Hello!

Well, I've been away from Internet the last two weeks; thus I haven't been able to update! So, I'm sorry for that. However, I will have this nice, long chapter and another one SOON to update you with, so hopefully that may make up for it…for now.

A few notes:

1. A WARNING for younger viewers, this chapter contains Alcohol references and usage. So you younger readers, you have been warned!

2. I'm sorry this chapter is so long! I wanted it to fit in one, but now I know it'll be a two-chapter event…which is okay by me, if it's okay by you! This one has a LOT going on in it!

3. There's been a request by a reader for Kenpachi to come to the real world and meet Nel along with Yachiru…I'm trying my hardest to find a way to wiggle it in…what do you all think? Would an upcoming chapter featuring Kenpachi and Yachiru be something you'd want to see? This chapter and the next is going to feature some familiar Karakura Town minor characters, plus Yuzu and Isshin, as requested from readers, so hopefully you like it!

I don't own Bleach, but I'd like to meet Tite Kubo, and make him a smore and roast hot dogs on an open fire. Yummy…

Enjoy the story! And THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND READING!!!

I hope you like this chapter! It was the hardest chapter for me to write yet.

Sincerely,

Romania Black

Chapter Ten

If there's Heaven on Earth, there's bound to be Hell.

Toshiro's head bounced back with a snap from the impact of the purple and pink paper piñata, small bits of its fragile skin peeling and landing in the captain's white hair. The captain reeled and swayed in his step, before leaning his head forward, a few inches from Karin's face, panting quietly. Her head felt unusually warm, especially now that it was within such a range from Toshiro's head that she could hear the hiss of his breath near her.

"What in the world," Toshiro haughtily gestured to the floral-colored paper donkey in his arms, "Is this? And why is it so heavy?" He turned it over in his hands, a confused look crossing his face.

Before Karin could answer, a figure flailed its arms to the door, her yellow daisy-colored sundress bouncing in the summer breeze.

"Karin! You made it! I was starting to worry," Yuzu bounded past the open door into her sister's arms, then recoiled instantly. "Oh! You're covered in dust, Karin. What happened to you?"

The dark haired twin scratched the back of her head hesitantly, "Um--"

"She was battling me!" Jinta rushed forward, practically shoving Karin into the still-confused Toshiro, and grabbing Yuzu by the hand.

"Oh?" Yuzu tilted her head gently to the side, her soft hazel eyes glancing uncertain at Jinta. It was a gesture the red-haired boy was used to seeing her display, and one that made his heart secretly burn inside with the fiery desire of any young adolescent boy. Of course, he would never in a million years tell anyone of this passion.

"Yeah!" Jinta grabbed her hand and led her into the brightly-lit clinic, glancing back only to give Karin a you-owe-me glare. He turned back to Yuzu, who looked bewildered. "How's about we go inside and you show me around?" Jinta smiled mischievously at Yuzu. "I've never been in your house before…" his voice trailed off slyly.

Karin was about to protest this in an instant. Karin had always known Jinta liked Yuzu, but she wasn't about to let him run off with her twin sister. Her innocent, untainted-by-naughty-violent-twisted-boys twin sister at that.

Karin opened her mouth to protest against this, when Renji caught her by the arm and swung her back; Toshiro turning towards the two of them as Yuzu shyly nudged Jinta past her inside.

"What are you doing?" Renji scanned Karin's face with an anxious happiness in his eyes, "The brat left us! You don't want to bring him back do you?"

Karin's eyes narrowed, "That's my sister, you moron! I don't want him with her either!"

"Your sister?" Toshiro's teal eyes widened, "Ichigo Kurosaki has two sisters?"

"It's okay," Ururu quietly slid past the three of them, "I'll check on Jinta." She slipped wordlessly into the room of the Clinic. Karin could not have been more grateful in that instance for Ururu being with them. She turned back to Toshiro, still looking disheveled from this new revelation.

"Well, yeah," Karin sighed, expecting someone to ask this sooner or later, "Yuzu and I are twins."

"What?" Renji eyed Karin with disbelief. "She's your twin sister?"

Toshiro bore a similar incredulous stare, "How many of you Kurosaki's are there?" His hands were gripped so tightly on the piñata, that it crinkled from the stress, and Karin was sure it would break soon in his palms.

