Chapter 2: Status Critical

A heavy silence hung over the group as they observed Orihime's work. Grimmjow had been encapsulated within an orange bubble - courtesy of her Soten Kisshun ability - and was steadily recovering from his injuries. He had yet to regain consciousness.

Ichigo had called Orihime the second he realized just how bad of a state the Arrancar was in. When he had seen Grimmjow just lying there in the middle of the road looking like a mangled chew-toy, Ichigo knew couldn't just leave him, even if they had been enemies once. Hell, maybe they still were. Especially not when he had noticed the car heading straight for Grimmjow. He had already been moving before he even realized what he was doing.

He had brought Grimmjow up to his room through the open window and dumped him on the bed - pushing his own, vacant body off in the process - before yelling at his dad for help. Isshin had promptly changed into Soul Reaper form and tried his best to keep the man alive with his rudimentary knowledge of healing Kido while Ichigo contacted Orihime.

His yelling had woken up his sisters, who in turn had tried to help in any way they could after hastily being explained what happened.

Exactly seven minutes later, Orihime had literally flown in through the still-open window - apparently she'd used her shield as a makeshift hoverboard - and had already gotten started on healing Grimmjow before anyone was able to recover from the shock of having a teenage girl seemingly drop out of the sky.

Which is how they had gotten into the situation they found themselves in now: Isshin and Ichigo both in Soul Reaper form, ready to strike at Grimmjow should he decide to attack, and both Ichigo's sisters, still in their pajamas, leaning against the wall that was furthest away from Grimmjow for safety reasons.

Ichigo threw a worried glance at them, knowing the this whole mess must have been somewhat surreal for the two. He had already told them both about his time as a Soul Reaper, so something like this happening shouldn't have come as a total surprise, but it was definitely far from a normal way to start the weekend.

While on the subject of his sisters, Ichigo had noticed that while his own Spiritual abilities kept getting weaker as time went on, Karin's were only getting stronger. Ichigo knew that she had visited Urahara's shop on several occasions, but had decided not to meddle in her affairs. After all, she was the only one in this house that respected his privacy, so he reasoned he should at least offer her the same courtesy.

And it wasn't like Karin couldn't handle herself. If she somehow did get in over her head, he trusted she would know well enough to come straight to either him or their father.

As for Yuzu, he could only imagine how weird this had to be for her. Unlike her sister, she still had trouble seeing spirits. Through her eyes, the only people in the room besides herself were Karin, Orihime, Kon and Ichigo's unmoving body, which no-one seemed to be paying any attention to. Ichigo himself, her dad and Grimmjow were just blurry shapes to her.

Karin on the other hand, watched in amazement (and mild disgust) as the piece of rib that stuck out of the man's chest slid back into place with a sickening, wet pop before the puncture wound it had caused sealed shut.

"I'm almost done," Orihime panted. Ichigo could tell she had already used an incredible amount of energy; she may have been overextending herself here. "I still can't believe he survived long enough to make it all the way here from Hueco Mundo. He must have barely been able to breathe. His lungs in particular were in terrible shape." Kon walked up to her and handed her a clean handkerchief. She wiped the sweat off her brow and handed it back to him, uttering a quick 'thank you' before focusing on Grimmjow again. "I mean, even for one of the Espada, to be able to move with your internal organs damaged like this..."

A few more cracks were heard as bones shifted back into place and the last few cuts and bruises disappeared. The healing bubble then vanished and the two fairies returned to Orihime's hairpins.

"There. All done." She sat there breathing heavily, staring straight ahead of her with a glassy look in her eyes and looking rather pale.

"Hey, are you-?" Ichigo began to inquire worriedly. Just then, the girl tipped over due to sheer exhaustion, making Yuzu cry out in alarm. Ichigo quickly shot to her side and was able to catch her before she hit the floor. He gently pulled her back upright, draping an arm over her shoulders so she wouldn't fall over again.

Even that simple action already had Orihime blushing, so she looked at her knees to try and hide her embarrassment. At least she'd gotten some color into her face again. "K-kurosaki-kun! I'm sorry for making you worry!" she stammered out. "I'm just a bit tired, that's all. You can let go now!"

He chuckled at how easy it was to make her blush. It seemed that every time they touched, even if they simply brushed hands accidentally the girl's face would go red like a tomato. "Don't be silly. I'll help you up."

Blushing even more fiercely if possible, she slowly put her hand on his shoulder. She would have refused, but she just knew that if she did Ichigo would simply pick her up and carry her down the stairs against her will. She went with the less embarrassing option.

Yuzu and Isshin both made 'aaah'-noises at the gesture, while Karin just smirked.

"Oh shut up, both of you...", The teen muttered, a mild blush now decorating his own cheeks. Not because he was touching Orihime, but because his stupid, crazy family was making way too big a deal out of it. He was simply helping out a friend, he didn't see what all the fuss was about.

