Rangiku looked up as Nanao came inside. Kinta was still glued to the window, watching the shinigami and explaining to Aiko, incorrectly, what was going on. Yuki had already been fed and was whimpering as Rangiku walked her back and forth across the room, patting her back. For once she didn't mind the baby's crying; she felt about the same.

"They've taken Captains Kyoraku and Ukitake into custody. And they know Rukia was here, but they don't know if we knew so we're not under arrest. We're just confined here for the duration," Nanao said, dropping onto the couch with her arms folded across her chest.

"That's stupid," Rangiku said.

"I agree."

*Four Hours Earlier*

Kaien stood in the doorway, breathing heavily and holding a trembling and terrified girl in his arms. She was Kuchiki Rukia.

"What's going on?" Kyoraku demanded.

Kaien's eyes rose slowly to the captain's face. He looked almost as confused as the captain did by the captain's question. "Didn't Captain Ukitake discuss it with you?"

"Put her down!' Rangiku ordered, pushing past Kyoraku and pulling Rukia from Kaien's arms. "How are you, Rukia-chan?"

Rukia blinked her wide eyes once more. "I think I must be dreaming," she said slowly. "First Ichigo, now Captain Ukitake and Kaien-san. I don't understand why everyone is trying to rescue me. I'm not innocent. I did give Ichigo my power. I don't want to be executed, but I've accepted my fate. I don't want anyone else to risk their lives for me. I'm not worth that."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Rangiku said, tugging Rukia into the room and sitting her down at the table. She poured a cup of sake and handed it to the girl. "Here, drink this. You'll feel a lot better."

Kaien had also stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Captain Ukitake said you would have somewhere to hide her," he said to Kyoraku. "I assumed everything had already been arranged."

Kyoraku frowned and turned to watch Rukia as Rangiku wrapped a throw around her and brought her some food. Funny how quickly the woman could transform from drunken slob to mother hen.

"He never mentioned anything like this," Kyoraku said slowly. "Of course I don't want the girl executed, but this-where is Ukitake? I'd appreciate an explanation if he's going to dump a couple of fugitives on me."

"He was fighting Captain Kuchiki, sir, to give us time to escape-he seemed more than able to handle Kuchiki," he added, when Kyoraku turned an unpleasant shade of gray.

"Well," Kyoraku said, forcing a beaming smiling and turning back to the women. "What are we going to do with you? You're safe here for the moment, but I don't think Nanao-chan would be too pleased with me if I turned her home into a hotel for the unfortunate. She already has Rangiku and crew here as a favor to Toshiro."

"Is Captain Ichimaru here?" Rukia asked abruptly, looking quickly from Rangiku to the sleeping baby as though she'd suddenly remembered Rangiku came with a collection of other people-and there was at least one she was more than a little afraid of.

Rangiku tried to smile. "No, Toshiro's working on finding Aizen's killer, and-and Gin is too. I'm just staying here because they didn't want me at the Third by myself with a killer running around free."

Rukia nodded.

"But you never know when one of them might drop in to check on you, so we'd better find somewhere safer for Rukia-chan. I've half a mind to send her to Urahara, but building a Senkaimon's bound to attract attention, and I've no doubt they'll have someone watching the Shiba Estate to see if you try to take her through yours."

Kaien let out a frustrated sigh. "It's not like Captain Ukitake to act so rashly," he said.

"No, it isn't," Kyoraku agreed. "I wonder what happened to make him decide it was necessary."

"If you're looking for a place like this," Rangiku said, slowly. "I mean a house with barriers to keep out enemies and to hide reiatsu, I know one close by. It's empty, and no one's going to think to look there. I don't think anyone even knows it exists anymore."

By the time she finished speaking, everyone in the room was staring at her.

"Gin makes me keep the key with me," she said softly, and she set a small key on the table. "He wanted me to have a place to go-if anything ever happened."

Hisagi Shuhei was pretty much as far from happy as he'd ever been in his life. His adopted father had just been arrested for conspiracy to commit treason, and had not said one word in his own defense. He didn't really understand Kyoraku; the man was a mass of contradictions, a hard drinking skirt chaser whose main hobbies seemed to be avoiding work and making his lieutenant miserable, but at the same time he had stepped up immediately when Nanao's family had objected to Shuhei and given him the noble position her family demanded. He had not only made Shuhei family on paper though; he had brought him into the family, treating Shuhei, who'd never had any family, like a real son, and during that time he'd gotten to know Kyoraku Shunsui somewhat better. The man was nobody's fool; behind that wide, often drunken, smile was a sharp mind. He saw far more than anyone realized, and understood the truths people tried to keep hidden. It made no sense to Shuhei that Kyoraku would do what they accused him of, but when he'd looked at Nanao and seen her face, he'd known. He couldn't begin to guess why, but he knew they'd helped Rukia to escape.

