Another story, my friends :)

This one is going to be going in tandem with an Ichi/Hime story, so I have no idea how much time will be between updates. I assume it will be around two weeks for each? But who knows? If I get an itch to write one and get really super excited, it may be sooner. And it is summer, so hooray for (some) free time!

So, real quick, here is the information for this story:

Pair: Renji/Rukia (slight Ichigo/Orihime is also possible, though I honestly don't know how much these two will be in it, since they are getting their own story and all. They may not show up at all except in casual mentions.)

Rating: T

Warnings: Some good ole fashioned angst, drama, suspense, violence and romance

Summary: "Recall /riˈkôl/ (verb); Bring (a fact, event, or situation) back into one's mind, esp. so as to recount it to others; remember." Renji doesn't have much of a choice. It's remember, or die. Rukia is doing her best to make sure it is not the latter.

Disclaimer: I own only the plot and any OCs that make their way into this story. All rights to Bleach go to Tite Kubo and whoever else he shares those rights with.

Chapter 1

The night was warm, a light breeze moving through the air providing the only movement. Rukia had always loved the feeling of a warm July breeze in the human world, the way it lifted her hair slightly and moved the fabric of her Shihakusho around her petite frame. Her trained eyes scanned the area in front of her dutifully, but her mind had already wandered off despite her best attempts to stay focused. It was a quiet night, little to no spiritual activity in Karakura Town. It was easy to get lost in thought on a night like this where nothing substantial was happening.

The noble had found a vantage point at the top of a warehouse, able to take in the entirety of her designated area. As she looked out over the sleepy town, she kicked her feet back and forth from her seat on the ledge, not worried in the slightest at the height of the building or how she was perched on the edge. She had almost gotten lost in the quiet of it all, her mind floating to random thoughts as she lazily watched a cat stalk across the road, low to the ground in its hunt for food. But the sound of static broke through the quiet night air, interrupting the girl's thoughts.

"Rukia, you there?"

She rolled her eyes at the question, a chuckle passing her lips. He had lasted longer than she thought he would. It had already been a couple of hours. Renji was usually contacting her within the first twenty minutes, begging for a shred of entertainment to squash his boredom on nights like this. She found her communicator and held the short range button down, activating the speaker to Renji's devise as she spoke.

"If there was a hollow around, you just gave away our positions, Idiot," she teased without any heat in her voice, releasing the button in time to hear the snort from the other end.

"'If' being the key word. It's freaking dead out here, no pun intended."

"Well, we should be grateful for the lack of activity," she spoke softly, leaning back on her hands as she looked up at the moon. It was full tonight, which surprised her. Usually a full moon guaranteed hollow activity. "It's better than the place crawling with hollows."

"But it's so boring," Renji whined, sighing on the other line. "I'd rather have something to kill than babysit sleeping humans. We are Lieutenants. Not rookies." The man had always been easily bored, unable to sit in one spot for too long without getting fidgety. Ever since they were kids, he had always been constantly looking for something to do, never able to sit still for long periods of time. It hadn't changed, even as they aged and matured, but Rukia found it to be charming, if not slightly annoying on missions. It was Renji, after all. It was just who he was, and she would never change him.

And he had a point. Most towns were patrolled by small ranked Shinigami. Both Rukia and Renji were well known Lieutenants of the Gotei 13, hardly the usual patrollers. Then again, Karakura Town was not the usual town. It didn't hurt to bulk up the security in this area.

"Speaking of humans, have you heard from Ichigo?" Rukia asked, her mind jumping to the orange-haired boy. Well, he was hardly a boy anymore. He had turned eighteen just last week, preparing to enter college at the university in a neighboring town in August to follow his father into the medical field. When he wasn't gathering books for class and organizing living arrangements with an apartment complex just off campus, he was performing as a Substitute Shinigami, and a pretty damn good one too. He had to be around here somewhere, though she hadn't heard from him since she'd been here.

