Yay! An update! Think of it as my present to you all. Don't say I never got you anything. :D

Sorry for the delay; this semester was kicking my butt! The only reason I even updated my other fic, Destined, is because it is much easier to write a quick one shot. I didn't have time to give this fic all of my attention. But I'm on break now, so let's hope I'll be able to churn a couple more chappies out!

Thanks to everyone who has read/reviewed/faved in my absence. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year if you don't hear from me until then!

I don't own Bleach. If I did, this manga arc wouldn't be dragging out like it is.

Karin walked into the Thirteenth Division office, mind still reeling over what had just happened. She, a first year, was going to be put into a fourth-year class! It was insanity! She could admit that her previous Swordsmanship class was really easy, but seeing as the class was meant for someone who had no prior fighting experience, she had expected that. But Advanced Swordsmanship...she had a feeling that she would either sink or swim.

Willing herself not to worry about the class until tomorrow, Karin opened the door to the room that she knew held her sister-in-law. To her surprise, Matsumoto was in the room as well, lounging comfortably next to her friend.

"Don't you people ever work?" Karin accused.

"Don't you ever go to class?" Rukia shot back, dipping a whole pickle into what looked like soy sauce.

"That's disgusting," Karin commented, pulling up a chair next to Matsumoto and sitting on it backwards, her arms resting on the back. "And for your information, I have no more classes today."

"I wanted something salty," Rukia said defensively, taking a big bite.

"And I needed to leave taicho alone," Matsumoto moaned dramatically, draping a hand across her forehead. "So I decided to come visit Ichi-chan."

"Shut it, Rangiku," Rukia barked, the crunch of her next bite of pickle ridiculously loud.

Matsumoto gestured toward the small woman, an eyebrow raised. "Preggo here is pretty grumpy this morning," she stage-whispered to Karin.

Rukia took another loud bite in response.

Karin should have been expecting this; Ichigo had warned her only hours before that Rukia was in a foul mood. "I guess now is a bad time to ask for a favor then."

Rukia's angry chews slowed, and she blinked. "What is it that you needed, Karin?"

Karin watched as she poured another puddle full of sodium onto her plate. That can't be healthy. "I wanted to see if you could get me and a friend through the gates. It's been a while since we've seen our friends in Rukongai."

Rukia shook her head apologetically. "Sorry. Fukutaicho don't have clearance for that. You would need a taicho to give permission."

Matsumoto's eyes lit up, and she looked at Karin conspiratorially.

Karin ignored her. "I guess I can ask Ichi-nii. He owes me a favor."

"It's unlikely he'll agree. Where you used to live is really dangerous," Rukia mused. "And what does he owe you for?"

Karin sighed, knowing that she was right. Asking her father was out of the question too, then. "For this," she responded, leaning so far forward in her chair that she was balancing on the back legs. She peered into Rukia's violet eyes. "Rukia, what's bothering you?"

"I want to know the answer to that too," Matsumoto piped up. "You've been acting as if something bit your pregnant butt."

"Rangiku," Rukia growled, setting the massacred remains of the pickle back onto the plate.

Something clicked. Karin looked at Rukia warily.

"There's nothing bothering me," the small woman snipped, a note of finality in her tone. She looked around wistfully. "I could really go for some ice cream."

"Wow, your cravings are really strong," Matsumoto commented.

"I'm not having cravings," Rukia snapped, setting the plate onto her desk with a little more force than necessary.

Karin and Matsumoto shared a look.

"Green tea flavored," Rukia murmured to herself. "Maybe if I have some actual green tea instead…"

"Ruki-nee," Karin started, unconsciously scanning the desk for possible projectiles, "are you worried about the baby?"

Rukia stiffened. She reached for a stack of paperwork, favoring focusing on it over looking Karin in the eye. After a pause that was a second too long, she responded. "No."

"Are you sure?" Matusmoto asked carefully, all playfulness gone from her tone. "You know you can tell us."

Rukia was ruffling through the stack needlessly. "I know. I'm not worried."

Karin knew that there was more to the story, but she wasn't going to press her. She had already spotted a stapler on the desk, and Karin knew that Rukia's aim was much better than her own reflexes.

"It's just that I'm not completely sure that I want it, is all," Rukia murmured into the papers.

A jolt went down Karin's spine, and her eyes widened. She hadn't been expecting that. "What?" she asked softly.

Rukia began to cry. If Karin hadn't seen fat droplets cascading down her friend's face for herself, she wouldn't have believed it.

"I don't know how to be a mother," Rukia sobbed, her voice muffled by Matsumoto's chest. "I've never had one."

Matsumoto's face softened sympathetically. "Oh honey," she tutted, wrapping the much smaller girl into her arms.

"And I've been told my whole life that I can't have kids, so I've never had to consider if I wanted any!" The floodgates seemed to open. She was crying so hard, her whole body was shaking.

Karin's stomach clenched. Feeling the intense need to hold her friend, she stood, wrapping her arms around Rukia's waist and resting her head on her shoulder. "It'll be okay," she whispered into her hair. "It'll be okay."

