I am sooo sorry, guys! I uploaded the wrong chapter! I thought it didn't sound right...I am very, very, very sorry! Stupid!STUPID!STUPID!

Chapter 7

Yours Truly

School had finished, and Ichigo had been making his way back home, until he had received a phone call to Urahara's.

It was probably very important. Kisuke never calls for Ichigo unless it is an emergency. Ichigo was walking casually to Urahara's shop, when he was met up with a black cat.

"Ichigo! Long time no see! How are you?" The cat purred and rubbed itself round Ichigo's legs.

"Yoruichi? I thought you were residing in the soul society? What are you doing here?" Ichigo picked up the small fuzzy cat and saw a glint in it's eye.

"I am. I was sent here with a message for you. It's from Ikkaku, Shuhei and Byakuya. Although, Byakuya didn't want a part of it.." The cat turned it's head to the side, and Ichigo placed it on the ground.

"What would they want to tell me?" Ichigo looked at Yoruichi, who was making her way into the shop.

"Come." She waved her tail high in the air, and led Ichigo to Kisuke.

"Ichigo! How've you been?" Kisuke said from behind his opened fan.

Ichigo looked, to see a captain, lieutenant and a 3rd seat sitting beside Kisuke.

"Ichi! Nice to see ya!" The bald headed shinigami exclaimed.

"I…Ikkaku!? Shuhei?! AND Byakuya!? What the hell is going on?" Ichigo stumbled back.

"It's captain Kuchiki…" Byakuya spoke unemotionally.

"We were sent here to collect ya!" Shuhei grimaced at the pale white strawberry. "By orders of captain Ukitake."

"Ukitake? So why did he send Byakuya?" Ichigo glared at the three.

"Captain Kuchiki…" Byakuya repeated himself.

"Why did he send you? What does he want with me?" Ichigo looked at Kisuke, but he had left the room with Yoruichi. "Kisuke…"

"Captain Kuchiki came because it has to do with Rukia." Ikkaku leaned closer to Ichigo. "He doesn't seem to trust you." He whispered.

Ichigo narrowed his gaze. "Yeah, you just noticed?" He looked at Byakuya, who was sitting there with his usual expression. "So what's wrong? Why do they want me when Rukia needs help? It's not like she needs me…" He looked away and shoved his hands in his pockets.

A hand slapped on Ichigo's back. "She misses you, Kurosaki! And she does need your help!" Shuhei placed a hand round Ichigo's neck. "And you are coming, even if you don't want to!" He placed Ichigo in a headlock.

"Get off of me! What the hell do you think you are doing!?" Ichigo began squirming about, and managed to ease himself out of Shuhei's headlock.

"Do you want to see Rukia, or not?" Ikkaku stepped in between the two spiky's fight, and folded his arms.

"Who said anything about not wanting to see her?" Ichigo scowled and looked at Byakuya. "What do they want me to do?"

Byakuya stood up and avoided eye contact with the three. "Ukitake did not specify the information, he just told us to get you to the soul society…" Byakuya opened a portal in the room.

Shuhei and Ikkaku grabbed hold of Ichigo and forced him into his shinigami form. "Get in the portal, fool!" Shuhei pushed the confused Ichigo into the portal. He was followed by Byakuya, Ikkaku and Shuhei.

"So, you don't have any idea what Ukitake wants me for?" Ichigo was walking beside the sixth division captain.

Shuhei placed his hands behind his head. "All we know is that it has something to do with Rukia…" He shrugged and watched the two enemies ignore each other.

"Are you two ever going to be friends?" Ikkaku exclaimed.

Byakuya and Ichigo looked at each other, then turned to face the other way. "Why would I ever consider this boy, my friend?" Byakuya said coldly.

Ichigo felt the atmosphere change. "Could say the same 'bout you, flower boy.." Ichigo murmured.

"Looks like you need some lessons on insulting…"

"Tch! I guess you've been to a few yourself! It hasn't really helped you, though!"

"I don't see how a simpleton, like you, could even be a shinigami…"

"Grrrr….That was too far, Byakuya!" Ichigo had lost it. He threw a fist in Byakuya's direction, but was stopped by Shuhei.

"Relax, Kurosaki! Save some of those insults for Rukia! I know she would like to argue with you!" Shuhei let go of Ichigo's arm, and sighed. "You never change, do ya Kurosaki?"

