Chapter 21:

Shinji and Hisagi sat on the couch together, looking up at the ceiling. It had been a very lazy day for both of them but they didn't care. They also didn't care how close they were to one another. Shinji was laying with his head in Hisagi's lap, both having polished off the last of the food Hitsugaya had in the office to share. Shinji was feeling much better and he wasn't sure if it was the company or the cuddling that had improved his mood or both.

It felt good to cuddle on the couch like this. Neither man was uncomfortable with it, their wolf half dictating that this was natural.

"How long before sunset?" Shinji asked, facing the ceiling.

Able to look out the window from his current position, Hisagi checked the position of the sun. "Still got a couple hours."

"Plan's the same?" Shinji asked. "Meeting in the forest at sunset?"

"Yeah," said Hitsugaya, doing paperwork.

"Give us time before nightfall. Good." Shinji stretched out lazily, pressing his head into Hisagi's thighs as he did so.

"That hurts a little," he told him.

"Sorry." Shinji shut his eyes lazily. "Dog day afternoon, huh? Ever wonder where that saying comes from? Lazy dog day afternoon. I don't even think it's true. After we burn off all that energy, we only got one speed left in us and that's zero."

"I don't know." Hitsugaya looked over at him. "Don't you have work to do? Why are you here?"

"I got nothing else to do," Shinji admitted. "I got stuff done earlier and this late in the day, I figured us being together would be a good idea. Besides, I'm still avoiding Momo. I run a higher risk of bumping into her at the office than I do here."

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

"Little Shiro?"

"You gotta be kiddin'." Shinji rolled off Hisagi lap and looked around for a good hiding spot.

"You didn't think she'd come see her friend in his office?" Hisagi asked, watching Shinji scramble for a good spot.

"I just said the chances of it being at our own office were higher than here, not impossible."

The door opened and, unable to wedge himself under the coffee table, Shinji scrambled on all fours to remain out of sight and dove under Rangiku's desk.

Momo entered the room, stopping when she saw Hisagi. "Oh. Hi, Hisagi."

He waved.

"Could you, um…" She looked from him to Hitsugaya. "Could you give us a minute, please, Hisagi? I wanted to talk to Toshiro for a minute if that's ok."

Hisagi pulled himself off the couch and over to the door. "Sure thing. I'll be back in a bit."

"Thanks." Momo smiled as he shut the door. Then she looked over the desk at her childhood friend. "Little Shiro, I…"

"When are you going to start calling me by my title?"

"I need to talk to you," she said, ignoring him. "It's about Shinji."

Shinji tensed under Rangiku's desk.

"Shinji?"

"Yeah, my Captain."

"I know who that is, Momo…" He wasn't sure if he was more annoyed than curious. "What about him?"

"I don't know what it is but he's acting really weird lately. I just don't know what else to do. If I talk to him about it, he'll know I know and I don't want him to know I know because I might not know but he might think I do but it's also bad if I do know and he knows I know. You know?"

"Uhh…"

Momo's cheek turned pink, flustered. "Oh, Little Shiro, I'm worried, ok? I need to figure this out but I can't talk to him about it because he's the subject and I don't want him to know I know-"

"Don't start that again." Hitsugaya held up his hands. He put them down and asked, "What's this about?"

Momo leaned over the desk to speak in a hushed tone. "I think Shinji might be involved with the missing blood packs in the 4th Division."

Under the desk, Shinji fought the urge to retort childishly and instead kept his mouth shut, looking at the floor.

Hitsugaya knew Shinji wasn't involved but he couldn't tell her who really was or how he knew that, so instead he feigned interest while maintaining his cynicism. "Really? How?"

"He keeps disappearing and has all these weird excuses. Sometimes he runs off so suddenly without any warning. At first, I thought it was because he was avoiding me, but now I think it's something else."

Shinji shrugged under the desk, nodding his head in a reasonable gesture. After all, he had been avoiding her and he was trying to hide something. Mostly the tail wagging under his jacket every time he got excited for one reason or another.

