Marriage for a Million: Love is Eternal

original story by missyromanticme15

this story by Ulquiorra9000

Chapter Ten: Taking the Next Big Step

Earlier this morning, Rukia could hardly believe her ears when Tier Halibel had called her and "cordially" invited her to take part in the Lady Royals Society's environmental restoration project today. Rukia thought it was a prank of some kind until Halibel name-dropped Isshin Kurosaki as the one who recommended Rukia has a hardworking girl who would brighten everyone's day. At that point, Rukia gave Halibel a "yes" in a neutral voice and quickly hung up before she could snort with laughter. After Halibel's bluster about keeping her distance from the Kurosakis, two of them were laboring out in the open for the LRS name. And no one could stop them, or stop the press from drinking in the sight.

Kukaku would be proud.

"Here we are," Ikakku announced when he pulled up to the camp along the banks of the Karakura River at the town's outer limits. "Mrs. Kurosaki, call me when you're both ready for pickup."

"Sure thing," Rukia said, already climbing out of the car. Her husband wasn't allowed a mobile device outside the home, due to his house arrest's terms, but the man didn't mind at all. Out here, he'd have his hands full, anyway.

Once Ikakku drove off, Riruka stepped forward from the small crowd of volunteers at the camp and spread her arms wide, an equally wide smile on her face. "Mr. and Mrs. Kurosaki," she announced. "It's a pleasure to have you both here. Tier Halibel-san just notified me that you would join us, Rukia-san. I was so glad when I got the news."

"I'm not afraid to get down and dirty," Rukia said with a sly smile. She elbowed Ichigo. "And neither is this guy."

Rukia thought she'd never see the ever-so-classy Riruka Dokugamine dressing down, but here she was in a light flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, old skinny jeans, and work boots. Her pink hair was not in its usual two ponytails, but in two big buns to keep it clear from river muck and dirt.

"I'm ready whenever you are," Ichigo told Riruka calmly, hands in his worn-out jeans' pockets. He also wore an old, parted button-up shirt over a white tank top, plus leather work boots.

"Great. Follow me, both of you," Riruka said, motioning as she turned and walked off to a few tables loaded with supplies.

Rukia smiled and held her husband's hand as they followed the cleanup chief. "I bet it feels funny to step down from Armani and Rolexes to working-man clothes."

"I've had five suits imported from Italy," Ichigo commented, "and I'd never bring one here. I'd be afraid just to expose them to the air."

Rukia burst out laughing. "Welcome to the commoner life, your highness."

Ichigo scowled. "Excuse me?"

"You know what I'm getting at."

Ichigo relaxed. "Too true."

"Okay, everyone!" Riruka called out, clapping her hands together. "Now that we're all here, let's get started. Plastic bags, pick-upper sticks, goggles, and anything else you need is right here. The lunch caterers will be here at noon sharp for an hour-long lunch break. Ready, and go!"

Rukia had never seen Riruka so animated before; how strange that a trash-strewn, mucky riverbank could get a former fashion model so fired up. Then again, this was a part of the LRS, and Riruka may be slippery, but she always seemed to know just what she wanted. Today, she wanted the Kurosakis to get another chance.

- I'm tempted to feel like she's trying to lord it over us. But maybe she's for real. -

Without further ado, Rukia collected her supplies, snapped some plastic work goggles over her eyes, and dug in.

Picking up old cans, Styrofoam pieces, broken appliances, and more along the riverbank was oddly satisfying, even when Rukia had to make her way across muddy ground, slippery rocks, and patches of plants she didn't want to touch. It had rained yesterday afternoon, and she could tell; everything smelled so damp and ripe, but she held her breath during the worst parts of it and kept on working. It almost felt like giving a large, gentle creature a much-needed bath, and she could imagine the riverbank grunting with relief, rolling over on its massive haunches so Rukia could scrub more of its skin.

Rukia looked up to check on Ichigo every few minutes, just to see how he was doing. He was a bit slow (doing paperwork and sipping Scotch doesn't prep you for hard labor), but Rukia was sure that he'd be fine. Meanwhile, Riruka stayed slightly apart from the cleanup team, her trash bag emptier than everyone else's. Then again, she had to coordinate everyone and help them deal with potentially hazardous stuff, like a collection of surgical equipment one young man found. And Riruka definitely called out encouragement to Ichigo more than anyone else. Well, that was just typical. Probably harmless, though.

