Despite popular belief, I am not, in fact, dead. Sadly, I don't have much of an explanation to offer you for the looong time between chapters, other than busy schedules and laziness on my part. Although I assure you, the former is a lot more responsible than the latter. I'm in a bit of a rush so no shout-outs this chapter, but you know who you are if you reviewed, and I thank you so much for it. Special thanks again to my beta-reader, PL, for looking over this and improving it.

Here's Chapter 13 at last. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 13

The gathered storm strikes

Hinamori opened her eyes in the still early hours of the morning, when the sky is barely lighter than black. She laid still on her futon as her mind became instantly alert and began trying to assess what caused the noise. There were no alarms going off on the street, so it hadn't been a burglary, and Hitsugaya and Matsumoto were both deeply asleep on their futons. After a minute of listening, she only picked up the usual noises of the night: traffic outside, the ticking clock, and the deep breathing of her sleeping companions. Maybe I just imagined it, she pondered thoughtfully.

On the other hand, you didn't survive for years as a shinigami without knowing when to trust your gut. Something had woken her up, and it had been loud and close. Momo pushed aside her blanket and moved towards the door as silently as she could, trying not to disturb her friends.

Now, where did it come from? she wondered as she poked her head into the kitchen. Her eyes scanned the cabinets, the appliances, and the dining table. Nothing seems amiss here. It was difficult to say for certain, but nothing seemed out of place or knocked over. She backpedaled into the living room, and glanced down the hallway that led to the bathroom and Orihime's room.

Could it have come from Inoue-chan's room? She cautiously stepped down the hall, and listened again. There was only silence, and Momo was about to turn away when a soft sound drifted from Orihime's bedroom. Hinamori took another step, then two, and stood still outside the bedroom door. It took her another moment before she realized what the noise was: it was the distinct sound of someone sobbing.

"Inoue-chan," Momo whispered, softly rapping twice on the door. "Are you all right?"

There was some shuffling coming from inside. She frowned in confusion, and knocked again, this time with a little more force. "Inoue-chan."

"No! Stop… please…" There was more shuffling, and the sound of a blanket hitting the floor. "Love… he's my… no!"

A dream? Momo grabbed the door knob. No, this is a nightmare. "Inoue-chan, I'm-"

"No!" This was followed by another slam, like a fist pounding against wood.

Momo began to turn the door knob, glancing at Hitsugaya and Matsumoto's sleeping forms before looking back at the door. "I'm coming-"

Before Hinamori could open the door, Orihime, still trapped within whatever nightmare had gripped her mind, screamed. It was long, jagged, terrified, and it went on for far longer than Hinamori could have imagined possible. The sound tore at her heart and without hesitation, she swung open the door and dashed inside.

Orihime was tangled in her blanket and sheets. Her eyes were screwed shut, but there were tears pouring down her cheeks. Her chest was heaving as she tried to scream and draw breath at the same time. Her hand reached out repeatedly, as if she was trying to grab something. Momo jumped onto her bed, and grabbed Orihime's shoulders. "Wake up!" she said. "Inoue-chan, it's me! You're dreaming!"

What do they usually do to wake me up from my night terrors? Momo struggled to remember as she continued trying to wake Orihime up, murmuring for her to wake up as she tried to disentangle her from her woolen confines.

Rangiku and Hitsugaya skidded into the room, freshly awoken by Orihime's screaming. Hinamori glanced over them, her eyes begging them to help. "She won't wake up."

Matsumoto pushed Hinamori aside and gently grabbed Orihime's shoulders. Her eyes trained on Orihime, she gently but firmly shook Orihime's shoulders. "Orihime!"

Finally, Orihime's eyes snapped open. Her entire body was shaking as she scrambled backwards, out of Matsumoto's grip, until she was flat against the wall. Her pupils had shrunk to points, and there were deep lines under her eyes. Her usually rosy cheeks were sheet white, and there were faint traces of sweat sliding down her forehead.

"Orihime," Rangiku murmured softly. She reached out a hand towards her, a comforting gesture. "You're okay. It was just a dream."

"I…" The young woman glanced at her shaking hands. Her lips began to tremble before tears spilled out. "Oh God. Kurosaki-kun, he-"

"He's fine," Hitsugaya said, standing a ways back from the women. "I can sense his reiatsu. He's at home sleeping, Inoue-san."

"He… he is?"

"Yes. Close your eyes and you'll be able to feel it," Hitsugaya said.

Rangiku gave her an encouraging nod. Orihime's eyes fluttered shut, and she was still for a few moments. Her hands gripped her nightgown until her knuckles turned white. Breathing out, she nodded. "You're right. He's – he's right at home near R – Rukia-chan." She started to laugh nervously. Her shoulders shook from the laughter, but they began to shake harder when the laughter turned into sobbing.

"Inoue-chan." Momo scooted closer and put her arms around her. "It's all right. It was a bad nightmare."

"It was so real. It felt so real. He was – that Vasto Lorde was there and he was killing him and he wouldn't stop!" Orihime covered her face with her hands, as though the gruesome scene she described was taking place right in front of her. "I begged him to stop but he wouldn't. Kurosaki-kun was just lying there, bleeding and I couldn't heal him and – and-" Her breathing became ragged, and hers chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.

"She's hyperventilating." Rangiku rubbed her back, and glanced at Hitsugaya.

He was gone in a blink of an eye, moving considerably fast for being in a gigai. Meanwhile, Hinamori clasped Orihime's face in between her hands. "Hold your breath for a few seconds," she told her in as firm a voice as she could muster.

Orihime tried. She sucked in a deep breath, and held it, but her chest kept heaving, and she was forced to let the breath go. "I – I can't-"

"Here." Hitsugaya was back, with both a brown paper lunch bag and his communicator in tow. "Breathe into this for a bit."

