Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Karin was walking down the street in a daze as she drifted in and out of her memories. It's been six weeks since the play at Ichigo's school and six weeks since she last saw Toshiro. He was right when he said she would never see him again. She looked for him all over Karakura. She looked at his spot by the hill every afternoon as the sun set. She looked at Orihime's house and over at Ichigo's school. Everyone thought it was strange that Toshiro suddenly transferred out of the country, but no one questioned it. No one wondered if there was something wrong and they just let it happen. She also looked at all the soccer fields she could find in Karakura. It is from her recent sweep of the farthest soccer field from her house that she finds herself walking home drifting in and out of her memories.

'That stupid jerk leaving me like that! And for what? His precious paperwork and for my safety! Hah! I know that's not the real reason.' Karin steamed in her thoughts as she swung her ever present bag of soccer balls against her side.

"It doesn't change the fact that he's gone and I'll never see him again. THAT'S SO UNFAIR!!" Karin yelled up to the air as she came closer to her house, she spotted all of her friends gathering outside her house.

"Hey, there's Karin." One of her friends waved his hand and the other four ran up to her and gathered around.

"Hey Karin are you ready to go play some soccer out on the new field?" Her friend with the glasses asked in anticipation, her other friends leaned in closer to her.

"You guys go ahead. I don't feel like playing soccer today." Karin sadly exclaimed, her friends stood in shock for a moment then en masse ran into the clinic yelling for her dad.

"DR. KUROSAKI!! THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH KARIN!" She could hear her friends yell in the clinic and she soon heard her father's response.

"What's wrong with my darling, Karin?" Karin heard his question and then her friends yell the answer all at once making the answer coming out in garbled terms.

"She's not feeling well."

"She's sick."

"Not playing soccer."

"Is she going to be alright?"

Following the chorus of responses from her concerned friends, Karin counted the seconds until her father would charge outside the house.

"Three, two, one," like clockwork Isshin ran outside in his doctor's labcoat and stopped just in front of Karin and started looking her over. He drilled her on how she was feeling but she ignored all his questions.

"I'm fine, dad. I just don't want to play soccer right now. I'll play later." Karin waved her dad off and walked away from her home. Her friends looked after her as she walked away down the street. She didn't look up and notice her brother in his soul reaper form standing on her rooftop, watching her every move. His frown fell deeper as his concern for her well being grew, she just hasn't been herself since that play.

…………

Back in Soul Society, the Captains and Lieutenants were busy preparing for the winter war that was coming very soon. No one was busier than the Captain of the Tenth division, Toshiro Hitsugaya. He claimed it was to catch up on all the work that was left undone during the three months he and his lieutenant was away. His lieutenant was still away in the world of the living, but that really didn't change anything. She never did her work in the office anyway. That was the story anyway, only Toshiro and Hyourinmaru knew the real reason for his sudden return to Soul Society six weeks ago.

Work, work, work. Don't you ever get tired, master? Hyourinmaru complained again, the icy dragon had been complaining so much a tick mark started becoming a permanent sign on the young Captain's forehead.

Like I keep telling you, Hyourinmaru this work needs to get done, now please stay quiet! That request was more of an order than a suggestion, but the stubborn dragon did not take the hint or else he just ignored it altogether.

Isn't the sun nice out today? It's been such a long time since we went outside. How about for an hour or two we go out and train? I need to stretch my legs. Toshiro sensed the dragon stretch his legs as if he was trying to get comfortable.

You are alone in my inner world made of ice I know for a fact that you are not cramped, Hyourinmaru. Toshiro's terse response made the dragon cock his head in thought.

I may not be cramped, but you certainly are young master. With all of this paperwork encasing you at your desk, you might as well be in a tiny closet. Hyourinmaru smirked and Toshiro had to admit the dragon did have a point.

The paperwork was piled on top of his desk and some stacks were piled from the floor to the level of his desk. There was so much paperwork piling up around his desk that you couldn't tell where his desk was. And a visitor most certainly could not see him for all the paperwork.

'Maybe, Hyourinmaru has a point. Some exercise would be a welcome rest from all this paperwork.'

I heard that, Master, and I'm so happy that you agree. Now where shall we go to cheer you up? We could go to the Rukongai for a little run in the woods and view nature. Or you could run along a field chasing a round shaped rock by yourself and maybe with a few other companions. But if you want the best exercise with the most rest for your work weary soul, we could pop down to Karakura and have a game with that girl you enjoy hanging out with so much.

