The look of relief on her father's face was palpable and although Shimei wasn't allowed to do a full body throw at Kisuke, she was allowed to lay on his chest, back facing the ceiling.

Ryuken had long since left them alone which she was grateful for because she was currently crying a river into her father's yukata.

Fingers twisted into her hair Shimei held on a tightly to him as her muscles could manage.

"I'm sorry." She slurred, words muffled by the fabric squashed against her face. "I love you, I'm sorry."

The hand on her head froze for a second as Kisuke took a second to process her words but once they sunk in, Shimei felt his reiatsu twist in reprimanding.

Quietly and without a word the young blonde girl was shifted until she was sitting in his lap. A single hand brushed her bangs to the side as lips themselves to her forehead and Shimei started.

Glancing up she spied the pained blue of her father's eyes and she instantly regretted apologizing.

Flinching a bit she tried to bury her face in his shoulder but the grip he found on her chin didn't permit such a movement.

Staring up at her father like this was strange. To see the bags under his eyes and the paleness to his usually warm tone was striking, and almost as if she couldn't control herself she reached up and cupped his cheek.

Eyes sliding a bit to the left she took notice of bruises and cuts marring the delicate brown of her skin and Shimei made to jerk her fingers away - only to freeze at the feeling of her father's warm palm covering her hand.

"Please," He said softly after a moment and Shimei felt her heart break. "please. Never apologize to me for something like this, it does nothing but make me want to cry."

The 'again' was left unsaid and her chest felt uncomfortably tight.

Stiffening at his words - because to know she had made this man shed tears was horrific - the blonde haired girl ignored the tears rolling down her cheeks and nodded.

Carefully Kisuke closed his eyes and sucked in a breath even as he cradled her closer and tucked his face into her hair.

And when she felt something warm and wet slid into her hair, she didn't do anything but hold him tighter.

"A father is supposed to protect his child." Kisuke said, his voice even and crisp - a clean contrast from the emotion she could feel his reiatsu generating and she clenched a fist in his haori. "A father is supposed to keep his most precious little one safe and I have failed you."

His arms locked around her frame even tighter - but ever so mindful of her injuries - and Shimei shuddered.

"I won't ask you to forgive me, as undeserving of it as I am." He said and she could feel the self depreciating smile curving into existence against her head. "But I pray that you can still trust me like a father is meant to be."

Shimei swallowed.

"I never stopped trusting you." She admitted softly. "And I don't think I ever will."

Kisuke nodded even as his reiatsu gave a great heave and she looked up just in time to see the beginnings of tears well up him her father's eyes.

"You're too kind to an old fool like me." He murmured. "But I'm still quite pleased to hear that."

Shimei gawked at him.

"If you're pleased why are you crying?" She exclaimed with a twitch.

"I don't wanna see you cry!" She yelped as she rushed to press the palms of her hands against his eyes. "You're not supposed to!"

There was a chuckle as her father set his fingers gently against her thin wrists.

"And why ever not?" He teased softly even as liquid dripped out from behind her fingers. "Am I not allowed to feel sadness? I am only as human as my love for you makes me, and rest assured I am as mortal as they come nowadays."

She shifted uneasily.

"But there's no reason to now." She muttered out. "I'm fine."

Kisuke paused.

"You and I must have two very different viewpoints on what you being fine actually is." He said dryly and Shimei hunched her shoulders.

"Well we also have two different viewpoints on how sadness is expressed but you don't see me arguing that!" She shot back and her father cocked his head to the side. "Oh don't pretend you haven't noticed, I can feel you crying out from underneath my hands but your tone of voice carries zero inflection!"

Frowning a bit at him, the girl pursed her lips and peeled her hands away from his face as soft gold meet tired and red grey.

"To answer your earlier question yes you're allowed to be sad," She said as she pulled his hand into hers. "but you're not allowed to cry like the way you just were. Don't half ass it tou-chan."

Staring at each other as a silence raged between them, it wasn't long before her father scooped her back up into his arms and tucked them both up into the covers.

He didn't speak again and neither did she and pretty soon she was asleep.

Tomorrow was a different day.

