Authors Notes: I have returned from camp and I SURVIVED. YAY! Here is the long awaited chapter – so sorry it took me so long to get it put up. I have combed over this with my beta though there were several additions and adjustments that she had not gone over so if there are any mistakes – it falls on my head not hers. Instead of waiting though, I figured that you all would like to see the chapter now!

There is one more chapter after this – in which all questions are answered and the end will come.

Enjoy everyone! And thank you so much for your patience!

Big thanks to Brittany for her help with this!

---

The snow, when it came, did so hard and fast. It was not the gentle first snow that bathed the land in a white blanket that they would skip over for a few days as it slowly melted away. He looked out the window of the tenth division office and sighed. It was a white-out, plan and simple.

Hyourinmaru at least was pleased with the weather. The dragon had been humming in the back of his mind ever since the clouds and started building over the city and the cold wind had begun to hum through the city streets.

Winter, it seemed, had finally arrived.

He would attribute this as being the reason that Matsumoto and Hinamori were hiding in the tenth division office, playing a card game that Ichigo had taught them, instead of completing the numerous errands that he had given them earlier that morning. He watched them in amusement before turning his attention back to the paperwork in front of him. It had not been his plan to work on the paperwork that had been building up on his desk for the last several days but the current weather conditions did not encourage anyone to travel outside needlessly.

Hyourinmaru was stirring; the need for the ice dragon to be out and among the elements sending the calm that the normal routine of paperwork and the quite of his office brought far from him. His eyes narrowed as Hyourinmaru once more made known his need to be out in the current weather, he glanced at the two who were quite comfortably settled next to the fire. It appeared that they had no intention to go anywhere outside the reach of the fire's warmth. Both girls had drawn up serious expressions as they took turns staring at their cards and then staring at each other.

He stood. "I will return," he walked across the room and pulled a scarf from the coat rack that Matsumoto had set up shortly after the first snow flakes had started to fall. The majority of his division had made it in before the storm but there were still some teams that he had not heard from. It was perhaps unnecessary to check on the incoming teams but it would at least give the dragon a chance to be out in the cold, and perhaps it would give him a chance to relax.

He slid Hyourinmaru into place on his back; he would need the added assistance as hard as the elements were blowing outside. The girls ignored him, concentrating on their cards. He felt his brow twitch up at their continual silence, he would figure out how to make them do their paperwork when he returned.

It was cold and dark; the thick clouds blocking the majority of the light from the sky while the bitterly cold wind tossed snow and ice in large harsh tufts of air that send his captains cloak billowing about his legs. He brought the scarf up to wrap around his mouth and nose to aid his breathing as he continued to walk down the path, using his mental map of the place to guide him through the storm.

The storm, it seemed, was intensifying and he hopped that his messages had gotten through to the teams that were out earlier that morning. The walk towards the barracks took him longer than usual but his knock was answered quickly and he was ushered into the warm rooms by the officer on duty.

"Captain," he said, Hitsugaya slipped to the side so that he could shut the door behind him.

"Did everyone check in?"

The tall man shook his head, "we still have one team out. They are not yet overdue but I was hoping that they would check in before now." He admitted moving through the room and to the stove; he poured a cup of tea before offering it to Hitsugaya. He accepted with a nod.

"What is their report in time?"

Kimishima checked the clock on the wall, "an hour."

He nodded, eyes narrowing in thought. "What section were they assigned to?" He took a careful sip of his tea, before moving across the floor to join the man at the table in the main hallway. Kimishima had been the third seated member of his division for some time now and he was quick and efficient, something he could appreciate.

The man frowned, "let me check, Captain." He moved to a group files in a small bin on the wall, "we had several teams out and Maika's team was stationed at the east quadrant."

"Maika was leading them?"

He nodded before pulling out the file and frowned, "Captain," he said, "they were stationed near the ridge," he flipped through the file, "there was a bit of activity in that area recently." He pulled out a map and pointed at the area that he was all too familiar with. "Several unexplained disappearances. They were going to investigate that area before the storm hit."

