Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
Arc Three – Return of the lost
There were no other words for it. Ichigo was sulking. It had been a few days since he had come back, and he was already getting restless.
"But I want to go and see the squad!" Ichigo complained, crossing his arms childishly over his chest.
Rukia rolled her eyes, glaring at him. "Ichigo, Captain Unohana said no, and that I have permission to beat you back into bed if you try anything."
Ichigo glared at her, but he couldn't be to angry. Rukia had been besides him as much as she could during his recovery time, even going so far as to being some of her work with her when she came by.
He looked over his body for a second, analysing it. A lost of his wounds had healed, though Unohana had told him that at least a few would leave scars. Ichigo wasn't bothered, he already had his fair share from after his fighting in the soul-society, and a few courtesy of the Espada. He was even proud of a few of them, most of all the one below his heart, where Rukia had stabbed him.
The only wound still bothering him was his arm, which was tender as the skin was still repairing, and his blood had yet to replenish.
"Can you at least tell me how things are going in the squad?" Rukia smiled inwardly. Ichigo had become more attached to his squad before he left, and his months absence was not sitting well with him. 'Like a true Captain'She thought, proudly.
"I've told you before, everything has bee fine. In fact we barely noticed that you were gone." Ichigo scowled.
"Fine. How has work been?"
"There hasn't been that much, aside from the extra for you." Ichigo scowled and grumbled slightly. He had been a bit miffed to find that he had been pronounced dead in his absence, and had to confirm that he was, indeed, still alive.
"Wait a little next time, I don't want to tell you I'm alive again." Rukia's features softened and she looked away.
"Don't let there be another time then." Ichigo turned his head towards her.
"There won't be, the bastard just got a cheap shot on me." Rukia smirked, Ichigo hadn't had any bad side effects from his...trip that she had seen yet, though he hadn't told them exactly what had happened yet.
"You better make sure, I'm not covering your work next time." Ichigo smirked back at her, and held her gaze for a few seconds longer . After a few moments they both looked away, blushing slightly.
They hadn't discussed the kiss, in fact they had actively avoided the topic. There had been a few awkward moments, but both decided to just pass it off as a friendly kiss...for now. Ichigo ran his healing hand through his hair, wincing slightly.
The tension was broken by an unexpected cry. "ICHIGOOOOO!" Ichigo widened his eyes in horror as an all too familiar figure burst into the room.
"What the-" He was cut off by his own yelp of pain as his father landed on his chest.
"Too slow boy, even when healing you should be-" He was cut of by Ichigo's fist slamming him into the wall besides the door.
"You bastard, what kind of father does that!" Rukia was surprised, she had seen the Kurosaki family...traditions, but didn't expect him to do it when Ichigo was injured.
"You're getting old to let my pupil beat you Isshin." Yoruichi smacked him on the head as she walked past, Urahara following with his cane over his shoulder.
Isshin sniffed, fake tears steaming down his face. "I have taught him well." Yoruichi rolled her eyes and sat down next to Rukia, leaning back as Urahara stood on her other side.
"Well, well, well, you're not looking to hot Ichigo." Ichigo scowled back at Urahara, the older man grinning slightly fro underneath his hat.
"You try being tortured for a month and then we can compare injuries." Rukia's eyes widened and she started, glaring at Ichigo.
"You never told us you had been tortured!" Ichigo winced and the two older men chuckled.
Isshin rose from the floor, looking pityingly at Ichigo. "Bad mistake son, never keep information from your future wi-" Rukia silenced him this time, not sparing him a glance as he flew, head-first, into the wall for a second time that day
"Not the time. Now, tell me exactlywhat happened out there Ichigo." The young shinigami Captain cowered under her fierce gaze, looking over to his mentors for support, only to see Urahara and Yoruichi grinning at him.
Exhaling he looked away from Rukia as he answered. "I was captured, and the hollow: Telior, came every day to play his 'games'." Rukia's face was steeled into passiveness, but Ichigo saw worryin her eyes.
"What kind of games did the two of you enjoy?" Urahara asked, his own face grim.
Ichigo waved his hand in dismissal. "Oh you know, he liked to torture me. He said he wanted to see how long it took to break me without killing me. After that he...killed me I suppose." Despite the flippancy of his tone, Rukia saw the loathing that was flaming in his eyes. She was surprised that this was all that had happened, after a month of pain all he emerged with was hatred of his captor.
