Hi again! Like I said, either a Sunday or a Monday update, so here I am now!

In response to some of the reviews,

To shinigami1nabe, cj4675 and TB: To be honest, it never occured to me that I was writing Ichigo OOC when I wrote about him opening up. Sorry about that; I'm not going to change it though, but thanks for pointing that out. Think of it as a 'he opens up, so she does the same as well,' kind of thing in this chapter.

To shinigami1nabe: Like I said, the OOCness was a lapse on my part, so I'm completely cool with that, but a bond with Nel? O.o How did that come about? No, won't happen. If there's one thing I won't write, its romantic dramas where there's some misunderstanding between two characters and they fall out, only to kiss and make up later.

To Kuchiki-4-Kurosaki: Other characters will appear, but no more will appear for this particular arc. There will be a few more in the next arc.

To cj4675: I'm cool with you skimming the 'past' part, but it does play some part in the story. It'll be clear eventually but yeah.

Now that I think of it, begging for reviews really isn't the way to go, so I'll just revert back to asking nicely:) I'll let things take its natural cause.

So, without further ado, here's the next Chapter of Strawberry Fix. Read, enjoy, and review! See, no more begging:)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Neither do i own the series my story is based on or any group, place or organization mentioned in my story.

Strawberry Fix

Chapter 11: Makes Me Wonder

Present

Monday 2030 hrs

"…It's made of iron, but colored white. Why it is I have no idea. But then again, I don't really like the gray color of iron, so I'm not complaining." Nel kept on talking while Ichigo was staring at the white skull mask-like pendant.

It was propped in such a way that Ichigo could see the whole gem. It was strange, but it looked uncannily like the eyes of the monster that had attacked him. The red garnets with the black center looked awfully like eyes. As Nel talked, she shifted the mask ever so slightly, but that was enough for the light to reflect off the gems. The reflected light made the gems shine, like they were glowing. It was really disconcerting.

"Nel?" Ichigo stopped her in her tracks as she clammed up and looked at him questioningly. "What did you say the necklace was for?"

She gave him an amused look, but the expression in her eyes was anything but. "I didn't. Sure, it's not some beautiful ornamental necklace, but it doesn't do anything out of the ordinary. Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Nothing… but it looks awfully like a face. Seems like an awfully weird design. Imagine if I met someone who had a face just like that." He laughed to pass it off as a joke and to analyze Nel's reaction at the same time.

She was definitely looking uneasy now. "Well, I guess my ancestors must have had some sort of weird taste when they made this. Besides, if you say it's a face, I'd imagine whoever who has a face like this would be pretty unhappy about it. Where are you getting your ideas from?" Yup, she was definitely hiding something. Then, something clicked in Ichigo's mind.

"Have you heard about Giant Feather Grass?" The effect was instantaneous. Her smile disappeared.

"Where did you hear about Giant Feather Grass?" She asked quietly.

"Why? Is it something that I should know about?" Ichigo returned. The way she said it, it sounded like something important.

"It's…" she began before pausing. "Never mind, it's nothing."

"Why don't you try me?" he countered back. "After what I've seen, I believe I can take anything."

"Really? What have you seen to make you say that?"

Ichigo didn't reply immediately. He wondered how much she knew about the monster he'd seen. If so, could she have sent it? If she did, then why would she act like this was the first time seeing her? So he pointed at her pendant, which was still exposed, and simply said, "That. I saw that." He figured she would either come clean or feign ignorance. But what he saw instead was horror as she gasped and looked at him as though he was the plague.

"You saw… That's not possible… But how..." Nel said, but she was having difficulty stringing a sentence together.

"Something attacked me last night. It had the same face as the one on your pendant. Whatever that thing was attacked me. What are you hiding from me Nel?"

"You fought a Hollow and survived? That's not possible…" Nel said. She was staring at him, a blank look on her face, as though someone had fried a brain. Ichigo waited for her to continue. Instead, she motioned to a waiter for the bill. Ichigo began to protest, but she said, "It's not safe to talk here," and did not say anything else.

