Chapter 7:

There was plenty of work to get done on a daily basis in the Soul Society. There was always something to do. Squad 12 was overworked enough as it was but the other Squads kept sending them assignments to do. It was either 'fix this' or 'improve that' or 'change this' or 'make this'. Normally Squad 12 could come up with enough things to try inventing without anyone having to tell them. But recently, different Squads had been finding issues with one thing or another so they went to Squad 12 for results. Yamamoto had also been assigning Mayuri to tend to certain things he felt needed some working on. He also wanted the Captain to do research on a few things which meant even more work had to be done.

Akon felt bad in that he wasn't allowed to do as much as he normally would with all the assignments piling up. Everyone was asking where he was and if he could help. But because he had to keep Veneno in his sights at all times in the lab, he wasn't able to do that. He was limited to doing only certain things, deemed easy enough for someone like Veneno to accomplish. Akon wasn't allowed to tend to his normal jobs and help others unless Veneno could do the same. He wanted to help his people and felt terrible that he couldn't.

But Veneno had been improving a lot recently. He was capable of doing a lot more than he could at the beginning of the week. It was the middle of the morning and already, Veneno was finished doing the tasks assigned to him. Akon had noticed an improvement in not only his speech and body mobility, but also his speed and ability to control it. His speed wasn't a flash-step but it was very similar. He had put it to good use by using it to complete his chores more quickly. Veneno also demonstrated superior strength to that of a normal human being; even that of most Soul Reapers in the department. As a matter of fact, Akon believed that his strength was close to that of someone from Squad 11, despite how svelte he was. He was pretty well toned.

Now that the chores were done, Veneno sat at a wooden table with a book in front of him, reading. At the moment, he was looking at the pictures, finding them much more interesting. It showed different kinds of plants and animals from all over the world. He turned the page and stared at the black and white photo of a desert.

Akon was about to give him another task when the door to the lab opened. Ichigo stepped inside carrying something in his hands. "What are you doing here?" Akon was surprised to see him back so soon.

Ichigo moved further into the room. "The others above helped me find you. They said you're down here most of the time nowadays." He held up the ball of tin foil. "I brought Veneno some chocolate. He said he liked it."

Veneno looked up, hearing his name and chocolate in the same sentence. He closed the book, giving them his undivided attention. "What is it?"

Ichigo walked it over to the table and set it down on top of the closed book, unwrapping the foil. "I brought you some more chocolate. Told you I would."

Veneno looked down at the triangular shaped piece of chocolate in front of him. It looked different. Like a dark sponge that kept flaking off. He looked up at Ichigo. "This is chocolate?"

"Yeah. It's a different kind of chocolate but it is chocolate alright." Seeing that Veneno needed more clarification, he added, "It's cake."

"What's cake?" He looked across the table at Akon who had just sat down.

"Don't look at me," he said. "We don't get cake around here. Ichigo brought it special."

Veneno looked down at the large piece of cake, unsure. To him, it must have looked like it was going to taste like burnt dirt judging from the look he was giving it. Ichigo reached forward and broke off a small piece with his fingers. "It's good. See?" He popped the piece into his mouth and ate it.

After seeing Ichigo eat it with no ill effects, Veneno broke off a small piece in the same fashion Ichigo did and lifted it to his mouth. "It feels like really soft bread," he commented. He smelled it. It smelled like that chocolate he got before. Trusting Ichigo's word, he took a bite.

"How is it?"

Veneno answered by attacking the rest of it with both hands. He tried to cram as much of the cake as he could into his mouth, chewing loudly. "It's really, really good!" It had the consistency of very moist bread and tasted sweet. "This is the best thing I've ever tasted."

"Really?" At first Ichigo took it as a joke. Then he realized that Veneno was serious.

"Yeah. I've only ever eaten bread and rice. I've never had anything like this before."

"Oh? Just bread and rice?" he asked slowly.

"Yeah. That's what Akon gives me everyday."

Ichigo turned to Akon who mouthed the word 'what' when he saw the look on Ichigo's face. "So…" he said without looking at Veneno this time. "That's all he gives you?"

"Yeah." Veneno licked his fingers, not wanting to waste a single morsel. "When it's lunch time, he leaves for a while and comes back with food. After I finish eating, I do more chores."

Without taking his eyes off Akon, he asked Veneno, "Just once he feeds you?"

"No. Sometimes he gets me more before I go back in the closet."

Ichigo turned. "The what?"

