This piece was created for the #BringBackBleachBang where a group of writers and artists got together to create works, we had so much fun making fanfictions of Bleach and artwork over the course of around 6 months or so. We may be doing more in future, and as well as writers, artists and proofreaders we also take on board cheerleaders whose job it is, is to encourage everyone to keep going haha. If you'd like to join us for a future Bang, drop me a review and I'll be in touch.

P.s There is an art piece to accompany this word, but FFNet doesn't allow me to put it in the fic, so if you want to see it please google 'Toshiro x Rukia by Ammsterdamn on Deviantart'

The summoning had come so much quicker than she'd been expecting. They knew it would happen of course, she'd already discussed with Onii-sama and he was firm in his standings. This meeting would be shut down incredibly quickly and she was anxious, she'd rather be fighting down a room full of Quincies. She was better prepared to handle that kind of a battle than this kind of discussion. She shuffled as they waited in the room. Byakuya standing in front of her and to her left, his eyes closed and his face stoic. She'd not even been part of the conversation, it had been one of those usual; you're present but I don't really want you to be heard, kind of discussions.

Rukia wasn't treated so lowly because she was a woman, quite the opposite, the way she was regarded was with utmost care. She was treated delicately, protected and doted upon by the Kutchiki house, for the same reason that the request of this meeting was to be denied; she was an Omega.

The only Omega, in fact, in the whole of the Seireitei.

'Rukia,' her brothers cool voice lashed like a whip across the room and she stilled in her shuffling, wincing. Her anxious movements had been picked up and he was now watching her from the corner of his eyes.

'Sorry Onii-sama,' she apologised with a low bow. He said nothing back to her but continued to watch her for a few moments before he turned away, his eyes closing over once again.

An Omega was incredibly rare, they were the only kind of soul who was able to bare children. Every single soul had two genders, a Primary gender which was either male or female and a Secondary gender which was one of three; Alpha, Beta or Omega.

Most were Beta, in fact it made up well over 97% of the Seireitei population. Beta's were unable to reproduce, they carried very light, often calming scents and very rarely acted out aggressively or passively based on their gender. Within the spectrum of Beta's there were higher and lower Beta's. When the chromosomes aligned during birth, a higher Beta would carry one Beta gene (a dominate gene) and an Alpha gene (a recessive gene). A lower Beta would carry an Omega gene (a recessive gene) and a Beta gene (dominant). What this meant was the Beta gene would mask over either the Alpha or Omega gene that a soul would carry and would make them present overall as a Beta.

Standard and most common Beta's had two Beta genes. In order for someone to present as an Alpha they must have two Alpha genes (caused by mutations) and for someone to present as an Omega they must carry two Omega genes. There was a lot more to it than just this of course as it was rare a soul was even born in the Seireitei, so often when a soul transferred from the world of the living the soul would be blessed with genes that best matched the strengths of the lives they lead before.

She'd been taught all this at the academy… in most instances of Alpha's they carried one Alpha and one Omega gene. They'd present overall as an Alpha as this gene was still far more dominant than an Omega gene, which was why Omegas were so very rare.

They were to be protected, cherished even.

Especially by a noble house who needed an heir to survive.

When Captain Ukitake had come to the Kuchiki house and asked for Rukia to be promoted to Lieutenant it had caused uproar.

She'd wanted the job of course she had. She had the power and skill for it but the noblemen didn't want her anywhere close to battle, to the front lines. Especially after what had happened when she'd gone to Earth and nearly been killed as a by-product of Aizen's plan.

No one outside the noble Kuchiki clan knew what her dynamic was, if Aizen had known. It would be likely the Alpha would have taken her as a wife and someone to carry his offspring to further immortalize his power. The thought caused a cold feeling to creep down her spine.

Thankfully nothing like that had happened because only a handful of people outside their clan knew of her dynamic. Something they had to sort out very quickly in the wake of the Thousand Year Blood war.

'Captain Kuchiki, Lieutenant Kuchiki,' the friendly and surprisingly authoritative tone of the newly appointed Head Captain greeted them.

Captain Kyoraku swept into the room, his pink floral kimono situated over the haori clearly marking his power, it eased the tightening of emotion in Rukia's stomach. She gazed up at him, his Lieutenant dutifully by his side looking morbid in a way that was very familiar to her character.