"I think he either knows the person who's stealing the transfusion bags or is the one doing it himself."

"That's ridiculous," said Hitsugaya. "What reason would he have to do that?"

"I don't know." Momo couldn't think of a valid reason for any of this. "He might be helping someone who needs them, but they're probably not injured. If they were, he'd take them for treatment. Experiments is another possibility. He doesn't seem like that type but… Maybe the person he's getting them for is."

"Momo, you're stretching it."

"He is a Vizard, isn't he?"

Shinji frowned, heart skipping a beat.

"Maybe he needs blood for some reason. I mean… He could. Right? He is part Hollow and…"

Shinji didn't move, listening to everything she said with a frown on his face. He had grown comfortable with his Hollow powers and accepted everything about them. He might even go so far as to say he was proud of what he was, but that wasn't quite the word for how he felt. He knew there were things he could do that no one else could with them. He had overcome so much and treated his powers like a prosthetic limb, knowing what he had to go through to get it and enjoyed showing it off while also knowing what he had lost in the process. One of those things was the acceptance of others.

He knew he and his friends would have been killed had it not been for Kisuke. After the battle with Aizen, they were welcomed back as Captains since they proved themselves capable as fighters and of controlling their new powers. However, it didn't mean everyone would trust them. He knew some would be fearful of them because of what they were which was why they didn't use their powers very often. Even so, though he suspected just this might happen, he hoped it wouldn't make them a target for when things took a turn.

Being a Vizard truly was a double-edged sword.

Would Momo have suspected him if he hadn't been a Vizard? Was it an excuse? He knew it would be hard for some people to understand but he didn't think it was this prominent.

"Do you really think him being a Vizard is a factor?" Hitsugaya asked, knowing Shinji could hear them.

"I don't think it makes him bad or untrustworthy," Momo admitted. "I just don't know why else he would take blood transfusion bags."

"In other words, you're trying to make the pieces fit."

Momo looked down without a word.

"What if he's not accountable?" Hitsugaya asked her. "What if he's acting weird for another reason and you have it all wrong?"

Momo pouted. "The timing makes it fishy. Blood goes missing and he's acting strange. There must be a connection. He didn't act this way before."

"What if it's unrelated? Maybe he's planning a surprise for someone and doesn't want people to find out. Maybe he's got some stomach bug and is too embarrassed to say anything. Remember how when you-"

"Ok!" she said sharply, turning red. "You don't have to bring it up!"

"Just saying," said Hitsugaya with a smirk, "there are other perfectly valid reasons for him to be acting a little off."

"I know," said Momo, feeling defeated.

"Don't go accusing people of something like that, Momo. You might have it wrong."

"I know, which is why I came to you for advice. If he won't tell me what's going on…"

"He did tell you."

"But I know those are excuses. He won't tell me the reason."

"Maybe one of those is real but you just don't believe him."

Momo shook her head, adamant. "I know a phony excuse when I hear one."

Hitsugaya raised his brow. "He could be ill," he tested.

She shook her head.

"He might be a werewolf."

"Come on," Momo said skeptically. "Be reasonable. I know that's fake. Your other excuse was better."

Hitsugaya smirked, proving his point without her knowing it. "When he's ready to tell you, he'll tell you. Leave it alone."

Momo sighed. "Fine. Maybe I'll just go to Squad 4 and see if there's anything they can tell me."

Hitsugaya stood up, alarmed. "Uh, why would you do that?"

"Because blood went missing and no one knows who's behind it."

"Yeah, but you really should leave that to the authorities."

She raised her brow at him. "We are the authorities. Captains and Lieutenants. We're supposed to help with this. I'll do my part by investigating."

"Which everyone else has already done. Don't bother."

When he read her body language, he knew she was going to go there and stick her nose where it didn't belong in an effort to do the right thing with or without his approval. Sensing she could be in danger, he offered to go with her. That way, he could steer the unassuming Momo away from trouble, and the nurse who was under Byakuya's spell.

