Empathy

Spoilers: Post-Hueco Mundo. Assumes knowledge of current manga plot line.

Author's Note: Follows the general history/character development in my previous story, "King's Key: The Four Prongs," but you don't need to have read that story to understand this one. Taking a break from my favorite pairing, Ichiruki, for now.

Inspired by the true story of the daughter of a pilot who flew secret reconnaissance missions over the Soviet Union during the Cold War in the 1950's as recounted to Dick Gordon on NPR's "The Story."

Disclaimers: The story is mine, but the characters belong to and are from the incredible imagination of the manga god Kubo Tite. I am in awe, Sensei.

Chapter One: Prologue

A little girl sat in the living room, watching out the front window. Daddy would be home soon. She lived to see him, tall, strong, handsome in his Air Force uniform. She would spend hours looking out that window. Waiting.

"What do you think, honey?" asked her mom, walking down the stairs, holding a periwinkle chiffon dress up on a hanger. Her mother was a lovely brunette, in her late twenties. Her hair was done up in a neat French twist, her pink lips sparkled with lipstick, and her eyes were a bright shade of blue. She wore large pearl earrings and a matching pearl necklace.

"Mommy," said the little girl, "it looks so beautiful!"

"Do you like the dress, Caroline?" her mother asked, smiling. "Your dad is taking me out to the Officer's Club tonight."

"It's so pretty, Mommy," replied Caroline, beaming, "I hope I look just like you when I'm a mommy. I want a dress exactly like that one!"

Her mother laughed, "I'm sure you'll have one just like it, darling." She turned around and headed back up the stairs.

Caroline smiled. She liked pretty dresses. She loved it when her Daddy used to take her to the "pentagom" building in Washington. She'd wear her uniform, too. Black patent leather shoes, white tights, her best dress with a crinoline underneath so the skirt would fly in the air when she spun around. He'd salute the superior officers. She'd curtsy. Her mother had taught her how.

Caroline went back to the window, pressing her nose against it. Little clouds of condensation grew on the cold surface where her breath met the glass. "Daddy will be home soon," she thought, "then I'll sit on his lap, and he'll tell me about flying the big planes at the base."

She knew Daddy flew the big planes, that his missions were secret. She loved to hear him tell her about flying over the mountains, about when he saw Mt. McKinley from his plane, about flying over the ocean. The fighting was over now, but Daddy told her there was a "cold" war. She knew that meant that there were people, the Russians, who might try to hurt her. She was proud of him, protecting her. Keeping everyone safe.

And then she saw him drive up to the house, followed by a second, official car. She ran to the door, but she saw that he wasn't alone. There was a man with him. She had seen the man before: his superior officer. She didn't remember his name, just that her daddy called him "Commander."

Caroline hid in the hallway as the two men walked inside and sat down in the living room. They spoke in low, hushed voices. She couldn't really understand what they were saying, but she could tell that her daddy was really upset about something. Kind of like when Mommy and Daddy had disagreed about what school she and her sister were going to attend when they moved to Alaska. She had never seen her daddy speak like that to Commander.

Caroline edged closer, knowing that, if her daddy saw her, she'd probably get a spanking for trying to listen in. But, as she did so, Commander stood up and headed for the door. Daddy closed the door behind Commander. She knew her daddy would probably head upstairs to take his afternoon nap, and she didn't want him to see her in the hallway. She headed into the kitchen.

But Daddy was there, in the kitchen, staring out the window into the garden. She gasped as he turned to look at her, surprised. "I'm going to get it now," she thought. But he didn't look angry. He motioned her over to him and kissed her on the top of her head.

"Daddy's got to fly a mission tonight, sweetheart," he said, looking back out the window. "I don't think Daddy's coming home this time."

Her heart froze. She looked up into his face. He looked so sad. She had never seen him sad, before. Mommy, yes, but not Daddy. He was never sad. He was strong.

He kissed her head again, stood up, turned and walked up the stairs. Nap time.

"He'll be coming home in a few days," Caroline told herself, "Just not tomorrow."

There was no Officer's Club for her parents that night. He left a few hours later, kissed his wife and walked out the front door. Early the next morning, there was a knock on the door. Her sister answered it. Mommy came downstairs. There were two men at the door, wearing uniforms. Caroline had never seen them before. They left after a few minutes. Her mother was sitting on the floor in front of the door.

"Mommy?" she said, worried, "Are you all right, Mommy?"

Her mother looked up at her. Her face was wet. She was crying. "Daddy's not coming back, honey. His plane went down."

She was seven years old.

"Karin, are you okay?" Isshin was worried. The dreams had gotten worse over the past few months. Karin moaned and rolled over in her bed. "Karin, honey, wake up."

"Daddy?" Karin opened her eyes, blinking hard. Her face was wet. She was shaking slightly.

"You were having another nightmare."

Yuzu stirred in her bed and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Karin, what's the matter?"

"I'm fine, Yuzu. Go back to sleep." "They're worried about me," thought Karin.

"Same dream?" asked Yuzu, now coming over and sitting on Karin's bed. "About the little boy?"

"Nah," said Karin dismissively. "This one was about a girl."

Yuzu and Isshin said nothing.

"Look, guys," Karin said, getting up from her bed and walking over to the window, "I'm fine, really. You don't need to worry about me so much. It was just a dream."

Isshin sat down on the bed next to Yuzu.

"Now that Ichigo's away so much, I need to be the strong one," thought Karin as she turned to stare out the window. "Someone has to look out for them."

"Dad," said Karin, "stop worrying about me and go back to bed before I kick you."

"Dear sweet little Karin," said Isshin, kissing Yuzu and standing up, "so much like her brother." He smirked at Karin and turned to leave the room. "Both of you get back into bed and get some sleep."

"Okay, Dad," said Yuzu, yawning and settling back into her own bed. "We will."

Isshin closed the door behind him. Karin was still staring out the window.

"Karin," said Yuzu, in full mothering mode, "you should get back in bed and try to sleep."

"Yeah," said Karin.

"Karin…" began Yuzu, but Karin cut her off.

"I'm fine, Yuzu. Really. It was just a dream. I'll come back to bed in a few minutes."

Yuzu yawned again and rolled over, already half asleep. Karin looked out the window again. The moon was bright, making shadows fall across the courtyard of the Kurosaki Clinic.

But what Karin saw was not a shadow. It was a man. Tall and handsome. Wearing a United States Air Force uniform. His face sad, pleading.

"Help me," he said, looking into Karin's face. "Please help me find peace."