So here we are at the end. I thought that I should take a second to thank everyone that reviewed this story.

CHEERLEADER40404, ONEREADER, ILOVETHEFRAY, LOVEMYDOGS82, CRYSTAL DAWN, ZODIOUS, NEPHELI, CHELSEA LYNN, RANDONFAN17, BERUHIME219, ENELYA74, MISS L, HIME4LIFE, CUPCAKE-MONSTER, FRAWG360, NOEY, EASILYOBSESSEDCTC, VFREGUS, THE PUPPETEER, BLUEWITCH143, MISZXBRII, LOLWORTHY, NINASKYLOVE, DEMONSLAYER4U, SHIORILNUZURI AND GX FANGIRL XD.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS, IDEAS AND ENCOURAGEMENT. THIS WAS MY VERY FIRST FANFIC AND AT ANY MOMENT I EXPECTED ALL OF YOU TO TELL ME TO QUIT WHILE I WAS AHEAD.

THANK YOU, GRACIAS, GRAZIE MILLE!

I WILL BE BACK SOON WITH ANOTHER STORY BUT FOR NOW...

READ, REVIEW AND ENJOY THE LAST CHAPTER OF THE INCUBUS DESIRE.

-zER0


Orihime woke up two days later in her own bed. Her eyes fluttered open and she jumped up gasping for breath as if someone had held her underwater for far too long. Orihime looked at her hands, then down at her clothes, expecting to be covered in Sky's blood. She saw that her hands were clean and that whoever brought her home had changed her into a long dark blue t-shirt. Orihime examined the shirt. She did not own anything like that. She smelled it and a small smile creased her face. Byakuya. She recognized the smell of the uber-expensive cologne that he wore, every time he came to the world of the living.

Orihime jumped out of bed and looked around hoping to find him. Byakuya was long gone but she did find a note taped to the fridge. She peeled it off the fridge and flipped it open.

Orihime,

I thought it would be easier if I got everyone back home, I don't like leaving anything to chance.

I chose to remember the time that we spent together and I know that you will always remember it too.

While you are forced to live with the pain, I live with the happiness and pleasure that you gave me.

I am sorry for that and I wish that there was something that I could do.

If you ever need me, you know where to find me

-B. Kuchiki

Orihime folded the note in half and sighed. She wanted to believe that everything that happened had been nothing more than some horrible nightmare, but that note written in Byakuya's neat script told her that it was not a dream.

Everything that had happened was real. Orihime sank to the floor clutching the small piece of paper in her hand. She began to cry and shiver as she recalled everything that she had done.

Orihime felt ashamed and dirty. She had come close to destroying her friendship with Tatsuki, killing Rangiku and Rukia and had made a complete fool of herself.

Orihime stood after a long while. She shed all of her clothing and made it to the bathroom. In the dark she managed to fill the tub with water. She slid into the tub and lay completely motionless as her tears began anew.

Every inch of her body felt dirty and no matter how long she soaked in the clean cool water, she could not wash it away. Orihime slid lower into the tub and held her hear under the water. She closed her eyes and as her heart rate sped up, she wished that she could stay in the bathtub forever. Or maybe if she held her head under long enough she would never come out. Orihime sat up and gasped for air. She refused to think like that. She had never given up at any point in her life and she was not going to start now.

Orihime clambered out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her thin body. She walked out of the bathroom and slid back into Byakuya's shirt. She grabbed a pair of shorts out of her bureau and slipped them on. Orihime began to towel dry her hair when she heard a knock at the door.

Orihime ran to the door half expecting it to be Sky for some strange reason. She threw the door open and gasped when she saw Ichigo standing in front of her. He had his backpack thrown casually over one shoulder and his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

"I—Ichigo," Orihime stammered.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Oh… Nothing, nothing." Orihime stepped aside to let him in. Ichigo flopped down on the couch and opened his back pack.

"You weren't in school yesterday or today, so I thought that I would bring you the notes. Everyone has been worried about you," Ichigo said as he flipped through his binder and extracted Xeroxed copies of his notes.

"Thank you," Orihime murmured.

"Anytime." Ichigo looked up at her and flashed a crooked grin. "You seem nervous."

"No I'm not nervous! Just a little tired, that's all," Orihime replied.

"Tired right. Have you been sick?" he asked.

