A/N: Not many to thank for reviews for the last time but much appreciated: KawaiiKittyHigh, KitElizaKing, Dragon and Sword Master, and Assault Godzilla. And thank you to anyone who put this or its author on their lists.

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

Secrets Abound

Lost in New York City

There's a cat on my face, Ichigo thought, the hot ball of fur purring contentedly from where she lay on him. He'd gone to sleep by himself, Rukia in the bed next to his with Noe curled next to her on her pillow. Why Rukia was being allowed to share the same room with him was a mystery but perhaps Kirara had thought her daughter enough of a chaperone. There's one in the crook of my neck and another on my chest, he continued to muse. They were creating quite a bit of heat and he had the desire to dump them on the floor but couldn't really find it in him to move.

A click of a camera shutter woke him the rest of the way up and he kept his eyes closed while Rukia giggled in what she thought was a soft voice. After a few more clicks of her phone's camera Ichigo cracked an eye open to stare at her. "If you wanted to take a picture without me noticing, you should probably turn off the shutter sound," he said dryly. The cat on his face moved just then and he got a mouthful of tail. "Bleh!"

Rukia, unable to help herself, dissolved into laughter. She sank on to her already made bed and grinned at him in open amusement. "Serves you right. Noe was very comfortable where she was," the petite Shinigami said.

"A little help here?" For an answer, another picture was taken. "Okay, kid, off of my face." Noe mewed but complied, joining her sister next to his neck. Reaching down, he plucked the one on his chest up and lifted her to his face.

"That's Aithne. Apparently, she enjoys the sun in the morning through this window and you were just in the way. The other one cuddling with you is Jocolin. She and Noe pal around a lot."

"Good morning, Aithne. Sorry to be in your way but your mother assigned me this bed yesterday, so we'll have to share it awhile." The young nekomata tilted her head at him as if to consider his words before giving what sounded like grumbling agreement.

"Aithne and Jocolin will also be coming home with us," Rukia said off-handedly as she scooped the kittens up so he could rise without hurting them.

"Excuse me?"

"I spoke with your dad earlier and he suggested that if it was okay with Kirara-san, he'd like Yuzu and Karin to have a helper too. Aithne has decided that she and Karin will do and Jocolin enjoyed the sound of Yuzu's voice so there you have it."

"How did we just take half of this litter off of Kirara's hands?"

"It gets better. Arisawa-san was speaking with her mother and it seems that the owners of her apartment building changed the rules to allow cats, so Dara is going home with her. Inoue-san was having a chat with her landlady to assure her that she was alright when the old woman heard the kittens and decided that having a mouse catcher on site would be a good idea. Banva was the only one left after that since Lua chose Ishida so now all six have homes."

Ichigo petted his sisters' new acquisitions distractedly while listening and couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Just how long did I sleep?"

"Don't worry, it's only eight in the morning. The rest of us got up early to call because of the time difference. Breakfast is ready if you think you can tear yourself away from your new bedmates."

"Yeah, just give me a few minutes. Take these scamps with you." He shooed them towards the door when the kittens simply looked at him.

"You won't even dress if front of a trio of cats?"

"Cats who will one day walk on two legs and talk."

Rukia stared at the trio for a moment and then sighed. "Okay, you have a point. Let's go, you three. The big bad Shinigami doesn't want to dress in front of women." She held the door open and waited until they were out before following them and shutting the portal behind her.

The others were sitting around the breakfast table, their chosen companions either on their laps or their shoulders, Kirara looking both pleased and stunned as they told her what had happened during the early morning calls. "Well, now, that is something. Congratulations, my dears. I know my children will be in good hands with you. After this incident is over, I will begin preparations to bring them to Japan. They could be in quarantine up to a month because of customs regulations."

"Couldn't they just transform into humans and go into the country that way?" Keigo asked.

