Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Different Circumstances ❯ The Engagement ( Chapter 29 )

The Engagement

 

“Anything can break down, no matter how faultless it seems,” Retsu said reasonably. “I'm sure the members of your Division are working very hard on trying to restore communications, Captain Kurotsuchi, but haranguing Lieutenant Matsumoto won't hasten the process and her husband doesn't like it.”

 

I closed my mouth even though it wanted to fall open in shock. This was an interesting situation. I noticed a discreet look of camaraderie pass between Captain Kuchiki and Retsu. It didn't surprise me that unexpected alliances were forming, as they had in the Seireitei. Not that there was anything in the glance that hinted at romance, but it was more like one peer acknowledging the assistance of another and implying that support would be forthcoming. Captain Kurotsuchi did not notice the glance, fortunately, as another unexpected ally presented herself.

 

“Mayuri, you said that you weren't sure if we'd be able to communicate with the Seireitei by normal methods once we got here,” Nemu said and her skin coloured as her father turned his bland gaze upon her. “This place was pretty well sealed. You said so,” she faltered and then stopped as the gaze from her father became harder.

 

“I designed the link, therefore it won't fail,” he replied, his voice harsh with anger. He strode in front of his daughter and raised his hand to slap her across the face and I wanted to stop him. Having been on the receiving end of violence, I found my tolerance of it had decreased. I readied to move, feeling Zaraki tense against me as if he was also preparing to intercede when I felt a breeze pass by my face and following the direction of the movement of the air, saw that Captain Kuchiki had used shun-po to get between the father and daughter. His eyes flashed dangerously as he held a hand in the path of the blow.

 

“I recall the last time you slapped your lieutenant. I advised you then that there were better methods of discipline. She is a person, not a shield or a punching bag,” the words were soft, barely above a whisper, but there was an unmistakable threat lying just underneath the surface. “Do I have to remind you or should I permit the 11th Division Captain to demonstrate his kendo, using you as his target? It is my belief we can all learn from watching others and perhaps he needs to continue practicing.”

 

Kendo? Zaraki had used kendo? I wished I had been present to witness it. It surprised me to hear that he had any training in it as he seemed so assured in his normal fighting style. Maybe I could watch him later, or he could demonstrate for me, in private. Then we could…

 

With a start I woke to reality as Zaraki pushed me behind him again. Why was the man always trying to protect me? Nemu was the person who might be injured, or with any luck Kurotsuchi might shed some blood; his own. I caught myself. I'd thought of the 12th Division Captain without providing his normal title. It was clear to me why; I no longer believed he deserved to bear the title and from the hostility being displayed by the other people in the room toward the man; I was not the only one.

 

Most importantly why was my mind creating these vivid images which seemed to combine fighting and lust?

 

“Missing your affianced bride, now that Zaraki's whore is here?” Kurotsuchi said silkily, as he tried to smile agreeably. He pulled his arm from Captain Kuchiki's grip but not before I noticed a look of repulsion at the touch. “Oh, sorry, I meant wife. Funny how those words are so similar and isn't it strange how many unfortunate alliances have formed? One `noble' woman stringing along two common men. A bald thug and an ill judged creation. An airhead and a psychopath. And those other mismatched pairs. Curious what love does.”

 

Everyone froze and I began to panic. The situation was rapidly going down hill and I knew Zaraki was eager for an excuse to reduce Kurotsuchi to his component parts. The man was being deliberately insulting to the people he was meant to work with. Was this another means to produce dissension amongst the rescue party? Had he been doing this all the time? The half formed ideas I had about the traitors were unfortunately being strengthened by the minute. I clutched at Zaraki with both hands, pushing my body close to his, thrusting my breasts near his hands. Yes, I was being shameless, but I didn't want to be the cause of Zaraki gutting the man. I wanted to be the one to kill him. There was also the mystery of how he seemed to know too much. I felt a knot forming between my shoulder blades as I anticipated the events that might unfold as a result of those comments.