'I assume you know why we are here today?' his voice took on a slightly more cheerful tone as he addressed them and Rukia bit her lip to stop herself wincing. She badly wanted to bounce her leg or fidget or do something not in line with the noble Kuchiki house as a way of expelling her anxious energy.

'I have made my assessments yes,' Byakuya started, lifting his gaze and meeting the sparkling eyes of the Head Captain who now sat on the edge of the desk in front of them. The sun was rising over a derelict setting, casting a ghostly light across the destruction caused by the battles, including large chunks of missing marble from the pillars holding up the ancient ceiling of the Head Captains office.

'And your thoughts?' Head Captain Kyoraku asked, with an offhand tone, like he was already prepared for their answer.

'We decline,' Byakuya stated without offering anything further.

There was a beats silence and Captain Kyoraku reached up to touch his straw hat, letting out a deep sigh like he'd been expecting the answer but was still disappointed all the same.

'I had thought you would,' he replied, confirming Rukia's thoughts, 'I remember Ukitake telling me when he'd tried to promote Rukia to the Lieutenant position and how difficult a time he'd had even getting her there.'

'Yes,' Byakuya said, not at all impressed by the sentiment of their dead comrade, 'well that is why we decline this request. She will not serve as Captain.'

Rukia's nose twitched. Omegas were extremely sensitive to scents, more than any of the other dynamics. Some Betas couldn't smell scents at all unless it was potent enough, but an Omega could smell everyone and even spot the Secondary gender of another person just based on their scent alone. Her brother's strong Alpha scent wasn't aiding the feeling of unease in her stomach. It was a scent she'd often associate with being in trouble or his overwhelming disappointment in her and she hated it.

'May I ask why?' the Beta Head Captain asked.

'She doesn't feel ready,' Byakuya answered for her and Rukia tried her best to hide her scowl as the Head Captains gaze swept her face at the statement. She was more than ready, yes her bankai could do with some work because she'd only just achieved it, but she was more than capable of running a division on her own.

'Is that right?' Captain Kyoraku asked, his voice almost amused like he knew Rukia was in disagreement with him. 'She has achieved bankai though yes? A few have now reported seeing her bankai.'

'Yes,' Byakuya stated, 'she has achieved bankai,' he continued, his tone almost a little annoyed at the continued questioning after the denial of the request. It had been simply that; a request? Even though both Rukia and Byakuya knew that it was much more than that. A request from a Head Captain was as good as an order from the Head Captain.

'So why do you not feel ready?' Captain Kyoraku asked her, she opened her mouth to speak but her brother spoke over her quickly putting her back in her place.

'A Captaincy role is a lot of responsibility she has not yet had the time to learn to cope with.' He replied simply and Captain Kyoraku looked almost a little annoyed at him. It was a strange look to see from the otherwise usually benevolent Captain.

'When I ask Rukia a question,' he said, his tone reminding Byakuya of his place, 'I expect her to answer me, not you Captain Kuchiki.'

'Yes,' her brother responded, his tone anything but pleased. 'Forgive me.'

Captain Kyoraku turned his attention on Rukia instead and scrutinised her with his gaze. She hated this, because she was completely torn between her duties to the Kuchiki clan and her duties as a Lieutenant and member of the thirteen court guard squad. She shuffled a little before letting out a deep sigh.

'It is as Onii-sama said,' she admitted finally, 'nothing more.'

The fewer the people who knew about her Omega status the safer she was from any kind of harm. If anyone found out about her Secondary gender then she'd be a target for so many worse crimes than simply being impaled by a Zanpakuto.

'I see,' his eyes narrowed in her direction and she quickly looked away from his gaze. She was lying and he knew it, he could sense it despite only being a Beta. Rukia's nostrils were flaring with the annoyed scent of her brother. Alpha's rarely had to learn how to control themselves the way an Omega would, they could let their scents leak about all over the place without any real repercussions.

Alpha's were the most dominant of the Secondary genders and most often ended up in Captaincy roles, of the three she knew this to be the case.

