I am soooooo sooooo sorry that its been so long since the last time I updated. Here's the story: I've been on holidays since the day before I posted my last chapter. The place I went to had no internet!

Thanks to all the people who added me to their faves and story alerts, YOU ROCK!! Another HUGE thanks to all of you reviewers I LOVE YOU GUYS 4EVA!!!

Anyway, enough about me, I think you've waited long enough for this chapter!

Here it is:

Renji limped to the kitchen, where he guessed Rukia would be. He knew that she hadn't eaten in the three days; that she had stayed to look after him. Ignoring all of what Urahara told her about going and getting some rest, she had stayed to care for the love of her life….the love of her life that didn't know he was the love of her life.

He watched her for a few minutes; how she stood tapping her foot in front of the almost empty fridge; how she shook her head in dismay; he couldn't help but smile.

Shaking her head, she decided that she would head out and stock up the fridge because the Urahara gang had so kindly stocked up her fridge when she had moved into her new apartment.

She was startled to find Renji out of bed…watching her. "R-Renji! What are you doing out of bed?"

He ignored her question and just grinned at her. "You don't have to stay, Rukia. I'm okay now—I mean when was the last time you ate…or slept for that matter."

She sighed. "Yeah…..I guess I better go home and rest up. Then I'll go shopping and replace all the food you've eaten. Seriously, you've been eating like a…I don't know what. You wolf down three bowls of food in one go."

He chuckled, but didn't say anything, instead walking up to her. Rukia could feel her heart beating faster and harder, hoping Renji wouldn't hear it.

He couldn't. But he could see her face get darker and darker shades of red this time he actually smiled, but barely managed to hide it; his thoughts going to the possibility that she could have feelings for him. He quickly brushed that thought out of his mind; he knew that the wounds from her relationship with Ichigo were still raw; that it was probably too soon for her to love another.

Rukia cleared her throat, trying to concentrate on something other than the sudden proximity between them. She didn't want to say anything, knowing that she would probably end up saying something stupid, but the silence was killing her.

"Renji?"

He took one last step toward her, now only inches away from her. He cursed mentally because his legs had unconsciously moved him so far; so close to her.

"Yeah?"

"I…..Uh….need to…. go shopping?" she said, more as a question.

"Okay." He simply said, turning away from her and heading back to his room. "See ya later!"

Rukia heaved a deep sigh. What was it about Renji that either sent her heart rate soaring or had it completely stop altogether?

It took her a few minutes to realise that it was because she loved him. Love did strange things to people.

Finally moving from her spot, Rukia went out shopping.

After going to five different super markets, Rukia was exhausted. She was shopping for both Urahara and herself, but mainly for Urahara.

She was about to exit the last store, when she heard a familiar, high pitched laugh. Trying her best to ignore it, she started to make her way out of the store as fast as she could.

That was until she heard a familiar, high pitched voice call out to her. "Rukia?"

Rukia tried to ignore the voice again but failed when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

Plastering a smile onto her petite face, she turned around. "Hi Megumi, it's so nice to see you. It's been so long."

"Yeah it has." Megumi said her smile fading. "I haven't seen you around….or Renji."

"Yeah, Renji had a bit of an accident with some hollows, but he's fine now." Rukia said with a small smile.

"Oh. Well pass him my regards." Megumi said, her face contorted with worry.

"Oi! Megumi! There you are. I thought we agreed that we would meet back at the—" Ichigo stopped mid sentence when his eyes settled on Rukia.

"Ichigo." she nodded in greeting, her smile gone with the wind.

He silently did the same.

Rukia cleared her throat, as if to clear away the tension in the air. "You look….well."

"I was gonna say the same for you." He replied.

She snorted almost inaudibly. "Well, see ya!"

Rukia walked as fast as she could without actually running. She wanted to get away from this place. The walls seemed to close in on her and the air seemed to get thicker.

Once she was out of the store, she kept walking until she was a couple of blocks away. Stopping, she leaned against a building and took slow deliberated breaths.

This is an improvement, she thought to herself. I thought I would have cried the next time I saw him but I didn't. Maybe I can get through this.

Those thoughts lifted her soul until she heard footsteps come to a stop just behind her.

"Hi, Rukia."

Rukia turned around slowly.

"Look, I know you don't want to see me right now, but I have something to say and I'm going to say it. It's your turn to listen, okay?" he paused; a look of pain flashed across his face, but disappeared quickly. "There are no words to describe how much of a….I don't know what to say…an idiot? An ass? a jerk, maybe? Whatever you want to call it—to call me. I had no excuse.

"Anyway, I also don't know how to say it but I…I really am sorry for what I did…for what happened. I don't know what it felt like to you but—"

"Exactly." Rukia said, barely a whisper.

"What?" Ichigo asked, not completely surprised that she had interrupted him.

She hated it; she hated the fact that he would see her cry. She hated feeling so…broken. But she wanted him to see, though; she wanted him to see the pain he caused her; she wanted him to see her heart ache.

"I said…exactly…… You don't have any idea what it felt like. You can't have any idea what it felt like …to have your heart ripped out of your chest….and then shattered into a million pieces." Her body started to tremble with anger, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"To have given the love of your life everything, only to have it explode in your face. And I did…..I gave you everything…..all of my love…..all of my heart.

"Don't you……Didn't you….didn't you, somewhere in your heart return the love I gave you….Didn't you love me?"

"I do, Rukia. I do love you….more than you think….more than you know."

Rukia had, had enough. She was tired of this anger that was burning inside of her; she was tired of feeling the hate that twisted up her insides. She wanted it to stop. She wanted it to just go away.

But what would that mean?

It was useless asking Rukia what it would mean; she already knew. She had to let him go. She had to break her ties with the substitute shinigami altogether.

Rukia knew it had to be a clean break or she would always be an angry person. She may as well be a hollow with all those dark feelings.

She cleared her throat, readying herself to do the deed. "Ichigo, I need you to know that, although I forgive you, I just can't…I can't not feel hurt every time I see you."

Ichigo nodded, he could vaguely see where this conversation was heading.

Rukia took a step closer to the taller man. "I need to….*sigh*…I need to not see you anymore; I need to stay away from you."

"I understand." Ichigo muttered.

"…..good."

Just then Megumi came up behind Ichigo, but hid behind his tall lean physique.

Rukia, already knowing she was there, sighed. "I hope you will benefit from this as much as I will....and Megumi?"

The brunette stuck her head out from behind Ichigo.

"I hope you look after him…he gets into a lot of trouble, and quite often too." She said with a frown.

"I'll try…..I'm sorry Rukia." Tears slid down her face as she clung to Ichigo's sleeve.

He stood unmoving, taking in what was happening to him.

"Its okay Megumi, I forgive you." Not knowing what else to say, Rukia headed for the Urahara Shop.

It felt like a heavy burden had been lifted away from her. She wasn't angry anymore…..at anyone or thing. Things were going to get better for her and she knew it.

She smiled a small smile before completely disappearing from Ichigo and Megumi's sight.

You can totally hate me for the way it ended, but I needed to get that out of the way before Renji and Rukia can go further in their relationship.

Please review; I wanna know what you think!