Karin felt something warm and comforting in bed next to her, snuggling closer to the warmth she felt the two strong arms that were around her small body hold her a little closer as she snuggled into them.

"Good morning" Toshiro said as he placed a gentile kiss on her head.

"Morning" Karin responded with her eyes closed, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of safety and warmth she had from being in his arms. The two lay in bed enjoying the rare peace of laying in each other's arms. Karin could not remember the last time she slept so well, and seeing the look of peace in her often troubled gray eyes was heaven for Toshiro. After about an hour a low rumble interrupted their comfortable silence.

"Are you hungry?" Karin ask her eyes still closed.

"A little." the white haired captain responded.

"Good me too." Karin said as the door opened revealing Ichigo standing in the doorway, his hair was messier then usual and a raven haired girl had her arms wrapped around his waist.

'Yuzu ask me to tell you that breakfast is almost ready" Ichigo said still wiping the sleep from his eyes, while Rukia still had hers closed as she was leaning on Ichigo.

Both Karin and Hitsugaya sat up with his arms still around her, and they both nodded an acknowledgment.

Karin and Toshiro came down to breakfast and sat next to each other, their fingers still interlocked from the walk downstairs. Yuzu started serving the food and then sat with everyone else, Karin watched Yuzu who was smiling but her eyes were still haunted and sad. Ichigo could not stop yawning in spite of finishing his second cup of coffee, and he refilled it again before returning to the table. Karin noticed her brother's sleepiness and how Rukia was having a hard time keeping her eyes open too.

"You two have a busy night?" Karin ask with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Yeah" Ichigo said through another yawn and Rukia just nodded, her eyes barely open. Isshin perked up when he heard this, and Karin knew what was about to happen.

'Son you made sure you had protection, right?" Isshin said with a huge smile on his face.

"Yeah" Ichigo said thinking his dad had ask him if he been sure to protect Rukia.

"Oh Masaki, our son has become a man and what a beautiful girl he did it with!" Isshin yelled running to his wife's poster before grabbing Ichigo in a bear hug.,

"You sure wore poor little Rukia out last night, I had no idea my son was such a beast." Isshin said his eyes still sparkling.

"Yeah it was a busy night" Ichigo said through another yawn.

"So now that you two are having sex, when can I expect grandbabies?" Isshin said with an expectant look on his face.

"What!" Ichigo yelled causing Rukia to wake up fully.

"Since you and Rukia had sex last night I want some grandbabies." Isshin said still smiling.

"We didn't have sex you old pervert!" Ichigo yelled, and within seconds both men were fighting. Toshiro just sighed and Karin started laughing as Ichigo sidestepped a punch to the face and kicked Isshin across the room.

"That wasn't very nice Karin, setting Ichi-nii up like that" Yuzu said trying not to laugh, as Isshin ran to Masaki's poster yelling about how strong Ichigo had grown and how sore poor little Rukia must be from their wild night of passion.

"So why are you two so tired anyway?" Karin ask.

"We kept getting hollow alerts all night" Rukia said her voice still laced with sleep.

"I didn't hear any alerts." Hitsugaya said, taking out his soul phone and looking at it.

"I guess I forgot to charge it." he added noticing that the battery had died. Ichigo returned to the table with yet another refill of his coffee and sat down placing a second cup in front of Rukia, who started sipping it slowly. After a few minutes Isshin returned to the table and sat back down, with two black eyes and a huge smile. Everyone was eating and enjoying themselves when they heard a loud crash, everyone looked up to see what it was. Rukia was laying on the floor having fallen asleep, Ichigo stood up and scooped her up in his arms.

"I guess I better get her back to bed." Ichigo said as he carried her toward the stairs.

"Ok" Yuzu said with a smile, looking amused.

'Be sure and use protection!" Isshin said as Ichigo started walking up the stairs.

After breakfast was over Karin and Toshiro did the dishes as Yuzu cleaned the table and put up the food. Ichigo and Rukia were still asleep upstairs and Isshin was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is dad?" Yuzu ask after noticing Isshin's absence.

"I think he went to his office to do some work." Karin answered her twin.

"No, dad closed the clinic today because of your funeral." Yuzu said looking a little concerned.

