Hey guys, sorry for the months with no updates. I don't really have an excuse other than writer's block so do forgive.

Anyway, thank you for all the reviews, they mean a lot. Also, I had one that said I had a lot of OCs. Now I know this is true and was wondering if I should upload a companion piece strictly of the OCs. (I already have a list for myself). If you think I should please tell me and as always,

Read, Review, and Enjoy :)

Chapter 11

Ichigo was spacing off as he walked towards the room for his hoho practical. It had been nearly a week since he had first spoken to Zangetsu after a grueling two years and even though he had assured him that everything was fine Ichigo couldn't quite shake off the thoughts that something might be wrong with his inner hollow. He raised a hand to the back of his head and didn't notice that the other students had already begun practicing. Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders, causing him to let out a startled shriek in the process and turn to face his smiling instructor. It was only then that he looked around and saw everyone else working that he got the idea.

Rei watched as the teen grumbled to himself before taking off and started laughing. She watched the redhead as he stepped around the others in their clumsy attempts at shunpo but her grin soon grew contemplative as she began to wonder just what had caused him to get so deeply into thought that he didn't even realize what was going on around him. During her lecture she was pretty sure he had been spacing off for at least part of it but hadn't called him out on it; she wasn't sure he would respond if she did. Unable to get into Ichigo's mind to see what had him so consumed, Rei went back to watching the others make complete fools of themselves – at times becoming thoroughly dirt covered – and went to offer some assistance to those who really needed it.

The rest of the day passed similarly for Ichigo. Even Meg's loud chatter was being tuned out. The four had met back up after their second classes and began following Ichigo in what Meg quickly noticed was not the way to the gym. Once they were at the edge of the courtyard where they had signed up for the test he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.

"Sorry guys. I need some time to think." Not understanding, the girls watched as Ichigo took off running through the large gate and into Soul Society.

"Okay, seriously. What is his problem?" Kida shook her head at Meg, not having a clue as to what their friend was thinking about.

"He was like that in our hoho class too." The two girls looked at the small copper questioningly. Ao fidgeted a little under their gazes.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he was really distracted. Ichigo-nii didn't even notice when everyone else started practicing during the practical." As the three fretted over their friend none had noticed someone standing just out of sight.

He ran. He wasn't sure if he was running to something or away from it but he was. Ichigo kept running until he found himself in the district he had woken up in, the 42nd. Why his feet had taken him there he didn't really know but he soon found himself walking in the direction of Choukichi's house. Once he got close enough he spotted some of the kids the man took care of playing outside and was soon noticed by a familiar face.

"Ichigo nii-san!" Maiha came running up to him and hugged his legs. She really was just like Yuzu had been when she was little. The little blonde looked up and him and smiled before grabbing his hand and pulling him in the direction of the house.

"Onii-chan, he's back. Ichigo nii-san is back!" She said as the man appeared from around a corner. He greeted the orange haired teen and then saw the look in his eyes. Something was bothering him, he could tell.

"Hey Maiha," the little girl looked up at the brunette, "why don't you go outside and play with the others. Ichigo and I need to talk for a bit." Maiha pouted for a bit but soon went out to play with the others, content with knowing that she could talk to Ichigo later. Choukichi led him into the small kitchen before staring at him questioningly.

"How's the academy treating you? Not quite what you expected?" Ichigo shook his head a little surprised that the man's thoughts would immediately go in that direction. Then again, he had told him that being a shinigami wasn't what he thought it was.

"No it's not that. It's just that, something's missing and I don't know how to get it back." Ichigo wasn't exactly sure why he was opening up to the almost complete stranger but if he would listen maybe he could help. However he definitely wasn't about to tell him part of his soul was a hollow.

"The strange voice in your head?"

"Yeah, something like that." Choukichi sighed and closed his eyes, lowering his head.

"It's your zanpaktou." No it's not, Ichigo thought but nodded anyways. "They should have told you that at the academy." He nodded again.

"Yeah, that crazy voice in my head. It's…well it's, sleeping and I don't know how to wake it up." Choukichi raised an eyebrow at that. He'd never heard that sort of thing referred to as 'sleeping' but shrugged it off. He opened his mouth to continue when a couple small children ran through the room and latched onto the table.

