Hey guys! Here it is! Chapter 2! Took me 4-ever! But, I did it! We did it! We did it! We did it! Yay! Okay, too much baby shows…Can't think…anymore! Ugh! Thus, I die…For now…Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and its characters…Even though Stark is awesome, I wish I did own his cute little ass! Oops, babbling again! xD

Chapter II : To the Store and Back

"Okay…Wheat or white bread?"

"Does it really matter? No ones going to care." Lily thought out loud while she watched her friend look between the yeasts' only to have the brunette look back at Lilinette with a cocked brow, "Why else would I be asking? The asses at home don't eat the wheat, but I do…So, I'm conflicted between my two loves."

"Just get both." She laughed, "Oh, oh yeah." Eri giggled as she grabbed the two of a kinds, and placed them into the cart with a satisfied smile on her lips, "Awesome! Now, eggs….Eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs, eggs…Eggs!" Eri was certainly cheerful for someone who was just shopping, but then again, her car just got totaled, and the only way to get home, was by sonido-ing home…What human wouldn't be excited to do the things she was able to do? "Alright, what else do we need at home? Lily? You have any ideas?" The light haired fraccion looked up to the lights pondering anything she could think of, until a light bulb lit her head, "Cereal!"

"Cereal it is! And Away!" Eri declared it so loud others in the aisle watched with confused looks, and moved out of the way in a panic when she pushed herself down the aisle on top of the cart, "Hey wait for us speedy Gonzalez!" Lilinette tried to catch up, but Stark on the other hand just smirked to himself and chuckled quiet enough that no one could hear. He always thought it was nice that Lily had found a friend here in the human world, and thanks to Eri their days were never dull…Like this morning for instance. His smirked widened even more when he thought about it, and merely pushed it to the back of his mind as he watched the two girls climb the shelves for a specific breakfast cereal, "Did you get it yet?"

"N-No…Just…A little closer…" Stark didn't know whether to watch them continue to reach for the box, or stop staring at Eri's frame stretch out to the point that her curves were more apparent than usual…Why was he even staring at her in the first place? It wasn't the first, but maybe the third time he had caught himself looking at her. He didn't know what it was, but the way she had that goofy look on her face as she reached for the cereal box like a small child reaching for the cookie jar and the way she had Lilinette as a stand beneath her made him feel humor inside himself. Like he wanted to chuckle but he held it back for whatever reason he didn't understand, "I got it! Nope… Damn, I'm almost there!"

"Hurry up! I can't hold your big butt up any longer!"

"I find that offense lady!"

"Ahhhh, get over it and get the box already you're killin' my back!" Eri was going to do what her friend said, but just as she looked up, she saw the coyote standing next to her with the box in his hand, smirking down at her. Eri hesitated to say something, she wasn't expecting him to be standing so close, and little did she know she was slowly loosing her balance, and fell to the floor with a thud, along with Lilinette who was underneath her, whining curses under her breath, "Owe…My back…"

"Owe my ass…" She retorted getting the both of them to laugh at their conundrum, "Sorry Lily, I wasn't expecting to fall like that." Eri sat up and helped her friend from the floor, dusting her off as lightly as she could, "It's okay. Stark! What the hell were you doing startling Eri like that!"

"Why are you yelling at me? I didn't mean to, I just thought you two needed help. You both seemed to be struggling." Lilinette got up to only purposely stomp on Stark's foot causing the man to hunch over and groan in pain, "Damn it Lily…I'll get you for that…" Lily only snatched the box out of his hand and curse under her breath, "Why is she so mean?" He mumbled attempting to limp back to the cart with his hand holding onto the shelves next to him. It only made Eri feel guilty she couldn't have prevented that, but at the same time she smiled sweetly with a titter, "Well, she is your other half, so she must be your more…rebellious side…?"

"I guess. What makes you think that?" He asked smiling back at the small girl for her answer, but Eri just shrugged her shoulders and leaned her head to the side as she scanned the shelves on the opposite side of her friend, "Eh, I don't know, sixth sense I guess. It only seems rational, I mean-, you two are complete opposites when you look at it. She's hyper and your lazy." Stark glared at her for calling him lazy, but then again he couldn't deny it either. She was right after all, "Hee hee, what? Did I hit a sore?"

"Not at all, I just never thought you'd be the one to call me lazy."

"What do you call what you do at home?" She leaned in with a playful smirk on her face to get him to lean in with the mimicking look, "Sleeping."

