A/N: hehehe. I know you are all just dying to know what's going to happen so I won't waste anymore time. Here it is…

Chapter 15: The Nature of Things

Just Breath…

She had never shunpoed that fast in her life. As she ran to the bed that bore the petite Kuchiki, she nearly sighed in relief to see that the blood flow had lessened a bit. Running her left hand over the trembling Soul Reaper's sweat soaked forehead, she took her small hand in her own slightly larger one, the tension in the air thicker than ever. "Shh…Rukia. It's gonna be okay. You need to relax though. The pain will be over soon. I promise…"

Rukia could do little but breathe sharply and widen her eyes at the sight of the younger girl now grasping her hand in a desperate attempt at consolation and comfort. She nodded her head softly in response as Captain Unohana approached the bed, a forlorn look drawn across her features. She began to speak but was sharply cut off by Karin as the young girl closed her eyes, "Please, Captain Unohana, allow me to do this. I think I understand the situation better than you know. Please…"

The older medic merely nodded her head and sighed, "Of course…take your time. All that's left to happen is to let it run its course. I'll give you some privacy. Let me know if you need assistance for any reason."

With that, the woman left the room, leaving the two Soul Reapers to their solitude.

Karin took a deep breathe and drew the blanket down to help Rukia into some cleaner robes, knowing that the white hamaka she wore now would only fuel the anxiety and fear she now felt as it would continue to be soaked in her blood for a while.

"Come on, talk to me." Karin said, with a small encouraging smile on her face after she had finished the task of getting Rukia cleaned up as best she could.

Rukia's face was sad and tight with unshed tears, "I don't know how this could have happened…I was so careful…we were so careful!" she nearly sobbed out, burying her face in her palms.

Karin reached over and pulled the smaller woman into her arms, folding her small torso into her own warm body as the form shook with sobs and tears that had been held in for far too long in an attempt to appear strong in the presence of her superiors. "Rukia, this is nothing to be ashamed of…this isn't your fault…and even if it is, you didn't do this on purpose!" the younger forced out, breathing away her own sadness.

As the sobs waned slightly, Rukia clutched at the younger girls hakama and sighed, "What went wrong? We were always so careful. We used protection, I was taking elixirs, he was taking elixirs...I just don't understand. What did we do wrong?"

"Sometimes these things just happen...and there is nothing that you could have done differently that would have made this turn out another way..." Karin sighed.

"You knew, didn't you...about us?" The petite girl whimpered out after a few moments of silence, almost in an ashamed manner.

"You could say that...but who didn't?" Karin muttered, trying to lighten the mood.

The smaller woman looked up at her and frowned a bit in confusion, "What are you doing here? You were the last person I expected to see…"

Karin sighed and met her eyes sadly, "Ichi came and found me. I was on the way out to go to a Staff Meeting, but this is more important. I wasn't going to let my future sister-in-law suffer with no one that understood there to hold her hand and help her through this and tell her it wasn't her fault…"

Rukia frown for a moment before her eyes widened in realization, "Oh, Karin, you shouldn't have! This can't be good for you…what with your…"

Karin shushed her, cutting of any further protestation from leaving her mouth, "That's enough. I am here, and I am staying here until this is better. Nothing you can say or do is going to get me to abandon you in your time of need. Don't even act like you aren't happy that someone is here for you. Just accept it…I'm here now."

Rukia sighed softly and turned to look out of the window, "I think it's stopped…"

Karin glanced down at the sheets, "I think you're right. See, I told you it helps to have someone with you…"

Rukia merely nodded, then she shook her head and murmured, "I still can't believe you had the heart to come. This can't be easy for you…"

Karin sighed in return, "No one said that life was gonna be easy. It's my choice, so don't blame yourself or Ichi."

Rukia turned to face her and stated, "Thank you…you don't know how much this means to me…you coming here with your, well…it means a lot."

Karin smiled softly before turning and saying, "No problem…that's what sisters are for, right?"

She stayed and kept the young Kuchiki company for another hour or so until her brother showed up, almost showing a worried face, but barely holding it back. When he saw that she was conscious and even smiling, high visibly relaxed, allowing a small smile to reach the young Kurosaki girl.

Karin took a chance and smiled back, "I have to go see what's going on with Ichi and Toushirou now, I think you'll be fine from here on out. If you need anything don't hesitate to send a Hell Butterfly. Now I leave you in the trusting hands of your brother…"

"Hey, Karin!" Rukia said before the girl could leave, "is there something going on between you and frosty Captain Hitsugaya?"

