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Legend: Italics - Flashback

"Lord Kuchiki, let me start by offering my condolences. To ensure all of your needs are met I'd like to take this opportunity to address any questions you may have."

Byakuya's library was the scene selected as the backdrop for the meeting with the funeral director. It provided the two men with a lovely view of the garden that showcased various flowers and herbs and a light breeze that accentuated the feeling of tranquility.

"Thank you for your condolences, Mr. Hamada, but I would like to proceed. Questions can wait."

"Yes, of course sir. Please forgive me."

Byakuya watched the man with great interest. He appeared, at the most, a year or two older than himself. He had green eyes, light brown hair and a slender build. He watched with slight interest as his guest removed a few individual sheets of paper and pamphlets from his briefcase and set them to the left of the table.

"If you don't mind me saying, sir, you have a lovely home. That garden is very beautiful."

"It was Hisana's project, Mr. Hamada." Byakuya turned his head toward the garden. "Many an afternoon I'd find her out there knee deep in soil and potted plants."

"Please call me Hatori, Lord Kuchiki, and I must say she did a wonderful job. There are a lot of color out there. Shows a lot of dedication."

Dedication was the last thing Byakuya saw when he looked at the deep green landscape and the plush red, yellow and blue petals. What he saw was more painstaking then anyone could imagine.

Hatori picked up a couple of pamphlets and slid them over the table. "As Lady Kuchiki's husband I can assume you are the legal guardian to all of her affairs. On paper and off."

"Of course." Byakuya slumped his shoulders just enough to avoid a change to his posture. "I will handle all matters pertaining to my wife."

"Then in that case this process will go by smoothly. I don't want to trouble you any more than necessary."

Byakuya closed his eyes and tried to process what Hatori had promised him. Having to plan the burial of his wife was troubling enough but it also looked like he had to do the planning himself.

"Lord Kuchiki, if it's not too much trouble, could I ask for a cup of tea before we begin? I will do a lot of talking as I probe into how you'd like to handle the arrangements"

As if on cue Rukia shuffled into the room in the same attire she arrived in. In her left hand was a small ceramic tea pot and in her right was two small porcelain cups. She was careful not to jostle the tea so the contents wouldn't spill from the small spout.

"Thank you," Hatori took the cup firmly in his hands once Rukia finished filling it to brim. "It smells delicious."

Byakuya didn't jostle or bat an eye as the cup in front of him was filled as evenly as his guests. "Hatori, is it?"

"Yes sir." Hatori responded.

"This is Rukia, my late wife's sister."

Hatori rose to his feet and bowed out of respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kuchiki."

"Call me Rukia, please, and it is nice to meet you too. I will leave you to discuss my sister's affairs in private."

"As a blood relative you are more then welcomed to sit in and listen to these proceeds."

Holding the tea pot close to her chest, Rukia smiled apologetically. "Forgive me, sir, but I don't believe I'll be of much help."

"My job isn't easy. No one is comfortable handling the loss of a loved one. I find in this line of work that it's best for all parties of the deceased to have some say in how they are remembered."

Deceased. Rukia cringed at that word. "I understand but if I did that then who would refill the tea? Please, excuse me."

Forcing a smile on her face, Rukia departed without so much as a second look toward either gentleman.

"Forgive me for what I am about to say, sir, but wouldn't she prefer to sit in on the discussion?" Hatori asked once the men were alone.

"It seems she is more comfortable pouring tea." Byakuya opened his eyes and locked onto Hatori. "Shall we get started?"

Standing a few feet from the door, Rukia snaked her trembling hands firmly around the base of the tea pot. Her eyes closed while she tried her best to get her emotions in control. She did her best to make it to the kitchen where servants stood in awe at what was before them. After all, it was a long time since the one they were hired to care for was spotted doing domesticated duties.

"Brother is going to need more tea." she said while setting the pot on the counter.

As the servants scrambled to refill the request, one approached Rukia and gently took the pot into her hands.

"Lady Kuchiki, we can take it from here. You don't have to trouble yourself."

Rukia did her best to smile. It was getting harder and harder to do so. "It's no trouble at all."

"That may be true but I'm sure there are other things you'd rather be doing besides pouring tea. Am I right?"

Rukia and the servant turned toward the door to see Nanao entering with a book held firmly in her hands.

"Nanao, I-"

"Lady Rukia," Nanao cut her off before she could finish speaking. "I've laid out a nice kimono for you and ran a soothing lavender bath. I ask that you tend to your needs before worrying about helping others."

A long sigh billowed from deep within Rukia's chest and rolled through her parting pink lips. Arguing was futile. She approached Nanao but looked away before their eyes could meet. "Thank you, Nanao."

