AN: Haayyyyy guysssss. I'm back. Sorry it took so long to write up something. I had another story in mind over a month ago (I'll be uploaded that one later) and I just never got around to writing it. So I wrote it at work. But then I got to thinking because Hitsugaya/Rukia isn't canon... But what if it was...? Could it work? The answer is no. These two have SO LITTLE interaction that it wouldn't happen. But I wanted to do something with it, a twist to make it stop it from happening. So this story came to mind. I wrote it down and I totally did not have fun typing up 10 pages later.

This is during the time of Rukia's trial/execution. From the point that Aizen was killed until Rukia was moved into the white tower (which the name of the place escapes me). While I was writing this, I wasn't sure if Rukia was MOVED to the tower by this point, but I know it happens, so it may be tweeked or not. The only think that's not canon about this story is the conversation between Rukia and Toushiro, the conversation between Rukia and Hinamori, and the ending.

I wanted to do something canon. And it's hard with this pairing. It's a baww story (the next one I upload won't be, I promi-- okay it's a little baw in the beginning, but it's all smiles by the end). But I do hope you'll enjoy it. Happy reading.

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Aizen.

That man.

He was dead.

Pinned to a wall with a zanpaktou. He had to be at least fifty feet in the air. A trail of blood left its mark on the side of the building. He was killed that night and discovered on the morning that followed.

"No! Aizen-taichou!"

A high-pitched scream filled the quarters. Her eyes gazed up to her past captain. Shinigami of all types gathered around to call attention to the vice-captain. She said nothing as her tears fell. All the others had to do was follow her gaze, up, and follow the red stained road.

Now others were crowding around the scene and by this point, most of the Gotei were present. All were in shock and couldn't say anything to comfort the vice captain of Aizen Sousuke.

Momo Hinamori.

Some of the shinigami tried to calm her down but their efforts were to no avail. But a single captain was about to turn her shock and sadness into anger.

"Oh? What happened here?"

Ichimaru Gin. He kept that fox faced grin on his face even though the scene didn't call for it.

"Was it you?!"

Hinamori unsheathed her sword and charged towards the captain. He didn't move from his position but kept that smile plastered on his face.

Metal clashed with metal as the young girl blinked. A blond was now blocking her path, also her sword.

"Kira-kun. Why?"
"I am the vice captain of the third division. Do I need a reason to block the path of someone who points their sword at my captain?"

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"Hitsugaya-tacihou."

"Kuchiki-san. I won't let them do this to you."

"I broke the law. I transferred my powers, without authorization no less. This is a deserving punishment and I have no regrets."
"But death Kuchiki-san!? Not only that, but the execution date has been pushed closer. And your brother, Kuchiki-taichou…"

Rukia sat in a simple room with a small chair, behind closed bars. The white hair captain approached her. All he could ever do was watch her. He could never get close to her. But the male who was the root of the whole entire problem did so without an issue.

Kurosaki Ichigo.

Toushiro had always kept his eyes on her. But be damned If he was going to stand by and watch her be killed.

"Hitsugaya-taichou… it's all right."

How he worried about her was endearing and she appreciated that. She wanted to get closer to him, but she saw that Hinamori, his childhood friend, was the only one who could be that close to him. Against her, Rukia didn't stand a chance.

"Damned if it is!"

His green eyes burned with anger and desire for her. She got from the chair she was sitting in and moved closed to the bars that separated the two of them. She reached out and placed a single hand on his check and caressed it with her thumb. He could only respond by doing the same and placing his own hand on the back of hers.

"Hitsugaya-taichou."

A shinigami from his squad approached him and whispered for a few moments into his ear. The boy's eyes widened as he nodded his head.

"I have to go. I'll be back."

She nodded as their grips on each other were released. As Hitsugaya sprinted out of the room, the guard moved toward her.

"Did something happen?"
"Aizen Sousuke has been reported dead."

Rukia stood in silence. She was shocked but also knew he was running to her; the girl that stood in her way.

_____

"Move."
"No."
"Do you not understand what the word 'move' means?"
"Do you not understand that the word, 'no' means?"

