A/N: Welcome to chapter 3, everyone! Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews! I can't believe there are this many people willing to give this a shot!

I know I said I wasn't posting anything until the first, but I'm caving... So... Have this!

On to the story!

It was just before the sun broke over the horizon the following morning that Shunsui came awake. Slowly, he rose back into consciousness, although everything was still fuzzy from the night before. A soft puff of breath across his chest had a lazy smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth, and his arms wound a little more tightly around the soft, smaller body that was pressed to his.

A quiet, contented moan floated up from the lips that were a hairsbreadth away from his chest, and he felt a soft pulse of reiatsu as thin fingers danced along his side before resting on his back. His eyes slowly opened after several long minutes of basking in the gentle touches of the mysterious woman in his bed, and it was when he saw the deep purple of his own reiatsu melding with a soft pink that he finally remembered just who he was holding. And just how wrong it was for him to be so aroused as her leg slid between his.

Lucy's breath hitched quietly as more contact was made with their flesh, her eyes staying closed as she drifted well beneath reality.

Shunsui gulped and shifted so the blonde woman was lying on her stomach, letting out a heavy breath when he realized that his arm was pinned under her, just centimeters below her generous bust. "This is so wrong," he whispered to himself, rolling onto his back as a sudden bout of nausea rippled through him. Clearly, the amount of reiatsu that he'd been supplying Lucy with overnight as they slept had been more than he'd really anticipated.

He didn't want to just let up on how much he was putting out, and he wasn't necessarily drained right then, but the fact of the matter was that he just didn't know what he was supposed to do. Especially not when all he really could do for the time being was listen to her soft breathing. She at least sounded much better than she had the night before.

Shunsui wasn't sure how long he laid there, just staring at the ceiling above his bed, before he sensed a sudden dip in the blonde's reiatsu. He frowned and rolled onto his side, pressing himself against her again and shuddering as he felt more power being drained from him. And that was when he really took a look at her. At least, the four long scars that ran from her shoulders down to the small of her back.

The captain hadn't been paying all that much attention to what Lucy looked like under her clothing the night before, because he was trying to avoid seeing too much of his best friend's sister, but now… Now he couldn't help but stare at her pale skin and the scars that were several shades darker and more than an inch thick, each. Was this what Jushiro had meant when he'd said that she was used to heal others? How she would pull physical wounds from whomever she was healing and have a scar as the result?

It sickened him to think that someone would really subject a person to this kind of torture, especially now that he knew just what the consequences were and the price that she paid for it. But, he wondered if it was a matter of no one knowing that scars would be left on her, or if they simply had known but hadn't cared. His free hand lifted and he lightly touched one of the scars, then another. Everyone in the Gotei 13 had scars, sure, but these unnerved him. Lucy had still been just a student in the Academy when she was incarcerated, so she wouldn't have been out facing hollows or doing much in the way of fighting something that could give her the marks he saw. Which meant these had been someone else's injuries.

'Jushiro said that…'

Before the thought could finish forming, there was a soft knock on his door that marked the arrival of his attendant, Iwao. Not a moment later, just as he was pulling the blanket up and over Lucy's back, the young man silently opened the door.

"Good morning, Shunsui-sama," Iwao said as he brought in a tray with two cups of tea and two plates for breakfast. "Captain Ukitake informed me last night that you and your guest might like something small to eat this morning."

Shunsui chuckled, his eyes softening while watching the caramel-skinned attendant make his way across the room to set the tray on a nightstand. "Thanks, Iwao." The fact that he didn't even bat an eye over what he was seeing - not the fact that there was a woman in Shunsui's bed, but the reiatsu that was still surrounding both himself and Lucy - was just a testament to his character and his understanding that he needed to keep any oddities he saw quiet.

Iwao paused and bowed quietly, then smiled while looking down at Lucy. "So, this is the woman that healed him?"

"How did you hear about that?"

Keen onyx eyes turned to the Squad 8 captain. "Captain Ukitake said, as your attendant, I should know what I would be walking into this morning."

Another quiet laugh bubbled up in Shunsui's throat. "Yeah," he sighed. "Probably for the best."

"Will she be staying long, Shunsui-sama?"

"Indefinitely," he nodded. "Part of getting her released was having the clan take responsibility for her. She's my ward now."

Iwao's eyes widened slightly as he looked down at the blonde again. "Released?"

