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That Dreaded Word	By : Platinumsabr Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 11539 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or the characters from it. I don't make any money from the writing of this story, but I do enjoy writing it. Any Original Characters are mine however, as is the story itself, and if you see it posted elsewhere pleas

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Bodyguard

It went without saying that the
two normally up at the smallest streak of sunlight slept in the next day. Then
again, technically they had been up at the crack of dawn, but that was only
because they hadn�t gone to sleep yet. They had eventually succumbed, exhausted
and satiated, into sleep in each other�s arms, uncaring of the light streaking
through the blinds.

They weren�t getting up for
anything.

Gwydion�s dreams were mercifully
free of nightmares; in fact they were free of everything. He fell into a deep,
dreamless sleep, aware only of the raven-haired beauty resting against his
side. If it was possible for a person to smile in their sleep, he was probably
doing it, and Soi-Fong had never before known the
sensation of sleeping so peacefully. Her body was filled with his warmth as she
rested against him, unable to fight the Sandman any longer. She loved the
warmth she felt in his embrace, and her sleep went undisturbed by anything but
delicious remnants of their lovemaking in her subconscious.

She had never slept better in her
life, and how rock hard muscle was so comfortable she had no clue.

When consciousness came back to
her again it was mid-afternoon, and she smiled contently as her nose was hit
with a very familiar aroma. His crisp, nature-like scent was heavy with sweat
and the pure primal lust of last night still lingering on his body. It was
intoxicating. As her mind gradually came to full awareness she was suddenly conscious
of how pleasantly sore she was. She had never thought those two words
could be used in the same sentence before, but the paradox was exactly what she
was feeling at the moment.

Last night played itself over and
over in her mind, still fresh even without her dreams, and she smiled contently
as she slipped an arm over his impressive chest. Being that her head had been
cradled against his left arm the entire time she had no doubt that there would
be no feeling in it when he woke up, but she couldn�t bring herself to move
just yet. From where she was she could hear his heart, pounding softly against
his chest in rhythmic harmony to his gentle breathing. She had never been one
for mushiness before, but she could now understand why the Association
constantly talked about it. This sensation, nothing in the world could compare
to it.

She had never felt more confident
in her nudity, molded against his equally nude form, and she swore she could
still feel his lips on her skin. She was sure every inch of her had been kissed
under his tender care, and despite her soreness she felt fresh moisture
gathering at her sex. It was only natural, but she was content running her hand
over his chest, offhandedly following the trails of his definition, watching him
as he slept.

Unguarded as he was, his sleeping
face was undeniably cute, and she took comfort in the fact that she was the
only one he would show his sleeping face to willingly. When he napped he had an
air of tension around him, like he was ready for anything no matter how he
appeared. This time he was truly asleep, dead to the world, more peaceful than
she had ever seen him, and the urge to kiss him spontaneously rose in her mind.
She had long stopped fighting her desires after the first few minutes of the
night before, so she had no problem with removing herself from his side and
edging up to catch his lips.

He groaned lightly when the
source of heat removed itself from his body, and when a familiar sensation
tickled his awareness his eyes slowly fluttered open. It hadn�t lingered long,
but when his eye finally focused in on the world around him her beautiful face
was the first thing he saw. A lazy grin formed on his face before he leaned up
for another chaste kiss and flopped back to the bed, feeling gradually being
restored in his numb arm.

�If last night had been a dream I
would have been very disappointed,� he rasped throatily, his voice thick
with sleep while the proud grin stayed in place.

Soi-Fong
grinned right back at him as she wiped her eyelids of
the crustiness of slumber. �You wouldn�t be the only one.�

That sleepy, unknowingly sexy
grin on his face got wider. �I aim to please.�

Memories of his �pleasing� her
instantly sent newfound arousal to her wonderfully abused womanhood, though any
more would probably be too much for the tender, extremely sensitive flesh.
Uninhibited by the fear of yesterday, she didn�t restrain the sultry smile as
she leaned forward to kiss him again. Her legs instantly protested the
movement, and she nearly burst out laughing. She really was sore from
how much pleasure he had given her. �Mission
accomplished.�

They started laughing at the
absurdity of their situation as they continued kissing through their smiles.
Playful banter wasn�t either of their strong suits, but the post-coital glow was
still fresh in their systems and they could argue away their temporary insanity
on the drunkenness of their joy.