"And that's all the time…! Admit it you're just lazy." She laughed at him seeing an uncomfortable expression paint his face with an unusual shade of pink. It made her

smile and nudge him with her head while she softly patted his back, "Don't get embarrassed, it doesn't bother me. I mean look at me, I'm walking around outside while getting groceries in my pajama's. How many people you know do that?"

"Heh, no one. Just you." A small smile tugged at his lips when he did notice that, and fell content, "I'm just making an observation…She's always wanting to do something and she hates being bored, while you? You're so mellow, and collected. You're always one step of everyone, no matter how much you sleep. Your abilities are truly one of kind, and I think you're very lucky to have them. I think anyone with your

kind of powers would've surely used them to their own desires…But you seem to know how to control yourself." He found that strange that she would say something like that, "How do you know I wouldn't?" She was a little stunned by his answer, but all the same she smiled at him again. Why did she constantly smile at him like that? It was so content and honest that it left him with an odd emptiness that had been filled. He kind of hated it, but he felt…Warm inside, "Because you would've already killed me." Wow. She said was deep…But it was true. He would have the first time they met if he really wanted to. Well, he guessed he didn't feel the need to, instead he just wanted to be left alone! To sleep! Eri walked on when he trailed off into thought, only assumed the reason why she didn't say anything was because she felt awkward about her response. How right was he? He too turned his attention somewhere else, only to say something off the topic, "Well, as long as I'm not being a burden to you."

"No, If I thought that, you wouldn't be the first one to be kicked out of my house. Grimmjow and Nnoitra would! Damn assholes…" She began to grumble curse words under her breath just like Lily was doing a couple minutes ago, and it made the coyote stifle a soft laugh when he witnessed how fast her persona could change from happy to irritated in seconds. She was a firecracker this one. One minute she's silent the next she's blowing sparks out of her ears.

It didn't take long for Eri to notice him trying not to laugh out loud, but it was a little too late for that, so she poked at his face, "Are you laughing at me?"

"Hey, that's not nice…" After she asked that question, her expression changed again, into a shocked one, "Oh my god! I never knew you could laugh!"

"What? You think I don't have a sense of humor?" She blushed a little looking away as she twisted her hair over her shoulder, "Nothing like that, I just never…You know, seen you laugh before. Has anyone ever told you, you should do that more often?" Stark rubbed the back of his neck poorly avoiding the woman who was softly giggling beside him.

Even though he knew she was just fooling around with him, he had no idea why he was acting the way he was, or feeling the way he was, "Hey come on you slow pokes, I'm already in the cookie aisle!" Lilinette called out to the two from the other side immediately getting Eri's attention when she knitted her brows, and cracked her neck, "Yeah, yeah, we're coming!" Eri then looked back to the coyote, only to see that he had come to a grinding halt when he saw a box of cereal that he seemed to have found. Seeing this, made the blue eyed girl slowly pull back the cart to see what the he had, "What'cha got there?"

"I don't know…I just wanted to see what it was."

"Mm-hmm…" She could see he wanted to get it, and gently took it from him to place it into the shopping cart, "Y-you don't need to do that. I was just-,"

"It's okay, just tell me what your hungry for and I'll get it. You all don't have to eat what I eat. You have a choice." She was a good person when she wasn't mad; and in some way he noticed that besides Lilinette. Eri had a way of becoming a little more tranquil when she hung out around him. They didn't talk a lot but when they did, the two always had something to say, even when it was with the simplest things, "Alright. Well, thank you..."

"Don't mention it…But, something has been bothering me ever since I met you…"

"What's that?" He couldn't help but tilt his head to the side as he watched the girl reach for some granola bars that were on a high shelf in front of him, "Do you do anything else besides sleep?"

"Maybe. Why do you ask?"

"Because that's all you do at the house is sleep! I just want to know if you like to do anything else besides that?"

"Not really." He thought about it with a grope of his chin, "Yeah, you would say that…Well, I tried."

"Tried what?"

"Oh nothing, nothing. I just thought maybe the great and powerful Primera like yourself would have a little more to his name." She teased him with a poke at his side making him flinch and attempted to lazily stop her with a hand, but she just tittered at him to make the coyote sigh and smile at her, "I do, you just don't know what they are."

"Well, what if I wanted to know?" She asked while placing a hand on he hip, "Ha! Good luck with that! Let me know when that happens." Lily replied to the two when they finally reached her making them both look to the small girl who was debating between the two cookie boxes in her hands, "Lily, don't be mean." Eri tried to hush her friend softly, but knowing Lilinette so well, she had only expected the girl to shrug her shoulders at her, "What! I don't even know what that man does for fun, and the way I see it, the only fun he has is with 'palm-ela, and her five friends'."

