Well, here it is again. Chapter 26 on schedule. This chapter is longer than usual, but I needed to finish one particular scene. Hope you enjoy that part. To find out what I mean, read on!

Once again, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you guys can keep on reviewing, and recommendations! That would really be great.

Meh, I have an idea on what I want to write next. The only problem would be where I'll end it. It'll definitely be long though. I hope my muse survives till then...

So without further ado, here's the next chapter. Read, enjoy and review! It's time to start the process. It's like Dead Space 2 :P Follow the steps.

Step 1: Crawl to your computer, load and read my story :)

Step 2: Ok there's no needle in your eye, but you get enjoyment of my story as a substitute!

Step 3: Review!

Follow the steps, and everyone comes out happy... Ok, that's enough.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Neither do i own the series my story is based on or any group, place or organization mentioned in my story.


Strawberry Fix

Chapter 26: Dreams Don't Turn To Dust

Wednesday 1000 hrs

Karin eventually came to with Harribel sitting next to her and holding her hand. She wanted to ask what happened but Harribel answered even before Karin could utter a word.

"You passed out."

Karin looked round uncertainly. "Where are the others?"

"We… They left. They had something to attend to."

Karin frowned. Did all that really happen? Or was it just a dream or an illusion? Karin winced as a headache crept into her brain.

"'It really happened. It wasn't a dream."

Shocked, Karin wrenched her hand from Harribel's grasp, covering it with her other hand as if protecting it. Harribel just sat there and watched her blankly. She could read Karin's mind. And was this even Harribel to begin with? It felt like some sort of horrifying sci-fi movie. And she was right smack in the heat of things. And what was that strange feeling she was getting?

"We know how you feel, Karin." Harribel said.

Oh right, so that was the feeling she received. It felt like her mind was no longer hers alone; she had surrendered sovereignty of it. Was she just imagining things? "Do you? I doubt that," she said with a flicker of anger.

Harribel shook her head. "No, we know. Fear, uncertainty…"

"Do you now? How about anger and betrayal, Harribel? You were my roommate and best friend, and yet you did this to me. I don't even know who you are any longer."

"You'll thank us soon, Karin. In a few days time, you'll become one of us, and then you'll thank us for that little prick in your hand."

Karin glared at Harribel in defiance. "Never! It's bad enough that you infected me, but you infected Ichi-nii and Rukia-chan as well. I'll never forgive you!"

"But you will! And so will Rukia-san and Ichigo-san. In a few days time, you'll see what we're talking about."

"A few days? How is that possible? It took you much longer than that."

"It's a mutation in the virus. Now, it spreads much faster through a host's body." At this point, Harribel's face lit up with glee. "Pretty soon, it'll be-"

"I want nothing to do with this stupid Unity! You can go stick it somewhere where the sun doesn't shine!" Karin yelled. She glared at Harribel while the latter just stared expressionlessly back.

"We've been where you were before Karin. The one who was Harribel was frightened as well. She fought, but she didn't know that there was nothing to be scared about. Now that she's fully integrated with us, it is such a wonderful feeling; it's beyond description."

"Where are you going with this, Harribel?"

"We showed you. A transformed world."

"Transformed? But there were still factories, buildings. What do you mean by transformed?"

"It's not what you saw. It's what you didn't see. Do you recall seeing cattle farms? Congested streets? Industrial smoke polluting the skies? The Unity will change the way we live! Humans will have a healthier lifestyle and live in a healthier environment. Gone will be the animal farms that require tons of acres of corn or grain just to maintain, where it can be used as food for humans!"

"What? So you're saying we'll just be reduced to a race of vegans?"

"No no, wild animals can be caught and consumed, but there will be no more animal farms. They are way too inefficient. So it's much more efficient to simply eat the grains directly. There will be no need for travelling within the Unity. You are everywhere everyone is. As such, the environmental benefits are enormous. Clothes, food, materials will still require the use of railways and ships, but people have no need to travel on them."

"Then what about the industries you showed me?" Karin asked, feeling extremely fatigued with everything Harribel was telling her.

"Only certain industries; clothing, agriculture, housing. There will be no need for business or trading industries. What's the point? Everyone will have an equal share. No family, big or small, shall go without housing or food or clothes. What more do they need?"

"Then how about entertainment? Sports? Art and literature?"

