Byakuya ended his flash step in front of a pale yellow painted home where he had felt a very slight reiatsu. That's what had caught his attention, he'd realized. It was very weak though, and that was enough to bolster his confidence. Most of the men in the relief squad wouldn't have been able to detect such weak reiatsu from where they'd been standing.

Wearily, he concentrated enough to slip past the door, just in case there were living eyes to see him open it on the other side. There wasn't; though he heard the sounds of a male sobbing in another room. He followed the noise and just beyond the open door there sat a man with brown hair and bright blue eyes rimmed in red. A photo frame was held tightly in one hand, and the other clutched a knitted blanket.

"Why?" His voice was quiet and the raw emotion evident in its low tones, "I will miss you all so much."

Byakuya took a step back, face flush with guilt and embarrassment that he'd been sharing in a man's private moments. His eyes widened and movement stopped when he saw the child. She was small, he figured no more than six or seven years old, whose sapphire eyes stared at him in shock.

Hisana didn't have it in her to care about the man's lack of manners, staring at her father so. She had just last night come to the conclusion her father could neither see nor hear her. "Daddy can't see me."

"I know," Byakuya took a step forward. "He cannot hear or see me either, so it's alright. Are you the only one like you here?"

The girl had bleached white in shock, "How come you can see me? I'm dead!"

A brow rose on the too pretty male face, "You understand you're dead, that's good. Is there anyone else?"

"My baby sister." Hisana reached to stroke the head of a tiny infant who stirred but didn't wake, "Rukia and I are all that's left. I can't find mamie."

Byakuya felt a smile form, "What's your name? I am Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Kuchiki?" Hisana giggled, "That's a weird name!"

Byakuya's smile melted, "It's a good name with a long history!"

"I never met anyone with the name Kuchiki before; mamie would know what it means." Hisana repeated her earlier sentiment, "She's dead, too, I think. I haven't seen her."

"I'm sorry," He frowned, he'd been arguing with a child who likely hadn't known that Kuchiki was his family name. He decided against telling her his name again, not wanting to confuse her further. "You have my condolences." He continued, "Tell me your name."

"Hisana," the girl looked up, a tear running down her cheek, "It's time to go isn't it?"

"Yes," he reached out, brushing his fingers on her shoulder before gently gathering the baby into his arms, "I will send your sister and you to a very nice place called Soul Society. You won't get hungry or thirsty, and you'll have a very long time to do whatever you want before being born again." He passed the still soundly sleeping infant to her sister, "Take Rukia, and you'll arrive together." He pulled his zanpakuto from her sheath, "Say your goodbyes, Hisana."

"I love you, daddy." She absently wiped tears from her eyes and her watery voice was once again directed at him, "Will it hurt?"

Byakuya touched the girl's head and drew the hilt of Senbonzakara level with the spot betwixt her eyes where the konso would go. He answered truthfully as he applied the mark and she began to fade away, "I do not know, Hisana."

The black robed man stood, a scroll unrolled on a podium before him. His disinterested look surveyed the crowd. When he'd been given this job, he had considered it an honor to help the people who showed up to be ushered into the Soul Society. Now, it was a grind, and though he didn't actively hate the people who streamed by, he couldn't be said to care. Not even for a young girl with a tiny baby who looked lost and more than a little confused.

"Here's your assignment, you'll find some clothing and a few provisions in the next room. What's your name?"

Hisana quailed, but she'd been brought up to have good manners, so she answered the man, "I am Hisana, and this is my sister, Rukia."

He glanced at them, dipped his pen, and scratched their names onto the scroll, "Move along, now, missy. Welcome to the Soul Society."

Soul Society, Hisana's brow furled, and tears formed in her eyes, what's that? What happened?

The provisions weren't what you'd call luxurious. She was given a woolen blanket and two yukata for herself. One was winter weight wool, slightly thick and scratchy, and not exactly her size. The other a lighter cotton, neatly darned, with faded sakura blowing along the bottom hem. For Rukia, she received ten cloth diapers, two drawstring gowns and an extra blanket. That's how they arrived in the 78th district halfway house.

Hisana stayed there with her sister until she realized that her promise to take care of Rukia would not be met in that dreary place. She had always been a serious girl, and she turned that into industriousness that pleased the matrons who ran the house. Hisana worked hard cleaning the floors, running errands, and taking care of the nursery babies that came though occasionally. When she thought she had enough things saved up, she bundled Rukia in some extra clothing and blankets she'd pilfered. A canvas bag that she had rescued from a produce delivery was stuffed with the small amount of money she'd managed to find while cleaning and some supplies she thought they'd be able to use to live on the streets. Anything was preferable to being forced into either a situation that amounted to slavery or prostitution. She ran away into the night, and tried to make a better life for herself and her family.

