DISCLAIMER: All rights of original Bleach characters/story go to Tite Kubo (we love you!). …..

~o0o0o0o0o0o~

Saya stared at them.

Whatever company had put these out on the market had taken extra care in making sure the product was a perfect likeness to the real thing.

She stared at it.

It was his exact height. The creamy blue hair was spot on, and those eyes…those damn electrifying blue eyes and that stupid sharp-toothed award-winning smirk.

He's mocking me.

Saya had barely entered the grocery store when she had come face to face with a flock of Grimmjow standees for sale. And she had been staring them down for 5 minutes…maybe 10 minutes.

She couldn't stand looking at his face anymore. She strode over and snatched a cardboard cutout from the bins. Quietly, she lurked towards the hardware section for some gasoline.

…...

Ichigo turned into the grocery store's parking lot. He hoped Saya had been telling the truth when she said she was going shopping.

He slowed down and tried scanning the area when—

*BOOM!*

"SsHIT!" Ichigo ducked behind the steering wheel at the sound of a blast. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" A TERRORIST ATTACK?! He looked around and saw a cloud of smoke coming from the far end of the parking lot; someone's car was on fire.

It was a blue Mustang.

"Sweet merciful crap…" He sped up to the explosion and saw Saya. She was full on fanning the flames with her arms.

"BURRRN! BURN IT TO HELLLLLLLL!" she was screaming like a cult priestess.

Ichigo screeched Renji's clunky van to a halt about 10 feet away from the wreckage. Saya immediately dropped her arms at the sign of a witness and began casually walking away from the scene of the crime.

"Ichigo," she blinked numbly when she realized the witness was the Strawberry.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" he pointed wildly at the burning vehicle. "DID YOU JUST BLOW UP YOUR CAR?!"

"What?...You mean that?" she looked behind her. "No….I don't know what happened. I think it did that by itself."

"REALLY?" Ichigo scowled unbelievably at her.

"You know, faulty car or whatever. Super natural events…spontaneous combustion, gnargles….whatever you want to call it," she shrugged.

"And that Grimmjow standee that's in the driver's seat? What, did that just MAGICALLY appear?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she blinked again. "I don't see anything in the driver's seat."

Ichigo looked back at the car and by now, the whole interior had turned to ash. "THERE WAS ONE IN THERE AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"Mmmmh…I didn't see one."

Ichigo scowled again. She was lying right to his face. "THEN WHY ARE YOU HOLDING A TANK OF GASOLINE!?" he pointed to the proof.

Saya looked at the evidence in her right hand for a second. In her other hand she was holding Nel's car seat.

"I was thinking about having a bonfire later. The weather is supposed to be nice."

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FREAKING MIND?! WHAT IF YOU HAD GOTTEN HURT IN THE EXPLOSION!? WHAT ABOUT NEL?! DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT?!" Ichigo couldn't believe she would do something so reckless.

"OF COURSE I DID! YOU THINK I'M STUPID?!" she suddenly snapped back at him. "WHY DO YOU THINK I PARKED AWAY FROM ALL THE OTHER CARS?!"

"SO YOU DID BLOW IT UP!" Ichigo blared. "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY SO?! WHAT'S WITH ALL THE "I don't know what you're talking about Ichigo! I have no idea why my car suddenly burst into flames, oh wait—maybe a wizard did it! WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT?!"

"I NEVER SAID I BLEW IT UP! AND IF I DID IT'D BE NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS ANYWAY!" Saya thundered past him, then turned back around. "AND YOU CAN FORGET ABOUT ME BUYING YOU CHOCOLATE! YOU JUST LOST THAT PRIVILAGE!"

"WHO THE HELL CARES ABOUT FREAKING CHOCOLATE WHEN YOU COULD'VE BLOWN YOURSELF UP!?" he glared at her. Did she really not get it?

"Oh my god Ichigo," she rolled her eyes. "I didn't come here with the intention of hurting myself OKAY?"

"YEAH? WELL THAT'S THE THING ABOUT ACCIDENTS! THEY'RE NEVER INTENTIONAL," he quoted angrily with his fingers. "PEOPLE ONLY GET ONE MOTHER IN THIS LIFE AND NEL IS COUNTING ON YOU, SAYA! DO ME A FAVOR AND THINK OF HER BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING DANGEROUS LIKE THIS AGAIN! Or better yet, DON'T DO IT AT ALL!"

