HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I am back in action and I have very high hopes for this year. Well, here we go. My new BETTER fanfiction. There are going to be some sections you've already seen, and some you haven't. This story will be much deeper and darker than the former and it will be SO much better. Names have been changed and I will tell you about name you may not recognize as usual. I hope everyone will find this much better. Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, nor do I gain any profit whatsoever by writing this.

Names You May Not Recognize:

Senshi Morishitta

Meaning: Warrior

Role: Godmother to Ichigo and Uryuu.

Takeru Morishitta

Meaning: Strong (Kanji spells Warrior)

Role: Uryuu and Ichigo's godsister but she's thought of as a cousin.

Late Night, Early Morning,

Because Uryuu and Renji are much closer than they'd like to admit.

Uryuu lurched forward in his bed, crying out in waking terror. His thin body quaked, cold sweat trailed down his pale skin. His pupils dilated sensitive even to the full moon shining into his room. His own breath moved so fast in and out of his lungs, scraped at his throat. Swept up by harsh, terror induced nausea, he tumbled out of bed into the bathroom. He barely managed to make it to the toilet before vomiting into the toilet. His body instinctively curled itself into a ball. Screwing his eyes shut, he tried to bar the tears from falling. He was only partially successful. He pulled himself in the corner of his cold, colorless bathroom and found himself rocking as he willed the images out of his mind.

He'd had nightmares since he was a child. His father would tell him to go back to bed and ignore them. Dreams couldn't hurt you. They were only your imagination. Goddamned liar. "Imagination" didn't send you running to the toilet at night. The adrenaline slowly stopped it's break neck speed and Uryuu managed to control his breathing before he started hyperventilating. Looking down at his Quincy Cross, he spied a faint, but distinct glow. He cursed softly before smothering it.

Renji felt the burst of reiatsu before it was quickly doused out. He was sent to monitor strange reiatsu readings in Karakura Town, he was beginning to wonder if all the fluctuations were caused by a certain Quincy. Torn between irritation and a sense of duty, Renji took it upon himself to check on said Quincy at two in the morning hoping not to find him clutching the sides of his toilet again. He's seen nightmares before, but Uryuu's dreams were visited by horrors beyond any normal soldier. Exactly what had this kid, this human kid, seen that brought on such fear?

Uryuu had stopped rocking and started chewing his nails to the point of drawing blood, by the time Renji came tapping on his window. He decided to ignore him.

"Let me in. You know I don't really need a door." Renji sighed when he got no answer. "Ishida." He sighed and entered the house anyway, its not like it mattered. "Ishida!" He called...more like demanded...once again.

"What?" He expected nothing less from Ishida. The small bathroom still smelled a little like puke but he didn't comment on it.

"Don't give me that "what" shit you know why I'm here." Renji said leaning irritably on the door.

"Yes, I do and I don't know why you even bother." Ishida said standing to his feet. Now he was shaking for a completely different reason what his apartment provided in space, it lacked in a competent heating system. His knees failed him about half way up, and Renji grabbed him to keep him upright. "Get off me!" Renji would've put up more of a fight if it weren't for the touch of abject terror in the Quincy's voice. He wasn't just being stubborn. It was best not for him to be touched. He was silent as the kid rinsed his mouth out and brushed his teeth just to get the taste out of his mouth. "I'm fine. You can go now."

"You're never fine." Renji countered.

"Get out."

"Ishida..."

"Don't say my name like that." Uryuu said bracing his hands on either side of the sink.

"Like what?" Renji bleated.

"Like..." He sighed miserably. "Forget it."

"You mean like Ichigo?"

"Seriously, Abarai. Get out." Uryuu said trudging to his room wrapping his arms around him. He didn't expect the soft chuckle from the Shinigami's direction. "What now?"

"You just...sound like a friend of mine, that's all." Renji replied vaguely enough to pique Uryuu's curiosity or frustration either way, it bought him some time. "You know why I'm here. Why don't you just let me stay here? You're attracting hollows."

"I can take care of myself." Uryuu snapped.

