Disclaimer: see previous chapters

Author's Notes: Apologies for such a long wait for an update! I've been rather quite busy, but I didn't want to go another day without updating at least one of my fics, so it seems that this is the lucky one. Once my final semester is over and done with, I should have more time on my hands to peddle out some more updates, but as it is, I'll try to at least update one of my fics every few weeks.

Also, thanks for all the lovely reviews! Apologies if any part of this chapter seems rushed or underdeveloped. I just can't seem to write as of late, so I'm hoping this forced update will be the jump start that my muse needs to get back to my normal self. XD

…

She was beautiful.

He sat watching her carefully as she fiddled with her bag, casting furtive glances every so often at her wristwatch. Ashley Williams was indeed a very pleasant woman, well groomed and pretty, and like all his other clients, in a rather rocky marriage. He caught her eye and returned her nervous smile, wanting to put her at ease. "Would you like some refreshments, Mrs. Williams?"

"No, thank you. I must apologise for Chase, he's usually mindful of the time and I did remind him during his lunch break about our counselling session."

He waved a hand, "I'm fine with waiting. While I have you alone, would you mind if I asked you a few questions? It would help me assess the situation a bit more."

She bit her lip before nodding. "Yes, sure, what is it?"

"How would you describe your marriage now as compared to five years ago when you first got married?"

"Well, it's certainly has had a lot more downs recently then when we first met and got married. Chase's always has some sort of work-related excuse that he uses to get out of spending more time together. I just feel like we don't really communicate or get along together as well as we used to."

"And this has put a strain on your relationship?"

"Definitely. I try to be understanding, I don't work like he does so I can imagine he's under a lot of stress at work, though I can't help but wish for things to be different."

His eyes glinted at her last word. "Would you say that you wished to be freed from this situation?"

She was silent before answering, "you could say that."

He smiled at that, leaning over to pat her hand reassuringly. "Freedom can come at the most unexpected times."

…

Ichigo slammed the phone receiver down and muttered under his breath.

Shinji raised a brow at his partner's actions. "What's wrong?"

"Dead end." He sighed in frustration, raking his fingers through his hair. "It just doesn't make any sense. From what we've gathered, the Mag's were your average couple. They weren't hurting for cash as indicated by their bank statements, we have people left and right vouching for Jolene Mag's character, saying how they couldn't imagine her having any enemies or anyone holding any grudges against her. The only thing that could be slightly indicative of a potential motive is the talk of the couple's relationship going through some rocky times, yet the husband's got a rock solid alibi. And there doesn't seem to be any involvement of a hired hit man as well. So we keep coming back to that psychic."

"I gotta tell you Ichigo, I don't think she was involved at all."

"Is that your gut telling you that or something else?"

"Meaning?"

"You're a sucker for females, Shinji."

His partner scowled. "What's your problem? Ever since the appearance of Ms. Inoue, you've been in a foul mood. Do you really hate her that much?"

Ichigo returned the scowl, "don't be an idiot, of course I don't hate her. Its just that I find her story a bit too hard to swallow, especially with the inside knowledge that she has. There's something funny going on with her, and right now with no other leads to follow, she's starting to look better and better as a suspect."

"She really look like someone who could mutilate and rape a woman?"

"Not exactly, but she could be an accomplice, getting her kicks off by trying to play clairvoyant. Its been done before."

Shinji merely shook his head. "You know what your problem with her is? You care. You always get this way when you see someone weaker than you upset."

"What the hell?"

"You do. It happens with almost everyone you meet who are in need of protection. You can't help but want to protect them, no matter the cost to yourself."

Ichigo pushed away from his desk, running his fingers irritably through his hair. "I don't want to talk about it."

Shinji raised his brow as he noticed his partner grabbing his coat and slinging it over his shoulder. "Where are you going?"

"To do some more detective work."

…

Ichigo wasn't sure how he got there, but looking up, he found himself standing outside Orihime Inoue's apartment.

He scowled and shoved his hands in his pockets, wondering why his subconscious had brought him here. He had checked her public record earlier, noting her address and the fact that she lived a few blocks away from the precinct, not to mention the fact that her record was clean, with not even a single parking ticket, which had immediately gotten his suspicions up about her again.

He continued to stare at the moderate looking apartment, debating on whether he should knock on the door and see if he could talk to Orihime again. He didn't particularly want to, but the need to find justice for Jolene Mags far outweigh any discomfort on his part were he to give an informal interview. He scowled before approaching the household, giving a brisk knock on the door. The door opened wide several moments later to reveal a rather relaxed looking Orihime, a far cry from the withdrawn and tired looking woman who had sat in the interview room.