"You don't have to," she said.

"No, I'll come with you. That way you don't freak out and embarrass yourself."

"I will not!"

Hitsugaya and Momo left the office together. After they were gone, Shinji crawled out from under the desk and stared at the door.

He knew what Hitsugaya was doing but if Momo intended on doing a thorough investigation, he wouldn't be back before sunset.

"Love her or not, you can't always be there to protect her from everything," he said to the empty room. If Momo allowed herself to be put in a vulnerable position, it would happen. If she insisted on finding the blood thief, she was bound to be on Byakuya's radar, whether or not Hitsugaya was there to protect her. He couldn't follow her around every second of the day.

Hisagi came back into the room. "Did he just leave?"

"Yup."

"Where?"

Shinji didn't answer.

Hitsugaya kept his eye the sun and Momo during their trip to the sickbay. Hitsugaya wasn't sure which nurse had been bitten so he was cautious with everyone Momo spoke to. He also kept track of the time, knowing he needed to leave before sunset otherwise he'd change in front of everyone. If he did that here in front of the infected nurse, Byakuya would know the truth before morning.

Thankfully, Momo hadn't gotten any new information and was relieved to hear that no blood had gone missing since replacing the previous guard from Squad 2. Now Momo thought the guard they fired had something to do with it and was willing to leave.

She shared her theories with Hitsugaya as they left, stopping only when a Soul Reaper addressed them. "We need a Captain, please, sir."

Glancing at the setting sun, Hitsugaya told the man to lead them there quickly to assess the trouble. Momo went with them.

It was one thing after another and Hitsugaya was starting to regret leaving his office. Once he did, suddenly everyone needed him. It seemed Kira hadn't properly filed the forms in the archives and only a high-ranking Soul Reaper had the authority to alter their locations for that specific section. Another Soul Reaper needed a Captain to settle a dispute over something in a different office since their Captain wasn't available. Finally, someone from another Squad noticed something suspicious in a garbage can and needed a Captain to decide what to do about it.

Settling the dispute was easiest. The archives would have to wait until he settled what they found in the trash and what he saw worried him.

It looked like regurgitated blood and it smelled strongly of garlic. This meant the blood taken from Kira had made Byakuya sick.

"These were in another trash bin," said a Soul Reaper, holding out a bag with four transfusion bags hidden under other garbage. They were all empty of blood, ripped open by two puncture marks.

"Where did you find these?" Hitsugaya asked.

"In different locations, Captain. The bag came open and we saw these. We knew we needed to get a Captain and you happened to be nearby."

"You just discovered these?"

"Yes, sir."

Hitsugaya didn't have time for this, but if he didn't handle it and they alerted the wrong person… "Ok, I'll take care of it. Just tell me where you found it and I'll write up a report and figure it out."

"Should we tell Captain Unohana?"

"He's a Captain. He knows what he's doing."

Hitsugaya tried to rush things along. The sun was going down faster than expected. He told them to dispose of the trash as they were doing instead of set it aside. They questioned why he wanted to do this and he told them it was so the culprit wouldn't catch on that they had made a mistake when he was actually protecting Byakuya. The bags would be analyzed and eventually point to Byakuya and his minions.

"Just get rid of it the way you normally would so no one notices and I'll report this. Drawing too much attention out in the open like this might tip off the thief. There isn't much we can do anyway. The bags are empty and if you found these in different places, that means they're covering their tracks. I'll make a note of it in my report."

They continued to question his motives but what he said made some sense.

He had to get out of the open. He told the other Soul Reaper he would go to the archives now and help with the records. Momo stayed to help the two others with their discovery. He hoped she wouldn't give them contradictory information.

Maybe it was the stress or the upcoming full moon or both, because he was starting to feel weird. He wanted to hide himself. His body was crawling and his insides were in knots.

He had to hurry.

