Christmas Nightmare
~Red Haired Shingami~

Keeping an eye and taking care of Toshiro in his inner world should have been easy. Toshiro had always been easy to deal with before. That was before the time he up and left the two people he cared about, causing them to have to pick up the pieces. Yes, the fact that he could see them having to pick up these pieces, he found to hurt.

Especially when he ended up finding that the small taicho had definitely grown up somewhat since he had last seen the boy. The fact that he had that incident with a girl his age, was sign enough for Gin that things had changed since he had last seen the white haired boy. He also had to wonder who exactly the little girl was.

Also, as funny as he would have normally found the arguments between the two, it had become evident that the small taicho was in truth simply arguing with himself, about whether or not he liked this Karin-chan person. It was obvious to Gin, that Toshiro, who tended to be aloof about girls for the most part, actually did have a crush on her.

Every so often, the former third division captain had to step in, and pull the two of them apart. The one good thing about this was Toshiro was finally walking on his own. The problem was, it wasn't just because of arguments that caused the man to have to pull them apart, and these things were causing the small taicho to freak out.

Not to mention, act completely childish about the whole matter at hand. He had never seen the small boy act like this, not since he was around the age physically of a three year old. That… was a memory that he tended to push aside. Though… seeing him acting his age was great, the frustration that went with it, didn't work.

Suddenly, Inoue-chan spoke up. "Hey, there is a group of people over there!"

Gin glanced over, and saw thirteen different people standing there. He rolled the eyes at the idea of having more company in this matter, and tugged on Toshiro's sleeve, just as the boy dodged another glomp from Karin. "I think we should go and see what is going on… don't you think?"

Thus, the five of them quickened their step, and arrived at the group, and Gin couldn't help but wince as he recognized every single one of them there. His Adam apple bobbed down, as he glanced over the thirteen lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen, including the former Shiba. As he looked, his eyes suddenly fell upon Renji's normally red hair.

He had to blink twice, and realize another Christmas element had somehow worked its way into Toshiro's dreaming state. How it was at all possible, he didn't know, but Abarai's hair was blinking on and off like a red light bulb. This caused him to look at Toshiro, who was glaring at the thirteen that were standing there.

"Taicho!" came Matsumoto's squeak as she rushed forward. She paused to glance at Isshin, then back at Toshiro. "Ehh… two taicho's…"

This caused Toshiro to fold his arms across his chest. Isshin gave a weak smile. "We're on a special mission…"

"Ahh," suddenly, Rangiku glomped the small taicho, and hugged him close to her bosom. "I find this taicho a lot more huggable!"

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro stated, trying to pull away.

"What is… Ichimaru Gin doing here…" Izuru suddenly asked, only to have Momo pull him towards her, as Matsumoto let go of her small taicho, to glare straight at Gin, her eyes seriously cold. Gin avoided her look, and continued to pay attention to Izuru and Momo, in time to see them kiss. In fact, it became apparent to Gin, that Toshiro saw it, as the boy quickly dodged behind Gin, peeking out from behind.

"Gin! Are you trying to kidnap my taicho!" Matsumoto suddenly snapped. Gin couldn't help but think about the fact that Toshiro was looking for a reason for Ran-chan to beat him up, subconsciously that is. He found him shunpooing around the crowd, as two people he felt were least likely to make out were.

"Ne! Shiro-chan! It looks like Kaien is alive too!" Isshin stated, pointing at the thirteenth division fuku-captain.

As Gin moved, he suddenly found himself tripped by Iba, and forced to the ground. He then felt Matsumoto on top of him, pounding her fists into his chest. "I hate you! I hate you! Why did you have to do this to me! Why did you always have to run away!"

"Rangiku…" Gin tried to reason with the fake Matsumoto.

"My Christmas wish…" Matsumoto suddenly stated, catching the man off guard. "I wish that you had never gotten close to Aizen. Why did you have to let him drive a wedge between us!"

"Ran… I didn't mean… seriously… you never had a problem with him being my taicho… that wasn't what…" the silver haired man continued to cover his head. "That wasn't what drove us apart… it was…" His eyes suddenly darted over to where Toshiro was standing, and he was completely surprised to find the boy looking at him, and the look on his face…

Well, that look was hard to describe. Hitsugaya had regained some of his childishness. Perhaps that was what this sickness was about, turning it's victims into a weak state, so that they could be manipulated. Those two teal eyes, they were filled with a great amount of sadness, and they were beginning to cry. "Shiro-chan… do you think that solving mine and Ran's problems is as simple as that! It's Momo who was that infatuated with him!"

This snapped the small boy out of his trance that he had somehow gone into. He surged forward, and grabbed onto Matsumoto's sleeve. "Ran-chan! Stop! Hitsugaya doesn't like it when you and Gin-kun fight! Please! Stop!"

