Over breakfast preparations, Rukia confided to Rangiku that Ichigo thought Riruka needed a friend. Rangiku snorted and shook her head.

"That girl can put on the best act around the males and they buy it every time, hook, line and sinker! I can just imagine the story she told Ichigo. 'I was just trying to be friendly. Everyone misunderstands me. And I'm still so broken up over Grimmjow.' Bull! She's just mad because Grimmjow lost the challenge and now she isn't lady of the house."

The woman was getting rather worked up and beating the scrambled eggs faster and faster as she spoke, the sticky mixture threatening to fly over the edge of the bowl. "Ichigo, of course, won't hear anything against her. He's still too caught up in guilt over her father, which was not his fault, no matter what he says! And then, when you throw in the incident with Grimmjow, well, we all know how that messed with his head!"

Rukia interrupted, not understanding one of Rangiku's earlier comments. "Wait. Back up. What happened with Riruka's father?"

"Ginjo? He died in a freak accident about eight or ten years ago. Ichigo was, oh, about fifteen or sixteen at the time, I think, barely out of being a pup, but he wanted to learn how to do patrols." Rangiku shook her head, smiling reminiscently. "Even back then, Ichigo was showing leadership potential. While all the other boys were sniffing around the females, he was trying to learn pack business. Anyway, Ginjo said he'd take Ichigo with him and show him the ropes. It should have just been a basic patrol, especially with a young one along, but Ginjo was showing off, at least that's my opinion. He took Ichigo over some of the roughest territory we own, down by the cliffs and ravines, there was absolutely no need to go there."

Rangiku shook her head sadly. "To make a long story short, Ginjo missed his step and fell down a ravine, breaking his neck. He died instantly. Ichigo tried to reach him but couldn't, so he ran back for help. Of course, it was too late."

She paused and pursed her recalled how Ichigo had warned her not to go near the ravines by herself. Now she knew why!

With a sigh, Rangiku continued. "Everyone told Ichigo he wasn't responsible, that Ginjo knew the area and should have been watching, but he wouldn't listen. He felt it was his fault for wanting to go along, for not getting help fast enough. That boy beat himself up for months over that accident. Then, he sort of pulled himself together and decided that he should be Riruka's protector. Ichigo said that with her father gone, it was his job to watch out for her."

"But what about Riruka's mother?"

"Her mother left a few months after the accident. Of course, Riruka didn't want to leave, she'd been born here, after all. So Ichigo promised to keep an eye on her. He got her a little apartment, helped her get her driver's license, tried to screen her boyfriends, mind you, that didn't go over well. Riruka, being Riruka, just lapped up all the attention and put on her 'poor little me' act whenever she wanted something. Ichigo never could see through it though. I suppose the guilt blinded him. For a while, I thought Riruka would talk Ichigo into being mates. They dated a bit, but then she suddenly switched over to Grimmjow. I think Ichigo was confused at first. After being responsible for her for so long, he didn't know what to do. About that same time though, he became Gin's Beta and threw himself into the job wholeheartedly. That was one of the reasons Gin had Grimmjow become co-Beta. He was trying to get Ichigo to ease up and start living his own life. It only worked for a while though. Now with Gin gone, well… it's all back on Ichigo's shoulders again." Rangiku sighed and fell silent, her brow furrowed.

Rukia spoke softly. "I guess that explains why Ichigo wants me to be nice to Riruka. He still feels responsible for her."

"Yes, but he should be more concerned about 're his mate, after all, not her. Mind you, Riruka's playing all her cards right. She knows just what buttons to push to get Ichigo to

she wants. Right now, she's got Ichigo thinking it's his fault she's by herself. He feels guilty about being the reason Grimmjow left, even though the challenge was Grimmjow's own idea. And Riruka could have gone with Grimmjow if she chose, but the idea of living on the road and trying to find a new pack, or forming one of their own, would have seemed like too much work for her. Oh, no. She wanted to stay right here in the lap of luxury, with a well-established pack and a huge bank balance."

"Um, Rangiku-san?" Rukia decided she should try to save the eggs. "I think the eggs are scrambled by now." She raised her eyebrows and looked meaningfully at the bowl.

