I'll Always Protect You

A/N: I'm tired….my bones hurt…..and I'm really hoping you guys don't hate this chapter, I just have this gut feeling it's going downhill and I should just discontinue it. Blah, whatever I'll think about. Please forgive any missed grammar or spelling.

Chapter Seven

Hiyori did as Urahara asked and sent the other Vizards home with a growl. She watched as Shinji left with Rose, holding onto his pants leg and looking back at her with hurt, scared eyes. She hadn't wanted to send him away with the others, but she really hadn't had a choice, Urahara had told her he couldn't hear what they were going to talk about. So Hiyori sent him away with only a soft pat on his head. When they were long gone Hiyori made her way back into the room Urahara was waiting in, sitting with 'plop!' and staring at him dangerously. She tried to keep the twisting and turning of her stomach in check, but failed miserably as Urahara looked at her with serious eyes.

"So, what do you want?" She drawled, acting cool outside.

Urahara stayed quiet for a while, but eventually spoke.

"You said his burns were spreading, how long have they been doing this?" He asked, his soft voice easily heard in the quiet room.

"It had to have been last night; I mean one minute they were fine the next he looks like freakin firewood." Hiyori said, fighting back a cringe at the memory of Shinji's back.

Urahara thought for another moment.

"Had he been exposed to fire while with you and the others?" He asked, scratching his chin.

Hiyori cocked a brow. "Ya, we blow it out our asses all the time. He's been around louds." She said, resting her chin in her propped up hand.

"Hiyori-san, please take this seriously." Urahara said, his face stern.

Hiyori drew back a little, never really having seen Urahara look so…so…not himself. No soft smile or lazily grin split his lips, no odd or offensive comments, no smart remarks. She was instantly unsettled.

"No!" She barked. "No he hasn't been exposed to any fire since when got em'."

Urahara ignored her attitude and thought, his brain running over every scenario, every detail, every everything.

Hiyori waited for a few moments, watching as Urahara brows furrowed, as he scratched his head or shifted his long, thin legs. She waited, and waited. But finally she snapped.

"Urahara what on earth is this all about, you're startin to piss me off." She hissed.

"Shinji, even as an adult, is terrified of fire." Urahara said softly. "He always has been."

Hiyori stalled, the thought sinking in slowly. Shinji was afraid of fire, he always has been. Hiyori cocked her head to the side, looking very much like a small and very confused puppy.

"No he isn't, I've been with Shinji around all kinds of fire. He's even attacked with it before." She said, suddenly very calm.

Urahara shook his head. "Most would never be able to tell, I never took notice until one night I drop a candle on him. It blew out before it even hit him, but he still went off the walls." Urahara said, his face turning grim.

Hiyori's brows shot up. "What?"

"Mmm, he can hyperventilate like no other." Urahara said.

If the moment had been different, Hiyori would have laughed and called Shinji a girl, but seeing as it wasn't she just looked on dumbfounded. She also felt a little hurt, for in the back, very,very,very back of her mind she wondered why Shinji had never told her. Why he had never decided to confide in a dear friend. She also wondered how on earth he could have hidden his fear of it so well. Hiyori was ripped from her thoughts when Urahara repositioned his legs again.

"We'll," She said. "Is that what you wanted to tell me? How on earth does that have anything to do with the situation?"

Urahara took a breath. "Hiyori, it wasn't the head wound that caused Shinji's transformation." He said, looking at her from under shadowed eyes.

Hiyori felt like she could explode. "Hun?"

"It was the burns, they caused all of this. And now I'm very worried by the fact that they are spreading." Urahara said, watching Hiyori closely.

"How on earth do you know that?" Hiyori said, her voice confused and aggravated.

"Because Hiyori, Shinji's existence consists of fire, with fire, because of fire." Urahara said, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

Hiyori felt her head starting to hurt, none of this made any sense! Was Kisuke drunk or something, did he just wake up, or was Hiyori having another dream? She honestly felt like ripping her hair out and killing Urahara with it. All she wanted was for everything to make sense! Her world was turning upside down and Urahara wasn't helping at ALL.

"Kisuke shut up!" She snarled. "Have you lost it? How on earth would getting his back toasted have anything to do with Shinji's problems right now!" She barked.

Urahara watched her calmly, he'd expected this reaction, Hiyori always got violent when she didn't understand, epically when it came to the people she cared about.

"Hiyori, calm down." Urahara said, his voice now fatherly.

It was odd.

Hiyori calmed never the less.

"Urahara, you've lost your marbles. Shinji's head was cracked open. That's why he can't remember anything, why he's a twerp, why everything is happening with him now." She said, her voice rough. "Fire has nothing to do with this. You're…you're just putting together pieces of a puzzle that don't fit." She said, rubbing her temples.

She had a headache. She hated headaches.

"Hiyori-san, listen to me. How does a head injury, that has almost completely healed, make his burns intensify?" Urahara asked.

"I don't know, how on earth do burns cause all of this to happen and how do they spread all on their own?" She argued. "You just came up with this insane idea and you're-"

Hiyori paused in mid-sentence, her mind actually working with her for once. Her mind popped up the picture of Urahara's reaction when everyone found out Shinji had also been burned. She remembered how he had gone horribly pale and had fallen victim to a long forgotten memory. Hiyori turned wide eyes to Urahara, her breath suddenly short and fast. Urahara looked down at her, his eyes unreadable.

"You've…" She whispered. "You've known all along how it happened. You've known from the very beginning."

Urahara nodded.

Hiyori blew up. "Why didn't you tell me!" She snarled.

Urahara watched her lazily. "Because it would endanger Shinji more."

"What?" She spit. "You're saying I'd endanger Shinji, put his life on the line!"

"No," Kisuke shook his head softly. "You would try far too hard to protect him."

Hiyori stalled. "What?" She asked softly.

Urahara smiled softly, his eyes becoming unbearably kind.

"You are so helplessly devoted to Shinji, that you'd protect him too much." He said, a small laugh painting the end.

Hiyori was about to kick him when they both felt the air around them turn to stone. Hiyori looked to Urahara with terror, Urahara look at her sternly. They both knew what was happening, the Espada had returned.

Hiyori's breath caught. "Shinji!" She yelled, dashing out of Kisuke's shop, Urahara running after her.

'Shinji, Shinji! Their closet to you! Shinji!' Hiyori's mind screamed loudly, making her headache worse.

A/N: Ooooo sorry for the short chapter, but it had to be cut off here or not the next chapter would be ruined. Sorry, once again please forgive any missed grammar or spelling. But I hope you guys liked this and if you didn't….. !-! I'm sorry I let you down. : (