Untitled for now

by daftpunkress

Hard A/U set in the real world with a mix of pairings. nnoinel, Ichiran, orishida, ichiruki, hitsuhina, yoruhara, shiyori and zachiru..rated M for lemons and language. Hit men and the C.I.A don't mix, but they can work together. No real summary because all couples will have a different plot that interconnects. *chapter 11 is up*

8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows I really really appreciate them

A/N: I don't currently have a beta-er so there might be some errors just pretend they are not there ^_^;; I hope you enjoy this chapter!

A /N: I do not own any characters or bleach they belong to Kubo Tite.

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His car was still parked in his spot when he returned home. He wouldn't have to go looking for her again. Urahara wondered what she was up to the whole time he was away. Originally, he had Shinji keeping an eye on her, but then he had some personal business to take care of. So, he had Jinta remotely monitor her as best as he could. So far, she kept herself holed up in his apartment, rarely leaving but he knew she was up to something.

He had called Jinta while he drove home, but he didn't get an answer, he'd try again later to see if there was any new information. "Yori, I'm home." He called out as he took off his jacket and hat and set them on the coat rack by the door.

There was no answer, so he went looking for her. Usually, she was on her laptop with the tv playing loudly in the background. "Yori?" she wasn't in any of the bedrooms either. For a moment a dreadful feeling came over him.

What if she ran away again? Would it be another 3 years before he saw her again? Then the sound of glass shattering calmed his fears. It came from the kitchen, a room she had rarely inhabited while they were together. He had always preferred to cook for her, knowing how much she had disliked waiting and measuring and prepping. She must have been up to something bad to feel the need to venture in there.

"So, there you are." Urahara surveyed the damage, keeping the mirth from his face. To say she didn't belong anywhere in the vicinity of a stove was an understatement. It looked like a mess a child would make trying to make breakfast in bed for a parent.

Yoruichi looked up from her position on the floor where she was sweeping the splintered mug into the downturned trash bin. "I was bored, and hungry." She replied her beautiful face in a scowl.

"You know you could've just ordered something Hun. No need to risk bodily harm for something to eat." She was dressed in barely anything, just one of his old t-shirts that barely covered the full flair of her caramel hips. He could see down the front, she wasn't wearing a bra either; her full breasts tipped so temptingly. She must have been up to something really naughty. Hopefully whatever she had been up to Jinta would be able to clue him into.

Yoruichi stood with one hand on her hip, biting her plump bottom lip in exasperation. "You say that like I'm useless." She turned from him setting the broom and the dustpan back into the pantry. "I do know how to handle myself in a kitchen." She said annoyed.

"Hm, I guess there's a lot of things that I don't remember after three years." Urahara murmured, not wanting to upset her. As she stood in front of him now, she was a goddess that he just wanted to take to bed. "Let me order something really quick and then you can tell me about your day."

"That's fine with me." She was being really good tonight, so amenable to his wishes. Now he was really interested in finding out what she spent all day doing. "Can we have Yoshida's tonight?"

"Sure Hun, do you want the usual?" She nodded taking a seat on the love seat and picking up her laptop. "I'm just gonna shower and by that time the food should be here."

It didn't take him long to get their dinner ordered and a nice hot shower to wash away the days grime. He dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms and then pulled out the suit that he would be wearing tomorrow.

He still had a lot on his plate that he hadn't been able to concentrate on. Rukia and Renji were still missing, and he still had the business with Nnoitra to manage too. There weren't enough hours in the day to take care of everything at work and devote the time he wanted to Yoruichi.

When he walked out, she had put her laptop away and was lounging on the couch her eyes closed. He leaned over and planted a small kiss to her lips. She didn't pull away and her hazel eyes didn't open.

"How about we forget dinner and just go to bed Yori?" he whispered against her lips, loathe to pull away from their inviting taste.

Her lips curled up into a sensual little smile and she stuck her tongue out to run it along his bottom lip. "I'm too hungry, Urahara." She giggled and reached up pulling him down into a full kiss.

Urahara let himself be lost in her kisses, enjoying the feel of them after such a long day. He was reminded of how it used to be with her, and he just didn't want it to end. He had to find a way to gain her trust again, to keep her in his life more than temporarily. She was the first one to pull away, her breathing labored. He gave her a slight respite to catch her breath and then reached for her again.

His phone interrupted them. Yoruichi glanced at him expectantly. If he didn't think it might be Jinta he would have thrown the damn thing across the room. Urahara kept his eyes on her as he answered the phone. "Urahara speaking."

"Hey Boss, sorry I couldn't get your call earlier. What's up?" it was Jinta, he could barely hear Ururu in the background mumbling something as she usually did. "Not now, Ururu. Why don't you ask Kaoru?" there was more mumbling. "Sorry Boss." He apologized once she was gone.

"Its fine." he always had a soft spot for Ururu, the young woman was a bit shy and no matter how long she was with them she never seemed to open up. She did good work, was very smart but she didn't have the confidence in herself to let her talent shine. "Any new developments?" he asked.

"Actually, yeah Yoruichi was very busy today."

"Is that so? Hold on. I'll be right back Yori." He gave her a brief kiss on her shoulder and left the room. He went onto the balcony closing the sliding door behind him. "Ok Jinta, go ahead."

"Well, like you've asked I've been monitoring her laptop and her online activities. She's trying to sell the hard disks. All day she's been in correspondence with several big-name players."

"Like whom?" He was a bit surprised at this revelation, why would she be trying to get rid of evidence that could help clear her name?

"Not surprisingly one of them is Aizen. The signals were encoded, but the satellite pings were in the vicinity of his compound."

"Aizen? Why would she be doing business with him?"

"Well, I don't think she knows its him. Everything on the server is anonymous, but I'm an expert at this stuff. It didn't take me long to track down where they were coming from."

That he was. Jinta was a genius when it came to computers. He had hacked into their system multiple times before Urahara decided to just hired him on. It was better to have him doing something productive than having his expertise falling into the wrong hands. "Who else?"

"Well, there was another buyer that's located just outside of Nagasaki. I know it's a cesspool over there, but I've narrowed it down to a few possibilities."

"The only person that could potentially afford the asking price out there is Ōmaeda." Well, there went his productive plans for tomorrow. He would have to spend another day primarily traveling to gather information. If Rukia and Renji were not M.I.A he would have been able to trust them with the assignment.

"Yea he's on top of the list." Jinta paused hesitantly, "I don't know how to tell ya this but the last one was Kenpachi."

"Zaraki? What would he want with those disks?"

"I don't know, but he's put six million out there. It's the highest bid she's got so far."

"Are you sure it was him?" Urahara questioned a feeling of dread coming over him. He was well aware of Zaraki's past and present activities, but this didn't seem like something he would put his hands in.

"Well, it came from his address. He didn't do much to encrypt his signal." Jinta answered with a yawn. "He's usually better than that."

"That doesn't sound like the Zaraki I know." His visit with Yamamoto would have to be put on hold. More importantly he would have to see what interest Zaraki had in Aizen and Yoruichi.

"That's all I know."

"Thanks, Jinta."

"No problem Boss." With that he hung up the phone.

He couldn't figure out why she wanted to sell the disks, sure she would have the profits from it but it wouldn't do anything to clear her name. She still would have three murders hanging over her head, and sooner or later that money would run out. He didn't doubt that she could make herself disappear with a few million dollars but then what?

Urahara took a moment to think about the situation. He needed to stop coddling her, this was a serious dilemma she had gotten herself into. She was taking his good natured-ness for granted. It was about time that he had a frank discussion with her. He wasn't going to sit idly by while she further fucked up her life.

"Foods here," she said sliding the glass door open, "You ready to eat?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there." Urahara replied putting a smile on his face, he wished she trusted him. He didn't know at what point she lost that trust in him, or what it was that caused the anxious look in her eyes.

While together he had done everything he could to shower her with love and attention to heal the broken woman that she was. For a long time, they had been happy, and he thought there would never be anything that could tear them apart. He had been wrong. He wasn't sure if it was greed or her lack of trust, but love hadn't been enough to keep them together.

He took a seat across from her, his mind occupied with the list of things he would have to accomplish the next day. First and foremost, he had to go pay a visit to Zaraki. Maybe he would take Yoruichi with him to get her out of the house for a little bit. He was sure Zaraki would have a perfectly reasonable explanation for this quandary.

Also, at some point he needed to have Shinji back in the fold. He had already taken more than the allocated time off for his 'pet project'. He was one of his most trusted agents and he needed him on Ōmaeda immediately.

"Are you listening to me Urahara?" Yori asked, using her right foot to nudge him under the table, "I thought you wanted to hear about my day."

"I'm sorry Yori." He apologized. No point in lying, he was feeling overwhelmed with all the obligations of his position. The most import thing was supposed to be her, she was there in front of him giving him all her attention and he was thinking of work. "Please forgive me Hun. I'm-"

"Ah, don't give me that." she said with a roll of her eyes. "Anyways, I didn't do anything today. I was really bored."

He highly doubted that. She was probably planning on continuing her phishing for prospective buyers. He didn't know how she could still be so naïve after everything she had already been through. "Isn't it better to be bored than dead Yori?"

Yoruichi looked taken aback by his statement, she glanced away taking a bite of her yakitori. "You always know what to say don't you, Urahara?" her voice held a muted tinge of ire. "I bet this just makes you so ecstatic to have me at your beck and call."

"Not at all Yori." He answered truthfully. "There's no denying how happy I am to have you back in my life, but the circumstances are not what I would have preferred. Knowing that at any moment something terrible might happen to you distresses me."

Urahara got up and came to crouch next to her so that they were eye to eye. "I've never made it a secret that I still love you very much Yori. I've always been here for you and that will never change. I just want you to trust me, trust that I can take care of this for you."

Yoruichi turned to him sharply, "Don't you dare do that Urahara!" She snapped heatedly pushing away from the table and putting some distance between them. "I'm... I never asked for you to worry yourself with me. I'm no one's responsibility."

"Yeah, you're right Yori, but I can help bear the burdens that you have. You don't always have to do everything on your own." Urahara sighed running a hand through his hair, he didn't want to argue about this. She'd always been independent and that was one of the traits that he had found endearing but sometimes it just made her so damn stubborn it made him want to shake some sense into her.

"Let's finish dinner, ok?" He took his seat and resumed eating. He didn't have it in him to keep having his emotions thrown away like they meant nothing. He wouldn't bring it up again for now, not until Aizen was taken care of.

Yoruichi joined him, idly picking at what was left of her barbequed chicken. They ate the rest of their meal in silence. She helped clear the table and put away the leftovers then walked away towards the guest bedroom without a word.

