Let It Snow (Bleach Fanfic)

Waking Up

 "I don't want to wake up." Rangiku's inner world remained blank and empty as she tried fighting off the nagging feelings and memories threatening to cascade down on her mind. "I don't want to remember either. It's just to painful." The dreams though eventually surged forward when she mentally found herself unable to hold them back anymore. Vivid dreams they were, but when she drifted out in a panicked thought process she found herself pushing the awful memories to the back of her mind and forgetting what she just dreamed about. "I just want this to end."

The cascading falls of ashes kept coming back and around her she saw burning buildings. Rangiku turned around thinking she looked at her home in Soul Society and the screams were those of Shinigami, but something told her the place wasn't there or the Rukongai. Perhaps what gave away the unfamiliarity of the voice lay in the sound of her voice, a voice ever so childish calling out the same thing over and over again. "Nii-san! Where are you!"

Then the panic set in and she found herself back in the blank space forgetting what she saw. "Never do I want to feel as if I'm not protected so I'll protect myself. But then there is Gin isn't there." When ever she thought of Gin she found herself spiraling back to the burning buildings, and nothing in the pattern changed. Finally no voice came from her ownself, and off in the distance came the sound of another child. "Mommy?"

"Mommy? Whose calling me?" The cogs in Rangiku's mind turned as instinct kicked in. She pushed her way through the burning flames into a sake bar which she frequented with Nanao and she saw herself there with her best friend. She heard herself speak up. "If I had a child wouldn't it be a girl. I think I had a girl."

"Your drunk Rangiku. Let's head home."

The strawberry blond's eyes blinked a couple of times. "Home. I've got to go home."

She turned and found herself inside of the small shack she shared with Gin growing up and noticed a hand sticking out of a small bundle. Instinctively she stepped forward to what her mind told her was her child, but then another instinct kicked in. "My baby. My baby's in trouble."

Rangiku felt someone take her wrist and the urge not to wake up snapped away from her mental state. "Is that Hanataro's voice I hear?" Her eyes opened up to first see the young third seat of the forth division standing over her, but out of the corner of her eyes she saw a familiar face looking at her. A sudden panic overwhelmed her. "Danger. My baby is in danger. I know that man's done something to my baby. It's so confusing. I can't move. I've got to say something."

Words finally came out of her mouth. "Danger. Baby."

Hanataro for some strange reason told these words to the dangerous man, and the man said, "I've got to go. There is something I need to do."

Rangiku's ability to remain awake faltered and she found herself drifting off into slumber land. Someone nudged her awake and said something about staying asleep for way to long. Her eyes opened up to see Isane. "Rangiku-san?"

"Hi."

"Yamada Hanataro says you were quite delirious when you woke up. You said something about a baby. Do you remember more?" Something about Isane's eyes seemed hopeful, but Rangiku couldn't place it.

"My baby girl was in danger."

"Girl?" Isane flinched at the other fukutaicho's words. "A girl?"

A light sigh left Rangiku's lips. "Sorry. I don't have a baby at all. It's just nonsense." Her eyes moved around the room. "Where's taicho?"

"He... you can see him later. Both of you need to recover." A sound from the hallway led Isane to turn her head. "Sorry. I need to go take care of something. That stupid male Quincy!"

"Wait..." The woman felt her body tense as she tried to look around the room from the sitting position they'd somehow helped her into, but never noticed. "My baby is in danger. My baby... why am I thinking this things. My mind's foggy from that messed up stuff the Quincy did to me." Her lips pushed together as her eyes closed. "Maybe it was best to just sleep."

"Who are you?" The voice from the doorway of Rangiku's room caused the female fukutaicho of the tenth's eyes to snap open and her mouth opened. In the door way stood a girl, and the woman felt her breath draw in.

"You. Do I know you?"

The girl stepped forward. "I asked who you are. I want to know..."

"I think..." Another deep breath filled Rangiku's lungs. "I think I'm your mother."

Two dark eyes stared at her with disgust. "What do you mean you think your my mother?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm going crazy. I just..." The strawberry blond pushed her lips together. "You're the baby in my dreams. The one reaching out. But..." Rangiku felt her excitement drop. "You weren't in danger. You're right here safe. I don't..." The fukutaicho closed her eyes. "Sorry. My mind's muddled. I don't have any children."

A deep pain welled up in her chest area. The girl how ever had something to say. "What connection do you have with Bazz-B?"

"Bazz-B?" Rangiku's eyes snapped open. "Whose Bazz-B?"

"Don't you know? What about that necklace of yours?"

"Necklace?" A sudden panic came over Rangiku as she turned to her head. "I'm not wearing my necklace? Where is it?"

"What's important about that necklace?"

"How should I know? I just know it's something from before... before," Rangiku felt the words snap out. "Well, before I can remember."

"That doesn't make sense."

"I guess it doesn't."

"I hate you."

Rangiku felt another mental pang. "Why?"

"You took him away?"

"Who? Bazz-B? That name..." The female taicho paled as a man with hair done up into a Mowhawk stepped through the door. "You!"

The girl turned her head to look at the man. "It doesn't seem like she likes you."

"Basterbine. What the hell are you doing here? Why are you always interfering and butting in."

Rangiku quickly to in the situation. The man's right arm remained useless in a sling while the other hand shoved deep into his pants pocket. "You..."

"What? You not happy to see me?" The man looked at her and then turned to look at Bambietta. "What are you doing here you miscreant?"

"What am I doing here? I'm visiting my mother."

The strawberry blond woman clearly heard a distinct disgust in the girl's voice and she watched the man's eyes widened. "She's not my daughter. She's..." Rangiku swallowed and knew she needed to say something, but the man beat her to it.

"Don't fuck with me Basterbine. This woman isn't your mother."

"Who says she isn't?" The girl sat down on Rangiku's bed.

"She's just being nice to me because I thought she was my baby when I woke up, but she wasn't in any danger and I don't have any children." The woman swallowed as the man glared at her. The girls small hand reached out to touch her own. "Her hand reminds me of taicho's." The panic Rangiku felt quickly grew. "My taicho. What have you done to my taicho?" Her throat tightened. "You. You attacked my taicho. You hurt him."

The strawberry blond watched as the girl called Basterbine tried standing up only for the man to place a hand on her forehead. "Knock if off Basterbine." The man turned to look at Rangiku. "Your taicho's injuries from the fight between our sides aren't that bad. There are other things to worry about." The man began to shove the girl out of the room. "Like getting yourself to the point you can go see him. I honestly don't get what his problem is."

Rangiku's eyes blinked a couple of times. "Problem." The strawberry blond woman took a deep breath as her throat itched from yelling at the man, or her attempt to do so. "What's wrong with taicho? What has that man done to my taicho?"