Penumbra

Chapter Three

Thank you everyone who reviewed and/or alerted and/or fav'd! :D

There may be OOC here, I'm still trying to flesh out how these characters interact. :( It's tough work!

Many thanks to Hikaru for helping me! ^^

I apologize for any formatting errors.

Italics = Thoughts & Flashbacks

Italics+Bold = Inner Voice

"Ow... my head hurts."

He was on something soft and... cold, though he felt it should be warm.

It would after that fall you took.

"Hichigo?What happened?"

You fell, remember?

"I fell?"

Yep.

"Why can't I see anything?"

You're asleep.

"Am I dreaming?"

You can say that.

"Why is everything sideways?"

Been wonderin' that myself. I thought you couldn't see?

"I can feel it. Where's mom?"

She's here. With your dad. They're worried about you, aibou.

"Did they see me win the fight?"

Yeah, they did. You did good. Soon you'll be able to beat anyone.

"But I tripped."

Technically, you were pushed.

"Pushed?"

Yup. The other kid snuck up on you after you won.

A hand hesitantly touched his hair.

"Am I dead?"

No. You'll be fine. Thanks to me.

The hand was very cold.

"Is that you?"

The hand stopped and disappeared. He felt whatever he was laying on shift subtly. Legs.

Don't worry about it, King. I'll take care of everything. Go back to sleep.

"I thought I was asleep."

So you are.

He could hear something through the muddled haze of darkness that clouded his mind. It was far away and he stretched his senses towards it. He felt like he had been sinking into oblivion for so long and this was the first thing he'd found to break the monotony. It was hope and he struggled towards it, grabbing it firmly. Suddenly groaning as pain blossomed awareness into his groggy mind.

The sound was mechanical. It hummed and hissed and beeped at him in a chorus of other noises, things he eventually began to recognize as voices, machines and footsteps.

Where am I?

Slowly he became aware of his body, startled when he realized he hadn't felt it before. His fingers twitched and he wiggled his toes, grimacing against the old flavor in his mouth as he licked his lips weakly. He was afraid to open his eyes, unsure of how bright it would be. But he had to see.

Carefully he pried them open, able to pick up blurry movements in the world around him. The air smelled strange and stale and... sterilized.

With a jolt his eyes opened and he gasped as a fresh wave of pain coursed through his body with a sharpness that throbbed in his chest. With yet another groan he fell back against the bed, turning his head to the side and shutting his eyes.

He remembered it vaguely. He'd been hit by something. A car. Or maybe it was a truck. Hell, it could have been a damned spaceship for all he knew. Whatever it was it had come out of nowhere and he thought that... it had... he had...

He'd gotten careless. He hadn't been paying attention.

Hichigo's never gonna let me live this down... he thought, sending his thoughts towards the back of his mind and calling out, Hichigo?

There wasn't an answer but he didn't dwell on it. His inner voice only answered when he felt like it, and right now Jacob didn't think he'd be able to handle Hichigo's teasing anyways.

"Good morning, Mr. Sutherland." A gentle voice reached his ears and he squinted his eyes open slowly to see a white-clad nurse standing over a bag hooked onto a metal stand next to his bed. He watched her with a pleasant haze fogging his thoughts, becoming slowly aware of the needles and tubes attached to him.

His chest hurt. His eyes hurt. His skin hurt. His damned hair hurt.

Jacob licked his lips again. "What happened?"

She smiled at him, leaning over to check on the bandages that wrapped around his forehead. He hadn't even realized they were there. "You were struck by a vehicle," She said, pulling away and making a note on the clipboard she carried. "But the doctor says you should be fine. You just need to rest for awhile. You've sustained a lot of injuries."

He felt like there there should be more to tell (he'd gotten hit by a car!) but he was too tired to question about it. Instead he nodded weakly, turning his head to the side again and slowly closing his eyes.

"Is he awake?" A new, familiar voice spoke.

Jacob opened his eyes and looked to see that, unexpectedly, Shinji stood at the foot of his bed.

"What are you doing here?" He blurted out without thinking.

Shinji grinned at them then, a friendly sort of smile full of teeth. "Hey, he is awake! You had us worried there, friend."

The nurse clicked her tongue at the other man. "Be easy with him, he needs to rest."

"Yeah yeah." Shinji said, waving her off with a hand. Jacob continued to look at him as Shinji scratched his chin with a hand, looking back thoughtfully. "For a little while there I was beginning to wonder."

Jacob scowled at him half-heartedly and looked away, picking at a loose thread in the white sheet that covered him. "You didn't answer my question."

"Huh? Oh. Tatsuki and I followed you when you left that diner in such a rush. We..." His voice softened then and he looked away, scratching the back of his head with a put upon, ragged sigh, "We tried to warn you about the truck but I guess you didn't hear us."

"So it was a truck then?"

"Yeah. Big one, too." Shinji looked at him with a suddenly renewed grin. "But it looks like nothing you couldn't handle. No big surprise."

Jacob lifted an eyebrow at the man curiously but didn't get a chance to say anything else before Tatsuki appeared from behind the curtain. She smacked Shinji on the back of his head with an annoyed expression.

"Oy!" She said, "Stop buggin' the poor guy and let him sleep already."

Shinji yelped when she hit him, and now rubbed the back of his head. "I wasn't bugging him! I was just talking to him! Jeesh. Besides, he's had enough sleep."

"Not true and you know it. We can wait a little longer, it won't hurt-" She stopped there abruptly. Tatsuki turned towards him and smiled, walking over to him and standing next to his bed. "How ya feeling, Jacob?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," He said, resting his head against the pillows. He was tired and didn't have the mental energy to listen to them talk for much longer.

Tatsuki just smiled at him. "The doctor says you might be able to leave in a week or so if you heal up properly. So get some rest. Don't let this guy keep you awake, alright?"

Jacob said nothing, wondering what the hell they were doing there. It wasn't like they knew him. Oh. Wait, that reminded him. He opened his eyes to see Shinji gone and Tatsuki about to leave.

"Hey," He said, watching her pause and turn around, "Did anyone call my parents?"

