Chapter 11: The Unexpected

"Oh how far that little candle casts it's beams!
And thus, shines a good deed in a naughty world."

The crowd stood weeping, watching in utter despair as the inferno raged.

7th Seat Hanatarou Yamada was speechless, all he could do was hold Isane close as her tears soaked the front of his robe. How had this happened? When did his dreamlike evening transform into this horrible nightmare from which there could be no escape?

Idly he wondered why he didn't feel any sadness and realised on an intellectual level that he was too shocked right now, and that it would surely smash him like a boulder soon enough.

His throat was locked in one huge lump, completely unable to swallow.

Then all at once it opened up in a moment of surprise and joy. From out of the smoke, a figure emerged hugging the side of the building.

"CAPTAIN!!" he shouted, his arm trembling as he pointed "IT'S CAPTAIN UNOHANA!!"

The woman stumbled, carrying the weight of the unconcious Nemu. Isane rushed forward and took her, setting the lieutenant on the ground.

"Oh Captain… I'm so glad you're all right." She said, wiping her eyes

But something was not right.

The woman slowly turned her head and looked back at the fire behind them. For the first time in eons, Unohana Retsu cried in public.

"It was Yachiru… it was Yachiru who saved us. She ran deeper inside with the… Yachiru is…is.." she was unable to finish and wept into her hands

Then Zakarai was there, screaming her name over and over and over again. It took nearly two divisions to keep him from diving into the flames, howling for his lieutenant.

There was nothing that anyone could say or do that would ease his pain, nothing that could keep together the shattered pieces of his heart. All they could do was listen to him roar…

And the next sound they heard was an incredibly loud swish and a rumble, as the whole front of the building slid off to the side.

"Ken-chan… I hear… Ken-chan..."

Yachiru Kusajishi fell out of the rubble, her face and hair covered in soot.

"Brat!! Yer alive!!" He shouted in excitement

"Does this mean I get candy?" she asked weakly

"All you want Yachiru. All you want." Unohana smiled through the tears

It was only later when they discovered just how close they had actually come to losing Captain Unohana. A shard of wood had imbedded itself into her lower back, how she had managed to walk at all much less carry Nemu would forever remain a mystery.

Isane informed them that she would make a complete recovery but would be wheelchair bound for the next few weeks. This did not sit at all well with Retsu, who found it extremely irritating not to be able to tend to the wounded herself.

Many 4th Division members had been injured in the explosion, but fortunatly there were no fatalities. The entire 11th Division came to help rebuild the headquarters, possibly under threats of death and dismemberment. 5th Seat Yuchimika was ecstatic to be able to re-decorate. Everyone was obliged to let him, if only to get him to shut up.

8th Division was happy to house the homeless until repairs were complete.

Or rather, they were too terrified to say "no" to Nanao.

Soifon spent her time recovering by putting the so called "security" detail through intensive training as punishment for their failure. And 3rd Seat Kuraishio? The slash across his back was healed in secrecy by Hanatarou as he didn't want to be confined to bed. He had certain plans to take care of…

Unohana yawned and stretched her aching arms, pushing herself around took some getting used to. She wheeled herself over to Yachiru's bed, reflexes making her check the bandage around the girl's head even though it had already been changed just that morning.

"How are you feeling today Lieutenant?" she asked kindly

"Being hurt is BORING!" she complained

"I'm sorry Yachiru." The captain said

"I know." She sighed

Little did she know that her boredom wouldn't last long. The door opened, Isane and Jen coming in and exchanging a secretive grin. Unohana looked amused, this had to be good.

"What's going on?" she asked

"Come along Captain, we simply can't be late." Isane said, coming around and wheeling the woman towards the door

"Let's go Yachiru!" Jen smiled, picking her up and setting her in the captain's lap

"YAY!" she cheered "….Where are we going?"

"Why, that's a secret!" he declared, promptly blindfolding them both

They were trundled along in the dark for quite some time before Isane stopped pushing and spun the chair sharply at an angle.

"We're here!" she said hapilly, and the blindfolds came off

The crowd that was gathered before them seemed to be Seretei en masse.

"WE LOVE YOU UNOHANA!!" they cried

Several people were holding up a giant banner that read "Get Well Soon!"

Quickly the crowd started forming into a line and before she could even compose herself there were shinigami coming up and hugging her, whispering well wishes in her ear.

She didn't know what to say, exasperated at the blur of people coming and going.

"Thank you" she mouthed wordlessly at the two masterminds behind this little event.

One by one all the soul-reapers of Soul Society expressed their compassion for the woman who took care of them when they were hurting or were sick.

Then, something amazing happened.

The crowd let out a gasp and parted. There came Byakuya Kuchiki, dragging the 5th Division's lieutenant behind him by the arm. He stopped in front of Unohana and shoved Momo forwards roughly.

"This selfish little girl refused to come down out of isolation. She would rather wallow in her own misery." He said, suddenly placing his hand on her hair gently in a stark contrast to the harshness he had shown before "I thought she could stand to learn a valuable lesson."

The words he said were as unexpected as his own arrival:

"Despite all the betrayal and the sorrow and the pain, there is still kindness and virtue in the world."

Momo looked up at him, her eyes growing wide and clearing of the fog that had clouded them for so long. Then the tears came and she ran and threw herself at Unohana, and she cried and she cried and she cried.

Byakuya Kuchiki turned and walked away, his hair flowing dramatically in the breeze. The Vice-President of the Shinigami Women's Association was… non-plussed.

"That's IT?!" she shrieked "After a display like that he just LEAVES?!"

"You really can't expect much more out of him. I think that's the closest thing to affection that man is capable of. But then, that's Brother for you." Rukia sighed, rolling her eyes

Eventually, Hitsuguya came and led Momo away, patting her softly on the back. And what happened to them after that?

Well, that's really none of your business.

Finally the crowd dispersed, and there was one soul-reaper still unaccounted for. And no one had expected him to show up, perhaps even less so than Byakuya. If Unohana noticed, she said nothing.

She just continued to smile serenely.
She had gotten so very good at smiling.

That night she sat alone in silence, contemplating the events of the day. The show of support was overwhelming, the healer hadn't realised just how important she was to them all. If they had lost her, they wouldn't have known how to cope.

If they had lost her..

She turned to the sleeping Yachiru, the scene of that night running through her head once again. Unohana shivered, and drove them away. She should be happy, Yachiru was alive and just as cheerful as ever. Yet there was a trembling inside her that wouldn't leave no matter how hard she tried to make it stop.

Suddenly the door creaked open, Zakarai Kenpachi surprizing her by actually being able to sneak. Not that anyone couldn't have felt the typhoon that was his reiatsu from a mile away.

"I didn't see you today." She said quietly

"I was busy thinkin'." He grumbled, walking over to where the lieutenant slept and adjusted her blanket

"Now that's a first." Unohana joked

"Har har, so funny!" Zakarai scowled, then looked out the window.

He went quiet and pulled something out of his robe.

"When the brat turned out ta be alive it made me realise somethin' - I don't know shit about raisin' no kid. Sure I can teach her how ta fight an' how ta be strong, but I can't teach her a damned thing about the other crap. Like how ta grow up an' be a lady. That's why I was thinkin'…"

He pivoted and held out a small, velvet covered box.

"I was thinkin' that maybe Yachiru could use a mother."