No, you aren't imagining things! This story really has been updated! -cries tears of joy- No, seriously. I'm crying because I thought I'd never get this finished and that this story would end up being just like my old story Kyuubi Hallows.

So my real-life nightmares have come to an end. Inspiration and plot have both come back for this story, in little bits and pieces. I have labored over this one chapter for months; I have no idea when the next one will come out. I can tell you, however, is that I hope it won't take another year. I also hope it won't take longer than Halloween to get this to you guys.

This chapter is longer than I thought it was going to be, clearly. The last one was around 1200 words; this one is somewhere around 2100. That's definitely a good thing! Oh, and by the way: I researched how traditional Japanese weddings are performed, and really, there wasn't much. ._. I did what I could.

Dedicated to: Hakkuchi. Thank you. Really, it was you who convinced me to really try writing this again. I hope that this is good enough for you.

Disclaimer applies. If I owned Bleach, Orihime would have been able to reject those hell chains in the fourth movie. Because by definition, her power should be able to do it.

It took another year before Hinamori perfected her spell. During that time, Karin and Toushirou interacted more often, especially romantically; as far as the Seireitei was concerned, it was just a matter of time before they were married. No one had forgotten about the rumors surrounding Hitsugaya, but very few people knew who his mysterious girl was supposed to be. Those that did knew the plan, and wisely said nothing.

Hollow activity had risen exponentially, and Soul Society became concerned over how they would be able to protect the human world. More and more students from the Academy were being brought on real missions and the shinigami death toll was rising. The Fourth Division couldn't handle all the injuries. It was almost as if the threat of Aizen was back, looming over them. Everyone took the engagement between the Tenth Division's captain and the sister of a war hero with much more enthusiasm than necessary, but they weren't discouraged by their commanding officers.

"Are you ready Karin?" Ichigo asked. He was preparing to lead his sister to the temple where her wedding would be taking place. She was dressed in the traditional white kimono and headdress, and while she was smiling, he could detect the sorrow in her eyes. "Maybe in a year or two this will be real," he said, trying to cheer her up.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be," she replied quietly, ignoring his second comment. As they walked, she whispered, "I wish Yuzu was here with us."

Ichigo stopped and drew his sister into a hug. "Yuzu is with us in spirit. She'll come to us one day, I promise." He let her go and continued to lead her to the ceremony.

—x—

"All right, Karin. You'll start to feel the effects within three weeks. I'm sending you on missions as usual." Hinamori stood over Karin, having just performed her special kidou spell. "Hollows will be able to tell after a while. We have recorded cases of them—"

"—arrogantly taunting women shinigami in that condition. I know. I've read up on it." Karin had been married for three months already, and her captain had deemed it enough time. In truth, she had rarely seen her husband since her wedding. "I'll organize a patrol. We haven't checked the northern districts in a while."

"Be back in five days at the most," Hinamori ordered, and returned to her office.

Karin sighed and went to her living quarters. In truth, she just wanted an excuse to get out of the Seireitei. Everyone gave her hopeful looks or expectant ones. She hated this much pressure on her, and she could only imagine what her husband was going through.

Toushirou was, in fact, her lawfully wedded husband. Nothing in the ceremony was changed at all. Why they did that, Karin had no idea, but one thing was for sure: once this whole thing was over, she didn't need to worry about wearing that heavy headdress again.

She walked into their rooms to get ready for her patrol, half-hoping Toushirou would be there. "Toushirou, you here?" she called. A slight rustle met her ears, and she opened his bedroom door.

He lay in bed, half-asleep. "What time is it?" he muttered, sitting up.

"About nine-thirty in the morning," Karin replied. "Listen, I have to go on a patrol for three days."

He tossed the covers aside and walked to his closet. "Be careful." He pulled his clothes out of the closet and laid them on the bed. "Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"I assumed you'd get up on your own," Karin laughed. "Besides, you probably needed the rest." The captains were being overworked into hyper drive. Even Matsumoto did her paperwork nowadays in an attempt to relieve the duty to her captain. Karin heard him come in at three in the morning sometimes.

"That may be, but next time, wake me up." He paused putting on his captain's haori. "Wasn't it today?"

She didn't bother asking him what it was. "Yes."

His face looked stricken. "I should have been with you."

Karin mentally kicked herself. She should have known that he would have wanted to be with her. "All I did was sit in a chair and watch Captain Hinamori say a bunch of complicated things and make a bunch of signs." She tried assuaging him, tried to assure him that he didn't miss out on anything.

"I'm your husband. I should have been there." He took her hands and walked into their living room, where she slept. Karin insisted a futon on the floor was just fine and besides, the temptation wasn't worth it. True, she could have slept in the bedroom with him, but she didn't think she could handle being so close to the man she loved and not be able to actually be with him. It actually embarrassed her to admit it; it sounded more like something Yuzu would say or think. She shook her head to get rid of her thoughts so as to not get caught off-guard by whatever Toushirou wanted to tell her. He sat on the sofa and pulled her next to him. "Even if this isn't a true marriage right now, I intend to treat you properly."

"Then do me a favor now and look after yourself while I'm running about the Rukongai for the next two months. We have to make sure the Hollows know about me, so I'll be gone a lot and the last thing I need is to come back and find you're injured." She meant it as a joke, but the look on his face told her that he took it seriously.

"I'll be okay, I promise." He kissed her cheek before walking out the door. "I'm going to work, and you probably should too. Good luck and stay safe."

