A/N: My GOD I am so sorry everyone! Things got out of hand on the home front and I lost track of time, but I'm back now, and ready to see this story through to the end. May not have as regular updates as I had before since real life has cropped up and smacked me in the face to get my attention back, but know that this story is NOT CANCELED, NOT ABANDONED, and I WILL finish it! Just... in due time! So thank you for those who waited patiently for this next chapter, and I hope you enjoy!

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

Ikkaku's cackling was starting to piss him off, even as he ducked out of the way of Ikkaku's Hozukimaru, barely missing the quiet unhinging of the staff as it split apart to wrap around him. Unable to move fast enough, the edge of his blade sliced through his shoulder even as he rolled to the side, trying to bring himself to his feet with more speed than he could muster. Ending up stumbling, he didn't even bother to shake the hair away that had long since fallen from its pony tail into his face, and struggled to maintain balance as well as his grip on his sword.

He was bleeding, he knew that much; his body was worn down and he was almost at his limit for the day, and still he continued, kicking off the ground and sending himself into a dead run toward his tutor. Ready to pull out the finishing stop and unleash Zabimaru, both combatants froze in place long before the clash of metal rang out.

"Stop. Renji, we have an assignment."

The voice startled Renji more than it did the bloodthirsty mentor in front of him, he was sure. Turning his head even as he allowed his battle stance to falter, he watched as Byakuya strode toward the two of them, and noticed that something in his captain's usually quiet, stoic expression seemed unnervingly off. For something to bother the man who wasn't bothered by anything... that was enough to put Renji on edge long before the reason why came to light, so it was with all his attention that he listened when Byakuya spoke next.

"Make yourself presentable, and do so quickly. We have an assignment."

"What kind of assignment?"

Completely forgetting Ikkaku was standing directly ahead of him, he turned his entire body toward his captain, watching the darker emotion flit across the raven's face even as he continued on, past the two of them. With only his back facing Renji and his growing trepidation, the words that hit him next did nothing to quell his worry; only fuel it.

"A Hollow assignment in the human world. Now get ready."

Glancing at Ikkaku, who had sealed his Zanpakto back and sheathed it already, the two shared a worried look before Ikkaku gave a silent nod, a gentle encouragement that their training session was over for the day, as well as a sign of support. He knew there was something wrong too, but neither one could put their finger on what had happened to bring Byakuya into such a darkened state.

The only sure thing was it had to be something awful, and with a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach, Renji rushed off toward the healing division with a nagging feeling that something might have happened to Ichigo. He just hoped he was wrong, and that things were well, even though honestly, he knew he was wrong.

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

Waking up felt like realizing he was on fire; it was sudden, painful, and startling all at once, and he shot up off the ground coughing and sputtering, each breath an agonizingly wonderful feeling all at once. His entire body ached and throbbed just as hard as his heart was pounding against what felt like bruised ribs. Something was different. He could feel it just as much as he could feel his blood pounding in his ears, and with a weighted, desperate hope, he let himself dare to wonder if somehow, the training had accomplished what it was supposed to.

Could he... DID he... have his powers back?

Before he could wonder further, a shuffle of feet to his side snapped his head toward the noise, only for his sudden panic to die down at the sight of Ryuuken leaning down to offer him a bottle of water, which he gladly accepted. Realizing only then just how parched he felt, he twisted the cap off and managed to down all but a quarter of the bottle in a single breath, gasping and coughing afterward. It wasn't until after his fit calmed slightly that he heard his father gently begin,

"Do you feel well enough to stand?"

The answer was no, but that was a weak answer, and if he really and truly did have his powers back now, he couldn't afford to let his father down. Not when he was so close to finally earning the love he'd been striving for his entire life... So with a decisive gesture, he set the unfinished water down on the marble floor beneath him, recognizing the training ground around him finally, even as he began to lift himself awkwardly onto his feet.

His balance was shot and his legs were trembling as he forced himself to stand, uncaring of the intense pain that shot through his foot or his shoulder. It was just pain. It would fade, and he would be okay, because his father had given him the means to be okay. He just had to prove he was worthy of it, and that's exactly what he planned on doing. Despite his body's protests, he managed to finally make it into a fully upright position, and turned with an awkward smile toward his father, only for worry to begin to well up within him.

Ryuuken was watching him strangely again, as if he'd done something wrong. Had he taken too much time to get up? Was the pain showing in his expression? Did he not fight hard enough in the battle? What had he done? What had he not done? The questions plaguing him returned that nagging fear that any wrong move and his father would disown him again, and after everything he'd done, how hard he'd worked for it... it would destroy him. He couldn't let that happen.

He couldn't.

However, instead of telling him exactly what he had done to make him angry, Ryuuken started off on a conversation Uryuu never thought he would be having with anyone; much less Ryuuken himself.

"I have a friend here who's waiting to see you, Uryuu. He's a therapist, and even though things have been going good lately, I want you to talk to him for a little. Just to make sure everything stays this way."

"I... don't understand."

The words were out of his mouth before he could bite his tongue, and nervously, he began to chew on the inside of his lip, barely noticing when the taste of copper filled his mouth. That was a weak statement. He shouldn't have said it, but his father continued on like he hadn't heard it.

