Warnings: Self sacrifice, Fem!Harry(Aiko), demons, mentions of sex, vague mentions of death, altered Bleach story-line but not totally remade until after Aizen's death, Devil-is-Lucifer, and emotional bonds that are similar to a one person empath.

It was certainly clear to him when it all began. He'd gone to Hell to rescue his sister Yuzu, that had ended fine, after of course they escaped Hell's little- more like giant- guardians.

Maybe Lucifer had seen his strength, the way he fought to save his friends, or maybe the man/creature/god whatever-he-was had already had his plans in motion. Fact was, it really kicked off when Hell's Gates appeared of Karakura once more.

It had taken maybe ten minutes for everyone that could see it to gather and watch as skeletal hands pulled the doors open, revealing a man. That man had been, as Orihime and Rukia had told him, drop dead fine despite the large dark brown leathery wings across his back and the horns peaking out of his short cropped hair. But the demon had been carrying a girl.

She, they had guessed, was only an inch or so taller than Rukia, her skin pale and her long black hair fell everywhere around her in the demon's arms. She had been dressed in the same white kimono that Rukia had been donned in after he had went back in to save them from Hell three months before.

"Who are you?" Renji had demanded.

The creature had grinned dangerously, showing elongated canine's that made him appear to be what he was, a demon from Hell's depths. "It's not me that matters, Abarai Renji." And he'd dismissed the redhead like he was trash, instead turning to Ichigo with a more controlled expression. "Kurosaki Ichigo. Lucifer-sama has requested you take this girl into your care. Her sentence of three years in Hell has been served."

"I've never heard of a sentence being so small, or someone being allowed out of Hell." Rukia had whispered, but the demon had caught it.

"Normally, it isn't, Kuchiki Rukia. However this girl wasn't sent to Hell for her sins, but made a deal to sacrifice herself to Lucifer-sama in order to save her people."

Toshiro had taken a sharp breathe at the demon's words, "She's the one who caused all of the spikes in Europe?"

"Indeed. She traded three years of suffering and the memories of all but her abilities so the ones threatening her people would be taken to Hell indefinitely."

"Why me?" Ichigo had questioned.

"This girl is strong, but she isn't strong alone. She will help you in your war, as long as you swear to protect her at all costs. Should you accept, a bond will be formed between both of you to allow you to feel her emotions and whether she is safe or not. Refuse and she will remain asleep under my guard in Hell until another with strength enough to protect her arises."

Ichigo had warred with himself for five long minutes, unsure of exactly what to do. She looked so fragile, so tiny and afraid, yet so peaceful. His conscious told him not to let her be taken back to that nightmare, but his mind said that it might all be a trick like last time.

"Again, what makes me the one to do it? Shouldn't you get a captain or something?"

"No. Your ability to access both the powers of Shinigami and Hollow, your power that rivals Aizen's own is what makes you a candidate. Your heart, Lucifer-sama has seen, wouldn't allow you to use the girl. That is what makes you the one to protect her."

Still unsure, he had asked, "What's her name?"

"That was given up along with her memories of her people. However Lucifer-sama has given her the name Sonozaki Aiko."

And then his conscious won. No one, in his mind, could be called Child of Love* and be evil. He'd nodded, and in the next second she was deposited into his arms, a gold glow surrounding both of them before it vanished, along with the demon and the Gate.

She didn't wake for a week, however, but that gave him time to get Hat and Clogs to make her a Gigai and for him to explain to his family exactly why a stranger(he hadn't been sure about the term after the dreams of fire, pain, and abilities he hadn't seen had come to him in the night) was living with them from now on.

When she did, he'd found her speaking to his father in hushed tones, drinking a steaming cup of green tea as her eyes- the most green he'd ever seen- followed Yuzu around while the brunette twin made breakfast. And then, her eyes had landed on him. The warm smile that had stretched across her lips and brightened her eyes had nearly made him trip over air. Despite having already said he would, the rest of him accepted being her Guardian because that smile reminded him so much of his mother.

For weeks, he would attend school and she would stay home helping his father at the clinic. Whether his family was asleep or not, he'd always find her sitting in the living room waiting on him with bandages, hot water and a still warm cup of tea. When asked, she'd always reply the same way.

"I don't like seeing you hurt, Ichigo-kun. And I can't fight Hollow, so I wanted to find a way to help out." Her voice was always soft.

When he took her too a festival, his breathe had caught at the deep blue kimono with silver butterflies they'd dressed her in, and the silver chopsticks that held up most of her hair. Maybe that was when the feelings of brotherly protection has started to change.

And then Orihime had been kidnapped by Aizen. It had been the first argument they'd ever had. She'd refused to sit by while he went charging into that chaos, and her eyes had lit with a fire he hadn't seen in them before. In the end he'd relented, because he could feel how scared she was for them, how angry she was at Aizen, and for the first time he'd felt a power rolling off of her that while not Spiritual Pressure, he knew it could do a lot of damage to anyone attacking her.

So they'd went, and while she hadn't fought, she'd somehow channeled that power through him making him stronger and faster. She had held onto Nel with Orihime while he fought Grimmjow, and had helped Nel make Orihime see Ichigo behind the Hollow Mask. And then Nnotoria had hurt her when she threw herself in front of Nel. He'd sliced her stomach badly and laughed when she crumpled to the ground.

Something inside him had snapped and from then on, he realized, he, his zanpaktou and his hollow were in true resonance. They were completely one being intent on protecting the girl they had realized they loved. Nnotoria hadn't survived the next five minutes.

And then she'd saved everyone when he carried her back to confront Aizen. It hadn't been much, but she'd somehow channeled that power through everyone on their side, giving them strength enough to live and defeat their opponents.

They'd both passed out afterwards, to tired to stay awake. Through some miracle, maybe because he and his zanpaktou and hollow had settled their differences, he'd kept his Shinigami abilities. It was not long after Karakura Town was safe again, that he realized that he and his family, his friends, wouldn't die of old age. So he had talked his old man into moving to Soul Society, so suspicions wouldn't be raised. That had been a year ago.

"What are you doing up?"

Green eyes looked back at him, pale skin illuminated by the moons light. "Ichigo. I couldn't sleep, I kept tossing and turning."

"Sou ka." He settled behind his wife, pulling her to his chest as she shivered in the cool air. His hands slid to her stomach, feeling the small bulge.

"How's Rukia-nee-chan?" She asked, leaning her head on his as his chin settled on her shoulder.

"She's fine, just tired. What have you been thinking about, hm? Your emotions have been quiet."

"I was thinking about everyone but us forgetting Rukia-nee. Is it because of me loosing my old memories that I could still remember?" Her voice was soft as usual.

"I don't know, Aiko, I'd tell you if I did. But it's good though, or we might have lost her." He sighed, loving the way she shivered as his breathe washed over her skin. "What else is bothering you?"

Her hands found one of his and then his cheek. "I think that I remember my name from…before."

He blinked in surprise, "Oh? And what was it."

"Potter…Rose, I think. But there was another, Girl-Who-Lived or something. It's fuzzy."

He rubbed her stomach soothingly, kissing her exposed neck. "Don't worry over it, I doubt you can remember anything else, love."

"I suppose." She giggled a bit when he bit down, hands moving from her stomach to explore her clothed body. "We aren't getting any sleep tonight, are we?"

He smirked against her skin, "No."

Popped into my head today in math, and just had to write it. The original was a bit longer, but I cut a scene out because it just didn't fit.

R & R!