Heart's Desire

by C. LeShay

AU In the middle of the war against the Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, Kurosaki Ichigo laid siege to the district of the noblest of all nobles. The mission: to capture and take as hostage the sister of his enemy,Kuchiki Rukia. The problem: the hostage herself

14. Chapter 14

Heart's Desire Chapter 14

By C. LeShay

Genre: Romance, AU

Characters/Pairings: IchiRuki, etc.

Rating: Still a T until further notice!

Disclaimer: Me no own Bleach! Kubo-sensei still owns it. I don't profit from writing this fanfiction, just so you know.

Summary: On the run from Seiretei, Ichigo, Rukia, Inoue, and Ishida arrive at Karakura to meet Urahara Kisuke and attempt to live like humans.

Yosh! Ichigo and the others are now in Karakura! The second arc begins!

Oh, there's a saying here I took from a book/movie – I don't own either. Besides, it's been used so many times already. This chapter is also one of the longest I have ever written.

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Recap of previous chapter:

Slowly, Kuchiki taicho moved aside to show Soi Fon taicho leaning over something… someone…

"Aizen taicho!" Hinamori cried out as she ran to her taicho. "Aizen taicho!" she cried, attempting to use all of her knowledge in kidō to heal the cuts all over him. To her surprise, he was not responding.

The other taichos quietly looked away as more and more shinigami, including Hitsugaya taicho, arrived.

Hinamori felt tears leak from her eyes. "Aizen taicho…" she murmured shakily, as she slowly slumped beside the immobile figure lying on the dirt. Wordlessly, she grabbed hold of Aizen's hand where a sparkling object caught her eye.

"Aizen taicho!" She cried out.

Aizen Sousuke, taicho of the 5th division, one of the most prolific kidō users in Soul Society lay there lifeless. In his right hand, grasped in between bloodied, cold fingers was a slender circle of silver with a small crystal charm dangling from it.

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…

The fall should have killed him… or at least broken more than half of his skeletal frame. It was only surprising that he was alive and in no worse than what he was after Aizen almost gutted him. Maybe he really was dead, and this was all just a nasty dream before his reiraku gets sucked into Seiretei's pristine walls and buildings.

Do reiraku's currently absorbed by Seiretei have dreams?

"Wow, I didn't believe that you had the capability to fight the drugs you had in your blood." Yoruichi's husky, cat-voice purred in amusement.

Ichigo opened his eyes and saw Yoruichi grinning like she got the canary AND the goldfish. Behind her, Ishida and Inoue were looking at him curiously, their faces slightly red.

"What?" he all but snapped irritated at the fact that he almost had Aizen in his grasp but lost the opportunity to kill him.

"Kurosaki-kun." Urahara's saccharine and sickeningly enthusiastic voice was heard "I won't be able to treat you or Kuchiki-san…errr… Kurosaki-san if you insist on hugging her THAT tight."

Finally looking down, Ichigo was surprised at the bundle of limbs that was pressed so intimately against him.

His face flamed red.

(flashback)

"Ichigo, run!" ordered Yoruichi, as she carried the unconscious form of Rukia. She wondered just how it would be possible for her to carry two people at the same time, but Ichigo was surprisingly able to recover. He was now standing as he made his way to Rukia. "Idiot!" she berated him "Run along instead of heading back here!"

But as if he never heard her, Ichigo asked worriedly "What happened to her?" as he took stock of the fact that she was wearing a white kimono underneath the cloak, he realized that Rukia was drained of her reiatsu.

Wresting her from Yoruichi's grip, he set her tightly against him "Rukia?"

"No time to act like a prince charming, we gotta run you know." Scolded Yoruichi as she gave him a particularly hard shove. This was not the moment to argue, but if she saw any sign of weakening in Ichigo, she would have to knock him unconscious again. The bullheaded taicho was starting to annoy her. Why couldn't he be more reasonable like Masaki? "Come on, one minute to go." She reminded him.

Nodding, Ichigo held Rukia before he dashed away via shunpo.

(End flashback)

In hindsight, Ichigo remembered that he was unable to ask Yoruichi what it was that happened to them back in Soul Society. He would have asked her about it again; if not for the fact that he still had Rukia in his arms. "Um… oh…. so…." He said, unable to form any coherent words.

What was equally surprising was that they were riding a large carpet – flying over the living world.

"You're supposed to let her go now, Kurosaki-kun." Urahara said, grinning madly. "We can save the friskiness for later." "Bastard." Ichigo cursed loudly as he laid Rukia on the carpet. "Is she going to be okay?" Urahara used his reiatsu to probe Rukia's soul, to see if there were any serious injuries. "No lasting damage, but her reiatsu was almost completely drained. Whatever did she do to end up like this?" Yoruichi sauntered over silently. "Would you believe if I told you she was using combinations of high level and mid level kidō without using the incantations?"

"I suppose she used it with her zanpaktuô, right?"

"She's good, I'll give you that. But what got her was the black coffin spell."

Urahara only raised a sardonic brow to show his surprise but said nothing, preferring to watch as Ichigo visibly cringed "She has to have a gigai and quick. Fortunately due to Yoruichi's data, I was able to make the necessary gigai ahead of time. For all of you." Smiling, he leered at his godson "Don't worry about her, she's gonna be strong enough for … ahem, very strenuous activities. Just make sure she gets some rest first, or she won't be as limber as you prefer."

Face red, Ichigo punched Urahara right on the nose.

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…

If not for the fact that he knew the man in front of him built it, Ichigo never would have believed that he was in the home of Gotei 14's most notorious genius.

