-1AN: Someone pointed out today that I misspelled Kindergarden (kindergarten?). Hmm I need a scapegoat. I blame the south and its bad schools, although that may not be a good excuse as I only moved to the south my senior year…um I blame my family. we said Kindergarten, like kindergarDen and it never even hit to me that that wasn't the way you spelled it.

Of course this is the same family that call butterfly, flutter by's, and we don't scratch an itch we ITCH it. :P

To answer a few other questions within the same review. Kon was scared, that's why she petted him. More of a comforting pat really.

AND I've never actually seen Ichigo in his totally hollowed self. So I have no real idea if he has a hole or not. I know the other arrancars do so that's why I gave him one as well.

Sorry about getting Ichigo's dads name wrong. I probably misspelled it once and then spellcheck took care of the rest. You all know how it is.

I'll fix it one of these days.

And here's a shout out to Seraph of Darkness for volunteering to be my beta. Beta's are special people so make sure to give um a cookie :P

000

So they were back in his room. Ichigo back in his body, Rukia in her gigai and Renji looking confused as hell. He had followed the two silent death gods sensing something was going on. They hadn't told him to take a hike yet, so he was hoping it wasn't too bad.

Still…Renji shuddered as he remembered the feeling of that hollow.

He was not a coward. He was also not the kind of man to be intimidated by anything. After all, he fought against his Captain knowing the man was still more powerful than him.

He's fought injured and against insane odds, all without feeling the tiniest bit of hesitation.

But this time…

Renji sat down on Ichigo's bed. He looked down at his hands.

They had been shaking so bad. It was all I could to rush to the park. It was so powerful.

It was insane. How could a hollow get so strong.

He had no doubt something like that could probably take out most of soul society if it wanted.

We might not be able to stop it. Something that horrible.

So what was going on? Both Rukia and Ichigo had been where his senses had said the Hollow was. Rukia seemed very upset but unharmed. Ichigo was acting very weird, not meeting his eyes, or answering any questions.

"So Ichigo."

Rukia started.

"Or should I call you King?"

Renji frowned as Ichigo visibly flinched then stood up now in his body.

"Rukia…"

"NO!"

She said harshly. Renji shifted thinking maybe he didn't want to be here. He rarely heard her sound like this. That tone was commanding, demanding, and was totally born from her time as a noble.

"I gave you a chance to tell me if you wanted. Now however things have changed. Changed big time! what was going on Ichigo?"

She shook her head and to Renji's surprise lifted up part of a Hollows mask. It wasn't a very bit piece, just part of the eye and a few teeth. Was that the strong Hollows mask? If so why did Rukia have a part of it? Did they fight the monster and actually manage to break part of the mask? Was that why it was gone when he got there?

The mask was still radiating energy. Which made him shudder. The feeling was eerie, like ants crawling all over him. He didn't understand how Rukia could hold it. Just being this close to part of the mask was creeping him out.

"Ichigo. Do you even know how strong that Hollow was? We are all in danger. What do you know?"

Renji blinked a few times then looked over at Ichigo. He could clearly see that Ichigo did if fact know what was going on. Or maybe a bit of what was going on. Still there was enough confusion and worry on his face to tell Renji that he didn't understand it.

"Ichigo."

Rukia walked up close to Ichigo. The tone of her voice made Renji looked away.

Taking his hand she put the little bit of mask and put it in his palm.

"It talked about promises? What promises? Why does it call you King?"

Ichigo sighed.

"It promised…"

Renji and Rukia looked at each other. They then focused on the teen in front of him. A young man amazing in his power levels and how quickly he got better.

"It promised…"

Ichigo took a deep breath almost like he was trying to force something out. Then he just slumped.

"Nothing. I don't know."
CRACK!

"whoa…"

Renji muttered as stood up slowly. Ichigo had his hand to his face as a red mark the exact same size as Rukia's hand appeared.

If Rukia was getting violent then perhaps he outta go. The girl might be small but she was hell when she got mad.

So standing up totally Renji started sneaking toward the window. Hopefully she wouldn't notice him.

"Where are you going Renji?"

Renji stiffened as he felt a cold chill. Freezing mid step he turned his head and pointed to the window.

"I uh…should get back to Urahara's. Don't wanna get locked out again. SIRONARIA!"
He yelled out suddenly taking a nose dive through the window.

Rukia sighed then shook her head. She had noticed Renji was uncomfortable for some reason. Maybe being in Ichigo's room or something. Well anyway now wasn't the time to think about him.

"Rukia?"

Ichigo said his voice soft. He rubbed his cheek, it stung…and not just from the blow.

"You are being selfish Ichigo."

Still rubbing his cheek Ichigo couldn't meet Rukia's eyes.

"I don't know."

He finally muttered again.

He backed up as Rukia took in a deep breath. She sounded like what he imagined the wolf in the three little pigs story to sound like.

