A/N: I know, it's been forever! Well, I have work and school and writer's block. I'm sorry it took so long, but sometimes it can't be helped. I don't know about this chapter. I think it's kinda lame. Well, not really but I guess I should let you guys decide. Thank you to all who reviewed, you guys are awesome. Please continue to do so. It will make me happy! ^_^

I Wish

Kenshin felt the warm rays of the morning sun wash over his face as he floated between sleep and awareness. He could feel the figure beside him tucked protectively under his arm. He forced his eyes to remain closed when they tried to peek at the sunny room. Far in the back of his mind the events of the previous night invaded his memory. That was why he was so reluctant to awaken fully. As long as he stayed like this he could allow his mind to pretend the entire ordeal had been a terrible nightmare and that he would soon hear the sounds of Yahiko and Kaoru arguing down the hall. However he knew that wasn't the truth and the moment he opened his eyes he would have to face the harsh reality and could never go back.

A heavy weight pulled down on his heart. He knew he would have to awaken soon, but for the moment he just wanted to remain in the state of ignorance. Perhaps he was dreaming and that Yahiko would burst into his room any minute demanding he make breakfast before Kaoru ruined all the food in the house. Perhaps not, but the idea was nice.

Once again he tried to drown the sadness by turning his face to his pillow, wincing slightly as his red hair dangled in front of his eyes and brushed his lashes. A soft moan escaped his lips as he took in the final feelings of the morning before preparing himself to face the inevitable. He could feel his thick red hair spilling out over the pillows and a slight squirm under his arm. The squirming continued until Kenshin's half-asleep mind registered it along with a muffled cry. "Oi, Kenshin, you're smothering me!"

His violet eyes snapped open despite the dried tears covering his lids. The rurouni instantly pushed himself off of the child and looked wide-eyed into his face. Yahiko looked back at him, his breath only slightly labored and his eyes half way open. "Why are you looking at me like that? What's with you?" the youth said while prying at his sleepwear collar. Rather than replying, Kenshin placed his hand on the kid's forehead. Yahiko looked slightly annoyed and confused at the gesture but made no efforts to protest. His slender hand came into contact with gentle warmth underneath a layer of cool sweat. Yahiko's fever had broken.

A heavy sigh escaped the man as he wondered whether he was awake or dreaming. Such a speedy recovery from death was unheard of, but that didn't make it unappreciated. "You're alive," Kenshin whispered only audible enough for his own ears. "Um, are you okay?" Yahiko asked, noting how the swordsman was not acting like himself (put mildly anyway). "You look kinda pale."

The redhead blinked a few times before applying his trademark rurouni smile. "I'm perfectly fine de gozaru. Do you recall anything from last night?"

"Last night?" Yahiko parroted. His eyes narrowed in thought, trying to piece the events of the previous evening together. "Not really, no. Why?"

"You were very sick de gozaru. We were all very worried."

"Sick?"

Yahiko blinked a few times as he tried to piece the fragments of his memory together. He did recall getting sick but he didn't seem to be that bad off before he started throwing up anyway. The last thing his mind clearly registered was Kenshin dragging him off to the clinic at greased lightening speed. The events after that were fuzzy to him as if he were dreaming. It was then that he noticed the snoring of Sano down the hall and vaguely recalled Kaoru's look of concern when it came her turn to tend to him. "Sick? It was only a cold! I can't believe you guys got yourselves worked up over that."

Kenshin couldn't help but chuckle. The young samurai's arrogance was back and that in itself proved his health. Despite his slightly feeble looks of having just escaped the jaws of death, the redhead could see the boy's spirit returning to its previous strength and pride. For a moment it seemed too good to be true. Yahiko was alive.

-----

Pebbles shifted under the soles of his sandals, creating a whispering with each step he took. Kenshin slowly ran the back of his hand over his forehead and felt the droplets of sweat slide off his skin. The cool wind seemed to wash the heat from his fevered body and he invited the feeling greatly. During his vigil over Yahiko he seemed to have caught the bug that ailed the child. After the previous episode with the illness Kaoru was very nervous about Kenshin being out and about. However the disease had yet to reach its peek and the swordsman had promised to take it easy. Still trying to compensate for the losses during Yahiko's illness, Kaoru had no choice but to allow Kenshin to continue with his chores. She did, however, make it very clear that it would only be for the first day or two and then the redhead would have to remain in bed and if for just one instance his condition worsened he would be bedridden without a single complaint.

