Intro notes:

Firstly, I want to apologise for how long it's taken to get this book out. RL has kicked my ass the past couple of years, sucking away my will to live, let alone my desire to write. That being said, I got here eventually, mostly thanks to my beta and great friend Junko who poked, prodded and cheered me on until I finally crossed the finish line. Thank you so much. I couldn't have done this without you.

For those who haven't read the previous three books, I'll wait here while you go do that…

A Darker Shade of Pale - In which Ichigo learns that the afterlife is a lot more serious than he expected, and also contains a lot more sex.

Blind Before the Looking Glass - In which Ichigo discovers that yes, they are actually playing for keeps, and that he might have missed a few things while he was busy getting laid.

Without a Net - In which Ichigo plays catch up and Byakuya and Renji are on the run. With added mutual pining.

(WARNINGS FOR ALL THREE BOOKS FOR CONSENT ISSUES, VIOLENCE AND LANGUAGE)

For those of you who just need a refresher, here's the story so far:

About 2000 years ago, Seireitei chose to feed all the needy souls in Rukongai rather than open a school for potential Gotei officers and so several vital points of history changed.

Amongst them was the role of Kuchiki Kōga who, in this timeline, deposed Kuchiki Ginrei as clan-head and captain of the 6th about 300 years ago. He held that position until the early 1930's when he along with other members of his family were killed by Shiba Isshin. After the massacre, Isshin fled to the living world where he hid amongst the human population and eventually had a family with Kurosaki Masaki.

The beginning of A Darker Shade of Pale sees the Gotei finally catching up with Isshin, resulting in his arrest and the death and detention of his three children. The story focuses mainly on their survival thanks to Byakuya taking up their cause in the challenge arena. It also explores the relationship between the captain and lieutenant duo of the 6th division, Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji, and where/how Ichigo will fit in their lives. (Byakuya/Renji, Byakuya/Renji/Ichigo)

Book two, Blind Before the Looking Glass, starts with Ichigo settling into life in Seireitei. As a Shiba and 3rd seat he holds a privileged position, however he finds it increasingly difficult to close his eyes to the injustices around him. His reckless actions eventually bring him into conflict with his lovers and the Gotei, and, combined with his Quincy legacy and Aizen's machinations, bring punishment and ruin to those around him. The end of the book sees Byakuya and a gravely injured Renji fleeing Soul Society leaving Ichigo behind to look after the 6th. (Byakuya/Renji/Ichigo, Byakuya/Ichigo, Renji/Ichigo, Byakuya/Renji)

Without a Net picks up a couple of weeks after the end of book two and focuses on the journeys of Ichigo in Seireitei and Byakuya and Renji in the living world.

Having been left in charge of the 6th, Ichigo is trying to cope as a new Gotei captain with little back-up and no bankai. Rescuing Chad from the fighting pits helps some and, with a new home and Chad providing cover by pretending to be his lover, Ichigo finally takes Urahara up on the offer to help out with bankai. Unfortunately the price is far higher than just three days away from home and leaves Ichigo with a hollowfied zanpakutō and a very unhappy Quincy spirit, not to mention an attempted coup at the 6th, a flipping-out Ukitake-taichō at the 13th, and a little sister on the lam from the 4th. About the only good thing to come out of all of this is finally getting word about his lovers in the living world.

Meanwhile, Byakuya and Renji struggle to survive in the face of injury, starvation, hollows and, worst of all, the vagaries of modern Japan. They find help in the unlikely form of Arisawa-sensei, Tatsuki's grandfather and, hunted by the Gotei and an arrancar who has a personal interest, end up in Karakura where, after a final confrontation with the hollowfied Inoue Orihime that leaves Byakuya on the verge of death, they retreat to the only safe place they know, the Quincy training rooms beneath Karakura General Hospital.

The book ends with Ichigo reclaiming his division from Soifon, welcoming Yuzu back into the family and sending Chad to the living world to reconnect with Byakuya and Renji. (Byakuya/Renji, background Ichigo/Byakuya/Renji, Chad/Ichigo pretend relationship)

Everyone up to speed again? Excellent. On to part four. You get two chapters today and then I'll be posting one every Saturday.

