Hey readers, welcome back to the next chapter of our story. Sad to say, even though it was only the first week of the semester, this past week was horrible. Chemistry alone is eating a hell of a lot of my time, and I still have my other subjects to deal with as well. To be honest, it's a fight just to pre-read and tidy up this chapter for you all. So sadly, I'm gonna have to implement a new posting schedule so I can avoid putting this story on hiatus, which I refuse to do. Instead of posting every Saturday/Sunday, I have to push it back to every 'other' weekend. Meaning: please do not expect a chapter next weekend.

Honestly, I am sorry that it's come to this, but it can't be helped. With school and daily household chores and such, I simply don't have enough time for a lot of writing. However, that does not mean that I won't 'try' to give you all an extra chapter when I can; I'm just not making any promises.

So, on to 'Spades's Banter'. Glad you liked the second part of the fight scene, most notably Nel's fight with Shawlong. I tried to play out Nel's serious side as best as I could, and it looks like I managed to pull it off, lol. Thanks for the comment on the 30 chapters bit, and looking forward to hitting the 40 mark before too long, school willing. So let's get to your questions…

1: Bro…talk about love at first sight, lol. Not bashing you or anything, but you really do like Albert a lot, huh? Well, since you are so adamant that he must have an appearance again, I'll try my hardest to make it happen. Keep in mind though, it will likely be a while before it does happen.

2: Either Shunsui, or Jūshirō. They are both relaxed and are far wiser than you might think.

3: I'd love to spend a day or two with one of them and learn from their wisdom.

4: It's not mentioned but once in the story, but Tim, as well as Nel, both dislike, but not really hate, their gigais. When the time comes that he has to go back to the soul society, he would likely not mind it that much.

5: Military time. It's so ingrained into me, that the standard reading of time is just so alien to me now.

Okay, time to wrap this part up and get to the reading.

(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)


Chapter 31

(Revenge is 'Bitter Sweet')

Urahara Shop, 1 Hour Later

The dining room in the Urahara shop was so quiet, you could almost literally hear a pin drop on the floor. Everyone was sitting calmly at the small table in the room, all for the exception if Rukia and Rangiku, who were currently in Nel's room being treated by Tessai.

Once everyone had returned to the shop, they had all pretty much agreed to take a little while to calm down and relax a bit before discussing each other's fights, and the possible reasons as to why the Arrancar had suddenly decided to invade.

After a little over an hour of waiting and resting, Toshiro finally took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, and turned to the group in front of him to begin. But just as he was about to speak, Tessai then walked in with a relieved look on his face.

The large man looked at the short Captain and gave a slight nod. "Miss Rukia and miss Matsumoto will both be fine and are not in any danger. However, it will be some time before miss Matsumoto will be able to fight with her zanpakutō again, and miss Rukia will need more extensive healing for her hearing." He informed.

Toshiro let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, mister Tessai. I am relieved." He returned.

The large man nodded, then walked up to the table, grabbed the tea pot, and proceeded into the kitchen to make more. The Captain watched the man leave, then turned back to Kisuke, who was lightly fanning himself with closed eyes.

"Mister Urahara, before we begin, I was hoping you could enlighten us as to why you think the Arrancar were here. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?" he inquired.

The shop owner stopped his fanning and glanced over to the Captain. "I'm afraid not. There are many possible reasons as to why they would come here now. For all we know, this could have likely been a probing attack, in order to test our current strength."

Renji rose a curious brow. "That would make sense. Those guys honestly weren't that strong, and we could have easily handled them without any issues if it weren't for these damn limiters." He complained.

Toshiro held his chin in his hand in thought. "That could be another possible reason why they were here, to eliminate us while we were weak. Aizen knows that while we were here we would have these limiters. And he also knows that getting the clearance to release them is very time consuming. So, he could have sent them here to try and defeat a Captain and three Lieutenants at the same time with ease."

Nel then decided to speak up. "If I may Captain, I don't think that's the case." She said in a calm voice.

Toshiro looked at her intently. "And why do you think that?" he inquired in a cautious voice.

She took a deep breath as she prepared her next words carefully, as not to upset the short man. "No offense Captain, but Shawlong could have very easily killed you long before I arrived. And Grimmjow could have done the same with Tim as well. So I don't think they were here for the specific purpose of killing you. If anything, judging by the way Shawlong was behaving, I would guess that they were trying to keep you busy."

Ikkaku turned to her with a disbelieving look. "Come on, they had us on the ropes. You really think that they were here just to hold us up? Why not just kill us and be done with it? It would have been far more effective." He pointed out.

"He does have a point, miss Nel." Kisuke stated from behind his fan.

Nel shook her head gently. "That may be true, but I can tell you right now that Shawlong was not acting the way he normally does in a battle. He would not have waited so long to kill the Captain under normal circumstances. I honestly think that he and the rest of his friends were trying to hold you up as long as possible without killing you."

Renji gave a low growl. "It all would have been over really quickly if we could have gotten rid of our limiters. Just what the hell happened with that anyway, Captain? Didn't Rangiku put in a request for permission to release them?" he asked, now looking at the short man.

The Captain nodded firmly. "Yes, she did. But I am not sure what happened. Considering the circumstances, the soul society should have been quick to grant that permission. I will inquire it with the Head Captain when I deliver my report. But what about you, Renji? Did you happen to notice your opponent acting a bit strange as Nel suggests?" he questioned.

The Lieutenant's face then dropped. "Kinda impossible to tell. I managed to end up with the crazy one who kept calling me 'brother' all the time." He droaned.

Nel's face dropped as well. "Yylfordt Granz. He's the older brother of Szayelaporro Granz, one of the Espada. You are correct when you use the term 'crazy' to define him. I have always despised him the most out of all the fracción." She moaned.

Toshiro sighed heavily, then turned to Ichigo. "And what about you and Rukia, Ichigo? Was yours acting strange in any way?"

The teen crossed his arms and took a deep breath. "Not from what I can tell. They guy was already in his released state when I got there, and it was pretty much just exchanging blows between each other most of the time. You'd be better off asking Rukia on that one." He advised.

The Captain growled in annoyance. "What about yours, Ikkaku?"

The 3rd seat chuckled lowly. "Nothing out of the ordinary for me, just a guy that gave me a great fight." He said with glee.

Toshiro growled even louder. "Fine. And what about you, Tim?" he asked at last.

When no answer came back, the man turned to the blonde Lieutenant. The man had his head dropped a little bit, and seemed to be staring at a small, invisible spot on the table as he ran his finger throughout the stubble on his chin.

"Tim?" Toshiro pressed, but still got no response.

This was when Nel noticed that the man hadn't really paid attention to anything that was said, and seemed to be lost in very deep thought; as if he was completely cut off from everything around him.

She rested a hand on his shoulder, finally breaking him from his trance where he looked at her curiously with a raised brow.

"Something wrong?" he inquired.

Renji rose a brow as well and crossed his arms. "Yeah, the Captain's been trying to get your attention a few times." He informed.

Timothy quickly turned to the said man and rubbed the back of his head. "Eh…sorry about that, Captain. Just had something on my mind about earlier." He admitted.

Toshiro, too, rose a brow. "Care to share it with the rest of us?"

The Lieutenant dropped his hand down to his lap and sighed as he rested his head back against the wall. He tapped his right index finger on his knee a few times as he thought over his own fight one last time.

"I don't…" he started, then took a deep breath. "I think…that Nel is right." He said, then lifted his head and leaned on the table. "I think those Arrancar came here to distract us, to keep us busy."

"Why do you think that, Tim?" Renji asked.

Timothy tapped the table a few times with the same finger before continuing. "You remember what Ulquiorra said, about how their mission was complete?" he asked, getting nods from everyone. "Well, that's what's been bothering me the most for the past hour. He said 'our' mission is complete, not 'his' mission was complete. He said it as if he was a part of the mission in its entirety."

Renji nodded again. "Yeah. So?"

The younger man gave the red-headed Lieutenant a firm and serious stare. "If that's the case, where the hell was he during all this?" he asked, causing everyone's eyes to widen in realization. "I never once sensed him during the whole thing, and judging by you guy's reaction, neither did you. I never knew he was even here until I actually 'saw' him. So if he was a part of this mission of theirs, just where the hell was he while we were all dealing with the other Arrancar?" he questioned.

Toshiro started looking around the table at everyone. "So, no one fought him, or remembers seeing him?" he inquired.

"Captain…" Nel started, getting the man's attention. "…if Ulquiorra had been a part of the fight, that person would not be breathing anymore. And besides, I know his spiritual pressure anywhere. I, too, didn't sense him, or was even aware he was here until I saw him."

Timothy nodded in agreeance. "So, if Grimmjow and his fracción were only trying to keep us busy, I am willing to bet my life that they were doing so, so Ulquiorra could complete a different task without us getting in the way." He put together.