Yahiko was ordered to rest for a full 24-hours before being allowed to pick up on the chores and practice. Practice was certainly something he was looking forward to picking up again. However the chores were another matter completely. Kenshin harbored a smile despite the dizziness and fever in his head. Never once did he forget just how much his adopted family meant to him. He had lived too many years without a family or a home to take such precious things for granted, but recovering from such situations where he nearly lost one of them managed to bring forth a sense of fear that settled in his chest.

But I will protect them. I swear my life on it.

The soft whisper of the wind swept grass was very inviting. Fatigue pulled down on him and he felt as if gravity was determined to lure him into sleep for some reason or another. Kenshin swayed only slightly before catching himself and shaking his head. It wouldn't be a very good idea to fall asleep standing up for several reasons; one of them would be suffering a concussion when his sleeping body connected with the dirt road. However, he had an errand to run and rest would have to wait until he was finished. Yet the gnawing on his brain refused to let up and the grass seemed to be calling to him in a sweet, whispery voice. A few minutes rest wouldn't hurt, would it?

Slowly the redhead lingered towards the riverside. Almost immediately his body felt at ease when he stepped onto the grass. The soft texture beneath his soles created a gentle shock and spread through his back and shoulders, causing his body to loosen and relax. He gingerly lowered himself next to a tree, shifting his body and planting his form into the moist blades. He sighed contently, pleased with the soft pillow of green against the back of his head, as he rested his hands on his stomach and gazed upon the clouds overhead.

A warm gust washed over his face and ran through his hair. His smiled lightly; the wind feeling like gentle fingers running over his scalp. Ever so slowly his eyes eased themselves shut and his errand was forgotten as he slipped into sleep.

-----

Pulsing flesh and organs surrounded him from every direction. His face felt sticky from the blood that had dried slightly and the rest of his body was heavily moistened. Blood was all over him, sticking his hair together and weighing down his clothes. He ran through the 'room' he was in, a soft surface squishing beneath his feet. Light filtered in through the 'walls' creating a red tint. The walls seemed to be pulsing and various bodily noises surrounded him. Where am I?

"Don't you like it, Battousai-san?"

Kenshin spun at the voice, startled as he hadn't sensed any ki, and began sending his frantic eyes in search of the speaker. They landed upon a grey rabbit gingerly placing one paw in front of the other as it made its way towards the swordsman. Once at Kenshin's feet, the rabbit sat and looked up at him with large round eyes. Sapphire eyes, just like her. "I thought you would like it here. You slaughter so many people that I thought you liked seeing the blood and guts of a man splattered upon the ground. I thought you would like to see what the inside of a man looks like before you slash him and spill his innards. Do you not like it here, Battousai-san?"

Kenshin reeled back, his teeth clenched together. "We're inside a man?!" His voice sounded a tad more distressed and shocked than he intended, but no more than he felt. The rabbit nodded, slowly and almost sadly. "Do you wish to kill him from the inside, Battousai-san? I thought this would content you enough, but I suppose I was wrong. You're so blood thirsty, Battousai-san. Why do you wish as you do?"

"Wish as I do? What do you mean?" Kenshin's hand flew to the hilt of his sword, clenching it tightly and slowly pulling it free of its saya. His eyes grew when the blade was revealed to be that of a katana rather than his sakabato. "No," he whispered as his trembling arm continued to slip the blade free from the sheath. "I don't want to kill!" He fought to keep the sword sheathed, but the force on his hand proved to be extremely powerful. "You said you didn't want to kill, Battousai-san. Are you certain?" the rabbit spoke softly, looking up at him. His strength failed under the pressure on his arm and a silver arc formed before him, slashing through the flesh within his arm's distance. All at once he was swallowed by a wave of blood that flushed the area.

His fingers pryed at his throat. Even after just a few seconds his brain was already feeling light from lack of oxygen. Through the dark thickness other icy fingers emerged, clawing at his gi and hair and pulling his body downwards. Fighting against both the cold hands and current was futile and Kenshin was forced to go where he was taken.

"Battousai, this is our blood you've spilled." The voice from behind him was surprisingly clear and only slightly distorted by the bloody environment. Quickly following the voice there was a hand that came to rest on his chin. The fingers dug into his skin, forcing him to turn and face the hand's owner. Through the blinding redness Kenshin's wide eyes came into contact with hollowed sockets upon a grey dead face. It harbored a jagged tooth grin as it separated its rotting lip and spoke in a raspy voice. "It's time to spill yours!"