Well, there went any chance of him getting any loving from her tonight. A cynical chuckle escaped him as he made his way to his own bedroom.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Matsumoto didn't know how long she had been laying there unable to fall asleep. They had gone to bed around ten, hoping that tomorrow Ishida would finally get in contact with them. The last time they spoke he had assured them that everything was going according to plan. By the weekend she and Orihime would be reunited. But here it was Friday night and no contact had been established.

She shifted on her side, Gin's arm feeling heavy against her waist. She stilled, hoping that she hadn't woke him. Just a few more days and she wouldn't have to be in this situation anymore. She wouldn't have to smile while he planted kisses on her lips like it was nothing. She wouldn't have to accept his flirtatious compliments or the easy way he touched her.

She really didn't know if she could muster enough strength to continue this pretense. He seemed to want to convince her that everything that was happening was real. That this idyllic little slice of life they were living was real and not a fabrication to cover up something more heinous. For a little while she guessed it had worked. She did not have a clue of what had really transpired between them.

'For your protection' is what Ishida had said, that's why she was staying with him. But she doubted that Ishida knew the man who he was trusting her life to. It had been small flashes, little snippets of images that she didn't have any recollection of. Then little by little the snippets began to fit together like one big puzzle piece. This man had kidnapped her multiple times, forced her to engage in sexual content with him at the risk of her life and then wanted to play the hero!

The only reason she hadn't bolted when she remembered the truth was Orihime. Ishida would be expecting her to be there and besides she had no way to contact Ishida on her own. Her purse and cellphone had been conveniently left in the safe house the second time he had drugged her.

She didn't know what he was getting out of this, surely being saddled with the responsibility of looking after her was not something a man like him would enjoy. The mundane day to day activities that they partook in, the 'normal' life they were living. She just couldn't understand why he was doing this.

Gin shifted next to her and removed his arm from around her. From the corner of her eyes, she could see his bedside lamp switch on, he got out of bed, and she watched as he went to the bathroom.

Matsumoto closed her eyes and tried to regulate her breathing, but her eyes started to burn, and they snapped open. She didn't want him to know she was awake, too late. The door opened and he stood there for a moment the light haloing his tall thin frame as he stared at her. He switched the lights off and she felt the dip in the bed as he crawled in.

"I'm sorry for waking you Hun. Go back to sleep." He whispered with a short yawn. He rose above her and placed a light kiss on her closed lips.

"Goodnight, Gin." She replied, trying to make her body relax.

Gin settled as he pulled her flush against him his hand resting lightly on her hip. His head dipped low against her neck and placed several kisses there at her nape. He squeezed her tightly once more and let out a satisfied sigh, "Goodnight Ran."

Within a few minutes he was knocked out, she could feel the steady beat of his heart and the warm even breaths against her back. She really did need to get some sleep. Tomorrow could be the day that she would have to put her plan into action. She was going to need energy to make all that happen.

Some of the preparations she had already completed. Her few belongings that she had acquired while there were already packed away and easy to grab. She had money, not her own she was ashamed to admit but wasn't it a small price that he should pay for what he had done to her?

Gin had been in the shower the day she discovered the grotesque amount of money he had stashed inside a footlocker in one of the guest bedrooms. At first, she thought it was counterfeit or theater money, but as she dug through stack upon stack, she realized they were real. That further drove home that her memories were real. She wasn't sure how much money people got paid working for the government, but she was sure that obscene amount was not acquired legally.

She had quickly grabbed a few bundles of the cash and stuffed them into her breast pocket. When the time came, she would need this money to help make them disappear. She wondered if he would even notice any of the money was missing.

Matsumoto took a deep breath and shifted again on her side. She had to stop thinking and will herself to go to sleep. Thinking about all this now was not going to change anything. Tomorrow hopefully She would get the good news and this charade would end.

XX

Matsumoto woke to the depression of the bed next to her, Gin was leaning over her to reach into her bedside drawer. "Do you know what time it is Ishida?" He asked sleepily retrieving the pen and notepad that he kept there.

It was a little after five a.m., she turned expectantly towards him, her heart skipping a beat. This had to mean that Orihime was safe and sound, and Ishida was calling to give the all clear.

"Now, look what ya did." He set the phone face down on the pillow for a moment, "Sorry Hun, I keep disturbing your beauty sleep." He leaned over to give her a kiss on her parted lips then retrieved the phone and switched it to speaker.

"Um, excuse me?" Ishida asked awkwardly.

"I wasn't talking to you Uryū, Ran's awake now. Go ahead."

"Well, as I was saying. We are about half a day's journey from the safe house I was able to procure. I would like to allow Orihime to sleep a little longer before we head out. If you would like to meet us there, I'm sure Orihime would be ecstatic." Ishida was whispering trying not to wake Orihime who was sleeping peacefully on the right side of the bed.

"Are you sure that they'll be safe there?" Gin asked his eyes holding hers, he was looking at her with a pensive look that she had rarely seen on his face before.

"For now, until I'm able to get everything processed." He paused and the sound of rustling papers could be heard, "I need to ask you another favor Gin."

"Sure, whatcha' need Uryū?"

"I'm going to have to return to the office, but I do not want to leave Orihime-um I do not want them to be alone. Would you be able to stay until I return. I know it's not what we originally discussed, but under the extenuating circumstances-"

"Don't cha worry about it. Who wouldn't want to spend all day with two beautiful women? I'll keep them both safe."

Ishida let out a relived sigh. He hadn't been sure what Gin's answer was going to be, at the beginning he had given the impression he wanted this whole thing to be over with as quickly as possible. He didn't want to leave Orihime just yet, but he would have to. The only way for him to make sure that she would really be safe was to go into the office. "Thanks Gin. Are you familiar with the Nagano Prefecture?"

"Actually yeah, that's pretty close to where we are now. I'm ready whenever." Ishida rattled off the address of where they were to meet and Gin quickly jotted it down. "So, what time should we plan t' meet ya guys there?"

"Well, if all goes well on our end, we should be there around six p.m. If you happen to arrive before us there are plenty of restaurants around that you could take advantage of to pass the time."

Gin chuckled, "Sure thing. We'll see ya guys then."

"Goodbye Ishida." Matsumoto managed to utter as Gin hung up the phone. It was finally happening! Orihime was safe and sound and they were going to be together again. That means it was time to put her plan into action.

Gin stared down at the address he had written down a sudden feeling of consternation taking over him. Red flags and alarms started going off in his mind, but he wanted to ignore them. If what Nnoitra had said before was true Tosen wouldn't be in any shape to be up and about for a while. Even at his best Tosen hadn't been on par with him. If he were to show up, he would be able to manage him no problem. Tosen wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything would he?

Matsumoto shifted next to him, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Do ya want to sleep a little longer Ran?" he'd have to gather a few supplies just for the worse case scenarios. He was sure that Ishida would have some weapons, but he would like to bring his own.

"No, I'm too excited to go back to sleep." She replied truthfully. Gin gave her one of his charming smiles and she found herself smiling back, "I'm just really happy right now."

He wanted to agree, but it would be a lie. From the beginning he knew this facade was always going to come to an end once Orihime was safe. His duty of protecting her would be over and she would be put in Ishida's care. For the time being he had just said 'Fuck it' and let himself live with her blissfully doing all the ordinary things lovers would do. He had lost track of what he was supposed to be doing. He had let his heart govern his rationality.

"Me too Moto." He pulled her into his arms and gave her a reassuring hug. In a few days he would go back to his solitary life, and she would happily forget him. He couldn't lie to himself any longer about it. "I'll go make some breakfast and then we'll make a day outta it. Sound good?"

"Yeah. I'll get ready and pack." She pulled away quickly then thought better of it, "Thanks for everything Gin. I don't know how I will ever repay you." Truthfully, she was conflicted in her emotions. He had been a gracious host disregarding how everything started. He didn't make any unwanted sexual advances on her, and he was doing everything to help reunite her with her sister. She undoubtedly was happy that this chapter was coming to an end, but a small part of her knew she would miss him.

"Don't worry ya pretty little head about that, I just want ya to be happy." Even if that meant that he would be miserable. Given the chance to go back and do it all again, he'd make all the same decisions again. He had gotten a brief taste of happiness and no matter how fleeting it was, he would never give up the memories they had made together.

Gin flashed her a full smile, hoping that she would believe his hollow words. "Get to it Ran. Since it's a special occasion today I'll make ya favorites." He leaned over briefly to give her a light peck on the lips and then left the room.

He went to the kitchen and started breakfast, listening to her packing in the bedroom. He waited till he heard the shower going before he went into the guestroom to start his own packing. He didn't want to bring too many weapons that might scare her, so he opted for several of his smaller semi-automatics and two pocketknives.

He wondered if he should bring some cash, if anything was to come up, he knew Rangiku didn't have any. Maybe it would be like a parting gift to her, he did have plenty on hand. Immediately he knew that she had been in his footlocker. He had a particular way he had arranged each stack of bills and they were out of order. By the look of it she had taken about 3 million yen, which in the scheme of things wouldn't be able to support her and Orihime for long. He grabbed about a quarter of the contents and counted out 15 stacks. This would at least get them a start someplace nice.

Gin had everything packed in the trunk by the time Matsumoto emerged from the bedroom looking refreshed and carrying a large knapsack on her shoulder. "It smells wonderful." She said looking over the small spread that he set out for them.

He pulled her into his arms and buried his nose into her damp hair, "You smell wonderful." He planted several small kisses along her jawline and then kissed her fully on the lips. "I wish I could eat you up." He murmured with a wistful smile then released her.

He couldn't go down that rabbit hole. He wasn't gonna do that to himself. It was one thing to kiss and hold her each night, but he wouldn't let himself indulge in the passion that they had shared once before. How much harder would it be to let her go if he had continued to experience the ecstasy of her lush body every night? He'd have to be a saint, which he was far from.

"Eat your fill Hun, we have a long drive ahead of us."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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Hiyori sighed and slipped her phone back beneath her pillow. She didn't know why she didn't just turn the damn thing off. The only person that used her number was Umesada and she didn't want to go back just yet.

He didn't know where she was, and she doubt he was actually looking for her. His threats were just threats. She rolled over on her side to face Shinji who was sleeping next to her. He looked peaceful and vulnerable without a care in the world. He must be really tired to still be sleeping, but she was hungry, and she didn't feel like getting up to make something.

She climbed on top of him, sitting just below his chest. It was way past time for him to be up, she reached behind her slipping her hand between his legs. She worked her fingers under his boxers and took hold of his dick giving it a light squeeze.

Immediately it hardened in her grasp, and she rolled her eyes, what a perv. "Hey," she nudged his side with her knee. "Wake up."

One of his copper-colored eyes popped open sleepily, "Hiyori?" He asked his voice muted with the remnants of sleep.

"Who else would it be, idiot?" She replied staring down at him.

"I guess I was dreaming…" he groaned shifting beneath her trying to sit up. He paused mid movement; it wasn't a dream. "What are you doing?"

