Gigai 11: Investigative Journalism

Ukitake set down his tea cup and looked over at his guests. Despite being out of breath after a narrow escape from a fan mob they already had the energy to bicker.

"…and since that whole incident was YOUR fault, you better just man up!" Rukia finished standing on her tip-toes pushing an accusatory finger into Ichigo's chest. The boy glowered down at her and opened his mouth to protest.

Before a breath could escape his lips, Rukia threw her hand palm turned out into his face. "I don't want to hear it! You're here now, so let's just get it over with."

She turned on her heel and marched to the door. "I will be in the barracks. If you don't want to do this good luck getting back on your own. I am sure those fan boys would be willing to give you a hand…and perhaps more." She smiled suggestively over her shoulder then shut the door behind her.

Ichigo was speechless for a moment. His face red with equal parts anger and embarrassment as the last words tumbled though his brain, Anger won out and he threw his seat cushion at the closed door. "Stupid meddling midget" He grumbled.

"If I may?" Ukitake began. Ichigo looked up surprised. He had completely forgotten Ukitake was in the room. Ukitake sighed, was he really that forgettable?

"Please have a seat. Kurosaki-san." He gestured to Rukia's now empty cushion. "I think I know why you are here and if I might make a few suggestions before you confront Captain Kuchiki."

"I have no intention of meeting that stone faced control freak." Ichigo snorted. "Rukia can clean up her own messes." he crossed his arms in a statement of finality.

"I think you had better look at this." Ukitake pulled a newspaper out and smoothed it on the desk. "whoever is behind this is not just targeting Rukia." The front page of the paper had a huge three column wide image of Ichigo dressed in that ridiculously tight shiny suit leaning seductively towards another man in a bar.

Ichigo grabbed the paper and stared hard. Slowly his knuckles turned white as his grip tightened crumpling the paper. "What. Is. This?" He choked.

"It came out a few weeks ago. I was surprised myself that you were so…open." Ukitake finished awkwardly. Ichigo waded the paper up and tossed it into the waste bin. "I am NOT gay!" he growled. "If you must know, that pictures is actually Rukia. She was inside me…" Ichigo trailed off. That sounded a bit wrong, best not phrase it that way in the future.

Ukitake coughed. "Is that so?" He asked, one dark eyebrow raised slightly in disbelief. Ichigo rolled his eyes, Ukitake did not seem too convinced. "Either way, I think you should talk to Hisagi-san tomorrow. He takes the submissions for the paper, he may know who has been submitting the images. That way you can have an explanation when you face captain Kuchiki."

Ichigo nodded in agreement. "I will meet Shuhei but Rukia is on her own to explain this to her brother. We have an agreement. I already had to explain it to my family…" Ichigo shuddered at the memory.

Ukitake saw Ichigo's face go red before he quickly turned toward the door. What in the world had these children been up to? Ukitake wondered. "I will show you to the barracks. Shuhei said he would stop by in the morning."

*******The Next Morning****************

Shuhei shifted nervously in his seat. "I didn't realize Ichigo and Rukia were also going be here." He said avoiding looking at the two celebrities scowling at him across the table. Ichigo started the questioning, while Rukia held the offending article in front of Hisagi's face. It was the last copy that had not been confiscated.

"And here we thought you would be delighted to finally get a one-on-one interview with us!" Ichigo sneered.

Shuhei picked up his tea and stared hard at the cup. Mental note to never trust Ukitake again. Sure he seemed all sweet and fatherly but he totally just sold me out. "I already told you, Ichigo. I can't give up my sources. It would ruin my journalistic integrity." Shuhei said then downed his tea in one gulp wishing it was something stronger.

"You're worried about journalistic integrity? You should be worried about your physical integrity. Do you have any idea how pissed Byakuya is going to be?" Ichigo asked. Shuhei felt a familiar churn in his stomach. That had occurred to him already.

Rukia remained silent. She had turned the paper back to face her and was looking at it intently. Suddenly she tossed the paper across to a surprised Shuhei. "It was Matsumoto, wasn't it?" She asked her keen purple eyes locked on his face.

"I..it…I can't say…" Shuhei mumbled.

"Thought so!" Rukia smirked.

"Wait how did you figure all that out?" Ichigo asked grabbing the paper and staring hard at the picture. "Is her image reflected in the background somewhere?"

"It's more obvious than that." Rukia pointed to a line in the article. Clearing her throat she began to read. "Rukia's bust now rivals Yoruichi's for second most beautiful behind the undisputed queen of buxom beauty Matsumoto Rangiku." Rukia shot a glance at Shuhei as she finished. "It was Rangiku, wasn't it?"

Shuhei sighed. "Wait, we don't know it was Rangiku!" Ichigo interjected. "It could have been someone who is a big fan of Rangiku or her…figure." He said looking the paragraph over again.

"Would they sign it, with a pseudonym 'La Buxom Agent Provocateur'" Rukia asked already headed to the door. "Rangiku can be painfully obvious at times."

************ Division 10 Offices **********

Rangiku looked over at her captain. His youthful face set in a concentrated frown as he read over a document. "Aww, captain if you keep making that face you are going to get frown wrinkles." Matsumoto commented walking over to his desk.

