I don't own Bleach.

Previously …

He'd break her out.

Grabbing a pen out of his pocket, he pulled out the family photo — the one with his mom, dad, sisters, and himself a little over nine years ago — and flipped it over, jotting down a note on the back. That way … when Rukia picked this book up to read tonight, she'd find this note …

And he could finally help her.

Grinning to himself, he slipped the pen back in his pocket, put the book back, and exited the cell. He nodded to the guard and then left the prison, his home, and went back to his house … his new home.

It hadn't taken a long time to find her previous home. In fact, all he had to do was look on the front page of the newspaper to know who her brother and sister were and where she had grown up for part of her life. She had had a very good life before going to jail.

The house he was standing in front of was huge and white — even grander than something for the President of the United States. There was a majestic mahogany door and over ten windows on each side of the house. It looked to be three stories high … it had to be the grandest, most beautiful house Ichigo had ever seen.

He didn't know how a house as impressive could only occupy two people. If his father had a clinic this size, well … Ichigo knew that Isshin would be on his way to owning the most beautiful hospital in all of Japan.

He shook his head, took a deep breath, and started walking toward the building of a house. His shoes crunched on the gravel and, as the wind picked, his hands retrieved to the deep depths of his jacket pockets.

When he approached the door, instead of knocking, he just stood there … staring. For so long, he had imagined himself being free of his cell and he had for almost two weeks. It was different without the mystery meals and schedule he had known better than himself. Now, he was in front of his roommate's house and he couldn't bring himself to knock on the door.

Luckily, he didn't have to. For the next moment, it opened on its own. A woman — that he would have otherwise called Rukia if she hadn't been in jail — stuffed something in her coat pocket and looked up, a gasp left her mouth. Her midnight black hair was pinned back and her violet eyes looked up at him curiously. A scarf concealed her neck, protecting her from the wind as did her peach colored coat and dark jeans.

She blinked.

Recognition filled her eyes and her mouth opened and closed couple of times before her voice finally came back to her. "You're … you're Ichigo Kurosaki, aren't you?" she asked, her eyes looking him up and down and then finally resting on his eyes.

He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yes, ma'am, I am. And you're … Hisana Kuchiki?" He remembered her name from a magazine article he had looked at while searching for her address.

"Yes, that's me. You just got out of prison a few weeks ago. You put the man who murdered your mother away. Your story's been all over the news! You're innocent. Innocent …" Her eyes seemed to glaze over, as if she was remembering something important.

"Well," Ichigo said nervously. "Yeah, I suppose." He paused. "When I was in prison, I resided with your sister, Rukia. We were cellmates for about five months. I first met her last summer."

Hisana's face became pale — which didn't really seem possible; her skin was already porcelain. Tears entered her eyes. "Y-you know, don't you?" she whispered quietly.

He nodded.

Then, her arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him into a very awkward hug. "Thank you so much," she whispered into his shirt, her tears falling. "Rukia … she said she'd never tell anyone! You … you must be very important to her. But why … why are you here?"

She looked up and removed her arms from him. "I love her," he said simply. "She … during the first few weeks I knew her, I hated her. But soon we became very close and shared our pasts with each other. I realized soon after that she had become the most important person to me … I was no longer bitter, I didn't feel miserable. I was … happy with her. And I realized I was in love with her.

"Then there was a break in my case and I testified for that little boy who lost his mother. The man who did it was convicted guilty and I – I … I was free. And I had to leave her behind."

Tears fell from Hisana's eyes like the rain falling from the sky. "The day before the trial, we had a fight and that was the last time I saw her. Mrs. Kuchiki … your sister is in danger. The man who killed Kaien — Metastacia — is in jail for a different reason but, she said if he saw her, then he'd kill her. I – I can't let that happen.

"I love her too much to do that to her. I need to get her out — but I need your help. Please, if we can work on her case together, we might be able to save her. We just have to … try. Please. What do you say?"

He pulled his lips upward to a weak smile.

She grinned and he held out her hand. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Kurosaki. If there's anything I can do to help my little sister, I'll do it. You don't know how long I've waited for this. You're … you're like an angel."

He chuckled at the irony and then took her hand. "Ichigo," he said. "No need for formalities, since we'll be working so closely for the next few weeks. I would do anything to help Rukia, even if that meant going back for eternity. I can't live without her. Not now. Not ever."

And they shook on it.

Two rough hands grabbed her from behind. Rukia yelped and looked up, seeing two chocolate brown eyes staring back down at her. Her heart immediately melted at the sight of him. His orange hair was as warm as the sun when she looked at it.

He spun her around and his lips immediately pressed against hers. She hungrily replied, running her fingers through his hair as he wrapped his arms firmly around her waist. "I love you," he said between kisses and she returned the statement with her own.

