Alright! The first fan fic in a long, looong time! Ehm, not really, but I don't think I'll post the others I've been writing because they're simply…odd. This one however has gotten the chance to reach . And those reading "Alones", don't worry, I will continue!

This story occurs after chapter 308, and follows another storyline than the one in the manga.

Dunno if rating's gonna raise, you'll just have to wait and see

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Kubo Tite (and he does a brilliant job!)

Warnings: Ehm, character death? Well, in a way, at least. Confused? That's great.

"Inoue!" His voice barely reached her. Why was that so? He was screaming just by her side, right?

The thoughts running in Inoue Orihime's mind were clouded and mixed up. She lied on the ground…bleeding? Her dark eyes watched the red fluid on her hand with surprise. When had she…? Oh, well, she would heal herself once the others had gotten treatment from her. She would just rest a few seconds…just rest. After that nothing could stop her from jumping up with determination written on her forehead and help the others to win this battle.

They counted on her, didn't they? They had saved her. Ichigo, Rukia, Chad, Uryuu and Renji. They had risked their lives.

"Inoue…Orihime! Stay with me!"

Orihime smiled awkwardly inwards; "Kurosaki-kun, you don't need to have that scary look…" Of course she would stay with him. She would stay with him all the time until they reached the real world, their world, and then she would proceed home and search for some new delicious, at least in her eyes, recipes and…

Complete darkness. And a heavy burden in her chest.

"INOUE!"

"Inoue?"

Orihime gasped and with a startled face she looked back to face Kuchiki Rukia. The raven-haired Shinigami smiled regretfully when she watched her friend who wore a pale blue kimono. They were standing in front of the Senkaimon, a place the commonly clumsy girl visited ever so often to simply stare at the gate.

"Kuchiki-san…" Orihime tried her best to return the smile more cheerfully than the other. "I-I was just…"

"I know", Rukia cut off and placed a hand on Orihime's shoulder. "I know that you want to return. But you can't…not yet."

The ginger-haired girl seemed as she was going to object but then she changed her mind and looked down into the ground. "It's just that…it has already been a month since that day." She raised her head and looked pleadingly at Rukia. "Please take me with you to the living world! My powers are still intact! There must be something I can do! Aizen has not been taken care of yet, and that's because of me. If you had not tried to save me perhaps he would've been…"'

"Inoue, stop!" Rukia did not mean to sound that harsh as she saw how Orihime was taken aback. She sighed deeply and began to move towards the Senkaimon. "I'm truly sorry Inoue, but Ichigo can still not handle this. Since your…" She paused and fought the tears for a moment. "Since your death, he has not been the same. Give him some time and when he is ready, he will come to you. That's a promise; otherwise I'll definitely kick him and his butt flying."

"Kurosaki-kun…" But there was no more time for talk; the Senkaimon had opened and the countdown for Rukia to pass through the gate had begun. Orihime wiped away a tear that had escaped her eye. "Please tell Kurosaki-kun I'm fine."

"Aa", nodded Rukia and offered her a kind smile. "See you soon, Inoue." And then she was gone.

Orihime hugged herself as she stared into the gate. She had probably done that everyday since she had arrived in Soul Society that day… the day she died.

The teenage girl had not been aware of her grave condition until she had felt the heavy chest; a feeling that was etched in her mind. But not even when she had seen her own body she had realized that the chain already was cut. Not even Ichigo desperately holding her limp body, Rukia crying her eyes dry, Uryuu screaming until being unable to continue, Chad drumming his fists into the ground ignoring his own blood or Renji walking back and forth unable to express his feelings yet too upset to really hide them…none of this had been a tip off for her.

Orihime had not understood…did not want to understand. It had happened so fast; they had still been in Hueco Mundo when some captains had arrived from the Gotei Juusantai and the counterattack had begun.

But something had gone wrong. As Orihime was treating Ichigo's wounds and Zaraki Kenpachi gleefully fought Nnoitra Kuchiki Byakuya, his adoptive-sister and Yamada Hanatarou had showed up. The rokubantai taichou had a grave look in his face as he told them to retreat immediately; Aizen had decided that protecting his castle was of foremost importance and since the Shinigami's order was only to assist Ichigo and his group in the retrieval of Orihime they withdrew and managed to get back into the grand cellar of Urahara Kisuke.

Everything would have been settled, if it had not been for the fact that in the middle of the run a cero was launched and its goal was Ichigo – but it missed. Instead Orihime had been hit.

The result was a night in silence at Urahara Shouten.

Rukia had been the one to perform a konsoh on her after convincing her that she was dead; Rukia did not want to send her away without knowing why, even though somewhere she understood.

Ichigo had run away as soon as he understood that she could not be saved.

The next thing Orihime knew she was somewhere in Rukongai. It did not take long for her to shatter into pieces and for a few days she stayed with a small family who kindly took care of her until words reached her that Rukia was back in Soul Society searching for her. About a week later they found each other and the small Shinigami took her to Seireitei.

And here she was.

"Inoue! Inoueee!" Someone calling her name and the next second this someone was holding a hard grip around her waist, almost lifting her from the ground, but definitely squeezing her to death.

"Eeh?!" The girl hastily looked back and stared right into Matsumoto Rangiku's happy face and was pushed even more into the enormous bust. She was seriously starting to fear that she would suffocate. "Rangiku-san!"

"Orihime, how come I just recently got to hear that you had arrived, and not earlier?" scolded the older woman and put the girl down. The Vice-Captain pouted with her lips and crossed her arms while waiting for an answer.

"Ah, forgive me, Rangiku-san. It seems I forgot…" Orihime wondered if Rangiku knew that she was not there on a visit, but actually was a part of Soul Society now. A light but sad laughter escaped her before she rapidly had to duck since the big-busted woman raised a fist to hit her. But all there came was a flick on her head.

"Silly girl. Where do you live?" Rangiku watched her with caringly blue eyes.

"Of course she knows", Orihime thought, and was somewhat relieved. That meant she probably would not have to explain.

Rangiku continued and eyed her. "I'm sure that wherever you live right now isn't very good!"

The girl laughed again, this time a bit embarrassed. It was true it had been… awkward now and again at the place she currently lived. "Eh, I've been in the Kuchiki Estate thanks to Kuchiki-san…" Rangiku suddenly grabbed her arm and began dragging her away, as if knowing about every time Orihime accidentally bumped into the stone faced Kuchiki Byakuya.

"See! That can't be healthy! Living in the same house as that cold-and-scary-though-he-has-the-looks Captain? From now, you're living with me!"

Orihime was not sure it would be safer living with the woman. "Ah, but Rangiku-san…!" She was received a happy smile.

"No buts! It's your turn to live with me now! And besides, I'd be glad if you did. It gets lonely sometimes!"

"Well, if you put it that way then…" smiled the girl, finally giving up. In fact, she was more than delighted that Rangiku had shown up. They understood each other somewhat and Orihime had from time to time secretly imagined Rangiku being an elder sister to her while the Shinigami and her Captain lived in her small apartment. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it! Come on now; let's find something fun to do before we tell Captain Kuchiki that I'm stealing you!"

Ehm, yeah. Please tell me what you think! :D I love each and every time I read your reviews!