It was five in the morning by the time I was signing the last piece of paperwork. I got half way through writing my last name when my office door slammed open and Rangiku's hands were slammed down on my desk.

"Captain! Ichigo said you would be here yesterday but...I expected you to stop working by night time, like you do when you usually work on paperwork."

I rolled my eyes and finished signing my name and stood up from my desk. I added the last piece of paper to the third stack of paper beside my desk...the one for the most recent filled out papers. All three stacks of paper were my height. I didn't even want to know how many papers were in them.

I opened my mouth to respond to Rangiku and found myself yawning. My body wasn't used to staying up for this long anymore. It wasn't like it was two years ago. When I finished yawning I noticed Rangiku was smiling at me like I was a little kid that she was proud of, "So what made you finish it all? Why are you suddenly back to normal? Did you have some kind of mid-birthday realization that everything is gonna to be all right?"

I thought about it for a second and my best answer to her questions was, "Well yesterday Kurosaki and I found Karin and she just about had a heart-attack because I wasn't doing my job. Which snapped me out of it because she doesn't remember me she only knows what she has heard in the academy. It made me realize I was letting the people down who look up to me so I came here and started working. So I guess I sort of did have a mid-birthday realization."

She only gaped at me, "You...You found Karin?"

I nodded, "Yeah but she doesn't remember anything. Not even her name. She goes by Kaya...but she looks just like before only her hair is longer and she has bangs. She the same girl she was before I fell off that damned cliff. And I don't know whether I should hope she gets her memories back or to hope she doesn't. There are so many things that she probably doesn't want to remember."

Rangiku grabbed me by the shoulders, "If you had a choice of forgetting everything you know and starting again with happiness or living with all your memories bad and good what would you choose?"

"To live"

"And don't you think Karin would want that too? Don't you remember when she would get so frustrated when she would forget something and couldn't remember it no matter how hard she tried? She would want to know Captain, you know that."

I closed my eyes and sighed, "I know...Will you help me carry all this paper work to the first squad? I can't carry all of it."

Rangiku laughed, "Of course I will Captain."

And we spent the next hour and a half carrying the paperwork to the first squad and getting it checked by the Head-Captain to make sure it was all done right. I stood in his office watching him read everything the entire time and seriously thought that I was going to die of boredom from it. I had never stood for that long watching him read it. I had never had that much paperwork to do all at once that was all my own. Most times it would be Rangiku who was standing here for the long periods of time.

After he was done reading it was 6:45 in the morning and he praised me for doing a good job. He then proceeded to say, "I don't know what has snapped you back into to rightful state of work but whatever it is deserves a thank you from me. If it is a person that has done this wonderful job of fixing you I ask that you bring them to me and if it is just your better judgement stepping in once again...I guess I better get to my next request of you. You see, the academy as you know has a Captain visit them each month to see the progress in each class and answer any questions the students may have. And that day for this month is tomorrow. It is the last day all the students will be at the academy before the holidays and although they won't be having classes they will still have questions that can be answered in an assembly in the largest training room. The students have been requesting it be you that comes to the school for several months now but I have appointed another Captain each time out of better judgement for the Soul Society. But since you have recovered now I request that you go to the school tomorrow and answer all the questions about your squad that they may have. Will you complete these requests?"

I knew he said it and meant it politely but I couldn't but felling that if I said no there would be a punishment so I found myself saying, "Yes sir."

He nodded and I thought I saw a hint of a smile under his facial hair, "Good. Now for today I have one more request of you. I want you to take a break and get some sleep. You look like you need it. You are dismissed Captain Hitsugaya."

I blinked and nodded, "Thank you sir. Just one question before I go if I may?"

He nodded. I gulped, "When do you want to see the person who helped me snap out of it? Because I could go get them today. Or tomorrow since they go the academy and I'll be there anyway."

This time I knew I saw a smile, "Get them whenever you think is best. If you find that you want to get them today, go ahead. If you would rather wait until tomorrow then wait. As long as they get to me before Christmas. Which gives you four days counting today."

I nodded, "Thank you again sir. I'll be getting on my way."

And I turned and left his office. It only took me moments to decide when I would get Kaya. I didn't want to miss a single chance I had to be around her. I knew in my heart that she didn't remember me and things wouldn't be the same. But being around her gave me the reminder that there was hope. And I needed that reminder.

So I found myself flash stepping to the Soul Reaper Academy. I knew I looked exhausted but it didn't matter because I had a job to do and I would do it. Whether I could put it off until tomorrow or not I would do it now because I was meant to be ahead of my game. I was meant to be at the top of the list. But most of all I was meant to be around her and that would never change because I loved her and I had for years.

I went to the front office of the academy and asked the only person there the whereabouts of Kaya. He looked up at me like he had never seen a Captain in his life and then stuttered out, "Sh-she should be in her room. Or in the second training room, those are the only places students are allowed right now unless they get permission to go into the Seireitei and she hasn't come to ask for permission this morning."

By the time he finished talking I realized how early it still was. It was only 7:15. Which meant she would most likely be in her room since I knew that she definitely was not a morning person. I nodded and asked for her room number then was on my way again. It only took me five minutes to find her room.