Hinamori took it from him and handed it to Orihime. She accepted it, her expression somehow grateful through the terror. She opened the bag, and exhaled into it. The bag expanded, crinkling open from the air. Then she inhaled, sucking the air back in. The bag deflated. She continued the process for a few minutes, inhaling and exhaling evenly.

Erstwhile, the young captain opened his phone. His face was set into a concentrated scowl as he rapidly hit a few buttons.

"Who are you calling?" Hinamori asked as she rubbed Orihime's back.

"Kuchiki" was all he said before holding the phone to his ear.

"She might not pick up," Hinamori said as she turned back to Orihime. From the corner of her eye, she caught the time on Orihime's digital alarm clock, and winced. 4:37 A.M. She doubted they would be going back to sleep.

"Kuchiki." Hitsugaya turned on his heel and hurried out of the room, speaking into the phone in muted tones. It seemed she had answered, to Hinamori's surprise.

Orihime set the bag down, and sighed deeply. "Thank you, guys."

"Hey, that's what we're here for." Rangiku gave her a small smile as she ruffled her hair. "We've all had nightmares. It's nothing to worry about."

"It's just…" Orihime's head hung low as she stared at the sheets twisted around her waist. "I didn't mean to wake you. I didn't even realize-"

"Inoue-chan." Hinamori shook her head. "How many times have I woken you guys up because of my nightmares?"

"But-"

"It's no different," Momo continued, cutting off any argument Orihime was attempting to make. "Like Rangiku-san said, we all have them."

At a loss as to what to say, Orihime glanced across the room to the entrance. "Who is Hitsugaya-taichou on the phone with?"

"Kuchiki," Rangiku answered. "Don't know why, though."

"Rukia-chan?" Orihime squeaked in surprise. Her head whipped around towards her nightstand. Her eyes squinted in the dark. "4:39? It's too early!" She stumbled out of bed, almost tripping because of the sheets still wrapped around her. Despite Rangiku's protests, she freed herself and hurried out after Hitsugaya.

Momo and Rangiku exchanged glances, and both sighed simultaneously before getting up and going after her. They followed her into the living room, where she was standing a ways from Hitsugaya, who was still on the phone. She seemed ready to protest, but Hitsugaya's expression left no room for argument.

Suddenly, he handed his communicator to her. "For you."

"Eh?" She blinked, but took the phone and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

As Orihime nervously tried to reassure Rukia that she was fine, Hitsugaya quietly walked over to the two vice-captains. He glanced over his shoulder, as if to make sure Orihime was thoroughly preoccupied before saying, "Kuchiki is bringing Kurosaki over here before school. I don't know for sure what she has in mind, but she was adamant about it."

"I guess we'll find out in the morning - er, later," Matsumoto said as she watched Orihime talk on the communicator.

Momo thoughtfully rested her chin in the heel of her hand. It was hard to predict Rukia's thinking at times. Whatever she had in mind, it involved Ichigo; that much was obvious. Perhaps Rukia would bring him over and have him reassure Orihime that he was fine and unharmed. But then, couldn't that be done as easily at school?

"Ah, no!" Orihime's protest snapped Hinamori out of her thoughts. Momo frowned in confusion as Orihime began waving her hands. "Please no, Rukia-chan! I don't want to wake him up!"

The three shinigami in the room glanced at each other with bewildered looks. "You don't think she really will, do you?" Momo asked in a deathly quiet whisper. With the way Ichigo had been acting the past two days, it seemed extremely unwise to rouse him from his slumber at such an ungodly hour.

"No no!" Orihime grimaced, agitation clearly lit in her eyes. "I don't want anyone else woken up because of me! I-" She paused, listening to whatever Rukia was saying in defense of her decision. Orihime's eyes saddened as she then said quietly, "Please don't. Kurosaki-kun has been so exhausted the past two days. I want to him to be able to rest."

It felt like her heart was wrenching, and Momo had to squeeze her eyes shut to stop the tears. Her brow furrowed as she tried to ascertain why she felt so sad. Really, she thought, it's nothing to be sad about. Inoue-chan has always looked over Kurosaki-chan like this: worrying about him and taking care of him. She became buried in her thoughts, so much that she didn't realize Orihime was hanging up the phone, having won the argument. But that's not a bad thing either. Sometimes it makes you feel better to take care of someone, to want to help them and be by their side. Just like when I was with Aizen-taichou-

No matter what she did or how much she tried to control her thoughts, they always found a way back to him. She grimaced as she tried to push his image out of her mind. No! I didn't even have a nightmare and yet- Those gentle eyes and kind smile assaulted her mind, and she couldn't deny just how much she missed them, even though they belonged to the man that had tried to kill her.

"Hinamori."

Her head snapped up in shock, although internally she was grateful for the distraction. "Eh? Sorry! I got lost in thought," she said, turning to Hitsugaya and smiling apologetically.

She was afraid to meet his scrutinizing gaze, so she kept her eyes shut while still forcibly smiling. If she looked into those icy blue eyes, she'd see the doubt and uncertainty. Hitsugaya knew her too well; he'd know she was lying. In order to change the subject, she added, "So, what now? It seems silly to go back to bed." She glanced up at Orihime, who was also giving her a concerned look. Please. Inoue-chan, Rangiku-san, Hitsugaya-kun… don't ask. I – I don't want to talk about it. Please don't say anything.

"All we can do is just get ready for school," Rangiku said. "Hinamori's right: it's pointless to try and sleep now. Besides," she grinned, lightening the atmosphere in the still dark room, "Orihime-chan and I can make a big breakfast!"

"Absolutely not," Hitsugaya said with his usual frown.

"Hey, why not?" Rangiku said. She threw her captain a pouty look. "Orihime and I are just trying to be friendly," she added, not taking into consideration that she had basically volunteered Orihime for the job without asking her.

Before Hitsugaya could give an honest answer which would either insult Rangiku or Orihime or both, Momo piped up, "I'll help Inoue-chan, if she doesn't mind. Besides, since Inoue-chan and I took our showers last night, I think it'd make more sense." The monotonous chores and the repeated motions of cooking would distract her, and also spare her from another meal that was sure to further ruin her digestive tract.

