Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters. They are the property of Tite Kubo.

A/N: This is based on a true story. Some events have been changed.

Contains: Mild foul language

Legend: Italics - Flashback, Bold - Announcement

"Flight 1501, non-stop to the United States, now boarding. All passengers please head to the gate."

"I still don't see why you won't just go to school here. Why do you have to go so far away?" Renji questioned.

"The school has a lot to offer in regards to academics."

"But as far as friends go, what then? Rukia, there is no reason for you to go."

Rukia's eyes became firm as anger began to seep through her amherst pupils. "We will always going be friends, Renji. I've known you since grade school."

Renji huffed. "And you've known Ichigo since middle school. Yet you're leaving because of him."

"I am not!" Rukia frantically tried to grasp her emotions. "I just need to take advantage of this oppor-"

"This opportunity. I get it, Rukia. Still..." Renji slumped his shoulders while his eyes lowered. "I want you to stay."

A tightening sensation pierced through Rukia's chest as she watched Renji's expression fluctuate between pain and sorrow. She had already put her mind through the rigorous notion that what she was doing was in her best interest. It was too bad her heart didn't agree with her mind.

"I know that's what you want but I can't just turn my back on this. I don't want you upset with me because of educational choices."

Forgetting his own emotions for a second, Renji scooped Rukia into a strong hug. His right hand gently caressed her back.

"I could never be upset with you, Rukia, but tell me something. And I want you to tell me the truth."

Rukia mumbled incoherently against Renji's lower abdomen. Her arms shakily snaked around his waist. "...what is it?"

Renji showed brief hesitation but soon found his voice. "Tell me, what are your feelings toward Ichigo? Tell me that accepting this school's offer of admittance has nothing to do with what happened last week?"

Rukia, startled by Renji's questions, slid her slender fingers around the fabric of his shirt. It was her vain attempt to keep him from realizing he threw her for a loop.

"I don't know how to answer that." She responded with confusion in her voice. "The timing was just a coincidence. That's all."

"I understand. Will you keep in touch with me while you're away?"

"Yes," Rukia ignored that the conversion had careened away from being about Ichigo. "I will call and write."

"Good. I better get going then. I have work in an hour and I'm on the wrong side of town."

"I'll miss you, Renji."

Sliding his hand against the back of his head, Renji grinned like a school girl. "You'll see me again. We've been through too much to become distant now. See you later."

And with that Rukia was left with a clear look at Renji's back. She watched as he chatted with her sister and then left without ever looking her way again.

It was then that things were starting to come to perspective for her. This was really happening. She was leaving everything and everyone she ever knew behind.

"Rukia, it's time to go." A gentle hand settled on the less than eager teenager's left shoulder. "You don't want to miss your flight.."

With her head lowered, Rukia did everything she could to hold back her tears. She unknowingly placed her left hand over the one on her shoulder and squeezed the lingering fingers gently.

"Hisana...I'm not sure about this anymore."

A cheerful smile graced Hisana's face as she lowered her arms toward her sisters waist and hugged her from behind. The two stayed that way for what felt like forever.

"I know you're going to miss the boys but you'll hear from them again and you'll be back here in no time. Vacation is right about the corner."

Rukia exacerbated a sigh. "I guess so. Vacation is right around the corner. In November. I can come home then." She didn't believe her own words. They sounded forced and unreliable.

"That's the spirit. Brown University isn't going to hold your admittance for long. Give them hell. Show them what a Kuchiki can do."

"Hisana, I'm not..." Rukia bit her tongue before any more words could be spoken. The legal nature surrounding the origin of her last name was one she felt did not belong in the conversation. Not when there were more important matters to converse about. "Listen, just take care of yourself."

Hisana nuzzled her face against her sister's neck and Rukia could feel her shallow breathing roll against her skin. It was one tough decision to leave the country and her best friends since grade school behind. It was even worse, Rukia felt, to leave while her ailing sister required constant surveillance. Her illness, although mild at times frightened the younger sibling.

"I mean it, Hisie. I want to see you when I come home for visits. I want you to come out and see me. Be there when I graduate."

A soft laugh rolled off Hisana's tongue. It was light and full of genuine happiness.

"My dear sister. I don't want you worrying about me like this. You have to focus. You speak as if I'm alone here. I'm not."

Rukia could feel her sister's head move from one side of her neck to the other but this time she was sure something else had caught her eyes. Or better yet someone.