The beautiful violet vibrancy she
loved gazing into sparkled as their laughter died down, and the smile still on
his face was wider than anything she had ever seen on him before. �I love you Soi-Fong.�

Chalk it up to the sappiness of
the situation, she couldn�t do anything but smile back lovingly. �I love you
too.�

Nimble fingers brushed along her
ear, tenderly winding themselves into her disheveled hair as his loving gaze
trailed over what was revealed of her body, drinking in her radiant flesh
slowly before fixing back on her spectacular steel eyes. Her body burned under
that soft, proud look as his smile stayed in place, and she couldn�t help being
slightly self-conscious in wonderment of what had earned that. �W-What?�

His awe-inspiring smile softened,
allowing more love and pride into its being as he chuckled lowly. �You are so
beautiful.�

The unexpected comment caught her
unaware, and her skin brightened unwittingly though she had nothing to be
ashamed of. In fact, her inflated pride probably had more to do with the blush
than anything else. �I feel beautiful�thanks to you.�

It was his turn to color
this time, and the red dust staining his cheeks looked too cute coupled with
his tousled black hair for an ex-assassin. Within moments she found herself on
her back, him once again showing off his impressive strength as he supported
himself comfortably above her with his only hand, smirking proudly. She smirked
back, knowing it was well within her power to flatten him with her reiatsu
should she so want. It was the dynamic of trust between them that made her feel
so warm. She could see just from looking at him that he loved her, it was
radiating off him like a heady perfume.

She simply couldn�t stop smiling!
It was ridiculous, but she just couldn�t!

Flushed in arousal and the
remnants of merriment as she smiled up at him, and her skin positively glowed
under the pure sunlight breaking in through the cracks in the blinds. Again her
natural magnetism drew him to her, unable to resist tasting the flesh of his
lover once more, tantalizingly salty from the dried sweat of their lovemaking
the night before. He kissed her throat deeply, reveling in the breathy sigh it
evoked as she shivered beneath him. She could be such a sexual creature when
she wanted to be, and the physical changes that had taken place made sure no
mortal would be able to resist if she so chose. For the ice-cold fa�ade she
played so perfectly in her everyday life, he could see her warmth clear in her
now, made all the more potent by her love.

��So�beautiful�� he whispered
huskily in the breaks between paying homage to her body. Her whimpered cries as
her powerful hands dragged over his muscled abs and up over his back made his
throbbing erection absolutely painful. Her grip tightened onto him when he
trailed down to the firm peaks of her breasts and kissed one of the erect pink
nubs pointing proudly into the air. The gasp was more pronounced this time, and
despite their activities the night before Gwydion already found himself wanting
more.

Soi-Fong
was in heaven. His every touch made the discomfort of her soreness disappear
and only pure desire was left in its wake. Restrained for so long as she had
been�however self-imposed�only made it stronger, and his tortuous, wonderful
worship of her body set the simmering fire between her legs into a raging
inferno. She couldn�t even recall how long they had been at it the night
before, but already she wanted him again, soreness be
damned. If this is pain then bring it on! She thought shrewdly. She had
years to make up for, but she knew in her heart had they not been with him they
wouldn�t have meant anything anyway. Rubbing her legs together vainly to try
and calm the growing urge clued her in to the sticky state of her body,
leftover sweat and arousal from the past night that hadn�t been wiped off.

Though the attention he was
giving to her breasts as he worked his way down her trim abdomen was greatly
satisfying, grudgingly she had to push him away. Not wanting to be misunderstood,
she kissed him before he could voice his confusion, turning whatever words he
might have wanted to say into a low groan of pleasure. Her tongue prodded his
lips and he readily allowed access, provoking all of her senses in fighting her
tongue with his. Her plan had backfired completely, the intensity of the kiss
effectively taking her breath away more than it had his.

Dazed and aroused, she grinned at
the situation when she finally regained her higher brain functions. �I need to
clean off first.� There was no mistaking the disappointment in his eyes�that he
tried to hide as soon as it came�but that only made her smile all the more seductive
as she pushed him up and bounced off the bed before gracing him with a pose
that made his blood boil in need. Her limp when she landed hadn�t gone
unnoticed either, and for a second there it had actually looked like her legs
were going to go out from under her. It took all that he had not to take her
right where she stood.

