Previously:

"It's worse then I thought." He cried out. Momo rolled her eyes. This was pathetic. The old woman whipped the small tears forming in her eyes.

"May God be with you sweetheart." She told Momo before they were out the door,

"Yea, may God be with me." She mumbled.

What Money Can't Buy

Chapter Twelve

By: Regina Guthrie

"Sneaking out"

"That's not fare! You had the old maid so I win!" Momo screamed, throwing the last two matches of monkeys down on the table.

"I told you we were playing by my rules!" Ichigo said with a smirk as he started to gather up all the cards. Momo growled as she shook her head furiously.

"You never told me the rules Idiot!" Momo yelled throwing her hands up in the air.

"There simple! I get the old maid, then the rules are the one with the old maid wins. If you get the old maid then the one without it wins. Is that too hard to understand!" Ichigo explained with a chuckle. Momo went silent for a moment and started to think. Then a scowl over took her features.

"That means you win either way!" She screamed the obvious. "Your rules are worse then cheating!" Ichigo laughed and placed the cards back into there package.

"Bingo!" He chuckled. Momo huffed and crossed her arms as she sat back in the chair she was seated at around the small table. Her and Ichigo had been playing cards for nearly two hours. Toshiro was supposed to be coming for her already. He had just gotten out of jail an hour ago. Even though she was dragged here by Ichigo and forced to stay. She had to admit she enjoyed his company. He acted like the older brother she had never had.

"How do you know Toshiro? I mean how'd you become best friends?" Momo asked out of the cold silence that had made it's presents. Ichigo looked up at her confused and rose an eyebrow.

"What's it to you?" He asked lowly with a serious look on his face.

"Just curious as all." She replied with a shrug. It didn't really matter to her if she heard the story or not. But Toshiro and Ichigo seemed to be two totally different people. Two as of which would normally, never cross paths. Ichigo was so normal and plain. While Toshiro was this high-class serious celebrity subject. It sort of caught her interest on how two totally different worlds could become friends.

"Might as well know the background of it all in order to understand" Ichgo sighed. "Toshiro was... young when his parents had passed away." Ichigo started with a sad sigh. Momo looked up at him with a sad frown at the thought of loosing parents. "At that time, no relitives were found that would take him in... and care for him so he was put into fauster care." Ichigo pushed the cards over to the side as he hesitated for a while, thinking of how to explain things without leaking out to much information. "Lets just say that... before he made it to my home, he was litterally tortured and miss treated. He almost died once from being burned by a stove because he was late one day and got home at the wrong time." Momo's eyes widened and her eyebrows scrunched worriedly.

"What happened!? Was he okay?" Momo asked hurriedly, sadly. Ichigo chuckled and Momo immediately knew why. Of corse he was okay, he was alive now wasn't he? Momo blushed embarrassed.

"Yes, he was fine. Sent to the hospital and only God knows what that man went through while there to keep him alive. The couple was arrested, and a year later when he was ten, he was sent to live with my family. My mom and dad had brought him in to try and help him get his life in better order, for him to be able to be like the rest of the ten year old boys." Ichigo stopped and shook his head while sadness over took his features. "But it was too late..." Momo bowed her head down at his words and felt her heart ache from the thought. "He never smiled or laughed, never did he ever talk or say anything nice or good. He spent most of his time in his room never coming out until he needed to eat. I was thirteen at the time and he acted older and more mature then me, even more then my parents. It was a little scary actually." Ichigo chuckled out of loss humor.

"One day though, I had invited my friend over for a study party. Toshiro was in the living room when she had arrived and when he saw her, boy, I'll never be able to describe the look in his eyes. He liked her... alot. After time, she kept on coming over, and we'd play sports and stuff in the backyard until finally Toshiro decided to play too. I don't really know how, but we all became really close friends. He was laughing and smiling and having a great time again. They got together after a short period of time. They were always together, no matter what. I was happy for him." Ichigo smiled at the memory.

"What happened to the girl?" Momo whispered, a little confused. If there was a girl he loved then why wasn't he with her? Why was he going after Momo when he had something that wanted him back? She watched Ichigo's face turn into pain.

