Hi!
   It's been a hiwle since i posted the first chpater of this and I figured 
I should put part 2 up.  Anyway, could SOMEONE please help me with a title?  
I'm brain dead for one ^^;;  Thanks!

~Carly aka Akane-chan

P.S. C&C always appreciated!

**********************

Shinta: Kenshin's REAL name given to him by his parents before they died.
Chichiue (Chee-Chee-oo-way): A VERY respectful way of saying "father"
Hahaue (Ha-ha-oo-way): A VERY respectful way of saying "mother"
Daijoubu: 'I'm okay'/ 'It's okay'

**********************

A young gir with long shiny hair came tearing down a main road in Kyoto 
waving her hands energetically.  She was smiling from ear to ear, calling 
out the name of the boy just down the road who carried a beginners shinai.  
"Shinta-chan!"

"Che... How many times do I have to tell you, don't call me '-CHAN'!  
Besides, my name isn't Shinta anymore, it's Kenshin!"  The small red-head 
announced proudly.

The girl flung her wispy black hair over her shoulder and placed her hands 
on her hips, "Kenshin?  Who gave you a dumb name like that?"

The little red-head stuck out his tongue, "Shishou of course!  He said it 
suited me better.  Since Chichiuei and Hahauei aren't here anymore, it's 
okay.  Shishou said I had the spirit of a true warrior, so I needed a 
warrior's name!"

The girl giggled playfully.  "Maybe it's a good name then.  Kenshin..."

**********************

Based on the Manga/Anime Rurouni Kenshin

We Present To You...

(Sorry..  Still need a title :P)

**********************

Megumi was undoubtably frustrated.  Never in her entire life had she had a 
patient who was so stubborn, whiny, and un-agreeable.  She was at wits end 
with this one, and close to giving up.

"ARGH!  Would you just STAY STILL!?" she complained.

Kaoru looked at her in contempt, "I SAID I am fine!  Would you quit 
fussing?!"

"Would _I_ quit fussing?!  You're just delaying this longer you know!  I 
have other patients to look after!"  Megumi huffed.

Kaoru huffed back.

Then Megumi got an idea.  "You KNOW Ken-san won't let me leave until I've 
properly checked you out.  Looks like I get to stay a little while.  Oh 
Ken-san!!"

Karou hurried to the door and blocked her exit, "Why you...!"

Megumi smiled triumphantly, "Now, are you ready to be examined?"

Karou glared vengefully at the doctor and mumbled something incoherent.

Megumi glared right back.  "Ohoho, that's what I thought."

**********************

"Kenshin...," the robed woman muttered in her troubled sleep.  She tossed 
and turned from one side to the other, and a small sheen of sweat covered 
her pale forehead.

*The slice of a sword* Death...

*A scream resounding through the night* Pain...

*The sound of footsteps growing weak* Loneliness...

The woman's blank eyes shot open, as she took in a deep breath.

"Cure my weakness!"  She screamed into the cold darkness.  The only reply 
came from her own cries bouncing off the walls, and a flickering light 
emanating from the sphere.

**********************

Yahiko impatiently paced outside the door of which the doctor and patient 
were currently occupying.

Kenshin and Sanosuke were in the sitting room, both leaning against a wall.  
Kenshin's face was passive, while Sano looked somewhat anxious.

Kenshin hadn't said a thing since the foxy doctor went to check on Karou, 
and having a big mouth himself, Sano couldn't stand anymore silence.

"Ne, Kenshin?"

Kenshin did his best Aoshi impression.

Sanosuke cleared his throat, "NE, KENSHIN?"

Kenshin blinked, "Oro?"

"Welcome back," Sano grinned.

Kenshin looked annoyed, "Aa..."

"Look, Kenshin.  Jou-chan's gonna be just fine.  She's as strong as an ox, 
and there's no way she'd leave without makin' us pay her back for everything 
we've mooched from her," Sano said, a little embarrassed by his words.

"Don't you mean 'you'?" Kenshin smirked, a little lifted by Sanosuke's 
encouragement.

Sano rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the grin that spread across his 
face, "Whatever..."

Kenshin let his face slide again into the somber one he had been sporting 
all morning.  "Sano, everyone says Karou-dono is going to be fine.  But, I 
feel there's something more to it.  A person doesn't just get sick all of a 
sudden, when they were in perfect health the moment before."

