Author's Note:

Hello everybody, and welcome to chapter 12! Things get a little depressing in this chapter, so you'll have to bear with me until a little later on ;-)

Also, I'm sorry one of my links at the bottom of the previous chapter didn't appear. It was there in my word document, so I'm not sure why it didn't transfer over. We'll see if I have similar issues with other links in later chapters. If I do, I apologize in advance!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.

Just a short month after acquiring Bankai, Karin's control and implementation of her abilities had already improved drastically. It had been the right call to ask Ichigo to join as an additional combatant; as his Bankai added another level to her training that would have been sorely lacking otherwise.

At first, the substitute had been hesitant; both because Karin was his baby sister whom he didn't want to hurt, and because he was responsible for teaching Kazui. He hadn't wanted his son's training to be put on hold for an unspecified amount of time, so Isshin had offered to train the boy in Ichigo's stead until Karin's final push was done. Ichigo had been happy with that compromise, and, thanks to his and Toshiro's combined efforts, Karin had made incredible progress. It had taken Ichigo a few days to get over the thought of hurting his sister; but, once he figured out just what she was capable of, his reservations disappeared. She was far tougher than he gave her credit for, and it made him feel relieved to know she was so resilient. Throughout the course of their training, he'd adapted his fighting style and power level to correspond with her continuously-improving skills, as had Toshiro. With the two of them fighting and advising her, she had progressed by leaps and bounds. There was no question that her zanpakuto was the most powerful wind-type zanpakuto in existence, and she was naturally gifted in wielding it. Toshiro had no doubt that she would easily make the rank of captain in the Gotei 13 in no time once her natural life was over.

The three had worked extremely hard for a month straight; and now, it was February 13th – the day before Valentine's Day…as well as the day Toshiro submitted his final progress report on Karin. He'd been putting it off for a couple of days, to try and stretch out his time in the world of the living just a little longer. Now, it was due no later than the end of the day today; so, taking a deep breath, he hit the send button on his communicator just after everyone had gone to bed. As far as his assignment was concerned, his job was finished. All Karin needed now was time, experience, and practice to master her Bankai. He had officially taught her everything he could; now it was time for her to start making her own way. She needed to continue building her relationship with Todoroku Kaze on her own.

Sighing defeatedly, Toshiro got dressed in his usual baggy sweatpants and white t-shirt, before making his way out of his room, and over to Karin's.

Per usual, the pretty young Kurosaki was already snuggled into bed, and waiting for him; giving him an affectionate smile.

He smiled back at her, before walking over to the bed, and crawling in next to her. It was a miracle that nobody had picked up on their sleeping arrangement yet, and he thanked God that it seemed like nobody in the house had picked up on their actual relationship, either. 'At least we got lucky somewhere in this situation.' he thought as Karin snuggled into his side; Toshiro wrapping her up in his arms as they both settled in.

All was quiet for a moment before Karin looked up at her boyfriend. "Hey, Toshiro?" she said; catching the white-haired captain's attention. Raising a curious eyebrow, he gave her an inquisitive look. "Yeah? What is it?" he replied.

Karin smiled back at him; bringing one hand out from under the covers so she could grab the calloused one that was draped over her side, and thread her fingers through his. "Normally, I hate Valentine's Day because I think it's a stupid holiday, and a waste of money; but I was wondering if you'd want to go out, and walk around Karakura Town tomorrow? I thought we could make a day of it, and enjoy a real date; not just a stolen hour or two here and there." she replied; excitement in her eyes.

Toshiro nodded in reply, which widened Karin's smile even more. "I like the sound of that. It's true, we haven't been able to go out on a real date for a while. Is everyone going to be gone tomorrow?" he asked; wanting to ensure that their disappearance wouldn't be obvious.

"Yeah; I think everyone has plans, but I'll double-check." she replied; pulling herself up slightly, and kissing him on the cheek. "Thanks, Toshiro. I know Valentine's Day isn't really your thing, or mine, but I think we'll have fun, all the same. At the very least, the town will look nice all decorated; just like it did at Christmas." she said; a humorous smirk on her face.

