The wedding was finally here. I was very nervous as Lisa put the finishing touches on my make-up and hair. Shunsui and Jushiro were helping Shinji. They had forced us to shop separately, and then had confiscated the clothing until it was time to dress for the wedding. It was almost like they were trying to dress us for our own wedding!

Lisa smiled as she observed her handiwork. When she stepped back from me, I finally got to look in the mirror. My hair had been pulled back into a pony-tail, a bright, golden dragon adorning the clip. My kimono was black with red accents in the forms of dragons, each trimmed in gold. From my ears dangled golden dragons that dusted my shoulders. My make-up was sparse, only done to accent, not cover. As this was a very important occasion, the sleeves nearly reached the floor. I smiled softly at myself, then got a little nervous.

"Do you think Shinji will like it?" I asked softly. Lisa chuckled at my nerves.

"He won't be able to take his eyes off of you," she assured me. The kimono, thanks to my large bust, didn't quite shut in the front, revealing those marvelous globes to those who cared to look (aka most of the male population). To accompany the outfit, I'd bought a fan, one I intended to use to cover said cleavage from the wandering gazes of others.

"Are you ladies ready?" called up Shunsui.

"We're done," we called back as we left my room. Slowly, I came to the top of the stairs. Shinji's eyes froze on me as I descended, making me blush. He was looking quite delicious himself. His kimono was a peaceful green color, accented with white and gold. His hair had been pulled back into a ponytail as well, his bangs thinned to not look chunky without the surrounding hair.

"You look beautiful," Shinji finally managed to say as I stopped in front of him. I blushed and smiled softly.

"You're quite fetching yourself," I answered, throwing in a wink. He grinned at that and offered his arm.

"Shall we get this over with?" he asked. I nodded and took it as he led us out to the waiting carriage.

The wedding seemed to take forever, but the reception was pleasant. There was the cake, of course, dancing, sake, and congratulations for the lucky couple. I often fought my dismay, realizing the couple were only children, possibly Gin's age. Shinji was better at hiding his disdain, but I knew him well enough to know it bugged him, too. After we'd milled around, the two of us took our leave, choosing to walk back to my home.

"Gods, I'm glad I wasn't born noble," I commented. "Can you imagine getting married that young?"

Shinji chuckled.

"Not unless it was to you," he answered, making me blush again.

"Shinji!" I objected, lightly slapping his arm. He chuckled again and kissed my hand. "Did you ever think about getting hitched, your own personal ball and chain?"

Shinji laughed.

"Me? Never! Had to find a serious girl, first."

I giggled, agreeing.

"What about you?" he asked. I smiled softly.

"Every girl dreams of her wedding, even back when she's a child and knows next to nothing about it," I answered softly.

"Then you've got it all planned out, don't you?" he teased, making me blush and hit him again.

"Hardly," I answered. "What I wanted as a little girl and what I want now are very different."

I smiled softly again.

"I saw my first wedding in Hueco Mundo," I admitted. "Ulquiorra hid the three of us in the crowd, shielded us with his energy, so I could watch my sister get married. I was four at the time… and immediately told Ulquiorra that, when I grew up, I wanted to be a bride."

Shinji chuckled.

"I'm going to assume that amused him," he guessed. I nodded with a grin.

"First time I'd ever seen him blush, too," I giggled. "First and only, actually."

"I'm also going to assume that Ulquiorra is the hollow that raised you?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I should have clarified."

"Do you want a wedding like your sister's?"

I shook my head.

"Nothing that extravagant," I answered. "I was never big on having more guests than you could name or having one so large that it took an entire kingdom to host it."

Shinji shook his head both in wonder and amusement.

"That was her dream," I went on softly. "I was glad to see her so happy… but I knew I wanted something smaller and quieter. A few friends, loved ones… and the man I would give my eternity to…"

I heart gave another pang as I realized he wouldn't really understand how literal that was. After all, I couldn't tell him…

"Well, we're already dressed, why don't we head over to that new restaurant?" he asked suddenly, seeing the lights of it in the distance. I smiled softly.

"I'd love to," I answered, letting him lead me there. Normally, we would require a reservation, but finally, we were seated. "I've never been to such a place…"

Shinji quirked a brow at me.

