"So…. How exactly did you save Kaien?" Izuru asked after a moment of silence fell between the two.
"It took so much planning," Rukia sighed dramatically. "Especially since it didn't even happen until almost six years after I woke up as Rukia!"
"That long?" Izuru raised a delicate brow, which caused Rukia to smile with nostalgia. It was the same gesture on the bus all those years ago.
"Yeah, don't ask how long that took me to figure out." Her ears turned red as she sighed, looking up at the starlit sky.
"You didn't figure it out until his wife went on the mission, huh?" Izuru had a knowing tone to his voice as he eyed her with unimpressed blue eyes.
Rukia let out a groan. "I begged to go on that mission, I eventually was allowed and I managed to pull her away alive. I don't even know how I managed to do that. I know that we couldn't touch it, not with our Zanpakuto or our bodies and Kido wouldn't work on it at all." Rukia grunted, crossing her arms and glaring at the ground. "We lost a lot of good men that day. I managed to convince the 12th company to capture it." Her grin was wide and her eyes almost wild. "Kurotsuchi experimented on that hollow until it begged for death." Quickly schooling her expression she shook her head. "Everything went well."
Izuru watched her with a blank expression, which wasn't unusual for Izuru at all. "You would be excited about a hollow being tortured."
Rukia shrugged. "I hated that hollow even more than the one who kills Ichigo's mom… Which reminds me, what are we going to do about that?" She looked up at him. "Do we just let it be? It all turns out fine in canon… But I think she could be useful."
He frowned. "I don't know. I'm all for saving as many people that we can, provided we keep under certain radars. Why do you even think she'd be useful, isn't she just a normal human?"
"Ah silly silly boy." Rukia shook her head with a fond smile as Izuru's face pinched up. "Masaki is a fantastic human. She's a Quincy." Her eyes lit up. "Ah, she should be a child around now. Maybe we should go meet her!" If Rukia's math was correct, she should be around the age of 14 or 15. Somewhere around the teen years.
"I completely forgot about that… Wait, why would we go meet Masaki? Isn't it enough to just save her that rainy day?" He turned to give her a perplexed look.
"Duh! We gotta get her to like Soul Reapers!" She laughed. "Plus, she's probably absolutely adorable as an angry teenager." she clasped her hands in front of her and rocked on her feet. "I want to meet young Masaki and watch her grow up into a fine adult. And maybe Ichigo." She hummed quietly. "Let's head back to the restaurant, I'm hungry." She patted her belly and grinned.
Izuru almost snorted. "Alright, let's head back then, time is almost up anyhow. I'll have Kira tell me how to take Shuuhei home and Momo can get over her irrational discomfort and take care of Renji. We can talk about Masaki and Ichigo later… After I'm more comfortable with this body and earn Captain Ichimaru's trust. I think there's a reason he's keeping me on such a short leash…"
No words were exchanged. If anything, Rukia's smile only became painfully larger.
"I swear, Tanner, if you say… one… bloody thing about what I just said…"
Rukia wisely kept her mouth shut… but made no promise about her mind.
~O~O~
The following morning found Rukia sitting at a desk, filling out paperwork when a pair of large hands slammed on her desk. Sharp gray eyes surrounded by impossibly long lashes glared directly into hers as soon as she looked up.
Rukia's resting smile formed. "Ah! Kaien! My love! What brings you to my desk on this very fine morning!"
"Cut the crap, Rukia, you went out drinking without me didn't you!" He shouted, pointing a finger in her face, a look of utter betrayal written all over his face.
Her face morphed to one of absolute sweetness. "I went out last night, yes, to a dinner meeting with a few friends." She calmly went back to her paperwork, a quiet air of sereneness surrounding her.
"I know you drank sake without me!" Kaien continued to accuse, sitting on her desk and overall being obnoxious.
"Just because Renji and Hisagi-san got completely plastered doesn't mean I got drunk too." She laughed softly. "Besides, it wouldn't have been any fun without you."
Kaien paused and looked over his shoulder at her with a frown. "You mean it?"
"Absolutely." She smiled up at him with her eyes closed. "Now, since you're here, Lieutenant Shiba, I need these documents signed!"
The two third seats sighed in relief from across the room, they had been trying to get their Lieutenant to do paperwork all morning. They knew Kuchiki-sama would be able to do it effortlessly.