"You've shown tremendous will power Ichigo, to emerge from such an event mentally unscathed." Urahara's light tone smiling down at Ichigo.
He just shrugged and relaxed back into his bed. Rukia moved forward slightly, putting a hand tentatively on his shoulder. He looked up at her in surprise, and looked into her soft eyes. He quickly looked away, suppressing a smile.
"Do you remember how you got free?" Yoruichi questioned, her curious golden eyes resting on him.
Ichigo frowned, hearing his hollow relay, with great enthusiasm, how he had freed him. After a few moments listening to the gory description, he shut the hollow off and turned his attention back to the four waiting in his room.
"According to my hollow 'Shirosaki now!'yeah, yeah." The looked at him strangely and Ichigo elaborated. "He wants to be called Shirosaki now. Anyway, apparently he took control of my body and killed him after Telior took me out of the bindings to gain my reiatsu."
Urahara raised his eyes, looking with interest at Ichigo, like he was a new experiment. "Oh, so he has given himself a name now, did anything else happen between you whilst you were in Hueco Mundo?"
Ichigo glared at the scientist, certain that he always knew more than he let on. "You could say that, he and I reached an...agreement." They waited expectantly and Ichigo continued. "Basically, he has agreed to re-merge his power with Zangetsu, in exchange I have to give him some free time in Hueco Mundo every now and then."
Rukia got up in anger, looking down on him angrily. "Are you crazy Ichigo? We are shinigami, we can't let a powerful hollow loose to devour souls, I-" He cut her of, glaring angrily.
"I'm not that stupid Rukia, I will be watching and he has to finish them off using Zangetsu." The two continued to glare at each other until Urahara interrupted.
"As much as I enjoy your arguments, Ichigo, would I be correct in saying that this is why Zangetsu can now be sealed?" Ichigo nodded, looking at the katana propped against the wall.
"Yes, Zangetsu explained the restoration of his true power to me, and said that I would also be able to seal him now that my powers are working in unison." Urahara tilted his head in consideration.
Bringing his fan out he waved it gently back and fourth. "Do you know how this will affect your power?"
Ichigo frowned and looked at the blade. "Zangetsu said that I will maintain the ability to use my hollow abilities separately, but that my Shikai and Bankai will have changed slightly, both growing more powerful. He also advised that I practice with both, but be wary of my Bankai, as I will need time to truly master it now, since before I was fused with him and didn't need to."
Urahara nodded in interest, his eyes flicking to the sword. "Hmm, I will look forward to that. You growing in power is a fearsome thought indeed." Rukia cracked a smile.
"Renji won't be happy, he thinks you are too powerful as it is." Ichigo snorted in dismissal.
"Whatever, the guys got way more experience." Urahara's mischievous eyes turned to Rukia, giving her a look over.
"What about you miss Kuchiki, I know that you had been training before Ichigo was promoted." Ichigo looked at Rukia curiously, who frowned slightly.
"I've been focusing on my Zanjutsu, also I...I've been trying to talk to my Zanpakuto again." Rukia was almost embarrassed to admit it, she knew she wasn't as skilled as her friends. Ichigo surprised her by grinning widely at her.
"Really? That's great Rukia!" Rukia smiled back at him.
"You think so?" Even if it was Ichigo, she hadn't expected him to be so enthusiastic.
Ichigo rolled his eyes, Rukia was the most self-deprecating person he knew."Of course, in fact I know just the person to help you."
Rukia widened her eyes in surprise, leaning forward in expectation. "Really, who?"
Ichigo chuckled, and saw Urahara smiled behind her. "It's a Captains job to teach his Lieutenant isn't it?"
Rukia blinked, looking at him. "You?" It came out like an insult and Ichigo scowled, looking away.
"Well, I'm sorry if I'm not good enough, midget." Rukia glared back at him.
"Don't call me a midget, you oversized strawberry! I was just surprised you wanted to help." Ichigo looked at her with a confused expression.
"Why wouldn't I want to help?" Rukia shrugged slightly, she hadn't thought that he would be able to , considering the way he got his power.
Ichigo sighed, smirking as he remembered what Sode no Shirayuki had told him. "By the way, your sword wanted me to tell you to stop closing yourself off to her, otherwise you will never be able to release her true power."
