A/N: Thanks again for the awesome reviews! Much longer chapter this time, so please, enjoy!

Lady Ginoza, Thank you for the birthday wishes! Haha, just remember, Uryuu's not in the best place of mind right now; anything he hears is taken badly, and besides; Ryuuken's pretty much learning how to parent in a few days. He's going to have some errors and slip ups.

Guest (#1), Thank you for the birthday wishes! Yes, Uryuu's mind has deteriorated to where it's almost non-existent, and that's going to make life hard for him; but at least things start getting better soon!

Isame Kuroda, Thank you for the birthday wishes! I got a Red Velvet cake. Hehehe... Healing starts (I use the word loosely) with the end of this chapter. It's going to be slow going, and he will never entirely heal, but at least it begins. ~

RenkaSan, I saw you Favorited and put my story on Alert! Good to see you, and I'm glad you like the story so far! My apologies for all the cliff hangers, but there's times when you've just got to end a story on a high note before everything crumbles down around the characters. Haha. Thank you so much for the review, and I hope to see you again soon!

Guest (#2), Thank you so much, I really appreciate your feedback! Much more angst and some much awaited healing to come, so stay tuned!

Baerbelhaddrell, Thank you for the birthday wishes! I should be the one thanking you for your comments, honestly. My reviewers are what drive me to constantly make this story better. I'm actually really glad you were reminded of that particular episode, because that's the one I had in mind with the last chapter. I do want you to keep in mind that the previous chapter was from Uryuu's muddled state of mind, so there were a few harsh words that were slightly misconstrued, but I think he's always felt deep down that he wasn't wanted by the group. So those feelings surfaced here. As for Ryuuken... hehehe. Let's just say, I hope he redeems himself to you, and everyone in this chapter, because shit just got serious.

"Got a secret, can you keep it, swear this one you'll save...

Better lock it in your pocket, taking this one to the grave.

If I show you, then I know you won't tell what I said.

'Cause two can keep a secret... if one of them is dead." - Secret (Covered by Nightcore.)

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

The walk back to Ichigo's place was long and tiring, and it took everything he could muster to keep from glancing at Ichigo every five seconds. He hadn't seen the black and yellow eyes, nor had he heard that strange voice that Ichigo's Hollow sported, but that didn't mean he hadn't learned some new level of trickery. He'd kept his peace... that should be enough to protect him, right?

"Chad..." Ichigo's voice made Chad jump slightly, and he hoped the male hanging off him didn't notice. "I've got to... I've got to help Uryuu..."

His words were slurred slightly, his feet dragging more than they were helping him move, and Chad felt a pang of sympathy for him. Yes, his Hollow might be the cause of everything that had happened, but Ichigo was still Ichigo, helping friends when he could, and trying to even when he couldn't. The thought would have brought a smile to Chad's face if the situation and his thoughts weren't so grim.

"I know. Give him time to rest, and then you can, okay?"

It wasn't much of a compromise, but it seemed to satisfy Ichigo, who leaned a little more heavily on Chad's shoulders. Glancing upward, the stars and the moon seemed to light their path back, but what would have been a serene air had turned sinister with his thoughts.

Miyuki... he thought that was her name, but he wasn't sure. She had only been their classmate for all of half a year before she was... 'kidnapped', but Chad knew the truth, as chilling as it was. He had been out for a stroll that night, no rhyme or reason to it; he had just wanted to walk, and his legs had taken him to the bridge. It was a calm and quiet night, with hardly any sounds around him as he walked, managing to spot a faint dot of orange underneath the bridge. Not quite understanding, Chad moved further toward it, until he realized the spiky orange hair belonged to a certain friend of his. With a small smile, he was about to lift his arm and call out when he also noticed black hair fanned against the ground.

It was too long to be Rukia's... had Ichigo finally made his move on that one girl? Just the thought brought a slightly larger grin to Chad's lips; it was about time. He was about to turn around; about to give the two their space when he noticed Ichigo's head turn so suddenly in his direction, he thought it was going to snap. His blood ran cold as yellow and black eyes fixed on him, and Chad's body froze. His Hollow? What about the mask? What about...

In that instant, Ichigo's Hollow was in his face, grinning wildly even as Chad's gaze slipped past him, seeing the body of his classmate lying face down on the ground, naked, bruised, wounded, and dead. Trying to stop his hands from shaking, he slowly returned his gaze to the Hollow, who had never stopped grinning at him. Repulsion was the first feeling he felt when the Hollow lifted its hand and bumped a fist lightly against Chad's shoulder; that sinister, echoing voice engulfed him, sending chills down his spine.

