Author's Note – I had to do a bit of homework for this chapter. There's a lot of information about Leukemia – you'll understand why once you read it – so unless you're really interested in knowing about it, you can skip the parts in italics. Okay, on with the story!

Miracle – VI

"Ichigoooo!" the orange-haired teen's eyes flew open and bolted up. His father's feet were incredibly close to his face; he grabbed said feet and flung them around, sending Isshin crashing into the wall. The older man groaned and whined as he struggled to stand up. Ichigo swore under his breath as he looked at his alarm clock. His amber eyes widened in surprise and panic.

"Nine?!" he flew out of bed, "Nine?! Why didn't somebody freakin' wake me up?!"

He bolted around his room, flinging his pajamas off and digging around for a clean uniform. His dad watched in mild interest. Just as Ichigo was about to run downstairs, Isshin said, "Oh, by the way, school was canceled"

Ichigo paused as his brain processed the information. "What?!"

"Yeah, it was on the news this morning," Isshin said casually, "They found some 'mysterious items' on campus, and shut the place down for the day"

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"You didn't ask," Ichigo swore angrily as he chucked off his uniform shirt and started digging around for a regular one. If he wasn't going to school, he certainly wasn't wearing the uniform around. He stopped long enough to hit his father though; there was always time for that.

Rukia picked up a book, stared at it for a few minutes, then threw it away from her. She picked up another book, stared it at for a few minutes, and threw it away again. She was restless, she was bored, and she was going out of her mind.

She had left her room about five times since she had run upstairs when she got home yesterday. Once to eat supper, once to eat breakfast, and three times to go the bathroom. Her parents both attempted to talk to her, but she wasn't in a listening mood. And if one more person knocked on her door, she was going to scream.

She picked up another book, stared at it, and threw it away. Annoyed now, she bounded off her bed and started pacing around her room. Part of her wanted desperately to be alone, to be left to the brooding of her thoughts, to sulk and curse Ichigo like there was no tomorrow, and wonder why she couldn't just be left alone. The other part wanted to be with someone, anyone who would keep her company. The silence of the room pressed in on all sides.

Rukia was really losing it. She bent down to pick up another book off her floor and flipped it over in her hands. It was a book her mother had bought her a few years ago, when Rukia had gone through her "I want to know everything about Leukemia" stage (it wasn't a phase that lasted long). She glared at the book for a long time, then blind rage overcame common sense, and she flung the book as hard as she could against the wall. It hit with a satisfyingly loud whap, and she threw herself down onto the bed, burying her face into the pillow. "God I hate this," she muttered. She wasn't usually one to stew in self pity, but today felt like a good stewing day. School was canceled, her parents were leaving her alone, and she had a feeling Ichigo wasn't going to bother with her ever again

Oh yeah. It was definitely a good day for stewing. "I don't even know why I care so much," she muttered into her pillow, "It's just Ichigo...he's not even really my friend..."

Maybe because...you love him?

Rukia blinked. "Love? Please, I'm only seventeen. What is love anyway?"

Well let's see, you like being around him, you miss his company when he isn't around-

"Over exaggerate much?"

Not quite. Face it, you know I'm right

"I'm talking to myself," Rukia grumbled, "Great. I'm really losing my mind"

For once we agree on something

"Oh shut up"

Rukia sighed as she rolled over onto her back. Yeah. She was definitely losing her mind

Ichigo fell back onto his bed, sighing wearily. The day off was a nice change of pace, but really, he was already driving himself nuts with boredom. He sat up, stretching. He wanted something to do, but he couldn't think of anything. And then it hit him in one, hard stroke.

He wanted to know more about Rukia. Not Rukia the person – that was his next project, if she ever talked to him again – but what Rukia fought every single day.

"Hey Dad?" Ichigo peered into the clinic. Isshin was sitting at the desk, working.

"What's up Ichigo?"

"I was wondering...can I use the computer?" something in Ichigo's voice must have told Isshin what his son's intentions were, because he gave in without a fight, and three minutes later, Ichigo was in front of the computer, typing the word 'leukemia' into a search engine. He clicked the first link that came up, and his eyes skimmed over the article. He read:

Leukemia is a disease that affects blood forming cells in the body. It is cancerous condition characterized by an abundance of abnormal white blood cells in the body.

Leukemia begins in the bone marrow and spreads to other parts of the body. Both children and adults can develop leukemia and at this time there is no real means of prevention for the disease.

Causes of leukemia are unknown, but researchers believe that smoking accounts for 20 of a type of leukemia that affects adults called adult acute myelocytic leukemia (AML).Radiation exposure is another factor of leukemia development.

Doctors don't understand the exact cause of leukemia. It seems to develop from a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Acute leukemia begins with one or a few white blood cells that have a lost or damaged DNA sequence. These cells remain immature in what's known as a blast form, but maintain the ability to multiply. Because they don't mature and then die as normal cells do, they accumulate and begin to interfere with functions of vital organs. Eventually, they overwhelm the production of healthy cells.