Tatsuki was quiet for a moment before she rubbed her head with a small frown, "I'm not sure," She finally admitted slowly, "You could ask the nurse, though."

"Alright." Jacob said and closed his eyes again. A moment later he heard the sound of a door shut and drifted back to sleep.

"-can't just do that! He's got a whole 'nother life here!"

"So? Who the hell cares? This is sort of more important than that, Tatsuki."

"It's not that easy and you know it. He's got a family, Shinji. Parents! A mom and a dad and who knows how many brothers and sisters-"

"Jeesh, I should have just taken Hiyori with me. Didn't know you'd get so soft-hearted. Well then, what do you wanna do? We can't just pretend we never found 'em."

Silence.

Then a surrendering sigh.

"Fine then, have it your way. But I'm still gonna let Urahara know what's going on. We'll take it from there, alright?"

"Thanks, Shinji."

"Yeah yeah... I think he's waking up."

A dull ache in the center of his chest slowly drew Jacob back to the world around him. The voices that had helped pull him awake faded and he knew instantly that they were watching him. He opened his eyes.

Tatsuki and Shinji sat off to the side. Or rather, Shinji was sitting – no, lounging while Tatsuki stood next to him, her arms folded across her chest. Both of them were watching him, Shinji with a blank expression and his head tilted back while Tatsuki looked relieved. She walked over.

"Hey." She said, "Awake again, huh?"

"Yeah." Jacob said, frowning at the both of them. "What are you two doing here?"

"We sorta feel responsible for you I guess," Tatsuki said with a smile, unfolding her arms to rest her hands on her hips. "How ya feelin'?"

"Fine." Jacob said, sitting up slowly and wincing as the dull ache in his chest sharpened into something refined and painful. He ignored it and muttered a brief thanks when Tatsuki thought to lift the back of his bed up. That would have been the easy way to do it, he guessed, but he would have felt weird using a machine to help him sit up. No, he'll do it on his own, thanks very much.

"The doctor says you can probably go home when you feel up to it." Shinji finally commented, looking at his fingers and flicking something off of them briefly. He gave all the appearance of being uninterested, though Jacob could feel that Shinji was paying a lot more attention than he let on.

"Good. Where is he?" Jacob asked immediately.

Shinji shrugged.

Tatsuki sighed at the other and shook her head. "Fine, I'll get him. Why the hell are you so lazy anyways?"

Shinji smiled at her with what Jacob assumed was supposed to be charm. "Because I know you'll pick up the slack."

He yelped when she smacked him across his head as she passed by, walking out of the room with a mutter that sounded like 'idiot'.

Jacob smirked with some amusement. "She always treat you like that?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Shinji said, rolling his head on his shoulders and slouching even further into his chair. He folded his hands together with his elbows sitting on the arm rests. "You know you're pretty lucky."

Jacob didn't disagree with that. "I probably am. I can't believe I was so stupid." He said honestly.

"You died, y'know."

Jacob looked up sharply, his eyes widening. "W-what?"

Shinji still didn't appear to be anything but nonchalant about the issue, though the way he was staring at Jacob said otherwise. "For a second or so. You were clinically dead. That truck hit you doing about fifty and crushed you into a concrete wall. A pipe busted through and went straight through your chest." He said, listing off the injuries with all the casualty of explaining the weather.

Jacob felt the blood rush out of his face, his hands clenching the bed sheets tightly. He was unable to find his voice and suddenly held a hand to his chest. His fingers were shaking.

Shinji continued relentlessly, "The doctors worked for about eighteen hours to get you straightened out. The pipe couldn't be removed until they had you stabilized. It was the only thing keeping you alive. Yet surprisingly, despite being crushed between a wall of cement and a five ton truck, you really had nothing else wrong with you except for some broken ribs, a concussion and some bruises. So like I said, lucky."

There was a heavy stillness after Shinji finished speaking. Jacob was unable to tear his eyes away from him, unable to believe what he just heard. He had... died? Just like that?

The startling realization was more than enough to fill his gut with a pit of despair. Was it really so simple to die? He'd never thought about it before. He always sort of assumed that death, although inevitable, waited on some distant horizon, far beyond the worries and concerns of today or tomorrow. It never occurred to him that in an unpredicted instant that distant horizon would suddenly be in front of him.

Jacob wasn't invincible.

Ignoring death didn't make him immune to it's effects.

He could die just as easily as everyone else.

No matter how smart he was or how strong he got-

Easy, King.

Jacob jumped, startled by the sudden unexpected voice of Hichigo. What was even more startling was the unusual tone of exhaustion he heard in his inner voice. He ignored Shinji's curious look.

We.... almost died Hichigo.

Technically, ya did. But don't worry. It's fine. We're still here.

Are you alright?

Heh. Says the guy who got hit by a truck.

Hearing Hichigo's voice filled with the familiar tone of amusement, Jacob left him alone.

Shinji was looking at him still. "You alright?" He asked.

Jacob was getting tired of people asking him that. "I'm fine." He said again, "Where is-"

Tatsuki walked in with a doctor trailing behind her. The doctor smiled at Jacob as Tatsuki stood next to Shinji. Jacob was able to see her give the other a suspicious look and Shinji shrugging at her before the doctor stood in front of him.

"How are you feeling, Jacob?"

He felt his eyelid twitch. "I'm fine!" He said, immediately regretting the snap in his voice. He scowled. "I'm fine." He said again, more quietly. Vaguely, he could've sworn he heard someone snickering. It was hard to tell if it was Hichigo or not and when he focused he realized it may even be coming from either Tatsuki or Shinji.

What the hell was their problem?

"That's good to hear." The doctor said with the pleasant voice of professionalism, unaffected by the gruff tone of his patient. "I'll have the nurse come in here and take a last look at you. If you're still feeling well after that you're free to go home."

Jacob nodded, relieved. "Thanks... Uh..." He remembered suddenly what Tatsuki had said when he'd first woken up. "Do my parents know I'm here?"

"Yes they do." The doctor said and Jacob felt a weight lift off of his shoulders. "Your mother said she would be here tomorrow."

Tomorrow? Jacob frowned.

"How long have I been here?"

"About two weeks."

