The Second Chapter! Yay!
Summary: Ichigo had known what his spring vacation would hold in store for him, he may've done things differently. But he hadn't, and this is what came of it. He couldn't really say it left him at all unhappy.
Disclaimer: Seeing as I've said this already, and it doesn't look like I'll magically obtain the rights to Bleach since I've never even met Tite Kubo, I don't see any reason to repeat things that you can go back to the first chapter and see. I promise, if things change and I come to possess Bleach rights, I'll let you know.
There was a certain amount of anxiety in introducing anyone to his family. There was rarely anything to worry about with Yuzu, since she was about as close to an angel as a little girl could get, but with Karin and his father…? Karin was also good… most of the time. There were some who were slighted by her cool attitude, as he expected Byakuya would be, but there wasn't much to do about that. His real worry was about his father and the man's destructive ways. From what he knew of his father's time as a soul reaper, which was still seriously limited, Byakuya was still pretty young when they'd last met. He'd been about to take over the Kuchiki family, and not yet a captain. Captaincy was the last step before that. He was actually kind of curious to see if they remembered each other.
So this was the way Ichigo thought as they entered the Kurosaki Clinic. They passed the empty entrance hall and straight to the area that was purely residential. They had taken a few steps out when Karin came out of the kitchen with a juice box, her other hand in her pocket. She surveyed them for a moment then said drily,
"Hey, Ichigo-nii, Renji, Toshiro. Captain. Nice to meet ya." With that simple greeting, Karin turned and went back into the kitchen, presumably to inform her sister that they had company.
A few seconds later, Yuzu came out, her apron covering her after normal attire. She smiled brightly at them and ran to bow to them, saying enthusiastically,
"Welcome back Ichi-nii! Hello Renji-san, Toshiro-kun! Hello Mr. Captain-san! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Her enthusiasm, it seemed, was catchy, because Ichigo gave her a hug and smiled down at her, and as Karin came back to stand at his side, he gave her a side long hug as well. Renji smiled and gave a light, "Hi guys." As Ichigo explained,
"Byakuya, these're my younger sisters Yuzu and Karin. If you need anything, Yuzu's the one to see. And Karin can take care of anything you need smashed or trashed."
Byakuya seemed to accept this, if appearing put out at Ichigo's continued disregard for his title as captain or head of a house, and nodded his understanding.
The nice introductions were short lived, with no chance to become awkward because, at that moment, or perhaps a few heartbeats after, an outrageously colored blur flew up behind Ichigo, yelling his name as well, necessitating that Ichigo turn around in order to kick the intruding blob away. The "it", as it turned out, was one Kurosaki Isshin.
As Isshin pulled himself off the floor and partially out of the wall, it dawned on him who the people were standing near his family. Of course he had met Toshiro and Renji already, but there was also a new member to the group gathered in his foyer. Instead of become riled up as he would with the arrival of most any other person into his home, Isshin's features instead became quite stoic, and his visage was a rare one of seriousness. This was the strange man Ichigo had fought with against Aizen, and the same who had faced Grand Fischer.
Byakuya, for his part, didn't seem to believe that this colorful and exuberant man could have been a member of the 13 Squads, let alone part of the elite Squad 0. That was a rank higher than even that of captain. How could this man have achieved something such as that?
As though knowing that Byakuya's thoughts were of him, Isshin pulled himself to his full height and stepped forward. He was more serious now, and seemed to ignore the fact that his nose was bloody, that he was wearing an orange and pink paisley shirt, or that his pants, while a respectable sharp looking pair of white slacks, had red and pink hearts strewn across them, professing their love to and for one another.
With an appraising eye, Isshin gave Byakuya a once over, and then, with an approving sound said, "It's been quite a long time since we last saw each other, eh Kuchiki-san?"
Byakuya raised an eyebrow elegantly, as though he didn't know any other mode of raising a brow, and stated calmly, "I am sorry, Kurosaki-san. I do not believe we have… met."
