So the bleach mange ended… kinda got mixed feelings. I love that the gang got a happy ending, but at the same time it was so rushed. Can't really blame the author to much for that. Anyway sorry it's been so long but here's the next chapter!

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Chapter 11: Mother hens, girlfriends and secrets

Kuroko closed his front door as he saw his Uncle get round house kicked by his grandfather. But then his Uncle countered by upper cutting his grandfather.

"Welcome home, Tetsu!" Rukia greeted cheerfully with that fake lady smile that instantly alerted him that she was annoyed.

Her greeting made the two stop fighting and looked over towards the phantom.

"Tetsuyaaaa!"

Kuroko couldn't avoid the bear hug his grandfather bestowed upon him.

"Look how handsome you grown!" Isshin exclaimed like a doting parent as he held his grandson out to get a good look at him.

Kuroko didn't comment. It was best not to.

"You've gotten taller too."

The phantom couldn't refute that. He did grown two inches.

"Let him go. He doesn't need you crying all over him like a mother hen." Ichigo snapped as he grabbed his nephew and pulled him away.

"Don't be selfish. You see him every day." Isshin sobbed.

The young doctor rolled his eyes. Meanwhile Kuroko slipped away for some peace and quiet in his room before he had to leave with his grandfather. He was glad to be visiting his childhood home town. His Uncle moved them to Tokyo when he entered middle school since his small clinic was booming and he didn't want to put his father out of business.

Hearing the sounds of fighting again, Kuroko settled on his bed with a new book. It was going to be a long before they stop.

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When Kuroko stepped into his grandfather's home, he felt like he was greeting an old friend. He hasn't been in this house since his second year in middle school. Everything was still the same as ever. Heck, even Auntie Yuzu was in the same spot cooking up dinner.

"Can I help?" he asked, startling her.

"Tetsu-kun! How long has you been standing there?" she asked with a hand to her chest.

"A while."

She smiled wryly at the answer. Out of all the people in the family, she was the only one who didn't notice him on the first attempt. In a way it was kinda refreshing.

"No, it's fine Tetsu-kun. Go relax. Dinner will be ready soon."

He gave a simple nod before leaving the kitchen. He entered his room, which was his Uncle former room, and sat down on the bed. Checking his phone in the process. He got a text from Kise, which he ignored, a text from Kagami and oddly enough a text from Akashi. One eyebrow arched, he opened the message.

'Kuroko, are you free right now?'

The phantom text back. 'No I'm out of town for the weekend.'

Two seconds later, the red head text back. 'Meet me Monday after practice at the old convenience store.'

Kuroko felt a chill go down his spine at the command, but he shook off. He was still the same friend, not that second person. 'Alright.' He text back before reading the message Kagami sent him. It was the typical have a safe trip text which made him smile. Then he sent the newest number 2 picture he took this morning. The text his friend sent back made him chuckle.

"Tetsuya!"

His room door busted open, reveling his grandfather. "Come tell me all things you've been doing."

Before Kuroko could say anything really, he was yanked up and pulled to the living room. He got dropped on the couch and his grandfather sat next to him.

"How's school? How's basketball? Did you get a girlfriend yet?" The questions were asked in rapid fire.

Kuroko blinked, as his mind tried to catch up. It's been a while since he's been around the man and sometimes forget how hyper he is. "School's fine. Basketball is going great and no."

Isshin pointed a finger in his face. "No! Tell me more details. What happened to that pink haired girl you use to talk to?"

The phantom gave him an impassive look. "She was my manger and friend. There was no "talking" at all."

The older man gave him a deadpan look. "Yeah, sure. Ichigo rubbed off you more than I thought."

Kuroko chose to ignore that.

"You're looking better than the last time I saw you." Isshin said a serious expression on his face. The last time he saw his grandson was the year he was entering high school. He looked it so dead at the time, no matter how many times he acted silly, Kuroko wouldn't react.

The phantom looked at him for a moment, before a soft smile made its way on his face.

