SUMMARY: At the end of the Winter War, Rangiku Matsumoto mourns the loss of her childhood friend, Gin Ichimaru. But the nightmares that plague her may be more than just dreams, and could ultimately hold the key to mending her broken heart. Canon Setting, AU plot divergence.

DISCLAIMER: The talented Tite Kubo is the owner of Bleach, and all its characters. I am merely borrowing them to tell my story. I own only my plot and ideas. I receive no financial compensation for my writing.

A/N: No real warnings on this one, maybe some rude language, and alcohol use. Things will get a bit angsty. Also, some of this may not follow exact science of the Canon, but that's where my note about "AU Plot Divergence" comes in, I've twisted things a bit perhaps to make them work to suit my needs. Please enjoy.

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When Matsumoto woke, the early dawn light filtered through a high window. Glancing around the room, she noted a guitar and amp propped in the corner. Hey, wait a second, she thought to herself as the haze of sleep began to release her from its grip. Didn't Hallibel tell me the other night that Grimmjow was playing the guitar? Surely this can't be…

She got up and made the bed neatly, then went to the dining room. Her suspicion was confirmed when she saw that Grimmjow had pushed the seating cushions together to make himself a makeshift mattress of sorts, had found a blanket somewhere, and was curled up asleep there. Creaking floorboards under Matsumoto's careful steps caused him to crack an eye open. "Oh, hey." He gave a languorous stretch. "Good morning."

"Thank you," she said meekly. "You didn't have to give up your bed for me, Grimmjow."

"Eh, don't mention it," he said with a smile, rolling his shoulder, trying to get it to pop. He deadpanned and looked squarely at her, pausing. "Seriously though… Don't mention it. People will think I've gone soft." Matsumoto chuckled, and nodded in understanding. Grimmjow pulled a sour, thoughtful face, and added, "I just thought… If I was in your situation, you know…" He waved dismissively, as if to say Forget it, then stood and folded the blanket, rearranging the cushions around the table with a nudging foot.

It wasn't much longer before the rest of the household was up, and just shortly after that when the slow trickle of the others began to filter in, first Orihime and Ulquiorra, followed by Hallibel, Chad, Ishida, and finally Ichigo. Everyone milled around awkwardly, not sure what to say or do, since they all realized this could be their farewell to the much-beloved shop keeper.

"Alright everyone, let's get you out of those gigai," Urahara said as he came into the room, having already shed his own. Tessai was on hand to haul them into storage until they returned from Soul Society. Urahara raised his cane, which was actually a shikomizue (*1), hiding his zanupakto, Benihime. At the tip of it was a marking like a skull, wreathed in blue flames. He pressed this to Grimmjow's chest, and he began to protest vociferously when he was unexpectedly knocked out of his body. He stood there looking dumbfounded, and Kisuke shouted, "Next!"

Ulquiorra turned to Orihime, and squeezed her hand. She gave him a wan smile, then let go of his fingers as he stepped toward the shop keeper, likewise knocked out of his own gigai. Orihime was shocked to see he was wearing his horned bone helmet still, and his Arrancar uniform. When she glanced to Grimmjow, she noted that he too, had the partial bone mask visible, as well as his teal-colored Estgma under his eyes, and his hollow hole clearly in view below his opened Espada jacket.

"Damn, it feels good to be out of that thing," Grimmjow chuckled, cracking his neck and stretching.

"Urahara-san, why do they still look…" Orihime paused, trying to find the best way to be delicate with her question.

As Hallibel was jolted from her gigai, she stepped forward and offered an explanation from behind the high, zippered collar which hid the remnants of her own bone mask. "Our reishi, the material construction of our souls, is still the same as it ever was, Orihime. We are still Arrancar." Everyone seemed somewhat shocked and dismayed at this, apparently having forgotten so quickly, because of the human-looking gigai they had been inhabiting.

"Well, shall we?" Kisuke chirped with as much forced, artificial cheer as he could muster, and the others fell into step behind him. Chad, Ichigo, Inoue and Ishida watched mournfully as Matsumoto escorted Urahara and the ex-Espada through the Senkaimon gate that Tessai opened for them. The shop keeper turned and gave one last, meaningful look to Tessai, as if to silently say, Take care of yourself, and the shop, and Jinta and Ururu, if I don't make it back, and then the gate closed on all of them with an echoing clack that seemed to carry a sense of finality and foreboding to them all.