"I don't mind at all," Orihime said.

"Great, let's start!" Momo said, almost wincing at how forced her cheery tone sounded. She grabbed Orihime's hand and pulled her into the kitchen, leaving Matsumoto and Hitsugaya to debate between themselves who got to shower first.

"Ah, um, I don't even know what to make," Orihime said as she stared at the cabinets.

Momo took a few steps back, and flipped on the light switch for the kitchen. "Well, that's a start," she said as she glanced at the refrigerator. "Since we have a lot of time, we can probably make something decent. Maybe some misou soup and fish?"

"Sure. I think there's some broccoli and string beans in there, too, if you want some vegetables," Orihime added as she pulled out a cutting board.

Momo only nodded in response before yanking open the fridge. She bent down, and began pulling out some of the broccoli and beans, along with the onions and seaweed needed for the misou soup.

This is good, she thought to herself as she put the vegetables on the counter. She separated them into two different groups. The broccoli and beans were lumped together to be prepared for cooking, while the onions and seaweed for the misou soup were pushed towards Orihime, who had the cutting board ready. Nice and distracting. I already feel better, now that I've gotten him out of my mind for a minute.

She returned to the fridge to pull out the fish, still wrapped from its purchase yesterday. It's such a struggle not to think about him or what happened. I feel like I always have to be on guard from myself, and it's so tiring. And even when I managed not to, I congratulate myself for not thinking of him and of course that leads me to thinking of him. It's a relentless loop. The package was in her hands, but her thoughts were elsewhere as she stared blankly into the insides of the refrigerator. But what's worse is the pain of remembering, of knowing that –

"Hinamori-san?"

The snap back to reality almost made Momo drop the fish, but she regained her composure and clutched it tightly in her hands. So much for keeping herself distracted. "Ah, sorry! I'm wasting energy!" she said, quickly slamming the fridge shut. She gave Orihime a self-depreciating smile, and shrugged slightly, trying to pass off her spacing out as just careless daydreaming.

Orihime set down the knife she was using to chop the onions, and sighed sadly. "No, I'm the one who's sorry."

"For what?"

Orihime glanced down at the counter. She gripped its edge tightly with her other hand. Hinamori took a step towards her, her eyes wide in worry. "Inoue-chan?"

"I reminded you of him, didn't I?" Orihime asked quietly. When Momo only stared at her in blank shock, she hastily continued, "It's just that – you get that sad, distant look in your eyes whenever you think about him."

"Oh." Momo glanced away uneasily, no longer sure what to say now that she had been caught in her lie.

"I'm so sorry," Orihime repeated. "I didn't mean to…"

Momo worked up the courage to meet her gaze, and she shook her head. "Don't be. It's not your fault at all. I mean, I'm sure Hitsugaya-kun's already told you about how the oddest things remind me of him." She crossed the distance between them, and gently clasped Orihime's hands in hers. "It was just that I was remembering how much I used to care about him, and how I worried about him when he worked too hard. Just like you care about Kurosaki-chan. He's very lucky for it, you know."

Orihime smiled, and the circles under her eyes seemed a little less pronounced when she did. Hinamori was glad for it. "Thank you, Hinamori-san. I don't mind worrying about him, though."

"I understand entirely," Momo said. "I felt sort of special for caring about Aizen-tai – I mean-" She shook her head stubbornly. "Caring about, um, him. I miss caring and fretting over someone."

Orihime's brow furrowed in confusion. "What about Hitsugaya-kun?"

"Oh please," Momo rolled her eyes at the thought of her (or anyone) taking care of the small captain. "He's perfectly capable of handling himself. It's more like he takes care of me, really. In the rare moments that he does need help, Rangiku-san is usually there to lend a hand. So," she shrugged, "I'm not really needed."

"I wouldn't say that," Orihime said thoughtfully. "Rangiku-san once told me that when Hitsugaya-taichou first became a captain, he used to get really immersed into his work, so much that he forgot to eat. You used to come by and check up on him, didn't you? That's how Rangiku-san first really got to know you, since you were in the tenth division so often."

Momo had forgotten about that. It had been a few years, but now that she was reminded of it, she could distinctly remember yelling at Hitsugaya to eat, and bringing him tea late at night, when he was still up to his shoulders in paperwork. "Yes, I used to. But he doesn't do that anymore."

"Maybe not, but I still think he needs both you and Rangiku-san." She raised her hands, palms up, and held them across from each other to resemble a scale. She lifted up her left hand. "Someone to push him in the right direction when he needs it," Then she lifted up her right hand. "and someone to support him. He goes to you a lot when he's stressed about something, doesn't he?" Orihime smiled sheepishly. "I've heard you two talking a couple nights. From what I've heard, it seems that he still needs you. That's why he wants so much to help you right now."

"He does?" Momo blinked in surprise. "I was under the impression he had been stuck with me. He had objected to my coming here."

"Only because he thought you'd recuperate better in Soul Society. Since Aizen died here, he thought it might bring up bad memories." She suddenly paused, her eyes cast to the side. Hinamori looked at her curiously, wondering what it was that she was hesitating to say. After a minute, Orihime continued slowly, "When he came here and asked me about lodging, he also asked me to help you, if I could. Not directly, but I could tell. Hitsugaya-taichou isn't one to ask for help, so I think that shows just how much he wants to see you feel better."

"He did?" Momo knew just as well as Orihime that Hitsugaya almost never asked for help, especially outside his professional life. Momo glanced down at the floor, chewing over this new fact in her head. She knew that he cared, but she hadn't realized just how much he wanted to help her, how far he was willing to go to see her rid of her psychological burdens. "I had no idea."

"He hides it well," Orihime said. "But he does need you."

Momo looked back up, and nodded to her. Her problems were far from resolved, but she could already feel one little burden lift from her heart as Orihime's words began to sink in. She had someone who needed her; he might not show it, but Momo had enough faith in Orihime's intuition to trust her words.

