A/N: All right, well here's another chapter.

Remember, I do not own Bleach.

I do not own the awesome song that Ichigo is writing and composing in this chapter. Hyde from L'Arc en ciel does, and it is titled "Shallow Sleep".

Well, enjoy! And let me know what you think!

Nanao awoke to an ear-shattering alarm. She reached out and smashes it into many pieces with her fist. She sat up and yawned; she turned to look at her husband, Shunsui, and noticed that the alarm did not affect him in the least. She put on her slippers and walked over to the kitchen drowsily.

"No one should have to wake up at four thirty in the morning," muttered Nanao to herself.

She fixed Shunsui's lunch for the day, and a while later turned away from the stove to be greeted with a kiss. Nanao almost flinched, lately she had felt a strange distance towards her husband; she came to the point of believing that she no longer desired him; the past couple of nights with him almost repulsed her.

Shunsui sat by the table and Nanao served him some coffee; she winced as he touched her hand. She surveyed her husband carefully, and at the moment wondered what she ever saw in him. He wasn't wearing a shirt and sat before her in all his furry glory, he was covered in hair, his chest, his arms; she couldn't remember the last time he mentioned cutting his hair or even attempted to shave. Shunsui noticed her looking at him, but completely misinterpreted her expression and looked at her mischievously.

"You know Nanao, if you begged me a little bit, I'd skip work and stay here with you," said Shunsui.

"Are you crazy?! You skipped work the other day because you got drunk and had a hangover all day! I swear Shunsui, if you don't get your act together and start being more responsible then I'll…I'll…"

"You'll what?" Asked Shunsui looking at her almost daringly.

"I'll divorce you," said Nanao narrowing her eyes at him.

"Now Nanao, don't say things you don't mean; we both know you're crazy about me, so much that you ran off with me without your parents' consent when you were fourteen," said Shunsui; this immediately had Nanao shaking with rage.

The only reason she married Shunsui was because her then boyfriend, Shuhei Hisagi, did not pick her up to take her to a school dance. Now Nanao was not one to resort to such drastic measures, but she was madly in love with Hisagi; in her sadness, she left to Yamamoto's café to have a couple of drinks. Shunsui Kyoraku, Yamamoto's son, had fancied her ever since she was thirteen, but she never paid any attention to him because he was too old for her, he was thirty-one and she was fourteen. That night however, the alcohol took over and she accepted his offer; she left with him to a love motel and made the biggest mistake of her life, one which resulted in the end her virginity and the creation of a small silver-haired blue-eyed baby.

The next morning she rushed out of there without giving the older man an explanation; that same day Hisagi called to apologize, apparently he had been in a biking accident and broke a leg; needless to say, Nanao felt horrible about the entire situation. Her spur of the moment sex would have gone by unnoticed by all others had it not been for her growing bump. She was forced to admit who the father was; Hisagi dumped her, and her parents forced her to marry Shunsui.

"It did not happen like that and you know it! You must remember you were after all the only sober one!" Screamed Nanao pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Mom, dad?" Asked twelve-year-old Toshiro walking into the kitchen.

"Honey, why are you up so early?" Asked Nanao taking her son's temperature, "darling you're freezing, I'm taking you to the doctor," said Nanao taking off her sweater and placing it over his shoulders.

"I'm fine mom," said Toshiro blushing; he didn't like it when his mother got all emotional with him.

"Not another word, we're going and that's final," said Nanao forcing him to sit down by the table, "here," she said placing a hot bowl of chicken soup in front of him.

"Thanks mom," said Toshiro sighing exasperated.

"Well, gotta go get dressed for work, buildings don't build themselves you know," said Shunsui leaving the kitchen.

"AH!"

Matsumoto ran through the building frantically dashing towards the source of those screams. Screams that came from her star showgirl, the other showgirls looked confused as Matsumoto rushed through the halls. Once she reached Orihime's room, she dashed inside and was prepared to whack something with the bat in her hand.