Kisuke turned to the man with a sly grin. "Very astute, Tim. If this is indeed the case, then it would be best if we started figuring out just what the man's task was." He advised.

Toshiro nodded. "I agree. Once everyone has recovered, we'll do a thorough search around the city and see if we can find any clues as to what he was up to." He instructed.

Timothy rose a questioning brow at him. "You want us to search the entire city? Do you have any idea how long that would take, Captain? Even if we were to include Kisuke and Nel on this, that's only ten of us to do the searching, and it would take days to do even a half-ass one. By then, Aizen could have already done what he wanted to do, whatever that is." He pointed out.

The Captain glared at him. "I'm aware of that, but it's better than sitting here and talking about it and getting nowhere at all. And when it comes to Nel, I still do not trust her enough to leave her unobserved." He stated, then looked at the woman to see a disappointed look on her face. "Don't take this the wrong way Nel; I thank you for the help you have given us, and I thank you for saving my life. But the simple fact is that I don't trust you enough on your own yet. But you do have my respect." He informed calmly.

Nel sighed and nodded. "I understand, Captain."

Timothy then crossed his arm firmly. "She can still help, Captain. Why not let her go with me, or someone else? That way, her and the person she's with can cover twice the ground in the same amount of time?" he proposed.

Ikkaku looked at Toshiro with a raised brow. "He's got a point there, Captain. And he's right, it would take a long time to cover the entire city with the short amount of people we have for it. We'll need all the help we can get." He added.

Kisuke turned to him as well. "And you can't include Ichigo on this as he will have to leave to return to his training. And I have my own things that I need to look into here, so if you do include miss Nel, you would only have eight personnel for searching." He informed.

Toshiro lowered his head and started rubbing his temples with a low growl. "I know this is going to end badly." He mumbled under his breath, before crossing his arms and looking back at Timothy. "Fine, she can go with you, Tim. But you know the deal; any trouble she may cause, is entirely on you." He warned.

Timothy closed his eyes and shook his head with a sigh. "I guess it's better than nothing." He admitted.

Renji then turned to him with a raised brow. "Wait a minute, where's Kit? I figured she'd be here for all this. Not only that, couldn't she give us a hand in this as well?" he inquired.

The younger man glanced at the red-head. "She's gonna be out of it for a while. That last attack with my Bankai, plus struggling to keep fighting Grimmjow really took it out of her. And I guess she could give me a hand in looking around. That would mean that Nel would have to go with someone else though."

The red-headed Lieutenant shrugged a shoulder. "She could go with Rangiku, they both seem to get along really well."

Both of Timothy's brows lifted high as a kite. "Are you fucking stupid or something? Rangiku would get distracted by the first store she spotted. And Nel being with her to use as a dressing dummy would only make it several times worse." He pointed out, causing Nel to turn red.

Renji's face then dropped. "Yeah…good point. I guess she could come with me then." He offered.

Timothy turned around to the woman in question. "You okay with that, Nel?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded. "It's fine with me." She returned.

Something then donned on Timothy, causing him to go wide-eyed before swiftly turning back to the Captain.

"Crap, almost forgot. During my fight, I think Grimmjow tried to use that zanpakutō sealing thing that was used on Nel." He put out.

Toshiro's eyes widened as well. "Are you saying he managed to seal your zanpakutō?!" he asked in surprise.

Timothy shook his head. "That's the thing, for some reason or another, it didn't work. After he turned it on, or at least tried to, he started getting upset that nothing was happening."

Renji scratched his chin. "It could have been something else, you know." He pointed.

The younger man shook his head again. "I don't think so. Before he tried to use it, he said, and I quote, 'Say goodbye to your zanpakutō'. That's why I think that device he had must have been the same one that was used on Nel. I asked Kit if she felt anything different, but she said no."

Nel turned to him. "Did you see what it looked like?" she inquired.

"No, he was too far away for me to see it well enough. I can say that it was pretty small, about the size of a mod soul dispenser. Besides that, I can't say." Timothy answered.

Kisuke hummed for a second, then lowered his fan a bit. "If you don't mind Tim, I'd like to run a couple tests to see if anything else could have happened that you might not be feeling at the moment." He advised.

Timothy sighed heavily. "Why don't I trust you when you say that?" he moaned.

Ichigo rolled his eyes to him. "Probably because he's as shady as they come." He offered.

Urahara's face fell into sadness. "My dear Ichigo, you wound me. You should know I never do anything without purpose." He 'whined'.

The teen growled as he slapped the table. "You mean like your stupid headband of justice, or whatever that damn thing was?!" he seethed.

Timothy rose a brow in confusion. "Headband of justice?" he asked.

Ichigo glared at him dangerously. "Don't ask! I have no intention of reliving that damn nightmare again!" he warned.

The Lieutenant's expression changed to one of pity. "Considering it's Kisuke we're talking about here, I can only say that, whatever it was, it must have been something very embarrassing. Trust me, you're not the only one to fall for his tricks for the sake of his entertainment." He moaned.

"My condolences." The teen returned, also with a look of pity.

"Likewise." Timothy returned.

"Enough!" Toshiro demanded in a raised voice, getting everyone's attention. "Ichigo, I don't think that there's anything more we need from you at the moment, so you can leave to return to your training, or whatever it is. But be sure to be ready if the Arrancar return." He instructed.

The teen nodded, then stood up. "Got it. Later guys." He said with a wave.

Renji looked up at him with a smirk. "Try to stay out of trouble, will ya? Don't need to keep bailing your ass out every five minutes." He mocked.

Ichigo balled his fists and shook one at the Lieutenant. "What the hell did you say?!"

"Like now?" Timothy added with his own grin.

The teen quickly turned around and glared at him. "Hey! Don't you start on this, too! I'll kick your ass into next week!" he threatened.

Timothy snorted and looked away. "Not likely. Keep in mind Ichigo, you still have yet to meet Kit, and I doubt you would last more than two seconds with her." He stated.

Nel quickly shook her head with wide eyes. "No, you wouldn't! She is evil!" the woman affirmed.

Ichigo tilted his head in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

"Trust me, you do 'not' want to find out!" Nel stated very firmly, earning a quick headshake from Timothy.

The teen scoffed as he threw his hand to the air. "Whatever. Orihime should be up in a few hours, so you can call her then. See you all later." He said, then started walking away.

"Stay outta trouble, Ichigo." Timothy teased.

"Oh, shut up!" the orange-haired man yelled back over his shoulder as he opened the front door.

Once the substitute left the shop, Timothy turned to Toshiro with a calm face. "Captain, could we talk in private for a moment?" he inquired.

The Captain nodded before standing up. "We'll discuss this situation more later on. Yumichika, since you did not engage in any conflicts during the whole thing, you are on hollow watch until morning. Renji, I want you to contact miss Inoue once you are sure she is awake." Everyone nodded, where Timothy stood up as well. "We'll talk downstairs, Tim." he added, getting another nod from the man.

Toshiro began walking towards the trapdoor to the basement, followed closely by Timothy as everyone else left to do their own things. The two officers climbed down the very long ladder to the bottom of the large training field, where Toshiro crossed his arms firmly.

"What is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked firmly.

Timothy crossed his arms as well and sighed heavily. "I wanted to apologize for the other day, Captain."

Toshiro rose a brow. "Regarding?" he pressed.

The Lieutenant sighed again before continuing. "About threatening you after you found out about Nel. I'm sure you've pretty much figured it out by now, but I tend to get quite defensive when it comes to my friends. And when you threatened to report her…" He dropped one hand to his hip and rubbed his head with the other. "…well…my temper kinda got in the way, and I said some things that I meant, but clearly took too far. So, I apologize for that. We really got off on the wrong foot due to my temper, and I wanted to fix that." He admitted.

The Captain stared intently at him. "I see. Your apology is accepted, but be sure it doesn't happen again." He warned.

Timothy stopped his rubbing and stared back. "I really can't promise that, Captain. I can, however, promise that I'll try not to let it happen. Kit told me that you know about me and Nel's…relationship, right?"

Toshiro furrowed his brows dangerously. "Yes, and I still think you are a fool for it. You honestly have no idea just how dangerous the game you are playing is."

The younger man crossed his arms again and gave the Captain a firm stare. "I understand wholeheartedly why you say that, Captain. And I will not deny that in some ways you are right about that. However, this is still 'my' life, even in death. It's up to 'me' who I choose to be with. I understand that if this is discovered, I'm pretty much done for; but that is a risk that I've decided to take, and I will gladly accept the repercussions for that risk." He stated firmly.

He then sighed and closed his eyes. "I am not trying to convince you to trust Nel, Captain; that is something that the two of you have to work out. I'm just telling you that 'I' trust her. Not only with my life, but also with my heart. If you don't want to accept that, that's your choice. I can't change it, and I am not going to try. I'm only saying that I've chosen to see beyond what she is, and have decided to be with her because of who she is. And that nothing is going to stand in the way of that. That's why I reacted the way I did that day."

