Rukia's POV
April 11, 1912
"Come on, Rukia, we're going to be late. I bet Byakuya is already at the restaurant!" a woman's anxious voice broke through to me.
I stayed standing by the shelf, arms crossed, and gazing up in wonder at all the stuffed bunnies that filled it. My eyes finally sought one out and acting on its own accord, my hand flashed out to point at one with white fur and blue eyes.
"That one, Née-san," I looked up at her. I was far too short to reach it unless I jumped. But jumping in the dress I was in wasn't an option.
She laughed and reached up to take it off the shelf.
Bang, bang!
What was that? Gunfire?
Bang!
I snapped my eyes open and gazed up at the ceiling, breathing heavily. The room seemed to tilt slightly and that's when I remembered where I was. I was on the Titanic. I was in my room. It was only a dream.
Bang, bang, bang!
I jumped slightly and sat up. The banging was coming from my bedroom door. I groaned inwardly and pulled myself out of the warm covers of my bed and brought myself to my closed door. I opened it a crack and sunlight pored through, making me squint. "Hello?" I asked, my voice heavy with sleep so I cleared it and tried again. "Yes?"
"Lady Rukia," came the reply of a feminine voice that sounded relieved.
"What is it, Andrea?" I asked my ladies' maid knowing her voice and bringing the door completely open. She stood there in her maid's uniform and her hair was up in its usual bun. A few strands of black hair were astray and framed her face.
"There's a man at the front door asking...no," she corrected herself, "demanding, actually, to see you."
I blinked and scrunched my eyebrows. Wait a second...
"Does this man have orange hair?"
She brought her hand up to her mouth, stifling a giggle. "Actually, yes. Strangest thing I've ever seen, miss. Do you think he dyed it?"
I smiled. "Well, let's go and ask."
Her eyes widened as I made a move to walk forward. "Uh, Lady Rukia. Perhaps getting dressed first," she advised and I shook my head.
"No. If Ichigo is coming here at this early of an hour, he can stand to see me indecent."
Andrea frowned. "Well I wouldn't say, 'indecent'. You're always beautiful, miss. Even if your hair is in disarray," she joked.
"Careful," I warned her. "Make fun of me and that could be the last thing you do."
She made a surprised sound and stuttered, "Ah-no, I-I didn't mean to offend y-you, La-"
I put up my hand, stopping her mid-sentence and burst out laughing. "You're too easy to joke with. Come on," I placed my hand on her back and steered her in the direction of the sitting room where the front door was.
Walking into the room I realized how empty it was. The room seemed untouched, too clean, and unnaturally quiet.
"I left him in the hallway," Andrea said a bit sheepishly, walking ahead to the door.
"Lady Rukia," a new, calm voice called my attention. I turned to see one of Byakuya's servants coming out of the kitchen. He was balding and had intense green eyes framed by glasses. The cook, I realized.
"Yes?" I asked him.
"Master Byakuya asked for you to assist him for lunch today."
"Of course," I replied and the Cook nodded and turned to leave back the way he came.
"Lady Rukia," Andrea called, wanting my attention back. She had her hand on the door knob and I nodded so she began to open it.
That's when I started to second guess myself. What would Ichigo think, seeing me looking without my makeup and my hair not brushed. I wouldn't look like how I looked last night at dinner.
I didn't have time to question myself anymore, as the door came to an open and Ichigo stood there, sporting a tux and his hair in his eyes. He gave me one of his smiles, making me look anywhere but his eyes.
"May I ask why you are here?" I asked a bit flustered. "Unannounced," I added, wanting to mess with him a bit, "and at this early of an hour?"
He stared at me, smile vanishing, and resting his hand on the door frame. "Well, I suppose I could leave," he smirked as he bowed his head to leave ever so slowly.
My eyes widened as I watched his retreating form. My hand unconsciously reached out and grabbed onto his arm.
"Wait," I say as he turns his head to look at me, cocking an eyebrow with the same stupid smirk. I release my arm and take a step back, looking to my left. "I suppose you may occupy my time for a while." I look back at him.
