(A/N) We are going to start with the fact that I know that it has been almost two weeks since I put up a chapter. The problem is that we ended up with two funerals. One was one of my husband's first cousins who was in an automobile collision. The other was my husband's uncle. I am still in Mississippi, where they shipped his body; which is seventeen hours from my home in the very middle of the US.

Adding to that, the weather has been hell on earth to battle. The snow, the ice, and the closure of interstates have made this the two weeks of ugliness. What is even sadder is that I have to go to work on Wednesday, after being gone from there for a week and a half.

I know you don't care about my excuses, but I have to give them.

This chapter was originally 30 pages in 11 point, Calibri font. I thought that was a little much to read at one time, even for those of you who are generous enough to enjoy my long chapters. I, roughly, cut it in half. In my standard, it is fifteen pages, but if I bring it out to 12 point, it is seventeen.

So, you know what that means? That means that there will be another chapter this week ^_^ Chapter 22 will show up on Thursday morning, no later than 10 AM CST.

Okay, enough of the housekeeping.

This chapter is the continuation and conclusion of Rukia's fight with Renji as well as Rukia and Ichigo's resistance to Renji's ideas. There is also the total reality of how important our favourite duo are to each other from the outside. And, Ichigo's pride party for Rukia is far from over; it will continue well into the next chapter. Rukia is also growing, maturing, and healing.

I really hope that you like this chapter. Though it won't rank high on the fluff-o-meter, I hope it is touching in a different way.

Thank you to: amelieraechan, falconrukichi, Selenithe, Thunder Claw03, okami11235, Living-Life-to-the-Extreme, LeyCoo, BlackJazmin, narakunohime, Bankai guy, mysticalphoenix-avalon, 09ice, novicestar, Yuna-TheAnimeLuver, Aizawa Ayumu Oz Vessalius, myrrdinowl, Aika Ray Kuroba, ichiruki88, Rukia's Reflection, darklover, and Omili. I got back to all of you.

The last chapter only yielded 2/3 of the amount of reviews I usually get. A lot of that, I am sure, has to do with the fact that the amount of fluff was not high. That will be true in this chapter, as well. Thank you for the people who did review it. It really does help me get through it when it is difficult or logistically a pain. You provide the midnight oil I burn to do this. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. You have no idea how much I look forward to them.

Thank you for the alert and favorites, as well. Please let me know what you think of the chapters.

Alright, I am done ^_^

I neither own Bleach, nor its characters. If I did, Rukia would be in the manga, already.

Chapter 21-Faith and Hope- Pt 1 (Faith)

The sun begins to set, lowly, in the Western sky. The meager light of the day expends its last rays on the two shinigami engaged in battle. One is in a battle for pride, at this point. Her white fabric sways softly in the wind and her hair is following suit. Her stray bang is even out her face. She has watched the first move of her bankai go off. It is all she can do not to smirk. Rukia can understand why he acts like such an ass when he goes there. Berry Boy must get such an ego rush.

She knows that she is no longer in imminent danger of being exposed in Soul Society. Her Onii-San has taken care of it, no doubt, with the help of Otou-Sama. He knew. He is not a stupid man. He had to have felt it.

Oddly, it never crossed her mind that Otou-Sama would not be on her side. The moment she felt his presence, she relaxed. She should have told him; she hopes that he isn't angry. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; she just didn't want him dragged into her mess. Ichigo may say his chi-chi is a silly man that drives him crazy. However, she knows the truth. The junior Kurosaki will always go to the senior if he really needed something or serious advice. And, when it comes down to it, he really does love the man. Annoyed with him as he might be, Ichigo would never let anyone do anything to his father.

Kurosaki Isshin loves his children. And, in their own way, they all love him, too. That includes his third daughter.

Otou-Sama had to have told her brother. In order for him to be here, with two other captains, everything would have had to have been laid out. Her sibling knows of the situation and exactly what happened; yet, he still chooses to defend her.

Ukitake-Taicho…He is a good man. He knows the difference between justice and justness. He defends his own. Regardless of his lifestyle of enjoying the company of females, she respects the man, greatly. He does not judge another person or their actions. He judges their intent. He never blamed her for Kaien's death…and he was actually there. He is the only person, outside of herself, who has the right to judge her for that night. Over time, she has slowly begun to forgive herself. Rukia is starting to come to terms with what happened and why. That has been due to three things.

One has been her taicho. He saw all of the evidence, from the circumstances leading to that moment and the thereafter. If a man like him doesn't despise her and, went so far as try to save her…she must be worthy of redemption.

