Hey all! Sorry I didn't update this morning, my puter wouldn't get online!

Anyway, I now have completed chapter 18! This is my longest story ever! It's great!

And it has limes, AND a lemon! I love this story!

Anywho, on with the show!

Disclaimer- Hey, at least I own the spell checker!

Chapter 4

It was shortly after that Kira led her to the main hall. She knew something was happening, but she wasn't sure of what. She walked in to find the tables all lined up, everyone sitting, watching as she walked up to the main table with Kira beside her.

"Today, We're here to welcome Aoi-Taicho. She has been fully accepted by Yamamoto-Taicho, as well as myself." His eyes narrowed dangerously through the crowd, and Aoi felt her nerves shift as everyone looked over at her, some curious, some angry and some confused. One near the head of the room stood and turned to Kira, wide eyed. "Fukutaicho, have you really accepted her?!"

"I have, and I expect all of you to do the same. I know that after Ichimaru and Amagai it may be difficult, especially after such a short time, but I know that we can trust her, aparently more than she can trust some of us. Please, make her feel welcome." He sat down and sighed, keeping his head down and his eyes half closed.

Food was beginning to be brought out and Aoi noticed one of the people looked oddly familiar. "How you holding up?" Matsumoto asked and Aoi smiled, giggling. "Good! Why did you sneak in here as a waiter? You could have just come in, you know!" She tried to whisper and looked over, seeing Kira watching the conversation, pretending like he didn't notice. "They wouldn't! They said no one who wasn't third squad unless there was a mission!" Aoi giggled and nodded. "I'm fine, we had one problem, but Kira took care of it." Matsumoto's eyes widened. "Like what?"

"A hollow by the Senkai gate. I didn't know they came in miniature too!" Matsumoto stared for a second before bursting into laughter. "If it was nearly human size, that's about their normal size. Nothing else, though?" Aoi shook her head with a smile.

Matsumoto frowned. "You're lying. I got a report that someone attacked the captain of the third squad. I heard you were stabbed in the stomach." Kira's eyes widened and Aoi shook her head. "I'm fine! It was just a bruise around my neck and a little jab at my cheek! I wasn't keeping an eye out!"

Kira frowned and stood, grabbing Aoi's arm and lead her to the back room, Matsumoto right behind. Kira closed the door and looked up at her. "You're a horrible liar, so just tell me the truth. Did you get stabbed?" Aoi nodded, looking down. Matsumoto jumped forwards, stripping off her haori, causing a yelp of protest from the captain.

Indeed there was blood on her lower abdomen and Matsumoto cringed. "I can see the wound. It looks deep. Why didn't you tell someone?"

"I knew it wasn't fatal! I'll be fine, I just need to heal up a little!" She pushed Matsumoto away, blushing and covering her chest. "I'll go get Unohana-Taicho." Matsumoto frowned as she ran out the door. Kira sat, his eyes averted. "You really don't trust me as much as I'd want. You should tell me if you're injured."

"It's against my nature. I can deal with this myself. It's not that bad." Kira looked up, looking her in the eye. "What if it had gotten infected?" Aoi looked down. "I can get plants to help with that. Kira, I know I'm younger than you, but I'm not a child. I can look after myself." Kira looked up at her and frowned. "Don't you understand? You're a part of the team! You're the Taicho! You don't have to be alone anymore!" His eyes clenched as he spoke, Aoi's eyes wide on him.

She just looked at him for a while, his pained expression, his tired eyes, the anger that still radiated from him. "I- I'm sorry..." She turned and ran from the room, leaving Kira just staring. He looked down at her haori and realized she'd ran off without being covered.

He'd wait. He'd let Matsumoto take it too her. He looked up, angry with himself for not asking earlier if she'd gotten more injured than he'd believed. He was angry at her for not trusting him to help with her injuries. He was just so emotionally drained after the last 28 hours...

"Where is she?" Matsumoto asked after a while, as she ran in. "Probably in her quarters. She ran out. Could you, please?" He pointed down to the haori. Matsumoto frowned, nodding and took it, turning to Unohana. "Here, please take care of her." Matsumoto handed over the haori before turning back to Kira. Unohana headed out as Matsumoto walked over and sat down beside him. "What's up?"

"I'm tired." He sighed and looked over. "You look hurt."