'Ukitake,' Captain Kyoraku continued, 'had suggested that this conversation would be difficult. That in order to do this I'd need to get Rukia alone and have a discussion with her one on one, privately. You don't have any idea what he meant by that did you?' The question was now aimed at Byakuya. Rukia knew what he meant, of the few people to know her Secondary gender, her Captain Ukitake was one of them. Hearing his name and knowing she'd never get to see him again was like a powerful blow through her chest. Omega's were often believed to be sentimental and soft, the very features that being a Soul Reaper denied, which was probably why so few existed and flourished within the Seireitei. Alongside Captain Ukitake, Head Captain Yamamoto had known of her Secondary gender, it was why she'd never been promoted further than a Lieutenant because just like her brother the ex Head captain believed that an Omega's place was as far away from the battlefield as possible.

Captain Unohana also knew, she was responsible for the constant supply of drugs that she'd created to delay the Omega cycles and stop Rukia baring children before her time. With so many already dead and gone, there was almost no one else who knew about her gender and after a conversation with her brother they believed that to be best.

It seemed they wouldn't get away from this meeting without the Head Captain finding out though, he was already pushing and prodding, he knew that there was more to this conversation than the current details.

'Just tell him,' Rukia finally admitted and she could smell the annoyance on her brother darken, she'd stepped outside her place. She tried to fight against the pang of hurt that was so typically Omega inside her. She'd done something to annoy someone else and that wasn't normally the kind of thing an Omega would do.

'Rukia,' Byakuya's voice wavered in warning.

'Tell me what?' Head Captain Kyoraku asked, folding his arms and gazing between the two of them. Byakuya was now turned toward Rukia, his steely grey-blue gaze baring into her. Rukia resisted the urge to cower at his glare but instead she folded her arms and nodded her head.

'He will have to find out at some point,' she said clearly, 'given the position he's in now. It will help him to understand.'

She was bravely speaking out of turn, but the words needed to be said. They had a whole day ahead of them and she wanted nothing more than to return home and prepare herself for a day of counting more of her dead colleagues.

Silence passed across the office for a moment before Captain Kyoraku turned to his lieutenant and dismissed her, understanding that whatever information he was about to be given was incredibly private and confidential.

From inside Byakuya's robes he produced documents and Rukia groaned internally. He'd done this to Ukitake and Unohana and he'd tried to do it to Ichigo as well but the strawberry blond had outright refused.

'What's this?' Captain Kyoraku asked as he eyed the documents being brought over to his desk.

'It's a Non-Disclosure Agreement,' Byakuya stated simply and the Head Captain raised his eye brows.

'Once you sign it, we will tell you why Rukia cannot become a Captain,' Byakuya continued and Rukia tried not to chime in with any further information such as; "and it isn't because I'm not ready."

Even though she really wanted to add that part, she decided it was enough to have said it in her head.

'Alright,' he said his voice highly interested, 'you've intrigued me,' without even reading the documents he turned to final page and signed it with the ink brush on his desk. Rukai bit back a smile at the older man and how much he reminded her of her own Captain… so very trusting of those around him.

'Tell me,' he turned towards them, his eyes flicking between the pair of them like a curious child.

'Rukia,' Byakuya said her name softly this time, it wasn't spoken as a reprimand as it so often was. He'd always allowed her to be the one to tell people, believing it was never his place or his information to give which of course Rukia respected him for.

She turned her gaze up to the Head Captain and he studied her intensely, before she sighed.

'I'm an Omega.'

There was a beats silence that passed over the three of them. Captain Kyoraku looking dumbstruck for a few moments before he finally found his voice.

'You're an-'

'Omega, yes,' Rukia confirmed, she'd been expecting the whole; "I don't think I quite heard you right" moment.

'Ah,' he sighed deeply and a look of consideration crossed his face for a moment, 'I understand.'

'Now you must understand why we don't wish to put Rukia in anymore danger than she's already been in.' Byakuya said. It was the very reason why Rukia had thought it a good idea to inform the Head Captain of her Secondary gender. If she kept refusing to go out on particular missions he'd maybe start to think she was lazy or avoiding work, but she was just trying to stick to her over protective big brothers side.

'Yes I understand,' Captain Kyoraku's gaze swept over her and he smiled, 'I'll admit, I had no idea. You hide it very well. I never even once suspected.'

'Thank you,' she jerked her head at the strange compliment and her brother interjected.

'Yes we work hard, as you can imagine the kind of danger she may find herself in should this news get out,' Byakuya stated the warning and a dark look crossed over the Head Captains face.

