Okay, I've pulled myself away from misery and Gaia to bring you another update. You're all lucky I retrieved my flash drive, or Asylum would've been updated instead. You almost got more with this chapter than usual, but I caught myself and fixed that ;p Ha, ha. I hope you all enjoy the update. I stayed up until like 3 in the morning waiting for the last thing to collect for a facebook game... Pet stories ;p I wanted that Apollo pet bad, so I was up late for the last piece. Anyway, while I was waiting I wrote like 4-6 chapters in my fanfics. That includes Derailed, Zodiac, and Silent Partner... which I'm not posting for a while. Poor guys =( Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be happy when it finally is posted. I'll just keep reminding you of its existence until I do ;p

Shiro: ... Wait... what? Why! I wanna read it! DX

Ichi: Uh... Shiro? We can read it, the readers just can't.

Shiro: ... Oh... HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!

Ichi: *sighs and hits Shiro upside head*

Shiro: *pouts while rubbing back of head*


Chapter 11

The lake is beautiful, the sun's rays dipping every closer to it. Ichigo watches with a silent fascination. He's supposed to be fishing for dinner with Shiro and Grimmjow, but he's fallen behind to take in the sight of impending dusk. The others have split between gathering food, water, and setting up camp. He feels a hand on his shoulder and he jumps a bit, dropping his gaze and locking amber pools with gold.

"Ya 'kay, Ichi?" Shiro wonders.

"Yeah, I'm just... the sky is beautiful."

"... I guess. Come on, those fish ain't gonna catch themselves... not fer our dinner at least."

He grips Ichigo's free hand and leads him down the slight incline to the lake, Grimmjow is already there. He's seated on the grass, his line already in the water. Ichigo sits beside him, Shiro on his brother's other side. They both cast their lines, Ichigo sighing in content as he waits for the fish to bite.

"Everything okay?" Grimmjow asks.

"Yep," Ichigo smiles. "Everything is great. I was just stopping to take everything in."

"It is gorgeous out here."

Ichigo lets his gaze fall to the waters, watching the dark shadows of fish dart about below. It's so serene here, so relaxing. He's almost forgotten all his problems of before. With a quiet sigh, he leans against Grimmjow's side. They're all quiet for a long time, the only noise being the chirp of crickets and the movement of wind through the leaves.

"I gotta take a piss," Shiro mumbles. "Be right back."

"... Thanks for advertising that, Shiro, I really needed to know," Ichigo mutters back.

The older twin cackles at the remark, setting his fishing pole near Ichigo and heading off into the brush. Grimmjow sighs and watches the moon's reflection on the water's surface, the younger copy glancing his way curiously. This is really the first time they've been alone since they left the train. This is also the first time neither of them knew what to say.

"... I'm sorry," Grimmjow says quietly.

"... For what?"

"What do you, for what? I must've done something to piss you off, you practically bit my head off earlier. I thought it was something the girls said, but... It must've been me that made you angry, so I'm apologizing."

"It wasn't you," the other admits. "I'm just... I don't want to be lost in the forest with a stalker out there! I should be at home working on my novel! Instead I'm here, making up the worst possible senarios for my next encounter with that madman. I'm trying not to, but I'm freaking myself out so bad I just want to throw up."

"That's not all, though... is it?"

Ichigo shrugs, unwilling to delve into his emotions at this point in time. Grimmjow allows his evasiveness, only because he knows Ichigo will tell him when he's ready. They look back out over the dark waters. Shiro's pole moves a bit, and then it's jerked toward the liquid. Ichigo grabs for it, yet he misses. Grimmjow dives across the other's lap, knabbing it by the very bottom of the handle. Ichigo holds onto both his own and Grimmjow's poles so this doesn't repeat itself, watching as the larger male reels in the fish on the hook. It's large, but not enough to feed them all.

"Looks like we're fishing all day tomorrow," the blue haired man sighs.

"I can stay a little longer," Ichiog offers. "I like it out here, it's peaceful."

"You're not staying anywhere alone," he snaps. "I'm not taking the chance of you getting hurt again because of me!"

Ichigo rolls his eyes, turning his attention back to the water. He can hear Shiro's footsteps as he tramples through the bushes to get back. Grimmjow tosses the fish to the older twin when he shows up, pointing to the campsite without a word. With a shrug and a quick glance toward his little brother, Shiro heads toward camp.

"A few more minutes, no more," he comments.

Shiro tosses the fish to Nnoitra to deal with, sitting beside his lover by the campfire. He's worried about Ichigo, things are most definitely not turning out the way he planned. They were so much more... perfect in his head.

"Somethin' wrong, koi?" Gin wonders.

"Ichi's been distant wit Grimm-kitty since lunch," he comments. "I don' know why an' I know he ain't talkin' ta Grimm-kitty 'bout it."

"Hallibel told him Grimmy loves him!" Nelliel states.

