DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN KENSHIN OR THE CHARACTERS. THE PLOT IT MINE DON'T STEAL.

-Deep Breath-

Now, on to the next subject, new story! It started out as an idea based on the ghost experiences that my best friend and I experienced throughout our high school and up to present day in college years. And slowly, it morphed into this. I've decided to try a different pairing with Kaoru and Saitou. It just fits… so I'm turning away from my usual BKK pairing. The summary sucks, I know, but I can't give you a decent summary without giving away a few key plot points.

AU. Year: 2002. Place: Chicago, IL. After the death of her mother, Kaoru comes to the States, accepting an open invitation from an uncle she has never met. Her move sets up the pieces for a cruel and terrifying game of ghosts and ghouls that will change her life forever. KaoruxSaitou

Rated M: Violence, Gore, Language, Sexual situations. I am serious about the rating. This is going to be a violent fic. I hope it's scary too (seeing as it's mainly a ghost story). Sooo if you get scared easily or squeamish, you have been advised. ^_^

*OH! And pay attention to the dates, there's gonna be some back and forth action here.*

End Game

Drip.

Left. Dark corners, no movements. Right. A sliver of moonlight, something pooling on the ground.

Drip.

The liquid reflects in the silver light. It is a solid color, something dark. Vision adjusts to the darkness, pupils dilating in an attempt to see more. A faint lump is motionless on the ground. A step closer to inspect. A puff of breath in the frigid air, a shiver from adrenaline.

Drip, drip.

Able to see better, Kaoru finally sees the shape of the lump, smells the scent of the dark liquid. A dead body, cold blood. She takes in a breath as she realizes exactly what it means. Her hand grips something heavy, as she slowly backs away from the body. Her back runs into a wall. She exhales another puff of air. The body appears to flicker.

She stares down at the object in her slender hand. Her vision well adjusted to the darkness, she can make out the smooth silver that forms the shape of the gun. She feels the trigger. A small shine on the floor draws her attention. A casing from the gunshot. She reaches down, and picks it up. Taking another step towards the body she double checks to see if the bullet went through the body. She notes the entry wound, the man's torso is slumped against the wall. Carefully, she moves his body forward, and spots the leftovers of a glowing bullet in the wall.

Pulling something out of her pocket, she takes the slender object and touches it to the bullet. It immediately attracts to the metal, and comes out of the wall easily. She pockets both the bullet and magnet, and then gently lays the man's body back against the wall. Standing up smoothly, she stares one last time at her victim. His body appears to be disintegrating in front of her eyes. She removes the silencer from her weapon, then clicks on the safety and holsters it at her hip.

Drip. Drip.

~.~.~

Chicago, IL.

December 15, 2002.

1200.

Setting down a cup, Kaoru stares across her table, observing her companion. He is wearing dark clothing, a black V-neck sweater, dark blue jeans. Dark hair sweeps over his strange amber eyes, "Good job, Kaoru-chan. You did well." His Asian features become more prominent as he looks up at her, and takes a drag off a cigarette.

"You can't smoke in here. It's illegal." He makes no move to put it out.

"I don't ever want to do it again, Saitou." She takes another sip of tea. Her long hair is pulled back into a single braid. She does not fear being overheard, for they speak in a foreign tongue.

He nods in understanding, "Those were the terms. You do the job, no one gets hurt." He looks to see her hands clasped together. Raising his gaze a few inches, he notes the curve of her neck, the slender bone structure.

"I know that." She looks out the window, observes the people roaming the streets.
Struggling not to give her too much information, as always, Saitou remarks, "I'm trying to help you. It's very difficult with people breathing down your neck every day. You are lucky you're still alive."

"Lucky," She says, and then chuckles, "That's coming from the man who nearly killed me in the subway a month ago."

"That was because you wouldn't stop running." He does not hint that he knows far more than she will ever realize. She does not know he is under cover, trying to understand a sick and twisted scheme. Kaoru is stuck in the middle of it. What more harm will another lie do?

"That's what you say every time you apologize. I'm going home." She picks up her purse. Saitou puts money on the table, and helps her into her heavy coat. He has a good foot on her in height, and makes her look even smaller than she already is.

"Good-bye Saitou. I'll see you tonight."

"Be safe, Kaoru-chan."