Rukia was a perfect baby. She only cried when she was hungry or wet, and was perfectly happy to be left to her own devices for longish periods of time. She was also quite pretty, with her large indigo eyes and silky black curls. Hisana had been horrified to hear the matrons discussing her sister. It had been the biggest motivator to her exodus when she'd overheard them talking about how much they could get by selling Rukia to a noble family who had had trouble conceiving. Hisana couldn't let that happen.

It was just three months later when Hisana came to the realization that she was not cut out for this kind of life. Taking care of herself would have been hard enough on the mean streets of the Inuzuri district. Rukia in tow, and only seven moths old, it was at least three times harder. Hisana had no illusions at this point. She was ten years old and caring for a baby. Her body couldn't even make a baby at this point; she should not be caring for one. She didn't want to give her up, but what choice did she have?

A few days later, she was picked for doing some excavation work by a man who had some money to dig a cellar. She was nimble and strong enough, and the man had taken pity on her. It was a rare enough thing, even with a baby to raise, and in that moment she blessed Rukia for being so sweet natured and beautiful. She followed him to his home, little more than a ramshackle hut, but better than where she'd been living, and gave her sister to his wife to watch.

She labored for the man and his wife for several hours. Though she only got hungry sometimes, especially when she had to work, she'd found that Rukia needed to eat regularly. The woman sat in the kitchen feeding her sister boiled and mashed potatoes. Although food and water was easy to come by, nothing else was and Rukia was a growing baby. Hisana found that she liked listening to the woman's voice as she spoke.

"How old are you, Hisana-chan?"

Hisana wiped dirt from her brow, "I'll be eleven very soon ohoku-sama."

The woman crooned at Rukia, "And your sister?"

Hisana kicked the shovel hard, getting a good clod on the blade before shaking it into the bucket, "She's seven months. Isn't she pretty?" Hisana came to the sickening conclusion that this woman, who was better off than she was and an adult with a husband to boot, would make a good mom for Rukia.

"Can you stand in there yet, Hisana-chan?" The man leaned in with a smile, "You're a good worker. I intend on making our place a nice one." He stood and glanced at his wife, "you're welcome to stay here tonight."

His wife nodded before wiping Rukia's face, "Of course. And we'll pay, too."

"Yes dear," the man leaned back in, "Come on out of there, that's all I need today. I'll come looking for you next time I can afford to hire some help."

"Thank you, danna." Hisana climbed out of the cellar-to-be and smiled in return. It didn't touch her eyes. "Is there a stream nearby? I could use a bath if you're willing to keep an eye on Rukia-chan, that is."

"It's my pleasure," the woman said, standing and handling Rukia like an old pro. "We have a washroom where you can clean up, Hisana-chan. Let me heat some water, taku?" The man looked up from the cellar, "Please show Hisana-chan the washroom, and bring her yukata out for me."

"This way," he walked, and held a hand out for her.

Hisana trailed behind and was shown to a small room with a sliver of a mirror and a wide sink. Homes where people did not eat or drink were evident for their lack of toilet facilities. Hisana frowned, it was times like these, thinking about mundane things, that she thought she should know a different way. Shaking the feeling off, she stripped her clothing and handed it out.

After receiving the hot water and a cake of yellow soap, she carefully washed herself. This was an unexpected pleasure, and she did not want to waste it. Who knew how long it would be before her next run-in with soap? She even took the time to wash her hair, which used the rest of the water in the basin. With a gentle knock, the wife came in, holding her yukata, looking better than it had.

"Here are your clothes, Hisana-chan," she smiled and lay the clothing on the towel rack, "I'm glad you could come work for us."

"So am I," the girl shrugged into her newly darned yukata, "Thank you for fixing it, I'm not good with a needle."

"Do you eat?"

Hisana shrugged, "Not very often, but yes."

The woman touched her hair, "Let me get you a hair brush, and I'll prepare something for you both."

When she left, Hisana stood her head down as she contemplated the actions she was planning. She would leave Rukia here. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but very soon. She would not ask for help for herself, it would be like the story her father had told her about the Israelite boy and the Egyptian princess. Her mouth trembled, and when the lady of the house came back, she had tears in her eyes but she made not a sound.

AN/ Ohoku-sama means 'lady of the house'. Danna is 'sir or master'. Taku is supposed to be 'husband'. *shrugs* If you know Japanese, and wanna help me out, PM me! On the note worthy side: I thought about this, and consulted with a friend. We both agreed that a ten year old does not think like an adult or even a teenager. While it's fairly clear to me that the woman and her husband might have taken both of the girls in, Hisana is a child, and from her understanding one is easier than two. She's got a lot of growing to do, my friends. Not beta'd. Thanks for reading, please pop in a review, it's easy!