Chapter 14:

Squad 4 wasn't as busy as they normally were whenever Ichigo visited. However, when word got out that a Captain was injured while not on an assignment, everyone was bustling about. Ichigo stayed by the wall letting people pass by while he waited for news of the two fallen Soul Reapers.

Finally Unohana left one of the rooms and closed the door softly. Ichigo stood up from the wall and came over at once. "Well? How are they?"

She smiled at him. "Both are just fine. The Captain sustained no major injuries. In fact, all his injuries were minor. Not even a concussion."

"Really?" Ichigo was relieved but not surprised. No one fought back and chose to avoid him instead. The only strike he received was from the kido blasting him into the ice wall. He was unharmed otherwise. "What about Akon?"

Unohana motioned to one of the rooms. "He's doing just fine. He's resting. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the blood on his lab coat, I wouldn't know he was injured."

"Really?"

"Yes. I couldn't find any markings on him at all. Whatever wound he had on his neck has healed by now."

So it was regeneration after all. Veneno saved his life.

Still, in the past Veneno told Ichigo that the only way he could change someone back to normal was if he were to die. Was that a lie? Could he reverse it willingly all this time? Or maybe his powers had changed from back then. Ichigo wasn't sure.

"By the way, has Toshiro said anything about what happened?"

Unohana looked troubled. "He admitted attacking you unprovoked. However, he can't remember the reason why. He said it was as if he were attacking on orders but couldn't remember anything else. Even parts of your conflict are sketchy. But he does apologize. He is sorry."

"I see. No problem." There was something going on. He couldn't believe that this was over so easily and with no further explanation than that. This was wrong. "Can I talk to him?"

Unohana shook her head, stepping in his path. "No, no. He's resting, too. No visitors."

"I see." Now what?

"I think it's best that you go about your day and not worry. They're both doing just fine. There's no need to worry at all."

"Ok. Thanks." Ichigo gave a short bow of thanks and left down the hall to where Veneno was waiting. He was pacing back and forth in the hall, unable to sit still. He stopped when he saw Ichigo and looked at him expectantly. He wanted the news, whatever it was. "They're fine. They're both going to live."

Veneno let out the breath he had been holding with a long deep sigh. "That's good…" Then he looked up again looking concerned. "Why did he attack us? What did we do?"

Ichigo stepped beside Veneno and gave him a nudge, telling him to walk. The two walked down the hall side by side. "He said he doesn't remember why he attacked but he's very sorry. He didn't mean it."

"Then why did he do it?"

"I don't know. He doesn't know either. But it wasn't his fault. I'm sure there's a reason for it. Maybe he was sick or something and went a little crazy. Like I said, he's sorry. He said so himself."

"And Akon? What about him? Is he ok, too?"

"Yup. He's doing just fine."

"Then why didn't he come out of that room?"

"Because he needs to rest. Unohana doesn't want him to get hurt again." Ichigo tried to think of a way to explain it. Half the time he spoke with Veneno, it was like talking to a child who didn't know any better. "You know how when you move around a lot for a while and then you need to stop and rest because you feel tired and a little dizzy? That's how it is for him. He needs to rest and catch his breath."

"Oh." Veneno knew this from running around the lab on various missions and after sparing with the men in Squad 11 for ten minutes. They knew how to put pressure on him. He needed to rest, too, after that. "What should I do in the meantime?" he asked.

"Well… why don't you go back to your room and rest for a while. If Akon needs you, he'll come get you. Or you can spar more with the guys from Squad 11 if you want."

Veneno gave it some thought. "I think I'll go back to my room."

"That's a good idea. And don't worry. Akon's going to be fine."

"Yeah. I'm sure he'll… be…"

Ichigo stopped as Veneno halted in front of a room. He was looking inside. "Ven..?"

He seemed to be in a daze. Without answering, Veneno walked into the room. Ichigo followed.

There were rows of beds on either side of the room. White sheets and pillows. Thin curtains fluttering in front of the open windows. The wooden end tables were clear of all clutter. The floor was polished and smelled like soapy water. There was an open cabinet with empty pitchers and glass cups by a sink in the back of the room. Veneno stood in the middle of the room looking around, transfixed. It was a room of recovery. He knew that. But there was something unsettling about it.

