Ok, here goes nothing. My very first Kenshin fanfic! Yay! I own Catherine and Nathaniel. Everyone else belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki.

Chapter 1

She stared at the rapidly passing fields through the train window. She didn't think that Englishman were often welcome in Japan. Butterflies of apprehension churned in her empty stomach as the train screeched to a stop at the station.

"Tokyo!" hollered the conductor.

"Come," she said to her manservant, Nathaniel.

He followed her out the doors and down the steps, carrying her only suitcase.

After walking through the station and buying a quick meal, they both stepped out into the bustling city. She smiled.

"This will be an adventure."

---

Sagara Sanosuke was running errands for Kaoru. Kenshin had managed to injure himself while doing laundry and couldn't do his usual grocery shopping. So Sano wandered the streets, his basket carrying tofu and soy sauce swinging on his arm. He noticed everyone who passed; an old lady wearing a purple kimono whispering secrets to another old lady, two little boys running around and playing in between people's feet, a lonely man smoking in a corner. And then he noticed a lost looking girl about two feet away from him. She was wearing pants and a loose shirt, very uncommon attire for a girl, and had a canvas bag slung over her shoulder. Her long copper hair was in a French braid down her back and she was chewing her lip with a thoughtful expression in her violet eyes. She turned to face him and nodded politely.

"Excuse me, sir," she said in a thick English accent.

Sano looked around, then realized she was talking to him.

"Oh, uh, yeah?" he asked.

"I'm looking for a man by the name of Himura Shinta. Actually, I'd heard he changed it to Himura Kenshin. Might you know where to find him?" she inquired.

Sano took a good look at her, at the copper hair, the violet eyes, and almost had the breath knocked out of him.

"Y-yes, I know Kenshin. Come with me," he stammered. The girl smiled.

"Thank you, sir," she said, following him. A man followed her, carrying a suitcase. "Might you have a name, sir?"

Sano blushed. "Yeah, it's Sagara Sanosuke, but you can call me Sano. And stop calling me 'sir,' I'm not that great," he said.

"Mister Sagara. It suits you," she said, smiling with approval.

She didn't realize the bubble of happiness this comment produced within Sano. To be told that the name Sagara fit, well, he couldn't think of a higher compliment.

"So what's your name?" he asked, attempting to contain his emotions.

"Catherine. And this is my faithful manservant, Nathaniel," she replied, gesturing to the man with the suitcase who grunted.

"No last name?" Sano joked. Catherine suddenly looked forlorn. "No. No last name."

---

Sano walked up the steps to the dojo, Catherine trailing mutely behind him. As they had gotten closer, she had gotten steadily quieter until she had become totally silent. Sano burst in shouting, "I'm back!" Catherine cringed as he beckoned her into the dojo.

"How's your leg?" he asked Kenshin who was sitting against the wall, folding laundry.

"It is doing much better, thank you," Kenshin replied, smiling cheerily. He looked at Catherine. "Hello, welcome to the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu Dojo!" Catherine grinned weakly.

"Himura Kenshin, is that really you?" she whispered.

"Yes, this one is known as Kenshin," he said.

"Kenshin . . . I've waited so long . . . Do you remember me at all?" Catherine asked.

Kenshin looked at her, then dropped the cloth he was holding.

"You look just like this one's mother. Can it be? No. This one's sister is dead," Kenshin said.

"No, I'm not dead, Kenshin, I'm right here," Catherine said.

"No. It cannot be. You were a still-born. I attended your funeral," Kenshin said hoarsely.

Sano was beginning to be frightened. Kaoru had come out of the back and was watching the two with interest.

"It was fake. I'm here. They told your mother that I died and took me, smuggled me to England, where I have been ever since. My name's Catherine," Catherine told him, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Catherine . . . They had no name for you at the funeral. This one was so sad to know that his baby sister, the one he had waited for so long was dead. The parents . . . died shortly after the funeral and this one was left alone, haunted by memories of the baby sister that he never had," Kenshin said, his eyes unfocused as he drifted off to the past. A tear spilled over Catherine's cheek.

