AN: I really did post it after all. I had hoped to upload this one when I'm through with my first two but I guess there is no helping it. I will have to update interchangeably after all. But I will finish everything.

So this here is the last installment for the Hero trilogy and before we go with the prologue, I'd like to provide short summaries for the three just in case one is interested to read the others.

First: Jaded soldier

Running away from the scandal which almost ruined her career, Neliel decided to accept Hinamori's request that she unwind in Momo's resort at the countryside where she met a roguish blue-haired man who saved her from a group of men. They always were on each other's throat from the moment they were introduced. Later she found out, he was a man of deep scars, his only mode of coping was through his constant companion – alcohol. Neliel, despite the man's gruff attitude, fell in love with him. But can she risk her career over a jaded soldier who doesn't even want to face his own demons?

Second: Abandoned Bride

Left at the altar with no groom, Kuchiki Rukia fled from the city out of humiliation and shame and decided to accept her friend's (Momo) offer to spend some time in the resort. Her first meeting with a gorgeous green-eyed man made her vacation interesting but there she learned he hated her kind.

But what lies behind those cold green eyes? As she started to know him better, she found out that they have something in common – they knew the pain and shame of being left at the altar. And what else is hidden behind those eyes? What are the scars hidden deeply inside his soul?

Third: Waiting Place

When they first met, these were his words to a lovestruck Hinamori: Do not fall in love with me, I always say goodbye…

Yet she did despite the warning. She never thought though that even after him falling in love with her, the warning would hold true…

Two years ago, Momo Hinamori lost her fiancé when his plane was shot down during the war. It was hard but she moved on and was starting to plan settling down with Abarai Renji. However, a man thought to be dead for two years later on came back – a month before her planned wedding. With past and present love, what will Momo do without having to hurt any of them?

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

2 years ago…

The resort was a peaceful place for someone like Hinamori Momo who owned said place. She was a girl from the city but decided to put up a business at the country side, wanting to offer a place to customers where they get to feel the serenity of the place and at the same time enjoying the wide scenery that seemed to embrace them at every angle. A small smile tugged at her lips as she remembered another particular reason, a more important one why she chose this place. This was where she met Hitsugaya Toshirou who lived in the country side with his other friends. Momo happened to drop by this place once when she was scouting for a possible talent.

Perhaps it was love at first sight for her. Momo does not know. But she sure knew that she had loved him the moment she set her eyes on him. Call her a romantic fool but that was how she was – one reason why her two friends would mostly chide her for it. She would usually meet him here, along the beach as he would casually walk around at dawn. The place became their meeting place where one would usually wait for the other and thus, she termed it on her own, the Waiting place.

She was twenty three years old then and she became his girl for three years. Within those three years, she later learned that he is a Lieutenant Colonel serving in the army and that is why he seldom comes home as he was sent to war from time to time. But Momo did not mind. As long as he would come back home after every mission, she was happy with that.

And he called earlier that he would come home after the war in the East. And since he could not wait any longer, he proposed to her through the phone which she gladly accepted with tears in her eyes. And he promised he will come home with her ring.

.

.

.

"Shit!" the white-haired cursed as he tried to control his plane after being shot down. Checking on its status, he cursed even more. Of all the bloody times that bad luck has to accompany him, it had to be now. He needed support here. He would have called his friends but he knew that Grimmjaw is on another area as well as Ulquiorra, both involved in the battle below while he was ordered for the aerial fight. Reaching for the communication device, he sent a distress call. "Mayday! Mayday! This is Lieutenant Colonel Hitsugaya – " he winced. The tail of the aircraft had been shot. Reaching for the emergency button, he was to press it when his eyes widened at another rocket towards him. "Damn!"

From the signal room, the receiving officer tensed when the communication was cut off and all he could hear was a buzzing sound. "Lieutenant Colonel! Do you read me? Your location, I need to know your exact location for reinforcement!"

He knew it was impossible but the officer had still hoped to receive a feedback. When no words came for the next five minutes, he sighed in regret and sent messages to other receiving officers. "Lieutenant Colonel Hitsugaya had resigned! I repeat, the lieutenant colonel had resigned! We need your report on your current status now, officers," he reported through wire.

This was war. Yet even knowing that, every soldier who received the report felt bad about it. Losing one comrade is painful enough, what more if you lost one of the leaders who was steadfast on battle? Loss of lives is the price of war yet even with that knowledge, the soldiers who continued fighting felt the emptiness within them. Another comrade fell down. Everywhere you look, there is always a body of one comrade on the ground beside the body of the enemy…

Toshirou's last thought were all about her and the words he told her when they first met. Trust me, I always say goodbye.

.

.

.

"Come on, Nel…you and Rukia never came here yet. I guarantee you, the place is awesome," Momo was saying while driving towards the airport. Many families would be there to greet the soldiers back. And Momo would be there to greet her lover and his friends back.

"My schedule is tight, Momo so I am really sorry. Just drop by my place when you happen to come at the city," Neliel apologized. The green-haired was a supermodel for a prestigious company where Momo used to work to. After meeting Toshirou, hinamori decided to stay at his place and put up a good business there.

"Gee."

"Say, where are you anyway?"

