A/N: Just a heads up, I didn't quite enjoy how I wrote this chapter. For some reason, writing and re-reading it, I realized how bad it was and I couldn't quite progress the story. I really suck at writing long chapters, too. I write everything on paper first and then on my IPod so I always think its lengthy opposed to what it really is. So I hope you at least like it and it doesn't bore you. Ha-ha…oops.

I'm starting to venture into the world of writer's block. It's a dark and scary place! Help! If any of you have any ideas, please, feel free to review or PM me them!

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Twenty minutes passed since the end of the earthquake. A girl with brown hair pulled back in a bun named Momo patched up Rukia's back with a first aid kit they had found and the two were quickly getting along. When Momo was placing bandages on Rukia's back, Momo's eyes hardened a bit and I could only assume she saw her scars. We passed the kit around to those who needed it. I never found out who the person was that died but I never asked. I didn't want to be inconsiderate to someone who was really close to them.

Everyone moved away from the windows and we all sat by the elevators and stairway. There was no way any of us would get back to work since the whole building was practically in ruins. All we could do was sit and wait.

I was sitting by Renji, Shuuhei, and Izuru. I had a few miscellaneous bruises, but otherwise was fine. Renji had a fairly deep cut on his right cheek. I'm not sure what caused it, but Shuuhei had three deep jagged lines running down from his right half of his face, extending to his jaw and I already knew that they would scar. Izuru was cradling his broken left hand and insisted that he was fine.

Rukia was sitting a few feet away by Momo and Rangiku, talking about nothing in particular. She seemed better now that she didn't have any glass in her back and still had my shirt on.

"Hey! Anyone see the boss?" One of my colleagues, Hiyori shouted from where her group of people was sitting.

"Oh, no," Kira suddenly gasped, looking toward the boss's closed door. His eyes widened and he jumped up.

With an unsinkable feeling, I realized what was wrong. Renji was already running for Ukitake's door. He tried to thrust the door open but it wouldn't budge. He threw his shoulder into it as I scrambled up from the floor.

"Ichigo?" Rukia asked, worried from our sudden urgency, frowning slightly, "What—?"

"Stay there!" I ordered, not wanting her to see something awful plague her head, and ran to aid Renji and Kira.

"Move!" a new voice ordered and I spun to see Sentaro barreling forward. He rammed himself into the stuck door, shouting for Ukitake.

Sentaro, Renji, Shuuhei, and I pushed against the door with all our strength, trying to move the weight that seemed to be rubble blocking the door. We pushed and I could feel my forehead glisten with sweat from all the effort. Sentaro gave a finally grunt and really rammed himself into the door. Finally, it cracked open and we had enough leverage that our next push opened the door halfway, pushing the wreckage away.

A short girl with dirty blonde hair—Kiyone—I realized, rushed passed us. Sentaro tried to make a grab for her arm to stop her from seeing her worst nightmare but she easily dodged it. Her shrill scream filled the fallen apart office and my eyes finally saw why.

There, under rock and rubble, was our boss, Ukitake, half seen lying on the ground with his eyes closed and blood trickling out of his mouth. Dead. Crushed.

I stumbled backward, trying to take deep breaths. There was no way! How did we not get to him sooner? Did this happen right away or just a few minutes ago? Why didn't I think about where he might be? I felt so overcome with guilt that I crouched over, placing my hands on my knees and trying to calm my breathing.

"Quick!" Kiyone screamed. "Get someone! An ambulance! Something!"

"No," Sentaro solemnly responded. "It's—it's too late, Kiyone. He's gone." He went to embrace her to calm her down but she fought back.

"No! Just pull him out or something," she pleaded in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Kiyone…" Sentaro was at a loss with his arms open, but she finally fell into them, breathing in sobs.

"I—I have to call my sister," she gasped. "I need to get out of this building! She gave me a ride to work today."

"Alright, just…calm down." He carried her out of the office and into the main one. He set her down beside Momo and Rukia who were already comforting her.

I shook my head and sighed, straightening up. This really was not good. Could this day literally get any worse? Our boss was dead! How…what do we do now? Our work was in shambles and who knew how many others were dead on the various other floors. Did the first floor make it out? Or did the whole building collapse on them? My face paled and I clutched my stomach, looking up at our ceiling. We had ninety-five floors above us which could weaken and shatter at any moment given the slumping of ours and holes that filled it. No sign of rescue had been seen even though countless calls had been made. What if…I didn't make it out of this? What if we all didn't? I glanced around at all the workers, some of them friends that I knew for a while, some I just met, and some I never even talked to. Every single one of these people had families and loved ones. They may never see them again.

Fumbling around in my pocket, I pulled out my cellphone. I had to call my family and tell them I was safe…for the most part.

My eyes landed on Rukia who was looking at baby pictures Rangiku was showing her. Rukia's eyes were lit up and laughed at some of them. Rangiku was smiling like a proud mother and telling a story on how the twins tackled Gin. I knew the whole ordeal was them trying to not think about their current situation and distract themselves with harmless pictures and stories. With a jolt, I realized Rangiku might never see her kids again after today.

"Ichigo? What happened?" I didn't realize that I actually hit the call button on my phone, so when Yuzu's soft voice spoke, I was speechless.

"Yuzu…your home?" I asked dazed, stating the obvious but still needing the comfort of knowing that they were safe. "Karin also?"

"Yeah, we have a week break from college so we're helping dad around the house," she explained.