This was stupid. She had no reason to be nervous, or for being scared. The people on the other side of that gate were her friends, her stand-in family while she'd been away from Karin and nii-chan. But still, Yuzu's gut squirmed at the idea of going back. She wanted to stay at the 6th. She felt safe there. Secure. Like nothing and nobody could touch her. Like, after all this time, she'd finally found herself again.

But she'd promised Unohana-taichō. And her training was important, Yuzu knew that. She wasn't some powerful captain like nii-chan. Or a soldier like Karin. Without the skills she was learning from Unohana-taichō, she'd be useless, and that was something Yuzu had promised herself years ago that she would never be again.

Plus, Ichigo had given his word and, though Yuzu knew he'd never force her to go if she didn't want to, it felt like cowardice to back out now.

No, there was no choice. She needed to stop dithering. Take might not have anything better to do than follow her around, but Sado-san would definitely have other tasks after this. She wasn't being fair.

Taking a deep breath, Yuzu stepped forward from between her two escorts, raised her hand and knocked firmly on the 4th's small side gate. A moment later it swung open and one of the shinigami often assigned to this duty appeared in the gap.

He bowed politely, and stepped back, opening the gate for Yuzu to pass through. But it wasn't Yuzu's place to go first any longer. Instead, she glanced up and nodded at Take, who slid past, hand on her zanpakutō, ready to enter first, just like she'd done during the whole two weeks she'd been Yuzu's bodyguard.

It'd been strange at first, having someone so close to her all the time after being virtually ignored at the 4th, but now Yuzu was used to it she would miss Take's steadying presence if they were separated.

Unfortunately, it looked like no one had told the 4th that they should stay together. As Take advanced, others guards appeared, their hands straying to their waists as well, and even Yuzu could feel the rise in power around them. Finding her way forward blocked, Take backed up, her stance putting her firmly between the guards and Yuzu, and from behind, Yuzu felt Sado's heavy hand come to rest on her shoulder.

This was getting out of hand. Any second now Sado was going to grab her and drag her away, she just knew it, and then her promise to Unohana-taichō would be broken, and nii-chan and her would fight and - "Please!" Yuzu called out, as much to stop Take and Sado from doing something bad as to explain to the guards, "That's Take Yatsuyo. My bodyguard."

No one seemed to hear her, so she tried again, this time a little louder. "Nii-chan - I mean, Shiba-taichō, arranged for her to come with me today and everything." At least he'd said he would. Maybe he'd forgotten? He was very busy.

Before she could speak again, another figure appeared in the gateway; Tsukishima-sensei, looking as sharp and judgemental as ever. Over the past few months Yuzu had learnt that appearances could be deceptive. Behind that stony facade, Tsukishima-sensei was always kind and supportive. Everything anyone could want in a teacher.

So why did seeing him now make Yuzu's gut churn and her palms turn sweaty?

Tsukishima's cool gaze flicked briefly from Take up to Sado, before coming to rest on Yuzu herself.

Fingers clamped in front of her to control their shaking, Yuzu bobbed a polite bow. "I'm here, Tsukishima-sensei. One hour before the morning bell, just like I promised," she said, and then, thrusting all her fears away where they belonged, deep beneath the widest and sunniest smile she could conjure, she continued, "I've missed all of you, ever so much."

"We've missed you too, Yuzu-chan. Are these your bodyguards? I was told there would only be one." As he spoke, Tsukishima opened the gate even wider and the guards stepped back, apparently finally convinced that Take wasn't about to try and invade them.

"Take-san is mine, yes. Sado-san…" Yuzu turned and glanced quickly up at her brother's…boyfriend, her cheeks heating slightly as her mind stumbled over the still strange word. He stared back at her, dark eyes as kind and patient as always. It made Yuzu feel even worse about her discomfort, but the thing was, Yuzu hadn't even known Ichigo was… like that. Let alone that he and Sado-san were… together.

She'd tried to be sensible about it. Nii-chan was still nii-chan, Sado was a kind person, and he and Ichigo seemed very close. They shared a bedroom and everything. But even so, when Take had told her about them, it'd been such a huge shock that she hadn't been able to look nii-chan in the face for days, and somehow her relationship with Sado had never quite recovered.

Her gaze dropped quickly and fixed on her feet as she stammered out, "This is Sado-san. He's…" Her tongue tied up on the telling words, cheeks heating still further.

