I am SO sorry this chapter so long log to get up! Something was going on to where it wouldn't let me upload the document. At first I thought it was because the chapter was so long, so I tried cutting in a half and trying again. But nothing seemed to work… I think I got it figured out though. I used the 'copy-paste' method to upload this chapter—I didn't want to because I heard it rally screws with the format of your story. At this point, however, I'm desperate.

Well, here's the last chapter. It's been a long trip, but all good things much come to an end. It was a lot of fun going on this crazy, delayed roller coster ride with all of you.

I have decided to write a sequel to this story. Not sure when it will be up, but I will post an Author's Note here to let you when when that happens and what it's called.

Also, one of my frequent reviews—thank you, Kaneko Aikawa—had a great idea to give a little background on Sakura and why she's so hell bent on killing. That one will probably be up the same time as the sequel, as well as updated at the same time. Again, I'll update you.

. . .

"Nanami!"

Despite hearing Hiroshi call my name in panic, and disregarding what my brain was screaming at me, I jumped in the path of the flying sword. Hiroshi was safe from harm—out of immediate danger. And I took his place.

Once my brain caught up with my body, I wondered to myself what the hell I was thinking; jumping in the path of what could have potentially been my potential death. There were so many other options for me: I could have used Mizu Yūwaku; I could have turned her into a sword again and blocked the on-coming threat; I could have shoved him aside and then dodged the blade. Any of those options was better.

So then…why? Why did my body move without my permission?

The pain didn't register right away. All I felt was the pressure of the sword in my chest, right at the very bottom of my ribcage. My hands flew out to brace the sword, and to stop it from going completely trough my body. With one hand gripping the sword while the other held the base of the blade, it stopped.

My mind flashed back to the time Una and I were in the same position. She had been run through by this very sword, and I along with her. She died…but Hiroshi was alive.

Then came the pain, and breathing became difficult. When I tried to take a breath, and instead of breathing out air, I coughed up blood.

Sakura's horrendous laughter could be head miles away. Her hand was extended outward, her fingers curled as if she personally held the sword that jutted from my chest. When I tried to remove the sword, it wouldn't budge. She was holding it in place, intending on letting me bleed out.

"Why did you do that?" Hiroshi yelled from behind me.

I wish I knew, I wanted to say, but the lump in my throat clogged the words.

Hiroshi's face came into view then; it was tainted with worry, and his eyes swam with emotion again. Except this emotion was a different; this emotion was seeded with terror and straight up fear. He feared for my life…

I opened my mouth to speak…and a warm liquid dripped from the corner of my lips. "I…I'm not sure. My body…just moved on its own…"

Shinji, Hiyori, and Mizu Yūwaku also appeared in my line of sight.

"That sword needs to come out," Shinji stated in a matter-of-fact way, which made caused Hiyori's anger to spike once again.

"Thanks, again for stating the obvious! Dumbass." But she wasn't looking worried like Hiroshi was. Her and Shinji's eyes were focused on the true problem: Sakura.

"You look pathetic, Nanami. Here you are determined to stay alive to save your friend." Her smile turned wicked. "And here I am, about to kill you once and for all."

I heard several disapproving grunts around me. Hiroshi, standing the closest to me, let his hands hover over my wound. He was afraid to touch me, but he knew as well as the others that Mizu Yūwaku couldn't heal me if the sword remained. And…that would be the end for me.

"I'll admit that it was difficult to get to you. A direct approach was my first idea, but that wasn't working since your body guards showed up. All that was left for me to do was to show you once again what you deserve—to live in pain as I have!"

I groaned in pain. With this sword stuck in my body, I can't heal. I'll bleed to death before I get out of this trap. What do I do now?

Hiroshi suddenly stepped forward, another arrow drawn back on his Kojaku. The point of his Spiritual arrow was pointed right at Sakura, and the look of anger on his face showed that he meant business. I never would have thought that I'd see Hiroshi—or anyone for that matter—fight so hard for me.

"Don't bother, kid." Shinji and Hiyori now stood beside us. He flashed me a look of concern, and then directed his words again to Hiroshi. "You can't get through that barrier. Not only is it keeping her inside, it's stopping any of us from getting in. If Nanami falters on her control over the spell, Sakura will go free."