~.~.~
Chicago, IL.

November 6, 2002.

1900.

The place is full of chatter. Young people are scattered around in different groups. Kaoru stares around the place with interest. This is the first time she has ever been in a hookah lounge. She has barely been in the states a week, and already she enjoys the culture. She spots a group of three and heads towards them.

A man dressed in what appears to be dirty clothes stops her, "I need to see your I.D."
She reaches into her purse for her wallet. Kaoru grabs her new Illinois I.D. from her wallet and shows it to the employee. It is a strange feeling, as she knows she needs to get used to being carded. In Japan, this had never happened. He squints at the tiny date and then looks at her. He sees her eyes and his own widen in shock, "Have a good evening." He hands her the plastic card, and lets her pass. She does not react to the man's own reaction, she is used to it. She has never seen another person with blue eyes.

"Sorry I'm late, I missed the 6:30 train." She says breathlessly in lightly accented English, as she sits down.

"No worries Kao! We just got our hookah anyway." A blonde girl says. She is sitting on a couch, "Have you ever smoked hookah?" Kaoru shakes her head, a negative. The girl continues, "Well, you smoke cigarettes right? Hookah is a bit different. You want to enjoy the flavor. We got mango to start with. They don't have hookah in Japan?"

Kaoru looks at her, then at the other two at the table, "There is hookah in Japan, but I never tried it Kate." The blonde hands her the hose. Staring at it a moment, Kaoru decides to go ahead and try. She sucks in air, and she tries not to exhale right away. She starts to cough a little bit, but soon gets the difference. The four keep up a quiet conversation.

Standing, Kaoru says she needs to use the restroom. She pockets something, and no one notices. She walks to the back and spots the ladies room. Entering, she locks it behind her, and goes about her business. As she gets ready to exit, she hears several screams and the sound of a gun. Instinct pulls at her, she reaches for her pocket, and pulls out a knife.

'Never go anywhere alone without a weapon, Kaoru, no matter what. You never know who might be lurking in a corner.' Kaoru is glad she always takes her father's advice. She makes sure the door is locked, and then looks around. She knows she is not going back inside. Fear is running through her. She spots the small window above the sink. It appears to push out. She climbs up to the counter, and inspects the window. It does indeed open. Kaoru only hopes she can fit through the small space.

She hears a banging on the door, "Open up little girl!" Kaoru tries to calm her breathing. She gets her feet through the window. The girl twists her body so that she is hanging onto the window sill. She glances down to see a ten foot drop. The door slams open as the lock is broken. She drops to the ground, lands hard on her side. Pain laces her body as broken glass tears at her skin, her left arm is bleeding.
Adrenaline keeps her from stopping and truly registering the damage. She stands up and still has her knife in hand. Kaoru ignores the cold that attacks her through her thin shirt. She knows exactly where she wants to go. She hears a curse as she starts to run for the street. It is deserted. She is grateful that she left her subway pass in her pocket. If she makes it, she hopes she can loose her pursuers in the underground.

She runs around the corner, and Kaoru sees the entrance to the subway two blocks down. She ignores the sideways glances of the passerby. She imagines she must look a sight, blood coating one side of her body. No coat in the snow covered city, dressed in thigh highs and a pair of ripped shorts, the punk fashion of Japan. In the past it had been an attempt of rebellion against strict rules. Now she regrets it, 'Keep running. Don't stop. Keep running. Don't stop.' She chants to herself in her head.
Kaoru reaches the stairs, she doesn't dare look over her shoulder. Fumbling in her back pocket, she produces her subway pass, and tries to put it in the slot that can possibly gives her escape. It goes in but before she can go through the gate, a hand crashes down on her injured shoulder. She releases a gasp of pain, "Aaah!" She is roughly turned around, and she looks up into the bright golden eyes of a man, "Let go of me." She hopes he has not seen her weapon, and she instinctively tries to stab him with it. He grabs hold of her wrist, forcing her to let go. But before that, she manages to bury it in his shoulder.

"I cannot let go of you, do not cause me any more problems tonight." He appears to not notice the pain of his wound.

"What are you chasing me for?" Kaoru still pulls against the painful grasp. He doesn't reply and simply uses his strength to pull her closer.

"Do not try to hurt me again or you will regret it."