"Jushiro didn't tell you about that, did he…" When the attendant shook his head, his long, raven hair brushing lightly across his shoulders, Shunsui let out a slow breath while looking down at Lucy. "She was a prisoner. I had her released and pardoned."

"I see."

Shunsui's eyebrows drew together slightly while looking back up at his attendant. "I'd prefer if you don't tell anyone about this, or her, Iwao. It's a very precarious position I've put the clan in, doing this."

"Of course, Shunsui-sama," Iwao nodded quickly. "I would never-"

"That includes your sister," Shunsui smirked. It was no secret that Iwao told his twin sister everything. "Although…"

"Yes, Shunsui-sama?"

"When Lucy wakes up, and after I've talked with Jushiro…" Shunsui paused for a moment, then nodded to himself. "I'll be talking with Ishiko later."

"I-Is she in trouble?"

"No," he laughed. "Nothing like that. Just something that I think she would be well-suited for. A new job for her."

"Oh," Iwao grinned. "I'm sure she'll love that! Ishiko is always telling me that she would love for you to give her more to do. She… wants you to trust her, as you trust me."

"I do trust her," Shunsui said softly as Jushiro appeared in the doorway, a quiet smile on the white-haired captain's face. "Your family has always been loyal, Iwao. I just haven't found the perfect job for her just yet."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be happy with whatever you choose, Shunsui-sama," Iwao said. He turned and greeted Jushiro with a bow. "Captain Ukitake, good morning."

"Good morning, Iwao," Jushiro said as he walked into the room to kneel next to the bed.

Shunsui watched as Iwao made his way out of the room, closing the door silently behind him, then looked at his friend. "Morning, Jushiro."

"How is she?" Jushiro whispered, an edge of concern in his voice and eyes.

"Well, I'm not really sure how this all works, but her reiatsu dropped pretty fast a little bit ago when I moved away from her."

"You maintained contact?"

"Yeah, she was laying on my arm. I felt pretty queasy when I rolled onto my back though."

"That is odd," Jushiro scowled. "How long after you moved did it drop?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Shunsui sighed. "I was just laying here, spaced out for a little bit, and then it happened."

"She should have already woken up," Jushiro whispered. "And you said you felt nauseous?"

"Yeah, right after I rolled her onto her stomach."

"Shunsui, this…" Jushiro shook his head as his eyes grew distant. "This isn't right."

"What do you mean, 'not right'?"

"I can't be sure, but I think her running away only made the illness she pulled from me attack her body more aggressively." He paused and watched curiously as Lucy whimpered and rolled so her chest was pressed against Shunsui's, his eyes narrowing as her slender arm wound around the captain's waist.

"Hey, don't look at me like that," Shunsui said defensively. "I woke up with her like this. It's why I moved her in the first place." Was he going to mention just how aware his body was of the blonde? Not at all. Jushiro really didn't need to know that the effects of it being morning were only compounded by her young body and silken skin shifting restlessly against him.

"This was how she was…" Jushiro's scowl deepened as the reiatsu surrounding the two in the bed swelled and started to pulse slightly. "What in kami's name…"

Shunsui looked down to see Lucy's brow furrowed as a strong shudder wracked her body.

"I think…" Jushiro sighed and shook his head as he pulled one cup of tea from the tray and handed it to Shunsui. "It might take longer than we'd anticipated. If Lucy is having a hard time getting rid of this, then it has to mean that her running away and not getting an infusion right afterwards really let it settle in."

"Does that usually happen?"

"No. But she's never had to deal with something this extensive before."

"She'll… She'll be okay though, right?"

"Yes," Jushiro nodded, taking a sip of the other cup of tea present and failing to ignore the pained whimper from his sister on the bed. "It seems we'll just have to be a little more patient. The last time she healed someone was…"

"Before she was locked up."

"Right," Jushiro nodded. "Several hundred years."

"Well, could we maybe call Captain Unohana?" Shunsui paused to take a sip of his tea. Then another. "She might be able to speed up Lucy's healing."

"That would work," Jushiro sighed, "If she didn't react negatively to kido."

"What do you mean?"

"It's part of the reason Lucy didn't want Captain Unohana healing her. I realized it after I left last night. Well, more like I remembered…" He quietly took the empty cup from Shunsui and placed it back on the tray, then carefully set the tray on the bed just behind Lucy so Shunsui could eat while holding her. "Healing kido, what we all use and what Squad 4 specializes in, hurts Lucy when it's used on her. Think of it like an allergic reaction. Once it enters her body, I can only guess that her own power sees it as a threat, and starts fighting it."