"They took me into England, to fief Dartmouth, where I was raised a noble lady with my two sisters. I never knew why I didn't fit in until last year," Catherine whispered.

"Catherine. It suits you. You are really my sister, then?" Kenshin asked.

"I am really your sister," Catherine said. She dropped her bag as she and Kenshin each took a step to bridge the distance and collapsed into each other's embrace.

Sano and Kaoru were watching now as tears spilled unheeded down both of their cheeks. It was remarkable how much alike they looked, the only difference being the softness of Catherine's skin and the jewelry she wore.

Catherine pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I can't believe I found you. They told me I didn't have a chance of finding you, that you were probably dead. But I could feel it, I knew you were alive," she said with a watery grin.

"All those years, feeling funny feelings and thinking there was danger . . . I was having a sibling connection," Kenshin mused.

"That would explain some of my more . . . outlandish moods," Catherine said with a grin.

"Wait a minute. You said that you have sisters?" Kenshin questioned.

Catherine scowled. "Yes, Samantha and Lilian, both older. I hated them. They hated me. But finding out about you changed so much. I finally knew why I wasn't like them and why we hated each other. Why they were blonde and beautiful and dainty," she said.

"I think you're beautiful," Sano said without thinking. His eyes widened when she looked at him.

"Thank you, mister Sagara, there's no need to attempt to placate me, I know I'm ugly," Catherine said with a wry smile.

"Ugly? Who told you that? You're gorgeous!" Kaoru said, looking horrified.

Catherine shrugged. "Red hair is considered ugly in England. I have red hair. In England, I'm ugly," she said matter-of-factly.

"Well, you're not in England anymore," Sano said, snorting.

"I know, it's wonderful. Although . . . I had a lover there once," Catherine said, a dreamy smile coming over her face. Kenshin raised his eyebrows.

"Is that so? What happened?" he asked, smiling.

"Well, he was French and, as you know, the French and English hate each other. His name was Pierre. I was always more outgoing with men than my sisters. They were saving themselves to marry 'for the good of the fief,' which was ridiculous since we were already filthy rich. So anyway, I started spending time with Pierre and then we became sort of lovers," she said.

"'Sort of lovers'?" Sano asked skeptically. Her face darkened.

"We had begun talking about . . . you know . . . sex, and I would have slept with him soon, but then he got a letter that something had happened to his fief in France and he rushed home. I never saw him again. But it's alright, we couldn't have married anyway," Catherine replied.

"I see," Sano said.

"So, Catherine, where are you staying?" Kaoru asked.

"Oh, Nathaniel and I saw an inn on our way here, we'll stay there," Catherine replied with a wave of her hand.

"No, stay here," Kaoru said.

"Oh, I couldn't impose–"

"You're Kenshin's sister, it's no trouble. Call in your manservant and he can help set up," Kaoru said decisively.

"Thank you," Catherine said meekly as Nathaniel and Kaoru left.

Sano grinned. "Hope you brought plenty of clothes." Catherine moaned and banged her head against the wall.

---

Tera: So, how was it? You know you liked it. You know you want to push the review button and tell me what you thought of it so you can get the next chapter . . . PLEASE REVIEW!

Matt: You better review. The next chapters are awesome.

Tera: By the way, I know it's rated R (M, whatever), but that's not for this chapter. It's for the later chapters. Chapter 5, to be exact. Chapter 4 is a bit...but it's mostly PG-13 (T, whatever!). Ok, so review, and maybe you'll get to see the R (M!) chapters!

Matt: REVIEW! GET THE CHAPTERS! IT'S WORTH IT, I'M TELLING YOU!

Tera: Matt, shut up. By the way, could someone tell me how to reply to my reviews? Do I just email the person back or is there a certain way to do it? I'm so confused (I know I'm an idiot)!

Matt: They know you're an idiot, too.

Tera: SHUT UP!