Hello everyone, we are back with another chapter! Thank you to everyone for all the support on the previous chapter, it always means a lot! Also, the next few chapters won't be covering every single episode in the series but episodes that aren't covered probably will be referenced. Read on and enjoy!

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

X

Chad was silent as they exited the school gates, quiet in a way that was deeper than when he chose to convey everything with a nod. It was heavy, like a black star sucking everything in all around them. The bird with the boy's spirit, Yūichi, was in the cage in his hands and his plumage seemed dull in the pale sunlight around them. Ichigo peered around their surroundings and couldn't help the way his shoulders were tense, they felt a moment away from snapping, as other students filed past him and filled the courtyard.

A hollow could attack at any moment, could hurt the students. And there was a hollow. Chad had brought the bird at lunch, a scrape on his shoulder and something to his reaitsu that Ichigo would hesitate to classify as sad but at the same time understanding (Chad never felt anything simply). They had all known, even Chad, and Rukia amidst her attempts to use a juice box had stared at Ichigo with demanding eyes as if he couldn't see the poor spirit.

Uryū cut a sharp figure through the pool of students, they parted almost unconsciously as he walked towards them the light of the pale sunlight above catching on the lens of his glasses. He stopped beside them in a sharp movement and stared at Yūichi for a long moment before he sighed and questioned, "Where is Kuchiki-san?"

He couldn't quite hide the bitter note in his voice but Ichigo knew it was better than outright hostility between the two. He couldn't really blame Uryū after what had happened to his grandfather. It panged somewhere behind his heart, a dull pain that was familiar even it was hardly noticeable anymore, it was easy to miss people.

"She needed to get something from a teacher I think?"

Ichigo replied with a shrug and leaned against the wall behind him as he stared at the rapidly emptying courtyard. Uryū scoffed and nodded crossing his arms over his chest as he muttered unintelligibly under his breath. Chad leaned beside Ichigo, their shoulders touching a line of solid warmth and something in Ichigo settled slightly because he was with Chad and Uryū and it wasn't all bad.

"Is everything going to be okay? I don't want you all to get hurt. Please, you can just leave me behind."

The young voice (too young) spoke from the bird's beak staring at them with wide eyes that probably shouldn't have been so adorable on a bird. Chad nodded and Ichigo scrubbed a hand over his face as he searched briefly for Rukia before replying, "Yeah no we're not doing that. Don't worry it'll be fine. There's four of us and one hollow. Besides, afterwards, you get to go to Soul Society and it's really nice there you might even be able to find your mom."

Ichigo felt bad about the lie, it sank into the bottom of his stomach like an anchor dropped off the side of a ship, because Ichigo hadn't even been to Soul Society but he had heard enough from Shinji and Yoruichi to paint a picture. It wasn't pretty. Yūichi nodded, bobbed his head in a little happy motion and Ichigo could feel Chad's gratitude pressed against his shoulders and curved at the corners of his lips.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

A familiar voice called, and Ichigo turned to see Orihime bouncing forward, near floating, with Tatsuki striding slowly behind her watching Orihime with a softness to her eyes that she would viciously deny. She nodded in greeting to Ichigo even as Orihime crouched to say hello to the bird before springing again to her feet.

"I had the strangest dream the other night! You were in it Ichigo, and so was Rukia and… well anyways you both were there and were fighting this giant monster and it was totally awesome! It was like Bam! And then pow!"

"That does sound like an awesome dream Orihime-san."

Rukia said from behind Tatsuki smiling pleasantly in a way that was almost so fake it hurt somewhere inside his chest. It reminded Ichigo of the Vizard, of the normalcy they held onto with every fraction of their being as if it could hide the pain beneath. There was something a little bit real to the smile, but Ichigo could barely see it and he was suddenly determined to make Rukia smile, really smile. He had a feeling it would be a great smile.

"Finally, here Kuchiki-san."

Uryū greeted in a pleasant tone with a sharp adjustment of his glasses that couldn't hide the sudden tense line of his body. Rukia shrunk into herself for a moment before she nodded with another (fake) smile and bowed to the three of them as she said, "I apologize for tardiness it was important that I speak to the teacher about an assignment."