A final instinct kicks in, and Kaoru knees him in the groin. She thinks it strange that she cannot remember a single move of defense after her years in karate. Fear has paralyzed her. He loosens his grip, Kaoru runs for it. She hops the gate, not caring about anything anymore except for her life. She does not hear footfalls behind her. Instead, she hears a gunshot.

Pain sears through her side, she collapses to the ground. Her bright blue eyes gaze down at the wound as she cannot move. Blood is oozing, she tries to apply pressure. She sees a black boot near her knee. The man crouches down and has something in his hand, "You are making it very difficult for me to do my job, Kaoru." He covers her wound in gauze and then says, "Time for you to sleep for a bit." He jabs her at the base of her neck, and darkness overcomes her.

~.~.~

Kaoru's head spins. She knows she is moving, feeling the motion of someone's steps. Her body feels numb. She does not want to open her eyes, but as her situation becomes more obvious to her, she does.

She sees the sky above her, illuminated by city lights. Kaoru feels the arms of someone underneath her body, and she moves her gaze to her right. The man with orange eyes is carrying her down the street. She feels a warm liquid on her arm, and sees that he has blood coating his right side. Smiling smugly, she laughs, and instantly regrets it when sharp pain she had forgotten introduces itself again.

"What are you laughing at? You are the one in worse shape than I am."

Kaoru glances down to notice she is covered with a jacket. His jacket, "You can put your own damn coat on if you want. I don't want it."

"And have you freeze to death? Sorry, my job is to keep you alive, and alive you will stay."

Kaoru wants to fight back, force herself out of his arms, but she can't even move a finger.

"Saitou!" She hears someone say, "About time you got your hands on her. Let's get out of here. The troops are rolling in."

~.~.~

A door slams loudly not too far from Kaoru's head, and the smell of smoke. She is startled by the sound and sits up straight. The fast movement causes a hiss of pain to escape her lips.

"You might want to remember to not sit up so fast."

Kaoru's sapphire eyes shift over to the figure standing above her. She is lying on a small, twin sized bed, "Maybe you shouldn't be slamming doors when people are asleep." She glances at the cigarette in his hand, and makes no comment. A small craving in her body was the result of the scent.

Smirking, Saitou replies, "Well, if you wouldn't have made my job more difficult you might not be in pain."

"It's not my fault that I tried to defend myself."

The girl attempts to sit up again, this time more slowly. She glances down and notices her clothes have been switched out for a thin nightdress, "I only hope you didn't dress me. Where are my clothes."

"They are being cleaned. The blood was annoying, so they decided to put something else on you. You are lucky you have clothes on at all."

Sitting silently for several moments, Kaoru states, "Well, happy? You caught me, for what reason I don't know. It seems strange to me that I'm not tied up left in a cellar."

"You don't understand your value. I was told that you are to be treated with decency. So, your wounds are cleaned, you have clothes on your back, and I have left you a meal." He motions to a tray that he has placed nearby on a dresser, then heads for the door, "Oh, and don't even try to get out. Not only will it cause problems for me, but it would be pointless."

He slams the door behind him, leaving an open mouthed Kaoru, "That selfish son of a bitch. Just wait till I get my hands on him…" She then looks to the tray. It looks delicious. Tonkatsu is laid out on top of shredded cabbage, a bowl of miso soup to the side with some rice. They know one of her favorite dishes, and she begins to think that this is more than a random abduction.

Steeling herself, Kaoru does not move towards the food, no matter how mouth watering it looks. She will not satisfy her captors. Instead she stands up and moves to the window. It is sealed shut. Opposite her, there is a brick wall, 'Not much of a view.' She thinks.

Something catches her vision. It is glowing brightly in the dim ally below. Kaoru steps back, 'Go away! Do not follow me to America!' She had always seen things, but after her twentieth birthday, it got worse. The girl has kept quiet about it, and when she came to the states a week before, it had stopped. The glowing object rises up to the window, and suddenly, it becomes a face.

"Save me! It hurts!"

The face looks just like her mother. Kaoru's eyes widen at what has been said. The face moves towards her slowly as it continues to cry the same thing over and over. Taking steps back, Kaoru can move back no more when she hits the other wall. The figure lets out an ear shattering scream as it goes through her body, causing Kaoru to let out a scream of her own and curl into a ball.

