◊ (The Feelings of Sacrificial Hearts ▫Part 1▫) ◊

∆ (Ichigo's Place) ∆ Kuchiki Rukia ¤ (Two Days Later) ¤

I awoke like I did every morning before I got hurt, I dressed and sat down in the kitchen picking out a recipe. Orihime walked in the kitchen. "You're up early, Rukia."

"Actually before I got hurt I woke up at this time every day." I answered.

"So you really are taking care of their family?" I nodded and smiled.

"I took it as part of my job since I was living here to help out. I felt bad for Yuzu and Karin who use to take care of everything. I took care of everything for the last few months."

"That's amazing." She said to me.

"Not really, I mean, considering that all that Ichigo has done for me, it's the least I could do for him." I looked down at my hands that were sitting on my lap.

She walked over to me and got in my face. "You know that your lucky, I mean Ichigo loves you and you always seem to think you're useless and not worth it. Ever consider that Ichigo would never care so much about something that wasn't worth it."

"I don't understand him a lot of the time, I am not worth it. I don't get why he still loves me, I'm not good enough for him." I said.

"You're such a downer, Rukia." She said jumping up.

"Ichigo is sort of suicidal; he'd give his life for people he doesn't know."

I smiled. "Yeah, maybe now; but it hasn't always been that way."

"Huh?" She asked.

Ж (Flashback) Ж

"Why are you here weren't you supposed to go home?" Ichigo asked me.

"No, I can't; you took all my powers and now, I can't return."

"Too bad for you, bye." Ichigo walked off.

I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to my level. "Since you have my powers you have to temporarily take over for me, at least until I get them back."

"No, that was a one time deal, to help my family. I'm not you, I'm not going to go around, and risk my life for people I don't know." Ichigo said walking off.

I looked at the ground, I had to make him understand me, and there was only one way to do this. He can see them, how can he just go around ignoring their existence.

Ж (Flashback Over) Ж

"Let's just say, that when I first gave lent him my powers, he wasn't the most eager in the world to help those who he didn't know." I answered.

"How did you change that in him?"

"With a little heart counseling," I answered.

Ж (Flashback) Ж

I dragged him out of the class. "What's up with taking me out of class?" He asked.

"Just follow me," I pulled out his soul reaper form.

"What, what happened to my body?"

"All you are is a spirit now, but no time to explain, let's go." I dragged him to a playground and there was a boy being chased by a hollow. He ran off, I stopped him with my arm.

"If you save him, it's a pact to protect any spirit that enters your realm; are you willing to make this decision?" I asked him.

"Ah, help!" The boy yelled.

"Are you willing to let innocent people like him die?" I asked.

No response. He ran off after the boy and killed the hollow and then came to me with the boy. "It's time to go to the spirit realm; it's a better place for you then here." He did the soul burial and then he stood there.

"That was really beautiful, Ichigo." I said admiring the way in which he did his soul burial, most would just get it over with, no care whatsoever, but not him. He cared for all souls, I saw him help a girl earlier. I knew he'd come along.

"You do know I wasn't agreeing to that, you put someone in front of me and of course I'm going to save them. That doesn't mean I'm going to take over." He said walking off.

"What?" I yelled.

Ж (Flashback Over) Ж

"So how did you get him to go along with it?" Orihime asked.

"The next night, you were attacked, and when he found out how UN heartily the hollows were, he decided that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing at all." I said smartly.

"Really, so seeing his friends and family attacked is what made him want to help souls?" Orihime asked. "That's so wonderful, and noble."

"It wasn't just my friends and family. It was Rukia, as well." Ichigo said leaning against the doorway to the kitchen. Somehow I hadn't sensed his presence, which was weird.

"Me?" I asked. How does his mind work that I'd influence his choice to become a soul reaper?

"Yeah you, you gave your powers, you life, and sacrificed yourself just to save my family, me and the other souls. If a girl would give herself to saving souls, why wouldn't I?"

"So you did it because of my example?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Most of the girls at our school except for Tatsuki, you, and Orihime are all about themselves. And at that point I didn't really hang out with Tatsuki and Orihime so when I met a girl who didn't care at all for herself, it surprised me, beyond all reason."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yep," He answered. "It was also coming to the realize that if you weren't able to stop the hollows from attacking the city, then the city would be over run with them and we'd all die and no one would take care of us because I was selfish with your powers. You gave your powers to me knowing the consequences for the sake of people you didn't know."

"That's my job,"

"How many girls would even consider that?" He asked me.

