Edited and Rewritten

I don't own Bleach

The gates to the Senkaimon opened up over a quiet high school. Two Soul Reapers stood over it, one male, one female. The blonde female looked over at her red headed companion. "Thanks for arranging this, Renji." she said with a smile.

He gave a shrug and smiled down at her. "Don't thank me, thank the Captain when we get back. He's the one who gave the go ahead. Not me."

"Even though I can't stand the man, you are right. When we get back I'll thank him." Jumping to the ground, she looked around at the empty football field where everything started. Where her life changed forever.

"Hey," Renji called to her. "Are you coming or what?"

Turning away from the spot where she'd meet Renji, Renee ran over to him. "Sorry about that, got distracted."

"Doesn't surprise me," He said with a grin. Playfully, she punched him on the arm. Renji laughed before turning his head, "Do you hear that?"

"Yeah, it sounds like a trumpet." She turned and started towards the sound. It was a mournful melody, played by a very talented person. "It's such a sad song. I wonder whose playing it."

Walking into the bright band room, Renee turned the corner and came to sudden stop, causing Renji to run right into her. "What's the matter?" he asked bending around to see what she was looking at. "Oh I see." Giving the top of her head a soft kiss, Renji left her. "Be careful Renee,"

Walking further into the room, Renee sat down next to her old friend. He stopped playing and sat down the instrument. "I can't believe it's been three years already." he whispered.

'Shit, it's been three years already. It doesn't even feel like it's been that long.' Renee thought looking at the heartbroken man before her.

"That bastard let her get shot." Juan growled, clinching his fist. "I knew I should've gone with her. She'd still be here today if I'd gone."

Having enough, she closed her eye's and concentrated. 'Fez, stop beating yourself up over this.'

With a yelp, the man stood quickly, knocking over his trumpet in the process. "Renee, is that you?"

She laughed and stood with him. 'Yeah, it's me. I don't have a lot of time here. I've been given a chance to say goodbye to everyone.'

"Where are you? Are you a ghost?" He asked, looking around for the female.

'Stop looking, you can't see me. And I'm right here in front of you. No I'm not a ghost.'

"Than what are you, if you're not a ghost?"

'Think of me as an angel.'

He laughed, "Yeah because you were such an angel."

'Hey,' she laughed with him. 'Don't be so mad at Renji, Fez. It wasn't his fault, and with everyone blaming him, he's had a hard time forgiving himself for something that wasn't even his doing.'

Anger covered his features. "If he'd been there to protect you then-"

'Stop,' she said firmly, using a bit of her power to stop his words. 'Listen to me now Juan. The man was crazy, he'd been following me for days. I just gave him the perfect opening to strike. It was no one's fault but my own.'

Looking away, Fez nodded, "Alright Renee, if it'll make you happy, I'll stop blaming the bastard."

'Good,' She walked over and touched his trumpet. 'You're playing has improved a lot. You've been practicing.'

He shrugged, "Yeah, got into U.F."

'That's great, be sure to kick some Seminole ass for me.'

"You've got it." He paused for a moment, "Renee, are you happy where your at?"

'Besides having blonde hair again.' she sighed, 'Yeah, I'm happy.'

Renji appeared in the doorway, "Renee, we've got to go. A hollow just appeared downtown."

"Alright, I'm coming." She said. 'Listen Fez, I've got to go. Remember to stop blaming Renji for my death. It wasn't his fault. Love you, bro.'

"Alright, thanks for letting me know you're alright. See ya." She missed the tears that slipped down his brown skin.

"How far is it from here, Renji?" They were running towards her old apartment building.

"About a block from the apartments." He was checking the cell phone as they ran towards the monster.

She nodded and picked up speed, "How do you want to do this? I can immobilize it while you take it out."

"Sounds good to me."

Turning the corner, a block away from the apartments, they came into contact with the creature. "Renji, go," Renee yelled, stopping to plunge into the hollow's mind, taking control, leaving it open for Renji's attack. With one swig from Zabimaru, the hollow disappeared into the darkness. "You know, I'm starting to think we've got the unfair advantage." She said as Renji walked back to her.

"Heh," He gave a laugh. "Where to next?"

"My dad lives close by. He's really the last person I want to check on. We might not have gotten along, but I'm worried he isn't taking it so well."