Panting harshly from her fear, she feels the pain in her side pulsating. She has already noted the bandaging running up and down her left arm, but has yet to see what has been done about the gunshot wound. Pulling up her dress, she sees that blood has begun to seep through white bandages, "I'm just seeing things. There's no such thing as ghosts."

~.~.~.

Dawn.

Saitou enters Kaoru's room quietly. He stares at her sleeping figure. She is lying face up, covers pulled up to her chin. Her eyes move beneath her eyelids, she is dreaming. He notes the untouched tray of food still sitting there, 'Stubborn.'

He sits in an extra chair and continues to watch her, not willing to wake her just yet, 'What do these guys want you for girl?' He knows that it is supernatural in nature. Saitou has learned that much. It is not enough information for him to report back to his boss. He shuts his eyes, and remembers her body as he changed her. He remembers the blue eyes. Never before has he seen such an eye coloring. It doesn't exist, 'And yet, she has it.'

Smooth skin, marred by the angry flesh wound to her side, and the many scrapes along her arms. Her breasts just right, hidden by the black cloth of her bra.
He brings himself out of his daydream, thinks to himself, 'Stop it. She is merely yours to keep an eye on, then get her out and protected.'

~.~.~

Kaoru is lead through a hallway blindfolded. She has very little sense of direction as Saitou pushes her along. Left, straight for a while, a nudge to the right, more turns. Eventually, she is pulled back to a stop, and spoken to, "I'm going to remove the blindfold in a minute. Do not freak out."

His last sentence makes Kaoru slightly nervous, 'Saying that alone makes me want to freak out.'

"I still don't understand why I have been taken. I have been cooperative these last few days and not a word from anyone but you."

Saitou retorts, "The only reason you have been cooperative is because of your injuries. I know they are painful. The instant you are better, I don't think you will be so docile." This causes Kaoru to flush, for he is quite right. Her gunshot wound still stings at the slightest tug.

She hears a door open, then is pushed inside. The blindfold is removed and Kaoru is in total darkness as the door shuts behind her, "What the hell?" She turns around and bangs on the door loudly, "Let me out!"

~.~.~

A man stares at the night vision camera as the girl bangs on the door, "She is quite feisty. I'm shocked there has been no trouble from her."

"Sir, she has her wounds. Trust me, this is better. Leaving her in there for awhile will make her pliant when she is removed from the room in a day or two. I chased her down several city blocks and through the subway. The only reason I got her is because of a quick bullet."

"So you say. I just think you like her. I don't think the boss would appreciate that you might like his niece."

The tall man grimaces imperceptibly as he is reminded of the screwed up family this girl has, 'She probably doesn't even know what her father's family is really like.'

"She won't touch any food we give her. I need her to think I'm sympathetic and that someone cares. We can't let her starve herself to death." He watches her as she sits in the corner in resignation, and then her eyes start to glow.

~.~.~

Kaoru has given up on the loud method. She decides to sit in a corner. The room is about the size of a large closet. She can walk across it in three or four steps in every direction. She closes her eyes, trying to forget about her situation and remember happier times. Her mother taking her to a museum, Tokyo Disney, and the beautiful city of Kyoto, 'Oh how I wish I could just go back to Japan. Stupid me for accepting my uncle's offer to move to the State's without even meeting the guy!'

Goosebumps rise on her flesh as the room begins to feel colder. Her adrenaline has slowed, her blood pressure returning to normal. The room is ice cold. Kaoru lifts her head from her knees, the room feels as if it is vibrating, 'It's just a tremor. I'm sure Chicago has tremors like home,' She thinks, 'Stupid, Chicago doesn't have earthquakes! That's in California!'

The room continues to shudder slightly, Kaoru begins to get nervous. Being put in a pitch black room in her situation seems much more kidnapping-like than being put in a hotel room. However, she wishes dearly she could go back to that room. She begins to see little flickers of light on the corner of her peripheral. She shuts her eyes tight, and then shakes her head to loosen up a bit. It makes it worse, "What the hell?" She says to herself.