"Just us," Karin smiled nonchalantly. "Well, us and—"

"KARIN!" The door was flung open wide now, and bounding out of it was Isshin, dressed in a most unusual pink and red heart-floral kimono, with a black sash. Renji jumped back in fright, into Rukia, whose arms were crossed and looking bored, almost as if she'd expected the attack. Toshiro, on the other hand, was so thrown off-guard that he couldn't dodge the splash of sake slopping on his face from the container resting in Isshin's hand. Karin glared at her father.

"Goat beard," She groaned miserably, as Toshiro spit the foul-tasting sake out of his mouth with a cough, dropping the piñata to the ground.

"Where've you been, Karin? We waited as long as we could—" Isshin suddenly paused and saw Renji, Toshiro, and Rukia. "RUKIA!" Isshin rushed past the two men and gave the female Soul Reaper a huge hug, lifting her in the air as he did. Rukia, perhaps surprised, perhaps not, gasped in the embrace, but made no attempt to break free. Isshin set her on the ground, "Oh Rukia!" He choked back over-dramatic tears; "My daughter's come home again!"

"WHAT?" Renji was flabbergasted; his eyes wide and shocked.

Toshiro stared in awe at Karin, "Don't tell us Rukia's a Kurosaki as well!"

"No, no," Karin gave her father an icy stare, "He just calls her that. She's not really related to us at all…"

"My daughter's," Isshin sobbed onto Rukia's shoulder, who simply patted him awkwardly on the back, her eyes searching for Karin, "C-c—come home again!"

"Goat beard," Karin grabbed him by the collar of his kimono and drug him backwards, "Leave. Rukia. Alone." With each word she said, she tugged at his kimono. Finally, Isshin let go of Rukia and crouched over beside Karin, who looked as if she'd slap him at any given moment. Isshin glanced around at Toshiro and Renji, his face lighting up with new energy, something that worried Karin beyond reason.

"Who are you?" Isshin smiled, waving enthusiastically to the two men.

"The tall one's Renji," Karin hissed, her eyes turned away from Isshin, who bore the expression of a curious five-year-old, as Karin grit her teeth, "And the shorter one that you spilled sake on is Toshiro."

Toshiro glanced, irritated, up from trying to wipe sake off his shirt, "That's Captain Hitsugay—"

"Renji!" The five outside turned to the doorway to see Keigo, one of Ichigo's classmates in the doorway, wearing a white polo and khakis, his brown hair slightly grown out from his absence of high school. Renji sighed, another human, another familiar face, another annoyance.

"Asano," Renji nodded. He didn't have much to say to the boy.

Tatsuki and Uryu poked their heads outside the door, Tatsuki in her normal white T-shirt and cargo shorts, the latter in black slacks and a yellow short-sleeved shirt. Uryu shoved his glasses up onto his nose further as he studied the group. Rukia smiled serenely,

"Uryu! It's been a while." Her voice wasn't loud, but oddly it carried over the noise of the people gathered around. The dark haired man casually shrugged,

"It has. What brings you to the Real World?" he walked past Renji, who was being drug, much to his dismay, by Keigo into the Clinic, Tatsuki following with a smug look on her face behind them.

As Karin watched the trio leave them curiously, she noticed something that made her flesh freeze. Toshiro and Karin were suddenly alone with Isshin, as Rukia was conversing with Uryu. Karin glanced at Toshiro for the first time with a new feeling rising in the pit of her stomach: nervousness.

Isshin, apparently oblivious to the awkward tension, glanced at the two and then broke into his signature larger than life grin. "So, Toshiro, did Karin invite you to the party?"

The small Captain gave the smiling man a sharp glare, then lowered his gaze, "Yes, Karin asked us to join her here," he replied professionally.

Isshin took another swig of sake and against Karin's innermost wishes and prayers, laid a hand on Toshiro's shoulder in a very parental fashion. Karin pleaded in her mind for him to simply leave the gesture at that. Her father apparently wasn't a mind reader either.

Isshin let out an over-dramatic sob as he rested his head against Toshiro's shoulder, the sake bottle dripping onto the arm of the quite speechless Toshiro. "My daughter's growing up so fast," Karin's face turned pink, "getting a date to her brother's going away party!" Isshin glanced up, his face in a huge grin, "That's my gir—"

"ARRRGH!" Karin screamed and grabbed her father by the collar of his pink kimono, flinging him into the house in rage, "GO PASS OUT IN THE ABYSS OF YOUR LAME LIFE!" She yelled, ignoring Isshin's faint rebuttal.

