When things calmed down and Xcution was defeated, everyone went to Urahara's Shop to get healed and rested. Riruka was seriously injured but because of her defense of Ichigo and Rukia, she was allowed access to the healing powers of Orihime –though she would have done it regardless of her being her side or not. Orihime healed Ichigo first and set to the others so Ichigo walked outside to have a look around and just reflect on some things. Now that he got his powers back, he felt right.

As he stared at the sky, thinking how great it was to be able to save people again. He hated seeming so helpless against his family and friends, this past endeavor being one of the more personal affairs. He was also getting used to having so many reiatsus rummaging in his body and found it odd that even though they were all from his friends, he could pick out any of them and realize who's it was. Of all the powers he felt, he could feel Byakuya's powers more than anyone else but he also felt that something strange was with it.

"Ichigo?"

He turned and smiled as Rukia came up beside him.

"Hey."

"I'm glad things have come back to normal."

"You and me both."

"Ichigo, I never got to ask you why you told me to tell Nii-sama that you were sorry. I mean, when did the opportunity arise that you were ever apologetic to him?"

"It's complicated..." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Rukia got angry and pinched Ichigo's arm very hard. He yelped and swat at her, grabbing the inside of his elbow where she pinched him hard.

"I'm your friend, you should tell me everything!"

"Ah! Quit! Quit!"

"Then tell me!"

"Okay! Okay! Sheesh... Something happened before I lost my powers and I somehow went back in time. I met your brother and trained him. We got... close... bonded like brothers, I guess." He said with a shrug.

Rukia lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Bonded? You and Nii-sama?"

"Yeah."

You and Nii-sama?" she said, pointing at him and then at Urahara's shack.

"Yuuup..."

"Rukia."

She turned and pointed at Ichigo.

"You bonded?"

Byakuya looked at Ichigo as he shrugged.

"Slightly."

"Don't try to downplay it, Byakuya." Ichigo said.

"I do not play down events in my life, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo gave the older Soul Reaper a look and then looked at Rukia.

"Rukia, me and Byakuya need to have a little talk. Could you give us a moment?"

Rukia nodded and went inside of the shop but she went to the window to watch what was going to happen first. Renji noticed her interest in the window and went next to her.

"What's going on?"

"Shhh! Just watch and see..."

************

Ichigo and Byakuya stared at each other for a while, not saying anything. They were taking each other in since they didn't get a good chance to look at each other when they met last. Ichigo couldn't believe the young man he remembered had grown into the man before him. It was strange and sad at the same time, to have missed his growth. Ichigo remembered something from the past and chuckled to himself; Byakuya moved his head slightly at him.

"You've grown. You really are taller than me now."

"So it would seem, since you have not grown."

"Time does that... especially when you time hop."

"So it would seem."

They were silent for a moment when Ichigo smiled a little.

"You must have forgotten me to treat me the way you have all this time."

"I surmised that you did not know me and thus, I should keep the knowledge of knowing you a secret until the time you came to my childhood. I had heard rumors that your powers had been waning when you were in my time so when you did not know me. I knew I must wait until you lost your powers before you knew me again."

"Well of course you would deduce that... So you remembered me from all this time?"

"No." Ichigo looked up at him in surprise. "I did forget you, Ichigo." He looked down at his former mentor down his nose. "You... changed me."

"What do you mean?"

"Something happened that night and I was changed forever. I was instructed that I did not have the ability to withstand it without the help of a serum. It was made from the tests done on you but since you were in the equation, it caused me to forget you. The time would be right when the serum would break the suppressant and I would be able to control myself."

"I see..."

Byakuya tried to keep himself from being childish and yelling at Ichigo for leaving him and not even saying goodbye but he stifled that side of him and focused on what needed to be dealt with. He knew things had begun inside of him. He could feel it full force now that the suppressant wasn't there and definitely because the fighting was over and his adrenaline was going down.

*************

Rukia and Renji watched intently from the shop, listening hard. Rukia couldn't believe that Ichigo wasn't joking.

"This is too much..." Renji said.

"I'll say."

**************

Ichigo smiled up at Byakuya.

"When did you remember who I was then?"

"The battle when Rukia was going to be executed. You asked the question that I never got to answer. I know the answer now. Ask the question again, Ichigo."

Ichigo was very surprised how the deep, stoic, and usually blasé man had held on to a simple phrase as if it were a mantra, a prize. Knowing he valued Ichigo's opinion almost flattered him. But he missed the Byakuya he had come to know and grow fond of. It's time to stop this stoic ruse...

"Do you know why big brothers were born first?"

**************

Rukia blinked, remembering when Ichigo had posed the same question to Orihime's brother when he had turned into Acidwire and tried to kill Orihime. What would Nii-sama know of this? He's too straightforward and straight laced. He won't give the correct answer! Rukia screamed in her head.

"What's he mean?" Renji asked.

"Shh..." she growled, watching the two closely.

Byakuya didn't say anything for a while and Rukia almost cringed at his lack of social interactions.

************

Byakuya walked over to Ichigo and stood in front of him. He bent down slowly to one knee and looked up at Ichigo.

"They are born to protect the ones born after. his duty, his responsibility, is to keep those after him from being harmed; doing anything it takes to ensure their safety."

Rukia and Renji stared in amazement and Ichigo chuckled, reaching out and actually rustled Byakuya's hair. Rukia gasped as Renji's mouth dropped.

"That is correct, Bya-chan."

Byakuya looked down for a second and then looked up. Ichigo's eyes widened.

"I've missed you, Ichi-nii."

"Byakuya..."

