"I have something I'd like to talk with you about...so...maybe next time do you think you could make some time for me?"

Muttering darkly under his breath, Ichigo roughly ran his fingers through his hair in a fruitless attempt to try and make some of it lay nicely to one side or the other. Short of using enormous globs of hair gel, Ichigo's hair was never going to do anything other than stand straight up, but that didn't stop him from trying at times like these when he was antsy and anxious about looking his best...which was certainly not very often.

Heaving a huge sigh and leaning heavily against the counter with his hands on either side of the sink, Ichigo stared at his reflection's unruly hair as he commented in a dry, sardonic tone, "Maybe I should just get a crew cut or something," before fluffing his hair with his fingers running all over his head for five seconds and then finishing by going from back to front. Thinking to himself that his hair was about as good as it was ever going to get, he left the bathroom and stalked down the hall to his room.

Before showering, Ichigo had laid out his outfit on the bed, but looking at it a second time, he decided that jeans with holes in the knees were definitely not an appropriate 'first outing/date' choice. So he switched them out for a pair of khakis, after which he became dissatisfied with how they looked with the navy blue shirt he had previously picked. After tossing that back in the drawer, Ichigo pulled out a black tee with the words 'World Difference Execute', but then thought better of it for the same reason as the ripped jeans and on this agony went for another seven minutes before he finally emerged from his room with what he considered was a 'casual, but not too casual' outfit befitting this occasion. And with that thought Ichigo promptly returned to his room to grab a different pair of shoes.

For Orihime's part, getting ready for this outing with Ichigo was better in the sense that Tatsuki was there to talk her down when she was overcome with emotion. On the other hand that also meant that Orihime got easily side-tracked, forgetting that she wasn't hanging out with Tatsuki and was actually supposed to be getting ready to meet Ichigo.

While she wasn't usually one to style her own hair or wear clothes to accentuate her feminine figure as she preferred more 'practical' styles to suit her occupation and personality, Tatsuki was nevertheless quite talented and adept at performing those tasks for others or, more specifically, for Orihime. So while Orihime had jumped in the shower after work, Tatsuki had carefully picked through Orihime's closet and come up with two outfits: one that she intended to tease Orihime with and one that she actually thought Orihime would be comfortable wearing today.

Hearing the water stop and the sound of the shower curtain rasping open, Tatsuki gathered up the appropriate undergarments and opened the bathroom door enough to passed them through as she called to Orihime, "Put these on and keep your hair wrapped in the towel."

"All right!" replied Orihime cheerily and in less time than Tatsuki thought possible, Orihime threw open the door, asking for the third time, "Are you sure you have enough time to do this? I don't want you to-"

Laying a hand on her friend's shoulder, Tatsuki hushed Orihime with a single look as she said flatly, "Orihime, I love you, but you really need to stop overthinking when people offer to do nice things for you. Got it?"

Smiling sheepishly, Orihime nodded and said in a tone to match, "All right," to which Tatsuki nodded in satisfaction before getting to work. Make-up foundation done and Orihime's hair arranged in several braids, the two exited the bathroom and headed for the bedroom with Tatsuki trailing a little behind so that her friend wouldn't notice the hint of a smile playing around the corners of her lips.

Seeing the outfit laid out for her, Orihime hesitated in the doorway as she said in a tone that was failing to hide just how uncomfortable she was, "Oh, I forgot that I even had that...guess I could wear it for the first time today..."

Clearing her throat to hide a chuckle, Tatsuki gestured to the clothes as she said, "Yeah, I thought so. Put them on and let's have a look." Just as it seemed like she was about to protest, Orihime's expression showed that she remembered Tatsuki's earlier admonition and she dutifully put on the clothes which consisted of a pair of colorful, flower-printed leggings and a white t-shirt that wasn't completely skin-tight and see-through but rather too close for comfort. While it could be pulled down in order to cover her nether regions, that meant that the amount of cleavage showing would be quite substantial.