Saya blinked as his words struck her. The depth of his own Mother's loss was evident in his face. She lowered her gaze. If it had been anyone else, she would have told them to shove it, but Ichigo was right. His words made her feel ashamed of herself.

"So am I taking you home?" Ichigo frowned at her with his intensely brown eyes. "Or do you actually have some shopping to do?" He crossed his arms for a second and then shot her another reproachful glance. "Unless that was another a lie?"

Saya glared up at him. "Yes. I have shopping to do," she answered rudely.

Saya didn't like Ichigo treating her like child, even if she was acting like one. Of all the people she could have counted on for disliking Grimmjow as much as she hated him right now, Ichigo was at the top of the list. For him to call her out on this instead of pouring more gas on Grimmjow's car and roasting marshmallows told her that it had been a pretty damn stupid stunt to pull, though she wouldn't admit it.

"Fine," he snatched Nel's car seat away from Saya and threw it in Renji's dumpy Suzuki Carry. "Don't just stand there! Get rid of that gasoline and go into the store before someone sees you! I'll meet you in there."

He drove off to park the van away from the flaming Mustang.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

Ichigo was following her like a watchdog as she pushed the cart down the aisle.

What? Does he think I'm gonna blow the store up too? Saya fumed to herself and threw a box of trick birthday candles into the cart. I am a grown woman, I don't need someone chaperoning me while I shop. She pushed her cart onward.

Ichigo watched Saya as she threw several items into her grocery cart. He had been worried when they had walked past the Grimmjow standees near the entrance, but his outburst must've gotten through to Saya since she had just shut her eyes and walked past them.

He couldn't believe she had blown up Grimmjow's car. I mean what the hell was she thinking? What if she had done something worse and gotten arrested? Or ended up in some sort of trouble? What the hell would a judge say if they knew she had blown up a car?! What if she lost custody of Nel? Hadn't she thought about that?

He knew she had every right in the world to be pissed off, but that didn't change the fact that she was a parent. Doing something so stupid when you had a kid was just—it was unlike her.

She had flown so far off the handle that she was forgetting her priorities— priorities that Ichigo knew were more precious to her than the One Ring was to Gollum—so Ichigo knew she must really be shaken up on the inside.

Considering that, and the fact that she had basically committed attempted murder back at the house with Orihime, Ichigo wasn't gonna let her out of his sight. He hoped the reason why she was giving him the cold shoulder was because she was pissed at the world in general, and not that he had been too hard on her. He hadn't meant to be.

Saya was comparing the price on some loaves of bread when a man veered in their direction. Ichigo's eyes narrowed at the way the man was looking at her.

"Excuse me, Miss?" the man approached her.

"Yeah?" Saya said shortly.

"You..you look familiar," he smiled at her. "Have I seen you somewhere before?"

Oh fffudge this guy, Saya twitched inwardly. If this is another one of Grimmjow's fans...I will vomit. I will vomit all over this goddamn store and everyone in it.

"I doubt it," she turned back to her items. She hoped he'd take the hint that he should leave. NOW.

"I know what it is!" the man snapped his fingers in realization. "You remind me of my soul mate." He grinned and gave her a wink.

"Your what?" Saya gave him a ludicrous look. …Seriously?….SERIOUSLY?

"Hey, pal," Ichigo stepped in between Saya and jabbed the perv harshly in the chest. "GET LOST."

The man jumped with a startled expression and sidestepped around and away from the roweled Ichigo. "Maybe I'll see you around here again eh, Honey-Bun?" he wiggled his eyebrows one last time before dashing out of the aisle.

"What the HELL?" Saya steamed outwardly. WHY DOES EVERY NICKNAME I GET HAVE TO DO WITH FRICKIN BAKED GOODS?! "How was that even a pickup line!? I REMIND him of his SOULMATE? That would imply that he already met his soul mate! So why the hell would he be flirting with me!? Unless she left him! In which case, more power to her!" Saya moodily dumped the bread into her cart and stalked down the other direction of the aisle.

