Notes: I hope everyone has been reading announcements! The chapter four you were waiting for is what is chapter three. Chapters one and two were merged, so everything was backshifted.

Okay, happy reading, and let me know how you're feeling about the story so far. I'd also like to thank every single person who has sent me a review. I can't even express how much they make my day! Whenever I write now, and I sort of get lost in the writing more than the story, your reviews are a wonderful way for me to keep touch with what the story will come across as, and it keeps me going. I have read them all a few times over!! And then, after the blushing goes away and I calm myself, I keep writing. ^-^ So, again, thank you so much!

Chapter 4: Assignments

It was the incredible and undeniable urge to pee that woke Rukia up the next morning sending her bolting out of bed and down the hall to the girls bathroom, still half asleep. A few moments later she returned to her room, yawning and scratching her head.

She crawled back into bed and under the covers hoping to sleep just a little bit longer. Her body still felt extremely exhausted. She lay there for a few seconds, before covering her face with her pillow, blocking out the rays of sunlight creeping into her room. Unable to fall back into her dreamless stone sleep, she rolled over and huffed.

So much has happened, I don't know where to begin. Am I still even a shinigami? I guess I could go find out. Hmm. What should I do?

After some careful consideration: Thank yous. Thank yous are definitely in order.

How should I say it to him... After thinking about how to phrase the thank you to the man who made her feel deeply insecure and confused, she sighed. Maybe it will come to me later. I'll go to the others first. She got out of bed, and went back to the fourth squad bathrooms to take a quick bath. After finishing up, she changed into a purple kimono that was left for her, and made her way out.

Walking out into the fresh morning air, she tilted her head up towards the sun basking in the warmth spreading from her cheeks down to the rest of her small body. She raised her hands to her neck as she stretched her back, then reached to the sky rotating her arms back to her sides as if they were a pair of wings.

Her body felt free to truly move for the first time in a month. With a hop and a tiny skip she set out down the streets of Seireitei. She walked smiling, swinging her arms, full of cheer.

On all sides of her were shinigami bustling about.

No doubt cleaning up my mess.

Continuing through the narrow and dusty streets she became self conscious of her yukata, purple and flowered, unlike the sea of of black fabric rustling around her. Rukia raised her right arm, gripping her left as she quickened her pace and stared at the ground. Her morning cheer faded as she noticed glances shot at her, of confusion, contempt, and pure dismissal.

Kuchiki Rukia, the shinigami who didn't have to take exams, the shinigami who is a fake part of a noble house, the shinigami who made this mess and doesn't have to do anything to pay for her crimes. That's what they all must be thinking. She continued to walk with her head bowed, trying to remain as hidden as possible. Why does it have to be so far away from the central court?

Ukitake Taichou was like family to Rukia, the head of the warm family of her thirteenth squad. She had not spent any real time with them since before her assignment to Karakura town. Her captain had stopped the Soukyoukou along with Ichigo.

How could she forget? She had plenty to tell him, plenty to ask, and she was sure that he would be the same - they had plenty to catch up on. If there was anyone she was truly sorry to for disobeying orders, it was her captain. Arriving at the Thirteenth squad headquarters, she immediately spotted him, Ukitake Juushirou laying by the river staring into the sky.

Without realizing it, she had burst into a run – "TAICHOOUU!!!" His very presence put her anxieties behind her.

Ukitake jumped up at the sound of the energetic and familiar voice."KUCHIKI!!" He ran to her opening his arms and greeted her, his large body embracing her in a warm tight hug. Her eyes widened until the comfort set in, a blush rising in her cheeks, she buried her face in his robes and hugged him back.

"Ukitake Taichou...Gomen. Gomen nasai...." tears welling in her eyes. She was finally safe, finally somewhere that made her truly at ease. His greeting had made her feel like her crime did not even exist. She had not been here for months, and while the sense of peace had become almost unrecognizable to her at first, it soon overwhelmed her as she cried softly in the arms of her captain.

When their embrace broke, Ukitake said to her, "Do not say such things Kuchiki. You have nothing to apologize for. Come, let's go inside, I will have Kiyone make us some tea. We have a great deal to talk about. You've had quite the adventure!"

Making their way inside, the pair sat down on the mats. Ukitake started by sharing everything that had happened while she had been on her assignment. He then caught her up on the politics of what had happened while she was in captivity.

Rukia had not realized the immensity of the disturbance her friends had caused until now. She in turn began to explain everything to her captain starting from the moment she left, her adventures with Ichigo, the wonders of high school, Kon, the Kurosaki family and all of the friends she made. Oddly, Rukia felt no shame in telling her captain that she had become friends with humans. Ukitake was not the type to judge, but to see things more clearly and with more understanding than others.

She skimmed over her capture by Byakuya and Renji, it being a somewhat unpleasant memory, but didn't fail to mention her surprise at Renji's becoming vice-captain. From there her captain was pretty much filled in so she skipped ahead and shared her story about Hisana.