'Yes of course,' he nodded to the door, 'you're both free to go, your secret is safe with me.'

A look of some kind crossed his face again, one of dawning recognition but it was so fleeting that Rukia didn't get a chance to try and digest it before her brother was sweeping passed her in the direction of the exit. Rukia followed dutifully behind him and the two made their way quickly back to the Kuchiki manor. They were silent the entire journey home which was fine with Rukia. She loved her brother dearly but sometimes she wished that he'd loosen the collar ever so slightly.

The moment they arrived back on Kuchiki land her brother was swept up in the meeting with the elders while the servants took care of Rukia. It was hard to catch a break when everyone else had their own expectations of how you should live your life and how you should be treated. It wasn't that she was unthankful to be fed and bathed by servants but sometimes she'd rather just do things on her own. That time would come the moment work hours would properly start and she could make her way back to her own division and her own living quarters.

Once the sun hung a little higher in the sky, the soldiers began to wake and one by one they emerged from the Squad Six barracks. Her brother had gone in to command them and Rukia was free to return to her own division. The journey wasn't that long when she was allowed to flash step and with the state of the Seireitei no one was going to chide her for it. The damage suffered during the war still hung heavy all around, some divisions a lot worse off than others. Huge buildings that had once towered over the entire thirteen court guard squad, now lay in rubble and ruins while teams of soldiers set about trying to clean and repair the area while counting their dead.

War was an ugly affair and one that the soul society found itself in the middle of far too often. She paused on the roof of one badly affected building, the light coruscating from the broken tiles of the slanted roof. She dropped to her knees and gently run her fingers over a darkened colour that had caught her eye. She rubbed her fingers together, the blackened substance disintegrating slowly, like ash as she did so. Her eyes slid to the left and she stood up.

'Over here,' she called out, three nearby soldiers leapt into action, coming to her in an instant.

'Lieutenant Kuchiki?' one of them called out in question.

'Here, there's another body trapped by the rubble,' she gracefully leapt to the ground and began pulling back blocks. There was a high noise, a feminine moan of pain and the soldiers and Rukia worked quicker.

Together they all pulled bricks and stone away from the scene and Rukia was struck with just one more ghastly image that would likely haunt her until her final days as a soul. A young girl, with the physical appearance of mid-teens had a face as white as snow, only the slight tremor of her lower lip was enough to tell Rukia that the girl was still alive.

'Call in the relief squad immediately,' a commanding voice spoke. Rukia felt a shiver down her spine, a reaction she only ever got around Alphas. She turned her head and spotted him.

His white hair billowed slightly in the breeze, his intense teal eyes focused on the young member of his squad and his hands dirty with her blood from having pulled away a scrap of metal which had sliced through her uniform. Rukia took a quick step back in his presence, he was the Captain of this division and this was one of his fallen soldiers.

'Yes sir,' one of the lower ranked men called before running off. Captain Hitsugaya's scent was like being fisted harshly by winter jasmine, peppermint oil and cedar all in one go. She took another larger step back away from the Alpha.

Yes. Not many people knew of the Captains Secondary gender, but as an Omega Rukia could smell everyone… it was another reason why she knew she was truly alone in her Omega dynamic. Captain Hitsugaya didn't parade his Alpha status around, though his short temper and cold and frosty demeanour had a few people rightly speculating at his Secondary gender.

The only other Alpha's that Rukia knew of were her brother and Kenpatchi, both of whom made it very clear of their dynamics because they believed it would make them more respected and feared. Not that her brother had ever vocalised this to her, but she could tell from the very slight and subtle way it would end up in conversation and whom it would end up in conversation to.

Hitsugaya was different, he wasn't driven by power the way most Alphas were, something she'd come to realise while they'd been stationed in the world of the living together. It had Rukia wondering though; what did drive him? Everyone did what they did for something, everyone had a motivator… hers was to help continue the Kuchiki line and do Captain Ukitake and her brother proud in every decision she made.

'Thank you,' his voice was so sincere that it caught her off guard for a moment. She jerked her head back, coming quickly out of her stupor as she met those intense teal irises. 'Thank you for finding her,' he said as he gazed down at the young soldier in his arms. He'd managed to clear away the worst of the rubble, but looking at her wounds… it didn't look good. Rukia's hand tightened around the blade of her zanpakuto, she wished she knew healing kido.