In Hueco Mundo, she understood that what happened was Kaien's own will. He would have wanted to die rather than be a part of a hollow. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. And though fighting him was one of the hardest things she's ever done, she also knows that she was able to free his soul. If she were Kaien, she would have wanted to die, as well. While she doesn't feel any better for doing it, she also now knows that it had to be done. At least, now, she just has to get over the pain of losing a friend, rather than letting go of the guilt. It's been a long time.

The third, is due to a positive influence in her life; one that she had been missing for all of it. She has a close connection with a person who can feel her pain and understand why she is the way she is. He doesn't hate her for all of the things that have taken place. In fact, he likes being around her. Her life has a true companion. Someone who she can open up to and bare her soul. He is honest with her, but he is also kind. He is impatient, but he is gentle. She can fight and she can laugh. She can be bossy and she can be dumb. She has found the place where she can be anyone she wants to be and it is okay.

He allows her to mend all of her and not just parts that people see. Without Ichigo, she could not have come this far. This bankai is because of him.

She is touched by the fact that her onii-sama is helping her defend what is important to her. Maybe he doesn't completely hate Ichigo. Thank you, Bya-Nii for believing in what I believe in… by believing in me.

Ouch! That had to hurt. Why does it have to be this way? The female warrior sighs. She better get moving. Sorry, Renji.

A wind of what feels like a thousand knives collides with Renji's skin providing deep lacerations to his shoulders. He had launched the Hikōtsu Taihōat it, but it only served to make it scatter, creating shrapnel. The red-head has to say…that is quite the weapons she's got.

The skin above his arms feels like it is on fire. The blades of snow ripped right through the fur on his cape. It hurts like hell to raise his arms, but he has to. Rukia is on him like night falls over dusk. She is getting closer and closer. Her power is becoming more concentrated because she is closing distance.

How did they come to this point? Why is she fighting him so hard? She knows damned well that he doesn't want to kill her. Yet, she fights as if she doesn't care. She fights as if she can, not only hold her own, but beat him. How long has she had that bankai?

She's got to know that this can't end well. Short of him taking a couple direct hits, at close range to the chest, she can't beat him. Even if she were to miraculously pull that off, she still has three other taichos to get through. In the odd case that she can use Yoruichi and Urahara, Ichigo's otou-…hold the fuck on.

His oyaji is a shinigami? What is the deal with his getup? What squad was he in? But he can't ignore the fact that the guy has a lot of reiatsu.

Okay, so, let's say that Kurosaki senior has Yoruichi and Urahara…shit, that is five on four!

Still, what is it that Rukia is trying to do? He gets that Ichigo is a friend and that she doesn't want him to die. He'd be willing to let the bastard live if his powers were sealed, he couldn't come to Soul Society and if Rukia were no longer allowed here. But, somehow, he knows it isn't just about her not wanting him to die.

Maybe, he has been asking the wrong question. Maybe he shouldn't have asked if Ichigo was in love with her. Perhaps the real question is… is she in love with him? She had better not be because if she is, she's in for a world of hurt. Rukia's just going to get her heart broken. All that is going to happen is that Taicho's going to forbid her from seeing the bastard and she will live a miserable life. She isn't that dumb, is she?

All he is trying to do is save her from herself. This is just a self-destructive path. She has been in more trouble than she should, behind Ichigo. When people like them fall in love, it just becomes a sea of dead bodies. A big tragedy occurs because the two people involved become so self-absorbed that they can't see the damage they leave in their wake.

If the Fruit ends up impregnating her, she would be shamed or forced into an abortion. After that, Rukia would never be right again. He knows that she would like to be an okaa-san, someday.

It isn't that he has total disdain for Ichigo. He's an alright guy to hang with. A little square and shy, but cool, overall. His problem isn't with Kurosaki Ichigo the person. His issue is with who the Carrot Top is Rukia, who Rukia is to the Carrot Top and what will happen if this all goes wrong…or right. He doesn't want Rukia to be demolished and he does not want to end up in a life without her. He doesn't want to spend the rest of his days watching her with another man; a man that will get her killed.

Staying here is just going to ruin her life. He has got to get her home. In order to do that, he is going to have to defeat her and he can't do that in the current pattern.

He hates to do this to her, but he is going to have to back her up.

Getting his bone segments in an almost spiral, Renji willingly takes quite a bit of damage so that he can encase her. Sending the head of the beast straight upwards, he creates a cylindrical cutting mechanism that manages to give her many deep cuts of her own.

