A/N: I stayed away a lot longer than anticipated. So glad to add another chapter to this saga. My first chapter since the official Bleach ending. Idk how many of you are caught up so I'm not gonna give away how it ends. All I'm gonna say is . . . . . . . . . . wtf, Kubo lol.

Well anyhoo, lets get into chapter 21. Thank you all for the encouragement, likes, faves, follows in the meantime :)

Twenty-One

Renji

It threw Renji to awake later that morning lying nude between purple, gray and black striped sheets. But the bundle of messy, teal hair lying on his chest quickly reminded him of where he'd lain his head and why his legs and lower back felt so sore.

He yawned with a smile, skating fingers against his scalp. Amazing sex with Nel was the perfect stress reliever. Her burning lust and aggressive passion were welcomed surprises. Her nymph-like behavior caught him completely off guard due to her generally sweet nature.

Yet as quickly as satisfaction set in, reality soon came. His suspension reminded him what might happen if he got involved with another gang member. Ichigo was probably right when he said that Byakuya would fire me if he ever found out again.

But, he now found himself sitting across from his forbidden fruit eating breakfast at Book of the End, somewhat regretful that he didn't go home.

"Ah, yes! I'm starving," Nel said, smiling and rubbing her hands together when the waiter set a rather large bowl of miso soup before her. "Gotta build up some of those calories I lost last night." Renji smirked while dropping a couple sugar cubes into his coffee.

"Yeah same. I have no energy at all. I'll probably spend the whole morning and afternoon in bed."

"Lucky you. I gotta go to work in an hour." They said thanks and toasted the meal before indulging. Nel closed her eyes and moaned, savoring the distinct taste of the miso. It was arguably the best bowl she'd had so far since she moved to the country. "Mmm, so good." Renji nodded.

"I know, right? Their miso is second to none. They even have Urahara beat."

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?"

"I have to interview a couple witnesses and investigate with another lieutenant, which should last a few days. Yay." Nel grinned at the dull, sarcastic tone.

"A hero's job is never finished." Renji smirked.

"True. Corny, but true. But, why do you ask?"

Nel began to answer him, but he wouldn't remember anything else she would say that morning. He wouldn't remember, because she had appeared. She had come up quietly, almost stealthily, and now stood right next to him, hazel eyes staring down at him with a sad glare. Posture somewhat stiff as her fingers nervously twitched against the navy-blue cotton covering her thighs. Plump, dark rouge lips fixated into the phoniest smile he'd ever seen from her. Her voice also gave off that same air of insincerity.

"Good morning, Renji."

"Hey, is he checking me out?" Riruka asked, holding eye contact with Jackie but motioning her head toward the young, onyx haired barista. She awkwardly cleared her throat as she flirtatiously stroked her fuchsia, pigtail braids. Jackie glanced over the shorter woman's head at the barista while he attended to the customers sitting at the opposite end of the bar.

"No. He's working. Like we need to be in a few minutes." Riruka groaned and rolled her eyes before turning back to her mocha Frappuccino resting on the brown, marble countertop.

"Ugh, I know that. Such a workaholic." Jackie grinned and took a sip of hazelnut coffee. Riruka wasn't exaggerating. Jackie had stayed late and went in early at Naruki City Wheels during the past two weeks. The need to replenish the steady cash flow that had tapered off since she cut ties with Xcution was a motivator for the overtime. However, she couldn't deny that she also used work as an escape from her feelings for Renji. It had been so long since she'd seen or heard from him and she was beginning to feel she'd never see him again. The possible reality of this worry was simply something she refused to dwell on.

"There's no harm in hard work."

"And there's no harm in flaking occasionally either. Besides, when there's this much eye candy, it's worth being a little late." Riruka set her drink on the counter and discreetly pointed to a handsome, brunette sitting alone at a table, reading a book. "That guy is cute, isn't he?" Jackie smirked and gave him a once over. She shrugged apathetically.

"He's okay, I guess." Riruka's mouth dropped in both surprise and frustration. How in the hell can she not think he is cute?!

"Oka – ugh girl, what is up with you? Are you still stuck on that bastard, Renji?" Jackie sighed deeply and lowered her head as her arms stretched against the counter, a few braids slipping over her shoulders and framing her face. Riruka just had to say his name and trigger her feelings again.

"Can we go, now," Jackie flatly asked, completely over their little breakfast date.

