Chapter 2- Happy Birthday

A/N: Hey everyone! I tried really hard to get this second chapter out quickly so you all could see the plot starting to move. While I do have to do some more info/introduction in this chapter, there will be some real plot advancement. ByaIchi is a small fandom, but it is my favorite paring and I would like to be one of the people to add to it. I know it doesn't look like one right now, but it will be!

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Bleach or 'Into the Ocean'. They belong to their respective artists and affiliated companies and organizations. This plot and universe, however, is mine.

XoxoxoX

One month later

XoxoxoX

"Ichigo!" Masaki shouted as she rounded the corner into her bedroom to retrieve another sweater, since the one she had on was stained. "Time to get up, get going!" The girls were already up, dressed, and sitting in their highchairs in the kitchen, so all that was left was Ichigo. When no sound was heard from her son she followed up with her ace. "Little boys who don't get to school on time don't get to see their uncle on his birthday!"

Masaki smiled when she heard the sound of frantically scampering feet stomping around, just as expected. If ever Ichigo was being difficult all she had to do was threaten a visit with Renji and she was golden. She shook her head in amusement, sometimes she swore her son loved his uncle more then her. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what she would do if she had to follow through on one of those threats. Ichigo, so far, hadn't tested her resolve.

She had just finished pulling a sweater over her head when she noticed Ichigo run past her bedroom door in a blur of orange hair. "Hey, hey, wait a moment." She called out to him. He reappeared in the doorway with a questioning look on his face. "Don't forget this." She said as she pulled a small pendant off of her bureau and clasped the chain around his neck.

"Aww, Mom. Why do I hafta?" He whined, his little fingers fiddling with the plain looking disc of metal as he looked down. It was rather small and there were letters carved on it in a language he did not recognize. "None of the other boys wear these necklaces."

"Ichigo, it was a gift from your Father." She said with finality. When she noticed he wasn't satisfied with that answer she sighed and squat down in front of him. "You know, it makes me happy when you wear it. Will you do it for me?" She asked with her best hopeful smile. He smiled back at her brightly and threw his arms around her neck, nodding.

"Telephone." Ichigo said distractedly after he pulled away, fiddling with the pendent again.

Her brow furrowed questioningly. "Wha-"

A shrill ring caught her off guard causing her to jump, startled. Ichigo giggled at her reaction, looking at her with mischievous eyes. She gave him a light smack on the shoulder and smiled with a quiet "brat" on her lips before corralling him out into the hallway. After instructing him to get his and his sisters' coats, she finally picked up the incessant phone from the hallway table.

"Hello?" She asked politely.

"Found you." Said a smooth voice that sent a chill down her spine so cold it stole her breath. She knew this voice, it was his voice.

Quickly checking to make sure her children were out of earshot, Masaki turned her attention back to the man on the phone. "How did you get this number?" She asked in a stern, hushed tone. While her voice may have sounded steady, she could feel her hands starting to shake.

"Oh? Don't tell me you thought you could hide out forever." The man asked casually. "Masaki, I thought you were the smart one. With Isshin gone, the effects of that little charm is slowly fading away. It won't protect Ichigo much longer."

"Listen to me you prick," the words dripped with so much venom she could practically taste it on her tongue. The pure hatred in her voice twisted it so that she could hardly recognize it as her own. Masaki gripped the edge of the table, her anger flaring to the point that the wood began to cover over in a layer of frost, "if you ever lay a hand on my son-"

"You will what?" He asked, his tone no longer playful. "You can be a bit... cold sometimes, but you are no match for me. You are nothing but a fly I can swat anytime I wish it." With every cruel word spoken, Masaki could feel the temperate beneath her fingertips drop below freezing and quickly continue down farther... farther... "I have waited nearly a century and I can wait a couple more years for that protection to wear off. Rest assured, I will have what I want and there is nothing you can do!"

With a quick flick of her finger, Masaki hung up the phone and ran her hands through her hair. That man was toying with her, she knew it. There was no reason to call her accept to cruelly prove how helpless she was without Isshin, that she couldn't do anything even if she knew it was coming. With a surge of desperation, she slammed her fist down onto the frozen tabletop which shattered as easy as glass beneath the force. She looked down at the mess of wooden table bits on the floor and let the anger drain from her. As often as she would point out her limitations to Renji, Masaki wasn't without the power to protect her family. However, that man was more then powerful and she really was helpless against him.

