I appreciate my beta, xfang-girlx, so much for reading over this chapter.
Riko had just put the final dish on the table when there was a knock on the door. Her boyfriend had promised that he and his partner would stop by for dinner since they were assigned to patrolling her part of town tonight. She ran to the door, sliding to a stop in front of it. Taking the time to smooth down her hair and the skirt she was still wearing from work, she waited for him to knock a second time before opening the door. Unexpectedly, a good-looking redhead grabbed her for a hug and swung her around. Releasing a squeal she hugged him back, ignoring the aggravated boyfriend standing behind him.
"Congratulations, sweetie! I'm so happy for you!" Renji exclaimed, giving her a brief kiss right on the lips.
"Hey, man, what the hell?" Ichigo growled, attempting to elbow the overly affectionate pineapple head out of the way. He was shockingly unsuccessful since his girlfriend was hanging on to the other man while jumping up and down excitedly.
"Oh, thank you, Renji! Can you believe it?" she asked, holding his hands as she virtually vibrated with excitement. She giggled with girlish glee; a sound her boyfriend had never heard her make before.
Neither one of them noticed when Ichigo moved past them both, following his nose to the food waiting on the table in the small dining area. He had awakened late for his shift and had not eaten yet so he was starving. He would allow them to have their giggle fest without him.
"No, I can't as a matter of fact," Renji replied with a chuckle, patting her cheek. "I've never seen you look so happy. You're virtually glowing. Have you two - "
"No! Not yet," she tittered, punching him in the arm as a dark red blush tinted her face.
"Girls, please!" Ichigo yelled from the dining nook tucked into the corner of the apartment between the kitchen and living room. "Dinner's getting cold."
"How do you stand his grumpiness?" Renji inquired, walking toward the table.
"Mmmm...it's one of his more endearing qualities," she responded, giving Ichigo a quick kiss on the lips before sitting down.
"It's about time I get to kiss my girlfriend," Ichigo grumbled, giving his partner a fierce glare.
"Jealous much?" Renji retorted, giving Riko a toothy grin and a conspiratorial wink.
"Hmph," Ichigo snorted like a grouchy old man.
"Hey, grandpa, I really like your girlfriend, " he joked, causing Riko to laugh.
"Shut up and eat, Renji," his friend muttered back making the other two chuckle. It was like being in the midst of two teenage girls. He was so happy dating Riko could bring those two together for a close relationship. "Maybe you two can have a slumber party sometime. You can braid each other's hair. You can stuff yourselves full of potato chips, chocolate, and soda."
"That actually sounds like a fabulous idea. Riko, what do you think?" the redhead asked, heaping food onto his plate.
Ichigo gave his girlfriend a warning glance when she opened her mouth to answer. "Don't even think about it."
Riko poked out her bottom lip in a mock, completely enjoying the light-hearted banter between them.
"I hear you two are going to dinner Friday night at the home of the man who is number one on our most wanted list," Renji said, watching her closely when the color drained from her face.
"Yeah," she mumbled in reply, dropping her fork onto her plate with a clatter. He had successfully killed her appetite with that one comment. Picking up the fork after receiving questioning stares from her dining companions, she shoved a fork full of food in her mouth without tasting it.
"I am going to take advantage that dinner by gathering information we can use against him. Since it will be a family dinner, he be sure to let his guard down. There will be a greater chance for him to slip up and say something incriminating. I will be wearing a wire and - " Ichigo halted talking when Riko began choking.
Riko drank half of her glass of water in an attempt to wash down the unchewed lump of food that she had accidentally inhaled and that was now lodged in her throat. She hoped Ichigo did not see her hand trembling while he stared at her. Did he and Renji talk about everything? Would his best friend and partner get a full detailed account of the first time they have sex? Glancing at Ichigo and remembering how awkward he could be when it came to intimate matters, she doubted it. Her face warmed with a blush that was a mixture of embarrassment and aggravation. Obviously police business was a different matter entirely. How dare he plan to wear a wire to what was supposed to be a family dinner. Nausea overwhelmed her with the thought of having to consider that animal Grimmjow as family. Picking up her glass again, she finished off the water wishing it was a beer. That man did not know when to stop being a cop and just be her boyfriend.
