Okaaaaaay, it's been awhile. FORGIVE ME. This chapter just gave me a lot of problems. My beta says to blame her since it took her a bit to give me back the edited version, but trust me, it's all my fault. Therefore, aim your abuse at me. I can take it... maybe.

Thank you sooo much sam, Innocence of a rose, BleachFanPR, AvioNN, Twix10, HARUAL, thatEndlessOblivion, anthem2521, bleachbabe03, alice hattercandy, Lyhime, chuchootrain, shadowanime1, Duvet, war90, Yanaril, HypnoDarkrai5, Agent-G and Emuri for the reviews! (Wow what a list XD ) I love them all.

Extra special (blameless) thanks to PerennialLurker for beta-reading this rather large chapter. She does an amazing job of making these chapters coherent and clear.

I will insert my obligatory plea for reviews and feedback, because it's food for inspiration, ya know? This chapter's bribe is a pile of snow, because there's too much of it where I am. Take some! ... Oh, I'm kidding. The real bribe is a Rangiku PEZ dispenser. Because I'm tired of doing plushies all the time and who doesn't want Rangiku giving them candies?

Chapter 11

Love in face of the approaching storm

The sun moved across the room, shining in and around the faded yellow curtains. It picked out the detail on the pink bedspread, it made the blue hairpins shine radiantly. The sun moved on to illuminate the red hair of the sleeper, inadvertently awakening her. Orihime opened her eyes dazedly and then shut them again with a wince. The light was particularly blinding. She rose and moved across the cold floor to the window. Tweaking aside her curtain, she peered out.

The whole town had turned a soft, gentle white overnight. Ah, that's why the sunlight is so bright. It's reflecting off the snow. She gazed out over the city, or what she could see of it. There was nothing but white for miles around her. Buildings, homes, trees… everything was covered by the snow. The whole city seemed still underneath it.

It's so pretty, Orihime thought wistfully as she continued to stare out the window. It'll melt quickly, but right now, it's just perfect. Even last night it-

Last night's events flooded through her mind, and Orihime blushed furiously. Kurosaki-kun… Her fingertips barely grazed her lips. He - he really kissed me. His words, his voice, the way he got closer and closer, and when they actually kissed… it was like a scene straight out of one of her dreams, but yet it was so much more vivid.

Despite her scarlet cheeks, Orihime smiled widely. He really did. And he wants to hang out with me after training, too. I just, I can't believe it. The snow, the memory, and just everything seems so perfect.

Muffled sounds from the living room drew Orihime's attention back to reality. "Looks like everyone's awake," she said to herself. She walked to her closet, and pulled out a fuzzy blue robe. Pulling it on, she stepped into her matching slippers before stepping out of her room.

Her three house mates were in the kitchen, working together in haphazard order to make breakfast. Momo turned, and waved to Orihime. "Ah, good morning! How was the movie?"

"It was great!" Orihime said cheerfully as Rangiku and Hitsugaya turned to see her. "Did everything go okay last night?"

"We were fine. No sign of Urahara-san, but we did what we could," Hitsugaya assured her. "You didn't get caught out in the snow coming home, did you?"

She shook her head. "Came home just as it started."

"It's so pretty," Rangiku said, echoing Orihime's thoughts. She brushed back her long hair as she leaned against a counter. "It won't last long with that sun, but it's still nice. Taichou was happy to see it," she said, smiling amusedly at her captain.

"I like snow," he muttered, "So what?"

"What was the movie about?" Momo asked Orihime. "You said it was an action film or something?"

"Yeah. Lots of fighting and explosions and stuff," Orihime said with a laugh. "It was a lot of fun. It was nice to see it with my friends, although I wish we all could have been there." She started rummaging through her cabinets for tea packets.

"Did Kurosaki walk you home?" Hitsugaya asked casually as he pulled out some bowls from the cupboard above him.

"Y – yeah," Orihime said, fighting the urge to blush as she buried her head into the cabinet.

Rangiku chuckled slyly. "He always walks you home. I mean, really," she rolled her eyes, "Considering how often he does, he should charge you. Perhaps with good-night kisses."

Orihime dropped the packets of tea she found in shock. Her face turned bright red and her eyes darted in Rangiku's direction. "How did you-" It was only then, when she saw Matsumoto's confused expression that she realized the older woman had only been teasing.

However, it was too late. Matsumoto's eyes were so wide and bright they could have been used as searchlights. "Orihime," she said slowly, "did he actually kiss you?"

Orihime tried to hide the flush on her cheeks behind her hands. "Well, um, I mean… kind of-"

She was met with a face full of breast as Rangiku squeezed her in a bear hug. "I can't believe it!" she squealed. "He finally made a move? Oh!" She hugged her tighter, ignoring her gasps for air. "This is so exciting! Screw making breakfast. We're going out to eat, my treat!"

She finally let go of the suffocating Orihime, and made a dash for the bathroom. Orihime forced her eyes to focus as air rushed back into her lungs.

Momo giggled as she walked up to Orihime. "I think it was about time he did something. I'm glad it happened." She scratched her head. "Just be ready for an interrogation at breakfast. Rangiku-san loves getting every single detail."

Orihime chuckled nervously. "Ah well. I guess I can't complain. She would have found out on her own."

"All too true," Hitsugaya muttered darkly. "I wouldn't underestimate Kuchiki, either. She knows Kurosaki too well. Not that this is either of their business." He sighed, his expression put-off.