"Two weeks?!" He sputtered. Jacob didn't know if he was more upset at the time he'd been unconscious or the fact his parents hadn't been by to see him during that time. "When were they told?"

The doctor smiled at him suddenly and his face took a softer edge in understanding. "Don't worry. They were both here the day after you were admitted and they stayed for almost the entire first week before they had to leave. I took the liberty of contacting her before coming here to let her know you would be leaving the hospital and she said she would be here tomorrow."

"Oh... alright." Jacob said quietly, feeling relieved. "So I can go home?"

"Yup. Just let the nurse take a look and then we'll get everything set up. Just make sure to take it easy, alright? No strenuous activity for at least a week. You should be alright but I don't want to take any chances. If you have any trouble breathing, any at all, make sure you get to the emergency room, alright?"

All things considered, Jacob really did have it lucky if that was all he had to worry about.

"Alright." He said.

"Good. Now then, go home and get some rest." The doctor said with a smile and turned to leave.

"Uh, thanks." Jacob said quickly before he walked out of the room. The doctor turned towards him and smiled again.

"You're welcome."

He nodded to Tatsuki and Shinji and exited.

Shinji stood from his chair, shoving his hands into the pockets of his dark gray jacket. "Alright then! Let's get you out of here."

Jacob looked at him with a small scowl. "I'll be fine on my own." He said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and ignoring the faint dizziness that accompanied his movement.

"Sure you will." Shinji said disinterestedly.

Tatsuki reached down at the foot of the bed and hauled up a bag, tossing it onto the mattress. "Here's your clothes if you want to change." She said to Jacob, grabbing Shinji by the arm. "We'll wait outside."

Jacob waited for them to leave before taking his clothes and entering the small bathroom in his room. He shut the door behind him, setting the clothes on the counter and looked in the mirror. The first thing he noticed was his hair, the dark auburn had faded into a pumpkin orange – not his usual color but getting closer. It looked horrible. He made a face and proceeded to take off the hospital gown he was wearing, being careful not to disturb the bandages wrapped around his chest. He felt his ribs ache in protest and grimaced, pushing the pain to the back of his head and pulling his clothes on.

It felt comfortable being back in his clothes. He noted curiously that they weren't the ones he'd been wearing – those probably no good anymore – and wondered if his parents had gotten them for him. If that was the case, they should have fed Shadow also – stupid cat -. But that apparently was a week ago. Who'd been looking after him since then?

Jacob frowned with worry and left the bathroom after running some warm water over his face. His entire body felt stiff from laying for so long and his stomach was rumbling hungrily.

A nurse was waiting for him in the room. She smiled at him pleasantly and he recalled that she'd been the one to greet him when he'd first woken up.

"All set to go Jacob?" She asked.

He nodded, running a hand through his hair self-consciously.

"Alright, just let me do a few last things and you can go home."

He nodded again and sat down on the edge of the bed. The nurse proceeded to take his blood pressure and temperature, asking him a few basic questions on how he felt. After she was done she smiled at him again, resting a hand on his shoulder with a gentle squeeze.

"Make sure to take it easy, okay? A prescription has been issued for some pain killers. If you have any problems breathing, dizziness or sudden fatigue you need to get to a doctor right away, alright?"

"Got it." He said, suddenly restless with the anticipation of going home.

"You're free to go. Take care!"

He smiled and dipped his head, grabbing his bag and standing. Once again a brief wave of dizziness struck him and he passed it off, heading to the door. "Thanks."

Outside, Tatsuki and Shinji appeared to be in the middle of an argument with hushed voices. They both looked up when Jacob appeared and both grinned at him.

"Alright! Let's get going, huh?" Tatsuki said. "Want us to get your bags?"

"No, I got it." Jacob said.

"Let's get out of here then." Shinji said, twirling a set of keys around his finger as he lead the way.

Checking out was a relatively simple process, something that surprised Jacob. He'd always thought walking out of a hospital was complicated and full of internal enlightenment. He was sorely disappointed to feel no such thing as he stepped out into the warmth of the evening air. The sun was well on it's way down and he quietly accepted his new neighbor's offer of a ride. Jacob didn't own a car and either walked or took the bus everywhere.

Despite their generosity, it was a strange ride back home. His neighbors were polite enough to let him get some medication, but little to no words were exchanged by the trio inside of the clean sedan. Jacob rode in the backseat, content with the silence despite a growing edge of anxiety building within him. Shinji drove and Tatsuki rode shotgun. Jacob didn't miss the quiet glances they kept giving each other, the tension between the two practically tangible.

Whatever, he thought. So the happy couple had problems, it was none of his business. He'd just like to get home and check on his apartment. No doubt Shadow had torn everything apart by now and raided his cupboards. He again wondered if his mom had checked on his cat and suddenly felt nervous. The animal might be annoying, but he wouldn't deny he cared for the stupid thing. It had been a stray he'd kept seeing on his way to school. One day, he could remember it clearly, he'd seen a group of students in a circle laughing and could hear the unmistakable sound of a yowling cat. After beating the crap out of the kids for beating the animal, Jacob had taken it home and nursed it to health.

Now the damn thing wouldn't leave him alone.

Jacob sighed deeply, missing the glance Shinji gave him in the mirror while he looked out the window. His chin rested on his palm with his elbow on the windowsill, watching the apartment building grow closer from a few streets down. A few minutes later and the car pulled into the parking lot smoothly.

Shinji shut the engine off as Jacob opened his door, throwing his bag over his shoulder and ignoring the aching complaint his body gave him. His neighbors joined him.

"Home sweet home, eh?" Shinji said with a languid grin, shoving his hands in his pockets and loping over to Jacob from around the car. "I bet the air is an improvement. I personally don't think I could've stood that hospital for another day."

Jacob nodded silently, shifting a little. "Thanks for the ride." He said.

"No problem." Tatsuki answered, folding her arms and smiling at him. "It's good to see you safe."

Jacob rubbed the back of his head a little bit, not failing to notice the length of his hair now reached to his shoulders. He generally didn't like to let it go that long, though he didn't like it short either. "It's..." Good to be alive, he finished quietly.