Nodding once in satisfaction, Tatsuki said, "All right, then. Back to the bathroom."

After blow-drying the braids, Tatsuki undid them and fluffed out Orihime's hair, spraying it lightly to make sure it stayed mostly intact while still allowing the long, auburn locks to flow naturally. She then took small sections from either side of Orihime's head and twisted them around to the back, braiding the ends together and then spraying it again to keep it from falling apart. Hair completed to her satisfaction, Tatsuki's final touches to Orihime's make-up were quick and subtle which served to accentuate the young woman's natural beauty.

Motioning for Orihime to stand up, Tatsuki asked, "So, what do you think?"

"It's wonderful, Tatsuki. Thank you so much," was Orihime's halfhearted reply.

Giving her best friend a shrewd smile, Tatsuki probed, "Something's wrong. What is it?"

"I just..." Orihime began before nervously twirling a strand of hair between her fingers and gnawing on her lower lip.

Taking Orihime's hand, Tatsuki led her out of the bathroom saying, "I think I have just the thing," and went back into the closet to pull out the finishing touch to Orihime's outfit: a short, blue jean dress that would go on top of what she already had on.

Gasping in relief and delight, Orihime sagged against Tatsuki's arm as she said barely above a whisper, "Oh, thank you," before she pulled the young woman into a tight hug as she repeated in a rapturous tone, "Thank you, Tatsuki! Thank you!"

Patting Orihime's back, Tatsuki fought back tears and swallowed before she said firmly, "My pleasure, but don't start crying on me and wrecking your make-up."

"Right!"

Checking his watch for what could have been the hundredth time, Ichigo plucked at the cuffs of his jacket to make sure they were completely covering his wrists. Then feeling that it was too constricting on his neck and shoulders, he tugged at the collar which did loosen things up there, but then it revealed too much of his wrists for his liking and the cycle began again. Or at least, it could have if Orihime hadn't arrived at that moment with a bright "Hello!" which served to snap Ichigo out of his agitated state.

With a quick thought of 'Hollow, don't you dare make me ogle her,' Ichigo said in a kind of croak, "Hey," before he cleared his throat and repeated, "Hey. You look..." and then completely ran out of words as his mind was wiped clean.

Waving a hand in front of her face to hide her embarrassment, Orihime said in her usual cheery tone, albeit an octave or two higher, "It was all Tatsuki. She kindly offered to come over and help me and...well, she's just amazing, isn't she?"

Nodding slowly, Ichigo replied with, "Yeah, yeah, she is. You ready?"

Seizing on the change of topic like it was a lifeline, Orihime said, "Oh yes! I've really been looking forward to this new exhibit! I even did some research on some of the featured artists and their art styles."

"And what did you find out?" asked Ichigo before they both turned to head in the direction of the art museum, with Orihime chatting away happily about what she had learned. They strolled along in almost perfect contentment for a while and nearly made it to the museum, when they both felt a familiar tingle run up their spines. Their suspicions were confirmed when Ichigo's Substitute Soul Reaper Badge began to beep. Both their expressions became serious before they simultaneously turned and ran towards the Hollow presence.

As he ran, Ichigo fished around in his back pocket for his badge and Soul Candy dispenser, which he had actually purchased from Urahara earlier that week just in case a situation like this arose where he was out with Orihime and an enemy appeared (although he had made absolutely sure not to tell the shopkeeper the reason behind his purchase, no matter how the man had finagled and coaxed him). While he trusted in Orihime's skills and knew she could do more than heal and shield, on the other hand, too many times in previous battles had he seen her pinned down by an enemy while he was forced away from her by another. He also knew that Orihime was at her best when protecting or healing someone else and not necessarily when she was the one in harm's way. This way, Ichigo was hoping that Orihime would at least have part of him there to protect her before things became too desperate.

