Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and alerts following the last chapter. I'm pleased you are enjoying the story, and without further ado, here is the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Don't own it!

Ichigo awoke with a start immediately sensing something was not right. Seeing a movement out of the corner of his eye in his darkened room he reacted instantaneously.

"Bakudo number 4: Hainawa!" he yelled as he threw the reishi rope in the direction of the movement as he leapt out of bed and grabbed Zangetsu. As he prepared himself to fight, the clouds in the night sky shifted and moonlight suddenly poured into his room revealing a sight that simply took his breath away.

"Rukia!" he gasped.

Somewhere in her brain Rukia acknowledged Ichigo's voice, and somewhere in her brain she acknowledged that she was bound by a kido rope, but after the events of today her brain simply could not process a response. Kami, part of her could still not believe that she had broken into the Academy in the middle of the night to see Ichigo! When had she turned into the type of woman who needed someone? She had always been independent and had never burdened anybody with her problems - a skill she had learnt even before joining the Kuchiki's - but after today she needed Ichigo. She needed his comfort and his solace, his strength and his love, and well, just him. Somehow when she was with Ichigo everything was ok and she needed that reassurance that everything was going to be ok tonight.

Ichigo stared at his girlfriend with a concerned and baffled expression. Rukia was standing in the middle of his room looking wide eyed and completely shocked and overwhelmed. She was pale and her eyes were heavy and red-rimmed, her posture was sagging as if she barely had enough energy to stand, and her hands were clenched together in fists at her sides. The reishi rope glowed around her, but she made no move to untangle herself from it. In fact, she said nothing and did nothing except stare at him with a blank expression and that caused the worry and concern inside Ichigo to go into overdrive.

Setting Zangetsu back onto the storage plinth, he approached Rukia undoing the kido spell as he went. "Rukia, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

Rukia just continued to stare at him. Where did she begin?

Ichigo's brow creased further in concern as he saw the turmoil and upset in her eyes, tears building within them as each moment passed. "Rukia?" he whispered again softly as he gently stroked her cheek and let his hand trail down to rest on her shoulder.

Feeling Ichigo's skin against her own was the last straw for Rukia and in the next second she threw herself against his hard warm chest and started to cry. She just wanted this all to stop! She didn't want to feel scared, angry or helpless anymore. She didn't want to feel guilty that she hadn't gotten there earlier. She didn't want to feel the pain of her heart aching or like her world was collapsing around her. She just wanted to feel loved and protected like she always did in Ichigo's arms.

Tentatively Ichigo wrapped his arms around his distraught girlfriend and held her as close as he could as he felt the warmth of her tears against his bare chest. "Rukia, please tell me what's wrong?" he tried again, desperately wanting to know what had caused Rukia to become this upset. He had never seen her cry before, not even when she was on the top of Sokyuko Hill about to be executed, and it unnerved him that something so catastrophic had happened that it had his girlfriend beside herself in tears.

Rukia just sobbed harder at Ichigo's words and he had to hold back the hiss that almost escaped his mouth as she dug her fingernails harder into the naked skin of his back. All Ichigo could do was stand and hold his girlfriend as he tried to soothe her "Shhh, Rukia. It's going to be ok. Whatever's happened we can fix it together, I promise."

After what seemed like an eternity she finally looked up at him and he gulped at the desperation and despair he saw in her eyes. "It's Captain Ukitake" she choked.

Ichigo tensed immediately "What's happened to Captain Ukitake?" he enquired ominously.

"He...he's in the 4th. It's bad Ichigo" she sobbed against Ichigo's chest, a wave of pain and helplessness washing over her once again.

"Hey...shhhh...it'll be ok. He'll be ok. Captain Ukitake's strong, he's a fighter. Whatever injuries he's got I'm sure Captain Unohana can fix" he soothed as he kissed the top of her head comfortingly, desperately trying to hide his shock and disbelief that Captain Ukitake had been injured.

"No..no you don't understand!" she sobbed in desperation. "He..he wasn't injured. It...it's his illness. There was so much blood..."

Realisation dawned on Ichigo then as he remembered that Captain Ukitake was in fact a very sick man, although he sure hid it well. As far as Ichigo was aware Captain Unohana and the 12th Division had yet to diagnose Ukitake's illness, let alone find a cure, and if Rukia was this upset then Captain Ukitake must be in a bad way. "What happened?" he asked softly.

Rukia dropped her head to her boyfriend's chest again, her cheek resting against the expanse of skin so that she could still talk. Immediately she felt calmer and safer as she felt and heard his heart beat against her ear, although she still shuddered as she breathed "He's been feeling unwell for the past few days and he'd been resting at Ugendo, but this morning I had to go over there to take some papers for him to sign. When I arrived there was blood everywhere. He was so pale Ichigo, he could barely breath" she whispered "Captain Kyoraku said he'd stayed the night with him and that Captain Ukitake had been resting when he left for the Captain's meeting early this morning, but somehow in the 3 hours that no one was with him he..he..he almost died" she choked out in whisper before starting to cry once again as wave after wave of emotion overtook her.