"Oh I have a bad feeling about this." Karin said looking a little more worried then Yuzu.

Yuzu and Karin got up from their coffee and headed up stairs to find their dad. Isshin was standing in Ichigo's room snapping pictures with his camera of Ichigo and Rukia as they slept. They were on their sides facing each other, his arms held her tight, and her hands were on his chest. Rukia was so small that the top of her head was at Ichigo's chin, they both had a peaceful look on their sleeping faces. Isshin quickly headed out of the room to hide the camera, he returned to watch the young couple sleep enjoying the look of peace on his son's face. Karin and Yuzu came up stairs to find Isshin in Ichigo's room and Karin became angry, she was about to yell when Isshin turned to her with his finger over his lips telling the girls to be quiet. Isshin waved the girls over and they walked up, seeing their normally scowling brother with such a peaceful look on his face made both girls smile.

"They look so peaceful." Yuzu said in a whisper, causing Rukia to stir a little and Ichigo held her a little tighter as she relaxed back into his arms.

Karin walked out of the room with a happy look on her face, she knew her brother had found his soul mate in the form of a petite raven haired soul reaper. Karin walked back down to the living room and she looked at Toshiro, I found mine too, she thought as she sat on the sofa next to him.

Isshin and Yuzu were walking down stairs and spotted Karin and her boyfriend of nine years sitting on the couch talking.

"You know Yuzu, they looked just as peaceful when they were asleep this morning." Isshin said to his last living daughter. Yuzu just nodded and Isshin noticed she looked a little sad.

"Don't worry your turn will come, just wait and soon enough someone will come to help you carry your burdens too" he said as he wrapped her in a loving fatherly hug, all traces of his usual crazy persona gone and a look of understanding in his eyes.

"I know daddy, and I'm glad that Karin-chan has someone who loves her like that I really am. I just thought I would at least have a boyfriend by now, I feel so lonely sometimes. I haven't had a boyfriend in three years, and she has had the same one since she was twelve." Yuzu said as tears formed in her eyes, Isshin knelt down to so they were face to face.

"Yuzu do you know how old I was when I met your mother? He ask, and she shook her head.

"I was five hundred and twenty three, and she was my first girlfriend." he said causing her to chuckle a little.

" I guess I just have to wait a little longer, but hopefully not that long." She said causing Isshin to laugh.

"I hope not too." He said as they went down to the living room.

Ichigo and Rukia finally woke up at lunch, and after it was finished everyone sat in the living room and played board games. It was late afternoon when Karin and Toshiro decided to go for a walk. They both ate a soul candy and went out in spirit form so no one could see them. Karin held his arm in both of hers as the walked, and she had a wistful look on her face as they passed the elementary school.

"You know that's the school I went to when we met." She said as they walked.

"I remember, I thought you were a little different but I had no idea how special you really are." He said, causing her to smile.

"I couldn't believe you were still playing after that injury, and I really couldn't believe you attacked that menos without hesitating. Even after I killed it you were more worried about your friends then yourself." He continued.

"I had never met a braver person in my life, after that I knew I wanted to get to know you better. I guess that was the day I started falling in love with you" He finished.

"Wow Toshiro, I think that's the most I've heard you say at one time. Do you really mean that?" She said, her face turning pink. He didn't say anything, he just leaned in and kissed her with all of the passion his heart held for her. After they broke the kiss Karin looked at him, her face was as red as a tomato.

"Nine years after our first kiss and you still turn red." He said with a smile hugging her close to him.

"Do you remember that day?" He ask.

"How could I forget, that was my first kiss." She said, her face in his chest.

"It was mine too." he said.

Flashback, Urahara's training grounds, Karakura 9 years ago.

"Ok Kurosaki hold your sword like this." Hitsugaya said moving Karin's hands into the proper position.

"Toshiro, how many times do I have to tell you? My name is Karin!" she said with an annoyed look on her face.

"Fine, Karin please hold your sword the way I just showed you." he said looking as annoyed as she did. Karin looked at him like he was saying something weird.

"I am holding it right." she said, he raised his practice sword and brought in down on her with a powerful swing. Karin tried to block but her hands were too low on the grip and too close together. His attack knocked her sword from her hands and she fell on her back.

