Okay, because I know some of you are going to ask: I sort of made a typo in the author's notes last chapter. I had manga on the brain when I was uploading this, and since most shounen manga (that I read anyway) update weekly, next chapter = next week, right? So, yeah, when I said the plot would continue next week, I meant next chapter. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this mistake until about a week after I posted, and I had a chapter to write for a collab fic I'm doing. So yeah, this is later than I unintentionally promised.

BUT, I decided that instead of going back and fixing it, I'd use it as motivation to get this done quicker. Yes, it's three weeks later, but I figured after the three month wait for the last one, no one would mind too much. I really am sorry about that typo, though :(

Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed (I'll get to the replies after the upload) and double thanks to my beta-readers for looking over this. You all keep me going, you really do. Okay, enough mushy stuff. Onto the chapter!

Chapter 25

The heart of the matter

This Christmas morning was not meant to be a normal one. It had started out seemingly average: Orihime had woken up and was disappointed to find no snow outside. But it rarely snowed on Christmas Day, so she wasn't too bummed out. At the very least, it was cold and frosty and that was enough for her to make it feel like Christmas.

After getting showered and dressed, she walked out of her room and greeted her housemates. "Good morning, everyone!" she said with a smile.

Momo waved to her, and Hitsugaya murmured a good morning back to her. Rangiku glanced up from the couch and offered her a smile and a, "Hey, Orihime."

Orihime smiled back, though it wasn't as heartfelt as it normally was. Her housemates were quieter than normal today. She knew part of it was because Rangiku was still grieving for Ichimaru, and she would be for some time. But she knew it was also because that they would be leaving for Soul Society in two days, and it would be time to say good-bye.

A part of her was happy that they would miss her, and that their time here wasn't so horrible that they were looking forward to leaving, but she hated seeing them down in the dumps. She couldn't do much for Rangiku and her sorrow - that would take time - but she could do her best to cheer them up. "Does anyone have any plans for today?"

"Not in particular," Hitsugaya answered.

"Aren't you going out with Ichigo-kun later?" Momo asked.

"Ah, yeah, but not until the evening. I was thinking maybe we could do something today beforehand. Like a last big hurrah for us before you guys go back."

"Big hurrah?" Rangiku said, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "What did you have in mind?"

"Er, it doesn't have to be anything exciting. But I wanted to do something with you guys before you left, if that's okay."

"We could get breakfast, for starters," Momo suggested. "I'd like to eat at that diner one more time. I really am going to miss some of the food here."

"Are you sure you can go out?" Rangiku asked Orihime. "Weren't you struggling to think of a Christmas present idea for Ichigo?"

"Ah!" Orihime grinned in triumph. "Not anymore! I forgot to tell you. Tatsuki-chan helped me and I have something for him now."

"I hope you didn't spend too much money," Hitsugaya said with a frown. "I understand he's your boyfriend and that this Christmas holiday is special, but it'd be ridiculous to-"

"Taichou!" Rangiku chided. "If Orihime wants to spend a lot of money on him, then she can! Besides, it's the thought that counts."

"I hardly spent anything on it, actually," Orihime said with a nervous laugh. "I just hope he likes it."

"Oh, he will," Rangiku said with a playful roll of her eyes. "You could give him a pair of socks and he'd like it." She paused, and added, "That's not what you got him, right?"

"No no no!" Orihime waved her arms in front of her. "Of course not! I don't even know what kind of socks Ichigo-kun likes! I mean, maybe he likes athletic socks, or low-cut socks! He might even like those knee-high ones. Then there's all kinds of material for socks. He might like cotton or-"

Momo burst out laughing, even though she had long grown used to Orihime's occasional ramblings. "I get the feeling Ichigo-kun wouldn't care much about socks."

"No one who has their priorities straight cares about socks," Hitsugaya added seriously. "It doesn't seem like an appropriate present, anyway. At least not from you."

"What I got Ichigo-kun is definitely not socks. Though I kind of want to now, just to see what he would say." When she smiled and the others stared at her in mild surprise, she broke out into a fit of giggles. "Just kidding! I wouldn't do that! Only mothers and wives give men socks as a present, and it's usually with other things, too."

Rangiku smiled slyly. "Well then. Maybe you should as practice."

Poor Orihime turned a bright red as she spun away from Rangiku. "I - I - Ichigo-kun and I are just dating! Not even for a month yet! M - Marriage would be a long way off, and that's assuming he'd want to marry me."

"If he doesn't propose to you within the next ten years," Rangiku said with a serious frown, "I'm going to sock him one. Then I'll have taichou beat him up for good measure."

"I'm your captain," Hitsugaya said with a glare, "not your... goon."