"Oh!" Rangiku stared at the dish and then gave a guilty chuckle. "Sorry, but I've never liked nor trusted that girl, and the idea that Ichigo is trying to make you befriend her just makes my blood boil. Why, I've a good mind to go and tell him—"

She laid her hand on Rangiku's arm. "It's okay. Ichigo is really stressed at the moment from all of the problems the pack seems to be having right now. If befriending Riruka for a while takes one worry away from him, then I guess I can do it. I might not like it, but I'll do it."

Rangiku studied Rukia's face for a minute, then smiled. "Rukia, I know your mating was arranged but… are you falling for our Alpha?"

Her eyes widened for a moment then shrugged, she turned and busied herself buttering the toast. "I honestly don't know. Before I was mated to him, I had a friend named Renji. We'd been friends all our lives and I thought I was in love with him, but now… I don't know. I mean, if I really loved Renji, how could I be drawn to Ichigo? I haven't known him for that long, but I do like him as a person. He's been very considerate, and when we're together, there's this feeling, a connection, that just seems right somehow."

Leaning against the counter, Rangiku spoke hesitantly. "Rukia, I'm sort of used to 'mothering' everyone in the pack, so don't take this the wrong way, but I can't help noticing that there's no mark on your neck. You and Ichigo haven't blood bonded yet, have you?"

Rukia shook her head. "Ichigo hasn't suggested it, or even tried. I think he's wants to give me some time to settle and get to know him better."

"Hmm…that's considerate of him, but from the sounds of it you already are bonding on some level. You just don't have the mark to prove it. Now, you know I hold Ichigo in great esteem. He's a fine man and a good Alpha, but sometimes, just like any male, he can be plain stupid. Like this whole thing with Riruka, and not blood bonding with you. You know, you should just tell him you want to do it, it's an incredible experience, better than any orgasm you'll ever have. And once it's done, you'll feel that connection even more strongly, and so will he."

Feeling her face growing warm Rukia sought to change the topic. "I'll think about it, Rangiku-san. Thanks for your advice. Oh, look! This toast is ready. I'll just set it on the table."

Rangiku meant well, but she was pushing for something Rukia was still unsure about. A blood bond was for life. Some said it was close to being telepathically connected, and while she wasn't sure if that was an overstatement or not, she didn't want to chance it until she was sure how she felt about Ichigo and how he felt about her.

Riruka arrived around eleven o'clock and Rukia met her at the door, gritting her teeth but trying to be welcoming. For her part, Riruka smiled and offered a polite, greeting even bringing her a small gift.

"Our first meeting didn't go too well, so I thought we should start again. Here's a little something to welcome you to our pack."

Removing the tissue from the brightly coloured gift bag Riruka handed her, Rukia found a bottle of fragrance. Sniffing it cautiously, she found that it was surprisingly pleasant. The scent was light and delicate, floral rather than musky, and quite in keeping with her own preferences. She'd have thought Riruka would choose something more heavy, but apparently the other woman was one of those people who just instinctively read others correctly.

Murmuring polite thanks, Rukia glanced over Riruka's shoulder to see Ichigo leaning against the doorframe of his office. He was beaming approval her way and she felt a warm glow within at having been the cause of his happiness. Giving her a wink and a nod, he disappeared back into his work space.

Leading the way into the living room that was across from the office, Rukia tried to make some small talk. "So, do you always have Sundays off or is this a special occasion?"

"I only work part-time at the gallery and my hours are pretty flexible. Most clients are quite wealthy and have very discerning taste. They call me when they want something in particular and if the Gallery doesn't have what they need, I go looking for it. It gives me a chance to do some travelling, and I get to write it all off as a business expense."

"It sounds like nice work, if you can get it."

"I've found that if you want something badly enough in this world, you just have to make the circumstances work for you." Riruka shrugged delicately as she looked around the room.

Rukia tried to sound perky and pleased at the woman's presence. I'm doing this for Ichigo, she reminded herself. "Riruka, Ichigo didn't realise when he invited you to lunch, that I'd already made plans with Tatsuki, but you're more than welcome to come along."