Rukia's eyes widened in shock and Urahara chuckled softly. "Deary me Kuchiki, you should know that to truly be a shinigami you must work in complete unison with your Zanpakuto, baring your soul to each other."
Rukia turned to glare at the shopkeeper for a second, but was more interested in what Ichigo had said. "How did you talk to Sode no Shirayuki?"
Ichigo gulped, he hadn't been looking forward to telling her this. "Uh, well when my hollow took over I was forced out of my body for a moment because of the amount of hollow reiatsu."
Urahara leaned forward with his eyes shining with unbridled interest. He raised his hand to comment but was stopped by Yoruichi who grabbed his hat and threw it out of a window.
"No, my trademark hat!" Urahara ran out of the room, Yoruichi rolling her eyes and Isshin chuckling at his friend.
"Carry on Ichigo." Yoruichi said, settling in to watch, what she hoped, would be fireworks.
"Uh, right. So in that short space of my mind kinda latched onto the most familiar thing, and we have had our reiatsu's linked by the transfers of power we have shared, so I ended up in your inner world-" Rukia cut him off by punching his arm in irritation.
"Idiot, didn't you think that was an important point!" Ichigo scowled, rubbing his bruised arm.
"Not really, but I guessed you would be irritated by it." Yoruichi chuckled , looking with amusement at the two.
"You might not know Ichigo, but part of a shinigami marriage, or 'soul bonding' is to give each other access to the others inner world that's why Rukia is so angry." Ichigo's glare faltered, a guilty look crossing his features.
Rukia continued to glare at him, also hiding her embarrassment that he might have heard...anything that she had thought. "Exactly, at least tell me you didn't mess about in there you fool?"
Ichigo snickered, but was silenced by a glare from Rukia. "Jeez, don't be so serious. When I got there, the weather was terrible but Sode no Shirayuki found me and took me to some cave. After that we chatted for a bit and then she put me to sleep to recover my reiatsu before I returned to my inner world to fight my hollow."
Rukia eyes him suspiciously, but didn't argue. 'I take it he isn't lying?'She questioned mentally.
'I think you would know if he was, Rukia.'The gentle voice replied and Rukia agreed silently, she could usually read him well after all.
'So is what he is saying true, am I not open with you?'She questioned timidly. She was proud of her Zanpakuto, and didn't want to hear that she had been neglecting it in any way.
Sode no Shirayuki sighed slightly. 'I'm afraid I told him the truth Rukia. You locked yourself away after you lost your mentor, and that boy. Ichigo. He has helped you but you need to completely open yourself and stop hiding things in the depths of your mind from me."
Rukia replied, almost sounding desperate. 'What do you mean? I haven't tried to shut you out!'
'Maybe not intentionally, but when you lock your feelings away, you lock yourself away from me. Now let it go, the past will always be there, but the future can only be dark if you dwell in it.' Rukia nodded, ignoring everyone else in the room.
'I will, Sode no Shirayuki. I will not fail you."She felt the Zanpakuto smile and her happiness soared at the thought of truly connecting with her sword.
"Yo, Rukia? You in there?" Ichigo asked, snapping his fingers in front of her. Moments later he was back against the bed, Urahara's cane having knocked him down.
"Now, now Ichigo. You should know when someone is talking to their Zanpakuto, you have enough conversations with the assorted spirits in your head. My guess would be that her blade is explaining your story to Rukia." Ichigo scowled back at him, barely listening.
"What the hell? Don't throw your sword at me!" Urahara chuckled, taking back the cane that was flung in his direction.
"This? This is but a humble cane, Ichigo." Ichigo responded by throwing an empty box of bandages at him, which the shopkeeper quickly dodged, slipping next to Isshin and Yoruichi.
"How long have you been listening, Kisuke?" The ex-Captain pondered it for a moment.
"Until I thought I could come back in without being beaten or having something of mine stolen." Yoruichi smirked and Isshin gave him a high five.
"I know what you mean, the youth today can be so violent." Isshin answered giving Ichigo what was supposed to be a sympathetic face. Needless to say he would have been punched if Ichigo had not been injured and the door had not opened at that moment.
"Captain!" He turned to see a group of shinigami looking excited at the entrance, and quickly noticed that they were from his squad.
"Yo guys, 'sup?" A few chuckled and were about to enter the room before they saw that he had company.
