Hey guys! Sorry it takens me so long to update. Summer is just the time where I get so lazy I can't even get myself out of bed half of the time, plus I've been busy looking at colleges and all that good stuff that seniors are supposed to do over the summer.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next. I have to finish my AP summer assignments still and school is coming up soon. This chapter gave me a hard time but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get the next done before too long.

Thanks to those who sent me messages, telling me to get my lazy butt into gear! And a big thanks to my good friend, KazeNoSakura for taking on the brutal task of correcting and pointing out all my horrid mistakes! Love ya!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

He sounded so sincere. It was hard to doubt anything he said at that moment, despite how everything he'd told me before were lies. I must be really gullible, but right now I didn't mind. The events that took place in all but one day proved to me without a doubt that the saying ignorance is bliss was one hundred percent true. I would have been happier not knowing about anything I knew now, but I'm glad I do know. To rather be lied to so you won't get hurt was weak. Pathetic even. And that wasn't me.

Despite not liking what I had found out, I was more content knowing what I has gotten myself into.

My eyes were locked with Toushiro's. I was no longer pinned but Toushiro was still over me, waiting for my next words. I brought my hands up to his face; my fingers lightly touching his cheeks. His skin was warm despite the cool chill he always gave off.

I couldn't muster anything louder than a low whisper. "I don't want you to leave either." I pulled my hands down, guiding his lips to mine.

Two, almost three months ago, I never would have predicted this. Not just the werewolf and hunter stuff, but where I was right now. With someone like Toushiro. It was odd. Whenever you first meet someone, you get a first impression of what that person is like. Usually the first impression is at least fifty percent accurate. Either way, you learn the most about that person from the first impression, and everything else you learn slowly and gradual.

But not this time. Toushiro had been a mystery since I met him. Today I learned far more than I ever thought I would know about anyone; not to mention the contents of what I learned. And despite seeing it all for myself, I almost still didn't believe it. I was still just waiting to wake up from one of those stupid dreams.

Then again, at the moment I would be incredibly disappointed if that happened. If I were to wake up from a dream right now, then that would mean I wasn't really right here, kissing Toushiro. And it would mean I didn't really know how he felt about me.

I drifted my hands from his face to the back of his head, entwining my fingers in his silver hair. He was so close to me. It was perfect.

"What the fuck?"

Hey God, if you're listening right now...

I. Hate. You.

Against what my brain was screaming to me, I turned my head to my bedroom door. There stood Ichigo. His face was red and I was sure a vein in his head was about to burst. Toushiro was frozen over me before he glanced to Ichigo, back to me, then sighed. Ichigo was by my bed in less than a second. Toushiro jumped off me and landed next to my bed. I quickly rolled off the bed as well. Ichigo was on one side and Toushiro on the other with the bed in between them.

"Ichigo, calm down." Like he was really going to listen to me though. "Can we just talk?"

"Listen to her, Kurosaki." Toushiro said in a low, chilling voice.

Ichigo seemed to be getting angrier and angrier by the second. He raised a fist and yelled. "Don't tell me what to do, Hitsugaya! I told you to stay away from my sister and here you are on top of her!" Way to make me sound like a whore. "I'm done playing around. You're dead."

Ichigo lunged over the bed to Toushiro. They were both on the floor with Ichigo on top of Toushiro and his hands around his neck. "Ichigo! Stop!"

Toushiro kicked Ichigo off of him and got to his feet, glaring at him. "We both know that won't work, Kurosaki. Why don't you use your gun already?"

Really? Egging him on? Why didn't you tell him he hits like a bitch while you were at it.

"Stop it you two!" I yelled. I stood in front of Ichigo, trying my best to hold him back. I really should have planned ahead for all this. Everything was a mess and I couldn't try to deal with all these things at once. Man this sucked. To think I was complaining when I first moved to Seireitei. None of that compared to now.

"Ichigo please, you're being stupid! Just calm down."

"Me? You're the one being stupid! I can't believe you wo-"

He stopped mid-sentence. I looked up to see his face, but instead he fell over, hitting the floor hard. "Ichigo?" Behind where Ichigo was standing was Toushiro. "What did you do?"

"Just knocked him out." he said as though I was dumb for asking.

