Hollow Eyes

Chapter Three: Sixth Sense, Maybe More

Disclaimer:I need to bleach my teeth again because they look less white as they usually do. Oh wait, this is the disclaimer right? Oh yeah well I seriously don't own Bleach. Just Sayomi and that mysterious Kiri person in another story.

A/N:Again…I've noticed another booboo in my last chapter. I was supposed to write why their teacher was digging for a pen, and she was supposed to wave it around. It was a minor error that I'm sure no one noticed…till I mentioned it just…now…AW CRUD! Yes I know me and the main character have almost the same names. Sami and Sam. But I couldn't help it!! Sayomi is easily shortened to that! Also…WHY AREN"T PEOPLE REVIEWING!? AT LEAST FLAME ME! Visit ma profile to see my awesome fanart on my blog!

Kon: Review if you love me!!

Ichigo: Well then no one's gonna review…that's the problem…

Kon: HEY!!

Sam: Review if you love Rukia! Op! That means you'll haveta review then Ichigo!

Ichigo: WAH!?

Hiruma (jotting down that tidbit for future ref): Why the hell am I here again?!

Sami: Um…you're pretty cool!

Naruto: BELIEVE IT!

Sam: Crossovers?! When did that happen?!

Sean: Whenever I first met you…sigh

Sam: You are in a wheelchair and you still came… HIRUMA!! HECK ICHIGO GO BANKAI AND KILL THIS COCKROACH!!

Ichigo: Might as well…

Hiruma: KEKEKEKKEKE!!

Sean: EEEPPP!! X,o

Random Song of the Mo: She's the Blade By Sugarcult

Rukia's phone pager went off. And all hell broke loose. Well… not really.

The Quincy watched the scene unfold before him, all the while waiting…for the new girl to suddenly leave. He had carefully noted that earlier, right before Rukia's pager went off in the classroom…Sami had left to go to the 'restroom' almost like she knew what was about to happen. But the dark-haired boy had to mentally scratch his head when it came to the fact she came back at a decently normal time and about ten minutes went by until Chad, Rukia, and Ichigo returned as well.

So what will she do? He pondered.

"Aw damnit! Again?" Ichigo cussed as he stood up. Rukia, joined him but gave him a warning look, lacing it with a silent one that reminded him that someone here didn't know his secret. Or they didn't know the person referred to's secret either for that matter.

Rukia switched her best winning smile on her face and perkily came up with a believable excuse. "Time for your medicine, Ichigo! Don't complain! To the nurse we go!"

"Wha-!!" A pop from a vein in his neck, could distinctly be heard. She gave him no time to be angry however, for she dragged him away by the arm.

"I SAID DON"T COMPLAIN!"

Everyone else in the posse just laughed nervously as they heard several loud thuds as a certain strawberry was dragged down the stairs at a brisk speed. "Ehehe." What a lame excuse. But certainly a bit believable. Some checked to see how the newest member to the group would respond.

Sami pulled her exotic tawny hair back into a ponytail for the breeze up on the roof was starting to get in her mouth as she ate, amazingly she didn't voice the obvious question written all over her face. "Um so that's where they go…"

In fact her expression was that of incredulity and doubt. Not fooling anyone.

Her newfound yet very cautious lunch companion, Chad wondered about her sullenly to himself. He had just about given up trying to figure her out since it was so frustrating. But…he couldn't help but wonder if she was truly confused and wondering or if she was just faking it? She seemed to just automatically accept those two disappearing so easily and without question. She didn't ask about his arm either, and she hadn't asked where the three of them went when the teacher was gone earlier. Maybe she just wasn't the nosy type. Yeah. That was probably true. But then again…

Next to him, Sami crunched on some pocky that Keigo had offered her earlier. As a love offering. Only Sami had just smiled and said simply. "Sorry Keigo. But I dolove pocky." And she took the offered snack. The boy had been crushed and dashed slowmo away with exaggerated tears trailing. Mizuiro commented something about how girls love to reject 'Asano'. And thus that led to more exaggerated sobbing.

A gleam caught his eyes, Ishida sitting opposite him was looking intently in his direction, the sun reflecting off his glasses. He was wondering the same thing, but neither knew it.

