Return to me
**
***
**
Based off:
the screen play by
Bonnie Hunt and Donald Lake
***
Disclaimer:
I don not own bleach Tite Kubo does
I do not own any rights to Return to me.
Rights to Return to me reserved by MGM studios.
***
Authors Note:
Well x3Sn0w I hope this chapter is what you were asking for.
Thank you everyone I was so shocked
when I answered my email
and I had twenty from .
I am so glad you all love this story so much!
Please review and tell me what you love so much about it!
P.S. I hope you woke up happy SM
.
.
.
"I guess this is the first woman I have noticed since… Well, not the first woman I "noticed," you know as a guy, but as a man, you know?" Ichigo picked another french fry out of its Wacdonalds container and fed it through a fence. Black wrinkly lips caught onto the fried potato and ate it hungrily. "I guess you don't, do ya, Zabimaru?"
Zabimaru signed to Ichigo. He could tell the apes frustration that he had no clue what it was saying. Without the chart in front of him, Ichigo could only understand the letters "H" and "I". The gorilla just sat down with a sigh. "I'm sorry pal." Ichigo offered him another fry as a peace offering, which was excepted.
"You, know, Zabimaru, I'm building you a great place."
.
.
.
Tatsuki sank into her husbands recliner and sighed. The kids were asleep, Sora was in the shower. Right now, for these few minutes, it was just her. Tatsuki time. She looked at the clock. One A.M. No wonder she was so tired. She slowly closed her eyes and held a content smile on her drained face. Her eyes shot open with the fire of Hell at the knock on the door.
The fact that she pulled herself out of the large cushioned chair was a miracle in itself. She shuffled to the window next to the door and peaked out.
"Who is it?"
"It's me!" A high pitched and breathless voice sang from the other side of the wooden barrier.
"Me, who?"
"It me! Orihime!" Tatsuki opened the door and laid shocked eyes on the soaking wet Orihime.
"Oh my god, Orihime!" Tatsuki grabbed her shivering arm and pulled her inside. "It's raining outside and you came on you bike?"
"Yeah, I know." Orihime's grey eyes followed Tatsuki as she disappeared into the laundry room and came out with a large beach towel. She shivered as Tatsuki wrapped her up in toweled hug. "Oh no, Tatsuki I can't stay long I just had to tell you…"
"What couldn't you tell me over the phone?" Tatsuki rubbed Orihime's arms. "I mean God, Orihime you could get really sick doing that."
"I had an umbrella."
"A lot of good that did you."
"Tatsuki!" Orihime turned, trying to get back on topic. "You wouldn't guess what happened to me tonight!"
Tatsuki laughed at her friend and sister-in-laws childish enthusiasm. "What?"
"I met someone!"
.
.
.
Ichigo knew something was wrong when he got home. Kon wasn't at the door. It was way to late, or early, for Toshiro to be taking Kon out for a walk. Ichigo held his umbrella in his hand like a sword, ready to slash at any intruders. He round the corner into the living room, and to his surprise saw Kon, sitting on the couch next to a large cardboard box. Kon barked and started to run circles in his seat, trying to nap at a piece of paper someone stuck to his collar. Ichigo ran to the dog, ripped off the paper and shoved Kon of the couch.
Son,
I was cleaning out the storage shed and I found this box with your name on it. It's been a year, I think it's about time you figured out what to do with this stuff.
Love
Dad of the year!
Ichigo crumpled the paper and tossed it to the ground. Dad of the year my ass. Isshin had always called himself that. Kon, much to Ichigo's surprise didn't go back to the door, but jumped up on the other couch cushion and dug his head into the box. Ichigo cursed and pulled the dog out. Kon retaliated by whacking Ichigo with his strong tail.
"Damnit Kon, I…" Ichigo looked at the happy dog, a VHS in his mouth. "Kon, I don't have time to watch some dumb movie!" Kon trotted over to the TV and set the movie down next to the built in VHS port. With all the time the dog spent sulking by the door, Ichigo almost forgot why Rukia loved Kon so much. He was great at imitating human actions. He was probably the smartest dumb dog Ichigo ever owned. Kon jumped up and pawed the movie, rocking the TV stand back and forth under his weight. So Ichigo jumped in to save the day once again.
