LC333: Sorry for taking so long. Explanation is in my bio, (and I made a tumblr: Sode No Shirayuki Queen . tumblr . com (remove spaces) So you can ask away or check in on me to make sure I'm writing). Enjoy!

Chapter Twelve

"I may play a fool, Rukia, but I know what I see. My eyes have never proved me wrong."

I shook my head. How? I was so careful. How could he know what my brother, Renji, and Ichigo could not when I had spent so much time with them? In a few minutes, how could Isshin tell?

Deny. Deny, deny, deny.

"Kurosaki-san," I shook my head again. "I'm not-"

Isshin held his hand up, silencing me. "You are. You are. You are. You are. You can hide it from the others, but not from me, not to the trained eye. I know the truth. You're a vampire, Rukia."

"Kurosaki-san," I stood straight up from my chair, trying to quickly form my perfect excuse. "I don't know why you think that."

Isshin smiled. "Rukia," his voice was stern.

Deny. "I can assure you I'm not."

He smiled a not so goofy grin, getting up from his seat. "Rukia-chan, you hardly ate the meal Yuzu prepared for you."

"I wasn't very hungry." I protested. I needed some way out, fast.

Isshin frowned. "Rukia, I've been eating Yuzu's cooking for years. Even when people aren't hungry, they still eat Yuzu's food."

I shook my head, my eyes moving around the room. "Kurosaki-san, I just wasn't hungry."

Isshin rolled his eyes. "Rukia, I know the signs of a vampire. Don't lie to me and tell me you aren't one."

I eyed the door, thinking about my chances of making it out fast.

Ichigo and his sisters were out there, the two of them trying cheer him up. If I ran out the door, Ichigo would follow and that was not something I was ready for.

"The door is locked."

Damn, Isshin was good.

I looked back at him, hopefully with a straight face. How am I going to get out of this? And not just getting out of the room. Isshin would soon tell Byakuya and then everything would be over. Vampire hunters would be after me the second I managed to get out – if I could get out. I know Byakuya would not hesitate in lifting his blade against me; Byakuya's pride was everything to him. I am a stain in that pride.

He stared at me with serious eyes, stepping backwards. I took the same amount of steps as he did. His back hit a table. Mine hit the door. Isshin's hand reached under the table. Mine twisted the doorknob.

I cannot believe I'm going to die in a doctor's office.

A brown blur flew into my face. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what it is. I reached my hand out, something rough and weighted landing in my grasp.

"You caught it!"

Caught it?

I opened my eyes and looked at Isshin. He had a huge grin plastered onto his face. His arms were crossed and hands empty of any weapons. I dropped my gaze down to what was now in my hand.

A weighted rectangle wrapped in tattered brown cloth with a white tie band holding it together. I wrapped my arm around it to balance out the weight.

I looked up at Isshin with confusion; he had his arms resting casually on his side, a smile spread wide.

"This is for you, Rukia-chan," he walked over to me, stopping at arm distance.

This is for me? Are we going to have a spar to the death?

"To the death?"

Oh. I said that out loud.

"Rukia-chan, your brother wants me to teach you how to defend yourself against vampires. This is your weapon to use." Isshin placed his hands on my shoulders.

He's still going to teach me this?

"But I'm-!"

Isshin lifted his index finger to his lips and pointed to the door. Ichigo, Yuzu, and Karin were still at the dinner table. I heard Karin shuffling around, the cluttering of dishes following.

"My son doesn't know, does he?" Isshin asked.

I shook my head. "No one does-did. Not until now"

Isshin's eyes searched my face. I felt him examine every crease, watching my countenance for any sign of lies.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Yuzu asked.

"It's work related." Ichigo responded.

He sighed, his examining eyes resting. Isshin patted the top of my head. "I don't know if I should trust you with this. That is why I – in conjunction with Ichigo – will help you train."