When he pulled her upright, he noticed how much weight she was putting on him. It seemed she had completely drained herself to save Grimmjow's life.

Even if his body was once again in perfect condition thanks to her efforts, it would take time for him to regain his energy. His Reiatsu was so weak Ichigo could barely sense it. He couldn't even begin to image what could have possibly caused such injuries to a powerful fighter like Grimmjow. His thoughts went back to Orihime when the girl's legs gave out a little. No way was she getting home by herself in that condition.

"Yuzu, is the guest bed ready?" He asked his sister.

"W-What? No! I can get home just fine, y-you don't have to go out of your way for me..." Orihime quickly stammered out.

"Oh no, you're not!" Yuzu quickly walked over to them and put her hands on her hips, a clear signal that there would be no room for arguments. "Ichigo's right, you're way too tired to go home by yourself right now! I'll go prepare an extra bed in me and Karin's room so you can spend the rest of the night here."

"But I-"

"Don't bother. You can't argue with her once she gets like this," his other sister piped up. "Plus, she's right. You should just stay here and rest up. We don't have school tomorrow so you can sleep in as long as you like." She walked up to the doorway. "Come on, Yuzu. I'll help you with the bed." They both slipped past Ichigo and Orihime, heading toward their room.

"Oh, my wonderful, considerate daughters! I raised them so well! Masaki would be so proud!" Isshin started bawling while pathetically muttering his late wife's name.

"Pull yourself together, Goatface!" When no reaction was given, Ichigo grabbed the nearest throwable object, which happened to be Kon, and slugged his father in the face with it. "Get over yourself and keep an eye on him!" He ordered his father. "I don't want him blowing up the house if he suddenly wakes up!"

He led Orihime to his sisters' bedroom and gently put her down on the bed that had been prepared for her. "Do you need anything? You can borrow one of my shirts to sleep in, since my sisters' stuff is probably too small for you..." he trailed off, suddenly realizing something. "By the way, why are you still wearing your clothes from yesterday?"

The blush that had been fading was now back in full force. She'd burst a blood vessel if she kept this up. "Well," she started uneasily. "I was trying out some new recipes with octopus and watermelon, but I must have done something wrong since I suddenly passed out after tasting it," she shamefully admitted. "I didn't wake up until you called me, actually. But I'll be fine, I'll just sleep in these clothes... I need to wash them anyway, I spilled some mashed tentacle on it when I fainted." She pointed to a large white stain with chunks of orange in it just below the collar of her blouse.

Ichigo silently vowed NEVER to accept food from Orihime ever again, even if the only alternative would be starvation. Starvation would probably be a less painful process than trying to digest whatever it was that passed as food to her.

Suddenly one of Ichigo's old shirts landed next to her on the bed, courtesy of Karin. "You can wear this for tonight, Orihime. Ichigo hasn't worn it in years since it doesn't fit him anymore, but it should be around your size." She walked up to her brother and grabbed the sleeve of his uniform, using it to pull him out of the room. "Come on, you. Give a girl some privacy!"

The redhead just chuckled at his sister's antics. "Alright. G'night, Orihime."

"Goodnight, Kurosaki-kun." She smiled weakly at him. Her face betrayed just how exhausted she really was. Ichigo felt a little guilty about making her go through so much trouble. The blue-haired son of a bitch that was currently occupying his bed probably wouldn't even give her so much as a 'thank you' either.

Karin let go of his sleeve once they were in the hallway. Right before she closed the door, she told Orihime not to worry, since she would 'make sure the perverts didn't get into the room' while she changed. It took a little while for Ichigo's sleep-deprived brain to process what she had said. "Wait a minute, perverts? As in plural?" He bowed down until he was at eye-level with Karin and glared at her. "That you're including Kon is a given, but are you implying that I'm a pervert too?"

She just smirked at him, not backing down in the least. "Well, maybe you're not as bad as that stuffed lion-thing of yours, but you ARE a sixteen-year-old boy, so..."

"Why you little-" He was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing, which confused both of them. What kind of a person would come to their house at four in the morning?

"Ichigo! Could you open the door?" his father's voice sounded from his bedroom. "I asked Kisuke to come pick up the Espada."

Of course. Urahara. Who else?

"This ain't over," he quietly muttered playfully to Karin before returning to his full height. With a few quick Flash Steps, Ichigo was at the front door. He opened it to reveal both Urahara and Tessai, the former wearing his usual green robes while the latter seemed to have simply opted to put on a coat over his nightwear.

"Well hello there, Kurosaki-san! Long time no see!" the blond greeted him with his usual goofy smile, not looking tired in the least. Knowing Urahara, he probably hadn't even gone to bed yet.

