Chapter 4

"Should we be doing this?" Shinji asked in a low hiss, Mashiro nodding. Her brown eyes were narrowed, her posture stiff as she drove across the freeway.

"Yamamoto has given his order Shinji. You are no longer Ichigo's protector anyway. Stop worrying."

Shinji grit his teeth at the not so fond memory she brung up, looking over his shoulder to Ichigo who was asleep in the back seat.

"He may not remember, but we cannot risk it." Shinji had looked away, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"You knew from the day he was conceived this would happen. We no longer have control over him. All we can do is keep him on our side until it is time. He has already fallen for a vampire, we cannot have him choose their side. The prophecy that has been writt-"

"He is not just something you can keep in a cage!" Shinji growled, losing himself to his anger. Yamamoto stood, his eyes opening to show grave sympathy.

"You have forgotten what he truly is Shinji. You have made him your friend without thinking of the consequences. Until we are sure he is on our side, he will be something we will keep in a cage."

Shinji looked away, grinding his teeth together to try and control his anger. Yamamoto stepped down from his chair, putting a hand to his shoulder.

"I take the duties of being his protector off your shoulders my old friend. Mashiro will take your place once he is recaptured."

The memory faded away, Shinji touching a hand to Ichigo's head.

He had done everything he could.

"Shinji!" His eyes darted to the road but it was too late. The car stopped suddenly, the back end rising up from the force. Shinji grabbed hold of the door handle, his eyes wide with shock and fright. The car wa suspended in the air for a second before falling back down onto the ground, Shinji grunting from the sudden jolt that shook the car.

He looked back to Ichigo to see if he was alright. Besides having a small bump on his head, he seemed just fine. Shinji jumped when his car door was suddenly tore off, blood red eyes staring him down. Sharp white teeth grinned at him.

Shinji yelped when he was grabbed by his collar and pulled out, Mashiro screaming when she was pulled out herself.

"I wonder, who let the dogs out?"

Shinji grunted when a strong arm was wrapped around his neck, his eyes darting around, counting all those who surrounded them.

Five to his left, two to his right. Three in front of the car and four behind him. He looked to Mashiro, her eyes wide with fear. Shinji grit his teeth when the arm tightened.

Why would Yamamoto put Ichigo in the hands of a newbie? He should have been less careless!

"We heard you're carrying a very important package," a blue haired guy sneered, walking over to Shinji with slow deliberate steps. He grabbed his chin, raising his head and forcing him to meet his eyes.

"Mind telling me what it is?"

"You shouldn't play with food," the one holding him tsked, Shinji flinching when he ran a claw over his neck.

Twelve seconds.

"Him? He is too small to even be an appetizer!"

Eleven seconds.

Shinji spit at the blue haired man, his sneer falling. A short man behind him with blonde hair and bucked teeth laughed, the blue haired man slapping him. Shinji swore he heard bones break but the boy just laughed harder.

Ten seconds.

"Stupid newbies. They are so drunk off of blood that they could hardly fucking speak."

Nine seconds.

"Grimmjow, I think you've lost sight of what we have come here to obtain."

Eight seconds.

A pale man walked from the front of the car, his yellow eyes glowing in the dark. His lips were pulled into a frown, but they hiked up into a smirk when his alien eyes landed on Shinji.

Seven seconds.

"Why if it isn't Shinji! I remember so much about you!"

Six seconds.

The pale man walked up to Shinji, his smirk becoming a sneer.

"But you wouldn't remember the low life who fucked our precious Ichigo, would you?"

Five seconds.

"I remember enough to know that you are no better than the low life scum I met all those years ago."

Four seconds.

The pale man laughed, his laugh hysterical like a mad man.

"Oh don't tell me you actually remember me!"

Three seconds.

"How could I not? Ichigo was so fond of you."

Two seconds.

"Really? Then tell me Shinji, if you knew this would happen, why did you never take him away?"

One.

Shiro leaned in close, his lips brushing his ear.

"Can it be that you have a soft spot for our little Ichigo?"

Shinji jumped up, kicking Shiro in the gut. He stumbled back, the arm around his throat tightened but Shinji grabbed his wrist, pressing hard on the pressure point. He heard a bone snap from the pressure, the man pulling away with a scream.

Shinji looked to Shiro, running straight towards him when his lips pulled into a smirk.

"He was never yours from the beginning!"

Shinji's skin and clothes tore, replaced with fur, his bones snapping as his body changed, the pain well known. He landed on top of Shiro, pushing him down to the ground with a snarl, his brown eyes narrowed. His body was larger and covered in brownish golden fur, his black claws clasped around Shiro's throat.

Shiro's smirk was ever present, his eyes lidded as they searched his.

"Go ahead Shinji, take the one thing Ichigo loved the most. Break the rules and lets see what you proud Yamamoto will do." Shinji growled, his claws digging lightly into his skin.

He wanted so bad to do what he said. He wanted to erase his disgusting carcass from the world, away from Ichigo. But, there were some things even he couldn't do.

"I will honor the contract," Shinji growled, releasing him. He took a step back, shrinking from his large size, his fur fluttering away in a soft breeze. He shook his entire body, his bones snapping back in place.

"But you are to leave this place. Unless Ichigo chooses you, you cannot take him," Shinji reminded him, Shiro grinning broadly.

