

Sinking deep into the bath, Kaoru passed threw a wide-array
of emotions--nervous about things going well, ecstatic that her prayers were
being answered, angry that Kenshin wasn’t able to reveal his plan himself,
worried that the evening would be awkward, and excited that he might return her
passion for him. And then the cycle of emotions would begin anew.

With two bars of soap playfully in hand, she practiced for
the evening to come.

“Well hello, Kenshin, aren’t you looking nice tonight.”

“Greetings my Kaoru. You are more dazzling than ever.”

“Oh Ken, yn, you flatter me.”

“Hehehehehehe!” Splashing around in the water, a girlish
excitement managed to trump all the other emotions.

Kaoru eventually calmed down after laughing for quite a
while. Her accelerated breathing, and heart rate sounded loudly in the empty
roShe She had not felt that joyful, or this peaceful since before Kyoto.
Perhaps not since she had lost her family.

Although she maintained a strong aura of innocence, she
still had grown up faster than she should have. Having to fend for herself,
even with good friends like Dr.Genzai and his granddaughters made for a
difficult and lonely life. The only thing that made it better was knowing she
was no longer alone. She had found others like herself--alone and searching
for…something, or someone.

Following the outburst--a calmer, though occasionally
giggly, Kaoru emerged. ‘I need to get a grip. If I am too excited, or too
nervous things will not go well. I must find some balance.’

Kaoru washed her hair while dreamily imagining the future.
But as happy as she was, and as positive as she tried to keep her outlook,
there was a nagging feeling somewhere deep within her. The harder she tried to
fight her growing fear the more impossible it was to ignore. The simpruthruth was,
the happier she was now, the sadder she would be when he left her again.

‘When, not if?’ she thought with a sudden chill running
through her despite the warmth of the soapy water. ‘I just thought, when,
he leaves me it will hurt more.

‘Have I become so jaded that I can’t even accept a little
happiness into my life without doubting it? How can I ever truly love anyone if
my heart is shackled by such fear? If I am to love, it must be freely and
openly. I have to trust in those I care about. That is the person I want to be.
So that is the person I will be!’ And with a determined attitude she pushed
herself up, and out of the tub, eager for the next stage of preparation.

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

Staring into a mirror, Kenshin searched his reflection for
the answers he hasn’t been able to find within himself. ‘What am I doing?
Sano’s enthusiasm not withstanding, I’m nervous about this dinner. What if we
don’t enjoy it? What if we do?!

‘Kaoru-dono,’ even thinking the name caused him to invisibly
blush. ‘She is so perfect. Beautiful. Smart. Courageous. Generous. Forgiving…

‘How can she forgive me, when I can’t forgive myself? How
can I ask her to?’

“Kenshin, your wish has been granted!” said Sano as he
dropped a heavy box onto a nearby table. The box seemed to contain an odd
assortment of styling equipment and garments.

“Sano, where did you get all of this?”

 o:p>

“Some of it came from Megumi’s stash, and some from
Dr.Genzai’s younger days.”

Kenshin pulled an impressive, but slightly old-fashioned
outfit from the box. “Sano, these clothes are too fine, I don’t think it would
be right…”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Dr. Genzai knows about everything and
he wanted you to have them.”

“He knows about…everything? A startled Kenshin repeated. ‘How
many people know Kaoru and I are going out tonight?’

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Just have a good time at
dinner. And remember to leave a big tip to impress her.”

“Uh, Sano, that reminds me, who is paying for this dinner?”
Said Kenshin, suddenly realizing he had no money, and that it was unlikely Sano
was contributing despite it all being his idea.

“Well don’t look at me, I’m not the one going,” Sano said
matter-of-factly as Kenshin sweat-dropped.

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

“Oh, this will never
do,” Kaoru complained to herself in a stressed tone.

For nearly an hour she had been trying to create the perfect
look with her hair--up, down, on the side, braided, straight, curly--and
nothing was working. And what was worse, the attempts were taking their toll.
She looked like she had been practicing her kendo in a windstorm.

“Hohoho! What have you done to your hair?” Megumi laughingly
asked as she slid open the shoji screen and entered Kaoru’s room.

“It’s not funny, Fox!”

“Then your mirrort not not be working.”

Releasing an aggravated sigh, Kaoru dropped to a sitting
position. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m never going to look like a
beautiful woman. I’ll always just be that tomboy kid sister everyone ignores.”

“Don’t be stupid. You are far too loud for anyone to ignore
you with any success.”

Kaoru shot Megumi a threatening glare, but failed to respond
before dropping her head and returning to her sad state. ‘Wow, the kid really
is struggling with this. She didn’t even expend the energy to hurl some wholly
uncreative insult at me,’ Megumi thought to herself, while crossing the space
between the two women.

Megumi knelt down beside her, and began to brush out the
strange knots and ringlets Kaoru had created throughout her hair. The only
sound was an initial gasp from Kaoru as she realized her long time friend and
rival was helping her. When Megumi was finished she retrieved the mirror, and
brought it before Kaoru.

“Ohhh…Megumi. It is wonderful. You worked a miracle on my hair!”

Megumi’s sarcastic response was silenced by the young girl’s
enthusiastic hug. The normally stoic Megumi softened at this display of
affection.

‘It’s been such a long time since someone hugged me.’ A tear
began to form at the corner of her eye as she thought about her parents.

“Megumi?” a concerned Kaoru looked to her savior, and was
surprised to find such profound sadness.

“Well, no reason to be so excited. I simply did as much as I
could with what little I had to work with.”