Isshin changed once again, throwing his head back in a long, deep, laugh, and without further ado, clapped Byakuya on the shoulder as if he were an old buddy.
"Oh Byakuya! You were very small when I saw you last! You'd barely started training to one day take over the clan! I can't say I like this serious Byakuya as much! You were so fun then, always following Yoruichi around!"
A scowl found its way onto Byakuya's face at the unexpected contact, and his eyes widened with the comprehension of what the older man (he could only be older if he had known Byakuya at such a young age) had said. Just how old was this man? Was he not a mortal after all?
Isshin laughed again, explaining to the group, including his still quite clueless children, "I was in Soul Society for a number of centuries before coming here and fighting Grand Fischer. I did know Byakuya, if not for very long…"
They all stared at him. If what he said was true, then he was very old indeed. And if he had his powers back, then he had his longevity back… Ichigo asked dumbly after a long moment of shocked silence,
"If you've got your powers back, and won't 'die' for a long time, and I have those powers too, will I 'die' still?"
Isshin shook his head happily, chirping, "Nope! Well, your body'll die, but your consciousness won't. You'll just go back to Soul Society as a Shinigami."
Ichigo heaved a sigh of relief. That had been a fear of his - dying as a human, being konso'ed, and not remembering anything or anyone he'd found in the Soul Society.
Shaking his head to dispel the remaining thoughts about that, Ichigo turned and went upstairs to pack, leaving the task of telling his family of the plans to two captains and a lieutenant. Somehow he still doubted that things would go smoothly.
When Ichigo came back downstairs, bogged down by only two bags, his backpack(containing his damned spring homework), and one orange lion plush, strangely still and silent, it was to find everyone calmly drinking tea in the living room. What the hell had been done to his family! Wherewas his family!
There seemed to be no need to ask, or opportunity to for that matter, because as Renji, Toshiro, and Byakuya stood up and made their way to the door, Ichigo was pulled into some sort of Kurosaki four way hug. He was then shoved out the door, bags and all. Of course he eventually came to his senses, but by that time, they'd made it almost back to the Shoten.
It was mostly silent in the shop, meaning that the kids and Tessai were out and that Ichigo's friends had gone on to Soul Society already. It was either that or everyone was dead. Really, either option was possible, if improbable. They went downstairs and found Urahara sitting on a rock by the senkaimon. He welcomed with a cheerful tone, and then proceeded to open the gate.
While Urahara did this, Ichigo set his bags down and popped a small marble looking pill into his mouth. Instantly he was ejected from his body, and was witness to the momentary fury of the mod soul inhabiting it. The mod sputtered in a funny manner and then sat down heavily on the spot, glaring at the smiling soul in front of him. Despite their rather opposite personalities, they saw eye to eye on a good number of things. One such subject was the protection of family, and Ichigo's family, after so long, was as good as Kon's as well. That wasn't going to stop him being cranky about it though.
"What gives? I was so comfy hiding from your devil of a little sister and the next thing I know I'm being pried from my own body and into this one! I'm not a toy you can use just like that!"
Ichigo quickly shut him up, and explained the short notice he'd received as well. Kon sat there and stared at him for a long time, then finally sighed and nodded. That'd been surprisingly easy; Ichigo had at least expected a fight about being left behind. He tossed aside the idea of asking why he'd been given a reprieve, choosing not to look the gift horse in the mouth. Instead he gave Kon a small smile, small, but true. And once he got past his shock, Kon smiled back, a big goofy grin that on Ichigo's body made him look his tender age for once.
Then Kon was leaping at him in a flying hug, something usually only reserved for Rukia or someone similar of that gender. Before anything could come of it, Ichigo found himself being pushed back by a cane he knew concealed a wicked deadly blade, and Kon was pulled back by his shirt collar. Urahara waved happily at him as he turned towards the senkaimon, where a hell butterfly awaited him, for once. As he entered the pathway with Byakuya and Toshiro ahead of him and Renji behind, Ichigo wondered just what would happen to him this time, surrounded by Shinigami who seemed to take joy from messing with his life.