Tatsuki nodded knowingly, then crossed her arms behind her head with a large sigh. "Well we aren't getting any younger standing out here," She said, "Let's go in before it gets cold."

The walk to the building was filled with another awkward silence. Tatsuki and Shinji walked behind Jacob and he felt the weight of their stares on his back. He scowled. Do they have to keep staring at me? Jeez...It didn't feel like he was being accompanied so much as followed. It was kind of creeping him out and he once again wondered about his new neighbors.

Just who were they, anyways?

It didn't matter. Once he was inside his apartment he doubted he'd see them again anytime soon. He had work to catch up on. Jacob groaned mentally at the thought of all the school work he had to do to make up for lost time. It was still early in the school year and he didn't doubt he'd be able to catch up, but he was afraid this was going to cut into his other time as well.

With a heavy sigh of his own he pressed the elevator button, hanging his shoulders low as he waited for it. Tatsuki and Shinji stood next to him and he was still conscious of their stares, though at least they were trying to be discreet about it this time.

Jacob bristled, closing his eyes and counting to five slowly. All he had to do was make it through the elevator ride and down the hall, then they'd be out of his hair and he could stop feeling like a damn... target or something.

"Hey Jacob," Tatsuki interrupted his thoughts, "Do you dye your hair?"

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, ignoring the quiet snickering in the back of his head. "Yeah, maybe." He snapped defensively, too tired and annoyed to care about offending her, though he felt regretful afterwards. She and Shinji have only been nice to him, after all.

"Sorry." He said quietly, stepping into the elevator once it arrived.

"No no, that's fine." Tatsuki said, flicking a hand dismissively as she and Shinji stepped in. Tatsuki hit the button on the panel and Shinji leaned against the back wall, watching Jacob quietly. "I guess that might've been rude of me. I still have trouble remembering what's polite or rude."

Jacob looked over at her curiously. "You know, I've been meaning to ask," he started slowly, "Where are you from? Er, both of you?"

"Japan." Shinji answered. Jacob looked over his shoulder towards him.

"Really? How long have you been in America? You both, uh.. talk very well." Jacob said carefully, not wanting to overstep any boundaries but unable to deny his curiousity.

Shinji grinned again, showing a perfect line of teeth. "A few years," he said, "We've had a lot of practice is all."

"How do you like it? America, I mean."

"It's different." Shinji said with a loose shouldered shrug. "I like it, though. Nice place, laid back. Everything seems so... casual."

Jacob drew his eyebrows together. "Casual? What's it like in Japan?"

"Not so casual."

Tatsuki snorted and Jacob looked over to catch her rolling her eyes. "It's not all that different, really. I think the hardest thing to get used to is how personal everything is here." Tatsuki sniffed, "I still think it's a little weird. The other day some lady started telling me about her daughter having a kid with a boyfriend who lived with another girl. I was just trying to get a drink!"

Shinji's grin widened. "That isn't nearly as bad as what happened when you first got here. Remember the perverted old man at the airport?"

Tatsuki groaned and ran a hand over her face. "Don't remind me, please."

"You're lucky you didn't break his nose."

Jacob choked. "What?!"

Shinji grinned even more widely, if that was possible. He pushed off the back of the elevator as the bell chimed and the doors opened, moving past the other two to stand in the hallway. "She punched the old man when he asked her to go to a hotel with him."

Jacob's eyebrows lifted. "Why'd he do that?"

"He thought she was lost and needed a place to stay."

"I thought he was being a sick old man," Tatsuki interrupted grumpily, shoving past the both of them and heading down the hallway, "If I'd have known he was trying to be helpful I wouldn't have done it."

"Sure sure." Shinji agreed, looking at Jacob as they walked behind her and rolling a finger over his ear, pointing at her back.

A shoe smacked him in his face a second later and Shinji yelped, grabbing his nose as Tatsuki waved the shoe in the air in front of him. "I saw that!" She snapped.

"Ow. Jeez, Tatsuki you're no better than Hiyori."

The name rung a bell in Jacob's head, bringing the conversation he'd heard to the front of his thoughts. He couldn't remember much of it now, but he did recall thinking it'd been a little strange. He decided to test his luck.

"Who's Hiyori?"

Even though he was certain he'd said it casually, something in the tone of his voice must have alerted them. Shinji looked at him with a curious expression from behind his hand and Tatsuki looked oddly hopeful.

"Why do you ask?" Shinji said, his voice nasally from the injury to his nose.

Jacob shrugged, rubbing the back of his hair as he came to a stop in front of his apartment. "Just being curious I guess. Sorry."

Tatsuki scowled and folded her arms. Shinji shrugged. "Don't be. A friend of ours. She might be coming to visit so you could meet her then if you'd like to." The grin that suddenly split his face was a little more mischievous than Jacob was comfortable with.

"N-no... That's fine. Anyways, thanks for the ride home. And, uh, everything." Jacob turned away from them both, feeling a sense of relief fill him as he dug in his pocket for his key. It was good to be home, he thought.

He frowned, digging in another pocket. Where the hell was his key...?

"Looking for this?" Tatsuki chirped, holding a small gold key in her fingers and dangling it in the air. Before he could reply she stepped in front of him and unlocked his door, swinging it open and walking inside without a hitch. Tatsuki tossed the key in the air and caught it. "Your mom gave us a spare," She said casually, looking around the apartment before turning towards Jacob. "Told us to keep an eye on your cat for you."

Jacob's scowl deepened, which seemed to only further amuse Tatsuki as she grinned widely at him. "Don't worry," She said, "It's not like I stayed in here or anything. Just long enough to feed your cat and clean out his litter box." She paused a second, looking at Shinji as he stepped in behind Jacob and quietly closed the door. "Your mom... she's pretty nice. Smart lady."

"Yeah." Jacob agreed, setting his bag down on his couch and glancing around the apartment suspiciously. "Where is that damn cat anyways? I'm surprised he didn't tear my couch to pieces."

Tatsuki chuckled. "Your mom said he made a mess out of a trash bag you'd left lying around."