They arrived a few minutes later in front of a large house, lit by a dozen yard lights. It looked like a mansion. Behind it, was a lake with a boat and two jet skies tied to it. Renji scratched the back of his head. "Wow, you weren't lying when you said you were loaded. Why the hell were you living in that small ass apartment when you could've been living here?"

"I told you, my dad and I didn't get a long well. When I turned 18 I wanted to be away from him and his rules. He thought it was a great idea and even offered to pay my rent, so long as I went to school and kept my grades up." She shrugged and walked across the lawn. "I wasn't going to complain. It sounded like a great deal to me."

Walking around the house, they found an open window on the second floor. Renji followed Renee up to the balcony and in to the window. She stopped and looked around at the room. It was painted a light blue with a large canopy bed sitting in the middle. A black comforter covered it. "This was my room, he liked to keep it this way incase I decided to come room for a night or two." Moving to the desk on the opposite wall, she picked up a picture. Renji moved behind her to see. Standing next to a young Renee was a thin woman with light blonde hair. She had the same eye's as Renee, and they were standing next to a crystal clear pool. "That's me and my mom. It was my 14th birthday."

"You look just like her." Renji said wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yeah, we got that all the time. I hated it," She sat the picture down and walked out of the room.

As they left her room and moved down the stairs, Renji couldn't help but marvel at everything. The inside was immaculate, with polished tile floors, and a grandfather clock chimed the hour and the foot of the staircase. "At this hour, my dad will be in the library sipping at his whisky while pouring over his papers."

"How do you that for sure?" Renji asked.

"Because my dad never changes his routine. No matter what." Slipping past the cracked door to the library, Renee found her father sitting at his desk. A glass of whisky at his left and a pile of papers in front of him. "Never changes, just like clockwork."

The man at the desk paused and looked in their direction, his light green eye's narrowed before he stood. "I thought I heard someone upstairs. It's good to see your hair is blonde again, Renee Ann."

She gasped, and Renji stepped in front of her. "What the hell? How can you see us?"

The man tsk'd Renji, "Renee wasn't the only one who has control over the mind. She had to of gotten it from somewhere. That's me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, moving out from behind her Lieutenant.

"It wasn't something I thought you needed to know, and in answer to your question, Mr. Abarai, yes I can read you. Even if my daughter can not." Renee's dad looked at him.

"But how can you read Renji when I can't?"

He sighed, "In our family, the first child born inherits the family powers. With that we can read anyone we chose, it doesn't matter be they dead or alive. They can't escape it. But we have our own weaknesses, the one person we can't read. With me it was your mother. We are drawn to that person. It doesn't always have to result in us marring and spending our lives with that one being. I can result in a great friendship. My great grandmother's best friend for sixty years was a woman she meet in high school."

"So you're saying that in a single lifetime, there is one person, be it male or female, that we won't be able to read. For you it was mom, and for me it's Renji."

Her dad nodded, "Correct, and no Renji, I don't balm you for causing Renee's death."

"So you never lost your memory of Renee disappearing to the Soul Society for almost two weeks?" Renji asked, his face serious.

"No, I knew what was going on. I figured that they would send someone eventually, and I wasn't wrong." He looked back at Renee and smiled. "I'm glad to see you're happy. It looks like you've got a great guy here."

Renee walked over to her father, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thanks Dad, I'm glad to see you're doing alright."

He laughed, "I knew you would be alright. You're a Duvall, we don't go down easily."

Renji walked up behind them, "Renee, we've got to go. The Captain only gave us leave for the night."

"Alright Renji," With one last hug, she pulled away from her dad. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you too, baby. Watch your back, kiddo." He looked up at the red head, "Protect my daughter, until I can get there. Now that I know I'll keep my memories."

Renji nodded and took the man's hand. "Trust me, I won't let anything happen to her."

Satisfied, he sat back down in his chair, and watched as they left. This time they used the front door. Once back outside, Renee looked up at Renji. "Thanks Renji, for arranging this for me."

"Remember, it wasn't me, thank Captain Kuchiki when we get back." Renji opened the Senkaimon and took her hand, leading them back to the Soul Society.

I do hope you enjoyd reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I loved Renee, she was a little bit like me ^^. Well remember that I'm in the process of writing the sequel, Learning to Laugh, featuring Byakuya and his lady. She's a very interesting Soul Reaper. Also leave me lots of reviews letting me know what you think. They make my day ^^