Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters.

InnerVoice: *speechless*

ME: *looks at InnerVoice*

Chapter 11 –

"Kuchiki-san is awake!"

She lifted her head of the hard pillow. "Ouch." Raising her hands to touch her head, another hand held her hands and put them away.

"Don't try to move yet. You hit your head Rukia." Tatsuki was pretty close to her.

"Uh...whaaat...?" she said a little weakly and closed her eyes. She'd drifted off to sleep again.

"Damn. She's still knocked out?" asked Tatsuki.

"She did hit her head pretty badly."

"I wonder why she fainted?"

"Beats me." Tatsuki didn't like lying. But she had to. She had a very good reason to do it.

"She must've been nervous. I can't wait to tell her that she won!"

Toushiro didn't say a word. Not until Orihime was leaving anyway. She didn't go until fifteen more minutes that morning. As she went Toushiro started conversing with Tatsuki.

"Byakuya will kill me."

"No he won't. It wasn't you fault."

"But I did warn her from going for that competition. She had a small breakdown the night before last."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Toousshiiroo..." Rukia whispered her eyes still closed. They both stared at her. "Pleeease don't worry. I'm fine." She smiled her eyes still closed.

"Rukia..." Toushiro wondered whether she was awake or not.

"She's dreaming. Every night, she speaks in her sleep. Something about a moon and hell butterflies."

"Strange" Toushiro just looked at Rukia and started reading his book. He'd borrowed Tatsuki's karate fighting book.

"You like that book?" Tatsuki enquired.

Without even looking up, he just said quickly, "It's pretty interesting. Good tricks too."

"I wonder when she'll wake up. Ichigo seemed pretty disappointed."

"She better stop being around him. I don't approve of it."

"Jealousy?"

"No."

Tatsuki raised her left eyebrow. "Then what? You're just overprotective."

"Ichigo...there's more to him. You don't know everything about him Tatsuki. Just don't ask me ok? It's kind of Rukia's personal problem. I know everything about her, I've been taught how to persuade her, how to make sure she's fine. She's got a pretty boring history, but it's a matter of her fathers. Just make sure she doesn't get too social around Kurosaki."

"I..." Tatsuki was stunned. "But...wouldn't that be going a bit too far? I think...they really like each other you know."

"It's for her sake. If you don't then...we might have to change her from this school."

"Fine. At least tell me the reason."

"I would if I could."

"Then I won't do anything about the developing chemistry."

"Fine. But make sure you swear you won't tell a soul."

________________Rukia wakes up that afternoon while most of her group mates were talking_____________

"Thanks everyone."

"What are you thanking us for? We'd like to know why the hell you had to fall down like that!" said Keigo.

"Um...I just...felt a bit queasy."

"Yeah? But I thought I was most tense. Man, you really good at the quiz you know that Rukia princess?"

Everybody stared at Mizuiro. He just looked back at them and said, "What?" until Ichigo broke the silence. "Hey Rukia."

"Hi Ichigo."

Moments that could've been the most awkward silence, passed between them. This was almost the first time they actually talked with the hints of sarcasm, but more well-mannered then that.

"Hey we all got to go Rukia! Make sure that head of yours gets better!" said Chizuru in a singsong voice.

"Yeah bye Rukia." Keigo gave her a tap on the shoulder and grabbed Mizuiro with him. Chizuru followed.

"Where's Orihime?" Rukia asked blindly.

"She was around here in the morning. She has to do some work." Ichigo gave her a smile.

"Oh."

"Hey Rukia, um...I think you should rest. Your brother will be here soon."

"What? Who called him? And who told him?!" Rukia started angrily.

"Well he has a right to know. I mean, if we kept it a secret, and found out later then..."

"Then you'd be in hot water."

Ichigo looked weirdly at Toushiro not understanding what they were quarrelling about. Toushiro, realizing his mistake, quickly changed the subject. "Well the nurse will be coming to shoo all of us. I'll be waiting here with Rukia."

"But-" Ichigo was interrupted by Tatsuki.

"Ichigo! C'mon show me those self defense moves again! Let's head outside!"

"Huh? I showed them to you already!"

"Yeah I kind of forgot. C'mon!" she tugged his hands and led him out of the room before he could say bye to Rukia.

"Phew. Now when is Nii-sama coming?"

"In about 30 minutes." She groaned upon hearing this.

"Why are you so against Ichigo?"

"Rukia..."

"I want to know! Is he someone you're jealous of?"