And she huffed and puffed

Shaking his head he tried to focus at the situation at hand. Rukia was getting kind of scary. She was glaring at him with daggers in her eyes and he was starting to wonder if might actually try to hurt him to get the answers she was looking for.

Why didn't I just tell her? She already knows it has something to do with me. Why didn't I just tell her?

But as Ichigo opened his mouth, the words just wouldn't come.

Thinking he was semi possessed was one thing…but what would she say if she knew that was actually him. Just a part of him but him nevertheless?

Looking down at his other hand. He looked at the now sickenly familiar mask.

Closing he eyes he set his fiercest angriest scowl before he opened them again.

"Its none of your damn business!"

Rukia growled as she jammed a finger into his chest.

"The hell it isn't! I'm a Death God! Anything that deals with hollows is my business!"

Feeling a suddenly flash of anger Ichigo slapped her hand away from him. He didn't actually strike it, more of forced push but it got his feelings across.

"Just leave me alone already!"

"ICHIGO you stubborn bastard. Just tell me. Let me help you!"
"YOU'VE HELPED ENOUGH!!"

Ichigo suddenly screamed. He didn't care that his dad was downstairs, that his sisters probably heard him. He just wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't Rukia just drop it. It hadn't hurt anyone. Embarrassing situations aside, thus far it hadn't done anything.

Rukia stopped her mouth open as she looked at him with big eyes.

"You've helped enough."

He said again, softer this time.

"What? What do you mean by that?"
Ichigo shook his head.

"Nothing."

With that Ichigo opened his door. He didn't look behind him as he left his room. He knew she wouldn't follow him. That was enough for now.

"I've helped enough?"

Rukia said softly staring at the door.

"Did I? Does that mean its my fault? Because of me?"

000000

Its raining. Great.

Was Whitey's first thought as he found himself back in his world.

Figures the King would get upset. He didn't want the girl to know about him.

He wanted him to lay quiet and not utter a peep. Never mind that whitey had saved his life a couple of times now. Never mind that Whitey was a part of him.

"No wonder we're supposed to fight. He does have a way of pissing me off."

He didn't want to be forgotten, to be hide away. He didn't like it in this cold unreal world with its sideways clouds.

He wanted real sunlight, real wind, and real feelings.

It was so lonely in here.

"Fuckin King."

Whitey muttered out in an angry curse. The rain was cold and prickling on his skin. It wasn't just a drizzle either. It was hard and fast. Pouring down in sharp needles that seemed almost to want to make him bleed. If he closed his eyes, it wasn't hard to imagine. A rain of needles piercing his skin, blood thick and red spreading over his white skin. Running, dripping and pooling into a dark spot on the glass below him.

He clutched his chest.

It hurt to be here.

Looking around he could just see Zangetsu off in the distance. He wasn't on his pole, which was unusual, but then again the old man hated the rain. Maybe he was hoping the closer to the ground he was the farther away from the rain.

Well ya…that didn't make much sense, even to the hollow.

"HEY, Zangetsu. Whatcha doing?"

It seemed to him at this moment bugging the hell out of Zangetsu was a better option than sitting alone in the rain. He walked over to him, not sure what to expect from the moody sword. Before he had been taken over he'd been getting a lecture about something. He really didn't remember.

"Did you see the King?"

"Hai."

"Did he talk to you?"

"Hai."

"Was he mad?"

"Hai."

Long pause…

"Hmmm you might wanna work on your vocabulary big guy."

"I don't like the rain."

Whitey crossed his arms giving Zangetsu a long look.

"Er Ya…I know. You've told me…every frickin time it rains. And seriously…learn some new words. Ichigo has this book…er…Zangetsu?"

Whitey trailed off as Zangetsu ignored him…shesh what was his problem? Ya the rain sucked but it wasn't that bad. It would go away, sooner or later. Hopefully sooner, his outfit was white for crying out loud.

"You caused this."

The hollow raised its eyebrows then looked up. The clouds were black and depressed looking. Low and heavy in the sky.

"Well…maybe. But it's the kings fault."

He sighed and tried to wipe the water out of his eyes. It was a useless gesture but still he couldn't help it. Why was the king so upset? He didn't do anything bad. Ya he got him arrested, which was totally not his fault. That little bitch of a cashier was annoying. He had just told her what Rukia looked like. Beautiful woman or not, Rukia was not a big girl. She was the same size as their sisters.

Not his fault the woman took his description the wrong way.

He didn't hurt Rukia. He didn't cause any damage. HELL he had even set their body in a comfortable place so the king wouldn't get a crick in his neck.

The hollow lowered his head as the reason came to him. He had always known really, but he hadn't wanted to see the truth.

"The King hates me don't he. That's why he's always so mad."

"Hai."

Not that Whitey was to fond of the King either. Still unlike the King he had stepped forward to try and fix this. Something where the both of them could co-exist.

"He hates me, and she's scared of me."

The hollow looked down, rain dripping from his soaked white hair.

