Hey folks, i know a chapter the next day, it's been a while since i could upload like this - and i miss it! I like to see what's happening next, there is always bits i want to write in stories.

Cheers for the reviews peeps.

Phoe
xxxx

Chapter 12

Ikkaku blinked his eyes, trying to make sense of the world but it didn't seem to be the right way round. He lay, fairly comfortably against the door of his car; he knew it was his car because he'd recognise the steering wheel in his sleep. There was a funny smell and a lot of noise around him before he realised what had happened. His head was throbbing and his left arm ached but he moved around alright, looking to see what was going on. He spotted the irritating red head in his back seat but he was looking shit, his head lying back against the top of the bench seat and his eyes were closed. The passenger's door was open and there was no sign of Grimmjow but Ikkaku assumed he was out of the car, possibly getting help. He pulled at the handle to open his door but it was unresponsive so he shifted over the central console, wincing as his arm protested before sitting in the passenger's seat, turning to get out.

His car was almost wrapping around a post on the driver's side, the reason his door wouldn't open being the post neatly planted into it. There were sirens approaching and a number of people standing around, looking at the damage. One man came up to him, trying to help him and get him sitting down but Ikkaku just brushed him off, looking around for Grimmjow. He turned to the man eventually, gripping his arms and asking if he'd seen a tall, blue haired man leave the car before him. The man shrugged his shoulders, trying to back away from him but Ikkaku just released the man and turned away himself, seeing the police and ambulance crews arrive.

He was strapped to a gurney quickly, no matter how he protested and they put a stupid collar round his neck. The police asked him a few basic questions but as he couldn't remember much past glimpsing the van, they dismissed him for the moment and just started to establish crowd control to allow the ambulance to do their job. Ikkaku was on the scene long enough to see the fire department starting to cut the roof off his precious car before he was loaded up into the ambulance and sent on his way.

He was fussed over a bit in the emergency room, forced into various scans and x-rays before getting a cast put on his broken arm. It had passed through the steering wheel apparently and it had trapped it, cracking one of the bones but it would heal on its own, not needing pins or anything drastic. Five weeks in a cast were almost bearable. He was told he was staying overnight in the hospital and was getting moved to a bed before he knew it, surprising the cop at how swiftly things were moving. He hadn't heard anything about the red head in the car with him, his nurse not knowing and unable to find out apparently. He wanted to speak to Ichigo as well but with him trapped in one bed and his partner trapped in another, it would be difficult to arrange. Eventually he pulled the boyfriend card and said his other half was visiting Ichigo and he'd really like him back.

Yumichika had flown down the stairs, his usual pale complexion white with shock at seeing Ikkaku in the hospital bed. He held the uninjured hand and kissed Ikkaku's knuckles as he heard what happened, a tear trailing down his face as shock settled in.

A little while later the door opened again and in wheeled Ichigo in his chair, pushing himself along and his big brown eyes open wider than normal at the sight of his partner in the bed.

"Ikkaku, what the hell happened?" Ichigo wheeled up near the bed and stood, supporting his weight on the side of the bed. He reached down and gripped Ikkaku's arm just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"Someone hit the car, it's totalled. Renji wasn't looking to good last time I saw him."

"Why was Renji in the car? Ikkaku what happened?" Ichigo was drifting between panic and anger at seeing his friend like this and hearing that their pet project was ruined. Both of them had put a lot of their hard earned cash into that car but it had been Ikkaku's baby.

"I was bringing them in to see you, some van pulled up beside the car and Grimmjow grabbed for the wheel. The next thing, the car is wrapped around a post and Grimmjow's gone, Renji's out cold and I'm like this. I don't know what the fuck happened."

Ichigo paled, his grip around Ikkaku's arm tightening. "What do you mean Grimmjow's gone?"

"I mean gone. I thought he'd just got out of the car but he wasn't there when I came round. Look Ichigo don't go and do anything stupid."

