A huge thank you to everyone who read and reviewed Youtubefully Yours! It means a lot to me =D if you're into straight pairings please check out my combine fic with Geishaaa called 'Mind of an Ice Princess' where I tell a love story between Rukia and Toshiro from Rukias perspective and then follow on to read Geishaaa's fic ' Mind of an Ice Prince' told from Toshiros perspective.

Forgotten Snowflakes was the most voted for fic on the poll I put up ages ago so without further ado here you all go!

XxXxX

His eyes glossed over the page and read the same sentence for the eighth time in a row. This was ridiculous and he knew he couldn't concentrate. He'd never ever fallen behind on paperwork before and though he wasn't falling behind on it now he was only a couple of days ahead of schedule as opposed to a couple of weeks like normal. He lowered his brush onto the table and brought a hand up to rub his temples. No one expected him to hand everything in early. Actually Head Captain Kyoraku normally scolded him for it because it meant he had to do his work weeks in advance too. He'd told everyone after the war to take a breather and to rest and recover strength but that was not what was bothering Toshiro.

Ichigo had died during the war. Though he wasn't there to witness it, it had been traumatic. The only salvation for all of his friends and family was that he would become a soul reaper. However the strawberry had not shown face quite yet. Head Captain Kyoraku had rejected requests to send soldiers and friends out into the Rukon district to search for him. This had been met as a bit of a shock by all Captains though Head Captain Kyoraku had his reasons.

'Ichigo is strong, when he wants us to find him, he'll make his presence known.'

That was Head Captains final words on the matter. It had been nearly two months now and no one had seen head nor tail of him. Not a single strand of strawberry blond hair was left anywhere for them to find. Toshiro was now beginning to worry… that what if he'd gotten trapped into some kind of alternative dimension. He had been fighting with a Quincy and when struck with a killing blow the souls wouldn't be recycled like they normally would. Though he was informed it was not a blow from a Quincy Arrow that killed him he was having his doubts on the source. The strawberry blond should be here by now.

That probably brings up the question of; why does he care so much? Toshiro picked the brush back up in his hand even though the ink on it had dried out over an hour ago and began to chew on the end of it – a disgusting habit really. Why did he care? He didn't. Not really, not in the way people may think he cared. He and Ichigo were not friends. He just, admired the strawberry was all? He was strong, loyal, and dependable and had helped Toshiro many times. Maybe that did make them friends? More than anything Toshiro missed his company. When he came to the soul society to visit it would not be without stopping by to see him. He'd lounge around in the office and gossip nonsense with Rangiku. The two strawberry blonds got on very well together and Toshiro often joked it was because of their matching hair colour. All joking aside Toshiro enjoyed listening into his conversations with Rangiku, they'd mostly gossip, or she would but Ichigo would talk about his school work and what he was studying, the new people he'd met, the latest hallow he'd killed and even open up about what it felt like to be part hallow. He always had something interesting going on in his life and though you'd expect that to distract Toshiro from his work it actually aided it. He'd give himself little breaks to listen to what Ichigo was saying allowing him the rest he needed to work more fully when the substitute was gone. Toshiro had recently started to look for excused to not work when Ichigo came into the office.

He'd go about and make them all a pot of tea while listening to him, a couple of times he was sure he'd caught Ichigo staring at him. Though what else was new? He turned heads wherever he went. The little freak with the white hair and teal eyes. Perhaps that was another reason why he had developed such a close bond to Rangiku, prior to Ichigo she had been one of the only people around with hair that colour and it made Toshiro feel less alone. There was always Jushiro too but he was older and a very well respected Captain loved by everyone. So he never got funny looks.

'Captain?' Toshiro glanced up to see Rangiku sitting on the couch with a folder in her hands. She wasn't fooling him, he could clearly see the glossy cover of the magazine poking out from the side of the folder. 'Are you alright?'

'Yes why?'

'You're about to eat that brush,' she smiled at him and he sighed and put it down again. He gazed out across the desk and he knew that her eyes were focused on him. 'Are you thinking about Ichigo?' she deduced and he tried not to scowl. It was amazing how easily she could read and understand the simple little change in his body language.