Her sister was occasionally required to have adequate bed rest and there were times Rukia remembered curled up beside her, watching her as she slept. Hisana was always warm but the warmth radiating from her sister's cheeks at that moment was something Rukia couldn't describe with words. It was a steady flow of heat filled with want, lust and most importantly, love.

"Byakuya has been very good to me. To us. He took us from the hell we were in. He took me as his wife and devoted his time and energy to seeing you succeeded over the years and to my health and overall no longer have to worry about my illness."

"Hisie, you're older but I'm always going to worry about you. With Byakuya there or not."

That being said, Rukia couldn't help but feel satisfaction when she looked at Byakuya. He sat casually in one of the waiting area chairs typing away on his smart phone. The head of his own company, Rukia always admired his attention to detail. Whether that attention to detail was in the form of his attire, always matching the color from head to toe, or in the form of his love for her sister, Rukia always found herself in awe. Life was hard for two sisters coming up in the world alone. Abandoned by those positioned to protect them, Rukia was grateful for Byakuya, although she couldn't remember a single time she voiced her opinion stating so.

"Rukia? Did you hear me?" Hisana's concerned words passed by Rukia's ear, snapping the young teen back to reality. "You really should get going?"

Flushed with embarrassment for temporarily zoning out, Rukia saw that in the time she spent reminiscing, Byakuya was now standing among her and her sister holding the strap to her Chappy the Rabbit knapsack.

"Yes." She took the bag within her possession. "Thank you, Byakuya. Please, take care of my sister."

"Such a foolish request to ask. I would do nothing less than care for my wife."

Byakuya's flat response would have agitated a lesser person but it was a temperament Rukia grew quite accustomed to. She presented her brother-in-law with a sincere smile the turned toward Hisana who was barely keeping her emotions together.

"Don't cry. I'll come home soon." The two sisters embraced in a hug and Rukia could feel water fighting to flow from her eyes. "Take care of yourself."

The hug could have gone on forever had it not been for Byakuya who slowly separated the two siblings long enough for Rukia to walk toward the gate with her ticket protruding from her knapsack. She smiled and waved before handing her ticket to the woman at the gate.

"Hisie, if you hear from Ichigo..."

"I know." Hisana affirmed before Rukia had time to finish her thought. "Go on. Get out of here."

Feeling the water balancing against her eyelids, Ruka turned and rushed down the runway and out of Byakuya and Hisana's sight before any tears could spill. The couple stood there for a few minutes until the woman who collected Rukia's ticket slowly closed the boarding door.

"Byakuya," Hisana tried to steady the shaking in her hands by holding her husband's slender fingers. "What do we do now?"

As hard as she tried, Hisana could not stop herself from crying. She wasn't like her younger counterpart. She wore her emotions on her sleeve. She didn't care that she was standing in an airport crying heavily. That didn't matter to her. As she watched the plane back away from the gate she felt a mix of sadness and pride.

"We go home and you go to bed. It's as simple as that." Byakuya draped his arm over his wife's small shoulders.

"What about Ichigo? What do we tell him? I really thought he'd be here to see her off. Rukia is such a private person. She never told me exactly what happened between the two of them." A small cough expelled from her lips. She tried to hide it behind her closed right hand. "Do you think their friendship is over?"

"Right now that is not important. Let's go home. I will take care of any issues that arise after you're well rested."

Hisana leaned into her husband and closed her eyes. She tried her best to smile as she watched the plane roll along the run way. Absently she slowly brought her arms around Byakuya's waist and watched the plane disappear into the sky. Her coughing fit resumed as her tears continued to fall.

"It's time to go, Hisana." Byakuya spoke softly but full of vigor. He supported his wife and walked away from the window.

"Yes," Hisana cleared her throat and did her best to put on a smile. "Let's go home."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we have arrived in Japan. Please gather your belongings and watch your step when leaving the aircraft. We thank you for flying with us."

With her Chappy knap sack hanging loosly from her right shoulder, Rukia began the trek toward the baggage area for her luggage. She casually pushed her headphones into her ear and sauntered down the path, mindfully reading the signs as she moved along. The airport was just as she remembered it four years ago. Some new shops and boutique's were added but that's it. Without skippng a beat she took a escalator heading downward and emerged in a tunnel leading into another part of the airport. As she stepped out, Rukia smiled at the figure standing to the right with a poster board in his hands.

"Renji, I asked you not to do that." Her reprimand was stern yet not so much. "You're not my damn chauffeur."

Standing tall with a smirk on his face, Renji stored the poster board with Rukia's name under his right arm and held it in place. "Come here."