"So, breakfast!" Momo interjected, clapping her hands together loudly before an argument could brew. "I'm up for some!"

"Fine, fine," Rangiku said. "We'll all get ready and head out then."

As Hitsugaya headed for the bathroom to get changed, Orihime began walking towards the kitchen, intent on washing some dishes and cleaning up the remnants of the dinner Rangiku and the others had left while she waited for everyone to get ready.

"Oh, Orihime-chan," Momo protested softly. "I was going to wash those later. You didn't even eat here last night."

"It's fine," Orihime said, brushing off Momo's continued protests as she turned on the faucet. She picked up a plate as she reached for the sponge. "I'll just-"

Suddenly, her head went foggy as her vision blurred. She dropped the plate she had been holding and stumbled back from the sink. The plate clashed loudly as it landed in the sink, catching the attention of Momo and Rangiku. Orihime clutched at her head, trying to focus her thoughts. "What-"

"Orihime?" Rangiku stood up quickly when she saw Orihime clutch at her head. "What's wrong?"

"My - my head," Orihime managed to say as her vision began blackening. "Something's-"

"Hitsugaya-kun!" Momo shouted for Toshiro as Rangiku ran towards Orihime.

Orihime felt consciousness seeping away, and one of the last things she registered was a distinct cackle echoing from the back of her mind. She recognized it immediately. "Shirosaki-kun," was all she managed to get out before her eyes rolled up and she fell unconscious onto the kitchen floor.

She opened her eyes, and she found herself standing in the same flower field from the other night, when Ichigo's Hollow had paid her a visit in her sleep. But this time he had managed to do this - whatever it was he was doing - while she was conscious and awake. It had to mean he was getting better at it, and that surely was not good news for her or Ichigo.

"Shirosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted, her brow furrowed as she searched for the Hollow. He had caught her off guard last time; she was not going to let that happen again.

Because she was looking for him, and because she was expecting him to show up, she immediately sensed it when he flash-stepped behind her. She tried turning around to face him, but his strong arms held her in place. One of them wrapped around her torso while the other snaked up around her front and held her chin, preventing her from turning her head. "None of that, Queen," he said. She could all but hear the smile in his voice.

"What are you doing?" Orihime asked, struggling to free herself. It wasn't so much because she didn't want to be in his confines but more so she could face him.

"Ain't it obvious?" he said. "I'm holding ya still."

"I meant what are you doing here?" she elaborated. "Wherever this is…"

Shirosaki stilled, his expression slightly pensive. "Heh. You really don't know what this place is, do ya?"

She shook her head.

"This place is in yer soul. It's the seat of your power, in a sense. It's where your little fairies reside and where you draw them from when you call them out. It's usually just shinigami who have something like this, a place where their zanpakutou live inside their souls, but you've got one, too." He rolled his eyes. "And of course it's a damn flower field."

Orihime looked around with a newfound understanding of where she was. So this is the seat of my power, the place in my soul the Shun Shun Rikka stay. I never thought they actually had a place like this where they lived. Then again, she thought with a furrowed brow, I guess they had to come from someplace. They don't live in my hairpins.

"Make sense now?"

"Sort of. But it still doesn't explain why you keep coming here," Orihime said.

"Yer not stupid, Queen," Shirosaki said, leaning in close to her ear. "You noticed how easily I got in here this time, right? Even though you were awake. It's gettin' easier to come here."

"But what's here?" He was being cryptic, and Orihime knew it was likely on purpose. He had been nothing but that since everything started. "You wouldn't just keep coming here without a reason."

"This place is accessible to me. It's the only place in your heart I can get to, thanks to this nice little bond you and the King have got."

"My heart?" Orihime's own internal heart skipped a beat at the thought.

"The heart's in yer soul. The heart is the center of a lot of shit for a person: emotions, memories, will, and powers. It's the place I need access to." He grinned widely as he breathed into her ear, "And it's your heart that's at the center of how that Hollow form came to be."

What? Orihime thought, shocked at the revelation. What did her heart have to do with anything?

Suddenly, Shirosaki flash-stepped from their spot, taking Orihime with him. Orihime gasped as the air was sucked from her lungs as they stopped a short distance away. When she looked up, she realized what had happened.

"Tsubaki-kun!" she called out as the agitated Rikka stood where she and Shirosaki had been just a moment ago. To her surprise, Tsubaki wasn't tiny, but the size of a normal human. He was likely taller than even she was, but she had little time to contemplate why.

"Sneak attack, eh?" Shirosaki cackled. "Yer not half bad, fairy, but I'm better."

The other Shun Shun Rikka appeared seconds later. They formed a loose circle around Shirosaki and Orihime. "Let her go," Shun-o demanded. "You wouldn't try to take her hostage here."

