Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach!

A/N: There has been a problem with my account and it has not been sending out update notices. I have contacted the help people about this and it will hopefully be resolved soon! In the meantime just check back every few days for updates. This also means that I have not been receiving any notice of reviews, PMs, or faves. Please accept my appology if I don't answer, I just haven't seen it yet.

As typical the first few chapters of this book will be short, until we get the ball rolling again. Special thanks to Debido who has been really assisting in my writing! Also thank you to all of my other faithful reviewers! You all inspire me so greatly. Alright... Sit down, shuddup, and hold on for an action packed Book 3!

XXXX

Quick note here in case you skipped the A/N. This is the third book of a longer series. Please check out the first two books for the back story on characters.

XXXX

Pale green light flooded into the room from the laptop screen that the woman was busy working on. Her middle aged face was drawn and tired from countless hours staring at the data in the darkened room. Reaching up she pushed long straggly hair away from her face when she noticed the silver shot strands falling in her way again. Looking over at the blonde man working with her she felt a slight pang of jealousy. He still looked exactly the same as when she met him 35 years ago, young, vibrant, alive.

The man's fingers suddenly sprung into action as he leaned in closer to the large panel screen in front of him and hammered away at the keyboard. A red warning light popped up on the corner of her smaller screen, which she quickly tried to deactivate. She was too late as red flooded over the entire screen and the alarms in the laboratory began to sound. Twirling crimson lights above every door actually made her flinch as they burned into her over tired eyes. Gazing back down at the computer in front of her, she noticed the large black lettering that was now moving quickly across the screen.

"WARNING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD: EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!"

This was not the first time she had seen this warning as she quickly tried to override the system and shut down the alarms. Tiny sparks drew her attention back to her research partner and she saw that the gate way was definitely forming. His blue eyes were wide and his hat had blown off, a shit eating grin was plastered across his face and she knew their project had finally been a success.

Pushing to her feet as the laptop clattered to the ground, she ran to the main frame and attempted to exit out of the warning window while he finished stabilizing the gateway. As she reopened the connection to the other dimension a new window popped up in the corner.

"YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, URAHARA KISUKE."

Everything went deathly silent as the explosion ruptured her ear drums. In slow motion a wave of boiling flame erupted from the gate and filled the cavernous room with blinding hot light.

Her mouth opened to cry out and she felt her voice strain despite the fact she could not hear it, "Oh, shit! Kisuke!"

As the skin melted from her fingers, her skeletal hand looked foreign as she reached out toward the man being devoured by the flames. He could not save her this time, he was already gone. Skin blistered, hair burnt, pain erupted. The world went dark.

XXXX

The Seireitei Communication Monthly claimed that the place to be that Friday night was a happening bar on the main strip of vendors. It was called "The Dive" and according to an article written by Matsumoto Rangiku anyone who was anybody would be there to listen to Shuhei Taicho's band. Wall to wall the place was packed as shinigami from all ranks arrived to listen to off key electric guitars and Kira's darkly emo voice.

At a table near the center of the room sat a group of friends that had only become closer through the years. Yumichika sat with an elbow propped up on his knee as he twirled his braid between his fingers and listened to Ikkaku's animated story about a sparring match. Kenpachi and Akai glared each other down as they arm wrestled for shots, and from the looks of it the tall blonde from the third division was losing. Matsumoto was alternating between flirting at the bar and the table to whisper in Hitsugaya's ear as he scanned the room for an easy one-night stand. A soft smile graced Ichigo's face as he leaned in to Rukia where the two enjoyed a private joke of one sort or another.

Not much had really changed in the past fifteen years since Ichigo finally married Rukia. Kuchiki Byakuya had a child with Ryuu Akai named Kuchiki Tatsuhirou who was currently fifteen years of age but had the appearance of a shaggy six year old. Currently the young Kuchiki was in a heated contest with his uncle Ichigo to see who could get their hair to grow the fastest. Unfortunately for all involved Ichigo had the wild mane of an African bull lion, while Tatsuhirou had inherited the soft, tame strands that his father possessed. Ichigo found great humor in the twisted irony that he wore the required Kuchiki Kenseikan while maintaining the hairstyle of a homeless bum.

Kenpachi and Akai continued to share a relationship that mostly consisted of drinking games, bar fights, and insult trading. Once the large man dropped the woman's knuckles to the table again he let out a whoop of triumph and pushed a saucer of sake toward her, "Drink up, wench!"

She rolled her eyes in response and wobbled slightly as she picked up the cup and drained it. A soft snarl escaped her throat as the liquid flowed down her esophagus, "Perhaps it is time you pick a fair fight, Zaraki."

The man looked at the woman with disappointed disgust before turning toward Ichigo, "Hey, princess! Let's arm wrestle, loser drinks!"

Rukia looked at Ichigo and shook her head in protest but her tall husband was already grinning with joy. "How about if you lose, you stop calling me princess, Kenpachi?" Ichigo yelled out as he slammed his elbow onto the table and positioned himself for the contest.

"I will stop calling you princess when you take the barrettes out. I'm sure Yachiru would love them for her dollies."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, it was no secret that he did not enjoy wearing the hair fixture and was rather touchy about it.