"She probably already does!" Rangiku shouted from the bathroom. "She'll probably be calling-"

The phone rang, and Orihime's mouth dropped as Hitsugaya slapped his forehead. "Damn her and her intuition," he muttered. "Now we'll never hear the end of it."

Orihime hurried into the living room, stumbling over the edge of her couch. She fell on her knees, but ignored the pain as her hand quickly snatched the phone off its stand. She winced, and answered, "Hello?"

"Orihime!" Sure enough, it was Rukia. "Congrats! Now see, what did I tell you?"

Orihime blinked rapidly as she tried to process the information. "D-Did Kurosaki-kun tell you?"

"He didn't have to, trust me." Rukia's tone was confident, if not a little smug. "It's Ichigo. He can't hide much from me."

Orihime giggled, even as she heard Ichigo yelling in the background. "Ah. He sounds kind of mad…"

"Only at me, I can assure you. He woke up this morning with a smile and I just knew-" Rukia's voice was cut off suddenly, and Orihime winced as she heard the two friends snapping at each other and fighting over the phone.

Her eyes met Hitsugaya's. When he looked at her questioningly, she shrugged and smiled. He rolled his eyes, and Momo giggled.

"Inoue?" Ichigo's voice came on the phone.

"A-Ah! Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime flushed faintly as her voice lowered. "Good morning."

"Morning," he said. "Uh… did you sleep okay?"

She suppressed a giggle as she nodded. "Yes. Did you?"

"Yeah. A little too well, apparently." He sighed in aggravation. "Damn midget. Freaking pounced on me the moment I walked outside my room."

"Is that when she found out?"

"Unfortunately," Ichigo said darkly.

"Well, Rangiku-san, Hitsugaya-taichou and Hinamori-san all found out, too."

There was a long pause on the other end before he said, "Matsumoto-san. She knows."

She supposed that was a rather scary thought. "Yeah."

She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a thump. Maybe it was Ichigo pounding his head into a wall. "Damn it. I hope she doesn't get on your case about it."

"We're going out to breakfast, but it'll be okay! Really," she said, desperately trying to sound reassuring. "Everyone is gonna find out eventually, right?"

Matsumoto poked her head out of the bathroom. "Is that Kuchiki?"

"It's Kurosaki-kun," Orihime answered, moving the phone away from her mouth. "Rukia-chan did call, though."

"Ha," Matsumoto said in triumph. "Tell him I said it took him long enough!"

Orihime nervously brought the phone back to her lips. "U-um…" Did Rangiku really expect her to tell him that?

Luckily, Ichigo made it easy for her. "I heard her," he said. Orihime could almost see the eye roll. "Do you know where you're going to eat, so then maybe I can meet you there? I mean, after you're done, I wouldn't want to just walk in and…"

"I know," Orihime said calmly. "Um, we'll probably go to the restaurant down near the high school. Do you know that one?"

"Yeah. I'll pick you up there and we can head to the warehouse."

"Okay! But, umm…" Orihime scratched her head nervously. "Do you think we should tell Shinji-kun and the others? I mean, it might be awkward if we don't at some point."

Another long pause, and then, "Not during training. We'll never hear the end of it."

"You think they'd be that bad?" she said as Rangiku came out of the bathroom, fully dressed.

"…I'd rather deal with Matsumoto-san than them."

As Rangiku gestured to the bathroom, Orihime nodded to her and then said to Ichigo, "Oh, um, I have to get going, Kurosaki-kun. I'll see you later?" Orihime said as she moved towards her bedroom to grab clothes to wear for the day.

"Yeah. I'll meet you in an hour or two. I…"

Orihime waited as Ichigo struggled to say something. "Kurosaki-kun?"

"I… I gotta go, too, sorry. See you at the restaurant." Before she could react, he hung up, leaving her wondering what he had really tried to say.

It bothered her the rest of the morning, even during Matsumoto's relentless interrogation during breakfast. In between questions, Orihime mulled over what Ichigo had tried to say. Maybe I'm over-thinking it, she concluded. It was too difficult to tell what he meant without seeing his facial expressions and body language.

When the check was paid and the empty plates taken away, Orihime smiled graciously at Matsumoto. "Thank you!"

"Hey, this is a big day. Your first boyfriend!" She grinned widely. "Are the two of you doing anything later?"

Orihime nodded ecstatically. "Yes! Well, we have training today, but then afterwards he wanted to hang out."

"Mmm-hmmm." Matsumoto's grin turned sly. "Where, exactly?"

"None of your business, Matsumoto," Hitsugaya growled, glaring at his vice-captain. "Stop pestering her."

"Taichoooooou," Matsumoto whined. "You're ruining all my fun!"

"Your sense of fun is twisted," he countered.

Momo shifted uneasily in her seat, and nudged Hitsugaya's foot with hers. "Hitsugaya-kun."

He sighed, and turned to her. "It's Hitsugaya-taichou, and what is it?"

Her eyes darted to something behind Hitsugaya and Matsumoto before looking back at him. "That guy back there has been staring at us the entire time," she said.

The captain and vice-captain turned in their seats. Several tables behind them sat a lone man. His gaze never wavered from theirs, even when Hitsugaya frowned at him.

"No one has talked to him," Orihime murmured, "or come to take his order. He's just been sitting there."

"The entire time?" Hitsugaya asked, looking back at Orihime.

Both girls nodded.

"He might be a spirit," Matsumoto said. "His reiatsu isn't human, I can tell you that much."