"Mommy?"

Masaki looked over at Ichigo who stood stunned and nervous in the living room. Stepping over the broken table, she quickly scooped the boy up into a tight embrace. Her hands shook with fear and rage as she clutched her son closer to her, as close as she could without hurting him.

"Mommy." He asked as he pulled back to look her in the eye. "Is everything ok?"

She had to blink back tears at the evident concern in Ichigo's gaze. It wasn't a concern for her violent outburst or for himself, but a deep concern for his mother's well being that was beyond his years. In that moment, she conceded to the fact that she needed an ally. Masaki swore that when she saw Renji the next day, she would tell him everything.

"Yes, Ichigo." She said resolutely. "Everything will be alright."

XoxoxoX

Renji stared ahead with glassy eyes as he made a fruitless attempt at paying attention in his Contemporary Politics class. It wasn't that he didn't care about the recent collapse of the Shiba Clan or the remaining noble families and how it effects the political and militant structure of Soul Society... okay maybe he really didn't care, but that was beside the point. The reason he was having difficulty concentrating was because there was no intonation in the lecturer's voice. It was all he could do to keep from falling asleep from the monotony.

"Abarai-san." The teacher called to him sternly. Renji jolted in his seat and scrambled to his feet.

"Yes Takana-sensei!" He replied, feeling heat rise to his face. Around him, many of his classmates made poor attempts to hide their amusement, some hiding chuckles behind their hands or books.

"Glad to see you're still with us." The dull man said humorlessly once the commotion died down. "Now maybe you could tell the class Chamber 46's new regulations regarding Marked Ones."

"Well... um, the Mar-O' are part Arrancar, part Soul and got their name because they have color marks or patterns on their body." Renji began, but the slight tick in his teacher's brow told him he was not answering the question. "Uh, anyone born a Mar-O' has to be registered with the Government and has to check in every, um, two years. Also, they are barred from voting and entering Politics."

"Those are some of the older laws, Abarai. If you were paying attention to current affairs you would know that new additions were added." Takana said in exasperation. "Miss, in the front row with the dark hair, explain what Abarai left out."

"The new laws were instated because of a violent terrorist attack a few years back." Said a rather small girl, she bit her lip lightly before continuing. "Marked Ones are now barred from any leadership positions and are no longer granted permission to join the Royal Guard or Law Enforcment in the Rukongai and any Mar-O' currently in those positions are to be stripped of their titles. They are, also, required to wear identity tags at all times."

"Thank you miss, that was the correct response." Just as the teacher was about to restart his lecture the girl very bravely, in Renji's opinion, interrupted him.

"I would like to add, sensei, that I think that these laws are premature and, frankly, outrageous." A murmur spread through the lecture hall as the teacher simply stared in surprise. Renji expected the girl to sit back down meekly, but instead she leveled her teacher and classmates with a remarkably intimidating glare before straightening her back and raising her head. "The investigation into the attack that took down part of Division Twelve isn't conclusive and hasn't even finished yet, and while there were Mar-O' involved there was no indication that they planned it. Also, no one took ownership or gave any message to suggest that a Mar-O' group co-ordinated an attack on the military in revenge or malice. And yet that's what everyone seems to believe! This whole thing is ridiculous!"

The teacher was completely floored by the outburst and the whole class broke out into garbled conversation over the young girl's declaration.

"I can't believe she would say..."

"She is delusional."

"...may have a point."

"I heard some Mar-O' look normal."

"Eh? Now that's a scary thought."

"They could be any where."

"...anyone."

"...all have anger problems..."

"That can't be true."

"...violent..."

"...dangerous..."

"Sensei! I have to say I agree with her." Renji shouted above all the noise, startling the class back into silence. While most of the kids stared at him incredulously, some wore relieved or agreeing expressions. "It shouldn' even be called a terrorist attack if no evidence has been found yet or if responsibility hasn't been claimed."

"Are you stupid!?" A boy two rows behind Renji proclaimed. "If it wasn't a terrorist attack then what was it?"

"I don' know." Renji replied. "But terrorists usually can' wait to tell everyone what they did and why, so it just doesn' seem like one."

