~.X.~ ~.X.~ ~.X.~ (Ichigo's POV)

It was all he could do to make it to Uryuu in time to catch him, and save him from falling sideways onto the floor. Once Uryuu was safely in his arms, he sighed out of frustration, looking down at the unconscious male, only to shake his head. One of these days, somehow, he'd get Uryuu to tell him what's going on.

At least, that was his thought as he laid Uryuu gently on the couch in the living room, pulling up a chair and just sitting there, as lost in his own thoughts as he could be. How long had Uryuu been acting strange? ... a few weeks now, hadn't it been? It had started out he was jumpy... maybe a bit angry... then it seemed like he'd started avoiding everyone. Going home as soon as classes were over, barely arriving to school on time...

The more Ichigo thought about it, the less it all made sense. Something had to have happened to cause this; it just wasn't like Uryuu to be acting... paranoid. Then a grim thought crossed Ichigo's mind; if Uryuu was becoming paranoid, what was the cause of it? Was it because he'd lost his Quincy powers in the fight? Could that be the reason there were heavy dark circles under his eyes, and small little bruises on his arms from time to time? Was he training every second he wasn't at school, trying to get his powers back? Was it because he felt uncomfortable without them, or because he'd never had to live without them before?

Ichigo's face fell into a grimace as he watched Uryuu's expression twitch, though his body remained still where Ichigo had set him.

'Is that the reason for all this, Uryuu...? I just want to know what's wrong.' he implored through his thoughts, before sighing quietly.

How long until Uryuu woke back up? Ichigo wasn't sure, so he supposed he might as well try to busy himself. After all, there was those dishes he'd dirtied that-

Ichigo himself started at the sudden knocking on the front door, glancing quickly at Uryuu and feeling a little guilty that he was the one who had to open it, not the owner of the house. The knocks sounded out again, and Ichigo started toward the door, grasping the handle and turning it slightly, only opening the door a crack before throwing it as wide as his eyes.

"Rukia?"

Ichigo was quiet as Rukia poked her head in, glancing around. She seemed curious, and even more so when she said,

"Hey, Ichigo, where's Uryuu?"

Blinking rapidly to clear his thoughts, he opened the door wide enough for Rukia to enter through, and pointed toward the living room.

"He's... unconscious." At Rukia's sudden stare, Ichigo hurriedly continued, "I didn't do it. I wanted to ask him about what happened last night, and he just started hyperventilating. Made himself pass out, so I carried him to the couch so he wouldn't be draped over the chair and the floor."

Rukia's gaze slowly went toward the living room door before she sighed, and started toward it. Ichigo followed her steps, and they came into the large living room, found a few chairs to move next to the couch, and sat down. Ichigo watched as Rukia pondered the male lying on the couch, and saw her bring her chin into her hands for a few moments. When she finally spoke, her eyes never strayed from Uryuu, but her voice was quiet, so as not to disturb him.

"Why did you come over here so early, Ichigo?"

This time, Ichigo gave the sigh, and sat back in the chair, linking his hands behind his head and staring up at the ceiling.

"I just wanted to figure out what's been going on. Uryuu's... been acting odd recently. Especially the episode with the mirrors, I thought something was wrong. That maybe I could help. But... I've been thinking, Rukia."

He glanced over at her, only to see he had captured her attention, and she was gazing expectantly at him, waiting on an answer. So he continued.

"What if losing his powers has made some kind of fear of... I don't know. Of being powerless?"

Rukia's gaze slid somberly back to Uryuu, and she seemed to think over a reply. Ichigo desperately wanted to hear her take on the situation, but it was at that moment that Uryuu stirred, making Ichigo sit up straight. Rukia on the other hand, seemed to stay in her thinking position, letting Uryuu wake up without her staring at him.

Uryuu's eyes opened dazedly, and took a moment to focus before he glanced around.

Laid eyes on Ichigo.

Ichigo was out of his seat the moment Uryuu screamed. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough of a scare to send the chair back into the ground and keep Ichigo on his feet, chest heaving. Rukia, while she had jumped, had glanced between Uryuu and Ichigo, before watching Uryuu take in more of his surroundings; Rukia included; and settled for nestling back against the arm and back of the couch, putting his hand over his heart, and breathing a heavy sigh.

Then he laughed.

"Damn it, Ichigo, that's just creepy. Do you like people staring at you when you sleep?"

