A/N: Hey, it's me, yes I am still here, just insanely busy!I have had a lot of messages from you guys asking me to update and I am really sorry for the delay but I can explain myself! Firstly, I have so much work it is unbelievable as in a 4000 word essay and a 3500 word essay due soon, as well as a course that is 60% coursework! I'm dead, but not if you guys hunt me down first, I am kinda hoping not! I recently got a review on my other story where a fan has threatened to slit my throat if the plot goes a certain way! Am just a little scared :p Ok, reason number two, I kinda had a bit of a turbulent love life, but it is ok now! ^_^' And that is that for my private life!

That and I have been watching Code Geass, Lelouch is so hot! So maybe i will write some Shirley X Lelouch fics soon...

Ok, a heads up, in this chapter we have LIME and general adult scenes so if your not old enough don't read it, it is M for a reason! It also contains violence and language and all that stuff etc. Oh yeah, it hasn't been proof read, still looking for an editor so please excuse grammar mistakes, typos and sex changes in the characters!

Anyway, in the words of an english girl, "You 'ave a lovely eve, sunshine." XD Enjoy, (Im not crazy at all!) :p

Day Five

No Going Back

The phone buzzed on the table, the loud noises waking up the owner to whom the pink Chappy phone belonged. She jumped at the noise as she lazily grabbed it from the side and flipped it open, groaning at the missed calls and unread messages. She hastily read through the twelve unread messages from as best she could, her eyes still blurry from sleep. She shook her head in rising irritation before she slammed the phone shut and put it back on the side roughly. She checked the time as she got up, deciding that she should not ignore him any longer.

She rolled her eyes before snatching her phone again and dialling his number, her back to the bed. She waited as the phone rang and rang, the only answer being the answering machine. She slammed it shut once more and sighed in frustration.

"You're going to see him, aren't you?" Jūshirō suddenly said from behind her, his tone of voice alien to her, accusing and cold. She felt his presence directly behind her and she could feel his body heat radiate to her, both startling and exciting her.

"Just for a little while, he's hurting and he needs me," she replied her heart beginning to race as he edged closer to her, "I promised I would…help…him…"

She lost her train of thought as his body pressed against hers and his hands went to her waist, her thin nightdress the only barrier.

"I need you too," he pointed out, "I need you to help me on this mission, I can't do it alone."

"Well, I am not going to be much good anyway," she reminded him, lifting up her injured foot as she did so, "Although I can walk better on it now, I'm not sure if I can run or fight or do much at all. Besides, you have spent the last few days without me, a little longing won't hurt!"

He was about to complain when he realised that she was right, much to his disdain. She smiled at her victory before she tried to wiggle away from him, however his tight grip on her did not yield. Instead he twisted her round smoothly, so that their bodies touched even more intimately and they could see each other face to face.

"Think of all the pain he caused you," he said quietly, soothingly, "I don't want you getting hurt again."

"He won't hurt me," she assured him, "He is going through a rough time and I promised that as a friend I would help him! I'll be fine, don't worry!"

"But what if-" he started to say.

"But nothing," she cut him off, "Nothing bad will happen, I promise!"

Jūshirō scowled for a few moments before sighing in defeat, what could he do? He had no right to dictate to her what she could and couldn't do despite his aversion to this meet-up.

"Fine, but contact me as soon as you are finished and I will come and pick you up," he told her seriously, "If you want to help on the mission today I am not going to stop you, but I think you need to stay at home at least another day."

"No, no, I want to get back to the job, it's much better now!" she said loudly, assuring him.

"Ok, if you say so," he said, allowing her to help him, "But I will keep you under close observation."

"Nothing new there then," she said to herself, her words tinged with happiness.

"What do you mean," he asked as he strained his ears to hear her.

"I…" she started to say but a small blush stole across her cheeks, stopping her. It was only when he pressed her into him a little more did she continue, "I w-was simply referring to the fact that…y-you always seem to watch me. I often catch you looking at me."

Jūshirō was silent for a few seconds, taking in what she had just said before smiling a little, "Do you want me to stop looking at you?"

"No," she said quickly, shocking herself at her involuntary reply, "Don't stop."

"Would you ask me to stop if I did this?" he asked cheekily as he reached down, kissing her cheek and trailing down to her neck and shoulders, making her shiver in excitement. He pulled her closer so there wasn't even a sliver of space between them, and she could feel his hardness against her, only arousing her further.

"No," she managed to whisper, her voice failing her as he teased her nightgown down, centimetre by centimetre. It was torture, if only he knew how much she wanted him. Her excitement increased dramatically he sneakily reached down with one hand, lifting her nightgown higher in an attempt to take it off her completely. She had no desire to stop him, however someone else did. Her phone buzzed once more, reminding her of her promise to Ichigo.

