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Never Let Me Fall	By : shadoesong Category: Bleach > General Views: 1394 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and its characters, nor do I profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter 14

They left for Sereitei early the next morning. Rin was, for once, in a relatively good mood, even though she was tired and hungry. Byakuya, who had never really seen her when she wasn't in a nasty mood, was glad for the quiet. He had been afraid that the woman would whine his ear off before the war with Aizen had been cleared up.

It occurred to the noble that he hadn't been in Rukongai, other than when has was assigned with a mission, in years. He had forgotten how beautiful the place could be when they got into the lower districts. The views he saw brought with them a heavy heart, though. The last time he had been in the districts for leisurely purposes was with Hisana.

The pair were just making it through the gate when a hell butterfly fluttered over. Gilepsi, who had been sitting on her owner's shoulder, meowed to tell them it was there. Rin held out her hand, allowing it to land. She held it between her and her Captain so they could both hear the message.

Captain Kuchiki Byakuya and 7th Seat Asaje Rin, your presence is requested at the Captain's Meeting Hall immediately.

"Why me?" she said once it left.

They had made her sit outside the last time they had held a Captain's Meeting. She was feeling more than just a little suspicious.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. He then held out his hand towards her, making her give him a glare. "It will be quicker if I use shunpo,"he explained.

"Fine," she muttered, grabbing his hand.

He didn't need to point out her slowness, he knew, because she was already bristling with indignation.

They reappeared in front of the First Division, with Rin feeling just a little disorientated from the speed. Fortunately, she had the rail to keep her steady and it was easy to hide as they walked along the bridge leading to the door. They were one of the last ones to arrive, since they were waiting on the Captain of the 11th and 12th. Rin frowned when she saw that Daisuke was there, too.

"Hey, Rin," he greeted her. She glared.

"Bastard, I can't believe you told Aika!" She immediately laid into him.

"Did you still go?" he asked, ignoring her accusation. Considering the fact that he hadn't seen her for the past two days, he assumed so.

"We just got back, no thanks to you." He was surprised, but relieved, that Byakuya had accompanied his subordinate. Even if Rin looked like she couldn't care less about this act of kindness. "What's this about?"

"We're being sent on a mission," he replied.

"Why us?"

"Well, our Captains are going, too. Captain Soi-Fon told me that we were chosen because they're the only Captains capable and it's part of my training, so I can get used to only one eye." He tapped his eye patch.

"What? Only Captains capable?" she repeated.

"We're short three Captains, for one. Captain Unohana isn't allowed to go to the World of the Living unless there's a big battle going on there. Captain Komamura can't go for obvious reasons, being a wolf and all. Captain Kyouraku was banned from going there because the last time he did he got drunk and ran off with a bunch of human girls. Captain Hitsugaya's on standby for missions in Karakura Town, where the Ryoka live. Captain Zaraki would just kill everything. Captain Kurotsuchi would also kill everything and experiment on it, and Captain Ukitake's sick," he explained the reasons why each Captain couldn't go. She just frowned at him.

"How long did you waste your fucking time thinking about that?" she finally asked.

"Not long. Most of it was pretty obvious. Aika helped, too. We made a game of it," he told her with a smile.

By then, all the Captains had arrived and the meeting was just about to start. Yamamoto spoke once everyone was ready.

"I have called you all here because a group of four shinigami are being sent to the World of the Living to investigate a threat that may be connected to Aizen Sosuke's betrayal. Due to the fact that this area is a known spiritual hot spot, two Captains and their subordinates are being sent.

"The two Captains are Captain Kuchiki Byakuya and Captain Soi-Fon along with their subordinates, Asaje Rin and Esaki Daisuke. You are to head to Captain Kurotsuchi's lab so that your gigai can be designed and built. You will report to the Senkaimon three days from now on August 24th. I expect you to prepare to be in the World of the Living for a week, in the least."

"Genryusai-sensai, would it be wise to send Rina-chan when we know she is being targeted?" Jushiro spoke up.

"The threat is low. The reason I am sending two Captains is due to that possibility, as unlikely as it is. I assure you that Asaje Rin will be safe as long as she doesn't do anything foolish and follows the orders of her Captain."

He opened his eyes to glare at Rin, knowing about her long running streak of getting in trouble. Both on purpose and by accident. She pasted an indignant look on her face and glared back.