 

Then it struck me what the 12th Division Captain had said. Captain Kuchiki was engaged? That was one piece of news no one had thought to tell me, but so many events had happened that it might have seemed that no one wanted to mention it. Rukia's brother had flinched at the comment and that reaction seemed strange. He had never seemed to indicate a preference for any of the women within the Seireitei, while I knew a number of them sighed after him. Most of them assumed he was still mourning his wife and I'd heard some discussion about how difficult it would be to compete for his affections with someone who was dead and therefore could no longer disappoint. The living always did. He was not to my taste as he had always seemed too aloof and disciplined. I preferred passion. Kuchiki's gaze was now on my husband; as if he was wondering what his reaction would be to the latest insult.

 

Renji was furiously staring at Rukia who was exchanging troubled glances with Nemu, both of them oblivious to the continuing conversation and nervous about the revealing comments. Even though I'd once again been insulted by Kurotsuchi, there were so many other factors at work in this room. The tension seemed to increase with each word and I wondered how much more it could expand. The man, whom I thought Yachiru had titled `Slug Breath', was orchestrating this, trying to sow as many seeds of distrust and hatred amongst the mission as possible, but in watching the subtle messages that were passed among the others; he only seemed to manage to affect Ichigo and Renji. Or course insulting me would anger Zaraki, that couldn't be prevented, but I knew that Captain Kuchiki or Retsu could easily turn the words around on the man. I wished they'd do it soon.

 

“The possible reason that you cannot tell the difference between the words wife and whore is because you have experience of neither,” Captain Kuchiki said smoothly. “A man, who needs to create his own offspring, rather than reproduce normally, obviously does so because he has no choice. Your earlier comments can only support this belief.”

 

With a great amount of control I kept my jaw from dropping again. I had not expected that Captain Kuchiki could deliver such a sucker punch as succinctly as he had. Everything that I had noted since being here indicated that there had been a number of changes and that perhaps due to being away from the `influences' of the Seireitei people were seeing things differently. I knew that I was seeing a side of Zaraki I hadn't noticed or guessed before. He had missed me, though I was certain he would never tell me to what extent. Missed me, wanted me, and needed me as much as I had missed, wanted and needed him. I wondered again about why I loved the man, thinking that perhaps being away from the Seireitei would permit me a modicum of clarity about my emotions for my husband. With luck I would gain some sense and not be driven to the lengths I had until now to be with him. At present, that didn't seem to be the case.

 

Even though the separation appeared to help my view on a number of issues, when I looked at Zaraki I felt my heart beat faster and the rush of need and longing nearly overwhelmed me. Because I had fallen for this man so completely with, it seemed, such little explanation, I had been questioning the whole lust/love/marriage trilogy. Looking at him made me want to be close to him. Being close to him made me want to be even closer to him. I quickly dragged my attention, and my wandering hands, elsewhere. I had been on the point of reaching up and caressing his mouth with my fingertips. Damned man!

 

The niggling and slightly worrying doubts I had, dissolved. This was Zaraki I was thinking about. How could I doubt anything about him? To doubt him would be akin to doubting myself. I was free to doubt any of the others, question their motives, wonder at their decision and loyalty, but my Zaraki was a person whose integrity I would not doubt, at least as it applied to me.

 

That provided the basis of understanding and discrimination. Zaraki trusted Yachiru, therefore I trusted Yachiru. Zaraki trusted Retsu and my experience could only prove that point, therefore I trusted Retsu. The rest of the people here, aside from Renji and Arai were still open to censure, though from what I was hearing and seeing, Captain Kuchiki was as honourable and noble as he appeared. Ichigo had always shown his honour, but he was a bit flaky and prone to stupid actions and taking things at face value. Generally he was being a normal teenage male: in other words, an idiot. Comments from his friends indicated that he'd had an interest in Rukia, Nemu and, possibly, me but he was due for disappointment from all of us. To me, while he might be cute, he was a child and one prone to all the childish emotions and frailties. Rukia would have been a good match for him as she had much of the common sense he was lacking, but the spark wasn't there, at least on her side. Nemu being the way she was would not even notice his interest unless she was permitted to by her father or Ikkaku teased her about it.