Suddenly Sami let out a small hiss. "What is everyone staring at…" Chad peered at her startled. Her eyes were locked on the remains of pocky left in her delicate hands. They seemed to be shaking slightly and her eyes were narrowed almost to slits. That familiar chill ran down his spine again. An eerie black aura gathered around her as quickly as her change in mood as she sat crouched.

"Grr…I'm not on display! Why does everyone have to stare at me?!" She growled under her downcast eyes. The gold in them dimmed in the shadows. No… the shadows in them shimmered darkly through the gold. She clenched her fists until the last of the pocky was reduced to crumbs that floated away in a rough swift breeze. A few strands of her tawny hair landed across her sharpened features. Blazing with enough spite to burn a forest down, her eyes abruptly scorched his with a flip of her head. "Why?! I'm no different!" A sort of spiritual pressure like presence emitted evilly from her. What the?!

Chad felt startled enough to move backwards. Waves of heat could practically be felt on his confused face. She slowly scooted forward, eyes blazing with hatred, body tense and ready to spring like a cornered tiger. Stunned, Chad chose to stand his ground, summoning reitsu around his right fist and feeling the soft zaps of energy starting to form at the tips of his fingers. He tensed as well, when she inched even closer on the ground. His back was against the wall now, with his body in the easiest posture to spring forth and defend. Then… in a blink of an eye she winced and stood up shaking her head as if to clear it.

The puzzled giant, still weary, paused in his arm transformation. Orihime felt the disturbance behind her from where Chad and Sami were and tried her best to distract Tatsuki and the others so they wouldn't think to look in the edgy twosome's direction, behind them. Ishida however, felt triumphant in the satisfaction that his ingenious intuition was correct about the foreign teen. She was of spiritual heritage as well as her other lineages. But he was also struck numb in the fact that her power, whatever kind it was, was immensely strong. She might've given Chad some serious injury just now. The thought of such an occurrence gave the Quincy a chill. Sami-chan wasn't just a girl. She was a monster.

What's wrong with me?! What happened just now?! I-I almost attacked that big guy just now!Horribly confused, Sayomi walked away toward the back of the roof where the entrance was, and ducked behind a corner to hide between the railing and passageway to go back into the school. Her heart was pounding terribly.

Ishida was still watching her every move, until she hid out of his view. Any minute now…she'll disappear and her true shinigami form will be revealed.

"Hey Chad what's wrong with you?" Misuiro was standing over his large friend with concern. Chad's shirt collar flapped in the breeze as he sat against the wall, the only movement coming from him as the short black haired player stared. Keigo popped out of nowhere and poked Chad's shoulder. "Eh? What's with that thoughtful look huh?" But still only the breeze stirred his shirt and tousled his waves of dark brown hair as reply. His eyes remained hollow like he had seen a ghost but his hair covered them up so all they saw was his thoughtful façade.

"Chad?" Keigo started flapping his hands wildly in front of his stationary friend. FWAP FWAP!"Hello earth to Chad! What are you doing, huh?!" FWAP FWAP!

Orihime traded a glance with Ishida. "What…happened?" He just shook his head. "S-should I go and check on her?" The chestnut-haired girl wondered out of kindness but also slight weariness. The Quincy immediately objected to such a daring plan. "No! Not now. She's still trying to calm down."

"O-oh…"

"Chad where're you going?!" The couple looked over at Chad's now standing form. He was walking in the direction of where Sami disappeared. Keigo and Misuiro huffed. "Geez fine! Ignore us!"

"Um Chad!" Orihime cried out worriedly.

Ishida placed a slender hand on her shoulder. "It's OK."

"…"Orihime dipped her head, not quite understanding why Chad could check on Sami and she couldn't.

Ishida followed the taller teen at a distance. Still waiting patiently for the change of spiritual pressure.

Chad couldn't explain it but…he needed to go to her. He swallowed the lump of confusion and…apprehension, calmed his senses, grabbed his nerves, and felt his leaden legs move on their own…

There was something…animal-like in her features then…

(Cute animals are his weakness but what about threatened/threatening animals?!)

He turned the corner around the side of the entrance and… she wasn't there.

I knew it. She turned shinigami! Ishida observed silently. He had kept distance like a wavering shadow behind the lumbering soul. Orihime stubbornly trailed behind the overprotective Quincy.

