WARNING: This fic is extremely LEMON! (explicit sex) If you are under 18, or if that sort of thing offends you, STOP READING HERE! If you continue despite this warning, don't bother flaming me to tell me how offended you are.

Author's note: C&C is always appreciated! Please note that flames will be cheerfully used to roast marshmallows. I can be reached at miko_no_da@chichiri.com

Necessary Measures

Kamiya Kaoru, the inheritor of Kamiya Katsushin Ryuu, who had faced opponents twice her size without flinching, who had twice confronted the legendary Hitokiri Battousai and survived, was nervous.

She shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, wishing she were anywhere but where she was. Which is to say, in Megumi's clinic.

She'd woken up that morning dizzy and nauseous. She'd been sick to her stomach three times before breakfast, and the sight and smell of the food Kenshin had prepared almost made her sick again. She had been determined to ignore the symptoms, but they persisted throughout the morning, and finally Kenshin had persuaded her to go to the clinic.

She'd taken Ayame and Suzume with her, planning on treating them for lunch once she'd gotten something to settle her stomach. Unfortunately, Genzai-sensei had gone out on a house call, leaving only Megumi to help Kaoru.

The older woman had been only too pleased to tease her main rival for Kenshin's affections about her weakness. "Ohohohoho! Sounds like morning sickness to me, Kaoru. You haven't been cheating on Ken-san, have you now?" The doctor lady winked at Kaoru.

Kaoru turned bright, flaming red. "How dare you!" she gasped, infuriated. "Of COURSE not! And to say such a thing in front of Ayame and Suzume..." she trailed off, startled as she realized that only one of the girls was in sight. "Ayame-chan? Where'd your sister go?"

Ayame shrugged. "I think she went to the back room. She likes the smell of the medicines."

No longer distracted, Kaoru turned back to her original topic. "How could you even suggest I would do something of that nature!?! I'm not a slut like you!"

Megumi giggled a bit, enjoying teasing the younger woman as always. She was so easy to set off, especially where Kenshin was concerned. She continued her teasing as she led the girl over to the examining area. "How disappointed Ken-san will be. He thinks so highly of you. Who was it? Sanosuke? I can see you and he...." She broke off, her eyes wide, hand on Kaoru's forehead. "Kaoru, you're burning up!"

Kaoru cocked her head. "Really? I wasn't feverish before."

Megumi nodded her head. "Ah. I think I know what this is. There's been a particularly nasty strain of flu going around. It makes you very sick at first. Then you get a high fever for a few hours, then a headache, and then it's gone." She moved towards the back room, where the medicines were kept. "The only potentially dangerous part is the fever. I'll give you something to keep it down."

Suzume loved to play in the back room. The different smells coming from all the jars were so fascinating! Today, she had found a bottle she'd never seen before, tucked away at the very back. She stood admiring it, hands tucked behind her back. Ojiisan had warned her many times not to ever actually TOUCH the medicines.

This bottle was so pretty, though. The powder inside was a beautiful silvery colour. She just KNEW it would smell wonderful too, but it had a cork in it, and so the smell couldn't escape. Surely, it wouldn't hurt anything if she just smelled it a little.

She reached out and picked up the delicate glass bottle, tugging at the cork. It was jammed in firmly by a hand far stronger than hers, and she couldn't get it out. With her tongue stuck out and a determined look on her face, she yanked hard at the cork.

With a sudden *pop*, it flew out of her hand, and silver powder sprayed everywhere. She gasped in dismay, and stood looking at the mess she had made with a rueful expression. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. And after all that, it didn't even smell very nice at all.

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming towards her, and she quickly swept all the powder on the floor into a corner with her foot, where it mingled with the dust. Some of the powder had gotten mixed in with another medicine in an open jar on the table. There wasn't time to fix it, so she just stirred it in, the silvery powder blending easily with the white. She pushed the cork back into the bottle, and shoved it back onto the shelf. When the door opened to admit Megumi, she was once again standing with her hands tucked neatly behind her back, an innocent "who, me?" expression plastered on her angelic face.

Megumi gazed at the child with a suspicious eye. She had that too-innocent look children got when they'd been up to mischief. "Suzume-chan, have you been playing with the medicines?" she demanded.

Suzume shook her head frantically. "Iie, Megumi-nee! Suzume was good!"

Megumi glanced quickly around the room. Nothing seemed to be out of place, so she shrugged it off. "You'd better go back out and play with your sister, Suzume-chan."

