Shuuhei woke up with a start, staring at the red numbers on his alarm clock seeing them blink 12:00 AM. Crap!! He though as he jumped out of bed and flew into the bathroom. He was going to be late to work because of another power outage in his building. And it's the third time this month. Mr. Ichimaru's going to have my resignation papers waiting on his desk. CRAP! He mentally screamed at himself as he ran out the apartment barely dressed and ready for work. HE paused once he hit the front door it was still dark outside. He calmly turned his wrist over and looked at his digital watch the black numbers read 5:56 AM. Shuuhei grumbled as he walked back into his apartment having two more hours until he even had to be ready for work. Shuuhei knew today was going to be an odd day; this wakeup rush had to be an omen.

Shuuhei walked into the office an hour early for work and sat down in the worker's lounge. The building was still considerably empty minus the morning cleaning staff and the few employees littered about the office spaces getting ready for the day. Shuuhei took this time to reflect on the red head that continued to grace his dreams.

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After a short while of reflection he heard the office come to life around him, it was 8:02 AM and somehow Shuuhei managed to be two minutes late for work by sitting n the break room. He chuckled to himself before going to clock in and heading to his office to work. Shuuhei walked briskly down the hall past Mr. Ichimaru's office and made it to his own without any abnormalities.

At 8:30 AM there was a quiet knock on Shuuhei's door and with a mumble, Kira entered. Izuru was delivering a folder and flash drive filled with information that needed to be edited before the week was over. I hate Mondays. Shuuhei thought to himself as he settled down to work.

After completing his review of that week's Movie Critiques and the main article Music Article on upcoming underground bands in the music industry. Some key groups he listed to keep an eye on were The Espada, A-19, and Urban Underground. After his notes where completed and his articles were edited he printed them and headed for Mr. Ichimaru's office.

Shuuhei knocked on the open door and upon receiving permission walked in to the office holding his stack of completed assignments in one hand. He paused in the doorway at the sight of his boss.

Gin was currently bending over his desk attempting to dodge a steady stream of pee as it came from the baby on his desk as he tried to change his diaper. "Stop you're doing it on purpose." He said in a loud mutter a he finally got the diaper on the child and placed him back in his clothes before setting him in the small playpen set up in the corner of his office. "Takahiro be quiet while Uncle Gin handles some paper work." Gin stared at Shuuhei who was still standing in the doorway staring at him. After Gin cleaned up Takahiro's little mess he motioned Shuuhei forward. "Is there something wrong Mr. Hisagi? Bring those files here." Gin said waving him over.

After handing the files over Gin began to read them over checking them for errors. As Gin looked over the files he couldn't help but notice the way Shuuhei was staring at the baby in the playpen and the way Takahiro seemed to be acting towards him. He wondered if Suzu had been right in saying his employee, Mr. Hisagi was the same one that had peeked Renji's interest.

Takahiro was currently blowing happy spit bubbles in Shuuhei's direction and waving his arms around as if asking to be picked up. After the few moments of instant joy seeing Shuuhei brought him, Takahiro's bottom lip began to quiver and his large brown eyes began to fill with tears as his arms began to reach out even more anxiously towards the older male. After another moment of non compliance Takahiro's mouth opened and an extremely loud shrill cry filled the room.

Gin continued reading over the papers in his hand completely ignoring the baby in the playpen. His closed eyes only glanced up once and when he noticed Shuuhei had not moved he spoke.

"Mr. Hisagi, he won't stop crying until you pick him up so would you please." Gin voice dripped of annoyance and sarcasm as his eyes drifted back towards the paper in his hand.

Shuuhei looked at the small child in the crib, and gave one last look at his boss before he stood from his chair and went over to the baby.

Takahiro immediately opened his eyes to get a good look at who was holding him. As soon as he realized it was Shuuhei he started calmed down and buried his face in the crook of Shuuhei's neck, seamlessly wiping his tears and snot all over Shuuhei's neck and shirt.

Much to Shuuhei's surprise he was not grossed out. Instead he found his hand gently placed on the baby's back and rubbing soothing circles until the little boy was once again blowing bubbles at him and smiling.

A few minutes passed in silence, as Takahiro continued to sit calmly in Shuuhei's lap while, Gin looked over the papers. The silence was broken when an older woman walked into the office, she was smiling as she held two cups of coffee, her smile dropped the moment she saw Takahiro and Shuuhei together.

Takahiro giggled in Shuuhei's lap and stared up at him with large brown eyes as he wrapped his little hands around one of Shuuhei's fingers.

Gin looked up from his work and towards the door. "Oh, Suzu you returned with my coffee. Thanks, I didn't know what I was going to do since Izuru went out to deliver next month's issue to the printer."

Gin moved from his desk and took a little blue mug with a picture of two brown haired boys and a brown haired male sitting together in traditional garb during a festival from Suzu's hand and moving back towards his desk.

"Who are you and why are you holding Takahiro?" The lavender haired woman asked from the door way. Her emerald green eyes never left him as she entered the room and placed her coffee mug on Gin's desk several inches away from Shuuhei.