"... No wonder everythin's goin' ta shit. Ya can' just come out an' tell 'im that! Ya gotta let 'im say it first 'er he's gonna think the worst an' run."

Hallibel shakes her head, yet says nothing. Ichigo's been strange with relationships for a long while, though no one knows exactly why. His trust issues were greatl.y increased and his tolerance took a death-defying nosedive.

"No more, 'kay? Ya gotta let 'em deal wit this on their own."

there's a round of mutters agreeing to Shiro's conditions. For a short moment, he's afraid they'll all try something further. For now, he'll just have to keep an eye on everyone. Gin looks toward the lake, catching blue and orange heading their way. Ichigo and Grimmjow managed to catch a few more fish, so they'll all have some for dinner.

No one has the luxury of sleeping alone or with their lover tonight, as everyone is sharing a tent. Grimmjow and Ichigo are sharing with Shiro, Gin, and Ulquiorra. Szayel, Stark, Hallibel, Nnoitra, and Nelliel are in the other. Ichigo is trapped between Grimmjow and Shiro, the warmth within the tent drawing beads of cold sweat from his skin. He waits until everyone is asleep and slips from his sleeping bag, crawling out of the tent and into the cool night air.

"Thank god, that feels so much better," he murmurs.

He sighs and stands, stretching his lithe body. On slow feet he meanders around to the campfire, wondering why it's still going with no one watching it. He glances around and grabs a few sticks, tossing them in and seating himself on the ground.

"You shouldn't be up."

The poor twin jumps two feet in the air at the unexpected sound, whirling around to locate who spoke. After a moment, Stark leans forward in the shadows of a tree. Ichigo glowers at him, yet stands his ground.

"You should be alseep, too," he points out. "So I'm not the only one doing what I'm not supposed to."

"True enough, but someone had to watch the fire," the brunette remarks. "And you're not supposed to be alone."

"... I'm not, you're here. Besides, the tent has gotten way too hot. I needed some cool air. I'll go back once I'm cooled off."

Stark shrugs and turns his gaze back out into the trees, telling Ichigo he's watching more than just the fire. He's always liked Stark, he's not as overbearing as the others. He trusts Ichigo to take care of himself and only steps in when he knows he has to. It's a refreshing change from Grimmjow and Shiro... and their other friends. Sometimes the younger male wonders how Hallibel can stand the lazy beatnick... then he's forced to wonder how he can stand her.

"Stark, Hallibel told me Grimmjow loves me," Ichigo murmurs. "She was lying... wasn't she?"

"Why don't you ask Grimmjow?"

"... What if it was a lie? What if it was the truth?" he gasps. "I can't... I just don't want to deal with that!"

"You don't care for him?"

"... He's fun to be around and he's really good in bed, but... he and I... are just too different. I like something solid, but he likes a playdate every now and then. We'd never be happy with each other and I don't want to ruin whatever it is we have because of a relatioship we knew we never should've tried."

Stark nods in thought, his eyes closed as he hums to himself. Ichigo's always felt he could tell this man anything, he's unjudging and nuetral although he offers his own opinion if asked. And above all, he's not a gossiper. He'll hold a person's most intimate secrets like an unbreakable vault, even from Hallibel.

"I think you've already made up your mind," he comments. "But allow me to offer you a few pearls of wisdom. You and Grimmjow had a falling out already, but before that you two stood strong. What was it that made you two go your seperate ways? Do you know why Grimmjow never pursued you? Perhaps you should know both sides of the story before making hasy decisions."

Ichigo is quiet for a long time after that, mulling over the comment. It's true, he never knew what happened after he blew up on Grimmjow and separated himself from the group. He's tempted to ask Stark, yet knows he might not get him to spill. He's tried before, on many occasions, but the man simply won't budge. He's like a mountain no dynamite can touch. After a short while, he can feel the cold upon his skin and decides he should get back to bed. He bids Stark a good night and crawls back into the tent.

The morning is a blast of loud voices and hurried footfalls. The others have divided breaking up camp and making breakfast, yet Ichigo refuses to get out of bed. He burrows deeper into his sleeping bag and manages to fall asleep once more. That doesn't last long, unfortuntaely, as Shiro and Nnoitra get the brilliant idea to carry him to the lake... sleeping bag and all. Ichigo wakes to cold water all around him, fighting from his sleeping bag to surface in the shallows. He's dazed, confused, panicked, and fearful... but they're laughing their asses off.

"Guys, we don't have time for this!" Grimmjow calls. "You okay, sex bunny?"

"I'm drowning!" Ichigo yells still half asleep. "I'm drowning!"

"Ya ain't drownin', dipshit," Shiro snorts in humor. "Come on, come ta yer big brother, I'll save ya. Nnoi, next time we gotta make sure ta wake 'im up a bit more. We don' wanna give 'im a heartattack er somethin'."

"Good idea."