 

However, my observation proved there was a relationship in crisis and one I had thought was solid and dependable. At one time the attachment between Renji and Rukia had been almost visible, but now I saw them together once more, it was clear, that while Renji still felt the same passion for his long time friend, hers had cooled back to warm friendship. A friendship that would make her pause before she hurt him, but it would be one that insisted on truth. I pitied both of them.

 

My attention had been on other things and I had not seen my husband move. He brushed off my hands and now Kurotsuchi was dangling from one hand and looking decidedly worried. I looked worriedly at Zaraki's other hand which had clenched into a fist and I could tell he wanted to punch Kurotsuchi. “You've insulted my wife one too many times, freak.” Zaraki was trying to keep his voice down, but it roared through the room. “I've kept my temper until now because the old man asked me to, but no longer. One more word and you bleed from every orifice. Understand?” To reinforce his point he drew the blade of his zanpakuto out of it's sheathe and placed the handle against the 12th Division captain's mouth. “I'll shatter those fucking yellow teeth for a start so you can't utter any more lies.”

 

“I think he's got the message, for the moment,” Retsu said as Kurotsuchi's eyes rolled back in his head. “It might have had more effect if you hadn't `accidentally' pressed your thumb on his carotid artery while you were speaking.”

 

“How did that happen,” Zaraki raised his eyebrows innocently. I'd seen him move his thumb after he'd finished speaking. There was no doubt in my mind he had done it intentionally but now he was pretending innocence. He'd wanted the man to shut up and that was one way, short of killing him. Dropping the man onto a chair he sheathed his zanpakuto, returned to my side, kissed my cheek gently and addressed the others. “Insult my wife, you insult me. I prefer actions to words and you might find me handing you your arse, in pieces, if I think you are being disrespectful.”

 

I saw Ichigo wince and the two strange white creatures shuddered slightly, sheltering behind the child like figure. Yachiru went up to her and hugged her lightly. “Don't worry. Ken-chan won't hurt you, Nel. He won't hurt Pesche or Dondochakka either, unless they're rude.”

 

I'm sure my father meant no harm by his words,” Nemu protested unconvincingly. I saw the traces of a flush on her face and the glimmer of tears in the corners of her eyes. It would be painful to be called a fool by your father, or to have a father who bore any resemblance to hers. From what Ikkaku had told me, there was little solace in Nemu's life.

 

“Oh, we only want to be rude to that man,” Pesche said pointing at Kurotsuchi. “He was rude to Ichigo and Ishida and Renji and Chad and me and Nel and Rukia and well everyone. I was almost sorry when he defeated whathisname, the guy with the pink hair and the tentacles.” He scratched his head thoughtfully as he tried to remember. “They both claimed to be scientists, but I don't see it. And Mr Zaraki, we certainly won't insult your very lovely wife,” he bowed slightly in my direction. “Nel or Miss Rukia would certainly remind us of our manners.”

 

“Damn straight,” said Rukia.

 

“He was trying to use us as bait for the Arrancar, don't cha know,” the large white creature added. “He's been fighting with Mr Ichigo for days because Mr Ichigo won't allow it.”

 

Nemu picked up her father, and with a look of despair walked toward the door. “I will remove him until he recovers,” she said, not meeting anyone's gaze. “I had thought his body modifications would have….” Suddenly she cut off her words, a strange look passing over her face and she left the room hurriedly.

 

“Sister. Please moderate your language. Remember who you are,” Captain Kuchiki said heavily. He gave a reproving look to Rukia who had already been looking as if she was stricken with guilt and sadness.