NOT THIS AGAIN! Toshiro growled out loud as Hyourinmaru struck that chord again.

Hyourinmaru, we are not going back to the world of the living. So stop bringing it up!

But that is the place where you will have the most rest. You were always so relaxed after you saw your human companion. It was nice knowing that you were so calm and happy with her. Hyourinmaru's deep voice echoed in a whine as he thought back to their happier times in Karakua.

I was not happy with her. Toshiro denied to himself with no success.

Then why did you hang out with her so much? Hyourinmaru started teasing his master.

I needed her help.

So, you say but I know what you were really thinking, young master. You were enjoying every moment you spent with her and just made up excuses as to why you needed to visit her. Hyourinmaru stated in confidence.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Toshiro's loud yell made a few division members in the halls jump in shock at the force of his yell.

"I won't speak on this again, so for the last time be quiet!" Toshiro yelled again and a few pieces of paper from his stack started to slip off the top of the stack. He quietly and quickly replaced all the paperwork before it could tumble to the ground and make more work for the young Captain to finish before he could go home.

…………

In Karakura town, Karin was still walking down the street as her mind drifted again.

"I still can't believe he's gone." Karin mumbled to herself. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice a little stuffed lion had snuck into her book bag before she left the house. He was crunched up in between her math and literature books.

'Don't worry, Karin, I'll be here to watch out for you.' Kon silently promised his adopted sister and friend.

'Now, if only she would put these soccer balls down so they wouldn't keep slamming against my back every time she walked!'

………

As Karin walked down the street, she let all of her memories with Toshiro wash over her.

'That first time I saw him he tossed my soccer ball back to me and told me to be careful.' Karin scoffed at that act with the way she was feeling right now she could beat him to a pulp, captain or no captain.

'Then at the road where he stared at the sunset. It was kinda cool the way he kicked that soccer ball back to us when I tried to bean him in the back of the head.' Karin giggled at that memory and she nearly broke down laughing at the memories that followed.

'And he had NO IDEA how to take care of a baby.' Karin remembered the two of them sitting in her room talking and Toshiro was about the yell when the baby cried. The way he held the baby away from him in shock was just too cute and made him seem . . . younger than he really was. Then staring at each other and complaining at how they got the other in trouble. For a minute, they acted like a married couple and Karin stopped laughing at that memory.

'He may not have known how to care for a baby but the guy sure can cook!' Karin licked her lips as she remembered eating the dinner he cooked. She watched him finish cooking the spaghetti, how he was so methodical and precise with all the instructions. All of his actions screamed to her that he was serious and mature and took everything he did seriously.

'Then how he walked me home that night, he was so calm and that walk just seemed natural like he's walked me home every day for years.' Karin continued walking down the road as she came closer to the old soccer field where he played his first real game of soccer with her and her team.

'He takes everything seriously, even the play.' Karin took in a sharp gasp as she thought about the play. It was that play that broke her heart and turned her into this empty shell that she was right now. I mean seriously, Karin Kurosaki, does not pass any soccer field without playing once. Yet, here she was walking beside a soccer field and for the first time since she could remember she did not want to play.

'That play . . . was when we first kissed.' Karin couldn't keep a blush from gracing her cheeks as she thought about her kisses with the white haired captain – the first kiss was on a park bench at the school, then during the play in the party scene and finally at the end when I kissed him.

'He was so careful but confident.' Karin grinned and then growled at her own thoughts and memories.

"I'm not supposed to be feeling this way. Those feelings are for hormonal teenagers not tomboys." Karin exclaimed to the empty field and then she stopped walking and looked up at the sky. The sky was ripping open and a large hand protruded from the hole followed by a large white mask.

"It's a hollow." Karin whispered to herself. She heard someone yelling for her to run but she stood there frozen in stunned silence. She couldn't make her legs move and run away. She only stared up as the hollow fully emerged from the hole and fell to the ground in a whirlwind of dust and debris. With the hollow so close to Karin, she still could not make herself move.

…………

"It's a hollow." Toshiro mumbled to himself as he glanced at his phone in the world of the living. He noted the location and ran to intercept it.

As he neared the location, his heart slammed in his chest because, not three feet in front of the hollow stood Karin in stunned silence not moving and she couldn't seem to hear Toshiro's screams. Come to think of it, Toshiro couldn't hear his own screams as he watched in horror as the hollow moved its hand into the air in the act of attacking her.

