Author's note – One the twenty-forth day of Christmas, I gave my true love...
Christmas Nightmare
~Kurosaki House Hold~
The floor of the room at Urahara's shop was covered in holiday themed paper and ribbons. The small taicho sat in the middle of the mess, glaring at the papers the man had so kindly provided. Rolls of ribbon were also there and he remained frustrated as he looked at the various papers. The door clicked open and Gin slid in, sipping a hot drink.
At that, two bright teal eyes darted up. "I see that you're enjoying yourself."
"And I see that you're wrapping presents. Are you enjoying yourself?" Ichimaru sat down across from the boy, watching him carefully.
At that, the small taicho went back to what he was doing, refusing to answer the man. Eventually, his eye fell upon a particular paper and a particular ribbon and he picked them up. He meticulously took his time cutting the paper out, then folding it around the gift. Finally, he tied it off with the ribbon, making it look nice.
Gin simply watched the boy, amusement written across his face. Whether it was because of the mask the man always wore, or because he always found amusement in such things he couldn't be sure. He watched as the next few gifts were also wrapped up. When Toshiro finnished, Ichimaru let out a sigh of relief as the clean up began.
"We can be going over to the Kurosaki family now?" The man stated as the small taicho scooped the gifts he was going to be giving.
At that, two teal eyes looked at him in surprise. "Yes. We can get going I guess."
They were scooped into the small bad and the small taicho headed to the door, only to hear a voice from behind him. "One of those wouldn't happen to be for your girlfriend would it?"
At that, Hitsugaya turned around on him and glared at the man, staying that way for a few minutes. When he finally spoke up, his voice was filled with irritation. "She is not my girlfriend."
"Hai, hai. Whatever you say." Ichimaru stated, falling into step behind the small male. Eventually they got to the Kurosaki household and Gin paused forward hitting the door with a loud knock, causing his son to jump.
After a few seconds, the door opened and the substitute shinigami looked out smiling at them. "Welcome."
At that, the two stepped into the house, while Toshiro carried the small bag in his arms. Gin spoke up with a laugh. "Sorry we couldn't bring something as quests."
Ichigo winced suddenly, not exactly liking Gin's behavior. "Yuzu likes to prepare the whole meal, so it really doesn't matter."
At that, they headed into the living room area where a small female was sitting on the couch watching the television. Ichigo walked over to the couch and leaned down. "Karin... we have guests over for dinner."
At that, the dark haired twin jumped and looked over the couch. 'So you invited some of your friends over." However, she paused upon seeing Hitsugaya standing there next to someone she had never seen before. She raised her hand up. "Yo. Toshiro. It's good to see you again."
This caused Ichigo to blink a couple of times, turning to stare at the small shinigami. "The two of you have met already?"
"Toshiro helped us out with a soccer game when some middle school students thought they could bully us." The small female stated. "Do you want to play a video game?"
At that, the small taicho's jaw dropped, confusion spreading on his face. Ichigo though spoke up, scratching his head. "How come she gets to call you by your first name and you always complain about me using it."
At that, the small taicho turned and glared at him. "Your sister isn't involved in Soul Society affairs, Kurosaki."
"So... do you want to play a game?" Karin stated again. However, she watched as his eyes drifted over to the small tree that was already decorated. "We haven't decorated for Ichi-nii's Christmas party yet, but we did get the Christmas tree up."
The man who was standing with them suddenly placed a palm in the middle of the child's back and pushed him towards the couch. "Go play a video game, Shiro-chan. I doubt you've ever given yourself to try one."
"You know I don't like people calling me that?" Toshiro stated as he sat down next to Karin, his legs folding up as he glared daggers at the telivision. In his mind, he had better things to do.
The tomboy female spoke up as she went to set up the system. "So, you've never played a video game before?"
"I don't have time for such things." Hitsugaya grumbled.
"Usually you say you don't have time for childish pursuits," Ichimaru piped up, leaning over from behind.
At that, Karin blinked a couple of times. "Toshiro... is he your father?"
There was a moment of silence as Ichigo let out a cough rather suddenly. He was the first to speak up. "Why would you think that Karin?"
"Because..." At this, the small female paused. "Toshiro looks like he could be the son of this guy and that fukutaicho I was introduced to earlier, the one that is under him."
Hitsugaya's eyes went wide and he simply stared at her, his shock complete. Gin shook his head, his eyes opening up. "So, you've met Matsumoto then?"
"Yeah. She seemed like a ditz, but she was nice enough to me. " The female commented. "However, it was for only a little bit."
Ichigo suddenly grabbed the arm of the tall man and began to drag him off to the kitchen. "Why don't you and I check to see if Yuzu and Rukia need help in the kitchen."
