"Group four!" the Kido teacher yelled, and Miki stepped up to the line. She concentrated and lobbed a spell at the target before her, only to have it fizzle out before it reached the halfway point. She went back to her spot and plopped heavily onto the ground.

"You know, Hurricane, you're supposed to be trying to hit the target," Jun said, teasing.

A few seconds later, when the teacher called his group forward, Miki picked up a tiny acorn and held it aloft, poised to strike. She sent it flying at the back of Jun's head at the exact moment it would do the most damage.

He made a garbled sound, his concentration ruined, and Miki stifled a laugh as his spell went up in a great cloud of smoke.

"And what was that?" the teacher asked, looking down her nose at him.

"The sky is..." Jun said, but broke off when he spotted Miki. "I'll do better next time, Teacher."

"What's the matter, Chicken Little? You lose to a helpless acorn?" Miki taunted, while Daiki rose to take his turn. They often goofed off like this during class.

"You.. Just wait!" Jun said.

Miki took her turn again, but she spared no time for concentration, and as a result, her spell landed several feet from where she stood.

"That was pretty pathetic, even for you," Daiki said.

Miki shrugged, returning to her brooding. She'd become convinced, despite her earlier confidence, that Byakuya would not cave in their little game. This meant that if she wanted their relationship to return to a normal healthy one, she needed to catch him. Now that she had a better grasp of his true speed, she understood that her chances were very slim. But still, there had to be some way.

"You've been quiet today. Something on your mind?" Jun asked.

It wasn't like she had anything to lose, and maybe one of them would have an idea if she told them. She gave them a brief outline of the game she was playing with Byakuya.

"Considering you're still in school, it's good that you can keep track of him," Daiki said.

"Only when he wants me to. But what do I do?"

They tossed around ideas for a little bit, pausing to take shots at the target. None of the ideas they discussed held much merit, and most were turned down outright. Miki felt a little awkward at the idea of tricking Byakuya, but it would take years otherwise. It was time that she felt she didn't have.

Daiki meowed loudly sometime later when Jun was back at the line, but it did not disturb the latter at all and his spell went off with a bang. Miki couldn't help but be reminded of the time Jun had fallen out of the tree because a cat was chasing him.

"A tree!" she said, and at their questioning looks explained. "What if I ambush him from someplace high, like a tree or something?"

"That could work, though I'd think he'd be prepared for that."

"Yeah, you're probably right. And I've never succeeded in hiding my presence from him."

Still, the idea was very intriguing, and maybe she could come up with some variation on it that would work. She thought about it a lot, and even consulted Yuhimori, who had a few great suggestions for her.

The morning her new plan was to take place, she hopped out of bed with a huge grin. She set to work on a letter, struggling to write it, and then taking a lot of time to make more than one copy. Pulling the blanket off her bed, she folded it neatly and stuck it at the bottom of a pile of things she would take with her.

At lunch, she passed around the copies of the letter, "Which one is hardest to read?"

"This one, I think. What are you planning, Hurricane?"

Rather than explain everything, she promised that if it worked, she'd tell them all about it, and departed for the manor, her picnic basket and blanket in hand. These she spread around the base of a large tree, and then went inside.

"Rukia, you know I love you, so I say this with the best of intentions," Miki said, glad to have caught her future sister alone. "But please, go away tonight!"

"Why?" Rukia asked. "I thought you liked training with me."

"I do, but I was hoping for a little one on one training, if you know what I mean?"

"I don't..." she said, then her eyes widened as she understood what it was that Miki was really asking. "Oh, oh, I see. Personal training, huh?"

Miki nodded.

"I'll go see if Renji's busy tonight then," Rukia smiled, as she played with her necklace.

"Thanks. You're the best," Miki said.

"The best what?" Byakuya asked, walking into the room.

"Sorry," Rukia turned to her brother. "I've got some... stuff to do, so it'll just be you two for the evening."

"But, didn't you just say?"

"Yes, I forgot. I'll be back later," she said, rushing out of the room, and tossing a wink at Miki as she left.

"What was that about?"

"With Rukia, you never can tell," Miki said. "How was your week?"

"Fine," he said, and Miki grinned, went to him, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "We need to talk."

"Is that any way to greet me after a week? We need to talk?" she pouted.

He hooked a finger under her chin and kissed her, while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Everything was going according to plan.


Byakuya kissed Miki. The scent of her perfume, fresh and sweet, like roses or perhaps lilies, drifted to him, intoxicating. He allowed himself to be lost in her for a few minutes.

