• Chapter 11
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    Hitsugaya dropped down from his leafy seat. The woman stopped, turned. Tilted her head as she looked Hitsugaya over quizzically. He noticed the difference in their heights wasn’t as great as it had been. Was she shorter, or he taller? She had been over a foot taller than he was – her 5’5” dwarfed his 4’4” – but now, he could almost look her in the eye when she was standing. Six inches difference, at most.

    “Annwyl?”

    Hitsugaya blinked. “On… wheel?” He had never had trouble understanding Sharon before. Even when she used her lingo, it somehow crossed over, the sense of it, most of the time. She had said “the language barriers were irrelevant when one was talking spirit to spirit”, or at least that was how she justified understanding him when he was obviously speaking Japanese and she… wasn’t. And it made sense given the troubles the shinigami on America duty invariably reported in understanding anyone who didn’t have tremendous spiritual energy. But this word, she hadn’t used much before, and the sense of it just didn’t cross. He noticed her reiatsu was weak as well. If this was Sharon, she was certainly… different.

    “Sharon, is that you?” His eyes were almost pleading.

    “Sharon?” She looked down at her hands, then reached up and pushed on her glasses in that way she had, without thinking. “That sounds… familiar…” Her eyes were unglazing as she spoke. After blinking a few times, she continued. “You look familiar, but I can’t place you. All I can remember is, well, liking you. Are we friends?”

    Hitsugaya was thinking fast. If this was Sharon, she had been wiped a bit too thoroughly, in his not too humble opinion – he would have to have words with the memory modification people later. First order of business, however, was to get her somewhere safe – hidden – before Yamamoto-taichou found out she was in Soul Society. Then he could worry about the condition of the seal, and piecing together what had happened to her.

    That, and he really didn’t want Matsumoto interfering, just yet.

    He didn’t get the chance, though. A few yards from where they stood, a horizontal crack opened, and Ichimaru Gin stepped out. “My, but ya’ve led us a merry chase, little one! Now, come back and…”

    “YOU!” She growled at him and assumed a posture like an angry mama bear. “Filthy sneaking b*****d…” That “glaive” non-zanpakuto weapon had appeared in her hands and was aimed straight at Ichimaru. “I told you if you ever graced my sight again, I would spit you clean through, and I wasn’t kidding!” She charged on him, but his flash steps kept him just out of her reach.

    “My, my, and ain’tcha overreactin’ just a little? I didn’ hurt yer precious one, didn’ even touch ‘im, I swear it. Now put that thing down and…”

    “In your dreams!” She swung the glaive down in a giant chop. “Silent Strike!” A blast of energy shot out from the glaive, spitting the ground in front of her and singeing Ichimaru’s pristine white outfit.

    Hitsugaya jumped back several feet. What in hell had happened to her? Why was Ichimaru, of all people, after her?

    “Just a misundersta—“

    “Silent Slice!” She swung the glaive, blasting a horizontal arc of energy at Ichimaru.

    “—ndin’,” as he flash stepped out of her way. “If ya would just listen – “

    “Why should she?” Hitsugaya shouted. “What have you done to her?”

    Ichimaru finally noticed Hitsugaya. “Well, if it ain’t the little Captain of the Tenth! Or maybe not so little anymore, ain’tcha?” He flash stepped to Hitsugaya’s side. “Keep shootin’ that thing, and ya’ll hit yer friend, little one.” He smiled his plastic smile.

    She faced them both, glaive tip aimed square at Ichimaru’s heart. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t spit you like a rotisserie chicken, b*****d.” Her reiatsu had jumped up. Way up. Hitsugaya was scrambling to think. If this lasted much longer, there would be no way to hide her.

    “I told ya, I didn’ touch a hair on ‘is precious little head,” Ichimaru wheedled. “I don’ care what Ulquiorra told ya, yer son is perfectly safe.”

    “That green-eyed shellhead had the nerve to suggest that I would be wise to buy Andrew’s safety with my life. You merely suggested that since I was already dearly departed, that there was no good reason to keep from taking him. Just because my body gave out doesn’t give any being – living, dead, or otherwise – the right to touch Andrew. Ever.” The tip of the glaive arched up under Ichimaru’s chin as he leaned back. “And I never gave leave for those… beasts… to slaver over him either. I remember freaking out, and the next thing I know, Shellhead was saying I turned into a dragon and fried his pets. Good riddance. Nobody but nobody lays a finger on Andrew.”

    She was a what? Hitsugaya pieced together what must have happened. Sharon had died – how didn’t matter just now – and Hueco Mundo had certainly been watching, even if Soul Society hadn’t. They tried to get her cooperation by threatening her son. Very bad move. Even he knew better than to say anything about her son. Just because he had inherited her red hair and high intelligence didn’t mean he had inherited what they were interested in. The dragon. Which had obviously manifested when they made their threats. In spite of the seal – it seems she hadn’t been conscious of it happening. She would have probably come across like a Hollow at that point. And then they simply swept her into Hueco Mundo. From there, she had evidently found a way out, or from the looks of things, fought her way out. But her memory obviously wasn’t fully intact. It didn’t surprise him that the part they couldn’t alter was her son. That was a heart memory, not a head one.

    Of greater import at the moment was that Sharon had obviously worked around the seal – or Oshidamaru had – and she was using the equivalent of a shikai. That by itself made her dangerous. Not that he minded her pointing it at Ichimaru. She wasn’t the first who wanted him eliminated, very very painfully, and she wouldn’t be the last.

