Over the span of several month, nothing between Rukia and Ichigos relationship changed much.
Her presence as a watchdog was tolerated, but she as a person not acknowledged.

She often compared her situation to that of a handmade pullover, gifted to a child by it's grandmother.
Though it was highly disliked, it couldn't be thrown away immediately, only after some time had passed and it was time to clean out old clothes again.

Still Rukia watched Ichigo, when ever he left the manor grounds until the time he went back there, not just because Shiro had told her, but for her own reasons as well.

These hours of the day, weren't anything special, all in all.
To tell the truth, they were as boring as watching the lawn grow.

Ichigo sat in his chair, the glass with blood on the side table and looked out of the glass front of his office.
The orangette wouldn't even try to run, even when he had the chance, because lately Rukia made it a habit to take naps on the sofa of the booth, purely out of boredom.
The only times, when Ichigo actually did something else than stare holes into the air, was when he had something to do concerning the business he led.

Now that Rukia thought of it, there were some times, when a real busty secretary from the lower floors came by and brought a big stack of papers.
Each time she came, she openly hit on Ichigo, but he just ignored her, just like not long ago.

Flashback

Rukia laid outstretched on the sofa, staring holes into the ceiling, when someone knocked on the door.
Glancing over to it, she saw one of the big wing doors open and the busty secretary enter.
"I've got some files for you, Kurosaki-san."
Ichigo completely ignored her.
He didn't even turn around to her, or take a glance, he simply waved her off.
"Please don't forget to sign them."
"Yeah."
The secretary placed the stack of files on the office desk and then remained in front of it.

"Was there anything else?"
Ichigo asked, still showing the back of his high chair to the woman.
"Mh, I'm just wondering why you're caging yourself up in here. You could come and pay your workers a visit once in a while. Especially me, you know?"
Now, Ichigo turned around, rested his elbows on top of the desk, crossing his fingers and while leaning forward, raising an eyebrow.
"I have no time to waste for little chats and office smalltalk. So if that was all, you're free to leave."

Rukia noticed how the eyes of the woman wandered to the glass next to Ichigo.
"It must be hard on you, living from this and restraining yourself to not burden your subordinates with your needs. But you know, I would be glad if you'd put that burden on me. So you feel free to see me if you need anything."
She said, while leisurely bending forward, showing off her two rather large arguments, then when she was finished she raised up again and left, while stroking her hair back again.
As she left she pulled another of her jokers, as she waved her hips invitingly, while walking.
Ichigo watched her, with a slight gleam in his eyes, until the door was closed behind the secretary.

Rukia remembered that this was the only time, when the orangette had shown any other reaction, but his apathetic staring in the office.
Well if one didn't count the reactions he showed, when Shiro came to visit.

Flashback end

Talking about the pale Vampire.
He had taken pity on Rukia after a month and presented her with a notebook, to occupy herself with.
Of course she immediately tried to hack into the V.A.S.T. servers, and failed.
Thanks to the orangette, who right then had been working, for once.
When her attempt had been noticed, she had to endure Ichigos mocking lecture.

Flashback

"My, My little Miss Rukia. Breaking into others properties is a crime. If you want to know something, you just have to ask me. When I catch you doing that again, I have to hand you over to the police."
Of course he was lying, and she knew it, but it was worth a try.
She huffed, smashed the notebook closed and crossed her arms afterward.
"Then I want to know: What is V.A.S.T. really doing? What are you fighting against? And why had my parents to die, for a half baked teeny, playing the big boss of a pseudo defense ministry?"
She asked, one after another, her voice growing in volume until it became a hysteric shrieking.

Unfazed by that, Ichigo turned to look at her.
"Your parents? So that is your ulterior motive. Why do you think that they worked here?"
Rukia balled her hands to fists, her eyes cast down and hidden by her bangs.
"I was too little to know about it, when they died. But the person who raised me...My uncle who was there for me in their stead...He told me 2 years ago. Everything he knew about my parents, he told me all of it! Just...Just not about their death. 3 days later he disappeared! I want to know! Tell me! What happened in the night of May 17th 2101? That night my parents died! You and this here is all I have for a clue!"

Ichigo averted his gaze.
"I don't know."
Rukia jumped from her seat, yelling.
"How can you not know? You're the boss right? You have to know! My parents didn't die in an accident. That's a lie you ordered the police to tell the bereaved, isn't it?"
Rukia never got an answer, but the sound of Ichigos pen, scribbling his signature on the files in front of him.