"Well, I don't know…Tatsuki isn't overly fond of me. Perhaps I should just stay back here. I can help Ichigo in the office and keep him company while you're gone."

Riruka glanced across the hall towards the open office door. Ichigo could be seen bending over the lower drawer of the filing cabinet, his pants pulled taut, showing off his muscular thighs and tight rear end to their best advantage. Both women paused for a moment and admired the view.

Giving her head a shake and focussing on the conversation, Rukia countered Riruka's suggestion. "Tatsuki doesn't mind at all. I've already explained the situation and she's looking forward to seeing you."

Crossing her fingers behind her back, Rukia made a mental note to buy Tatsuki something really nice as soon as she had some money of her own. The woman had sympathised with her over the phone, telling her to bring Riruka along so that they could share the misery.

Riruka looked as if she'd continue to refuse, and Rukia wasn't sure how she felt about that. On the one hand, she really didn't want to have lunch with Riruka, but on the other hand, she didn't want Riruka spending time alone with Ichigo. Deciding that keeping the woman in sight was the better option, she pressed her case.

"Ichgo knows about the planned lunch with Tatsuki and even said how good it would be for you to come along, seeing as how you're trying to expand your circle of female friends."

Barring her teeth in an insincere smile, Riruka finally acquiesced and they set out towards Tatsuki's house.

Lunch wasn't a complete disaster. All three women made an effort to get along and chatted about Chad's condition, it was rapidly improving, the state of the weather and recent movies in the theatre.

"I thought I'd give Rukia a tour of the woods. We found out yesterday that we both like to go for a good run, and she hasn't had a chance to explore yet. I know you're not really that in touch with your wolf side, Riruka. If you'd rather not—"

"Oh, no! Don't change your plans for me. I haven't been out for a while and I can use the exercise. I can even show Rukia some of the spots where Ichigo, Grimmjow, and I used to go when we were all pups together."

Rukia and Tatsuki just looked at each other, but made no comment. It had been over an hour without any snide remarks coming from Riruka. The reprieve had already lasted longer than either of them thought possible. Was this the start? Hopefully not.

"All right then. Riruka and I will act as your tour guides, Rukia. Follow me!"

They walked across the lawn and ensured they were actually into the woods where the trees started to thicken, before phasing into wolf form. Rukia noted that Tatsuki had become a dark grey wolf, while Riruka's animal was a rather dull, mousy brown. She wondered if that was why the woman wasn't as fond of her wolf side and hadn't been in the woods recently.

Rukia had always been pleased with her own wolf's appearance. Her fur was thick and silvery with touches of black near the tips of her ears and tail. Idly, she thought that she and Ichigo would make a handsome couple, his golden brown contrasting nicely with her black.

Instinctively understanding that Rukia would want time to absorb her surroundings, Tatsuki politely stopped at a number of spots along the way. Rukia yipped her appreciation and sniffed the ground, trees, and bushes, her wolf's brain sorting and storing the various scents while making a mental picture of the land and the animal life that inhabited it.

For her part, Riruka trailed behind them and flopped down disinterestedly whenever they stopped. It was only when the scent of water indicated that they were nearing the river that she seemed to perk up. Riruka began trying to take the lead and head south while Tatsuki kept cutting in front and herding her in another direction. In frustration, Riruka snapped and snarled but Tatsuki stood firm, growling and lowering her head in warning. After a moment's hesitation, Riruka backed down. Tatsuki relaxed and then phased back into human form, but as soon as she could talk, she verbally began to rip into Riruka.

"Will you stop being such a bitch?! You know Ichigo's forbidden anyone going near that area unless accompanied by himself or one of the more experienced patrollers."

Riruka returned to her human form and immediately countered Tatsuki's claim. "We're not that close and besides, Rukia is new here and wants to see more of the territory."

Rukia decided it was up to her to break the tense atmosphere that was developing. "I do want to explore more, but it doesn't have to be today. I can wait until Ichigo takes me. What's so special about that part of the river anyway?"

Tatsuki glared at Riruka while explaining. "Well, it's where the oil spill was. We haven't gotten conclusive results back yet to prove the area is safe, and until he knows all the contaminants are gone, Ichigo doesn't want anyone there."