They traveled in silence, because there was nothing to say at this point; all the words had been spoken, all the tears had been cried, all the work had been done… All the preparation had brought them to this moment, as the gate opened at the other end of the passage, and they all saw Captain Hitsugaya waiting, along with Captain Soi Fon and other members of the faceless Second Division detention squad, wearing hooded masks and all standing at attention with spears.

"You came," Hitsugaya said, though it was not clear exactly to whom he was speaking his observation, as he was dubiously eyeing the Espada who trailed behind the Shinigami.

"Of course I did. Had you any doubts?" Kisuke asked darkly. He noted the gaze of the white-haired captain, and haughtily commented, "My counsel, and…" He fumbled for a moment, until Matsumoto took the hand of Hallibel, and squeezed it, giving the ex-Tres a warm look.

"Moral support," Hallibel offered, and Kisuke smiled, nodding his agreement.

Hisugaya threw his hands up a bit in resignation, and looked to Soi Fon, who only shrugged at him, and looked in turn to her jailers, who took their cue and surrounded the prisoner. "Kisuke Urahara," she began, "You stand accused of defying a direct order from Central 46, and resurrecting the alleged traitor, Gin Ichimaru. You will be escorted to the Second Division detention center, where you will be held pending trial tomorrow morning." She turned briskly on her heel and began to walk purposefully, followed by her jailers, who surrounded Urahara, still escorted by Matsumoto. The Arrancar brought up the rear of their procession, several steps behind the others, Ulquiorra walking ahead of Grimmjow and Hallibel.

If the sight of Soi Fon and her jailers leading a prisoner through the streets wasn't enough to give people pause, the three Arrancar trailing them made lower-level Shinigami melt against buildings and slink back into alleyways and side streets, desperate to get out of their way. The trio walked with an air of dignity and belonging, as if they owned the place and were utterly above reproach in their presence there.

Grimmjow folded his hands behind his head and took a deep breath. "Aahhh, you smell that? The air here smells awesome. Reminds me of home." He leered in amusement at the cowering passers-by.

"It is the ambient reishi levels in the atmosphere of Soul Society," Ulquiorra told Grimmjow, turning slightly back over his shoulder to project his voice. "It is similar to that of Hueco Mundo, in that regard. The reishi levels here are exponentially higher than those found in the World of the Living."

He inhaled deeply again. "I love it. Makes me f…" Hallibel grabbed his upper arm suddenly, digging her nails into his flesh in warning. He gave a hissing gasp and glared scathingly at her, but the look she gave him in return was even more so.

She knew exactly what he was going to say; It makes me feel powerful, because she could sense it as well. She could tell by the way that Ulquiorra was carrying himself that he had noticed too, though he had more sense than to say such things aloud. She gave a subtle shake of her head to Grimmjow, and his eyes widened as he realized the graveness of the error he'd almost made.

Everything about their existence now depended on them being powerless, and no threat to Soul Society or its motives. To admit to regaining any ability whatsoever, or possibly even to suggest that they felt powerful… Certainly, to make such a declaration within the walls of Seireitei itself could be fatal to all three of them. Grimmjow pursed his lips tightly, and Hallibel gave a slight nod of approval, turning her eyes back toward the front of the procession, which was nearing the detention center.

Once inside, they were led down a long spiraling flight of stairs, past doors placed occasionally on small landings, until Soi Fon paused at one, sorting through a large key ring at her hip, selecting a specific key, and opened the door, ushering the procession inside, down a short hallway.

On the other side of the door, a prisoner stepped up to the door of his cell. When Matsumoto saw the white hair, she broke rank and ran to him with a desperate cry of, "Gin!" and fell on her knees at front of the cell, clutching his hand through the bars.

"Hey, Rangiku," he replied softly. "No more cryin', okay?" He gave a pitiful, half-hearted smile, and she nodded, leaning against the cold iron, returning his wan expression.

The jailers placed Kisuke in the cell across the way, and locked the door. Everyone could sense that the lock was not merely mechanical, but possessing also kido, because as the key clicked coldly in its housing, there was a pale blue spark to be seen in the keyhole, and a shimmer spread across the bars.

"There's no use trying to escape," Soi Fon said coolly, walking toward the exit. "The whole place is locked down with so much kido and security you'd never get past your cell door."

"Who said ana'thin 'bout escapin'?" Gin asked, grinning. "Person'ly, ahm lookin' forward ta Central 46 havin' ta eat their accusations when we git cleared ah charges."