"Did you get that off the television?" Eri laughed seeing the look of confusion on Stark's face, "Yeah, and it was funny when I finally got the joke!"

"Ha! Ha! I love you Lily! You're so awesome…So! Did you finally pick the cookies you want or should we wait another century for you to make a decision?" Eri smirked when she gave the sarcasm but it only made Lily fake-ly laugh as she jumped to her feet to put on of the cookie boxes back, "Heh, Heh, Heh, you're so funny. Yeah I got it, what about you?"

"Already taken care of .." The brunette patted her package of Oreos with a big grin on her lips, "Oh, well…Stark?"

"Huh?" He had seemed to space out for a moment but shook his head to his partner giving him that intimidating look. God he hated that look so much, he knew that meant she was about to kick his ass, but he merely turned away to ignore it, "Sorry, no, I'm good off the sweets."

"See, I told you he was no fun."

"How would you know Lilinette?"

"Stark…I could barely get you out of bed when we were in Hueco Mundo! Do ya think coming to the world of the living would've changed that? I think not…"

"Mmm…" It was an awkward silence after that, which left Eri at a conundrum when she continued to walk down the aisle between the two looking in opposite directions, "S-so, Stark? Any hobbies you like doing? Painting? Sports? Games? Paint ball? Anything?" Stark was puzzled, but he wondered about it himself. He didn't know what he liked. He usually just slept and he was happy with that. But this, he had to scratch his chin and look up to the ceiling to think about it, "Well, I like doing magic tricks…" He admitted bashfully, so much that he regretted to say it, "really? You do? That's so cool! What kind of magic tricks?" Well, until she was more awed by it than anything, "Well, can almost do anything…Pull a rabbit out of my Zanpakuto…" She stopped the cart in shock…Or confused… He wasn't sure exactly, and neither was Eri to tell you the truth, "But…Isn't…That what Lilinette is?" She looked to the light haired girl with a funny look. Lily only looked away with a roll of her eyes getting Eri to laugh at a moments notice when she shook her head and attempted to resist her

smirk, "There is so many things wrong with that…"

"It's not what ya think Eri! You're sick!" The blue eyed girl could only stifle her giggles the best as she could, but all of them were still noticeable to Lily and to Stark. Lily was too busy attacking the back of Eri's head to even notice the sudden wide expression on his face. His eyes fell surprised by what the brunette had said. She was so blunt that at one point he laughed inside, "Goodness…"

"Hey Stark, if you don't mind do you think I could see some of your magic tricks when we get back?"

"What? Why? Do you really want to see them?" He was becoming intrigued now; she sounded like she meant it, and by that smile she gave? Yeah, she meant it, "Yeah! Oooh! That reminds me, next Friday's Halloween! We should get our customs soon before they all sell out!"

"I want to be a vampire!" Lily exclaimed excitedly with her arms extended out, "Oh, that's right, you said it's a holiday that your world celebrates." Stark had heard Eri talk about it before, but only remembered vaguely of what it was, "Uh-huh! For some it's to celebrate the dead, and to wore off evil spirits. For me? I just like to go to the custom parties and get free food. Although…I think next year I want go to one of the festivals, in down town. You know, down by the sea? They say they have contests on customs, dancing, and even some games to play for prizes…I think they even have rides there!"

"Yeah? Then let's do that instead of going to some dumb house party?"

"Because I promised a school mate that I would go after getting my butt 'smashed on the pavement' in a game of Mahjong." She grumbled in disappointment, embarrassment, and crushed a dignity, "Damn it, I totally suck at that game."

"A-Ooh, is that one guy you keep telling me out?"

"Yes." Eri groaned and rolled he eyes, "So, is he anyone serious…"

"Hell no!"

"Are you two having another girl's night out?" Stark asked slightly loosing track of what they were talking about, "No, it's the whole town's invited. You want to go? It'll be fun!"

"Huh? You want me to go?"

"Yeah, why not?" He couldn't find answer. All he could say was, "I don't know, how long would we be there for?" He didn't even think about what just came out of his mouth, which made him, "Well…An hour maybe? Come on please, there's gonna be a swimming pool, a dance floor, and a pool table that's going to be up in the dude's attic. We could play a round of pool and we could play strip poker. Losers have to take off their clothes..."