They didn't exchange another word until they were out of the restaurant. When they left, they began walking in a random direction, with no destination in mind. After a while, Nel said, "Let's rewind back a bit. You said you fought something that had a face that looked like the pattern on my necklace, right?"

"Um… Yeah. It was this big creature more than one half my size. I was up on the roof of the building I'm living in, and it suddenly popped up from the side of the building. I can only assume it climbed."

"And you fought it?" Nel asked again.

"Yeah, I did. Managed to injure it, but not before it hit me too. Then it ran off. So what exactly is this creature I fought?"

"Ok, let me say that I'm not doubting you or belittling you, but it is almost impossible for you to have fought a hollow and survived, much less wound it. Either that or it wasn't a Hollow you fought." There was a slight hint of disbelief in her voice but Ichigo couldn't tell who or what it was directed at.

"Wait, back up a moment," Ichigo said. "What exactly are these Hollows?"

"I really don't see how it's possible… There aren't supposed to be anymore left… A long time ago, it was said that there were some gods who were angry at the creation of man. In response, they created another creature of their own design. It was modeled as the complete opposite of men; bluish black skin, thrives in darkness, and very, very vicious. They were named Hollows because they were soulless creatures who were primitive at best. While men can feel emotions such as happiness or sadness, and can have rationale thoughts, Hollows were given power and strength in place of all this."

"These creatures were placed on Earth to wreck terror amongst the humans, but without the ability to rationalize like men, they were defeated, but not before they wrought losses and indescribable terror among the people. Eventually, they were placed under the control of some monks. They were charged with guarding the creatures and ensuring they did not run havoc. Some people protested against the keeping of the Hollows though. They said that these creatures were too dangerous to be allowed to live."

"It wasn't all rosy though. The monks were believed to have abused their power and used the Hollows as means to viciously kill their enemies. However, with the ability to look darker than even the darkness night, no one could actually prove whenever the rumors were true. They were kept sealed, and over time, those that witnessed the viciousness of the Hollows first-hand died, and the name of the Hollow became mere folklore and a way for mothers to scare their child into obeying. They never knew that such a creature actually exists."

"So how do you know about all this?" Ichigo asked, his mind in danger of going into shock.

"My brother and I supposedly descended from these monks. So in some sense we are like Keepers of the Hollows. However, the last Hollow was said to have been killed when Captain… When a group of soldiers invaded the temple where the Hollows were kept, they discovered the Hollows and managed to wipe them all by setting them up in flames. Only one soldier made it back alive though. Herein lies problem number one. All the hollows were supposed to have been destroyed long ago. None should still exist."

"But I saw it with my own eyes. I even got slashed by it!" Ichigo said as he drew a finger along his chest, marking out the slash he had received.

"You did?" Nel asked with widened eyes. "How bad was it?"

"It's fine, it only scratched the surface," Ichigo said with a dismissive wave. "But you were saying?"

"Oh, right. No Hollows should exist now, but even if one does, there is no way you could have killed or even injured one. First off, they are extremely fast. You shouldn't have been able to keep up."

"Way to dampen my self-worth," Ichigo remarked smugly. "But you seem to have forgotten that I actually could keep up, if not I won't be standing here."

"That's not the point! Hollows can run around 10 times faster than the average human. Which begs another question. How did you injure it? The Hollows are supposed to be near impossible to kill by conventional means. Bullets can wound, but they don't feel a thing. Only iron or fire should have any effect on them. Unless you're telling me you used an iron sword, I really can't see how you managed to injure it."

Ichigo shrugged. "Beats me. I managed to cut through part of its neck with a sword. I wasn't about to stick about and find out how effective it was. But back up a bit. You said that the Hollows are near impossible to kill with conventional mean, so are you telling me that there is a near indestructible creature wondering the streets of Japan in search for its next meal?"