"Yeah, goodbye." As soon as the door shut behind him, she went to her dresser and pulled out a spare uniform. Then she packed three days' worth of food and a medical kit, and strapped the pack around her waist. She wasn't in Fourth Division, sure, but she still had memories from her life in the human world. She could still do first aid and oftentimes that was what saved the lives of those in her squad. Fourth Division couldn't be everywhere, after all. I think I should really tell Captain about my idea. I think I picked it up when I was living—one or two healers on every mission would probably lower our casualty rate…

She gathered her squad together and they set out to the northern districts. Karin decided to patrol the districts between thirty and forty. Hollow activity wasn't high, but it wasn't low. More than likely, her squad would see at least one Hollow in their short patrol of three days. Generally a different division patrolled this area, but Karin figured it would be all right if her squad helped out for a few days.

How quickly would the Hollows be able to tell? It had to be relatively soon, considering her research. In the few cases that shinigami women had been sent on missions without knowing they were pregnant, it was always within the first two months. But, wouldn't it be far too soon if they could tell on the first day, or the first three days? Karin decided not to worry about that sort of stuff for the moment. She had to lead her squad, and no one wanted a distracted leader.

—x—

"How many times has this happened, Yoshioka?" Karin asked, sighing as she bandaged her subordinate's arm. "Honestly. You do know how to hold a sword, don't you?"

"Too many times, Kurosaki. Yeah, I do. Sorry. I don't know how that Hollow managed to get my arm." He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment with his other arm.

"You're lucky that he didn't take it off. There, I'm finished." She watched as he experimentally shifted his arm. "When we go back tomorrow you will head straight to the Fourth Division, understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" he saluted her. She stood up and offered him a hand; he took it and she pulled him up. "Are the others all right?" he asked as they walked towards the rest of the squad.

"They're just fine. Emi's leg got cut, but nothing serious."

"I'm really glad you know how to do this sort of stuff," he told her, fingering the bandages. "The squad's lucky to have you."

She laughed and shook her head. "I'm just lucky I remember how to do any of this stuff. It's my sister who was really a natural at healing. She'd be in the Fourth Division if she were here."

"You remember having a sister?" he asked in amazement.

"I remember a lot of my life in the world of the living," she told him. "I suppose it has to deal with having a shinigami for a father. I've been around dead things all my life." Depressing, really, she thought as she led her squad out of the districts they were in.

"You don't seem very dead to me, Kurosaki," Yuji persisted.

"It's Hitsugaya now and you know it Yoshioka," she scolded gently.

"Oh, that's right, isn't it? What's it like, being married to the youngest captain in all of Soul Society?"

"Hardly any different than it would be if I were married to anyone else." The gate leading into Seireitei was close, and she was glad she was almost home.

Karin, are you angry at him? her eagle asked.

No, Washi-ou. I just wish he wouldn't forget that I'm not Kurosaki anymore. She touched her hand to her abdomen in a way that made it look like her hand had just strayed over it. Karin didn't want people to notice it just yet. It'd only been three or four days. What is it going to feel like, being like this? she asked her eagle.

His feathers brushed her face as he calmed her heightening nerves. I cannot say for certain, but the last female shinigami I was with was happy. She gained her bankai during that pregnancy, actually.

Karin felt her body jerk at those words. What? she demanded. Did I hear you correctly?

You did, mistress. Perhaps it will be the same for you as well. You can materialize me, after all. You've got a lot of power, Karin, and you're very stubborn. I know you can do it, but I'm not just going to let you walk all over me.

I know. It took me long enough to gain shikai. Her thoughts had a sarcastic tinge.

Not as long as most people, I'd like to point out. Stop looking at the bad things. With a flurry of feathers, he disappeared back to his residing place. Karin grabbed a drifting feather from the air and tucked it into her pocket. For some reason, his stray feathers were excellent flashlights, as they glowed according to how much spiritual pressure she put into them. They also made nice fans in the summer.

"Maybe I should have Toushirou train me when I'm training for bankai," she muttered. Speaking of her husband, she decided that once she finished reporting in to her captain she was going to visit him.

It didn't take long to report in to Captain Hinamori. Yes, she had fought some Hollows. No, they didn't seem to know about her and no, her squad hadn't suffered any major injuries. As soon as she was let out, she headed over to the Tenth Division and walked into Toushirou's office.

"Toushirou? Do you have any time to spare?" she asked as she approached his desk.

He looked up. When he saw it was her, he smiled, and it looked as if a heavy weight was taken off his shoulders. "Hi Karin." Her husband looked down at his paperwork, as if deciding how to answer her question. "I think I can spare some time. What is it?"

"Could you train with me for my bankai?" she asked.

"I can certainly try to help you, Karin." He looked at his current piece of paperwork, signed his name at the bottom, and then stood up. "Let's go to where I trained."

Karin beamed at him, happy to be with him and happy he was helping. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" she asked.

"I don't think you ever have, but I already have an idea." He glanced at her over his shoulder, a smirk on his lips. "I think you should start focusing on training."

"Already?" she teased, but fell silent, following him to their destination.

So they're off to train. I need some good examples for how to get bankai! Ichigo's way has been used in at least one other fanfic (Fallen Souls by Crystalline-X), and Renji didn't even show how he did it. Anyone have any-any-good bankai-gaining fanfics? It could pertain to any character! Or should I just do what GrnEydDvl did in Reincarnation where Karin simply told Toushirou that she gained it without saying how?

I think that this is why Karin didn't get bankai in Fire and Ice-it was hard enough to figure out shikai. :p

I need your help you guys! Please tell me what you think!