Guess who's back for another update? That's right, it's me! Back (again) after months of dormancy. I really surprised myself when I got into the mood and started writing this chapter, especially with this being so soon after I released the final chapter of Byakuya's Schemes...well, anyways, enough with my rambling. Enjoy!

One in a Million: Chapter 9

"You're home..." As his mother's cracking voice said the words, Renji found himself embracing her with numb arms, his chest heavy and his emotions scrambled. After standing in the doorway with her for a few minutes, he noticed that her sobs had died down. Before he could speak, she looked up at him.

"Renji..." she spoke, another tear leaking from the corner of her eye. "I'm so happy to see you." Her smile widened before she broke away from him, ushering her son inside. "Come in, please. There's so much I want to talk to you about." Renji obeyed her command, walking in stiffly.

It was one room, with two doors on the wall opposite himself that he was sure led to the bathroom and bedroom, respectively. In one corner, there was a sink, oven and stove placed underneath some cabinets, with a small amount of counter space beside them which was occupied by an ancient microwave. A worn, ratty couch lay in the center of the area across from a wooden chair, an old-looking coffee table separating them. In another corner, there was a tall lamp, and those were the only furnishings Renji could spot in this sad place. The wallpaper was peeling terribly, the carpet was caked with dirt, and there were large cracks in the ceiling-this place was horrible.

"Please, sweetie, sit down," said his mother, snapping him from his trance. "I'll get you some water." Renji did as she told him, still examining her apartment as she walked over to the kitchen-like area and opened up one of the cabinets, pulling out a glass. After turning on the faucet, she filled it, then ceasing the water's stream as she walked over to where he was and took a seat in the chair opposite him, handing him the beverage.

"How are you, my darling?" she asked him, looking upon her son with a sugar-sweet gaze. Renji, surprised by the casualty of her question, straightened up quickly, blinking a couple times.

"Um..." he started, swallowing the lump in his throat before he remembered the rather dark things he had been told about this woman. His eyes went downcast. "Mom..."-the word still made him want to burst into tears-"...Aunt Retsu told me about you..." Before he could continue, his mother spoke up.

"Oh, Renji..." She looked down at herself. There was a pregnant pause before she sighed. "Your aunt and I never got along...she's cast me in a gruesome light, hasn't she?" She looked back up at her offspring, and he returned her gaze, unable to do anything else but nod. She sighed again. "Renji, I know this may be hard to believe after what Retsu-san has told you, but I promise you that all of it is exaggerated. There was always tension between her and I, and I can only imagine how she portrayed me. Renji gulped.

"Up until a little while ago...she had me believing you had passed." The woman's eyes widened to platters as her hand snapped up to cover her mouth and muffle a gasp.

"She told you what?" she exclaimed, tears beginning to bubble in her eyes once more. "Renji, I'm so sorry...this is all my fault..." At that statement , Renji perked up, surprised.

"No, mom, it's not your-"

"-Yes it is!" she cut him off, her head falling forward. "I wasn't there for you because of my stupidity, because of the mistakes I made! They gave your aunt the scapegoat she needed to take you away from me, and I regret it every day...if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be going through this...you wouldn't have to endure such pain..."

Renji's expression softened as he watched tears drip down his mother's face. She seemed so...sincere about this. Her voice expressed true pain, true regret, and the young man truly felt that she was desperate to turn back time and change what had happened, so that she could prevent this mess.

"Mom...mom, it's okay," he said, feeling himself like he wanted to cry. "All that matters...is that we can be together now. We don't have much of a past, but we can build a great future together." He reached forward, across the table that lay between them, and grabbed one of his mother's hands which was resting in her lap. He smiled, saying, "I...I love you, mom." She looked up at him, tear streaks staining her face.

"Oh, my son..." she whispered, the corners of her mouth turning upwards. "I love you, too. And I want to have a future with you, on full of happiness and love."

"That's all I've ever wanted with you, mom," he said as she squeezed his hand, her smile brightening.