"No, I don't think so. But that brings us to yet another problem. And a serious one at that. The Hollows can be controlled, but to do that, one would need this," she said, pulling out her chain again. "Now as far as I know, my brother and I are the only ones who have this necklace. Besides our grandmother of course. But she's in Spain now so there's no way it can be her. After everything I've heard about the Hollows, I really don't want to ever encounter one. So, unless there's someone else who has a necklace like this, it unfortunately leaves only my brother."

"Wow. Talk about being ungrateful. I help him, and then he wants to kill me."

Nel stopped walking, slightly out of breath, and Ichigo stopped besides her. She turned to him. "I had a nice time tonight Ichigo, but I'm afraid I have to leave now. I need to go have a word with my brother, alone. My brother may be aloof at times, but he never forgets a favor or a slight. If he really did send a Hollow after you, it could have been accidental."

She paused before saying, "You know, I'm surprised at your reaction. With something like this, most people would have either backed away from me or chucked me into a mental hospital. You seem to be taking the news about the existence of Hollows pretty easily."

"Ichigo shrugged and said, "Honestly I still slightly skeptical. But I saw the creature, and I fought with it one on one, so I'd be quite naïve to pass it off as a guy in a frog suit. Right now, your explanation is the only explanation I have, so unless a new one comes along, I would just have to go with what you said."

"I'll get to the bottom of this, don't worry. I can get my brother to talk even if he's usually very quiet. I'll see you soon," Nel said. Then, she kissed him on his cheek before walking off.

"Wait, Nel!" Ichigo called before she could take two steps. She turned. "You didn't answer me; what's Giant Feather Grass for?"

She laughed. "Oh, it's nothing really. Nothing important. I've never even heard of it. Now I really must get going," she said, walking off before Ichigo could stop her. He frowned. Didn't she say it wasn't important? Then she said she'd never heard of it. It definitely didn't sound like nothing to Ichigo. Oh well, he'd worry about that if it ever came up again.

? hrs

Szayel was dressed in a white colored Joe that was popularly worn by the Japanese people in religious activities. He was dressed in the full attire; a peaked cap, outer robe and tunic, undergarments, ballooning trousers and a girdle, all white except for the black cap. In his hand however, was a whip in place of the ceremonial wand.

He slid open the metal door leading into the huge open space he had created specifically for housing the hollows. He stood near the very top of the hold. There was a retractable ladder leading down, but he didn't use that. Instead, there was an elevated platform that he used to travel up and down.

He stood on the platform. It was dark, but he could still make out some of the Hollows down below, roaming the huge iron cage, sleeping, or just minding their own business. He stepped up to the controls on the platform. He turned on the gas of both propane torches on either side of the cage to full blast, creating a soft hissing sound. Then, he turned on the flames, and two huge columns of flame erupted into life. That got the attention of the Hollows closest to the flames, and they shrunk away from the flames.

Unclasping his necklace, Szayel placed it besides him before pressing a button to bring the platform down. The gears rumbled into life, echoing throughout the entire hold as the platform descended slowly. At that point, those Hollows that were not awake did so, and all the Hollows collectively looked up at the platform. Moving closer to the bars, they began chanting "Otosan. Otosan," as the platform got closer to the ground.

Unfurling his whip, Szayel let it hang over the platform, and with a flick of his wrist, a crack sound echoed throughout the entire hold, silencing the Hollows immediately. They knew what this meant. The mother came forward with the youngling in tow. It had already healed, but there was a huge scar on its neck. It moved towards the bars and stood there, its gaze unwavering. The rest moved back and formed a semicircle around the youngling, while the mother stood directly behind it.

As Szayel held the whip in front of him, the young Hollow bowed its head, accepting its punishment. He knew that it would feel nothing, as this would only graze its skin. Yet, it was a way to ensure that he continued to assert dominance over them.