Byakuya suddenly pitched forward but Ichigo caught him as Renji and Rukia ran to help to help him.

**************

"What's wrong with him? What's that on his face?" Ichigo asked in worry.

"Hollowfication." Urahara said, examining Byakuya's face.

"Hollowfication? Like what happened... wait, when that Hollow attacked 115 years ago?"

"There were experiments going on there. Do you not remember Shinji telling you how they became Vizoreds? Aizen turned them using the Hogyoku. Kuchiki-san was in the vicinity of the incident."

"And you didn't tell me?!" Ichigo yelled.

"What would it have mattered? You didn't care about his well being. Remember, you didn't know about him until a year ago and you didn't feel like an older brother to him. How could anything be said?"

Ichigo felt horrible about everything but he also knew it was true. Nothing would have mattered because he didn't know Byakuya like he did until a year ago. He knew nothing of the precocious little boy he was fond of; all he knew was the stoic, expressionless captain who seemed to have something against him. Now that he thought about it, what did he have against him?

Byakuya moaned and everyone looked at him in worry. He blinked as Urahara smiled.

"Welcome back, Kuchiki-sama."

"My head feels unfocused..."

"You have someone you need to control, don't you?"

"I already defeated him; there is no need for a second trial."

"You fought it," Urahara said, glaring at him under his hat. "But you didn't defeat it. You never defeat it, right Ichigo?"

"The Hollow?" Urahara nodded. "No. You never truly defeat it. You have to learn to coexist with it, beat it into submission. It's like a rash that goes away and comes back and fighting is the topical cream."

"You, Kuchiki-sama, have no control over it nor how to wield it. You're a loose cannon of sorts."

Byakuya frowned. "I am not a loose cannon. Your interpretation of me is underwhelming."

"It's metaphorical, Kuchiki-san. A Kuchiki I know can at least admit when he is not strong enough."

"Byakuya, I'm sorry." Ichigo said softly.

Byakuya sat up, holding his head and looked at him.

"What could you have done? It's not like I've needed your help all this time. I've been fine."

"It's been suppressed, Byakuya-san." Urahara said with a roll of his eyes at the stubbornness of the man. "Now you must try to suppress things yourself. I'm sure Mayuri has had a tracker that has been monitoring the serum he gave you; it would be odd if he didn't. Would one of you mind going and getting it from him?" he asked the other captains.

Toshiro walked over. "I'll go but that's only because I have to check on Hinamori anyway. I'll send someone to bring it. I'll send him to do it."

"Oh ho! Yes, do that, Hitsugaya-kun."

Toshiro made a face at the overly joyful man but opened a Senkaimon and left the group.

Yachiru popped up from Kenpachi's back and looked at Ichigo.

"Icchi is back! Now Kenny has a playmate!"

Ichigo jumped, startled at the girl's sudden appearance.

"What the- When did you get here?"

"Silly Icchi, I've been here all along! Your mind is crazy." She said with a funny look.

"But you- Never mind... I'll never understand you."

Byakuya lifted an eyebrow but turned back to Urahara.

"What does this tracker do?"

Yrahara opened his fan and fanned himself softly in thought.

"It will have recorded the brain activity that has been suppressed and record the triggers that hit the suppression walls. I'd have to study it."

"And when you find the information, what will you do?"

"Well... I can try to help you but you should really get help from the Vizoreds... Kurosaki-san might even help you..."

"What?!" he yelled, blocking Kenpachi's blade from the sudden attack he decided he needed to do.

Kenpachi laughed and pushed Ichigo across the shop harshly.

"You'll help Nii-sama with defeating his Hollow." Rukia said.

"Ichigo, stop playing around." Renji said with a frown.

"Do I look like I'm playing around?!"

"So, will you help him, Kurosaki-san?"

"Of course I will! Kenpachi, COME ON!"

Kenpachi growled and shoved Ichigo out of the shop and into the clearing in the front.

Byakuya took the ice bag that Tessai was holding out for him and watched Ichigo fight Kenpachi in the courtyard. He watched as he fought with the crazy man fluidly, as if the two belonged in a constant battle together at all times. Yachiru was laughing and cheering on the porch, egging the two on. It was an odd but nice scene.

"Are you afraid?"

Byakuya looked at Urahara as he held the fan in front of his face.

"A Kuchiki is never-"

"I didn't ask if the Kuchiki's were afraid. I asked you, Kuchiki-sama... Are. You. Afraid?"

Byakuya looked at Ichigo as he got angry and pulled his Hollow mask over his face. Kenpachi laughed at the added fight and swung his sword around madly.

"I will admit that I am frightened of what I may become. I have heard what happened to Kaien Shiba from Rukia and I... fear that it will happen to me. But I am a Kuchiki, a nobleman, A Soul Reaper for longer than him. If he can do it, then so can I."

"That's the spirit!" he said joyfully, slapping Byakuya on the back with a laugh.

A Senkaimon suddenly opened up in the sky and Ichigo stopped fighting with Kenpachi as they both looked up. Byakuya stood up and walked outside, setting the ice pack on the shelf to meet the person coming through.

Ichigo watched curiously and then his eyes widened at the person who jumped down from the door.

"Nye-eh, so it's happening again? It took some maneuvering but that crazy guy finally gave me the tape." He looked over and widened his smile. "Oh? Bya-san!" he said, waving in exaggeration. "I got it for you!"

"Thank you, Gin." Byakuya said with a small nod.

Gin smiled wider and walked up to Byakuya, turning his head slightly.

"No trouble at all." He turned to Ichigo and his smile widened. "Hello, Kurosaki-kun. Long time no see."