"Jackie, look around you," Riruka said, swiveling on the metal stool and spreading her arms for emphasis. "There are lots of options for you. Some of them even look better than that idiot, okay? Just try and . . . oh shit." Riruka trailed off upon seeing a tall, red head sitting far off in the corner with a woman. She couldn't see his face clearly, but there was no one else it could be other than Renji. She pursed her lips together and quickly swiveled around, letting those lips fall back on the straw of her drink. Jackie quirked a brow at her roommate's odd reaction.

"What's wrong?"

"You know, maybe we should go," Riruka said, hastily grabbing her cell and wallet and shoving them into her bag. "My boss will kill me if I'm too late again." Jackie snorted as the other brow rose.

"Oh, now you wanna leave?" She swiveled on her own stool to see if she could find out what had startled her friend. "What's gotten into . . . you?"

She wasn't ill, but the turning in her stomach threatened a physical display of sickness. She furrowed her eyebrows as anxious eyes burned holes in her flawless cocoa complexion, forcing her pride to dominate the insecurity, hurt, and disappointment brewing in her gut.

Part of her wanted to rip the dyed follicles out of his scalp, crying at the top of her lungs about his blatant disrespect for her feelings. Another part contemplated walking away entirely with an air of conceit; if he can't see you and only you, then fuck him.

In the end, her rationality won. How could she be upset with him seeing another woman when she had no claim over him? Or maybe this wasn't what it appeared to be?

"Good morning, Renji. Renji's friend."

Her voice was so cool and collected that it only intensified the nervousness within Renji rather than sedate it. Considering the unconfirmed openness of their relationship, her reaction was understandable, but completely wrong at the same time. Why was she so cool with him being with Nel? Even disregarding Nel, why was she so calm despite his lack of attention towards her for almost a month at that point? Where was her anger? Furthermore, why did he care considering that he was technically a single man?

"Riruka and I just came over to say hi. We would stay longer, but we're already in kind of a hurry. So – um – I'll catch you later."

Jackie had given her excuse so quickly that Renji couldn't muster a response before the tall beauty rushed away, Riruka staggering behind her as she was dragged by a firm grip around her wrist. Nel's lips formed a silent "Oh" and her eyebrows furrowed upon seeing the look of disdain the fuchsia haired girl gave her before exiting the glass door.

"Geez, what's the pink haired girl's stink eye for?" she asked with a scoff and eye roll. She turned back around to see her companion staring at the glass door. She raised a brow upon feeling his knee brush against hers a few times as he nervously tapped his foot under the table, his thumb stroking the handle of his coffee mug. Nel smirked before bringing her latte to her lips, knowing that his interaction with the women was much deeper than it appeared.

"Everything alright, Renji?" she asked, amusement barely hidden in her voice. Renji tore his eyes from the door and met the teal ones just feet away.

"Oh yeah, yeah, they're just some old friends of mine," he said with a wave of the hand.

"You sure? Because –"

"Uh . . . could you just excuse me for a sec? Sorry."

Nel chuckled and shook her head as the redhead slid out the booth and hurried to the door. She sighed before taking another sip of coffee.

"Old friends, huh. Sure."

Renji knew he couldn't have exited the café no more than half a minute after Jackie, but by the time he made it to the parking lot, he could find no trace of her. Throwing his hands to his face to shield his eyes from the sun, he looked left and right for signs of either woman, but he ultimately came away empty. He dropped his arms, feeling somewhat defeated as he sighed, his eyes sliding closed and his head tilted towards the sky.

Shunsui

"Ugh. Lisa, you put too much gin in here," Shinji said with a disgusted expression as he tasted the cocktail before sliding it back towards her. Lisa rolled her eyes. She grabbed the glass and poured it down the sink with one hand as her other focused on texting Shunsui.

"No, I didn't," she said, dully. "I've done that recipe hundreds of times."

"Yeah, maybe so but I'm sure you're not on your phone when you do it." Lisa haphazardly tossed her cell on the bar counter and turned to glare at her good, but annoying, friend.

"Okay fine, I'll remake it. Fuckin' baby."

"That's the fourth order you've messed up tonight, Lisa," Kisuke, who sat directly in front of her and in between Shinji and Yoruichi, said with a frown. "That's not like you. Something wrong?" Lisa shook her head as she began to remake Shinji's gin and tonic.

"Just got my mind on a few things, that's all." All three friends stared expectantly, not willing to accept her vague answer. Lisa looked up from re-pouring the gin, narrowed her eyes and sighed, cursing that she had befriended people as nosey as herself. "Shunsui's daughter," she explained. "The whole situation is starting to fuck with me."

"Baby mama drama?" Shinji asked, intrigued.