Once Rukia was out of the kitchen and everyone's sight, Nanao turned toward the servant still standing with the tea pot in her hands.

"If she comes back in here I want to be notified immediately. Surely her brother is going to be displeased she was allowed to carry on so flippantly in front of company."

"Please forgive me, Ms. Ise. I should have been more careful. We were so busy. She took over before we could say anything."

Nanao placed a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. "Calm down, Momo. It's in the past now."

"But you said it yourself. Lord Kuchiki is not going to be happy that she was allowed such access to the kitchen."

"This is still her home, albeit she was gone for four years. Remember, it took her sister just as long to leave the duties of the house to others. Despite that, I don't think any of this was about overstepping boundaries."

"It wasn't? Then why would she do it if she didn't have to?"

"Why would she indeed?" Nanao lightly rubbed her chin with her thumb and index finger. "Prepare more tea and sweet cake for our guest."

"Yes, Ms. Ise." Momo replied.

Nanao stood by the kitchen door contemplating the conversation. She pushed a loose strand of hair behind her right ear. She gazed at the hardwood floor with realization settling in. Without notice she pushed away from the door and walked along the hall keeping her notions silently to herself.

"Hisie, why do I have to take a bath? It's so boring." A young Rukia whined as she sat in the middle of a large outdoor bathtub.

"To stay clean, silly. That's why." Hisana carefully lifted Rukia's arms and scrubbed her body gently. "These people were nice to let us use their outdoor bath."

"But I didn't take a bath yesterday or the day before that. Why do I have to take one today?"

"Because you want to smell good, Rukia. No one will want to be around you if you don't smell nice."

Rukia shivered while Hisana dipped the tattered rag she had into the water and rung the excess liquid out. Unraveling the cloth in her hands, Hisana went back to scrubbing Rukia's small arms, chest, face and ears and private areas.

"Can I get out now? It's cold and you still have to take a bath, Hisie." Rukia's small frame shivered again.

"Once you are clean, dry and dressed then I will bathe."

"But we never take baths together any more. We always took baths when we lived with momma."

Hisana hoisted her sister from the tub and wrapped a nearby white towel around her. "We don't have a lot of time, Rukia. You need to get dressed."

Disappointed, Rukia stood and watched her sister dress her in the same clothes she wore the day before. This made her even sadder.

"Why can't I wear something else? I wore this already."

Buttoning her sister's dress along the front, Hisana began putting on her socks and sandals. "I know this dress is a little dirty from our travels but I really like it on you."

"You do?"

"Yes. You look very pretty." Hisana had just finished slipping on her sandals when the sound of a door opening caught them both by surprise.

Rukia stood idly by as her sister rose to her feet and approached the man who had disrupted their time alone. She couldn't hear their conversation but by the despondent look in her sister's eyes she knew something bad had happened.

"Let's go, Rukia. We have to leave."

Rukia watched her sister gather the towel and wash cloth and bundle them in a ball under her right arm.

"What's wrong Hisie?"

"The man asked that we leave. Our time is up. Go and get Chappy. It's time to go home."

Confused but obedient, Rukia did as she was told. While Hisana gathered the small tote bag of clothes and other mentionable, Rukia rushed to the side of the house and grabbed a small white rabbit that was sitting on a rock.

"Hisie, can we wash Chappy too before we leave?"

Hisana shook her head. "No, Rukia, please hurry up. We have to go."

Rukia watched the distress on her sister's face then looked back at the house and the young man standing in front of it. She could barely see his eyes, hidden behind a few strands of brown hair, but there was something about his stance that made her seven year old heart boil.

"Why did you make my Hisie sad?" Rukia approached the man with anger in her eyes. "You were nice to us before."

The man was motionless to Rukia's rant which only made her angrier. She reached out and grabbed onto his dark blue kimono.

"You said we both could take a bath. Why are you saying we have to leave?"

Her innocence mixed with anger and the desire for the truth would have broken any one man's spirit. But not this man. Without recourse or warning he grew agitated and tossed Rukia to the ground with one swift kick.

"It was a moment of weakness when I allowed you two to use my family's bath. Clearly, that was a mistake. My wife has insisted you two leave and I agree. Get away from my house and don't ever come back here again."

Shock developed in the center of Rukia's eyes. She didn't even notice that her sister was by her side, holding her close.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Hisana helped her sister to her feet and bowed politely to the man. "Let's go home, Rukia."

Once they were safely away from the man's residence, Rukia snatched her hand away from Hisana's grasp and stopped moving any further.

"Why did you thank him? He made me all dirty again."

Hisana studied her sister's attire. It was covered in splotches of dirt along the bottom hem. Kneeling, she smiled and began dusting as much as she could from the pink and white material.