"I think I have a stomach virus or something. It must have been something I ate."

"I'll bet." Ichigo stood and zipped up his backpack. "So the notes are on the table, I guess I'll see you in school when you are feeling better." Ichigo began to walk towards the door. He had his hand on the doorknob when Orihime spoke.

"Ichigo. If you're not busy, you probably are… Forget it," Orihime waved her hand dismissively.

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to study with me or watch a movie? Studying would probably be better for me though, I don't want to fall behind in any of my classes."

Ichigo smiled at her rambling and sat back don on the couch.

"Sure. I can stay for a while."

Ichigo and Orihime studied for two hours before agreeing to order in from a local restaurant and watch a movie. Orihime watched the movie with her head resting in his lap.

It was so hard for her to pretend that everything was alright, but she had to. No one would believe her if she ever spoke about what had happened between all of them.

Orihime drew in a deep breath and exhaled noiselessly. She had not been this close to Ichigo in a long while. As natural as it felt for the two of them to be sitting on her couch watching a movie, it was still too painful for Orihime. Too much had happened and Orihime begun to fear that she no longer knew the orange haired shinigami beside her. Orihime was so distracted by her bleak thoughts, she did not even realize that she had fallen asleep.

Ichigo slid off the couch and crouched down in front of Orihime.

"So you snore in your sleep eh?" Ichigo said with a slight chuckle. He scooped Orihime up in his arms and carried her to bed. He tucked the sheets in around her and stood over her, watching her sleep. Ichigo turned around to leave but found that he could not. Too many things were muddled up in his head for him to walk away now. Ichigo turned around and grabbed a chair. He positioned it next to the bed and began to speak.

"I don't understand you," Ichigo whispered. "You are beautiful, honest and smart. You may be a little weird, but no one is perfect." Ichigo laughed quietly before continuing.

"I want to know why you lied to all of us at Urahara's shop the other day. I know that I'm not supposed to remember anything that happened, but I do and I know that you no matter how much pain we have caused you went up against that incubus so that you could protect all of us. You accepted all of those painful memories, so we would never have to remember. I need to know why you did it. I just don't understand." Ichigo sighed and rubbed her fingers across his furrowed brow.

"Of course. I'm not even man enough to really talk to you. I have to wait until you are asleep to tell you how I really feel. I love you with all of my heart Orihime and I am sorry that I caused you so much pain. You don't have to pretend in front of me. I remember and I will always be here for you." Ichigo touched her cheek lightly then stood. He walked quietly towards her bedroom when he heard a rustling in her bed. Ichigo turned around and saw Orihime sitting up in bed, looking at him through bleary gray eyes.

"I decided to keep these memories because I knew that you would remember everything as well," Orihime said quietly.

"What?" Ichigo sputtered.

"It occurred to me while I was talking to Yoruichi. Uryuu was not the one that called Sky into the world of the living, it was you."

"How… How did you figure it out?"

"There had always been something about Sky that just felt so familiar. It was easy for me to fall in love with him because he made me feel safe. When I realized that Sky gave me the same comfort and happiness that I felt every time you were near…." Her voice trailed off for a moment. "I knew that it had to be you."

Orihime slid to the edge of her bed and regarded Ichigo with a tearfilled stare.

"I realized that something wasn't right, but I just couldn't fit all of the pieces together," Ichigo blurted out. He opened his mouth to speak again but Orihime held up one had to silence him.

"I understand that you were lured in by a succubus and that you could not control anything that you were feeling or doing, but I don't understand why you had to hide your feelings from me. You know that I have loved you for a long time and you never did anything about it."

"I'm so sorry Orihime," Ichigo murmured.

"I don't know if sorry is enough," Orihime sobbed.

"I never wanted to hurt you. I always thought that you were so fragile and innocent. I never wanted to do anything to change that. I stayed away from you so I could protect you."

"Your indifference hurt more than anything else," Orihime murmured. Ichigo let out a frustrated groan and walked across the room. He knelt down in front of Orihime and pried her hands off her face. He wiped her tears away with his thumb and stared intently into her gray eyes.

"When I kissed you that first time, I did it because I realized how close I had come to losing you and I wanted to feel you in my arms, touch you, because I loved you then almost as much as I love you now."

"How could you love me after everything that has happened? I did so many horrible things."