"It doesn't even matter 'cuz Mar-O' are dangerous and need to be controlled." Another girl with blonde hair responded. "They are-"

"Idiot!" Cried the dark haired girl at the front. "You only think they're dangerous because you're scared and only listen to rumors."

"They don't even belong here!" The boy behind him shouted

"Yes they do!" Renji roared, now truly affronted. "They may be part Arrancar, but they are part Soul too! Just like us!"

"How dare you even compare..." The blonde girl started before slamming her fists on the table top. "They're all criminals! And most criminals are Mar-O'!"

Renji laughed loudly at that one. The girl in question was very clean cut and held herself with an Aristocratic air, she had probably never spent a day of her life on the real world. He couldn't even take her comment seriously! "I'm from the Rukon mountains." Renji started, know his home town's reputation. "I've seen criminals. Not one of them was Mar-O'."

While the girl pouted, the boy behind him snorted. "And you're supposed to be one of those charity cases going into the Guard? How sad."

"Oi!" Renji shouted getting up out of his seat to tower over the other boy.

"Silence!" Takana-sensei bellowed and slammed his fist against the table, finally regaining his composure. "This is not a debate class. You are here to learn the rules and follow them! Now all of you take your seats!" He finished, face red, cheeks puffing, brows twitching, and some wisps of hair fluttering about his bald head. Renji tried to hold it in, but he just couldn't help himself...

He laughed.

"That is it! You!" He said pointing to Renji. "And you!" Now pointing to the small girl in the front row. "Get out now!"

Renji had half a mind to protest, but decided it would be best not to. While many of his friends may call him an idiot, he was far from stupid and he wasn't about to antagonize his teacher any farther. The two jettisoned students quietly collected their things and left the room.

Now standing out in the hall together Renji noticed that she wasn't just small, the girl was tiny. Her head just barely reached his chest and her black hair flipped at the ends in a way that made her seem very young. A light blush rose on her cheeks, and Renji realized that he had been staring.

"Well, that was a little crazy, huh?" Was his awkward icebreaker. He slung his bag over his shoulder, dislodging the traditional keiko-gi he wore, before extending a hand in greeting. "I'm Renji Abarai."

Of all the things Renji expected in reply, it was not a hard kick to the shin. "Idiot!" She said as Renji hopped around on a foot, grasping his stinging shin and hoping it would stop soon. "I was doing fine on my own. You made it worse."

"Ah, that hurt y'know!" Renji righted himself and stood toe to toe with her, looking down. She simply crossed her arms over her chest and met his eye stubbornly and the red head could feel himself smirk in response. He was gonna like this one. "You could say 'thank you'."

"For what?"

"Backing you up, o'course." Renji replied.

"I didn't need your help!" She growled. "Especially not the half hearted kind."

"Who said it was half hearted? What if I actually believe what I said?" She looked a little bit less aggravated then before, so Renji thought it was a good idea to restart the introduction. "Let's try this again... I'm Renji Abarai."

"... I'm Rukia." She answered, stepping away from him some.

"Rukia..."

"Nothing. Just Rukia."

"No last name? Ah! I get it, you're an orphan." Renji surmised, but Rukia only walked away, heading back down the hallway. "Oi!" He said as he ran to catch up with the small girl. "I didn' mean that as an insult, it just makes sense, y'know, why you got so heated up over the Mar-O'."

Rukia stopped where she was and turned back to Renji, giving him an assessing look before a small smile spread across her lips. "Yeah, most of the kids I lived with are Mar-O'. That's why I can't stand to listen to others degrade them." Folding her hands behind the back of her head, she continued. "Sure a couple of them are quick-tempered brats, but most of them are just like everyone else." Suddenly, her smile turned softer, more wistful and very sad. "And Kaien was one of the kindest people I have ever met."

"Yeah... so, how long have you been at this school?" He said, trying to steer the topic away from whatever land-mine he had accidentally stepped on. "You look pretty young."

They had fallen into an amiable conversation so quickly from the open hostility earlier, that Renji was a little surprised. He didn't normally get along with people so easily, not because he wasn't a social person or was guarded and secretive, but because he came off as imposing and gruff to those who didn't know him well. It was just the person he was, seemingly rough till you get past the surface. The way he looked, tall, serious, and solid with wild, long, flaming red hair, didn't help either. He supposed he made people nervous and defensive. However, this Rukia girl didn't seem fazed by him at all.