Timothy opened his eyes back to him. "Understand this Captain, I will always side with you and the soul society, nothing will change that. I would never raise a hand against you. But if it came to a choice between staying with the 13 Court Guard Squads, or protecting Nel, I would gladly leave the Squads for her. Call me a traitor if you want, but I will always choose my friends, and those I hold dear above anything else."

Toshiro narrowed his glare even further. "So, you're saying that you don't have any friends in the soul society?"

The Lieutenant shook his head slowly. "That's not what I'm saying at all, Captain. I view 'you' as a friend. Renji, Rangiku, Ichigo, Captain Komamura, Ikkaku, everyone. I view 'all' of you as my friends. And I will gladly put down my life for any of you without a second thought. I'm simply saying that I hold Nel in a higher standing than I do you. I had to sit and watch as my own wife was turned into something else. My weakness prevented me from saving her."

He moved his hands to his hips and gave the Captain a deathly glare. "I am 'not' going to let someone else that I care deeply for go through anymore pain and suffering. I choose to stand by Nel, and I will protect her until my dying breath…even if it means I have to fight my own friends. And you have absolutely no idea how many times a day that I pray that never happens. It tears my soul to pieces just thinking about it."

Toshiro took a deep breath as well. "I see. You have my condolences for what has happened to your wife, and I am sorry you had to witness such cruelty. But that does not change the fact that Nel is an Arrancar. I will admit, she is not like the rest of them, that she is actually a kind and caring person. But nonetheless, she is 'still' an Arrancar, and will always face discrimination based on that fact. You know this." He pointed out.

Timothy nodded firmly. "Yes, I do. And I know it's unlikely she'll 'ever' be accepted by the soul society." He said, then pointed a finger to his chest. "But 'I' choose to see her for the person she is. And if I can help to change how the world views her, I will." He then crossed his arms again. "I just wanted to tell you where I stand, Captain. And to let you know that the anger I directed at you, would be towards anyone who threatened those I care about."

The Captain stared at the man for a moment, then sighed before turning to leave. "Thank you for telling me this. As I said before, I won't report her for now, but that's only as long as she does nothing against any of us. And I'll give you a word of warning…" He turned his head and stared directly into the young man's eyes. "…if it does come to the event where the soul society orders her execution, know that I cannot help you. I always help my friends Tim, but my loyalty is with the soul society, not with them." He stated firmly.

The Lieutenant nodded in understanding. "Then let us both pray that day never comes, Captain." He returned.

Toshiro nodded in agreeance. "I'll expect a full report on your fight with the Espada, including that device he tried to use on you. It may not have worked this time, but anything we can give Squad 12 about it, even what it looks like, will be helpful to them in finding a way to counter it."

Timothy nodded back. "You'll have it before this afternoon, Captain. If it's alright with you, I think I'm gonna go get some sleep before we call Orihime over. I don't know about you, but I'm beat." He said with a small smile.

The Captain scoffed. "Yes, I believe we could all use a little rest." He concluded, then vanished.

The Lieutenant sighed and folded his arms loosely. "Well, it could have gone a whole lot worse I guess." He mumbled to himself, before starting to climb the ladder.

Upstairs, Toshiro walked out the front door and was about to leave when he noticed Nel sitting against the wall, now in her gigai and staring up at the cloudless sky. The woman glanced over to him and nodded gently.

"Captain." She greeted.

He nodded back as he gave her a firm stare. "I have a question for you, Nel." He stated.

She rose a curious, but cautious brow. "Yes?"

The Captain turned to her and crossed his arms. "Are your…feelings…for Tim real? Do you really care for him as much as you claim?" he questioned.

Her brow dropped, and she returned to stare. "Yes, they are real. I care for Tim a lot. I know you are quite displeased to hear that, but it is the truth." She admitted just as firmly.

Toshiro narrowed his stare a bit at her. "I see. Then let me give you a fair piece of advice Nel; Tim's life is essentially in your hands at the moment. He is risking everything he has for you, because he is adamant that you are not a bad person. I may not have known him for very long, but I still consider him a friend. So, do the both of us a favor, and don't mess this up. For his sake." He warned.

Nel's shoulders dropped with a heavy exhale, before she slowly stood up and stood mere inches from the shorter man's face, looking down on him. The Captain looked up at her, his stare turning into a cautious glare.

"Captain Hitsugaya, I am only going to tell you this one last time; I have no intention of ever bringing harm, or hardship to Tim. You don't like me, you don't trust me, and I accept that; but do not think, even for a second, that I would ever intentionally hurt Tim. You saw firsthand how I defeated Shawlong Koufang with ease, using only my bare hands. Do you not realize that, at any time, I could kill him without so much as breaking a sweat? With that thought in mind, tell me, why have I not done so?"

Her brows furrowed dangerously. "Don't bother answering, because I'll tell you why. I haven't killed him, or any members of your team, because I have chosen to 'protect' all of you, including you, Captain Hitsugaya. You can hate me, belittle me, insult me, do anything you like; but the one thing you should never do, is question my loyalty. And before you decide to ask, my loyalty, is with Tim. So, if Tim's fights for you, 'I' fight for you."

Her eyes suddenly gained a deathly glare to them. "But if Tim fights 'against' you, I fight against you. So, if anyone should be cautious about me being discovered, it should be you, Captain Hitsugaya. Because if the soul society lays a single finger on Tim, you will personally see exactly why I was the Quinto Espada. Now, if you will please excuse me, I plan to turn in for the night." She informed, then turned and began walking back inside.

Toshiro turn his head back to her. "Is that a threat, Nel?" he questioned firmly.

The woman stopped, then side-glanced him over her shoulder. "No Captain, that was a promise. I thought it prudent to make sure you understand exactly where I stand with this. I am still hoping that we can someday become friends, but I can see that that may be a long time from now. Good night, Captain." She concluded, then turned back and continued into the shop.

The short man watched as she entered the dining room, then turned into the hallway, presumably to her room.

'That stare in her eyes…she was serious. So, she really is loyal to Tim, and Tim is obviously loyal to the soul society. But his loyalty will only continue as long as the soul society does not attempt to harm her. This is a bad situation. We need Tim for the war against Aizen, and if what the woman said was true, she could also be a great asset for the war. Her skills are highly impressive, and would be of great use to us. But that's only if the soul society doesn't find out about her. Since that's the case, it seems that it would be in our best interest to make sure the soul society doesn't find out.'

The Captain sighed heavily and closed his eyes while rubbing his temple. 'But doing so would be considered an act of treason. I would be in enough trouble as it is just by having known about her and not reporting it yet. Damn it. Why did 'I' have to be the one put in this position?'

The man held out a finger, letting out a very brief, and light pulse of his spiritual pressure emit from it. Within seconds, a hell butterfly appeared from nowhere and landed on the tip of the man's outstretched finger.

He mentally gave the insect his instructions that lasted for only around five seconds, before the black insect took off and flew a few feet away, disappearing into the night.

Toshiro then dropped his arms to his sides, sparing a last glance at the window of Nel's room, before vanishing through shunpo.

The Next Morning

Timothy sat on his futon, his upper body slouched over a bit, his head lowered, and his hand in the center of his crossed legs. A transparent, yellowish hued barrier was currently over top of him with Orihime sitting on her knees next to it.

Even though he was quite exhausted after his fight with Grimmjow, Timothy adamantly stated that his injuries were by far the least serious, and determined that he should be the last one to get healed.

Considering that it took nearly an hour to heal Rukia and Rangiku before the teen could start on the others, Timothy instructed that he only wanted her to fix up his more serious injuries, and leave the others to heal on their own.

Orihime was hesitant at first, but seeing that she was already late for her first class, and would be late for her second if she healed him fully, she was left with no choice but to do as instructed. Thankfully, she was nearly done with Timothy.

Timothy opened an eye slightly and glanced at the teen, seeing that, even though she was in a hurry, she was also quite distressed about something. The entire time she had been at the shop, and even now, she didn't seem to be her normal, cheery self.

"Something wrong, Orihime?" he asked in a kind voice.

She lightly gasped and swiftly shook her head. "No! Everything is fine! It's just…" She stopped and lowered her head a bit. "I wish you guys would have called me as soon as it was all over. I would have come over right away to heal everyone." She admitted.

The man sighed heavily. "Orihime, it was my decision not to call you yet. You've done more than we can pay you back for, and the last thing I wanted to do at the moment was wake you up to heal us. So please stop fretting about it." He pleaded.

Orihime shirked a bit, but nodded. "Okay.'

"Hey." He called out, getting her attention back. "I said to stop worrying about. So cheer up, Orihime. Please?" he begged further.

The teen smiled and nodded again. "Sorry, sometimes I can't help it. I'm glad everyone made it out alright, though. So, where's Kit? I haven't seen her around." She inquired.

"Right here." A voice said to Timothy's left.

They both looked to see Kitsune materialize next to them, her face dropped and her eyes a bit red. The spirit let out a long yawn, her jaw wide open and exposing all of her pointed canine teeth.