She said it in that perfectly posh voice, the one that had zero emotions and felt as if had been manufactured on a conveyor belt. He totally hated it. Ichigo nodded with an easy grin and turned to Orihime who was smiling at Rukia but wasn't really there. Tatsuki was frowning at the four of them because she was smart and could piece together that yeah there was something going on that was a bit different from normal. Normal in the sense that she was always invited to participate when it came to hollow ass-kicking. But this was again, a bit different.

"Come on Orihime you promised to come to my place so my mom could feed you."

Tatsuki said as she locked her arm around Orihime's and began to tug her towards the gate glancing once over her shoulder in a manner that Ichigo knew meant he would have to explain everything later. Orihime nodded and clapped her hands in front of her chest before she turned and waved at the four of them and disappeared behind the corner. Ichigo glanced down at the birdcage sitting by Chad's feet and glanced up at the sky that was mostly overcast, rolled his shoulders and said, "Come on, we should find a nice conveniently abandoned space."

Uryū rolled his eyes and uncrossed his arms in a manner that conveyed that it was about time. Chad bent forward and picked the cage up tucking it close to his chest as they exited the school gates. Rukia lagged behind for a moment before she caught up to Ichigo, staring at their surroundings with wide kind of curious eyes that reminded him a little bit of Yuzu.

"Do you, Sado-san, and Ishida-san always patrol together?"

Rukia questioned staring up ahead where Chad was nodding every odd interval as Uryū ranted about the latest stitch he was working on and how he was close to getting it right, but a certain idiot kept interrupting him (Ichigo had no idea who that could be). He shrugged and after earning a glare that demanded more information (she was quite bossy, but he didn't mind awfully much) Ichigo nodded and replied, "Yeah we became close when we were younger after, well after a lot of things happened to all of us. It was just easier this way."

Rukia nodded and drifted into silence with a contemplative expression that Ichigo had the feeling had something to do with Chad and Uryū's powers, both of which Rukia hadn't seen yet. He hadn't confirmed that they had zanpaktou, but he hadn't really said anything else either.

His phone pinged, the sound almost lost in the bustle of the street they were walking through and Ichigo fished through his pockets before he pulled out his phone which was dented on one end and could probably use an upgrade or two, but it worked. It was Yuzu replying to the text he had sent at lunch about being late for dinner, a smiley face and a bunch of other little characters that Ichigo couldn't really translate. He muffled a grin and tucked the phone back in his pocket.

They eventually reached a construction area that was all but abandoned except for a man passing by on his bike. Chad set Yūichi's cage down on a nearby block of concrete and settled on the ground beside it with a nod to Ichigo. Uryū paced the perimeter of the area for a moment staring at his surroundings with keen eyes honed to pick out detail. He was kind of like a hawk.

Rukia's fingers trailed casually over the Chappy dispenser as she stared at their surroundings for a long moment before she said, "Soul Society responded to my inquiry about the hollow. It appears that two Shinigami were killed by the hollow."

Was that her expressing concern and/or worry? Logical deductions said yes. Ichigo nodded and was serious for a moment as he considered the situation before he replied, "We know the hollow is coming and there are four of us. It'll be fine."

Rukia looked doubtful for a moment before she nodded and smiled, it was small and barely noticeable, but it was infinitely better than the other smile. Uryū stalked back towards their group, he was frowning but that in of itself wasn't unusual, it was kind of his normal expression.

"I think it's close, but I can't get a good read on it. It's probably masking its reaitsu, might be close to evolving."

Uryū stated sharply, running his long fingers over the cross at his wrist for a moment. Ichigo nodded and let his eyes scan their surroundings, it was like walking into a trap or waiting for an ambush. He knew it was coming but he couldn't help the upset way his stomach flipped, and his heart hammered in his chest and all the way behind his eyes.