"If they were adults, perhaps. These dears are only a year old so I'm afraid they can't even manage their battle form yet. Don't worry, even after giving them into your keeping, I will come by and train them."

"A year? They're so tiny," Tatsuki mused.

"We are demons, my dear. We age slowly. However, we are also cats, and do not need to be kept at our parents' sides for as long as some."

"What about their father?" Rukia questioned, not having seen any sign of a tom.

"Oh, he's about. Don't worry, he'll be glad to have the house free of children. As long as the kittens have chosen you, my mate will not begrudge you their company. Besides, he did not particularly like it that they were born here and not at home anyway, so he'll be glad that they are going to Japan to live."

"If you are sure," Ishida pressed. Lua nuzzled him and he had to fight the urge to laugh. Her soft fur was tickling him.

"I am most pleased, especially about Aithne and Jocolin. They'll be fine lookouts for Kurosaki-kun's sisters." Kirara smiled at the tall teen when he joined him, noticing that the aforementioned kittens trotted over to him. They crawled into his lap and he let them sit there throughout the meal.

"Cats aside, what's the agenda for today?" Tatsuki asked.

"We play tourist, of course. I have yet to receive a royal invitation so for the moment we are free to do as we please. Plus, I have it on authority that the child we are supposed to be protecting will be at the Statue of Liberty this afternoon. Perhaps we can arrange a 'run in' with a fellow countrywoman, yes?"

"Sure," Ichigo agreed, taking a sip of the tea Kirara had brewed for them. One of the kittens started taking a bath and he looked down just in time for her to step on a very sensitive appendage. He turned white, raising concerned voices around the table.

"Aithne, that was not nice," Kirara rebuked, going to the teen and lifting her daughter out of his lap. She held her up and stared at her with stern eyes. "You know you shouldn't do that in a man's lap. The last time you did, your father couldn't walk straight for an hour."

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked, noticing that the boys around the table had gone pale in sympathy with her partner. "Are you alright?"

"Depends," he wheezed.

"I'm afraid, Kuchiki-san, that he got hurt where it counts," Ishida tried to explain.

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun. Aithne's been known to sort of elbow guys there. We will have to wait until you recover to go out, unless you want Inoue-san to heal you."

"No! I'll wait. Hollow regeneration…"

"I could, Kurosaki-kun. It wouldn't be any trouble…" Orihime's cheeks were bright pink. Tatsuki, having caught on to the conversation, chuckled quietly.

"Thanks, but no, it's already ebbing. For one so small, she's strong. Karin and she will get along famously."

"Most likely," Karin mused. "Well, until you're able to walk straight, why don't the rest of you go pack up whatever you might want to take with you for the day? We'll be traveling mostly by subway and ferry. It'll be cold, so don't forget your jackets."

The rest of the teens nodded, leaving Ichigo and a concerned Rukia at the table with Kirara. The Shinigami sat in silence, Jocolin still in her spot on Ichigo's lap. He hadn't moved her so obviously she was not causing him any discomfort. "Ichigo, are you really alright?"

"Yeah. It's kind of funny, really. When they were toddlers, my sisters would crawl into Dad's lap and try to pull on his whiskers. Karin nearly always stepped where she shouldn't. Aithne really will get along with her well."

"And Jocolin seems very calm. Yuzu will like having a companion like that."

"That's a ruse, my dears. Jocolin is always on alert for mischief and can have quite the temper."

"Then they're both perfect. What do they eat, Kirara-san? I probably should let my sisters know before they come to us permanently."

"I mix cat food with fresh meat. If you give them a little dry, a lot wet, and a few helpings of raw fish, beef, and chicken during the week, they should be fine for a few years. They'll let you know when their dietary needs change."

"What about veterinary needs?" Rukia asked. For some reason, she didn't think the Fourth would be able to handle anything feline.