Veneno closed his eyes and opened them again. He faced the windows. He could see the buildings through the thin eggshell curtains and the muffled conversations happening below. He looked to his left. There was a row of beds neatly kept and waiting beside him. No. That was wrong. He looked again, staring. There was a tower of mattresses now, like a white soft throne. They were stacked up tall, almost reaching the ceiling. It was inviting. He wanted to climb up and sit atop this soft pile. He reached forward but his hand grasped nothing but air. He blinked and the vision disappeared. He backed up, surprised and suspicious of the change around him. It must have been a hallucination.

Veneno felt strange. He heard Ichigo's footsteps on the tiled floor, interrupting his thoughts. "Are you ok?" he asked.

"I…" Veneno looked at the beds which had now returned to their original state, lined in a neat row, reflecting the row opposite. "I think… I've been here before… Though I know I haven't."

"Oh?"

He turned and saw Ichigo. He stared. From where Ichigo was standing, at his perspective, it looked like Ichigo was sitting in bed looking at him. In bed. Looking at him. Veneno's brain tingled. Those beds should be bigger. And more pillows. A lot more.

Ichigo didn't know why Veneno was staring at him the way he was but it was very uncomfortable for him. He took a step to the side. Veneno came closer, looking at him and the bed. "Uh… What are you..?"

Without warning, Veneno put both hands on Ichigo's chest and shoved him onto the bed. Ichigo bounced on the mattress and sat up.

"What are you-?"

Veneno pushed him back down and started moving around the room frantically. He removed the pillows from the beds along the wall and tossed them at Ichigo. Then he pulled an end table from the wall and pushed one of the beds into Ichigo's. Then a third. Three beds were pushed together making one large one. Veneno came rushing back and pushed Ichigo onto the middle mattress and sat on the edge of the first bed.

For the third time Ichigo began his question and failed to finish. "What are you…?" Then he realized what Veneno had done. He had recreated the scene from the first moment they met in the sickbay, minus the mattress tower.

Veneno sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at his feet. Then he turned and looked at Ichigo with big eyes, staring. This was so familiar. He felt compelled to construct this scene but he didn't know why. As he looked at Ichigo surrounded by pillows in this large bed staring straight back at him, Veneno felt his heart pound in his chest. "I… I think I know this…" He sat facing Ichigo, his eyes even bigger. "I remember seeing this, I think. You were there and I was here and…"

His head started to throb.

Ichigo crawled over to him. "You mean you've seen this before?"

He nodded. "Yeah… I think so but I… I don't exactly… I mean…" Veneno clasped his skull in his right hand. "Ow! My head!"

"Take it easy." Ichigo grabbed Veneno and pulled him away from the bed and out into the hall. He needed to get away from there. As soon as he was out, Veneno seemed to calm down. "Are you ok?"

He looked back into the room. "Why do I feel like I've seen this before? Like I know it…" He looked back at Ichigo. "I don't think I've been here before but… I feel like I have. What does this mean?"

Ichigo started walking, forcing Veneno to follow. He felt Veneno clinging to his arm the entire way, wanting him to slow down and answer him.

"Ichigo wait. Please." He held Ichigo back with a surprisingly strong grip. "I can't shake this feeling. Like I've been there before and I've seen you there with me and the room was different and… But I don't. I don't know. What's going on? Can you tell me?"

The teen stopped. How could he answer? What was he supposed to do?

"I can't remember anything that's happened to me before last week. I asked Akon if I had amnesia but… What I saw back there and how I feel… It could have been a dream but it seemed too real to me. Was it a memory I've forgotten or something else? I don't understand what's happening to me." He gave Ichigo a worried look. "Am I getting what that Captain had? Am I going to go crazy, too?"

Ichigo forced himself to laugh at his questions. "No, I doubt that. Sometimes we get like that and fantasize something. It's called a daydream."

"A daydream?"

"Yeah. But you never know for sure." Ichigo tried to comfort him without letting on that he knew something more.

Veneno frowned again looking worried. "I asked Akon if I would ever recover my memories from before. He said he wasn't sure and that I didn't need them which is why I forgot them in the first place. But still, I want to know. I've tried to remember before but I don't know what I'm supposed to remember so it doesn't work so I gave up. Then there are times like this when I feel like I am remembering something I've forgotten but then I get scared… like I'm about to remember something really bad that I don't want to remember. I don't know what do to." Veneno's breathing was quickening. "I don't know. I just don't…"

Ichigo reached out and grabbed Veneno, holding him. Veneno stopped speaking. Ichigo could feel his whole body shaking. He tried to calm him down. "It's ok. You don't have to worry. If you're meant to remember then you will. Don't try to force it. It only makes things worse. Understand? Memories are like that. No one can remember everything. We're not meant to. Just calm down and don't worry."

