AN: Here's the last chapter, guys! Thank you so much for the reviews- I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far

Kaien watched as his dad went at it like there was no tomorrow. Kouta's dad relied more on blunt force and mere strength, though Kaien's dad was quicker- and smarter. Kaien's dad easily dodged punch after punch, side-stepping to avoid a kick, before landing several hits of his own. He'd never thought of his dad as a physical person before, but he couldn't help but notice...

His dad could fight!

Across from the brawl and amidst the cheering crowd Kouta stared back at him, apparently just as shocked as Kaien was. Suddenly there was even more noise and students were scattering wildly from the scene. The principle parted his way through the masses, using his large form to break up the fighting between the two men.

***

There was an awkward silence that hung in the air of the office as the four of them sat, waiting. Kaien was seated across from his father, much in the same way Kouta and his dad were. Both men held ice packs to their heads. The continued stillness of the office was tense, with the silence only broken by the occasional phone ringing in the background, or murmuring from various desk workers. The ticks of the clock hanging overhead seemed exceptionally loud to Kaien, as they merely sat… waiting. He didn't dare say a word- and Kouta seemed to have the same idea.

He simply couldn't believe what had happened. Of all the people, of all the things to do, getting in a fight was the very last thing he expected from someone like his dad. He was kind of hot-headed sometimes, sure. He got into small arguments with Mom, and was someone to hold his ground. But to start a fist fight? And win? Kaien knew his dad could be sort of proud sometimes, but that…?

The door to the office opened, causing Kaien and the other three occupants to look up sharply at the sound. His mother entered the room, her footsteps quick and precise, with a severe look on her face. He knew from experience how to tell just how mad she was. There were times where she was outwardly angry, and times when she was greatly displeased. But then, other times, she was furious. It was a quiet sort of fury that burned behind her eyes, as she crossed her arms and gave out glares that could make even the toughest soldier run for cover. He noticed all the signs as his mother strode over, stopping to turn in front of his father.

Kaien really, really felt sorry for his dad.

"Of all the things I expected… Of all the stunts you have pulled…!" There was no mistaking the fierceness that laced her voice. His father merely gave a weary sigh, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm sorry, Okay? I lost it."

She snorted. "I cannot believe you have stooped to this-" His mother stopped, suddenly, as if remembering where they were, glancing around the room for a moment. Her eyes fell on Kaien, lingering probably on the bruise on his face.

"…We will finish this when we get home." She roughly grabbed his father's arm and began dragging him behind her as she left the office. "We're going, Kaien."

Kaien knew an order when he heard one, and wasted no time is hurrying after them.

***

No sooner after walking through the door did his mother promptly banish Kaien and his sister upstairs. It wasn't much of a surprise. And, frankly, Kaien really didn't mind. The last thing he wanted was to be anywhere near his mother when she went nuclear.

He really, really felt sorry for his dad.

Even with the release of all the anger and rage, Kaien knew it was only a matter of time before she came after him about his own troubles earlier in the day. He dreaded the encounter, miserably looking forward to it as a convict on death row would look forward to their execution.

He had a whole hour and a half to himself before the unavoidable came crashing in. A knock sounded at his room door. "Kaien? Can I come in?" His mother's voice was strong as usual, and he let out a resigned, frustrated sigh before throwing his manga off to the side.

His mother peeked out from behind the door, before finally stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her. Kaien stubbornly remained laying on his bed, staring resolutely up at the ceiling. He felt the mattress shift slightly as she sat lightly on the end of the bed.

Silence filled the room, stretching on for a few moments. Frustration started to fade into a sense of impatience and sheer boredom, until he was driven into making the first move. "Aren't you going to yell at me now?" He said, bitterness edging its way into his voice.

"Do you expect me to ignore the incident that happened today?"

Kaien closed his eyes, as if it would make the situation disappear. It didn't. "What is it now? Are you going to ground me?"

"I… have something else in mind," she admitted before changing the subject. "However… I am concerned."

His mother's response brought a bout of confusion for Kaien, as he struggled to make sense of her words. Why wasn't she yelling at him yet? Was this a new tactic…?

The guilt from his stupidity from before came back to him, as he swallowed and kept his gaze firmly on a nearby bookshelf. "I'm- I'm sorry. I know it was stupid… It was really, really stupid, okay? I get it. Now go ahead and yell at me so you can ground me and get it over with."

Instead of a retort, she merely answered him with a moment of silence. Her voice was not hard or stern, but almost… soft. "…Your father will speak to you about your actions later today. I would like to talk to you about something else."

Now he was really confused. Not only was she talking in a reasonable volume, but she was changing the subject. It was so strange and unexpected, for a moment he vaguely wondered if he was having some bizarre dream where his mother was reasonable about things.

He snorted. "What, you going to get onto me about the other things I'm screwing up? Like failing in school and not taking my studies seriously?" His words drew upon many past arguments and lectures his parents had given him on his grades. Bitterly, he prepared himself for the oncoming scolding.

It never came. "Kaien," She started. Her voice wasn't raised, and wasn't hard or angry. It was… soft. Not what he expected. Definitely not what he expected.

