Well, seems I did good on my promise huh? Quick update in my opinion. Better than two weeks huh? Haha!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters associated with the Anime/Manga. They belong to Tite Kubo. Please support the official release!

Days since incident: 1

Ichigo was hesitant to return to school on Friday. Though the aches in his joints had lessened, he was terrified of having to see Rukia again. The image of her terrified face was burned into his mind, and it was all he was able to think about ever since it had come back to him.

Senna hadn't showed up like he had expected that night. He wasn't sure how this whole ordeal was suppose to happen, or if he was totally sure he wanted to do this. When he had agreed to her help he was still slightly out of it from the Change. Now that he was more lucid he was second guessing his decision.

He was disappointed that Senna, the girl he was actually starting to make a connection with, was a...werewolf like him. He was still trying to wrap his mind around that word- werewolf. For so long that word had stood outside the perimeter of his mind; not there within his thoughts yet still just close enough that he was aware of it. He had tried so hard to refrain from using that word to ever describe himself.

Because, really, werewolves couldn't be real...

But then what was he if not a werewolf? What other thing transformed under the full moon, Changed into a creature that howled in the night and ran with a long snout sniffing around for prey. The creature he had seen the night he was attacked was a blur mostly in his mind, but when he labeled it as a child of the moon it made perfect sense.

Up until now what was happening to him almost seemed like a bad dream; a terrible occurrence that would last only a little longer until he woke up. But now that Senna was here and had revealed that she shared his affliction it felt like everything was coming out into the light. He felt as if it was all real now, like he had awoken from that bad dream to find an even worse reality waiting for him outside of it. This hit him like a ton of bricks, and it made him want to weep in sorrow.

After a long debate he decided to return to school. He was going to most likely miss Monday, so he figured he'd show up today to make up what he missed the last two days and inform the teacher of his upcoming absence. Ms. Ochi would understand when he said he was going on a camping trip with his father, for she never really cared and thankfully never questioned much further than "Why this weekend?" to which Ichigo would always reply "Because my dad's a weirdo."

Walking down the street with the school coming into view, Ichigo couldn't help but feel nervous. He hadn't seen or heard from Rukia since the incident, and wasn't sure what she would say to him if anything at all. She may be a stuck up bitch with no sense of curtsey, but he still didn't want her to be afraid of him. Having anyone be afraid of him would hit him hard, because it would only reinforce the fact that he was a monster.

He looked around for the white limousine, hoping it would be there so that he may be able to try and explain to her what had happened. He wasn't so sure what to say to her, and really there was nothing that could explain what she may or may have not seen that night. But at the very least he could tell her everything was fine and there was nothing for her to worry about...if she even cares, in which case he would be in the clear.

The limo was no where in sight. He was disappointed to not see it, but did not fret over it as he entered the grounds and scanned it for the young rich girl. Again there was nothing, so he moved inside and kept looking until he reached the classroom.

Stepping inside he saw most of the class was already seated, waiting for the bell to ring and for the teacher to arrive. Ichigo was actually kind of late today, though that was to be expected considering everyone must have thought he was sick. He moved towards his desk and saw Orihime smiling brightly at him as he neared.

"Ah, Kurosaki-kun! Welcome back!" She said as he sat down in front of her.

"Morning, Inoue." He said, glancing the empty desk next to him and frowning.

"Yo! Ichigo!" Tatsuki waved at him as she stood by his desk. "Where were you yesterday? We had a quiz and that totally sucked ass." She said, sitting down in Rukia's seat to smile at him laughingly.

Ichigo forced a light smile on his face as to not arouse suspicion. "Ah, Urahara asked I help more around the shop yesterday. Had a huge shipment coming in and had to spend the whole day moving around boxes and stuff." He lied, feeling a talent for it growing.

Enough practice and you start to get good at something...

"Wow, the old man actually made you skip school? So unlike him..." Tatsuki said, rubbing her chin. Ichigo scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward all of a sudden. It was odd to be talking to these two, as if nothing was wrong with him, when he knew damn well just about everything was wrong with him.

"Oh! Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime beamed. "Guess who I saw at the bakery yesterday after school!"

"Who?" Ichigo asked dully, only half interested.

"Yuzu-chan!" She said.

Ichigo froze, looking at Orihime with full interest. "Really?" He asked, a slight pang of guilt in his voice. He hadn't seen his family in over two months now.

"Yeah," She nodded. "She asked about you. They're all very, very worried about you Kurosaki-kun. Why haven't you called them in so long?"

"How long has it been since you talked to your family Ichigo?" Tatsuki added.

Ichigo flushed in embarrassment and looked away. "It's been a while..." He said, rubbing the back of his head. "Work has kept me busy, so it's hard to find the time to sit down and have a conversation with them."

"You should make the time!" Tatsuki said accusingly. "You know, you've been acting really strange for a long time, and it's getting on my nerves now!" She said, pointing at him.

Ichigo scowled and stared out the window, fighting to not look at her. "Ah, I'm sorry." He said, for lack of anything better.