"I'm waking you up. It's like ten in the morning, and I'm hungry" she said irritated at his dumb question.

"That's not what I meant!" Shinji nearly yelled; every movement made him more aware of her fingers on his heated flesh.

"You mean why am I holding your dick?" She cocked her head to the side as if she was really thinking about it. "Because I'm hungry."

Shinji let out a breath on a short exhale, "That's not gonna get me out of bed." he sat up with great effort and tried to slide her off his chest.

"You're up, aren't you?" A smirk lit her pink lips. She clenched her thighs and legs against his, not budging.

"Ok you made your point; can you stop doing that now!" he almost shouted exasperated.

"Why?" her fingers tightened around his engorged flesh, then loosened and slid slowly to the base and then back to the tip. "I like how it feels." She briefly tilted her head back to get a look at it, then turned back to face him. "It looks weird and repulsive, but it feels soft and hard at the same time."

"I appreciate your thorough observation on my dick, but can you just let it go?" Shinji asked avoiding her eyes. It was hard enough keeping his cool with her legs around him in such an intimate position. He could feel the heat from between her legs against his bare chest.

"I'll go make you something to eat, so just stop." Anything to stop his mind from dreaming of her not letting go. It had been a while since he had had a chance to take care of himself. As it was now, he was way past due for some kind of release. He'd just have to be more conscious of his own needs. Watching Hiyori was a full-time job, he had no time for himself. After making breakfast for her he'd take a chance to rub one out.

"It's really bothering you isn't it." Hiyori replied with a small snicker. She squeezed again rubbing her thumb and fore-finger against the underside of the swollen tip. She kept her knees locked in place at his side, there was no way she was gonna let her fun end right then.

"Of course, it is..." Shinji groaned; he was trying his hardest not to let what she was doing affect him. She was working his cock so expertly, like she knew exactly what he needed to be pushed over the edge. Her fingers relentlessly ebbed and tightened creating such incredible sensations It was hard for him to concentrate on finishing telling her off. He could already feel the familiar stirring in the pit of his stomach. Any moment now he would make a mess of the sheets and her fingers, but he didn't want it to end.

"Please Hiyori…" he groaned his hands somehow useless at his side.

Hiyori huffed, a little chuckle escaping her. She could have just as well dropped it and let him get about his business. But for some reason she enjoyed teasing him. Maybe next time he would think better about lazing around past breakfast time.

She knew what would do it. She felt like there was an inclination in him that she wanted to explore more of. With her free hand she grabbed him by his sandy blond hair so that he had no choice but to look at her while she brought him to climax. She felt his dick tighten in her hands as his honeyed eyes met hers. He was so predictable.

A short, strangled moan escaped him as her fingers became coated with his warm sticky fluids. Hiyori released him and stood up over him. He posed such an erotic sight; his sweat slicken chest heaving with the aftermath of what she just put him through. She wouldn't let him recover his breath enough to start bitching at her.

With one foot she nudged him in the side, "I'm really hungry. Don't you think you've laid around enough already?" she jumped off the bed and headed towards the bathroom to wash her hands and get ready for the day. She could hear him mumbling to himself as she closed the door behind her.

Shinji didn't take his time as he cleaned himself up in the guest bathroom. He wasn't sure what prompted Hiyori to do that to him, but it was wholly unexpected. He'd have to keep his guard up from then on.

He wasn't trying to make this sexual. So, she was his type. Just because he found her attractive didn't change the fact that she had nearly killed him and showed no remorse for it. They just would never work out in any capacity. Besides could he even really feel something for someone that killed without purpose?

He had her favorites ready when she came strolling out a little while later. Her hazel eyes regarded him approvingly, but she didn't thank him as she sat down and started eating.

Shinji took a seat opposite her warily. He was beginning to have second thoughts on this whole revenge plot. Why was he doing this? Was he really this masochistic? She continued to claim that she didn't remember shooting him and probably with her body count it was more than likely the truth. Maybe he should have listened to Lisa and just forgotten about her when she had disappeared in Paris.

"So, what are ya gonna do today?" Hiyori asked, interrupting his thoughts. "Please say that you're gonna be going somewhere so I'll have some peace and quiet."

Shinji frowned and set his fork down, "Actually I have some work to do today so you'll have your freedom-"

Hiyori jingled her left leg under the table, clanging the shackle against the floor. "Freedom huh? So are ya gonna let me outta these?"

"No, of course not. I meant freedom around the house." Although he was sure that she could just as easily remove them as she had the ones in Paris. "I'm not releasing you until you ask for forgiveness for what you did."

Hiyori huffed indignantly, "I'm not apologizing for something I didn't do. And anyways what proof do ya have that it was really me? The way I see it, I'm not the only blonde on the planet." She stuffed a heaped spoonful of okayu into her mouth.

"I've never met another blonde with the same intensely sorrel eyes." The moment he had flipped on the light switch in that hotel room and looked down into her face he had been captivated momentarily by their brilliance. Why he was admitting this to her he didn't know.

He wasn't going to do this with her again. Hiyori was just goading him into another skirmish because she had nothing else to do. He wondered why she didn't just take off like before. Certainly, this tit-for-tat business they had going didn't compare to the thrill of doing whatever delinquency she usual got up to.

She glared at him over her bowl, "Don't think your lame lines are gonna work on me." she muttered a deep flush started at the roots of her hair and spread to her cheeks.

Shinji laughed, "Yea I know they never do." He got up and put away the rest of their meal. He would do the dishes later when he was making lunch. "I'll be out to make you lunch in a few hours."

"Whatever." Hiyori dismissed him going back to her rice porridge with an irritated look on her face.

They had gotten a hold of the surveillance tapes from several of the business along the Hidden Meadows Street from the night Rukia and Renji had gone missing. It's not like he had been putting off going through them. It's just he hadn't had the time. He had been neglecting his duties to cater to Hiyori and he was behind.

Today he was gonna go through them. It had been more than a week since they both disappeared with only Renji's last call to go by. Once he and Kensei had made it to their last known, they had found blood but no bodies. Rukia's car was found about a mile away from the scene, but Renji's was never recovered.

There had to be some clue in the footage as to what happened to them that night. Shinji groaned and glanced over towards the wall of monitors just to see what she was doing. She was laying sprawled out on their bed, casually flipping through the channels on the tv.

Even now he knew he had work, important work to do but he much rather watch her. Maybe that bullet had dislodged something in his brain and turned him into a dolt. That had to be it, her pretty face couldn't be the only thing making him crazy.

He popped the first DVD in from the convenience store that was directly across from where Rukia's car had been salvaged. He set it on max speed and zeroed it in to just after nine p.m. when they would have arrived in the area. Shinji sped it up a bit knowing at some point Rukia's truck should be pulling up. But it was well into one a.m. the next day and there was no sign of her or Renji's flashy red coupe.

On to the next one. This was from the gas station about a hundred feet from where Renji's blood had been discovered. Again, he skipped towards nine p.m. and again there was no sign of either of them.

Maybe they had the time off? Jinta said that they left a quarter after eight that night and Hidden Meadows is a little more than half an hour away from the office. The last ping he had gotten on Renji's phone was at 9:05 at that location. So, what the hell was going on? Unless someone got to the surveillance footage before they did.

It wouldn't have been a hard feat since most of the business had digital monitoring nowadays. Whoever they were meeting could have cut the feed at that time or erased it altogether. He still had four other recordings to go through, but something told him it would all be the same outcome.

His phone started vibrating and he glanced down at the name that populated the screen. Shinji didn't want to pick up the phone. He knew exactly what Urahara was probably gonna say. He had already taken a week off and it was past time for him to return to work. He listened to the jingle for a moment more before he finally answered it. "What's up boss?"

"I need you to work on something for me." Of course. That meant he would have to leave Hiyori alone out here. Maybe it would be something simple that wouldn't take too long. She would be ok alone for a few days, right?

"No problem. I'll be back in the office tomorrow morning."

"Actually, I'd prefer if this was kept under the table." Urahara said his usual jovial tone absent. It wasn't often that he sounded so serious about something.

"Ah, ok. What do ya need me to do?"

"I need you to get in contact with someone, but it can't be traced back to the office."

"This sounds like something right up Jinta's alley. I'm not as great with that stuff as he is." Great, more time spent staring at a computer screen. He was a man of action, he much preferred to be out on the field in the thick of things.

"Actually, I think he's a friend of yours. Tōshirō Hitsugaya?" Would he not find it funny if he knew that he was literally just there? What timing.

"Yeah, I know him. What info do you need from him?" Tōshirō wasn't an easy guy to track down. He had several 'bases' around Japan that he rotated through. Pinpointing the one he would be at would be like finding that needle in the haystack.

"I need to know about Ōmaeda and what he has to do with Aizen."

"Ōmaeda? Sure, thing boss. I'll get on it."

"Thanks Shinji." The line disconnected and Shinji set his phone down with a pensive look on his face. At least he didn't have to go back into the office, but it was gonna be a pain getting in contact with Toshiro. He'd finish the few disks that he had left and then get started on that task.

"You sure like looking for trouble." Hiyori said as she walked into his office. "I get that its ya job but sometimes you gotta know when to say no."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shinji asked wondering how long she had been standing there and listening to his conversation. If he had any braincells left, he would have already let her go.

He dealt with confidential matters of national security sometimes and she was privy to all of them. If she was so inclined, she could just use him to gather information for her nefarious deeds.

"Nothing." She replied pouting and glancing around the room. "Today you are really neglecting me. Its already lunch time and I had to come and find you."

Shinji glanced at his watch; it was a little passed two in the afternoon. Time had really flown while he was watching the surveillance tapes. "Just get a snack from the fridge and I'll make dinner soon." He really had to get through these today.

"I don't want a snack." Hiyori grumbled as she took a seat on his desk and looked down at his laptop a scowl on her face.

"I thought you wanted peace and quiet." Shinji said turning to face her letting the full extent of annoyance he was feeling show on his face.

"I do, but now I'm hungry." She started but then paused a sly smile came to her lips. "Ah, I know what ya need." She slowly lifted her right leg and placed it on his thighs.

Oh, hell no! she wasn't going to make a habit of teasing him. Deftly, he grabbed her by the ankle and rose from his seat. He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Now look here Hiyori."

"Yes Shinji?" she whispered sweetly looking up into his eyes with an enchanting and wistful look on her face.

Shinji swallowed the lump that suddenly blocked his vocal cords. His mouth was unbelievably dry, and he could swear that the heat in the room suddenly went up 10 degrees. "Um… is ramen ok?"

That's not what he meant. That's not what he had originally wanted to say. He was gonna give her a piece of his mind. She couldn't keep harassing him to get what she wanted.

"With pork, not chicken." She replied triumphantly slipping from his grasp and walking out towards the kitchen.