"Excuse me…" Everyone spun around in the direction they had come. Her lithe form was completely devoid of emotion, the wind sweeping her skirt and tugging on her clothes and hair.

"Uh! Sayomi…chan?" How'd she get behind them? Did she walk around the other side?

She lifted her head and smiled cheerfully back. Eerily so…"I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling very well. I think I'm alright now though…" And with that she flipped around and walked back to where she had been sitting eating her lunch. The light dancing around her and her skirt flowing elegantly to match her light steps. Doves flew overhead and leaves spiraled about her in the blinding light.

…tamper with the empty…leaves you feeling lonely…the light is always right… always there…never stray from your path…or…

The world will perish…She breathed into the autumn breeze. What is wrong with me…I thought I could control this…power.

"Weird. The stupid hollows were gone when we got there!" "Shh! Ichigo, remember?!" "Oh yeah…ma bad." The sound of footfalls distracted the puzzled three who still stood frozen in their tracks. Ichigo and Rukia slammed open the door from the roof entrance. Ichigo wore a bored expression on his mug, Rukia one of annoyance. No hollows were in sight when we got there so why did the soul pager go off? What a waste of time.

Throughout the rest of the day, Ichigo thought about the day's events. First a new girl came, a hollow got away, and now this. A whole six hollows vanished from the face of the earth. Rukia had dragged him all the way down the stairs (literally) and then they had to run all the way to the Riverside district on the other side of town only to find, that the hollows weren't there. They waited the estimated time the pager said yet five minutes later, nothing happened. And the weirdest thing of all was that when they looked around for their targets…they saw nothing but a large flock of doves swirl overhead.

He took a quick peek over at Chad two desks behind him, one row over. His gargantuan pal wasn't acting like himself…if fact no one was acting quite as usual. Ishida was so deep in thought that he even answered a question wrong much to everyone's amazement. Rukia didn't even bother doodling on her note to him, Everything revolves Sayomi somehow…, and even Orihime had stopped smiling. Now Chad, he was a total nervous wreck. No one else would know this but Ichigo could clearly see that Chad was upset to the max. The strawberry had only seen his friend since junior high in this state only once before. And that was when he thought he was going to be killed by those thugs who had chained him up in the alley.

Ichigo couldn't help but be at least slightly disturbed. If Chad was scared, then something terrible had happened while he and Rukia had gone on the call of shinigami duty. And it was all because of Sami somehow. But his friends had yet to spill the beans and it frustrated him to the core that he couldn't help them. He pounded his desk in irritation.

"Mr. Kurosaki? Is there something you wish to share with the class?" The annoyed teacher asked.

"No sir. Only something I want to ask." The youth spat out under his breath. Everyone around him grimaced.

The bell finally rang after what seemed an eternity. Chad practically ran out the door, closely flanked by his pissed off best friend. And he was pursued by hischibi best friend. "Chad! Get back here dammit!" "Ichigo! Wait!"

"CHAD! LISTEN TO ME DAMN YOU!!" The tallest teen paid no heed to the threatening tone in his shadow's voice and walked at a rapid rate that Ichigo had to jog to catch up with. And Rukia was at a mad dash to keep up with both. They clambered down the school's front steps, the other students trying desperately to stay out of their way. Suddenly, gasps and cat calls filled the air as the sound of wheels on pavement came closer. And then… a kid on a skateboard came out of nowhere! Whoever it was, was hurtling straight at the three confused friends leaping down the steps. Ichigo and Rukia blanched then veered out of the way with a yelp. Chad just stood still on the steps, bracing for impact. He could take it.

The border wore a grey sweatshirt with their hood pulled over so that shadows hid their face. They didn't look out of control or anything, they obviously wanted to go this way for a reason. Much to Chad's surprise, …the rider was wearing the girl's uniform skirt. Some boys watching her weave through whistled as her skirt flapped in the wind, revealing some leg. Still the girl kept coming, a nearby cluster of freshman girls screamed thinking of the horrible collision to come. Only…THUK! Time slowed to a trickle as the hooded girl ollied up and to the right of him…missing him by mere inches…and skidded easily onto the railing with arms outstretched for balance. She turned her head as she went flying past him on the blurred black board.