Veneno pointed. "The closet over there. Come on, I'll show you." He took Ichigo's sleeve and pulled him over to a small room, pointing. "This is where I sleep at night."

The closet was very small. There was no room to stretch out at all. Veneno would have to either sleep curled into a ball or sitting upright. There was a white sheet on the floor which Ichigo guessed was used for his bed and blanket. Other than that, the closet was empty. Even the shelves above his head were bare.

Ichigo told Veneno to stay there for a moment while he went over to speak with Akon. He roughly grabbed his arm and dragged Akon over to the back wall, far away from Veneno. "What the hell is this?"

"Mayuri told me to hide him somewhere."

"A closet?"

"Technically, he picked it. Not me. But I lock him in there at night."

"You lock him in?!"

"Oh, don't use that tone with me." Akon pulled his arm free. "In the beginning, he didn't know up from down. The guy could barely walk. If he got out, we didn't want him getting into stuff. That's all."

"And you feed him bread and rice?"

"It's what I can sneak back with me. Ok? Get off my back."

Ichigo hung his head. The first time he met Veneno, he was convinced that Soul Reapers were his enemy. He believed that they were cruel people who could never show compassion toward Hollows or Arrancars. The way he was being treated right now would only lead to future bitterness. Though he may not remember anything about his past now, it was possible that history would be repeated and he would end up thinking that Soul Reapers were bad. That was what Ichigo was afraid of.

"So correct me if I'm wrong here, Akon… but so far… you feed him once a day and it's prison food, he lives in a closet and he wears clothes that don't even fit him. Am I right on this so far?"

Akon's silence was enough.

"Listen to me. You have got to do better for him. You can't treat him like a prisoner or like a dog. Treat him like a person."

"Mayuri's the one who didn't feed him. I do that. And technically, no one was supposed to know about him. He was supposed to stay locked in the lab where no one would find him."

"I don't care. He's walking around the lab now, isn't he? You have him working and hanging around Soul Reapers. So why not treat him like he's part of the Squad?"

Akon narrowed his eyes. "Now how do you figure we do that?"

"You can start by getting him a real bed and decent food. And clothes his size. Maybe get him out of the lab and into the barracks or something."

"Ah-uh!" Akon waved his arms in refusal. "Out of the question. No way am I doing that."

"Why not? You have spare rooms, don't you?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"But what? Get him his own room!"

"What part of 'he's supposed to remain a secret' don't you understand? I can't take him out of the lab! Mayuri will kill me for starters in addition to us all being in major trouble. This is illegal but he roped me into it, so now I'm stuck."

"But he's not in this room anymore, right? So Mayuri allowed it, didn't he?"

"But that wasn't leaving the building. That's different!"

Ichigo tried to keep his voice down so Veneno wouldn't hear them. "Listen to me, Akon. Before when I met Veneno for the first time, he believed that Soul Reapers were bad. Evil, even. He hated you so much. He was convinced that you could do nothing but hurt Hollow kind. That you guys could never be allies. Though he may not remember his past, you could end up recreating it in the future. If you continue to treat him cruelly or like an animal, then he might turn on you. He is advancing, isn't he? What makes you think he won't figure things out?"

Akon knew he made a good point. "Well…"

"As long as no one finds out about him being an Arrancar, everything's fine, right? And no one's noticed so far."

Akon started thinking about his options. "Well… his Spiritual Pressure is off… No one can tell the difference between him and someone else. Never could figure that one out. It's muddled somehow… And as long as that mask fragment on his forehead remains hidden no one will know…" Ruffling his hair, Akon sighed in agitation. "I'll see what I can do…"

With constant prodding from Ichigo to get Veneno out of the lab, Akon managed to arrange for a room for Veneno to stay in from now on. As long as his mask remained unseen, everyone would continue to think he was one of them. As far as everyone was concerned, Veneno was a Soul Reaper like everyone else. It was high time they kept up that belief by allowing him to live as one of them. A room in the barracks was a good start.

Once everything was arranged, Akon went back into the lab to retrieve Veneno and bring him to his new room. "Ok, Veneno, follow me."

The young man stood up and followed after Akon. This was different from his normal routine so he was a little confused. "Where are we going?" He wasn't aware of any other chores he had to do today.

"I want to show you something. We'll be leaving the lab today."

"Leaving the lab?" he repeated. This was very different. He was never allowed outside before and wasn't sure what to expect.

