AN

Hello, hello! Glad to be back. Sorry this one is also kind of short. But, in two weeks there will be no more school, no more tests, and lots and lots of free time. So, yay for that! Thanks to everybody for your support and here it is, just for you guys.

Disclaimer-I own nothing.

Chapter Four

By the end of Rukia's first week on the job, Ichigo had resigned himself to accepting her Captaincy. They were certainly on much better terms than they had been when she'd disturbed his shower, but most of the time she still remained pretty formal, especially at work. At home or alone in her office she sometimes said something downright friendly, and if Ichigo really worked at it, he could get her to laugh. But in front of the men she was still all buisness, and in their presence Ichigo made sure to treat her with the utmost of respect. They were still wary around her, but they kept their anger in check. Renji still didn't trust her, and said so on a regular basis. Orihime cowered every time Rukia entered the room. Omaeda had bought a larger shirt and had gone on a diet. Everybody but Rukia knew.

Right now the force was handling a case involving a dead body which had been found by a river two days previously. It was speculated to be the body of a missing resident woman from 10 years ago. Captain Curvaceous had told him to have the dental records of the deceased checked out so that they could make a match. The overworked county coroner had promised to get back to him with the dental records in about a week.

In the meantime, he had an investigation of his own to pursue, one he kept quite diligently from Rukia. A few discreet calls here and there had sent out the hounds, and the first to report came to Ichigo by mid-December from Shinji Hirako, an old pal from the police academy. Nowadays Shinji was a Lieutenant at the Osaka substation, with his eye on the Captain's chair.

"Sorry I'm late," Shinji apologized as he joined Ichigo for lunch at a coffee shop on the highway one Friday afternoon. It was about halfway between Osaka and Karakura, a natural place to get together to catch up on old times, which they did every month or so. "We just got hit for the second time by two punks in a blue van. I had to check out an anonymous tip on my way here, but it didn't pan out."

"That's okay. Sorry you couldn't nail the guys," commiserated Ichigo, who was enjoying spending his day off in a sweatsuit instead of a uniform. "Things have been pretty quiet out our way."

"Well, that may be about to change," warned Shinji. "These two guys were working Yokohama for a few weeks before they moved on to us. Just when the Yokohama substation gathered enough information to lay a trap, they vanished into thin air."

"And showed up ten miles down the road."

"You got it. And since you're another ten miles or so away from Osaka, I figured they'll move on to Karakura when they feel us nipping at their heels. Why don't I have a copy of the file sent over to you? It might help you get the jump on them."

They broke off long enough to order, then Shinji asked, "I imagine you're eager to know what I found out about your Captain."

"Well, now that you mention it..." Ichigo's eyes met his friend's. Two weeks ago he'd been reasonably certain that Shinji, or one of the other guys he'd put on Rukia's trail, would turn up some dirt. Now, curiously, he suspected that her record was as clean as his own. Odder yet, he really hoped that nobody would uncover evidence that he'd be honor-bound to turn over to Commander Zaraki for the protection of his men.

Ichigo couldn't describe his relationship with Rukia; he wasn't even sure he could call it that. But he knew that he felt something for her that made him feel edgy about gathering information behind her back. If he'd been the only one involved, he would have called off his cronies by now. But Uryu's ghost still followed him some days at the station house, and he could not shake his obligation to the other men.

"The Kuchiki woman has an interesting history. Three partners within the first two years in the county. The first two both asked to be reassigned."

Ichigo wasn't surprised. What man in his right mind would want to be Rukia Kuchiki's riding partner? Even if a guy could learn to trust a female cop, Rukia's penchant for bureaucratic details would wear him down. Besides, you wanted to feel close to your partner going into a fight. Rukia kept everybody at a distance.