The Urahara shoten was fairly large, but it was in such a worn condition that it would never be suspected of being a hideout of a shinigami on the run. The walls and floors were traditional, and the furniture was shabby. There was no infliction of otherworldly tastes that Urahara Kisuke was known for – only a variety of knick-knacks found only from the perplexing world of the living.

Ichigo clenched his hands, trying to get the feel of being stuffed in a gigai. Beside him, Ishida, Inoue, and Rukia (who just woke up) were doing the same thing. If they were to hide from Soul Society, they had to mask their reiatsu completely.

"I don't feel comfortable in this thing." Rukia said, speaking up at last, after she had been properly introduced to her husband's godfather. "How long does it take before I get used to being in a gigai?"

Smiling jovially as much as he could from underneath the bucket hat, Urahara waved his fan in front of Rukia "Why Kurosaki-san, that depends on you! It can be as early as a few hours to several years!"

"WHAT?" the four cried out at the same time.

Ichigo immediately grabbed Urahara's kimono "What the hell are you doing, geta-boshi? If this is another one of your tricks -"

"Relax!" Urahara appeased, giving Ichigo a nervous yet brilliant smile "I'm saying that it's theoretically possible for it to be that way." He shrugged, trying to pry his godson's chokehold on him. "Look at Kurosaki-san – can I call you Rukia-san?" at the woman's nod he continued blithely "Her reiatsu was drained, almost to the point of disappearing completely. She'll have to stay there and recover; it will be uncomfortable but bearable. In time, she can slowly use her kidō and if she wants, go out in her shinigami form! But the speed of recovery is up to her, so there's absolutely no telling when."

Yoruichi, who was content to remain sitting across them drinking milk that was brought earlier by a dark haired little girl, spoke up for the first time. "I wouldn't recommend getting out of the gigai for a while. Like for a decade or two; Soul Society would be focusing their efforts in locating all of you – especially Ichigo. If they ever got traces of your reiatsu, you'd be found."

"Then we have to go as far away as we can." Ichigo said. "Perhaps separately for a month or two –

"Stay in Karakura-cho." Urahara said, for the first time serious. "It would be the wisest course of action."

Ichigo glared at the older shinigami "Right, and get caught here?" he asked sarcastically, suspicious that another brilliant idea from the older shinigami would end up causing more harm than good for them. "Karakura-cho has a large amount of hollows present – as I'm sure YOU know. Therefore, shinigami will be here most of the time."

"The closer you are to danger, the farther you are from harm!" Sang Urahara in a cheerful voice, beaming widely. As the others looked incredulously at him, he took a sip of the tea before fixing them with a somber look. "Most of Seiretei's forces are at Hueco Mundo. Only divisions 7 and 2 have men in Karakura, most of them are even spread out to other parts of the globe. Those gigais are designed to hide reiatsu, I also took the liberty to install a device that makes you unrecognizable as long as you don't leave them. Besides," Urahara added as he fixed Ichigo with a hard look "I never had anything to do with the increasing amounts of hollow in Karakura. I just discovered that it did."

Ishida frowned. "So you didn't release a hollow-bait of sorts?"

"There are innocent people here, Ishida-san." Urahara replied, miffed at being suspected of doing something hanky-panky. "What would happen if no one bought from my store? I'd be driven to close the business!" he whined petulantly as he fanned himself industriously. "Can you imagine how much money I invested here?"

"Che." Ichigo grunted, "Like you care about the people here."

"Of course I do, business is business! But, considering the fact that the prizes for those functional gigais were slashed down to more than half the price, I'll go bankrupt!" Whined the shop owner. "This is no better than having Karakura overrun with hollows. You kids bring bad business." Then, he tapped his chin in an almost comical way as "Speaking of kids, I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate going back to an academy… so the official story is that you're supposed to be a few years out of high school and decided to join the workforce than go to a university."

"Oh so we look like adults…" mused Inoue, as she squeezed and pinched her cheeks, making weird faces at Ishida who was trying not to look fondly amused at her antics.

"That one doesn't." Ichigo snickered, jerking back a thumb at Rukia "Did you make a mistake with her gigai or something, Urahara?" he asked "'Coz she looks like she only just hit puberty."

An empty teacup suddenly flew past, hitting Ichigo straight to his left temple with a sickening whap.

"What the fuck!" he yelped, massaging his aching temple as Rukia gritted her teeth in anger before she sat back primly, clenching her hand.

"We'll need a place to stay." Rukia spoke at length, focusing her attention to Urahara. Fumbling in the pockets of her clothes, she pulled out a gold necklace with an impressively faceted sapphire pendant as large as an eye, surrounded by small diamonds – which she handed to Urahara. "How much can you give me for this?"

Ichigo stood up immediately "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm selling my jewelry." Rukia said matter-of-factly, her Kuchiki upbringing kicking in "How would we buy food, clothing, and have a roof over our heads? Do you have money that you can use here?"

Yoruichi chuckled "Spoken like a true Kuchiki. When in doubt, check your purses for money."

"Oh, Rukia-san is good with that!" Inoue said excitedly. "Kuchiki-sama once said that Rukia-san has a head for money-making more than politics!" When she saw the necklace, her face fell. "Rukia-san! That's Hisana-san's necklace! It was her dying gift to you!"

Rukia shrugged, as if receiving dying gifts were but a daily occurrence for her. "Its alright. I'm sure she'll understand the need. Besides, it's worth a fortune."

Everyone suddenly looked at her, unable to say anything anymore.