"I know we have gotten onto you in the past about your grades… but we can't make you care about something." He felt the bed shift as she stood up, and saw her walking into his view, standing next to his bed. "I also had troubles in school when I was your age."

Kaien was baffled at her actions… Wasn't she supposed to be yelling at him? Scolding him? Was it possible… she wasn't actually mad this time? It was too weird to be believed. He closed his eyes, in an attempt to keep himself looking bored and uninterested. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes. I wasn't good at making friends, so I was often by myself, and rumors were very commonplace. Next to that, my abilities were sub-par… and I struggled to keep up with my peers."

He frowned. "So… what did you do?"

She sat down next to him, turning to face him. "I did the only thing I could do… I worked harder. I was too stubborn to simply give up. I gave myself the drive to improve, and I finally earned what I wanted. I didn't do it alone, of course. Never underestimate the value of friends, Kaien."

This was all news to him. Thoughts about the expected argument and what had happened earlier were slowly put aside, interested in what she was saying. He always heard talk about how his father was always a good student, had always received good marks throughout school, and had been successful in college and medical school as well. It was a high achievement, especially compared to how he himself was doing in school. He'd always assumed his mother had done well, too, judging from the way she carried herself. Now that he thought about it, there weren't stories of her during secondary school, getting high up on the class rankings, or earning awards. He knew his mother hadn't gone off to college after secondary school, but hadn't thought any further of it.

To hear she struggled in school, someone who had always seemed so… confident, and strong… it was surprising. Part of him was angry at the revelation, giving her no excuse to yell at him about grades when she was no genius student herself. The rest of him knew, however, that it was something they had in common, something they shared. It wasn't long before he found himself rethinking everything she had ever said to him about school.

"That's… great it worked out for you, Mom. But I'm not…" He trailed off. More and more he was drawn into their conversation, and deep inside he felt he could talk about how he really thought about everything. He knew, with the way she was acting at the moment, she wouldn't judge or grow angry with him. Stubbornly he resisted, still holding back. His pride was at fault.

"Capable?" She supplied. Kaien found himself turning his head slightly, opening his eyes to look at her. "You are very capable, Kaien. I have seen what you've been up to."

He looked at her in confusion, though hints of fear started to go across his mind. Surely, she didn't know…

Wordlessly, she turned, pulling a folded paper out of her pocket, opening it up so he could see. It didn't take long to recognize his roughly-written sheet music, scribbled onto the back of a math assignment. He felt his eyes widen as he stared in shock at the paper dangling over his face, and he rose from his position on the bed, sitting up only to continue staring at it.

It was the one thing he kept secret, away from everyone- his family, his classmates, his friends. He had a deep passion that he couldn't quell or banish, no matter how hard he tried. He knew, from the moment he saw an orchestra play at a festival when he was six, music was something that called to him. It beckoned him, drew him in. It always listened to him, sympathized with his troubles and worries, and let him truly express himself. It did not judge, did not ignore him. With it, he found peace. He found his sanctuary away from the hassles of the world, and finally could be himself.

That passion had manifested itself in various ways. He found himself retreating away from everything by listening to music. Rock, jazz, pop, or classical- it didn't matter. The emotions and feelings behind the music, even when no words could be heard- were easily felt and understood.

He moved on to learning to make his own music. His friends thought he was going to the Baseball club after school, when in reality he would retreat to an empty practice room, learning notes from downloaded sheet music and experimenting with the piano. He read books and did research, often in place of his homework. It wasn't long before he started experimenting with his own original songs.

Despite it all, he never wanted anyone else to know. His friends would laugh, and his family would scold him. They'd get onto him about indulging in pointless hobbies when he should be studying instead. They'd call it a waste of time and effort, something that would never help him the way proper grades would.

That was why, when his mother held out the proof for the one thing he wanted to hide, he was shocked beyond belief when she smiled happily.

"M-mom?!"

She turned the paper over gently in her hands, looking down at it fondly. "I never had any talent for music. Or… art, really." She smiled softly, turning her gaze to look upon him. "Kaien… How long have you been doing this?"

He looked away and shrugged. "…A little while."

Gently she moved her hand to turn his face towards her. She continued to smile. "It is nothing to be ashamed of. You have done something few people have chance to do… Find something they truly love."

"Does it even matter? It's not like it'll help me at all." His words were defiant yet resigned. His stubborn resolve was fading away, his mother's sympathy working away at it with each word she spoke.

"It can help. You've… taught yourself all of this, is that right?" Her hand fell to her lap.

"...Yeah." He shrugged.

"You wanted to accomplish something, and you pushed yourself harder and harder until you achieved it. Is that right?"

He nodded.

Her smile widened. "That is something to be proud of. And… I believe you have a gift."

Kaien frowned in confusion, giving her a sideways almost suspicious glance. "So… you're not mad?"

"I'll admit, when your teacher showed this to me, I was a bit confused… but I am not mad. No… I am not mad."

He couldn't help but rub at the back of his head awkwardly, completely clueless as to what to say next. "I'm… well. Thanks, Mom."

She nodded, rising from her seat. "I will talk to your father about this later. After he… has recovered." Kaien wasn't sure if it meant his bruise from the fight, or whatever damage his mother herself might have inflicted as punishment.