"Are you okay, Kit?" Orihime asked worriedly.

Kitsune finished her yawn and nodded. "Yeah, just weak and tired as hell." she answered, then glared at Timothy. "No thanks to you. I told you not to push yourself, and you damn near broke your zanpakutō. You do realize it takes days to fix a broken zanpakutō, right?" she questioned.

Timothy rolled his eyes at her. "Would you rather me get killed by the Espada?" he returned.

The spirit furrowed her furry brows. "I would rather you not be so damn reckless, you idiot. If the triple incantation wasn't enough, you just had to push it further and use my Bankai's ultimate technique. I'm beginning to wonder if you're 'trying' to kill yourself." She hissed.

The man glared at her. "Oh shut up. I'm alive, ain't I?"

Kitsune scoffed with a roll of the eyes. "Barely. Listen Tim, sometimes it's not physical damage that can kill you; a soul reaper can still die if they push their spirit energy too far and cause their soul to basically commit suicide. That's what nearly happened last night. You pushed yourself too hard, and your soul just about gave up on you. Why do you think 'Johnny' and I 'both' passed out? All three of us nearly died."

The spirit then sighed heavily. "This isn't a joke, Tim. I honestly have no idea how in the hell you managed to stay conscious through all of that, but me and 'Johnny' couldn't. You have got to stop taking all these risks, Tim. Just because you are not physically alive anymore, it doesn't mean that your soul can't be destroyed." She scorned.

Timothy held both hands up to her. "Okay okay, I get it! I'll take it easy from now on!" he offered quickly.

She glared into his eyes, making him fret a bit. "You better, Tim. I almost lost you once, and I'll do what it takes to make sure it doesn't 'actually' happen. If I have to lock away your access to my abilities to keep you alive, by God I'll do it. And 'Johnny' agrees with me wholeheartedly." She threatened.

Orihime chuckled under her breath as she watched the two of them bicker, or rather Timothy get his ass chewed. But a part of her deep down was in a sort of panic mode after hearing that Timothy nearly killed himself the night before.

The watch on her wrist suddenly began beeping, causing her to gasp and quickly look at it, her eyes going wide with worry.

"Oh my gosh! I'm going to be late for my second class!" she fretted.

Timothy quickly turned to her. "Get going, Orihime. You've done more than enough. I really can't thank you enough for all of this." He stated firmly.

The teen quickly waved him off. "Oh no, it's fine, Tim. I'm happy to help. Gotta go, so I'll see you later. Bye Kit."

Kitsune waved back as the girl stood up. "It's good to see you again, Orihime. Have fun."

Orihime smile brightly and nodded. "I'll try. Bye." She said with a final wave, then quickly left the room.

Timothy's face then fell, along with his shoulders. "That poor girl really needs to learn that it's okay to feel appreciated."

The spirit sighed and nodded slightly. "Yeah, I have to agree with you on that. But…something feels…off about her." She observed.

Her partner rolled his eyes to her. "You caught on to that too?" he inquired in a whisper.

Kitsune looked at him with a serious face and nodded again. "I can't quite place it, but she seems a bit more…how should I put it…"

"Worried than normal?" he offered.

She nodded firmly. "Almost scared it seems like. I'm wondering if the Arrancar's appearance last night affected her."

Timothy turned towards the open door and hummed in thought. "Could be. After all the injuries she had to heal this morning, it wouldn't surprise me if she grew a bit fearful about our safety."

"Should we bring this up to the others?" she inquired.

He thought it over for a moment, but finally shook his head. "I think she'll be fine. It's likely she's just more worried about us than normal, after seeing us in such bad shape. We'll see how she's acting the next time we see her, and if she's still that way, we'll talk to the others about it." He concluded.

Kitsune nodded. "Sounds good to me. I hope that's all it really is. She's too young to be worrying so much, and needs to live and be happy."

Timothy turned away with a dropped face. "I'd be living a happy life too if I didn't a damned, perverted vixen stuck in my head." He mumbled lowly.

The spirit's eyes shot wide before she slapped the backside of his head with her hand. "You take that back! You love having me inside your head!" she demanded.

He quickly turned back to her and growled. "Damn you! That hurt, you stupid fox!" he sneered.

Kitsune leaped from where she was sitting, landing on top of him and grabbing him by the throat. He began gagging as she tightened her grip and began to choke him to death.

"I'll kill you for that! I don't mind being called a perverted vixen, but don't you ever call me stupid! I'm smarter than you are!" he declared with fury in her eyes.

Timothy grabbed her hands and got enough leverage to push her hands away enough to speak. "Like hell you are! I'm not the one who kept getting C minuses throughout college! 'Stupid'!" he returned.

She gritted her teeth with a loud, animalistic snarl. "At least I'm smart enough not to try and kill myself!" she yelled as her grip suddenly became tighter, instantly silencing her poor partner.

She then started lifting, and slamming his head down on the floor over and over. "I. Am. Not. A. Stupid. Fox!" she stated, hitting his head on the floor with each word.

Finally, after the twelfth or thirteenth time, she leaned down close to his ear. "You look tired Tim, I think you need a nap." She said, then raised herself and slammed his head down hard, instantly knocking him out. She snarled once more, then stood up and straightened out the fur on her arms. "Nighty night, asshole." She hissed.

Turning on her heel, she then left for the dining room. "Now, time for me to get something 'I've' been waiting for, for twelve years." She stated, now in the hallway. "Oh Kisukeeeeeeee." She called out in a sing-song voice as she entered the dining room.

The man's head then popped around the corner near the trapdoor to the basement. "You rang, dear vixen?" he answered in a similar tone from behind his fan.

The spirit folded her arms firmly. "Is Nel around?" she inquired.

Kisuke exposed his hand from behind the wall and pointed to the floor. "She's downstairs doing some training with miss Rukia. Fortunately, miss Orihime was able to repair the damage to her hearing, so she asked miss Nel to help train her a bit. Might I inquire as to why you ask?"

A wide, and devious grin then grew on her face. "Where's the cookie dough ice cream?" she asked in a demanding voice.

2 Hours Later

Nel pulled herself up through the trapdoor to the training area, a few beads of sweat running down her forehead and her breathing slightly elevated. After waking up with only a few hours of rest, Rukia had asked her to give her some training with fighting against an Espada.

The woman wiped the sweat away with the back of her hand as she exhaled, walking up to the fridge to get something to drink. Grabbing a glass from the cupboard, she then opened the freezer to get some ice.

She reached inside for the ice tray, but stopped when she saw the small bucket of cookie dough ice cream. Her eyes went wide, and she quickly looked around, sparing a quick glance into the dining room in particular, to see if anyone was around.

Once she was happy that the coast was clear, she swiftly snatched the treat from its place and shut the door. Grabbing a small spoon, she proceeded to the dining room table and sat down in the spot she normally did.

The woman moved to open the lid, but briefly stopped and took a last look around, just to be sure. Convinced that she was truly alone, she licked her lips as she pulled the lid open, her eyes shining with glee.

But she froze the moment the lid came off. "Huh?" she breathed out.

Inside the bucket, where there was 'supposed' to be ice cream, was 'actually' a moderately sized rock that took up nearly half of the space inside. Eyes widening in shock, she quickly snatched the rock and turned it in her hand.

She froze again, and her blood began to boil when she saw, taped to the side of the rock, a small piece of paper; a piece of paper that had a small, cartoonish, fox's head, with its tongue sticking out, drawn in the corner, and the words, in bold red, 'MINE!'.

The rock instantly shattered in the Arrancar's hand as she quickly clenched it into a very tight fist. Heavy, powerful, and very deadly spiritual pressure began to fill the room, as a pinkish hue started to surround the woman's body.

"Kit!" she yelled as loud as she could.

She then heard footsteps running towards her, and she turned towards the hallways to see Timothy standing there, staring at her with a mix of shock and fear. She growled deeply as she slowly stood up to full height.

Being a hair over four inches shorter than her, Timothy began to feel like an ant as she glared at him with an intent to kill. The spiritual pressure that was oozing off of her felt like it was wanting to kill him.

"Uh…Nel?" he squeaked out.

"Where. Is. She?" the deranged woman asked in a voice that sounded as deathly as the spiritual pressure around her.

Timothy's eyes shot wide open. "Oh my God. What did she do now?" he inquired, very hesitantly.

Before he could do anything further, Nel grabbed him by the neck and pressed him against the wall. She then lowered herself just enough to where her face was level with his, her nose only an inch from his as she glared right into his eyes.

"Get. Her. Out. Here. Now!" she demanded.

He swallowed hard at the sickening sound of his 'girlfriend's' voice. "What the fuck did you do?!" he screamed inside his head.

No answer.

"Kit?!"

No answer.

"Kit!"

No answer.