Momentarily he stood frozen there still transfixed by her. Somehow, she had ended up playing him again. He should have never said anything about her eyes. It was just more fodder for her to use to manipulate him.

He knew this whole thing was getting out of hand. He had been kidding himself thinking he could handle her. Once he figured out where Tōshirō was bunkering, he'd take her along and release her back into the wild where she belonged.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

---

Momo didn't know what to do anymore. Talking with Hiyori had made her think about things she had tried to push from her mind for a long while. She had one set goal in her mind from the beginning, that was the only reason she had joined the bureau. She would do whatever it took to be the person that brought her brother's killer to justice.

But somewhere along the way her path diverged and all she could think about was killing Ōmaeda. She didn't want him to sit in prison, she just wanted him dead. No one would get in her way and whoever she had to use, it would be fine, if her sole mission was complete. And that's how it had been.

She had dedicated the past two years of her life trying to infiltrate Ōmaeda's inner circle by way of Umesada. And now she was finally so close to achieving that goal. All she had to do was continue to hurt this innocent man who had no done absolutely nothing to her.

Tōshirō hadn't said much of anything to her after they left Hirako's home. He kept his focus on the passing scenery so she did the same. Whatever was said between the two of them must have been as profound as what was said between her and Hiyori.

What she wouldn't give if she could trade places and live the carefree life that Hiyori did. To be holed up in the middle of nowhere with Tōshirō having his undivided attention every day. Not having to worry about Umesada or Ōmaeda. No, not caring more like it, being able to let the past go and look forward to the future.

Right now, she couldn't picture what the next day would bring her. Would she still be chasing vengeance? Would she finally be able to say that she was happy with the decisions she had made?

Momo didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but she awoke to Tōshirō lifting her from the passenger side into his arms. She buried her head into his chest against the sudden chill of the night air, instinctively his arms tightened around her. He held her so gently, so tenderly she didn't want the feeling to end.

It was a few steps before she felt the bone chill of the freezing room, she hadn't been paying attention to where he had driven them. They must be somewhere in the mountains, no matter the date there was always a light dusting of snow on the ground.

He made his way into the dark room without the guide of a light and navigated to a bedroom in the back. He set her down on top of the comforter before leaving the room. Momo laid there shivering in the darkness, wondering what was going on. Should she just drop the ruse and go find him? Was he coming back?

Suddenly, a loud gurgling sound could be heard from outside and then all of the lights came on. There were several beeps from the other appliances as they also switched on. He must run this place on a generator, which was smart since he liked to stay off of the radar.

Momo sat up as the air began to warm up, the front door opened and she could see him walking in from outside. He looked over at her for a moment his turquoise eyes holding hers before he turned away. Whenever she looked into his eyes she felt like shit. Why was she doing this to him?

Frankly they were on the same side. They both worked for the Japanese government in some capacity, he just hadn't a chance to finish his objective but she still had a chance to finish hers. They wanted Ōmaeda to be taken in and she wanted him dead. Maybe they could work something out together.

After a few minutes of him not returning she got up to find him. Maybe it was time that she came clean about everything. Maybe with his cooperation it would be easier than trying to do everything on her own.

The cabin was a small one-bedroom open concept floor plan. The living space took up most of the room with a tiny kitchen in the corner. He wasn't in either room. There was one door left off to the right of the bedroom. As she approached it, she could hear the shower going.

That's good, that would give her some time to think about what she wanted to say to him. She wanted to be prepared when she faced him. She made up her mind to tell him everything he needed to know about the situation. Whatever questions he asked, she would answer truthfully and hope that he would believe her.

Momo decided to go outside to practice and gain confidence in what she was going to say. It was a bit chilly but she had to bear with it for the privacy it afforded her. "Look Shiro, I'm sorry." She said into the darkness. Somehow, she didn't think starting off that way was going to be effective. No matter how sincere her apology might be, he no doubt wouldn't believe her.

"Tōshirō, I want to tell you everything." That sounded a little better, but was she going to tell him everything? Most of the things she had told him before were in some form of the truth. She was just going to have to tell him that she had been the reason he had ended up in the hospital and she had staged everything.

She couldn't tell him that. If he knew that part there was no way anything could ever come of them. He would definitely hate her, well more than he already did. Not that she thought he had any feelings for her anyways, if his flippant words earlier were anything to go by.

"I want to apologize for everything that's happened. I need your help." But why would he help her after everything that she put him through.

"Is this what they teach you in the F.B.I?" Tōshirō stepped out from the shadows, looking relaxed. The shower did wonders for him, his pale skin had an attractive flush to it that brought out the brightness of his eyes.

Momo paused startled, "um, no... I…" how long had he been standing there listening to her make a fool of herself?

"You were practicing your lines. Should I give you more time?" he asked superciliously bridging the gap between them until he was standing next to her.

"It's not like that," Momo answered flustered by his closeness. She wanted to put the distance back between them so she could have a clear mind. "I just don't know what to say to make you believe me."

"Hm, how about the truth?" Tōshirō replied, cornering her against the cold wet wood of the cabin wall. He was not going to give her the opportunity to slip away without getting all the answers he was looking for.

Momo sighed, "My name is Hinamori Momo. I work for the F.B.I and my brother was killed by Ōmaeda. All that was the truth." She couldn't keep eye contact anymore. She didn't like what she saw there the cynicism and doubt.

Tōshirō took a moment to contemplate what she just said. "So, you weren't sent by Ukitake."

"No." she murmured her voice barely above a whisper.

"My original contact that night had been legit?"

"Yeah, he would have taken you to the established safe house that Ukitake had set up for you." The way he spoke made it seem like he already knew these answers. She was just confirming what kind of trash she had been.

"And the reason I can't get in contact with any of my team is because you installed a jammer on my cellphone." Tōshirō took a step back, crossing his arms across his chest. He had figured as much. He could understand being unable to reach people in the office but even when he had tried Ikkaku he gotten nothing.

"After the first time we had sex, I figured it would be better-"

"Why are you still lying?"

"I'm not." She said still staring at the ground. She hadn't done much to prevent it from happening, but she wasn't lying about them being intimate. "Like I said before it happened, no big deal." She shrugged it off. She had tried to use it to endear him to her but it hadn't worked out so there was no use in trying to put any significance to it.

"Hm." Tōshirō said taking in the full picture. "Why are you doing all this?"

"This? As in following you?" Momo asked a bit confused. She wasn't sure if he had figured out that she was working for Ōmaeda. She had conveniently left that part out for now. She would tell him but she just had to find the right time. There was no way he would forgive her if he knew now.

"Telling me this now. Do you think I would forget all the other details that have gotten us to this point? How you conveniently were at the right place at the right time to be picked up by Keigo and Toshimori? Or that you were able to take both of them out?" He jerked her face up so he could see the honest emotion that would overcome her features.

Momo's brown eyes widened in shock a feeling of dread washing over her. So, he already knew. She wanted to melt into the ground beneath them and disappear from his condescending scrutiny.

"Did you think I would really give you any information to go running back to Ōmaeda?" Tōshirō felt sorry for her, she was way out of her depth. She so desperately wanted revenge on Ōmaeda but she didn't know how to go about it. She was a fledgling trying to fly with underdeveloped wings. Or she was the best damn actress in the world.

"No, I knew you wouldn't but..." Momo felt like a complete idiot. He was right, she had gained no information from him and just caused him hassle and pain.

"Did you honestly think Ōmaeda would take you into his fold after you completed this assignment?"

"Umesada said he would put in a good word for me."

Tōshirō chuckled, poor misguided fool that she was. She really was that green. How could Yamamoto trust her to infiltrate Ōmaeda's operation, unless he was counting on her innocence coasting her through everything.

"Let me make sure I have everything straight. You are supposed to be working undercover to deliver information on Umesada's dealings to the F.B.I. You took it upon yourself to take on this side mission of garnering information from me for Umesada in hopes that you would be able to get close to Ōmaeda so you can exact your revenge on him."

Momo nodded. That about sums up everything, she had trouble juggling both missions. The timely reports to both Yamamoto and Umesada and not alerting Tōshirō to everything had been running her ragged.

"Did it ever once occur to you before you pulled off this elaborate and absurd scheme to explain the situation to me?" By the look on her bewildered face, Tōshirō realized it hadn't. Stupidity must run rampant in her life.

"I know it's not much of an excuse but this is my first field mission." Momo supplied, she had saw what she thought was a golden opportunity and she had taken it. She realized now what a fool she was for believing anything Umesada said. "I'm so sorry…I didn't know all that with Keigo and Toshimori was going to happen. I didn't know they were going to hurt you that bad. I told them-"

"They don't take their orders from you." Tōshirō interrupted her, "you are just another pawn like they are. Once your usefulness ends, you'll be discarded."

Momo hung her head suddenly feeling tears at the back of her eyes. She had been so wrong about everything. She wasn't ready to be out of the office, she should have never told Yamamoto that she was. She wasn't cut out for these kinds of things.

She presented him such a pathetic sight trying to hide her sobs. He wanted to be more outraged at her but she was young and she had been manipulated. She had lost her only family and wanted retribution but just couldn't achieve it on her own.

Tōshirō pulled her into his arms to comfort her, she melted against him with a heavy sob. Her tears soaked into his shirt as her arms tightened around him. It wasn't his interest to take on others' problems but they shared a common enemy. It wasn't like he was doing it just for her sake. He already had an obligation to bring Ōmaeda to justice. If he ended up dead in the process both sides would be happy.

There were a lot of questions that he still did not have the answers to, but right then they could wait. He would find them out soon enough. He had put her through a lot already, there was no point in breaking her down further tonight.

Her sobs had died down but she continued to hold onto him tightly, her warmth seeped into his bones making the night air non-existent. "Hina, let's go to bed. We can talk about what we are gonna do about Ōmaeda tomorrow, ok?"

Momo still couldn't look him in the eyes, she was so ashamed of everything that she had done. "I'm really sorry Shiro. I-" she couldn't continue as another sob choked her words. Why was she such a failure? Why couldn't she be more like Takari?

"We'll talk about everything tomorrow." He said disentangling himself from her. He held the door opened for her and made sure to lock it behind them.

Momo hesitantly stood there in the middle of the room unsure of the sleeping situation. There was only one bedroom, and the sofa in the living room didn't look like it was designed to be slept on.

"What are you doing?" Tōshirō asked curiously grabbing her by the arm and heading towards the bedroom. "This cabin isn't meant for more than two people."

She got his meaning; they were going to share the bed. It wasn't like they had never done so before, but she thought things had changed between them. He knew her dirty secrets, he knew what kind of person she really was. He knew how vindictive she could be. She thought he would definitely want to keep his distance.

