A/N: I'm back again! This took longer than I wanted (Dialogue is HARD lol), but it's here :). I'd say we're around or just past the halfway point of the story so far. Still don't have the final battle planned or figured out completely, I like to fly by the seat of my pants haha. As always please leave me a review, they motivate me to work on the next chapter! And thank you all for taking the time from your day to read my work, it means the world to me!
"Rukia, Ichigo." Yoruichi called quietly from the doorway, gesturing for them to join her.
"Yoruichi… I thought you were supposed to be in the Seireitei right now. What happened?" Ichigo asked as they approached.
She was as surprised as he was to see the woman back so soon. It was still pretty early, and she'd only been gone two days so she had to have run into some kind of trouble. They had just finished making breakfast (it was their responsibility that week), and most of the other people who were awake were in the kitchen, so it was just the two of them in the common room.
"I don't have time to explain right now. I need you to go get a plate of food and a big ass cup of coffee and take it down to the infirmary wing for me, and take Rukia with you would you?" Her golden eyes looked exhausted but there was a hint of mischief hiding in her gaze.
"Fine. But I want an explanation later…and get some rest will you? You look like Hell." Ichigo chastised gently.
"Noted. You'll get your answers when you get down there. Oh, and don't tell anyone you saw me! I'll deal with that later. Ja na!" Sauntering off to her room without looking back.
"So what do you think we're in for? I can't imagine what she's up to." She asked as they walked hand in hand.
"With Yoruichi the possibilities are endless…which is kind of annoying when I think about it." He said with a huff.
"Well, you're not wrong." Squeezing his hand affectionately.
"Good to know it's not just me then." He said with a quiet laugh.
Turning the corner to the infirmary hall, she let out an audible gasp, her jaw literally dropping. It couldn't really be her brother could it? But it looked so much like him. Glancing up at Ichigo he gave her an approving nod, gesturing for her to go ahead. The man had been startled by her gasp and turned to look in their direction. She was met with a familiar gaze and her knees went weak. She almost collapsed to the floor from the wave of emotions that were fighting for dominance inside her. Surprise, joy, relief, she wasn't sure which was strongest.
It felt like she was in a dream, having had many of this very moment many times, she recognized the sensation. Seeing him just a few feet away, alive and well was surreal to say the least. There hadn't been the slightest sign of him in the years that had passed. It was like he'd completely disappeared. She'd never given up hope, and had always believed he was still alive somewhere, and now suddenly he was right in front of her. Her legs started running, carrying her to him before she even realized she was moving.
"Brother! I can't believe it! I knew it…I knew you were alive." Throwing her arms around his neck and breaking down into tears.
"Rukia…how I've missed you." His arms pulling her in tightly.
She had literally been dreaming of this moment since the war and now that it was here, it was completely overwhelming. There was so much she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to ask, it was hard to know where to start. So she settled for not saying anything and just basking in the moment, squeezing him firmly and holding on as long as she could. He seemed content with it as well.
"I still can't believe you're here." Finally pulling away, her hands reaching for his face. He looked great, the blonde hair somehow worked for him. She could tell he was healthy, the extra bulk on his frame made that apparent. His shoulders and chest had broadened from the added muscle, and his biceps were testing the strength of the borrowed t-shirt he was wearing. He must have been training pretty hard over the years.
His thumb brushed over the ring on her finger and she watched as his eyes drifted down to the simple band. She was expecting him to be angry but he'd seemed hurt instead. It would seem more had changed about her dear brother than just his appearance. There was a Rukongai accent that slipped in when he spoke, sounding almost like a bad impression of Renji. His usual stoic facade, the "face of nobility" was no longer plastered on his face and she could see how he felt for once.
Her mind was rushing with a thousand questions as she watched him eat. He seemed troubled, staring down at his food with a pained expression coming over his features. What had happened to bring him here out of nowhere? How had he survived alone all this time? Why was he in the hall of the infirmary wing when he seemed unharmed? She ruminated on the answers to those questions for a few minutes while he finished.
Leaning forward, resting his forearms on his knees, he rolled his coffee cup between his palms and looked at the door next to her. The look in his eyes was one of guilt. That was quickly followed by disgust, his gray orbs widening at whatever it was he was thinking about. And finally anger, so strong it bordered on rage.
"Are you alright brother?" She asked softly, trying to bring him back to the moment at hand.
"Huh? I'm sorry, I was lost in my thoughts for a moment." His gaze lifting to meet hers as if she'd snapped him out of a daze.
