I don't own Bleach. I don't own Ellie.

The pieces of my heart are missing you
When you're gone
The face I came to know is missing too
When you're gone
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok
I miss you

"Can I get you anything else, sir?" Orihime asked, looking down at a tall man with red hair. He had been sitting here a while, not moving. It was like he was waiting for someone.

"Some more coffee if you have it."

He didn't even look up at her. She filled up his cup and was about to turn away and go back to work, until he spoke. "I'm trying to figure out something. That's why I'm just sitting here."

Orihime turned around and sat down across from him. She set down the coffee pot and looked at him, puzzled. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Why Rukia is the way she is."

Orihime smiled. Rukia was one of her best friends. Even she didn't know everything about her. It was mostly because of that night. That night, seven years ago, when everything changed for Karakura High. When everything changed for Rukia.

"How do you think she is?"

Renji's brow wrinkled, deep in thought. He had his hand under his chin; kinda the way Uryuu did when he was in deep concentration. "She's … different from what I remember. I mean, our junior and senior year of school, she seemed so … odd. I mean, after we stopped talking, I didn't really notice … but, before then …"

"It's because of him."

"Who?"

Orihime swallowed. "Kaien Shiba," she explained. "Everything changed because of Kaien Shiba."

"Wasn't he the kid who died?"

She closed her eyes. "Yes, the kid who died."

"Hey, girl, give me your purse."

"No."

"I-it's okay, I'll give it to him. There's not that much in there anyway."

"No. I's your money, keep it. It's not his."

Rukia's eyes wide, she looked at the man standing in front of her. Sure, she knew it wasn't Kaien, and she knew this hollow's secrets … but, he looked so real. Rukia's mind was going a million miles per hour. That meant, that whatever happened that night … those men couldn't have killed him. No … why would Grand Fisher have his spirit if Kaien had died a human death and not one of a Soul Reaper or strong spirit being.

"In all the Soul Reapers I've fought," Grand Fisher spoke. "There's been one person in that specific Soul Reaper's life they can't cut. They can't hurt, because that would cause too much pain. For you, girl, it's this man. I briefly remember him, though it was such a long time ago."

"Rukia," the Kaien spoke. Though Rukia knew that he would, it still managed to surprise her. "Don't do this. I'm alive, don't you see? Don't do this. Will you hurt me? Just like you did all those years ago?"

Hot tears burned her eyes. She put her sword down; still in her hand, but down to the side of her body. She took a step forward and reached out her hand. She touched Kaien's face.

One tear fell. And then another.

"No, don't go! You can't go! Don't leave me! Kaien…Kaien? Kaien!"

"Rukia…" Ichigo mumbled. "Don't…" But he couldn't say anymore. Just seeing her there, like this; this desperate, in this much pain; it hurt him. Though he knew it was a fight for her pride, he didn't want to watch her go through this. He had too…that was bad enough.

Grand Fisher smirked. He ran a sharp arm through the doll and into Rukia right arm. She gasped and looked down. She looked up and saw…his arm, it was in perfect shot.

"We find the defendants guilty of all charges. They'll take the sentence of life."

"Thank God. Oh, thank God."

"What happened?" Renji asked cautiously.

Orihime looked down to the table, suddenly interested in the tiled table top rather than listening to him. Then, she smiled slightly. "I met Rukia when we were freshman. She was really quiet, always sat in the back of the class. She was in four of my classes, so I saw her a lot. One day I just went up and talked to her.

"She turned out to be really sweet," Orihime explained. "She didn't really open up to anyone, but she talked to me about school and some of the stuff I brought up."

Renji sat quietly, waiting for her to continue. After all, Rukia didn't tell him that much anymore … sometimes he felt as if they were still fighting.

"When we were sophomores, she sat by Kaien Shiba in two of her classes. She said that he gave her a normal greeting, like I had. He was another person who didn't care about her nobility. She talked to him more than she talked to me, about deeper things. I think it was because she had grown up with you all of her life … she felt more comfortable around guys."

