The next morning I was spared of meeting Captain Kuchiki first thing in the morning. Renji saved me just in time because he wasn't as late as usual. So, I made him take the tea I usually serve him and the Captain in the morning as they sort the things for the day. I concocted some lame excuse, went my merry way with my duties and with my investigations as why my impeding marriage negotiations came out of the blue. I might not be completly involved in my family business but I visited once in while as not to entirely be out of the loop.

Now well in the middle of the week me and Renji were walking through the West gate of Seiretei coming back from a mission. Hollows had been causing a ruckus in some of the further districts so we were ordered to exterminate it immediately. Needless, to say the mission went without a itch. We were now heading to the 13th to have lunch with Rukia.

" Earth to Sawatari" Renji said but it barely registered. I was thinking on how effectively avoiding my Captain till the end of the week. I was way to embarrassed, to face him and I was running out of time and options for my enquiries. I would have to report soon an didn't want to go to the main house just yet. Brother's hears there must be many. This week was busy for the sixth squad.

"Sawatari-san" This voice was different it was Rukia gently nudging me. " Is something wrong ?" I guess it showed.

"Not really. It's just …. I " I placed my chopstiks down hesitating. Rukia must know by now. I really wanted to know what she thought. Maybe she could persuade Captain Kuchiki to flat out refuse me if it wasn't too late. Or else, on the worst case scenario, I would have to come up with something during the meeting.

" Come to think of it . You've been avoiding the Captain like the plague this week. What did he do? " Renji said with a incenuating grin.

" Renji !" Rukia and I exclaimed. " Brother would never!" Renji raised is hands in surrender and Rukia stoopped mid swing. I sighed looking out the porch the grass was green has ever.

" I know, alright. The Captain is not that kind of guy." Renji said. Rukia sat down again and then I said " I guess you must already know, Rukia"

" Well, I've heard about it." She understood what I meant but Renji was left looking puzzled. " Are you going through with it?"

" Yes, I have no other choice." I continued " I guess it'll be just a meeting, right?" There was no way the Captain would marry me and as far as I'm concerned I wasn't keen on this marriage or any other.

" I think so. The elders are just on Brother's case again after the Aizen commotion and his stay at the relief station" By now Renji was tapping his foot in impatience. The betrayal had been a heavy on everyone. " I see. Then he'll dismiss me in the first missing, right? " I gathered the Captain won't be convinced to cancel this nonsense before going through with the first date. He has his circumstances as well. Then, perhaps I can talk with him after reporting.

" Dismiss you from what, goddammit? You've been on and on but you haven't answered me?" Renji said. " What's going on? Even Rukia knows and you haven't seen her in days?"

" Oh" I smiled mischievously, leaving my thoughts away, and glanced at Rukia to follow my lead. " That's only natural, Renji. Isn't it Rukia?"

" Well, yes. You never know, Brother might go ahead with it. Sawatari-san is a very good person."

" What's that got to do with anything. She's been avoiding him the whole week!"

" I couldn't avoid it you know" I said placing my hands on my cheeks feigning a blush. " The Captain might just become my husband. I was shy." I continued fluttering my eyes.

Renji blinked before it downed. " Whaaaaaat?" Mine and Rukia's laughter filled the room along with Renji's crashing chair.

Finally, I explained what happenned with my brother and we reached the conclusion that everything would just end in the first meeting.

" But you still can't avoid the Captian forever. You'll have to report soon you know?" Renji stated.

" Yeah, I know." The sun was warm outside so we had moved to the porch sitting beside each other as I swung my feet up and down. " I just feel really embarrassed you know." I lied. It's just I still couldn't confirm my suspicions. Brother was moving strangely if I considered what I've been told I had to go to at least a production site, one not to conspicuous.

" It'll be fine Sawatari-san." Rukia intervened " What's the worst that can happen? You'd become my sister! Pretty cool, huh"

I laughed. " I don't think it'll happen."

" Yeah, " Renji started " I just can't see you as Lady Kuchiki. You don't fit at all" He smirked

Rukia and I smacked him simultaneously. "Hey!"

