Soifon jumped down the stairs landing with a thump and nearly slipping over on the polished wood floor. After righting herself she made her way into the kitchen. Her mom was sitting at the table, apparently engrossed in the morning paper. She didn't look up when Soifon crossed the kitchen to the fridge, just kept staring at the paper. Taking a carton of orange juice from the fridge, Soifon poured herself a glass. She downed the contents in two gulps and then headed for the back door.

"I uh, I've got practice after school," Soifon said as she pulled on her shoes, not even looking to her mom. "And after that I'm going to a friend's. I'm probably going to stay over."

"Alright."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Soifon said. She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. She opened the door and was halfway out when her mom called out to her.

"Shaolin."

"Yeah," Soifon stopped and turned to face her mom. She was still sitting at the table, but at least she had raised her head to look at her daughter.

"Take care."

"I will," Soifon forced a smile and left the house.

It was a nice day and Soifon set a quick pace as she walked down the narrow alley, passing by the neat houses. Isane trailed behind her, walking with a slow loping gait that was as uncoordinated as it was graceful.

"What's the hurry?" Isane asked after a while.

"Huh?" Soifon looked back over her shoulder. "I'm not in a hurry."

"You're practically running."

Soifon slowed and then stopped, waiting for Isane to catch up. "Well, I don't want to be late," She said. "Anyways, I should be the one hurrying to catch up with you. Your stride is much larger than mine, you should be much faster."

They carried on walking, this time Soifon making a concentrated effort to slow down so that Isane could keep up with her.

"You seem different," Isane said after a while, her voice carrying that usual timid quality.

"I do?"

"You seem happy... Not that you're not usually happy," Isane babbled. "But you seem happier. Like something good happened. Did something good happen?"

Soifon couldn't help but wonder if she usually came across as miserable. She supposed she'd felt a bit happier these past few days, and today especially was filled with a certain excitement for her. Yoruichi had promised to pick her up from school and they were going to be spending the night together. While this wasn't unusual in of itself, it was different for Yoruichi to be the one to suggest it. Usually Soifon just made her way to the older woman's apartment and invited herself in. Yoruichi had never picked her up from school before.

"I guess it's just because the weathers so nice today," Soifon said with a casual shrug. She couldn't keep the smile from her face though.

"O-oh," Isane said. "Did you do the classics homework?"

Soifon shook her head. "No. I'll scribble something down before class starts."

"Soifon!" The disappointment in Isane's voice was impossible to miss.

"It's hardly important," She reasoned. "Besides, I read through it. It'll be easy to quickly write something down." Isane made a disapproving noise next to her and Soifon rolled her eyes. "Come on, quit dawdling. We're going to be late." She didn't wait for an answer, simply quickened her pace. Isane had taken the edge off of her good mood, but she had failed in completely ruining her day.

Yoruichi held the receiver in place with her shoulder as she searched around her desk for a pen.

"Uh-huh," she uttered listening to the client. "I'll see what I can do." She found her pen and scribbled down some information; a contact number and a name. "Thanks. Bye." She hung up and let out a breath.

"Knock, knock!" Kisuke cheerfully greeted opening the door to her office.

"You're really not meant to just barge into your boss's office," Yoruichi said. She cast an eye over him and resisted the urge to sigh in exasperation. "Tuck your shirt in."

"It's uncomfortable," he complained, but he did as she told him and began tucking his shirt in. She had had to buy him several shirts since he apparently didn't own and. She had also made him shave and brush his hair, refusing to let him start his new job looking scruffy. He looked a bit strange, not wuite neat but nowhere near his usual scruffy self. "So, you have a broken printer."

"Yeah," She pointed to the appliance at the end of the room. "Knock yourself out."

She watched him for a moment while he looked over the machine. Her phone rang and she picked up the receiver. "Shihoin."

"Yoruichi, hello," Jushiro greeted in his usual warm manner.

Yoruichi smiled. "Jushiro, what can I do for you?"

"I have some information for you." After finding out Soifon's actual name, Yoruichi had informed Jushiro and he had promised to see if he could find out anything about the girl. "She's a good student, was top of her class and third in the year," he said, clearly reading the information as he went. "Used to be in the gymnastics club, track and calligraphy."

"She quit them all then?"

"It would appear so. Her grades have taken a bit of a nose dive recently and her attendance is at an all time low," because he was Jushiro he managed to sound concerned for Soifon even though he didn't even know her. "Usually the school wouldn't tolerate such behaviour, but they appear to be making an exception for her. No doubt this is to do to her recent bereavement."

"Her brothers?" Yoruichi guessed.

