I find myself apologizing to you, the readers, far too often nowadays. I mean, I just disappear, swamped in the ever changing work load and swept away to impromptu beach trips where internet is only a myth, apparently. Work is coming to an end, school begins on the 20th, and everything I do seems to be geared towards preparing for it. But here is another update!

Big shout out to xfang-girlx for giving me an idea I could run with in this chapter! You'll know what part I'm talking about, girl, and I hope it lives up to expectations :)

Oh, a little heads up. I will be referring to District 78 of the Rukon District (or the Rukongai) as Hanging Dog. Some of you probably know it better as Inuzuri, but…I'm just partial to the name and felt the need to keep using it as not to confuse myself in writing.

And a HUGE thank you for the reviews thus far in this story! It really makes my heart swell, y'all. But enough of the stalling. Let's get to it!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it? I own nothing but the plot. Bleach is not mine, nor will it ever be mine (unless Kubo suddenly decides I am meant to be his right-hand, I'm out of luck in owning such a great story).

Chapter 4

Retsu Unohana sighed heavily as she passed through the door of her office, her eyes flicking to the two occupants. She knew they would be here. After all, she had called them in for this meeting. Right now, though, she almost wished she had chosen a different room. Her office seemed to hold a lingering tension from the meeting earlier that day, and the woman knew it would only continue to get worse.

It was well into the early hours of morning now. She rarely called a meeting at this late hour, but given the circumstances, she felt they couldn't afford to wait. Renji certainly couldn't afford a moment's delay.

"Hello Mayuri, Kisuke," she greeted, her eyes flicking to their faces as she said their names.

Both men stood as she entered, slight bows of their heads to the woman serving as their greeting.

"It's been a while, Retsu," came the sing-song voice of Kisuke Urahara. The man hadn't changed much, it seemed. He had the same playful tone of voice, but now with a hardened look in his eyes that spoke of intelligence. The Fourth's Captain could just barely see his eyes from beneath the brim of his hat, a quiet smile on his face that was more calculating than joyful.

"Yes, it has been." Her eyes found the other occupant's gaze when he cleared his throat.

"I must say I am intrigued. It is very rare that you call a meeting this late, Retsu, and with Kisuke's presence requested as well, I can only imagine we are in for some excitement." The painted Captain rubbed his hands subconsciously, a habit Retsu recognized as one that the man resorted to when his interest was piqued. She ignored the choice of word he used, feeling that "excitement" was borderline inappropriate but knowing no matter what she said to show him this error he would not hear her advice. Mayuri had always been a little different when it came to his ideas of entertainment.

"Yes, well, we certainly have our work cut out for us gentlemen," the woman said as she moved to sit behind her desk, the men following her lead and returning to their seats in front of her. Pushing the file forward, she brought her eyes up to watch their reaction to what she would say next. "I'm unsure of what details you know, so I will state everything we are up against and then answer any questions you have. Arbarai-Fukutaichou has been victim to a hollow's poison. It has attacked his medial temporal lobe and will soon spread. According to my data, he had only a week at best unless we can find an antidote to reverse the effects."

Kisuke hadn't flinched, his smile still in place as he took in her words. Retsu was sure Ichigo had already contacted the man, and even if he didn't, Kisuke rarely missed anything that happened in Karakura Town.

Regardless of his knowledge or the mask that he hid his emotions behind, his eyes betrayed his worry. She knew Kisuke was rather fond of the tattooed Lieutenant he called "freeloader", and this was sure to be unsettling to him. Mayuri, on the other hand, was new to the information on Renji's health, only having been informed of the hollow's attack and Ichigo's account. He smirked at the challenge presented, the full grin glistening in the low lighting of the room.

"Oh my. That does not leave much time to work with," the man commented, glancing over the file marked with Renji's name before passing it to Kisuke. "Not much time at all." Kisuke ignored the words and studied the file thoroughly, his face becoming grimmer with each passing minute.

"Side effects?" the blonde asked, eyes never leaving the page.

"Memory loss. He has also been complaining of headaches. His body and its functions are normal for now. The venom has been difficult to decipher." Retsu had been hard pressed to get a usable sample of the poison from the blood sample they had taken, but even the amount they obtained was to fickle, not cooperating with their tests to develop a cure. They would need a clean, pure sample of the venom to work from.