But then�lithe fingers tugged at
her braids, and before his eyes she made an undeniably erotic show of loosening
her hair from its constraints. When at last the golden rings fell to the floor,
she flared out her hair behind her, covering her back with a mass of unruly
black waves that went down all the way to her tailbone. His self in its
entirety could only focus on her; the person who with just one simple change
had morphed from a woman to a goddess.

Completely at ease with her
sexuality, and on a drug-like high from his words and actions, she looked over
her shoulder and grinned coyly. �You coming or not?�

His ensuing grin was downright predatory.

He rose fluidly, not even making
a sound on the floor as he walked towards her and pressed himself to her back
as he captured her turned head to kiss her once more. She could feel his hard
erection against the cleft of her backside and she moaned into their joined
mouths at the shocks that sent through her. Her eyelids fluttered when he began
kissing the back of her shoulders tenderly, breathing in the delicious scent of
her unbound hair, and wound his arm around her waist to cup her womanhood
softly. Her knees nearly buckled at the amazing touch on her hypersensitive
flesh, and even though she wanted to get to the bathroom, one of her hands
found its way over his and kept it in place as the other motioned his head back
to hers. A gasp escaped her lips when his fingers began rubbing her moist core,
and her soreness was suddenly the last thing on her mind as the haze of
pleasure began settling in. He was gentle, oh so careful in his handling of
her, and she urged him on harder with the hand covering his without conscious
thought.

�Of course,� he answered, and his
heated tone caused her to shudder in delight. She cried out when a finger
entered her unexpectedly, and she leaned heavily against his chest as she shook
in the bliss of the welcome intrusion. �You will too. Over�� his finger
rubbed harder, ��and over�� his palm coursed harshly over her clit and
she squirmed feverishly as he nibbled her ear before whispering one last time
in a tone of confident finality, ��and over again.�

She nearly melted right there. It
was a promise, not even a statement. The finger pushed deeper, curling against
her inner walls to prod teasingly against the spot that made her toes curl
without fail. Her eyes screwed shut as she clung to his shoulder and wrist,
unabashedly grinding into his hand as pleasure roared through her in white hot
waves. It was intense, a simmering intensity that took its time burning through
ever last nerve she had, unlike the sharp spike of pleasure that would assault
her when his finger closed in on her clit. The scream of his name bounced off
the walls as she fought to remain standing, her legs quivering and glistening
in the light while she reeled from the drawn-out explosiveness of her climax.

Holy shit� Even after all of
the mind-blowing orgasms she had had last night, this one still left her dazed.
Unsteady and breathless, she was vaguely aware of the movement of his arm
before her head had been turned and he once again dominated her mouth. She
could taste herself on his lips, and it didn�t take long for her to figure out
how he had cleaned his fingers. Strangely enough it was pretty arousing. His
tongue played in her mouth, drawing teasingly over her teeth and palate before
wrestling with her tongue once more. His taste was indescribable, a myriad of
sensations, flavors, and carnal maleness all combined with the sole
purpose of turning her thought processes to goo. She
fought back eagerly, not about to lose their ongoing battle for dominance, and
his moan soon vibrated into her mouth, joined very quickly by hers when she
felt his hard cock rubbing against her ass.

The man was a wonder, even she
could admit that, and he was certainly blessed to say the least. That
she had felt acutely. He had an amazing aptitude for distracting her as well
it would seem, and it was quite the feat indeed to distract her, the
commanding officer of the Second Division. Deciding to get things somewhat back
under her control, she whirled around and grabbed his face with both hands,
easily pulling his head down to hers again, only relinquishing when the need
for air became absolute.

Her sly grin was smug as she
waltzed away, and she was glad he couldn�t see her face at the moment because
it was harder than she thought to walk, and her face had turned bright red at
the first sign of limping. It was all she could do to keep from laughing, as
uncharacteristic as it might be.

The bathroom was small,
comparative to the apartment-style house he lived in, enough to fit one easily
and two cozily. That was exactly what she wanted. The bathtub was small, but
would fit two people nicely under the spray of the shower, and she eased the
water on when she heard the door shut behind her. She could practically smell
him behind her, she felt his presence tingling up her
back like it was second nature. Forget focusing on his reiatsu, she could sense
him instinctively now. It was an amazing feeling, one that made her heart pump
hard against her chest.