"Matsumoto! Working with you would give anyone wrinkles!" He snapped without looking up. She was mid pout when a sound interrupted her.

Someone was knocking at the door. "I'll get it!" Rangiku sing-songed trotting over to the door. She quickly arranged her hair and adjusted her shikakusho just a bit lower. With a dazzling grin she opened the door. Any distraction was welcome, or so she thought.

A dower Ichigo and Rukia followed by a cowed Shuhei stood in the path of her beaming smile. She slammed the door shut just as quick as she had opened it. She had only taken a few steps away when there was another louder knock.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya thundered.

Reluctantly Rangiku turned and opened the door again. "Oh, Rukia, was that you?" She pasted on a fake smile. "Sometimes I can't see short people over my…uniform" She finished lamely.

"Are you saying you missed Ichigo and Hisagi-san too?" Rukia muttered anger rising at the short reference.

"Ah ha ha ha. Well, it is early. Come in and have some tea?" Matsumoto offered.

Shuhei swirled the tea in his cup and tried to avoid looking at anyone. He was seated next to Rukia and Ichigo. Rangiku had poured the tea and an awkward silence had fallen over the group. Only the scratching of Hitsugaya's pen broke the quiet.

Rukia cleared her throat. "What do you have to say for yourself, La Buxom Agent Provocateur?" She asked archly.

"I can write about whatever I choose. If people behave scandalously, gossip columnists have a right to tell their readers." Rangiku answered.

"So you admit to being La Buxom Agent Provocateur?" Rukia added with a malicious smile.

"I…am not…well maybe." Rangiku stumbled. "so what if I am?" She finished folding her arms under her chest. Shuhei and Ichigo fell into a stunned silence. Rukia glared at Ichigo but he was still staring at Rangiku. Like hell Rangiku was going to get away with this by using her feminine wiles. Rukia punched Ichigo in the shoulder.

"Um…yeah…so why were you stalking us in the real world?" He asked blinking as he came to.

Rangiku flipped her hair indolently. "Please! If I had that much time in the real world I would not waste it following you two no matter how ridiculous you were behaving." Rangiku's eyes got misty as she imagined it. "Not with so many stores I have yet to shop at and so many clothes I have yet to wrap around my gorgeous body." She wrapped her arms around herself in ecstasy. Shuhei and Ichigo where now drooling slightly.

"So you didn't take the pictures?" Rukia scoffed as she kicked both men the in shins.

"No, they just showed up on my desk." Rangiku said coming back from shopping dreamland. "You can ask Taicho. I was here working dutifully the whole time!" She looked sweetly over at Hitsugaya.

He huffed out a derisive snort. "I'll admit she was here but for all she accomplished she may as well have been out gallivanting in the real world!"

"I knew I could count on you Taicho!" Rangiku lilted happily as she blew him a kiss. Hitsugaya let out an exasperated sigh. There was no reasoning with the woman. He pulled another paper from the stack and went back to his work.

"So there you have it. I was not stalking you. The pictures just appeared on my desk one morning!" Rangiku stood up. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a lot of work I need to get done."

Ichigo eyed her desk, which was over flowing with papers. Hitsugaya dropped his pen and sat opened mouthed. Rangiku had just said she needed to do work. Would wonders never cease. Picking up a paper from the moutain on her desk, she quickly shooed her guests out. She firmly closed the doors and collapsed on the sofa letting the paper float forgotten onto the floor.

"What about your work Matsumoto?" Hitsugaya asked a familiar frown settling over his features.

"I am exhausted." She rolled over onto her back. "Want some tea?" She asked.

"You just made some." he pointed out.

"Yes, but now it is cold…" She muttered as she stretched out like a cat. Hitsugaya snorted and went back to his papers. A new day, same old Matsumoto.

Outside the division 10 buildings Ichigo and Rukia stood in silence.

"Speaking of work, I need to report to my division." Shuhei said as he edged away from the two brooding shinigami. Neither moved as they considered what to do next. Taking their silence as a good sign he flash stepped away without looking back.

"So, we're back to square one…" Rukia said rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"This sucks!" Ichigo barked to the empty streets. Stuck in seireitei and no closer to throwing Byakuya off his tail.

As if called by Ichigo's reverberating exclamation, Renji appeared from around the side of the building. He smiled nervously and walked over.

"Hey!" He said cautiously observing the desperate air about the duo. "I was just looking for you two." He paused but got no response. "Kuchiki-taicho wants to see you. The both of you." He added and shot a meaningful look at Ichigo.

Rukia's shoulders sagged, "No, this sucks." She muttered kicking the stones beneath her feet.

A/N: Ok! My computer is back in action. Woohoo! Sorry about the wait. Creepy old men at the library can be really creepy and make nasty coughing sounds to scare you away. Yes, I was cough attacked off my computer. I was pretty sure that last one had phlegm in it. Uck!

Sorry this was a bit of a filler chapter and lacked real action. Next chapter we will finally have a nice talk with Byakuya. ^_^

Thank you to my lovely reviewers for comments, encouragement, and the occasional death threat should I fail to deliver. I love you all!