"Oh…I knew I shouldn't have bought that candy…but it was so tasty..."

Orihime sat glumly on the floor staring at the meager pile of coins in front of her, wishing that she did have a spruce or something similar on which monetary goods would bloom and flourish.

It was Christmas Eve and the shops would be closing in about five hours, but she needed time to think and plan out what she was going to do about shopping for the man who loved her unconditionally and who had undoubtedly done a better job of saving his money to buy her a present despite money being tight these days. The problem was not deciding what she was going to get him, but rather how she was going to afford the one thing she desperately wanted to buy for him.

Stuffing her fists into her cheeks, Orihime said gloomily, "Who am I kidding? Even if I did have those pennies back, I still be ten dollars short."

Never one to stay inactive for long, Orihime hastily swiped the coins off the floor and dropped them into her coin purse and said to herself, "Might as well get going rather than mope around here and completely miss my chance to buy anything decent."

At the door, Orihime paused only long enough to take her threadbare, yet still serviceable, cloak off its peg and then stepped briskly out into the backstreets of New York City. Many in the wealthier classes would have cringed and walked briskly past the streets containing rather dilapidated houses, persons wearing ill-fitting, shabby and patched clothing and most likely a dead (or at least nearly dead) drunk, or just plain dead, body. However, while Orihime knew that there were certain places people (especially females) just shouldn't go under any circumstances, she was also aware that she lived in a neighborhood with extremely decent people.

After closing the front door, Orihime turned as she heard a voice with a heavy German accent say, "Guten Tag, Fraulein Inoue!"

"Hello, Herr Baum!" Orihime replied cheerily, "Is your cold better?"

"Ja, danke for asking, Fraulein," answered the big man with a huge grin before asking, "Where is thou heading so urgently?"

"You could tell?" asked Orihime rhetorically before she answered, "I'm off to do a little shopping."

"Ah, a little special shopping for a certain young man, ja?" asked Herr Baum with a wink.

"Yes," answered Orihime simply.

The big man's grin lessened slightly as he asked seriously, "Will thou be out late, Fraulein?"

Understanding his unspoken offer, Orihime smiled and shook her head, "No, I don't plan to be out but a few hours, so I will be back long before dark."

Inclining his head and doffing his hat to her, Herr Baum said, "Very good, Fraulein. I will keep watch from window."

Nodding in understanding, Orihime said, "I would appreciate it," before dipping her head to politely take her leave of him.

Another fifteen minutes or so was spent after that in small talk conversations with other neighbors and friends. During each encounter, Orihime was as kind and polite as ever, but when she finally took her leave Orihime's steps would quicken in the direction she wished to go. Finally, she reached the major streets with all the nice shops and restaurants and Orihime was able to progress down the street with little hindrance.

While she was in something of a hurry, nevertheless, Orihime was able to fully appreciate the beauty of the holiday season. Shop windows were decorated beautifully. People bustled by with determination in their eyes, but usually a smile on their lips as well. Delicious scents that were commonly there like baking bread or cooking meat were combined together with other holiday delicacies such as roasting nuts or spiced cider. The snow gently falling and being crunched underfoot also added to the overall atmosphere.

Orihime arrived at her destination and for a few moments, she simply stood outside the window and stared longingly at the gift she could not afford. It was a golden pocket watch. The watch face was fairly plain, but was well-made. The lid of the watch was engraved with a beautiful sun, moon and stars design. When Orihime had seen the watch just over two months previously, she had been completely captivated. It was the perfect gift…even if not quite the perfect price.

Wrapping her hand around her little coin purse, Orihime's heart sank as she tried to force herself to think realistically. At this point, she could not afford the watch and so shouldn't waste her time mooning over it. She'd just have to find something else.

Just as she was about to turn away and try to close her heart to the desire for the watch, a small voice in the back of her mind said, "It's not too much to hope."

"No," Orihime said to herself, "but I can't keep hoping in vain for a miracle."

Then, as she turned to walk in search of a different gift…she found her miracle. For a moment or two, Orihime stood stock still and then all but raced across the street to stand in front of yet another store window. However, this wasn't just any store window. This was the answer-to-her-prayers store window. And yet, this store window gave her pause…for this was a wig-maker's store window.

Pasted to the window was a sign that read 'Will pay fair price for well-maintained hair' and these words were to be Orihime's salvation and yet also her demise. If she could sell her hair for at least eleven dollars, Orihime would have enough money to buy the pocket watch, but she would have to give up her hair.

Orihime was not a vain or conceited person about her looks, but she did take pride in maintaining her hair. She brushed it every morning and every night and washed it whenever she was able. However, she was not the only one who was proud of her long hair.

Just as she was about to lose courage and walk away, that same small voice said, "Your hair will grow back, but someone else may buy the watch."

With that thought, Orihime clenched her fists and marched determinedly through the door. Twenty minutes later, Orihime emerged with her eyes shining yet with a huge smile on her face as she raced back across the street.

