Please take the rating very seriously, guys. This is a story about adults, and written for adult readers. There will be some naughty language, violence, and sex. Please don't read it if you are offended by such things. *Sex will (hopefully) be discretely separated from the main story so that you may scroll and skip if you wish.*

Kenshin's looks are very distinctive, and I feel like if he's so recognizable, it's entirely possible to be recognized by someone unexpected.

Prologue

Kenshin's back itched.

It was centered right between his shoulder blades, which usually meant he was being watched. He smiled cheerfully at his wife as she handed him yet another package, and he managed to balance the thing on top of his stack. He shifted away from her a bit, placing himself further in front of the sticky, redheaded toddler, effectively hiding the little boy between the leg of his hakama and the vendor's cart.

He quickly and unobtrusively scanned the vicinity and observed the same thing he had for the last hour: nothing. There was nothing; the only malevolent intentions around were those of the dishonest greengrocer two stalls down, and the distressingly tatty-looking little pickpocket working on the edge of the crowd of shoppers. Most likely it was just someone unduly interested in his sword or his hair, but still... he itched.

"Kaoru-dono, this is surely enough, so it is. This one will not be able to carry much more." Kaoru's sweet blue eyes glanced up and he met her gaze with a mild, passive, open stare: this one is hiding nothing, this one's thoughts are no deeper than puddles...

Kaoru's eyes narrowed with frustrating shrewdness – was it really so much to ask for her to fall for the rurouni act occasionally? – so Kenshin was forced to take desperate measures. He minutely shifted his load of packages, allowing a couple to topple, away from his son, and he would have cheerfully allowed them to hit the ground if it meant convincing his wife to hurry. Kaoru caught both falling things with well-honed reflexes (Kenshin thought that one was the radishes and the other must have been her new ribbon) and her face was a study in irritation, but her eyes were still suspicious.

"Mama?" Kenji peered out from Kenshin's shadow. "Mama, Kenji tired. Go home?"

Kaoru's beloved face softened for their son, and knowing that she was about to concede, Kenshin couldn't quite suppress his small sigh of relief. Her eyes were very sharp now, and the look she gave Kenshin promised something along the lines of 'later explanations or pain' but she was all smiles for their little boy.

"Of course, Kenji-chan, Mama was just finishing," and she quietly paid for the thread for which she'd been bargaining. Kenshin's face was carefully clueless, and he turned his little family towards the safety of home, carefully positioning both his wife and son, which was all pretty pointless when he couldn't figure out what he was protecting them from.

They walked in silence for several minutes, weaving through the usual mid-morning crowd, down familiar streets and past familiar vendors. Slightly ahead and to his left, Kaoru was politely acknowledging the people they knew as they passed by. Kenshin absentmindedly did the same, hoping that he wasn't giving offense as he continued questing for that unknown presence. Finally, the crowd thinned and the last turn towards the dojo inched closer. He twitched his shoulders as the itch intensified.

"Stop!"

Kenshin turned towards the voice, dumping the packages into Kaoru's flustered arms and pushing his little boy to the side of the road all at the same time, as though someone had released the tension from a giant spring. He knew his eyes were sharp blue and his hand on the sakabatou's hilt appeared far from harmless, but no one with good intentions would have followed them all morning and who- ?!

…It was an old woman. No, it was a tiny old woman. It was a tiny old woman that looked quite alarmed by his response and had a completely benign energy. Kenshin relaxed a fraction, still alert for another threat, still high-strung and defensive.

The old woman's mouth was opening and closing, clearly so surprised by his reaction that she had forgotten whatever it was she'd meant to say.

"Obaa-san?" Kaoru's voice was calm, and she stepped forward slightly. Kenshin took an involuntary half-step forward and in her direction, re-positioning himself between his wife – and the tiny, startled old woman. Kaoru flicked a look at him and he knew that she was debating between soothing him and whacking him in the head, but she thankfully chose to address the stranger instead.

"Obaa-san, can we help you?" The little old woman looked at Kaoru. Kenshin had to repress the urge to block her line of sight.

"Er... yes, I think so." The woman was responding to Kaoru's attempt to mollify her. She looked back to Kenshin, who was still fierce and silent and just beginning to feel foolish. The woman squared her shoulders. "Yes. Yes, you can."

"What do you want?" Kenshin's voice was harsher than he'd intended.

"It's just... I just couldn't let you get away." Kaoru sucked in a sharp breath and pressed Kenji further behind her. Kenshin was still, fairly thrumming as he waited for what would happen next.

The woman took a small step forward. "I... it's just... your hair..." She pressed a fist against her chest, and her next words were a whisper.

"I'd know you anywhere, Shinta."

Wherein I confess my sins and explain why not everyone from Kenshin's childhood is dead.

Cholera: a disease usually resulting from contaminated water sources.

Lethality: Severe cholera, without treatment, kills about half of affected individuals

Symptoms: Notably hallmarked by diarrhea, cholera has been nicknamed the "blue death" because a person's skin may turn bluish-gray from extreme loss of fluids. Fever is rare. Patients can be lethargic, and might have sunken eyes, dry mouth, cold clammy skin, wrinkled hands and feet, muscle cramping and weakness, confusion, seizures, or coma.

Canon Sins:

I have taken a couple of liberties with canon, specifically ages and timeline.

I refuse to consider that Kaoru is fifteen at the start of the Manga, 'cause that makes me feel like a creep and that Kenshin is a weirdo, and I'm not down with that. The manga said Kaoru was seventeen, I don't give a crap what old school eastern age reckoning has to say, she's seventeen. Don't bother trying to convince me that it's a different time, and it's fine; it's not fine with me, and it's my story.

Here is where my complete age-fuckery comes into being:

1. At the start of the Manga, if Kaoru is 17, then Kenshin is 28, Yahiko is 10. The Manga starts in very early spring and ends in autumn, so... March to November, we'll say. 1879.

2. Culturally, everyone considers themselves a year older with the New Year, so very quickly, Kenshin is now 29, Kaoru 18, Yahiko 11. 1880.

I'll have the couple court for a while before marriage.

3. So, one wedding later and now: Kenshin 30, Kaoru 19, Yahiko 12. 1881.

4. The next New Year, 'cause babies take nine months: Kenshin 31, Kaoru 20, Yahiko 13, Kenji is a tiny, newborn infant (yes, I've got Kenji's birthday in winter, not summer, I said they were sins, didn't I?) 1882.

5. In this story Kenji is 2, by Western reckoning, and that makes Kenshin 33, Kaoru 22, Yahiko 15. 1884.

So, this story is set in spring, and yes, Kenshin is 33, which makes Yahiko 15, but this story IS set before Kenshin gives away the sakabatou, just not by very much. Still with me? Good.

Managed to squeeze all of that right in there without feeling like a kiddie-sex creep. Go me. :)