The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Several days had passed and Hotaru had not spent even one moment with Shuuhei. She sighed. She missed him. She didn't know what it was about him that made her miss him but she did in fact miss the tattooed man very much. Maybe it was his calmness or his mature nature or maybe both. As she was thinking Renji appeared.
"What are you sighing for?"
"Renji? When did you get here?"
"A few seconds ago. Come on we have an assignment from Captain Kuchiki. He says that there is a disturbance that we are to investigate."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes. Now come on." They left the Seireitei and entered Rukongai. In Rukongai there was a hollow attacking a small group of kids.
"Protect the children! I will handle ugly," Hotaru said.
"Go get him!" Renji ran in and got between the children and the hollow. Hotaru jumped into the air, called to her zanpakuto, and unleashed its fury on the hollow. Renji protected the children from the shockwave that resulted from Hotaru's attack. Looking down at them he asked, "everyone alright."
"Yes," they all replied.
"Be more careful. You all should head home now just in case there are more. Me and my friend will take care of those uglies. Right, Hotaru? ... Hotaru?" He turned to look at her but she stood frozen, staring at one of the children. She seemed to be barely breathing. He looked at the child too. It was a boy about 9 in age with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. The boy didn't look to be anything special and he most definitely wasn't shinigami material.
"Keiichiro," Hotaru whispered. Renji almost didn't hear her. The Children then turned and went back to their homes. After a moment Hotaru ran after him. When she caught up to him she said, "Keiichiro! Wait!"
"What," the boy asked. "How do you know my name?"
"It's me, Kei-chan. I am Hotaru. Don't you remember me?"
"Don't call me Kei-chan. My name is Keiichiro and I don't know you. Let go!"
"But you watched me die!"
"Let go crazy lady," he screamed then he kicked her in the leg and ran away.
"But..."
"Let him go, Hotaru. He does not remember the way you do."
"but..." She started to cry.
"I know but it has been fifty years already. He doesn't know you. He is just a boy." She ran. "Awww crap. Don't run off, Hotaru. We have work to do!"
Renji finished the assignment alone as he worried about Hotaru. He returned to the barracks and reported what had happened to Hotaru. Byakuya was not happy that she ran off int he middle of work. He sent a few of the others out to look for her.
Shūhei heard about what had happened and joined the search but he searched alone hoping to find her and comfort her.
It was getting close to mid-night and he was getting tired. Where could she have gone? He looked in all the places he thought she would go. He even went to the bar where she used to work but they had not seen her. They also showed him where she used to live but she was not there. He returned to his barracks a while later and found someone sleeping on his porch. It was Hotaru. He carefully picked her up and carried her inside. He placed her on his couch and went to his bedroom to make a place for her to sleep. After finishing that he came back out to find that she was gone. She must have woken up and went to her quarters in her barracks.