"Has the hollow been found?" Kisuke continued, Retsu already seeing the logic his mind was following. He had come to the same conclusion as she had with obtaining the venom.

"Not yet, but Kurosaki has taken it upon himself to find it and bring us back a sample of the venom. It was last seen in Karakura Town, after all." Kisuke nodded, looking back to the file.

"He had mentioned the quills the hollow used when I had questioned him earlier," Mayuri added, "Rather nasty weapon. He must be extremely careful to get the venom we need, less we find ourselves with two amnesiacs." Though the smirk was still there, there was a hardness in his gaze that suggested the Captain was not as crazy as he looked. A very small suggestion, but a suggestion none the less.

"Yes, he is aware of the danger. But this is Kurosaki we are talking about," Unohana stated. The thought of how determined the boy had been upon leaving brought a smile to the woman's face. The young man was certainly one of a kind.

Kisuke chuckled at the words, though the worry was still present in his face. "Ichigo is a rare breed. Stubborn, but with a heart of gold and the persistence of an army." He pulled his hat lower, covering his eyes as his head bowed in respect to the woman who sat across from him. "I will do all I can to help, provided Mayuri is alright with me working alongside him in the research department."

Mayuri grumbled at that. He had always been very stingy with his lab equipment, but seeing as Kisuke founded the department and headed the Division in the past, he couldn't very well refuse. Besides, Retsu knew the only reason Kisuke asked was to get under the other Captain's skin, something Kisuke excelled in. With a dramatic sigh, Mayuri mumbled his approval, earning a smirk from the blonde man.

"We can begin the preparations of the antidote as we await a sample," Mayuri commented, plucking the folder up to scan through it once more. "Would Abarai-san be willing to subject himself to more tests? To better understand the effects of the poison, of course." Retsu stiffened at the question. She had never agreed with Mayuri's methods of testing. He was a brilliant scientist, one that helped the Soul Society gain a substantial amount of ground in research, but that didn't mean he was gentle by any means. The words dripped with a sense of excitement, one that Retsu was sure would put the ailing redhead through a lot of pain. She opened her mouth to state her polite yet firm disapproval, but Kisuke spoke up before she could answer.

"Ah, but the effects are all in here," Kisuke said with a gesture to the folder clutched in Mayuri's hand, a smile rested on his face that looked less than friendly. "Retsu had done an excellent job of being extremely thorough in her gathering of data. Any other tests might wear Renji's body down, possibly accelerating the effects of the poison. We don't want that, do we?"

Mayuri glared at the blonde before shaking his head. "No, we do not want to harm him further." The words were said slowly, as if each word was a struggle to get out. He hated being restrained in his research, but with Renji as the test subject, Retsu knew Kisuke would keep him in line. Kisuke was correct. Any more testing would only add stress to Renji's body, and could send his health spiraling down. Further testing on the redhead would be a last resort.

"Thank you both for agreeing to help," the woman said as she stood, a gently smile on her face. "You may take that folder if you need, as I have already made a copy. As you work, my team will continue to monitor Abarai's process, and look for additional side effects along the way. Please keep me updated with your progress."

Both men stood, bowing their heads slightly as Retsu took her leave, her braid flowing gently as she walked. It had been a long night, and she could do nothing else at the moment to help Renji's situation. Without the serum, the only thing she could do was make him comfortable and hope the two men she had called in for help could find a way to break the poison's grip on his mind.

X

Ichigo did his best to focus on the discussion at hand. He really did. But at the moment, he knew his emotions were getting the best of him, and the complete exhaustion that he felt did not make things any easier. He hadn't slept any the night before, but he hadn't exactly tried to shut his eyes either. He had gone out looking for the hollow as he had promised, only to come up empty handed. That fact had Ichigo nearly beside himself in his frustration.

Renji only had a week. Six days, actually, now that the first night had been replaced by the morning sun. And Ichigo still had yet to even sense the hollow that had done this to his friend.