Akon led Veneno and Ichigo up the stairs to the ground floor. He took them down the long hall and over to the front doors. Veneno stood in front of them looking straight up. The doors almost reached the ceiling and were made out of steel. Big and heavy. Somehow Akon managed to open them by himself and stepped outside. Feeling Ichigo tug on his arm, Veneno followed.

Bright light burned Veneno's eyes the moment he stepped into the sun. Having never been exposed to natural sunlight, Veneno was momentarily blinded. He shut his eyes tight and covered his face with his arms. He slowly opened his eyes in the safe cocoon he made with his arms, looking at his feet. This ground was different from the floor in the lab. It felt like sandpaper under his sandals. Eyes adjusting to the bright light of the outdoors, Veneno slowly started to lift his head and peered between his raised arms.

It took his breath away. Everything was so bright. He saw trees for the first time in his life and heard birds chirping nearby, a sound unknown to him before. Everything was new. And warm. Veneno started to stand up straight, still shielding his eyes with one arm, he looked around. The top of his head and his skin felt warm in the light. The air smelled different. In the lab all he smelled were chemicals, iron, wood and the stuffy dampness he had grown used to. He had never been exposed to fresh air before. He could breathe easier. The scent on the air was very nice. It had a soothing quality to it and made him feel at peace.

"What is this?" he asked, looking at the tall buildings surrounding them and the white walls boxing them in. He had no idea there were other buildings besides the one he was in. The world he knew had just gotten bigger.

"This is the outdoors," explained Ichigo.

Veneno squinted, still not used to sunlight. "It's really bright."

"That's because it's a sunny day."

Veneno turned towards the light, shutting his left eye. "Sunny…" He turned back to Ichigo. "It feels different."

"What do you mean? Haven't you've ever seen the sun before?"

"No, never." He answered honestly. "This is my first time outside the lab. I've never been outside before."

Ichigo turned and shot Akon a glare who returned it with a muted 'what?'. It was sad that Veneno in all this time had never once been outside before now. He had never known the sunlight or its warmth. This was a new experience for him.

Ichigo reached out and took Veneno's hand, pulling him away from the lab. "Come on."

Veneno followed. As he moved further away from the building, he found himself looking back at the open doors. He was leaving his home. He was familiar with that lab. It was strange to leave it. But being surrounded by so many new things had him curious. A part of him wanted to return, but that part of him was soon drowned out by the part of him looking for adventure. He kept looking at the doors, wanting to make sure he didn't get too far away. But once they turned the corner, the doors were out of sight. That scared him. He wanted to know where he was. But no longer having the doors distracting him, Veneno was able to look at the world around him. He faced forward and allowed himself to be pulled away from the building he knew.

He stared in awe at other buildings varying in size and shape. Some had balconies and some had bridges linking two buildings together. Some only had one floor to them while others were stacked up like shelves. People wearing the same outfit kept passing them by, everyone doing something different. Some nodded at Akon saying 'hello' as they passed and others said nothing, keeping to themselves. Veneno kept getting distracted by the things around him. If Ichigo hadn't been holding onto his hand, they would have been separated several times.

Veneno heard a strange sound. Rustling. He saw the trees moving slightly, leaves being shaken from the branches. Then he felt something strange touch him. An invisible pressure. It blew through his clothes and pushed his hair aside. The wind. It was his first time feeling it. He had never known what the wind was before. Veneno stopped where he stood and faced the breeze.

Ichigo felt Veneno stop and turned around. Even when he pulled, Veneno did not move. He was facing the other way, looking straight ahead. "What is it?"

He didn't answer.

"Veneno?"

This time he turned, but only slightly. "It's the wind." He turned back, shutting his eyes. "I've never felt it before."

Ichigo turned his body towards the breeze, standing side by side with Veneno. He was enjoying the breeze, too, but not nearly as much as he was. This was entirely new to him. Veneno had never felt the breeze before. This must have been amazing to him, like a seeing a shooting star or witnessing angels dancing in the sky.

The breeze picked up, blowing Veneno's brown hair back, revealing his mask. The air carried the scent of grass and trees with it. The smell engulfed Veneno. He preferred this smell to lab chemicals. It was much nicer. The breeze died down and then stopped. Veneno opened his eyes, smiling. "It feels wonderful…" He enjoyed that.

Seeing the mask, Ichigo reached up and folded his hair back into place, hiding it. There was still a strand sticking up on top of his head but that was normal for Veneno. He always had one strand sticking up above the rest. "Come on. We're almost there."