'What if Head Captain was wrong?' he mumbled, 'what if Kurosaki was hit by a Quincy Arrow and that's why he's not shown up in Rukon yet?'

'Why do you care so much? I always got the sense you didn't particularly like Ichigo?' she had sighed and closed over her folder (read; 'magazine') before stretching out on the couch.

'Why do you not care more?' he scowled at her, trying to reverse the question back and redirect attention away from a question he absolutely couldn't answer.

'Because I trust that he's here, I don't know. I can just feel it.' She always spoke about her 'womanly instincts' and it bugged the shit out of him. Every time she was right it was because of these instincts every time she was wrong it was because of stress and it was always his fault for overworking her. 'You didn't answer my question.'

She'd noticed.

'Because I don't know how to answer it, is it wrong for me to care that he has a family and friends waiting to known if he's okay?' He growled and pulled another stack of files towards him from across the desk. 'Excuse me for not being totally heartless.'

'So you do care about him?'

'I care about you and I know you're good friends with him. I care that Arabai and Kuchiki are worried sick, I care that our old Captain is worried too.'

'So you do care about him?'

'You're impossible.'

'Why is it so difficult to admit?' she smiled across to him, 'you always came across as a bit of an ass to him and I think he just really looked up to you – metaphorically speaking of course.'

'Another height joke, like those never get old.' He rolled his eyes at her and she grinned.

'Stop avoiding the topic of conversation.'

'I'm not avoiding, I'm just not that interested. Kurosaki should look up to me, I'm a Captain.' He knew it sounded big headed saying it but it gave him some kind of satisfaction to watch Rangiku roll her eyes. She was aware she wasn't getting anything from him. Ichigo was a kind soul and everything Toshiro had said had been true, he wasn't sure what else Rangiku wanted from him.

They lapsed back into a silence where Rangiku picked up the file containing her magazine and continued to read and Toshiro continued to stare at the paperwork in front of him. Not really reading it and he realised it was futile attempting to do anything more that day. He glanced towards Hyorinmaru who was leaning against the edge of the desk and was wondering if it were worth going out to train to try and take his mind off things when a black fluttering caught his eye. He turned in the direction of the hell butterfly and frowned. It was rare to see the butterflies since the fall of Central 46. On instinct he held his finger out and as it landed it relayed the message for him. An orange haired soul with immense spiritual pressure had been sighted out in the South Rukon district, the co-ordinates were relayed and Toshiro picked Hyorinmaru up to sling him onto his back.

'Is it Ichigo?' Rangiku asked standing up and he nodded.

'There has been a sighting out in Inuzuri,' he commented.

'Isn't that where Rukia and Renji came from?' she straightened up and followed silently behind him as they left the office.

'I believe so, I think that they too will be sent to try and find him. Anyone who knows him will be instructed to try and bring him here.' They effortlessly fell into pace beside each other as they used shunpo across the buildings. It did not take long before they were joined by others as they neared the gate.

'Rukia! Renji!' Rangiku called happily as the other two seated officers bounded from roof to roof.

'It's about time the bloody bastard showed up,' Renji scoffed and there was the sound of a breath being sucked in through a pair of teeth.

'Renji you can't speak like that in front of a Captain,' Rukia said and Toshiro smiled to himself. At least one of them had proper respect for authority.

'I'm not it's just Toshiro, to hell if he cares.'

Quick mouthed bastard.

'Someday Arabai, I will remind you why I am a Captain. However for just now we have orders to fulfil.' That seemed to stop the majority of conversation though he was still aware of them talking in hushed voices behind his back. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to ignore them, he was used to people doing it to him anyway.

Once they landed in Inuzuri district of Rukon they decided to break off and search alone, the signal being to raise their spiritual pressure if one of them found him. Toshiro stood on a perch as high as he could get, his teal eyes scanning quickly for any sign of a flash of orange. At one point he thought he saw it from the corner of his eye and he burled around – his heart hammering – only to realise it had been Rangiku. The sudden excitement was misplaced and he wasn't even sure where it had come from to begin with. As Rangiku had already mentioned to him, he was hardly that fond of the lanky substitute.

xXxXx

Flashback

xXxXx

'Toshiro won't you take a break and sit with us?' an exasperated sigh came from the couch of his office.

