I'm so sorry, you guys! I've been trying to get things in order for my senior year, including college applications, and I've totally flaked on you. I have some free time now, so I'm going to get out as much work as I can for you lot.

This is a sort of alternate version of the last chapter, which I hadn't realized I'd posted and couldn't find a hard copy of, but I put a lot of work into it, so I thought I'd post it anyway. I promise, next time I'll actually make forward progress with the story.

I'm sorry!

Mama Ichi

Chapter 7

Ichigo ducked under the Soul Reaper's hay-maker swing, eyes wide. He'd been ambushed on the way back from the store, and the grocery bags lay unattended on the sidewalk.

Shiro would never know what happened.

Anger swelled inside him at the thought, and he slammed a wicked roundhouse kick into the chest of the man, hearing a satisfying snap! Of bone.

He staggered back with a choking cry, but another darted around the corner. "He's over here!' she shouted.

Footsteps pounded on the concrete. At least some of them are competent enough for scream for help, he thought dryly.

Even so, a sliver of ice found its way to his heart.

A blow clipped his shoulder, knocking him off balance, and he cursed aloud. A blade swung down on him suddenly, and he threw his hands up in front of his face, unable to dodge quickly enough.

Clang!

Ichigo's eyes snapped open as the blade was blocked.

A slim male with jewel-pink eyes and black curls effortlessly deflected the sword. His bangs were dyed a toxic green, and he wore skinny jeans of the same shade. His converse were black and white, but his button -down shirt (sleeves rolled up to his elbows) was the same hue of pink as his eyes. "Now," he mocked, beaming. "That's not very nice." His voice went ice-cold in a split-second, dropping the sickly-sweet tone. "I suppose I'll have to punish you."

Blood splattered brick as his sword bit through the ribs of Ichigo's assailant. Another charged him, but was brutally decapitated.

Ichigo had to force down a retch as the head hit the ground, disgusted.

A long arm wrapped around his waist, and everything blurred.

When he regained his senses, he realized that he'd been sonido'ed away from the scene.

They stood on the porch of a nice apartment, and Ichigo blinked in surprise. "Wha-"

"I recognized you from Shinji's stories," he cut across him. "You're the baby of the family, so they asked me to keep an eye out for you."

Ichigo's mouth opened and closed in pure shock for a moment. "Hey, where's your brood?"

Ichigo scowled, recovering his composure. "Who the hell're you?"

"Limbo!" the stranger chirruped, grinning creepily. "An' yer Ichigo!"

The substitute soul reaper rubbed his temples in agitation, logic screaming for him to run, to get away- but his instincts, the little echoing whisper of not-human in his soul told him to say, to wait, to trust this man.

...They'd never led him astray before.

(Besides, if Limbo tried anything with his cubs, he could always dismember him, oh yes he could...)

"They're around," he decided, answering the earlier question. 'Hiding."

Limbo hummed. 'Well, I do have a place that hides reiatsu, if that'd help."

"Let's get them then," Ichigo muttered, resigned. "Might as well just go along with it.

Ichigo bounced Lilynette on one hip, wiping applesauce from Ulquiorra's face with his free hand.

Shiro laughed at him, but soon had his own troubles and Grimmjow jumped for his throat.

(The little Espada seemed to think fighting "Shi-nii" was the greatest thing on earth- not much different from his adult form.)

At the very least, there was less blood and gore and general death and dismemberment.

Ichigo shot him a dirty look, but his irritation abated as Grimmjow sunk his teeth into the back of Shiro's hand,a nd he resolved to do something special for the little hellion.

Positive reinforcement was a proven method.

Limbo leaned against the doorframe and wondered how something so... domestic, could still be so insane.

As it turned out, Limbo had an entire house in the Urahara Kisuke Training Ground under the apartment, and a healing spring, and lots of rocks for Grimmjow and Nnoitra to try to break with their skulls. (So far, only Nelliel had managed it.)

On the fourth day of their stay with him, Limbo lurked near the ladder and occasionally suffered bouts of mad laughter.

"Any second now," he announced, grinning like a psychopath.

Wham!

Limbo side-stepped as the trapdoor slammed open, Hiyori rocketing to earth, sandal-in-hand. "BAAAAAAALLLLLLLDIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!" she roared, a dark aura radiating off her as the flames of hell sparked in her eyes and the screams of a thousand tormented souls played in the background like theme music.

She left a massive crater when she hit the ground, but sprang up, contrary to Limbo's expectations, and slammed her sandal into his face. "Where is he?" she yelled, even as the others began to file down.

Limbo rubbed his face. "Geez, what am I, chopped liver?" he mumbled, suspiciously audible.

He pointed at the house. "He's in their with Lazy, Crazy and the Brats."

There was a moment of confusion, but they silently decided to just head for the canyon.

Ichigo crouched low, saturating the entire area with his reiatsu as he crept along, nearly undetectable. He herded the kids back into the house, and down into the basement (surprise, surprise, another Urahara Kisuke) under it.

He stood, stretched, and sat himself casually on the couch, a tiny flicker of cero glittering across his fingers.

Hiyori was the first one to arrive.

Hiyori's eyes widened at the stiff way Ichigo was carrying himself, and refrained from smacking him into the floor with her sandal. Instead, she swatted him lightly on the head. "Idiot," she grumbled. "Shinji was so worried he wouldn't shut up," she complained, crossing her arms and looking away.

Ichigo grinned, releived. "Whatever you say, Snaggletooth."

"What'd you call me, Strawberry?" she growled.

"Hey, hey, no fighting!" interruped Shinji, laughing nervously. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Ichigo."

"He's not okay, he's all beat up!" Hiyori shouted back, sandal-smacking him. "Stupid baldy!"

"I'm not bald!"

Kensei hooked an arm around Ichigo's hsoulders, giving him a gentle squeeze and a gruff, "Good to see ya, kid. You left this."

Ichigo seized the badge with an ecstatic cry. "Yes! I got my ass kicked all over the place because I couldn't get out of my stupid body!"

He slammed the device into his chest, dumping his body on the couch, and stretched with a sigh of relief.

Crimson streaks marked his skin in tribal designs, and his hair was wasit-length. "Huh." He batted at his banges, eyes crossed as he blew some out of his face.

Lisa dragged hmi down to sit on his lap, showing her happiness in a less obvious way. "I'll braid this, get it out of your face," she muttered.

Ichigo's lips twitched up at the corners, even as he submitted to her ministrations.

Hachi and Love greeted him calmly, Rose with enthusiasm and a quick hug, but Mashiro just attached herself to the front of his Shihakshou and stayed put.

Byakuya was quiet, but a glimmer of warmth shone in his eyes, and Renji clapped him on the back.

Ikkaku just grinned at him, but Urahara ruffled his hair affectionately and Yoruichi hugged him. (Her precious protégé!)

Before the last people could greet him, a low, whooping whistle stilled them.

A second whistle was in the air, and Ichigo was responding, and one by one, teenage Stark in the lead, the army appeared.

Ulquiorra sucked his thumb haplessly, and fired a lazy cero at Renji.