Don't own Bleach. Boo.

This is not a continuing chapter to Love And… these are just little ficlets, like the installment entitled "Of Medicine and First Encounters". It's basically an apology for missing another week's chapter. Give the next one some time. I'm trying to make it as great as it can be. For now, here are some things I thought would be kind of cute.

Captain Kenpachi's Darkest Day

Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of the 11th division, known for his brute strength, blood-lust, indomitable reiatsu, and fearlessness during battle, was running at top speeds through the streets of Soul Society.

"Hey, hey!" Yachiru Kusajishi, cive-captain of the 11th division, yelled. She waved her tiny hands in the air. "Kenny! I've been looking all over for you!" The small girl leapt onto the back of her adoptive father figure as he sped past her.

"So what'cha been up to?" she asked.

"Nothing." Kenpachi grumbled. "It's a secret." The giant man slapped himself for letting it slip. Now the girl was never going to leave him alone about it. He turned a sharp right, then hung a left down the next walk way.

"Wee!" Yachiru, a very experienced piggy back rider, squealed as she was swung to and fro. Centrifugal force was her oldest and dearest friend next to Kenpachi, of course. She giggled and went on to ask, "So what's the secret?"

"If you knew, it ain't a secret anymore, right?"

"Aww, come on! You can tell me! I promise I won't tell the others!"

Kenpachi shot his tiny vice-captain a skeptical look.

"Cross my heart hope to die, stick a 12th division needle in my eye!" Yachiru recited the edited rhyme with a very serious look in her eyes.

"I don't know, kid…" The burly man turned his gaze straight ahead and heaved a heavy sigh. "Today might just be my darkest day, and if anyone were to know about it…"

Yachiru's eyes widened. Was that…a glint of fear in his eyes? Nah…

"Needles from the 12th division in my eye!" Yachiru pouted and started pounding her small fist into her companion's back. "Tellmetellmetellmetellme—"

"Okay, okay!" Kenpachi looked around. "Is anyone around us?"

The small girl did a quick reiatsu check. "Noooo, Ken-ken! Now spill it!"

"You take this to the grave, all right?"

Yachiru was seriously taken off guard. She had never seen Captain Kenpachi this serious or worried before. Maybe there really was a little fear behind the usually intimidating gaze she had come to know so well.

"I promise. Tell me what's worrying you." she softly encouraged.

Kenpachi made a sharp left turn and ran down a small secluded alley. "Well, you know how Byakuya Kuchiki was going around tellin' all the captains to keep his sister from being promoted?"

"Mmhmm…"

The large man gulped. "Turns out he's really serious about keepin' her out of trouble…"

Yachiru, in a total reverse of her character gasped and scolded her companion. "What did you do?"

"Aww, come on, Yachiru! You know I've been looking for a good fight lately—"

"What. Did. You. DO?"

Kenpachi rubbed the back of his head. "Well…I, uh, you know, asked him to fight me—"

"AND?"

"He said no—"

"SO?"

"I, kind of…threatened his sister, to, you know, make him fight me."

Kenpachi glanced over his shoulder at Yachiru. She was speechless; quite impressive if you knew how she normally was. The large man gave a nervous laugh.

"At least it worked…"

The pink-haired girl was still silent.

"Yachiru?" Kenpachi took another glance over his shoulder at the small girl. "Yach—"

"AAH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" the small girl screamed in his ear. "RUN FASTER! RUN FASTER!"

"That won't really help you, Captain Zaraki."

Kenpachi skidded to a halt, throwing his arms out on instinct to catch Yachiru before she flew forward from the sudden stop. Byakuya Kuchiki stood before them, eyes blazing like hellfire, with the promise of unspeakable carnage.

Yachiru and Kenpachi looked at each other.

"Fuck."

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The She-demon Unleashed

Hitsugaya was walking back to his office from lunch with Matsumoto and his best-friend (and current crush), Hinamori. The two females were gossiping while he walked ahead. Frankly, he was rather irritated today. Hinamori had just shared her secret crush on her captain with him and Matsumoto.

'What is it with girls and older men?' the spiky haired teen scowled to himself as he listened to Matsumoto and Hinamori giggle to themselves about romance tips.

"Noooo! Stop it! I didn't do anything to you!" a male voice cried.

"Shut up, 4th division weakling!" a much deeper, albeit dumber, sounding voice responded.

The voices were soon followed by scuffling and thudding sounds. Curious, Hitsugaya abandoned his friends to search for the source of these voices. He followed the noises around the corner to secluded alleyway, only to spot Captain Unohana's 7th seat, Hanataro Yamada, getting bullied by a couple of 11th division thugs.

Now, Hitsugaya wasn't particularly friends with Hanataro, but busting on some bullies seemed like the perfect stress release for today. Seriously, what is it with women and older men?

The 10th division captain was about to call out for the two reapers to stop beating on the poor 4th division healer when out of nowhere, a young girl leapt down from the roof of a neighboring building and yelled.

"Leave him alone!"