"Scumbag…" she thought she heard Ichigo mutter under his breath.

Scumbag is right, Saya thought to herself, Grimmjow overtaking her mind again. Stupid…frickin….degenerate…assholes…Saya tried picturing Grimmjow's face melting in the car, but it didn't help. What the hell was I thinking? Why did I ever even give that goddamned Smurf a chance!? HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SUCH AN IDIOT!

"Are you fricking kidding me?"

Ichigo glanced at Saya as she glared at one of the shelves.

"How can they be out of Oreo's? How?" she ranted.

"What do you mean? There's some right there," Ichigo pointed out.

"I need the double-stuffed kind, it's not the same!" she grumbled up at the cookies. "Whatever. I guess Nel just won't have her favorite cookie on her birthday. Fantastic Saya," she mumbled sarcastically.

"It's just Oreo's…" Ichigo shrugged in misunderstanding. "She'll live."

Saya flashed him a bitch-slapping glare. "It's her birthday."

Jesus! Ichigo flinched in fear. It's just Oreos! Then after a while he thought it probably wasn't just about the Oreo's.

When they got to the dairy section Saya nearly blew a fuse.

"Why is this so frickin expensive?!" she was holding a carton of whipping cream. "Excuse me Sir! SIR!" she called/yelled at one of the workers.

"May I help you?" the guy looked at her with a naive but partially scared glance. He looked about Yuzu's age.

Probably his first day on the job, Ichigo thought with pity.

"Yeah, why does this cost more that the stuff in the can? It's WHIPPING CREAM. It's not even pre-whipped for my convenience. If I buy it, I have to whip it my damn self. So why am I paying extra for something that includes physical labor?" Her eyes were locked on the employee like a rattlesnake on a mouse.

"Um—Well…that's…that's a good point Ma'am," the worker laughed faintheartedly. "But um…I-I don't make the prices so…"

"So what?" she shook the carton in his face. "You expect me to pay for this? Huh?"

"Saya," Ichigo grabbed her shoulders from behind. "Can I talk to you for a second?" he piloted her away from the employee. "Sorry about that, she's just a little crabby right now. It's been a long day."

"I am not crabby!" she shouted around him to the worker. "I'm mad as hell!"

"Saya," Ichigo turned to her with a wide-eyed, commanding demeanor. "You're doing that crazy thing again," he raised his eyebrows as he crooned her in a low voice.

Saya looked at him and saw he was wearing that 'you-know-better' expression he had given her out in the parking lot.

"But…" her face sank into a heartbreaking mope. "Why does it have to cost so much?...Why can't it be like…free?" She looked up at him with the most painful please-can-i-have-a-pony-because-i-just-found-out-Santa-isn't-real-and-my-goldfish-died-two-weeks-ago-and-you-replaced-him-without-telling-me-and-now-i-know-he's-really-dead-and-i-miss-him face Ichigo thought he had ever seen.

"…Uhh…." He hadn't been trained for this.

Ichigo welled up with panic. Oh no. No. Please don't cry here. Please. Please don't break down. Not now. I don't know what to do when girls cry! What the hell am I supposed to do when a girl cries?!

He gave her two light pats on the arm.

"It's the economy you know?...They…jack up the prices sometimes…." He had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Just please don't cry.

"You're right. It's not his fault," she sniffled past him back to the employee. "I'm sorry I'm such a bitch," the tears were starting to stream down. "And I'm sorry about all this— my hay fever is acting up… and I don't even like this brand…" she sobbed pathetically at the whipping cream. "…Yes I do…" she sniffled through her stuffy nose. The teenage worker just stood in shock.

"But I'm gonna pretend I don't because I can't afford it…. Because I trusted a moron when he said I didn't need to finish college," Saya unwillingly set the carton back on it's shelf and turned back to the trembling employee. "You were v-very *sniffle sniffle* helpful Mister…I'm sorry…." She started walking away.

Ichigo was absolutely mortified. His nerves had completely failed him.

But then she turned back.

"Don't ever get married unless you know the other person loves you!...Even if he won't take no for an answer!" she sobbed in a harsher tone and pointed at the grocery boy. "Make good choices *sniffle sniffle*" she petted his face. "Don't let them change w-who you are….You're a great customer s-service guy *sniffle sob sniff* thank youuu-hoo-hooo." She clasped the worker and started boo-hooing into his shoulder. The kid looked to Ichigo for help.