"She's… allergic to kido."

"Yes," Jushiro nodded. "It makes her violently ill… Almost like…" His eyes widened as he thought of how they'd found Lucy the night before. "Like last night…"

"But, I thought that was from her healing you."

"I may have coughed up blood on occasion, but, Shunsui… I never vomited blood. And Lucy has never reacted so strongly to healing someone with her ability."

"So, what. You're saying that someone used kido to heal her? And it did that to her?"

"I can't be sure," Jushiro whispered, his eyes straying to the blonde again. "It might have been from the illness she took from me, but…"

"What?" Shunsui asked, pushing the unfinished breakfast away as Lucy shifted and pushed one leg between his.

"Well, Lucy was supposed to join Squad 4 after she graduated. She was especially gifted in healing people, Shunsui… Even with kido..."

"You're not saying…"

Jushiro nodded, his eyes growing distant and the expression on his paling face haunted. "I think Lucy used kido on herself, knowing that it would kill her. With her body already compromised by what she took from me, she wouldn't be able to fight back against anything else. And, if an injury to her body is her own, and not pulled from someone else, then she can die from it."

"So, you're telling me she was trying to commit suicide after she healed you?" Shunsui asked incredulously. "That's insane, Jushiro."

"I don't want to believe it either, Shunsui," he sighed heavily. "But I see no other explanation…"

"Unless someone saw her and maybe tried helping her."

"She would have been taken to the fourth division to be treated," Jushiro reasoned. "I don't… I can't think about this…"

"Hey," Shunsui whispered, his brow pinching in concern. "When she wakes up, we'll talk to her about it, alright?" When Jushiro nodded silently, he sighed and wrapped his arms around the blonde a little more tightly. Luckily, when he increased the power she was absorbing, the contented moan that left her lips was muffled by her face being buried in his chest. It was a shame that the noise sent a jolt of excitement right down to his groin.

"Don't over-exert yourself."

"Don't worry about me," Shunsui grinned. "I get to take some time off for this. Yama-jii sent me a hell butterfly yesterday while we were searching for Lucy, letting me know that I just needed to make a request and it'd be approved. I just figured it was because he knew I'd be a little busy getting her acclimated to everything."

"That's very generous of him."

"Definitely, but it also means that, no matter how long it takes to get her back on her feet and moving around, I'm covered. And if I need another day or so to recuperate, then so be it."

"I suppose," Jushiro sighed. "I wish I could stay longer, but now that I'm better, I have to handle things at the division."

"Poor Rukia-chan has been doin' it all on her own, huh," Shunsui chuckled. "She'd make a good captain one day."

"That would be if Byakuya would allow it," Jushiro smirked. "I was given a rather long lecture about what he would do if anything happened to her when I told him she was being promoted."

"He lectured you?"

"With his eyes," Jushiro laughed. "I could feel him burning holes through me with that glare of his."

"He's pretty protective of her, huh…"

"Yes, just as I am with Lucy."

Shunsui gave his friend a soft smile of understanding. "I won't let anything happen to her, Jushiro. You know you can trust me."

"I do," Jushiro nodded. "I do not, however, have to like the fact that you are nearly naked with her."

"You're the one that made me lay like this," Shunsui countered. "Don't worry, I don't plan on trying to seduce your sister."

"Good. The last thing she needs is-"

"No worries," Shunsui smiled easily. "Go take care of what you need to, and I'll keep doing what I'm doing here. If there's any change, I'll let you know."

Jushiro gave Lucy one last long look, his eyes slightly pained and his back rigid as he forced himself to remain composed. He had to trust that Lucy was in good hands, and if anyone could care for her when he couldn't, it was Shunsui. "Any change at all," he whispered. "There shouldn't be anything different now. Her reiatsu should stay stable, and-"

"Jushiro," Shunsui insisted gently. "I'll take care of her." He watched as Jushiro nodded one last time, then slowly turned and left the room.