'Captain Hitsugaya,' Toshiro corrected automatically, though at this point it was a redundant statement spoken on pure impulse. He never actually intended for the Strawberry to call him it.

'Won't you take a break and sit with us?' he repeated and Toshiro was sure the boy had rolled his eyes even though he wasn't watching him.

'As a Captain I am far too busy, please proceed with your useless… what did you call it?' he glanced up to lock eyes with the substitute who grinned broadly.

'Banter?'

'Yes that,' Toshiro brought his eyes back down to the page sitting on his desk begging his attention. He signed it off after giving it a through read through and placed it onto a stack to his right, enjoying the short lived silence as it hung over them.

'Captain you really should take a break,' the sound of a magazine being ruffled draw his eyes for a moment and he scowled at his lieutenant.

'Do you ever do any of the work I pay you to do?' he narrowed his eyes at her and she grinned at him.

'Well Captain, as our division gets a lot of its work on the field of the human world, I decided it's my job to keep up to date with everything going on it so when we go we can blend in. Ichigo is helping me with research, besides if I didn't do any research you'd think it was completely appropriate to wear a kilt in Japan.'

Ichigo burst out laughing and Toshiro scowled and felt heat creep up his face as he glared back down at his paper in front of him. The stupid substitute waved his arms wildly in the air as he cackled.

'Wait what?' he asked turning back to Rangiku as Toshiro tried to glare at them from his peripheral vision.

'Yes, Captain Kurotsuchi keeps a lot of human clothing for the gigai to wear when we take our missions down to the human world. If it were not for me he'd have gone down to Karakura Town in a kilt and minion styled childrens t shirt.'

'That's just-' Ichigo was hysterical and Toshiro was gritting his teeth to try and stop his spiritual pressure from freezing them on the spot.

'Don't even get me started on the dungarees fiasco.'

'Did he plan on wearing the kilt traditionally?' Ichigo asked after he had calmed down a little. He seemed a little eager as he asked the question and Toshiro had absolutely no idea what he was referring too. Apparently neither did Rangiku.

'What do you mean?' she asked, leaning forward just as Toshiro glanced back over to them.

'Well,' he was grinning now but thankfully he was looking at Rangiku. 'Normally kilts are worn, with nothing underneath.'

'You mean like-?'

'Commando? Yes,' he laughed and Rangiku giggled girlishly on the couch as they both glanced over at him. He scowled at them. He still had no idea what they were referring too.

'Look you can either explain what you mean or do some damn work,' he snapped at her as she pursed her lips and used a magazine to try and cover the lower part of her face. Her massive baby blue eyes never left his.

'Oh Captain, you're so innocent.'

'What the hell does that mean?' he threw his hands up in the air and huffed in defeat.

'It means you suit that teal scarf Toshiro-' Ichigo started.

'It's Captain Hitsugaya.'

'Did you buy it for him Rangiku?' the strawberry turned back towards her and she grinned.

'Yes I did, I thought it highlighted his eyes.' They both turned to look at him again and Toshiro just ignored them in favour of doing what he was paid to do. Their 'banter' soon drifted off into the background somewhere as he worked and he was beginning to get giddy with the amount of progress he was making when a cup of tea being placed on the desk distracted him. He didn't look at it at first until someone cleared their throat.

'Yes Kurosaki?' he asked, perhaps a little harsher than intended.

'I made you tea,' his voice sounded kind and maybe even a little hopeful?

'So I see.'

'You could at least say thank you,' he sounded deflated and Toshiro sighed loudly not looking at him.

'Thank you.'