"I didn't say anything about a hostage." Shirosaki glared coldly at Shun-o. "I pulled her out of the way before that dumbass," He jerked his head at Tsubaki, "could hurt her with his little ninja kick."

"It wasn't going to hit her!" Tsubaki snapped. "You idiot! My job is to protect her! You think I'd do something to put her in harm's way? It's in our nature to keep her alive."

"It's in yours now, too, isn't it?" Shun-o said to Shirosaki. She nearly smiled when he frowned at her. "I still don't know what exactly it is you're trying to do, but thanks to your running mouth, we finally realized what you're aiming for, at least."

"We were under the impression," Hinagiku began to explain to Orihime, "that he was after something to do with your power or, more specifically, us. We thought that because he kept coming here repeatedly."

"But now we know he was just coming here because it was easiest." Lily tilted her head, her gaze aimed at Shirosaki. "So it has something to do with Orihime's heart."

Shun-o suddenly snapped her fingers. "I wonder…" She softly touched the spot where her brand was, the Hollow mask visage that was burnt into her skin shortly after the bond formed. "You said you managed to come here because of the bond. But it's a two way thing, isn't it?"

Tsubaki chuckled. "Well well, then we could just pay you and Ichigo a visit, couldn't we?"

"Go ahead," Shirosaki said dryly. "It ain't gonna help ya."

Ayame suddenly gestured at Shun-o. She pointed to her brand, and then pointed at Shirosaki. Shun-o, understanding what Ayame was trying to say, nodded and then said, "Right. You've stayed here long enough, Hollow."

Orihime's eyes widened. "What are you-"

"You'll be fine. Just stand still," Baigon told her.

The Rikka pressed their hands to their brands. After a moment, they all began to glow. Orihime glanced down and noticed that the hibiscus brand on Shirosaki's hand was beginning to flicker as well. To her surprise, he suddenly released her as he cursed out loud.

"Now get out!" the six fairies shouted. They all rushed towards him, and Orihime shut her eyes as there was a bright flash of light, and then… nothing.

She opened them slowly and turned around. Shirosaki was gone, and although she was worried about what happened to him, a part of her flooded with relief. "What was that?"

"Us kicking him out," Lily explained with her usual smile. "He seems to come in through some kind of portal – which from what he said is the bond – and we just push him back the same way he came."

"The bond allows him to come here," Orihime repeated, her eyes widening slightly. "So it's a physical bond?"

"It seems to have some sort of physical property, or at least some sort of spiritually physical property." Shun-o shook her head. "It's a connection between your souls."

"I wonder if it's a connection between their hearts," Hinagiku said with a puzzled frown. "It might have something to do with why the Hollow seems so interested in having 'access' to Orihime's heart."

Orihime placed a hand over her chest. "Why my heart?"

Shun-o shrugged. "I'm not sure. It goes back to what happened on the dome. Everything goes back to the dome. Something to do with your heart, it seems."

"If her heart is involved in all of this," Baigon said, "then that might explain these brands. If the bond connects their hearts, and since Shirosaki seems to be able to come here so easily, then maybe Orihime and Ichigo's powers somehow got… crossed?"

Tsubaki nodded. "That would explain it. We rubbed up against or crossed with Ichigo's powers, and that might be why we have influence over one another. It manifested in the brands we got."

"That would explain why we were able to make Shirosaki release Orihime earlier," Lily said. She turned to their master and explained, "You saw it, when our brands glowed? We've learned how to tap into them and use them against the Hollow. It happened twice during the battle with the Vasto Lorde, too. Remember?"

Orihime nodded. The first time had been when Ichigo had called up her shield, before Orihime had the chance to. Then the second time had been when she called on the Rikka to stop Ichigo before he could further maim Hiyori and the Vizards.

"Our brands glowed when we stopped him and broke his mask," Hinagiku recalled. "That must be it. These brands are the manifestation of our influence over Ichigo's powers, and vice versa."

"But it only seems to work on Shirosaki-kun," Orihime pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Shun-o said. "Honestly, we've only ever had to use this influence on Shirosaki. Theoretically, it should work with Zangetsu as well. Next time you're training, ask those Vizards to let us try influencing Zangetsu's abilities and see what happens. If we can, then we're right."

Tsubaki scratched his head. "This is good and all, but this still doesn't explain how she can stop that Hollow form. We don't do that. She does."

The others fell silent, and Orihime bit her lip thoughtfully. Tsubaki was right; the bigger question at hand was still unsolved.

Lily clapped her hands together. "Come on now!" she said cheerfully. "Let's not be discouraged. Maybe we haven't figured it out yet, but we've made progress."

