Grimmjow shook the hair from his eyes. It wasn't all that blocked his vision. He wiped the back of his hand across his face to clear some of the blood from his eye. He sniffed back more that came from his busted nose. One of his molars throbbed and felt loose.

Fuck, after six months of retraining his body, he still wasn't back to true form.

A knee came up into his ribs. His breath whooshed out of him, he bent over and then interlocked fists came down on his bare back. He collapsed to his knees winded and dizzy, but he anticipated the foot to his gut and caught it on the upswing. He rolled to one side and gave a hard yank, downing his opponent.

Cheers erupted from the crowd around him. Some were so glued to the scene, they gripped the wood fence around the ring with white knuckles, mouths agape.

Grimmjow usually ignored the crowd, but as he was righting himself, he caught frigid, aqua eyes boring into him.

Knuckles slammed into his jaw. He staggered, cursing himself for being distracted. He turned back and caught the next punch and jabbed the other man in the throat with flexed fingers. The guy sputtered and Grimmjow gave him a moment, not wanting it to end that quickly. He glanced back at the boy in the front of the crowd, arms folded over his chest and a disapproving glare on his face.

Grimmjow threw Toshiro the finger before turning back to the fight.

He was pissed off now and he took it out on the other man. Unfortunately, this meant the fight ended quickly. A head-butt brought the man to his knees. A knee to the face sent him to all fours, spitting teeth, and the foot between his shoulder blades made him face plant in the dirt.

It ended there. In the old days, Grimmjow would have killed him. Now, he wasn't interested in populating the afterlife with shitheads like this.

The crowd dispersed. Grimmjow accepted his cut and left the ring without giving Toshiro a second look. He went to the bathroom in back. There was enough energy now flowing in this part of Tokyo that he could turn on a tap and splash water on his face.

"That was fun!"

He jolted at the cheerful voice just behind him. The mirror was too filthy for him to see anything in it, but he turned and found a young girl with a pink pony tail next to his clothes on the counter of a second sink. She swung her legs where they dangled next to the sword strapped around her waist.

"What the fuck are you doing in here, Yachiru?"

"Toshiro said I wasn't allowed in a place like this so I snuck in and watched the fight through the door." She pointed back to the door Grimmjow had just come in.

"Well get the fuck out so I can change."

"Alrighty! But we'll be waiting."

"Just piss off," he growled and watched her make her exit. He fumed, but there was no point trying to avoid them. He finished washing up, noting with annoyance the extra bruises he'd sustained because of Toshiro. And also because he simply wasn't as strong as he wanted to be. His muscles had regained their definition, but even now, it would take more time for his reflexes and endurance to come back up to speed.

He left the washroom and took a side exit, lighting up on the way out. He sucked back on toxins before looking around for the pair he knew would be waiting.

They weren't who he found.

"Well this is fucking nostalgic," he barked out. It was the truth. Standing here now, on sandy pavement behind a seedy establishment—it was just like the night they first met again, after the Clash. "You the one who sent those kids after me, Kurosaki?"

"No." Ichigo was in his soul reaper uniform. When on extended stays he always changed back to regular clothes, but he looked now like he'd just arrived here. Grimmjow wondered if Toshiro had called him, using one of the new soul pagers Shinji had made out of old equipment from the pillar of Las Noches. "It was Rukia," Ichigo clarified. He looked—and sounded—pissed off. His arms were folded across his chest. His white hiori glowed in the moonlight, the hilt of his zanpakuto gleamed almost as sharply as his eyes. They were set in the same scowl as Toshior's had been. "I told you if you ever hurt her, I'd kick your ass."

"I didn't do anything to her."

"She told me you went for a walk three days ago. You know how worried she's been?"

Grimmjow had no retort. It was true. Once he'd started walking, he hadn't wanted to turn back. He was sure Rukia was freaking out, but he didn't feel like giving into Ichigo's reprimand.

"Just fuck off, Kurosaki. I'm sure you've got lots of Soul Reaper shit to sort out, you know, with your whole campaign to right the world and force us all back into civilized existence."

In the past half year, the humans and reapers had managed to re-establish some forms of communication, mostly radio, but one very fuzzy broadcast station on tv. Ichigo had appeared on said broadcast a few months ago, explaining how the world had changed, how existence had been restored, and about the afterlife. Everyone could see spirits now, because of their exposure during the Clash and the Restoration. Things would never go back to the way they had been: even if they did rebuild society, the fact that people knew where they were going when they died changed everything.

