The strawberry blond fukutaicho moved away from sitting next to the small child when she felt she captured the moment clearly in her mind. Somehow she managed to finish the paperwork before heading to the division kitchens in order to make something for her small taicho when he woke up. She sat down near him hoping to be there when he woke up, but a message came requesting help from someone in their division. Rangiku let out a sigh as she went to take care of the request rather then wake up her small taicho.

The feeling of relief fell over Rangiku when she finished the request. She headed back to the tenth division offices so she could see the small taicho – her son. She slipped into the room wondering if the boy was still napping only to freeze when she saw the blanket and over sized uniform on the floor. The corners of her mouth twisted down upon seeing the small haori still draped over the back of the couch. She headed towards the couch to pick up the uniform to only see the trey of food scattered onto the floor.

The fukutaicho stepped over to the couch and sat down while her hands grasped each other and her jaw tensed up. "He's running again."

"Come on? Twice in one day? That's not like him."

"That's my point. It isn't like him. I have to wonder what is setting him off like this. If he's having some kind of PSTD from the recent events then perhaps I need to insist he see Isane."

"He won't go. Plus... it might not be some PSTD. It might not even be related to the war with the Quincy. It may have been something which has been bothering him for some time now and he's simply had enough. Give him some time and he'll come back. He'll need you like he always has."

"Taicho doesn't need me. I've done nothing for him." Rangiku let out a sigh before pushing herself up to clean up the mess. The next task was to go to the kitchen to make her small taicho something new to eat, but something crashed into her causing her to pause.

Someone wrapped their arms around her waist. Her hands reached up to touch a soft head of white hair as she felt her small taicho's face press into her. His grip tightened. "Taicho?"

"I told you he would be coming back, and you didn't believe me."

"That wasn't it. He always comes back. This doesn't mean I shouldn't worry about him. Look at him now. He normally wouldn't hug me like this." Rangiku took a deep breath and ran her fingers lightly through the locks of white hair. "Taicho..."

"Matsumoto." The boy buried his face deeper into Rangiku's embrace.

"What ever is the matter?" The woman listened for the boy's response. "Where were you?"

She felt the small taicho freeze up and one of her hands reached down to rub between his shoulder blades. The boy finally pulled back with a sigh and sat down on the couch while pulling one knee up to his chin. One small hand touched his forehead. "Somewhere?"

The woman sat down next to the small taicho. "I know I've never really have helped you, but I'm willing to listen."

Rangiku watched as the boy flinched. Toshiro turned his head so he could look the woman in the eye. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you can feel free to talk to me."

"No. What do you mean you've never helped me?"

"I've never done anything for you."

"That's not true." The small boy sat up as he looked at Rangiku.

"Yes it is."

"Matsumoto..." The boy took a deep breath as he leaned against the back of the couch. "I wouldn't be alive because of you."

"I know that. I gave birth to you." Rangiku opened up her mouth to tell the boy the truth, but Toshiro beat her to the punch.

"I mean... you found me all those years ago and told me I needed to join the academy. I don't know what would have happened to me or even granny had you not found me that day. That's also not the only time you've saved my life. I honestly owe you a lot Matsumoto."

"From the mouth of babes. He's telling you what I've been trying to tell me."

"I'm not sure if that's really what you've been trying to tell me. Usually you've been trying to put me down about everything."

"Have not."

Rangiku looked away. "Taicho? Do you remember how we talked about whether I'm your real mother or not matters?" She waited for an answer and when it didn't come she tried speaking up again. "Well..."

"Well what?" Toshiro's comment caused the woman to turn her head to look at the boy. She watched as he swallowed and then shook his head. "My answer to you is that it does matter. It does matter to me whether you are my mother or not."

The female fukutaicho tensed up. "But..."

"I'm not saying you can't take care of me. I mean... I want that." The child taicho stood up. "I can't though..." The young taicho's eye began to look around the room and his breath drew short. Rangiku found herself reaching out to grab his thin wrist as he tried to bolt from the room.

"Wait. Finish your thought."

The small taicho relaxed for a bit. "To me it does matter whether you're my mother or not. I don't know how to explain that better then that other then to say this is a subject I'm not sure I really wish to talk about."

"So I can't tell him that I'm his mother just yet."

"Nope. Did you really think it would be this easy?"

"You were saying it would be easy."

"I said it would be easy if you just came out and tell him, but you didn't do that." Rangiku took a deep breath. "What about where you were? Is that a subject we can talk about?" The woman watched as Toshiro turned his head so he could look at her again. "You did say it is all right for me to care for you did you not?"

She watched as the young taicho swallowed again. He turned his head to look at the wall. "Yeah. I did. I was over where the Quincy live again."

Rangiku's eyes widened. "Taicho... why do you go over there?"

"I don't know."

"But something ended up upsetting you. I don't think you should go over there."

"Are you trying to give me an order?" Toshiro's voice suddenly straightened.

"No. Just a suggestion. If it upsets you much then perhaps you should avoid that area. At least for now."

"I'll try. It's not as if I tried to go over there in the first place."