The words were lost on the other man as he walked out of the room, barely limping with his splint. Ichigo walked straight to his own room, fury running in his veins. Grimmjow was finally coming to see him, even if it was just to tell him that everything had been a misunderstanding and there really was nothing between them, Ichigo still loved the guy and like hell was he letting anyone take him away. He would crack the world for a friend and even if he wanted Grimmjow to be more, the blue haired man definitely fit in that category.

Kenpachi was outside his room as usual and read the waves of anger flowing off his colleague. It made the large man smile; he'd go along with the smaller cop, it usually led to him getting to hit people.

Ichigo trailed through his little cubby and found his clothes, just a pair of jeans and actually one of Ikkaku's t-shirts, he'd asked for proper clothes for interviews as he wasn't sitting in his jammies when talking to the boss. Slipping into Ikkaku's t-shirt fed fuel to the fire in his veins, he smoothed the shirt down before slipping his training shoes on, not even really struggling with the one on his straight leg for once. He noticed Kenpachi standing at the door with an expectant grin on his face. "Ken, find out where Renji is, he'll be in the hospital somewhere. I want to see him before we go." Ichigo didn't even have to convince the other that he was leaving, Kenpachi was good for going along with crazy ideas, he'd been Ikkaku's partner years ago when the bald man was a rookie and had been there for both men many times.

Ichigo left the room, feeling his knee twinge slightly and he grabbed his left crutch just to keep his weight off the limb till he needed it. He'd been moving with the crutches long enough that his speed wasn't affected by the injury. He stopped by Ikkaku's room one more time, seeing the doctor with him made him pause for a moment, Ikkaku getting his observations taken and a light shone into his eyes. He spotted Ichigo at the door and immediately scowled at seeing him dressed and on his feet. Ichigo's wheelchair had been pushed against the wall out of the way. Yumi was standing at the head of Ikkaku's bed and he stared at Ichigo, clutching his throat as he also realised what the other was up to. When the doctor had finished, Ichigo approached the bed and clasped Ikkaku's arm.

"I thought I told you not to do anything stupid."

"Yeah but when did I start taking orders from you? If Aizen's guys have got him then I need to get him out quickly."

"Tell me you're not going by yourself."

"Ken's coming with me and I'm going to stop by the department and pick up a few ex-cons to help. I'm going to drop in and see Renji before I leave but can you and Yumi keep an eye on him for me?"

"He's in love with you too by the way."

Ichigo was about to leave before his partner spoke there, Ichigo turning back to him with an eyebrow raised. "Who?"

"Both I think to be honest. But Grimmjow definitely. Don't ask me how it would work but I think it might. You just need him back. For fuck's sake be careful. I don't like it when I'm not there to watch your back."

"Well get your ass out of bed then, it's only a broken arm." Ichigo actually had to push the other down, Ikkaku deciding Ichigo was right. "Man I was kidding. Rest, if I need you I'll let you know."

Ichigo left with a wave and Kenpachi was outside, ready to take him to see Renji. The red head was in a higher intensive care ward, flat out on his back with a collar round his neck. One leg was immobilised and his visible skin was littered with small nicks from glass. Ichigo thought he was unconscious as he approached but when he laid a hand on the other, Renji's burgundy eyes snapped open, panic in them until he identified who was at his side.

"It's just me Ren, man you definitely came off worse in this one. How are you doing?"

Renji's voice was weaker than usual and he struggled to turn his head to face the other man. Ichigo stood closer and straightened Renji's head so it put less strain on the other before stroking a hand down his handsome face. "I've been better. Is Ikkaku alright? And Grimm?"

"Ikkaku'll be fine, he's got a busted arm but fine otherwise. Has no one told you what happened?"

"Just that we were ran off the road. You didn't say anything about Grimm, is he bad?" Renji raised one of his hands and held Ichigo's wrist.

"Renji, Grimmjow was missing when Ikkaku came round. We don't know where he is but I'm going to find him. You just take it easy alright?" Ichigo leaned in and pressed their foreheads together for a second before parting and trying to walk off but Renji wouldn't let him go.

"You need to stop and listen for a minute. I've not told you everything and you need to know something before you barrelling into trouble. Are my clothes somewhere? You need to find my phone."