Throwing back the whip, he lashed out twice, each time dealing a long gash on the Hollow's back. Dark blood oozed from the wound, but the Hollow just stood there, unflinching, unfeeling. After that, Szayel stood there, waiting for the Hollow to realize the whipping had stopped. When it finally did, it turned and walked back into the semicircle, joining the ranks of his fellow siblings, leaving the mother standing inside the semicircle. She looked up at Szayel, and he flicked the whip again. She knew what he was implying. The youngling was, after all, hers to be responsible for. Since it failed, she had to be punished too.

She walked forward as the younger hollows seemed to tense as one. Szayel knew perfectly well why. Although Hollows had no feelings or emotions whatsoever, they would still be on edge if someone attacked their mother, much less Szayel. If it had been anyone else, they would have been on him in an instant, but with Szayel, they knew better than to do so. Still, it had to be done.

Taking up the same position as her young had before her, the mother bowed and waited for her punishment to be dealt. Szayel lashed out once, and an echoing crack resounded, but no telltale whip marks appeared on the mother. A few seconds later, she realized he'd stopped. She looked up, but Szayel had already rolled up the whip. It was silent; then the soft chants of "Otosan. Otosan," echoed throughout the hold once more. The mother gazed at Szayel in respect, as he smirked inwardly over his decision.

In the eyes of her young, the mother was supposed to be punished but wasn't, making it seem to them that she was too important to be punished. By not doing so, Szayel had sent out a message – 'It is your responsibility, not your fault,' and hence increasing the regard the Hollows had for him.

He turned off the propane torches, plunging the hold into near darkness, which was a sign for the Hollows that the ceremony was over. They dispersed as Szayel pocketed the whip and pushed a button to send the platform back up to the entrance. As it moved, he reached for his necklace, stumbling slightly while he did, and clasped it around his neck again. Breathing a sigh of relief, he exited the hold, leaving the Hollows on their own until he called on them again.

2245 hrs

Szayel was surprised when he got home to find Nel sitting on a couch and glaring at him as he walked through the door. "Is there some special occasion that has you waiting for me, sis?"

"There damn well is, Szayel, and you know it," Nel said as she advanced on him. "Why did you send a Hollow after Ichigo?"

'Wait,' Szayel thought as he stood there with his expression unwavering. 'Ichigo? I sent the Hollow after Ichigo? Well then I suppose it's a good thing he didn't get killed, but how the hell did he manage to injure it so badly? He's more dangerous than I thought. And more importantly, how does Nel know about the Hollows? I didn't tell her, so is she bluffing?' He had to play it by ear. He had to know how much she knew and at the same time be careful about what he said.

He feigned surprise. "Wait, a Hollow? How is that possible? The Hollows were wiped out long ago and the two of us are the only ones who know how to control them. And why would I want to hurt Ichigo in any way? He has helped me and I am in his debt."

"You said it yourself, Szayel. You and I are the only ones who know how to control them. I want nothing to do with them, so that leaves just you. Are you telling me that you know absolutely nothing? You have always been hell bent on revenge, so I really can't put this past as your doing."

So she really didn't know anything. Relaxing slightly, he said, "I swear I know absolutely nothing. I'm just as surprised as you are. Rest assured I will also get to the bottom of this. If what you say is true and there is someone else involved, there's no telling what he can and will do." Nel didn't seem entirely convinced, but she didn't pursue the matter any further and reclined to her room. Once she was out of sight, Szayel let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Nel was a flaw in his plans. Years of living in the modern world had seen her go soft. She no longer wanted to exact revenge like Szayel did, and he was sure she would no doubt attempt to foil his plans once she figured out what he was up to. That wasn't a worry in itself; he could handle her. It would only delay the inevitable. The one problem was Ichigo, especially if she went running to him.

