Title: His Father's Most Precious
Author: kaibasgirlx
Character/Pairing/Group: Ishida Ryuuken and Ishida Uryuu. Side mentions of IshiHime.
Rating: 'T'
Disclaimer/Notes/Whatever: Ah, wow, I can't believe I'm actually posting this. I have to admit, Uryuu is really not my favorite character, but even I felt bad for him in this. It's mostly an introspective on the relationship between father and son, which I find extremely fascinating, for some reason.

Anyway, I worked really hard on this, so comments, reviews, etc. would be really appreciated and loved.

1. The day Inoue Orihime died is the day Ishida Uryuu’s world went dark.

2. Her death is an arrow to his heart, a blow to his pride, and a never ending torment of guilt. (You vowed to protect her with your life, you swore on the Pride of the Quincy to never let harm come her way, you failed, you failed, you failed, you failed, you failed!)

3. Friends come from all over to offer their condolences, but Uryuu could not be, will not be consoled. He swears once more (on your worthless pride) to never rest until he avenges her death.

4. Ishida Ryuuken is not an emotional man. Perhaps he was, once upon a time, but his wife’s death all but sealed away his joi de vivre. His only consolation was his son, and he now watches history repeat itself, as Uryuu becomes a widower left with a child of his own.

5. He lights another cigarette, as he gazes out at the never-ending storm.

6. Uryuu is determined not to repeat the mistakes of his father, and vows to become the best parent he could be to his (their) son. Yet as the days melt into weeks, and the weeks into months, he finds the sun has completely set on his world, as he goes through the daily routine in a perfunctory manner. (The bread is fresh, the meal well-balanced, and the atmosphere is a cavity, devoid of any warmth)

7. He learns fast that being a single parent is no easy task, as he divides his time between his job and his thirst for revenge. Somewhere in between he finds time for his son, but his days as a Quincy are finally over when he senses a hollow, and ignores its call. (“Why do you hate being a Quincy so much?” “Because you can’t make a living from it.” The memories swirl in his mind, and he hates himself more and more every day.)

8. “You’re a real jerk-face, you know that?”

Ryuuken does not need to look to know who is speaking.

“It’s bad enough your son’s wife is dead, but you’re not even going to offer your support?!”

“My son doesn’t need my help, he’s managing perfectly fine on his own.”

“He needs a father, Ishida, now more than ever.”

Ryuuken takes a last drag before throwing down the cigarette butt and smothering it beneath his shoe.

“That’s a decision he needs to come to on his own.”

9. The chance for revenge comes quicker than expected, and Uryuu finds himself facing his wife’s killer with a bloodlust that would have sent Ichigo scurrying.

10. It is a bloody and gruesome battle, as he fights his enemy with every bit of strength, until he overpowers the hollow, cuts off its limbs, and tautens his bow to deliver the final blow.

11. The pregnant moments pass, as the rain cascades onto the earth, washing the streets with its transparent grayness. His fingers are tense and bloodied, this is the moment he had been dreaming of for months, yet something is holding him back, and it takes him several minutes before he lowers his bow, and the arrow disappears, as he realizes (in his sick, pathetic, morbid weakness) that he cannot deliver the coup de grace. He can still sense Orihime’s riatsu (garbled as it is, absorbed as it is, tangled as it is) from within the monster, and he cannot bring himself to eviscerate the last tangible thread he has of her.

12. He hangs his head low as the rain falls around him, but snaps it back up again as an arrow whizzes past him.

13. “Ryuuken…” the word barely leaves his lips as he stares in shock at the man he spent most of his life hating and fighting.

“You weak fool,” his father responds eyes cold and steely, as the hollow disappears along with the arrow in his hands. “No,” he corrects softly, as the rain pounds the ground. “Even a fool would have had mercy on his dead wife.”

14. The days that follow are leaden with a heaviness Uryuu hasn’t felt before. His father’s words send him reeling along with his own torturous thoughts (Fool! Idiot! What moron would freeze when victory is in his grasp! What kind of an avenger are you, if you are one at all!) running circles in his mind until he feels like any day now he will explode. (You were so close, so so close, yet you fumbled your chance and your father had to bail you out once again.)

15. For weeks, months, Uryuu wastes away, the anguish and guilt weighing him down. It is a concerned Ichigo who finally takes the bull by the horns and approaches him.

“You have to pull yourself together, at least for the sake of your son!”

“Stay out of my business, Kurosaki.”

“Maybe you should ask your dad for some help.”

“When Hell freezes over.”

Ichigo shakes his head sadly, as Uryuu finishes his drink.

16. It takes time, but slowly he begins to piece together the torn fragments of his life, teaching himself to count his blessings as he single-handedly supports and educates his son. (He will teach him about his mother, tell him of how much she loved him, and paint the picture of their beautiful life so that he will never forget it.)

17. But life is a history of vicious cycles, Uryuu learns, as one day his son asks him what it means that he’s a Quincy.

18. He sputters, shocked and angry at whoever revealed this secret to him, until he realizes it was his own carelessness in not hiding away his tools that led to this point. He doesn’t know what to answer (“I have no interest, and you have no talent.”) as he tries to explain to his stubborn child why he cannot take on the legacy of the Quincy (“If the thing you want to protect is different, the sense of justice would be different too.”), that it’s too dangerous for him (“Some day, some day you’ll know. When you do, you will also know what you want to protect.”), and that he will never, ever risk losing him—the last shred of his family, the living proof of his love for Orihime. ("When you understand your father’s heart…and find the thing you want to protect…")

19. It is a humid night as he walks down the road to the hospital. His father is standing outside, taking a break as he enjoys the peaceful night. He spots his son approaching from the corner of his eye.

“Dad…” The word is foreign to Uryuu, like fine wine to an uncultured tongue. He stands before the man he spent most of his adolescent years despising, and he thinks, feels, perhaps he finally understands his heart. “Dad,” he begins again, and the man stares at him with an even expression as he gropes with the words he never thought would pass his lips. “I-For so long, I thought that you cared only about yourself and your money. I hated you for trying to discourage me from being a Quincy; I hated you for so many things besides. But this past year…so many things have changed, and I found myself in situations I never dreamt of being in. I think…I think I understand a little bit of what you went through after mom died, and…I’m sorry…for never trying to understand you beforehand. Please, dad, can we…can we start over?”

It is hard to read Ryuuken’s expression as he gazes at his son. Finally, he pulls out a cigarette and lights it, taking a drag before exhaling the smoke into the balmy night air.

“You really are a fool,” he answers at last, before he places a hand on his son’s shoulder. “But a fool who may have made his father proud. Let’s step into my office; I think we have a lot to talk about.”

20. “When you understand your father’s heart…when you find the thing you want to protect...”

Uryuu closes his eyes, a small smile on his lips—the first one in months. Thank you, sensei. I believe I’m on my way to understanding father’s heart, and I have finally figured out what it is I want to protect.

He turns, and quietly follows Ryuuken through the door.