Isshin couldn't help it; he reached over rubbed his grandson's hair. He looked so adorable with that expression.

Kuroko swatted his hand away with an annoyed snort.

The front door opened and then slammed shut. "I'm home!" Karin called out. "Man, today was more annoying than ever." She walked into the living room. Instantly her father lunged at her.

"Karin-chan!"

She ducked, avoiding him, before coming over to her nephew. "Hey."

"Good evening, Auntie Karin." He greeted back.

She grinned tiredly. Her police uniform was a mess, but that didn't stop her from putting him in a head lock. "Glad you came!"

Kuroko struggled in her arms.

"Karin, let him go. You're chocking him!" Yuzu admonish her twin sister.

Karin gave Kuroko a noogie for good measure before releasing him. "Hey sis. Dinner ready yet?"

Yuzu rolled her eyes. "Yeah, go wash up first."

The darker haired twin gave her a mock salute before going up the stairs.

Meanwhile Kuroko was breathing in and out slowly to get his breathing back to normal. "Tetsu-kun could you set the table?"

The shadow nodded, happy to help.

"Dad stop sulking in a corner. You have to close up the clinic for the day." Yuzu was like a drill sergeant as she pushed her depress dad to his feet.

"Oh, Yuzu your sister hates me!" He tried to give her a hug, but she neatly side stepped him.

"Come on dad. Your dinner will be cold if you don't hurry."

Their voices faded away as she dragged her father away, giving Kuroko a wink over her shoulder.

Kuroko had a small smile on his face. Nothing changed, it was still the same routine.

He was glad for that.

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He couldn't sleep.

He's been lying in bed for two hours, staring at the ceiling. Kuroko didn't know why he felt so restless, so tense, like he was getting ready for a basketball game. It was annoying. Sitting up, he turned on his night light he brought with him. Maybe a little reading would help. As he reached for his book that he left on the night stand, he sensed it.

A low level hollow.

It was pretty close, but he wasn't worried. Someone should be taking care of it shortly, after all this is shinigami capital. He started reading, ignoring it. Well he tried to, but after a while when it didn't disappear, he became worried. 'Where is the soul reaper on duty?' He never knew who was on duty since his Uncle left. His grandfather retired, Aunt Yuzu was out of the question and Aunt
Karin had a high level of spiritual power but she was out cold tonight.

Mentally sighing, he got up from his warm and comfortable bed, slipped on his shoes and went out the window, unknowingly echoing his Uncle from an earlier time. One thing he was grateful for was the fact that hollows really don't travel that far away from his grandfather's house. The Kurosaki family was a beacon after all. In a matter of minutes he found the hollow wandering the street. Without hesitating, he gathered his spiritual pressure into his hand and fired it right between the hollow's eyes, killing it.

Well that was anti- climactic. At least he was sleepy now.

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"What are you thinking about?"

Ichigo didn't flinch as Rukia came up beside him in her stupid rabbit pjs.

"Tetsu." He answered as he swirled the cooling tea around his cup, looking out into the night from his kitchen window. There wasn't any stars tonight.

"Calm down mother hen. Your father can take care of him for the weekend."

The doctor scowled out at nothing for a minute before sighing.

There was silence as he took a sip of his tea, grimaced and set it down.

"So are you really going to tell me what's on your mind or do I have to pry it out of you?" she asked, exasperated.

"Mind your own business." He snapped, scowling at her.

Wrong move.

She kneed the back of his shins, causing, him to fall to his knees in pain. "Now do you want to talk?" she asked, ignoring his glare.

He could just ignore her, but knowing her, should would just keep asking him until he spilled. "I was thinking about telling Tetsu the truth about his parent's death."

The black haired woman widened her eyes at that. "I thought you were going to tell him when he's older."

"In case you haven't notice he is older." Came his smart response.

She wacked him on the head. "You know what I mean."

He rubbed the bump on his head as he stared back out the window. "He deserves to know that he's living with his parent's murderer."

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To be continued….

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