Orihime smiled and nodded with her. "Yeah. I think what he said about my heart is the key. I'll talk to Ichigo-kun and the others about it tomorrow and we'll see what we can come up with."

"Speaking of," Shun-o glanced up at the sky. "We should wake you back up."

Orihime gasped as she remembered what had happened earlier. She had been so caught up with Shirosaki's appearance and his words that she had completely forgotten she was passed out on her kitchen floor. "I need to get back! They're going to worry."

"Right." Shun-o inhaled a deep, relaxing breath, before exhaling slowly. "I think we're a bit frazzled right now, but you and Lily are right. This will help us later on. We're going to do what we can to figure this out. I suggest you tell Ichigo and the Vizards about what's going on."

"I will."

"Let's get you back." Lily placed her hand in front of Orihime's face. "Just close your eyes and we'll help you wake up. Ready?" When Orihime nodded, she began counting, "One, two… three!"

Orihime felt like a jolt was shot through her before everything went black. She floated there in the darkness for what felt like minutes until she suddenly began to regain her senses.

The first thing she felt was the cold kitchen floor, and the pain in her head. She tried moving, but her body didn't seem willing to respond yet. Then she began to hear voices buzzing around her. She could make them out distinctly: Rangiku, Momo, Hitsugaya, Ichigo-

Uh oh.

She forced her eyes open, and she was immediately greeted to the sight of Ichigo and Rukia bent over her, their expressions worried. "Ichigo-kun? Rukia-chan?"

"You're awake!" Rukia said in relief as Ichigo helped Orihime sit up.

"Orihime," Ichigo said softly, keeping his arm wrapped around her back for support. "Are you okay?"

"I – I'm fine," she insisted. "Though I think I hit my head when I fell. What are you doing here?"

"We called them."

Orihime turned around, and was surprised to see not only Rangiku, Momo and Hitsugaya standing near her, but Ishida and Sado as well. "You wouldn't wake up, so we called everyone. The Vizards are on their way, along with Urahara and Yoruichi," Rangiku said.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

Her front door suddenly swung open, and in came Urahara, Yoruichi, and the Vizards. "Orihime-san?" Urahara called out when he found her awake.

"She just woke up," Hitsugaya said to them. "She was out for nearly twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?" Orihime said, honestly surprised. "It didn't seem to take that long."

All eyes turned towards her. "What didn't take that long?" Hiyori demanded.

Orihime swallowed; they weren't going to like what she had to tell them. "Well, um, Shirosaki-kun paid me a visit."

Once she was finished narrating what happened, Shinji was unable to resist pointing out that, "At least he didn't lick you this time."

This was met with a glare, courtesy of Ichigo. "You just had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"I'm tryin' to be positive!" Shinji argued.

"Positive my ass," Ichigo muttered, not buying his excuse.

"Can we focus on the issue at hand here?" Rukia cut in, ending the bickering that was likely going to start.

Rose scratched the back of his head. "Why would a Hollow be after someone's heart?"

"Hollows seek to fill in the hole left behind when their heart disappears," Ishida said. "They try to assuage the loneliness and emptiness. It's why a newly formed Hollow first goes after its loved ones."

"But inner Hollows aren't like regular Hollows," Shinji said. "They don't really have that drive, or at least, they don't go about it that way. They try taking over us and our souls."

"The Hollow needs access to Inoue-san's heart," Urahara pointed out, using Orihime's words from earlier. "He didn't say anything about trying to take it over. He needs it for something."

Ichigo sighed heavily, resting his head in his hands. "Why is it that every time we learn something more about this, it only leads to more questions than answers?"

"Because we're finding out about shit that's happened after the dome, the aftermath," Kensei said. "The only thing we know about the dome is that it had something to do with her heart, and that's a step in the right direction."

"It certainly eliminates other possibilities," Hachi said. "Now we know what, at least to some extent, the Hollow is after."

"We still need to find out more," Shinji said. His eyes were slightly narrowed as he glanced over at Orihime and Ichigo. "I'm sure you two wouldn't want to head over to the warehouse today, right?"

"Not really," Ichigo said. "It's Christmas. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"Don't let that Hollow ruin the holiday," Rukia said, both to Ichigo and Shinji. "It'll be there tomorrow, with all the problems it has brought."

Urahara tipped back his hat slightly. "I actually have to agree with Kuchiki-san. I think a day's contemplation on what's happened will prove more fruitful than diving straight into training."

"We'll be at the warehouse tomorrow," Orihime promised Shinji as Ichigo helped her to her feet. "And we'll stay as long as it takes until we figure more out."

Shinji sighed, but there was a smile in his eyes. "All right, all right. You two damn lovebirds have your date tonight." He adjusted his cap as he spun on his heel, heading for the door. "I want ya at the warehouse bright and early tomorrow. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" Orihime said cheerfully as Ichigo rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Right. Let's roll," Shinji said to his comrades as they began to head out.