"A Kuchiki never having set foot in an upper-crust restaurant?" he teased. "What kind of noble are you?"

I giggled.

"The very special kind," I answered, making him chuckle.

Nine years passed so quickly, leaving me at the mercy of sanity. Kisuke had turned the twelfth division into a science division, much to Hiyori's annoyance… but she seemed to finally grudgingly accept her Captain. Their crazy third seat, however, even gave me the creeps. Mayuri Kurotsuchi. That was his name. He was, to put it mildly, a complete basket case. I'd often asked Kisuke about his sanity in having brought that man into his squad. Kisuke had only waved off my fears with laughter and occasionally flirtatious jokes. He seemed to already know I wouldn't get offended like so many others did.

As for Shinji and I? I had never been this full of love for someone as I was for him. He made me so happy, so full of life… Even after all these years, the romance, the fire, the passion… none of it had faded. We still teased and laughed, still flirted and embarrassed each other… Of course, at this point, my instincts had started to drive me to insanity. My blood called to him, wanting more, so much more than he knew how to give… and the guilt of not telling him everything was a near constant torment that only his arms, his love, could banish… even if only for a time.

Jushiro had, like so many others, asked when the two of us were finally going to tie to the knot. Neither I nor Shinji ever answered, just laughed it off. It wasn't that I didn't want to… it was more… I was waiting on him, I guess. I had forever… he did not. And he never hinted at marriage all these years, other than the occasional question about it after we'd attend other noble weddings. He never forgot a birthday or our anniversary (though I forgot the latter twice). He was… wonderful… to me, more wonderful than I deserved.

Jushiro had also realized that my instincts wanted more. That told me if he realized that fact, then others would have as well, Shinji especially. My heart was completely his and I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I could never get my heart back. Our fates were now bound together, for better or for worse.

My vision had become more frequent, waking me nightly now. That told me it was soon, very soon. I had gotten used to the horrible feelings and got better at keeping from waking Shinji when this happened. For the past year and a half, I had let him believe the visions had ceased, letting him sleep in peace.

Gin had moved in with us, taking another spare room, near Rangiku's. The two were almost always together, almost stuck to each other like glue. It was adorable. I was certain the two would end up dating when they got older. Kouga, by Shinji's rule, was no longer allowed to appear in our bedroom when he visited. Shinji felt that our room should be a space for US and Kouga, thankfully, agreed wholeheartedly. Now, when he came, we visited in a den on the other side of the house.

Two warm hands lightly rested on my shoulders as Shinji stepped up behind me. He was relaxing in a pair of loose pants and nothing else, both of us just looking out the window at the snow. Softly, his hand brushed my hair aside, baring my neck for his lips to kiss lightly.

"You really want to go play in it, don't you?" he teased, the grin in his voice. I chuckled.

"Like you don't enjoy those snowball fights as much as I do," I teased back, turning my head to kiss him softly. "But… while it's blizzarding like this, I have no intention of leaving this house."

He chuckled. I may love snow, but I hated the cold. He'd often stated that it was quite the conundrum, making several others agree with him.

"You should use this as an excuse to cuddle and… warm up," he whispered in my ear, his voice telling me just what he really meant by that. I giggled and flicked his nose.

"And I'm supposed to be the one in heat," I teased, making him grin. "I believe I promised Gin Curry tonight… or I would."

Shinji gave a very exaggerated pout and I giggled again.

"Then I guess I'm coming along to distract you," he decided, making me laugh as we headed towards the warmth of the kitchen. Sure enough, as I tried to cook, he would constantly steal kisses, purposefully get in my way (only letting me pass for a kiss or a kinky grope), and would come up behind me and take over what I was doing (like cutting up vegetables) keeping me trapped between him and the counter. I really needed to stop telling this boy when he was driving me nuts… he was learning far too quickly.

"Aren't you supposed to stir?" he teased, making me flush and focus back on the task as his hands slinked slowly, teasingly up my sides. I shivered and gave him a half-hearted glare over my shoulder. He just grinned, his face telling me he was on a countdown until I finally broke and let him have his way.

Not this time! I won't do it this time!

Sure you will. You always do.