Rukia remembered the phone call earlier that morning. "He got a call about the oil spill this morning. The lab wants to do further testing. There was something about the oil having leached into the ground and the possibility of having to do a major environmental cleanup in order to prevent further damage."

"See?" Tatsuki looked smugly at Riruka. "Yet another reason to stay away. The ground could be contaminated as well as the water. If we went that way, we could end up getting sick."

Riruka seemed to cool down and returned to the pleasant persona she'd been assuming. "You know, you're right. I'd totally forgotten about that. We are supposed to keep clear. See what happens when you stay away from the woods for too long?" Riruka's apology almost sounded sincere, but Rukia had her doubts. Still, she was curious as to the other woman's motives.

"Why did you want to go to that particular spot, anyway?"

"Like I said, it would be interesting for you to see, and Grimmjow and I used to spend a lot of time there as well. He loved taking pictures around here." She shrugged. "I really miss him sometimes and revisiting places that we shared helps me deal with the loneliness. Grimmjow and I were very close. We'd actually discussed becoming mates, rather than just lovers, and now that he's gone…Well… I feel that a part of me is missing, too." Riruka's eyes began to fill with tears and Rukia awkwardly patted her shoulder.

Tatsuki just looked at her and shook her head. "If you miss him so much, then why didn't you go with him, when he left?"

"Umm, I… " Obviously searching for an answer, Riruka shifted uncomfortably. She looked around the woods and then shrugged. "This is my home. I couldn't just leave it."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Tatsuki snorted in disbelief. "Well, it's time we were heading back, it gets dark early this time of year. While we might be able to see quite well, those stupid hunters can't. After Chad's close call, I'm not taking any chances." With that, Tatsuki other two followed suit and they began running back home.

Somehow, Riruka managed to get herself invited to dinner and ended up sitting on one side of Ichigo, while Rukia was on the other. As he entered the dining room, he gave a peck on the cheek and it was only when Riruka stood looking at him expectantly, that he absentmindedly helped her into the chair.

Rolling her eyes, Rukia sat down moving her chair in by herself, she wasn't helpless and could manage her own chair just fine, thank you very much!

For his part, Ichigo seemed oblivious to any undercurrents between the two women, merely inquiring how their day went. Riruka happily reported that she and Tatsuki had shown Rukia some of the woods. Rukia wanted to point out that Riruka had just basically tagged along, but Ichigo seemed so pleased that their day had gone well that she didn't want to burst his bubble.

He kept rolling his shoulders and turning his neck as if his muscles were too tight. Rukia wondered what had happened that day to make him so tense, and made a mental note to offer him a shoulder massage later on.

Under the cover of the table, she felt Ichigo give her thigh a squeeze. Her heart did a quick flip flop when he didn't immediately remove his hand, and the look he gave her seemed to hold interesting promises for later in the evening. Who knew where that shoulder massage might lead?

Riruka chose that moment to lay her hand on Ichigo's arm, drawing his attention away from woman opened her mouth to speak, but Orihime suddenly shoved a bowl of mashed potatoes in front of her face.

"Here Riruka, you have to have some more of these. They're Rangiku-san's special recipe, you know."

Forced to take the bowl that was practically touching her nose, Riruka removed her hand from Ichigo. Immediately, Uryu got Ichigo,'s attention by asking about a pack meeting that had been called for that evening. Rukia chuckled inwardly at how her friends were putting up road blocks to keep Riruka away from Ichigo. Biting her lip, she stared at her plate and ate quietly, concentrating on the men's conversation to keep from laughing out loud at Riruka's sour expression.

"So, I've called everyone about the meeting tonight at seven o'clock. Even our members that live in town are coming here for it. Only Tatsuki and Chad won't be there."

Ichigo nodded in approval.

"So what's on the agenda?" Riruka asked, flipping her hair and leaning towards Ichigo, obviously trying to draw his attention.

"Just an update on recent events. I'd rather not go into it right now. You'll get all the details the same time as everyone else." Ichigo calmly ate his meal, not really looking at Riruka so he missed the frustrated glare that quickly passed over her face. Apparently, Riruka was not used to having to wait for what she wanted.