It was silent in the eighth division captain's bedroom, save for his and Lucy's quiet breathing and the occasional sigh of comfort from her full lips. After Iwao came in some time later to remove the dishes from breakfast, Shunsui finally allowed himself to look down at the blonde. Every time he shifted just a little bit, she would compensate for it and keep herself pressed against his flesh. It helped to make sure he couldn't see anything that he really shouldn't be seeing in the first place, but it also made it exceedingly difficult to keep himself from feeling everything. The only consolation was that she was at least able to move, where she hadn't been capable of even that by the time he'd laid down to start the infusion.

His fingers gently pushed a few stray golden strands behind her ear, then swiped away the beads of sweat on her brow. He could see just a little bit of blood still speckling the inside of her lower lip, how pale she'd gotten since the last time he'd seen her. But more than the signs that she'd obviously been worn down from healing Jushiro, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Any man that ended up with her would definitely be more than happy, that much he was sure of. And even then, an odd sense of protectiveness over Lucy rose up from somewhere he couldn't name.

It had to be because she was his best friend's sister, and that he knew Jushiro had entrusted Lucy's safety to him. There was no other reason for it. 'Besides,' he thought, 'I have to keep her safe, as my ward.'

And even as that thought planted itself in his head, he was instantly reminded of what Jushiro had said about what had happened to her.

"Lucy-chan," Shunsui sighed, letting his eyes slide closed as he tightened his grip on the blonde, "I don't want to believe that you'd kill yourself and leave Jushiro behind like this. Not when he just got you back… I just… I hope he's wrong…"

Bleary brown eyes slid open as familiar fingers lightly brushed through her hair, and the black-haired man sighed as his deep onyx eyes stayed locked onto her face. "There's my girl," Chinogishiki whispered tenderly.

"Chino… What…" As Lucy's vision cleared, all she could focus on was the sad smile on her zanpakuto spirit's face, the torment showing plainly for her to see as he hovered above her. "Wh-What…"

"I'm still here, Lucy," he said, his fingers trailing down her cheek while he made sure his master was comfortable where she rested in his lap. "I've gotcha."

"B-But I don't want to be here anymore," she whispered, her breath hitching as tears sprung to her eyes. "I wanted it all to end."

"I know that," he nodded. "But, look around. Look what's happened…"

Lucy sniffled and slowly turned her head, a full sob cracking in her chest as she took in the devastation her inner world had gone through. Where there had once been an enormous field with lush, emerald grass and a dozen sakura trees in full bloom, all that was left was a desolate wasteland. The trees were black and lifeless, with not a single blossoming petal on the spindling branches. The grass was gone, replaced with a frozen, rocky terrain that dug into her back painfully. The pale grey sky with clouds that never moved had disappeared, and in its place was an endless array of pitch black clouds that hung low overhead.

Everything around her was colored in a sickly green that chilled the blonde to the bone.

"You see?" Chinogishiki whispered as Lucy turned her head toward him again. "This is what happens when you try to do something like that. I… I felt all of it, Lucy. I know you're hurting, and you just wanted it to be done, but this? You know that if you die, I will too…"

She shook her head and scrambled to kneel before the terrifyingly calm zanpakuto spirit. This, in and of itself, made her feel worse than anything. She could handle him being angry, throwing a bucket of water on her, maybe even punching her right in the throat for being an idiot - he'd done all three in a matter of seconds on multiple occasions - but this? He was level-headed for a change, quiet. "I-I know that, I just… I-I…"

"You didn't want to hurt anymore," he nodded as she lunged forward and hugged him. As his arms encircled her slender waist, he let out a slow breath while resting his head on her breasts. "I get that, Lucy. You deserve to be happy, and everything else. Not for people to use you. I know that better than even your brother."

Lucy's body shook with the force of her anguished cries and she simply held him tighter while her tears trickled down into his hair.

"But, would you really want to leave your brother behind? He just got you back, Lucy. After all this time."

"I-I know that…"

"And you know that he'll be heartbroken if he finds out that you poisoned yourself with kido," he chided her gently.

"I did my job though," she whimpered. "Now they'll just send m-me back, and… Chinogishiki, I-I can't go back there again!"

"And I won't let you," he scowled, raising his head to look deeply into her puffy, brown eyes. "I'll always protect you, Lucy. And I'll kill anyone that tries to get in my way."

"Y-You know I can't l-let you do that…"

"Whether you let me or not," he growled, his eyes shifting slightly to a more reddish hue. "I'll do what I have to. You're my whole reason for living, and I'll stop at nothing to-"

"Stop," she sniffled, moving so her cheek was resting against his and their chests were pressed together. "Just stop, okay?"

