Me: Weeeelll, everyone seems to be liking this little idea. Not liking the cliffie, but liking the idea XD

Ichigo: Speak for yourself!

Me: Did you think i was speaking for you, Strawberry?

Ichigo: Noooo...

Me: (Throws cake at him from XxRikela-chanxX. It's a triple chocolate layered cake with warm caramel insides with strawberry's on top, complete with a tag that says "To Ichigo, for being so damn hawt and awesome".) Here. Because i pity you.

Ichigo: (Practically attacks it) YAY! OMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOM

Me: (Sighs and shakes head) How the hell Peyton thinks you're smart is WAY beyond me.

Ichigo: OMONOMNOMNOM- ...WAAITT...Peyton thinks I'm smart? Really?

Me: (Sweatdrops as he turns red and beams with pride) ...Honestly, how old are ya, 12? Whatever. Enjoy!

Ichigo: OMNOMNOM! (Translation: "Yeah, what she said!")

Peyton tried not to groan as she started walking around, her joints stiff after being too worried about the damn rats to inspect the room.

Every day, at around the same time, the door would swing open and food would be slid in before it slammed shut and locked again.

She wanted to see what the outside of the room looked like, but she never got the chance. The exchange was always so quick.

About an hour ago, she remembered she had a barette nearly falling out of her hair, and that it had a reflective surface on one portion.

So now Peyton was lying in front of the door on her stomach, sliding the barette around to survey things.

So far, she saw that the walls were wooden, and that's about it. Except she saw a window, through which she could see how blue and tempting the sky was.

She longed for fresh air. Peyton didn't realize how major the difference between fresh air and regular air was until she was deprived of it.

Another thing getting on her nerves? The dried blood on the side of her head. It was like a scab now, caky, and it wasn't exactly a tiny spot of blood.

She was tempted to scratch it off, but didn't want it to start bleeding again. Besides, her head still hurt when she did movements like that.

Peyton wished she had had her phone on her when she was snatched. If she couldn't get a signal, at least she could look at pictures, play Tetris, and listen to old voicemails until her battery ran out.

That way she wouldn't have to listen to the silence. Oh, the silence. It was awful, unbearable sometimes.

Sometimes the silence would be so loud that she could hear a high-pitched noise, the same one she used to think was cool when she was a kid and stayed quiet for a long time.

She even considered monologuing at one point, talking to herself, but...though she hated admitting it...she was scared they'd get mad at her for that.

Whoever THEY was.

Peyton never saw anyone. Never heard anyone. All she had was herself and the occasional food and water she got, and even that was in short supply. The critters, however, were NOT in short supply, and they were her "company" at night.

But worst of all...she felt...helpless. Only five days in, according to how many meals she got, and she was already feeling helpless.

She missed her family. She missed Ichigo. She even missed school. It was amazing what solitude could do to the human mind.

MEANWHILE...

Everyone was getting more and more restless. Five days. Five days without her there, not knowing what she was doing or where she was...it was starting to take its toll.

Not just on Ichigo, but on everybody.

Toshiro and Matsumoto had to eventually take refuge at the Cullen house because of all the explosions at Urahara's as he tried to find a way to see the auras the Iga Clan were fond of using.

Lindsay and Seth insisted on helping however they could (hence all the explosions) with anything the Soul Reapers might need.

Miya insisted on something along those lines, convincing the school everything was fine and that Peyton was just away for a family emergency and was going to do the same for Ichigo and the others once they finally, FINALLY went to get her back.

Until then, his day consisted of school (which sucked), training (with the other Soul Reapers and Orihime, who insisted she would be coming along no matter what he said, and occasionally the Vizards), and ignoring Dad's moping.

Oh, damn did he mope. He was taking her disappearance worse than Ichigo was. Which wasn't saying much, since he usually kept stuff like that to himself, but...still...it was ridiculous.

The den was now a constant sea of tissues, and Ichigo didn't even want to THINK about what his room might look like at this point.

He didn't even call Nel their "practice lovechild" anymore, which he used to announce to everyone so proudly ever since the damn kid showed up.

Yuzu wasn't looking too good either, worried sick, and even Karin seemed more sullen than usual.

And thanks to the hole Nel found, Hollows were popping up left and right as it tried to seal itself back up.

So, yeah, he was plenty busy while he was waiting. That didn't make waiting any easier, though. Nothing could possibly make the waiting easier, or bearable.

If only I had been there...If only I had listened to my gut and went to check on her...None of this would be happening...

Mark wasn't taking it very well at all. In his mind, he didn't have all the answers he wanted. He wanted to know...why his daughter.

Why did his daughter have to have these powers, and meet Soul Reapers? Why the hell did his daughter have to start dating one?

Why was no one looking for her?

Miya and his kids tried to explain there wasn't much anyone could do at the moment, but that wasn't good enough.

That was NOT good enough.

He hated waiting. He had to wait for answers when Steph died. That had been bad, and he had never gotten those answers. Now he was waiting for answers on his youngest daughter, who could be dead for all he knew.