"What is it Orihime?" she asked a bit out of breath. Orihime was lying down on her bed with disheveled hair and in perspiration; she lifted her hand to show Matsumoto the blood on her hand; Matsumoto's eyes widened in fear.

"What happened? Where are you hurt?! Do I need to make some calls I-"

"No, it's nothing like that I…I'm bleeding?" said Orihime timidly; Matsumoto looked at her confused; then she understood.

"And your last customer was Aizen-sama correct?" Asked Matsumoto; Orihime nodded, "I swear, that corrupt bastard thinks that just because he owns all of Asia he can manhandle innocent prostitutes well I oughta…was he very rough on you?"

"No, that's why it's strange, what if I'm catching something Matsumoto, I'm scared!"

"Nonsense, just go see the doctor later. We got new insurance, and our new doctor is none other than Uryuu Ishida."

"Who's that" asked Orihime clueless.

"Uryuu Ishida…son-in-law of the famous doctors Mayuri and Unohana Kurotsuchi…" said Matsumoto; Orihime still looked clueless.

"Just take this card and go," said Matsumoto shoving a card in her hand and leaving the room.

Dr. Ishida yawned as he and his wife were organizing his office. There was a mess on the desk, papers thrown everywhere and pencils on the floor.

"Nurse Nemu, just so you know I will hold you responsible for this havoc; it will be coming straight out of your paycheck," said Ishida very seriously, but once facing his wife he could not hold back his smile.

"Come here Mrs. Ishida," said Ishida pulling his wife in for a kiss; things were beginning to heat up when a knock was heard at the door; Ishida pulled away reluctantly and straightened out his clothes.

"Come in."

"Dr. Ishida, first patients just arrived," said Hanatarou peeking inside apparently too shy to enter.

"Is Dr. Kurosaki here yet?" Asked Ishida.

"He just called; he's on his way Dr.," said Hanatarou.

"He's late again, that man needs to set his priorities straight," muttered Ishida under his breath, only loud enough for his wife to hear. When opening his clinic for people with low incomes, Ishida decided on only having Dr. Isshin Kurosaki work with him. Ishida only wanted the best doctors, but Isshin Kurosaki was the only well-recognized doctor that would accept to treat patients on minimum wages with crappy insurances. He knew his in-laws who were considered the best doctors in the world, would never set foot in the small clinic, that, and they weren't very fond of him; they discouraged any other recognized doctors who perhaps had good hearts from working with their 'good-for-nothing naïve son-in-law.'

Ishida greatly respected Dr. Kurosaki's work, he really did, but the man lacked the personality and mannerisms of a doctor. Ever since losing his wife Masaki, he spent entire days in whorehouses. His son, who was Ishida's age, was young then, and realizing how abandoned he'd left him, Isshin took him along with him as well. Ishida felt for him, it must have been strange for the boy growing up around half or entirely naked women. He had never met him before, but Ishida was almost sure that by now Isshin's son was probably gay or a male chauvinist.

"All right, well fix the rooms, and I'll be there in a minute," said Ishida; Hanatarou nodded and then left.

"Damn that Isshin, he'll probably show up to work with a hangover to work again," sighed Ishida frustrated, but then smiled as his wife placed a small kiss on his lips, but that smile did not last.

"Mother and father invited us to dinner tonight."

"Darling, do we really have to?"

"Yes, you said that as soon as we decided to…start trying, we would speak to my parents about it, you know my father will want to be involved with it from the beginning," said Nemu.

"Sweetie, don't you think it would be…a bit strange for your father to be the doctor to monitor the pregnancy, everything from the conception to the delivery?"

"Of course not, he will treat it as a professional."

"But, he'll be asking us how many times a day and which days we…he'll even be arranging the perfect days for us to…to you know, ensure fertilization," said Ishida trying to hide his discomfort; this didn't go by unnoticed by Nemu and she smiled warmly at him while wrapping her arms around his waist.