He sat his tea down and looked at the map carefully for a moment before turning back towards the door.

"Do you want anyone to come with you?"

"I will bring them in," he said, "send a message to Matsumoto and have the fourth division on stand-by."

He didn't give the man time to respond, dark was going to hit in another couple of hours and if they were not in before the sun went down, even their death god bodies might not survive very well in the weather conditions that would only become worse after dark. The snow was starting to ease up the initial furry of the storm abating as time slowly creped by. The intensity that it had been promising was dying off.

He stopped to examine the sky, his eyes narrowing. The storm was dissipating too quickly, unnaturally. The storm should have continued for another couple of hours. Something was affecting it. He turned in the direction of the ridge; shunpo would take him out of the city gates and as far as their rendezvous point, fast, which was what he needed. After that he would need to use his natural leg speed to take him through the area or he risked missing them entirely.

It didn't take him long to find where they were supposed to be. The further his flash-steps took him from the seireitei the less snow there was for him to fight through and the clearer his vision became. And the more the weather teased at his senses as wrong.

He sensed Maika first. As the holder of the fifth seat of their division she had a strong reiatsu signature. His steps increased to his full speed when it became obvious something was wrong.

It was weaker than it should have been but steady and it didn't take him long to locate her exact location. He pulled out of the shunpo, stopping beside her neatly. She was huddled in a small ball in an indention between two boulders her arms wrapped around her as she clutched her soul slayer close, trying to keep warm, he realized. He frowned at the pink tint of the ice and snow behind her, she was bleeding.

"Maika," he said, kneeling beside her, his fingers moving to her throat to check her pulse point. Hr eyes fluttered open, and he frowned at the disoriented look in them.

"Ca…ca…captain?" she managed, blinking at him in confusion.

Her pulse was steady but she was cold, much to cold for his liking. "How long have you been here?" She shivered, pulling herself further into a sitting position, his eyes narrowed, stay put. What happened?"

She licked her lips, "there was a hollow…" she frowned, "more than one, I think. It… they… used the snow and ice as cover and we didn't see or sense it until it was too late." She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing in determination, "he took some of the younger ones to the ravine about ten or twenty minutes ago, Keita went after them after he brought me here."

He unclasped Hyourinmaru and shuffled his captain's cloak from his back, draping it over her shivering form, it would offer her a bit more warmth and camouflage in the current weather conditions. "Matsumoto is headed this direction," he could sense her fast approaching reiatsu with ease, "Can you make it?"

She nodded, "I packed the gash with snow, it's not bleeding right now," she said, she looked up with worried eyes. "Captain the hollow uses ice and snow," she shivered violently, her fingers tightening on the hilt of her sword and he frowned.

"Don't trouble your self with it," he said, "Matsumoto will be here soon." He shifted Hyourinmaru back into place and stood. "Stay here," he ordered before heading back into the cold night air.

What type of hollow had any sort of control over the weather? Hyourinmaru rumbled and he felt his eyes narrow in agreement. Matsumoto would find Maika and would figure out her own plan from the information that the girl would give her. His objective now was to find his tenth seat and team.

It didn't take him long to find the hollow. The air reeked with the hollow's stink and higher than average reiatsu signature. He frowned. There were a few wavering flickers of reiatsu within its lair which meant that at least part of the missing team was within. But so was the hollow. His lips thinned in annoyance. While not unexpected this was going to add to the difficulty of extracting the death gods within.

He moved forward. The hollow was laughing at something or someone inside, his brow furrowed in annoyance. He hated hollows. He unsheathed softly using the soft sound of the hollow's footsteps to help disguise the slight sound.

He crept forward.