"Yep, I'm fourteen." Rukia answered with a wide grin. "This is my first year here."

"Fourteen!?" Renji said in surprise. "Sorry, it's just the way you speak, you seem a lot older."

"I've been told that before, too." Was her proud answer. "I got the doctors permission to be here and everything."

"Huh, no kiddin'? Well, I'm graduatin' in a few weeks myself. In fact, I turn nineteen tomorrow."

"No way, you're almost an adult?" She laughed snidely. "I would never have guessed with the way you act."

"Hey!" Renji's brow ticked a little in exasperation. "Well, at least I'm not a midget."

"Midget! Why you-"

"Abarai-san?" A soft, polite, yet stern voice interrupted the two teens' word play.

Renji looked up, startled, at the older man standing in the hall. Like most of the faculty and students at the Academy, he wore hakama and gi, though his hakama was black, instead of blue or red which denoted male and female students or gray for the teachers, marking his status as an employee in the administrative offices. He quirked an eyebrow at the man, wondering why he would be searching for him. Perhaps Takana-sensei had sent an Impulse Butterfly, which was the preferred way for Shifters to send messages quickly between departments or divisions, to let the administrators know that he'd been disruptive in class today. Though, if that were the case, then why was Renji the only one being called on when both he and Rukia were kicked out.

"That's me." He finally answered.

"Could you come with me?" The older man asked. Eyeing Rukia in discernment, he added, "In private, of course."

"Uh... yeah." Renji said, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'll see you later, Rukia."

"See you next class." She waved as he and the still unnamed administrator walked down the hallway and turned out of sight.

Renji followed the man through the maze of hallways and down two flights before they stopped at a door on the first floor. 'Counselor Jyuu Sei' was carved delicately on the golden plaque that hung on the otherwise unassuming door. That nervousness was now forming a solid ball in the pit of his stomach as Renji tried not to think about why a school Counselor would call on him personally. His hands began to perspire as he sat in one of the guest chairs and Jyuu-sensei took the seat opposite of him.

'Is it a bad sign that he didn' take a seat behind his desk?' Renji wondered absentmindedly.

"I'm afraid there is no easy way to say this," he started with a serious yet sorry expression on his age-lined face that made the red head's heart clench, "but there has been an accident at your home in Rukongai."

Renji felt the air leave him in a rush like he'd been sucker-punched and his mind went blank. Staring down at his hands, fisted on his knees, he heard Jyuu-sensei continue.

"We don't know any of the details, but your family was transferred to the trauma center in Echoing Tree... That's a twelve hour train ride through Empty Seat."

He was registering what the Counselor said, but it was as if the sound was flowing through a long tunnel, muted and distant.

"Abarai-San?" Renji raised his head and made eye contact with the man across from him. Though he looked sympathetic, those eyes held a hard and coaxing edge. "Is there anyone we can contact? An adult in your family who can make medical decisions or help you and your sister's family?"

Giving the question some thought, Renji looked back down to his lap. There were three people still alive related to him, but that didn't make them family. His mother had two younger sisters and an older brother. Renji had never met nor seen any photos of his Uncle and he didn't even know his name, he could walk past the man on the street and not know any better. His Aunts had disowned he and Masaki's mother when Renji was only five, so they were long estranged from his life. Even if he did know where they were or how to contact them, he was sure they wouldn't help.

"No." Renji answered quietly as he felt an overwhelming weight land on his shoulders. "It's just me."

XoxoxoX

Anyone looking at the red head staring out the window of the train would probably think that he was bored and thoughtless. They had no idea the storm brewing in his mind; that he had to keep thinking distracting thoughts to not breakdown, and that he had to count every breath to make sure the tightness in his chest wasn't suffocating him. Renji had watched as the scenery before him changed from the tall, modern buildings and clean streets of the Seireitei to the lush, green landscape of Empty Seat as he headed north into Rukongai. The valley was expansive and fertile with a temperate climate, making it the only area of Soul Society capable of producing a wide variety of vegetation and was their sole source of agriculture. However, the mouth of Empty Seat opened straight into the desert of Hueco Mundo. In fact, the original purpose for the erection of the Seireitei by the warrior clans and first Soul King many centuries ago had been to protect the vulnerable, highly valuable valley and the only invasion point of the Rukon Mountains from enemy forces. This was why the vast majority of the Royal Guard was located there. Now, though, after many decades of peace and cease fire between the Souls and Arrancar, the Seireitei had become an affluent corner of Soul Society, and more and more of the wealth and leadership left the Rukongai for the beautiful visage, warm climate, and the security of its high walls.