She kept her back turned to him
as she felt him walking closer. Normally sound would be an indicator, but with
people like them there usually wasn�t any. She sighed breathily when she felt
his hand float through the waves of obsidian silk flowing down her back, and
shivered when she heard his deep inhalation. Tender kisses to her
shoulder-blades had her arching backwards as he caressed her hair away, trying
to feel more of his body against her as the warming water wasted down the
drain. She absolutely loved the way he touched her, and she wished to any god
that might hear her to restore his right arm. Amazing as he was with one, she
shuddered to think of what he could do with two. As selfish as it was, right
then she didn�t care about anything as long as he kept touching her.

With a flick of her wrist the
water began flowing from the showerhead, and she turned back to face him with a
seductive grin as she stepped backwards into the flow. Water cascaded down her
head and over her body, yet she only focused on the man outside before he too
stepped into the tub and closed the frosty partition, trapping them inside the
small space together. It was a sentence he would gladly serve. She stared,
entranced, as rivulets of water ran down his body, through the hard edges of
his muscles, demanding her attention. He looked like an Olympian god, and
better yet, a wet Olympian god.

Her mouth watered as she traced
her eyes over him hungrily, and before she knew it her hands were unconsciously
following that trail. Warm water poured over them, yet there was an altogether
different reason for the wetness between her legs as she felt his hot gaze
burning into her from under his wet hair. All she wanted to do was throw herself at him and have her way with him until she couldn�t
stand anymore, but she had been the one who had wanted to get clean. She
had a feeling they would get dirty in the process, and from the looks of his
still very hard erection, it was a very good feeling.

Every time she touched him
electricity shot through his body. Even her gentle, unassuming touches as she
appreciated the work he had put into his body made his blood absolutely rage.
He would be lying if he said he wasn�t just the slightest bit sore from last
night, though honestly he just couldn�t care. The way her dark locks stuck to
her head and back as water flowed down her ivory skin, over the supple flesh
and deviated every now and then through the ridges of definition perfectly
covered by her womanly curves, she was as tempting as sin itself.

Restraining himself for the
moment, he grinned at her as he grabbed the soap and started making trails of
his own down her body. The hum of approval issued from her throat was music to
his ears as he slipped behind her to wash her back, fondly stroking her hair
over to her chest so he could work unhindered. Her skin was perfect, not a
single scar taking away from her beauty�which spoke volumes of her skill in her
line of work. Every muscle was as powerful as any other he had seen on her body
hidden under that unblemished covering, leading down to her well-formed
backside, two globes of flawlessly toned flesh and muscle that made his cock
throb.

He kissed along her shoulders
again, laving adulation on her body as his hand continued on, and she moaned
openly when he started massaging her butt. The water washed the suds away
quickly, and then his kisses were going down as well, dotingly running over
each bump of her spine and making her shiver even with the warmth of the
shower. His soap-filled hand scrubbed her firm legs, causing her to whine
uncharacteristically when he cleaned her thighs and rubbed the willing petals
of her dripping flower.

Far past aroused�and wondering
how he hadn�t gone insane yet�she impatiently widened her legs as she
leaned forward and put a hand against the wall as the other spread her folds
invitingly. �E-Enough already! I need you now!�

Though she loved every moment of
his touches, she was done being docile. Now she was demanding it. She
felt like she was going to explode if she didn�t feel him inside her, the
carnal fullness she had gotten addicted to only yesterday. A ragged moan
echoed in the enclosed space when his rigid manhood rubbed her swollen, parted
lips, and she threw her head back with a yowl of blissful relief when he thrust
into her forcefully, instantly setting off her second orgasm. She still wasn�t
able to accept him fully in one thrust, but with every stroke he hit deeper, stretched
her further, scraping nerves raw from climax and bringing tears of pleasure to
her eyes.

He bucked into her wildly, all
traces of his restraint gone, and she shrieked louder as the sounds of wet
bodies colliding were amplified by the small size of the bathroom.� His hand was under her stomach, keeping her
in place, and she tried with everything she had to meet his thrusts with a roll
of her hips back against him. His pace was hard, each plunge resonating through
her body like a bomb going off as she wept in glorious insanity.