He had called Uryuu and Chad the minute he was back in town, recruiting them for the hunt, and Orihime had practically demanded she went with them. She hadn't yelled, but she certainly hadn't backed down when it was suggested that she stay behind. In the sweetest possible way, she had told them to shove it. She refused to sit this one out. Not that Ichigo really expected her too. She cared too much about Renji to stay home while they searched for a way to save him.

But none of them had found a shred of the damn thing last night.

Ichigo forced himself to sip the cup of coffee Orihime had made. He wasn't much of a coffee drinker, even when it was doused with milk and sugar to hide the strong flavor, but it became apparent that he'd need it if he wanted to stay awake. He had already nearly fallen out of his chair twice in the hour he had spent sitting at the kitchen table of his home, discussing strategy with the group. He had a headache, and it was only getting worse as he pushed his body to stay alert and active. At this rate, coffee wouldn't be enough.

"We'll have to double our efforts," Uryuu stated calmly, accepting his own cup of coffee as Orihime finished handing the warm drinks out. She settled next to Ichigo, listening attentively as the Quincy spoke. "We covered a lot of ground last night, but it doesn't do much good if we can't find the hollow."

"It's a young one," Ichigo added as he looked up. "Hopefully, it sticks to this area for a while."

Chad nodded silently, nearly draining his cup of black coffee as he listened. Orihime picked at the toast she had made for herself, but never really tried eating. She, like the rest of them, didn't have much of an appetite.

"I haven't sense anything, let alone a hollow," Uryuu muttered, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Is there a way to lure it out?" Ichigo asked, swirling the warm liquid in the mug between his hands. "You had hollow bait that one time." He remembered that "competition" they had created back when they hardly knew one another. He didn't like the idea of luring the hollows out with bait, creating danger when there was no need, but at the moment he was willing to try just about anything if it meant getting that venom.

Ishida seemed to recognize the desperation in Ichigo's question and slowly shook his head. "Yes, and you opposed the idea of using it that time, much as I do now," the dark-haired man admitted, sipping his drink. "It got out of hand rather quickly last time, and the last thing we need is for the hollow to hurt anyone else because we have our hands full with others. But, we can keep that as a last resort."

Ichigo nodded, knowing he was right. Still, it didn't make him feel any better. His impatience was starting to mess with his mind. Reluctantly he took another sip of coffee, wrinkling his nose at the taste.

"We could do day shifts," Orihime piped up, looking around the table. Her eyes lingered on Ichigo, as if knowing her next words would not sit well with him, but she spoke anyway. "It won't do Renji any good if we are exhausted when we finally find the hollow. We could rotate two at a time. I had a few hours of sleep last night, so I can be on the day shift."

"I can accompany her," Chad spoke, his eyes still hidden beneath the fringe of curly hair.

"I think it would be best if you and Uryuu get some rest," Orihime added to Ichigo, reaching out to touch his arm lightly. It was a gesture meant to comfort him, but with his mindset he barely felt it. "You two were up the longest, and covered the most ground."

"I don't need it. I feel wide awake," Ichigo insisted, giving the girl a weak smile that didn't fool anyone.

"You really think we'd believe that?" Ishida chimed in with a small smirk. "You're practically falling asleep in your seat."

"Am not," Ichigo fired back, his voice a little harsher than intended. "I'm not going to sleep away the day when there is a hollow to find."

"Ichigo," Orihime said softly, shaking her head. "You can't find it if you're tired. You haven't slept since you got back from the Soul Society. You need to rest, if only for a few hours."

Chad grunted in approval, lifting his head to look at his orange-haired friend. "If you sleep now, you'll be ready for the shift at night."

"And you'll need the sleep if you want to keep up with me," Ishida said, the challenge clear in his voice. "We can both rest up and be ready at sunset."

Ichigo glanced around to his friends, watching as Orihime gave him an understanding smile. She knew how he felt about this. He wanted to find to hollow now. Sleeping, as necessary as it was, felt like admitting defeat to him. Renji didn't have a lot of time, and Ichigo didn't want to waste it on what felt like selfish needs. But the others were right. He would only make things worse if he ran himself into the ground.

But even if they were right, it didn't mean that he had to be happy about it.

Before he could protest further, Orihime squeezed his arm gently. "Go and sleep. If we sense anything at all, we will wake you up." She accompanied the words with a small smile full of reassurance, and Ichigo felt his mind accept the words.