Veneno followed without stopping this time. Akon took them into a building. He had managed to find one room at the end of the hall, close to the lab, that was vacant. He opened the door to the room and stood back. "It's this one." Ichigo pulled Veneno closer to the open door. He didn't let go of Ichigo's hand.

"Go inside. Check it out."

Only then did Veneno let go of Ichigo's hand. He walked up to the room and looked inside. It took his breath away. He had never seen such a place before. The room may have been small, but it was large enough for him to stretch out on the ground and not hit anything. There was a closet to his left the moment he walked in. There was a small wooden desk against the back wall and a small dresser to his right. The room looked so clean. It smelled faintly of wicker and wood. On the floor was a bed. He had never seen a real bed before. Instead of a white tarp, there was a blanket with a bamboo design and a pillow resting below it. He pulled back the blanket and looked at the bed itself. He ran his hand over it, feeling the softness. It was like very soft cotton, giving under the pressure he placed with his hand. He stood up, looking at the ceiling and the walls.

"Do you like it?" Ichigo asked.

Veneno turned around. "This is a nice room. I like it."

"Good," said Akon. "Because this is where you're going to be staying from now on."

He turned around. "What?"

"Instead of sleeping in that closet you're used to, this is where you'll be sleeping at night. Ok?"

Veneno looked stunned. Though he liked the room very much, knowing that he was leaving his home made him feel uncomfortable. "Will I still be in the lab?" he asked.

"Sure. You just won't be sleeping in there. This is your room from now on." Akon pulled open a drawer on the dresser. "I also got you some new clothes. These ones should fit you better."

"Thanks." Veneno went over to the open drawer and looked inside. It was a Soul Reaper uniform like the one he was wearing only it looked to be about his size.

"We'll let you get changed. Once you're finished, let us know. We'll be right out here for you."

Veneno watched Ichigo and Akon step out into the hall. He looked down at the outfit in his hands. He had a room now. He wasn't going to be staying in a closet anymore. He wasn't sure if he felt happy or sad about it. He unfolded the clothes and started to get undressed.

Outside the room, Ichigo and Akon were whispering about Veneno.

"I think this is better for him."

"The guy looked scared," said Akon. "We're taking him out of a place he's used to. This is uncomfortable for him."

"I still say it's better for him. Now he's not breathing in those fumes and now he can at least breathe in the fresh air for once. How could you never let him outside? The guy had never seen the sun before."

"The lab had no windows. And keep in mind, he wasn't supposed to leave the lab. This all happened because you threw a fit."

"I didn't throw a fit," said Ichigo. "Just think, would you? I gave you my reasons. Do I have to repeat it?"

"No." Akon leaned against the wall, looking straight ahead. "I just hope the Captain's not going to have my ass for this… Looks like secrets are going to get out no matter what you do… Although, it would have lasted longer if we had kept him put."

"You said it yourself that he's maturing. If you didn't allow this, it would have happened anyway. He was bound to wander off sooner or later and discover this stuff."

"He did wander off before."

"See?"

"That's why I had him locked up in the first place."

The door opened. "I'm finished."

They turned around and looked at Veneno in his new outfit. This uniform fit him much better than the other one. "Looks good. How's it feel?"

"It's good," said Veneno. He started playing with his long sleeves. "It feels more comfortable. And I don't need a rope to hold up the pants. And I can move my arms better. There's more room."

"That's good."

Ichigo nodded to him. "See? Now he's not such a mess. Finally found him something that fit. Now he looks like a regular Soul Reaper."

Veneno clasped a hand to his temple, wincing. His head was hurting again. A dull throbbing pain.

"What's wrong?"

Veneno moaned, holding his head. "What… what did you say I looked like?"

"Like a Soul Reaper."

At those words, the pain got much worse. Yelping, Veneno fell to his knees, holding his head in both hands. The two rushed forward. "Are you ok? What's wrong?" He heard their voices above him but was in no condition to answer them. The pain was tremendous. And, as quickly as it started, it suddenly vanished. His head stopped pounding and that horrible ringing had ceased. He lifted his head looking from one man to the other.

"What was that?"

Ichigo put a hand on Veneno's shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I think so…" Veneno started to get up, but Ichigo's hand prevented it. He kept him in a kneeling position. "I just got a really bad headache. That's all. It's gone now. I'm fine."

Ichigo turned to Akon. This was the second time he had witnessed Veneno suffering from an intense headache for seemingly no reason. Akon was writing this down in the notebook he kept on hand all the time. Knowing that Akon wasn't as concerned as he was, Ichigo turned back to Veneno and helped him up. "Are you getting these a lot?"