Ichigo stood still, his shadow disrupting the ambiance of his desk as Toshiro did his best to ignore him in favour of working. Then there was a small sigh and he moved away, finally allowing a decent amount of light back into his work space and restoring the feng shui of his desk.

xXxXx

End of flashback

xXxXx

Reflecting back on Ichigos numerous visits, Rangiku had been correct in stating that he had never really been warm to the strawberry. Then again Toshiro wasn't a warm person, not to anyone except Rangiku and she knew that. Anytime he was upset it would always be Rangiku he would turn too, he didn't want to bother anyone else and he figured she got paid for not doing anything anyway. Sometimes he didn't understand why certain things affected him. Sometimes she understood more than he did, an example of that was when Momo passed away. Killed by his blade because of Aizen, it had been the first time ever that Toshiro remembered crying. Rangiku hadn't said anything, she just caught him after Aizen was dead and pulled him into her side as he tried to squirm to get away from her. Then he'd felt the tears coming and before he knew it, he'd totally melted down. Only Rangiku ever saw him as anything other than the cold invincible Captain of ice.

His thoughts were getting away with him and he realised he'd actually stopped looking for the young boy they were here to find. He turned his head this way and that again and decided to try his luck down on the ground where he could perhaps speak to people. He chose a spot where he was sure he hadn't seen any of the others pass by.

'Excuse me sir,' he asked an older looking man with a grey beard.

'Oh now, a Captain,' he chuckled, 'what can I do for you?'

'I am looking for a tall, young looking man with bright orange hair and incredible spiritual pressure.' Toshiro quirked a brow at the man, it wasn't a standard thing to be looking for really and recognition dawned on the older mans face.

'Say now, you wouldn't be talking about the guy who blew up my roof would you?' he pointed to the building they were standing out of where a huge hole had been taken out the corner of the building.

'Likely so, yes.'

'Are you here to arrest him? He stole some food and took off, didn't even offer to pay me or anything,' he sighed and Toshiro frowned. He knew how difficult life could be out here.

'Did you see where he went?'

'Yeah he ran down that way towards the big old lake, I'd have run after him only I got my baby inside.' As he said it a tiny girl who looked only a few years old turned her head around the corner to see what was happening.

'Thank you, I am sorry for the inconvenience,' Toshiro pulled money out of his pocket, enough to compensate the man for the food, the roof and a little extra.

'Oh here now, thank you very much! You have a wonderful day now, good luck arresting that hooligan.' He made his way back inside where the young girl was and Toshiro turned on his heel and made his way towards the lake. At least he had spotted something useful while being perched on top of the rooftops. The lake was easy enough to find, the surface scintillated beautifully in the sun and was eye catching enough on its own. Toshiro made his way down, noticing the number of thatched houses around its bank with poorly constructed roofs and partially dressed souls living inside. He squinted his eyes searching for a sign of something orange when he spotted it in the distance lying down in the grass in front of the lake. He quickened his pace, skirting around the edge of the water while he tried to work out what to say.

Being approached by someone you knew after you'd died was a horrible experience. Running up to the strawberry and telling him he had a family and friends and they all knew him would be completely overwhelming, after all when souls came here they usually retained no memories of who they were before except their names. As he drew closer he could clearly make the boy out. He was wearing a set of dark brown rags, a pair of short shorts was a common thing to see and on anyone else they'd have looked normal. As it were, Ichigo was insanely tall and his legs looked even longer than normal cast out naked on the grass and not hidden away in a pair of jeans or a shihakusho. Toshiro noticed that the boy wasn't as 'lanky' as he'd thought, he'd bulked up quite a lot and his legs were rippled with muscles, his bare feet were crossed at the ankles as he lay with his head resting on folded arms.

'Kuorsaki?' Toshiro started, clearing his throat and stopping in the grass a respectable distance away.

'Who's asking?'

'I am Toshiro Hitsugaya of the 13th court guard squad, you're to come with me back to the Seireitei where we'd like to have a conversation with you. Toshiro tried to keep his voice placid of any emotion and at the mention of Toshiros name the strawberry finally opened a large brown eye to gaze at him. There was no sign of recognition dawning on his face which meant that the boy really had truly lost his memories.

'No thanks.'

'It wasn't a request.'

'Well I decline anyway.'

'Please don't make this difficult,' Toshiro sighed as he crossed his arms. 'I'd hate to take you in by force.'

'You?' Ichigo sneered, his eyes opening fully and he sat up laughing, 'you're tiny. You couldn't take me anywhere.'

