Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach, but it would be awesome for me if I did!

Warnings: This is an AU story. This story goes along my story Astounding Revelations. I suggest you read that story before starting this one.

Pairings: Mainly Shunsui/Nanao

A/N: Many thanks to my beta, ForeverSam, for everything.

Arrival

By: akirk85029

Nanao looked at herself in the bathroom mirror as she pulled her long dark hair back into her hair clip making sure not one strand was out of place. Her pure blue eyes stared back at her underneath thin glasses. Nanao had contacts, but she refused to wear them after Rangiku was gushing about how beautiful she looked without glasses. Nanao did not believe Rangiku's claim and felt that contacts were unnecessary to someone as plain as herself. Nanao straightened out her maroon turtleneck and tightened the belt that went around her loose black jeans before she headed out into the living room.

Nanao sighed as she spotted Rangiku, her roommate and adoptive sister, sleeping half on and half off the couch. Nanao picked up Rangiku's feet and placed them on the couch, straightening out her friend's body while placing a blanket over her. Nanao shook her head at her friend. She didn't understand how Rangiku could continuously do this to herself, but Nanao knew that she would always be there to help Rangiku, after all she owed her everything. She shuddered when she thought about what could have happened if Rangiku hadn't saved her.

With one look around, Nanao exited the room just as quietly as she had entered and headed to work at the small bookshop down the street from where they lived.

As Nanao entered the shop she stopped to smell the air as the scent of new books and old leather surrounded her. She loved that scent. It was everything to her. Books were her life; they mirrored her dreams, her aspirations, and her pain.

Nanao wondered sadly if she would ever receive forgiveness from the person she cared about the most. She shook her head softly to erase her thoughts. She grabbed some of the books from the new shipment to start placing them on the shelves. She needed to distract herself with work.

Rangiku drearily opened one eye and smiled as she felt the soft blanket covering her well-endowed form. She sat up slowly, brushing her strawberry blonde hair from her face.

Rangiku nearly jumped out of her skin as someone knocked on the door. She groaned as she made her way to her feet and shuffled over to the door. She grinned when she saw who was on the other side.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rangiku exclaimed happily.

"Well, Jyu decided to move our firm office here. So if you know someone, I need a new assistant." Shunsui declared as he waltzed into the apartment.

Rangiku shut the door after Shunsui entered and walked into the kitchen to grab them a drink for a toast to the good news. "So you lost another assistant?" Rangiku joked.

Shunsui raised his hand and waved her away after taking a glass. "I can't help who I am!"

Rangiku laughed. "So what does Jyuushiro have to say about it?"

"He wasn't happy, especially now that his assistant has to do my work too." Shunsui admitted. He looked around the living room and noticed several books. "Do you have a roommate?" Shunsui asked.

"Yeah, always have Shunsui. Are you getting senile in your old age?" Rangiku taunted.

Shunsui glared at her from beneath his hat. "I'm only two years older than you!" He declared.

Rangiku rolled her eyes at her longtime friend. "Still makes you older than me! So you really haven't met my roomie?"

Shunsui shrugged his shoulders. He didn't remember ever meeting this still unnamed (to him at any rate) roommate. "Anyways, I'm here to offer you a job and steal you away from the firm you're at."

Rangiku raised her eyebrows and smiled.

Nanao looked up as the bell above the door jingled and nearly gasped as a man with long white hair entered the shop. It took Nanao a second to realize that he was not who she thought at first. She tried to ignore the feeling of sadness that was trying to make its way into her heart.

"May I help you with something?" Nanao inquired of her new customer.

"Yes, I am looking to see if you have any old law books. I am a collector." The tall white-haired man replied.

Nanao gestured for him to follow her. She led him to the back right corner of the store and showed him several old antique law books. She pulled a particularly heavy one and held it out to him. "This one is actually a first edition from when this town was first formed. It has several antiquated laws in it. It is a good read."