"Are ya gonna tell Grimmjow about it?" Eri gave Lilinette a look that quickly explained her answer, "Oh, guess not, huh?"

"He's going to learn his lesson. Until he can clean up his act, he's going to learn!" Lilinette had to agree, because of him Eri had to suffer for it, and that wasn't cool at all! I mean, come on now! This girl was her best friend if she was unhappy, well, then so was Lily! "I'd do the same to him! Or worse. Those are expensive right?"

"Yeah…Pretty expensive…" She remembered having this same discussion with Hal…And like before, it was making her head spin with all the costly income she was going to have to do for a new car, "You what, I think I'm just going to buy a used one like I told Hal this morning. I could just make it my own little car. Put stickers on it…Buy my own parts…. "

"That'd be cool! Could I help out?"

"Sure!" When they had finished all the shopping it was already time for Eri to get ready for he day of studying… Yes, she had the semesters tests coming up, and she didn't want to fail them while trying to juggle her job. She was even lucky to get today off for one of her weekend days and so far, she was liking it already for spending more time with the two people she liked most in the house. If anything Eri considered them friends…And that was alright with them.

By the time they got home, the house was silent, everyone except for Hal had left to go somewhere. Probably to stat trouble, but who was Eri to judge when they wee out and about? As long as they left he home alone she was content. Lilinette assisted Eri with the groceries while Stark went to take a nap on the couch. When they wee finished Eri talked about going to her room, and fell back into the same pattern she did every day she came home from work or school. She had began to fold laundry into her drawers to prepare for tomorrows' job awaiting her. She was actually kind of excited about it, humming a merry tune to the daily routine she performed. She couldn't stop thinking about the assignment for her dance class, and with very second passing by made Eri want to grab her I-pod. So, as she finished putting away the last pair of her underwear, she closed the top up to turn and get the small pod out of her backpack, until she gasped, startle by a very pissed off looking panther growling in front of her face, "Oh it's just you…Don't scare me like that." She tried to push him off, but he grabbed her wrist with an even louder growl letting the girl get a good look at his messy hair, "I'm gonna to do more than just scare ya. ya little bitch."

"Yeah? Well, if you do, just know that you're still an asshole for destroying my car!" She tried to defend herself, but Grimmjow just pulled her closer to his face, "How about I destroy your arm!" He clenched his teeth in his retort.

"Even with one arm I would've kicked your ass outside! I did what was necessary to wake up a perverted, drunken scum bad like you, who by the way? Stole the only transportation I had to get around! You deserve what you got…"

"Your car is none of my concern. But what is my concern is that no one treats me like that! No one!" He taunted knowing that she knew he could just Sonido anywhere, which caused her to scoff angrily, "You're the worst out anyone here! It's like training a dog, you tell it sit, it refuses, when it refuses, you smack in the head with a rolled up newspaper!"

"Awe come on you know that's not true if anyone's worse, it's Nnoitra."

"You both are at the top of my shit list how about that? You should go sober up next time you want to put your hands on me or any of my things again!" She finally pulled her arm back, unfazed and tired to escape get away from him again, but only failed. He merely chuckled as he followed her back down the stairs watching as she started to make a sandwich, "Oh…A shit list, huh? Hey-, hey-, woman…Guess what? You're on my shit list too, so you know what? You can blow me."

"Excuse me? No thank you, I'm trying to make food here?"

"Stop fighting you two, god you both bicker on like children." Hal sighed turning up the television.

"WE DO NOT!" Hal shook her head with laughter of denial, "Why…do I bother?" Once she was done mumbling to herself, Hal only continued to flip through the channels to zone out the two in the kitchen.

At this point, Eri was doing the same thing to Grimmjow, just trying to keep her mind to her own business while munching down on her BLT with turkey, but unfortunately with the babbling cat nagging next to her, she couldn't. She eventually growled and began to glare at him before flicking his nose with her fingers, lightly of course, "Ah! I'm gonna kill you woman, you know this!"

"Get out of my face Grimm! Leave me alone! I want to eat in peace!"

"Not until you pay for what you did…" He grinned wildly at her and attempted to grip her hips, but she flipped her arms under his own and avoided his grasp, "Don't even think about it. We tried that already remember? Again, don't touch me." She pushed him out of the way roughly just for him to smirk at her while she washed her dish in the sink, "Feisty aren't ya…Good, that's how I like my women."

