Rai sat on the frontporch of the 11th squad's HQ and watched Yachiru bathe her feet in the fountain. Yachiru was a teenager now, and had grown curves and breasts over the last 2 years. Rai absently traced the scars in her face, she had gotten used to them and had let her hair grow out again. She and Zaraki Kenpachi had been married for 6 years now and that made Yachiru 17. Rai frowned, had it really been that long since the demons from Zaraki officially became a couple?

Kenpachi was away on a mission in the real world and Rai, as the co-taichou of the 11th squad, had to run this place now. Ofcourse Yachiru-fukutaichou was still here aswell as third seat Madarame Ikkaku, but Ayasegawa Yumichika had left to become the taichou of the 9th squad. Rai was not used to wear the haori marking her as a taichou during anything else than formal meetings and such and she did not like the changes people made in their behaviour when she wore it. It was they thought she was a different person when dressed in the white robe.

Later that day Rai heard crying from Yachiru's room and knocked on the door. To Rai's amusement and Kenpachi's irritation Yachiru had installed a lock earlier this year.

- Yachiru-chan, is something wrong?

- Go away, I don't want to talk about it!

Rai shrugged and went back to the sofa to pick up the paperwork where she left it. Well, she thought, it's that age when boys become important, maybe it's just some heartache. She'll come to me if she feels like talking about it. But when the crying didn't stop and actually got more hysterical, Rai forced the door open.

Yachiru sat on the bed, face drenched in tears, her naked body covered in bruises. The bruises weren't unusual considering she was in the 11th squad, but the bitemarks on the inside of her tighs were not normal. Rai kneeled beside the pinkhaired girl and took her in her arms.

- Sweet, sweet Yachiru, what on earth happened?

And Yachiru told her story about how she had been attacked and drugged by on of the new recruits and how that man had the simply taken what he wanted. When Yachiru was finished Rai had a stern look on her face.

- Yachiru, she said, let's go to get you checked by Unohana-taichou and I want you to tell her exactly what you told me.

Yachiru nodded, got dressed and listlessly followed Rai.

- Rai-chan, where are you going, Yachiru asked when she had finished telling Unohana-taichou her story.

- I'm gonna go and make sure Ken-chan comes back now. Please stay here.

- Oh, you think he'll be mad?

- At you, no. At the recruit, yes, Rai answered and left.

She walked into the office of Yamamoto-sotaichou without knocking.

- Yamamoto-sama, please send after Kenpachi and make him come back immediately.

- What has happened?

- No time to explain, just tell him Yachiru needs him, Rai said and left to search for a certain recruit.

She knew what he looked like and she could guess he belonged to the 12th squad since he had had access to drugs powerful enough to make Yachiru helpless. She had in mind to play with him and when she found him her most sadistic side came to show. She captured him and tied him to a tree after making sure he was the one who had raped Yachiru. Rai started out slow by gently running her zanpaktou over his body leaving bloody trails behind. When she was tired of that she moved up one step and flayed his arms. As a former member of the 4th squad she knew to keep him alive and healed him when the wounds got too serious, prolonging his suffering. When Kenpachi arrived at the scene, the recruit was slowly dying from bleeding, being almost totally skinned, and his entrails lay on the ground infront of him. Rai sat a bit away and watched him with a pleased smile on her face. The evening sun shone on her face and made her seem serene. Kenpachi had brought Yamamoto, Byakuya and Toushirou and now he wished he hadn't.

- Is this the one, he growled and pointed at the man tied by the tree.

- For some more moments, yes, Rai answered, he wont live much longer.

- Is he regretting what he did, Byakuya asked.

- Oh, he was doing that 2 hours ago when I cut of his balls.

- You're a sick bastard, Toushirou said with a disgusted voice.

- Very believable, she agreed.

As the recruit drew his final breath Rai stood up.

- Well then, she said, now that this is over, maybe I should get some food.

They watched her walk away.

- What are you going to do, Kenpachi asked the sotaichou.

- I think I will let this one pass. That recruit did after all deserve it, and I think it'll be more trouble than it's worth explaining to Rai that she did something wrong.

Rai had gone to the 4th squad to pick Yachiru up. On the way home Rai told her all the gory details about how she had treated the recruit and that seemed to make Yachiru feel better.

- Did Unohana-taichou make you bathe?

- Hai, five times, Yachiru answered wearily.

- You hungry then?

Yachiru nodded and they went to get some food.

- Was Ken-chan mad, Yachiru asked with her mouth full of stew.

- Yeah, he was. But I'm not sure if it was me or the recruit he was mad at.

They sat silent for a while, eating.

- Yachiru, Rai said seriously, will you be OK?

- I don't know, but for the moment I feel OK...

They finished eating and went back to their adjoining houses. Kenpachi sat waiting in the dark for them when they came home.

- I think I'll go to bed, Yachiru yawned.

- OK, Rai answered, yell if you need anything.

When Yachiru had left Kenpachi looked at Rai.

- Will you please follow me out?

She nodded and they walked out to the yard. As Rai turned around towards Kenpachi his fist planted itself in her face and sent her flying into the stone wall across the square. Blood splatted out of her mouth. He grabbed her by the troath and lifted her up.

- I leave Yachiru to you for one day, one fucking day, and you let this happen!

- Let this happen?

Rai's voice was strangled and blood dripped down on her chest.

- You seriously think I let this happen, she yelled.

She broke free.

- If that's what you're thinking then to hell with you, she continued. Kenpachi, I love you, but I'm not gonna take such shit.

She threw her haori on the ground and walked away from him. Kenpachi considered following her, but decided not to and when he turned around he saw Yachiru standing in the doorway watching him.

- You idiot, she scowled, It wasn't Rai's fault!

She ran inside and looked the door to her room.

Rai was furiously cursing as she walked the streets, every poor sod not getting out of her way quick enough was thrown away or simply walked over. She could understand that Kenpachi was upset, she understood him very well, but accusing her was way too much. She decided to spend her night up in a tree and it took her several hours to calm down enough to be able to sleep.

She woke up late the next morning and when she jumped down she landed on something hard. It was still softer than the ground and she looked down. She had jumped down on Kenpachi's chest.

- What the hell do you want, she asked still standing on him.

- I'm sorry, was his simple reply. I did not mean to do that to you, but I was frustrated and..

He was interrupted by her placing her foot on his mouth.

- Don't, she said, there's no need.

She stepped off him, he got up and they walked downtown holding hands.

The 3 of them spent loads of time together and Yachiru slowly healed her mental wounds. Things would not be the same as before, but that was OK. Most things never stayed the same in Seireitei. If there was one thing the people form the 11th squad knew it was that no matter how serious an injury was, if you lived through it, it would make you stronger.