"Then we can't go up to him, not here." Hitsugaya got up from his seat. "Maybe if we go outside he'll-"

The restaurant door opened, and Ichigo walked in. His eyes darted to where the four of them were sitting. He began to walk towards them when he saw who they were staring at. "What's-"

The man ignored their gaze coolly, but when he spotted Ichigo, his eyes gleamed with satisfaction. In one flash-step he was at Ichigo's side, his hand in a loose fist. Hitsugaya jumped to his feet and Ichigo's eyes widened in confusion, but before they could move the man brought his hand down onto Ichigo's arm, jerked it up again, and vanished.

Ichigo swore and clutched his arm, his injured hand reaching vainly to the spot where his attacker had stood. It was too late, and he was left standing in the doorway, a small bruise forming where a needle had entered his arm.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime stumbled out of her seat as she tried to get to him. She immediately got up and hurried to him. The others followed, and Hitsugaya ushered them outside.

"Are you all right?" he asked Ichigo the moment they stepped out into the cold. "What happened?"

"No clue," Ichigo said as he looked around him. "Guy just whizzed by me and punched something into my arm. Felt like a needle. I barely saw him."

"He was fast," Rangiku murmured as she hunched her shoulders in the cold. "But I don't understand what that was even about. Hinamori and Orihime just saw him staring at us and then you walked in. He wasn't human, so maybe he was focusing on our reiatsu? Collectively, it is pretty high."

Hitsugaya looked around, more than likely trying to see which direction the man took off. "Perhaps. I can't see him," he said with an irritated sigh, "and I can't sense his reiatsu." He looked up at Orihime and Ichigo. "Be careful walking to training today. Be sure to tell Shinji what happened. We need to keep a look-out for this guy."

He crossed his arms, but didn't budge as a sharp gust blew in. "This can't be a coincidence. Urahara disappears and now this man shows up, watching us."

Rangiku sighed heavily. "Go figure. We better inform Soul Society." She winked at Ichigo. "Can't have people going around stabbing our substitute shinigami."

"Gee, thanks," Ichigo mumbled under his breath. He looked over at Orihime. "We should get going."

"Yeah." Orihime bowed slightly to Rangiku. "Thank you so much for breakfast!"

"Don't mention it. And oh, Kurosaki," Rangiku said over her shoulder as she turned to leave. "don't think you're off the hook. We'll be talking later!"

Hitsugaya sighed, and Hinamori giggled as they began to leave. They nodded their good-byes before they walked off with Rangiku, who began to try to talk them into some shopping.

"Great," Ichigo muttered. "just what I need." He paused, and glanced down at Orihime. "How bad was she in there?"

Knowing that perhaps leaving details out would be best, Orihime just shrugged. "Rangiku-san likes having a full description." Without thinking, her hand reached out and touched where Ichigo had been stabbed. "Does it hurt?"

"Just sore," Ichigo said. "It'll go away soon."

"Ah well, let's show it to the Vizards," Orihime suggested. She began walking, Ichigo falling in step alongside of her. "Since Urahara-san's still missing, they're the most likely to know who it was."

He nodded, but Orihime wasn't sure if he had faith in that suggestion, since she even had to admit it was highly unlikely the Vizards would know anything. As they turned down the street that led them to the warehouse district, Orihime pulled her hand away after realizing it was still touching his arm. She promptly flushed and looked ahead.

She could almost feel Ichigo's stare, but she wasn't sure why he was looking at her. She put on a smile, wishing she could think of something to say. Just yesterday they had been talking the whole way to training. But today, it was like the snow had frozen the air between them.

Unable to think of what else to do, she mustered the courage to look up at him. "Umm…"

Both of their eyes widened simultaneously when Ichigo's hand brushed against Orihime's. She blushed again as Ichigo glanced up at the sky. Orihime frowned in concern when he started to blush a deep, bright red as well.

It wasn't until she felt his fingers hesitantly intertwine with hers that she understood why he was flushing. Since she was sure her face couldn't flush a deeper red, she instead smiled and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

They walked a little further in a more comfortable silence. It was a strange thing, holding hands with him, but Orihime would never call it unpleasant. She was more surprised at how quickly she got used to it than anything.

"Inoue," Ichigo hesitantly said as they entered the outskirts of town. "There's something I think I should… tell you."

Orihime nearly stopped in her tracks, but willed herself to keep going. She didn't want to appear too suspicious. "Oh? Is everything okay?"

He seemed unsure as to how to answer to that. His brows furrowed as he said, "Well, I guess. I mean… do you remember that day in training, when you heard that voice in your head?"

She nodded. "Yes." She tilted her head to the side, wondering if he had figured it out.

"I - I had a talk with my Hollow that night."

So, he does know. "Ah," she said with a sad smile. "so it was Shirosaki-kun, wasn't it?"

She felt and saw him jerk in surprise. "How did you-"

"You told me on the walk home that Shirosaki-kun called you 'king.' The voice in my head called me 'queen,' so I wondered if there was a connection." She shrugged as he only stared at her. "And the voice didn't sound like a human's."

Ichigo used his free hand to smack his forehead. "That imbecile… it called you that?" He sighed when she nodded. "It called you that when I talked to it the other night." He opened his mouth again, looked at her, and then shut it. There was obviously something he wanted to say, but changed his mind. Instead, he asked, "You haven't heard it again, have you?"

"No, I promise. Did he tell you anything else?"

"Refused," Ichigo spat. His anger was evident in the deepened crease of his brown and the flare in his eyes. "All but told me what everyone else was telling me about you, but wouldn't tell me what's going on. It has a brand though, too. On its hand. I guess Zangetsu also has one, from what it told me."