"As I was saying - " he began only to be forcefully interrupted.
"You can't," she nearly yelled, Grimmjow's threat replaying in her head.
"What?" He studied her carefully as she stood with her hands resting on the table with her palms flattened. The trembling was no longer effecting just her hands but her whole body as well. Was she angry or frightened...or both?
"You can't do that!" Riko shrieked, bordering on hysteria. She knew she was overreacting but could not stop herself. What are you willing to sacrifice? His life... Those threatening words swirled around and around in her brain. "It's a family dinner. You can't go in there acting like a cop! Besides, what if he catches you, he might...he might..."
"He might what?" Ichigo asked, standing up to move toward her. He was shocked when she backed away from him.
Renji observed the interaction in stunned silence, carefully taking in Riko's every body movement and facial expression. He could tell that she was terrified. Grimmjow was well-known for using threats and intimidation. The man had done so many times before to make witnesses change their stories; those people were willing to risk jail time by lying on the stand under oath or becoming hostile witnesses who refused to speak at all. It was apparent to him that Grimmjow had gotten to her somehow. Why couldn't her boneheaded boyfriend see that?
"Ichigo, I - " He paused when the other man held up his hand. He sank back in his chair, relieved that Ichigo did know what was going on. The carrot top may be a bit thick-headed when it came to romantic issues but his instincts as a police officer were never off the mark.
"All right, Riko. I won't do it," he assured her, pulling her into his arms. He kissed her forehead, holding her tightly until her body stopped trembling. "I will go in there as your boyfriend and nothing more."
"Thank you," she sighed, nuzzling her face into his neck.
"Oh, my god you two. All of this romantic crap is making me lose my appetite," Renji groaned in an attempt to lighten the mood. He smiled at Riko who chuckled lightly.
"Yeah, this food is too good to go to waste," Riko said, giving her boyfriend another quick kiss on the lips before he let her go.
Ichigo gave her a grin to comfort her. For her and only her would he let it go this time. Seeing that his own girlfriend had been exposed to the unrelenting evil of that asshole only strengthened his resolve to bring down Grimmjow. One way or another, he would get Grimmjow Jaeggerjacques and put that man where he needs to be: locked in a prison somewhere to never harm anyone again.
~...~
Riko flipped through the patterns of various stuffed animals. She and her boss were spending their lunch hour searching for the perfect plushie to make for Isamu. Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Lion. She picked up the pattern of a little lion with a mane like a sunburst around his head. He looked so cute and cheerful.
"What about this one?" she asked, showing the pattern to Uryū.
"A lion? I thought you said teddy bear," he reminded her. Apparently he was unaware that women had the right to change their mind any time they darn well pleased.
"Well, I think a lion would be better," she returned, tucking the pattern under her arm. "Isamu's name means courage. What represents courage better than a lion?"
"I see your point," he agreed, following her to the rolls of fabric that were as tall as her. He was glad he was tall enough to see over them otherwise he would lose her in the forest of sorts created by the numerous spools of cloth.
Riko slowly strolled amongst the giant cylinders searching for just the right color and texture of fabric. She felt like Goldilocks: this one's too coarse, this one's too dark, this one's too silky, this one's too light. Finally she came upon the one that was just right. The fabric was a golden brown, soft and fuzzy, giving it the texture of real fur. She found the same type of fabric in a cocoa brown color for his mane.
"I got it!" she exclaimed triumphantly.