"Abarai, you shouldn't upset that ladies" Captain Ukitake gentle voice interrupted coming from down the hall. Instantly, we stood up and bowed.

" See, you should heed the Captain's words" I stated crossing my arms.

"I don't know about that Sawatari-san " he chuckled "But, perhaps, have you and Abarai come from a mission in Rukongai." We nodded.

" I see. I just attended a meeting where Byakuya was asked about it but he could not report as you hadn't yourselves reported in." Captain Ukitake explained. " He was none to pleased, you should go in as soon as possible"

That's not good., I thought and then I was dragged away by Renji in a hurry. " See you later, Captain Ukitake, Rukia " He waved. "Bye" I strangled out .

" Just let me go, you idiot. " I said breaking free and flash stepping beside him. " I told you we should've gone in before lunch."

" But I didn't know about the meeting" he defended.

" Yeah, right, but if we had came in earlier. There wouldn't be a problem" I retorted. Our bickering continued even when we stepped inside our squad barracks on the way to the Captain's office. I asked if the Captain was in to a passing by shinigami and he confirmed it.

Stepping up to the door,Renj knocked, " It's not like you protested that much"

" So now it's my fault. It was your idea." I said fuming.

Inside, Byakuya was not very pleased with the noise grating on his nerves. There was more than enough noise around him lately, starting at the manor, the elders have been more than insistent that he remarried, and the meetting had not gone that well and now his most high ranked officers were bickering like children when they should've have reported hours ago. He wouldn't believe that the mission in cause would've taken them so long.

" Which you approved of," came Renji voice. "That's not exactly true but you had some good points" That was his third seat, Sawatari Akina. The woman the elders had stuck him with this time and the one that had being avoiding him in every thinkable manner . Thus, delaying his work as well. There are documents she has to deliver herself. It was irksome to say the least. Now that he thinks of it she didn't seem the type to jump at marriage. Well, he didn't know her beside work but as of the begining of the week she basically dissappeared. Was it because of the match making? But the arragements had been going on for much longer. Was she unnware? It didn't surprise him, he had met the mentioned woman's brother before and he surmmarised that he pretty much did what he wanted not bothering with others.

There was a knock again, softer this time. It was Sawatari. " Are you sure you want to come in!" Renji teased. " It's long overdue. I just … wan to get it over with" I glared. "You know he doesn't bite..." A pause to remember how his Captain was ruthless in battle against him and then, "... much." my eyes automatically widened. Did he not realize the Captain was just behind the door. " Renji, are you cra..."

"Enter" Byakuya ordered. Did that buffon not realize he could discern his loud words coming from behind the door.

I was quickly interrupted by the Captains order and opened the door. My gaze falling on the man I have been avoiding and something clicked. Why would I be going out of my not to see him. He was my boss and noble like me. Well, probably more than me but he surely realized or saw the match making meeting as something forced down our throats and common thing in our world. That's why for split seconds in between three steps from the door to stand in front of his desk and accidently looking in eyes I couldn't by the life of me discern, why?

" Now, who will tell me why I wasn't able to disclose a complete report to the General Commander " the Captain's icy monotone filled the room. My eyes lifted again to meet his but my lips remained sealed. I'm not good with excuses this was Renji's task. But he seemed to be sttrugling for one as well. Damned Captains meeting. The silence streched as I racked my brains for a good answer and Renji rubbed his neck feeling awkward.

" I see." Byakuya continued signing a report, closing it and placing it on the pile on his right. "Then, perhaps, next time do come in before lunch." His voice was icier than before but he remained expressionless as always.

" Yes, sir" we replied a second after faltering a bit. We got caught, bickering outside his door is a bad idea. It is true I rarely pulled a stunt like this and had been at the sixth for years but... one thing had I learned, such things trully displeased Captain Kuchiki. What would he think of me? I could actually see him glaring at me during our meeting.

" Seeing, that this matter is now resolved, Report."

Renji has the liutenant fell into the discription of the events. We had travelled to the furthest districts of Rukongai assigned to the sixth squad and encoutered mainly low leveled hollows in a small flock. The battle wasn´t hard at all they out numbered us but they were weak and defeated easily.