Veneno couldn't move in the hold Ichigo had him in. After a moment, he no longer wished to. Being held like this was comforting. He stopped shaking and shut his eyes, trying not to think anymore.

"Feeling better?"

He nodded against Ichigo's chest. "Yeah…" He pulled his arms up and wrapped them around Ichigo's back, returning the hug. He always seemed to know what to say and do to make him feel better. There was something about Ichigo that he liked. He couldn't explain it. "Ichigo… I'm glad you're my friend."

Hearing that made Ichigo's heart skip a beat.

"Thank you."

He thanked him. Ichigo didn't know what to say. Now he was the one who was tense. All this time he wanted Veneno to have a second chance and see that Soul Reapers weren't bad people and that they could get along. All Veneno ever wanted was to have a friend. He wanted Ichigo's friendship. Now he had it. And he was grateful.

Ichigo patted Veneno's head and started to pull away. "Don't mention it." He looked around to see if anyone was watching them. He would hate it if someone saw him hugging Veneno. Normally he handled these situations differently with his friends. But he also knew that each friend was different. If Renji or Uryu were acting this way, he would yell or punch one of them until they calmed down and settled things. If it were someone like Orihime who was very sensitive, he would talk gently to her and hold her hand or give her a hug if she needed it. He also had practice when dealing with ghost children he found in his town. He knew yelling at a crying little girl would get him nowhere. He would smile and be friendly to her until she calmed down and smiled back. He would hold hands and compliment her to establish trust. He knew Veneno would have to be dealt with in a similar way. Yelling at him was useless and hitting him would do nothing but strike fear into his heart. There was no way he would trust him then. So he had to be gentle and do what he did in the children's cast. After all, the way he was now, Veneno was a child. He didn't know any better and needed supervision on almost everything. Even if he didn't want to hug Veneno, he knew that's what he needed so he sucked it up for his sake.

Feeling much better Veneno smiled at him. "Thanks for being my friend, Ichigo."

"You don't have to say it. You're a good guy so why wouldn't I be?" He patted Veneno's back and looked around. "You should probably get back to your room and I'd better get back to what I was doing."

"You're leaving again?"

"I'm not supposed to be here, remember? I'm on a mission with some people. I only come here to see you." He looked for the door leading out. "I'll come back as soon as I can to check up on things and hang out, ok? Now I'd better get back before I get in trouble."

Veneno nodded and looked around for an exit. "I'd better not keep you then. But you'll be back soon, right?"

"I always do, don't I?"

He smiled and turned towards the first door he found. "Then I'll see you soon."

The streetlights were lit when Ichigo returned to the World of the Living. Leaving a world of daylight and entering a world of night made him feel like he had been gone ages rather than a few minutes, traveling from one world to the next. Ichigo moved to open the sliding glass door but it was opened for him by Cedric. He didn't look pleased.

"Uh… hi. Uh, sorry I left without-"

"We were worried." Cedric pulled him inside as if Ichigo weighed no more than a piece of paper. He set him on the carpeted dining room floor and closed the doors, locking them. Ichigo swallowed. Cedric did not want him to leave again.

When he walked into the kitchen, he noticed everyone gathered together looking troubled. The moment she saw him, Rukia ran forward and punched him in the stomach. "Where have you been?!" she shouted.

"Ow! What?"

"We were worried sick about you! You just ran off and after something like this!"

"Like what? What happened while I was gone?" Was there a Hollow attack and he wasn't aware of it? They must have been in danger and he wasn't there to protect them.

"If you were here when we discussed it, you'd know the situation." Rukia folded her arms and turned her body sideways. "Something happened with three of our members. It happened when your Hollow was in control."

"Well, what happened?"

"Byakuya, Yumichika and Hanataro tried to take you to the Soul Society."

Ichigo stood up straight now that his stomach had stopped hurting. "So? I just came from there. I was… visiting Akon in Squad 12." He couldn't let them know about Veneno. Not yet.