"Don't part with that." Ichigo told her seriously, filling the uncomfortable silence "You'll regret it the rest of your life."

"But –

"I'm sure Isshin made arrangements." Yoruichi said as she swiped the necklace from a dazed Urahara who looked positively drooling at the gem that winked cheerfully "He wouldn't think about sending you off without provisions." Smiling, she tossed Hisana's gift back to a stunned Rukia. "Why don't you check the pack?"

Without another word, Ichigo opened the flap and took out a book "An Idiot's Guide to Living in a Gigai by Urahara Kisuke and Kurosaki Isshin?" he echoed "Why the hell did he put it in here?" Wordlessly, he passed it to Ishida who immediately leafed through it. Next came a small pouch with a string of flawless pearls; another pouch yielded ten diamonds, the size of a man's fingernail.

"Where did the old man get these anyway?" Ichigo mused as he rummaged through the pack once more.

Suddenly, a yellow thing popped out "Nee-san!" it cried happily, jumping straight onto Rukia. "Nee-san, hold me, I'm so scared and lonely!" Before it could reach her, Ichigo swiped the tail, dangling the plushie in mid-air. "And why are you here?" He shouted in annoyance, as he glared at Kon "Didn't I leave you in Yuzu's doll house yesterday?"

Kon furiously tried to hit Ichigo's face, but he was held from such a distance that it was impossible "You ugly, ugly man! Let me go, let me go! Nee-san needs me – my hugs, my kisses, my love –

And Ichigo gagged and hog-tied him with a piece of cloth, courtesy of Urahara. "Here," he said carelessly, as he threw the plushie to the shop owner "Do what you want with it."

Urahara smiled – a mad scientist smile that made the others scoot back hurriedly "Well if it isn't my old pet, Kon." Through the gag that covered him, Kon made various sounds that were obviously foul. These only made the shop owner smile even more "Ah… we are so having fun – like old times… I'm sure Jinta and Ururu would enjoy your company again…"

The plush doll tried to squeak its protests.

"Oh Jinta! Ururu!" Urahara called out in a sing-song voice. "Look who came back to the family! It's the prodigal modsoul!"

A second later, a red-haired boy and a brunette girl both dashed and walked in. Ururu immediately hugged the plush affectionately as the boy only shouted "Great, we got ourselves a cowboy once again! Let's scalp him!"

Without another word, both dashed out of the room, with Jinta making odd noises.

"Ah… children." Urahara said fondly "Such over-active imagination, eh?"

"Thank god you didn't have kids." Muttered Ichigo, shuddering at the mental images of his godfather siring a batch of perverted demons.

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"Ta-dah!" Urahara said with a flourish, as he opened the door to the dubbed 'Kurosaki love nest,' his voice taking on a pitch reserved for real estate agents out to make a sale "Welcome to your new home! This wonderful duplex is made of steel and concrete. The flooring is made of mahogany planks – which is quite expensive – shined to perfection! A great starter home for newly weds, each unit has a cozy living room, a quaint dining room, a nifty kitchen, and a full toilet and bath at the first floor. Upstairs, a large master suite takes up the entire floor. Your home comes fully equipped with all the modern furniture, fixtures, and technological gadgets for entertainment and relaxation."

"A duplex?" Rukia asked in confusion as she followed the others in, removing their shoes as they went.

"Ah, Rukia-san – you and Ichigo are married. You two deserve privacy. If Ishida-san and Inoue-san live with you… well… people are bound to think nasty stuff." Urahara said naughtily, giving the couple a knowing smile. "But if you like that sort of thing – we can always tear down the walls in between!"

Inoue frowned, in between flicking a lampshade on and off repeatedly "Excuse me, what sort of thing are you talking about?" At the back of her mind, she was amazed at these contraptions. Back at the Kuchiki compound, everything had elegance, but here, they boasted of a power source that was completely different.

"Why couple-swapping, of course!" Urahara said cheerfully. "It's a current trend somewhere in the West, I've heard… you could try your friend's wife – or even your friend, if you're into that sort of thing – for a while and -

But Urahara never got to finish his sentence as a red-faced Ichigo punched him once more before kicking him, sending him flying to the wall. "Watch your mouth, you old perverted geta-boshi!"

"Kurosaki-kun!" he cried, trying to keep his bucket hat perched on his head "Why are you like that? You've become ill tempered since I last saw you! All I'm trying to do is help!"

"Shut up." Came the snide reply. "Only one bedroom?" Ichigo muttered angrily as he looked around "Why the hell is that when the place looks quite spacious? Are you planning something?"

Urahara gave him a look of surprised horror "Separate bedrooms? You want separate bedrooms? Are you and Rukia-chan having problems? You must be hogging the covers, Kurosaki-kun!" he then looked at Rukia "I know he's not a calm sleeper, but did he kick you off the bed?"

Trying to hold her laughter, Rukia covered her mouth with a hand. "No… he didn't. He does hog the covers though."

"Hey!" complained Ichigo, as he gave his wife an exasperated glare. "You were the one who were hogging the damn blankets!"

"Well, I'm afraid that you'll have to bear with that problem for a while, Rukia-san." Urahara said, chuckling "Kick him back if you will. We had to redesign the whole second floor because you two needed a bigger bathroom. And just where would I put the Jacuzzi if I had another bedroom made below?" he said airily as he continued on his spiel about the wonders of the house.