Nanao watched as he opened the book and lightly traced his fingers over the thin pages. She could see his delight in finding something so rare. She would be sad to see the book go; she had read it a couple of times, but she knew that it would find a good home with him.

"You have read this?" The gentleman asked.

Nanao blushed. "Yes, a few times, sir."

The man eyed her for a moment. "Is there anything that you didn't understand?"

"No, sir. The book is well-written and the old criminal laws are fascinating and it is interesting to see how they have changed over the years." Nanao replied walking a few steps back and grabbing a brand new edition law book. She handed the book to him. "If you wish to compare, sir."

The man pulled out a business card and handed it to Nanao. "Stop by my office when you have a day off. I just might have a position for you and I think I will take both of these books."

Nanao nodded her head and pocketed the card and led the gentlemen to the front and took payment for the books. After he had left the shop Nanao took a closer look at the card he had given to her. It read : Jyuushiro Ukitake, Attorney at Law. Nanao put the card back in her pocket after making quick note of the address. She didn't know what to think about what had just transpired.

"So are you going to tell me more about your roommate?" Shunsui finally asked after skirting around the subject.

"What do you want to know?" Rangiku just asked.

"Is she cute?" Shunsui asked, grinning.

"Yes." Rangiku simply said.

"And...?" Shunsui said, rolling his hand around gesturing for her to continue.

"Forget it. I can't set you up with her!" Rangiku stated out right.

"Why not?" Shunsui pouted placing his hand over his heart like he had been wounded.

"Because I know how you are with women!" Rangiku replied.

"That's never bothered you before!" Shunsui exclaimed; interested as to why he can't have a little fun with this friend of hers.

Rangiku sighed heavily. "You can't treat her like you do to all of the other women. I can't tell you why, you will have to ask her yourself, but just know that something bad happened in her past."

Shunsui nodded his head. If she truly did not want him to go after her roommate, he wouldn't do it. He did value his friendship with Rangiku. He was about to ask more questions when there was a knock on the door.

Rangiku muttered under her breath for being forced to get up out of her comfortable chair, but smiled at Jyuushiro as he was let into the apartment. Rangiku looked down at his bag. "Hey, you must have met Nanao."

Jyuushiro stopped next to the couch and looked at her while placing his purchase on the coffee table. "Do you mean the dark haired woman with the glasses at the book store?"

Rangiku nodded her head in the affirmative.

Jyuushiro smiled as he sat down. "Yeah, I gave her my card. I think I might have a position for her."

Rangiku bounced in her seat. "Really, she would be great. She is utterly brilliant. and would be an asset to your firm."

Jyuushiro nodded his head at this. His instincts were telling him the same thing. "Has Shunsui discussed our proposal to you?"

Rangiku walked back into the kitchen after the guys left. She had accepted the position; it would be fun to work with her two best buds. Now she had to convince Nanao that Jyuushiro was serious in offering her a position. She was pretty sure Nanao had a good understanding already of the legal jargon so she would be a great legal assistant.

Rangiku was just sitting down for lunch when Nanao walked into the apartment. Rangiku took in her friend's appearance. She knew of what had happened to Nanao and had sworn to never reveal what she had been told. Rangiku just wished Nanao could start living her life and stop punishing herself.

Nanao walked over and placed the card on the table in front of Rangiku. "Do you recognize the name?"

Rangiku didn't even have to look. "Yeah, I know him."

"What's he like?" Nanao asked concerned about the possible offer of employment.

"Jyuushiro is a kind and good man. You won't find anyone better." Rangiku said while stuffing part of her sandwich in her mouth.

Nanao sat down across from her friend.

"I already know what happened." Rangiku started for her.

Nanao stared into her friend's eyes. "So what do you think?"

"I think you would like working with his firm. Jyuushiro handles real estate law. Shunsui, his firm partner, handles environmental law. And me, their new associate, well you know I handle sexual harassment suits." Rangiku stated with a jovial smile.