"Here here!" Kisuke seconded with a smirk.

Soi Fon turned back briefly, eyeing the Arrancar. "I don't know what to do with you all. I don't have any accommodations for…"

"We will wait here," Ulquiorra stated decisively, taking a seat on a bench at the end of the hall. Hallibel and Grimmjow stood stoically beside him.

"Suit yourself," Soi Fon said with a noncommittal shrug, and closed the door behind her, the same blue shimmer skittering across the surface of that door as what was seen on the cell.

The time passed painfully slow. Some of them managed to doze from time to time, though none of them got a particularly restful night's sleep.

They were roused in the morning by the sound of keys in the latch, and Captain Soi Fon, looking as severe and proper as ever, stepped in. Her jailers followed and stood at attention as she unlocked the cells and ushered the prisoners into the center of the cluster of armed guards. Grimmjow stretched and cracked his shoulder, setting off a machine-gun succession of popping vertebrae in his back. He sighed with a satisfied smile; Hallibel only rolled her eyes and nodded for him to get moving behind Ulquiorra, who was already leaving with the procession.

They moved through the streets of Seireitei, the Arrancar continuing to inspire fear and awe in their wake as they passed. Some merely cowered; some clutched at the hilts of their asauchi, or in some cases, newly awakened zanupaktos. Grimmjow spotted a particularly green recruit with a puddle gathering under the sole of one of his waraji, dampening the front of his hakama shamefully with urine as the extremely young man- really not more than a boy- trembled in terror. Grimmjow was torn between the instinct to mock him, and a second, very different and unusual response; pity. He turned away, and kept walking in silence.

It was not long before they arrived at the gates of Central 46, and everyone was ushered through into a large alcove. Soi Fon paused before a set of doors before them. "Only the prisoners and their counsel may continue from this point. The rest of you, wait here."

The massive doors opened and swallowed them up, shutting with a bang that had a weight of authority and severity to it. Matsumoto huddled on a bench, and Hallibel reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly, giving her a wan smile, which the other woman returned. They waited like that, Grimmjow leaning against the wall, for hours and hours.

At long last, one of the massive doors creaked open. Matsumoto looked up, anticipation thick in her expression. Captain Soi Fon poked her head out. "You are requested to stand as witnesses," she said, and waited as the three exchanged confused looks, then followed her into the vast and towering amphitheater of Central 46.

Matsumoto considered that the "court room" must have been designed to instill terror, and a sense of insignificance in the accused. Tiers of balconies ascended steeply upward, encircling on all sides. The judges sat behind screens, shadowing their faces so as not to be seen, thus adding to the disconcerting air of the place, and giving the judges complete anonymity.

Matsumoto was prodded to the center of the amphitheater by Soi Fon, and questions began to shoot out from the judges. She could never tell exactly who had asked which question, not only because of the screens, but the general acoustics of the room caused the sound to bounce around crazily, so that she could only sometimes determine a general direction which the question had come from.

She had thought things must have been going well, since the trial had been progressing for so long. It stood to reason that if Central 46 had determined just to sentence the accused of guilt, they would have done so swiftly, wouldn't they have?

But as the questions rang out from the faceless judges, she began to doubt this. She wasn't sure what direction they were taking, and some of the questions seemed unrelated to anything at all. Finally, one of the judges called for a retelling of events from the night of Gin's resurrection, in her own words, which she provided in as much detail as she was able. She told them of the troubling dreams she'd been having, also. She made sure to explain the situation regarding the botched delivery of the letter, and to clarify that Kisuke had feared for her life at that point, acting urgently in an attempt to save her. By the end of her account, there was a great deal of whispered murmuring going on behind those screens, which caused her stomach to churn anxiously.

She was finally asked to step down, and Hallibel and Grimmjow were called forward. Voices again called out from the shadows. "You two worked with Ichimaru in Hueco Mundo, under the traitor Aizen?"

"Yes," Hallibel called out in a strong, confident voice.

"And what job did Ichimaru perform, while under the rule of the traitor Aizen?"

Hallibel and Grimm looked blankly at one another at this, and Grimmjow rubbed the back of his neck. "Honestly, we never saw him do much of anything, other than sip tea with Aizen. It was Tozen and Aizen who were directly involved with the creation of the Espada, and other stuff like that," Grimmjow offered with a shrug.

