I do not own any characters from bleach

"I know, I updated so fast and I decided to change it up a bit, I hope you like :P"

~KatPhine

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Chapter 10

Yuzu's POV

During the two years after the war

It was the winter that Ichigo had defeated Aizen, saving both Soul Society and the human world from being destroyed, but at the cost of my brother losing his powers and ability to see and communicate with Soul Society. The first month since the war against Aizen was done, I could tell that he was upset that he couldn't be apart of that world, but after a week into that month I could see he was trying to pull himself out of his depression and start to look positive because he was still able to hang out with friends who would be there for him.

I guess I was wrong about him starting to be happy again. I started to notice that his friends would become silent around him and were being careful about not bringing up anything about Soul Society, even I could see he was dropping hints that it was alright to talk about it in front of him, that he would've liked to know about his friends in Soul Society.

By the end of the month he gave up on trying to get anything out of his group of friends about Soul Society, but I never knew that he cut off on being friends with them, and I figured since no one from Soul Society showed up to visit him that he decided to cut ties with them as well. It was only a few months after that I noticed that he was secluding himself in his room, only to come out for school and dinner, I saw that our father and Karin were trying to be there for him and supporting them as best as they could. But, even after time things started to decline, our father had to work overtime at the hospital and when he had time to spare he hung-out at Urahara's candy store and Karin started to go there too but I never knew why she did and she wouldn't tell me either.

It felt like time decided to go slow for Ichigo from what I saw. I felt that as his younger sister, that I needed to be there for him at every possibility to help him at least be happy about something, even if it was me that cheered him up the most. Since most days that our father and Karin were too busy to be home I always used my time to be with Ichigo, doing our homework together and I was happy that he was using his time trying to pass his classes with flying colors, I also liked talking to him about my day and I also enjoyed that he was open to me about how things were going at school, he wasn't afraid to tell me his feelings about how alone he felt. There was those rare times that I was always been able to make him laugh and smile like nothing was going bad in his world and to make him feel that he wasn't alone no matter what. I saw that he was starting to at least forget about how things went downhill for him and kept himself occupied with finding a job online for helping designing webpages.

The only time he had wanted to be alone was the date our mother died, he never wanted to be around anyone and no one could get him to respond to anything. Through the first year since the war, I never knew that was going to be the worse day for him, I guess the feelings of what happened during losing his powers and support of his friends and family all bundled up together had made him just so depressed on the day our mother died that he refused anyone from walking with him and he was the last to leave mothers gravestone. Our father and Karin never saw anything on Ichigo's face but his normal scowling, but I could see behind it, he was hurting but he could not show that he was so he kept whatever feelings he had inside. I knew things weren't going to return to the way things were anymore, things had just gone to far down for him to actually be happy all the time, and it hurt me because I was the only one seeing this and I had tried my best to hold him up, to tell him things will get better, he just has to keep going.

Through the two years after the war, things had settled down into rhythm, father went to work and sometimes hung out with Urahara and Karin had soccer practice as well as being at the candy shop too. Ichigo studied all the time, being almost top of the class since Ishida was on top of the list, he also used his time for his online job and saving up his money. Ichigo and I also used most of our time walking around, mostly around the park on the water channel he likes to walk by sometimes, we always enjoyed and treasured our time together. It did make me sad that he no longer tried to hang out or speak with his friends but I could see it would just bring up more pain for him and at least he never ignored our father or Karin like he does with everyone else, but even then he never really spoke with them about anything that was really going on with him, he just hid everything from those two.

I was excited when the day came for Ichigo's graduation, I felt so proud of him, he made it second on the top student list. I could tell that he was happy to be graduating and I was happy too because from what I saw, he was truly happy that he accomplished something even though the last two year might have felt like hell to him. throughout the whole day before the ceremony we took a walk through the park and I told him how proud I was of him, even though it was a sore spot for him, that mother would be so proud of him as well. By the time the ceremony was to commence, I confess, I was nervous because I didn't want Ichigo to frown at all since he was happy and sometimes even smiling. When they said his name for him to receive his diploma, I was surprised by the claps that most of the teachers and few other people including us, and I was glad that the teachers were cheering him on the most.