"Practice," he said, breathlessly, as he pulled away.

"In a moment," she said, reaching up to touch his face.

He backed away, already perilously close to the edge. "Now."

She closed the distance again, and he noted something undefinable, but with a hint of naughty in the way she walked.

"Just hold me a minute more," she begged, her voice quiet and compelling.

"I cannot-" he protested, even as his arms betrayed him to encircle her. He held his breath, thinking that in this confined space he might lose control. If he could just get her outside...

"Practice," he said, hoping it sounded like a command, not a question. He all but sprinted to the door, and out of the house. She walked slowly, her hips swaying.

Was it his imagination, or was her outfit just a little tighter than usual? And how was it that just a hint of her collarbone peeking out of beneath her top could drive him to the point of madness? He hadn't anticipated such a challenge when he started this.

"What's first today?" she asked, her lids lowered as she batted her eyelashes, a slight grin on her lips.

Distance. He thought about what would put the most space between them. "Let's do something different tonight. We will practice shunpo until dinner."

"Or until I catch-"

"But I'll not go easy on you," he finished, and sprinted away.

He hid his presence from her, and went to the little creek that ran through his property to wash his face. When the icy water hit him, he felt the tightness in his chest lessen, and found he could breathe normally again. He searched for her, and found she was quite a ways away from him, in a completely different direction.

He waited, sitting on a rock until she drew near, lost in thought.

Miki had been a little down lately, ever since her roommate had graduated, and she'd been left alone in the room. He suspected that nobody else would occupy that room until she was gone as well, and it was likely his fault. She still had the boys, but he was sure that wasn't the same either. He wondered if she'd talked to Kimie at all since she'd left, and thought about bringing the subject up.

He suddenly looked up and realized that he had been sitting here a while. Miki hadn't found him yet, and he searched for her. Panic surged through him when he didn't immediately sense her. He broadened and strengthened his search, but still found no sign. She wasn't good enough yet to hide from him, so where did she go?

Springing to his feet, he dashed off in the direction he'd last felt her. When he saw nothing unusual there, he went into the wooded section of the grounds. He navigated the twisting path through the trees, and came to a dead halt when he saw it.

There, beneath a big tree, a blanket had been spread, a bottle and two glasses arranged on top. Leaning against the bottle was a letter, bearing what he thought might have been his name, but wasn't quite sure, since the handwriting was atrocious.

This, then, was her trap. Torn between going and staying, he stood on the very edge of the blanket, knowing he had mere seconds to make his decision. Staying meant he would lose, and leaving might drive her away. Damn if she wasn't right, he would crumble. He stepped slowly forward, and stooped to pick up the note.

He tore it open, and stopped for a moment, looking around. Some tiny sensation, like a whisper drifted through the boughs of the tree under which he stood. Unsure of how, her assault, he knew, would come from up there. He continued to read the letter, and when he got to the last line, "now, I have you right where I want you," her presence appeared in the tree.

She catapulted toward him from the highest branches, and he held his arms out to catch her. Her aim was off, though, and her left elbow caught him hard across the temple, sending them both falling backwards.

He hit the ground with a thud that sent all the air rushing from his lungs, and she lay sprawled atop him.

"I suppose you caught me," he said.

She threw back her head and laughed, and he joined her. When they were finished, he held her tight, cherishing the moment, until her stomach emitted a loud growl.

She looked down with a frown, "Shut up, you. I'm busy."

"Eat something," he said, and she pulled the picnic basket to her without sitting up. She grabbed out two full plates and set them on the blanket. He sat them up as she unwrapped the first one.

"What is that?"

"Sandwiches," she said, and he nodded. "Grandma always called them 'Romantic Sandwiches.'"

He smiled, picked up one of the tiny heart shaped pieces of bread, and popped it into his mouth. When he bit down, his eyes widened and watered. He generally liked spicy foods, but this was something else entirely, and it took all his will to force it down.

"She always said that if I ate them with a handsome man, we'd be together forever," Miki continued, putting one in her own mouth and spitting it out a second later. "Yuck, too much... Heck, I don't even know what!"

She'd gone to a lot of trouble to set all this up, and now sat before him, a frown on her face, eyes shining with unshed tears. He scooped up a handful of sandwiches and crammed them in his mouth, choking them down as he reached for more. Her hand on his stopped him, and he dropped them back on the plate.