"It's your "self" I'm worried about." Silence. Abarai was more adept at verbally cornering someone than he seemed. Kuchki-taicho had sharpened his skills even more. In any other circumstance, he would've been happy to finally shut Uryuu up but the kid had a habit of unintentionally making him feel like shit with so much as a look or sigh. "Look, Uryuu..." The latter tensed at the usage of his first name but said nothing. "You're not well. You and I both know that you would be shoved in the corner of your bathroom until morning if I didn't come and check up on you."

"You don't know anything, I've had nightmares ever since I was two." Uryuu interrupted. Renji was at a loss for words as the implication inspired a touch of horror in his gut. Had they been this bad since he was just a toddler? "I will be fine." Uryuu insisted going back to his bed. Renji ran a hand through his hair.

"Well...my offer still stands." Renji replied hopefully. He really didn't want to leave Uryuu alone.

"The answer is no." The kid replied, softer this time. He sounded like he'd actually considered it. Renji placed a hand on Uryuu's shoulder, the latter made no attempt to remove him.

"I won't hurt you." Renji said quietly steeping closer.

"I know." Uryuu replied looking up. "But I just...I can't." An uneasy pause. "But...thank you. I know you're only trying to help."

Renji had made this offer to Uryuu when they were first stuck together in the same room after Hueco Mundo. Fourth was overcrowded so people were forced to double up. Imagine, being shacked up with a loudmouth Shinigami while fraught with agonizing worry on account of Ichigo who had fallen quite unconscious. No matter how many times Uryuu insisted that no, he was not worried bout Kurosaki, Renji would reply with a "stop that, you totally are!" But it was the second night they were stuck together Uryuu started screaming in the middle of the night. Now, shouting during nightmares was totally normal, but Uryuu shrieked. Renji actually had to get on top of him to fully restrain him before he hurt himself. Uryuu tried to insist that he was fine.

He failed. That's all you need to know.

On his hands and knees looming over trembling Uryuu, Renji couldn't help him in any other way but to help him forget. He offered his body, his assistance. Uryuu was shocked but sobered up when he realized he wasn't joking. He told Uryuu that someone had offered him a chance to forget a long time ago. The boundaries of sexual preference were almost nonexistent among the soldiers of a Gotei 13. Sex was no longer that big of a deal...to most people anyway. The offer was strange, but touching. Nevertheless, Uryuu declined citing that he was a virgin. Renji could tell he was lying but he left it alone.

"Good night." Renji said quietly.

"Good bye, Abarai." Uryuu's voice was much softer now. So soft that Renji spared a look back before he made a quick shunpo back into the streets but seeing Uryuu huddled up on his bed trembling like that, he wished he hadn't.

At the Urahara Shouten, Kisuke didn't exactly care that he was up at 2 am. It happened often. Besides, he told her that he'd be awake. He checked the clock. She was late. Ironically the minute the thought crossed his mind, he could hear that tell-tale click, click, click of those three inch heel boots. Funny how a woman of almost fifty could still pull them off.

"Well, well, well..." Urahara said loftily. "If it isn't Morishitta Senshi back from the dead." This earned a scoff from his visitor.

"Cut the dramatics, Kisuke." Senshi replied as she lit a cigarette. "You know good and damn well that being dead has nothing to do with it."

"You're no fun as usual." Urahara replied raising himself to his feet with a decidedly weary sigh. "Let me take this time to offer my condolences." He added in a moment of clarity. "This past year couldn't have been easy for you."

"Thank you." Senshi said quietly taking a long drag on her cigarette.

"How is you daughter?" He asked offering a hand inside.

"She's...coping." Senshi replied distantly. "If that's the way you want to put it. Anyway I didn't come here for polite conversation." Urahara chuckled.

"Of course not, you never do." Senshi took the remark in stride and let it go. "You want information, don't you?"

"You know me too well, Urahara and that's why you piss me off." She replied tartly. "I need the new address of one Ishida Ryuuken." Urahara's fan covered his sly smile.

"Why don't you go down to the hospital? I'm sure it was in the same place it was when you left." He chuckled.

"Don't make me hurt you."