"See I told you not to grip it like that, in a real fight you would be dead. He said with the tip of his wooded sword at her heart. Karin grabbed his sleeve and pulled, he landed on top of her. Toshiro was aware of two things, first that he was on top of her with their faces inches apart. The second thing he was aware of was that she was holding his sword against his throat having grabbed it as he fell.

"In a real fight you would be dead." Karin said with a smirk on her face. He noticed how smug she looked. She looks cute with that smug expression on her face, wait did I just think that she's cute? He thought to himself.

"You think I'm cute?" she said with a surprised but happy look on her face. Toshiro's face turned pale as he realized that he said that out loud.

"No I said that was a cute trick you pulled, like I would ever call you cute." he said flustered, but trying and failing to sound calm.

"Oh." was all Karin said her voice seemed distant, and for a moment he could see hurt in her eyes. He realized too late that he had made it sound like she was unattractive, and even though she was a tomboy she was still a girl and no girl wants to be called ugly. Toshiro had to admit if just to himself that she was cute, her inner strength and will power made her even more beautiful, wait now he was thinking of her as beautiful? Ok now he was sure something was wrong with his head, but still he had to admit she is a beautiful girl. He looked at the girl setting next to him, she seemed distracted and maybe a little sad. He realized just how much he had hurt her, and he had to wonder why she took his comment to heart like that. He knew they were friends and that she valued his opinions like he valued hers, but she never seemed to care what people thought of the way she looked before so why now? Toshiro sat for a moment then it dawned on him, she never cared what others thought of her appearance but this was the first time he had ever made a comment about it and he made it sound like he thinks she's ugly. Well that was foolish, I can't believe I would do that to her just to avoid embarrassing myself. But why would she care if I think she's attractive or not, and why does it bother me so much? She really is attractive though, more so then any girl I know. Why do I think that, who is she to me anyway? Karin is a friend yes but so are Rangiku and Momo, she's different though but how and why? Why do I feel nervous and short of breath around her and not them? He sat next to her thinking about how she is different from all of his other female friends then realization hit him, why he gets short of breath and nervous around her, why he thinks she's cute but is too embarrassed to let her know it, and why that look of hurt bothered him so much. After thinking through all of the evidence he could only come to one conclusion, he was in love with Karin Kurosaki. He briefly wondered if the reason what he said affected her so much was that she felt the same way he did. Well there was only one way to find out, but first he needed to apologize for making it sound like he thinks she's ugly. He looked over at her, she was sitting staring at the ground in front of her, the bento she brought for lunch was open but un touched.

"Karin?" he said hoping to make things right, he didn't like the sad look on her face. She just gave a small grunt and didn't look up.

"I didn't mean to say that." he said hoping that she would listen even if she refused to look at him.

"Say what, that you think I'm ugly?" she said still not looking at him.

"I didn't say you're ugly." he said his voice calm.

"But that's what you think isn't it?" she said turning to him. Toshiro looked at her, the hurt in her grey eyes was as clear as day, and he thought he saw tears forming. She's not ugly, she's the most beautiful girl I know. How do I prove that to her though? He thought to himself .

"I don't think you're ugly." He said.

"Then why did you say it?" she ask the tears in her eyes threatening to fall in spite of her efforts to stop them. He looked at her, and wondered if he should just come out and tell her that he was in love with her. Toshiro was afraid that if she rejected him it would ruin their friendship, but he realized that if he didn't tell her the truth then their friendship would be over anyway. Oh well I don't have anything to loose, its now or never he thought to himself.

"See you can't even answer, can you? I know I'm ugly, I'm not girly, not pretty and no guy would ever think I'm attractive, but you didn't have to say it and rub it in." She said the tears were falling down her face now, and she was starting to hiccup with little sobs. Toshiro placed a hand under her chin and raised her face so she was looking him in the eyes.

"You're not ugly at all, I think you're the most beautiful girl I know in both body and soul." he said taking her hands in his.

"Yeah right, don't lie just to make me feel better." she said her face downcast, and her voice filled with hurt.

"The only reason I said that was because I was scared." he said as he raised her face again.

"Scared of what?" she said looking sad and confused.