Toshiro smirked back; strangely excited for tomorrow's outing. "As long as you're there, it'll be fun. You provide more entertainment than a comedy show on a daily basis."

"Hey! Not cool, Toshiro!" Karin shouted in defiance; grabbing her pillow, and whacking him with it.

If he didn't know her the way he did, it would be easy to think that she was genuinely mad at him; but, he knew her better than anyone else ever could. Even if she feigned offense, she knew it was true, and she embraced her unique traits, and idiosyncrasies. She knew exactly who she was, and she was completely comfortable in her own skin; the quality he admired most about her.

Deciding he'd had enough of being whacked, Toshiro grabbed the pillow, and the two started wrestling for it; the white-haired captain emerging the victor, and his reward being a kiss or two from his girlfriend.

Once they were calmed down, and settled back into bed, Karin spoke again. "If our day out ends up panning out, how about we leave around 9:00? We can eat breakfast here, then grab lunch and/or dinner somewhere in town. Sound good?" she asked, glancing up at him.

Toshiro nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's a good idea. With any luck, everyone will be gone, so we won't need to rush out in the morning. How late do you want to be out?"

Karin thought for a moment, before finally just shrugging her shoulders. "Eh, we can stay out as long as we want. Let's just wing it, and see what the day brings. If we're home before dinner, great; If not, we won't worry about it. That work for you?" she asked, looking back at him.

Toshiro nodded in reply; bending over, and kissing her on the forehead. "That works for me. Now, I think it's time for us to get to bed. You worked hard today, so get some sleep" he replied, before both of them closed their eyes, and drifted into a deep sleep.

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They got back from their day out at around 7:00 pm the next day, long before anyone in her family was expected to be home.

The day had been wonderful, and definitely one of the best dates they'd been able to have in a while. It was difficult getting out for official dates when their relationship had to be kept so secret. It was pure luck that on this Valentine's Day her sister had made plans with Jinta, Ichigo and Orihime had planned a one-night get-away, and Isshin was at an all-day medical conference while Kazui stayed over at Auntie Tatsuki's house. It couldn't have worked out better for them to have a day to themselves, and go on a proper date.

Toshiro was even more appreciative of the opportunity, because it would be the last day he'd get to spend with Karin in the world of the living. He'd received a message from Soul Society early that morning telling him to return within the next 24 hours now that his assignment had been completed.

He had known the message would be coming soon, but actually reading the words in black and white crushed him in a way he didn't think was possible. He'd felt like crying for the first time since his childhood days in Rukongai; but, instead, he'd put on a smile, and enjoyed the day with his girlfriend. If it was going to be their last day together, he wanted to make sure he left her with this one last happy memory.

Now that they were home, though, he had to face the reality of telling her; dread settling into the pit of his stomach as he changed into his sweatpants and baggy t-shirt in the quiet of his own room. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this without breaking her, or if he even could. 'I doubt I can…' he thought bitterly, knowing just how much this was going to hurt her.

Taking one last look at his reflection in the mirror, he took a deep breath, and steeled himself for the conversation that was coming.

Walking out of his room, and over to the opposite end of the hallway, he knocked lightly on Karin's door. Waiting until he heard the soft "Come in" from the other side, he turned the doorknob, and stepped past the threshold; closing the door behind him once more, and locking it as a precautionary measure. In case Isshin came home earlier than expected, he didn't want his former captain interrupting them tonight; he just wanted one final, quiet evening alone with the girl that had managed to break down his icy barriers, and make him feel whole.

Looking over at the bed, he saw a pajama-clad Karin already stretched out on it; skimming through the photos she'd taken on her phone.

Adopting an affectionate smile, he made his way over to her; plopping down next to her, and leaning over to see her photo gallery. "Get any good ones?" he asked; a small smirk making its way onto his face.

