You Left Without Saying Goodbye

The characters do not belong to me, except Ava they belong to Tite Kubo!

She sat watching the slow moving river, the setting sun had cast a golden glow on the rippling water. The soft Summer breeze wiped her long, wavy auburn hair from her tear stained face. She wrapped her arms around her knees pulling them under her chin and she sobbed bitterly, even though there was still a warmth in the air she shivered uncontrollably. These past few months had taken there toll on her and try as she might to keep it together and be strong it had all gotten too much for her. She was broken and alone, her world was completely crumbling around her and she was powerless to stop it.

The tears stung Avaron's flawless green almond eyes. She lay down on the warm grass and closed her eyes, her white dress fanned around her like a shimmering mermaids tail. All too soon sleep took over her as she fell into beautiful dreams, the kind that make you never want to wake up. She dreamt that she was walking in a forest of cherry blossom trees. Their soft pink petals scattering in the cool breeze, setting their sent free into the bright morning air. She was blinded by the falling delicate pink petals all she could hear was the soft fall of footsteps coming from behind her, the petals falling faster, blowing freely in the wind so that all she could make was the dark outline of someone coming towards her. Gentle arms wrapped them self around her narrow waist as she was lifted bridal style. Her head rested against a muscular chest, she tried to look up to see who was carrying her, but who ever it was had such a bear like grip on her that it was impossible for her to raise her head. She felt lips brush against her forehead and a gentle voice whispered to her so soothingly that she felt her eyelids become heavy with sleep.

"Sssh my little Ava, close your eyes and rest. I'm taking you home."

Her eyes snapped open at that moment. All she could see was the river disappearing into the distance, someone was carrying her. She looked up and her green eyes met his brown.

"Sado?"

" Sssh Amor, I'm taking you home." He whispered, kissing her forehead again.

"Te amo Sado." She said as she fell asleep in his powerful arms. He smiled to himself, the way he always did when she spoke those words to him but it meant even more to him when she said it in Spanish. With Avaron safely asleep in his arms he walked to the Kurosaki Clinic, where she lived with her adoptive family and his best friend Ichigo.

Chad approached the front door of the Kurosaki residence just as it flung open and out ran Isshin Kurosaki, a look of relief crossed his panic stricken face as he saw his daughter peacefully sleeping in his arms.

'"I've been worried sick, thank you Chad. Bring her inside out of the cold, will you?" He moved out of the way to let the larger man pass inside. Isshin followed Chad inside and into the living room where he lay the still slumbering girl on the sofa.

Pushing a strand of hair that had fallen over her face and said softly in her ear "Te amo con todo mi corazon y alma que la muerte nos separe."

Chad looked at her as she stirred, so perfect and yet she looked so tiny to him, so pale and fragile. She moved into a more comfortable position and without opening her eyes said back to him "I love you with all my heart and soul Sado, until death do us part."

Isshin motioned Chad into the kitchen so as not to disturb his daughter. Putting the kettle on, he beckoned Chad to sit down at the kitchen table.

" Where did you find her?" he asked as he placed a cup of tea in front of the brooding younger man to settle his nerves. Even though he would never admit it Chad was terrified when Avaron went missing, the thought of losing her.. No he told himself you can't think like that.

" At th..." he didn't get to finish as Ichigo burst through the kitchen door, Karin and Yuzu in his wake.

"We searched everywhere, we couldn't find her. Has Chad had..." the orange haired Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Chad at the table. Being so blindsided by worry caused him only now to notice Chad's massive size taking up half the table on his own. Ichigo looked at his best friend, watching him stare absentmindedly into his tea. Worry was etched upon his beautiful tanned face, his deep soulful brown eyes looked weary.

" I found her asleep at the river." he never lifted his eyes from the steaming cup of tea that sat before him. Ichigo came and sat down at the table, pouring himself some tea. He looked puzzled.

" Why the river?" he asked the larger man. "After everything that happened to her there, why would she go back? I don't get it.

Chad, never looking up once said quietly " Its were we first met, where I told her I loved her for the first time. When you called to say she had gone I knew thats were she would be. She told me she used to love going there to think, to watch the river move slowly by, it always helped to clear her mind. Its the place that reminds her of me."

A quiet came over the kitchen.

No one spoke.

No one knew what to say, finally looking up Chad sad brown eyes met Isshin's. " Chad, why did she go there? If you know now would be a great time to tell us."

