A/N: A large group to thank for reviews. Rukia's Reflection, nana6906, Amaterasu Ai, Araiana J'Lee Lovings, bcsaturdai, JaKiwi, Sky Dragon155, Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky, theaCoi, Umayar, famartin, CharmedNightSkye, Assault Godzilla, and okami11235. And thank you to everyone who put this or its author on their lists.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Tite Kubo et al.

Saying I Will

Not This Again

Ichigo rose with the sun, getting ready for his morning shift at the café. Kon snored loudly as ever on the other side of the bed but the daiko didn't have the heart to shut him up. The mod soul had been working hard to keep up with Ichigo's studies and deserved to sleep in for once. Classes were only going to get harder and by the time the orange haired freshman had enough power to separate from his body, he would be relying heavily on Kon for keeping his grades up.

Checking on Rukia, he found her asleep, Chappy in a near strangle hold. Padding into the room, he carefully dislodged his girlfriend's arm and freed the rabbit plushy. The mod soul wheezed briefly before thanking him in a near whisper. Neither the action nor the sounds of the quiet conversation disturbed Rukia.

Taking the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely shower, Ichigo dressed and made himself a small breakfast of rice and eggs. Drinking his tea in a hurry, he returned to Rukia's room to leave her a note before grabbing his wallet and keys and heading out the door. He walked sedately to his job, trying without much luck to place his friends' reiatsus. Obviously only Rukia's spiritual pressure was registering at the moment. Most likely because he was so familiar with it and had once housed her power within him.

Shrugging off the matter for the moment, Ichigo set to work with the usual morning lack of enthusiasm and had only been on the clock for an hour before he figured out that something was up. Whispers flew around the room and he caught just enough to have him tripping over his own feet.

"Who is the man with the long white hair?"

Long white hair? No, it couldn't be… Glancing to the other side of the café, he spotted a familiar face and choked. "Ukitake-san?" he blurted out, stopping in his tracks.

"Ah, Ichigo-kun, I wondered when you would notice. How is my favorite non-seated daiko?"

As far as he was aware, he was the only Shinigami daiko at present but didn't voice the thought. "Okay. What brings you here?" He respected Ukitake, perhaps more than any other Shinigami captain but that didn't mean he enjoyed having him here.

"Several things, actually. Don't let me interfere with your work. We can talk after you're done. I'll just sit here and enjoy a nice, peaceful cup of tea." The word "quiet" was left out of the description but Ichigo understood the older man's meaning. Sentaro and Kiyone often made for a stressful environment.

"Ah, sure. There isn't anyone else hanging around that I should know about, is there?" He hadn't felt the captain's reiatsu but he had mostly likely been shielding it on purpose.

"Well, as to that…" Ukitake flushed guiltily. He hoped the younger man wouldn't be angry.

"Ichigo!" The freshman whipped around at his name and almost didn't have time to brace himself. A large chested woman engulfed him in a hug and he inhaled sharply. Long, curly green hair clashed with Ichigo's orange spikes.

"Neliel-san. I haven't seen you since before the end of the war. How are you?"

"Excellent. I came across Ukitake-taicho while patrolling and he mentioned that you were getting your powers back and when I said that I wanted to visit, he insisted on accompanying me. You know, because I'm a high ranking Arrancar and all."

"I see." At least the older man's presence made sense now. "Ah, Neliel-san, I have work to do. Can we visit afterwards?"

"Of course." Cheerful as ever, the seemingly young woman took her place across from Ukitake and began drinking tea while reading a book.

"Not this again…" Ichigo muttered, going back to the kitchen to put in an order. Honestly, did the Soul Society have a sixth sense for knowing when he was going to take Rukia out on a date? Or were they just spying on them again?

"Kurosaki-kun!" his manager hailed, a grin spreading across his face. The college senior looked downright blissful. "Tell me you know that beautiful woman's number."

It's three… Ichigo thought immediately but didn't say so out loud. "Ah, sorry, no. She never gave it to me." What else was he supposed to say? I'm sorry but she lives in a different dimension than you do and they don't have phones there?

"You wouldn't by any chance be able to get it, would you?"

"Probably not," Ichigo answered. "Her grandfather is pretty strict about who she interacts with," he went on, shamelessly referring to Ukitake.

"That's too bad. You know, for a moment there I thought you and she had a thing."

"Are you kidding? Rukia would have my head if I looked at another woman." Speaking of the midget, she should be on her way any moment now that Neliel had appeared.


Rukia shot up in bed, her instinct for survival registering the fact that there was a dangerous hollow around. On closer inspection, she found that it was an Arrancar. "Crap, Chappy, wake up. There's an Arrancar near Ichigo."

