Note: Just so you are warned, this is about as ridiculous as I ever write. May include very cliché plot parts.
I basically wanted to add to the much to rare collection of Lisa/Nanao stories, and this convoluted story was born.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters.
Beginning set at the Battle in Karakura town.
Chapter 1:
Lisa
Seeing captain Kyouraku again after all this time had been strange, but good. She had felt at home for a short moment, even with the battle surrounding them, when they had gone back to their familiar banter like no time had passed.
Afterwards, when she was back in the warehouse with the other visored, it just made her miss Soulsociety all the more. Her captain, with his strange jokes and constant attentiveness, and acceptance of her own oddness. Captain Ukitake, whom she had known nearly as well as Kyouraku, because they were nearly always together, with his unending kindness for everyone. And of course her little girl who never wanted to act like a child, who always wanted to know everything, intelligent eyes always watching.
After two hundred years she had nearly managed to forget them, but now the memories were back again, and she missed them so much.
So when Soulsociety declared the visored innocent, and asked them to come back, she knew her decision right away. Yes, she was angry at the Central 46, for casting them away, and she did spend some time trying to change her own mind. But she knew it was pointless, so she told the other visored, and contacted the head captain, telling him of her decision and asking if she could get any seated position in division eight.
He agreed to find something for her, and so she packed he belongings and prepared to go back.
She could see that the other visored were nervous as well as they walked through the dangai together, but she didn't have the energy to attempt to comfort them. Her uniform felt strange on her body now, the dark color not what she was used to, but it felt good to wear her Zanpakuto openly again. Also, they were no longer wearing Reiatsu-suppressing gigai, and she could feel her own and her comrades energy filling the air.
She tried to dwell on those little thinks, so as not to focus on her nervousness.
Just when they saw the light of the exit in the distance, Shinji shouted: 'Kototsu' and they had to run the last few hundred meters.
She was almost glad for it.
.
Nanao
She was standing beside her captain and captain Ukitake, waiting for the visored's return together with some other Shinigami. She didn't pay attention to them.
Captain Kyouraku didn't seem nervous to her, but he hadn't made any jokes at her jet, and she saw that captain Ukitake was close to him, supporting. They weren't talking. It was strange that she almost missed his jokes now, as a distraction.
When she had been told earlier that Lisa would come back, she had felt like her mind stopped for a minute. Lisa. Her mentor, or older sister, or best friend, or teacher… she hadn't been sure she was alive, and now she was back suddenly.
Nanao had read the reports about the battle in Karakura town, of course she had, and that way found out Lisa was alive, and fighting, and half hollow somehow, and well… and then suddenly she was coming back. Nanao had nodded along when someone, maybe Kyouraku, asked her if she would be okay with sharing her lieutenant rank with Lisa, and she truly didn't mind, not that she had given the question any though at that time.
A hundred years. How much had Lisa changed? Would Nanao still recognize the woman she had once trusted? Even if Lisa was the same, which was impossible after everything that happened, how would Nanao think of her mentor now that she had grown up herself?
And would Lisa even recognize her? Had she ever been important to Lisa, or just another little girl who read a lot? Would she remember, and know it was her, now that Nanao was grown up?
Suddenly someone pulled her to the side, and she flinched before realizing it was Kyouraku, and she let him move her. She came to rest in front of them, Ukitake behind her right shoulder, Kyouraku behind her left, and she felt each put a hand on her shoulders.
'Relax Nanao-chan.' Kyouraku said barely audible. And Ukitake added: 'You are not alone.'
She had a feeling the second statement was meant for Kyouraku as much as herself. She gave a small nod, and tried to relax.
And then the gate opened, and five visored, five Shinigami came running out.
'Damn that stupid Kototsu, can't you turn it off for once?' one of them shouted.
Nanao recognized Lisa immediately. She hardly looked any different than she remembered. Besides, there were only two women, and Lisa did not have green hair and a weird jumpsuit.
Lisa looked around for a second, before spotting them, starting to smile and flash stepping over before Nanao had time to register what happened. Suddenly Lisa was right in front of her, and shot a smile behind Nanao before grabbing her in a tight embrace.
She didn't know how to react to that, so she froze for a moment, before carefully returning the embrace. She was surprised to discover that Lisa actually was her height, if not a little shorter. That was new.
Then Lisa pulled back and grinned at her. 'You've grown, Nanao-chan.' she said. 'Captain Kyouraku, captain Ukitake, good afternoon.' 'Don't we get a hug?' Kyouraku asked, making Nanao wish she had her hard-cover book with her.
But Lisa just laughed, and moved to give both of them a hug. 'Welcome back Lisa.' Ukitake said.
'Thank you.' Lisa answered, and for a moment Nanao could see a hint of nervousness in the other woman.
.
Lisa
She was glad to see them again, glad that their wounds from the battle had healed, glad that her little Nanao-chan had grown up so well.
She was also glad when Kyouraku turned towards division eight and started walking, because she had no idea what to say next, and she did not want to start crying for some stupid reason.
Like the fact that Nanao had returned her embrace, even though Lisa was half hollow, or the fact that Kyouraku and Ukitake had embraced her too, even though she was half hollow, or the fact that she was surrounded by their Reiatsu again, which just felt so much like home.
.
Kyouraku
They walked to his division, not speaking. Kyouraku was glad to have Ukitake's reassuring presence by his side, grounding him. He saw that both his girls were overwhelmed, Lisa looking around, breathing uneven, and Nanao who switched between staring straight ahead, unblinking, and staring at Lisa, still not believing her eyes.
They arrived quickly, and Kyouraku was again grateful to his friend when Ukitake took out a tea set and sat down on the grass in front of his office, calmly starting to prepare the tea.
They slowly settled down around him.
.
Lisa
'So you will be lieutenant again, like Nanao-chan.' Kyouraku finished explaining.
Lisa nearly chocked on the tea Ukitake had given her, and carefully placed the cup on the grass. 'But Nanao-chan is lieutenant. That's… I don't want to intrude on her place.' she said, trying to explain her shock.
'You will both be lieutenant, Yamamoto-sensei agreed to it. It's the same solution as the 9th division has decided on with Hisagi-san and Mashiro-san.' Ukitake explained patiently.
Lisa didn't say that she hadn't know this. She hadn't found the time to talk to the other visored really, before they left.
'Don't worry. Captain Kyouraku is still rather lazy, he only does what he absolutely has to. There is enough work for two lieutenants.' Nanao said, pushing up her glasses like she had already done a hundred years ago.
Cute.
Lisa nodded, accepting the explanation.
'Come on, we'll show you your new quarters. You must be tired after this day.' Kyouraku said gently, and got up.