�Harder! Harder!! Oh god damn�!!�

She loved every second of his
rough treatment, and her cries turned louder when he heeded her demand, pulling
almost every agonizing inch out of her before returning with even more force
than he had before. The wave of sensation that hit her was unlike anything she
had felt before, and her knees wobbled as the shockwave ricocheted inside her
when another earth-moving stab lit her nerves and his speed increased, sending
those mind-bending sensations to her already overloaded mind without rest. She
could feel his hard length hit her cervix and her eyes rolled back in her head
as she relinquished any effort to meet him. It just felt too damn good.

Expletives fell from her lips in
praise as she struggled to stay conscious under the onslaught of pleasure, and
each word only made him redouble his efforts. She lost count of how many times
she came under his assault, and eventually even her voice was hoarse and unable
to continue as she mewled and shook, far from caring about how much noise she
made anymore.

The bathroom amplified every
sound, from the begging and cursing she made to the sounds of their bodies
meeting in abandon, and he had lost control. Last night had been slow, amazing
lovemaking that still made him tingle when he thought about it. There was one
thing not to be forgotten however: she was a hornet, a lioness, a predator.
The fights for control were what had made even their soft lovemaking so
spectacular, but this was raw, animalistic, sex. Her muscles clamped
down on him harshly, pushing his control, and her screams of fulfillment kept
him going all the harder. His brain had shut down, it
was a blind rush to the edge of oblivion as his pelvis continued to pound against
her ass every time he sheathed himself inside her.

When he felt her inner walls
start to convulse yet again he knew there wasn�t a hope in hell of him holding
off any longer. Extraordinarily he did though, when his name started greeting his
ears in a desperate plea from a voice ravaged by lust and overuse, and he grit
his teeth and pushed harder. His name had never sounded better to him. He had
held off for far too long, and he could feel the explosion coming. Tightening
his grip on her he plunged into her harshly, and she moaned his name in primal
delight as she came one last time, squeezing him for all he was worth. With a
groan of unearthly relief he emptied himself into her, thick volleys of warmth
that made her moan anew, and by some miracle they were both able to stay
upright even as the lukewarm water turned cold from their lengthy stay.

Soi-Fong
was able to right herself on unsteady legs, uncaring of the icy water now
pouring down on them. She leaned against him heavily, crushing her breasts to
his chest, and together they panted for air as they tried to recover and keep
themselves from falling.

�Good god, that was�intense,� Gwydion
rasped between gulps of air.

She could barely get up the strength
to look at him incredulously. �You�re�telling�me,� she answered brokenly with a
wide grin, extremely proud of her hoarse voice, and exactly why it was hoarse.
Her legs felt numb from pleasure, and when the haze settled she knew she was
going to be ungodly sore. But oh was it worth it. She would do it again in a
heartbeat�if she could trust herself to move her legs, which she couldn�t at
the moment. She couldn�t wait to pay him back.

Needless to say, they hastily
cleaned themselves haphazardly before exiting the cold shower as fast�and as
carefully�as they could.

~~~~~~~~~

It had felt nice to be at his
place for breakfast, to wake up with him, to make love. She was still somewhat
in a daze as they relaxed together on his couch, wordlessly listening to music
after finishing a breakfast they had prepared together. Her cooking skills had
gotten considerable better over their time together, and there was only him to
thank for that.

The thought that she was acting
too much like a woman never once entered her mind as she leaned against him,
warmed and calmed by his presence. She had admitted it, she loved him, and her
heart felt deliciously fuzzy in his embrace. Being the woman she was could be
allowed around him, just not to her subordinates. This was reserved for him and
him alone, just as there would always be a special place in her heart for
Yoruichi and Kin.

There really was nothing to do
today, and unless a Hollow showed up neither of them were needed anywhere.
After yesterday�s training session a break was well deserved, and right then
she would have openly protested anyone trying to make her warm pillow leave.
She on the other hand wasn�t about to go anywhere voluntarily; one, because she
was still basking in content afterglow, and two�she wasn�t about to do anything
with a limp.

A cheesy grin broke over her
usually impassive face as she thought of her very real tenderness, a throbbing
from between her legs both bad and good. Good because every time she ached she
would remember why she ached, and bad because�well,
running was certainly out of the question for the near future. Her old self
might have instantly thought of the repercussions that would have on her job,
but as she was she was able to revel in the memories of their intimacy. She
might die of embarrassment if she met anyone she knew, but that was it.

Today she could allow herself to
relax, a concept only he could truly make her enjoy. Besides, she doubted she
even had the energy to move if she wanted to. Standing upright took
enough out of her! It was strange to think that the only reason they were
allowed such a luxury was because of a job that in many cases was
life-threatening, but then again she had earned it. Hundreds of years without a
break had to add up to something after all.

Their internal alarms hadn�t
allowed them as much sleep as they needed even though they had slept in,
and considering their activities soon afterward it wasn�t much of a
surprise that they ended up falling asleep on the couch for a much-needed nap.