Ukitake's reaction was a little less than she had hoped for. "Hmm... I see. That's interesting.... What a shame that you were never able to meet her...What a secret to keep..." Ukitake paused briefly before deciding to steer the conversation towards something else. He had been listening intently to her story, and when she had finished he presented the topic that had been weighing on his mind.

"I want to talk about your sister, but Kuchiki, when you were in the lethality stone, I could sense your reiatsu. I know you couldn't have been happy, and I could sense your worry for your friends, but at some point, I could no longer sense your will to live. I can certainly sense it now, but what happened? Rukia... why were you so ready to die?" His gaze focused intently on her, he looked like a young boy desperate for the answer to his question.

Rukia paused at this question. "Ukitake Taichou... a few nights before the execution I had a dream... I dreamt of what happened that night with Kaien-dono and Miyako-dono." Ukitake's gaze softened as he let her continue. "I am hideous Taichou... It is because of me that Kaien-dono is dead! And it would have been my fault if Ichigo had died as well. I had hoped the execution would come quickly after that. I hoped it wouldn't give Ichigo enough time to get strong enough just so he could be defeated... I never expected him to... I never expected you to..." she looked up at him, eyes glazed over... "Arigato, Ukitake Taichou."

He smiled kindly at her and replied. "Kuchiki, you are my subordinate, I will do whatever I can to protect you – even if it's from yourself. I think it is time that you release this weight and let yourself really live again." Rukia's eyes became downcast, she knew where he was going. "Kuchiki, look at me. It is NOT your fault that Kaien died that night. He would have wanted it that way. You cannot carry this burden any longer. However, I fear that my words alone will not ease your spirit. Take this." He handed her a piece of parchment. "These are the directions to the Shiba-house. I think it is time that you spoke with them."

Rukia stared at the piece of paper with dread and resolve all at once. It was time. She had the dream. She was lucky to still be alive, and so she would not put it off any longer, though she still felt immense dread and didn't want to. Ukitake read the look and switched topics before she could respond.

"Good. Now then, let's talk about Byakuya."

The subject itself being so sensitive at the moment and so lightly brought up elicited a half scolding half gasping, "Taichou!!"

Ukitake laughed jovially. "Oh, come on Kuchiki, I'm sure you want to punch his lights out after finding out about all of that. Come on, just tell me how you're feeling, get it out. I've wanted to punch him plenty of times in the past..." Ukitake wistfully looked up, imagining himself punching Byakuya, laughing at the absurdity of himself being so meaninglessly violent.

"Well... um...." and Rukia spilled, in more eloquent terms than she did to Orihime, her feelings of insiginificance and insecurity concerning the sixth division captain. "Yet, Taichou, I don't know what to do. I can't deny, that while I feel gratitude, I also feel angry with him. I don't know how to speak to him, what to say. Where do I go from here..."

"I see. Your brother wasn't always like this. When he was in my squad and even when he was younger, he had quite a bit of fire to him, though, he was always arrogant. I think you should give him another chance. Actually, on that note, there is something else I wanted to bring up with you." Rukia tilted her head to the side looking at him quizzically.

"I have spoken with Captain-Commander Yamamoto, and it has been agreed that you may return to be the Shinigami of Karakura Town -" Rukia gasped, a squeal of excitement waiting to burst before Ukitake put his hand up to silence her, "However, with Aizen's whereabouts still unknown, you must become much stronger before returning to the real world." He paused, bracing himself for the reaction she would have to his next words. "I would like you to return to the Kuchiki manor to train with Kuchiki Byakuya. He has been ordered by the Captain-Commander to take time off, during which he will no doubt train. You are to return home to train with him, and I think given your talents, and your knack for getting into trouble, he will be an excellent teacher for you."

Rukia's face went blank. She could not believe what she was hearing.

"But! Ukitake Taichou! Can't you train me! Can't I stay here!! It will take me too long at home, he won't be of any help! He doesn't even speak to me! I'm not ready to face him! He'll just depise me more, that stupid Byaku-" the look on her captain's face with the raised eyebrows warned her not to begin down the path her mind had started to take, because what he was telling her, was not a request. It was an order. She stopped, and grunted in defeat. Folding her hands in her lap, she looked down and said "Hai, Taichou."

"Wonderful! It's all settled then! Well, it's getting late, the sun is about to set, you had better head over to the Shiba house. I have a few things I need to speak to Kyouraku Taichou about too." They both rose from their seats, Rukia bowing on her way out, Ukitake ruffling her hair before sending her on her way. Despite the orders she had been given, a sense of warmth and comfort washed over her as she walked through the familiar grounds of her squad. I missed home.

Notes: So, this chapter started out well, I wrote it a while ago, but then I just edited it and now I think it's super crappy. I'm so sorry! But either way you get the idea of what has happened. I think I might go back and make a revision to it at some point. But for now, I've been trying to edit chapters for posting so I haven't really taken the story much further.... soo... it might be a while before I edit this one.

To make up for the crappy chapter and slow moving plot, I decided I'd give you the next chapter as well... I hope you like it. Again, sorry about this craptastic chapter!