"Not a lot here but about a hundred in soul society."

"Yeah, after seeing them all there, I understand that but then I didn't and after meeting you and them, there is nothing I'd give up for protecting all these people." He answered.

"That's how I felt when I enrolled in the school. I might not be at the top in fighting but in healing, demon arts, and control I was number one."

"You brag a lot about that."

"I'm just saying that to prove my point."

"I guarantee you don't remember what your point is." Ichigo said.

"It was, um, that there are girls like me who are willing to give their lives to others."

"Lucky guess,"

"No it wasn't, I remember the conversation." I responded.

"Whatever, what's for breakfast?"

"These things called Pan…cakes."

"Pancakes, yum,"

"So what are they?"

"They're dough that is cooked."

"Cooked dough, like bread?" I asked.

"No, it has other ingredients but it's dough that has like flour, and milk and other stuff in it." Ichigo corrected her.

"Okay, well then I'm sure I'll enjoy it." I said happily.

"Yep, because if you make it; you're sure to enjoy it." I nodded as Orihime sat across the table from where I had sat before I got up.

"Maybe I show make something to show my thanks for your care of myself and Ishida."

"No thanks, this is the little I can do for the Ichigo's family and I would never ask a guest to cook." Ichigo started laughing.

"You're a guest too Rukia and you're cooking." Ichigo had a find point but I had a better answer.

"No, I was invited to stay with your family and I'm like part of the family your sisters and dad said so. Ha." I said sticking my tongue out at him.

"Whatever," He responded.

"No so smart are you?" I asked.

"Smarter then you," He responded. I pouted.

"I resent that," She said.

"I know you do but it's the truth." He was not helping this.

"You two argue like my parents did," Ishida said from behind us. (A/N: Ishida's father banned him from the family after he found out that he became a Quincy. He lives at his grandfather's dojo by himself. Such is why he bled without anyone knowing and why it uses the past tense –did- .)

"Ichigo stop being mean to Rukia." Orihime reprimanded.

"Thanks Orihime," I said.

"I wasn't being mean, I was being honest." Ishida sighed at our childish behavior.

After lunch Ichigo and I sat down in the living room and watched TV, there was a knock at the door. "Hello my name is Odis, and my leg is broke can you help me?" I wanted to laugh, this girl was new recruit from the soul society send to help garden this area.

"Ichigo!" I yelled.

"What Rukia?" He said coming in.

"Come see who we have at her door." I responded.

Ichigo came out and looked at the girl. "Who is she?" He asked.

"Odis, you can tell she's a death god from soul society, and a new recruit at that."

"Are you serious?" Ichigo asked. "How do you know that, she looks identical to our uniform?"

"Because she came to a human hospital in a death god form," I answered.

"Oh yeah, she's not the smartest death god alive, huh?"

"Excuse me, I'm still here."

"Definitely not the smartest, doesn't she know how to heal herself?" He asked.

"Maybe a little, but not substantially, only I can do full healing, as well as those in Squad 4." I answered.

"Yeah, so what should we do with her?" I smacked him atop the head.

"We heal him, duh." I answered.

"Really?" Ichigo asked.

"Of course we will she is in some form, one of us so we help our fellow member. All souls are the same, are they not?"

"No, but I understand. If we help hollows and spirits we help soul reapers." I smiled at his answer. I walked over to her and helped her to the office. I didn't call her dad knowing that he wouldn't be able to heal her, though he has high spiritual energy just like everyone in this house so he could see her but I'm not sure if he's still able to use kido after this long time.

"So what's your name, and why do you know so much about Soul Reapers and the Soul Society?" Odis asked us, confused.

"I don't know much about Soul Society that's here deal." Ichigo said pointing at me.

I sighed, that explained nothing. "I'm Kuchiki Rukia, and this Kurosaki Ichigo; we're Soul Reapers from Soul Society. Nice to meet you, Odis." I answered.

"Oh, that makes a bit of sense, but why do you live here?"

"We call it constant supervision, since there are a lot of people with high spiritual energy here so there are an extremely high percentage of hollow attacks here so we stay and fight a lot."

"I heard that Soul Society is better, so why would you want to stay here, even if you were protecting them." She answered.

"I for one like here much better." I said pouting. I walked out of the room but I was stopped by Ichigo.