"What for? No one will have a need for these things. After all, what practical purposes do these things bring? Whatever talents you wish to express can be immediately appreciated by the entire Unity."

"Then what about feelings? What about love? These are the things that make humans what we are. We feel. Are all these things gone as well?"

Harribel gave her a confused look. "Love? Feelings? The Unity is complete. It is love, bliss and acceptance that increases every time a new mind is added. Everyone rejoices when another brother or sister joins. No one needs love outside of the Unity. The need for Love and Feelings isn't necessary for the human race in procreation."

At this point, Karin was on her feet and slowly backing away from this… this puppet that had taken over Harribel. She was angry at the ideals that were spewing from this, this imposter, yet, at the same time, where was the Harribel she knew and loved? She was terrified and confused. Was the real Harribel still trapped inside this shell that was once hers, trying desperately to regain control?

"That's not a human agenda, Harribel. That's a viral agenda. It searches for more hosts to assimilate, to add to its collection and multiply. It is a parasite. It's wrong!"

Harribel was looking at her with sympathy, following her. "You don't understand, Karin. An outsider cannot possibly understand the Unity." She reached out, but Karin backed away even further.

A wave of nauseating tranquility flooded her, and Karin felt like she was moving in cement as she moved towards the microwave. She knew what the Unity was doing – forcing itself through her mind influencing her thinking. She was angry and disgusted.

"Oh, I understand perfectly; The Unity is the virus. It's taking over your brain and imprinting the same viral message in all your brains – exist to multiply, and nothing else. That's the virus way of thinking, and that's what you're telling me." She shook her head. The peacefulness was mind-numbing now, hazing up her thoughts and deadening her movements.

"The Unity is a sterile existence, Harribel. All humanity will be is just a mass of nothing; just healthy people in a healthy environment, where we simply breed like rabbits. There are no more livestock Harribel, because we become livestock, and I refuse to live like that!" She finally reached the microwave, pressing random buttons before pressing start.

Almost immediately, Karin's mind cleared up and her limbs grew light again. She sighed in immense relief. "Thank goodness!" she said. "Now we can talk."

But Harribel just stood there, shaking her head and smiling sadly. "It's too late, Karin. I have already been fully integrated. The old me is no more, and that won't work on me."

Karin could only stare in shock as Harribel carried on. "The Unity doesn't understand why, but the microwaves interfere with those that are incomplete in integration, rendering the Unity blind to you. However, it is only temporary. Once you are fully integrated, nothing can stand between you and the Unity."

Karin was stunned. Her best friend was no more, replaced by this drone. The old Harribel was as good as dead, and only her body was left, filled by this… zombie. She felt tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at Harribel, but she blinked them back, refusing to show any weakness.

Harribel wasn't fooled though. "Don't cry Karin. I've never felt happier. And so will you. Within a few days, you'll be changed. It's inevitable, Karin. There's no fighting it, so you shouldn't try. The battle is already won. And as for this," she said, reaching behind Karin and unplugging the microwave before sweeping it off the counter where it smashed on the floor. "Don't waste your time."

Immediately, Karin could feel something invading her thoughts once again.

Just then, the phone rang. They both stared at it for a few seconds while it rang before Karin moved to pick up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Oh Karin! Thank goodness you're around. It's Ichigo. He's sick!"

"He's sick?" Karin echoed. Then, her gut clenched when she remembered something else. Rukia had called in sick the other day when they went to visit Iemura-sensei. Could she be… "Rukia-chan, then how about you? Didn't you say you were sick yesterday as well?"

"Oh, I was, and let me tell you, it was the worst feeling ever. Every single symptom related to an illness; you name it, I experienced it. And it was ten times worse than a normal one. I also had a horrible nightmare, but let's not go into that for now. Ichigo looks like he's in a worse state than me. His temperature is close to 42 degrees. He's basically experiencing everything I had, only much worse. He's delirious and alternating between chills and drenching sweats, even though his temperature hasn't gone down. He's hallucinating too, seems to think I'm an old man with a cat."

Concern filled Karin, even though she didn't notice that not all of it was hers. "How's he doing now? Do you want me to come over?"

There was a pause. "Um… yeah sure. I'm doing my best to help him, although it doesn't look that good at the moment. I can't really hear him because his speech is slurred, but he says it has something to do with the virus. He used the word 'the'. Is it that virus in your roommate? I think I caught it too, but I think the worst is over."