The hollow receded in a cave that was covered in the ice and snow that was still falling gently outside. The cave was narrow but tall and there were deep grooves cut into various areas of the rock, grooves he assumed the hollow had made to make travel a little easier. Finding the hollow, at least, was the easy part. The cave had only one pathway and it quickly opened up into a dimly lit cavern.

It was a big ugly thing with a wide open mask and tall thin body. It also held one of the newer trainees in his hand. The rest appeared to be thrown about in a small sheltered area, the sharp scream of the girl brought his full attention to the hollow.

It seemed it liked to play with its food, his eyes narrowed, and Hyourinmaru thrummed in his hand as he used shunpo to carry him across the room. The hollow was not expecting anyone to interrupt his game and he was able to catch it off guard, using a quick downward slice removed the hollows hand with neat precision, it bellowed in both surprise and pain. He used the nearby wall to flip himself backwards in time to stop the downward thrust of the hollows other hand which was moving downwards to catch the falling death god.

It screamed in rage when it met the steel of his blade.

"Little death god," it hissed moving backwards on agile feet. "You dare interrupt my meal?"

A quick glance indicated that the girl, he couldn't remember her name right then, was still alive. She rolled weakly out of the severed hand coughing. He turned his attention back to the hollow in front of him. It was gathering its powers to him, ice was forming on the sides of his hands and he moved forward as it launched its hasty attack. He barely managed to scoop the stunned girl from the floor, stumbling briefly as he adjusted to the added weight of her limp body. The ice was snapping at his heels as he threw them behind one of the rock formations.

The recruit was staring up at him with wide eyes as he sat her down, "Stay here," he ordered.

He turned, bringing Hyourinmaru around and back out from behind the rocks. The hollow was waiting for him; he brought his sword up and gritted his teeth at the feel of ice sliding across his skin. It didn't last more than a few seconds, his own natural resistance to the ice and his reiatsu staving off the majority of the attack.

"No one interrupts my meal."

Again he brought his sword up, using the flash-steps once more to bring him near the hollow, Hyourinmaru humming through the air as he flipped neatly over the Hollow and bringing his soul slayer down into the mask of the hollow. The clang of his sword slamming into the hollow and being reflected startled him, he landed with startled eyes, turning to face the hollow and ignoring the unpleasant tingling in his hands.

The hollow laughed.

He landed on his feet, sliding neatly across the floor and finally coming to a halt several feet away from the creature.

"Silly death god, your sword can not slice through my mask." Hitsugaya let one brow rise in a silent question; the hollow did not disappoint him. "I was gifted with the gift of the elements," he rasped, "by the great father. Because of this I have an extra layer of protection, and no silly soul slayer can cut through the armor of my mask."

He brought Hyourinmaru up once more, the hollow giggled, "Try again; it will be to your death this time."

He let his reiatsu expand; jumping into the air above the hollow. He had no time for such games, those that were hurt would need quick attention and Matsumoto would not allow the fourth division in until she was certain the hollow was taken care of. "Sit upon the frozen heavens," he called to Hyourinmaru, letting his annoyance fill his voice. He would finish this now, "Hyourinmaru."

The graceful dragon erupted from his sword and great volumes of ice circled around his body, a shield of ice and snow, before it turned its attention to the hollow below them both. He pointed the tip of his sword at the creature. The hollow's eyes widened but that was all he had time to do before Hyourinmaru was upon him.

The hollow might have held resistance to the cold and a bit of control of the weather by Hyourinmaru sliced through the creature with ease. It had enough time for one scream of rage before it was dissipating and he was sheathing his sword. There were no signs that there were anymore in the area and he needed to check on those the hollow had captured.

The girl he had aided was settled against the rock but she was alert and now that she had time to get over her shock, she appeared to be none worse for the ware. A few light scratches but otherwise fine. He turned at the sound of footsteps and Matsumoto walked into view, Haineko held firmly in one hand. He descended in front of the girl who followed a bit slower, "there are three more there," he said angling his head in the general direction.

