Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Phooey


Chapter 6 – Old Fears

Rukia smiled from her spot on the couch as she watched Ichigo pace. It had been three days since she'd returned home. Ichigo had stayed home from work, saying he didn't want to leave her alone. Now he was debating whether or not he wanted to go back yet.

Rukia had to admit, she found the attention a little flattering, but she couldn't help but wonder if Ichigo had an ulterior motive for being so jumpy. True, he always worried about her, but now he just seemed more worried than usual.

"Ichigo, you have to go back," she said finally, though she had to admit, she was really enjoying watching his internal argument (especially since she couldn't tell who was winning and who was losing). "You can't afford to lose time - or your job, for that matter - right now"

"I know," he ran a hand through his hair. "I know. I know. But...what if something happens while I"m gone?"

Rukia held up two things: his cellphone, and their cordless phone. "I'll keep this," she wiggled the cordless, "with me all day, if it makes you feel any better. And you keep this," she threw the cellphone to him and he caught it, "with you. I know the clinic's number if anything happens, and I'll make sure you get called as well. Don't worry. Go to work"

Ichigo began to protest, and Rukia snapped. She stood up, walked over to him, planted her hands firmly on his back, and started pushing him to the door (he was already dressed for work; he'd gotten up early to get ready, then started debating whether or not he should go). "Ow, hey, Rukia, stop!" he yelped as she shoved him, "I can walk you know!"

"Yeah, but you're not," she reached around him, opened the door, and gave one final shove, pushing him out into the hall. She stood in the door, blocking his path. "Now go"

He turned around to glare at her, and she just smiled back innocently. "Go on," she said, using her old 'innocent-school-girl' voice, which she knew drove him insane, "You're going to be late, you don't want that now do you?"

He covered his ears, looking annoyed. "You talk like that just to bug me, don't you?"

"Yup," she kicked him in the knee, "Now leave already before I push you down the stairs"

He left, muttering threats under his breath. "Now really, you wouldn't want to hurt the woman carrying your baby, would you?" she called after him before shutting the door, smirking. It was so much fun, and so easy to push his buttons.

Not that she was being ungrateful. She appreciated that he was worried about her and the baby. But there was a fine line between worry and obsession, and Ichigo had crossed it. He needed to get out of the house for a little while, even if it was just to go to work. And she needed some time to herself; three straight days home with Ichigo, and she was starting to go insane. Ichigo refused to let her do anything and she needed a break from all the attention anyway. And a chance to actually do something besides sit on the couch. And maybe a chance to go in search of the cookies Ichigo had hidden from her.


"Hey Ichigo," Mizuiro greeted Ichigo as he walked into the office. The two had gotten a job at the same place after high school, much to Ichigo's distress. It wasn't that he didn't like Mizuiro, but sometimes his old friend got very annoying. Especially when they were working side by side with each other. Ichigo often went home with a headache.

"Hey Mizuiro," Ichigo said boredly as he started down to his cubicle.

"How's Rukia?"

"Fine," Ichigo wasn't in the mood to talk. But what Mizuiro said next as Ichigo sat down at his desk held some interest for the orange-haired man.

"Did you hear about Yukio? He was seen near here 'bout a week ago," Ichigo's amber eyes widened, and his head jerked around to look at his old friend, his heart pounding. He waited for Mizuiro to say it was a joke, but he was obviously very serious.

"What?!"

"Yeah," Mizuiro nodded wisely, "Just outside of town. You don't...You don't think he's after Rukia, do you?"

"He's a sick bastard, who knows how his mind works?" Ichigo grumbled, turning on his computer screen and typing out his password. He didn't want to talk about Yukio. The man was a twisted son of a bitch who belonged behind bars, or dead – and somehow, Ichigo wasn't surprised to find he preferred that last option.

"Good point," Mizuiro agreed, "They did an interview with another girl he raped...he did some sick, sick things to her, her parents said she was never quite right after that...why people do things like that I"ll never understand..."

Ichigo didn't want to hear this. Rukia had never been quite right after what Yukio had done to her. She'd recovered, to an extent, but there were some wounds that could never be healed. Ichigo knew, whenever Rukia tossed and turned, or moaned in her sleep, that she was revisiting the park on that night five years ago, reliving everything that had happened, or perhaps living some other event, something her head made up out of fear. And in her dream-world, he was powerless to help her. Damn Yukio. Ichigo would have given anything to be able to kill him. If only murder wasn't against the law...


Rukia couldn't explain it, but she was in an unnaturally good mood. Well, maybe she could explain it. She was having a baby with the man she loved, she had just goaded said man into insanity, and her life just seemed all around...good. Okay. So she really could explain the unnatural good mood. For the first time – probably ever – in Rukia's life, everything seemed to be going okay. Who wouldn't be happy about something like that?

"I like Hisana, personally"

"Ooo, that's a really pretty name!" Rukia smiled. She was talking on the phone with Orihime about different names for the baby. They'd been talking for awhile – correction, Orihime had been talking for awhile. Rukia just occasionally broke in every now and then.

"Yeah, I like it. But I told Ichigo he could pick the name if it was a girl. I pick a boy's name, that's what we agreed on"

"What are you going to name it if it's a boy?"

"Well, I was thinking Kaien, actually"

"That's a nice name too!" Rukia smiled a sadly.

"It's a name that means a lot to me"

"I get it," she could almost imagine Orihime on the other end, nodding in a serious way, and smiled. That was Orihime for you – always saying she understood something, even when it was impossible that she would.

"What kind of names would you pick?"

