Disclaimer: Bleach feeds Kubo Tite.
Quick Summary: Rukia comes back from Soul Society to find that feelings and things have changed in the Kurosaki household in the time she was at Soul Society.
Quick Chapter Summary: Who will Ichigo save? What will he do? Will Rukia die?
A/N: Finally got the second chapter done! Thanks for all the reviews by Danielle, notnow, shinigamilenne, rukiaprincess, Kuchiki Rukia-sama, vanilla, lil-cherry-wolf, seal-chan, Teara, dopeypoo, Iteria, Jini, phyrefox and katsumi01. I hope I will not let y'all down with this chappie.
- Btw, my sister is also using my account and she left a review for me using my own pen-name. Yes, how dumb can one person get? She thought she could delete it but she didn't realise she was logged in. So please do not feel shocked or horrified if you see a review submitted to me by erm, myself. Yay? YAY! Okay, let's get on with the story.
Read, enjoy and REVIEW!
2.
The Choice
Tap. Tap. Tap! "Shit. Not again."
"Try it from the top."
Tap. Tap!
"What the fuck! Is this question really solvable?"
"Maa… maa… Kurosaki-kun, let me help you."
"I can do this on my own."
"But…"
"I can do it, Inoue," Kurosaki Ichigo glanced up from where he had been thumping furiously on his calculator and levelled his gaze at Inoue Orihime. The buxomy girl read the steel in his flashing amber eyes and nodded silently, going back to her own worksheet.
Silence descended briefly again in the almost empty classroom as Ichigo erased off the wrong workings and tried solving the question from the top again.
This wasn't working, and he knew it. He could usually do such sums in his head, but today, no matter how hard he tried, he could not seem to recall the numerous formulae and calculus rules. In frustration, he viciously scoured two dark lines through the question and ran his hands through his spiky orange hair.
Across from him, Orihime raised her eyes slightly but did not comment. They had become study partners in the last few months when Ochi-sensei had made it a rule for every student to find a partner, claiming that it would 'enhance the quality of their work'.
Ichigo had been rather unwilling to become Orihime's partner but the looming threat of Tatsuki's fists and the fact that the rest of the class had paired themselves up while he and Orihime were late for school that day had meant that Ichigo found the rest of his breaks in school studying with the orange-haired girl in the quiet of their classroom.
He had not minded, enjoying the company that she afforded ever since Rukia had stayed behind in Soul Society. Even if he would rather be tortured slowly over a rack than admit it, Orihime had become a comforting familiarity in his life, papering over the agony of losing Rukia to her family and friends.
"He… he… did, did he?"
The expression in Rukia's eyes played themselves over and over again in his head, her words echoing loudly in his ears. He could not stand seeing her like that, feeling the guilt wash up in his chest and settle heavily in his stomach.
Then he caught himself and smacked a hand to his forehead. What was he feeling guilty for? It was not as if he and Orihime were dating! And anyway, why was he concerned about how Rukia felt about it? He certainly wasn't accountable to her! Damn!
"Ne, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime's soft, concerned voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"What is it?"
"Let's go back. We're never going to get any work done today, from the looks of it."
Grateful for the girl's understanding, he nodded. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head slowly. "If you don't mind me asking, it's because of Kuchiki-san, right?"
Ichigo's hands which had been busily shuffling papers and stuffing them into his bag stopped abruptly and he stared at her.
"Oh! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have asked such a silly question! Silly me, silly me…" she trailed off, face turning hot.
The flustered expression on her face was so cute that Ichigo could not help feeling a burst of compassion and amusement well up inside of him. "That's okay. Let's go."
They packed their bags and left the room, the setting sun slanting behind them, lighting up their backs as they walked together down the streets. But as Orihime started twittering delightfully about a new food product that she wanted to introduce to Yuzu, Ichigo could not help but worry about Rukia as memories of going home with the pint-sized Shinigami resurfaced in his head.
Then a loud scream pierced the air and Ichigo jerked back to reality. Orihime was still babbling on, oblivious to the sound. Another scream, this time louder and more pained, rang out in the air and Ichigo scanned the area quickly.
"Inoue! Did you hear that?"
"Hear what, Kurosaki-kun?"
"There's someone in trouble. I'm going to help. Stay here and call for help if there's danger, understand?"
Without looking back, Ichigo ditched his bag and ran off in the direction of the screams, feeling the blood pounding viciously in his veins.
One. Two. Five. Ten.
Rukia could barely keep count as the number of new Hollows started rapidly multiplying before her very eyes. Gripping the hilt of her zanpaktou more securely, she tensed and launched into a fighting stance. This was bad. She had not expected the Hollow to be so powerful when she had received the signal on her cell phone and had decided to come alone without telling Renji.