"Something tells me you'll regret that in a little bit," she said with a chuckle, and feeding him a strawberry from the other plate. "But thank you."

"Then I suppose you ought to figure out what you'd like to do with me before that."

"Oh, I think you already know," she said, and leaning in, they shared a deep kiss.


"Miki?" Byakuya asked some time later, as they lay snuggling beneath their discarded clothing. "Tell me about that hollow we saw last week."

"Hmm," she said sleepily. "How very clever of you, dear. Wait until my brain is floaty, and my legs are like jelly so I can't run, then ask me the difficult questions."

He chuckled, but then said, "This is important, Miki. It has been far more active lately. It is up to something, and we're trying to figure out what."

"She is - claims to be - my mother."

"Claims?"

"Yes. I have no way of knowing if she's telling the truth or not. Obviously she doesn't look anything like her anymore. But whether she is or not isn't really important. She believes it, and here's the strange part; She's in nearly every memory I have from being a human. There in the background."

Miki took her time in telling Byakuya everything she could remember about the hollow, and her bizarre quest to end all shinigami.

"What was she talking about, that she knew your secrets?"

Miki was silent for a full minute, and he was content to let her think.

"I really don't know," she said. "That's been bothering me, I can't figure out what it was she meant."

"Perhaps she didn't mean anything at all by it, and simply wanted to get under your skin?"

"Maybe, but it seemed more like she was talking about something specific."

"Miki? Do you remember your father at all?"

She shook her head. "No, he left us before I was born. In fact, I don't even know his name. Grandma rarely spoke of him, but when she did she referred to him by all sorts of colorful terms that were unbecoming of an old lady! It was quite something!"

"I see. Did she tell you why he left?"

"She didn't know. But she blamed my mother's death on him. He was a liar and a thief, she always said."

"I'm sorry," he said, running a hand through her hair.

"Oh, and Grandma did tell me that when I was almost four, he stole me, leaving a note that said he would bring me back in a week or so."

She grimaced and said, "She looked everywhere for me, the only birthday we were apart. I have no idea what might have happened during that time, but I eventually was returned with no explanation at all. By a huge, mean looking stranger who carried me so gently. Grandma said I must have liked him, because we both cried when he left."

"That is odd."

"Byakuya? Why are you so interested in my family?"

"It is strictly personal. I want to know about you, and where you came from."

"Oh, I see," she said, drifting into her own thoughts again.

"Don't worry about that hollow, Miki. We'll take care of it."

"Be careful. I've never seen her in battle or anything, so I have no idea what kind of skills she might have. I don't think she much likes to fight, and leaves that to others. She can vanish at will, though, and is very fast, so she'll be difficult to catch."


Miki's room felt empty now that she was alone. Whenever she spent time in there, her eyes drifted to the empty spot above the desk, or the naked bed opposite her own. She could tell that Jun felt the same way, and they took to studying outdoors, Daiki joining them frequently.

"Hey, Hurricane?" Jun said as they studied one afternoon. "Do you think Kimie misses us at all?"

"She's probably too busy doing important stuff," Miki said. "But I suppose, that in the quiet hours she thinks of you."

"Both of you," Daiki said. "I know, because I ran into her the other day. Told her you two were moping around and lost without her!"

Since Kimie had left, her friends seemed to notice a change in Miki, and took to extreme measures to check up on her, sometimes dropping by to visit at all hours. Rukia and Rangiku both had been guilty of climbing in her window during the night, the latter passing out once or twice on the empty bed.

Two days ago, however, Rangiku's visit was a little different. She seemed a little nervous as she insisted they go out to practice. Miki had gone, though reluctantly, and it was perhaps the first time she'd seen her friend so serious. After some time, she'd bounded happily away, promising to visit again.

A messenger came up to them then, handing Miki a letter.

"Captain Mystery must be lonely, too," Jun teased.

"It's not from him," she said, casting a puzzled glare at the envelope.

"You gonna stare at it all night or are you going to open it?" Daiki said.

She tore it open, and blinked in confusion at it, trying to make sense of the words written upon it. "Captain Hitsugaya. Wants to see me?"

Jun laughed at her expression. "Now you know how I felt. I hope Rangiku's not in any trouble."

"It's not until later, and I don't think they'd call me like this for her," Miki said, shaking her head. A moment later she returned to herself, "Besides, you'd only be concerned if her boobs were in trouble!"

"Hey, that's not true!"

