Session 36- For What It's Worth

SioFon and Omeada were on the subway platform in New York, posting Kiskue;'s missing posters up on the walls. "Hurry it up, Omeada," she snorted. "The sooner we get these posted up, the sooner someone might call in." As though she were psychic her cell phone rang. They both looked at one another surprised.

"Wow, did it work that quick, Ma'am?"

"Don't be a nutjob, Omeada," she snapped before she answered. "Hello?"

"Captain SoiFon?" She groaned inwardly. But even if she hadn't Omeada could tell just from her expression that one of their least favorite people just happened to be on the line.

"What do you want, Bayakuya?"

"I would like to know why neither you nor your Lieutenant were in your office when I came to give you some files."

"That is none of your business in the first place, unless Captain Yamamoto specifically asked."

"Does Captain Yamamoto know that you both are not here?"

"Why don't you ask him and leave US be?"

"Because I have seniority among the Captains.."

"Senority? If I were you, I would keep my mouth shut, cause you are SERIOUSLY pushing it in every conceivable way!"

"You DARE to speak that way to me.."

"Yeah, I dare. I dare because I'm a fellow Captain too, and I for one don't give a damn about you or your heritage, or your background!"

"If you and that Lieutenant of yours are down in the World Of The Living foolishly searching for Lieutenant Matsimoto, I am telling you right now to stop it and return up here. Like I have told everyone she has violated the rules of our Society. She know she was forbidden to have a relationship with her own captain but she went ahead and started one.."

"Excuse me? From what I heard she didn't intend to have any relationship at all with him, this was something that happened that niether one could have helped, and how do you KNOW she was forbidden? Is there a bunch of unwritten rules that I was not made aware of?"

"It is highly irregular to become involved with a person of higher authority!"

"Irreagular? YOU talk of being irregular? It seems to me that the pot is calling the kettle black! Besides, if I remember correctly YOU yourself married a common woman from Rakongai, did you NOT?" Omeada gave his Captain a 'way to go' sign.

"SHE was not a Soul Reaper or a Lieutenant of the 6th Squad! There were no rules broken during my marriage, unlike the rule she so willingly broke.."

"Where is this rule written DOWN, Byakuya?"

"It does not need to be, it was one of the most important unwritten rules.."

"People can't help how they FEEL, Byaykuya!"

"Feelings should have no influence in the way a Captain behaves toward his subordinate of his own SQUAD!"

SioFon then grabbed the phone so tightly her fingers grew red. "Ya wanna know something, Byakuya? NOW HEAR THIS! YOU ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT THE STUPIDEST, MOST HEARTLESS, MOST INHUMAN SON OF A…" just then a large subway train came barreling down the tracks so loudly SoiFon's words were drowned out. But by the gestures she was making and the words she was clearly forming Omeada could guess exactly what she was saying…

And it was not pretty.

"MAN I HAVE EVER MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!" SioFon concluded as soon as the subway car had finished passing. Without another word she hung up the phone and turned to her Lieutenant. "Omeada?"

"Y…y…yes, Ma'am?" He asked hesitantly.

"Get the rest of these posters up on the walls on the double, then we're headed to Yurorichi-Sama's to find out if she knows anything, then we go to Ichigo's house and report. IMMIDIATELY."

"Yes, Ma'am," Omeada said quickly, grabbing the posters and hurrying toward the walls knowing better than to say anything else.

On The Bebop…

Rangiku was playing with Ed in the corridor of the Bebop. She was holding on to her underarms and swinging her in a circle while singing aloud. "Ring around the rosey, a pocket full of posey. Ashes, ashes, and you go down!' she then plopped Ed on the floor and knelt down beside her tickling her ribs, while Ed giggled and kicked her feet in the air. She sat up then and hugged her tightly.

"I love you, Aunt Rangiku."

"I love you too, Ed."

"Having fun?" Spike asked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

Ed sat up. "Ed's having a lot of fun with Aunt Rangiku! She's been playing with Ed."

"Well, hope you're not too tired for some martial arts training."

Ed jumped up happily. "Yay!" She began to run toward Spike. Rangiku stood up.

'I think I'll come too, I've been meaning to practice with Heinako."

"The more the merrier," Spike said, leading the way.

As they three of them were practicing in the main room, Spike was teaching Ed how to do a round house kick from the air. "Just relax and concentrate on the moves for now. Remember, don't be tense. Be like water. Like I told you, if you're nice and relaxed you can catch the enemy off guard, and he'll never see ya coming."

"Water, like water, yes, Sir!" Ed crotched down and bared her teeth like a tiger, causing Rangiku to giggle off to the side.

