I'm just trying to keep up let alone catch up right now, I'm so happy I'm getting reviews for every update. I don't think I will ever really catch back up lol. Because I'm sure I'll have another email from another reviewer tomorrow after I post this one. My total of chapters to do is now 4 even after last nights update. Thank you Albinos and ! I'm so happy my story is even getting reviews. This is probably my most popular story, and that means that I'm growing as an author (I think) which gives me tons to be happy about. So thank you all, and here goes the next chapter.

Chapter 11...It Begins

"Wake up! You promised you'd help me today now get up lazy ass!" Lilinette exclaimed leaping up onto Stark's bed and landing with her knees to his stomach. Stark groaned as the air left his lungs. He pushes Lili off of him and rolls onto his side. The girl glares and starts to shake the man. Of course he would decide to be lazy on the day he said he would train her. It was just like him to do that to her. And she couldn't stay weak like she used to be. Not after that battle. She'd given it a lot of thought since then and even more since yesterday when she'd thought about the losses they'd suffered. That could have been them. Her and Stark. If Orihime hadn't been there when she did, they both would have died. Lilinette hadn't been any use. All she did was distract the other Captain from jumping in on Stark's fight sooner. He wouldn't even take her seriously. Maybe if she'd been a little stronger she could have killed the sick Captain and maybe her and Stark wouldn't have lost.

She shook her head. That battle was in the past. She wouldn't be fighting the Shinigami anymore. They were her allies now. And that meant that there would be a peace time. There was always a time of peace after a great war. She was smart enough to know that. And the time of peace gave her time enough to learn how to be a real threat in battle. At least real enough that she wouldn't have to rely on Stark so much, since Captains usually weren't part of battles unless necessary.

She kicked Stark in the back. The man finally roused from his slumber and stood up. He grabbed his clothing from his dresser and went into the bathroom. He came out looking like he normally did. Extremely bored and extremely exhausted. It almost wasn't fair how much he slept versus everyone else. Lilinette practically pulled him along to 14th's training area. There was a target range on the far side, and that's where they went.


Shuuhei Hisagi was going crazy. It was a slow day, he'd finally caught up on most of the paperwork and there wasn't anything else he could do until the filing room got sorted out. And that wasn't something he was willing to tackle today. He stood. If he remembered what Lili had said correctly, she was supposed to be training with Stark right about now. It was a good time to actually see the two in action. He gets up from his desk, leaves instruction for the 3rd seat, and walks over to 14th. It was actually a pretty nice day, and he didn't feel like hurrying. When he finally got there, he just hung back, staying out of the way. He found himself smiling when Lilinette began to yell at Stark for not explaining things properly. He watched silently for a while as she shot at the targets. She wasn't very good at aiming, and when she did hit a target it only burned it a little. Stark was right in his concern about her going anywhere without him. But maybe that's why she wanted to get stronger so badly. So that she didn't need Stark as much. But unless something drastic happened, they would always need each other. The duo takes a pause and that's when Shuuhei goes over to greet them.


Kato leans over the toilet in her bathroom and vomits. The medicine she'd been given had helped, but now she was sick again. She stands, wiping her mouth and stumbling out of her quarters. She walks with a hand against the walls, holding herself up as she hurriedly makes her way towards fourth. It was just two divisions away. She was in the middle of 5th when she has to hurry to a nearby trash can to exspell the remaining contents of her stomach. She stares in horror when she notices the blood. A hand touches her shoulder and she turns, only to begin coughing blood. The person who'd come to check on her shouted for someone to fetch a healer. They helped her sit down, and she continued to cough. The person brought their handkerchief to her lips. Kato began to cry, worried for her health. There was a lot of blood now, and she was beginning to feel weak. 4th arrives, and puts her on a stretcher so they could transport her faster. She leans over the side of the stretcher and vomits pure blood, then passes out from bloodloss. It was only later that Mito realized the girl he'd stopped to help had gotten her blood on him. He went to the bathroom and scrubbed til his skin was pink. Blood had always bothered him.


Renji was walking out of the office for a break for the first time that morning. He immediately turns to head in the direction of 13, and one pesky little Lieutenant there. He hears his name being called and turns. It was Rikichi waving a paper at him. The boy stops and hands Renji the paper. It was a missive from 4th. That sick girl was in critical condition. Sighing, Renji walks back onto the office, giving the paper to Byakuya for him to read. Byakuya nods and waves him off to go on his break anyways. Renji runs to meet Rukia. They'd made plans to do lunch again. He meets her as she's leaving her office, and they go to their usual restaurant. Today was the day Renji was finally going to proclaim his feelings for her. They order and sit in silence.

Rukia could tell something was on Renji's mind. She could read him like a book. And she knew exactly what he was going to do. Renji opened his mouth, and Rukia immediately stopped him. "Don't Renji," she says softly. He stared at her with his mouth open. How she wanted to close it for him. "You know we can't. Don't complicate things. We can at least be friends, you have to let that be good enough for you." she tells him. His shocked expression hardens.

"I worked my butt of to get to be a Lieutenant so that I could be worthy of even talking to you. Do you think I really wanted you to go be a Kuchiki? So I could lose every chance I had at being with the person I cared about? But that was exactly it, I cared about you and being a Kuchiki was the best thing that could have happened to you. Look at you now! It took a very long time til I got to the point in my life where I thought I would be worthy-"

Rukia cuts him off again "Nothing will make you worthy in nii-sama's eyes! You will never be good enough to be with even the lowest member of the Kuchiki family to him!" she exclaims. Renji finishes his sentence anyways.

"Til I got to a point where I felt that I would be worthy of the honor to be with you. Your brother's opinion wasn't what I cared about. It was that I didn't feel worthy of being with you. But apparently your brother's opinion means more to you than I do," he says sullenly, standing. "Guess it was all a waste of my time." Renji drops money on the table and leaves the restaurant. He wouldn't be returning to his division any time soon. In fact, he made sure he had his pass, and left the Seireitei altogether, going out into the Rukon. He flash-stepped to the Hanging Dog, number 74. He never stopped til he stood on the hill where they'd buried their friends. Where he and Rukia had made the decision that had changed their lives forever. He sat down between two of the three worn down crosses and stared out over the district.

Ok I know this one was kind of short too but I'm trying to catch up like I said. Down to 3 again after this goes up, but I know it will be 4 again tomorrow. You guys are wonderful!

Albinos: No I didn't use the word trash so directly. I didn't even realize til you said that. It rather amused me when you pointed it out actually. Hopefully I gave you some better insight as to what Lili has been thinking lately. I'm trying to develop her and Shuuhei a little better as the inter species drama is about to become huge. And I want a little of their relationship to be able to shine through it all, and so I need them to be close. And yea, it was just a short little glimpse, Karin and Urahara's working together, but it struck me, especially when Ichigo's mom's heritage was brought about. And no it's not just you. I'm trying to darken it up. The fluff is actually about to get a little less fluffy now unfortunately. I don't know how much more I can throw in now that its all begun. That's why I need your guy's input for little scenes.

: For the next hybrid, it will probably be Stark and Tia. After all, they are still short the two captains, and those spots need filled before they can begin the full assimilation. Just wanted to wait another chapter. Give it some real time before the decision was 'officially made'. And yep, Orihime will finally be able to go back to see Tatsuki.