DISCLAIMER: Bleach is not mine. Kubo-sensei owns it and I'm glad he does.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ack! I've eaten my word. I said that the story was just a one-shot attempt at a theoretical scenario and yet here I am posting a follow-up (hangs head in shame). But this story was begging to be written in my head as I wait for Kubo-sensei to give us the chapter that would tell us what really happened between Ichigo, Rukia and Grimmjow. Although, it was a bit mind-boggling to see a little of the fight between Ichigo and Grimmjow in the manga echoing what I wrote (don't mind me, it was just my big imagination at work, hehe). Plus, I saw three people waiting for an update and I felt guilty for making it a one-shot. But I'd like to remind you guys that I'll be waiting for that chapter to come out before I write a follow-up for this story. Then again, it doesn't mean I would write one. Ugh! I think I better stop it right here before I get in too deep. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one. Thanks for reading. Ja ne!

Just in case:

Baka - idiot, stupid.

Sumanai - sorry.

Uguke - move.

Matte - wait.

RELEASED

She didn't see it coming, but deep inside she knew. The moment she felt the Arrancar's reiatsu, she knew they had to fall back. It was as if every inch of her body pulsed frantically at the approaching danger, directing her to take the next logical step – to flee for safety.

Years as a shinigami had taught Rukia that fleeing was not cowardice but a tactical retreat – a way to further assess the situation and prepare for retaliation to assure victory, especially against a much stronger enemy. And feeling the menacing quality of the Arrancar's reiatsu had convinced her of this course of action.

Her thoughts quickly went to the orange-haired shinigami she was with and feared for the worse. Knowing him, he would not understand nor accept retreat. He would insist on fighting and holding his ground, afraid that the enemy might think him a coward. 'It is just like him to be so stubborn sometimes,' she said to herself.

But there was no time to argue with him, the Arrancar was right in front of them. She barked an order to him amid the invisible din of the enemy's reiatsu, hoping that he would listen and move out right away. But it was too late. She didn't see it coming.

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she felt a slight rustle of a breeze swept by and something sharp pierced her gut. She was face-to-face with the enemy and saw its half-masked face grinning at her from ear to ear. The pain seared inside her as she shuddered under the Arrancar's mocking gaze. It had stabbed her with its bare hand.

Blood gushed out from the wound, the pain doubling when the Arrancar quickly removed its hand out of her. She struggled to keep her mind off the pain, the need to protect him weighed more in her thoughts. She had to tell him again. "Leave," she barely said to Ichigo, who stood from a distance, shocked and confused. Something bile rose up her throat and forced her to cough blood.

She had lost control of her body now as her knees buckled involuntarily underneath her. She was falling to the ground but she willed her mind to stay awake. 'I mustn't lose consciousness,' she told herself desperately. 'I mustn't!'

But she knew once the body had surrendered, the mind would soon be out of reach. Everything around her was getting blurry. She blinked her eyes, she would not give in easily. She saw Ichigo, his eyes showed fierce anger as he charged toward the Arrancar with Zangetsu in his hand.

'Ichigo, you fool,' she thought as she fell into unconsciousness.

-----

She didn't know how long she had closed her eyes. She knew she was in a warm and safe place with the rhythm of someone's heartbeat echoing close to her ears. She didn't want to move, she was afraid of losing this quiet solitude where there was no pain or the smell of blood. But something tugged at her thoughts earnestly.

"I…chi…go," she slowly whispered as she willed her closed eyes to open, even for a second, to make sure he was there.

"Don't talk," Ichigo commanded, yet his voice was soft and soothing. "Just lay still. We're going to find help soon."

Her eyes struggled to focus on his features, barely seeing the outline of his face. But she could feel his grim demeanor. His jaw was set and his scowl seemed deeper. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch him.

"You…look…morose," she whispered again, this time she labored at every word. Her voice was hoarse and forced as if she was having a hard time breathing.

"Ah…you don't look so good yourself," Ichigo said, not looking at her. She could sense the worry over the gruff reply and wondered how dire their situation against the enemy really was.