"I'm up," the mod soul replied.

The raven haired Shinigami became even more concerned when she felt her captain's reiatsu in the same location and Ishida's quickly leaving the complex across the street. "Let's go."


Ishida waited only long enough to pull on clothes before grabbing his things and racing out the door. While he ran, he called Orihime as she was the one closest to their friend. He felt the captain of Rukia's squad but didn't know anything about him other than that the man was sickly. Now would not be the time for the man to succumb to his illness.

"Orihime…" he began when his girlfriend picked up.

"I feel it, Uyruu. It feels kind of familiar though. I'll meet you at the café."

"Right."


Orihime dropped the phone on its cradle and finished dressing in a hurry. She quickly stuck her hair pins in their usual place, not caring about the noise she was making. Her roommate could put up with it this time. Racing out the door, she barely remembered to shut it, locking the other woman in.

"I'm coming Kurosaki-kun…"


The three friends came to a screeching halt in the doorway of the café. They stared at the long haired captain and Arrancar calmly enjoying a cup of tea together. Ichigo waved to them, obviously not concerned about the two powerful beings.

"Taicho…"

"Neliel-san…"

"What is going on?" Ishida looked between the Shinigami and the Arrancar.

"Che, they came to visit," Ichigo explained and kept on working. Shrugging, he cleaned one table and took the order of another. "You all might as well join Ukitake-san and Neliel-san."

"Sure…" The Soul Society and Hueco Mundo are going to drive me insane, Ishida thought and sat next to the captain. The war might have been over but the Quincy doubted he'd ever be left alone by the two dimensions while he was still alive. And after his death, he'd just have one headache after another.

Rukia smiled at the Arrancar, knowing from what Orihime had told her during that long, anxious month after Ichigo went into his coma that Neliel had helped Ichigo immensely during their time in Hueco Mundo. "Hello, Neliel-san. I never got to thank you for helping Ichigo."

"It was my pleasure, Kuchiki-san. He helped me too. I wouldn't have been able to return to my adult form if I hadn't met him."

"His reiatsu has that effect," Ishida said ironically. "It seems to create powers in other spiritually aware people and strengthen it in others who already have powers."

"I see." A frown formed on her face, a thought occurring to her that she didn't share. Looking at Ukitake, he shook his head, indicating that they could discuss it later. "Well, I'm glad, whatever the reason. So, what do you have planned for the day?" The green haired woman looked around the table with a hopeful face.

"Ah, well…" Rukia began.

"I have homework, Neliel-san…" Orihime frowned, wishing to spend time with the woman who had saved her life at one time.

"As do I," Ishida seconded. The last thing he wanted to do was play babysitter or tour guide to an ex-Espada. Not that he had anything against the woman.

"Oh… I had hoped…"

"I am sure that Ichigo-kun and Rukia-chan can spend time with you, Neliel-san," Ukitake soothed. He knew that she had been looking forward to spending time with the war heroes.

"Sure…" Rukia said hesitantly.

"Goodie!" she exclaimed, her soft voice taking on a childish lilt.

A sharp dip in her reiatsu let everyone know that something was about to happen. "Neliel-san…" Orihime said, knowing what was about to occur as she'd seen it once before. The ex-Espada made a fast dash out of sight and reappeared as a child moments later. "Oh, dear."

"Nel!" Ichigo blinked at the child version of the Arrancar. She was no longer a toddler but her head still came no higher than the middle of his thigh.

"Ichigo!" she exclaimed again, as if she was seeing him for the first time in a long time. Nel still slurred the second syllable of his name. "Nel came to play."

Feeling the sweat gather on his brow, Ichigo just nodded. "Go sit with Ukitake-san, Nel. I'll be done in a little while." The women around cooed at the "little girl;" sighing at his gentle handling of who they thought was a kid.

Ichigo finished his shift almost silently, trying in vain to ignore the gathering of friends in the corner. Once outside, he turned to Ukitake. The older captain smiled, pulling out another practice sword from the bag he had been carrying around. "Try not to break it, Ichigo-kun."

"I see; thanks. Is there any other reason you came?"

"I came to see for myself your progress and to apologize for my colleagues' interference last weekend." Ukitake smiled at the couple. "Rukia-chan is sending reports nearly every day on your reiatsu level but I am interested in how you were able to use kido so effortlessly."

"It wasn't that easy," Ichigo returned.

"Indeed," Ishida agreed. "Kurosaki passed out almost immediately after using the Shakkaho." The group of five walked sedately back to Ichigo and Rukia's apartment.