Zangetsu cut through the air bisecting… something before it could attach itself to Chad. Ichigo blinked and stared at the remains of a small bug-shaped hollow before his eyes narrowed and he glanced at their surroundings and his friends. Uryū had his bow materialized, it crackled and spit in the air like licks of fire as one arrow remained embedded in the far wall. Rukia was staring at Uryū, she had wisely ducked behind Ichigo at the sudden assault but hadn't quite moved after seeing Uryū's bow. It was kind of an obvious sign.

He nudged her gently with his elbow and said, "Come on focus Rukia. You can be astounded by Uryū after the battle."

Rukia shook herself with a frown that was all self-depreciation as she nodded and swallowed the mod-soul pill and instructed it to guard the cage. She shoved him suddenly to the side and Ichigo whirled around with Zangetsu clenched in his hands as he stared at the hollow, it had a strange mask, long and square, with an almost amphibian shaped body; if an amphibian had been horribly distorted. Its beady yellow eyes stared at them with a fierce hunger that was slightly terrifying in the way that it was boundless.

"What do we have here? Four tasty morsels, what a lovely present Yūichi maybe you'll finally get to see your mom."

The hollow spoke with a garbled voice followed by a crooked laugh that was like the scrape of ice over pavement. Ichigo frowned at the hollow, it wasn't the usual kind begging for release or driven mad by starvation. This one was competent, intelligent, and dangerous.

An arrow flew past the hollow's fast and it whipped around to stare at Uryū who was frowning and muttered just loud enough to sound like a badass, "Die scum."

"I'll kill you! All of you weak brats."

The hollow roared and suddenly the tiny slug things were filling the air again and the hollow had taken to the air using its wings. Great. Ichigo wasn't quite certain what the small hollows did but his instincts said enough about danger for Zangetsu to slice through one and for him to dodge another. A burst of reaitsu scorched the air to his left and Ichigo turned his head slightly eyes still pinned on the hollow to see Chad with his arm out, the bone white armour pale in the afternoon light.

"Uryū think you can take him down?"

Ichigo called out as he starred up at the hollow who was flapping its wings and staring at the four of them with an enraged look. Uryū nodded and adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose before he drew back his bow and materialized an arrow. The hollow disappeared in a burst of displaced air, and Ichigo whirled around catching a clawed arm on his blade as the wind whipped around him.

Rukia appeared suddenly behind the hollow, her zanpaktou raised in the air above the hollow's head. It laughed, that sharp rattling sound and he watched with wide eyes as the slug hollows exploded from the hollow's back and attached themselves to Rukia, one landed on his own arm and Ichigo frowned as he sprang back.

The hollow grinned, wide and leering before its tongue vibrated and suddenly the small hollow on his arm exploded. Ichigo hissed as blood dripped down his arm and his eyes searched desperately for everyone to make sure they were okay. Rukia was lying on the ground rising weakly to her elbows and staring at Ichigo but Chad was already beside her carefully standing in front of her with his arm outstretched.

The hollow was in the air but Ichigo could see Uryū behind it with the shot lined up. Their eyes connected and Ichigo grinned, Uryū grinned back and the arrow cut through the air and pierced the wing of the hollow pining it to the ground. Ichigo moved before the hollow could reorient itself and let Zangetsu slice through the mask in a clean stroke.

The ground shook, red light filled the air, Ichigo took a hasty step backwards and watched as two large doors appeared before the hollow. Uryū stood beside Ichigo and was staring at the doors with dark eyes as it dragged the hollow into the darkness.

"I haven't seen them before."

He said once quietly and Ichigo nodded in agreement. It wasn't often in Karakura that they received hollows who were truly terrible, even those sent by Aizen. At the thought of the bastard, Ichigo sort of wished he could throw him in there glasses and all.

The doors slammed shut, loud and jarring, ringing out in his head long after the sky had cleared and there was nothing but pale sunlight streaming through the construction area. Ichigo dematerialised Zangetsu and listened to the spirit's excited chatter about the battle as he turned to face Rukia and Chad. They were crouched over Yūichi, holding the bird in Chad's hand as Rukia held out her zanpaktou, he could almost hear her speaking about Rungokai spouting the same lies.