"Chad... buddy! What brings you out here?"

When Chad didn't answer, the Hollows eyes narrowed dangerously at him, and the fist that had bumped his shoulder came up toward his neck; not really applying pressure, but the threat was there.

"Alrighty, look here. This is my fun time, and if you're thinkin' of puttin' a stop ta it, then I'll just hafta putta stop ta you, instead. Got it?" He paused for a few seconds, but Chad was so caught up in the whirling thoughts and emotions inside him, he didn't get a chance to respond before the Hollow's hand left his throat and he continued, "Good. Now run along, an' I never wanna hear from ya again."

Turmoil kept his feet from moving. The girl was obviously dead, and yet... the Hollow was going back to her. If he called the cops, it would be Ichigo that got in trouble for murder, and if he called Rukia, the incident could get back to the Soul Society and they might end up killing him for the sake of the human world. There was no good ending that he could see, unless... he managed to talk with Ichigo first. To let him know what was going on... that was a good plan. Reminding himself there was nothing he could do for the already dead woman to still his shaking hands, he forced himself to turn around and walk away. Tomorrow was a school day; he would approach Ichigo then.

Of course even that plan didn't quite go off well. During lunch, he'd invited Ichigo up to the rooftop, and taken him to a secluded portion of it, making sure no one had followed. He didn't want anyone to overhear Ichigo's problem, but he hadn't realized it would become his problem too, as he turned to face those same, yellow and black eyes that peered at him. Feeling his spine stiffen, he watched the Hollow reach for Chad's lunch bag, pulling out a red apple and taking a bite out of it. When he spoke, he spoke around the apple.

"I guess I wasn't clear enough, huh? It's a secret, and yer gonna take this secret to yer grave. The only choice ya have is whether it's willin' or not, got it? Or do I hafta start pickin' off your buddies first?"

Finding it hard to swallow past the lump in his throat, Chad tried to shake his head. He couldn't even turn to Ichigo on this fact, but he didn't want to inform anyone else. Sure it was Ichigo's Hollow, but it was still Ichigo's body. The entire situation was confusing, especially when the Hollow turned around without another word to him, taking one of his apples with him. When he disappeared from sight, Chad's legs finally gave out on him, and he fell to his knees, his thoughts still running amok. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't just stand back and do nothing...

But maybe that was the better plan, a small part of him reasoned. If you're stuck at an obstacle, can't go over, and can't go around it... go under it. If he can't tell anyone else, and he can't tell Ichigo... then he has to be the one to monitor it, and hopefully stop it from happening again. He could do it.

He had hoped. He had failed.

Chad closed his eyes to the memory, trying to block it out even as he hefted more of Ichigo's weight onto his shoulder, only to hear a soft snoring coming from the body he was dragging. Sighing quietly, Chad wormed Ichigo's sleeping form onto his back to carry him the rest of the way to his house. He had taken responsibility on himself and hadn't thought to look in the inner circle of friends. It was his fault entirely this had happened. He just hoped that one day, Uryuu would be able to forgive him for not stopping the Hollow.

After a few long moments, Chad finally rapped on the Kurosaki door, not surprised when it took a while for a tired and surprised looking Isshin to open the door. It took one look at Ichigo, however, for that entire look to change to alert, narrowed eyes as he opened the door wider, beckoning them in. Mumbling a thank-you, Chad walked in and placed Ichigo gently on the couch before turning to Isshin, and handing him the silver amulet he had pulled off of Ichigo before they'd made their way here.

Isshin seemed surprised at first, but when Chad explained how Ichigo had woken up without moving and without speaking, and had mouthed to him to take it off, Isshin's gaze grew dark, and eventually he took the amulet.

"I see. Thank you, Chad. Do you need somewhere to crash for tonight?"

The question would have seemed out of the blue for anyone who didn't know the Kurosaki's, but that wasn't why Chad refused. Knowing even part of the extent of what happened to Uryuu...

"I'll be fine, Dr. Kurosaki. Thank you."

When Chad finally exited the house, it was with a cold chill running down his spine, like icy fingers had touched him. No, he couldn't stay in that house anymore; not with what he was about to do.

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

The moment the large, dark skinned male and the Shinigami boy left, he noticed the Shinigami girl and the large chested girl staring behind him, directly at Uryuu. He forced the snarl from his lips as he turned slightly himself, noticing Uryuu staring at where the two men had once been, rocking himself back and forth on the couch. There was obvious sweat dripping from his brow, and despite the movement his shoulders appeared to be shaking finely.

'He has a fever.'