When she gets out of it, she lets out a sharp gasp. The female shinigami had been holding her breath through the manufactured mandoline. She comes to comprehend that she is bleeding in quite a few places when she hears her best friend screaming at her.

She has to give it to Renji, he is still aware of her location. She'll have to fix that.

Rukia must get close enough that Renji's bone segments can't retract sufficiently to get a hold on her and move, at the same time. A deadly distraction needs to be created to make her physical whereabouts the least of his worries, for the moment. She just better not get hit by him. The power of the hits is formidable, even if she is accustomed to the idea of pain.

"WHAT THE FUCK, RUKIA!" The male is screaming at her so hard, his voice cracks. Ichigo's internal organs are twisting in, honest to gods, pain. Holy fucking shit, did she take a grating. A few more like that, and she'll be in serious trouble. His teeth clamp on top of each other, locking his jaw. I can't take this! He can't let her do this to herself. This is my fault…This should be my fight. She's hurting, he can tell. This has to stop.

His hand quickly reaches back up, toward the hilt of Zangetsu. His finger tips brush the cloth and he stops. Every muscle in his body tenses. His scowl is one of confliction. Is he going in there to save her for her own good, or for his? If he goes in there, her physical pain will stop, but her emotional pain will continue. She wants to win on her own terms with her dignity. The Midget has, obviously, worked hard for this and to step in would display a lack of confidence. And, no matter what he says to her, she will not believe that he did it so his pain would stop. Her pain is his. Now, he knows why she hates to see him fight.

He screws his eyes shut. Stop, Ichigo. She has to do this. If he does otherwise, he tears down her self-esteem. Ichigo would be doing exactly what Byakuya has always done; protect her so much that she feels that she has no value. The young man has vowed to make Byakuya respect Rukia… he will have to do the same.

The boy allows his hand to fall back to his side.

Taking in a deep breath, he snaps his eyes open and scowls even more while balling his fists. He has to support her. It is wrong to do otherwise since she has always done that for him. He said that he would be there for her and he will. I'm betting on you, Chibi. She better fucking win. Masking the inner turmoil his mind and heart seem to be tangled in, he calls out to her with strength. "Get off your ass, Midget! Stop making us wait! You've kicked my ass better than that!"

Rukia never takes her eyes off of her opponent, but she forms a sincere smile. The small girl instantly feels better. Her insides radiate of warmth. Stupid, Ichigo. Shut up, Berry Boy. Rukia has been unable to concentrate on anything but fighting Renji. She is cut to shit and definitely in pain. That stroll through knives hurt like a son of a bitch. Ichigo knew that it did, too; and that is what she was afraid of.

When she heard his voice, the first time, she knew that he was coming undone. He was screaming at her. Ichigo doesn't scream, often. Yes, he is loud and he yells. But screaming is what he does when he has had it.

Rukia wanted to slap him. She chuckles. He knew that she couldn't. Her having to worry about what he sees and fighting is too much of a distraction. Ichigo only had three choices: leave, intervene, or simply support her. She had hoped that he would choose to support her, but she also knows how he is. Watching her fight while he is on the sidelines is not only hard for his ego, it works against his entire nature. He feels every fight is his and this one, especially, annoys him.

Ichigo probably feels like this is all his fault. The strength and level of the scowl that he gave Renji, earlier, said it all. When Renji told him that it was his fault, Carrot Top's face looked pained. However, the truth of the matter is, this is her own fault. This was of her doing and insistence. He didn't ask her for it; this was her choice and she will live with the consequences. In both occurrences, it has never been his mistake. Last time, it was to save their lives. This time, it was a gift that she is not apologetic for; in the least.

The second time she heard his voice, she knew which choice he made…she is most happy. Thank you, Ichigo.

She screws her face back on and begins her attack plan. He has chosen to stay and stand by her. Thank you for having faith.

Ichigo forgets where he is, and smiles back at her. Silly Midget. He loves when she smiles…he loves to make her do that. Besides, when she does that, his whole insides melt because it feels so good; right through his chest.

She looks terrible, but she is still as adorable as she can be. The boy is able to pull a real smile out of her, in the middle of a fight. Is it wrong to want to make her happy? He sighs. She better be careful. You can do this, Rukia.

Seeing her face morph back into seriousness, he sets his frown on…though, not as harshly as before.

Kick his ass…

Isshin and Byakuya cut their eyes towards each other. They saw the events and each set of reactions. There is no point in resisting the inevitable.