Still, Ichigo was secretly glad that she kept to herself. A man could get into a lot of trouble getting close to Rukia Kuchiki. She was one of the prettiest women he'd ever met, especially when that raven black hair fell over her shoulders and licked at her cleavage...a sight he'd been allowed to savor only once or twice, when he'd encountered her in her bathrobe. When she was playing supercop, she wasn't too hard to ignore. But during those rare sweet moments when she'd let him see past her Captain's shell, he'd glimpsed a caring, vulnerable woman who could be a powerful temptation.

Fortunately, those glimpses had been few and far between. And the temptation had been... well, Ichigo was doing his damnedest not to dwell on the temptation. He had his hands full just dealing with reality.

As he pondered the possible reasons a cop generally asked for a new partner, he realized that Rukia's prior partners' motives mattered a great deal to him. Personality clashes or prejudice against women cops were one thing; safety snafus were something else. Warily he asked, "Do you know why they asked for a change, Shinji?"

"Not yet, but I've got their names and I'll get more feedback pretty soon. As to the third guy, he didn't ask for another partner, but that's probably because he was in the hospital when Kuchiki was promoted to Sergeant six years ago."

"Hospital?" Ichigo repeated the word like an epithet, recalling Rukia's defensiveness when he'd accused her of letting her partner down. "What happened, exactly? Was he shot in the line of duty?" He knew Rukia was right when she said it wasn't fair of him to assume she was responsible for whatever had happened, but Uryu's death was a raw wound that had not yet healed, and he found it hard to believe that in a shoot-out a woman cop could be anything but a liability.

"She was riding with him in that crummy downtown area of Seireitei when he got shot," Shinji replied. "That's all I've got so far. You told me it was more important to be subtle than speedy, so I've sort of had to wait until I just run into these guys, you know?"

"I know, Shinji. You're doing it right. If she finds out I'm having her checked out, I'll be crucified. But there are twenty-five men at this substation, Shinji. I can't..." He paused a moment, then said guardedly, "They count on me. I have to know."

"I don't blame you, buddy," Shinji said almost gently. "I'll get back to you with an update as soon as I can scratch up any more details."

"Thanks, Shinji. I owe you one."

After that the conversation drifted off to Shinji's wife, Hiyori, and kids-a new baby had arrived just last month- and Ichigo did his best to show some interest. Normally he was glad to hear that Shinji was doing well, but for some reason, he didn't want to hear about another man's happy family life today. He was tired of being alone, tired of being single... and tired of fantasizing about Rukia's supple form each time he heard her turn on the shower.

On his way back from lunch with Shinji Hirako, Ichigo dropped by the High School and played a little one-on-one with Toshiro at the gym. He was hot and sweaty and ready to head for the shower when he came home around suppertime, but the phone was ringing as he walked in the door. Nobody else seemed to be around, so he hurried into the kitchen and caught it on the seventh ring.

It was Renji Abarai, who said with evident relief, "Ichigo, I've been trying to reach you all afternoon. The coroner called and confirmed that Meiko Kuna's dental records matched the teeth of the body found out by the river. Captain Curvaceous wants to go tell the Kunas right away, but she asked me if there was somebody on the force who knew them well. I told her how it is with you and Mashiro, and she decided it would be better if the news came from you."

Ichigo was surprised-and curiously pleased-that Rukia was sensitive enough to recognize the delicacy of the situation. He had gone to High School with Mashiro, and remembered in great detail her sorrow after her mother had gone missing. "Tell her I'll go right over there, Renji. Thanks for tracking me down."

"Wait a minute! She doesn't want you to go by yourself. She wants to go along."

Ichigo pondered that a minute. "Why?"

"Ask her! I'm just the messenger boy. And, Ichigo?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell Mash I'm really sorry." Renji hardly knew Mashiro, but his soft spot for the ladies was showing its head.

"Will do."

Ichigo barely had time to shower and change before Rukia picked him up at the curb in her cruiser. "That was quick," he commented as he hoped in the passenger seat.

Rukia allowed herself to crack a frosty smile. "Well, I do know where you live."