Popping the candy into his mouth, Ichigo felt the familiar whooshing sensation as he was flung from his body. He allowed the force to propel him forward a foot or two before allowing his feet to touch the ground and continue running a little ahead of the other two. Almost of itself, Ichigo's hand lifted to grasp Zangetsu's handle and he felt it begin to pull away slightly from his back, as ready for action as he was.

Shortening his stride slightly to run alongside his body (man, it was really weird looking at his own face, especially when the expression was bland and almost lifeless), Ichigo gave orders to 'himself', saying, "Remain by her side at all times and watch her back. Got it?"

"Affirmative," replied the soul automatically.

Looking over at Orihime, it occurred to Ichigo that he shouldn't just assume these things were all right with her and so asked, "Are you fine with that, Orihime?"

With a smile that told him that she understood what he was trying to do, Orihime nodded once as she said, "I trust you, Ichigo." Had Ichigo been paying attention, he may have noticed that while his speed remained the same, there was a slight lift in his steps, almost as if he were floating above the ground.

The mood quickly changed when they heard the familiar sound of a Hollow roaring. The trio came to the end of the block and rounded the corner without slowing their pace and therefore only had a few moments to take in the scene and analyze what needed to be done.

There were four abnormally large Hollows in an outdoor marketplace. Two of the Hollows had cornered what looked like the soul of an old shopkeeper, another was chasing two teenage souls while the last one was sitting on its haunches, turned so that they could only see its back. However, if the sounds emanating from that Hollow were any indication, it wasn't difficult to figure out why it wasn't moving.

Bellowing furiously, Ichigo drew Zangetsu and slashed viciously at the Hollow's back. This caused the Hollow to turn its head to look at its attacker and open its mouth to release the soul it had been in the process of devouring in order to let out an enraged howl of its own. Before the Hollow could however, Zangetsu sliced through its neck as if it were no more than rice paper. Even before the Hollow had begun de-materializing, Orihime had summoned her Shun Shun Rikka to heal the grievously wounded soul and sent the others to shield the old shopkeeper.

Hesitating just long enough to make sure that his body took up a position where he could protect Orihime's blind spot, Ichigo flash stepped to where the two Hollows were just standing and looking at the shield in momentary confusion. Much to his surprise, the shopkeeper looked at him with a panicked expression, shook his head vigorously and started waving his hands as if to shoo Ichigo away.

Just as Ichigo was about to ignore the old man and kill the Hollows anyway, the shopkeeper yelled desperately, "Leave me! Save them! Save them before they die!" Almost without thinking, Ichigo turned his attention back to the running teenagers and noticed something he hadn't before: there was a long chain connected just below each of their collar bones that ran all the way back to their bodies which were lying under the awning of one of the shops.

"Ichigo!"

Looking in the direction Orihime's voice had come from, Ichigo had all of a millisecond to read her intentions in her expression before she sprang into action. That was the most they could spare as the Hollow had stepped on the teenagers' soul chains, pinning them down and prepared to 'dig in'. In his peripheral vision, Ichigo saw his body tense as if it were about to whirl around to look at its charge. Ichigo was positive it would have quick enough reactions to keep up with Orihime and what she was about to do, so the only thing left for him to do was to give her a quick nod and ghost of a confident grin of encouragement.

In the split second after this exchange, Ichigo turned back toward the shopkeeper and leaped in front of the man just as Orihime's shield separated so that it could be almost instantaneously reformed above the two trapped teens. While Ichigo hefted a weighty blow with the flat of his blade on the two Hollows in front of him to make them step back a pace or two, out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw Orihime sprint forward while calling forth Tsubaki in case her cutting shield wasn't quite enough to finish it off. A good plan that should have worked, but should have worked is only helpful in retrospect when one can simply analyze the data of what happened, where things went wrong and what one might do differently in a similar situation.