"I'm not your woman! I don't know why you keep saying that…Man, ever since you got here you've done nothing but wreck my house, and my stuff, and I'm getting tired of it. I should just throw you out right now, and let S.S. take care of you."

"Awe, you wouldn't do that to me." She stopped in mid wash of he plate and turned around with a fake smile that he could see, "Try me."

"Is that a challenge?" He mocked chuckling, "Get out of here before I get Lilinette to kick your ass!"

"So you're going to call your friend to back you up."

"If I have to! Ass!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Make me!" She mimicked his voice causing him to growl, pissed off, "Woman!" Just then another grumble came to the door, apparently having to yawn as he entered the arena…That's right. Stark. He looked a little irritated but who wouldn't have after hearing all the racket, "Can someone please tell me, why you are all yelling like that it's giving me a headache?" Eri was the only one that seemed to shut her mouth and shrunk down in shame, blushing with embarrassment from the mindless fight that had been occurring, "Sorry, We didn't mean to wake you." Grimmjow just 'che'ed at the sleepy Espada, catching his eyes when they came to him with a tense expression, "Is he giving you a hard time?"

"No, I think the question is 'when' isn't he giving me a hard time?" She wasn't tying to be smart but by what Stark could tell, Grimmjow was getting on her nerves, bad, he would even go to say a little more than usual, "So, what if I am?" The panther just stared back at the coyote with an challenging stare now, thinking that the Primera would back down o go for the fight, but when it didn't, the panther just shifted his attention to the brunette's butt and pinched it to get a rise out of Eri. She gasped blushing like mad and she clenched he teeth in anger attempting to swipe him with her hand, "Grimmjow! Stop it!"

"Or what?" He tempted her to punch him square in the face, and she was pretty close to doing it…

"Grimmjow…" Stark was about to get involved, when suddenly the phone began to ring. Funny how it stopped the entire room…

It rang a second time, only to get the boys to look over at Eri who began to walk towards the cordless sitting on the counter, but before she could reach it, Lilinette had grabbed it from the upstairs receiver, "Hello?…Yeah…Let me see if she's in. Who's this? Oh, okay, Eri! It's for you!"

"Who is it?" She asked curious to know who it was before answering it, an old habit of hers that she couldn't stop doing, "He says he's an old friend of yours!" Grimmjow and Stark both noticed the instant change in the girl's face. Her cheeks that were once reddened with embarrassment, fell very pale and worries. Her eyes that were once bright seemed blank and dull, like her mind had left her body, "Eri? You okay?"

"Did you get a name?" She seemed to over looked Stark's question, only to ask one of her own with a shaky tone, Okay, something's definitely wrong with this picture was all the Coyote could think of when he saw the way Eri began to walk into the living room to meet up with Lily who was now leaning on the stairwell, "Yeah…He said his name was Taylor."

"Hang up the phone."

"What?"

"Hang up the phone!" She ran to the phone frantically, and took the phone from Lilinette to shut it off. When she saw the number she knew this was bad, and ran her fingers through her hair, panting and shaking as she sighed, "Eri, what's wrong?"

"I don't-, want to talk to him…" It was a little alarming to all of them to see who she was acting, but the only person that was able to say anything was Lily, "Should we worrying about something?"

"No, no. Nothing. I'm just…I don't like talking to that guy. So, um…Do me a favor will you? Next time he calls, don't answer it?"

"Um, okay, but Eri if there's something bothering you…"

"Nothing's bothering me." She responded so bitterly, it left everyone silent with an odd feeling consuming the room, "Che, nothing's bothering you my ass! What's the big deal? Is he an Ex of yours? We can always tell him to get lost for ya."

"Shut up! Don't talk about things you know nothing about! I just don't want to talk to him! Ever! Is that too much to fucking ask! Just don't answer when he calls! End of story." With that she ran upstairs almost holding back a fear that left everyone baffled. They all looked one another and then to Grimmjow who had looked back and forth at the two gazing at him, "What? I didn't do it."

"Yeah, but you could've kept your mouth shut." Lilinette replied angrily, "Whatever, just wake me when dinner's ready. And I'm not finished with you Eri!" He received no response from the girl upstairs and continued to make his way out of the kitchen.

"Jerk." She wanted to make sure that Grimmjow could hear her before he made himself comfortable on one of the open living room couches, and with a pitiful sigh, Lilinette looked over to Stark who was staring off out the window with wonder in his eyes, something she was familiar with when he started to think, "Stark?"