"If there are no more questions, then you are all dismissed," he told them when no one said anything else.

Everyone left, some heading towards the 12th Division and some grumbling about what a waste of time the meeting was. Byakuya wasn't too convinced that Rin would be fine. He knew about her tendency to do what she wanted, especially when she thought it was right. He would have spoken up, but the Head-Captain was an unchanging man. If one of his prized students couldn't get him to change his mind, then the noble could forget about the idea altogether.

They finished at the 12th Division quickly, and, since it was Byakuya's day off, began to head back to the mansion. On the way there, they passed the Asaje grounds, making Rin stop abruptly. She had almost forgotten all about her mother, whom she hadn't visited in over two weeks, now. She imagined that the poor woman was fretting over her right that moment.

She looked at Byakuya, who had stopped as well and was patiently waiting for her. She remembered how Hana had wanted to meet him. She hadn't thought that he would agree, at the time, but now that they were forced to remain with each other at all times she figured she had a fighting chance.

"Oka-chan said she wanted to meet you," she said to him. "And I haven't visited her in a while. She's probably freaking out after the whole Ryoka invasion. So..." He quickly grasped what she was trying to say and walked over to her.

"You would like to visit? I don't mind." It was his day off, anyways.

"I would've done it whether you agreed or not," she snapped, turning and stomping into the mansion. Byakuya followed, mildly amused by her defensive stance.

And, as seemed to be the routine for them after so many years, Hatori was there to meet them in the main hallway. He glowered at her with Rin's own, infamous glare. Then at the noble. The two men had met once or twice at noble gatherings, but they had only engaged in small talk as social protocol demanded of them. Now that Byakuya knew what the man had done, he saw Hatori in a whole different light.

"So you survived the invasion," the amber eyed man snarled. "You have not trespassed in ages, so I had assumed that you were dead."

"You should know better than most that I'm hard to kill," Rin snapped, her reiatsu flaring with anger. "A shame that they didn't storm the house and kill you, bastard. It'd have spared some of us some misery."

"Do not speak to me like that, Rina."

"Go fuck yourself." She shoved past him, her Captain following. The amber eyed man said something that stopped both of them in their tracks, though.

"It seems that the great Kuchiki Byakuya has taken a Rukon stray as his personal whore," he growled, turning to face them again. "Is that why he's here? To protect his precious toy?" This struck a nerve in both the Squad 6 members, but Rin was the first to whip around and yell before Byakuya could call him out on his insults.

"He's my fucking Captain!" she snarled, storming over to him. "And he's here because Oka-chan wanted to fucking meet him!"

"Curb your language. You have spent far too much time mingling with ruffians in Rukongai. Your speech is atrocious!" Hatori's voice was rising as well.

"Look, why don't you just fuck off and leave us alone?! We'll be out of your goddamn mansion soon enough. You wouldn't even know I was fucking here, if you didn't come and yell at me every fucking time I come! What's your problem anyways? Are you fucking jealous because Oka-chan enjoys my company more than she does yours?!" It was her turn to hit a nerve.

She was sent stumbling back when her father backhanded her. He had hit her surprisingly hard. Hard enough that one of the many rings on his hands left a swelling cut in her cheek. She had been stunned by the blow. She was using the wall to hold herself up as she dazedly put her fingers to her stinging cheek. He had never, ever hit her before. When Byakuya swept in front of her to prevent further attacks, she blinked in surprise. He guided her down the hallway.

"Enough of this. I will not stand by as this conflict downgrades to needless violence," he said to the young woman. Even though his blood was boiling from the insults aimed at him, as well.

"Hmph. Protecting his whore," Hatori scoffed. "Just what I would expect from scum that attempts to taint his bloodline with his peasant wife. It's fortunate she succumbed to illness before she had the chance to bear you a tainted heir." Those comments brought him well over the line. Byakuya turned, his reiatsu flaring with rage, and pointed two fingers at his fellow noble.

"Sai."

Hatori fell to his knees, his eyes widening when his arms were wrenched involuntarily behind his back. He sputtered with fury.

"You can't do this! How dare you! I am the head of the mighty Asaje Clan!" he screeched.

"You are fortunate that I don't cut out your tongue," Byakuya said darkly before turning away. He kept Rin ahead of him with one hand on the back of her shoulder, to make sure she didn't hurl herself at her father in rage.

"Are you all right, Asaje?" he asked once they were out of earshot of Hatori's ranting, looking at her intently. She blinked.