“Hurmpfiredired of the emotional roller coaster she had been
riding all day Kaoru decided to ignore the insult, and simply turned her
attentions to her wardrobe.

‘That’s right, if I just keep pushing people away I won’t
have to think about how much I don’t deserve their affection.’ Rallying
herself, sheparepared for the ordeal of helping the girl who simply refused to
not be her friend, choose a kimono.

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

Jaw resting comfortably on the floor, and eyes wider than
ever before--Yahiko took in the man he thought was Kenshin. Instead of his
usual purple and white clothing, he wore stately blue robes. His hair, which
had always lived in a ponytail, was now cascading freely around his shoulders.
This man wasn’t the Battousai, the slayer of men, and he certainly wasn’t the
simple Rurouni who spent his days doing chores and playing with children. He
looked put together, confident, and--although it is not a thought Yahiko would
have admitted to--rather handsome. And yet, for all the dissimilarities, it
seemed clear, that before him stood the true Himura Kenshin.

“What did you do to Kenshin, Rooster-head?!”

Before Sano could explain the transformation, with his
fists, Kenshin stepped in. “It is OK Yahiko. I thank Sano for helping this
unworthy one prepare,” he said a bit more generously than he felt.

“Prepare for what?” a very suspicious Yahiko asked. He knew
Sano had been up to something earlier, but once he realized he was getting out
of his day’s training, he had decided to use it to visit Tsubame rather than
staying around the dojo. After all, how much trouble could he get into while
Kenshin and Kaoru were around to keep things in line?

“Kenshin is taking Kaoru to the Akebeko for dinner,” a very
pleased Sano stated.

Wise beyond his young years, a suddenly trepidations Yahiko
responded with, “Why would you want to hang out with that Buso all evening?”

“Aren’t children meant to be seen, and NOT heard?” Came the
condescending voice of Megumi, walking out into the courtyard. Ignoring the
string of irritated ‘I am not a child’ comments from Yahiko she continued to
the group, “She is almost ready,” and then looking pointedly at Kenshin, “So I
hope you are.”

Her second meaning did not go unnoticed. However, before
anything more could be said the sound of someone at the gate interrupted.

“Hello, Himura-San!”

“Police Chief Muraki, what can I do for you?”

“It is a matter of the most extreme urgency, for which I
must ask you to come with me immediately! A convict in our custody has broken
free, killing sev of of our men. I fear we will not be able to subdue him on
our own. I have only known one other with such sword skill. Please, you must
hurry before anyone else is harmed!”

A wave of disbelief, or perhaps just the validation of previous
concern came to light. And while they all mentally groaned and stiffened at the
reply they instinctively knew would come from their long-time companion--it was
from the youngest that an objection was heard.

“NO!” Yahiko shouted, startling the police chief. Turning
directly to Kenshin he continued, “She might be just a Buso, but if you said
you were going to do this stupid thing, then you ARE going to do this stupid
thing!”

“Ya-hiko?” a sad Kenshin replied quietly.

&n]> 

“She is my sensei, and if you hurt her you will have to deal
with me!” He gripped his bokken threateningly, and angrily stared at the man he
had looked up to since their first meeting. Red bangs obscured the man’s eyes,
but Yahiko could sense the pain he felt.

He knew that Kenshin didn’t want to leave--just as much as
he knew he would leave. If people’s lives were threatened then Kenshin could
not just stand by and do nothing. It is what made him so admirable, but at this
moment, it just made Yahiko’s insides twist.

Yahiko could no longer stand there--knowing what was going
to happen--and being unable to prevent it. He quickly changed the direction of
his anger. Waving his bokken high in the air he let it fall with fury upon the
tall spiky-haired man. “This is ALL your fault!” With an audible crack, it hit
the man in the ribs. And although Yahiko was still a novice, the blow was not
insignificant, even to the strong fighter.

it to remain on the ground where it had fallen. Having exhausted the bulk of
his anger--he walked away without a word--not wanting anyone to see him so
emotional any longer.

Seeing blood on the broken wooden sword, Megumi slowly
followed the boy, prepared to render treatment, of any kind he would accept.

Sano made no motion to comfort the noticeable bruise forming
on his side. He could have easily stopped the bokken from hitting him. The
truth was, he knew he deserved it.

The three men stood for a long moment in silence following
the explosive episode.

“Himura-san, again, I am so sorry for this intrusion, but if
you can help then it is imperative that we leave soon.”

“I will go instead!”

“I’m afraid you don’t understand. Sanosuke-san, your talents
are impressive, but this man fights with a sword. I’m afraid your fists would
not be able to defeat him,” The police chief replied as diplomatically as he
could.

“You are the one who doesn’t understand! Kenshin is not
available to leave with you tonight.” The words were practically growled out.
The police chief tried to think of some way to calm the situation before he
became the next slaughtered officer when Kenshin spoke with authority.

“Sano, please tell Kaoru-dono I’m very sorry, and that I
will return as soon as I can.”

mal>“Kenshin, you can’t do this! Let me go in your place.”

“I’m sorry Sano, but this is something I must do,” and with
that, Kenshin gripped the Sakabato at his side, and followed the police chief
from the courtyard.

Sano watched them leave. He tried to turn around to find
Kaoru, and explain. He tried, but he couldn’t move. He just stared at the gate
Kenshin had walked through. His side throbbed with pain, but he would gladly
face a beating rather than have to tell Kaoru what had happened.

“Sano? I’m ready for Kenshin. Where is he?”