"Alright, alright...but it'll cost you." Kisuke warned. "Spar with me." Senshi smirked. Something told him that it was the closest she'd get to a smile in a very long time.

"Name your conditions." She replied airily.

"First one on one knee loses." Urahara replied. Senshi took the scarf from her hair and nodded.

"You're on."

An hour later, Ichigo was roused into consciousness rustling downstairs. He grunted and got himself back up to his feet.

"Three o'clock in the damn morning..." he muttered idly. He shuffled into the hallway and down the stairs spotting Renji raiding the fridge. Again. "No need to graze, dumbass. If you bothered to look, Yuzu left you a plate." He groaned. Renji let out a small "oh" before finding the plate covered in saran wrap. "Do you need me to show you how to use the microwave again?" Ichigo asked with a smirk. Renji just flipped him off just getting a derisive chuckle from the other shinigami. "Find what you're looking for so you can stop eating all our food?"

"No." Renji replied taking the plate out of the microwave. It wasn't really warm but at this point, he didn't really care. "But we need to talk. Sit down."

"It's 3 am. I'm going back to bed." Ichigo replied a little sharply.

"It's about Ishida." That was probably the easiest way to get Ichigo to stop in his tracks. Ichigo let out a groan of reluctance before sitting down.

"What about him?" Ichigo asked as if he were threatening him.

"He's uh...not really...right y'know?" Renji said slowly suddenly not quite sure of how to put his words.

"It's too late and/or early to deal with this right now." Ichigo complained.

"Just listen." Renji snapped. "Ishida's in a pretty bad way, don't you guys talk anymore?" Ichigo didn't reply right away. "I get that things have changed between you two since Hueco Mundo, okay? I know it, Rukia knows it. Yasutora knows it. Inoue knows it and I, for one, am getting sick and damn tired of watch you two deny it cause it's really fuckin' obvious. I mean, who in the hell is going to believe what happened at the New Year's Shrine was just an accident?" Ichigo was still quiet. "Just talk to him and maybe he'll stop attracting hollows."

"Attracting..." Ichigo was instantly concerned. Ni surprise there. "What do you mean?" Finished eating, Renji got up and washed his plate knowing full well that sweet little Yuzu could be quite scary when the sink wasn't clean the next morning. "Renji, answer me."

"Why don't you just ask him yourself?" Renji bleated headed towards the stairs. Ashamed to admit that he couldn't face Ishida, Ichigo couldn't argue his point. He changed the subject.

"Oh yeah, I have relatives coming over tomorrow. It's the first time they're visiting since my cousin died. So try to keep your weirdness to a minimum." He said not getting up from he chair.

"Yeah, yeah..." Renji vanished upstairs to the room Kurosaki Family given him. Lying down on the bed that was honestly too small for him, he couldn't get the image of Ishida out of his head. He really, really wished that he hadn't taken that look back.

Back at Urahara's place, Kisuke didn't just drop to one knee but he hit the floor face first before Senshi who hadn't even broken a sweat. He struggled to get to his feet when Senshi stepped forward to give him a hand. He took the assistance in spite of himself.

"You are an evil woman." He said flatly.

"What can I say? You bring out the worst in me." Senshi replied. "So. That address?" Urahara sighed dramatically and took her out of the training room to make tea and write down the requested information.

"You've gotten powerful in your old age." Urahara remarked handing her the small slip of paper.

"I have no qualms in beating the shit out of you a second time." Morishitta dared.

"Of course, of course. Who would want to provoke the wrath of a Judge of the nefarious Agency, hm?"

"I'm not a Judge anymore." Senshi replied smirking again. "I'm an Oracle." Urahara nearly spit out his tea all over his visitor's face. "Nice to see that you can still be surprised."

"There's no way in the slightest that they would send an Oracle and no doubt, your daughter, who is a high ranking Grand Judge here just for time off." Urahara trailed off. "You lied to me, didn't you?" He sighed. "I should be angry but I feel you're just giving me a taste of my own medicine so I'll just let it go I suppose."