He opened the slatted door to one of the many sections and told the Soul Reaper to find the files to be re-shelved. He told Hitsugaya that he couldn't touch them because he wasn't a high enough rank, being a stickler for rules, and Hitsugaya told him he would make an exception since he was there to observe him.

He leaned against one of the shelves, feeling dizzy. The air felt so thick in this dusty archive smelling of polished wood. He felt so high off the ground. He felt unsteady. He needed to get down. Down on all fours where it was safe and comfortable. His legs were shaking.

Hitsugaya started to leave when the Soul Reaper stopped him, pointing to the work. "I'll be right back," he told the man. "I thought I heard something. Stay here."

Hitsugaya hurried out of the section, bracing himself against the many shelves. He deliberately kicked the door shut to keep the man inside the restricted area just in case he really did lose control of himself. He didn't want to be responsible for what he did to the Soul Reaper in his werewolf state.

The room was spinning. His body felt hot. It was so musty in here. This windowless room made him feel confined. He needed fresh air. He had to get out.

He dropped to all fours and started crawling, feeling more stable in this position. He shut his eyes, feeling his whole body tingle and lurch. The feeling started to subside and he felt much better. Stronger. He opened his eyes and saw paws. The change already happened.

No one was around. He could leave unnoticed and join the others in the forest. Now was his chance.

"Little Shiro, are you down here?"

He flinched and backed into a bookcase. She was blocking his only exit. He darted down one of the rows and hid around the corner. He saw her feet descending the steps and heard her call again for him. He used the bookshelves for cover as he made his way towards the stairs.

"Have you seen Toshiro?" Momo asked the man in the other section.

"He said he heard something and went to investigate."

"Oh? How long ago? It might have been me."

"A minute, I guess."

"Hm." That couldn't have been her. Besides, she announced herself so he wouldn't need to look around. She went back the way she came, hoping to find him.

Hitsugaya put his paw on the bottom step and started to ascend the staircase to the outside when he heard someone behind him. He hurried but Momo's yelp stopped him in his tracks.

"Wolf! Wolf!"

Hitsugaya stopped where he was and turned, seeing Momo look frightened. He forced himself to look away and tried to continue his escape. Something hit the step where his paw had been a moment ago. Was she attacking him? He ran for the exit.

Seeing a wolf in the archives startled Momo and instinctively tried to scare it away. Now she was rethinking her actions and followed after it, believing the wolf might have had something to do with the blood they found in the trash.

Hitsugaya bolted out the door and ran towards the forest. He was so far from the trees, it would take him minutes to get there. Once he left this street, he just had to…

Something was behind him.

Something wrapped around his legs, tripping him and he went flying, knocked out of a dead run. He slid across the ground, tumbling and flipping painfully until landing on his side. He looked down at the Kido binding his legs and tried to break free. Another Kido held him in place.

"Momo, it's me," he barked. He had to make her understand. "Momo, it's me! Toshiro!"

All she heard was barking as she approached the wolf with great caution. It was a large white wolf, bigger than she was and it was barking at her frantically. She wasn't sure if it was trying to attack her or not but she had it immobilized, so she felt safer.

"Where did you come from?" she asked it, half worried, half curious. To her, it was just a big dog, but if it had something to do with the blood they found, it was an enemy.

She looked around. There was no one there to help her. Her childhood friend must have left to go home or was still looking for whatever made that weird noise he was investigating. It must have been this wolf, but if it was here, where was he?

She pondered what to do about this. A wolf wasn't much of a threat but if it was involved with the blood incident in some way, she couldn't release it into the wild. She couldn't kill it either. They had to investigate. The decision wasn't hers alone to make, but if everyone had gone home for the evening, what could she do other than secure it somewhere and wait until morning?

"Momo, it's me! Let me go!"

She muzzled him with another Kido and started to drag him towards another building.

"Momo, please!" He had to get away, but there was nothing he could do. His own barks were muffled, not that she could understand him. As always, Momo had excellent aim when it came to Kido and was very proficient at it. He knew there was no getting away.

He whined loudly as Momo dragged him down the street and away from the forest.