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Chapter 8
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"Ise-taichou. Thank you for responding to my request so quickly.
"It seemed rather urgent sir." Said Nanao quietly.
"You know why you are here?"
"I have my suspicions."
"Lets get a few things straight. Is Larry Dighnku Shuugi Ise?"
"Yes sir." Said Nanao quietly.
"What is his relation to you, Ise-san?"
Nanao looked up at the more familiar address. His tone had changed too.
She swallowed hard at the undeniable worry she found in the reserved man's eyes. He knew about her childhood. This was going to be a bigger mess than she'd imagined.
"He is my father, Kyoraku-sama."
"Your biological father."
"Yes sir, he is my father by blood."
"He's married before."
"No sir, not in the spirit world. I am his daughter from his time on earth. We died together and arrived in soul society together."
"You shouldn't have remembered each other."
"My memories were not wiped sir. Larry had no memory of me until I told him who I was."
"But you did tell him."
"I was a child sir, a child who's father was looking at them like they'd never seen them before in their life. I was understandably upset."
"What happened?"
"He didn't quite believe me but he took pity on me and took me with him."
Mr Kyoraku released a slow breath.
"Ise-san were you abused as a child?"
Nanao's tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. This was it. She was going to ruin a marriage. Granted one she suspected was violent but a marriage none the less...
"Yes sir. But sir you must hear me out!" She blurted as he stood.
"You need to understand that I am a very different scenario."
"How do you differ in any way from my grandchild Ise-taichou?!"
"He didn't know I was his sir!" Nanao burst.
"I told him. I told him about our lives and our family but Ise Shuugi never had a familial feeling for me in his afterlife. He didn't remember. He's not going to hurt Sun-chan. Sun-chan is his daughter where I was just another kid."
"Ise-taichou he hit a child."
"I won't deny that he's violent when he's angry sir but just stop and think. Think about Lana-san. I can't guarantee she's always going to be completely safe but she's happily married! You can't just turn around and tell someone the father of their children is a child abuser! She won't accept it as truth. If you want to tell her you have to be very careful about it because she'll turn on you I swear it! Do you really think I'd put my sister in that kind of danger for a second? He won't touch Sun-chan."
"What about Lana-san?! What about my daughter, my blood?"
"Lana married him. She made her bed and will sleep in it willingly. You know she will. Going to her and shouting at the top of your lungs that her husband is a child abuser will just ensure that she has no network of support if something does happen! She'll rebel against you, your wife will stand by you. Shunsui is going to want to kill him with his bare hands if he ever finds out and I lied to her! She'll have nobody you have to think this through." Nanao urged.
Suddenly the fight seemed to leave the older man and he aged almost a decade before her eyes. He sat down heavily placing his head in his hands.
"You're right." He said at last.
Nanao simply remained quiet.
"She isn't going to leave him, no matter what I tell her."
"She loves him Mr Kyoraku. She loves him deeply and she's never seen that side of him. All she sees is a loving husband, who adores his daughter and suffers from a hot temper because that is all he's ever been to her."
"But the way he behaved towards you at the ball..."
"I never said he was a good man. I never said he changed man, he isn't, but I don't want you to lose your daughter over this. Larry... Larry flaunted Sun when we were at that gathering. He lashed out to hurt me, but only me. He wanted a reaction and he won, I lost control and gave it to him."
"You're certain he won't hurt that baby girl?"
"He won't lay a finger to her."
"But he might hurt Lana."
"Never to the extent he did me. He has his drinking under control now. That's what fuels his temper and he loves her. He didn't go out looking for a punch bag when he married Lana-san. Any damage he does her will be in a fit of rage."
Mr Kyoraku sighed tiredly.
"You're my granddaughter's sister Ise-san."
"I know." Said Nanao quietly.
"That's why she cares for you so."
"She can sense that I'm family." Said Nanao softly, "the same way she recognises taichou she recognises me."