Just like she expected, Rukia also saw the local newspapers, and even TV news crews, watching them. She could already imagine the headlines: "ICHIGO KUROSAKI TRADES MONEYBAGS FOR TRASH BAGS". She snorted in amusement and used her thick gloves to pry a torn piece of a car tire from a thicket of plants. She'd rather the local news fixate on Ichigo's grimy new work rather than speculate cruelly on what other scandals he might be involved with.

Right on time, a food truck showed up at the camp, and everyone gathered for picnic-style food like hamburgers, grilled chicken, pasta salad, and vegetable platters, plus bottled water and Gatorade by the dozen. Rukia removed her work goggles and gloves, washed up at a portable sink, and joined her husband at one of the lunch tables.

"Working hard, or hardly working?" Rukia teased him as she bit into a hamburger. She didn't normally go for red meat, but it felt justified for today.

Ichigo nearly choked on his blue Gatorade drink. "What the -?"

"Sorry, I just had to," Rukia said with a smile, reaching for her bottled water. She tossed her hair. "But honestly, I helped that guy prop up a whole fridge so the others could load it onto a cart. Where were you when we did that?"

"Trying to get my jeans untangled from a thorny bush," Ichigo grumbled.

"And after that?"

"Getting my shirt untangled from a different thorny bush."

Rukia threw back her head and laughed. "Oh, this whole experience is richer than I could have thought. My husband, trying to find his footing in a day of honest work."

"I graduated business school," Ichigo said to no one in particular, watching a pickup truck loaded with collected trash go by. "I don't have to take this."

"Relax, I'm just having some fun." Rukia gave Ichigo's shoulder a gentle shove. "Actually, to be honest, I like seeing you work with your own two hands. You're such a tough guy. Nice to see you using those arms for more than lifting stacks of paper off your desk."

Ichigo finished his pasta salad bowl and gave her an amused look. "You're in a pretty chipper mood today. I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

Rukia smiled back. "It's just nice to get out of the house and do something. Riruka is really giving us a hand. I know I had my issues with her before, but... you know, she's been a real friend to us."

"I owe her," Ichigo said somberly, nodding.

"Yeah, and being out here under the sun, stretching our muscles... it feels pretty good," Rukia added. "How about you? Feel any better? Getting the juices flowing?"

Ichigo made a mortified noise. "What juices are we talking about here?"

"Endorphins, maybe," Rukia said with a teasing smile, giving Ichigo's shoulder another gentle shove. "Exercise can really cheer you up and shake your brain out of its funk."

Ichigo shook his head with a similar smile. "My wife the positive thinker."

"Why not? It kinda turns a girl on to see her man all sweaty and hard-workin'," Rukia added, clapping a hand to Ichigo's thigh. She felt her heart beating harder, her face warming up.

Ichigo toyed with his empty Gatorade bottle in his hands, his cheeks also going red. "Hey, that goes both ways, Rukia."

Rukia blinked. "Huh?"

"I mean, you're in work clothes and all sweaty, but damn, it's still pretty hot," Ichigo commented. "It gets a fellow's attention."

"Okay, there's the endorphins I was talking about," Rukia said casually. "I'd kiss you, but we're both kinda grimy right now."

Ichigo chuckled. "That we are."

Rukia she felt herself squirming shyly in her seat. Damn, it was affecting her too... she almost felt like some high schooler getting cozy with the star athlete before he graduates. But the press was watching... why not show them that her and Ichigo's spirits were unbroken?

"Rukia, I..." Ichigo ran a hand over his face. "With the way things have been lately... if I ever took it out on you, or made you unhappy, I'm really sorry. I can't let you get hurt, too. You deserve better."

Rukia leaned against her husband, wrapping her arms around him. She snuggled her cheek against his shoulder. "Is that a fact?"

"Well, yeah," Ichigo said earnestly. "Being out here, and seeing you so happy, and doing this work to take my mind off things... it's making me remember what a gift I have in you, and that I have to give you the best. No matter what."

Rukia held him tighter, her heart still racing. "Thank you, Ichigo. If I could help you take back the whole fraud scandal, I would. But being here now, after all this, it still feels possible to hope, and keep our spirits up. Just promise you'll do that for me."