"Hai!" The little girl bounded out the door, and Megumi turned to the work table. The jar of willowbark tea was there where she had left it. She scooped a measured amount onto a small paper, then folded the paper around the powder, forming a neat little package. She picked up the package and returned to the outer room.

She handed the package to Kaoru. "Take as much of this as you can stand to drink. It's horribly bitter, but it will keep your fever down. At least two cups an hour, until the fever breaks. And don't do anything strenuous today; stay off your feet."

Kaoru took the package with a nod. "Arigato, Megumi."

Megumi grinned at her. "No problem. Since you need to rest, I'll just have to take Ken-san out so that he doesn't bother you."

"Nani!"

Kaoru sat cross-legged on the porch, relaxing in the early afternoon sunlight. Once Kenshin had managed to worm out of her that she'd been told to rest, he refused to allow her to budge an inch. She'd finally talked him into letting her sit outside, arguing that fresh air and sunshine would be better for her. He'd made some of the tea Megumi had given her, and left the pot sitting within easy reach of her.

She sat with a cup of it in her hands, enjoying the sight of Kenshin and the girls doing the laundry. She took a sip of the tea, and wrinkled her nose. It really WAS horrible, but it was certainly working. The nausea and dizziness of that morning were almost gone, and the heat of her fever was beginning to fade. She could feel the first symptoms of the headache Megumi had mentioned, but at the moment it was nothing more than an irritating pressure.

Kenshin snapped the sheet he'd been washing. "Masshiro!" he proclaimed, and was echoed by the cries of the girls. He grinned up at her, and she smiled back. He's so handsome when he's smiling, she thought dreamily. I could watch him like this forever.

The pressure in her head grew a little, and she thought she could feel a subtle tingling all through her body.. She shivered slightly, and the feel of her silk kimono sliding coolly along her skin made the tingling increase. Suddenly the sunlight seemed a little warmer, the breeze a little fresher, the air a little clearer. Strange, Kaoru thought to herself. Megumi didn't mention anything about this. She shrugged, and little waves of heat seemed to follow the movement of the fabric along her skin. Still, this doesn't feel so bad. In fact, it's rather pleasant.

She sipped the tea again, and could feel the heat of it sliding along her throat, warming her from the inside. Though the tea still tasted as bitter as before, she took a longer sip, enjoying the heat it was generating within her.

Her attention returned to Kenshin. She watched him quietly, a hazy look in her eyes, as he hung the sheets on the line. Her eyes hungrily traced the motion of his lean muscles flexing beneath his smooth skin. Was it her imagination, or did his top hang slightly more open today than it usually did? She feasted visually on the sight of his strong, flat chest, wondering suddenly how it would feel to run her hands along that warm, silky skin, and feel the muscles tight like steel beneath her fingertips...

"Oi, jo-chan!" Sanosuke spoke suddenly from behind her. She jumped, startled out of her illicit thoughts, and spilled the tea all down her front.

"S-Sano!" she exclaimed, looking at her ruined kimono in dismay. "You startled me! Look what you made me do!" She was blushing furiously, and she felt that somehow her previous thoughts must be obvious to anyone who looked at her. What was I thinking?

Sano inclined his head in apology. "Gomen, jo-chan, I didn't mean to surprise you. I ran into Megumi downtown, and she mentioned you weren't feeling well, so I thought I'd drop by and see if there was anything I could do."

Kaoru regarded him in mild surprise. "Arigatou, Sano. There's nothing that really needs doing right now that Kenshin and Yahiko can't handle. But it was very nice of you to stop by!"

Kenshin moved to join them. "Kaoru-dono, you should change out of that wet kimono before you get worse. I'll take care of cleaning it, and I'll make some more tea for you as well. This pot has gotten cold."

She beamed up at Kenshin, enjoying the attention he was paying her. Not that he didn't pay her plenty of attention normally, but ordinarily she was too concerned about not appearing 'weak' to him to let herself relax and enjoy it.

"I'll do that," she agreed, and started to stand.

Halfway up, she was gripped by a wave of dizziness. With a small cry, she clutched at her spinning head and began to collapse.

Kenshin was up the stairs and holding her before Sano even realized what was happening. "Kaoru-dono!" he cried, cradling her in his arms. "Are you all right de gozaru?"

Kaoru strained to focus through the blur in her mind. All she could seem to concentrate on was the warm strength of Kenshin's body against hers, the feel of his lean arms wrapped around her. The tingling in her body increased, causing her to gasp softly in reaction.