"I'll give you the name of the person we use back in Tokyo. They've had the shots they need for the moment and I'll make sure they're up-to-date before they're out of quarantine. I'm not sure how your kido would work on us but we can experiment. Demons respond best to natural methods, so I'll also have Kagome give you a book with the herbs she uses on us the most. Don't worry, I won't let you neglect anything."

"Thank you. I've never had a pet, much less a companion like Noe. I don't want to neglect her needs." Rukia took Jocolin when Ichigo stood up, putting her on her other shoulder so that the sisters could talk.

"You're welcome. Feeling better, Kurosaki-kun?" Kirara asked, watching him take a few careful steps.

"Yeah, I'm okay. We can leave as soon as we gather our things. Come on, Rukia, let's go." He led the way back to their room, the twin tails odd bookends on Rukia's shoulder. They hopped onto his bed at the same time, their springing jumps hardly felt by the young woman.

He straightened the covers a little more before slipping on his jacket and tucking his wallet into an inside pocket. New York was a big city and anywhere they were a lot of people, there were plenty of opportunities for people to pickpocket and snatch purses. "Yo, Rukia, does that purse of yours do crossbody?"

"Crossbody?"

"Yeah, the strap."

"It does," she responded.

"Good, it's just better to have it that way here. Your hands will be free and there's less chance someone will snatch it." He watched her lengthen the strap and slip it over her head before putting on her own jacket. "That's an even better idea. Are you going to be warm enough?"

"How cold is it out?" Ichigo dug out his phone and pulled up the weather in the city. He turned it to face her and wasn't surprised when she frowned. "I need your sweatshirt."

"I was afraid you'd say that. Shouldn't you be impervious to the cold?"

"Urahara made this gigai to respond as close to a human's as possible. That leaves my resistance to the cold useless. It's not like the ones Renji and the others use when they're here. This one is supposed to be for 'long term use.'"

"Ah…" They both knew what that meant. Digging around in the suitcase, he pulled out a folded sweatshirt that definitely didn't belong to him. The pale yellow was closer to something his sister would wear. "Here, thought you might try to steal mine at some point."

"But I like yours."

"You swim in mine, midget. Here, got it with your name and everything." He unfolded it, showing her last name on the back, the school's logo on front.

"My very own…"

"It was supposed to be a White Day present. We've been a little distracted."

"Thank you, Ichigo. It's a very thoughtful gift." She took off her jacket and pulled on the sweatshirt, noticing how he'd gotten it just a little big so she could move her arms freely. Once she was all ready to leave, she followed him out of the room, leaving two kittens staring at a suitcase full of warm clothes.

Kirara noticed after the first half hour that the teenagers were definitely not dressed for the weather. Hardly surprising since they'd mostly packed for a vacation in the subtropics. "All right, to stop the chattering teeth, we're going shopping. I'm taking you to the nearest store that sells things for your age group and you're going to get enough for a week. I'll not have superpowered popsicles under my watch."

"Won't that be expensive?" Orihime worried, looking at the stores around them. They were brand names only dreamed about in Karakura.

"Yes, which is why the bill will eventually land on Sesshoumaru's desk. He's the one that sent you on your merry way without the proper tools. Now, why I call for one of my assistants to meet us here so that they can lug the extras back to my place, you children find what you need here," she instructed, opening the door to the famed Macy's.

"What is this place?" Rukia demanded, staring at the giant expanse of the store where what looked like hundreds of people were browsing through rack after rack of clothes.

"My worst nightmare," Ichigo muttered. "Don't leave my side, midget. The last thing we need is for you to get lost in here."

"Wait, listen," Kirara ordered, snagging the back of Keigo's collar. "Find what you need and meet me back here. We'll do one big check out and sort out things later. Keep what you want to wear today out, and we'll find some place to change after we pay." The others nodded in agreement. "Oh, and do not, I repeat, do not leave this building."

"Yes, ma'am," Mizuiro agreed, having been to the city before and understood her concern.