Momo slipped into bed on the opposite side, pulling the covers up to her chin. Tomorrow they would talk about everything he said. Tomorrow they would make up a plan. Tomorrow for once was looking bright.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

---

Yachiru sighed running her hands through her messy hair. She just couldn't figure out what to do with it. Yumi was coming for dinner and she wanted to look her best. Even doing what he had taught her didn't work. Maybe she could ask Maki for some help? Usually, he didn't mind helping her out. Even if it was begrudgingly, he never refused her.

She wasn't sure where his room was, but usually he was in the west wing of the house. All she knew about that side of the mansion was that most of the guest rooms were there and that's where Unohana was staying. But lots of times she would see him cleaning and moving different items between the two sections.

Yachiru slowly made her way down the hall, she was still not entirely used to walking without her braces. It was weird not feeling the metal rub against her with each step. Hopefully by the time Yumi came back to stay she was completely healed and they—

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Yachiru paused, her thoughts interrupted by Unohana's voice. Who was she talking to like that? She peeked around the corner to see what was happening. Unohana was on the phone pacing in the library with her back towards the doorway.

So, she wasn't always as calm and collected as she seemed. She wondered who she was on the phone with. Oh well this didn't really concern her; she shouldn't be eavesdropping anyways. "I told you to get me answers and you come back with nothing." She snapped, her voice sounding harsh.

Maybe she'd listen just a little bit more? A giddy smile lit her lips as a plan formed itself in her mind. If she could get some dirt on Unohana she could tell Ken-Chan and he would dump her, and she'd leave and then Yumi could come back. She'd be just like a real spy.

"You told me there was nothing going on with the girl, I saw it with my own eyes… How? She was on her damn knees!" she replied angrily.

She was talking about her to someone, and boy was she mad. Did Unohana really want Kenpachi for herself that much? The moment Unohana arrived everything got up-ended and she destroyed the little bit of happiness she had finally found. If she hadn't barged in there like she owned the place, she could have still had him for all she cared. But now she would snatch him away from her and send her back to whatever hole she crawled out of.

"I don't care what you have to do. I want her taken care of." She paused listening, "Just poison the crippled bitch if you are too fucking scared to do it the right way." She replied heatedly, "I want it done as soon as possible. I'm tired of his fucking arrogant face."

Yachiru's mouth fell open, she wanted her dead? This was getting way past the point of rivalry. Maybe there was some other reason that Unohana vehemently wanted Kenpachi. Was he really worth taking her life? Her head began to swim, all her thoughts jumbled.

"Hello? Hello! Amida? Are you there?" Unohana huffed into the silent phone.

Yachiru had heard enough, as quickly as she could she turned on her heels and began to walk away. Damn why was this so hard? At that moment she missed the safety and dependability of her wheelchair. Why wouldn't her feet move any faster? They began to burn from the exertion, and she had to stop. The pain was overwhelming, and she couldn't go any further. Tears came to her eyes as she thought of Unohana just a few doors down, at any minute she could walk out and see her and know she had been listening.

"What's wrong Shorty?" Kenpachi asked bending down next to her.

"My legs…" she hiccupped unable to form a full sentence. He scooped her up into his arms gently, careful not to jostle her legs as he held her close.

"Did you fall?" He asked, taking in the scene around her. There was nothing out of place, no signs that she lost her balance or tripped.

Unohana stepped into the hallway, a pensive frown on her face. Then her pleasant mask was back in place, her dark eyes casually taking in the scene in front of her. "What happened?" She actually sounded concerned.

Yachiru couldn't look at her knowing what she had just said. How could someone be so cruel? "Looks like her legs gave out." Kenpachi said, "What were you doing in my office?" though his arms were gentle, his voice was steel, she could feel his muscles tense against her.

"I had an important call." She answered nonchalantly. She made her way to them, then put her hands on Yachiru's legs. "They look swollen." There was a hint of something in her voice that Yachiru couldn't put a name to, "I have something she could take for the pain."

"No-no I don't like medicine." Yachiru replied her voice barely above a whisper. Unohana's voice saying just poison her, echoing in her mind. "I just wanna lie down."

Unohana shrugged her slight shoulders and stepped out of their way. "I hope you feel better." She said loftily.

Kenpachi took her to her room and carefully laid her onto her bed. He didn't like this one bit. Yachiru knew her limits when it came to walking and taking it easy. So why did she go all the way to the other side of his home where there was nothing for her? Why push herself?

"I'm going to call Mayuri." He said as he got up to leave, "Just rest here for now."

Yachiru grit her teeth as pain arched through her. She tried to get up into a sitting position, "No don't leave. Can you just stay here for a while?" She asked softly. She had to tell him everything. She didn't know if she would be able to get through it.

Kenpachi sighed, taking a seat next to her. Her young face was flushed, and her colorful hair was matted to her temple. He could tell she was in tremendous pain, he wished he could do something to ease it. He was versed in dealing it not alleviating it. "Lay back, and rest. I won't leave."

Yachiru nodded taking his hand as she gingerly slipped back into a comfortable position. She entwined her fingers with his and closed her eyes taking in a deep breath. How could she tell him that his girlfriend was a murderer? Would he even believe her? Her head swam, she could hear slight thundering in her ears.

The pain in her legs slowly ebbed, leaving just a slight tingle in its wake. Kenpachi didn't make a move next to her, but the gentle pressure from his warm hand was ever present. Her eyes felt heavy, her breathing slowed, and she felt like any moment she would drift off to sleep.

There was a knock at the door, but it sounded far away. Kenpachi slowly withdrew his fingers from hers. "I'll be right back," he said gruffly getting up to see who it was.

When he opened the door, he was surprised to see Yumichika standing there. "I heard you were in here." He looked well rested and neat as he always did, although his blue eyes didn't have the same luster as usual. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" he said with a slight smirk.

Kenpachi frowned, pulling the door closed slightly behind him. "You are here early." He said ignoring the insinuation in his words.

"I was through at the office." He replied with a shrug, "I hear you guys are getting closer. I'm glad."

"It's nothing like that." Kenpachi deadpanned, no doubt Ikkaku was the one feeding him those lies. He wondered if he should tell them exactly what Unohana was there for. "She was hurt and didn't want to be alone."

"Hurt?" his demeanor changed completely, "what happened?"

"I'm not sure, I found her cowering on the floor. Unohana wasn't very far from her."

"Do you think she did something to her?" Yumichika seemed like the odd one in their bunch, always composed and relaxed. But make no mistake beneath that calm exterior there was a fiercely protective and ruthless side to him.

"She was in a lot of pain, she didn't say."

"Ken-Chan?" her voice sounded muted behind them.

"We can talk more later, go be with her." Yumichika said turning away, "I'm gonna make a few calls." He didn't wait for Kenpachi to consent.

He sat down next to her, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am." She sighed a look of uncertainty on her pretty face. She looked down at her fingers and then ruffled the sheets around her.

"Spit it out," Kenpachi said an uneasiness filling him. He didn't like this anxiousness in her, something happened in that hallway that took away her happiness.

"Why do you like her?" She asked still not looking at him. "Is it because she's older and mature?"

He was taken aback, that was not what he had expected. He didn't care two shits for Unohana, but he couldn't tell her that, he couldn't risk her finding out the truth.

"I know I'm not much." She said with a heart wrenching sigh, "but I'm better than she is."

"What is this really about?" there was nothing going on between them. He had figured the game she was playing was all a ruse to get rid of Unohana, he didn't believe she had any real feelings for him. Unohana had disrupted their life and maybe she figured this was a way to get rid of her.

"She's a bad person, you can't be with someone like that." Maybe she hadn't heard her correctly, maybe she had imagined it. If she could convince him to dump Unohana she wouldn't have to accuse her of something now she wasn't sure really happened. Maybe she hadn't meant for them to kill her? Maybe just send her home so she would be out of the house? There were so many ways to take it.

Kenpachi pulled her up into a sitting position and grasped her by the shoulders. "What did she do to you?" He knew Unohana had done something to her. Pain hadn't been the only driving factor in her actions, he had seen something else in her brown eyes. Something he had seen many times, fear. But she hadn't been afraid of him, she was afraid of Unohana.

He knew what Unohana was there for. His job with the C.I.A. hinged on her investigation, but that would not stop him from getting rid of her if she had done something to Yachiru. He didn't really give two fucks about the job; it was just him doing something good with his time. He would just as easily go back to being an asshole full time and doing whatever the fuck he felt like.

Finally, she faced him honestly, her bright eyes clouded with insecurity. "I-I heard her talking to someone on the phone. She was really mad, she told them to-to take care of me."

Kenpachi was stunned, but there was no doubt that Yachiru was telling the truth. "That's how you hurt yourself?"

"Yeah, I was looking for Maki, but I saw her there and I heard her talking about me. I tried to run away but my legs didn't want to work. I was so scared she was going to see me." She answered in a rush, her face reddening.

"I see." Fury simmered inside of him as an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness swept through him. He took a deep breath and released her, "Get some rest."

Yachiru looked shaken, "You don't believe me." She finally said, her eyes glassy, "you don't believe me." She repeated again to herself incredulously. She threw the covers from her and got up on trembling legs. Why would she think he would care? He barely tolerated her. He probably thought of her as just some charity case that he was forced to deal with since Yumi had to leave.

Kenpachi picked her up, just as she was reaching for her crutches that laid against her armoire. "Don't make assumptions." He said trying to keep the anger from his voice. He set her back down on the bed, wrapping the blanket around her. "Get some rest."

Yachiru stared at him blankly, was he just trying to placate her, or did he really believe her? she couldn't tell, he was not an easy man to read. She nodded and sunk back into the soft pillows. Its fine, even if he didn't care she knew Yumi would. When he got there, she would tell him everything. She turned on her side, blocking him out.

"Did you find out anything?" Yumichika asked stepping away from the other side of the hall as he walked out.

"Yea, is Ikkaku back yet." Kenpachi closed the door behind him, hoping that she would do as he said and rest her legs.

"He's waiting in the den which is now the office I've heard. Lots of changes in a few weeks." They headed towards that way both holding their tongues until they were in private.

Ikkaku looked freshly showered and dressed, which meant it had been messy. That gave him a little bit of happiness knowing that Kinaki had suffered. "I see you guys delegated the trouble to Makizō. He looks like wants to die."

"Good, let him keep her busy. Did you find out anything?"

"It was no fun; it took nothing to make him talk. But nothing you probably didn't already know. Kinaki was working for Unohana." He opened the case on the table and pulled out several blood-stained sheets.

"Was?" Yumichika asked, scanning each page briefly.

"Unfortunately, he had to go on a long vacation." Ikkaku answered with a small chuckle, "Somewhere very hot."

Yumichika sighed, "You're not Yakuza, you don't have to talk in stupid riddles."

"You don't have to ruin my fun." Ikkaku grumbled "Great to have you back by the way." He added sarcastically.

"Anyways," Kenpachi interrupted, "What else did you learn?"

"Unohana's a real bitch. No offence, I don't know what you see in her. Or maybe I do, she's ruthless."

