Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D

Chapter 8: Breaking the Ice

…Karakura 1st High School…First Period…7:34 am…

All I can think about is how tired I am. I know I should pay attention to the teacher (what's she's talking about will be on the final) but I just can't make myself focus. I'm not the only one either. It's first period on a Monday morning and the entire class is just droopy.

Orihime is trying to pay attention and take notes, but I see her nod off every few minutes only to jump as she abruptly reawakens. Tatsuki, among others, isn't even pretending to be awake and is practically snoring with her head on her desk. Ichigo is leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, staring at some point on the ceiling. I fight the urge to see what he's looking at. Rukia looks the most awake of all of us, but that because she's messing with her soul pager- the cell phone like device that receives her orders from the Soul Society- under her desk.

Man, high school sucks. I can't wait until summer when I can sleep in everyday. And it's only a few weeks away too!

My thoughts are interrupted as I sense a Hollow starting to materialize. I sit up straight and look frantically around, my location momentarily forgotten as I try to figure out where it will appear. Suddenly, Rukia's Soul Pager starts beeping. The class is suddenly awake as everyone turns to stare at her.

"Rukia!" the teacher exclaims, obviously annoyed. "You know there are no cell phones allowed in class!"

"I know! I'm sorry, but I have to take this call." She stands abruptly and, after a meaningful look at Ichigo, dashes out of the room.

Ichigo stands hastily. "I uh…have to go the bathroom!" He races for the door ignoring the teacher's protests.

I stand too, wanting to help as much as I can with killing the Hollow I sensed. "I don't feel well! I'm going to the nurse!" I shout, as I run for the classroom door.

"Now wait a second Taylor!" The teacher tries to block my way, but I push past, and ignoring her shouts and the curious stares of my classmates, race after Ichigo and Rukia.

I catch them outside, where Ichigo has just transformed into a Soul Reaper and Rukia is getting more specific instructions from the Soul Society.

Ichigo turns towards me "You made it out too? Good." He flashes me a brief smile, before turning back to Rukia. I feel warmed by his show of camaraderie, and much to my chagrin my cheeks heat up. Ichigo looks so different when he smiles…

"It's alright Taylor. You don't need to come." Rukia tells me seriously.

"What?"

"Huh?"

Ichigo and I both exclaim at the same time, turning confused looks on each other before we both look at Rukia. She looks at me and meets my eye, but I don't feel reassured at all.

"It's a weak Hollow. Ichigo and I can handle it. You should probably just stay here."

I stare blankly at her, feeling my irritation grow.

"Come on Ichigo. We should hurry." She turns away without another word and runs off.

I shoot a questioning look at Ichigo who simply shrugs at me. "Sorry. Maybe next time," he says and then runs after Rukia.

I stand in the schoolyard for a moment feeling my exasperation to build into resentment. "Damn it!" I exclaim, kicking over a nearby trashcan as I lose the battle to control my temper.

It's been over a week since I decided I would help Ichigo and Rukia fight Hollows. And everyday since then I've trained with Urahara in his secret, underground room. And in my opinion, which I will admit is very biased, I've gotten a lot stronger. But every time I've tried to help fight Hollows Rukia has told me that she and Ichigo don't need my help. It's infuriating!

I just don't understand. Why doesn't Rukia trust me? Ichigo doesn't seem to have a problem with me wanting to help. And I've obviously got skill. I sense the damn Hollows before Rukia gets her orders from the Soul Society. It just makes me so mad!

Frustrated, I kick the trashcan again and manage to stub my toe in the process. Cursing, and still fuming, I head back inside the school building and limp my way back to class.

…

Ichigo watched Rukia as they rested. She was intent on her soul pager checking, Ichigo assumed, that there weren't any more Hollows around.

She had been right. That Hollow wasn't very strong and Ichigo had had no trouble defeating it. But, he still didn't understand why Rukia didn't want Taylor to help. He didn't have any problems with it.

"Why didn't you want Taylor to help?" Ichigo asked. He wasn't one for beating around the bush.

"We didn't need her help," Rukia replied, without looking up.

