Chapter 2

Ichigo spent the rest of the hours in his room. He laid on his bed on his front, his headphones booming Survival by Eminem into his head as he looked over the pictures of himself and his friends on his phone. He let out a sigh and hung his head. Then he heard the engine of a car pass by his house and then the car pull up to the neighboring house. Though it sounded more like a truck. Then he heard Yuzu shout from the first floor.

"Ichi-nii! I need your help! Please come down!" Yuzu shouted.

"Be right there!" Ichigo shouted back. He paused his music and removed his headphones from his head, leaving them and his phone on the bed. Then he got up and went out of his room and down to the kitchen on the first floor. "What's up?" He asked as he peered in from the door way.

"Ichi-nii, Karin and I were pouring some marbles into the glass vase with the fake flowers and a few rolled under the counter. We can't reach them and dad is busy with the car. Could you please help us?" Yuzu asked.

"Yeah, sure." Ichigo replied. He came to the counter to which Karin pointed after stepping aside, and knelt on the floor, then leaned down to look under the counter. "Ah, I see them." He pulled up the right sleeve of his tight dark violet shirt and reached under the counter. It was hard for a bit due to his enlarged muscles from all the time he trained his ass off as a Shinigami. With some effort he got them in the end and got up. "Here." He handed them to Yuzu.

"Thank you, nii-san." Yuzu took them with a smile and put them into the small, glass, pot-like vase which held some fake tulips.

Karin looked at the clock. "It's 4 p.m., time sure flies by fast."

"Don't worry, Karin. You'll soon ger used to it." Yuzu reassured. Ichigo grimaced a bit and put a hand on his forehead from the sudden pain shocking his jet-lagged brain. "Is everything all right, Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked with concern.

"Yeah... Just tired." Ichigo replied.

"It's because you have your music booming full volume into your head." Karin said with crossed arms. "Go take a nap."

Ichigo smirked and ruffled Karin's hair to which she huffed and then straightened it again. He went up to his room and closed the door. He put his phone and head phones on the desk beside his bed and plopped down on his back. He lay there for a while staring up at the ceiling. Surely it wasn't any normal headache. It felt oh so familiar... Like when you get a feel of Reiatsu. "Ugh..." He groaned covering his face with his hands. There's no way he could feel Reiatsu. He lost his powers after the Winter War. But as he gave it more thought, it was kind of convenient that they left after the Winter War, he could start all over again. He sighed and turned on his side. After staring at the wall in front of his face for a while he closed his eyes and drifted off.

"Ichigooooo~" Came Isshin's voice from the other side of Ichigo's door. Ichigo's eyes shot open and he wore a look of annoyance. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. What was it with all the sighing today? He surely didn't sigh that often.

"What is it, you old fart?" Ichigo asked with annoyance in his voice, making him sound harsh.

"It's time. Remember our neighbor was kind enough to invite us for dinner at his house? Well the time has come!" Isshin said in a cheery voice.

"What are you so happy about? And do I really have to come?" Ichigo questioned with annoyance.

"Yes, you have to! You don't want your neighbors to have a bad impression of you on the first day! Besides, his daughter is a cutie~" The last words had a familiar tune to them.

"Shut up, you pervert!" Ichigo opened his door and threw a book at Isshin which struck him square in the nose. "Moving into a new place doesn't mean you can start your life all over like you made it sound just now." Then Ichigo shut his door.

"Ugh, Ichigo, so harsh..." Isshin pouted while rubbing his nose. "Is it about Rukia? Or Orihime? Or Tatsuki? Or any other of those girls you brought home a few times? I remember that busty blonde(no offense to blondes, I'm talking about Rangiku here) you once brought!" Isshin said loudly. Ichigo's door opened again. He inhaled through his nose, his eyes wide, but instead of holding a ton of books as one would expect him to, he was holding up a whole book-case. Isshin's eyes widened. "Wow, wow, wow! Ichigo! What was it you said about living next to a Chief of Police?"

Ichigo set the book-case down, but then snatched a book and stomped to his father. He smacked his face with the book a few times and then kicked him down the stairs. He then picked up the book he threw earlier and went back into his room, slamming the door.

"Ugh, mean Ichigo..." Isshin pouted as he lay on the floor on the first floor with his ass up from the way he landed.

"That's what you get for being a pervert, old man." Karin stated with her arms crossed.

"Karin~" Isshin turned his head to look at his daughter with a kicked puppy expression on his face.

"That's right, dad! We don't want to put a bad impression on our neighbors!" Yuzu said as she came up to her sister and father.

"Yuzu, not you too." Isshin sniffled.

"Come on, dad. Get up." Karin said as she walked away. Yuzu decided to prepare some sushi for their new neighbors as a token of gratitude for their kindness. Ichigo came down the stairs, having changed into something more appropriate. Everyone dressed up. His father in a suit, Yuzu in a light coffee brown dress with golden flowers which had lantern sleeves and went to her knees, Karin took the effort as well. She put on something different from her usual sportive attire. She wore a pair of jeans shorts, high tops, a dark green t-shirt, and a jeans vest. Ichigo wore black tight jeans, black moccasins, though his shirt he saw no need to change. Now that the family was ready, they walked out of their house. Thankfully it stopped raining.

A knock came on the Swan family's door. "Coming!" Came a young female voice. The door was opened by a 17-year-old girl. Like her father she had curly hair. Though it was longer and more curly, obviously. But she was a bit paler than him. Also had his brown eyes. She wore a dark blue shirt and dark jeans. "Oh hello." She managed a smile. "You're our new neighbors."