"I am relieved and happy to be here…I just wish it were under better circumstances." His eyes drifting to the floor.
"How did you even get here? Where have you been all this time? And why are you in the infirmary wing when you seem fine? I have so many questions…"
"Well…the answer to several of your questions…is…Rangiku." He said, an almost wistful look on his face.
She could feel her jaw drop, and saw Ichigo's out of the corner of her eye.
"Matsumoto?" They asked at the same time, looking at each other with a smile.
So Rangiku was alive as well? That was certainly amazing news. Except that he had that look in his eyes again, like when he was eating. Was Rangiku the reason he was waiting here? Had something happened to her? Before she could wonder any further he spoke, answering her unasked questions.
Something had happened, something terrible, but he kept talking before she could ask about it. He told them the story of how they escaped together, how they'd been living in the Rukongai and training all this time, even laughing at the memory of that day. The sound filled her heart with joy, but she couldn't help but sneak a look at Ichigo when she heard it. Was this even really her brother? This man in front of her was like someone else entirely. Not that it was a bad thing, in fact she was happy for him. Not being under constant pressure to live up to his name had clearly been good for him.
"Well, I assure you, once Rangiku is better, I have quite a bit of anger to work out and I would love to give him a fight." His hands turning into tight fists, that thinly veiled rage back in his eyes.
"What happened to her? Is she ok? You seem pretty upset." Reaching out and squeezing his hand to assuage him.
Before he could say anything the orange door to her right swung open and Kisuke leaned himself against the frame. He looked haggard. Byakuya had mentioned that he and others had been up all night with Rangiku, but she hadn't expected him to look so worn down. Whatever happened apparently took a LOT of spiritual pressure to heal. Byakuya was on his feet, asking if she was ok and if he could see her before the man could say anything.
"Well…she's stable. There's still a few loose ends to tie up…but we're exhausted and it's nothing that can't wait."
"I can't thank you enough for all that you've done Kisuke."
"You don't need to thank me. Ran-chan is important to so many of us." Tilting his head back over his shoulder, gesturing to the others now making their way out of the room. They nodded their heads in greeting and then sleepily made their way off to their rooms.
"You can go in to see her. But you need to know, she's in a medically induced coma right now. So don't expect her to wake up. You can still talk to her though, they say coma patients can sometimes hear the things around them."
"Why would you need to do that?" She found herself asking. It seemed extreme.
"We found swelling in her spinal cord. If she were to move before it was healed she could be paralyzed." Pausing for a moment to let the weight of his words settle in.
"So we decided the risks of the temporary coma were worth not losing the use of her legs." Looking at Byakuya as he spoke.
"I'm sure she would have agreed." He replied after a moment's thought.
"Well, I'm glad it sounds like she's gonna be ok. And as much as I'd love to hang around and catch up, I've got some things to do. Rukia, I'll take care of your chores today. You should stay. I'll come back later to check in." Ichigo spoke up, grabbing the discarded breakfast tray and kissing her on the cheek.
"Is it ok for me to stay brother? I understand if you wanna see her alone."
"Please, I would welcome the distraction."
"Alright, we'll finish up after we get some rest. I'll be back in a few hours." Kisuke said, tipping his hat and wandering off with Ichigo.
Following in behind Byakuya she wasn't sure what she should expect, so it was a relief to see Rangiku lying there looking mostly normal. Her hair was darker, she was bandaged up pretty good, and there was still some caked blood on her skin but she didn't seem too worse for wear. Though that was probably due to a tremendous effort by the men who'd just gone off to sleep.
He immediately walked to her bedside, taking one of her hands in his, and brushing hair away from her face with the other. He let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes and pressing his forehead to hers for a moment. She'd never seen him touch anyone so gently, or so…intimately before. His shoulders slumped in relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from them.
"I'm here, just like I promised." He whispered, kissing the top of her head before pulling away. He said it so softly she almost hadn't heard it. Not that she was trying to or anything. She did get the feeling like she was intruding on a moment that was meant to be private though.
Shaking it off, she watched as he turned and pulled a chair over to Rangiku's bedside, without letting go of her hand, almost like he was afraid to let go. Not wanting to disturb them, she took a seat in the chair just inside the door, observing them quietly as he settled himself in. Cradling her hand in both of his he pressed the back of it against his forehead, sitting in silence like that for a few minutes. Seeing him be so tender, and so openly caring about Rangiku brought joy to her heart and a smile to her face. Had he finally found love again? She could hope, but maybe she was reading too much into the moment. Afterall, they had been on their own for seven years. And that was bound to create a very close bond between them, even if it wasn't love.