"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin stood, holding her in his arms. "Sano, get Megumi," he ordered tersely, his eyes never leaving Kaoru's dazed expression. "I'm going to put her in her room." He glanced up, to see Sano still standing there, with his jaw open in surprise. "Now!" he snapped, his fear for Kaoru making his manner abrupt. Sano's eyes widened, and he nodded once, then turned on his heel and took off for the clinic.

Kenshin slid the door to the dojo open with his foot, and carried Kaoru gently inside. She didn't feel particularly feverish to him, but that only made him worry more. What could be causing this?

Kaoru felt as if she were melting inside, flowing free of the confines of her body. The tingling was still increasing, and she had a terrible urge to press herself against Kenshin, to get as close to him as she possibly could. What on earth is happening to me? a part of her wondered vaguely.

Kenshin shoved open the door to her room, and laid her gently on the bed. After assuring himself that she would be as comfortable as possible, he tried to stand, only to be stopped by her hand on his arm.

"Kenshin," she whispered softly, her half-closed eyes regarding him with an odd look. "Kenshin," she repeated, and sighed, her grip on his shirt relaxing.

"Hai, Kaoru-dono?" he replied, taking her hand in his own. "What is it de gozaru?"

She squirmed slightly on the mattress, as if trying to get rid of an itch she couldn't reach. "It tingles," she complained. She brought his hand to her face, and rubbed her cheek against it softly.

He blushed slightly, uncertain of what to do. "It will be all right, Kaoru-dono," he assured her. "Sano will be back soon with Megumi, and she'll know what's wrong."

Kaoru squirmed again, the tingling feeling inside her now becoming irritating, rather than pleasant. The warm feeling of Kenshin's hand pressed against her cheek soothed the tingling there somewhat but, perversely, it seemed to make the rest of her body worse.

The feel of the silk rubbing against her over-sensitive skin was beginning to hurt, and in addition she seemed to be stiflingly warm in the dress. Her free hand came up to tug at her neckline, attempting to relieve some of her distress.

Kenshin blushed a little redder and glanced away as the kimono fell open slightly, exposing the top of Kaoru's chest, hinting at the cleavage beneath. He coughed nervously, and hoped that Megumi got there soon. She continued to rub her cheek against his hand, and he found himself curving his fingers to cup her face.

By the time Sano returned with Megumi, Kenshin was holding both of Kaoru's hands to keep her from either taking off her kimono or rubbing her skin raw in an attempt to relieve the distressing tingling. Megumi knelt quickly at her side, checking her pulse and feeling for a fever.

"She's not feverish," Megumi proclaimed with a frown. "And this doesn't match the symptoms that anyone else had with this flu. But it started out just the same!"

Kaoru continued to squirm as a wide-eyed Ayame and Suzume crept in and clung to Sanosuke's legs. "What's wrong with Kaoru?" Ayame whispered to the tall street fighter.

He shrugged helplessly, as clueless as they were. "I dunno," he replied. He rested his hands on their heads, trying to reassure them.

"Kaoru, can you describe how you're feeling to me?" Megumi asked, taking Kaoru's chin in her hand and turning her to face her.

Kaoru frowned, her gaze hazy and unfocused. "It tingles," she complained again. "And the silk hurts. I'm so warm, and I can't focus."

"What have you had to eat or drink today?" Megumi questioned.

"Just the tea you gave me," Kaoru answered. "I couldn't eat breakfast." She frowned and squirmed some more, desperate to relieve the strange ache that was building inside her. "I feel empty," she added, puzzled at this latest sensation.

Megumi rocked back on her heels, clearly at a loss for an explanation. "I've never seen anything like this before," she said helplessly. It was clear that her inability to help was greatly distressing her.

Suddenly Suzume burst into tears, burying her face in Sanosuke's thigh. Everyone turned to face her, surprised at the outburst. "Don't worry, Suzume-chan, Kaoru will be okay," Megumi tried to reassure her.

Suzume shook her head. "It's all my fault," she sobbed, her words muffled by the fabric of Sano's pants. "All my fault!"

Megumi suddenly remembered the too-innocent look of Suzume in the medicine room. The medicine room, where the open jar of willowbark tea had been. "Suzume-chan, what are you talking about?"

"I didn't mean to!" the child wailed, raising a teary-eyed gaze to them. "I really didn't! It just spillded all over the place!"

"WHAT spilled, Suzume?" Megumi demanded. She broke into a sudden sweat. The poisons were kept well out of reach of curious chubby hands, but there were plenty of potentially dangerous mixtures the child could have concocted.

