A/N: I do not own Bleach... Kubo does……..

But I do own this little story

I am not apologizing ~ chapter 2 - had to add corrections

I humbly thank all those who have reviewed chapter 1 and have requested that I continue with this tale…. This is the ending

Please review and let me know what you think….

ICHIRUKI…. Pairing well sort of ….


Reader's POV

She is now sitting at a table in Urahara's Shoten ….She has been there for hours... she should have arrived in Soul Society over two hours ago …

Urahara has been telling her there is something wrong with the gate and she will have to wait until it is safe to travel…

The four hour time difference between the two worlds is helpful, but she is cutting it close…

She now cuts her eyes at Kon who she just found in her bag….

She tells him he can not go with her and he is to stay and assist Ichigo… he is crying uncontrollably … she usually would slap or punch him but she has too much on her mind ... She just quietly says for him to please stop….

Kon looks at her with concern ….

She is getting nervous as she is looking at her watch ... thinking about the phone call she received three hours ago …

She needs to go now… if not she will have to call them to come for her….

Kon who is still watching her... softly says ...' Ne Sana what is wrong … you look very sad'….

She says nothing … she just sits there looking at her watch thinking about her phone call.


Three hours ago – Reader's POV

She had just washed her face and returned to the Twin's bedroom to finish her studies …

She is sitting there trying not to cry again when her cell phone rang…. When she looked at the caller ID… her shoulders just deflate… because she knew what he wanted… he only calls for one thing …

She takes a deep breathe, opens the phone and her voice is now cheerful as she says "Hello Ni Sama" …

Byakuya's voice is stern, not warm but not cold …as he says "Rukia… have you finished your assignments for the day…"

She voice is quiet as she replies ... "yes… I have completed my assignments for today"

Byakuya then says "…Good I have already talked to your Taicho and Sotaicho … you are to attend Dinner which will be held at 7:00 pm…. Members from both the Shinouhin and Kasumioji clans will be our guests"

Rukia's head lowered as she quietly replies saying "yes… Ni Sama"….

Byakuya hearing the fluctuation in her voice says "Rukia is there something wrong"

She replies "No …Ni Sama … I am fine"

Byakuya then replies "Rukia, I understand this may be difficult but as the heir to the Clan you are approaching the age where it will be expected that you will be at least betrothed, if not wed… and in order to do that you will have be presented to the noble clans" …

She replies saying "Ni Sama, I understand… I will prepare to leave immediately…."

Byakuya then says "Rukia be prepared to stay for a week" ….

She replies "Yes Ni Sama… I will see you shortly"

She hangs up the phone, and starts to quietly pack …

She now hears him in his room… she looks up at the wall separating them, she puts her hand up, and momentary touches it , she wants to go to him and talk, but instead she packs and says nothing


Her POV – Present Time

She has now assessed her current situation and is now irritated as she stands and walks over to Urahara……thinking:

I must change at Urahara's, because if I where to attempt to change at the manor I would be late…. It is not acceptable…if I am late…. I would be even more of an embarrassment to my Clan

I nervously looks up to Urahara asking him to use his backrooms so I can now change; before my trip….He looks at me, strangely saying yes go ahead….

I then ask, my voice, it is getting hard to hide my emotions, is solemn, 'if my trunks are still in the room'.

He arches his eyes, letting me know he suspects what is going on, he says " yes"… quickly followed by "Rukia Sama … what is going on… are you alright"…

I just look at him … I feel he has been stalling … keeping me here….. And I let him because I don't want to go ….. That game must end… I now must get ready… To face my responsibilities

I stand my back is now straight and my head is held high, as I walk into the backroom……

Saying "Urahara the gate must be ready when I return from changing; you now must call to have him send them for me"….

Urahara's eyes look a little sad…as he says "I will send Ururu to come and help you dress"…. I do not respond… I keep walking …. I am a Kuchiki …


His POV

I am desperately running to Urahara's Shoten … I have not thought of what I will say to her… I just know I need to find her…. I was wrong … I treated her badly… very badly…

I ran into both Chad and Ishida who have decided they would accompany me in looking for her … I told them they did not have to come … but

Chad says "I am coming to give you some moral support, and make sure you do not say anything else stupid" …

Ishida says "I want to see you grovel, for treating her so bad"…

I roll my eyes at them both and keep running ….saying "I don't know what you are talking about we are Buds... just friends …"

It is then Chad stops running and grabs me by my shoulders, shaking me saying "you really are an ASS you know that … Everyone knows …. Everyone knows Ichigo … how you both feel about each other … since the first time you set eyes on her you where hooked on her… so why do you deny your feels for her to a point you hurt her …"

I pull myself from his grasp saying "Chad we are talking about the Midget… here" ……

Ishida is standing there shaking his head in disgust … He then looks at me saying, "NO …..We are talking about Kuchiki San … a beautiful girl who cares for you greatly…. Who if you are not careful will leave you and never come back … leaving you alone to rot of loneliness....'

I blow them off and start running again … but as I run I think about his words … her leaving me, I can feel my expression change on my face … I am becoming afraid… I really need to find her

I can see the Shoten ahead… I can't tell if she is there, but it is a start…. Time is ticking away…. I look at my watch it is 10:15 pm….