I broke that trust, Renji suddenly realized.

"As you may know," Orihime went on. "Kaien and Miyako were the couple in the school. They were the ones that would get married a few weeks out of high school and be together the rest of their lives. When she died 

in a car accident our sophomore year, Rukia was the one who was there when Kaien needed someone to talk to.

"They used to walk in the park under this big oak tree. She would bring hot chocolate and would sit there, waiting for him. She really trusted him."

"How do you know this?" Renji asked.

"She told me. She called me a lot, asking me what she should do for him. I gave her advice but I don't think she took any of it. I told her he needed to move on and that she should wait before talking to him" — she held up her index finger to emphasize her point — "she was always waiting for him."

Orihime paused. "I guess they soon just started dating. They went out to the park and to the movies and he even took her to a play. Shakespeare, I think.

"But one night, he was killed. Rukia never told me how. She just … she said he died and it was all her fault. The police said that she had nothing to do with his murder, it was a gang that had stabbed him but she was convinced it was her fault."

Her fault? Renji thought. That was like Rukia.

"She was never the same," Orihime said, her eyes lost like she wasn't at the Shoten anymore; she was in the past remembering that Rukia she had wanted to see for so long. "And only the day before his death does she ever act like she used to."

She lifted her sword, and in a quick, sharp motion, she sliced off the arm that had stabbed her. He roared in pain and backed up.

She was about ready to go after him again when a sudden burst of pain hit her. She looked down and saw blood pouring out of her arm. She looked up again and saw that Grand Fisher was slowly moving upwards, toward the sky.

"Coward!" she yelled. "Come back! I have to fight you!"

"I'll fight you again someday, Soul Reaper," he said.

Ichigo ran forward then, breaking from his gaze. Rukia was yelling up at the sky now, as rain began to fall. Harsh tears fell down her cheeks as she screamed.

He was about ready to touch her shoulder when he felt something. A presence, he concluded and looked around. There, standing in front of him was someone who looked just like him, except for the fact that that his hair was dark while Ichigo's was orange.

"Rukia," the spirit, Ichigo concluded, spoke.

She gasped, looking up.

Standing there, was none other than Kaien Shiba. He looked just like she remembered him, seven years ago.

"You must be new here. I'm Kaien Shiba."

"Nice to meet you."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Usually when someone greets himself, the other replies with their name and a nice to meet you."

"Um … I'm Rukia Kuchiki, nice to meet you."

Rukia slowly stood up. She walked away from Ichigo and to the man that looked so much like him. She could feel tears. "Kaien?" she said so quietly she could hardly hear herself.

"Rukia," he said. "I don't have much time, but I wanted to say that all those times we were together were some of the happiest times of my life. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

"After time, I think I – I think I loved you and I think you felt the same way. But now, I'm gone, and you have to move on. It wasn't your fault that I died. It was those thugs. If anything, you tried to save me.

Rukia felt the tears fall and couldn't stop them. She hadn't cried like this in a long time. "I may be gone, Rukia. But you're still here. You still have people to live for; yourself to live for. Don't go on with life with that damn look on your face, smile again. Just like you used to."

Then he turned to Ichigo. "Take good care of her. Sure as hell if you don't, I'll haunt you the rest of your life."

Ichigo nodded.

"Don't forget," he had turned back to Rukia. "I'll always be with you."

"I can't believe it," Renji said. "I – I didn't know that Rukia went through that."

Orihime sat there, finishing off the bit of coffee she had poured for herself. Usually, she wasn't one to drink the bitter liquid but today … she'd made an exception, considering the circumstance.

The door was opened, causing the familiar jingle of the bell. Orihime stood up, brushed off her apron and went to go help the customer. But she really didn't need to.

Ellie had found her way to Renji without help. "Would you like something to drink?" Orihime asked, kindly, like she did for all her customers.

"No thanks," Ellie replied. "I shouldn't be here long. I'm just coming to see Renji."