"They do?" Orihime said in surprise. "Like the Shun Shun Rikka?"

"Yeah, but it's not a Hollow mask like they have," Ichigo said grimly. "It looks like one of your hairpins. A hibiscus."

Oh, that couldn't be good, she thought. Orihime bit on her lip pensively, trying to make sense of it. What did this exchange of brands mean? A symbol of Ichigo's power on her Rikka, and a symbol of her power on his Hollow and Zangetsu? "What on earth is happening?"

"I don't know, and I can't tell if it really knows either." Ichigo shook his head, and ran his thumb over the top of her hand. "We'll figure it out, somehow."

It was hard to think otherwise, she noticed, when he was giving her such a soft, determined look. Despite her insecurities and her worries for the future, she smiled brightly. It felt like Ichigo's confidence and determination was flowing into her through his hand. "Yeah, we will. But, um," she hesitated as she thought back over his words, "what did you mean, when you said he told you what everyone else was telling you about me?"

Ichigo's blush returned, and he stared at the ground as his shoulders hunched. "Oh, uh, well…"

He's uncomfortable. What could Shirosaki-kun have told him that- "Ohhh." Orihime flushed, but giggled. "He told you?"

"Unfortunately, it's privy to all my thoughts and feelings, even the ones I'm not completely aware of."

"It makes sense," Orihime said thoughtfully. "He's a part of you. I would think he would also know how to tell you without actually telling you. He is you."

Ichigo grumbled under his breath. "Yeah. Still, I'd rather have heard it from anyone else, even freaking Ishida, than my Hollow. I'm kind of worried about why it told me, though. It never tells me anything unless it has something to gain from it."

Orihime glanced ahead, wondering what to say when she spotted a familiar group of warehouses. "Did you tell Shinji-kun about this?"

"No, though I should have." Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly. "I just had a lot on my mind, and I really didn't want to put myself into a situation where I had to tell him about the more… private matters of the conversation."

Although Orihime was sure Ichigo didn't mean that in a negative way, she couldn't help but start to wonder why Ichigo didn't want anyone to know about them. Her head bent down as Ichigo led her to the Vizards' warehouse.

What if he doesn't want to tell anyone because he doesn't want to be seen with me? I mean… She didn't notice Ichigo pausing in front of the door, scowling heavily. I don't know if he thinks of me as really pretty. And I know I'm clumsy and strange. Maybe he finds it embarrassing? I know he said he just didn't want to deal with them, but what if he was just…

"Where the hell are they?" Ichigo mumbled as he hit the switch to open the door. "I don't sense their reiatsu. Do you, Inoue?"

I don't know what everyone else thinks of me. I mean, everyone's incredibly kind but maybe they think I'm a ditz, too? I don't know how happy Tatsuki-chan will be about this. I don't know what anyone will think. I'm sounding so paranoid. But I just, I don't know if Kurosaki-kun likes being associated with me as more than nakama or if he even-

"Inoue?"

Her back went ramrod straight as she realized she had been spacing out. "Ah! Oh, we're here!" She ran inside, letting go of Ichigo's hand. She stopped halfway inside the warehouse when she realized the latch to the underground area was shut and no one was inside. "They're not here?" She glanced around. "I don't sense them. Ah, maybe the gnomes got them!"

Ichigo was silent as Orihime pondered over this. "The gnomes that live underground must have come up after a thousand year sleep and-"

"Inoue."

She slowly turned around to face him. When their eyes met, her heart sank at how hurt he looked. "Kurosaki-kun?"

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly. "You looked almost sick before."

"N- nothing!" Orihime said, waving her hands. "There must have been frogs in my stomach again! They like to jump around and sometimes… they…" she trailed off when he frowned at her.

"Don't hide things from me," Ichigo said in a low warning tone. He walked up to her, and placed his hands on her shoulders. "What's wrong?" he repeated.

Orihime looked at the ground, torn between the desire to explain her worries and the fear that they would be confirmed. "I just… are you ashamed?" she asked quietly.

"Ashamed?" He tilted his head to the side. "Of what?"

She clutched her hands tightly together. "Well, um, of maybe… me? Like, of being seen with me like – like this?"

He said nothing as he forced her chin up so she could look at him. Her stomach did flops (or maybe it was the frogs again, she thought) as she fought to meet his gaze.

"Why would I be ashamed?" Ichigo said angrily. Orihime nearly flinched as he continued, "I wouldn't have confessed anything to you if I felt ashamed or something as equally ridiculous."

"I-"

She couldn't get another word in edge-wise before he bent his head down and kissed her, perhaps to emphasize his point. The hands on her shoulders kept her from stumbling back in astonishment. After a few seconds of hesitation, she allowed him to deepen the kiss.

She decided when they parted a minute later that Ichigo could be very convincing, given the chance. She almost laughed at loud at the thought. Feeling a little bold, she stood on her tip-toes and gave him another kiss, which he returned. For a few blissful seconds, the warehouse and everything around them vanished, and was replaced with tranquility.

That was, of course, until the Vizards decided to flash-step into the building.

"Sorry we're late!" Shinji apologized, adjusting his hat as he skidded inside. "We had to-"

Everyone in the room froze, including the couple caught red-handed. Orihime had never seen Shinji looked so shocked as he stared, his eyes unblinking. It wasn't until Kensei cursed out loud that the silence was broken.

"Oh, right," Riza said with a smirk when Kensei crossed his arms, "this means you owe Yoruichi 5,000 yen, doesn't it?"

"Damn Shihouin," Kensei growled.