"Alright, let's go!" I raise an eyebrow and he suddenly grabs my hand and begins pulling me out the door.
"W-wait!" I manage out and dig my bare feet into the carpet. "I can't go out in public like this! Are you crazy?"
He stops, giving me an annoyed look but releases my hand. "Fine, go get ready," he waves his right hand, shooing me. "Just don't take so damn long."
I cross my arms. "Excuse me, Strawberry? Are you ordering me around?"
His eye twitches and I can only guess at the name. I smirk, gaining a known pet-peeve of his. I will happily use this for later. Before he can say a word, I spin on my heels and practically prance back to my room.
"Give me twenty minutes!" I call to him.
/ ~ / ~ / ~ / ~ /
Nineteen minutes later-yes, I felt the need to be nice to Ichigo and not make him wait that extra minute-we were walking outside on the lower deck.
The weather outside was absolutely wonderful. All that was in view was the simple deep blue of the ocean, stretching out for miles and miles. We were heading west to Ireland and would soon be reaching America.
I felt torn. Part of me was excited to experience this new steppingstone in my life. I would be living in a different country with a fresh start. But another part of me felt like I was betraying my home. I shouldn't be moving halfway across the world. It felt as if I was running away.
But if I stayed I would continue to feel unsafe and worried, a part of my brain argued.
No, this was for the better. Changing my hometown would be best. Nii-sama had his job in order and played with some strings to land this business elsewhere. Everything would work out as planned. I was safe as long as I stayed with Nii-sama.
Beside me, Ichigo had his hands in his pockets, casually strolling along the wooden deck as if he didn't have a care in the world. I, on the other hand, was taking dainty steps, keeping my hands carefully rested in front of my stomach, and walking with a level head and straight back.
I was too caught up in my own unwanted thoughts when an arm flashed out and wrapped around my shoulders, grasping my right shoulder. "Come on, Rukia. Relax," Ichigo squeezed my shoulder gently.
"Excuse me?" I looked up at his playful eyes. "I am relaxed," I clarified.
He shrugged, dropping his arm and looking ahead. Oddly enough, without the added weight of his arm slung over my shoulders, it had me feeling empty. "You just look a bit tense is all," Ichigo said.
I bit my lip. "It's nothing."
He squinted, studying me for a second and shaking his head. "No, something is definitely bothering you. Care to share?"
"Yes, actually," I admit.
"Alright," he agrees easily. "Then can I at least-"
"No," I cut him off.
"What! You don't even know what I was going to say!"
"I had an idea."
"Oh, really?"
I glance at him and see him cocking an eyebrow at me. A sudden thought popped into my head and I blurted out, "So, why's your hair orange anyway?"
He groans but doesn't seem angry. "I have no idea. No one in my family has orange hair. My sister, Karin, has black while Yuzu has brown, the same color as my mom's. And yet, I get stuck with this," he grabs a fistful of his hair.
"At least you'll be easy to spot in a crowd," I joke.
"Great, I'm a standout!"
I laugh and that itself surprises me. How was I so comfortable around Ichigo if
I just met him last night?
"Now there's a sound I haven't heard you do!" Ichigo smiled, looking down at me.
"Yes, well, don't get used to it." I push past him, sidestepping a couple walking in the opposite direction. Ichigo was right there with me, not even faltering a step behind. He grabs my hand, making me stop.
"Rukia." I meet his eyes and I see all the cockiness about him leave, replaced with...worry? "Something is definitely bothering you. Are you sure you don't want to get it off your chest?"
"I-" How could I tell him? A stranger at that! "I can't. Just not yet."
He nods. "Well, in the meantime to earn your trust, I could tell you what has been bothering me."
We start walking again, a bit slower and at the same pace. I realize he still has my hand in his but I don't shake it free. Part of the reason was because of his sudden expression. He looked a bit sad. I didn't even know something had been bothering him.
"As you know my mother died when I was younger," he began. "The concept of it isn't what is bothering me, rather the how. She...she was murdered..."