How in the world did he manage to defeat his Hollow? Sure, it was young and slightly inexperienced, but it would still take someone of an extremely high athletic caliber and strength to be able to deal that much damage to his Hollow. Still, Szayel decided he would overlook this part. He had, after all, done Szayel a favor, and he wasn't one to forget that easily. If he had sent a Hollow after Ichigo, it was only natural he defended himself. But Ichigo was like a ticking bomb in his face. If Szayel wasn't careful, it could just blow up in his face.

Guess it wasn't safe to go back to the barge just yet. He had to wait until Nel was asleep.

2215 hrs

Ichigo reached home, his mind full of questions and little answers. He now had a name to place with the creature that had attacked him, as well as its origins, but something still wasn't right.

He wondered if Nel had been lying to him about how the Hollows originated, but her explanation seemed too incredible to have been thought of on the spot. Also, she had looked genuinely shocked when he had told her about his encounter with the creature. She seemed genuinely worried about him and had looked quite anxious, as if wanting to cart him off to a hospital for a full examination. Also, she did seem very nice, and she'd said she didn't want anything to do with the Hollows…

There were a few things that hadn't been explained. Nel had looked uneasy when he had mentioned the name Kuchiki. Was she hiding something? Or was it mere coincidence? Also, she never really did tell him what the Giant Feather Grass was for.

He wondered about Szayel. Ichigo couldn't tell what he was up to, if anything. The most emotion he had seen Szayel express was gratitude for granting his grandmother's dying wish, not that she was dead. Beyond that, Ichigo didn't know much about Szayel, except that he was a banker, pretty high up the corporate ladder and with a lot of connections too.

Out of nowhere, his mind suddenly flashed to the task he was supposed to be doing; finding Kuchiki Sojun, Rukia's adoptive father. He had been so preoccupied with treatment for his wound and dinner with Nel that he hadn't given much thought about his disappearance.

Kuchiki Sojun had disappeared without a trace, and there was no evidence to suggest that he had ran away on his own. Neither was there any evidence of foul play. The only things that Ichigo could go with were the bottle of wine and that open window on a flat out on the tenth floor. Yeah, even that sounded stupid.

A sudden thought invaded his mind. He laughed at the absurdity of it. Maybe a Hollow climbed through the window and spirited away with Kuchiki Sojun. Yeah, even that sounded stupid. Or was it? What was that theory again? Oh yeah, Occam's Razor. The simplest explanation is often the correct one. Well… That didn't really apply here, but all other simpler theories had already been disproven so… was it possible?

Either way, he ought to investigate Szayel.

2300 hrs

"Hisana, what's with that strange box sitting on the coffee table?" Byakuya asked his wife, who was sitting at the kitchen table and filling out their tax forms. He had only just returned from work and he was very tired. Thankfully Hisana had got off early and could assist him in doing some of the more tedious chores that needed attention, if not he would be up all night just trying to finish it.

She smiled at him. "That strange box you're insulting is the box of Guylian Luxury Belgian Collection. I ordered it last week, remember? I'm glad it's finally here. I'd almost thought they'd forgotten about my order. I wanted to eat it earlier but I guess I must have forgotten all about it." She got up and gave Byakuya a swift kiss before walking over to the coffee table.

Byakuya smiled. Hisana was somewhat of a chocolate fanatic and enjoyed eating the confection, a passion he did not share but didn't stop her from indulging in. She was perfectly fine with any brand of chocolate she could find, but she occasionally liked to pamper herself with some of the more well known brands, and today was no exception.

Hisana unwrapped the package and retrieved the small white box. Opening it, she held it out to Byakuya. "Want one?" She asked. Inside were rows of chocolates with different designs and fillings. Byakuya wouldn't have minded, but he was hungry and he hadn't had time for dinner earlier. So he shook his head. "Oh well, it's your loss," she said with a teasing smile as she took one and popped it into her mouth. A look of satisfaction appeared as she savored the chocolate. "Mmm… that is good," she said as she chewed. "Oh, right. Your dinner's in the wok. It should be hot, I left the flame on for the past 10 minutes."