"Dunno, they are nice ones," Daiki said, and Miki bonked him on the head with her book, but he only grinned. "That one doesn't hurt as much, Hurricane. It's not as big as History."

They went back to studying, but Miki couldn't help wondering what the captain wanted her for. He'd given her ample warning, but she almost wished he hadn't. It would have been far better to get it over with, and not have to spend hours guessing.

After dinner, she parted from her friends, promising to fill them in on everything once she got back. She bathed and changed, then headed out to division ten's quarters.

She stood outside the door for several minutes, the idea of knocking on it no small bit daunting. Her nerves by this point, felt tight, her hands shaking. It would have been better to have had no preparation for this.

She might have stood out there for the remainder of the evening, except that the door opened then, and someone she'd never seen before came walking out. He nodded to her with a flash of a smile then went on his way. Miki straightened her shoulders, and held her head high. She could cry and whine all she wanted after she was done, but the situation right now required every ounce of decorum she could gather. She needed a clear mind, and to do that she had to put away the reactions of her nerves.

She knocked on the door, and entered at the call. Captain Hitsugaya sat at his desk, but stood upon her entry. She had seen him around enough to realize he was short, but with the large piece of furniture between them, it struck her again how little he really was. That in itself seemed to calm her a little, and she smiled.

"Captain," she greeted. "You wanted to see me?"


"Ah, yes. Please, have a seat. How are things going at the academy?" Toshiro asked. "It seems to me it's been nearly two years since I found you at the gate."

"Almost," she agreed. "I'm learning a lot."

"Excellent. It's come to my attention lately, that some are of the opinion you are ready to be placed in a division. I would like to offer you the opportunity to join Division Ten."

She was silent a moment, as she considered what he just said. Her eyes said that something in all this just did not add up.

"Does this offer have anything to do with a certain noble with whom we're all familiar?" she asked.

"I'll not lie to you, Miki. He asked me, but-"

"Then, with all due respect, I'll have to decline," she interrupted.

His eyes widened, then narrowed as he stared at her. "Can I ask why?"

It was fairly common for people to be asked to join a particular division. It wasn't normal for someone to decline, in fact, if it happened before, then he surely would have heard about it, with the way people in the Seireitei liked to gossip. The girl certainly had a fair amount of guts.

"Because I could never take something I didn't earn."

"I see..." he said, but she wasn't finished yet. It seemed that once she started talking, she would go on until she'd said it all.

"I am not yet ready. If I were, someone at the school would have said so. There is much I still need to learn. We all know this can be dangerous work, and I could not live with myself if I caused someone's death because of my own ignorance. How can I give it my all when I don't even have my all yet?"

Toshiro found it hard to disagree with Kuchiki's assessment of the girl. She certainly displayed the qualities he looked for, and if she was as good as Matsumoto claimed her abilities were, then she was a perfect match for them.

"I'd imagine that you have been in a similar situation, Captain. People judge you because you're not as big as others, or as strong, but you know you can take care of yourself. I don't need anyone's pity, either."

"If that's how you feel," Toshiro said.

"I am sorry, Captain Hitsugaya, for wasting your time," she said. "But I cannot accept an offer like this unless it is based solely on my abilities."

He looked closely at her. She sat as still as a statue on the chair, and her face betrayed no emotion at all. Underneath that cool exterior, he sensed an anger that boiled red-hot, but anyone less sensitive than he would remain oblivious to it. It surprised him that she held that much control to keep it reigned in.

She smiled, "I would gladly accept, if it were to come with no strings attached, and when I am ready," she said, showing herself to the door.

"You hear that, Matsumoto?" he asked.

"Yes. I suppose that she's not really ready, if she doesn't believe she is."

"Someday, when she is, she'll be quite scary, I think. I suppose there's no rush."

"I've never seen her so angry! Maybe you shouldn't have told her about Captain Kuchiki."

"I almost feel bad for him," he agreed. Then he thought about the way the other captain always looked at him, and the ongoing quest to get even that they had. "Almost," he said again, holding back a chuckle as he remembered the immense anger radiating off of Miki.


Byakuya sat on the floor, absolutely still, as he sought to clear his mind and relax his body. He'd just come back from a trip to the human world, hunting the hollow that claimed to be Miki's mother. The creature held a certain level of control over Miki that he disliked very much, afraid that it would stumble upon the exact thing to break his girlfriend's fragile sense of self.

Miki stood correct in her assessment that the hollow was fast, and it had easily slipped out of his grasp many times already, today was no different. It did not help matters any that a foul mood still hung about him from his talk with the boy-captain two days ago.

