Not Mine Valentine
Torn Heart
Rangiku found her way back to her division, her arms crossed across her chest as she walked along. She took her time getting back as she wished to think about what she had found out. "How am I supposed to tell taicho about this? I know that I eventually have to tell him, but the truth's already hurting myself, so I need to tell him with a calm head.
She arrived at the division and found herself catching eye of the boy. She blinked a couple of times as she heard him suddenly humming a lullaby that children were sung to help them sleep at night. She shook her head and leaned against the door frame a bit watching him. "He hasn't noticed that I've entered the room."
Eventually she went and sat at her desk and opened her desk drawer to retrieve her brush so she too could work on paperwork. Her body froze upon seeing the Valentine she had completed for Gin sitting there on top of all the other Valentine's. She swallowed and closed the drawer before leaning back in her chair and looking at the ceiling. "Perhaps I should just tear it up."
Turning her head, she looked over at Toshiro who was still off in his own little world. She watched him, her eyes narrowing and her mouth twisting up in sadness. "How much of his life have I missed? Actually, what would have happened to him if I hadn't found him when I did? He is such a precious child, but so few actually understand him."
"That's because he's like his father."
Rangiku closed her eyes. "He's like his father? Well, he does look like Gin and he does share some of the same personality traits, but to be honest he ended up differently."
"He could have ended up like his father if something went wrong."
"I don't want to think about that."
"Matsumoto?" Rangiku's eyes opened up and she saw the small taicho looking at her, a frown having appeared on his face. "Are you all right? You don't look so good."
The woman's eyes widened as she looked at him. She then sat up and held her hand up with the palm up and moved her fingers in a manner that indicated she wanted him to come see her. "Come here taicho?"
The boy raised one eyebrow before standing up and walking over. When he got close enough she reached to hands out and pulled him into a hug so that his chin was over her shoulder. She could feel him tightened in surprise as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. Her feelings then bubbled over and she found herself sobbing. Her tears dropped down onto his white haori.
"Umm... Matsumoto..." The boy at first didn't do anything at first, but then raised one hand to touch the woman's back. "Are you all right? Did Ichimaru say something to you?"
The woman nuzzled the boy's neck. "Don't worry about what he told me."
"But..."
"You don't need to know just yet, but I do promise I'll eventually tell you." She tightened her grip slightly.
She could feel Toshiro glance towards the door. The boy flinched right about that time when someone came into the room. "Taicho?"
The boy pushed her away and stormed over to his desk and dug back into the paper work. At first he pretended that she wasn't there, but eventually looked up to glare at him. Rangiku pushed her lips together while she brushed the tears away. "I don't care how much you glare at me taicho. Hugging you knowing that you're my little one felt good despite what Gin's done."
She then went to open the drawer again, the valentine causing her to pause again. She glanced up at the boy again while biting her lip. "Shinji asked me if Toshiro was Gin's and my child." The woman found herself suddenly standing up. "Taicho, I'm going to go and see the captain of the fifth division."
"All right. I don't see why." The boy was now glaring at the paperwork in front of him and back to a more normal composure for himself.
Rangiku slipped out of the room and headed to the fifth division. The woman came across Momo at her desk. "Good afternoon Momo."
The girl suddenly glanced up, her eyes wide." How are you doing Rangiku? I mean, with the fact that Gin is back and all. He betrayed you like Aizen betrayed me."
"Well, it isn't exactly the same, but you're likely the last person I should be telling that taicho happens to be our child." Rangiku forced the corners of her mouth into a smile. "I'm doing well, so don't worry about me. I'm here to speak to your taicho."
She walked over to his desk where he was busy listening to his walk man. He lifted one of the ear buds out of his ear. "What do I owe the pleasure of this visit too?"
"I am need of someone to talk privately too about something and I figure that you are the best person to talk to and give me advice."
The man turned off the device and stuck it into his desk drawer. "All right. I'll take you to lunch."
The woman raised her hands. "No, I should be paying for lunch. I'm the one asking to speak to you privately."
"I needed to talk to you about something anyways." The man stood up and turned to the small female. "Hinamori, behave while I am gone."
"Yes sir." Rangiku turned and followed the man out of the place and towards a small restraunt where they were given a private room.
"You go first Ran-chan."
"I spoke with Gin today." The woman held her hands in her lap.
"So... you managed to talk to him. How?"