When they had arrived, they were met up with Renji. "Hey, Ichigo! Long time! How are ya?" He waved at the scowling shinigami.

"I'll take care of it from here, captain Kuchiki!" Renji yanked Ichigo, and forcefully dragged him into the forest.

"Renji!? What the hell are you doing?!" Ichigo wasn't happy. "Ever since I came to Kisuke's, I've had nothing but abuse!" Ichigo folded his arms and placed a foot in front of Renji, tripping him up.

"Ichigo!?" Renji got to his feet, and caught up with Ichigo.

"Where are we going, Renji? This isn't the way to the Sereitei…"

"You'll see, my strawberry friend!" Renji slapped him on the back.

They came to a clearing, and Renji drew out his zanpakuto. "Let's see if you still have your skill! ROAR ZABIMARU!" He unleashed his Shikai and lashed it at Ichigo.

Ichigo dodged it, and lunged at Renji. They clashed swords several times, and irritated the other, until it was late.

"Renji, didn't Ukitake want me to help out Rukia?" Ichigo asked, as they left the forest.

"Well…Not yet…" Renji muttered.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo began to scowl.

"We want this to be a surprise for Rukia…We're gonna mess with her for a while, then, BAM! You come along!" Renji began to get excited.

"And…Why am I here exactly?" Ichigo asked the jumping red head.

"To cheer her up! She has been so depressed, lately and we need someone to bring back her confidence!" Renji shoved a finger into Ichigo's chest. "And YOU are the only one who can do that!"

"Me!? Why me!?" Ichigo yelled.

"You're the only one she has arguments with, to show her appreciation! She needs you, Ichigo!" Renji began to murmur. "Sure, me and Rukia are close friends, but…" He looked at Ichigo. "That's all we are. Nothing else. But when you're about, it something different." Renji shrugged.

"Wait…Won't she be able to sense my spiritual pressure?" Ichigo jumped in front of the walking Renji, almost making him fall back.

"Don't worry! She's working at the shinigami academy! It's made with Seki-Seki rock, so she won't be able to feel your presence!" Renji manoeuvred round the very confused Ichigo.

"She's working at the academy now? What is she, a janitor?"

"No. She's teaching them about humans!"

"Wow…Is this permanent?"

"Don't know. Possibly…" Renji shrugged and grimaced at Ichigo.

"What?" Ichigo looked at Renji.

"You and Rukia need each other! You can't stay away from each other for ever, right?" Renji slapped Ichigo's back again.

"Jeez, if I get a pat on the back again, I'm going to have a bruise…" He rubbed his back and gazed at the ground. "Renji…"

Renji stood up and looked round. "What's up?"

"How do you feel about Rukia?"

"Ichigo! Are you jealous?" Renji teased

"No, why the hell would I be jealous of you!?" Ichigo became embarrassed.

"Me 'n' Rukia are a close family…That's it. Families watch out for each other. They stay together forever. But, that's it. I have none of those feelings about her." Renji looked at Ichigo, who was paying deep attention. "You have Rukia's heart, and she has yours, right?"

Ichigo stopped walking, and felt the wind brush across his face. He closed his eyes and remembered all the times him and Rukia had fought, bickered, laughed, saved each other…Damn, they had a lot of memories…

A comforting hand rested on Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo opened his eyes, to see Renji smiling at him. "Besides, Rukia refuses to speak to anybody these days about you. The last person she spoke to about you, was me. And that was three weeks ago, maybe more…"

"What did she say?" Ichigo felt better.

"Well, she had this dream. Well, she thought it was a dream, but it might have been in her inner world…She was searching for something, but couldn't find it…" Renji began walking again. "But she refused to tell me what she was looking for…"

Ichigo caught up with Renji. "That's funny… I had one in my inner world not long ago. It was very similar to Rukia's, I guess…" Ichigo exposed his dream to Renji.

Renji listened, and paid full attention to Ichigo. "Maybe they have something in common?" Renji snapped his fingers. "I got it! You two were looking for each other, and you were lost without each other so much, you could barely survive without the other's comfort!"

Ichigo stuttered and thought. That could be true…I wonder how Rukia's holding up?

Once again, sorry! I'm going to bang my head against a wall, now...