"Uh…" Shuuhei was at a loss for words as he looked from the long haired woman standing over him to the child in his lap. He knew it wasn't custom for strangers to pick up and cradle other people's children. But he had met Takahiro before with his father, so was he technically a stranger? "Mrs. …"

Suzu noticed his pause and added her last name. "Abarai, Ms. Suzu Abarai." She said with a devious smile as she reached her arms out for the toddler in Shuuhei's lap.

Shuuhei was in shock for a moment after hearing her name. He knew she looked familiar, he knew for sure he had met Takahiro before. But he never thought for a moment that he would actually met her of all places at his job. Recovering from his initial shock he handed Takahiro over trying not to be affected by the small child's watering eyes or his trembling lip. He gently ruffled the boy's dark hair before standing and excusing himself. On his way out of the office he mumbled to himself low but not low enough for Suzu and Gin not to overhear him say. "But he said he wasn't married. And he kissed me." Before the office door shut behind him leaving the two remaining occupants in a room with a very upset toddler.

Several blocks away in a familiar little café just outside the park entrance gates. Renji sat in a window seat nursing his sprained wrist as he sipped not so silently on his straw as he waited for his long time mentor and friend to get his cheap laugh at his expense. The older gentleman with long white hair took another moment to ease his chuckles away before attempting to get the information straight.

"So Renji, you really fell down the stairs at Gin's house because of a child safety gate?" He chuckled again as he received a very angry loud suck as a reply. "Don't sulk. I'm laughing with you not at you." He said with a light chuckle.

"Ukitake, I'm not laughing." Renji said as he motioned for Momo to bring him another smoothie. "Besides I asked you to meet me here so we could talk about something serious." He said after Momo dropped him another smoothie and brought Ukitake his tea.

Ukitake nodded and settled down so they could get down to business "So tell me what's on your mind?"

Renji huffed for a moment before beginning, "As you know Byakuya keeps asking me to come back and play for The Senbon again. But I can't just leave Takahiro with a sitter or Suzu forever so I keep deigning his deals. Suzu say's I'm crazy for throwing away the amazing deals and flexibility he's giving me to work but… I don't know… Remember how I was before?" He watched Ukitake nod. "I was workaholic all I did was work out and train, practice routines. But Takahiro … I can't sacrifice Takahiro's childhood for a sport, but I know if I play we will always have enough money, since this coaching thing only pays so much." Renji let his thoughts die. He was so unsure of what to do. He was hoping Ukitake could help him.

Ukitake finished his tea and thought over Renji's problem.

"That student of yours Hitsugaya… he will be coming to the pros this season won't he?" Ukitake asked as he continued to think over Renji's problem.

"Yes, Toshiro has made excellent progress and Byakuya has made him several offers." Renji replied.

"Then you should go back as well. This season is drawing to a close and the training season doesn't officially begin for another four months. So you could easily finish out Takahiro's first year and be home for his first birthday." Ukitake paused for a moment. "And I would suggest finding someone you trust to take care of Takahiro, probably someone he can bond with, maybe another girl friend since his mother's out of the picture."

Renji shrugged uncomfortably for a moment as he thought about Takahiro's mother. What a mistake that was. I can't believe I was so stupid. Renji paused and opened his wallet to look at a picture of Takahiro and himself when Taka was only four months old the day after they brought him home from the hospital. But at least something good came of it. He put his wallet away before replying to Ukitake.

"Maybe I'll go back. At this point I don't think I really have a choice." Renji sighed. "But another girl friend… I don't think Suzu will have it… I actually don't think I could stand it, not after what I did last Friday." Renji chuckled as he thought back to Mr. Shuuhei Hisagi and dressing room 9.

"What did you do last Friday?" Ukitake was curious, Suzu hasn't told him about anything strange happening except Renji had left the viewing box for about fifteen minutes and won't tell her where he had been when he came back.

Renji smiled. "I may have made out with this really hot guitarist, who happened to be another man." Renji sat quietly finishing his smoothie as he waited for Ukitake reply.

Ukitake sat there for a moment staring at Renji with wide eyes. He regained his composure and spoke. "You did what?" Once again Ukitake had to make sure he had heard Renji right.

"I said I made out a slightly older hot male guitarist." Renji slurped the last of his smoothie before dropping the straw. "We probably would have made out longer had Suzu not called." He sighed. "What am I going to do about Suzu? Ever since Hitomi she's been so over protective. How am I going to get her to move out?"

"Wait you did what with another man? Don't change the subject to your sister just yet." Ukitake was still trying to digest the information that his once star pupil and good friend may possibly be homosexual. Now the idea of Renji being homosexual didn't turn him off per say he just wasn't expecting it so suddenly, since Renji had never shown interest in anyone except Hitomi and to his knowledge Renji had only slept with women.

Renji looked at his old mentor and coach. "You're starting to show your age. I'm not going to repeat myself again. I know you heard me just fine. "

Chapter 4 Concluded

Thanks for reading chapter 4 of Penalty Shot. Hopefully in the next chapter Shuuhei and Renji will met with Little Takahiro again XD. Please Review it helps to motivate me.

sorry for the spelling errrors my beta is out of town for a while.