Fifth Story - Tell Me A Story

Rating - PG

Summary - A child's wish, and too many bittersweet memories...


Thunder reverberated through the sky like a well-beaten drum, lightning flashed, lighting the otherwise black sky. And it was during this storm that five-year-old Kurosaki Kaori awoke with a scream. "Daddy!"

Her father, Kurosaki Ichigo, darted down the hall of his small house into his daughter's room. "What's wrong Kaori?"

The little girl was sitting up in bed, her thin blankets wrapped tightly around her, shivering with fear. "Daddy, the storm's scaring me. Make the storm go away"

Ichigo smiled warmly as he sat down on the bed beside the little girl. "I can't make the storm go away sweetie. I'm sorry. Do you want to come sleep with me until the storm's over?"

Kaori nodded, her violet eyes wide, shining with the innocence only a small girl like her could possibly possess. Ichigo scooped her up and carried her back to his room. When they were both back in bed and situated, Kaori said, "Daddy, will tell me about Mommy again?"

Ichigo's heart softened and hardened at the same time. Kaori knew how to hit his soft spot and push his buttons all at the same time. "Mommy was a wonderful person, Kaori. She was a beautiful, kind, caring person. And I swear, Kaori, she loved you more than anything in the world. She cared about you more than she did her own life"

Kaori nestled against her father, "Did Mommy really love me?"

"Of course she did"

"Then why did she leave?"

Ichigo had to struggle not to cry. "She didn't have a choice, Kaori"

"I wish I could have met Mommy"

"I wish you could have too, Kaori," Ichigo wrapped his arms around the small girl that resembled her mother so, "You would have loved her. I know she loved you. I wish she didn't have to leave"

-:-:-:-Flashback -:-:-:-

Rukia was waiting on the couch when Ichigo walked in. The look on her face was grim. Ichigo was instantly worried. She'd been sick the last few weeks, very sick. A trip to the doctor a couple days ago had resulted in a ton of blood tests, and a two day wait. Ichigo hada feeling the test results had come in though. And now he was ready to go into panic mode. "What? What is it?" he sat down on the couch next to her. "Rukia, talk to me"

For a second she just stared ahead, barely noticing that Ichigo had taken a seat next to her. It wasn't until he wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders that she looked up at last, her violet eyes wide with surprise. "Oh. Ichigo. When did ou get here?"

"Never mind me," he said, "What about you? What's wrong? You were completely out of it when I walked in"

"Oh. Me. It's nothing"


"The test results came in today?" she didn't answer. They both had a good idea of what was wrong, but they were still both hoping it was
only the flu. After the last two times...they weren't sure they could take another heartbreak.

"Uh huh"

"And..."

She sighed and leaned against him, eyes closed. "And what do you think?"

Ichigo pulled her a little closer. So it was true. She was pregnant again.

It should have been a happy occassion. But she'd been pregnant two times before already. And she had miscarried both times. The second time she'd been in the hospital for months afterwards, trying to recover. Ichigo wasn't sure how much more her body could take. He could only hope this time everything went all right. "Ichigo?" Rukia's abnormally soft voice brought Ichigo out of his thoughts, "Do you think it'll be okay this time?"

"I hope so, Rukia. I really do"

-:-:-:-End Flashbck-:-:-:

The storm ended. Ichigo was still awake for it, though Kaori had long since fallen asleep. His daughter's innocent question, wanting to know more about her mother, had gotten him thinking again. It made him feel guilty. He didn't think about her the way he used to. Did that make him a bad person?

A small groan brought Ichigo back to reality. "Daddy?" Kaori's small, tired voice reached his ears.

"Ssshhh, go back to sleep," Ichigo ran a hand through Kaori's short raven hair, "I'll let you stay with me for the night, okay?"

"'Kay Daddy," Kaori rustled a little cloers to him, "Daddy, how did you meet Mommy?"

What was with all the questions about Mommy? "She saved my life," Ichigo explained, knowing full well his daughter was pretty much asleep again, "She was a tough girl, your mommy was. If she wanted something, she got it. And she wanted to save me. So she did. She was an amazing person, Mommy was"

-:-:-:-Flashback-:-:-:-

"Ichigo," Rukia's sudden gasp brought Ichigo out of his trance, and he pulled away at once.