She had stormed out of the office, and locked herself in one of the cabins in the toilet, some floors downward then.
She hadn't wanted to see his face again, so she called Shiro and asked to get picked up.

Meanwhile, Ichigo was trying to fight back memories, the girl had whirled up.

Ichigo was out to recruit new members, he'd found some fitting ones in a crisis region in Hokkaido.
Stage 3 S.I.N.'s were running rampant there lately and attacking everything in sight.
The course of their route would cross an university soon.
Ichigo planned to strike there.
He'd take down two birds with one stone.

'Don't think of it. You did everything right then.'

The orangette had reached the Hokkaido University in Sapporo, both his targets were close.
One of them, were causing quite the panic and bloodbath already, but he was already cleaning up this mess.
As he calmly walked through the halls of the university, all the while taking down the S.I.N.'s that crossed his path he finally found the room, where his next targets had found momentary shelter.
He wasn't the only one, finding them.
A small group of S.I.N.'s began to break down the door.
Ichigo had to hurry.

Ichigo leaned back in his chair.
It was no use to fight it, the pictures would come anyway.
Just like every year, when his mistakes came to haunt him.

Just when the fallen Vampires tired to attack the pair that had hidden in the room, Ichigo cut them down.
Blood splattered everywhere and he stepped over the corpses, walking closer to the two human, who then backed away in fear, until they hit a wall.
Ichigo put away his sword, never taking his eyes off the pair.

"Are you scared?"
He asked, but the pair seemed to shocked to answer.
"I bet you are. You didn't want to die here, did you?"

"N-n-no."
The woman difficulty brought out her answer.
Ichigo crouched down in front of them, and brought out his friendliest expression
"Shall I teach you how to survive then? I can show you how to fight these monsters. When you come with me, you can protect others from them. Now, take my hand."
The female was just about to rest her hand in Ichigos, when the man beside her, stopped her by grabbing her hand.
"Who guaranties us, that this isn't a farce and you're one of them as well? Tell us what these things are first, then we might decide."
Ichigo smiled, and it wasn't just a mask he put up, he really was happy.
"You have good instincts. I like that. Fine I tell you. Those were Vampires who lost themselves and I am a brethren who set out to eradicate them from earths surface."

They had listened so calmly to his story and finally agreed.
This pair had just been perfect for their task.
A sharp mind, excellent reactions and instincts almost on par with a Vampires.
Never before and never after had he met someone like them.

No one, but Rukia.
The girl had potential.
She might as well be their child, but that was impossible.

Flashback end

Rukia still hadn't gotten any further in her search and Ichigo still was boycotting her in anyway he could.
Other than Shiro, who had offered to look for files around that date, once.
So far, the Vampire hadn't found anything as it seemed, since he hadn't talked about it to Rukia anymore.
She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice, when Ichigo left the office.

Anyway it was too late.
As the clicking sound of the closing door dragged her out of her musings, she was Ichigo missing.
"Where did he go?"
He couldn't have gone to the bathroom, because the source of the sound was off.
Ichigo wouldn't really have taken up the offer of the secretary.

He wouldn't, would he?

The petite female jumped up, hurried over to the stairs and descended to the floor where the busty woman was.
Heading over to her, Rukia noticed her sitting at her desk, but no orangette in sight.
As she got closer, the secretary noticed her.
"Do you need something?"
She asked, with a faked smile on her lips.
"Yeah, Matsumoto-san. Have you seen Kurosaki-san pass by maybe?"

Winking confused and tilting her head the other female answered.
"No. Shouldn't he be up in his office with you?"
Rukia didn't ever hear her out, but sprinted away as fast as she could.
Something wasn't right.
This kind of behavior was out of Ichigos normal pattern of action.

She hurried down to the ground floor and ran out, checking right and left down the street.
Not even someone resembling him was in sight.
"Where the hell did he go?"
Taking up the run again, she searched for Ichigo all around the headquarters, but she didn't even find a hair of him.

Ichigo, meanwhile was running as well, at a much faster speed though.
He had sensed something.
And it was disturbingly familiar.
Just as he turned around a corner, the sensation disappeared.
Ichigo looked around, disoriented.
Eventually he got frustrated and punched a wall next to him, leaving a cracked crater in it.
"Shit!"

Rukia was growing anxious
Things were very queer right now.
Even of she hadn't taken the position willingly, she still failed and now something might happen to Ichigo, or whoever he picked as his prey.
She wouldn't let that happen, but she needed help.
Grabbing her mobile, she dialed the number of the only person qualified for it.
Her call got picked up instantly.

"Ichigo is gone. I have a bad feeling."

Chapter 6
End