"It will be so, I promise," she replied, before briefly closing her eyes to gather her thoughts. Upon reopening them, she said, "Let us lighten the mood a bit. So many serious matters are more than one person should have to handle in one day." Renji noticed that her tears had dried up quickly, her demeanor easily rising. "How have you been, dear?" she asked him. "You've grown up to be very handsome, you know." She rose her unoccupied hand up to touch his face. "You must have a pretty girlfriend, right?" Renji chuckled at her teasing, saying,

"You have no idea, mom." As thoughts of his wonderful Rukia filled his mind, he began his description. "Her name's Rukia..." and he trailed off into his telling, informing his mother of the wonderful woman who was so, so precious to him.


Rukia raised a fist up in front of herself, knocking on the front door of the Abarai manor. There was the sound footsteps running in her direction before the door opened up, revealing one Unohana Retsu, despair present within her face. Rukia, noticing this, wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion and concern.

"Rukia, you're here," said Unohana before said woman could voice her curiosity. "Thank you for arriving so quickly. Please come in." Rukia did so, following the older woman into the house and through a nearby hallways which led into the large living room. Unohana motioned the younger of the two to sit down, which she did, before taking a seat across from her, still looking somber.

"What's the matter, Unohana-san?" asked Rukia, bringing up her concerns from earlier. "Is something wrong? Did something...happen to Renji?" As the thought occurred to her, Rukia found herself panicking, fear rising within her at the idea that Renji might be hurt or injured in some way.

"Calm down, Rukia," said Unohana before the girl could become hysterical. "Physically, Renji is perfectly fine." This elicited a grateful gasp from Rukia as she calmed herself. "But..."-her eyes averted to the side, away from the other woman's gaze-"...I'm afraid that when he returns home, his emotions are going to be very unstable."

'Why?" asked Rukia, her brow furrowing in bewilderment. She was more than relieved that Renji was unharmed, however she was very curious and concerned about why he would be so frazzled emotionally. Unohana sighed, her eyes still looking away.

"Today, I told Renji...that his mother is alive." Rukia's eyebrows shot up, her thought process hitting a brick wall as the information sunk in.

"Wha...what?" exclaimed Rukia as she leaned forward. "What do mean his mother's alive?" This was something huge, something substantial...and given the nature of Renji's personality, Rukia could only imagine how it affected him. Another sigh escaped from Unohana's lips.

"I'll tell you about it," she said, her eyes finally meeting Rukia's. "I'll tell you everything..." And she did, guilt filling her as she told the story for the second time that day.


"More water, dear?" Renji's mother asked him, reaching for his empty glass. He smiled, nodding.

"Yes, please," he replied. It was nighttime now, and everything was peaceful. "Thanks, mom." They exchanged a smile before she went to the sink, quickly refilling his glass. Returning to her place across from her son and setting down his water, she said,

"Son...can I ask you about something?" Renji grinned again, casually answering,

"Of course." He looked up at her happily, but his expression faltered a bit when he noticed the look in her eyes-it greatly rivaled the tone of her joyful face. The redhead couldn't quite place what she meant by it, but it was obvious that it didn't belong with the rest of her expression.

"Well, sweetheart..." she began, her smile widening, "correct me if I'm wrong, but...you've been left a lot of money, haven't you?" Renji was shocked at her statement, his eyebrows meeting as new questions arose within his mind,

"Um...what?"

"Well, dear, I mean that...you know, since your father had passed, and I've been disowned...all the money's been willed to you, hasn't it? Your father's portion?" Renji, still confused, answered tentatively,

"Well...yes, but I don't see why-"

"-Oh, I thought so!" she interrupted him, her tone of voice brightening. "That's wonderful, dear! Now..."-she darkened down to a more serious demeanor at this point-"...I need to ask you for something." Renji's bewilderment grew, a pit forming in his stomach, but nevertheless, he answered,

"What is it?" Renji could feel himself dreading the answer, as the inhibitions that had plagued his mind earlier arose once more. His mother reached over the table, taking his hands in hers.