"Are you trying to make the TV fall over? If it falls and lands on you I'll have to buy a new TV." Kon looked up at him and whined. "Fine I would get up set that you got hurt…" Kon whined again. "What more do you want me to say?" Again that high pitched whine escaped Kon's retriever like jowls. Ichigo sighed and grabbed the movie. "Fine, we'll watch your damn movie, but you're eating in the kitchen tomorrow. Got it?" Kon didn't voice a reply, but ran to the couch and jumped on.
Who was he kidding? Kon was gonna be back to the door in no time, and he'll never be able to pry the dog free. He sighed and flopped down next to Kon, rubbing the spot behind the dogs ear that he loved to be scratched so much. For now, he would just enjoy the company.
.
The movie started and right away Ichigo's heart stopped. It didn't take him anytime at all to remember that day. How Kon was able to pick out that exact movie he would never know. He looked over at the dog who was laying down, his head pointed at the TV as if he had the attention span or the brain to watch and understand the images the TV displayed.
The camera went by a mirror and he could see Rukia's reflection, clad in a Mrs. Claus night gown and camera in hand, making her way down the hallway of their fist apartment together and into their room. She turned the camera just as she reached the door giving him a heart warming view of her in her Chappy Santa hat, and her excited face.
She turned the camera back around showing Ichigo laying spread eagle on their bed, in only his boxers and a blanket. The camera moved too much for him to see what was happening but he knew from her squealing and him angry groan that she ran and jumped on the bed to wake him up, just then. The camera fell to the side of the bed, still pointed at them, but laying forgotten as Ichigo and Rukia wrestled. Finally Ichigo gained dominance pinning her to the bed.
"What are you doing, waking me up like that. You're starting to act like my father."
"But it's Christmas! Christmas always, ALWAYS, needs to start off with a bang." She smiled from ear to ear.
"And what's this?" Ichigo took off her hat and dangled it in front of her.
"That's my Santa hat."
"With bunny ears? Aren't you taking the Chappy thing a little far there, hon?" She huffed and ripped the hat from his paws, and slammed it back down on her head. In the video and as he watched, Ichigo smiled at her reaction. "Why are you all dressed up anyway?"
"Mr. Claus was asleep, I took it upon myself to spread joy and presents to all the good boys and girls of Japan."
"Mrs. Claus, huh?" Ichigo's grin turned cocky as he dipped his mouth down to taste her milky neck. " So did I make the list?"
Ichigo started to franticly look for the remote, their -his- dog didn't need to see this. Where did it go? He just had it didn't he?
"I don't know," Rukia's familiar voice moaned out. "Were you a good boy?"
He stopped his attack on her neck and looked into her eyes. "Oh I think I'm more than just good."
Ichigo, failing to find the remote he just had, tried and new tactic and pushed Kon off the couch wanting to get him out of the room. Kon lazily did as Ichigo's prodding hands requested, and slicked off the couch, and back on, stealing Ichigo's seat. It didn't matter though, Ichigo found the remote under the fuzzy brown beast. Just as Ichigo and Rukia started to "start a happy Christmas," Ichigo slammed his thumb down on the fast forward button. He looked at Kon who was looking at him with an almost hurt look.
"You don't need to see that." Kon whined. "What?! Pervert…" Ichigo pressed play again when the video stopped and started again with Ichigo grumpily sitting next to their first tree, wearing her hat, and matching Santa pajama bottoms that Rukia gave him.
"Ichigo I have one more present for you!"
"What? I thought we agreed on only four?"
"Well this one couldn't be helped." Her voice happy chimed from behind the camera.
"Oh God, you're not pregnant are you?" Ichigo's expression dropped and his face paled.
"What? No, but it's nice to see how you would have taken it though." Ichigo looked to the side an annoyed look on his face. "I got you something I know you have wanted, but didn't want to ask me. So close your eyes." She waited until he did, and left the camera on the table, easily showing that Ichigo opened his eyes again when she left. And he tried to look and see from his position what she went to go get.
Ichigo didn't bother trying to make it look like he hadn't peaked when a small puppy came running into the room, and slammed right into his leg.
"What the fuck is this?" Ichigo asked picking it up from the patch of skin at the back of it's neck.
"Canis lupus familiaris, otherwise known as a common domestic dog." Rukia announced with sarcasm, her hands on her hips as she watched Ichigo fight off the brown patch of fuzz.
"I know it's a dog, I want to know what the hell, it's doing in my house."
"It's your Christmas present. I know Zan-"
"I got Zangetsu, when I was six, Rukia. And he only died a couple months ago! You can't just replace him like that!"