"Thank you Hisana, I really don't know how I could manage without you," he said as he walked over to the kitchen counter. He could almost smell his wife's lovely cooking.

Hisana smiled as Byakuya dropped the stoic façade he always wore out at work. He may appear cold and calm in public, but when they were alone, he dropped all his masks. Only for her. She sat down across the table from him as he promptly dug into his late, late dinner, popping another piece of chocolate into her mouth as she watched him.

0300 hrs

Hisana awoke with a start. Something had awoken her, but as soon as she did, she forgot what it was. She glanced at Byakuya, who was sleeping next to her. She didn't want to wake him, as he had been very tired and he needed his rest.

She got up as discreetly as she could and exited their bedroom, intending to go to the kitchen and get a glass of water. As she walked along the second floor corridor, she paused when the front door came into view. Or at least, where she was sure the front door was. It was completely pitch black. She could make out the shadows of the decorations and furniture they had, but beyond that, it was completely dark.

Shrugging it off, she tried to move, but found that her legs refused to. What was she so afraid of? There was nothing around. So, she forced her legs to keep moving. But when she reached the top stair, she froze again. She was receiving this weird premonition that walking downstairs would be walking to her doom. She wasn't scared of the dark, but this ridiculous thought had planted itself in her brain and refused to leave, and the idea was scaring her. She hoped nothing would go 'bump,' or she might just suffer a heart attack.

Before she could talk herself out of her childish fears, a horrible smell invaded her nostrils, making her choke. What in the world was that awful smell? It permeated the air, and it seemed to be everywhere, so she couldn't be sure where it was coming from.

She took a few tentative steps down the stairs, pinching her nose to get rid of the awful smell. She paused. Nothing stirred. Gaining a little bit of confidence, she quickened her pace for all of the remaining steps, and then stopped. A horrible wave of dread flowed through her as she felt as if someone was behind her. She didn't dare to look, but she had to.

Praying that it was only Byakuya, she turned slowly. There was… no one behind her. The house was just dark. But before she could breathe a sigh of relief, two glowing red orbs winked into existence at the top of the stairs. She stared at the glowing orbs for a second, but just as she realized she should probably scream, a huge strong hand pressed against her mouth, silencing her. But she couldn't even see her assailant, just a dark shadow in front of her.

The smell resumed its attack on her nose, this time stronger than ever, nearly forcing her to pass out. Maybe that would have been a better option, as she was yanked off her feet. She struggled, feeling the sting of three sharp things pressing against her cheek, but whatever was holding her did not even flinch. She tried her best to scream for Byakuya as she was pulled up the stairs, along the corridor and out the window, but try as she might, she couldn't utter a single word.

Well, the only thing I can say is :P. So there goes Hisana. Is she going to survive? Who knows? Oh wait, I do. But I haven't left any evil cliffhangers yet so this shall be my first, ha!

Ok, I believe there might be some criticism about how Nel opened up about something so important so easily. Well, I did consider dragging it, but that would probably extend my story by a few more chapters so I decided to just get it over with. But then again, Ichigo had already seen a Hollow once, so she couldn't say it didn't exist. Anyway, some extra stuff.

The two main religions in Japan are Buddhism and something called Shintoism. Don't really understand it, but they do wear the robe I dressed Szayel in for ceremonies, minus the whip of course.

Occam's Razor is, in a nutshell, 'The simplest answer is often correct.' I always thought it meant 'after eliminating all other possibilities, the remaining one, no matter how absurd, is the right one.' I don't know if it really means the same thing, but I already put it down before I checked up on it, so I changed it slightly and it stays there for now, unless someone can tell me the exact name I'm looking for. That'll be great.

Guylian calls themselves the world's favorite Belgian chocolate. Is that so? I don't think I've come across it before, although I'm pretty sure they sell it in my country.

Like I said, I shall leave you with this evil cliffhanger until my next update, which will be 3 days instead of 2! Wow... such hardcore evil...

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, and please review once again. Thanks and till the next update!