Chapter 11

Hinamori instantly came awake in the pitch black, her heart in her throat. She didn't know what had woken her, but it was something bad. The room looked empty, so why was it that there was a shadow sitting at the foot of the bed?

When she looked directly at it, it wasn't there, but from her peripheral vision, she could see it. A blackness that began to take shape, until there was a dark outline of a woman.

Hinamori shook Hitsugaya's arm, trying to wake him, but it didn't work, they just laid there pressed together, yet she was so cold.

Silent. Everything was silent, in the house, in the outside world. She focused on his breathing, matching the draw and push of her own lungs to his.

So peaceful. And quiet.

The moment, she drew in a sharp breath, the voice clouded her mind. "Do not scream, mistress."

Then she smelt it, the rotten odour of burnt flesh as she thought of several questions to ask it, and finally settled for "Why are you here?"

Hinamori finally reached for Hitsugaya, he was warm and peacefully sleeping. Yet how come she couldn't feel the weight of his arm pressed around her torso. Her fear began building, as the figure shifted in a ripple of black mist. The woman materialized in a black robe, the hood enclosed over her face.

"I'll ask you again, why are you here?"

"My master has interest in you."

"Well, I'll try to be less interesting."

The woman's laugh vibrated the mattress, and Hinamori was absently unwinding herself from Hitsugaya's weightless embrace. The stranger shifted, and then Hinamori had her naked back pressed against the headboard. A slender, white hand was extended towards her under all that black.

"I can smell your fear, child," the voice was neutral, calm. "And I thought this appearance wouldn't frighten you."

"I want you to leave." Hinamori's heart was pounding. "Now."

The black figure moved as if flowing in thin air, no footsteps, her shadow falling over the room; once she stood by the windows. Hitsugaya stirred and murmured in his sleep, once again Hinamori reached for him, shaking him and got no response. She was just touching warm, buoyant stone. The stranger turned on them, staring at the sleeping form.

"He cannot feel your touch as you cannot feel his. Though everything you see, sense or smell that is not connected to him is real."

Hinamori started to speak again, but the darkness filled her lungs, cut off her air circulation. She was choking on night, drowning on crisp cool air. The darkness swelled around her like a great dark ocean. "We'll be waiting."

The dream shattered, and she woke up screaming.


Hitsugaya was leaning over Hinamori, her pupils rolled back until there was only white. She wasn't conscious, but her body was arched off the bed as if her insides were straining to rip out of her skin. Her scream was an eerie echo around the room.

He heard the loud beating of footsteps approaching his room, before someone was pounding on the door, rattling the knob.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto pounded harder, "What's going on?!"

"Toushiro!" Ichigo shouted, "Open the door!"

Lights from the hall flooded through the bottom of the door frame. It seemed as if that door was about to explode open, if Hitsugaya didn't open it now. There was the tiny click of a key being shoved into the keyhole, someone dropped it and cursed. And then Hitsugaya was blinded from the beams of yellow that entered his room. He shielded his eyes.

Renji, Kira and Ichigo stood frozen by the door, Matsumoto pushed straight through the men, not caring that Hinamori was fully exposed or that her captain was half-naked. His blanket covered what was necessary.

Matsumoto was knelt down by the couple; Hitsugaya was balanced on all fours over Hinamori, holding her shoulders down with his hands, while her legs were locked between his.

"What happened?" the blonde brushed away the hair from the still pale and screaming geisha. Her fingers were digging into the folds of the bed, ripping through the fabric.

"I don't know," Hitsugaya's voice shook, "We were asleep and then she woke up having a screaming seizure."

The strawberry-blonde gestured her captain aside, and then with a quick motion of her hand, she snapped her arm fast and then her hand collided with Hinamori's face, hard.

Hinamori blinked once, and then she was staring at the ceiling, broken out in cold-sweat. She gasped, as if taking in a lungful of air after you've drown. Matsumoto was patting her pale face waiting for her to regain composure.

The geisha was feeling desperately around the silk sheets for something, and then warm, slender fingers laced through hers. She squeezed the hand.

"Are you okay?" Hitsugaya came into her view, "Need anything?"

Her throat was dry. "Water," her voice cracked.

Ichigo's shadow fell over them as he held out a tray. Matsumoto grabbed the tea cup. They helped Hinamori settle against the backboard, while Hitsugaya draped a robe over her. She closed her eyes at the scent of freshly brewed tea, then she cracked open her lips, letting the liquid fill her mouth when Matsumoto pressed the cup to her lips.