"What?" she said, unable to think of anything else.

"Rin!"

Looking up, the young woman saw her mother come running down the hall towards them. She panted heavily from the exertion, and practically collapsed into her daughter's arms when she reached them. She barely noticed Byakuya, who had taken a step back to give them space. Hana hugged Rin to her tightly, and then pulled away to grin at her. The younger woman gave a weak smile in return, but it disappeared when Hana's look turned into one of horror.

"Oh, hun! Your cheek... What happened?" she whispered. She pulled a handkerchief out of her robes and reached up to dab at the wound, muttering beneath her breath as she did. "I was going to ask about the invasion, but now you've come to me all beat up..." Since she had once been a member of Squad 4, she could tell that it was very recent. Rin winced and turned her head away.

"Nothing happened," she lied. Her eyes met Byakuya's briefly, silently telling him not to say anything, before returning to her mother. "You said you wanted to meet my Captain, Oka-chan. This is Kuchiki Byakuya, Captain of Squad 6 and head of the Kuchiki Clan."

Hana looked at Byakuya as if she had just realized that he was there. She immediately gave him a bright smile. One that the man had seen on Rin's face, though very rarely.

"It's a pleasure, hun! Perhaps you could order Rin to let me look at that wound? She keeps pulling away... I don't want it to get infected." Reaching up to try again as she spoke. Rin caught her wrist.

"I'd just ignore him, anyways," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Are you not listening to your Captain? I hope you're punishing her," she said to Byakuya. Hana had planted her hands on her hips and was frowning at her daughter.

"Asaje listens well enough," he replied simply. Said woman shot him a look of indignation.

"Asaje Rina!" Hana cried, scowling at the younger woman.

"What do you mean 'well enough'?!" Rin was yelling at her Captain. "I'd listen better if you didn't give me the stupidest missions!"

"You have received the same treatment as everyone else in my squad. The fact that you are my personal charge does not mean I will give you the easy missions," he retorted.

"Personal charge? What is this about?" Hana interrupted, looking between the two. Rin and Byakuya shared a look before the former said to her mother.

"You should be in bed, Oka-chan. You're pale." Trying to change the subject.

"Don't avoid my question." Hana crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly, huffing. "Come on, I'll get you and your handsome Captain some tea and you can explain everything." Rin opened her mouth in protest, so she added in a hard voice, "I will pull the mom voice, Asaje Rina."

"That's cheating," her daughter growled.

"You'll do it when you have kids, too!" Hana chimed, grabbing their hands and beginning to lead them down the hall. Byakuya was surprised by her strong grip despite her frail appearance.

Once they were in her room, kneeling at a small round table, Hana made some tea. Rin tried to get her mother to rest in bed, but Hana retorted by saying that Byakuya would be uncomfortable. Since Rin had no wish to fight with her mother, she had given in. She was sitting with her fingers tapping the table impatiently as her mother finished the tea and brought three cups to the table.

"Now, what is this about you being Byakuya-san's personal charge?" Hana asked, her expression now serious.

Rin sighed and reluctantly explained everything. The last thing she wanted to do was upset her mother further, but she couldn't get away with an outright lie. She settled for omitting some things, such as her mission to the World of the Living. When she finished, Hana rested a gentle hand on her daughter's.

"Don't worry, hun. They won't let this Aizen man take you away," she said in a soft voice. Rin hated it. She was the one who was supposed to be comforting her mother, not the other way around.

"I know that. I wasn't going to tell you until Captain Noble Butt gave it all away," she hissed, casting a glare at her Captain. His eyes narrowed a little at the comment, but Hana defended him.

"Leave him alone, Rin. You shouldn't be keeping anything from me," she said. "I know you want to protect me, but I am still capable of taking care of myself. Plus, I have Fergus here to defend me. Right, deary?" she called to her familiar.

From her bed, a dark grey head rose from a mound of ruffled fur. Fergus meowed in confusion when he heard his name. Gilepsi, who had curled up beside Rin, meowed back at her father. Fergus sighed tiredly and went back to sleep. Rin frowned at the older cat, highly doubting the lazy thing would do anything. Like Gilepsi, he was never around when needed and usually sleeping when he was.

"Okay, Oka-chan," she reluctantly agreed.

"Good, good. Now tell me, hun, who gave you that cut?" Rin had refused to let Hana bandage it, though it was now cleaned. "Who would do that to you?"