Uryū was ecstatic to hear that she had made her choices. Now they could make their purchase and get to the restaurant. He was starving. A smile curved his lips upward as he observed her chattering happily with the lady who was helping her figure out exactly how much cloth she would need for the project. He loved her excitement, her almost childlike joy over the simple project of making the stuffed toy for the child. Watching her reminded him why he had proposed the creation of his department: for the sheer happiness brought by helping people. So what if his father did not approve of his mission and seemed to fight against him at every turn? He knew the man would gladly shut him down if he could, but as long as his department was able to keep up their end of the bargain, by always having the funds to pay the bills, it would be safe from being dissolved. This seemed to irritate his father to no end that they were always able to meet their budget.
"Riko?" Uryū called to get her attention while the saleslady cut the fabric.
"Yes, sir?" she returned, turning to face him.
"We need to discuss ideas for the upcoming fundraiser," he reminded her.
"Oh, I've got just the thing," she said before launching into an explanation of her idea. She had already set up a meeting with Rangiku and Gin Ichimaru to discuss using their club and some of their employees. Dates with the women would be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The employees would work on a strictly volunteer basis since they would foregoing their usual salary and tips. The auction would take place at the club. The 'dates' would take place there too so the girls could be supervised while kept in a controlled environment. This would generate money for the fundraiser and give the club owners free publicity in addition to a fantastic tax write off. It was a win-win situation.
"Are you serious?" he demanded, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Gin and Rangiku are wonderful people who would love to help. Besides, they could use it as a tax write off for charitable donations. Trust me, there are a lot of lonely people out there. It seems to be even more prevalent among the rich and overworked who would pay anything for a date with a pretty young thing," she offhandedly commented, receiving an awkward grin from the cute teenaged male cashier.
"Don't be afraid to tell me how you really feel," her boss muttered, rolling his eyes. Her bluntness still took him by surprise at times. He snatched the bags off the counter, following her out of the door. Once outside, he realized he must look like her assistant since he was loaded down with the purchases while keeping close to her heels. Increasing his strides to walk next to her, he stole a glimpse at her face. Her eyebrows were drawn together and deep creases lined her forehead. What could she possibly be thinking about so intently? He did not have to wonder for long.
"I'm serious, Uryū. I didn't mean to sound so callous about it. There are a lot of lonely, hurting people out there who are willing to have a friendly companion for the night even if they have to pay for it," she said, sighing deeply before turning to look at him. "Think about where I used to work. I know what I'm talking about."
"So you're willing to capitalize on the pain of others?" he queried pointedly, startled that a grin tilted her lips.
"Why not? Other people do it and grow rich from it," she muttered, thinking about the man who held her sister captive in his malicious clutches.
Uryū became very sullen himself as his thoughts turned to his father. He had to agree that some people made an extremely successful life from the pain of others whether it be physical or mental. Sometimes he felt like even his own father was using him as a pawn in his own selfish game. However, he would not find that shocking at all. Ryūken Ishida was notorious for being cold-hearted, self-centered and only doing what could turn a monetary profit or provide some other self-serving gain. To his chagrin, his father had even gone as far as stealing away Ichigo's young bride-to-be. A blush tinted his cheeks from the memory. He was not sure who he felt worse for in that situation; his former best friend who had been jilted at the altar or the stupid young girl who had been used and thrown away like rubbish. It had all been done in the name of revenge against Isshin Kurosaki. It did not matter to his father that two innocent people were the ones hurt in the process.
"Uryū? Are you all right?" Riko inquired, bursting through his dark thoughts. She placed her hand against his upper arm feeling the tightly wound muscles beneath the material of his long-sleeved dress shirt.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he hurriedly answered, avoiding looking at her because he doubted she believed it. "What do you say we go back to the office and order something in? We'll get started on your little project here."
"Sure. That's fine," she responded, not pressing him for an opinion on her fundraiser idea. Besides, she was anxious to get started on the lion for Isamu. The experimental treatments would begin on Friday, and she wanted to get his stuffed animal to him before that. She had four days to get it done. With Uryū's help, she was confident she could get it completed in plenty of time.
