The Captains Meeting had to wait until the evening. It took that long to calm the chaos in the city. It didn't help that Kenpachi didn't bother to let his men know the orders were false but just waited for them to get bored and wander on home. There were probably still a few dozen roaming about looking for trouble. They had only been sent out as part of a drill so it was to be hoped they wouldn't actually hurt anyone.

Gin, seeing as the whole thing was more or less his fault, arrived only five minutes late rather than his usual ten to fifteen. He smiled pleasantly at the other captains as he crossed the hall and wished them a good evening.

Byakuya did not even bother to glance in his direction but continued to tell Yamamoto how completely unacceptable the situation was. "We have not even completed repairs to the lesser houses, and now we have lost an entire day's progress due to a prank. It is completely unacceptable for a captain--a captain!--to behave in such a shameful and irresponsible manner. We cannot--"

"Should I come back later?" Gin asked. "I have over a week's worth of paperwork sitting on my desk, and if Captain Kuchiki's decided to make a speech on honor I should have at least an hour before I'll be needed."

Byakuya turned narrowed eyes on Gin. "I am sorely tempted to permanently remove your stench from the Gotei."

"My goodness, and here I thought we were supposed to be allies," Gin said with obvious false sincerity. "I am terribly sorry if my demonstration of one of the Gotei's weaknesses upset you, but I was only trying to help. It would be awful if we didn't have our emergency responses a little more organized by the time we have to deal with Aizen."

"That was a demonstration?" Yamamoto demanded.

"Oh, yes," Gin answered. "Didn't you see what a mess it was? Imagine if it hadn't been a drill. I doubt anyone would even have noticed their enemies. No one noticed Urahara-san, and I thought he was still officially banished. Shouldn't someone have tried to arrest him?"

"Urahara was here?' Yamamoto demanded, this time turning to Kurotsuchi.

"Yes," the scientist answered with a sigh. "Unfortunately I was in the middle of a very tricky operation, and by the time my men informed me that Urahara Kisuke had been spotted on the cameras there were so many people on the streets they had lost him in the crowd. I reviewed the footage and eventually discovered he and Shihoin Yoruichi entered the Shiba Estate half an hour after Ichimaru's demonstration began.

"I sent Nemu to investigate the situation. Lady Miyako has always been unusually kind to Nemu for reasons I have yet to determine, and she was willing to tell Nemu what had happened. Urahara and Yoruichi appeared suddenly and requested the use of the Shiba Family Gate to return to the World of the Living. She claims she had no idea Urahara should have been retained. She allowed him, Yoruichi, and all of the Ryoka to leave through the Shiba Gate."

"Well, that's that then," Kyoraku said. "Seems Kisuke doesn't trust us. Not really surprising, is it? Didn't expect he'd come for Yoruichi, must really have been worried about her. You don't suppose he'd heard she looked like she'd gone through a Gotei inquisition?"

He turned his sharp eyes on Gin, who immediately protested. "I didn't tell him! I don't suppose anyone else has noticed, but information is spreading awfully quickly these days. Everyone in my division is giving me nasty looks, which isn't that unusual, but Kira says they know I sent Lieutenant Suzuki to his death. I did think the information I shared with my fellow captains was supposed to remain secret. I can't say that I mind terribly, but it does point to a leak."

"Shuhei-kun is having similar problems with the Ninth. His entire division is suspicious of him since learning he was questioned about Yoruichi's disappearance and the murder of a Ninth Division member out in Rukongai," Kyoraku said. "I'm afraid my men have heard too. They keep giving Nanao-chan pitying looks--not a good idea that, by the way. She can give a tongue-lashing that'll leave a brave man crying."

"Do they also know Lieutenants Hinamori and Kira were questioned after both incidents?" Yamamoto asked.

"Seem to know there was a difference which points to inside information," Kyoraku answered. "Like the content of Gin-kun's interviews; we've restricted access, but it's still getting out. I can't say if it's just someone who likes to talk or if it's part of a plot, but I think we've got a serious problem."

"The information is not only being disseminated within the Gotei," Byakuya said, looking annoyed that he had information to share. "Several family members of the murdered Central 46 came to me demanding justice for those who had died. They wanted Ichimaru's blood, and they had more knowledge of his crimes than they should have had. There have, of course, been rumors, but their knowledge was more specific."

"And now the Great Houses are involved," Yamamoto said. He sighed sadly. "It appears Gin-kun was correct. Aizen intends to tear us apart from the inside. We cannot allow him to succeed. We must hold together, and we must make it clear to every member of the Gotei that we are one. Starting tomorrow we will begin joint exercises. Ichimaru has pointed out a flaw in our defenses that must be remedied immediately. A comprehensive plan will be devised, and you will all receive orders in the morning. I expect you to be ready. Good night."