Toshiro tried to move but every muscle in his body didn't want to respond. He felt like he was swimming through wet concrete that was swiftly drying as he desperately tried to reach her.

Toshiro screamed for Karin but his words fell on deaf ears. The hollow's hand remained suspended in the air for a brief second before crashing down and slamming on top of Karin crushing her to the ground.

"NO, KARIN!" Toshiro jumped awake from his desk panting and gasping for breath as the adrenaline continued to course through his veins.

"It was a dream." Toshiro tried slowing his racing heart beat as he realized he fell asleep at his desk doing paperwork.

"That seemed too real to be a dream I'd better double check to make sure." Toshiro took out his cell phone that doubled as a hollow detector and activated it. He had permanently set the detector to scan Karakura Town so he could check to see if there were any hollows in the town.

"There is a hollow! It could be a menos!" Toshiro exclaimed in shock and he could have screamed when he noticed one small detail.

"There's no one near it!" Toshiro leapt over his desk and quickly called to open the Senkai gate above the Karakura High School soccer field. He knew in his bones that is where Karin would be.

When he was cleared to go to the world of the living, in under a minute, he appeared before the gate and ran through it as quickly as he could.

'I'm coming, Karin. Please, don't get hurt.' Toshiro pleaded in his mind as he came out over the soccer field and saw it was empty.

"Where is she?" Toshiro could hear the panic in his voice but at the moment he could care less. He calmed his mind and scanned the town looking for her spirit energy. He finally sensed it at the old soccer field where he first played soccer with her.

"It's so far away." Toshiro stated and then he felt the energy of the hollow. His worst fears were realized as the amount of spirit energy it emitted was indeed that of a Menos Grande. Karin would not stand a chance against it.

Toshiro ran toward the direction of the field and slowed as time around him froze. A bird that was landing on a post was frozen in mid-flap. The trees gently stretched their limbs out as the wind froze the trees in mid sway. All of time and everything around him was frozen in that moment.

Hyourinmaru emerged from the water in the atmosphere as he hovered over Captain Hitsugaya blocking his path.

"Hyourinmaru, what is the meaning of this?" Toshiro demanded glaring up at the dragon, now was not the time to stall him.

"I cannot allow you to save her." Hyrourinmaru bluntly stated and Toshiro stared at him with wide eyes.

"What are you talking about? Move now!" Toshiro's demand was ignored by the serpentine dragon.

"I will not."

"Hyourinmaru, I swear if you don't move, I'll-"

"You'll what? You'll attack me, threaten me, freeze me?" The dragon chuckled at that last one the ice scales shimmering on the skin as it shivered.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? IF YOU DON'T MOVE SHE'S GOING TO BE KILLED!" Toshiro yelled up getting very frustrated with his zanpakto.

"More than likely, she will be killed. Still, I cannot let you save her. Saving her will only cause the poor girl more suffering." Hyourinmaru's statement froze Toshiro to his core.

"I won't let her suffer." Toshiro defended himself.

Hyourinmaru snorted a long trail of frosted air emerging from his massive nostrils.

"All of your actions up until now have caused the girl pain. Zangetsu and his wielder are not pleased with you, Master."

"How have I caused her pain?"

"Are you really this naïve?" Hyourinmaru tested him and Toshiro squeezed his hands into tight fists as he fought his temper down.

"Telling the girl that you would never see her again and she would never see you hurt the girl deeply. Can you really allow her to continue suffering?" Hyourinmaru brushed his tail into a circle so they could see Karin staring up at the Menos Grande at the soccer field. Karin was so small against the hollow, worrying Toshiro even more.

"Master, I know that you have missed her. Maybe it is better this way." Hyourinmaru postulated as he looked up at the scene.

"If you left her alone, then she could go to Soul Society to be with you."

"DON'T – YOU – EVEN – SUGGEST - THAT." Toshiro bit every word through clenched teeth in his fury at the enormous dragon. The dragon merely tilted his head to hear him better.

"Why do you care? You wanted her to be safe. At least, that's what you told her the last you saw her. What other place is safer than Soul Society? While she's there you could keep your eyes on her for the rest of time. She could even go to the soul reaper academy, I'm sure she will be a strong soul reaper one day."

"I won't let her die here!" Toshiro snarled.

"Everyone dies at one time, Master." Hyourinmaru countered.

……………

The Menos Grande towered over Karin as she dropped her bag of soccer balls and continued to stare. Her mind quickly flashed back to when she first saw one of these creatures. Her soccer ball didn't even make a scratch, it only angered it. But, Toshiro was there and he killed that hollow.

