Ishida stood outside the door where Urahara was resting. He had been standing there a few minutes, debating whether or not he really wanted to have this conversation. Finally, Urahara's voice called from inside. "Please come in, Ishida. I won't bite."

Ishida sighed; of course Urahara could sense him out there. Pushing his glasses up, he slid the door open and stepped inside. Urahara was lying down, propped up by a few pillows so that he could comfortably read while recuperating.

"Urahara-san," Ishida said with a slight bow to the shopkeeper.

"My, my, awfully formal today, aren't we?" Urahara said as he set his book down beside him.

"Urahara-san," Ishida said. "I just wanted to say, thank you."

After a moment of studying Ishida's face Urahara asked, "There is something that you want to ask me, isn't there?" He motioned for Ishida to sit beside him.

Ishida hesitated a moment and then walked over and knelt next to Urahara. He sat there a moment, looking down at a spot on the floor between himself and Urahara for a moment. "Urahara-san, why did you do it?"

"Why did I risk myself for you? Is that what you would like to know?"

Ishida nodded.

The ex-Shinigami leaned back into his pillow and sighed. "Ishida, you should know by now that I care for all of you very much."

"But you usually don't risk yourself for us, Urahara-san. And what you did… It was more than anyone should have ever expected of you."

Urahara was silent for a long time as he sat back, eyes closed, thinking. "Everything that has ever happened to all of you is mostly my fault." He finally said, eyes still closed. "I have used all of you to correct my mistakes when possible. I am naturally a lazy man, after all. But this time there was something that only I could do. And though I probably would have done it simply for your own sake, Ishida, there was everyone else to consider too. If I had left you for dead, what do you think that would have done to Ichigo?"

Ishida looked up at Urahara but the shopkeeper was still lying back with his eyes closed. "He would never forgive himself…" Ishida said quietly.

"Correct. The same goes for everyone else in your group. But Ichigo would have been devastated. There was no other way that I could see to get the job done fast enough than to use myself."

"Still, what you did…"

Urahara cracked and eye open and looked at Ishida. "What I did was what needed to be done. You are important to too many people, Ishida Uryu. Your loss would have been devastating to everyone… Myself included."

Ishida looked at Urahara and wondered how he could have missed this side of the ex-Shinigami before. Ishida had always considered Urahara to be something of a mad genius, but not someone who would ever risk his own life for another. There was always a detached air to the shopkeeper up until now and Ishida had never realized how strongly he actually felt for them.

"Thank you, Urahara-san." He said again and bowed his head.

"Besides," Urahara said with a relaxed air. "Sitting on the sidelines can get kind of boring after a while. I thought I was due for some excitement for a change."

Ishida looked at Urahara, no longer sure which side on this guy's ever changing personality was really him. Had everything he just said been nothing more than an act? Or was his jovial attitude the act?

Ishida shook his head as he got up and left the shopkeeper to himself. Perhaps Urahara was both sides in one; he probably would never really find out.