Meeting the brown eyes of Ichigo from across the room, Shimei's cheerful wave froze the moment he burst into tears.

Hand dropping like lead onto the sheets, she managed to keep her smile as she shot Masaki and Isshin a confused look.

Starting forward the orange haired woman picked up her son.

"He really missed you." The hidden quincy woman murmured as she rubbed her son's back. "We all did."

Faltering as she started to lose her grin under the somberness of the atmosphere, Shimei looked down at her lap.

"Aw, I missed you guys too." She said as she resisted the urge to pick at the bandages wrapping her legs. "It's nice to be around my friends and family again."

Glancing up she looked at Ichigo for a moment before she shifted in her bed.

"Hey Ichigo." She called and she watched as the sniffling boy twitched in his mother's hold. "I missed you alot too."

His warm wet eyes met hers from over his mother's shoulder and she smiled softly.

"I was super lonely without my best friend." Shimei cajoled gently as she turned fully to face him. "I bet you were a little lonely too."

Hesitantly he bobbed his tiny orange head in agreement with her and she nodded solemnly back.

"And that's okay." She told him. "Because that means you care about me and that makes me happy."

Holding open her arms, the young blonde gave her friend a genuine smile that had tears welling up in her eyes.

"So why don't you bring your cry baby butt over here and give me a hug!" She hiccuped. "Unless you're afraid of catching my cooties."

In less than five seconds flat, Shimei found herself holding a crying Ichigo and she closed her eyes.

"I'm glad you're okay." She murmured to him as he buried his face into the side of her neck. "Both Tatsuki and you, I was super worried about you guys."

Snuggling closer Ichigo gripped her shirt tighter before falling entirely silent and so she continued talking.

"She's coming to visit tomorrow you know." Shimei said as she leaned back into her pillows and stared up at the ceiling. "If you're here then we can all have a proper reunion, if you want."

Feeling him nod against her sternum, she looked towards Isshin and Masaki as both adults gave her a reassuring glance.

"And when she gets here I wanna hear all about what you guys have been up to." Shimei said. "And when I say all I do mean everything."

Shimei was looking into a mirror for the first time since the attack - or accident as the implanted memory coons - and she can't resist the urge to run her fingers down the scar tissue.

Her back wasn't as bad as her legs but it was nothing to sneeze at. There were stitches and staples and so much discoloration but she was lucky to even have a back at all - so there was really no room to complain.

Breathing out a sigh as she glanced up at Ryuken, who had been helpful enough to bring her a mirror to use, the young girl straightened her shirt and leaned back into her bed.

"I thought the scarring would be worse." She admitted. "But I don't know if I should actually feel relieved."

The white haired doctor hummed.

"Feel whatever it is you would like," He told her as he moved towards his medical supply cart. "as long as it isn't entirely too negative."

Throwing an arm over her face Shimei groaned loudly.

"I want to go home." She said to him and the doctor hummed again.

"And you will." He assured her. "Once you have been cleared by myself and two other medical professionals, and have started your physical therapy."

She refused to admit she was pouting.

"And how long will all that take?" She asked as she sat up and looked at him. "Because I'm sure my dad will kill himself if I don't retake up residence at the shoten pronto."

If Shimei didn't know any better she would have thought Ryuken was smirking at her joke.

"I'm sure your father has more impulse control than that." The Quincy said dryly. "But to answer your question, you should be all clear within two weeks."

Shimei gave a show nod to his words.

"I can wait two weeks." She muttered to herself. "That's a piece of cake."

Ryuken smiled.

"I'm glad that you think so." The white haired man said as he approached her with the salve for her wounds in hand. "Now would you like to start with your legs or your torso?"

Sighing Shimei lifted up a single leg and let Ryuken get to work.

She couldn't wait to get out of here.

So I finally updated! I'm so sorry for the long wait. This chapter is shorter than what I would have liked but I was struggling.

I'm in university now please keep that in mind.

I'll try to update again soon.

Question 1: How many of you ship Shimei and Ichigo? And if you don't who would you pair her with? (This is for my own curiosity due to messages I got).

Question 2: What form do you think her Shikai should take? And her bankai?

Question 3: Could you guys see Yoruichi as a motherly figure for Shimei?