Karin smirked back, giving him a quick peck on the lips before going back to her scrolling. "Yeah, lots, actually!" she said excitedly, giving him a triumphant look as she showed him photo after photo of him in various comical situations throughout the course of the day. "That-" she emphasized, pointing at picture after picture, "is prime blackmail material right there." she said; a smug look on her face.

As much as he wanted to, he couldn't be irritated with her for taking all those out-of-context pictures of him. He was just glad it was making her happy.

Shifting his demeanor from casual to serious and sad, he gently removed the phone from her hands; placing it on her bedside table. Karin looked back at him, now both confused and worried. "Toshiro, what's wrong?" she asked; concern evident in her eyes.

Sighing, Toshiro let his face fall completely in a rare show of emotion as he took one of her hands in his; stroking the top of her knuckles with is thumb as his eyes found hers. "I heard from Soul Society this morning."

Not needing to say any more than that, he knew she understood as he watched her face crumble. He'd experienced incredible pain in his life through many years of hard battles, and the loss of comrades, but nothing he'd felt before came close to the complete agony that settled into his chest as he slowly watched his incredibly strong girlfriend now try to fight back tears.

Karin merely nodded in reply; at a loss for words as she fought to keep her composure. After a long moment of silence, she finally found her voice. "You said this morning? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Toshiro found her eyes with his; holding her gaze. "Because I didn't want today to be sad; I wanted to see you happy, and enjoying yourself. I wanted us to have one last good memory together." he replied; the pain he was feeling clearly reflected in his eyes. Karin nodded slightly; understanding his reasoning, and grateful that he let her enjoy their day without that knowledge hanging over her.

After a moment's pause, she decided to skip any further discussion on the matter, and ask the question on her mind that was most important. "How long do we have?" she asked; her voice cracking.

Toshiro squeezed her hand a little tighter; his eyes never leaving hers. "I need to be back by no later than three tomorrow morning."

Karin nodded again, taking in the information as her world fell apart around her. She momentarily broke eye contact with him to look down at her free hand resting in her lap. She knew she shouldn't ask this of him again while he was vulnerable, but if this was going to be their last few hours together for potentially the rest of her natural life, she didn't care about the consequences; didn't care if she'd regret it later on because of the added pain it would cause.

Still not looking up at him, she moved her free hand over his; grasping it gently. "Toshiro," she began, trying to muster up the courage she needed to finish the sentence. The young captain merely nodded in acknowledgement; knowing she could see him in her peripheral vision.

Taking a deep breath, Karin looked back up at him…and she could tell he knew exactly what she wanted from him, because he wanted it, too; she could see it in his eyes.

Leaning in, she captured his lips with hers; feeling his eyes close as he wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close to him. The hand from his other arm came up to gently cradle her face, and wipe away the stray tear that had fallen down her cheek.

When they finally broke apart several seconds later, Karin locked her gaze with his; bringing one of her hands up to the back of his neck to play gently with his snow-white hair, just as she'd done countless times before. "It's okay." she whispered; the emotions in her eyes telling him more than her words ever could.

He hesitated for a moment; fighting against his restraint and better judgment. He knew that he should say no; but when he looked into her eyes, he saw that she'd already made up her mind. Even if he wanted her to find a man that she could actually marry, and start a family with one day, he could see she wouldn't do that. Like she'd told him before: he was it. No one else was an option.

She wanted him to make that same commitment to her; wanted them to share that sacred, unbreakable bond that could only be given once.

And so, he finally relented, because he already knew that he'd never be with anyone else except her; he made that decision a long time ago.

He let all the love and affection he felt for her shine through in his eyes as he leaned back in; kissing her tenderly with so much emotion it made her lose hold of the tears she'd managed so far to keep in check.

Gently, he slowly pushed her backward until her head hit her pillow; his calloused fingers finding the smooth skin of her waist. Pulling away slightly, he looked into her eyes again. "Are you sure about this?" he asked; wanting to make sure she wouldn't regret this in the morning when he was gone.

Karin brought her hands up to cradle both sides of his face; using her right to gently brush his fringe out of his eyes. The sad smile on her face, and the look in her eyes, told him everything he needed to know. "Shut up, and kiss me." she said; pulling him back down for a deep kiss that was filled with love, devotion, need, and just a touch of desperation.