"Rukia now is not the time to act like that about Soul Society. You have to heal her leg." I sighed and nodded. I sat at the side of the bed. Ichigo stood behind me watching. In all honesty, I knew he wanted to learn how to heal others, and himself. But I couldn't teach him, I had tried but he just had no ability to do to them, he was beyond them, so he couldn't use things that were weaker then him. It was a basic thing we learned, I don't use level one kudo anymore, I've moved on. I can but it's harder to control since I have to lower myself to that level.

After I had healed her I left Ichigo in there to watch out there, and I fell onto my bed and wanted to cry, I did but I decided to realize just because I could cry, didn't mean I had to. I lay back on my bed and tried to think about why I didn't like soul society. I realized there was no answer to that question. I thought about more and I could answer it.

I didn't like it because it was strict and hard work. There was never any time to be a human, but then I realized that was the answer. I wanted to be human, and it was a place that I couldn't be human. What's the next best thing to being human; protecting them.

I guess from the very beginning, my heart was ready to sacrifice itself for others. Everything I did was like suicide, like deciding to fight in a war, they're a chance you would die, and it was a sacrifice I was wiling to make. I couldn't call it suicide because we were properly trained if we were hurt it was because we weren't good enough; not strong enough, not smart enough. That's why my heart new I could do it; my heart was sacrificial, much like every Soul Reaper around.

I heard a knock at my door, I had a guess is to it being Ichigo but knowing Ichigo he would want to give me space, probably Orihime or Ishida. I opened the door only to find Odis. "Can I come in?" She asked on her crutches. I'm surprised that Ichigo put her on crutches.

"Yeah," I opened the door wider and she sat down on my bed. "Why did Ichigo put you on crutches?"

"I'm in a Gigai and he said it will help me get used to it and especially with my energy recovering slowly my leg won't me fully healed for a few more days."

"You're in a Gigai?" I asked her.

"Yeah, but I'm fine. For now, could you mind answering a few of my questions?" She asked.

"I guess but I may refuse to answer some, it's by my digression, understand?" I told her.

"Fine, but I'd like all the answers I can get."

"I'll think hard about answering them but that's all." She nodded.

"Do you like your Gigai?"

"I guess, it's a bit fragile and weak but it serves its purpose as a human carrier for a soul."

"True, do you like it here?"

"Yeah, I love earth, I really didn't get a long life here my first time around." I said.

"How'd you die?"

"Don't remember," I answered. That was a question answered in all honesty.

"So he's human, right?"

"I'm not exactly sure, he died but he's living in a flesh filled body, so I guess he's human-like." I hadn't thought about it.

"It's a Gigai then, right?"

"Yeah it is a Gigai is a body that is exactly human that an unattached soul lives in so he's a Gigai." I answered.

"So how'd he become one if he lives with his family?"

"A long story," I said thinking about it.

"I've got a few days before I have to report back." She said getting herself comfortable on my bed.

"One night, I was on duty to perform about 3 soul burials. One was located in house of a human. I climbed into the window but I woke the human boy up. It turned out he could see me. Then a hollow that wanted to eat the soul came and attacked the family. It turned out that their whole family had extremely high levels of spiritual energy luring in the hollow.

The hollow went for his family but I had to stop him so he wouldn't get hurt. I was a sacrificial heart; I was the only one worthy to be sacrificed. I alone would die with this hollow if needed. No human would risk themselves for me, especially not him.

I was down and I sat there and asked him a question on most occasions I would never think to ask. Why I asked, I don't know. He may have reminded me of someone, maybe that was it but no, I think it was his energy and love and determination; things I hadn't seen or heard of in so many years. That was it. I asked him. "Do you want to… save your family?" I asked.

He responded, "Of Course is there a way?" He asked me.

"There's only one…" I responded. "You… must become a Soul Reaper." I said to him, aiming my sword at him. "Trust the soul slayer through your heart, and I will pour my powers into you. I'm not sure this will work but there isn't any other way." I proclaimed to him.

He responded as I could have expected. "Gimme that sword, Soul Reaper."

As thought I was going to die, I corrected him on who I was. "I'm not Soul Reaper, I'm Kuchiki Rukia."

He grabbed hold of the sword as said. "I'm… Kurosaki Ichigo." He said and plunged it through his heart."

"So he became a soul reaper through your powers?"

"Yeah at first but then my brother killed my energy out of him, and I got it back and he gained his own."

"That's a wonderful story of yours, right?" She asked.

"Yep, it's a wonderful story, with a happy ending." I said.

"So you're in love with him?"

"Yep and there's not a bit of denial on that case at all."