"Did he say 'date'?" Toshiro stared with a blank expression, seemingly quite surprised by this notion. Karin sighed, her cheeks stained with red. At least he's not mad, she thought. Then, as the two walked into the clinic, avoiding her father lying on the floor, she wondered with a sudden rush of confusion why he wasn't.

"Uryu," Rukia had conversed with him a few minutes longer before they joined everyone indoors, the summer sun starting to set on the Western edge of town, turning the sky purple and red, "Where's Orihime? I suspected she'd be here…" Her words trailed off, as she waited for his reply. Uryu's expression seemed indifferent, but Rukia could tell he was offset by her question.

"I called her earlier, but she said she wasn't going to be able to make it." Uryu answered abruptly as he sipped on the pink punch he'd picked up beside the snack table.

"Oh," Rukia decided not to venture further into the topic. She had guessed that Uryu desired to be more than friends with Orihime, but apparently she hadn't shared that same feeling. She reckoned he must have been crushed by that rejection. "There's," She looked around trying to find something else to stir up conversation, "not a lot of people here I know." She sighed with a small smile.

Uryu seemed happy at her changing the subject, because he laughed lightly, "Heh, same here, I don't know anyone except your group and the twins…well, and our classmates, but only a handful of them."

"Speaking of which," Rukia looked around again, her brow furrowing. I can sense them nearby but… "Where is Renji and Captain Hitsugaya?"

"What is that?" Renji was far from Rukia's sight, or rather just outside of it, in the kitchen. Keigo and Tatsuki were giving him a tour of the house, but Keigo had abandoned the two in the kitchen after he'd spotted a tall blonde classmate with a fairly large chest walk by them.

Tatsuki took a sip from the silver container, "Whiskey." She replied with a small rough cough, wiping her mouth with her fist. "Keigo's sister went to study abroad in Ireland her first semester of college last year and brought it back."

Renji didn't know what the Hell this 'college' was or where 'Ireland' was located, but the smell from the small silver flask was intriguing. "Is it liquor?"

"Yeah, it's good liquor too," Tatsuki smiled smugly, "Imported. Do you drink?"

"Occasionally," Renji lied. Despite his rough exterior and 'bad boy' appearance, he was surprisingly a light weight, or at least 'light weight' was what Shunsui called him once, after Byakuya and Shunsui took him out for a celebratory drink when he became Vice Captain of the Sixth Division.

Tatsuki was obviously not impressed by his answer; rather she took it as the start of a challenge. "Oh? That's a shame. Whiskey's a tough drink," She lowered the flask in a nonchalant fashion to her hip, "Not many people are man enough to drink it."

The bait was set and Renji was hooked like a fish, "Really?" His face broke into a devilish grin, "Is that right?"

Tatsuki smiled, seeing the challenge forming, "I'm just saying you probably couldn't handle one drink of this stuff," her eyes narrowed mischievously, "much less out drink someone like me," She sipped the flask slowly. Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow,

"Ha!" He laughed from his gut, "We'll see about that." He motioned towards the kitchen table, "Sit down there. I'll grab some cups and we'll see who can handle this 'imported' drink the best!"

Tatsuki gripped the chair and slid herself into it; "You're on."

While Renji wasn't quite slipping from purgatory into Hell, Toshiro felt like he was. There were several people here he had never seen before. The ones he had, he wasn't interested in talking to, but they seemed to want to converse endlessly with him. All of Karin's friends, whom he had helped win a soccer game with once while on mission here, wanted to know where he'd been. It was hard enough for him to make excuses, but to make matters worse, he was constantly asked if he was Karin's 'special friend' or 'Karin's date,' a title he was not interested in bearing in the slightest, and also made him feel slightly nervous and uneasy.

Of course, Karin wasn't near him long enough for the rumor of them 'dating' to spread. No, instead of helping him escape questioning, Karin was scanning the rooms for Ururu, Jinta, and Yuzu, whom she had a sneaky suspicion were up to no good. Karin peeked around the edge of the door into the bathroom to find no one in there. She sighed in slight frustration. Where are they? Why are they here with the other guests…?

"Karin?" Ururu's voice distracted Karin from the door as she spun around to face the one speaking to her. Ururu's sad navy eyes met hers. "Are you looking for Jinta too?'