"Um," Ichigo cleared his throat and gently pried Saya away from the panicking employee. "I think we should go now, okay Saya? He's uh, probably got to get back to work…."

The worker nodded speechlessly, he looked like he was frozen where he stood.

"Okay," she sighed woefully. "But I am gonna buy that….I change my mind…" she took the carton of whipping cream back off the shelf again. "Because*sniff sniff* I think it's worth it…and I think YOUR worth it!" she wailed and pointed back at the employee.

"…I'll just take that," Ichigo plucked the carton out of her hands and set it in the cart. She started wiping her eyes miserably.

"I'm pushing t-the cart," she hiccupped through her hands.

"Sure," Ichigo nodded rapidly. "Whatever you want." WHAT DO I DO?! DEAR GOD WHAT THE HELL DO I DO!?

This was different than dealing with Yuzu when she was sad about finding a hungry cat in the street or Karin when she sprained her ankle and couldn't play soccer for a week or two.

This was a midlife crisis.

Ichigo knew he was treading on very thin ice here. Should he…hug her?

Any person with a heart would've hugged her when they saw how broken she looked. Any man with any sense of courtesy would've held her and comforted her with gentle words of strength and staying on the bright side. Besides, it's not like Saya hadn't hugged him before.

But the only thoughts Ichigo had on the subject was: 1. I should kill Grimmjow. 2. Please stop crying. 3. How the hell could this store be out of Oreos? GET THIS WOMAN SOME OREOS DAMMIT!

To put it bluntly, he was chicken. A woman's emotions were by far the most frightening force he had ever encountered in his life. (And he had barged in on Byakuya Kuchiki using a hair straightener.) The last thing he wanted to do was overstep his boundaries and become a victim of female mood swings.

Brokenhearted, in denial, female mood swings…with flammable matches in her pocket.

"J-just give me a second," she wiped her eyes again. "It's just…my allergies…they r-really come out of nowhere sometimes…you know?….*sniff sniffle*.."

"Yeah," he smiled weakly. "Uh, mine do too…" D_D

"Really?" she exhaled and looked at him with puffy red eyes. "It sucks…. doesn't it?" She started tearing up worse and tried fanning herself as if that would make breathing easier. "I don't know why they keep watering…*sniffle* ...it stings so bad…"

"Ahhh, hang on a sec," Ichigo bolted down an aisle and came back with a Kleenex box. He desperately tore it open and held it out to her. "Here."

"…*sniff sniff* ..Thanks…" She took one gratefully and blew her nose. "I think I'm out of tissues at home anyway…." She sorrowfully tossed the box into the cart and trundled down the next aisle.

Ichigo kept his distance about 5 feet away. He was still so flustered trying to figure out how to handle the situation. But as hard as Ichigo thought, he kept drawing up blank.

After getting an entire cartload of what Ichigo would consider binge food, they checked out with a very concerned looking cashier, and loaded the groceries into Renji's van.

There were police officers and people swarming around where Saya had blown up Grimmjow's car. Ichigo had offered to put away the empty grocery cart and when he came back, Saya was sitting in the passenger seat where he had left her.

She was staring down the scene with the unbreakable focus of a sniper rifle marksman.

He got in the drivers seat and studied her a minute. She looked numb. Numb and lethal at the same time. It was like sitting next to one of those guys at the bus stop who never speaks, but you know has probably killed somebody.

She blinked and her shoulders tensed. "Drive."

"What?" Ichigo furrowed his brow and turned his attention toward the spectacle she was fixated on.

"Just drive!" her voice cracked in urgency and Ichigo threw the transmission in gear and hauled ass out of the parking lot. He had seen the cause of her alarm.

Saya clutched her knees. As soon as she started watching the Urahara Hour, she had known Grimmjow was in town. Whether or not Grimmjow had known Saya and Nel were in Karakura was now officially irrelevant. Because if he hadn't known before, he sure as hell knew now, thanks to the blazing smoke signal of the fiery Mustang.

