(A/N: Hi, I know it's been a while since I last updated, but I created two more fanfic ideas that just wouldn't leave me alone, but trust me it was worth the wait. Anyway we go back to following Ichigo this chapter. Let's see what happens. WARNING: Chapter contains Vulgar language. Also this has some more angst and heartwreching moments in this chapter so put up those emotion shields to avoid tears if you need to.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

3rd Person pov

Ichigo woke up that Saturday morning still remembering the events that haunted him yesterday. Orihime's being in a mental care ward and Chad's death. Two people that were very important to him and both of them weren't around to support him. As Ichigo yawned and stretched he freaked out, silently so as not to wake his guest, when he found Rukia cuddled next to him.

When the hell did she get there? And why?

Rukia ceased her deep breathing and opened her eyes. She immediately flung herself to the floor. "How did I get in your bed?" she demanded to know, more shocked than peeved, which would've been the reverse of the Rukia that Ichigo knew.

"You tell me," Ichigo told her, acting the same. Rukia said nothing, but slid open the closet door and saw her bed inside disheveled.

"Uhhhhh," she flushed.

Ichigo fumbled around and found the thermostat by chance, it registered at 48 degrees. He tuned his IPod to yesterday's weather. Last night had been severely cold.

"Were you cold last night Rukia?" Ichigo asked.

"I think so," she said. Rukia didn't want to admit that she was both freezing and worried about Ichigo. His learning of his friends' fates had made him really silent and depressed the night before at dinner. Rukia didn't want to admit it to herself, but she liked Ichigo a great deal.

Ichigo slid the window open, "I'm heading out."

"Ah, where are you going?" Rukia asked.

"I'm going to visit some friends to do some training." Ichigo said, "Don't follow me," he told her as he shut the window.

"Ichigo," Rukia said softly as he left.

"Rukia, a little help please." A noise came from the drawers. Rukia opened Karin's sock drawer to reveal a stuffed bird.

"How long have you been stuck in there Ririn?" Rukia asked, helping the mod-soul out of the drawer.

"Ever since Karin forgot to put me in her backpack three days ago."

"You've been in there all this time, you've missed a great deal of information." Rukia put Ririn on Karin's desk.

"Like what?" Ririn asked sitting down. Rukia started to explain everything…

Ichigo's pov

I knew exactly where I was headed, there was no reason that even though I had warped worlds that I should skimp out on my training. I left the outskirts of Karakura town and made my way to an alleyway. There was an old abandoned building nearby without a door walking behind a tree a used my Shinigami badge and entered the building in soul form. No one greeted me, but I knew there were people here. They had to be.

"Oi, Shinji? Hiyori?" No answer. "Kensei? Lisa? Love? Rose? Hachi? Mashiro?" Still no answer, "Where the hell are you guys?"

Suddenly a very cautious Shinji stepped out from behind a support beam up on the upper platform, "Who are you and how do you know our names?"

Shit, I just realized they don't know me in this world, smooth move Kurosaki.

"Well," Shinji widened his cautious grin, "I'm waitin for an answer here?"

"Relax will you, just come down from there so I can talk to you." I told him.

"And how do I know I can trust you?" he asked. His hand was very close to drawing out his Zanpakuto. Instinctively I summoned my mask.

Shinji got defensive, "What the…you with Aizen?" he asked.

"If I was with Aizen there'd be a whole army of Arrancar behind me, I wouldn't be alone." I said.

"Don't give me that," Shinji wasn't buying it, "Even though your reiatsu is suppressed I can sense its full level."

Well I screwed up this badly only one option left. I unsheathed Zangetsu and de-summoned my mask.

Hiyori jumped out from her hiding spot, "Where'd you get that?" she demanded.

"If you shut up for five minutes I can explain," I said.

"Screw that!" Hiyori shouted and charged right at me.

I do not have time for this, I growled in my head. I went Bankai and blocked her attack. "I trained against you, I know all your moves." I said, Hiyori's Zanpakuto was pressing against mine in fury. Tensa Zangetsu was currently positioned across my body protecting my left and front from an attack. I swung upwards and grabbed Hiyori by the angle. She started to swing upside down. Shinji put his sword against my throat.

"Put her down," he threatened.

"Can I have a few minutes to explain myself, I didn't come here to cause trouble."

"I say we kick his ass and if he's still alive listen to what he has to say." Hiyori's commentary pissed me off enough that I flicked her towards the wall. Shinji moved his blade from my throat and walked back in front of me.

"Well you are like us and if you claim you're not with Aizen, I guess maybe I could give you a chance to prove yourself. What's your name?" he asked, his Zanpakuto resting on his shoulder.

"Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki," No sooner had I stated my name were all of the Vizards in front of me, swords drawn or at the ready.

"Ah c'mon what the hell?" I demanded, "I thought we were going to avoid all this?"

"What kind of shit you trying to pull?" Hiyori shouted, "You walk in here with Karin's Zanpakuto and then claim to be related to her that is some utter Bull Shit."

"Maybe I'm not related to her in this world," I said with a straight face.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Hiyori screamed, Shinji bonked her with his fist, not hard, but she knew it meant to shut her mouth.

"Let's give Ichigo here, a chance to speak his mind. Not many people can find us. I'm willing to listen." Shinji said with a grin, "Now why don't you tell us everything from the top and everyone put your swords away too. You too Ichigo we're not gonna jump ya, depending on your answer that is." He smirked at the end. I returned to Shikai form and everyone put their swords away. I explained to Shinji's group who I was and everything that had happened between me and the Karin of this world as well as the similarities between the two of us and how I was different compared to her.

"That is some utter Bull Crap!" Hiyori shouted defiantly when I was done.

"I don't care what you say or what you think!" I shouted at her. I took a breath and then pointed at Shinji, "It only matters what he thinks."

"Hey hold up, why am I gettin dragged into this?" he protested.

"In my world, you're the one who recruited me." I said calmly.

"What, you gotta be kidding me!" Hiyori barked. Kensei smacked her in a fashion to how Shinji had done earlier since said Blond was currently thinking.

"You know what? I believe him." Shinji said at last.

"What the Fuck?" Hiyori shrieked.

"It certainly does explain why Karin's been absent the past few days." Hachi said.

"And how the two of them have the same powers." Kensei added.

"Powers shmowers!" Hiyori continued to complain, "How do we know he didn't kill Karin and take her powers?" Hiyori demanded.

"And how would that happen?" Love asked.

Hiyori turned towards him and responded, "Hollow."

"And how is a hollow supposed to get a Shinigami's powers from eating it after they kill it. If that happened we'd have arrancars up the wazu." Shinji exclaimed.

"Besides, Ichigo looks like a friendly guy, despite the scowl." Mashiro finished.

"So tell me Ichigo why did you come here anyway?" Shinji asked at last.

"The same reason Karin came here in the first place. I've been told I'm gonna be stuck here a while so I figured it'd be best if I didn't get behind in my training. That's what the other you would want me to do." I said drawing out Zangetsu.

"Well then we got no reason to turn you away then do we?" Shinji asked, he turned towards Kensei and Hachi, "Open the basement."

Rukia's pov

I walked around the town wondering where Ichigo might've gone. I know he told me not to follow him and I was willing to respect his wishes, but still I wish I knew where he went.

"Oi, Rukia?" I heard Tatsuki call out to me.

"Tatsuki how are you?" I asked smiling.

"Eh, pretty good I guess, have you seen Ichigo anywhere?" she wanted to know.

I shook my head, "Not since this morning he said he was headed out somewhere."

"Man that's a real shame." Tatsuki sighed.

"Why?" I asked. She explained to me the incident she had with Ichigo when she was seeing Orihime and when she was finished reached into her backpack and pulled out her sketchbook that she took with her for Orihime.

"She did this," Tatsuki showed me a picture of a crudely drawn Ichigo in soul reaper form. It was done hurriedly with no detail and in stick figure model, but you could tell it was Ichigo from the oddly shaped Zanpakuto and his orange hair. There was no facial expression drawn or background. At the bottom of the page was a strawberry.

(A/N: Ichigo's name in Japanese means strawberry).

"Why did she draw this?" I asked.

"I have no idea, I handed her the sketchbook and…"

Flashback Tatsuki's pov

"Afternoon Orihime-chan," I smiled walking in, "I brought the sketchbook with me today." She looked at me with those lifeless eyes, like she always did. They followed me across the room until I sat down and set up the makeshift table and chairs. I put the sketchbook down in front of her along with the crayons and markers. She always enjoyed it when I brought the sketchbook. She always drew weird food items or sometimes she would listen to me speak about my adventures and draw, in stick figure model of course, a scene from my experience. "Are you going to draw me something nice like usual?" I asked. Orihime said nothing, she just uncapped the black marker and began sketching. She switched to a variety of colors and when she was done I looked at the picture. What she had drawn was Ichigo in his soul form as he appeared yesterday at the bottom was a strawberry. I looked at her and back at the sketchbook repeatedly in confusion. Orihime grabbed my hand and put my finger on the picture of Ichigo and then, she did something she hadn't done in six years. She spoke,

"Ee," It was a sound, but it was something, "I—chi—go," the syllables were spaced out, and slurred, but then she said it again and much more cohesively, "I-chi-go,"

"Orihime?" she completely ignored me.