They were still under the assumption that he was involved personally with her. Was keeping up appearances really worth losing the trust of his team? "Was there any mention of Yachiru?"

"Yeah, he was meant to garner information from her to use against you. Is she trying to blackmail you or something?"

Kenpachi frowned, leaning back in his chair. "She's part of the I.I.D."

"That makes sense," Yumichika said wiping his hands on his handkerchief, "That whole story was bullshit."

"So, you're back on the Bureaus shit list? Doesn't explain why she would go after Yachiru though." Ikkaku swiped his hand down his bald head, "She doesn't know anything."

He would not have pegged Unohana to be that vindictive and heartless. To have an innocent girl murdered just to make a case of it. But then again, he didn't really know what type of person he was dealing with. He knew how badly she wanted to be the one that nailed him. He just hadn't known what lengths she would be willing to go through to do it. "Anything else?"

Ikkaku shook his head, "just these financial reports, nothing substantial. He did a piss poor job."

If It wasn't Kinaki that she had been talking to, that meant there was someone else she was working with, someone else that had orders to kill Yachiru.

As if Yumichika was reading his mind, "So what are you going to do about her? You can't trust her around Yachiru."

"Am I missing something?" Ikkaku asked. "We do what we always do, just get rid of her."

He didn't know what course of action to take. He knew the moment he said anything about her trying to kill Yachiru, they'd be up in arms. He didn't want to risk the carefully cultivated relationship he had with Ukitake and Urahara by murdering another investigator. Even if he told them to leave her alone, she would wind up rotting in a ditch where she belonged.

"For now, just keep up pretenses. I'll make sure there is no opportunity for them to be alone." Even sending her back to her parents wouldn't be a guarantee that she would be safe. With how desperate Unohana was the safest thing for the girl was to be around one of them. For now, he would keep what he knew to himself.

"Yumichika, why don't you go see her. She's been looking forward to your return." Kenpachi said putting an end to the previous conversation.

"I bet she has. Stuck here with you three hard-asses." He said with a chuckle, "Be prepared to be dazzled at dinner tonight."

At least he knew seeing Yumichika would lift her spirts and keep her mind off of the day's events, "Don't go overboard."

Yumichika gave him a mischievous smile, "No promises Boss."

"Tell me you want me to fuck her up." Ikkaku said once Yumichika had left the room.

Kenpachi shook his head, "Not yet, but soon."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

---

Orihime was startled out of her sleep by something. The room was barely lit, and the sound of white noise emanated from the tv in the corner. She couldn't really remember any of the events after finally leaving Aizen's mansion. They had drove for a while and then they were let off at a hotel.

Ishida hadn't said anything as they entered the small hotel room, and she really just wanted to sleep. What had woken her? She lifted her head to glance around the room. She could see the rumpled blankets on the couch where Ishida had slept the night before.

"I'm just glad you are ok Nemu." His voice was soft, barely above a whisper.

Orihime closed her eyes a sudden emotion coming over her. The way he was talking to Nemu was similar to how he spoke to her. She had always thought that soft tone was saved just for her. She had heard him speak to other people, other women and he never sounded as sincere or tender as when he spoke with her.

But right then he was speaking to Nemu in that same way. Maybe she was his girlfriend, didn't his boss even say that? He was just being nice to her because it was his job.

"I really appreciate all your help." He sounded closer now, "If there is anything you need, just let me know. I'll write up the report once I've reunited Orihime with her sister."

Orihime laid there listening to the rest of his hushed conversation, a feeling of acrimony settling in the pit of her stomach. It was just the isolation; having no contact with anyone but Aizen had made her imagine that something had blossomed between them.

That was it, once she was back in her real life with Rangiku this would all be a bump in the road. Her idiotic feelings, the fleeting romance she had conjured up on her own. It would be something for them to laugh about.

With an inward sigh, she steeled herself and pretended she was about to face Aizen. She asked the acting gods to give her the strength not to act like a newly walking calf and her voice to be steady like nothing had affected her.

"Morning Ishida." She sat up lifting her arms above her in a simple stretch, she open-mouthed yawned for added effect. "That had to have been the best sleep I've had in a while."

"Good Moring Orihime," he was sitting on the now barren couch, the blankets and pillows from his rest stacked at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?" his voice was cool and comforting, washing away her earlier trepidation.

Not allowing the anxiousness that was tearing through her to show, Orihime put on a bright smile and got out of bed. "Great. I'm just a little hungry though."

"I'll get some breakfast while I'm out securing our ride to the next safe house. Anything you would prefer?" Ishida was on his feet, for a moment he awkwardly stood there as if contemplating what to do next.

"No, whatever is fine. I'm just really eager to see Rangiku again." Yea that's what she should be focusing on. Reuniting with Ran and getting passed the horrible year that she just experienced.

"That you would be. I assure you that by tonight you guys will be together again." He picked up a small suitcase that was wedged in between the television stand and dresser. "You must want to get out of those clothes." He began to pull out several neatly folded feminine garments and handed them to her. "If these are not to your liking, I can grab some more while I'm out."

Orihime shook her head, splaying out the nondescript but conservative blouse and skirt combo that he had handed her. They weren't to her liking, but they would be functional in drawing little attention to them. "They're fine. Makes it easier to blend in." She answered awkwardly. She felt like kicking herself. They had barely spent any time together, why did she think there was anything more there?

"Do you want to shower first?" Ishida asked brining her out of her thoughts. At least she wasn't the only one that was nervous. He looked out of his element, like small talk was not something that was part of his job description.

"Um, no that's fine. You go ahead. I can shower while you are out." He nodded as if he hadn't considered that an option. He pulled out several somber looking pieces for himself and made his way into the bathroom.

Orihime sighed as she listened to the first spray of water and the rustle of him getting undressed. What in the world was wrong with her? What would Rangiku say if she saw her just then? She'd probably tell her how gorgeous she was and that there were plenty of other fish in the sea.

But she didn't want anyone else. Had being locked away really caused her to become so traumatized that his small act of kindness became so significant? She had to remove herself from the situation as soon as possible before she did something she would regret. It was just an infatuation; nothing was going to come out of it.

So why couldn't she get that in her brain? Why did she feel that saying goodbye to Ishida was going to be worse than being locked away by Aizen? Orihime sighed, her mind made up. She was a strong girl; she had fought hard for other things in her life. She would just have to fight a little harder for him.

She opened the door and stepped into the steamy room, His clothes were folded neatly on the cabinet next to the bathroom sink, his glasses rested on top of them. Orihime swallowed the doubt that suddenly dried her mouth. This wasn't the right way to go about things. Throwing herself at him was not going to make him like her any more than anything that had already happened between them.

Making up her mind, Orihime opened the damp curtain and stepped into the shower behind him. Immediately Ishida turned towards her, his blue eyes squinting beneath the spray of hot water.

"I'm gonna wash your back." Orihime provided with a wide smile, reaching for the soap. Lightning fast his hand shot out to still hers.

"Orihime, though I appreciate your offer there is no need. I am almost through." Ishida let her hand fall from his and tried to turn her so that her back was to him. Orihime shook off his fingers and took a step back.

"I understand." She said with a sheepish laugh. "Go ahead and finish up. Don't mind me."

He nodded and turned his back to her reaching up to direct the spray of water so that some of it would fall on her. He adjusted the temperature a little so that the water was no longer hot but a more comfortable warm.

Orihime took this opportunity to wrap her arms around his thin waist and pull him closer to her. He stilled in her embrace. She laid her cheek against his back wondering why she was doing this to herself. He already made his intentions clear; he had no romantic interest in her.

"Orihime." He said softly but sternly, placing his hands over hers. "I understand-"

"Me too." Orihime whispered cutting him off. She knew what he was going to say. He understood that she was feeling this way because he had done something so profound. He had rescued her from Aizen's snares, and she thought she had to repay him some way. If only that was the case. That would have been preferable to what she was feeling. That meant she would be able to easily give him a piece of her body and then say goodbye.

Honestly, she just wanted him to hold her and tell her whatever nonsense as long as he just held her in his arms. She didn't care how foolish that made her, she just wanted to follow what her heart was telling her was right.

"In a few hours, you will be reunited with Rangiku, and I know you will be able to put this painful experience behind you. I will not say that I can put myself in your shoes but"

"It's fine." She murmured, "I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me and Rangiku." She loosened the hold she had on his waist and slipped her fingers down between his legs. "I don't have money, and you probably have everything you want already." She grasped his slick cock, marveling at how hard and thick it felt between her fingers.

"Orihime," Ishida breathed, his hand taking hold of hers. "You don't have to do this." She shook his fingers from hers defiantly.

"Just let me do this for you." She responded tentatively exploring his length from base to tip, she could feel the sudden tensing of Ishida's muscles as she did that. She paused there running one of her fingers over the ridges and dips listening to the quickening of his breathing. He must be sensitive there. The feeling of touching and discovering him was weird but exhilarating at the same time.

Orihime brought her other hand up to wrap fully around the base of his cock. She rubbed the head with one hand while using her other hand to masturbate him. She could feel the tension in his body as he tried to hold onto himself. She applied more pressure to the base and his hips bucked against her fingers.

"Orihime…" her name escaped his lips on a moan. Her face was burning, and it was not because of the steam that filled the shower. It was satisfying knowing that she was causing him to experience this kind of pleasure.

She placed light kisses on his wet back as she brought him closer and closer to the pinnacle. His hips moved in tandem with her hands with each thrust a soft grunt escaped him as he concentrated on finishing. She wished she could see his face, see the moment of absolute clarity when he experienced ecstasy from her hands. Maybe he would realize then that she belonged with him.

She could feel his cock tighten in her hands and the muscles of his buttocks tense as he began to come. His hips stilled their thrusting as he rested more of his weight against the shower wall as the white-hot feeling of bliss overcame him.

Orihime stared down at her fingers as the warm water washed the remnants of him from them. His eyes were still closed, and his breathing was still labored as his orgasm finished its ebb. She wanted to say something but didn't know what would be appropriate in this situation. Slowly his eyes opened and tried to focus on her.

Suddenly she felt shy and embarrassed of her actions. She turned quickly and grabbed one of the thin towels running from the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her and stood against it, the flimsy towel useless against the water that dripped from her body. She tried to sop up as much as she could so she could get dressed quickly.

What did she think she would accomplish by doing that? How was she supposed to face him now? All her bravado had disappeared the moment he looked at her. What happened to all her talk about fighting for what she wanted? She just wanted to fall to floor and bawl her eyes out. What was she going to do now?

Orihime quickly dressed in the clothes that she had laid out before and toweled her hair. The shower had long been turned off, but she couldn't hear anything from his end. Ishida was probably in there trying to figure out a way to foster her on someone else now. She dreaded the moment he would walk out and give her that look. Maybe she should just leave before he came out of the bathroom? Maybe she could find her way on her own. It couldn't be that hard-to-find Rangiku now that she wasn't locked away.