"Kurosaki-dono." Tessai bowed briefly, much more formal and reserved than his companion.

"Hey there Hat-and-clogs, Tessai. You guys don't waste any time."

The man shot him a grin while pulling his signature hat a bit lower, so that a shadow fell over his eyes. "Well, we can't afford to take it slow when you have an Espada in your bed now, can we?"

"Wait, how did you know he was-?"

Both men quickly stepped inside, ignoring his question. "Hey, Urahara!" He called after them, slightly suspicious.

"Relax Ichigo!", the man said over his shoulder, "I just sensed where the Reiatsu came from, it's not like I have hidden camera's in there... anymore." The last part was spoken significantly softer, but Ichigo had heard it loud and clear.

"Camera's? In my room?" He thought about that for a second. What could Urahara have seen him do in there? "URAHARA!" He snarled furiously, instantly going into Kill-mode.

The unlucky Hollow that had decided to show up right outside the house just then was instantly crushed by the Spiritual Pressure emitted by a very pissed off Substitute Soul Reaper.

"Calm down, I don't see what all the fuss is about. I mean, it's not like you have anything to be ashamed of." As if what Urahara was implying with that sentence wasn't already enough, the man just had to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively after he was done speaking.

If Tessai hadn't been so quick to restrain Ichigo, Urahara would've had his own cane shoved up his ass already. "Lemme go! I'm gonna kill him!" he roared.

Ichigo trashed and squirmed violently, even using both hands to push at Tessai's face in an attempt to break free and exact revenge, but the taller man kept him trapped in a vice-grip around his waist as Ichigo's intended target Flash Stepped out of sight.

"Please calm yourself, Kurosaki-dono! Those camera's were for your own protection!" Tessai tried to reason with him. "What if Aizen had sent an assassin into your bedroom while you were asleep?"

"Protection, my ass! I don't even wanna know what that freak was doing while he watched me!" He resorted to elbowing Tessai in the chest repeatedly, which had about as much effect as throwing pebbles at a brick wall.

"Urahara-dono would never do anything of the sort!" Tessai replied heatedly. "It was a very awkward matter for both us!" While such straightforwardness may have been an admirable character trait in a different situation, right now it only served to seal Tessai's fate.

Ichigo's face turned beet-red from anger and embarrassment (but mostly anger), which clashed horribly with his orange spikes. "YOU WERE WATCHING ME TOO? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!" Furious at the new information, he kicked Tessai right in the groin, forcing the man to let go. He felt a slight sting of pity as Tessai fell to the ground and curled up in the fetal position; sobbing quietly to himself while trying to protect the abused parts of his body from further harm.

Deciding to ignore him for now, Ichigo ran up the stairs again. One down, he thought to himself, his current expression making him appear more than a little unhinged. Now for the other one. He pushed open the door to his bedroom, already thinking up multiple ways in which he could exact bloody vengeance.

Once he was inside however, Ichigo was distracted from his objective. He saw Urahara putting thick, ancient-looking metal cuffs around Grimmjow's wrists. "Hey Hat-and-clogs, what are those for?" He asked suspiciously. Urahara may not have been anywhere near as bad as Kurotsuchi, but Grimmjow was still a Hollow. He didn't know what Urahara was planning to do with him. As the second cuff clicked shut, the metal briefly flickered orange, followed by Grimmjow's already weak Reiatsu completely disappearing.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san, there you are. These are Reiryoku-draining handcuffs. With these on, he won't be a threat to us should he regain consciousness. That way we won't have to watch him 24/7." Urahara looked around the room, seeming confused about something. "Tessai?" he called out, apparently just know noticing that the man wasn't in the room with them.

"Yes, Urahara-dono?" The sound came from directly behind Ichigo, startling him. He was sure the man had still been curled up in a ball downstairs just a second ago. Ichigo had to shamefully admit he had barely managed to suppress what would have been a not very manly yelp. He noticed Tessai was still slightly bent over because of the pain, but seemed perfectly fine otherwise.

"Could you escort our new guest here to the shop?" Urahara asked. The bastard seemed amused at Ichigo's obvious discomfort. When Ichigo finally got his hands on him, they'd have to wipe his blood of the walls.

"Of course, sir." Tessai walked over to the bed and effortlessly threw the incapacitated Espada over his shoulder.

"Alright then, looks like we're all set!" Urahara started waving his fan again, letting it cover the stupid grin that had found it's way back onto his face. "Pleasure seeing you again, Isshin. Say hi to the girls for me!"

Both men exited the room after Isshin said his goodbyes. He went to put his daughters to bed, leaving Ichigo to show the pair out.