Nel narrowed her gaze dangerously at him. "If she won't come out on her own…" she started, then quickly grabbed the hilt of his zanpakutō and ripped it from its sheath. "Then I'll 'make' her come out!" she stated, letting go of his neck and walking towards the kitchen.

"Kisuke! Where are you?!" she yelled out, walking through the kitchen and back towards Kisuke's lab.

This was when Timothy happened to look over at the table, and notice the empty bucket; the empty bucket of cookie dough ice cream. He looked at the base of the bucket to see a small piece of paper; a piece of paper that had a small, cartoonish, fox's head, with its tongue sticking out drawn in the corner, and the words, in bold red, 'MINE!'.

His eyes became saucers. "Oh dear God! She didn't!" he fretted aloud.

He then heard running and turned to see Rukia standing there with her zanpakutō drawn. "What's going on?!" she asked in worry.

Timothy swallowed again. "World War 3…or 4…I've been dead for twelve years, so I have no idea if we've had a third war or not. Either way, it's safe to say that there's going to be blood involved…A 'lot' of it!" He informed.

She quickly turned towards the kitchen, then back to him. "Who the hell is she mad at?! And why?!" she demanded.

He simply pointed at the table, where the short woman saw an empty ice cream bucket with rock fragments around it. In the ruble, was a small piece of paper; a piece of paper that had a small, cartoonish fox's head, with its tongue sticking out, drawn in the corner, and the words, in bold red, 'MINE!'.

"Who the hell do you think?" he asked in a worried voice.

Rukia's eyes shot wide open before she snapped back to him in shock. "You're kidding! Again?!" she bellowed out in shock.

He simply nodded. "Again. Thank God she 'inside' the barrier, otherwise the Captain would think she's finally snapped." He pointed out.

"Miss Nel, perhaps you should stop and think this over. I can't say for certain if this will have the desired result in Tim's case." Kisuke's voice spoke out, causing Timothy and Rukia to turn just in time to see Nel walking out from the kitchen with what appeared to be a cardboard doll in her arms, the man's zanpakutō still in her hand.

"I don't care. I am going to make that fox pay for mocking me. Eat 'my' damn ice cream, will she?" the teal-haired woman hissed before vanishing with a buzz.

Timothy turned to the shop owner in worry. "Kisuke, what's that in her hands?" he hesitantly asked.

The man turned his eyes to him, worry also written on his face. "I believe you are about to find out, Tim. Just remember, any damages the two of them cause is going on 'your' bill." He warned.

The Lieutenant then dropped his head back and moaned loudly. "Why me?!" he yelled, then vanished himself.

He reappeared at the base of the ladder, followed immediately by Rukia and Kisuke, and looked to see Nel a few yards away standing the human-size figure up on its legs, his sword still in her hand.

"Nel!" he yelled, getting her attention. "What the hell are you doing? And are you seriously that pissed off because of a stupid piece of paper?" he asked in disbelief.

She narrowed her stare. "I am done being the victim of that fox's stupid games, Tim. It's time to settle this." She declared, then turned back to the dummy.

Timothy closed his eyes with a deep growl. "That's it." He mumbled, then held out a hand to her. "Bakudō #61, Rikujōkōrō!" he chanted.

Nel was just about to stab the figure, when the six yellow blades of energy suddenly surrounded her, and stabbed through her at all sides, freezing the woman in place. She quickly turned her head to him in complete shock.

"Tim! What are you doing?!" she yelled.

He opened his eyes to her in a deathly glare. "Shut up and stay put." He instructed firmly, then closed his eyes again. "Get your ass out here now, or so help me, I will come in there and beat the living shit outta you!" he yelled inwardly.

He surely didn't have to ask twice, as Kitsune was immediately materialized right next to him, her canine ears drooped down. Timothy then reopened his eyes and glared at the spirit.

"Get your ass over there next to her, and not one fucking word." He demanded, then turned two his two friends. "Would you two mind giving us a few minutes?"

They both nodded, then swiftly flashed away. Timothy turned back front and walked over to the two banes of his existence. Kitsune had her head down, while Nel looked at her with fury, a very slight growl escaping her throat.

Timothy stopped in front of them and crossed his arms. "What the hell is you two's problem? Do you two seriously hate each other that much that you would go at each other over something as stupid as ice cream?"

Nel's head quickly snapped to him. "I…I don't hate Kit! I'm just tired or her making fun of me so damn much!" she insisted.

He turned to the spirit, who shook her head. "I don't hate her either, Tim. I just wanted the ice cream so bad, and I thought it would be funny to mess with her a little."

The Lieutenant rose a brow at her. "I distinctly remember you promising 'not' to tease Nel anymore, Kit. I believe we made a deal on it." He pointed out.

She dropped her head and nodded. "I know, and I'm sorry Nel. I honestly didn't mean to make you that mad."

"I don't think 'mad' is the word to use, Kit. And you, Nel…" he started, now looking at her. "…What exactly were you about to do just now? What is that thing?" he questioned.

Nel dropped her head as well. "It's one of Kisuke's inventions, or something like that. He used it to help me get Gamuza back. By stabbing it with a zanpakutō, it makes the spirit come to this world. I was going to use it to force Kit out and deal with her. I let my anger get the better of me, and I apologize…to both of you." She said in embarrassment.

Timothy sighed heavily. "So, you were going to use that to force her out? Did ever take a second to consider my situation? I have 'two' zanpakutō spirits in my inner world, Nel, not one. Not only would you have pulled Kit out, but you would have likely pulled 'Johnny' out as well. And considering that I have yet to learn his name, there's no telling what would have happened if you forced him out."

She dropped her head lower and closed her eyes. "I…I didn't think about that. I'm sorry." She admitted.

He sighed again and dropped his arms, flicking his wrist on the way down and removing the kidō from the teal-haired woman. Taking a few steps forward, he stopped right in front of them and rested his hands on their shoulders.

"Nel, I care about you, deeply. I know you didn't mean anything, and I forgive you. And Kit, I forgive you too, but for God's sakes, you have got to stop with all of your tricks. It may be fun to you, but 'I'm' the one who has to keep paying the price for them. So please, just stop. Okay?" he pleaded.

The spirit sighed in defeat. "Fine."

Her partner smiled and nodded back. "Good. So are the two of you friends again?" he inquired.

The two women looked at each other and smiled. "Yeah, we're friends again." Kitsune affirmed.

"Same here." Nel followed.

Timothy took a relaxing breath and dropped his hands. "Good. Nel, I think it would be a good idea to give Kisuke his…thing back. He didn't seem too happy about you just storming in and taking it. And Kit, behave." He instructed.

The spirit's face dropped. "Why are you being nicer to her? I thought we supposed to be partners." She whined.

He rose a brow at her. "I'm sorry, were you actually expecting me to answer that question?" he mocked.

Nel chuckled at the remark, earning a growl from the woman next to her. "I hate the both of you." She moaned, then disappeared back into his inner world.

The teal-haired woman turned to pick up the human-sized figure, where Timothy looked at her with a firm face.

"Nel, have you spoken to Gamuza recently?" he asked.

The woman stopped and turned back to him. "Not really. She's still pretty upset with everything. I can say that she doesn't seem as hostile towards you though. You never did tell me what exactly happened between you two."

Timothy sighed and crossed his arms. "No, I didn't. And honestly, I think it would be best if you didn't know, Nel. But I can say that my original thoughts about her were greatly misplaced."

Nel tilted her head a bit. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean, is that, originally, I thought Gamuza was only your basic instincts as a hollow. That the only feelings she had were anger, hunger, and all the other things that make up a hollow. But as it turned out, she's much more than that. I think that when she was split from you, she not only became your basic instincts, but also inherited some of your human emotions as well. She told me how the two of you had spent plenty of time talking, and getting along in the past. And she thinks that I stole you from her." He informed.

Her eyes widened a bit. "What?! You stole me?! How could she think that?! I 'chose' to be here!" she insisted.

The man nodded slowly. "She knows that, but she believes that you chose to be here, because you wanted me more than her. The simple answer is that she's jealous of me. I think it would be a very good idea if you and her had a long talk, Nel. All I could manage was calm her down a bit, but you're the one who needs to 'really' explain the whole thing to her. Going by what she said, the two of you were really close, and I would honestly like to see the two of you be partners again."

Nel sighed heavily, then picked up the figure and turned to face him. "So do I, Tim. I really do miss the talks her and I used to have. I never expected that she would become jealous of you. I'll have a talk with her this evening. But right now, it's probably best to start our search around the city for what Ulquiorra was up to." She advised.

He nodded again in agreeance. "Sounds good. I'm gonna head out and get started after I grab a bite to eat. I think Renji should be here soon to pick you up, then you two can get started. That reminds me, when did Rukia get here? I thought she would have gone straight to searching around." He inquired.

