So I've been sick in bed the last two days with a fever. How the hell does one catch a cold in summer, especially when it hasn't rained for months? I have no idea but it figures I would get a cold sooner or later. XD

Anyway, I have a favor to ask. I'm not sure if I should label this as an M fic now, considering all the violence and gore. So if you guys could PM me or leave a review on whether or not I should change the rating, I'll go with the general consensus. That would be appreciated.

So this chapter was written in my fever hours... Don't know what to make of it. XD

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. (BTW Fanfiction hasn't been working in my area for the last five hours. Is that normal?)

Chapter 9:

Even the heartless have a heart.

RUKIA

Was I dead? If I was then it was nice being dead. I was warm and toasty, something I hadn't been in a while.

Ba-bump...Ba-bump...Ba-bump...

Was that a heart beat? It was strong and close, it vibrated against my back. Reality was clueing in piece by piece. I'm alive? I opened my eyes and was welcomed by the orange flames of a fire. I looked down to see a pair of lean tan arms wrapped securely around my torso holding my own pale arms in place. The chest pressed against my back was bare, the source of heat that warmed me. I felt myself flush at the contact, what's the meaning of this?

"Ichigo..."

"You were thrashing in your sleep, I had to keep you still somehow or you would keep opening that cut on your shoulder."

I gulped, I was only wearing a pair of pants. "And our clothes?" He was only wearing the emerald cloak I gave him wrapped around his waist.

"Destroyed. Well I never had more than the clothes you gave me..."

"And mine?" I asked quietly, my throat tightening. This was a nightmare for someone of my social standing, a scandal. Maybe it was better I did not know.

"Your shirt was only hanging by a thread so I used it to bandage your shoulder..." He trailed off. I looked up at my left shoulder, it was bandaged by thin blood-stained strips of my blouse. "And your bra...w-well..." he stammered awkwardly.

"Couldn't be salvaged?" I offered and his heart rate sped up. Such a shy guy, it was cute how much of a prude he was.

Ichigo backed away and took the cloak with him, "It's not like that, it was torn to pieces, it was falling off anyway..." I sat up tilting my head to look up at his pink dusted cheeks and deepened scowl. "Here," he said sticking his hand out. "You dropped this when you were fighting and-" I snatched the pendant out of his hand holding it to my chest.

"Aren't you possessive?" he sourly teased and I held it tighter.

"Thank you," I murmured quietly. The sapphire pendant reflected the light flames, it was warm to the touch.

"It was no problem. What is it anyway, a heirloom?" he asked genuinely curious.

"Something like that," I mumbled. "It means more to me than my life." Slowly the pendant glowed in my hands until a puff of smoke appeared, a loud pop echoing in the cave.

"SISTER!" Kon wailed burying himself into my bare chest. "I thought—I thought—oh sister Rukia!" I let him get it out of his system, I would remove him before he got a chance to enjoy himself.

"What the fuck!" Ichigo screamed moving as far back as possible, my back still turned to him.

I grabbed Kon by his lion plushy head and flung him into the opposite wall. "So cruel~," he whispered.

"Kon, I need some clothes," I said crossing my arms across my chest. I had a feeling that it might have been easier to rob a clothing store.

His eyes lit up with wicked delight, "Of course!" He clapped his two squeaky paws together, a flimsy lion printed bra and a low cut black halter top appeared on my lap. I slipped on the bra and when it was secure I turned to Ichigo who seemed to look paler than usual.

"What's wrong Ichigo, have you never seen a talking toy?" I asked with a grin.

"I have... but he's alive!" he said appointing an accusatory finger at Kon. It was humorous to say the least.

"Of course I'm alive you moron! How am I supposed to protect Rukia if I'm dead?" Kon yelled pointing his plush arm at Ichigo.

"Protect Rukia," Ichigo laughed. "You expect me to believe that a pipsqueak like you can protect her?" I lifted up the halter top for inspection... Kon...

"I have an important job mutt! Without me, Rukia could never survive," Kon bragged and I placed my hand on his head gripping it hard.

I pointed to the giant piece of missing fabric from the halter top and Kon audibly gulped. "Where's the rest?" I asked plainly. He clapped his hands together and the halter top transformed into a fitted black polar neck. "And?" He clapped his squeaky hands again and a fresh pile of clothes appeared for Ichigo. "Thank you Kon!" I said with a fake smile and handed the clothes to Ichigo.

I put the black polar neck on and glanced at Ichigo whose jaw hung loosely. "That's a very unbecoming face," I teased and his eyes widened even further.

"Tch," he snorted before turning away, he got up walked around to the bend outside the cave out of sight. Kon handed me a fresh pair of jeans and underwear, it was moments like these I was thankful to have him. I quickly changed and I saw questions in his button eyes.

I placed my hand on Kon's head, letting my soul enter his mind. "You haven't told him yet?" Kon asked and I shook my head.

"I have no intention of telling him," I whispered back. It wasn't only forbidden for Immortals to share our secret, I don't think I could ever feel comfortable letting someone know that they could hold my heart in their hand. That my soul was tangible and fragile. That my heart was more vulnerable than many could imagine.