When the Hollow realized that its intended prey were huddled in relative safety behind a barrier it couldn't get through, it turned its attention towards the two figures running towards it. Then, rather than let out an obstinate, territorial roar, the Hollow pulled what looked like a protruding bone from its head and hurled it towards Orihime. True to form, Ichigo's body charged in front of Orihime to take the blow and the projectile hit him square in the heart center. However, rather than embedding itself into flesh, the projectile splattered across his chest almost like clay. Nothing happened for another two or three strides, but suddenly Ichigo's body convulsed and collapsed as if it were a puppet whose strings had been cut. Jumping nimbly out of the way of Ichigo's falling body and then over it, Orihime continued on towards the monster, mouth set in a grim line.

Forcing himself to look away and focus instead on the Hollows in front of him, Ichigo waved his free hand at the shopkeeper to try and get the man to take a few steps back. Squeezed in-between the shop front and the close quarters of the Hollows, it was one of the few times when having such a large zanpakuto was something of an annoyance as he didn't have quite enough room to swing it fully and obliterate the Hollows in one massive strike without causing substantial damage to his surroundings. As it was, Ichigo was forced to use the flat and tip of his blade to basically poke and prod his opponents to back off until he finally got enough room to finish them off.

Finally achieving his goal, Ichigo's muscles were just beginning to tense and bunch in preparation for a powerful finishing blow when he heard a terrified shriek. Immediately fearing the worst for Orihime, Ichigo's head turned in his girlfriend's direction just in time to see exactly that.

The Hollow had apparently tried to throw a few missiles at Orihime, each of which she had dodged, so when that didn't work the Hollow decided to go for a head on approach. Quite literally. It had leaped away from its shielded former intended victims and was charging towards Orihime with its head lowered as if it were a bull trying to gore a matador. While Ichigo could see that Orihime was about to send Tsubaki hurtling towards her attacker, something in Ichigo's gut told him that it wouldn't be enough.

"Shield, Orihime! Summon your shield!"

Next moment, Orihime followed through with her attack. There was no hesitation. Tsubaki cut right through the Hollow and it began to dissolve. However, the velocity it had built up caused the horned head to keep hurtling forward and crash into Orihime. With no shield in front of her, she took the full brunt of the blow and was sent flying across the market square. Ichigo saw several of the 'horns' flatten themselves on her chest, arms and even face before they too dissipated.

When her body finally lost its momentum and came to a stop, a golden glow engulfed Orihime for several seconds. By the time it had faded away, Ichigo had already killed the remaining two Hollows and had flash-stepped to her side. Carefully checking for neck and spine injuries, Ichigo felt a tremor run up his spine when he touched Orihime. At first, he couldn't put his finger on it, but when he carefully took her hand as he lifted her into his arms it came to him. Orihime's skin wasn't warm or cold. It almost didn't feel like skin at all.

Ichigo was pulled out of his stupor when he heard a familiar clipped yet deeply agitated and disturbed tone ask, "What happened here?"

Author's Note:

Call me crazy. Call me a knucklehead. Call me a moron. However, that doesn't change the fact that I've done it. I started yet another story to add to the ever increasing pile that I have yet to finish.

Why did I do it, you ask? Well, because while I was getting ready this morning, I couldn't stop thinking about doing this and several ideas came to mind of things that I could do with this and I just knew that my brain would not leave me alone until I started this. So, weak-willed writer that I am, I gave in and now here you see the first piece of a new and yet familiar puzzle that I am putting together.

For those of you who read the original 'Common Thread', I hope you enjoy this new re-imagining of that story. My plan is to keep the overall ideas of each lifetime similar to what I did before, but there may be some substantial changes made to the details. If you guys have any requests for characters, plot situations or anything along those lines that you'd like me to throw into the mix, I welcome any and all input and will do my best to add those in! For those of you who have not read the original, while it was done some time ago, I did put information in the Author's Notes that explain where I got the inspiration for this whole thing, so check there if you are interested since I'm not retyping it all in here.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed or at least are intrigued by this first part. :)