"It's a routine thing for cases like yours that the hospital does. I understand you're probably exhausted, but it won't take long. Can you do this for me, Uryuu?"

Uryuu felt torn; the first statement had cut him to the quick. 'Cases like his'... rape victims, he meant. His father knew, and there was no hiding it, and unable to stop it he felt his cheeks heat with shame and embarrassment. Wishing he could sink into the floor and just disappear forever, he barely caught the last statement, but when he did, his entire body stiffened. His father wanted him to do something for him; something that seemed simple enough, at that. It was another way to earn his love, and another way to prove himself strong and worthy, and yet... it was a therapist.

Therapists would delve into issues he just wanted to forget about, and he was unsure if he would be able to make it through even just a small talk without breaking down.

But Ryuuken Wanted Him To.

But he couldn't.

But it was for his Father.

Squaring his shoulders to block out the slight trembling of his body, he gave Ryuuken a decisive nod, backing it up with a quiet but unwavering,

"Okay."

He knew if he said anymore, he ran the risk of his voice cracking from the panic beginning to settle in his throat, but the very slight upward turn of Ryuuken's lips gave Uryuu the knowledge he had made the right choice. He would have to make it through, and eventually when he spoke to the therapist, he might even have control of himself enough not to make a fool of himself.

He just didn't expect to speak to the man tonight.

~.X.~ ~.X.~ ~.X.~

Sitting in a therapist's office was unnerving, especially when the man was finishing taking his notes, and more focused on what he was writing than the fidgeting, nervous wreak sitting in front of him. The silence was the worst part, and every few seconds Uryuu's eyes drifted from the quiet clock on the wall, to the door Ryuuken had just disappeared out of. The three of them had sat down together, and the therapist, Keto, had seemed to focus more on questioning Ryuuken than Uryuu.

Questions like: has anything happened at home recently, or how many hours has Ryuuken been working lately? ... Stupid questions that meant nothing. It gave Uryuu the hope that maybe he could get through this. But then his father had been asked to leave, and it left Uryuu sitting impatiently for his turn, hoping beyond all hope that his questions were as cut and dry and easy to answer so he could leave and forget this entire situation ever came up.

He wasn't so lucky.

When the shifting of pen on paper finally quieted, Uryuu's shoulders stiffened as his gaze swung back to Keto, only to find a pair of eyes resting on him, sizing him up. He tried his best not to fidget even as the man spoke slowly and gently, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Thank you for being patient. I just needed to write down a few observations to keep them fresh in my memory. I hope you didn't mind?"

The first question. Okay. He could do this. Taking a deep breath to steel himself for whatever was to come, he lied,

"Not at all," and was extremely pleased that his voice didn't waver at all.

Keto nodded, and lifted his paper and pen from the desk, sliding his chair back and standing. The action confused Uryuu for a moment, before he watched the man round the desk to pull up the other arm chair beside Uryuu, crossing both his legs in the chair and setting his items in his lap before returning his gaze to Uryuu, now only a few feet away from him. The closeness was making him anxious, but he tried his best to hide it as Keto began speaking once again.

"So in your own opinion, Uryuu, what brings you here to talk with me?"

Fighting back a whimper, he felt the dread pooling in his stomach once again as he realized the questions weren't going to be simple, and this wasn't going to be as easy as he'd dared to hope. The question was one he really didn't know how to answer, since it had been his father's request that he'd come here, and his father's request he'd followed. Maybe that was the answer he was looking for?

"I came because Ryuuken wanted me to."

There. The simpler the answer, the better, and the quicker he could get out of here. Satisfied that Keto had accepted his answer by the nod and the quiet scribble of the pen on paper again, it took a few seconds for the man's head to raise again, their eyes meeting as once more, he spoke.

"And why do you think Ryuuken wanted to you see me?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly, more confused by the question than distraught over it. "He said it was routine. Isn't it?"

"Well, yes, for the most part. Normally it's done a lot sooner than this, but yours is a special case, so we'll just play this by ear and see how it goes, okay?"

There was that smile again; it didn't feel fake, and it didn't feel threatening, and slowly Uryuu found himself relaxing into the comfy chair as they traded questions back and forth. It didn't feel like he was speaking to a therapist; it almost felt like he was speaking to an old friend he hadn't seen in a long while, and it began to put his nerves at ease. Maybe things really were going to be okay, and for the first time since the idea was brought to him, he had the feeling that this was a good thing; speaking to Keto.

Unaware of anything else in the world, he talked for hours.

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

He couldn't fight the darkness, and yet that fact didn't stop him. It took all his will to remain awake, and when that will was spent, he was shoved back into a restless slumber until he awoke to darkness again. No part of his body would move on his command, and yet recently, he'd been getting the distinct feeling that his body was moving anyway. Moving out of his control, and that thought began to piece together the final bits of the puzzle that he hoped wouldn't be the case.

His Hollow.

But he wasn't in his mind space, for all he could tell. There were no buildings, no clouds; just darkness every way he looked and strained. A crushing, debilitating darkness that was trying its best to swallow him whole.

He couldn't let it, however, because if his Hollow was really in control of his body right now, then he had to fight harder than he'd already been fighting.

For Uryuu.

For everyone.

And so he struggled.