"Taicho did something, but I haven't gotten out of either one what Taicho went and did."
"I see. What did Gin say to you?"
"You remember how you asked me if taicho was Gin and my child?"
"Yeah actually. That is what I wanted to you about." The man took a drink of his sake. "Well, Gin in general."
"I get the feeling you wouldn't be surprised for some reason if I told you taicho was our child."
Shinji tilted the glass back and forth. "I had my suspicions when I first saw the boy during the Winter War. But truth be told I've had my suspicions that the two of you had a child. Gin would always sneak off to where you were staying, but he'd also sneak off to this small house in the first district to the south. Sound familiar?"
Rangiku glanced away. "I found taicho around forty to fifty years ago in that area. He almost killed the little lady who raised him as her grandchild with his reiatsu before I found him."
"I take it that you don't want to talk to me about the fact Gin hid the boy from you all these years, or how you didn't remember."
"I'm looking for advice on what to do with him. Both of them. I've already told Gin that I don't want him having anything to do with taicho."
Shinji looked up from his meal and stared for a small amount of time. "From what I saw the other day, your son has a morbid interest in his father without him knowing that it is his father. I mean, he did go off and bother Gin rather then coming back like he promised. There is a chance he has an idea already of the relationship between you two."
"Taicho's told me many times he's died on a plain of ice. I want to tell him, but I also don't think this is the best time for me to tell him. I want to give it a bit of time to sink in and I want to see to this strange behavior he's been having."
The man spoke with food at his mouth and pointed his utensils at her. "If his behavior remains off, others are going to notice that he's not his normal self."
"Taicho doesn't realize it, but Gin's already picked up on it."
Shinji took a drink of the sake. "That child was always observant of the people around him. So is Toshiro. Be careful how you react around the boy. You don't want him to pick up on something your not ready for him to pick up on and you don't want him to pick on something and misunderstand it completely."
"As to how to tell him..."
"I don't know." The man took a drink. "I'm worried right now about what is going to happen to Gin in a months time. He'll still be under the regulations of the Gotei Thirteen and be a member, but he's also lost his position as a captain. So tell me, where does he belong?"
"Well, all the fukutaicho positions are filled."
"Really?" The man took a drink. "Technically despite having a fukutaicho in my division it is a bit hard for me to say she is fukutaicho material. I feel like Kensei babysitting his former fukutaicho. It just..." The man paused. "... well, I doubt Hinamori would take it well if I replaced her with Gin. The thing is, I have decided to take him into my division because to be honest, he needs babysitting for very different reasons. But I can't justify keeping her on as fukutaicho when I have someone far more skilled for the job."
"That's my delima." Shinji paused. "That, and dealing with Hiyori finding out, and your taicho finding out who his parents all. The whole thing is a mess."
"Do you agree with their decision? Gin told me he had no problems killing Hinamori."
"I don't blame him. She rather gets on my nerves at times." The man took a drink. "But did he tell you that he would actually kill her, or did he tell you that he would have no hesitation in killing her if he was under orders to do so."
"You didn't answer my question."
"From what I understand the forty-six has no proof that Gin actually participated in any of Aizen's crimes. I know for a fact that Gin just followed Aizen around like a little lost puppy dog when he was my third seat and I testified to that when I came back. With Tosen there was actual proof of his treason beyond him just leaving."
Shinji then stir his sake. "And if Gin had been under orders to go under cover, which he was not... lets just say if Aizen had ordered him to kill someone, or do something he would have no choice. He had to prove his loyalty or else he couldn't succeed in his mission. The forty-six is fully aware of the fact Gin choose to play the role of double traitor from the very beginning."
"Yes... but..." Rangiku frowned. "The forty-six could have chosen to shut the whole thing up."
"Really? They have yours and Urahara's testimony as well. Yamamoto and quite a few of the taichos know the records, so the forty-six can't hide them. They don't want another incident like Ichigo on their hands." Shinji frowned, swishing his drink around. "And you know, Ichigo also knows. So they know that if he were to suddenly get his powers back just at the right moment and find out that the substitute may very well do what he wants again."
"But this doesn't explain why he got pardoned."
"Because the only crime he is guilty of is doing all of what he did without the orders of myself or the head captain."
"What about the experiments Aizen did?" Rangiku shook her head. "They could have charged him with helping."
"If he did indeed help. Aizen wouldn't have let anyone help with his experiments. Simple as that."