Besides, Byakuya surmises that the boy makes her happy and is glad to be her fool. He also enjoys making her happy so he is content to be in her presence. He will never willingly hurt her, he will never leave her and he will never cheat on her. It seems that their string of fate is stronger than any of them ever thought. There is no doubt that Kurosaki Ichigo loves his sister or that she loves him. However, he isn't going to tell the Kozo he's already won until he actually earns her. You're going to have to do some work, you smartass Kozo.

Isshin is glad that Byakuya saw it for himself. Now he will have more assurance that he is doing the right thing in making sure that Rukia is not spoken for by anyone else. Rukia is happy here. She is loved, cared for, protected and allowed to grow. He just hopes that this has been convincing enough.

Both men believe this will be a combination of a ren ai and a miai …an arranged and love match hybrid. This is the best of both worlds for their children involved. Rukia and Ichigo are, obviously, in love with the other and the older men are arranging them as spouses as well. They will get to marry, presumably, who they wish and any other male suitors will be turned away. Rukia won't be forced to date strangers and Ichigo won't end up killing them. Everyone wins.

Byakuya speaks lowly to Isshin. "I intend to come to you to discuss business, tomorrow."

Excellent! Controlling his inner glee, the other man nods curtly and speaks in kind. "9:00 AM, your apartment, since neither knows of its existence and we won't be seen or heard."

Byakuya nods, as well. "Agreed. However, up front, I want to tell you that there will be two ceremonies. One for Soul Society and one in the Living World."

Is that all? "Agreed. I am thinking at least two, possibly three outside of the betrothal. We'll talk tomorrow."

Both men turn back to the scene, where Rukia is on the move, and it isn't looking so good for Renji.

Renji cannot believe this shit. Rukia is hell to fight because she covers three categories, well: distance, power, and speed. She is small and quick, so she moves nimbly and is able to change directions at the drop of a dime. Her attacks are, by no means, love taps. When she comes at you, it hurts like hell. Plus, her weapons can be used at a distance. She can hurt you without being near you, while on the move. And, she is gaining ground, again. Renji scowls hard and fires a blast at her, before he has to move again.

His weapon is for power and distance, not speed. Its size makes the movement slower than hers. Rukia is tough for him; kind of like Ichigo. He is fast and powerful, plus he, too, has a distance weapon. Although, she doesn't have his power, Ichigo cannot match her accuracy.

Renji is getting tired. This is one of those moments that he is, sincerely, contemplating going back to shikai. He needs his blade back. Where the fuck is she? He can't keep track of her. But he is noticing that her power is becoming very strong.

His eyes widen as he sees ice knives coming his way. What kind of shit?

"Koori Tantou." Rukia sends short knives made of ice, blade side first, in Renji's direction; and promptly moves.

Her body is burning from the sweat rolling into her cuts, on top of the pain from the cuts themselves. But, she has to keep moving. She is going to close proximity, soon. He is no longer looking at her; he is looking at her weapon, allowing her to continue getting closer.

Ichigo cannot believe the prowess that Rukia has achieved. Though she had to have only gotten bankai this morning, she dispenses each weapon effectively and at the right times. She is not as accurate as she will become, but she doesn't have to be; she uses them to keep her opponent at bay and to attack in flight. The point is, she and her zanpakuto have come to an understanding. Without Zangetsu and, even…let's just call him…Shiro. That will piss him off.

Anyway, without all of the spirits in his inner world, he would miss something. The better the bond, the better the wielding. Rukia is utilizing her war chest well because Shirayuki trusts her and knows that Rukia is not just using her. They are depending on each other for survival and her wielder holds her in reverence. They are friends of respect.

His eyes catch the shine of several, almost translucent, daggers moving in the direction her hands command. The knives…nice. That would hurt like hell. If he were Renji, he'd be going to shikai, like, right now. Rukia is getting closer by the second. Oh Shit! Did she just recall her blade out of the snow? That is sooooo bad ass! He'll bet that doesn't tickle. Hell, yeah!

Despite all of the other shit she dealt with in the last two years, she made the time to train with her zanpakuto. You make me proud every d- What the hell? Ichigo gasps slightly and scowls hard. He blinks several times, in disbelief. Once he verifies that it really is reality, he smiles hard and grits his teeth to keep from making a sound. He wants to shout her name out because he has so much pride in her at this moment, that his body is about to burst. The tension is almost unbearable.

Goddamn, that Midget. You never cease to pull of the most impressive things.

After a few more rounds, Rukia lowers her hand to her side, and calls her fourth dance under her breath. In bankai, she can use that dance to reconstitute her blade.

The girl ducks and dives between the bone segments. Using the last of her speed, she gets within range and moves to her objective. Using her right foot to push off of one of them, she flies in a straight line to his blind spot and stops abruptly.