~Can it, Durnehviir. ~

The dragon just laughed at me. I knew he was right. Sooner or later, in my heat, I would come at Shinji's call, give in to him and get lost in his touch, his taste… I always did… After a while, I turned the burner off and leaned out the door.

"Supper's ready!"

"Okay!" came two answers. I chuckled as Shinji set the small kitchen table for the group. We only used the dining hall when there was a party or big crowd. Otherwise, it was just a waste.

"How domesticated our lives have become," I teased him, making him smile softly. "Might have to add a few infants in just to shake things up."

Immediately he froze. After a few seconds, his face lit up and he picked me up, making me yelp as he spun me around. Slowly, he slid my body down his, down to stand on my own feet, his warm, brown eyes looking into mine.

"Are you sure you're ready?" he asked me. I chuckled and nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck, kissing him softly.

"Only if they're all yours," I answered, making him scowl in jealousy at the thought.

"They'd better be," he replied, then kissed me possessively, making me melt into him.

"Aww!" Rangiku gushed, making the two of us laugh and look over at her. "You two are like the perfect example of a love story!"

Shinji released me and I chuckled at her, taking my seat. Shinji and I sat on opposite sides, Gin and Rangiku next to us on opposite sides. It was a small, square table, after all.

"Shall we?" I asked and thus, started filling bowls. Ever since I had first made this for Gin, as I'd promised, he'd been addicted to it. Also, I'd discovered he had a great love of dried persimmons, something he got addicted to after the first helping I'd had him taste. He'd badger me for hours on end, begging me to make more… so I'd taught him how to make them for himself.

With Gin and Rangiku around, it was almost like we really WERE a family. Though we never really gave each other the familial names, we still treated each other like it. Rangiku was like my daughter or even a much younger sister. Gin was like a younger brother. And Shinji was clearly the "dad" or "big brother" of the household. We had even taken to having a "family game night" once a week. We grew very close, the four of us. My new family was my world… and I knew I would be lost without them. Once a month, the four of us would go to the world of the living for a four-day-weekend. Each time, it was somewhere different. Next weekend, Shinji promised we would be going to Venice, Italy! Rangiku and I had squealed like little girls and tackled him in hugs when he told us. He'd just laughed and let us.

Now, Rangiku, Gin, and Shinji all carried spare keys to my—I mean—our home. It just made things easier on all of us, since we were almost never arriving home at the same time and the door was always locked tight behind all of us whether we were entering or leaving. I was a bit of a worry-wart when it came to my home, something that had both amused and annoyed the other three for months, until they got used to it anyway.

I couldn't be happier with life right now. Everything was perfect… well… as perfect as it could be. I should mention that I had left the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to devote myself to my love, my home, my family, and my clan. As a Kuchiki, I was often required to attend noble events and deal with clan issues. Due to how I was Ginrei's adopted daughter, it also put me at the fore-front to become the next head of the family. However, I asked Ginrei, that if anything should happen to me, that the head of the family should go to Byakuya.

Now, Byakuya and I rarely saw eye-to-eye. The boy had a terrible temper and didn't know the meaning of the word "fun". He didn't like my relationship with a lower-class nobody like Shinji and he didn't like that we lived together while still unmarried. Byakuya also didn't really like how I'd so easily opened my doors to two other street rats, Gin and Rangiku. However, with Ginrei backing me up, I had put Byakuya in his place. I had explained that my life was mine to choose. At least the man I was living with was also the man I fully intended to marry one day. As for the "street rats", they were not only family to me, but they were accepted by Ginrei as well. Byakuya, as I said, did not particularly get along with me. His views on what a noble should act like and mine were just too different.

"By the way, I should remind you that I'm headed off to Hueco Mundo for a mission tomorrow," Shinji reminded me. No matter how many times he went, he knew I worried. I always did… and he wasn't completely oblivious as to why. "I won't be back until Thursday. When I get back, we'll start packing. We leave Friday for our trip."

Rangiku squealed excitedly and bounced in her seat.

"Oh Italy!" she gushed, grabbing Gin's arm. "How exciting! The sights! The music! The romance!"

