Rukia woke the next morning and saw that Ichigo's side of the bed was undisturbed. Had he been so angry that he'd not come home at all or had he been out on a patrol? He wasn't in his office or in the kitchen and there was no note on the fridge. Worrying her lip with her teeth, she wondered who might know what was going on. Thankfully, at that moment Uryu walked in. Grabbing the Beta's arm, she spoke in a rush.

"Uryu, Ichigo never came to bed last night and I'm worried. He was so angry when he left. Do you know where he might be?"

"It's all right, Rukia. I talked to him about half an hour ago. He went on patrol since he didn't think he should be anywhere near Riruka."

She sighed in relief, and went back upstairs. Might as well let him, until he'd cool down.

Later that day Ichigo didn't come home for lunch, but Riruka—just to be on the safe side—stayed in her room most of the time. Since it wasn't her day to work, Rukia found herself with nothing in particular to do and so decided to make a call back home to help fill in the time. Yoruichi answered the phone and Rukia was surprised to feel tears welling in her eyes. She hadn't realised how much she missed the woman. They chatted for over half an hour, catching up on the news from home.

Yoruichi mentioned Renji and she jumped on the chance to inquire about him, unconsciously squeezing the handset tighter. "How is he?…Really?… He'll be coming this way?…On my birthday? Well, yes of course I'd love to see him…Maybe he could meet me in town my shift is done at one o'clock … Uh-huh … Well, pass the information on to him and if it works for him, he can call me and make it definite… Okay, I miss all of you too. Yes, I promise to call sooner, but you can call me too, you know! Right … I'm looking forward to it. Bye. I love you!"

Rukia hung up the phone and gave a little twirl of happiness only to come face to face with Riruka. "Oh! Hi Riruka. How are you doing today?"

Riruka had a strange look on her face, but it quickly disappeared as she answered her question. "Oh, I'm fine I guess. Still feeling like a whipped puppy over that incident with Ichigo last night, though."

"I'm really sorry I brought it up. Like you, I never thought it would be such a big deal." She gave Riruka a sympathetic smile.

"I know. And I shouldn't have given in to Grimmjow, but he can be so persuasive and I was in love… " Riruka studied Rukia for a moment. "Have you ever been in love?"

Shifting a bit uncomfortably, she felt her face grow warm as she tried to think of a diplomatic answer. She didn't mind Riruka that much anymore, but she didn't want to discuss close personal matters with her either. "Well… I… "

"It's okay, Rukia. We all know that you and Ichigo didn't make a love match, but it will work out in the end, you'll see." Quickly changing topics, Riruka asked about her phone call. "I wasn't eavesdropping, but I couldn't help overhear part of your conversation. You sounded pretty enthusiastic about meeting someone."

"Just an old friend from back home. We grew up together."

Riruka nodded. "That should be fun. Well, I'd better get moving. I'm just going to grab a bite to eat and then hide upstairs again. I figure by tomorrow, Ichigo will have calmed down a bit and I can try to make some apologies." With that, Riruka left, humming slightly under her breath.

Riruka and Ichigo had a long conversation in his office just before dinner and she left the meeting looking rather subdued, her face tear stained. Rukia wondered what had been said but wasn't sure that she dared ask. She tiptoed past the office, peeking in the open door and saw Ichigo sitting in his chair. He had his fingers steepled and his eyes closed. A troubled look was on his face, almost as if he were sad. She wondered what he was thinking and how he was feeling. There could be no doubt that recent events were weighing heavily on him, and she speculated that he probably felt everything was falling to pieces around him.

Ichigo seemed in a better mood at supper that night. He announced that a call had come in saying the soil testing looked promising, and it seemed the environmental cleanup costs wouldn't be as extensive as first predicted. Not only would this save the pack a lot of money, but they'd have even less reason to accept the compensation offered by Northern Oil.

Everyone was happy about the news but then Riruka came in and the atmosphere tensed again. No one was quite sure how she and Ichigo would interact, but Ichigo addressed her civilly a few times—nothing special, just a 'pass the rolls' and 'I've called about getting your apartment door fixed'—and the tension in the room began to ease as everyone realised that the two had at least reached a tentative peace.

"I'm going for a run after dinner to celebrate the good news about the oil spill," Ichigo announced at the end of the meal. "Anyone want to join me?

Orihime patted her rounded tummy. "I think Junior and I will pass. I'm barely waddling as it is these days."

"I'll stay in and keep you company." Rangiku chimed in.