"Ichigo, they were taking you away by force! They were carrying you off and they even attacked Victor when he tried to talk to them."

"They did?" Ichigo's head turned towards the man making a blackcurrant pavlova for a snack.

He nodded, catching the boy's worried glance. "That's correct. They would not tell me why they were taking you and they attacked when I pried for information. I managed to get you back and stop them."

"How?"

"Hit them in the head. Two of them, at least."

"Yeah, thanks a lot…" Yumichika turned away.

"Aw, don't be upset. I didn't hit you so you don't have to worry about any unsightly bumps."

"Getting back…" Ichigo said. "What happened? Why did you guys do that?"

"We don't know," answered Byakuya. "I remember doing it but I don't remember why. It was as if I had a good reason but once I came to my senses, the reason was gone from my mind."

"Yes, it wasn't that they were unresponsive. They knew full well what they were doing."

"Maybe they were being controlled?"

"No. We ruled that out. They didn't act like they were being manipulated. They maintained their unique individual personalities. It's as Byakuya said, they knew what they were doing but cannot remember why."

"But why me? Why were they after me? And why were they trying to take me to the Soul Society?"

"We don't know. No one does."

Hanataro clung to his glass of juice with both hands, looking frightened. "I… I was helping them but… I don't remember why. I knew that Captain Kuchiki was a Captain and therefore the authority over me. When he tells me to do something, I do it. But… but I was helping them for a reason. I know I was but I can't remember that reason."

"Do you think a Hollow might be involved? This could be our mission," said Rangiku.

"It's true," said Rukia. "Why else would they send more people to help us out if the danger weren't as intense as we originally thought? This must be why my brother and Hanataro came along. There's more to this than we thought."

Victor and Byakuya glanced at each other for a moment. Their eyes connected. They both knew Rukia was smart enough to reach that kind of conclusion. The danger was worse than they thought.

"What if a Hollow is involved?" asked Ikkaku. "What does this mean? I mean, is this a normal Hollow or what? I didn't sense anything when all this went down and I was in the next yard."

"Maybe it's not a tangible Hollow. What if it can manipulate our thoughts and have us react in certain ways?" added Rangiku. "How are we supposed to fight something like that?"

"I'll help," offered Linnette. "If there's a Hollow around, I'll know for sure. I'll sing and flush it out or control it and make it stop. I'll use my power to help you guys."

Most of the Soul Reapers looked nervous, but Ichigo and Rukia both agreed with her idea. "That's a good plan. If there is a Hollow involved, at least then we'll know."

Victor rubbed Linnette's back and kissed the top of her head. "That's good thinking, sweetie. Just be careful."

"What do we do in the meantime?" Ichigo asked.

"While you were gone, we went over everything and decided to wait and observe. Staying up all night looking out for something that may never show itself is foolish. It would have attacked before if it could. We still have very little information. The next time someone acts strangely, then we'll react and carry out Linnette's plan. Until then, we'll go about our normal routine and keep an eye out as we've been doing."

"So that's it? That's all we're doing?"

"Do you have a better idea, Ichigo?"

He backed down. With so little to go on and him not being aware of anything happening, coming up with a battle strategy would be next to impossible. Maybe it was easier to do things their way for now. The next time this happened, he would be ready. They all would. They just had to be on the lookout.

The night went by without incident. Everyone slept through the night without an issue and the next morning everyone got up and had breakfast in the kitchen. Everyone, including Linnette, was fully dressed. As usual, Yumichika and Rangiku fought for the bathroom.

"With a place this big, can't you guys have a second bathroom or something?"

"There's only three people living here and only one of them needs use of a bathroom," answered Cedric.

Once everyone was settled and breakfast was finished, Victor did the cleaning. It only took him five minutes to wash dishes, clean the table and put the food away. After that, he went over to a thin sheet of paper and wrote something down. Then he turned around. "Linnette, sweetie?"

"Yeah?" She was standing behind him, watching.

"I'm going to the store. Is there anything you need while I'm out?"

"I'll come, too. Can I?"

He nodded. "Alright, if that's what you want." Victor stood up and went into the den where most of the Soul Reapers were gathered. "I'm going into the city to do some shopping. Would anyone like to join us or have any requests?"

"I'll go," said Ichigo. "I'm a little restless today and everyone else has been shopping but me."

"Alright. Anyone else?"

Byakuya stood up, fully dressed in a gigai. "I'll join you."

