Brought Back To Life

It's really you...

Ichigo woke up feeling exhausted. Last night, like every night, had been tough. His mind had kept replaying those golden eyes disappearing over and over. They would take so excruciatingly long to disappear, then his mind seemed to rewind, dragging him through it all over again.

'Why her?' He couldn't fully understand it. Sure, she was his mentor and he considered her his closest friend, but why could he think of nothing or no one else? Why did it always feel as if his heart was shattering every time those eyes disappeared? '

Ugh, fate can be a real bitch sometimes.' As his head cleared from the grogginess of sleep, he paused-'Where the hell is old goat-face?' His father never missed an opportunity to attack him, especially in the morning. He shook his head, sure that he was being lulled into a false since of security, but he smelled breakfast downstairs so he got out of bed and made his way down.

"GOOD MORNING IIIICHHHHIIIIIIGOOOOOOOOOOO!," he heard as his father flew at him when he reached the bottom of the stairs. Ichigo, assuming that this would happen, caught his fathers flying fist and turned, flipping the shouting man over his shoulder and sending him crashing into the floor. "Ah, my son," Isshin croaked, "I see that there is little I have left to teach you!"

"Crazy old goat," Ichigo muttered. Karin snorted in agreement from the table.

Isshin ran to the poster on the wall of his late wife bawling, "Masaki, our children are so mean to their loving and handsome father!" Ichigo and Karin both raised an eyebrow at the histrionics, but said nothing.

"Breakfast is ready, onii-chan," Yuzu called from the kitchen, smiling at him.

"Thanks Yuzu, it smells amazing," he replied. He knew it made her happy when he praised her cooking, and if anyone deserved to smile, it was his imoutos. Ichigo inwardly smiled. The one positive about his situation is that he had gotten to know his little sisters better. They were honestly a source of pride for him.

Karin, with her tough exterior, was just as competitive as he was and had a very firm sense of right and wrong. She loved sports and often times Ichigo would play and practice with her. Yuzu was the complete opposite. She was a girls girl with a heart of gold. Innocent, yet perceptive, she could find the truth in most any scenario. She had taken up most of the responsibility around the house when their mother died, yet took extra pride in her cooking.

They were good girls, and Ichigo felt guilty for not hiding his emotions better around them. They were constantly trying to cheer him up, so he resolved to put on a better face for them. After all, it wasn't their fault and they were doing all they could to help him out without stepping on his pride. As they ate, the girls and Isshin chatted about their upcoming trip to the mall today. Karin needed some more shin guards for soccer, while Yuzu was needing clothes for the upcoming colder weather.

After breakfast, Ichigo started to climb the stairs after helping the girls clean the table. As he reached the top, his father was standing to the side of the stairs. "Going to get in your workout, eh?," he asked, already sure of the answer.

"Uhhh, no, actually," Ichigo muttered. "I was thinking about going to see mom. It's been a while since I've talked to her." Ichigo felt guilty for not going to visit her grave more often, but he had just been too ashamed to face her. He was supposed to be a protector, Hell, he had even been named for it! Yet, he couldn't even protect his family from his own grief. It wasn't their fault, and they shouldn't have to suffer for him, that was his role. He was the one who always took burdens on his shoulders, not passed them on to others. Today's trip would be one of apology.

Isshins eyes widened a little, "Really? I think she would like that son. She would be surprised at how big you are now!," he chuckled. This was unexpected, but not necessarily bad. Ichigo often found solace in visiting his mothers grave, hell it couldn't hurt since nothing else was working. Maybe this would give him the chance to actually let some of those demons out of his mind. "Tell her we all said hey and that we'll be there to talk to her soon, too," he said as he went down the stairs to take the girls to the mall.