"The silvery powder!" Suzume sniffed, her face an abject picture of shame. "I didn't mean to spill it, honest. But it was so pretty, and I thought it would smell so nice, but then it spillded, and went everywhere!"

"Silvery powder?" Megumi tried to remember what powder she kept on the lower shelves that fit that description. "I don't remember having any silver powder."

"It was new," Suzume said, "a-and it was so PRETTY. I'm sorry!" She buried her face back in Sano's pants, her sobs resuming in intensity.

Megumi thought hard. A new, silvery powder... "I've got it!" she snapped her fingers. "Genzai-sensei was speaking with an old friend of his from the country yesterday, who was an animal doctor. The man left a bottle of silver powder with Genzai-sensei. I wasn't particularly interested at the time, so I didn't pay attention to what he did with it. Suzume must have spilled some into my jar of willowbark tea, which was open on the table. Then Kaoru took it when she drank the tea!" She frowned. "I'm not sure what it was supposed to be for, though. I need to speak to Genzai-sensei."

Sano gently separated himself from the two children. "I'll go find him," he said, and exited hastily. Megumi took the girls' hands and led them from the room, leaving Kenshin alone with Kaoru.

"Oohhhh..." a soft cry from Kaoru returned his attention to her. "Ohhh... it hurts..." she writhed about on the futon, unable to comprehend the strange feelings within her. She tugged at her hands, still held by Kenshin. "Please, please, let me go. I need... I need..."

"What?" a concerned Kenshin asked, leaning close to her. "What do you need, Kaoru-dono?"

"I don't know!" she cried, frustated. Tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes, as she struggled against Kenshin's grip. The ache inside her was growing worse by the moment, and she desperately needed... what?

She sobbed in anguish, and Kenshin scooped her up, holding her close to his chest, rocking back and forth. "It will be all right, Kaoru-dono," he whispered near her ear. She clutched at him, rubbing against him, trying to relieve the tingling pressure within her. Red-faced, he simply held her close, allowing her to do whatever she felt she needed to.

Once she realized he was no longer restraining her, Kaoru was quick to take advantage. She tore off the top of her dress, baring her skin to the air. It didn't matter that Kenshin was watching her; rather, the thought almost seemed to increase the pressure within her.

She cuddled up to him, electric sparks seeming to zing her body where her bare skin touched his through the gap in his top. "Kenshin," she moaned, and tried to get closer.

Kenshin wrapped his arms around her, and tried very hard to ignore the fact that he was holding a half-naked woman against him. It had been ten years since he had been this close to a woman, but his body had not forgotten how to react. Blushing, he prayed that Kaoru would not notice, or that, if she did, she wouldn't remember when this was all over.

She rubbed against him, making small, incoherent mewing sounds. Her nails dug deep into his chest, causing him to hiss in pain. He threw his head back and bit his lip, fighting his body's reaction to her continued movments against him.

Suddenly, he felt her small hand close over his manhood. "Kaoru," he cried, startled, causing her to look up at him.

The gleam in her eyes was unmistakable. "Kenshin," she whispered, pressing herself against him.

Kaoru wasn't entirely certain what it was she was gripping, having never seen a man completely naked. In fact, Kaoru wasn't certain about anything at this point, except that this warm, pulsing shaft could relieve her terrible ache. She tore at the ties to his hakama, desperate to feel him against her.

Kenshin gritted his teeth and stopped her, ignoring her protests. He pulled her hand away from that dangerous area, and continued to cuddle her gently against his chest. He took deep, slow breaths, trying to control himself. What on earth is Kaoru doing? he wondered.

Before Kaoru could manage to squirm out of his grip, he heard Genzai-sensei's deep voice in the hallway. Quickly, he grabbed the blanket off her futon, and wrapped it around her. She protested, and tried to tug it off, but he wrapped her arms inside it and held the ends tightly, preventing her from moving. He held her before him like a shield, not wanting Genzai-sensei to see the reaction her actions had produced in his body.

Ayame and Suzume's grandfather entered the room, his sharp eyes missing nothing of the scene before him, though Kenshin tried his best to hide some details. He shook his head in dismay. "This is bad, very bad," he said, kneeling to feel Kaoru's skin. She moaned and leaned into his touch, her eyes-half closed.

"What is it?" Kenshin asked, a note of terror in his voice. "What's wrong with her? What did that powder DO to her?"

Genzai gave the rurouni a knowing look, understanding just how much Kenshin was in love with Kaoru. The news he had would not be easy for him to take.

