Rukia heard her brother's sharp intake of breath, but his expression remained unchanged. She quickly snapped her head toward the entrance. Her mouth hung open as she wordlessly stared at the newcomer.

How had he--? she asked herself, incredulous at his impeccable timing. It had taken her years to get Byakuya to look at her--to acknowledge her. It was the first time the elder Kuchiki had ever addressed her like she was someone other than a stranger. The one time she had finally gotten somewhere with the family heir and...he blows it. Incredible!

"Ichigo! How dare you address nii-san in such a manner!" she spat. Her hands were tightly balled into fists as her violet eyes flashed their disdain.

Ichigo looked at her incredulously. He had expected a much kinder welcome from her. He quickly assessed the situation: Rukia standing as Byakuya kneeled next to her, his desk littered with paperwork. What is going on here? he thought to himself.

"Oh, Midget, you're here too. Good," he nodded.

"Answer my question!" Rukia roared, walking toward him. She was sure she would pummel him if she got her hands on him. "You do not address him so informally!" she warned.

"Ok, fine. Whatever. But, you may not say that after you hear this," he waved his hands in the air. He let his eyes quickly fall over her small frame. Her white kimono snugly hugged her slender body. It revealed more of the creamy skin of her shoulders as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her dark hair kissed her neck. He quickly swallowed as he met her angry, amethyst glare.

"How dare you! You will explain yourself…NOW!" she hissed. She hugged her arms tighter to her chest. "And you will do so, respectfully, as you are in a noble household." She noticed his chest was heaving, had he been running? Had something happened? She quickly pushed the worry aside, replacing it with her original anger. She tapped her foot nervously.

"Rukia," Byakuya's deep voice interrupted her thoughts, "Could you please leave us?"

Rukia did not look over her shoulder. She simply resigned herself, "Yes, nii-san, er, Byakuya." Her feet swiftly carried her from the room. As she brushed past Icihgo, she refused to meet his tortured eyes.

So he had allowed her to utter his first name. How perfect. This is going to be much more difficult than I expected, the orange-haired shingami thought to himself. He reached out and stopped her by firmly grabbing her arm. "No! Stay, Rukia. You need to hear this." Something about his tone made her look at his face. It was filled with a mixture of longing, anger, betrayal, and…no, not that! Her eyes fell to where his hand was burning into her skin through the silky coolness of her kimono.

He followed her gaze, quickly releasing her arm. His voice dictated his seriousness. "Trust me," he whispered. She nodded slightly. She did trust him. With her life. She had a sudden urge to tell him this. Why was he invoking such silly feelings…right now? She paused in the doorway, waiting to hear him out.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, I assume this is important. I wish to remind you that you have trespassed on private property, and the penalty will be grave," the raven-haired Kuchiki male stood as his voice oozed his silent threat.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Byakuya," Ichigo muttered. "You need to explain why you have been holding Rukia back?" He glared at the dark haired captain.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, so he knows, he thought. He masked his curiosity as he spoke, "I do not need to explain anything to you."

"No, not to me...," he let his eyes fall on Rukia. She was looking at the floor, taking in the two men's conversation. "But you will explain it to her!"

Rukia quickly spun on heel, as she looked from one man to the other, "W-what's the meaning of this? What does this have to do with me?"

"Kurosaki, do not speculate on things you do not understand. It is a family matter," he explained.

"That's bullshit and you know it!" Ichigo hissed. "I know that you've been preventing Rukia from earning her rightful seat in the Thirteenth Division!" He glared at Byakuya.

"Ichigo, that can't be true!" Rukia's voice was shrill—more so than she wished.

Ichigo tore his eyes from Byakuya. "It is true, Rukia. He has been doing everything in his selfish power to prevent you from climbing the ranks. He's been using his nobility to bully everyone into ignoring your strength and your contributions. You've earned a position a long time ago, and no one has been able to tell you that. They haven't been able to praise you or commend you—too afraid of hearing from him!" Ichigo pointed toward Byakuya, who was watching the scene, silently. "Instead, he's left you to feel like you've amounted to nothing. Like you aren't strong enough! I see what it's done to you, Rukia! I see how you struggle with confidence, afraid that you are an embarrassment to the Kuchiki family. You are no embarrassment. You are the strongest shinigami…no, strongest person that I know! And I wish you could see that!" His face was reddening from the speed at which he was talking. He quickly sucked in a much-needed breath.