Her hand darted out and flicked him smack in the forehead. "Tag. You're it…Tora-san."

The hollow golden pools danced, her smile mischievous and playful. Was that a challenge? And then time sped up again, and she slid down the railing with her board screeching, and her skirt fluttered showing black bike shorts, and she landed easily with her blue bookbag thumping into her back, a cute tiger keychain no one had noticed earlier waving a mocking goodbye.

"Who was that?" "Dang! Whoever it is sure can grind the rail!" "Humph. She's gonna get in trouble with the principal for that." "AMAZING!" "Wow she just powned that tall guy!" "What a freak! That girl is so weird whoever she is!" There were both awed onlookers and spiteful snobs frozen with wonder.

"Grr…damn her…" Chad growled uncharacteristically. "Chad?! Where are you going now?! Arg!" "Ichigo! WOULD YOU PLEASE WAIT UP!?"

Chad took off at a sprint after the fleeting form. Inside he was confused. He was terrified of her…then he was drawn to her animal like-ness. Then he feared her inhuman prowess. Then he saw her animalish instinct peeking through. She was…annoyingly annoying and totally infuriatingly impossible to understand. And her challenge just now, made a once dormant part of him that he had buried within himself some time ago, she made it reappear. She kept way out of his reach with blazing, daring speed, weaving through pedestrians and narrowly missing benches and trash cans.

"Chad I'm gonna kill you if ya don't start explaining soon!" An enraged voice yelled from behind him, but he didn't care right now. He felt those feelings of his distant past well up within him from that one challenge in particular.

He still smelled cigar smoke. His abuelo. Yasutora don't use your hands to harm. Don't let rage consume you…Back in Mexico, when his beloved abuelo was still alive, was the time when he couldn't back down from threats and challenges. He would just beat the snot out of anyone who dared to mess with him or tease. But he had gotten over that a long time ago. He could take any blow delt him, he could tough it out and keep his thoughts in. And yet this girl finally got his goat somehow. He thought he had promised never to accept challenges as childish as this. But honestly there was no harm with the babyish 'catch me if you can slowpoke' challenge. He couldn't ignore this for some reason.

"Damn…" He muttered as he lost sight of her in a park, he paused to catch his breath. BAM! "Chad start talking fast before I-" Ichigo's kick was so powerful Chad was knocked off his feet. Which is not easy. He stared up at the boy above him, his leering face inches from his nose and his teeth grit into a furious line.

"Ichi…go…Chad. Hollow nearby…AGAIN." Rukia panted after finally catching up to the speed demons. She looked winded for once. That was when a wave of reitsu smashed into the sensories of the arguing boys. Rukia and Ichigo went shinigami and immediately sprung into action by attacking. The hollows screamed and knocked trees around in the park like the leaves waltzing on the wind.

Chad thought. Where did she go!? That Sami could be in trouble! He whipped his head about and spotted her unoccupied board near a bush. Damn. I guess it's a good thing I decided to accept her challenge.

He charged through the bushes, summoning his spiritual pressure around his fist again. Where is she?!

He found her…unconscious and slumped on the ground, blood pooling around her torso. No…

"Kekekeke!! Dance effen giant dance! I know you can see me!" Cackled a shrill voice. A large appendage crashed into him, knocking his breath out of him. One hollow had left the others who were fighting with Ichigo and Rukia to chase down a more filling meal. "Aw that's all? You're too boring!" The scorpion hollow had large pinchers and a sinister grin. Its size was enough to flatten a house. It struck the fallen youth with a pincher. "Kekekeke!!"

"Ugh!" Chad lept away with only inches to spare, he felt the wind from the impact where it hit. It retracted its blood glistening claw.

"I was hoping for something more exciting, but oh well I'll just eat you anyways!" It double struck, moving quickly and knocking trees out of its path lazily. "That girl over there shall be the dessert. She wasn't fast enough." The image of her crumpled bleeding form filled his mind. She was innocent. This didn't have to happen to the new girl. Guilt filled the boy. Here he was running after her in anger. Not sure what he was going to do when he had caught up to her. Probably just stand there and say something like 'What did you do that for?' in his usual calm tone. And now she was injured when he could have done something about it. (or something. Chad always blamed himself for things…Ichigo knew this.)

