A/N: I would like to start of by thanking my followers and the people who've reviewed my story, including PoisonPenPrincess, who loved the fact that last chapter was longer. Unfortunately, this chapter comes in at second shortest. I'm sorry! My excuse for this is that I wrote about seven chapters of this story in one sitting last year, way before I published it. And now that feel a certain responsibility towards the fans, I keep having to edit, scrap, and create new chapters. ALL THE TIME. What I once thought would be done in 10 to 12 chapters has become a story line that I don't see ending until at least 20. Here's the problem though: I'm a full time student who has a full time job. That shit's kinda hard. And I want to do this story justice, not just for you guys, but for me. So, I'd like to here from you. Either I update on a weekly/ bi weekly basis with shorter chapters, or you give me a month's time to come up with something you can sit down and read for half an hour. I'm committing to this story, as well as other Bleach and anime ships that I have in the works (i'll save those until I'm done this fic). So feel free to inbox me and ask me when the next installment will be if it's taking an obscenely long time, respecting the fact that I'm a FT student/employee and all.

Now, about this chapter. This is the end of helpless Rangiku. She's a little more cynical and aware of herself in future chapters. And I mention something about Gin's eye colour in this chapter. I know it did this weird change in the anime from red to blue, but I always preferred blue-eyed Gin.

Happy reading!***

"Relax, Soul Reaper. She will be fine."

Her breathing had finally slowed; her skin less hot and clammy. Gin had taken her to a healer at the edge of the Sereitei before the Sun broke the darkness of the sky. He had not wanted anyone to know that they knew each other – least of all that they mattered to one another.

Gin used kidou to knock Rangiku out – at least it would subdue her spiritual pressure. It was earth-shattering to see the bruises and lacerations all over her body. The healer had ordered that she be stripped down and cleaned before she administered any poultices. He did it carefully, noticing how she winced in her unconsciousness if he nicked a cut or bruise.

"Would you like to clean her up?" The old woman teased after she realized how long it took him to undress her. Gin spun around to give her a venomous look.

"No. You do it. I already stripped her down," he used all of the authority he could muster, trying not to look at the damage his absence had done to Rangiku.

She was naked in front of him, but he didn't blush. He looked on in absolute pity as he saw her as she once was, the day they met. He did this to her, and yet she came for him. She followed him like a puppy and he was pretty sure she would forever.

Wait, wasn't it supposed to be the other way around?

He clung to his zanpakuto, Shinso, as if his vice grip on its sheath would stop him from speaking.

I'm doin' what I can. The Capt'n ain't really easy to loosen up, ya know? Why am I even talkin' to ya right now, Shinso?

Face buried in his palms, Gin raked his fingers through fine silver strands of hair. The healer had finished with Rangiku quickly and recommended that they stay in the healing quarters of her home until nightfall.

Gin hadn't slept since she'd found him at the bar. He hadn't slept well in 8 months, now that he thought about it. He was exhausted – physically and mentally. The things that he'd done with Shinso were unspeakable. And Aizen – the more he thought about it, the more he realized he wasn't anywhere near accomplishing his true goal: He wasn't strong enough to beat Aizen. And now that he had to worry about Rangiku's safety, he was afraid that she wasn't strong enough to beat anyone.

He took advantage of their opportunity alone in this safe haven to nestle beside her the way they used to sleep in their hut. He opted to lay his hand on her stomach instead of pinching her fat – there wasn't any left. He dozed off in a matter of minutes, with the smell of sweet grass filling his lungs.

He was woken up by the sudden softness of fingers combing through his hair. He didn't jolt upright, though. Instead, he pretended to be sleeping a few moments longer, so that Rangiku wouldn't be surprised by his reaction and stop.

"Wake up, Gin. Its night-time."

His grin crept its way across his face, her only indication between him sleeping and waking, and she smiled back. The moon hung low and full in the corner of the sky, turning all in its light into monuments of silver.

"Darn it, Ran. You got dressed already?" He chuckled.

Rangiku scowled and flicked his left ear. At least she's got energy enough for that, he thought.

She looked better, though. She was still thin and frail, but her eyes weren't as dull. Their light rivalled the moon's, and it made Gin suddenly think how hard it would be to get away from their hideout unnoticed.

Rangiku scurried over to the corner of the room and grabbed Shinso. Gin had placed it there when he went to lie down, and he realized he didn't mind his absence. She held it out, placed gently in her palms, as Gin sat up on the bed. He could feel his zanpakuto's spiritual pressure go haywire. He was hungry, hungry for Rangiku's spirit – or what she had left of it. He could feel Shinso's desire to consume her completely, leaving nothing left for his Soul Reaper.

He grabbed his sword out of her hands and she jolted at his reaction.

"Don't ya worry about it, Ran-chan. Shinso was just havin' some dirty thoughts."

"Oh? I didn't realize that zanpakuto could think."

"They sure do," he got up and adjusted his shikahusho, still unsure of what to do and where to go. "They're spirits, jus' like you an I. Shinso lets me use his power to protect the Sereitei. The stronger I get, the stronger he does."

"Gin?"

"Ya, Ran?"

"Where are we going?"

"I – I dunno."

Some of the sparkle in her eyes faded. "I know you have to go back to the Sereitei – back to your quarters. Maybe I should stay in the hut for a while until I figure out a way to make some money- "

"You're going to the Academy."

Gin blurted it out before he finished thinking it through.

"Wha-what!?"

Rangiku's head jutted forward with her eyebrows furrowed and a dumb look on her face, as if Gin was speaking a foreign language.

"I want you to become a Soul Reaper. You need ta' know how ta' take care of yaself, Ran. Besides, ya'd be hopeless without me."

He could tell the last words struck a chord within his childhood friend's being. They hurt her, possibly more than what those other Shinigami did to her ever could.

She waited until her voice was steady enough to speak evenly. "The new year doesn't start until next month. Where do I go until then?"

"I'll buy another place in the Sereitei," There went Gin's mouth again! Saying things impulsively without thinking them through. The Sereitei was so expensive! But Rangiku…

"Gin, forget it. That's out of the question. You can't – you can't do that for me."

His grin widened to mask his regret of speaking his thoughts out loud. "Oh, Ran! You'll work for me o'course! Be my housekeeper again. Only this time, ya' have ta' wear a little maid's outfit."

Slap! Her long fingernails left a bitter sting on Gin's right cheek. He moved around his jaw to cool his face down, and Rangiku could see the slight gap between his front two teeth, the serpentine point to his tongue. This all fascinated her – open-mouthed Gin seemed like the real thing, the Gin that hid behind his debonair grin and slanted eyes. She'd seen this side of him on rare occasions, and was always astonished that his eyes were bluer than her own.

"Ouch, Ran," he breathed out, jaw still slack from moving it around. "Now I'm definitely gonna get ya' one a' them outfits."

She laughed half-heartedly until she couldn't bear it anymore and swung her arms around him in a tight embrace. He could hear her wheezing and feel the collar of his shikahusho dampening.

"Gin! I don't deserve any of this! I'm so grateful to you – for everything!" She said between sobs. It felt as if she was losing energy, her grip had slackened on his neck.

"I've missed you, Gin. I really really have."

"All the more reason to take me up on my offer then."

She didn't know what she was expecting. For him reciprocate her feelings? No, I think she was just hoping for a real answer, a "I'm just not ready for that kind of relationship with you," kind of answer. In the end, she didn't really care if it was unrequited love; his care for her showed in everything that happened in the past few hours.

If that was all she got, it was all she needed.