"You're so cute when you're shy Uryuu," said Nemu gazing into his eyes and pulling him into a heated kiss; then she pulled away from him and looked at him mischievously.

"Fine! But any talk about giving me a physical and the deal's off," said Ishida giving in; Nemu smiled at him and held him closer.

"Thank you! Now get out of here and go save some lives," said Nemu letting go of him and spanking him as he walked away.

Nanao was sitting in the waiting room with her son Toshiro, they, along with a busty red-head, were the only ones there. Nanao noticed the flustered look in her son's face as he tried to keep his eyes to himself. The busty red-head was dressed in very scandalous and revealing clothing, her hair was up in a bun, she wore a halter top that accentuated her large breasts, and short shorts that probably gave a good look of her gluteus maximums when she bent over; it probably also didn't help that she wore fisher nets and hoop earrings.

"Excuse me, m'am, is that your son? How old is he?" Asked Orihime looking adorably at Toshiro.

"He's twelve," said Nanao rather coldly; her eyes widened in surprise when Orihime rushed past her and stuffed Toshiro's face in between her breasts.

"Oh he's so adorable! Oh I love little kids they're so cute they make me wanna hug-them-and-kiss-them-bite-them-smother-them-with-cuddles!"

"Miss?" Asked Nanao rather calmly, but with a vein beginning to pulsate on the side of her forehead.

"Yes?" Asked Orihime turning to look at her.

"Could you perhaps…get your corrupt adulterous hands off my child?"

"Sure, I'm sorry," said Orihime sheepishly as she let go of Toshiro and walked back to her seat; she sank into her seat in shame, 'did I just harass a kid?' she thought to herself. They waited a couple of minutes; Orihime sighed impatiently and sat back up on her chair.

"So, he's really your son then?"

"Yes! Get near him again and I'll cut off your hands!"

"I'm very sorry about earlier, but that's not why I asked. It's just, you look so young, I thought he was your little brother," said Orihime.

"Yes well I married very young, I'm twenty-seven," said Nanao; Orihime did the math with her fingers then gasped shocked.

"You were fifteen when he was born?! I thought you were a smart woman, I mean…you probably are it's just that…" said Orihime nervously trying to take back what she said.

"Just shut up," said Nanao irritated.

"Hey Orihime, how strange to see you here, are you all right?" Asked Isshin walking into the waiting room; she walked over to him to greet him.

"Mr. Kurosaki! I didn't know you worked here; yeah I'm all right, just some minor problems," smiled Orihime.

"Well all right, get better soon we'll be coming to visit you guys for dinner tonight," said Isshin.

"Umm…Mr. Kurosaki, will umm…will…?"

"I'll make Ichigo come, don't you worry your pretty little head Orihime," said Isshin; Orihime smiled at him thankfully; then Isshin left into the halls.

Orihime sat back down on the chair, and a silver-haired woman walked into the waiting room. She seemed to know Nanao and sat next to her and Toshiro.

"What are you doing here? You and Shunsui finally decided to have another?" Asked Isane jokingly.

"Heaven forbid! No, Toshiro woke up with a chill today," said Nanao.

"Well I'm sure my Yachiru will be missing you very much at school, she says you're her best friend you know," said Isane. Toshiro shivered just thinking of the pink-haired menace, the girl wouldn't give him a moment's peace and was more energetic than a hamster on crack.

"Why are you here Isane?" Asked Nanao.

"Oh, just my annual Pap," said Isane brightly.

"Lovely," said Nanao sarcastically, "I just had mine done last week, I do need to get a mammogram though," said Nanao sarcastically.

"Really? I already had mine done, My Kenny worries a lot about my body you know, that big lug is just full of love and concern," sighed Isane dreamily.

"Kenpachi makes you come? If Shunsui even mentioned the subject I'd-" Toshiro covered his ears, he did not need to hear about his mother's reproductive organs.

"Orihime Inoue, the doctor will see you now," said the receptionist; Orihime immediately stood up and dashed through the double doors.

