Disclaimer: Own Bleach and its characters I do not, only my own OC's.

Chapter 10: Uncertain

Sajin paced back and forth in his office until the door slid open.

"Captain," Lieutenant Iba said uncertainly. "You called for me?"

"I do not understand it, Tetzuzaemon. All this time I have been trying to win Takara over, but it is not her who I constantly think about. It is not Takara that I think dream about even in my waking moments. It is not Takara that I want to be with."

"It's Amaya," Iba said. Sajin stared at him. "It seems it is obvious to everyone but you, Captain. I saw the way you began looking at her after that first night you two spent together. And I see the way she looks at you. Honestly, I cannot believe you haven't figured it out before now. What finally clued you in, if I may ask, sir?"

Sajin had figured it out only a few hours ago when he had woken up. And finally remembered his dreams.

He stood by the river, waiting for something. Waiting for her.

Someone called his name softly. He turned around. There, at the edge of the forest, she was standing, dressed in a long, flowing gown. Her arms were wrapped around herself to ward off the chill in the air.

He walked toward her. The look on her face was warm and loving. She opened her arms to him, inviting him to come closer.

He knelt down before her so that he was eye-level with her rounded belly, swollen with his child. He lay his hand gently there and felt movement, small but strong. This little life that he had helped to create with the woman he loved more than anything else in the world.

It had been a sweet dream, one that Sajin woke from with some reluctance. He had closed his eyes once again, willing himself to fall back to that peaceful place, but something had been bothering him. He had finally given up on sleep and gone into the office early, still trying to work out what was bothering him so much about the dream.

Sajin had nearly choked on his morning tea when he finally figured it out. The secretary he had called in to find Lieutenant Iba had looked concerned, if not frightened, by the urgent tone in the captain's voice and the wide-eyed expression on his face. Sajin had begun to pace as he waited.

"It was her all along," he told his lieutenant now. "Ever since that night by the river I have been having dreams, sometimes good, sometimes bad. I could never remember what they were about until now." He looked at Iba. "It was not Takara I have been dreaming about; it was always Amaya."

Sajin felt he finally understood. His dreams were expressing to him what he could not or would not see while he was awake. He was afraid of falling in love, afraid of accidentally hurting her, afraid of her hurting him. Those were his nightmares. His dreams had also shown him what he wanted. He was in love with Amaya; he wanted a life and a future with her. Those were the dreams that had left him with a smile on his dreaming face. Those were the dreams that crept into his concsious mind and destracted him from his daily work.

Sajin explained all of this to Lieutenant Iba, who just smiled.

"I'm happy for you, Captain," he said. "It's obvious she feels the same way about you. Just tell her what you told me, ask her to the ball, and live happily ever after." He said it as though it were the most simple fact in the entire world.

"There is only one problem with that," Sajin said as he sunk down into his desk chair. He looked up at his lieutenant miserably. "I already asked Takara."

Iba looked as crestfallen as Sajin felt. "Oh," he said. "Oh, shit."

"Exactly," Sajin mumbled. He let his head fall down onto his desk. He had the strange urge to bang his head against a wall. "I am so stupid. Amaya sounded so disappointed when I told her I was going to ask Takara last night. I should have realized why."

"You still need to tell her how you feel," Iba said.

"But what if it is too late?" Sajin whispered. "What if I already lost my chance? What if Amaya thinks I asked Takara because I do not want her?"

It was a question for which neither of them had an answer.

AN: This was not how I originally planned for this to happen, but, personally, I believe it is much better than what I had planned. Anywho, I hope you enjoy this. I have the next chapter (which was supposed to be this chapter) already written. A few minor changes and it will be ready. Keep reviewing! I deeply appreciate every comment.