"I believe you asked me what happened…" He said quietly, bringing her out of her thoughts.
"Oh…yeah. But if you aren't comfortable I understand."
He recounted the events of the previous evening, stopping several times to calm himself. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, it brought tears to her eyes. No wonder he'd looked so upset earlier when her name came up. Rangiku was very lucky to be alive. And so was Noitorra. But Byakuya would surely rip him to shreds with Senbonzakura the next time they met. There was no way he'd let that disgusting creature live after what he'd done, she wouldn't either.
"If I know Rangiku, she'll come back from this even stronger than before." What else could she say?
"I'm sure yer right." The accent slipping in once more. She actually liked it. It reminded her of Renji. Oh how she longed to see him again.
"So wait…where are your zanpaktou then?"
"Safe in our home in Rukongai. Though it would be best to retrieve them as soon as possible. They must both be worried." His thumb tracing patterns on Rangiku's hand.
"I know it is necessary, but I also do not want to leave her. I promised I'd be here when she woke up. It seems I still haven't learned my lesson about making promises." His tone somber and self-deprecating.
"Hey, I'm sure Yoruichi is going back as soon as she can. She'll help you figure something out. You're not alone anymore brother." Moving closer and holding his free hand.
"You're right, thank you. One thing I still haven't learned is how to rely on others."
"Are you sure about that? I can imagine you've relied on Rangiku at least a few times by now."
"Hmm, true…and she's never let me down. I on the other hand…I failed her."
"Why does it seem like you feel guilty for what happened? You can't possibly believe that what happened is your fault in any way." She said with a little more volume than she intended. Seeing him like that made her angry.
"If I had just kept her by my side…if I hadn't let her go…if I had only gotten there sooner…" He said, squeezing her hand.
"Brother…" She was caught off guard by the tears welling in his eyes.
"I should have noticed him long before I did…I could have warned her, I could have kept her from his attention."
"Please, brother…don't do this to yourself. You can't change what happened, and you didn't do anything to cause this…the only person to blame is Noitorra." Standing and pulling him into her embrace, stroking his hair and trying to soothe him.
"Besides, since when are you the emotional one between us?" Trying to lighten the mood a bit.
"Ha, the better question is when have I ever been emotional?" Pulling away and wiping the tears before they could fall.
"That's true. I mean, you seem like a totally different person…I mean that in a good way of course." She assured him.
"Well, truthfully I am. Seven years of living like a Rukongai citizen has changed my perspective of my life, and my opinion of the people and places around me." His gaze turning to Rangiku.
"I can tell you really care about her. The two of you must be close." Trying to casually broach the subject of whether they were together or not. His posture stiffened as if he was uncomfortable with the topic.
"Of course, she has been my only companion through these years…how could we not be?"
"Sometimes being together so much drives people apart. Unless you're really compatible of course."
"Rukia…if you're trying to inquire about the status of our relationship, you can just ask." He said with a knowing look.
"But since you seem as interested as Yoruichi…Rangiku and I are not together. We are just close friends."
"Ok, but do you want to be more?" She asked bluntly.
Why did everyone seem so interested in their love life, or lack thereof as it stood currently. Just because they'd been alone for years didn't mean they'd shacked up with one another. And yes, he wanted there to be more, of course he did. But even if it was Rukia, it didn't seem right to tell others before he told Rangiku.
"You do, don't you?" A smile lighting up her face. His silence while he figured out how to answer her had only encouraged her. But he hadn't seen her smile like that in so long, maybe it was ok to indulge her a little.
"Maybe…I'm still working that out." It wasn't an admission, nor was it a denial.
"Well, if you do, don't wait to tell her."
If she only knew how close he'd been to doing just that. It was crazy, the previous evening had started out so wonderful and ended so horribly. It hadn't even been 24 hours and he was now reunited with one of his oldest friends and his dear little sister…and her new husband. He'd forgotten about that for a little while there.
"You mean like you didn't?" It was a bit of a sore spot apparently.
"I know you're upset, but waiting seemed pointless. Does it bother you that much? You seemed ok with it a little bit ago."
" Honestly? A little. But like I said, if you're happy, that's all that matters to me. I just… you couldn't wait till all of this was over?" Gesturing to everything around them.
"I'm sorry, I know you don't exactly like Ichigo. But seriously? All of this was the reason we didn't wait. One of us could die before all of this is over. We decided that even a short time together was better than none at all." Mimicking his gesture in an exaggerated manner.