"As you should." Senshi quipped. "But I lied to you for a reason. I didn't want to discuss things over the phone. It would've been inappropriate." She dug in her pocket and handed him a photo. Urahara scanned it for a moment and his eyes grew wide.

"This is..." He couldn't even finish his sentence. "But I thought she was dead."

"I know. I did too but it could just be a coincidence. Either way, Takeru is on assignment the Gotei 13 while I do some recon." Urahara wrote something else down on the same sheet of paper.

"Then you'll want this too." He said giving her the sheet of paper back.

"What this?"

"Ishida Uryuu's address and phone number." Urahara opened his fan covering that smile of his. "I'm sure the boy will want some answers." Senshi nodded, agreeing with him for once.

"Yeah, she is his mother after all."

The Next Day

Get up. Get dressed. Drink coffee.

Uryuu had been awake since Renji left. He was not afraid to go back to sleep, thank you very much, the adrenaline did not allow him to go back to sleep. So here he was at 6 am watching the morning news curled up in one of his thick blankets. It was going to be cold today and his space heater could only do so much without lighting his apartment on fire. At this point though, he'd probably welcome that. He grabbed his nearest embroidery project, a throw-pillow for Orihime's birthday, and began to work but he found it hard to concentrate. Orihime would be happy with anything he gave her, but he was not going to give her sloppy work just because of that.

He placed the pillow back on top of his desk and tried to get his computer to work right for the second time this week. He still didn't have an internet signal and decided not to bother. No one ever emailed him or posted on his facebook. So why bother? It was around 8 o'clock that he'd had his third cup of coffee and he decided that he needed to do something with his life than stay in his apartment all day.

Grabbing his coat and umbrella, he turned off his space heater knowing he'd pay for it later and left the house. Alone, he walked down the street. Not bothering to say hello to the old woman who always seemed to be watering her decrepit tomato plants. He often wondered if she was in her right mind.

The day was dreary and wet and it was forecast to be so for the entire week. Fantastic. The only sound Uryuu could occupy his ears with was the gentle "splish" of his shoes on the wet pavement. He passed several people he went to school with. None them noticed him. Not that he cared. Touting his umbrella over his head, he strode briefly into the Florist and bought a few cut Peace Lilies. His tired body pushed on toward the cemetery.

Sighing, Uryuu finally admitted to himself that he was having trouble forgetting his and Renji's conversation last night. Perhaps he should've taken him up on his offer, as strange as it was. Maybe sacrificing comfort was better than waking up alone. Uryuu neither confirmed or denied being homosexual but after the shrine, everyone knew they just weren't saying anything. The kiss had been accidental...or he wanted it to be...he so, so wanted it to be just as accident.

It wasn't.

It was the fireworks. They were all watching them together. After it took Inoue, Kurosaki and Sado just to convince him just to come along. Kurosaki had something and Ishida turned to ask him to repeat himself. Fireworks were loud after all. Ichigo was...smiling at him. New Year's Day was no time to snark at someone so he smiled back and asked him to repeat himself again but they couldn't hear a word the other was saying. Oddly enough, Uryuu forgot about the fireworks which was odd because they were his favorite part of New Year's Eve. If he looked close enough, he could see the fireworks in Kurosaki's eyes anyway. Uryuu was about tell him to forget it and they'd talk after the display but someone bumped Kurosaki. He had a sneaking suspicion that it was Sado. Either way, Ichigo's lips ended up squarely on his. There was no instant freak out maybe it was the sake they had before leaving the house. Uryuu didn't know how long they kissed but when it was over, Ichigo's arms were around his waist and they were panting growing increasingly aware of want they'd just done. They panicked, made some excuses and bolted.

They hadn't spoken since.

The cemetery provided Uryuu the peace he so desperately needed after last night. He always prided himself on knowing exactly what to do in any situation. He'd never been more confused. Considering the new year was only a few days old, the cemetery was completely empty. At this rate, he figured he should be used to it. Arriving at his grandfather's grave, he spied a wilting bouquet of Peace Lilies just like his. His father paid a visit every New Year's Eve. Unable to light any incense in this rain, he just set the flowers at the grave. He relaxed his body and he left himself be assaulted with the memory of days where it was just him and his grandfather. It was another life. One that was no longer his. He screwed his eyes shut.

