Well I got one response so I guess that someone read my story so far. I still haven't received the promised title to Bleach in my Cracker Jack box so….On with the show!

Unohana's Date

Unohana Retsu had a look of near shock on her face as she hung up the phone. She couldn't believe that Isshin had called her to ask her out to dinner.

Isane Kotetsu looked up from her paperwork at her Captain's expression. "Captain, what is it? Is something wrong? Is someone hurt?"

Unohana shook herself slightly as she tried to get a handle on her emotions. "No Isane, I was just asked out to dinner by Isshin Kurosaki, tonight."

"Kurosaki? As in Ichigo Kurosaki?" Isane had a slightly confused tone to her voice. "How did Kurosaki get your number? Let alone call you?"

"Isshin has had my number for a very long time Isane. I've known him since we were both young." Unohana said with a small smile on her lips.

"You knew Isshin Kurosaki as a young woman? What is he? He isn't a shinigami that I know of." A really confused Kotetsu stated. "He's just a human doctor isn't he?"

"Isane, he is far more than just a simple human doctor. Isshin Kurosaki was a Captain in the Goti 13 before he accepted exile long before you came here. He was one very powerful shinigami. He was also my friend." Unohana downplayed the emotions that were ripping through her just then.

This piece of information rocked Isane as she tried to comprehend the fact that Isshin Kurosaki was at one time a Captain in the shinigami ranks. She knew that Ichigo was now a Captain in charge of the earth bound Fourteenth Squad, but his father being a Captain? "He was a Captain?" was all she could form for coherent words.

"Yes and quite a dashing man too. We dated back then but nothing ever came of it because he didn't feel that relationships and shinigami duties would work together. I guess that seeing his son married to Rukia has changed his mind slightly." The smile on Unohana's face deepened as she remembered their conversation at Isshin's kitchen table.

"So, He called you and asked you out on a date? Wait a minute, didn't you say he was exiled?" Isane asked further confused.

"Yes he did and his exile has been lifted. It seems that whatever offence he was supposed to have committed or alleged to commit has been overturned. He has remained in the real world because of his family though. He married a human woman, her name was Masaki, and had three children. You know Ichigo already. There are also twin girls, Karin and Yuzu. They are wonderful girls who love their father. Masaki died about ten years ago when the Grand Fisher attacked her and Ichigo. Since then he has raised them alone. As far as being a doctor goes he is quite brilliant."

Isane was now shocked again as she heard the admiration in her Captain's voice as she spoke about Isshin Kurosaki. She gave herself a mental shake before asking, "So when are you going out on this date?"

"Tonight at about seven. He remembered a small restaurant in the fifteenth district of Rukongai. I hope that it is still there." She scribbled down the name of the place and asked. "Could you ask someone to check if the place still exists." She handed the piece of paper to Isane.

Isane took the paper. "I'll check it out myself Captain. I'm pretty much done with my paperwork anyway." With that she stood up and made to depart with about a million unanswered questions that would have been rude to ask.

"Isane, He is a good man, so don't worry about him or me." Unohana said with a knowing smile.

"Yes Captain." Then she departed on her 'mission' to find the restaurant.

Unohana looked at the clock and decided to make her rounds a bit early. She glided through the wards and was happy that there were so few injured remaining. "Isane had really stepped up and done a fantastic job with the wounded." She thought to herself.

With her rounds complete she left for her home to change for her 'date' tonight. After her bath she looked into her mirror and redid her hair putting her trademark braid behind her for the evening. She went to her closet to pick something to wear and paused. "I want to surprise Isshin just a little. Let me see…" She picked out a yellow dress that Yuzu had insisted on getting for her while she was on vacation. The square cut front didn't dip to low and the length was somewhat below her knees. She picked out some strap sandals do finish off the outfit. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. "You still got it girl."

A knock at the door announced that Isane had returned. "Captain, The place is still there and I took the liberty of making reservations for the both of you tonight." Isane said through the closed door.

Unohana opened the door to thank her and caused Isane to stare in wonder. "Is something wrong Isane?"

"Ah, Um, no Captain, I've just never seen you dressed like this before. You may need an escort to walk to the gate." Isane said with a grin.

"Thank you Isane, I was hoping for that sort of response but I don't think that the escort will be necessary. Thank you for making reservations also. I should be going now. I don't want to keep Kurosaki waiting." She stepped out and closed her door.

Several of the fourth squad members were going about their jobs as she walked past them and more than one has to pull out handkerchiefs to stop the nose bleeds. As she passed the eleventh squad offices she heard the arguing and fighting come to an abrupt halt as she felt many pairs of eyes look her way.

As she passed the twelfth squad offices she heard Mayuri Kurotsuchi screaming. " Nemu is WHAT!" followed by a soft response then a thud. She laughed to herself as she continued walking. She had given Nemu an examination while she was on vacation and told her that she was expecting. "I guess that Kurotsuchi finally got the report."