Where the hell is she? He saw her a second ago. She was right over there, to the righ-Shit!

As Renji swallows, his Adam's apple moves across something sharp and cold. He allows his hands to slack when he realizes exactly where she is.

A slightly winded, but confident, alto speaks lowly in his ear. "Don't even blink."

Rukia just…defeated…him. What the fuck?

He cannot make a noise. She will hear his voice and lose concentration; he doesn't want that. She's right up on Renji and if she gets lost, he could physically overpower her and have the collar on her in the blink of an eye. However, he has to get rid of this. There is a positive energy coursing through his soul that he cannot contain. For some weird reason, he is as happy for her as when as he was for himself when he beat Byakuya.

He gets it. When he kicked Byakuya's ass, he knew that he was proving to himself that he is capable of not just withstanding pain…Kenpachi. But he was also capable of getting better at using his weapons with his brain and intuition to beat someone who would have owned him before. He could not only protect, but he was no longer helpless. He proved it to the world and…to himself.

A month ago, Rukia withstood the day from hell. Her body was put through the wringer. She can fight, be injured and still perform. With the addition of her bankai, she can keep herself from being directly in harm's way and make her opponents pay. Her size works well because she is hard to see and get a hold of. More importantly, she's smart. She just walked up to Renji. She has that fucker by the throat and she hasn't even flinched. Hell, yeah.

Turning around, so his back is to Rukia, he raises his fists in the air. With a wide smile on his face, he mouths, 'YES!' Giving his fists one more pump, he continues, 'That's my girl!' Rukia is so the shit.

He turns around to finish watching the scene with his scowl back on…only, not as harshly as before.

Byakuya is stuck in a stupor. His fuku-taicho just got bested by his sister. Either Renji has become weak, or she has become extremely strong. He is betting on the latter.

He didn't know that Rukia had it in her. He always knew that she was strong. Evidently, she used the last two years for more than taking care of the Kozo. She is on level with fuku-taichos…and he has held her back, all of this time. The man sighs. I am an ass.

While his mind is working through self-depreciation, the scene of Isshin's actions forces him to roll his eyes. This jackass is going to be a relative? His eyes roll so hard that he swears that he can see his brain. Ugh!

He better restrain Abarai, take him back to Soul Society…and get a stiff drink. He has a feeling that these are going to be some long centuries.

"THAT IS MY THIRD DAUGHTER! SHE JUST KICKED A MAN'S ASS!" Isshin's fists are in the air in triumph. He was happy with bankai; he is ecstatic over her victory. She needed this in her life. She needed to have a moment that was hers without the specter of Ichigo or Byakuya overshadowing it. He knew she could do this.

He was so sure that she could, that he made some side wagers. He is about to make ¥30,000 off of his confidence in the youngest Kuchiki. His future payoff with be grandbabies. In about five years, he expects to be an ojii-san. He can't wait to be a jiji. He'll teach them all of the things that piss Ichigo off. The older man smiles. It makes him happy to be able to report to Masaki that their son has found his soul mate.

Making his way to the two oldest captains, he holds out his hand. "Pay up, boys."

Shunsui and Juushiro hand over the money without any sort of complaint. Both are smiling just as widely. This is the best money they have ever lost.

Yoruichi and Kisuke's eyes rove over to the other's. They could not be happier. This is good. Ichigo will have someone who is strong enough to keep him in check with reality. When they have children, he won't have to worry about her being alone with their children as they will always be targets. Whether it be due to reputation or reiatsu…

This is good. Very good. Because they know…at least Ichigo and Rukia are starting to notice it…way ahead of how long it took the two former taichos.

They turn back to the scene.

"Well, looks like you've definitely have gotten better." Renji pants. What the hell just happened? "When did you get a chance to train while here? When did you get your bankai?"

"Does it matter, Renji?" Her violet eyes are on his as he peers down at her sharply, since he can't move his head. A blade is a major deterrent. "In the end, you were going to take me back by force. You don't care about what I want. This is about what you want. I don't know what your problem is with me wanting to be here, but I don't give a shit." Rukia is not going to engage in small talk. She has to keep his eyes locked. If he waivers at all, he is reaching.

"Give it up, Rukia. We have you surrounded. You had to have noticed your brother." By the way, where is his taicho?

Rukia allows herself a smirk. "Indeed, I did. He told me something most curious." After she tells Renji this, she has got to back away so Bya-Nii can get to him. If not, Renji is going to start to panic, and she will end up having to kill him. He doesn't think well in a panic and he won't fight it out with these odds. He will run back to Soul Society…and probably try to take her with him.