With Ichigo's announcement had come a call to end the violence and crime that ruled this world. Places like Junction City were the first to fall. Ex-soul reapers and humans alike joined forces, resurrected old military and police equipment and now made it their mission to "clean up" the world.

Grimmjow hadn't believed they could make a difference—not until he'd struck out three days ago and realized it was getting harder and harder to find a good fight.

"Why are you against me on this? Why are you back in a place like this when you could be helping the others in Karakura?"

"Because that's not me! This is me," Grimmjow pointed to the building behind him. "Do you expect me to live in your house and live your life for you? Fuck that."

Grimmjow sucked hard on his cigarette and then stomped it on the ground.

Ichigo relaxed his stance. "I never asked you to do that."

Grimmjow looked up at him a moment, then turned away again, looking over the few lights that spotted this part of Tokyo now. "I know, but that's what everyone expects right? For me to watch over Karakura, the clinic, pay back the reapers…"

"Is that why you left? You don't want to be there?"

Grimmjow shrugged. It was an honest action because he didn't know. "I just started walking and…here I am. I ain't a damn hero, Kurosaki."

"That's arguable."

"You know what the fuck I mean."

"Yeah, I do. Grimmjow, you've come miles in the past few months. You don't have to stay here, if you don't want."

"Yeah, but where would I go?"

"Out there, in the rest of the world."

At this, Grimmjow raised his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I want to find our allies from the war. They were scattered in the Clash, not just in Japan, all over the world. There's still no way for communications to reach that far, and since the Clash their spiritual presence has changed. I can't locate them, but they are out there, other soul reapers, humans, maybe even hollows, who fought with us. I want to reunite them Grimmjow, but I can't leave Soul Society to do it."

Grimmjow didn't answer right away. He heard footsteps and turned back to see Toshiro and Yachiru. They looked outfitted for a journey longer than the one they would have taken to find him.

"Is that where you two are headed?"

"Yep!" Yachiru chirped. "I promised Kenny I would bring him back some good sparring partners."

"Who do you expect to find?"

"We don't know," Toshiro answered. "So many people were unaccounted for after the Clash. Even Yachiru and I were presumed dead. We could find anyone."

Grimmjow considered this. He didn't have anyone left to find. He didn't care about reuniting with soul reapers or humans he'd known in the war. But he wasn't sure that mattered, because right now, staying here, didn't feel like an option.

He returned his gaze to Ichigo. "So, it's just these two twerps going?"

"They are the most qualified."

Grimmjow raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

"Nevermind," Ichigo took a grip on Grimmjow's arm. "You're a mess. Let's get back."

Grimmjow had just enough time to realize what was about to happen but not enough chance to yell his protest.

The world became a high speed blur. He shut his eyes against the impossible stream of colour that tried to make sense in his mind. It didn't do him much good. The moment he was let go in the yard of the Kurosaki Clinic he dropped to all fours and heaved his guts.

"You fucking bastard," he coughed around mouthfuls of regurgitated liquor.

"Consider this your repentance for making Rukia worry."

"Fuck off, Kurosaki." But he accepted the hand up. He staggered all the way up the steps, holding onto Ichigo the entire way.

Inside three women were engrossed in conversation around the table. Yuzu and Karin were also still in their soul reaper clothing where they sat eating cooked noodles with Rukia. Grimmjow noted the zanpakuto on Karin's back. That was new. Yuzu still didn't have one but with the level of spiritual pressure she exerted, he knew it wouldn't be long.

"Grimmjow!" Rukia rose at once. Her face lit up in relief, but by the time she got around the table her smile was already contorting into a scowl. "You idiot!"

He cringed under the slap because his face was already throbbing from fresh bruises. She seemed to register this only after she lowered her hand but her gaze didn't soften any, especially when she saw his bloody knuckles.

"I see you've reverted to old habits."

"…Yeah."

Her eyes cut to the girls and Ichigo then back to Grimmjow. "You are not off the hook on this."

"I know."

"Good. Then get your ass in the clinic."

"Let me help," Yuzu offered. The three of them went down. Grimmjow stripped his shirt with a wince. Deep purple bruises marked his ribcage. Rukia reached for bindings but Yuzu raised her hands.

"I'll do it."

Her face scrunched in concentration. Grimmjow watched the slightest glint of light in her eyes as her spiritual energy rose. He didn't think he'd ever get used to it—Yuzu in soul reaper clothing, the power he felt swelling around her body.