Rukia took Kon out of Ichigo's hands and dropped him into a gift box. Then knelt down to her sad husband and took the sides of his face in her hands.
"Ichigo, when somebody dies in this world, and their loved ones don't let them go, they end up unhappy in the afterlife. The sadness of the people that cared for them creates regrets and despair in their hearts. The only thing you can do is be happy and move on. If you don't move on then they wont be able too. So be happy, so Zangetsu can be happy."
"Rukia, he's a dog. I doubt…" Rukia removed one of her hands and slapped it against his cheek.
"It doesn't matter if it's a dog, a cat, or a person. What I said is true for all of them. I know that if I died I would want you to go on and be happy. I wouldn't wont you to be depressed or hold regrets…"
"That wont happen." Ichigo took her hands off his face and wrapped his arms around her, his cheek resting on her chest. "I wont ever let you die."
.
Ichigo couldn't watch the movie anymore. He pressed the stop button and turned off the TV. Kon looked up at him with that same worried expression, and followed him as Ichigo made his way to the stairs. Like always Kon stopped at the door and found his perch there. Ichigo didn't care or even notice. He didn't close the door to his room before he flopped down face first on his -their- bed.
.
.
.
"I don't trust him. He sounds like a freak."
"Tatsuki!" Orihime whined. She was sitting at the dinning room table in one of Sora's big shirts waiting for her clothes to dry. While they waited Orihime told her the grand tale of adventure she experienced with Kurosaki-kun. "Kurosaki-kun was a complete gentlemen and Grandpa even seemed to like him."
"Yeah but Dad liked him, which makes me question his character." Tatsuki snapped her fingers together and grabbed Orihime wrist "Let's Google him!"
"Let's what?!" Orihime gasped out in question as Tatsuki pulled her along and slammed her into the chair at the desk.
"Okay so Kurosaki… what's his first name?"
"Ichigo." Tatsuki blinked. "What?"
"Really what's his name."
"His name is Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo."
Tatsuki hit the enter key and held her chin in the palm of her hand. "He's gay."
"Tatsuki, that's not very nice." Orihime looked from her friend to the screen and pointed at a image result of an orange haired boy. He looked much younger in the picture, but Tatsuki whistled and clicked on it anyway.
"Oh, my. If I was ten years younger…" Tatsuki sighed out.
"Tatsuki! What about Sora!?"
"Who? Oh yeah, and if I wasn't madly in love with Sora…" Orihime sighed again and watched as Tatsuki surfed through pictures of Ichigo.
.
.
.
Ichigo's room was dark, but it didn't stop his ring from sparkling in the moon light as he rotated it on his finger. He quickly blinked away the tear that was forming at his eye.
"I'm sorry I let you die Rukia. I promised you, told you that, I would never let you die. I failed to protect you, and you died. You're died because I was to weak to protect you. Goddd…" He grabbed his forehead and slammed his eyes shut hard.
How could he try to be happy when he let her down? Going off and trying to hit on some waitress, someone he had never met, like she never even existed. As if he didn't love her. Like… he wasn't still married to her.
Ichigo felt a shiver up his spine and he sat up abruptly. Somehow the bathroom light came on. He got up, looked around the small adjoined room, and turned back around to go to bed. He stopped, completely frozen in time.
Rukia was on the bed, just like she would have been that night, performing her nightly ritual, and rubbing lotion on to her legs.
"R-Rukia?" Ichigo took a step forward, but stopped himself. Rukia was dead. She put her lotion on her night table and smiled at her husband.
"Long time no see, Ichigo."
"How… I'm sleeping aren't I?"
"Yeah, you are." Ichigo sighed and looked down, not noticing Rukia slink off the bed and walk over to him.
"Do I have to wake up then?" He looked at her with hopeful depressed eyes. Rukia didn't reply, she held he hand up to his cheek. He closed his eyes and savored the contact. Even though it was only a dream he could feel her small warm hand on her cheek and the other one in his hair.
He gasped in pain and shouted. Rukia pulled his hair and slammed him into the bed.
"Rukia! What the-" She stopped him. She was straddling his waist staring into his eyes
"Why are you apologizing?" His eyes got bigger, and he looked away in shame.
"It was my fault." He shouted again, Rukia delivering a punch to his right peck. "Oww! The hell!"
"There once was a man who was drowning in the ocean, He prayed to God for salvation. When a boat came and said 'Do you need help?' The man said 'no thanks God is going to save me.'"
"Rukia what is this-" Rukia hit him again cutting him off.