"Uhm...we're getting out of the subject. Go to sleep."

She grunted, and closed her eyes. Rukia could not sleep. Not at all. She lay there until her brother came in. They were given privacy. Toushiro remained in the room, but stayed out of earshot.

"Rukia. Who put you in that competition?" she knew where this was going.

"Myself."

"Tell me, who was it?"

"It was me okay? I wanted to do it so I did it" she lied.

"Now I'll have to make Hirako and Toushiro both follow you."

"I hate Hirako."

"Then, well...whatever. Hitsugaya, call code 89345 and tell him he's on."

"Who?" asked Rukia. She saw Toushiro cursing to himself.

"Doesn't matter. You aren't required to know."

"Who is it Nii-sama? Tell me please."

"I cannot tell you. He is one of your guards, but a substitute. He has always been looking after you. He's an agent who's been studying in this school forever now."

"Then I'll find out myself. Hmph." Byakuya raised his eyebrows at Rukia, noticing her sudden chage of attitude.

"Since when did you act so...inhuman?" he asked.

"Am I? Well maybe I just find the fact that you're acting all high and mighty, patronizing."

"Is it that patronizing even if we are brother and sister?"

"The fact that we don't share the same blood adds up to it." Rukia hadn't realized how much saying that actually hurt him. "And don't ever fire Toushiro. If he makes the smallest blunder, it doesn't mean you should fire him. 'Cause he is the best bodyguard I've ever known." She said this a bit quietly so Toushiro couldn't hear. He did have his headphones on after all.

"Having a forbidden affair are we?" asked Byakuya looking humourless. Although some other colour seemed to transform his faces light features.

She snorted. "Nothing of the sort. He's like a second brother to me."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Can you assure me nothing is-?"

"NO!" she whispered loudly. "Of course not."

"Then? You don't like anyone?"

"I don't know Nii-sama. Since when were you so interested in my affairs?"

"You're fifteen Rukia. Of course I should know who you correlate with."

"When am I to be released?"

"Ask your second brother." She laughed.

"Jealous are we Nii-sama?"

"I'm leaving." With that he opened the doors and left with the guards. Toushiro came and sat next to her.

"Who is my other bodyguard?"

"No one."

"C'mon you can tell me."

"Its sealed information."

"Then I'll find out myself." She sat upright and folded her arms.

"Good luck with that."

The nurse came a few moments later to tell Rukia that she could leave. She only had a small plaster on her head but she'd been knocked out badly.

"Um...Toushiro..." she began as they started walking out of the place. "Who is Renji?"

"The red-haired guy? I don't know. He's good at fighting."

"You know his name."

"Um...his name is read out from the register every day."

"Then how'd you know he fights?"

"Um..."

"He's my guard right?"

"Err...ok I'll admit he is a guard but he is not yours."

"Oh. You're not misleading me are you?"

"No." He noticed that she wobbled a little while she walked. He put his arm around her to give her support. "You need rest."

"But I can't sleep."

"Then lie down."

"And?"

"Read something?"he suggested.

"Fine." Entering the lift, he pressed number six. Suddenly the lift stopped to the third floor. The doors opened to find an expectant-looking Ishida.

"Hello Rukia." He didn't greet Toushiro though. He quickly asked, "And you are?"

"Toushiro."

"Right...hey Kuchiki what happened to you last night?"

"Just got a but nervous." As the elevator doors opened she quickly entered.

"Bye." Ishida just raised one hand. His other, was full of a bunch of files.

"He's pretty energetic" Rukia looked at Toushiro. He just said his usual "Hn."

"I mean, working in the weekend."

"Hn."

Rukia's fury started to boil. "Is that all you're going to say to me?"

"What else am I supposed to say?"

"Whatever."

Wordlessly, they made their way to her room. Upon opening the door, they find a very irritated Tatsuki.

"Damn. You guys are pretty difficult to keep your mouths shut from revealing the truth."

"Whatever. Ichigo doesn't know right? That's all that matters."

She quickly entered the bathroom. "Do you think she fell for it?"

Toushiro nodded. "She hasn't got a clue." He left the room without waiting to say bye to Rukia.

Rukia entered the room, "Hey Toushiro-" She noticed that he wasn't there.

"He just left."

"Jerk." She got ready to rest on her bed. Rukia slept for the longest time until the very next day. She must have been tired.

(A/N:I know short chapter. Should I make it longer or make new chap? I think I should make it longer and make a new chap.S a bit too short.)

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