Thank you, Hitsugaya-kun, Inoue-chan. Thank you so much.

The reporter was speaking about the financial situation in Japan, which was apparently crucial knowledge for the public, but it was unlikely that anyone in the Inoue household was paying attention. Normally, there would have been a debate about what to watch, but no one had the energy to suggest anything or make the effort to actually change the channel. In truth, the TV was only on because there was nothing else to do. Breakfast was finished, and its remains had formed part of four neatly-wrapped lunch boxes. Everyone was clean and dressed in their uniforms. They had an hour or more to wait before Ichigo and Rukia would even arrive, so the TV had seemed like a wonderful form of distraction.

Orihime was resting her head on the arm of the couch, her body curled up into a ball. Her eyes kept drooping and threatened to close, no matter how many times she wrenched them open. Eventually, somewhere during a report about a bank heist in downtown Tokyo, she lost the battle and drifted off to sleep.

She didn't wake until someone started pounding on her door. Orihime twitched as she cracked open her eyes. "Eh?"

"I'll get it," Hitsugaya said. He stood up, and brushed off his pants before crossing the living room. Orihime craned her head around to see who it was when she heard the door open.

"Kuchiki, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya greeted them.

They both nodded at him, but their eyes were trained on Orihime. She met their gazes, but it took a moment for her sleep-clouded to register that they remained standing in the threshold. She blinked, and then, "Oh! Rukia-chan, Kurosaki-kun! Come in!" She pushed herself off the couch, barely landing on her feet before straightening herself. "S – sorry! I'm a little out of it."

"You're tired," Rukia corrected her as they walked in. "How are you feeling otherwise?"

"I'm fine!" Orihime insisted. Her eyes glanced up, and softened when Ichigo frowned worriedly at her. Despite his apparent concern, Orihime couldn't help but feel relieved seeing him there, alive and well. Although it had been a few hours since she had the nightmare, the leftover paranoia and fear had settled in her stomach, refusing to leave. His presence helped to dispel most of it.

By the time she was pulled from her thoughts, Ichigo was already standing behind the couch, his hand on her cheek. He continued to remain silent as his thumb rubbed the dark circles under her left eye.

"I'm fine," she repeated, but with less vigor this time.

"You will be after you get some more sleep." Rukia shifted the weight of her books from one arm to the other. "Stay here today. You're stressed out and worried. Take the day off."

"It'll be all right," Rangiku said before Orihime could protest. "You haven't missed school since you got back from Hueco Mundo, and I'm sure sensei will just think you're on another government mission or something."

"By herself, though?" Momo asked softly.

Rangiku blinked. "People go on solo missions all the time."

"She meant staying home alone," Hitsugaya said with a roll of his eyes. "Since that is what she's actually doing."

"She won't be alone," Rukia said with a calm smile. "Ichigo will be here with her all day."

"I will?" Ichigo said, turning around to face her with a surprised expression.

"Yes. She's tired and you're still a ticking time bomb with that temper of yours." She held up a silencing hand before he could interject. "It's not like I don't understand, or at least, I don't hold you entirely responsible. I don't know what that stupid Hollow of yours-"

"How did you know-"

"I think it's fairly obvious," she said with a frown. "Anyway, whatever it's doing, it's making you lash out at everyone except Orihime. It only makes sense that you stay here with her. Besides, what is there to complain about? You get to spend time with her. Alone."

Rangiku smirked, and tried to repress her snicker as she looked away. "That should seal the deal."

"I – I don't mind if you stay," Orihime said to Ichigo. "I mean, only if you w – want of course."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Absolutely."

He considered it for a moment; Orihime could see the debate subtly play out on his features. After long moments of debating, he nodded in assent. "All right. It'd be nice not to bite someone's head off for a day. We still have training later, though."

"You should definitely go," Rukia said. "But get some rest first."

"Yes ma'am," Orihime answered with a playful salute.

"We better get going," Hitsugaya said, "before we're late." He turned towards the couple. "We'll cover for you."

Rangiku chuckled to herself as she headed towards the door. "Good thing Ochi-sensei is so gullible."

"Or just doesn't care," Rukia added. "I'm still not sure which it is."

"Take care you two!" Momo said as she began to walk out with the other shinigami. "And oh, Inoue-chan." She paused in front of the threshold. "Thank you for earlier."

"Huh? Oh!" Orihime shook her head. "It was nothing. I hope it helped a little, that's all."

"I think it did." Momo smiled, and bowed to them. "See you later!"

Orihime caught Hitsugaya's confused stare, and Rangiku and Rukia's waves before Momo closed the door behind them. With the shinigami gone, the apartment was eerily silent. Orihime sighed as she stood up. "I guess since we're staying here today, I should get out of these clothes." Her eyes raked over Ichigo, and she added, "I guess you weren't able to bring a change of clothes?"

"I would if I had known I was going to be skipping," Ichigo muttered. "Damn midget and her controlling-"

"I might have something," Orihime said before Ichigo could fly into a tirade about Rukia and his disdain for her pushing him around (even though it was for his own good). "I might have something of onii-chan's that you could wear."

Ichigo nodded, smiling in relief. "Yeah, that'd be great, if you don't mind."

"Nope. Just give me a minute to get changed and I'll go find some." She strode off to her bedroom, and began rummaging through her drawers. She pulled out an old pink sweater and black sweatpants for herself and tossed them on her bed. Next she sorted through her pajama drawer, having sworn she remembered seeing an old pair of shorts that belonged to Sora some time ago.

There, she thought as she caught sight of them from the corner of her drawer. She pulled them out, and held them up for inspection. They were a little worn, and just a plain faded shade of gray, but they had an elastic waist. This should do.

After she got changed and had put her uniform away, she walked out with the shorts in front of her, on display for Ichigo. "Are these okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah." Ichigo walked over and took them from her, smiling gratefully. "You don't mind me wearing your brother's stuff?"