More murmuring from the judges, and Matsumoto felt a spark of hope kindle in her heart.

"What did you think when you heard that Ichimaru had betrayed Aizen?"

Grimmjow crossed his arms and snorted. "Any one of us would have done the same."

Shocked gasps came from the judges, and Hallibel stepped forward to explain. "The Arrancar alliances with Aizen were tenuous, at best. It is in our nature to be distrustful, and Aizen made sure to surround himself in people who were loyal to him only so long as it served their own best interests. Perhaps this was so he did not feel remorse when he cut us down after we had served to further his own agenda, though in hindsight, I doubt that man ever felt remorse for any of the atrocities he committed." She looked to Grimmjow, who nodded in agreement. "Some of us had a sense of loyalty to one another, a sort of camaraderie, and since we have been resurrected, we have formed a strange sort of family with the humans and Shinigami we associate with."

The judges murmured amongst themselves again, and a voice called out, "Do you mean to say that your nature has been changed, since your resurrection?"

Hallibel pondered this for a moment, but it was Grimmjow who stepped in to answer this one. "If you'd been given a second chance to make things right with the people who mattered the most to you, don't you think you'd change some too?" His eyes were fixed hard on the floor, hands shoved deeply in his pockets, and Hallibel regarded his words curiously. "We were all brought back because we had connections to each other, and things that were left unfinished when we died. That's no different with Gin and Rangiku, except the fact that he was becoming a Hollow, and the shop keeper expelled that."

Whispering erupted, and one of the judges called out, "We will deliberate. Please adjourn to the antechamber, to await our final ruling." Everyone was ushered out the doors, to wait for them to come to a conclusion.

Matsumoto hugged Gin when he came out. "What do you think?" she asked worriedly, hoping that the judges had perhaps been clearer with their intentions during the private portion of the trial.

But Gin only shrugged and shook his head. "Ah dunno, Rangiku. They were willin' tah listen, at least, tah our defense. That's sumthn'."

They milled around tensely, not sure how long it would be before they came to a final ruling. It was only a matter of minutes, which caused them all great trepidation. That was either very good, or very bad. They all filed back into the court room and waited anxiously.

"Regarding the exile Urahara Kisuke, and the charges of defying a direct order from Central 46 by resurrecting an accomplice of the traitor Sokuke Aizen," a booming voice called into the chamber. "He is determined to have acted in accordance with the goals of the Gotei 13, being the extermination of evil, including Hollow, and to have acted decisively in the pursuance of rescuing an ally from danger. He is cleared of all charges, and ordered to henceforth cease resurrections of any persons posing possible threats to Soul Society."

The cheering that erupted from the gathered individuals was made that much louder by the echoing of the chamber, likely unaccustomed to such spontaneous outbursts of revelry. They were quickly silenced by the pounding of a gavel somewhere above.

"Regarding Gin Ichimaru, the former captain of the Third Division, and his charges of treason against Soul Society by defection from the Gotei 13 and association with the convicted traitor Sosuke Aizen," the voice proclaimed once silence had been restored, "Gin Ichimaru is found guilty of these charges."

A dark heaviness descended on the room, and the only sound that was to be heard was the choked cry of Matsumoto as she reached in desperation toward Gin. No, she begged silently. Don't let it be this way, please…

"However," the voice continued, and her heart began to pound wildly in her chest. "In light of evidence brought before this court today, it has been determined that Gin Ichimaru was not in his right mind, as evidenced by his betrayal also to Aizen, proving ultimately his loyalty to only one individual; Rangiku Matsumoto. Damaged by childhood trauma, we have concluded Gin Ichimaru to have been criminally insane from his earliest youth, driven to his acts by grief. His intentions to protect his friend, while poorly executed, were noble in their intent, and he ultimately acted as an ally of Soul Society in his attempt to slay Aizen himself. He is not determined to have participated in any activities specifically contrary to the motives of Soul Society during the period of his defection, and so, will be pardoned by way of insanity. He is…"

Whatever sentence the judge was handing down was lost in the uproar of the celebration. Matsumoto wept and clung to Gin, who held her just as tightly, sighing in relief. "It's done," he whispered into her hair. "Yer safe now, Rangiku. No more cryin', alright?"

She sniffled and nodded, letting his shihakusho soak up the last of her tears.

