A month later…

"Tatsufusa fukutaicho" came Hitsugaya's tired voice. He was sitting at his desk as he sorted out paperwork. His new fukutaicho was sniggering with some of his squad members outside his workroom doors. He missed Matsumoto so much it hurt to see him sit in her chair. She'd always showed him respect despite his age and never backstabbed him or allowed any of his squad members to backstab him like what they were doing now.

It was only after her departure that he'd found out that his division really thought of him as the 'immature little boy wearing a haori too big for him' It was only after his departure that he'd found out that the only reason why they ever obeyed him was out of respect for Matsumoto who had told them to. It was only after her departure that he found out how much he had needed her.

"Hai, Taicho" came Tatsufusa's voice and half hidden sneer. "Will you please…" His sentence was cut off when a lower seat came charging in. "Taicho! A adjucha has appeared in north Rukongai and is ravaging the town. Orders have been issued for our immediate assistance." "Lets go" he said. They flashed of.

Screams of terror filled his ears as villagers scattered in fear. "Heh, big deal" said his vice-captain. "Help with the evacuation eh, taicho. Don't worry about this guy, I'll have him down in a sec." It was only then that he found out how much he was looked down upon, how much he yearned for the respect of the person supposedly standing beside him, how much Matsumoto had yearned for his respect and yet respected and obeyed him with everything she had. Back then she would have gone and immediately helped with the evacuation. She knew his style and never questioned his ability or his orders.

"Wait! Don't be rash!" He cried. Too late. The adjucha slashed Tatsufusa in half. "Souten ni zase. Hyorinmaru" He cried. The world froze.

Later at his dek he sighed. His heart yearned for Matsumoto. He had seen her and tried to talk to her in the last month but she was decidedly ignoring him. Everytime he saw her giggling and smiling at her best friend and lieutenant, Nanao Ise or at Kyoraku Taicho he felt empty inside. He wished that it was him she was smiling at, that it as his office she was lighting up, she had always been that cheerful-even when he scolded her. He sighed sadly.

"Your lieutenant disobeyed your orders and got himself killed. Is that right?"

"Yes"

"Hitsugaya taicho. You need to earn your subordinates trust, I understand the difficulties regarding your age. However, you cannot expect every one of your subordinates to be as open as Matsumoto fukutaicho was"

Icy hands closed over his heart at her mention.

"You will have a new lieutenant assigned to your division by the end of this week. Dismissed"

"Hai, Soutaicho"

He thought about that morning's meeting with the captain commander and sighed, his hand reaching for his regular cup of tea and closing on air. Of course, how stupid of him, only Matsumoto would make him tea and only Matsumoto could make it the way he liked it right? So no Matsumoto, no tea.

Suddenly the door burst open and Kyoraku swept in. "Hitsugaya Taicho" "Shunsui taicho. To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?" He frantically tried to control his temper. It wasn't Shunsui's fault of course, but seeing the man Matsumoto had chosen over him still made his teeth grind. "Hitsugaya taicho. Just five minutes ago a document was given to me by my darling Nanao who insisted I read it before handing it over to Rangiku-chan." Hitsugaya's fists tightened at the way he said her name, why wasn't HE the one addressing her by that name? "I thought it might interest you to know about I before I handed it to her."

"What is it about?"

"It's a request for her acceptance of fukutaicho"

"Fukutaicho where?"

"Which is the only division currently without one?'

His heart stopped.

"No doubt she's going to decline so I didn't show it to her yet."

"Where is she?"

"Currently heading over to a glade in the forest nearby to collect my scarf for me. I sent her there, thought you might want to catch her"

"Thanks" He flashed.