"How can Shunsui not know this... I knew before I even ran the background check."
"He doesn't want to know." Said Nanao simply.
"You think he's ignoring it?"
"No, he doesn't know. The only reason he doesn't know however is he won't look."
"He's technically your uncle, through marriage at least. Why haven't you told him?"
"Because I would give anything, anything I have, not to know sir." She said softly. "Ignorance is bliss."
"You're of no blood relation."
"But that isn't true is it?" Said Nanao with a sad smile. "Because as much as she's my sister Sun is taichou's niece." She said, rising to her feet. "And whether it's logical or not that screws us up. We are not normal Kyoraku-san. We have never been normal and as my reiatsu seems hell bent to prove time and time again where we're involved seemingly little things have big consequences."
"I'm sorry, Ise-taichou."
"So am I." Said Nanao quietly.
"What about Shunsui, will you tell him?"
"He'll find out whether I tell him or not in a few days time.
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"Nanao-chan! Nanao-chan guess what guess what guess what!"
Nanao looked up and couldn't help smiling. Her captain was bouncing around like a child in a sweet shop. Anything that made him smile like that these days was good. She sure as well wasn't.
"Lana-chan is pregnant again! With twins!"
"I know."
He deflated like she'd just taken the punch line of the best joke ever off him, pouting.
She laughed softly.
"Honestly taichou. Who did you think told her she needed to see Unohana-taichou?" She asked amused.
"Ohhh. That makes sense. She told you when you were out the other day?"
Nanao nodded.
"That's why you were smiling like a fool when you got back! And here I thought Lana-chan had found you some wonderful male specimen to make you smile."
"You're absolutely hilarious taichou."
"I know." He said with a wink. Nanao rolled her eyes.
"So how bad does she need Retsu?"
"You haven't seen her yet." Said Nanao. That explained a lot.
"Nope. She's gone away with Larry and Sun-chan on business to the twelfth. She told mum and dad before she left. They weren't meant to tell anyone but you've met my mother, she couldn't keep her mouth shut. Dad rang back later to tell me about the situation so I would have been told anyway but." He shrugged thoughtfully.
"And of course you just waltzed in here and told me."
"You already knew!"
"You didn't know that though did you?" She pointed out.
"I wanted to tell my Nanao-chan that Sun-chan was getting sisters!"
Nanao rolled her eyes.
"That and we kind of need you to babysit during Lana's appointment with Retsu."
"I've already told Lana-san I'm happy to help however I can."
"Good, now give me the gossip we've already got one shinigami in the family with Sun-chan! Is this little munchkin as strong as baby girl?"
"She's stronger sir."
"What?" Shunsui breathed. Sun was already an unseated officer to low seat coming from two reiatsu lacking parents and this one was stronger?
"At three months gestation she's already a seated officer taichou."
"But Nanao her reiatsu-"
"Will continue to develop until her birth." Nanao finished for her. "We're looking at top five officers."
"Wow." Shunsui breathed.
"I doubt she'll hit the taichou requirement but it's still possible she could hit the weaker end of lieutenant."
"Seriously!?"
"Seriously." Nanao agreed.
"Which signature is she carrying dominantly?"
"All mi- All Larry's. They're both single reiatsu children."
Shunsui seemed to miss her slip of the tongue and she relaxed just slightly.
"I'd really love to know where the power is coming from in that line. I mean Larry is so weak, but sixty percent of Sun-chan's reiatsu is coming from his side of the family and it isn't weak... Is the other baby Kyoraku then?"
"Yes, weaker than even your sister."
"That'll explain how she's alive." Said Shunsui thoughtfully.
"I never have met a reiatsu more stubborn than yours." Nanao agreed. "At three months she's going to make it to birth, the question is how strong she'll be physically with her sister monopolising everything, that's why she needs the barrier."
"That's why Lana's so much bigger this time!"