Hiyori glanced up warily at Shinji, who still seemed to be in shock, since he hadn't moved a centimeter. "The hell, Shinji? You gone catatonic or somethin'?"

His shoulders shook as he snorted. His body seemed to vibrate before he broke out in laughter. Orihime watched with wide eyes as he unceremoniously fell back onto the floor, still laughing.

"I think he's finally gone and lost it," Love muttered as he glanced down at his companion rolling on the floor.

"This is - this is too precious," Shinji choked out between laughs. He finally managed to sit up, but was still chuckling as he regarded the two, now embarrassed, teenagers. "So, who's the one who got the balls to tell the other? Wait." He held up a finger, and peered closely at both of them. With a nod, he concluded, "Ichigo, right?"

"Eh?" Orihime was completely taken aback. "How did you know?" She looked up at Ichigo, trying to find some telling sign that Shinji picked up on.

He grinned. "Gut instinct, and I can see him looking a little defensive." He placed his hands on the back of his head, and tilted his hat forward to cover his eyes. "Looks like you took my advice, eh?"

"Oh, shut the hell up and open the basement door," Ichigo said with a growl. "We're here to train."

"I hear ya," Shinji said, still grinning widely as he stood up. As he unlatched and opened the door, he turned and said, "Though, if you two have better things to do then we'd completely underst-"

Orihime wasn't sure what happened next: all she saw was Ichigo lunging at Shinji, and the next thing she knew, they were in a tangled pile at the bottom of the stairs. She peered down the stairs, eyes wide again as the rest of the Vizards joined her.

"Damn it, Ichigo!" Shinji cursed as he kicked the young man off of him. "We coulda fuckin' broken our necks!"

"It would have been worth it," Ichigo muttered darkly. He got to his feet, followed by Shinji.

"It'd be kinda hard to kiss yer pretty girlfriend there if you were in a neck brace-"

At the top of the stairs, Hiyori slapped her forehead as Ichigo lunged again at Shinji. The two of them went at it, with the others playing spectator. A minute or two into the fight, Hiyori looked up at Orihime with an expression torn between concern and confusion. "The hell do you see in that kid?"

Well, that… that was a good question. Orihime put a finger to her lips in thought. Of course she loved him, but she had hardly taken the time to think over why she did. "Hmmm, well, Kurosaki-kun is a very kind person."

"Kind?" Hiyori repeated, her eye twitching.

"In a strange way," Orihime elaborated with a smile. "He's brash, but that just means he's honest. And he is one of the strongest people I know. He just tries to take on so much and I – I want to help him. I just…" Her smile fell as she fought to find the words. It was hard to pin down what exactly it was about him that she loved. It was everything, from his scowl to his commitment to his friends. How could she sum that up?

Luckily, Rose seemed to understand. "It's all right, Orihime-san. Love's hard to describe in words, isn't it?"

"I suppose someone has to love the Ichigos of the world," Kensei conceded.

Mashiro blinked, and scratched her head. "You mean, there's more than one Berry-tan?"

"How about we stop Shinji and Ichigo from destroying the basement?" Rose suggested with a forced smile as Kensei readied to snap at Mashiro.

Orihime nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we better. Kurosaki-kun got pretty upset with Shinji-kun," she noted with a puzzled frown. "He was just teasing, but Kurosaki-kun didn't take to it well. Maybe that's part of the reason why Kurosaki-kun was hesitant to tell him?"

"I'm sure that's the entire reason," Riza said with a smirk. "But I think Shinji's entitled to a laugh. He's been completely convinced this was going to happen since…" she trailed off, and looked over at Hachi. "How long you think it's been?"

"Quite awhile," he said with a shrug.

Mashiro skipped ahead, and pulled Orihime along with her as they headed down the stairs. "You and Berry-tan are pretty cute! Together, ya know?"

"Really?" Orihime asked. Those words brought a rush of happiness through her, enough to make her skip along with Mashiro.

"Oh, sure," Rose agreed. "Like a perfect duet, both of your melodies complement the other. Your patience with his bluntness, your compassion with his strength… I could go on, but I think you understand," he said with an amused smile.

Hiyori shrugged. "Whatever floats her boat," she said.

Orihime smiled widely. Even Hiyori seemed happy for her, though she didn't show it. As she descended down the stairs, she let the fuzzy, warm feeling envelop her. I feel like I could float like a cloud. She giggled to herself. That would be fun! Maybe Kurosaki-kun can turn into a cloud, too, and we can float in the sky together.

Despite the questioning glances the Vizards were giving her, Orihime seemed perfectly happy as she daydreamed a little more. She was smiling until her foot stepped onto the ground, and her eyes fell on Ichigo.

The feeling of bliss vanished, replaced with a heavy, dark burden on her mind. Orihime's smile fell instantly, and she froze.

"They're really going at it," Kensei commented. "Ichigo's in his shinigami form already."

Hachi nodded. "Shinji's on the defensive, too," he said as he watched Shinji block several of Ichigo's swings. He looked down at Orihime, and frowned in concern. "Orihime-san?"

Something's wrong, Orihime thought as she took a hesitant step towards Ichigo. It was one thing for Ichigo to be annoyed at Shinji for his comments. That she understood. But the rage and anger she was seeing in his eyes as he kept attacking Shinji was completely unlike him and uncalled for. Yes, something was very, very wrong.

Shinji skidded back, and he glared slightly at Ichigo. "I told you I was completely kidding. You need to cool off, kid."