"The powder was a formula an old animal doctor friend of mine gave me for analysis," he replied. "The recipe has been in his family for years. It was developed to force reluctant animals to, uh, mate." He spoke frankly, knowing that Kaoru was too out of it to understand him.

Kenshin's eyes widened. "You mean...."

Genzai nodded. "Hai. It triggers certain hormones within the female body. The problem is, it was too strong. The animals would quickly become desperate, and were in great pain if left alone too long. Often, one male would not be enough to satisfy them, as the effects could last for several hours, getting worse as time progressed. Some even died if unattended." Kenshin's violet eyes widened at this last statement, and Genzai nodded. "Hai. Given the way she is already reacting, and that we don't know how much of it she had, we must assume the worst."

"Then, Kaoru-dono will die if.. if..." Kenshin could not bring himself to say it.

"Hai," Genzai scratched his head, no more comfortable with the subject than the rurouni. He turned a kind gaze on the gentle red-head. "Kenshin, it must be done. To be truthful, she likely won't remember what happened afterwards."

Kenshin was trembling, his grip on Kaoru tightening until she cried out softly. He gazed down into her beautiful eyes, and struggled with the knowledge within him. Abruptly, he let go of Kaoru and jumped to his feet, stalking out of the room.

In the outer room, Sano, Megumi, Yahiko, and the girls stared at him in surprise as he moved quickly past them, heading out into the courtyard.

Once outside, Kenshin stood in the middle of the yard, fists clenched, eyes shut tightly. He fought with himself, with the desires raging within him. It's the perfect excuse, part of him whispered. She'll never know. And even if she does remember, you have Genzai-sensei to back you up. What are you waiting for? Take advantage of it!

He growled deep in his throat, and clenched his fists harder. That he would even think such thoughts indicated to him that he had no right to be anywhere near Kaoru at that time. He could hear her soft cries from her room, and they only strengthened his resolve. He wasn't worthy of her.

He heard Sano approaching, but didn't move or open his eyes.

"Oi, Kenshin! Genzai-sensei told us what was up," the former gangster moved to stand beside the rurouni, hands in his pockets, gazing straight ahead. "You gonna do it?"

Kenshin turned his head to glare at his friend. "I can't! How could I do such a thing to her!"

"How could you NOT do it, Kenshin?" Sano demanded, turning to face him. "Shit man, listen to her! She's in PAIN, and she might DIE, Kenshin!"

Kenshin blocked the sound of Kaoru's rising cries from his mind. "I can't do it, Sano. I just can't."

Sano turned an insulting gaze downwards. "Looks like you're 'up' to it to me," he commented. Kenshin turned to him in utter fury, one hand on his hilt, causing Sano to back up a step in surprise.

"Oi, Kenshin, gomen. I shouldn't have said that," Sano apologized, holding up his hands. "But," he added, as the rurouni relaxed, "Kenshin, you have to do it."

Kenshin turned away, and headed for the gate. "I can't, Sano. She deserves better than me."

Sano sighed in frustration. "Fine then, Kenshin. I'll do it. Someone has to. If you're too chicken, I guess it'll have to be me. Better me than some stranger off the street."

Kenshin paused in mid-step, eyes wide. The image of Sano making love to Kaoru ran through his head, causing him to shudder in pain. Slowly, he put his foot down, then began to move forward once more. "Fine," he said, his voice rough with unshed tears.

Sano grabbed him by the back of his shirt and lifted him off his feet, turning him to face him. "What, did you think I was SERIOUS?" he demanded, shaking Kenshin slightly. "Jo-chan would kill me! She'd never speak to me again! Besides," he added, his face softening, "You're the one she loves. You're the only one who can do it, Kenshin."

Kenshin dangled helplessly, unable to argue with Sano. He knew Kaoru loved him, as much as he loved her, but he never acted on that feeling, believing that she deserved someone better. But now, Kaoru needed him. Needed him desperately. Would he turn away from her, let her be hurt, even die? Let another man possess her body?

He reached up and broke Sano's grip on his shirt. As he walked back towards the dojo, he tossed instructions over his shoulder. "Have Genzai take Ayame and Suzume home. Send Megumi back to the clinic. Take Yahiko with you, and STAY AWAY from here until tomorrow." As he reached the steps, he turned to face Sano, his eyes glittering dangerously. "And if you ever, EVER, mention this again, in any context, to ANYONE..."

Sano swallowed hard at the look in his friend's eyes. This is killing him, he realized, suddenly regretting the actions he had taken to convince Kenshin to do what was necessary. "H-hai," he stammered, and Kenshin turned and entered the dojo.

|Part 1| |Part 2|

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