Ichigo frowned, suspicious. "You don't trust her do you." It wasn't a question, because Ichigo was already certain of the answer.

Rukia looked up, taken aback, and then returned his frown. "Why do you say that?"

Ichigo replied without thinking, "Cause you've been a bitch to her for the past week."

WHACK!

Rukia didn't take too kindly to being insulted. "I don't have a clue what you mean Ichigo." Rukia replied loftily. Ichigp scowled at her as he rubbed the lump on his skull. "However, you are right…" Ichigo was rather surprised. Rukia didn't usually admit things to him so readily.

"I'm not sure I can put my finger on it exactly. I'm still uneasy because we don't know where her powers come from. But it's more than that…" Rukia looked contemplatively at the sky. "I just don't think that she's really dedicated to being a Soul Reaper."

Ichigo stood abruptly. "You're being ridiculous Rukia. But, it doesn't matter right now. Let's hurry up and get back to class." As Ichigo strode off, Rukia could clearly see how irritated he was. Why does he trust her so easily? She was baffled by Ichigo's sudden change in attitude toward her.

Rukia was cautious by nature, but there was something about Taylor that unnerved her. And Rukia was concerned about Taylor's true motivation for wanting to help them fight Hollows. She'd been so adamantly against it before. Rukia shook her head, trying to clear it. I can worry about this later, she told herself firmly. Rukia followed Ichigo back to school, trying to ignore the disturbed thoughts that spun through her mind.

…Later that afternoon…

"What's the matter with you?" Urhara asks, as I slam the door of his shop shut.

"Nothing," I snarl at him, kicking my shoes off. "Let's just get started already."

I try to stalk by Urahara and back to the trap door that leads to his underground training room, but he grabs my arm as I pass him.

"Tell me what's wrong." His voice is stern and I can tell by the look in his eye that arguing isn't going to get me anywhere. Damn he can read me like an open book! But, I guess I'm not that good at hiding my feelings anyway…

With a heavy sigh I plop myself down next to him. He turns towards me and waits with a look of condescending patience. Resisting the urge to punch him I mutter, "It's Ichigo and Rukia."

"What about them?"

I find the volume of my voice rising as I relive my frustration. "They won't let me fight Hollows! Every time I try to help Rukia tells me that they don't need my help and Ichigo doesn't do anything!" I take another breath to continue, but Urahara interrupts me.

"Listen to you, whining like a spoiled child." He says it softly, but there's an edge to his voice that I haven't heard before. Whatever else I was going to say dies in my throat, my mouth snapping shut. I'm utterly surprised and instantly chastised as I realize the truth in his words.

Urahara rises with a sigh of his own. He looks down at me, considering, and for the first time I'm afraid of what he's going to say.

"Well if they won't let you help, you'll just have to convince them that they need your help." He smiles slightly at me before turning away. "Come on. Let's begin."

"A-Alright." I follow him into the back, still reeling slightly from our brief exchange. I definitely don't want to get on Urahara's bad side. And not for the first time, I wonder about who he really is. Or was.

…The next morning…the Kurosaki Clinic…

"A…a…a…ACHOO!"

"Wow Ichigo. You don't look so good," Rukia said as she jumped down from her closet, ready for school. Ichigo was still in bed, his expression the picture of misery.

"I don't feel so good either." Ichigo sniffed mightily before continuing. "Yuzu's had a bad cold for the past few days. I think I've caught it."

"Oh." Rukia stood in the middle of room looking expectantly at Ichigo. He stared back at her, sniffing occasionally.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to get ready for school? You usually leave about now."

"No," Ichigo replied irritably. "I'm sick. I'm not going to school today."

"But, what if a Hollow shows up?" Rukia protested, alarmed.

"You'll just have to get Taylor to help you."

"But-!"

"You'll just have to get over it and trust her!" Ichigo had run out of patience. He promptly lay back down, facing away from Rukia, and pulled the blanket over his head.

Rukia sighed. She knew when she had been backed into a corner. She couldn't quite put a finger on why she didn't trust Taylor, but today she'd have to grit her teeth and do as Ichigo had suggested. Get over it.

