Disclaimer: I do not own Renji!

*Please tell me what you think of this story by leaving a review*

I've never written such a serious story so I hope you guys like it!

Akime crouched down as tears streamed down her face, holding her hands over her ears as tightly as she could, trying to block out all of the yelling. When he found her he jerked her up by her wrist, the man drew his hand back and mumbled some unintelligible words. At the very moment that Renji walked in to check on Akime (who had been his friend for a couple years) the man's hand struck her face. The loud SMACK seemed to echo in the small room. The man dropped her as she fell to the floor in a pile. Her hand placed over her cheek lightly.

"Akime, what's going on?" Renji asks as he looks at her slumping form on the ground, then looks at her fiancé. His hand reaches out towards the girl, trying to comfort her but Akime slaps his hand away as she shakily rises to her feet and starts to stumble towards the door.

"I…just….can't….I-I'm sorry!" The girl tried to form her sentence even though sobs racked through her chest, almost causing her to double over from the pain she felt emotionally. As she ran out of the door, Renji vowed this time would be different. This time, he would go after her. He never had before because he was afraid to see her in such a sad and fragile manner, but this time he would be strong. He had to be. For her.

~~~Flashback~~~

Renji was on a mission to the human world, helping keep down the hollow population so they didn't get too out of hand. A simple task for a lieutenant for sure, it was so simple in fact that he grew bored of it rather quickly. Until one day, or rather one night, he was sitting at a park, relaxing and waiting to see if any hollows would appear since the number of souls in that area was rather large. That's when he heard a noise, similar to a woman yelling, he figured it was a hollow so he followed the woman, not too closely though. He wanted to see what he was up against before he charged into battle. However, after a few moments it became clear there were no hollows present. There was just a distraught woman who seemed to be trying to hide from something, or someone. Renji shook his head, clearing his thoughts as he slowly approached the woman. Hearing the footsteps, she looked up and that was when he noticed. Her tears, glistening down her cheeks…and the cuts and bruises that were on her face.

~~~End Flashback~~~

"Don't think this is over." Renji growled as he glared at the man who had been hurting his friend for over two years now. He slammed his fist into the wall and he turned and ran out of the door. He knew exactly where Akime would go, so he didn't have to rush…but for some reason, things felt different this time. He felt as though there wasn't much time…and it worried him. He quickly made it to the park, the one he had been at when he had first met Akime a little over two years ago. He made his way to the weeping willow tree that stood right at the corner of the park and made his way through the branches. He heard her sobs before he saw her, but he knew how she would look, just as she had looked that first night they had met. He sat down next to her without speaking a word. He knew she wasn't ready to talk yet. So he put his arms around her and pulled her close to him. After a while of her crying and, every now and then, gasping for air between sobs she raised her head up slightly.

"Y-you shouldn't…have f-followed me…" Akime spoke between her tears. "Of all…all the times you c-could have followed me….why this time?" She looks up at Renji and he notices how puffy and red her eyes are from crying so hard, he also faintly notices the dark pink hand print on her cheek from where he-. Renji couldn't bring himself to even finish the thought in his head. He shook the nightmarish thought away and peered into Akime's eyes.

"I'm…honestly not sure." Renji spoke slowly, "I-I just felt like I was running out of time..." He confesses, letting the rest of his words trail off. They just sat there for a while, only speaking every now and then to make sure the other was still okay. It was sometime fairly late, and quite a while after Akime's sobbing had stopped, when they both decided to go home (Akime agreed to stay at Renji's house for a couple days, until she was okay again). They both started walking back to Renji's house, his arms still holding her close when she wiggled out of his grip.

"I think I forgot something" She said, smiling weakly and she ran back under the tree and came out moments later. "False alarm." She states. As she wraps Renji's arms around her again, she smiles at him, her eyes showing a slight hint of something other than despair, "Thank you saving me Renji." She says as they start walking again. Renji was confused by her words but didn't question her…what he didn't realize was that under that tree where he and Akime had just been…laid a gun that was planned to end his time with her that night.