 

The words seemed to cut through the guilt and reach a part of her that she had been keeping curbed until now and Rukia turned on him. “Remember who I am? I'm a gutter rat who was adopted into a noble house after I was accepted as a Shinigami trainee. You would never have adopted me if it hadn't been for my sister. And now I'm trapped in an engagement I can't honour…..” she broke off and raised a hand to her mouth as she realised what she'd admitted. She turned her back to the room and faced the wall. She was waiting for the inevitable reaction but she couldn't look at Renji.

 

Renji was slowly turning to Rukia, his face set and his eyes blazing.

 

“Not now,” I thought. Watching this train wreck in progress I wondered how many of us would escape with our hearts unbruised. Very few, I guessed.

 

Captain Kuchiki placed himself between his sister and lieutenant. The man had changed, acting as a protector. I wondered who his betrothed was and if she was the reason he had become so protective of the females on this mission. “We will discuss this in private,” he asserted strongly.

 

“Fuck that,” Renji replied, stripping off his lieutenant's armband and visor and throwing them to the floor. He tried to push past his Captain but he stood fast and unsheathed his zanpakuto, his hard gaze threatening his lieutenant. “If I'm getting dumped it may as well be in fucking public because everyone will talk about it. Ran knows that. A private dumping is harder,” Renji continued.

 

I gulped as he said that. When Gin dumped me, everyone knew, within hours. People had speculated and stories had been created about what had been the cause of our break-up. Most of the blame had been placed at my feet for reasons I hated to accept. I had tried to rationalise it, but none of it helped.

 

“Don't do this, Renji. Don't say anything, Rukia.” I said, but my voice went unheard. Time enough for this to happen when we were back in the Seireitei. For this break-up to happen now could only court disaster.

 

“I can't marry you, Renji. I'm breaking our engagement.”

 

The words were quiet but filled the room and I wanted to escape before anything else was said. Hell, I wanted to find a way to vanish and pretend I hadn't been there to hear those words. I loved Renji, as a friend, and I knew that hearing this was going to rip him apart. He would be reminded of those words every time he saw one of us and that was one of the reasons that being rejected in private was better. I held onto Zaraki tightly, trying to block my ears, but it wasn't possible to do both.

 

“I love you, I have always loved you,” Rukia continued and Renji's face momentarily brightened but became sullen as more words were added. “I will always love you, but as a friend, a brother. I mistook that love for something else. I kept hoping it would change, but it didn't.”

 

There was silence and I sincerely hoped Rukia had finished, but then I remembered that she was always honest with Renji, no matter what. It was a testament to their friendship, but it seemed also to be a bane at this time. Turning slightly away, a grief stricken look on her face, Rukia said very quietly, but very firmly, “There's someone I'm trying to get out of my system. I'm not sure if I love him or not and I only agreed to marry you for two reasons but because of what happened, I have no compelling reason to marry, not now and not you.”

 

I don't know why I noticed but both Isane and Retsu's hands went down and gently touched their stomachs, but the movement was so fast and brief that I wondered why they were trying to hide what was obviously an instinctive reaction. For some reason I had touched my stomach at the same time as the possible reason for the engagement dawned on me. Ichigo's eyes were wide as he stared at his friends, as if he could barely comprehend what was going on. He shook his head slowly as if he was trying to clear it, but he still appeared confused.

 

Suddenly Rukia was no longer there, nor was Captain Kuchiki, but I thought I saw the door close. If Zaraki had spoken those words to me I would by now be a boneless mass of weeping flesh.

 

“Fucking great. That's fucking great. He leaves us with the guy,' Zaraki said with heavy irritation in his voice, but he quickly squeezed me hard before releasing me and moving closer to his former subordinate.

 

Renji had flushed, an almost beetroot colour. He was still staring at the place Rukia had been standing when she spoke. He began to move toward the door, but Zaraki grabbed him by the shoulder.

