(A/N)-This chapter will mostly focus on Rukia…and I know it's really early in the game, but I think I'm going to introduce all the characters problems, but have them only tell each other. I know in the anime that Ichigo didn't tell Rukia about his mother for a while and the Ichigo didn't find out about Hisana for a while either (if he even knows.) but I just feel to make this chapter work, they must know. So prepare for some really emotional stuff…haha I'm sorry if I make you cry.

As always, thanks to wakamurasaki jie.

P.S.-I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long to come out…I'm going through some really, really, really bad times right now…it's been hard for me to get away and actually have the energy and the will to write…so I'm very sorry

Rukia

Little to Rukia's knowledge, Ichigo had two little sisters, Karin and Yuzu. Lucky for her, Yuzu was around the same size, so Rukia was able to borrow clothes from her. Sitting on the bed in the guest room they had so graciously given her, she thought about what had happened that night. Kon was running around sniffing the unknown area, but when he sensed that Rukia was feeling uneasy, he abandoned his explorations and hopped up to comfort her. She laughed and starting to pet him, earning her a large amount of purring before there was a light knock on the door.

"Come in…" she said, thinking about standing up, but not caring when she saw a bright orange head pop in.

"Are you ok? Do you need anything?" Ichigo asked her from the door way.

"No…I think I'm ok. The only thing I would like would be some company, but Kon here is doing the job." She said with a laugh.

"I can sit here and talk if you want…" he said looking away with a slight blush.

Rukia just looked at the man standing in front of her. Why was he being so nice? She really did want someone to talk to…and he could answer her better than the cat could. She gave him a small smile and nodded, "Sure…I'd really like for you to sit with me."

He looked around and, seeing as there were no chairs in the room, sat precariously on the edge of the bed. Rukia was leaning on the head board at the very front of the bed, curled up in a very small ball, with Kon in her lap. They didn't touch, and for a while they were completely silent and not looking at each other. Finally, Rukia spoke,

"I think you've already figured it out, but I'm not related to anyone over at the Inoue house hold…

14 years ago, when I was 3, my parents died. They were murdered and it left me and my older sister out alone in the world. My sister was 12 years older than me, and by the time I was 4, she had married someone who actually loved her dear and helped up. 6 months after the wedding, my sister got very sick. A year later, when I was 5, she died. The sickness claimed her life, and in his grief, her husband, Byakuya Kuchiki, ran. I tried to chase after him, calling his name and yelling at him as best a 5 year old could. But he finally outran me, and I was lost. I had chased him into the forest, and after a few hours, found my way back. I then wandered around town for 2 days, calling out my sisters' name and Byakuya's name. One day, I gave up and sat on the park bench and cried…

That's when Orihime, 3 at the time, found me and brought me to her parents. They had asked me what was wrong and I told them that my sister and brother had left. They asked where they went, and I remember saying 'I don't know sir…my brother ran into the woods and my sister is still in bed at our house, but she won't open her eyes or talk or eat anything! And she's very, very cold, no matter how many blankets I put on her.' At the time, I had no idea she had died, but the parents knew. They asked me what I've been doing, and I said looking for my brother. The dad had sighed and got down on his knee and looked me straight in the face. 'Little girl, your sister had died. As for your brother, well, I don't know what's happened to him, but I don't think he'll be coming back. Why don't you come with us…u look like you could use a good meal and a hot bath.'…

And that was that…I've lived with them for 12 years. Orihime and I became really good friends. But I have no idea what got into her last night. She was crazy. She was making up some stupid story of how she found us in a compromising position and that we were doing "dirty" things. I don't get her. She knows I can't be married off unless someone of my family approves. And seeing as I don't even know if my brother is alive or not, then I'm just out right fucked! And I am in no way a whore, no matter what she says. We didn't do anything wrong, she's just a prissy ass little princess that thinks everything in the whole freaking world should go by her rule."

Ichigo

Ichigo just stared at the fuming girl in front of him, amazed that she just went and told him what happened in her life, and then proceeds to start cussing out the daughter of the people that took her in.

"Why would she do that?" he asked.