Chad had had enough. With a loud cry he released his arm's protecting form. Swirls of reitsu congregated around his right arm until it transformed. "Hyaaaaaaa!" He charged, his hair blowing out of his face and revealed eyes blazing with fire. Arm transformed, he cocked it back ready to let off an immense blast. Suddenly his arm throbbed. The sting channeled up his body and caused him to double over in pain. He had forgotten all about the injury from earlier. The hollow, however wasted no time in using this weak opportunity.

"Kekeke! Poor stupid shinigami-thingi!" It raised its poison-filled tail over its scornful face. "YA-HA!"

Chad felt a spasm of pain jet all over him, pricking his spine and paralyzing him. For once, he was stuck. His body refused to cooperate and his arm screamed with a vile throb. "Damn…c'mon." The scorpion tail struck. And missed. Chad had bit back the hurt in time to dodge. He wasn't going to let pain kill him. And he definitely was not going down without a proper fight. With all promises with his abuelo to not fight in consideration, he had to at least defend himself and the Sami girl, until someone could heal her.

Blood oozed from his wound and down his arm but he ignored it. The pain spaz-ed out again, but again he just bit his lip and let his will to live take over. "Oh so you are interesting afterall…" The hollow smirked inhumanly.

Then the hollow seemed to make itself look even larger than it already was…it pulled its appendages back and then puffed itself till the tail was arched overhead, threateningly. Its pose could only be described as arched for attack.

"I hate bugs…"(yeas I know scorpions ain't bugs sheesh) Chad mumbled. And with that, he unleashed a powerful blast from his arm as he punched. The blow was powerful enough to destroy the scorpion-hollow's front pinchers. Crimson blood spurt everywhere from the wound, the hollow just cackled.

"KEKEKEKE!! Now that's more like it! MORE! MORE!!" It just arched it tail higher above itself, not even caring that it was missing some limbs. CRACK! A loud noise made Chad look closer at his appalling opponent, all the while on the alert for the hollow to try and strike again. A few baby scorpion things jumped off the hollows back with a squeaky 'YA-HA'. That was when something crashed into him. It was so fast that he couldn't even see it as he felt his feet leave the ground beneath him, the blur smashed him into the nearest tree with jet speed unlike any he had ever felt knock him around, smacking the breath straight out of him. Was it one of the little scorpions?!

"Arg!" Chad felt as if every bone in his body was shattered. His vision was off and spotty. There was blood dripping from his parted lips. He couldn't move. If his arm was excruciating enough this was complete hell. The waves of screaming pain turned to agonizing. I…I have to move…can't see..

"YA-HA! Gotcha!" Something was pinning him down with frightening force. The squeakiness of its voice matched with the other smaller scorpions he had seen moments before the impact. One of them snuck up on me…damn.

"Good catch lil one!" The hollows voice was deeper and on the verge of insanity. It was coming closer by the sound of booming thuds near the paralyzed teens ear. "Now hold him still so I can finish him off. He got soooo boring there." SCHING! Chad didn't have to see it to know that the main scorpion hollow had arched his poison tipped tail in position. "Let's put him out of his misery, ne?" The smaller one chortled happily. As if this was something good.

Damn…I need to move… His limbs felt frozen. Something incredibly strong held him down. He summoned up something to help him in his daze. Only…no strength came. Memories came instead. No this isn't the time to be thinking about that!! I need to move. Still momentarily blinded he felt what appeared to be the baby scorpion hollow press down on him harder, one hard leg pressing into his suffering chest with a sickening crunch of flesh and another appendage dug into his arm…right where his previous wound was.

"AHHHHGG!!" Blood spurt out of Chad's parted lips as he yelled in horrible agony. He could feel the scorpions' arm dig into the wounds with accuracy. Going farther and farther in his wound feeling the blood spurt warmly, the tissue and bones clearly seen. "Good job lil one! Like it effen giant?" Chad gasped as blood gurgled in his mouth and oxygen struggled to rescue his burning senses. "My friends here are experts at finding weaknesses. And they love to pierce the flesh. Just like I'm about to do! EKKEKEKEKEK!!"