The woman's face dropped a bit. "She came here a couple hours ago. She said that she was very displeased with how she handled her fight with the Arrancar, and asked if the two of us could have a match. That way, she could get some more practice in fighting Arrancar. I was a bit hesitant about it, thinking that the Captain would likely become very upset with the idea, but she was very adamant. I had come upstairs for something to drink and cool off, and that's when…earlier happened." she informed, now scratching her cheek with embarrassment.

Timothy's eyes widened a bit. "That's actually a great idea, Nel." He stated.

She stopped her scratching and looked back at him curiously. "What is?"

The Lieutenant crossed his arms loosely. "What if we talk to the Captain, and suggest having regular spars between the members of the team and you?" he suggested.

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious, Tim? You really think that's a good idea, considering how the Captain currently feels towards me?" she asked in worry.

He nodded back firmly. "I do. And I think 'you' should be the one to suggest it to him. Think about it; if you walked up to him, and offered to risk yourself, so that his team could get better training in dealing with the Arrancar, it could very well put you in a higher standing in his eyes. It could help him to trust you more." He pointed.

She dropped her chin to her hand and hummed in thought. "It sounds good in theory Tim, but what if it doesn't turn out? You know he's more than likely to decline, right?"

Timothy simply shrugged a shoulder. "If he declines, oh well; you tried. He can't hate you for trying to help him and his men, Nel. Besides, we already have Rukia to use as a testament that the training would work, seeing as how you two have already had a match."

Nel dropped her hand and sighed. "I guess you're right. Do you think I should speak to Renji about it while we are out?"

He nodded with a smile. "I think it would help greatly. And while you're at it, it might not be a bad idea to talk with him and get to know him better." He advised.

The woman smiled back and nodded again. "Alright. I'll speak with the Captain the next time I get a chance."

Rukia flashed into place next the pair, where they turned to her. "Renji's here, Nel. He's mooching breakfast off of Kisuke right now, so you've got a few minutes to finish up here." She informed.

Timothy shrugged his shoulders. "We're pretty much done, we were just discussing another matter. I was telling Nel that it would be a good idea to offer to train with the Captain and the rest of the team, like you did earlier."

The short woman turned to the taller. "That would be very helpful. I'm sure Captain Hitsugaya won't like the idea at first, but I think we can convince him to accept the idea. After spending just a few hours with Nel, I already feel a little more confident for the next fight with the Arrancars." She assured.

"Not only that…" Timothy opened, getting the womens' attentions. "…but you guys would also be training with the former Quinto Espada. So, if you guys are able to beat Nel, that means you should be able to handle at least the higher half of Aizen's Espada." He pointed out.

Rukia nodded firmly. "That's true, and I don't think Captain Hitsugaya would turn down an opportunity to see exactly what we're up against. When were you planning on talking to him?" she asked.

"Sometime later today, if I get the chance. If not, then soon." Nel answered.

The short woman nodded again. "Let me know when you do, I'll give you a hand in trying to talk him into it." She offered.

Timothy chuckled a bit. "Yeah, we discussed that one already. She's gonna talk to Renji while they're out searching. Anyway, we should get going. What part of the city were you heading to, Rukia?"

She looked back at him. "The Captain said we should each start where we had our battles last night, and slowly work our way around before closing in towards the center. So I'll be heading to the southeast, towards the docks and warehouses. You'll be heading north, while Yumichika takes the area where Rangiku fought, seeing as how she's still recovering. He wants us to take our time and search every inch until evening. Afterwards, we'll all meet back here and discuss any findings."

The Lieutenant nodded in affirmation. "Got it. I guess I'll head out then. See you guys this evening." He said, then vanished.

Rukia then turned to Nel and crossed her arms. "So tell me, were you really about to try and kill Kit over ice cream?" she questioned with a serious face.

Nel's own face dropped with a low moan. "I am never going to hear the end of that…am I?" she whined.

The shorter woman smirked at her. "Don't worry, Nel, I'm not evil like Kit is. But that doesn't mean I don't find the whole thing funny. You do realize that you can always get her back, right?" she stated.

Her friend rose a brow at her. "Rukia…this is 'Kit' we're talking about here. If I retaliate against her, it's only going to become worse for me. And to be honest, I really don't know how much more of her teasing I can take." She warned.

Rukia rose a brow back. "So, you'd rather sit in a corner and not fight back? Sounds like you you're scared, Nel." She taunted.

The woman narrowed her gaze and growled very deeply. "I am 'not' scared! What do you have in mind?" she hissed.

The short woman then walked up closer, and gestured with her finger for Nel to bend down. Cupping a hand to her mouth, Rukia whispered lowly into the Arrancar's ear, giving the woman very explicit instructions.

The teal-haired woman's eyes went wide before she backed away and stared at the short woman with shock. "That's mean Rukia!" she declared, but a second later, grinned evilly. "But I like it." She said in a dangerous tone.

Rukia chuckled as she turned to leave, but stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. "By the way, I have nothing to do with this." She asserted, then vanished.

Nel shook her head slowly with closed eyes. "I'm sorry Tim, but I'm going to get that fox back at least once. I hope you'll forgive me for this." She mumbled, then buzzed away.

Northeast Side of Karakura Town, 5 Hours Later

Renji walked out of a small convenience store, a small plastic bag in his hand and turned to see Nel walking up to him. He reached inside the bag and retrieved a small pre-packed sandwich and a can of juice.

As the woman stopped next to him, he held the two items out to her. "Here. Not sure what kind of stuff you like, so I hope this'll work." He offered.

Nel took the juice and sandwich from him and smiled. "It's fine. Thank you, Renji." She returned, then started pulling the wrapper off her food.

"See anything?" he asked.

The woman took a bite, then shook her head. She took a moment to chew and swallow her food before speaking. "Sorry, but I didn't see anything. There were a few humans talking about some broken buildings, and possible 'gas explosions', but I think they are talking about what happened last night." She informed.

Renji opened a can of soda and took a quick drink. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. That's usually the excuse they come up with when we cause accidental damage while doing our jobs. But the team's mission budget pays for the repairs. The soul society usually transfers the funds to a construction company, along with the work orders, and the companies fix the buildings."

Nel turned back to him with a curious face. "So, all the damaged buildings from last night are paid for by the soul society?"

The Lieutenant nodded and took another drink. "Yeah. It's our jobs to protect the souls of the living, not disturb their lives. So it's only fair that we fix up anything that we break."

She turned back front and hummed. "I see. It makes me wish I had gone to the soul society instead of becoming a hollow after I died." She said in a mumble.

Renji glance at her with a raised brow. "Do you remember anything from when you were alive?" he inquired.

Nel shook her head slowly. "No. I just know that it was a long time ago that I died, at least a few decades. Besides that, I don't remember anything." She answered, then raised her hand to take a bite of her sandwich.

The man looked at her intently. "Do you regret being a hollow?" he questioned with a low voice.

The woman stopped with the sandwich and inch from her mouth, frozen in place for a moment. A second later, she lowered her hand and sighed lightly. Renji rose a brow when he saw a frown come to the woman's face.

"Why do you ask?" she wondered aloud.

Renji turned to her fully and rest his free hand on his hip. "You always seem to get upset whenever the fact you're a hollow is mentioned. Like you hate the fact that you are one." He pointed out carefully.

She moved her head to look at him, and he could see sadness in her eyes. "I do hate it. I hate being what I am. As long as I can remember, I've always felt empty inside, and I despised it. The other Arrancar all think the feeling is just natural, like we were meant to be this way. But I always thought different. Even before I became an Arrancar, I knew that this feeling was wrong. It just wasn't who I was. Eventually, I gave up, and accepted the fact that I am what I am, and that there was nothing I could do about it."

The woman turned her head to look at the random humans walking about. "I envy you, Renji. I envy all of the soul reapers. You all have a purpose in your life, a meaning, something to fight for. But hollows have nothing. Besides feeding on human souls, and surviving, there is no purpose in our lives. We're essentially useless. Nothing more than a hindrance to the world."

She then returned back to the Lieutenant. "That was the main reason why I joined Aizen. He promised me a purpose. A reason to live. At the time, I honestly didn't care what his mission was, I just wanted my life to have meaning." The woman lowered her head a bit. "But it proved to be nothing more than a mistake. Once I saw Aizen for what he truly was, I instantly regretted joining him. If Aizen had not turned on me when he did, I would have likely left him anyway. I was already a monster, and I didn't want to become something worse, evil." She finished.

Renji's face drooped a little as he began to pity the poor woman. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make ya feel bad." He offered.

Nel lightly scoffed and smiled. "It's okay, Renji. I just wish there was a way that I could change what I am." She then chuckled lowly, making the Lieutenant raise a brow. "Who knows…if I 'had' gone to the soul society instead, I might have ended up being a soul reaper myself." She admitted.

The man's other brow rose in shock at her statement. "Well…I can honestly say I never expected an Arrancar to say that. That's a new one for me." He returned.

The former Espada laughed at that. "Yes, I guess it is a bit dumb, isn't it? Someone like me being a soul reaper?"