Karin glanced at Harribel and could see and sense uncertainty and worry coming from her. "I think it is. Look, I'll talk to you later. I'll be right over – wait, I don't know his address." Rukia gave it to her; it wasn't too far away. "I'm on my way."

As Karin hung up, Harribel said, "Your brother is sick. His mate is no longer sick." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

"Yes, and no thanks to your virus."

"But… that's not right. The virus isn't supposed to make one sick. It's supposed to bypass one's immunity system"

"Well, it looks like Ichi-nii is putting up a roadblock, and from the sounds of it, it looks like Rukia-chan has already gotten rid of it." Harribel just stood there without answering, her eyebrows knitted, as if deep in thought. Karin could feel uncertainty radiating from the Unity as well. Changing her clothes, Karin gave Harribel one last worried look before leaving.


1215 hrs

"Perhaps you should call a doctor," Karin suggested as she and Rukia sat in Ichigo's living room.

Rukia smiled lightly. "I would, but that idiot refuses to let me call for one."

Karin frowned. "Then how does he treat himself anytime he gets ill?"

"Oh, he has a doctor he always goes to, but apparently she's out of town. Hence, no calling. It's a stupid mentality, really, but I'll listen to him for the moment. If his condition doesn't improve, screw him and his secrecy; I'll call a doctor."

"I really hope he's ok."

Rukia responded by moving closer to Karin and giving the young woman a hug. "And so do I," she said.

Karin looked at Rukia. She definitely looked tired and haggard, probably due to the fact that she herself had just recovered from an illness which was probably caused by the virus. Yet, she could still see the anxiousness on her face. "Rukia-chan, are you sure you're feeling ok?"

"Definitely. Well, I do feel a little tired and achy, but I suppose that's because I hadn't slept well due to this illness. I'm quite sure I've recovered though; I'm no longer feverish, nor am I getting the chills and sweats Ichigo is getting right now."

"But his seem pretty extreme," Karin commented. When Karin arrived, she found Ichigo sleeping, although he had a pained look on his face. According to Rukia, he was in the middle of one of his sub-zero chills when she'd arrived, and she'd already changed his shirt twice from the sweating.

"I have no answer there. I don't know if he experienced it, but there was also this weird humming in my head that eventually went away."

Karin stiffened when Rukia mentioned the humming, although Rukia didn't appear to notice. She remembered hearing that humming noise soon after getting pricked, and it appeared that Rukia did to. So why had Rukia fallen sick while she hadn't?

"And how about you? Did you get sick or anything?" she heard Rukia ask.

"No, why?"

"What exactly is this virus Ichigo was talking about? He was mumbling something about you having the virus as well." Rukia asked.

Karin sat up straighter. This was the perfect chance to fill Rukia in about the virus. The fact that she heard a humming sound made certain that she had been infected by the virus but had somehow recovered. The only problem was that Rukia was still ignorant about the virus, so that had to change. What Rukia could do about it, Karin didn't know. But she had to know what they were dealing with. "I'm not really sure, but I feel fine. I don't really think it's that important."

Wait. Those weren't the words that she wanted to say! What the heck was going on?

Rukia frowned. "It sounded pretty important to me. Ichigo kept repeating it."

"Perhaps he was just hallucinating or something. The virus isn't supposed to cause any symptoms. Iemura-sensei said so." There it was again! Those weren't the words she wanted to say. Karin was starting to panic slightly. She tried to speak again, a bead of sweat forming as she tried to talk, but her mouth wouldn't respond.

Rukia didn't seem to notice. "Maybe…" she said.

This time, Karin felt an infinitesimal tug in her brain, and a nanosecond later, a question leaped out before she could stop it. "Did you ever get this sick before?" Now she realized. The Unity was controlling her voice!

"Me? No, not as far as I can remember. I did fall sick about 5 weeks ago, but it was pretty minor compared to what I got yesterday."

As Karin struggled internally to stop herself from speaking, she blurted out, "Then how about Ichi-nii?"

"This sick? Yes, once," Rukia replied.

Karin couldn't stop herself! "When?"

"Oh, about 5 weeks ago. In fact, I think it is worse this time. After…"

Karin tried to clamp her mouth shut, and succeeded, but not before she said, "After what?"

Rukia hesitated for a moment. "I don't think I should really go into that. Maybe if Ichigo wants to tell you, he would."