"When? What are you talking about?" Has she lost her mind? How? What the hell? Renji suddenly feels a petite foot to his side.

"They are here to capture you." Launching off of her opponent with force, they propel in opposite directions. Renji's face scowls in confusion as his eyes meet hers. His mind still cannot get wrapped around what is happening. Why would they capture him?

When he hears the voice of his taicho, he can at least understand one thing…regardless of the reason, she didn't lie.

The refined baritone of his taicho starts and goes from confident to surprise. "Rikujok-Shit."

Everyone looks up to find a gargantua opening.

"Bankai!" Ichigo knows that anytime this has ever happened, gillians like to show up and that is never a good thing. "Tensa Zangetsu."

Once the air around him dies down, he takes a good gander at his surroundings. Though Rukia is looking up, she is still flying backwards from her push off of Renji. Doing the first thing that crosses his mind, he takes off in great speed, grabs Rukia by the waist and makes haste toward the incoming hollows. "Ichigo!"

"Shut up. We have to get rid of the hollows and I don't want you out of my sight. I don't want to get so absorbed in a fight, that I forget where you are." He is carrying her like a football to his left side as she hangs limply. His voice leaves no room for discussion.

The small girl's eyebrows are knitted together in insult, "Berry Head, I-"

"I said, shut the hell up! Yes, I know you can take care of yourself and you proved it." Letting a little silence linger, he finally finishes, in a much lower tone. "This is for me, Rukia, not for you. I don't trust Renji to not take advantage of the situation we have going on. We work well together and I can see you."

There is no point in arguing with him. She tried all of the patience he had by making him stay out of her fight with Renji. Rukia decides to let his man-pride have a break. "Whatever, Berry. Just don't throw me. I'm still pissed off about that."

He's glad that she isn't fighting with him. He has to concede; sometimes, she does let him have his way. Giving her midsection a light squeeze as they make their way to their destination, where he sees what looks to be the foot of a gillian stepping through, he adds in the same voice. "You did extremely well, Chibs. I'm really proud of you."

They get about a mile away, and the teenager stops. Setting his companion to her feet, they both do an analysis of the situation. There seems to be one menos and about thirty hollows. "What do you think? Should we clear out the smaller hollows first, or, go right for Big and Ugly?" The boy looks over at Rukia for her reply.

"I say, let the taichos deal with the other hollows. Bya-Nii can shred them a mile away if he needs to kill them quickly, plus there are five other senior shinigami with him. We might as well let you have some fun." Shaking herself off and getting ready to fly forward, she smirks at Ichigo. "You might as well pull out as many toys as you want. They all know you can get out of your body." Her face morphs to seriousness. "And, don't be reckless; be careful."

He threads his fingers through her hair and brings his face an inch in front of hers. His low voice combined with his sweet smile make the girl's breath hitch. "I know. You do the same. Don't die and honourable death and leave me alone."

Getting her wits about her, she pokes him in the forehead. Her own smile is forming with each word. "Don't you dare die on me. Come back to me alive and whole. Don't rob me of the pleasure of annoying you for the next 20 or 30 centuries."

The male chuckles with his eyes sparkling. He doesn't want to let her go, but he has to. "Remind me to hug you later, when we get home."

The girl's head tilts back slightly, and she presses her small lips to his nose, causing Ichigo's eyes to close softly, for a second. When her lips release, she looks downward and closes her eyes as well. In a quiet and sincere voice she adds, "You better make good on it." Raising her head, she stares him in the eye with determination. "Let's do this."

Letting his fingers run through her hair to the ends to extricate them, he stands up, faces forward and cracks his neck. He had momentarily forgotten where he was or the reason that they need to make this quick. He has to get back to normal with the Midget, as soon as possible. Setting his scowl on tight, he mirrors hers. "Let's."

They both fly in the direction of their chosen fight.

Chad, Orihime, Uryu and Tatsuki are on their way from the library to their respective homes, when they notice the influx of hollows.

"What the hell is that?" Tatsuki asks in alarm and amazement. She has never seen so many of those monsters come out at one time… and so fast.

The Quincy adjusts his glasses. "That is a gargantua. A large number of hollows is about to come our way. Arisawa-San, you might want to get home. Chad and Inoue-San, we have something to take care of." It is not good to have someone like Tatsuki out and about when there is a potential for mass chaos.

Both addressed parties nod in agreement. The shy girl asks a favour of her best friend. "Suki-Chan, will you take my bag?"