The lights do not appear to be coming from any type of light bulb in the room. Kaoru has already checked the walls for light switches or a cord to turn on a light. Faces begin to appear in the flickers, bloody tears down the faces like they are crying blood, "Stop it!" She cries out to the room. Her hands clench in her hair as she tries to shut the images out, "Go away!" She crawls towards the door in desperation and begins to beg to be let out.

Quiet whispers emanate through out the room, growing louder with each second. The whispers turn into laughter, "Little rabbit trying to get out the rabbit hole?" One voice croaks out. The voices get closer to her, as Kaoru uselessly bangs on the door, "Please! Let me out!" Something cold touches her and Kaoru's fist stops in mid air. She is too afraid to move. The voices are a roar in her ear now, constantly repeating the same phrase about the rabbit.

Slowly, Kaoru turns her head, and comes to face a glowing creature in the night. She lets out an ear piercing scream as its bloody, gouged eyes stare at her, a cold white hand gripping her shoulder painfully. It bares sharp teeth in an evil grin and moves closer to her, as if it is going to bite her. Just as it latches onto her neck, the door is opened behind her, and Kaoru falls out of the room, flat on her back.
Whatever has its hold on her lets go. Kaoru is looking up at the light, seeing only how bright it is. She is shaking, and crawls as far away from the room as she can, until she bumps into the other wall. She hugs herself, staring at the black opening, still seeing the faces in her mind.

"Daijoubu?" Saitou asks in her native tongue. The girl flinches when she hears his voice, and then finally sees him to her right. He sees how afraid she is. Saitou had been walking down the hallway when he had heard her cries for escape. Only her scream had caused him to race down the hall and unlock the door. He notices tears glinting on her cheeks, her bright eyes glued to the doorway in front of her. He narrows his eyes at the glow that still emanates from them.

He shuts the door and takes a few steps towards her huddled figure. Squatting down, he takes a look at her and asks, "What happened?"

"I, I don't know!" She says in a shaky voice. She looks up into his eyes, "Please don't put me back in there. I'll eat, I'll do whatever you ask, just please don't lock me up in another dark room! I don't want them to come back!"

"Who? What are you talking about? You were the only person in there." He sees the last bit of glow fade from her eyes, and they return to normal.

"Liar! Whatever you guys did to make me eat, it sure as hell worked!"

Saitou looks shocked, "I honestly don't know what you are talking about. There is nothing in there." He stands up and flips a switch by the door. Opening it, Kaoru sees that the lights are now on, "See, nothing in there."

Slowly standing up, Kaoru walks towards the door. Her boots feel heavy on her feet, and when she finally gets the courage to look, the room is indeed empty. The only thing she sees when looking closer is a camera set up in the corner.

"Just don't put me in a room like that again." She says.

Saitou notices how thin she has gotten in the past few days, "It's a deal. Let's get you something to eat, then we'll see about other business." Nodding, Kaoru allows herself to be led down the hall, a warm hand on the small of her back. Kaoru secretly is grateful for it, something real instead of dead touching her. As if reading her mind, Saitou asks, "Where did that come from?"

Stopping, she says, "What?"

"That." He points at a forming bruise on her right shoulder, and a bite mark at the base of her neck.

She rushes to cover the mark with her hand, and simply says, "Like I said, something was in that room." She starts walking down the hall again.

"You don't know where we're going. I lead the way."

"Fine."

Saitou moves to walking slightly in front of her, and then opens a door when they get to their destination. Before walking through the entry, Kaoru can smell the food.

~.~.~

Chicago, IL.

December 1, 2002

2300.

She stares at the reddish scar that has formed on her side. It is not large, but she still is drawn to it. Kaoru is sitting in a luxurious bathroom. A robe lays over the edge of a chair. The mirror in front of her reflects back her toned body. A once unmarked body. Small scars lace across her left arm. The scarring is a constant reminder to her of that night.

There is a knock on her door. She pulls on the silk robe to cover herself and she leaves the bathroom. Kaoru walks through her brightly lit apartment, her prison, and arrives at the door, "You might as well just let yourself in. You have a key." She says.
A knock on her door again.

"Fine," She flips the lock and pulls open the door.

Saitou steps inside, closing the door behind him, "Do you always keep all these lights on in here?" He asks.

"I prefer it that way."

He reaches over and flips a light switch. Kaoru blinks several times, then immediately flips it back on.