Now Karin wanted to know what Rukia was talking about, yet she didn't want the Unity to hear it as well. She could sense fear and uncertainty in the Unity. How had Rukia stopped the virus? And why could Ichigo fight it as well? She fought to regain control of her voice, to the point that she had to squeeze her eyes shut in her desperate attempt to do so.

"Karin, are you alright?" Rukia asked in concern.

And suddenly, the pressure was gone. She sat there breathing deeply for a few moments before finally speaking, even though she could tell that all the Unity had done was just loosen the leash. It was still waiting in silence. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a headache after this whole situation."

They both sat in silence for a few moments, both worried for Ichigo, almost as if – Karin shook her head, refusing to let any morbid thoughts invade her mind. Then, Karin was slightly surprised when Rukia place her hand on top of hers. She turned to Rukia, who had a reassuring smile on her face, even though her eyes betrayed the worry she felt too.

"Don't worry, Ichigo is crazy tough. He's not going to let something like a virus take him down; he'll die of shame," she said, which made Karin laugh. Rukia stood. "Let's go see how he's doing," she said as she got up.

As expected, his condition had made no headway. The chills hadn't left, as he was still shivering under the covers. He had a frightened look on his face. Rukia crouched slightly as she swept the hair from his face, trying her best to comfort him while Karin looked on. "Hmm… he's still burning up," Rukia commented softly, although Karin could still hear her.

As she watched, Karin suddenly felt renewed pressure in her brain. The Unity was back, and it wanted answers. "Are you planning on staying here in the meantime?" Karin asked.

"Of course I am. Someone needs to take care of him," Rukia said. Then, she turned to Karin. "Tell you what. Why don't I go get some lunch for the two of us? And maybe something for Ichigo as well if he wakes up; or I could throw in some herbal tea as well. Will you be fine taking care of him?"

Karin shrugged. "This was normally Yuzu's task, but I'll manage," she said with a smile.

Minutes later, the second Rukia left, Karin felt the pressure ease up. She could still sense curiosity from The Unity. It wanted to know how Ichigo would handle the virus, but it probably realized it could only watch and wait. It couldn't observe Rukia since she appeared to have recovered, but Karin could sense that The Unity still wanted to observe Rukia as well.

A wave of sadness washed over Karin as her thoughts drifted to Harribel as she watched Ichigo. How had it been like for her, losing the fight with the virus little by little? At least Karin was aware that she was fighting the virus. Harribel probably had no idea, writing off the alien feelings as being the aftereffects of the tumor treatment until it was too late.

The body of Harribel no longer contained the old her. That thought frightened Karin to no end. Would she end up like this as well – someone who had turned into a viral zombie? She needed to find some way to stop the virus.

She really hoped that Iemura-sensei was truly working on a cure. Perhaps she could send him some of Ichigo or Rukia's blood. If their immune systems could combat the virus, their blood could be used to find a cure.

Her excitement died almost immediately though. The process would be way too lengthy. Even if a cure could be found, she would've been a fully integrated member of The Unity by that time.

She sighed. With nothing to do, Karin looked round Ichigo's room. It was fairly tidy; she wonder if it was her brother's own doing or had Rukia forced him to do so? She smile at that thought.

Something caught her eye. On his desk was a fairly old computer model, but next to it, she saw a silvery object. She stiffened when she finally recognized the object. It was the timer from the bomb he'd found in her house, recognizable by the wires he'd cut snaking from the casing. The only difference was that the timer was lit. Now, the only question was – where was the bomb itself?

Movement on the bed drew Karin's attention. Ichigo was now tossing back and forth, moaning, mumbling, whining. He had a terrified look on his face.

Karin watched him anxiously, wondering what sort of nightmare could be scaring her brother that badly. She grasped his hand, hoping to somehow channel some form of comfort to him.


1115 hrs

Ichigo looked up as he heard a cough. Turning in that direction, he saw people backing away from a girl a few check-out lines away, giving her a wide berth.

"Sorry, it's just a cold," the girl said, her voice slightly muffled by the surgical mask she was wearing. Everyone was wearing one, including Ichigo. He loved the style – in addition to a cap, no one would be able to recognize him.

The store was packed. A shipment of food managed to come in today and people were buying up as much as they could carry. Ichigo left Rukia back at his apartment where she would be safe from infection while he went out to get food. His cart is loaded with food – corn, carrots, mushrooms, some cabbage, even a can of beans. He even managed to snag a small packet of rice along the way, nearly coming to blows with another man in the process.