"Nah, his end has been quiet since he confirmed he reached his location. He's on the east side, opposite of you."

Rukia nodded before remembering Renji couldn't see her. "He has got to be kicking rocks by now, too. It's a dull night for patrol." If Renji was fidgety, Ichigo was a bull in a China shop. He was one of the most impatient people she knew. She smirked at the idea of that characteristic scowl that no doubt screwed his features at the moment.

"Yeah, and if he's like me, he's already run out of rocks."

Rukia laughed at that, a light sound that filled the calm air around her. "Plenty of rocks on my side," she joked, shaking her head at their conversation. It felt nice to relax a little. Even if they had patrolled this city for months, it seems the unusually high activity that surrounded Karakura Town was finally slowing down. And talking to Renji was never unwelcomed. She cherished these moments of peace with him.

When had he become something more than a childhood friend or brother figure? It seemed almost overnight, though Rukia knew she had just not noticed the gradual change in her heart. She never thought she'd harbor feelings for the redhead, but looking back she could see the signs. She'd never tell him though. He would think her insane, and she would be completely lost if she were to lose his presence in her life. She had lost him once, only regaining him after the War, and she wouldn't jeopardize their friendship again. No, the girl felt she was destined to love from afar, enjoying the little moments between them.

"So do you want to start it or me?" the redhead asked, drawing a smile from the raven-haired woman.

"I'll start it."

"You always were more negative," he snorted.

"Shut up," she shot back, rolling her eyes but thinking none the less of what she would say. When she made up her mind, she smiled before starting. "Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to rain."

"Fortunately, I have an umbrella."

"Unfortunately, it's too windy to hold the umbrella," the girl countered, thinking quickly to anticipate what his next comment would be. Fortunately, Unfortunately was their choice game for moments like these, killing time on long missions. One would state a negative comment and the other would supply a positive spin to the situation. It helped with the boredom, and the answers always got more creative as it went on.

"Fortunately, I know where a cave is for shelter." Rukia could practically feel the smile on Renji's face radiate from his voice over the communicator. He loved this game, and she was sure if she could see him, he would be grinning widely.

"Unfortunately, it's miles away."

"Fortunately, we can shunpo."

"Unfortunately, my leg is broken."

"Fortunately, I can carry you," was the quick reply, which Rukia knew would be his go to answer for that scenario. Any statement given in the game where she was a damsel in distress automatically had him supplying himself as her knight in shining armor. Not that she minded. In fact, she kind of enjoyed the thought, though her pride had her scoffing at the idea of being some helpless female waiting for a man to save her. She was a Lieutenant, after all.

As she prepared to counter the words, a shrill scream ripped through the night, stopping her answer in her throat. In a flash, she scanned the area, eyes landing on movement off to the left of the warehouse.

So much for the game. "Did you hear it Renji?"

"Yeah. You got a visual on it?" he asked, all playfulness gone in his voice, replaced with alertness and an anticipation for battle that he would never quite be able to shake from his time in the Eleventh Division.

"It's attacking the warehouse where I am currently stationed. The old textiles place."

"On my way. I'll contact Ichi." The connection cut off and Rukia tucked the devise away and took off in the direction of the destructive sounds, the building beneath her shaking with the hollow's rampage. She stumbled briefly before regaining her bearings and running towards the opposite ledge, leaning over the wall to peer down at the hollow.

It sure was ugly. Hollows, on average, were always ugly, but this one wasn't winning any beauty contests anytime soon. The thing was gruesome, snarling and biting at the building. It was a young one, the sleek body resembling some type of primate with a large chest and stout front arms, its back covered with vicious looking quills, probably a defensive feature. Its jaw was obviously its most immediate weapon, if the way the concrete crumbled beneath the jaw's strength was any indication. Rukia didn't know where it had a blind spot, if it had one at all, but she jumped to the building next door as the warehouse groaned. With how it was attacking the wall, the building would probably not stand for much longer.

