A/N: I don't know if I can get anything done tomorrow, since I'll be home with the dog again, but I'll try to get something done. This weekend should, maybe, be a big adding time, because I won't be the only one taking care of him. Anyway, on with the update.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. I make no profit from this.

Mashiro pulled the sheets up to her nose, refusing to get out of bed despite that her alarm clock said noon. Her bed smelled like Kensei, like his clothes, his soap, his shampoo. Her pillow smelled like his neck, his cologne, him.

Mashiro could only identify the scent because she had bought him that cologne. It was an AXE spray that she had bought him years ago. At first he had complained, but every time she was able to get close to him, Mashiro could smell the spray on him. Even when that canister had been empty, she had found a new one in his room, the same kind.

She had also found the one she gave him, with a pink and purple bow still on it, tucked away in his sock drawer, hidden under all the socks. When she had told him she had found it, that old canister mysteriously disappeared, but Kensei never stopped using that same kind of cologne.

Mashiro buried her face in the pillow and took a Kensei-hit off of it. "Stupid Kensei..." She whispered, tears budding in her eyes.

If only... if only the soul reapers had accepted her to return too. She couldn't think of one thing she wouldn't give to be by Kensei's side.

But alas, the female vizards and Love and Hachi, their situations were still pending. They were stuck in the horrid limbo of not knowing which way it would go.

Mashiro's hand fisted around the corner of the pillow and tossed it across the room. Why couldn't Kensei grant them reprieve to come back to Soul Society? Or even Captain Unohana? She had called them allies, so why couldn't they come back?

Mashiro ripped her second pillow; the one Kensei hadn't touched, in half. Feathers flew around the room in a flurry, just as Lisa opened the door.

Lisa blinked, batting the feathers away from her. Choosing not to ask, she set a plate of a sandwich and chips on Mashiro's bed. "You missed breakfast and lunch. Eat up." She turned to leave, swatting feathers away from her all the while.

"How did you take it?" Mashiro whispered, the ache in her chest growing into a stabbing pain. "Being away from Rose when you love him so much?"

Lisa looked at her for a long moment. One of the last feathers landed on Lisa's nose and she frowned. "How did you know?" She murmured after another moment or two. "How did you guess?"

"Everyone knows but him. We're not that dense." Mashiro slowly started to pick the feathers that had drifted onto her plate off of it. "But how do you do it?"

Lisa pushed her glasses up. "I know as long as he's ok, I'll be ok." She was lying through her teeth, but it didn't matter to her. "Eat your lunch." Lisa walked out, shutting the door.

Mashiro looked at the food. She didn't really want it, but the growling of her stomach won out. With a small frown, she sat on the floor with her plate and began to eat.

"I'm going to settle this soul reaper thing once and for all!" Hiyori snapped as Lisa held her back from the door. "Let me go!"

"This isn't something that can be pushed." Lisa sighed, picking Hiyori up. Sometimes Hiyori's size was definitely an advantage when she needed to be contained. "You're not going to help any by going and screaming at people. And Shinji won't be happy."

Hiyori, who had been kicking and screaming relentlessly, went limp in Lisa's arms. The taller girl nearly dropped her at the dead weight. "Damn it..." Hiyori muttered, her breath shaking ever so slightly.

Well, if that was the key to calming Hiyori down, Lisa wasn't about to ever let that one go. "Just relax. I'll go when Rose goes back and talk to some captains there then. Don't rush into things blindly, alright?"

Hiyori growled slightly, she didn't like the fact that they weren't being accepted back into soul society any more than the rest of them.

"I thought you hated soul reapers." Lisa raised an eyebrow over the frames of her glasses.

"Shut up!" Hiyori snapped, forcing Lisa to drop her by twisting her wrists, and running to her room.

Lisa just shook her head. It was obvious the only reason Hiyori wanted to go back was for Shinji.

But to Lisa, love was a good enough reason.

A/N: We're actually getting close to the end...So I wanted to fill everyone in that after this is over, there will be a follow up oneshot set several months after this ends. Anyway, what did you think?