Her words were like a small knife in his gut. She was right, having anytime to be with Rangiku was better than never having any. He'd been such a fool for so long already, thinking it was better if they didn't get involved. But he could have already had so much time with her, loving and cherishing her. Instead he'd ignored his heart and let his stupid mind win. It was a little embarrassing that his little sister was wiser in the ways of love than he was.
It was beyond clear that he needed to tell her now. He couldn't keep putting it off, he needed to know if she felt the same. If she did, he didn't want to waste any more time. He'd almost lost her and he wasn't going to waste this second chance that was granted to him.
"My apologies…you're right. Not waiting was the right decision. It's selfish of me to be upset about it."
Apparently he wasn't the only one who'd changed over the years. She looked so grown up with her short haircut. And he couldn't believe how much backbone she'd developed. She'd never have dreamed of speaking to him so bluntly in the past. Even if he'd given her permission she'd always still been afraid to talk to him like she would Renji for example.
A few hours passed by in what felt like minutes while catching up with her. Ichigo had eventually come back to check in and she regrettably had to take her leave. But they were together again, so there was no need to be sad, he would undoubtedly see her later. Besides, he really wanted to spend some time alone with Rangiku. Kisuke said talking to her could be helpful and he would do anything that he could if it meant she was able to fully recover.
"Knock knock." The demon cat rapping on the now open door.
Well, so much for that plan. He gave her a nod to indicate it was alright to enter. She smiled when her gaze landed on Rangiku.
"She looks much better already. I'll bet she'll be up and at 'em before we know it." She said cheerfully. Clearly she'd gotten some sleep.
"Hm, I can already hear her complaining about needing a hot bath." A smile forming as he pictured the pouty look on her face.
"Yeah, she's definitely gonna be feeling pretty gross." She shivered as if she could feel it herself.
"Anyways, I actually came to talk to you about going back to Soul Society. I need to know if you want to go get your Zanpaktou, or if you think you could tell me where to find them for you?"
"To be honest, I haven't given it much thought as of yet…but I think it would be best for me to go. Rangiku chose a very nondescript place, naturally. Not to mention that there is more than our Zanpaktou there to bring back. We are stocked for the coming winter, and I'm sure our supplies would be useful here. I don't know what we have left, but we have money as well."
"That means we need more than just you and I. Guess I'll figure out all the details later. I think I can wait until Rangiku wakes up, but I can't wait forever. I've already missed a rendezvous with Toshiro, as well as the chance to finally get to Retsu. So as soon as she's awake, you need to be ready to go."
"I find that to be fair. I appreciate you waiting for me. We missed that rendezvous with Toshiro as well. We made contact with him and…Tier was it? About a week before you found us."
"He's a smart man, he'll realize it's not a coincidence that none of us showed up. I'm just glad I can tell him that Rangiku is ok."
"Indeed. Though I'm sure he's been worried, despite himself."
He and the younger former captain may not have been friends before all of this, but they weren't strangers either. Truthfully they got along quite were many similarities between the two of them, and he felt he knew Toshiro decently well.
"Most likely. Alright, I'll give you at least a few hours heads up when it's time to go."
The next few days seemed to pass agonizingly slow. Kisuke and Hatchi both did a few more short healing sessions. Rukia, Yoruichi and Shunsui had all stopped by to check in on both of them. And he'd eaten more than he had in a long time. But without training or anything to do but wait he grew anxious, pacing around her room when he couldn't sit still anymore. Every hour felt like a day. He just wanted her to wake up and tell him it was all ok, that she still felt safe with him, that she still trusted him.
He didn't know how many others were part of their group of rebels, but he knew it was more than who he'd seen so far. It seemed that Yoruichi and the others had not told anyone the two of them were there. No one else had come to visit, but he was glad for that. At that moment his primary focus was Rangiku, and he didn't want to have to recount their story a million times either.
Finally, the day had arrived. They were going to take her off of the medicine keeping her in her coma state. The last three days had been hard and he knew there were many more hard roads ahead, for both of them, but he was still excited at the thought that she would be awake soon. He'd spent so many hours having one-sided conversations with her it would be nice to hear her voice again.
So when he'd come back from taking a shower (he wanted to look his best for her) and she wasn't there his heart leapt in his chest for a moment. Did something happen? Had there been an emergency? But then he noticed Kisuke in the corner.