He was happy with his finds today. He and Rukia still had quite a fair amount of food stored, but they could never be too careful. Food shipments were rare and sporadic these days, what with looters hijacking food trucks for themselves, so he didn't know when the next shipment would come. It was best to restock even if they didn't need it.

"She's one of them!" Another woman standing behind the girl cried. "I saw her lift the bottom of her mask before she coughed!"

The girl's eyes widened. "No! It's just a cold, I swear!"

"I saw her too!" Another man said, pointing an accusing finger at the man. "She pulled the whole mask halfway off her face!"

Murmurs of agreement rose from those closest to the girl as they backed away further. The girl continued to protest, but she'd already been tagged twice. Protesting wasn't going to change her fate.

Seeing that this was going to get ugly real quickly, Ichigo angled the cart out of the line, heading towards the rear of another one. But he passed that too and kept on edging slowly towards the exit, all while watching the drama enfold.

A security guard with a 'don't mess with me' look heard the commotion and headed for the girl. He was armed and had a testing kit in hand.

"What seems to be the problem?" The guard asked.

The cashier for the line the girl was in pointed at her. "They said she coughed with her mask off. On purpose."

"Is that so?" The guard turned to the girl. "Well in that case, I need a sample of your blood."

"It's just a cold!" the girl said as she backed away, clearing a path behind her. No one wanted to get near her.

"If it is, you can carry on – after the test," the guard said as he cautiously approached the girl. Ichigo noted that the guard did not mention what would happen if it wasn't just a cold.

The girl began looking around wildly. Suddenly, her face hardened. She ripped off her mask. "No! No blood tests! We spit on your blood tests!"

She charged through the crowd around the counter she was at and began spitting, not at the blood test but on people. Panic ensued, as the shoppers closest to the girl starting screaming and trying to flee, but the place was too packed; there was no place to run. The security guard had his pistol drawn but he couldn't fire. If he did, he would graze a lot of innocent bystanders.

Suddenly, something appeared in the girl's hands as she leapt onto the counter – a small butterfly knife – and Ichigo knew what was coming next. And so did everyone else.

"She's a kamikaze!" Someone shouted, and full panic set in. Ichigo was fairly close to the exit by that time, and he watched as the girl pointed the knife at her neck, and rammed it deep into her throat and ripped it sideways. Then, she threw her arms wide, tilted her head back and began spinning around. A scarlet stream burst from her throat, like a geyser spewing out gas and spraying everyone in a five meter radius.

She looked like a twirling dancer, if it weren't for the copious amounts of blood spewing from her throat. It was brief though, as her legs buckled and she collapsed onto the floor, a sunken pallid figure lying in her own blood.

Even as the dance was finished, the audience was still in chaos; those trapped at the counters kept pushing towards the back of the store, trying to get as far from the blood as possible. Those who were just entering did an immediate about turn and rushed out. Ichigo, already close to the door, opted to leave without paying, not that it mattered anymore.

A few months ago, this scene would have horrified him to no end, yet now… he felt nothing. He already had the privilege of witnessing four other kamikaze deaths, so this to him was nothing.

The Hive's MO was pretty much the same – find a crowded area and get a vessel to spread the infection – a cough, sneeze, or a little saliva on vegetables, so easy to do so ever since it became an airborne virus. And if the vessel was caught red-handed, he or she would go down in a glorious fountain of blood.

It didn't care if it had to sacrifice one or two of its members, so long as it had the chance to infect dozens more.

A while later, Ichigo untied his mask before removing the windbreaker he was wearing and draped it over the cart, making sure that the food, especially the fresh produce, were covered. He couldn't let the food be infected. It was a precautionary measure more for Rukia, since he was immune to the virus. It was nearing winter, and the temperatures were tellingly low, but Ichigo ignored it. Removing his windbreaker also exposed the Glock he had holstered at his waist. Then, he kept on moving.

It was dark and cloudy, bringing about a sense of bleakness as Ichigo carried on walking. He still had his car, but petrol was hard to come by as well, so he was better off walking. He sighed, wishing the sun was out, but the weather seemed to reflect the desolate mood that had set on not only Japan, but the entire world as well, ever since the infection spread to most of the rest of the world. In fact, Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the sun.