~~~~~~~~~

The evening was passing in
relative normalcy for the Kurosaki household, and currently Tatsuki and Ichigo
were enjoying the quiet by watching television in their living room�or the only
one they used out of the massive mansion they had been given. They had yet to
see every room filled, but that was something to be thankful for because they
never wanted to see what kind of incident could warrant something like that.

Kaien was sitting off to the side
in one of the recliners, playing with the ever-cheerful Senna.
Kin was nestled comfortably on one of the armrests, her arm stretched across
the back of the chair as she cooed at the giggled girl being lifted up into the
air by her husband�s arms. It was slightly strange to think of the fact that
the two were brother and sister, instead of the father and daughter they looked
like.

Tatsuki had to admit, having her
oldest child back for the past few months has been pretty nice. They were used
to being visited once every month, and even with Senna
the gigantic house seemed kind of empty without him and his sisters in it. It
was probably just a mother�s nature she supposed, but it did feel off every now
and then to think that three of her children had grown up and gotten married.
Some aspects about Shinigami life in the Living World would confuse her for
decades to come, of that she was sure.

Different sources of reiatsu
suddenly in their house made them all tense for the instant it took them to
discern who it was, and they nearly smiled. They hadn�t been visited by these
people in a while. While knocking might have been more courteous, the pair that
appeared from the gate knew the open-door policy very well. Besides, when it
was captains that visited, they wanted them to be able to go in immediately
were it something that needed instant attention.

Ichigo grinned as he turned his
head to the new additions. Jyushiro and Retsu Ukitake hadn�t come over in
a long time, and even longer if one counted the times when they came without
others as well.

�Yo!�
Kaien greeted with a wide smile, and Jyushiro smiled
back at the equally white-haired man.

�It�s been a long time Kaien.
Ichigo, Tatsuki, nice to see you well,� he said kindly, and Retsu
bowed in greeting beside him.

�To what do we owe the pleasure?�
the orange-haired man asked brightly. �Haven�t seen you guys
in ages!�

The kind Thirteenth Division
captain grinned apologetically. �We had meant to visit earlier. I heard Kaien
was back, and well, we thought it might be a good time to stop by. Did we
interrupt anything?�

Tatsuki�s boyish smirk answered
him well enough. �Not anything important. What with Gwydion and Soi-Fong taking care of all the Hollows around town lately,
Ichigo and I have been bored outta our minds!�

�Yup yup!!� Senna agreed
happily. �Bored bored bored!!�

Ichigo rushed over and captured
her from her brother with a dramatic smirk. �Yeah right you�ve been bored!� The
father crowed in mock-disbelief as he tickled his daughter and she squealed in
delight. �Someone gets to go to school all day; someone plays all
the time at home! You�re never bored!�

Her childish glee radiated from
every pore. �Daddy play!�

�Not right now Sweetie. Daddy and
Mommy have company.�

The pout on her face put a puppy
to shame. �Later?�

�Later, I promise,� he agreed
softly, and just like that her beaming face was back in place and she jumped out
of his arms and ran over to watch television. She seemed to instantly know that
Kaien and Kin would soon be otherwise occupied as well, and went to do
something by herself. The little girl was brighter
than she ever let on, almost freakishly so.

Retsu
eyed them tenderly. �Children are such wonders, so much unconcealed emotion
worn on their sleeves.� She shook her head in amusement before looking at
Ichigo again. �Have you ever wondered about her speech? At her age in the
Living World��

The Vizard merely waved his hand
to the side dismissively. �I�m not worried about that. Her understanding puts
some adults to shame, I won�t question why she doesn�t
talk like one. What about yours? Already in the academy?�

She nodded. �Time flies, even for
the immortal.�

�They gonna
end up in your divisions?� He added ruefully. Fact of the matter was he wouldn�t
have let his children be in any other
division even if he and Tatsuki had
lived in Soul Society and not the Living World.

