Disclaimers: Don't own it and never will. That is, until Watsuki gives me the right to make a Kenshin movie. Then I'll own a little bit of it! Until then, however...

Holy cow. Lemme just say that I never expected such a wonderful response to 'Healer' and 'One Of Those Days'. You guys have made my day so many times, I can't express how much I thank you. I'll give you another story. How about that?

Let me also clear up some things: I knew that Kenshin and Kaoru were NOT married in the manga at the time of Enishi's revenge, but I had heard somewhere that they were in Reflections (at the very, very beginning when Enishi first kidnaps Kaoru). Maybe it was just me being tired. I dunno. Anyway, that whole section is a huge spoiler for anyone who cares. I just wanted to clear some things up.

Once again, 'Mud Fight' is delayed. I WILL get this up, I swear. It's just a matter of when. School is hitting me harder than I thought. Being a Junior in High School shouldn't be so easily depicted in the movies. Blast them....

* - emphasis. "{ - thought.

List o' terms:

Dame - stop

Hai - yes

Gomen - sorry

Baka - stupid, idiot

Oro - you have to know what this means. I refuse to believe otherwise.

Dedication: To my Jesus, who helps me through 'one of those days', loves me unconditionally when I listen to Him (and even when I don't), and comforts me on hard days. I know my ability to write will improve because of you. Thank you for everything.

Contemplation

by Sean Montgomery

Haze was around him, incoherent thoughts as common as the pulsing, yet faint beat of his heart. His breath came in a slow and struggling pace as he fought to control himself. He knew where he was. In the darkest corner of his memory he came here.

He hated the emptiness. The blackness that was around him was something he always tried to prevent his mind from going to with his chores. He was left alone with his thoughts, the dangers of his past and the blood that stained his hands. Figures would come before him. Figures with sadness and pain etched in their faces, slowly giving away to anger. Members of the Shinsengumi, with their elaborate clothing and headbands, would stare at him, the fatal wound on their bodies eternally engraved into their souls, reminding him of how each of them died. He would see other faces, other members of other groups he never knew, each one bearing a wound and an angry face.

"You killed me." That was all they would say to him, accusing him. All he could do was try to find a way out. Everywhere he ran there was someone else until he could go no further. He was getting hotter, the faces before him contorting into something he had never seen. He closed his eyes and forced himself to concentrate.

It was never this intense, nor this hot. He had a fever, he figured, and he was caught in his delirium of memories. Even though he could hear the whispers in his ears, he forced himself to sit calmly and try to determine all that was around him.

The feeling of completion.

Coolness taking place of the unbearable heat.

Gentle fingers removing the hair from his brow.

Suddenly, the pain wasn't unbearable anymore. And even in the emptiness and the darkness of his broken past, one was willing to hold the pieces close to her heart and allow them to heal no matter how long it took.

In the middle of pain a soothing voice.

In the middle of darkness, hope.

In the middle of longing, completion.

In the midst of his mind, where he fought to take over his thoughts as they tried to betray him, he only thought of her.

He was finally able to smile. He only wished she could see it too.

How he wished...

Her fingers skimmed over his brow, removing some strands of red as they caressed his burning forehead. "{He's still burning up}" she thought with a frown. Maybe if the water were a bit more cold or his wounds weren't so deep he would wake. Her hope would slowly fade every time she saw his face contort with pain with the knowledge she could do nothing about it. He'd been like this for two days.

She sighed. Her impatience wasn't going to solve anything. The only thing they could do was continue to give him Megumi's formula and hope everything turned out for the best. Continue to give him water - *cold* water! - on his forehead and just wait.

Just wait...

How she hated the waiting.

For the first time in what seemed like a while, he could feel how hot his skin was. In comparison to the cold cloth against his forehead it felt good. He was beginning to think clearly again; he could remember the events that lead to his current condition, but as for where he was he couldn't say. Where ever he was, he knew it had to be safe - he could hear *her* voice speaking to him in his weakened state. Comforting, softly, ever-present. He could feel himself responding to her voice, speaking in mind even if he couldn't in body.

"{Kaoru...}"

Kaoru's eyes opened once her head craned downward in her sleep. Groggily, she rubbed her eyes and gave a tired sigh, fighting the exhaustion that threatened to overcome her so easily. Glancing at the candle in the corner of the room she estimated she must have been sleeping for a little over two hours, the most she had gotten since they returned to the dojo. Thinking it time to change the cloth, she rubbed her eyes and moved to take the cloth off his forehead...

... and stopped completely when she saw his violet eyes looking back at her.

"You look tired." he said, his voice hoarse. "You should sleep, that you should."

Blinking back tears of joy, she did her best to smile at him. "Hey. How do you feel?"

He closed his eyes, seemingly to evaluate the pain. "Fantastic." he lied. Then with a grin, "Almost like the time when I fought Shishio, but worse."

Her grin was true this time. "Well at least you're awake."

"How long have I been asleep."

Kaoru filled a cup with water, supporting his head to help him drink. "Almost two days. Ever since Sano put you on your futon you've been out cold with a fever."

His face cringed with the raw pain of his sore throat, but the cool water helped. He looked at her and noticed her tired, though joyful expression. "And you've been here the whole time."