"Shhhh. It's ok Rukia, I'm here. Whatever happens, I'm here and together we will get through this" he tried to console her as her tears once more marred his skin, his own concern and worry now building for his former superior officer.

"I..I..I got him to the 4th Division as quickly as I could. Kami, I don't think I've ever shunpoed that fast before, but he was barely breathing when we got there. Even after all of Captain Unohana's treatment he's barely any better. I...I don't think he's going to make it Ichigo. All his brothers and sisters are there and even the Head Captain's been to visit. That's never happened before" she continued in a broken whisper "And Captain Kyoraku has stopped drinking. The last time that happened was before the final battle with the Arrancars and Aizen".

Ichigo absorbed the information he had been given. Never before in his life had he felt so hopeless. All he wanted to do was make the pain and desperation that Rukia was feeling go away, but he didn't know what to say or do to make her feel any better. He himself was extremely worried about Captain Ukitake. He was a good man, an excellent Captain, well-loved in the Soul Society, and one of the few people who he truly respected. Should Captain Ukitake pass away it would be to Soul Society's detriment.

"What's wrong with Captain Ukitake anyway?" he asked curiously in case his illness had been diagnosed and he was just not aware.

Rukia shrugged against him. "No one has ever been able to diagnose it. Captain Unohana does her best to keep his lungs clear, and the 12th Division has had specimens in the past to see if they can find a cure but it was no use. He can't die Ichigo! He...he just can't!" she sobbed in despair again as she recalled the tears in Captain Unohara's eyes as she delivered her grave diagnosis. She felt completely overwhelmed. If Captain Ukitake died then she'd be in charge of the entire Division until a new Captain was appointed. How would she be able to protect them all when she had only just achieved bankai in the last few weeks? Captain Ukitake had been instrumental in her achieving it in the first place, how would she continue to develop her bankai without his help?

"I know Rukia, I know. Shhh!" Ichigo reassured the petite soul reaper again as he gently wiped the tears from her eyes with is thumb, her breath catching as he did so.

"What symptoms does he have?" he asked distractedly. He'd grown up in his father's clinic and he'd spent an awful lot of time in hospitals as a Police Inspection, maybe this was something he could help with?

Rukia shrugged her shoulders helplessly "A constant cough, sometimes it's so bad that it makes him cough up blood, and he always struggles to breath after a coughing fit. I know it causes him a lot of pain too, not that he shows it very often. Considering that he is a Captain with considerable spiritual pressure he also doesn't have much of an appetite, and he gets nights sweats too. There's very little anyone can do to make him comfortable or feel better" Rukia explained sadly "Even Captain Unohara's medicinal tea doesn't help him that much".

Ichigo's brain started to whirl. He'd heard symptoms like this before when he'd been a beat cop in the living world and the entire force had had to get vaccinated due to some of the officers contracting the illness after there was an outbreak in the poorer regions of Tokyo where they patrolled.

"Has he been tested for TB?" he asked curiously.

Rukia once again raised her head to catch his gaze, and he was relieved to see that some of the despair had gone. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and he could clearly see her thinking back over the past.

"No..no I don't think so. I've never heard of TB, what is it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Tuberculosis. I don't know the ins and outs of the disease exactly" Ichigo admitted reluctantly "but it's an infection in the lungs which causes symptoms like the ones you've just explained. It was common in the poorer areas of Tokyo and the entire Police Department had to be vaccinated against it. I remember because it left this stupid scar on my arm". Reluctantly he released Rukia so he could see the slight indentation on his arm.

Rukia peered at the indentation curiously. "Can it be cured?" she asked hopefully, a wave of optimism washing over her.

"I believe so with a course of antibiotics" Ichigo replied, but was dismayed to see Rukia's shoulders slump once again. "Rukia, what's wrong?"

Rukia felt the hope she had just felt ignite within her soul diminish. Slowly she looked up at him "Soul Society is not allowed to use the medicines from the human world. It is thought to be an unfair advantage" she informed him sorrowfully.

Ichigo looked at the women in front of him incredulously. There was a possible cure available for Captain Ukitake, but rather than break some stupid law about not using medicines from the human world, they would rather let the man die? A Captain who gave so much to Soul Society and who was a fountain of knowledge and wisdom?

"That's crap!" he exclaimed causing Rukia to jump away from him, but much to his relief he saw anger ignite in her eyes.

"Keep your voice down! Do you want to wake up the entire Academy?" she snapped "Besides, you know the laws of Soul Society. As much as I'd like to be able to help Captain Ukitake, I can't!"

"Bullshit Rukia!" he whispered harshly "Do you think Captain Ukitake or Captain Kyoraku cared about the laws when they came to rescue you on Sokyoku Hill that day, huh? They didn't know that I was coming, in fact if I remember correctly they had been instructed to detain or kill me if they encountered me. But Captain Ukitake broke into the grounds of the Shihoin clan and stole the Shihoin Shield to rescue you because he believed it was the right thing to do, not because of what the law said!"

