Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles. If I did, you would certainly see MUCH more of this pairing.

A/N: Hey everyone, so sorry about the lack of updates. I am just about out of school, so I have the rest of the summer to update like every single day. Just a few notes before this chapter starts. 1: I absolutely adore Hitsugaya, so when I pick on him or make him look like a complete jerk, I don't actually feel he's like that. I just have to come from Rangiku's POV, and since Hitsu and Gin have issues, Rangiku's gonna have some interesting feelings toward him. and 2: I really wish this chapter was longer. So far I've been doing pretty well with chapters, but there just didn't seem to be anything I wanted to add, or change about this chapter...so it's not as long as the others. For that I apologize. However! Don't let the length of it get you down!! Please enjoy it no matter!

Chapter 4: A Great Disappearing Act

Rangiku's eyes fluttered open the next morning, only to be stunned to find a different man with her than had been there the night before. Looming over her, Captain Hitsugaya stood by her bed, looking serious.

"Hit-Hitsugaya-Taichou!" she sat up quickly,, holding the blankets to her bare bosom. "What are you doing here?"

"You're late..." he said sternly, his arms folded across his chest in the most intimidating pose he could achieve.

"I'm sorry, sir..." Rangiku said softly. "I lost track of the time. It'll never happen again..."

She was eager to excuse him from her room, in hopes to go in search of Gin. As though he could read her mind, Hitsugaya took a seat on the far end of the bed, his icy blue eyes flashing in her direction. Rangiku swallowed hard, praying that Gin had not been found.

"Matsumoto..." he began lowly. "There is a matter about which I need to speak to you..."

"Can we talk about it later?" she asked hastily. "This isn't the best time..."

Hitsugaya raised a fuzzy white eyebrow. "Are you expecting someone?"

"N-No," she shook her head. "Not at all. I'm just...well..." she glanced down at her half-covered chest. Hitsugaya didn't seem to be fazed by it.

"You've never seemed keen to keep your clothes on before," he said matter-of-factly. "Why should this be different now?"

Rangiku felt herself flush deeply. Not only was he her Captain, but he was younger than she was. Quite a bit younger than her, actually. I made things rather awkward and embarrassing.

"Please, sir..." she said softly, averting her eyes.

Hitsugaya frowned, ignoring her pleas. "I am curious, Matsumoto, about what has you acting so very odd lately. Did something happen?"

Rangiku's disposition turned suddenly very sour. "You know very well what happened..." she growled.

"Tell me..." Hitsugaya's expression was stony and unreadable.

Rangiku began to shake in anger, no longer embarrassed by her bare form. The little runt could be one hell of a pain in the ass sometimes.

"Ichimaru-Taichou has returned..." she told him bitterly. "The rumors are flying everywhere. A girl has the right to worry, sir."

Hitsugaya knew he wasn't going to get her to cooperate under these kinds of conditions. Slowly, he rose to his feet, sighing deeply.

"No," he said calmly. "There's no need to worry, Matsumoto." His hand paused against the open door, glancing over his shoulder at her. "We're going to find him..."

GINXRANGIKU

"Gin..." a low voice said dangerously. "Where have you been?"

Gin didn't answer as he moved across the room. His long, slender fingers danced across several items that sat on a small shelf.

"Gin..." the voice repeated.

"Yes, sir?" Gin asked, his infamous smirk growing wide across his pale face. "You called?"

The man glared at him, eyes glinting from the little light found in the room. "Answer me."

Gin picked up a small glass ball and playfully tossed it into the air. The man's eyes watched it carefully, ensuring it's safety as it moved from one of Gin's hands to the other, then soaring into the air, only to land on his open palm.

"Around..." he answered cleverly, knowing that these responses were only going to anger him.

"Gin..." the man growled. "You didn't go back there, did you? To that...that place..."

"Of course not, Cap'n..." Gin replied, setting the ball back down on the shelf to move to the next item. "Now, why on Earth would I do a thing like that?"

"Don't be smart with me, Gin..." the man warned, rising from his chair. "You know I've forbidden you from going back there."

Aizen appeared in the light the shone from the single window above them. Gin didn't bother to look at him as he picked up a small book.

"This is new..." Gin pointed open, moving to open it.

Aizen snatched the book from his hands, and stuffed it hastily into his robes. "Don't touch that." he said sharply.

Without another word, he turned back to his chair and started toward it. Gin chuckled evilly, not seeing the point in getting up in the first place, to only sit down again moments later.

"You might want to find a better hiding place for your diary then..." he said teasingly. "Someone'll find it all out and the open there..."

Aizen glared at him. "You're pushing it..."

Gin leaned against the shelf, knocking a few things over, though he didn't seem to care enough to pick them up. "That's my job."

"You went back there..." Aizen pulled the book from the depths of his robes. Slowly, he began to flip through the pages, glancing half-heartedly on the words written on each page. "I know you did..."

Gin's smile faded momentarily, only to make a graceful comeback. "It was for good reason, Cap'n..."