"And none of this would have happened if I had been honest with you or myself. I know that this is going to take awhile and you have absolutely no reason to trust me, but please. Let me prove my love to you, I promise to never let you down again."

Orihime stared into his eyes. She noticed for the first time that they were more amber than brown and there were small flecks of gold around his pupils.

"I don't know. None if this seems real to me anymore."

Ichigo leaned forward to touch her face, but she flinched out of his grasp. Ichigo frowned as he pulled up to his full height and walked out of her room. He grabbed his things and headed for the door.

It had begun to rain when Ichigo stepped outside. It was coming down heavy and after a few seconds without an umbrella he was soaked.

Ichigo pushed his sodden hair of his forehead and frowned as he recalled the pained look in Orihime's eyes. He hated seeing her that way and he hated knowing that it was his fault.

Ichigo crossed the street and was about to turn the corner when he heard a voice calling his name. he turned around in time to feel Orihime slam into his body. She was barefoot and soaked from head to toe, wearing nothing but a big t shirt and little cotton shorts.

"What are you doing out here?" Ichigo asked. Orihime wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. "What's going on?" Ichigo breathed once their kiss ended.

"Come back inside with me." Orihime took his hand and led him back to her home. They tracked water across the pale carpet and settled on the tiled kitchen floor.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" Ichigo asked suddenly. Orihime looked at him with a small sideways smile.

"Sky would have never loved me as much as he did if you didn't love me first," she replied.

"Where does that leave us?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet."

Ichigo wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight.

"I'm not letting you go this time. I think I have made enough mistakes to last a lifetime."

Orihime smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I think I need to go back to bed," she murmured. Ichigo nodded and stood. He helped her to her feet and trailed behind her as she walked into her bedroom. She changed quickly while Ichigo had his back turned then slid into bed.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" Orihime asked.

"Of course," Ichigo stripped down to his boxers and slid into the bed beside her. He draped one arm across her stomach and began to kiss her lips slowly.

"I don't want to go any further than this, after everything-," Ichigo planted another kiss on her lips to cut her off.

"You don't have to rush anything. Don't worry," he whispered. Orihime nodded and turned to face him.

"I do have one question though."

"What is it?"

"The woman in the club that night, what did she look like? Did she have long black hair and black eyes?"

Ichigo laughed and scratched the back of his head.

"I was hoping that you wouldn't ask me that."

"The truth Kurosaki," Orihime said with one eyebrow raised.

"Well… uhh… she looked almost exactly like you," he admitted sheepishly.

"What?"

"Yeah. She had the same hair and eyes, but her umm…." His eyes strayed down to her chest for a moment. "Her assets weren't nearly as impressive."

Orihime sat up and looked around the room nervously.

"Something is wrong, something is severely wrong," Orihime murmured.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo sat up and wrapped his arms around Orihime.

"It was supposed to be Destra."

"Who?"

"Sky's female counterpart. If they were working together to make all of our lives miserable then Destra would have been the one to seduce you."

"I don't get it," Ichigo admitted.

"I don't think this is over."


Yoruichi entered Urahara's bedroom and closed the door behind her.

"Something isn't right," she stated as she sat down to pull off her shoes.

"Something is always off in this town. Don't worry about that now, just come to bed," Urahara called out from his spot under the covers.

"Kisuke I'm being serious, something is off," Yoruichi insisted. She stripped down to her bra and panties and climbed into bed beside him. He immediately ran his long pale fingers across her smooth dark skin and kissed her shoulder.

"What's bothering you?" he asked.

"I remember everything that happened the other day," she stated. His hand froze on her thigh. "You remember too?"

"I do," he replied honestly.

"How did we retain any memories from that day? I don't understand it," Yoruichi groaned.

"I don't know. I disposed of Sky's heart myself." Urahara threw his head back against the pillows and pushed his pale blonde hair out of his eyes.

"Could this have anything to do with Rayna?" he asked at last.

"Don't say her name," Yoruichi warned.

"Babe you gotta face it someday. That succubus put us both through hell, we were just like Ichigo and Orihime only difference being, I was the one pining away after you."

"I have dealt with it in my own way and I just don't like to think about it," Yoruichi replied.

"Maybe it was just a fluke, us remembering Sky and his death. Either way, he is dead and so it Rayna."

