/disclaimer, Bleach doesn't belong to me, I'm not good enough at painting Manga… Warnings: will contain spoilers for Memories of Nobody and adult themes in later chapters… be warned

Madarame Ikkaku slowly walked past Yumichika; the other man placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You should go to her, tell her before our memories of Shizu disappear," Yumichika said with his soft voice. Ikkaku nodded slightly as Yumichika gave him a strained smile as he walked up to Soifon-taichou. The bald man sighed again as he started over to the Fourth headquarter, and the hospital there. The General Relief Stations was crowded with patients who been thrown around by the whirlwinds of the colliding worlds, but he was not headed there; -in the west wing of the hospital there was a long-time ward. He paused just before he opened the shoji, gathering his courage; he had not visited her for quite some time, he felt as if he was betraying her all over again. He slipped the door ajar, looking into the small calm room; a nurse looked up from her work as she was changing the IV's.

"Ah! Madarame-sama! It has been a long time, I've just finished," she said as she gathered her things. "If you need anything just call on me," she smiled gently as she left the room. She was one of the nurses Ikkaku admired; she had stood her ground against Kurotsuchi-taichou, although if Zaraki and Kusajishi had not come when they had, who know how that had ended. He looked on the pale figure on the futon, her still and relaxed face always made him smile, wondering how many mornings he had looked on that face next to him.

"Konbanwa Katsue-chan," he whispered as he planted a kiss on her forehead. He knew that Yumichika went to Katsue's sick bed twice a week, and that he usually washed her midnight blue hair, the locks whitened by the scar braided away from her face. "I, I saw Shizu today, she wasn't the Shizu we remember but she had her appearance and her heart," Ikkaku started as he took her slack hand into his, how strange that her hands that used to be calloused by the daily training with the rest of the 11th now were softer than anything he had touched. He told the comatose woman everything he remembered, it was getting harder to recall the things that had happened in the Valley of Screams. "I think that her soul is at peace now. I believe that. Katsue, she never blamed us, you need to forgive your self for something you never caused. We need you with us, I need you," he finally said as he stared out in the night. During all their years as bed partners, he had never once confessed his love to her, but neither had she; their love had been unspoken. He stroked her cheek, allowed his fingers to move across her chin, he could remember the times she had been infuriated and how she set her jaw, and now she just slept. He had stopped counting the months, years she had been like this.

120 years earlier

Ikkaku tried to stifle his laughter as Katsue stood and gave her little sister advice, orders and threats. It was Shizu's first solo mission to the Living World ad of course Katsue was nervous, but she constantly reminded Shizu that she should request backup if she encountered Hollows.

"But you never ask for backup, nee-chan!" she said pouting, and with the sole purpose of driving her sister insane.

"I am the fourth seat in the eleventh! We are the fighting division, and I've been a Shinigami for nearly a century! You in the other hand are an unseated Shinigami from the thirteenth Division and a rookie at that! You will call for backup if you encounter problems, if you don't, I will make sure that you aren't sent on any missions in the future!" Katsue yelled from were she towered over Shizu; the oldest sister was nearly 180 centimetres tall while Shizu barely reached 150. Ikkaku was surprised to see tears forming in Katsue's golden eyes, during the years he had known her she had never once cried, not when she had been brought the news that her father had fallen against a Menos Grande, not when her mother passed away from the grief. Shizu suddenly sobered from her somewhat childish behaviour and took her sisters hand.

"I promise that I'll call for back up if something happens, I will be careful, it's a calm town and I should mostly do soul burials anyhow."

"I'll call you every night to check on you these two weeks," Katsue said as she pulled Shizu into a tight embrace. "Be careful." Katsue looked at her sister's grin as she ran through the open Senkaimon. "She will come back wont she?"

"Off course she'll be back," Ikkaku said as he playfully tapped her shoulder with his sheath. "She is annoying enough, but nothing near her sister!" he said as he danced away from her kick. He laughed as they slowly made their way back to the 11ths headquarter and the dreaded paperwork that awaited them, Ikkaku knew that Katsue would sneak into his room that night, but not for sex, more for the comfort of his embrace.

"You know, one of these days I'll kick your ass, Ikkaku-chan," she softly said as she shunpoed past him.

/A/N: this ficlet will continue if I get any responses on it, flames will be used to warm up my feet (they are horribly cold)