"Eating enough for a baby that reiatsu powerful will be hard on her body, especially when Lana herself doesn't have to eat to survive." Nanao agreed.
"She's just lucky she's noble. Surely anyone carrying a child like that anywhere beyond district ten of Rukongai would die."
"They wouldn't be able to access the nutrients required." Nanao agreed.
"This is so exciting! Oh I have to go and tell Jyuu-chan, and talk to Retsu-chan and I really want to see Lana but she won't be back until the day of her scan and-"
"Taichou." Nanao called as he was leaving the room. "I need to tell you something."
He paused and turned back around.
"What is it Nanao-chan?"
Her voice died in her throat instantly and her mouth went dry.
"I...I..." She choked. She sighed, dropping her head. "I'll tell you later it doesn't matter."
"Nanao-chan." He said worriedly. "Is this about what's been happening?" The concern in his voice was too much and she could feel the tears burning.
"I'll tell you later." She murmured.
He reached out to touch her hair but dropped his hand.
"Okay Nanao-chan."
No. She decided as he turned to leave again. Now. She had to do this right now.
"Shunsui she's my sister." She blurted loudly.
"Nanao-chan?"
She was shaking all over, he noticed, hurrying back to her side.
"Nanao-chan talk to me."
"Sun-chan. She's my sister." She whispered, turning her head away. She didn't dare look at him.
"Don't be silly Nanao-chan that would mean that... that..."
"That Larry is my father and Lana-san is my step mother and you're... you're..."
Her uncle. He realised with a start. It felt like he'd been doused in cold water. Suddenly things were startlingly clear. She was telling him the truth... this was what was bothering her. She'd been keeping this a secret, that's why she couldn't take his touch... It was why Sun made her so much calmer. It was why they shared the same eye colour, hair colour, feel to them...
"How did I not notice?" He breathed.
"You didn't want to know." Said Nanao quietly.
"But she looks like you, she feels like you... How could I hold her without sensing your markers?"
"It's very easy to ignore what we don't want to see."
Her body shuddered and Shunsui sensed the change instantly as he reiatsu became unstable.
"No. Nanao-chan look at me don't do this. No. Listen to me Nanao-chan this is not your fault." He said, forcing her chin around to look at him. "This is not your fault. It's not anyone's fault."
He started to panic, he could feel her reiatsu swinging dangerously.
"I don't care! Nanao-chan I don't care! I don't care if some stupid piece of paper says I'm your uncle now. It doesn't matter. It doesn't mean anything you know that. Logically you know that somewhere in you. Sun-chan is your sister Nanao-chan that's great. It's fantastic you deserve a family, you deserve to feel that reiatsu connection and there's nobody I'd rather share it with than you Nanao-chan. Nobody. Screw it Nanao-chan. Screw them all it doesn't matter! You're my best friend. You're the one that makes me sick just by taking your reiatsu away. You're my partner and you're still my Nanao-chan no matter what! Nanao-chan please please don't do this. You're my everything." He cracked. "My everything."
She dived into his arms and he caught her, hugging her as tightly as he could without snapping her in half, taking her reiatsu and pulling it tight to him, grounding her as she burst into tears. He could hear his own sobs joining hers, feel the tears running down his face but it didn't matter, nothing mattered right then.
She was there.
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She was still in his arms when she woke. He'd moved them to the couch at some point but she was still curled into his chest, his arms holding her securely there as one hand stroked through her hair again and again.
"Nanao-chan?"
"Yes..." She replied smally.
"I need you to give me a very very good reason not to kill him. Because right now the only reason I am not strangling him with my bare hands is you sitting in my lap."
He spoke completely seriously. His voice was steady and his hand hadn't stopped brushing through her hair. She didn't doubt the truth in what he was saying for a second. He was far far beyond the point of furious right then. If she got up he was dead. That was just how it was.