"Those bastards made you like this," he spat. "They made you want to die. You can't blame me for hating all of them."

"No, and I won't," she said after a shuddering breath. "But just… I-I just need you to hold me, Chinogishiki. P-Please?"

He blinked in surprise when she moved once more to curl up in his lap, her fingers quickly loosening the knotted white material that was draped over his shoulder, then the buttons of his jacket. "Lucy?"

Her fingers danced along the pale flesh of his chest and stomach, then around his sides until he stopped her and looked questioningly into her eyes. "Just… hold me," she breathed.

Chinogishiki's brow furrowed as she gently pulled his hands to the tie on her deep green yukata, but his fingers seemed to do just what she wished. Once her body was bare, with the blonde pushing his jacket down his arms until it was pooled on the ground, the zanpakuto spirit let his gaze travel over her every curve. Every imperfection in her flesh that he'd been there to witness, that he'd experienced with her. "I'll always hold you, love," he whispered.

Lucy shivered as his hands trailed down her waist to her hips, then smiled sadly when the spirit simply pushed her legs off to one side and tucked her into his chest. The white material she'd untied was lifted from the ground and wrapped around the two of them, and all she could do was bask in the comforting embrace of the one she knew would always care about her. "Am I still beautiful?" she asked.

He smiled then, lifting her chin and tenderly kissing one corner of her lips. "Always," he chuckled. "I'll never see you as anything but the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Thank you," she whispered, a sad smile on her face. "At least you will…"

"Always," he whispered back, watching as her eyes slid closed and she fell into a restful sleep in his arms. He sighed softly and looked out across the tattered remnants of Lucy's inner world, then up to the sky where a thin shaft of purple light broke through the clouds and touched down on the ground just next to them.

"I might not like it," he mused, "But that captain is your only hope of waking up. I just hope he sees what I do in you, Lucy…"

It was after Shunsui had finished with lunch that he finally had Iwao bring his twin sister, Ishiko, to the bedroom. He hadn't wanted to talk with her about what was on his mind until after Lucy had woken up, but it seemed she was going to be out of it for a while longer, and he needed some help.

"Good afternoon, Shunsui-sama," Ishiko said with a low bow. She slowly stood, then demurely tucked a stray strand of her shoulder length black hair behind her ear while she waited for him to speak.

"Iwao, Ishiko, I'll be needing your help with something," he sighed.

"Of course, Shunsui-sama," the twins said in unison.

"Well, Lucy-chan here is still unconscious, and we both need to bathe," he said. While he continued talking, he carefully pulled the blonde to sit up with him, keeping his eyes locked onto Iwao's instead of Lucy's bared breasts that were partially hidden by his chest.

"Sh-Shunsui-sama," Ishiko sputtered, her caramel cheeks coloring slightly. "Is she alright? Should we call the healer?"

"She's just a little sick," he said. He carefully stood up, then wobbled on weakened legs and smiled as Iwao and Ishiko steadied him. "I'll have to keep touching her, but I'm not going to wash her myself."

"Of course not," Ishiko smiled. "I'd be happy to assist you, Shunsui-sama."

Iwao moved and opened the door to the bathroom, smirking and rolling his eyes over his sister's behavior while his back was turned. "Do you know when she'll wake up?"

"Not a clue," Shunsui replied as the twins helped him walk into the bathroom. It was obvious that the extra power he'd been putting out to help her heal a little faster had really drained him. To the point of weakness in his limbs. How he was still managing to hold Lucy in his arms was beyond him, but the Squad 8 captain was just going to go with the flow. "What I do know is that we'll both probably feel a little better after a nice bath."

"She won't get you sick by being like this, will she?" Ishiko asked as she turned on the water to fill the bathtub and added the scented oils her clan leader loved.

"No," he chuckled. "I'm helping her heal, Ishiko."

She paused and blinked while looking at him, her eyes straying downward as Iwao pulled off the yukata Shunsui had worn to bed. Luckily for her, Shunsui wasn't looking at her, so she was able to compose herself and turned back to the bath until the sudden heat in her cheeks had diminished. "Is that what that odd glowing is?"

"Ishiko," Iwao sighed with a frown, "You ask too many questions."

