Autumn-is-beautiful - Thank you kindly for the review! I've been trying my hardest to keep my characters from crossing that line and I'm pleased to hear that I'm succeeding!

Next Chapter...Go!

Chapter 13

With the Ryoka gone, things were quick to go back to normal. The Ryoka had left on August 13th without Rukia, who was now staying in the mansion. Byakuya had returned to his duties. Daisuke was out of the hospital, but still trying to get used to seeing with only one eye. It was now midnight of the day after the Ryoka's departure, and Rin was wide awake.

Groaning, she got out of bed and went into the garden, rubbing her eyes. Gilepsi faithfully followed her, like she always did. Rin intended to head to the gate and go to Daisuke's or Aika's for company, but if her sense of direction was bad in daylight it was even worse at night. It was nearly pitch black, without the moon to light her way. She cursed beneath her breath every once in a while whenever she nearly tripped over something.

Suddenly, she let out a screech as she fell over a rock and tumbled into the koi pond. She came up sputtering and swearing loudly, sure she had awaken the entire Kuchiki Mansion. Her suspicions were confirmed when her Captain's reiatsu flared a little in alarm and she heard his door open. Of course she fell into the water right in front of his room. He spoke as she dragged herself out of the water.

"Asaje? What are you doing awake?" he said in a hard tone, reminding her that he had a thing over keeping people away from his special koi. Apparently, someone the servants called the 'Kuchiki ghost' was stealing them or something.

"Clearly, I'm jumping into your koi pond," she snarled. It may have sounded menacing, if she hadn't looked like a drowned rat. She heard his exasperated sigh. "All the bad things happen to me," she muttered. "I try to leave the fucking mansion and I end up almost drowning myself, instead."

"So it seems. Come to my room, I will get you dry robes," he said.

"Fuck off, I can get back to my own room!" she snapped. She already knew he was giving her a doubtful look even if she couldn't see it.

"You can't leave the mansion without falling into my koi pond. I highly doubt you will be able to return to your room without drowning yourself," he said dryly.

"Shut up," she mumbled as she followed him into his room.

A light sitting on the bedside table was lit. She looked around, finding that the room was surprisingly bare despite how rich he was. There were a couple of bookshelves and a small desk, but not much else besides the bed, bureau, and a private bathroom.

"All that money and you don't even use it to buy cool stuff," she voiced her thoughts out loud. "You don't even have an X-Box or a TV. What is wrong with you?"

"I have no need for those things," he said simply, making her roll her eyes. He handed her the dry robes. "You may change in the bathroom."

"I should hope so. I sure as hell am not changing in front of you," she growled before stalking into the bathroom.

When she came out in the over sized sleeping robes, he was sitting at his desk reading. When she walked up behind him, he tensed a little. She scowled.

"Fucking hell, why do you always get like that when I come up behind you?" she snarled. After being dunked in cold water, everything annoyed her. She decided she would voice her irritation and have the noble join in her misery.

"I am unable to sense your reiatsu at all; it is a natural reaction. Though, I have never seen such an ability," he replied.

"Oh, that's it?" She rolled her eyes. "That's cus of Gilepsi. I can't completely hide my reiatsu, so I 'give' it to her. No one suspects reiatsu coming from a cat." She chuckled. "Scared the shit outta Daisuke and Aika the first time I did that to them." Secretly, she forgave his jumpiness. She would be the exact same otherwise.

"I see." Though he seemed to care little about that. He closed his book and stood to talk with her properly. "Kawasuzu has informed me that you intend to leave Sereitei by the end of the week." The woman bristled.

"What?" she snarled darkly. "How the fuck... Daisuke, the bastard. I oughta tell everyone all of his stupid secrets, too." She turned her glare on him. "What's it matter to you?"

"I wish to know the reason."

"Well you'll waiting for one for a long time, buddy. I ain't telling," she snapped. She was about to turn and leave the room, but the noble Captain wasn't done.

"Then you will not be leaving. If you do not have a reason to leave, then you do not need to go." She turned and stare at him.

"Bastard, you're fucking threatening me!" she grumbled beneath her breath. Louder, she asked, "And what if I do have a good reason? Will you let me go?"

"I will agree to accompany you. There is no reason good enough for me to disobey the direct orders of the Head-Captain and allow you to go alone," he told her.