All Saya had seen was Ulquiorra and Grimmjow step out of a car across the grocery store parking lot. The lawyer headed in the direction of the policemen and the Smurf stayed planted rigidly with his focus on the smoking Mustang.

She was such an idiot, giving him such an easy opportunity to track her down.

"Do you think he saw you?" Ichigo ventured the question. Saya looked like she was some sort of trance, but she gave him a conscious shake of her head.

Ichigo gripped the steering wheel. What he wouldn't give to have Grimmjow standing in front of this van right now. Knowing Saya, she'd help him make it look like an accident. But he shook off that thought. He needed to stay levelheaded for Saya's sake.

They were silent the rest of the drive, but Saya was grateful for it. It gave her the chance to gather her nerves.

Ichigo parked the van in front of the house and gave her a quick glance before getting out. He went around to start grabbing the groceries but Saya stopped him.

"Leave them," she said as she closed her door.

"But you've got popsicles in there," Ichigo looked at her.

"I'm only running in to pick up Nel and then I'm gonna see if Renji can give us a ride home," she said with her eyes on the house.

"Oh.." Ichigo blinked at her, feeling a little spurned all the sudden.

"And… I was going to ask if maybe you could talk to Isshin for me?" she looked up at him guardedly and Ichigo instantly knew she hadn't meant anything by not wanting him to drive her home. "Just let him know… that I might not be in Monday?"

"Why not?" Ichigo questioned rougher than he had meant to. Saya looked at her feet for a second.

"I just don't think that girl would recover very quickly with me around…"she pursed her lips faintly and glanced at him with an implied explanation.

"Oh..," Ichigo scratched the back of his neck and let loose a small smile. Apparently Saya didn't want Orihime dead after all. "I'll talk to him, don't worry about it. Maybe we can get her transferred or something," Ichigo shrugged at the possibility and walked around the van to her side.

"That might be a good idea," she barely smiled as she fidgeted with her hands.

SHHHHHIT…O_O Ichigo noticed her knuckles were split open and bloody from the walloping she had given Orihime.

"Jesus," Ichigo gaped and grabbed her hands, looking them over. "Why didn't you say anything about these? They're practically raw! Doesn't that hurt?"

Saya shrugged. "I guess I deserve it, after what I did," she took her hands away with a frown.

"We need to get you bandaged up. Come on," he jutted his head in the direction of the house.

She wordlessly followed him up the sidewalk.

"Ichigo," she voiced just as they reached the door, and she barely grasped his arm before recoiling and looking down at her feet. Ichigo stared at her demure composure.

"Thank you…" she hesitantly glanced up at him through her tangled eyelashes, "for…talking some sense into me…I needed it."

Ichigo's eyebrows rose slightly.

"And…I'm sorry that I had a melt-down like that…I'm just—"

"Hey," he silenced her. "You don't need to apologize for anything that happened today, you hear me?"

For an instant Saya was entirely caught up in his unwavering brown eyes.

"Yeah the car thing was stupid, but hell, I'd probably have done worse." His jaw tightened just thinking about what he'd like to do to Grimmjow. "Just forget about that bastard okay? He's not gonna come anywhere near you, I promise," he told her, meaning every word.

She softly smiled at him. "Just because your name means number one guardian doesn't mean you need to protect me, Ichigo."

"Sorry," he shrugged in an unapologetic manner. "It's kinda what I do. So don't worry. I got your back. And Rukia is gonna make damn sure that guy gets what's coming to him."

She stared off at the ground for a minute. "Thanks," Saya flashed him something that resembled an unconvinced smile. "I should get Nel," she whisked past him and into the house.

Ichigo's fist tightened and he frowned at the door. I feel like I screwed that up.

…..~o0o0o0o0o~…..

Later on, Renji come back from dropping Saya and Nel off. He said Saya had seemed completely normal on the way there and that she was 200% better than how she had been earlier.

Ichigo didn't buy it. As soon as Saya had seen Nel after grocery shopping, she had smiled big, joked loud, and seemed as though she couldn't have been in higher spirits. What a crock.

She was bottling stuff up again already. There was no way she could have already gotten over everything she had been through. She hadn't even had a whole day to digest that her marriage was a sham and her kid was illegitimate. And let's not forget the oh so devoted, can't-keep-it-in-his-pants husband who had slept with 99.9% of the female population.

