I'll Always Protect You

A/N: Well, this is the epilogue, and finally the end of this story. :) Please forgive any missed grammar and spelling, trust me, I'd make it perfect if I could.

But I would like to thank everyone who favorited, reviewed and followed this story faithfully, along with everyone who added me to their authors list. If it weren't for you guys, honestly, this neverwould have got done.

So, I say thanks :D You guys are great, and very, very, very patience. ;)

Epilogue

The Vizard's were living with Urahara at the moment. Licking their wounds and finally getting to relax after their nightmarish experience with the Espada. After Shinji had defeated Grimmjow, the shop keeper had asked them to rest at this home so they could heal. At first they had refused, however when Urahara told them Hachi and Mashiro were already at his shop, they followed, though albeit grudgingly. Now, a week later Shinji was his usual self and his wounds had completely healed. However the gash on his head, though healed, had left a scare. The dark cut visible if you parted his hair the right way. And along with his head wound, the burns that covered his back had also scarred. The skin on his back was mismatched in different tones, light then dark, light then dark. However the stab wound he received healed with no scaring. Though his perfect body was marred, Shinji paid it no mind, not bothering to worry about it. He still had yet to cut his now very long hair, the strands continually curtaining his thin, strong frame. This in turn irked Hiyori, she liked it better when his hair was short, she didn't like it long. Now every chance she got she pulled it, yanking on the yellow strands roughly. After several times Shinji's scalp was starting to hurt, so he responded by tripping her every chance he got.

Hiyori had recovered from her mind trip with Shinji in just a few days, mostly just needing rest and quiet. But never given the latter. However it didn't indent on her recovery and a few days later she was up and about, bullying Shinji and screaming at Urahara over something silly. Lisa and Kensei's arms were healing up just fine, while Kensei nursed a few broken ribs he'd received from Grimmjow. Mashiro hadn't been injured during the fight apart from a bruise here and there. She had happily bounced around while the others recovered, her bubbly personality stronger than ever. Hachi had come out fairly unscathed, just a few cuts and a somewhat deep gash on his side. He was healed and helping Tessai heal the others in less than a day. Love only had a small concussion from the fight, refusing kido and staying by Rose's side while blond healed. Rose had proved the only real problem; the stab wound much worse on the inside than out. One of his kidneys had been brushed by the blade and his stomach punctured. His spine had also been hit, causing problems with his movements and breathing. Tessai and Hachi had worked all night to stabilize him, and at the early hours of the next morning, everyone sighed with relief. Finally Rose was out of harm's way and the last of the Vizard's family was safe. However Tessai kept him unconscious, to allow his spine easier healing, the less the blond moved the better. Love had yet to leave his side, having stayed even during the first night. Love waited, sitting and simply waiting, occasionally talking to him. The others didn't intrude, only popping in every few hours to check on Rose.

Now on Saturday Rose was simply sleeping, Tessai having lifted the kido that kept him under. Love was noticeable more relaxed, but still sitting by his side. The others sat around Urahara's table, chatting back and forth and snacking. They were on the conversation of Shinji and how he looked as a child, and how he had such a hard time with women while little.

"Hee, your nose started pourin' the blood, baldy." Hiyori snickered.

Lisa showing no signs of emotion as Hiyori told Shinji his reaction to her porn magazines.

Shinji rolled his eyes. "Whatever you midget." He said, a second later Hiyori's sandal print was imbedded into his skin.

Mashiro crawled halfway into Kensei's lap, the gray haired man not bothering to notice her as she stole his food.

"Urahara-san, so how did Shinji-kun turn into a baby?" Mashiro asked through a mouth full of rise balls.

"I wasn't a baby!" Shinji barked, angrily.

Hiyori laughed hard. "HA, how do you know?" She said.

Shinji glared, Hiyori flipped him off, grinning and showing her fang.

Coughing Urahara drew everyone's attention, they settled down. "Well, my guess is that the Espada Mashiro and Love killed caused the beginning of this entire thing. They told me that when he used his swords power, it consisted of fire." Urahara said.

The others listened on, waiting for more. "Now, Shinji was ambushed. I suspect he was attacked with that boy's sword, then knocked unconscious from the blow to his head. The stab wound must have happened somewhere in between." Urahara said.

"But why'd Shinji-kun turn into a baby!" Mashiro asked again, a whinny tone in her voice.

Kensei looked down into his lap, annoyed. "Would you get off of me already!" He yelled at the girl half sprawled in his lap.

"I wasn't a baby!" Shinji screeched, his face reddening.

Mashiro ignored them, eating the last bites of Kensei's food.

Urahara smiled lazily. "His past." He said.

Everyone cocked a brow, Shinji eyed Urahara carefully.

"Whatever happened in Shinji-kun's past that evolved fire was overpowering. When he was attacked with the flames, it unlocked that memory. Shinji-kun couldn't handle the return of whatever memory was involved with fire. So, I believe he reverted back to an age before the incident happened, so that way, he could still forget." Urahara said carefully, watching Shinji's reactions as he spoke.

The man cocked his brows. "What?" He said, his long straight teeth showing.