She narrowed her eyes. Yet, she was surprised at the same time. For all his cold indifference, he was still giving her a chance to explain herself. To still go, even with his company, though he could just as easily order her to stay and fix the problem then and there. She had expected him to refuse completely. If it was between going with him or not going at all, she knew which one she would pick.

"Fine," she gave in. "I go and visit dead people in the ground. Who are these dead people? The only fucking family that actually cared about me. And since you're such a fucking nosy bastard, I might as well tell you the whole god damned story before you pull the rank card and make me.

"I was a criminal while I was living in Rukongai, but I didn't work alone. I had eight others beside me, helping me. We lived in the higher districts because anything lower than 70 would get us driven out. Kept me away from that bastard, Hatori, too, so I didn't really mind.

"But we weren't like those poor sods you see there now. We were way better off than they are. Though it was a miracle that some of us didn't croak and die like every other stray dog in the higher districts, the amount of fighting we did with rivals.

"We would move around a lot, because Hatori didn't want me around to ruin his name. Sent people to kill me all the time. Never enough though, sometimes they'd die before I even knew they existed. The bastard got smart though. Got to one of my own and bribed him with everything he could ever want. Felix was my right hand man, my partner in crime, and the one man I should have been able to trust above all.

"He fucking told us that he'd been tipped off about some fucking delivery that'd make us for life. You can't pass up an offer like that. Even if I had been suspicious, I couldn't deny them their way into a life they deserved. Turns out I led them all to their deaths that night." She shook her head. "Whoever said to forgive and forget can be dragged into the street and shot. 113 years and I still don't think I'll let it go," she muttered.

Her story had been short, curtailed to exclude all the little details. She wasn't looking at the Captain, who was studying her closely. He had almost seen her physically relax after getting the story off her chest. If she was upset, she was no longer showing it, either.

"So you're one of now three people alive that knows about the worst day of my fucked up life. Be fucking enlightened," she snarled, once again pulling up her shield of anger. "That a good enough reason for you?"

"Very well. I understand," he said, throwing her completely off guard. "Sit down," he ordered before leaving the room.

She debated on leaving despite the order, but instead sat down on the floor with her back against the bed. She owed him that much, after he'd quietly listened, then thankfully spared her any questions or comments. The man returned with two cups of tea, handing one to her. She made a face and was about to tell him that she didn't like tea, but he spoke first.

"It will help you sleep tonight," he told her as he sat at his desk. "I assume your sleeping patterns will be erratic for the next week?"

"Mm-hm, I never sleep around this time," she confirmed as she took a tiny sip of her tea. She disliked the taste, of course, but he had put honey in it to help with that. It surprised her a little. "You didn't have to get me tea, you know. You could've just sent me back to my room to spend the rest of the night awake. That's kinda what I'd expected, anyways. Unless you had more questions," she added unenthusiastically.

"I am not as cold hearted as people assume," he answered, his eyes narrowed. "And no, I do not have any more questions." He then took a sip of his own tea.

"You're more in the loop than I thought you were," she said, referring to the rumours that circulated about him. They drank their tea in semi-comfortable silence. The noble could tell that the woman still wanted to say more, though.

"You wouldn't tell anyone what I just told you, would you?" She was starting to feel incredibly stupid for blurting it all out because she had made an assumption. He probably wouldn't have even asked, anyways. "I know you're not the gossiping type, but neither is Daisuke and the bastard told anyways."

"I will not breathe a word," he promised.

"Good, because, Captain or not, I'd fucking kill you if you did," she growled. The noble used his teacup to hide his smile.

"Of course it fucking rains on the fucking day we're fucking going."

Rin was standing just inside her room with the door to the garden open, watching the heavy rain. Gilepsi was sitting beside her, staring out dubiously. Finally, she meowed and turned back into the room. Her owner lunged for her, grabbing her by the scruff.

"Like fucking hell you're staying behind now! You can go first for that, you little bitch!" she snarled, throwing the black animal into the pouring rain.

She landed in a puddle and her fur was soaked immediately. She came rocketing back inside, yowling fury. She purposely rubbed against Rin's leg to get her wet, too, but the woman just ignored her.

Rin was more concerned that her Captain would put the trip off because of the weather. If so, then she would have to sneak out. While she was good at sneaking, there were still people that were better, and she wasn't sure if she could get away with it. A knock at her other door caught her attention. She slid the open one shut and went to answer the other. Byakuya, looking slightly annoyed, was on the other side.