"Now you may go and splurge." She let go of Keigo and watched him disappear into the crowds. Pulling out her phone, she called for an assistant to come get the clothes while trying to keep track of them. When two of them went up the nearest escalator, she felt a lurch in her stomach. Somehow, she knew things were about to go haywire.

Those two extra kittens were going to be the death of her.

Rukia was in her element. There were dozens of clothes of varying kinds and there were people to help with the fact that the pants were too long for her. Currently she was in a dressing room with a seamstress who was placing a temporary hem in the jeans she'd chosen. "There you go, miss. Sleek and stylish but still warm. A little cold to be touring the city but you have to travel when you're on break, yes?"

"Yes," she agreed, the English awkward on her tongue. She hadn't thought she'd ever use the foreign language. "School for us starts at a different time of the year. We were not prepared for the weather to be so different from home."

"People often make that mistake. No worries. This should do you for the day and you said you had a friend who could do the other hems?"

"Yes, thank you." The woman smiled at her again and clipped the tags off of the jeans and wrote something on them. "No sense taking them off. Give this to the clerk. Are you done shopping?"

"Not by a long shot," Rukia said, using a term she'd heard on TV. "I still need some shirts and a jacket suitable for this weather."

"Hmm, and socks. Short socks are not a girl's friend this time of year. Let me get one of the associates to help. Then you and your friends won't get so lost."

"That would be much appreciated. It will save time too. Ichigo is probably already done choosing."

"Ichigo? Doesn't that mean 'strawberry' in your language?"

"It does, but if you write it a certain way, it means 'he who protects.'"

"Ah, that handsome boy you have waiting for you. Lucky girl, to have a boyfriend like that." Rukia blushed, wanting to tell the woman that they were not dating.

"Don't bother, midget," said boy instructed, having heard the woman's comment. The ladies of the store already believed he was a besotted beau. He sat in a chair not far from the rooms, other jeans next to him and shirts stacked in his arms. A woman was waiting patiently to his left, a wheeled rack with multiple hangers on it waiting to be added to. "This is one of the personal shoppers. Tatsuki and Inoue found her and she's helping move all this stuff to the first floor. They're around here somewhere."

"Have they finished shopping?" she asked, handing the written tag to the store employee. She noted what it said and slipped into her pocket. Presumedly she'd give it to the clerk so that he or she could add it to the growing pile of clothes.

"Yeah, they got what they wanted and went looking for stuff for you. Better sit tight because they'll be back with loads to choose from. Since these ladies are helping, I'm going to leave my stuff here and go get socks and things for us."

"Okay." She waited until her other friends arrived and then began sorting through the three dozen clothes they'd snagged from somewhere. Once she was satisfied, she tried searching out Ichigo's reiatsu and found that it wasn't as easy as she'd thought it'd be. His energy was distinctive, but she and her friends weren't the only people with spiritual energy. Or demonic energy for that matter. Several strangers nearby were not human, and she suddenly began to wonder if they were being watched.

Eventually Ichigo returned, a duffle bag over one arm, filled with socks for he and the girls. How he'd chosen correctly she'd ask him later. "I think we have everything, except luggage. Ishida called me and pointed out we're going to need more to bring everything back home. I hate to spend any more of Kirara-san's money, but she did say she'd be reimbursed."

"And jackets."

"Right, okay, so if Laura-san here could take you that way, I'll go search for a couple of large suitcases we can haul all of this back to Japan with. Do you girls care what color they are?"

"No, just get something sturdy, like a hard side," Tatsuki put in, placing Rukia's choices on the rack.

"I'd be happy to help you find winter jackets. Liz told me you were caught unawares."

"Yeah, the weather here is a little different than back home this time of the year." Orihime was blushing a bit, as if embarrassed. They couldn't tell the woman it was because it had been a life or death sudden trip to save the world and that they hadn't had time to pack correctly.

"I'll meet you at the spot Kirara-san said. Maybe the others will be done by then."