 

“Let go of me, Captain,” Renji ordered, drawing his zanpakuto without hesitation, or fear. “I've got to talk to Rukia. I want the creeping bastard's name. I'll kill him and Rukia will come back to me, or not. Maybe I don't want her anymore, but I need to know the prick's name.”

 

“Should we sedate him?” Isane suggested tremulously. I had never seen her so nervous and she regarded Renji with all the fear of an unexploded bomb.

 

Retsu looked grim and reached into her sleeve as she withdrew some apparatus, but then shook her head. “I don't think it's a good idea. Ichigo, Kenpachi, take him outside and fight him. Make him think about something else, like trying to survive. Fight him until he can't lift his hand, let alone his blade.”

 

Following orders, Zaraki picked up Renji and removed from the room and I watched with reluctance as they left, trailed by Ichigo.

 

“I don't know if it will work. No physician has found the cure for that,” Retsu said, her voice harsh.

 

“For a broken heart?” The words sounded so trite but I said them anyway. I thought my heart had been ripped from my body when Gin repudiated me. It had hurt and the pain was monitored by too many. Heartbreak should be private, not a public event open to speculation.

 

“For however you want to name the condition,” Retsu said with finality. Maybe I was being hyper sensitive, considering all the emotional events that had happened, but I wondered if I sensed something behind the words.

 

“What's a broken heart? How do you break it,” the little girl who was standing with Yachiru asked. “Does it get better, or do you have to….”

 

Yachiru suddenly interrupted. “I think we should go and watch the fight. You'd like that, wouldn't you Nel? You come too Isane. We might need you, especially if Ken-chan gets enthusiastic. Let's all go. He might use his kendo again and we can watch Ichigo go all bloody, like he does every fight. He might even go Hollow and that's always fun,” her voice babbled on, trying to hide her emotions and she pulled Nel toward to the door. As the room began to clear it was obvious that Yachiru had engineered the last exit because she wanted to find out if she would be a sister.

 

The others trailed out, until only Retsu and I were left in the room.

 

For all too brief a moment there was silence. Before Retsu could speak I hurriedly reached into my sleeve and produced a few notes which I handed to her. They were from various sources and I wasn't sure who all the writers were. Fortunately all the notes were written on fine paper which could be folded very small and each had the name of the recipient written on them clearly.

 

Retsu glanced at them, seemingly more interested in one missive than the others. That she carefully put away, without reading it, but then she opened and scanned most of the others. She spoke to me sporadically as she absorbed their facts.

 

“Thank you for assisting Captain Hitsugaya in telling Lieutenant Hinamori of her condition.”

 

A pause.

 

“I have a letter requesting permission for Iemura to marry Lieutenant Hinamori, which surprises me greatly. From the number of visits he paid, I expected…. But it's none of my business.”

 

Another pause. Then an exclamation of shock and Retsu looked at me with genuine concern.

 

“Please excuse my subordinates. Their lack of attention to detail almost resulted in your death.”

 

Someone had obviously written to her about the attack.

 

“I can't blame you,” I burst out. “There's so much going on. It seems like everyone has secrets and its causing all sorts of problems. Even my Captain…” and then I faltered. It was not my place to tell.

 

“Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Fong? Have they settled their differences?” She seemed eager to know and I was shocked that she even knew there was anything going on between them. “How did you find out?”

 

I blushed slightly and admitted, “I found them in the linen room of 4th Division.”

 

Retsu looked at me and her lips twitched. They twitched again unmistakeably and she began to smile and then laugh. After the recent events I had never expected to hear laughter so soon. It was a relief to my spirit to see Retsu smile. “Again?” was the only word she said.

 

Not sure how to answer, I nodded. It began to dawn on me that it was not the first time Toshiro and Captain Fong had been in the linen room. When I remembered Toshiro's casual attitude to being found, it had seemed strange. Now it was becoming clearer, or maybe he didn't mind that it was me who had interrupted them.