"No, not exactly. I mean, she's a bitch but she's not really a problem. If I'm real about it, I'm kinda jealous of her. She's Shunsui's first love and the mother of his first child. It's messing me up a little bit."

"Ah, don't let it mess you up," Kisuke said with a grin. "Kyoraku-taicho worships the ground you walk on. Kid or not, Sakuranosuke is probably an afterthought for him." Lisa nodded as she slid Shinji his remade drink.

"I know he loves me, but that doesn't mean he won't fall for her again. You can't tell me that knowing he has a child with her isn't bringing up old emotions."

"I understand how you feel," Yoruichi said. "I felt like my last ex never got over his child's mother, so I broke up with him. Three weeks later, they got back together." Lisa sighed, refilling Yoruichi and Kisuke's glasses respectively with water and sake.

"I should have just gone ahead and had the baby when I got pregnant three years ago. Things would be different now." Shinji sucked his teeth and smirked.

"It still wouldn't have been his first child, dum dum. And you've never wanted to have kids, but since his old flame is back, suddenly you're Mary Poppins." He sighed and took a big sip of his cocktail, staring off into the distance. "I swear I don't understand women sometimes." Yoruichi smirked as she rummaged around in the black clutch resting on her lap.

"You don't, huh I'd never have guessed," she said, sarcasm oozing from her words. She withdrew about fifty thousand yen and laid it on the black marble countertop. "Here you go, Lisa. Don't forget, send Byakuya-bo the text in about two hours." Lisa nodded, sliding the money into the pocket of her red hakama.

"Are you sure you're feeling better?" Kisuke asked, tone concerned. "You threw up twice when we were at the festival earlier. Don't you think you should get some rest?"

"No, I'm feeling pretty ok now. That stuff Tessai had seems to be working." She put her arm around Kisuke's shoulders and gave him a quick hug and peck on the cheek before waving goodbye to Lisa and Shinji. When she had left, Lisa pulled out the money and fanned it, bright smile on her face.

"I don't know if she's feeling better, but she just made me feel a lot better." Shinji snorted before taking another sip of gin and tonic.

"Basic ass."

Lisa hit him square in the forehead with an olive.

Tanabata was Karakura City's most popular festival, held annually during the first week of August. The festival, held in honor of the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, was a week long and brought several thousand visitors to the city. Because of the festival's family friendly and relaxed vibe, Sakuranosuke thought it would be the perfect place to introduce Shunsui and Hana.

"I'm going to the dango stall," Hana said, her voice stoic, as she rose from the blanket on which she and her parents were currently relaxing. "You want me to bring you back anything, kaa-san?" Sakuranosuke looked up from the shamisen she was strumming and grinned.

"No, I'm fine, sweetheart."

"I would like some kakigori if you happen to pass by the stall," Shunsui said with a warm smile, sitting up to hand his daughter another couple thousand yen to add to the fifty thousand he had given her earlier. Hana smirked awkwardly as she accepted the currency with a nod.

"Sure," she simply said, before turning around and hurrying off towards the food stalls. Her uneasy reaction caused Shunsui's smile to crumble. He sighed deeply as he lied back down on his navy haori, resting his head under his folded arms and staring blankly at the sakura blossoms right above them. It had been like this all day. Though she had rarely left his presence, Hana had still been avoiding him. She kept conversations short, texted others when he'd ask her questions and kept turning her attention to her mother instead of giving it to him. Over the years, he had rightfully earned the reputation as a charming gentleman, but it now appeared that the one woman he wanted to impress most didn't want anything to do with him.

"Yare yare, this is not going well," he said, more to himself than to her. Sakuranosuke lifted her eyes enough to gaze upon her former lover lying solemnly to her left, his dejected demeanor somewhat troubling considering he was often the life of the party.

"Give her time," Sakuranosuke said, returning to her strumming. "Hana has never been particularly talkative, so don't take too much offense. I'm sure she's still trying to process everything."

"Yeah, maybe you're right. You do know her a lot better than I do, after all." Sakuranosuke paused once more, not sure whether to interpret his comment as shade. However, the small upward tilt of his lips let her know he was earnest. "You did a good job raising her, Sakuranosuke. Despite her cautiousness towards me, she seems like a very sweet child." A slight flitter of butterflies went through her stomach at that moment. She knew for sure that she had long gotten over Shunsui, but he still managed to make her blush after all this time. She shook her head grinning before returning her attention to the lute instrument.

"Seems like you've gotten smarter in your old age."

