She walked away

Couldn't say why she was leaving

She walked away

She left all she had believed in

Rukia listened to the voices outside the bedroom door. How many family members does he have? Rukia thought, listening to all the noise. Suddenly, it quieted down and only three voices could be heard.

"Is she awake, Takashi?" one voice said. The voice sounded like the pitch of an older woman. Must be the mother…

"Yeah, she's up, Oka-san," Takashi replied. Knew it…

"Could I got see her now, Taka-nii!" the small girl which Rukia remembered from last night said loudly. Her mother quieted her down.

"No, not yet…you can see her when she comes down for dinner," the mother replied.

Rukia gulped, "Dinner?"

"Yay! She's gonna eat dinner with us!" the girl said, excitement overflowing from her voice.

"Of course…she must be hungry," the mother responded.

Right on cue, Rukia stomach growled. She held her stomach and turned bright pink as she stared at the wooden door. Laughter could be heard from outside.

"Yup, she's hungry!" the girl laughed, "I'll help make dinner tonight, Oka-san, I want to talk to her," she finished, running down the hallway.

After the his sister left, Takashi and his mother walked in. His mother was tall and thin like her son with long, straight blonde hair that went down to her forearms. Her expression softened as she walked over to Rukia, kneeling next to her. Her slim arms rose up to Rukia's face as she rested her hand on her forehead.

"Hmm, it feels like you still have a little fever…" Takashi's mother said, withdrawing her hand from Rukia's head.

"I hope you won't mind having dinner with us…um…" she said confused. Rukia realized what she was getting at and replied in her fake school girl voice.

"Rukia Kuchiki, Ayame-san. I'm sorry if I caused you and your family any trouble," she said, slightly bowing her head. Takashi stared at Rukia, obviously noticing the attitude change.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, Rukia-Chan," Takashi's mother said with a smile, "Please call me Arisu. Ayame-san makes me sound old," she finished with laughter, slightly blushing.

Takashi laughed. Arisu turned around and glared at her son. Takashi stopped immediately and she turned back to Rukia.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Please rest until then. Takashi will stay with you," she said as she got up and left the room.

"So," Takashi started, "How did a girl like you end up in Hanagari?"

Ichigo walked down the street, the sun setting over the horizon behind him. He sighed heavily and continued walking down the dirt path. His stomach growled loudly as he stopped to search his bag for more food. He pulled out a bag of potato chips and walked in the street, eating dinner as he went along.

If I'm like this…hungry, lost and cold…what must Rukia be like? He thought, concern for his friend filling his mind. For all I know, she could be sleeping in that shopping car now… he thought, putting another chip into his mouth.

As quick as a shunpo-ing shinigami, night came, leaving Ichigo in the dark…again. Even in dark, Ichigo kept on walking for a while longer, happy to see where his nighttime stroll led him. He read the sign next to him out loud:

"Welcome to the small town of Hanagari. Our residents welcome you…"

"Hell yeah!" Ichigo yelled in satisfactory, "I finally got to the damn town!"

He walked to a near by tree and took off his bag, placing it under the tree. He declared to himself that this would be where he would stay the night.

"Tomorrow…I search the city…what fun," Ichigo sighed as he finished his chips, turning in for the night.

"…Oh, yeah. That would make sense-"

"Come on down guys, dinner's ready!" Arisu called from down stairs, her daughter cheering in the background.

"Rukia-Rukia- I get to see Rukia!" she sang as she set the table.

Takashi sighed, "Come one…Megumi really wants to see you," he said, getting up from his chair. Rukia rose and followed him down the stairs of their small apartment into the kitchen. It was a small, but useable kitchen, having a stove, refrigerator, and a table that could fit four people. Rukia's stomach growled as she smelled what Arisu cooked them for dinner, onigiri.

Just when she walked into the kitchen, Takashi's sister, Megumi, ran over to her and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Hi, Rukia! I'm sooooo happy to see you!" the young girl yelled, almost in hysterics.

"It's nice to meet you too, Megumi-Chan," Rukia smiled, patting her on the head.

"Okay, okay Megumi…time to eat," Arisu said, ripping Megumi off Rukia.