"I know…She was acting strange…"

"Maybe because it has to do something with that boy?" She tried to play it off like a question, but Stark could hear the sarcasm behind it, and grumbled something under his breath as he headed up the stairs with a loud yawn to himself, "Hey, where're you going!"

"I'm going to bed."

"Lazy ass!"

"Good night Lilinette." He didn't even bother listening to his Fraccion's rant, all he knew was his body was still tired from the long morning, and loud afternoon. It was truly something, knowing that back in his past, Stark would've never gone anywhere back in Hueco Mundo, but only sleep and go to those meetings that were run by that evil bastard known as Sousuke Aizen. Just the thought of the name made the Coyote's skin crawl with an unwanted anger for that man's betrayal, and all the lies he promised him, along with all the other Espada's. Stark realized after that war, that they all were just exposable to the one they called their master.

He felt that he couldn't forgive himself just yet for what he had put him and his partner through, and looking back on it now, it made his body ache with disgust, and shame that tingled through his pours like pins piercing through his skin. He hated himself everyday for it and he hid that fact deep within himself…

Again his thoughts brought him back to the hallway of upstairs, where he passed by Eri's room just in time to hear a strange noise come from the slightly jarred door. He slowed his walking and barely made a sound when he leaned opening the door a little more to get a glimpse of the little brunette sitting in the center of her bed. Her head leaned into her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs to mild sniffles that softly escaped her. A painful look overcome her features when she quietly sobbed to herself, "Please god…Just make him go away...Make him go away, please…" She was pleading to an unknown source as she held onto herself tighter and tighter till her teeth clenched in anger. He noticed her hand holding onto the phone with a strong grip to cause what sounded like a crack come from the plastic surrounding it.

He wondered if he should go inside to see what was wrong with her, but seeing the distress level she was in, he could only watch when the phone began to ring again. She looked down at phone again, panting for air, until it brightened up the numbers and she cried again in fear, almost hyperventilating as she continued to sob. She finally had enough and threw the phone to the wooden floor splitting it in half. Now only the phones downstairs began to ring, and with no more constant fear overwhelming her chest, she began to cry, painfully. She fell to the side in a ball and try to hide her face into one of her many pillows muffling the rest into the softness of comforting fluff….

This man Taylor definitely wasn't a nice guy in Eri's life and if that's how she reacted to him, he must've frightened her terribly. He didn't like that…Stark didn't like that at all. She lived with a bunch of Espada's people of a nether world called Hueco Mundo, and she never acted this scared. Not even when she first met them did she act this afraid. From what Stark could see, this must've been going on since before any of them had arrived in the world of the living…Yet, she had never mentioned anyone named Taylor…So who was he? Stark wondered if he should even really get involved; should he really ask her such personal questions when he never asked them before? He still knew so little about her that he assumed she may just reject his offer on helping and yell at him like she did to Grimmjow.

He hesitated to leave, but did so none the less by heading back into his room right across the way from hers and closed the door behind him. He took a quick shower yawning as he scrubbed his back, and chest while he tried to calm his clouded thoughts. Once he was done, he tried to lay back down on his bed of large pillows, but in finding the right spot to lay down comfortably, he was suddenly having a hard time trying to get to sleep. It wasn't just he small sniffling he was hearing, but the stupid image of the girl's teary face as she pulled her legs to herself and attempted to hide from the world. He kind of hated the nagging feeling eating at the back of his head, and shook it to try to fall back to sleep again.

Nope…That didn't shake his guilt. He sighed frustrated and turned on his back to look up at his sky painted walls only to hope that his mind would think of something else besides her tear-filled expression, but it only failed him. Instead, they bought him back to the day they met…In fact, she was crying that day too…It was the first time he had ever seen her cry in font of him…She was asking him not to die…It was strange, she cared for him even though she knew nothing about him, she had shed tears for him like no one else besides Lilinette had before. It was odd to him, he was unfamiliar with it. That's why couldn't do it now, he couldn't stop Eri from crying like he did that day…