"Now, focus on your target," Spike pointed to a balloon he had hanging on the wall. Ed concentrated. "Try not to make a sound, just relax…make sure it doesn't see ya coming…pounce when you think it doesn't suspect. Remember, if you relax, you can move in the blink of an eye," Ed nodded.

Finally she managed to pounce and with a cry of "Hi….yaaah!" She managed to kick and pop the balloon. Rangiku clapped and Spike grinned.

"That's very good!" He turned to Rangiku. "Hey? What's the matter?"

Rangiku looked at her sword questioningly. "Strange…lately Heinako's been acting differently.."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…it's been kind of easier to move..and easier to control than usual."

"Maybe cause you've been giving it quite a bit of practice lately," Spike grinned slyly.

"Hmm.." she said, looking at it.

"You might be getting in quite a bit more," Jet said, sticking his head in. "Guys, there's a special report on the news, I think another bounty shipment just came in!"

"Bounty, bounty!" Ed cried, skipping into the room with Spike and Rangiku coming in behind her, with Faye running in from the kitchen slurping on a milkshake.

"What's up?" Spike asked.

Jet turned up the volume on the television. There was a picture of an ugly red haired guy with spiked hair and covered in tattoos on the screen. "This here is Micheal Brown, he's wanted for several cases of armed robbery and destruction of property, and now he was caught trying to rob an undercover police officer, just after he broke into several mansions."

"What;'s the bounty on this guy?" Spike asked.

Jet looked it up. "900 woolongs!"

"Renji," rangiku then said quietly staring at the picture.

"Uh?" Spike asked.

Rangiku quickly turned around. "Him," she pointed to the screen. "He looks like Renji. He was another military Lieutenant, a really good friend of mine."

"Were you on the same Squad?" Faye asked.

"No," Rangiku answered. "He was in the 6th Squad, I was in the 10th. He looked quite a lot like that…but he wasn't a criminal. Not by any means at all. In fact he was one of the nicest people you could meet."

"He was?" Jet said. "Bet he could definitely help us track down this jerk."

"You bet he could! He had such high goals, to be a Captain himself someday. He worked and trained so hard, but he always had time to talk…he was a lot like my own Captain…such beautiful men.." she looked down. "I sure miss them…" she said quietly.

Faye touched Rangiku's hand. "You OK?"

"Oh yeah, yeah," she said quickly. "It's just that..sometimes things just remind me of my friends…and then I get to thinking about Toshiro…and I just start to miss him all over again.." she touched her locket and sighed. "I know I can't ever see him again..and I feel like I left a part of myself when I left him…but I know he's safe..and that's what's important."

"Doesn't mean you can't still miss him, though," Jet assured her.

"I know.." she sighed. She looked up quickly. "But there's no time for that now..we have a bounty to find!"

"You sure you're up for it?" Spike asked.

"Definitely!" Rangiku said. "Toshiro," Rangiku thought sadly, "I know I'll have plenty of time to miss you when we get back. Right now, we have a bounty to catch, and like the 10th Squad never let each other down, I won't let my new friends down either. I know you're all right, and that's what matters. I love you."

"Ed, get all the info you can on this guy,"

"Right!" she set about typing on her computer.

In The Soul Society…

Momo was carrying her drums to the protestors near Captain Yamamoto's office when she nearly bumped into Ikkaku, also carrying a sign. "Hey, Momo," he greeted.

"Hi, Ikkaku!" Momo said surprised. "You're coming to join the protest?"

"Yeah, I got permission from Captain Hitsugaya."

Momo raised her eyes. 'How is he, Ikkaku?"

"Just like usual. He said that there wasn't much to be done today and if I wanted to I could join you guys. But I think he wanted to be alone right now."

Momo looked like she was about to burst into tears. Looking up she saw Ikkaku kick a tree angrily on the way to the office. "Ikkaku?"

"Momo, I just feel so helpless. One of the best Captains we got is depressed beyond belief, there are two Squads protesting, the Society's a mess, God is mad at us, and I can't do anything about it. Can't even do my Lucky dance to cheer him up."

"It's not your fault, Ikkaku!"

"Somehow I have a feeling it might be. Maybe if I was nicer to Rangiku she could have come to me or Yamamoto and we could have helped her…or at least try to talk her out of leaving us!"

"I don't know if you could have, Ikkaku. Usually when she sets her mind out to do something she finds some way to do it. That's just what makes her her."

"Yeah, that's true," Ikkaku smiled a bit. "I remember when we were in the World of the Living trying to help this kid Shota. Before we met him Rangiku wanted to go shopping. The Captain tried to talk her out of it, but Rangiku, as usual managed to weasel her way into it by telling him she was going to scope out the town and make sure things were all right."