Ichigo frowned. "What? You're going into the city? Really?"

"Why not? Besides, in regards to the incident, you'll need protection, as it seems."

"Yeah, from you..? Weren't you one of the guys trying to kidnap me in the first place?"

Byakuya didn't answer that. Ichigo wasn't too comfortable having Byakuya along and it wasn't just for that reason. He saw how big a pain the others were when it came to walking around the city. He could only imagine how bad Byakuya would be. He had more sense than the others, but he was a noble. How would he react to being in a place like this? Besides, Ichigo wanted to clear his mind for a day and not think about anything. Having Byakuya there would only stress him out further.

"He's in good hands," Victor said, placing a hand on Ichigo's shoulders. "You don't have to worry."

"Be that as it may, I'm coming."

Ichigo saw how the two were looking straight into each other's eyes and grew concerned. It was as if they had a history between them he was not yet aware of. Or was this their way of respecting each other and being friendly?

Victor turned Ichigo towards the front door. "Alright, if that's what you want…" Linnette was already getting on her shoes. She stood by the door and waited for Victor, her hand on the knob. It seemed she was trained not to open the door without them by her side. Victor gave her a nod and she swung the door open. "We'll be back as soon as we can. Cedric, keep an eye on things."

"Alright."

Victor closed the door once everyone was outside. Then he walked down the stone path towards the garage, taking out a set of keys. The door opened automatically. Ichigo was used to seeing doors like these so he didn't think anything of it. Byakuya on the other hand was staring at the moving door. He appeared to be looking for whatever was opening it. Maybe there were hidden men operating the garage door, he wondered. Victor entered first and told everyone to wait for him on the walkway. He pulled the car out slowly, put it in park and stepped out. "Ok, everyone in."

Byakuya looked at the car. It wasn't large and it wasn't small either. The size wasn't the issue. It was the fact that he had never ridden in one of these before. Carriages, yes. Cars, no. He stood still as if contemplating what to do.

In the meantime, Ichigo had already gotten into the backseat and closed his door. He rolled down the window to talk to the Captain. "What's wrong, Byakuya? Get in."

He stood where he was, still unsure.

"Would you like the front seat?" Victor asked him.

"Is there a difference?"

"Yeah, it's up front as opposed to the back," said Ichigo, rolling his eyes.

That wasn't what Byakuya was asking. He was curious where someone of his stature would be placed. Did a noble sit up front as a place of honor or in the back like in a limo? He wasn't sure.

The decision was made for him when Linnette sat up front and buckled herself in. Byakuya took the seat next to Ichigo. Victor closed the door for him and went to the diver's seat. He looked in the mirror at Byakuya. "Seatbelt, please."

"Hm?"

"Seatbelt," he repeated.

Linnette turned around, pointing at the strap by Byakuya's left shoulder. "You have to put that on or we get a ticket."

"A what?" Byakuya had no concept of this. A ticket or the reason for a seatbelt.

"We get a ticket for doing something bad," Linnette explained. "We're supposed to wear a seatbelt in a car. It's the law."

Byakuya wasn't the type to willingly break the law. He was the one who wanted to uphold it. He reached up and pulled the seatbelt down with his left hand. Then he looked around for where he was supposed to attach it. Ichigo pointed to the buckle and helped strap him in. Once everyone was buckled in, Victor pulled out of the driveway.

It took a few minutes for them to reach the apartment area just before they entered the main city. Byakuya looked out his window at the dirty apartments and the children playing in the small cement yards behind metal fences. He looked at the people walking their dogs, carrying trash to the large plastic cans by the curb, the people sitting on stoops, smoking or drinking, the people talking to each other from the next yard and the people hanging their wet clothes from the open widows on long ropes, blending in well with the cables tangling up the sky. He saw a family washing their car in the narrow driveway, spraying each other with the green hose. He saw a woman gardening in her broken yard, a cat sunning itself on the brick fence over her hat-covered head. Byakuya began to wonder if this was the Living world's version of the city where Rukia and his late wife grew up. It was similar, but these people appeared to be better off and more friendly than the Soul Society.

Then the buildings grew closer together to the point were it was impossible to differentiate them from another. The apartments thinned out and were replaced with shops and markets. There were even more people walking around and even more cars. Most were parked by the side of the road and others were crawling long the main road, honking horns and revving their engines. Despite the frequent stops they now had to go through, Byakuya enjoyed the smooth ride. He liked ridding in a car. Watching the buildings go by and watching the people coming and going was pretty relaxing.