'You're welcome,' her voice was barely above a whisper as she stared down at the ghostly figure, clearly dying in her Captains arms. 'I am glad I was able to help Captain.'

She didn't want to intrude more than she already had, there was a strong chance this girl wasn't going to make it and she didn't want to ruin her final moments by being an awkward presence in her company. She gathered her strength and turned to quickly leave the scene.

As she left she heard the Alpha muttering something soothing to the girl and was pleased she'd given them a private moment. Her heart clenched in her chest and she ground her teeth against the emotions welling in her chest. It was reminding her of everything they'd lost in this war… she wasn't looking forward to running a division on her own without her Captain. Ukitake who had been such a wonderful presence and a parental figure to her over the many years she'd worked alongside him.

She had to stop for a moment to catch her breath, not because she was physically exhausted but because she was emotionally exhausted. She could feel the welling of emotion and she fought it back, debating for a moment on returning back to the Sixth Division. Emotions this strong usually meant she was close to a heat cycle, which she knew but she still had around two weeks left. Turning back now would show nothing but weakness and her brother would not let her leave again until her heat was over.

The clan had decided she wasn't allowed to have a heat outside of the noble house until the Seireitei was back on more stable footing. Right now with so much destruction it wasn't safe for her to have her heat away from the heavily guarded house. She'd reluctantly agreed, but hated it. She hated being away from her own private space and her own personal nest.

A nest was something every Omega did by nature… it was basically just filling your bed with squishy things and scents that comforted you… scents of family and friends mostly. Her nest in her own living quarters had a few Ukitake items in it that she desperately wanted to go and curl up with to properly expel her grief in a way that was healthy for her dynamic.

She didn't know how much she needed that cry until she was crossing the threshold of the office she'd shared with her Captain and wanted to scream at the empty space.

Rukia stood in the middle of the room, the sight of the dust from the rubble floating thick in the air and the faded scent of him was encased in the small space. She could smell him so easily, like his scent had been preserved into the ancient old oak desk. She swallowed around the lump in her throat and walked up towards it, her fingers tracing the edge gently and her eyes glossing over the stack of reports that had been left in a tray for her to complete upon her return. There were some old papers stacked there too, paperwork that had been setting before the war. She bent down and picked a piece up that had blown onto the floor, the desk half obscuring it and there was a perfect triangle of dust free space as she lifted it up. The report was from the SWA, calling on action for equal pay across the divisions. Rukia smiled down at it, a shadow of a simpler time and, some would argue, a less pressing issue. She put the paper down on the side of the desk, beside a small pile covered in dusty rubble.

Sitting here in this office, completing the reports would be difficult for her. This close to her heat she was even more sensitive to scents, even the weaker and faded ones, however it would be just as difficult to take the reports back to her own living quarters and complete them there. She ran a hand through her soft hair for a moment, letting the strands bounce back down against her forehead messily as she made her decision. She would not run, she would not run from his memory or his scent. He wouldn't want her to be hurting over his death and though that thought made the ache in her chest greater it gave her enough comfort to sit down at his desk and pull the stack of papers towards her.

It took her easily an hour to get into a rhythm where the scents of the office and the destruction from outside the broken windows weren't distracting her from her work. She ran her brush across the parchment with ease, signing away various works and budgets to be calculated. A soft knock at her door was the only thing that had her stirring from her calculations.

'Come in,' she called out into the empty office space and the door slid open to reveal a newly appointed Captain Kotetsu.

'Captain,' Rukia said her eyebrows jumping into her hairline in surprise. She knew the Captains tests usually took a lot longer than a few days to complete and it had only been a week or so since the war where Captain Unohana was pronounced dead.

'I know,' she smiled kindly, 'surprising isn't it? I've been studying for the Captaincy test for a while now,' she frowned, 'we don't have a combat section to complete for Squad Four Captaincy like the other squads do. The medical parts I've been studying for years…' she didn't look happy or pleased about it, likely just as upset at her Captains death as Rukia was. The two stood in companionable silence for a few moments, before she continue.

'Captain Unohana left me specific instructions behind in her final letter. I've managed to accomplish them all but she specifically stated I needed to make contact with you as soon as I could and that you'd know why?' she asked curiously as she peered at Rukia.