"Kurosaki-kun..." Orihime leaned in. "What is wrong with you?" She asked worriedly.

Ichigo looked at her, sighing sadly and fidgeting with his fingers. "There's nothing wrong." He said.

"Bull-"

"Sit down class!" Ms. Ochi came bustling into the room, waving about her notebook as she shooed away the students near her desk. "It's time to start the day with a healthy dosage of schooling!" She said cheerfully.

Tatsuki frowned, turning to Ichigo and giving him a stern look before walking off to her desk in the back. He turned forward, and could feel the stare coming from Orihime behind him.

"Is everyone present?" The teacher called out, scanning the classroom.

"Kuchiki-san is not here!" Keigo said, raising his hand.

"Ah, so she isn't." Ms. Ochi said, scribbling in her notebook. She looked up at Ichigo, and rose a brow. "I thought maybe Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-san had gone off together on a romantic trip." She said, the whole class giggling as Ichigo blushed furiously.

"No!" He denied quickly.

"Alright, alright." The teacher laughed, moving on with the lesson for the day.

–

After school, Ichigo wasn't sure what to do about Rukia. She hadn't showed up at all throughout the day, and from what he gathered she hadn't showed up the day before as well. As much as he hated the idea of confrontation, he knew that just leaving it alone would just make everything worse.

So, once school was out and he was free for a little before work started he decided to suck it up and be a man for once.

The black steel gates stood over him a good two feet, locked and blocking him off from the large mansion beyond where he knew Rukia to be. He frowned in contemplation as he placed his hands on the bars of the gate, trying to figure a way inside that didn't involve trespassing. He turned his head and spotted a small intercom on the stub of stone to his left.

Leaning down to eye the device, Ichigo hesitantly pressed the small red button and waited for some sort of answer to his buzzing.

"Yes?" A voice called- female, unfamiliar. He frowned, digging around in his head for a good response.

"Um..." He said, the inwardly cursed his own cowardice. He took a resolute breath and steeled himself. "Is Rukia home?" He asked.

"Who may this be?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

There was a pause on the other line, no doubt the woman telling Rukia he was here. After a little bit the voice returned with a slight incline of voice. "Kuchiki-san is very ill at the moment. Could you maybe come back another day?"

Ichigo scowled in frustration. "I need to speak with her immediately. I won't be long, just let me in alright?" He said.

There was another pregnant pause, and Ichigo waited as patiently as he could for the voice to again speak. "I'm sorry, but Kuchiki-san is very ill-"

"Just let me in!" He barked, feeling his anger rise slightly. Immediately after his outburst he sucked in a breath and gripped one of the bars of the gate to help himself calm down. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell." He said through clenched teeth. "Just...please. I need to talk to her."

He heard something- a shuffle?- then there was silence. Ichigo waited a few tense moments before he gave a sigh of defeat and turned to leave, only to be halted when the gates buzzed and squealed open in that same way they had the last he had been here.

Thank God...

Ichigo began the trek up the medium length driveway towards the oak doors, intent on talking with Rukia to have a chance to talk away what it is she may or may have not seen. As he neared, the front doors opened and out came the girl he had been hoping to talk to.

Rukia came out dressed in a pair of black sweat pants and a sleeveless white undershirt that gave him a slight view of her white bra. It was only visible to him thanks to the fact the full moon was so close.

She crossed her arms and stared at him as he stepped up the three steps to stand directly in front of her. Her head bent upwards at him to stare with an unreadable expression, as if no emotion was within her. It disturbed him.

"Uh, hey." Ichigo said lamely, unsure of how to approach the subject.

"What do you want?" She said bluntly, obviously not in the mood for pleasantries.

Ichigo sighed. "I came to talk to you about the other night..." He said, hesitant to say the wrong thing. He still wasn't sure what it was she thought, because really he didn't know what it was she saw and how she was reacting to it. He would wait for her to say what it was she thought.

"What about it, hm?" She inquired, raising a brow. She was questioning him, leading him to believe she may have seen more than he wanted.

Ichigo fought for the right words to say. "How...how is Renji?" He asked, feeling like an idiot.

Rukia frowned at him fiercely. "He's stitched up. I had to hobble him down the street until our driver came and helped. We spent the night at the hospital." She said bitterly.

Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah...I'm sorry I bailed. I had an...emergency."

"I figured." She said, her eyes softening. "What happened? You looked like you were in pain."

"I...um..." He mumbled, fighting tooth and nail to think of an excuse. "I...have a bit of an issue..."

"Like?"

Ichigo looked into her eyes, and was reminded of that terrified look she had given him when he had looked up that night. He felt himself falter in his confidence, and was stuck just staring into her eyes as she awaited his answer.

"I..."

"Ichigo? Are you going to answer me?" She questioned, impatient.

He, again, sighed. "I have...post-traumatic stress disorder."

Her brows shot straight up, having not expected that answer. "You what?"

Ichigo kept with it. "Yeah I...some time ago, my mother...she was murdered...and I was there." He said, feeling his heart race at the memory.