Deep down, Ichigo was really pissed at himself. Maybe if he had had the guts to ask her out back in high school, all this crap Grimmjow put her through would've been avoided. Ichigo would never have treated Saya like that. He would never have gone against her trust and committed such an act without her permission. If Ichigo had been there the day Grimmjow had spiked Saya's drink, Grimmjow would be dead. Long dead.

Ichigo knew Saya was afraid Grimmjow would come looking for her and Nel. He had seen it in her face. Knowing she was scared made Ichigo uneasy. He just felt so helpless in this situation. It made him feel worthless. It was building up this hollow restless anger that he didn't know what to do with.

The more Ichigo thought about it, the more he was regretting not running Grimmjow over with Renji's van while he had the chance.

Thankfully, Rukia had told Renji that after she made a few stops, she would be flying into Karakura Town tonight. That took a load off of Ichigo's shoulders.

Rukia would know what to do.

~o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o~

It was around 6 o'clock when Ichigo's cell phone ran. He grabbed it off his desk, hoping it was Rukia, when he saw it was Saya's name. His throat locked up a split second before he took the call.

"Saya?" he answered with alarm.

"Heeelp, Itsygo…." a squeaky voice was whispering. "Heeelp!"

"What the—Nel?" Ichigo shot up from his desk chair. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

"Mama, something's wrong wiff Mama," Nel's little voice expressed her distress. "Nel knows it! Nel can see that she's not normal tah-day!"

"Ahh, Nel…" Ichigo slumped back down in his desk. Of course the kid could tell something was wrong with her Mother.

"Nel doesn't know wat tah do Itsygo! Nel's afraid it's some'tin bad! Whad if Mama's sick buht she isn't tellin Nel!? She says Mama's fine, but watch!..."

Ichigo listened carefully as some scurrying could be heard through the phone.

"MAMA!"

"g-GAAHH" Ichigo wretched his phone away from his ear before he went deaf at the child's shout.

"CAN NEL GO TA THE WATER PARK AND GO ON THE BIG KID'S SLIDE BECAHZ IT'S NEL'S BIRFDAY TAMORROW?!"

Ichigo blinked irritably as he set the phone back by his ear.

"I guess." Ichigo thought he heard Saya's voice. Then he heard more scratches and muffles before Nel spoke again.

"SEE?! SHE SAID YES WITHOUT EVEN SAYIN NO!" Nel whined with fear. "Wat does it mean Itsygo!? What's wrong wiff her?! Mama hates da water park! And she'd never let Nel out'a the kiddie pool!

Ichigo felt his heart go out to the little girl. He remembered how much he hated seeing his own Mother even a tiny bit blue when he was little. He would've run through the desert, the tundra, anywhere and back, if it would make her smile.

"Nel…" Ichigo tried to think what to say. He didn't want to lie to her.

"Itsygo we have tah help her! Nel knows that if you come over, you can help Nel cheer Mama up and save her from turnin into the walkin dead!"

Ichigo sighed at the toddler's entreaty. It wasn't like he didn't want to help…

"Pleeze pleeeze help Nel! Nel can draw you a map that goes to Nel's house and you can come talk ta—AHH! MAMA!" Nel cried in surprise.

"Who are you talking to?" Saya had entered the room. Ichigo listened as Nel tried to fend off the questions of her suspicious Mother.

"NOBODY! NEL'S JUS PLAYING HANGRY BIRDS!"

"Give me the phone Nel."

"OKAY OKAY HAHA! Nel was kidding! It's—ahhhm-it's only Dadah!" Nel lied again and Ichigo heard an abrupt crackle of static and then Saya was on the phone.

"How dare you talk to Nel," her voice was so low Ichigo almost felt he was in danger. "Where the hell do you get off trying to make her to tell you where we live? You SICK. SON-OF-A—"

"SAYA! WHOA! TAKE IT EASY! IT'S ME!" Ichigo pleaded as bravely as he could.

It was quiet for a few seconds.

"…Why was she talking to you?" she asked in a snooping voice. Before Ichigo could answer he heard the loud slam of a door banging open. "Nel you can't come in right now," Saya tried to say.

