Chapter: You Can't Take Me
Shalan's Say: Wow… my best friend is a douche… I was just talking to her and she totally flamed this girl… the one who wrote My Lovely Dancer… OUCH! XDDD Anyways… I'm sorry about her… forgive her if you like that story… of course… I am the queen that dominates you all… The Queen of IchiRukis and Lemons… as you all have titled me… XDDDDD Anyways… If you like inaccurate stories go ahead and read it… it is good… all in all I think it's an okay story… I mean the penmanship is… iffy and the information is inaccurate but I like it… it entertains me when I want a break from writing… that and Fireflies in the Garden… That's the right title… man… I suck at remembering things… anyways… READ ON OH GALLANT ONE
I'M SORRY AUTHOR OF MY LOVELY DANCER FOR HER ACTIONS! SHE HAS BEEN SHOUTED AT!
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Got to fight another fight - I gotta run another night
Ichigo whipped the sword to the side almost impatiently. His mind was settled, his blood calm. This was just another battle with another enemy… and the only life on the line was his. This was just like the war, one verses another, man verses man… enemy verses enemy.
"What's wrong Kurosaki? Afraid you'll lose?" Gin's voice cut through Ichigo's inner monologue and the carrot-top lifted his head, his eyes glowing with fierce energy. Rukia's mind suddenly swirled and she felt the familiar feeling of PTSD.
Get it out - check it out
I'm on my way and I don't feel right
The woman turned to run but a single gunshot was fired and she fell. Rukia slowly turned and there behind her was Ichigo, his gun in his right hand pointing straight ahead, the barrel was smoking slightly and there was a deadly look in his eyes. It was a look she had never seen before.
His eyes held that same deadly look… and it was a look that she didn't like much at all. It was the gleam of a blood thirsty lion, a king protecting his pride, a knight fighting for nothing but his own survival. His eyes were no longer the kind and shining amber that she had become used to. No… no these eyes were the eyes of a killer. The side of her husband that she didn't know about… the side of her husband… that she had only caught glimpses of in the past.
I gotta get me back - I can't be beat and that's a fact
It's OK - I'll find a way
"Listen… do you think that you could… get off my carpet?" She pointed at his dirty shoes. She was amazingly calm, more like subdued, the look on her face come completely blank, no emotion could be read. Inside she had no feelings, no nothing… 'Ichigo… please come save me…'
"Maybe… perhaps I could come over onto that bed with you?" He smiled and move towards her, suddenly the door slammed open and Ichigo, gun in hand stood in the doorway, his barrel directed at the man.
"You try it and you won't hear the man count 5," he had that bloodthirsty look in his eye again.
"How'd you get past the…"
"Sniper? I saw him before he saw me… the cops should hauling him off right now…" Ichigo walked forward slowly. "Now put the gun down and you won't have to get hurt." Ichigo had found himself rather grumpy, this was the second time in three days that he had been forced to hold his gun, the steel made his skin twitch.
"Hah! You don't have the balls to shoot me…" the man lunged at Rukia and she scream, ducking away as a single gunshot was heard and the man fell to the floor, blood spurting, seemingly in slow motion to Rukia, from his head. Ichigo watched him fall then crossed the room to the shell-shocked Rukia. She was extremely pale and he smiled softly, then she did something that shocked him.
"Thank you…" she wrapped her arms around him, trembling as she did. He smiled lightly, hugging her back as she buried her face in his chest.
You ain'tgonna take me down no way
Rukia choked lightly as her brain reeled from all of this new information. She panted, something wasn't right. What was wrong with her husband that she didn't know? Her eyes were trained on him, like a cat watching her prey she watched, her eyes seeing every flicker of muscles movement. Every blink of his eye. Everything.
Don't judge a thing until you know what's inside it
Dont' push me - I'll fight it
Ichigo was a different man… It was odd for him to be so serious. It was odd for him to look that way, the deadly, vicious, evil glare that possessed his eyes, his physique, his soul. They had come too far, and now they were right back where they started, staring down the barrel of a gun. Or down a sword's blade.
All those things… what was it about him. She loved him… but she realized that she knew little about his past, the war… where he came from… her eyes glazed over.
"Awe… Ichigo? He's nothing to worry about… he's just got a past he'd like to forget…" Uryu told her the day before their wedding.
"But Uryu… he won't tell me… about that stupid war… and what happened there…" her eyes dimmed. She knew Uryu was protecting her. She hated being protected.
"You sure have gotten more self confident… do you remember when you first met us? You have changed more than you think… and he has changed too…" Uryu looked off to the side.
"ISHIDA! Don't avoid my damn question… what happened to him that he won't tell me about?" Her eyes darkened and Uryu looked back at her.
"If you want to know so badly… ask him…" Uryu whispered and stood up.
Never gonna give in - never gonna give it up no
If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it
Rukia shook her head. What was it? She had told him the whole story at the beginning of their relationship… when she didn't even have feelings for him… no that was wrong… her feelings had been there from the beginning…
"S--sorry!" She sat up away from Ichigo and he gently tightened his arm, pulling her up against him again.
"It's alright… you just stunned me for a moment…" He smiled, looking out over the acreage that they now lived on.
"Okay… where do I begin?" She looked across the way to the huge oak tree that was only two yards away from the house.
"At the beginning…" Ichigo suggested and she nodded.
"I was… 14… barely even… into puberty…"
"That's the way they usually like them…" Ichigo squeezed her shoulder a little. She smiled slightly.