He closed my door while I checked Ichigo. He was out cold. "Now what?" I asked.

Toushiro paused and looked to me. His voice was stern. "Nothing for you. I'm going to get the others and we're going to leave Seireitei tonight."

"What?" I shot up to meet his stare. "Why? I thought you said you didn't want to leave."

He looked frustrated. "I don't. I'd love to stay here with you, but I can't put the others in anymore danger than what I already have. If I had known what your brother and Kuchiki were when you all first moved here, we would have left months ago."

I couldn't deny the sting I felt at his words. What was I thinking? That everything would be fine now? When did I become such an idealist? Just because I wanted Toushiro to stay didn't mean he would. It was selfish of me to want him to stay in the first place.

I stayed silent, thinking about everything. Then a thought occurred to me. "No you're not."

"What?" he asked while raising a brow.

"You're not going anywhere!" I yelled, finding myself becoming angrier. "You can't just come out the werewolf closet saying all this crap about being sorry and then expect to hightail it outta here!"

"I-"

"'I' nothing! I don't wanna hear it." I cut him off. "You're keeping your furry ass right here after putting me through all this shit. What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

He silently looked at me, eyes slightly wider than usual. Ha, he didn't expect that. Well that was his fault. I meant every word I said. There was no way I was letting him run off, leaving me to deal with Ichigo and all the crap I'd have to hear from him. And I was definitely not some sap who was gonna stand around doing nothing. I didn't care what they had to do, but I was not going to sit here and let things go on the way they had been going.

"You're just going to have to work something out." I concluded.

"What's going on?"

Toushiro and I turned to the door. This time my bedroom doorway was occupied by the lovely Rukia Kuchiki. She had a gun in her hands aimed at Toushiro. I really need a lock for that door.

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "Why are you in here?" she asked Toushiro in a stern voice.

"Rukia wait." I pleaded. "He's not here to cause any trouble."

She looked down at Ichigo and her grip on the gun only tightened. "What happened to Ichigo?"

"He's just knocked out." I said.

Her eyes lingered on Ichigo before confirming to herself that I was speaking the truth. "Karin are you crazy? What are you doing protecting him? Don't you know what's going on?"

"Yes, I know everything and I think I should be able to speak for myself now that I do." I was so sick of hearing them speak to me like I was stupid. I was ignorant of the situation, not stupid. But now that I knew everything, I was just as involved as them which meant I had to do what I could to keep them from killing each other. Maybe if I could just get them to talk things over, maybe there was a chance to settle things.

"You and Ichigo think you're protecting me, but I can take care of myself and make my own decisions. I just need you to trust me."

Rukia looked between me, Toushiro, and Ichigo. Finally she spoke. "I do trust you Karin. Just not him." She cocked the gun. "I'm sorry but I don't have a choice."

I stepped up to her, in front of the gun. She lowered it but kept her eyes on Toushiro. "Rukia, you don't have to do this."

"Yes I do!" she yelled back, her gaze not leaving him. "It's my job. I have to do what I swore I would."

Her eyes were burning with anger and her mouth was set in a straight line. The more they talked about their duties as hunters the more it seemed less like a choice. "Then why are you a hunter? It can't be because you like killing people. Ichigo became a hunter because of what happened to our mom...so why are you a hunter?"

Rukia finally looked at me. "Family tradition." she said in a firm voice. "Don't waste your time Karin, I see what you're trying to do and it's not going to work. I chose to become a hunter and I knew full well what I'd have to do."

"And I know what I have to do." Toushiro's voice cut in. I turned around to face him as did Rukia.

"Toushiro, what the fuck are you doing?" I yelled. Toushiro was standing behind Ichigo, his right foot on his back. But that's not what I was focused on. Toushiro was holding Ichigo's gun and had it aimed at my brother's head.

He ignored me and kept his cold eyes on Rukia who had visibly paled. I could tell she was cursing herself for taking her eyes off him. So was I. "Rukia, I assume you know who Kisuke Urahara is. I want you to go to his shop. Now."

Rukia's eyes were narrowed. She stayed still, not moving an inch. He cocked the gun and spoke again. "Trust me, if you don't comply I have no qualms about killing a hunter."

I couldn't believe this. What was he thinking? Toushiro wouldn't really shoot Ichigo would he?