"I wasn't aware that there was a meeting tonight," Rukia tentatively stated.

"Really?" Ichigo looked surprised. "I thought Rangiku-san said she'd tell you."

"Me? Now Ichigo, why would you expect me to tell your mate about the meeting?"

"Well…I just thought you'd see her during the day while you were working in the kitchen since I was in and out all the time… " Ichigo's voice trailed off as Rangiku shook her head at him.

"You really need some lessons on being a mate, Kurosaki." Uryu teased him, pushing up his glasses, he continued. "Rule number one: never assume your mate spends all her time in the kitchen. Rule number two: never plan a surprise on her because then she'll fuss about her hair and her clothes. I mean, just look at Rukia right now. There's a meeting in just under an hour and she hasn't had a chance to comb her hair from her run or even change her clothes and she'll be meeting the rest of the pack… "

Suddenly Uryu quit speaking and gave a grunt of pain as if someone had kicked him. Indeed someone had kicked him! Orihime was glaring at him and he gulped. "Don't worry, Rukia. You look just fine." Orihime smiled encouragingly at her. Riruka just smirked.

Rukia felt herself flushing. She hadn't really looked in the mirror when she came home. Did she have twigs in her hair or dirt on her face? If it was bad enough that Uryu had noticed… Pushing away from the table, she excused herself.

"Maybe I should just go and get cleaned up a bit. Uryu's right. I was out running and I'm probably a mess. Do I have time for a quick shower?"

"Well, yes. But you really do look okay to me." Ichigo caught her hand.

"Right. You look fine. I didn't mean—" Uryu began.

"No, no. It's okay. I want to look presentable… " Rukia pulled her hand free and backed out of the room, before turning and hurrying up the stairs.

Rukia had the quickest shower on record and then stood chewing her lip in front of the closet. She decided on an almost new pair of black jeans and a cotton sweater. Slipping in a pair of gold earrings and a bracelet, she studied herself in the mirror, hoping she'd hit the right note. Her dark hair fell softly around her face and she used a touch of eye shadow to bring out the purple in her eyes. After adding a bit of lip-gloss, she decided the look was about as 'middle of the road' as she could hope for.

The bedroom door swung open and Ichigo walked in. She was still standing in front of the mirror, adjusting her clothes. He swept his eyes over her and an approving smile appeared on his face. "I see you're ready for the meeting."

"Do I look all right? Not too casual or too dressy?"

Ichigo pulled her into his arms and gave her a comforting hug, then kissed the tip of her nose. "You look perfect, but then again, you did before as far as I was concerned. I thought you might be nervous and wouldn't want to walk into the room by yourself, so I came to get you."

"Thanks. I wasn't looking forward to that. It's a bit nerve wracking to think that I'm the Alpha's mate. Everyone will be expecting me to be like Rangiku… "

"No they won't. They just expect you to be you." Ichigo gave her another hug, and then taking her hand, led her down the stairs to the meeting room.

"Surprise!" Two large banners were strung across the far wall. One said "Welcome Rukia!" and the other had "Congratulations Ichigo and Rukia" printed across it.

Rukia didn't know what to say. She scanned the room, taking in the sea of smiling faces. Ichigo squeezed her hand and led her to a table where a cake was decorated with a little plastic bride and groom. Someone had made little furry tails and taped them to the figures. Ichigi picked one up and examined it with raised brows.

Orihime burst out laughing. "They don't make werewolf bride and groom cake decorations, so I improvised."

Ichigo looked at Rukia. "If my tail is ever sticking out of my suit like this, you will tell me, won't you?"

Rukia chuckled and nodded before being enveloped in a hug by a repentant looking Uryu. "I'm sorry for what I said about how you looked at supper, but I was told to do it. We wanted you upstairs so everyone could sneak in, and figured if you were in the shower and changing your clothes, you wouldn't hear them arriving."

"Well, it certainly worked." Rukia pretended to scold him. "I figured I must be a real mess, and that Orihime and Ichigo were just being nice when they said I looked fine."