"Ichigo-"
"No," he shook his head. "I want to tell you. It'll help get some of this weight off my chest. Anyway, for the longest time I believed it to be my fault. After all, I was the only one with her and I suppose I could have stopped it. But it happened so suddenly that I had enough time to blink before registering the fact that she was shot."
I swallowed. This wasn't what I wanted to hear. It wasn't helping. And yet, it was. Ichigo said that talking about it would help relieve the pressure. Maybe that's what I had to do.
Ichigo sighed and I guessed he didn't want to go into full detail just yet.
I took a deep breath before saying, "Okay, I'll tell you."
He gave me a small smile, encouraging me not to back out.
"Well, I'm not sure where to start," I begin, walking slightly ahead of him.
"The beginning is always nice," he replies easily. I roll my eyes and give him a playful shove.
"Really?" I asked sarcastically. "I never would have known! Thank you, Ichigo, for pointing that out to me." I smiled and he laughed.
"Okay," I sighed, feeling a serious look cross my face. "Six years ago...that's when it happened." I found it hard to suddenly be talking about this to a stranger. I've known Ichigo for all of one day and I was already telling him my life story.
He seemed to read my thoughts because he quietly said, "Rukia, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
I shook my head. "No, no. I want to. All these years of holding it in and I finally can tell someone. Besides, you told me what happened to your mother," I hurried on before he could protest. "So, six years ago, my sister and I were in town walking to this fancy restaurant along with Nii-sama for dinner," I smiled at the memory. "We wanted the night to last longer than normal so we refused to be chauffeured in a car. We walked past this little gift shop and in their display window I saw a stuffed rabbit. I guess I always had a thing for bunnies."I glance sideways and see Ichigo smiling, keeping up so far so I continue. "So I ran up to the window and placed my hands on the glass, staring at it. I heard my sister laugh and tell Nii-sama something. I heard him agree and I turned my head to see him give her a kiss on her forehead before he continued to walk down the dark sidewalk."
It was like I was suddenly back in time and was experiencing it all over again. I clearly remembered that the shops on the curb gave little light from their lights on the inside. It was a cold night and I thought for sure it would snow. Little did I know at the time that a blizzard would hit in only a matter of moments.
~/~/~/~/~
"Alright, Rukia," I heard Hisana say as she opened the shop's door. "Real quick, we can look."
I grinned and ran inside. Immediately, I went to the aisles of stuffed rabbits. I seemed to have lost time in that section because next thing I knew, Nee-san said, "Come on, Rukia, we're going to be late. I bet Byakuya is already at the restaurant!"
I stayed standing by the shelf, arms crossed, and gazing up in wonder at all the stuffed bunnies that filled it. My eyes finally sought one out and acting on its own accord, my hand flashed out to point at one with white fur, a violet ribbon around its neck, and blue eyes.
"That one, Née-san," I smiled, looking up at her.
"Now hang on a second," she put my hand down to my side. "Didn't I say 'look'?"
My smile vanished. "Yes."
I expected her to tell me that maybe another time, but instead she laughed and reached up to take it off the shelf.
She handed it to me and I instantly hugged it to my chest. "Thank you, Nee-san."
She smiled. "You will also have to thank Byakuya. He was the one that told me to buy it for you."
I couldn't help but grin. "I will."
She paid for it and we stepped foot outside. The air got chillier and I hugged my bunny closer.
"A bunny that beautiful needs a name," Hisana told me as we walked in the direction of the restaurant.
"I have one picked out already."
"Do you? Well, let me hear it."
"It's a bit long," I said embarrassed.
"Nonsense," she said with a wave of her hand. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and I brought my bunny down, fiddling with its ears.
"Okay. Her name is Sode No Shirayuki," I risked a peek up at her to read her expression.
She smiled and looked down at me. "You're right, that is long. But it's also very beautiful. I love it."
We continued down the cobblestone walkway and I noticed that when we would pass a few alleyways, Hisana would hold me tighter and quicken her pace.