"No, not really. Every now and then, I guess. I'm fine now."

Akon finished writing and took Veneno's arm, pulling him out of the room. "Don't worry about it. But if you continue to get these, just let me know. Ok?"

"Ok." Veneno thought of something else. "What is a Soul Reaper, anyway?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess we've never used that term around you before." Akon pointed to himself and then at Ichigo. "I'm a Soul Reaper and so is he. Everyone wearing these black kimonos is a Soul Reaper."

Veneno looked down at the garment he was wearing. Since he was wearing one that must have made him a Soul Reaper, too. He nodded his head. "Ok. I get it now."

Ichigo was about to say something when he noticed a few Soul Reapers passing them by in a hurry. Akon took notice of this and nodded. "It should be around lunch time now. You hungry?"

Veneno nodded vigorously.

"Thought you might be. I'll take you to where I get the food. You can come and pick out what you want."

He looked so excited to hear that.

It was then that Ichigo realized the time. If it was lunch here, then what time was it back at Linnette's? It must have been late. He hadn't planned on staying this long. Now that Veneno had a new room, new clothes and food to eat, Ichigo had to get back. Veneno was taken care of for the moment. It was time to head back.

By the time Ichigo returned to New York, it was completely dark. The only lights were coming from the streetlights over the road on the other side of the house and the luminescent city beyond the trees. It must have been really late. Some lights were still on his the house. Ichigo climbed the wooden steps to the back porch and into the house. The sliding door was unlocked.

It had quieted down considerably since he had left. Laughter could be heard from upstairs, telling Ichigo that Linnette and her friends were still wide awake. There was no sign of Victor or Cedric anywhere. Rukia and Rangiku were missing as well. Stepping into the den, Ichigo found Ikkaku laying on the couch staring up at the ceiling. He turned his head, looking at Ichigo once he saw him enter the room.

"Did you get done what you needed to?"

"Uh… Yeah."

Ikkaku turned away, looking at the ceiling again. "This…" He pointed straight up. "Is going to continue all freaking night."

The girls upstairs were laughing loudly and yelling playfully. Their running footsteps could also be heard from the floor below. It didn't seem that they would settle down anytime soon.

"What time is it?" asked Ichigo. It was close to noon when he left the Soul Society.

"About 11:00, I guess," said Ikkaku. "Maybe 11:30."

Someone tapped Ichigo on the shoulder. He turned around and almost jumped out of his skin. Yumichika was standing behind him, but he didn't look like Yumichika. His face was hidden behind the heavy make-up. It looked like it had been applied in the dark. Yumichika's hair was pinned back by multiple decorative clips, his lips protruded outward due to the multiple shades of lipstick. His face was white with powder, his cheeks were rosy with blush and his eyelashes were reduced to dark clumps because of all the mascara and his eyelids were a very odd shade of blue and red, making them look bruised. To top everything off, someone had drawn flowers on his cheeks and forehead in make-up and he was shimmering with glitter which fell like snowflakes from his hair and shoulders as he moved.

"Uh…" Ichigo couldn't speak. He had a few questions, most of which he didn't want answers to and others he already knew just from looking at him.

"Not. A. Word." he snarled.

"Ok. Ok." Ichigo backed off.

Through the thick make-up, Yumichika's face showed a look of desperation and woe. "Do you have a mirror?" he asked in a tone similar to a child asking a strict parent for a cookie before dinner.

"I don't think you want one," Ichigo said before he could stop himself.

"I know what I look like!" Yumichika snapped. "I just want to take this stuff off!"

"Then why don't you go to the bathroom and use that mirror?"

"I would but they're in there. I can't get in!" Yumichika brushed the back of his hand across his face, smearing the make-up and leaving a colorful streak on his hand. "They dragged me over to a chair and did this to me! No matter how much I told them to stop, they kept it up. God, I wish we spoke the same language so they could understand me."

"Even if they did, I doubt it would have made much of a difference," said Ikkaku. "I think they knew what you were saying all along but did it anyway. You protesting was half the fun."

"I would have appreciated the help, Ikkaku! All you did was sit there and let them have their way with me!"

"What did you want me to do about it?"

"You could have helped! They held me down!"

"So what? They're little girls! You could have fought back."

"Rangiku was helping them!"

Ikkaku snorted. "Some 5th Seat from the 11th Division you turned out to be…"

"Says the guy who hid in the next room!"