All but yanking the door open, Orihime looked around desperately before seeing the owner behind the counter.

Striding forward, Orihime said quickly, "I'd like to buy the watch in the window, please."

The manager blinked down at her before slowly taking in her appearance. While Orihime tried to bear the scrutiny patiently, she couldn't help but tap her toe insistently inside her shoe in order to calm her nerves.

Finally, the manager asked in a rather oily and nasal tone, "I assume you have sufficient funds for the purchase?"

Trying to swallow the rush of bile that rose in her throat in shame and embarrassment over his apparent disapproval of her, Orihime smiled as she placed a twenty dollar bill on the counter. At the sight of the money, the manager's eyebrows tried to meet up with his hairline, which was rather futile as his hair had all but retreated from his scalp.

Rather than simply taking the money and retrieving the watch, the manager's gaze scrutinized Orihime once again as he asked meaningfully, "And just how did a young woman such as yourself come by these funds?"

Forcing her gaze to remain open and honest instead of watery, Orihime pulled out a slip of paper and said barely above a whisper, "I just sold my hair not two minutes ago. You may go and inquire at the shop, if you wish. I'm sure the hairdresser will remember me. She said she'd never seen hair like mine before and she…" Orihime faltered slightly as she said, "…she said it was such a shame to cut all of it off. But then I told her that my hair grows so fast…" and Orihime's voice trailed off lamely as she waited for the manager to say something.

With a sniff, the manager said, "Well, it certainly looks as if everything is in order," then he looked at her over his glasses as he asked, "You wanted what exactly?"

Pointing over to the window, Orihime cleared her throat before she said, "The watch in the window. The one with the sun, moon and stars engraved on it."

The rest of the transaction seemed to take forever, but finally Orihime exited the shop with a small box wrapped in brown paper and twine carefully tucked into an inner pocket of her cloak. Taking a few deep breaths of cold but fresh air, Orihime felt her anxiety evaporate like the steam pouring from her mouth. Not only had she managed to buy the watch, she had more than enough left over to get some extra sides for dinner tonight while putting the rest aside for rent or other bills.

As she stepped away from the storefront, Orihime couldn't help but smile as she envisioned this Christmas Eve being the best one ever.

Skipping lightly on her way back home with her few extra purchases enfolded gently in her arms, Orihime hummed a carol she had heard a group singing not long ago. Turning the corner where her home was, Orihime was oblivious to the two dangers about to befall her, so caught up was she in her holiday cheer.

First, there was the patch of ice hidden beneath a dusting of snow. Orihime felt her foot slip from underneath her and could do nothing to stop her forward momentum into the street. She managed to twist midair so that she would not squash any of her precious packages, but she did so at risk to herself. Feeling her left elbow and side of her ribcage slam into the pavement, Orihime knew instantly that she would have bruises in those places. However, a split second later, Orihime gave no more thought to those injuries.

The second danger came in the form of a horse-drawn carriage bearing down on her quickly. She heard the driver shout and the horses whinny nervously as they reared up, but she also knew that it would be too little, too late. Orihime closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come that would herald her probable death.

That pain never came. Instead, Orihime felt two familiar hands pick her up and toss her out of harm's way. A second later, the horses collided with Orihime's rescuer with a terrible sound. However, Orihime did not hear the commotion as her head had hit the pavement and knocked her out for several minutes.

When she came to, Orihime heard Herr Baum saying softly, "There, there Fraulein. Thou must take easy, ja?"

Even though her senses were still sickeningly spinning, there was a churning in her stomach that had nothing to do with that. At the moment, though, Orihime couldn't put her finger on exactly what was so wrong.

Feebly reaching up to rub at her eyes, Orihime whispered, "Herr Baum…would you…lift me…please…"

"Nein, nein Fraulein," the big man said hastily yet gently, "Herr Doctor be coming quick like, ja."

"I understand," Orihime replied slowly and painfully, "but…I need…to see…I know there's…something wrong…"

"Very well, Fraulein," said Herr Baum moments before Orihime felt something small and wet hit her cheek. Momentarily, Orihime wondered if it might be about to rain when her blurry vision came into focus and she saw what had caused the large man's tears as he supported her sitting up.

For the longest time Orihime could neither move nor speak, simply sat and tried to force her muddled head to process the sight before her. The beloved brown eyes were closed in pain. The strong body was splayed on the ground with a leg twisted unnaturally. There was a small cut on the pale face, but there were no other places where lifeblood spilled. In spite of that, Orihime knew that it wouldn't be long before she was left alone in this world. At the last thought, Orihime struggled weakly to escape Herr Baum's strong arms and move towards the broken body in the street.

Voice cracking with emotion, Herr Baum choked, "Nein, Fraulein, nein. Thou canst do nothing for him now."

Reaching up to pull at his big hands, Orihime whispered desperately, "I need to…say goodbye. Please, Herr Baum."