She sighed, the reminder stopping both in their tracks. She looked down, frustrated and angry at Ichigo for ruining her life once more. She hastily grabbed her phone before rushing to the wardrobe, seizing her clothes and making a retreat to the bathroom to get changed. Jūshirō sat down on the bed, his heart pounding from the rush of lust that had taken control of him. If he didn't have her soon, he didn't know what he would end up doing. He listened as he heard Rukia fumbling around in the bathroom before rushing out and slamming the door behind her, without even saying goodbye. He slowly sunk back onto the bed, gripping the sheets tightly as his spirits rapidly deflated and thoughts of her and Ichigo together invaded his mind.

xxxxxxx

Rukia walked briskly towards the meeting point, cursing under her breath at Ichigo as he had once again managed to ruin something important to her. She was fuming by the time she reached the last corner before the point, however her heart fluttered a little and sympathy flooded through her as she saw him leaning against the mesh fence, looking thoroughly depressed. She frowned, this wasn't the Ichigo she knew, and he never got depressed…intensely angry, yes, depressed, no.

He looked up when she was only a few feet away from him, a weak smile spreading across his face, "Rukia." His voice was faint.

"Ichigo, what happened to you?" she asked gently, almost lovingly, "You look like you haven't slept in days, and you're looking a little thin."

"I haven't been able to sleep or eat well recently, since Orrihime and I have been on the rocks," he revealed his voice just as soft as hers.

"Why are you guys on the rocks?" she asked quickly, a sense of urgency gripping her, "What happened?"

Ichigo didn't answer for a few minutes, only slowly prised himself from the fence and walking in a slow pace down the street, closely followed by Rukia who was desperate for his answer.

"You happened," he simply stated.

"I…wha-? Huh? What now?" she said bemused, what had she done?

"You came back into my life," he said, his voice low and husky, "I need you, Rukia."

Rukia shook her head slowly, unable to take in his words, "What? I don't understand!"

"I want you back Rukia," he replied as he turned back round to face her, "Orrihime and I are…just not working and now that you have come back into my life I realise how much I miss and need you by my side, please, take me back, I was stupid to let you go, please…"

Rukia was still, the words taking hold of her, smothering her cruelly. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes, the same eyes she had looked at with incredible love not that long ago, the same eyes she had looked into on the night she had given herself to him. The memories came flooding back as he closed the gap between them and placed his hand lovingly on her cheek. She automatically closed her eyes as he embraced her, recalling the laughter and happiness that they had shared, the love she had felt for him every time they spent a night together. The vivid memories took hold her tightly, only encouraging her when he lifted her chin so that their lips met.

She frowned however, it wasn't the familiar kiss she knew and it wasn't the kiss she craved everyday. She swiftly pulled away as more memories bombarded her, painful ones at that. The pain she had felt when he first began to ignore her texts and calls, the pain of losing her lover and companion to another girl, to one of her close friends as well. There was also the pain of not being wanted anymore, he didn't want her, and he wanted someone else.

"I don't want you," she managed to say as she caught her breath back, the same hurt taking hold of her once again and stripping her of breath. Her heart was hammering as she stood in front of him, what had she done? Had she cheated on Jūshirō? Could they be classed as being in a relationship? She shook her head, she didn't know, the only thing she did know was who she wanted to be with, and it certainly wasn't Ichigo. "You don't truly want me; you told me so when we broke up. Just because you are going through a rough patch doesn't mean you want me back, it just means you are feeling sorry for yourself and you need someone to pander to your needs. Relationships are hard and they need work, so stop snivelling around and make up with her because I have my own relationship to sort out."

Ichigo went rigid, staggered at her words that cut into him deeply, only just managing to find his faint voice, "This is because of him, isn't it? Because of your own captain, your superior who is at least twice your age and more?"

"Yes," she replied confidently as she brushed away the tear that had managed to break free, "Because you aren't half the man he is."

Ichigo's eyes widened, "Rukia…"

"Goodbye Ichigo, go and sort your love life out, and I will sort mine out, I have work to do!"

With that Rukia promptly turned around and flash stepped off, not bothering to look back.

xxxxxxx

Jūshirō looked up as he felt Rukia's reiatsu fast approaching. He checked his phone in case he had missed any messages or calls, only to find she had not sent him any. He frowned, had he not asked her to text him so that he could have picked her up to save her the trouble of finding him? He sighed, he simply didn't understand women. He was relieved however that she was on her way back so quickly. He stood up from his crouching position and placed his phone back into his pocket.

He only had to wait a few minutes before he saw Rukia flash stepping over the last few buildings, eventually stopping a short distance in front of him. Jūshirō gasped as he saw her properly, her eyes were red rimmed, it was apparent she had been crying.

"Rukia…" he said quietly, "Come here…"

She nodded as she flash stepped the last few metres and into his protective arms, nearly knocking him back at the force at which she threw herself at him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as she cried into his chest, holding her until she calmed down a little.