Toshiro frowned, he wasn't sure if he liked this new version of the boy, he seemed a little too smug and a bit of a pompous asshole. At least before Ichigo may not have called him by his appropriate title but he'd have never doubted his skills just based on height.

'You know, judging a warrior by his height is the fastest way to getting yourself hurt Kurosaki,' Toshiro frowned, 'perhaps you'd like to come with me just now and we can make this less awkward, I'd hate to have to drag you back on a medical stretcher.'

'Oh,' he sneered again and stood up, towering over Toshiro who did not flinch and kept his gaze fixed firmly on the strawberry. 'Just try it short stuff.'

Toshiro brought Hyorinmaru around so fast it would have been a blur to even the most well trained soul reaper. However as this was the famous substitute Ichigo Kurosaki, Hyorinmaru was blocked instantly and expertly by Zangetsu. Shock flashed briefly on Toshiros face, he'd managed to retain his zanpakuto after he died. It made sense, Toshiro considered, though it may have been an unusual case they'd never know considering there was no humans who ever had a zapakuto before. After the blades met Ichigo drove Toshiro back and the Captain leapt gracefully out of the way of his counter. Toshiro had not been aiming to actually hit the substitute, only to scare him and prove he was being serious. Their clashing blades had now drawn the attention of the locals who were chatting excitedly behind Toshiro. The two shinigami now stood facing each other.

'Going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to bring me in,' Ichigo chuckled pointing his blade at Toshiro as the Captain frowned. He really didn't want to fight him, he only wanted him to cooperate. However telling him about his past with so many others around them was not the most sensitive way of delivering the information.

'Please Kurosaki, I don't want to fight you.' Toshiro tried to convey his emotions just through a glance, 'I don't want to hurt you. I only want to talk away from everyone else.'

'I don't care what you have to say,' he snapped back and Toshiro flinched.

'This isn't like you.'

'You speak as if you know me.'

'I do,' he replied and Ichigo froze. Toshiro straightened up and placed Hyorinmaru back on his back. 'I do know you or rather… I did. The Kurosaki I knew was more respectable than this. Does the prospect of knowing about whom you once were not entice you enough to come with me?'

Ichigo stood frozen as he tried to digest his words, his jaw had locked and his dark brown eyes were glancing across Toshiros form when the others arrived. One by one, Toshiro felt them land behind him. They did not speak nor step forward for they could see that Toshiro was handling the situation and he would call upon their help only if he required it.

'You knew me?' he asked, his eyes glancing back to the people standing behind Toshiro.

'We all did,' the Captain replied waving to the people behind him. 'This is not an arrest Kurosaki, we are your friends and colleagues and we came to take you away from here so you can live and train with us where you can see your family again.'

Once again the strawberry continued to stare at them, as if trying to understand what he was saying was true. He regarded him fully and Toshiro felt self conscious under his gaze, he'd never felt scrutinized by the substitute before and yet here he was standing up a little straighter because of the way the strawberry's eyes glanced over him. He fixed his face with his best 'no nonsense' look that he usually gave to Rangiku when another voice piped in.

'Please Ichigo, we want you to come back with us.' It was Rukia and his eyes now flew to her as he regarded her. Toshiro felt himself relax internally as Zangetsu was slowly lowered. Though he hadn't actually thought that Ichigo would attack, it made him nervous to have such a powerful zanpakuto pointed at him, especially when its wielder was just as fast and as strong as a Captain, perhaps even more so.

'I'll make you a deal,' Ichigo finally slung the zanpakuto around and placed it back on his back. Toshiro had to wonder where he'd been keeping it while lying on the grass. 'I'll come with you all,' he was smirking now and Toshiro narrowed his eyes at him, not quite sure where this was going. 'If you… catch me.' He bolted off, so fast he must have been using shunpo. Toshiro took a moment to let his mouth fall comically open as he stared at the spot where the strawberry had just disappeared between two buildings. It seemed they were all completely in shock as Toshiro turned to face them all - scowl in place.

'Err, Captain?' Rangiku asked and his scowl deepened.