As she started to tighten the shamisen's strings, a flash of purple hair caught her eye. Hana was on her way back with dango in her mouth, Shunsui's kakigori in one hand and her cell in the other. As usual, she was preoccupied with texting her friends and not bothering to pay much attention around her. However, her daughter's lack of attention gave Sakuranosuke an idea. Lying the shamisen down beside Shunsui, she quickly stood to her feet and smoothed out her bold, red kimono. Shunsui peeked an eye open, hearing her rustling.

"Where are you off to?" he asked intrigued.

"I'm going to check out the kimono stalls and see if they have anything nice. I'll be back soon." Before he could ask more, she scurried off, leaving him to wonder what was her rush.

But soon, Shunsui realized why she had left so suddenly. Hana had returned, looking confused about her mother's absence. After handing him his food and inquiring where she was, Hana returned to her previous stance of ignoring Shunsui and focused her attention on the baseball game playing on her cellphone screen. Listening to the audio a few feet away, he could hear that it was a Karakura City Hornets game and they were next at bat with two outs. Shunsui was a big fan of the Hornets, but was frustrated with their lackluster season thus far. So, it was no surprise when the batter struck out, leaving the score at a 3-0 deficit. He scoffed.

"So terrible."

Shunsui's thick eyebrows rose and Hana whipped her gaze toward his direction, short purple bob swinging with the movement. They had uttered their disgust for the Hornets play at the exact same time, almost as if they shared the same mind. This tickled Shunsui as his frown instantly reversed into a smile.

"You like the Hornets too?" he asked, hoping and praying that he had finally discovered something they could bond over. Hana replied with a brief nod. She glanced back at her phone before returning her attention to her father.

"Wanna watch?" If Shunsui could have flown over the moon at that moment, he would have. It was a small gesture, but it meant everything for Hana to give him an opening into her world, no matter how tiny a crack it may have been.

"Of course I do," Shunsui said, patting the space beside him. Hana took the hint and quickly crawled over to sit right beside him, curling closer into his side as she held the phone where they both could see.

Sakuranosuke never intended to buy a kimono, but was eventually suckered into purchasing an elaborate, silk furisode by an extremely persuasive saleswoman. As she walked back over to her family, angrily muttering curses and kicking herself for spending so much money, she could hear two very familiar voices passionately talking.

"You're lying!"

"I promise you I'm not, Hana-chan."

"You really know Jinta-kun's dad?! No way, I don't believe it!"

"Well, he's not really his father to be honest. More of a guardian to him and his sister. But if you don't believe me, how about I call him right now?"

"No way! Seriously?!"

Sakuranosuke's foul mood instantly vanished as she saw her daughter and Shunsui smiling and connecting, apparently talking about Jinta Hanakari, the Hornet's starting pitcher. She knew both were major baseball fans, so it didn't surprise her they had finally managed to bond over something.

"I guess I can do a bit more shopping," she said with a sigh, before turning to walk back toward the stalls, not wanting to ruin their moment.

Byakuya

"A lot of people in here. That's good," Yoruichi quietly said with a smirk upon entering Gatonden's elegantly decorated foyer. Byakuya nodded.

"Yes, Tanabata is a busy time. Precisely why I suggested we do it here." He looked over his shoulder to see cameras flashing as four photographers took pictures of Karakura City's most popular couple. He smirked after turning away. "I'm glad the paparazzi took the bait." Yoruichi snorted.

"You doubted they would? You know Glam Gossip and Yumeijin always follow us wherever we go. It's like they read the Gatonden tweet before I even sent it."

"Glam Gossip is truly the worst."

Yoruichi moaned as she placed a palm over the yellow and lavender floral obi she wore to compliment her pale, pink yukata. Her stomach had been fine during the car ride over, but it begun to turn once more.

"Okay, let's get this show rolling," she said, frowning as she hooked her arm under his. "My stomach is starting to bother me again so the sooner the better." He frowned, staring at the top of her high ponytail.

"We can do it another time if you want." She shook her head.

"Nah, let's just get it over with."

The night proceeded as normal as the two dined on Kirio's spectacular cuisine and drank fine wine. In fact, things were proceeding so normal that he was wondering if Yoruichi truly intended on going through with their plan. His answer finally came towards the end of the meal when she asked to see his phone. Despite being curious, he handed it to her and returned to his dish.

