Chapter 14- Finding You, Finding Our Ending

She felt like crying. No. No. No.

She ran but she wasn't sure to where. Where would he go?

Yachiru had appeared at her door a letter in hand. Momo had to admit she was a bit surprised at the young girl's appearance. It wasn't like she was close to her. Still she allowed the young girl into her home.

Yachiru smiled up at her handing Momo the sealed envelope.

The older girl couldn't help but be a bit nervous. Her hands shook a bit as she took it for Yachiru.

"Who's it from?" she asked quietly.

Yachiru only continued to smile at her.

So with a shaky hand she opened the sealed letter. She licked her lips pulling out the folded paper.

Such lovely hand writing. Her eyes scrolled down the sheet.

Dearest Momo-chan,

I would have to assume all is well with you and that I are last meeting didn't get you in any trouble. But it made me think. It's just to dangerous for you and I. Conversing with me just makes you look more like a traitor. And I don't want that. I want you to live a long happy life in the position you always wanted.

A letter is a crummy way to say goodbye, I know. But the only way. Be happy Momo. We have long lifelines. You'll love again. Foxes ain't to be trusted anyway. Take care of yourself Momo. I'll always love you.

Sincerely,

Ichimaru Gin.

She reread the letter several times, her hands shaking a bit.

"Aren't you going to go to him?"

She looked up, almost having forgotten that the younger girl was still there.

"You saw him?"

Yachiru nodded. "Yes, but don't worry. The secret is safe with me. Now, are you going to go to him?"

Hinamori shook her head. "Where would he be how would I find him? And my life here…I'd have to leave now to even try and catch him,"

"Then leave now," Yachiru said, as if it was that simple. And…..maybe it was. She crushed the letter in her hands. Yes. Maybe it was just that simple.

The younger girl beamed at Hinamroi. "Get going!" she cheered, her old child like excitement bubbling up.

And it a burst of shumpo she did that. First things first. Stepping down from her position. She pulled off her armband as she ran to a familiar room. She hesitated for only a moment. She hadn't been here since that night. Her last night speaking to her captain…Aizen. She shook her head ridding herself over the old memories. And knocked on the door lightly.

She heard the clutter of someone inside. And the soft footsteps to the door. Gray eyes blinked in surprise. "Hinamori-san?" He had a pipe in one hand, and the whole room stank of it. She wrinkled her nose at the stench.

She handed him the squad five armband. "I am stepping down from my position here. I no longer wish to be the lietenuiant of squad five," She looked him right in the eye as she spoke.

He starred at her for a moment, before taking the armband. "Where are you going to go Hinamori-san?"

Questioning her. He didn't trust her. He never had. Always assuming she was helping Aizen in someway.

"From this point on, my life is no longer of any importance to the Gotei Thirteen," and with that she shumpoed off. He would have people tracking her in no time now. She should have gone to say goodbye to Toshiro and Unohana first. To late for that now. The sooner she left the sooner the harder it would be to track her.

She felt tears in the corners of her eyes as she ran. This had been her whole life up till now. She gave up so much for it… She'd never see Shiro again now…. But it was something that had to be done…. She loved Gin. She couldn't let him slip through her fingers like that.

"You are always so thick headed. Why didn't you come to me first?"

She jumped in surprise at the voice beside her. "You damn captains always sneaking up on us," she moved her hand to smack her old friend, but he of course dodged. They both slowed to a stop.

Toshiro sighed crossing his arms. "Urahara has already spread the word that you're leaving. You open a gate and you'll bring everyone right to Gin,"

She lowered her head, and bit her lip. Now what?

"And you were just going to leave without saying goodbye,"

"Shiro, I,"

"Idiot!" he sighed pulling out his blade. "I could open a gate for you of course."

Her eyes went wide. "You would?"

He nodded. "If this is what will make you happy, then so be it. But, after this…. I can't help you anymore. I'll take you both in, should we ever happen to cross paths,"

She nodded, tears in her eyes. "Of course," she watched the gate appear. This was it.

"There," he said softly stepping back.

She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Thank you Shiro-chan."

He sighed annoyed at the nickname but returned the hug all the same. "Be happy Hinamori,"

"You too, Toshiro," She released her hold on him and with one last smile to her dear friend she shumpoed through the gate.

He had opened a gate to Paris, where Gin had been last. Not to far from the café. But she couldn't find him. He wouldn't still be here anyway. Not after Soul Society had come.

She felt tears once more burn at the corners of her eyes. She sat down on a park bench defeated, eventually. She sighed sadly wiping her eyes. What was she going to do now?

"Tissue, dear?"

A white cloth appeared in front of her. She thanked the person quietly, as she took it, drying her eyes with it. It took her a moment to realize a human had handed her a handkerchief. Humans should not be able to hand her anything. Much less be able to see her and talk to her. She turned to look at the man, who chocolate colored eyes wide and fearful.

His face was hidden by a newspaper, she swallowed. "Sir?"

The news paper, moved down and familiar dark brown eyes met her own.

She gasped almost falling of the bench in shock. Aizen.

He watched her flail about like a mouse in front of a cat for a moment, before looking away from her to his watch. "Well….for receiving the note, I guess this is good time. I would have thought you'd come before that. Guess it takes losing something for people to realize how much they want it," he smirked, more to himself that anyone. Yes, he knew that feeling.

