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Shy in a World of Monsters

Family

I woke up to hear the sound of a clock ticking. Several hurried whispers wound around my aching head as I worked to regain consciousness. My vision slowly gained colors and hues I couldn't explain but the shades melded together until they became my surroundings.

"She's awake!" Someone said loudly, making my head pound painfully. I groaned in response.

"Is she alright?" A worried male voice said, entering my ear gently. I knew that voice.

"She will be fine, she is just pretty beat up," Toshiro sighed and I heard his rather small footsteps retreat from the room.

Orange hair entered my vision and I felt pressure on my chest. I forced down a cough as Ichigo looked at me and smiled brightly. "You saved my life."

"Got to repay you someday," I said with a small smile.

"Let me finish, I know she isn't healed all the way," a small feminine voice said and gently pushed Ichigo out of my vision. Orihime entered it instead and smiled sadly at me. She called a few names I couldn't recognize and a green glow enveloped me.

"Orihime?" I questioned.

"Hm?"

"Come here so I can tell you something," I whispered above the gentle hum of her hearing.

She leaned down so her ear was next to my mouth.

"I'm sorry it happened this way. Don't worry; someone is bound to take care of you the way you wanted Ichigo to."

She leaned away slowly and smiled at me again. The green glow receded until there was nothing and she left the room. Chad followed reluctantly.

"Will she up and at it soon?" Rukia asked impatiently from behind Ichigo.

"Yes," Matsumodo said happily.

"Let's let her sleep, then she can join us later," Uryu said with a slight distaste in his voice. He always was distasteful of anything soul reapers did.

*_*_*_*_*_*

I woke up, warm and refreshed. I tossed the sheets aside and stretched. I realized I wasn't in my own house and made sure I looked decent before I left the room.

"Oh! Sorry!" A girl said as I rounded the corner and bumped into her.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized as I backed away.

"You must be the girl Ichigo likes! I'm his sister, Karin," she said with a wide grin. She had short honey brown hair and eyes and bright colored clothing that gave off her sunny aura.

"He is talking to Dad, this way!" She said cheerily and flounced down the hall where Ichigo and his Dad were having a wrestling match.

"Um…I'm sorry to interrupt," I said as I entered the doorway with a deep blush.

"GET OFF!" Ichigo yelled and kicked his father off.

"I'm sorry for this," Ichigo's father said with a blush and scratched the back of his head, "I'm Isshin Kurosaki." He held out a hand in greeting and I gingerly took it and shook lightly before retreating to Ichigo's side.

"I'm Kai, nice to meet you," I said, barely audible but without stuttering.

"I'm Yuzu," said a dark haired girl from behind Isshin. I noted that this could possibly be Ichigo's other sister since he had told me had two.

"Hi," I said meekly.

"This is my deranged family as you can already tell," Ichigo said with a frown but his younger sisters smiled up at him.

"We're not deranged!" Isshin protested.

"That's right, just you Dad," Yuzu said and dragged him out of the room.

"Are you ready to go see the others?" Ichigo asked as he lightly tugged on my arm. I nodded in response.

"What? You're leaving already?" Karin pouted.

"Sorry, we'll be back later," Ichigo smiled and ruffled Karin's hair before leading me out.

"That was interesting," I said, pale from the encounter.

"I bet your parents aren't as bad as my family," he teased.

I paled even more as I thought of my biological parents. I looked up at Ichigo and shook my head, "You have no idea."

"I'm sorry," he whispered back, smile gone.

"Please tell me Matsumodo isn't going to do something 'big'," I pleaded, desperately changing subjects.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ichigo said with an innocent smile.