~One Year Ago~

This was it, he knew this was the end for him. He jumped back to avoid one of Koraku's attacks, only fell right into it…He was sprawled out on the floor with the pain of death taking him into the darkness…Lilienette had already been broken from the final blow, and that too, left another hole in his heart…Well, at least where his heart use to be. He thought these were his last minutes on earth, taking in the sun shine around him and the damaged buildings that resembled homes. It was then he felt guilty for all the destruction he caused, and figured, maybe this was his karma for taking the wrong side. Instead of getting the peace he wanted, he caused the opposite effect. If god could forgive him for not being able to stop the war sooner, "Well, at least we'll see each soon…Won't we…Lilinette?" Just as he thought death was about to take him over when he heard soft cries and little tapping of feet. He slowly turned his head to the side trying to keep his eyes from trying to close on him as a girl with blue eyes and straight, flowing dark brown hair came running up to him, "Oh my god, are you okay mister! Mister!" She was sniffling with big doughy eyes that glistened brightly under the midday sun. When the mysterious girl hovered above him with those blue watery eyes of hers, Stark could just barely make out a golden shine over her head. She put his head into her lap, and took his pulse with her fingers, not being able to feel anything, until she noticed the hole in his chest, and gasps slightly, almost bumping he knees into the back of his head to make him groan out uncomfortably, "Oh I'm so sorry…I-…P-Please don't die, please…Just hold on…I-," She almost couldn't stop looking at that humongous hole, but quickly snapped back to the wound man "…I can help you…But you have to promise not tell anyone what I'm about to do." He chuckled smirking as he started to fall into unconsciousness even more, "Do-,…Do I really have a choice?"

"No." She replied giving a small laugh to brighten her face. He had to admit, she was pretty cute when she gave an angelic smile that made him relax his head into her legs more. She then sighed to focus herself on his major injuries, and closed he eyes still with that relaxed smile on her face, until she mumbled some muted words under her breath to have a sudden dark blue glow consume the outline of his body, "Just stay calm, and don't move…" She said soft enough to where he could only do as he was told, and watched as the sudden wounds on his body, stopped aching, and vanished before his eyes…

Something else happened too…

He could see something floating above the ground next to him, "Lil-Lilinette…" Of course, it only made sense that she was a part of him and in that being the case she too would also be revived. The girl didn't seem to notice until after she had healed the coyote, since she was still making sue he was completely. He sat up without feeling pain, and looked at his body to see no wounds. He then looked to his partner who was still laying in the dirt unconscious, "Lilinette!" He walked over to her to see the light haired girl slightly move her head and sigh softly to take in her first breath, "Lilinette…?" The fraccion slowly opened he eyes only to see Stark's face fall with relief. A relief he hadn't felt…Well, in forever, "Stark? Are we in hell?"

"No, you idiot…We're alive."

"What?" The girl looked around to finally notice the brunette looking at them with a widened look. She was either stunned or confused, they weren't really sure, "Who's this?"

"Well…This she's the woman who…Saved us, I guess…" He said it looking back at he blushing girl sitting next to him. She tightened he hands on the skit she was wearing and looked up at him with a wide smile, no longer with a tear in her bright blue eyes, but only shimmer of relief, "I'm glad you two are alright…"

"Thank you. We're very grateful for your kindness. I'm sorry if we can't repay you, but…Then again it may have not been a wise idea for you to help us like this…"

"Huh! What! She just healed us, you jerk!" Lilinette pulled at his cheeks and slapped him up side the face, getting out a loud yelp from him as she attacked her other half with a chop from her open hand, "Ah! Lilinette! Get off of me! Ah! Oh! Owe! Owe! Owe! Damn it Lilinette this isn't funny!"

"I think it's hilarious!" She laughed pulling on his hair to make his groan in pain; she didn't exactly grab nicely, "Lilinette!" While the two began to struggle in a wrestling match, the girl watched with a wide expression trying to figure out on whether she wanted to crack up laughing or continue to watch the two in amusement. After Lily did a back flip off her counter part, she put out her hand to the brunette with a wild grin on her face, introducing herself on the spot, "I'm Lilinette Gingerback! And this here is my other, lazier half Coyote Stark! He's Primera of the Espada's!"

"A what of the what?" She had no idea what that was, but when Stark tried to shut Lilinette up, he too began to pull on her mouth with a growl of her name, "You're such a loud mouth, you know she doesn't need to know all of that." He put a hand on his faccions head only to have her growl at the contact, "Quit it you jerk face!" She shooed him off, only knowing that he merely rolled his eyes at her which was a common reaction in him that she seemed to catch when he wasn't paying attention…Like now!

"Anyways-, you never told us your name…" The girl shook her head out of her daze, and perked her heard up when the man asked her for an identity, "Oh right. I'm Eri…Eri riko."

"Cool! Now we all know each other's names!"

"Guess so…" Stark mumbled under his breath before turning his attention back to the girl completely with a curious look to take his face. Eri could see that he wanted to say something, so with a tilted of her head, she gave a cocked brow, and shook her head at him with a smile, "What?"