"Huh?" Karin's face broke into a worried frown, "I thought you were watching them."

Ururu gave her an even sadder expression, "I was, but then there was a crowd that got in between us, and they vanished." She replied meekly.

"Damn it," Karin swore angrily, looking away and around the room. Where the Hell did they go? If Jinta even thinks about doing anything to Yuzu I'll—

"I could help you look for them," Ururu's voice shattered Karin's thoughts.

Karin gave her a blank stare and then the words sank in. "Oh! Yeah, yeah let's go look for them." She gave Toshiro a short glance, one of mingled pity and apology. The Captain glared at her,

"Where are you two going?" He asked in a more serious, aggravated tone, his teal eyes narrowing.

"Upstairs," Karin replied quickly, dragging Ururu with her. "Stay there! We'll be right back!" She called to him, as they trudged up the stairs. The small Captain gave her an infuriated expression; she owed him for this torture she was putting him through.

"So, Toshiro," One of Karin's friends asked, his wide grin looking goofy and childish, oblivious to Karin and Ururu, "What classes did you take last semester?"

The small captain glanced at him quickly with one eye, "I didn't take any." He stated bluntly, wondering why this person was still talking to him.

"Oh…" The boy paused with wide eyes, and Toshiro hoped he was finished with the conversation. "…So what classes are you taking this semester?"

Captain Hitsugaya's shoulders fell and his face dropped into one hand, sighing heavily. He stared miserably at the boy explaining his own classes he was taking, and cursing his youthful appearance, he didn't notice Rukia sneak up the stairs, unbeknownst to Karin, Ururu, or anyone else there for that matter.

Rukia saw the two girls walking ahead of her, but kept a distance, afraid they'd follow her if she were seen. She hid along the hallway wall as the girls turned quietly down the corridor toward Karin and Yuzu's room. Rukia glanced shiftily at them before going the opposite way.

In the kitchen, Renji slammed the shot glass on the table, a satisfied grin stretching across his long face. He had four other glasses around the one he'd just finished, small drops of orange-brown liquid forming miniscule beads on the tabletop. He leaned forward in his chair a little, a piece of his crimson hair falling in his face, but he didn't think to swipe it back into place. Tatsuki chuckled, her hand slowly twirling the clear empty glass in her hand.

"Not bad," She stared triumphantly, "But I can tell it's getting to you." She smiled wickedly, placing one of the five small glasses in front of her and filling it to the brim with the whiskey.

"Getting to me?" Renji stammered, his smile still plastered to his face, "No, no, no, no, no, I'm fine." But his cheerier tone and slightly pink out eyes told otherwise. Tatsuki laughed,

"That's what they all say." She raised the shot to her mouth, as she poured him another, "Put your money where your mouth is."

Renji noticed for the first time that her voice was a little haughtier, and there was a slight pounding rising in his throat that he couldn't explain quite thoroughly at the present. He carefully picked up the glass, eyed it, then turned his focus to the woman across the table from him, and they connected glasses with a small clink of glass, before gulping down the liquid in one swift throw of their wrists.

The door to Ichigo's room was opened slightly, fresh moonlight pouring into the hallway. The lights were turned off, save for one desk lamp on Ichigo's desk that cast an odd yellow glow to the corner of the room beside the open window. Ichigo was sitting on his bed, lacing up his black shoes, as Nel shoved the last cardboard box into the corner beside the closet. There was now a stack of cardboard boxes in this corner, and Ichigo's room looked bare, save the desk lamp, desk and his bed.

"Dat's evwhething," Nel cooed, climbing atop the bed to sit beside him. Ichigo patted her mask softly, his eyes unusually gentle as rarely were around anyone but Nel. He considered Nel as more of a child of his own, rather than just his friend, sometimes. "Whatcha gonna do with your body here on Earth?" She asked.

Ichigo sighed, he hadn't gave that much thought, "Probably let Kon use it for a while," he said with a frown, "I'll just be worried he'll run off and do something stupid in it." He turned to Nel and gave her a sharp glance, "You know Kon—"

"At least he'll get more action than you—"

The stranger's voice finishing his sentence gave him such a fright that he nearly fell off the bed. Nel squealed and hid behind Ichigo, saving him from flying backward off the bed. The two looked up with awe-struck faces to see Rukia standing in front of them, her thin body bathed in the white moonlight, her blue eyes piercing in the night.