"Uh, we could come back later if you want, sir?" Ichigo waved it off, pointing to an unoccupied bit of space in his room.
"Nah, just ignore these guys aside from Rukia." At this Isshin started face crying and ran to his side, kneeling down besides him.
"Oh cruel fate, why does my son not want to tell his friends about his daddy!" Ichigo growled and tried to punch him, only to have him scoot away chuckling.
"Nice try son, but too slow. You are setting a bad example for your squad!"
The members of the squad blinked I surprise at the exchange, looking at Rukia for explanation. Rukia had just sat still after her discussion with Sode no Shirayuki, and was now watching the fighting pair with amusement.
Since it was clear she was not going to explain this, the recently promoted 4th seat looked at the mad man with a haori of some description. " Y-you are Captain Kurosaki's father?"
Isshin grinned and strode up to the group, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yep, I'm Isshin Kurosaki and that lunk-head is my son." Ichigo growled but was unable to reach the man to shut him up.
His fourth seat blinked then bowed deeply, the rest of the squad following his lead. "It's an honour to meet you mr. Kurosaki. I am Fourth seat of squad five, Azumi Kochi." Isshin looked over the woman. She was average height with long brown hair tied up in a bun.
The next member introduced themselves: "Hey, I'm 8th seat Katsuo Tamaku." He had short, spikey black hair, one side slightly longer than the other.
The final member of the trio glared at Katsuo. "Don't be so impolite to a senior! Hello sir, I am Yasu Endo, 11th seat of squad five." The second female had shoulder length blonde hair, and had been the one that spoke out against him after his...drunken acts. Needless to say her attitude had changed quickly and she was the type of person who always stuck to formality's.
Isshin chuckled at them, giving them each another look over. "Not a bad lot of squad members you got here, at least you got some eye candy-" Rukia cut him off by punching him in the face.
"God, thanks for that Rukia." Ichigo groaned, already wanting to fall into his blankets and die from embarrassment.
Rukia smirked back at him. "No problem, as your Lieutenant I will do your job when you are indisposed."
Ichigo chuckled back, deciding to push his luck. "Oh? You know I am rather thirsty." Rukia deadpanned in response.
"Don't push it strawberry." Ichigo huffed and turned around as he heard a noise. Urahara and Yoruichi had risen and Urahara had picked up a self-conscious Isshin and flung him over his shoulder.
"Are you guys going?" Ichigo asked, almost sad to see them go. They were at least always...interesting to be about.
Yoruichi turned and smirked at him. "Yep, we can't stay for long anyway. Besides, being around all these kids is making us feel old...even if we don't look it." She shot Ichigo a wink. "You can attest to that, ne Ichigo?"
She and Urahara chuckled as they left the room, leaving a red-faced Ichigo and a room of shinigami looking at him with eyebrows raised. Katsuo was the one to break the silence with a whistle. "You banged her? Nice one man, you know how to pick the ladies, first Kuchiki then her-"
He was cut off by Ichigo throwing a clock at his head, fuming. "Shut up! I didn't do anything like that, Yoruichi just like to screw about..." He stopped when he realised what he had said, noticing the surprised expressions on the two females, and the angry one on Rukia's.
'Why is she angry?'He wondered vaguely, before correcting himself. "No wait, what I mean is that she just likes to get me hot and-" Rukia finally bust, jealous anger that she didn't know she was capable of erupting.
"What!" Ichigo cowered in his bed, waving his arms franticly at her.
"Please listen, nothing like that! She just wants to embarrass me. I'm sure she's with hat and clogs, I've heard them flirting." Ichigo prayed that he wouldn't have to deal with the wrath of an angry Rukia now, he wasn't in his best shape.
Rukia huffed and sat down, grossing her arms and looking away. She didn't know what had come over her, but the thought of Ichigo with Yoruichi was...disturbing. It made her angry, and she almost wished the woman was still here for her to- 'Kuchiki, you are a KUCHIKI!'Rukia shouted in her mind, trying to calm down.
Ichigo looked at her for a moment before he looked back to his squad officers. "So, why are you guys here?"
"Yasu wanted to check that you were alive and well! Also to check you out." Katsuo piped up again, slowly getting up from the floor. To which he was promptly knocked back down to by a flustered Yasu.
