AN: Keep in mind things are going to move fast. Mainly because this thought was designed as a one shot that took on a life of its own.

About Rukia and the 6th and it being the Kuchiki division… If this story were to continue beyond where I'm going to stop, then theoretically yes, she would obtain Bankai and assume her role as Captain of the 6th. However, for all intent and purposes, she is where I want her to be for the story. Consider it slight AU..

Thank you!: KZShiro, Denidene, Ciel Vien, Shadow Pain, Goranus, xdayanarax, aizi, dethangelx and everyone else reading!


Chapter 4

The next morning Toshiro was at his desk pretending to do paperwork when Momo knocked on the door.

"Hey, Shiro, erm, I mean Hitsugaya-taicho!" she said mockingly.

Sighing, he said, "Good morning, Momo."

"I didn't get to see you after the meeting yesterday. What was so important you had to go rushing off?"

"I had some things I needed to do and someone I needed to talk to."

"Kuchiki Rukia?"

Toshiro looked up at his friend. She was scowling at him. Something he rarely saw on the mild mannered girl.

"So what if it was?"

"You two seemed to be pretty cozy the other night when I found you. Is there something going on I should know about?"

The image of him on top of Rukia, brushing his lips against hers popped into his mind.

"Why the interest?"

"Nothing, it just seems like you've gotten pretty chummy with her while you've been distracted when you're with me. I miss the "us" from before."

"You mean when we were kids?"

"Something like that. I miss where our friendship was going," she said as she blushed. "You know, while I was still in the academy."

"You mean before you fell in love with Aizen." That was a statement, not a question. His eyes narrowed, he wasn't sure he liked where the conversation was going. Not now.

"Yes."

"I don't think that's going to happen, Momo."

"It could if you just gave us a chance."

"Momo, I am not going to talk about this now."

"Ok, ok! You're so cold hearted, Shiro. I know if you give me a chance, I can help you to feel. I know with the dragon it might be hard for you to have those kinds of emotions, but-"

"What good are those emotions to a Taicho? I need to stay alert and focused and care about my entire division, not get caught up in some silly romance." At this point he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself.

"But Shiro…" she moved behind him and ran her hand through his hair. She leaned forward and ran her other hand across his chest.

"Stop," he said. She bent down and breathed against his next. She was about to kiss him when the door opened.

"Of course he's here, he's always here, Kuchiki-san," Matsumoto said as she and Rukia stepped into the office.

Rukia walked in and saw Momo standing behind Toshiro with her hands all over him.

Toshiro stood up and shoved Momo away as Matsumoto gasped.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Momo demanded, shooting deadly glares at the women.

"I've never had to knock before," Matsumoto said giving her now ex-taicho a glare.

Toshiro's face was red. His eyes met with Rukia.

"I'm sorry for intruding," Rukia said as she left.

"Rukia!" Toshiro called out after her, "DAMN!" He slammed his fists down on the desk. He jumped up out of his chair, hopped over his desk and ran out the door. "Rukia!"

Matsumoto looked at Momo. "What was that all about?"

"What?"

"You were laying all over him…"

"I don't know. I just want things to go back the way they were…when he loved me. He seems so distracted and the other night when he was having dinner with that Kuchiki girl. I caught him looking at her like he used to look at me. I just…I'm sorry I snapped when you came in. Maybe I'm being silly. I mean, I know this is Toshiro we're talking about and he doesn't have many feelings, especially those of affection and love. But the way he defended me, the way he stood by me when everything happened with Aizen-sama…I know there's more in his heart and I won't rest until he lets it out and I want to be the one he lets it out for."

"Momo…"

"I guess I need to learn patience. That's ok, once I become his new Fukutaicho, we'll have all kinds of time together. We'll train together, we'll go on missions together, we'll eat together and we can do all kinds of things."

"Momo, what if he doesn't pick you?"

"Why wouldn't he? He promised to take care of me, to protect me. What better way than to keep me with him at his side?"

Matsumoto looked at her. "I don't know."


"Rukia!" Toshiro called out. He finally caught up to her at the edge of his division. He shunpo'd in front of her, forcing her to stop. She looked at him with blank Kuchiki eyes.

"Rukia, back there, what you thought you saw and what it was are two different things."

She cocked her head to him and gave him a small smile, "You don't have to explain anything to me. What you do in your office is your business." She said as she looked past him looking for an escape route. "If you will excuse me…"

"No! What you saw should not have happened," he sighed, "What about the rest of your training?"