With a quiet nod, he stood, moving towards the stairs that led to his room. He'd try. He'd try to get at least a little bit of sleep, so that when he finally caught the stupid hollow he'd had no reason to hold back from killing the ugly little shit.

X

Renji learned there was nothing quite as frustrating as the nagging feeling that you were forgetting something. It was more than a feeling, in this case. He was forgetting something. His entire life was gone from his mind, and he just could not shake the sensation of having those memories literally within reach but unable to be held.

Rukia, as promised, had shown up to his room early that morning. He had just been awake for maybe an hour, finishing up the sorry excuse of a breakfast that the woman with the braid had shown up with. Unohana, he reminded himself, was his main caregiver it seemed. But she had happily given him over to the shorter woman when she arrived, gliding out of the room as she spoke of other patients needing her assistance. Unohana was cheerful, but he sensed there was something more to her than met the eye, particularly in the look she had given him when he tried to refuse his breakfast. Upon seeing that, he had happily eaten the bland food.

Rukia had ushered him out of the room, chatting about the places they would visit today. Though she kept a smile in place, she seemed…reserved. It was as if she was guarded, not that he really blamed her. He figured she still wasn't over the whole incident of their first meeting yesterday, and truth be told, he kind of enjoyed the silence. It was comfortable, and it gave him a chance to rack his brain for any information.

But every attempt at that just led to a headache.

Eventually, he gave up, allowing Rukia to lead him. She hadn't said where they were going, and when they arrived at a large gate leading to who knows where, he finally spoke up.

"Um, where exactly are we going?"

"The Rukon District," she answered with a small smile. "It is the outer laying portion of the Soul Society. What you have seen up until now is the Seireitei. I'm taking you to where you grew up, District 78, Hanging Dog."

"Charming name," Renji said with a small grimace.

Rukia laughed lightly at the comment, nodding. "Even more charming in person," she said, the sarcasm dripping from the words. She clarified, looking up at Renji as she spoke. "I'm not going to lie. It is one of the rougher districts. But I'm hoping something within the area will spark some of your memories."

He studied her face as she spoke, noticing the way her eyes had taken on a faraway look. She was remembering something, he realized, and inwardly he felt his thoughts darken. Another thing he had no clue about that held significance to his past. Before he could allow his frustration to overwhelm him, however, she had grabbed his sleeve and tugged him along behind her.

After a few minutes of walking with only silence between them, the dark-haired girl spoke up. "So Nii-sama had said he would visit. Did he meet with you yesterday?"

For a moment, Renji didn't know who she meant. But then he remembered the man that had stopped by after Rukia had left. The man had been distant, cold even, and the conversation had been awkward. He had barely stayed for five minutes, and the only words said between them was an update on his health and a small, unexplained thank you from the older man, an action that Renji had not understood. What had he done to receive a thank you? Yet another thing he was forgetting.

"The man with long black hair?" Renji guessed, earning a nod from the girl.

"His name is Byakuya, but I don't suggest you call him that," she said with a chuckle. "He is the Captain of the Sixth Division, and you are his Lieutenant. You usually call him 'Taichou', or at least you do to his face."

Renji nodded, pretending the information was easily comprehended when in fact it was rather confusing. That man was a Captain? What exactly was the Sixth Division? And what exactly did it mean to be his Lieutenant? It was already giving him a migraine to try and sort the new information out, so he left it alone, vowing to figure it all out later.

"Is he always so…" Renji trailed off, not sure of the right word to use. After all, he was Rukia's brother. He didn't want to offend her. Luckily, she had begun to relax a little more with him on their walk, and didn't seem to mind his questions.

"Cold?" Rukia supplied, giving him a knowing look. "He's always been rather stoic. It comes with the nobility. He has a lot of pressure on him, being the head of the Kuchiki clan. But I promise he is not as bad as he looks. He likes you, though he will probably never show it."

Renji shot the woman such a bewildered look that she laughed. "I'm serious," she assured him, reaching out to touch his arm gently as she leaned towards him, as if the words she spoke next were a huge secret. For all Renji knew, it was a secret, so he bent his head down to listen closely. "He has told me how much he values you as a Lieutenant, though he'd never say it in public."