"Ichi-nii!" Karin's voice shouted in the background. A slight commotion and shuffling was heard and a second later her voice became closer and clearer. "Today was your day off, right? You said it was. So you're okay? I heard that an earthquake struck Tokyo." That was Karin, always to the point.

My heart clenched and I took a shaky breath. "I'm sorry you guys. I'm…in my building."

"What!" Karin gasped at the same time I heard Yuzu cry, "No!"

"I'll be okay, I promise," I lied, squeezing my eyes shut and pinching the bride of my nose. "I'll be home tomorrow for dinner to make it up, alright?" I didn't say I would be home tonight for dinner since it was already four thirty at night, but it wasn't like it even mattered. I doubted that we would be rescued tonight.

"You're lying," Karin stated and I knew she would've. "We're your sisters, we know when you're lying and telling the truth!"

"Listen—"

"Dad!" Yuzu shouted so loudly that I had to move the phone away from my ear.

"Yuzu, don't tell—" I was interrupted by none other than my father.

"ICHIGOOOO!" his booming voice shouted which always ceased to annoy me, but now it felt nice to hear him even with his next questions being predictable. "How is my wonderful son doing? I'm not getting any younger here so when will I expect grandkids? I mean come on, son, you're turning twenty-six in eight months!"

"Dad…" I fell silent since I didn't know what to say.

Parental instincts must have kicked in, because his joking self was gone, replaced with anguish. "What is it?" I didn't get the chance to tell him because I heard either Yuzu or Karin whisper something to him and he groaned in unhappiness. "I'm coming."

"No, Dad, don't come. The roads are probably all closed down and there's a bunch of debris everywhere," I tried to reason. Secretly, I wanted him to come. But half of me didn't want him to be here feeling helpless as he watches the building collapse in a cloud of smoke and then feel guilty. And God forbid if Yuzu and Karin went with along with him.

"That won't stop me!" he remarked. "I'm grabbing my car keys. Be there in twenty minutes." The line cut off. I brought my phone down slowly. I expected nothing less of him. I caught sight of various others on their phones, talking to loved ones, realizing the undying truth that I already concluded to.

"Rukia," I called her attention and my voice was strained. Since I could only assume that she left in such a hurry this morning to get here, I wasn't sure if she grabbed her phone or if she left it in the drawer of her desk. If it was in her desk, I wasn't going to have her walk to the back to grab it and maneuver around all the rubble and risk falling out the windows. I wasn't sure if that was too protective of me, but it was my nature and she already went through so much today.

Her head jerked up from her name being called from the floor and she focused on me. I motioned to the cell phone in my hand. I remembered her mentioning something about a brother and I didn't remember seeing any pictures of her parents. "Do you want to call your brother?" I asked.

"No," she snapped without a moment's hesitation.

I blinked. That wasn't what I thought she would say. What was up with her? "Why not? You may not make it out!" I didn't want to say that but the truth of the situation hit me hard and freaked me out.

"What are you saying, Ichigo?" she crossed her arms and looked pointedly at me.

I sighed. "Look around. The ceiling is caving and the weight of the building isn't being held by much."

"I've realized that. But I don't want to bug him."

I was getting aggravated. "Rukia! This is your life! He should care enough to know if you're okay!"

Her violet eyes hardened. "My brother is not like that. He expects me to be able to take care of myself and I can." She surveyed around her and seemed to replay her words in her head. "But…this is a bit different I suppose." She gave an exhausted sigh before looking at me again. "All right."

I stepped over to her and crouched down, handing her my phone. She accepted it, inhaling a deep breath, then dialed. I heard it ring once and then someone picked up on the other end.

"Byakuya Kuchiki, please," Rukia said and it felt like I was punched in the stomach. How was I so stupid and not realize her last name. Byakuya Kuchiki! Of course she would be related to him. Well…that makes a lot of sense now! No wonder why she felt like a burden to him. He wasn't exactly the loving type. Everyone knew him as a stern, professional, and wealthy business man.

I stood up, deciding to give her some privacy and walked back to the elevators. Leaning my back against the wall, I crossed my arms and stared out where the widows were supposed to be. The rain hadn't let up and the building seemed to be getting ten degrees colder by the hour. Hopefully we wouldn't be stuck here for much longer. Goosebumps were starting to rise on my exposed arms and I shut my eyes, trying to calm my beating heart. If no one would rescue us in an hour, I would find a way to save everyone inside. That was a promise to myself.

"Here," Rukia's sudden voice interrupted my thoughts and I opened my eyes as she handed back my phone, her expression a mask.

"That was fast," I took it back and pocketed it, mystified. It hadn't even been three minutes.

"I just told him where I was and he said he'd be on his way and then hung up," she explained.

"My dad said the same," I related.

"You're cold," she stated. I hadn't realized I was subconsciously rubbing my bare arms for warmth. I stopped the motion at once and scowled.

"I'm fine."

"Why don't you take your shirt back?" she offered, starting to unbutton it.

"No, keep it," I refused. "You need it more than I do. Besides, you got blood on it."

"Baka, you're the one that gave me it so it's your own fault that my blood is on it!"

I gave a small chuckle. "Oh, Rukia. We can never hold a decent conversation."

She crossed her arms. "It's because you're such an idiot."

"Or the fact that you have a temper," I added.

She glared at me with so much intensity; it was like she would be able to freeze me in place. "Do you want to die, Ichigo?"

"My point exactly."

A/N: Meh, like I said, it wasn't my best. But maybe you think otherwise? Review! I love them! Really, I do! They make me all giddy knowing people liked it!