"I was outside until the sun went down."

"That isn't any better!"

Victor tapped on the wall with his knuckle, getting their attention. "I'm sending the girls to Linnette's room for the evening. They should settle down soon."

"Yeah, we'll see about that…" Ikkaku muttered.

"In the meantime, you will be sleeping down here in the den. I can get you extra blankets if you like." Victor gestured upstairs with his chin. "The women will have our room."

"Your room?"

"Of course. Cedric and I do not sleep, therefore we have no need for the beds. It seems pointless for the girls to sleep on the floor when we have perfectly good beds we can put to use. So they'll have our beds. Which leaves the men down here in the den."

"Then where will you guys go?" asked Ichigo, knowing that the girls in Linnette's room had no knowledge of what Victor and Cedric were. To keep up appearances, they usually went into that room at night to pretend to be asleep until morning.

"It's fine. There are plenty of other rooms we can stay in. I'll be in the study most of the night if you should need anything."

"That's great because I desperately need a mirror."

Victor took one look at Yumichika's face and didn't react. He didn't even bat an eye. Instead, he smiled and put a hand on Yumichika's shoulder, leading him into the kitchen. "Come on. I'll help you get that off."

Yumichika sat in a stool Victor pulled out for him from under the counter. The suited man went over to the sink and started to run the water. He brought over a moist cloth and some paper towels. He stood in front of Yumichika, looking at the colorful mess on his face. Slipping two fingers under his chin, he tilted his head up towards the light and told him, "Close your eyes." He did as he was told, a bitter look on his face the whole while, and let Victor do whatever he wanted. Victor took the cloth in his hand and began to gently dab at Yumichika's face. Slowly the make-up started to come off.

Ichigo stood nearby, watching. Yumichika sat quietly, letting Victor clean him off. He shifted the cloth in his hand, using a clean corner to wipe his face with. Soon the cloth turned a strange pink and purple color. He wiped at his lips, trying to get off the lipstick.

"Sorry about that," he said after a minute. "The girls tend to get carried away whenever they're over. I'm sure seeing new faces also put them in a giddy mood." He mopped up Yumichika's forehead. "It's coming off nicely. The glitter will be a problem, however. That's more difficult to get off."

"Hm."

"You're welcome to use our shower if you like."

"M'k. Thanks." Yumichika's bitter face relaxed as Victor cleaned him off. It was like a gentle massage. Victor's hands were very skillful. He was enjoying this. Victor started to wipe off the make-up on his eyelids next.

"They didn't paint your nails, too, did they?"

"No."

"Alright. There's a plus." Victor started to unclip the pins in his hair next. "Keep your eyes shut. There's a lot of glitter here." He unclipped one pin after another. He unclipped a pin from the back of Yumichika's hair, causing him to shiver slightly. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

Victor took the last clip out of Yumichika's hair and placed it on the counter. He combed his fingers through his hair, making sure he didn't miss any. Then he ruffled his hair, brushing the glitter off his head and then brushed off his shoulders. "This is good for now."

Yumichika opened his eyes. "Thanks."

"I would think you'd be used to getting makeovers," called Ikkaku from the other room.

"I don't wear make-up!" Yumichika hollered back. "It's natural beauty. Something you don't seem to understand." He got off the stool and examined his reflection in the polished window above the sink. He was relieved to see all the make-up was cleaned off his face. "Much better…"

Victor dropped the now brown cloth in the sink and threw away the used paper towels. "Once the girls are finished with what they're doing in the bathroom, you may use the shower to get anything I missed."

"I may just take you up on that offer."

A door upstairs banged open and the sound of screaming girls flooded down from the second floor. Immediately, Yumichika hid in the next room, hating the idea of round two with even more make-up. Two girls came running downstairs with Linnette, laughing and talking excitedly at once. Linnette asked Victor something and the girls giggled, nodding shyly behind her. He nodded his head and opened the freezer door, taking out three ice cream cones. They took them and ran back towards the steps. Victor called out to them and they stopped, returning slowly to the kitchen where they sat down and ate the cones around the counter.

Victor, noticing the puzzled expression on Ichigo's face, answered, "They wanted some ice cream. But I don't allow it upstairs so I told them to eat it down here."

"Ah." He looked at the two girls he had only seen in pictures up until this point. "Do any of them speak Japanese?"

"Not very much if any. Linnette is the only one among them who can speak it fluently as you may have noticed."