Yoruichi's eyebrows tilted inward and tightly pursed lips muffled a growl. Hearing the hostile noise, Byakuya lifted his eyes, meeting her aggressive frown with a curious one of his own. "What the hell is this?" Yoruichi suddenly demanded, thrusting her hand holding her cellphone towards his face. Byakuya's calm eyes widened briefly before narrowing in confusion. He tilted his head to the side as he stared at a picture of a woman, sitting on her knees on a messy bed wearing black panties and covering her bare breasts with her hands. The photo showed everything below the neck, so despite not being able to see her face, he still knew that Lisa was the woman in the picture. The floral pink kimono and straw hat lying behind her on the beige sheets were a dead giveaway. He had only ever seen Shunsui wear that combination.

"That's Lisa . . ." he said, voice trailing off. "Why did she send that to me?"

"Don't play dumb!" Yoruichi snapped, slamming the phone down on the table. Byakuya's eyes shifted a bit as he noticed some of his fellow high class citizens turn their heads. "You know why she sent it! Are – are you still talking to that bitch?!" Byakuya could say one thing for certain; Yoruichi was a great actress. The anger in her eyes, the heave of her bosom and harshness of her tone made their scene seem real.

He sighed as he reached toward her hand covering his phone. "Darling, you're making a fool out of yourself," he said, calmness returning to his distinct baritone. "Calm down." She snatched her hand out of his.

"No! You're the one who's being a fool! I thought I told you to leave her alone!"

"I was never with her. You're just being paranoid."

"This is why I should have never said yes to you to begin with!" She growled again before grabbing her own phone and clutch off the table and clumsily shoving it inside. "I'm sick of your lies! I put you on and you go around sleeping with these hos?! You're an ass!" He put on an expression of concern as he extended a hand towards her when she stood to leave.

"Yoruichi just – "

"Shut up!"

Before he knew what hit him, the chill of Cabernet Sauvignon clung to his smooth fair skin and his silk, powder blue kosode and cream haori.

"Have you lost your mind?!" he snapped, jumping to his feet as he tried to wipe away the deep purple wine dripping from his face and staining one of his favorite outfits. He knew the breakup had to look real, but, in his opinion, throwing wine in his face was going a bit too far. At the very least, she could have discussed it with him beforehand so he'd know not to wear such costly garments. Now, he was legitimately angry.

Through squinted, teary eyes, caused by the alcohol's burn, he saw a blurry Yoruichi grabbing her black clutch once more and flipping him off, Western style.

"I never want to see you again! It's over!"

"Hold on a moment!" Byakuya growled, attempting to grab her arm to stop her but Yoruichi jerked her arm away before he could touch her. He reached for the cloth napkin on the table to wipe away the rest of the wine on his face so he could see better, but by the time his vision cleared, Yoruichi was already gone. He made no direct eye contact with the customers, but he could peripherally see their judgmental stares and hear their whispers. He also could see the flash of cameras through the large, glass windows. Despite not being allowed inside, he was sure the paparazzi had taken excellent photos of the breakup and they would be on every tabloid and entertainment magazine by morning.

As Byakuya lay quietly in bed, after a nice, hot shower, he was finally able to analyze just what his public breakup with Yoruichi really meant. For optics sake, it would be a while before they could spend time with one another and without doubt their late-night trysts were off the table. Thinking of this made him a bit sad. He had come to really love being around Yoruichi because he loved her for her. He had even come to love her flaws and the things she did to annoy him simply because it was unique to her.

Zzzz.

Eyes closed, Byakuya grabbed the vibrating cell on the pillow beside him and answered without bothering to look.

"That was so awesome!" Yoruichi said, smiling brightly on the other end as she too relaxed in bed. "My publicist said that we're trending number one globally. #YorakuyaBreakup. It worked perfectly." Byakuya sighed.

"Throwing wine in my face was completely unnecessary. You ruined my outfit." Yoruichi pursed her lips to hold back a giggle. She knew Byakuya would be angry at her for doing that, but she knew it was a good way to make him upset.

"I'm sorry. I did it because I thought it would be a good visual for the magazines. I'll buy you another haori and kosode just like those if you'd like." Byakuya's silence caused Yoruichi to squeak out a soft chuckle. She knew that he wanted her to buy it but he was too prideful to admit it. She sighed and stretched, sinking deeper into her soft bed. "You're a better actor than I thought you'd be, Byakuya-bo. Eh, well, I guess I should have expected it though. I mean, you did just spend the last few months pretending to be in love with me."

I'm not pretending.

Byakuya closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Was this the right time to tell her how he truly felt? Hell, did he even want to tell her at all?

"No, I have to do this," the debonair captain mumbled unintelligibly under his breath.

"What did you say, Byakuya-bo?" He nervously licked his lips before taking another deep breath.