"Don't think you're getting off easy, Urahara." Ichigo grit out once they were outside. "Now may not be the time, but as soon as I get you alone I swear I am going to kill you and I will enjoy it." The last part was more growled than spoken, since Ichigo was incapable of unclenching his teeth due to the anger.

"I'll look forward to it, Kurosaki-san!" He flashed him that demented grin again, not helping Ichigo's barely controlled temper. Suddenly the grin was gone, and Urahara raised his head a little so that the shadow from his hat no longer obscured his eyes. "You should come by the shop later today. The Espada could have just gone straight to Inoue-san if he wanted to be healed, but he came to you. If he hasn't woken up by then, he may react if he senses your Reiatsu nearby."

The shopkeeper turned around and quietly regarded the incapacitated Espada. "If there's something out there that's capable of causing that kind of injuries to an Espada, we need to find out what it is. Of course, it could just be that a pack of Hollows ganged up on him, but that's rather unlikely considering how much the normal Hollow variety fears the Arrancar."

Ichigo's jaw had slightly dropped as he realized what Urahara was implying with that statement. It looked like the quiet he'd been enjoying these last few weeks may have just come to an abrupt end. He blinked, halting his train of thought in favor of going back to bed for a few more hours.
"Well... alright, I guess. I'll swing by later today, in the afternoon. I'm gonna get a few more hours of sleep first, though." He didn't bother suppressing a giant yawn, as if to emphasize the point.

"Great!" The man smiled, already back to his usual self. "We'll see you later then. Good night, Kurosaki-san!"

"'Night."

Tessai bowed once more, almost dropping Grimmjow in the process, and suddenly the men were gone, leaving Ichigo by himself. He tiredly scratched his head as he went back inside, contemplating the night's events.

He locked the front door before going back upstairs. He only hoped none of the neighbors had woken up due to all the commotion. It would be pretty hard to explain why their front door had seemingly opened and closed by itself multiple times in one night. Just as he was about to go upstairs, his father called out to him from the living room.

"Ichigo!" He whisper-yelled so as to not disturb the girls. "Could you come here for a minute?"

Sighing tiredly, he turned around and headed toward the living room. Upon entering, he saw that his father had already reclaimed his body. He was sitting at the dinner table, waiting for Ichigo. "What is it?"

Isshin watched him intently, making Ichigo feel a bit uncomfortable. Just as Ichigo was about to run out of patience, his father started talking again. "I wanted to ask how your powers are holding up. When I sensed that Arrancar's Reiatsu, I got worried and was about to investigate, but then I sensed you all of a sudden using your Shinigami powers again. I nearly had a heart attack!"

It made sense for Isshin to be worried. Ichigo hadn't used his powers even once since the end of the war. Isshin had though that the reason Ichigo had done it now was to go and fight the Arrancar outside. Doing so with unstable Reiatsu and not having tested his powers in all that time would have been far too reckless, even for Ichigo. He didn't know whether to be relieved or worried that his son hadn't fought, but saved the Espada.

Said son rolled his eyes in response. "Don't be so dramatic, dad. I'm fine." He wasn't lying. After using the Final Getsuga Tenshou, Ichigo had fallen unconscious for an entire month. When he woke up again, Rukia had been there to tell him that what was left of his power would soon disappear, yet it had already been eight days since then and while his powers had noticeably weakened during that time, it was surprising to see just how slowly the process seemed to go. In his current state, he felt like he would even be able to activate his Bankai without too much difficulty. Using his Mask as well may have been pushing it though.

Isshin sighed tiredly. "Alright. If you say so." He got out of his seat and headed toward the hallway, saying goodnight to Ichigo as he passed him.

"Goodnight dad," Ichigo said while watching his father leave the room. He waited until he heard him reach the second floor before taking hold of the sword on his back. Holding the large, elegant cleaver horizontally in front of him, he carefully observed the blade.

This was the main reason he had tried not to us his powers. The blade felt completely empty. Zangetsu was gone. No matter how many times he called out to him, his Zanpakutou spirit wouldn't reply. He returned the sword to its place on his back. There was a certain finality to the action. Despite knowing it was impossible, a small part of him had still been clinging to the naive hope that Zangetsu wasn't really gone after all. Now, he knew for sure the old man was gone for good.

He eventually left the living room and slowly trudged up the stairs. After reclaiming his body from where it had been lying on the hardwood floor this whole time, he immediately went back to bed. He had a difficult time getting back to sleep, and it was only after an extended period spent tossing and turning that he realized why.

The smell. Grimmjow's, to be precise. That asshole had lain on his bed for not even a full hour and already his scent clung to the sheets. It wasn't even that it smelled bad or anything, it's just that it was his smell. For some reason it annoyed Ichigo to no end.

Eventually, Ichigo did manage to drift off. Unfortunately for him tough, even in his dreams that blue-haired bastard simply refused to leave him alone.