The sound of fabric rippling behind her caught her attention, and she turned to see Renji landing a few feet away. His eyes found hers and she nodded in greeting before turning her attention back to the beast below.

"Geez, it's an ugly one," came the quiet comment, coming to stand next to the smaller girl. "And stupid," he added, upon seeing it attack the building.

"It probably sensed my energy and through I was inside," Rukia mused, shaking her head.

"Like I said. Pretty stupid," Renji said, squatting at the ledge to get a better look.

"I haven't figured out the best way to attack yet," Rukia said as she continued to watch. Keen eyes looked for any opening, narrowing when she couldn't find a sure thing.

"It has some impressive hardware," Renji responded, "Any idea what's up with the spikes?"

"Probably best we avoid them."

The snort from the redhead was not missed. "Noted."

"Where's Ichigo?" she asked, sneering as the monster on the street below let out another roar. Surely the other man had to be close.

"On his way. May be a few minutes, seeing as he is on the other side of the city," Renji said with a shrug. "We've got a little bit. That warehouse hasn't been used for years. It won't hurt to wait for him to get here."

Rukia nodded, though she didn't like it. This thing was still causing quite a bit of damage to the warehouse, and someone was going to have to stop it soon if they wanted the building to be standing by morning. And something felt off, like she was missing a key detail. She could feel it in the air around her. Something was about to happen.

As if on cue, Renji growled next to her. "Shit…"

Before she could question the remark, the sound of laughter made her blood run cold. Eyes scanned the street, quickly finding the source of the sound. The spirit of a child, barely three blocks away, was making her way down the street, oblivious to the danger close by.

As the noble looked back down at the hollow, she realized that they were not the only ones to notice the spirit. The beast let out a growl before kicking into gear, running down the maze of streets in its search for the meal.

"After it!" Rukia cried, breaking into a shunpo with Renji right behind her.

X

Renji tore after the hollow, keeping an eye on the blur of black in the corner of his vision that let him know Rukia was okay. So much for an uneventful night. It had been quiet before this ugly son of a bitch decided to show up. Whatever. He had been looking forward to a fight, anyway. At least now he wasn't bored.

He wouldn't say so, but he had a bad feeling about this. The hollow was something they haven't seen before. Who knows what it was capable of, what it could do to attack them? And Rukia's proximity to the beast scared him.

He wasn't exactly open with his feelings to the girl, though he had been told by many that he wasn't the best at hiding them either. Nearly all of his friends were aware of the love he held for Rukia, even if the girl didn't know it. And he hated the idea of her getting hurt. She was as stubborn as he was in her inability to resist fighting if it was to protect those around her, and he'd never ask her to back down, but this time…he didn't know what it was about the hollow that made him nervous. But he wanted to be rid of it. Now. Before that feeling of dread he had could be justified in reality.

The hollow had zeroed in on the spirit, who was struggling to remain on her feet with the way the ground shook beneath her from the pounding steps of the beast. She was no longer oblivious, but now she had stopped moving completely, terrified by the hollow heading her way.

His eyes shifted to the noble woman as she skidded to a stop in front of the monster, unsheathing her zanpakuto in one swift motion and serving as a barrier between the small spirit and the hollow. "Renji!" she called, eyes never leaving the beast in front of her.

"I'm on it!"

Renji leapt over the hollow, pulling Zabimaru free as he picked where he wanted to strike. The base of the neck was always a kill shot. A good choice in getting the job done as long as you went deep enough to decapitated the head. He pulled his blade down, a growl escaping him as he swung. The hollow anticipated the swing, putting up an arm in defense and crying out as the blade tore into flesh. Renji flipped out of harm's way, landing in a crouch to the side of the hollow, Zabimaru held to the side of his body in preparation for another swing if he had been pursued.

"Damn. I missed," he hissed, shaking his head. But much to his relief, Rukia had sent the spirit out of harm's way. They would need to find her later and send her to the Soul Society, but it could wait for now. They had bigger concerns.