Jacob grimaced at the memory of the bag full of trash and tea he'd left next to the door. He looked at Tatsuki and Shinji. "Look," he began, "I'm grateful for everything, really. But I think I'll be fine on my own." He hoped they'd take a hint and leave but had no such luck. Shinji sprawled in his only extra living room chair and Tatsuki sat on the edge of his couch. Jacob folded his arms and looked at them pointedly.

"So, your mom told me you're pretty smart." Tatsuki began conversationally. Jacob narrowed his eyes and debated throwing them out. He really didn't want to have company right now and that strange sense of anxiety hadn't left. In fact, it was suddenly growing ten-fold and the stuffy air in the room wasn't helping. He walked over to the only window in his living room, pulling it open.

"She did, huh?" Jacob said, hoping the uninterested tone in his voice would ward them away. No such luck.

"Yeah. I helped her clean up the mess Shadow made and we talked quite a bit. She really is a nice lady. Told me that she and your dad moved to California and how you begged to stay here and finish school. It was pretty cool."

"I didn't beg." Jacob said, making a small face. "I just thought it'd be stupid to move. It's my last year of high school and I figured since I spent the last three years here I might as well as finish it."

"Yeah, I can understand that. It'd suck having to move and leave your friends behind, too." She said softly and when Jacob turned around Tatsuki was looking at the floor with a small frown.

Shinji cleared his throat, looking over the back of his chair at Jacob. "So Jacob," He started, "Since we're still new in town, I thought you could tell us about anything fun to do around here."

Jacob leaned against the wall next to the window, folding his arms and wincing at the ache in his body when he pulled his muscles too sharply. "Not much, really. Just normal things. Skating, eating, shopping. I guess it depends on what kind of things you like to do."

Shinji's grin reappeared. "What about fighting?"

"Huh?" Jacob looked at him with a frown.

Shinji motioned to a cabinet nearby with a few dusty trophies in it. "I noticed your trophies. You take classes?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess."

"Are they fun?"

"Yeah." Jacob answered, crossing his legs at the ankles and staring at his neighbor with a new light. Well, they were from Japan... "What about you?"

"Me?" Shinji's grin widened playfully. "I know a few tricks. Maybe we should spar sometime."

Jacob felt a rush of excitement at the idea. A new opponent, someone he hasn't fought in one of the dojo's or behind the school. He felt his inner voice shift uncomfortably, as odd as that seemed. "Yeah." Jacob agreed, unable to stop his own small grin. "That sounds like it could be fun. Though I guess it'll have to wait awhile until these cuts and bruises fade."

"Cuts and bruises he says," Shinji laughed. "I guess some things never change."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." He waved a hand dismissively, "So what do you have to eat? I'm starved. How about we order in and hang out for a bit? Unless you have somewhere to be?"

Jacob noticed Tatsuki was paying more attention and knew he couldn't get out of it. After all, where would he go in this condition? He frowned as Lisa suddenly rose to mind. "Hey, when the uh... accident happened. Was there another girl nearby?"

"Another girl? You mean the one you were chasing?" Shinji asked.

"Yeah."

"I didn't see her." He said with a slight shake of his head. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

Jacob bit his lip and looked down at the floor, scuffing the carpet with the toe of his shoe. "I guess not."

Tatsuki frowned at him. "What happened?" She asked.

Jacob shrugged, surprised at how indifferent he felt about the situation with Lisa suddenly. "I don't know. Bad luck, I guess."

"Sorry to hear it." Tatsuki said quietly, her eyebrows drawn together in a puzzled expression.

Jacob straightened. "Anyways... yeah, we can do that." He said to Shinji with a nod. Maybe having some company wouldn't be a bad idea, despite the stifling atmosphere he felt when he was near them. "I'd like to get a shower though, I feel like crap."

"You look like it too."

Tatsuki threw her shoe at Shinji again. He ducked, but she threw her other shoe and managed to hit his head anyways.

"Ouch! Well look at that," He said victoriously, holding his nose with teary eyes, "Now what are you going to do? I've got your shoes! You've got nothing left to throw!"

Jacob smirked, shaking his head as Tatsuki launched one of the couch's throw pillows at Shinji. He ignored the ensuing scuffle in his living room and headed down the hallway, clicking his tongue softly. "Shadow, where are you?"

A small black form drifted lazily out of his bedroom, looking up at him with bright green eyes. It meowed.

"There you are, you little rat." Jacob said fondly, kneeling down and scratching behind one of Shadow's ears. The cat purred and bumped it's head against his palm in gratitude.

When he stood and headed into his room Shadow followed, standing at the door with it's tail slowly weaving through the air. Jacob grabbed a change of clothes and a clean towel before heading into the bathroom. He paused and glanced back in the living room to see Shinji holding Tatsuki back with a foot placed against her stomach, while she yanked on his hair.

"Oi!" Jacob called loudly, drawing their attention. "I'm going to get a shower. Try not to destroy my apartment."

"Tell her that!" Shinji growled.

"Shut up!" Tatsuki smacked him and backed away, running a hand through her short, spiky hair with a smooth movement, as if she had not been about to murder someone. "Hey Jacob, want us to order pizza?"

"Yeah, sounds fine."

"Pepperoni okay?"

"Yeah. Extra sauce if you don't mind." Jacob nodded, turning away and walking into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

He turned the water on in the shower and left it to get warm. His bathroom wasn't large by any means but it was quaint, large enough for the sink, toilet and shower stall. No bathtub, unfortunately, but Jacob didn't take long baths much as it was. If he needed to soak in hot water there was always the jacuzzi downstairs. He stripped of his clothing, pausing to look at his face in the mirror again.

I look like crap, he thought.

Ya got hit by a truck, his inner voice said helpfully, sounding much better than it had earlier that day.

Yeah, two weeks ago. He snapped back, though he was secretly pleased to hear the familiar mocking tone Hichigo usually used. Are you okay? He asked again, wondering if he'd get an answer this time.

I'm fine. It's not easy keeping your ass alive, y'know.

You kept me alive? Jacob asked skeptically, You -are- me!

His inner voice snickered but said nothing more. Jacob worked on removing the bandages from around his head, tossing them into the sink. Next were some around his arm and then he removed the bandages from his chest. His movements slowed as he spotted something strange and he slowly unwrapped more of them, staring in the mirror perplexed at the sight of his chest.