"My brother and I still lived in a ratty apartment in the Projects… I can't even remember the name now… anyways… I was walking home from getting what I could from the store, my brother and I worked after school whenever we could… I was just finishing middle school and he was about to finish high school…" She paused. "He came up on me… I hadn't seen him… I just heard him… he was breathing hard and… I could feel his breath on my neck…" She stopped again and he waited patiently, he knew this one was going to be a hard story to tell already.
"So you didn't know him…" Ichigo looked down at her, gently rubbing her upper arm.
"No… he just grabbed me and hit me across the face… he called me a whore and pinned me down… I was fairly weak from lack of nourishment and he pulled my underwear down, pushing my dress up and did it… It hurt so badly… I just wanted it to stop…" Tears came to her eyes and Ichigo reached over, wiping them off her face and eyelashes tenderly.
He was shocked at this motion… he had never been this careful with anyone in his life… so why was it that seeing her cry was tearing him apart from the inside out? "I screamed but no one came…" He watched as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Afterwards he stood up and just left me there in the alleyway… in all the filth on the ground, trash, urine, dirt… filth… insects crawled all over me… I hated it! I hated it!" She dug her fingernails into her arms and Ichigo reached over and gently pulled them out.
"STOP!" She shouted at him and shrunk away. He looked over at her and she looked panicked again.
"Kuchiki… it's just me…" Ichigo gently slid a hand across her jaw and neck and she closed her eyes, leaning into the caress.
He had heard her story… he knew everything… so why didn't he tell her? Was it another one of those times? Was he lying to keep her safe?
You can't come uninvited
Never gonna give in - never gonna give up no
Ichigo's eyes flashed as he swung his sword back and it began. Ichimaru swung his sword up, meeting the carrot-top's saber with his. The detective swung back, meeting his blade again. There was no choice. The swords clashed again as Ichigo backed him up. There was no way to defeat him in his condition. He could feel himself weakening as his arm grew heavy. He closed his eyes for a moment.
You can't take me I'm free
"Are you sure we're going to get there in time?" Kazumi opened her eyes from the back of the car… her husband, leaning forward as they sped down the highway nodded his head with a grin.
"Don't worry about it Kazu-chan…" Kisuke grinned at her. Kazumi stuck her tongue out at him.
"She's worried because you two are in such a good mood…" Yoruichi told them, her face unlaughingly grim.
"You can take the kid out of the fight but you can't take the fight out of the kid…" Kisuke chuckled.
"Kisuke… do you think he can keep his cool until we get there?" Kazumi looked over.
"Yeah I'm sure… he'll be fine… just believe that he can do anything and he'll be alright…" Kisuke frowned and he closed his eyes.
Why did it all go wrong? - I wanna know what's going on
And what's this holding me?
Rukia opened her eyes only to see Ichigo again. He was pushing Ichimaru back, their swords clanging with a flash as his sword caught the light.
"Damn it…" Ichigo cursed and jumped back from Ichimaru as his sword shredded the front of his shirt. Ichigo stumbled as he skid to a stop. He needed a gun and fast. He dove forward, beneath the other's defense and slashed upwards, his face set. He was going to win this fight.
His whole life had been a struggle. This was just another… another struggle to stay alive…
I'm not where I supposed to be
I gotta fight another fight
"Rukia…" She heard a whisper from behind her and Rangiku cut Rukia's cords. "While they're busy… let's go…" Rukia stared at her.
"I can't… I need to stay here for Ichigo…" She stated plainly.
"Listen I have orders to get you away from here… now let's go!" Rangiku shook her.
"NO!" A hand hit her hard on the back of the head and Rangiku caught her.
"Sorry…" The blonde shrugged and heaved the smaller woman over her shoulder before escaping from the room.
I gotta fight will all my might
I'm getting out, so check it out
Ichigo panted as he stared Ichimaru down. He was bleeding again, from his side now as well. And he was wearing down, his blood pounding in his ears. Or was that hers? Ichigo swung around as Ichimaru slashed at his back and the detective swung his own sword around his body and stabbed him through the stomach.
"ICHIGO!" He looked up and his gun game flying at him. Kaien Shiba stood on the balcony above them.
Yeah, you're in my way
So you better watch out
Ichigo pointed the gun at Ichimaru's face, the barrel nearly touching his forehead. Ichimaru stared straight ahead. Ichigo's eyes were dark, evil, not his own. Kaien looked over at Uryu and Kazumi. Kisuke and Yoruichi opened the huge doors to the ballroom of the mansion they were in. Ichigo's finger flexed lightly.
"You tried to kill my wife and my daughter. You endangered my family. You nearly killed my best friend… now I'll kill you…" His voice was low, growling, dangerous.
"NO! ICHIGO!" Uryu dove for him as he pulled the trigger. Uryu threw himself onto his best friend's gun arm and threw the carrot-top to the ground. Ichimaru blinked, the bullet had gone right past his head.
"Ichimaru Gin… you are under arrest for embezzlement of funds, murder, kidnapping and for just pissing me off…" Toshiro clapped handcuffs onto the criminal and kicked him in the back onto his face, pinning him to the ground. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney…"
Ichigo struggled to sitting. "RUKIA?" He looked around, wild eyed. "WHERE IS RUKIA?" A yelp came from the doorway and a small form pummeled into his arms. He pressed his face into her hair, holding her tightly to his chest.
"Ichigo…" she sighed, tears didn't come this time… no… tears were not necessary.
"I have… something… I need to tell you…" He whispered in her ear. She nodded and buried her face into his neck.
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OMG TWO MORE CHAPTERS TO GO! That was exciting wasn't it… the next chapter we learn what Ichigo has been hiding from Rukia… for all these years…
Shalan