The streets were deserted, which was a good thing, especially with his load of food. Yet, he couldn't afford to relax just yet. He'd heard cases of people getting jumped for their food, which was another reason why he didn't want Rukia going with him, even though he was sure she could take care of herself.

A while ahead, he saw someone he recognized – an acquaintance moving his way. Ichigo didn't remember his name, even though he'd probably heard it a few times.

"Hey," the man said with a grin, nodding towards the cart. "Leave anything for me?" There was no way he could miss the Glock that Ichigo had holstered. Sure, the man was a friendly acquaintance, but in these times, one couldn't be too careful. People could get desperate.

"Plenty," Ichigo said. "But you might want to wait awhile. A kamikaze just visited the place."

The man grimaced. "Damn! Not again. They don't know when to quit do they? They know we've got the vaccine but they still keep on trying."

"Well, just because they've got lots of brains doesn't mean they're smart."

The man didn't comment on that, and Ichigo couldn't blame him. Despite the medical sector glorifying the vaccine, rumor was the hype was only temporary, and that it wasn't as effective as thought. Some even said that it was a ruse by the infected to infect even more people. The government countered the rumors by saying that they were lies spread by the infected to cause panic, but no one knew who to believe. The only thing that was working at the moment was the blood test which determined if you were infected or not.

"Well, I suppose I should go down and wait for them to clean up before going in." The man waved goodbye and Ichigo mimicked his movements, watching as the man walked off. Once he was sure the man wasn't going to spin round and jump him, Ichigo resumed his walk back. A few months earlier, he would have laughed at his own paranoia, but now? It was a way of life.

No one knew who to trust anymore. As days went by and more and more got infected, he could literally feel the threads of the social fabric tearing bit by bit. Trust was a thing of the past, because anyone – your best friend, your relatives, your family, could be carrying the virus as well. And less than a few days after that, they would join the ranks of those dead set on infecting you as well.

Compassion – a trait no longer applicable in life. Sure, you could feel sorry for the victims – after they were dead.

That was why he couldn't have Rukia going out, even if she protested and resorted to hitting him. So far, she'd managed to avoid getting infected, but how long would that last? Ichigo wasn't too worried about himself since he was immune, and Rukia knew that, so he was afraid she might just take it upon herself to leave so as to prevent herself from becoming a burden. It was a hard way of life, but it was necessary. He couldn't lose her again.

Ichigo sighed as he reminisced how the deterioration of society had taken just a mere few months. First, the virus mutated into an airborne virus, and the original Hive mind fanned out from Tokyo, spreading across Japan and infecting the many tourists, allowing it to spread beyond Japan and to the rest of the world. Tens of millions were infected and integrated by the time anyone realized it existed, and despite the combined efforts of every government, it still wasn't enough.

It was hard on Ichigo too. First, a few months ago, Karin reentered his life, but just as quickly exited it, travelling with the rest of the Hive's vanguard and spreading the virus, refusing to answer his calls and disappearing without a trace.

He tried finding her for a few days, but as Sunday loomed, he suddenly remembered the reunion with the old man and Yuzu, and that Karin would be there as well. Horrified, he tried to contact them in an attempt to get them out of there, but the old man had joyfully answered the call, saying that Karin had come over along with the rest of her friends, and it was at that point that Ichigo knew his family was lost.

Now, months later, it was still hard to stomach that they were now part of the Hive that was destroying humanity. Rukia too got hit hard, as Hisana and Byakuya disappeared soon after that, probably as part of the Hive as well. Now, all they could do was survive.

Eventually, Ichigo reached his home without anymore incident. Somehow, he managed to drag the cart up to his floor, since the elevator wasn't working. He knocked on the door and waited for Rukia to answer it. He had a key, but she'd been getting edgy these days, so he figured he should go easy on her nerves and knock instead of barging in.

He saw a shift of light through the peep hole, and knew she was looking through it. Seconds later, he heard the door unlock to reveal a smiling Rukia. "Hey Ichigo, I hope you got something good," she said.

However, Ichigo wasn't fooled. Immediately he could tell that something was wrong. Her posture was stiff and her eyes looked watery and troubled, like she had been crying.

"Rukia, what's wrong?" he asked as he walked in, removing his weapon and placing it on a cupboard as she closed the door.