"I will," Ichigo said, and Rukia could sense that he means it. "I want you to have the best possible future, Rukia, and make sure you're never miserable or lost ever again."

"Ichigo, I..." Rukia swallowed, her breath catching in her throat. She hadn't heard Ichigo talk like that in weeks, and to hear it now... it wasn't just the endorphins, he was totally serious. What was lying ahead of them both? Rukia was eager to find out.

"Hey," Ichigo added after a minute. "This was good timing. We got about a dozen pictures taken of us like this."

"Huh?" Rukia peeked and saw the paps finishing taking her picture, right there, embracing Ichigo here at the river cleanup camp. At this rate, today really would score major points for the Kurosakis in the local tabloids and day news.

That wasn't the best part, though.

The afternoon seemed to go by faster than the morning shift, and Rukia had her mind on Ichigo's words. Just what did he have in mind for her? And himself? For the foreseeable future, Ichigo was still under house arrest, and he, Isshin, and Kukaku were working hard to untangle the horrible knot that Kurosaki Industries had become. She remembered Kaien's words during the family visit to that white-collar prison at Turtle Bay, how she and Ichigo shared a piece of their hearts with each other. So long as that heart remained in each other, they'd never be separate or alone. Ichigo was confined to his house, but he'd be right there with Rukia wherever she went.

She'd need time to figure all this out.

Finally, at 4:30 PM, Riruka announced that the day's work was done, and Rukia called Ikakku to pick her and Ichigo up. On the drive back to Ichigo's condo, in the car's back seat, Rukia wiped her brow. "Before you ask, yeah, I'm feeling pretty sore. I bet you're doing okay, though."

Ichigo groaned. "No, I've really been through the wringer here, Rukia. I hope the next session is a little easier."

"Oh, you'll be fine," Rukia told him. "Big tough guy, remember?"

"Sure, sure..." Ichigo watched the buildings flash past outside the car window, silent for a while. After some time, he spoke up again. "I'm glad you're doing this with me. But I just wanna know that you'll also follow your own passion, Rukia. This is just work. Please tell me that you haven't forgotten what drives you."

Rukia licked her lips. "What do you mean?"

Ichigo turned to face her, a bracing smile on his face. "I'm doing fine, Rukia. I think it's about time you get back on track with the things you want. Didn't you want to go to art school or something?"

"Yeah, in Tokyo." Rukia felt her gut clench. Where was this going? "But that's the old plan. I dunno what I'm gonna do yet."

"Don't be afraid to go out there and find out," Ichigo told her firmly, his brown eyes locked on hers. "I'd hate to see you throw it all away."

"Throw what away, exactly?"

Ichigo shrugged. "You know... your future goals, your plans, your passion... there's something that burns really bright in you, Rukia. And I'm supporting you all the way. So I'd hate to see you fizzle out."

"Just where is this coming from, Ichigo?" Rukia felt oddly defensive, even when Ichigo spoke of supporting her.

"I have a lot of time to think, after all," Ichigo said plainly. "I just want to know that you'll take the next step. And I'll be right behind you."

- Will you take that step alongside me, or just cheer me on from back at the starting line? -

Rukia swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, okay. Good point. I'll think about it, too."

That night, at Ichigo's cozy, quiet apartment, it was all she did.

.

.

{five days later}

"Okay, Inoue-san, when you said that this place was a 'cozy little corner of Karakura Town', I think you were underselling it," Rukia said when she and Orihime Inoue stepped onto Karakura Community College's campus during the enrollment fair. Today, Rukia wore a turquoise sun dress and leather sandals in the warm August afternoon, and Inoue wore a thin, white blouse and knee-length gray skirt and flats. Around them, countless high school graduates and other young adults milled around the fair, checking the place out.

"But it is," Inoue said brightly, spreading her arms wide, a smile on her face. "It's a small campus, but the staff are all so nice and helpful, and the cafeteria has everything you could imagine. And you haven't even seen the gardens by the science and technology building yet. They're wonderful."

"You're the grad, so you'd know," Rukia said with a tentative smile. After a few days of thinking it over, she'd reached out to Inoue to explore a possible future here, and Inoue had jumped at the chance. In fact, Inoue was amazed that Rukia hadn't asked for this earlier.

"Mmm-hmm, exactly," Inoue said brightly. "Anyway, let's show you to the liberal arts building. It'll be your new home. Come and see."

