A.N/ this chapter is entirely from Kaoru's perspective, starting from where she met kenshin and ending before their child is born. It follows the Manga.

He turns and his eyes meet mine,

I can see the pain hiding below the pretended naivety,

And yet I can't help the way,

His every smile lights up my day.

He left me, I'm burning inside,

Crying till every drop of water in my body dries out,

I know he's lost to me, that he'll never know,

How much I love him, how much I need him here,

So I lose myself in sorrow and pray that tomorrow will find me near,

If not to him, then to the grave, to my beloved.

They were right, I cannot fail,

I stretch my hand out to him, hoping to the heavens that he will take it,

He looks up and I'm still praying, I wish he could see what I see in him,

He smiles and takes my hand, and my heart fills to the brim,

He says he's home and I try to stop the tears that are pricking at my eyes,

I want to believe that he knows that the only home I have is the one where he resides.

No matter what he told me, even if he hates himself for it,

I cannot hate him for living, for being the one to survive,

When I was taken away from him, I still believed he would come,

And I was right.

I hear he cried and broke inside, and somewhere, then, I was sure,

He feels the same, that home is where WE reside

He looks at me now, as I extend my hand again, hesitant and pleading,

I smile and look back, sure and true,

Slightly he shakes and pushes himself forward, the first action he has taken for himself in all these years,

He takes my hand and holds it tight, his silent "I love you"