"What happened, Rukia?" he asked as she eventually pulled away, looking down as she wiped her eyes, "Please, tell me."

"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine," she assured him as she looked up with a faint smile.

"Sure you're fine," he said dryly before he reached down and gently kissed her blazing cheeks, "That's why you're crying."

He sighed as he nudged her towards the nearby bench, sitting her down before returning to his bag and retrieving a parcel. He sat beside her, popping the cutely wrapped box on her knee. She studied it for a moment before unwrapping the cloth and opening the pink bento box.

"I thought you might be hungry," he suggested as she looked up at him, "You didn't eat any breakfast this morning."

"Thank you," she said with a sniffle in her voice and a small smile on her face, "Really, thank you, so much."

She placed it beside her for a moment as she felt herself leaning in towards him, drawing closer and closer to him. She couldn't stop herself from crushing her lips to his as he closed the gap between them and placing her hands on his cheeks, keeping him there. She had never been so relieved that they were invisible to humans before as she and Jūshirō battled for dominance. It took him everything he had to now push her down and take her when they sat; the urge to have her was becoming unbearable. He had to self glue his hands to the bench in order to stop himself from undressing her.

After a few minutes of torture, Rukia's stomach rumbling prompted her to pull away, her heart thumping. She looked back at the bento box, pulling it onto her lap once more as she hid her crimson face from him. However the box was quickly stolen from her as Jūshirō opened the lid and picked up a rice ball cheekily before returning it to her. Rukia pulled a face before she picked up her chopsticks and ate the rest of his yummy cooking.

"Thank you," she said as she munched on some tempura vegetables, "It is really nice of you to do things for me."

"It's not a problem," he said after he had devoured the food he had stolen, "I enjoy cooking and caring for you."

"Really?" Rukia asked as she looked at him seriously.

"Of course," he replied, his voice genuine, "I enjoy being with you."

Rukia smiled to herself as she tucked into a piece of egg, only stopping her raid of the bento box when Jūshirō's tracker beeped. He stood up immediately and rushed to the device by his bag, picking it up and reading the message several times over.

"Rukia!" he almost shouted in his rush, "There has been another attack in the city centre, and it is particularly bad this time. The hollow we have been tracking has been sensed, I need to move now. Go home; you can fight with your foot."

"Tough shit," she replied confidently as she rapidly packed away the remains of their lunch and got up, "I am helping you, I am fine."

"No you're not," he argued as he packed the rest of the things away, "You're going home."

"Make me," she retorted as she stood directly in front of him assertively.

"Rukia!" he warned, "If you don't go home I will…"

"You'll do what?" she asked as she pressed herself against him, smiling at his faint hardness, "Tell me off for disobeying you?"

Jūshirō was speechless as she pressed against him, letting the incredible feelings she created within him wash over him.

"Rukia…" he tried to continue in a serious voice, however failing as she placed her hand in a very personal position.

"I am going with you, aren't I?" she said boldly, a cheeky grin on her face.

"Yes," he said, defeated as he gave into her. He almost groaned in disappointment as she moved away from him before flash stepping to the nearest building top. Jūshirō rolled his eyes as he picked up his bag for he now had a quite noticeable problem. "Thanks a lot, Rukia," he said under his breath.

xxxxxxx

The dust was overbearing, causing Rukia to cough hard as the filth filled her lungs. She could barely see for all of the thick smog and she had to cling to Jūshirō for fear she would trip up over something. He held her to him tightly, cursing under his breath as his radar bleeped loudly but the dust would not reveal to him the location of the hollow.

As the smog lifted a fraction, the noise hit as people uncovered their loved ones from the destroyed street. Rukia watched in horror as young school girls were helped out from the wreckage, children were being uncovered and tugged away from the scene, husbands and wives were desperately searching for their partners in the busy shopping street. Rukia could feel her eyes beginning to sting, not only from the dust but from the heartbreaking scene in front of her. She began to run towards them; however Jūshirō caught her hand, pulling her back roughly.

"I'm sorry," he apologised and she whimpered in discomfort, "But you can't help because they can't see you. Plus that hollow is somewhere near, if you run across the open strait, you are directly showing it your position."

"Yes," she replied sheepishly, "Sorry, it's just, they need help…"

"I know," he agreed, "If we take down this hollow, he can't cause anymore damage to anyone else."

"Ok," she agreed as Jūshirō gently tugged her into the gradually clearing air. He guided her to the side of a tall building before telling her to flash step to the top. She followed him, rapidly gaining altitude until they reached the top, quickly dropping their things to the ground and looking out for the hollow. Rukia took the chance to look down upon the wreckage, and instantly wishing she hadn't. The emergency services were flooding in as buildings had been torn down and smashed trapping people under the carnage.

