AN

This is based off of the fourth Bleach movie, Hell Chapter. I think a lot of fans were a bit disappointed with the ending. I know I was. So I decided to write this. If you haven't seen the movie, then big spoiler allerts ahead.

Disclaimer-I own nothing.

Through Hell and Back

If Ichigo was honest with himself, he was a lot more happier to see Rukia than Renji. But he hated seeing them together. Why couldn't she have come to him on her own. For a while now, Ichigo had been feeling like there was unfinished business between himself and Rukia.

And he hated having loose ends. But she was always busy and let's face it, he wasn't yet brave enough to tell her how he truly felt. He was definitely peeved that he hadn't received a message about Rukia's coming. He prided himself on always being the first to greet her after Urahara. This was his territory after all. He didn't like the thought of Rukia traipsing around his town with Renji instead of him.

Lately, Renji had been more annoying then usual. He just knew how to draw Ichigo into an argument and make him look bad in front of his prospective girlfriend. He saw Rukia sigh deeply as they began to argue, but as much as he wanted to be the bigger man, he wanted to fight with Renji even more.

Rukia didn't know the half of it. The reason it was always, as she'd so eloquently put it, a "pissing contest" between them was because Ichigo knew that Renji had feelings for his girl. She might not realize it, but Ichigo saw it plain as day, and he couldn't ever let Renji get too close.

That really stung. "It's nothing we need your help with." First of all, they always neeeded his help, whether they liked to admit it or not. Second of all, what was this "we" business. Wasn't he Rukia's official partner? He would just have to sort it all out later. For now, he'd let them walk away. He'd let Renji have his tiny victory. After all, he'd have many more chances to talk to Rukia, seeing as she always stayed at his house. This shouldn't be any different. And then he'd set her straight.

As the freaks from Hell emerged, Ichigo found himself worrying about Rukia. Did these guys have to do with her supposed important mission? where was she right now? Was there more of them? Question after question swirled through his head, throwing off his game and distracting him. That red-haired bastard better be protecting her!

But that hope flew out the window when the aforementioned redhead showed up to help him instead. Idiot! However, to be fair he did answer most of his questions in the process. But he also ignited a new flame of worry within him. Now instead of just one, he was worrying about all three important women in his life. He arrived just in time to see Rukia miss her shot with her favorite spell, and a tentacle shoot at her. He was relieved that he'd been able to save her in time, but the feeling of accomplishment quickly left him as he saw his sisters plights.

Everything after that was seen through a haze of red. He vaguely heard Rukia calling out to him in concern, but he kept going. He quickly snapped out of it when the stranger arrived to aid him. He watched as he handed Karin to Rukia to look after, and then joined Ichigo in the fight.

He watched in horror as a fireball slipped past him, aimed right at Rukia and Karin. He felt helpless in that moment, torn between who needed him more. He was relieved that Rukia and Karin didn't get hurt, although he was saddened by Chad's injury and even more devastated by Yuzu's loss. He was only just stopped from going into a berserker rage by the touch of his beloved's hand upon his skin. Rukia was the only thing keeping him sane.

He knew their plan was crazy. Going into hell was borderline suicidal, but he would do anything to get his sister back. He appreciated his friends solidarity in going along with him, but he was cautious about allowing Rukia to come. It wasn't like he could stop her anyway, but he felt a pang of foreboding. He couldn't afford to lose anyone else important to him.

His fear only grew when he realized that he was slowly losing control of his hollow. There was no telling who he could hurt. It was bad enough when it was Uryu he'd accidentally went crazy on, but he couldn't afford for it to be Yuzu or Rukia this time. Which made his mission even more urgent. The more time he spent down there, the more of his inhibitions he would lose.

Ichigo was at first hesitant to leave the fight because it disobeyed the rules he'd set for himself. He'd figured that as long as he kept Rukia by his side through this ordeal, it would be easier to focus on his sister and not her safety. But once Rukia asserted that she was coming with him, he immediately felt appeased and refocussed on his goal. That is until that Gunjo creep snatched his girl.

