"Rangiku-san."
                          
Rangiku's head darted up as she head Ichigo's voice. "Anything you need."
                          
"I'm going to be going back to the world of the living."
                          
The woman swallowed as she heard this. "What about taicho? If Ichigo doesn't come back again he is going to be quite upset."
                          
"There are some things I need to take care of before I come back. I'm also going to be bringing some books Toshiro hasn't read. That should hopefully give him something to do other then video games and... well..." One of Ichigo's hands reached up to scratch the top of his head. "... Toshiro wants more paperwork to do."
                          
"That child!" Rangiku shook her head only for her facial features soften. She let out a sigh. "Well... some things will never change."
                          
"He told me to ask for some to be brought for him to do."
                          
"As if!"
                          
"That's what I told him."
                          
"I'll bring him a late breakfast instead. Seriously... that child drives me crazy." Rangiku waved her head. "You go back to the world of the living. Things around here will be fine."
                          
"Are you sure? I can easily limit the time I spend as much as possible."
                          
"No. You need to visit your family. You need to also see to taking care of things at your school."
                          
She bent her head down prepared to go back to work when Ichigo said something else. "Toshiro doesn't think that issue will be fixed."
                          
Rangiku choose not to respond, but the feeling of course caused her heart to sink. "Will he ever be back to normal? Was the way he was a good thing though? I mean... he is a child, not an adult." She continued working when she suddenly felt her young taicho's spiritual pressure rupture as if something was wrong. She stood up causing the papers to slide off the desk. She headed to the captain's quarters wondering what would happen to cause her small taicho to react like he was. She found herself skiggind to a stop right outside. "You!"
                          
Ice was creeping from out of the room at floor level while the inside of the room. Standing outside leaning up against the wall near the door frame was one of the last people she expected to see. She felt her rieatsu flare up and her hands clench together as she looked at the man who crossed his arms over his chest. She took a deep breath as her anger began to peek. "What the hell are you doing here? Actually... what are you doing not in the prison cells. Did you escape?"
                          
"Escape?" The man let out a slight laugh. "You actually think I am free. Not with the stipulations they've placed on me. The man shook his head."
                          
"Stipulations?" Rangiku found herself swallowing. "You mean they let you out! After what you did to my taicho? Are you aware of what you did to him?"
                          
"I'm well aware. That's why I decided to come here."
                          
The woman felt her throat tighten. "So you're here to frighten my taicho? You think that because his mental state is the way that it is, that he will be a good target... a child to terrorize."
                          
"No." The man placed his hands into his pockets as he glared at the man. "I don't give a crap about you Shinigami. I'm not someone who would go around terrorizing kids."
                          
"You had no qualms fighting him."
                          
"That's different. He had spunk as he fought too. I've got service hours to do, so I figure the best thing to do is to make it up to him by helping out around here."
                          
"Service hours?" Rangiku's voice rose. "I want you to leave."
                          
"They said I could pick the service hours I want."
                          
"I don't care what they said! I don't want you of all people near my taicho."
                          
"Seriously... he's not yours." The man stood up and began to walk away. "I'm not going to give up."
                          
Rangiku felt as if someone had stabbed her multiple times. "I'll speak with them. I won't... I'll make sure you stay way. The man disappeared and she stepped into the room. The ice crunched and even shattered under her feet. She couldn't see her small taicho in the room, but knew full well that he happened to be there. The only place he could be was under the bed. She leaned over and peeked under the bed as her breath formed a fog. "Taicho?"
                          
The boy's eyes focused on her. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing ended up coming out.
                          
Her hand reached out to grab his hand. "He's gone taicho. You can come out. Let's get your room defrosted."
                          
The boy blinked a couple of times before sliding out from underneath the bed. He sat down on the bed with his hands falling to his side as Rangiku went about making the room warm again. She watched as his breath came in hearty puffs. "What did he want Matsumoto?"
                          
"What did he want?" Rangiku swallowed. "Don't worry. He won't be bothering you again."
                          
"Matsumoto. Don't treat me like a child. He had to have wanted something from me. Actually... what is he doing out. Matsumoto..."
                          
"I said don't worry about it."
                          
Toshiro looked at the ground. "Are all the Quincy being let off?"
                          
"Apparently."
                          
"What do you mean apparently."
                          
"There is some kind of stipulation for him about service hours." She watched as the boy's face twisted up in confusion. "He's supposed to be doing service hours. He mentioned some kind of nonsense about using his service hours to make it up to you. I told him to go away."
                          
Toshiro turned his head slightly to the side. "Rangiku. He isn't going to go away simply because you asked him to. He's also stronger then you are. Don't put up with a fight with him."
                          
"I will not back down. Not if it means something happening to you taicho."
                          
"Matsumoto..." The boy took a deep breath. "What am I going to do if I loose you?"
                          
Rangiku blinked a couple of times. "What..."
                          
"You heard what I said."
                          
The woman smiled. "I heard what you said. It's just..." The woman took a deep breath. "Ever since this You've been saying a lot of things that I never expected you to say taicho." She watched as the boy's face contorted with a look of hurt. "It's not a bad thing. The fact you're saying these things shows me that you're growing up."
                          
"It doesn't feel like I'm growing up. Not when..."
                          
Rangiku watched as the boy paused. "Taicho... is this about the fact you haven't been able to leave your room."
                          
"Kurosaki is coming back? Right?" The boy leaned back onto the palm of his hands.
                          
"Ichigo is coming back. You honstly don't have to worry about this."