"She's ok. Yoruichi and Rukia should be back with her any minute." He said sleepily from his spot, stretched out on an operating table.
Nodding in the man's direction he took his place in the chair that had been his bed for the past few nights. But before he could get comfortable a door at the back of the room opened and Yoruichi came through carrying Rangiku, Rukia rolling along the Iv fluids just a few steps behind her. A lovely scent filled the room suddenly and he noticed as Yoruichi carried her that her hair was wet. She was also wearing clean clothes and her skin was free from blood and dirt.
"Sorry if you've been waiting. After what you said the other day, I couldn't stop thinking that she deserves to wake up feeling clean and refreshed. So I asked Rukia to help me give her a proper bath." Placing her back in the bed, of which the sheets and blanket had also been changed.
"Thank you. It was thoughtful and sweet of you to do that for her."
"That's what friends are for right?" Rukia said with a smile.
"Ok. So once we take her off these meds and the last of them run their course, she'll basically just be sleeping." Kisuke said, removing the needle from her arm as he spoke.
"How long do you think it'll take for her to come to?" Yoruichi asked before he could.
"Hard to say, could be a few days, could be a week or two. It all depends on Rangiku to be honest."
"So, Yoruichi asked me to come on the next trip to Soul Society, to help you bring back supplies from Rukongai. But I told her I wanted to see how you felt about it first. I don't wanna overstep my bounds or anything, but personally I think it would be good for us to have some time to talk and clear the air with one another." Ichigo spoke, a sincere look in his eyes.
"I suppose it's not the worst idea I've ever heard. But ya better be prepared tah carry quite a bit back." He said with a smirk.
"Don't worry, I'll pull my weight. You can count on it."
He was pulled away from the conversation before he could reply, as Rangiku began to stir. She'd been moving in her sleep more often since the night before, but had yet to actually wake. In fact, he'd slept like shit the previous night because everytime she groaned or shifted in the slightest throughout the night he would wake up with a start. Only to be disappointed when he didn't see her eyes looking back at his.
Maybe this time would finally be it. He had hoped she'd awaken when it was just the two of them, but he couldn't be picky about it. Her breathing picked up however, and he recognized the symptoms of a nightmare. She hadn't had one in so long he'd almost forgotten about them. It wasn't a surprise, given what happened, he just wished he could make it go away.
"No….don't…no, no, no…" She began to mumble.
The fingers of the hand he held began to twitch and move, grasping him tightly as the nightmare continued.
"Stop…no…please…please don't…" Her voice sounded strained, and she'd broken out in a light sweat. She was clearly scared, and he squeezed her hand to let her know he was there. He was about to try and wake her when she bolted upright with an ear piercing scream, her blue eyes wide with fear. Quickly checking herself over and realizing she was fine, she let out a sigh of relief.
"Rangiku…" He called softly.
"Ahh!" She jumped in response, her arms going up to protect herself instinctually. But they dropped when her gaze met his. There were a half dozen emotions swimming in the depths of her eyes as they filled with tears. Neither of them said anything but they didn't need words to understand each other. Before he could reach out for her she threw herself into him, her arms around his chest, squeezing him tight. Returning the embrace he held her as she shook from the sobs that escaped her.
"I was so scared, Byakuya…I was so scared."
"I know…me too…me too." Kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair to soothe her.
He held her as tightly as he could without hurting her. Despite the circumstances, he was ecstatic to have her back in his arms. A week of sleeping without her had him craving the comfort her presence always brought him. The way she clung to him, her hands twisted in the fabric of his t-shirt, brought on a pang of guilt. He'd failed miserably at protecting her, and yet she still trusted him. She still sought him for comfort and security. He couldn't allow himself to fail her again.
"Thank you…" She said quietly, breaking him away from his thoughts.
"Thank you…for…not running away like we promised. I'll never be able…to repay you…but thank you." Another little stab of guilt at her words.
"You don't need to worry about that. You're safe now, and everything is going to be fine. I'll never let anything like that happen to you ever again. I pr-...never." Squeezing her tighter. He didn't want to make promises anymore, he just wanted to hold her without letting go.
"Wait…" Pulling back from him with confusion in her eyes. Looking down at herself, she started to check for wounds that were no longer there.
"But…wait…how?"
"How did you…where are we?" Turning her head to finally really take in her surroundings.
"Don't worry, I will explain everything later. But right now…we have some company." Smiling down at her gently.
"Company?"
Stepping to the side, he revealed the two other people in the room with them, sitting in the chairs just behind him.