Well.. one more chapter left that i have pre written... so from now on expect the chaps to come slowly. Sorry for this but I've been cursed with writer's block for 2 full years now at least, and it kills, let me tell you. I'm surprised I even made it this far. So, any thoughts or ideas are greatly welcomed, and if ya wanna see something in here, lemme know and I'll do my best. It'll probably help me with writing to have ideas. Hope you enjoy. If one person reads this and enjoys it, then I have touched the strands of time and fate, and I have made a small difference, and therefore I have accomplished something in this life.

Bleach? I DON'T OWN IT DUH! I mean... if I did, wouldn't I be all rich like, instead of sitting in a community college wondering how to pay for the rest of my life? lol!

No one is Born this Way

Dinner was uneventful, plain, and stretched thin. The addition of Byakuya meant an extra mouth to

feed, one the rag-tag group could barely afford to accommodate. The tension in the air remained for

long after their silent meal. Ichigo and Renji sat on either side of their... guest. They had nothing to

fear, though, for Byakuya was contented to sit introspectively the night through. Much raced

through his mind at the moment. Like why hadn't he simply taken Rukia and left? True it was

storming outside, but in all reality the weather was no substantial obstacle to his return. So then

what had caused him to agree to stay the night? Could it have been curiosity? Or pity? This was all

alien to him... No... He didn't feel pity... only duty... so why could he not for the life of him bring

himself to leave this very moment and fulfill his duty? One thing was for sure; whatever was

compelling him to act so uncharacteristically today was NOT welcome as far as the head Kuchiki

was concerned. And as soon as he pinpointed what it was, he would promptly crush this weakness

in resolve so thoroughly that it would never rear it's most uncomfortable head again. He gave the

tiniest of nods at this thought.

"Huh?" Kenai looked at the man inquisitively. Well, someone had to break this silence, and since

the adults were too slow in doing it... It was up to her once again. Kenai let out an exasperated puff

of air. Trust adults to circumvent a situation at all costs. She lay upon her stomach, propped up by

her elbows, and examined Byakuya. "You don't look all that much like Rukia... are you really her

brother?" The calm gentle voice seemed to rebound off the walls of the cave, enhanced by everyone

else's silence. It was a god question, a segway into the discussion Kenai hoped to set up... but it in

itself was innocent enough.

Byakuya looked at the child. He surely didn't know what to make of her yet. One moment it seemed

she was a tiny adult... The next she could come across as innocence itself. "What does it matter to

you, child?" his voice cut through the question with a collective violence, wishing to murder the

impending conversation before it ever came to pass. Rukia, who sat protectively next to Kenai,

brushed a stray strand of hair from the little girl's face. "That's because we aren't... real siblings I

mean... I was adopted."

"Oooooh. Ok." Kenai spoke, her face a playful picture of enlightenment. She took a chance with her

next sentence. "Excuse my saying, but he doesn't seem to be too thrilled with the adoption."

"KENAI!" Rukia frowned and Byakuya glared. A lesser man would have started after the child, but

he was not a lesser man.

"Do not assume, child, that you know everything... You would do well to learn not to speak about

what you are not certain of... Impudent..."

Kenai sighed. She looked up at Byakuya, green-gold eyes locking with the man's stone grey ones.

There she held them. "Why are you so cold to life? How can you live so iced over? Your voice

sounds as if it has not known anything but coldness in many years at least... No one is born that

way... are they?" Once again, as soon as he began to feel he had figured Kenai out, the child went

and pulled something like this. There was such wisdom in her voice, and she spoke almost far off-

ish. Her eyes reminded him of his grandmother's and he resisted the urge to squirm under Kenai's

gaze. This little mantis was surely an enigma... She made him feel things he had long forgotten... she

made him unsure... she asked questions h dared not even admit were present... Only one thing was

for sure, he did NOT like being around her... it was too uncomfortable.