"Yes we are." Isshin said with a grin. Karin elbowed him in the side a bit at his behavior. The girl before them seemed a bit uneasy but she still smiled.

"Well come on in." She stepped aside letting the Kurosakis through.

Yuzu came in last. She stopped near her and held out a plastic container. "I made some sushi as a thank you for your kindness."

"Oh, how darling. Thank you, huney." Bella smiled. She took the container. Yuzu bowed and then followed after her family into the dining room where Charlie waited for Isshin and his family. Bella closed the door. She looked at the container and went into the kitchen. She opened it and gasped. Of course she saw sushi before and once even tried, but this was just so neatly made and so tasty looking. They were really made with skilled hands and a lot of effort. She smiled a bit, then decided to put them on a plate.

"Let me introduce you, this is my friend Billy Black," Charlie introduced the man in a wheelchair who seemed to be a native American, or at least of such decent. "And this is his grandson Jacob Black." He introduced a male who was standing not too far from his grandfather. He had his arms crossed but nodded in greeting. He had noticeable, trained muscles and a somewhat animalistic look in his eyes? Ichigo didn't know what it was, but the air around the teen didn't seem like around a normal human. Whatever it was, he shook it off. "Well, now that we are all here, let us take a seat at the table?" Charlie motioned to the dining room. "Please sit where you want."

Bella came in from the kitchen holding a plate with sushi. "Hey dad, we have been given these delicious sushi and I thought it might be a good idea to include them to the table tonight." Bella suggested.

"Of course huney, why not." Charlie agreed.

Bella set the plate on the table. Yuzu and Karin were to sit first. They took two spots which were in the middle. Ichigo sat near Karin and Isshin near Yuzu. Across from Ichigo sat Jacob, Bella at his side, Charlie beside her, and beside him was Billy.

The rest of the evening was spent in warm conversation, mostly between Isshin, Yuzu, Karin, Billy, and Charlie. They were the talkative ones. Ichigo seemed to be quiet unless he was asked something. And when he was he'd speak briefly. Jacob for the most part did the same, as well as Bella, but Jacob seemed to watch Ichigo closely. Something about that teen was not right. He narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Hey, Ichigo. Sorry if the question might seem rude, but may I ask?" Jacob asked.

"Sure." Ichigo already knew what was coming.

"You hair... Why do you dy it in such a shade?" Jacob asked.

Ichigo let out a sigh, again. "It's natural."

"Really?" The Swans and the Blacks seemed to be caught by surprise by such an answer.

"Yes, it comes from his mother's side." Isshin spoke.

"Oh?" Charlie looked at him, along with the other three.

"Yes, she had some European blood in her from far away ancestors." Isshin lied. He knew the real answer why Ichigo's hair was the shade that it was.

"Oh, interesting." Billy said. "May I ask where she is?" Judging by the change in the expressions of the 4 across the table, the other 4 understood that was not a good question.

"Unfortunately, she was unable to come." Isshin answered. Slight uneasiness mixed with sadness in his voice.

"Oh, please forgive me. I shouldn't have asked." Billy apologized.

"Oh no, it is perfectly fine." Isshin reassured with a slight smile. Then they all carried on in their conversing, aside from the three older teens. Jacob seemed to notice that Ichigo became more uneasy and...sad? Judging by the aura he concluded that whatever was the reason for the mother's absence had to do with him.

After 2 warm hours of food and conversation, finally the Kurosakis departed to their house. Charlie saw them out while Jacob and Bella cleaned the table. Billy was simply in his wheel chair near the window, looking out at the departing figures. Jacob walked up to him.

"You noticed it too, didn't you?" Jacob asked.

"Yes." Billy replied.

"The hair isn't even what's strange." Jacob said.

"It's the aura." Billy said.

"What is he?" Jacob asked, looking at Ichigo before the ginger entered his house.

"Truthfully, I don't know." Billy watched Ichigo too, till the door closed. Then he looked at Jacob. "But I know it's nothing good." He then rolled away to Charlie who had turned on the tv. The football just started. Jacob took another glance at the opposite house before turning and going into the kitchen to Bella who was currently putting some dishes and cups into the dishwasher.

"Hey, Bella." Jacob said as he leaned with the back of his waist against a counter.

"Yes?" Bella asked, proceeding with packing the dishwasher with dishes.

"I want you to stay away from Ichigo." Jacob said.

Bella looked up and stood up straight, closing the dish washer and turning it on. "Why?" She looked at him.

"Because he isn't normal." Jacob explained.

"If it's the hair then I don't think that's a good enough reason to not be friends with him." Bella said with a slightly raised brow.

"It's not the hair, it has nothing to do with the hair." Jacob shook his head.

"Then what is it?" Bella asked.

"It's the air around him." Jacob said as he looked at her.

"Is he a vampire?" Bella asked, somewhat expecting an answer yes, but not the opposite.

"No." Jacob answered.

"Then what is he?" Bella asked.

"Something else... Something the wolves haven't encountered yet."

"How do you know?"

"Because Billy says he doesn't know what he is."

"I see." She looked at him. "Then what do I do? I mean...We're neighbors."

"Just don't get too close to him."

"Alright."

Ichigo had showered and changed into his dark grey pajama pants and a dark blue shirt. He plopped down on his bed and let out a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. Tomorrow was school... But thankfully it was Friday so he had the weekend to get used to the place ahead of him. He pulled his covers over him and closed his eyes, falling asleep.