'After him, take him by force if you have to.' As soon as he'd said it they all took off in different directions, Toshiro gave them a few moments before joining in this ludicrous game. He didn't have time for this crap. He had far too much paperwork sitting back at his desk to do. If the strawberry didn't want to come back why on earth should they go out of their way to force him? This was incredibly childish but it didn't seem like the lieutenants agreed. Actually once Toshiro passed Renji and Rukia the two seemed to be laughing and having fun, which just made Toshiro scowl more. This was ridiculous. He bounded from roof to roof, following the tuft of orange hair that was bobbing in and out the allies of the buildings. He could have at least covered his hair to try and make this a harder game and as they were all travelling from the rooftops it was making it almost too easy to catch up on the boy. He really had no idea who he was messing with. There was a strong urge to call fourth Hyorinmaru to cage Ichigo in a wall of ice and shut the damn asshole up but alas he was worried about how many buildings he'd ruin in the process. He'd only brought so much money with him to properly compensate people for damages. After a few more minutes of giving chase, Toshiro started to get royally pissed off. He flushed his shunpo with his spiritual pressure in a final bound and crashed down onto the strawberrys back from behind. With a yelp he fell harshly against the dirt ridden floor before being promptly turned and pinned by Toshiro. Hyorinmaru was placed directly at his throat and he glared into those dark brown eyes.

'I am not here to play your childish games Kurosaki,' he snapped, 'you can either come back with me or I can end your life and have you sent to be reborn in the world of the living right now.' He pressed his blade further into Ichigos neck and watched those large brown eyes widen in fear. 'Which would you like it to be?'

'Fine, okay, alright!' his voice had risen a few octaves and it was clear he was scared, 'I'll come with you. Sheesh, you need to liven up a little Toshiro.'

'It's Captain Hitsugaya,' he snapped at him. His legs on either side of the younger boys body as he kept him firmly in place on the mudded floor.

'Alright, sorry Captain,' his eyes went wide and he held up his hands in a sign of defeat. 'Let me go?'

Toshiro pushed himself up off the boy and watched as he scrambled to his feet. The lieutenants were watching from the rooftops as Toshiro kept Hyorinmaru pointing directly at the ex substitute.

'I'll lead the way back,' Rangiku spoke up, she looked a little amused but said nothing more as Ichigo followed behind them across the rooftops back in the direction of Seireitei.

'Hey,' Ichigo said and Toshiro glanced up to see that the boy was trying to get Rangikus attention. His busty blond lieutenant turned back towards him, one of her charming grins in place on her face. 'You have the same hair colour as me.'

'Yeah I do,' she chuckled, 'you're very observant.'

'No one else around here has it, that's pretty cool. Hey did we know each other?' he continued.

'Yes we did, we were really good friends Ichigo,' her smile faltered a little before sliding off her face. It must have been difficult for your friend to forget who you were.

'How good?' he asked and Toshiro frowned. He didn't like the way that Ichigo had worded that question.

'We were fairly close,' she chuckled back and Toshiro narrowed his eyes at her.

'Did I ever kiss you?' he asked and Toshiro almost slipped on a tile as they leapt to another roof.

'No, you didn't.' She seemed a little amused now and a silence that followed these words. From Toshiros peripheral vision he could see Rukia and Renji exchange glances to each other.

'That's a pity,' he sighed back eventually, 'I should have. You are really attractive.' Toshiros mouth fell open and he scowled again. He felt a horrible feeling bubbling in his chest. No one spoke to Rangiku like that and he certainly didn't want this stupid strawberry thinking it was in anyway appropriate.

'Kurosaki if you know your place you will not hit on my lieutenant.' He hissed and he heard Rangiku chuckle as she turned to focus back on their journey.

'Oh sorry Captain, did you call dibs?' he asked turning his head back around to smirk at him. 'I'd have thought you were a little short for her.'

'If I cut you at your knees you'll be my height and we'll see what you think about it then shall we?' he snapped back and watched the amusement flash across Ichigos stupid face.

'Don't flirt with your lieutenant, got it.'

