Response to reviews!

lemonlimediddies: I think they did agree...XD

miszxbrii: YEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS! He's gone! XD And...he ain't dead, I'm sure of it! We never saw him actually die, did we? O.o

Kai and Umiki: It is coming now...XD

Yukiko and Chibiussa: -_- odd powers there...

Whitew12-0: Thank you~! You're the only person who's commented on that! XD

Tiana Misoro: You shall soon see~!

Sasu-Sama'Sarukiji-Semapi: Yup! Be happy!

Kobato00: *hides* Scared of thunder...

Nathalorial: That would be funny, neh?

CatHartzUlquiorra4: I'm evil, remember? O.o

Kidou Corpse: Yup! *caramell dansen*

inouehime-chanZero-koNii-sama: Yes! He will kick your ass! *throws 4th Hokage plushie* Oops...wrong anime...

mylittlehollow:XD

Uchizaki: Well, i'm glad you like the story~!

RK1st: A lotta people did that...read it in one go!

Aya-ItaLover: You are my 400th review! *gives cookies*

wolfdragonful: Hmm...we shall see...

That's Riku: You're funny! ^_^ I shall think bout it!

Starkit: Yup! ^_^

Eternal Love's Eclipse: Glad you enjoyed it!

Uchihaskitlez: Uhh...OOC ness?

LittleXCreature: Thank you~! lol

Athina Dark Angel of Death: Yeah...go figure, neh?

Strawberry-Ringo: Torture is a matter of perspective. ^_^

wolfnymph1:...What?

Narlth: We shall see, eh?

Ichiberrylover: I'm glad you werre touched. Seeing as my stories seem to be the only way I make friends anymore...*sigh*

Well, this story shall soon end. I'm thinking next chapter, maybe 2. We'll see. Well, let's do this thing! Congrats to Aya-Italover for being the 400th review! ^_- Well, onward to chapter 22!

XxxxxxX

Chapter 22: Lover's revenge

Shiro's POV

It's been abut three days since we finished telling them about everything that had happened. Ichigo was doing...slightly better is all I can say. His wounds were still painful, but they no longer bled. He could walk again too, which was a plus, but it still wasn't enough. For some odd reason, no one but myself could tell that his soul was slowly deteriorating. As I sat and stared out into the night, he walked up to me and sat down sloely. "Shiro, why are we still here?" he asked. I knew he wasn't himself, but this...distrust in his friends...or should I say former for now? Well, it was disturbing.

"Ichigo, i've told you over and over again, we're safe here. Your friends aren't going to let them find us." I repeated. Normally, he'd drop it there, but this time, he came prepared it seemed.

"If they had truly cared, wouldn't they have come for us?" he asked.

For you...I thought. Even though they had shown concern when I had arrived, now I could feel loathing and hate. The blamed me for this as well it seemed. Only Ichigo, Dion, Kisuke and Orihime seemed to care. "Look, they had been held up, I told you, ok? If they could've come, they would have, believe me." I replied.

"How do you know that?"

"They're your friends Ichigo. I've seen them through your eyes."

"Then how come I don't remember them?" This was getting annoying. "If they were in any way important, I wouldn't have forgotten them." Those words hit me like a blade.

"Ichigo...you don't understand. You're only half of who you truly are." I repeated myself, but for some reason, my voice sounded...off. What he was saying...my Ichigo would've never said that! But...after everything we've been through...everything he'd been through...most people would have changed, whether they were 'whole' or not.

"I don't care. If me being 'whole' means you not existing in my world..." He walked forward and grabbed my hand softly. "..I want nothing of it." I brought his hand up and kissed it gently.

"Ichigo...I would rather not exist at all if it kept you alive." I told him. He wanted to argue, but before he could, I sealed his lips with my own.

XxxxxX

Normal POV

"Shiro, i'm not so sure that this is wise." Dion said as the hollow put on a light weight jacket.

"I'm tired of being in here, and I need the air." he repeated and dion shook his head. He was in a gigai as well now, his long blue jeans and grey turtle neck making him feel uncomfortable. He wasn't used to the clothes here.

"I think you're full of bullshit. Kisuke told you to stay here. God knows what could happen if-"

"I know, Dion." He turned to look at the arrancar and smiled. "But c'mon, you're here, aren't ya? Besides, it's only for a few minutes." Dion just laughed.

"Since when did you ever have confidence in me?" he asked, ignoring Shiro's side comment.

"Since I decided to forgive you." dion froze and locked eyes with Shiro. His golden eyes were serious. "Nothing that happened to us was truly your fault." Dion looked at the ground.

"But I...I betrayed you..."

"In order to protect us. Look, you didn't know Grimmjow had lied. I was...upset at the time and I didn't know the full situation. So I decided that if you lived to see me again, i'd tell you that I'd forgiven you." He smirked and placed a hand on the arrancar's shoulder. "Besides, you've more than made up for it, that's for sure." As he walked towards the door, he sighed as Dion followed. "Oh my god dion! It's justa short walk!"

"I thought I told you; I swore to protect you until I die...or now i'll add 'until I get bored with you." He said, receiving a short snort from the hollow.

"Oh, so now there's a catch?" The two fo them laughed, a nice relief from the tense laugh from a few moments ago.

"But in all seriousness, i'm going with you. Ichigo's safe here, so i'm going with you, just in case." Shiro just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever then."

XxxxxX

Dion's POV

As we walked, we talked about random stuff. God, I really have no clue about some of the things he was mentioning, but whatever. It felt good to have a normal conversation with him. Even I had noticed the tense looks everyone was giving him and frankly, I felt like kicking every one of their asses for it. All in all, Shiro was a good soul. As I tried to think it over, Shiro caught my look. "It's because i'm his hollow." he replied. Damn, was it really that easy to tell what I was thinking about?