Hiroshi's frown dipped deeper as his frustration grew. HIs focus was on Sakura—to kill her—but his angry words were directed at my Master. "Are you really willing to stand there and do nothing?! She'll kill Nanami, and go free anyway; you're going to let her get away with that? You're no better than the other Soul Reapers; risking other's lives in order to do someone else's dirty work." He grew harder on the bow. "You're the worst kind of people. This is why I don't trust anyone I don't know."

"And yet you trusted Nanami, a girl you barely know, to save your life?"

That seemed to register in Hiroshi's mind as an insult. "I didn't ask for her to save me." Slowly—after a long mental debate—he withdrew his arrow. "But I'm not going to sit by and watch her die either. She saved me, so I guess I need to return the favor."

My heart swam with emotions I didn't know how to describe. But it wasn't enough to dull the sheer pain in my chest.

"There's nothing you can do for her," Sakura taunted. "Nanami, if you set me free, maybe I'll let you live as a thank you."

I scrunched my face in mock humor. "Y-You…wish."

She smile quick morphed to a glare. "You annoying brat…!"

Just saying this two words seemed to haunt me immediately. Using the ability to control her sword, she forced the hilt farther into my chest. Another explosion of pain erupted through me.

I grunted in pain, regretting opening my mouth. Blood flowed again from my open wound.

"Nanami!"

Hiroshi caught me by my shoulder to keep my upright. My legs weren't going to hold me up much longer. And my vision was starting to blur due to the amount of blood I'd lost already.

"There isn't much I can do for her," the 'Temptress' stated, standing close only to observe.

"Although I can say that I've temporally stopped the blood flow around the entry and exit wounds," the 'Water' explained. "That will only help her from bleeding out for a short while, I'm afraid."

Hiroshi's expression was about what I expected. "Y-You…You can do that?"

They looked at each other, and then at him. "Of course I can; we are one."

I didn't have to see their faces to know how surprised everyone was to hear that. No one, not even Uncle Byakuya, knew just how skillful I was with Mizu Yūwaku. Not only that, but no one knew how far we would go together in order to do what's right. That's why…she was more than willing to die with me if it meant saving everyone else. But because that was no longer my wish, she's fighting to keep us alive.

"I'll make you regret the day you were born, Nanami Kurosaki!"

I thought for sure that she was going to finish me off. Instead, I felt a strange vibration in the sword. And when I heard Hiyori gasp from behind me, I craned my neck to see just what had happened.

I wasn't already leaning on Hiroshi, I would have fallen over. She used her ability to morph and reshape her own sword. She twisted the bloodied point of the sword into a corkscrew that ended at the flesh at my back.

"Crap. If we pull the sword out now, we'll be the ones that kill her," the blonde, female Vizard stated. Hiyori never looks worried in a battle, but I could see the fear in her eyes.

"Suffer, Nanami! Suffer the aftermath of becoming a Soul Reaper; suffer as my family did; suffer at the hands of someone stronger than you!"

I felt the pressure of the sword begin to back track from the direction it came: Sakura was beginning to pull the sword from my body. I gripped hard on the hilt with both hands and pulled against her strength, attempting to keep the sword from moving. As much as I wanted it out, there's a very slim chance that I would survive if it left my body now—even with Mizu Yūwaku's healing ability.

Shinji tensed at the development. "Not good…"

"No shit it's not good! You're really not much help, are you?!"

Hiroshi stepped in front of me and bracing my shoulders with his hands. He may have just told Shinji how useless he was, but Hiroshi couldn't do much at this point either, and he knew it.

Just as Hiroshi stepped in my line of sight of Sakura, the pressure on the sword slackened, as if Sakura had suddenly—

"Move it, boy!" Sakura's angered voice rang from over Hiroshi's shoulder. "Her life is mine!"

She wants him to move. He's in her way…but that shouldn't matter if she has control over her word from a great distance… Right?

I attempted a smile, but it came out as a grimace. "I…have an idea."

He looked down at me, puzzled, but also curious. "What is it?"

"Just…don't move from that spot. If she can't see her sword…she can't control it."

"And you want me to block her view," Hiroshi concluded.

I nodded. "Keep her eyes off of the sword for a minute… I'm going to try and not bleed to death."

"Good plan." Hiroshi looked annoyed by my comment, but I saw a small twitch in his look that could have been mistaken as a trick of the eyes to anyone else. But I know it was as close a smile as I could get out of him in this situation.