For the longest time Rukia stood there, debating whether to listen. Her eyes became red and she looked ready to scream out in rage. "Fine." she said tightly. For a brief second she glanced to me, her violet eyes a mixture of concern and disappointment. She looked back to Toushiro, her voice full of venom. "But if there is so much as a scratch on him I won't hesitate to kill you."

She slowly walked out of the room.

Toushiro placed the gun in his pants behind him. He turned to me but before he could even get a word out he was on his knees after a swift kick between his legs.

"What the hell Karin?" he hissed in pain.

"What the fuck were you thinking? How dare you threaten to shoot my brother! Don't you ever do that again!" I was so angry I could shoot him myself. Not to kill him of course but enough to get the message across.

He got back to his feet and glared at me. "I wasn't going to shoot him alright! I just didn't find the thought of chunks of my head all over your floor appealing. Besides, it's not like you had any ideas."

I bent down to Ichigo again. "Whatever." I muttered. He was still out like a light. "So why did you tell Rukia to go to that Urahara guy's shop?"

"You said you want me to try and work things out right?" I nodded at him. "Well this is me working things out. This is our best chance at finding any kind of settlement."

What was he talking about? I stood up again and placed my hands on my hips. "I'm not following."

He rolled his eyes. "Just go along with what I'm saying and try to keep up." Tch. Arrogant ass.

Although now that I think about it, they all knew the guy. He seemed like a neutral party when it came to werewolves and hunters, so maybe he really could help. I wonder how they all knew him and what was the connection between them.

"We need to go to Urahara's...but we also need to get Ichigo there."

I gaped at him. "You mean we have to carry him all the way there?"

Five Minutes Later...

"I can't believe we're doing this." I kept my vision low to the ground and stayed a good ten feet away from Toushiro.

He was walking with an unconscious Ichigo on his back. That was not the weird part. The weird part was that Toushiro was a giant, pure white, horse-sized wolf.

I doubt I would ever get used to werewolf Toushiro.

We were walking to Urahara's Shop through the woods so no one would see us. Toushiro had suggested that I get on his back as well, that way we'd get there faster. As amusing as I would have found that, I felt better walking. Even though I knew the wolf was Toushiro, I didn't feel comfortable riding him...Geez will my mind just stay out of the gutter already!

I looked over at Ichigo. He would kill not only Toushiro but me as well if he knew what was going on right now.

There were a bunch of trails that lead through the trees. It was a good thing Seireitei had so much forest. This would have been much harder to pull off in a city. There were fewer lights here too and the moon practically lit the way.

The moon.

Ichigo scoffed. "And what makes you say that? You have no chance of getting away – tonight's not a full moon."

"Werewolves stay human until a full moon when they change into what you saw earlier. But unfortunately, once they change, they aren't themselves anymore and they kill whoever and whatever crosses their path whether they want to or not." Urahara drawled.

I looked up at the sky and there it was. A crescent moon. Not a full moon. Not even half full.

But that couldn't be right. Urahara told me werewolves could only transform on full moons, he emphasized that part specifically. Not only that, but the whole point of killing werewolves was because they became blood thirsty beasts when they turned. Toushiro was still himself, completely competent. So how was he a wolf right now and why wasn't he trying to kill me? I was no werewolf expert, but this wasn't adding up at all.

"Toushiro?" He turned his head and looked at me with his big teal eyes. "You're different, aren't you?" He cocked his head to the side as a dog would. "I mean, you're different from other werewolves. Urahara told me about them and what happens when they transform. But you're not that same. Why?"

Toushiro had stopped in his tracks. His white fur was sticking up on its ends, his ears were perked, and he was staring at me. I half expected him to answer until I realized he couldn't while he was a wolf.

I started walking again. "Will you tell me later?"

He lowered his head which I assumed meant yes. We continued walking for what seemed like hours and the silence wasn't helping. Maybe I should have taken his offer for a ride. I was so tired and my feet were killing me. A lot had happened today – it had to be about two in the morning and yet it still wasn't over.

Finally we reached the back of the shop that was facing the woods. Toushiro stood still staring at me. "What?" I asked after a while.

He laid down and tilted his head back. I had to stop myself from cooing at him. He was so cute as a wolf.