However she did not have much time to look upon the scene as she heard the distinct sound that never failed to make her stomach churn. The cry of the hollow echoed through the massacre, prompting Jūshirō to call upon his sword quickly, unsheathing it and calling its name. Rukia followed suit calling Sode no Shirayuki rapidly as she strained her eyes for the hollow.

"There," Jūshirō cried into the clearer air before he flash stepped onto the next roof, "Keep up, Rukia."

Rukia nodded as she followed him, hopping from roof to roof through the constantly clearing dust until she could see perfectly once more. She strained her eyes for the hollow that was darting to and fro, making her feel slightly dizzy. She sighed in relief as Jūshirō abruptly stopped, allowing her the time to catch her breath at least. Rukia looked up, staring the hollow in the face and gasping as she did so. Her eyes widened as she realised the size of the hollow, and it was clear how easily it destroyed the city.

"You've brought the female soul reaper along today," it said, its cruel voice sending shivers of fear down her spine, "I wondered when I would see her again, I do love to gaze upon such beautiful reapers before I devour them."

Rukia shuddered as the hollow bored its gaze into her and she could have sworn it licked its lips.

"I wonder," it mused as it turned its gaze to Jūshirō, "What she is to you, a fellow soul reaper? A friend? A lover?"

Jūshirō stiffened as it howled with laughter, the laugh churning his stomach as it did Rukia's, "Don't attempt to aggravate me further, hollow, unless you want to meet an even worse fate than death."

Rukia looked towards him, shocked for she had never heard him speak in such a violent manner, he must truly furious.

"Hit a nerve, did I?" he continued to laugh, "Or does this hit a bigger nerve?"

Jūshirō and Rukia watched in horror as the hollow effortlessly transformed into an exact replica of Rukia, a living explanation of he evaded so many soul reapers.

"It can't be…" Jūshirō whispered as he slowly shook his head.

"So like that infamous hollow," Rukia continued as her memory of Ichigo's fight with the Grand Fisher came swarming back, "The…"

"Grand Fisher," the hollow continued, "We killed some soul reapers in our time, until he has killed by some punk and that bitch!"

Rukia watched as the hollow pointed at her, herself pointing at her. She gasped and dodged out of the way as a lesser hollow flung itself at her from a hidden spot. Her heart rate began to increase even more as she was overshadowed by two lesser hollow.

"Weaken her only, don't kill her" the main hollow commanded, "She's mine."

"Actually," Jūshirō swiftly corrected it, "She belongs to me and nobody else."

Jūshirō raced forward, smashing his sword into the replica of Sode no Shirayuki with all his strength, the hollow's words fuelling his anger.

Rukia did not have time to smile at his words as the second hollow took a swipe at her, forcing her to swiftly dodge the strike. She had a split second to watch her clone speed off towards the city once more, compelling Jūshirō to follow it, leaving Rukia with the lesser hollows. She gasped as she had to look back to the hollow that were trying to take aim and launch at her. She dodged the first and even managed to create a deep gash in the second as it shot poisonous darts at her, one narrowly missing her arm. She gritted her teeth as the first hollow laughed at her, the second one joining in as she gripped her sword tightly.

"Screw the bosses orders," the first said, "I think I should eat her right now, her smell is delectable."

"Not if I get to her first," the second hollow argued, "I want her."

The second lunged at her once more, as quick as lightning as it zipped from her side to behind her, forcing her to make a quick flash step away, only to run into the first hollow. She flash stepped again, slicing her sword through the hollow's side as she did so. The hollow slammed its hand into the floor, sending her flying as the ground broke up, shattered stone littering the area. She managed to flash step at the last minute, ending up on the roof nearby, gasping for breath.

Jūshirō cursed under his breath as the hollow led him to the centre of the dust once more, mocking him with Rukia's form. It stopped suddenly, facing him directly, the desperate cries from people below them ringing out and the ambulance sirens screeching in the background. He gripped his sword harder as the hollow laughed at him, causing him to flinch as Rukia's voice mocked him.

"That's it Soul Reaper," the hollow said, "Watch as that girl of yours laughs at you, feel the pain as I cut you into tiny, little pieces."

"The only one who is going to be sliced into pieces," Jūshirō retorted, "is you!"

"That's a very bold statement from a Soul Reaper who is fighting the girl he clearly has find feelings for," the hollow continued.

"You're not Rukia," he spat, his reiatsu increasing by the second as he concentrated it rapidly, "If you were, I could never do this!"

Jūshirō flash stepped towards the hollow, smashing his Zanpakutō into the one the hollow was using, an imitation of Sode no Shirayuki. The metal scraped against each other as Jūshirō desperately tried to not look into the eyes of the fake Rukia. He could not look into the same eyes without feeling distressed for attacking this look alike. He pushed the hollow back a few feet before it disappeared, flash stepping behind him, its sword held high. Jūshirō however quickly dodging it and taking a swipe at it, slicing a long cut into its arm. He had a brief moment of relief as he realised that the hollow did not possess her abilities, it may look like her but it was no way near as fast or as powerful with a fake Zanpakutō. He did not have time to feel the relief of this discovery for very long however, as the hollow screamed in pain, Rukia's scream.