"You should at least be honest and tell him that your brother is looking for you," he thought and I wish I didn't have to. It was strange being here with Ichigo, it was peaceful now. Sitting here in this cave with a warm fire, knowing that Ichigo didn't have to worry about losing control. To escape the war that would eventually find ways to discover us. That we could sit in a comfortable silence.

"I'll get to it eventually," I promised and Kon sat back in my lap, dozing off.

I leaned back against the cave wall, my shoulder was fully healed but the muscles still tender from the bite. I don't know how but Ichigo managed to beat the hybrid, there was no other explanation as to why I was sitting here now. I didn't know he had it in him. He walked back in with a fresh pair of jeans and long sleeve shirt that read 'I'm an idiot!' in bold white letters. That Kon. His frown became deeper as he saw my reaction to his shirt.

"Quite a piece of work you got there," Ichigo said sitting back against the wall.

"He is isn't he?" I agreed gazing at the flames. I looked up to meet his amber eyes, "Are you alright?" He never showed any sign of wounds but some damage never festered on the surface, a pain that lay deep in the guilty conscience.

He caught my eyes with a surprised expression before looking away. "Yeah, I'm fine." His expression was dark, "He was a monster." Ichigo's voice was devoid of any emotion and I hated to see his innocence gone. In a soft voice I wasn't expecting he asked, "Are there more like them?"

I could continue telling him the truth even though I think he knew the answer already or I could lie and try to preserve what little innocence he had left. "Yes," I said softly and there was conflict in his eyes. "Our kind, think of themselves at the top of the food chain... Killing a human," I thought trying to pick my words carefully, "They believe is their right, their way of survival as a superior species."

"But it's not necessary is it?" he asked with angry eyes boring into my own.

"No," I said resolutely. "It's a choice." For children of the moon who had been tamed feasting wasn't necessary but an act of dominance in a pack, a rite to show strength as a warrior. For children of blood, to take the life force of a human was necessary to survive but to drain them dry was a choice that balanced on willpower and restraint.

I absently noted how his knuckles had turned a chalky white as he gripped his knees. "And you?" he asked harshly.

"If I have a choice I won't kill," I admitted and the crease between his eyebrows seemed to lessen. "If a vampire does not drain all the blood from their victim, it simply means they will need to feed on more people to survive," I explained and he seemed to understand.

I don't know why I felt the need for my image to stay clean, why Ichigo's approval mattered so much. It shouldn't, he was nothing but a werewolf and yet his good opinion of me was one I strove to maintain. Maybe because his good opinion was one that was by far more attainable than Byakuya's.

"Is it... wrong for me to hate my kind?" he mumbled so low my ears almost missed what he said. Ichigo had yet to be influenced by a pack mentality, something that would soon govern his morality as a werewolf but it was refreshing to see his individuality as a human.

I thought about how maybe we weren't so different after all. When Immortals like Gin Ichimaru existed, Immortals who treated their kind as puppets and strung their prey along like toys I couldn't help but feel anger at my kind. I smiled honestly at Ichigo, "I don't think it is." He looked taken aback from my words. "To some degree I feel the same."

"You know I don't think you're so bad," Ichigo said scratching his head bashfully and I couldn't help the warm feeling that spread throughout my chest.

"I don't think you're too bad either," I conceded and we both grinned at each other. We had come to a mutual understanding, one I wasn't sure was possible between werewolves and vampires.

x.x.x.x.x.x.

ICHIGO

I was hiding behind a tree butt naked, waiting for Rukia's next instruction. She said Kon was getting sick and tired of making me clothes that would be torn to shreds every time I transformed so the only viable solution was for me not to where any clothes in the first place. It made sense but that didn't mean it wasn't awkward, I mean there was a woman around the corner! "Rukia," I called bending my neck around the trunk looking for her. "I've been doing a lot of thinking," I yelled.

"You think?" she called back and I felt my temper spike.

I ignored her comment. "I want to protect people. A mountain full," I said gripping onto the tree harder as her face came into view. "I can't allow monsters like those two from before to live, to continue killing people because of some misguided superiority complex," I called and she smiled.

"You know not all supernaturals are guided by the same moral compass," she said with a grim look.

"I know," I yelled as a strong wind blew. "But I can't stand knowing there are defenseless people out there dying every day because it's convenient."

Rukia seemed to nod, "Is that your final decision?"

"Hell yeah," I called through the thick wind. I couldn't be sure if that was a smile on her face.

She called back, "It looks like we're going to have to take your training seriously then."

What? Does she mean we weren't before? "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I called. I didn't have a good feeling about this.

"You transform, your goal is to survive for the next half hour," she ordered and chills ran up my back. Something told me she wouldn't be throwing those iceballs at my head. I heard a cranking noise that sounded similar to an alarm clock, I turned my head around the tree to see a clock shaped like that annoying stuffed animal's head set for thirty minutes.

"When do we start?" I yelled and I heard a ding on the alarm clock. Rukia disappeared and in an instant I felt her electrifying presence to the right of my body.

"Now." Short and sweet, I was sent flying from the tree into another one.

Ow.