"So maybe I would be working for you?" Nanao asked, considering the idea. She never thought she would leave her precious bookshop, but maybe she could switch to part-time there and work at the firm full-time. She knew this would be a good opportunity and she did enjoy helping Rangiku with her work. Nanao sat back in her chair; she had a lot to consider.

Shunsui sat across from Jyuushiro in his office. He watched his childhood friend with scrutiny. "What are you planning?"

Jyuushiro looked up from the pleading he was reading. "You need a new assistant."

Shunsui raised a brow at this. "I thought she would be Rangiku's assistant."

"I thought about it, but for some reason I think she will do well as your assistant. That is, if Rangiku can convince her to come in." Jyuushiro replied.

Shunsui shrugged his shoulders. He wouldn't mind having her as his assistant, then he could get to meet Rangiku's hidden friend. He didn't know why he was so curious; maybe it was only because of Rangiku's protectiveness towards her friend.

The next morning Rangiku brought Nanao with her to Jyuushiro and Shunsui's firm. Rangiku had wanted to check out the new facilities before she headed into her soon to be old job and give her notice.

Nanao was inside Jyuushiro's office, talking about the position. She sat across from him and tried to keep her twisting hands from Jyuushiro's view. She didn't want him to know how nervous she was in a closed room with him. She knew he wasn't a bad person, but she just couldn't help it. The feeling came whether she wanted it to or not.

Jyuushiro did notice her unease and he also noticed that she tensed up even further as he stood up from his chair. He walked around and opened the office door for her. He smiled as he saw her finally relax. He had a suspicion as to what had happened to her to make her act this way, but he just hoped he was wrong.

Rangiku was sitting in Shunsui's office talking about anything and everything. Rangiku noticed that he kept looking at the door. She suspected that he was hoping to catch a glimpse of her friend. She would consider helping him, if only he would be serious, but she knew Shunsui had never been serious about a woman his entire life.

"Hey, did you hear about that kidnapping?" Shunsui asked finally, trying to distract himself.

"No! What? Where?" Rangiku asked in succession.

"On the other side of town. Some little girl with white hair and turquoise eyes. Can't remember the girl's name though, but how many children do you see with white hair?" Shunsui replied.

Rangiku rested her chin in the palm of her hand, with her elbow resting on the arm of the chair. Something about the child with white hair was bugging her. She felt that it was important but she couldn't remember why. She was knocked out of her thoughts when a paperclip hit her square on the nose. "Hey!"

"Don't you have a job to go and quit?!" Shunsui stated.

"Yeah, yeah…I'm going." Rangiku said as she got up out of the chair. She gave Shunsui a small wave before heading out the door.

Shunsui got up from his desk, as he thought he had nothing better to do, and walked over to see if Jyuushiro was finished talking to Rangiku's roommate, this Nanao. He stopped when he realized the door to his friend's office was open. He had a great view from his vantage point. He studied the girl. He noticed right away that she was hiding her thin frame under clothes that were too big for her; which of course led to him wondering what was beneath the clothes. He noticed that she kept her hair up and for some reason he had an urge to pull the clip from her hair and run his fingers through what he was sure would be the silkiest hair he would ever feel. Shunsui wanted to get closer. He made his way over and made his presence known.

"Ahh…Shunsui, I would like you to meet Nanao Ise. Nanao I would like you to meet Shunsui Kyouraku." Jyuushiro said introducing the two to each other.

Shunsui reached his hand over and took Nanao's hand into his own. "It is a pleasure to meet you." He stated as he lifted her hand to kiss it.

Nanao retracted her hand swiftly before he could do so. A flashback appearing ever so briefly in her mind; Nanao took a few steps back.

Shunsui noticed the fear that flickered across her beautiful blue eyes for a second. He didn't know why, but he didn't like seeing that in her eyes. Someone had done something and whoever it was Shunsui knew he was going to find out and make sure they suffered.

A/N : Okay, so what did you guys think? I hope it was satisfactory. Please review and let me know what you think.