"Your little lady friend still there?" he asked absently, still staring down at the book. "Stop by for a little love fest before returning to me?"

Gin frowned, his face growing dark. He had left Rangiku once again without notice of where he was going. He'd let her down once more, and he was certain she was going to hate him forever this time. If she didn't already feel that way.

"She's still there..." he answered slowly. "Though I hardly think that's any of your business..."

The book closed with a 'snap' and Aizen stared up at him. "Oh, you don't think so?"

Gin didn't answer him, knowing that this time he was in trouble. But he didn't care. He could take on Aizen if he wanted to. No one knew they were down there. Aizen wouldn't have anyone to back him up. Gin wanted to see him try.

"I think..." he stood once again. Resisting the urge to laugh, Gin wondered if he'd only sit down again in a moment. "That it is very much my business who my assistants are consorting with. If I'm not aware, it gives me weakness. And weakness is not allowed." His eyes grew dangerous as he moved toward him slowly. "You should learn that, Gin."

Gin stared back at him, the grin only returning to show that he'd gotten the picture. Nodding shortly, Aizen placed the book in Gin's hands, before moving past him toward the door.

"If you plan on returning to the Soul Society, please inform me first," he said loudly as he reached for the door. "That way you can send information you discover to me immediately. Perhaps this will work out. For the both of us."

Gin didn't plan on doing any of that, but nodded just as well, despite having Aizen's back to him.

"Oh and Gin..." Aizen stopped before leaving, his own smile dancing across his lips. "That's not my diary. I keep that well hidden."

GINXRANGIKU

Rangiku sat in Hitsugaya's office, staring blankly down at the small stack of papers in front of her. The words seemed to be blurring together as her eyes swam in and out of focus. Hitsugaya looked up from his desk and sighed.

"Having problems?" he asked.

Rangiku snapped out of her strange stupor and hastily began to write across the top of the nearest paper. Hitsugaya continued to stare at her for a while, finally going back to his own work.

Rangiku's pen stopped suddenly as she glanced up at the window, half-hoping she'd see Gin walking past, flashing her a reassuring smile. She hadn't been able to find him anywhere before she arrived at the office which had made her quite unsettled. She couldn't think of any other possible place for him to hide.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya's voice sounded sharply.

Rangiku realized that she'd been staring out the window for far too long. She muttered an apology and went back to her writing. His gaze however, did not travel back to his own work. Instead, he stared at her intently.

"Matsumoto..." he said slowly.

"I'm working, sir..." She said, a slight annoyed edge to her voice.

"I can see that," he told her calmly. "But that's not what I meant."

Rangiku didn't bother to look up. If he was just going to harp on about something she did wrong again, or begin to talk about Gin again, she might have to strangle him. And this time, she wasn't kidding. She would really do it.

"I am apologizing, Matsumoto..." Hitsugaya said, a bit hesitantly. "So take up this rare opportunity."

Rangiku slowly glanced up at him. "What have you got to apologize about?"

Hitsugaya sighed. She could tell it was taking a lot out of him to admit that he'd been wrong about something. Rangiku almost relished in the fact, and smirked.

"Ichimaru has been found," he explained.

Rangiku's eyes widened and the smirk quickly faded from her face, as her jaw dropped in horror. "W-What? Where?"

Hitsugaya held his hand up for silence, trying to calm the girl. "He was never here. There were sightings of him with Aizen first thing this morning. I didn't learn about them until right before you showed up."

Rangiku stared at him, suddenly feeling very confused. Gin had been with her first thing in the morning, hadn't he? Or had this entire encounter been some strange illusion she'd created in her grief?

"I apologize for giving you a hard time," he avoided her gaze. "You were the only tie left to him, with the exception of Kira, who gave us nothing."

Rangiku nodded absently, still trying to make sense of everything in her mind. Hitsugaya turned his gaze back to her.

"Something wrong, Matsumoto?"

"No..." she lied, focusing on something Hitsugaya couldn't quite place. "No...it's nothing..."

Hitsugaya could tell that she was lying to him, but decided not to press the matter. If Ichimaru was nowhere near them, he had no reason to question her further. Certainly whatever was bothering her now had to do with something that had happened long ago, and would be none of his business.

"Sir..." Rangiku said lightly.

"Yes?" he said, his eyes still locked on her rather limp form.

"May I take the day off?"

Hitsugaya frowned, glancing down at the huge stack of papers in front of him. There was a considerably smaller stack in front of her, but he knew it would only be added to his if she left. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes, Matsumoto."

Rangiku slowly got to her feet and glided over to the door. "Thank you, sir..."

A/N: So there we are. Hmm...some mystery being thrown around here, and definitely some conflict starting to build up. I have a few ideas coming along for possible things to happen...but I haven't quite figured it all out yet. Please tell me if there's anything you'd like to see happen, because I will definitely take it into consideration, and it will be SO helpful. Thank you! Oh and please review!