Toshiro allowed his heart to win against his head for only the second time in his life; closing his eyes, and surrendering completely. The first time he'd given in to his emotions, Aizen had tricked him into stabbing Momo, and he'd almost lost his own life as well. Even though he was sure he'd end up just as hurt and broken as the last time, he didn't care anymore. Reaching up towards his face, he took one of her hands in his, and laced his fingers gently through hers.

He didn't let go of her hand for the rest of the night.

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Strapping Hyorinmaru onto his back, Toshiro pulled out his communicator to let Soul Society know he would be back within the hour. At two in the morning, the house was completely quiet. Isshin had come home at 1:30, and Toshiro had heard him go straight to bed. Only the sound of the wind outside moving through the night sky emitted any noise.

Looking over at the bed he'd just crawled out of about forty-five minutes ago, a loving smile made its way onto his face as he watched his pride and joy sleep peacefully. Karin had asked him not to wake her up when he left, because she knew that if he did, she'd try to stop him from going back. So, when he'd gotten up, he'd been very careful not to disturb her.

Walking over to the edge of the bed, he paused to solidify this moment in his memory. The moonlight shone in through her bedroom window, and bathed her in an almost ethereal glow. She was wrapped up in her bedsheet, but the light danced over the bare skin of her arms and shoulders; accentuating her inky black locks that were splayed out over her pillow. Her face was the picture of peacefulness; and, in that moment, he wished he could keep that look on her face for the rest of her life.

She was perfect, she was completely his, and he was sure he'd never see anything so beautiful again in his life.

Bending down, he gave her a feather-light kiss on her lips; brushing away a stray lock of hair from her face. "I love you, Karin…so much more than I ever thought was possible. Please don't forget that, and stay safe. I'll be waiting for you." he said; feeling a tear run down his cheek as he straightened back up, walked over to her desk, and placed his teal scarf on the smooth wooden surface. Walking over to her door, he unlocked it, opened it, and looked back one more time at the most important thing to have ever come into his life; before crossing the threshold, and closing the door behind him.

He'd already tidied up his own room, and sent his gigai back to Urahara with his gikongan, so he made his way downstairs into the pitch-black living room. Taking one more look around the house he'd grown to think of as his home, he made his way to the front door.

He was reaching for the doorknob when a single light flicked on from the side table near the recliner in the corner. Spinning around, he saw Isshin sitting in the chair; an unreadable expression on his face.

Toshiro's icy barriers came back up instantly; putting on his own unreadable expression, and waiting to see what Isshin had in store for him.

Slowly, the former captain rose from his chair; crossing his arms over his chest, and making his way over to his former third seat. Looking the young man in the eyes, Isshin raised a questioning eyebrow. "So, you weren't even going to say goodbye; just sneak off, like a thief in the night? Did you at least have the common courtesy to say goodbye to my daughter?" he asked; his no-nonsense tone cutting like steel, and reminding Toshiro of long-gone days when he was still just a child serving under the well-respected Captain Shiba.

Isshin leveled a glare at the young man, which Toshiro mirrored back at him. "Since it's two in the morning, I figured it would be better to leave you a note, which I put on the bureau in the spare room." he replied; his tone of voice defensive.

'Hmm, interesting. Guilt, or nervousness, I wonder?' Isshin thought as he studied the young man; giving him a skeptical look. "You didn't answer my question."

A beat of silence passed before Toshiro let out a small sigh; averting his eyes, and not meeting Isshin's gaze. "She told me not to wake her up to say goodbye, so I didn't." he replied; his voice slightly strained.

The former 10th division captain waited for a moment to pass before he spoke again; letting his former subordinate squirm a bit. "Did she tell you that because she knew she'd try to stop you if you did; and you knew you would've given in, and stayed?" he asked; watching as the ice captain's gaze met his once more, and that usually impenetrable mask slipped for just a split second. Behind it, Isshin saw many things all at once: slight panic, fear, anxiety…and soul-crushing heartache combined with unbearable sorrow. He knew that pain well; he'd recognize it anywhere. 'Yup, I thought so.' he thought to himself; now feeling immense pity for his former third seat.