The two Lieutenants struck out multiple times, landing blow after blow but only in the arms and legs and not deep enough to make a substantial difference. The wounds they did cause healed quickly.

"Does this think have a weakness?" Rukia asked, panting slightly as the beast circled slowly, watching the two Shinigami with careful eyes.

"Doesn't look like it," Renji called back, eyes watching the creature move as his own chest heaved. The one spot that the hollow couldn't watch was its back, and that was covered in quills. He wasn't ready to test those out. But they couldn't do this all night. They had barely worn it down, probably just pissing it off more than anything.

Rukia watched for a moment before her eyes widened slightly. "Renji, the underside. It's completely open. If I could get a solid hit in, it would leave an opening for you to get the kill."

"If you could get under it, that is," Renji fired back, shaking his head as he pinned the girl with a look. "It would need a serious distraction. We wait until Kurosaki gets here. Then we try something." The visored should be close. They just needed a few minutes more. And he was not willing to let the girl do something so reckless. He had said they would try something, but he wasn't sold on her strategy.

"We don't have that kind of time," Rukia ground out, giving Renji the mental image of her stomping her foot in frustration.

"Well, we are just going to have to make the time," Renji argued, not liking the tone of her voice. It was the tone she used when she had already made up her mind. It was also the tone she used when she was about to do something stupid. "Ichigo will be here soon."

Rukia let out a huff in anger, shaking her head. She was already setting her feet to run, and Renji could practically feel her preparing to rush the hollow. "Rukia…" he warned, inching towards the girl despite the voice in his head that screamed for him to keep his distance. If they got too close to one another and sacrificed their spacing, they would lose their advantage and make it easy for the hollow to attack them both at the same time.

"Distract it," was the only words she said as she took off around the outside, keeping a safe distance from the hollow as she ran. The beast watched her before deciding that she would be the target. Renji wasn't having that. If this was going to work, he had to get its attention away from her. Otherwise, she'd be killed.

"Hey, hey! Over here ugly!" he roared, rushing towards the beast in quick, choppy steps and with his free hand waving wildly. It worked, the hollow turning with a growl before stepping back towards the redhead. Rukia continued on, keeping her distance for now. He could see the gears turning, her mind trying to figure out the timing.

"That's right, you son of a bitch. Come and get me," Renji continued, antagonizing the hollow. It seemed to be working, the hollow stepping closer and closer, sizing the redhead up.

In a swift movement, Rukia took off towards it, sliding underneath the hollow and slicing upwards. Her blade bit into the underside of the creature, dragging through bone and flesh in a sickening crunch. The hollow screamed in pain, and Rukia continued in her slide, determined to get out from under the hollow and back out in the open. She was too close.

Renji jumped into action, taking his cue to attack. The hollow had reared back in pain, leaving room for a clean shot. But as he drew near, the beast swung out wildly in its panic, striking Rukia hard in the side and sending her flying.

"Rukia!" The redhead's chest clenched as the girl hit the asphalt awkwardly, her body skidding across the ground before she came to a stop. Her zanpakuto slid further down the street, out of the reach of the noble. The hollow's roar deafened the crimson-haired man as he took a hesitant step towards the girl, who at the moment wasn't moving. He eyed the creature, watching as the eyes flicked to Rukia's still form. As if knowing the man's fear, the hollow turned towards the girl and started towards her.

"No!" Renji yelled, taking off towards the noble in an attempt to beat the hollow there. Rukia was finally stirring, much to the relief of Renji, but he still had to get rid of the thing before it could reach her. He was not about to let the hollow kill her. It would have to go through him first.

He planted his feet in front of the dazed woman and set his sights on the hollow that was charging them. It didn't seem to care that he had come to stand between it and Rukia, happy to attack either of the two. And Renji wasn't about to disappoint it if it was looking for a fight.