Karin watched as Ichimaru was dragged away, a frown on his face like he was a little child, while the two preteens watched. At that, she turned to her friend. "Something's bothering you."
If she expected a response, one didn't come, at least not right away. The small taicho simply stared at the television, his mouth twisting up in a scowl. Finally he spoke up. "There was a captain in soul society who decided he wanted to betray everyone else. He took the other two captains with him because it appeared that he had manipulated ones quest for justice, while the other he likely manipulated because he got his hands in him as a young child."
"That's what that whole business Ichi-nii was involved in was about?" Karin let out a deep sigh, getting a sharp one time nod from the small taicho.
"You basically go to soul society when you die. I always had a dream since I was young, about a plain of ice. I figured that was how I died. I didn't think any blood relation cared about me and yet someone was willing to take me in and raise me, my granny. I thought myself lucky to be accepted by her and the other child being raised in the household. I didn't think to ever look for my parents, since it is hard to find family in soul society. Plus, they should go looking for their kid, right?"
At that, the small female found a puzzled look on her face. "Are you saying that you aren't their child?"
At that, the small taicho shook his head no. "I just found out that Matsumoto Rangiku and Ichimaru Gin are my biological parents. Gin is the child genius I was talking about earlier. What he told me... and I honestly don't know whether to believe him beyond the fact that granny has confirmed that he is my father... is that he took me from my mother when I was born, told her I was dead and then put me in the safe keeping of my grandmother so that other man couldn't get me."
"That explains why you are a captain at such a young age." Karin watched though, as Toshiro's face twisted up in frustration. She suddenly smiled at him weakly. "Would you have rather I pointed out the fact that I noticed that your upset that Matsumoto didn't realize that you were her child when the two of us met and how weird it was?"
At that, the small taicho buried his head in his hands. He then raised up his head, frustration on his face. "Rangiku still doesn't know because she and Gin aren't talking to each other. Actually, she's been refusing to talk to him so he can tell her the truth. She's that mad at him for leaving with that... other person without explaining anything. I can't really blame her. But..."
There was a slight pause, and Karin patiently waited for a completion. "Do you understand that people in soul society age differently then they do in the world of the living?"
"That explains why you were so reluctant to tell me your age? As far as I'm concerned, you're pysically the same age as me." Karin smiled. "What would you have told me if I had known?"
"I would have told you that I was over fifty years old at least." The small taicho scratched his head rather uncomfortable.
There was a sudden laugh from the female preteen, which caused him to balk and stare at her, utter horror on his face. The small female used her hand to brush off in the air his concerns. "I was just thinking, that explains your white hair doesn't it?"
"That isn't funny." Toshiro glared at her.
Karin laughed again. "You really can't take a joke, can you? I mean, it is obvious that isn't why your hair is white because if she's your mom then she's got to be older then you and she's got some pretty colored hair."
"Yeah, well now that I know I was born in soul society, I know that I have to be older then a hundred. " He then paused. "That wasn't the point me explaining that to you, though you would have figured out roughly how old I was when I told you what was bothering me."
"Sorry. I'll try not to add to your mental worries. I'll not tease you right now. I just thought you could use a laugh." Karin chuckled again.
"I met my mother over forty years ago. She's actually the one who convinced me to join the academy, because... of some things going on. She's kept an eye on me since then and while we didn't talk much, she did know when my birthday was. She always got depressed around that time and forgot about my birthday."
At that, the small female piped up. "I am kind of surprised that she didn't guess that you were her child. I mean, you look a lot like your father. You also have that particular birthday. How could she not know?"
At that, the corner of Toshiro's mouth twitched. "Ichimaru told her that the baby she lost was a girl." At that, Karin's jaw dropped, and she paused for a few minutes. She then fell onto the floor laughing. He spluttered out the words. "It isn't funny!"
"I'm sorry." The small female pulled herself back up on the couch. "I just pictured you in girls clothing when you said that."
At that, his eyes grew wide and his cheeks flushed a slight red color. "Please. Don't tell me anything like that again." He then took a deep breath. "Matsumoto... when I asked her why she ignored my birthdays, she wasn't able to tell me. I rather went off on her, telling her that I hate her. I didn't mean it, but the fact that she can't tell me the truth hurts."
"I can see why that would hurt." Karin smiled. "At least you have a chance to spend time with your mother."
"Sorry. I forgot your mom isn't around." The small taicho leaned forward, frustrated that everything wasn't working out the way he wanted to. However, his and Karin's heads darted up when they saw Ichigo and Gin come back into the room.
"Yuzu said that I would burn the kitchen down if I helped." Ichigo smiled.
Karin narrowed her eyes at her brother. "I know that you are hiding something, Ichi-nii."