"Of course not," she said with a tilt of her head. "He wouldn't want them going to waste or left to collect dust in a drawer."

"Okay." He bent down and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be out in a minute," he said before walking into the bathroom.

Orihime smiled widely, touching her forehead gently with her fingers. I feel a little bad about missing school, she thought as she made a bee-line for the couch. Still, spending the day with Kurosaki-kun is like – Her cheeks turned pink. Well, I certainly can't complain.

She laid down on the couch, and stretched out her legs and back. She let her head rest against the arm of the couch, the same spot she had it before, and was considering turning on the television when Ichigo walked out, now donning Sora's shorts instead of his uniform pants.

"Thanks, Inoue," he said as he folded his pants over his arm. He walked over and laid them by his books, and took off the heavy sweater covering his uniform shirt. He paused as he glanced down at her, his expression apologetic. "I'm really sorry about this. I had no idea that she was planning this."

"Don't be. I like you being here." Orihime smiled sincerely. "Rukia-chan was kind of right. I don't think there's much room for complaint. I think we can both use the day off."

He walked around the couch, and sat down on the floor. He leaned back against the foot of the couch, the back of his head nestled against Orihime's side. "Get some sleep."

"Yes sir," Orihime said in a mock serious tone. "But what will you do?"

"Just watch some television," he said with a shrug. "I'll be fine. Just sleep."

She nodded, her eyes already beginning to feel heavy. "Mmkay," she murmured. "The remote's…" She reached behind her, and dug it out from beneath the sofa cushion. She handed it to him. "Right here."

Ichigo took it and turned on the television. Orihime settled back into the couch, and yawned widely. She caught Ichigo smiling in amusement from the corner of her eyes, and flushed faintly in embarrassment.

"Damn news," Ichigo muttered as he flipped to a different channel. "It's depressing. Like I want to hear about other people's crap."

The channels flew by, with Ichigo unable to settle on anything in particular. In the midst of his channel surfing, Orihime was once again claimed by sleep.

She dreamed again, but not of death and Vasto Lordes. At first, there were just vague images, fragments twisted and blurred together from her memories. Floating up from the surface of her subconscious were bits of conversations she had with her friends, flashes of memorable images, and an amalgamation of thoughts and feelings, blurred together in an incomprehensible mess.

Once the memory fragments faded, she was left in darkness. There was nothing, and her consciousness slipped into a deeper state of sleep.

Then a clear, sharp image emerged. Standing in the middle of a field, Orihime saw Ichigo in the distance, his back to her. She called out to him, but he didn't answer. Puzzled, she walked up to him until she was within arm's reach. "Kurosaki-kun?"

He turned, but the calm brown eyes she was expecting to see were replaced with black eyes and gold irises. He gave her a feral grin, and said in a voice laced with insanity, "Question for ya, Queen. How long do you think you and the king got left?" His right hand cupped her chin. "Gimme a little more time, and soon I won't have to share with the king anymore."

Orihime had no idea if this was a dream or an actual encounter. Maybe it was something in between. He didn't look like the Hollow that Ichigo had described, but that voice was indisputably Shirosaki's. A million questions were begging to be asked, but it was difficult to even form a coherent sentence. Her mind was threatening to freeze up on her, to immobilize her in panic. She was determined not to let that happen, so she swallowed, and asked in a shaky voice, "Share what?"

There was a flash of black behind Shirosaki before everything around her blurred. "Get the hell out!" a familiar voice hollered.

Tsubaki? Orihime tried to focus, but everything was spinning. The field was becoming distorted, and Orihime felt like she was flying back. "Wait!" she called out, trying to go back to where she was. Darkness engulfed her, but she was consciously aware of it as she kept being propelled backwards.

Her eyes flew open, wide in shock as her body went rigid. She controlled her breathing, trying to keep it steady and calm. She didn't want to hyperventilate twice in one day. Her eyes glanced over at Ichigo, and she was surprised to find him asleep, his head still nestled against the side of her waist.

He fell asleep. Is that why…? Although panic still seized her body, rendering her paralyzed, she slowly began to force her limbs to work. First she wiggled her fingers, then stretched out her ankles. Eventually, she was able to slowly sit up. Despite feeling calmer, a presence, most likely Shirosaki's, weighed heavily in the back of her mind.

His presence was becoming more pronounced in both her and Ichigo's minds. Orihime could not fathom why, but for whatever reason, he was. What did he mean by "how much time they had left?" What was he sharing with Ichigo? Orihime could think of a few answers to the second question. After all, they were obviously sharing the same body, the same mind, their powers…

Were they also sharing her?

There seemed to be no clear answer. So many questions loomed over her, just like Shirosaki's presence. Deep within her, she could feel him trying to reach in, could feel that existence growing steadily. A part of her wanted to wake Ichigo, but she was afraid to. What if something terrible happened as a result? She squeezed her eyes shut as she struggled to decide if she should push him away or try to confront him.

Then suddenly, the presence diminished. She blinked, and rubbed her temples to soothe the headache that was left behind as a result. What the-

Her hairpins flashed, and out came the Shun Shun Rikka. Orihime looked at them, and then at Ichigo, still asleep. Shun-o flew down and landed on her shoulder. "Orihime-san," she whispered, "are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Orihime whispered back. "What's going on?"

Hinagiku pointed to Ichigo. "His Hollow, as usual."

"Ah, yeah." Orihime frowned in concern as she thought back to her "dream" with Shirosaki. "I heard him."

"He's getting worse," Lily said worriedly. "I mean, it's not the first time this has happened, but he tried to enter twice in a row. He couldn't do that before."

"Granted, the second attempt wasn't as strong as the first," Shun-o added, "but it's still alarming."

"Why is he able to?" Orihime asked.