"Renji, my dear, my angel," she said endearingly, "my miracle, my only son...could you give your mother some of that money? You see, I'm in need of some...medicine, my darling." Renji felt his chest tighten, his teeth gritting in agony. "If I don't get my medicine, it causes me many problems. So, please, Renji, light of my life...be kind to your mother, and lend her the money she needs." Her kind expression had quirked, contorting into something that screamed of desperation.

"Mom..." said Renji softly, his worst fears becoming reality, "what do you mean...medicine?" Truly, he knew what she was referring to, but Renji still clung to a small shred of hope-at this moment, it was the only thing keeping him from having an emotional breakdown.

"It's just medicine, dear," she assured him. "It makes me feel better. It's good for me. Trust me, dear." There was a pause between them, Renji's face turning horrific as his mother stared back at him. Her eyes narrowed. "Your aunt told you it was bad for me, didn't she?" she asked accusingly. Renji didn't answer-he was too in disbelief to say anything. "Don't listen to her, Renji!" she yelled. "Retsu doesn't know what she's talking about! I need my medicine, Renji! It makes me better, I need it!" The last sentence made Renji snap.

"No, mom, you don't need it!" he countered, his voice filled with heartbreak as he wretched his hands away and placed them on her shoulders. "It's not medicine, mom! It's bad for you! It's killing you!" After he spoke, she shot a look his way that would make one think her son had just stabbed her square in the back.

"You don't understand, Renji!" she said, her desperation clearly increasing. "I need it, my son! I need it!" Looking into her tear-filled eyes, Renji could clearly see that her only thoughts were of getting more pills, and it disgusted him. Disgusted him and made him feel turmoil inside. With all of his heart, he wanted it to be untrue-he wanted his mother to be clean and sane so that they could build a relationship together. But the evidence of the actual situation was staring him in the face, and he couldn't deny reality any longer.

"I'm sorry, mom," he said solemnly, breaking his gaze from hers as he fought to hold back tears. He stood up, taking his hands from her shoulders and heading for the door.

"Renji, wait! My son!" As soon as he heard the words, Renji broke. He ran, yanking the door open and slamming it behind himself on the way out. He'd come here wanting the truth, and he'd gotten it. It was not what he had hoped for, however, not by any rate. His mother was a drug addict...and she'd faked her compassion towards him simply so she could obtain his money. It made the redhead sick just thinking about it, and as soon as he had exited the building and entered his car, he began to cry. Renji Abarai, a man of twenty, wept like there was no tomorrow-he was bawling like a baby for the first time in many, many years.


Rukia felt the numb after hearing the story. Renji's mother...his past...she wanted to cry just thinking about how sad it was.

"I hope you don't judge me..." said Unohana, breaking Rukia from her thoughts, "...but I was trying to protect Renji from her, from his mother. I realize, now, that it may not have been the wisest path.." Rukia looked down at herself, unsure of what to think.

"Honestly, Unohana-san, I don't know how I should feel towards your actions," admitted the younger woman. The choice in that situation was definitely a difficult one, and it really was hard for Rukia to imagine which path she would choose if she were in a similar position.

Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening up echoed throughout the house, followed by an impossibly loud slam as it was shut. Next came the sound of rapid, heavy footsteps as the person who was clearly Renji ran across the large foyer and up the stairs into his bedroom. Another raucous slam occurred.

"This is why I asked you here," said Unohana. "Obviously, he does not trust me anymore...Rukia-san, Renji cares for you deeply, and so I thought that maybe you would be able to speak to him...that you would be able to comfort him in a way that I cannot right now." Rukia nodded.

"I'll talk to him." Unohana bowed to her.

"Thank you, Rukia-san." Said woman returned the gesture.

"Of course." And with that, Rukia ventured out of the living room, heading slowly up the stairs as she thought of what she could say to comfort her beloved when he was in this state, under these circumstances. Eventually, she reached the door to Renji's bedroom.

"Renji...?" she said tentatively, knocking lightly. There was no answer. "Renji, can I come in? It's Rukia." Her tone was soft, and when there was still no response, she continued: "Renji, Retsu-san told me everything-all of it. I know you're hurting right now, Renji, and I want to help you. You can talk to me, Renji, you can lean on me for support. I care about you a lot, and I want to help you get through this. Please let me in." After a few seconds of silence, Rukia heard a click, signaling that the door had been unlocked. It didn't open, however, telling her that he was waiting for her to enter herself.