It was perfectly fine, except for the shallow indentation of a circular outline in the middle of it. Perfectly round, and just as large as his fist. He tapped it gently, wincing as his ribs stung in protest. When he realized what it was he couldn't stop the shudder he felt.

That must be...

He recalled the brightness of headlights and the vertigo from being thrown in the air. A heavy thud at his back and a piercing pain in his chest.

'A pipe busted through and went straight through your chest.'

'It was the only thing keeping you alive.'

Shinji's words echoed in his head and he gripped the edge of the sink tightly, gritting his teeth at the sudden fear that seized his chest. He'd... died. He would have been dead. He-

Stop that. Hichigo rumbled, Ya ain't got no reason to be afraid.

We almost died! Jacob shouted back, repeating what he'd said earlier to his inner voice.

Technically, we -did-. Hichigo shot back, echoing their conversation from the hospital. But you're still here. -I'm- still here. We're both here. What did I tell you about fear?

There's nothing wrong with being afraid of death, Jacob growled in defense.

Of course there isn't! But that doesn't work as an excuse to let it control you. -You- control your fear, not the other way around!

That doesn't even make sense!

Hichigo growled angrily and Jacob got the distinct impression that if his inner voice could, he'd be strangling him. Just trust me on this. Have I ever lead you wrong?

No... Jacob agreed quietly.

Fear is an emotion indispensable for survival, there's no getting around it. If someone ever told you they feared nothing then they're an idiot and their foolishness will lead to their death. If you give in to fear you give up all your strength and pride, and if you let your fear control you, you will never win the battle. That is why you must face your fear. You must never back down from it. Turn head on and go straight through it! THAT is how you overcome it!

I got hit by a truck. Jacob replied blandly, well accustomed to the sudden annotations that his inner voice seemed to enjoy giving.

There was nothing but silence for a long second and he could practically feel Hichigo boiling in the shadows of his mind. Jacob ran a finger over the circular outline on his chest, shuddering as it sent waves of tingles spreading out to his shoulders and stomach.

I guess I made a mistake. Hichigo said suddenly, quietly.

What do you mean?

All this time I guess I forgot that you were going to die someday. If Jacob didn't know any better he'd think that his inner voice sounded wistful, though the mocking edge was still very sharp and he could hear Hichigo snicker with amusement. This won't do at all. I guess we're going to have to try some different type of training.

This reminded Jacob. Did you hear Shinji? His excitement faded when Hichigo sounded anything but happy at the proposal.

Yes, he hissed back. I don't like them, King. Trust me on this, they're only going to be trouble.

What do you mean? They saved our life.

'Ch. All they did was call an ambulance. I saved your life.

Oh really? Jacob didn't feel like he needed to hide the skepticism in his thought. How?

You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Don't worry, he continued before Jacob interrupted, I will someday. But not today.

I don't understand why you don't like them. They seem fine to me.

Just trust me on this. You trust me, right? Hichigo's voice asked quietly with a sudden, unexplained weight.

I trust you. Jacob replied honestly.

Good.

A knock came from the other side of the door. "Jacob?" Shinji's voice called.

"Yeah?" Jacob yelled back.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, fine." Jacob said and scowled. They were acting like his parents or something.

"Just checking." There was a pause. "Pizza's here."

Jacob blinked. How long had he been standing there? "Alright!" He called back, "Be out in five minutes." He didn't feel like standing for too long in the shower, anyways. His body was aching and he was tired. Some pizza and a long night of sleep sounded wonderful.

True to his word he finished washing in roughly five minutes. Hichigo had gone silent after Shinji's interruption and Jacob felt that his inner voice had almost completely retreated to wherever it went when he wasn't talking to it. It was kind of strange, he thought as he toweled himself dry, that he referred to his inner voice almost as another different being. It was crazy, he knew it was. It was nothing more than his own mind talking to itself. Jacob had thought long and hard on several occasions of what sort of trauma might have brought on this need for an inner conscious to talk to but had always failed to remember anything significant enough to warrant such a consequence.

Despite how crazy it sounded, sometimes he really did believe he had another person living in his head.

After pulling on a pair of pants he left the bathroom shirtless, walking towards the living room and stopping just before reaching it. He heard Tatsuki and Shinji talking quietly to each other, apparently they hadn't noticed the shower stopped running. Out of curiousity, he strained to listen to their conversation.

"-his eyes?" He heard Tatsuki say.

"Yeah." Shinji murmured. "I saw 'em."

"Kind of strange, aren't they?"

"If my suspicions are correct, we might have more problems on our hands than just him. And after the accident, we're gonna have to keep a close eye on him. You know there's a chance we're not the only-"

"I know." Tatsuki said, and Jacob didn't miss the noticeable sign of misery in her voice. "I know..." She repeated, so softly he almost didn't catch it. A moment of quiet passed between them and just before Jacob decided to make his presence known he heard Tatsuki say, "It really is him isn't it?"

"Seems to be."

Jacob heard someone move in their seat and finally walked into the living room. Shinji was sitting once more in the chair he'd claimed earlier with a slice of pizza, and Tatsuki was sitting on the couch with another slice. The box of pizza lay on the rectangular coffee table in between the two seats. Jacob's stomach growled loudly at the smell of hot food and he considered foregoing reapplying his bandages to eat first, but the moment he tried to sit down his ribs ached in protest. He grimaced.

Tatsuki set down her slice of pizza and stood over him from his spot on the couch. "Here I'll help." She offered, taking a roll of bandages out from his bag and beginning to wrap his chest with a practiced experience.

"Thanks." Jacob said, being as cooperative as possible, "You seem to know what you're doing."

Tatsuki hesitated for a moment before shrugging. "I know someone who's a doctor."

"Must be helpful."

"It can be sometimes. Other times he's just a pain in the ass."

Shinji snorted and Jacob looked over to see Shinji eyeing him with a look he couldn't place. He frowned.

"What?"

"Nothing." Shinji said, ignoring Tatsuki when she looked at him. Jacob didn't miss the subtle shake of her head.

Jacob's frown turned into a scowl. "I've noticed you giving me looks the entire way home. Seriously, what is it with you?"