Though they're still laughing from their prank, they both help Ichigo stumble back to the remains of the camp. Hallibel and Nelliel are finishing up breakfast, fruit and leftover fish they dried out, and the others are just digging in. Ichigo is dropped to the ground by Grimmjow, who rights him quickly before he falls into the fire. Shiro joins Gin and Nnoitra makes his way to Nelliel after hanging Ichigo's sleeping bag on a branch to dry.

"Eat up, guys!" Nelliel grins. "We'll be moving a bit faster today... hopefully."

"We'll be walking between the lake and the tracks," Grimmjow comments. "The resort is on the other side of the lake, but we don't have anything to make a boat. We're on foot."

"We don't mind," Hallibel murmurs. "The only person with a problem is our group princess, isn't that right, Ichigo?"

"Bite me, bitch," he hisses out.

Grimmjow grabs the back of the smaller male's neck, knwoing he'll try to clear the fire to get to Hallibel. He's still tense as he eats, glowering at the blonde that doesn't help matters. He can see why it was so much quieter when Ichigo left the group... he and Hallibel were constantly fighting for the spot of 'alpha female' in their little makeshift family.

Once they're done eating and the packs are put together again, the group starts on their way. Ichigo wanted to go swimming for a little bit, however Grimmjow and Gin were adamant they keep moving. The others on the train should start heading out soon. Though Sebastian will likely keep them closer to the tracks, there's always a chance that stalker will find their way onto Ichigo's trail.

"Shiro, can I talk to you?" Ichigo wonders quietly.

"Sure, what's up?"

"... When Grimmjow and I had that fight... why didn't he try to talk to me again? Usually he's intent to pry until he knows what I was thinking or why I blew up, but that time he didn't."

"Well, he wasn' really sure what the hell was wrong wit ya," Shiro shrugs. "When I kicked yer asses, he assumed stayin' 'way from ya was a mutual agreement that would keep the episode from repeatin' itself. He was broken up 'bout it, but he thought that's what ya wanted. The fights were just gettin' too violent and he was gettin' more and more confused as ta why ya were bein' so bitchy. He thought ya found out he liked ya an' it disgustd ya, that's why ya were beatin' the shit outta 'im. That served ta piss 'im off more an' he fought against ya harder."

"What do you mean? Why would I be disgusted because he likes me?"

"... He was under the impression ya were straight back then."

Ichigo stares at his twin like he's gone completely insane, as opposed to his usual boarderline. Shiro doesn't say much else, just shrugs and keeps walking. When Ichigo doesn't move, he reaches back and grips his twin's wrist to tug him along. They've fallen behind a bit so no one can eavesdrop on them, however it seems no one has noticed their absence. Shiro hums to himself and stops to figure out which way everyone went, scratching his head in confusion a moment before picking a direction. He pulls Ichigo along with him. As they step forward, however, the land gives way beneath their feet and they drop. They both cry out during the fall, hitting the ground hard afterward. They've fallen into an old mineshaft. Ichigo hurt his ankle, cut up his shoulder, and hit the side of his head. Shiro, however, looks like he took a sharp rock to his leg and broke his wrist. The younger male is quick to set his wrist, using whatever he can find inside the kitchen utensil bag to make a brace for that and stop their bleeding. Thankfully, Szayel slipped his first aid kit into this bag back at camp.

"Great, we're gonna be stuck down here ferever!"

"Don't be so negative, they'll find us," Ichigo scolds. "They'll eventually have to eat and when they can't find the kitchen utensils... well... they'll know we're gone."

"... Yer such a fuckin' ray a sunshine," Shiro sighs bitterly.

Ichigo finds Shiro's sleeping bag bundled on top of the pack, so he takes it out and unrolls it to keep them warm in the cool hole. They sit together, huddled beneath the thick blanket and trying hard not to injure one another further... and they wait.

Stark glances around with a slight frown, his actions going unnoticed for the most part. Hallibel tugs on the rope that connects them, a safety precaution they've kept up just in case he decides to nap again. He can't help the feeling that something just isn't right.


There you go. A fic just isn't perfect unless the twins are left in a precarious situation ;p Now, the big question that must be running through all your heads (and if it isn't I'm going to implant it there): Who will find the twins? Grimmjow, or the Stalker? XD Now that I've set the ball rolling on that (you're welcome, by the way) I'm off to do something less productive. I have to get more coins on zOMG and figure out a perfect dream avi! I wish finding a crew was easier in that game, well... finding a friendly crew that communicates. =(

Shiro: I'll be on yer crew! We'll kick ass tagether! XD

Vae: Yes! *grabs rings*

Ichi: *sighs* I'm leaving. You guys can have fun on your own.

Grimm: *grabs Ichigo and drags him after Vae and Shiro*

Ichi: Grimm!

Grimm: Oh come on, what better way to rot your mind than killing enemies? XD

Ichi: *closes eyes and chants* ... I don't belong here, I don't belong here, I don't belong here...