The thought was more of a statement than a realization, and he had forgotten how heated Uryuu's skin had been when their 'visitors' had come barging in unannounced. Sending a quick glare toward the two females, he turned around and gave them his back, signaling that their conversation was over as he reached for Uryuu, his hand coming down on the boy's shoulder. Unfortunately, Uryuu seemed to have slipped back into one of his terrors, and reacted violently upon the touch, his hands slamming into Ryuuken's chest and pushing the air from his lungs as Uryuu sprung upward, running on the furniture toward the stairs.

He heard one of the women call for Uryuu, but the boy had dashed up the stairs without so much as glancing back.

Definitely another terror, and this one was most likely caused by the presence of the Shinigami, instead of Uryuu's own mind. He really needed to deal with that boy soon, but for now, there were pressing matters. The raven haired woman moved as if to start up the stairs after Uryuu, but he moved himself in her way, his arms folding over his chest as he stared her down.

"It is time for the two of you to leave, now."

"Why is it so hard for you to care about your son? He needs help! Let him have it!" she all but pleaded with him, and he had to admit; for a Shinigami, she was stubborn.

Perhaps not for the better, but maybe not for the worst, either. She had managed to fry his last nerve in less than ten minutes, yet still come up with semi-intelligible arguments to combat him with. It was obvious that she at least somewhat cared for Uryuu - perhaps it wasn't obvious why, but still... Maybe it was for that reason alone that he felt some of his walls crumbling...

Or maybe it was because he needed to check on Uryuu before the boy managed to harm himself in his state of panic. That could also be the reason.

"If you wish to see him, go home today and call ahead tomorrow. But give him a days rest," he muttered begrudgingly.

He watched as the raven's eyes widened before her lips parted in a small smile. Somehow the animosity she'd had for him before had mostly faded with that one comment, and it took no further urging from him for the woman to show her friend and herself out the door. Bringing a hand up to his forehead, he massaged his temples, trying to still the increasing headache brought on by the entire day. Having Uryuu flee his ward at the hospital, managing to return home and find the Shinigami tormenting him further, and then the argument with yet another feisty Shinigami. Was there no end?

Heaving a heavy sigh, Ryuuken turned around and began to head up the stairs; his day was not done yet, even though a glance to his watch told him it was already half past one in the morning. Suppressing a yawn, he found his way to Uryuu's door and gently turned the handle, only to find it was locked. His brows furrowed, and he listened quietly for any sounds coming from within the room, and yet, there was nothing to be heard. He jiggled the handle, calling out softly,

"Uryuu?"

Still, no answer. Furrowing his brows, Ryuuken quickly connected the dots; the last time Uryuu had locked a door on him and refused to open it was when he'd believed Uryuu had been taking drugs. When he'd had cuts and bruises all over his arms and legs. The medicine cabinet had been open, which was why he'd assumed along those lines, but... there were other things in that cabinet that worried him; sharper things. With Uryuu's mental state being in disarray, he had to admit he felt a pang of concern in his chest. It was that feeling that caused him to knock louder, his voice raising,

"Uryuu, open this door!"

When no sound came from the room beyond, Ryuuken found himself unwilling to wait for an answer. Using his shoulder, he slammed himself against the door, bursting the lock in the process as the door flew open, slamming against the wall on the other side. A metallic clank of the latch hitting the floor sounded out around him, and his eyes scanned the room without finding Uryuu. The unfamiliar sensation of dread pooled in his gut as his legs instantly brought him to the door of Uryuu's bathroom, which was very slightly cracked and thankfully, not locked. Pushing it wide, he wasn't quite sure what he was hoping or dreading to see, but relief flooded him to find Uryuu backed against the tub, head in his arms.

He knew it shouldn't be a good sight to see Uryuu cowering in fear from him, but it was better than finding him dead on the floor. He started toward Uryuu, ready to reach for him, but he stopped himself at least a yard away, his hand still semi-outstretched. Two things kept him from closing the rest of the distance: his gut still remembered both the kick and the power of his shove winding him, as well as his mind still remembered Uryuu's constant confusion thinking he was the Shinigami. That was most likely what fueled his fear, so if he could get Uryuu to realize before hand...

"Uryuu?" he called as gently as he could, not surprised when the boy didn't look up. "It's Ryuuken."

He thought he saw one of Uryuu's fingers twitch on top of his head, but other than that, the boy remained unresponsive. Sighing quietly, Ryuuken forced himself to sit down on the tile floor of the bathroom, thinking he might be here for a while. He had to find some way to break through the delusion and snap Uryuu back to the present... out of all of his patients at the hospital he'd never had to deal with those suffering from psychosis or anything of the like. It frustrated him, and yet he persistently continued,

"The Shinigami are gone. You and I are the only ones in the house. It's safe to come out now."