Miki stomped into the room and slammed the door behind her, sending a picture titled "Peaceful Night" crashing to the floor. Apparently there was no such thing for him either. He sighed and rose to his feet.

"How dare you?" she shouted, marching over to him.

She glared at him for a split second then raised her fist, ready to deliver a blow to his nose. He was faster, though, and caught her hand in his own, mid swing.

"Behave!" he said, his voice sharp. "Have you no dignity? Do not come into my house shrieking like the devil himself!"

"Damn you, I just can't win," she said, her fist still held firmly in his hand.

"Life is not a game, Miki. And I am not your opponent."

"I just wanted to show you what it felt like to me when you went behind my back, when I'm not ready."

"You will graduate in less than three months. You are more than ready now."

"What gives you the right to judge that?" she asked, and from the look on her face, he guessed she wished she hadn't.

"I did not spend decades practicing to make Captain without having some knowledge of what it is we're doing, Miki. Rukia thought you were ready, too. And if that is still not enough for you, I'd make any bets you've been sparring with Matsumoto lately."

"This," she said, gesturing to her hand, which he still held in the air. "Says differently."

"You cannot expect to be on a level with us, when we've had centuries to train. Next time you're in class, take a look at the other students. You'll see that more often than not you outstrip them. School is meant only to teach you the basics, which you have already learned," he explained.

"Either way, it's not your right to decide these things," she pulled her hand out of his and stomped to the other side of the desk. "It's my life. And my right to turn him down."

Now he was beyond shocked. She had no idea what he had to go through to get that offer in the first place, and she'd thrown it away out of hand, simply because he'd arranged it.

"Why? Why would you do such stupid thing?" Byakuya asked.

"And you still have to ask," she sighed. "Because I didn't earn it."

"Must you fight me at every corner? I simply pointed out to Hitsugaya that you may be a valuable asset. It only helped the natural order of things along. That is all."

"No. Byakuya, I'm not some charity case, so stop treating me like one!"

"You need to stop being so disrespectful!" Byakuya said, his irritation finally getting the better of him.

"Great. Now you're talking to me like you did that little boy."

"Well, you are behaving like him."

This woman would surely be the death of him! He closed his eyes, willing himself to calm down before he began saying things out of anger.

"You want to talk about respect? Look at me when I'm talking to you! Half the time you've got your eyes closed or are looking anywhere but here. You've never respected me," Miki said.

"I have. Far more than you realize."

"Since I got here, all you've done is interfere in my life. You don't trust me enough to go out with my friends. And now this. Yes, respect is earned, but it goes both ways."

He sat quietly, while she came around the desk to him, and whipped open the drawer. She pulled out the tiny box that waited inside.

"This," she said, opening the box and setting it on top of the desk. "I will never marry a man who can't respect me. Who can't trust me or accept me for who I am."

"If you are looking for an apology, I do not apologize when I have done nothing wrong."

"It's not about that. I should have known you wouldn't understand. I'll continue to work hard, because I will prove myself to you. Until that day comes when I have you on your knees and you respect me and everything I've done, I do not wish to see you."

His eyes widened. She couldn't be serious. "How long will it be until then?"

"Two years," she said, her fists clenched with determination.

"Two? Surely you're joking! And you intend to best me in a fight?"

She nodded.

"Miki, I only know of one person who could come close in that short a time, and he had a lot of help. Frankly, it is impossible, but if you can do it, I'll eat my scarf!"

"All I'm asking is two years, and if you can't give me that, then you might as well look for someone else to give that to," she gestured to the box. "Captain Kuchiki." He winced a little at hearing his name said with such venom, and then the door slammed again.

Yes, she certainly would be the death of him. With a numbed sort of shock, he looked at the box that lay open on the desk, the jewel still sparkling within. It was too much to take in all at once. He pondered over what had just happened. It sounded to him like she just dumped him. What a ridiculous thought! So this is what that kind of rejection felt like.

If she needed a few years, he could give her that much. No, he did not want anyone else, and doubted that two years from now he'd feel any different. He would wait for her, perhaps not gladly, but he would wait. This absurd notion she carried about beating him was something else though, and he hadn't a clue as to what to think of it. Time would tell, he supposed.


Thanks for your patience, everyone. I know I haven't been able to udpate as often as I'd like. Hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently now, or at least bring some longer chapters :) Hope you enjoy! As always, feel free to let me know what you think!