Heaving a grieved sigh, Herr Baum's only response was to stand with Orihime tucked carefully in his arms. The ten paces it took to reach the fallen man seemed to take an age, but at last, Herr Baum lowered Orihime until she was sitting at the young man's side.

Reaching out a hand to stroke his face, Orihime breathed, "Brother," in a nearly inaudible tone. However, a moment later, the eyelids opened painstakingly slowly and the brown eyes gazed into watery gray ones.

"Orihime," croaked Sora, "you're not hurt."

"No," Orihime answered, "thanks to you."

"That's good," Sora sighed, "I almost didn't recognize you," at Orihime's blank stare, Sora reached up slowly to rub her head as said simply, "Your hair."

Those two words sent a jolt through Orihime as she reached up to feel the newly shortened locks. It was the final crack in the dam.

Dropping her head to her chest, Orihime sobbed quietly, "I'm so sorry that I cut my hair. There was a present I really wanted to get you, but I didn't have enough money and so I went and sold my hair. I did have some qualms about it, but then I remembered that my hair can grow back and I thought…I thought…"

While Orihime had been talking, Sora's hand had reached down until it was resting on the back of her neck. As soon as Orihime began faltering for words, he pulled her down until her head was resting on his chest. With her head in that position, Orihime could hear the sound of Sora's heart as it struggled and labored yet determinedly carrying on until the bitter end.

"Brother," Orihime said in a strangled voice, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Hush now," Sora said as he stroked her hair, "No need for all that. I'm your big brother and I'm supposed to look after you."

He gave two short, racking coughs before he sighed and said, "Just remember that I love you no matter what, short hair or long. Take care, Orihime."

While Orihime felt his hand go still on her head, it wasn't until the low thumping next to her ear died away that Orihime allowed herself to relax her grip on Sora's shirt and reality. Her head tucked under Sora's chin, two tears slid across her face to splash on his shirt milliseconds before Orihime slipped back into unconsciousness.

Sora's death was labeled as 'accidental death caused by injuries sustained from a carriage' by the courts. The driver of the carriage was fined for his inability to control the horses. The owner of the carriage could have also been fined for having his driver push the horses so hard, but since his father was one of the magistrates, no one thought it wise to press the matter in court.

For Orihime's part, she simply wished to be left alone for a time to grieve, but that was not possible. Since she was only twelve years old, someone had to take charge of her or she would be placed in an orphanage until she came of age.

The funeral for Sora was held two days after his death. Compared to most people's standards, a group of fifteen people mourning for a young man's passing would seem meager at best, but under the circumstances, with Orihime, Herr Baum and thirteen other trusted neighbors and friends, it was just the right amount.

Immediately following the funeral, police investigators whisked Orihime away and placed her under their custody and protection while letters of inquiry were sent out to distant relatives of Orihime's. Their care and concern for the young girl went so far as to bring her safely to headquarters and have her sit in the waiting room with instructions not to get up or do anything for any reason unless given permission first. This did not faze Orihime in the slightest for she now had time to lose herself in her own thoughts.

While Orihime would have adamantly denied being anything other than full of energy, weariness and oblivion claimed her senses so entirely and subtly that it wasn't until Orihime awoke with a jolt that she even realized that she had been sleeping on the bench.

She came to herself in a very confused state as she quite clearly remembered sitting up and looking down at her hands, but as she focused her gaze in front of her now, Orihime found that she was lying on her back and looking up at the ceiling. What's more, while her back and legs were definitely connected with the hard bench, there was something under her head cushioning it gently.

"Ah, I do apologize little miss if I startled you."

Turning her head, Orihime's breath stopped midway in her esophagus as her gaze connected with a pair of exceptionally kind deep brown eyes. Even before she noticed the snow white hair hanging loosely around the man's face, Orihime was well aware that the man in front of her was not her brother, but that didn't stop her from mentally making a connection between the two. It wasn't just the eyes either. The shape of the face, the rather winsome and charming smile and just the way her intuition reacted to him reminded her so strongly of her late brother that Orihime began to extend her arms towards a total stranger before she came to her senses and wrapped them around herself instead.

Orihime's face reddened in mortification as understanding of what she had been about to do dawned on the man's face as he breathed, "Oh my," before looking at her very thoughtfully.

Closing her eyes and turning her face into the object still lodged under her head, Orihime said in a muffled rush, "I'm so sorry! I have no idea what came over me! I really wasn't trying to be rude, you just reminded me of someone and I reacted without thinking!"

"Oh," the man said after several moments and Orihime desperately wished she could turn invisible, become one with inanimate objects or go back in time so that she could erase this discomfiting scenario from history.

Before she had a chance to try and continue backpedaling, the man asked kindly, "May I join you, little miss?"

Without thinking, Orihime nodded her head and sat up in order to make room for him on the bench. It was then that she discovered that her pillow had been someone's overcoat. More than that, as she rose, another coat slipped down that evidently had been meant as an ersatz blanket.