"The food," Gin put in, making Rangiku scowl at him, while he just grinned. Shinji and I chuckled and chose to keep our thoughts to ourselves.

"I want to one day get married in Italy," Rangiku went on excitedly. "I want to be taken to my wedding by gondola and wear this big, fluffy dress—"

I just giggled and finished eating, tuning her out mostly. Rangiku was like my elder sister—she liked extravagance. Rangiku was always indulging in herself, eating up a large portion of Gin's paycheck, too… at least until I put a stop to that, telling Rangiku that she needed to get a job to support her shopping. So, she had found a local job at a restaurant. It was a high-class place and they loved having such an adorable young waitress there. Rangiku, though rather lazy most of the time, did quite well when it came to dealing with the customers and raking in good tips. The job suited her quite well and she was paid weekly on top of all of her tips.

"Where do you want to get married?" asked Rangiku, making me smile softly at her.

"Hmm," I said softly, thinking about it. "I think it would be nice to get married in an orchard… when all the trees are in full bloom, white petals swaying in the breeze…"

I let her imagine that for a few seconds.

"Or maybe on a beach," I suggested. "The waves gently rolling in, the sunset on the water, the sand tickling my feet…"

Again, I let her imagine.

"Getting married in the mountains would be beautiful as well," I continued, only for Gin to cover my mouth.

"Stop!" he said urgently. "You're giving her ideas!"

Rangiku and I laughed immediately, making poor Gin shake his head.

"Seriously though, I can honestly say I don't really care where," I told her with a warm smile. "And you'll find that, when the time comes, neither will you. The only thing that's going to matter… is the man that will be waiting there just for you."

"Aww!" Rangiku started again, making Gin give a tortured, rueful sigh. I giggled at his duress and then rose, collecting dishes as I went.

"Stop," Gin told me again, putting his hand on mine. "It's my turn tonight."

I chuckled and obeyed, letting him finish the cleanup. The staff had the weekend off and wouldn't be back until morning. Shinji lightly clasped my hand and pulled me away, back to our room. Once the door was shut, he pulled me into his arms.

"I won't get to see you for four days," he reminded me, a grin on his face. "I might not get much sleep tonight, but I'm going to enjoy every minute of it."

I laughed as he swung me up in his arms and carried me to the bed.

I was struggling to concentrate, I really was. The paperwork in front of me kept swimming under my gaze. Gin was there, keeping me company. He was lamenting the fact that Rangiku wanted to do a bunch of shopping in Italy while stuffing his cheeks with dried persimmons. Mentally, I was far from this office.

Sosuke and Shinji weren't back yet. They were supposed to be back this morning… and they were five hours late. It was taking all I had not to panic, though numerous worst-case scenarios were running through my head at rapid speeds. In an effort to calm me, Gin was blathering on… but I knew he knew it was having little effect. At the moment, I was torn between wanting to hug Shinji as soon as I saw him… and wanting to pull a Hiyori on him.

"Gin, I'm stepping out," I told him abruptly. He frowned at me.

"Want me to come?" he asked. I shrugged.

"You can," I answered. "Maybe Kisuke can keep me busy."

Thus, we both left the office, though I left a note on Shinji's desk telling him where to find us. Then we flashed to the twelfth. Seconds later, Kisuke looked up from a project and smiled warmly, seeing my expression.

"Here, you can help me," he told me, quickly putting me to work. He had me comparing slides and then had me condensing his notes. Hiyori kept frowning as Gin whispered to her, seeming to tell her just how worried I was. Her mood darkened with every passing hour, more so every time she caught me glancing at the clock, getting more and more worried.

Finally, a messenger came from the doors, telling us that Captain Hirako was back!

I nearly leapt out of my seat, but Hiyori jerked me back down into it and glared at me.

"You're not going anywhere," she snarled at me. "That idiot has some shit to answer for!"

I gave her a small smile and returned to condensing notes, trusting her. Kisuke had him shown to the door where we were working. Ten seconds after he opened the door…

Hiyori slammed both of her feet right in his face. The door was slammed shut behind her, but I could hear her ripping into him. The door and walls muffled what she was saying, but she was definitely letting him have it. Several other squad members (who weren't used to those two yet) were wincing several times, especially every time there was a loud thump and another cry of pain from Shinji. After about twenty minutes, the door slid open and Hiyori stomped back in, shutting the door behind her.