Orihime sat on the hospital bed wearing a hospital gown as she swung her feet back and forth. She had already had her blood pressure and weight taken by a very flustered-looking male-nurse named Hanatarou, and was presently waiting for Dr. Ishida. He walked inside and fixed his glasses before glancing indifferently at the girl before him.

"Good morning," he said smiling.

"Good morning," she said returning him a smile.

"Orihime Inoue, irregular bleeding during intercourse, aching in the inner thighs and swelling of the inner and outer labia, is there anything you would like me to add? Miss Inoue? Miss Inoue?" Asked Ishida waving a hand in front of her face as she stared at him intently; she shook her head and smiled nervously.

"No, that's all doctor," said Orihime nervously; she didn't mean to stare at him, there was just something very familiar about him, she felt like she had met him somewhere before.

"All right then, lie down and spread your legs open," said Ishida; Orihime blushed instantly.

"Excuse me?" Asked Orihime defensively as she crossed her legs.

"Miss Inoue, I will not examine you if you do not wish it, but then we will never find out what is wrong with you, will we?" Asked Ishida beginning to grow a bit irritated; Orihime nodded embarrassed; she hesitantly lied back on the bed and spread her legs open.

Ishida put on his latex gloves and leaned in closer to examine her, he held a small flashlight with one hand while parting her labia to look into her opening. Orihime flinched but didn't move away; sensing her discomfort Ishida began to feel uncomfortable as well. He grabbed a cotton swab and cleaned off some of the material sticking out from her entrance and then inspected it.

"Miss Inoue, tell me if this hurts," said Ishida; Orihime nodded. Ishida stuck his finger inside and probed her walls carefully; once he stretched her opening a bit she shrieked in pain. He pulled his finger out, took off his gloves, and threw them to the trash. Orihime sat up and looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong with me Dr. Ishida?"

"Well…"

"What do you mean my son has stage three hypothermia?!" Asked Nanao frightened.

"Yes, but, oddly enough, it doesn't seem to be affecting him in the least," said Isshin sucking on a lollipop.

"Well is it normal?!"

"No, no it isn't, but then again nowadays what is, just make sure to keep him warm and feed him hot soups; I'll give you some penicillin just in case there's an infection, even thought it doesn't look like there is one," said Isshin writing down the prescription on a piece of paper.

"You're a doctor aren't you supposed to do something about it?!"

"Well, the way I see it Mrs. Kyoraku, your son Toshiro seems to be doing well…which doesn't make scientific sense, but I could always inject his veins with hot liquid if it makes you feel any better; that is all I can do," said Isshin; Nanao glared at him but said nothing else.

"Lollipop?" Isshin asked Toshiro handing him a red candy on a stick.

That night, Ishida and Nemu were having dinner at the Kurotsuchi manor. Everything was silent as they sat around the table. Unohana ate properly as Mayuri glared at Ishida, and Nemu smiled the entire time trying to ease the tension between her father and her husband. Unohana looked at her daughter from the corner of the eye and noticed how uncomfortable she looked, so she decided to strike up a conversation.

"Rukia Ichimaru came by my office today," said Unohana.

"What did she want?" Asked Mayuri.

"Apparently having some vaginal problems," said Unohana; this type of conversation at the family table was normal for them. They were a family of health specialists; there was only one dinner table rule, and that was to never speak to anyone else about what conversations they had here; to them it was an opportunity to share with other great doctors their dilemmas or discoveries.

"Anything pointing out to an Ichimaru heir?" Asked Mayuri.

"No, I found the remains of a recently torn hymen. I found this strange, I've been her doctor and gynecologist for five years and had not seen that in her since her first night with Gin Ichimaru."

"I had a similar case today; the woman was a prostitute and yet…"

"It was as if she had just recently lost her virginity," said Unohana.

"Exactly," said Ishida.

"Well, now that we're on the topic of reproductive organs, Uryuu and I have something we need to tell you," said Nemu looking very excited; she looked over at Ishida who immediately froze.