Rukia stared, wide eyed, as she took in all of what Ichigo was saying—no, what he was confessing. Had he always thought this way about her? She opened her mouth to speak, to answer these accusations. What would she say? She had always suspected that her adopted family's name had hindered how people interacted with her. But, she never suspected her brother would intentionally prevent her from earning a rank. It was he who had always asked her if she had attained a seat. He had always seemed so disappointed when she responded that she hadn't. Maybe…she thought, maybe it was…relief. Or satisfaction.

"Enough," Byakuya interrupted, his tone calm. His face did not betray his thoughts. "You are being facetious, and it will only hurt my sister."

"Facetious? What does that mean? " Ichigo sputtered. "And I'm not lying!" He turned to Rukia, his eyes searching her amethyst depths. "I'm telling the truth! Your own captain told me all of this!"

Rukia tore her eyes from Ichigo's face. In that instant, she knew that he truly believed what he was telling her. Had Ukitake really shared this information with him? Was it true? My own brother? "Nii-sama, this…he's..not lying, is he?" she murmured, studying Byakuya's reaction.

He sighed, "Rukia, you don't really believe this nonsense, do you?"

"Nonsense? Nonsense?" Ichigo roared. "You are the one who drove Rukia disappear for months just to train with Kisuke! And why? Just because she didn't feel she was worthy enough! And she would have went to Hueco Mundo by herself had I not found Renji!"

"It seems your feelings for my sister are unsuitable," Byakuya replied smoothly. "She is of noble blood."

"What??" Ichigo spat. He quickly understood Byakuya's sudden change of topic. "Of course I care about her. I care about how she feels, even though she's too afraid to tell me. I cared when she left. I worried that something happened to her. But you…you are too worried about your stupid 'noble' name to care about how Rukia feels. Or how you made her feel!" He stood there, his hand on his zanpakuto, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

Rukia could feel her face redden. Why were they suddenly talking about her as if she was not there? "Enough!" came her strained command. She stepped away from Ichigo, her eyes on her brother. "Explain why he is saying these things, brother."

"I already told you, it's pure nonsense," the Kuchiki replied.

"I don't doubt him," Rukia pointed out. "And I doubt him even less if he says that my captain told him this. I fully trust Captain Ukitake."

Byakuya met Rukia's stare. "There is nothing further to discuss!"

"You are a fucking liar!" Ichigo hissed as he stepped past Rukia and grabbed the front of Byakuya's haori.

"Ichigo!" Rukia wailed, "Remove your hands from him!"

"I will not!" he replied slowly, his grip tightening. "Not until he tells you the truth. I don't care if he admits it to me, but he should at least have the balls to admit it to you!"

"Why are you fighting so much for my sister, Ichigo?" came the slight sneer. "What is she to you? Do you really think you can hope to attain a noble's heart?"

Ichigo's hand trembled slightly, as his voice shook with rage. "She almost died. Did you know that?" He could tell from the faint flicker of worry that crossed the young Kuchiki's face that he did not. "No? Of course you didn't. You know nothing about her, Byakuya. Yeah, she almost died just so she could protect both me and Renji. And do you know why? Because she doesn't feel as if she's good enough or strong enough! Now if you'd get off of your high horse and---"

"ENOUGH!" Rukia screamed, as tears sprang to her eyes. She hadn't realized that Ichigo could tell how much she hurt inside. She had never discussed it with him, bottling it tightly within her. Hearing him tell Byakuya all of this just hurt too badly. "I don't want to hear anymore!"

Byakuya cleared his throat, "Get your hands off of me."

"Fine," Ichigo scoffed, letting go of the nobleman's haori. "Fine. But you don't deserve to have her for a sister."

Rukia couldn't believe what Ichigo was saying--had he come all the way here just to say this? She felt a small piece of triumph by the way he defended her to Byakuya. She couldn't deny the warm satisfaction his words elicited. Her thoughts were interrupted by her brother's voice.

"Rukia, is what Ichigo tells me true? All because you think you are not strong enough or are an embarrassment to our family?" His voice cut through the thick hostility as he softly spoke to his adopted sister.

"I—I…," she began, lowering her eyes to the floor. She wasn't expecting this sudden change in Byakuya's attitude. She had seen the brief flicker of realization as Ichigo shouted in his face, but she didn't think he would address them. Not in front of Ichigo, at least. She took a deep breath as she mustered her courage. "Yes," she whispered, not meeting his eyes. "Well, sort of."

"'Sort of' is not an acceptable answer," Byakuya murmured. He did not adjust his disheveled clothes. His eyes studied the younger Kuchiki. "What drove you to do such a thing? It could have cost you your life. And more so, it was irresponsible of me to allow you such freedom to do as you please. I had only intended to protect you, not drive you to partake in such behaviors."

"Protect me?" Rukia echoed softly, as she met her brother's eyes. "Protect me from what?"

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes as if contemplating his answer. "It was a promise that I had made," he began to explain. "To Hisana…to your sister."

"Hisana?" she whispered.

Byakuya nodded, as he cast a warning glare at Ichigo. It was a silent warning to not interrupt what he was about to share. "Ichigo is telling you the truth. I am disappointed that Jushiro so candidly shared that information with him, but I cannot deny the truth in what he is saying. I admit that it was I who have prevented you from attaining a seated position."

"But why--?" Rukia cried out. The betrayal didn't sting as much as she thought it would.

Byakuya raised a hand, closing his eyes. He was pained at Rukia's dismay. "Because I thought I was helping you. Not hurting you. I promised Hisana that I would watch over you, always. That I would protect you. I had been so set on keeping that promise, I hadn't taken your feelings into consideration. I can see what I have driven you to do. Furthermore, you have almost lost your life because of my stubbornness. And I was not there to protect you. Thankfully others were." He cast a quick glance at Ichigo. He would exchange words—or blows—later.

"I…I…don't care about becoming a lieutenant, or captain," she explained. "I thought I was disappointing you, nii-sama."

Her sudden formality stung Byakuya. He had not intended to hurt her, only to protect her as he had promised. It was a promise on which he had sworn his life. "You have never disappointed me, Rukia. You are so much like your sister; I see her in you every day. As I said, you are all I have left of her. Of my pride. I could not risk putting you in danger. Though I see that your adventures with this misfit often leads you to such."

Ichigo realized Byakuya was talking about him. "Hey—what? Misfit?" He reached for his zanpakuto. "How dare you try to make this about something other than your stupid pride. You drove her to this, Byakuya!" His eyes flashed his rage as his fingers tightened their grip around Zangetsu's hilt.

"Stop it!" Rukia growled. "Now!" Her eyes were closed, as tears fell down her cheeks. Her hands were tightly balled into little fists, her knuckles white. "Neither of you have any idea!" she spat. She opened her eyes; they glistened with emotion. "You are both wrong! I didn't do anything for anyone other than myself!"

"Midget! What are you saying?" Ichigo gaped at her sudden outburst. It was unusual for her to be this emotional.

"Shut up, Ichigo!" she hissed. "I did this for myself! I'm tired of being protected by my friends—my family. I'm tired of seeing my loved ones hurt just to protect me! Do you have any idea what it's like to feel so useless? To feel so weak? I wanted to become stronger, that's why I left! Yes, maybe I should have told you my reasoning, but I was embarrassed and ashamed at how worthless I felt…" she trailed off, as her face reddened from her outburst.

Byakuya stood, silently listening to what his sister was confessing. He remembered what it was like to feel weak and helpless—it was what drove him to become a captain. "I understand," his smooth voice confided.

"What?" Ichigo asked, incredulous at his confession. He was also just as surprised by Rukia's. It hurt him to know that she did not feel comfortable confiding these feelings in him. He had always believed they were closer than that. He had told her about his regret in being unable to help his mother, which resulted in her death. He had shared everything with her. Almost.