"I have no idea; we've been like sisters since we were both very young. And now she wants nothing to do with me. And she told the most horrific lies I've ever heard. And of course, the parents would pick her over me, she's their daughter…but it still hurts. They've been like a family to me and for them to just throw me out on the street like I'm nobody hurts…"

Ichigo sighed and wondered what was up with the girl. She went from completely sad, to raving mad, then back to sad again. It didn't make sense. He looked at her now as she was petting the orange cat and before he even knew what he was doing, the words were spilling out of his mouth…

"My mother died when I was 10. My sisters were both 5 and they were heartbroken. My dad tried to play it cool, but I knew he was hurt also. And…it was all my fault. I was…I was supposed to protect her. It was my duty to, my job almost. Dad had said to me before we left 'watch over your mother son, she's the only one you'll ever have.' So I knew it was my duty to protect her, and I wasn't scared. My mother was my most favorite person in the entire world. Every time I was sad, she would be there to comfort me and make me laugh…the same for my sisters, too. But I failed to do my job that day.

We had been in the market getting food because we were going to make a really nice dinner that nice to just surprise the rest of the family. We spent hours there just looking at everything and walking around and having a good time. By the time we had finished with everything, it was getting close to dark and we had a lot of bags. Not wanting my mother to carry all of them, I took more than I should have and pretended that they weren't heavy. We started walking home, turning onto the street just one away from the house.

By then it was really dark and the street was deserted. All of a sudden, a man walked out from one of the alley ways between the houses and started walking our way. He passed us without a second glance, but then all of a sudden, he turned and tried to grab me. Of course…mom wouldn't have that, so she dropped her groceries and grabbed his arm in an attempt to hold him away. The man turned on her and plunged a knife into her stomach. She let out a pained scream and fell on top of me. Then man just stared for a second, then turned around and ran. I pushed myself out from underneath my mother and started to shake her. When she didn't move, I started crying and yelling really loudly. But by the time anyone came outside, the rain was already pouring down and washing away my tears and her blood. The town officer was called and he took me home to my dad and told him the bad news…and I was there knowing that it was all my fault. My dad had told me not to blame myself, but there was no way that I couldn't." with that statement, Ichigo trailed off with a far off look in his eyes. He looked down when he felt a slight warmth on his arm and looked down into the knowing and compassionate eyes of Rukia.

Rukia

His eyes had looked so hurt that she couldn't help but try and comfort him. She glanced out the window and noticed it was raining, and knew that whenever it rained, this poor man could only see his mother dying. Without thinking, she moved in slow motion to lay her small hand on his arm, somehow trying to give him a little comfort. When she touched him, she instantly felt a tiny better, and when he came back to the world and looked her right in the eye, she felt safe. She thought of moving her hand, but then felt something enclose it. She glanced down to see Ichigo's hand on top of hers. With her head bent staring at the hands, she felt Ichigo's other arm come around her waist and his head fall lightly on top of hers. She knew that they shouldn't be in this position, and much less on a bed, but she couldn't help it. After 12 years of being alone and pitied, she finally felt some warmth and security. He mumbled something in her hair, but she couldn't hear because she was too focused on the warm feeling of his body next to hers and the fact that when he spoke, his lips were moving across her hair.

"Hmm? What was that Ichigo?"

He lifted his head off hers just an inch to say "You should probably go to bed; you've had a long night." And with that, he pulled his head away fully and removed his arm from her waist. When she looked up at him to say good night, all the words died from her lips. Closing her eyes for a second, she thought of something to say to him when she felt the soft press of his lips to her forehead. When they lifted, she slowly opened her eyes to stare into his smoldering amber ones. But then suddenly, the intensity was gone and was replaced by a look of easy going-ness with a small amount of desire and longing.

"Good night Rukia. I hope you sleep well and feel better in the morning. Ill see you then." He got up from the bed then and tilted his head a bit in her way. She leaned back on her shins and watched as he turned and walked out the door. She just stared at her door. She had just spilled her life story with a man she's only known for a day. And worse than that, he had told her his, and they had been there to comfort each other. Were they both crazy? Was she crazy? She knew she shouldn't stay long here. She knew that when she turned 18 in a month that she would try and find Byakuya by herself. She couldn't afford to have anyone come with her and she didn't know how long shed be gone. She leaned back on her head board again and brought her knees to her chin. The sad thing was she didn't want to leave. Was she crazy?