"No idea is definite, but ever since you and Ichigo have gotten closer, that Hollow's gotten stronger." Tsubaki crossed his arms, rubbing at his brand with his shoulder. "We still don't know how it's doing this, but the closer you get with Ichigo-"

"And the more worried he becomes," Baigon said. "We've noticed that, too. Ichigo's worry about the impending invasion has allowed the Hollow to make his emotions go haywire."

"Really?" Orihime shook her head in disbelief. Ichigo had been so on guard since hearing about the Vasto Lorde. Shouldn't that have made it harder for Shirosaki, not easier? Orihime sighed in frustration. Ichigo had been training so hard and yet this is what happened-

Wait a minute. It might have been a stretch, but it was worth asking. "Do you think it's because of what he said?" Orihime said. "About getting that form in control?"

Ayame nodded, and Shun-o said, "That's what we were also thinking. If he's been pushing himself towards achieving that form, his Hollow might be taking advantage of it. Honestly, it could be a lot of things." She shrugged. "It could be all of them. We just don't know. But we do know this much: whatever's going on, that Hollow is going to do something soon."

"How long do you think you and the king got left?" Shirosaki's earlier question suddenly made a little more sense. The countdown was ticking to the time when Shirosaki would implement whatever he was planning, and somehow Orihime and Ichigo would be separated. That seemed to be his plan, anyway.

"Is there anything we can do?" she pleaded with the Rikka.

"Just be alert," Tsubaki said, "and expect anything. Keep Ichigo as calm as possible, and don't let him get worked up about this invasion."

"I'd also talk to the Vizards," Lily suggested. "Have them help Ichigo confront his Hollow and put an end to this. If he argues with them, tell him that he's in no shape to be fighting if his temper's going off at every little thing."

"And he certainly won't be able to control that form if he can't even control his own Hollow," Tsubaki added.

Orihime nodded in determination. Luckily, they had training today, so she would bring it up and hopefully everything would be resolved by tomorrow. "Thank you, guys."

They nodded to her before disappearing in a flash, resuming their hairpin form.

Before Orihime could mull over the conversation she had with her powers, Ichigo stirred. He cracked open his eyes, and yawned. "Oh, wow. I fell asleep." He rubbed a hand over his face. "What time is it?"

Orihime looked over the top of the couch, trying to get a look inside the kitchen. She squinted, but managed to make out the numbers on the microwave. "10:30," she said. "We got about three hours of sleep."

"Not bad." Ichigo stretched out his arms and back, and winced when a distinct crack emitted from his lower back. "Ow."

Orihime reached out, and gently grasped his right arm, which was outstretched in front of her. She squeezed his hand and gave him a forced smile. What she wanted more than anything was a taste of that confidence he always seemed to emit, to feel it flow through him, out his fingertips and into her. She so desperately needed it right now. A tiny part of her chided herself for relying on him again. The rest of her argued that she wasn't relying on him, just drawing on him for support. She gently nuzzled her nose against his upturned palm. That gesture alone helped soothe some of her fraying nerves.

Ichigo's gaze met hers, and held it for long moments. His eyes seemed to be searching hers, searching for the reason behind the forced smile. Orihime resisted the urge to close her eyes and turn away, knowing that would only arouse more suspicion. Instead, she kept her smile steady and her face composed. She planned on talking to him about what happened eventually, preferably during training. Her head was just too confused right now to even try to make sense of what had happened.

Without warning, Ichigo suddenly yanked her off the couch. She yelped in alarm as she flew backwards. She landed in his lap, and his arm caught her behind her back and wrapped up around her shoulder to prevent her from falling into the coffee table. She blinked rapidly, her mind trying to catch up with what just happened. She looked down, and flushed furiously when she realized she was in his lap. "E – eh? Kurosaki-kun?" she squeaked.

"Are you uncomfortable?" he asked calmly, nudging his nose against her hair.

"N – not exactly," she answered. It was a little awkward, granted, but she didn't have the heart to complain. Not when he smiled at her answer, and held her close. "Just surprising."

"Sorry," he said, not looking apologetic at all. "I just – I want to enjoy this time we have, because…"

When he didn't finish his sentence, Orihime frowned. "Because what?"

"I got a bad feeling," he murmured. "Maybe it's just because of the impending fight, I don't know, but I just feel like this peace we have right now is going to shatter right before our eyes."

I can't let him get too worried, Orihime thought, remembering Tsubaki's earlier warning. Pushing aside her own fears (maybe she had been able to get some of that confidence from him), she shook her head vigorously, and kept her voice even as she said, "I know it's scary, but even if something does happen, we'll just pick up from where we left off. Peace can be brought back."

Ichigo glanced down at her in surprise, taken aback by her confidence. "Inoue…"

"We'll be okay," she insisted.

Ichigo seemed at a loss as to what to say. He bumped his forehead against hers, and searched her eyes. Finally, he chuckled. "You're starting to sound like me."

"Is that a bad thing?"

He shrugged, but seemed hardly concerned. "I guess we'll find out."

Rukia wasn't sure why, but with Ichigo and Orihime absent, school just seemed so much more boring. Maybe because she wasn't able to toss annoying notes at Ichigo, or because the classroom was just so much drearier without Orihime's radiating presence. Whatever the reason was, she was having a harder time than usual paying attention to any of today's lessons. She was more content to just stare ahead at nothing, and let her mind drift off. It was certainly easy enough. Her mind was preoccupied with much more pressing matters than whatever Ochi-sensei was babbling about.

Ichigo's deteriorating self-restraint was one such matter. Rukia's closeness to him meant that she was safe from the brunt of his anger, but he had lashed out angrily, and sometimes even violently, at those around her. She wasn't sure what was worse: seeing the others bear the brunt end of his flaring anger, or seeing how much Ichigo suffered for it. He had come home to the past two days exhausted and guilty. His behavior was inexcusable, but this time, Rukia couldn't smack him or yell at him for it. Someone else was behind this, and it hadn't taken Rukia long to figure out who it was.