A small part of her, one she didn't like to admit to possessing wanted to get up right then. Wanted to make him hurt. Make him feel even a fraction of what she'd felt as a child. She knew Shunsui would do it for her too, without a second thought.
But then the logical part of her, the part of her that made sure the paperwork got done on time, or Shunsui went to meetings surfaced and reminded her that things just weren't that simple. They were never that simple. There was Lana to think about, and Sun-chan, who only knew a loving father, and those twins that hadn't even met him yet. They deserved the chance to know their daddy.
She nodded shakily.
"Tell me what happened Nanao-chan. From start to finish."
"I'm not a Rukongai born soul Shunsui. That's the first thing you have to understand."
"But then how-"
"I'm getting to that. I was human Shunsui, Larry is my biological father from my human life."
"But how-!"
"Shunsui I swear if you don't shut up and let me talk!" She scolded.
He laughed, he couldn't help it. It was like they weren't discussing reasons not to murder his sister's husband. Like it was something trivial like paperwork.
"Sorry Nanao-chan." He said a smile tugging his lips.
She sighed.
"I was the youngest of five girls Shunsui. I died when I was five so I remember little now but I'll never forget certain things. I could see souls. My best friend was a soul. My family all thought she was imaginary, except for my Grandma on dad's side. That's where the power comes from." She offered. "She saw them too. Anyway I died in a bus crash on my way to a piano recital. Dad was with me and we arrived in soul society together. My memory was never wiped, but dad's was. After we arrived he became just Shuugi Ise... Of course I was five... When he didn't know me I burst into tears... That was my daddy... He took pity on me and took me with him... But he was never my dad again..."
"The burial wiped all his familial memories." Shunsui said in understanding.
"Yes." She whispered. "I spent the next while telling him about our lives... about my sisters, my mum... I gave up pretty quickly... He looked like my dad but it was like talking to a complete stranger... One I irritated badly. Things went from bad to worse... Our relationship went completely cold. I was just kid and he was just Mr Ise and he couldn't hold down a job... Said if this was heaven he wanted to see hell. I was just another mouth to feed... Then came the drinking... At first it just made him a bit happier... He'd smile a silly smile and he even called me Nanao-chan once... I thought it was great... That maybe his memory was coming back..."
"I was wrong." She whispered. "Within a month he went from happy drunk to depressed drunk. A month after that he was a monster."
Shunsui rubbed her back soothingly. His heart was silently breaking for her. To have her father turn on her like that... Even to have him forget her was just horrifying. A story like this was exactly why memories were wiped and Nanao was the constant reminder that the system wasn't perfect and nothing was being done to fix it.
"I irritated him sober but he just plain resented me drunk. I learned very quickly to stay away in the evenings. Sometimes I wasn't fast enough... He stopped supporting me completely and I was forced to forage... I thought about running so many times." She cracked.
"Why didn't you?" Asked Shunsui, already knowing the answer.
"He was my dad... whether he knew it or not... Everything got even worse and somewhere along the line my mind drew the distinction between my human dad and Shuugi. I think it was to protect my memory of him looking back. He became routinely violent and I didn't think twice about running anymore..."
"What happened?"
"He caught me." She whispered with a shudder. "I remember the whiskey on his breath and the smell of sweat... And the pain... I remember the pain. He just kept saying over and over again that I couldn't go... That I was his ticket out."
"His ticket out?"
"You've heard me sing..."
"You're an amazing singer." Shunsui agreed.
"He figured with my voice and my piano I could make it big and get us both out but... I wouldn't sing."
"You didn't want to?"
"I wanted to be a shinigami. It was all I wanted right then. Shinigami got to play with swords, and they stopped the hollows eating people like they ate my friend Suki-chan, and they got a warm bed and food..." She said hollowly. "I was so so hungry..."
He hugged her tighter to him and felt the tears seep through his uniform.
"How did you end up here?"
"I made the mistake of saying no in front of a girlfriend. When I woke up the next morning... he was gone."