"And I'm on patrol tonight," Uryu said glumly. "I'll be out already, but it won't be for fun."

"That just leaves you two." Ichigo looked at Riruka and Rukia.

"You and Rukia haven't had much time together lately. I've been monopolising you quite a bit. Why don't you two just go by yourselves?"

"You're more than welcome to come, you know." Ichigo seemed to be trying to let Riruka know that all was forgiven.

"No, that's okay. You two have fun."

"All right." He shrugged and stood, extending his hand to Rukia. "Are you ready?"

She was about to answer when Riruka cut in. "Rukia, I promise I won't keep you away from your mate for long, but there's something I need to tell you?"

Rukia looked at Ichigo. He shrugged and then nodded. "Okay, I'll see you outside" Ichigo gave her a quick peck on the cheek and then proceeded outside. Once the door was shut, Riruka turned to Rukia, speaking in hushed tones.

"Someone named Renji kept calling for you tonight. At first, I just let the answering machine pick it up, but after the third time I thought I'd better see what he wanted since he sounded so anxious in his messages. Apparently, you're supposed to meet him outside the TeaHouse this Thursday at one o'clock."

"Really? Great! He's an old friend from back home. I heard he was going to be in town and was

hoping we could get together for awhile." Rukia felt a bubble of excitement rise up inside of her.

"He sounded pretty pleased about the prospect, too." Riruka winked at her. "Well, that's all I wanted to tell you. You better get going before Ichigo comes looking for you." Giving her another friendly smile, Riruka turned and went upstairs to her bedroom. Whistling happily to herself.

Ichigo, Rukia and Uryu headed towards the woods. As they entered the tree line, a sound came from the left and in a blur of movement, Ichigo and Uryu positioned themselves protectively in front of Rukia, muscles tense and senses alert. It took less than a second for them to identify the source and realize there was no danger. As the two men visibly relaxed their stance, Tatsuki and Chad emerged from the brush.

"Hi there!" Tatsuki called out. "Great night to be out, isn't it?"

Ichigo nodded in acknowledgement, but looked inquiringly at Chad. "Your first night back on patrol?"

"Yeah, just the immediate area, nothing too far from home yet." Chad looked down at Tatsuki who was holding his arm. "And she insisted on coming along."

Tatsuki grinned. "After last time, I don't want you out of my sight."

"Anything to report?" Uryu inquired.

"Nope. All's quiet. You guys are heading out for a run?" Chad stared at Rukia then smiled.

"Only them" Uryu said, indicating at the couple behind him.

"Well, have fun. It was a long shift, so we're heading home." As they turned to go, Chad accidentally brushed against Rukia, then froze in his tracks, a rumbling emitting from his throat. His sudden stop tugged on Tatsuki's arm causing her to bounce back against him and in turn he bumped into Rukia, who stumbled and half fell to the ground.

Chad spun around, growling low and threatening, his eyes narrowed. In a flash, Ichigo had him by the throat, his hand like a vice-grip, while the other was swung back, preparing to strike. A low growl ripped from his chest and he looked on the verge of changing forms.

Tatsuki screamed and Rukia scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding as she quickly took in the scene before her. Unthinkingly, she rushed forward, shoving herself between the two men.

"Ichigo, no! It was an accident! I'm all right." Rukia grabbed Ichigo's arm.

Uryu took half a step forward, but then stopped as Ichigo snarled even louder. Realising she was the only one who might be able to defuse the situation, Rukia reached for Ichigo's face, trying to force him to look at her.

"Ichigo, listen to me! No harm was done. Let him go!" He blinked twice and as her message sank in, he began to relax, slowly releasing Chad.

The other man stepped back and swallowed hard but continued to sniff the air, shifting his eyes nervously over the crowd and peering into the woods behind them. Tatsuki hugged Chads' arm and looked nervously at Ichigo.

Rukia placed her hands firmly on Ichigo shoulders and took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. Stepping in front of an angry Alpha was not the smartest move to make, but she'd reacted to the situation as instinctively as Ichigo had done. Slowly, she slid her hands down to his chest, rubbing them soothingly over the muscled surface.

"It was an accident. You didn't mean to knock me down, did you Chad? And you weren't growling at any of us, were you?'

Chad still looked a bit disoriented, but nodded in agreement. "No. Sorry. It's just that I… I suddenly scented something and it triggered a memory. For a moment I could have sworn I was back in that clearing where Grimmjow shot me." He sniffed the air again, searching for the source, before focussing back on Rukia. He took a half step forward and sniffed again, a puzzled expression forming on his face. "That's strange. It's coming from you."