Rukia looked up at him and fidgeted slightly, as if uncomfortable. "Ah...well I am sorry." She said.

Ichigo's eyes looked everywhere but her. "Last night...the violence I guess just got to me." For once in the last two years he was being honest. No lies, just the truth. "I lost myself, and knew that if I stayed with you two it wouldn't have ended well."

She processed this in her head, her lips pursing lightly as she delved into thought. He noticed how pink her lips were, despite the lack of make-up. In fact when he thought about it he had never seen her wearing any kind of make-up at all since he had met her.

All natural, He thought, impressed, and slightly transfixed.

"You figure I'll believe that?" She haughtily replied, again narrowing her eyes at him. "You were screaming, as if in pain. Tell me the truth Kurosaki or else I will have to kick your ass."

Ironic how the first time he was being honest was the only time anyone ever accused him of lying. "I'm telling the truth, Rukia. Please, believe me." He said, almost begging her.

She stared at him, studying his face for any proof that he may be lying. He kept his face submissive, not wanting to argue or fight with her. He just wanted her to know he was a safe person, who no one had to fear or worry about.

"Alright..." She relented, her face softening and her arms falling to her side. "I guess as long as you're fine."

Ichigo gave a playful snort. "Since when do you care for my safety?" He teased.

Rukia scoffed. "I'm not as cold-hearted as you claim, peasant." She said, smirking at him.

Ichigo returned the smirk, feeling better knowing everything was back to normal. "Sure you aren't." He said, chuckling lightly. "Well, that's really all I wanted to say. I'm sorry about our little get-together was ruined."

"It's fine." She said.

"Maybe some time we can try again." He offered, feeling light from his relief.

Rukia gave him a speculative look. "Hm...fine, if you want so badly." She said, grinning as she was in her element. She had been asked out so many times before she knew the methods. She knew the dance, and would preform her act to the letter. "Maybe tomorrow? I'm free if you are."

Ichigo's smile dropped instantly, something Rukia took note of. "Ah...well this weekend I'll be busy." He said, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Rukia frowned at him. "Doing what?" She asked.

Ichigo dropped his hand and again fought to search through the vault of his brain for something excusable. "I have a camping trip. I'm going out to the woods until Tuesday." He said.

"What?" She blinked at him. "You're gonna go camping near winter time? And on a school weekend, plus missing next Monday?" She bombarded him with questions, making him feel absolutely foolish.

No one had really ever questioned his camping trips this thoroughly.

"Yes." He said, forcing himself to sound affronted by her questions. "I like winter, and I figured after the other day's incident I'd go and relish in...the cold weather." He felt like an idiot times ten.

From the look she was giving him: So did she.

"That's odd." She said bluntly. "You'll die out there." She said.

If only... "'I'll be fine, honestly. Your worrying side is showing, midget."

Rukia's face contorted into a scowl and leer. "Don't call me a midget strawberry!" She shouted at him. "I'm just saying that it's really weird you're going camping of all times!"

"Whatever, short-cake."

"Stupid asshole!"

"Stuck-up bitch!"

They glared at one another- amber versus violet.

"Fine, be weird." She scoffed, turning and crossing her arms yet again. "But if you freeze it isn't on me."

"Of course." Ichigo grumbled. "You do as you do." He said, turning. "I've got work. I'll talk to you at school."

"Wait," Rukia called just as Ichigo started down the driveway. He halted, turning and looking at her as she debated over something.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Ichigo..." She began uncertainly. "Before, in the alley, I saw something." She said. "Something that has been haunting me since..."

Ichigo fought to keep his eyes from widening and his heart from racing. "What was it?" He tried to sound calm and concerned.

"When you fell down onto your hands and knees," She said, the words coming out odd to them both. "I saw your eyes..." Ichigo couldn't hide the surprise from his face at this.

"What...what did you see?"

"They were glowing." She said.

Ichigo stared at her for a moment, their eyes locked as he was speechless. He stood there, frozen as his mind fuzzed. She stared back, expectant for an answer.

After a bout of silence, Ichigo turned and walked away without saying a word.

Like? I kind of did. I figure this chapter was the beginning of my redemption. I am trying harder to ease Rukia's character into a more understandable one, not so bi-polar like I had been doing. Need to fix problems!

So, I want to address something everyone has been asking me. The Werewolf mythology in this story is a very odd one. Basically how it goes is Ichigo transforms during the full moon (During the Apex, not the three nights of it). That is a certain. But, whenever he fills up with too much of an extreme emotion- anger, frustration, that sort of thing- he may transform then and there. It's kind of like that new MTV show Teen Wolf- which is downright cheesy but I'm so desperate for a Werewolf anything that I'm watching it- in which he fights the transformation every second of everyday. Though, not as dramatic.

Ichigo is afraid that any emotion could make him change. That's why he refused to play video games with Tatsuki and Orihime in that previous chapter. He's so scared of it all that he deprives himself of feeling too much other than his own apprehension.

Hope this helped.

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