"Of this." He said as he closed the gap between them and placed his lips on hers. Karin was shocked at first but then she realized something, the man she had loved for so long that she couldn't remember not being in love with him was kissing her, she never felt so happy in her life. After a moment or so he broke the kiss and turned away red faced.

"I was afraid if you knew that I was in love with you it would ruin our friendship." he said clearly worried. Karin just smiled and leaned close to his face.

"I love you too." she said as she pressed her lips to his, he ran his tongue over her lips and she opened her mouth and let him in. He ran his tongue over her teeth and he caressed her tongue with his, Karin returned the favor as she explored his mouth with her tongue. After a few moments the broke the kiss both trying to catch their breath.

"That was my first kiss" she said her face redder then a tomato.

"Mine too." he said giving her a run for her money in the blush department.

"So what does this mean?" she ask as she curled up in his lap, and laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, he decided then and there that he never wanted to let go of her again.

"I don't know." he said.

"Oh." was all she said. They sat for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the closeness and warmth they were sharing.

"Karin?" he said as her eyes were drifting shut.

"Yeah?" she said without looking up.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" He ask sounding worried.

"Yes." she said looking up at him and smiling.

"Good." he said as he kissed her head.

She snuggled closer to him and he realized she was falling asleep in his arms, so he held her a little closer.

He shifted and looked at her, he was right she is the most beautiful girl he knows. Her skin is light and soft, her eyes a striking shade of grey, her raven colored hair was cut to her jaw and felt like silk as he ran his fingers through it. Her beauty was far more then just skin deep though, she is strong willed and determined, she would never abandon someone even if it meant giving her life to protect them, and she never gives up even when she's injured she keeps fighting. Karin also had a caring side, the way she looked after her soft hearted twin, and her team mates. He loves her more then he ever thought possible, and the best part is that she loves him too.

"Good night Karin, I love you." he whispered in her ear, causing her to smile in her sleep.

Karakura Park, Living World, Present time.

They continued their walk through the town, it was almost 6 pm and they would have to return to the Soul Society by midnight. They were headed to their spot to watch the sunset when they both felt it, a hollow and not a small one. They ran into the park to find an Arrancar chasing a small boy around the park, and laughing like a manic as it taunted the boy. Karin and Toshiro both drew their swords and prepared to attack, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay back, let me handle this." he said still looking at the arrancar.

"I don't need to be protected." Karin said anger raising in her voice.

"Its not that, you haven't achieved shikai yet, and that's not an ordinary hollow.

"What?" She ask looking confused.

"That's an arrancar, a mask less hollow. They're much more powerful, and most of them were menos class before their masks were removed." He said as he moved to attack it.

"Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro called out as he released his sword. The arrancar said nothing as he drew his sword and slashed at Hitsugaya, who first dodged then blocked the attacks.

"Is that all you've got little boy." the arrancar gloated as he kicked Hitsugaya in the ribs.

"Not quite, Bankai!" he yelled as ice wings and the ice flowers formed behind him.

They continued to fight, but with the gentai kaijo limiting him to just 20% of his power Hitsugaya was losing badly. Karin was watching with frustration from the sidelines, she knew she was no match for this enemy but that didn't mean that she didn't want to help Toshiro fight.

The last ice flower shattered and Hitsugaya lost his bankai, the arrancar started pounding him with punches and kicks.

"Toshiro!" Karin yelled as he was battered into the ground.

"I need to help him!" she said aloud, frustrated that all she could do was watch as that bastard beat Toshiro.

"Then help him." she heard a voice in her head.

"I can't." she said to the voice.

"Why not?" the voice ask.

"He's too powerful, I can't beat him." she said growing more desperate by the second, as the love of her life was being beaten to a pulp.

"Yes you can." the voice said.

"How?" Karin ask, and she found herself standing in the windy soccer field that is her inner world. She looked and saw the green haired woman walking to her, she looked at Karin and smiled.

"Just call on me." said the green haired woman.

"I can't" Karin said

" Why not?" the sword spirit ask.

"I don't know your name." Karin said, her frustration and shame causing her to look at the ground.

"Yes you do." the woman responded.

"No I don't"

"You do, my name has been on your heart since you were born."

" I don't know it." and with that Karin was back in the real world, Toshiro was on the ground and the arrancar picked him up and was crushing him.

