Alright so hopefully you liked the first chap...if not, just hang in there! I promise it gets better! Hence why here is part 2...usually i like to wait for reviews so i can answer anything said, but i thought that one chap would not be enough. Okay, for the next chapter I require/ask for at least two or three reviews...i have to make sure that I'm not wasting my sleep to post these...

arigatou!

--Okami R.

Chapter 2

"Mamoru," I said, "What is it he wants?" My lieutenant tried to catch his breath; it was obvious that he had run all the way from our division,

"He-pant-needed to-pant-to t-talk to you about-pant-something immediately." I sighed and glanced around, Shinji and the others had left, probably when I had chased after Kensei. Kensei was gone too, leaving me and my lieutenant alone.

"Do you know what?" I asked. Mamoru shook his shaggy head in answer, making my frown all the more pronounced. I began to walk towards our division, "Has he been drinking?"

"Yeah…" my lieutenant replied, "It'd be a good idea to hurry back before he has any more, you know how he gets." I nodded in answer,

"Yeah, I know." I know way more than you know about it, Moru… I thought bitterly.

My captain Doko Averi wasn't the nicest captain of the Gotei 13…in fact, he was probably the worst. When I first got into the squad he was a nice reserved and slightly sad guy, losing his family to a hollow attack, but now…

Averi drank himself almost to the point of death, the poison changing his personality into a mean lazy shadow of the man he once was.

I used to pity him, knowing his sadness led to his drink, but after a few…incidents, I began to hate him.

I didn't hate Mamoru or Moru as I nicknamed him, but I didn't love him either. We were both stuck in the same boat, having to deal with Averi and sharing his duties and our own. He was nice to me and me to him, but we weren't really that close.

I stared at his exhausted self before sighing,

"Hey Moru, you take a break… I can go deal with taicho-san myself." He frowned,

"You sure? I mean it's no problem-" I shook my head,

"I can handle it, don't worry." Before he could argue further I flash stepped away, leaving him behind.

Sorry there Moru, but you're right about one thing… I don't want to get back after Taicho has had his fill of his favorite poison…

The sun had just gone down when I got to my division, and already I was dreading what awaited me inside. I didn't see any of my subordinates around, meaning they probably all took cover. Great…

I walked into the main building and followed the faint scent of Saki to my captain's room. I knocked,

"Uh, Averi-taicho-san? Did you call for me?" There was an answering belch, before his booming voice called out,

"Ah, Asura there you are!" his words were already quite slurred, "Get in here, now!"

I slid the door open and winced at the rank smell of Saki and taicho's uncaring hygiene. He was lying on his floor, empty Saki bottles strewn around him and pilled against the far wall. I knew Shunsui was a drinker too, but at least he was pretty docile and clean when he was drunk.

Averi got to his feet and stumbled towards me looking thoroughly pissed off.

"Where have you been!?" he snarled, "I've been calling for you for an hic hour!" I stared at him,

"I was out, gomen, taicho-san-"

"Cut the crap!" he spat suddenly, coming at me and pinning me against the wall. My eyes went wide in surprise; for a skunk drunk guy he sure moved fast. Usually I could deem when he was going to get violent like this, but this time he caught me off guard. "You were out avoiding your duties again, weren't you?!"

I tried to turn my face away from his; his breath was putrid and heavy with the smell of alcohol.

SMACK!

He slapped me square across the jaw, causing me to bang my head against the wall with a gasp. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, wench!" he yelled. I slowly turned to face him, my jaw throbbing. I had to get away from him soon; otherwise, I don't know what he might do.

I would get away from him, but he happened to have his hand around my neck, keeping me in place.

Averi looked positively evil as he grinned at me, his eyes malicious and cold, "You're so disrespectful! To think that they would want to move you to another squad!" he laughed,

"What?" I asked my eyes widening. Move me to another squad?! He sneered,

"You know what!" he accused as his fingers tightened around my neck, "I know you sent in the request to be moved to another division!"

"N-No!" I cried, my fingers trying to pry his hand from my neck. Averi laughed and squeezed tighter, causing me to choke.

"What's the matter Asura? Too good for us now? Eh?" he pushed me against the wall, "Eh?!" I couldn't breathe, and almost without my control my legs shot up and kicked him in the stomach, sending him back onto the floor where he rolled with the Saki bottles.

I backed away as I struggled to breathe, my eyes trained on his body as he roared and got to his feet. Averi's eyes were bloodshot and almost glowing with drunken fury.



"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING, BITCH?!" he snarled as he came at me, fist raised. He threw a punch and I dodged it and the other ones that came at me, letting out a startled cry at the same time.

He was usually never this bad, and so I wasn't sure what to do. My throat hurt like hell from his vice-like grip, and I was still having a tad bit of trouble catching my breath.

He came at me again, and I made to dodge him but ended up slipping on an empty bottle and crashing to the floor.

Averi made a chuckling sound as he stood over me, swaying back and forth,

"Stupid little bitch," he muttered, "I'm going to show you!" He kicked me in the ribs so hard that I lifted off the ground and fell onto some bottles which shattered beneath me, cutting my skin. I coughed up a little blood as he stumbled towards me, meanwhile my hand found the neck of a broken bottle. He grabbed me by the collar and lifted me up into the air, his fist raised, "I ain't letting you leave my division!" he roared, his fist flying at me. At the same second I thrust the bottle into his bared chest, cutting him up and causing him to fall backwards with a scream.