Sharing a nod with Uryū they walked over to join Rukia and Chad as she pressed the pommel of her zanpaktou to the bird's head. The boy's spirit appeared, young and too innocent to have experienced everything (they always were) he waved in thanks and then was gone in a burst of light. Ichigo sighed thankful it was over and plopped onto the ground beside Chad and leaned against him. He could hear Chad hum, feel his reaitsu as Rukia sheathed her zanpaktou and entered her gigai.

"Come on Kurosaki stop lazing around."

Uryū said with a raised brow that failed spectacularly at hiding the light behind his eyes. Ichigo glared at his friend from beneath the fringe of his hair and listened to Chad's amused chuckle as he rose to his feet and brought Ichigo with him.

"Don't want to miss dinner."

Chad said quietly and Ichigo could agree whole-heartedly with that verdict. Glancing at Rukia Ichigo flashed her a smile as they exited the construction area allowing Uryū to lead them all back to familiar territory (he was the one who had the city mapped out in his head). As they passed busy stores with extravagant displays and arcades with flashing games and coffee shops with fancy pastries, he watched Rukia's wide eyes and promised himself to take her out to see it all. Soul Society was apparently a bit stuck in the past.

"Ichigo?"

"Hmm?"

He replied distractedly as Chad branched away with a nod and a wink that ruffled a laugh from his lungs and a moment later Uryū left at the next street corner with a sharp nod. Typical. Rukia paused for a moment obviously unsure before she questioned, "Do you have Shikai?"

Ichigo paused for a moment in the middle of the street struck dumb by the completely random question. Seriously where had it come from? Ichigo debated with himself for a moment how to respond to the question. What was he supposed to say?

"No. Do you?"

Rukia nodded and her eyes were distant for a long moment with something aching and nostalgic. Ichigo recognized the expression as they paused outside the walkway to the clinic, it was the kind when you remembered someone you loved. Rukia straightened and said, "Thanks Ichigo."

"You're welcome."

He replied mostly certain about what he was replying to as the door to their house swung open. Ichigo's dad went flying casually by and Ichigo rolled his eyes as he tugged Rukia inside to the smell of Yuzu's awesome cooking and the sound of Karin complaining. It was home.

X

Ichigo peered out the window at the grey overcast skies and tugged at his sleeve for a moment as he stared up at the clouds dubiously. If one looked at them long enough the clouds were almost light enough that there was the chance it wouldn't rain. That the skies wouldn't open up in sheets that railed around him heavy and too loud but not loud enough to block out the chill in his skin and the shake in his fingers. Ichigo sighed and brushed a hand lightly over his arm and glanced over his shoulder, Yuzu was carefully packing the picnic basket humming a tune that lilted like a lullaby but could have been something from a decade past. Karin was resolutely curled on the couch pretending she wasn't curled on the couch with a funk above her that Ichigo knew she had learned from him.

It felt surreal, like sitting at the dinner table the night of the funeral and staring at the grains of wood until they blurred in front of his eyes. Like nothing could touch him but not in a bulletproof way. And he knew. He knew that it would flood over him like a waterfall later, like a tsunami, like any devastating force of nature one could think of.

In the same way, Ichigo knew it wasn't his fault in the most literal sense of the word, he hadn't killed his mother that had been the hollow. But he had been the one that had tripped, had felt the grass cold beneath his knees as he tumbled down the hill and towards the water. Maybe it was hypocritical but Ichigo couldn't erase the guilt even if the pain of losing his mother was only a dull ache in his chest that stole his breath.

His phone rang.

It was a techno sort of tone that sparked like a live-wire and demanded attention, of course, it was therefore Shinji. Ichigo sighed and flipped his phone open, he stared at the contact number for a long moment where he could feel the urge to just do nothing like a black hole starting at his feet and working its way up to his numb fingers. He pressed the answer button and held the phone a safe distance away from his ears.

"Yo Ichigo."

Shinji's voice echoed out through the phone and Ichigo made a vague noise of response and waited for Shinji to get to the point. They knew, they all knew that today wasn't a good day for him, just like the anniversary of the betrayal wasn't a good day for them. Shinji sighed on the other end of the line and Ichigo could hear the shift of fabric and the familiar rustle of Shinji running his hands through his hair.