Momo smiled, that sounded like something Rangiku would do. "But she went shopping anyway."

"You got it," his face turned serious. "I even told Yumichaka that whatever anyone said went in one ear and out the other…" he sighed. "Wish now I didn't say that."

"Oh, she probably knew you didn't mean it, Ikkaku."

"Yeah, but all those times I started arguments with her, or called her names like 'fruitcake', I wish I could just take em all back. I didn't mean to do it…maybe she wouldn't have felt all alone no thanks to that inhuman stuck up miserable excuse for a Captain in Office 6, " he looked up. "I tell ya, Momo…if she comes back, I won't ever do that again. Really…I won't be a pain in the butt to her, if she just comes back. It's too quiet here without her…it's not the same."

"I know," Momo said sadly. "Come on, Ikkaku, let's go to the protestors so we can pray."

On Mars..…

The Bebop landed right outside the bar that Ed's hacked information stated was a likely place for their bounty to be. One by one they got out and stood in front of the door. "How do ya wanna go in?" Spike asked.

"We'll let the girls go in first and check him out, while the two of us sneak around the back. "

"First things first," Spike said, taking out his special glasses and adjusting them to the right setting. He put them on and stood just outside the door, using them to scan the place. "Come on…" he mumbled. The bounty finally came into focus. "Bingo.." he said. He stood back. "He's in there all right."

Faye turned to Rangiku. "Do you wanna get this or should I?"

"He looks too much like Renji. It would be too weird for me. You get this, I'll back you up."

"OK," Faye smiled flirtatiously. She and Rangiku winked at each other happily as Faye strutted into the bar and walked right to where their target was followed by Rangiku. Faye slid into the bar right next to him. "Hi," she said happily.

The guy turned around and looked at her, a huge smile lighting u his face. "Hey there," he greeted. "What's a good looking lady like you doing in a place like this?"

"Well, just stopping for a drink…and maybe hoping to get lucky," she leaned in a bit closer to him.

"Well, if that's what you're looking for wonder no more, Babe," he turned to the bartender. "Hey, Vic, some red wine for the little lady if ya please," As soon as Faye had her glass the guy raised up his. "Here's to you, beautiful."

"You flatter me waaay too much," Faye grinned, sexually taking a sip and licking her lips."

"So, tell me, where are ya from?"

"Oh…downtown. But to tell you the truth I just moved here. I'm hoping to score a new job."

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh. Knownof anyone who's…hiring?"

"Well, it just so happens I could use a lovely assistant myself."

'Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, to help kick start my business. Help get it off the ground if ya will."

"Really? Hmm…so what do you do?"

"Swell, you might say I'm in the buy and sell business myself."

"Oh? Well, what do you sell?"

"Oh, some very special merchandise. This stuff is really rare, can't find them in ANY stores."

"Oh? So this must be pretty valuable then?"

"Oh you have NO idea how many people are lining up for this stuff. I tell ya, this is a real win-win job. Why don't ya step into my van and I can show you the merchandise..and you can..heh..show me how you can sell this?"

"Well, do you have any with you?" She pretended not to notice his admiring gaze as she crossed her legs and ran her fingers through her hair. "I've been in the black market a bit myself."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, that's why I had to leave. My last boss got busted. So tell me, what is this stuff? Coke? Marjuanna? Or maybe some stolen watches or furs?"

"Oh, no, we don't go as far as furs or watches. Just the usual stuff.." he looked around the bar and took out a small bag. "I'll show ya mine if ya… heh..show me yours.."

Faye sat down closer to him. "I've got a better idea.." she pulled out her gun and held it up to his chin. "put your hands behind your head and kneel down on the ground my friend!"

"Oh damn it, it's a bust!" he grabbed the bag and tried to throw it out the window…only for Spike to climb in through it holding it casually in his hand.

"Yo," he strolled over to the guy and dangled the bag in front of him. "Ya dropped this!"

"Uh…wha…the...that's not mine…I…I never saw that before!"

"Oh yeah? Heh, funny, from where I was looking it came right out of your pocket and just happened to land in my hand."

The guy gulped out loud once he realized who was talking to him. "Look, I…I don't have to explain anything to you…not to you, not to anyone, I got my rights.."

"What you "got" is a nice trip coming your way, to a group of friends that we know, who are gonna make you nice and comfy, and take real good care of you."

"Like hell you are!" The guy broke away from Faye, pulled out his gun, and made for the door, only to have Rangiku block him in. "Going so soon? We wouldn't hear of it, the fun's just getting started!"

