Of Birthdays and Siblings

Memory Lag

The numb feeling simply wouldn't go away and the fukutaicho of the tenth division felt a headache coming on. She found herself heading back to the forth division and the room he had been in without realizing it, almost as if she hoped that he would be there. Instead, she found herself staring at an empty bed.

Sitting down, her hand brushed up against the bed and she let out a deep sigh. "Taicho always insisted that he died upon a plain of ice and that he came to Soul Society and wasn't born here just like Hinamori said. I always thought that was true and went along with it, not thinking much about the whole situation."

"That's because you didn't want to face the facts if your small taicho was born here." A certain female zampaktuo spoke in a rather mocking tone.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm referring to the fact that you could easily be his mother if he died and came to Soul Society because that meant someone else was possibly his mother and was looking for her little one just as much as you were aching for something to take care of to make you forget about your past. Oh wait, you already forgot about your past and this is why we're actually in this mess."

"Come on Haineko, I can't help the fact that I don't remember." Rangiku shook her head at the words her zampaktuo said.

"Or maybe you choose not to remember."

"Shut up. My head hurts enough as it is already." The woman blurted the words out loud, not realizing that someone other then herself and her zampaktuo could hear what she said.

"Matsumoto-san, are you having headaches again?" A soft voice came from the doorway of the forth division room.

Rangiku turned and frowned at the intruder. The frown eventually fell and she smiled at the woman. "I'm sorry Unohana Taicho."

"Sorry for what?" The woman came into the room. "If I need to, I can make you a nice tea. I've told you before that while drinking sake will put a curb on those headaches of yours that the pain will just come back."

"You're basically telling me I should take a medicine for my headaches. I really don't want to let anyone know that I've been having these headaches and that they've gotten worse ever since Gin... well, ever since he disappeared."

"Matsumoto Rangiku, your small taicho has been getting very upset with the fact you've been shirking your duties. It used to be that you were very reliable, but as the headaches have gotten worse, so has your behavior. You should simply tell him when he gets back that you've been having these headaches."

"I don't want to worry him. Not to mention I think that he will think that I'm just making another excuse up to get out of the work. I can't concentrate on the papers without having my head spin. I know that taicho is really good at thinking things through, but when I try putting things together my head just hurts."

"What have you been trying to put together now? Perhaps I can help you figure out what you are upset about."

"I doubt it. I was thinking along the lines of how Taicho always, always told me that he wasn't born here, but died on that plain of ice." Rangiku glanced at the ground. "But I always asked him if he was sure because I know that his inner world is a plain of ice. So I kind of had the feeling despite the fact I choose not to admit it that taicho was born here."

"Matsumoto..." Unohana paused, blinking a couple of times. "How can you be sure that he was born here."

"Because he didn't die on a plain of ice."

"That isn't what I meant." The woman let out a deep sigh. "How do you know that he was born here and not the living world. Quincy have the ability to travel between worlds and a shinigami parent could have brought him here, which would explain why he and his sister were separated for so long."

"No... they were born here. I know this because..." Rangiku suddenly paused, moving a hand over one of her eyes. "Actually, I don't know how I know this. Call it woman's intuition. I mean, I know how to deal with him because he is so much like Gin that I can almost think two steps ahead of him, unless he's in one of his tricky moods."

"Matsumoto Fukutaicho... do you understand anything that you're telling me and what your words imply?" The woman went and grabbed another chair.

The busty female suddenly burst into tears. "I hate the idea that taicho is another persons baby. I'm jealous of who ever that woman is. I want so desperately to hold him in my arms, but I have to restrain myself because I know that I'm not that mother. Now, if he comes back I'm going to be even more jealous because he'll be thinking about that mother, even thinking about trying to find her."

"And then there is that little girl that may be his sister. I want to scoop both of them into my arms and tell them that they are safe and that nothing bad will happen to them. But I know that taicho's to old for all of that. But that job belongs to that woman and not me. It isn't fair, particularly since I can't have the family I wanted with Gin."

Unohana stared at the female for a few minutes, before speaking up. "There, there now. I still don't think you understand what you're actually implying. You keep saying you're scared to find out that you aren't their mother and another woman was, but have you given any thought to the possibility of you actually being their mother."

"I would remember..." Rangiku suddenly paused, her mouth snapping shut. Shock spread on her face. "But... I didn't know Gin until after he saved me and we didn't have any children."

"But what is your earliest memory dear?"

"Why, of Gin..." The busty female paused. "My earliest memory is of Gin rescuing me."

"So, is it possible that you knew him from before and that the two of you had children? I know that your medical records say you've given birth before despite the fact you've brushed me off about the subject."

Rangiku's mouth opened and then closed, her throat tightening up. "But..."

"You told me that you couldn't help but notice that Hitsugaya Taicho is like Ichimaru Gin personality wise, not to mention the fact he does share physical traits with the man. It's something that many of the older captains have noticed."

"Yes... but which one of us is the Quincy parent?"