~\0/~
Thursday morning, Uryū arrived at the office extra early with the expectation of getting there before his assistant. She had been coming in early all week to work on the stuffed animal in addition to the proposal she planned to take the owners of the Stardust the following week. All of this was on top of their usual full day of interviews, processing applications, making phone calls, and returning phone calls. For a change, he had bought their morning coffee and scones. Opening the door to her office, he released a disappointed sigh. However, disappointment turned to amusement when he realized she was lying on the couch in her office asleep. There was a red pillow tucked under her head while the other pillows in every color of the rainbow were wedged around the rest of her body as if protecting her. His smile widened into a toothy grin when he saw the finished stuffed lion lying face down between her breasts while she hugged it tightly. He sat down on the coffee table in front of the couch, placing their coffee cups and the box of pastries beside him.
"Riko?" he called softly. When there was no reaction, he reached forward to gingerly push the lock of hair that fallen across her face behind her ear. "Riko."
Riko jumped in response to the feather light touch of his fingertips across her cheek. Sitting up a little too fast, she had to lie back down when dizziness made the whole room begin to spin. She was mortified to realize she had fallen asleep, and her boss was sitting in front of her attempting not to laugh.
"Why don't you take the day off? You're exhausted," he told her, smoothing the loose hair behind her ear again.
"I can't. We have three interviews with clients and two with benefactors. I also want to give Isamu his lion," she mumbled, sitting up gradually this time.
"Give Isamu his lion then get some rest. That's not a request. It's an order," he said, handing her the extra-large white chocolate latte.
"But what about - "
"You will be of no use to me if you become a patient at my father's hospital. You need to rest," he encouraged her, straightening his glasses. "But not before you give your favorite patient his lion."
~...~
Isamu was just finishing his breakfast when Riko arrived at his room. She held the lion behind her back before walking inside. When he did not seem to notice her, she called his name receiving a weak smile in return. Forcing the smile to stay on her lips, she concentrated on making her feet move her to the bed. He appeared even more weary and worn since the last time she had seen him. She prayed that these new experimental treatments would be the miracle that his parents were looking for - the miracle she now wanted for him.
"Riko, why are you here?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I brought you a present," she replied, sitting on the bed beside him. Pulling the toy from behind her back, she able to genuinely return his smile as a sparkle filled his cloudy green eyes.
"A lion! He's great! What's his name?" he inquired, poking the large white button she had sewn onto the lion's tummy for his belly button.
"I made him for you. It's your job to name him," she said, the smile on her lips broadening as he turned thoughtful.
"Hmmmm," he murmured, petting the large round head of the lion. After thinking briefly, he said, "Konpaku. I'll call him Kon for short."
"Konpaku?" she questioned him. She could not help but be curious as to why he chose that name.
"It means soul," he explained, putting his hand over hers that was resting on the bed next to him. His vivid green eyes looked straight into hers. "You put part of yourself, your love, your very soul into making this for me. Thank you."
Tears sprang to her eyes from the deep reasoning behind his choice of names. She leaned forward to kiss his forehead. He was like an old soul trapped in a child's body. It was as if he had lived many lifetimes before. She felt him grasping her hand as she leaned back to look at him. His eyes were shiny with unshed tears.
"What is it?" she asked, pressing her hand against his cheek.
"I'm scared," he whispered as if he did not want anyone else to hear his confession. "Can you stay with me for a while?"
Riko had planned on leaving after giving him the stuffed animal. There was no way she would leave him now. Nudging him a bit to scoot over, she positioned herself next to him to hold him in her arms. Once he was snuggled comfortably against her chest, she allowed her heavy eyelids to close. Her boss had told her to rest, but he had not specified as to where she should rest.
~...~
Uryū heard the yelling voices just before his office door flew open. He rose to his feet upon seeing the seething orange haired man standing in the middle of his office. Raising a questioning eyebrow, he stared at the man who was breathing so hard that his shoulders were raising and lowering with each heaving breath. Not only was it shocking to see his friend after so many years without contact, the irate man's present state was quite unexpected.