Ichigo said nothing in reply. He merely swung his arm back, Zangetsu in hand, and shouted, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

Shinji didn't even have time to curse as he dived out of the way. He rolled as he hit the ground, and immediately faced Ichigo when he was back on his feet. "The fuck, Ichigo?"

"Oi, Ichigo!" Kensei shouted, "Knock it off!"

"Orihime-san?" Hachi said again, this time shaking her shoulder lightly.

"Something's wrong," Orihime murmured, and took another few steps towards Ichigo. This isn't like him. "Kurosaki-kun!"

Ichigo glanced over at her, and their eyes met. Orihime then went completely still as she saw black seep into Ichigo's one eye. That black ink that meant his Hollow was emerging. She let out a shaky breath, unsure of what to say or do. "Kurosaki-"

"Not a word, Queen. You don't want to ruin my fun now, do ya?"

Orihime let out a choked sound as she grabbed her head and stumbled backwards. Sh-Shirosaki-kun? What are you- why are you doing this?

Before Shirosaki could answer, six voices rung out in her head, shouting, "Get out!"

The heavy presence that weighed on her when she came down the steps instantly vanished. Her energy was suddenly drained, and Orihime fell forward, still clutching her head.

A pair of strong arms came around her before she could hit the ground, and her face was buried in a shihakusho. Her hands let go of her head, and gripped his shoulders. "I'm okay," she said immediately, her voice muffled by Ichigo's chest.

He hugged her a little tighter. "What happened?" he asked.

Orihime could hear the traces of worry in his voice, but she knew he was fighting to sound calm. She sighed, and said, "I heard him."

Ichigo's arms went rigid. "That son of a bitch," he snapped.

"Erm, care to share?" Shinji said, shouldering Sakanade.

"We were going to tell you about it," Orihime said, lifting her head away from Ichigo's chest. "The voice I've been hearing is Shirosaki – I mean, Kurosaki-kun's Hollow."

Shinji heaved a sigh. "Just like we thought." He glanced back and forth between the two teenagers. "What else do you know?"

Ichigo relaxed his grip on Orihime, but never let go of her as he began to tell the Vizards about his fateful and slightly informative conversation with his Hollow.

In another part of town, Rukia was slowly walking through one of the parks. On most Saturdays, the park would be bustling with people and activity. There would be couples walking hand in hand beneath the trees as children skirted around them in pursuit of their friends. However, either because of the snow or the chilly wind, the park was almost completely empty save for her.

Rukia's eyes took in the majestic sight around her. The white, frozen world around her was beautiful, and as a shinigami who wielded an ice-type zanpakutou, she found she had a greater appreciation for the wintry scenery. As she stepped down the path, water splashed around her boot as she stepped into a small puddle, and she was reminded to enjoy the snow while it was here. The strong sun would melt it within a few days at most.

She smiled in contentment, and began humming an old tune as her thoughts drifted. What a great day, she thought. The snow has covered the whole city, and it's so breathtaking.

Of course, to top it all off, two of her best friends were finally a couple. She grinned wickedly as she thought back to that morning. Ichigo's calm and relaxed smile told her instantly what had happened. What did he expect? He never wakes up with a smile. I mean, he was actually friendly at breakfast today and even bid uncle a good morning. She laughed at the memory of Isshin's shocked expression, and him pulling her aside later and asking what had happened to Ichigo.

What a day. Rukia stretched out her arms. The only part that stinks is that I can't go around talking to everybody about it. It's not my place. Honestly, it was Ichigo and Orihime's prerogative to do that. However, I think Matsumoto-fukutaichou, Hitsugaya-taichou, and Hinamori-fukutaichou know. I remember Ichigo mentioning something Matsumoto-fukutaichou knowing about it, so…

She smirked. "It'll give me someone to talk to about it," she said to herself as she continued through the park. "But I'd like to get Orihime's side of the story. I know Ichigo won't tell me anything worth a damn," she added with a roll of her eyes.

Her pocket vibrated, and her communicator rang. Rukia's head jerked down, and she frowned as she pulled it out. She flipped it open and answered, "Kuchiki."

"Rukia?" It was Renji. "Where are you?"

Usually, Renji only concerned himself with her whereabouts if he wanted to meet up with her somewhere. It was her gut reaction to just casually answer and not ask why he wanted to know, but the concern and strain in his voice gave her pause. Her brow creased as she said, "I'm at the park near the shopping district. What's wrong?"

"Urahara's back."

Well, she didn't see that one coming. Rukia stopped in her tracks, and refrained from gaping. "What? He – why?"

"I don't know. He just came back a few minutes ago looking really intense." Renji paused, and then sighed, betraying his frustration. "He won't say a thing, though, until everyone's here. I'm gonna give Hitsugaya-taichou a call and tell him. I was wondering if you could go over to the warehouses and tell Ichigo and them? I don't have Shinji or any of their numbers."

"Yeah, sure." Rukia was already jogging towards the exit. "What about Sado and Ishida?"

"I'll call them, too. Hope they're at home."

"Let me know if they're not. I'll find them," Rukia said. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah."

He hung up, and Rukia pocketed her phone before accelerating into a full sprint. She wasn't sure what to make of Urahara's sudden return. Of course she was glad he was safe, but it still raised suspicions. She shook her head, and kept running.

Just focus on getting to the warehouse and bringing everybody to the Shouten. Worry about the rest later. She repeated the mantra in her head as she hurried through town, but it didn't stop the budding feeling of dread that was settling in her stomach.

By the time Ichigo was finished, Shinji was already relentlessly twirling his cap on his finger, his expression molded into a frown of concentration.

