A/N: Originally written for 500themes challenge. The prompt is 232. Mystery.

Chapter Two

"Why the human world?" Toushirou inquired skeptically as he leaned casually against his paper-cluttered desk.

Rangiku pouted, "I haven't seen Inoue or Ichigo in a while. I thought it might be nice to visit old friends."

"You haven't done the paperwork in over two weeks…"

"Because I can't focus!" Rangiku batted her eyelashes, trying her best to utilize her feminine wiles to her advantage. As her captain's façade darkened and his blue eyes narrowed, she knew the act was failing miserably.

Thus, she changed tactics.

"Please Captain!" She allowed her eyes to water, "I need to get away from here for a while."

Toushirou seemed a bit disgruntled by her reaction and averted his eyes in contemplation. "How long do you plan to be gone?"

"I don't know," Rangiku admitted. "There is something I need to do."

This returned the suspicion to his eyes, "Like?"

His vice-captain shrugged, "Human stuff."

"Human stuff?" Toushirou folded his arms and regarded her seriously, "What could you possibly—" He shook his head, exasperated by the sheer energy it took just trying to divine Rangiku's intentions. Even if she was up to something, she wouldn't share it willingly. "Fine, you can go, but—"

Before he could finish, she had enveloped him in her arms and he found himself with a face full of her breasts. "Thank you!"

"Damn it!" Hitsugaya growled through the folds of her clothes as he tried to pry himself from her grasp, "Let go Matsumoto!"

As she charged out of the room to prepare for her vacation, Toushirou watched her go. Rangiku was normally mellow, except when she wanted something. But when she had a plan—a goal—everything changed. Not even he could stand in her way.

Toushirou sighed. If only she had the same drive when it came to the paperwork.

Certain cats allegedly give bad luck when they cross your path, but when she crossed mine, everything changed for the better. I didn't know it then. I couldn't have known, maybe, because I had placed the entirety of my focus on protecting her. But she was like a beacon calling me home… like a rueful but expectant lighthouse at the edge of the shore, enshrined forever in a patch of clover.

Rangiku sat in the airport, reading the latest addition of Cache-Cache for the seventh time that day. Her search for clues had led her nowhere and the frustration was ebbing off her in small waves that encouraged the crowd to leave her an abnormally wide amount of space.

Lighthouses and clover. That's what you're giving me to work with Gin? She sighed, sinking further against the wall. How was she supposed to buy a ticket if she didn't know her destination? Granted that had only been the introduction, but the cutesy tale that had followed hadn't offered any promising clues.

Hai basked in the sunlight in the patch of weeds, unaware of the afternoon storm that I sensed approaching. Maybe she was always a little like that—a little spacey—but in truth, I think she just wanted to make the best out of the sunny moments that remained.

She sat up and regarded me curiously. "Shin?" Hai pointed to the ground next to her, "What do they call this plant?"

"Clover. It's actually a weed."

"Hmm…" She regarded it curiously, then plucked one delicately, "You'd think a weed would seem a bit more vicious."

"There is a legend about th' clover…" I knelt down next to her, taking the clover from her hand. "There are three leaves, ya see? They say th' first stands for faith." I plucked the first leaf and placed it in her palm. "The second is for hope. And th' third," I said, laying it atop the others, "is for love."

Hai gazed at the leaves in her hand and then blew against them gently, allowing them to disperse into the wind. After some consideration, she pulled another one from the ground and gasped with delight.

"Shin, this one has four leaves!"

I smiled then, even though I often found forming a real smile to be difficult. "Ah, yes. The four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck. They are rare."

"The fourth leaf means luck?"

"Apparently you're lucky."

With a smile, she placed it in my hand. "No," she disagreed, "we both are."

The story tugged at Rangiku's mind—and her heart. It had been suspiciously close to the original. And though that memory had been long since buried and forgotten in Rangiku's busy day-to-day life, Gin had successfully pulled it from the dregs of her thoughts.

But Gin's memory had always been phenomenal. His intelligence astounding. It was one of the reasons he had always succeeded in meeting his goals, no matter how long-winded or how far-away they seemed.

And it was that same intelligence that was causing her so many problems now. Rangiku had never tried to claim to be on his level in that regard. She had other traits that outranked him—the ability to feel and to act on emotions, for instance. Where Gin had been lacking, Rangiku had made up for it. And vice-versa. But now…now she was on her own, plunging into the depths of Gin's metaphorical psyche while hoping to resurface with all her synapses still intact.

Finally, Rangiku stood, determined to ask for some geographical help. She was at a disadvantage, scouring for places to which she had never been, without the help of someone who knew the human world a bit better than she did.

Tentatively, she approached the counter that read "Customer Service."

"Can I help you?" A young clerk behind the desk gave the confused woman a kind, but slightly distant smile. There was an accent in her Japanese, Rangiku noted curiously, but dismissed it as she began to realize that she had approached the counter for help, without having thought of what she wanted to ask.

"Maybe…" Rangiku replied, suddenly feeling very foolish. "It's just…well…it's going to sound kind of weird. Actually…" Her words trailed off and the woman's smile faltered. Finally, after a deep breath, she managed to spit out, "I don't know where I'm going…"

"Do you have somewhere that you would like to go?"

Oh dear. Rangiku didn't answer right away. She was staring blankly at the unfolded issue of Cache-Cache.

"Somewhere with a lighthouse, apparently."

Rangiku could feel the woman keeping her patience in check. "Well," she began, forcing a smile, "there are plenty of beautiful countries with many lighthouses."

"That's the problem." Rangiku groaned, her lips turning into a distinctive pout as she nearly laid her head down on the counter in defeat.

"Belfast is a nice place."

"Belfast?" Rangiku asked, confused. "Where's that?"

The woman chuckled, "Sorry, it's just that I'm from Ireland. I couldn't help but notice the issue was written in Belfast."

Rangiku looked down and read the author's note in fine print: "The author would like to extend his thanks to his friends in Belfast without whom this issue would not be possible."

"Are there lighthouses in Belfast?" Rangiku asked, her curiosity suddenly peaked. Why didn't I notice that before?

"There are lighthouses everywhere in Ireland."

Rangiku suddenly felt ten times lighter. Clue number one. Simple to find, but easy to overlook. "Well then, I guess I'm taking the next flight to Ireland." She regarded the woman once again, relieved to see that she no longer seemed annoyed. "You have been a great help."

The woman grinned and waved her off, "No problem. Looks like all you needed was a little Irish luck."

A/N: Can you figure out where Gin might have left his clue before the next chapter? Best of luck! (Speaking of luck…)

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