Guilt overcame Rukia as she listened to Ichigo's words. She had always loved being in the Thirteenth and Captain Ukitake was a big part of the reason she loved her Division so much. He had always been patient and nurturing with her, as he was with everybody he encountered, and that day on Sokoyoku Hill had not been the first time he had saved her. When she had been suspended following Kaien's death he had visited her everyday to reassure her that what had happened was not her fault. He had stood up for her against the Head Captain and had ensured that not one member of the Thirteenth blamed her for Kaien's death. Even to this day he would make a special effort to make sure she was ok on the anniversary of his death and it was tradition now that he would bring her rice dumplings on the anniversary of Kaien's death to cheer her up. But she was so fed up of people reminding her that she was saved from execution and a wave of anger washed over her.

"I never asked any of you to do that!" she whispered back in frustration "I was resigned to my fate. I knew what the punishment was the day I gave you my powers" she stated in a deadly calm voice.

"Damn it Rukia! Open your eyes! This isn't about what we should or shouldn't have done over 20 years ago, this is about what should happen now! There's a way to save Captain Ukitake and you don't have the guts to even try!" he exclaimed angrily. Never had he thought that the woman he loved would refuse to help the Captain she was so fond of.

Rukia stared at Ichigo incredulously and tried to pretend that his words hadn't hurt her. Seeing Captain Ukitake in the state he had been in today had been one of the worst things she had ever seen. The only word to describe the scene when she had first entered his room earlier today was bloodbath, and if it wasn't for his shallow raspy breaths, she would have sworn that he was dead. His crimson blood was all over him and his bedclothes, even his white hair had bright red streaks of congealed blood in it, and today ranked up there with the day she had killed Kaien. As much as it pained her to admit it, Ichigo was right about that day on Sokyoku Hill. For some reason fate had transpired to save her and Captain Ukitake had been instrumental in that. He was a man of integrity and he would do everything in his power to fight for the people he cared about, for the men in his Division, for his family. Didn't she owe him the same courtesy? Didn't she owe him the chance to fight for his own life? Didn't his family deserve a reprieve from the worry of their constantly ill sibling? Had she learnt nothing as his Lieutenant? She sighed in resignation.

"You're right" she muttered as an idea began to form in her head.

She stared at the man before her and tried to ingrain his image into her brain, because if what she was about to do was successful, she may never see him again. Overcome by emotion she threw herself into his arms and clutched him as tightly as she could wanting to capture his unique essence and the warmth and feel of his skin for what could be the very last time.

"Rukia?" he enquired inquisitively. One minute they had been arguing about medication for Captain Ukitake, and the next she was clutching him desperately as if she was never going to see him again.

At the sound of her name she peered up into the concerned gaze of her boyfriend, noting the warmth that shone from them as he gazed at her. Slowly she skimmed her hands up his firm chest, around his neck, and pulled his head down for a heart stopping kiss.

"I love you" she whispered earnestly as she broke away.

"Rukia?" he asked confusedly.

"Shhhh" she whispered as she placed her index-finger against his lips "I have to go now, but I want you to know that you're the best thing that has ever happened to me Ichigo Kurosaki. Thank you, for everything" she continued as she slipped out of his grasp and headed for his open window.

Ichigo stared after his girlfriend in a complete daze, his mind not fully comprehending what was happening. Suddenly his mind realised that she was about to disappear out of his room and he went into over drive.

"Rukia, wait!" he all but yelled, which caused her to pause and turn around.

His mind went blank, absolutely blank. What was she talking about never seeing him again? "I love you too" he stated honestly, those being the first words that entered his mind.

Rukia simply smiled wistfully as she leapt out of his bedroom window and into the dark night sky.

So I may have taken some liberties with suggesting that Captain Ukitake has TB but it worked for the story so I'm using it! And in case you have never had the TB vaccine, generally after you've had the injection you do get a slightly pussy wound that tends to scab then scar (I was very lucky and didn't get a scar with mine, although I'm not exaggerating when I say that out of the 200 people in my year that received the jab I was literally the one person who had no reaction to it. I got told this was because there is a "perfect" place to put it in your arm and if the nurse puts it there you have no reaction, slightly either side of the "perfect" spot and you're still immunised, but your body will react against it, hence the scab/scar. No idea if that's true or not, but it's what I got told!). The injection is usually given in the arm or leg (when I was at school I had it in my arm but my parents had it in their legs), and although it is less effective in adults, they can still get immunised against it (although in the UK an adult has to pay for it and TB is no longer a standard vaccine for kids - and the government wonders why the number of TB cases has increased!)

Just to warn you that updates are going to be sporadic for the next couple of months as my boss quit the week before last (at the busiest time of the year) so my workload has increased and I am travelling a lot with work at the moment. There definitely won't be an update next weekend as I am away on business (joy!) and the weekend after we are celebrating my cousin and my Mum's birthday so there may not be an update then either. Hate to leave on a cliffhanger, but I don't know how regularly I can update for the time being. I've only got 3-4 more chapters to draft so the story will be finished at some point, honest!