"Oh," Orihime said after a moment of silence. "There was the incident in the restaurant, too. A man, a spirit of some kind, came up and, well, he stabbed Kurosaki-kun in the arm."

"It felt like a needle," Ichigo said as he pushed up his sleeve. Even though he had been stabbed when he was in his body, there was still a mark on his arm in his shinigami form. "Guy was in and out before anyone could react. He was fast."

"And yer sure he wasn't a shinigami?" Shinji asked.

"Yes," Orihime said. "No one but us at the restaurant saw him. He wasn't wearing a shihakusho or carrying a sword, but it seemed like shunpo to us."

Mashiro glanced up at Kensei. "Shunpo is only learned by shinigami who at least have a low-number seat or have power equivalent to one, right? So, he had to be a shinigami."

"Or was one at some point," Kensei added.

"So, an exile, then," Riza concluded. "That's not good. There should only be eleven people in this town who have shinigami training and are exiles."

"What if he's a deserter?" Hachi suggested.

Hiyori walked up to Ichigo and looked at his arm, scrutinizing the small hole left by the needle. "My question is, what could he have gotten from you in that short amount of time? Couldn't have drawn a lot of blood, if any."

Shinji glanced down at her. "You don't have any ideas?"

The former twelfth division vice-captain shook her head. "Not that I know of, but I haven't been doing any research for over a century." She scowled at Orihime and Ichigo. "Tell that short captain to ask what Kurotsuchi knows. The freak might have developed something and the deserter got his hands on it before he took off."

"This is ridiculous," Rose concluded. "I hope this has something to do with why Urahara took off without a word."

"Like we needed any more problems," Shinji muttered. "Well, whatever. If we start worryin' about everything we'll go nuts, so just keep it in the back of yer thoughts until he shows up again. We got more pressing matters to worry about."

He pointed the tip of Sakanade's sheath at Ichigo's forehead. "Your Hollow being one such matter. That little shit is startin' to piss me off."

"How do you think I feel?" Ichigo retorted.

Love crossed his arms as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It's got us in a bad position, though. We can't do anything until it tells us more, which it doesn't seem to want to do."

Orihime clasped her hands together, wishing there was something she knew that could help. "I don't know what the Shun Shun Rikka know, if they know anything at all. We-"

She paused, and suddenly glanced up towards the stairwell. "…Am I sensing Rukia-chan's reiatsu?"

Puzzled, everyone else turned around as well. Shinji's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I sense her, too."

They waited a few minutes, and no one said a thing. Orihime shifted uncomfortably in the silence, but smiled when Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder.

Then, they heard footsteps echoing down the stairs. Rukia emerged, panting as she stopped in the middle of the stairwell.

"Kuchiki," Shinji greeted with a raised brow. "What brings you to this corner of town?"

It wasn't until a few seconds later, after catching her breath, that she answered, "We need to get to the Shouten. Urahara's back."

The silence spread like a shockwave, leaving stunned expressions in its wake. They all exchanged bewildered stares, and the same questions were on everyone's minds. Shinji finally turned towards Rukia again, and nodded. "Well well, that's rather interesting timing."

She shrugged, still just as shocked as they were. "Renji called and told me. Urahara won't say anything until we're all there."

"Uh oh," Mashiro said.

"I concur," Rose said, "That's never a good thing."

"All right," Shinji said, slapping his cap back onto his head. "Get your body wherever you dumped it, Ichigo, and let's roll." He sighed heavily, and frowned as he started towards the steps. "He better damn well have a good explanation ready."

They were the last ones to arrive. The remaining shinigami, Ishida and Sado were already waiting in the dining room when Rukia walked in, followed by everyone from the warehouse.

Yoruichi was chatting with Rangiku when Kensei stomped in, looking cross. None of them said a word until he slammed the 5,000 yen in front of Yoruichi, and then walked away.

Yoruichi picked it up, and grinned widely. "I guess even my prediction of two weeks was underestimating him."

Rangiku raised her brow. "You had a bet going?"

"Yeah," Yoruichi put away the money. "Started just last week. I predicted two weeks, or I had to pay Kensei 5,000 yen. Looks like my gut was right."

Ishida and Sado, who were standing near where Yoruichi was sitting, exchanged surprised looks.

Renji gave Rukia a bewildered stare. "What exactly are they talking about, and why do you look so smug?"

"A little bird told me something interesting this morning," she said. She turned around, and chuckled when the new couple walked in behind Shinji, hand in hand. "See?"

Ichigo and Orihime both paused when they caught everyone staring at them. Orihime flushed, and chewed softly on her bottom lip as Ichigo scowled at everyone.

"They're still a little shy about it," Shinji said with an amused grin.

"Class will be interesting on Monday, to say the least," Ishida said, pushing back his glasses. "I hope you're prepared, Kurosaki."

"For what?"

Sado gave Ichigo a sympathetic look as he said, "Arisawa."

Ichigo grimaced, and slapped his forehead. "Oh, shit. She's going to kill me."

"Nah," Shinji said. "Just a full body cast, I'm thinking."

"You're not helping," Ichigo snapped.

Renji looked down at Rukia. "You know, I'd be more worried about Chizuru than Arisawa," he whispered.

Rukia leaned close to him, and kept her voice low. "Best not to mention that until later."

From the other room, there was the distinct sound of the basement hatch opening. Everyone in the dining room fell silent as they listened. The sliding door joining the two rooms then slid open. Urahara stood in the threshold, donned in a deep black cloak.