"I love you more," she chimed when they broke apart for hair.

He chuckled and pecked her nose. They leaned their foreheads up against each other and just stood there, holding one another. Rukia giggled lightly and he looked down at her. "What are you thinking about, Princess?" he asked quietly, rubbing her back.

She kissed his chin. "I dunno," she replied. "I'm just happy."

He pulled her into her into a tight hug. He kissed the top of her hair and then ran his fingers through it. "Good," he replied shortly. "Because I'm happy too."

…

Her eyes fluttered open. She felt a smile upon her face and quickly erased it. She felt a dampness beneath her eyes lids and down her cheeks; it was then that she realized she had been crying. Closing her eyes once more, she groaned and turned her head. Her cheeks pressed up against something cold and flat.

She opened her eyes once more and saw it was the book she had been reading for the past few nights: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. She briefly remembered the note she'd found in it — on the back of Ichigo's photograph.

The note had caused so much hope in Rukia. When she first noticed it, she didn't think it was possible that it was actually there. She didn't know how he'd gotten in here ( it was only later that she learned he was escorted to get his things, which, he didn't ) and she was just so taken by surprise.

After he left for his trial, she had cried for half the night when she couldn't hear his soft breathing beside — or below — her.

Then, after a week of moping around, she decided that it was time to give up. He wasn't coming back … he had his own life now. He didn't need her. So she didn't need him. Even though she loved him, even though she actually dreamed about living with him somewhere outside of the prison, she had to let him go.

And here she was, dreaming again, like he had only left yesterday … not nearly nine months ago.

You're being stupid, Rukia, she told herself. You let him go a long time ago. Just get over him! There are plenty more fish in the sea! She paused. Well, that's what Renji'd say, anyway.

She sighed and closed her eyes again, thinking she was probably content enough to sleep all the way until morning. She stared at the ceiling, counting the number of cracks that had formed there over time. She followed along its pathways until it ended, then she'd start on another.

And, as she fell into black, the only thing she saw was orange and chocolate brown eyes — the man she loved, and still loved, more than anything.

"Damn it!" Ichigo yelled, throwing down the papers he'd been looking at. They flew, taking other files and papers with them, and several fell to the floor. Ichigo swore again and then ran his fingers harshly through his orange locks.

A small, soft hand appeared on his arm. He looked over to see Hisana, smiling at him tiredly. Her hair was hanging loosely from a ponytail and she was wearing a simple pair of sweats and a hoody along with a pair of glasses. If he didn't know any better, he would have assumed she just got out of college … not that she was married and had been married for almost ten years.

"It's okay," she whispered. "You'll do fine. Did you ask your dad if you could stay in the guest quarters to continue working?" Ichigo nodded and then yawned. "Maybe you should get some sleep," she suggested. "I'm getting very tired myself." She picked up a Hostess cake and took a large bite of it.

Ichigo chuckled at her face. "What?" she asked, mouth full. "I'm hungry too." He rolled his eyes, then stretched his arms over his head. "But seriously, you should get some sleep," she added.

Ichigo nodded.

She patted his arm once more and then pushed her chair back. On cue, Byakuya walked into the kitchen and looked at Hisana with the gentlest expression his face could manage.

Then he glared at Ichigo. "Kurosaki," he nodded. Ichigo nodded back. "Hisana," he turned to his wife. She cocked her head to the side and giggled a bit.

"Okay, I'm coming, I'm coming," she said, smiling lovingly. She got up and looked over to Ichigo. "Don't stay up too late," she chastised him. "I'll come down on you like your mother would, rest her soul."

And then, she and Byakuya were gone.

Ichigo smiled lightly as they left. Truth be told, the first time he laid eyes on Byakuya, he had been scared out of his mind. The guy was big and stiff, the total opposite of tiny lovable Hisana. But, though his words were harsh and cold, Hisana reassured Ichigo that Byakuya did approve of him and looked forward for him to join the family.

Ichigo remembered blushing like a schoolboy when that happened.

He yawned again and looked down at the papers that had fallen to the floor. He picked them up; they were police reports and files of other cases that kind of, but not really, like Rukia's. He rubbed his eyes and blinked slowly a couple of times.

Then, gathering up the reports, he left the large kitchen he and Hisana had been sitting at for a good half of the day. The other half was spent at the jail, in Warden Kenpachi's office, trying to help her case. It didn't work; though Ichigo was not a criminal — never was — it didn't matter.

Rukia was still guilty.

But she wasn't.