Ichigo frowned, wanting to get moving to find Grimmjow but he went into the plastic bag under the bed and found the man's jeans, searching the pockets to turn up the phone, getting mildly disturbed at the red marks on the fabric. He held the device out to Renji who unlocked it and opened a contact. He held it out for Ichigo to take back before closing his eyes for a moment, his breath coming hard for a second or two. "Call him, he'll explain better than I can. Tell him you're a cop and give him your badge number or he'll just hang up on you. You can take over; probably do a better job than me anyway. I didn't leave you by choice, just remember that." Renji held a hand up and Ichigo took it, holding it in his own. Renji pulled him weakly down, Ichigo bending and he closed his eyes as their faces came close, Renji's hand on Ichigo's cheek as their noses touched. "Come back to me?"

Ichigo jerked back for a moment, registering the words and frowning. "I don't get you guys; you have each other, why the hell am I involved?"

"You'd have to be not you to understand. Be careful and we'll work it out alright? Call the guy, try and keep your temper." Renji closed his eyes again, Ichigo taking his leave with the scowl still in place.

Ichigo felt Kenpachi come alongside him as he walked and he looked down at the number on the phone, just the name Urahara alongside it, no other contact details. He pressed the call button and held it up; following Kenpachi's lead out to his car and sliding into the passenger seat. Kenpachi liked big cars and had a few to choose from. The one he'd brought that day was a big Dodge Ram pickup with big enough wheels to make just getting into the cab interesting for someone in a splint but there was plenty of room to stretch his leg out when he was in. The phone rang six times before it was answered by a strange, singsong voice.

"Hello Abarai, didn't think I'd be hearing from you."

"This isn't Abarai, this is Detective Kurosaki Ichigo, Abarai told me to call you. He was in an accident."

"Detective Kurosaki, I have hear of you, Abarai speaks highly of you. How can I help?"

"You can start with identifying yourself. Renji told me to call you for details before I go and start breaking people."

"Ah, just as precocious as I had been led to believe. My name is Special Agent Kisuke Urahara, and I work for the Criminal Investigations branch of the FBI. If Abarai has asked you to call me I am imagining it is in reference to Sousuke Aizen no?"

Ichigo nearly dropped the phone, wondering why Renji had a direct line to the CID. "Yeah, what's going on? Why do you know Renji and what has it got to do with Aizen?"

"Abarai has been working for us for about three years now, trying to release Aizen's claws in the justice system but I hear you are responsible for ultimately bringing him down, not that he'll stay that way."

"He's already taken someone, and I need to get them back. You need to start helping me or I'll just do it myself and that probably won't end well."

"Well, I am happy to assist in any way. Why don't I meet you back at your department, that is where you are headed no? Renji's phone is jacked, if you were wondering."

Ichigo ended the call after agreeing to meet with the other just as Kenpachi pulled into the staff car park and Ichigo streaked out of the car, moving faster than he should have been able to as he headed into the building. Kenpachi directed him to where they were keeping the interviewees and told him where the other group were being kept as well, the ones that were in a bit more trouble. Septimo, Diez, Segunda and others were all getting sent down for a very long time because of what they had been involved in and Aizen was obviously at the top of that fairly long list, multiple sentences being heaped on the man.

Ichigo opened the door of the social area of the good guys and identified all of them with a quick sweep of his eyes. Deroy and a few others looked delighted to see him, calling out to him and others nodded as his eyes swept them. Ulquiorra waved lightly, his face not changing but it was stuck in a computer screen and Ichigo knew the man well enough that it was a big deal for him to have just noticed him entering the room. He identified Starrk and headed his way, knowing the former leader of the group was a good place to start.

"Shiro, it is good to see you on your feet. We had been led to believe your recovery time would be longer."

"Well, I might be here against doctor's orders but I need your help, Grimmjow's been taken."

Starrk's usual sleepy demeanour changed instantly, his back straightening and his face adopting a frown. "What do you mean taken?" Others had heard their conversation and had drifted closer, Nnoitra being easiest to identify out of the corner of an eye.