"Right," Tatsuki said and took the duffle from him. "Lead the way," she told the shopper and started pushing the rack after the woman. Rukia and Orihime followed, trying to ignore the stunned looks they were getting by the Americans.

Kirara was waiting for them, a smile on her face and not at all surprised by the amount that they'd accumulated. After a few words with "Laura-san," Orihime and Tatsuki were offered the same service as Rukia and they gladly took the opportunity to put pants on. Ichigo came back just as they were, Chad and Ishida not far away. They'd been on an upper floor and could be seen making their way from the escalators. The only two missing were the same too that Kirara had worried about in the beginning.

Those two extra kittens, she sighed. "Where are the other two?" she asked, hoping that she didn't have to go searching.

"I saw Kojima trying to pick up girls and Asano was making his way to the bathroom. Kojima snagged another personal shopper and she's headed this way with what they want. We can start checking out as soon as the woman arrives."

"Good, they're not lost."

While Kirara racked up the biggest shopping bill they'd ever seen, Ishida went to retrieve his erstwhile classmates. Keigo was just coming out the bathroom and Mizuiro was looking far too smug for his liking. "Let's go," the Quincy snarled.

"Dude, this store is larger than some of the ones we have at home. I didn't think it'd be this big. And there are actual restaurants in here. Do you think we could eat before we leave?"

"Yes, most likely, if you continue to behave and don't wander off. The last thing we need is for one of us to get lost in this city."

When they returned to the others, bags of clothes were piled high at everyone's feet and a wide-eyed assistant was getting directions from the nekomata. "Ah, there you are," Kirara-san said. "Pick out some of your new clothes and go put them on. We need to find a place to have lunch."

"Why not right here, ma'am?" Mizuiro asked politely. "There are several places to choose from."

"Staying here is rather convenient. Very well, if you can all agree, we will eat at one of the restaurants."

They agreed on MacDonald's.

Kirara shook her head but let them have their way, choosing carefully from the menu. She sat away from them so as not to crowd and to show that she trusted them not to wander off. Going through her messages, she quietly nibbled on her lunch while replying to people in desperate need of her answers and consigning the rest until she had a quiet moment.

"Children, it seems that we will not have to venture out into the harbor today. Something came up and our target is not leaving her apartment today."

"What happened?" Ichigo sucked a good portion of his soda down while he waited for her answer.

"I believe it has to with a friend in distress. Anyway, that leaves us free to do as we wish for the rest of the day. Would you perhaps enjoy a stroll through Rockefeller Center? I believe the ice rink is still there thanks to the weather. We could people watch for a while before returning to my place."

"We don't mind as long as you don't, Kirara-san," Ishida answered. He neatly folded the wrapper in front of him and put it in the fry container.

'Of course, I don't. If everyone's done, we should be off." They murmured agreement and filed out of the fast food restaurant after her, leaving several people to stare after them. No one paid any attention.

The skating rink had had a few hardy people taking advantage of the fact that the city had kept it up, but the teens were quickly bored, and they moved on to see what was around the center square. They stopped by the Center itself and gathered brochures about what was playing, intending, or at least pretending that they'd go see something before they left the city. It was as they were looping around the area to use the closest subway station that it happened.

Ichigo lost track of Rukia.

A strangled curse halted the group as one and the others turned to see their orange haired friend frantically look around the busy sidewalks for the petite Shinigami. "Quick, do you see her?"

"See who, Kurosaki-kun?" Kirara felt the fur on her arms stand up and she narrowed her eyes against the glaring sun.

"The midget. She's not where she's supposed to be." Meaning she wasn't chained to his side, so he didn't lose her. "Chad?"

"Sorry," the taller teen replied.

"Damnit," he swore, still trying to look for her. Instead of using his spiritual abilities to track her down, the daiko kept trying to search her out visually in the crowd. And all the while, his thoughts centered on one thing:

I've lost her. In a foreign country, in New York City of all places. I am so dead.