He passed by Hisana and Byakuya's room. "Hisana, you shouldn't put too much strain on yourself," he heard Byakuya say quietly. "You don't want to hurt yourself or the baby …"

He could imagine Hisana rolling her eyes. "Byakuya," she said. "I'm not even in my second trimester! Calm down … the baby'll be fine! Nothing's going to happen to him!"

"Or her." Ichigo could almost feel the smile in his voice. "You don't want to hurt the baby's feelings now would you?"

There was a pause in their conversation. "I love you," he could hear her say happily.

"I love you too, my beautiful Hisana."

Ichigo felt his heart beat faster. So, it sounded like Hisana was pregnant. It made Ichigo a little happier to know that Hisana finally got something she so desperately wanted. During the last few days that they had known each other, they had told little things about themselves to pass the time away.

The fact that Hisana and Byakuya were trying to have a baby since … forever, hearing that she finally got pregnant made him feel like life could really happen … and life would go on.

He just had to save Rukia first.

He could feel his chest become heavy and his throat clogged. He turned off the light, shook his head, and started walking up the stairs. His eyes became heavy as he laid down in the comfortable bed in the Kuchiki guest room.

I'll save you, Rukia, he thought. And I won't rest until I do.

One phone call and that was it. One phone call and that was all he received for two weeks. He made sure the number was inconspicuous and guaranteed that one of his men would be posted there. "Lee's Pizza Place," a voice came on the other end. "How may I help you?" Yo, boss, what's up? Do you need something?

"Yes, I'd like one sausage pizza, large," he replied. Code for, I got someone for you to kill. "And, make it snappy. I don't have all day." Quick.

"Yes, yes …" Sure, who is it? "What is your address?" Where is he, what day?

"Third building …" Wednesday … "Central Park." That one didn't need to be translated.

"Yes, yes sir." Then he hung up.

The man with black eyes smiled. Good, he thought. So, Rukia Kuchiki is here. I thought I got rid of her a long time ago when she took the fall for her precious boyfriend's life. I guess I was wrong. Looks like that girl — no matter where she's at — will find someone for me to hurt.

And Metastacia smiled, thinking of all the revenge he would finally get to take on the family that ruined his reputation and his life.

So, they had just killed Caesar and Brutus was regretting it.

What an asshole, Rukia thought when her light went. So, Brutus was Julius's best friend and, just because this other senator told him that Caesar was bad for Rome, Brutus practically led the way to kill him. Now, after he killed his friend and is about to go into battle … he's regretting killing said friend.

Dumbass.

She turned over and looked at the window. Yesterday was Wednesday and Ichigo hadn't shown up like he said he would. She had looked and looked, straying further and further away from the guards. Finally, when she near the line of trees where she could just run and break free, one of them called all of the prisoners back and she had no choice but to follow.

Ichigo hadn't shown up. Well, in his note, he said he'd show up if he couldn't solve her case. So, that didn't necessarily mean that very next Wednesday. She just hoped it would be.

It'd been nearly nine months since she'd last seen him. It was painful but she got through it. She befriended her new roommate, Rangiku Matsumoto ( arrested for prostitution ), and became closer to Renji. She didn't push people away but she never allowed to get too close.

That was Ichigo.

Ichigo was close to her and Hisana was close to her and Byakuya was close to her. But that was it. Her sister, brother, and Ichigo were the three most important people in her life and no one else would ever take their places within her heart.

So she had to keep waiting.

Creeping out of bed, she grabbed The Tragedy of Julius Caesar and crawled over to the window. Opening it back up, she started reading Act five, knowing that she'd keep waiting and she'd keep going, no matter if she had to wait the rest of her life in this cell, rereading the same tragedy over and over and over …

She would keep loving him, no matter what. She would keep believing that her sister could save her, no matter what. She would keep living, no matter what. She would keep on fighting, no matter what.

So she would keep waiting, no matter what happened.

Ichigo, she thought, reading by the moonlight. Please, I'm waiting. Just, please, save me. Save me from what's going to happen if I don't get out of here. Just, please, I'm counting on you …

The rain started to fall outside, filling the world with either a miserable night or a new day.

Free Me, Ichigo. Free Me.

A/N: Hey hey hey! Here's a new chapter! I'm getting better at this updating thing! XD, haha! I'm trying to get updates out faster so you guys can finally see resolution! It's going to be so sad leaving this story! :(! Did you like the chapter? I hope so! Just wait till the next one! Haha! Two more chapters left! It's going to get good!

So, who's going to see the Twilight movie tomorrow? I am! My best friend, Wendy and I are going to see it … we preordered tickets! \squeals!\ Haha! Speaking of Twilight, I'm writing my own fanfiction taking place after the fourth book. So, if you're interested! Check it out!

See ya! Please review!

-Liz