Chronic leukemia involves more mature blood cells. They replicate and accumulate more slowly, so the progression of the disease is slower but it can still be deadly. Experts aren't sure why this process begins.

Eventually, a shortage of normal white blood cells leads to infection, anemia and excessive bleeding. Too many abnormal white blood cells can impair the function of bone marrow and infiltrate other organs. Death usually results from bleeding or infection.

The symptoms of leukemia are broad, but there are specific symptoms of leukemia to keep an eye out for:

fever

infection

excessive bruising

fatigue

physical exercise intolerance

abdominal pain, or generally feeling fullness

weight loss

abnormal bleeding

weakness

Leukemia is a disease that affects both children and adults. It begins in the bone marrow and spreads to other parts of the body. Leukemia symptoms can occur all of a sudden or gradually progress...

Ichigo pushed away from the screen, suddenly feeling sick. He was beginning to wish he hadn't read any of that. But he had wanted to know...that was becoming a bad habit of his, always getting involved where he didn't belong. If he wasn't careful, it could cost him something.

After all, it might have already cost him Rukia's friendship

"You're becoming a bit obsessive, aren't you?" he jumped; Isshin was standing at his shoulder, reading the article.

"Get off my back, I was just curious," Ichigo closed the window, happy for an excuse to stop reading the article, "She lives with this...everyday...I wish there was a way I could help her, but she won't even let me in. Part of me thinks she almost enjoys being locked up in herself, like she thinks it keeps her safe, somehow-"

"There's still a way," Isshin said, "Give her today, talk to her tomorrow. You might be surprised at what she says"

"Aha!" Rukia's bedroom door opened, "I knew eventually you'd forget to lock it, it was only a matter of time-"

Rukia frowned as her mother walked in. "All right Rukia, I know you want to kick me out, but give me a chance," Hisana sat down on the bed next to Rukia, who sat up, trying – and failing – to hide her annoyance. "Okay, that's more like it," Hisana ran a hand through Rukia's raven hair, "Now, tell me something Rukia; why did you run away from Kurosaki-kun yesterday?"

Rukia found that to be a rather odd question. "W-What do you mean?" she stumbled over the words, "I mean, why does it matter? It was none of his business, for one thing, and for another, why was he snooping around where he didn't belong anyway?"

"Oh Rukia," Hisana sounded almost distressed, "Can't you see? He cares about you. He wanted to know more, that's why he went searching. He didn't know it would hurt you"

"It was still none of his business," Rukia grabbed her pillow, wrapped her arms around it, and buried her face into it. Damn, this self-pity thing was really starting to get old, "He didn't need to know, ignorance is bliss, why couldn't he just be happy with that?"

"Why can't you be happy with someone actually caring about you?" Hisana's words hit Rukia in a weird way. "Rukia, tell me something," Hisana continued, not seeming to notice the sudden change in Rukia's stance, "And don't answer me right away, I want you to think long and hard about this before you give me your answer. But I really want to know: what are you so ashamed of, Rukia?"

For a second Rukia was stunned into silence. Finally she managed to say, "W-What do you mean? I'm not ashamed of anything"

"You could have fooled me," Hisana carefully pulled the pillow out of her daughter's grip, "Ten years Rukia, and I don't you ever once told anyone the truth about you. I don't know why, and it's not really any of my business. But if you won't admit it to me, at least admit it to yourself. You're ashamed of yourself, aren't you Rukia?"

"I'm not-"

"I thought I told you to think about this, Rukia," Hisana cut gently through her daughter's words. But while her voice was gentle, her face was set. She wasn't letting Rukia out of this, which the younger girl probably should have expected. "Just think for a minute Rukia. Maybe you don't realize what you're doing...but you've been hiding. For ten years, you've hidden behind whatever was most convenient. You've made up stories, you've shut yourself out from the world, you've done everything within your power to make sure you were completely safe from anyone ever knowing your secret. But in that time, I think you've also done one thing. You've even convinced yourself that nothing is wrong. Don't you think maybe it's time to admit the truth? If not to anyone else, at least to yourself. You owe yourself that much"

Rukia looked up into her mother's eyes, then turned away. She'd never really thought about it before. Was it true? Did she really hide, from everyone, herself? Had she really gotten that good at lies that she could even convince her own mind that they were true?

Hisana, sensing the young girl's distress, raised a soft hand and stroked her daughter's head gently. Rukia, feeling an intense need to do something with her arms, pulled her knees up under her chin and wrapped said arms around her legs. She closed her eyes, enjoying her mother's touch. She could feel the tears welling behind her closed eyelids, but refused to shed them. She was done being weak. "I don't want this," she whispered, resting her chin on her knees, "I don't want this. I don't want there to be something wrong with me, I don't want to be treated differently, I don't want...I don't want to have leukemia, I just want to be normal!"