"How are you doing?" Saitou stares down at her, and then walks over to a couch situated in her elaborate living room.

"Why do you ask?"

Sighing, he says, "You are always so difficult. They still have not told you why you are here."

She crosses over to her bar and leans against it, "I don't understand why innocent lives were lost. Your group could have easily taken me away without killing everyone that was there that night."

His lips twitch, "I'm no longer included in having killed them! That makes me glad."
"Shut up. All they say is that I must do what they say or they'll kill my uncle. Blackmail is not something I like." She stands there, elbows on the bar, playing with a bracelet on her wrist, then looks at a picture of a middle aged man.

"Is that your uncle?" Saitou queries. A shake of the head from the girl and he takes a closer look. "That is my father. I've never met my uncle. He's my last family alive, and when my mother died, he offered me a place in the States."

"Kamiya Kotaro is my uncle's name." The man's name is the same as the boss's. The man in the picture resembles the man upstairs. She remains silent a moment longer, "I'm tired."

"Oh?"

"Ever since my wound healed, all they do is drill me and drill me all day. I am tired."

She stares across the room, "But I'm sure you knew that already."

"I'll see if I can arrange a break for you. A day out would be nice no?" Saitou stares back at her. He glances at her toned legs, halfway covered by her robe.

"I doubt they would allow that. I'm apparently still missing at large."

Saitou stands up and walks over to her, cornering her, "Listen to me, you will be fine." He leans in closer, down to her ear, "There are eyes everywhere, nothing is what it seems. I will try to get an outing. We must talk." 'Because I'm starting to get the picture.' Then he nuzzles her ear gently with his lips and brings her face up with two fingers. He kisses her on the lips. Kaoru slaps him across the face.

"Get out." He looks at her smugly, then nods.

"If that is what you wish." Saitou turns and exits the room. Kaoru hears him turning the lock.

Letting out the breath she has been holding, Kaoru moves to sit on her large couch, "What is he thinking?" She muses to herself. The girl begins to think on the past month. Since that terrifying day in the closet, Kaoru refuses to be in total darkness. The drills that the "Group" has her doing daily makes it harder for her to keep the ghosts away at night. She is constantly forced to try and bring things out from the other side, so that others can see. Every time she fails, Saitou leads her back to her new rooms, and leaves her there. They do not keep her locked in, but she knows that if she tries to escape, the consequences will be dire.

After that first meal, she was lead to a sinister looking man. He simply told her that if she even thought about escape, her uncle would be shot.

All she knows is that there is something sinister the Group wants to do. In addition to her mind drills, she is learning how to fight physically, how to shoot a gun at a target's head. She is confused, and does not know what to do.

~.~.~

"How is my niece's training coming along?"

Saitou looks up to stare at the man sitting across the room, "Do you not already know sir?"

Smiling the small, but scary, man said, "I'd like to hear it from the man charged with caring for her." He folds his hands in front of him, and rests them on the desk, waiting.

"She is tired, sir. The mental strain is starting to take a physical strain on her body. I'm not sure what they do in the psychological sessions, as I am not allowed in, and she refuses to tell me about them, but she always leaves the room drained of energy." He runs a hand through his dark hair out of habit, causing it to spike up, "She needs a break. She has been cooped up inside for over a month, doesn't know what's going on, and won't sleep with the lights off."

"A break you say?"

"It is simply my observation on the matter, sir."

"Dismissed, Hajime-kun." Saitou nods, and gives a slight bow, and leaves the room. Kamiya Kotaro leans back in his chair. He has waited a long time to get his hands on his valuable niece. Kamiya Koshijiro, his brother, had never allowed the girl into the States, and when he had passed, her mother had the same idea. In the world, those with the rare case of blue eyes are usually terminated at birth due to the danger they impose. Somehow, Kaoru has escaped it, and he is determined to find out why, and use her.

~.~.~

Alrighty then everyone, there you go, chapter one. Please give me your thoughts. Like I said earlier, I haven't really ventured too much into the supernatural world for writing before and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoyed! I was considering making this a BKK at one point but then I thought Saitou would be much more suitable for this story. Since I've been working on this story plot for well over a year, the updates should be fairly frequent as long as I can get to a computer with internet. My current apartment does not have it. T_T
-Hotaru