Ishida walked out of the bathroom without a word. He had an austere look on his face as he placed their used clothes in two separate bags.

Should she apologize? Should she pretend like it didn't happen? She was almost home free. In a few hours he was gonna be out of her life anyways. Could she not muster the courage to be in his presence until then. Orihime felt the sting of tears at the back of her eyes. Even though she was ashamed of what she did, the pretense that she'd used, she still didn't want to say goodbye to him.

She couldn't be in love with him. No, she was just feeling an infatuation for a man who was doing something great for her. She did need to say goodbye to him and then she would see the truth of everything.

Ishida turned to her then but made no move to come closer, "Orihime, I want you to know that my duty is to protect and reunite you with Rangiku. That is my job. You have no debt to repay to me. Do you understand?"

There it was, out in the open plainly said so there wouldn't be a possibility of any confusion. Everything he was doing was just because he was paid to do so. All the instances that she had misconstrued had all been in her head. If she wanted to thank someone she might as well thank the Japanese government.

"I understand, Ishida." She had to stop otherwise she would have choked on the bile that she suddenly felt rising from the pit of her stomach.

"I'm sorry, I cannot discuss this further with you now." His expression softened slightly, "I know this has been very stressful for you, but I can assure that you will find happiness once all this is over." He glanced down at his watch and then back at her. "We are already behind schedule. I will be back soon with our vehicle. Please have everything packed and ready." Ishida didn't wait for a confirmation as he exited the hotel room and left her standing there awkwardly.

Orihime looked around the empty room wondering what it was he wanted her to get ready. He had done everything on his own. A sob escaped her, then another and she just let them overtake her. She crumbled to the bed and let the anguish of everything wash over her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

---

Rukia didn't want to open her eyes, she laid there unsure of what was going to happen the moment she did. She could tell he was in the room with her. He had been right next to her up to just a few minutes ago. The only good thing, if she could consider it that, was that he couldn't hurt her. Her fate rested in Kurasaki's hands not his.

The door opened and she could hear hushed conversation. She chanced a quick peek out of one eye. He stood there talking with one of his body guards his back towards her. He made a movement and she quickly shut her eyes, unconsciously holding her breath.

Just leave! She willed him mentally waiting to hear the door close. Even if he did leave, she would have to face him at some point. He would be angry; she had seduced him with the intention of escaping. She should have hit him over the head just to be sure that he would have been out. But he hadn't even been the one to capture her, maybe he had slept through the whole thing?

The room was silent, she listened closely for any noise. Then the mattress next to her depressed under his weight, and he pulled the covers from over her. "When are you gonna drop the ruse? I know you are awake."

Rukia kept her breathing even; she was not ready to face him. She had not thought out what she was going to say to him or even how she would react. Last night she had slept with this man for Kami's sake. She had even begged for him to fuck her. How had she let it get that far?

"Fine." He said, pulling her legs apart. "Since you want to play it that way, I might as well have a second helping." His fingers slid up her calves, up her legs and lingered on the inside of her thighs.

Rukia let out the breath she had been holding and pulled away from him, "don't touch me." She ground out closing her legs and sitting up. "What do you want?"

"You've been waiting for your chance to meet Kurosaki, and now you'll have it." he got up and went over to the mantle next to the doorway. "He wants you to wear this." He brought over a package and dropped it at the foot of the bed.

"I'm not going." Rukia responded looking at the brightly wrapped box, trepidation filling her. Was his 'interest' in her the same as Ich? Was she just going to be passed around between them like some sort of whore? "Just kill me."

Ich smirked, "what happened to all your bravado Ms. Kuchiki?"

She couldn't answer. She had worked her way through the system, working harder than most to get to where she was at. She had faced tough opponents before and her perseverance had always paid off, putting the bad guy behind bars. But this was completely different. There was no escaping, she was alone against one of the most famous Yakuza bosses in Japan.

"Sado will come and get you in one hour." He turned to leave, "Oh and don't try anything, I would hate to have a repeat of last night."

She was going to die here. She didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to her sister or mourn Renji's death. If she had known what was going to happen, she would have never followed him that night. Ich would have probably just talked to him and he would still be alive, he was gone because of her. Why did she act without thinking?

A repeat of last night? Did he expect her to try and escape? She didn't have to go to the patio to know that planning an escape through that path was futile. She could see the shadows of two burly men standing there. No doubt there would be more on the other side of the door as well.

Rukia sighed and opened the box, dreading what would be inside. To her surprise there was a crisp white button-down shirt and a navy-blue pair of pleated slacks inside. As she stared down at the two articles of clothing memories of her days in the police department came rushing back. The ensemble was reminiscent of her uniform when she was just an officer. What game was Kurosaki playing? She couldn't figure out if this was done intentionally or not.

She got up, her body still feeling a little lethargic and heavy and went to the bathroom. After a quick shower she felt refreshed. She dressed quickly, thinking of what she would say when she finally came face to face with him. Had she been imprudent to go after him? Even after she had been warned multiple times, she just couldn't let it go. Why? Why did arresting him mean so much to her?

Now as she sat there waiting for the inevitable, she couldn't think of a reasonable answer. Even if she had taken him in who's to say that he wouldn't have gotten off the hook with a slap on the wrist? She was well aware of the corruption in the judicial system, even in the police system. Was she the only one that cared that he was poisoning their country?

Rukia took a deep breath, this was it, she would face Kurasaki knowing she didn't let fear deter her. She was going speak her mind and not back down. If he was going to kill her anyways there was no point in dying without telling him what kind of trash he was.

The door opened dragging her from her thoughts. Sado stood there with a grim look on his face, like an executioner ready to lead a prisoner to their death. Rukia took a deep breath and followed him out. As she had thought, there were two hulking men standing outside her door, although even they were dwarfed by Sado's impressive height and build.

She wondered what Ich was doing, why he hadn't come to fetch her himself. He didn't seem to care that much for Kurosaki's arrival. Even though they seemed to be close from the pictures around the house, his attitude was so blasé about him.

They headed to the end of the house to a section that she had explored when they first arrived but had found nothing particularly interesting there. Just a storeroom and an old office. Ich had never ventured back there so she figured it was not in use. But now she knew why, it belonged to Kurosaki.

As they neared the end of the hallway, she could hear moaning. She stopped, suddenly feeling terrified. What was he leading her into? She turned to bolt but before her legs could listen to her brain Sado scooped her up into his thick arms.

"Let me go! Put me the hell down!" she yelled kicking at his arms and sides. What sick and perverted things were Kurosaki planning for her? She would never willingly submit to that man's disgusting fantasies; she would rather die. She turned her face into his arms and sank her teeth into his shoulder. She felt him tense but there was no outward reaction, he continued towards the room at the end of the hall.

The moaning, panting, and the sounds of bodies slapping together lewdly became louder. She couldn't breathe, it felt like she was heading to a fate worse than death. Tears came to her eyes. "Please, don't make me go in there." She begged weakly against his broad chest.

He said nothing, reaching for the door handle and swinging it open. He set her down just inside of the door and turned to leave. Her feet felt like they were made of lead, no matter how much she begged they would not budge. All she could hear was the sounds of sex, it echoed all around her, stifling her will.

She didn't dare look up; she didn't want to see the depravity that was going on around her. She had planned for every scenario but something like this. She would rather die than be his plaything.

"Please… Ich…." Her blood froze in her veins as her own voice resonated through her. Immediately her eyes snapped up from the ground. The whole back wall was filled with images of her sprawled out beneath Ich, his face buried between her legs.

"Please!" her onscreen doppelgänger begged as he brought her to completion. Behind the large desk, a high-backed leather seat was faced towards the screens. Her face burned; Kurosaki was there watching her beg to be fucked by one of his men. She felt like scum, she was an officer of the law, someone who was supposed to have high moral standards and integrity but there she was lustfully begging for man who she knew was a murderer to fuck her.

What the hell had she done? Her legs felt like they were jelly and all the blood rushed from her face to pound unsteadily in her chest. Why wasn't he saying anything? The scene was over, but right away it began again. "Not really, I find you attractive. I think you can do the job better than I could alone." On screen Rukia said seductively. Was that really her voice? She sounded like she had wanted it.

"Quite a good performance. Don't you think?" the chair swung around, and Ich grinned at her. "It would have taken a better man than me to resist."

For a moment it didn't register to her that he had spoken. What was going on here? Where was Kurosaki? Was this all some sort of set-up? The picture on the screens behind him stopped and finally she felt like she could speak. "What the hell is going on here?"

His lips tilted into a smirk, "What do you think is going on here? You're smart, I think you should be able to figure it out." He rose from his seat and approached her.

Rukia took a step back unsure of his intentions. He stood in front of her, making no move to touch her. For the life of her, she could not come up with anything. Did he plan for her to sleep with him? But she had always turned him down, there was no way she would give in to him. Unless her hand had been forced, like Kurosaki coming to the island.

"I can see those wheels working in that pretty head of yours." Ich wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She could feel the heat of his body and memories of what transpired between them the night before came rushing back.

"Don't," Rukia ground out pulling away from his touch. "That didn't mean anything."

"Oh, but it did. It does." His didn't reach for her again, behind him their sex tape began playing again. "What do you think Urahara would have to say about this?" Rukia's eyes widened, was he going to blackmail her? "What would your sister think of you begging to be fucked? Not to mention Byakuya. Didn't you become a police officer to follow in his footsteps?"

Rukia felt like she couldn't breathe, she felt like she was drowning. The lump in her throat smothered any voice she had. She had walked right into his ploy. She had thought she was so shrewd hatching that plan of escape, but he had been smarter. Of course, he had cameras everywhere. There was no hiding anything from him.

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

"You keep asking questions that you know the answer to already." He licked his lips, "it wasn't much of a feat for me. Getting to fuck that sexy little body of yours was the best part."

"Kurosaki was never coming here, was he?" So, this was all a ploy to get her to drop her interest in him. They would blackmail her with this, and she was going to forget all about pursuing him. Her credibility as an officer and her life would be ruined if this every got out.

"Oh no, he's been here the whole time." The scathing tone of his voice caught her off guard. "You just got fucked by him."

Rukia gasped; it couldn't be. "You, you are Kurosaki?" she could barely get it out.

"Ichigo Kurosaki in the flesh." His smirk was devilish. "For a detective, your actions are very predictable."

"How?" Rukia asked still shocked, this whole time she was in the midst of the man she was searching for. If this was Kurosaki, then who was the older man in all the pictures? Nothing was making any sense to her. Was she really such a threat that Kurosaki himself would entrap her like this?

"How am I Kurasaki or how did I know what you were going to do?" he chuckled. He waited for her answer, but he could tell by her expression she wasn't sure of the question herself. "Well, I am, if you believe it or not is up to you." He turned away from her turning off the screens behind him and taking a seat.