At that, the fake Matsumoto pulled away, and Gin sat up. He got a good look into Toshiro's eyes, and found there, to be a good deal of anger, and that anger was being placed towards him. However, Isshin suddenly popped up next to him. He pointed out towards a huge fortress that had appeared. "Shiro-chan… Santa's castle… we are almost there…"

Gin got up, and glanced around, irritated that Toshiro's mind was fragmenting like it was. That was what he figured was going on. He suddenly felt a tug on his sleeve, and glanced down at the boy, who was more than a foot shorter than he was. "What is it kiddo?"

"Don't get Hitsugaya wrong. Hitsugaya hates you. But Hitsugaya hates seeing Rangiku upset even more," the boy murmured, and glared at the crowd that was advancing towards the castle. The very stupid castle.

"Toshiro-kun… you're talking in third person," Gin sighed, placing a hand on the boy's head.

This caused the small boy's eyes to blink a couple of times. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me…"

"Don't let this dream get to you, Shiro-chan…" the man sighed, walking beside the boy. He watched as the Karin girl tried to glomp him again.

M

Isshin had been watching through the night, and he was becoming more and more worried. Not only had Toshiro not come out of his state of mind, but Gin was also in a similar state of mind. Urahara told him that all that they could do was wait this thing out, at least until he could figure out whether or not he could figure out the foreign substance out.

The small boy was curled up in Gin's lap. Normally the former taicho would have found this adorable, the two of them sleeping, except for the fact that , Toshiro's face was still twisted in pain. It had been that way for two whole days, with the boy's two small hands clutching onto the front of Gin's clothing. They were tight, from the way they clutched on, white and pale.

Isshin personally hoped that this didn't last much longer, from his own medical background, because the implications of what this kind of state would have on the two's bodies was definitely not good, if they went on like this for a few days. However, Unohana had said he could possibly synthesize something by the next evening.

Glancing out, he let out a sigh, and realized that a whole day had passed, and in truth, he hadn't gone back to his clinic as he had planned. He wasn't sure what to think, and closed his eyes, to try to get a few winks, only to hear a commotion from the front. He didn't really want to know what was going on, but he tensed as he heard his son's voice, and those of his friends.

"Unohana… we heard that Gin went missing from his prison cell. It is all ready the twenty first," Rukia's voice quipped.

"The situation is taken care of," the peppermint hat man sighed. "Taken… care… of…"

"No it isn't!" Ichigo stated. "When we got back, Rukia looked at her soul phone, and found a message from Rangiku that Toshiro was missing! She is in hysterics, because no one has been sent since him, and she is thinking Gin killed him."

"Quiet! Please!" Unohana stated, "The state he's in right now might…"

Isshin glanced back at where Gin and Toshiro were, and suddenly was completely taken by shock at the fact that Gin's eyes were open, and Toshiro was thrashing in his arms. "Gin… what happened!"

"I don't know… I just got kicked out… even his imaginary friends in there…" Gin bit back his words as he heard the door slide open. He tried to hold the small boy still, as his sick body kick and flailed. Staring right at them was the substitute soul reaper.

"What the hell… dad…" Ichigo glanced over at his father, then the man that was trying to keep the small boy calm. His eyes turned dangerous. "What the hell is Ichimaru doing to Toshiro!"

"I'm not doing anything! It's the stupid poison that was on those stupid thorns!" Gin hissed, just in time to see the Kuchiki girl peek from behind Ichigo.

"No… it can't be…" Rukia suddenly held up her hands, ready to take a well-placed aim at Ichimaru's head.

"Do the two of you trust me or not!" Isshin snapped, irritated with the two of them. "Both of you, get to the house! I've been so focused on keeping an eye on Gin and Toshiro, while Urahara does his research, Karin and Yuzu were by their selves! I know that is poor parenting, but get your ass in gear Ichigo!"

"I'll go…" Rukia stated, glaring at the old man. "I think someone owes you some answers…"

"Dad… you are dressed in Shingami clothing…" Ichigo stated.

"I used to be a shingami captain, until Aizen sealed my powers. Your gaining powers awakened mine. Now isn't the time," Isshin stated, standing up.

"Hell as if it is!" Ichigo made a move towards Gin. "I am not going to let him hurt Toshiro!"

"If it weren't for Gin, Toshiro would likely be dead by now!" Isshin grabbed his son's arm, stopping him.

"My ass! If Gin hadn't broken out of his jail cell, then …"

"Gin! Get back into Toshiro's inner world!" Isshin snapped. "Try to stop those seizures from there!"

"How can you do this!" Ichigo turned on his father. "Letting that man go into Toshiro's inner world!"

"Because, we have no choice, Kurosaki," Urahara frowned. "Gin is the only one…"

"Don't… don't give me that he is the only one…" Ichigo snapped.

"Stop! It's making it worse! I got kicked out when he heard the yelling!" Gin snapped back. "I don't know what will happen if I don't get back in, and if you stop me, and he dies, I will personally hold you responsible. I don't care if you are Isshin-san's precious son, I will kill you."

"Dad…" Ichigo suddenly looked at his old man, completely taken by shock, only to be drug out of the room by his arm. However, he found himself pulled out of the room.

Author's note - Hmm… one more chapter dealing with poor Toshiro's dream. Will it end there… not likely…