Urahara gave him a questioning look. "May I ask if you remember anything that triggered you memories to come back while the Espada were attacking." He said, scratching the back of his head doubtfully.

Shinji nodded slowly, his eyes becoming suspicious. The other Vizard's looked on, watching intently. The blond stayed silent for a long time, as if thinking of what explanations he wanted to use, and others he wanted to keep to himself. After a long moment, he spoke.

"It started with a conversation with the white haired Espada and Rose." He said, Urahara's eyes went wide.

"Wait, you so you do remember?" He asked excitedly.

Shinji couldn't help but grin at Urahara's childlike surprise. "Ya, the boy asked em' to through me away. Rose refused." Shinji stalled. "Then the boy said 'Get rid of it'."

Everyone waited while Shinji stayed quiet.

"When he said that, it made me remember when I had come back from my first mission in the human world. I'd brought back a record and Hiyori had taken it. When I told her to give it back, she of course told me no. Then I said, either give it back, or get rid of it." Shinji eyed Hiyori with an annoyed glare. "She laughed and then threw it at me."

Hiyori cracked a smile. "I remember that." She laughed.

"Anything else?" Urahara asked.

"When Rose was stabbed," Though Shinji's face remained impassive, guilt flashed through his eyes. "I remembered the first big mission he was assigned. He was still a lieutenant and Love and I had to accompany him. The hollow was a lot bigger than we had expected and I was forced to use my shiki. Rose was caught in the crossfire, his side split open." Shinji stalled, almost as if stuck in the memory.

"It sounded like rain." He said softly.

"What did, Shinji-kun?" Urahara asked, his voice was softer than usual.

"The blood, when it hit the ground, it sounded like rain." He said, his eyes slowly losing the glaze that had seeped into them. "Then Hiyori came stopping through my brain, gave me a headache, and out I popped again, a healthy big boy." He grinned widely.

The suddenly oppressive atmosphere disappeared, becoming light again. Urahara left it at that, not prying any more than he already had.

~0~

Later that day Shinji sat out on the back deck of Urahara's shop, watching as the sun slowly set. The oranges, yellows, reds, and purples hit his face. It made his face unnaturally soft and young looking and as Hiyori walked out to meet him, it unsettled her. She never wanted to see a childlike look on Shinji's face ever again. His long blond hair fanned out behind him, a river of gold that for now, Hiyori wouldn't pull. Sitting down beside him with a soft plop, Hiyori looked up to Shinji. The blond looked down to her.

"Somethin' the matter?" He asked, his voice lazy and soft.

Hiyori was quiet for a moment, thankful her blush couldn't be seen.

"Um…." She stalled, nibbling on her lip. "Ugh, are you….you know. Um, are you okay?" She mumbled, scratching her nose and avoiding eye contact.

Shinji smiled his cheshire grin. "Just fine." He said, glancing down to Hiyori with a smile.

He watched as relief flooded her eyes, though she kept an annoyed scowl on her freckled face. He could sit his pride aside just this once. Hiyori looked up when she felt Shinji staring at her. She turned and prepared to cuss him from one end of the earth to the other. She was stopped dead when she saw the look on his face. Shinji was staring down at her with a kindness she didn't even know existed, and his smile was grateful.

"Ya saved me, ya know?" He said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hiyori simply stared, eyes wide. Shinji grinned, but after a moment his face turned solemn. Hiyori began to worry.

"What's wrong with you?" She said, meaning to sound unconcerned, but doubted it came out that way.

"No matter how hard I try, I always put ya in harm's way." He said, his voice emotionless.

Hiyori was taken aback. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Because of me, you have to live with the nightmare of my human life and the nightmare of this one." He said.

Hiyori's world crashed, her hopes of him not remembering crushed. "You mean, you remember everything from your human life?"

He nodded. "And everything while I was in your care." He said, his voice now lonely.

Hiyori remembered that voice; it was the one that had begged her not to give him away. "Shinji…." She said softly, for once she supposed, she could put her pride aside just this once. "Shinji, you protected me and everyone from Azien the night we were changed, you fought back against him. You didn't go off and leave us when we were dumped here in the human world; you've kept us together ever since we first met. You've…..Shinji even when you were transformed, you still protected me. You tired your hardest to keep your past from me, so I wouldn't have to deal with it."

Shinji stared on in shock, his mouth hanging open. Hiyori's words were fast and clumsy and she kept fidgeting with her hands.

She went still and looked up to Shinji with a look of admiration and care. "Shinji, you've always protected me. Even when you didn't know it."

Shinji only stared and stared for a long moment, but stopped when Hiyori punched him. Reeling back and holding his nose, he smiled.

"Thank you, Hiyori." He said, ruffling her hair gently.

"Jackass…." She mumbled, softly yanking on his hair.

They sat together on the back deck of Urahara's shop, watching with content smiles on their faces as the sun set. Shinji's hand still rested on Hiyori's head and Hiyori's hand still clutched Shinji's long hair.

A/N: Woops, ^^; it's a little longer than I intended. Oh well, if you had any questions left hopefully this answered them.

Later Yo ;)