Chad panted, sweat trickling down the bridge of his nose and his feverish cheeks, his eyes still felt worthless and he squeezed him shut. I haven't…felt this much…pain…since…ARG!! The baby giggled and thrust its appendages deeper into the felled giant's wounds. Tendrils of fire seared from his chest and arm, he couldn't move and he knew that the main hollow was probably watching and enjoying his pain before he decided to strike. The burning gripped his lungs and heart, he wheezed and more blood pooled in his mouth. Sticky and warm and thick. This pain…I…I can't fight it. He squeezed his eyes tighter, memories bubbling up in his oozing mind like the blood in his throat.

The delicious aroma of Mama's (pronounced muh-mah couldn't add the acento) cooking wafted to his nose like ants to a picnic. His five-year old stomach growled loudly as he journeyed into the kitchen. "Yasutora mi amor." Her voice was as gentle and swaying as a crystalline bell. She had her apron on and was stirring some dinner with her right hand, but she stopped what she was doing just to smile at him. He beamed at her happily and showed her the kitten he had found by the shed in the yard. It was all alone and cold and mewling for its mother.

He raised it up to show her as she wiped her hands on her apron to give him her full attention. "Mama! Un gatito! Un gatito!" She smiled and ruffled his shaggy hair fondly. "Si, si Yasutora. Un gatito! He looks hungry ne? I shall fetch him some leche, si?" And she stroked the mewling soul in his hands before grabbing some milk out of the fridge and a bowl from the cupboard. He loved it when she smiled at him. Like he was the most important thing on the earth. Like he was so special. She didn't make fun of his differences like the kids in his class. She instead loved them so much. He always felt such happiness just being near his mother. Such warmth.

And it was then as she set the kitten down on the table to let it lap milk up with its sandpaper tongue, it was then when the kitten purred happily, unsheathing and retracting its claws so innocently into the tabletop, it was then at that moment that everything went horribly wrong.

The knock on the front door startled him and he-

"Oi. Oi! Tora-san!" Something was poking him in the arm, near his wound from earlier. Fearing the scorpion's pain again he lashed out in sudden speed. "Yaah!" A cry of pain followed, announcing a very human presence. His eyes fluttered open, finally able to see ever since the scorpion hollow slammed him against the tree. "Owie!" He sat up quickly to find himself face to face with the new girl. Her hand was clutching her nose and blood was trickling down her chin, eyes squeezed in pain.

Chad blinked confused, looking around for the hollows that were not there. "Eh. Sorry." Suddenly, her brown eyes flew open and a brazen fury was unleashed. "What the hell was that for!?" Her face flushed as she growled her words…and smacked the giant and very much confused youth straight in the nose. And with that Chad winced in pain as she spun around and mumbled in Spanish. "Grr…he made me cuss and made me punch him and he punched me and all he says is sorry! Grr…damn he has a hard nose…" She shook her hand in pain. Chad sat up, finally taking in his surroundings. This was Mr. Urahara's shop. He shoved the covers off of his body and tried to stand.

"Just what do you think you are doing? Moving around?" A foot flew out and tripped him in his unsteady attempt of standing. "You shouldn't move around so much when you're injured."

"Gahh!!" So David felled the giant. And he landed face first. He pushed himself slowly on his knees and hands looking past his bangs at the smirking girl. Wow! She's stronger than she looks.

She flipped her hair and her smile was replaced with a guilty look, she looked down at the wood floor. "I'm sorry…"

Chad complied by just sitting cross legged as she was kneeling. "Me too." He said softly. "Are you hurt? It was a reaction." He was talking about the punch earlier. She didn't reply. "I don't…hit girls."

Her eyes glanced up through her lids, meeting his dark eyes with a unseen genuine softness. "I know. It was an accident. I understand. I'm fine. Besides…" Her face tinged slightly. "I wasn't talking about that."

Chad blinked in surprise. What was she talking about then? And why was he even at the shop anyways? And where was the hollow? He must have passed out. Ichigo must have found them and saved them.

"Um you do have a strong right hook. But I'm okay."

