Second chapter!! YAY!!! And thank you to those who reviewed and those who favorited this story!!!

Not thinking

'A small, white-haired boy chased after a young girl with long brown hair in a braid down her back. The pink kimono she had on was torn, and her knee was bloody, but still she ran on, laughing as the boy screamed threats at her back. His dark grey kimono was soaking wet, and droplets of water added to her trail of blood.....The two children sat on a porch, watching as an older girl in an academy uniform walked up the road smiling at them, a watermelon in her hands......This time, they were sitting in a tree, watching the sunset, smiles on their faces...'

Flashback after flashback ran through Akane's mind, as the soutaicho informed the rest of the taicho's about her current situation. She sneaked a glance at the boy she had grown up with...well, man now. He had gotten taller, and his hair was spikier than before. And his eyes....the deep turquoise eyes that had before displayed so many emotions...anger, frustration, even on occasion worry....now reflected nothing but coldness. His face was pulled down as if in a permanent frown, and his brow was knitted together in confusion. Akane could only imagine what was going through his mind right now. For her to arrive, today of all days! And what the soutaicho was going to say next wasn't going to help the situation.

"Seeing as how Hanako hasn't been in Seiretei for some time, I feel it would be unwise to place her in a captain's position, despite the fact that we have three spaces. If, in time, she has proven worthy, the postition will be granted to her, following the required test, of course...",

'Fat chance', scoffed Akane, 'Once this thing is over, I'm outta here. No need to stay where I'm not wanted,...anymore than I'm gonna have to.' At this, she winced slightly.

"...but, for now, she will be taking the position of third seat of the tenth squad. I understand the current third seat is in recovery at the fourth squad at the moment.", finished the soutaicho. Everyone looked at him like he was crazy, (except of course for Byakuya, who has proven emotionless). Hitsugaya finally looked up, his eyes opened wide in shock. Akane gave a small sigh.

'I knew this would happen. I warned him. Placing me in Tenth squad is a REALLY bad in Soul Society was that old man thinking?!'

'He wasn't', replied a small voice in her head.

"That concludes this meeting. Dismissed", said Yamamoto. Everyone stared, before they slowly began to move towards the door. Akane strode swiftly to the doors. However, she paused before the threshold, and turned to Hitsugaya.

"You've grown", she stated softly, before turning and shunpoing out into the sunshine.

"This brings back memories", said Akane, pausing slightly before the Tenth squad office door. It was silent on the other side. Akane grinned at what she knew she would find, and sure enough, as she slid open the door, she saw several sake bottles on the floor, and a sleeping Matsumoto on the couch. Giggling softly, Akane tiptoed to the side of the couch and, bending low, whispered into Matsumoto's ear, "Ran-chan..."

Matsumoto sat up with a bolt and turned to Akane.

"A...Aki-chan?!", she said softly. She rubbed her eyes, before turning back to Akane. "You're here...I'm not dreaming...Why today, Aki?"

Akane giggled slightly at the old nickname, before turning to the window. "Orders from the soutaicho. I'm needed for the Winter War", she stated, gliding to the center of the room and picking up one of the sake bottles. "I'll explain everything later. Right now, your taicho's on his way, and I don't think, after all these years, that his views on you drinking sake in the office have changed. Matsumoto gasped, and then hurried around the room, straightning things out and arranging the piles of paperwork. Akane sat down on the now vacant couch and put her feet up on one of the piles of paperwork, noticing as she did that one fo the folders had her name on it. She wondered whether Matsumoto feel the need to check up on her. She stored the question away to ask her later, and instead laughed out loud as Matsumoto feel over a stack of paperwork, sending the sake bottles flying toward the now open door, where Hitsugaya so convenietly happened to be standing.

Hitsugaya sighed. The first time he had seen her in who knows how many years, and the first thing she notices is his height. He let out a deep breath. How was this going to work? He didn't know what Yamamoto was thinking, placing her in his squad. This was not going to end well. He was distracted from this as he heard a loud gasp and the sound of someone running coming from his office. He didn't need to guess to know who it was. Gently sliding open the door, Hitsugaya heard a laugh...her laugh...before feeling suddenly...wet. The smell of alchohol filled his senses, and the sound of bottles crashing against the floor echoed around the now silent room. He opened his eyes to see Matsumoto on the floor, her head lifted up in shock, a fallen stack of paperwork behind her, and Akane, her face suddenly void of emotion, getting up from the couch. Putting up her hand, she faced Hitsugaya. Her palm glowed a deep red, and Hitsugaya felt dry. He looked down at his robes, and realized that Akane had used Kido to dry his clothes.

'Impressive, isn't she? Wonder what other tricks she has up her sleeve...'

Hitsugaya was spared from answering as Akane lifted Matsumoto off the floor, who was spouting apologies.

"I'm SO sorry, taicho",

"Matsumoto"

"I didn't mean to, I was getting them out of the room like you wanted",

"Matsumoto"

"I didn't see the paperwork, I'll clean this all up, I promise",

"Matsumoto"

"I'll help with the paperwork for a month, well maybe not a MONTH, but I'm really REALLY sorry taicho...",

"MATSUMOTO!!!"

Said fukotaicho stopped babbling long enough to stare at her taicho.

"There's no need to apologize, I know what a clutz you are, and there's no need to clean it up seeing as how it's already been done", he said. This was true. While Matsumoto had been apologizing, Akane had set about the room, cleaning up the broken bottles and picking up the scattered paperwork. She dusted off her robes as she turned to Hitsugaya.

"If you'll excuse me taicho, I'd like to go to bed. I'm a bit tired.", she said flatly, not looking at him. He just stared at her before striding to his desk. "In a minute, first I want to know what you are doing here and why you were put in my squad", he said a bit too forcefully. Akane winced slightly at this, but Hitsugaya appeared not to notice. Matsumoto turned to her taicho, surprised. "Eh, taicho? She's in our squad?"

"Hai. Temporary Third seat."

They both turned to Akane, who sighed and sat down in a chair across from Hitsugaya. "It's a really long story. It starts from when...when I left."

At this both Hitsugaya and Akane looked away. Matsumoto sat down on the couch. She had always wondered what had happened between her taicho and her best friend. She never wanted to ask Hitsugaya, because whenever Akane's name was brought up, he would get a sad, far away look on his face. Now, though she knew it was going to be uncomfortable, she was going to get the full story, which she doubted even her taicho knew. As far as she knew, no one but the soutaicho had been given an explanation as to why Akane has suddenly decided to leave, and why she was allowed to. Shinigami didn't resign.

"I want to know", said Hitsugaya, finally looking up. Akane gave a sigh, before turning to stare out the now dark window.

"Very well..."

I'm evil, I know. This wasn't that long, but the explanation is, so I decided to leave it for the next chapter, where ALL WILL BE REVEALED!!!!!!! Well, not all, but ALOT!!! Hope you enjoyed, review if you please.

I Heart You!!!