Rukia had to admit, this place was pretty loaded. Modern furnishings, expensive art on the walls, professional and friendly staff, a well-stocked library, and the campus newspaper staff's meeting room. Rukia hardly even needed the campus staff to show her around; Inoue did that job just fine, pointing out every little detail. She showed Rukia around until lunch, when she led her friend to the cafeteria, and both young women sat at a table by the window, watching the wind rustle the trees' leaves outside. Clouds drifted by overhead, sometimes blotting out the sun before moving on.

"Are you all right?" Inoue asked after a few moments of silence, toying with what was left of her lunch. Her gray eyes met Rukia's violet ones.

"What? Oh. Yeah." Rukia blinked, then ate another forkful of Caesar salad. "I'm fine."

"You seemed so happy to see this place when we got here," Inoue said, lowering her voice a bit. "But then you got kind of quiet, Rukia-san. This place isn't... isn't boring you, is it?"

"N-no!" Rukia said a little too loudly. She winced and lowered her voice. "It's just that... I keep thinking how I'll be apart from Ichigo while going to class here. He'll be all alone in that condo."

Inoue's eyes became gentle and she reached over to hold Rukia's hand in both of hers. "Now, that's not true, Rukia-san. You'll come home every day after class and tell him how great your day was, and about the wonderful stuff you're studying, and all the friends you're making. He'll be so proud and happy for you."

Rukia lowered her gaze. "Okay. You're right."

Inoue studied her friend for a few seconds. "You feel like you're leaving him behind, and it's making you guilty."

"No! Well... yes." Rukia looked up again, glad to have Inoue holding her hand. "A little. He lost everything, and I'm moving on."

"Moving forward, not beyond him," Inoue told her. "There's a difference. Your husband will always be by your side. He'd want this for you. And I'm positive that you need this, too. Isn't it time that you remembered who you are, and all your dreams?"

Rukia made a watery smile. "I'm trying. Really, I am. I guess I put all this on ice during my engagement, and during my first month of marriage. I was less Rukia, and more a part of a sham marriage, and then a wife dragged into a headline-worthy fraud scandal."

"Yes. I know," Inoue said gently. She leaned forward in her seat. "And for all those reasons, Mr. Kurosaki would want this. He acts to aloof and cool, but really, he's burning to see you blossom, Rukia-san. It would kill him to see you languish and fade away just because of his and Kaien-san's problems."

Rukia swallowed. "It almost sounds like you want me to eject him as dead weight and move on."

"Wh-what? No, no!" Inoue shook her head. "I-I didn't mean... Rukia-san, we all just want to see you take flight and realize who you can be. I never meant to say anything against Mr. Kurosaki."

"Sorry. I misread things." Still, Rukia had a nagging feeling that some people... maybe Grimmjow, or Karin, or Kaien, were suggesting such a thing. How long could Ichigo's house arrest and Rukia's personal ambitions stay compatible? No, she'd make it work. She was enrolling in community college, not traveling across the globe.

Inoue smiled. "Okay. So... how'd you like to see the science and technology building, just for fun? You might take an elective in there, and they've got a beautiful collection of geodes and rare minerals on display..."

Rukia kept up her positive outlook as Inoue led her across the campus' other buildings, and it was with confidence when she signed up as a KCC student for the fall semester. And back home, Ichigo reacted just the way she hoped.

"College, huh? They say it's the best four years of your life." Ichigo stood up from his office chair that evening, held his wife close, and kissed the top of her head. "This is fantastic, Rukia. You're going to have such a good time there. I'd tell you to study hard, but I know you. You don't do things haflway."

"True enough. And thanks." Rukia smiled and wrapped her arms around Ichigo's midriff, squeezing him. She savored the warmth of his body through his flannel shirt. "I'll come home every day, and tell you all about my classes, and the friends I'm making, and all the adventures I'm having..."

She wondered why her throat felt tight and her eyes burned as she said it.

.

.

{three days later}

Rukia hardly expected to get a phone call from Kukaku inviting her to a friendly get-together at the Bottoms-Up bar this evening, but Ichigo's cousin sounded so eager to have Rukia with her, so Rukia said good-bye to Ichigo, climbed into Ikakku's car, and ten minutes later, swung open the bar's front doors.

"Hey, there she is!" Kukaku Shiba cried, turning around on her bar stool, waving. "How're you doing, Rukia? Glad you could make it!"