His face then dropped to seriousness. "I didn't say that, Nel. I wasn't making fun of you, just pointing out that it's not something you hear every day. And you seem to be forgetting something." He started.

Nel looked at him with a tilted head. "What's that?"

"The fact that you don't 'have' to be a soul reaper to have a purpose in life. You may be a hollow, but you've chosen to look for a purpose in your life. You were given a shitty deck to deal with in your life, but at least you're fighting to make it better for yourself. I mean damn, you're a hollow, and you're friends with a bunch of soul reapers, in a relationship with one of them. You can't fix the fact that you're a hollow Nel, but at least you've chosen to make the best of it. And who knows, there 'still' is that possibility that the soul society might accept you and let you be." The man said firmly.

The woman sighed heavily. "You and I both know that won't happen, Renji. I'll admit that possibility does exist, but the simple fact is that it just won't happen. The best I could hope for, is imprisonment. I am not trying to say anything against you or the soul society Renji, I am merely seeing things how they are."

Renji shook his head in disbelief. "Even so, don't you think that it's still worth trying?" he pressed.

She nodded firmly. "I do. Why do you think I'm trying so hard to earn the Captain's trust? I'm not doing it for me, Renji. I am not afraid to die, nor anything else the soul society can do to me. I am doing this for Tim, so that when I am discovered, he might not be punished as harshly."

The man continued to stare in to her eyes. "You care for him that much?"

Nel again nodded firmly. "Very much. It seems that you are the one who is forgetting something now, Renji. I am essentially the walking embodiment of loyalty. There is literally nothing that I wouldn't do for Tim. And not just because of my loyalty towards him, but also because of my feelings for him. Tell me Renji, is there not someone that 'you' care deeply for?" she questioned.

Renji's cheeks flushed red a bit as his eyes widened. "Uh…I guess…you can say that." He half answered.

The woman furrowed her brows. "I'll take that as a yes, and I will also take it that you understand exactly what I am saying, correct?"

He nodded. "Yeah…I do. But tell me something, just how much 'do' you care for Tim? And I swear I'm not going to say anything to anyone." He asked calmly.

Nel closed her eyes with a loud exhale. "Does it matter?"

The man shrugged a shoulder as he finished his drink. "Just curious is all. It's not like I'm gonna tie you down and torture you for the answer, or anything." He stated.

She chuckled at his comment. "I think we both know that that would be one of the worst mistakes you could make, Renji. Tim would kill you for that." She teased.

He snorted with a roll of the eyes. "Can't argue on that one. And to think that I thought Ichigo had the worst temper." He droaned.

Nel chuckled even more. "He does get upset very easily, I'll admit that; but we can both agree that he does it for the right reasons." She pointed.

Renji sighed with a nod. "Yeah, I can't really argue that one either. But 'you' can't deny the fact that his temper is going to get him in a lot of trouble someday."

The woman smiled warmly at him. "Well, that's why he has friends like you and Rukia; to help keep him out of trouble."

A beeping sound broke the pair's conversation, where Renji pulled out his soul pager from his back pocket and flipped it open. He pressed a button on the keypad to silence the alarm as he looked at the screen.

"Speaking of trouble, there's a hollow attacking nearby, and I'm the only one close. We'll have to finish this later." He said, and quickly swallowed one of his soul pills, ejecting his soul form from his faux body.

"I'll come with you." She offered.

Renji shook his head. "You can't use flash step, or rather sonído while you're in your gigai; and the instant you get out of it while outside Kisuke's barrier, the soul society would likely find out about you. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes, so you can wait here if you want, or you can keep looking around."

Nel rose a brow at him. "You trust me to be left alone? I seriously doubt the Captain will be happy about that." She pointed.

The man smirked slyly. "Don't worry about it. I won't tell him if you won't. The mod soul will follow behind you, so that I can find you when I'm done. Be back in a few." He said, then vanished.

The woman sighed before turning to the artificial soul. "Well, I guess we'll keeping searching." She stated, getting a nod from the soul.

The two of them resumed walking while Nel continued eating her sandwich. Every now and then, she would stop and enter a random store; listening to the conversations of the humans inside to see if they had heard anything.

It was as she was walking out of one of the stores, that she turned and saw Orihime with her back to the woman and walking away. Nel's face lit up as she entered a brisk jog to catch up to the orange-haired teenager.

"Orihime!" she called out.

The young woman stopped walking and turned around with surprised eyes. "Nel?"

Nel caught up to her and stopped her run, smiling brightly at the teen. "Afternoon, Orihime. How are you doing?" she asked.

Orihime smiled back. "I'm fine. And what about you?" she returned.

The older woman shrugged a shoulder. "Alright I guess. Me and Renji were just doing our search around this part of the city, but he had to leave and take care of a hollow attack."

The teen then looked at Nel with concern. "Don't you feel…upset that he's…" she opened, unable to finish.

Nel shook her head slowly. "No, it doesn't bother me, Orihime. That's because I know Renji's not actually 'killing' the hollow per se, but he's actually 'purifying' it's soul and sending it to the soul society." She reassured. She then sighed heavily. "That hollow is actually quite lucky that it's gets to go to the soul society. If it were me…I would simply vanish."

Orihime lowered her head in sadness. "I'm sorry that you have to live like this, Nel. I feel so bad for you."

The woman looked at the teen firmly. "Don't be, Orihime. None of this is your fault, and you shouldn't feel sorry for something you have no control over. It might not be possible for my soul to be purified, but I have chosen to make the best from what I have. But enough about that, how was school?" she asked with a smile.

The teen smiled back. "It was okay, though I was a little late for my second class."

Nel's smile fell. "I'm sorry we made you late, Orihime." She offered.

Orihime quickly shook her head. "No, it's fine. I just told the teacher that I wasn't feeling well this morning. It's just a little extra homework after school is all. I was just on my way to get something sweet to eat. Would you like to come with me?" she offered.

The woman's eyes went wide. "Can we go for ice cream?" she pleaded.

The girl quickly nodded. "That sounds great! There's another place nearby that has some!" she responded gleefully.

Nel rose a curious brow. "They wouldn't happen to have cookie dough flavor, would they?" she inquired.

Orihime touched a finger to her chin with a hum. "I think so…Why, is it your favorite?"

The woman shook her head slowly. "I never had the chance to try some, but I would like to get some for Kit as a peace offering."

The teen tilted her head. "Peace offering?"

Nel waved the girl off gently. "It's nothing. Kit and I just had a little…confrontation this morning, and I thought it would be a good idea to give her something as an…apology." She assured.

Orihime straightened her head with a worried look. "Did you two…get into a fight?" she wondered.

"You could say that. But we have already settled our differences, and we are friends again. So, shall we get going? Our heavenly treats await." Nel teased.

The girl nodded quickly. "Yes, let's go." she affirmed.

Renji then appeared next to them and swiftly returned to his gigai; coughing up the soul pill before turning to the teen. "Hey Orihime. You done with school?" he asked.

She nodded with a smile. "Hi Renji, and yes, school is over for the day. Nel and I were about to go get some ice cream. Would you like to join us?" she offered.

He held up a hand to her. "No thanks, ice cream's not really my thing. But you can go ahead, Nel. I'll check a few more blocks, then come back to pick you back up." He stated.

The woman smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Renji. I'll see you in a bit."

The man nodded back, then turned and started walking away, where Nel turned back to her friend. "Ready to go?" she asked.

Orihime smiled warmly. "Ready." She affirmed.

The pair then started walking down the sidewalk towards their scoops of heaven.

Urahara Shop, 3 Hours Later

The sun was beginning to set when everyone returned to the shop, and they now found themselves sitting around the dining room table and were delivering their reports, one after the other.

Nel was sitting next to Timothy, while a materialized Kitsune sat at his other side with closed eyes while she rested. The Lieutenant was busy giving his own report, which was essentially just like the others: nothing. Nel leaned back against the wall and reached behind Timothy to tap the spirit on the shoulder.

The woman turned to her, where Nel gestured with her finger to lean closer. They both lean in when Nel cupped a hand over her mouth and spoke softly.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier, Kit; so, I got something for you. It's in the freezer." She offered.

Kitsune's eyes went wide. "Really?!" she asked in surprise, getting a nod in affirmation.

The spirit quickly shot to her feet and bolted to the kitchen. Timothy stopped his report, and looked at Nel with a raised brow.

"What's that about?" he inquired.

The woman smiled warmly. "I got her something for what happened this morning. I think she'll enjoy it." She answered.

Kitsune then came running back to the table and sat back down, turning to Nel with a wide smile. "Thank you so much, Nel!" she said swiftly.

The woman nodded as Timothy turned around to see a small, pint-sized bucket of cookie dough ice cream in one hand, and a spoon in the other. The lieutenant quickly turned back to the teal-haired woman with a skeptical face.

"That fight was 'over' cookie dough ice cream, and this is how you apologize…'with' cookie dough ice cream?" he asked in confusion.