"That's what I came to tell you. They moved my test to today. I was going to ask if you wanted to watch, but I see you…are busy. Please, Taicho, I need to get going."

"I'll come with you."

"Shiro-chan!" Momo called out for him. Toshiro and Rukia turned around to see Momo headed towards them.

"No, Hitsugaya-Taicho. I think it would be best if you didn't come," she said. As he looked at her he caught a glimpse of sadness before her mask came down again. She bowed to him and started to leave.

No,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no! His mind was screaming at him over and over. Momo caught up to them and glared at Rukia before looking at Toshiro. He fought to keep from punching his best friend.

You're a fool, Rukia. A complete and total fool! I can't believe I kissed him! I can't believe I let him get that close to me so fast. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Rukia! She berated herself over and over until she reached the first. She was an emotional wreck and questioned why she was even going to continue with the test. So I can show Nii-sama, Renji, Ichigo, Ukitake-taicho, everyone. I will show everyone that I can do this.

"You're just in time, Kuchiki. Get on the training grounds, you're up next." Said Soi-fon.

Rukia pushed everything out of her mind and focused. Something she used to get on Ichigo about all the time. She smiled at the memory and readied her stance.

"Mai, Sode no Shirayuki"


Toshiro made his way back to his office with Momo following closely behind.

"You're not one to get involved with other people's problems like this. Why are you so interested in her, Shiro-chan?"

"Momo, she lost everyone in the war: her brother, her Taicho, her lifelong friend and whatever Kurosaki was to her." He decided a few days ago he didn't want to know how close Kurosaki and Rukia were and just left it unmentioned. "With the shortage of personnel – "

"I get it, with the shortage you've been trying to bring her back into her Shinigami duties. Yeah, I remember Isane saying something about her taking over a month of leave and barricading herself in that mansion of hers. Haha! It really is hers now, isn't it?"

"No, not exactly."

"Oh well then the dinner the other night, you were just getting her out of her mansion, right? Oh, ok…I feel like such a jealous meanie."

He was getting tired of her asking him questions. Why wouldn't she leave already.

"You are so nice to help her like that!" She said with her innocent smile.

"Momo,"

"Yeah, yeah. My Shiro-chan is a dedicated work-a-holic! I'll go. I should probably pack up some of my things at the 5th anyway seeing as I'll be changing divisions, right? I'll see you later."

Toshiro sat down at his desk behind Momo's departure. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. He squinted as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He was trying to fend off a headache with little success.

His thoughts drifted towards Rukia and her expression. She couldn't have come at a worse time. How the hell was he going to fix this? She didn't want to talk to him. If he pursued her now, she would only back further away and he would lose his chance with her.

Going back to his paperwork, Toshiro decided to do nothing for a few days and give Rukia some time. Then he would resume his pursuit.


A few days later Toshiro had a knock at his office door. "Come," he said. Matsumoto popped her head in and looked around.

"Is it safe?"

"Funny."

"Oh come on, one day you'll look back on this and laugh."

"I highly doubt that."

"Momo will then."

"I don't particularly care."

"Ahhh, so it's Kuchiki-san you're after." Toshiro's eyes shot up. "Yup. I was right." She said as she stifled a giggle.

"What do you want Matsumoto?"

"I have the list of eligible Fukutaicho's," she said dangling a piece of paper, "Come on! Let's see who will be stuck doing all of the paperwork for us." She handed him his copy.

They opened their copies together and scanned the list. Toshiro smiled.

"Ut-oh. I know that smile," Matsumoto said as she scanned her list again. She raised her eyebrows, "Since when?"

Toshiro was almost grinning like a Cheshire cat, "Since I trained her."


Three days later, the Taicho's met at the First in formation.

Yamamoto entered and addressed them.

"To make this as orderly as possible, I would like to hear your choices. While you can make your selection, I have the final approval. I would like to hear from Komsmura and Hitsugaya first since their Fukutaicho's were promoted and taken from them."

"Aramaki," Komsmura said. Yamamoto nodded his approval. He looked at Hitsugaya.

"Kuchiki," he said ignoring the smile on Matsumoto's face and the look of shock on Kira's.

"The two ice wielders together in one squad? Hmnf." He sat back and thought. "That might be interesting, indeed." He said as he nodded, giving his approval. Toshiro didn't know he was holding his breath until the old man approved his choice. He couldn't think about anything else. He was almost oblivious as the others named their choices.