"Where is she?" Ichigo demanded.
"She was told to go home and get some rest," Uryū answered patiently without having to ask to whom he was referring.
"She's not there," he growled in return as if it was her boss's fault she had disappeared. He caught his breath while the man in front of him straightened his glasses as if it helped him determine her whereabouts.
"I know where she is. I'll take you to her," the other man offered, shrugging on his light blue suit coat.
Ichigo silently followed the stoic man to the elevator. He avoided looking at Uryū as the elevator slowly moved to the ground floor. He felt like he needed to say something. But what could he possibly say after all of these years? Fueled by his anger, he had acted impulsively not worrying about what came after he crashed into the man's office without provocation.
"I hear you've become a detective with your department," Uryū said as the doors opened on the ground floor. "Congratulations."
"Thanks. I hear you're the department head of Financial Services," he returned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "And my girlfriend's boss."
"So she's your girlfriend now?" he inquired, knowing full well exactly when it had happened because of the difference in his assistant. She had worn a wide, silly grin on her face for days. He would also catch her daydreaming and have to bring her attention back to the task at hand. Although it had bothered him at the time, mostly because he was jealous, he was quite happy for his friend who deserved someone like her. "Congratulations are in order for that as well then."
Ichigo did a double take, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at his old friend. Was he really happy about that? Judging by the relaxed grin on the man's face, he would have to say he was sincerely pleased. It was nice to see the stone faced Ishida smile. The only person he knew that smiled less than Uryū was...himself. Obviously his girlfriend had gotten to the Ice Prince as well. He had been afraid for years that the man would turn out to be just like his father, Ryūken.
"There's something you should know," Uryū said, stopping at the end of the walkway that led to the children's building. He waited for Ichigo to face him and look him in the eye before he continued. "I am very sorry for what my father did to you. I don't mean just the problem with your bride-to-be either. I am referring to his threatening you which ruined our friendship. I didn't find out until years later. By then, I thought it was too late for us to ever be friends again. I only hope that we can forge a new friendship from here."
Ichigo was taken aback momentarily not only by the frank statements but the fact that Uryū had found out about the threat. Glancing skeptically at the hand held out to him for a friendly handshake, he extended his hand to shake it.
"Where are we going?" Ichigo asked as they continued on their way.
"Isamu Kojima's room. She will be there with him," Uryū answered succinctly.
"Kojima? As in - "
"Mizuiro Kojima," he provided to complete the sentence. "Our classmate from Karakura High. His son is dying of a brain tumor."
"Oh, my god," his friend gasped unsure of how to react to the tragic news.
"Riko developed an affection for the child and I believe he cares quite a bit about her as well," the dark-haired man murmured pensively before adding," I can understand how he can feel that way."
Ichigo opened his mouth to speak but Uryū turned abruptly to nearly come nose to nose with him which shocked him into muteness. He studied the hard deep blue eyes that bore into his.
"I am not the kind of man my father is, I know how to keep my hands to myself. At this time, I view Riko as nothing more as my assistant and a work acquaintance. However, I must warn you," he stated, his voice taking on a deep, unveiled threatening tone. "If you ever do anything to hurt Riko...if you leave her broken hearted...I will be there to pick up the pieces. I will never ever let her return to you. I will treat her so well and love her so fully that you will be nothing but a distant memory of someone she used to know. Do you understand me?"
Ichigo swallowed audibly; the sound seemed incredibly loud in the strained hush encompassing them like four walls despite being in the middle of the sidewalk. Uryū did pick up one skill from his father: the ability to deliver a threat with cold emotionlessness that would strike the fear of God into Satan himself. "Yes, I understand. I also understand that this is bound to be an interesting new friendship."
Uryū smiled. "At least we can agree upon that."