It hurt to remember. He had reached out to her. He had just wanted to touch her. Not even in a perverted way. She had recoiled and flinched as if he had struck her.

She feared and hated him to. She had been so worried about Ichigo.

"I think she loves the King."

"Hai."

The hollow gave Zangetsu an annoyed look. Seriously he might as well be talking to himself. Er…well if one got technical he kind of was but that was beside the point.

"I don't think she knows it yet. And the King loves her…I love her."

The hollow trailed off as Zangetsu turned towards him. His eyes were suddenly hard and piercing. The hollow blinked suddenly frozen still in place by the force of that stare. Zangetsu rarely got like this, but if he wanted to he could cause hell inside of Ichigo.

"You see now…don't you. You understand…"

Zangetsu looked away and back up to the sky.

"…the truth."

He finished softy.

The Hollow looked down at his hands. The white palms stared back at him, but were they really his? Was anything his? His body, his robes…his mind?

"I don't have a name. I don't have anything."
The hollow clenched its hands tightly. Had he been fooling himself that this compromise could work? How could two totally different minds co-exist?

It was fun though. He had to admit. The small amount of time he was free. Free from Zangetsu, free from the King. If he fought he might be able to have it always. If he picked a fight with Ichigo, with the King, he himself could become king.

He liked the sound of that. King…if he became King he would become Ichigo. He would have a name. Then he could have something…maybe…even her.

"All I have now is nothing. I am hollow."

Zangetsu nodded.

"Hai."

000

Rukia was furious! Never in her life has she met a more difficult man!

Growling out her frustrations she thought about kicking or hitting something. Preferably something with Ichigo's face on it. However due to the fact his family was downstairs and would know if she blew something up she refrained.

How could a man be so nice one minute and then…then like Ichigo the next?

He had been so sweet. He had bought her clothes.

The one thing she need more than anything else right now. She hated stealing from Yuza. Other than the guilt from stealing there was also the factor that Yuza was young. So her dresses were young. They were nice, just not the kind someone her age should probably wear.

So he bought her a bunch of clothes. Several bags in fact.

There were dresses, and pants, shirts and even a couple extra sets of school clothes.

Frowning Rukia sat down on Ichigo's bed.

What did that thing say? That it was their gifts?

Rukia closed her eyes trying to recall what the Hollow had said. She hadn't been paying a lot of attention as she was scared out of her mind.

She should have paid closer attention.

"It was…These are our gifts? Yeah, that's what it had said."

These are our gifts?

So did that mean…Ichigo was only partly responsible for buying them.

But that didn't make sense. A hollow was an evil spirit. They feed on the energies of souls to fill in the void left by their heart. A Hollow wouldn't go…go shopping.

Would it?

She had to admit the hollow was a weird one. Something so strong could have killed her easily. She had no illusion of her strength in comparison.

It was kind of scary really. She couldn't think of a single person that could defeat that Hollow one on one. Something that strong could very well destroy Soul Society.

"why aren't you telling me anything Ichigo?"

She muttered sadly.

What was Ichigo hiding?

Hiding…that's exactly what he's doing. He's hiding something from me. Is he being possessed or what?

Rukia bit her lip. This was eerily like what happened…so long ago.
Someone she cared about possessed by a hollow. She had been forced to kill that man back then. She wasn't sure if she could do it again.

Could she kill Ichigo?
I'll give him a few hours then go try to get answers out of him. He's being defensive so I KNOW he knows something.

Rukia nodded to herself as she stood up. As she did so something pink caught her eye on the bed.

It's the bag the hollow tossed.

Picking it up she looked at it. It looked like a normal shopping bag. Like the others Ichigo had given her. The only different was it was a pretty pink.

"I wonder what's in it?"

Reaching into the bag, Rukia' instantly went red as she pulled out something small and pink. She knew what it was of course. Being in the human world this long had taught her a few things. Still she couldn't help but stare as the small scraps of clothing.

It wasn't the clothing so much that made her blush and stammer…but rather what was on said clothing.

It seemed Ichigo had decided she needed some unmentionables.

A matching bra and panty set to be exact…and on those pink little panties.

"Strawberries…"

She gasped out. She could see Ichigo buying underwear. After all he had younger sisters and despite his bitching he took them shopping regularly.

However…the innocent gesture took on a more…dare she say suggestive tone by the cute little bright red strawberry that was on the front crotch part of the underwear.

The bra matched, it was a pink satin with strawberry prints that had a pretty lace overtop of it. She had no idea where he got this. Most of the stuff she's seen in stores were just plain white.

It was cute, it was sexy looking and god was it mortifying!

"Oh my god."

She said stuffing it back into the bag.

How could ICHIGO do this! Kon she could see doing this, but Ichigo?

Huffing in anger she really wished he was here so he could slap him and call him pervert.

Silence

…

…

…

…

Almost against her will she pulled them out of the bag again.

"Well…"

She muttered embarrassed as the little strawberries stared back at her.

"they are really cute."