Heyz again! It's another HitsuHina! Don't like it, don't read it! Please read and comment! There's nothing an author likes better than constructed criticism… and of course awesome readers!

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From Far Away

Hitsugaya Toshiro was having a normal day- mounds of paperwork, a complaining lieutenant with a hangover… and a knock on the door? He groaned. This had better not be one of Matsumoto's ruses to get out of work, he thought. Already more than once the young captain had fallen for the person-at-the-door-trick. It's not like he couldn't answer the door.

"Taichou, the door!"

"I'm right here!" He glared at her and she countered with a beaming smile.

"Are you gonna answer that?"

"This had better not be another one of your tricks Matsumoto." He warned. She only beamed back. Keeping a careful eye on his lieutenant, he called out a stern, "Come in."

The screen slid aside to reveal a 5th division shinigami. "Hitsugaya-taichou," Hitsugaya glanced at his lieutenant, making sure she was still there. She was. "Is Hinamori-taichou here?"

Hitsugaya shook his head. "I haven't seen her."

"Oh." The shinigami looked a little confused at his words. "Sorry for the bother Hitsugaya-taichou." The shinigami bowed to the captain and then quickly left the room.

"Thought you were hiding Momo-chan in here didn't he?" Matsumoto teased. "Maybe thought that since you two are so close…" she trailed off with a grin as her captain turned a beet red. "Thinking naughty thoughts about Momo-chan are we taichou?"

"Matsumoto!" he shrieked. Stomping to his desk, he sat down with a huff, but not before adding a few more papers to Rangiku's growing stack of overdue papers. "Get to work!"

"Sure thing taichou," She sat down and uncharacteristically began overlooking a few reports. And then, almost as an afterthought, "Don't worry taichou, I won't tell about what you and Momo-chan were doing last night."

"We weren't doing anything." He said through gritted teeth. "I never even saw her last night."

"Ah taichou, the first step to acceptance is denial!" He decided he'd ignore this last comment and just give her more work to do.

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Hitsugaya Toshiro stepped through the doorway to the captain's meeting. As always, he was early, taking his seat in his customary spot, five chairs down along the left side of the long table. Nobody else was there yet and so the prodigy found himself with nothing to do but stare up at the high ceiling of the meeting room. He thought back to the strange visit of the 5th division shinigami that morning. How could the shinigami not find her? The bed-wetter, he knew would never disappear like Kyōraku of the 8th division did. And even if she did, why would the shinigami assumed that she was at Hitsugaya's? She was a captain now and therefore had little time to see her childhood friend- a fact that he pretended he didn't care about. The 10th division would be the last place anyone would think of looking.

"Ah Hitsugaya-taichou, you are here already."

"Hai" He turned around to greet 13th division taichou Jushiro Ukitake. "By the way, Ukitake-taichou, have you seen…"

"Oh yes! I completely forgot! I've brought a few treats for you!" the captain sang. He reached into his sleeves and produced at least five boxes of sweets. Piling them happily into the boy's arms, he patted Hitsugaya on the head and seeing Kyōraku at that point, went to greet him, leaving just as suddenly as he had came.

Hitsugaya sighed and stuffed the boxes underneath his chair. When would the elderly captain stop giving him treats? It was true that Hitsugaya was much younger than most shinigami and looked it too, but compared to people like Ichigo, he was quite old. He'd just give them to Momo anyway. Momo...

The meeting room quickly filled and Hitsugaya grew more worried. Hinamori would never come this late to a meeting!

A few minutes passed and still there was no sign of Hinamori. Hitsugaya grew more worried by the minute. "Where is she?"

"Where is who, Hitsugaya-taichou?" He looked up to see Kuchiki Byakuya looking down at him.

"Hinamori-taichou." He couldn't lie to the stern head of the Kuchiki house.

"Yes. Peculiar she hasn't shown." A faint line of disapproval showed on the man's face and Hitsugaya couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation.

"Taichous! Please be seated!" The general Yamamoto sat down at the end of the long table. The captains took their seats and Hitsugaya took a last look at the empty seat across the way.

