"A Flower in the Attic"

Chapter three: The Proposition

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor Flowers in the Attic but I love them!

Two weeks had passed. Two weeks of sadness and loneliness. Rukia felt empty every hour since her father died. The accident that caused her father's death was a big blow for the whole family. Her mother wasn't talking to anyone and was alone most of the time. She hasn't spoken to her children longer than one sentence. She was always inside her room in which Rukia thought that the woman was probably crying.

The twins were the hardest to deal with. They cried over and over demanding for their father to return. Even Shiro who didn't usually cry broke down and begged their big brother to bring back their father. Being the oldest, Renji and Rukia did their best not to show any sign of weakness. It was painful for Rukia since the terrible fate broke her to pieces but acting stronger for her siblings was the only help she could give. She couldn't show them how much it hurt. Renji was the toughest of them all. He didn't cry and has even abandoned being a kid. He took care of everyone's needs like food, clothing, and even comforting his brother and sisters. Rukia was grateful that Renji matured in the last two weeks. Renji became the substitute for their father but there were still things that even he couldn't do anything.

Money.

Their family was not that fortunate to be born rich. Byakuya was a doctor and has saved some but not enough for his own family to survive on their own. Soon all that they have would be spend and it was only a matter of time before it becomes their problems. Nemu was born with luxury and wasn't used to living in such state. She couldn't work or find a job for she didn't have the privilege of learning to do so. Byakuya and Nemu were disowned by their familes when they got married for they were so young when they decided to tie the knot. There was no other option but to ask for help.

"Rukia, Renji I wanna talk to you." Nemu called out to her son and daughter who were both reading books to past the time. They looked at their mother and followed her to the dining room where they sat side by side opposite from their mother. Rukia saw her mother's hand clutching a letter too tight. Curiosity striked her and she stared at her mother's eyes and motioned for her to continue.

Nemu sighed. She was staring at the letter. She was trying hard not to look at her children so the paper became too interesting for her. "As you know there are certain things that needed attention. School will start next month and you kids need to prepare. We will be needing lot's of things not just for you two but for the twins as well. Especially for them. Not to mention we have other 'needs'. Food, electricity, water, clothing and more. And unfortunately I don't have a job and Byakuya's savings can't sustain the family for a whole year or even for a couple of months." once more, Nemu sighed and looked at Renji.

"Renji, I need you to be stronger for your brother and sisters. They need you to be their father. Be a replacement for Byakuya."

Renji only nodded at his mother. Slightly confused as to where the conversation was heading. "Don't worry Momma, I will take care of them." He touched Rukia's hand while looking at their mother. "I won't let anybody hurt them."

A sad smile was shown on Nemu's face then she directed her gaze to her oldest daughter. "Rukia, I know it's hard for you and you might still be in shock but, you need to stop acting like a kid. You have to grow up and face the fact that your father isn't going back. Promise me that you will put the twins as your top priority. You have to promise me that what ever happens you will be their mother when they need one. Can you do that?"

Two pairs of violet eyes were holding each other's gaze. Rukia squeezed her brother's hand and slowly nodded her head. "I promise. As long as their with me, I won't let anything harm them and be their second mother. But Momma, why are you telling us this? Why do I need to be their mother when you're with us? What's that got to do with our problems?"

Another sigh escaped Nemu's lips. She stood up and faced the open window in front of the table. "I wrote to Byakuya's father, your grandfather, last week. I asked for his help and," She gripped the letter tightly that it almost ripped. "he told me he would help us, providing that we... We... We go to his mansion in Karakura and... live there. He told me to come as early as possible and not to lose more than two days to pack and leave."

It should be great news to hear. Their grandfather wanted them to live with him in his mansion. Their grandfather, that hasn't spoken or hasn't even seen them, told their mother to pack their bags and move to his house. But somehow it made Rukia feel uncomfortable. Why did he say that he will help them but with conditions? And why did he became interested with them suddenly?

Rukia was about to open her mouth when Renji spoke. "I understand Momma. It's our only option, is it not?"

"But brother, what about our school and our lives here in this town? Our friends? This is where we grew up. This town has memories with Papa. Doesn't that matter anymore?"

Rukia was close to tears. She was doing her best to hold them back and not shake and look like a child crying for her father once more. Nemu interrupted Renji before he could answer Rukia. Turning around as she took a step towards the younger girl she told Rukia, "It's our only choice. We will starve or possibly die if we won't accept father's offer. I can't provide for any of us and it hurts to see you kids suffering. Byakuya won't forgive me if he will see us in this kind of situation. Please Rukia, bear with me." She took one more step to get closer to Rukia and kneeled in front of her daughter and held the young girl's hands. Nemu took them and kissed the palms. "You will love the Mansion. It has a wide garden where the twins can run around and play. Father has big stable where he keeps his horses. You can learn how to ride. The rooms? Oh you will love them! They're huge that you can even practice dancing. You want to be a ballerina, don't you? If we live with your grandfather I can take you to any ballet school you want. It wouldn't matter if it's expensive or not we would afford it with father's help." turning her gaze to her son, she added, "And Renji, my father has millions of books stacked in his library! It's bigger than our house. You love to read right? You wanted to be a doctor, if I'm not mistaken, so please say yes and accept this."

Rukia stared at her brother. She wanted to say no. She wanted to yell at her mother for giving up their lives without a fight. But, she saw her brother's eyes lit up when college was mentioned. Who was she to stop his dreams from coming true? She couldn't let Renji's happiness be wasted. Their father was gone, if being a doctor, living well or being a ballerina is the best for everyone she had to step down. Even if it meant leaving their loving father totally.

With a shaky hand and a sigh she pulled her mother from the ground and lifted her up. Rukia smiled at her mother and let a tear fall.
"If it's for the best."

Nothing would go wrong, right?

A/N: Another update! Yeah! I planned for Ichigo to appear on this chapter but I changed my mind. I think he will show up on the fourth one. Thank you for reading!

Reviews are highly appreciated! ^_^