At the time I figured she was just getting cold and wanted to get to the restaurant faster. Until now, I realized she was being precautions.
A few more minutes passes and I saw the silhouette of the restaurant. "Look!" I pointed in the direction of the lights. "There's the restaurant!" I was feeling the numbing cold begin to creep its way into me so I darted forward, anxious to get inside the warm building and show Nii-sama my bunny.
"No! Rukia, wait!" I heard Hisana shout behind me and the clapping of her shoes as she ran after me.
I frowned and came to a standstill. Hisana quickly came up beside me. "Don't do that," she scolded me. "Always keep by my side. Especially at this time of night."
I felt a little confused as I watched her expression. Her eyes kept darting back and forth from the restaurant and the darkened alley to our right. She tensed as a shadow crept over us and her eyes suddenly went wide. She gave me a strong push just as an arm snaked out and snatched her around her waist, pulling her into the dark.
I spun, dropping my bunny and taking a step to her and the person who had her grabbed.
"Rukia!" she yelled, struggling against the arm. "Run! Get Byakuy-" A cloth was pressed over her nose and mouth, muffling her screams.
I felt frozen as I saw the glint of metal flash out and press against Nee-san's temple. I couldn't see the person who held her, just an outline. "If you so much as move, I'll blow her head off right now," the voice stated and there was no denying his harsh words. I realized with a pang in my gut that he was serious.
Tears suddenly escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks a I looked at her eyes and saw her trying to plead with me to get Nii-sama.
I gave a small nod, and quickly ran. My feet had time to slap across the stone three times when a loud bang stopped me short.
"No!" the scream ripped its way out of my throat, unwillingly knowing the truth. Not thinking, I turned back to where the gunshot sounded.
My breath was coming out in short gasps as I saw the form of a crumpled form on the ground. I felt myself start to shiver and my vision get blurry. I took a hesitant step back, bracing my hand against the cold brick wall.
"Now, now, don't worry, it was for the best."
I didn't register the fact that the shooter was still there until his voice crept through. He took a few steps to me, bringing the gun up and I could feel the blood drain from my face.
The sound of distant shouting and feet pounding the pavement had the man growl, "Damn it."
He turned from me and ran the opposite way. I saw him bring his arm back behind him and turn his head back to look at me.
"Before I forget!" he yelled and then he fired.
I screamed as the bite of metal buried itself into the flesh of my left leg. I fell forward, but before I could fall, strong arms grabbed me and pulled me back into their chest. The welcoming scent of cherry blossoms hit me yet I continued to heavily cry.
"Rukia, Rukia, calm down," I heard Nii-sama urge me. "Where are you hit?"
"My leg!" I cried and slumped against his chest. I felt his hand grasp and put pressure on the bullet wound.
I heard him suck in a breath and stiffen. "Hisana?"
"I'm-I'm sorry, Nii-sama," I managed to gasp out between sudden intakes of breath.
He gathered me up and out of the alley, still keeping a firm hand on my leg.
"Get an ambulance here now," he ordered someone nearby.
The lights of the town bathed us in light and I saw all the shocked and worried faces of the townspeople. Then I noticed all the dark blood flowing down my calf.
"Nii-sama."
He hugged me tighter and I continued to sob. The overcoming grief got the best of me and I passed out.
I never got my stuffed bunny back.
~/~/~/~/~
Taking a deep breath I continued telling Ichigo. "I never got to see his face," I spit out. "All I remember is his stupid jacket. He had this weird flower insignia on the left breast pocket. God, I wish I saw his face. As far as I know, he was never caught but we continued to be tormented by letters from him saying I was next and I could never walk somewhere by myself," I sighed. "This is why Nii-sama hired Renji. But that didn't stop the threats."
Ichigo hadn't said a word the entire time. I looked at him to see his face suddenly pale. "Rukia," he whispered. "I-I think I know who killed your sister."
A/N: Any guesses to who the murderer is? Review!
~WhiteSheWolf17