She nodded, "there are healers waiting outside as well."

"I will send them in," he said before disappearing from her view. Matsumoto would take care of the girl and ensure that those who were behind the rocks knew that they were safe before the medical unit would arrive. His job here, at least for now, was done. At his appearance the healers swarmed the cave with lights and medical kits and it did not take them long to arrange those who needed to be carried out on stretchers and bandage up those who needed the extra care.

It was some minutes later when he was finally able to catch up with Matsumoto. Maika?" he questioned.

"She is already back at the city, she had a nasty wound to her back and claw marks along her throat but she didn't loose as much blood as she should have thanks to Keita's quick thinking."

He nodded, his brows furrowing as he looked up at the feel of a rain droplet hitting his shoulder.

"Rain?" Matsumoto murmured, her expression turning confused quickly as the gentle snow quickly became sleet.

"The hollow was controlling the weather. This storm was most likely supposed to be rain, now that its influence is no longer pushing it to heights it did not originally intend its reverting back to its natural state."

"How long do you think it was here?"

"Most likely, a week or so," he said as the last of his division members were shifted to cots and blankets thrown over them to combat the cold, he started walking, Matsumoto following at her normal pace behind him.

"So it's going to rain?"

He nodded, "It will turn to ice quick enough."

The walk back was silent after that. The storm clouds above were boiling in reaction to the loss of the controlling power and as they tried to right themselves lightening was crashing in quick bursts over head, while rain and sleet slapped their heads and unprotected bodies continuously.

Unnatural as it felt it was going to be another large storm once it calmed itself. The winter weather and harsh spring storm clashing was the result of the hollows interference, whichever won out would most likely swamp the city with either ice or rain. He quickened his steps.

They needed to beat the storm back.

---

The storm broke just before they reached the division headquarters. The rain came in fast, freezing torrents that sent everyone, including the fourth division, scuttling for cover. Hitsugaya and Matsumoto made quick work of the distance between the gates and their office; they needed to write up the report and check on Hinamori as soon as possible. They both walked into the silent room and froze, Hitsugaya turning to his vice captain after a few stunned moments.

"Where is she?"

The fire had long ago gone out, smoldering embers all that remained of the once blazing fire, the candle having burnt itself out. He walked to Hinamori's tea cup and placed a tentative finger on the lip. Freezing. She must have left some time ago.

Matsumoto blinked. "I left her here," she said slowly, her brows furrowing. "Maybe she went to bed?"

"Go check," he said. "I will go see if Unohana came by and took her somewhere else."

He didn't give her time to answer, moving through the door before she had time to react. It was force of will that kept his footsteps calm and far away from the shunpo that he wanted to fall into. He had had enough foresight to grab an umbrella, and he moved carefully through the torrential downfall of sleet and rain. He found Unohana walking with Zaraki almost halfway to the fourth division, the taller Captain holding an umbrella for the shorter woman. She looked up at Hitsugaya, their eyes locking as they stared at each other in confusion for a moment, the rain blurring their faces.

"She isn't with you?" he questioned, something icy sliding down to form a rock in his stomach.

Unohana blinked, her normally calm smile wavering for the briefest of moments. "No, I haven't seen her since her checkup earlier," she hesitated, "is she not with you?"

He shook his head and turned to head back to Matsumoto. Something was wrong. His vice-captain was waiting for him outside their rooms, her brow creased and a dark frown sliding across her features. "She wasn't there," she said slowly, carefully.

"Go and see if Nanao came by," he said, turning once more.

"Where are you going?"

"To find her," he said, before folding the umbrella. "I will meet you at the fourth division." And then he was gone.

He threw caution to the wind and let his feet take him where they would; her reiatsu was strong enough for him to find her if he could lock onto it. He paused on one of the rooftops, letting his eyes close as he blocked out the rain and the thunder that was ripping and echoing through the sky, an eerie moment of familiarity. Only tonight it was bitterly cold, and this time he had nothing to do with the storm.