She arrived at the gate and Jidanbou greeted her with a gentle rumble. "Some guy has been cooling his heels outside waiting for you Captain."

"Thank you Jidanbou, I was expecting him." She replied gently.

"Might I say the Captain looks very nice tonight." he said

"Thank you" She replied before walking out the gate.

Outside in the courtyard before the gate Isshin waited with thoughts swirling through his head. "What am I doing? I haven't been out on a date in so long I don't even remember what to do! What if I'm over dressed or under dressed. Should I hold her hand? Damnit, I should not have done this! What am I do………!" All thoughts stopped as he spotted Unohana. His face went slack as he just looked at her.

Unohana saw him and had a very similar reaction seeing her 'date' dressed in black slacks with a pink shirt open at the neck and a black sport coat. "Oh my, I knew he could look good but I never thought…."

Isshin recovered striking a pose while scratching the back of his head, "You look fantastic Retsu."

"You look very handsome yourself Isshin. Shall we go?"

He offered her his arm and they made their way to the restaurant with little trouble seeing as Isshin had run around Rukongai for an hour before showing up at the gate to make sure he knew where to go.

The conversation on the walk was just the general stuff between two people in the same line of work. Mostly talking about different cases that they were working on. They both laughed when she told him about Kurotsuchi's response to learning that his 'daughter' was pregnant.

"It serves him right after ignoring me when I made design modifications for the gigai's. Let's see how he likes it!" He said with a certain amount of satisfaction.

"Well let's hope that he doesn't try and use this as an excuse to conduct experiments on Nemu and the child." She remarked.

"As long as she is in school and sending reports and getting extensions from Central 46 there is little that Kurotsuchi can do. Besides if he wants to come to my side of town I still have a bone to pick with him so I won't let him take her." Isshin said with a smug grin on his face.

"Still protecting everyone in the world aren't you." Unohana said with a smile on her face.

"Trying to anyway. So when is Rukia going to deliver? Should be any day now." He asked.

"I'm currently on standby for her. Why didn't you come to the hospital when the twins were born?" She asked slightly puzzled.

"Coming here would have opened old wounds that were better left closed." He said with a sad voice.

"Isshin Kurosaki, You never took a wound in all the time I've known you." She gently admonished him.

"That's not true. I was wounded deeply when I was exiled, and then again when Masaki was killed." He looked up and away slightly.

Unohana placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry Isshin, I didn't think." She sounded sad.

"Ahh! I'm better now. I tend to wallow when I don't have my girls to distract me." He changed subjects quickly. "Hey, you know Kon, that mod soul that has been staying with us?"

"Ah, yes the slightly perverted lion plushie. What about him?"

"Urahara and I developed a gigai for him and all the rest of the mod souls that have been retired. I made him my son, although he is a little upset about being five years old."

"He must be adorable. I look forward to seeing him when I come visit again." She smiled.

"I can't wait to see Ichigo's face when he finds out he has a little brother." Isshin laughed.

Dinner was a simple affair with little interruption. The food was as good as they both remembered from their dates here decades before.

Isshin laughed, "Things just don't change that rapidly here. I almost forgot how long it takes for people to age in Soul Society."

"No but things do change. When Central 46 got wiped out by Aisen things changed rather rapidly it seemed. That's why Ichigo is now a Captain. I think that change now and then is a good thing." She concluded.

They left the restaurant and took a stroll next to the wall on their way back to the Western Gate. Isshin was becoming nervous as they approached the gate, and Retsu could sense it.

She stopped well short of the gate and stopped Isshin with a soft touch of her hand. "Isshin, I'm still a Captain here. I'm not about to give this up right now. I think that you were hoping to spark something tonight and see where it went. Weren't you?" The last was more of a statement even though it was posed as a question.

"Honestly, I'm not sure myself. I did this because my daughters kicked me to do it. I guess that I wanted to see if there was anything left between us too. So I went along and called you. Some days I miss this life but others, I am happier than I have ever been in my whole long life. Back there I save people and try to make a difference. Here I was cast out for something that never happened. I'm not happy with what happened but I am happy with my life." The look on his face told Unohana everything she wanted to know.

She took his hand and led him to the gate and beyond.

Kurosaki Clinic:

"GOOD MORNING FAMILY!" Isshin yelled doing cartwheels into the dining room.

"Something good must have happened to snap Dad out of that funk." Karin remarked to her sister.

"I'll say, he just got home." Yuzu replied.

"I don't want to go to school with that brat Ririn!" was all that Kon would say as Isshin continued his performance to the delight of his family.

Fourth Squad Captains office:

"Isane, I'll be taking the weekend off and spending time in the real world. Hold down the fort while I'm gone please." Unohana said as she walked in late.

"Captain, are you wearing your hair differently?" Isane asked with a smile.