She screamed that last part, and without warning uncurled from her tightly wound position and nearly flew away from her mother. She barely felt as her feet hit the floor, but before she knew it she was standing at her window, looking outside. It was mid-October, but the weather was still fair. Kids were zooming down the street on their bikes, smiling and shouting to each other. Lucky them, Rukia thought bitterly, folding her arms over her chest, Lucky freakin' them

Hisana recovered from the shock of seeing her daughter move so quickly, and stood up. She hated seeing the young girl so bothered, so upset. She wished there was something she could do to help. "They'll find a cure, Rukia. Someday, they will-"

"They won't," she whispered, "They never will. They could search for a hundred years, but they'll never find a cure. They can say they're close, but it'll be a lie. They can say there will be a breakthrough any day, but there won't be, there'll never be a breakthrough. It'll never happen. No one's any closer to finding a cure then they are to stopping the sun from shining. In fact, they're probably closer to stopping the sun from shining then they are finding a cure"

Hisana wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders and drew her in gently. Rukia rested her head on her mother's arm, still refusing to let her tears fall. "Do you believe in hope, Rukia?"

"Is there any reason I should?"

"Hey, Ichigo! Ichigo!" the teen in question looked around, surprised, and saw Rukia running towards him. It was the next day, school had just ended. All day Ichigo had debated on whether or not to talk to Rukia, or let her come to him. She hadn't sat with them during lunch, so he hadn't had a chance then (not that it mattered, Keigo hadn't stopped talking the entire time), and she had avoided him in the hallways and in class. But now, as he made his way down the sidewalk for home, there she was, moving as quickly as she could to catch up with him.

"Hey," he watched in surprise as she caught up to him and doubled over, gasping for breath, "Um, are you-"

"Shut...up," she managed to say, "You're not...allowed to talk. Not until I've had my say. So just don't talk"

She straightened up, breathing hard. Her violets eyes were cold. "All right," he said, trying to hide his slight annoyance, "Talk then"

She looked around. "First thing's first," she said in a final sort of way, "Have you told anyone else about...about me?"

"Of course not," he said, feeling a little annoyed, "After the way you freaked, did you think I would? If I told anyone, you probably would have murdered me. And I enjoy living. Seriously, did you think I'd be dumb enough to?"

"As a matter of fact..." she ducked to avoid the hand he swung at her, "Fine, moving on, then. But if I ever find out you've told anyone-"

"I didn't"

"Okay," she shifted her feet nervously, "Okay, I'll stop. But I have another question. Why did you want to know about it so badly?"

That caught Ichigo by surprise. "I...I don't know. I heard all the rumors about you...I wanted to know the truth, and I had a feeling you would never tell me, so I went behind your back. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, but it was driving me nuts, I just had to know. I really am sorry though, you were right, I didn't have...it wasn't any of my business"

"Well, you're a smart one," Rukia muttered, "I guess I'm...sorry, too. I guess I kind of, you know, freaked, huh?"

"Kind of?" she swung her bag around and slapped his arm with it. He yelped in pain in and muttered, "Sorry, you were saying?"

"That's what I thought," she said approvingly, "Look, I am sorry. But I've...it's been ten years, I've never told anyone, and it was weird, knowing that you knew...I panicked. I shouldn't have gone off the way I did though, that was bad, I know. I didn't mean to, it just happened, and then after...I think I was kind of...mad at you"

"Mad at me? For what?"

"In a word, for interfering," she swung her bag back and forth nervously, "I've tried so hard to just...well, to try and act like nothing is really wrong. But that blew up in my face, obviously. Look, I said I'm sorry, isn't that enough?"

"Yeah, I'm...you know, I'm sorry too," he said finally, "Like I said before, it's really none of my business...I just wish you'd trusted me enough to tell me"

"It's not a matter of trust, Ichigo," she said slowly, "It's nothing like that, really. I trust you, completely, for some odd reason. It's just...I don't know, it's a matter of...well, shame, I think. God, my mother was right..."

"Shame?"

"Look, it's a long story," Rukia said, a tad impatient, "I'd love to tell you everything – but that'll take too much time"

"Then we'll take it slow," Ichigo suggested, "I want to get to know you Rukia, I mean really know you, not just the person you show the world"

She smiled, almost sadly. "There are parts of my mind you don't want to get into Ichigo. Hell, there are parts of my mind I don't even want to get into, and it's my mind. It's a dark place though, my mind, not something you want to mess around with"

"Don't tell me what I want to do and I don't want to do. Just start talking"

Author's Note – Aw! Don't you just love little IchiRuki moments? Still don't remember what my last review number was, so just review - Sam