"Oh gods Nanao..."
"I wandered the street for a long time... There was a gang of us... But they all grew up and I didn't and eventually I became a burden on them too... It wasn't their fault... They were good to me... Handed me over to the hairdresser... You know the rest."
"Nanao-chan." He murmured.
"I didn't know what to do the night of the ball. I just wanted to ignore it was even happening." She said smally... "But I'd already met Sun-chan and when I realised what was going on... It was already too late and... He was so horrible about it. All he had to do was ignore it and everything would have been fine."
She watched Shunsui's knuckles turn white as he clenched his fists, stilling hugging her to him protectively.
"If I hurt him... I lose Lana." He said after an extended silence.
Nanao released a breath.
"You got that a lot faster than your father did. Shunsui if you lay a finger on him Lana will turn on you. She loves him... She doesn't know and she won't want to know what happened to me. You'll lose her, and Sun and any and all chance you have of keeping an eye on it..."
"And I can't lose keeping an eye on it, right Nanao-chan?"
"He isn't purposely abusive." Said Nanao quietly. "He loves her. He didn't go out to marry a punching bag. Shit Shunsui the fact that he's sober says enough... But he had a bad temper that won't always stay in check, no."
"All I can do is be there for her." Said Shunsui hollowly. She could feel the murderous energy seeping from his body and the disappointment settling over not only him, but Nanao would admit over her too... She was never going to make him hurt... she realised. Never going to force him to understand what he did to her as a child...
"Nanao-chan... You know if I could..."
"You'd kill him for me." She said quietly. "I know... Knowing has to be enough though. You cannot kill that man Shunsui."
"I want to... I want to so badly."
"Well then don't do it for me... If you do... I lose Lana and Sun too."
He nodded, burying his nose in her hair and breathing in deeply.
"What are we going to tell Lana?" Said Nanao smally. "Shunsui if that baby has my full reiatsu signature it's guaranteed she's going to look like me, her reiatsu is going to behave like mine... every shinigami who comes within twenty feet of us in the same room is going to know instantly. She is going to find out."
"You're right. And I don't know yet. I think a chat with Larry is in order first."
"Shunsui."
"We can't outright lie to her unless he's in on it Nanao."
She sighed.
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"Larry-san could I borrow you a few minutes?" Asked Mr Kyoraku mildly.
"Of course sir." Said Larry handing over Sun to Lana and rising to follow the other man.
He stilled slightly as the older man closed the door behind him and he became aware of a very very furious reiatsu presence.
"Kyoraku-taichou!" He yelped, turning to face the other man.
"No marks Shunsui." The older Kyoraku warned.
That was all the warning he got before he was picked up by reiatsu and slammed into the wall.
Shunsui stalked towards him.
Larry had never seen such anger in someone's face, such thunder, and at that moment he was absolutely certain he was going to die in that room.
"Shuns-" His voice was cut off as the reiatsu restricted his airway.
"You do not get to speak." Shunsui spat.
"Wha-"
"You low life son of a bitch!" Shunsui hissed. "You absolute scum of the earth she's your child!" He growled.
"You-"
"Oh yes, we know." Shunsui growled, tightening his reiatsu grip so the man spluttered. "How could you!" Shunsui spat.
Larry's eyes met Mr Kyoraku's in fright.
"It is... Completely beyond me how anybody could treat any child like that. I always knew there was something about you but that!? You are worse than a murderer! You're a child abuser!
"We could throw him in the maggots nest for a night. I hear they're fond of child abusers in there. Even criminals have standards."
Larry swallowed hard, trying to speak.
"Did I not say you do not get to speak!?" Shunsui growled. "Shut. Up."
"The maggots nest sounds like a great idea Shunsui but first we need to talk."
Shunsui stalked up to the other man, still held against the wall.
