**Hey guys! This is my first story posted on and the first fanfic I've written ever. I found bleach at a late stage in my life but I fell in love with it. I've always felt like the GinRan ship deserved some more insight. In some ways, I always felt like their bond was the closest and the strongest of any characters (especially as a die-hard Ichi x Ruki shipper who was terribly disappointed in the end ). I hope this lives up to your expectations and I will try to update my posts more regularly.

WARNING: As you can see, this story is rated M. It's not a lemon. There is sex, but it's not explicitly detailed. I chose this rating because quite frankly...I put Rangiku through a lot of shit. A LOT. I do this because as flirtatious and forward as she is, she's a bad-ass bitch and she's often underestimated. I give her a reason why. I even underestimated her before I but her through all that I put her through in this story. Gin will put her through verbal, physical, and psychological abuses that will make him look like even more of an asshole. But I'm not trying to make Gin out to be a good guy here. I'm just trying to give some insight to characters and an explanation Kubo wasn't able to.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach. If I did, Ichiruki would be a thing.

"Lieutenant Ichimaru,"

Blue eyes stared numbly at the budding of the sakura blossoms. It had been a late spring, and even though it was starting to warm up, there was a chill hanging over all of the Sereitei. Those blue eyes were as cold as ever.

Why did this happen? How could it have gotten so bad?

"Lieutenant Ichimaru…"

Hands wrung themselves until the soft pale skin started to redden with irritation.

How am I going to tell her? How am I going to tell her what happened? It's…

"Rangiku!" finally yelled Captain Hitsugaya, his temper finally boiling over his calm and composed manner.

She flung her head to the direction of the voice, startled that she had not heard her captain sooner.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I'm not used to being called that …just yet." A tiny smirk rose on the left corner of her mouth.

"Well you ought to," he said, with reprimand. "You've been secretly married for the past hundred years! That is your legal name and I intend to use it."

"I know it is, Captain. I'll be more attentive next time."

"Thank you," Toshiro sat down exasperated. He didn't like to yell at his Lieutenant, especially after all that she'd been through. But he was hurt himself. Hadn't he a right to be, after all? She had been married to the captain of Squad 3 since before they'd known each other. And even though she had been estranged from Gin for decades, he couldn't help being displeased about her secrecy. No, what he was most upset about was Gin, and his power over her. He was dead; and Rangiku might as well have been dead, too.

"Are you nervous, Lieutenant? About the legal handover?"

"No," she said. She raised her head to meet his gaze. "Asuna…"

"That's right! You have a daughter, I forgot," Toshiro tried hard not to raise his voice. "And you're wondering how to tell her. Does Asuna know that Gin is her father?"

"No, she doesn't. We'd agreed on it before she was born. He barely saw her," the look on Rangiku's face made her captain think that the agreement was one-sided.

"What!? What kind of parenting is…."

"Please stop, Captain Hitsugaya. I understand that you are concerned for me, but it's still…. A fresh wound, for lack of a better term."

Toshiro shut his mouth. Her head was again downcast, and he could see her chest rise and fall with the telltale signs of gasping for air so as not to cry. She wrung her hands again.

"Okay, Rangiku. I'll stop," he got up from his desk and sat beside her. He took her hands in his and looked at her sorrowfully. For the first time ever, he realized they had the same ice blue eyes.

"But tell me why," He pleaded, softening his voice, "Why and how could you marry a man like that? How could you love the traitor, Ichimaru?" His grip unintentionally tightened on her hands. She gasped, finally raising her head to reveal her silent tears streaming down her sullen cheeks.

"When the only thing you know is poverty and despair," she croaked, trying to find her voice through the rawness of her throat, "and you are on the brink of death, and you're ready to give up," Toshiro let her hands go. He was uncomfortable seeing Rangiku like this, but he felt the need to comfort his Lieutenant. "Go on, Rangiku."

"But you managed to open your eyes and see salvation standing in front of you with silver hair and dried persimmons, that's when you realize a love that's unconditional; that knows no bounds. He was my god before he was ever your traitor.

"I may have denied it in life, but I will not deny it in death. My heart belonged to that asshole the moment I opened my eyes, and I have loved him unconditionally ever since."

The breath caught in the captain of Squad 10's chest made him tighten up. He had never seen Rangiku so helpless, yet he could not imagine the strength his Lieutenant had for bearing everything as she did alone. A knock on his office door interrupted his thoughts.

"It's time, Matsumoto. All the captains are gathered together in Squad One barracks to hear your statement."

A sad chuckle emerged from her pursed lips, "Have you forgotten already, Captain? It's Rangiku Ichimaru. At least with all this shit going on I'm able to use my married name."

"Rangiku!"

"Oops! Sorry, Captain! It was just a little curse word though…"

As they both got up to leave for the Squad One barracks, Toshiro could not help but remember the scene he walked into when he finally found his lieutenant, who had followed Aizen (and Gin) to the soul society.

Sometimes in silence he could swear he heard the echo of her voice screeching Gin's name.

Author's Note: