"Why'd you call me up here?" obviously pissed off Rukia slammed her hands onto the president's desk.

"Careful little woman, this desk is expensive!" Ichigo scooted Rukia's hands off and wiped off the parts she touched.

"Did you just called me 'little woman'?"

"Why? Are you claiming that you're tall?" "

You little," Rukia raised her fist to Ichigo as he shot out a hand, ready to block her attack.

"I got my lawyer on speed dial!" he threatened to her and Rukia scoffed.

"Kurosaki, I really need to work. Unlike you."

"Hey, I do work!"

"Sure you do."

"I told that red head of yours that I needed to talk with you and if he added more hours or deducted money from you because I took you away, I'd fire him." "

What?" Rukia looked at him with a slightly surprised face. He smiled at her sweetly.

"Anyways, I'd like to help both of our businesses, but I will also need your cooperation."

"Wouldn't it be easier to talk with the manager instead of me?"

"No," Ichigo leaned closer to Rukia, "I want your help. Not Mr. Red head guy."

"Why would you want my help?"

"Because Rukia-chan, you came up with a brilliant idea that I was going to think of."

"Don't call me that."

"Feel free to call me Ichigo-chan," she grimaced at his suggestion, "well since we're both in need of more customers, I'd decided we'd help each other out and attract more customers."

"You want help from me, the coffee shop employee, not the manager, but employee."

"You stole my idea of attracting customers. Well you brought the idea up anyways." he shrugged his shoulders at her. Rukia groaned and placed her hands on her temples. She let out a big sigh and crossed her arms.

"This is a trick isn't it? Where are the hidden cameras? Kurosaki-"

"Ichigo." He interrupted her.

"Don't you dare interrupt me." She pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Sorry," he got out of his chair and walked over to her, "but really Rukia, I need your help."

"If this is a prank, you're dead."

"From the bottom of my heart to the top of my esophagus, I promise you it's not a joke Kuchiki Rukia." when he said that, he looked at her straight in the eyes. She looked at him with the same intensity, but broke away quickly and focused on the non-existent person to his right.

"Fine, but we need some guarantee."

"Go for it."

"If I help you, we'll get more workers."

"Fine. I'll help advertise," Ichigo shrugged his shoulders, "but what are you gonna do for me?" "

I'm obviously helping you."

"That helps the both of us."

"Then I'm not gonna help you." Rukia smirked smugly as Ichigo gives her a dirty look and returns to his seat.

"Since we're basically trusting each other, let's call each other by our first name."

"No."

"Then I'm not helping you." he imitated her way of words.

"Hey!" Rukia yelled at him and Ichigo imitated her face.

"Fine," she crossed her arms, "how much do we owe you?"

"For your fees? It's quite overwhelming, so I will spare you Rukia."

"Just tell me."

"That's all I need of you today. We'll meet again tomorrow."

"Hey, tell me the fees we owe right now!" she demanded. Ichigo chuckled. "No Rukia, get out of my office."

"I refuse to leave here until you tell me how much we owe you." She crossed her arms defiantly. Ichigo inwardly smiled and gave himself a pat on the back.

"Alright, I don't mind your accompany," Ichigo placed his feet on top of his desk, "shall I call the red head and tell him that you won't be going back to your workplace today?" he smiled at her. Rukia rolled her eyes and scoffed. She pivoted and walked off away from him.

"Hey! I thought you wanted to stay?! I didn't even tell you your fees yet, come back!" he cried while running after her. She opened the door and slammed it in front of him.

"Kyaaaa noooo!" A slightly high pitched scream was heard.

"Rukia!" Ichigo cried and pulled open the door to reveal Senna and Rukia. Senna stood there with coffee spilled all over herself and Rukia on the floor.

"Look at what you did to me! You ruined my outfit! Ichi-kun," Senna grabbed confused Ichigo's arm, "this girl ruined my new outfit I wore just for you!"

"Ichi-kun?" Ichigo confusingly looked at her. Rukia stood up and angrily turned to Senna and Ichigo.

"Ah, now that I take a closer look, you're just that girl from yesterday." Senna frowned at Rukia and held onto Ichigo's arm tighter. Rukia raised her eyebrow at the other girl's sudden action.

"Do I know you?"

"Don't you dare lie," Senna looked at Ichigo with fake doll-like innocent eyes, "Ichi-kun, she's the girl I reported yesterday. Is her business shut down yet? She's so rude."

"Tch," Rukia stepped closer to Senna, "were you the one who filed that phony complaint?"

"Ichi-kun, she's doing it again!" Senna hid her head in Ichigo's arms as Rukia scoffed at the pair.

"Kuroki-san, this is my business partner." Ichigo nudged Senna off. Rukia glared at Senna.

"Ichi-kun, she makes me uncomfortable. I feel uneasy being in the same room as someone who's in such a low class," She twirled her hair and tugged Ichigo's arm, "but if you take me to lunch, I'll forget that you'd ever talked to her."

"Sure," He shrugged his shoulders at Rukia and walked off with a squealing Senna. Rukia sneered at the two.

"Stupid rich ass good for nothing pair. I hope you both trip."

"...and it happened just like that! I know I also feel sorry for myself. She's so delinquent like and manly. Is she even a girl? Come to think of it-" Senna blabbered on swinging her fork in the air.

"Are you close with Rukia?" "

W-why?" Senna set down her fork slowly. Ichigo tossed her his phone.

"I need the number."

"M-my number?"

"No, Rukia's number, but if you can't provide it," he reached his hand out to Senna, "I want my phone back."

"What?! Why would you want her number? She's the one bothering me yesterday! I bet this is all her fault. Did she use black magic on you?"

"I have decided that since Rukia and I are going to be business partners, I'll need her phone so it'll be easier to contact her." Ichigo motioned for Senna to give him the phone back. She furiously punched in numbers into Ichigo's phone and handed it back to him.

"Since I'm already sort of like your girlfriend, I think I deserve to have a place in your phone."

"Sorry."

"Ichi-kun, it's only a matter of time before-"

"My dad's a bad influence on you isn't he? Did he tell you to say such things?"

"Dad? Your mom called me to come here." Senna picked up her fork and began to stab into a broccoli, unaware of Ichigo's face dropping. He chuckled bitterly.

"Kuroki-san, if you're trying to win my heart," he lifted her chin up with his hand. Surprised, Senna dropped her fork and stared at him wide-eyed.

"Is this the best you can do? Are you sure?" with that being said, he dropped his hand and got out of his seat.

"Ichi-kun, where are-"

"I forgot I already have an appointment today, but since you caught me off guard, this is the best I can do. Oh, by the way, it's ok for you to eat and order as much as you'd like. Bill it to the manager of this restaurant. It's my restaurant anyways so I'll take care of it." He turned and left behind a shocked Senna who just sat there dumbfounded, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"Peeling chestnuts, 5 cents per chestnut, 20,000 chestnuts to make 100," Rukia furiously scribbled into her notebook, "delivering bread, 6 dollars an hour," she slammed her head on the ordering counter.

" Monthly pay 1,000. Rent, 150, water bill. 200, electricity bill, 150. 350 to keep this place running. 150 at the end of this month. 2,000 in bank." Rukia sighed deeply and ruffled her hair angrily. She sat in fetal position and let out a muffled scream.

"Ku-kuchiki-san?" Yachiru nudged Rukia. Rukia looked up at her younger co-worker and slowly let herself go from fetal position. Yachiru glomped Rukia.

"Sorry Kuchiki-san. I'm so sorry! I made you work my position yesterday and you're already working extra hard," she sobbed intensely. Renji, who just entered the room with a box full of coffee beans, smiled at the two. He went back to his work and started to carry the box to the back.