"Your boyfriend's waiting to apologize," she told me, taking over the condensing. I smiled at her softly and hugged her, making her flush.

"Thanks, Hiyori," I told her. "You're a real friend."

"Eh, whatever," she said. "Go away, you damned pest."

I chuckled, knowing she didn't really mean that.

"Thanks, Kisuke," I said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I can always count on you."

He flushed and smiled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"No problem," he told me. "Come back any time."

I smiled warmly and nodded, taking my leave. Outside, Shinji was nursing several new cuts, bruises, and a bloody nose. I giggled as I began healing his wounds, listening to him rant about Hiyori as we walked back to the house, Gin following behind us, still eating his treats. As soon as we got in the door, Rangiku stole Gin, talking about how she couldn't decide what to pack and Shinji and I headed to our room. Once inside, Shinji pulled me close and kissed me softly. I cut it short, making sure he knew how upset with him I was.

"You should be grateful it was Hiyori beating the crap out of you and not me," I told him crossly, making him wince at the thought. I crossed my arms and glared at him. "You had me worried sick! Nine hours late, Shinji! Nine! What the hell?! I thought something happened! God, I don't think there's a single worst-case scenario that I didn't think of! My poor ticker hasn't slowed down a lick since this morning!"

Shinji just pulled me into his arms, holding me close.

"Relax," he told me soothingly. "I'm home. I'm right here, with you. Nothing happened, save the fact that the gateway wouldn't stabilize. We kept getting outrageous energy readings every time we made a move in Hueco Mundo. It was like we were being followed by something… but every time we tried to investigate, the source would vanish. It was a weird energy from three of them. The last one, though… that was definitely a hollow. No one got hurt. It just took a while to get that particular reiatsu to leave us long enough to open the gate properly."

I had tensed the moment he'd begun to explain.

Strange and Hollow energy… Could it be? There was… there was a fragment of my energy in his last birthday gift, a small charm I'd put on a necklace for him in the shape of a dragon eye… Would that be enough to draw them?

"Vasilysa?" Shinji asked softly, concerned. "Do you… know something?"

I gripped his arms tightly.

"Were you wearing that charm I gave you?" I asked him, my voice urgent. He looked baffled for a moment. "Were you wearing it in Hueco Mundo?! Answer me!"

"Yes!" he answered immediately, his confusing growing as worry grew within him as well. "I never take it off!"

Part of me sweetened at that.

"First off, aww," I said with a soft smile, then got serious again. "And secondly… that's why you were followed. My reiatsu is fused with that charm, remember?"

He tensed.

"The source or sources that followed you… were looking for me," I spelled out. Shinji's frown deepened.

"You can't… tell me about that yet… can you?" he asked slowly. I shook my head.

"Not yet," I answered. "I want to, Shinji, believe me… but not yet. I can't."

I released him, pacing as I cursed under my breath.

"They'd know that reiatsu was recently placed," I thought aloud, pacing back and forth. "Then it's only a matter of time…"

I paused and looked at Shinji.

"Can you recall precisely what the source or sources reiatsu felt like?" I asked him. He nodded and I reached over, placing my hand on his temple. He looked at me curiously. "Focus on that. Remember it as clearly as you can… one at a time."

He nodded and started doing so. I closed my eyes and focused on his mind, on his thoughts. After a few moments, I felt the reiatsu he had sensed.

"Halvar… Siward… Asmund…" I listed as I recognized them, only to freeze at the last, jerking away, stumbling back from Shinji, nearly falling. "It… It can't be…"

My heart was racing, my shock on my features as I struggled to absorb what I'd just felt.

"It can't be! I watched him die!"

I gripped my head tightly, fighting the war deep inside. I began to shake, my mind struggling to grasp what I had just sensed.

"Who was the last one?" Shinji asked quietly, pulling me into a comforting hug… at least as comforting as he could be when he was so confused.

"I-it… it felt like…" I was struggling just to say it. "It… It was… Ulquiorra…"

Now Shinji froze in shock.

