I do not own Bleach, but please do not use my original characters. Thanks.

Chapter 8

It took only 24 hours for Captain Kuchiki and Renji to return to the Soul Society with Rukia Kuchiki. Kei planned to check in as soon as they got to Division 6. That idea faded as she felt their spiritual pressure when they returned. Both were exerting a higher level of Reiatsu when they returned than they normally did. It was enough that she could barely detect Rukia Kuchiki.

Even well past normal hours, Kei sat at her desk and worked quietly. She noticed them return to the Division with Rukia, but they had yet to make their way to the offices. She hadn't bothered to focus on the task in front of her, instead focusing on her Captain and Lieutenant.

Even still, she startled as Captain Kuchiki opened the door to the office standing as silently as she could manage. Renji entered just slightly after the captain. She bit her tongue to not blurt out questions as she watched them. The glasses Renji had worn when they left for the mission were gone, and faint traces of blood could be seen on his face and shoulder. Even Captain Kuchiki's uniform had a small amount of dried blood on the very bottom.

"Captain," greeted Kei as Captain Kuchiki glanced towards her. She bowed slightly before standing tall to wait for an order. She didn't know if one would come yet.

"Do you have something to report," said Captain Kuchiki. Kei hesitated at the question.

"Nothing now, sir. It was a quiet day here, all things considered."

Like the rumors floating around about the mission Renji and Byakuya had just handled.

Byakuya didn't answer. He just turned away and made his way into his own office before closing the door. Kei immediately turned towards Renji. He hadn't bothered to look at her. He just stood in the middle of the office staring at the door their Captain had disappeared behind.

"Want to tell me what happened?"

Renji looked at Kei briefly. He had a packet of papers in his hand she hadn't noticed before. They were wrinkled as his grip tightened. He dropped the papers on her desk, no regards for what she was working on.

"File those in the morning."

Kei gripped the papers as she moved to ask questions. She stopped as Renji glared at her.

"What," he snapped.

"What happened with Rukia Kuchiki? Are you and the Captain okay?"

Renji paused as his scowl faded. He looked away and she couldn't be sure why.

"We're fine."

"Really, because that's not what it seems like."

At this point she didn't expect an answer from him or the Captain. She didn't exactly plan to ask outright regardless. Some of the answers were in the document in front of her though and she wanted to know.

"Yes. This whole thing will be over soon."

Renji didn't bother to say anything else and Kei didn't bother to ask. He stood there, watching her before turning and leaving the offices.

Before the door had even closed, Kei had the reports in her hand. Flipping through the pages, she found both Renji's messy scrawled and Captain Kuchiki's impossibly neat handwriting.

Both reports detailed the same event. Tracking down Rukia, fighting a Quincy, and a Soul Reaper who stole Rukia's powers. Both reports were to the point and factual. Nothing out of the ordinary in theory, but it all seemed a bit spectacular for Kei's liking. A Quincy, which wasn't too unusual, but outright attacking a Soul Reaper. And the Substitute Shinigami as he was called in the report set her on edge.

She scanned the pages four times, still feeling unsatisfied with the information. She wanted details and explanations. Rukia Kuchiki was a noble, so all of this felt wrong. Kei had no intention of filing these papers in the morning. Not with questions when it was clear nether superior officer would answer questions.

She spread the papers across her desk, reaching into a drawer to find a log she kept when working in Division 10. Details filled the pages of Karakura Town and her interactions with the Quincy. The Substitute Soul Reaper would be more difficult to find information on. It wasn't often talked about, but she was adamant that she could retrieve some information from older reference material. The current Quincy would be more difficult for her to gather information on.

She began to list what she wanted to find as she stepped toward a reference shelf Division Six kept in the office before pausing. Her instinct was to look. Search for answers and map out what happened in detail. She couldn't be certain it wouldn't bring her trouble. Maybe she didn't care. It was hard for her to tell the difference anymore. Between determination and indifference to the consequences.

She set about pulling things from the shelf regardless.