His eyes flashed open as he turned counter clockwise, in the direction of the city gates. His breath caught in his throat; she was there, outside the protection of the city. Her spirit was a weak thing burning brightly for the briefest of moments before flickering in the night air. It was during a flicker that he sensed it… something that shouldn't have been there was far to close to her for his own comfort. Again, shunpo came to his aid as he darted through the rain filled night. He had found her.

She was further out than what he would have originally estimated, in a nearby field lit by several pole lights placed for late night death god training expeditions. He found Hinamori under one of the lights.

He relaxed, his eyes narrowing at her position, a large knife held in front of her in a defensive position, her body tense. It was only when he heard the telltale sign of a hollow's laughter that Maika's words came rushing back to him. 'There was a hollow… maybe two.'

The second hollow... it had either escaped or hidden itself during his brief battle with the first... a hollow that he had neither seen nor sensed. He didn't give himself time to think.

Hyourinmaru came neatly to his hands once more, swinging down in a wide arch to slide through the back of the hollow's head. It didn't even have time to scream in protest; one moment it stood between him and Hinamori, the next it had dissolved and he had a clear image of the woman in front of him.

She was turned to the side, her hands clutching at her side, a knife in one hand.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded, turning to face her, one hand white with the force that he was gripping Hyourinmaru with.

She turned and he froze.

"Go away Hitsugaya," she spat, her eyes wide with fear and anxiety. She turned to face him and he gained his first glance at her pale features, the blood that was streaking down her arm, and expression in her eyes.

"Hinamori..." His words were a whisper, the rage and anger sliding out of him.

"I can't do this anymore Hitsugaya." Her words were soft, her own rage subsiding as quickly as it had hit him.

And just like that he knew she was going to leave him again. His fingers tightened around his sword even as the rain began to slack off, allowing him a better view of the girl in front of him.

"Can't do what, Hinamori?" he questioned, taking a half step forward.

"I can't live in a world where I can no longer separate truth from reality." Her voice cracked as she continued to step backwards. "I can't escape my dreams; I can't find any rest or peace here." He could see the tears streaming down her face now. The rain subsiding to a mere drizzle, the rain water dripping from her skin and clothes was red from the blood that was oozing from the cuts the hollow had made along her pale skin. She was hurt. The knife in her hand flashed in warning.

"You once promised me you would try."

She smiled a bitter smile. "I made a lot of promises. I even called you Shiro-chan once," a distant, almost fond look crossed her eyes, the remembrance of petulant child? He did not know, did not care.

"You were my bed-wetter Momo." It was a statement so uncharacteristic of him, but he was loosing ground with her. Could see it in her posture, in the defeat in her eyes, he wasn't sure what had brought this on. He had seen it building between them for the last several days, seen the mistrust, felt the tension, but he had not expected this.

She was running and he couldn't let her do that.

"Things have changed, Captain. We can never go back to those days." She looked down at her bleeding arms, her gaze sliding to her blood soaked robes, and smiled bitterly. "I am no longer that girl."

"You don't have to be that girl, Hinamori." He sounded ridiculous even to his own ears. So unused to discussing what he truly felt, his words were halting, his ability to speak to her clearly gone. "You're stronger than this; don't give Aizen the final victory."

"What do you know of it?" she demanded, her eyes filling with the temper he had so longed to see in the last few weeks. "I loved him," she snarled, anger flashing through her wounded eyes. "I gave him everything!" Then, just as quickly as it had come, her temper left her in a rush. "And now..."

Fresh tears formed in her eyes. "There's nothing left for you, Hitsugaya."

He sheathed Hyourinmaru. "You don't have to give me anything." And she didn't. She had already given him so much over the course of their lives here in Soul Society. If anything, he owed her.