"Wrong? There's nothing wrong," she said. Ichigo turned to look at her but found that she was still standing by the door, her back facing him and her hand still on the handle even though she'd locked it already.

Moving to her, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her round. She looked down, refusing to face him, so he placed a finger on her chin and gently tilted her head up. Her face was impassive, but her eyes showed hopelessness and fear. "Rukia, don't do this. What's wrong?"

Rukia looked at him for a moment, her bottom lip quivering slightly. "I… I'm…" She didn't finish. Instead, she looked downwards again.

"Rukia…" Ichigo shifted his hands to grab both of Rukia's hands, cupping them together with his larger hands. "Come on Rukia, look at me. Did I do something wrong? I told you I'll always be here right? We'll get through this, even if it's just the two of us."

"It's… You'll be…" she squeezed her eyes shut with a pained expression, and a tear rolled down her cheek, which Ichigo wiped off. She opened her eyes and looked at him in despair. "You're wrong, Ichigo. You'll be the only one left."

"What are you-" Then his eyes widened. "No… no it can't be…" Dread pooling in his stomach, he lifted Rukia's left hand and looked at her open palm. There it was – a small, fresh pin prick of a wound that signaled that she had just done a blood test. He turned to look at the testing kit sitting innocently on his table.

He looked at her again, his tongue drained of saliva. "No, it must be a faulty test or something, maybe there was something wrong with it," he said, but any glimmer of hope was dashed when Rukia shook her head even before he'd finished.

"I took the test three times. They were all positive."

His heart tore. He must have accidentally brought the virus back without knowing it, maybe some infected food or something. He couldn't accept this. He'd moved her here so that he could protect her; keep her safe. Both their families were gone; they only had each other left. But now…

A sob. It tore his heart yet again. But what could he say? Other than him, no one had beaten the virus yet. He wanted to believe that there was something out there that could stop this, but what? Months, and yet there was still nothing. And now, in a few days time, she would turn into yet another puppet for the Hive, and he would have nothing left.

Wordlessly he pulled Rukia closer to him. She buried her face in his chest, her hands round his back and grabbing the back of his shirt as she cried silently. It threatened to bring a sob to his throat as well. He guided Rukia over to the sofa and they both sat down, an arm round each other. He kissed the top of her head and rested his head on hers, pulling her as close as he could. "We'll beat this Rukia. I don't know how, but we will."

"Ichigo…" she said, and her voice was so tired, so void of hope. "This is different. This isn't something you can fix. The best scientific minds around the world have tried and failed to tackle this problem. Every time they think they have a solution, the virus mutates. What can you do?"

Ichigo had nothing to say. When she put it like that, what could he say? How could he offer her a chance when the big brains couldn't? "I don't know, but I can't just stand by and let them take you away. I have to do something."

He didn't mention that the guilt had pretty much taken over him. He'd brought her here to protect her, but the virus got to her anyway. He was responsible for her fate – one that was worse than death.

"Then do it," Rukia said without a trace of enthusiasm or optimism. "But don't expect me to hope, Ichigo, because as much as I want to, I can't. I'm looking at the end of me, at the end of us. We'll be no more, I'll be no more. My… Our future ends in a few days. If it was death, I could accept that. But this… this is a living death. I just can't… I just can't take it," she said, and the sobs returned.

Ichigo was crushed. Where was the strong-headed Rukia he knew? It was as if the virus was already working its magic in her, draining her, changing her and extinguishing her spark. It was finished, all because he didn't take action to stop the virus when he knew about it back when Karin got infected. And now, he would well and truly be alone. If only he had done something. If only he could say something to make it all go away. But what could he say?

And now, he couldn't even leave her. She'd lost all hope, and there was no telling what a person would do when their whole future goes black without any hope, and worse of all, she knew where he kept his guns. They had lost.

They just sat there, trying to savor each other's touch as much as they could while they counted down the last moments of their lives together, as everything dissolved around them.


Whew. That was long. But it was necessary. I could have split it, but I didn't want to go there.

O.o How does that end classify? A bit of sad fluff? But what's with the months later part? I'll leave that to you guys to determine, even though it's kinda obvious.

So... Nothing more to add, so go ahead and follow the steps. Review! It shall be greatly appreciated!

Next chapter will be as planned - Sunday evening site time, unless I'm mourning the lack of reviews and throwing chairs as well :P

So... Review! Can't force you to, so i shall say please instead. Politeness gets you far, right?