"You should always say thank you when someone is nice to you." Hisana's eyes shined as bright as the smile beneath her nose.

Rukia pouted. "But that man wasn't nice, Hisie. He made me dirty again and he didn't let you get clean."

"It's all right, see?" Hisana showed Rukia she was able to remove most of the debris from her dress. "And I will find a stream to cleanse myself in."

"No, Hisie, no!" Rukia stomped her small foot and shook her head from side to side. "I want you to take a bath like me."

"A stream is good enough for me." Hisana extended her hand and waited for her sister to take a hold of it. "Now, we have to get moving. It's getting late and we still have to find a home for the night."

Rukia took her sisters hand and held onto her rabbit with the other. "Where's home tonight?" Hisana was momentarily silent. She had a look in her eyes that Rukia's childish mind couldn't process so the question continued. "Where's home tonight?"

"Home..." Hisana peered down into her sister's eyes. "Home is where the heart is, Rukia. Remember that."

Staring at her reflection, Rukia willed her tears from leaving the corner of her eyes. A wooden brush with black bristles flowed through her damp wet hair. She hated memories, those memories. The more she stared at herself the more she remembered that her past was rough and nowhere near where it was now. Some time passed since the day she realized people weren't nice. It was also the first time she heard those words from her sister.

"Home is where the heart is, Rukia. Remember that."

Rukia gasped, her right hand covering the gaping hole on her face. It was disheartening to feel such old emotions, yet they were there, rushing toward her like a running faucet that could not be shut off. Her left hand squeezed the handle of the wooden brush with so much force that it left an indentation in the palm of her hand.

"Lady Rukia? May I enter?" Nanao's voice echoed from the other side of the door.

"Yes. Come in."

Nanao ventured inside and eyed Rukia from head to toe. "You are still wearing your silk robe. Have you not dried off enough to put on the kimono I laid out for you?"

"No, I mean, yes I have but I was brushing my hair and I dazed off for a bit." Rukia gave a genuine smile. "But I will put on the kimono you picked out."

"Please, do not rush. You've had a long flight and I'm sure your body desire rest of some sort. I've come to inform you that your brother has ended the meeting with the funeral director."

"Has he..? Did they..?" Rukia just couldn't find the right words.

"The men discussed the options available but your brother wants you involved. Your stunt with the tea prompted him to disband the meeting until you were up to it."

Rukia sighed. She didn't know when she would be 'up to it'. "I see. Is he upset with me?"

Well," Nanao pushed her glasses further along her nose. "I can say he wasn't too happy seeing you do the job of the house servants but I could also make the argument that he's more worried about you than anything else."

"I don't wish to cause him worry. I just couldn't go in there without a reason. Once I was in there, however, I couldn't stay. Seeing those pamphlets on the table of flowers wreaths and coffins became too much."

"That is why I've been asked to ensure you were comfortable. Lie down and rest some. I will awaken you when dinner is ready. This is a request from your brother."

Rukia knew Nanao didn't have to tell her where the request originated but she knew why she had. There was no way she would ignore an order from her brother. She never had and there were no plans to start now.

"Thank you." Rukia bowed out of gratitude.

"There is no need for thank you. Rest now, Rukia."

And like that the room became Rukia's solitude once again. She walked toward the wall to the right of the door and flipped the switch to darken the room. She was alone and at peace which is how she wanted it. Nothing could have made her happier. Staring at her bed, it looked comfortable and was almost screaming at her to climb beneath its warm covers. Rukia stripped off her attire and allowed the damp fabric to fall precariously to the floor. In the privacy of her quarter's she felt comfortable climbing into bed nude. There was no need to dress for bed, especially when she would be out of it as soon as the sky grew dark.

The brightness of the sun shined in the distance while casting a shadow along the walls and bedspread. Shielding her eyes, Rukia sauntered toward the window to draw the blinds and allow the darkness to fully engulf her room. Suddenly the dull sound of vibrating caught her fleeting attention. Through the corner of her eye she saw her phone shaking against her table top, a lingering light flashing from the display.

She contemplated answering the call but not before the light was drawn from around her completely. Her arms extended above her, grabbing hold of the silk white curtains on either side of her. Grasping each side firmly, Rukia prepared to pull them together but suddenly she froze un-expectantly. Her eyes focused on the individuals walking along the cobbled path toward her front door. In particular, her eyes fell on a single individual.

The reason was simple. That person was staring back at her.

Heat rushed to her cheeks and she hastily rushed to the left side of her curtain, covering her body as she did with the silk material. Her breathing intensified as she remembered the look of those brown eyes staring back at her. Her slender fingers slid along the base of her neck, stopping just at the tip of her throat.

"He's here," Rukia swallowed a deep pocket of air. "Ichigo is here."