"Yes?" Asked Mayuri looking dangerously at Ishida; Ishida gulped. Nemu looked over at her husband, but when she noticed he wasn't going to speak she cleared her throat.

"Fine, I'll tell them. Mother, father, Uryuu and I have decided that…that we want to have a baby."

Rangiku's House of Whores was filled with customers that night, it was a Saturday, so it was expected. Isshin, Ichigo, Chad, Ikkaku, and Hisagi walked inside and sat in a dining room in the back were they were greeted by Matsumoto. Tatsuki and Orihime immediately walked inside and served them dinner.

"Kurosaki-kun, I'm so happy you came tonight, you had along time without coming," said Orihime cheerfully as she sat in front of him; Ichigo smiled at her but a bit forcibly.

"So how's it going with the band you guys?" Asked Matsumoto.

"Great, we're meeting Yoruichi Shihoin tomorrow," said Ikkaku as he gulped down a pint of beer.

"Really?" Asked Tatsuki surprised.

"Yes, Urahara is introducing us to a bunch of celebrities; he said he even knows Rukia Ichimaru," said Hisagi.

"The Ice Princess… considered to be the most beautiful creature in all of Asia. She's incapable of emotion but even so is very beautiful; her piercing eyes are said to steal your soul if you look in them too long," said Orihime looking out into space as if in a trance.

"Umm…Orihime?" Asked Matsumoto a bit confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just that, I've always dreamed of becoming a model, silly I know, but Rukia Ichimaru is my role model, I'm her biggest fan," said Orihime a bit sadly once she snapped out of it.

"Well, honestly, I like The Prowling Kitten Soi Fong better, she's tough and fierce while Rukia is more like a statue," said Tatsuki as she ate some rice; Orihime didn't say anything. They were silent for a moment; Ichigo stared at his plate for a moment, thinking, thinking of her…

"So Isshin how is the new job with Uryuu Ishida?" Asked Matsumoto breaking the silence.

"It's good, I don't think he thinks I'm very responsible though…I've come late to work with hangovers from time to time. He hasn't expressed his frustration very much though; so he's probably not too upset about it," said Isshin.

"Still dad, you shouldn't push it," said Ichigo.

After they finished having dinner, they all split up, Ikkaku and Hisagi had left to watch the evening show, Chad left to help Orihime and Tatsuki move the furniture in their room, and Isshin left to the bar. Ichigo went out to the roof of the building with his guitar; he sat down and began playing, stopping from time to time to write on a notepad. He looked at the Shanghai skyline, sighed, and then started playing again as he sang.

"I just saw you…beyond the course of time, a room that we one shared, but my memory's a haze, I hope we meet again…" then he stopped and wrote more words on the notepad.

"Forgetting what-" but he was interrupted by Orihime who ran towards him and then sat down.

"What are you doing Kurosaki-kun?"

"I got a new idea for a song," he said putting his guitar and notepad aside.

"What is it about?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"Can I hear it?"

"I started it just now; I'll let you listen to it when I'm done," said Ichigo; Orihime smiled at him and nodded.

"Kurosaki-kun, I've missed you very much, you have a while without coming and I…"

"I've been busy with the band; I might be coming more often now."

"Good, it's just, you Tatsuki and I used to play so much when we were kids but then…"

"But then you started working," said Ichigo finishing the sentence for her.

"I get the feeling, you didn't want us to do this," said Orihime a bit sadly.

"It wasn't a feeling, you two were my best friends, and it was embarrassing for me to see you throw away your honor like that," said Ichigo avoiding to look at her; Orihime's eyes welled up in tears.

"I swore I would protect the two of you when you both lost your families, but I can't protect you from yourselves."

"Kurosaki-kun, I'm sorry, but we were so poor, your dad helped as much as he could, but we needed the money," said Orihime wrapping her arms around him as she cried.

"Yes, but there were other ways…it didn't have to turn out like this. You two are only nineteen, what were you thinking when you got into this last year?"