He'd immediately turned back to help her, but Kokuto had grabbed him firmly and began dragging him away, telling him that it was for his own good. But from that point on, Ichigo felt that the mission was doomed. He'd been separated from his ray of light and now he was susceptible to just about anything.

He hadn't known at the time, but later he heard about Rukia's ordeal with the tentacle freak. What kind of spycho says, "You have a lovely voice when you scream." Was he inadvertently flirting with his woman? Ichigo wanted to find Gunjo and stab him for himself. But Uryu earned some major brownie points for looking out for Rukia in his absence. And just where the hell had pineapple been?

Ichigo was horrified at Kokuto's betrayal and what that would entail for Yuzu and his friends, but he was even more mortified when he heard his love's frantic voice coming toward him. Before he could muster a warning, he witnessed her get brutally cut down in front of him, along with Uryu and Renji. He felt himself going into the abyss, rapidly losing control. He couldn't help himself. The look in Rukia's eyes as she fell haunted Ichigo. He just had to avenge her! Everything after that was a literal blurr.

The next time he became conscious, he was back in the world of the living with a bearly breathing Yuzu. He might have gotten some kind of solace if at least she had been okay, that everything hadn't just gone to shit for nothing, but when she stopped breathing, he lost himself. That old jerk didn't make it any better for him, didn't even try to. Even if it was unknowingly, Ichigo had abandoned two of his best friends, and the most important woman in his life in Hell. He couldn't bear to think about what they were going through, and all for nothing.

He couldn't believe Byakuya! How could he not show any reaction at all to the news that his baby sister was trapped in hell! Ichigo shouldn't be surprised, but he was disgusted. Despite that, Byakuya had been the only person to attempt to give him some kind of comfort, and he did appreciate that. Seeing Yuzu come alive finally gave Ichigo the resolve he needed. He didn't even notice Orihime's face momentarily light up as he called her the best. How could he, when his girl was trapped in hell!

He was going back down there and nobody was going to stop him! Nobody! He was going to make that bastard Kokuto pay and save his friends and his love. It was bad enough seeing Renji and Uryu all rotted like that, but when Rukia emerged from that lava, he couldn't even begin to describe his feelings.

The most prevailent one was anger. He couldn't begin to imagine the kind of pain Rukia was in, and he didn't want to. Looking into her expressive violet eyes was all he needed to tell him that she was suffering greatly. He'd never wanted to pound someone more in his life! He briefly saw a look of hope cross Rukia's face before Kokuto roughly grabbed her chains and yanked her toward him, causing her to cry out in pain. There was only one word repeating over and over in his head in a litany supported by both Zangetsu and Shiro. Kill! Kill! Kill! KILL!

Truthfully, it was Rukia's brief fear-filled shouting of his name before being rudely cut off that saved them all. Ichigo, hearing his love's voice, was able to remember himself and his goals and control the transformation. He caught Rukia's flying body by her chains, and quickly went about cutting them off. He hated that it was causing her so much pain, but there was no other way. Not much later, he ended Kokuto for good, and they all escaped from Hell.

But Ichigo had gained a new appreciation for life, and just how fragile it was. He'd been dragging his feet for entirely too long. It was time for him to man up and claim his woman. He'd almost lost her for eternity to the bowels of Hell. He decided that he wouldn't even kill another Hollow until he'd had a good, long talk with his Rukia. With that being said, he got his chance three days later.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Ichigo was sitting on his bed attempting to do overdo Homework when Rukia came through his window. She'd just gotten back from Soul Society where she'd been recalled. Besides wanting her report of the incident in Hel, they'd also wanted to closely examine Renji, Uryu and especially her. Captain Unohana had been fascinated by Rukia's story of being reanimated by Hell lava and ran numerous tests on her. It turned out that Rukia had a pretty high fever, presumably from the Lava, so they had detained her from returning to the world of the living until now. Ichigo was glad to see that she looked much better.