"She...She died." His voice cracked. His breathing came out a bit sharper as if he was holding his emotions in. Momo looked down in her lap. "It effected both of us, I'll admit. But nothing compared to the compact it had on him alone. He seemed more of a none living being then he was before. Sure we always were together, best friends still, but it was never the same. Never a smile nor a small chuckle from him. He swore to me that he would never love anyone again. Because if he did, something would happen and it would break him." Momo sighed heavily as Ichigo stopped for a moment. She was doing it to him too. She was breaking him like Ichigo explained Toshiro knew would happen again.

"But in the end, it was pretty clear all he wanted was to be loved, even if he didn't admit it. A year later, his grandma was recognized and she took him to live with her. She was wealthy, really wealthy. I didn't see him that often, until we were nineteen and started hanging out again. But he still acted the same." Once again he stopped and looked up at Momo and smiled. Momo looked confused for a moment and then noticed where the story was going. Was he trying to make her feel guilty!? "Then I got a phone call one night, asking me to look up information on this girl, Momo Hinamori. He was so happy when he was talking to me about you, it was so funny. From then on he's been a whole different person, telling me about everything that happens between you two." Ichigo chuckled and shook his head. A blush overtook Momo's face and she looked at him.

"Everything?" She squeaked out. Ichigo laughed.

"Yes, everything. The most resent event though, he talked about as if his life was great. As if nothing could ever go wrong again." Momo blushed as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "He really does love you, Momo. He'd give anything for you I've noticed. That's why I had to get you away from that guy. He was making Toshiro relive the passed and it wasn't gonna get pretty. Toshiro's stronger now, he'll fight for you, Momo, to no end." Ichigo admitted seriously. Momo opened her mouth to say soomething, but the door bell interrupted her. Ichigo rose from his seat. "Prince charmings here to rescue the princess." He joked while making his way towards the door. Momo rolled her eyes as she too stood up and fallowed.

Ichigo reached for the door handle and twisted it slowly. Momo stood a few feet behind him with her head down. She was stuck. Even though she would never admit it, she did like Toshiro, but she really liked James too. The truth of the matter though was she liked the way James treated her better. But could she bring herself to hurt Toshiro after listening to what had gone on in his life before her?

"Nice to see you in person again!" Ichigo's hefty voice laughed as she looked up to see the man she really didn't want to see but then did in some way. Toshiro smirked and nodded towards ichigo before his face went straight and his gaze landed on Momo. There eyes connected and the hurt in both of there eyes reflected back at one another. Finally Toshiro looked back towards Ichigo.

"I'm sorry but I really must be going, so many things were missed and there is work that needs to be done since my absents." Ichigo nodded with a chuckled as Toshiro motioned for Momo. "Let's go." Was all he said to her before turning and walking out the door. Momo slowly fallowed behind him. She took each step with caution, trying to keep back time. It wasn't working. Toshiro was waiting on the passenger side of the car, holding the door opened for her. As she came to his side, she held still; didn't move. She didn't know what to do. should she have said something to him? Before she could do anything, her body was pushed up against his while his arms in circled around her back. He berried his nose into her hair as his voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Momo." What was he apologizing for... she did not know.

Two Weeks Later

"You know, you can't be mad at me forever..." Momo looked up from her plate at the man across the long polished wooden table and shrugged her shoulders. "I said I was sorry..." He continued. Momo ignored him as she took another big bite of food and avoided eye contact. She had no clue of why he was sorry two weeks ago when he had came and picked her up from Ichigo's. But, she had learned real quick when they had gotten into the car. He had pulled her out of her writing school again before he had picked her up, he informed her on the way home. She had been angry and threw several fits a day, nothing seemed to work though. She didn't stop there, she kept on until a few nights ago when it really didn't matter anymore about the writing school because a certain someone had paid her a visit.

Momo sprawled out on her bed as she let out an angry sigh and growled. Toshiro and herself had just gotten over another screaming fit on the situation of the school and she was boiled up inside. Her thoughts only conceded of ways to get back at him and how she couldn't wait until she was old enough to leave. It was his fault she met him after all, everything would have been fine if he hadn't let her go back to school. Like giving candy to a baby, you can't just snatch it away after a few seconds with out the childing going crazy and screaming loudly. Why was he doing these things to her? He wanted her to love him, but this wasn't the way to do it...