"Me?" Rukia squeaked in surprise. "I don't smell like Grimmjow, do I?"

"No, it's not Grimmjow's scent but… " Chad seemed to be searching his memory. "It was there at the same time as Grimmjow. I'm sure I remember both"

Ichigo sniffed at Rukia. "You're wearing that perfume that Riruka gave you. But why would Grimmjow have been wearing it?"

"Maybe Grimmjow was trying to hide his scent from us by overpowering it with perfume." Uryu suggested.

"Could be," Ichigo concurred. "But it didn't work, since Chad still knew he was there." He ran his hands through his hair and huffed in exasperation. "Who knows what Grimmjow is thinking anymore? None of this makes sense to me." He turned towards his friend. "Chad, I'm sorry I overreacted a few minutes ago." Ichigo apologised, shoving his hands in his back pockets. "But when I saw Rukia on the ground and you growled, well… "

"No need to apologise. Any mate would have done the same, it's your right." Chad dismissed the incident with a shrug. "I shouldn't have reacted so strongly, but like I said, that scent had me flashing back. I was sure I could even hear the click of the gun. While on some level I knew it wasn't real, I couldn't stop myself. Sorry. It won't happen again."

Ichigo nodded and Chad stuck out his hand. With a grin, Ichigo shook it. There were no hard feelings on either side and the two couples chatted for a while longer before parting amicably.

"Do you still want to go for a run?" Rukia asked.

"No, not really. There's a bench over there. Could we just sit and enjoy the moonlight?" Ichigo indicated a spot a short distance away. With a nod, she agreed and Ichigo took her hand, leading her towards the secluded place. The bench was surrounded by pine trees on three sides and gave the illusion of being in a private little room.

Sitting down, Ichigo tucked Rukia to his side and sighed. "I can't believe I reacted that strongly to Chad knocking you down. I acted without even thinking and I never do that. I'm the Alpha, the one that's supposed to be in control. But when I heard that growl, I just lost it. My only thought was to protect my mate. I'm sorry if I frightened you."

"I wasn't frightened, not exactly. Surprised, worried, wondering what the hell was going on…But frightened of you? No."

"I'd never hurt you."

"I know."

"You stopped me, which, by the way, was a very brave but foolish thing to try and do. I could have accidentally hurt you."

"I wasn't brave. I just reacted. And no, you wouldn't have hurt me. You don't have it in you. You stopped yourself. If you'd really intended to kill Chad, I couldn't have prevented it. You would have ripped his throat out before I even got to my feet." Ichigo looked sceptical. "You're a good man, Ichigo. You didn't hurt Chad tonight. You didn't kill Grimmjow in the challenge. Yes, you have a temper—every werewolf does, especially the males—but you control it, not the other way around."

She paused, trying to clarify her own thinking. "I think we're all walking a tight rope, trying to fit in, to control our wolf and not to be discovered. I'm always amazed at what a good job we do and how few people actually know we exist."

He studied her for a moment, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight, before leaning forward and pressing a slow kiss to her forehead. "You're very clever you know."

"I always thought so." She smiled up at him.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you. For trying to make 'us' work, despite the fact that you were just thrown into this mating." He took her hand and laced their fingers together. "I know I'm not good at expressing myself, but I hope you know how glad I am that you're here with me. The pack is my extended family, but I've never really had anyone that was just mine, until you came along." He brought their entwined hands up to his mouth and kissed hers gently. "You're mine, Rukia. You're my mate" Ichigo whispered.

Rukia felt herself getting all misty. There was so much feeling evident Ichigo's gaze and tone of voice. He might not be saying the exact words that she wanted to hear, but she was sure the emotion was there, just unspoken.

"I want 'us' to work, too." She whispered back, pressing a soft kiss on his lips. He tightened his arm around her and she turned in towards him, leaning her head against his chest.

They sat there silently for a while, absorbing the warmth and essence of the other. Rukia savoured the was what she wanted. Time when they were just together as a sex between them was great, but in truth Ichigo could get that anywhere. She wanted an actual relationship, where they talked and shared their ideas and feelings. And now she knows Ichigo wanted that, too.

Without warning, Ichigo took her in his arms and ever slowly, lay her on the grass. As he loomed over her, their eyes met. He was on top of her and he brushed her hair back from her face, studying her intently. "Damn, you look so sexy lying on the ground beneath me."