Yoruichi nodded to the couple. "Take some aspirin for your head or something," she advised.

"Be careful," Urahara added seriously as he and Yoruichi made for the door. "If something else occurs, let us know immediately."

"We will," Ichigo said.

After exchanging parting nods and waves, the pair from the shouten left, letting the door bang shut behind them.

Ichigo turned to Orihime. "Hey. You feeling better?"

"My head still hurts a bit," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "I think I might take Yoruichi-san's advice and take something for it."

"I think you should. I can stay here for a bit, if you want, and make sure-"

"You can't," Rukia interjected. Before he could argue, because she knew he would, she added, "You're not done making her gift, remember? You'll see her tonight, anyway."

"But-"

"We'll stay, Ichigo," Sado offered.

"If it's fine with Inoue-san," Ishida added, glancing over at her.

"Everyone's welcome to stay," Orihime said with a smile.

After a moment's consideration, Ichigo nodded. "All right," he conceded, albeit hesitantly. He aimed a stern frown at Ishida. "If anything happens-"

"We will call you," Rangiku answered in Ishida's place. She rolled her eyes and shooed at Rukia and Ichigo. "Now, out. You'll just stand here and fidget when you have a gift to make. We're perfectly capable of taking care of her."

Rukia ushered Ichigo out, calling over her shoulder, "Take care, Orihime!"

"You too! Bye Rukia-chan!" She then smiled. "Good-bye, Ichigo-kun. See you tonight."

"Yeah. See ya." He gave her a smile before Rukia pushed him out the door.

The walk back to Ichigo's house took longer than the walk to Orihime's apartment, the key difference being the walk to her home was more like a sprint. Now that they weren't driven by panic, they strolled back at a much slower pace.

Something was nagging at Rukia's thoughts, but it wasn't until they were halfway home that she realized what it was. The hand that had been cupping her chin in thought lowered to her side as she said, "I just remembered something."

Ichigo looked towards her. "What?"

"Kaien-dono once told me something. He said that there is a heart between two people, formed when they first interact. It's born each time they interact and think of each other. When we die, we leave our hearts with our friends, so we can live on inside of them, even as our bodies decay and disappear."

Ichigo considered her words for a moment, chewing them over in his head before replying, "I've never heard of that. I thought the heart was inside of you."

"I always thought so, too, and maybe it is. I don't think your Hollow was wrong." She paused, and with a pensive frown added, "But I don't think Kaien-dono was wrong, either. Maybe the heart isn't just what's inside us, maybe it's also that connection between people." She pulled her coat tighter across her chest as the wind picked up, but paid no mind to it otherwise as she continued, "I think what we call the 'heart' is just a part of something greater that we don't understand. You can't study it like you can the body, but we know it's there all the same."

Suddenly, she started laughing. "Listen to me. I think the holiday spirit is putting me in a sentimental mood."

"Maybe," Ichigo said with a smirk, "but I kind of like your idea. It's like we're all connected in some way, as corny as that sounds."

"You know," Rukia said, her tone as soft as the smile she wore, "you and Orihime had a bond I think before the dome. We all have one between us, so I think this 'bond' that came to be after the dome is just part of something that was already there."

"I couldn't read her thoughts before," Ichigo said with a bemused frown.

"I mean, the weird stuff that came with this bond occurred after the dome, but I think the foundation for it was already there." Rukia gesticulated with her hands as she continued, "You know Orihime was in love with you when she left, and you were willing to do anything to get her back. She's always had this way of bringing out the best in you." She smiled dryly. "What I'm saying is, you two already had a bond to begin with. It just didn't get supernatural and weird until after the dome."

Ichigo nodded, finally understanding what she meant. "Yeah. I get it. I don't regret it at all, but…" His scowl deepened. "Do you think we'll be okay?"

"We'll figure it out," Rukia said confidently. "Tomorrow is going to be important, but with what we found out today, I'm sure something will come to light." She smiled at his nod, glad she was able to reassure him a bit, even when she was plagued with her own doubts. I don't think Orihime is the one who's in danger, she thought to herself. The Hollow won't hurt her, I'm sure of it. It's Ichigo I'm worried about, and I think… She bit softly on her bottom lip, keeping her eyes averted straight ahead as they turned down the street towards the clinic. I think it's Ichigo who will need saving by the end of this.

Morning turned into afternoon, and afternoon to evening. The hours passed by uneventfully. Orihime had hardly been left alone; Ishida and Sado stayed for a few hours, and even after they had left, she had noticed Hitsugaya and the others had been keeping an extra sharp eye on her. She was touched by their concern, but she knew it was unnecessary. Shirosaki had never come back a second time in one day, and even if he decided to, there was little they could do about it.