"Oh, it's alright," Shunsui chuckled, sitting on the small stool by the bath once Iwao had placed a towel over his legs to rest Lucy on. The fact that the raven-haired attendant had realized the predicament Shunsui was in, and that he really needed to maintain some physical distance from the blonde in any way he could, was a blessing. "And yes, Ishiko. I'm feeding her my reiatsu to help her heal. Lucy-chan here burned her spirit centers while healing Jushiro."

"She…" Ishiko's hand slipped on the knob for the bath as she turned it off, but she quickly composed herself and looked at Shunsui with widened eyes. "Captain Ukitake has been healed?" she whispered, a smile edging onto her face.

Shunsui nodded, his eyes closing as Iwao started washing his back. "I can just hold her hand if that's easier for you to clean her, Ishiko," he whispered. "But I can't lose contact with her."

"Not to worry, Shunsui-sama," the woman smiled, her eyes that were identical to her brother's glimmering happily. "Iwao and I will take care of you both."

"When Lucy wakes up," he said after a time, once he and Lucy had been rinsed and he settled them in the steaming water to soak for a bit, "Ishiko, I want you to be her attendant."

"E-Excuse me?" she stuttered with widened eyes.

He nodded and shifted so Lucy was curled up in his lap, with a towel still over his hips and her cheek resting against his shoulder, then sunk down a little lower into the water when she shivered. "Lucy is my ward, now," he whispered. "And, because she's been placed under the clan's protection, she'll need an attendant. Especially since she was locked in Muken for the past few centuries."

"Muken!" Ishiko nearly screeched, her eyes narrowing when her brother threw a hand over her mouth to silence her.

Shunsui sighed and leaned his head back, chuckling when Iwao placed a folded towel down for his head to rest on. "Yes, Lucy-chan was locked in Muken. Her identity, where she came from, everything is to stay quiet. I'm sure people will wonder where she came from, but-"

"Shunsui-sama," Ishiko said, pulling her brother's hand from her lips. "There are already whispers of her being a criminal, but not what level she was imprisoned in."

"There are?" Iwao asked with a frown.

"Yes," Ishiko nodded, her eyes darkening while looking down at the blonde. "But if she was in Muken, this can end very badly for the clan…"

"And that is why I'm asking you to be her attendant," Shunsui sighed. "Lucy-chan has been imprisoned for so long, and I'm sure she'll be glad to have someone to even talk to if I'm not available."

"I-" Ishiko began, looking to Shunsui in surprise as he spoke again.

"I don't trust anyone else to do this, Ishiko," he said quietly. "Iwao has been my attendant for years now, and I know you want to do something more substantial to help. This is your job, now. Help her get acclimated to life outside of the prison, spend time with her."

"Y-You trust me to…"

"I do. I told Iwao earlier, your family has been nothing but loyal over the last few generations, and I know that you both are the same. I hadn't known where your talents would be best suited, but I think this is a good start."

"Of c-course, Shunsui-sama," Ishiko whispered as happy tears came to her eyes. "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't," he chuckled. "Come get us in a little bit, alright? I'm just gonna relax."

The twin attendants nodded and as they stood and made their way to leave, Ishiko frowned and looked down at the blonde woman again. "Shunsui-sama?"

"Hm?"

"If Lucy-san was in prison, then does that mean she has nothing?"

"I guess so…"

"Would it be alright if I had some clothing purchased for her?"

Shunsui's small smile widened as he looked at the tall woman, then to her brother's proud smile. The twins were terrifyingly identical, with the only exceptions being that Iwao was a few inches taller than her and that his jaw was a little more squared than her narrow one. They had the same black, almond-shaped eyes, raven hair that hung to their shoulders, exotic caramel skin. The same high cheekbones and full lips, straight nose, and even the same athletic build - with Ishiko having some of the loveliest curves he'd seen, while Iwao was more like a swimmer.

"That's a great idea, Ishiko," Shunsui nodded. "Thanks for thinking of that."

"It's my job as her attendant, ne?" she giggled, a soft blush on her cheeks.

"It is," he laughed. Once the twins had left the bathroom, his arms wound around Lucy just a little more tightly and his eyes slid shut as he let the soothing scents of lavender and lilac fill his sinuses. After another several silent minutes, he summoned a hell butterfly and sent a message to his lieutenant, asking that she bring any paperwork he needed to handle by the estate and leave it with Iwao.