"I-chigo, Ichigo, Ichigo!" the last time she said that word it was enough to make me cry. Why was she saying his name over and over again? He didn't even belong in this world. How did he do it how? I wrapped my arms around Orihime.

"T," she made a new noise, "T—Ta—su—ki, Ta-su-ki, Ta-suki, Tatsuki, Tatsuki." She sounded out and then said my name.

"You said my name, you said my name," I was starting to cry, "Oh Orihime-chan I'm so happy." I hugged her tighter.

"Tatsuki, Ichigo friend." She was talking, she was talking, this was too much.

"Oh Orihime-chan," I just kept crying and holding her. I didn't know what else to do. She had only said three different words total, but just the fact that after six years and her condition was improving made it all better. After I stopped crying I looked at the time and started to put my things away.

Orihime stared at me for a long time and then said finally "Ichigo where?"

"Huh, Ichi, oh where's Ichigo?" I asked. She said nothing, but stuck out two fingers with her left hand which was our code for yes.

"I don't know,"

"Ichigo here," she said.

"I'll try to bring him with me next time," I said unfolding the table and chairs, "Would that make you happy?" I was given the two finger response.

"Okay, I'll try to bring him next time." I said.

End Flashback Rukia's pov

Tatsuki was in tears by the end of the retelling. I handed her a tissue. She wiped her eyes and then blew her nose.

"If people find out I've been crying over something so sentimental, it'll ruin me," she laughed.

"I won't tell anyone." I smiled.

"You think he could possibly help her." Tatsuki asked.

"Possibly," I smiled, "Wait until Ichigo hears about this,"

Tatsuki juggled her backpack, "Wait until he sees this,"

"Ichigo should be back home late, so I'll talk to him then." I called to Tatsuki as she walked away.

"Thanks I appreciate it." She called back.

I returned to the Kurosaki household later that evening with a bag full of candy and manga. I enjoyed the literature the world of the living had to offer, plus its snacks. I was using the money that Ishin gave me every week. I turned him down the first time, but he insisted that I always have spending money. Masaki praised my modesty.

Ichigo's pov

I walked through the front door like a human being, defensively. When I heard the ever familiar "Welcome home Ichigo" from my dad I got ready to dodge or counter an assault, but instead was given a hearty slap on the back, which was unusual, but not unheard of because it was generally used to lure me into a false sense of security.

"Thanks," I said, rubbing my neck and headed up the stairs.

"Oi Ichigo," my dad called up the stairs when I was halfway up. "Next time use the front door when you want to leave the house, you make it seem like you're afraid you're going to get assaulted for using the front door like a human being."

What the hell, he was never planning to assault me. Then again, I'm not technically his son. Sweet, I smirked, No more early morning assaults. I walked upstairs to my room and found Rukia sitting against my bed reading manga and listening to music.

"Welcome back," came a voice. I looked over to Karin's desk to see Ririn.

So Ririn's Karin's Mod Soul, I smirked, makes sense I guess.

(A/N: I know the Bounts are a filler arc, but the it's referenced to several times in the anime and there are several filler, and canon, episodes using Ririn, Noba and Kurodo so I'm going with the anime's plotline for this shindig.)

"Did Rukia tell you everything?" I asked her.

"Yeah," she jumped on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Between you and me I think Rukia has a crush on you. In fact I think she's head over heels in love with you."

What?

"What are you whispering about?" Rukia asked taking out her earphones.

"Nothing," Ririn said quickly to avoid being caught red handed with what she was telling me.

"Oh Ichigo you're back." She said upon seeing me. "I have a message for you from Tatsuki. She wants you to meet her tomorrow at the park near the hospital at Noon."

"The park at noon, I'll make a note of that." I said. I wonder if Orihime improved or something? I lay down on my bed and kicked my feet up. Rukia stood up and looked at me.

"Ichigo, there's something I need to tell you." She said putting down her manga. I sat up she sounded serious. "I know we've only known each other a short while, and I think I might be pulling some of these deeper feelings from my alternate self with you being here and all, but…"

I sighed, "Just come out and say it already." I groaned.

Though I regretted saying that when Rukia stated, "I love you Ichigo Kurosaki."

WHAT?!

To be continued…

(A/N: Yes I am that evil to leave you with a cliffhanger like that and to be even more evil, next chapter cuts back to Karin and Fandom!Karin so you're going to have to wait for two whole updates before you get to see how this confession plays out. I work my butt of to get this stuff posted at the expense of my right arm muscles, I'll have carpel tunnel before I graduate I know it. R&R please and don't be shy to send me fan requests either.)