He flash stepped away, his ears ringing with Rukia's scream, his heart hammering hard and his feelings torn Jūshirō shook his head, guilt and pain consuming him as he watched the fake Rukia cry out in pain, the blood oozing out of the large gash. He had never felt so ghastly before, the sight was unbearable, his beloved was hurting, because of him.

The hollow quickly launched itself at him once more, forcing him to raise his sword against it. The hollow grinned wickedly, jolting Jūshirō even more as he watched the fake Rukia slash his sword crazily, scaring him to the core. He gasped as the hollow managed to cut through his Shihakusho, leaving a short but deep cut on his chest. It laughed all the more before it flash stepped back a few feet, watching as Jūshirō tried to compose himself.

Rukia was gasping for breath as the hollow fell dead at her feet before it vanished like the countless numbers of slain hollow before it. She looked back up at the second hollow as she brushed the drops of blood from her cheek, smearing it across her skin. The first hollow had been kind enough to give her a cut on her cheek, she would be lucky if she didn't get a scar from it. She cursed under her breath, she still had another hollow to destroy and she could feel Jūshirō's reiatsu rising rapidly, she needed to end this quickly and help him.

"I'm not done with you," the second hollow said, "I can now have you all to myself, what a nice meal you will make."

"I am not yours to have," she yelled, "Now die!"

She flung herself at the hollow, her desperate need to help Jūshirō fuelling her and her anger towards the hollow giving her strength. She dodged the first blow, sidestepping the hollow and cursing as a dart narrowly missed her. She cried out in pain as the hollow issued another dart, detonating it in mid air, the sheer force of the bomb pushing her until she collided with the side of a building. She cursed as she held her shoulder, now that was hurting and her ankle was already beginning to ache with so much usage as it had not healed properly.

"You're slowing Soul Reaper," the hollow said, "Had enough have we?"

"Shut up, you hollow scum," she spat as she flash stepped again, jumping from one roof top to the other rapidly, appearing and disappearing, confusing the hollow as it fired darts everywhere, until it stopped, exhaustion kicking in. She smiled to herself as she seized her opportunity, flash stepping to the left, and then the right. She was behind it before it had time to turn, bringing her sword down and cleaving it from behind, and watching it disappear. She sighed in relief before catching her breath for a few minutes, smiling to herself at her accomplishments. She rotated her shoulder, wincing as she did so, she didn't think it was dislocated but it fucking hurt.

She quickly wiped the perspiration from her forehead before she flash stepped back the way they came. She sighed in relief as Jūshirō's reiatsu increased with every footstep, she was gaining on him. She continued until she came to the same place before, Jūshirō's reiatsu at its highest now, however, she could not see him. She scanned the area, desperate to see him and gasping when she eventually did for a split second. He and the hollow were locked it a fast battle, flash stepping everywhere and taking blows at each other. She watched in horror as the imposter fought him, as if she were fighting him.

After a few painfully long minutes, they stopped, ending up facing each other a few metres away from her.

"I see you made mince meat out of my minions," the hollow directed at her, never once taking its eyes off Jūshirō, "Just in time to see your lover get eaten by me."

She could see the extent of the battle clearly; the hollow had large cuts, blood seeping out in parts. Jūshirō was no better, his Shihakusho was torn and he had several cuts on his chest. She wanted nothing more than to kiss his cuts as guilt began to consume her, she should have been here sooner. She watched in horror as the pair were locked in battle, both of them rapidly increasing their power. She gasped as she now understood what they were doing, this was the final blast, and one of them would inevitably end up dead. Rukia clapped her hand to her mouth and held her stomach as she nearly vomited, she couldn't bear to think about the consequences.

"Please don't do this, captain!" she cried to him, "I can't lose you."

"How touching," the hollow laughed cruelly, "Don't worry, you'll join him soon…in my stomach! Yes, you'll make a fine start to my new collection, seeing as I am using all of the stored reiatsu from the previous soul reapers I have eaten, in order to launch this attack!"

Rukia gasped at her imitation, appalled, "That's vile!"

The hollow laughed once more as it continued to build up energy, transforming to its original disgusting state once more as its power reached its peak.

"Rukia," Jūshirō yelled, his voice strained, "Get out of here, now! When the blast hits, this place will blow, just get to safety! Please!"

She shook her head, "I'm not leaving you…I can't! If you die…then I die too!"

"Don't be stupid, Rukia!" he yelled "Get away, you have your whole life to live!"