She smiled, even as her expression turned helpless. He wanted to reach out and hold her to him, but she only stepped backwards again, away from him. There was a long silence. "You love me." It was a simple statement, a fact, and he couldn't hide the shock and surprise that hit him with her words. "I realized that today," her smiled turned bitter, "but I can't give it back, not even friendship. I can't give you... anything."

"It doesn't matter," he countered, his voice growing desperate, and he worked hard to reel it in, to keep control. "All I ask for is a chance, Hinamori." This is what the confused looks she had been giving him meant; this is what all the tension and hurt that had built up in her was going to boil down to.

Whether or not she was willing to try, even now.

She shook her head. "I can't; it's too late. I made my choices, Hitsugaya, first to follow Aizen." She swallowed. "And now to leave." She raised her arm and for the first time he was able to see the long, thin gash that slid across her wrist. It was jagged and curved, the mark of the hollow that had attacked her, and it was bleeding rapidly. But not hard or strong enough to have been a hit to the artery that would have done so much more damage to her body. He swallowed the panic and fear and concentrated on her.

She smiled a rather wistful smile. "You won't have to worry about me anymore."

She was taking away his choices again, leading in the dance and forcing steps upon him that were not his. His temper flared, his own anger and frustration finally breaking through the barriers he held so tightly. "You never asked me what I wanted, Hinamori." She froze, her eyes widening at the abrupt change in his tone.

He took a steady step forward; she took one back. He took another. She held up her knife, her eyes wide. "Stay back!" she said, shaking her head. "I already chose! You can't make me go back," she whispered. "I won't do this anymore."

He ignored her, continuing his slow pace towards her until her back was up against the single light pole in the area and he was staring down at her, grateful for the first time for his superior height. "Even when we were children," he continued where he had left off, "and you ran away to become a death god, you never asked. You just assumed that everything was alright." They were practically nose-to-nose now, his larger frame dwarfing hers. He did not care. "And I let you believe that." Another deep breath.

"You're assuming again, Hinamori. That everything will be alright, just like when you left before." He reached up with nimble fingers and took the knife from her and threw it across the path. He was still angry, angry with her for putting him in this position, for letting a hollow almost take her from him when he had worked so hard and so long to help her find her way back. To make sure she had something to come back to. "You're assuming you know what I want.

"But you never asked, Hinamori."

He tore off a piece of his captain's cloak, retrieved from Maika once they had caught up with the team of healers who had been taking her back to the city, and in one swift movement, he cradled her hand in his. She did not seem to notice, too busy staring at him as if he had grown another head. He wrapped the cloth around her wrist; it would not stop the bleeding, but it would help slow the blood loss until he could get her Unohana, until she was ready to listen.

His voice softened to a gentle rumble. "I want a chance. Stay with us, give us the time we need to help you." He watched her carefully; if he said too much he would scare her badly, if he didn't say enough he would lose her. "A chance, that's it." Her eyes were softening now the cold anger and self-hatred were fading from her gaze.

"I… I don't know if I can." Her voice was breaking as her resolve slowly started to crumble. Her eyes lost focus as she let herself drift through her memories. "I already tried, but... they didn't want me." He had to strain to catch her words.

His heart broke for her even as the hatred he had battled time and time again rose up against Aizen and his games. "You're stronger than this, Hinamori." It was the same gentle, coaxing tone, the same easy movements. "And you have our strength too." He was certain he was muddling this up. He had spoken more words in the last five minutes than he normally spoke in a month. But he had to make her see. Make her understand.

She hiccupped.

"A chance, Hinamori."

Her resistance crumbled. It was like watching the air burst from a balloon. One second she was standing tall, stubborn, with her chin up as she faced him down, the next she was falling. She hit the ground to fast for him to catch her; he simply kneeled in the rain next to her.

"I don't know you anymore…" she whispered. "I don't even know myself."

"We can learn again," he informed her, his words steel against her protests. "We can start over."