Rukia removed her headphones and stifled her laughter at Renji's attempt to open his arms wide without dropping the white board. Once he decided it was futile to hold something she no longer needed to see, she walked toward him and gave him the tightest hold she could give. He didn't move and neither did she. Even as the conveyor belt activated behind them and luggage started to come down the two refused to let the other one go.

"It's been too long, Rukia. You've been away too long." Renji soothingly stroked her back. "I haven't seen you in four years. You are a sight for sore eyes."

Rukia couldn't find the words to respond even though she desperately wanted to. Her face sank against his chest as his shirt soaked up the tears running from her eyes. It surprised her that she had crumbled so quickly by just his touch alone, but she had. She had grown weary with despair, heartache and joy all at the same time.

Renji's arms tightened as he felt her shake against his lower abdomen. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry about Hisana." His fingers moved from her back to her short black hair. A few strands lingered against his index and middle finger.

Hearing her sister's name made Rukia's knees buckle. "I should have come home sooner..."

"That's not important now." Renji took a step back and pulled Rukia's head back gently so she could see his face and his eyes clearly. "Hisana wouldn't want you saying things like that."

"I know," Rukia pulled herself away from Renji's hands and brushed her eyes against the back of her hand before he could see anymore of her tears. "Where are you taking me? Home?"

Renji stepped aside and let Rukia leave him and their conversation behind. There was little he could do when she got this way. When she put up invisible walls and forced her feelings away.

He stood by and watched her pull a suitcase from the conveyor belt and then reach for another. "Let me get that."

There was no protest. Rukia stood by and watched her belongings come into Renji's hands and get carried off outside the terminal.

As soon as she stepped outside she brought her right hand immediately under her brows to shield her eyes from the sun. The heat was almost unbearable on the patches of bare skin she flaunted but she couldn't really complain. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. She turned her knap sack around and brought out a clear white pair of South Pole sunglasses. The frosty color accentuated the color of her eyes, or so she believed. They were one of a few indulgences she had in her possession.

"This is it." Renji set Rukia's luggage down and began fiddling around in his pants pocket. "I got a new car, well, it's new to you."

"What happened to your old one?" Rukia craned her neck to get a glimpse of as much of the car as she could.

"That piece of shit died one night when I was trying to make it home from work. I had to push it to the side of the road and call a tow." Renji shook his head as he played that day out in his mind. "Luckily one came quickly. I got this baby the next day. It's a 2012 Mitsubishi."

"It looks nice."

Renji stopped fidgeting with his pockets and looked at Rukia as if she had just insulted him.

"Nice? Those American glasses are 'nice'. This car is beyond nice."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "What do you mean American glasses? I bought these years ago when I was still here, you idiot."

"Could have fooled me," Renji shrugged his shoulders. "Your whole get-up screams 'American girl'."

Rukia gave herself a quick once over. She wore a simple cropped white t-shirt with a small pocket over her right breast, a pair of blue flare jeans and a set of black sneakers on her feet. It was one of the most comfortable outfits she owned.

"You don't know what you're talking about. All the girl's back at the dorms wore clothes like this."

"I just can't remember a time when I saw you wear anything like that here. That's all I'm saying." Frustration was drawing on Renji's dark brows. "Where the hell are those damn keys?"

"Renji." Rukia peered into the vehicle and rolled her eyes. "Are those your keys sitting in the ignition?"

She waited for him to tell her what she already knew. Seeing the look of anger than sadness in his face there was nothing more to say.

"I guess I forgot them when I was writing on that damn poster. I even left that in the airport." Renji softly rubbed the back of his neck. He was beyond upset with everything that had happened to him up until this point.

Rukia however smiled then released a soft laugh. "You haven't changed one bit."

"I guess not, huh?" Renji held his neck and forced a smile. "It looks like I'm stuck here. I can see if Ichigo is available to give you a lift to the house."

Ichigo. That was a name Rukia did not hear in four years.

"I-Ichigo? There's no need to call him."

Peeling his smart phone from the holster on his waist, Renji started typing away on the touch screen's keyboard.

"I was given instructions to get you home as soon as possible. Byakuya is at the houes and the funeral director should arrive at the top of the hour."

"Just wait a minute." Rukia rushed over and reached for Renji's phone. "I can catch a cab. It just doesn't make sense to have Ichigo come out here when I'm not stranded."

"A cab? Byakuya would have my head. He gave me specific instructions."