He wasn't sure if her casual, almost indifferent comeback was a good sign or not. It could mean either that they were growing comfortable enough with each other to dispense with the formalities, or that she was pulling back from him again.

"May I ask a question, Captain?" he asked after giving her directions to Mashiro's house. "Why didn't you want me to deliver this news by myself?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure that I'm under any obligation to justify my decisions to you, Lieutenant," she answered evasively. "But I will tell you I've had some personal experiences... experiences that help me understand what such news may mean to this family. I know it's been ten years or so, and it can't be too much of a surprise, but still..."

Ichigo didn't trust the sudden softness in her tone. He never knew what to do with Rukia Kuchiki when her shell cracked and he caught a glimpse into her heart, and he had a hunch he was catching a glimpse of it now.

He waited for her to continue. When she didn't, he prodded, "What personal experiences?"

Soberly, Rukia's eyes met his. For a moment Ichigo didn't think she was going to speak. Then she said softly, "All her life, I mean most of her life, Mashiro Kuna has believed that her mother abandoned her when she was a little girl, I mean teenager. I..." She stopped and swallowed hard, as though she wasn't at all sure she wanted to continue. As though she might be swallowing back tears?

Ichigo had a sudden eerie feeling that he wasn't seeing a compassionate mirage of a kindly Rukia; this was the real thing. It was the hard-nosed cop that was the mirage.

The notion shook him, rocked him back on his heels. If the real Rukia Kuchiki was a sensitive woman, with old lingering wounds and fresh hopes and fears, then he'd treated her abysmally! His feeble eferts at superficial friendliness meant nothing.

Guardedly he studied her as she pulled up for a yellow light, then lingered until it had been green for half a minute before driving on again. It was the first time Ichigo had ever seen her do anything slowly. She was always on the run, cracking orders, hustling here and there.

But not today. There was no snap in Captain Kuchiki this afternoon. No whip crack. No fire.

"Captain," Ichigo said carefully as she pulled up in front of the house, "I'm open to any insight you could offer. They'll know I'm as sorry as hell, but I'd welcome any help I can get."

Rukia seemed to shrink before his eyes. She didn't look at him, and she was so quiet while they walked up to the front door that Ichigo thought she was going to refuse to answer him. If she'd acted angry, he wouldn't have minded; it was her complete absence of resistance that worried him.

It was not until she'd rung the doorbell that Rukia said softly, "I knew a man whose woman abandoned him and their five-yeard-old daughter. It was a crushing blow from which he never recovered. He used to say it would have been easier to bear if she'd died outright. Knowing she was alive somewhere without him made it impossible to burry her."

Again she swallowed hard, then met his eyes. There was a sadness in those violet depths Ichigo had never seen before, and he knew that the man in question wasn't a casual stranger.

"If Mashiro and Seno could think about Meiko's death as proof that she didn't just run off and leave them, they might be able to... to salve some of those old wounds." Her voice dropped to an impassioned whisper. "It's terrible for a little girl to learn that her mother is dead, but it can't be any worse than believing that she never loved her at all."

With sudden piercing clarity, Ichigo realized that Rukia wasn't talking about Mashiro. She was talking about herself! He couldn't believe how deeply the realization wounded him. No wonder Rukia was so hellbent on independence, so afraid to show weakness or to risk depending on anybody else! No wonder this contradictory, conpelling woman was as hard as iron and as soft as velvet at the same time!

She'd been abandoned by her mother as a little girl. Suddenly, without further rational thought, acting on an impulsive whim that he might live to regret, Ichigo engulfed Rukia in a tight, comforting hug. She was going to kill him later and he should probably stop while he was ahead, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away. And then she wrapped her arms around him and all thoughts of moving even an inch flew right out of his head.

AN

Sorry to end like that, but the next Chap will pick up right where that one left off. Thanks again to all of you guys! Pretty please review with chocolate syrup, chocolate sprinkles, and a big fat cherry on top!