"So the man continued to wait, and pray to God for rescue. Another boat came along and asked if he wanted to be rescued. He said again 'no, God is going to save me.' so again he waited and prayed. Another boat came along and their interaction went the same way. In the end the man drowned and died. When he got to Heaven he asked God, "Lord, why didn't you save me? I asked you and asked you to come and save me and you never came!' The Lord said in reply, 'I sent you three boats.'"
"Rukia what does some dumb child's joke have to do with..." Rukia put her finger on his lips.
"Ichigo, I sent you a car, and I sent you my own words through that movie." Ichigo's eyes grew in shock. "This is your final boat. Don't drown."
Ichigo sat up, calling out Rukia's name, but the room was dark and empty. It was a dream, she was right. He sighed out and fell back against the bed, bouncing with the springs. He looked at his ring again and could almost feel his wife hitting him like she had in his sudden dream world.
"I need to be happy so, you can be happy?" He put his hand in his pocket, and pulled out the worn pink envelope. He had already started the habit of carrying it with where ever he went. "But how can I be happy when you aren't here?"
.
.
.
Orihime laughed at another one of Tatsuki's Ichigo centered jokes. Through the whole night he was all they talked about. The rain hadn't let up in the few hours they sat around the computer and waited for Orihime's clothes to dry, so Tatsuki demanded she drive the her home. Orihime hadn't been in a car driven by Tatsuki since she was 19. She had almost forgotten how crazy her sister in law drove. For that matter she didn't know how much of her laughter was caused by their discussion or how much of it was nervous laughter.
"I'm just saying- for your safety- don't shave your legs, that way you defiantly wont... You know… let it go to far."
"Tatsuki!"
"What! I know what you're thinking, it's only a first date. Remember, honey, I married a first date. You start out planning on being levelheaded and then BAM!" Tatsuki took her hands off the steering wheel and make an dramatic clap. Orihime grabbed on to her seat. "The next thing you know you have your ankles over your head."
"Why would my ankles be over my head?" Tatsuki fought the urge to slam on the breaks and give Orihime a graphic crash course on "love."
"Just… When you're in the moment, suddenly everything a man says becomes stunning and brilliant. Hairy legs are your only link to reality."
"You should needlepoint that into a pillow."
"I should! I kept me a virgin until… well… it didn't…"
.
Orihime and Ichigo walked side by side, his purple button up shirt draped over her shoulders for an added layer of warmth. God, it smells like him. Like the perfect gentleman he was, he opened the back gate leading into her garden from the sidewalk. She thanked him kindly as she walked in ahead of him. His hand fell on the small of her back, and a warming chill traveled in every direction of her body starting at the point of impact. She turned to face him to see he plucked a flower from her garden, and with a sexy smile he put the flower in her hair, his fingers traveling along the strands until the ends.
Orihime smiled.
Ichigo gently brought his hand back up to rest it on her warm blushing cheek. Her grey eyes meet his honey brown, and in that instant she is paralyzed with romance. Ichigo, seeing her moment of weakness grabbed her about the waist and pulled her forward. He moved his hand from her cheek to her chin and pulled their lips together in a heated and passionate kiss. He quickly backed her up into the fence.
Oh lord, the effects of such a heated kiss took their toll and she slid down the fence, her legs jelly. Ichigo follows her down, hovering over her in the fresh, damp, green grass. His smile never goes away, as he kisses her once again. Her hands wrap around his neck. She held no hesitation or restraint, enjoying the heat of the moment.
Ichigo's hands related her waist and traveled up her smooth shaven leg, trek over her flat tingling stomach and onto her breast. Surging into the height of passion he grabs hold over her blouse and rips it open. His eyes instantly look down at her scar. His face turns dark and disgusted.
"Wait Kurosaki-kun, I can explain!" Orihime shouted, bringing herself back to the real world and out of her fantasy. It was like a nightmare. She grabbed hold of her chest and looked out side the window. She was home.
"Day dreaming again, Orihime?" Tatsuki asked, a perverted smile on her face. Orihime waved her hand in the air and tried to defend herself, but couldn't. She shyly bowed her head and thanked her friend for eth ride home. She slipped out of the van and grabbed her bike out of the back. She walked the red beat up thing to the fence from her dream and her face flushed.
"Orihime!" Tatsuki called from the van, the window rolled down. "Hairy legs!"
.
.
.
.
.
.
R&R
:::MrsMoshae:::