"Well, I've always liked the name Hishigame for a boy," Orihime said thoughtfully, "For a girl...Setsuka. I love the name Setsuka. It has such a pretty ring to it, doesn't it? Or Kaori. Setsuka or Kaori. But Hishigame is the only boy's name I like"

"It's a cute name," Rukia assured her, "And so are Setsuka and Kaori"

"I like to think so...oh, Uryu's here! I'd better go Rukia, I told him I'd have lunch with him. Bye!" there was a click as she hung up. Rukia frowned and looked over at the clock. It was almost noon. Damn, she thought, Orihime and I talked longer than I thought. Oh well, good thing she lives in town, I could just see the phone bill if she didn't

Laughing, Rukia started preparing lunch for herself. She couldn't remember when she'd felt this happy before. For once it just seemed like everything was going right. Like it'd all be okay.

Ding-Dong

Rukia smiled as the doorbell rang. She figured it was Yuzu. The young girl always rang the doorbell. "Just a minute!" Rukia called, quickly crossing the apartment. She opened the door, saying, "You know, Yuzu, you don't have to ring the-"

She froze. Her eyes widened in shock. She literally stopped breathing, but her heart was suddenly beating a lot faster. This had to be a nightmare...

"Hello Rukia. Remember me?"

"Y-Yukio..." she had to be dreaming. That was the only explanation has to why Yukio Ryuichi was standing just outside her apartment door, giving her a sickeningly sweet smile. She had fallen asleep on the couch and she was dreaming. Yeah. That sounded really good.

"So you do remember," he said, smirking slightly. His gray-blue eyes were filled with malice. His pale blond hair, once reaching past his ears, had been cut when he went to jail, and was now far above his ears. And he had gotten taller. He now stood at six feet. At least. Rukia continued to stare up at him, fear taking over all common sense. And in her mind, she flashed back to that terrifying night in the park...

"Let me go!"

"No way," he shoved her down to the ground and sat down on top of her, "Not until I get what's mine"

"What...don't..." she pushed at him, and again, the tempting thought of throwing him ten feet away crossed her mind, "Let ,me-"

He covered her mouth, and leaned down, his gray-blue eyes meeting her violet ones. "Stop. Don't talk. Just let me do this one thing without struggling, then you can walk away forever for all I care"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rukia had finally found her voice, though she was shaking like a leaf now, "I thought you were in jail"

"Oh I was," he assured her, "It was so easy, really, getting out. Pathetic almost. Well, I'd really hate to linger over a doorstep. Mind if I come in?"

Rukia tried to slam the door, but Yukio stuck his foot in, stopping it. Rukia leaned against it, but with one shove he sent her flying back. She stumbled and tripped, but luckily fell onto the couch. Yukio calmly shut the door and locked it. "I don't want any interruptions"

Rukia stumbled up. "Get out. Now"

"Or what?" he drew a knife from his back pocket. "I don't think you're in the position to be giving orders, Rukia"

Rukia tried not to let her fear show too much, "What do you want?"

"Well, actually, Rukia, I want you dead," he sounded so casual, "And I want your fool of a boyfriend, Ichigo Kurosaki, dead as well. I hope that's not a problem. I mean, that isn't a problem, is it? Because that's too bad if it is"

"Stay away from Ichigo," she said in a deadly low voice, "Leave him alone. He has nothing to do with you"

"He's part of the reason I went to jail!" his voice was as cold as ice.

"Like you didn't deserve it!" Rukia shot back, her anger over taking her fear now, "I met some of the other girls you raped, you did terrible things to them, the way I see it I got off lucky compared to them. You deserve to be locked up!"

She was suddenly very glad there was a coffee table between them. Yukio's grip on the knife tightened, as did his evil smirk. "Well, none of that will matter anymore," he assured her in a sickeningly sweet, would-be-soothing voice. Would-be if he didn't look like he was ready to murder someone "Soon nothing will matter, because you'll be dead, and Ichigo will be dead, and the world will be thanking me for ridding it of two pathetic people"

"And you'll spend the rest of your life in jail"

"They'll never catch me they're not smart enough. They got lucky once. But luck only gets a person so far, Rukia. I think it's time you learned that," he kicked the coffee table out of the way and dove forward, the knife raised. Rukia, acting on nothing but instinct and her old training as a Soul Reaper, jerked to the side. The knife missed it's intended target, which was her chest, but hit another one, and sank deep into her left shoulder.

Two pains hit Rukia at once. One, of course, was the pain from a sharp piece of metal digging into her shoulder. The other was from her stomach. It felt as if she'd been stabbed there as well. She yelled in pain and fell to her knees, clutching her stomach tightly. Something was wrong. Oh God, something was wrong...

"Oh that's right," Yukio said in a mild tone, "You're pregnant, aren't you? Oh dear, oh dear. That can't be very good for the baby, now can it?"

She doubled over, the combined pains were too much. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, and her eyes filled with tears. She was in trouble now, she could tell, and there was too much pain. She couldn't fight back. "Don't..."

"Don't what?" Yukio asked, "Kill you? Too late," he raised the knife, "Goodbye, Rukia Kuchiki, and good-"

The rest of his sentence was cut off by a fist connecting with his face. He was sent flying into the wall, and slammed his head. He was out instantly.

Ichigo had come home for lunch and, more importantly, to talk to Rukia about Yukio. In all the commotion before, no one had heard him turn his key in the lock.


Author's Notes: Okay...okay...you can put the flaming tortures away now...that's the last we'll see of Yukio in this story...honest...now come on, you're going to set off the fire alarm...ahem. Thank you. Anyways. I'm kind of sad, 'cause my review/hit count for the story is going down, and that worries me. Do you think there's something (besides length!) that I can work on? If so, please leave a review telling me, any and all criticism/help is appreciated. In the mean time, 140 or more reviews to get me to update quicker. K? - Sam