A cool tingle spread through his ribs. He was used to it now. He'd been Yuzu's guinea pig for months while she was trying to learn from Rukia's instruction and he was still recovering from the after effects of the coma. Back then, the power had come in short, uncontrolled bursts with varying degrees of effectiveness. Now though, the flow of energy was steady, restrained. She knew just what she was doing. When she finished with his ribs, she touched his cheek. He shut his eyes and felt the swelling go down, the throbbing in his jaw disappear. Last she gripped his hands and the damage to his knuckles was gone in moments.

"Pretty impressive, kid."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks."

"Yuzu," Rukia tapped her shoulder. "Could you give us a minute?"

"Sure."

She left them alone. Grimmjow rose and redressed. "So did Ichigo tell you his plan?"

"About you leaving the country, yeah."

"You're pissed aren't you?"

"That depends, what have you decided?"

"Nothing yet."

"Don't lie."

"Rukia—"

"I knew as soon you were better, you'd take off."

"Rukia—"

"Don't try to—."

"Come with me."

She stopped then and looked all the way up at him.

She smiled. "No." His expression changed to confusion. "Don't be an idiot," she waved to the room around her, "I've got responsibilities here."

It was true. Rukia ran the clinic and in this world, she was saving lives on nearly a daily basis. "But you, you're useless here. So go. Just make sure when it's done, you come home. And you're ready to stay." She lowered his eyes to his leg, where the flesh was still deeply scarred beneath is pants. "Your life is mine, you know. I've nursed you back to health twice now."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, it's not like you ever remind me."

"Good. So long as we have an understanding." She smirked up at him but there was still sadness in her eyes as she stepped into him. He closed his arms around her petite form.

"We do. I just think…I need this."

"You need to hang out with a couple of teenagers?"

He pulled back from the embrace. "Screw off, Kuchki, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do." She caught his hand and pulled him down to her. They kissed briefly, she withdrew and headed back up the clinic stairs. He followed her up and out to the porch where the Kurosaki's had gathered. They were remarking on the number of lights that had sprung up on the city scape since their last visit.

"So," Ichigo turned back to him. "You decide?"

"Yeah, I'll do it."

"Great."

"So when do we leave?"

"Whenever you're ready."

"Well you left the twerps behind in the city, dumbass."

"Not all of us need a ride, espada."

Grimmjow jolted at the voice just above his head. He backed out into the yard and saw the pair sitting on the roof of the clinic, legs dangling over the edge.

"How fuck did you get here so fast?"

Toshiro drew his eyes down slowly from the stars. Grimmjow waited for an answer but instead he got a sly grin. He started to ask for an explanation when he felt a sudden rush of wind that made blink. When he looked back to the roof, Yachiru was alone.

"Not everyone is as slow as you." He spun at the voice that came from just behind him. Toshiro stared up him, eyes alight with energy. Grimmjow took a step back, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Did you…just use flashstep?"

"Of course, silly!" Yachiru called from the roof but a second later she was also before him, hair windswept and askew. "How else would we travel the world?"

He stood there, stunned. A hand landed on his shoulder. He looked to Ichigo for confirmation this was real.

"You're not the only one who's been training hard to regain what they've lost, Grimmjow."

Grimmjow stared at Ichigo a moment longer. His surprise slowly dissolved and a slow grin that hadn't touched his lips in months spread over his freshly healed face.

"Well, this just got a whole lot more interesting."

Ichigo smiled. Grimmjow broke into a full grin and turned back to the children.

"Alright, twerps, lead the way."

It took many re-writes, but here it is! The final piece of this "saga." I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted ;) I really wanted to leave Grimmjow on a high note, and because I can't really imagine him settling down, I wanted to have him starting out on another adventure. So, on that note, please check out his continuing adventures with Yachiru and Toshiro in my new story "After the Apocalypse." It is not going to be a sequel in the sense of it being a second full-lengthed story, but sort of a series of "one-shots" highlighting moments in their journey, probably resurrecting a few characters from the manga along the way. The first chapter will be out tonight! And, since I'm already shamelessly plugging, I've just posted the first chapter of a new story called "P.O.W." about Ichigo and Grimmjow living in a Vandenreich prison camp, so if you want some more Ichigo/Grimmjow camaraderie, please check it out!

Thanks for you support on this one, it's been one of my favourites so your encouragement and critiques alike have meant a lot to me.

Thanks,

Riza A. Winters.