Ichigo peered over at the girls playfully teasing one another and eating their ice cream. They were already in their night clothes. Linnette was wearing a pink nightdress with a floral design on the front. The girl beside her was wearing shorts and a T-shirt while the third was wearing long pants and a tank top. The girl in the tank top was carrying a dolphin plush in her lap which looked very worn out. The girl in the shorts had a horse design on her T-shirt and her red hair was pinned back in a ponytail. They continued their conversation, not in the least bit distracted by the teenager watching them.

"Do you need anything?"

"Huh?" Ichigo looked up at Victor.

"You'll be on the couch tonight. Do you need anything I haven't already put out for you?" He showed Ichigo to the den a few steps away and pointed at the pile on the couch. "I brought three blankets and a couple of pillows for you. Will that be enough?"

"Oh. Ah, sure. I guess so."

He nodded. Linnette pulled on his sleeve from behind. He turned around. "Yes, sweetie?"

She handed him the empty cone, peering slightly over her shoulder at her friends. She seemed a little nervous. Victor took the cone from her and hid it behind his back. He played with her hair and told her to take her friends to her room for the night. She agreed and went back to them. She gave them the message and they all went back upstairs.

Victor took the cone out from behind his back and walked over to the garbage can in the kitchen. "She loves ice cream, but she doesn't like the cones. Her friends do which is why we bought them in the first place," he explained.

"Oh."

Yumichika appeared again with a robe and brush in his hands. "So…" he said to Victor. "Shower?"

"Yes. This way…"

The evening wasn't as peaceful as they would have liked. Ikkaku kept complaining about the girls upstairs. They were quiet for the most part. Every now and then there would be a loud burst of giggles from the floor above and the occasional squeal from at least one of the girls. Other than that, all that could be heard were their whispered conversations through the floorboards.

The couch was big enough for two people to lay on without making contact with the other. Ichigo got one side while Yumichika got the other. Ikkaku volunteered to have the floor. In order to drown out the girls upstairs, he had thrown his pillow over his head and lay face-down on the floor. Yumichika, despite his earlier criticisms, found the couch to be very comfortable and was the first one of them to fall asleep. Granted, it did take him a few minutes. Ikkaku soon followed, snoring loudly in the middle of the floor.

Ichigo, on the other hand, couldn't sleep so easily. He had a few things on his mind.

He couldn't stop thinking about Veneno. It was a shock to find him alive again. Given what he had witnessed in his life, he got over it quickly. Now he was focusing more on the fact that Veneno had no memory. He was meeting him again for the first time. They could start anew. Ichigo was determined to make sure Veneno didn't turn into what he was the first time they met in the Soul Society. Veneno was convinced that Soul Reapers were his enemy and that the two simply could not get along. Ever. Soul Reapers were destined to kill Hollows and Hollow kind no matter what. If Veneno was kept in a closet for the rest of his life and given table scraps to eat, it was only a matter of time before he realized that this was simply cruelty and that Soul Reapers were horrible people. He would once again be convinced that they were bad. He would end up resenting them and may even go on a rampage like he did in the past.

This was a fresh start. A clean slate. They could start all over. He would be shown how kind Soul Reapers could be and how accepting they could be. The old Veneno would not listen to reason. Once his mind was made up, it was difficult if not impossible to change it. This would be easier. Now that he knew nothing, he would have a new first impression of them. Maybe he would become friends with them after all. His hatred was learned, not natural. As long as the Soul Reapers weren't cruel to him, he would have no reason to hurt any of them. Ichigo knew from experience how powerful Veneno could be. Even before he reached Arrancar level, he was difficult to handle.

So far, everything seemed to be going well. He was given an actual room to stay in and would be given good food to eat and real meals. So far he seemed pretty happy. Getting him out of that stuffy lab was a good start. The fact that his Spiritual Pressure was different helped hide the fact that he wasn't a real Soul Reaper. As long as his mask remained hidden, no one would suspect a thing.

In many small ways, Veneno reminded him of Linnette. Similar pasts, bullied and harassed frequently, so desperate for companionship that they created their own family. Wanted to do anything they wanted and having no one tell them otherwise. Ichigo managed to help Linnette make a better life for herself. They ended up becoming good friends and helped each other. Ichigo felt that he had failed Veneno by not doing the same for him.