"Toshiro…" Karin mumbled under her breath and thought about her friend.

'He's a soul reaper and I'm a human. We live in two different worlds.' Karin's eyes started to glaze over as her vision started blurring around her.

'I know I should move but I just can't. It's not like I could do anything against this hollow. I would just make it angrier than it already is.'

……………

"IT'S NOT HER TIME TO DIE!" Toshiro yelled up to the ice dragon as it grew larger.

"WHY DO YOU CARE?" His deep voice echoed in the air and Toshiro looked back into the circle of vision showing Karin in front of the hollow.

…………

'When people die, their souls go to Soul Society. I think that's what Urahara told me that one time. Toshiro is in Soul Society, so if I die then I could see him as much as I want.' Karin's vision became even blurrier as she slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

……………

"Why do you care?" Hyourinmaru's question lost some of the anger as he pleaded with his master to understand.

"I care because I've never met anyone like her." Toshiro kept his eyes on Karin as he confessed to his inner dragon.

"I've never known anyone who can affect me the way she does. When I'm around her, I can't help but be happy and relaxed. It seems that the day gets a little brighter when she's near." Toshiro laughed a little as his mind filled with memories of spending time with Karin. Her helping with his "homework," how she enjoyed his cooking, even though he despised that particular subject, he had to admit that he would cook for her every day since it made her smile.

"I enjoy being around her. I like how she's so focused on soccer and that she would do anything for her team. I can't even think about soccer without thinking about Karin." Toshiro gulped as he turned his attention back to the dragon and his voice becoming more stern and forceful.

"And I won't let anything happen to her! She has to live so she can grow up and fulfill all her dreams. So, Hyourinmaru, move or I'll go straight through you." Toshiro drew his sword and his energy started circling around him and growing stronger.

"You feel very strongly about this girl. Why?" Hyourinmaru still tested him and Toshiro paused.

"Why?" Toshiro calmly echoed.

"Yes, why? Why do you feel so strong?" Hyourinmaru asked again.

'Why do I feel so strong for her? She's just another human, isn't she?' As soon as Toshiro thought this question, his mind rejected it. Karin Kurosaki was more than just another human to Toshiro Hitsugaya. She was the most important human to him, maybe even the most important person in his life. He cared for Momo like a sister and he cared for Rangiku the same. But with Karin, it was different, it was deeper.

Hyourinmaru hid a smile as he bent his head down to his young master who was slowly starting to piece the puzzle pieces together.

"I care so strong for her because she makes me happy. When I'm around her, I feel like nothing can go wrong and everything would be alright as long as she is alright. I can't imagine my life without her." Captain Hitsugaya lowered his sword and his expression became softer and calmer.

"It's alright, Master. This is normal you don't have to hide it." Hyourinmaru coaxed the boy as Toshiro came closer to the truth.

"I care so deeply for her because, I think . . . I love her." Toshiro let his sword hang by his side.

"No, that's not true. I know that I love her. That's why I can't let anything happen to her. It's why I left because I couldn't take the thought of her getting hurt because of me when I couldn't be there." Toshiro admitted and Hyourinmaru smiled as the dragon circled his master to look him in the eye.

"Yes, I know Master. But, she is getting hurt. Now what will you do?" Hyourinmaru finally questioned as the world started to go into motion. The wind started moving through the trees and the bird's flapping continued to beat in a furious rhythm as it landed on the post.

"I'm going to save her and I'll never leave her like this again!" Toshiro shouted in confidence as the dragon dispersed returning to the sword.

"Then we better hurry." Hyourinmaru's voice echoed in Toshiro's head and he nodded.

"BANKAI!" The ice wings grew from Toshiro's shoulders as all of Hyourinmaru's power swept over the young Captain.

"And master." Toshiro inclined his head, "Don't forget to tell the girl how you feel." Toshiro nodded his head and using Hyourinmaru's power ran as fast as he could toward Karin.

………

'If I don't move, then I'll see Toshiro again. I can't stand being like this. Stupid Toshiro! Stupid feelings! Stupid crush!' Karin's vision blacked out as she passed out on her feet. She remained standing in the same position as Kon was struggling in her book bag.

"KARIN! KARIN, WAKE UP! RUN! DO SOMETHING! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" Kon was yelling as he popped his head from the bag and stared at the massive mask of the purple humanoid hollow as it stood up on its back legs. Kon whimpered again and hid back in her book bag closing his eyes, waiting for the crushing weight to smash them two into dust.