Sanosuke frowned, "Shit... don't you think I know that?  But Oujou-chan said 
she's fine, and after everything, I trust her.  So, if she says she's 
alright then she is!  You may not trust HER words, but don't you trust your 
best buddy?"

Kenshin remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Oh... I thought that 
was a rhetorical question."

"Kenshin..."  Sano growled.

Kenshin let out a small chuckle.

"HOW CAN YOU TWO BE SO HAPPY AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!" Yahiko butted in with a 
look of rage on his face.

"Y-Yahiko!  You're so scary!"  Kenshin said, holding his hands up 
defensively.

Sanosuke burst out laughing at the irony of the "strongest" being scared of 
such a young child. "HAHA!  You're face is more scary than Kaoru's, 
Yahiko-CHAN!"

For the "-chan" remark, Sanosuke promptly received a good head gnawing from 
the younger.  Kenshin jumped in, trying to play peacemaker as always, but 
only ended up getting a punch to the face, by accident, from Yahiko who was 
to busy trying to beat up Sano to notice the fallen rurouni.

*THWACK*

"I'VE got a scary face?!"  Kaoru announced triumphantly as she pummeled the 
street-fighter and Tokyo Samurai into the ground with a shinai.

"U-ugly!"  Yahiko mumbled.

Kenshin hopped up from his stupefied state, "Karou-dono!  How are you 
feeling?  Really, you shouldn't push yourself!"  He proceeded to check her 
over again, making sure she really was okay, and noted she still had a spot 
of blood on the front of her Kimono.

"Mou, Kenshin!  I'm fine, now stop your fussing!"  As if to prove her point 
she pumped her arms in an energetic manner.

Megumi came running into the room directly after the racoon, "KAORU!  You 
know I wasn't done!"

Kaoru waved the elder woman off, "Daijoubu, Daijoubu!"

Kenshin frowned.  "Kaoru-dono..."

Instead of Karou's normal action of chastising him for worrying over her and 
consequently in the end, hitting him to the ground, she merely smiled.  
"Thanks for your concern."

**********************

The woman stumbled from her resting place, tripping over the hem of her 
cloak in the process.  Her red tears dripped from her cheeks and puddled 
onto the ground.

"STOP!!" she screamed into the ground, "Stop my pain!  Cure my weakness!"

*The slice of a sword*

She quickly grabbed the rope from her wear and brought her tant up to slice 
it in half.  Her hands faltered as it came down.

*The scream resounding through the night*

The knife stopped just short of rope, and a bead of sweat mingled with 
crimson tears to splash against the cold, stone floor.

*The sound of footsteps growing weak*

After taking a deep breath, she plunged the knife through only on fibre.  
Content with her task, she collapsed against the inviting stone floor, 
lulled to a blissful, dreamless sleep by the sounds of tortured sobs coming 
from the dull, glowing sphere.

**********************

Sanosuke lay sprawled out on the floor of the Kamiya dojou, not quite ready 
to retire for the night like everyone else.

Taking time to contemplate life was not one of Sano's favorite pastimes, 
considering the line his thoughts often trailed too.  How much money he 
owed, when Tae was going to cut his "free" meals off at the Akabeko, how 
much the little runt was growing, the foxy doctor, Jou-chan...

'Jou-chan,' he thought.  He knew, just KNEW something wasn't right.  Kaoru 
isn't just as healthy as a horse one minute, and as sick as a dog the next.  
Something was up, and if she would only tell her family what the wrong he 
was SURE they could help her.  After all, that's what they did for each 
other.

They were a family.

It was then that Sano heard the heart-wrenching sobs coming from the front 
porch.  He cautiously made his way to the sound and saw Kaoru lurched over, 
her arms wrapped around her stomach as blood dripped it's way down her chin 
for the second time that day.

Sanosuke's eyes widened.  "K--!" was all he managed to choke out.

Kaoru's head shot up, much to her discomfort. "Don't wake them!" she 
pleaded, "Don't make them worry!  Sanosuke don't make Kenshin worry!" she 
cried.  Another wave of pain shot through her body and she slumped into a 
state of blissful half-conscious, aware only of Sanosuke's hushed pleas, and 
the picture of a woman with red tears running down her face, and a twisted 
smile on her lips.

**********************



______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com