Needless to say, he was quite...angry. And wasn't thinking straight. So he went for a walk and of course, OF COURSE, who should he see further down the street but the damn Soul Reaper.

His fists clenched as he watched him fight something Mark himself couldn't see too well. Something huge and dangerous, something Lindsay insisted Peyton might be fed to.

Since being around Steph and their daughter for so long, he had started being able to see things they could.

Only the outlines. Although he could see damn Kurosaki quite clearly. Maybe it was fueled by how pissed off he was at the orange-headed substitute Soul Reaper.

Who knew.

Mark wanted to fight. He wanted to get his anger out on someone. Badly. Images of Kurosaki and his daughter together flashed through his mind, making him seem like the perfect target.

Why didn't Ichigo stop these people from taking her? Why wasn't he doing anything about it now?

He had stomped his way around the corner and was halfway down the street, about ten yards from Ichigo, when something tugged on his sleeve.

That little kid Ichigo had been followed around by lately was there, dragging him backwards and hissing.

"What is Itsygo's girlfwiend's dad THINKING? Almost attacking Itsygo!"

"That bastard's doing absolutely NOTHING about my daughter going missing! He knows, he knows what happened to her, why is he wasting his time?"

Nel stared at him in disbelief. "Mawk...Do you honestly tink Itsygo likes dis? Itsygo HATES all dis waiting! Itsygo loves his girlfwiend so much! He loves his girlfwiend so much dat he spends almost all his free time twaining so he can git her back home! Sometimes, Nel wakes up because she hears Itsygo yelling for his girlfwiend while he's sleeping, and Nel can't do anything to make him feel better no matter what she does!"

Mark stared at Ichigo, watching him fight, while Nel continued scolding him.

"Itsygo's trying so hard to stay sane, to get stwonger, all because he loves his girlfwiend and misses her! He misses her really really bad! So Nel is sure...That as long as Itsygo's still bweathing...He won't let his girlfwiend get hurt. He won't let her die. Because Itsygo loves his girlfwiend with all his heart, with all his big Stwaberry heart! So...Nel will have no choice but to kick Mawk's ass if he twies to yell at Itsygo...Because Nel misses Itsygo's girlfwiend too," she said with a slight sniffle.

Mark sweatdropped. "What are they TEACHING you, kid? You don't say 'ass'!"

Nel threw a pebble at his head, making his temple throb. "DOES MAWK NOT HEAR A WORD THAT COMES OUT OF NEL'S MOUTH? HER THROAT PENIS IS PWOBABLY SWINGING LIKE CWAZY FROM TWYING TO GET IT THWOUGH YOUR SKULL!"

Mark did a Spazzy Wet Noodle Dance. "Th-Th-THROAT PENIS? YOUR POOR TAINTED MIND!"

He sighed as Nel giggled. He looked from her to Ichigo, who had just returned to his body, then back again. "...I want my daughter back. Do you understand how much it hurts knowing she's out there and I have no clue where she is, or if she's alright, or when I'm gonna see her again?"

"I might know something about that," Ichigo replied from behind him, making him whirl around in surprise.

Damn, that kid walks fast.

"Mark, I'm gonna be completely honest with you. I knew something was wrong that night. I just had the worst feeling that something was wrong. I stayed up almost all night focusing on her spirit energy, her reiatsu, making sure she was alright. And as soon as I closed my eyes, as soon as I convinced myself I was just paranoid, they took her away."

He paused to blink a couple times really quickly, then gave him the most determined look Mark had seen in a long time.

"This is all my fault. I don't care what people keep telling me, that she's the one who made them angry and made herself a target. It's still my fault. I could've protected her. I didn't. So I swear to you that I'm gonna bring Peyton back. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt her. I'm gonna do what I should've done before, and protect her no matter what. But I can't do that...If you don't trust me when I say I'm doing everything I can, and as soon as I know where to go, I'm going after her."

They stared at each other for a long time, and finally, Mark held out his hand. "...Please. Bring her home."

Ichigo shook it.

"I intend to."

MEANWHILE,HOURS LATER...

3...2...1...

Peyton jumped back right as the door swung open, flinging it open all the way with her hand and summoning spirit energy.

She reared back her fist only to have it blocked, squeezed tightly, and have herself be shoved hard, her head knocking against the far wall.

The man started shouting angrily in fast Japanese, too fast for an amateur like her to pick up, but he soon quieted as she heard footsteps.

Peyton tried not to stare at the plate of food, practically drooling as her stomach growled miserably.

Food...I'm used to eating whenever I want...

Another man strode in, one a lot better dressed. He had a cocky smile, which she happened to hate on...pretty much everyone except Ichigo.

"Ahh. Peyton. Seems your survival mode has finally kicked in."

She glared at him, stumbling to her feet only to be pushed back down by something she couldn't see.