Ichigo

Was he crazy? He closed his eyes and leaned back against her door, letting out a slow, shuddering breath. Without even thinking, he had told this girl his entire life story after listening to hers, and then, he had grabbed her and held on, for the first time since that dreadful night 8 years ago, trying to hold back tears that he sure as hell wasn't going to let fall. And, he had only known her for a day! But it had just come naturally. He hadn't even thought of it before he started speaking. And once he had started, he couldn't stop. And she hadn't started crying or feeling sorry for him, she had just known the pain he was feeling and she didn't try to feel bad for him. She had tried to comfort him. And damn it if it didn't feel right to just hold her.

I won't let you be hurt again. You will never know pain, physically, or emotionally.

They were the words he had whispered into her hair. He knew she didn't hear him though. She would have reacted with more than a "hmm". He shouldn't have said anything at all. Hell he shouldn't have even gone into the room, but he had heard her mumbling to her cat. And the look she had given him when he found her on the street had said it all. She was hurt, she was lost, and she didn't know what to do. So he had to help her. Besides, he already knew he liked her a lot. He didn't know about love quiet yet, but he wanted to marry her for gads sake, so love would come soon enough. With a sigh, he unattached himself from the door and stood straight. With a tiny glance at the door behind him, he walked off down the hall to his bedroom, to hopefully sleep off this crazy and eventful night.

Rukia

She woke to sunlight streaming onto her face from the nearby window, and a hungry orange cat pawing at her face and mewling pitifully.

"All right, all right, I'm up, I'm up, are you happy now? Sheesh…" she complained as she slowly uncurled herself from the warm bed as a happy Kon jumped around on the floor, meowing his head off. She tried to remember if she had brought any cat food with her. She looked around the room for her bag, then remembered she had been so tired and shocked last night that she had left it in the front room. She grabbed the small robe hanging from one of the posts at the end of the bed. Tying it around her waist, she surveyed the room they had given her.

It wasn't as big as the house at Orihime's and it didn't have a piano, but she liked it. It was small, yes, but had a more room feel to it. The floor was a nice tan colored carpet while the walls were a deep forest green. There was a large window facing opposite the door with the queen sized bed covered in tan sheets that were rumpled from Rukia's sleep. To the right of the bed stood the dresser and a little end table that had a small vase of small pink flowers. Other than that, there was nothing else in the room. With one final glance around, Kon and she left to go find the missing bag and cat food.

As she walked down the carpeted hallway, she glanced at the other doors and wondered where they went. Walking by one, she heard a two voices coming from the other side.

"I think Ichi-nii really likes the Ms. Kuchiki!"

"Yuzu, you're crazy, they just met."

"But Karin, he did nothing but look at her the entire time she was here, and I even heard then talking in her room when I was walking out of the bathroom!"

"Ok, Yuzu, keep believing that."

After that, the voices got quiet. Rukia was a little taken aback, but let it go. Kon was starting to whine, as only a cat of his standards can. She shook her head a bit and kept walking. Descending the stairs, she noticed her back in the living room area on one of the chairs. She hurried over to the chair and grabbed her back while the cat jumped excitedly. Turning around, she took a step forward until she ran into something hard. Whatever it was apparently had arms that came to snake around her waist. Looking up, she saw the half asleep face of none other than Ichigo. He was looking at her with half closed eyes and an expression that showed he had no clue who she was. Clearing her throat to get his attention was a good idea.

"Ichigo, you in there?" she asked, knocking lightly on his chest

Recognition hit his eyes as he looked at her more closely. With a few inaudible grumbles, he leaned his head down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Then just like that, he let her go and made his way to the kitchen. Rukia just stayed there and watched his retreating back. Holding the cheek he just kissed, she thought to herself

This is going to get so much worse