Tite Kubo owns Bleach. I just borrowed the characters.

Queen's Pawn

Renji ran to catch up with Rukia. He grabbed her by the arm and she spun around, hand outstretched to slap him. "Don't touch me Urahara. I don't want to see you," she said as she turned.

Seeing who had caught her arm, she dropped her hand. She looked at him and then, without warning, she broke down. Tears streamed down her face.

"What the hell is going on, Rukia? You should have killed the guy. I would have." Renji asked hastily. He hated it when she cried.

Rukia shook her head, dashing the tears from her cheeks with her hand. "You don't understand. I was so angry with Urahara. I didn't really want to kill him. I never wanted to kill him. I wanted him to apologise. I just wanted him to say he was sorry. Ichigo said he told Urahara to apologise. Urahara said he would. He didn't. It hurt." As she spoke Rukia kept wiping her face. Renji removed his headband and offered it to her. She took it gratefully and dabbed at her eyes.

"Then why did you tell him you would kill him? Why did you say that once this was over, if you survived you, would return and kill him? You don't normally threaten something you don't mean. Every time you threaten me, you carry out your threats." Renji's face expressed his confusion. He was frowning in concentration and looking at Rukia intently as if he did not recognise her.

"I wanted him to think. I wanted him to realise that his actions had started this whole chain of events. I'm hurting for Ichigo. I'm hurting for you and the other people who got dragged into this mess. None of this seems to be affecting him. He just smiles, runs his business and makes vague promises. It hasn't touched him." Rukia was crying steadily. "I hated beating him. It made me feel worse. If only there was something I could have done to prevent this. Why didn't you just kill me when you came to return me to Seireitei? It would have made this so much easier. None of this would have happened. I wish you'd killed me. Then Ichigo would not be part hollow and Aizen would never have got the Hyogyoku. All I feel is regret." Rukia gazed, through her tears, at the horizon as if imagining how life for everyone else would have improved if she had died. She smiled bitterly at her thoughts.

"You're talking crap again. I never intended to kill you. I was trying to scare you. I didn't understand what as going on." Renji protested against her desire for death and then paused as he realised what he was saying. "You never intended to kill Urahara. I see it now. You were trying to work off your anger and your feeling of frustration. Oh, Rukia. Why didn't you tell me? Why do you do these things?" Renji tried to embrace his friend, but she put her hands against his chest and did not allow him to get any closer.

"I don't want to be comforted. I don't think it is possible at the moment. Please, leave me alone. I want to think this through." Rukia squared her shoulders and walked away from Renji. Renji watched her leave, knowing it was pointless to follow. Rukia would not listen to reason until later.

As she left Renji, she was determined that once she was over her outburst of rage and sorrow, it would not affect her again. She doubted if Urahara would apologise and she would have to come to terms with that. Nothing could change the present. Without watching where she was going she wandered alone on the rooftops of the town. Vaguely she noticed people moving through their lives without knowing the events that were unfolding around them. They were all so concerned with their own lives they did not want to think about anything that did not directly affect them. People, just being people.

The sun was beginning to set and she had still not worked out her feelings. If anything she was more confused than before. Anger and sadness were combined in an abrasive mixture that made her feel nauseous. Her tears had dried but her eyes felt hot and scratchy and her nose was slightly swollen. She would have to wash Renji's headband before she returned it. The inconsequential thoughts passed through her mind as she searched her mind for an answer. There had to be an answer.

With a start she noticed she had returned to the scene of her earlier destruction, the shop. From what she could see, the shop was still not suitable to be a place of business. Debris littered the floor. Urahara was outside, carrying a bag full of rubbish. He stood eerily still when he noticed her approach.

"The shop is still a mess. You'll have to wait before you return to break things. There is little left to break." His lips hardly moved as he spoke. A hat was on his head, shading his eyes so that she could not see his expression.

"I didn't return for that." Rukia spoke through lips that were strangely stiff. She had not meant to return, but she was here.

"Do you want to kill me now?" Urahara asked the question as blandly as if he was asking what she thought of the weather.

"No. I did not return to kill you." Her lips were still stiff and she felt an ache in her throat.

Urahara dropped the bag he was holding and spread his hands. "I'm sorry. I should have apologised earlier. Ichigo did advise me that I should, but it went against my instincts and my pride. I did use you and Ichigo. My actions have put us all at risk. I don't ask for your forgiveness. It is too soon for that. Believe me, I will try to help." He pushed his hat back and Rukia saw that, for once, the expression in his eyes was sincere.

Rukia had not expected the apology. It had been what she had been seeking, but for some reason, it came as an anti-climax. Her emotions had been drained and she felt numb as if this was happening to someone else.

"I've been waiting for you to apologise." Yoruichi appeared from around the corner. "It took you long enough, Kisuke. Now you can apologise to me." She crossed her arms and regarded her lover with narrowed eyes.

"That I may do, later, in private. For now, that is the only apology I will make. I don't want to get into the habit now, do I? Otherwise people will expect it all the time. No, one apology a month is my limit, and not always then." An unconvincing smile curved Urahara's mouth. "The discount offer still holds, Miss Kuchiki. Come by tomorrow and I will give you the Chappy alarm clock. Fortunately, that survived your frenzy of destruction."

Rukia nodded and left without saying anything further. She would go back to the Kurosaki household. The day had been too long and she longed for sleep and oblivion.

Author's note:

I know that Pawn Promoted was meant to be a one-shot, but it appears that I thought I had included something, which was either not obvious, or only in my mind.

Rather than rewrite the story, I decided to add a short chapter. Unfortunately, I wrote this on a particularly bad day and apologise for the soggy nature of this chapter.

Review please.