Stupid inner Hollow of his, she thought scathingly as she looked out the window. She was beginning to hate the Hollow, even if it was a part of Ichigo. She couldn't stop it herself. There was no way for her to go into Ichigo's mind and beat the Hollow into submission. She was frustrated and angry and at a loss of what to do. Granted, inner Hollows weren't her expertise, but she just wished there was something she could do to help.

The lunch bell pealed. Rukia had been so absorbed in her thoughts that the loud sound had caught her completely off guard. She nearly fell out of her seat in surprise, only barely managing to catch herself by grabbing onto the desk for support.

"You all right?" Renji asked, walking up alongside of her and helping her to her feet.

"Yes. I just was thinking too much and-"

A hand on her shoulder stopped her mid-sentence. Renji frowned in concern, and said, "You're that worried?"

Rukia glanced around, noticing there were still a lot of students milling about. "It's not something to be taken lightly," she said. "Let's talk about it at lunch."

Renji nodded in agreement. Rukia picked up her books, and took a deep breath, trying to settle herself. I have to keep calm. Surely something can be figured out as to how to handle this. She allowed herself to draw strength from the memory of Renji's hand on her shoulder as they walked down the corridor. I don't-

A note came soaring towards them. Renji took a step back, the note barely missing his nose. The folded piece of paper landed on top of Rukia's books. Both shinigami blinked in unison, and looked ahead to see who tossed it at them. Shinji glanced back at them, giving them a slight nod before walking away with a wave of his hand.

"The hell was that for?" Renji muttered as Rukia began opening the note. "A little warning would have been nice."

Rukia hardly cared about Shinji's note-delivering methods as she read the parchment:

We'll handle the Hollow tonight. I don't feel like getting another broken nose, so he's not leaving until everything's settled. Don't worry about it. You frown too much when you do.

Shinji

"He's confident," Rukia murmured. She handed the note to Renji for him to read. "I suppose he'll need it."

"At least something's being done," Renji said with a shrug. "Gotta give him credit for that."

"What's being done?" Rangiku asked, peering over their shoulders to see.

"Stuff not discussable here," Renji said, hiding the note from Rangiku. "But hopefully Ichigo will be back to normal tomorrow."

"Ooooh. You hear that, taichou?" Rangiku glanced down at her tiny captain, who had been helping Hinamori gather her books. "Looks like he'll be just fine. Shinji and them are experts at this kind of thing, aren't they?"

"I would think so," he said. "But it's good to hear. Everything will resume normally tomorrow and then-"

Everyone's communicators suddenly began to beep. All five of them pulled their phones out, and flipped them open, one by one. Renji let out a long "Eh?" as he stared at the screen. "Am I looking at this right?"

"There's a Hollow," Rukia said quietly as to not be overheard, "but the location… isn't that-"

"That's Inoue-san's apartment complex," Hitsugaya said. He glanced up at Rukia. "Did Kurosaki have his badge with him?"

"I think so," she said.

Rangiku flipped her phone shut. "Then they'll be fine. He wouldn't let anything happen to Orihime, so there's no point in us all rushing off."

Hitsugaya glanced up at the ceiling, and frowned. "Maybe not, except this reiatsu I'm feeling… it's an Arrancar's."

Rukia felt for the reiatsu, automatically assuming the worst and that it was Gin and Tousen's attack force. Her eyes snapped open when she realized she recognized the reiatsu. "Wait, that's…"

"Hollow! Hollow!"

"Damn it," Ichigo muttered under his breath. He rummaged through his things until he pulled out his badge. "I'll be right back, Inoue," he said before pressing the badge to his thigh.

She nodded and watched him walk out the door, his hand already on Zangetsu's handle. She turned back to her lunch, or what was left of it. She scooped up some of her homemade leek and kiwi soup, and was about to take a sip when she heard Ichigo holler in surprise.

Orihime leapt up, her spoon falling to the floor behind her. She wrenched the door open, and looked out. In the distance, she saw Ichigo stand in mid-air, looking up at someone who was walking towards him. Orihime squinted until she could make out black socks, a white hakama, and teal hair.

"Grimmjow?" Ichigo shouted, taking a step back in surprise. "What the – how are you…"

"It's been awhile, Kurosaki." Grimmjow appeared next to Ichigo in a flash, grinning manically as he pulled out his sword. "Surprised to find me alive?"

Ichigo shrugged one shoulder, trying to look dispassionate. His face was tense, but he kept his voice nonchalant. "What does it matter? You're here for another fight?"

"I'm collecting my due." Grimmjow s said, swinging Pantera in a rough arc that landed with the hilt on his shoulder. "You better not have gotten fucking soft on me since I last saw you. I'll kick your ass if you have."

"Oh?" Ichigo snorted as he drew out Zangetsu. "I guess you forgot who was left in a bruised heap the last time we fought."

"You little shit!" Grimmjow snapped. He flew at Ichigo, and gritted his teeth as Pantera and Zangetsu clashed together.

Ichigo leapt back, and shouted, "Bankai!"

As soon as he had transformed into his bankai form, Ichigo flash-stepped the distance between him and Grimmjow, and swung Tensa Zangetsu down with enough force to send Grimmjow sliding backwards.

"Tch." Grimmjow pulled his hand back. "Looks like not too soft, but I'm still gonna make you come at me with everything you got." A Cero charged in his palm, and with a grin, he fired it off.

Ichigo countered this with a Getsuga Tenshou, and the force of the two energies meeting sent out a small shockwave that Orihime felt, even from several yards away.

This isn't good, she thought as she watched Ichigo and Grimmjow continue to exchange blows. If Kurosaki-kun was his usual self, I know he'd be all right but with his temper like it is…

She didn't know whether to stop them or not. Did she even have a right to? She clutched her hands tightly together as the fight pressed on, with neither man gaining the upper hand. He hasn't had to bring out his mask yet, but he will eventually and that scares me. What if Shirosaki-kun tries to do something?