" Is that all?" Byakuya asked. The report from the tenth squad reported the suspicions of some kind of organization within the hollows which implicated the control of an higher leveled hollow. After events with Aizen that caused a more frequent flaring of the shinigami's spiritual pressure hollows had been more active.

" That we are aware of, yes, Captain" I replied speaking for the first time since in the room. Byakuya turned his attention towards Sawatari. She was better than Renji in this matters, she would most probably noticed it. But... his doubt remained. Captain Hitsugaya's report didn't leave much leeway.

" The tenth squad investigation of their districts reveal the possibility of the involvement of an higher leveled hollow possibly an adjuchas. " Byakuya stated in his monotone. I stiffed a bit and Renji too. If this was to be confirmed we had been foolishly unware. Our enemy shouldn't be underestimated " Their activity seems to be diminishing in response to our actions. We are to wait for them to move and then thoroughly investigate the possibility in the districts to us assigned.

" Understood, sir" We said together.

"On the occassion move out carefully and only with high seated officers. " The Captain ended. " But do assign patrols to the area we can't leave the citizens completly unprotected." Byakuya took a second to stroke his signature in report again. " I believe this is all for now. I do expect a written report in my desk as soon as possible. You are dismissed. " I turned to leave in tow with Renji after bowing but then Captain Kuchiki's smooth baritone stopped me " Sawatari, you stay." Quickly with an apolegetic glance Renji left.

" Sit"

I pulled a chair and sat cross from him. My hands clasped on my lap and suddenly very interesting, Here comes the scolding. Silent seconds ensued before anyone spoke.

She sat across from him. Demure, her back straight, hands clasped on her lap, eyes low, in her case in what seemed sincere shyness or nervousness. A noblewoman's posture, the one he once glanced upon on the functions he rarely attented with Rukia and she happened to be there, as well. That contrasted with the carefree attitude she displyed with everyone else. It seemed everyone reserved their best behaviour for him. Sometimes, Byakuya wondered if it pleased him or not.

" Is there any reason why you haven't properly fulfilled your duties this week?" Captain Kuchiki asked his passive gaze burning me.

I raised my eyes willing my lips for a proper answer, " I … You see …, " I mumbled. His steely gaze was not helping at all, as well " No, sir " I said defeated. I'll just come out with it and try to see where he stands. If the Captain knew of anyting. When carefully enquiring some our shops and wholesalers I got the inkling that everything was not going smoothly as usual. Even though, Brother is too ambitious I'm sure he wouldn't be to foolish , I must be aware of what's going on before sitting with the Captain on that dinner.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. Sawatari Akina has been his third seat for some years now and she has always fullfilled her duties to the best of her abilities. She always had a valid reason for any delay in reports and other duties.

" The thruth, Captain, is that I didn't want you to think that I have anything to do with my family doings" To tell the, actual, thruth, I was embarassed, yes, but I, also realized, what benefits a marriage to the Kuchiki would bring, and the drawbacks of displeasing them. As well as the desire to remain far from the designation of golddigger. If his family had any suspicion of any kind doubtful manouvers that could involve them then my family could possibly be crushed under their influence. So, I baited for information and prayed for an actual actual. The Captain is hard to deceive and, well, … always expressionless.

" Anything unrelated to our duties of the Gotei 13 shall not impair my judgment on your performance as my third seat, " Byakuya frowned slightly wondering what was on her mind. Playing such games here was not to his tastes and she had never done it before. " therefore anything to do with our private lives is of no consequence." Perhaps she thought there was something more behind their match than the usual from her side. Nevertheless, it was still of no consequence to him, he would flat out turn her back.

" Of no consequence." I echoed in my mind, that dreary monotone. For the Captain it didn't matter, of course, the problem was not on his but mine. I did get the clear answer I wanted. I feel tired. I just to get it over with. Let the weekend come and that sunday come. So I can go back to my usual routine.

" I understand. " I stated simply and politely. "My files shall be on your desk as soon as possible as well as my report on our latest mission" I stood up waiting for my dismissal.

He nodded. " You are dismissed, Sawatari"