"Sure, Hime." Tatsuki's is still in shock. Are they not at least a bit frightened of what is coming out of that hole in the sky? Then, her eye catches what appears to be an extremely large foot coming out of the sky. "What the fuck is that!" What is the deal with all of these huge ass creatures?

"That is a menos grande hollow. We have to go." Chad answers without hesitation. They have to go, without any more delay.

"You aren't having Hime fight with that, are you?" Tatsuki asks in alarm. Orihime shouldn't be in front of these things!

"No, Suki-Chan. I help everyone get healed. I'll be safe." Orihime assures.

The dark-haired girl nods in relief. "That's…good…is that Ichigo?"

Everyone turns to her line of sight to find a tall orange-haired man, dressed in black, leaning his face into the face of a small, dark-haired girl dressed in white. His left hand is behind the girl's head.

Both men nod, but Uryu answers matter-of-factly. "Yes, it is. Evidently, Kuchiki-San has achieved bankai." This is a wonderful thing for her. She really applies herself and deserves the honour.

"That is good for her. I'm sure that Ichigo is most pleased." Chad appends. That has to make Ichigo feel better. Kuchiki-San's self-protection status just went up quite a bit in his friend's eyes.

Tatsuki's eyes wander over to Orihime who is looking away. Her best friend is trying to hide her face with her hair, but she is scowling at the ground with her eyes closed.

Orihime hates scenes like this. She hates them because she always wants to know what it would be like to be in Kuchiki-San's shoes…just once.

She doesn't hate Kuchiki-San, per se. She just wants to know what it is like to be in close proximity to Kurosaki-Kun and not be nervous or shy; to have him next to her with his hand on her back. She'll never get a chance at knowing if she doesn't, at least, make an attempt at getting to know him. This time, she isn't going to just stand by and lose something she wants without trying. If she gives this her best effort and she still loses, then she will accept it and move on.

Just because Kuchiki-San is here doesn't mean that she cannot ask Kurosaki-Kun out to do things with her. If she hears Kurosaki-Kun say that he loves Kuchiki-San or they become engaged, she will back away

However, she won't be so weak that she can't fight for what she wants in her life. She opens her eyes and looks back up without any expression. The other three notice her change in demeanor and wonder if she has made peace or war with her heart.

The rest of the menos' body steps in the Living World concealing the view of the two shinigami of discussion.

Somehow, they all know the answer.

Renji is fighting nearest to his taicho. It is down to a handful of hollows left and a, seriously waning, menos. The uniting reasons of survival and protection are now starting to move toward distrust and tenseness. Both know of the other's intent.

An arrow made of blue light sails past the two men, killing two hollows on contact. With the exception of Ichigo and Rukia, every shinigami is engaged with an opponent.

Renji takes the whole situation into consideration. If he stays still after every one of the hollows is taken care of, he's going to be captured. Why, he has no idea. He does know that it would be very difficult to hide out in the Living World. He is better off in the Rokangai where he knows the lay of the land.

Did Rukia tell them some lie about him and they believed it? Was she trying to run a defense by creating an offense? If he can at least get Rukia back to Soul Society, he can speak with some people and maybe they can interview her to clear his name. He doesn't know what the hell to do. However, grabbing Rukia and getting the hell out of here sounds like the best option.

He notices Rukia fighting the menos with Ichigo. Based on their pattern, Rukia freezes an area and sends her sharp snow at it while Ichigo gets close enough to get in vital cuts. Renji figures that on the next round, the Carrot Top will go for the head shot. While the creature is disappearing, Ichigo will be too busy looking around at the other battles to notice where Rukia has gone, for a few seconds.

When Renji puts the killing blow on his opponent, he turns 180 degrees to make his escape.

Rukia is aware that Renji is going to be out of options. He can't really go on the run here, so he's better off going back to Soul Society. However, she doesn't want to end up going back with him.

The man probably thinks that if he can snatch her, he can go to Soutaicho to get an investigation. There is no way that is going to happen.

She had noticed Inoue, Ishida and Chad, earlier. She is not unthankful for the help. The sooner they get the hollow situation under control, the sooner this whole issue can be put to bed. She and Ichigo still need to study. It has been a long couple of days and they both need a break from all of the drama.

She is elated that Shirayuki was kind enough to show her how to use the parts of her bankai that she could master; she, actually, defeated Renji. She, truly, is the most beautiful zanpakuto.