"Question?" He asked, "Sure."

"You have powers like someone I know. She too can heal the way you do. She was basically able to undo what occurs…. Her name is Orihime Inoue. Do you know her?"

"No."

"Oh." There was a short silence that left her tittering, "Was that it?"

"No." He stared at her the whole time he spoke, seeing that with one question down, and one more to go, would she actually give him an answer to this one as well, "Due to the fact that I know another human with powers like yours…Do you know who gave them to you?"

"Sorry, I don't remember where…They just sort of came on their own. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, I was wondering, that's all." Eri could was giggle at him, and shake her head, "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No…" She laughed, "I just wasn't expecting you to ask me questions about my ability, or even talk to me for that matter. Some people I end up healing just freak out and run away, or try to call the police…But then again, I shouldn't be too surprised. Most people would've screamed seeing you with that hole in your chest and you with that missing eye! But I didn't…" She pointed two both of the before only to have them look at each other and smile in their own way, "It's pretty cool huh? So, you're a human then?" Lilinette smiled a grin getting Eri to smile back before the girl could answer, a sudden sensation traveled up her spine get Eri's arms to crawl out in goose bumps. She turned around thinking it would just be her imagination playing tricks on her, but she came to find out it was going to more complicated than that. An old man and two other white coated people floated in mid-air just behind her. The old man looked mad, but she wasn't really sure. All she could to was stand up and wait for the man to speak, "You…You are the one we've been sensing…" Eri could help the shake over coming her limbs and gulped back the strain in her throat as she tired to speak, "I-, I-I don't-, I don't know-,"

"Are you the one that did this? Did you use the abilities of Kido?"

"I don't know…If that's what you call what my healing powers are…"

"They are more than just for healing child…And you of all people should not have that ability. Who taught you these techniques?"

"N-No one…I-,"

"Hey." Star suddenly stepped in with a careful look on his face tying not to step on anyone's toes, "She has nothing to do with this…All she did was heal me, and my fraccion out of seeing my condition; if anything, you should take us back to Soul Society, and leave her here. She didn't anything wrong." Thee was an awkward pause that left the human girl panting raggedly as she awaited the outcome of what was going to happen to her, "Hmm…Unfortunately I can not. She knows too much of us already, and has the ability of Kido, which is very rare in an ordinary human. She could be of use to Soul Society…And, maybe the key to even keeping your life, Espada." The bald man glared down at the Coyote to cut him off, and then looked to the silent girl, "Now, all of you follow me." The white haired man, and the brunette with the five o' clock shadow moved out of the man's way only to have him open a door of some kind that left the young girl terrified, and backing up into Stark's arm that she had fallen into. She looked back up at him only to see a content smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his head with a yawn, "It's alright. If anything, I'm the one that's in the heap of trouble…" It was his voice that cooed to her calmly, and aided her in the strength to get through the door. In a way he felt bad. He felt responsible for her into an tap like this one…Damn his luck to get an innocent bystander in the mix of things…Although, when he looked back down at her, he didn't think it would be all too bad…

~Present~

He opened his eyes to the sun setting in though his window, sighing when he stopped hearing Eri cry, and let his face fall with no content. He thought that there had to be some way he could help her… Or protect her…Wait, what was he thinking? Eri was just a human friend right? And friends protect their friends…right, with another sigh he grunted and turned on his side again to cuddle up with one of his large pillows and closed his eyes to feel of sleep taking him over after what felt like ages. But even in this coyote's sleep, all Stark could hear was her pleas to the phone, and another that was more sweet and tender like when she first spoke to him:

Please, don't die…I-I'm gonna help you

I'm Eri…Eri riko

He had to admit secretly to himself that if anything, he liked her better when she was tranquil and sweet. When she was angry, it reminded him…Too much of Lilinette…And that scared him; if not a little bit…He didn't know why, but he smiled at the idea, and nuzzled his head into the softness of his pillow, yawning, hoping that tomorrow would be better for Eri…If not, well, he'd think of something…But, he was too sleepy to think right now…

Chapter III: The Gift

She's so forgetful when she's in a hurry.

So it's up to Stark to save the mid-day afternoon when he leaves to deliver something to Ms. Eri…

Only when he arrives, does he see what Eri's really all about…

Alright fellows, and fellas, I've done my part, now for the next one…I promise the next one will be out sooner than this one was…So, hopefully is stick around!