I do not own Bleach or any characters in it

...

It's raining, raining so hard Rukia could barely see in front of her. It didn't help any that it seemed she was surrounded by almost pitch black darkness. But among the darkness and through the blinding rain, her eyes could still make out one figure. The shadow figure was crouched down a few feet in front of her and she could hear it. It was sobbing. Her legs shook below her but her curiosity got the better of her and egged her to move forward, toward the shadow figure. She could hear it clearly now. Out of its sobs, she could make out its tenor. It was a man crying. She reached her hand out to him, not knowing what to expect, but nonetheless persistent. Once she placed her dainty hand on the figure, the rain lightened ever so slightly and her eyes were finally able to adjust to the darkness or the sky had brightened; either or she couldn't quite tell. Now she can see him clearly. She sees the Italian suit, the spiky raven-colored hair, and her eyes widen, each of her breathes quicken.

"Kill me Rukia, please kill me." The man begs as he fastens his hold on the body in his arms. She's beautiful, gentle, and graceful. Everything a noble man would want of a wife. Miyako. She was everything Rukia wanted to be. Everything she strived to be. She looked up to this woman in adoration and dare she say, envy? Even as she laid in the arms of her beloved husband, the raindrops glistened against her flawless skin and ran down her flowing dark hair. Kaien clung to his dead wife's body, moaning and mourning over her.

"Rukia," He pleads once more. "Do this for me." Kaien's eyes are bloodshot and swollen.

Rukia's body quivers and her legs give out from under her. She's shaking uncontrollably, barely holding on to her sanity. "Kaien-dono... I...I can't." Tears flow from her eyes freely and her heart is pounding furiously. Her vice captain, her mentor...her friend...asks that she be the one to kill him. She feels cursed. Will suffering continue to follow her till the end of times?

What's worth living for?

"Rukia." Her dear friend reaches out to her. She accepts his touch. Kaien carefully places a dagger in her hands. "My heart can stay here with you."

"Ah!" Huffs Rukia as she suddenly erects from her bed. She is sweating profusely and clutches her rapid beating heart.

"HEY ARE YOU OKAY?"

A sliding door aside from her quickly opens, catching Rukia off guard, and she tumbles to the floor. The sharp pain at her abdomen causes her to cringe and she guards her wound. She stays on the floor and blinks, confusingly, in disbelief of her surroundings. Rukia peers around her, realizing she's not in her elegant room at the Kuchiki manor, rather it appears she's in another person's room. And based off the lack of sense of style, most likely a man's room at that.

"Wh...wh...where am I?" She scratches her head and looks down to find herself in some childish yellow pajamas embellished in panda bears rather than her tailored suit. Her face sets ablaze. "AND WHAT'S THIS RIDICULOUS OUTFIT I GOT ON?"

Ichigo bends down to face Rukia as she remains on the floor, apparently floored about her current predicament. "They are called pajamas." He replies coolly. "And you're in my room."

"You...you're that boy..."

"It's Ichigo, remember?" He salutes her.

"Well Ichigo," She gnashes her teeth and clings to the collar of his shirt to bring him closer. "You better have dressed me with your damn eyes closed."

"Pfft," Ichigo brushes her away. "Oh calm down, it's not like I'm 10 years old."

This annoys Rukia even more so, leading her to extend out her hand to palm Ichigo's face. The impact of her hit causes him to fall back. "Pervert!"

"Hey!" He gnarls. "Anyways, did you have some sort of nightmare last night? You were tossing and turning all night."

Rukia's face softens and looks back to her makeshift bed in Ichigo's closet. "Guess you could call it that," She replies quietly. "Thanks,... uh...Ichigo."

Ichigo's grimace disappears and he intently watches her movements and facial features. Something's eating at her. "You could really thank me by explaining to me who the hell was that guy and what he was doing around here."

Rukia swings her legs from under and crosses them, facing Ichigo. "I need paper and pen."

Ichigo rummages through his desk and pulls out a notebook and pen and places them on the floor in front of Rukia. She begins to draw. "Okay this is me," She shows a picture of a poorly drawn bunny rabbit in a suit with a gun in its hand. She continues to draw other woodland creatures in suits with more guns. "I work for an organization called the Soul Society. We are an underground organization that in some ways acts like a vigilante of sorts."

"So like secret agents like CIA?" Intercedes Ichigo.

"Kinda, but much darker." She says honestly. She then draws black blobs wearing white masks. "These are Hollows. Another underground organization that basically acts as syndicate, doing evil deeds."

"Deeds as in...?"