He noticed her confused expression and chuckled. "Though you can see the auras, your mind is so hazy from hunger and that nasty knot on its left side that we move too fast for your mere human eyes."

"Hey, don't say it like being human's such a bad thing," she muttered groggily. Damn, he was right. That douche in the corner made her hit her head again. Pretty damn hard, too, she was pretty sure she was bleeding.

AGAIN.

DAMMIT!

He scowled. "But it is. I mean, look at you. It's been five days. You're sitting on the ground, bleeding on your head, starving...Where are your friends? Where's Ichigo Kurosaki when you need him the most?"

Peyton resisted the urge to strangle him. "Ichigo's coming for me. He always helps people, especially the ones he cares about."

"Are you implying you think he cares about you?"

"Damn straight, stranger," she growled.

He laughed in her face before grabbing her by the arm, pulling her up. She winced, already able to tell how big the bruise on her arm was going to be.

And it wouldn't be tiny, that's for sure.

"That's rich. If he cares so much, where is he?"

"He's probably discussing with Hichigo which he should do first, draw and quarter you or disembowel you."

He laughed again, he and the douche in the corner exchanging some HILARIOUS Japanese dialogue about her that she couldn't quite catch.

He leaned closer, right into her face. "Ichigo Kurosaki could have stopped us. He knew we were coming. He chose not to. And now, five days later, still no Shinigami coming to your aid. I think it's safe to say he could care less. I know that I would never treat MY lover like this."

Peyton let out a yell as she channeled energy to her foot, kicking him in the gut and sending him against the wall, much like douche in the corner had done to her with that push.

"Don't you DARE think you can talk me into thinking I'm forgotten about! Ichigo's coming for me. He never gives up. He loves me, and he's coming for me. Then again...I don't expect you to know anything about love. You have one of those faces that only your momma could love. If SHE even did."

Not able to control himself, the douche in the corner muttered "Ohhh, burn!", making his superior glare at him as he stood up.

In a few strides he was back in front of her, grabbing her and yanking her towards him by a fistful of her hair. She winced, but her glare stayed on her face, staring him down.

"What? Upset I told you the truth? Ya know, we humans have a guy that settles issues like this. His name's Dr. Phil. Or Jerry Springer. Hell, you could even contact Maury, I'm sure he'd be interested."

"Enough!" He shouted, picking her up high off the ground by her neck and dropping her like she was a rag doll. Peyton flopped a bit like one, too.

If she was, she must've been an evil one, because the look she gave them both sure as hell was.

"You think you can mouth off at me, you little bitch? In case you've forgotten, you're the prisoner here, not I. And I for one cannot wait until you beg our new leader for mercy as we suck the very soul out of you and feed your reeking corpse to the hungry Hollows," he sneered.

He kicked her plate, sending the food and water flying, and slammed the door behind him as he and douche from the corner left.

Peyton trembled despite herself at his threat, not entirely doubting it. She stared longingly at the spilt water, eating a grape without really tasting anything but blood.

Bastard had made her bite her lip AND her tongue. Dammit. She whimpered a little as the lights were shut off earlier than usual, and she immediately heard the scurrying resume.

"Ichigo...I know you're coming for me, but could you hurry the hell up? Please? Don't tell anyone, but I'm...I'm kinda scared...and my head really hurts...My whole body hurts, really...I love you, Ichigo...Goodnight," she whispered before scrambling onto her bed and curling into a ball, trying to go to sleep and ignore her empty stomach and dry throat.

MEANWHILE...

He laid there staring at the ceiling, yet again, sifting through all the spiritual energy nearby.

Lately, Ichigo had been trying as hard as possible to stretch his sensing abilities to the limit, seeing if maybe, just maybe, he could feel her.

So far, no luck whatsoever.

"Itsygo?"

"Huh?"

"If I wake up later tonight...will I hear you scweaming for Itsygo's girlfwiend again?" Nel asked worriedly.

Ichigo's eyes widened a fraction. "Nel...Repeat that?"

"Will I hear you scweaming? You keep shouting and shouting for her, and it makes me wanna cover my ears," she explained from the foot of his bed, staring out the window and glancing at him every six seconds.

He avoided her eyes. "I...Didn't know. Sorry about that."

"Itsygo don't need to be sawry. Itsygo can't help it that he loves his girlfwiend so much. Itsygo can't help it if he blames himself. But Itsygo should know that it's not right to blame himself. Itsygo didn't mean for his girlfwiend to get taken away."

"No, he didn't."

"So Itsygo should stop acting like he did. Because if Itsygo's girlfwiend knows he's blaming himself, she will commit some major mas-o-kiss-inism."

He didn't get on her case about using such an adult term; instead, he laughed. "Yeah, she would."

"Not would! That makes it sound as if Itsygo's girlfwiend is dead and far away!" She wailed suddenly, making him jump and hold up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry, now be quiet before ya wake everyone up!"

He waited until Nel was pretty much asleep before turning over and looking out the window. "...Night, Peyton. I love you. I'll be there soon."