"Ah," Shinji said, almost intrigued. "So it's a visual talent."

"Just let us know when we can grab her and get out of here," Hiyori stated, more than ready to jump back into a fight.

Mizu Yūwaku was right when she said the bleeding stopped, but it didn't stop the pain. She knew what I was thinking, and she more than was ready to end this.

I released my hold on the sword with my left hand. With that hand, I snapped my fingers, and in an instant both figures of Mizu Yūwaku returned to her water state. For a long moment, the orbs remained. I was having a hard time focusing on the shape I wished the them to make. My vision was getting hazy, and the strength in my legs was non-existent.

Nanami… You must push past this; don't let the pain be your focus point.

It was Mizu Yūwaku. She was speaking to me like she always did. But…something seemed different this time. It was like she was empowering me with just hearing her voice.

Draw your strength from those who stand around you. This has been your mission from the very start of it all. I will always aid you in whatever battle I must. Now…finish what you started…

Just as she suggested, I focused on the strength Hiroshi gave me; both physical and mental. Leaning on him for support, morphed the water in the palm of my hand. The shape it took next was that of a whip. It was long and black, and the last couple inches of it coiled on the ground at our feet.

Hiroshi looked from me, to the whip, and then to me again. "Dare I ask what you're going to do with that?"

It hurt to breath, let alone speak, but I managed to push the words past my lips. "Water can cut through anything…with enough force and pressure." I held up the weapon in my hand, as if he couldn't already see it. "I'm..going to use the whip to cut the blade…"

"You know for unlikely that is, right?" he shot back.

I deadpanned. Forget that I thought about this guy; he's not supportive at all!

I looked up at him, trying hard to keep my eyes open. Although, I don't think the glare that I had intended came through on my face.

His expression softened. "Whatever it is you have planned…just do it. You've already lost a lot of blood."

"When I count to three, I'm going to cut the blade, and as soon as that's done…"

Our gazes locked and I was looking into a void of deep blue. I would have gotten lost if the situation wasn't so dyer.

"I need you…to pull the sword out…"

He cringed, obviously expecting that to be my plan. With a little bit of hesitation, he nodded.

"One…"

I clenched the hilt of the whip, bracing myself for what was to come.

"Two…"

Hiroshi's hands replaced mine as he carefully gripped the hilt of Sakura's sword. His eyes found mine, and with a small nod from him, I finished my count down.

"Three!"

With a flick of my wrist, the whip cracked the air. My water whip cut cleanly through the blade. And not a moment later, Hiroshi quickly—cleanly—pulled the blade from my chest.

Pain engulfed my body; I knew it was going to hurt. I saw stars and grew weak in the knees. Hiroshi caught me with his arm around my waist before I hit the ground. Strangely, despite feeling the pain from the blade being removed, Hiroshi standing so close seemed to overshadow all other thoughts and feelings.

The power of Mizu Yūwaku's healing ability took over right away; my wound left behind by Sakura's Zanpakutou slowly bag disappearing. But…it wasn't as fast as it should have been.

Shinji crouched down to examine the wound. "Hm… Shouldn't the wound be healing faster?"

I leaned heavily on Hiroshi's side, my own arm wrapped tight around his shoulders to help keep me upright.

But Hiyori spoke before I could. "It's just like you said earlier, idiot. She had to keep her focus on the barrier or Sakura will be free."

Shinji shrugged lazily. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I forgot."

For all the my healing ability does, it can't restore my physical or mental strength. The wounds may be gone, but the exhaustion was taking its toll on my body. If Hiroshi wasn't there to lean on when my knees buckled, I would have passed out already.

As the pain dissipated, and Hiroshi asked me several times if I was okay, Sakura made the point about how unhappy she was.

"Curse you, Nanami Kurosaki! And your friend—curse all of you! This isn't the last time you'll seen me! I will take your life one day, Nanami! You will regret even being born as a Soul Reaper, I swear you will!"

As she ranted, the four of us turned to face her. I stood as tall as I could manage, my exhausted body protesting.

"You've lost, Sakura. And just as I promised, you will be the one to die tonight."

"Then release this damned barrier and we'll see about that," she sneered.

I shook my head. "No. You see, I've already taken your life."