"I was just calling to let ya know that if ya need some space from… well everything but your dad and the Shinigami for one then, you're always welcome here Ichigo."

"I know."

And he did know. As much as Ichigo had helped the Vizard in the past they had also helped Ichigo develop as a person, shaped a part of him permanently into he was. They were family. Shinji made a humming noise on the other end of the line and Ichigo for a moment wanted to clamber out of the window before the rain began to fall, to duck into the warehouse and squish himself onto the couch beside Love and watch the horrible B-movie Lisa had put on while Hachi made everyone hot chocolate.

He glanced over his shoulder and watched Yuzu place a tupperware full of rice into the basket and shook his head. Shinji huffed at the other end of the line and for a moment Ichigo was concerned before his voice crackled over the line, "It's nothing Ichi just the usual. I'll talk to you later kiddo, the offers always open kay?"

"Bye Shinji, tell the others I say hi."

The line clicked dead at the same moment as the front door opened. Ichigo stuffed his phone into his pocket and glanced up at Rukia. She was carrying a grocery bag full of items Yuzu had demanded on one arm and was staring into the distance with a dazed expression. Ichigo stepped into her line of sight and she straightened and glared at Ichigo as if it was his fault that she had been distracted. She had gone out to speak with Soul Society and do one of their chores so maybe it was understandable.

He gently took the groceries and brought the bag to Yuzu who smiled up at him with the same smile that had cemented his will to be the best big brother ever at the tender age of three. Rukia appeared silently beside Ichigo staring into the picnic basket with wide eyes, it was prudent to never question how Yuzu fit that much food in the basket, but she didn't gush and Ichigo appreciated it.

It felt like it had to be a secret, that he wasn't ready for her to know. But Ichigo had told her enough that Rukia was respectful and when she asked to come Ichigo couldn't find it in himself to say no, could barely find the words to speak at all.

Their father entered the house through the front door, and he was quiet for a long moment. Then he was bouncing forward to peer into the picnic basket and gush about Yuzu's cooking skills all while berating Karin to get off the couch so they could begin the annual family outing. It was familiar, bright and harsh in a way only their father could be but Ichigo was used to it as he rolled his eyes and tugged Rukia towards the doorway.

The drive to the cemetery always passed in a blur of hazy figures out of the corner of his eyes. On pleasant days they could walk to the cemetery but that also passed in a blur and Ichigo only really came back into his own head when they stepped onto the damp grass. It was squishy beneath his feet with the rain of the past few weeks and the cemetery was empty but for a couple in front of a gravestone and an elderly woman hunched over another.

It was always too quiet in a cemetery as if the very world itself had decided to hold its breath. Ichigo followed behind as his sisters talked with one another, Yuzu babbling somewhat happily about all of the things she was going to tell mom, Karin made noncommittal noises every so often but Ichigo knew she was just as desperate to speak to her. Their father was barreling ahead in his usual manner and Ichigo shook his head as Rukia walked beside him staring at their surroundings (everything about the mortal world seemed to surprise her some days).

"I guess they don't have cemeteries in Soul Society huh?"

Ichigo questioned as they reached the top of the slight hill and the spread of gravestones collected there. Rukia pursed her lips for a moment before she shook her head and stared at their surroundings. They ambled their way to her grave eventually, Yuzu and Karin immediately plopped onto the damp grass and cleared away the weeds and the dirt in between the crevices of her name.

Ichigo watched for a long moment a short distance away, Rukia had left to look out over the railing and Ichigo was alone with his thoughts. His dad sidled up silently, a cigarette between his teeth and the smell sharp on the air. Ichigo could see a faint outline now, something almost solid maybe a step away with weak puffs of fire the curled into lazy streams of steam. They both didn't mention it.

A few moments later, the girls walked over hand in hand, Karin's eyes were red, but she was walking with her head tilted up, daring the rest of the world to comment on it, Yuzu beside her was quiet sunshine after the rain. Ichigo smiled softly and pressed a kiss to Yuzu's forehead and tousled Karin's hair before he moved forward.