Byakuya nodded. "I wasn't always a captain, Rukia," he answered, ignoring Ichigo's outburst. "It took time, and much training. A lot of blood and sweat was lost in order for me to grow stronger. I, too, watched friends come to harm around me. I know what it's like to feel as you say. But, it takes time, and patience. It took centuries for me to become stronger. And I still feel weak and helpless at times."

"You do?" Rukia whispered, her eyes watching Byakuya's face.

He nodded, "I do. Especially if something were to happen to you." While I was not around.

"Oh," she replied. She suddenly understood why he had been opposed to her increase in rank. She understood the meaning of his words. Even the strongest of shinigami could feel weak when harm came to their closest friends and relatives. She felt guilty at her sudden desire to become stronger, and its toll on her friends and family. "I'm sorry, nii-san."

"Byakuya," he corrected.

"What? She can call you by your first name, and I get yelled at?" Ichigo asked in disbelief.

"You are not worthy," Byakuya replied, his mouth twitching into a slight smirk.

"Asshole," Ichigo whispered under his breath. "OW! What the f—" he began.

"You cannot address him like that!" Rukia bellowed, as she landed another punch to Ichigo's stomach. He doubled over in pain.

Byakuya risked a small smile. "Rukia, I have some paperwork to finish before my meeting. Could you please escort your friend outside the manor. We can talk about this privately, later. If that is acceptable to you, that is."

Rukia nodded, as she violently grabbed Ichigo by his ear. Tears sprung to his eyes from the pain. "Hey Midget!" he yelped.

She tugged harder, forcing him to follow her through the courtyard. "Stupid idiot!" she grumbled, as she finally let go on her relentless grip.

"That hurt, dammit!" Ichigo growled, rubbing his sore ear. He glared down at her as she set her hands on her hips. Her lower lip slightly jutted out.

"You deserved it for the way you barged in here! You realize you could be punished for this?" her voice was strained as her violet eyes flashed.

"Don't you even care that he just admitted to sabotaging you? Are you just going to let him get away with it?" Ichigo asked, incredulously.

"Of course I care, but what can I do? Was it wrong of him? Yes, I think so. But, I understand why he did it! I can't punish him for being concerned about me, can I?" she retorted.

"I-I was w-worried, too!" he stuttered. He was suddenly unable to find the words he had repeated in his head on the trip to the Kuchiki Manor. His confidence was failing him.

"Worried? About what?" she scoffed, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You!" he yelped. His ear was still throbbing.

"Me? Worried about me in my own home?" she bellowed.

"Well, er…I didn't know what was going on," he pointed out. "You left without telling me anything. Again!" he could feel his anger rising in his chest.

"I didn't know I had to report to you, Ichigo! Who do you think you are?" she laughed haughtily. "My boyfriend?" Her eyes suddenly widened, as she realized what she had just said.

Ichigo's heart froze, as he stared down at her. He swallowed his anger, replacing it with the sting of her words. "No," he whispered. "I do not think that."

"I..I'm s-sorry," Rukia replied, her face reddening at her outburst. "I didn't mean it, Ichigo…" Before she could continue with her apology, he was cupping her face in the palm of his hand. He roughly crashed his lips down on hers. His mind reeled with the mixture of emotions that he was feeling as his body responded beyond his control.

She didn't push him away, despite her surprise at his sudden movement. Her lips were slightly cool and soft. He pressed his lips against her. Harder. She gasped at his intent, and he took advantage of the slight parting of her lips.

She felt her body respond, confused by the sudden feelings that clouded her thoughts. What was she doing? He pulled her against him, his warm body felt delicious against her cold, slender frame. She could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest. She melted into his touch, her body knowingly responding to his lips' aggression. His tongue darted into her mouth, and she responded with equal enthusiasm. She reached her small hands toward his head, tangling them in his orange hair. She pulled on his locks, as he softly growled against her lips.

"I love you," he whispered into her mouth.

Panic swept through her, as she realized what they were doing. "No, Ichigo!" she breathlessly whispered, as she pushed against his chest. She broke away from his mouth, her face flushed.

"Why not?" he was breathing heavily, his eyes falling to her mouth. He lowered his head, brushing his lips against her, softly this time. His hungry passion had subsided, replaced with a tender calm.

She closed her eyes, as a fiery jolt sprang through her body. "We…we can't!" she whined. She pushed against his body more forcefully.

"Huh?" he looked at her, confused. His eyes were filled with desire...and torture! It broke her heart to see him so vulnerable.

"This…it isn't right." she squeaked, her resolve crumbling before her. The hurt she could see in his eyes would haunt her for centuries.

"How is it 'not right'? I care about you, Rukia. I've felt this way for a long time. It has been agonizing that I couldn't just tell you how I felt! Then you left, and I had never felt so lonely in my entire life! I looked everywhere for you, but you had just disappeared. I never expected that you could just do that to me! Then I realized why you left! Because of how you felt, but why didn't you tell me? I would have understood. I could have helped you! You've helped me so many times before, why couldn't you depend on me?" his voice was rising, as he hands moved more emphatically with each question. "And, for the record, you are not weak. I've never once thought that about you. Ever! I protect my friends because I care, not because I think they need protected!"

She suddenly felt ashamed at her selfishness. She hadn't known she would hurt him so badly by leaving. "You don't know what you are saying!" she retorted, as her mind frantically raced for excuses.

"I know exactly what I am saying, Rukia! And I know you feel the same way!" his voice was filled with conviction, though his eyes betrayed it. She could see the concern and uncertainty etched in their warm depths.

He had just told her that he loved her! It was a serious proclamation. His voice was filled with confidence in the three words, but her heart warned her to be wary. "I do not," she replied, trying to keep her voice as steady as she could.

"You are lying!" he spat. "I know you are!"

"I am not," she calmly replied, meeting his eyes. "I do not…feel that way toward you, Ichigo." It was a lie. She knew it by the way her stomach turned when she uttered those hateful words, or the way she could wished to feel his lips on hers. Rukia could feel the tears stinging the backs of her eyes. She had never expected him to come crashing through the doors of her home, confessing his love to her. Never in a million years.

"Is..is it because of Ashido? Do you have feelings for him?" he asked, confusion clouding his voice. He could feel the panic rising in his throat. Maybe Kisuke was wrong, maybe she does love him!

She shook her head. "No. Ashido is my friend, nothing more. I simply made a promise to him."

"Then, why are you saying this?" His question was filled pain.

"Because it is true," she answered. She avoided the desolation and hurt that shone in his eyes. It was all she could do to keep from throwing her arms around his neck and confessing her feelings to him. Silly, stupid girl. You go and fall in love with a living soul! Not just any living soul, either. One that has immense potential as a shinigami. One that she helped to become a shinigami. This was all her fault. She was causing him pain.

"Go home, Ichigo," she whispered. "Go back to your family. Your friends. Your life."

"You are my life!" he bellowed, his eyes stinging with tears. "How—how can you say this?" his voice was almost..pleading. "I thought--," he began. His eyes fell on the tiny ice crystals that were forming on his shinigami uniform. She is not maintaining proper control of her spiritual energy, he silently confirmed. It was unlike her. He opened his mouth to argue, but she interrupted.

"You thought wrong," she raised her eyes to his, mustering as much conviction as she could. "Go home," she commanded as she turned to walk way.

"When will I see you again?" he called out, his tone filled still hopeful.

She shrugged, keeping her back to him. "I"ll see you when I see you," she coolly replied. With that, she walked toward the large mansion, leaving Ichigo at the gate of the Kuchiki Manor.

He had laid his heart in his hands, and she had broken it into a tiny million pieces. She could feel his uncontrolled reiatsu disappear as he fled home. She felt relieved that he had gone so willingly; she had half-expected him to put up a much greater fight.

No, she told herself, it's better that he gave up so easily. This way, she thought, he can't see me.

She didn't want him to see the tears that would fall for the next century.

A/N: Don't forget to review! Sorry I was gone for so long. I enjoyed a few days away after my exam. Thanks for your patience!


AND CAN I SAY HOLY CRAP: over 100 reviews!! Thank you ALL. SO very very much! Here is my gift to you!

(some of you have been waiting for this since CH 1)