Nel nodded firmly. "I wanted to get her something for what happened, and I thought that this would be the perfect thing." She offered, then turned to Rukia to see a knowing grin on the short woman's face.

The lid was off of the bucket in an instant, and before it could possibly don on the spirit that something was off, she was already shoving spoonful after spoonful of Nel's token of 'apology' into her mouth.

It wasn't until after six or seven spoonful's that Kitsune suddenly stopped eating, pausing with the spoon still in her mouth. Her eyes went wide as saucers, before she spit the contents of her mouth back into the bucket.

The woman started yelling out in pain as she held her throat, quickly jumping back up and running as fast as she could, trampling Timothy in route, back into the kitchen. The whole table watched as the spirit ran away, then turned back to Nel with mixed emotions.

Rukia's grin grew even wider. "I wonder what's wrong with Kit…what do you think Nel?" she asked slyly.

Nel gave the woman a faked look of concern. "I'm not sure, Rukia. All I did was give her some ice cream." She responded. She then cupped her chin in her hand. "Though I did add a little bit of 'flavor' to it." She offered.

Timothy growled with a dropped face. "What did you do?" he moaned.

The woman reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a small bottle with a red, powdery substance inside. She held it out to show him and tilted her head.

"It says that it adds 'savory flavor' to your food, and I just wanted to make sure Kit enjoyed 'her' ice cream." She answered.

Everyone's eyes went wide when they saw the bottle's label that read 'Red Hot Smoking Pot Chili Seasoning'. Timothy's eyes rolled up to Nel to now see a very sly, and evil grin plastered on the woman's face.

"Is this not meant for ice cream, Tim?" she inquired.

Renji, Rukia, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rangiku, and Kisuke all burst out laughing, while Toshiro slapped a hand to his face with a very loud moan; along with Timothy, who was now staring at the Arrancar with annoyance.

"Why did you have to do that?" he whined.

Nel turned to Rukia with a raised brow. "What was the term you said earlier, Rukia?" she asked. The other then rose. "Oh, that's right…" she started, then looked towards the kitchen to see Kitsune with her mouth held open under the running faucet. "…'revenge is bitter sweet', or in this case, spicy sweet." She stated with a devious smile. "Did you enjoy your 'ice cream' Kit?" she yelled out.

The spirit lifted her head from the sink and glared at the woman with her long tongue hanging out the side of her mouth. Nel could hear the animalistic snarl that was radiating from the woman's throat.

"I guing tha kell hou fa hat!" she slurred.

"Actually…" Timothy started, causing everyone to turn and see an approving smile on his face now. "…I think you deserved that one, Kit. I'm surprised that Nel actually had the guts to do that; and frankly, I'm glad she did. Maybe that'll teach you a lesson not to go overboard with you teasing anymore." He stated.

The sprit stomped her foot hard on the floor. "I hay hou!" she 'declared'.

His smile grew wider.

"…You do…realize…that…her teasing…will only…become…worse now…correct?" 'Johnny' pointed.

Timothy's smile instantly fell. "…Fuck…" He then turned back to Nel with a distraught face. "Nel…now that I think about it…I think the only thing you've done, is trade a playful vixen, for the devil's handmaiden." He informed.

Everyone immediately stopped laughing as Kisuke's eyes widened to extreme proportions. "My dear Nel…what have you done…" he said in a very fretful voice.

The woman swallowed hard as sweat began pouring from her forehead. "Dug her own grave." Ikkaku answered, earning swift nods from everyone at the table, including Toshiro.

"I believe you may want to consider imprisonment in the soul society, Nel. It seems that may be the only thing that can save you now." The Captain stated.

Nel rolled her eyes to him. "I think I would rather prefer the execution instead, Captain." She corrected.

Renji then looked at his empty wrist. "Oh, look what time it is. I think I'll head out for the night." He stated, then swiftly stood up and vanished.

"I think I'll turn in as well." Rukia followed, instantly jumping to her own feet before vanishing as well.

"Same here." Ikkaku added, then he and Yumichika both vanished.

Rangiku turned to her Captain with a pleading stare, where he nodded. "I would rather not be present for the hell that is about to come, so I must retire as well." He informed, earning a quick shake of the head from his Lieutenant.

They two officers disappeared, where Kisuke stood up. "I think I'm gonna check the lab to make sure everything is tied down." He said, then walked away.

Timothy and Nel both stared at the now empty seats in front of them with fallen faces. "…Traitors." He moaned.

Kitsune then walked out from the kitchen, stopping in front of the table and crossing her arms firmly as she looked down to glare at the teal-haired woman. Nel sunk her head into her shoulders under the vixen's evil stare.

Timothy was no better, as he had to sit there and try to figure out a way to stop, or at the very least reduce the fight that was sure to come. He slowly looked up at his zanpakutō spirit as she stood solid as a statue.

They both backed away a bit when the spirit suddenly grinned widely. "You got me." She said in a, shockingly, very calm voice. "You actually got me." She repeated, then chuckled, causing Timothy and Nel to both raise a brow.

"Huh?" he choked out.

Kitsune then started laughing. "I honestly expected something from you Nel, but I never thought you would do something so devious as sabotaging my favorite food. You're almost as devious as I am. Well done." She offered.

Nel swallowed hard again. "So…are you mad…or not?" she hesitantly asked.

The spirit laughed harder before shaking her head. "I'm mad that you ruined a perfectly good bucket of cookie dough ice cream Nel, but not at the fact that you finally got the courage to trick me back. So, I'm willing to give you a choice, Nel."

It was Timothy's turn to swallow hard, knowing that whatever the evil fox had in mind, it was 'not' going to be beneficial to his health.

"Oh no." he fretted.

"Join me, and help me in my endeavors of torturing Tim…" she started, then held up a finger. "…or, accept responsibility for your actions, and become my new target." She offered.

Both of their eyes shot wide open before turning to each other in shock. "You wouldn't! Come on Nel, I thought you had feelings for me!" he said in a frightened voice.

"What's it going to be, Nel?" Kitsune pressed, causing the woman to look at her.

Nel began sweating profusely as she struggled to determine the better choice. "Her! Choose her! I am not going to sit in here and pay for your stupid mistakes, Nelliel! Don't make me take over again! The brat will get over it! I won't!" Gamuza yelled in her head.

The woman then turned back to Timothy, who was giving her very pleading eyes. "I'm…I'm sorry Tim…" she started, causing his eyes to widen further.

"You…you would do that to me?!" he asked in shock.

She quickly shook her head. "No…I mean…I would never torture you like that." She stated, then looked at Kitsune and narrowed her eyes.

"Fool! You're going to kill us both!" her inner hollow screamed.

Nel growled at the spirit in front of her with a firm glare. "I choose to side with Tim, not you."

Timothy nearly passed out from the sudden relief, but Kitsune rose a dangerous brow at the teal-haired woman. "So, you're saying you would rather be the victim, than have the easy way out?" she questioned.

The woman nodded firmly. "Do what you want Kit, I am not going to turn against Tim!" she answered.

The spirit kept her stare at the woman for a moment, then finally sighed with slumped shoulders. "I'm not going to do anything, Nel. Tim's actually right that I deserved that, so I can't really get you back for it. And I did promise Tim that I would avoid teasing you as much as I could. So I'll let you off the hook this time. I'm glad to see that you're willing to put yourself out there for Tim, and I'm also glad that the two of you are together." She stated.

The spirit turned and walked toward the hallway to the bedrooms, stopping in the doorway and looking back at the pair with a sly grin.

"Just do me a favor and hold off on having kids for a while, would ya?" she teased.

Nel's face turned beat red with embarrassment, while Timothy's went red with fury. "I'll kill you!" he yelled.

The spirit took off into the hallway, followed very closely by a fuming Timothy as he shook a fist at her.

"You damn fox! Get back here now!"

Karasu River, Present

Toshiro stood silently at the edge of the river, close to the main bridge that spanned across it. He stared down into the water, watching as the occasional fish or two swam by with the river's current.

It was a moment later when he closed his eyes, taking a deep and calming breath with his head lowered.

"My my, it sure is a beautiful night tonight. Don't you agree, Captain Hitsugaya?" a calm, and friendly male voice asked to his right.

The Captain opened his eyes again and side-glanced the owner of the voice, who was standing in the shadows of the bridge supports. His gaze narrowed with annoyance towards the man as he sighed heavily.

"I agree, although I didn't ask you to come here to talk about the weather; I asked you here because I have something very important I wished to discuss with you, Captain Kyōraku." Toshiro returned.


Well, I guess Nel has had enough of Kit's endless teasing and decided to take the fight to her, lol. And if you all are thinking that this is the end of their fights over ice cream, think again.

On another note, I wonder what Ulquiorra was up to while the fights were going on…I guess we'll find out before too long, won't we?

Well…time for me to turn my brain into mush with more studying. See everyone next time, and again, sorry about the new schedule everyone.

Laters.