Hichigo's words hadn't failed to stir some unease within Jacob. He remembered suddenly the stifling, suffocating air that had affected him in the diner and wondered if it was something Shinji did. In fact, it felt almost the same way it did now, only this time the pressure was very light, hovering on the edges of his senses like a snake waiting to strike. Jacob glared.

"Nothing." Shinji said again casually and the pressure suddenly evaporated, "You just remind me of someone I use to know is all."

Tatsuki let out a breath between her teeth and Jacob winced as she tightened a bandage roughly.

"Sorry." She said.

"Well stop staring." Jacob muttered at Shinji. "It's creeping me out."

"Sorry." Shinji said, though he didn't sound nearly as sincere as Tatsuki.

"There we go." She said, straightening with a satisfied nod. "How's that feel?"

"Good." Jacob said, taking in a deep breath and holding it despite the pain in his chest. He let it go. "Thanks."

"No problem." Tatsuki sat down on the other side of the couch, picking up her slice of pizza and taking another bite.

Jacob claimed one for himself, noting that they were still on their first slice. A moment later he noticed Shadow sitting next to the couch beside Tatsuki, looking up at her as his tail flicked across the carpet. He meowed.

"Nuh uh," Jacob said through a mouth full of food, "No pizza for you. Stop it, scat." He kicked at the cat. Shadow jumped and looked at him, blinked once then looked back at Tatsuki and meowed again.

"Stupid cat."

"I think he's cute!" Tatsuki chirped, smiling down at Shadow. "Aren't you?" She coo'd.

Shadow meowed again and bumped his head against her leg.

"He's a devil is what he is. Don't give him any food, I'll never have a peaceful meal again if you do."

"I won't, don't worry. Poor thing." Tatsuki clicked her tongue softly and bit into her pizza again, ignoring the mock glare Jacob sent her way.

"So anyways, when you going back to school?" Shinji asked suddenly.

Jacob shrugged. "Dunno. A few days I guess. Maybe even tomorrow."

"You mom's dropping by tomorrow." Tatsuki reminded him.

"Oh! That's right. I almost forgot." Jacob said with a frown, licking a finger clean of extra sauce. He felt his lips tug into a small smile with the thought of seeing his mom again.

"When's the last time you've seen her?" Tatsuki asked.

"Three..? Yeah. I think three months ago, before they moved."

"When's your last day of school?"

"End of May."

"You're going to spend all that time by yourself?" She asked and frowned.

Jacob shrugged. "Yeah. It's not as bad as it sounds, I've got plenty to keep me busy." He took another slice of pizza, surprised at how hungry he was. Tatsuki was just finishing hers and Shinji appeared to be taking his time, only halfway done with his first slice. He wasn't looking at them but Jacob got the distinct impression he was listening closely.

"Plenty of work you mean." Tatsuki dared to say, eyeing him critically.

Jacob hesitated and looked over at her. "Well.... yeah, I guess. Between school work and my extra classes I don't really have time for anything else."

Tatsuki shook her head. "And you said that Lisa thing was 'bad luck'."

Jacob glared at her suddenly. "That's personal!" He growled, irritated by her boldness and maybe more than a little sensitive on the subject of dating.

"Sorry, sorry." She said, holding her hands up defensively, "I was just saying-"

"Yeah, well don't." Jacob growled, all too aware of how horrible his romantic life was. He didn't need some short Japanese girl to remind him of it.

"Calm down." Shinji drawled, slouching in the chair with one leg stretched out in front. "We really don't care about your love life." Then he grinned slyly, "Or lack thereof."

"Why you-" Jacob threw the nearest thing he had, which happened to be his slice of pizza.

"Ah! What the hell?!" Shinji yelped as the food slapped him in the face. Tatsuki burst out laughing as the pizza slid down Shinji's face.

"Oh, I see how it is." Shinji hissed and his eyes glinted maliciously from beneath a layer of cheese. "Two can play this game."

"Don't you dare-!" Jacob yelped, quickly throwing a pillow up to block the slice of pepperoni that Shinji threw at him. In retaliation, he snatched up another slice of pizza and held it threateningly. "I swear you will get another face full of pizza if you don't put the cheese down!"

Shinji, wielding a large chunk of melted cheese, grinned. "After you, partner."

"This is so ridiculous!" Tatsuki managed to sputter in her laughter. Jacob couldn't fight the wide grin on his face. His couch had been spared, thankfully, but he wasn't going to give in so easily.

"Fine. On three." He said.

"Alright."

"One." Jacob said.

"Two." Shinji responded.

"Three!" They both shouted, suddenly turning and chucking their weapons of choice at Tatsuki.

The fight ended five minutes later. Jacob was sprawled on the floor and covered with sauce and cheese. Shinji was halfway off of his chair with pepperoni in his hair and clawing at the half-eaten crusts in his shirt while Tatsuki stood triumphantly before them, her only damage was a slice of pizza on top of her head and a gob of cheese on her shirt.

Jacob was laughing hysterically, his arms crossed over his chest as each laugh tore them apart with fresh pain. Shinji's shoulders were shaking and his chuckling could be heard beneath Jacob's laughter. Tatsuki was grinning wickedly ear to ear.

"Serves ya both right." She declared, walking over to Jacob. "Easy. You're going to break your ribs again if you don't catch your breath." She reached up and pulled the slice of pizza off of her head, tossing it into the forgotten pizza box with the cheese off her shirt.

Jacob huffed loudly as he struggled to regain his breath, pretending not to notice the wheeze in his lungs with every exhale. "I'm fine," He gasped, squeezing his eyes shut against the smoldering burn in his chest.

Tatsuki smiled at him. "Yeah right." She reached down to help him up. "You should really be taking it easy. You just don't bounce back from something like that. It's going to take at least a few more weeks before you're fully healed."

Shinji sat up in the chair, digging his arm into his shirt and pulling out a piece of crust that he flicked into the pizza box. "I don't think he's going to listen to you."

Jacob was surprised at Shinji's insight but said nothing, nodding towards Tatsuki with his eyes still shut.