No, I won't cry this year.

He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice someone walk up next to him. He jumped when another, dark skinned hand placed another bouquet of flowers at his grandfather's grave. The female's presence gave him pause. Just by standing there, she was issuing quite a relentless wave of reiatsu. Approaching him closer, however, he noticed her distinct attempt to reign it in. She was only partially successful. She too bowed her head and paid her respects before she even addressed him. Dark skinned and taller than him, this girl was a rare sight in Karakura Town, in Japan for that matter. Her black, coarse hair was thrown up into a lazy but complacent bun with three separate hair pieces shaped like chopsticks the center one, which didn't seen to be serving much of a purpose, was far more ornate than the two. Her red coat and scarf would only draw attention, he would think but Sado also had the same problem with those ten-thousand floral shirts of his. With her nearly fathomless violet eyes, she looked over at him with a smirk.

"You have no idea who I am do you?" She asked. Uryuu blinked, nonplussed. Mystery girl chuckled. "I don't blame you. It's been a while since we were six years old." The realization hit Uryuu like a brick to the head.

"Takeru?" His female companion smiled. "God, I didn't even recognize you, I'm so sorry." To his surprise, Takeru hugged him. Tightly. He wasn't used to being hugged and certainly not nearly getting his lungs crushed.

"No worries, hon." Hon? Is that an American expression? "I wouldn't have known it was you if I didn't see the cross around your wrist." He froze for a minute. He didn't receive this cross until he was ten. He didn't ask for the moment. They walked slowly out the cemetery together.

"How long will you be in Japan?" Uryuu asked remembering that she was basically a foreigner.

"I'm not sure. Mom and I were here for some important business. We would've come to visit you but I'm sure you remember the agreement our mom and dad made." Takeru said with a roll of her eyes.

"You're leaving. Now." Ryuuken declared zipping Senshi's suitcase.

"What?" It was a statement of shock and betrayal not a question.

"You heard me. You are getting out of this house and you will no longer speak to my son." Ryuuken stuffed what was left of her clothes into her suitcase. Senshi sniffed the air as he breezed past her.

"You're drunk." It was an accusation. A split second of that bone-crushing silence and Senshi snapped. "You are unbelievable. You are a liar and a pathetic excuse for a man! You don't deserve to call yourself a Quincy!"

"How dare you claim to know what it takes to be a Quincy!" Ryuuken shouted.

"I know how be soldier. You threw off that mantle years ago." Senshi spat right back. "Don't you remember? "I renounce the Qunicy name and all of its-"

"Get out."

"Your sarcasm is palpable." Uryuu remarked. Senshi let out a snorting scoff and agreed. "Well, I no longer live with my father, if that's a problem."

"And what your father doesn't know can't hurt him." Takeru replied lightly. Uryuu stayed quiet about the fact hat his father seemed to know everything that happened to him. Takeru grabbed him by his arm. She had a monster grip. "C'mon, mom would love to see you. You didn't have plans right?" She wasn't giving him a choice.

"No, of course I didn't." Uryuu replied and he let himself be dragged down what he vaguely recognized as the way to the Kurosaki Clinic.

Kurosaki Clinic

Ichigo glared down at his phone. He didn't want to admit that Renji was right. But he was which just made everything worse. His finger hovered over the call button when he dialed Uryuu's number for the fifth time. When did he get like this about Ishida of all people. To spend his dreams cuddled up to the boy and only to scare the royal hell out of him because of some accident.

It was an accident...right?

Right?

The doorbell snapped him out of his reverie like a whip crack. He wasn't expecting that.

Takari stood outside of the door with her arms crossed. Not that she wasn't pleased to be here but Takeru was late. She gave her the address the clinic wasn't that hard to find. She decided to give her about ten minutes leeway. If she didn't show then she'd use her aura to bring her here by force if she had to. The door flew open to reveal a blessedly familiar sight.