"Who…wouldn't? I got a hand poked into me…again," she said slowly and softly, trying hard to sound normal and unharmed. She felt Ichigo's grip tightened around her protectively. "But…this time…it really hurts," she whispered and made an attempt to chuckle. But the laughter didn't come; instead she held her bleeding stomach as she winced in pain.

"Damn it! Didn't I tell you not to talk? For once, Rukia, why don't you just listen to me?" His voice was pleading and earnest this time. 'Not like him at all,' she thought. She just gave him a weak smile and moved her head closer to his chest. Somehow, Ichigo's heartbeat felt comforting. It took her mind away from the searing pain that burned at her gut.

"Baka! Don't worry too much," she said, making her voice loud enough for him to hear. "I won't die here. If I did…then your trip to Soul Society to save me...would be in vain." She let out a sigh of discomfort as if saying a full sentence had taken her breath away. She clutched tightly at his robes to let the pain subside.

"Ah…that's why you need to hang in there," he whispered, this time relief was evident in his voice. "I'll find help soon."

Rukia was thankful. For once, Ichigo didn't stubbornly let his pride take over just to defeat the enemy. For once, he had listened to her to fall back, get some help and strategize his next move. 'Finally, he understood the value of his own life,' she thought proudly. She could feel the cold wind sweeping past her feet. They must have successfully escaped the Arrancar, she said to herself. And the thought gave her peace of mind.

"Sorry for all the trouble…Ichigo," she whispered, her eyes fluttering. She wanted so badly to tell him more and to help him fight the enemy, but she knew she was too weak to even move. And this frustrated her to no end. She couldn't believe she was out of this fight so early.

She had her spirit powers back and had successfully defeated the other Arrancar named Deeroy with her own Zanpaku-tou, Sode no Shirayuki, but she had gotten sloppy. She had easily fallen into a trap of arrogance and pride with that small achievement and paid for it. Once again, she felt like a burden.

"Sumanai…" she trailed off as her eyelids become heavy. She could no longer keep them open and so she let herself slip into unconsciousness once more. She barely heard Ichigo's reply. 'I'll ask him later,' she thought, sinking into the warmth of his arms.

-----

There was something in this darkness that scared her. It seemed to have an evil presence lurking behind its shadows. And try as she could to get back to that safe and warm place, she couldn't get away. It was engulfing her, suffocating her with the bile smell of blood and death.

She shouldn't be afraid, she told herself. She was death itself. But there was something in the dark that lie in wait, a nightmare of immortality, and a monster from her past. She felt herself gasping for breath as she reached for something to hold on to. But she grasped only thin air. 'No!' she silently screamed. 'NO!'

Rukia opened her eyes abruptly as if she had been woken from a light sleep. She blinked a couple of times to immediately focus her vision and found herself staring at the silhouettes of buildings. "Where am I?" she whispered, afraid that she was still having that nightmare.

Her clenched hands immediately groped solid ground. It was cold and damp to the touch. A slight breeze wafted and she caught the scent of blood that was both familiar and near. It was hers. And almost suddenly, she felt a wave of unbearable pain in her gut. Gritting her teeth, she breathe deeply to let it pass.

'I'm awake,' she told herself, relieved at being able to escape her nightmare to the point of welcoming the pain more readily. She surveyed her surroundings and saw boxes and crates stacked on top of each other around her. It seemed to form a wall, obscuring her view of the other side.

"Ichigo?" she called out instinctively. But there was no answer.

She struggled to get up despite the lack of anything to hold on to for support. She propped her elbows but as soon as she lifted her back, blood spurted out of her wound and the pain shoot right through her. She laid back down groaning and defeated. 'Damn it, where could that idiot be?' she thought, clearly frustrated.

But just as she had accepted to wait for him, she felt a menacing reiatsu that she wasn't familiar with. The sheer force of its power bore her down like a heavy boulder pinning her. 'This is not the Arrancar I sensed before,' she said to herself. 'Could it be another enemy?'