 

“I think I might start charging rent on that linen room,” she said and then laughed again. Those words confirmed my belief.

 

“You mean you knew? It wasn't the first time?” I asked wondering about the circumstances and how many times the linen room had been used.

 

She nodded and I began to giggle. My Captain and the austere Captain Fong meeting in the linen room like two horny teenagers struck me as being funny. And more than once? How did Retsu know?

 

“That was the reason they let me follow Zaraki,” I explained through giggles.

 

Retsu became grave immediately. “Oh. They were only together for only a short time before you left?” sighing deeply she shook her head. “They might have managed to find a way through, but they are both so proud. I don't expect miracles. Give them time and it may work, if neither of them says or does anything unfortunate.”

 

I pondered what she was saying. One of the reasons I had tried to persuade Toshiro not to become involved with Momo was she didn't understand him. It was hard to believe that Captain Fong would understand him either.

 

“Well, Ran. Why did Yachiru make certain I was permitted to be alone with you? Obviously she knew about the notes, but there is something more, is there not?” At least Retsu was being direct. Her gaze studied me in an assessing fashion.

 

“An investigation in the Seireitei has proven that there's a traitor in 12th Division,” I told her equally directly.

 

“And?” There was no surprise in her voice or face.

 

“Be on your guard?” I wondered if I was going to receive this reaction from everyone.

 

“Having been with this mission, I have learnt to be on my guard at all times. I have known there was a traitor in 12th Division since you went on the mission to the human world, if not before then,” the 4th Division Captain told me.

 

“Who?” I began to ask but she again began speaking her eyes flickered away. There was something she knew but she was not prepared to say.

 

“There is one further matter. You wish to ascertain whether you are carrying Captain Zaraki's child. Am I correct?”

 

I sat down. Did the woman know everything?

 

“Oh, don't be astonished. It was obvious from the way your husband and Yachiru were treating you. If he had been any more gentle or protective of you, he would have been carrying you everywhere and nor permitting anyone to breathe near you.”

 

She paused and then softly patted my arm. “I'm very sorry that you lost the first baby, Ran. I had to tell Zaraki even though I wasn't sure if you knew. We've had a similar loss…” she trailed off.

 

My mind immediately went to what I had witnessed. The truth dawned on me. Focused as I had been on trying to block out the pain I was witnessing I hadn't fully taken in Rukia's words. She had no reason to marry Renji, not now.

 

“Rukia? Rukia was pregnant and lost her baby too? Oh, poor Renji. Poor Rukia.” I felt tears fill my eyes. The joy I had felt at being reunited with Zaraki was being tempered by all the pain from these disclosures. “Or is it poor Yumichika?” I said slowly.

 

A gasp told me I'd hit on another truth. “I did not tell you anything, but you guessed about her miscarriage. As to the father, I don't know. I never asked. Rukia was severely injured during a fight with an Espada and lost her baby as a result. Renji didn't know Rukia was pregnant until after she'd lost the baby.”

 

I closed my eyes. “And you? And Isane? What about Nemu?” I spoke mechanically. There was such a thing as coincidence, but this was too much. If Momo, Rukia and I were pregnant at the same time, and I knew that Shuhei had been seeing someone….

 

`How did you guess?” Retsu sounded shocked. “I've only told Soi.”

 

I looked at her. Why had she told Captain Fong? But she hadn't denied her pregnancy which made me wonder who the father was. Kira? He'd been visiting 4th Division, but that didn't seem likely. “She didn't tell me. You touched your stomach instinctively when Rukia alluded to the face that she'd lost her baby. So did Isane.”

 

Retsu sat down next to me suddenly. She looked slightly pale and poured a glass of water which she sipped. “Zaraki was furious when he found out what happened to you in Los Noches last time. He doesn't know about Rukia because it's not his business. I've been feeling slightly nervous since I found out that both Isane and Rukia were pregnant.”