"Grimm's been snatched? He was coming to confess his undying love to your skinny ass though."

Ichigo threw an incredulous look at the other, shaking his head before turning back to the former primero. "Someone forced Ikkaku's car off the road and snatched Grimmjow from it. I'm going to find out who and I've got some help but I was wondering if I could get more."

"You do not have to ask."

iiiiiii

Ichigo didn't know what to expect from Kisuke Urahara but the man sitting behind the large conference table was definitely not it. Scruffy blond hair topped with a ridiculous hat nearly hid the goofy grin he cast towards Ichigo as he stepped inside the room followed by Kenpachi, Starrk and others from the gang. They fanned out and took seats of their own, Nnoitra looking at Urahara's companion appreciatively. Sitting beside the blond was an exotic looking woman with long purple hair pulled into a high pony tail and a curvy body coated in black, almost indecent. Her face was very pretty and her eyes held a wicked glint in them.

"Kurosaki! You're definitely cuter than I thought you'd be; come, sit next to me." Kisuke patted the seat next to him, Ichigo's face flushing at the sideways compliment before obeying, Nnoitra eagerly taking the seat on the side of the woman. "This is my partner, Yoruichi Shinhouin; young man I need to warn you that she does bite, and it will hurt." Kisuke turned briefly towards Nnoitra who backed off when the man started to speak to him. The lady in question just smirked at them, leaning on her hand.

Ichigo briefly introduced the other people round the table before turning to the agent, needing answers only he could give.

"I know you think Abarai left the police without a thought but actually he came to work with me. I demanded he leave his old life completely so that it could not be used against him and he did so reluctantly. He moved in with us briefly and after a few glasses of saki he did divulge your name a time or two. I would have thought a boy of Japanese descent would have been able to hold his saki."

Ichigo grinned, rolling his eyes. "It's not really easily available in the US. I had it growing up and can take it; Renji's got a poor alcohol tolerance anyway. I'm surprised he didn't vomit on the table drinking saki."

"Ah, good to know, you will have to join us for a drink sometimes. Anyway he was planted in the company, into fifth division with yourself Nnoitra Gilga isn't that right?" Kisuke turned to Nnoitra who snapped his attention from the lady's chest.

"Yeah, didn't know he was a fed seed though."

"No, well it wouldn't have exactly been undercover if everyone knew, would it?"

Ichigo's mind was reeling with the information and he started to wonder if Grimmjow knew about Renji's federal help. "I was brought in by Grimmjow Jaeggerjaques to try and get him out, if you guys were involved, why was I brought in?"

"The best answer I can give you is that clearly Jaeggerjaques didn't know that we were involved as well." Kisuke paused as the door opened, Ichigo groaning inside as his boss walked in, Byakuya looking very unimpressed with the gathering.

"Kurosaki, I realise you live to wind me up but I assumed when on sick leave, you would cease. Care to inform me what is going on?"

"Where is Aizen, right now?" Ichigo had this funny suspicion but he'd yet to see anyone to ask.

Byakuya frowned, not happy his question wasn't answered first. He is in the holding area; I believe he was on the list today though. Captain Tousen is in charge of his interrogation."

Ichigo saw Kisuke close his eyes then bang his forehead down on the table in front of him. His voice came from under him, muffled slightly by the position. "Kaname Tousen?"

"Yes, along with Ichimaru."

Kisuke's head snapped up, smile back on his face as he lifted his phone out. He held it up to his ear after pressing a few buttons and turned from the group. Ichigo glanced around and saw the looks the others were giving the weird agent, Ulquiorra raising an eyebrow even at the mad man's approach. Apart from a delighted opening to the conversation, Kisuke kept his voice down too low for any of them to hear and Ichigo sat back on his seat, tapping the desk lightly.

Eventually the man re-joined the group, still grinning stupidly and called the attention of the room. "So, little Grimmjow has been taken, and coincidentally, Sousuke Aizen also relieved himself of police custody. Handy that. Now, Mr Schiffer, if I get you net access, can you pull up the accident reports and images from the incident officers as well as any cameras nearby?"