After the ceremony was over we rushed up to congratulate him on his success and took a few pictures with him in his cap and gown, but he told us he would head home and that it was alright if we wanted to congratulated anyone else. I never knew that that was going to be the last time I actually see him because by the time we got home the house was dark, no lights were on at all and I thought he had gone to bed early, but when I enter his room to check on him he wasn't in his room and all I saw was a note left on the end of his bed. Turning on the lights and rushing to pick up the note and read it and I couldn't help but feel like the whole world had stopped and everything felt as it was put on pause when I read his note. I kept on reading the letter over and over again hoping that he would just walk into his room and tell me this was a joke, I should know better then that, when Ichigo sets something that he's determined to go through with he never backs out. So I knew it wasn't a joke and for the first time, I got angry, not at him but at everyone else who abandoned him at his time of need and I couldn't stop myself from crying out in angry. I don't even remember walking down the stairs to show our father and Karin the note, to show them how Ichigo felt for these last twos years, that he couldn't even confront anyone on how he truly felt. I felt angry at them and his old friends but I was also angry with him for at least not telling me that he was planning on leaving me and I read the note he left under my pillow that he gave me his number to contact him whenever.

I just hope where ever he goes, that he can begin to at least heal and start to be happy again.

Present Day

I had just gotten off the Skype call from my brother, I am happy that he decided to keep in touch with me, and to tell the truth I worry about him everyday, especially since he apparently drank vodka last night but I could see his reasoning behind it because he finally decided to tel Elaine why he left home. But that was all in the past and I can only live in the present and hope that eventually everything would be alright.

Sighing I got up from the chair and headed downstairs to tell Karin that I was going out for a walk. It helped me clear my head as well as helping me think on what happened two years ago, the two years that Ichigo was gone had helped me see how everyone felt when they found out he left and with words that were meant to let them see the blunt truth of what he felt, no matter if it hurt anyone.

"I sure hope he considers on coming here to at least visit mother's grave this year." I said to myself quietly. Every now and then I see some of Ichigo's friends walk by or they come and visit us, I think they expect him to get a hold of us, but I know that it wouldn't be anytime soon that he would think of contacting anyone else but me. Karin suspects that I communicate with him but she has never been around to confirm her suspicions, I have to admit, she has come close to discovering me talking to Ichigo on the phone sometimes but I always disguised it as someone that I go to class with at nursing school that I take during the summer. I remember the reactions from them when they read his note, I have never seen our dad so disappointed with himself for not seeing what was going on right in front of him because it showed to Ichigo that his own father didn't care about how he truly felt, Karin on the other hand was angry at first but I knew that when she was hurt she showed it through her anger but after awhile she regretted not being there for him. I never knew why they never asked him if he was okay, even I asked after a few days on why they never supported him like they should have, but they never explained there reasoning so I left them to themselves and never told how Ichigo felt for the years that he was alone.

Instead of dwelling in the past I decided to head home since I had no class or hours at the clinic. "I guess I should head home, clean up and start to prepare for dinner tonight" saying to myself.

The day seemed to go by really fast for me and before I knew it it was the next day. I never planned my day starting by getting a call by a number I don't recognize but thinking that it could be involved with Ichigo I answered the phone. The person on the phone introduce herself as Elaine and that she was Ichigo's boss and had asked to know more about Ichigo, I gave her what I felt would satisfy her and not give away too much, I also told her how I hoped he would visit to see our mom's grave but I knew not to hope so much right now. We talked for a few more hours and she told me she would keep in touch with me and that she had some important things to deal with so we said goodbye.

Wishing to myself that maybe Ichigo will come to visit, but I never knew that he would actually come when I spotted him a few days after Elaine had called.