Ichigo didn't understand it. He glanced at Rukia, trying to convey to her he didn't know what the hell was going on, but Rukia had her head tilted, and spoke softly, turning Uryuu's attention toward her,

"When did you go to sleep, Uryuu?"

Uryuu thought for a moment before folding his arms over his chest and saying a bit quietly,

"Well... I didn't actually go to sleep. I kind of passed out since I didn't get any sleep at all last night. It's been a bit of a rough patch at home recently."

"I see." came Rukia's reply, "And are you okay?"

To which, Uryuu smiled, saying easily, "As much as I can be right now. Why do you ask?"

"... no reason. Ichigo?" She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes before motioning toward the hallway, "A word?"

Awestruck at the sudden change in demeanor of the both of them, Ichigo turned without a word and walked into the hallway to wait for Rukia, who was a few seconds behind him. When he caught her assessing gaze, he opened his hands and gestured for her to hear him out.

"Look, I don't know what's going on, okay? All I did was cook him breakfast and ask him a question, I didn't know-"

"Ichigo, I know." Rukia stopped him mid-sentence, and paused to make sure he was listening, before continuing. "Something's bothering Uryuu right now, though. I'm not sure, but it almost seems like he doesn't want to speak about it in front of you. So what I suggest is we both leave for now, and I'll come back after school tomorrow and see if I can figure out what's going on, okay?"

Ichigo sighed with relief, giving Rukia a smile.

"Alright, as long as it helps."

"Oh, it will."

Rukia went back to the living room to tell Uryuu goodbye, but came out seconds later and fixed Ichigo with an odd look.

"You ready to go?"

The words came bursting through his ears like a foreign language before his brain managed to process it. Still, he found himself muttering,

"Huh...?" before he could catch himself.

Shaking his head, he glance around quickly, before his brain actually began functioning normally again. ... Wasn't he standing next to the stairs before Rukia went back in to talk to Uryuu? That can't be; he must have always been standing next to the door. With another shake of his head, he brushed it off, guessing he must have just spaced out.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Let's go."

~.X.~ ~.X.~ ~.X.~ (Uryuu's POV)

Everything was getting way out of hand. Uryuu's breath caught as motion swirled around him, too fast to process; just a blur of color and sound before his vision bloomed with orange, making him panic. He tried to force his body backward, but his legs wouldn't move. A glance downward served to find a tree pinning his legs into the ground at an awkward angle, keeping him from moving. In horror, Uryuu opened his mouth to scream, but no there was no sound. Suddenly, the orange was closer, and with it, the flash and glint of sharpened steel.

Tears bled through his eyes as he felt the first slash run straight down his chest, and an immense pain wracked his entire body in trembling shivers. Time and time again, Uryuu was cut and battered by his tormentor, until he was nothing but a bloody mess crying silently out for help when no one could hear him. He wanted this to end, all of the pain, all of the suffering... he just wanted it to end. He wanted to die.

But he woke up, instead.

Colors swirled before his eyes, and it took a few attempts to get them to focus on the ceiling above him. He could still feel the terror of the dream making his heart pound, but waking up, Uryuu knew he was safe again; for now. The time of horror had passed and all he had to do was make it through another day. Trying to get his barrings, Uryuu glanced to his side, seeing the back of a couch, only to wonder when he had laid down on the couch. Putting the question aside, he figured he could answer it when he was less drowsy. He glanced to his other side, and suddenly orange filled his vision.

Uryuu never even though about the scream that ripped past his throat before he heard himself, and instantly closed his mouth as he sat up straight. It took that split second for memories to come flying back; of Ichigo daring him not to say a word about what was going on. Trying to calm the shaking in his limbs, he watched Ichigo jump out of his chair, the chair slamming into the ground, and found that Rukia had been sitting next to him. Was this all a test? It made his blood run cold to think Ichigo would test him like this, but he couldn't fathom the pain Ichigo would inflict if Uryuu gave away the secret.

He didn't want to hurt anymore. So with his mind flying at several miles per second, he racked his brain for ways to play off what had just happened, and with a shaken soul, he curled against the back of the couch, trying to put as much distance between himself and Ichigo, and acted. His hand flew to his heart, which pounded in betrayal beneath his fingertips, and he forced a laugh.

"Damn it, Ichigo, that's just creepy." He hoped to hell they didn't hear his voice shaking. "Do you like people staring at you when you sleep?"

