AN: Yo. Nothing to say, cept when I have one review! YAY! Thank-you to my one reviewer, who has inspired me to write ahead of schedule. Didn't know there was a schedule? Well there is now.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Bleach owns me! HAHAHA Ok… that was lame…

A Summer Job: Preparation…Travel?

"Ok class, pack up."

As soon as the words came out of the teacher's mouth, immediate turmoil prevailed. For about two seconds. The next two seconds was immediate verbal turmoil. Ichigo sighed. He put his books in his bag, and proceeded to stand up.

"Iiiiiii-chiiiiiii-gooooooo!" A flying, crying, yelling, Keigo Asano.

Disgusting, he thought, and proceeded to punch his friend as he flew towards him. He turned around, and saw most of his friends looking at him. He sighed inwardly. It was, the last day of school for the year. He had to say at least, something.

"Uhm…Well, I guess I'll see you guys around." And with that, he turned and left Chad, Inoue, Ishida, Mizuiro, and a crying Keigo.

"He's been so distant lately." Everyone looked up, startled. Chad had actually said something. But, taking in what he had said, they nodded silently.

"Even moreso than before, if that's possible." This time it was Ishida who spoke. The serious mood was broken by Keigo and a smirking Mizuiro.

"Even moreso than before, if that's possible." Imitated Keigo in a high falsetto voice.

Ishida glared at him through sun-reflecting glasses.

As he opened the door, he was met with a terrific three-phase flying reverse kick. Well, an attempt. He lazily blocked his father's greeting, and returned one of his own, leaving his father sobbing and crying in a large indent on the family hall.

"So, Ichi-nii, what are your plans for this holidays?" Karin asked him curiously. They were at the dinner table now, munching on Yuzu's delicious food, although Ichigo would never bring himself to admit it.

"Yeah, Ichi-nii, what are your plans?" Joined in Yuzu.

"Um-…" Before he could say anything, the sobbing of his father interrupted him.

"OLD MAN!" Ichigo turned to face his father. His forehead was smooth, but for one rather large vein on the side of his head.

His father continued sobbing melodramatically. "Yes, what are your plans? Last holidays we didn't even get to spend time together as father and son!"

Ichigo was about to hit his father, till what he heard hit him. The protruding vein stopped, and he sat for a moment. "Yeah, I guess so." He turned and looked at his sister's faces, full of hope.

Ugh.

"Actually, I-…" He was cut off again by his father.

"I HAVE THE SOLUTION!" Isshin stated, with one leg on the table, and his fist in the air. "WE WILL TAKE A FAMILY HOLIDAY!" He looked down expectantly at his children. And was met with fists and feet, and yells of, 'SHUTUP old man!', that must have been Karin, or 'LIKE HELL I'LL GO ON A HOLIDAY WITH YOU!', definitely Ichigo, and 'DAD! Get your-feet-off-the-table!'.

Hmm, that must have been Yuzu. Isshin thought as he lay battered on the ground.

Somehow, the dining table returned to normal. Well, what they thought was normal anyway.

"You can't have a normal meal in the Kurosaki household" – General quote from the neighbourhood.

After some general munching, Ichigo finally spoke up, softer than usual. "Actually, I'd like to spend the time with you guys," gesturing to his sisters, "but I have a summer job."

Instant pandemonium broke loose. Yells were heard throughout the neighbourhood, and Isshin was behind his son, enthusiastically clapping him on the back.

"Good job my son!"

Karin was about to congratulate Ichigo as well, hell, Ichigo never got a job during the holidays. That was until she heard the terrible pun her father had made.

SMACK!

A slightly dazzled Isshin lay on the floor, with tears streaming down his face.

"I was being serious!"

"Yeah, yeah, shutup. Good on you, Ichi-nii," she paused in thought. "What kind of job?"

Ichigo lay in bed, thinking over the events of dinner. He was still in his school uniform, with food stains all over it. The results of dinner, were, as usual harsh. Karin and Yuzu ended up asking so many questions that he felt his ears would burst. His father, on the other hand, was being unusually quiet. He exhaled. It wasn't like him to think like this. He looked over at his watch. 11:20 PM. The rest of the family had gone to sleep, and he had too as well, to get to the place where the gate would be opened, designated by Yamamoto. Sure, the agreed time was ages away, sometime after breakfast tomorrow, but he still needed sleep. His thoughts drifted to his sister's faces. He got up suddenly, and pushed himself out of his body. He walked lightly to his sister's room, and peeked in. They were sleeping soundly. After looking at them fondly, he then walked down the stairs. Opening the door silently, he slipped out, and closed it behind him. Breathing a sigh of relief he proceeded to step on the footpath.

"So, you really are going."

Ichigo stopped, knowing who it was without turning around. "Yeah."

His father looked at the back his son's shinigami form. "Do you still have that pendant I gave you?"

"Yeah…" His hands fingered the pendant, but he did not turn around to face his father.

"Good. Keep it. Mum…Mum would have wanted you to have it." A pause. "Are you coming back?"

"After the holidays."

"I see. I'll take care of your body then." Another pause. "Idiot. You think your sisters are going to let you lie in the same position all holidays, while having a blank look on your face?"

Crap. He had forgotten about that. "Shutup old man."

"Hah. Goodbye son."

"Goodbye."

He clutched the pendant in his hand in front of the Urahara shop. He raised his hand to knock, when the door suddenly slid open. He was met with the dark gaze of Kisuke Urahara. A few minutes later, the former captain guided him down into the training area.

"The equipment is ready." Urahara said after a while.

Ichigo scowled, confused. "How did you know I was coming sandal-hat?"

"Oh, its obvious."

The scowl deepened. "I know its obvious that I'm going to Soul Society, but even you should have known that I'm supposed to be traveling at a different time, at a different gate."

"Oh?"

Ichigo sighed. He wouldn't get any information out of Urahara. How he knew what he knew was beyond Ichigo's understanding.

Zzzt. The gate shot up.

"Anyway, thanks a lot sandal-hat."

He stepped in through the gate. "I'll be back after the holidays."

Zzzt. The gate closed. Urahara looked at where the gate was.

I wonder what the boy is going to do.

AN: Well, thats that. I hope its not too OOC. Hmm.. what else... Oh yeah, could some one tell me what exactly a Vaizard is? Review and all that jazz... Seriously, it won't take much time - its that little button just below here called 'go'. 'Go' for it guys! -gets smashed by Karin-