Momo's body shot up when a noise at the window was made, one by one. Sounding like little pebbles hitting the window. She swore they were. At first she remained motionless, then she rose up slowly from the mattress and dragged her feet across the floor. The noise's kept on and it was driving her insane now; it was annoying. Momo hurriedly walked over to the window and pulled the hatchets up; opening it. The cool fresh air hit her face as she took a deep breath. Looking downward, her eyes widened.

"Took you long enough, peachy!" James yelled from below. Momo's heart soared when her eyes caught hold of his face and smile. She felt like crying. It had been a while since she had seen him and she was overly joyed for his company. But putting that all aside she thought about Toshiro...

"Are you crazy! Toshiro could cetch you!" She scolded with a scowl on her face. Toshiro was already asleep but he had prooven to her that he wasn't a heavy sleeper. James chuckled and shook his head as he put his hands in the air. Momo smiled.

"I don't care, I want you to come with me! Tonight! We can sneak out like this every night! me and you!" He seemed so happy and excited. Momo laughed and shook her head playfully. She wanted to, but could she?

"C'mon! Jump and I'll catch you!" Momo laughed loudly. He was crazy! She was like fifty feet up! Probably not that high but she was pretty far up. If she jumped she might break something even if he did catch her.

"I'll take the old fashion way! I'll use the door!" Now he laughed.

"Fine, fine, don't do it the romantic way! I'll meet you at the front!" He screamed back before starting to walk around the huge house. Momo giggled as she slowly pulled herself inside and carefully closed the window. Hurryingly she put on her shoes and tiptoed through the halls and down the stairs, making her way to the front door. She opened it quietly and departed the inside of the house. Before she could even turn around a pair of strong arms incircled around her and held her to him. She giggled lowly and turned around in his hold. "I've missed you." She smiled as he told her what was on his mind.

Every Monday, Thursday and Friday night they had broke out of there homes and ran off to do anything together, weather it was the movies, dinner, even just sitting on the part swings and talking was great. But tonight something special was supposed to be going on. He had told her to dress up and to look her very best because he had something big planed. Probably not as good as Toshiro had done for her already but just the thought of it being James was what made her happy. Toshiro had suspected something a few times. He knew it wasn't usual for Momo to have just let the whole subject about the school drop. Something was wrong and he knew it, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

Momo stood from the table and stretched out with a yawn. Toshiro looked up at her slightly.

"Tired?" He asked softly. Momo nodded her head. "You should go to bed." He finally informed her as he stood too, picking up the plates to give to the house maid in the kitchen. Momo agreed and ran up to her room, locking the door shut as she started to get ready. It was around ten at night, he'd be there in an hour.

Momo waited impatiantly as she bounced herself at the end of her bed. He hair was up in a pony-tail while a few extra strands were framing her face, every piece curled with a blue flower hair-clip holding some of her bangs back. She wore a pretty light blue dress that sparkled and trailed all the way down to her knees where lace traced the bottom. Her shoes had a small heal while they were white with a blue flower in the middle of the straps that went across her toes.

Suddenly, a click was heard at her window. She jumped up and ran over to it, opening it with shaking fingers, impatient to see her now lover. When the window was all the way up, she pocked her head out and gasped when she took in his appearance. He was in a tux. A black and white tux and he had a thing of white roses in his hands.

"So, You coming, sweetie?" He smirked while she just starred at him like an idiot. She snapped out of it and blushed as she ran out of her room and down the stairs, too excited to notice all the noise she was making...

Toshiro shifted back and forth in his sleep as the sound of clicking overtook his hearing. He groaned slightly as he shifted again and listened. The next thing he knew the sound of the door opening and closing overtook his hearing. Slowly he sat up and yawned, still half asleep. The sound of a car starting then started to ring in his ears. At first he thought nothing of it, until it hit him! Momo had been acting strange all week for one, she'd been overly happy and now, there was a car pulling out of the driveway. Toshiro slapped himself mentally. Of corse! She dropped the school thing cause the reason she wanted to go came to her!

Toshiro jumped out of bed. Not wasting any time toshiro shoved his door open and ran into Momo's room. Sure enough it was empty...

"Damn it Momo! Wait until I find you!" He growled as he stomped out of the room and slammed the door shut...

2-3 more chapters and this is over! Then I think I'm making a second part. It would be for the best to have a second part but I don't know if I'm going to do it. I am loosing interest for writing here anymore but I can finish this fast and maybe the second too then I might stop... please review! =)