Nanao wasn't going to be too happy that he hadn't shown up, and he could only assume that someone had intercepted her from coming and waking him up that morning as she tended to do sometimes. But, he hoped that him asking for the work that they both knew he hated doing would be enough of a sign that he wasn't just being lazy.

'Maybe I should tell her what's really going on,' he thought. 'Then again, maybe not…' Enough people already knew about Lucy, and the more he could keep the information hidden and to himself, the better. Yamamoto had told him to be careful in who he allowed to know about the blonde, and he had to remember that not everyone who found about about her ability would react to it with understanding. 'I'll keep her safe though. I promised I would…'

A soft sigh left Lucy's lips as she finally regained consciousness, feeling more rejuvenated than she had in a long time. There had been a weariness in her bones and muscles that she hadn't noticed before, but in its absence she was much more aware of how wonderful she felt. At least, her body did.

Warm breaths puffed out slowly across her scalp, and that was when she felt the pair of strong arms wrapped around her and calloused fingers resting on her scarred back. The hairs on his arms tickled her skin, but it was oddly comforting to feel something so different. Slowly, her eyes opened, and she allowed them to take in every inch of flesh as they traversed from his chest, up his throat, past the stubble on his chin, over his full, wide lips… And finally resting on a pair of closed eyes with long lashes that any woman would envy.

It wasn't a surprise that she was in Shunsui's arms, because she definitely remembered how Chinogishiki had forced her body to move toward the Kyouraku estate when she'd noticed her brother and Shunsui walking through the gates. She could vaguely remember collapsing outside several times on the way to where the two captains had been inside, and even her brother taking her inside. Bits and pieces of memories, small snippets that were fragmented and distorted, played in her head in quick succession. But, what she knew for a fact was that Shunsui had offered to help her recuperate when Jushiro wasn't able to.

Tears welled in her eyes as she noticed the soft purple and pink aura surrounding them. This wasn't right. Even though she could feel her zanpakuto humming in contentment where his blade was nestled in her body - something that only Jushiro had known happened the day she'd killed all those people, and what he'd said to keep a secret from everyone - she knew that she needed to leave.

Of course, she appreciated that Shunsui would do something like this for her, that he would help her when he owed her nothing, but she couldn't be a burden to anyone.

"Lucy, stop that… You're not a burden."

The quiet rumbling voice in her head only had her shaking her head. She hated how connected he was with her from time to time. She still remembered what he'd told her, and the sickly green air that had hung in her inner world. She could still feel Chinogishiki's skin on hers as he'd just held her the way she needed him to. How she'd woken up with him still wrapped around her, lying on the frozen ground. And even with all of that, she didn't want this to continue.

Lucy didn't want to be used anymore. Yes, she wanted to see her brother, to finally be able to reunite with him, but she knew that if she allowed herself to see him, she wouldn't be able to leave him behind again. It was better this way. It would hurt for a little while, but Jushiro would heal in time. He would be freed of worrying over her, and of the guilt for allowing her to remain in prison when he only wanted her to be free.

But looking at Shunsui's sleeping face, and knowing that he'd taken it upon himself to heal her and bring her back from her own attempt at ending her miserable existence, it only made her feel worse.

"Be happy you're alive, love. He saved you, and now you've got another chance at life."

Lucy shook her head and started to pull herself away from the Squad 8 captain. She needed to find something to wear, then slip out as quietly as she could manage while it was still dark out. Just as his arm was about to fall to the bed, with the blonde carefully edging away from him to make sure he didn't wake up, Shunsui's eyes slid open and locked onto her own wide, brown eyes still filled with tears.

"Lucy-chan," he whispered sleepily, a gentle, sad smile on his face. "You're awake."

She froze then, her breath stalling in her chest and lips parted on a shuddering gasp. The look in his eyes as he watched her, only her face, even though she was suddenly aware of how much of her body was bared and that her breasts had been pressed against him, showed a deep sadness. Uncertainty. Concern. "I-I…"

"You're trying to leave again, ne?"

She shook her head quickly, hoping to deny any concerns he might have until he was asleep again. Then she could make her move.

Shunsui sighed quietly and brought his hand up to cup her cheek. He didn't pay attention to the fact that his reiatsu was still surrounding them, having grown used to it over the past four days while he'd tried to help the blonde. As his thumb lightly danced over her cheek, catching a stray tear that had trickled down onto her nose, he whispered, "I want you to tell me the truth, okay?"

Lucy sniffled, but didn't say a word.