I knocked on the door and heard a mumbled "Go away..."

I smiled and knocked again, louder this time.

This was followed my some more mumbling this time incoherent except for the "Dammit" that ended the mumbling. It took a few minutes and I was going to knock again but the door opened and Kaya stood in the doorway looking very annoyed with me. By the time she realized who I was I could tell she was glad she had put her uniform on before opening the door. Her hair was down and definitely not brushed and although she looked tired I knew she was a lot more rested than I was.

She blinked several times before running back in her room leaving the door open, "Sorry Captain Hitsugaya I thought you were Ai!"

I watched as she grabbed her hair brush and furiously brushed out her hair and noticed I was smiling. I just shook my head at her still smiling, "I wouldn't be here if you hadn't been on my list of requests from the Head Captain. The first request out of three actually. The Head-Captain has requested to speak with you."

She froze halfway through putting her hair up in a ponytail. "To speak...with me? Why?"

I crossed my arms and leaned against her door frame, "I think I'll leave that to him to tell you."

She gulped, "I'm not in trouble am I?"

I stifled a laugh, "No the opposite actually."

She glanced at her zanpakuto in the corner of her room and I looked at it too. I interrupted her train of thought, "You won't need it. I can fight for us both not that there is going to be any fighting involved today. It's impressive that you have one though. Most first year students don't have one or if they do they obtain it in the second semester and even then you aren't trained to use it until second or third year unless you qualify for higher classes like I did. And I'm suppposing like you do since you said you might be graduating in May."

She nodded and looked away from it and at me, "I'm sorry for yelling at you yesterday it was out of line. I know I'm not supposed to speak to high ranked officers like that and especially not a Captain."

I shook my head, "I thanked you for it remember? And you are going to be thanked for it again today."

She smiled, "A Captain thanking me...isn't that just weird. Especially since I get told by my teacher all the time that I'm going to get myself in trouble for smarting off like I did yesterday."

I stepped out of the door way and back into the hall, "Well come on then."

She was still smiling when she stepped out of her room and locked it. I realized once we got out of the academy building (after asking permission in the front office of course) that we wouldn't be able to flash step to the first squad for two reasons. One:Kaya didn't know her way around very well. She had her brother's sense of direction...not that she knew that of course. And two: She was good at flash-stepping but she couldn't keep up with me.

I sighed, "This is going to be a long walk."

She looked at me and then look at the maze of roads ahead of us, "This is why I hate mornings."

I laughed this time and shook my head at her for the billionth time, "Get walking. and don't complain. That'll get you in trouble."

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. She was blushing but she looked more surprised than embarrassed. I raised an eyebrow at her and started walking, "What do you look so surprised about?"

"You...you laughed..."

I blinked a few times and laughed again. I could remember Karin making the same statement when I laughed at her for tripping in high-heels at a school dance Yuzu made her go to. Which she just had to drag me along to because apparently if she has to suffer the loud crowds and obnoxious music so did I.

"It's not something I do often, but I'm in good mood this morning, even though I haven't slept in what feels like forever."

This time she raised an eyebrow, "Haven't slept? And just what have you been doing Captain Hitsugaya?"

I winced and shook my head, "Only paperwork...but I would really appreciate it if you stopped calling me that. It's going to drive me crazy if you don't."

She blinked several times, "Called you what? Your title? I thought you hated when people didn't call you by your title."

I sighed, "I do. But that's more of a lack of respect thing. It doesn't sound right in my mind for you to call me by my title...just like it doesn't sound right if Kurosaki or Momo calls me by it."

This time she winced, "Well, ok but what am I supposed to call you?"

I blinked, I realized that although the answer was obvious to me...everybody else in the Soul Society would think I had gone insane. I swallowed, "My first name. You don't have to but that is what I would prefer...Why did you wince when I was saying it didn't sound right?"

I could tell she was thinking about whether it made her uncomfortable to call me by my first name or not but she still answered my question, "Well as you know I can't remember my last name and I have to have one for graduation so I 've been trying to come up with one... And every time I think of one it's Kurosaki...but I don't want to steal Ichigo's last name. I just don't understand why that last name sounds so right to me..."

I had to stop myself from gasping, "Maybe it is your last name. In which case you wouldn't be stealing it. I mean you are..." I had to stop myself from saying 'his sister'.

She looked at me very confused like, "I am what?"

"Nothing"

"You know something don't you!"

"No."

"I don't believe you. You're hiding things aren't you Toushirou?"

We both gasped at the sound of my name on her lips. It had been too long since I heard her say it and it caused my heart to clench at the sound. She gasped for a totally different reason. She had both her hands up to her temples and her face was contorted in pain. The memories. She was either trying too hard to remember or she was remembering something. Which of the two I didn't know.

"Kaya? Are you okay?"

"That's not my name is it? It's Karin isn't it?"

Uh Oh...She remebered something! But how much did she remember? I don't know do you? I love you guys and I love this story I'm sorry I don't update more often I really should. Don't forget to review I would really appreciate it.