She raised an angry brow. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"After you attacked me and I lost my control over my Hollow, I lived in fear of losing that control again, and what it would mean for those who came close to me. Just as you tried to kill me all those years ago, a way of getting rid of those who could one day oppose you, I will return the favor. From here on out you will live the remainder of your days in fear. You will be put under the watchful eye of Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and you will be sentenced to a life of confinement."

Horror consumed her features, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. Her fear and horror quickly transformed into more rage. "No… No. No! You can't! You can't do this to me!"

"And yet, I can. You sent my life into a swirling pit of pain and fear. Since that day, my heart, mind, and soul could not break away from you, no matter how far away I got. Today, I will do the same to you. You will live in pain and fear, just as I have, knowing that I've taken something precious from you: your freedom."

Another white gate appeared near by, and I saw my chance to rid Sakura of my life once again.

"Sakura, today…I sentence you to your death."

With that said and everything that I needed to say to the person I feared for so many years, I dropped my barrier.

Thankfully, Sakura was too stunned and upset to register that she had been set free. And before she could process the thought, Shinji and Hiyori each took the young woman by an arm and launched themselves through the portal gate. Sakura's screams of terror and anger could be heard until the gate slowly closed behind them.

Finally, she was gone from my life. Forever.

. . .

"I told you, Hiroshi, I'm fine."

"Well, you look like crap."

I huffed. "Thanks."

Hiroshi and I were left alone in the unground pit created by Kisuke Urahara. We made our way out pretty easily, but I wasn't walking fast enough for Hiroshi. I was exhausted from using almost all of my Spiritual energy, and although Mizu Yūwaku healed all of my existing wounds, it didn't heal the physical and mental exhaustion I felt once it was all over.

Now, because I was 'moving too slow', Hiroshi was carrying me through nearly empty streets as we made our way home. My heart did that same little dance it always did when he came closer. Normally, I would thrash and kick until I got my way and who ever dared tried touching me put me down. But this time… It was different. I didn't want him to put me down. I wasn't as head strong as I normally was.

Even though him being so close set my heart aflame, it also calmed me at the same time.

After finding out about Sakura and how close she was to my family; it was hard for me to truly relax. My mind spun with the possibility that Sakura would attack at any time, and the out comes that could arise if I failed. In the beginning, I planned on sacrificing my life to kill Sakura, because even if I didn't my friends and family would be safe from her. I may have just gotten them back, but she was too dangerous to be kept alive. The fear she put in me burned me to the core, and I was scared that it would consume me. But…after what Hiroshi said to me in the mitts of battle…I was more than confident that I could win. That I could beat her and still get to be with my family.

"You're not scaring me away. I promise."

Those few simple words brought my confidence back. It encouraged me to fight hard and live even harder. He saved me, whether he believes it or not.

But…something else bugged me.

I had to know; I had to find out.

"Why are you carrying me anyway?" I asked in a teasing voice, also half curious to hear what he would say.

He shrugged as best as he could with me in his arms. "I'm just returning the favor."

I looked at him, waiting for more. "That's it?"

"What do you want me to say?" He looked down at me sideways, a single brow raised in question.

I scowled down at my hands in my lap. Crap. Even I didn't know the answer to that. "I…I don't know. I think I'm just talking to talk."

He made a noise in his throat. "Typical."

Caught off guard my his sudden rude comment, I glared up at him and sputtered for words. "You're such a— What's typical?"

A coy smile played at his lips. "Don't worry about it. You can't help the way you are. I understand."

Still glaring I opened my mouth to say something, but couldn't find the words when he said, "You can't change who you are, because there's nothing about that needs changing."

Whatever I was about to say to him got caught in my throat. When he looked down at me and caught my expression, he seemed to realize what he said. His cheeks flared a dark pink color and he looked away quickly. I felt my own face heat up and looked anywhere but at him. We walked like that for a few minutes, neither of us saying anything—neither of us brave enough to say anything.

Yeah, I just faced my biggest enemy and over came my biggest fear of losing someone close to me…and I can't even look Hiroshi in the eyes.

It wasn't much longer until we reached the street our houses were on, and the more Hiroshi carried, the more tired I got. It was like his steady even steps started to lull me to sleep. My mind and body was completely drained, and all I wanted was to curl up with in my bed.