"Jushiro told me you can't be healed with kido, but that you're great at using it to help others. Did you… use it on yourself?"

Lucy's lips tightened, but that seemed to be all the answer Shunsui had needed to know he was right. His brow furrowed and he pulled her to him again, crushing the blonde to his chest and nestling his nose in her golden hair. She tried in vain to push him away, but the next words out of his mouth had her frozen once more.

"I won't tell you it was stupid to do that," he whispered. "It's not stupid to feel alone and cursed, or like it would be better if you were gone. It's not stupid to feel like that's the only option..."

Lucy whimpered as she felt his lips puckering against her scalp, how his hold on her tightened. It wasn't painful, but almost as though he was trying to make sure she didn't disappear.

"I don't know everything you've been through, but I know it hasn't been easy," he continued, his low voice filled with pain and his mind drifting back to his own past. To his older brother and his wife, to the countless people that hadn't been able to stay in his life for one reason or another. The hopelessness he'd felt more often than not and the small slivers of happiness he'd clung to to get through his darkest days. "And I know that your brother wants to see you."

"I-I can't," she croaked.

"Because you want to make sure he hurts less when you're gone again?" he asked knowingly. "Well, lemme tell you something that he told me a long time ago…"

Lucy's chin was gently lifted as he crooked a finger under it, and her eyes locked onto his.

"He said, 'The pain you feel now is only temporary, but what will be left behind after you're gone, in the ones you love, will never go away. So, lean on me when you need to. Don't hide from me. Let me be strong for you, because…'" Shunsui paused when a sob escaped her and Lucy curled back into him, what his best friend had told him still echoing in his head.

"Let me be strong for you, because I can't bear to lose you, Shunsui." Jushiro took a shuddering breath and pulled Shunsui out of the bath completely, wrapping a towel around his nude form and pressing a washcloth to the open wound on his chest.

"I-I can't do this anymore," Shunsui cried. "I can't…"

"You can, and I'll be here for you. It'll pass, I swear."

Shunsui looked at the shattered bottle of sake, and the bloody pieces that he'd tried to use to tear out his own heart. Tears blurred his vision and he finally latched onto Jushiro. "Don't die on me, too," he cried. "Everyone I c-care about dies…"

"And everyone I care about leaves," Jushiro whispered with a saddened smile. "Sometimes it is necessary, but…" He shook his head and lifted Shunsui, then stood and carried him to the bed just outside of the bathroom. "We will be together for a very long time, Shunsui. I'll never leave you behind."

Shunsui was broken out of his memory by the blonde's cries and jumbled words.

"I-I'm sorry! I just… I…"

"It's okay," he whispered. His fingers sifted through her hair and he tenderly held the crying blonde. "There you go, just let it all out." It didn't matter to him if Lucy cried for the rest of the night. He'd been where she was, in his own way, and he knew that she didn't need platitudes or for someone to tell her to cheer up, or that things would get better.

So, instead, Shunsui simply did what he'd needed Jushiro to do back then. He held Lucy, he let her cry, and once she'd calmed down a little, he smiled and didn't let her go. She tried to push him away for only a moment before finally sinking right back into him.

"Th-Thank you... Captain Kyouraku..."

It wasn't so different than what he'd been through, and just knowing that she really only wanted someone to hold her, reminded him of how long the blonde had gone without feeling like this. How long she'd gone without even being able to feel someone's arms around her, to comfort her when she needed it. How much had been taken from her. It only made him less willing to let her go, so he simply let himself drift off to sleep well after Lucy's breathing had evened out.

And there's chapter 3! You guys have no idea how happy I am for the amazing reviews and the support that this is getting. So, yeah… Lucy tried to kill herself (yikes), Shunsui also apparently tried to kill himself with a sake bottle (and Jushiro saved him - double yikes), and now the healing bits are done! I wonder what will happen next!

I'd like to send a huge thanks to LittlePrincessNana for letting me use her two OC's, Ishiko and Iwao. For any of you that are familiar with her writing, I'm sure you'll be curious to see what I do with these two. And, for the ones that haven't checked out my Triplet's writing, I highly suggest heading over there and reading Soundpod on Shuffle to understand those two characters. And then, while you're at it, jump down the rabbit hole and read the rest of her amazing stories! They're well worth it!

So, Review, Follow, Favorite! I love you, guys!

~~GemNika