"We are here to discuss the naming of another captain," Yamamoto began. "There is the question of moving the lieutenants up or choosing a shinigami from among the 13 court guards."

"I suggest that moving the lieutenants up would be best Yamamoto-taichou." Ukitake spoke up. "It will be easier on the shinigami underneath. They have already formed bonds and for another to take place…" Ukitake shook his head. "Well, we all know from experience." The captains nodded.

"But are Hisagi-fukataichou and Kira-fukataichou good choices for captain?" Came a quiet voice.

"Kira-fukataichou may be quiet, but he most definitely has the ability and the makings to be a captain. He is extremely loyal to his squad, Unohana-taichou." A deep voice answered. Hitsugaya turned toward the speaker. It was 7th division Komamura-taichou. The giant added, "I know. He and I are made of the same stuff."

The older woman nodded, "And Hisagi-fukataichou?"

"Almost as prodigal as Hitsugaya-taichou." He nodded to Hitsugaya.

"Alright then; all in favor of Hisagi and Kira-fukataichou," Everyone nodded once. "Good. Now is there anything anyone would like to discuss while we are at it?"

"No? Good. Meeting adjourned." Yamamoto stood and the others made to as well. "And if anyone sees Hinamori-taichou, please pass on the news." He hesitated. "And remind her that all captain meetings are mandatory unless there is an important concern." The captains nodded once and Hitsugaya soon left with more on his mind than with what he had came.

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"Taichou!"

"What is it now Matsumoto?" Hitsugaya groaned. No sooner had he stepped through into his office when his over-eager lieutenant nearly yelled his ear off. He looked at her expectantly.

"Visitor." She said. The same shinigami from before stepped into his line of view and he saw that the man was visibly shaken and clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

"Yes?"

The man cleared his throat and handed Hitsugaya the paper.

"What is this?" He opened the paper only to see a slanted familiar writing. One he thought he would never see again.

You all thought the battle was won and that I would never return voluntarily to the Seritei. But you were wrong. I have here now your beloved Hinamori captive. You want her back, you come get her.

Aizen.

"Where did you find this?" The shinigami jumped at his words and even Matsumoto felt a shiver of fear go down her spine. The captain, though little more than a boy, had such a deadly hatred in his voice. His eyes were like daggers of ice and his fists were clenched so hard around the paper, they shook.

"I-it w-w-as delivered t-to the 5th d-division." The shinigami stammered. Hitsugaya, Matsumoto noticed, barely noticed the man speaking.

"That bastard." His reiatsu flared and the other two flinched. She had never seen him as angry as he was now. "Matsumoto." He paused and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Notify the other squad captains." He opened them again and turned to the shinigami. "You!"

The man jumped. "Sir!"

"Stand by for further questioning. Notify your fuka-taichou immediately."

"Hai!"

"I will find you Momo. I promise." Hitsugaya whispered. "Wait for me until then."

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Hinamori Momo opened her eyes and found herself staring up at a high concrete ceiling. Confused, she sat up slowly, taking in her surroundings. Where was she? This was nowhere she knew of in the Seritei- and she knew a lot. And then she remembered:

She had been walking to Toshiro's division on her break, when she had felt a powerful reiatsu. She recognized it and her heart had filled with terror and loss. The next thing she knew, she had been knocked out.

"Ah you're awake." Her heart beat faster.

"What do you want?" she demanded, aware of how shaky her voice was.

"Momo…"

"It's Hinamori-taichou!" she snapped.

"Sounding more and more like your friend Hitsugaya." The voice sighed.

"Where are you?" She searched the large room. Hall-like, at one end were huge bolted doors and at the other, a dais where a single figure stood. She watched the figure as it dismounted the dais and walked toward her. She stood and faced the figure, chin high.

"Aren't you happy to see me Momo?" the voice soothed and for a moment, painful memories filled her mind. She pushed them away, the memories of an enemy. "Me, your old captain?" The figure was dangerously close, but she stood her ground.

"What do you want," she repeated. And then almost as an after-thought, "Aizen."