Hiroshi's voice pulled my tired mind back to consciousness. "I…I'm sorry about what I said. But…I meant it."

"You're no monster."

"You're not as scary as you think you are. And I know for a fact that monsters don't have hearts as pure as yours."

His words replayed themselves over and over again in my head, almost making me dizzy—or that was from using so much of my power in one night.

I have to know…

"Hiroshi?"

I…I need to know what this is…

"Hm?"

But…how can I…?

"I…want to thank you." His eyes found mine again, but only for a moment.

"You don't have to. You came after me when Sakura and Kaguya kidnapped me. Helping you back home is the least that I could do."

I shook my head. "No, not…about that."

My eyelids are so heavy… I can only imagine how much faster walking would drain my strength.

He raised a questioning brow.

"I…need to thank you for have such confidence in me. It's true that I was originally going there to take Sakura's life—to sacrifice my own life if I needed to." My head started pounding heavily in my chest. I swallowed hard. "This is going to sound…strange, but you were the one that saved me. Just by telling me that you didn't see monster when you looked at me was more than enough to help me get through that ordeal with Sakura."

He was quiet for a minute, and then he scuffed. "Something as simple as that, huh?"

It looked like he had more to say, but held it back.

I have to know…

"Hiroshi…"

I reached up with the hand that wasn't draped around Hiroshi's neck for support.

"Wha—?"

I gently touched his check, feeling how much he was blushing—probably the same amount as me—under my palm. Our eyes locked, blue meeting amber.

"W…What are you…doing?"

"I…" I swallowed hard again, swallowing my pride. "I don't quite know how to describe it, but…even since my first day here, I've been feeling something I don't know how to describe. It was something I never felt in Soul Society. At first I thought it was the love I felt from finally have a family. But…" My nerves were staring to get the better if me, and my voice started to tremble. "I came to realize, after what happened at the beach, that I only feel this feeling that I can't describe when I'm around you. And…I've been fighting this Hollow inside me alone for so long…I don't want to go through it again. I can't stand the thought of fighting something I don't understand."

I took a deep breath.

"I…I need to know…"

Slowly, like I was afraid of actually scaring him away, I used the last of my strength to lean up. And at the same time I lured his head downward with the hand on his cheek.

"Nanami…"

My heart beat in my chest harder than before; I saw that same look in his eyes that he thought I couldn't see.

His lips were… We were so close to…

"Nanami… Wake up…"

. . .

Slowly, I opened my eyes. The bright lights stung my eyes. I winced and squinted to see the shapes of bodies standing over me. When my vision cleared, I say my mother, father, grandfather, and both aunts all staring at me worriedly.

"Nanami! Thank God you're okay…" my mom said with relief, her hand resting over her heart.

Dad's brows were in a deep frown. "Nanami, tell me what happened? Who did this to you?"

"Ichigo, she's obviously exhausted. Leave the interrogation for later, dumby," Aunt Karin scolded.

I had painted my room dark blue last week, but with the lights on and my aching head, the walls might as well have been glowing white. In the doorway to my right, I saw Chad, Tara, Inoue, and Uryuu all crammed themselves in the doorway to see if I was okay. The relief on their faces was warming.

I sat up groggily, still feeling a little dizzy.

"What…happened?" I asked aloud, looking around at the four worried faces in the room.

And what was that just before I opened my eyes? Did I…dream about kissing Hiroshi…?!

"I could ask you the same thing," my dad stated, arms crossed over his chest. He looked tense, but pleased all at the same time.

Right then I saw Yui—in her stuffed animal form—standing on my dad's shoulder. When I looked at her, she looked down at her little feet and seemed ashamed.

I couldn't be mad at her though. She did what I asked, and I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that my parents weren't really going to believe the cover story. She did good, and that's all that matters.

I struggled to sit up—Aunt Karin helped with a hand on my back, though she did protest the action. "You should stay still. You were in rough shape when Hiroshi brought you back."

"And please, for my sake, stop coming home half beaten." Dad said in a pleading voice while he hand his hand down his face in—frustration?

I lifted the corner of my lips in a soft smile. "Sure thing, Dad. And about lying to you—or rather, having Yui lie for me…" I looked down at my hands, trying to find the right words. "I knew you wouldn't like it, but…this was something I needed to do. Something about letting others fight my battles for me doesn't settle well with me. If I didn't take care of Sakura on my own, I would have had to let myself rely on you for the rest of my life. And I couldn't live with that; not with the world that we live in."