"Want your medicine?" She asked and he nodded silently. She stood and walked over to his bag, pulling out the medicine and going to the kitchen. A minute later she returned with a glass of water. "Here you go."

Jacob took the two pills swiftly, setting the glass on the coffee table as he focused on his breathing. "Thanks."

"No problem." She said, smiling again. "I'm glad to see you're okay." There was an unexpected fondness in her voice and he looked up at her, staring mutely at the way her expression softened in the light of the living room. "I mean it." She said.

Jacob vaguely noticed the hiss of unease that came from his inner voice, looking away from her finally with no idea of what to say. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Jeez Tatsuki, stop embarrassing the poor kid already."

Tatsuki's eyelid twitched. "Shut it Shinji." She said, whirling on him. "I'm being serious. You're glad to see he's alright too!"

Shinji snorted and rolled his eyes, using a napkin to clean himself off. "Of course I am. It's not everyday you see your new neighbor get hit by a truck." He eyed her pointedly, tossing the roll of paper towels into her chest. "You got cheese on your face."

Tatsuki scowled and wiped it off. She looked down at Jacob's sauce-covered form and laughed quietly, rubbing the back of her neck. "And you just got a shower, too."

"It's fine." Jacob said, his eyes narrowed as he struggled against a sudden headache. "I'll get another one." He took in a deep breath. "Thanks... for everything." He said, looking up at them both.

"No problem." Shinji said.

"You're welcome." Tatsuki responded.

"Let's go Tatsuki," Shinji drawled, standing up with a languid stretch. "Before we have to clean up this mess."

Jacob half-heartedly considered throwing something at him, since that seemed like an appropriate response but the growing thud in his head was proving increasingly difficult to ignore. He rubbed his temples and stood up, wobbling when the room spun.

"Whoa!" Tatsuki grabbed onto his arm quickly, "You okay there?"

"Fine." He said through gritted teeth, willing the room to stop moving around him. "I'm just tired... stood up too fast."

Tatsuki frowned but let go of him. "Alright... just be careful. If you need anything we're right down the hall."

"Alright."

"C'mon Tatsuki, let the poor guy get some sleep."

"I'm coming. See you tomorrow Jacob."

Jacob barely heard them leave, falling onto the couch with a groan. Surprisingly, a few seconds later the throbbing tension in his head began to ease, leaving only a residual pain.

About time they left. Hichigo's voice drifted up behind his eyelids.

Hey... Hichigo... Jacob began quietly, throwing an arm over his eyes. A weight jumped up next to him before padded feet walked across his belly. He was thankful when Shadow plopped onto the curve of his stomach and left his ribs alone, wondering if the cat was being merciful for once in light of his injuries. I still don't understand why you don't like them but... what is that pressure I feel?

I could tell you, but it'd ruin the surprise.

I really don't feel like playing games right now. Jacob groaned, resting his free hand on Shadow's head before lightly running his palm along the cat's side. He felt Shadow purr in response.

You're not ready yet, King.

Ready for what? I thought we trusted each other.

We do.

Then why the secrets?

It's not a secret. You have all the answers you need, you just don't know how to find them yet.

Hichigo...

I guess you could call me your guide.

Whatever happened to horse? Jacob replied wryly.

If that's what you want. He didn't miss the disappointed undertone in Hichigo's voice, which sounded like a strangely warbled, watered down version of his own.

No... I was joking.

I'll make you deal.

Oh?

Yeah. Move to California with your mother-

Hichigo-

-And I'll answer anything you ask.

Jacob frowned from the sudden offer. Undoubtedly he had a lot of questions to ask. His inner voice had been teasing him his entire lifetime with tidbits of knowledge that Jacob found both confusing as hell and intriguing. Hichigo never bothered to explain, though, always claiming that Jacob 'wasn't ready'. It was frustrating to no end... For Hichigo to offer such a release for his closely guarded secrets...

Are you really so afraid of them?

I'm not afraid! Hichigo hissed and Jacob flinched from the near-murderous rage that burned through his skull. You're such an idiot! God you just piss me off sometimes.

Jacob didn't respond, turning his head to the side and suddenly feeling like a reprimanded child. He waited, cautiously aware of the burning rage that seethed through him under Hichigo's influence. He didn't know if his inner voice knew of the potency of his emotions or how they affected Jacob and had never thought to mention it. He'd always assumed Hichigo was well aware of the... connection they had.

It was several minutes before he felt the anger begin to subside, though he could still fill it simmering beneath a surface he couldn't identify.

Listen to me, King.

Jacob remained silent, turning his attention whollytowards his inner voice.

Tatsuki and Shinji know who ya are.

Well of course they do, Jacob thought silently to himself, though he couldn't help the suspicion those words brought with them. A heavy caution.

And they know who I am.

Jacob's eyes flew open. Huh? What do you mean?

Just shut up and listen. They might not know about me -yet- but believe me, they know of me. And when they find out about us, they'll try and rip us apart.

Hichigo, this doesn't make sense-

I said shut up! You have no idea what's going on! I do! Ya wanted answers didn't you?

Yes but-

Then pay attention! I know it's hard for you because you don't understand, but just trust me. I've never steered you wrong, have I? I've always been there to guide you and I won't fail to do so now. Believe me when I say we have to leave before they find out. And they will find out. They have their ways. I'm not saying you'll never see them again, because believe me, you will – them and many others. But for now you need to get rid of them. They'll follow you, so make sure ya don't tell them where you're going... No, scratch that. Don't even tell them you're leaving, heh. That will buy us a couple more years, which should be plenty of time to get you up to speed. I can't wait to see the look on their faces...

Hichigo...

...it'll be exquisite. They won't know what hit 'em. Hichigo cackled and Jacob shuddered from the sudden sense of excitement he felt, a different kind he'd only felt a few other times in his life. It was dark and sinister and made him feel like smirking and beating the hell out of someone-

Hichigo-

What? Hichigo snapped, annoyed.

I don't understand!

Go to California. Hichigo said, Go to California and I'll tell you everything.

That's a big decision, Jacob thought back at him, I can't just decide so suddenly.

When you find what's in store for you, Hichigo responded cryptically, This decision will be the easiest one you ever make.

Chapter Two End