But to ease their minds, she didn't go out or exert herself more than necessary. Unfortunately, taking it easy instead of keeping herself busy gave her too much free time. Too much free time meant she had too much time to think, and worry.

Her earlier conversation with Ichigo's Hollow kept swirling in her mind. Even when she managed to busy herself with a bit of work, like dishes and cooking, her thoughts kept drifting back to that encounter. She struggled to make sense of what he had said and figure out his motives. Her struggling was in vain: no matter how hard she thought, nothing seemed to fit together and provide a reasonable explanation.

By 6 PM, she was ready to pull her hair out. She was absorbed in her thoughts again, staring at the television when someone tapped her shoulder. She nearly jumped off of the couch in surprise before spinning around to see who touched her.

"Sorry," Momo said, retracting her hand. "I just wanted to let you know it's 6 o'clock. Don't you need to get ready soon?"

"Is it that late already?" Orihime said, glancing at the clock. "Thanks, Hinamori-chan. I'll go get ready."

"Are you okay?" Momo asked as Orihime stood up. "I mean…" She scratched her arm absent-mindedly, glancing off to her left. "I'm sure you've got a lot on your mind and all, but I was just worried that…"

They really are worried, Orihime thought sadly. She smiled in spite of what she really felt and nodded to Momo. "I am, really. Just too much thinking."

"I figured as much." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other; Orihime thought she looked a bit nervous. "It might not be our place to offer, but we were a little worried about leaving you in two days. You'll be by yourself here and… well, we were thinking of maybe convincing the captains in charge in Soul Society to let at least one of us stay with you until, well, everything's solved and settled."

Orihime's mouth almost dropped in shock. She knew they cared about her, but she hadn't realized just how much. Awed, if not a bit embarrassed, Orihime shook her head. "It's okay. I know all of you have your duties to get back to and I know you've been kept from them for long enough." She smiled as she added, "But thank you. That means a lot to me, really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm really going to miss you guys, but I'll have Ichigo-kun, Ishida-kun, Sado-kun and Tatsuki-chan if I need help. I might live by myself but I'm not alone."

Momo nodded, although she still seemed ill at ease. "All right."

Rangiku, who had pushed back the curtains to the front window, suddenly glanced over her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Orihime. "Aren't you ready yet? Ichigo's walking up the street!"

Orihime yelped, for a lack of better term, and rushed towards her room. "Ah, no! If he comes to the door, please let him in! I'll be done quickly!"

When she shut the door behind her, Rangiku glanced over at Momo. "I knew she would turn it down."

"It was still worth asking," Momo said. "But she's right. She won't be alone. Even if she's at home by herself, help isn't far."

"I'd still feel better if someone was staying with her."

There was a knock at the door, and Momo walked over towards it. "Maybe Ichigo-kun could stay with her once or twice a week? You know, sleep on the couch and make sure nothing happens?"

Rangiku snorted. "For one, I don't think his family would approve of that," she said, knowing nothing about Isshin, "and secondly, do you really think he'd stay on the couch?"

Momo made a choked sound at Rangiku's words, and only looked more shocked when Rangiku waggled her eyebrows. "R – Rangiku-san!"

The older vice-captain didn't bother to contain her laughter until Momo let Ichigo inside.

Once Orihime was finally ready, she and Ichigo left her apartment, presents in hand and with the wishes of Rangiku and Momo (and a slightly more contained Hitsugaya) to have fun. The couple made their way through the residential area and towards downtown Karakura, passing increasing number of shops and restaurants on their way.

"Anywhere in particular you want to eat?" Ichigo asked once they were walking down the town's main road.

"Um…" Orihime dug into her pocket, starting to pull out her wallet. "I have a bit of money, so maybe-"

In response, Ichigo pulled out some yen from his pocket. "Dad gave me some money so I could take you somewhere nicer than a diner or something."

"Really? That was kind of him."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "He gave it with the stipulation that I had to invite you to dinner next week."

Orihime nearly squealed in delight; she never thought his family would invite her back so soon! "I'd love to!"

"You sure?" he asked, eyeing her skeptically. "You remember what happened yesterday, right?"

"Like I said, I didn't mind. I'm sure this dinner will go a little more smoothly, now that we've all been introduced. I don't think everyone will be so nervous, either. So yes, I'm sure."

Ichigo shook his head in amazement. "I don't know whether to be grateful or terrified that you like my family." He paused, and added, "Seriously, you do remember what my dad put us through, right?"

Orihime couldn't help but laugh, even as she hit him lightly on the arm. "It wasn't that bad. Besides, he was just teasing!"