"—Ichigo." She finished, her arms crossed at her chest, legs spread wide in her stance. Ichigo stared at her with a surprised and happy expression, Nel still clutching his arm from behind.

"Rukia…" he smiled warmly at his friend who stood before him. "I haven't seen you in a while."

To this, Rukia replied by kicking him off the bed with a foot in the face.

Ichigo toppled off the bed and fell with a loud crash, grabbing his nose with his fingers and raising up in a fury. "What the Heck was that about Rukia?!" He yelled, as Nel stared at the two of them in silence.

"You idiot!" She replied, her eyes glaring, "Haven't seen you in a while," She mocked him, "Are you kidding? I haven't heard a word from you in months!" She looked around the room and her eyes fell on the cardboard boxes. She pointed to them and spun at him angrily, "And those! What's are those boxes for? Going to college? Don't think I believe that for a second, Ichigo."

Ichigo rubbed his nose, "Rukia…"

"Shut up," She barked, turning away from him, but standing in place. "How dare you not tell me you were leaving! If Karin hadn't invited us here, I wouldn't have even known you were going anywhere." She turned back to him with a sour expression on her face, one of disgust, "And don't even think about saying you're going to college. I won't believe you."

Ichigo stared at her in silence for a moment, the moonlight shining eerily on their faces. Nel whimpered softly next to Ichigo as he sat back beside her, her pudgy arms clinging to his arm tightly. He rubbed the back of his head and slouched, arms resting on his knees.

"I didn't think you'd care to know where I was going to be honest," He said slowly. His brown eyes glanced at her darkly, "You sure didn't care to tell me about your promotion to Vice Captain."

The words pierced through the air like daggers. Rukia's eyes darted to Ichigo, her face pale. Ichigo gave a breathy, grim laugh.

"Yeah, Tessai contacted the house to tell me that there was an Arrancar at the Shoten today, but that you had it under control. He said, 'don't worry about coming over here. We have the strength of three captains and three vice captains,' so of course I had to ask who…" His voice trailed off, eyes still on the stark face of his friend, "and there it was—"

"Ichigo," Rukia started, but Ichigo cut her off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm not mad," He sighed softly, "I just was sad you didn't tell me sooner, so I could have avoided congratulating you so late."

Rukia's face gained some color back, her eyes glowing in the yellow glare of the desk lamp. "Thank you, Ichigo…but really, it's not a promotion worth telling about."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo stood up, Nel wrapped around his arm, standing on the bed, "You're a Vice Captain. Isn't that an important title?" Rukia sighed, looking away,

"Izuru was promoted recently to help get support from the third division raised again, since they've fell into a slight downward spiral of spirit after Ichimaru's absence. I was elected to serve as Vice Captain because I qualified and because of my ties here in the Real World. They figured I could help train officers here." She paused and laughed a light but dark laugh, "It's a mess to be honest."

Ichigo stared at her for a moment, then a playful smile formed on his serious features, "I'm surprised Byakuya let you take the office. Isn't he a little over protective of you at times?"

Rukia didn't laugh, or grin, but her serious expression became one more of bitter sarcasm, "At times? That's easy to say. Actually, he didn't have a choice in the matter. Kira asked Momo to become his Vice Captain to begin with, but she turned him down. I was his second choice."

"Why'd she turn it down?"

"I don't know," Rukia shrugged, "She wanted to stay in the Fifth Division I guess. Who knows." She looked around at the boxes again and realized they were veering off topic. "But that's not important. The important thing to me is where you're going Ichigo Kurosaki." She gave him a stern motherly look, her hands grasping her hips.

Ichigo grinned, knowing there was no way out of this explanation no matter how hard he tried, and motioned for her to sit down.

"Take a seat by Nel, and I'll tell you everything."

I decided to stop there for this chapter, and spare you a SUPER long chapter. I hope you all liked how this one went and where it's going! ^_^

Next Chapter, Ichigo has someone else to visit before he "leaves" the Real World. Toshiro has to be rescued by Rukia, but not before reuniting with someone who's not her "best friend" in the world. Karin and Ururu are searching for Yuzu and Jinta, and Renji might have had too much drink for his Gigai to handle…you'll see why!

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT AND REVIEWS!

If you have any suggestions or requests, don't hesitate to comment. I'm grateful for all the feedback you offer me. Thank you! Thank you.

Cheers,

Romania Black