Bleach © Kubo Tite

Late

A Bleach Fanfiction By Eugena

Rated: M

After Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen defect from Soul Society, Hitsugaya must pick up the pieces of Matsumoto. Toshiro/Rangiku, Gin/Rangiku.

Chapter One: A Final Birthday Present

Rangiku Matsumoto begins another day at her sink. Sick. Her best friend, who once gave her a day to celebrate her birth had walked away yet again. In the pit of her stomach, she could not quell the loneliness that swelled up.

Rangiku retched again.

"Rangiku?" her taicho called through to her.

She felt so sick she wanted to cry. Her grief overwhelmed her.

She wiped her mouth and opened the door. She tried to give Toshiro a warm greeting, but nothing came from her lips.

"Rangiku." His voice again. He had never seen her like this before. He held his arm out to support her. "Come, let's go see Unohana Taicho."

She tried to speak, tried to do anything but think of Gin. Yet to no avail, all of her moments with him came back to her. She turned away from Toshiro, not wishing him to see her cry.

His arm caught her waist. "Rangiku, if you can't trust me, who can you trust?"

She allowed him to take her weight, the closest thing she could do to speak. He smiled at her, and the genuineness of it broke her heart. She would never see Gin smile again.

Gin never smiled like that. No matter where their relationship went, Gin would have never been like that. Gin . . . .

Her mind dwelled on the past as Toshiro picked her up and whisked her away towards the Squad Four barracks.

oOo

By the time Toshiro arrived, Rangiku had lost consciousness. On his way there, Yachiru had seen them and had followed them. "What's the matter with Rangi?" Yachiru asked.

"I don't know," Toshiro answered as Unohana Taicho came over to them. "She's been very sick."

"Don't worry. Hanna will get her better."

Toshiro carried her over to an empty bed, worrying over her pale face.

Unohana placed a hand on Rangiku's forehead. "So many strange things have begun to happen since Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tosen betrayed us."

"Ichimaru betrayed her most of all," Toshiro said.

oOo

Yachiru had left Squad Four to return to Kenpachi and inform him of Rangiku. "Rangi" as Yachiru called her often spent free time with the reapers of Squad Eleven.

oOo

Toshiro withdrew to a place within himself to talk to Hyorinmaru.

"Are you prepared for the truth, Toshiro?" Hyorinmaru asked him.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Do you know something about this?"

Hyorinmaru's icy breath washed over him. "If you were older, you would make the same guesses I would. Yet I do not need to guess. I sense it already. What is your loyalty to her? How far will it go?"

"She is my fukutaicho, and I am her taicho. I will not stand by and let her be hurt."

"You are too late to stop it all, but perhaps you can quell her pain for the future."

oOo

Unohana Taicho woke Toshiro from his state. "Hitsugaya Taicho, I have discovered what troubles her."

His eyes widened. "Is there a cure?"

"It depends, captain. This is difficult. I must talk to you alone." She signaled to the members of her squad in the room. The members and her lieutenant left the three in privacy.

"Normally, this is something she would tell you herself, but I must since she is not awake. She is pregnant, Hitsugaya." She allowed the news to sink in. Toshiro felt sick. Although he was not completely surprised, he still did not want to believe it. Hyorinmaru was right. Had he been older, more mature, he might have asked her about this before involving another.

"She is most likely sick from stress, and this could be good news. But I will not pretend not to know the father."

"What do you mean?" he demanded, sick at the unspoken thought between them.

"I will leave it up to you as to whether you or I should tell her."

"Thank you," he said and stood up quickly. "Please let me know when she wakes."

oOo

He did not wait for her reply. Instead, he rushed back to his office, the whole time trying to drown out Unohana's words. He would not accept such an explanation. He would not acknowledge the name of the man she did not speak of.

I swear it, I will kill you.