I thought for sure we would be mad at me, or even show doe kind of anger in his expression. But he just nodded, and put his hand on my shoulder. "I understand completely. And I know for sure that your mother would agree with me when I say…despite that, you shouldn't be afraid to lean on us every once in a while."

When I looked over at my mom, she was nodding her head in agreement. "I can assure you that it will take some getting used to," she said, "but relying on others to help you is how you stay alive. I didn't have very many friends when I lived in Soul Society, but when I stated my missions here, I couldn't keep track of all of the people I came across and how many times I felt obligated to protect them. Having friends—and even family—help you in whatever life has to throw at you is the best thing that you can do for yourself. Okay?"

She smiled at me with such understanding in kindness, there was no way that I couldn't agree with her.

"Okay…"

I felt relived that they weren't truly mad at me. But at the same time, I felt regretful for what I did. I completely disregarded how my parents—how my family—would feel if I died. I felt selfish, and I knew that I would have to make it up to them and prove that they can trust me.

"Now…" Dad was serious again. I saw a spark of interest in his eyes. "Tell us everything that happened."

. . .

"And so…I had no choice. I had to tell them everything. I started with the moment Kagura grabbed you and ended with Sakura's departure."

It was the day after the whole event with Sakura and Kagura. I had gotten some much needed sleep and was feeling better. My energy wasn't where it should be just yet, but I was told no Hollow hunting for a few days, which was fair. My parents were really worried about me when they found out about Sakura. Hearing that she kidnapped a friend of the family and the threatened our lived was a lot to take in.

I had just walked outside to get some fresh air and stretch my legs. I hadn't been allowed out of bed all day. Thanks to Dad's brute strength and Mom's seemingly real murderous threats, I was forced to stay in bed and read my books to recuperate my strength—both mental and physical.

When I made it out to the front yard, I saw Hiroshi and Yumiko making their way to the front door of their own home. It seemed as though they were just getting back from the store. After I waved to Yumiko, she was sent inside with the bags while Hiroshi lingered outside with me.

The first words out of his mouth since yesterday: 'We need to talk'. That never means anything good, does it?

And so we talked, but all he wanted to know was what I told his family about last night. Just like I knew I had to tell his parents and mine, I told him the truth.

With a groan of annoyance, Hiroshi rolled his eyes. "Great."

I looked at him curiously. What a jerk—it's not as if I had a choice. They deserved to know what happened.

"I didn't think that was something you'd be upset about." I shrugged lazily, leaning forward on the white dense that divided our yards, putting my elbows—uncomfortably so—on the wood posts.

On his side of the fence, he ran a hand through his hair. He was standing just a few feet away with now one hand in his pocket. (I tried hard not to glance at the momentarily exposed skin at his waist line when he raised his hand over his head.) His usual blank look was replaced with an expression I thought I recognized at first glance. But when I practically gawked at him a few moments longer, I realized that the annoyance was in his posture and expression, but there was something else.

What was it? Nervousness? Anxiety?

"And you just had to tell my parents." He scuffed, placing his free hand on the fence and leaning heavily on it. "Thanks."

I narrowed my brow. "I had to give a full report to them, too," I said mockingly. My tone quickly shifted to that of despair and pain. I wonder if he could hear it in my voice? "Their son's life was put in danger because of me. I felt obligated to tell them, considering I lied to their faces about what was happening in the first place."

"I'll admit, I'm actually impressed that you did lie to them. For someone who I thought was so up-tight, you're actually loosening up."

I glared at him. That sounded like a compliment, but it sure as hell didn't feel like one.

He ignored my glare. "Do you always have to sound like you're a soldier reporting for duty? And how many times today have I told you to stop saying that?"

"About as many more times as I'll keep saying it."

His glare met mine, and I had to look away before I got lost again.

This time he was the one that rolled his blue eyes. "You're such a—"

He stopped short with whatever he was going to say—why didn't matter. I was actually glad he didn't finish that sentence; whether it was a joke or not, he was probably right.

We sat in silence for a long moment. Then: "What are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" I asked. There were several things he could have been talking about: my family, my life now that Sakura was gone, my Soul Reaper status… Honestly, I didn't know the answer to any of those questions.