"Toshiro!" Karin yelled feeling tears form in her eyes.

"Call on me." she heard the voice again.

"I can't" Karin said sobbing as Toshiro let out a scream of pain.

" Call my name now!" the woman yelled in a stern voice.

" Soar through the wind swept sky, Kazeryu!" Karin yelled as she was surrounded by wind and her sword transformed with into shikai. Karin attacked the arrancar, it was surprised by her attack and dropped Hitsugaya. She sent a small wind dragon at her target, and it bit off the arrancar's right arm. The arrancar drew back and counter attacked sending Karin into a wall, she collapsed and as she fell she saw Hitsugaya stand up. The last thing she saw before darkness took her was Toshiro standing up, he raised his sword and yelled something she couldn't hear. A bright light came from his chest as his bankai reformed.

Karin opened her eyes and squinted at the bright light. Am I dead again? she thought to herself as she tried to set up.

"Good your awake." she heard Toshiro say.

"What happened, how long was I out?" she ask with her head still splitting.

"About an hour, and you released your shikai, good work. That arrancar almost killed you, that was foolish to risk your self like that." he said, the concern clear on his face.

"I had to do something, I couldn't let him kill you." she said.

"Well you bought me the time to release the gentai kaijo seal, and I was able to kill it using my full power. So thank you for helping, but please don't risk yourself for me again. If I lost you Karin I don't know what I would do." he said as he stroked her hair.

"I can't loose you either Toshiro." she said. Ichigo and Rukia came in to check on Karin and make sure she was ok.

"Hey Karin, I heard you released your shikai? Rukia said as she sat on the chair next to the bed.

"Yeah I did, her name is Kazeryu." Karin said.

"The Wind Dragon, it suits you." Ichigo said as he examined her sword.

"Well I guess this means that we will need to train hard in order for you to master it before the Academy semester starts." Rukia said.

"We?" Karin ask.

"You, Me, Ichigo and Captain Hitsugaya, we are going to train you." Rukia said, enjoying the happy look on her soon to be sister-in-law's face.

"Sounds like fun." Karin said trying to get up, but she was still too weak.

"Just rest right now. I have already contacted the Soul Society and told them that you were injured by an arrancar, we don't have to leave until you are able to travel." Toshiro said with a gentile squeeze of her hand.

"Yeah, I heard that Byakuya threatened to imprison the soul reaper in charge of Karakura for failing to even notice an arrancar in his area." Ichigo said with a little amusement in his voice, proving that being captain of the Third Division had not caused him to completely grow up.

The next day Karin's strength had returned, and though she still felt a bit weak she was ready to go back. Karin knew there would be a lot of work ahead of her, she would spend the next six months training and mastering her shikai. After breakfast was done everyone went to Urahara's shop and after he opened the sankaimon everyone said their goodbyes.

"Bye Yuzu, don't worry I'll comeback for visits. After all I can't resist your cooking." Karin said giving her twin a tight hug.

'Bye Karin, I'll miss you." Yuzu said returning the hug.

"Bye dad, take care of Yuzu and yourself." Karin said doing something she almost never did, she hugged her dad.

"I will Karin, I hope we can come see you soon." Isshin said with real tears starting in his eyes.

After Ichigo and Rukia said goodbye to everyone who was staying in the living world, he took Rukia's tiny hand in his and they walked through the gate. Toshiro was about to take Karin's hand when Yuzu ran up to her in tears and grabbed her sister in a hug so tight that Karin was having trouble breathing.

"Don't go Karin!" Yuzu sobbed on her sister.

"I wish I didn't have too, but I don't belong in this world anymore Yuzu. I'm dead, I belong in the Soul Society now. Don't be sad, this isn't goodbye we'll see each other again. Like I said I can visit you here and you can come see me in the Soul Society, Byakuya-nii misses you too so you need to come visit us again. Just think of it like I moved to a new town, and we have to travel to see each other." Karin said trying to sound cheerful for Yuzu's sake.

"Ok Karin, I'll try to stay strong until I see you again." Yuzu said still hiccupping and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.

Karin took Toshiro's hand and with one last smile at her dad and sister she walked through the gate.

Isshin and Yuzu watched her go, and they both decided that they would visit the Soul Society soon.