Taking the seat next to her with a grateful, "Thank you," the man then paused for a moment or two before saying, "Allow me to introduce myself, little miss. My name is Jyuushiro Ukitake and I am the officer in charge of booking around here."

"A pleasure to meet you," answered Orihime automatically, but with a slight hint of her normal cheery and friendly nature beginning to emerge, "My name is Orihime Inoue."

At her words, Jyuushiro's eyes took on a more tender look that reminded Orihime of liquid chocolate as he said, "Ah, I see."

"What?" asked Orihime.

"I just have heard your name recently around the station," answered Jyuushiro rather sheepishly and now it was Orihime's turn to say, "Oh, I see."

Anyone who came into contact with Orihime might be tempted to say that she was the embodiment of all seven heavenly virtues and the antithesis of all seven deadly sins. To a certain extent that may be true, but every person has their own vices, no matter how subtle or seemingly insignificant, and Orihime was no exception. In this case, at Jyuushiro's words, he inadvertently made a small prick at her pride.

While she never would have dreamed to say anything to anyone who was trying to help her, these past few days, Orihime had come to understand more and more that she could not stand to be pitied. She knew better than anyone else just how desperate her situation was at the moment and yet couldn't do anything about it because she wasn't legally old enough to do anything on her own. Sure, she could find work in a city as booming as New York…if only there was a responsible adult to vouch for her. As much as she appreciated her neighbors telling her how sorry they were for her loss and that they were willing to give of their own meager food storages the past few days in order to make sure that she had something to eat, these were not long-term solutions.

Then there were the detectives who had brought her here. While she was grateful to have a roof over her head and some respite from all the well-meaning neighbors, Orihime doubted they had thought through their strategy in bringing her here. Sure, inquiries could be sent out to contact her family, but there was no way they were going to get a response by tonight, so what did they intend to do with her in the meantime?

Orihime's future and well-being rested in the hands of all these adults. She had no control whatsoever over her life at this point. So when someone unconsciously made a comment about her situation, it shook her already damaged pride and self-confidence to the core. She needed someone to take action or offer her a tangible solution, not offer her consoling words or deeds.

That's why the next statement from Jyuushiro Ukitake came as such a shock to Orihime.

"You know," said the man slowly, "I was talking to my wife the other night after overhearing the detectives talk about how they were going to bring you here after your brother's funeral, and she said that was just typical of men to try and fix one problem and create ten new ones. So, we talked it over and decided that if no one had any other plans, I would offer to bring you home with me until further notice."

Mouth popping open in surprise, Orihime simply stared at Jyuushiro as he grinned and said, "Now, do understand that you are free to make your own choice when the time comes, but I thought I would introduce myself and make the offer all the same so that you are aware of your options."

Finally able to gain control of her voice, Orihime said, "But, you only just met me and your wife never has, so why?"

"Why?" Jyuushiro repeated before saying with a small grin, "My dear child, there is usually not a truly logical reason for doing the right thing, especially when it comes to strangers. You simply make the choice and follow through. That's why some say that when you give, you give of yourself. It's a kind of sacrifice."

"Oh," was all Orihime had time to say before two police officers rounded the corner.

"Hey, Ukitake," said the first one with shaggy black hair and an eye patch when he caught sight of Jyuushiro sitting on the bench, "you see the chief lately?"

"No, Detective Zaraki," answered Jyuushiro, "can't say that I have, although I believe I remember Sergeant Sasakibe mentioning that he and Chief Yamamoto were meeting with the mayor and a few other elected officials to discuss next year's budget."

"Ah," sighed the second officer, who also had pitch black hair only his was short with close-cropped mutton chops that extended to just short of his jutting chin, "What will we do if the old man can't get those bureaucrats to loosen their hold on the purse strings just a bit? Don't they know that we have families to clothe and feed?"

"So does everyone else in this city," replied Jyuushiro calmly, "If there are no raises in our futures, we'll just have to tighten our belts and keep doing the best we can."

Cracking his knuckles with a grin that made Orihime cringe internally with trepidation, the first officer said, "Or, we could storm in there after the old geezer and give those highfaluting jerks ten good reasons to keep us law enforcement types happy."

"Typical response from a typical brute," said a new, cool and collected voice.

Orihime turned and saw three more men coming to join the little group. Actually, Orihime had to remedy that statement. There were two men and a boy who couldn't be much older than Orihime despite the fact that he was only about a head shorter than the men around him.

Looking at the two men, Orihime saw that Jyuushiro and the boy were the only ones who did not have black hair. The two men approaching also had striking blue eyes, but that was really where the similarities ended. One had a neutral expression composing his features, while the other was grinning.

Turning her attention to the boy, Orihime found herself to be rather confused by him. His hair was a brilliant shade of orange and was cut and styled in a way that was reminiscent of the grinning black-haired, blue-eyed officer. However, his eyes were a deep brown like Jyuushiro's, but had an expression in them similar to the stoic, black-haired, blue-eyed officer.