"Your brother's lover," Tsukishima finished for her, and Yuzu didn't know whether to be grateful for being saved or horrified that Tsukishima-sensei knew. Her blush was now making her head pound, but if Tsukishima noticed her embarrassment, he didn't draw attention to it. He just gestured to Sado and said politely, "Yuzu will be finished with her training by five. You're more than welcome to wait inside until then."

Before Yuzu could make Sado's excuses for him, a deep rumble came from behind her, "No, thank you. I'm needed back at the 6th."

"I'm sure you are," Tsukishima said politely. The guards behind him both snickered and Yuzu glared at them for turning an innocent comment into something rude. "Perhaps next time," Tsukishima continued, before turning to Yuzu, "Are you ready?"

"I am," she replied and took a step forwards across the threshold. "Sado-san, please tell my brother I'll see him later."

The gate swinging closed cut off his reply, if there'd even been one. And now here she was, back inside the 4th.

Yuzu gazed around, soaking up familiar sights and sounds, willing the churning in her gut to stop and her pounding heart to slow. She wasn't in danger here. See, here was the path to the clinics and there was the herb garden she and Unohana-taichō had worked on together at the end of last summer.

It wasn't much to look at now, with the tender greens all wrapped in straw and the emptied beds hidden beneath layers of mulch, but when the weather turned, it would spring to life again and this year maybe she could bring her family to see it. Nii-chan and Karin anyway. Dad was…

Her mind shied away from her father, pulse starting to race again as nausea rose in her throat, because Dad was… Daddy was…

"Are you okay?" Take's voice dragged Yuzu out of her own mind. Yuzu blinked up at her, surprised to find herself on her knees, with Take leaning over her, a look of concern on her normally stern face.

"Yes, I'm…" Over Take's shoulder, Tsukishima-sensei came into view, and Yuzu's stomach lurched again. This time she couldn't stop the nausea spiralling into sickness and she fell forwards, choking and retching onto the ground.

Somewhere above her, voices called out in alarm, but Take was beside her, firm hand stroking circles on Yuzu's back, her other holding Yuzu's hair away from her face, and all the while she kept speaking, "It's okay, sweetie, let it out. Better not to fight it. Good girl."

The tears came from nowhere. Floods of them, that made no sense, except no one had held her like this, gentled her like this, since mom died. Weeping had been something for Dad to jolly her out of, or for Karin to ignore. And Ichigo…? Nii-chan never even seemed to notice.

"Bring her this way," Tsukishima-sensei said, and Yuzu wanted to tell them no, she'd like to just go home now. Home to Karakura and her house. Home with her family. Her real one. Not this broken, squashed together thing that they'd become here. She wanted long summer days, and festivals by the river. Fireworks and snowmen. Her kitchen and her school and her friends. She wanted her life back!

What she got was Take sweeping her up into strong arms, and long strides carrying her across the courtyard. Gravel turned to wood beneath feet, stairs followed.

Yuzu struggled to sit up a little. They were on the walkway outside taichō's office. Take smiled reassuringly as Yuzu glanced behind them to find Tsukishima-sensei following close on Take's heels, his zanpakutō held loosely in his hand. Yuzu's gaze fixed on the bared blade, the sight of it dragging another deep wave of terror up through her chest. There was something very wrong here.

Her eyes met Tsukishima's. He smiled, a vulture's smile, full of snatching claws and long drawn out death, and he raised a single thin finger to his lips. Hush.

Fear grabbed Yuzu's throat even as her grip tightened on Take's shihakushō. She should say something. Warn Take. But her voice was swallowed by hopelessness, in knowing what was to come.

Somewhere ahead of them, a door pulled open. Scent poured out, choking Yuzu with sweet honey rot, the musty stink of old books, blood and burning reiatsu.

"What the hell!" Take gasped.

In one silent step, Tsukishima moved forward, grabbed Take and thrust his sword straight through her. It emerged, bloodless, from her chest just above Yuzu's stomach, and Take stared down at it, her arms still tight around Yuzu. For a long moment, they stood, a silent tableau, and then Take's whole body went stiff before, a moment later, collapsing entirely.

Another's arms caught Yuzu as she fell. Familiar arms, that had cradled her for as long as she could remember. She stared up into her father's face. Her father that wasn't her father, because Daddy would never ever look at her in that way.

"Hello, Yuzu-chan," he purred. "I see we got you back just in time."

Dragging in enough breath to make her lungs hurt from it, Yuzu screamed.