"Hey Onii-chan, when are we having dinner?" The man sighed, figures they would ask about food.

"Soon guys. I'll get in started after I'm done talking." The two began whining about wanting food and he reluctantly got up and walked over to the cupboard. Knowing that they would get food soon, the two ran back outside to keep playing until Choukichi called them in for dinner.

"Sleeping huh?" Choukichi asked, bringing the conversation back onto Ichigo. "I don't really know what to tell you about that. The only thing I can tell you is to meditate, try and reach out to it. It'll come back." After seeing the uncertain look on the teen's face Choukichi turned to him and spoke quietly, solemnly. "Do you really want it to come back?" Ichigo looked up at the man, confused by the sudden change. The only other time he'd heard the man like that was when he spoke about his brief time as a shinigami. He dropped his eyes, leaned back against the countertop and put his hands out behind him. Choukichi sighed before telling him.

"The same sort of thing happened to me. I heard by zanpaktou's voice but then it disappeared. I couldn't hear him at all or even sense him. As if he'd never been then to begin with. Then one day it came back. It was during one of my kido practicals. Before that I'd only heard him speak in fragmented sentences but that time I heard him loud and clear and I didn't like what he had to say." Choukichi looked up and could see the teen's questioning look but didn't elaborate. It wasn't something he wanted to share, ever. Instead he met Ichigo's eyes again and repeated his question from earlier.

"Do you really want it to come back?" Without hesitancy Ichigo nodded. He just didn't feel whole without the hollow part of him, no matter how crazy and psychotic it was. Choukichi lowered his head knowing that there was no way he was talking Ichigo out of this; the teen had already proven himself to be stubborn and in his opinion foolish, but determined as well. The man could only hope that Ichigo liked what the voice had to say more than he had. He turned and went back to working on dinner, pushing thoughts of that time to the back of his mind.

"Are you going to stay for dinner? It should be ready in about ten minutes." The change of tone in the other's voice from the solemn to light-hearted was clear but Ichigo let it slide. It was obviously a touchy subject, just like his mother's death had been for him, so instead he agreed and went to get the children a few minutes later.

On his run back towards the academy Ichigo couldn't help but wonder about what Choukichi had said; what his zanpaktou had said. Could it really have been that bad? Sure his hollow was annoying and was trying to take over his body but even then. He shook his head trying to stop his thoughts from continuing to run in circles. It was later than he had realized and all he really wanted to do was sleep, but unfortunately it seemed that sleep would have to wait. Standing there just inside the gate to the school was Gengoro Onabara. Ichigo sighed; that day was just not going his way.

"Follow me." The large man turned and headed towards what Ichigo was sure would turn out to be the administrative building. He was right.

Ichigo nodded to everything the head master said. He knew that he wasn't really supposed to leave but he also wasn't supposed to have an inner hollow. Sighing, Ichigo looked up at the old man when he spoke again.

"Should this happen again there will be severe punishment. Is that understood?" Ichigo nodded and was dismissed. Mikotsu Henke, who had been there during the teen's entrance exam, personally wanted more than just a simple warning for his blatant disregard for the academy rules but clenched his fists and stayed quiet; it was useless to argue with the head master and he knew it. So he was forced to just watch as Ichigo walked out the door.

He hurried back to his dorm not wanting to run into anyone else but slumped when he saw Kida leaning against his door. She straightened when she saw him and looked down as he walked closer.

"I was just wondering what happened?" Kida glanced up. She and the others had been worried about him; running off like that didn't seem like something he would do normally. Eventually he shook his head and explained – vaguely – what had been bothering him. With knowing what had him so distracted all day, Kida began walking away but quickly turned back.

"Did it help? Your run," she asked. Ichigo stared at her for a moment. Had talking to Choukichi helped? He sighed, and lowered and shook his head.

"I don't know." With that he closed his door and leaned back against it. "I don't know." He walked over, got changed and then collapsed on his bed, quickly falling into a restless sleep.