Her cheeks went a light shade of pink. "Hai."

"I'm sorry to have made you worry."

She would have sighed in tender annoyance if he hadn't looked so sincere. He was the Rurouni alright - always ready to make things right again. "Don't be."

His eyes widened in surprise for a few seconds, then calmed into a warm grin. To try to avoid his eyes (which had suddenly become very revealing in his emotions), she moved the cloth off his head and dipped it in the cold water, awake of his eyes following her every movement. When she folded it and placed it back on his forehead, his right hand grabbed hold of hers, feeling it, before traveling up her arm, her shoulder, then cupping her left cheek, his thumb gently stroking. The blush on her face intensified, her left hand unconsciously covering his.

"You're really here." he whispered, somewhat unbelieving, the emotion in his voice startling her.

"I'm here." she whispered back, not really sure why she was saying so. His fingers twined with hers on her face, their grip stronger and slightly trembling. She brought her other hand and held his between hers. "I'm right here." she said again, worried at the sudden and overwhelming look of relief of his face.

"I'm glad." he said, his voice wavering on the brink of tears, wondering if his eyes were showing all of the infinite joy he felt knowing she was alive and sitting next to him. That's when he noticed, while taking in her features, that her face was a bright red from her blushing. He let the weight of his hand drop, sorry that he did so. "Forgive me..." he began a second later. "For being so bold."

"I don't mind." she answered. Then suddenly feeling her face become even more red (and noticing the astonished look on Kenshin's face), she turned to her side and grabbed the cup containing Megumi's tea. "I almost forgot! Megumi wanted you to drink this as soon as you woke up."

"{Megumi, huh?}" he thought, grinning slightly as she propped his head up once again to help him drink the tea. He did so, swallowing the entire thing, his face cringing in disgust almost as soon as the liquid hit his tongue. He made an equal sound after Kaoru removed the cup. "Be sure to tell Miss Megumi that her tea is lacking some herbs to make it satisfactory, that it most certainly is."

Kaoru giggled, surprised and oddly warmed that he would make such a comment not only in front on her, but about someone's formula other than her own. "Coming from you, I think she'd be heart-broken. Not everything a doctor gives you is going to taste good."

"That was just proven." he said, smiling when she laughed again, warmth filling him at the sound of her voice after being denied it for so long. As much as he wanted her to stay, however, she also needed to take care of herself. "How late is it?" he asked.

"Late." she simply answered, putting aside the cup that contained the tea and pulling the blanket further up his body to his shoulders. "She said that stuff will help you sleep."

"You should sleep too." he said, blinking back drowsiness that was already there. As much as he wanted her there, he wouldn't deny her something she obviously needed. The slump in her shoulders and the slightly dazed look in her eyes told him everything. Nodding at his answer, she stood and walked over to the door.

"Kaoru?"

She turned at his voice, noting the strain he used to make his voice louder. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Kaoru smiled warmly. "It was my pleasure." she answered, and closed the door. Once outside, with the moon shining on the small yard and the slight chill in the air, she walked over to one of the beams and leaned against it for a moment, a smile covering her face.

"{He called me Kaoru. No 'miss'. Just Kaoru.}"

She thought back to earlier, when he had touched her face tenderly, almost disbelievingly. When he had talked to her it seemed like he was talking to an old friend, but there seemed to be an awkward atmosphere to it, almost like they were something more.

The thoughts were plaguing her hours later when she tried to get to sleep.

Kenshin could only think for a while, though his thoughts could have traveled forever.

Kaoru was alive. Living and breathing before him, no longer a ghost haunting his memories. He could reach out and touch her if he wished, just as he did tonight, and she wouldn't fade away as she had in his dreams. She never had died. She was always there. Alive and well.

Her voice, her laugh, even her blushes filled his memories, and he suddenly longed to be the only one who could make her laugh quite like she did, blush like she had, and smiled the smiles that lite her face and made her that much more beautiful in his eyes. He wanted her to stay by his side and not have a reason to leave. He wanted to court her.

He wanted to marry her.

The revelation sparked emotions that would have been more active if the tea hadn't been kicking in. Kenshin fell asleep with that last wonderful thought.

Personally, I loved the line, 'Her tea is lacking some herbs to make it satisfactory, that it most certainly is'. I thought about that after seeing Harrison Ford in 'Witness', but thought that Kenshin would still try to be polite despite the awful taste. Anyone else like it?

Also, was the whole hand thing confusing? I tried not to make it that way, but I remembered that Kenshin's left arm was in a sling after the fight, which would make it impossible or hard for him to use his right hand to touch Kaoru's face if she were on the left side of him, which was how I imagined her in the first place (now that I've confused you even more... :D). To clarify, Kaoru is sitting on the RIGHT side of Kenshin, making it fully possible for him to touch her face. With me?

There will be another chapter to this. That will be the whole 'discussion under the stars' thing, as cheesy as it sounds. I might have that up tomorrow depending on how much my writing skills love me today.

Comments are appreciated. I really do thank all of you who have read and reviewed or just simply read. You don't know how much your comments really mean to me (or any author). See you on the next chapter!