"Still, most Academy students can't complete a level one spell on the first try, never mind a level thirty-one."

Nel nodded, clutching Ichigo's hand. "My cero was hard to learn too."

"I guess I'm just a genius," the orange haired "prodigy" bragged, neatly side stepping the elbow that was aimed his way.

"Sure, you are." Ishida snickered, his hand reaching for Orihime's arm. "We'll leave you four here. Enjoy the rest of the day." The archer and flower wielder crossed the street, the others continuing on.

Ichigo opened the door for Rukia and their guests, forgetting Kon. Chappy had gone with Rukia but had stayed silent the entire time. "Nee-san…!" The plush toy was immediately crushed, much to Nel and Ukitake's confusion.

"Sorry about that," Ichigo apologized. "That's Kon, my mod soul. Rukia got him when I was first a Shinigami so that I wouldn't miss class and my family wouldn't find my empty body lying around."

"I see, interesting."

"Nee-san, why does Chappy always get to go with you?"

"Chappy?"

"My mod soul. Urahara made her for the same reason Ichigo used Kon." Chappy came out of the bag Rukia had on her back and chirped.

"So cute!" Nel yelled. She clapped and grabbed the rabbit. Rukia nodded and they left to go talk about the virtues of Chappy the rabbit.

Ichigo sighed, scratching the back of his head before offering a seat to the captain. "I was going to take her out on a date, sir," he said, going into the kitchen to make tea.

"I am sorry to intrude but I did want to check on you and Rukia-chan. She's much happier here with you than she was the last couple of years. Neliel-san's insistence of course made it a necessity to come." The older man watched Ichigo's eyes gaze off into the distance. "You seemed to be in much better spirits too, Ichigo-kun."

"Huh? Yeah, I am. I really missed Rukia." A blush tinted the younger Shinigami's cheeks. "Guess that's pretty obvious by now, huh?" Handing the captain a cup of tea, Ichigo sat down.

"We received reports, Ichigo-kun. Please believe me when I say that we did not abandon you. It took longer than we thought for your reiatsu to return but I am glad that it did." Ukitake leaned back in the chair and drank deeply. Fatigue weighed heavily on him. Perhaps he should have rested a day before coming here.

A sudden shout of glee from Rukia's room turned the males' attention to the three giggling females that emerged quickly from the hallway. "Ichigo, did you mean it? What you said in your note?"

"My note?" he asked, having forgotten the missive that he'd written earlier that morning.

"Yes, about taking me to the amusement park, the aquarium, or the zoo."

"Of course. Did you make up your mind? We never did get to go to those places when you were here before."

Rukia looked over the list. "Isn't the amusement park the one with all the rides and games?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ichigo answered, getting the feeling that his wallet was going to take a major hit that afternoon.

"Then I wish to go there." Rukia smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with anticipation. She knew that he would grant her any number of things if it was in his power.

"All right." Standing, the daiko stretched. "Ukitake-san, are you and Nel going to be okay here by yourselves?"

"We are; thank you. After a bit, she and I will return home."

"No! I want to go too," Nel demanded, stomping her small foot. The child-sized Arrancar pouted at the couple.

"Now Nel-chan," Ukitake started, referring to her as the others did when she became small.

"I want to have fun with Ichigo!"

Rukia knew that she should have been annoyed with the ex-Espada but she looked too cute to stay mad at with her tiny hands on her non-existent hips. The clothing she wore fit her guise as a human child. "Well, I guess it would be all right…"

Ichigo bit back an angry retort. He knew that Nel was really an adult but every time she reverted to her current form, her behavior and mental age dipped too. "Fine, you can go. But you have to behave or Ukitake-san will get in trouble."

"Yay!" The small Arrancar jumped up and down, racing to the door to put on her shoes. Chappy stood still for the removal of her soul pill and Kon slumped in disappointment on the couch.

"Ukitake-taicho, please feel free to use Nii-sama's room to rest."

The white haired captain nodded in thanks, believing that a nap would be just the thing. "I will do that." He watched them go before getting to his feet. Wandering down the hall he looked into each room briefly to orient himself.

Catching sight of Ichigo's headboard, the captain couldn't help but chuckle. "My, my, Kurosaki-san. You certainly know how to press Byakuya's buttons. Ichigo-kun must have hidden that from Rukia-chan's big brother very well or he would be a permanent resident of the Soul Society now."

Entering the noble's bedroom, he decided to stop and have a small chat with his ex-colleague. Someone had to look out for the poor Shinigami daiko. With all of these interruptions, it was a wonder Ichigo and Rukia's relationship was progressing as it was.

"An amusement park for a second date? Whatever will they come up with next?"