Reader's POV

Rukia is alone in the backroom, she had quickly bathed …her breast are no longer held by tight binds….As she is looks at herself in the mirror, she starts to grin thinking 'I am not as large as Orihime but I will no longer be mistaken for a flat chested girl'…

She had just finished putting on her undergarments when Ururu walked in holding one of her formal silk Kimonos, which she had in the trunks stored at Urahara's back room ….

She had selected the lavender Kimono … it has little golden sparrows embroidered on the long selves…she helps Rukia step into the Kimono…

Rukia closed her eyes as Ururu adjusts the material around her … it has been a long time since she has dressed in this manner … she is feeling strange.. She has missed it

Ururu now ties her Obi which is made of golden silk with lavender and gray tints around her small waist... allowing her womanly curves to show…

Her Lavender shoes are also made of silk and delicate ... Her hair is swept up, away from her face…

She now wears a formal head dress only worth by the Noble women of her Chan... It has pearls and a sheer veil partially covering her beautiful face … Only her lips which are now painted a pale rose color and hints of her beautiful eyes can be seen …

Her beautiful neckline his adorned with a thin golden choker which has the Kuchiki Clan insignia, inlayed with small pearls, in her ears hangs priceless pearl earrings…..

She is standing looking in the floor length mirror…. Gone is Kuchiki Rukia the Shinigami … the tomboy…

Now stands, a person who had been missing for over a year, Kuchiki Rukia, the beautiful princess of the Kuchiki Clan….and she has been missed….

She looks over to Ururu giving her a nod of approval, telling her she can go ….

As she is standing there staring at herself in the mirror….she starts to wonder … about what he was doing … If he could … accept her like this …..More then 'The Midget' …IF he could look at her as a girl …a girl who really ... really …really cares for him

She starts to thinks of what had happened earlier that day … Her eyes start to water … she takes a deep breath and pushes him out her of mind … saying… Probably not ….. It is not to be ... for him …I am one of the guys and will always be one of the guys...

She takes one more look into the mirror and slowly walks out of the backroom toward the front Shoten …


His POV

Chad, Ishida and I have run into the Shoten… as we enter I see Urahara had just hung up the phone; for a second I could have swore he had a sly grin on his face, which I quickly dismissed ….

I must have a crazy look on my face, because ….without tricks or complicated words…. Urahara calmly walks over to me saying, 'hello Kurosaki Kun how I can I help you and your friends' …..

I look to Urahara with desperation asking if he has seen Rukia… He just looks at me… strangely asking 'is there something wrong Kurosaki Kun' ….

I tell him I just need to talk to her …. He just looks at me saying nothing...

I glance around…. I see her bag and Kon who is sitting there ignoring me … I storm over and ask Kon where she is …

He responds by screaming "go to Hell strawberry"….

That did it … I lost it … I grab him by neck and start shaking him hard…. demanding he tell me where she went…..

It is then I glance over and I see this beautiful girl emerging from the backrooms she is dressed in the traditional fashion of a noble woman... she is now standing there … looking at me …

Kon and I are suddenly frozen in place….both gaping at her… my hand is still holding his neck, but I am now staring at her …I slowly start to allow my eyes look at her … I am not just looking… I am really looking at all of her… her figure… I had never seen anything so beautiful in my life …

I stare at her lips, fighting the sudden ague to taste them … even thought her face was covered with a thin veil…I can now see her eyes … she has her eyes … her violet orbs that have haunted me for over a year… I finally find my voice as I softly say … Midget … as Kon says Ne Sana


Reader's POV

She is standing there … On her face is a look of both shock and embarrassment...

She never wanted him to see her like this … she lowers her eyes as she quietly says... "Ichigo and Kon … please stop fighting" …

she takes a deep breathe gathering her emotions, she looks over to see Chad and Ishida ... Who also are looking at her with a look of complete shock, then back to Ichigo, she is very uncomfortable, her eyes are lowered as she quietly asks "why are you here… is something wrong"...


His POV

She is standing there asking me if something is wrong… her eyes are telling me there is a lot wrong…my heart is telling me that I am the cause of it …

I then pull all the courage I have and walk over to her…. She will not look at me…. I ask her if we can talk …. At first she says nothing ... then she said yes, but we must hurry because her brother has sent her escort to bring her back home…

Hearing her words … 'her brother was sending an escort to take her back home'…

I automatically think of the words Ishida spoke ... 'Kuchiki San … is a beautiful girl who cares for you greatly…. Who if you are not careful will leave you and never come back … leaving you alone to rot of loneliness'

I gently take her arm and carefully lead her into another room and shut the door…. I helped her to sit on one of the soft cushions at the table; I then sat beside her…

I start by saying I liked her dress... then I told her she was beautiful… she looks at me, shyly saying really…

From inside my shirt I pulled out the gift she gave me... her eyes become large as they look up at me …

I opened the book and keeping eye contact I read one of the quotes to her …she smiled the smile I realized I missed all day …

I then told her for her Valentine's Day gift… I will give her something I have never shared with anyone, and it was uniquely hers...

I slowly reached over and pull her to me careful not to disturb her head dress and veil ….

Saying Happy Valentine's Day …. I gently kissed her beautiful lips…..

Love is Blind, and Lovers cannot see, the Pretty follies that themselves commit ~ William Shakespeare

I apologized…..


A/N : thanks again … this is the end….. Please review

Yes..... that is the quote he read to her …….

LeRukia