And so, she carefully placed her hand on the doorknob, turning it slowly before pushing forward, effectively extinguishing the barrier between she and her her love. What Rukia saw upon her entrance saddened her deeply. Renji was leaning against the wall, his knees pulled up towards his chest and his face buried in his large hands.

"Renji..." she said softly, feeling herself like she was going to weep. She walked over to where he was, kneeling before him and reaching in between his knees to wrap her arms around his neck, tucking his head underneath her chin. "Talk to me," she told him. "You can trust me, Renji." She felt him twitch at that comment and then he moved, removing her hands from him and taking his head out from under her chin. When their eyes met, Rukia was shocked by the hard glare he gave her.

"Why should I, Rukia?" he asked her coldly, causing her eyes to widen as she felt the stinging pain from the comment.

"Renji, what are you-"

"-I trusted Aunt Retsu and I trusted mother and where did that get me?" he said, pain and hurt filling his voice as tears began to brim in his eyes. "I trust these people-these people that I love with all of my heart and they stomp all over that trust-they destroy it. How do I know it won't happen again with you." His expression gradually morphed into a state of sadness as he said the words, and Rukia gasped, the entirety of his statement becoming clear to her.

"Renji...are you saying...?"

"That I love you?" he replied, chuckling bitterly after he said it. "I do, Rukia, I really fuckin' do." He raised his hand up to his face and cradled his forehead, his eyes closing. "I love you more than the sun and stars, ya know that?" He did that chuckle again. "But what does it matter? It's not like it can be different this time...how can I expect it to be any different?" Rukia swallowed the hurt his comments were causing her, knowing that he was in a bad place right now, and instead trying to lead him into the light.

"Renji, please," she begged him. "I...I love you, Renji." Her heart fluttered as she said the words, and even though his gaze was still hidden from her, she noticed that he twitched again. "I'll do anything to prove it to you, Renji. I'll stay here with you all night. All through tomorrow. All week, if that's what it takes. I want you to trust me, Renji." She gently removed his hand from his forehead, taking his face in her grasp and forcing him to look at her.

"Look at me if you think I'm lying," she asserted, tears now threatening to fall from her own eyes. His gaze lowered, falling from her own. "No, Renji, look at me," she insisted. "Look into my eyes." He did so, tentatively, his eyes slowly meeting hers. She began again.

"I love you, Abarai Renji," she declared firmly, resisting the urge her voice had to crack. "I love you so much. I promise I will never betray you, or lie to you, or deceive you. I promise you with all my heart." She smiled, the tears finally falling. Renji had no reaction for a moment, his face blank, before his lip began quivering. Faster than she knew it, Rukia was engulfed in Renji's arms, her face pressed into his shoulder.

"Oh, Renji," she said, embracing him in turn. "I love you." She held him tightly, not wanting to ever let go. Renji pulled back, his hand going to cup her face as his thumb stroked her cheek.

"You promise?" he asked her, hope and love showing within his brown orbs.

"I promise." And she smiled, leaning up to kiss him with all the love and passion in her heart. The simple meeting of lips quickly erupted into something much deeper, much more meaningful, and before they knew it, the couple had moved to Renji's bed, continuing to kiss as they pulled each other closer, as things became more heated. This felt right, they both realized. The two of them, together like this, was meant to be in every way, shape and form possible. This was stunning.

This was love.

END OF CHAPTER 9

*Sighs* I'm exhausted-this whole thing was written and typed in two days...but what matters is whether you guys liked it. Did you? I hope so :) This chapter was really big for me-essentially, it's the climax chapter of the whole story, and what we're going to see from here on out is a lot of resolving issues and tying up loose ends-basically, I'm gonna be gettin' 'er done ^^ But anyways, I really hope you guys liked it. And by the way, happy election day for those of you in America. Go out and vote! :) Anyways, Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. All comments and opinions are appreciated and loved!