Right now, the big idiot would probably still be fast asleep in Urahara's storeroom, snoring and dreaming. She could not rely on him, she needed to think, to be quick so that she could defeat the Hollow. The memory of fighting with Ichigo nudged her but she pushed it away.
He wasn't here right now. He was with Orihime. She was well and truly alone this time.
"Are you afraid now, little Shinigami?" the Hollow's voice echoed throughout the park where they were fighting and she saw the clones surround her slowly, forming a circle around her.
"Of a mediocre Hollow like you? I could beat you with my eyes closed." She bit back, mind racing as she tried to formulate a battle strategy.
The Hollow laughed amusedly and licked its lips. "Don't lie, Shinigami. I can smell your fear. It rolls off your delicious little body like a sweet fragrance. I'll enjoy devouring your soul once I'm done."
"Shut up!" Rukia withdrew her zanpaktou and leapt forward, lending gracefully on the thick forearm of one of the Hollow clones. Using all her might, she hacked downwards and watched in satisfaction as the clone's arms were sliced from its body.
Then using Shunpo, she darted to the left and sliced through another clone. Quickening her speed gradually, she effortlessly took down another five clones, hearing their pained yells as their body parts fell. Landing on the ground, she twirled around to take down the clones surrounding her on the right but before she could do it, she heard a girl scream.
Turning around, she saw the Hollow seize a young girl in its tentacles and tightening its grip around her tiny body. The girl screamed again, her eyes wide with fear.
"You, asshole." Rukia yelled as the Hollow pinned the girl to a tree.
"Make your choice, Shinigami. It's either you or her." The Hollow lifted its tentacles and a blade slid out, the tip ending at the girl's throat.
"I don't make deals with Hollows!" Rukia shouted as the clones closed in on her.
"Well too bad, then the girl dies!"
Before the blade could pierce the girl's throat, a flash of black appeared in the corner of her eye and the next thing she knew, the Hollow was writhing and shrieking in pain.
"What's the matter Rukia? Can't handle a Hollow on your own?"
That cocky voice.
Ichigo!
"Shut up, you probably couldn't take him on." She retorted out of familiarity as her sword moved furiously to fend off another encroaching circle of clones.
He smirked, "Let me show you how to take care of Hollows like him who pick on small fry." Laying the girl on the grass, he turned to face the Hollow.
"Fight with someone of your own size."
"This is interesting indeed!" the Hollow laughed, "What a strong reiatsu you have, boy. I'll definitely enjoy you more than the girl over there."
"You won't even get a chance to lick my flesh." Ichigo's lips tilted up in a challenging grin as he unsheathed his zanpaktou and launched at the Hollow.
Rukia tried to make sure he was safe but was distracted by her own battle as the clones continued merging and reforming, trying to surround her. The clash of sword blades echoed loudly as dust swirled furiously, Ichigo and the Hollow exchanging quick, fast blows.
BOOM!
Then she heard a loud yell as blood splattered.
"Don't overestimate yourself boy! You've lost!"
"Ichigo!" a new voice came to Rukia's left and she swivelled in that direction.
It was Orihime.
And she was running blindly towards the Hollow without any regard. Ichigo lay injured from the blow the Hollow had dealt.
Idiot!
Rukia desperately slashed out at a clone and got a deep cut to her arm but she barely cared. She had to save the both of them!
Running as quickly as she could, she watched in horror as the Hollow plunged its blade into Ichigo's shoulder. Then hearing Orihime's cry, the Hollow turned and grabbed her with its tail.
"Die!" Rukia yelled as she leapt over Ichigo's panting and injured form and slashed at the Hollow. The Hollow released Orihime and screamed in pain, its tentacles lashing out. "Ichigo! Go get Inoue and get out of here!" Rukia shouted as she positioned herself for another attack.
Ichigo lifted his head painfully, "No, I can't leave you here."
"Don't be stubborn idiot and listen to me!" she pleaded as the Hollow's arm synthesised and its tentacles reached out to grab her.
"GO!" she roared as the Hollow caught her unaware and slammed her against a tree. Its tentacles pinned her there and it squeezed, suffocating her slowly. Rukia felt the breath go out of her and coughed painfully, struggling against her restraints.
"Flee with… Inoue… Go…" she tried to say as Ichigo's eyes widened in horror.
"Rukia!"
"Shut up!" the Hollow bellowed as its blade slashed across her cheek and her neck. Rukia felt blood spill from her wounds and darkness dancing behind her eyelids.
The Hollow smiled at Ichigo. "Boy, you have two choices. Take this woman and flee to save her life and leave the Shinigami to die," it pointed at an unconscious Orihime lying on her side, "or save the Shinigami and let the girl die from her wounds."
"Who are you going to save? The girl or the Shinigami? Either way one of them will DIE!"
TBC.