"As in murder of public officials, drug trafficking, sexual trafficking, extortion and bribery, black market weapons and so on and so on." She starts drawing objects that signify each vice.

Just another day in the office, ay? Ichigo contemplates to himself. "Jesus, spare me from anymore of your horrific drawings."

Rukia growls and throws the notebook directly towards Ichigo's head, hitting it with a slap. "Ow! Okay, okay!"

"So, our job as "reapers", if you will, is to reap this world of those dirty scum. They are some tricky bastards and they always have a plan."

"So then what were they doing around my house?"

"Now there's the million dollar question. I think that's the reason I was ordered to run detail on that Hollow. Apparently, he's been scoping this place out for the past several weeks now." Rukia's lips pout unconsciously and she rubs underneath her chin.

"Okay, now what?"

Rukia attempts to get herself off the ground but her wound aches her each time she stretches. She is barely able to get herself up. Ichigo attempts to aid her but she stubbornly turns him down, earning her an eyeroll from Ichigo. "Well, I got to get back to headquarters and get more information."

"You're in no shape to go anywhere. I say you should stay here till you heal. Anyways, if those Hollows are truly interested in this area, more will come back and you can be here waiting and gathering more intel." Ichigo mentions carelessly.

"And if one tries to engage? Huh? What then, 'Bricks for brains'? We need backup!" She retorts as she flips through her phone.

"Well then... train me how to fight."

Rukia's eyes shoot up and her mouth is slightly ajar. "Are you nuts!? It's bad enough I told you about the Soul Society which, by the way, was against SS law. There's no way in hell I'd let you endanger your life and get you entangled in this mess! If anything, you'd just be in the way and would get killed quickly." She mumbles the last sentence to herself.

He pokes her forehead with his finger. "First off, if it was so illegal in your book, why even mention it to me?" He mouths off, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow.

She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out so she slowly closes it and looks away from the young man, flush creeping into her cheeks. Why did I tell him? Rukia didn't know what it was about Ichigo but she actually trusted him. He presented himself as an uninterested yet brash, blunt, and honest bystander. She knew, from the core of her very being, that if it weren't for this kid, she may have been in real bad shape before backup even would be able to get the chance to show up. He saved her. "That's beside the point." Rukia growls back, gritting her teeth.

"And second, I can hold my own. Always have and always will. So don't underestimate me. Fact of the matter is, you want a piece of this action, I can see it in your face. You call in another one your 'agents'..."

"We are referred to as 'Shinigami'." Rukia quickly interrupts.

"Shinigami whatever, and you're off the case. You're down for medical leave. So why not stay in the case, figure out this mystery and I'll help you out."

Rukia's brow furrows. Did her face really give her away? Curses! Some Kuchiki etiquette. Ichigo was right, there was no denying, and he was right about everything. They finally put her on a real case. It took her so long to get any sort of mission let alone a field mission. She was out to prove herself on this one. To show Byakuya nii-sama and the rest the Society that she was ready to take more responsibility and move up the ranks. Though she thought very kindly of her captain, Jushiro Ukitake, she couldn't help but think he was underestimating her...just as she may be underestimating Ichigo's ability. "Fine. Training starts now."

"Now wait a minute there, Master. I still got class! I go to university most of the day and get off around the afternoon."

Rukia rolls her eyes. "Fine. Training begins this afternoon and be prepared. You're going to learn how to fight with a melee weapon and how to fire and aim a gun. Meet me at the fields after school."

Ichigo peers at his bedside clock. "Shit! I'm going to be late for class!" He runs around, gathering materials and throwing them into his backpack. "Wait, what are you going to be doing while I'm at school?" He stops his rummaging about to look at her.

"What are you? Worried about lil ol' me?" She teases and Ichigo grimaces. "Don't you worry about me, I got my own plans. Just be at the fields at 4!" Rukia goes to open Ichigo's bedroom window, hearing his presumed family members on the 2nd floor fighting, and looks down to judge its distance. She eyeballs the pipes connecting the gutter, the 2nd floors' small balconies, and a nearby tree with large branches. Eh, doable.

"You aren't gonna go like that, are you?" Ichigo points to her yellow pajamas.

Rukia huffs. "Doesn't look like I have much of a choice, do I?"

"Here." Ichigo throws her a small, light blue sundress laced in white flowers. She grabs the dress and spreads it out, her brow lifts as she looks in his direction but he doesn't look back. Instead, he grabs his backpack, chugs it over his shoulder and heads for his door. "Later." He mumbles as he exits, leaving her with mixed feelings.