�Miyoko
is much like her mother,� Jyushiro offered proudly. �Remarkably
strong, but with such a profound respect for life there�s little doubt in our
minds she�ll end up beside Retsu.� His wife blushed
cutely as he complimented her in complimenting their daughter.

�And Yasuo
couldn�t be more like his father,� she stated fondly. �People flock to him
wherever he goes. His kindness knows no bounds, though already he is showing
more prowess than the rest of his class. It�s very possible that he end up in his
father�s division.�

Kaien�s soft smile spoke of the friendly
memories he had of Ukitake, in both lives. �The
worlds need more people like you two. I can�t wait to see if you�re right.�

The comment brought one of Ukitake�s trademarked smiles to his face, as tender as a
father even in the military environment. �Thank you.� Looking around, he raised
a dark eyebrow curiously. �Are Gwydion and Soi-Fong
out tonight? I thought she would be here but I don�t sense her around.�

A grin that would have made
Chizuru proud suddenly formed on Tatsuki�s face. �I haven�t seen either of them
since we finished training yesterday afternoon.�

The motherly Fourth Division
captain put a dainty hand to her mouth as a warm smile blossomed. �Really now?�

Kin�s eyes were wide as she took
in that bit of information. �R-Really really? Holy��

�It�s so nice to see that child
find happiness again after all this time. He had me truly worried for a long
time.�

At that Tatsuki finally remember
that the two captains in front of her were two of the few people that had known
him since the betrayal. In fact, had it not been for them and Yoruichi, he
wouldn�t even be alive right now. She sobered at that. �They really do match perfectly.� I�m so glad they were able to be together all
this time without�� she trailed off, not particularly wanting to finish that
sentence.

�How has the investigation been
coming along by the way? Any clues, maybe some kind of warning, about the other
ones that have vanished?� Jyushiro asked as he and
his wife seated themselves on one of the other couches in the room.

Ichigo sighed heavily and shook
his head. �The Special Ops guys checked all of the former postings of the more
recent disappearances, but they�ve been so spread apart by the time we thought
to look for anything any traces were long gone. In a
couple of cases there were signs of battle, but anything in populated areas had
already been repaired. It�s like they just up and vanished. If Soi-Fong hadn�t been with Gwydion at that first surprise
attack we might still be wondering what was going on. Any
word from Nemu?�

Both captains shook their heads.
�Not anything that would help locate whoever might be
responsible for this. You�ve seen their strength Tatsuki, would they pose a
threat?�

She pressed her lips together as
she thought about that. �En masse, yeah, definitely.
They�re killing machines, that�s the only word I can think of. A high seated
Soul Reaper would be able to take one out with only some difficulty as long as
they did it quickly, more or less depending on the abilities of their
zanpakutou, but if there was more than one they�d definitely have to be at
captain-class to survive on their own. Superficial wounds mean nothing to them, if their heads aren�t gone they keep fighting. Gwydion
sliced an arm clean off and the thing didn�t even flinch!�

�And if this has been going on
for years�there�s no telling how many of them there could be,� Retsu added somberly. �I wouldn�t suppose Hueco Mundo has noticed any
difference?�

It was a thin question at best,
and Ichigo could only shrug. �Other than the ones I come into contact with on a
regular basis, keeping track of the population itself just isn�t possible. Even
if one purified, another would soon come and take its place, it�s just how
things go there. Unless they�re partnered or fellow Fraccion,
most of them don�t give a damn about each other. If one went �missing� there,
no one would notice unless they were part of one of those two groups. Hueco Mundo might even be larger
than Soul Society, and searching a Hollow-infested desert that never ended for
something with no specifics would be like looking for sand in a sandbox,
sorry.�

�This is troubling. At least in Aizen�s case we had the choice of whether or not we were
going to make the first move. Now we have the ability to open the Garganta
whenever we want thanks to you two, but nowhere to look. All we can do is sit back and wait for them to strike this time.�

The former substitute Shinigami
nodded in agreement of Jyushiro�s observations. �True
enough. This time we know someone�s hiding somewhere, but without a lead
searching Hueco Mundo just
isn�t realistic. It would be easier if they were as open as Aizen!
At least that bastard had so much confidence in his power he didn�t care if we
knew where he was.�

