I fell asleep shortly after Hyourinmaru gave up on me. I woke up again from a dreamless sleep nearly seven hours later at 4 in the afternoon. Being fully rested and having completed my two of the three requests for the next two days, I truly had free time to spend how I chose for the first time in years.

I couldn't remember what I did with my free time last time I had no work to do. So I went over things I should do to improve the way I was seen by others. What it was that I needed to be doing all along but had been neglecting it.

Which meant it was time to visit the espada...maybe I could ask Ichigo to come to. But no because it would take some time to find him and that meant avoiding it for longer. I had to go now and start actually doing my job.

So I got up and got a much needed shower, changed into clean clothes, brushed my teeth and was on my way. It was only a few minutes of walking to get there, after all how was I supposed to monitor them if I couldn't get there easily? Even though I didn't like the two beings inside I was polite and knocked when I reached their door.

But I couldn't look into Cifer's emerald eyes when he opened the door. And I could barely speak when he asked , "What are you doing here?"

I noted that he left trash off the end of his sentence. Though I felt like I deserved to be called trash at that moment anyway. I adverted my eyes to the side when I answered, "I...I figured I should probably start doing my job."

He scoffed, "So you think we need monitored after two years of us causing you no harm? What kind of nonsense is that?"

That caused me to look at him again, "No it not...That's not what I meant. I think that if you wanted to do anything to harm the Soul Society you would have by now. But it's still my job and if I don't come here every once in a while it makes me look bad to people that I don't want to look bad in front of. Besides that unless Kurosaki has been here then you don't know the news."

I had to advert my eyes again halfway through my little speech because the other person living in the small house walked up behind Cifer. Great, I had to explain myself to both Cifer and Jaquerjacks before they would even let me inside the house.

"What's he blabbering about Ulquiorra?"

I could hear it in his tone of voice that he didn't like the fact that I was here. I started to wonder how and why Karin got close to them. They seemed like the type of people that would get on her nerves. So why did she protect Cifer from Ichigo? Why were they part of her escape plan? She knew how much hell they put us through so why did she want them to live so much?

Cifer shook his head in response to Jaquerjacks, "I don't know but I assume Karin would want us to let him inside before he explains."

"Are you kidding me? Assume? You know she would without even thinking about it. But she wanted a lot of things and got almost none of them and it's not like letting him in now is going to make her happy if she isn't here to see it. I say we don't let him in. Why does he deserve to come here and 'monitor' us when he doesn't even bother to talk to us? We're just part of his job. So if he's not treating us the way Karin would have wanted him to then why should we treat him with more respect?"

I was majorly confused. Even with all their dislike of me they were still being nicer than I expected them to be. They were more civilized than I expected them to be and I wondering why? Was it because of Karin? Was it because they were living in a more civilized society now? Maybe it was because they couldn't put up with each other if they didn't act more civilized.

Cifer turned around to face the other espada, "You know why we should. He doesn't have the luxury of having Karin here to explain to him why he should treat us better. But we had her with us for two months. Think about all the things she said to us about him. You know she would be upset with us for treating him wrong. Hell, she was upset with me for saving your butt and subduing her brother because it meant I had to fight him. And you know she cares about you. Otherwise she wouldn't have argued with you just because you felt like arguing. She wouldn't have let either of us be in her room so often. And she wouldn't have asked for your jacket to wear for the days when she needed it. So at least pay back her memory for being kind to you."

The more and more they talked the more confused I got. I sincerely think they forgot that I could hear what they were saying because I don't think they would have revealed so much to me otherwise. The a thought occurred to me, "Woah wait. You two were in her room...often?"

They both looked at me like they didn't realize I heard them...as I had thought. Jacquerjacks grinned, "Why, does it bother you? How do you think we became part of her escape plan. I even slept in her room twice. Ulquiorra slept in her room once. He slept closer too her than I did but I guess that's what happens when a girl falls asleep in your arms."

I couldn't prevent myself from staring blankly at them and then making fists at my side, "What?!"

Cifer's face went emotionless for the first time since I got there. Finally someone was acting like I expected them to. Jaquerjacks was looking at me like he was severely amused. I knew I looked angry...and I guess I was...or maybe I was jealous. But the point was I really didn't like the idea of Karin falling asleep in Cifer's arms. Why was she there in the first place? My mind raced through a million different horrible conclusions, and I had to know what happened.

Jaquerjacks leaned in towards my face which caused me to lean backwards, "It looks like someone still hasn't read the journal that was given to him. I mean Karin's friend Rumi would read bits and pieces of it and tell Ulquiorra about it. And in turn when I finally woke up from being badly injured by Ichigo, I was told about it too. It expalins so clearly that me and Ulquiorra here replaced you has her best friend. Or friends since there's two of us."

My anger-jealousy mood turned completely into shock and this time I said a much quieter, "What? N-no it doesn't."

He leaned against the door frame, "Yes it does. You can go read it instead of bothering us."

I crossed my arms, "First of all, I don't believe you because Karin isn't the type of person to replace people. I get that you two were her friends but I was her best friend. Second of all why in the world did Karin fall asleep in your arms? Third of all I came to tell you news that you two obviously haven't received yet so don't say I'm bothering you when I only thought you deserved to know."

Cifer sighed, "One it is true. Two she was crying and I held her while she cried until she fell asleep, and then I slept in the floor beside her bed while Grimmjow here slept in the floor across the room. Three this better be important because all you've succeeded in doing by being here is irritating the two of us."