The doors opened and the candidates were brought into the room.

Yamamoto brought his cane down to gain attention. Instantly, everyone settled down and the room was quiet.

"You will announce your choices."

Kira stepped forward, "I choose Hinamori Momo as my Fukutaicho." She gasped and looked at Toshiro who was avoiding her gaze. She was about to decline, to say something, when she looked to Kira. He shook his head. She went to stand by Kira and shot a questioning hurt look at Toshiro as she passed by. He was still oblivious, lost in thought.

When Hisagi was done and his new Fukutaicho stepped to his side, Toshiro stepped forward.

"I have chosen Kuchiki Rukia as my Fukutaicho." Momo gasped.

Rukia stepped through the crowd who parted for her. She walked up to him, bowed and took her position without looking at him. The room was quiet as they looked upon the two short heads of Squad ten; the Taicho slightly taller than his new Fukutaicho.

Matsumoto stepped forward. "With permission already gained, I have decided to keep Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentaro Kotsubaki together and promote them both to the Fukutaicho position. They have a unique, but extraordinary working relationship that I believe works for this division." The two gasped and raced each other to bow before their new Taicho. They took their place each to one side of her.

Yamamoto stood up. "Very well, I have approved these decisions and now will come a one week transition period. I suggest you work with each other and your divisions to get back up to speed. So for one week all missions will be handled by the second and eleventh divisions until the others have completed their adjustment period. You are all dismissed." He said as he brought his cane down to the floor for the final time.

Momo immediately went to Toshiro's side with the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "Shiro-chan…why?" she asked. Rukia looked from Momo to Toshiro.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, should I go to your office and wait for you?" Rukia asked, still looking between the two.

"No, we're going directly to the training grounds," turning to Momo, "I'm sorry if you're hurt or upset. You of all people know this isn't about who you know, this is about establishing a working team. I need someone who I can rely on and trust with my life to back me up."

"Are you saying you can't trust me, Shiro-chan?" she said tears threatening to fall.

"No, that's not it. While I'm sure there's a way we could work together, it's going to take more time then we're allowed. We are opposite elements. Everything you can do, I can counter. We are detrimental and will go nowhere in battle. Rukia makes the most sense between you."

"Rukia now is it? Ok, whatever…excuse me, Shiro-chan…" she said as she ran out of the room. Toshiro sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Rukia watched the exchange in silence. She thought her new Taicho's reasons were sound and refused to entertain any ulterior motives, although when she talked to the old man, she was hoping to become the Fukutaicho for her own 13th division, or at least the 6th in honor of her brother.

Toshiro looked at his new Fukutaicho. This was as close as he's been to her in days. They walked in silence to the training grounds of the 10th Division. Toshiro wanted to rectify what happened the other day, but didn't want to scare her off. Why are women so damn complicated? Maybe he should have fought Komsmura for Aramaki. He sighed. As they reached the empty grounds, Rukia was the first to speak.

"Why?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why did you choose me?"

"Because you are best suited for the position."

"So is Momo."

"Not like you."

"What does that mean?"

"Just that, she's not like you. I know you heard what I told her."

Rukia looked at him.

"I have arranged the Fukutaicho's quarters to be fixed up for you. I know you were given a room in the 13thand I wanted to make sure you had the same option here now that you're in the 10th."

"I-I appreciate that, sir." Rukia said. "With Nii-sama gone the elders were not quite sure what to do with me. They said I could keep my room in the mansion for as long as I wanted, but it's lonely there without… well, anyway, thank you."

"So the Elders aren't going to marry you off this week since you're the last of the Kuchiki's?" he said jokingly. He noticed the frown cross her face.

"There's a huge debate going on because of my adoption status, endless meetings and interviews. I'm not a true Kuchiki according to some of the other houses. It's even being debated among the Kuchiki Elders. I'm thankful to them, but I don't want to be a part of the endless arguments." She looked at him.

"I don't think I'll ever understand that whole status thing." Shinigami started to gather around the training grounds. "I summoned the entire division. Since we had a head start on training together, today I want to see you spar with some of the men and women in our division. It will be good for them to see what you can do."

"Yes, sir" She said as she started down to the center.

"Hey," he said turning back, "Congratulations and welcome to the 10th."

She nodded, "Thank you, sir."