Theme song: Run By: Snow Patrol

A start of a new friendship and a rather odd one at that.

I was lying on my bed watching some sort of weird anime show on TV. That's when my cell phone rang, a hollow?! Now?! I swear it was JUST getting to the good part…then again, I'd been saying that to myself for the last three hours of this show. Oh well. I ran out the door and dropped my body off with Kisuke…the graveyard! That's where Ichigo and his family are! I looked down at the phone and realized this hollow was hiding in between Hueco Mundo and the world of the living! If it was strong enough to do that…Ichigo probably wouldn't be able to handle this one on his own…

I fought in a gigai now. It was easy now that I was used to it, of course at first it had been a pain in the ass but I'd gotten used to it. It was like a new pair of converse, you had to break into them. I was jumping from tree to tree trying to find Ichigo, when some one yelled, "RUKIA AND NOW YOU!" I jolted around it was Ichigo alright…yup, there was no mistaking that vibrant orange hair.

"Chill! I found a hollow in the area…and didn't think you could handle this one…so I came and found you…" I said explaining with minimal hand gestures. "Hey, Ichigo, what are you doing here?" I asked him as he opened his mouth in what I assumed he was about to deny, but suddenly Rukia started running toward us.

"Seriously, why ARE you here? Are you mad?" Ichigo shouted. Rukia shook her head.

"No. I'm curious," she answered. "She was killed, right? That's what you said, your mother was-"

Suddenly, Ichigo cut her off. "No, I didn't." I stared at him.

"You told Rukia?" I asked slightly annoyed.

"Well, she lives in my house, and my whole family was chattering about the trip, how could she miss it?" I felt a bit angry that he had told her and not me.

"Fine, I'll continue to live in my ignorant world," I said hiding my annoyance, then I realized something, he had no reason to tell me. I didn't tell him anything…I guess it was equal. I took out my anger at someone else on him and in reality some of that anger was on myself but I took it out on him…not to mention the fact I hardly let ANYONE in so for what reason should I expect him to tell ME anything. I swallowed.

"You told me you could see spirits from a young age…" Rukia said, "So answer one question for me…could your mother have been killed by…a hollow?"

We both stared at her, "It is possible! If you had enough spiritual energy to see souls as a child…a hollow that came after you…might have accidentally-!"

Ichigo then yelled, "NO…NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he looked down, "You don't know…why does everything have to be about hollows with you?! That's ridiculous. To blame it on a…That's not what happened!" he looked up and gave a nervous reassuring smile, "So just leave it alone!" he then saw something a started muttering to himself in panic.

"Who-?!" Rukia and I both jolted around and saw nothing…as Ichigo ran! Rukia and I ran to catch up with him, "W-Why did you run!?" Rukia shouted out of breath once we caught up with him, Ichigo as practically bowing on the ground.

"It wasn't a hollow…that killed my mother…it was me…" he looked up as I saw the guilt in his eyes…he was telling the truth…Rukia paused as I ran after him…I found him looking down from a hill at a grave I assumed was his mothers.

"Hey Ichigo…" I said approaching him, he just grunted in response of knowing I was there… "Listen…what did Rukia tell you about my past?"

He continued to stare at the grave as he admitted, "Not much…"

I looked at him and said, "I know-I mean…I won't believe that you killed your mother…but I wont pester you for the truth…after all, I don't ever tell you anything so…whatever."

He finally met my gaze as he said, "Like I said, I don't know much about your past, and I wont ask…Rukia told me that you'll tell me when your ready…or not at all…and either way…I'll always be waiting," Toshiro…that's where I remember first hearing those words…I'll wait…

"Thank you Ichigo…"

He blinked as if he suddenly realized something as he said, "You called me Ichigo!"

I shrugged and said, "That is your name isn't it? I didn't know you enjoyed being called a douche, Strawberry, Berry-bitch, dumby, moron, idiot, baka, pissy-pants, carrot-piss or-"

"ENOUGH!…wait, when did you call me a Pissy-pants!" He shouted I thought about that.

"Hmm…well that just proves a point that I don't always say what I'm thinking." I told him.

We sat there when he finally said, "Maybe it's what I need…" I asked him what, "Maybe I just need to tell someone…" I smiled and said, "Like I told you…I'll listen…"

He looked back and said, "I loved my mother…I never saw her cry or get mad…not even once…parents moods have a big effect on their kids…I think she knew that. Whatever happened to me if I was with her it was okay. And not just me…Yuzu and Karin who were four at the time, and dad all loved her as much as I did…she was the center of our universe my dad told me my name meant One who protects that's when I remember thinking I wanted to protect her…who always protected me…" protecting…some one who you love… "It was raining that day…it had rained hard the day before too…and the day before that…so the river was way up. But this girl was standing there with no umbrella, standing there like she was deciding whether or not to jump. And…back then, I couldn't tell the dead from the living…" I could tell we were nearing the part where…she dies…

"I told my mom to wait there as I ran after the girl…at first I just wanted to protect my mother, then my sisters were born and I wanted to protect them too…that's why I started going to the dojo. And as I gradually got stronger…I wanted to protect more and more people…" his face was pained, as I felt some sympathy, "I didn't see what cut her. Maybe it was a piece of glass…or a bent piece of metal hanging from a passing bus. But…she died protecting me…and the girl was gone. I loved my mother and not just me…Yuzu Karin and dad all loved her as much as I did…she was the center of our universe…and I tore the heart out of our universe…Me…"

We sat in silence for awhile when I said, "Don't blame yourself…your mother wouldn't have wanted that…" he smiled and thanked me as I sighed and said, "Guess it's my turn…I can't tell you all the details but…" I took in a breath and began…