"Ichigo…Hey…Ichigo!" Ichigo resolutely ignored her. "Alright then…" And without another moment's hesitation she stepped up on Ichigo's bed, stepped on him, and out the window.

"OW! What the hell was that for?" Ichigo shouted glaring at her.

Rukia shrugged. "You were in my way. I don't want to be late for school. See you later."

Ichigo scowled after her as she dropped out of sight. But, he laid down again a little more thoughtfully. I hope she and Taylor can work something out. Ichigo didn't like the feeling that he was going to have to choose between them. He paused for a moment, wondering where that thought had come from. What's the matter with me? Ichigo thought he knew the answer, but he didn't want to think about it. It weirded him out too much. Stubbornly fighting the urge to think anymore about Rukia or Taylor he concentrated on sleeping.

…Karakura 1st Highschool…lunchtime…

Today's lunch is pretty normal as we sit around a cluster of desks in the classroom. Orihime is rambling on about something completely random and somehow managing to bring the subject back to Ichigo. Tatsuki is valiantly fighting to keep Chizuru from molesting Orihime, while the rest of us try to stay out of the way. There is one problem though…

The celery stick in my hand threatens to snap as Rukia looks up at me again. This is the umpteenth time during lunch, and while her face is as cryptic as usual I know what she's on about. Ichigo is out sick from school today and Rukia is worried about having to rely on me.

It doesn't help that I'm extra grumpy today because of the dream I had last night. My dreams where I'm a Soul Reaper, in strange places doing strange things, have been getting stronger since I started training with Urahara. But, they haven't made any more sense than they did before until last night. In my dream last night I was seated in a huge classroom surrounded by other people, all of us dressed in uniforms that were a variation of the Soul Reaper shihakusho. It seemed that I was taking some kind of exam and I remember thinking that it was really hard. I got the feeling of being watched and, looking to my right, I saw a blonde man that looked very much like a young Urahara copying off my paper.

I jump slightly at the memory. My dream stopped there because I was so surprised that I woke up, horrendously early as usual. I'm still shaken though and the question of where my power comes from is again on my mind. I've been meaning to ask Urahara about it for a while now, but I always manage to forget. Not today though. After my dream last night I have to get some answers from him.

Coming out of my reverie I notice that Rukia is watching me again, however she looks away before I can make eye contact with her. Fighting the urge to start something, I turn my attention to the sky outside the window. My frustration is persistent, however. Why doesn't Rukia trust me? Why won't she trust me? Whatever. I'll prove to her that I'm just as good as Ichigo at killing Hollows.

I realize that I'm about to get my chance as I feel a Hollow beginning to materialize some distance away. Quickly I turn to look at Rukia, but she's engaged in conversation with Michiru. Suddenly, her soul pager starts beeping. She pulls it out hurriedly, makes a face, which she quickly controls, and looks up at me. We make an uneasy, unspoken concession and we both stand to leave.

"Hey!" Orihime turns after us we head towards the door. "Where are you guys going?" she asks, concerned.

Rukia holds up her still beeping soul pager as an explanation. I shift uncomfortably from foot to foot before replying. "Uh…bathroom."

" Um, OK!" Orihime calls after us, clearly confused, as we head down the hallway.

"Let's hurry," Rukia says tonelessly as she breaks into a run.

I don't reply as I run after her. For some reason this particular Hollow has me worried.

…

"Damn it!" Taylor shouted, banging her fist against the wall of the alley.

Rukia was silent, but her sentiments were very much the same. Before them, at the end of a narrow alley in the heart of downtown Karakura, lay a pool of blood and a mangled human body. It was the second such scene that they had found in the past hour. The Hollow they were hunting appeared quickly, killed, and then disappeared again before Rukia and Taylor could get to it.

"Damn it…" Taylor's voice was quieter this time, but her grief and frustration were far more acute. "What're we gonna do?" she murmured more to the air than to Rukia.

Rukia still didn't say anything. She was worried and frustrated too, and was dealing with the added stress of working with someone she didn't fully trust. Somehow though Taylor's obvious distress eased Rukia's mind and her concerns about the human girl were fading a bit.