Yoruichi shivered at the sound of her name.

"She was so duplicitous and cold."

"Don't worry. She is never coming back."

"I know…it's just. I can't help but shake the feeling that something horrible is about to happen."

"Let's hope not." Kisuke pulled Yoruichi closed and brushed her hair away from her neck. He licked a warm trail from her collarbone to her ear then slid on top of her and began to lay soft kisses on her full lips. Yoruichi closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of his skilled hands running up her thighs. Her eyes flew open and she pushed his hands away.

"What's the matter now?"

"Did you tell Orihime?"

"Tell her what?"

"Don't play games with me Kisuke. She has a right to know."

"Don't you think that she has been through enough? I didn't want to add to her suffering."

Yoruichi looked at him angrily and slid from underneath him.

"She will give birth to that child when she least expects it and what will she do then? She had a right to know."

"The gestation period for incubi is quite long, years even. We have time."

Yoruichi rolled onto her side with her back turned to him. Kisuke scooted closer to her and tugged at her bra strap.

"You must be insane if you think you're getting any tonight."


"Hi Orihime it's Rukia. We missed you in school today and I wanted to know if you wanted to go shopping tomorrow. Rangiku is coming along to help me pick a new bathing suit for spring break. Anyway call me back when you get this." Rukia hung up the phone and stared at it for a long while. Her voice had sounded so light and chipper. The thought made her sick. Rukia threw her phone across the room. It shattered into hundreds of small angry pieces on impact.

"You should watch that temper of yours."

Rukia heard a voice behind her and wheeled around. Rayna stood behind her with her hands on her hips and a devilish grin on her face.

"What are you doing here? If Renji sees you-"

"Don't worry about him. He sleeps like the dead." Rayna waved her hand dismissively then flipped her auburn hair off her shoulders. Rukia looked at her in disgust.

"I can believe how much you look like that idiot Orihime," Rukia muttered.

"Idiot or no, she is in bed with your precious Ichigo as we speak."

Rukia's mouth fell open.

"Already? I can't believe it."

"You would be amazed at how a shared pain can drive two people together, but if it's any consolation they were just holding each other, sickening. They weren't even fucking." Rayna laughed quietly. "After all of the experience that the two of them clocked in, you think they would be going at it like animals."

"Shut up! Just shut your mouth!" Rukia screamed.

"Oh jealous much? Don't kill the messenger." Rayna held up both of her hands and tried to pout, but a sick grin still appeared on her pretty face.

"I did everything that I needed to, to drive him into your waiting arms and between those legs. It's not my fault that you couldn't take care of the follow through," Rayna said plainly. She traipsed through the living room and flopped down on the couch. Rukia tracked her with hate filled violet eyes.

"It's not that simple. I could not remove Orihime from the equation. I tried to push her off on the Quincy, but she didn't go clubbing with us that night. He was going to ask her out, but instead he got drunk and hooked up with Tatsuki," Rukia groaned.

"That boy Ichigo was so horny and worked up, it should have been easy for you to make him yours. Obviously, you are not enough woman for him."

"Don't piss me off," Rukia muttered.

"Sorry, some people just can't stand hearing the truth. Well anyway I came here to discuss our next plan of action."

"This is a lost cause. Orihime and Ichigo are together now and Renji doesn't remember a thing. Besides, what can you do now?"

"Oh I can do a lot of things. You would be surprised, but the first one was a freebie. I had no problem nailing Kurosaki for you, but to continue on I need some kind of recompense."

"Like what?" Rukia asked.

"I'll tell you soon enough, but for now let's just focus on bringing Ichigo back to you."

Rukia sat down on the couch beside her.

"What are we supposed to do next?" Rukia asked.

"I haven't come up with a decisive plan yet, but it shouldn't be too hard." Rayna looked away and glanced out the window.

"Is someone here?" Rukia began to look around the small apartment.

"No, I just remembered something. My sister Destra is not going to make this easy."


THE END...

FOR NOW

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS STORY PLEASE CHECK OUT THE SEQUEL. THE TITLE SHOULD BE "THE INCUBUS CHILD". I SHOULD HAVE A CHAPTER UP WITHIN A WEEK OR SO. IT WILL BE RATED M AND BE AN ICHIGO/ORIHIME PAIRING...