'Ah,' Rukia nodded, 'yes.'

This actually worked out in her favour, she'd been wondering how she'd go about raising her situation to squad four in a way that was kept private and mostly confidential.

'Unfortunately I must be in the presence of a Kuchiki nobleman before I can fill you in on the details,' she selected her words very carefully but what she really meant was "my brother is going to make you sign an NDA just as he did with the Head Captain."

'I see,' she nodded, her hand falling away from the frame of the door she'd been using to support herself. She turned her body, angling it so she was facing outside. 'Well if you'd like you can come by my office tomorrow?' she sent Rukia some kind of known smirk, 'after you've met with the head Captain.'

Rukia frowned at the girl and opened her mouth to state that she'd already met with the head Captain when one of her officers stepped up outside.

'Ah excuse me Captain Kotetsu,' he bowed his head and the Captain smiled kindly before stepping aside to let him pass by.

'Lieutenant Kuchiki,' he greeted and Rukia recognised him as one of her recently employed unseated officers, 'this is for you.'

He handed her a scroll of parchment with the wax seal of the Head Captain on it. She lifted her eyebrows questioningly to Captain Kotetsu as her unseated officer took his leave. Rukia broke the seal with her finger and unrolled the small note, reading quickly. It was a summon to the Head Captains office that evening… without her brother.

Warning signals were going off in her head until she read the final part… they'd uncovered Ukitake's body and were due to bury him beside the large Sakura blossom inside the Head Captains personal gardens. She felt her breath leave her in a rush, the lump of emotion like swallowing a hot coal down the back of her throat.

'I will see you tomorrow,' Captain Kotetsu said without further explaining herself, she took her leave from the office. Rukia was glad she'd left, allowing Rukia a private chance to digest the words formally written in the dark ink. She could deal with everything else tomorrow including making Captain Kotetsu aware of her situation.

The hot coal at the back of her throat was beginning to burn her throat and eyes. She flared her nostrils almost painfully in a bid to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill.

Head Captain knew she was an Omega now, so she desperately hoped there would be no one else there but the two of them… because if there were, Rukia would struggle to hold her emotions back. She began to grind her teeth together, the emotions threatening to spill over but she was trained better than that. With a painful bite of her tongue she set the message to the side, slipped back into her seat and focused fully on her paperwork, pushing the summon to the back of her mind.

She almost lost track of time entirely as she worked. She worked until her hand was stiff from clutching her brush so hard. She worked through the temperature drop in the room and didn't even notice the small layer of frost that adorned the desk until the sun hung low enough to catch her eye through the window. She blinked against the light and turned to gaze at the clock, if she wanted to be on time, then she'd have to leave right now.

Rukia did her best not to think about it, she stood up, straightened her uniform and lifted the summon scroll before making her way outside. She probably should have sent word to her brother as it would be likely she'd be home late that evening but she also knew if she sent word that he'd come looking for her. His overbearing protective Alpha instincts were suffocating more than they were helpful at times, except when he showed up last minute in a fight to the death to save her life, as he had done many times before. She sighed and quickly flitted through the destroyed Seireitei, her route leading her passed the building where the young soldier she'd seen earlier was now gone. Rukia pondered for a moment over what happened to the girl before the large stone pillars marking the entrance to the Head Captains offices came into view.

She showed the guards her summon before she was led to his private quarters. She wasn't at all surprised to find the Beta having a drink. He glanced up at her and held out a small ochoko cup for her to take. She knew that her brother would not approve, but Rukia wasn't quite ready to handle this without something to help dull her senses.

She took the cup gratefully and he filled it up for her then led her silently into another room and she realised she wasn't there for his burial, she was there for the tsuya only.

'You buried him?' she asked, her eyes on a picture of her Captain and the incense beside it burning the sensitive receptors in the back of her throat.

'Yes,' he replied simply.

'Why?' she didn't have enough strength to finish her question, the unspoken "didn't you wait for me" was left in the air.

He appraised her for a few moments, as if considering how to phrase his words.

'Ukitake had so much respect for you,' he said finally, turning back to gaze over at the window that led out onto his private gardens. 'He told me many times, that you'd be the one to change the society for the better.'