"She doesn't trust me to help when she's injured. She's either shy or childish. I can't figure out how she was made a captain..." Kira groaned, leaning his head back.

"She's used to being alone. Completely by herself. If she got injured before this she had to take care of it herself. Many people look at an injury as a sign of weakness. She's a new captain, and trying to hide any form of weakness to keep up the appearance she can handle the job."

"I know, I know that none of this is really her fault, but still, I'm just so tired." He leaned back and Matsumoto looked over at him.

"You weren't this messed up when Amagai came here."

"He wasn't insane. She's so innocent that it actually worries me! She was attacked, stabbed in the stomach and beaten till her lip was bleeding, and she told me that the one who did it was just protecting the squad! I can't handle this! It's like being the captain while being a babysitter!" He was now just exasperated. Matsumoto nodded, watching his responses.

"Is it because your new captain's a girl?"

"You're just as insane as she is..." Kira fell back, closing his eyes.

"You're worried about her because you really like her."

"You're upset because I'm paying more attention to her than you and you really like me." Kira half smiled as the words passed his lip, causing a chuckle from Matsumoto. "You think so?"

"You know you're madly in love with me. Otherwise why would you keep inviting me over for sake? You want to get me drunk and take advantage of me." Matsumoto laughed as Kira grinned. "Sounds like you've finally lightened up." Kira looked over at her, still smiling, but eyes half lidded. "Huh?"

"A week ago you were still nearly as afraid to speak as her. It's odd, she seems to be talking to you rather quickly. It took her two days before she'd say a single word to me. For the first two days she was here, the only one she would speak to was Hitsugaya-Taicho." Kira's eyes widened as he sat up, looking at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, she must be really trying hard to talk to you so quickly." Kira frowned. She was right and he knew it.

"I, uh, gotta go."

"I'll keep them busy till you guys get back. It's her party after all." Kira nodded, a half smile on his face as he turned and took off.

He reached her room and Unohana was at the door. "She's not answering." Kira nodded and reached into his pocket, finding the key and opened the door. He started to wonder if she'd lost more blood than he'd though as he stepped in, lighting the lamp. He looked around and frowned, taking off to her bedroom. She wasn't there. He checked the rest of the building and couldn't find her. "She's missing. Come on, we've got to find her." Unohana nodded and headed up to the tower, asking Yamamoto to light the light for her.

Kira headed out around the third squad, then the other squads, looking for her. He looked over at the Senkai gate and frowned. "Did you guys happen to see a topless woman come through here?"

"We wish!" They grinned and Kira's eyes angered at the two. "If you see her, please light a lamp to Yamamoto. She's the new third squad captain, and she's missing."

"That was fast." One of them muttered and Kira turned to him, trying his best not to punch him. "Kira-Fukutaicho, you're not acting like yourself. Is everything alright?"

"No, my captain is missing, topless and has a serious wound in her side. Please, just light a lamp if you see her." They nodded, watching as he left.

He came across a small wooded area, one that he knew Ikkaku and Iba trained at. He landed and walked around, looking for movement. He heard some noises that sounded like training and headed over. If Ikkaku and Iba happened to be here, maybe they'd seen her.

He walked over and looked around the ledge, seeing a shape thrashing a tree. He stepped forwards, not noticing till he was a few feet away that it was indeed her. "Aoi!" She turned to him and fell to her knees, bowing down. "I'm sorry that you've had to come this far out! I didn't think you'd follow me!"

Kira walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder, lifting her up. He looked down at the wound, seeing it was freely bleeding from the exercise. "Are you feeling dizzy?" She shook her head, looking at his hand on her. "Let's go. Unohana-Taicho is at the tower. She'll heal the wound." She nodded and stood, quickly losing her balance and toppled over. Kira frowned at her, lifting her up. "I thought you said you weren't dizzy."

"I wasn't till I stood. Just give me a moment and I'll be fine."

"You're bleeding out. You won't be fine if you rest, you'll bleed to death." She gasped as he lifted her, throwing her arms around his neck. "Kira, can I tell you something?" He nodded, looking down and suddenly looking at the inappropriateness of the situation. "I'm terrified of being held!" She gasped and Kira sighed, fighting the blush off. "Close your eyes. We'll be there soon." She nodded and whimpered as they took off.