Pain hissed through his body as a gnarled hand clamped around his wrist. Black and cold liquid began seeping through the wound it created, causing the temperature of the blood surrounding him to drop considerably. He struggled against the many hands the grasp him and tore his wrist from the dead hand. A slash appeared from under the gnarled fingers as the black fluid continued to pour out, floating heavily in the red environment. "This blood is yours, Battousai. Cold and black as a winter's midnight, just like that soul of yours."

As several more hands lashed out at him, he opened his mouth to shout. His voice was cut. Unable to utter a sound he was forced to hear the pained cries of those he had slain and cut after cut covered his body. With each strike more black fluid was sent streaming into the area. He struggled in the freezing darkness as the voices grew louder. His body began to feel empty, the fingers continued to claw at him, and his head pounded with the continuos taunts from the long dead souls.

-----

An orange sky greeted his frantic violet eyes upon awakening. Sweat glistened his face as his gaping mouth struggled to bring in air. Slowly his heart stopped racing and he brought his fingers to brush his bangs free from his moist forehead. That was a very strange nightmare. Perhaps the fever is getting to me. Kenshin topped this thought off when he noted to himself how hot and flushed his face felt. Along with that, he felt his face drain when he remembered his errand. Judging by the sky, he had been asleep for hours. Not only had he failed to buy the tofu he was sent to retrieve, he probably had Kaoru worried sick about him. Oro, Kaoru-dono is not going to be happy about this.

"Father, what are you doing?"

Kenshin was jarred from his fearful thinking when he noticed how close a vaguely familiar voice was. He was taken back a bit when he realized he was sitting on the same riverbank that a certain elderly man's house was located. His usually sharp senses had been dulled somewhat from the illness and previous nights of self-neglect. However, that didn't prevent him from noticing the same stick with crimson ribbon and two figures hovering over it.

The elderly man's face, which had previously been twisted and deformed with rage, was replaced by that of a peaceful and relaxed expression. The wrinkles around his eyes were no longer flared in hatred and there was the gentle pull of a ….smile?….around the man's lips. "Even now his spirit flares from beneath this earth. I feel as if I'm finally ready to let go, to allow him the freedom of a ghost." The younger man watched his father in interest. For a moment his lips parted as if to speak, but they only shaped silent words. This was strange. The night before, after their visit from a mysterious redhead, his father had shut himself out. The anger seeping through his skin sent a chill down his spine. Yet the next day the anger had vanished, as if it had been cleaned away. The hatred in his soul, the sin of hatred, washed away. Was such a thing possible?

Even as these questions turned about in his mind, the younger man kept his eyes focused on his father. The older man's slender fingers gently tugged at the ribbon's tail and slowly unraveled it from the stick. The smile on his face pulled into a definite shape as the wind picked up and the string danced about between his thumb and index finger. "Be free, Yamato, my son." As if in reply, the wind grabbed the ribbon from his hand, which was obviously thrilled with the given permission of fluttering about. The younger man smiled. His father's spirit seemed at ease, finally, after all these years.

From the riverside Kenshin watched in silence as the ribbon soared into the orange sky. He was just as puzzled as the other young man was, perhaps even more so. Yet, this change was not about to go without appreciation. I don't know how, but this man seems to have the strength to move on at last. He's happy, de gozaru. Smiles seemed to be contagious and Kenshin soon found himself wearing one as he watched the pair walked back to their home. They were happy. I'm glad.

-----

Tossing and turning on the futon, struggling with the blanket that took joy in teasing with the lack of warmth it provided, and curling up to center his body heat proved not to supply any satisfying results. Despite the time of year, Kenshin was freezing. Over and over he tried, bringing his ice cold feet and hands closer to his body, wrapping the blanket around his thin form, yet all of his attempts left his body shaking and teeth chattering. Unknowingly, Kenshin had come to the same conclusion that Yahiko had. Being sick truly did suck ass.

He was certain that there were spare blankets somewhere about the dojo. If one layer wouldn't do the job than surely and additional two or three would cease his shivering. The problem, though, that kept him from searching for these blankets was the icy air that gnawed on his skin should he lift the blanket from his body. It was certainly "warmer" underneath the covers, warming meaning not nearly as cold. Many times he debated whether to suffer a few minutes of bitter chill or to spend the entire night fighting off the cold. The few occasions he managed to get himself to brave the night air, he found himself scrambling back under the jumbled sheet before he could sit up fully.

Kaoru certainly wouldn't be happy learning he had allowed himself to freeze all night, but Kenshin couldn't bring himself to call out for her assistance. Through lessons and worry over her two male borders she had been worn down. So it was decided that he would deal with the cold as best he could until morning. After all, he had dealt with colder weather with nothing but the clothes on his back to protect him.