They continued travelling in relative silence for a while longer after this exchange, everyone else seemed amused. Toshiro was still seething and tossing glares at the back of the smug gits stupid head of short ginger spikes. Toshiro found if he ground his teeth it stopped him from saying anything he may otherwise regret but he wasn't sure how effective it would be if Ichigo made another move on Rangiku.

'Where will I be staying?' Ichigo asked after a while.

'Well I'll ask my brother,' Rukia said and then she hesitated, 'but I don't think he'll like you staying with us. He has such respect for you Ichigo but you piss him off.'

'I do?' he asked, his voice amused again as he turned to Rukia. 'How so?'

'Your blatant lack of respect for Captains,' Toshiro hissed, drawing his attention.

'What? Am I meant to bow when I see you or something?'

'Yes.'

'That won't happen,' he threw back his head and laughed that stupid condescending laugh of his.

'That rules me out too,' Renji stated with a sigh, 'since I stay in the barracks of the same squad.'

'He could stay with us, right Captain?' Rangiku said and Ichigo turned to him with large hopeful eyes.

'Absolutely not.'

'Why not?' she sounded abashed as she turned back to pout at him.

'You hardly get any work done when he isn't here, let alone when he used to visit. We won't be housing him in our quarters.'

'We could just put him in the barracks with the other officers and make him do work? No point in sending him to the academy.'

'He still has a lot he could actually learn by attending, including kido.' Toshiro pointed out and Rangiku frowned.

'Now those kids don't even have a zanpakuto yet, at least half of them anyway. He has bankai, you'd be putting the lives of a lot of students at risk just because you were worried about us talking too much. What if I promised to only see him after working hours?' she asked and Ichigo grinned in a way that made Toshiro hate that idea even more.

'It would be good for him Captain,' Rukia said and Toshiro turned to stare at her. 'For him to stay with people who know him well, since he cannot stay with us you and Rangiku were the other closest people he had.'

'I was never close to him,' Toshiro scowled and turned back to see Ichigo looking away quickly. 'Though you're right,' he sighed after a while. 'No distracting my lieutenant Kurosaki you hear?' he snapped at the boys back and frowned to himself. He could find enough training work for him to do to ensure he was kept busy.

The group eventually made it back into the Seireitei where Ichigo gazed around him in wonder. They paused just beyond the gate for Renji and Rukia to break away and report back to Byakuya who had asked for a personal report. Once she reported there she was going to head back to her squad to speak to a very sick Captain Ukitake and let him know that Ichigo had been found safely. No doubt Ichigo would have a lot of visitors while he was here.

'So I'm coming with you?' Ichigo asked with a smile towards them and Toshiro sighed.

'Yes it would seem so,' he knew that Head Captain Kyoraku would agree with this arrangement and actually if Toshiro hadn't suggested it he was sure that the Head Captain himself would have. So there was no point in denying the fact that they now had a new member of squad 10.

'I can teach him Kido,' Rangiku squealed and Toshiro scowled.

'No, I think it best he gets those lessons from Rukia, she's much better at it than you are.' He frowned and she scowled at him.

'Are you going to let us spend any time together Captain?'

'Maybe, if you get all your work done Matsumoto, then you two could spend some time together.' Though he wasn't thrilled at the prospect he could always use with a carrot to dangle in front of her to make her do her work, or rather – a strawberry.

'Alright, that seems fair,' she grinned a little and he didn't like the sparkle in her eye.

'He's staying in the barracks with everyone else though,' he said eventually. The barracks were away from the living quarters of the seated officers of a division and it meant he'd be able to monitor the amount of contact the two had.

'That's fine, but shouldn't we fill him in?' Rangiku asked and Toshiro checked a clock on one of the side of the buildings. He had loads of paperwork he had hoped to have done by now.

'I tell you what, you take him away to get a uniform and a decent meal and fill him in on everything you remember of him and his life and I'll meet you back in the office in no less than three hours. Understand?'

Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

'Perfectly.'

Somehow he wasn't convinced.

XxXxX

My updates for this one might not be as regular as other fics, I'm going to try and space my uploads more since I'm now writing 3 fics and living a life haha. Either way please review and let me know that you're following it. It would make me happy and a review is free, you don't even need an account.

Thanks guys!