"It's not enough anymore," she sighed. "I dream so many things. I can't even remember what's fiction and what's reality." She met his gaze now. "I have all these memories that no one else remembers, that no one else can explain to me. I dream that my world has opened up and left me hanging by my fingertips, if I fall I am doomed but if I hang on I destroy myself." She shuddered. "And always, always, I fail to find you."

Failed to find him? He filed it away for later. Right now he needed to draw her back to him, and the world that waited so patiently for her to return. He could question her later.

His eyes hardened, his resolve forming quickly as he ignored the rain, the cold, and the desperation that was locked so tightly in her eyes. Instead, he reached forward and grasped her cold hands with his warm ones and let go. Let go of his shields, of his indecision, his agony knowing that she was not truly letting him in, that she was not letting herself push past that final barrier and start to heal.

He let go of his fear, his pride, his anger, everything. Until not even Hyourinmaru could be seen swirling in the depths of his gaze; for the first time in a long time, he let her see. Let her see the man that had grown to replace the boy that she had loved so fiercely. Let her see beyond the barriers of ice and snow that he had long ago erected against the rest of the world.

He let her see what her never-failing love and patience had created in him.

She wavered.

He could see it in her stance, in her eyes. The resistance that had lain so clearly in her gaze was cracking, shivering, sliding into a brittle wall that would not hold up for long. He held, he did not know how long, how far he pushed his walls and his hesitations, he bared his soul. And she soaked it up.

Brown eyes stared into his for long moments, absorbing everything, to him she looked like a starving woman who was suddenly finding what she needed, hope lit somewhere behind her eyes, a small dim spark in the turmoil that had escaped her. One hand reached up and cupped his cheek and she moved closer, nose to nose, they stared at each other; one offering and one receiving.

And then… she crumbled.

Her eyes filled with something he could not read; could not understand. And the hope flared brightly before dimming into nothingness, even as she pulled back and moved away, he knew it had not been enough. She was going to leave him, return to the dreams that had taken her away from him once before.

As she pulled away, something snapped within him, the part of him that had always claimed her as his fought back, would not let her leave like this. For that spark, that tiny flame of hope within him that belonged only to her would not be silent.

He didn't realize that he was kissing her until he heard the startled noise that emitted from the back of her throat and by then he didn't care. Her small body tensed and then relaxed as she fell against his chest in a silent surrender.

Finding his answer in her silent movements, he ignored the raging moments of the storm, ignored the million thoughts that were racing through him, the things his body would later remind him of. He kissed her unresisting mouth until there could be no doubt in her mind that he spoke nothing but the truth to her. That his eyes had not been lying, that he would not, could not, lose her, not here, not now, not like this.

He pulled back, barely aware of the rain that still poured down on them in harsh torrents, and watched her. Her eyes opened slowly, and when they did what he saw sent his heart pounding and the blood rushing to his toes. Understanding, heat, want, the desperate edge that had been so visible in her eyes earlier had slipped away, for the moment at least.

She licked her lips slowly before closing her eyes. He watched her for several long moments, trying to gauge her reaction, to see if she had understood his message. A slight tinge of panic was slowly edging its way up from his stomach; years of training ruthlessly shoved it away. He would not regret whatever action it took to keep her with him, he would not.

She collapsed against him a few moments later, and he held her carefully, her breathing soft against his neck. "I…I…" she swallowed.

"Later," he whispered softly, letting his hand brush against the top of her head carefully.

"Thank you," she whispered, her hands tightening in his cloak for the briefest of moments. He swallowed and nodded, not understanding everything that she was telling him. She smiled then, a weak smile, but it lit her eyes with a familiar light and he relaxed at that.

"I think I need to see Unohana now," she whispered, her eyes closing as her body went limp against his.

It was a silent acknowledgement of his words, of what he had tried to give her tonight. But her small agreement to try was there, was in her trust and her acknowledgement, and for now that was enough.

And that was all he would ask of her.