Ichigo said he was proud…that is important to her. Just as he wanted to be sure that she never saw him as a mistake, she wanted to know that he didn't see her as weak. He didn't treat her as the Princess Kuchiki who needed a fierce warrior to rescue her from the proverbial tower. He treated her as an equal and let her fight it out on her own. He even cheered her on. His faith in her has warmed her body from the pit of her stomach to the tips of her ears.

Yet, there is a question lagging in the back of her mind…Where did all of these hollows come from?

Her eyes spy Renji coming her direction at a great rate of speed. She tightens her grip on her blade. He is going to have to fight her again if tries to-What the hell!

She readies her arm to defend with Shirayuki, when the front of her body is, suddenly, pulled to the front of another body that she knows so well.

Ichigo has been watching Renji, with purpose. That is the reason he agreed to let Rukia help him out on the menos. He can fight and watch for any secret attacks. Plus, he likes to fight with Rukia by his side. This arrangement allows him to enjoy himself and defend Shortness.

His line of sight catches Renji moving in Rukia's direction. The boy finishes the beast off with a textbook decapitation and makes a bee line to Rukia. The black fabric of his garments waves and snaps in the wind as he flies. His left arm extends out once he gets close to his Chibi. How dumb does Abarai think I am?

Almost invisibly, he pulls the girl to his chest, turns sideways and raises Zangetsu. The red-head skids to a stop with his throat centimeters from Ichigo's blade. For several seconds, no one speaks.

Renji's eyes dart from Rukia to Ichigo.

Ichigo holds his eyes squarely on Renji.

Rukia looks up at Ichigo in a slight bit of confusion and surprise. When she realizes what is going on, she glares at her oldest friend in irritation.

Renji and Ichigo lock eyes. Both pant from exertion and are sweating profusely. The tension between them is almost palpable. Renji squints in scrutiny of the man in front of him. He understands that Ichigo will kill him if he makes a move toward Rukia…but he doesn't want to.

Ichigo's amber orbs are burning from beneath his bangs. His resolve is at an all time high. This is not the day for the Pineapple to get squirrely.

Swallowing thickly and scowling stiffly, the junior of the two men grits his teeth and speaks to the other man tightly. "Renji, if you so much as cough in Rukia's direction, you will not see sunrise."

After another thirty seconds of silence, the aristocratic voice of the fuku-taicho's commanding officer comes through loud and strong. "Back away, Kurosaki." Reluctantly, Ichigo does as he is told, allowing Byakuya to immobilize the target.

"Rikujokoro."

Renji's held by the six bar seal after his taicho gives his command. "Abarai Renji, do not move from this spot. You are not in danger of losing your life as long as you follow our commands. If you try to escape, we will capture you, by any means necessary. Do you understand?"

The said man is confused. "Why, Taicho? Why are you capturing me? After all of the evidence I gave you, surely you believe what I am telling you!" This is insane. He is telling the truth; they have to know that he is and they still choose to arrest him over Rukia?

Byakuya stands in front of the man, staring coldly in his eyes. "Because, Abarai, she is a Kuchiki. Our clan sticks together. Secondly, she is my imotou-sama. I will not have her deprogrammed, shamed, forced or put to death." The man spins to look for the whereabouts of the others. He is pleased to see them very near and that Urahara has brought the necessary. He idly clasps his hands behind his back.

Renji takes notices of all of the people moving in and has to ask, "What the hell! That sure as hell didn't bother you last time! You are just going to turn your back on the fact that she transferred some of her power to a human?" This must be a dream in an alternate universe. This is not Kuchiki Byakuya.

The older man looks back over his shoulder. "Yes, I am. I made an error the first time."

This is no dream. The red-head is starting to panic. "What are you going to do to me?" His voice holds a tinge of fear.

"Don't worry, Abarai. We are not going to kill you or harm you. We just can't have you talking. Soul Society cannot know what has gone on here. We are just going to modify your memory. You won't remember any of this, including Rukia's bankai."

Byakuya looks out into the incoming group and speaks without hesitation or waiver. "Tomorrow, she will be betrothed to Kurosaki Ichigo. I am arranging her marriage. He is who she wants to be with and she is who he wants to be with. It is only a matter of time and I will not force her into a loveless marriage or an abusive one. She will be as happy in her marriage as I was in mine. And, I will not have you drawing undue attention to the matter until we are ready to divulge this information to the two people involved which won't, presumably, be for several more months."

Renji's mind is reeling. "W-w-what?"

The Kuchiki scoffs. "It is of no importance, Renji. You won't remember anything I just said. Which is why I can admit it out loud. You won't hear this for a while." Noticing Urahara's positioning, he turns back to his captive. "Well, it looks like everything is ready. Excuse me."

"Huh?"