"I did not! I, um, that is to say...we wanted to ask about the little girl you brought back!" She thought quickly. Distasteful as she found his brash manners, she couldn't deny his body but would be damned if she told him that.
Rukia glared at the girl, which Ichigo was oblivious too as he responded. "Nel? Retsu said that she would take care of her since she was already doing something with Yachiru. It shouldn't be long until the paperwork clears though, since the old man...grudgingly agreed and central 46 can say what they want."
Rukia stopped glaring at Yasu and turned to him. "What paper work, Ichigo?"
Ichigo blinked at her and cocked his head to the side slightly. "Haven't I told you about this?"
"No, now tell me." Rukia demanded, getting impatient..
Ichigo scowled back at her. "Yeah, yeah midget I will." He ignored her glared and continued. "After an, apparently heated, discussion on my behalf by Rangiku, and to a lesser extent Renji, Old man Yamamoto has decided to let her stay here in the Seireitei."
"And?" Rukia asked, still wondering what he hadn't told her about.
"And she is in the form of a little girl with that mentality most of the time, like Yachiru, so I've done the only thing I could to keep her permanently safe." Everyone looked at him in confusion and he clarified.
"I've filled out the forms to adopt her officially." There was silence as everyone took in the news, Rukia being the first to break out of the trance.
"Ichigo..." She said softly, not really sure what to say. He was only eighteen after all, nearing nineteen but still barely a man legally. On top of that he had duties as a Captain, and a shinigami.
"Listen Rukia, just listen to me for a moment." She hesitated but nodded, watching as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Nel is still just a kid Rukia, no matter how old she is. Kenpachi is as good as Yachiru's father as well! She may have been a hollow but that just makes me want to help her more, she spent long years of her life in loneliness, and she doesn't like violence, so imagine what knowing that you are a creation of violence does to her!" His voice was raising now as his eyes burned with passion and sorrow.
"No one deserves that, least of all a little girl. I left her in Hueco Mundo Rukia, I won't let her get into that situation again, I won't leave her alone." He finished in a whisper, and Rukia knew that face. It was his guilty face, no matter what he still felt guilty about leaving Nel in Hueco Mundo without getting her out of there somehow.
Rukia smiled and looked at him for a second...before punching him in the face. Ichigo snapped to one side, balancing comically for a moment then falling out of his bed, landing in a heap on the floor, with the other shinigami watching in shock.
"What the hell, Rukia!" He shouted, trying to untangle the bed sheets.
"I needed to wipe that pathetic look of your face Ichigo, you always let your guilt get the best of you!" He blinked and looked up at her, the small form towering over his crumpled one.
"But I-" She glared at him and kicked him in the stomach.
"Did you forget that I was an orphan Ichigo? I know how much this will mean to her, even if Nii-sama was cold at first I still loved him and was thankful that he had taken me into his family. You have done a good thing Idiot, I was just thinking about if you had truly thought it through?"
Ichigo was helped back onto his bed by the squad officers and moved about, trying to relax. "Yeah I have, even though Nel is a kid in body and mind to some extent she's not stupid. She is stronger than the Lieutenants if she needs to be so she wouldn't be in much danger if I had to leave urgently, besides no one at the squad will harm her." He looked at the officers who all nodded, Katsuo taking a few seconds to register the question.
Rukia sighed and sat back down next to him. "That's not what I meant. What about food and the other things that a child needs? You can't be with her all day to entertain her, you have work to do."
Ichigo scoffed slightly and waved his hand in dismissal. "I've got plenty of money, she doesn't need to eat souls any more so it's not an issue. As for entertainment...I have a squad at my disposal and hopefully a certain pink-haired Lieutenant will become friends with her."
Rukia smirked slightly, not used to Ichigo actually planning something out. "So that's why she's out with Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Yachiru?"
Ichigo smirked back and nodded. "Yup, she needs to make some friends here...that reminds me, you will have to help me take care of her at the office."
Rukia blinked back at him then snorted. "You expect me to? Nel is not some pet you can buy then pass of to another." She felt his reiatsu spike in anger and grimaced internally for her surprising lack of tact.
"I know that,what I mean is that you have experience with children from when you were in Rukongai. I have Karin and Yuzu but I've never had to take care of a much younger child." Rukia sighed and nodded her head in acceptance.
"Fine, I will help you as much as I can. I'd rather Nel didn't end up like his father." Rukia joked, smirking at him. Ichigo glared back at her.