Smirking, Orihime explained further. "I know how a woman thinks. The more we tried to reassure you, the more you'd believe something was wrong. It was a foolproof plan."

"Enough chit chat! Open the presents!" Rangiku urged her towards a large table covered in gifts.

"You didn't have to bring presents. The cake, and the banner, and…Well, everyone being here was more than enough!"

"We weren't able to give you two a shower or attend the bonding, so we're just having our own little celebration." Rangiku said smugly.

"Besides," Riruka added, appearing beside Ichigo. "We usually do a large birthday and anniversary party at these meetings for anyone in the pack who had a special day that month. This month is empty and we had nothing better to do." She smirked at Rukia and leaned against Ichigo. "Just teasing, of course."

Orihime's eyes flashed with temper. She grabbed Riruka's arm and gave it a firm tug. "Come help serve the coffee and tea." And before Riruka could protest, she was whisked away.

Ichigo and Rukia spent the next half hour opening presents and thanking everyone who had gathered around them. She felt overwhelmed by everyone's generosity and was happy Ichigo was at her side to speak to all the well-wishers.

As she stood by Ichigo's side nodding and smiling, she allowed her eyes to drift over the room wondering if Riruka had managed to escape Orihime or not. After a few moments of searching, she found her near the beverage table. A shift in the crowd allowed her to see that Momo was standing with Riruka as well. Hmm… She hadn't thought the two were friends, though Momo had greeted Marla in the mall yesterday. Watching the interaction between the two, it was hard to determine if they were enjoying each other's company or not. They barely looked at each other and to the casual observer, it probably wouldn't even be apparent that they were speaking. Rukia noticed that while Momo's face was rather impassive, she was clenching her fists.

What had Riruka said to upset the girl?

A group of people momentarily hides her view and by the time they had passed by, Riruka was by herself again appearing rather smug.

Once the presents were opened and the cake served, Ichigo cleared his throat. "As much as I hate to interrupt the festivities, we do have a monthly meeting to hold, so if everyone would take a seat, we can begin."

The general rumble of conversation slowly dissipated as people settled into their seats. After smiling over at Rukia, Ichigo began. "Before we start, I'd like to thank all of you once again for your good wishes and the warm welcome you've given Rukia. I know we both appreciate it. Your support means a lot to us, especially in these difficult times." A polite round of applause cut him off, and he waited for it to die down before continuing. "I have a number of important points to bring up tonight and then we'll open the floor to discussion."

"First, as I'm sure you all know, Chad was shot two nights ago while out on patrol. I'd like to assure you that he is recuperating at the infirmary and will be fine." Ichigo paused and then dropped the bombshell. "Chad thought he scented Grimmjow just before the gun was fired."

Gasps filled the room and then conversations burst out all over. Rukia's eyes widened as she took in the bits and pieces of dialogue that flowed through the room.

Some seemed to be angry that Grimmjow would do such a thing. Others denied it could even be true.

Wisely, Ichigo allowed a few moments for the assembly to express their feelings, before trying to proceed. "I know it's disturbing to think that someone who was once a member of our pack could do such a thing, but we don't have hard evidence against him so there's still the possibility—"

A voice from the back interrupted. "Chad wouldn't make something like that up. If he scented Grimmjow, then Grimmjow was there!" The crowd murmured in agreement.

Another voice called out. "You just don't want to admit Grimmjow is guilty because he's your friend."

A hush fell over the room and Ichigo's nostrils flared. Rukia watched as he gripped the podium with his fingers and she was surprised the wood didn't break under the pressure. With steely eyes, Ichigo responded to the accusation, his voice a low, deep rumble that sent shivers up her spine.

"Are you suggesting that I put personal feelings ahead of my duties to the pack?"

The speaker shook his head and seemed to sink into his chair, realising that in the heat of the moment, he had spoken out of turn. "Rest assured, that since I've become Alpha, I have put the needs of each and every one of you above all else."

"I can't believe anyone would doubt Ichigo's loyalty." Riruka was sitting just a few rows away and spoke in a whisper. Rukia could clearly hear what she was saying, though she didn't think Ichigo could. "After all, he agreed to be mated to Rukia, just to ensure political stability. Now that has to say something about his dedication to our well being." Looking towards Rukia, Riruka leaned her way and smiled condescendingly. "Don't take that personally, Rukia."