The car turned left and up a busy street. There were two lanes. Victor pushed the car up the hill and into a large building. The sunlight was suddenly gone. Byakuya sat straight up, looking out Ichigo's window and then out the front. It was dark and smelled damp, like wet stone and smoke.

Ichigo looked out his window, too, and noticed all the parked cars and the maze of ramps going in different directions, indicated by white arrows on the ground and signs overhead. "This is a parking garage, isn't it?"

"That's right."

Linnette was smiling. Going into places like this was rare for her. Victor normally parked by the side of the road when they took the car or a different kind of garage with only one level run by a couple of men who smelled like gas and cigarettes. She liked going into this place because of all the ramps and the dim orange lights.

Victor went up one of the ramps and Linnette's smile grew bigger. Glancing down at her, Victor smiled. He knew how she liked going up and down the ramps. He would take his foot off the brake when going down the ramp so they would pick up some speed. But he would never put her in danger by going too fast. He pulled onto the fourth level of the building where there were few cars. He parked the car in a spot facing the outside and turned the car off.

Ichigo took off his seatbelt and got out first. Then Linnette. Byakuya looked down at his seatbelt, wondering how to unlatch it. He pressed the red release button and moved his chin out of the way as his seatbelt snapped back against the seat. Victor opened the door for him. Byakuya stepped out and looked around the parking garage. He hated how poorly it stank.

Victor made sure all the doors were shut then locked the car. "Shall we go?" He led the way towards the metal staircase six cars away, keeping Linnette near his side. They stepped into the natural light and looked around at the busy city. "Where should we start?"

Linnette started to lead the way. "Over this way. There are some good stores over here."

"Ok, lead on."

She turned around and led them to the crosswalk. The light on the other side of the street had turned a white color and was already counting down. Linnette hurried to the other side, leaving the boys to follow. Victor warned her not to get too far ahead and she slowed her pace.

Ichigo looked around at all the stores. He hadn't been on this street before. It wasn't as busy as other locations but he was still being shoved aside by impatient locals. He walked passed the thin trees with bikes strapped around their thin trunks and people sitting on benches and energetic dogs jumping up on his leg only to be pulled away by their owners.

Linnette was ahead of them, wandering around. She looked at dresses and shoes in shop windows with innocent curiosity. She went over to a woman with a dog and asked if she could pet it. The dog put its front paws on her knees and licked her face. She then moved on to a shop with toys and books and posters in the front window. She moved closer to one of the objects and called for Victor. "Look, look! They have the new book I want. Can we get it?"

Victor stood behind her looking at the hardcover book on display. "We could go in and ask. But you'll have to carry it. Ok?"

"That's fine. So can we?"

Victor held open the door for her and Linnette excitedly ran inside. "You two can either come in or wait out here. We'll just be a minute." He followed Linnette's calls and went inside.

Ichigo looked around at the crowd of people coming their way from the next block. Not wanting to be shoved aside again, he pulled on Byakuya's sleeve and shoved him inside the store.

"Let go," Byakuya hissed and pulled his arm free. "Why would you..?"

"I had to get you inside. Sorry if it bugs you that much."

Ichigo turned to the store's interior and wandered inside. There were posters advertising new sales and new books and series releases. There were movie posters, too. There was a guard standing by the door, his eyes lazily surveying the area. There was a slow revolving rack of postcards by the front door where they stood and beside that was a bin filled with stuffed animals, ranging in color and size. There were rows of books and magazines everywhere. The sections were printed in English and suspended from the ceiling above each row. Ichigo spotted Victor standing over Linnette who was crawling on her knees to look at the lower shelves for the book she wanted.

Byakuya pushed passed him to look at something that caught his eye. Ichigo followed him. There was a book on a shelf facing out which read 'Japanese gardens and scenery and cuisine'. Byakuya took it off the shelf and opened it, looking at the pictures.