"Kurosaki-kun I…"

"I want you to quit, both of you, my band's gonna make it big pretty soon; when it does, I want you and Tatsuki to quit," said Ichigo avoiding to look at her as she pulled away from him.

"Thank you…Ichigo," said Orihime smiling warmly at him. Then she pulled him towards her, and crushed her lips to his. Their lips mingled with one another, but when she delved her tongue into his mouth, he pulled away. She looked at him confused, but he didn't say anything.

"I don't want to distract you from your job, customers will be waiting for you don't keep them waiting because of me," he said looking away from her; Orihime looked to the floor sadly and then walked out of there.

Ichigo had once held very deep feelings for Orihime, feelings that lasted from their childhood up until she began to prostitute herself. He couldn't take it, it was painful to know that the girl he felt so strongly for belonged to every man that could afford her. They had never been in a relationship, things between them were just beginning to blossom when she decided to become a prostitute, then it ended, their Spring left early and never returned.

Ichigo took his guitar and started playing again; then he took his notepad and wrote a couple of other words. He looked them over, then started playing again.

"I just saw you, a moment far too brief…" he stopped playing and looked back at the night skyline. 'Far too brief…I hope we meet again,' thought Ichigo to himself, he still could not understand the phenomenon that was Rukia Ichimaru. Last night after they kissed, they wandered the garden a bit more, conversing and holding each other.

…

He touched her skin, to see if it was as smooth as it looked, and it turned out to be softer than he thought. Once it was time for her to retire, he walked her to the entrance of her husband's hotel, the one he owned and lived in. She looked at him and then asked him something completely unexpected.

"Gin and I have an open marriage, you should come up and ask him if you could be one of my lovers." Ichigo didn't know what to say to that, he looked at her furiously.

"One of your lovers?! There's more?! Your husband might be willing to share you but I'm not! If you want to be with me, then be with me, but only with me, I'm willing to be with you behind your husband's back, but only until you get the courage to face him about it and ask for a divorce," said Ichigo.

"A divorce?! What? Do you really think I would leave my husband for you?"

"Why not? You said I felt more real than anything about your day, that would include him wouldn't it?"

"Don't you dare twist my words against me you idiot!" Said Rukia outraged.

"I'm not, I'm only saying the truth, you feel something with me that you've never felt with anyone else, and it's the same for me; I don't know about you, but I'd really like to find out why that is," said Ichigo.

"Well you know what? Maybe it was a mistake, maybe all the lighting has left me a bit delusional. You're crazy you know that? Asking me to leave Gin, do you not know who he is? What he would do to you? To me? He would kill us he-"

"So then you don't love him, you're just scared of him."

"What?" Asked Rukia outraged, "you do not know me. I love Gin very much, so much that…mmpphh," she was muffled by Ichigo's lips. She tried to push him away at first, but then gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck. He placed one hand on her back, and held her chin with the other. She parted her lips and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, tasting her, feeling her. He rolled his tongue with hers and heard her whimper; he smirked at this. She was so overcome by the kiss that she got weak in knees and would have fallen if Ichigo hand not wrapped his arms around her. She clung to him desperately as the kiss intensified, pulling the hair on the back of his head with one hand and clasping his shirt with the other.

He pulled away for air, but tugged at her lower lip with his teeth before ending it. She kept her eyes closed and rested limply in his arms. He smirked and immediately she opened her eyes. Infuriated to see him smirking she pulled away from him giving him a good punch in the stomach, leaving him breathless and clutching his stomach on the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Why did you kiss me like that?!"

"What? You didn't like it? Now tell me you felt nothing," said Ichigo with an air of confidence.

"You conceited bastard! Stay away from me or I'll have a restraining order on you!" Screamed Rukia at him; she stepped on his head then walked inside the Hotel.

…

And that was how their incredible night ended, with a passionate kiss and a threat.

Ichigo sighed and lied back on the ground and looked up at the stars, just why was that midget so important to him? She was right, he didn't even know her, yet for some reason, he felt that he did.