'That…' she felt her throat getting tighter, she wanted to argue back, demand to know why she wasn't here for the burial but his response had caught her off guard. Soul Reapers were taught that emotions only got in the way. It was partly why being a low ranked Beta or Omega was seen as such a "weakness" because they were stereotyped to be people who depended too much on others for emotional support.

'That was a heck of a compliment?' he finished for her, grinning up at her from his where he now sat cross legged on the floor. Rukia pursed her lips but eventually knelt down to join him, glancing up at the picture of Ukitake between the two sticks of incense. She'd smelled it before, it was some of his favourite sticks to burn when he was working in the office. The smell often infused with his own scent and Rukia wondered if that was perhaps the reason why Captain Kyoraku had selected it.

Maybe Omega's weren't the only ones who sought out emotional comfort after all?

The two sat in silence, drinking and when Captain Kyoraku finally spoke again Rukia realised he'd maybe been finding it just as difficult to talk as she had.

'I'll never forget the day we met,' he said and Rukia felt her interest stirring as she turned to watch him. His face had an odd faraway look on it, the lines on his face more defined and making him look much older than he was in the low lighting. 'Ukitake was always far more intelligent than I, he studied hard and worked hard. I was the popular student at the Academy, though it wasn't too much of an Academy back then as we were personally trained by Yamamoto himself.'

Rukia listened intently, having never heard this story before, her attention rapped with interest, her body turned toward the older man though still keeping Ukitake in her line of sight.

'He was struggling to fit in, came and asked me if I would be his friend, well it obviously took him a lot of courage to do it. I'd always naturally assumed he was a low ranked Beta,' Shunsui said with a smile, 'which was why I'd instantly warmed to him, but likely as you know he wasn't.'

'He was a high Beta,' Rukia smiled fondly, the high Betas were close to Alpha in everything except anatomy, they often had the same harsh temperament… but again that was another stereotype because her Captain couldn't be further from that.

'He was a high Beta,' Shunsui laughed waving a hand, 'probably the highest in the class, but it only ever came out when the need to protect others was so strong.'

Rukia smiled down into her drink, remembering his reaction when he'd found out about her being an Omega. He hadn't once treated her difference when it came to the battles, he trusted that she could hold her own just fine, but he would never ever allow her to think herself less than anyone and that was when his protective side came out.

Ukitake was the reason Rukia was so strong.

He never once coddled her like her brother did, he always encouraged her to get back up on her feet and keep fighting.

'I was probably the lowest Beta in the class,' Shunsui revealed and Rukia almost choked on her drink staring at the head Captain through large eyes as he grinned at her. 'You told me your secret, I think it's only fair I tell you mine.'

'I- I didn't know,' she said with her mouth open, normally she could smell the classes of Beta, those who were higher carried a scent similar to an Alpha and those lower, carried one similar to herself.

'I think,' he started with a soft smile into his drink, 'you'll be surprised with just how many low Beta's there are in the Seireitei and just how well Unohana helped them remain hidden.'

That stirred so many questions in Rukia's mind, the questions must have shown on her face because suddenly he was grinning into another drink of alcohol before he filled their cups back up.

'You have questions?' he asked and she blinked.

'"A noble Kuchiki doesn't bombard people with questions,"' she recited stiffly.

'A noble Kuchiki isn't present amongst two friends having a drink,' Shunsui smiled softly at her and Rukia could see them, the emotions that were flitting across his face, etched into the laughter and frown lines. 'Why do you think I summoned you without your brother? You can speak freely with me.'

'Who are they?' she started quickly, 'why can't I smell them?' she could feel the colour rising in her cheeks as she asked the questions, knowing that she should be silent, but she couldn't help it.

Shunsui only grinned at her, 'I won't tell you who they are because it's as much their right to their privacy as it is for you but as for why you can't smell them, they suppress in a very similar fashion to yourself.'

'Why do they have to supress though?' she asked, 'I only supress because…' she trailed off, her cheeks reddening, it was a known part of the Omega cycle that they'd go through a heat, every officer was taught about it.

'There's no need to be embarrassed here,' Shunsui waved a hand, 'as for why I think we have a real issue in the Seireitei of old stigmas. Men are stronger than women, Alpha's are stronger than Betas,' he shrugged his shoulders and took another drink before sighing deeply.