He lost his footing and we both crashed to the floor.

"Ungh…" he muttered, but didn't move. I gathered myself up and rolled off of him, dropping the broken bottle and running out of the room.

I didn't stop once I got into the main room, I kept going. There was no way I was going to stay in the division tonight, especially not now.

I didn't know where I was going to go, but somewhere other than there. I ran as fast as I could, my stomach and sides bleeding the whole time.

At some point, I think Mamoru found me and called out, no doubt seeing my bleeding and fearful state, but I ignored him and took to roof jumping instead.

I don't know how far I had run, but I had to stop on top of a far roof so to catch my breath and still my pounding heart.

My whole body ached from my fight and exertion, as well as my wounds.

"Damn him!" I screamed as I pulled some glass out of my skin, "Damn him…" my throat felt tight as a sob tried to force its way out of me, my eyes swimming with angry tears.

"Yume?" called a voice. I turned to see Kensei standing only a few feet away, his face looking both surprised and concerned.

I turned away from him quickly, messily wiping at my tears. I heard his footsteps getting closer,

"Yume, what are you-" he stopped suddenly, and I knew he saw the blood. He ran to me, "What the hell happened?!" He asked in a heavily concerned voice. I didn't say anything and didn't turn to face him as more tears cascaded down my face. Why does he have to be here? I thought angrily, why does he have to see me like this?

A warm and gentle hand wrapped around my wrist, pulling me to face him. I couldn't look up into his face, but he made me by pulling my chin upwards.

"Kensei…" I muttered, staring into his warm brown eyes. He stared down at me,

"Yume… who did this to you?" His expression was that of total concern and anger. I didn't answer, "Was it Averi?" I nodded and he let go of me as he walked past me, "That bastard!" he snarled, "I'm going to-"

I grabbed the back of his shihakusho,

"Don't…" I whispered. He spun around,

"But Yume, he-" I shook my head,

"He's…drunk…he can't help it…I…" My voice broke and it took me a moment before I could push down the sob and speak, "Kensei… don't leave me alone…please…" His "kill" expression faded to be replaced by a softer one, and he relaxed slightly.

I was suddenly pulled against his chest, his arms around my shoulders. My eyes were wide, before I closed them and let my tears lose, my body relaxing.

"Alright…" he whispered in my ear, "I'll stay…"

After a little while I was able to pull away from him, and I knew my cheeks were very red. They only got redder as I spoke,

"K-Kensei?" I asked.

"Hmm?" was his answer. I crossed my arms over my chest, and then let them fall when I winced from the cuts on my body,

"Do you think I could um…C-could I…staywithyoutonight?" I was so embarrassed that I wasn't sure if I had said the last part clear enough. It seemed so though, because he stepped beside me and nodded softly,

"If you want…" he answered in a soft voice, "But let's get you cleaned up first?" I laughed quietly and followed him into his division's head quarters.

Kensei cleaned and wrapped my wound himself in the strangely empty and quiet building, his face serious.

I didn't speak as he pulled the remaining glass out of my cuts, only stood there silently.

"Everyone is off tonight," he said quietly, answering my silent question of why we seemed to be the only people 

around.

"Oh." I replied. He began to wrap a large bandage around my waist,

"Damn," he whistled, "You sure got beat up pretty badly…" I shrugged and didn't answer. His eyes glanced at me, "I'm not hurting you, am I?" he asked as he finished the wrapping.

"No," I answered, "Thanks, Kensei…" I smiled at him. He stood up and dusted off his clothing,

"No problem…" he said, running a hand through his hair, "Now, where are you going to sleep?" he looked around the room and then at me, before letting out a sigh.

I didn't say anything, just stared at him. I felt very lucky he had found me and taken care of me. After all of that, I could have slept on the floor if he wanted.

"Ah, screw it!" he suddenly said aloud, as if he had been arguing with himself, "Come on, you can have my bed for tonight."

I was led into his room quickly, and I knew a blush was on my cheeks again.

"But Kensei," I asked, "Where are you going to sleep?"

He glanced back at me,

"Oh I'll take the floor…"

Suddenly we were in his room.

It was small, smaller than Averi's but way nicer and cozier, or at least I thought. His bed was beneath the window, and looked very comfortable. Against the far wall were his desk and some cushions which he began to arrange to sleep on.

"Go ahead and take the bed," he said as he pulled some blankets out for himself. I sat down on the edge of it,

"Are you sure this is fine? I mean I could take the floor-" His look silenced me,

"Don't worry about it, okay?" He threw himself down on his makeshift bed, "Just go ahead and go to sleep. I'll be fine."

"Okay…" I replied, sliding under the covers. "Thank you, Kensei… I mean it, thank you." He waved his hand at me,

"Yeah, yeah… No prob. Now go to sleep…" I think he might have been a little bit embarrassed, but I couldn't tell from where I was lying.

I rolled onto my side and buried my nose into his pillow, taking in his scent with a smile. He made me feel safe, and the incidents with Averi seem like those of a nightmare, far away and forgotten.

I sighed and closed my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.