"You are a naïve woman; you pretend like you are brave and strong but really inside you are just like an immature child. You continuously look for validation from your brother and your coworkers, you take stupid risks without thinking of the consequences. I knew you would follow Renji, I knew you wouldn't shoot, I knew you would try to escape. I've had my eyes on you for a while, I've had time to study you."

He opened one of the desk drawers and pulled out a large envelope. "And now you have a decision to make Ms. Kuchiki."

"And what would that be?" Finally, her voice sounded like it belonged to her. She took offence to his description of her character. She was not impulsive, and she didn't do the things she did for approval. She truly hated the corruption that plagued the country.

"I could send a copy of this video to your superiors and your love ones. You'll be ridiculed and maybe fired but more importantly you'll bring shame to the Kuchiki name. Or I could keep this for my eyes only and let you go about your merry little way. It's up to you."

"What's the catch?" knowing that Hisana and Byakuya would see the depravity of the tape was worse than being fired or the embarrassment of her coworkers seeing it. They were the only family she had left, the only people that really cared for her.

"Forget about the stupid notion that you can take me down. I'm sure there are plenty of other criminals that'll tickle your fancy. Of course, I'll give you a copy for you to enjoy on lonely nights." He chuckled shoving the envelope towards her.

"That's it?" there had to be more to this. He was a cunning man, all the chips here were in his favor. Why would he let her go? Why not just kill her?

"What? Did you expect me to say that you belonged to me? That I owned you from now on?" The cocky way he said it made her face flush.

"No, why don't you just kill me. How does keeping me alive benefit you?" he wanted something from her, maybe not now but along the line she knew it was going to happen. Otherwise, there was no point in keeping her alive.

"You and all your questions." He ran a hand through his messy hair and leaned back in his chair. "There's no point in killing you. I know you aren't gonna risk provoking me, so you are no threat to me. Plus, I like you, it makes no sense to waste a body like yours."

Rukia thought about his statement for a moment. This must be like some game to him. Did he mean to seek her out in the future for a quick rut whenever he wanted? No that was not going to happen, once she was off this island, she would never think of him or this surreal incident again.

"I will not pursue you or your business. I will forget about all that I know about you, in exchange you will leave me alone. Once I leave this island you will not exist to me." She said trying to keep her voice calm and steady. Inside her emotions were in a tumultuous upheaval, did she really have any bargaining power here?

He shrugged, "Fine, but remember Rukia I have eyes everywhere. If you fuck with me, I will ruin you."

"I understand." She answered, still anxious. This was too easy; something was not right about this whole situation.

"This is yours." He pointed to the envelope, "I'll have Sado take you home."

Rukia hesitantly picked up the envelope and opened it. There was a disk inside and stack of neatly folded bills clipped to its package. "You can't buy me!" She said angrily dropping it back to the desk.

"But I already have Rukie." He replied with a slick grin, "Consider it a thank you for such a good fuck." He laughed pulling out his cellphone. He began speaking into it before she could form any words of refutation.

The door opened behind her and Sado appeared, waiting patiently for her.

"Goodbye Rukie."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

---

Nel lifted her arms above her head in a light stretch. She was slowly getting used to the pressure on her shoulders and arms from sitting in the same upright position for eight hours a day. She missed the hustle and bustle of her shifts at the hospital. Never being able to stand in one place for more than a few minutes before she was needed somewhere else.

Don't get her wrong, she was thankful for this position; she knew the strain that was gonna come soon enough and this desk job would be a blessing. But boy did she feel underutilized. Most of her days were spent idly browsing the company's statistics. She sent out emails, prepared documents, and scheduled appointments but it was such a small company she was through with her work before the day could really begin.

She thought working would be a good distraction instead of staying home all day and having nothing to do. It would be something to keep her mind off Nnoitra and her peculiar predicament, but she still had plenty of time to think of them. Truthfully, most of her time was spent thinking about her future. She would be raising a baby on her own with no support, without even the option of calling on old friends for help.

Nel didn't know what would be worse getting the phone call from Mr. Urahara to tell her that Nnoitra was in custody, and she would no longer have to be in hiding. Or never getting that call. Knowing that he was still out there living his life recklessly without a care for anyone but himself.

She kept telling herself that once they caught him, he could atone for what he had done. He could change and eventually they could have something again. But in what universe were they gonna let a killer go free? Why couldn't she just forget him? Why couldn't she be heartless like him?

Why couldn't it be easy to just let go of her thoughts. Just wipe her mind clean, like a brand-new slate. That way she wouldn't feel this pain any time she thought about him. She wouldn't see that look on his face, hear those disgusting hurtful words leave his lips.

"Mrs. Higaya do not forget to take your lunch break at the schedule time." Ms. Fukada said poking her head into the opened doorway.

"Thank you, I won't." Nel responded with what she hoped was a bright smile. She didn't want the tumultuous emotions she was feeling to show on her face. She didn't want to have to try to come up with answers to empathetic questions.

Honestly, she had done just that all of that past week. She routinely got lost in her thoughts and by the time she realized it her break time had already passed. Then she had to sheepishly apologize to Ms. Fukada to be excused.

Ms. Fukada returned her smile and then went back to her office next door. Nel sighed and glanced at the clock on her wall. It was a few minutes until break. She had been primed to miss it again. She signed out of her computer and made sure her desk looked neat. She hadn't gone to the store yet so she didn't have much to pack for lunch, so she had some leftovers and fruit Mr. Reid had brought in.

"I'm going now. I'll be outside in the park as usual." Nel said to Ms. Fukada as she walked past her office. She only paused briefly to see her affirmative nod before she exited out the back door to the hedged trail that led to the central park.

Fleetingly Nel felt a chill run down her spine. She paused right outside the door hesitantly debating on whether to just eat in the breakroom. She couldn't live her life in fear. She straightened herself and looked forward ignoring the fingers of trepidation that tickled her skin. Leisurely she made her way to the small clearing in the middle of the magnificently maintained park.

The weather here was so nice and being couped up for eight hours in one place was maddening. She had to get some fresh air into her system. Taking a seat at one of the empty picnic benches she glanced around noticing how empty it seemed. Usually around this time more people were doing just as she was, taking advantage of the beautiful weather and eating outside.

It was fine either way, she really wanted more people around just in case something was to happen. Nel exhaled sharply and shook that thought from her head. She had to stop being so paranoid. Even though Mr. Urahara had assured her there was no possibility of anyone from her past finding her without his knowledge she was still afraid.

She constantly had an intense feeling of apprehension. Even when Ms. Fukada was in the next room, she felt like any moment someone would pop out and grab her. She wasn't sure if it was going to be Nnoitra or some faceless phantom that had a vendetta against him. They would grab her and kill the innocent little being that was growing inside of her. Even if Nnoitra knew she was pregnant he would probably forcibly make sure she got rid of it. He wouldn't want any link left between them.

"Hikari, was it?"

Nel looked up from her lunch trying to map the man's face in front of her, "Yeah, I'm very sorry but I'm not very good with faces. Have we met before?"

"Its fine, I'm Shiyori. We bumped into each other once before." He replied sheepishly. "We are actually neighbors."

"Ah, yeah I remember now." She had been so lost in thought that day she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings.

"Do you mind if I join you?" He asked looking expectantly at the empty seat across from her.

"No, go ahead." She motioned with what she hoped was a pleasant enough smile. Most people were pleasant enough, but she hadn't made any friends there so far. She wanted to try and change that about herself now that she had all this time on her hands.

Shiyori took his seat and pulled out his bento, taking his time to set his utensils and napkins this way and that. Nel ate quietly taking this time to study his features fully. His face was unremarkable, his blue eyes didn't have any luster and the cut of his blonde hair framed his face in an unappealing way.

"How are you liking it here so far?" He asked once he had everything set out in front of himself. "I know this can be a change from Tokyo."

"It's very peaceful." Nel replied, absently wondering if she had mentioned before that she was from Tokyo. She must have been really lost in thought on their first encounter. What had she been thinking about? Maybe it was when she had just found out she was pregnant? Maybe it was right after her interview? For the life of her she couldn't place their conversation.

"It's a great place to settle down and raise a family." Shiyori agreed stuffing his face boorishly. "Just like it used to be." He added his mouth full of rice.

Nel wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she nodded in agreement and continue to eat her meal. She was glad she had packed a light lunch so she wouldn't have to spend too much time in his company. For some reason this situation was making her uncomfortable. She just couldn't put a finger on why.

"Most people come here for that reason." He set down his napkin and took a long swig of his bottled water. "What's your reason Hikari?" He asked his blue eyes bearing charily into hers.

The hairs on her neck prickled and she felt like the air around her stilled. "Um, well..." her spoon slipped from her now clammy fingers and fell to the floor next to her. She didn't reach to pick it up, caught off guard but not knowing why. She couldn't remember the cover story that Mr. Urahara had given her. Her mind was a complete blank.

It was like the moment never existed, Shiyori knelt next to her to retrieve her spoon with a contrite smile on his face. "I'm sorry if it's too personal to discuss, I didn't mean anything by it." He took his seat and continued his messy eating again. "I moved here after my divorce, just for a new start."

Had she imagined the whole change in his demeanor? Had the ominous energy that surrounded her just been in her mind? The way he had looked at her brought back memories of that night with Nnoitra. The contempt in those silver pits as if her existence made him hate life itself. But why would this man feel that way towards her? She must have imagined it.

"We married young, I guess. She fell in love with someone else. So, here I am," he was saying, his eyes still watching her guardedly.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Nel answered not sure what to say. She had always had comforting words for her patients and for her father. But in certain situations, certain people she could never find the right words. Maybe if she had only tried harder with Nnoitra, maybe if she had tried to understand him more. She had known he was hurting, doing things to himself that weren't normal. Why hadn't she tried harder to let him know how much she loved him?

"Don't worry about it." Shiyori said clearing away his lunch. "It's in the past. I'm looking forward to what the future has in store for me."

Again, Nel nodded, unsure of the meaning behind his words. Her whole impression of this meeting with him was one of unease and extreme anxiety. She hurriedly put away her unfinished lunch and prepared to head back to work.

Going forward she would take her lunches in the small breakroom in the office. She had enjoyed eating outside to break up the monotony of her day, but she would just have to deal with it.

"Thanks for having lunch with me." She said to him politely trying to fix her face in a pleasant mask. Hopefully this would be the last time. He mentioned they were neighbors, but she never saw him around. She would have to be more cognizant to keep it that way.

"The pleasure was all mine." He turned to put his lunchbox and bag on his bike. Momentarily he stood there lost in thought, then he slowly turned towards her. "Let's do this again, Ellie." With that he gingerly got onto his bicycle and rode off in the direction of their neighborhood.

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A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it!