"I don't care, I am not leaving!" she cried, her eyes stinging with tears as they trickled down her hot cheeks, she was prepared to die with him, she never wanted to lose him or lose this incredible feeling she had for him, the true love she felt for him.

"Time's up, soul reaper!" the hollow yelled as the spirit energy gathered within its hands, "I shall send you into oblivion and then eat your precious girlfriend!"

"It's you who will be sent to oblivion!" Jūshirō cried as he swung his Zanpakutō, releasing all of the energy that he had stored as the hollow unleashed its power simultaneously. It was completely silent for a split second before the shock hit, colliding powers as a vortex was instantly created, making Rukia gasp as she stared into the abyss for the few short seconds that it was there. Is this what death was? An abyss?

The answer came and went so fast that she could barely see it happening. The vortex exploded, masses of fire and power amalgamating together as it sent the pair backwards, instantly weakening both the hollow and Jūshirō. The ear splitting sound of the hollow's screech made her jump into action as it flew back, a deep gash running down its entire body. Blood sprayed in every direction, as the hollow slammed into the ground, pushing cars off the road and ripping the tarmac off the road as if it were as soft as sand.

She turned round, horrified as Jūshirō was also sent flying backwards into a building, his gasp of pain making her scream his name in terror. She flash stepped over to him, grabbing onto him in an attempt to flash step him away from the area. However the sheer size and weight of him was too much for her to carry as she tried to pull him away.

"Jūshirō! Jūshirō!" she cried; her tears fast now, "Please wake up!"

She looked up in trepidation as the building began to shake, the windows smashing, throwing glass fragments onto the people below.

"We have to move! The building is going to collapse!" she yelled at his unconscious form, "Please!"

She shook him madly, she didn't even know if he was alive. She shook her head as the building toppled bit by bit; she had promised to herself she would not leave him, not matter what and she would stick to it.

"I know you can't hear me," she said as the top of the building fell over them, smashing to the ground, "But I want you to know before we die."

In a last attempt to move, she used a kido to push themselves from the indented building side, but her limited power from her exhaustion didn't push them far and in fact only hastened the building's collapse.

"I want you to know," she continued, the middle parts smashing around them, "That…that…I love you. I'm in love with you, Jūshirō Ukitake and I always will be."

She held onto him as the section which Jūshirō had collided onto finally fell, the pair falling to the ground instantly. Rukia had three seconds to think after they had fallen, the blow nearly knocking her unconscious. She gasped as the rubble nearly crushed them, prompting her to move out of the way with him, using the last of her kido to push them to the left, away from any majorly falling rubble and into a small nearby alcove. She instantly fell unconscious, exhaustion and fear taking hold of her.

The pair lay near each other for a while, only being forced apart when a large piece of rubble fell between them, splitting up and covering them in dust and stone.

xxxxxxx

When Rukia finally woke, she could hardly breathe and her whole body ached. She sat up instantly, cursing as her body impeded her. She was breathing heavily as her eyes focussed on the unrecognisable place. She shook her head, it was a battlefield, everything was covered in ash and stone, fires raged in the distance and the ambulances and fire squads attempted to help the injured, it was already too late for the many crushed under the rubble.

She covered her mouth with her hands; looking in horror at the scene and her heart aching as she remembered Jūshirō was somewhere, possibly and most likely, dead. She was just fortunate that no rubble had crushed her for she had only had a light covering of ash and stones. She dragged herself over to where she had last seen him, pulling at the rocks desperately as she called his name repeatedly. She cleared a small section away, seeing the alcove once more and feeling a tiny pang of hope. She managed to clear a hole in the rubble before squeezing through, coming into a minute section where the rubble had almost formed a stone igloo. She gasped as Jūshirō was lying on the floor, plastered with ash and dust as she had been, however he had also been lucky for he had not been hit with any major rubble parts, the alcove had given him protection.

"Jūshirō!" she cried aloud as she crawled over to him and threw herself on him, resting on him as her tears returned, "Jūshirō! I'm so glad you're still in one piece!"

She closed her eyes as she rested on his motionless form, neither knowing whether he was dead or alive. All she knew was that she wanted to join him in life and death.

xxxxxxx

When Rukia woke for the second time, it was darker, the only light provided by the moon through the hole she had made. She sat up, her head nearly reaching the top of the alcove before she shifted a little more rubble, letting more light flood on her. It was also at this time that she noticed the silence, for the first time that long day she heard nothing except for the soft sound of rain. She watched as a few small rain drops escaped through the cracks, splashing around her. She turned, seeing Jūshirō still in the same position, motionless. She leaned over him, gently shaking him, her eyes stinging for the umpteenth time, laden with fresh tears.

"Jūshirō," she wept, "Jūshirō, please wake up! Please!"

She laid her head down on his chest, desperately searching for a heart beat, gasping at his ice cold skin as she held his hand.