"We will leave immediately," he said.

"Good, I was afraid you would put it off because of the rain," she said, stepping past him.

"It's a small storm. It will be sunny by the time we reach Rukongai," he replied, following her. A very wet Gilepsi was plodding along beside him, but he didn't spare her an extra glance. Rin just grunted in acknowledgement.

He had returned to her room with tea each night for the past week. Since she hadn't kicked him out, showing that she was somewhat willing to accept his company, he had stayed most of those nights. They had taken the time to talk. Neither of them were particularly good at making friends, but they were on better terms. He just assumed that she didn't want to be alone, but also didn't want her two friends with her after their 'betrayal'.

They were soaked not long after they had stepped outside, and fog had brought the visibility down to almost zero. Rin stomped down the streets, covering herself in water whenever she stormed through a puddle. Byakuya stayed well out of range to avoid splash damage, as did Gilepsi.

Fortunately, the noble had been right about the storm. By the time they had gotten past the first district the sky was clear and it had warmed up considerably. Rin was busy wringing the water out of her clothing the best she could while still wearing it as she walked. At one point, she had forgotten she wasn't alone and began humming to herself a song her mother had taught her.

"I have heard Kawasuzu sing that song before." She jumped when the noble spoke, interrupting the chorus of the song. "Did you learn it from her?"

"No, I... I wasn't singing!" She was immediately on the defensive.

"That was not the question," he said. She scowled at him.

"No, I taught it to her a while ago," she muttered. "It's something Oka-chan used to sing to me, okay? It's catchy, you can't help but get it stuck in your head."

She could have sworn she saw a twinkle of amusement in his gaze when she continued to defend herself. She just rolled her eyes and returned her gaze forward, resuming her humming, but more quietly. She figured it was about lunchtime now because she was starving. Byakuya wasn't complaining, but that was a given since complaining was not noble-like. A half a day of non-stop travel would soon bring them to District 27. She knew where they could get a meal. Even if she didn't much appreciate who they were getting the meal from.

"I know a place for lunch. I'm broke, so you're buying," she informed him once they had reached the first area that actually had people living in it.

Fortunately, the noble didn't argue. He had already resigned himself to the fact that he would be buying most of the supplies they needed, anyways. Much to his surprise, Rin led them into a small tea shop. They were a few other costumers, some whose gazes lingered on the woman, he noticed. He realized that she must be known in this area, remembering her tale of her criminal life. He was immediately on his guard because of it.

"Esaki!" she yelled across the single room, drawing a lot more attention than Byakuya would have liked. He hoped she had noticed their stares as well and was ignoring them because they were no threat, but it was hard to tell with her.

A head poked up from behind the counter, eyes narrowing when they saw the woman. He stood up fully, glaring at the two of them. He had messy, strawberry blond hair, a thin face, dozens of freckles across his pointed nose and high cheekbones, and brown eyes. Byakuya recognized the last name, but this man looked nothing like Daisuke. He figured that they were members of a makeshift family like the ones seen everywhere in Rukongai.

"Asaje," he growled. "So they actually let you into the Gotei 13?"

"Damn straight. And you said we couldn't do it." She stuck her tongue out at him, giving him a triumphant smirk, as she took a seat at the counter.

"It was a horrible idea, you two going into the Shinigami Academy," he snarled. "You better not get Suke-nii killed because of your stupidity." The comment struck a chord in the woman and she flinched. She quickly regained her composure and sneered at him.

"Why don't you be a good bitch and go get us some food?" she growled. He seemed a little startled.

"Us?" His gaze flicked over to rest on the noble, taking in the haori, the kenseikan, and the silver scarf around his neck. "Y-you're... Captain Kuchiki..." He bowed deeply, slamming his head against the edge of the counter in the process. He swore loudly, and then quickly introduced himself.

"My apologies, Kuchiki-sama. I am Esaki Dakota, the owner of this tea shop. Is there anything I can get you today?" he said pleasantly. He looked up and pasted a smile on his face.

"Suck up," Rin muttered.

He glared at her, but looked back at Byakuya when he sat down and asked for a menu. Once they had ordered, Dakota disappeared into the back of the shop to prepare their meals. Gilepsi, who had snuck in with them, took the chance to jump on the counter and get some attention from her owner.

"Esaki's adopted brother?" Byakuya said.