But her doubt was replaced by another certainty. "No, it can't be," she said out loud. "It can't. Ichigo, you fool!" Her realization struck her immobile, she felt numb all over and her head felt like it was about to explode. "You didn't. You shouldn't…"

The initial effect wore off as suddenly as it came. Rukia knew what she had to do. She willed her body to move. "Uguke! Uguke!" she shouted with all her might as she picked herself up with great difficulty. Blood spilled out of her wound every time she shifted. She bit her lower lip to take her mind off the pain. But soon she was on her feet, holding precariously to the wall of boxes and crates as blood streamed down her robe. She found her Zanpakutou dangling behind her.

"I need your strength, Sode No Shirayuki," she commanded. "We have to go where Ichigo is." She looked up at the tall buildings. She knew he was there with the Arrancar. She tightened her grip on the sword, suppressing her reiatsu with her borrowed strength. She climbed up the wall of boxes and crates, and catapulted herself toward the buildings' rooftops.

Even with her renewed strength, she found it wasn't easy to move up at topmost speed with her injury. Nevertheless, she was able to reach the top and saw that the fight between the Arrancar and Ichigo was about to begin. Her eyes fell instantaneously on Ichigo. And to her horror, she saw a hollow's mask slowly forming on his face.

'Baka!' she muttered under her breath as she shunpo'ed to where he was. Both Ichigo and the Arrancar didn't sense her coming. She was like a silver bullet with only one purpose, to destroy Ichigo's hollow mask. She kicked him squarely on the face hard and fast, which sent a startled Ichigo a few feet away. A trail of broken mask flew up in the air and disintegrated.

"Rukia!" Ichigo said, staring wide-eyed at the injured shinigami standing before him seemingly unharmed. "What the…?"

She didn't waste time and shunpo'ed toward him. She clutched at his robe roughly and shouted angrily, "What the HELL do you think you are doing?"

"Saving both our asses, what do you think?" came the acerbic reply from the temporary shinigami, who was obviously annoyed.

"You're a liar!" she said in an even tone while still holding on to his robe. "You were letting yourself become a hollow. I saw it, Ichigo!" This time, her tone sounded betrayed and broken.

She saw him clench his fists and look away. "It can be helped. It has to be done, that Arrancar is stronger than I am. If we are to survive, if I am to protect you, I have to be…HIM!"

Hearing these words, Rukia's anger reached its boiling point. Her hand flew up to his face and slapped him mercilessly. "Don't you dare make me kill another person I care about!" This time she forced him to look at her, her hands trembling at every word. "I can't go through that again. I would rather die! Do you hear me?"

She let out a defeated sob and tears streaked down her cheeks. "I would rather die than have you protect me this way."

Seeing Rukia's anguished face softened Ichigo's grim features. He gave her a look of misgiving as if silently telling her that he had been selfish indeed. But she knew he didn't mean to hurt her. "Gomen Rukia," he whispered almost inaudibly as he wrapped his arms around her in apology. "I promise I would never put you through the same ordeal. I will become stronger on my own."

Meanwhile, the Arrancar watched them with great amusement and clapped its hands enthusiastically. "Bravo! That was the best drama I've ever watched. You shinigamis are such entertaining creatures. It would be fun to make both of your suffer in my hands."

Ichigo made ready to attack but Rukia held out her hand to stop him. "Matte, Ichigo," she said. "If you want to become stronger, I will lend you my strength. I know if we fight together, we can defeat this Arrancar."

Ichigo gave her a worried look and protested. "But your injury…"

"Baka! Didn't you hear what I said before? I won't die here," she gave him her most characteristic smirk - the one that gave her a smug appearance to reassure Ichigo. "A Kuchiki never lets his or her comrade fight alone. Besides, I have a score to settle with him."

Ichigo gave her a smirk back that said it all. "Ah…if you quit being noisy, we could finish him off right away. Are you ready?"

"Always," she said confidently, this time she didn't notice any pain from her injury. The bleeding had stopped and the only thing she was feeling was the powerful reiatsu from the orange-haired shinigami flowing into her and giving her strength and courage.

She knew without a doubt that together they would win.