"This Hollow is obviously strong and experienced. We're going to have to get more creative if we're going to catch it before it kills again," Rukia said musingly, already deep in deliberation. Then she murmured, just in afterthought, "I wish Ichigo was here."

Taylor snapped.

"Yea, I bet you do wish Ichigo was here! Perfect Ichigo who can do everything that I can't!"

Rukia was shocked. "I-I didn't mean it like that!" she began, but Taylor cut her off.

"Like hell you didn't! I know you don't trust me, that you don't think I'm good enough to fight Hollows!" Taylor screamed.

Rukia, incensed now too, began to yell back, "Well, why should I trust you! Before you didn't want any part of this! I don't know anything about you, I don't know where the hell you got your powers from, and I don't know why you've suddenly decided you want to be a Soul Reaper! At least with Ichigo I know he'll get the job done and get it done right!"

Rukia stopped now to catch her breath. Taylor, not backing down in the least, opened her mouth to reply and Rukia prepared for the onslaught. What came instead was a low chuckle. Rukia blinked in surprise as Taylor met her eye, her lips curled into a cunning smile.

"Rukia…I think I've got an idea…"

…

Reckless…and stupid…This is so reckless and stupid…

Rukia had been wordlessly berating herself for the better part of fifteen minutes now. She stood just inside the tree line that surrounded a small clearing deep in the middle of a park. Taylor, back in her body, sat cross-legged in the afternoon sunlight in the middle of the clearing.

This is so stupid… But Rukia had to admit it was a good plan.

What's the big deal, Rukia? Taylor had asked when Rukia had initially protested. I'm just thinking like Ichigo and you trust him to get the job done, right?

Rukia and Taylor had returned to the school to retrieve Taylor's body and then they had come here. Fortunately the Hollow had not attacked anyone else during that time. Taylor's plan was to lure the Hollow out, who only appeared to be attacking live humans, by using herself as bait. As Rukia kept reminding herself it was a foolish and reckless plan, but she couldn't come up with anything better. There are just so many things that could go wrong. She bit her lip as she worried.

A breeze came up and rustled through the trees above Rukia, bringing her out of her thoughts. That was when she realized that Taylor had begun releasing her spiritual pressure in order to lure the Hollow out. Rukia was impressed at the amount of control she had. She was increasing the intensity of her spiritual pressure, but keeping it confined to the area directly above her. That concentration of spiritual energy, amazing considering Taylor only had about a week of training, would allow the Hollow to pinpoint her exact location.

Rukia watched, but nothing happened. Still Taylor kept it up, her spiritual pressure intensifying even more, until Rukia could tell that it was starting to put a strain on her. Another breeze came up, rustling through the trees and making the dappled sunlight dance, and then everything happened in a flash.

With a roar the Hollow appeared, half of its body breaking through space itself to pounce on where Taylor had been sitting. She had already leapt away however, and swallowing the gikongan that she always carried with her, exploded from her human skin ready to fight. Rukia was startled watching this, realizing that Taylor must have sensed the Hollow before it started materializing.

The Hollow, realizing that it had found a better meal than a regular human, pulled itself out of the crack and fully into the clearing. Taylor drew her zanpakuto. "Come on, ugly!" she yelled tauntingly.

With a howl, the Hollow threw itself forward. Taylor leapt out of the way again, and just as quickly leapt after the Hollow. The Hollow, unable to slow its momentum enough to turn and defend itself in time, was quickly dispatched with a single stroke of Taylor's sword. Again Rukia was impressed. Taylor had made an enormous amount of progress in a very short time. She's a natural… Rukia couldn't help but feel silly now about discounting Taylor's skill.

Rukia approached Taylor as she was getting back into her body. "Are you alright, Taylor?"

Taylor didn't look at her as she replied, "Yea. I'm fine."

Rukia paused for a moment, unsure. She felt bad now for not trusting Taylor, especially considering how much risk she had put herself in to make the plan work. And it had worked, demonstrating both Taylor's creativity and her fighting ability. It seemed that Taylor really was committed to being a Soul Reaper.