"Yeah. They're nothing alike, huh?" Rin snorted. "Stupid bastard hates me because I taught Daisuke to fight and sparked his interest in combat. Not that it wouldn't have happened eventually, but he still blames me. I'm so glad I don't live here anymore..."

She huffed as she trailed off, not caring to finish her thought. Instead, her eyes clenched shut and she groaned, clutching her head tightly. "Stupid headache..." she hissed.

At the moment, Byakuya thought nothing of it. From his understanding, the woman suffered from headaches regularly, and this one was no surprise. Their food came and they ate, though sometimes Rin was doing more arguing than eating whenever Dakota wasn't tending to his other costumers. Neither of them noticed another pair of eyes watching them from across the room.

They finished their meals, leaving immediately, as did the man that was watching them. As they turned down the road, Byakuya glanced at the unknown man out the corner of his eyes. He never noticed, because the only one he had eyes for was Rin. Byakuya looked away, unconcerned. Surely no one was stupid enough to attack a shinigami and their Captain.

"Looks like little Rin-chan has returned," the man spoke, making Byakuya realize that he'd dismissed him a little too soon. Rin turned, her eyes widening when she saw him. He lunged, making both shinigami go for their weapons. "Stupid bitch, how many times do we have to kill you?!" He screamed, his eyes wild and mad and one of his meaty hands clutching a knife. Rin, who was closer, drew both weapons and ducked beneath the attack to get in behind him, cutting open his side as she did.

"Rain down the fires of hell, Futago Akuma!" She released her weapons and two loose spheres, one of fire and one of reiatsu, slammed into his back and sent him to ground. She jumped onto his back when he tried to get up, forcing him down again, and pointed one of her pistols at him.

"I thought I killed all of you," she hissed, her voice shaking a little. The man only laughed in spite of the position he was in.

"Ha! Felix-sama may be dead, but there are some of us that are still loyal to him! We'll kill you, even if we all die in the process!" He was giggling maniacally, clearly insane. It cut off when she sealed her weapons and slammed them through his skull.

"Bastard still haunts me in his grave," she muttered. She used her victim's clothing to wipe the blood off her two katana and sheathed them. "I'd warn you about more of them, but you're a Captain. You probably saw him before I did, or something..."

"You are quite the figure here," he noted out loud. She shrugged.

"I'm not sure whether that's good or bad. Can't get through this fucking place without being attacked at least once. Most of them are crazy enough to attack even with you here." She nodded at the body. "Like him. Let's go. We can make it before dark if we stop dawdling."

The graves were located atop a grassy overhang that gave a great view of the Sereitei. Some flowers still dotted the small clearing that the forest gave way to before it could reach the posts that had been planted in the ground. It was dark by the time they got there, but still warm with clear skies. Rin was leaning against one of the graves, seated as far away from the cliff as she could manage. Byakuya stood nearby.

"You can sit down, you know," she spoke without looking at him. "Unless you're afraid they'll rise from their graves. Like zombies, you know. You don't have to worry, their bodies aren't actually here. I couldn't retrieve them." He cocked an eyebrow at her words, but knelt beside her anyways.

"I see why you chose this place," he said. There were few views better than this one. He imagined it gave the perfect view of the sunrise, as well.

"We'd come here early summer, before the droughts started," she told him. "That was the best time of the year, except for the heat. There wasn't any rain, or mud, or any other stupid shit like that, though. Just flowers and butterflies."

"You lived a good life here." She shrugged.

"I did. I'd still be living it if I hadn't been so stupid." When he looked at her, she sighed. "No one else trusted Felix except me. It taught me the hard way that I shouldn't trust just anyone, even if he helped us get out of that first attack alive." She laid down to look up at the stars. "But I wouldn't have met Aika or Daisuke if that hadn't happened. I guess good things can come out of bad. Just don't tell them that I actually enjoy their company."

"I don't need to. I imagine they already know." He smiled a little. Seeing the concern Kawasuzu had shown when she had told him about Rin's departure, he knew that she and Esaki also enjoyed the angry woman's company. And, he was coming to realize, that maybe he did, too. Once he had gotten past her tough exterior, he found something he respected beneath.

"Well then that saves me the trouble of ever having to tell them myself. Like I'd ever tell them, anyways," she scoffed tiredly. She drifted off to sleep, soon after, leaving Byakuya to gaze at the stars alone and think of his own deceased loved ones.