"Ari-chaaaaaaaan!" Isshin came flying out of the door like a jet liner, arms open and stars in his eyes but after all these years her reflexes were still to much for him. She gabbed one of his fanned out arms and flipped him over her shoulder landing Isshin flat on his back with a hard "thud". Ichigo instantly remembered why he liked his godmother.

"We're over forty! You can't get away with calling me Ari-chan anymore, you dimwit!" Isshin noticed that she'd censored herself for the sake of Karin and Yuzu. If it were like old times she would've said "dipshit" no matter how many kids were in the room. The years had made her a little less vulgar though Ryuuken would probably disagree out of spite. With a disgruntled huff, Takari hefted Isshin off the ground by the collar with both hands. For a minute she looked as if she were going to hit him. Everyone in the doorway held their breaths. Isshin flinched before she could even get a chance to move him. His eyes were still closed when she hugged him tightly. "God, I missed you." She said with a smile. She squeezed him so tightly, she made his back crack. Judging by that absolutely devious look in her eye, it was totally on purpose.

"Agh! Agh! Ari-chan you're crushing me!" Ishhin cried trying to squirm his way out of her grip. She let go and grinned.

"Sorry had to get my eight years worth of hugs in." Daibo-chan said with a laugh. She turned to Yuzu and Karin and the ran to her like they were five all over again. Normally, a hug wasn't exactly a customary greeting in Japan, but being from the west...Takari-bochan didn't seem to care. Eventually neither did they. "Geez, time flies I feel like I missed the cute little girl stage and I've become godmother to two beautiful young ladies." Yuzu was instantly reduced to a blushing giggling mess. Karin just turned away blushing, but flattered all the same, you'd probably have to tickle her within inches of death for her to admit it though. Honestly it was a wonder they remembered her at all they couldn't have been older than five when they last saw her. When she let go of the two, she halted at the sight of Ichigo eying him like a stranger. She pursed her lips. Ichigo instinctively backed up a few paces as she advanced on him tapping her chin. She was messing with him, he knew that much but he couldn't help it.

"Who is this?" She asked poking his stomach. "Rock hard abs...?"She placed a hand on his head and compared her 5'8" to his 5'11". "One inch shy of six feet?" She circled him like a vulture then she poked him in the back. "Posture could use a little work." As he laughed nervously, she abruptly grabbed his chin and examined his face with her scrutinizing gaze. "But handsome enough to keep the girls drooling." She whipped around turned her back on him with her arms crossed. Karin and Yuzu were laughing by now. "Nope. This isn't my godson. I refuse to believe it!" She declared pointing her finger in the air. She turned her faux outrage on Isshin who was almost too busy dying of laughter to hear the joke. "Isshin! My godson was a short little thing! How am I supposed to believe that he grew into this handsome young man in just eight years?" She demanded. Ichigo wasn't used to the flattery. Through he nervous laughter he attempted to be just as lighthearted as she was. Not his forte. He scratched the back of his head trying to come up with something.

"Well, Bo-san...I..." She turned back around smiling warmly.

"Boy, don't sit there and stutter! Hug me!" She demanded. When she embraced him, the memories of all the times she'd come to visit, bearing gifts and stories of monsters and brave priests who came to save the day. If he hadn't known better, she could have given Katsuya Hoshin a run for her money. However, all of that stopped when his mother died. The last time he saw her was a year after her funeral. The way she looked at him, if was as if she were looking at her own son. As he let go of his godmother, he almost asked about the recent death of her son Yashin, it would be inappropriate.

"Lunch's almost ready Takari-bochan." Yuzu said as they all went inside. For a second, Ichigo paused. He looked briefly at his godmother then down at he hands. For a minute, just for a minute, he had sensed an incredible amount of reiatsu.

"Ichi-nii, come on!"

Yep, that's it. Please review and all that good stuff. Brace yourselves, cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride. A little warning for Mayuri fans: You're not gonna like this story. Just saying. Anyway, look for more most likely every Friday. Don't be surprised if I miss a day, I start culinary school this week so things might get a little tight, but I will finish this. I promise.

With Love and best wishes for the New Year,

East