She sweatdropped. "No no I don't care about that! You obviously have a freakishly strong face. I was…talking about earlier. At lunch. And just awhile ago when I…behaved childishly…" She blushed, the color rising to her cheeks only adding to the beauty. "I swear that…I'm not…scary like that…childish sometimes yes but…I…I'm-"

"I know. I can see that you are struggling with something." Chad didn't know how to take her remark about a 'strong' face but he tried to understand what she was trying to say. "I've been acting childish as well. And…" He felt the familiar loss of words that happened when he let too much out in a conversation.

He looked away awkwardly and once again turned his attention to the new settings. Where was the hollow? How was it defeated? He remember the image of Sami lying on her side, blood pooled…

"Hey!" He suddenly looked alarmed at his strange companion. "Where are your wounds from earlier?"

Sami unconsciously let a hand touch the spot where she was injured, but kept her expression cool. "And where are yours? They looked pretty bad."

Thrown off by her knowledge of something she hadn't seen, Chad whipped his head down to stare at the areas that had burned so fiercely. All neatly bandaged. How hadn't he noticed before?? "Sami-chan how do you know that? And how can you see this place?" But she was collapsed on her makeshift bed.

"Sami-chan! Are you-?" Chad stared alarmed at her limp motionless form, but was cut off by the door to the room sliding open.

"Aw it seems our guests are awake! Ururu please fetch some tea for the- oh. Only you are awake Chad? I thought I heard two voices. Never mind Ururu, make just one cup of tea please!" The green-hatted man called into the hallway. A small voice piped a reply and then the clatter of pottery could be heard in the kitchenette. Urahara walked up to the puzzled teen who was still shooting worried looks at the new girl.

"Don't worry about the girl Chad. Her chain wasn't severed by the hollow and her wounds weren't that deep. She'll recover with no recollection of the incident." Chad sweatdropped. Oh he knew just how alive and kicking she was…literally. But she seemed to understand and remember everything so how…?

"Chad?" A familiar voice called from the doorway. Brilliant orange hair seemed to light up the room. Ichigo came in and stared fiercely at his friend. "How's it goin'?"

Chad nodded in reply, to say yes, he was fine and you? Rukia came in with Ururu balancing the tray. "We're okay. The hollows we fought were small fry. But we couldn't find you and we…um kinda got lost." He shot a dirty look at Rukia who in turn glared. Chad just let them continue. "But Chad…what exactly happened? I mean…as soon as we found you, you were unconscious, slightly bleeding, and covered in scorpions." He smirked. "You fall in a scorpion nest or something?"

The words echoed strangely in Chad's head. He no longer listened to his friend as he continued. But…how…was that possible? I was bleeding pretty bad back there. And why the hell where there scorpions on him??

"And that new girl…eh…what's her name? Sawyer? No. Angela? No. Himeno? No! Damn what the hell was her name?!" Rukia snorted in amusement as he glared at her. "The girl you were chasing after for NO apparent reason?" The tone was frustrated but laced with curiosity and concern. Also…Ichigo sucked at remembering names and faces.

"Sami-chan." Chad stated as he looked over at her still form again. He took the offered tea from Uruyu.

"Yeah! She was injured as well but for some reason she wasn't covered in scorpions even though she was lying right next to you when we found you."

Chad's eyes widened. It was impossible! She was lying by a tree when he-? The tea in his large hands shook slightly. Urahara watched as he sipped his own tea, observing this with hidden interest.

"Well whatever…as long as you two are okay then. Now…" Ichigo's face grew more irritated, brows narrowing. "Why the hell did you just run off like that in the first place huh?!"

And to the assembled group's amazement for the second time today…Chad did something rare. He blushed and looked down at the floorboards. "EHH!?" Ichigo asked shocked. Rukia's eyes widened in the new sight. Urahara grinned behind his fan.

"I…dunno." Chad answered, still not looking up. "I was…being…stupid."

Ichigo shook his head and frowned. "And what the heck does that mean?!"

Chad scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment of his actions past. "Uh…"

"YES??"

"I got…mad." His face still flushed in shame.

"…?" Well Ichigo sure wasn't expecting that as an answer from his friend. "Mad?"

"Hrn." Chad went into shutdown mode which Ichigo knew meant…'I don't wanna talk about it'.