"That's what you think," Ichigo said. "But all right. I'll let them know when I get home." He nodded towards a chain restaurant across the street. "Wanna eat there?"

"Sure. They have some really good sushi." She paused, and added thoughtfully, "Hmm. Actually, sushi does sound really good right now. Let's go!" Excited, and eager to go, Orihime pulled Ichigo across the street. Watching for cars, they quickly crossed and entered the restaurant.

It was one of those nice chain restaurants that had decent food and prices to match. It was nice enough to be usually unaffordable for school kids but laidback enough that the staff was dressed festively for the holiday. Since Ichigo and Orihime had come just after the dinner rush, they were seated nearly right away. However, judging from the number of patrons still in the restaurant, their food was likely going to take longer than usual.

Once they were seated and their drink orders were placed, Orihime glanced over at Ichigo's present, then at hers. Trying to contain her excitement, she leaned back in her seat, taking off her coat and gloves.

Ichigo caught her glance, however, and after their drinks were delivered and they placed an order for a plate of sushi to split between them, he handed her his present. "Happy Christmas."

"Ah!" Orihime quickly grabbed her gift and swapped it with Ichigo's. "Happy Christmas to you too, Ichigo-kun! Thank you."

"You first," he said, nodding to the gift.

Orihime didn't need further encouragement. With slightly contained zeal (they were in a public place, after all) she tore open the wrapping paper. Once the paper was off, in her hand she held a medium sized jewelry box. Glancing at Ichigo questioningly, she pulled off the top to look inside.

"It's a charm bracelet," Ichigo said as Orihime pulled out the bracelet.

"I've always wanted one of these!" Orihime said excitedly as she examined each charm.

"Yuzu and Karin helped me make some of them, and the others were bought." Ichigo leaned over and lifted with his two fingers a strawberry charm and a crown charm. "Yuzu bought the strawberry one, and she painted this crown. Guess she got the idea after your name."

Orihime had never been a big fan of her name, but she really liked the thought behind Yuzu's charm. Of course, she also adored the strawberry charm. "They're cute."

Ichigo then lifted with his fingertips the next two charms: a beaded blue hibiscus and a grinning anime panda bear. "She made the flower one just this morning. Said it would match your hairpins. As for this thing…" He tapped the panda bear. "She bought it before she met you, so she didn't know what you'd like. I guess this caught her eye or something."

Orihime giggled, taking a close look at the charms. "I like them both. The panda's funny," she added with a smile.

Suddenly Ichigo flushed and looked away as he pointed at the last two charms. "The beaded thing there is… well, I don't know what it is. I just strung beads together and got that. I sucked at it, honestly."

His girlfriend tried desperately not to laugh as she picked up the little mass ball of beads. A couple beads stuck out in some places, making it look spiky. "It reminds me of those old sea mines they used during World War II or something." She nodded. "Yeah. It's a sea mine!"

"Uh, sure," Ichigo agreed, likely because he had no better argument for what it could be.

Orihime then moved onto the last charm, a jade block with kanji engraved into it. "What's this one?" she asked. "The one you bought?"

"It's a luck charm, supposedly. And, uh…" Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "I didn't buy it, actually. It was given to me, sort of. It's – it was my mother's."

Orihime almost dropped the bracelet in surprise. She immediately looked up at Ichigo, her eyes wide. "Your mother's?"

"She had a bracelet like yours once, too. She left some of the charms behind for me and my sisters."

"But this is yours," she said. "I couldn't-"

"Orihime…" Ichigo let out a low laugh. "I don't think Mom intended for me to wear it. I think she'd want me to give it to someone I cared about, so… I'm giving it to you. Besides, it's supposed to be good luck so maybe it'll help you."

Because she knew he would insist, and because it was his choice, Orihime smiled and nodded. "Thank you," she said quietly but sincerely as she put the bracelet on.

Wanting to break the awkward silence that was beginning to fill the air between them, Ichigo quickly picked up his present. "My turn."

Orihime shifted in her seat, and grinned as Ichigo tore off the wrapping paper. When he was met with smooth mahogany, it was his turn to give her a questioning look. "Open it," she encouraged. He nodded, and she watched eagerly as he slowly opened the double-sided photo frame.

He held each photo frame in one of his hands, balancing it carefully so they didn't shut close again. "I recognize this photo," he said, nodding to the photo in the right frame.

"That was from our last day of school before the break started," Orihime said. "Tatsuki-chan took that picture." Even though the frames were facing away from her, Orihime could still see the picture clearly in her mind: she and Ichigo were sitting at his desk, with him in his seat and her on top of his desk. They were looking at each other, smiling about something that had been said. "I really like that one."