Renji let his head fall against the glass as he allowed his mind to wander to the odd historic facts. It was better then the alternative, and he did not relish the idea of breaking down on a packed train full of strangers. The sun was setting now, and the glare caught his eye, shifting Renji's attention to the calm lake that was a little less the a mile from the tracks. Serenity was what the lake was called for its still, deep waters that reflected the image of the mountain, whose base it sat at, perfectly, giving it the name Mirrored Mountain and the city built along its shores Mirror Field City. It was the largest of two bodies of water in Empty Seat and was the half way point between the Seireitei and the back end of Empty Seat. The back end was where he was heading, to Echoing Tree, the major city of Rukongai. He had so much longer to go.

Letting out a sigh, Renji closed his eyes as fatigue began to set in. It had been a long, emotion filled day, from the fierce argument he'd had in class that morning to the friendly banter between him and his young classmate to the bottom dropping out of his world. His teeth grit in frustration as he recalled how hesitant the hospital had been to give him information on his family while he was making a mad dash to pack his belongings. The most Renji could get out of them was that his nieces were fine, but Masaki and Ichigo were still in surgery. He knew that they were holding out on him because he was still a minor, and that was the most aggravating part, after all it was merely hours before he was a legal adult and the technicality was killing him. Renji inhaled deeply, allowing his mind to go blank and trying to rid himself of the anger and anxiety lodged in his chest. His family would be fine, they had to be, he couldn't be that unlucky in this life. With that thought, darkness swept over him and carried him down into sleep.

The loud whistle of the train as it came into the station startled Renji awake. For a moment, he was confused and didn't know where he was, but that soon lapsed as he jumped from his seat and grabbed his bags from the over head compartment before following the crowd of people off the train into the cool, late night air. He checked his watch and noted that it was past 10pm. It was late, but he needed to get to the hospital and check in on his family, he couldn't even consider doing anything else right now. Waving down a taxi, he told the driver where to go.

"I'm looking for the Kurosaki family!" Renji shouted at the woman sitting at the counter in the emergency room before she could ask. "The were transferred here from Hanging Dog earlier today!"

"Sir." The nurse answered calmly and politely. "Visiting hours are over, you're going to have to come back tomorrow."

Renji just barely held himself back from grabbing the woman by the collar of her scrubs and shaking her violently. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, "Look lady, I ain' a 'visitor'. I'm their only next of kin."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She replied with surprise. "Do you know where they were transferred?"

"They were transferred to this hospital!" Renji exclaimed in exasperation, he could feel his eyebrow tick a little in frustration.

"I'm sorry, sir." Was her placating responses. He assumed by her calm, controlled demeanor that she was use to this and far worse. "What I meant was what part of the hospital? And when, as well?"

"Um..." He thought as he tried to remember the brief, foggy conversation he had with Jyuu Sei earlier. "The trauma center was all I was told. That was this mornin'."

"Okay, then they are probably either post-op or ICU, depending. I'll call and check."

Truthfully, Renji was a little surprised that a nurse in the emergency room was giving him personal attention and wondered if, maybe, it was because he looked young and scared. He backed away from the desk a little and checked the lobby, finding it to be extraordinarily quiet for a major trauma center. On second thought, she may have been giving him attention because she was bored.

"Sir?" He turned back to the nurse. "Are you Renji Abarai?"

"Yes."

"Then Doctor Murakawa is expecting you. You want to take the elevators at the end of this hallway to the third floor."

Renji nodded curtly and walked down the hall. Half way to the elevator, he paused. He felt bad about how rudely he'd treated the woman when she had been nothing but polite and patient with him. Turning back he gave a formal bow.

"Thank you." He said sincerely before continuing on his way.

When he ended up on the third floor, Renji found himself in a similar situation as before, talking to a receptionist behind the circular desk and trying to find out what happened to his family.

"Renji Abarai?" He was stopped mid sentence as a kind, but quiet voice called his name. Turning around, Renji saw an older woman in a long, white coat with clear, soft blue eyes, greying, wheat colored hair and a gentle smile on her face. He simply nodded in answer, suddenly not feeling as brave and brash as before. "I'm Doctor Murakawa. Come with me, please."