"Taylor… " Rukia began, but she was cut off.

"You don't have to say anything, Rukia." Taylor turned towards her and met her eye steadily this time. "I've always half-assed things. I'd like to blame my mom, but that's not really fair. It's been my own fault and I know it. I just never really cared about anything. But, this Soul Reaper thing I'm not going to half-ass." There was determination in her voice.

"I'm going to do it and do it right." Taylor looked away now, her gaze shifting upwards to the sky. "I'm not going to be afraid of my power anymore. I'm going to use it and protect as many people as I can, no matter happens to me. I feel that it's the least I can do…"

Realization crept into Rukia's mind, as she listened to Taylor's words. It's because of Ichigo. There was something about Ichigo that brought out the best in people, and here Taylor was- the perfect example. Rukia was pleasantly surprised to find herself smiling.

"Come on. Let's head back to school. I think we can still make our last class." Taylor turned to her surprised and then, seeing the warmth on Rukia's face, smiled back.

"Yea," Taylor replied, the sarcasm in her voice light and joking. "It would be a shame if we missed class!"

As they headed back to the school, really talking for the first time, Rukia felt relieved. Though Taylor was still a mystery, Rukia was glad that she was no longer a stranger. She felt like she didn't have to hide her true personality around Taylor and that they could perhaps be friends now.

But still…her power disturbs me. Rukia knew that until she learned where Taylor's power had come from that she would never trust her completely.

…

"Well, you're in a good mood today."

I look up at Urahara, after taking off my shoes, to see him considering me questioningly.

"Yep!" I say, smiling brightly. But my smile is forced. It's true that I'm in a much better mood than I was yesterday, but I'm very nervous about telling Urahara about my dream and asking him where my powers come from.

"Well let's get started then!" He says jovially, standing. "Since you're in such a good mood I guess you won't mind training extra long tonight!" He turns to head into the back of the shop, but pauses and looks back when I don't reply.

"There's something I need to ask you…" I begin, spontaneously deciding I'll tell him about my dream later. "Where…where do my powers come from?" I refuse to meet his eye, but peeking out from under my lashes I see him considering me carefully.

"I can't answer that."

"But-!"

He turns away from me again and sighs heavily, his shoulders slumping under an invisible weight. It appears as though he was expecting my question, but hoped he would never hear it. "You're not ready to hear the truth yet," he says softly. "But," he meets my eye squarely now, and I realize that he is making a promise, "When the time comes I will tell you the truth. Now let's get started." He exits the room, leaving me to follow in my own time.

I can't help but feel frustrated. That wasn't any kind of answer at all, but I'm an idiot if I think I'm going to get anymore out of him today than that. His reluctance to respond worries me almost as much as the lack of an answer. Even though I've decided I won't be afraid of my power anymore, I can't help but worry where it came from. And where my strange dreams come from. My doubts will continue to linger until I know. You can bet that I won't leave this issue alone. Especially, if I have more dreams like I did last night.

Author's Note:

Whoot! It's my second chapter this month! To be perfectly honest I'm rather proud of myself for getting this chapter up so quickly. I'm definitely going to keep writing this story because I enjoy it so much and it really is a nice break from doing schoolwork all the time.

I would like to thank Ishihackaloogie, Mayan, ..Rebels, MeatLover, Kurisetina, ComicXArena, and Shadow of a Broken Angel for reviewing since the last chapter went up. I know I haven't put people's names on here the last couple of times, but I'm going to start doing that again. As always reviews are appreciated, whether it's praise or constructive criticism.

So, in the next chapter I'm going to put Taylor into the actual storyline of Bleach. I'm going to go ahead and tell you that it's going to be the part with Don Kanonji and that chapter will probably be fairly short. While Taylor's role in the actual story will not be that big in the next chapter, I will be advancing her story and her romance with Ichigo. :D I don't know when the next chapter up, because I've got a lot of stuff to do for school in October, but hopefully it won't take too long!

Thanks for reading!

imagination junkie