Knowing that Byakuya wouldn't wander off, Ichigo took this opportunity to look around himself. He walked up and down isles, passed history books, science books, novels and manga books. Then he stopped in front of a shelf at eyelevel. It was a landscape book, filled with pictures from around the world. Ichigo took it off the shelf and started to flip through it. It had everything from snowy mountains to deep blue oceans and everything in between. The variety of trees were amazing and the animals were breath-taking. This book had so many pictures but not a lot of words. It was written in English anyway. He closed the book and thought about the person who may have been interested in it. Maybe he should get this for Veneno as a gift. He seemed to like this kind of thing.

"Found it!"

Ichigo looked in the next row over and saw Linnette shoving a book into Victor's chest, begging him to buy it. Victor took the book from her and started to make his way over to the register. Ichigo caught up to him and placed his book on top of Linnette's. "I'd like this, if you don't mind." Ichigo didn't have any American money to spend so it was up to Victor.

He looked at the book and smiled. He carried both books to the woman behind the counter and handed them over. Linnette put her hands on the counter and leaned over, watching her. She placed both books in a grey bag with their advertisement on it and handed it back to Victor after he handed her the money. He then took the bag and handed it down to Linnette. "Be careful with them, ok? Ichigo's is in there as well."

"Ok, got it."

Victor turned and looked for Byakuya. He was still looking at the book he had picked up before. "Did you want that?"

Byakuya looked up. He placed the book back on the shelf. "No."

"We're going now if you're done."

He nodded and followed them out. They walked back into the sunlight and continued left. Linnette held the bag of books close to her chest with both hands as if they would be taken from her if she didn't. She hurried to catch up with Victor who was leading them.

"You'll read it to me when we get home, right?"

He put his hand on her shoulder. "Of course I will. You've waited a month for it, haven't you? It'll be a good bedtime story for you."

"You can read it earlier, can't you?"

"Oh? You don't want to spend that time with the Soul Reapers?"

"You can read it to all of us."

Victor chuckled and pulled her closer.

They went into another store, this one bigger than the first. It had different sections for food and clothing and electronics. Victor pulled a cart from the packed row by the front of the store and wheeled it over to the group.

"How do you want to do this? Should we spread out or stay together?"

"Together," Linnette voted.

"Ok. Let's get the food, then. I have a list right here. And feel free to suggest things. I'm not used to cooking for so many people in my home for an extended period of time." He pushed the cart over to the food section and started to pick out a few things.

Linnette went over to a glass door and started to pull out a gallon of milk.

"Ah-ah, not yet, Linnette," Victor told her. "Remember what I told you?"

She looked at the milk in her hands and back up at him. "Save all frozen and perishables for last so they stay cooler longer and won't go bad."

"That's right."

She started to put the milk back, then noticed an old man wheeling up to her in an electronic chair with a cart attached to the front. "Did you need this?" she asked him. When he nodded, she placed the milk in the cart. He smiled and thanked her, wheeling away. Linnette went back over to where the boys were waiting.

They slowly started to fill up the cart. Victor checked off things on the list as they went. Victor also sent Ichigo off to bring back things so the cart wouldn't have to travel. Linnette happily helped him pick out a few things. As they neared the bakery section, she started to ask for cakes and cookies which Victor frowned upon. He allowed her to pick out two things she wanted from the section as long as she promised to share them with their Soul Reaper guests.

As they moved toward the back of the store, they passed by a clothing section. There on display was a rack of flip-flops and sandals. Victor noticed Linnette looking at them briefly and stopped the cart. "If you like, you can pick out a pair to replaced the ones that were ruined in the rain."

"I can?" she asked.

"Sure. Those are cheap enough. Pick out a pair. I'll be in this isle over here. Ichigo, go with her, please, and keep an eye on things."

"Uh, sure." Ichigo followed Linnette over to the rack while Byakuya and Victor went a different way. He followed after Linnette who was already pulling sandals down and looking them over. When she found a pair she liked, she held them in one hand while she tried to remove her shoes with the other. She hopped on one foot, trying to undo the buckle on her heeled shoes. She couldn't do it with one hand while hopping. Ichigo went over and knelt down on one knee as if proposing to her. "Here, sit."

She looked at Ichigo gesturing to his raised knee. He wanted her to sit on his knee. "You sure?"

"Yeah, go ahead. It's fine."

She sat on Ichigo's leg and started to unbuckle her shoes. She didn't weigh very much so he didn't mind. There was nothing else for her to sit on besides to dirty floor and it must have been hard for her to sit on the floor to try on shoes in a skirt. This way was much better.