The general turned to Gin before he had a chance to dash and added, "Ichimaru, if you interfere again with the operations of any division outside your own we will be forced to rethink the freedom you and your family currently enjoy."

Gin forced a huge, fox-like grin to his face. "Of course, sir. I wouldn't think of it."

Since he hadn't managed to escape, Gin chose to dawdle instead, saying various irrelevancies to various captains. As he came to Kyoraku it occurred to him Captain Ukitake had still not made a meeting. "How is Captain Ukitake?" he asked, politely.

Kyoraku gave him a sharp look. "You needn't pretend you care, Gin-kun," he answered, before turning to follow the General back into the building.

Gin was quite surprised. He'd always gotten along fairly well with both the irresponsible captain of the Eighth and his sickly friend. They never took his nonsense too seriously, which really was the best way to take it and were always willing to chat when he was looking for a way to waste time. He had almost, maybe, a little bit, considered them friends. Kyoraku's statement was like a slap in the face.

"He slept most of last week, but he's been awake and was able to eat today," Toshiro said stepping up beside Gin. "Kaien told me they expect him to be able to get back to work by the end of the week."

"Oh?" Gin said, a little dully. "Then that's good."

"Do you care?" Toshiro asked.

GIn frowned. Did he care? That was a very good question. What did Ichimaru Gin, no longer Aizen's slave, feel about the people around him? "I don't know," he said, finally.

Toshiro sighed. Then he said, "C'mon, you know Mom's not going to hold dinner."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kira was nearly asleep when he heard a soft tapping on the window near his head. He sat up quickly and pushed back the curtain. It took him a second to recognize Hinamori staring back at him through the glass.

He hopped to his feet and unlatched the window, shoving it open as quickly as he could.

She climbed through without waiting for an invitation and shocked Kira thoroughly by throwing her arms around him and sobbing into his chest.

It took Kira a few seconds to get his brain to turn back on. First of all, he was grateful that his room was separated from the other officers by a small study/sitting room, the great luxury of the Third Division Lieutenant's Quarters, so it was unlikely anyone else could hear her crying. Then he decided maybe he should hug her back, and he did. She seemed very small and very warm despite how she was shaking.

It took him awhile but eventually he thought to ask her what was wrong.

"I don't know what to do!" she moaned. "I don't know what to do!"

"What happened?" Kira asked. It was hard not to be distracted by the fact that he could feel the dampness of her tears and the heat of her breath through the thin cotton of his summer kimono. In fact he could feel every single curve she pressed into him.

Kira took hold of her shoulders and stepped back, putting a few necessary inches between them. He could see her face now, the red and puffy eyes, the tear stained cheeks, and trembling lower lip. "Momo," he said gently. It seemed fair to call her by her first name; she was in his room. "Tell me what happened."

"I—I went to help Renji," she told him miserably. "To look after Rukia while Captain Kuchiki was at the meeting—oh, Kira! She's not ok! She's—she's—Renji had to hold her to keep her from hurting herself, and she screamed and screamed!" Hinamori pressed her hands to her ears like she could still hear Rukia screaming.

Kira nodded. "I saw her before Orihime healed her," he told her. "Aizen tortured her. He broke her completely."

"No!" Hinamori gasped stepping back out of his reach and shaking her head. "No! You're wrong. You have to be wrong."

"The Arrancar told Rangiku-san and Ise-san, Rukia was a present from Aizen—for my captain."

Hinamori continued to shake her head. "That's not right. It was lying. It had to be."

"How could it have been lying?" Kira asked, speaking very slowly and gently. He was beginning to realize Hinamori had not really accepted that Aizen was a traitor to Soul Society. She had stopped arguing with everyone but she had never really believed them. "Everyone saw Aizen take Rukia. I saw him take her. How could the Arrancar have returned her, and why would it return her to Captain Ichimaru unless Aizen told it to?"

The tears were pouring down her face now. "But Captain Aizen couldn't hurt Rukia like that! I know he couldn't! Captain Aizen is good and kind and--" she broke down, sobbing once more.

Kira had never felt so helpless. The girl he loved was bawling her heart out over a monster. There was absolutely nothing he could tell her that would make it any better. For Hinamori this was a nightmare, but she would never be waking up. Her entire universe had been destroyed.

Very carefully, he wrapped his arms around her, and gently pulled her close. He felt like she might shatter at any moment, and he was trying to hold her together, but she was so fragile if he did one wrong thing he might break her.