"Lets make one thing absolutely clear." Said Shunsui quietly beside the other man's ear. "I want you dead. I want you dead in the most painful, humiliating, slow fashion possible so that you feel a fraction of what you did to my Nanao-chan. The only reason you are not well on your way right now is that Nanao kept her head and I love my sister. I will anticipate the day you finally do die and I will celebrate when you are gone because you will be no loss to this world." Shunsui finished quietly.
"Shunsui he can't breathe."
Shunsui turned on his heel dropping the other man carelessly to the floor where he remained, gasping for a number of minutes.
"Here is what is going to happen." Said Mr. Kyoraku quietly.
Over the next half hour the plan was outlined. Larry was not stupid enough to open his mouth. Shunsui was almost sorry he didn't. His control was hanging by a thread and he was silently begging for the man to give him a reason.
He didn't.
It was Mr Kyoraku who asked at the end of their chat.
"How could you do that? Have you anything to say for yourself?"
"I would never, to my own children. If I had known..."
"Bullshit." Shunsui snapped. "You knew the second you saw her with Sun-chan and you still lashed out at her. She nearly killed herself that night over your worthless opinion! So no! I am not going to trust you with my nieces. I will not trust you with them, I will not trust you with my sister and I am going to watch you for the rest of your life. Understand Shuugi?"
The man swallowed hard, nodding once.
"Get out before I change my mind."
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"Shunsui?"
"Please just let me hug." He whispered before scooping her up into his arms and holding her tight. Surprisingly she didn't go limp, instead wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging back, resting her chin on his shoulder and leaning her head against his.
They stayed that way for a very long time.
"I didn't kill him." He murmured at last.
"For your sister Shunsui. You did the right thing."
"He just needed to give me one reason. Just one... He wasn't stupid enough."
He sounded truly upset.
"Is he going to go along with it?"
"He has no choice in the matter has he?" Said Shunsui simply. "He goes along with it or he dies in a tragic accident."
"We're really going to pull this off aren't we?"
"We're going to pull this off." Shunsui agreed against her hair. "Nanao-chan..."
"What?" She murmured.
"Will you help me place the barrier?"
"Shunsui..."
"You know that if we're both involved it will work better... Neither baby will feel hard done by if they each have a comfort side."
He was right, she knew he was right but the idea of facing what this would bring so soon terrified her.
But then there was the child... It wasn't her fault she was so powerful, she didn't go out to steal from her sister. That barrier would hurt her. Shunsui was right. It would feel like her sibling was being blatantly favoured. It could make her bitter in later years. Studies had already shown this... She had to protect her.
"I'll help." Said Nanao quietly.
"Thank you." Shunsui whispered, kissing her forehead. "It will be okay Nanao-chan. We'll make this work. I promise."
She nodded against his chest.
A second later she jumped from his arms at a knock on the office door, swiping at her eyes quickly and straightening her uniform.
She nodded to Shunsui once she was ready, turning to her desk to hide her tear stained cheeks.
"Sorry to bother you taichou... boss but..."
Nanao's heart started beating erratically at the hesitance in their third seat's voice. This couldn't be good.
"Boss... Yadomaru-san is asking to see you." He said quietly. "Moto-san told her to go to hell but... I thought you had the right to know."
Nanao took a steadying breath.
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Okay... If you need anything boss, just shout okay?"
The tone to his voice gave away just how worried the squad was about her and Nanao felt her eyes well in response. The whole squad knew she was sick at this point. Nobody discussed the details but they all knew it was reiatsu related too. The last thing any of them wanted was to put more weight on an already shaky trigger and everyone was pulling together to keep her life as easy as possible right then.
"Thanks." Said Nanao softly.
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A/N: I have absolutely no excuses for the wait. I won't even try. On another note Shunsui's a smidge more violent than I intended him to be in this chapter but that's the way he wanted to come out... I suppose if someone had routinely abused the person I love as a child and then taken to hitting my sister I'd go a bit off the handle as well...