He watched her slender fingers work the clasp on the buckle loose and slipped the strap through the thin metal buckle and slid off her right shoe. She set it aside by Ichigo's foot and stepped into one of the sandals. Then she balanced her left foot on her right knee and did the same thing to her left, sliding off the shoe and putting on the sandal. She stood up and walked around, testing the unfamiliar sandals. She paced the narrow isle and then stood in front of the display rack again, looking at the other options. When she found another pair she liked, she took them off the rack, dropped them on the ground and kicked off the ones on her feet, stepping into the new ones. She held onto the rack for balance with both hands.

"Does Victor buy you a lot of shoes?" he asked.

"Sometimes. He makes sure I have one pair of dress shoes for special occasions and sneakers. I also have a pair off boots for the winter and some rain boots that I never wear. I don't like the rubber. Then I have shoes like those over there." She pointed to her heeled sandals resting by Ichigo's foot. "I have a few pairs of those and I have flip-flops, too. But they don't last very long. It's ok, though, because they don't cost too much. Sometimes the straps break or I leave them out in the rain and they get ruined or they get really worn out and dirty."

"I noticed that you wear a lot of heels."

"Yeah. I like them. They make me taller. And I just think they're neat." She started to walk around in the new pair she had on. "But I don't like the heels with the really thin sticks for the heel part. You know what I mean? I can't walk in those and they break easily."

"Wouldn't want you to break your neck." Ichigo watched her walk around the isle then back to where he was. "Do you go shopping with them a lot?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes they go on really boring errands so I stay home."

"By yourself?"

"No. They've never left me home alone before. The closest I've come to being left by myself is when Victor is out doing things and Cedric is in the yard while I'm in the house. They're never too far behind." She kicked her leg and tried to catch the sandal as it flew through the air, missing. She tired again with the other one. It bounced off her shoulder before catching it in both arms. "But I go shopping with them a lot when we get food and things like that. They don't like taking me when it's raining because then we have to walk a lot and I'll get wet. I don't mind, but they know how I like to play in the rain. If I'm going to get wet, it might as well be all of me."

Ichigo moved to a more sensitive subject. "You, uh… used to live on the street, right?"

She paused, sandals in her hands. "Yeah. For one year." She put the sandals back on the shelf.

"I would think that someone in that situation wouldn't want to go outside much or be in the rain."

"There's a difference between playing in it and living in it. I choose to play outside and in the rain. I didn't have much of a choice with the other." She kept her eyes down. "I kept thinking that someone would notice me and try to help. But no one did. Either they didn't care or they figured someone else would handle it or something. An older woman reported me, thinking I was a missing child or something and that's how I ended up in the new orphanage. I don't know which was worse. Being on the streets all by myself or being under a roof and bullied. They were both pretty bad."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's ok." She lifted her head and gave him a smile. "Back then I was sure that everyone was bad and that there was no hope for me. After all, the only family I had and took me in, I had to create. I figured that was the only way I wouldn't be alone. That no one would like me otherwise. But then you came along and then my other friends and the Soul Reapers and I didn't create you guys. You like me fine, right? So it's not hopeless. It just took a long time. Still, it was worth the wait."

It was heartwarming to hear that. It was good that she wasn't sad or alone anymore. She had a nice life and had people who loved her.

She sat on Ichigo's knee again, putting her shoes back on. "I think I'll get this pair. They look pretty and they don't pinch."

Ichigo watched her put her shoes back on. "You're happy with things the way they are… right?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I liked the attention I got when I was a diva and all that, but that's just because I wanted to feel like people loved me. I was starving for it. I liked the attention. But I didn't get to make really good friends, just admirers. And we traveled all the time and I didn't get to rest much. I like how things are now. I have a home and a family and friends who I can see everyday if I want and we still get to go traveling but not as much; for like a vacation or something. I like this a lot better."

"Simple things, huh?"

"Yup." She got off his knee and Ichigo stood up. Linnette picked up her new pair of sandals. "Let's go find Victor. I want him to get these for me."

"Ok." Ichigo took her hand and led her to where Victor was. He was still loading things into the cart while Byakuya just stood there. Clearly he had never been shopping before in his life. Then again, what noble did? Linnette pulled her hand out of Ichigo's to run up to Victor and presented the pair of shoes to him. He nodded and she set them in the cart.

Don't miss the next chapter! I'm sure everyone knows what's going to happen.

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