"What is it, what's wrong?" he asked, reaching a careful arm out and taking her into his grasp. Her bare skin met his, and he noticed she was shaking slightly. "Are you okay?"

Silence. Then, "No. I mean, yes. I mean, I'm okay. I thought...but I'm okay"

"Are you sure?"

"Is this what it takes to get your attention?" Rukia said with a light laugh, trying to take the grimness out of the air. Ichigo was far from amused though.

"Rukia, be serious. It's still the first trimester. I don't want to hurt the baby"

"Don't worry Ichigo," Rukia rolled over, wrapping her arms around Ichigo and drawing herself closer to him, "I don't need you to worry about me twenty-four/seven, you know"

"Someone has to. You're certainly not worrying enough"

"I'm tired of worrying," her voice was quiet, "It works or it doesn't. There's nothing more to hope for, is there?"

It hurt Ichigo to hear her speaking that way. But a minute later she was kissing him again. "Rukia, are you sure?"

"Ichigo, just shut up"

-:-:-:-End Flashback-:-:-:-

Ichigo sighed as he rolled over. The storm was starting again. Now he was glad he had let Kaori stay with him. She hated storms so much, she wouldn't sleep unless Daddy was right there to protect her. Otherwise she'd lay in bed whimpering. Or she'd scream, depending on how bad the storm was. And she always needed Ichigo there to make everything better.

-:-:-:-Flashback-:-:-:-

"Ichigo!" Rukia's panicked voice jerked Ichigo awake at once. She was sitting up in bed, her hand clutching her stomach, doubled over in pain. It took Ichigo a second to process what was happening.

"What, what is it?" he sat up, his worry radar shooting up at once. Rukia winced and her shoulders hunched slightly.

"I..I don't know..." she drew in a deep, sharp breath, "But it hurts..."

Ichigo's heart stopped. Rukia had just entered her fifth month. There couldn't be any complications now. Could there?

Rukia breathed sharply and her small hand grabbed for Ichigo's. He didn't push her away, even though it felt as if she were about to break his fingers. "Come on," he said, clambering out of bed, "We're going to the hospital"

He was sounded a lot calmer than he really was. Inside, he felt as if he was being torn apart. They couldn't lose the baby now...


"Kurosaki-kun?" two hours that seemed more like forever later, a doctor approached Ichigo. The orange-haired man jumped up at once.

"Well?"

The doctor took a deep breath. "If Kurosaki-san goes through with the birth...chances are it will kill her"

-:-:-:-End Flashback-:-:-:-

Kaori jerked suddenly in her sleep, and Ichigo automatically grabbed her, pulling her tighter into his arms like the overprotective parent he was. But Kaori simply breathed deeply, then rolled over, and slept on. Ichigo sighed as he watched her small body move. He loved her more than anything...really he did. But when he thought about what he and Rukia had gone through...

-:-:-:-Flashback-:-:-:-

Rukia stared blankly at her hands. Her violet eyes were dull, devoid of all life. And Ichigo knew he wouldn't have to repeat himself. So even when she said, "What?" in a breathless, wavering sort of voice, Ichigo knew perfectly well she had heard him.

"Rukia, I...I'm sorry," it sounded lame, even to his ears. Rukia's small fists clutched at the blanket. "Look," Ichigo hated himself for what he was about to suggest, "We don't have to...we don't have to go through with it, we could, you know...you could get an abortion-"

The smallest bit of life flickered in Rukia's eyes. "You want me to kill the baby?"

"It's not...it's just..." Ichigo didn't know what to say. But Rukia seemed to want to talk.

"I can't do that Ichigo. Where's the justice in that? How can a person just decide it's okay to take a life, especially a life from someone who hasn't lived yet?" her voice was dull and even, but her eyes were burning, "It's not fair Ichigo, and I won't be a part of it. I don't take lives, and I won't aid anyone else in it"

Ichigo understood that. Really he did. But Rukia didn't seem to understand that she was juggling her own life in the balance. "Rukia, listen to yourself. It's not the baby's life that's important, it's you-"

But Ichigo had said the wrong words. "No one's more important than anyone else!" Rukia's head snapped up, her blazing violet eyes meeting Ichigo's distressed amber ones, "That's what you don't seem to get Ichigo! I'm not more important than the baby, and if you expect me to just-"

"Rukia-"

"Don't!" she cried, and now Ichigo could see tears in her eyes. Why hadn't he stopped to think about how this would hurt her? "Just don't , Ichigo! You don't get it, I can't just...I can't put my life above someone else's, especially someone who hasn't had a chance to live with, I can't!"