"They were killed late last year," Jushiro conformed. "A car accident it would seem. I don't know much about it, I'm afraid."

So her brothers were dead, Yoruichi had summarized as much. "Do you know which hospital they were treated at? The name of the doctor."

"I do, but I doubt you'll get any information out of the doctor in question," He chuckled softly. "Unohana Retsu is not the type of doctor to reveal information about her patients."

Yoruichi smirked. "No, she's not," she agreed. "But Yamada Seinosuke will. And whatever case Unohana worked on, you can guarantee that he did as well. Thanks Jushiro."

"Glad I could help," he said sincerely. "May I ask why exactly you're so interested in this girl?"

"There's no real reason," Yoruichi replied. "It's just for... work. Thanks again for the help." She hung up on him quickly, knowing full well that Jushiro was working himself up to one of those understanding chats he was so well known for.

"You're playing with fire, Yoruichi," Kisuke said quietly.

She looked across the room to him. "Hardly. I'm just finding out a little bit more information."

He shook his head. "This is dangerous. You're snooping. Soifon won't thank you for it."

"This really isn't any of your business, Kisuke."

He shrugged. "I just don't want to see you getting hurt," He said. "Or worse."

"Just get to fixing my printer," She ordered.

"Right you are!" He grinned that goofy grin of his and turned back to the printer. "So," he clapped his hands together. "Have you tried turning it off and then back on?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Funnily enough, yes. I'm going out; I expect that to be fixed by the time I get back."

"Whoa, where are you going?"

"Nowhere special," She replied. "Just to speak to a ... friend."

Kisuke gave her a skeptical look. She didn't really care that he didn't believe her, she simply waved to him and exited the office. Her need to look into Soifon's past had gone past simple curiosity, she now felt as though she needed to know these things. She needed to know exactly what had happened to the girl's brothers so that she could better understand Soifoin's mental and emotional state. Perhaps she could help. It was clear to her that Soifon was hiding away from her problems and was using her as a means of escapism. There was also an element of self-preservation for Yoruichi in her actions, she was all too aware of the trouble she could get into with her relationship with Soifon and as far as she was concerned, the more she knew about the girl the better she would be able to protect herself.

Honestly though, her motivation was mostly routed in concern. She was just a little unsure which of them she was more concerned for.

The outside of the school was bustling with students as they hurried to leave the building, eager to get home and indulge themselves in whatever it was they did in their free time. Once upon a time Soifon would have stayed behind and could have been found on the school fields with the track team or in the gym with the gymnastics team. She had quit both just after her brothers death, at first not having the time and then finding herself without the inclination.

She walked slowly from the school, her head down and her brow furrowed. It had been the first day in months that she had attended all of her classes. She was behind one all of her work, despite Isane's efforts to keep her up to date. Soifon felt a little bad for this, she knew that Isane only meant well but Soifon couldn't muster the effort to even be grateful for said effort never mind the effort to do the work.

"Soifon!"

Speak of the devil. Sifon stopped and turned. Isane was hurrying to catch up with her, her cheeks a little flushed.

"Isane," Soifon greeted.

"I thought that you'd at least wait for me," Isane said. She sounded a little hurt.

Soifon shrugged. "Sorry," She muttered. She turned and started walking again, this time with Isane loping along beside her.

They walked in silence. Soifon could tell though that Isane was just dying to say something, the air between them felt tense. Even walking at Isane unusually slow pace it didn't take them long to exit the school grounds and walk a decent way down the street. By this time Soifon couldn't stand the tension anymore.

"Alright what is it?" She asked.

"W-what?"

"You clearly want to say something, so you may as well spit it out."

Isane's face heated up. "There's no need to sound so hostile," She said. "But it's just that... This past year you've been different. You're falling behind in school. When we went to history I don't even think you had a clue what we were studying."

"And?"

"That doesn't bother you?" Isane was managing to infuse her voice with an impressive amount of worry. "If you don't pass this year then they'll kick you out the school. What about college?"

Soifon shrugged. "Maybe I don't want to go to college."

"B-but, you wanted to go to college before. You had a plan."

"Things change," Soifon stopped walking. "Look, I'm sorry for worrying you, but this isn't really any of your business."

"And you're being all secretive about something!" Isane continued, ignoring Soifon. "You're never in and your parents don't have a clue where you are. This isn't healthy, this isn't you. You don't speak to your friends anymore..."

"I talk to you," Soifon said.

"Barely," Isane mumbled. "It's like I don't even know you anymore. I know you've had a rough time lately, and I know that it'll take you time to adjust but... you won't even talk about it. We want to help. A-are you even listening to me?"