He followed her to a quiet area where they both took a seat. "Masaki... My sister.." He began hesitantly, not knowing where to start or what to ask.

The doctor looked at him gently. "I'm sorry." She said, and Renji now truly hated that word. His breath hitched in his chest, praying the next words would be 'We made a mistake, she is fine, nothing happened to her!' even though he knew that wasn't what was coming. "Your sister didn't make it."

Renji felt the world tilt a little as dizziness washed over him. Had he not been sitting already, he probably would have collapsed. His body began to shake as he leaned back in the seat, resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes in an attempt to steady himself. A cold sweat broke out across his skin and he had to swallow down the bile rising in his throat. Masaki was gone. Just like that. No goodbyes. The last time he saw her he'd done little more then mutter a 'see ya later'. Renji felt like he'd betrayed her in some way. He was ungrateful and didn't even listen to her plea not to enter the Guard, wanting him to stay closer to home, to remain safe. He should have made sure she was safe. He felt angry, selfish, and petty.

"H-how?" He heard himself stutter, trying to hold back the anger threatening to spill out.

"Severe blunt force trauma. I was told it was an explosion, but wasn't told the details. I'm sure the authorities will contact you about it soon."

Explosion. Renji couldn't even begin to fathom that answer. Then, another thought snapped in his mind, causing him to suppress his emotions and jolt forward in his seat. "My nieces and nephew..."

"You're nieces are fine. Karin has a broken wrist, but Yuzu came away with little more then some scratches and bruises. It was nothing short of a miracle." Her smile turned a little wistful as she added. "They won't let go of each others hands. Fortunately they didn't need to be separated for treatment. I didn't have the heart to make them let go."

Renji sighed and nodded in response before turning away and swallowing again. "Ichigo?"

Dr. Murakawa pursed her lips before answering. "He survived surgery and, thankfully, is breathing on his own. That's a good sign." She paused before continuing. "But I don't want to give you false hope." With that, Renji's eyes shot to hers with alarm. "Ichigo suffered severe blunt force trauma to his head, which fractured his skull, and spinal fracture. On top of that, it took too long to get him into surgery, even being air lifted. With the extent of the head trauma and the delay of treatment, its possible he won't wake up."

It was suddenly very difficult to breathe. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he asked, "And if he wakes up?"

"Best case scenario... He'll be paralyzed, possibly paraplegic. Worst case scenario... He will be completely unresponsive." The doctor looked the devastated young man in front of her over before adding, "The extent of brain damage is not something a doctor can predict no matter how well we can read internal energy."

"Are you sayin' Ichigo could be fine?" Renji asked shakily.

"I'm saying I'm cautiously hopeful, after all, he is breathing on his own."

Renji nodded in understanding as he tried to take everything in. It was simply too much to absorb at once and he felt shocked, horrified and confused all at the same time.

"Hey," Dr. Murakawa got his attention, "how about you go see your nieces now?"

"They're here?"

"Yes, when I heard you were on your way, I delayed Child Services from taking them. I thought it would be best for them to see you and not a stranger."

"Thanks." Renji breathed. He was grateful that the woman had thought that far ahead. Also, he knew that it was her way of asking if he would be taking care of the girls instead of turning them over. "I would like that."

With that, he followed the woman down the hallway to a room that had been vacant and unneeded for the night. Dr. Murakawa silently left Renji at the doorway to give him some privacy with Karin and Yuzu. Renji simply stared at the two girls sitting on the same bed in the small, white room. Despite how late it was and how tired they must have been, neither of the twins were asleep and he could hear slight sniffling noises. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the room and walked up to the bed.

"Uncle Renji!" Yuzu cried as she broke into deep, wailing sobs, reaching out to him with her free arm.

Renji didn't hesitate to wrap both three-year-olds into a warm, tight embrace, feeling his eyes burn as he held back his own emotions. Right now, he needed to be strong for them, not worry them more with his own hysterics. He was careful with Karin's sling as he shifted to sit on the bed with the girls in his lap.

"Shhhh." He whispered soothingly as he rubbed a hand along Yuzu's back, rocking slightly. The joined, balled fists were resting on his chest and he remembered the doctor saying something about them not letting go. Curiously, Renji fiddled with their hands, moving the toddlers' fingers slightly.