Rukia jumped from the windowsill onto Ichigo's bed and flopped down next to him. "Hey, carrot-top. What's up?"

Ichigo's face remained unsmiling.

Rukia frowned. "Hey, what's with the serious face? You could try to act happier that I'm here."

"I'm ecstatic. Listen Rukia, we need to talk."

"You could've fooled me," Rukia mumbled.

"This is serious, Rukia," Ichigo snapped.

Rukia sighed and turned toward him. "Okay, okay! You have my full undevided attention."

Ichigo began to squirm under her unwavering gaze. He'd rehearsed for days what he planned to say to Rukia when she came back, but for some reason as he stared into her eyes he couldn't remember one single thing.

Rukia continued to stare at him silently, although her body language seemed to be telling him to get on with it.

"Do you realize I almost lost you back there in Hell," Ichigo blurted.

Rukia's eyebrows rose. "Okay, not to sound demeaning or anything but, so. What's your point? We've both had some very close calls over the years. What makes this one any different?"

"It's different because you didn't die then!" Rukia reeled back at the force of his words and Ichigo felt guilty. "Sorry. It's just, seeing your body emerge from that lava pit really messed me up. It was even worse than Wakomundo. At least then I could feel your spiritual pressure even if it was weak. But in Hell... I couldn't sense you at all."

Rukia leaned over and hugged him. "I'm sorry, Ichigo. That must have been hard for you. But now you know how I felt back when you technically died in Wakonundo back when you were fighting Ulquiorra. I know it's a terrible feeling when someone you lo... care about is that close to being gone forever."

Ichigo's body tensed. "What were you going to say, Rukia?"

She diverted her gaze. "Nothing."

Ichigo grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "What were you going to say!"

"Just forget about it, Ichigo!"

"Why?"

"Because it could complicate things, that's why."

Ichigo's jaw hardened. "I don't care. I'm sick of dancing around it. I'm sick of close calls and lost oppurtunities. You know what I was thinking while coming to rescue you guys? I was thinking that I'd never be able to forgive myself if you were really gone without knowing that I love you. That I have for a long time and want to spend the rest of my life and after-life and all of eternity with you, Rukia Kuchiki and hopefully one day soon Kurosaki."

Rukia's eyes were wide. "Ichigo... I don't know what to say."

"Say that you love me, too because I'm pretty sure that you do so that we can finally be happy."

Rukia smiled sadly. "Oh, Ichigo, I do love you, more than you'll ever know, but-"

"No buts, Rukia. We deserve this and I won't let anything or anyone get in the way of our happiness. Including you."

Rukia huffed in annoyance. "What do you mean including me!"

"Rukia, come on. I know you. You're probably gonna try to tell me that it won't work because you're not human, or that the Soul Society including your snob brother won't approve, or even that I have the rest of my life to live and how do I know that I won't meet somebody else. Am I right."

Rukia's mouth hung open in surprise and frustration. "I wasn't going to say any of those things!"

Ichigo gave her a disbelieving look. "Oh, really. Then what were you going to say."

"Shut up and kiss me already you smug bastard."

"As you wish, my lady." Ichigo wrapped his arms around Rukia, pulled her to him and claimed her lips in a hungry kiss. She responded eagerly to his advances and soon they were lost in a world of bliss. That is until-

Beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep!

"Ah, hell," Ichigo swore as Rukia pulled out of their blissful embrace to check her Pager. "It's a Hollow isn't it?"

"Yup. It looks pretty weak though." "It shouldn't take us long," she said as she began to rise from the bed.

Ichigo pulled her back down onto his chest. "Screw that. Let that lazy ass replacement of yours pull his weight for once. We're busy." Surprisingly, Rukia didn't protest and they went back to their newfound favorite hobby.

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