"I'm driving towards the airport. My fiancé is coming home as scheduled. You should meet him Nel. He's real awesome, handsome and cool. Rukia too should she come back from Europe," she suggested. Due to their conflicting schedules, Momo had never introduced Toshirou to any of her friends yet and was hoping she could do now. But she did show some pictures of him and both her friends agreed that he indeed looked good and is probably suited for Momo's taste.

Nel chuckled from the end of the line. "Of course he is handsome. You showed us his picture remember? How about you ask him if he has a brother?" she teased lightly which made Momo chuckle as well. Neliel was not really in any kind of relationship – well, if she was into it anyway, it does not last long enough. One reason would be boys just using her fame to get something. For those who truly loved her, they just thought the pressure from her career and fame was too much to handle and decided to end things. That's just how unlucky Nel is when it came to men. Well, on the good note, Nel seemed okay with it. She was more focused on her career anyway.

"Sorry but Shiro-chan is the only child," she said and remembered something. "But he has some great friends. I can guarantee you, you might like one of them if you're interested."

"No thanks," Nel said hastily. "I was just kidding Mo."

Momo giggled as she pulled over. She could see many families waiting for the return of the soldiers. From the news reported, the recon mission was successful albeit some casualties. However, compared to previous fights, the number of deaths from the military side had decreased. "I know," she said and stepped down. "Hey Nel, I will call you again okay? I'm here already."

"Yeah sure. Take care."

Momo smiled widely as she spotted one family and she approached them silently. "Pleasant day, Dr. Kurosaki."

The man turned and his lips split into grin. Momo knew them as Shiro's neighbor in the country side. And she also happened to meet his son who was also at the army and is good friends with Toshirou. "Why, if it ain't the lovely lady. Pleasant day indeed Hinamori."

"They're finally coming home eh?" she commented, trying to sound casual about it but her voice failed her and the doctor noted her excitement.

"You must be excited to see your man again."

"I am Doctor," she confirmed with a small smile. They did not get to talk again when finally the plane opened and one by one, the remaining soldiers all but stepped down from it. She could hear some wailings from a little distance as they mourned for their loss and Momo could understand. These people fought for the government and one death is just a painful blow. Her eyes widened when two unknown soldiers carried a casket towards the Kurosaki family and she could also see the look of shock from the family's faces as they stared at the casket now laid in front of them.

"W-What?" Karin stammered.

The soldiers saluted in front of the family. "He was a great soldier, sir," one spoke to the doctor.

"H-How come?" Yuzu cried out. "There was never a news that said my brother was – "

"We apologize ma'am but it was upon the general's order that the names of those who died be withheld from the media and we personally deliver you the message."

Momo blinked as she listened. But she could feel the sudden cold at the pit of her stomach. Immediately she glanced at the plane as she spotted a tinge of blue and Grimmjaw stepped down with a stern face and he was clad in his uniform like the others. She sighed in relief. If Grimmjaw is fine, then so must be the others. But the look of hope from her eyes slowly vanished when she saw his one hand, carrying something behind his back.

A casket.

"G-Grimmjaw?" she whispered against herself, not even wanting to acknowledge that one of them would be gone. Then as she waited in agony, Ulquiorra was next who stepped down and gave Momo a curt nod. The two stood alongside each other, the thing separating them would be the casket. When they gave Momo a defeated look, the woman immediately broke into tears as they finally approached her.

"N-No…i-it can't be," she whispered to them and stared at the casket. "U-Ulquiorra, it's a lie…right?" she asked desperately. Said guy closed his eyes.

The small action was enough to make Hinamori cry even more as she finally held the casket and broke down, her shoulders shaking terribly in agonizing pain. Just a moment ago, she was telling her friend he is coming home…

"No…" she continued crying, her whole body now trembling. "Shiro…" she looked at his two friends and both could see he is on the verge of going hysteric. "Shiro…he…he called…this is a lie…he said…" she couldn't find the right words to say. She simply broke down while cursing the words he had left on their first meeting. Do not fall in love with me. Trust me, I always say goodbye.

Grimmjaw had to look away for a moment before bringing out something. A small velvet box. "He left that at the office before we all went for the recon…his plane was shot down even before he could escape. We…are sorry ma'am," he used the title as a sign of respect to the bereaved woman. "We couldn't find his body but we found his helmet floating at the ocean."

The sight of the box even made it even more painful…

In the last mission, her Shiro-chan did not come home…alive.

The two friends gave their salute before they carried the casket to align it with the others. There would be a single ceremony to honor all those who died in the recon war in the East. Kurosaki isshin felt sorry for the woman when he saw the casket a while ago…even her…she also lost someone important in that war.

But if there would be those who would hurt the most, it would be the other two left. From the looks of it, this was the only time they have come home with that expression – the face of a defeated….despite saving the East from further bloodshed and despite being declared as heroes of the battle, the two felt nothing but emptiness. There are more reasons to that that the media would never know.

"I heard it was supposed to be just a recon but something happened in there that caused the war with the rebels break," they were starting to hear some murmurs from spectators who only came to see the arrival of the armies. Isshin overheard and he knew something that instant…

Kurosaki isshin knew that the two left were changed by their latest battle. They came back changed.

And the woman left behind was still crying in shock and devastation, her mind not registering anything yet except the news that Shiro died….