Too many people, Rin and Byakuya were thinking practically the same thing.

"No one, Oka-chan. It was an accident," she lied. Hana raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?"

"Nothing-"

"Rin."

Her internal lie detector was going off. Hana's gaze bored into her daughter, until she was forced to look away.

"Just leave it," she muttered.

She wouldn't ruin the fragile relationship between her mother and Hatori unless she thought the latter was doing something to hurt his wife. Telling Hana the harsh truth would only break the poor woman. Hana just sighed.

"Still so secretive," she murmured, smiling a little. She then turned to the Captain, who had sat and sipped his tea quietly. "How are you two getting along? I hope she isn't talking you to deaf. Once she gets started on something, she never stops. She and Hatori-kun are both like that."

"I don't talk a lot!" Rin protested.

"She can be loud at times," he spoke as if Rin hadn't. She glowered at him.

"I'm not loud!" she yelled.

"You are not helping your argument by yelling at me," he pointed out.

"G-go to hell! Everyone yells when they're arguing!" She tried to defend her actions.

"I am not yelling right now," he said.

"Shut up! You're an exception! I've never even seen you smile, like normal people do!"

Hana watched them curiously as they bickered back and forth like an old married couple. They were so wrapped up in their argument that they seemed to have forgotten that she was there. That's when Hana noticed the pained look in her daughter's eyes.

"Rin," her voice cut into their argument like a hot knife through butter. They had immediately stopped their spat to look at her. "Are your headaches bothering you?" Rin flinched, while Byakuya glanced at his subordinate with a curious look on his face.

"I-" Hana cut her off, sensing another fib forming.

"Don't lie, dear. I already know the answer. Remember, don't overexert yourself when you have them. That was the reason I became sick," she told her.

"How so?" Byakuya asked.

Hana hesitated, but, knowing that he was aware of the Sword Sense, spoke anyways. Rin just glared at the table in front of her.

"The Sword Sense draws on our energy occasionally, giving us headaches and usually leaving us exhausted. You're supposed to take it easy when you get a headache because you could make yourself faint if you use too much of your energy.

"I...I would go to Rukongai to look for Rin after she left us, even when I had the headaches. Those trips made it worse. Eventually, the bouts where I got headaches became longer and longer. Now, I have almost no energy," Hana explained to him.

Byakuya glanced at his subordinate, who was studying the table fiercely, realizing that she thought her mother's illness was her own fault. Hana seemed to know this, as well, but all she did was rest her hand on her daughter's shoulder and tell her.

"Go home and rest, luv. You look so tired, right now. You can come and visit me when you're feeling better, okay? You need a good meal and a full night's sleep. We both do." Rin nodded in agreement.

"Okay. See you later, then."

Hana hugged Rin before she stood, kissing her uninjured cheek.

"Bye, luv."

They quickly fled the mansion, just in case Hatori had freed himself and was out for revenge. They walked back to the Kuchiki Manor, both looking forward to exactly what Hana had described.

"Your mother is a very pleasant woman," he said, breaking the silence. "I would appreciate her company far more than your father's at the noble meetings." Rin laughed a little.

"Anything's better than that old bastard," she said. "I'd jump into a pit of snakes if it meant that I'd never have to see his face again." She closed her eyes with a deep sigh. "But I'd live with him for a hundred years if it meant Oka-chan got better."

"How is her condition?" he asked.

Rin reopened her eyes and stopped walking, as did he.

"Bad, but nothing will help her. Her body doesn't process enough energy to keep her going. The Sword Sense steals what excess she has. That's the thing when you have that damned ability. If you don't die in battle like a proper warrior, you'll just succumb to the very thing you were born with. They've described it as a gift, but all it's ever been to me is a fucking curse," she spat. He felt the sorrow and anger coming off of her through her reiatsu.

"Asaje-"

"Shut up!" She immediately interrupted him, her voice becoming loud and angry in an instant. "I don't want your goddamn pity! You want to make me feel better?! Stop calling me by my last name! All it does it remind me of the fact that I can never get rid of my heritage!"

She looked away, folding her arms over her chest and biting her tongue before she said something really stupid. She felt his gaze on her as they stood in silence. It made her fidget uncomfortably. Finally, he spoke.

"If that is what you wish, Rin."
- 13
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Never Let Me Fall