"Kusajishi-san, it's really ok."

"No! You're going crazy now!"

"C-crazy?" a comical sweat drop appeared on Rukia's forehead.

"Yes, You're mumbling to yourself. You even forgot to steal Manager Renji's snacks for me! The ones in his-" Rukia covered Yachiru's mouth with her hands and Renji turned around. She lowered them on the floor so they won't be in sight of Renji.

"Shhh. I forgot Kusajishi-san, sorry. I'll get you snacks ok?" Yachiru nodded and Rukia took her hands off of her mouth. Rukia stood up quickly and looked the room for the manager.

"Thank you Kuchiki-san. I love you!" Yachiru yelled to her, but she suddenly looked at Rukia with surprised eyes.

"Just watch and make sure that manager isn't- OOF!" Rukia back's bumped into somebody. She quickly turned to apologize and found out, that somebody was Renji.

"Did you plan to ditch work Kuchiki?" he crossed his arms at her. She bowed down in apology.

"That's sad, I was about to ask if you wanted to go to Cayenne's concert." he faked frowned at her. Rukia's face lit up.

"Cayenne? As in the singer Cayenne? My Cayenne?"

"Ahh, but too bad, Kuchiki-san would rather ditch out on her hard work and ruin her chance of going to Cayenne's concert."

"Sorry," she bowed down and smiled, "but it was nice to know that I would've gone to see Cayenne sing."

"I was joking with you! I got an extra ticket, so I want you to go with me. You've been working extra hard this month so let's go." he grinned at her. Rukia's face lit up like a little kid.

"If you trick me I'll break your back old man!"

"Do you want me to not take you?"

"Manager Renji, how about me?" Yachiru cried from the register. Renji and Rukia turned back to the sulking teenager.

"You need to stop stealing my snacks."

"I've decided to lessen your dosage on your pills," Retsu Unohana, Ichigo's doctor, placed a pill bottle on his table, "you seem to be improving Ichigo."

"Thanks Retsu-sensei." he took the pill bottle and examined the label.

"I heard that you went on a blind date. How'd that go?"

"Did my old man blabber to you again? I'll kick his ass if he did." Ichigo closed his eyes and faked his angriness. Unohana giggled.

"I see, still holding a grudge against him. No, I have my ways Ichigo. Word goes around quick anyways. Do you still avoid tunnels and elevators?"

Ichigo didn't answer her for a long time. Mostly because he wanted to ignore the question.

"I take that as a no."

"Shut up. You're not certain of it anyways," he said.

"I see, I see. You're all big and 'grown up' now Ichigo." Unohana laughed at what she said as if it was the most comical thing ever.

"I don't plan on visiting her this year." Ichigo quietly says. There was a silence between the two.

"Go."

"What?"

"Show her what a fine young man you've become. Bow to her, next to your step-mother. Your mom is a kind and forgiving woman, she would know and understand you. She's always been that way. Oh and," Unohana-sensei hesitated, "when you were gone for college, you haven't visited once. She must've been lonely."

"Please don't bring that up." he said. There was a long and awkward silence between the two. Unohana broke the silence by sighing loudly and getting up from her seat. "I'll be leaving now Ichigo. When you visit your mother, please tell her I've been doing well."

"Yeah." he stared off into space, not bothering to look at Unohana in the eyes.

"Bye-bye Ichigo-chan. I better not hear of you overdosing your pills," she gave him a deathly smile/glare in which he sweat dropped, "ah, and I heard that Kaien is coming back into town. Are you going to attend his concert?"

"I wouldn't go even if he paid me to."

*AN: Sorry for the slightly shorter chapter TT^TT

I just can't stick with one idea and I really want to make a good chapter for you guys.

Great job to SvetlanaSparkle for being the first one to spot that this was based on Secret Garden.

Thank you to all of you who review~ Your positive reviews are my motivation!