Ichigo gave a mental sigh of relief. He wouldn't have liked it if she still appeared to be high-strung, especially since his guilt from that day still played heavily on his mind. It wasn't in him to be rude to a woman; his female friends and colleagues, yeah, only because they knew how the guys played, but not to complete strangers, especially those who were already stressed out at having to come forward to the police. He cleared his throat as she greeted him with a smile. "Was just in the neighbourhood and wondered if I could stop by and ask you a few more questions?"

Her smiled waned a bit before she stepped back to let him in. Ushering him to her small living room, she offered him some refreshments before getting seated. "Have you found who murdered the woman yet?"

Ichigo gave a small shake of his head before answering, "we're still chasing a few leads."

She clenched her hands together, her knuckles turning white, a reaction that Ichigo didn't miss. Surprised at the regret he saw written on her face, he opened up with his first question. "This… talent that you possess. Have you always been able to see things?"

Orihime shook her head, a sad smile coming to her face. "My empathic abilities were awakened during the death of my brother. I had been at school, and out of nowhere, I could feel this exploding pain, and my brother calling out desperately for me. His voice had been so loud, as if he had been right there next to me, and I looked around the room to see if he was there, but he wasn't. Then, the image of him lying facedown in his blood flashed into my mind and I had screamed. I passed out and the next thing I knew, I was at the hospital, and the police were there, telling me that my brother had been hit by a car and had been dead when they arrived."

A haunted look entered her eyes, and Ichigo frowned as the instinctive urge to comfort her overwhelming him. He clamped down on the urge, remaining quiet as she took a deep breath and continued on with the story.

"Later, when I had to go and ID his body, the entire scene of his death played out in my mind. It was the first time I had ever seen death. It's not exactly an easy pill to swallow. I don't know how you do it. To see things like death, to be confronted by it often on a working basis."

Ichigo was silent a moment. "The first one is always the hardest. I still haven't gotten over the scene of my first homocide case several years ago. But, as gruesome as it is, it pushes you, motivates you to work harder at your job, to make someone pay for what's been taken away."

Orihime gave a small smile. "They're lucky to have you on their side. My brother would have loved talking to you."

"Did they ever find the driver responsible for the accident?"

She shook her head, her eyes downcast. "No, it was a hit and run. None of the bystanders had gotten a good look at the license plate"

"Must be hard, not having him around."

"I'm not mad at the driver. I'm just incredibly sad at such a life as my brother's being cut short. More than anything, I wish I had taken the time to tell him how much he meant to me." She took a deep shuddering breath and jolted with surprise when she realised Ichigo was holding her hand. His brown eyes were level as he stared at her, concern for her evident on his face. She gave a tight smile. "I'm OK. It's been almost 15 years, you'd think I would get over it by now, huh?"

He was silent as he continued to stare at her, before giving her hand a final squeeze and easing back. "My mother passed away more than 18 years ago. And the pain of losing her is still sharp in my mind. You don't ever forget the death of someone you love, not with ease."

She gave a nod, "no, you don't forget."

He changed the subject. "Tell me how you know Officer Kuchiki."

"You mean Rukia?"

"Yeah."

"I met her at rhe police station when I came to give information on a street mugging. She had been the officer on duty at the time, and while she hadn't believed me at first, had later come to accept my ability. I come to her every now and then when I have a vision that might be of some use to the police."

Ichigo grunted. "Sounds a bit unreal. Don't you ever get tired of these visions?

Orihime gave a weak smile. "Well, its not really like I have any say on the matter. It just happens. Sometimes it gets to the point where I can't be around people, or else I lose myself in their thoughts and feelings. But Mr. Don Kanonji is teaching me how to shield my mind."

Ichigo's eye twitched at the mention of the well-known town psychic. He muttered something under his breath, which prompted a small giggle from Orihime. His lips twitched at the sound. Minutes went by in relative peace as each were left to their own thoughts, before Ichigo cleared his throat and rose to his feet. "Here's my business card. If anything comes up, don't hesitate to call that number. And I don't mind whatever time you ring."

Orihime took the card and nodded, leading him to the front door. "You'll find the person who did this, right?"

Ichigo's smile was grim as he answered, "without a doubt."

…

He was careful not to slow down and draw any unwanted attention to himself.

He'd driven past the house several times now, hoping that any nosy neighbours that happened to be watching would mistake him for a lost traveller. But in any case, he swapped cars as an extra step of precaution.

From the street, the house was clean, modern and pretty, which reminded him of the occupant who lived inside. He smiled at that, enjoying the fact. There didn't seem to be any security system installed, and there seemed to be a high fence surrounding the back of the house, perfect for hiding from the neighbours.

He gave another smile. Surely, this was a sign that she wanted to be free.