"Look, I usually don't make it a point to shoot women, but I'm warning you now, you better get the hell out of my way or I'm gonna give you some emergency breast reduction surgery and I mean it!"

Rangiku pulled out her sword. "You even try to aim that at ME and you're not gonna have a hand to shoot with!"

The guy then laughed out loud. "Oh man get a load of YOU! We back in the 18th century again with the Samurai's and what not? Look Samurai Champloo, you better get the hell out of my way and I mean NOW. I'm pretty good with a shot and that piece of metal isn't gonna do…" suddenly he was cut off in mid-sentence by Rangiku slicing her sword and the gun suddenly falling apart in his hands.

Rangiku then smiled sweetly at him. "Now…what was that you were saying about my sword?" The guy gulped then and began to back off…only to bump right into Spike.

"We gotta stop meeting like this!" Spike snapped before he delivered a huge punch that set the guy flying. Picking himself up he ran to Spike and tried to deliver his own blow of punches..only to be blocked time and time again by Spike, who then countered with his own punches and blows. The guy staggered over to the counter and grabbed a half-filled wiskey bottle, breaking it in half and preparing to use it as a weapon. He tried to grab Faye, only for her to elbow him in the stomach. When he doubled over she grabbed the bottle and conked HIS back with it, causing him to shoot straight up in pain. He swung at Faye, and connected with her own fist first. Spike then delivered a huge roundhouse kick, and Rangiku delivered a swift punch of her own in his stomach. The guy dove behind the counter, pushing the bartender out of the way, and grabbing a butcher knife. He leaped back out and aimed squarely at Rangiku.

"Ok, toots, ya wanna play with sharp things? Then en garde!" he lunged at Rangiku, only for her to block with her own sword. He parried, thrusted, tried to jab, but she kept blocking him each time and fighting back again and again. He tried to jump on top of the table. Rangiku quickly jumped up too…soon enough the guy was knocked clean off. She followed that up by more examples of her expert swordsmanship until the guy literally had the knife knocked clear out of his hand. Finally when he couldn't even more and Faye gave him one more kick for good measure, Spike grabbed him by the collar and lead him right outside, where Jet was waiting in the Hammerhead.

"Here ya go, Jet. Once nice bounty delivered to the police," he took the bag out of his pocket and threw it to him. "And here's the evidence."

"Heh, woolongs, here we come," he nodded to Rangiku and Faye as they came out to join him. "Nice work, ladies."

"Ladies!" the guy snorted from the Hammerhead. "Yeah, Ladies my ass. Bunch of whores is more like it. They come waltzing in here like prostiutes, almost make me bug my eyes out…and look at them, look at both! You call thise laides…"

"Aw, SHUT UP!" Spike called from inside. Rangiku held up one finger, crawled inside the Hammerhead..and proceeded to punch him right out. Spike smiled as she came out. "In our books, there two are 100% Ladies, than you very much!"

That night on the Bebop…

Ed was laying on her bed as Rangiku stood over her, putting her to bed. Ed snuggled into the blankets happily. "Aunt Rangiku? Will you please tell Ed a story?"

Rangiku smiled and tucked the blanket around Ed's shoulders. "What story do you want to hear?"

"Any story, Aunt Rangiku. Will you tell one? Please?"

Rangiku leaned against the wall and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "Once a long time ago,' she began, "There was a very little girl. She was very poor and had no place to live, because she lost her family in a fire. She found herself in a desolate land with no food in sight. She managed to find some water in a nearby brook but she was very hungry. She was sure she would die of hunger, when she met a young boy about her age. This boy had some parsimmons in his hand and gladly gave her one. He introduced himself to her and when she told him she had nowhere to live, he let her live with him. They spent many hours playing in the land and hunting for food."

Ed rested her head on her arm. "Tell more, Aunt Rangiku," she begged.

"Well, when the boy and girl grew up into a man and a woman, they decided they wanted to better themselves so they entered into the army together. They trained as hard as they could. He soon became a Captain of the 3rd Division and she became a Leiutenant of the 10th division, where she became very close friends with her own captain. They made a lot of new friends and managed to buy themselves fine houses for themselves, lots of good food, and comfortable places to sleep. But unfortunately it couldn't last."

"What happened, Aunt Rangiku?"

"Well, one day a war broke out in the once peaceful land. It turned out that one of the most respectful captains in the army decided that just being a captain wasn't good enough for him. He succumbed to greed and power and decided he wanted a lot more than what he had. He wanted to be the Ultimate Captain of the Army and all the power and priviledge that went with it, so he declared war on the entire army and tried to attempt to take it over. To the woman's shock and heartbreak, the man who saved her life- her oldest and dearest friend- had succumbed to temptation and had joined up with the enemy's side. It absolutely pained her to have to fight against the very same boy who had saved her life so many years ago and had showed her where to find food and how to stay alive. This same playmate was now her enemy. It killed her inside whenever they had to fight, but she knew she had to do it. She could never turn her back on the army, and especially not her own captain who she had vowed to stay with come what may."

