~Never with you~

Oh joy…

He was called before Aizen.

Another order to carry out.

Stark faced the high throne, assuming at once a pose of obeisance. "Your commands, my Lord?" he asked shortly, knowing Lilynette was waiting anxiously in the room for him. After a meeting seemed to be the best chance of no discovery being made of their absence. Or so he reasoned.

"There is a Shinigami…"

For some reason he couldn't fathom, he stiffened, eyes straight ahead.

"Kuchiki Rukia…"

He hissed softly; what he most feared had come to pass.

"You've gained her trust now capture her and bring her here. Stark."

He thought of many things to say to dissuade this action on his part. None seemed appropriate for this monster that called himself a God. He was left with no choice.

"It shall be done." Stark bowed.

Aizen knew about her.

~Living world~

He had left Lilynette behind. Never hiding the Garganta he opened carelessly to the human world. Stark stepped into the weak autumn sunlight and sensed the warmth of welcome gone. The lines had been drawn, he had chosen his lot and it was against her.

She had felt him from faraway, acclimated as she was to the faint particular energy signature he gave out. Like always, she detached from the others and wandered off. It wasn't everyday they came and usually it was earlier than this…a fact she commented upon when he was only a few feet away.

"You're late."

"What?"

"You heard me. It's nearly dinnertime," she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes in a slight glare reminding him it was his fault they wouldn't have as much time together before the others realized she was missing. Stark mumbled something, looking away. He hadn't sat down as per usual and she wondered at his wakefulness.

"Lilynette didn't come?" she glanced around, the fraccion was nowhere in sight.

"Uh no…not this time." He replied, refusing to meet her gaze. "Oh…" Rukia thought about sitting but without him making a move first, didn't. Wind gusted, leaves skittered, grating on her ears in the quiet. Something was wrong. "Stark, did—"

"All of the Espada represent an aspect of death." Without a trace of emotion in his voice, he continued, his eyes finally lifting and resting on her pale face chilled by the cold. "Despair. Sacrifice. Old age…and mine." He watched her expression, the furrowed brows trying to keep up with what he was saying, trying undoubtedly to understand the reasoning behind him telling her this.

"Loneliness."

His Sonido was fast, faster than her eye could see. In an instant he was beside her, one arm around her small body. He could sense her surprise in being drawn so close yet not displeasure at such an action. "Stark…?" her head tilted up; he was allowed one single second of looking into her eyes, beholding a gaze lacking fear.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, stabbing her from behind.

~*~

They would tell her she was a fool.

Trusting in one such as him.

Because.

Wasn't the wound she was recovering from proof enough?

~Las Noches~

"Stark…" Lilynette flew off the bed where she had sat cross-legged for the last two hours. "Where were you and…" her one eye wandered over his face and uniform streaked with blood. "Whose blood is that?!" her voice went up an octave higher.

"I don't want to talk about it." He said quietly, pushing her aside. Scowling she looked after him feeling terribly confused, "but aren't we going to see Ruk—"

"No!" he snapped, angrily rounding on her in a way that he never had before. "We're never going there again so stop asking!" he stomped over to the bed and threw himself down, covering his face with his hands. Lilynette approached after a moment, sensing his rage subside. "Stark…" tentatively she poked his arm gaining no response save for a soft murmur.

"I'm…such a fool."

~*~

AN: poor Stark. He didn't want to force her to go to Las Noches so he wounded her to make her believe they were enemies. He befriended her to gain her trust…blah. Then showed her blood staining his uniform as proof to Aizen that she got away…but not unscathed. :Poor dude. Thanks for reading—no flames or idiotic spammers—but please review! :)