Jealousy surged through my body. But I couldn't overreact again because I was already irritating them. The thoughts I should have been there ran through my mind repeatedly. But I kept my cool and blurted the words out before I could say anything stupid, "Karin has been found in the Soul Society. I walked her to the Head Captain's office this morning so she could be praised for making me snap back into doing my job. But don't get your hopes up because all she remembers is her given name."

Both of them looked like they had just been hit with a bus. They obviously weren't expecting me to say that. Neither one of them could hide the emotions passing through their eyes. They both had been effected by Karin just like I had. They both had missed her just like I had. But they were honoring her memory by doing the things she would have wanted unlike me. They didn't fall into self-pity when she was gone. Or maybe they did I wasn't here to see if they did or not.

I sighed and closed my eyes. In order for them to listen to me I would have to become vulnerable to them. I would have to be open with them before they were open with me, "Look. I know you two don't like me and all. But you care about Karin I can see it in your eyes. And that's something we have in common we all care about Karin. I...well I..."

Jaquerjacks sighed, "You loved her, we know. That's why I was being harsh on you because I figured someone who cared about what she thinks and what she wants would respect her wishes...and she wanted Ulquiorra and I to be friends with her friends and not be enemies of the Soul Society. I don't know what she wanted you to do and I suppose you don't either because you weren't there those last two months. But anyone who follows through with her escape plan the best they know how to has to love her. And both you and Kurosaki looked extremely depressed that day we left Hueco Mundo. So yeah we know how you felt."

It was an understatement to say that I was surprised. I had expected me to make myself vulnerable and them not to care. But I certainly hadn't expected Jaquerjacks of all people to get all sensitive on me. It just wasn't like him compared to the character I had learned him to be like. But I had learned him to be a heartless arrancar which wasn't really giving him a chance.

I was even more surprised when they stepped out of the doorway and motioned for me to come inside...In other words my plan to make myself vulnerable had worked more than I thought it would...I stepped inside the small house only to realize that I would probably have some kind of neat-freak attack from how messy it was. There were dirty dishes everywhere and scattered parts of the uniform of a Soul Reaper...And that was only what seemed to be a living room. I didn't even want to see the kitchen or bedrooms...

They made their way to couch in front of me which was covered in dirty clothes, and for the first time since I started talking to them I noticed that they were both wearing shihakushos instead of the espada uniform.

Jaquerjacks sat down on the couch and turned sideways to face me. Cifer picked up an empty ramen cup and threw it at him, "I thought I told you to clean this mess up."

The blue haired es-arrancar...they weren't under Aizen's control anymore...which meant they were just arrancar. The blue haired arrancar raised an eyebrow at him, "And what? Miss the drama at the front door. I'll clean it up when he leaves."

I tried to hide my disgust at the filthy room. Even when I was severely depressed I didn't let my house look like that...and I neglected pretty much everything. But I gues that was me being neat and organized the way I usually was. Cifer sighed and shook his head at Jaquerjacks then proceeded to sit down in the floor next to the coffee table in front of the couch. He seemed to have previously been solving a puzzle before I came in. The missing pieces were in a pile next to the half solved puzzle.

But he didn't pick any pieces up to match to the ones he had solved. He just looked at me like he was expecting something of me. I realized quickly that they were waiting for me to sit down somewhere. So I sat on the opposite side of the coffee table from Cifer. Which meant I was looking at the puzzle upside down. Even then it didn't take me long to realize that picture the puzzle was making was of the Seireitei.

I could see easily the tall buildings and the maze like roads. Something suddenly entered my mind that should have been there as soon as I noticed the mess, "Where did you two get all this stuff? The uniforms, food, and the puzzle I mean. Because I know that you haven't left the general area of this building or I would have been in trouble with the Head Captain."

I saw something similar to embarrassment pass through Cifer's eyes and then quickly disappear. Jaquerjacks sounded amused, "Oh well you see. We had to get food somehow. And it turns out that girls that somebody kidnaps seem to feel bad for her previous captors being in a sort of prison like state. Guess she understands the feeling."

It took me a minute to realize that he must have been talking about Orihime. It made sense if I thought about it. Cifer brought her food when she was in Hueco Mundo so she was bringing him food in the Soul Society. No matter how much she hated it in Hueco Mundo she was still nice to the ones who treated her so badly.

I opened my mouth to say 'I see' but before I could Cifer blurted out, "I have a question."

Jaquerjacks busted out laughing, "Yes because it's just killing you to not know. I don't get you at all."

I raised my eyebrows, "What are you talking about?"

Cifer blurted out again before I could process how embarrassed he sounded, "Is...Does Ichigo still like that Rukia girl?"

I blinked in surprise, "Um. As far as I know he's head over heels in love with her...why?"

He didn't try to hide how disappointed he looked. Jaquerjacks however looked like he was have a laughing fit, "That girl...Orihime Inoue right? Likes Ichigo...and lover boy here wanted things to work out for her so she could be happy."

I faint blush was seen on Cifer's pale face as he turned around once again to face his blue haired companion, "Don't call me that. Just because I want others to be happy doesn't mean I love them."

What madness had I walked into?

Maybe they've gone insane

'I think they already were Hyourinmaru'

Poor Toushirou had absolutely no idea what was going on but anyway. I'm starting to feel like I'm doing something wrong with this story which is a shame because I love writing it. But it's hard to believe I'm doing something right when I don't get a single review on my latest chapter...Please review guys...I need to know what you guys think.