The stone was cold beneath his fingers, so viscerally un-alive in a way that was stark against the memories of her calloused fingers, the soft fall of her hair, the warmth of her arms. It burned in the back of his throat and behind his eyes. He couldn't find the words, not even to apologize or to beg for forgiveness and they sat like a lump in his chest as he stared at the dates etched into the stone.

Ichigo inhaled and exhaled for a long moment before he pulled away. The twins were tugging the picnic blanket out with hasty glances at the still overcast skies as they set out the food, their dad was hovering by her grave with the cigarette like an ember in the grey around them. Ichigo settled beside Rukia against the railing and stared at Karakura below them.

"She was killed by a hollow."

Ichigo began and he wasn't quite sure why he was sharing it with Rukia, maybe part of it was the him that knew too much about psychology after forcibly devouring textbooks, maybe it was how he knew Rukia understood, in that nonverbal sort of way.

She turned to look at him, but Ichigo couldn't look into her eyes, could only stare at Karakura pressed beneath their feet and feel her cold hands over his. Shaking hair out of his eyes Ichigo continued, "It was my fault or at least mostly fault. I didn't kill her, but I may as well have. It was raining, like today… you know I hate the rain… we were walking home from karate and I saw the hollow at the edge of the river. It had a lure and for a moment I stepped forward. I tripped and rolled down the hill towards the hollow. She saved me, killed the hollow but…"

Rukia stared out at the horizon beside Ichigo in silence as a few drops splattered onto the ground, not quite rain but perhaps close enough. Her fingers were tight over his own and the point of contact was grounding, it forced him into his own feet and made him feel the breath in his lungs.

"I-my after the academy I was moved to the Thirteenth division, Kaien was… was my mentor I had been so unhappy, but he made me smile. He taught me how to wield my zanpaktou and didn't care that I was a noble, he just wanted the best of all of us. There was a hollow it-it killed his wife and we went after it, and he was so angry so hurt. The hollow it got him, and I couldn't do anything, to save him I had to… I had to. He thanked me."

Rukia's voice trembled and Ichigo wasn't certain if the water on her cheeks were her own tears or the slow pitter-patter of rain above. Ichigo stepped closer to Rukia and opened his arm, allowed her to press against his side as the rain filled the void with angry grey.

"I guess we both blame ourselves huh?"

Ichigo suggested with something too broken to be humorous, Rukia nodded and discreetly rubbed at her eyes and picked at the frayed edge of her shihakusho as she replied, "We just need each other to tell the other how wrong they are, and everything would be perfect."

Ichigo nodded the idea settled somewhere fuzzy in his brain, of telling Rukia every day that it wasn't her fault until she believed him. Of listening to the same words spoken with conviction. It seemed like a fantasy and felt just as translucent, but it was a nice thought.

He stared down at Rukia beside him, at the black bob of hair on her head, the feeling of her cold fingers and suddenly he wanted to tell her everything. About Aizen, about Hueco Mundo, about Soul Society. But he couldn't just in the same way she couldn't tell him things about Soul Society. It stung in his chest with the bitter aftertaste of bile and part of Ichigo was tempted to just ignore the consequences of his actions. The rest of him knew that maybe and someday were the better options.

Rukia tucked her head into Ichigo's chest and quietly asked, "Does it ever get better?"

"I don't think so, we just get better at handling it."

Ichigo replied it was like the first sting of a workout that faded to nothing and flared up every so often when stretched in painful ways. Rukia nodded and smiled at Ichigo before turning away and walking towards the picnic where Yuzu was happily chatting to Karin under a large umbrella while their father sat beside them gesturing with wide arms. Ichigo tilted his head back and felt the raindrops on his face cold and grey. He walked forward and joined his family.

X

Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was fun to write some of the canon stuff and add the twists because of everything that's happened. Just in case anyone was confused, Masaki killed GrandFisher when she died so no hollow attacked them in the second scene. Reviews/comments are always appreciated, till next time!