She ducked her head away from Ichigo, her shoulders shaking with unshed sobs. Ichigo watched her for a second, unsure of whether or not she'd reject the comfort. But after a minute he couldn't take it anymore, and he walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. When she didn't throw him off, he sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her into a tight hug. She leaned her head against his chest, and her tears slipped down onto his shirt. But he didn't care in the slightest. "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't think...I just don't want to lose you Rukia, I can't-"

"You think I want to die?" she choked, curling into his hold, "You think I wanted this? Ichigo, when I was little, all I dreamed about was getting out of the Rukongai and having a family and just...living. It's all I ever wanted"

Ichigo rested his chin on the top of her head, pushing back tears of his own. Crying would have to come when he was alone, when Rukia wasn't there to see him crying at her expense. It would come later. "It'll be okay, Rukia"

"No it won't, Ichigo. It never will be"

-:-:-:-End Flashback-:-:-:-

Kaori stirred as thunder echoed through the air,but she didn't wake. Ichigo held the girl loosely, just enough so she'd know he was still there, still protecting her. Because she was his little girl. All his hopes and dreams, all of Rukia's hopes and dreams had been put onto her. And Ichigo would protect them with his life. Forever.

-:-:-:-Flashback-:-:-:-

Kurosaki Kaori was born April twenty-third at three-fifty eight a.m. And though Ichigo would never tell her, the small girl shared the day with a less happier event. "Oh Ichi-nii," Kurosaki Yuzu swooped down on her older brother, wrapping her arms tightly around him. Ichigo returned the hug half-heartedly. Ichigo had called her right after Kaori was born. He would call Karin and his dad and everyone else later, when he was ready. Right then though, he needed sommon sensible. And Yuzu could give him that.

"She knew," he muttered, dropping his head into his hands, "She knew there was a chance...and I couldn't talk her out of it. I just don't understand it"

"Rukia-chan understood it though," Yuzu said as she took a seat next to her brother, "And if she understood, that's all that matters. I know it seems weird now, even crazy, but maybe you'll get it someday"

Ichigo nodded and stood up. "Hang on a second Yuzu, I'll be right back"

Yuzu let her older brother go. Ichigo made his way down the hall. He stepped into a room that was mostly empty, save for a nurse and someone laying in a bed. The nurse turned around when Ichigo cleared his throat. "Oh! Kurosaki-kun! I didn't think...would you...like a moment?"

He nodded, and the nurse scampered out. Ichigo walked over to the bed, staring down at Rukia's still body. It was like an empty shell. He reached out and ran a hand through her silky raven hair. "I don't think I will ever understand. But if you did...that's all that matters. Love ya, Rukia"

-:-:-:-End Flashback-:-:-:-

Ichigo slapped his hand down on th alarm. Great. An entire night, just about, of no sleep. He was going to look great at work that day. "Daddy?" Kaori sat up rubbing her eyes, "S'it time for school?"

"Almost," Ichigo said, "Why don't you go get ready?"

"'Kay," she clambered out of bed and ran out without another word. Ichigo climbed out of bed as well, and started to get dressed himself. His eyes drifted to a picture of Rukia sitting on his nightstand. He sighed and reached ito his closet to grab a shirt. When he pulled out, he wasn't at all surprised when he caught site of a pale, transparent figure with raven hair and violet eyes standing next to him. Ichigo sighed and turned away, running a hand through his orange hair, as unruly as it had been in his teenage days. "I'm doing things the way you wanted Rukia. But it's hard. Everyday without you is hard"

"Daddy?" Ichigo turned. The figure was gone and Kaori was standing in the door, holding a pink t-shirt and a baby blue long-sleeved shirt. "Which one should I wear?"

Ichigo smiled. "The long sleeve, it's going to be cold"

"Okay!" and she was gone again. Ichigo sighed. Where she got her energy from, no one could begin to guess. Ichigo's eyes drifted back to the picture.

"Love ya, Rukia"


Author's Note: Baaaaaahhh, so sad! I hate killing characters off, especially ones I like, especially Rukia. So it was just completely depressing. Gah! Well, review anyway - Sam