"And I know he cares about you as a well," She answered.

"Definitely," I said.

¤ (3 Hours Later) ¤

"So Ichigo, who's this girl?" Ichigo's dad said looking at Odis.

"I'm Madeira Odis."

"Where do you live?"

"Evelyn, where I was from." Rukia answered for her.

"She a friend of yours?" His dad asked me.

"Yeah, she went to school with me back home." I said.

"Won't she get in trouble for being here?" He asked he's smart; I didn't think he catch on.

"No, she's on a job, I left and did a few crimes against my country; and I stayed to long."

"So you can't go back?" Odis asked concerned.

"I can go back, but I'm not a member of the counsel any more. I'm just a visitor." I said.

"Oh, so is Ichigo allowed to visit too?"

"Yes, he has a permit to enter, just like me. But only for a limited time."

"It's understandable."

"What did you do against your country?" I just looked at the floor to hope Ichigo would cover.

"Dad, it's a top secret country, sharing that would just get in more trouble." Ichigo said covering. I smiled under the cover of my hair.

"I'm sorry girls, I didn't want to press. I'd just like to understand."

"It's perfectly alright; Rukia will be fine, won't you?" Odis asked me cheerfully. I nodded pretending to be sad. I sat up quickly and gave a smile. Ichigo was about to start laughing. I was faking, faking being sad. I wanted to laugh too, this is the most stupid thing I've ever done. One day I know I'll be an actress.

"So Odis, how long will you be staying with us?" Her father asked.

"Three days at the most, my stupid broken leg won't hold me back that long." Odis said smiling; Orihime, Ishida, Ichigo and I mentally smacked us.

"It's broken; well of course you can't back on it in three days, that's murder on your leg." He said.

"Rukia, didn't you tell her that it was just a tiny minor sprain, not broke like she keep's saying it was?" Ichigo asked me. I sighed.

"Yeah, I told you, you shouldn't even be on crutches, you'll be fine in three days, tops."

"Wow, really; now wonder three days sounded unusual for a broken leg." She said happily.

"Stupid happy girls," Ishida said. Orihime elbowed him and everyone broke out in laughing.

"You should really learn to be more polite to girls, Ishida. They are like delicate flowers that need to be taken care of by us, the strong males."

"Exactly," Ichigo said smiling.

"Whatever Ichigo, I can so take care of myself." Ishida, Orihime and Ichigo started laughing.

"How many times have I had to save you Rukia?" He asked me.

"How many times have I had to save you, Ichigo?" I asked smirking.

"A few, about as many as I've had to save you."

"See, so don't say I can't take care of myself."

"Fine," He responded.

"Man, you guys argue like my parents do." Odis said laughing to herself and everyone else was laughing too, but not for the same reason. (A/N: Odis and her family all died in an explosion in South Japan. So they were all taken to soul society together, where they live there together. J)

"Oh, Odis doesn't this belong to you?" Yuzu said holding up a garment that had a circle with a 5 in it. (-Godei 5/13)

"That symbol seems so familiar; it looks like something Rukia has."

"Of course Rukia has one dad, it's a traditional kimono worn by all the girls, it's by their class assignment, and it depends on their level and specialty which one you're in."

"Ah, so Odis is in 5 and which one were you in Rukia?" He asked me.

"I was in 13." I answered.

"So what were your girls' specialties?" He asked.

"We can't answer that." I said. "May I be excused?" I asked.

"Yes you may Rukia," Ichigo's dad said.

"Dad, can I?" I heard Ichigo say rather loudly on the way to my room.

"Of course you all are free to leave the table as you wish." He said.

"Dad, they're trying to show good manners, help them out by being quiet at the table."

"Yes, right! Bye Rukia, Bye Ichigo." I smiled and went into my room leaving my door open, knowing he'd be following any second now.

I was in a pool of invisible tears, and they hurt, boy did they heart. Ichigo sat next to me and I just sat there; I wasn't crying I just felt so apart from it all, Odis made all the difference. We were sacrificial hearts; Ichigo and I. Sometimes we had sacrificed too much, there was nothing left to give and we were left with nothing but tears at memories of what we had sacrificed.

"It's okay Rukia, its okay." I nodded and tried to smile. "Rukia, don't try to fake happiness for me, just be truly happy for me." I softened my smile to how it is normally and hugged him.

"I am, right now, I am." I said. I was wrong, just as easily as you can sacrifice it all, some sacrifices are losses but some are gains, and this is one sacrifice that was more than worth it.