"Nothing you would be interested to know..," Karin said with a wink squeezing her hand one last time before heading for the door, and refastening her zanpakutou to her back, "I'll be back to check on you tomorrow."

As she began to open the door and leave, Rukia's voice pierced the air, "Oh, and tell Ichigo that everything is going to be okay…"

Karin smiled for real this time and said, "Don't worry, I will…" before she walked out, shutting the door tightly behind her.

As she exited the 4th Division, she walked silently down the path, looking up at the sky as she went. There was a slight chill in the air, she shivered slightly as a frigid breeze passed around her, enveloping her in a cold air. Her dark thoughts didn't help her situation either and she was surrounded by cold. "I thought there was still a while before winter…"

"You've said yourself that things were backwards here. What makes you think that has changed overnight?"

She froze at the sound of the familiar voice behind her, laced with both annoyance and concern. Not even bothering to turn to face him, she walked silently over to the railing of the bridge that she had stopped on, the bridge that divided the 5th and 6th Divisions. She looked silently over the still water beneath her, waiting for him to snap at her for ignoring him, though she didn't intend to irritate him, she was just caught in thought.

She heard a soft sigh from the young captain behind her, feeling his spirit pressure swell slightly, before she felt a soft but firm hand rest on her shoulder. "I'm sorry if I offended you. I realize this is probably not the most appropriate time for jesting. My apologies."

She scoffed softly before letting her eyes fall to the railing, the deep cherry wood lined from age and wear. She ran her fingers over the soft bark, tracing the age lines while replying, "There is nothing to apologize for. I'm not upset because of you. I just don't understand why bad things continually happen to good people…"

She could feel, rather than hear him sigh once more from behind her, his hand tightening ever so slightly with the admission. There was a moment of heavy silence before she heard his soft response, "I never understood it myself. I guess it's just another way that God decides to let us know that we are mere people that have no real control over our fates…I don't think that we will ever truly comprehend why so many things happen. Why is there a Soul Society? Why don't the good souls go straight to Heaven instead of passing through here? Why is it that some souls become Soul Reapers and others are reborn into the World of the Living? I can't answer these questions and I don't think that I ever will be able to. It's just the nature of things…"

Karin was speechless. What can I say to that?

"Wow, Toushirou, I never took you to be the deep religious type…"

It was his turn to scoff, "I'm not religious, merely faithful and open-minded. I have always believed in God; even though there are so few here that do, even after spending time here. I'm the damn Heavenly Guardian…how can I NOT believe that there is a God in Heaven?"

Karin smiled softly. This was a side of Toushirou that she had never expected to witness. She had always known that he was a deeply patient and rooted person, but to what depth she had just now seen, and it humbled her. In that moment, there was nothing young about him.

She turned slowly, still smiling, to meet his startling teal orbs; the deep cerulean eyes of the man that she had so passionately acted on just a few hours earlier. The same Soul Reaper that had saved her from a hollow when she was 12 years old and that she had teased so much for his height and appearance. This was no longer Lil' Shiro. This was Toushirou Hitsugaya, Captain of Division 10 of the 13 Court Guard Squads. This was a grown man, not a young, inexperienced teenager like herself…

At that final thought, she felt the pride in him turn to shame and self-loathing, her eyes drifting back to the ground, the smile falling from her face, as she felt a foreign pressure tugging at her forehead that forewarned the onslaught of the emotion that she had no desire to show in front of anyone at the moment. Before Toushirou could react and grab her, she darted off at a lighting fast shunpo for the gates of Seiretei, leaving the white-haired Captain to tail her with all of his sensory skills.

Was it something I said...?

So where will you go…with no one left to save you from yourself…?

A/N: I apologize once again for the long wait. Halloween weekend is upon us and I though that I would give you a little treat. Sorry it is so short, but it's all that I could finish in the hectic schedule of all things, but the next one should be much longer. If you have any ideas or comments, please leave me a review. I appreciate all of those that are following this story and I am thinking about writing a few one-shots and side-stories to go with this one. You never know… Well, R&R, and let me know what you think. Don't worry; your lemon is coming very soon…as in {in the next few chapters} very soon…teehee…but you have to leave some good review if you want a good lemon…no pressure.