"Yoruichi, I – "

"I feel like I'm gonna throw up again," Yoruichi suddenly interrupted with a whine to her tone. "I can't believe I'm still sick. Ugh, what the hell did I eat?! Hey, I gotta go, okay? I'll call you tomorrow."

"Alright good – ." Byakuya tried to wish her a goodnight but the beep in the receiver from her hanging up didn't allow him to. He frowned, hoping that she was only ill from a simple stomach bug and nothing more serious. However, knowing that she lived with a doctor made him feel a bit better. He knew Yushiro would never allow anything to happen to her.

Byakuya yawned and slowly started to drift off to sleep. When he awoke in the morning, the fairytale would be no more. His love life would once again return to being a pumpkin.

Ichigo

Jushiro was happy to learn he wasn't being paranoid about Auswählen. After a couple days of analysis, Station Twelve forensics determined that the bakery indeed incorporated narcotics in their recipes. Though the beverages all came back clean, traces of marijuana, cocaine, LSD and MDMA were found in either the icings, toppings or in the baked goods themselves. It was enough to slightly effect the customers, but not enough to cause full blown inebriation.

With the results all coming back unfavorably for the four female bosses, it was now time for Shinji, Rose and their squads to conduct the raid on their establishment. Jushiro was also called in as reinforcement due to his veteran knowledge of conducting raids compared to Rose.

"Alright, follow every procedure I've taught you," Shinji said to Ichigo and the other teams as they assumed their positions. Ichigo's three-member tandem stood before the back entrance, rifles cocked and covered in tactical gear. "And remember, Ichigo, yer substitutin' for my lieutenant. Don't make me regret not bringin' Hinamori." Ichigo nodded confidently. Ever since the incidents with Nnoitra and Grimmjow, Ichigo had gained quite a bit of confidence in his work and now felt more ready to handle the unknown and the dangerous challenges that would come his way.

"I got it." Shinji smirked before turning to the door.

"Okay. When I give the word, move your ass." Shinji waited a few more moments until Rose's, Izuru's and Jushiro's teams all radioed they were ready.

"Alright then, it's time to wreck these bastards. Charge in on go. Ready? 3, 2, 1. Go!"

It took two blows for Ichigo to knock down the door but he and his team could quickly make their way inside. Almost immediately they ran into Candice Catnipp. The fiery blonde, who had now been seen across the globe in the viral fight video, tried to scurry away to hide. Her large eyes widened substantially and a harsh gasp tore from her throat as she stood like a proverbial deer in headlights, shocked to see three officers charging towards her.

"Fuck!" she shouted before dropping the cardboard box in her hands and spinning on her heels to flee in the direction from whence she came. Before she could round the corner and take off towards the side exit facing the sea, Ichigo lunged and grabbed her by the arm and jerked her back towards him where he then wrestled her to the ground.

"Ah! What the he – owwwwww!" Candice screamed, petite frame writhing on the floor as her hands were forced behind her back. Ow, you're hurting my arm!"

"You are under arrest for the possession and sale of narcotics."

"What, I didn't do anything! Ah, quit it! You're messing up my hair! Ow, stop dumbass!"

"Ungh! Stop – Stop resisting arrest!" Ichigo said between grunts as he struggled to clamp the handcuffs around her wrists. When he had finally secured them, he grabbed Candice around her arms and hoisted her upward, the blonde throwing wild kicks in the air the entire time.

"This is bullshit! I am innocent, miststück!" Ichigo rolled his eyes and sighed as two other officers in his group walked over. One replaced Ichigo's grip around her arms and the other gripped around her calves, the two hoisting her up to prevent either of them being injured by her heeled boots as they transported her outside.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ichigo apathetically said, casually dismissing the furious woman's swearing with a wave of his hand. "Save it for Koga and the others." He ignored her continuous screams as he turned to survey the room. It was only then that he really realized he was in Auswählen's kitchen.

He carefully looked around the dimly lit room, searching the cabinets and drawers for any evidence he could find. The search was brief for mere moments later, Shinji radioed an update over the walkie-talkie.

"10-4, McAllon is in custody. What's the status on Catnipp and Gewelle?" he asked.

"10-4 copy, Catnipp has been apprehended and is in route to a squad car," one of the officers who had carried her out replied.

"Copy. Anyone apprehended Gewelle?" Ichigo continued to slowly walk around the large kitchen as one-by-one the team leaders reported they had not found the last suspect. "The last suspect is still free, proceed with caution," Shinji ordered after Ichigo's report.