Orihime nodded and was gone.

Ellie looked over to a small table and saw that he looked really depressed. He … what was a good way to describe it? He wasn't like the Renji she knew at all. Though she had a pretty good idea as to what was bothering him, she kept it to herself and put a fake smile on instead.

"Hey, stranger," she said casually, waving a hand.

Her voice caused him to look up.

"Come on," she said, holding out her hand. "I won't say that I've been waiting for you for nearly an hour for lunch. I figured you might be here. Let's go get something to eat. It looks like you've had a pretty rough day."

Renji didn't know what it was but he couldn't turn her down. Maybe it was the fact that she was actually trying to smile decently; which she was failing quite badly at it. Maybe it was the fact that she was offering her hand, something he had tried to take for so long, but was too much of coward to do it.

Or maybe it was that look in her eyes.

Renji wasn't sure why, but he took her hand.

And he smiled back.

Rukia was silent.

Slowly, she watched as Kaien went up in the sky until his spirit completely dissolved. Ichigo went over to Rukia then as she fell to her knees.

She suddenly felt lightheaded. She wasn't sure if it was because of her encounter with Kaien or because of the blood that dispersed itself from her body.

"Rukia," Ichigo said, kneeling down beside her. "I — um…"

"Ichigo," she said. "I just want to go home."

He nodded. He picked her up bridal style as the rain came down harder and harder. Thunder was in the distance. He knew that it would freeze soon.

Ichigo stood up and looked around. Urahara suddenly appeared with Rukia's body. After successfully getting her back inside, he carried her bridal style to her car.

The rain was falling harder. Ichigo was freezing. He looked down at Rukia. She was still hurt, he could tell by the look of pain across her features, but she also looked relieved, as if a huge burden had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Of course it had. Kaien had given her a sense of closure. Something Ichigo's mother had, even though he still wanted to kill Grand Fisher one day. Rukia might feel the same; but at least for now, she was at least just a little happier than he had seen her in a long time.

And that was enough.

When Rukia woke up the next morning, she looked over to her clock. It was fifteen after eight, longer than the time she usually slept to.

She tried to sit up and when she did she felt slightly dizzy. She looked at her surroundings and she knew that she was in her room. But what about the day before…? Hadn't she fought Grand Fisher? And Kaien … she saw Kaien, didn't she?

She looked down, where she had gotten her injuries. Sure enough, there were bandages there; probably the work of Ichigo. Usually, she would have killed him for "taking advantage of her" (one of her injuries was on her stomach after all) but today, she didn't care.

She felt as if something huge had been lifted off her shoulders. And really, it had. Sure, guilt from Kaien's death was still there but it was dimmer. Rukia felt as if she could finally move on with her life. She could finally …

She smiled.

Her door opened and she looked over to see Ichigo. "Hey, you're up," he greeted. He was carrying a brown paper bag with him. He tossed it to her and she caught it. Inside, was a bagel, ah, just what she needed.

She took it out and bit into it happily. "Thanks, Ichigo," she said her mouth filled with bread.

He smiled and turned away. "You're welcome."

They were like that for a while until Ichigo broke the silence. "Urahara said you had the rest of the week off. Considering that's only today, I wasn't sure if it was such a generous offer. But hey, he gave me the day off too. Is there something you would like to do today? If you're not feeling well … that's fine too … we don't have to do anything."

Rukia smiled. "Actually, there's something I would like to do."

"Really? What's that?"

She looked down at her bed spread and straightened some of the wrinkles in the sheets. She looked back up at Ichigo. "Would you like to go see Shakespeare?" she asked.

A/N: Wow. Fast Update. Well, at least for me that it!! Anyway, I really hope you liked this chapter! But we're not through with Kaien yet … the next chapter … you get to learn the whole story. The whole story.

Pease review!!

Chapter Preview:

She looked into his eyes and he looked back. For the longest moment it was like that. The feelings building up inside each other blew up at that moment. Something was going to happen; something they both wanted to happen.