Before she had any more time to take in their appearances and wonder as to their distinctive personalities, Detective Zaraki stepped towards the indifferent officer with an even broader grin as he asked, "What was that? You wanna have a go at me, Kuchiki?"

"No, Detective Zaraki," replied the man named Kuchiki, "I do not have a particular wish to prove my mettle against yours for such a trivial purpose as you are simply bored and looking for something to do."

"Huh?!" was the only reply Detective Zaraki had before the smiling officer asked, "Is that her, Dad?"

Looking more than slightly relieved at the question, Jyuushiro said quickly, "Yes, Kaien, I'm glad you asked. This is Orihime Inoue."

To Orihime, Jyuushiro said, "Allow me to make the introductions, little miss. This is Kaien Shiba, Isshin Kurosaki, Byakuya Kuchiki, Kenpachi Zaraki and Ichigo Kurosaki."

While she stood up, gave a small curtsey and said a polite, "Pleasure to meet you all," Orihime's heart wasn't quite in it as once again her pride had been unintentionally wounded by Jyuushiro.

This time it stemmed from a small bit of vanity. As the men had been bantering back and forth, Orihime had come to a startling realization of just how unkempt she must look. Her hair was as short as a boy's, which could not be fixed at this point, but after having slept on it for who knew how long, Orihime was positive it was in desperate need of a comb. In her eyes, her clothes were irredeemably wrinkled, threadbare and woefully unbecoming on her. Her imagination shifted into high gear coming up with all the different thoughts that would be running through the men's heads as they looked at her. None of them were flattering.

Her imaginings were cut short when she heard Ukitake say easily, "Ichigo, I'm glad you're here because I just got through inviting this young lady to stay with us."

Ichigo frowned in confusion as he asked, "Ok, what's that got to do with me?"

"Well," answered Jyuushiro, "if the okay is given by the department and she chooses to stay with us, then you can escort her home so that she can rest in a far more comfortable setting."

"Actually Dad," said Kaien, "that's what Byakuya and I came back to tell you. The Chief said the station was not a boarding house for young girls and he was going to give Starkk and Yammy a good dressing down when he came back for treating it as such."

Crossing his arms, Isshin shook his head and said, "How those two ever became detectives is beyond me. Well, I guess Starkk can be good when he wants to be, but it takes quite a lot to pique his interest enough to get involved in a case."

"And your guess is as good as mine as to why Yammy got promoted," said Kaien with a wry grin.

"Now, now," cut in Jyuushiro, "no reason to go bad-mouthing our colleagues."

"Yeah," snorted Ichigo, "especially when they're right behind you."

Both men whirled around in what could almost be described as a panicked state but before either man could say another word, Jyuushiro turned to Orihime and asked, "Well, little miss, this may seem rather sudden, but I'd like to know your thoughts on what was just said."

"Umm…I…" answered Orihime hesitantly, "I only just met the detectives today, so I don't really have an opinion on the matter."

Jyuushiro shook his head and said, "Oh no, my dear. I meant your opinion on the matter of where you would like to stay."

When Orihime didn't respond right away, Jyuushiro said soothingly, "I am not trying to force you to do anything. If you would like some time to think it over, just say so. While you're thinking, I can make inquiries and find you accommodations somewhere nearby."

Even though he didn't say the words, Orihime heard, "All you have to do is choose. Make a choice."

Choices. Suddenly a revelation hit her. It had been her choices that had gotten her into this situation in the first place. How could she trust her own judgment anymore? Her intuition knew that Jyuushiro was a kind man, but what if her choice to go with him brought disaster on him and his loved ones? How could she risk repaying his generosity with catastrophe?

Worrying the skirt of her dress between her fingers, Orihime asked hastily, "May I…may I walk outside for a bit…please?"

"That's an excellent idea," replied Jyuushiro, "It is very stifling in here, isn't it?"

To Ichigo, he said simply, "Escort our young friend, Ichigo. If you two get hungry or anything," Jyuushiro dug in his pocket for a moment before pulling out several coins to place in Ichigo's palm, "here's a little something to pay for it."

"Whatever," said Ichigo in a tone that said he wasn't entirely thrilled with the prospect, but that he knew better than to argue. Turning to Orihime, he said simply, "C'mon," before striding out the front door. Next thing she knew, Orihime was standing outside the police station and not entirely sure how she felt about it.

"So, where to?"

Orihime's only response was to give Ichigo what she thought was a blank look, but actually turned out to be something like a lost and lonely puppy expression. An expert in hiding his emotions behind a mask of irritation, Ichigo scratched the back of his head and stalked down the sidewalk. Not knowing what else to do, Orihime went after him.