"What's a Jacuzzi?" Inoue asked Ishida, who was busy leafing through the guide book "I still can't find it, Inoue-san…" he said as he read through the contents in alphabetical order. "Wait. Here, a Jacuzzi is a relaxation device that is mainly therapeutic.

"That seems good." Rukia said, listening in to the conversation. Ignoring the babbling Urahara who was describing each focal point of the home he had built for them.

In fact, the only one who was currently listening to him (at least grudgingly) was Yoruichi, who paused often to scratch her ears and purr. "AH, look at the magnificent detailing! The wallpaper is exquisite –

"The Jacuzzi uses the amazing powers of water, and it creates a controlled whirlpool to massage the aching and tired muscles." Ishida continued on in interest.

Inoue nodded "I think we could use that."

"A Jacuzzi works by…" Suddenly Ishida stopped in mid-read, his face turning red.

"Well?" Ichigo asked the fukutaicho impatiently, surprising them that he was listening in to the conversation instead of being interested in the house. "What else?"

Ishida shook his head. "Um…" he said nervously "I don't think that this Jacuzzi thing is a good idea…" As the others looked at him quizzically, he coughed. "It says here you can only use the Jacuzzi if you're with someone from the opposite gender, a husband or betrothed, unclothed or at least in a skimpy outfit called a bathing suit…"

All three turned red at the implied conditions.

"I'm sure there's a nearby onsen…" Rukia tried to say as nonchalant as she could, all the while avoiding making eye contact with Ichigo. "Soul Society works perfectly fine without a Jacuzzi anyway…"

"Oh?" Urahara asked slyly "So does this mean that you two won't be trying the Jacuzzi?"

"Go to hell pervert." snarled Ichigo "Like I'd WANT to join that flat-chested midget –

"Finish it and you won't get lucky later." Warned an amused Urahara as he spotted a fuming Rukia.

On her part, Rukia was not amused. Urahara Kisuke, in her opinion, was by far the biggest pervert she had ever encountered in her entire life. He dared say things that should not be said in the presence of a woman not his wife and most especially not in the presence of a maiden. However, as Ichigo made his heated protests, Rukia felt her headache escalate and her anger boil over. Get lucky? Oh he'd be lucky if he made it to dawn alive.

The bastard had the gall to try and insult her… attributes, or the lack thereof. Did he somehow forget that he was the one who made a grab for the aforementioned 'flat-chested midget' and kissed her? Why was he the one acting like it was a pain to be in her presence?

"Alright everyone!" Urahara said, getting the attention of the four who were huddled by the sofa. "I'd like to explain these gadgets once, as the other house has the same furnishing. This," he said importantly, "Is the television, a staple accessory in any home."

Again, Ishida flipped throught the book. "Television, an entertainment device that projects images and sounds from current events to reality shows –

"What's a reality show?" Inoue asked, but was immediately hushed by Rukia.

"You guys will love the universal remote!" Urahara said excitedly as he hefted a slim, rectangular thing and twirled it like a home TV shopping agent. "Since your TV is cable-ready, you get more than 100 channels! Isn't it great? Now you can watch programs from the United States, France, Russia, Mexico, China, Korea, Philippines, and even India! Ohh… Ururu and Tessai love Bollywood movies!"

Once more, Ishida's face reddened as he encountered a particular phrase explaining the use of the television. "Err… you watch this TV while cuddled with someone from the opposite gender, a husband or betrothed, while on the… couch."

"This is ridiculous." Hissed Ichigo as he looked at the said TV as if it was a menos "Is a TV really an important fixture in here?" Trust the perverted Urahara to mess with their heads the moment they got out of Seiretei.

"And now, the pride of modern technology in the living realm." Urahara said, as if introducing a dignitary "No home is ever without one. Relationships and bonds deteriorate without this contraption. Families' bicker, couples go to bed angry at each other, and children complain of hunger without it! This item's disappearance causes anarchy and mutual funds disappear without this!

"Ladies and gentlemen, plus one cat… I present to you… THE MICROWAVE!" Urahara cried out, waving his hands excitedly in front of the microwave as the observers were showered with confetti.

The room was so silent; you could hear a penny drop.

"Microwave," Ishida mumbled as he went through the pages of the guide, Ichigo, Rukia, and Inoue reading over his shoulder. "A miraculous invention that heats previous meals and makes TV dinners edible for eating…

"Heats previous meals?" Rukia asked, "Why not use the stove?"

"TV dinners?" echoed Inoue, "Does it mean we can eat the TV? Is it edible?"

"Oi, what's the perverted catch?" Ichigo asked impatiently, at the quizzical look Rukia sent him, he shrugged "Well if THEY wrote it, everything's bound to be perverted. Something for married or betrothed couples and all that shit."

"Ah." Ishida said in embarrassment as he cleared his throat "A microwave, a handy invention in the living realm for couples that wish to have private moments without sacrificing their stomachs. Just heat the food in the microwave to replenish energy after strenuous romantic interludes."

"Just teach me how to use their stove and I can cook anything for as many as possible – anytime." Rukia said weakly, her face red at the innuendo. The others all nodded enthusiastically at her.

Urahara coughed to call their attention, as I'm sure you all are tired – may I remind that the Jacuzzi is just in the bathroom and the instructions on using it are inside as well – let us go upstairs to tour the bedroom!"

But before he could go up the stairs, Ichigo grabbed hold of his kimono and pulled him back. "I don't think so – geta-boshi. What the hell are you and the old man up to? Everything in this house runs on perversions!"

