TR: Here's yet another chapter, go me!
Dawn was extremely happy to see that there was very little traffic on her way to the airport; it helped to make the trip feel much faster than it really was. Letting her mind wander just a bit, she began thinking about that adorable little boy. Toushirou Hitsugaya was such an amazing little boy, and Dawn couldn't help but smile at the luck of having him in her life. That smile almost instantly shifted to a look of rage and bloodlust as she thought about the people who had caused such a major upset in his life. From what Byakuya had told her, Dawn not only blamed the man who had turned Toushirou into a human child, she also blamed the woman who had upset him and left the tiny captain in such a vulnerable state to begin with. 'Oh wait; I should probably use the Japanese words for the ranks in Soul Society. Toushirou might be more comfortable that way.' Dawn thought.
Pulling into the loading zone at Heathrow, Dawn parked the van she was driving and headed into the terminal. At the beginning of December business in the airport was surprisingly light, so large group were easy to spot. As she neared a group that she hoped was the one she was looking for, Dawn saw a face that made her stop dead in her tracks. It was a little known fact kept only amongst the scoobies that Hank Summers had a half sister who was Japanese. Dawn's aunt had passed away around the same time that Sunnydale had been destroyed, and the woman left behind a son. Spotting her cousin without his father, Dawn's temper flared anew. As she took a deep breath to cool her nerves, Dawn her cousin call her name. Walking over to the teen, she pulled him into a warm hug.
"Uryuu, how have you been and how badly do I need to maim Ryuuken?" Behind him, an orange haired boy and the only adult in the group grinned madly at Dawn's comment.
"I'm alright, though if you kill him I'll be very upset with you. I have no desire to move and change schools right now. So are you here to pick us up?"
"If you're here with Dr. Kurosaki then yes, I am." Turning to the rest of the people in the group, Dawn introduced herself and got everyone's names in return. Grabbing a couple extra bags of luggage, she led the group of seven out to the van.
Back at council headquarters, Byakuya was coming down the stairs with a pensive look on his face. Moving to sit on one of the couches next to Ukitake, he let his head drop into his hands. Feeling the couch dip on his other side, Byakuya turned his head just enough to see that Soi Fon had plopped down beside him. Rubbing his temples and debating the merits of aspirin versus a stiff drink, the noble let out a deep sigh.
"Is everything alright, Byakuya-kun? I'm not used to seeing you look so troubled."
"It's nothing Ukitake-Taicho. Honestly, I'm not sure who's more exhausted- me or Toushirou. He seemed so frustrated with himself too, poor kid. The war has been over for barely three days and he can't seem to catch a break. Truth be told, I'm worried about whether or not justice will really be done on his behalf. You know I'm sure that Kurotsuchi will get what he deserves, but will Hinamori? As far as I can see, she hurt Toushirou more than Kurotsuchi's serum did. I understand that the girl was upset, but the depth of her delusions worries me."
Soi Fon and Ukitake weren't really sure what to say to that. They knew he was concerned for the youngest Taicho, but had not realized the true extent of that emotion. Thinking back to the last two days, Ukitake noted that Byakuya hadn't really stopped at all. The younger man had been running himself ragged since finding Toushirou unconscious in the street two nights ago. Byakuya had spent the last two days splitting his time between the Sixth and Tenth divisions, his home, and apparently the council. Ukitake and Soi Fon shared a look over their fellow Taicho's hunched back, both feeling more than just a little inferior to the man between them.
"Kuchiki-Taicho, you need to rest too. You won't be any good to Toushirou-kun or your division if you burn yourself out." Byakuya and Ukitake both turned to look at Soi Fon in surprise, since when did she refer to others in such a casual manner?
Crossing her arms and glaring at the men on the couch, Soi Fon's voice was more than just a bit defensive. "What? I'm not allowed to have friends? Just because no one knew about it doesn't mean anything."
Byakuya and Ukitake didn't speak in response to Soi Fon's minor outburst. In fact, the only thing they did to show any kind of reaction was to each raise a single eyebrow at the petite ninja. As the two men sat glaring at their female companion, the front door opened to reveal Dawn and the group she had gone to retrieve. Sitting up to take a look at the new arrivals, Byakuya felt his jaw drop slightly. Standing there was none other than the former Taicho of squad ten, and based on the resemblances he could see, not only was the man Ichigo's father but he had two daughters as well. Turning to look at Ukitake, Byakuya scowled and pointed a single finger at the man.
"Do not say a word."
"What? I wasn't going to say anything."
Ichigo looked between the two Shinigami that were sitting on the couch. He had no idea what they were talking about, but the carrot top had a feeling that it involved him somehow. He wanted to know what Byakuya and Ukitake were speaking of, but right now he was more concerned with why they were here in the first place. Before he got the chance to ask what was going on, Dawn stepped up to Byakuya.
"Where is he?"
"Upstairs taking a nap. He didn't seem very happy about it either."
"Well if his body needs it, then that's just the way it's going to be for now. Did he eat anything?"
"Yep. He had a grilled cheese sandwich and half a bowl of tomato soup. I would have tried to make him eat more, but he was more likely to try to drown in what was left."
Dawn nodded in understanding as Byakuya stood and pulled her into a hug. By the Goddess she had missed this man. Sighing as she buried she buried her face in his chest; Dawn tried to let go of her frustrations and just revel in the fact that Byakuya had survived. She hadn't seen him since just after his sister's attempted execution, so she had known that the Winter War was coming. Dawn's heart bled for the little boy upstairs, Byakuya told her that he had fought harder than anyone to try avenge the wrongs done to the girl he considered his sister. To think that the girl had hurt him so badly made Dawn want to hold Toushirou and never let him go.
Byakuya had closed his eyes and buried his face in Dawn's hair, shutting out the rest of the world. He was content to simply exist in her arms, forgetting all about the horrors of the war. Suddenly the peace he felt was shattered, because from upstairs came the sound of a blood curdling scream that turned Byakuya and Dawn's veins to ice.