The redhead found himself smiling at the words despite himself. Though he didn't know the full significance of those words, he felt it was worthy of some pride on his part. "Well, he did thank me when we talked, but I'm not sure what for."

Rukia's eyes widened slightly at the comment, quickly covering her shock with a nod. Renji could see the spark of emotion in the violet color and found himself wondering why a thank you from her brother to him would affect her so strongly, but she quickly steered the conversation away from it.

"He doesn't open up a lot, but he's really a good man," she said while turning her gaze forward, continuing their walk.

"He's different from you," Renji muttered, more to himself than to the girl who led him along the dirt streets. But she heard the words clearly and sent him a questioning look.

"What do you mean?"

Renji rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He hadn't exactly meant to say the words aloud, but now he couldn't avoid the question. "I just meant you're a lot more…friendly compared to him. For nobility, you seem a lot more relaxed."

The raven-haired woman laughed once more, nodding at the words. "Well, I was adopted. Nii-sama had married my sister, and when she died, he found me as a sibling. It was her last request."

The inked man frowned, kicking himself for having brought up painful memories for her. He felt like a complete idiot, stumbling through information and stepping on everyone's toes along the way. "Sorry," he mumbled, shaking his head.

Rukia gave him a small smile. "Don't be. It was a long time ago, and you didn't know."

"But I'm supposed to know," he shot back before he could stop himself. And it was true. If he had grown up with her, been close to her like everyone said, he knew this information, or at least he did at one point. He hated this. He had to relearn his life, the person he was, the friends he had; it didn't seem fair that he had to start from scratch.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Rukia said, nudging him in the side with her elbow. "Sulking isn't going to make those memories come back any faster."

"I'm not sulking," Renji scoffed, earning an eye roll from the girl.

"Looked a lot like sulking to me," she said with a shrug, raising an eyebrow at the taller of the two. It was a challenge, and Renji could almost sense the familiarity of the exchange. He grinned at the feeling, reaching out without much thought to ruffle her hair. The girl immediately protested, shoving his hand away. "Hey! Watch it."

Renji laughed at the whine in her voice, but the laugh abruptly turned to a groan of pain when her foot connected with his shin. He yelped, reaching down to rub the tender area as the girl cackled, running ahead of him.

"That's for messing up my hair," she called, turning to look at him over her shoulder.

"You'd kick an injured man with amnesia?" he shot back, trying his best to seem completely offended but knowing he was smiling.

"You've always been a little sensitive in the head," she answered with a raised eyebrow. The smile on her face oozed playfulness, and Renji found himself smirking at the obvious insult. He was starting to see why they were friends in his past.

"You're going to pay for that," he hollered, straightening up and running towards the girl as she laughed. He chased her through the streets, oblivious to the others they weaved in and out of, watching the two Lieutenants with curious glances and whispered words. The girl laughed as she avoided his reach, dodging when he got close and pushing her legs to run faster. The crowd eventually thinned, houses getting less crowded, revealing a path that ran alongside a river. The surface shone brightly in the sunlight, and Renji could make out a multitude of flower blossoms floating along the surface. Though the display didn't strike him as particularly powerful, it affected Rukia almost immediately.

Her steps faltered, bringing her to a halt in an instant, and Renji couldn't stop soon enough. With a yell of surprise, he collided with her, instinctively wrapping his arms around her and twisting to shield her from the fall as they tumbled into the river's edge. The cool water enveloped them in seconds, and both came up sputtering, coughing up water as they laughed.

Renji sat up in the shallow water, loosening his grip on Rukia as she pushed against his chest. "Didn't know you lost your coordination with your memories," she teased, settling in the water as she caught her breath.

The redhead rolled his eyes, wiping his face as he continued to chuckle. "Says the one who stopped in the middle of the road for no reason."

"I had a reason," she shot back with a wide grin. "I haven't been visited Hanging Dog for a very long time, mostly because of the harsh lifestyle. But even as children, we managed to find the good in the bad. We used to catch fish and play in this river." She looked out at the water, a small smile adorning her lips. "I have forgotten how pretty it can be."