They stayed like that for a little while, waiting for Rukia's shuddering to calm down. Finally, the tears seemed to stop, and Karin let her go.

Rukia sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Don't be," Matsumoto stressed, giving her one last squeeze before letting her go. "That's what we're here for."

Rukia nodded, her eyes red. She looked sullenly at the pile of paperwork.

"You have to tell Ichigo," Karin said gently.

Rukia shook her head. "I can't." Her voice, still thick with tears, cracked. "He's just so excited…"

"He's your husband," Matsumoto said firmly.

"And the father of your child," Karin added pointedly.

Rukia sighed, running both hands through her hair. "I know. I know."

"You need to do it soon. He's really worried about you." Karin smiled. "I swear, the only time I see my brother frazzled is if something is wrong with me or Yuzu, or if something is wrong with you."

"I know," Rukia said again, her voice little more than a whisper. She sighed. "I don't deserve him."

"Whoa whoa whoa, slow your horses!" Matsumoto exclaimed. "Let's not go that far."

"Yeah." Karin winked. "We all know that it's the other way around."

Matsumoto smiled. "I swear, these hormones are making you crazy! If this is how it's going to be for the next eight years, Karin, we need to find new friends."

Karin smirked. "Oh, I don't know. I grew up with crazy. I think I like it."

It was then that Rukia's lips turned upward. "Crazy is right," she laughed, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "I have no idea how the women in my family were able to bear children and still keep their Kuchiki honor. I always feel like crying or screaming or crying and screaming."

"It'll be worth it in the end," Matsumoto replied, patting Rukia's relatively flat stomach. "You'll see. Ichi-chan can't help it that his both his mommy and daddy have anger management-issues. I'm actually surprised it took you this long to explode."

Rukia swatted her hand away. "Shut it, Rangiku," she responded, no malice in the words. Instead, in their place, was laughter.

Satisfied that they weren't going to have a mental breakdown on their hands, Karin moved back to her seat, stumbling over the hilt of her zanpakuto. She scowled at it, annoyed that she had forgotten that she had set it on the floor in the first place.

Matsumoto looked down automatically. "Where'd you get that?" she asked curiously.

Karin sighed, resuming her previous position in the chair and lifting the sword up for her friends to see. "It's mine," she grumbled, rotating the hilt in her hand so that the blade turned and turned. "It's been getting in my way all day. I don't know what to do with it."

"Really?" Rukia looked intrigued, and she reached out for the sword, looking at Karin for permission. The younger girl shrugged, unceremoniously plopping it into her hands. "Wow. It's beautiful."

"How did you get it?" Matsumoto squealed, her eyes focused on the beauty of the blade as well.

Karin thought hard. "I had a dream." She paused, trying to recall what the dream had been about. "There was a strange looking man. And…" She trailed off, coming up blank. "Oh well, it's not important. But what is important is that I'm going to be in Advanced Swordsmanship now."

"Wow, Karin! That's great!" Rukia exclaimed. "Congratulations!"

Matsumoto grinned. "You might graduate early and everything!"

Karin couldn't help it—she grinned back. "Yeah, if I can figure out what to do with this thing," she replied, gesturing to the zanpakuto Matsumoto was now holding. "I don't know how to make it disappear, and stupid Toshiro wouldn't let me keep it at his house."

Matsumoto visibly perked up. "You saw taicho today?" she asked, practically purring.

Karin knew that she had to have a strange look on her face. "Yes," she responded slowly.

She leant back a little as Matsumoto was suddenly practically in her face. "And?" the buxom woman squealed. "Did you tell him?"

Karin's eyebrows furrowed. "Clearly," she replied, watching as Matsumoto practically jumped out of her skin in glee. "I showed it to him, and he told me I couldn't leave a part of my soul lying around and blah blah blah."

Matsumoto froze, her head cocking to the side. "You didn't tell him?" she asked, her voice raising an octave.

Okay, now she was really confused. Slowly, she took the sword from Matsumoto and set it back on the floor."About Advanced Swordsmanship? Well, I got promoted afterwards, so no."

At this point, Matsumoto had her face in her hands. "Kami-sama help this girl," she mumbled.

"What?" Karin snapped crossly.

This time it was Matsumoto and Rukia who shared a look. Rukia nodded slightly.

"Do you love Hitsugaya-taicho?" Matsumoto asked bluntly.

Karin started, already feeling her face warm. "You already know the answer to that," she snidely answered.

"Then why haven't you told him?" Matsumoto exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation.

Karin huffed, distinctly uncomfortable. "Well, it's kind of rude, seeing as he has a girlfriend."

"No he doesn't," the buxom blonde snapped.

A few seconds passed as Karin's brain slowly caught up to what was going on. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "What?" she breathed, whipping her head towards Rukia.

"It's true," she confirmed with a nod. "They broke up this morning."

"And now he's being all depressing because he feels terrible. That's why I'm here," Matsumoto added pointedly. "He clearly needed to be alone. But do you know who could make him feel better?"

Her heart was pounding in her head, her breath shallow. This was all to much. As much as she had always wanted to confess, Hinamori had always been in the way, always making it seem like a faraway dream. Now that she was out of the picture, Karin didn't know what to do. There was nothing blocking her from rejection.