"Kurosaki-kun, can you blame your father and I if we wanted to hear the pitter-patter of tiny Kurosaki feet? We feel sorry that your honeymoon was shot, so we came up with this for the two of you as a wedding gift!" he cried out, taking hold of Ichigo by the shoulders (how the hell did he move so fast, was the question the others were asking themselves) "Besides, You're MARRIED Kurosaki-kun, you're supposed to be doing these things!"

Ichigo froze, knowing that only half of the people in the room knew the real deal behind his marriage to Rukia.

"Now of all times is the right moment for you both to think of having kids!" Urahara cried, shaking his godson frantically. "If you get caught, you'll be executed and who will continue the Kurosaki line? I promised your father that his name would not end at your death! We're wasting Masaki's genes!"

With flourish, he whipped out his fan in front of Ichigo, nearly hitting his nose. "I need to make sure you both are free to try as often as possible!" he said enthusiastically, a manic glint shining in his eyes, reminding the others that he was considered to be a mad genius in Seiretei. "I packed vitamins, energy drinks, and even aphrodisiacs in the pantry just for both of you! We'll be cheering on from the sidelines, praying to all kinds of deities and fertility gods to grant you two a child or a dozen!"

"Well… he does make sense." Inoue seconded, looking at the by-now beet-red couple that were inching away from each other as fast as they could without drawing attention to themselves. "I'm so looking forward to help you take care of your babies, Rukia-san! We can go shopping for clothes and toys, take them to the doctor, and make them their baby food!"

Now Ichigo sported a look of horror on his face. Inoue, making baby food? Gods, his kids would die! He could already imagine the buxom woman churning out wasabi-flavored sweet potato mash, toffee rice with ginger mix, even chocolate smothered chicken livers! Covering his mouth, he struggled to keep his last meal from upchucking. They should have just recruited Inoue's culinary skills to defeat hollows.

Finally, Rukia found her voice "If this was a plan for a married couple, why are you putting Ishida and Inoue in it?" she shrieked, grabbing hold of the shocked Urahara by the neck and throttling him with all the frustration and anger she felt. "Are you dragging her down the depths of depravity?"

Behind them, Ishida went red in a face, outdoing even the most virtuous of maidens by a good mile.

"Ishida-kun is gentleman!" shouted Inoue, her hands at her hips. "Shame on you to try and make him look like a pervert!" she told Urahara. "I trust him! And he's very nice to me!"

"Arigato, Inoue-san." Ishida said weakly.

But Inoue was far from finished. "I have no problems sharing a room with him – he's warm to cuddle to!"

"Eep." Mumbled Ishida.

Urahara laughed gaily as he focused his attention on his godson once more "So… Kurosaki-kun… you wanna get the freak on with Rukia-san already? I'm sure you'll love the bed – it has a mirror overhead."

…

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…

Later in the evening, as Yoruichi and Urahara were leaving, the feline was beside herself with laughter "Devious Urahara, simply devious."

Smiling as he gave an exaggerated bow Urahara replied, "I live to please."

…

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(One month later)

He envied those who were living in the real world.

After many decades of being a shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo came to a conclusion that the humans got the easier deal. True, they had to deal with such a fast-paced lifestyle that revolved around certain material things, but at least they had a way to get past the monotony.

The ability to lead a mortal life was a good thing. Which was why he wondered why many falsely considered dying as the Great Escape. In life, you had a lot of options – many decisions to affect different paths that you can take. On the other hand, in the after life, you get saddled with the choices you make for eternity – unless you were a shinigami and you get to die again.

Kurosaki Ichigo. A taicho, one of the strongest shinigami that ever appeared in the whole history of Gotei 14, was living an exiled life in Karakura-cho. A different life that he never wanted in the first place but was decidedly curious about. However, due to circumstances beyond his control, he was forced to accept his fate of masquerading as a weak human, and dealing with trivial concerns not like the ones he was used to deal with back at Seiretei. If it weren't for the fact that he found more works of Shakespeare here (the collection the playwright's works that his father bought to their home paled in comparison), he would have felt learning about human culture as boring.

After the initial culture shock subsided, Ichigo decided to learn more about these humans and how they lived. For him, there were not that many differences, except for the gadgets and gizmos that these humans couldn't seem to function without. Once he found out that Urahara's 'perverted' electronic items were really harmless, he threw himself into mastering it completely. Putting his much talked about ability to learn new things in an instant, Ichigo poured through the manuals for a few days until he got everything in his head.

He then became a carpenter. A good, albeit grumpy one at that. During the time he had been looking for a job, Ichigo discovered that his long-forgotten hobby could actually be considered as a career. Back when Masaki was alive, he had been interested in carving paperweights that his mother enjoyed collecting. As he grew older, he gradually shifted into making stuff for Karin and Yuzu. He even made dollhouses complete with furniture for them to play with.

At first, he did simple things like repair their furniture (which often got caught in the crossfire whenever he and Rukia had one of their spats) or alter those whose workmanship he disliked, like the chairs Urahara got on sale. Then he decided to give up salvaging them and make his own instead. His favorite was a narrow, elegant side table drawer made from maple and had a smooth, glossy finish. It reminded him of the one his mother had at home.

Rukia, who was quick to spot financial potential, immediately convinced him to open up a shop and commandeered the said table for herself. Despite his initial disbelief, he made a tidy profit in just under a month. Soon, neighbors and satisfied customers spread the word – there was a young furniture-maker in Karakura that had the skills of a seasoned craftsman. The garage became his display area while the spacious tool shed at the back became his workroom.

If the others could see him now, they wouldn't believe their eyes. Ichigo said wryly as he continued to varnish the delicate-looking rocking chair that he made just recently.

Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation rushing down his spine. Quickly, he half-stumbled over to the window, to pull aside the blinds and look outside.

A hollow. A weak, low-life hollow was outside, sniffing the air in search of a meal. Ichigo had to acknowledge the fact that his entire body was just itching to go out and purify the hollow. He was so attuned to his job that it was his second nature to go after hollows – his natural enemy. To restrain him from doing so was like telling him to sit still for the whole day.

It was pissing Ichigo beyond belief. The whole situation warranted a load of aggression, for crying out loud! All he wanted was Aizen-bastard's decapitated head on a platter, and it wasn't even supposed to be a silver one, mind you! That was all he wanted but somehow, he ended up in a mess far bigger than what he ever imagined. Now, he was running from a death sentence, exiled from the only life he ever knew (he was born in Soul Society, not in Rukongai after all), unable to do anything because he had to protect his accidental wife.

If his story would be made into a kabuki play, Ichigo was sure that people would flock to watch if for years to come.

Without a word, but with much gnashing of teeth, Ichigo stood and forced himself to watch as the hollow dashed off ahead – no doubt smelling something tasty for lunch. He only wished there was a shinigami who could stop it, or that poor soul was dead.

Angrily, Ichigo turned around to look at the chair that was sitting innocently in the middle of his shop. Before he spun around on his heels to go out of the door, a hand absent-mindedly turning the sign from open to close.

There was no way he would let hollows get away with this.

…

…

…

After many decades as a shinigami while being forced to become a full-fledged Quincy, Ishida Uryuu came to a conclusion that those who were still living got the easier deal.

Those who lived a mortal life had it easy. They were all living just for the moment, and the idea of them contemplating a future was very much laughable for him. Because in 60 or 70 years, they were practically qualified to take it easy and just do what they wanted.

Ishida was already more than 100 years old, yet he was still considered as young by the Quincy elders. He was born in Soul Society, in a peaceful time in their clan's troubled history. Welcomed into the realm of the dead, Ishida's destiny was that of an immortal guardian of the afterlife.

In the realm of the living, Ishida could do what he wanted – anything he wanted. The entire world was up for grabs, and the opportunities were endless. For a workaholic like him, it would have been an ideal situation. But to his dismay, his frantic work ethic was a whole new level higher from the ones he was forced to interact with.

And this scared the shit out of Ishida. In Seiretei, he strove to gain the respect and acceptance of the shinigami. As a Quincy, he had to prove that he was capable of purifying hollows without disrupting the natural balance of life. Day and night he spent hours pouring over books and perfecting his unique weapon in order to become a formidable fukutaicho. Serving under one of the strongest men in Soul Society, Ishida knew that surpassing Kurosaki Ichigo was something that would take decades, if not centuries and this only fuelled his desire to be the best marksman in the whole of Gotei 14.

To find that he had the luxury of taking it slow for the first time was a nightmare for him. He had to be preoccupied with something or he would go insane at the appalling amount of time he had on his hands.

It was late in the afternoon when Ishida first picked up a needle and thread after a long time; and started to sew. To his relief, he found that here, he need not worry about what people would think. No one would tell him that sewing was for pansies, sparring was for men. For Ishida, well-made clothing was a great investment and he appreciated a finely sewn kimono or yukata. With a vengeance he decided to make a Quincy outfit, tired of wearing regulation-black shinigami robes.

So he sewed. And he sewed some more. To show his gratitude, he sewed Yoruichi a comfortable suit that was easy to remove and to wear. Knowing her penchant to change forms, she needed it. He sewed Inoue tops and skirts in fabrics he knew she loved. He sewed Rukia-san dresses; airy, feminine dresses that he felt suited her frame. He sewed Kurosaki comfortable shirts. If they were to live as humans, they had to dress like humans and have styles like humans. He sewed the whole night through.

By morning, Ishida decided to sell clothing.

He never knew just how fashion-conscious Karakura residents were until he made the mistake of removing some of Kon's stuffing and turning him into a bag. It was an accident, really. He forgot to bring a bag when he went out to buy additional supplies. The cashier wanted to give him a plastic one – but he remembered hearing about a group featured on TV (there was no cuddling involved between him and Inoue-san; as they weren't married or anything) crying in outrage that it wasn't biodegradable. Thus, he made use of Kon. As he walked home carrying the shell-shocked plushie – who became a bag – everyone in the street stared at him all the way.

A week later, Ishida accepted a sewing machine from Rukia; an investment, she said nonchalantly. And the yellow Kon plushie bag (in different types and sizes, of course) had a cult following that spread to Tokyo.

Looking outside the window as he contemplated new designs, Ishida spotted his taicho running full tilt after a hollow. His eyes narrowed, Kurosaki better not be an idiot and expose them. He had no time to fend off shinigami, not when he was going to open his second shop to introduce a new line of Kon merchandise.

He decided to leave Ururu in the shop as he ran out.

…

…

…

She hated the living world.

After many decades of living in Soul Society, both as a noble and as a shinigami, Kurosaki Rukia came to a conclusion that she never liked humans and the way they lived.

The first time she ventured outdoors, she ran into a young family by the park. The father was carrying his daughter on his shoulders as the mother walked behind them while the older brother dashed around. There was this thing called a balloon… it was red and large. They were eating ice cream in many colors.

Up to this day, Rukia wonders if what she had that day was heartburn. She was probably stressing herself too much.