Disbelief. I would never tell a vampire hunter the fighting secrets of a vampire. He had to know what he was doing. Teaching these hunting secrets to a vampire had to be a big betrayal. If other hunters ever found out he knew and taught me… "But you know I am… what I am. Do you really feel comfortable with doing this? Do you feel comfortable teaching me the secrets of a vampire hunter?"

"Not completely."

I pressed my lips together. His answer stung, but I couldn't blame him. "Then why are you? Teaching me these secrets, it places you in a sticky situation."

He leaned forward. "I have my reasons."

"It also places them in trouble as well." I motioned to the door.

"I'll make sure it doesn't affect them." Isshin's statement was assertive, filled with promise. "My idiot son will give you a lessons on how to use that weapon."

I looked down at it, curious as to what was inside.

"Are you going to tell my Nii-sama?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No."

Relief is a nice feeling.

"But, that isn't a secret you can keep forever."

Was. Was a nice feeling.

Isshin smiled. "That's almost an oxymoron." The smile became serious once more. "Eventually they'll all notice. The Kuchiki Clan, the Elders, Byakuya… What will you do then?"

I looked down at his shoes. "I still haven't decided."

He sighed. "The truth of my knowing is between us."

I nodded.

Isshin opened the door.

"For the time being, you'll continue these training sessions. Depending on what you decide, you might need to know how to stop them." Isshin motioned to the door. "Ichigo needs to take you home. Byakuya has strict orders to get you home by eleven."

I stared at the back of his head as I followed. Isshin-san knows. And he wasn't going to tell anyone.

He was a vampire hunter who had given me a hunter's weapon.

I looked at the package Isshin had handed me. I needed to continue this training. Once the Kuchiki Clan finds out I would need all the resources I could get. I gripped it tighter in my hand.

He was a vampire hunter who had given me my salvation.

"Finally!" Ichigo shouted to Isshin. "You know Byakuya's looking for any excuse to try to kick my ass!"

"An ass kicking would do you some good. That's why I was taking so long!" Isshin exclaimed. He placed his palm on my back and pushed me towards Ichigo. "Here, take Third-Daughter back to Byakins."

There was a shuffle as Karin took the rest of the dishes off the table and walked into the kitchen. Yuzu gave me a tight hug.

"Come over for dinner more often, Ruki-nee." Yuzu pleaded.

I patted the top of her head. "Anytime, Yuzu-chan."

She smiled brightly as Karin threw me a peace sign and I gave her one back. "Come back soon."

I turned to Isshin-san and bowed. "Thank you for having me at your lovely home this evening, Isshin-dono."

"Just Isshin." He ruffled my hair and smiled.

"Just Isshin." I smiled back. "And thank you for," I gestured to the package in my arms, "this."

"Use it well."

"Bye!" Yuzu waved from the door once more as Ichigo and I loaded into the car.

I gave her a wave before the car pulled away.

"Your family's sweet." I told him.

Ichigo smirked. "Yeah. They're a pain in the butt."

The smirked hurt. I want that. A family where we have silly arguments and dinner together every night. Dinner at the Kuchiki's wasn't warm, inviting, a home. The only family I had I lost.

"But they're your pain." I told him as I stared straight at the road.

"Che." He looked out driver's side window in a poor attempt to hide his smile.

I have such envy of him.

He glanced at me. "Do I see envy in your eyes?"

I almost shook my head.

"My son doesn't know, does he?"

"Yes."

Maybe I don't have to lie to Ichigo about everything.

His lips were tinted with concern pressed into a line. "I'm sorry you don't have that."

I shook my head. "That's just the way it is."

There was empathy in his face. "One day."

I smiled and he smiled back.

Was having that much promise hereditary?

"What's that?" Ichigo asked as we approached a red light, motioning to the package in my arms.

"I don't know." I undid the twist. "Isshin gave it to me."

"He did?" Ichigo asked.

"For training."

The cloth fell open, the contents inside bright as can be.

A white katana was inside. A long white ribbon was attached to the end, accentuating its beauty. It was adorned with a snowflake.

Ichigo's eyes widened, his voice a velvet whisper. "So he gave her to you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Her?"

"Sode no Shirayuki."