"H-hi, everyone," Rukia said, realizing that Kukaku wasn't alone. Six or seven more young women were gathered around her, most dressed in business casual. Kukaku herself wore a black blazer and white blouse, and a knee-length skirt and polished black heels and gold earrings. And with the way she was seated on her stool, a casual smile on her face, Kukaku had the knack to look professional and foxy at the same time. What a gift.

"Don't be shy, Rukia!" Kukaku hollered over the bar's music and the chatter of the other patrons seated in cushy booths. "Come join us. I want you to meet some friends of mine."

"Okay, sure." Feeling rather small, and not just due to her 4'11" height, Rukia joined the girls and sat in an open stool next to Kukaku. She opened her mouth to order.

"Wait." Kukaku raised a finger. "Bartender, shots for everyone, on me!"

"You got it." The middle-aged man nodded and prepared a tray of nine shots, and Kukaku passed them all around.

Kukaku raised hers. "Like the sign says out front, bottoms up, everyone." She drank.

Rukia drank too, though she braced herself for the worst. It wasn't bad, actually; the shot had an odd vanilla flavor to it.

"It's birthday cake-flavored vodka. Ever had it before?" Kukaku asked her.

Rukia shook her head and smiled. "Sorry, I've only had birthday cakes in solid form."

Kukaku chuckled. "Fair enough. Okay, now we can get down to business." She swept an arm to encompass her companions. "This is Lisa Yadomaru, one of my regional executives from Dublin. I know, she looks grumpy right now, but wait until I get a few beers in her."

The young woman, Lisa, made a polite "humph" and glanced away. "I'm not grumpy, Kukaku-san. Why do you keep saying that? Just because I don't party it up like you?"

"Like I said, give her a few beers first," Kukaku said with a sly smile. "And this here is Nemu Kurotsuchi, who helps run the research and development department. I think this is her first time in a bar."

"Pleased to meet you, Kurosaki-san," Nemu told Rukia. "I've heard a few things about you. Most positive, and I'm sure that the rest were just mean-spirited rumors."

"Hey, I know they were just bullshit rumors," Kukaku said sharply, her eyes flashing. "This here is one of the most honest and down-to-earth girls I ever met. Rukia's gone through some hard times with the rest of the family, but it never broke her."

Both Lisa and Nemu gave Rukia calculating looks, and Rukia tried to look polite and neutral. Just what headlines made it over to Ireland about her...?

"Anyway," Kukaku added, brightening again, "I want you to meet my bestie, Soi Fon. We go a long way back."

"It's nice to meet - oof!" The petite young woman, Soi Fon, was cut off when Kukaku put her in a head lock and patted the top of her head with a wide smile.

Soi Fon struggled to get free. "Y-you agree you wouldn't do this anymore, Kukaku," she choked out.

Kukaku let her go. "Sorry, but you get so shy and quiet around strangers. Just trying to cheer you up," Kukaku told her. "Tell her what you do."

Soi Fon combed her fingers through her hair. "I'm the head of security in Kurosaki Industries' HQ in Dublin."

"And...?" Kukaku prompted her.

"I've caught more trespassers and delinquents than any other chief of security for any business in the UK," Soi Fon added reluctantly. "Kukaku, do I have to tell everyone that?"

"Makes you look good."

Soi Fon sighed. "Apparently. But I'm not going to use it at mixers or singles bars, whatever you might say."

Kukaku chuckled. "Fine, just throw away your best bullet-point fact."

"Soi Fon is having a hard time in the dating scene," Nemu told Rukia casually. "And Kukaku's advice usually backfires."

"It does not," Kukaku snapped, going pink in the face. "It's just the way Soi Fon says it."

"Why don't we have a few more drinks," Lisa offered, "and see who's right by the night's end."

Rukia felt like a leaf in a storm as Kukaku and her business gal-pals put away all kinds of shots and mixed drinks. Just three drinks in, Rukia felt herself getting a buzz, and she secretly hoped Kukaku wouldn't pressure her into having any more. She didn't have the liver power that Kukaku apparently had.

"So, check this out," Kukaku said loudly, raising her mug. "Our own Rukia Kurosaki is taking her first steps to her future. That's right! She dreams of being a hotshot artist in Tokyo, right?" She motioned to Rukia.