He might have flinched at the word 'safe', but his colleague had been the one to remind him that in Uryuu's state, safety was his top priority, so it couldn't hurt to state it. Again, he watched a couple of Uryuu's fingers twitch, his shoulders heaving and shaking slightly during the motion, and he knew he had to be getting through. Running a hand through his white hair, he tried again,

"Come on Uryuu, it's getting late, and there's something I want to ask, but I need you to look at me first. That's it, nice and easy now. It's just me."

Encouraged by the way Uryuu slowly lowered his hands from his head and chanced a glance upward, Ryuuken did his best to smile at the boy, and was rewarded with a shaky,

"... Ryuu...ken?"

Silently nodding, he tried to keep his voice as calm as possible as he spoke,

"Are you capable of talking to me?"

He watched as Uryuu's brows furrowed, but he nodded nonetheless, his knees slowly lowering from their curled position against his body. As good as it was to see him starting to relax, he knew what he had to ask was probably going to set the boy on edge again; it had been the reason he'd run out of the hospital, after all, but he had to know.

"Then tell me how all this happened. What got you so involved with the Shinigami? When did he start abusing his power over you, and how did you let it happen?"

Unable to control some of the frustration in his voice, he let loose the barrage of questions he'd been holding in since seeing Uryuu on the operating table a few weeks ago. It was no surprise that the boy seized up again, and when both his hands returned to his head, Ryuuken continued,

"If it helps, he can't get to you here. I'll make sure the Shinigami won't ever-"

"You can't promise that!"

Uryuu's sudden exclamation stopped his words in his tracks, sending his thought process spiraling. Despite everything, he slowed his words, sounding them out as he spoke them,

"And just why can't I?"

Uryuu's eyes flew to his own, and he noticed a fear so ingrained that it shone through every other emotion; a complete opposite to what he was used to seeing in those cobalt eyes so it caught him off guard. He really needed to pull a few of those mental disorder books off the top shelf of his library, and brush up on how to better deal with this... Still, Uryuu wasn't forthcoming with his answer, and so with a heavy sigh, Ryuuken simply continued.

"Regardless. I need you to tell me how this happened. Why did you not fight back?"

To this, Uryuu flinched again, and refused to meet his gaze as he hesitated. Instantly he felt something was amiss here; Uryuu had always defended the actions he had at least tried to take in the past, whether he had failed or not. In the silence that followed, Ryuuken searched his mind for any hints as to what might have happened. Back in August, he had disappeared for a month, and before even that, he had been extremely absent and evasive. Not that he had truly tried to or even wanted to figure out what Uryuu was doing.

Giving his head a mental shake, he forced himself back onto subject. The only thing he knew Uryuu to do was boast of what powers he did have and train to make them stronger. Perhaps he had been out training? Ryuuken felt his brain grind to a sudden halt as the idea of where the Sanrei Glove had gone. He had known for a while now that his own father had handed it down to Uryuu because of his certain... handicap, but he hadn't actually thought...

Uryuu still refused to meet his gaze, and he knew the silence had stretched on between them for over fifteen minutes while he had been lost in thought. Still, for once, Ryuuken was speechless. How could Uryuu have even thought about using the item that would have stripped him of everything he prided himself on being? It would make sense, and yet...

"Uryuu..." the name slipped from his lips before he could stop it, and it was only then that Uryuu glanced back at him.

The boy's eyes widened slightly, for whatever expression Ryuuken wore on his face, he was sure it was not his usual, stoic one.

"You didn't."

For once, Ryuuken heard his own voice not as a calm statement or a blistering remark, but as a quiet concern; a barely hidden plea. Uryuu seemed to notice the change as well, his entire face changing into one of resignation and pain, and it was all the answer he needed to piece the rest of the puzzle together. For whatever reason, Uryuu had donned the glove and been forced to take it off, relinquishing what little power of the Quincy he had been holding on to. In their absence, the Shinigami had taken advantage of him, and... this resulted.

He almost recoiled at the first thought that ran through his brain, of exactly how to make Uryuu able to protect himself again, since the stakes were so... high. But... perhaps the ultimate sacrifice was worth it. He had never truly enjoyed the name of the Quincy... perhaps now, he could put it to good use; and to good rest. Steeling himself, he chose his words carefully as his lips parted, and he forced the words past numb lips,

"... Uryuu. I can train you... to return your powers."