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Gin and Rangiku strolled hand in hand beneath the persimmon trees he had planted so many years ago around the Third Division's office. Gin plucked one of the waxy, fragrant blossoms from a low-hanging branch, and tucked it into Matsumoto's hair. She grinned softly at him, and sat beneath the tree, leaning back against the trunk. Gin lowered himself to the ground beside her, and she leaned over and rested her head in his lap, staring up at the blue sky peeking through the lace of the branches and leaves.

"Are ya happy, Rangiku?" Gin asked, running his fingers through her long, blonde hair.

The smile she gave him was answer enough, but she replied anyway. "Of course I am, Gin. You know that. I couldn't be happier." She reached up and stroked his cheek, and he gifted her with one of his rare, true smiles, the ones he saved only for her, which only widened her own. She sighed deeply. "We're so lucky to have one another, you know that?"

He nodded. "Yah, trust me, ah know." He looked up at the branches spread out above him and leaned his head lazily back against the tree. "Th' trees're bloomin'," he commented. "They woulda survived without me here tah care for'em."

Matsumoto hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe… But now that you're back, they won't just survive. They'll thrive." He glanced down at her, and she caught the briefest flash of those brilliant blue eyes of his. She patted his thigh. "Come on, I'll walk you back to work. Your lunch break is about over."

They heaved themselves up from beneath the serenity of the persimmon grove, and strolled leisurely away from the offices of Division Three.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi waited impatiently in front of the Twelfth Division gate, arms crossed, tapping his foot pensively. When Gin approached, the captain threw his hands up in exasperation. "What am I going to do with you? Hmm? You're a minute and twenty four seconds late returning from your break. It's unprofessional. Get back to work," he snapped pensively, and turned on his heel, storming back toward the S.R.D.I., muttering, "I can't believe they sentenced him to work under me… That's a punishment for me, not him… I'm a scientist, not a babysitter. This is a mockery of my authority and genius…"

Matsumoto pursed her mouth in concern. "Are you really in trouble?"

Gin just smirked. "Nah. He's a lotta hot air. He would never admit tah it, but he likes havin' me aroun'. Ahm a pritty bright fella, ya know… We come up with some good ideas t'gether, him an' me." He planted a kiss on Matsumoto's cheek, and waved. "See ya after work."

She smiled and nodded, and turned to get back to her own division. Her Soul Pager went off just then, and she fished it out of a pocket in her hakama, flipping it open. It was a text message from Hallibel: Urahara invited us all to dinner at the Shoten, be there at 6.

Matsumoto smiled, and clicked her thumbs over the buttons as she texted a reply: Count Gin and me in, see you at 6. She tucked the pager back into her pocket and hummed happily as she continued back to her division, thinking about how Hallibel had been right. She had told Central 46 during the trial that the Arrancar had formed a strange connection with the humans and Shinigami they associated with, and it was true.

It wasn't really such a strange concept after all though, Matsumoto considered. In the Rukongai, the families were always constructed of adopted members, who drew together for the safety provided in numbers, but primarily, because of the comfort to be found in being surrounded in people who understood your story.

They had become part of a peculiar family tree of sorts, with Gin and Matsumoto being the newest members to be warmly welcomed into their embrace. Like many branches, all grafted on to the same trunk, she thought, as she touched the persimmon blossom in her hair with a soft smile.

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1*- The shikomizue (仕込み杖?, literally "prepared cane") or 'jotō' (杖刀 literally "staff sword") is a Japanese swordstick. It is most famous for its use by the fictional swordmaster Zatoichi.

The name shikomi-zue is actually the name of a type of mounting; the sword blade was placed in a cane-like mounting (tsue), to conceal the fact that it was a sword.

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Ah, so happy to have finished this one! It sat on the back burner for a LONG time! So thankful to everyone who turned out in support of this piece, especially Angelus Erreare, whose recent discovery of this story, and subsequent review, was part of the final push to finish it. In the timeline of the Resolution!'verse, this story overlaps parts of Urahara's Arrancar Rehabilitation Center, and extends some beyond it, but comes BEFORE Pina Colada Espada, if anyone is interested.

I make no money for my writing, but if you enjoyed this story, please, you may 'pay' me for my efforts with the "Author Currency" of a nice review. The more specific and detailed a review it is, the more value it has to me. Your reviews are ultimately an investment in my writing, because each one encourages me toward spending more of myself and my time on writing new pieces.

Thank you for reading (and reviewing!). Speak to you again soon,

~KaiBlueOtaku