I really hope you liked the last chapter and I promise that my next one will be more... actiony. If thats a word... Does anybody else have certian problems when writing characters who aren't usually mushy cuz I don't like the way I have Renji and Uryu. They need to be more tough like Chad! They are still cool but I think I'm turning them into panzies. Please REVIEW!

Orihime walked down the pavement street from the store where she had purchased several ingredients for her dinner party. She had invited everyone from Rangiku to Kon to even the Captian General. Unfortunatly Rangiku was stuck in Soul Society for a mission just like many of the soul reapers were. Mr. Kurosaki was taking Yuzu and Karin on a getaway trip for the weekend and really she hadn't been expecting the General to join but she still hoped that Captian Kuchiki would join them. All in all it boiled down the the same group of friends every year. Renji and Rukia she knew would be the last to arrive and Mr. Urahara and Ms. Yoruichi would definatly be the first, to either help with dinner or take advantage of Orihimes hospitality, as Ichigo always said.

Orihime grew sad as she tought about him, his last words to her flowing in her mind, I won't let you die, just say my name and I will be there to help you. I promise. She sighed. If only he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep that promise. Even with their last kiss-

Her thoughts were interupted by a call from behind her.

"Hey sweetheart! What's a pretty lil' thing like you doin' out alone? Come over here and I'll protect you."

There was maybe five man, all big and bruthish and smelled like liqour. The one who spoke to her was fashioning a small mohawk and clothes that screamed drunk-gang-idiot. In his hand was a switch blade.

"Come on baby. Why don't we go back to my place where I can keep ya safe." he weezed at her. Orihime gripped her bags and prepared to make a run for it. If any of them make a grab at her she knew the bacis' of self-defence. Ichigo and Tatsuki had made sure she was able to handel herself.

She looked at the mohawk man, "No thank you. I need to be getting home now." And she turned away to leave, but two of the men stood in her way. She turned back and the mohawked man was inches away from her face.

"Aw, that hurts sweetheart. We were all hoping to have a good time tonight. What's the matter? Your boyfriend waitin' for ya back home?" This struck a nerve in Orihime, but he went on.

"Ya know if it was me I wouldn't let you out of my sight for a second. He must be a real idiot if he lets his girl do the shopping alone." he stopped as a fist slamed into his face hard enough to send him into a nearby building. Orihime stood, her knuckles bloody, panting as she stared at the man with hatered. How dare he insult Ichigo like that. How dare he look at her like she was an object of disire. Orihime stopped, confused for a moment. What happened to her? Where did all this anger and hate come from from? She hated fights and when people got hurt, so why had she hit him?

"Why you little bitch!" He was back on his feet.
"You two! Hold her down!" He pointed at the two behind Orihime and they grabed both her arms and held her. She struggled but they were twice her size. The mohawk man held her chin with bloody fingers.

"You done it now sweetheart. That was a nice little swing ya got there but now we're gonna have our own bit of fun." He slaped her. But it was a poor form of punishment compaired to the beating she had from Meloney. She faced the man again and was met with another blow to the face, followed by several kicks and smacks to the stomach, chest and face. This was fine. She could handel it. It wasn't the first beating she had. Though her bravery was torn when the man pulled out the switch knife. She felt the blade slide gently across her face and looked in the mans eyes. They held nothing but evil.

"Now sweetheart. This is what happens when you don't play nice." The knife cut into her cheek and she screamed.

Orihime was terrified. Never had someone pulled a knife on her and the fear was taking control. She couldn't stand the sight of blood, even her own. It was horrible that she relized that these men could do whatever they wanted to her and she wouldn't be able to stop them. She didn't have the straigth to. Images of her ingurd friends flashed in her mind. Chad having his arm torn to peices, Ichigo with a hole in his chest-

Ichigo. The name raced through her head over and over. Ichigo who was always so strong, so brave and who was able to stand no matter what. Ichigo who was alays there for her even when he was injured.

The knife was playing infront of her face now. The man smiling at her with a wild look in his eyes. He was going to kill her. The knife was getting closer and closer and closer...

The tip of the blade touched her cheek and Orihime screamed the first thing to come to her mind.

"ICHIGO!"

She heard the sound of someone punching someone. The sound of bodies hitting the ground and pleading for forgiveness. She felt the men holding her let go and heard their feet getting further away until the sound of two more bodies falling. Then nothing. The pleading had stopped as well as the falling bodies. She opened her eyes and fell into shock. The man with the mohawk was on the ground, his face brocken and the knife stuck into a wall behind him. The other men were in the same state as the mohawk man, but none of this reached Orihimes mind. She was focused on the man staning infront of the bleeding gang leader. He wore jeans, sneakers and a well fitting black shirt with a skull-like design. The stranger thing was that this man had bright orange hair.

"Ichigo." She was barely able to wisper the name when the orange-haired man turned his head. He looked her right in the eyes and vanished. Like a ghost. The image of his warm brown eyes still etched into Orihimes mind as clear as day. It was Ichigo no dought. She knew that by just looking at him, the way the air felt around him, how she could sence his scent. Though something was off. It looked and smelled like Ichigo but it felt as if there was something missing.

She pushed the thought aside and stood. She had seen Ichigo, whom she knew better than anyone had been dead for three years. She had to tell them. Had to tell Rukia, Renji, Chad, Uryu, Mr. Urahara, Ms. Yoruichi, Ichigo's family, the Soul Society, everyone. Ichigo had saved her when she called him just like he promised. Orihime turned around and ran towards her apartment, leaving tonight's dinner behind.