'What we need, is someone who can break those stigmas, shatter them into a fine dust and let them blow away,' he was talking but he wasn't looking at her anymore, his eyes were trained in on the picture of Ukitake. 'Low Beta's like myself hide their secondary genders because we believe we will be treated differently, treated worse and spend the majority of our time trying to prove to others that we're in the positions we deserve to be in because of our abilities and not our genders. The pay gap between male and female soul reapers has existed too long along with so many other taboos that we can't afford to have anymore.

That is why I need a strong task force of dedicated Captains around me willing to spark and ignite change in the Seireitei. I don't want the nation to continue down this violent path where every decision ends in blood rather than forgiveness. It is what has caused us too much war and so much bloodshed in these last one hundred years than we've ever experienced before.'

Rukia listened to him, watching the emotions as they passed one by one over his face. These were thoughts and feelings he'd had for a long time but now he was in a position to do something about them. His words were inspiring, she could feel the emotion behind them and how much he loathed the old system and way of doing things.

'Ukitake was in agreement with me, we always did agree on the topic of social norms,' he added with a chuckle, pouring himself another cup and motioning for Rukia to drink hers. She raised it to her lips and took another deep drink, wincing only slightly when the alcohol burned at the back of her throat.

'If we continue the way we've been going, we will do nothing more than create more and more enemies and that is what will ultimately be our downfall.' Rukia nodded solemnly at these words.

'That is why you must become a Captain.'

She felt like someone was slowly fisting at her throat and she turned to look at him, her large eyes trying to read the emotions on his face. His expression was stoic, his decision made and he was looking pointedly up at Ukitake.

'Ukitake had always said that you would be one of the people to restore an age of peace to the Seireitei unlike anything we'd ever seen before, I didn't understand what he meant back then but now I do.' He nodded his head and took another drink from his cup, 'I want to make these changes Rukia and I'd like you in his place to help me. You have been through the receiving end of the horrific justice system of the Soul Society, you're both a woman and an Omega and you're only of the strongest souls we have.' He finally turned his gaze from the picture of Ukitake to bore his large grey eyes into her.

It was a lot to consider, she knew exactly where his thoughts were coming from. If she were successful in a position of power like a Captaincy role and he as a Head Captain running the Seireitei they could undo a lot of inequalities that had been stamped upon the genders.

They undo a lot of inequalities in the justice system, stopping harsh and brutal punishments and allowing souls to feel more. It was something that Rukia had learned recently from Ichigo, that souls were stronger when they were fighting for the ones they loved and that half the battles had weren't had to end lives but had because two people could not sit down and come to a verbal, empathetic understanding instead. The need to negotiate was not taught as much as the need to cross blades and that left an unsettling feeling in her Omega heart, one she'd carried all through her training as a soul reaper.

'He'd have wanted you to do it Rukia,' Shunsui pressed and Rukia could feel that lump at the back of her throat again, burning her nostrils, eyes and throat.

'Just answer me one thing,' she said and her voice was thick and raspy.

'Anything,' he said softly and Rukia couldn't stop it, couldn't prevent it in time before the emotions welled in her eyes and spilled down over her cheeks.

'Why didn't you wait for me to bury him?' her voice was barely a whisper and she refused to look at him, her eyes only for the friendly face and graceful smile in the frame that she would never ever see again.

Shunsui seemed to be considering her for a moment, thinking about how he wanted to word whatever his response was.

'I was going to wait,' he said honestly, 'but as it's been a week…' he trailed off and Rukia knew, she knew why she just wanted to hear him say it.

'He didn't look good Rukia,' the emotion was evident in his voice now too, the subtle shift in his scent telling her that he was remembering something he'd rather not, 'it was not the last image I wanted you to have of him. To you he should and always will remain strong, which is exactly what he'd want you to be right now. I didn't think he'd want you to see him like that.'

Rukia nodded, her blurry eyes finally glancing away from the image of the man she had grown to love and care for like family. The cup in her hand was blurred into one giant shape and as she blinked more tears spilled silently down her face, making the image of the cup in her hands clearer.

Emotions were forbidden and yet after they'd been expelled, it was often the case that the picture became that little bit clearer somehow.

'I will do it,' she said finally, ignoring the way her voice was laden with emotion, 'I will become Captain and take over the division he loved so much.'

'Thank you Rukia,' Shunsui seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at her words, 'I know this will not be an easy journey and I know your brother will be upset, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you.'

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