'I can't believe it's going to end like this. I can't even do anything to help Karin.' Kon furiously thought as he bravely stayed with Karin.

'Ichigo, I'm sorry.' Kon silently bid Ichigo goodbye and waited as he heard the hollow start to move.

The air surrounding the field became colder as a dense fog overcame the field confusing the hollow for a moment. It was surprised when a spear-tipped tail of ice flew from the fog and pierced the mask instantly freezing the entire hollow. Toshiro appeared beside Karin in his Bankai form as he put his left arm around her to brace for the energy shock that came when the hollow shattered into particles of dust.

Toshiro breathed a deep sigh of relief as he saw the hollow disintegrate. He looked down in his arm at Karin and the glazed look in her eyes scared him. He quickly picked her up and shunpo'd away to a secluded spot where they would not be disturbed.

………

Ichigo and Rukia jumped down onto the soccer field and stood in confusion.

"Are you sure there was a hollow around here?" Ichigo asked as Rukia looked back to her phone.

"Yes, Ichigo, I'm sure of it. This is where the hollow used to be."

"Then where is it?" Ichigo asked and Rukia shrugged her shoulders.

"I hope Uryu didn't kill it without telling us." Ichigo mumbled to himself as Rukia's phone rang in her hand.

"Hello, Lieutenant Matsumoto. No, I haven't seen him. Are you sure? Alright, I'll be watching out for him. Goodbye." Rukia hung the phone up and looked around the scene.

"Who was that?" Ichigo asked as he searched the area.

"That was Lieutenant Matsumoto, apparently Captain Hitsugaya disappeared from Soul Society and she was told that he came down here. She wanted to know if I knew where he is."

"Why does she want to know?"

"Well, the soul reapers at the gate noticed he used his Bankai soon after he arrived." Rukia explained as she continued looking around the soccer field.

"That's weird. I think we would have noticed if he used his Bankai, everything would be covered in ice." Ichigo muttered to himself.

"Well, you couldn't sense it even if you were standing on top of it, Ichigo." Rukia looked around and spotted an item, running down the hill she gasped when she saw what it was.

"ICHIGO! Come here!" Rukia called to him. She bent down to the ground and picked up a mesh bag with three soccer balls just as Ichigo ran up to her.

"What is it?"

"Look." Rukia held the bag over to him and he recognized it instantly.

"That's the same soccer bag that Karin had earlier." Ichigo looked around and suddenly became sick to his stomach.

"She was here with that hollow!" Ichigo exclaimed and he started to panic as he dashed around the entire field looking for her footprints.

Rukia looked around too and glanced up at the soccer goal. For a brief second she thought she saw an icicle melting from the post before it disappeared.

Rukia breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she realized who she was with.

OMAKE

*Ichigo runs into Urahara's store*

Ichigo: HAT AND CLOGS! HAT AND CLOGS! WHERE ARE YOU?

Urahara: What is going on, Ichigo?

Ichigo: KARIN'S MISSING!! HELP ME FIND HER!!

Urahara: Where did you see her last?

Ichigo: Well, first at my house this morning when she woke up. Then I had to do some soul reaper stuff, so I left the house. I saw her again when she was walking home with her soccer bag, then she walked away from my house and I don't know where she went after that.

Jinta: Not very helpful, is he?

*Ichigo tackles Jinta and wrestles him to the ground.*

Rukia: What's going on?

Urahara: I'm just acting as the referree for Ichigo and Jinta's wrestling match. *Laughs behind fan.*

Ichigo: THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO LAUGH! KARIN IS MISSING! *Drops Jinta and tackles Urahara.*

Rukia: You know, Captain Hitsugaya is here maybe she's with him. *Ichigo drops Urahara and glares at Rukia.*

Ichigo: HE HAD BETTER NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR MY SISTER! *Runs out of store and races through Karakura in a trail of dust.*

Urahara: He can't detect spirit energy so where does he think he's going.

Rukia: Who knows. At least, he'll burn up most of his energy.

Jinta: At least, I hope he does. *rubs lump on his head.*

A/N: Okay, I know I left How did this happen? with a break up so I decided to go ahead and write this make-up story. I'm still going to finish How did this happen? but my funny bone has decided to take a vacation and I have no idea when it's going to come back, so it may be a few days before that story is finished.

Please review and let me know what you think. There will be at least one other chapter to this story but it could turn out to be longer, we'll see how far this one will take me.