He'd known something was going on; ever since that bottle of vodka from Urahara they'd been up to something, and it had been frustrating to find himself on the outside again. He'd been pretty short with Nanao, too, which really wasn't fair; she had to obey her captain. If Kyoraku told her not to tell him something, she didn't really have a choice-but treason!

"Damn it, Nanao!" He muttered to himself. Didn't she know there was a limit to how far you could follow even your captain?

"Hisagi-kun."

Shuhei started at the sound of his captain's voice. He looked up in surprise to find Tosen had come after him. He'd left the division abruptly that morning as soon as he'd heard what was happening at the Eighth. He wasn't sure now what he'd intended to do, but it had seemed very important at the time that he be there.

"Are you alright?" Tosen asked, surprising Shuhei. His captain wasn't the sort who was really interested in the personal issues of his subordinates. He mostly seemed to think they shouldn't have any.

"Captain Kyoraku helped Kuchiki Rukia escape; I don't understand why," Shuhei admitted.

"Some people are not strong enough to put aside their feelings for the cause of justice," Tosen answered. "They allow their personal loyalties to come before their duty. I'm afraid I was not surprised to hear Captain Ukitake had broken his subordinate out of the Senzaikyu, nor that Captain Kyoraku would help him to hide her. They are both unfortunately ruled by their own emotions. I believe Lieutenant Ise acted only out of a sense of duty to her captain, and I do not think she will be dealt with too harshly. A lieutenant is expected to trust his or her captain's judgment."

Shuhei nodded. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"If you need the day-"

"No, thank you, sir. I know this has made things worse, and I want to do my part. I will do whatever it takes to return Soul Society to peace and order."

Tosen nodded.

"Well, well, well," Third Seat Madarame Ikkaku said, slowly as he hopped down from a convenient wall into a small, overgrown yard. "What do we have here?"

Shiba Kaien was sitting on the back doorstep with his head bowed against his palms. He didn't even raise his head when Ikkaku spoke.

Yumichika dropped down beside Ikkaku and answered. "I really think you may be lucky. Finding Shiba here of all places."

"Ichimaru's old house, can't believe he left all those barriers on it-thought it was overkill at the time-can't imagine what he must be hiding here now," Ikkaku said.

Kaien finally lifted his head. "Nothing but a futon and a teapot," he said. "Maybe he just liked having another hole to run to in case something went wrong."

He stood up with a sigh and set his hand on his zanpakuto. "I can't let you take Rukia back, and I don't suppose I can persuade you to forget you found me."

He stepped forward and drew the zanpakuto from its sheath, taking a defensive stance. "It's just you and me, right?" He said to Ikkaku. "And I get to fight Ayasegawa when you're dead; that's how it works with the Eleventh?"

"Damn!" Ikkaku swore, and he turned back to Yumichika. "You think the captain would notice if we had a quick fight before we take 'em to him?"

"He was very clear. He doesn't want us attracting any attention," Yumichika answered. "But it's not every day a lieutenant is willing to fight you for real-and I've heard rumors Lieutenant Shiba has a bankai."

"Damn! Damn! Damn!" Ikkaku turned back to Kaien. "You owe me a fight later, you got that?"

Kaien frowned. "I think I've missed something."

Yumichika spoke then. "The captain owes Ichigo so we're going to help you with Rukia. We've already got his friends Orihime and Ishida at the division. Unfortunately, the Eighth picked up Chad yesterday, but we can get him back when they're ready to go."

"Captain Zaraki is planning to help Ichigo get Rukia out of Soul Society?" Kaien said, not really believing it was possible, but also knowing these two well enough to know a lie like that just wasn't their style. "How?"

"What was your plan?" Ikkaku asked. "If it's better than ours maybe we'll use it."

Kaien nearly laughed at that. That definitely sounded like the Eleventh. "You don't have one, do you?"

"Nah," Ikkaku agreed, grinning. "But we're pretty good at winging it. What about you?"

Kaien returned his weapon to its sheath and sat back down. "I thought there was a plan, but I'm not sure anymore."

"Yeah, kinda surprising they'd arrest your captain-and Kyoraku, too. That's something. Makes you wonder if the whole damn place's gone mad," Ikkaku said like he didn't really care one way or another. "Oh, kudos on your captain though, taking out Kuchiki like that, didn't know he had it in him."

"I'm not sure he did," Kaien answered.