He growled a little and I realized what he was trying to say. "Oh, sorry." I pulled Ichigo off his back and placed Toushiro's clothes that I was carrying on the ground. I turned away and waited while I heard the shuffling of his clothes as he put them on.

"Alright." he said. I turned around and he was now fully dressed. "Let's go."

"What about Hinamori and the others? Shouldn't they be here too?" I asked.

"Probably, but it'd be more troublesome." he shrugged. "They don't need to be here if I am."

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing out. Was I actually right about Toushiro being in charge of the Spectacular Six? How does that even work?

Toushiro grabbed Ichigo's arms and started to drag him into the shop. I went in first, walking into the hallway. Blocking my path was the black cat. It sat there looking at me and if I didn't know any better something about it looked amused.

"Yoruichi, is Rukia Kuchiki here?" Toushiro asked.

"You're talking to the cat?" I deadpanned. What was with everyone insisting the cat told them stuff? It had to be some kind of code or joke or something. "Wouldn't it make more sense for you to talk to dogs?" I joked.

"Maybe if dogs could speak." answered... the cat!

"Holy shit!" I jumped back, bumping into Toushiro. "It can really talk!"

It stretched and got to its feet. "Of course I can. Why else would he ask me a question?" it said in a masculine voice. "And yes, she arrived a while ago."

Toushiro nodded. The cat went down the hall and we followed. We went into the same room that I had spoken to Urahara in early today. Rukia was sitting on the floor at the table as was Urahara. When she saw us walk in she rushed over to Ichigo, snatching him from Toushiro.

She examined him closely before glaring at us. "Why are we here?"

Don't look at me. Heck if I know.

Urahara stood up from his sitting position. "Is Ichigo asleep?" he asked amusingly. "We can't have that now can we?" Without warning he pulled out a cane and whacked Ichigo in the back of his head.

"Ow! Who the hell hit me?" As if possessed, Ichigo popped up wide awake, holding his head. He took a second to look around. "Why am I at Hat n' Clog's shop?"

His eyes continued to wander until they rested on Toushiro. "What is he doing here?" he seethed.

Urahara spoke. "Now now, no fighting or you'll have to pay for the damages you do to my shop." he sang while fanning himself. "Now everyone please sit."

Ichigo and Rukia looked at the man like he was crazy. Probably was. "Ichigo, Ms. Kuchiki, you too." he said with a grin.

Reluctantly they sat at the low table. Ichigo and Rukia sat on one side of the table and me and Toushiro on the other. I was across from Rukia while Toushiro was across from Ichigo. Urahara was sitting at the end like he didn't notice the intense atmosphere. Thinking about it, it was probably a good thing the rest of the werewolves weren't here.

A tanned man with thick rimmed glasses walked in and sat down a tray with tea on it.

Ichigo hit his hands on the table causing the tea to spill over. I felt stupid since I was the only one who jumped. "Urahara, you're a hunter! There's a werewolf in your shop and all you do is serve him tea? How can you sit here and let a pack of those things live here in Seireitei?"

He was a hunter? Okay this wasn't making any sense. I wanted to ask my own questions but it wasn't really my place to do so.

He waved his fan playfully, still grinning. "Calm down Ichigo. It seems I have some explaining to do." His eyes drifted upwards, thinking or trying to remember something. He then cleared his voice and started. "Well it goes back to when Toushiro's little pack first arrived here about a year ago. I knew what they were right away, but I found something different about them..."

Ichigo irritably glanced from Toushiro to Urahara. "Which was what?"

"It's not my place to say."

So I was right about that too. Dang, I finally get answers and all they do is bring up more questions.

Toushiro cleared his throat. "Urahara."

The man smiled again. "Right. The question that you are wondering is why I would let werewolves live in Seireitei and not do anything about it." he directed Ichigo and Rukia. "Without saying too much, they are different from other werewolves. I've been allowing them to live here in town, secretly from The Organization. But that doesn't matter as much as the fact that part of the reason they are here is that they're helping me with a new problem."

"New problem?" asked Rukia.

Urahara waved his fan at her. "I'm getting there. But first things first is why you're all here." He glanced to me. "It seems it would be in your best interest to temporarily set aside your differences."