Ed by this time was half asleep. "Tell more, Aunt Rangiku," she said.

"Well, the battle grew stronger and fiercer, with each side trying to get at the other, but both sides determined to win at any cost. Finally the woman managed to catch her one-time friend. She tried to get him to tell her why he had done what he did. She felt if she could only get him to open up, she might find her long-ago friend again. She never gave up hope that he was still there. But unfortunately, just as he was about to tell her, the traitor killed him. She watched her dear friend die right in front of her, and with his dieing breath he apologized for hurting her all this time, and finally told her the truth."

"What was the truth?" Ed asked.

"He had turned to the bad side mainly so he could find out the trator's plan so he could avenge the woman. See, when she was still very young the traitor attacked her and stole some things from her, and her friend only pretended to turn to the bad side so he could try to get revenge…but he never got it."

"Was the woman sad?"

"She was so sad. She was sad, puzzled, confused, and distraught over all that had happened. She was so sad she even wanted to leave the army forever. For the longest time she stayed in her house. She didn't want to talk to anyone, she didn't want to see anyone…she just wanted to leave the whole world behind."

"But she didn't?"

"She almost did, if it wasn't for her own captain. After she didn't show up for work for weeks and weeks he grew worried about her. He went to see her at her house and talked to her. He told her how worried he was for her, and he said that if she needed to talk he was there for her and always would be. He told her that it wasn't good to shut herself away from the world. He would be there, he would talk to her. Even though her friend had died, she was not entirely alone. She would never be alone as long as he was there. She took him up on his offer and for the next year they were always seen together. She did start coming to work again and during lunch…or during breaks…or even in the middle of the day when she didn't think she could go on, her captain would take her to the couch and sit with her. They would just hold hands and talk. They started out just talking about the war, and how she was hurting. But soon they began to talk about personal things…and she realized she was enjoying her Captain's company more and more. Soon their friendship grew and grew. They started having dinner at each other's homes and spending as much time together as they could. And soon a wonderful thing happened between them."

"What Aunt Rangiku?"

"She realized she had fallen in love! She has fallen tenderly in love with her Captain. Her own dear sweet Captain had pulled her from the brink of sadness and had shown her how to love again!"

"And did they get married?"

Rangiku looked down. "Well, no," she admitted. "They wanted to..they did so much. But it turns out that Captains and Lieutenants from the same Squad were forbidden to fall in love with each other."

'You mean like Romeo and Juliet?"

"In a way. Only one of the Captains who discovered their love sent the woman far far away, with the threat of telling the Ultimate Captain of their affair and having them both kicked out. The woman loved her Captain so much she couldn't bear to have that happen to him. So she left him a goodbye note of love and left. She went down to another land and was thinking of a way to start over."

"What happened?"

"Well then something really nice happened. She met a very nice woman and helped her to defeat a horrid thief. The woman immediately asked her to join her group."

"Then what happened?"

"Then she ended up starting her life anew. She found a brand new home..and four of the best friends anyone could ever hope to ask for!"

"And she lived happily ever after?" Ed asked sleepily.

"Well…the story is far from over…"Rangiku said softly. "I do admit, she still misses her own home and her old friends terribly. She enjoys her new home…and she couldn't ask for better friends…but a part of her is always gone..and it belongs to the Captain, and the love she left behind. She'll always love her Captain, and she knows that he's OK, even though she'll never see him again. But she knew leaving him was the best. Her new friends truly make her feel needed and wanted and every day is a new adventure. She'll never know what she's doing next. But a part of her will always want to be with him." There was a small snore, and Rangiku turned to see that Ed had fallen asleep. Smiling, Rangiku adjusted her blankets and kissed her gentily on the cheek before carefully standing up and walking out of the room. Slowly she walked down the hallway, thinking of the story she had just told Ed. She stood in front of the window, Toshiro's face still freshly etched in her mind. She knew that that image would never go away from her mind...or from her heart. She knew that Toshiro was a permanent part of her, and a portion of her heart would forever remain empty. She touched the silver locket that was dangling around her neck, staring at the small blue star glowing above her head. Blinking back tears she stared at the small glow. "Good night, Toshiro.." she whispered. She closed her eyes, seeing his handsome face reflected behind her eyelids. In the wind she heared his gentile tender voice, whispering right to her.

"Good night, Rangiku."

"