"BUT SOMETHINGS WRONG MAMA! NEL KNOWS IT AND YOU WON'T SAY WHY!" Nel was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Ahh Nel…." Ichigo heard Saya croak in devastation at her daughter's tears. "Nothing's the matter sweetie…I promise—"

"YER NOT MY MAMA! NEL'S MAMA WOULDN'T NEVER LET NEL BE IN THE KITCHEN WHEN THE OVEN WAS TURNED ON! AND NEL'S MAMA WOULD NEVER EAT CHEETOS IN FRONT'A NEL! BUT YOU AND NEL ATE THE WHOLE BAG! YER A FAKER!" Nel bawled. "TAMORROW'S PRAHLY NOT EVEN NEL'S BIRFDAY! YER JUST TRYING TO TRICK NEL SO SHE DOESN'T NOTICE YOU'S TURNIN INTO A ZOMBIE MOMMY!"

Ichigo listened with a sad smile. He was proud Nel was not letting this go without a fight.

"Ichigo, can she call you back?" Saya sighed glumly.

"Uhh..yeah…that's fine," Ichigo could hear the child still wailing in the background.

"She'll call you back," Saya said definitively and hung up.

… About 10 minutes later Ichigo's phone rang again.

"Hello?" he waited for an answer.

"Itsygo…Nel's just callin tah say Nel was...over…over-er-racking…" she tripped over her words. "Nel's sorry she made you's worry an' Nel's a lot better now because Mama says she's fine and Nel thinks so too….but Nel is lying Itsygo," the toddler lisped in an almost inaudible whisper. "Nel just can't say the troof cahz Mama's listening—"

"Nelliel!" Saya's voice shot out of the background.

"SHE'S LYING ITSYGO! SHE'S MAKING NEL LIE AND NEL KNOWS IT'S NOT THE TROOF!—"

"Nelliel I told you, I'm fine!" Saya insisted in an overly relaxed tone.

"NEL WON'T LET HER TRICK US ITSYGO! NO MATTER WHAT MAMA SAYS NEL WILL—"

"I have ice cream," Saya sang sweetly to her sugar-addict daughter.

"WITH SPRINKLES?!"

"Uh-huh!" Saya's tone was so sly.

"YIPPEEY!—" *Click*dood dood dood dooooooo* The line went dead.

Ichigo set his phone down and threw his head backwards as he sank restlessly into his chair.

Where the hell is Rukia?

…...

...…To Be Continued…...

Awwh, poor little Nelliel, she's just trying to help! THANK YOU GUYS FOR READING! More coming up muwahahaha! And thank you guys who reviewed! REALLY appreciate the feedback.

xUltimateOtakux: Yayy! You knew that monty python ref from a few chapts back!

EbonySapphire: Thank you! Glad to hear you like that story!

Siren to the Werewolves: I'm so honored you took the time to review! Makes me happy! I shall keep writing and I hope you keep reading and reviewing!

Crazyforgrimmy: I have a plan for the concert coming up muwhahaha!

Yuri Tora: So happy you've become a follower of my story! Hope I can keep you laughing, even though the last few chapters were a little bleak. Thank you for letting me know you like the flashbacks! I have a bit more to show then!

The-Queen-of-Perverts: I have to hold out a little longer on the romance, but don't worry *eyebrow wiggle* it shall happen…

Dancing Anime bear: SO SORRY! FINALLY UPDATING! KEEP DANCING MAH FRIEND!

The scarred soul: Yah I was worried about writing that chapter. I appreciate your honest feedback and telling me how it made you feel, cuz the situation really is just WROng. You've got a good conscience and I'm don't want to corrupt that! I respect that! And I'm sorry! I promise the rest of the story will be lighter.

Yuri Tora: Thank you! I hope I captured the goofy, but hot-tempered side of Renji. He's so awesome :DDD

I don't have a good name idea: Hehehehhe, your question will be answered soon. I PROMISE HEHEHEHE!

Midnight-knightmare: Thanks! I feel like Renji would get so stupid and silly when he's happy, and that song is sooo something I feel Renji would like. As for Grimmjow…soon…very soon…hehehehehhehehe!

NEXT CHAPTER: Cookies Solve Everything