It was only a minute till they landed at the tower and the shinigami there changed the lamp color to call in Matsumoto. Unohana was there when Kira laid her down, her face paper white. "She lost consciousness on the way." Kira looked her over, starting to panic as the woman's head lulled to the side. "How could you tell?"

"She stopped whimpering. She was terrified by being lifted, but when she stood she fell over, dizzy from blood loss. What do you think?" He looked over at Unohana who nodded. "She'll be fine soon. It's a light injury. If I can heal Kempachi in less than a day, you should know that this would only take a few moments, Kira." She smiled up at him as he nodded, backing away.

"I see what Matsumoto was talking about, though." She looked up, letting him know he didn't want to ask.

Matsumoto was there in a matter of moments. "Is she alright?" Kira nodded, looking over. "She'll be fine, Unohana-Taicho says she'll be alright in a few minutes." Matsumoto nodded. "You two had me worried." Kira looked over, wondering.

"I was passing a few people who screamed. I went to find out what had happened when one of them said they'd felt drops from the sky. They had been blood." Kira nodded. "When I found her she was training. She was bleeding out. I'm probably covered..." Kira looked down at himself.

"She said it wasn't that bad of a wound?" Unohana looked up at Kira who nodded. "She's been run through. She's bleeding from her back as well. This may take ten minutes instead of five..."

Ten minutes later they were back at the third squad main hall, the party starting to wind down. She smiled and shook each person's hand as they left. She walked up to the main table and sat, looking around the few people that were left. She looked down at the small cup and sighed, looking over at Kira.

"For all that are left, A toast!" Kira grinned over at Aoi. After all the trouble she'd given him today, this was totally worth it. She stood and lifted her glass.

"Here's hoping I don't piss off anyone here again!" She downed the cup, causing Kira to falter, hitting his head on the table.

By her third shot she couldn't get her head off of hers. "Christ!" Kira could hear from below. "It's another Amagai. Can't hold her liquor!" Kira stood and picked her up, braced when her arms crushed around his neck. "Put me down! Put me down!!" She gasped as Kira walked off.

He took her back to her room and laid her down on her bed. She looked up at him surprised as he reached down, untying her shoes and pulled them from her. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't think you're able to. You're drunk after three shots."

"Three?" She sat up, chuckling. "I wasn't drinking much of the sake, as I don't really care for the flavor, but I was drinking from my glass. Didn't you notice? I was refilling my own glass." She smiled up at him. "With what?" He noticed the smell for the first time when she leaned down near his head. "Amaretto." He nodded. He could smell the almond on her. "Either way, you're drunk."

"Am I?" She sighed and stood, easily walking over to the window. Kira watched her, surprised as she seemed completely sober. "I'm a really fast healer. I'm sober less than ten minutes after I stop drinking." She looked over at him. "That's why I wasn't worried about the stab wound. I knew it wouldn't last for long. It never does." He nodded. He'd have to remember that.

"I'm sorry I've been so much trouble today. I'll try harder tomorrow." Kira nodded. "You still need your sleep. You've been exhausted, wounded, drunk and very energetic today. I'll see you tomorrow." He stood and headed to the door.

"Kira?" He turned to her, his eyes showing off his tiredness. "Thank you." He nodded quietly before headed out.

Again, in the morning she was in the office. By this time he'd found most of the papers done, and went over them to make sure they'd been done correctly. There were a few small errors here and there, but they were done by ten. Kira sighed and looked up at her. "Come on, let me show you where these go." She jumped up from the desk, stretching before picking up the papers.

He showed her to the assignment room and was surprised to find many of the shinigami already there, waiting. Kira looked over the papers and sat at the desk at the front. She watched as he looked over the shinigami's listing, with their strengths and weaknesses and passed them out, marking names off of the list as he assigned them. Anyone who wasn't there had their assignments pinned to the board after their names and then they headed out. "It's almost noon, I'm headed out. Is this alright with you?" She looked over at Kira who nodded. "Do you know how long you'll be out?"

"I'm going to try shopping with Matsumoto again. It will probably be a while." She waited for a response and sighed as Kira nodded. "Be careful. Trouble seems to find you." She nodded and turned, headed out. Kira watched as she headed out over the rooftops. It was odd, but her expression made him feel guilty.

He sighed as he headed out to the third squad arena. It turned out to be a great place to train.