Because he had long legs and was easily two heads taller than her, if not a little more, Ichigo's strides were very difficult to keep up with. For a moment, Orihime considered asking him if he could please slow down, but she quickly squelched that idea. First of all, Orihime was sure Ichigo was doing this against his will, which was marginally true. However, she didn't know that when Ichigo really and truly didn't want to do something, he wasn't going to do it no matter the consequences. Second, Orihime didn't want to be rude or cause him any trouble. Third and finally, she needed to save her breath in order to keep up with him.

Next thing she knew, Ichigo stopped and turned before standing stock still with the exception of flicking his gaze from side to side. It took her a few seconds to realize that he was waiting to cross the street. Looking out, Orihime realized with a sinking feeling that this was a very busy intersection…with lots of carriages. She started feeling sick to her stomach and getting tunnel vision.

Hearing a garbled sound next to her, Orihime looked over to where Ichigo should have been but he was gone. Staring stupidly at the empty space next to her, it took her by surprise when the garbled sound of what she thought was Ichigo's voice came from her other side. What was even more surprising was when she felt something warm and strong grab her hand and start pulling her into the street.

Despite the oxymoronic fact that Orihime's head felt lighter than air while her body and feet were tingly and heavy as lead, her body meekly followed the pulling force's stimuli into the street. With her vision becoming more and more hazy, Orihime opened her mouth to say something but only managed a kind of strangled sound which never reached her ears. However, it was enough of a signal for Ichigo to turn around when they reached the opposite sidewalk to turn and catch the girl before she crumpled to the pavement.

For the second time that day, Orihime came to her senses completely bewildered. She was looking up into the face of a complete stranger, but whose eyes were so familiar. A millisecond before Orihime opened her mouth to ask who the boy was, everything came flooding back to her. Ichigo's mouth moved, but Orihime's hearing was still dicey at that point, so she couldn't understand him.

"I'm sorry…what?" Orihime asked slowly and apologetically.

As her ears adjusted, she heard Ichigo say, "I asked if you were awake, but you just answered my question. Someone went for a doctor just a minute ago, so who knows how long it will be before someone comes. Until then, you just lay still as you can."

"Oh no," Orihime groaned as she attempted to push herself up, "there's no need to bother anyone. I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Ichigo said in a tone that said he wasn't going to hear any more protests, "Maybe you did just have a fainting spell, or it could be something more serious. We'll know for sure when he checks you out."

A young boy's voice called out, "He's here! I brought Dr. Urahara with me!"

Again, for the second time that day, Orihime wished with all her being that she was able to just disappear, especially now that she realized that she was lying in the street with her head cushioned gently on Ichigo's lap. She had less than five seconds to lament her situation as the doctor came into her line of sight.

"Well, hello there, little lady," the doctor said in a soothing, almost carelessly charming, drawl, "Would you mind opening your mouth for me, please?"

After Orihime complied, he felt her forehead, checked her pulse and then asked her to try and sit up. She had felt fine through the whole thing and started to fret that the poor doctor had been called away to look at her for no reason…but then she tried to sit up and promptly felt sick to her stomach.

"Okay, okay, take it easy," said the doctor, "Looks like you're not quite ready to get back on your feet, so just relax."

Turning to Ichigo, the doctor's demeanor became more business-like as he said, "From what I can see, your friend just suffered from a fainting spell. Is this common for her?"

"I don't know," said Ichigo before he looked down at Orihime and asked, "Is it?"

"N-no," came Orihime timid answer, "This is the first…"

While he had raised a curious eyebrow at Ichigo's first response, the doctor evidently decided to let it pass since he asked instead, "All right then, can you explain the circumstances leading up to the fainting spell, please?"

"Sure," Ichigo said, "I was asked to help Orihime get some fresh air and when she couldn't decide where she wanted to go, I thought I'd take her to a bakery I know of and get her something to eat. Things were fine until we came to the street crossing."

"How so?" inquired the doctor.

"Well," said Ichigo with a thoughtful frown, "I waited until traffic cleared before trying to cross the street, but after a few steps I realized that Orihime wasn't behind me. Turning back, I saw that she was still standing there with a…kind of vacant look on her face. Kind of like she was dreaming, but it was rather strange because for just a second, I thought she looked scared."

"I see," said the doctor, "And then?"

"I called out to her and told her to get a move on, but rather than snapping out of it, she turned her head to look on her other side. Then she looked rather surprised in a rather dazed way."

"What did you do?"

"Grabbed her hand and dragged her after me since I didn't want either of us to get run over by a carriage or something."

At those words, Orihime's entire body started to quiver uncontrollably. She tried to form words, but couldn't due to her chattering teeth.

The moment Orihime started trembling, Ichigo looked down at her and asked, "What's the matter?"

Without hesitation, the doctor scooped Orihime into his arms, rose smoothly to his feet and told Ichigo firmly, "Come with me," before striding quickly down the street. Scrambling to his feet, Ichigo took several running steps before he caught up with the doctor and kept pace with the man.