"Aww! C'mon Rukia, you're no fun!" He took the stack of papers and looked at them like they were the bane of his existence.
"Now, Now, you're the assistant Captain! Do you really intend to make our sick captain do all the paperwork on his own?" Rukia gave him a wide-eyed, innocent look.
Kaien frowned and grumbled softly, a look of guilt crossing his eyes. "No…" He finally said, taking the paperwork to his desk across from hers.
"That's a relief, I was worried there for a moment Shiba-san."
Kaien gave her an unimpressed look before getting to business, grumbling the whole time as he carefully read each paper before deciding whether or not it was to get a confirmation signature or a denial if it was a request.
Rukia smiled in satisfaction before getting down to her own paperwork.
~O~O~
The following day found Rukia standing outside the Shiba Residence. She held a wrapped object behind her back. She knew what day it was and she was more excited than the little boy she could hear squealing from behind the door.
A tall dark haired woman answered the door, a gentle smile on her face as her eyes glinted in amusement.
"Rukia, dear, you've made it." She said softly, a little quirk to her lips as she allowed the smaller girl in.
Rukia happily skipped into the house, not bothering to keep up with her Kuchiki air. She was safe here.
"Kouta!" She yelled for the tiny boy. Shiba Koutarou was the cutest little bean she had ever met. He skidded into the room, wild black hair and shining Cyan eyes as he locked them with Rukia.
"Auntie!" He screeched, barrelling forward and latching onto her, his arms tightly wrapped around her neck.
"My little Kouta!" Rukia cooed, arms wrapping around his waist and nuzzling into his cheek. "Happy Birthday little man!" She set the boy down before holding out the wrapped object.
"Wow! A wooden sword!" He shouted, swinging it around after ripping the wrapping off.
Rukia smiled widely. "You better start training before your dad gets your auntie to train you… We've all seen how Uncle Ganju turned out." Rukia teased.
Koutarou nodded. "Yeah! Maybe I can get uncle Kaname to help me!"
Rukia raised a brow. "He's not quite trained with a sword buddy…" She couldn't for the life of her think of why that name was so relevant. She met Kaname a few times and she knew he was blind but…. Oh shit. Right. That makes a lot of sense.
"Uncle Kaname!" Kotarou was gone in a flash and was latched to a tall, and rather beautiful man, his dark hair pulled back in braids today, a simple smile on his face as he held the small dark haired boy. His dark skin glistened in the sunlight.
"Hello little Koutarou." Kaname's voice was deeper than you'd expect, he carefully set the boy down. "You shouldn't leap at people like that, you don't know whether or not they will be able to catch you."
"You and Auntie Rukia always catch me though!" He smiled proudly, displaying the fact that he was missing a tooth. This boy was truly growing up fast. Already at the physical age of 5.
Rukia nodded a bit. "I have to agree with Kaname-san." Koutarou began to pout. "Not everyone will be ready to catch you."
Koutarou put his hands on his hips, "But it's good training!"
She raised a confused brow, "Training for what?"
"When I grow up, I'm gonna join the 2nd!" Koutarou swayed on his heels.
Rukia's eyes widened. "Not the 13th like me?!" Next to her, Kaien was looking faint.
The small child waved his hands in a dismissive manner, totally something he picked up from his paternal aunt. "There's too much… Uh…" He looked up at his dad expectantly. When Kaien did not give him the answer his mind demanded, Koutarou made the motion of someone writing calligraphy while repeatedly saying "um".
"Paperwork," Kaname supplied.
"That word!" Koutarou made a dramatic point to Kaname.
Rukia sighed and bowed her head. Well… at least it wasn't the 11th or worse, the 12th. "How would you like to play Spirit and Hollow?"
"Yeah! I'm the Hollow!" Without much warning, Koutarou ran back inside the Shiba house, "Aunt Kukaku, be a Hollow with me!"
Rukia smiled to herself. She'll have to introduce Izuru to this family, if only to see him panic meeting a higher-ranked noble family.
"You do realize he's going to hit you with the new sword, right?" Kaien mutters to Rukia, taking a step back when he hears his sister's war cry.
"You mean, he's going to hit us with the new sword." Rukia cackled and ran off when Koutarou and Kukaku marched out of the house, ready for the fight of their lives.
Sorry that this one is a little short. Thought some cuteness was much needed! Let us know what you think! Remember, reviews fuel the flames if inspiration!