"Me too," Ichigo said absent-mindedly as he stared at the other photo. "But this one…"

"Tatsuki-chan had it." Orihime smiled when confusion bloomed on Ichigo's face. "It was from the field trip our grade took in middle school. It was… shortly after Onii-chan died, and Tatsuki-chan and I had just started becoming friends."

"You mean that trip to the botanical garden?"

"Yeah! Do you remember?"

"A little," Ichigo said as he kept staring at the picture. In it, he was handing something to Orihime. It was strange seeing her hair so short, but the more he thought about it, the more he started to remember. "I think you dropped something, and I gave it back to you."

"We didn't talk much," Orihime said, "but it kind of felt like you were checking up on me and… I was happy. I had completely forgotten about it though until Tatsuki-chan showed me the photo." She looked down at her folded hands and continued, "You know, I like to think of it as our start. We may not have talked much but it was something. I like to think of it as the beginning, rather than that night at the clinic."

Setting the frame down, Ichigo reached over and took Orihime's hands in his. "Me too," he said.

"Say, Ichigo," Orihime said after dinner, as they walked towards the park. "I've been thinking."

"About?"

"What happened today with Shirosaki-kun." When she looked up, she noticed he was grimacing. "Sorry."

"It's okay," he said. "I just hate remembering it."

She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "I know. I'm sorry I worried you, but it turned out to be a good thing. We know more now."

"But we don't-" He shook his head. "We need to stay positive. Right." Not willing to dwell on that particular aspect, he asked, "Were you thinking about anything in particular?"

"It was something Shun-o said. After they appeared, she said to Shirosaki-kun that it was in his nature to protect me, too. Do you think that's true?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, agreeing far more easily than Orihime expected. "I know it is, because it's in mine. I've been protective of you for awhile. You remember all the times Shinji teased me about, right? Well, he had a point, and if it's in my nature then it's in my Hollow's as well."

"It all goes back to Hueco Mundo, doesn't it?" Orihime said thoughtfully.

To her surprise, again, Ichigo shook his head. "It goes back farther than that. At first I thought that maybe it started back when you got your powers and we were all gearing up to break into Soul Society." He then tapped his coat pocket, where he had put Orihime's photo frame. "But after I saw that photo today, I realized that it goes back even further. After your brother died, I kind of kept checking up on you. That day at the garden was just one of those times. Even after I had forgotten about that night at the clinic and the garden, I still kept making sure you were okay. I'd look over my shoulder and think, 'Is that Inoue girl doing okay? Did she hurt herself again?'"

Even as Orihime blushed in embarrassment, he continued, "So, while I think that instinct started to become its strongest during the battle with Ulquiorra, the foundation was already there and strong. I think that's a lot of the reason why this bond is so strong. A strong house needs a strong foundation, right?"

"Right." Orihime nodded. "So, Shirosaki-kun won't hurt me. But…" Her heart constricted in her chest as she added, "I don't think I was the one in danger to begin with. I think it's you who's in danger."

She watched as he breathed out once, then twice. His breath was visible in the air as the wind picked up and blew it away. After a long moment, he said, "Yeah, I know. Honestly, I'm relieved. I said that I'd rather have it going after me than you."

"But you don't realize it when he's doing whatever he's doing," she argued. "At least I do. I know you can sense him when he's getting more persistent and stronger, but I can, too. And I think I… I think I could stop him."

Ichigo snorted, and looked up at the night sky. "That's the same thing Rukia said. Even if you can, I don't want it to do something that could-"

"But he won't hurt me. He can't," she said, knowing where Ichigo was going with his argument. "If what you and Shun-o said is true, he can't. I stopped him or you or both of you or whoever it was on the dome. I can stop him."

"But how?"

Orihime smiled knowingly. "I have an idea or two, but I need time to think them through."

Ichigo frowned in suspicion. "Orihime-"

She suddenly stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the lips. "It's okay. It's Christmas: we're not supposed to be spending the whole night talking about this, remember?"

"You're just trying to change the subject," Ichigo said after he kissed her back.

She wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and pulled him down, giving him another kiss. It was potent enough to leave her head spinning and nearly topple them over. When they broke apart, she asked, a bit too cheerfully, "Is it working?"

"Yes," he said with a groan. "Damn you," he said, though she knew he was completely kidding.

Satisfied that she could thoroughly distract him, Orihime hid her triumphant smile as he bent down to continue with his "distraction". She knew she would have to reveal what she was planning eventually, but for now, she just wanted to enjoy this first Christmas with Ichigo and the peace that surrounded them.

What she did not know was that peace was not going to last for much longer.

A/N: And I leave you with that nice, ominous ending sentence. More stuff will happen next chapter and hopefully that won't take too long to write and post. 'Til next time.