The hollow lunged forward, jaw open and a snarl filling the air as it attacked. Renji swung, catching the hollow in the shoulder and sending it rolling to the side. It landed a few yards away, a groan escaping the masked face, but Renji couldn't let up, not until it was over.

Rukia coughed behind him, a wet, guttural sound that told him she had coughed up blood. Internal bleeding, from the sound of it, probably the result of some broken ribs. A quick glance confirmed she had indeed regained consciousness, her violet eyes looking up at him in confusion before they hardened with awareness. He turned back to the hollow, shaking his head. "Rukia, stay down."

"I'm fine," she replied weakily, and though he couldn't see her face, he knew she was glaring at him for suggesting such a thing.

"You're injured," he countered, watching as the hollow's head lifted. The thing was tough, he'd give it that. "Stay here," he muttered as he made his way towards the hollow. As he neared, a flash of orange crossed his vision.

Finally. Ichigo had arrived to help.

"Couldn't get here a little sooner, Strawberry?" Renji called, a grin crossing his features.

"Can't hold your hand all the time, Red," came the taunt, thought the smirk on his face betrayed the words as a joke. He circled the hollow as it gained its bearings, the scowl returning to his features as Renji mirrored his actions, trapping the beast between them. "Geez, you couldn't handle this small-fry?"

"The freakin' thing has no blind spot," was the reply, the words angry but directed towards the hollow, not Ichigo. Renji eyed the creature, watching as yellow eyes glanced between the two men and Rukia. The hollow was struggling to remain on its feet, its chest heaving. Its stamina wasn't holding up well with the constant attacks and charges. It looked tired, but Renji could almost see the gears turning in its head. It was still dangerous.

"Doesn't look like that will matter now," Ichigo muttered, setting his feet for a swift blow. "It can't counter us both when it is so tired."

The sound of coughing drew Renji's attention, and he turned to the right to see Rukia making it to her feet, albeit wobbly. Blood dripped for the corner of her mouth, and she hastily wiped it away on her sleeve. She was trembling, though Renji could not tell if it was from her frustration or from her undeniable pain.

"Rukia, stop. We can handle it from here." His voice was calm, but held an urgent edge to it, giving away his underlying worry.

"Yeah, me and Pineapple have it under control," Ichigo added. "You just hang tight."

Rukia shot a glare at the two men, but didn't make any sign of complying with their wishes. She took a step towards the others, trying to close the distance between them, but instantly winced as her knee buckled under her weight, folding underneath her at an unnatural angle and coughing seizing her frame once more. That awkward fall had taken more out of her than he had thought. Renji felt his heart sink at the sight. She needed medical attention, and from the looks of it she needed it fast. He shook his head when she looked at him, his eyes shining with anger at her stubbornness and fear for the girl's condition.

"Hey cut it out, idiot! You'll hurt yourself worse!" Ichigo shouted, his eyes flicking nervously between the hollow and the dark-haired woman.

The hollow's glowing eyes found Rukia as she tried to continue her approach, and a wicked growl that sounded suspiciously like a laugh left it. Renji watched the hollow as it moved slowly, turning to face the empty street and exposing its back to the girl. Ichigo watched the beast with confusion, making eye contact with Renji who had come to stop across from him, on the other side of the hollow.

"What the hell are you doing, you stupid hollow?" Ichigo growled, shifting from foot to foot as he tried to guess the creature's intentions.

Renji watched as the hollow disregarded Ichigo to look to Renji with a knowing gaze, the eyes narrowing as a smirk crossed its face. It then looked over its shoulder to Rukia. The girl hadn't moved again, a hand having come to rest against the pavement to hold her body up.

What was it doing? Was it trying to taunt her, make her thing she had an opening? They'd already determined it was better to avoid them, not run head long into them, especially when the stupid thing was watching her. And it wasn't like the girl had the ability to rush it in an attack. And even if the quills were turned towards the girl in a defensive mechanism, Rukia could just change direction. And what was up with the smirk? It was as if it was planning something, as if setting up…

Renji's eyes widened. Projectiles. The quills could be projected at a given target, and right now that target was Rukia.

