I don't own any characters from Bleach!

This is where the story really begins.

Enjoy!

-HARSH: Chapter 1-

I scan over my leg. It's the fifth time this month I got shot, but it's not the worst wound I have received.

"How many times do I need to say this?" a friend of mine asks. He's my best friend, but sometimes –like this time- he just doesn't understand. "Why do you think you can go into another gang's turf without backup at the ready?"

"Ichigo, you would have never let me if I asked."

"But Tatsuki-"

"What? You think I can't take care of myself?"

"No… it's that…" he began to treat my leg, but never finished what he said.

"I know, but I'm doing this, so you only have to look over your sisters."

"But that doesn't mean I'm not going to be worried. I was forced into this; you weren't."

"I'm doing this so you don't have to do it alone."

Our eyes lock and the atmosphere becomes tense.

"I don't like to watch my friends suffer," he mutters while reaching for bandages. I wince as he applies pressure to my injury.

"Don't you know it's the same for me? I saw you with a busted jaw last week! And I'm the person that watches you go on with that same scowl on your face."

"Tats…" I snap out of it and look at him. "What would Orihime think?"

I avert his eyes and stare at the ground. "I don't know…"

"You can endanger her, too."

"I get it!" I yell. Pain stings in my thigh and I wince again.

The orange haired man sighs. "Don't move."

"Sorry."

There is a moment of utter silence.

"Are the Espada that tough?"

"Most likely."

"What do you think they want?"

"If we have known that, then we'd already be done and solved this dispute long ago."

Ichigo stands and grabs the clipboard that hung on the end of my clinic bed (We're in the Kurosaki Clinic that Ichigo's dad owns).

"How long for a full recovery?"

"Five months."

"W-what?

"I'm kidding."

He is about to say something else, but-

"Ichi, dinner!"

"Okay," he calls back. "Be back in fifteen minutes. I'll smuggle you some curry." Ichigo hurries out, before I could say yes.

I fall back and stare at the ceiling.

"Should I…" I trail, glancing at the exit.

I can just show the Espada what I thought about their kidnap of Orihime. She was returned in one piece, but I can't believe they find holding a hostage fun!

Pushing myself off the bed, I approach a cabinet that holds medical items not normally used. I pull open the bottom drawer to take out a gun. I know it was there, because it's Ichigo's and I saw him take it out from there a few weeks back.

I grip the object, shut the drawer, and quietly walk to the exit. Hearing the Ichigo excusing himself from the dinner table, I hastily tuck the weapon into my back pocket and plop back down onto the bed.

"I mean five weeks, but visit some days through out the week."

I take the plate from him. I eat it while I watch Ichigo what he does when he's bored: scowl at a wall. Now that I think of it, he scowls at almost everything.

Finishing it, I place it on a table next to me.

"Give me it."

I look to his stretched out hand.

"The gun, I know you have it."

Sighing, I roll my eyes and hand it to him.

"You know me too well," I say.

"Why?"

"You wouldn't let me do it either way…"

"What were you going to do once you got there?"

"I was going to have a little… chat."

"Knowing you, you'd probably storm in and demand who's idea it was to abduct Orihime. Then you would start beating them senseless!"

"Ichigo, how can I beat sense out of them when they had none to begin with?"

"Just don't…"

I give him a small smile. "I won't."

After a few more minutes of small talk, I decide it's late. He offers to walk me home, but I say no, finding no need in doing so.

I leave and begin to walk to my apartment. It isn't too far away, maybe a ten-minute walk.

The moon hangs overhead, gleaming its porcelain. The cold, night breeze sweeps past me. As I climb the stairwell of my apartment building, I thought about how I didn't checkup on Orihime today. I take out my cell when I reach my floor, to find it has no battery. I decide I can call her tomorrow.

Abruptly, I hear a crashing noise inside. I pulled out my keys and quickly unlocked the front door. I push it open and stumble in.

Instantly, I scan the living room. At the end wall is a broken window large enough for someone to easily slip through. I step in and cautiously advance farther in.

This room's cleared…

I look around the corner. The kitchen's good, too.

I pull out my 45 that I stash under the sink and my head snaps to the bedroom. Slowly, I move towards it. I press my ear to the door listen.

It's quiet…

Until I hear a pant.

I step back, but my foot collides with the door. It doesn't budge.

"Who do you think you are, breaking into my home? Come out or I'll call the cops!"

There is no reply. I twist the door handle, but the door remains closed. They're defiantly behind it, keeping it shut.

Slamming my shoulder into it, I attempt to push it open with force. It opens to about an inch, before quickly shutting.

"Stop messing around and get out!"

Without warning, I feel like a bus hits me while I smack into the opposing wall. Looking up, I am pin by a large, blue haired man with his hand over my mouth.

Oh, the cliffy!

BTW: Every chapter, I'll give a piece of what happened to Orihime and the two gangs or whatever, so just hang in there. NOTE: Its like the plot from the series.

Reviewing-

How would relation between Tatsuki and intruder be: mortal enemies? friends? maybe something totally unexpected?

How are they gonna' treat each other?

Finally...

How will she be introduced to the Espada?

-Hey, thanks for taking the time to read this!-