He sighed, " I don't know, if I had to guess, she just needed time to think. Shes been through a lot these past few weeks, a secret that she felt that she couldn't tell you. She didn't want to hurt you Isshin," He paused and looked at the older Raven haired man.

" What has she been keeping from me!" he demanded banging his fist so hard on the table that he sent the tea pot flying, smashing against the kitchen wall. Yuzu went quickly to the cupboard to retrieve a dustpan and broom, sweeping up the broken shards.

" Its about her birth father. He's been in contact, wanting to meet her."

The atmosphere in the kitchen was unbearable. It was broken by Ava, she stirred in the living room, moaning slightly in her sleep. From the kitchen Chad watched her sleep. He knew that there was more to Ava's vanishing act than he was letting on. Something that he himself had caused. At the memory of the raging argument they had hours before she disappeared, he felt tears rise in his eyes. Realization that she hadn't run off because of her birth fathers sudden contact, she had run off because of the cruel things he said to her in the heat of the argument. He was ashamed of himself, for hurting the girl he loved. Even after this she still loved him, as he carried her home, she had told him so.

Suddenly looking back into the living room he remembered her feet were badly cut up.

" She had no shoes on, her feet were bleeding..." His voice cracked.Tears fell from his large brown eyes. Ichigo put a reassuring hand on Chad's broad shoulder. All things seemed forgot as Chad finally broke down.

A small voice from the doorway startled them all. " I'm sorry I ran off."

" Ava!" shouted Karin and Yuzu in unison as they ran to her, she hugged them tightly, tears pouring down her pale face.

" Girls bed! I have to talk with your sister." with much demands that they were old enough to stay, one seriously look from their father, told them that now was not the time to argue. The matter was closed, with one final hug to their sister, Karin and Yuzu ascended the stairs to their bedroom, with much mutter under their breathe, mostly by Karin "Why does Ichigo get to stay? Its so unfair..."

Then silence.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was tense. Ava was still standing in the doorway, trying to avoid her fathers furious gaze. She looked down at the floor too ashamed of her behavior to look up.

" Sit down!" her father commanded. She nodded nervously and began to walk forward but didn't get far before stumbling and falling to the floor in pain. Chad was off his chair in an instant and lifting her gently in his muscular arms back into the living room, sitting her back down on the sofa. He knelt beside her, stroking the hair from her face, she couldn't look at him. So desperately did her want her to look into his eyes, that he caught her chin with his hand and forced her to look at him, the pain in his eyes was so unbearable. His touch felt so warm, so comforting that she couldn't help but smile, even though a fresh batch of tears streamed down her face. He sat beside her and pulled her close to his chest, his heart hammered as he stroked her soft auburn hair.

" Ava I'm so sorry." he whispered in her ear. She looked up at him, he pulled her closer still, with his free hand he placed it gently on her stomach, his hand was so large that it covered it completely. Looking into her emerald eyes, he lovingly rubbed her belly. " I didn't mean what I said, I want this baby as much as you do."

Ava pulled away from him, tears pouring down her pale white face. " Yes you did, you meant every word you said. You don't want this baby anymore than you did a few hours ago. Sado, mi amor, I love you but I can't forgive you for the things you said, you want me to..." she said quietly.

She was interrupted as Isshin came into the room followed by Ichigo, carrying a first aid. Moving to allow her father to tend her wounds, Chad knew that he was the cause of all of this, he was dumbstruck at her words, knowing he had hurt her so much. He watched as Isshin cleaned and bandaged Ava's feet, that her father wasn't really mad at her. He was worried as any father would be when his teenage daughter runs off. Although she wasn't his by blood he loved her as much as if she were his own daughter.

" Daddy, I'm so sorry, please forgive me." she said, he father embraced her as she cried in his arms. When she had final cried herself out he held he at arms length and looked at her.

" Can you at least tell me why you ran off?" he asked gently, although he knew what Chad had told him, he needed to hear it from his daughter.

She couldn't answer, she didn't know how to tell him. She looked at Chad, who at this moment couldn't meet her intense gaze. Finally Chad couldn't take it anymore, the months of secrets, of fights and fall outs. He had to tell them the truth, even if it killed him and knowing Isshin Kurosaki, he probably would.

The exchange between the two didn't go unnoticed by Ichigo. " O.k you two, what the hell's going on?" he demanded.

Ava took a deep breathe and looked her father straight in the eye " Daddy, I..."