Matsumoto snapped her fingers impatiently in Karin's face. "Karin!"

"It's too soon," she murmured. "They just broke up."

"What, do you plan on waiting another ten years before you say anything?" Matsumoto growled in exasperation.

Karin flushed, but didn't say anything. She wasn't sure when she would be ready.

Matsumoto's face hardened. "You know what? Let me tell you a little story. It's about a girl like you who fell in love with a boy, but never said anything."

"Rangiku," Rukia said softly.

"They grew up together, and all they had was each other." Matsumoto kept talking, as if she didn't hear her. "Eventually, their lives had them drifting apart. But she still loved him, though she did not tell him."

A sinking pit was beginning to form in Karin's stomach.

"Then one day, he betrayed her and left her all alone. She knew she should hate him. But no matter how hard she tried, she still loved him!" Matsumoto's voice was beginning to crack, her eyes flashing with emotion. "Later, she would learn that he only left to protect her. Later, as she cradled his dying body in her arms, she would learn that he loved her as well. And always had."

Rukia put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but didn't attempt to stop her again. It was Matsumoto's story to tell.

Karin didn't know what to say. There was nothing she could say that could get rid of the heartbreak in her friend's voice. I'm sorry just didn't cut it.

"She never forgave herself," Matsumoto whispered. "All of that wasted time...you never get it back, Karin. Don't be like her."

It was silent. Then, giving her friend's shoulder one last squeeze, Rukia turned her violet gaze back to Karin. "You should tell him."

"I know!" Karin said too loudly, getting frustrated with herself. "But actually doing it is harder than talking about it!"

"Just say the words. It's not that bad," Rukia replied.

"Says the girl who just jumped my brother one day," she mumbled, leaning forward unconsciously and balancing on the back legs of her chair. "Our walls were thin, just so you know. Thanks for stealing my innocence."

Rukia reddened, clearly embarrassed. "Don't mention it."

Matsumoto laughed, her demeanor immediately returning to its teasing self. Vaguely, Karin wondered if her friend's bubbly personality was just a front. Clearly, she was still hurting inside.

"How about this." Rukia drummed her fingers on her desk in thought. "I won't talk to Ichigo until you talk to Hitsugaya-taicho."

Karin's mouth dropped open. "That's terrible!"

Matsumoto grinned. "That's brilliant!"

"It's unfair," Karin argued.

"It is a lot of pressure," Rukia admitted. "But this has dragged on long enough. The worst thing that can happen is that he'll reject you, but you seem to think that he'll do that anyway, so what's the big deal? All you're doing is drawing out your agony."

"Yeah, pining after a guy is not your style," Matsumoto commented snidely. "The Karin-chan I know goes after what she wants."

They were absolutely right. But that didn't make Karin feel any better. "You manipulative bitches," she said in wonder.

Matsumoto winked. "Wouldn't want to keep your poor Ichi-nii in the dark, would you?"

She wanted to laugh, it all seemed so ridiculous. Instead she stood, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Fine!" she yelled, marching towards the door.

"You forgot this," Matsumoto sang, Fenikkusu's hilt pinched between her fingers as she held it out, blade down.

Karin ground her teeth, frustrated. With the famous Kurosaki scowl in full effect, she grabbed the sword and left the office without another word.

Matsumoto turned to Rukia. "Think we were a little harsh?"

The small woman sighed, ruffling her chin-length bob with a sigh. "Maybe," she replied. "But Kurosakis need a kick in the butt to convince them to do anything." Distractedly, she picked at the remains of her pickle. "And so do I, apparently."

"You know it won't be long now," Matsumoto warned. "Now she's determined to tell him."

Rukia nodded. "But...I gave her my word, and a Kuchiki never goes back on her word. Now I have to tell him." She paused. "I could really use a drink."

"You said it, sister." Matsumoto opened one of the drawers in the desk and removed the apparently fake bottom, excitedly extracting an unopened bottle of sake. "Today has been way too depressing."

Rukia's eyes widened. "When did you…?"

"I guess I'll have to drink your share too," Matsumoto sang, already pulling sake cups from between her breasts and filling them to the rim. "One for you," she shot it back, "one for me."

Rukia didn't say anything, knowing that talking about Gin had really upset her friend. Instead, she walked to the door, sticking her head into the hallway. "Kentaro! Kiyone! I could really use some green tea!"

A/N: Yes, I have given in and decided to give Rukia her new hair. It's grown on me, okay? I actually think that Kubo has gotten better at drawing Rukia with her new look, because she looks pretty good now, but looking back at the chapter she unveiled her new look, she still looks terrible. Oh well, it's probably been people's gorgeous fanart that has changed my mind.

Oh, on another note, I was rereading older chapters, and I caught some typos/inconsistencies. I've been writing this story for a couple years, so I haven't felt the need to go back. However, the errors are starting to bother me. So, I'm not sure if you all get emails every time I replace chapters, but please ignore them if you do. I'm not changing any of the storyline, just making the story more presentable.

Okay, enough of my ranting. Let me know what you think! :)