"Colour has come back to her." Ichigo said, shockingly relieved.

"Is there anything else we can do for you?" he asked Hinamori, but she just stared at him.

"We can leave." Kira's voice came from the hall. Ichigo and Matsumoto rose from their places beside the bed, nodded at Hitsugaya once before walking to the door. Hitsugaya watched his companions stand at the entrance, Ikkaku has his arms crossed over his chest and he was scowling. "He's marked the woman."

Yumichika ran a hand through his sleepy-tousled hair, "Clearly, it's radiating all over." He sighed. "How troublesome."

"We'll talk about this later, guys." Matsumoto reached for the door and shut her captain and his lover in darkness.


Two candles illuminated the room. Hitsugaya cursed silently to himself. But right now wasn't the time to be pissed off about what was to come; instead he should be worried about Hinamori. He squeezed her hand and she cocked her head at him, still dazed.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he said, pulling her off the bed with him.

Hinamori turned and then she doubled over in pain, clutching her stomach. She groaned into the silks.

Hitsugaya dropped her hand and ran to her, throwing the robe aside from her body. There was a trickle of blood on his sheets, it wasn't a lot, but it scared him shitless. His turquoise orbs followed the line of blood between her legs.

"You're bleeding." He whispered.

"I'm just sore."

Hitsugaya disappeared to his bathroom and came back to her, he eased a towel between her legs, and she squirmed. "I hurt you, I'm sorry."

She turned her head to the side, half of her face pressed into the pillows. "It's only natural that I'd bleed."

He placed his head on her pillow and she reached for him, sliding her fingers through his hair, taking in his scent ever so slowly.

"Does it hurt?" he murmured.

She sighed and smiled, "No because I'm sure it was a good hurt."


The captain was the last one to enter his office for the conference. He sat down in his leather chair, with Matsumoto on his right and Ichigo on his left. Ikkaku was sprawled across the yellow sofa with Yumichika sitting at his feet. Renji leaned against one of the tall bookshelves that would collapse any time soon, if he applied anymore pressure. Kira was absently staring outside. The atmosphere was maddening and intense.

The ticking of the clock on the desk drove everyone nuts, until Ikkaku spoke up, "Damn it, do you know what you've done Hitsugaya-taichou?"

Everyone had been expecting this, waiting for this outburst.

"What of it?"

"This is a violation the law, twice!"

"Your point?"

"You thought bringing in someone of the lower class wouldn't be enough? And now you had to fuck her senseless!"

Yumichika had his hand on his best friend's shoulder, thinking he'd gone too far. "Watch your mouth, Ikkaku," he warned. Hitsugaya decided not to get aggravated about that last remark. Yumichika shot Renji a look, when the red-head said something about Ikkaku watching his mouth, or he'd get his foot somewhere he wouldn't want it to be.

Hitsugaya rubbed his face with a hand, "They're catching onto us, aren't they?"

Yumichika nodded his head, and relaxed when Ikkaku settled back down.

"The more connected she is to any of us, the worse it gets," Renji stated, "to the point where her memories will be too vivid for any of us to erase."

"It'll be easier for them to track her when she's with us," Matsumoto murmured, "it only gets worse from here because it'll be the same." Her voice fell. "The same as V."

Someone cursed.

Ichigo searched himself for something, patting his pockets before he threw a broken indicator onto the desk, letting it slide till it stopped perfectly in the center. Anyone would recognize that bloody circle, anywhere.

"They drank her to the last drop."

"The son of a bitch dematerialized."

"And who was the victim?"

"Lady Chihiro."

Hitsugaya swore. Burrying his face in his hands, groaning.

"Don't worry," Kira finally spoke up, he was still staring out the window. "We just have to get to them first, before they get to us."

"We're just going to have to be on our best defence."

Yumichika and Renji nodded in agreement with Ikkaku. "I'm actually starting to like her...a lot."

Matsumoto laughed along with Ichigo.

Hitsugaya stared at the broken indicator. "Yeah, me too."

He closed his eyes, no one heard him.

"More than I should."

Authors Note: Sorry for the delay but my word files were acting up so I couldn't update faster. Well there was my last update of 08! And on to 09! Happy (early) New Years! My special thanks goes to: emo1girl, Kisa Yamashita, rubyjn, Sabishii Tenshi, xloser21, xoxoShyokoxoChanxoxo and Fourpeg for their alerts! Until next times…hope everyone has a blast of 09!