"Indeed my old friend. I was just dropping by to say hello," Shiro said innocently, turning his back on him.

"But do remember, the same rule goes for yourself. Careful where you cage him Shinji. Animals do not pace in their cages out of boredom." With that Shiro and his followers were gone, Shinji looking to the wrecked car.

He looked to Mashiro who had remained unharmed, her eyes stoic. He wasn't the only one who wanted to kill that monster. He got a towel to cover his naked body, walking over to the car and retrieving his phone. He dialed a number he knew by heart, putting the phone to his ear. He looked to an unconscious Ichigo, closing his eyes for a brief second. By the third ring someone answered.

"Hello?"

"Urahara, I have a favor to ask of you."

XXXHeartXXX

Ichigo woke up with a quick jolt. He sat up with wide eyes, his hand clenching the blanket that covered his legs. The nightmare he had slowly faded from memory though as his mind finally started to go into the motions of his daily routine.

He stood up with a yawn, shivering at the cold that suddenly attacked him. Dad always kept the heater on so he couldn't understand why it was so cold. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times to clear his vision. He looked around, suddenly feeling very lost.

This wasn't his room. Before he could get alarmed the shoji was pushed open, Shinji standing in the doorway. A small smile was set on his lips, but Ichigo could tell it was fake. He didn't move from where he stood, letting the silence stretch on.

He had a million questions, and he wanted every single one answered.

"What happened on the bridge?"

"Ichigo you should si-"

"No Shinji. I was gagged with chloroform after apparently gone missing for three days! That is not how a person, no a friend treats his best friend after finding him!"

Shinji was silent, his lips pursed as he seemed to be mulling the words over and over in his head. This only made Ichigo angry and impatient.

He didn't want half vomited lies, he wanted answers.

"Where's my family?" he asked, Shinji's tense posture relaxing slightly.

"Home, I have yet to tell them of your return," Shinji told him, Ichigo taking a step towards him.

"Let me speak to them," Ichigo urged, Shinji shaking his head with a frown.

"I can't do that."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, walking up to him. His eyes were narrowed in anger and confusion, betrayal lurking beneath it all.

"Then what can you do Shinji? Or is that even who you actually are?" Shinji looked up to him with cold eyes, something Ichigo had never seen before.

He was the party animal, the weirdo, the life of the party, the jokester, hell even the flirt. But he was never cold. Ichigo took a step back, turning his back to him.

"To think I actually believed you were my friend," Ichigo chuckled, Shinji straightening up from his slouched position.

"I am your friend."

"Than prove it! Give me answers! My family! Some fucken lies for all I give a shit about!" Ichigo growled, turning to him with narrowed eyes. Shinji stared into his eyes for a long while before looking away, Ichigo's hopes falling.

"Even if I could, I would be of no help." Ichigo lowered his eyes, feeling very much alone in this world now.

"As a friend, I am trying to protect you." Ichigo looked back up to him, that question held in his eyes. But the words felt they needed to be spoken, Ichigo looking into Shinji's eyes.

"Protect me from what, Shinji?" Ichigo felt a cold shiver run down his spine as Shinji closed his eyes. He didn't want to be alone. He wanted Shinji to be there for him. But how things looked, his wish was not going to be answered today.

"Sit, there is a long talk ahead of us."

Ichigo sat down on his futon, Shinji sitting on the floor near the door, his eyes closing for a second as he gathered it all up in his mind.

"Where do you wish me to start?" Shinji asked, Ichigo looking down to his hands.

"What happened that led up to this."

Shinji was quiet for a long moment. He took in a deep breath, placing his hands flat on his thighs.

"That night at the club, you entered a world you were never supposed to know about."

Shinji explained the best way he could, his eyes never opening. Ichigo was almost glad.

Ichigo's expression was blank as he spoke, his eyes misted over as he thought back to that night.

"If given the chance, would you take the opportunity to live forever?"

"Never. I would have to watch everyone I love die."

Shiro became silent after telling him everything. He felt the tension in the air rise when he spoke about what he had done, a small pang of pain running through his chest. Ichigo remained silent through the entire thing, his breathing alone too silent to hear.

He was waiting for a slap, a punch, a kick. He was waiting for Ichigo to release his anger out on him. But after a long while nothing happened.

"Did you do what you did to save me, or stop me from going onto their side?" Ichigo asked slowly. Shinji opened his eyes, looking into his friends eyes. They were not mad, not sad, and not afraid of the monster Shinji had told him he was. He was calm, stoic. Shinji wasn't sure if that was bad or good.

"To save you. The last thing I wanted to see was you die like that."

Ichigo nodded, standing up.

"So Shiro is…"

Ichigo couldn't say alive, but Shinji understood what he meant.

"Yes."

Ichigo clenched his hands into fists, looking to Shinji with narrowed eyes.

"I promise I'll stay on your side forever." Shinji sighed in relief, his eyes closing.

"But only if you let me see Shiro one more time."

Shinji's eyes snapped open.

He should have expected that.

"If I was doomed to that fate, would you follow me?"

"Always. I would follow you to hell and back."

Author's note: I guess ichigo ain't ever going to get over his love even knowing what Shiro is. Then again he was calm with Shinji in the room after knowing he had him killed. One strange kid.