"However, do not think this excuses your behavior today- I am arranging for you to help your grandfather part time at the clinic, three times a week after school."

Kaien gaped for a moment. "Th-That's not fair! Can't you ground me or make me do community service, or something?" Having to go and help out his grandfather, the crazed old man who they collectively pretended was of no relation to them, was… almost worse than prison. But, then again, his mother probably already knew that.

As she neared the door, his mother turned to look over her shoulder slightly, giving a small but genuine smirk, before heading out of the room.

***

Missing out on the expected lecture was something Kaien still couldn't fully wrap his mind around. He realized he didn't mind his mother acting that way, though. It was easy to forget she could be softer, at times, and not the no-nonsense mother she often was.

Kaien went out into the backyard to collect himself. A lot of crazy things had happened in the past two days- more so than usual. Looking at the night sky and the few faintly visible stars seemed to calm him. There was a certain feeling he found himself experiencing that he couldn't quite identify. It didn't seem to be unpleasant, at least.

There was the sound of a door opening behind him, followed by his father's footsteps. "Nice night out, huh?"

Kaien shot a slight glance over to his father, now in the same upward- looking pose he himself was in but a moment ago. "Yeah…" It was strange how comfortable his dad seemed. Wasn't he mad about the trouble Kaien had caused? Even if he'd gotten in a fight himself… wasn't he the least bit angry?

A frown must have made its way to the teen's face, as suddenly the orange-haired man was smirking faintly at him. It only served to confuse him more. Why wasn't he mad?

"You're a lot like how I was at your age, you know." The smirk remained on his father's face as he turned his gaze forward. There was a look in his eyes that seemed to be lost in the past, in things that Kaien could only wonder about.

The teen let out a faint bitter snort. "Except the 'being a good student' and 'winning at fights' part."

It didn't seem to deter his father in the least. "You really think you're stuck like that? Sorry, but I can't allow that sort of talk in this house."

Rather than making a bitter remark, Kaien merely listened. A strange feeling of calm sill overwhelmed him, lingering in part from the words of his mother.

"You can always, always get better. Stronger. There's always that option, as long as you're willing to try." There was a confidence to his father's words which left little room for Kaien to doubt, if at all- especially when his mother had said something so similar. Part of him remained stubbornly skeptic of the concept and dismissed it as nonsense, but even so it was becoming easier to believe. Maybe… He really wanted to believe it, after all?

"Mom said the same thing, earlier." Even Kaien knew it was a weak attempt at any sort of comeback. His dad probably noticed it too.

"Maybe we know what we're talking about, then."

Kaien stuffed his hands in his pockets. He murmured something close to an agreement. It was easier to look at something inanimate and harmless, such as a bit of grass or the nearby patio chair, rather than directly at his father. The Kurosaki men had never been particularly good at all of that 'emotional' stuff, and it was only slightly worse than normal now.

"…I know these past couple days haven't been your best. But besides that… I'm proud of you, kid." His dad gave a slightly lopsided smile and brought a hand up to pat Kaien's shoulder. The door shut behind him, signaling that he was once again alone and left with nothing but the cool night air.

Thinking over what had happened, his mistakes, his downfalls… It really didn't bother him that much, anymore. Not in the same way as earlier, where he would dismiss all of it as meaningless things the rest of the world found as wrong. It was easy for him to label the world's disapproval as pointless and simply not care about any of it.

But now, it was different. His defiance wasn't something put up in bitter defense or in trying to cover his faults. The calm in thinking of his mistakes was… genuine. They were in the past. They were stupid mistakes that he'd made… But it seemed to be over with. His parents had already moved on (save for his punishment). Had he really started to move on, as well?

He had spent enough time dwelling in the present. Maybe it was time to start thinking of the future. And, somehow- He figured his father had dealt with much of the very same thing.

***

There was a loud 'thud', followed by various yelps in surprise and aggravation, before the yelling began. Kaien would always make such a commotion, along with his father… They had no cause to be so loud. It made reading the newspaper all the more difficult.

A hand reached for her coffee mug absently. Crash! Her eyebrow twitched. That sounded to be a piece of furniture. Did she not tell Ichigo to keep the house in tact? Idiot.

Rukia chanced a look over the edge of her paper.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! I'm just trying to get something to drink!!" Kaien hastily dodged another flying kick courtesy of his father. Bam! Hmm… He had hit the floor, that time.

"You're getting faster at dodging, Kaien!" Ichigo sent a fist flying in Kaien's direction. The teen scrambled behind a table in a desperate attempt to avoid the blow.

She returned to her paper- there was an interesting story on local cats that had been adopted. The house rumbled slightly with another missed hit, though she had no reason to take notice so long as it did not involve glass or furniture.

"You're crazy!! What kind of father attacks his kids?!" Kaien's voice had the higher pitch it normally had when he was in a difficult situation. It was nothing to grow so concerned over. He would become used to it soon enough… As would the neighbors.

The pseudo-fighting between father and son did serve to bring certain memories to her mind, however. The smallest of smirks, barely visible, came across Rukia's face.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, she mused.

-The End-