A/N: This is an idea I had after writing "The promise". It takes place about 10 years after Jushiro's wedding to Ryo. If you haven't read the story, I highly recommend you do. Not only am I extremely proud of my first fanfiction, but I have been told it's highly entertaining. Maya is the daughter of Jushiro and Ryo, and one of my few O.C. Actually, I think she was the only one, with the exception of old man Natsume. In case you are cringing, thinking of all the Mary-sue-ish stories out there, I promise you this will not be in the least Marysue-ish. At least, I'll try. She's a character I've developed with care, and is quite quirky in her own way. You probably won't HAVE to read the story leading up to this, but I highly recommend it. I'd like to thank Amber, Josey, Starlight, Fry-dei-luv, and Melina amongst many others who have given me some ideas, and some input into what they would like to see! Also, I'd like to thank all of you who have chosen to read "the Promise", even if you didn't have a chance to leave reviews and what not. Your patronage is valued nonetheless, and I thank all of you for stopping by !

Cheers,

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo, here's to hoping this story will interest you enough to lend me bleach for the weekend! As always, until you give in, Bleach is yours, and Maya is mine.

Interrupted Paperwork

"Byakuyaaaaaaaaaaa!" Maya yelled excitedly, coming in through the window.

"It's captain Kuchiki, Ukitake-san. I thought I made that clear to you." Byakuya answered calmly, not bothering to look up from the papers he was revising in his desk, although a slight twitch in his eye betrayed the calmness he feigned.

"Oh, Byakuya, don't be such a spoilsport. I've known you since forever!" she exclaimed happily, coming closer to sit on top of his desk cross-legged, giving him her most charming smile.

"You haven't lived long enough to claim to know me that long, ma'am." he told her coldly, finally looking up to meet her eyes. He cast her a disapproving glance at the sight of her sitting on his desk, but continued speaking calmly nonetheless,"Now, what can I do for you today?" he asked, going back to look over the paperwork in his hands.

"Oh. Nothing much... I was just...passing by." she told him with a smile, grabbing the paper in his hands to look it over herself. Another twitch appeared in the corner of one eye, but he merely sighed and looked at her, not for once betraying how much the young woman disturbed him.

"Is this something to do with the SWA? I thought I made it clear to you ..."ladies"...that I have no wish to further involve myself in your "business"" he continued calmly, taking the paper from her hands, and placing it aside, far enough away from her to reach. He gave her another one of his cold, forbidding looks, hoping it would be enough to send her on her way. Unfortunately she seemed just as immune as the devil Yachiru to his frosty demeanor, continuing on as if he hadn't just tried to kill her with his stare.

"Why do you always think the worst of us, Bya-chan?" she asked sweetly, giving him a lopsided smile."I'd never, ever, ever, eveeeer..." one of his eyebrows came up, a sure sign that his patience was at a breaking point."Ever, do something to harm you. Intentionally. The whole incident with the swans and that chocolate cake...that was an accident, you know." she told him, waving her arms wildly to signify how much in the past the whole thing was, discounting it as nonsense.

"Don't remind me." he said firmly, not wishing to remember again that horrible event. He still could not stand the sight of chocolate to this day. And swans made him sneeze uncontrollably since that day. Even pictures of swans.

She frowned becomingly, pouting prettily at him, "Don't tell me you're still angry about the fireworks? How were we supposed to know they would go off prematurely?" she whined, as if completely justified in her actions. He could swear the hairs in his arms were standing up, a slight tremor coursing through his body at the memory.

"You stored them by the fireplace. In the room next to my sleeping quarters." he said slowly, hoping to keep his sanity long enough as to not strangle the menace in front of him.

"Oh,"she said weakly, a small frown marring her features,"I guess we should have thought about that. Still, it's not like you got hurt, or anything. Sorry they woke you up in the middle of the night. We were planning a surprise for you... and I guess it was a surprise in a way, right?" she said with an awkward chuckle, wincing.

"Three rooms were burnt down before we managed to control the fire. Including my room." he answered frostily.

"Oh, but you're so rich, you barely noticed." she said with a wink, as if she had merely broken a china piece, not managed to burn down half a building.

He sighed, at a loss on how to explain the severity of her actions to the clueless girl. He gave up, not wanting to waste precious time, or his breath on the lunatic standing in front of him. " I see no reason to continue this conversation. What reason do you have for coming here today, Maya-san?" he asked a bit impatiently, knowing he would not get rid of her unless she finished her business with him. Unlike Yachiru, she could not be distracted anymore with candy, ever since her 18th birthday anyway. Nowdays, the only way to get rid of the young woman was to deal immediately with the problem at hand, and solve it as swiftly as possible. He had learned it the hard way, having to put up with her antics for years now, ever since she took a liking to him when she arrived in Sereitei to join the thirteenth squad. Why, he had no idea. He always made sure to treat her as coldly as possible, and spend as little time as he could in her presence.

"Uhm... well..." she mumbled slowly, dragging the words, twiddling her thumbs in a un-Maya-like bout of shyness.

He lifted one eyebrow in her direction, losing his tenuous hold on his patience."I'm a busy man, Maya-san. If you have nothing else to say, please, allow me to go back to my duties." he said firmly, shooing her with one hand before going back to the massive pile of paperwork that awaited him.

"I need a date!" she said loudly, in a rush.

"Excuse-me?"

"Uhm...I need a date for the first annual SWA ball. And all the other guys are taken, or are too scared of my dad to ask me out." she explained weakly, not meeting his eyes.

"I don't see why. Captain Ukitake is a perfectly reasonable man." he said a bit more calmly, now that the reason behind her visit was explained.

"Not when it comes to me, he's not." he pouted, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"I see. So, how can I help you find a date?" he asked. Maybe he could convince one of his officers to take her out, if he offered enough money. Although, to go out with Maya, a bit more than money would be necessary. Maybe a promotion, and some vacation time, he contemplated. Although the girl was breathtaking, most men gave her a wide berth, not only because of her father, but because she was a handful.

"Well, I was hoping...you would consent to be my date." she asked him shyly, giving him a sweet smile, blinking her eyes at him.

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"If you would just-" she tried again, only to be cut off.

"No."

"Now that I-" she started.

"Look up the definition of the word in the dictionary, Maya-san. It will clarify the meaning of the word for you." he said slowly, annoyed but trying to maintain a level-headed facade.

"But I can pay you!" she shouted, pleading.

"I do not...accept...compensation for services rendered. And it's out of the question." he said brusquely, offended she would even think to offer monetary compensation in return for a date. As if he would lower himself to such extremes.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaa..." she whined.

He snapped, bringing his pen down to slam against the table."Maya-san, if there's nothing else I can do for you today?" he asked testily, needing to get rid of the girl before he committed some unpardonable sin, such as pulling his zanpaktou on her.

"Can you at least hear me out before throwing me out?" she pleaded, giving him another one of her pretty pouts.

"What could you possibly offer that I cannot purchase on my own? You overestimate your abilities. Please leave." he said dismissively, hoping it would be enough to send her on her way. It had the opposite effect, her face brightening up, a scary sight to Byakuya, who was clearly hoping this would have been the end of his torture at the hands of the unbalanced creature.

"What if I told you I could get the SWA to leave you alone...?" she offered slyly, a "cat that ate the canary" smile coming to illuminate her pretty features.

He paused."...I'm listening."

End of chapter one. Oh, this will be a challenge for me. Not only is Byakuya a hard one to read, he's also a brat at times. I hope I can somehow keep this story going. Lemme know what you guys think. All feedback is good feedback, even if it is constructive criticism. So leave a message, and let me know what you think of this idea!