Renji couldn't agree more, but he would be lying if he said he was talking about the water. What captured his attention was the way Rukia's face had softened, acquiring a dreamy appearance. She looked younger, more carefree compared to how she had appeared yesterday. It was like all of her worries had been washed away in the river, leaving a sense of peace. His eyes followed a drop of water as it traveled the length of her pale neck, disappearing into her soaked collar. As they sat, collecting themselves, the flowers that had been disturbed by their tumble returned. She reached down to gently touch the petals of a flower, the white blossom shuddering beneath her fingertips as an innocent smile touched her face, and he couldn't help but think of how beautiful the image was.

The white-hot pain that hit behind his eyes was unexpected.

Renji's hand shot up to grip his skull, feeling as if he didn't hold it together it would split right in two. He's been having headaches since he first woke up yesterday, but this was a different sensation. This was stronger, sharper. He was aware of the groan that worked its way out of his throat, and the way Rukia called his name with concern in her tone, but he couldn't focus on any of that. All he could concentrate on was the flow of information that flooded his brain.

The images came one after another in rapid order, flashing before his eyes before being replaced by another. Running through the street with stolen goods, surrounded by other children and being chased by a vender. Watching a dark-haired girl stick up for a child smaller than her being bullied. Competing in different skills, especially the newly acquired powers that spoke of Shinigami potential. Climbing trees, swimming, fishing. Camps with a close-knit group of kids, his family. The image of a much younger Rukia, smiling as she stood in the river amongst flowers, so similar to the scene he had just witnessed. And lastly, looking over the Soul Society with only Rukia left in the makeshift family, graves at their backs and their futures presented in front of them in the form of the Academy.

Renji's breath came back all at once, forcing its way into his lungs with a sharp gasp that had him coughing harshly against the intrusion. When had he stopped breathing? The pain was fading slowly from his temples, leaving nothing but a dull ache in its wake. Another groan left his lips, more out of relief than pain. The inked man opened his eyes, unsure of when they had closed in the first place, and was met with the sight of the water that he sat in. As his mind settled, Rukia's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Renji! Renji, what happened?" She gripped his shoulder tightly, shaking him gently when he didn't respond. He looked up, and was taken aback by the emotion that overwhelmed him. It was as if it was the first time he was truly seeing her, but at the same time it was like reconnecting with an old friend. As paradoxical as it sounded, his present self seemed to have found a part of his past self and meshed together. But whatever confusion he felt from that sensation was outshined by the intense feeling of happiness and fondness and love – had he always felt this way for her? – he held for the woman in front of him. Whether she knew of his emotions or not didn't matter. What mattered was that he knew of them, that he could remember how he felt for this person that had seemed like a stranger yesterday, only to be revealed as a person of great importance to him. He would question his attachment to her later. Right now he was just happy that he knew her at all.

It wasn't until Rukia shook him again, threatening physical harm if he did not speak soon, that a wide smile broke out on his face. Without saying a word he pulled her to his chest, burying his face into her neck as his arms wrapped around her waist. She was caught off guard by the gesture, but returned the embrace after a second of hesitation. "Renji, what's going on?" she questioned again, unsure of what had him reacting in such a way.

Renji's smile grew in size, a seemingly impossible feat, as he held onto her tightly. "I remember you," he said with a laugh, giddy with his joy. "I remember my childhood here, growing up on the streets. I remember meeting you. I remember our friends. I remember wanting to enter the Academy."

He pulled back, his smile fading ever so slightly. That was all he could make out of his past, his childhood before the Shino Academy. He was still missing so much, but this was a start. He wasn't as empty as he had been yesterday. He had memories, things to hold onto for his sanity, to tell him who he was. "They stopped there, before we entered the Academy to become Shinigami, but I remember. I remember."

Rukia's look of concern had morphed into one of joy, her smile shining brightly as she looked him over. She didn't speak, either too overwhelmed to do so or unsure of what to say, but she threw her arms around him once more, laughing in her excitement. He gripped the back of her dampened uniform tightly, joining her in the laughter as they hugged.

Woo, finished with this one! Pulling teeth to write this, I tell you. Not sure why it has become so difficult to sit down and write, but I'm going to have to shake off this writing block thing. It's affecting my fanfiction social life.

Hope you all liked this update. Comments always appreciated :)

Much love,

Meg