"I don't believe this." Ichigo muttered, standing up to leave. "Either this is a really bad joke or you've gone bat shit! Why the hell would I start buddying up with werewolves?"

Rukia, who was still sitting, said nothing but it was apparent she felt the same way. Toushiro and Urahara looked unfazed, expecting the reaction. I myself was wondering how on earth they were planning to convince these two to not shoot Toushiro and the others heads off.

"Calm down, Kurosaki. No one said anything about becoming friends." Toushiro started with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. He looked up at him, teal eyes showing the same disgust that Ichigo looked at him with. "Try to entertain the idea of us helping you."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned away, speaking to himself. "Right, teaming up with goddamn werewolves. And what do you think you could help us with?" he finished sarcastically.

"Your job." Toushiro stated.

Okay, now I was lost. Well actually I had been lost for quite some time but was kind of keeping up with the conversation. Now they might as well be speaking martian. From what it sounded like, Toushiro was offering to...kill werewolves? At least that was what I thought hunters did. But that couldn't be what he meant.

Ichigo and Rukia seemed just as confused. "My job?"

The room was quite but it felt like a bomb was about to go off. Toushiro stared at them for a long time. "Protect humans."

Ichigo sneered and turned to leave the room.

"Hold on, Ichigo." Rukia called. She looked uncomfortable but did a better job of hiding it than my brother. "What do you mean by that? Help us with what exactly?"

Urahara closed his fan. "Allow me to explain. Not long after Toushiro arrived in Seireitei, there were a series of attacks on people. Naturally I assumed it was the wolves until I did some investigating. I found something rather unexpected. I believe Ichigo had a little run in with them not too long ago."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "You know what those things are?"

Things? What things are they talking about?

"Yes. Those are what's been attacking people at night." Toushiro said. "They stopped for a few months but started showing up again recently. We've been helping Urahara get rid of them, but their numbers are growing."

"What are you talking about?" I finally asked.

Toushiro's expressionless face turned to a frown. "It's hard to explain. You've heard about people being attacked at night over the past month, right?"

I nodded. I remember seeing it on the news more than once. People going out at night and being attacked by something and ending up seriously hurt. No one knew what was attacking people, even unsure whether it was an animal or a person.

"What's been attacking people are these things...You would know them along the lines of the living dead." he said roughly.

I sat for a moment, thinking about what he had just said. People were being attacked by creatures, all happening at night, and they're known as the living dead. No way.

I sat up. "Vampires are what's attacking people?"

Rukia started giggling, Ichigo face-palmed, and Toushiro rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid. Of course not."

"Well excuse me for not following what you were saying." I retorted, settling back down. Whatever. That had vampires written all over it. "So what are they?"

He sighed. "They're reanimated corpses."

"So...they're zombies?"

"Basically."

Seriously? Of all the dangerous threats that could possibly bring Ichigo and Rukia and the S.S. together, of all the legends and supernatural creatures in the world...zombies? And I was being stupid for suspecting vampires? Vampires would have made more sense. Plus that would have been much cooler than some zombies.

Well unless they were those crazy, apocalypse bringing zombies that infect other people with a virus that would turn them into a zombie too. That would be pretty cool. But it would also suck at the same time because we would be royally screwed.

"So now that everyone is caught up to date." Urahara drawled. "Back to this whole temporary truce business. You don't have to if you don't want to, but it is the best course of action to take during this time."

Ichigo was quiet, looking down at the table. Rukia looked to him and said. "A temporary alliance doesn't sound so bad..."

"What?" Ichigo hissed, glaring at her.

"I don't like the idea of teaming with them either, but just think about it. We could get to the bottom of these attacks and who's behind it all. Obviously someone is creating and controlling the corpses. We allow the werewolves to help us with this and nothing more." she said as if ignoring that Toushiro was sitting right there.

"Plus..." she drifted off and her eyes wandered to me. Ichigo's eyes did the same.

It seemed as though a possible reason for Ichigo to agree would be so he could keep a better eye on me. Fantastic.

Well I hope you all liked the chapter. Things are really going to kick off now! I promise the Big Bad (you should already it's going to be) will show up in the next chapter.

Please Review and tell me what you think! Luvs you all bunches!