In the living world no one cared about hiding emotions, donning masks, and carrying politeness to the extreme. The rich mingled with the poor, a woman could walk unguarded, and no one cared if you said what was on your mind. Here, clothing was 'modern' and hemlines were 'fashionably short' or 'comfortably long' depending on your tastes. Here a woman could hold a position, earn money on her own, and live away from the family even if she was unmarried.

Rukia, seeing all these things that she was deprived of, felt like she was dropped in hell. Half of her wanted to try anything and everything, while a part of her wanted to just sit, as the shock was too much to bear.

True to her upbringing, Rukia immediately singled out the opportunities that were available for them. She researched on the military, seeing as it was the counterpart of shinigamis. Unfortunately, the differences were too great for them to assimilate in smoothly. She then looked into the possibility of Ichigo being a teacher. As one of the best swordsmen in Gotei 14, it wouldn't be hard for him to take on disciples; even Ishida's skill with the bow would be an asset. However, as they had no dojo, it was out of the question.

When she saw a side table and was presented with half a dozen new outfits, Rukia knew she hit the jackpot. It only took her a minimum amount of convincing them, considering she employed all her Kuchiki skills of diplomacy and persuasion, tipping in the idea of earning money to help their financial resources. The cost of living here was high, and she had a difficult time with making budgets for BOTH homes.

Her threat of selling her sister's necklace did the trick.

Inoue was her problem. Her friend was adamant on working in a restaurant or being a teacher, and the potential for disaster was high. Pulling rank was not an option, so Rukia was forced to wrack her brains for a suitable job line for Inoue.

When Inoue befriended an aging local horticulturist, Rukia found the perfect solution. She bought the greenhouse and placed Inoue in charge. It was a stroke of genius; the buxom woman had a knack for taking care of flowers, as her abilities manifested itself as a hibiscus flower hairpin that she wore. Her talking to the flowers was by no means weird, but it was acceptable, and she was religious in ensuring that the plants got the right amount of water, sunlight, and fertilizer (organic, mind you). As a result, Inoue was able to open her own flower shop instead of selling them to local florists.

As soon as they were settled in their respective careers, Rukia decided to focus her sights on greener pastures. Unfortunately, what could she do? She didn't have technical skills and she doubted that her Kuchiki Education was worth anything here. It was easy enough to say that she should start a store or something, but as Rukia still could not grasp the trade secrets and business dealings in Karakura, this plan sounded so wrong. She needed to learn it herself. Going to school was an obvious decision, but it would take a while. What she needed was to either be a partner or start from the bottom.

Ignoring Ichigo's hints that she should just stay at home and let him work, Rukia continued to apply odd jobs at many stores. She worked at the grocer, the bookstore, and the ice cream parlor. She might not enjoy it, but Rukia got the chance to see the kind of people that lived in Karakura and understand money matters, making her somewhat of an expert on local finances for the businesses her companions had.

Until such time she found the niche for her, she would try as many jobs as she could.

"Ano… excuse me…" a voice beside her called out shyly.

Rukia turned around to see a little girl who was wearing a cute yellow dress with a matching hat.

The girl was a ghost.

And as she heard a sound she was so familiar with, her breath temporarily was dislodged in her throat. There was a hollow, and she didn't have enough reiatsu to bring it down.

…

…

…

On instinct borne out of many years spent fighting hollows. Rukia grabbed the child and they leapt to the side, avoiding the arm that bore down on them.

Damn it! She thought angrily. Of all times she had to encounter a hollow was now when she wasn't recovered enough. But Rukia did not mind, a low reiatsu only meant that she had to focus even more on a kidō spell. Raising her arms, as she ran forward, she chanted "Ye Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium; the sea barrier surges, March on to the south! Shakkahō!"

Immediately, a red fire ball shot out and hit the hollow straight at the mask. Rukia prided on her accuracy at hitting hollows. This time was no different.

Rukia looked up from between the hollow's legs. It was a decently strong spell. It would work.

Except that it didn't, and soon Rukia found herself sailing through the air, hitting the nearby wood wall with a sickening thud. "Hell." She choked and panted; as she felt her vision swim and something cold and wet trickle from the back of her head. Instinctively, she knew what it was. Blood.

To her horror, the ghost child remained where she left her, frozen on the spot, an easy prey for the hollow. "Run!" she tried to shout, but her voice came out weak. Slowly, she used her arms to raise her from the ground. Another round should do it. Forcing the gigai to stabilize itself, Rukia drew in from the reserve energy that Urahara claimed to have placed in. She hoped that it worked, or she was killing the perverted shop owner personally.

Once again running, Rukia forced herself to reach the child in time. "Ye Lord! Mask of flesh and bone, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws! Sōkatsui!"

The blast was larger and it was more destructive, but it was either the hollow was more powerful than she expected or… she really was drained of her reiatsu. Because the next thing Rukia saw was the blue sky, as a heavy, clawed arm pinned her down.

"Oh… so a shinigami eh?" the hollow leered "Hmmm… no wonder you smell tasty."

"Bastard." She hissed as the hollow's grip tightened. To her horror, it loomed closer, its mouth wide open to eat her up. Great, she thought, this was a great way to prove that you're a capable shinigami – get yourself eaten.

But the painful death never came. To Rukia's surprise, the hollow was hurled to the side, barreled over by the force of something fast hitting it head on. The hollow hit a wall, causing it to crumble.

"Rukia!"

Focusing her eyesight, Rukia could see a mess of orange hair fluttering in the wind. "Ichigo?" she called him hesitantly. "Ichigo?"