As soon as he saw Isshin's facial expression shift from one of anger to one of pity, Toshiro knew he'd unintentionally given away his inner turmoil to his former captain. 'Shit!' he thought angrily; averting his gaze once more. "I need to go, Isshin. Goodbye, and thank you for everything." he said; trying to turn towards to door once more, only to be stopped by a strong hand on his shoulder. Tensing, he could feel the former captain's eyes fixed on him.

He waited for the elder Kurosaki to speak again; the tension in the air almost tangible. Several seconds of silence ticked by before Isshin decided to press forward. "Toshiro, the truth...the whole truth, please." he replied; his voice markedly softer this time around. "If I'm right, I know what you're going through better than most. Talk to me; you're safe with me."

It took a few minutes; but, gradually, he felt the young man's shoulders relax as Toshiro took a deep, shaky breath, and glanced over his shoulder at the older man.

Isshin could just barely see the wet streak running down the captain's face, and it took him completely off guard; his surprise evident on his face. 'I've never seen him cry before…'

Slowly, Toshiro turned around to face his former captain, and Isshin could now clearly see the inner turmoil and agony in his eyes. He removed his hand from Toshiro's shoulder, and waited for the young captain to say something…anything.

All was quiet for a moment while Toshiro sorted through what to say. He needed to talk to someone, and Isshin was probably the best option out of everyone he could think of that he would confide in…which wasn't a long list to begin with.

Finally finding it in him to speak, he locked eyes with his former captain. "How long have you known? We were careful, so how did you figure it out?" he asked; his voice wavering slightly from his current chaotic emotional state.

Isshin merely smiled slightly in response. "I've known since the beginning. So has Yuzu, I think. I've been around far longer than you have, Toshiro; I've seen a thing or two in my time. Besides," he said, his facial features softening as he looked over at the large hanging portrait of his late wife. "I know my daughter too well to not notice something like that; and the way you look at Karin is the same way I looked at Masaki." he finished; losing himself momentarily in memories from long ago days, before returning his attention back to his former subordinate.

Toshiro nodded in response, but chose to remain silent. He could tell Isshin had more he wanted to say…or ask.

Sure enough, when the elder Kurosaki found his gaze again, what Toshiro saw in his eyes was a strong protective instinct. He knew Isshin wasn't done with him just yet, so he waited patiently for whatever was coming next.

The former captain's facial features hardened again; adopting an intimidating aesthetic as he stared down the young man in front of him. "Do you love her?" he asked; already knowing the answer, but wanting the captain to admit it to him face-to-face. He was Karin's father, after all; he felt that he deserved that much.

A slight blush made its way onto Toshiro's face, but he didn't shrink away from the question. With the amount of respect he had for Isshin, both as his former captain, and as Karin's father; and the amount of respect he had for Karin, he owed the older man his honesty. "Yes" was his simple reply, but it was one of the most sincere things he'd ever said.

Keeping eye contact with the young man, Isshin pressed forward. "Do you have any idea what this will do to her, Toshiro? She'll be crushed." he said; a hardness to his voice as he studied the captain's face. Isshin couldn't hide the fact that he was pissed off that this would significantly damage his daughter, but he wanted to hear the young man out first before he bit his head off. He knew Toshiro better than to believe the young captain would deliberately take advantage of her, and hurt her without a care; especially if he claimed to love her.