Drawing his knees to his chest he struggled once again with the blanket against the frosty air. Through this he had managed to create some warmth but not nearly enough to settle his chattering jaw. Yet he was satisfied with that, knowing it would not get any better, and hoped his symptoms and shivering would go down to the point where he could get some sleep.

The whisper of an opening shoji caught his attention. Through the wooden floor he could feel the sound of footsteps against his ear and he sensed a familiar ki in the hallway. His current condition left him unable to identify it without effort, but he already knew it had to be either Kaoru or Yahiko. For a moment he thought of calling attention to his predicament, seeing as how one was already up and about they surely wouldn't mind, would they? He was not able to find his voice before the realized the figure had stopped before his room.

He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing at the sound of the shoji sliding. Even as the footsteps drew closer, he continued to feign sleep, curious as to what business would bring a household member from his or her bed and to his room. But by the time he felt something heavy being thrown over his body, the figure was close enough for him to identify the familiar ki. The sudden addition of a thick second blanket didn't startle him enough as Yahiko's presence had. Opening his eyes and rolling over, his eyes had confirmed what he had sensed. He would've been surprised to see Kaoru watching over him with that sad and concerned look she often displayed in such events. What could have brought the young swordsman here?

"Um, I heard you shivering from my room." Yahiko said as he rubbed the back of his neck and diverted his eyes. The second Kenshin's violet orbs had come into contact with his brown ones, as if to ask what his business there was, he instantly found the floor very interesting and mumbled off his reasons. "So, I thought I'd bring you my spare blanket. I'm not really that cold anymore anyway."

Kenshin blinked a few times expecting to see Kaoru replace Yahiko each time his eyes opened. Yet the boy remained, staring at the floor, and waiting for the opportunity to excuse himself. Kenshin glanced at his hand, when the sensation of soft fabric between his fingers became apparent in his brain, and realized that he was clutching a portion of a rather large and warm blanket in his hand. The rest of which draped over his body providing almost instant relief from the bitter air. Kenshin smiled, bringing his eyes back up to view the child.

Taking this as permission to leave, the child turned to leave. He still had his hand to the back of his neck when he stopped halfway to the shoji and peered over his shoulder. "Kenshin?"

"Yes Yahiko?"

Once again the hand rubbed his neck and combed through his black hair. "Um, let me know if you need anything, okay?" A smile and nod were all he received as a reply, but it was good enough to serve him. Turning to leave, he was expecting to return to his room without further incident. He carefully slid the shoji open. "Thank you, Yahiko."

Though the words were gentle and of well meaning nature, they caused Yahiko's frame to snap to a stop with just one foot through the doorway. He didn't know why he was so stunned by those words. After all, he brought Kenshin a blanket. A simple expression of gratitude is not unusual and should not be unexpected. However Yahiko found himself in stumped. How could he reply to such a gesture? Should he nod, just walk off, smile? This was the man that had stayed by his bedside while he was ill, watching over him almost constantly, and this was all he could do in return? He only brought him a blanket, and even that the redhead treated with as much gratitude as called for.

No, that wasn't quite true. Yahiko had not planned on simply bringing a blanket. He just could not bring himself to say what he really wanted to say. This small task was all he could do for now, only one of the many tiny valves he turned now and then to keep from exploding with frustration. However Kenshin was no easily fooled, and Yahiko knew that. Perhaps he could actually see that this was the only way the young boy could say that he cared, what he truly felt. Of course, Yahiko thought with a smile. Nothing less from Kenshin. "You're welcome, Kenshin."

He stepped through the doorframe and slid the shoji shut behind him. He had not taken a look over his shoulder during his final reply, yet he somehow found that easier to do with the shoji separating the two of them. Through the rice paper he watched Kenshin's silhouette wrap the blankets around his body as he prepared to slip into slumber, now protected from the bitter cold. He allowed a more genuine smile to spill onto his face as he turned back and headed for his room. And thank you…..father.

-----

AACK! ::smacks forehead:: If that doesn't scream OCCness I don't know what does. Well, I suppose I could picture Yahiko acting that way, but there are probably many things I can picture in my screwed up head that normal people can't.

No, the story's not over yet. You're probably wondering just what is up with the nightmare Kenshin had in this chapter, and how one wish can cause so much problems, and how Yahiko recovered and bla bla bla. Well, that shall be answered in the next chapter so stick around.

And review please! Click button. ::points down:: Yes, that one! No, not the back button fool! Get back here! GRRR! ::shakes fist:: I'll get you non-reviewing people some day! Just you wait! As for you nice people who review stories, clicky please!