    The fake smile never left Ichimaru’s face even for a second. He simply said “Shoot, Shinsou.”

    In a split second, Hitsugaya had forced his blade in Shinsou’s path. “If you even think about harming her, then I will be your opponent!” His reiatsu began to climb. “And don’t think you’ll get away this time, either!”

    Sharon’s eyes hadn’t left Ichimaru’s smirk. “I have anger but you have training. Want dibs on slicing him?”

    Hitsugaya, still straining under Shinsou’s power, said “Oh, you were doing pretty well just then yourself.” He was shoved back another few feet, which pushed Sharon back as well. She reached around in front of him with her glaive and said “Then let’s see if I can be of any use here. Silent Shield!”

    A dome of glowing indigo pushed back Shinsou and cracked its tip.

    Ichimaru withdrew Shinsou and let one corner of his mouth curl upward just a bit more. “My, and ain’tcha just lookin’ like lovebirds! Ya almost actin’ like a pair or somethin’.”

    Of course, that was the moment Hitsugaya noticed his back was pressed against Sharon’s chest. His back, not his head. Their heights had gotten closer somehow. And being this close felt really, really good. His face was getting hot while his eyes got colder than ice. Her arms were still holding the glaive, encircling him. He turned and faced her. “I have an idea. Will you trust me?”

    Her eyes never left Ichimaru’s face. “Do it.”

    Hitsugaya cupped her cheek in his hand. The motion startled Sharon enough that she looked at him with a wondering expression. As if this were familiar but she couldn’t see why. Then Hitsugaya did what he had been longing to do for weeks. He kissed her.

    All hell broke loose. Any remains of the seal he had placed were now gone. Hyourinmaru and Oshidamaru both manifested wrapped around them, but instead of launching to the skies, they both aimed at Ichimaru. While their humans were distracted with rediscovering one another, they combined their energy in one burst that Shinsou was powerless to knock aside. Ichimaru, wordlessly conceding the fight, twisted into a horizontal crack that had opened to the side to admit him.

    Hyourinmaru and Oshidamaru rejoined Hitsugaya and Sharon, who were staring into each other’s eyes hungrily.

    “When… How… What happened, anyway?” Sharon sputtered.

    “So you know me now?” Hitsugaya smiled.

    “How could I forget? How could I have forgotten?”

    “Indeed. The question is, how could you remember what should have been forgotten?”

    Uh-oh, Hitsugaya thought, as they turned to face Kuchiki Byakuya.

    “Kuchiki-taichou,” Hitsugaya said. “How much did you see?”

    “Enough. Ichimaru is gone, is he not?” A smile was playing around the corner of Kuchiki’s mouth.

    “For now. Apparently he chased her here.” Hitsugaya’s arm was firmly around Sharon’s waist. “And she’s not going anywhere this time. She is dead to the living world now and legitimately belongs in Soul Society.”

    “So it would seem.”

    “Yamamoto-dono!” Hitsugaya started. He was ready to fight the entire Gotei 13 if that’s what it took.

    “Calm down, Hitsugaya-taichou,” Yamamoto replied. “I will expect a full briefing, of course. Later. After you two do what I asked in the first place and set some boundaries on that errant dragon before she upsets all of Soul Society. Again.”

    Hitsugaya’s face went red. If Plan A hadn’t worked… what exactly were they going to do now?

    “Begging your pardon, sir,” Sharon said. “I take it you are in charge here?”

    “You could say that,” Hitsugaya muttered. The other corner of Kuchiki’s mouth curled up.

    “I think I know why we couldn’t control her last time. It had mainly to do with the fact that at the time we were trying to be… honorable.” She looked down at her feet for a minute. “You see, I was married. Emphasis on was married. As in had wedding vows to keep. Even if the one I had vowed to wasn’t exactly working with me to make it a decent marriage. And my interpretation of those vows didn’t include sleeping with another man. No matter how much my heart might have wanted to do otherwise.” She smiled softly at Hitsugaya. “If I understand the current situation properly, ‘till death do us part’ has now officially occurred, and those vows are fulfilled. Which means that’s not a barrier anymore. I think… I think they wanted their humans to share what they did, and neither one was happy because we didn’t. Wouldn’t.” She stopped, too embarrassed to continue.

    Yamamoto looked thoughtful. “I am aware of what happened the night of your last visit to Soul Society, including the rather extensive efforts put forth to keep your presence a secret. Four of my captains went to great length on your behalf, and there were some parties who were rather… disappointed in the outcome.” He allowed a brief smile. “I am not so old that I do not remember. I think you two should try again. In theory, that should keep your respective dragons… satisfied.”

    Kuchiki allowed the smile to fade from his lips but not from his eyes. “I will bespeak Unohana-taichou regards the healer’s retreat, if you wish.”

    Yamamoto readily agreed. “The sooner this is settled, the better for all of us. You have caused quite enough unrest, young lady.”

    Yamamoto had turned to go when he stopped and looked back over his shoulder. “Oh. Hitsugaya-taichou?”

    “H-h-hai,” Hitsugaya answered. He was still in shock over the last few minutes.

    “Keep up that growth and you’ll match her soon. I don’t think anyone will be able to call you ‘little’ much longer.” Yamamoto turned back and left. Sharon looked over at Hitsugaya and grinned.

    “I think we just got set up for a date.”