Toshiro's eyes darkened with pain, sadness, and anger as he nodded in response to Isshin's question. He was in too deep now, and he was pissed off at the Kurosaki patriarch for even asking the question. Isshin was talking to him as if his former captain thought he didn't care about Karin's feelings at all, and that got under his skin in a way he didn't think was possible. Even though he wanted to tear into the older man, he knew he needed to be as honest with Isshin as possible so the elder Kurosaki would understand. Taking a calming breath, he mirrored Isshin's hard gaze. "Of course I know what this will do to her. You think I'm not going through the same thing right now? We talked about all of this at the beginning of our relationship, and we made the decision together. We both knew it would come eventually, and we chose to accept the consequences. Isshin," he said, before taking a step toward his former captain, and putting a hand on the older man's shoulder. "I know you will, but please take good care of her, and be there for her as much as she needs. It'll be hard when she wakes up later this morning, but I'm relying on you. She's everything to me; so, please, give her as much love and support as you can, and keep her safe and protected." he finished; the unsaid last sentence ringing loud and clear to the older man: "Since I can't be here to do those things, I need you to do them for me."

The young captain's love for Karin, along with the pain and sorrow in his eyes and on his face was so overwhelming it was close to reducing Isshin himself to tears.

Nodding in reply, Isshin moved in suddenly, and brought the unsuspecting young captain into a fatherly hug. It took a minute, but he slowly felt Toshiro relax and reciprocate it before the two men separated; Isshin finding the younger man's cerulean gaze. "I promise I'll look after her for you…and I'm so incredibly sorry." he finished; unshed tears hovering at the corners of his eyes.

Toshiro gave a pained, defeated half-smile in response. "You know, Isshin; until I came here, I never thought I'd want anything other than the life I had. I was content with where I was, and proud of my status as a captain. Now, though," he said, pausing for a moment as he looked longingly back over to the steps leading upstairs; a somber frown overtaking his face as another tear slid down his cheek. "I'd give it all up without a second thought if I could." he finished; his gaze lingering on the stairs for a moment longer before returning his attention to Isshin; wiping the salty streak from his face.

He could see the sympathetic and rather stunned look on his former captain's face, and it gave him some comfort knowing that the elder Kurosaki really did understand where he was coming from better than anyone else ever could.

Taking a deep breath, he continued on. "Matsumoto definitely took it the hardest, but when you left, we were both furious; the entire squad felt abandoned. I did my best to step into your shoes as quickly and effectively as I could, but it took a long time for everyone to get past it. I tried my hardest to become the leader that everyone needed, but they still felt betrayed for several years...and so did I. You were like the father I never had, and I couldn't understand how you could just leave us like that. Now that I'm in your shoes, I finally understand…but, unfortunately, I can't take the same path you did. Looking at it now, I think you made the right decision, but I can't put everyone through that again. I can't just leave them, and I won't put Karin at risk by abandoning my post, and enraging Central 46. I want to keep her safe, and this is the only way to do that." he finished; hoping the older man would understand.

From the look in Isshin's eyes as he stared back at him, Toshiro could tell his former captain knew where he was coming from; almost positive that Isshin had had some of these same thoughts back when he'd made his choice to give up his powers, become human, and save Masaki's life.

They now shared a bond that was unique due to the similar circumstances of their situations, and Toshiro was grateful that he had his former captain to confide in; despite the fact that they ended up choosing different paths. Holding out his hand, Toshiro held his old captain's gaze. "Thank you, Isshin. I'm indebted to you for everything that you've done for me…and what you're going to do for me, as well."

Isshin didn't respond; he merely took Toshiro's hand, and gave it a firm shake; a silent understanding passing between them as he nodded in reply.

With one final nod goodbye, Toshiro turned back towards the door, opened it, and disappeared into the night; leaving Isshin standing in the living room with a racing mind, and a new question he was determined to find an answer to. 'This is partly my fault, so what can I do to fix it?'

Alright, what did we think? I did warn you things were going to be depressing for a little while. Poor Toshiro and Karin :-( We'll see if Isshin…or anyone else…can think of a way to help them.

I was really looking forward to writing Isshin's confrontation with Toshiro because of their past as captain and subordinate. Because Isshin went through the pain of losing Masaki, as well as having all of the responsibilities of a captain on his shoulders earlier in his life, I think he can understand Toshiro's struggles in a way that not many other people could.

Okie dokie, folks, I'll see you all back here later for chapter 13!

Adios!

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