Ichigo walked towards the end of the kitchen where a bit of sunlight started to shine through the kitchen exit, indicating sunrise. Upon turning the knob of the large steel door, he saw that it was locked. Since it was, he figured that no one had tried to escape from this exit and that Giselle was most likely still in the building.

He cautiously opened more cabinets and pantry doors, inspecting each thoroughly, but Giselle was still nowhere in sight. He had given up and was about to leave the area when he suddenly got a suspicion about the large, walk-in freezer beside the second pantry.

Ichigo gasped upon entering the freezing temperature but proceeded forward. It was a lot bigger than expected and a lot more crowded. He figured someone hiding in a freezer was a long shot, but it was still worth a try. Even if he came away empty, there was no doubt in his mind that Giselle wouldn't be leaving a free woman.

After a couple minutes of searching, he was about to leave, the frozen air finally getting to him. That is, until a sneeze caught his ear. He jerked his head around towards the direction of the sneeze. A second sneeze confirmed Giselle was indeed in there. He quickened his pace and walked back over to the frozen pie crust rack and noticed that there was a bit of space between the rack and the freezer wall. Upon shining the flashlight in this tiny, cramped and dark space, he saw a petite, pale girl with very long, black hair slumped over. Sure enough, she had been in the freezer for several minutes as some of her hair was beginning to stick to the wall she leaned against. However, it hadn't nearly been long enough for her to be dead . . . as she was currently playing.

"Get up, Gewelle, you're not dead," Ichigo commanded reaching out to grab Giselle by her ankle and pulling her towards him. Giselle went completely limp and allowed him to drag her from the darkness. As Ichigo continued to shine the light on her, he started to realize that not only had Giselle's body went slack, she also wasn't breathing. His eyes widened briefly but immediately shook his head. "There's no way she died that fast," he muttered to himself under his breath, staring into her lifeless eyes that had yet to blink. He stepped around her legs and stood by her left side, gazing down at her skeptically. He frowned as he squatted and placed to fingers at the base of her neck, searching for a pulse. Her skin was cold, but considering their location, that was useless in determining her status among the living.

But his suspicions of her faking the mortis state were confirmed when two legs suddenly wrapped around his own, causing him to slip on the icy floor and fall on his back. Giselle was like a rabid animal as she pounced on top of him, hands immediately reaching for the pistol still encased in the holster around his waist. Ichigo grunted as he wrestled with the girl, easily overpowering her after a few seconds. He panted annoyed, trying to keep her arms pinned behind her back as he reached for the handcuffs attached to the back of his belt.

"Are you friggin' crazy?!" he said once he'd gotten them around her. Giselle sighed against the frigid floor that her cheek was currently pressed firmly against.

"Guess I didn't completely think that through. Damn. It always works in the movies."

"Does this look like a movie to you, you lunatic?!"

"No but it'd be boss if it was tho, right?" Ichigo's mouth slid agape, perplexed at how weirdly Giselle was behaving. He'd heard these Stern Ritter women were odd but he didn't realize how much of an understatement it was.

Unlike the others, Giselle didn't put up resistance when he walked her outside to place her in the back of the squad car. In fact, her calm strolling and casual talking was way more unnerving compared to Candice's tantrum and Meninas' meltdown. However, that still was underscored by her constant talk for her love of zombies during the car ride over to Karakura City Jail. For some reason, Ichigo became even more thankful for Rukia.

Jushiro

Even before the raid concluded, it was obvious Meninas was going to be the weak link of Auswählen's four female owners. As soon as she was arrested, she started crying uncontrollably, sobbing about Jugram Haschwalth's potentially unfavorable reaction to their arrest once he learned about the raid.

"He gonna kill us, I know it," she sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He told us not to lose the drugs on the ship!"

"Well shit, I never considered checkin' out the docks," Shinji said with a smirk, overhearing Meninas' confession. He turned to a sergeant right behind him. "Tell Ukitake to come out and gear up. He got some divin' to do."

Several minutes and a shallow dive later, two full crates of heroin were retrieved from the docks just a couple minutes away from the restaurant.

"I think everything has been recovered, Hirako-taicho. They had more stored down there than I thought," Jushiro said with a deep sigh as he began to unzip his wetsuit as Stations Five and Three officers loaded the remaining evidence in the back of their vans. Shinji's toothy grin expanded as he acknowledged the report with a satisfied nod.