"Hang on." Ichigo said tersely as he scooped his wife up in his arms and dashed off to avoid the rampaging hollow. He wanted to check if she was hurt, but as of the moment, his primary concern was making sure that the hollow did not get to Rukia.

When he first saw her lying down, the hollow looming over her, Ichigo felt his heart stop for a moment. Then he felt the rush of adrenalin that made him run in speeds considered as breaking records for the humans. He didn't care if he was in a gigai. Nothing would get to Rukia, not until he had reiatsu left in him.

She was bleeding and drifting off into unconsciousness. If she had a concussion, this was dangerous. "Don't close your eyes, Rukia!" he ordered her sternly. "I forbid you to close your eyes."

"Bastard." She griped weakly "I could have handled it myself."

"Sure midget, and you can hardly keep your eyes open." He snarked, goading her to stay awake.

Finally, Rukia's eyes fluttered open, her violet eyes looking at him blindly "Ichigo…" she whimpered.

Ichigo jumped to the side, avoiding the debris of a crushed wall. They were fortunate to have outrun the hollow and they remained pressed against the wall of an alley. "Rukia, what?" he asked, leaning slightly to hear her in case she wanted to say something. He hoped she was quick with it; he needed to focus on the hollow that was circling the alley, trying to find a way to get between the narrow walls.

With Ichigo within hearing distance, Rukia opened her mouth "Asshole!" she screamed, whapping him on the head. "How dare you think me weak?"

"Bitch!" an enraged Ichigo shouted back, feeling his head throb with pain "Ungrateful bitch!"

Ahead, Ishida sighed. Only Kurosaki and Rukia-san would scream at each other while a hollow was after them. He and the girl ghost were currently safe, as he was able to push her with him in an abandoned warehouse. Unfortunately, the other shinigamis were not in a similar position.

Ichigo ducked and weaved to the side, forced to leave the protection of the alley as a powerful blow shattered the walls. The hollow's arm missed his head by an inch. "Shit!" he cursed as he heard his gigai's fake muscles protest in pain. There was no way he could fight it head on, not when he was holding Rukia. The situation required him to put her down, but he would not do it. "A distraction, Ishida!" he snapped out to his fukutaicho who was hidden nearby.

Miffed, Ishida wondered just what?

Unlike shinigami, the Quincy had their own power, and it could be used whether he was in his soul form or a gigai. The question is, would he dare use it? After turning away from his Quincy heritage to become a shinigami, would he use his family's ability to destroy the hollow, preventing it from being reborn as a plus once more in soul society? For all he knew, this hollow could have been just a father, a brother, or a husband who did not wish this to happen.

But what about the soul he was protecting? Was he not under oath to defend them from hollows? What of Rukia-san, who was lying badly bruised and bleeding as Kurosaki tried to get her away from the hollow?

"Byakurai!" Ishida heard his taicho shout, attempting to use kidō, now that he was left weaponless.

The ghost child cried even louder, and no amount of assurance could make her stop.

He was left with no choice. Ishida stepped outside his shelter, extended his right hand, and from it dangled the item that he so loathed to use. All he needed was one shot…

(Flashback)

"Take it." Ishida Ryuuken said dryly "Despite your decision to abandon our clan and our family, the Quincy will not abandon you."

Uryuu glared at his father "I will not need it at the Academy, Ryuuken. I will be given a zanpaktuô and I will be a shinigami."

Ryuuken laughed harshly, "Oh, and are you confident in your shinigami abilities, boy?" he jeered. "There will be a time when you will be without your so-called zanpaktuô, and you will need the Quincy abilities."

"Never will that happen." Uryuu said emphatically. "I will be a shinighami and purify hollows; I will not destroy the soul that resides within the filth of a hollow."

The older Ishida gave his son a mocking look "Your idealism will be the death of you, Uryuu. You will soon find yourself needing the Quincy cross, and you will be forced to use it against a hollow, and you will annihilate it."

(End flashback)

Now, as the familiar yet chilling blue beam slowly morphed into a spiritual bow, Ishida was still reasoning with himself why he was doing the one thing he detested. His face set grimly, Ishida pulled the bow tautly back and took aim.

His eyes shut briefly when he released the arrow.

(TBC)

C. LeShay's corner:

Augh. I revised this chapter so many times I already forgot the original version. This was by far, challenging. I had to write how Urahara inducted them to the real world. I just knew Isshin wouldn't want to be left out in torturing his son.

I'm sure everyone expected Ichigo to be a doctor. But how could he be one in just a month? I hope you all see the merit of a 'carpenter' Ichigo. Think of Urahara making innuendoes at how he uses his hands!

To JadeRent, your Indefinitely fic was something I read all over again in preparation for this. Your fic was just so hilarious I needed to laugh to get inspired (yes, other writers swim for inspiration or sleep; me, I have to laugh – a real, honest to goodness laugh before I either go on a writing frenzy or stare into nothingness and commune with my muse). Lol, I can totally imagine Urahara introduce shinigami to the real world that way.

I did a reverse of Bleach; sigh; it was the only way to go for me. There really wasn't much dialogue for the last part, and that is what's challenging. So, if you guys liked this chapter, please send me a review.

On a side note, several things came up. The most important one is that I will, by next month, be completely busy with work. I'm not entirely sure WHEN I can find time to write new chapters and post them, so I'm saying sorry in advance if I will be quite delayed in updating. Hope you don't mind if I take a hiatus, right? I promise to spare as much time as I could to write chapters 16 and up (yes 15 is finished, its just being beta-ed).

Arigato!