The fighters clashed again, and Orihime shuddered. There were so many ways in which the fight could go wrong: naware by-standers getting caught in the crossfire, Ichigo getting injured and bloodied… Even though she knew the others would come if he got into trouble, and that he was capable of besting Grimmjow, she felt the same nerves she felt when Ichigo and Grimmjow had their third (and what they had thought was their final) encounter in Hueco Mundo. She almost wished Neliel was at her side again, just so she had someone with her, someone who was just as worried.

Suddenly, from inside the apartment, the house phone began to ring. Orihime glanced over her shoulder, and frowned in confusion. Is it Hitsugaya-taichou calling to know who Kurosaki-kun is fighting? She turned back to the fight, and then back again towards her house, unable to decide what to do.

On the fifth ring, she hurried inside. She would just make the conversation fast, and then go back to watching the fight. Besides, Ichigo had fought alone plenty of times. He would be okay for a few minutes, hopefully.

"Hello?" she said hurriedly when she picked up the phone.

"Ah, you are home. Hitsugaya-taichou wasn't kidding."

"Urahara-san?" Orihime blinked in surprise. She noted the slight strain in his voice, but decided not to question it immediately. "Wh – what's going on?"

"I apologize if you're worried about Kurosaki-san. I'm afraid his current skirmish with Grimmjow is my fault. I'll explain why later. But right now, I have a guest here who says she knows you and Kurosaki-san." He sounded incredulous as he continued, "She's an Arrancar who goes by the name Neliel."

"Nel-chan?" Well, speaking of the devil… Orihime couldn't fathom why Nel would show up in the human world of all places, unless something so bad or monumental had happened that Nel was compelled to come here. "I do know her. Why is she there?"

She heard some shouting in the background, and recognized one of the raised voices as Nel's. "Can I talk to her?"

There was a pause, and then, "Very well. Here."

She waited patiently as she heard Urahara murmur something, possibly explaining to Neliel how to use a phone. She kept glancing out the window, trying to see how Ichigo was faring against Grimmjow. It was difficult to see them, as they kept zipping around and never stayed in one place for long.

"Owahime?"

"Nel-chan!" Orihime smiled, relieved to be hearing the little Arrancar's voice. "What's going on?"

"I had to come here to warn you and Itsygo about Tousen and Ichimaru, but thith stupid jerk wouldn't believe me!" Orihime could picture her throwing a glare at Urahara, and perhaps even sticking her tongue out. "I twied telling him we were fwiends, but he didn't believe me until he finally called thome Heetsoogaya person and then he called you."

"I'm sorry, Nel-chan." Orihime smiled softly, even though Nel couldn't see it. "But we do know about Tousen and Ichimaru and that they'll be attacking at some point-"

"But that's why I came!" Nel's voice took on a high-pitched shriek as she continued, "They're coming thoon! Dondochakka, Pesshe and I thaw them gathering their forces! They're coming today!"

Even through the overwhelming shock, Orihime could hear surprised yells in the background. Apparently, Nel had left out that minor detail when she first talked to Urahara. "Wh – what?"

"It's twue! We thaw them and tho we came to warn you guys! I twied telling thupid Uwhawa over here-"

"Nel-chan," Orihime couldn't stop her voice from shaking. "are you sure?"

"Yeth! I thwear!" Nel sniffled. "Nel wouldn't lie about thomething like this!"

"Oh God…" Orihime glanced outside, and realized that she had to stop Grimmjow and Ichigo's fight. "Nel-chan, I'm – I'm gonna go tell Kurosaki-kun. Make sure Urahara-san calls and warns everyone, okay?"

"O – okay…"

"Just stay in the store and you won't get hurt. I – I gotta go. Be careful!" She hung up the phone, and tossed it carelessly onto the couch as she ran back outside.

Without second thought, she summoned Hinagiku, Baigon and Lily, and aimed them at Ichigo and Grimmjow. As the two were about to collide, Santen Kesshun went up between them. Both fighters were bounced back, and had to skid and slide in order to regain control of their momentum.

Although the fight took place above, Orihime was on the ground, running towards them and waving her arms. "Stop!" she kept shouting. "You have to stop!"

Both men looked down at her, equally as surprised to find her there. She saw Ichigo shout something at Grimmjow before he leapt down. Orihime skidded to a stop when Ichigo landed a few feet away from her. He frowned quizzically at her as he crossed the distance between them. "Inoue, what's-"

"You gotta stop!" she protested breathlessly.

"Look, I'll be fine." Ichigo said. He wasn't bruised or beaten up much, which Orihime was grateful for. However, that was also probably the reason as to why he was so confused about her interfering. He gave her a small smile as he continued, "It's not like-"

"Urahara-san called!" Orihime's chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath. "Nel-chan was there."

"Nel?" Ichigo's head jerked back, his expression as surprised as hers had been. "Why?"

"She came to warn us! Kurosaki-kun, they're coming. She saw Tousen and Ichimaru gathering their forces to invade. They're coming today!"

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock, and he seemed unable to move for a moment. "Wha…?" He shook his head, and whipped around towards Grimmjow. "Oi, Grimmjow! We gotta finish this later! We're-"

Ichigo never finished his sentence. At that moment, the pressure around them dropped, the first sign of an opening Garganta. Orihime, Ichigo and Grimmjow remained frozen in place, tiny against the great black maw that yawned before them. Tousen, Gin, and their gathered Arrancar stepped out of the Garganta. There were many of them, at least twenty or so and not counting their former shinigami commanders. It was hard to see them from so far away, but their movements were troublingly easy and relaxed.

For one dreadful moment, silence hung in the air.

"Oh no," Orihime whispered as her hands covered her mouth. Her body began to shake as the Garganta closed with a dreadful finality. She had counted on some time, just a little more time, but it had slid through their fingers like sand. With roughly two dozen opponents waiting for them, with a rumored Vasto Lorde amongst their ranks, it didn't matter if they were unprepared or were not ready for battle. They were out of time.