He glanced back to her for a moment folding up his paper and tucking it under his arm as he stood up. "Follow me," he said.

"Why?" she asked standing up off the bench, the handkerchief still tightly in her hands.

He glanced down, a slight gleam of irritation at being questioned passed through his brown orbs. "So I can take you to Gin, of course. That is where you want to go, I assume."

She starred at him. "You'll take me to him?"

He nodded. "Yes, of course. I was hoping that you wouldn't show at all. And I could work on winning him back to my side, but you have a lifetime to screw it up, Hinamori-kun, I can simply wait," he turned away beginning to walk down the dark streets.

She hesitantly followed her former captain. Not quite sure if she should trust him. But he was her only lead to Gin. They walked in silence for a bit.

"You two stayed in Paris?" she asked quietly.

"No place is safer then right under your pursuers noses," he replied, stopping in front of a shady building. "He's in there,"

She waited for him to lead them in but he didn't move from his spot. "Aren't you coming?" she asked softly.

He shook his head stepping away. "I have far better things to do then listen to you two. This is far from goodbye, I'll still be around," with that he turned back the way he had come.

She watched him go. That man, Aizen Souske…. A man that she had loved for a good part of her life, a man she had admired…what could she think of him now? Still as clever as always, still eluding the Soul Society. It would be interesting to see, in her years to come what kind of plans he would come up with.

She would see him again, that was for certain. He would come back to Gin and her. Trying to win them over with his words. Maybe he would succeed. Maybe she would fight by his side once more, with Gin. Maybe….

The future away from Soul Society was so uncertain now. Who knew where it would lead her. But right now, she had to focus on now. She shumpoed into the building. The inside as she suspected looked very nice. As always he stayed someplace that looked terrible on the outside but wonderful on the inside. She looked about the place and up the stairs. Into a small bedroom.

There a tuft of silver hair peeking out from under the covers. She couldn't help it, she ran over jumping on the covered figure.

Soft cursing was heard at once as the figure under her struggled to fight his way out of the sheets and blankets. She watched in amusement her smile growing at each passing moment, until at last annoyed sleepy ruby colored eyes met her chocolate colored ones. They turned from annoyed to surprised in a matter of seconds, before slowly sliding into closed slits.

"Momo," he said softly.

She beamed at him wrapping her arms around him. "Gin,"

He planed soft kisses along her face. "You left?"

"And I'm never going back," she said her face heating up at the soft kisses he planted along her skin.

"I can' say I'd let ya do such a thing, like goin back,"

She giggled softly capturing his lips. No, she'd never leave him.

In the many years to come, they would still go from place to place. You couldn't be to careful. And to her dismay at first they saw more of Aizen then she would have liked. Always worried that his skilled mind would seduce Gin away from her.

Of course, that was just the way Aizen spoke. And it became less bothersome to see him, and more amusing anything. He told good tales and stories. And he knew a lot about Gin. She learned a lot from him.

And of course he still hadn't given up his goals. Of course, she had a new perspective on all of that. And maybe in more years to come, her and Gin really would be fighting for him. But those years were far away. So far in the distance you couldn't be sure they were there at all.

She never did see Shiro again. But she did see Kira a handful of times and Unohana every now and then.

But mostly it was just her and Gin. And that she didn't mind. A life on the run. It was sort of romantic. Eventually they would get tired of running, she could see that coming. Thus Aizen's far off goals looked a little brighter. But until then this life was just fine.

No need to settle down quite yet.

"Ya miss it?"

She looked up, Aizen happened to be there that afternoon for tea., glanced at the silver haired man.

"Miss what?" she asked curiously.

"Bein a shinigami," he laced his fingers together, scarlet eyes peeking out a bit.

She set her tea cup down. "A little. Not as much as you though, I'm sure. You started being a shinigami a lot younger then me, and were doing it much longer then I was,"

His smirk stretched across his face. "Naah, I don' miss it,"

Aizen sipped his tea quietly watching them both with his dark eyes. Always plotting away. They both missed it a little bit. And he would pray on those weaknesses all in good time.

She sighed contently sipping her at once more. Well whatever her future held, she'd find out all in good time, until then, she would enjoy the ride. Wherever this ride led her she'd at least be able to be with Gin. She smiled to herself as Aizen talked to Gin about something he read in the paper. Who would have thought that the lieutenant she hated so was someone she would love so completely now. Ah it didn't matter now.

She watched the two of them talk. And like always Aizen would leave first and pat Gin on the head giving her a slight nod before taking his leave. And would show up in another two weeks or so. And her and Gin could carry on with their life uninterrupted.

The silver haired man smiled over at her once he had left. "What is on the agenda for today?"

She beamed back at him. "Whatever we like Gin,"

"That we can,"

This was their life. It may change in the years to come, but until then she couldn't imagine anything better right now. She took his bony hand in hers squeezing it gently. "I love you Gin."

A gleam of scarlet peeked though his lashes once more. "And I love ya, Momo,"

She smiled happily. This was all that matters.

A/N

And that's it. I am terrible at ending things. Never been proud of one thing I ended… Well I hope you enjoyed and I thank everyone who has been with it from the beginning. I do apologize for the late update, my heath has been poor, among other things happening. Personal life issues. Anyway. Once more thank you everyone. I hope you enjoyed.