Luckily a drunken Ryuu Akai had easily three times the snark that a sober Ryuu Akai had and she cut in with scathing sarcasm, "Just the thing that Kurosaki needs, fashion advice from an asshole that wears bells in his hair and an eye patch to make him appear strong!"

"Che!" Replied the burly captain as he leaned over to grasp Ichigo's hand, "Ya shouldn't be talkin' like that ya scar faced hag!"

The scar faced woman in question threw back yet another saucer of sake before smirking and throwing a mocking wink at Kenpachi.

In return he snarled at her before overdramatically flexing his muscles and turning his attention to Ichigo, "Don't be winkin' at me Ryuu, I ain't interested in men."

Akai leaned back with her arms wrapped around her midsection and roared with laughter. Her actions caused Kenpachi look back over at the wrong moment as Ichigo pinned the giants hand to the table with a mighty crow of victory. The two big captains toasted each other with full bottles of sake and drained them.

Zaraki slammed his bottle back down on the table and cried out, "Rematch!"

Ikkaku jumped forward shoving Ichigo aside in order to challenge his commanding officer, "I am feeling luuuuccckkkkyyyy!"

Rolling his eyes, Yumichika leaned toward the unseated Ichigo with a hand and said, "He is feeling drunk! You are all disgusting."

Hitsugaya snorted loudly at Ichigo as Yumichika pulled his captain to his feet. Then he shook his head, drained the last of his sake and stood to leave. Green eyes glared out from under his snowy bangs as he addressed the captain of the fifth, "I must agree with your fuko-taicho, Kurosaki. Nobody destroys an establishment faster than you three." He gestured to include Zaraki and Ryuu in his statement.

Ichigo cracked a cocky smirk at the other captain. Technically Toshirou was much older than Ichigo and he seemed to enjoy acting with seniority. When the two had met Toshirou still had the appearance of middle school boy and despite the fact he now appeared almost the same age as Ichigo, the deathberry still enjoyed taunting the shorter man.

"We might break tables Toshirou, but at least we aren't out breaking the hearts of fresh academy graduates."

Clenching his fists, Hitsugaya leaped to his feet and ground out between clenched teeth, "You will at least address me with the formality of my last name, Kurosaki!"

Ichigo merely grinned wider and turned away from him to focus on the arm wrestling tournament that was heating up on the other side of the table.

With anger at being brushed off again, the white haired captain turned abruptly to storm off and slammed right into a mocha skinned woman. His eyes widened as he grabbed her shoulders to steady her, "Shihoin Yoruichi?"

The woman pushed past him to reach out and grasp the shoulder of the tall, shaggy headed captain that was still facing away from her watching the competition between Ikkaku and Zaraki. Ichigo felt her palm as well as a surge in rieatsu and turned his chocolate eyes to rest on her.

"Oi, Yoruichi! You are just in time! Drink?" He asked her as he lifted a full saucer.

Yoruichi's hand trembled lightly on his shoulder as she gazed at Ichigo with eyes that were uncharacteristically wide and worried.

"Something has happened at the Shoten, an explosion or a fire-storm of high kido level."

"That is unusual" Ichigo responded with a bit of a joking smirk while lowering the cup back to the table.

Mocha lids covered her golden eyes as she heaved a ragged sigh. Ichigo suddenly became worried, this was obviously not a joke, and the next words were not going to make him laugh. The were-cat reached over and grabbed the saucer of sake out of his hands and shot it swiftly back before leaning down to look directly into his face.

"I need your help Ichigo. Let's go outside, now." Her voice was a demanding whisper.

Despite his inebriation, Ichigo fell serious, "What is really going on, Yoruichi? Doesn't he do weird experiments like this all the time?"

The shaking woman dropped the cup from her hands and shook her head fiercely. Ichigo stood quickly so that he was towering over the woman and laid a large hand on her shoulder.

"Yoruichi?" He asked.

Her brows had drawn together and she had taken on the look of a commander as she fisted her hand in to his haori and tugged him away from the table. "Now, Ichigo!"

No longer could Ichigo hear anything else happening in the crowded bar. He focused in entirely on the woman who he had never seen so shaken. Quickly he motioned her to lead the way, shooting a look back at Rukia for her to stay. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as he watched her stalk to a secluded shadow between two buildings before turning to face him.

"Kisuke has been working on something very secretive for awhile; I am not exactly sure what it was, but it seems to be the source of the blast. Not much was left of his gigi but Benehime was left behind, so I know he is alive somewhere. " Her pupils were dilated and a bead of sweat ran from her temple to her jaw line.

Panic started to creep up on Ichigo as the woman paused for a moment and appeared to gather her thoughts. She crossed her arms and took a tentative step back from him before she continued.

"Kisuke was not alone in the lab, Ichigo."

He felt a sweat break out on his brow as he swallowed roughly. Despite his mouth opening, he could not find his voice to ask her to continue. Yoruichi stepped forward again while reaching to lay her hand against his upper arm, and looked up into his eyes. Ichigo stopped breathing, his eyes widened; he knew the words before she even said them.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. Karin is dead."

XXXX

PLEASE R&R