�What about the woman Gwydion
mentioned?� Tatsuki interjected pointedly. �He said she dragged him all the way
across town while he was looking at her, and her reiatsu didn�t
fluctuate once. Only someone with Yoruichi�s level of speed, or the
combination of Shunpo and Sonido,
would be able to do something like that that easily. She implied there was at
least one more guiding this whole thing along, and if he�s more powerful than
her he might have just as much confidence in his power! He�s biding his time,
and we�ve been so concerned about not letting it get to us that maybe we�ve
been taking him too lightly. Even the Special Ops are getting antsy; months on
stakeout duty would do that to anyone, no matter how highly trained! Shift work
only goes so far.�

�A valid point,� Retsu approved. �But if we move everyone here then they
will know we are more aware of their plans than they think. If we can stop them
before they ever reach Gwydion it would be best, but if we establish ourselves
here then they are more likely to go straight for him. Heartless as it may be,
we can hope that another gets attacked first. If we can capture one alive, Nemu would be able to lead us back to the source, according
to her.�

�We could use Gwydion as bait to
try and do that on our own schedule��

Kin snorted in a very unladylike
way. �Aunty Soi-Fong would never allow it. Besides,
just going on the fact that he lived to tell about his visit by that woman
means if they were coming for him, next time it�ll be her, or people like her.
They wouldn�t risk sending more of those things when they failed with that
approach twice already.�

The ensuing silence spoke well
enough of everyone�s agreement on the topic.

�Well, this bites,� Ichigo
surmised flippantly. �I know you didn�t come to talk about work, but like
Tatsuki said, maybe we�ve been taking this too lightly. I mean, we�re good for
a fight any day, but if they try and pull a fast one on us we�ve left Gwydion
more unprotected than any of our other officers. Hell, even Soi-Fong
stays here most of the time! Either we get Gwydion to start staying here or��

The bronze-skinned beauty sitting
next to her husband was suddenly wreathed with a wicked, playful grin. ��or we
could get someone to watch him more�permanently,� she finished
suggestively.

After a moment, Tatsuki�s grin
soon matched her daughter-in-law�s. �I wonder who wouldn�t mind an assignment
like that? It would have to be someone with nothing
better to do��

��Already has a vested interest
in his well-being��

��Strong enough to handle
anything with only him as immediate backup��

The three women in the room
smiled mischievously.

�I don�t think she�d be opposed
to the idea,� the raven-haired Vizard offered confidently, her sly smirk not in
the least bit hidden.

�He wouldn�t make any movement
that she wouldn�t be aware of,� Kin continued, trying to fight back laughter.

�No detail would escape her
detection, she would be closer to him than his own clothing,� Retsu completed with cunning delight as they chuckled. Even
a soft-spoken, angelic woman like Retsu Ukitake was allowed to have some fun. That was what the Association was for.

~~~~~~~~~~

Back at Gwydion�s house, watching
a movie as she cuddled against his side, Soi-Fong
sneezed.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The men of the room were trying
their best to stay invisible to their respective wives as they laughed in a not
altogether innocent way.

If this was the way Association
meetings went�

No wonder they were a force to be
reckoned with.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Author�s Notes: First off, sorry about how long this took, again. I�ll
try to get the next chapter up earlier. Still, that doesn�t mean I didn�t enjoy
writing it! Sorry if you think much didn�t happen in this chapter, after the
long wait I took to get to it I wanted to write more Gwen/Soi.
I hope to have Jyushiro involved in the next chapter
as well, but then again he and Retsu weren�t really
background characters from the beginning in this story. It just took time to
bring them out.

Again, I apologize
Watcher. In my defense, previous comments of yours lead to the misconception in
tone of the capitalized quote, and it�s really hard to see sarcasm and the like
in toneless letters. The other part was all me though, after my eyes were drawn
to that comment I didn�t read it over as thoroughly as I thought. I�m sorry
again, and I thank you for the reviews you continue to leave despite my
(over)reactions, LOL! Write me an e-mail sometime, I�ll
be happy to explain anything (that goes for anyone else too).

Speaking of everyone else, THANK
YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!!

The rates and reviews were very,
very appreciated. They make everything better, LOL, considering they really are
my only reward for writing fanfiction.

Please R&R!

(Must credit
hawker_748 for the innuendo at the end. Though the context is different
and I�ve changed the wording, the inspiration was his/hers. Subject
to change if I ever do get a reply.)

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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That Dreaded Word