"I can't live without you," she whispered, "I love you…please don't leave me! You promised you would never leave me…"

She felt her heart splinter even more as she could not pick up a heart beat, he was dead. She let her tears stream down her cheeks as she cried into his shoulder, gripping onto his hand with all her might.

"I love you," she repeated into his ear, "I will join you, very soon."

She closed her eyes, shivering from his coldness and fear, the fear of deciding how to join him, what was the best option she had? She held onto him still crying, so panic stricken that she did not feel his hand lightly squeeze hers back.

"I'm in love with you too, Rukia," came his husky voice, "I promised I wouldn't leave you."

She lifted her head immediately, looking into his tired eyes once more, feeling as if her heart had stopped. He inhaled deeply a few times as he flexed his hands, bringing the life that he had fought for back into him.

"Jūshirō…" she whispered, "You're alive…"

"Yes," he replied before he coughed and cleared his throat, "I was unconscious and for a time I believed I was dead, until I heard you. Well it was hard not to hear you, you were screaming at me pretty loud!" He laughed to himself, a wheezing laugh that made him cough again.

"I thought you were dead!" she replied, still crying from shock, "I was going to kill myself for you!"

"Why?" he questioned as he managed to sit up, wincing at his cuts, "Why would you do something silly like that? You have your whole life ahead of you!"

"Why?" she repeated, wiping her tears and now feeling a pang of anger, why was he being so casual about it? Wasn't he just on the verge of death? "Because I thought you were DEAD! I wanted to join you!"

He shook his head at her silliness as he gingerly stretched out, his head touching the top of the alcove and flinching at the ache in his back and the sting of his wounds.

"I don't believe you!" Rukia continued, "You're acting so casual, just getting up after being unconscious for hours and hours, not waking up and ignoring me. You were ice cold and motionless! I just…I…what? Did you admit that you l…l-l-"

She stopped as she recalled what he had said to her as he had awoken, her breath falling short of her.

"Yes, Rukia," he continued as he shuffled back round to face her, "I'm in love with you."

She sat motionless, shock painted on her face and her heart hammering in her chest. She watched as he carefully moved over to her, the pain from his injuries spread across his face, amongst other feelings. She closed her eyes, feeling his familiar lips on hers once more as she instinctively lay down, pulling him with her. He gasped however as pressure was applied to his wounds. Rukia sat back up, gently sitting him back before she undid the top part of his Shihakusho, sliding it off and hearing him gasp in pain and his blood had fused with the fabric. She gently removed it, kissing his forehead, cheeks, ears and lips as she tried to make the pain subside.

"Thank you," he said as she sat back down in front of him, inspecting his wounds.

"I couldn't not help you," she replied as she looked at the small scratches and bruises before turning to his much deeper gash, "That I'm afraid, it probably gonna scar."

"I know," he responded, "It's not the first time I have been given a scar. I have quite a few after all the battles I have been in."

She nodded as she took her handkerchief out of her sleeve before letting some of the larger drips from the rain wet the cloth. She then turned back to him, wiping the blood around the wound, tainting the white Kuchiki handkerchief a deep ruddy colour. She quickly climbed out of the hole a little, soaking it in the rain and rinsing it. She hastily returned herself now slightly damp, thankful that the overhead arch of the alcove kept the rain to a minimum. She repeated this a few times, clearing up an excess blood around his cuts before placing the handkerchief down beside her, sighing in relief.

"You look a little better now," she said with a nod, "I just wish I had some plasters and things to help you."

"There were some in my sleeve that I had for you in case you got hurt," he revealed, "But I am not sure if they have fallen out by now."

She quickly checked his top, shaking it roughly until the contents fell out, some pieces of candy, plasters, some tubes of cream and a few bandages. She gathered them up quickly before shuffling towards him and placing them on the floor again.

"What's this?" she asked as she held up a white tube.

"Anti-septic," he replied, "I have one from the soul society, the green one, and one from here, the white one. They are very effective used together; I also used my own anti-swelling cream with them, which is what fixed your ankle."

She nodded as she gently dabbed a small amount onto every cut before rubbing it in and repeating this with the other one, hearing his wince every time, and hating herself for it. She reached back, grapping the small pot of anti-swelling as she applied some to his sore back, red and bruised from when he had been forced back into the building.

"I'm sorry," she apologized as he flinched, "This will make it better."

"I know, thank you," he replied, "It's very kind of you."

She shook her head before she dressed his wounds with bandages and plasters, not stopping until he has completely seen to.

"Rukia, are you ok?" he asked as she sat back down, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No," she assured him, "Just this cut on my cheek. The main worry is how we are going to get out of here."

"I feel we should wait for a little longer," he advised, as they munched on candy, "We don't know who else is alive around us. If we blast out way out of here, we could cause even more damage. We should wait until we hear the emergency services at least."