"I will take the responsibility." Rukia stared at the phone. It sprang to life as a message she couldn't see appeared on the display. "What does it say?"

"I asked Ichigo what he was up to and he replied he was heading to the grocery store." Renji sighed. "He can take you home, you know he will."

"Renji..." Rukia all but pleaded with a shaky look in her eyes. She wasn't a fan of crying in public but she knew she could crack at any moment.

Taking his phone away, Renji began to type away. When he finished he placed the device back inside its case.

"I told him I was taking you home and then I would swing by to see him."

"You told him I was here?" Rukia panicked. "You told him I was back home?"

"It's no big secret. He was close to Hisana too, remember? Even after you left he would stop by to visit and speak with her. When she passed he and his family were one of the first to know."

Rukia could feel heat rushing to her cheeks. "I didn't know that."

Renji reached into his back pocket and pulled out a black folded wallet. "Call me when you get home."

He handed her a couple of bills, just enough to pay the fare and tip.

"I will. Thank you, Renji."

"Don't mention it."

Once again Rukia stood by while Renji carried her bags toward the taxi station. The two waited patiently for their turn and then proceeded to load Rukia's belongings in the trunk.

"Remember, call me when you get home." Renji proclaimed. He quickly helped Rukia inside the cab and shut the door.

Rukia waved goodbye and soon she was off on the road toward home. The rolled down window provided her with a view of her old life. Buildings she knew were torn down and new architectural structures were in their place. Even the path home was unfamiliar territory. The twists and turns added to a long unfulfilled time in the backseat but it gave her a clear view of her old hometown.

Once the car rolled to a complete stop, Rukia exited the vehicle and stood in front of a large white house. It was official, she was home. She walked beyond the open gate toward the front door that was being opened from the inside.

"Lady Rukia, welcome home." A slender woman wearing a off white dress exclaimed while pushing her frame glasses further against the bridge of her nose.

"Nanao, it's you." Rukia tilted her head slightly. "You haven't changed one bit. How are you?"

"I'm well given the circumstances. I've done my best to keep things in order since things have become so gray around here. Come inside. Tell the cab driver to leave the bags there. They will be brought inside by the staff."

Rukia glanced at the cab driver then lowered her voice just enough for Nanao to hear her. "About the cab-"

"You have nothing to explain, Lady Rukia. Your brother will hear nothing about this from me."

Rukia bowed with a sincere look of gratitude "Thank you."

"He's waiting for you in the den. I will organized your clothing in your room."

Rukia was unsure she was ready to see her brother-in-law but she knew she did not have a choice in the matter. She griped the banister in her hand and made her way to the second landing of the three-tiered house. Stepping along the carpet floor, Rukia knocked once then twice on a large oak door. Without being announced she walked inside and approached her brother who had his back toward her.

"Brother, I'm home."

"Welcome home, Rukia." Byakuya's foggy eyes cut toward Rukia. "How was your flight?"

Ruka cordially fell to her knees and cupped her hands on her lap. "The flight went well. Afterwards I decided to take a cab here."

"Are you saying that Renji did not arrive to pick you up as I asked him to?"

"No, that is not what I meant. He arrived on time but had car trouble. I heard that was a common occurrence with him."

Byakuya turned ninety degrees. "I see. Well then, I'm happy to see you arrived safely. Did he tell you we have company today?"

"Yes, brother." Rukia dug her nails into her jeans. "The funeral director is coming."

A sudden silence circulated through the room.

"Rukia," Byakuya paused. "Stand up." He waited for her to respond to his request. It wasn't long before Rukia was no longer kneeling. "Is that better?"

"What?" Her brows drew together. "I don't understand."

"You didn't look comfortable kneeling. Kimonos are scarce in America, aren't they?" Leaving his dry humor aside, he motioned for Rukia to join him at the window.

Peering into the front yard, Rukia shook her head. Her brother had a clear view of the street leading up to the house which told her he already knew she was not dropped off by Renji as he originally expected. She wondered if his questions were a way for him to test her, see if she would lie to him. Her focus drew on a young man approaching the front gate wearing a black suit and carrying a black suitcase. She didn't have to guess who he was or why he had suddenly shown up.

"Let's go, Rukia."

As Byakuya left the comfort of his window and the sanctity of his den, Rukia fought back tears as the servants of the household welcomed the man upon the property. She knew it would come down to this, down to this moment.

It was time to begin the reason she returned to Japan in the first place. It was time to start preparation on the funeral of Hisana Kuchiki.