Ulquiorra nodded at the man but Byakuya butted in, not happy he wasn't getting acknowledged. "We can get those reports officially you know, and actually speak to the officers involved."

"Yeah I know, but he'll get it quicker without having to bother those busy men. If you could get him the access he needs Captain Kuchiki. Now Coyote Starrk, always wanted to meet you, do you drink saki, you could join Kurosaki and myself sometimes perhaps. Anyway, you are the one that was deepest into Aizen's domain, what can you tell us?"

Ichigo got to sit in the back ground, feeling a little ignored but he didn't want to get in the way of these clearly professional men. Ulquiorra had not only pulled up the official reports, unofficially of course, he'd found three street cameras that basically recorded the even as well as a video uploaded to social network that shows Grimmjow getting grabbed by two unknown men and led into the van. The men didn't have to subdue the large man who outweighed them and that struck a chord in Ichigo immediately.

"Why is he not fighting them?" Ichigo spoke up, stopping the others in their conversations and they all turned to the screen. Ulquiorra rewound the feed and played it through again. It showed one of the men speaking to Grimmjow for a second before they held him and walked him back to the van. "They've got something on him, said something to him to make him come quietly."

"Possibly threatened a small injured friend currently in hospital?" Kisuke speculated while looking at Ichigo with one eye. It made the smaller man flush and he dropped his head.

"More like they've got his sister. Grimm's been trying to keep them away from Nel for years, she's his only family and the only reason he didn't just walk. Aizen knows where she is and has used her against him before." Nnoitra also saw his friend going without a fight and he'd seen it before as well.

"Younger sister?" Ichigo was now worried that a young girl was in trouble as well, having two little sisters of his own just made it more real to him.

"Nah, Nel's older, some lawsuit in a skirt. Lives in DC, they've not seen each other in years. Apparently they hated each other growing up. Nel used to kick his ass until he got bigger than her."

Ichigo smirked at the thought of a female version of Grimmjow beating him up. A girl with long blue hair would be cool and if she'd also got the gorgeous gene of their parents then she'd be a knockout.

The feeds also gave them a licence plate to work from but it was just a work van that was traced back to a rental place. They could go to the business and get who'd rented the van but it would just be a cover. Starrk suggested a few places he knew of that they could have gone to and Ulquiorra did his best to trace the van's path in the city's cameras but it was a nearly impossible task with so many possibilities.

Ichigo was thinking over all the possibilities and looked near the bottom of the list, seeing the original compound as one of them. Glancing at the map and seeing Ulquiorra's red line trace where he'd managed to find the vehicle, the compound should have been higher in the list compared to some of the locations. "Why is the compound so far down the list?"

"I hardly think they'd return to their base of operations, it would be the first place we'd look." Byakuya was assisting Ulquiorra in his search, not even glancing up at Ichigo when he spoke.

"And yet it's going to be seventeenth. Look it might sound crazy but what if he double bluffed us. He would know we'd think he'd definitely not go there because we'd definitely look there, and yet he'd know we wouldn't bother. I think we should check it out."

"And I think you should head back to the hospital. Ichigo you are still recovering and though you have brought a good group together I think you should make the decision to step back and let us take care of it."

Ichigo frowned at his boss, he'd never been pushed to the side before, always had his views held in high regard. He could feel it in his bones that he was right, those damn spidey senses were jangling away but if he couldn't get the boss to listen then it was useless."

"Kurosaki, Yoruichi will escort you to the hospital, in case you get yourself into bother along the way." Kisuke spoke quietly, winking at the other before returning to his own work. The exotic beauty stood and approached him, smirking at him and gesturing to the door with her head. Ichigo turned to Nnoitra and glanced to the door as well, the tall man grinning his wide, piano toothed smile as he followed.

As they left, Kenpachi joined them; he'd not been involved in the searching as he'd had no input to give. "So, where are we going and when do we leave?" He rubbed his large hands together with glee.

Please review, next chapter should be exciting.