A low growl emitted from his throat before he leaned down and kissed her roughly. Rukia kissed him back with equal fervour, raking her fingers through his hair, holding his head tightly in place. The kiss seemed to go on forever until they were both gasping for breath. Burying his face in her neck, Ichigo inhaled deeply, seeming to be trying to absorb her scent into his body.

"Mmm, Rukia, you smell so good." He gently ran his teeth over her neck and she threw her head back, exposing her throat to him.

"It's my heat cycle, no doubt." Through a haze of desire, she offered up an explanation for how he was feeling.

"Maybe… " He sniffed again and she felt him quirk his lips against her skin. "I love how you smell all the time, your cycle just makes it even more intoxicating to me."

Ichigo was nibbling at her ear now, his breath tickling and sending delicious shivers through her body. She moved restlessly against him, revelling in the weight of him pressing down upon her. He gently rubbed himself against her in response.

"Ichigo—" Rukia was about to tell her mate about Renji, coming to visit her but he began to speak as well.

"You know—"

They both stopped and laughed self-consciously. Ichigo laid a finger on her lips. "Let me, please? I'm not good at sharing stuff and I've finally got my nerve up, okay?"

She nodded. Her news wasn't that earth shattering really. It could wait. This was Ichigo's time.

"Rukia, do you think… ?" He paused, sounding uncharacteristically unsure of himself.

"What?" She shifted so she could see his face. For a moment he hesitated and then seemed to gather his nerve.

"Do you think…? I mean…Would you be willing… ?" Ichigo stopped again, and then suddenly rolled away from her, staring up at the night sky. He took a deep breath, and then proceeded in a detached voice.

"With your heat cycle so near, I was wondering if you'd given any thought to what you were going to do. Our infirmary has the usual drugs to curb it, if you're opposed to having pups. I know we've only been mated a few weeks, so you might not be ready.. "

He let his voice trail off and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Rukia knew her face was probably expressionless at that point, giving him no indication of how she was reacting to his message, but she was completely thrown off balance by his question. When she said nothing, he continued in a rush.

"It might not even happen, though, even if you just let the cycle follow its natural course, but I think we should talk about it. I… I hope you'd consider it though, having my pups someday."

Rukia detected something different in his voice. Hope? Wistfulness? She rolled to her side and propped herself up with her elbow, staring down at him. At first his question had shocked her; they'd only been together a short while and she was only now starting to feel more comfortable about their relationship. The idea of pups hadn't even entered her mind but the idea of being impregnated by Ichigo—his seed growing within her—was strangely erotic and after all, it wasn't a sure thing that she'd conceive.

She suddenly realised that Ichigo was looking expectantly at her and decided to speak plainly. "Ichigo, I have to admit that I hadn't even considered this, which was silly of me, I know. I really don't like taking the heat drugs—I usually react badly to them—and I'm not opposed to the idea of having your pups someday, but we've only been together a short time. I… I don't know if I'm ready to be a mother yet. I know I would like to have a family someday, though." She shrugged and smiled at him.

He reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking gently over her skin. "It means a lot to me, to hear that you do want a family someday. I don't want to pressure you if you aren't ready. How about I take care of protection next week? It won't be one hundred percent but it will minimize the odds and then maybe next cycle you'll feel ready."

"And if it does happen, if I end up pregnant this time, I'd be okay with it. A miniature Ichigo wouldn't be all bad, after all, his father's sort of growing on me." She brushed his hair from his forehead.

Ichigo grinned up at her, his eyes shining with delight and Rukia couldn't help but grin back at him. They were having a real conversation about something important, and she'd learned something meaningful about him. He wanted a family. It wasn't earth shattering news but it gave her a bit of information that she didn't have before.

A shiver of anticipation shot through her. One of her mated friends had gone off her heat medication and had said the urge to have sex had become almost overwhelming. She and her mate had spent almost the entire week in bed. Mmm, a week of sex with Ichigo sounded very appealing. Leaning over him, she placed a lingering kiss on his lips.

"Maybe we should start practising for next week."

"I like how you think." Ichigo chuckled as he stood, pulling her to her feet and hugging her.

As always your reviews are superb! And actually some of your guesses are accurate!

Ooh.. And last chapter ,Riruka seemed to melt your hearts guys.. :) mine's not. hehe..

Shirayuki-san: I don't really know why, my app's working fine. :)