"So, what's wrong with her?" asked Ichigo.

"Piecing together what you told me earlier with her current symptoms, it looks as though your friend has gone into shock," replied the doctor matter-of-factly.

"Will she be all right?"

The doctor paused a moment or two before answering, "I'm going to give her something to calm her down when we get back to my office. She should be all right with a little rest."

Less than a minute later, they arrived at the doctor's office. Ichigo opened the door before following him inside.

"Tessai!" called the doctor as he strode into a side room to lay the still shivering Orihime on a couch, "I need a syringe of opium brought to the front room now! Yoruichi, please bring a warm cloth and tourniquet!"

It wasn't long before two sets of footsteps were heard hurrying down the hall before finally entering the little room. With practiced ease, the large man stood to the side with the loaded syringe while the woman with the cloth and band assisted the doctor in rolling up Orihime's sleeve to expose her arm. While the doctor secured the band several inches above Orihime's elbow, the woman cleaned the crook of Orihime's arm with the wet cloth. The moment they were done, the big man stepped forward to hand the syringe to the doctor, which he then inserted into Orihime's arm.

When the syringe was empty, the doctor handed the syringe back to the man and said, "Thank you Tessai." The man's only response was to nod as he took back the syringe before turning and striding back out of the room.

The woman had already loosened the back from Orihime's arm and had placed the cloth back over the tiny bead of blood starting to emerge, when she turned to the doctor and asked, "This is the girl you were asked to look at by that little boy?"

"Yes," replied the doctor, "When I got there, she was conscious and after checking her out, concluded that it had probably been a fainting spell."

"But?" prompted the woman.

"But," said the doctor, "when I asked her friend here to explain what had happened, she started showing symptoms of shock, like she's doing now."

"So what set her off?"

"Quite frankly, I have no idea," said the doctor before he turned to look at Ichigo, "Has anything traumatic happened to her recently?"

"I don't kn-" Ichigo began before he stopped himself and said slowly, "Wait. Her brother was recently killed."

"How recently?" asked the doctor.

Ichigo scrunched up his face in thought as he answered, "I'm not quite sure…but I think it was less than a week ago."

The doctor let out a soft whistle before asking, "How did it happen?"

"He was hit by a carriage," Ichigo answered after a moment's thought.

After a two second pause, the doctor turned to the woman and gave her a meaningful look before he said to Ichigo, "Come out into the hall with me, please."

The woman stayed behind with Orihime and as soon as they reached the hallway, the doctor asked, "What is your friend's name?"

"Umm," said Ichigo hesitantly, "Himeno?"

Choosing to move the conversation forward, the doctor asked in a low, slow voice, "Was Himeno a witness to her brother's death?"

"Oh," Ichigo said by way of an answer as understanding started to dawn on his face.

"Looks like you're putting two and two together here," said the doctor in a borderline sarcastic tone, "I only want to know why you didn't consider that as a possibility when you saw that she wasn't following you across the street."

"Hey," growled Ichigo, "let's get one thing straight here. I met this girl less than an hour ago for the first time, so you can't expect me to know everything about her and what may or may not cause her to go into shock."

Crossing his arms, the doctor gave Ichigo a serious look as he said, "Then explain to me from the beginning exactly how you came to be in this girl's company."

Letting out a sigh, Ichigo scratched his head as he explained, "A lot of my family work at the police station just a block or two away. A couple of hours ago, I bumped into my cousin and uncle as they were heading back to the precinct to check in. We came across my uncle who was sitting with Himeno. One thing led to another and my uncle asked if I would walk with her for a bit rather than keeping her cooped up in the station any longer. He gave me some money and said to buy something to eat if we were hungry and so I like I told you before, I decided to take Himeno to a bakery my family frequents."

"I see," said the doctor, but before he could say any more, the woman poked her head outside the room door and said, "She's coming around."

Ichigo and the doctor reentered the room and saw Orihime attempt to sit up.

Taking two long strides, the doctor chastised her gently, "Don't even think about it, young lady. Didn't you learn anything from the first time you tried? Just take it easy."

Falling back on the cushions, Orihime mumbled something incoherently to which the doctor responded, "What was that, Himeno?"

Drawing her eyebrows together in incomprehension, Orihime asked, "Who's Himeno?"

With a sigh, the doctor said, "So that's not your name, is it?"

Right after Orihime shook her head in the negative, she jumped slightly as Ichigo said defensively, "You don't have to say it like that! I already told you that I only just met her! And for your information, I forget a lot of people's names!"

"Is that so?" said the doctor dismissively before sitting by Orihime's head and asking kindly, "So what is your name, little lady?"

"Orihime."

"All right then," replied the doctor, "Orihime, in a few minutes I'm going to give your friend here…" he looked over at Ichigo briefly before asking, "What is his name, Orihime?"

"Ichigo."