"No!" Karin suddenly shrieked and jumped away from her uncle's hold, startling both he and Yuzu. "Ichi-nii said 'don't let go 'till I come back'!"

"Bro'er said 'don't let go'." Yuzu affirmed softly, tears still falling down her face.

"He said he was coming back... He was coming back with mommy..." Tears started to roll down Karin's face as her breath came in short pants. "He... s-said... 'don't let go'!" And with that, the darker haired twin fell back into Renji's arms and sobbed alongside her sister.

Renji's mind reeled at the outburst. Karin thought that as long as they still held hands Ichigo was coming back, that any minute he'd be brining Masaki into the room and everything would be fine. He didn't know what to say. How do you tell a three-year-old that their mother was dead? That their brother might not be coming back? He, honestly, didn't know what to say, so he simply said nothing and continued to rock the twins and give them soft words of comfort until they fell asleep.

Carefully, Renji laid the girls back on the bed and tucked them in. Just as he was about to get up and leave, something caught his eye. Between Karin and Yuzu's now slightly separated hands was something small and it glimmered in the soft light. He picked it up and examined it a little closer. It was a small pendent on a chain, about the size of a shirt button, and Renji could see carvings gouged into the soft gold but couldn't decipher any meaning from it. He rubbed a thumb across its surface and felt a quick jolt of energy run through his hand, almost causing him to drop the thing in shock. This was...

Suddenly, a picture formed in his head of what must have happened before the explosion. Renji stiffly rose from the bed and made his way back out into the hallway. He felt stunned by his epiphany, but it was the only thing that made logical sense.

"Abarai-San?" He looked up at Dr. Murakawa where she stood with a clipboard in her hands, obviously doing her rounds. "Are you alright?"

Renji huffed as he rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "Yeah... Can I see Ichigo now?"

The doctor hesitated a moment before nodding her head in response. "You can stay in the room with him tonight as well, if you would like."

"Thank you." Was his simple response.

Renji felt the world tipping again as he walked through the door to a room similar to the one he had left Karin and Yuzu in. Ichigo was laid out on the bed surrounded by wires and IV tubes, making the young boy look small and vulnerable. His head was wrapped in gauze and Renji could see some swelling and bruising on the side of his nephews face. Falling into the chair beside the bed, afraid to sit on the bed itself and disrupt the complicated looking system there, Renji leaned back before his hands fell open. Resting in his palm was the small, mysterious pendent he had taken from the twins.

"I know what you did. What this is." He said to Ichigo's sleeping form. "You knew it too, didn' you?" Renji hung the pendent between two fingers and his thumb before continuing. "It's a protection charm. A one way mirror of sorts, creatin' an invisible barrier around a person to protect them from harmful or aggressive energy shifts while not inhibitin' their own ability to shift energy. It's a lost art and workin' ones are rare and hard to come by. How on earth did you get somethin' like this?"

Stopping in his monologue a moment, he looked at Ichigo's sleeping form. Renji wasn't sure if he thought he was going to get a response out of him, and he chuckled a little at his own absurdity.

"You knew the explosion was comin', didn' you? And when you noticed, you gave this to Karin and Yuzu and then left to find your mom and warn her." He voice became thick with emotion as he continued. "You risked your life to protect your sisters... How does a kid your age even think of that?" Tears started to roll down Renji's cheeks as what he was saying actually hit him. "Karin and Yuzu... are fine... they're safe..." He got up from his seat, leaned over the bed and gently clasped the necklace around Ichigo's neck, not caring if it was against hospital policy or not. "It's your turn to be safe." Renji said softly and left a gentle kiss on his nephew's forehead.

Sitting back down in the chair, Renji placed his elbows on his knees and cradled his head in his hands. For the first time that day, he cried for his sister, for his nephew, for his nieces, and for himself. It was well past midnight, he was now nineteen years old; his sister died, and he had just inherited three young children, one of which would most likely be permanently disabled.

'Happy Birthday,' Renji thought bitterly.

XoxoxoX

Okay, that was this chapter. Rukia will disappear for awhile now, sorry for anyone hoping to see more of them together, but she plays an important roll in future parts so she will be back. Please let me know what you think, or if you like where its headed, or if you think I'm a sadist.

Thank you.