"Rukia! Get out of there!"

Rukia looked up, confusion on her face as Renji took off towards her, gritting his teeth as he pushed his legs to move faster. She brought her gaze up to the hollow, watching as the beast shook, the quills shuddering threateningly. Violet eyes widened in recognition, and she groaned, scrambling to get her feet under her. She pushed off of her arm, trying to stand but failing as her injured body refused to listen to her commands. She gave out a small yelp as she fell to the pavement, eyes wide as she gripped her leg tightly. She cursed under her breath, shaking her head.

"Ichigo, kill that son of a bitch and kill it now!" Renji roared, never breaking stride. The visored cursed under his breath, but jumped into action, rushing the beast with a roar of his own.

The hollow laughed as it dodged Ichigo's attack, throwing its head to knock the visored aside. Renji heard the groan as Ichigo hit the ground, the crunch of plastic that accompanied the fall serving as a signal that the substitute Shinigami's communicator had been broken, but his eyes were focused on the noble.

Rukia was scooting away from the hollow, pained noises escaping her as she moved. Renji knew she wasn't fast enough in her current condition. She wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time at this rate, and the thought of those quills piercing her petite frame shook the redhead to the core, spurring him on. A loud popping sound filled the air, and the quills were released, flying like missiles towards Rukia, launched in a high arch to land directly atop the girl.

"No!" Renji yelled, his voice hoarse in its intensity.

With a cry, Rukia lifted her arms, crossing above her in defense. A yell was torn from Renji's throat, eyes closing in anguish as he lept towards the girl. He had to protect her. He'd never forgive himself if she died. She couldn't die. Not here. Not now. Not when he could do something to stop it from happening.

Grabbing a hold of her waist, he pulled her up and nearly threw her to the side as he scrambled to get them out of the way. He kept his body above her as the quills began to fall, striking the pavement with enough force to crack the asphalt. He managed to dodge most of the projectiles, but underestimated the width of their target area. A yell was ripped from his throat as a handful of the quills met their mark, piecing the skin of his back.

There was so much pain.

His arms trembled with the effort to keep from falling onto the small girl, a breath sucked in through his teeth as a groan left his body. Every small movement sent his body into spasms, and at the puncture points fire bloomed just underneath the skin. It was as if lava had been poured into his veins, burning him alive on the inside.

Damn. Poison.

He gritted his teeth from the pain, forcing his eyes to open. His vision was blurred, distorted from the pain and the chemical that had invaded his body as it went in and out of focus, but he could just make out the girl beneath him.

Rukia.

She was safe. A quick inventory of her body showed that he had saved her from further injury, the hollow's attack failing to destroy her as it was intended to do. With a relieved smile, he found her eyes. Those violet eyes that he loved so much stared in horror up at him, wide and alert, and guilt for causing that look bloomed in his heart, but at least they were still as alive and animated as ever. She was alive. That was good enough to justify his actions.

Her voice, broken in its delivery, filled the silence between them. "Renji?"

The small grin that crossed his face couldn't have been stopped if he tried. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words choked him and he groaned instead. A sharp pain exploded behind his eyes, the edges of his sight starting to fizzle into black. Terror gripped him as he struggled to stay awake, knowing if he fell unconscious he may not recover. He had to stay conscious.

But the darkness was so inviting. It offered an escape from the pain, and in his battle-beaten state it was becoming more and more difficult to refuse its calming depths. His eyes slid closed, fire invading his mind one last time as he succumbed to the darkness, vaguely aware of the feeling of his arms giving away as he collapsed.

X

Violet eyes widened as she watched her childhood friend's face contort in pain before falling to in a heap, his head landing with a soft thud on her stomach. His breath came in shallow spurts as his lungs frantically tried to drag in the air his body desperately needed. The strong, coppery smell of blood flooded her nose, and the taste of her own blood in her mouth made her stomach turn. They were surrounded by quills, cracking the pavement from their force and standing at odd angles like some sick, evil forest around them. But what disturbed her most were the three or four quills that protruded from the redhead's back, quivering with every breath he took.