It was that Rukia Kuchiki girl. 'Tch. Knew she'd be trouble…' Hitsugaya thought. Somehow, he was curious to see what exactly she planned on doing to save Hanataro and so he hung back.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the first thug, with a black mohawk, dropped Hanataro from his clutches and sauntered over to Rukia. "What's your name, cutie?"

Hitsugaya rolled his eyes at the pick up line.

"My name is none of your concern." Rukia retorted.

The second thug, who was bald with two scars running down both sides of his face, snorted. "Just like what we do to this little shrimp here is none of yours." He made to continue terrorizing Hanataro.

"Eep!" Hanataro, bless his soul, squeaked and cringed away from the bald man. He looked to Rukia and cried, "Get out of here while you still can, miss!"

Given Hanataro's situation and skill level, Hitsugaya was fairly impressed with the healer's concern for Rukia. 'Chivalry isn't dead after all…' he thought. 'Too bad he probably sucks at fighting.'

"Yeah, you can come along with me—" the mohawked thug tried to say before he found an airborne Rukia's foot slammed into his face.

"Aaagh!" the mohawked man clutched his face. "Mby ndose!" blood dripped down his chin and onto his uniform as he staggered away from the short girl. He spat teeth onto the ground.

The bald man turned to Rukia. "Why you little—Auuf!" in a flash his hands were cradling the spot which Rukia's right foot had collided with. "Paah!" he gasped. "My….crotch….oh my crotch." He fell over.

Hitsugaya whistled. Boy, this girl was brutal. 'Those rumors about her being a she-demon were right…'

Rukia turned to Hanatarou. "Are you okay?" she smiled.

Hanatarou shakily returned it. "I'm fine. Th-thanks."

"No problem."

The two reapers heard the thugs get up and turned to face them. Rukia stood defiant against them.

"Look here, you little bitch—" the mohawked one began.

"That's enough!" Hitsugaya finally jumped in between the two parties.

All four of them bowed and saluted. "Captain!" they greeted.

"Names and division, now." He demanded.

"Yuusuke Ichibara. 11th."

"Tony Toneru. 11th."

"Hanataro Yamada. 4th division, sir."

"Rukia Kuchiki, 13th division, sir."

Hitsugaya glared up at the two 11th division thugs. "You two, if I ever see you causing trouble again, I will personally make sure you regret it. Now out of my sight." With that, the two took off running.

Hitsugaya turned to face Rukia and Hanataro and was surprised.

"May I ask why you are glaring at your superior officer, Kuchiki?" he queried with a quirked eyebrow.

"You let them go without a punishment!" Rukia replied indignantly. "Just a slap on the wrist? I was sitting up on the roof here, having lunch, and all of a sudden there's this guy here," she gestured to Hanataro, "who was minding his own business like I was, getting the smack down from those neanderthals! Doesn't that deserve more than a simple slap on the wrist?"

Hitsugaya blinked and began laughing.

"This isn't funny!" Rukia stomped her foot. She looked over at Hanataro. "You're a victim here! Tell him he can't let those brutes get away with what they did to you!"

Hanataro shook his head. "I think I get why Captain Hitsugaya is laughing…" he replied and began to chuckle himself.

"Miss Kuchiki, what you did to those guys was punishment enough." Hitsugaya commented. "I'm pretty sure you broke that one guy's nose." He turned to Hanatarou and said, "Just go back to 4th and tell them not to help either of those two with their injuries from Miss Kuchiki here."

Hanataro saluted and ran off back to his division.

Rukia just shook her head and smiled. "I guess I did hit them kind of hard…"

"Kuchiki, I don't think the bald one will ever have properly functioning privates ever again, thanks to you." Hitsugaya chuckled. "Enjoy your day." Turned and went to rejoin his friends.

When he got back to Hinamori and Matsumoto, the two pounced on him.

"Who was that girl Toushi?" Hinamori asked, eyes brimming with excitement.

"What girl?"

"You know, the one that beat up those 11th division guys," she explained.

"That's Rukia Kuchiki." Matsumoto answered.

"That's Rukia Kuchiki?" Hinamori looked back to alley where Rukia had been talking to her childhood friend and smiled in admiration. "She's tough!"

"And cute!" Matsumoto added.

Hitsugaya shook his head and chuckled—a very rare sight for his two friends. "Kuchiki…She's something else, all right…"

The two females looked at each other and cast sly glances at Hitsugaya. The young male had a faint, but amused smile on his face. He noticed the looks he was getting from his companions.

"What?" he irritably asked. His smile was now lost.

"We saw everything, Toushiro." Hinamori sang.

"No need to deny it," Matsumoto began.

"Captain likes Rukia! Captain likes Rukia!" the two ladies teased.

"Oh I do not!" he huffed. "I barely know the girl!" A faint blush spread across his face.

Matsumoto and Hinamori exchanged looks and nodded. Each of them took a deep breath:

"CAPTAIN LIKES RUKIA! CAPTAIN LIKES RUKIA!"

"I DO NOT!"

End.

Repeat, this is not a continuing chapter to Love And… these are just little side stories. Bonus treats, if you will, since I missed a week. This upcoming update is difficult to do…