"I saw him die!" I repeated, starting to shake again. "I. Saw. Him. Die!"

"Maybe he survived somehow?" Shinji offered lamely. I could only shake my head, struggling to wrap my head around this. "Who are the others?"

I tensed, but decided to answer.

"Two of them work for my father," I answered softly. "But Halvar… he's my brother."

Again, Shinji was shaken by surprise.

"You are fortunate that all those who followed you were friendly in nature, not my father's enemies," I stated, forcing my shaking aside as I look into his eyes. "Never wear that charm into Hueco Mundo again. If it's one of my father's enemies that senses my energy, they won't just hide and watch. They'll slaughter you without a thought. Promise me, Shinji."

"I refuse to take it off," he told me firmly. "But I'll put a barrier around it before I enter Hueco Mundo again to contain the energy signature."

I relaxed immensely and just held him.

"If the wrong person had sensed that… I could have lost you," I whispered softly, my heart wrenching painfully at the thought. Immediately, the arms around me tightened.

"Hey, I'm still here," he reminded me, speaking softly. "Clear your mind of all this. It's over and done. Relax… and think about tomorrow."

Slowly, I did as he asked. I felt my spirits lift almost immediately and I smiled up at him.

"Italy…" I said softly. "Have you ever been there?"

Shinji grinned.

"Only once," he answered. "We're testing some more equipment for Kisuke on this trip."

"Oh?" I asked, walking over to the dresser and closet to pack a few casual outfits. I'd shop for some more appropriate outfits there. "More language modifying tech?"

Shinji nodded, grabbing his own suitcase and packing a few things.

"We're to pick up our gigai on the way out," he told me, making me smile softly. Kisuke had made Shinji and I special gigai that concealed our reiatsu. It made it so that we could blend in with other humans without fear of being detected. We'd been using those specific gigai for years, though he kept working on them, claiming they weren't good enough yet.

"Gods, I'm so excited!" I said, unable to stop the slight skip in my step, making Shinji grin at me. "I've heard so much about Italy! I've been dying to see it!"

His grin grew.

"I know," he told me. "That's why I specifically requested it."

I squealed and pounced, knocking him to the floor in my joy, making him laugh as I straddled him, leaning over him.

"You're the best boyfriend ever!" I told him, kissing him. He grinned and kissed me back, resting his hands on my hips.

"Don't go falling for any of those Italian boys," he teased me, making me laugh.

"And what could they possibly have on my delicious Shinji?" I teased back, watching him grin smugly as I stroked his ego. I caressed his face softly, teasingly. "I highly doubt they could match these sinfully chiseled features…"

I slid my nails through his hair, watching his eyes start to darken with lust.

"…those silky locks…"

I bit his lip softly and stole a kiss.

"…or these velvet, tempting lips…"

Abruptly, he rolled, placing me beneath him as he kissed me passionately. I gave a soft, begging whimper as I arched into him, tangling my fingers in his hair again, wrapping my legs around his waist to grind our sexes together. He growled and roughly rocked his hips, his shaft hardening with every thrust against my growing wetness.

"Captain Hirako!"

We both swore darkly at Sasakibe's voice.

"What the hell, Sasakibe?" Shinji demanded, his voice as cross as the emotions running through him.

"The Head Captain would like to hear your report tonight before you can leave," was the reply. After all these years, Sasakibe was used to the results of his terrible timing.

"Gotta go," Shinji grumbled, stealing a few more kisses as I released him from my legs and hands. "God, tomorrow cannot come soon enough… Four days without a single interruption…"

I giggled and kissed him again.

"Get going," I told him. "We're both going to need our rest if that's the case."

His grin was full of wicked promises as he kissed me once more, then took his leave. I chuckled softly and got ready for bed, dressing in a simple silken nightie that was more like lingerie than bed clothes… but Shinji had bought it for me while we were in Paris, so I wore it proudly… and the fact that it turned him on every time he saw me in it was just an added perk.

Chuckling to myself again, I curled up under the covers and let sleep steal me away.

Hello my readers. Please let me know how I'm doing! I do love hearing from you, even if all you have to say is that I'm being annoying with all this cryptic half-answering thing. Look forward to the next chapter soon!

Viper-Sindel