Then he waited. With every millisecond that passed, his heart sank, feeling as though he didn't play his part correctly, and if he would be punished for it. Could Rukia even save him, or would she just get caught up in the terror too...? He was spiraling down into that place again, but it took Rukia's voice to snap his attention back to the situation at hand.

"When did you go to sleep, Uryuu?"

Uryuu's breath caught, and for a moment, hope and dread filled him equally. Hope that he was doing good at deceiving, and dread that he was losing his chance for help. Still, his body seemed to urge him toward the decieving, having had more than enough pain for a lifetime, and defensively he crossed his arms, trying not to show his erratic heart beat as he pretended to think before saying softly, hesitant to say the words,

"Well... I didn't actually go to sleep. I kind of passed out since I didn't get any sleep at all last night. It's been a bit of a rough patch at home recently."

'Screw this, you need to get me away from this monster!'

Uryuu fought to restrain himself even as he fought to explain himself to what might be his only savior in the worst possible situation.

"I see." Uryuu was hanging on her every word, hoping she was somehow able to catch onto his plight. "And are you okay?"

To which, Uryuu smiled, smiling while he felt he was dying inside.

"As much as I can be right now. Why do you ask?"

'Please, please, don't listen to me, Rukia...'

"... No reason."

Uryuu wanted to cry; to scream, to yell, or even to die. The later was always an option, since it ended everything, including this insufferable position he found himself in.

"Ichigo, a word?" Rukia continued, but Uryuu only barely heard her.

He'd done it. For better or worse, he'd led Rukia to believe nothing was wrong, and he had to work harder than he'd ever had to before to keep the tears from his eyes. He barely heard it when the two left the room, being so caught up in his internal fight. Now what was he going to do? He'd just obliterated any chance he'd had of getting help, and he was pretty much giving Ichigo free reign with his body.

The thought made him shiver intensely, and his breathing constantly pushed his chest against his arms in an irregular rhythm, but he couldn't let himself pass out again. He had to do better, had to ...

"Uryuu?"

He jumped as he heard Rukia call his name from the doorway, and as his gaze shot up, she was walking toward him. She didn't bother to sit down, but she got really close to him, making him shrink back into the couch without even thinking. Her voice lowered, and it took a few seconds for her words to register to Uryuu's mind.

"If you ever need to talk, Uryuu, I'm only a phone call away."

He wanted to say something; scream, cry, shout, tell her everything that was going on, but everything caught in the middle of his throat, pilling up until he felt like he couldn't breathe, but Rukia filled the silence for him, giving him a very small smile.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but you can always talk to me. I'm going to take Ichigo home now, but if you ever want me to come over by myself, I'd be glad to. Okay?"

Uryuu couldn't keep up with his mind. Everything was spinning around him, worry for Rukia's safety, worry for his own safety, hope that the ordeal was almost over, dread that it was just beginning, all of it swirled around him, leaving him speechless and unable to give Rukia an answer. But she just patiently waited, watching him so kindly, Uryuu finally managed to move his head in a nod. It was then that Rukia's smile brightened considerably, and for the first time in a while, Uryuu felt his heart lift.

"Alright. I'll wait on you to call. See you later, Uryuu."

Uryuu sat on the couch in the same position as before, fighting off the breath of relief until after he heard the door shut behind the two of them. Then it was like every muscle in his body went limp with relief, the tenseness draining from his body as he slumped into the couch. He'd somehow managed to put up a front with Ichigo so he wouldn't get punished, and still shown Rukia he needed help. Not much longer now, and everything would be done and over with and he wouldn't ever have to think about it.

There was almost a smile pulling at his lips when Uryuu finally pulled himself off the couch, starting sleepily toward the stairs. Now that the conversation was over, his sleepless night really was weighing on him, and while he was feeling better, he wanted to try for a dreamless sleep.

He almost missed it.

And once he saw it, he wished he did.

There, on the side of the stairs, was a crumpled up piece of paper. Normally Uryuu would have just walked right past, or just placed it in the trash without a second thought.

He didn't know why he opened the paper, only that he regretted it.

There, written on the paper, was:

'Don't Make Me Kill Rukia.'

The paper slipped from his lifeless fingers even as his knees gave way, sending him crashing painfully into the stairs, but he barely felt it. What good feelings his body had before were long gone, replaced by an ice cold wash of dread all over again.

He was never going to escape.