"Well... I had plans to attend art school in Tokyo," Rukia said with a nervous smile. "But I don't know where I stand right now."

"Oh, cut the crap. Of course you do!" Kukaku said woozily. Her silky black hair was getting a little messy by now. "Ichigo told me how you enrolled at the community college here in town. I'm so proud! And so is he! So buck up, little Rukia. Your future starts now!" She polished off her beer and ordered another Tequila Sunrise.

Rukia nodded as the other women gave her expectant looks. "That's right. Even with my volunteer work at the LRS environmental project, I have time for some studies. It'll be fun. Inoue was sure of it. She couldn't say enough good things about the community college."

"Good. There's no time to waste, not nowadays," Lisa said. "Work hard, Rukia-san, and you'll get whatever you want."

- You make it sound so damned simple, Yadomaru-san. What do I want? It's like I'm standing in the middle of a maze. -

"Just you watch, girls. One day, our own little Rukia is gonna be a bigger star than any of us!" Kukaku hollered after downing half of her Sunrise. She was panting and pink in the face. "She's got a bright soul, that one. She'll shake the modern art scene here in Japan for sure and make her story known far and wide!"

"Maybe that's enough for now," Soi Fon told Kukaku gently, holding her shoulders. "Or at least slow down."

"No. You keep up with me," Kukaku told her, running a hand down her face and sniffing. She looked up at Rukia. "Y-you're like the little sister I never had, Rukia. God, I love you so much. W-with my big brother in the Turtle Bay Penitentiary, I-I gotta treasure the family I have left." She finished her Tequila Sunrise and nodded. "Yeah, that's right! I love you, R-Rukia. You make my cousin so damned happy, but y-you have your own life too, you know?" She flapped her arms. "Fly away, little bird! Fly away and soar!"

"I'll... think about it," Rukia said cautiously. "There's time."

Kukaku nodded sloppily. "Y-yeah. Time. That's all we've got, right? My b-brother still in prison, Ichigo stuck in his house, waiting to see if Kurosaki Industries survives..." Tears welled in her eyes. "You're all I've got left, Rukia. You're all I've... oh..."

She slumped forward and buried her face in her folded arms, bawling her eyes out. Rukia flinched; what was she supposed to do now? How did it come to this?

Soi Fon and Lisa gently helped Kukaku up. "It's okay," Lisa told Rukia calmly. "We'll get her back to her apartment safe and sound. It was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you, too," Rukia said. "But, uh... I didn't realize she was hurting so much."

"Well..." Soi Fon chewed her lower lip. "The fraud scandal and Kaien's imprisonment have hit her pretty hard personally. I can't blame her. I was hoping she wouldn't get into it tonight, but..."

"I don't hold it against her." Rukia gave Kukaku another look. "And did she mean what she said? About me...?"

Soi Fon nodded. "She's told us all about it, Kurosaki-san. She feels really protective of you. And I think a small part of her believes that Ichigo and Kurosaki Industries are unfairly holding you back. Kukaku-san wants you to go and find your own life, more or less."

Nemu gave her a startled look. "Hey, that's a bit harsh..."

Soi Fon shrugged. "Well, it's true."

Rukia hesitated, then helped Soi Fon and Lisa hold the dozing Kukaku up. "I'll help take her home."

Lisa blinked. "What?"

"Just let me help!"

The businesswomen had no further objections, so Rukia helped Soi Fon and Lisa call a cab and take Kukaku back to her upper middle-class apartment, which was about five blocks away from Isshin's own home. There, Rukia helped the girls deposit Kukaku on the couch, pried off her high heels, and removed her blazer to help cool her off. Just to be sure, Rukia placed a cool, damp washcloth on Kukaku's forehead. She knelt by the older woman, and now, she was the protective one, somehow.

"I think she'll be fine," Lisa said. "I mean, she can drink a lot, but she's never gotten sick."

"Yeah, okay." Rukia couldn't help it; she reached over and gently touched Kukaku's cheek. "Thank you," she said quietly, "for having my back."

Kukaku didn't say anything, just kept dozing with the damp washcloth on her forehead, her bare feet twitching in her sleep. Finally, Rukia slowly got up and left with the others, and called Ikakku to go back home. It was nearly 10:00 PM already, but she didn't feel the least bit tired.

- I'm just now getting my life back together. But is there more out there for me? Is Kukaku on to something, or just trying to live through me? -