Veneno had turned almost every single Soul Reaper into a Hollow Reaper and had done the same for many humans in Karakura Town. He had to be stopped. He was seen as the enemy. But Ichigo felt so torn during their confrontations. No matter what, Ichigo could not see Veneno as the clear bad guy. He couldn't help but feel that Veneno was just a scared, lonely person who needed help. Veneno had even helped Ichigo. He took care of him and offered him friendship. He even saved him from the Hollow Reapers in at least two separate occasions. Veneno just wanted a friend and Ichigo was the only one he felt he could relate to. Ichigo was part Hollow. He had Hollow powers so he felt that they were like brothers in a way. But Ichigo refused. Veneno had wanted Ichigo to stay by his side while he continued to hurt people, all the while saying how it was what Soul Reapers deserved. Ichigo couldn't go along with him. He simply couldn't. He begged Veneno to change everyone back to normal but refused. He started to kill any Soul Reaper who no longer amused him and threatened Linnette. He tried to kill Rukia and many others. And since Ichigo refused to join him, he vowed to take his life. The only way he managed to stop Veneno and change everyone back to normal was to kill him. Ichigo regretted doing that.

Shutting his eyes, he could see the pained look on Veneno's face as he died, lamenting everything he had missed out on. He wanted so much. Simple things. He wanted to let his guard down and not have to live in fear or worry that someone was going to hurt or kill him. He said how he wanted to have lazy days and take naps out in the open air under a tree or in a garden somewhere. He wanted to feel the wind on his face and enjoy taking his time. He wanted to know what it was like to be loved and have friends. No one had so much as held his hand before. He had never been hugged or told that he mattered. No words of comfort whatsoever. He never knew what it was like to have a friend. To have someone go back for him when he was in danger. Someone to stay by his side and help him. He wanted to know what it was like.

His last words to Ichigo were 'I want to live. Why aren't I allowed that?'. He wanted to have what so many people took for granted. Simple things. Things no one could live without.

Even when he surrounded himself with clones of himself and mindless Hollow Reapers who could do nothing but growl, he never felt so alone. He didn't want to be lonely. He had even told Ichigo once that there was no point in him having a name if there was no one to call him by it. Ichigo was the first voice other than his own to say his name. Ichigo was the only one to call him by name. And from that point, a bond was formed. He wanted to hear someone call his name, to let him know he was not alone. To know that someone cared. To hear a voice other than his own was a wonderful thing.

Ichigo was determined to make sure he had the life he always wanted but never got. He wanted to make sure Veneno was happy and got his chance to live. He was not going to fail him again. This time he would get it right.

He rolled over, facing the back of the couch and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. It was slow in coming, but darkness took him and all he felt was nothing.

As Cedric was coming up the stairs to check on the girls now that things had settled down, he came across something very odd. Linnette's door was shut and there was no sound coming from within. The girls must have gone to bed now that it was almost 4:00 in the morning. That wasn't the odd thing he noticed. What was odd was finding Ichigo curled up on the floor just outside her door. Cedric came closer frowning. Ichigo's back was pressed against the door, laying on his side. He looked like a loyal dog waiting outside his master's room. He appeared to be asleep.

Looking around, it appeared that no one else was aware of this. Nor able to witness it. It appeared that the door was never opened and that Ichigo simply collapsed outside the closed door. No harm seemed to be done so there was no sense in starting something this late.

Cedric came closer and bent down. He put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder lightly. He was still breathing and his body was warm. He appeared to be fine. Deciding that it was best to take Ichigo back downstairs, Cedric lowered himself, tucking his arms under Ichigo's shoulders and knees. Being as gentle as he could so as not to wake him, Cedric stood up, carrying Ichigo in his arms. As soon as Ichigo's head hit Cedric's shoulder, he started to shift. Cedric remained perfectly still. After a moment, Ichigo settled into this new position, never awaking up and went limp again. Cedric moved carefully toward the stairs, taking one step at a time. He carried Ichigo back to the couch and set him down, covering him with the blanket he found discarded on the floor while Ichigo continued to sleep.

Cedric straightened back up but did not leave. He watched Ichigo for another minute before turning and backing out of the room. It was strange to find Ichigo sleeping on the floor outside Linnette's room like that. He wasn't sure whether to ask him about it in the morning or not. Maybe that was a sleeping habit of Ichigo's he was not aware of. Since Cedric never slept, he had no way of knowing what was normal and what was not. He got all his information from watching others. Since Linnette was the only one in the house who slept and therefore the only one he could compare to, seeing Ichigo do something like this was strange to him.

He had all night to decide whether or not to question him about it. For now, he would let everyone rest and return to his hiding spot in the study for the night.

This was a longer chapter, but good, right?

Please review! ^-^