"Sigh…" Ichigo mumbled in defeat and scratched his head in thought. "Wel-"

"Ichigo!" BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP! No words were exchanged as the smaller shinigami looked meaningfully at her friend. More work today. Ichigo cursed and jumped to his feet, he shot Urahara a greatful glance for helping out once again in healing Chad and the …other…girl. As he turned to leave, he gave the 'careful' glance to Chad before waving off.

"Damn why are there so many today?!"

"Stop complaining will you?!"

The familiar banter faded into the outside world. Chad could still feel the intensity of Sami's gaze on him…he could feel the light and dark seeping through them. He could still feel the softness as she had spoken only a few moments ago. Why was she hiding so much?

"She slept through all that huh?" The manager looked thoughtfully at Sami from behind his fan. He looked back in Chad's direction. "Looks like she needs to be taken home before she wakes… Ururu! Tessei! Get the delivery vessel ready for tra-"

"I'll go." His voice was composed and deep. "I'll take her."

The blonde manager raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" For some reason his question felt like it had a double meaning hiding in it.

Chad nodded in complete seriousness. He felt as if this one decision was important in more than one way…and extremely foreboding. But nevertheless…"Yes."

Urahara clapped his fan shut. "Very well. Take care Mr. Sado. And be careful. It's a rough road."

Chad paused stiff as he scooped the sleeping girl into his large arms. She was so terribly light. What does that farewell mean exactly?

She shifted in her slumber, murmuring and slumping her head against his vast chest. Her form was so slight and frail and warm. He peered down at his new charge. Her closed lids and relaxed expression made her look all the more peaceful and innocent. Her lashes were so long and her hair draped gently against her pale face. Was this all a lie? He wondered.

And then he slipped out of the secret store and into the dusk, his footfalls sloshing though puddles as he ran into shadow. Had it rained while I was knocked out?

He turned the corner and realized…he had no clue where he was supposed to be running to.

"Tora-san. You can stop running now." Her voice mumbled softly from his enveloping arms. He obeyed.

"You awake? Are you…?"

"Yeah. Can you set me down?" She asked shyly. He obeyed. "Thank you Tora-san."

Chad still felt a double meaning. "Um new girl?"

She stared straight into his dark eyes. "Yeah?"

"You can call me Chad."

She smiled. "Nah. I like Tora better."

He blinked. "Why?"

She pouted. "Porque tigres es mi animale favorito. Duh."

"Hm."

She started to walk away as the streetlights sparkled to life. "Call me Sami. Not new girl."

"Sami." It felt strange to say, but not too strange. "What exactly is happening? Who are you?" Chad called after her as she walked farther into the distance.

She turned back around to face him and placed a finger to her grinning lips. "Himegato!"

"Hm." He was defeated and still as confused as he was in the beginning.

"See you around Tora. And thanks again."

But the picturesque farewells did not go any smoother after that. She cried out in pain. Urahara stroked his fuzzy friends head, murmuring 'Things are only going to get worse from here on out Yourichi'. And somewhere Ichigo and Rukia hacked at never ending hollows. Uryu stared at the sewing in his hands distractedly, something was off in the stitching. Orihime glanced out the window, feeling a chill run down her spine and pulling her blanket tighter around her. Tatsuki mumbled in her sleep. Keigo set down his Playboy magazine. And Chad felt fear.

A/N: REVIEW NOW!! OR I'LL CRY!! This stupid fanfic took forever to finish due to the rude interruptions of some vile thing called school. My Eyesh chapter is on hold as well. Chad is in for some heck now. Is there romance in this story?? KEKEKEK you silly goose…No comment. And dang I'm hungry for some BBQ chips.

Sam: So I know for sure that Ichigo reviewed.

Ichigo: HEH!?

Kon: WHEN DO I APPEAR??

Sam: Yeass well about that….

Kon: WAHH!!

Chad: (its that cute stuffed animal…)

Sami: ? Is that a talking-?

Chad: Yeah.

Sami: It's kinda…cute.

Chad: Yeah.

Sami: I want it.

Chad: Yeah.

Kon: Oh crap.

Ichigo: …are they chasing Kon??

Rukia: Did you review?

Ichigo: Yeah said it sucked.

Rukia: 00 soo you reviewed?

Sam: YEAHHHHH! I KNEW ITTT KEKEKEKKEKEK!!

Ichigo: Oh crap…

Sam: Are they hiding?