"Well at least she wouldn't have a stick at her ass like your brother, I don't want to know how you will influence the poor child's mind."
Their fight was interrupted as Retsu Unohana opened the door, her aura effectively silencing them all.
"I don't think this shouting is helping you heal, Captain Kurosaki." She said in her creepy way, causing Ichigo to gulp and Rukia to shrink back slightly. She looked around to the officers of his squad, who quickly made themselves scarce without so much as a goodbye, not wanting to face her if she was angry their Captain could deal with that one.
"Itsigo!" Her aura disappeared as Nel popped up from one side of her shoulder, smiling widely.
"Hey Nel, did you have a good-"
"Hey there, Icchi, and shorty!" Rukia sweat dropped at her new nickname from the Lieutenant who was hanging on the Captains other shoulder.
Ichigo lifted a hand in a wave. "Hey Yachiru, have you and Nel had fun?" Nel nodded her head vigorously and Yachiru beamed.
"Yes! Nel has had lots of fun with Yachi, she even gave me something!" Ichigo raised his eyebrow but watched as the young girl pulled herself over Unohana's shoulder and hopped to the ground, revealing her prize.
Ichigo's eyes widened as he saw what she was wearing: a shinigami shihakusho. It fitted her loosely much like her old robes, and a scrap of them still remained, hung around her neck and down in what looked like the remnants of her hood.
"Wow Nel, you look...like a shinigami!" 'Aside from the mask'He thought to himself, not wanting to ruin it as she smiled widely.
"Yup, now Nel can stay here with Itsigo because she is like him!" Ichigo chuckled at her reasoning and was about to reach over to tell her the good news before Captain Unohana spoke up.
"We all had a good time Ichigo, but there is something else I would like to tell you." Ichigo looked up at the woman, who seemed to be genuinely smiling at him.
"Yeah?" He asked, guiding Nel over to Rukia, who looked down at her in surprise.
"Can Wukia pick Nel up?" The girl questioned, almost shyly. Rukia blinked in surprise, but then smiled warmly down at her and did as she asked, setting the small girl in her lap.
Unohana watched this interaction but then turned back to Ichigo. "The Captain-commander said that he will see you tomorrow, it seems he is interested in exactly what you want to do since I only told him you wished to ask him something important yesterday."
Yachiru hopped up next to Nel and started playing with the girl in Rukia's lap, the two throwing small sweets at each other. Rukia just sighed as she sat in the crossfire, trying to listen to the other adults rather than the noises of a child and a just-teen.
"Good, I will at least be able to move without pain by then. Do you think he will agree?" Ichigo asked, wondering what the older woman thought of his new plan, now that Nel had been all-but confirmed, but this was much bigger.
Unohana smiled genuinely at the boy, truly happy at what he was going to try and do. It wasn't every Captain that would try and do something like this so soon, if ever. But if anyone could, he could.
"I think you are doing a very good thing Ichigo, and it is long overdue. I think the Captain-commander knows this, so will agree to see if it is feasible. Be warned that you may have to play hard to get through to him and show that you have what it takes though." Ichigo smirked at this, glad that the much older woman had confidence in his idea.
"Don't worry, I know how to show the old guy I'm not messing about."
Rukia scowled as she caught bits of the quiet conversation, wondering what was going on. Ichigo was going to see the Captain-commander tomorrow...
'...but why?'
(A/N) I know, I know, you wanted more IchiRuki-ness, but rest assure it is in later chapters. Relationships (especially with people like Ichigo and Rukia) need more than one spark to start the fire. Or so I've heard, I can't really comment :P
I really like this chapter, it was fun to write! Also I've introduced more characters, I swear I already have to many but there you go. The more people who are introduced to Isshin's madness the better?
Yes we are going straight into the next arc! It's growing at the moment since I'm getting ideas as I write it and hope you will enjoy it! No time for respite just yet, Ichigo's on a mission :P
Thanks again for all the reviews! I was so very happy with the amount for this chapter :) I'm hoping we can get to 300 reviews before the story hits 100,000 words :P what do you say? Maybe I should offer something to the person that manages to get there before 100,000?
Meh, I'll think about it xD for now your reviews really do motivate me to write more! Perfect example is that the chapter I just finished (25) is the longest I've written :) The chapter length does vary though so sorry about that!