"So what? I'm an arrancar and they trust me enough." I replied. He shook his head.

"No, i'm his inner hollow. I've...done some rather unplesant things before I..." He let his sentance trail off and I wasn't about to finish it. He shook his head. "I guess no one's learned to 'forgive and forget." He grunted.

"No, for one, I sure haven't." Before I could respond a huge wave of spiritual pressure pushed down on both of us. Shiro, despite being stronger than me, was still fairly weak, his powers still not back to their full capacity. He looked as if he was struggling to breath. I tried to stand, but the oressure grew more intense around me and I collapsed, unable to move.

"D-Dion..." Shiro stared at me and tried to reach out for me when a figure appered and practically crushed his arm with one foot. He cried out in pain as the figure lifted him up into the air by his now broken arm. I didn't need to look up to see who it was that was assulting us; his spirit energy had been enough.

"I do not care if they come for him. By the time they do, you won't even recognize him. And I promise...it will all be slow." In the same instant he appered, Ulquiorra vanished. As soon as the pressure and sudden adrenalin rush was gone, I felt light headed. Even I still hadn;t fully recovered with my fight with Grimmjow and before I could stop myself, I passed out on the sidewalk.

XxxxxX

When I woke up, I was back at the shop, with many faces looking at me, some worried some, meaning one, was pissed as hell. "Dion, are you alright?" Orihime asked as I sat up slowly. Physically, yes I did. But on the other hand... Renji seized me and glared at me.

"where the hell is shiro?" he snapped.

"U-Ulquiorra kidnapped him." I stammered. "What, concerned about him suddenly?" He let me go and I rubbed my neck.

"Hardly. He's the key to Ichigo's survival. If he dies..."

"Oh, so you care about Ichigo. What, ya have a crush?" I snapped. He glared at me and I grinned. "Hit a nerve it seems." He slammed me against a wall.

"Look here, arrancar. I don't give a shit about it, but I'm Ichigo's friend. I care about him, but not in the sense you mean." I spat in his face.

"You don't fucking get it! God, you're just as bad as the Espada! Shiro is not just some monster or item to trash! He has feelings, a soul, every little thing that makes him as much a human as you or Ichigo!" I snapped. God, he pissed me off!

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing this time." Rukia said, standing up. "We're all going after that bastard before he hurts him too much."

"And i'm coming with you." Believe me, hearing Ichigo say that was actually slightly encouraging, if not stupid.

"Ichigo...you can barely move for more then ten minutes!" Uryu argued. "What if he-"

"I don't give a shit. I'm going." He turned and looked at me. "Dion won't leave me behind anyways. Not with the threat of Ulquiorra coming back to get me as well while everyone is gone."

No, you're just too stubborn, and i'd end up bringing you anyways...I thought. Which was entirely true. I got up and grabbed Ichigo's arm, dragging him out of the room. "Give us a sec." I called.

XxxxxX

"You're out of your damned mind!" I snapped at him. He gave me a level look.

"I've been told that i'm not 'whole', so I guess that counts as being out of my mind." he replied calmly. Seriously? Was he being serious? I kept forgetting that he wasn't exactly himself, but this...this was too much.

"And...you're telling me that you don't give a shit? If something happens to you, Shiro's gonna flip!"

"As if i'm not flipping out because something happened to him?" whoa, sudden mood change. His eyes widened suddenly and he began to falter in his step. I rushed over as he fell over.

"Look, Uryu's right here. You can barely move for long."

"This is my fault..." I stared down at him as he slowly pushed himself out of my arms.

"Wha- not you too. This is no one's fault." I tried to convince him, but he wouldn't hear it. Why was everyone so difficult? "No one! You didn't do anything, Shiro didn't do anything! Even I-" I cut myself off at the look on his face. He looked defeated, like this was the end of it. "Ichigo..."

"Why did I drag him into this? If I hadn't...if I never gave him a name to begin with...he wouldn't be in this shit..." I just sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, if there's one thing i've figured out about the two of you, it's that you're quick to blame yourselves for everything." I said. "I know i'm no better, but c'mon, do you honestly think Shiro blames you for anything?" When he didn't answer, I just smiled. "Knowing him, he blames your pain on his existence." He shot me a look.

"What are you implying?" he snapped at me. "Shiro didn't do anything!" I grinned. There was the actual Ichigo.

"Fine, you can come." I started walking away, leaving him dumbfounded. Yeah, i'm good at that.

XxxxxX

Normal POV

Shiro sat huddled in a small, cramped room, holding his broken arm against his chest. Where am I? he wondered. When a door opened, he flinched at the presence in the room.

"So...what shall I do with you?" he whispered into his ear quietly and it caused him to shiver.

"It doesn't matter." he snapped. "I'm not giving in and i'm not listening to you!" He could practically feel the 4th Espada's smile on his neck.

"Oh, you really don't get it, do you?" He grabbed him by his hair and threw him across the room. Shiro cried out as his shoulder and head collided painfully with the wall. He tried to keep his focus as he was lifted up by his hair. "This is about a whole different thing. I don't want you to obey..."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you dead...and your lover to suffer and watch..."

XxxxxX

Chapter 22 end

Yes, i'm evil! Yes, i'm a bitch! If you can think of anything else to call me, click the button! ^_^ Also this story is about to end. Two more chappies left! But some people wanted to see Shiro suffer...so I shall partially grant that wish! Byes~!