"Fuckin' deal, man. So, all we have left to do is drive them to jail. I need to square away thin's here, so if you don't mind takin' 'em, we put Catnipp and McAllon in yer car. Ichigo is already in route with the creepy one." Jushiro glanced over his own shoulder toward his squad car parked several feet behind him. Sure enough, in the backseat, he could see Candice violently thrashing around while Meninas sat still, posture slouched. The pearly maned captain released a deep whoosh of air from his lips, already anticipating the headache this car ride would bring.

"Sure, it's no problem. Always glad to help," he finally said after another second or two of contemplation, exchanging brief bows with his junior before strolling over to his ride.

As Jushiro was storing his diving gear in the trunk, he could hear the two young women loudly yelling at his fellow officers and at one another. He also, he thought, heard one of them crying. When he entered the vehicle, he saw that Meninas, who was directly behind him, was bawling. Black tears were streaming down her cheeks caused by runny mascara. Both her eyes and face had a red tint and she was gasping for air in between sobs. Criminal or not, as a man, Jushiro absolutely hated to see women cry. His stomach fluttered with compassion for just a moment until he managed to suppress that sympathy in the name of duty.

"Hey! Let me out of here! I'm innocent!" Candice snapped at him after he had climbed into the driver's seat.

"I don't believe you are, Miss Catnipp," Jushiro calmly replied, as he buckled himself in. "If you were, you wouldn't be in here with me." Candice's unique, thunderbolt-esque eyebrows furrowed substantially.

"Yes. The hell. I am! I didn't do nothin'! I –" Candice paused her rant to turn to her crying friend and accomplice. She sneered at how unkempt Meninas appeared due to the runny makeup staining her beautiful ivory skin. "Minnie, stop cryin'!" Meninas choked on a couple sobs before returning Candice's glare with puppy dog eyes.

"I can't, Candy!" she whined with a slight squeak. "I don't wanna go to jail!"

"We're not gonna be there long. You, me and Gigi are getting out today."

"What about Lili?" Candice rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth.

"What about Lili?! I know she's the one who ratted us out! Fuck that bitch!" Jushiro smirked and glanced at Candice snarling in the rearview mirror, amused by her implicit admission of guilt.

"How could she rat you out if you're innocent?" he asked, tone holding a bit more humor than intended. Candice stared at his playful green eyes in the mirror and loudly growled.

"Shut up! Who asked your old ass anyway?!"

"These handcuffs are so uncomfortablllle."

"God! I hate you fuckin' cops; you all got god complexes. Your ass was probably all up in Auswählen eatin' doughnuts and shit." Jushiro bit down on a laugh as he maintained his focus on navigating the ever busy Rukongai Highway. Candice was highly disrespectful, but he somehow found humor in her ranting. If he didn't know better, he would expect cartoonish smoke to pour from her ears in any second. She sort of reminded him of Lilynette, thus making him happier that he had dodged a bullet with Toshiro losing romantic interest in such rough women.

He soon returned his attention to Meninas when she let out a high-pitched squeak, another round of tears beginning to spill from her eyes.

"C – Candy, I . . . gotta call my mom," she whined, voice warbled. "She doesn't – she doesn't know where I am. Candy, I'm scared!"

"Oh my god, Minnie, shut up!" Candice said, widening her eyes before rolling them. "Damn, I wish they woulda put me in here with Gigi." Jushiro looked at them both in the rear-view mirror, giving them friendly smiles.

"Jail is quite scary. I wouldn't want to go there myself."

"Then why do you put people there?!"

"Because people break laws. You can't expect us to let them all roam around free, can you?"

"No human being deserves to be in a cage. We're not animals!"

"Then could you please stop roaring like one, Miss Catnipp? No need to yell when I'm so close." At that moment, Candice made such a roaring sound that Jushiro halfway considered if she was going rabid. He knew better, but the thought couldn't help but cross him.

"What the – urrrrrgggh! Fuck you! Hate . . . it . . . fucking . . . Haschwalth sending us . . . to fucking China!" She was so furious at this point she couldn't even complete her thoughts coherently. Jushiro audibly chuckled this time.

"This is Japan, sweetheart."

"Whatever!"

"Candy, oh my god, don't be racist!" Meninas pleaded, mouth agape. "We might get in more trouble."

"I'm not being racist! I just can't think straight! And Minnie, what the fuck! Why are you defending him?! He's the fucking enemy, miststück!" Jushiro snorted.

"Why am I the enemy if you're innocent?"

"Fucking die!"

A/N: Mean Girls inspired how I write Candice(Regina), Meninas(Gretchen), Liltotto(Cady) and Giselle(Karen) because I can kinda see parrallels in their characters lol. See you all next chapter where the drama increases tenfold :3