"Huh?" Soifon snapped her head back to Isane. "Yeah, you want to help, whatever. I'm sorry for worrying you Isane. I'll probably be late to school tomorrow, you don't mind covering for me, do you?"

"I do, actually."

"Thanks," Soifon said paying no attention to what Isane was saying. Her eyes were fixed on the other side of the road, she could see a very familiar and expensive looking car. She smiled. "I'll see you later Isane."

"Wait! Soifon!" Isane called out as Soifon dashed across the road towards the car.

Still smiling, genuinely smiling, Soifon opened the passenger side of the car and climbed in. Yoruichi turned to look at her, also smiling.

"You got everything?" She asked.

"Yeah," Soifon chucked her bad onto the back seat. "I'm good to go."

"Great!" Yoruichi put the car into gear and pulled away.

From her window Soifon could see Isane staring at the car in wide-eyed astonishment.

"I've been meaning to ask you for a while now," Yoruichi said as she climbed the stairs to her apartment. "How have you been getting into the building? I don't remember giving you the access code."

"I watched you put it in and just remembered it," Soifon replied.

"Oh," Yoruichi said and then laughed. "I guess I should be a bit more careful about that in future."

They reached the top of the stairs and Yoruichi's door; she jingled her keys before inserting them into the lock and opening the door. Stepping inside she kicked off her shoes and dropped her satchel to the ground. As soon as she heard the door close behind her, signalling that Soifon was safely inside, she turned and pressed the girl back up against the door. Soifon emitted a small squeak of surprise as her back hit the door, but it was cut short by Yoruichi pressing her lips over hers.

There was something about catching Soifon off guard like this. She always had the cutest responses; whether it be the squeak, the muffled gasp or the inevitable blush that would spread across her face and down her neck, but Yoruichi couldn't get enough of it.

Yoruichi pulled back from her, ending the kiss but keeping her face close to Soifon's. She grinned, "I've been wanting to do that since you got in the car."

"Oh..." Soifon breathed.

Yoruichi chuckled softly. She closed the gap between them and kissed Soifon again, this time, minus the surprise, finding her a lot more responsive. Yoruichi's hand travelled down the length of Soifon's body, sliding down her sides and over her slim hips. Her hands slipped under Soifon skirt, pushing it up so that she could move her hands around her to her butt.

Soifon gasped, breaking the contact of their lips. Her head fell back and thudded against the door. This was perfect for Yoruichi, she attached her lips to Soifon's neck kissing her way along the line of her pulse. She was still gripping her behind, pulling Soifon closer to her and pressing her fingers against the flesh.

Soifon was breathing heavily with short, sharp gasps. Yoruichi pushed her back against the door, shifting herself so that she could slip her leg between Soifon's. She watched the girl's eyes widen, they were glazed and the greys had darkened to something stormy and smouldering. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp. Her lips were pink and glistening, already slightly swollen from the force with which Yoruichi had kissed her.

Yoruichi raised her leg and pulled Soifon's hips forward slightly so that she was pressed against Yoruichi's thigh. A fresh flush of color raced up Soifon's face. Yoruichi kissed her, hard. Soifon's hands shot up to her shoulders and she gripped them tightly, her blunt nails digging in. Soifon was moaning softly now, occasionally whimpering. Her grip on Yoruichi's shoulders was so tight that it was almost painful.

Yoruichi just pressed herself tighter into her body in response. Soifon tore her lips away from Yoruichi's with a cry. She pressed her forehead against Yoruichi's shoulder, gripped her shoulders even tighter, and cried out again. Yoruichi felt her shudder against her, her breathing gradually slowing and her grip slackening.

Smiling once more, Yoruichi pressed a kiss to the side of Soifon's head. "Feel better?"

Soifon nodded against her shoulder.

"Good," Yoruichi disentangled herself from Soifon. She kissed her once more on the lips, grinning all the while. She left Soifon leaning against the door attempting to catch her breath, moving towards the lounge. "You alright?" She called back.

"Y-yeah."

"Good," Yoruichi replied. Her smile shifted into something that little bit sadder. If escapism was what Soifon wanted, then it was the least that Yoruichi could provide. For now at least, she'd work on the other problems later.

I appear to have gone back on my "no smut" rule fairly quickly. I wanted the scene to more suggestive than anything, but I think it pretty much came out as smutty. I quite liked the way it read though, so I didn't want to change it.

I think though that scenes like that will be the extent of the, uh, smut... I don't think there's any need to go into all the dirty details. Yeah. Going to shut up now.

Thank you for the reviews. I got a lot more for the last chapter than I expected, so I feel pleased as punch right now. Thanks again.