They sat down next to Takashi at the table. Arisu brought out a plate with ten rice balls on it. Rukia picked one up and took a bite. Oh, it's good…really good.

Megumi took her rice ball and began to talk…and talk and talk.

"Ruuuukia! Hi, I'm Megumi Ayame. I'm 6 years old. I live here with my brother, Taka-nii-san, he's 16 and a half, and my mom, Oka-san, she's 37, and our cat, Timichii-Chan. Taka-nii and I and sometimes Timichii go out to buy groceries from the market everyday while Oka-san goes to work, she's a flouriest. It's lots of fun! Wanna come tomorrow!" Megumi finished, finally taking a bite of her rice ball.

Rukia stared at Megumi, rice hanging from her mouth. Once she fully understood the question, a serious expression showed itself on her face as she put her food back on the plate.

"I was actually planning on leaving here tomorrow. I appreciate your hospitality but I cannot stay in one place for to long and I would want to cause trouble," Rukia responded solemnly, her face as cold as an iceberg.

"Aww, why can't you staaaay? You're soooo nice," Megumi whined, upset by the fact that Rukia was going to leave.

Takashi looked at Rukia then back to his family. "Well, Rukia and I were talking up stairs and she said she used to live with her two parents and her brother…um…what was his name again?"

"…Ichigo…" Rukia answered sadly.

"Yeah, her, Ichigo, and her parents lived in Karakura and they were happy there. Her mother died a couple months ago and her family became distant, her father was always working and her and Ichigo went to school all the time," Takashi looked at Rukia if he could keep going and Rukia nodded, staring at her dish.

"Rukia couldn't take the sadness that was in her house anymore, so she ran away. Even though she said she would miss her brother, the independence of being free from her life called out to her and she left. Now she thinks her brother is out looking for her to bring her back home…….Did I miss anything?" Takashi finished, looking at Rukia.

She couldn't take one more day

Home was more a prison now

Independence called out

She had to get it.

Rukia smiled sadly, "No, you got every last detail."

She smiled both in the sadness of missing Ichigo and in the happiness of knowing all the lying she did in school actually helped in real life.

The dinner table pondered the words that had just been spoken. Arisu broke the awkward silence.

"What are your parents names, Rukia-Chan?" she asked. "I might have heard of them."

Rukia looked up. "Oh, my father's name…is…Byakuya! Yes. And my mother's name was…um…Hisana," Rukia said, hoping no one noticed her hesitation.

"Oh, I never heard of them. What does your father do?"

"Ano…he…he's a doctor!" Rukia said loudly, the idea hitting her to fast to contain herself. "Oh, sorry. He runs a clinic in town," she finished, her face turning red.

"Hmm, interesting…" Arisu pondered, trying to recall hearing the family name.

"I know, what if Rukia-nee stayed here to hide from her nii-san?" Megumi declared, taking another rice ball.

WHAT!

"That's fine with me. You can stay here as long as you like, Rukia-Chan. I don't mind at all," Arisu said, agreeing with her daughter.

Rukia didn't know what to do. If she stayed with them, they might be attacked by a Hollow and she really didn't want to explain that. If she left, she might be found by Ichigo or a search party of Death Gods that are sent to capture run-away shinigami. But…

Takashi sensed Rukia's hesitation.

"Hey, relax. You don't have to stay forever…just until you think it will be alright to leave. We have the space for one more person…so don't worry."

"…"

"Alright," Rukia finally said, giving into the kind family, "I guess…just for a little while…till I think its okay."

"YAY!" Megumi yelled, jumping up and down on her chair. "Rukia-nee-san's gonna be an AYAME!"

Ten minutes into dinner, Rukia excused herself from the table, saying the onigiri was delicious but she wanted to go in early to make sure her fever went away. Arisu said that she could sleep in Takashi's bed and he could sleep on the floor but Rukia refused and offered if she could sleep somewhere else.

Rukia turned light pink, "Ano…I could sleep in his closet…"

No one complained as they set up Rukia's bed in Takashi's closet. She put on Yuzu's pajamas that she had stole and closed the door to her new bed. Thoughts of Ichigo swam through her mind once more as a single tear rolled down her pale cheeks.

I wonder if you're really out looking for me….Ichigo.