Rukia stared at the floor and seethed, forcing herself not to cause a scene. That woman was such a bitch! She knew what buttons to push. She tried to reassure herself that an arranged bonding was nothing to be ashamed of; it wasn't like no one had wanted her and a political arrangement was the only way her father could get rid of her!

Orihime must have sensed her distress and grabbed her hand, squeezing it comfortingly. A few people were looking at her speculatively while others were glaring at Riruka. It gave her some small comfort to know that most of those within hearing range considered the remark inappropriate. Ichigo, unfortunately, hadn't caught the exchange and continued speaking.

"Due to Chad's accident, I'm declaring much of the woods out of bounds. The primary pathways will remain open for your use and I've doubled our patrols in those areas. Any questions?" When no one spoke up, Ichigo nodded to Uryu who began to hand out what appeared to be a map of the pack's territory.

After the maps had been distributed, Uryu began to explain. "I've given each of you a map so that you can see the exact areas in question. The section outlined in red indicates where Northern Oil wants to do its exploratory drilling. It's close to several underground streams and could possibly result in the contamination of our ground water and thus our wells. In addition, in order to bring in the needed equipment, several large tracts of land would have to be cleared and temporary roads constructed. As you can see, it is a significant area, despite their claims otherwise."

"They have offered us a very large sum of money as compensation if we sell outright. They've proposed renting the land, and if no oil is found, they would assist us in replanting. However, should oil be discovered, we'd be bound by a lease for a specified number of years or until the wells ran dry. During that time, there would be inspectors and trucks visiting the area regularly and it would be out of bounds to all of us. I know this isn't new information, but we wanted to bring it to your attention again, since they've upped their offer substantially,it's noted at the bottom of the page, in footnote number three."

As people read the amount, gasps could be heard around the room. Rukia had difficulty not exclaiming herself. It was a significant amount of money.

Uryu called for quiet and as they settled, he looked over the crowd. "Yes, it is sizeable sum, but at our last meeting we decided that our privacy and the need for space were more important and -"

Riruka cuts him and snorted. "With everything that's been happening around here lately, I sometimes wonder if we should just sell everything to Northern Oil and buy some land elsewhere. With what they're offering, we'd certainly have enough money to afford it."

The assembled crowd reacted noisily to Riruka's statement.

Rukia noted that the muscle in Ichigo's jaw was working and she knew he was extremely irritated by Riruka's comment. Surprisingly though, his voice was calm when he called the crowd to order. "That is also an option. This land is your heritage, it's belonged to our pack for hundreds of years and as Alpha, I'm charged with caring for it. However, if the pack as a whole feels the need to move on, then we would do what we must do."

"I was just playing devil's advocate, Ichigo." Riruka smiled at Ichigo. He nodded back but his brow was still furrowed. Rukia noted that Riruka's expression sobered in the face of the Alpha's disapproval.

"Uh-oh. Now she's done it. Riruka's pissed off Ichigo," Orihime whispered gleefully in Rukia's ear. Biting her lip to keep from smiling, she gave the briefest of nods and then focussed her attention on her mate. Ichigo was listening to someone from the far side of the room now. And after a few hour of discussion, Ichigo asked the pack.

"It's getting late, if no one has any business that needs to be brought to the floor, we'll adjourn. Uryu and I are both willing to stay and answer any questions you still might have." When no one spoke up, Ichigo closed the meeting.

I know what you guys think..

Serves her right.. :D

and.. Same old Ichigo, always worrying about others before himself. That's the reason why he's always in danger. In the manga, I mean.. :)

Oh, and nice guesses people! Almost got it right..,

Shirayuki-san: Pabebeng Riruka! Haha, that was funny at pwede kang maging manghuhula, tumama ka na, naman! I really enjoyed reading your review! Glad ur enjoying this..and Mahal din kita, in sisterly way! Hindi aq tomboy..hehe

Sorry , bisaya kasi aq , that's why my Tagalog sucks!