 

It was obvious she didn't mention Nemu, but then that hadn't been evident and she'd answered me honestly because I had guessed correctly. I wondered about Nemu, but decided not to ask any questions about other people. Retsu had only admitted what she had due to shock and possibly because she thought I had known.

 

Even though she was still shaken and I felt terribly ashamed of my greed to know I asked, “Retsu, am I? Am I lucky enough to be carrying Zaraki's child again?”

 

She passed a shaky hand over her face and then snapped back into being the efficient, sweet faced woman I knew. “Let me just check.”

 

A few minutes later she nodded. “Definitely pregnant. The man must have impregnated you almost immediately he got you back to your quarters.” Then she shook her head. “After you'd been so careful in the past, Ran! I should have insisted you use some form of birth control…”

 

A smile had broken over my face and I shook my head firmly. “I want his child, or children,” but then I realised, “Now he'll insist I return to the Seireitei! He'll become overprotective and demand that I lock myself up so no one can hurt me. I don't want to tell him.”

 

“Not tell me what?” For once I hadn't noticed him coming close to me. “That you're going to have our baby?”

 

He bore some blood spatters but showed no injury.

 

“What about Renji?” I asked trying to change the subject but he lifted a shoulder and dropped it.

 

“I had to knock him out. He wasn't fighting much, just yelling on and on about women and stuff. After a sleep he might make more sense.”

 

Without thinking I replied, “Or less. When he gets upset it can take days or longer before his brain kicks in.”

 

Zaraki gave me a very strange look, anger mixed with bitterness and I wondered why. Then it dawned on me that he didn't like it when it was evident I knew another man that well. He knew I'd been close to Renji, I'd told him about it. Why was it important now? Details of our conversation after I'd arrived filtered through my memory and I recalled how we'd both admitted our jealousy.

 

“He'll get over it. Ichigo and the others are watching him. That Nel likes to play games. At least it's distracting the others. Every time Renji moves she goes across and pats his face,” Zaraki said. He was warning me off, but it made me wonder why the little girl was patting Renji. Maybe she liked his tattoos.

 

That strange tension that had ebbed slightly when many of the people had left the room seemed to be returning and I found I was casting calculating glances at Retsu, trying to assess her reaction to Zaraki but could discern nothing more than friendship.

 

“Is Zaraki the father of your child?” I rapped out. It was a dumb question, but it was so difficult to work out who the father could be as she hadn't confided in me. I thought I would clear up this matter immediately before I began to imagine anything.

 

Strong hands grabbed me and Zaraki turned me to face him. “I told you before, I haven't looked at Retsu, or touched her.”

 

Then his hands dropped and he reluctantly turned toward his friend. A look of horror was on his face. “Tell me, you're not…you're not fucking pregnant, are you?”

 

“I am pleased to inform you, Captain Zaraki, that your wife is expecting your child. I am not expecting your baby and my possible condition is not your business,” Retsu was standing, her clothes neatly arrayed around her and her dignity like a shield enveloped her. But her gaze was level and in earnest.

 

None of my reunions with Zaraki had been without complication and this one seemed doomed to follow the same pattern.

 

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A.N.

 

I had to update this story. Yeah, `For the Love of a Friend' hasn't caught up yet, but that's taking so freaking long. And I couldn't update `Obsidian and Alabaster' until I disclosed a little more in this story.

 

Rukia and Renji. Sad but necessary. Not all love is reciprocated or even lasts past the first flush of fulfilment.

 

The soundtrack was changed constantly as the chapter get becoming more problematic.

 

Soundtrack

`Strangers' Portishead

`The Origin' Ek

`Aeons' The Presets

 

Thanks to: cancerchick16, ldymoon, Mors', pennnnnnny and LapisDreams for the reviews. I hadn't planned on writing a separate Renji/Rukia etc story because those relationships aren't settled in this story as yet.

 

I rewrote a little of the end of the last chapter, hopefully to make it clearer.

 

Review. I like reviews.