A whimper left her, pained and full of horror. "Renji…"

In a rush, she pulled herself out from underneath the man's weight, being sure to cradle his head to assure it didn't hit the pavement and cause any further damage. Her body protested the move, pain shooting up her leg and side, but she wasn't thinking about that. She was more focused on the man who laid unconscious in front of her.

"Damn it!" Ichigo roared, cutting through the quills that surrounded them with Zangetsu before skidding to stop at Renji's side, a hand ghosting over the man's back as he observed the injuries. Trembling fingers swiped across his brow, furiously trying to keep blood from his eyes as it oozed from a shallow gash above his eyebrow. He must have been injured when he was thrown off by the hollow. The thought of the monster snapped Rukia's head up.

"The hollow," Rukia croaked, looking up sharply. The street was empty, no sign of the beast anywhere. Ichigo scowled as he shook his head, frustration presenting as a growl in his throat.

"It got away."

Turning her attention back to Renji, she gently touched his shoulder, pulling her hand back at the heat that burned under her fingertips. He was feverish, and it scared her how fast his temperature had risen. Her mind supplied an explanation, having been drilled with different signs and symptoms in her academy training, and with dread she realized the tips of the quills had been tipped with venom.

"There's poison," she whined, a hand covering her mouth. She reached to grab the closest quill, determined to dislodge the deadly weapon from Renji's skin, but a firm hand stopped her.

"Don't," Ichigo warned, eyes hard as they watched her. "It could cause more damage, and he'll bleed out faster if we remove them, not to mention you could poison yourself as well." His voice had taken on a professional, calm edge, one that sounded so much like Isshin in work-mode that Rukia barely recognized it to be Ichigo. He reached for his communicator, only to find it a mangled mess of plastic. "Son of a bitch," he hissed, shaking his head. "Rukia, call the others."

But Rukia wasn't really hearing him. Her ears were ringing with the sound of Renji's voice crying out in pain. She sat back, her breath hitching in her throat as she started to hyperventilate. Trembling hands came up to grab her head as she rocked slightly, eyes staring yet seeing nothing. Nothing but a repeated vision of Renji catching the quills in the back before going still, lifeless. Nothing but glazed eyes looking down at her before closing. The though made her sick, her stomach churning violently as her head spun.

A hand came to grab her shoulder roughly, shaking her out of her stupor. Her eyes found Ichigo's face, but she was having trouble hearing him over the pounding of her heart. He was yelling, his face twisted in panic. In a rush, sound returned, Ichigo's voice echoing off of the buildings surrounding them on the empty street.

"Rukia, snap out of it! Call the others for help!" He was on the verge of losing it himself, torn between getting Renji help and calming her down, and the desperation in his eyes told her that he was just as upset as she was. She couldn't remember seeing him this distraught since the war, and his eyes pleaded with her to listen. But she still couldn't make herself respond.

With a sound of frustration, something between a roar and a curse, Ichigo reached for the noble's own communicator, almost ripping it off of her as she remained still, shivering in the warm night air for reasons she couldn't pinpoint. He quickly hit the connect button, not meeting Rukia's gaze but focusing on the injured redhead.

When the Communication Center picked up, he wasted no time in getting his message out. "We need a medical team, and fast. Renji Abarai is down."

Funny. The warm breeze that had accompanied the night was suddenly freezing.

Wooo! Quite a lot going on in this chapter, at least in terms of jumping right into some action. I'm excited about this one, y'all. It will probably be shorter than the Shadows Surround Us. I think at the moment it is reaching something close to thirteen chapters, give or take, but I still think it will be a good one.

Hope you all enjoyed it. Reviews are always welcome :) (but please, no flames. My poor heart can't take it.)

Much love,

Meg