She nodded as she looked at her feet, yawning in sudden tiredness, even though she had been unconscious for several hours. He gingerly put his arm around her pulling her to him as she closed her eyes and smiled. After a little while of this however, the trapped heat was beginning to get to them and with only the small hole for air, the pair were beginning to overheat. Rukia has suggested making a bigger hole, however her captain had said otherwise, worried that it could lead to the collapse of their sanctuary.

"Wow, it's hot in here," Rukia pointed out as she lay down on her back, taking comfort in the coldness of the stone beneath, "I'm really hot now."

"Yeah," Jūshirō agreed under his voice, "You are."

Rukia immediately blushed, holding her flushed cheeks in her hands as she looked down. However Jūshirō took her chin, lifting her face up to meet his in a gentle kiss. She responded gently, careful not to get carried away again and hurt him. He pulled away after a minute, studying her face clearly and smiling in relief as he found that his feelings mirrored hers.

His heart began to beat wildly as he carefully undid her Shihakusho sash, his hands nearly shaking as he leant in to kiss her again, this time with passion. Her sash was undone in seconds as they battled for dominance, their tongues sliding over each others' in their zeal. He gently, pushed her Shihakusho top from her shoulders, sliding it down until he took it off of her completely, revealing her body to him a little more. He pulled away, taking the chance to look at her properly, his eyes widening and his breath being stolen from him.

"I'm sorry," Rukia said as she placed her arm across her bra, "I'm just not as…big as other girls are…"

Jūshirō shook his head at her silliness, "Rukia, I love you for the way you are. It doesn't matter to me what size your breasts are, I'm not that sort of man. I think you're beautiful and they're perfect just the way they are."

She could not help but blush a little as she looked down again, slowly removing her arm from her chest.

"You're so beautiful," he repeated as he leant in, kissing the side of her neck and brushing his lips across her porcelain shoulders. She closed her eyes, letting the amazing feeling wash over her, her heart pounding and her stomach full of butterflies. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder, careful not to hurt him as she placed her other hand on his cheek, holding him as he kissed her skin. He quickly moved back from her shoulders to kiss her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

He moved back up, lifting his head so that they were inches apart once more. He watched as Rukia slowly opened her eyes, meeting his warm brown eyes with her violet ones.

"Jūshirō," she whispered before kissing him lightly.

"Rukia," he whispered as he broke away and kissed a line from her cheek to her ear, "I want to make love to you."

Rukia froze and she could have sworn her heart skipped a beat. She was short of breath and she could feel the rush of anticipation as he whispered it. She had half known and half hoped that he did want her, but she had never expected him to say it, and like this. It shook her to the core as tingles ran down her spine, the heat suddenly intensifying as a drop of perspiration ran down the crevice between her breasts. His deep breathing in her ear as he kissed her mixed with the light sheen of sweat that highlighted his chiselled chest made her ache for him, she needed him and he needed her. She craved him, desperately wanting him to undress her and lie her down before making passionate love to her.

She gasped as his hands had moved around to her back, holding her as he pushed her towards him a little, a little more of their skin making contact. He stopped however as he brought one hand back to his chest, pressing his wound with his hand as he sighed.

"W-What's wrong?" she managed to ask, her voice quiet as she had had her breath robbed from her.

"My wounds are beginning to sting again," he replied, "I think it is the heat and moisture getting to the raw skin."

"We need to move," she replied as she winced for him, "We need to get fresh air and get home, regardless of people nearby. Besides, they would have moved by now, we have been down her for several hours."

This time, Jūshirō nodded, his wounds beginning to hurt badly once more. Rukia quickly grabbed her top, putting it on before helping him with his, hearing him gasp in pain as she did so. She moved back to the small hole, looking outside and noticing it had finally ceased raining, the smell of smoke faint now as fires down the street had been put out by the rain and the emergency services. She could see the faint sight of dawn on the horizon before she popped back down, finding Jūshirō was ready to go. She smiled before using a kido to blast away some more pieces or rubble, thankful that they did not fall back onto them. She quickly scrambled up out of the alcove before offering a hand and helping him to his feet and pulling him up. He returned the smile as slowly but surely, with dawn creeping upon night and revealing the destroyed earth at their feet, they walked away from the scene, injured but together.

Please review! Thank you so much for all of you who did review! I love getting them, try to lay off the death threats though! Ok, well I will start writing the next chapter asap as in today, not sure when I should have it done by, I am hoping it will be shorter but then my chapters are always ten pages longer than planned :/ oh well.

The next chapter, you will all want to read avidly not only because it is the penultimate chapter, but it is the one that we have been waiting for, it is indeed *drum roll*...

the LEMON chapter where Rukia and Jushiro finally make lemonade :p The chapter is called "Everlasting," which, I think it a little sweet and I am looking forward to writing it so, see you then!

Ja ne!