The doctor gave Ichigo a pointed look before saying to Orihime, "Anyway, in a few minutes I'm going to allow Ichigo to take you back so that you can go home and rest for at least a day. I'd also like you to tell me your address so that I can come and check on you the next few days to make sure you don't have any serious relapses or anything like that. All right?"

"Oh ok," Orihime said automatically before she remembered her situation and said sheepishly, "Actually, I don't know where I'm going to be staying right now. My brother was my only family, so I'm trying to figure out where to go."

"I see," said the doctor before he asked, "Do you need somewhere to stay?"

Just as Orihime opened her mouth to say something (she'd never know what exactly), Ichigo cut in saying, "She's staying with us."

"Oh, is that so?" queried the doctor.

"Yes," blurted Orihime without thinking.

"Very well then," said the doctor, "Ichigo, what is your address?"

As Ichigo told the doctor, Orihime felt her head begin to ache as she warred within herself. She had not made the choice to go with Jyuushiro and Ichigo, she had just automatically responded to Ichigo's declaration that she was coming. He had made the decision for her and she had gone along with it. Now that she had accepted, she felt she couldn't be rude and change her mind, but the other part of her still agonized over the thought that she would bring calamity to this man and his family and so wanted to get as far away from them as possible in order to keep them safe.

Her mind was once again made up for her as Ichigo said, "Let's go," and sat down on the couch where she was lying. At first she didn't understand what he was doing, but then as the doctor helped her to sit up and positioned her so that she was draped across his back, Orihime cottoned on.

"Oh, Ichigo," Orihime said in a worried tone, "you don't have to do this."

Turning his head to look at her as best he could, Ichigo asked, "Oh really. And how do you propose to get around if I don't carry you?"

"Umm…"

"That's what I thought."

"Are you sure you can carry her?" this time it was the doctor, "I do have a buggy out back."

"Thanks, but that's all right," said Ichigo, "I'm just going to pop into the precinct to let the others know that I'm taking her home and then I'll head there myself. I know some shortcuts that will get me back there a lot faster than any carriage or buggy."

"If you're sure then," said the doctor before giving Orihime a stern expression as he said, "Now, you remember to rest and recover. Try to push yourself too hard and you will only sabotage your own recovery and make it that much longer."

"All right," said Orihime meekly.

With a smile, the doctor said, "There's a good girl. Take care, Orihime."

After he stepped out of the door, Ichigo took a moment to adjust his grip under Orihime before striding quickly down the sidewalk. While Orihime's senses still whirled slightly and she felt a little muddled from the medicine she had been given, when she rested her head against Ichigo's back, things weren't quite so bad. She didn't realize it, but it was partially due to the fact that her ear was positioned just above the place where Ichigo's heart beat steadily.

Author's Note:

To my dear friend, Saint Sita, a very happy (if extremely belated) birthday to you! It was supposed to also be a Christmas present/my Christmas story for this year, but you know what happened with that.

To all my wonderful followers and ever so patient friends, I do apologize for my long absence, especially after I promised on Christmas Eve to give several more updates before the New Year. Obviously, that never happened, but I can explain that.

The Sunday after Christmas, my grandpa passed away and my family and I spent the rest of that week putting together funeral arrangements and then it was pretty much back to school for me. Just so you all know, his passing was peaceful and we all knew it was coming. He'd been in a nursing home for the past several years with Alzheimer's, so he hasn't known who I am for a while now and we had all been mourning for him a long while before his actual passing. While we all miss him, we know he is at peace now, so that makes things a lot easier.

Anyway, enough with my sad reasons for the lateness of my Christmas story, and on to the story itself. The idea came from O. Henry's story 'The Gift of the Magi', which is my favorite one by him. As you can see, I just turned it on its head a little to make it fit into my own idea of how Ichigo and Orihime might meet one another in a different lifetime.

At this point, I'm not sure whether I will add a second chapter to this or not, so it will be labeled as 'incomplete' for the time being. For your reference, here's Jyuushiro's family tree in case you're at all curious how I connected them all:

Jyuushiro and Retsu are married.

Kenpachi is Retsu's adopted brother and Byakuya is Retsu's biological brother.

Kaien is Jyuushiro and Retsu's son.

Isshin is Jyuushiro's nephew.

If I do continue, for sure Ayame Shiba and Hisana Kuchiki will be alive and well with their spouses, but I haven't decided on Masaki yet. While I may be partially fishing for reviews here, if enough people say that they want me to add in Masaki, I will make that happen. I'm also debating on bringing in Gin, Toshiro, Rangiku and Momo into the family somehow if I go on, but I'm curious if there's anyone else someone would like me to add into this crazy family.

I hope you enjoyed it everyone! Saint Sita, you are a fantastic friend and I enjoy our chats immensely. May this year contain plenty of wonderful surprises to keep things interesting!

Additional Author's Note:

You know what, who am I kidding? Of course there's going to be a second part to this. It just depends on whether I can get it finished in time for Valentine's Day or White Day.