" The Vandenreich had been watching this town for the last 2 years and was waiting for a chance like this to strike. They have ways to monitor an area without having to send anyone. " Katia said.

"The last past two years..." Ichigo said in wonder, not believing such a statement. If that was the case, then the Vandenreich would have been monitoring them and everything that they did...their accomplishments, their failures...everything.

"Why didn't you and the others try attacking us when we were weakened, or right after a huge important victory?" She asked, completely out of curiosity.

" I don't know. I wonder the same thing, but my superiors were waiting for something before they made their move." Katia said telling what little she knew.

"I wonder what that 'something' was..." Urahara mused, as he put in his two cents. It was interesting to know that they were waiting for something.

"From what I overheard, they were waiting for both Tatsuki-San and Hoshi-San to get stronger. Also they were waiting for Saya- San to come to Karakura town, they didn't want to face Megumi Adachi if they tried to capture Saya in Toyko. " Katia said. She felt guilty that she didn't know more.

"Why me and Hoshi-chan?" Tatsuki asked out of curiosity, as well as concern. If the Vandenreich were after them both, she wanted to know the reason why. She assumed they wanted Hoshi for her abilities of seeing into the future and transferring energy, but she had no special abilities...all she had going for her was being a shinigami. Plus...didn't they know by watching Ichigo that if they targeted one of his friends, then he would do everything in his power and then some in order to get his friend back? She also voiced that question to Katia.

" I don't know why they want you and Hoshi-san. Probably to distract Ichigo while they went after Saya."Katia said. She wished she knew more about what the plan was.

"That does sound like something Ichigo would do," both Rukia and Tatsuki said at the same time, causing Ichigo to shake his head. He wouldn't deny it though, not amongst some of the people that knew him best. "But what about Katniss? Would they know about her and her abilities...well, her full abilities, assuming she has Bankai?" She asked. She didn't know if Katniss had a bankai or not, but wasn't going to ask if the Vandenreich were watching them.

" I don't know. All I know is that they have some shinigami that are watching her. I still don't know what happened at a meeting a year ago. I was supposed to attend but other things got in the way. But that was when my superiors announced we had an alliance with some shinigami. ." Katia said, still thinking that some of the Vandenreich members were under some sort of mind control.

"A meeting?" Tatsuki asked, wondering what it was about and what happened that made Katia miss it, especially since it probably had some important information within it, as well as the fact that they had an alliance with some shinigami. "Besides Katniss' past enemies, are there any other shinigami that teamed up with the Vandenreich?"

"Speaking of which, where is Katniss-san anyways?" Ichigo wondered out loud.

" There is another man. I don't know his name though. I admit I should have been to that meeting ,but a close friend of mine was very ill that day and needed my company." Katia said, admitting where she was. She knew that action was foolish and may have cost her the trust of the others in the room.

(sorry for posting so late. I was just about to go to sleep when the internet came back. *shouts to the heavens* THOR! STOP ATTACKING LOKI OR DO IT OVER ARIZONA OR SOMETHING!)

Ichigo saw Katia look down after she finished speaking and had a very good idea as to what the younger girl was thinking. Kneeling down lightly, Ichigo put his hand on the girl's shoulder lightly, causing her to look up at him. "What you did was the right thing to do at the time, Katia-chan. You didn't know at the time when you were helping your friend that we would be asking you for any information on your former group," Ichigo said softly.

( It's alright. I understand.Lol )
Katia nodded. " Thank you for understanding Ichigo-san." She said. Katia was feeling she was finally being accepted for who she was and not what she could do, vowing to help her new friends in fighting the Vandenreich.

(alright. Thanks for understanding)

"Don't mention it, especially since you've been willing to give us so much information the past couple of hours. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if we just threw you back out on the street after being so helpful, Ichigo responded sincerely.

"He's right Katia-chan," Tatsuki said, ignoring Ichigo's mocking gasp of surprise, since she agreed with him. "I guess a strawberry can be right every once in a while," she said with a grin, knowing that it would get a rise out of Ichigo, especially since she didn't mention him by name.

"Oi," Ichigo said in annoyance as Tatsuki used his nickname in public, causing everyone to laugh.

Katia was glad to laugh, not knowing when the last time was. She blushed a little bit , not used to feeling this happy. Katia knew she had done the right thing by telling them what she knew.

Tatsuki grinned lightly, glad to know that she was able to make Katia laugh. She figured that she needed it.

Urahara was glad to see Katia smile.He knew that she was starting to trust them and knew that was a good thing. " I think we should call it a night. It's getting late and we can continue this tomorrow." Urahara said seeing how tired that everyone was looking. He knew they would need the rest.

Rukia nodded as well in agreement, also glad to see that Katia could smile. She saw some of the younger members in their party yawning lightly and some of the others hiding a few yawns. "We can continue this tomorrow morning," Rukia said right after Urahara finished, knowing that Ichigo was about to say something else.

Hoshi nodded and was glad that tomorrow was a day off , since the teachers had training. " We better hurry before the school gets locked up." Hoshi said to Ichigo, since they still had to get their bodies.

"You left your bodies at school?" Tatsuki asked.

"We were in a fight at the time," Ichigo deadpanned, wincing lightly as he remembered that it was against Katia that they were fighting at the time. He hoped that Katia didn't hear him, and if she had, wasn't too depressed/feeling guilty about it. "Although you're right Star-chan, let's go," he said.

Katia heard, but understood that was in the past now.Knowing know that she could trust everyone made a difference. She felt the barrier weaken, wondering if it was supposed to do that. She laid on the futon, hoping to get some needed rest.

Hoshi nodded. She shunpoed toward the school and located the closet that her body was in. She straitened her uniform before going to the hallway.

(barrier?)

Ichigo muttered lightly as he saw Hoshi produce a perfect Shunpo before vanishing as well, appearing inside the school gates. Using his senses, he quickly located his body before getting back into it. A few seconds later, he opened the door of the closet as he straightened out his uniform's shirt before heading into the hallway where he saw Hoshi waiting for him.

"Let's just hope your dad doesn't want to kill me when I get you home so late," Ichigo said.

( the kido field that was used as Katia's prison. It is gone now that she told them the information. )

" I don't think he will. He's probably concerned though. " Hoshi said as they walked.


Tetsu was concerned, and hoped the Hoshi was alright. He was relieved to sense her and Ichigo getting closer. He did want to know what the fight was about.

(ah. sorry for forgetting...)

"It wouldn't surprise me if he was a little concerned," Ichigo replied. He knew her father well enough to know that he was a little overprotective of Hoshi, especially after what Aizen did to her mother. As he came out of his musings, he noticed that they were at her door.

" Would you like to come in for a little bit? I know my dad would want to know about the battle." Hoshi said as she got ready to open the door.