"Well, so glad you could join us," Shinji remarked sarcastically.

Urahara smiled tiredly. "Ah, yes. My apologies, everyone. Something came up and I had to investigate it immediately."

"You couldn't even warn one of us?" Renji asked.

"Not exactly. I left right away. Again, I apologize. But is everyone here?"

"I think so," Hitsugaya answered from his seat next to Rangiku. "What was so urgent that you had to look into it by yourself?"

Urahara said nothing at first, instead sitting down next to Yoruichi. He flipped off the black hood that covered his head, and rested his head against his hands. "An informant from Hueco Mundo came by earlier this week and gave me some rather disturbing information."

The whole room went still, and tension thickened in the air as everyone waited for Urahara to continue.

"He told me that Ichimaru and Tousen are working alongside an unknown group of people. We don't know who they are or what they're trying to accomplish, but almost all of the remaining Arrancar have been gathered." He failed to mention the ex-Espada and his position in the whole affair, but as far as Urahara was concerned, now was not the time or place to get into that.

Hitsugaya stiffened. "Another attack, then?"

Urahara nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. But my informant told me something else that worried me even more. I couldn't believe him at first, so I had him take me to Hueco Mundo, and I've been watching their activity the entire week."

"Oh," Shinji pointed to Urahara's cloak. "That's why you were wearing that thing, then?"

"Yes. This cloak suppresses the wearer's reiatsu, so they couldn't sense me while I was there." Urahara ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it even more and adding to his worn out appearance. "On the third day, a powerful reiatsu entered Las Noches. It was a Hollow's, undoubtedly."

Ichigo stared at Urahara, his eyes beginning to widen. "How powerful?"

"Very." Urahara glanced down at the table. "I felt daring and ventured deeper inside, where I got a good look at it. We overheard the Hollow, a male I believe, talking with Tousen and Ichimaru. He has joined them."

The tension was almost suffocating. Hitsugaya clenched his hand tightly, and choked out, "Who is he?"

Urahara sighed heavily, and craned his head back to stare at the ceiling.

When he didn't answer, Yoruichi gripped his shoulder. "Kisuke, who is it?" she asked, her eyes round in worry.

Urahara mustered up all of his courage, and said, "I didn't catch his name, but when I saw him, and felt the full brunt of his reiatsu…" He met the eyes of everyone in the room. "I have no doubt in saying that this Hollow was a Vasto Lorde."

There were no gasps or exclamations of shock or surprise: just wide eyes and stunned silence. Orihime's body trembled slightly, and even Ichigo's reassuring squeeze did little to settle her. Hitsugaya went pale, and let his body fall back against the wall.

Shinji's expression was blank, but his words betrayed his fear. "You're fucking kiddin' me, right?"

"No. I honestly wish I was. The only good news I can bring is that he seems to be the only one they've found. He didn't mention any other Vasto Lordes, but it may only be a matter of time."

Hitsugaya banged his head once against the wall. "Soul Society needs to be told."

"I'd tell them quickly," Urahara advised. "The sooner we're prepared, the better chance we have."

Ishida hesitantly asked, "Do we know just how strong these Vasto Lorde are? I am aware they are stronger than the average taichou, but just how much stronger?"

"We don't know for sure," Momo answered quietly. "We don't even know exactly how many there are in Hueco Mundo. The reports and information on them are few and far between, and they're sketchy."

"All we know," Rangiku added, "is that they're very powerful and not to be dealt with lightly."

Rukia inhaled deeply, and asked, "What do we do?"

"All we can do," Urahara said, "is brace ourselves and hope that we'll be ready when the battle comes."

Ichigo's brow was set into a determined line. He glanced over at Uryuu. "Oi, Ishida."

"Hm?" the Quincy said, raising his brow as he met Ichigo's stare.

Ichigo hesitated, eyeing Orihime warily before asking, "That form that came out on the dome… do you think it could stop a Vasto Lorde?"

Orihime gasped as she looked up at him, and Shinji's temper exploded and he snapped, "Are you mad?"

Ishida seemed just as taken back by the question, and he shrugged helplessly. "I can't say. You heard Matsumoto-san and Hinamori-san. We don't know the strength of a Vasto Lorde."

"I know," Ichigo said, glancing at Orihime apologetically, "maybe that wasn't the right way to ask. I just – if that… thing could stop Ulquiorra that easily, maybe it has the best chance of taking on a Vasto Lorde."

As seemingly suicidal and dangerous his logic was, it was hard for anyone in the room to dispute it. Even as Shinji cursed vehemently, and Orihime struggled to find the words to argue against his idea, Ichigo continued, "I'm not looking forward to it, but we have to try."

His eyes met the gaze of every Vizard in the room, and his expression begged for them to understand. "Guys, please."

Hiyori sighed in defeat, and Shinji slammed his fist against a wall. "Fine," the latter said, "we'll get our asses in gear."

"Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said, her tone pleading.

"It'll be okay," he promised with a soft voice. "I'm not gonna let you or anyone else get hurt by this guy."

But that was exactly the problem, Orihime realized as she looked away from his confident gaze. He wouldn't let anyone get hurt, even if it meant he'd get hurt – or worse, killed - in the process.

A/N: It's back to the plotty stuff! I needed to make up for the pure fluff from last chapter. Please don't shoot me for it.

If you loved the chapter, leave a review. If you want to point out something or comment, leave a review. If you absolutely hated it and think I am a total nut, leave a review. I'm open to anything so long as it's done with respect and not 'tude (and no flames.)