Hinamori's zanpaktou clashed with Kira's in battle. Before the battle could escalate to a point of no return, a sword was blocked by another and one was stepped on to place the tip firmly to the ground.

"Neither of you move."
"Hitsugaya-kun…"

He knew that Momo should have known better. Even through Kira was in the right for protecting his captain, fighting was still prohibited.

"Take them both away."

Near by shinigami did as the young captain ordered. He caught a glimpse of Gin and saw that fox grin on his face.

"Ichimaru. If you spill even a drop of Hinamori's blood, I'll kill you."
"Oh. How scary~"

The investigation took days. From finding evidence, to cleaning Aizen's quarters, to just about everything else, dragged on. Days upon days of work. The small captain came across a letter.

'To Hinamori-kun'

A letter for her. Considering the nature of the situation, it would be natural to submit the letter for evidence purposes.

"Matsumoto."
"Yes, taichou?"
"See to it that this letter gets to Hinamori."
"But shouldn't it be—"

"Matsumoto." Again, but with a hard voice.
"Understood."

She came to her in the nighttime. Hinamori was looking up at the moon as she sense another presence in the room. She drifted her gaze from the window to the door as the figure walked closed.

"Rangiku-san. What is it?"
"Here."

She handed over the letter.

"What is this?"
"A letter from Aizen. My taichou found it. If it were anyone else, they would have submitted it to the investigation. If it were a dying wish, I would want to know the last words of my captain."
"Thank you… Rangiku-san."

Once the older woman left the room, Hinamori opened the letter. She read its contents carefully. She found out that her captain knew death was upon him. He questioned the timing and events concerning Rukia's execution. He asked a lot of questions. Why? Why was this happening? Why was Rukia's date moved to an earlier day? Why? He answered all these questions. But who was behind all this. Who was behind his death and soon to be the one of Rukia's?

"…the culprit's name is…"

She couldn't believe it. Maybe this was some sort of mistake. But this was her captain's handwriting. No one could duplicate it. She immediately crumpled the paper in her hand out of rage. If she couldn't find a way out of the jail cell, she would one.

Under the same moon, Rukia bathe in its light. She would be moved to the white tower tomorrow, closed off from everyone and everything. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the grunts from the guards outside. Suddenly, the door swung open and a girl rushed in.

"Hinamori-san?"
"Kuchiki-san."

She was out of breath. She made her way closer to Rukia.

"What is it that you have come at this time in the night?"
"I—I know that Shiro-san is important to you. I've seen you two together. I've watched both of you…"

What? Why was she hearing this from the girl that seemingly stood in her way of reaching Hitsugaya Toushiro? She… Hinamori was stalking them?

"…but there's something you need to know…"

Hinamori handed over the letter to Rukia. She straightened out the letter and began to read its contents. But when she got to the end, Rukia froze.

"What… What is this? Is this some sort of joke…?"

Hitsugaya Toushiro.

The culprit behind it all. Aizen's death. The true name of her murderer.

"But I—we…"
"Kuchiki-san…"
"How could this happen? I thought—I believed—"
"I'm sorry."

That's all Hinamori could manage to say before leaving the room. Rukia stood there, in shock, still muttering to herself.

Morning came and Rukia was to be move from her jail cell to the white tower. Before leaving, she beckoned one of the guards to come closer. She said a couple of words to him and he nodded in acknowledgement. She looked back at the room that once confined her and whispered a goodbye.

Hitsugaya, after another day filled with paperwork left behind Matsumoto and a hangover, decided to take a break. He made his way over to the prison area in Soul Society. One of the guards stopped him.

"I came to see Kuchiki Rukia. Is that a problem?"
"She's not here anymore."
"What?"
"She was moved to the tower a few hours ago."
"She—Allow me inside."

He entered the cell that was previously inhabited by her. The room felt cold… colder than usual. One of the guards approached him.

"She left me with a message."
"Oh?"
"She said, 'Tell him I wish not to see him anymore.'"

He froze and his eyes grew big. Why? Why would she say something like that? Silence filled the room as his ears heard a resounding echo. No one else could hear it, except him.

"Goodbye Hitsugaya Toushiro. My murderer."