"Well, I doubt you're going back to Soul Society. So, what are you going to do here on Earth?"

I thought about it for a second. "Well, Dad mentioned something about school…and Mom explained it's a lot like the Academy in Soul Society…"

He just nodded.

"And…well, I guess I'm going to be the one keeping an eye on the city from now on."

"Does that bother you?"

That question caught me off guard for a couple different reasons. One, because I wasn't really sure if it did bother me or not. First off, I knew it was what I had to do in order for my family to have a relatively normal life. And second, I knew I could never give it up; wanting to help people is something that I knew I could never give up.

Reason number two as to why Hiroshi's question caught me off guard…

"I didn't think you cared about what bothered me, considering you like to make comments and tease me."

He laughed. He actually laughed—not full out hysterical laugh, but enough to where it was very un-Hiroshi-like. Honestly, it was more like a chuckle, but it was still unusual for him.

God, he is annoying.

"And this is exactly what I mean—you're laughing at me!" I stood up straight and crossed my arms over my chest.

As if I hadn't even spoken, he changed the subject.

"Oh." He turned to me, shoving his hands in his jean pockets. "What about Soul Society?"

"I thought we already talked about that. Dad said the Academy is a lot like going to school here and—"

"Not what I meant." He gave me an annoyed look. "I'm sure they aren't going to just let it go—what happened with Sakura, I mean. I'm sure they're itching to know what happened—"

"Byakuya Kuchiki delivered a full report," I cut in, giving him a stern look. "Nothing more needed to be reported. Besides…" I took a deep breath and then let it out heavily. "I've been demoted."

His brows screwed together in confusion. "What does that mean?"

"It means that whatever I report going straight to Captain Kuchiki. I am, after all, still a part of his squad. Just as my mother was. And just like her, I've been told to remain here and keep an eye on this town, to keep Hollows from causing a ruckus."

He didn't seem to have any more to say on the subject. After a long minute of an awkward silence, he spoke up again.

"I'll help you."

"Help me with what?"

"Well, your dad already asked me to help you, so I guess I'm stuck doing it either way," he said with an exasperated voice, like it was so much work for him to even consider it.

I rolled my eyes. "Gee, thanks."

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. His expression was blank as usual.

"You know, when I first met you I thought for sure that I was going to pull my hair out living next to a sappy, sob story like yours. Just the thought of it bothered me."

My glare deepened. But he continued on and ignored my looks.

"But, about a week after you showed up out of the blue, my Mom told me, 'You can't pick your friends; your friends pick you.' And yet, she had her mind made up that since you were here, we were going to be friends. Annoying, right?"

What was he getting at—that we can't be friends? After what happened yesterday, doesn't he see that we're already closer than most people are with friends they've known for years?

He shrugged. "Whatever the case is, friends or not, I guess I'm stuck with you." And then he smiled—actually smiled. In was a gentle, caring smile. That was two-for-two on the 'Un-Hiroshi-like' score today.

Hearing him say that made my heart beat just a little bit faster. And I felt a light heat rise in my cheeks.

What's with him lately? Complimenting me; I think he was flirting a little just now; he saved my life, for crap sake! What kind of guy insults a girl until she's ready to kill him, and then compliments her right after? Then again… Now that I think about it, Mom and Dad do that all the time. They act as though they're going to kill each other, and then totally forget it ever happened moments later.

Does he…maybe…?

And, for that matter, what's wrong with me? I still can't believe I dreamed about him yesterday… He can never know—otherwise I know he will never let me forget it.

Whatever it was I felt right now—about him—it was something I was going to hold on to. My life here, in the human world, was the best thing that ever happened to me. And I couldn't have wanted it any other way. Hiroshi was right: he was stuck with me.

But…something about the smile he gave when me said that…he really didn't mind it that way.

. . .

Yes… I'm sorry, but it's over. That was the last chapter of My Name Is Kurosaki.

I've decided to write a sequel! :D

And I know I've said this before, but I'm going to try and keep it short. And it'll mostly revolve around the Kurosaki family. And, you know, maybe I'll throw in some Nanami/Hiroshi fluff… *wink wink*

I hope you guys get around to reading the next step in Nanami's life: school.

Catch you all on the flip side!

—Romni