A/N: Thanks for all your great comments, sorry about the suspense! Glad your liking it, I don't own Bleach !

Chapter 5

Renji's blood boiled and his anger became too hard to control as he saw that perverted bastard touching his Rukia, she was sobbing as she begged him to stop, his strong hold pinning her down painfully. She tried to scream but he silenced her with his foul mouth, Renji couldn't believe he had allowed this to happen to her- it was all his fault, if he hadn't screwed up in the first place. He looked into her saddened and disbelieving eyes as she gasped his name in a shocked whisper, it broke his heart to see her so vulnerable and afraid, his face hardened as he looked down at the lowlife in question, "get your filthy hands off her" he growled, the lowlife looked up at him and grinned widely, "make me" he said in a teasing voice. Renji's body now shook with uncontrollable anger, he flash stepped so fast he became a mere blur, all that could be seen was a crimson streak, the painful grunts and the spurt of dark, metallic blood. In seconds the boy was lying groaning at Renji's feet, his eyes were wide with shock and full of fear as he held a long, bleeding gash that ran across his abdomen. Renji stood triumphantly over his body, his zanpakuto slung over his shoulder as he looked down at the trembling Rukia, her eyes were wide with shock. He looked down on his handy work and smirked smugly at the badly beaten man "please, don't kill me" the man begged hysterically as he stared frantically into Renji's hard eyes. Renji gave a hearty laugh 'man, your pathetic! I ain't gonna kill ya if you scram quickly" he then crouched down until his face was directly in front of the man's his eyes were dark and his mouth was pulled into a grimace "and don't even think about coming back, she's mine, you get it?" the man nodded frantically before dragging his body up from the floor and stumbling away, towards a group of younger men who were gathered in the town centre.

She couldn't believe how fast he'd beat that boy, all she saw was a flash red, then the boy screamed before falling-hard too, it had happened in seconds! And now his goofy face was full of pride and unresolved hurt, she should have been mad or even scared- but she wasn't, her body didn't even so much as tremble! She couldn't keep thinking about what he'd said to that boy "she's mine" it filled her heart with hope and joy, she wondered if he really did see her just as his friend? Despite what she'd just witnessed she could only ever feel love for Renji, no matter what he did. She smiled at him and her eyes softened, she took his offered hand and pulled herself up, when she was finally back on her feet she realised that her uniform was still open and more flesh than necessary was exposed to a furiously blushing Renji. "Well don't just stand there staring you pervert, turn around" she said in an annoyed tone as she began to fix herself, a deep blush smothering her usually pale cheeks, whilst trying to keep what little dignity she had left. When she was all decent again she tapped him lightly on his tensed and muscled shoulder, he immediately turned to face her with eyes full of unreadable emotion and pulled her into a bone crushing embrace, almost suffocating poor Rukia! She blushed against his chest, she loved being in Renji's arms she felt as though she belonged there, "don't ever scare me like that again Rukia" he said softly before reluctantly letting go of her, he loved the feel of her in his arms, it felt so right and natural, like she was meant to be there. "I'm sorry" she whispered, a hard lump formed in her throat as thick, salty tears welled in her eyes, he looked down at her and gave her a small, goofy smirk "don't apologise idiot, c'mon we'd best be getting back" she nodded before falling into a brisk walk behind him as they made their way s back through the small town.

They had been walking for some time before they head shouting, they turned to look behind them to see a group of boys shouting and running towards them, they stopped as they let the boys to catch up to them, the boys were tall and extremely menacing, not as menacing as Renji could be, but definitely a close competition! Rukia wouldn't like to get on the wrong side of them, by the looks of it they knew how to fight, they each sported a set of scars and grazes that certainly came from many years of heavy fighting. "What's up fellas?" Renji said casually as the boys stopped in front of them, they panted from the running, sweat covered their scarred foreheads "our..friend...beaten...by a.. soul reaper" they gasped out, looking at Renji and Rukia suspiciously eyeing their clothes before one of them eventually spotted Renji's Zabimaru. Their faces contorted into pure rage, they pointed at Renji and shouted "YOU! GET HIM LADS!" Rukia looked at Renji worriedly, his face was contorted into an annoyed grimace as he reached back into his obi for the hilt of his Zabimaru and panicked as he felt only cloth beneath his fingers. Looking down quickly he saw that his Zabimaru was gone! Renji snapped his head up, his eyes wide with shock and anger as he saw one of the largest men of the group (most probably the leader) holding his Zabimaru with the smuggest look on his distorted face. "Hey, asshole give that back" Renji half-shouted, but his command fell on the deaf ears as the boy tightened his grip on the large zanpakuto, "come get it, soul reaper" he dragged out his words, mocking Renji, riling him up. Rukia knew that things were going to get very dangerous, very quickly- no one riled Reni up unless they meant business, he was very highly strung (to put it lightly). Renji's face contorted "your on" he whispered angrily to the man before turning to face Rukia- there was no way in hell he was going let her witness another fight today, and he definitely wasn't going to leave her there with those other young men, he would protect her-like he failed to do so many times before. He turned to face her, his eyes softened just at the sigh of her, her small form, her doe eyes filled with worry for him and salty tears running tracks down her flawless features, he placed a large, tattooed hand on her shoulder softly. "Rukia, I want you to leave here, go back to soul society, I'll be right behind you once I've finished this bozo" his voice was serious and deep, making Rukia's spine shiver lightly. "Please Renji, just come with me, don't fight" her face scrunched in pain as her heart began to splinter. Renji's own heart began to crack- he hated to see her cry, he hugged her, softly this time "if I don't get my Zabimaru back then I can never protect you again, please Rukia, do this for me".

Panic and dread filled Rukia's stomach as she nodded, she placed a small kiss on his cheek before running into some nearby bushes and waited anxiously. As she waited she could hear the grunts and yells of pain from Renji and the other boys- her heart fluttered with dread as she imagined horrible images of a half dead Renji. More grunts of pain came from her red haired love and her heart sank in pain, she hoped he was ok, "c'mon Renji" she whispered lightly as she waited in anxiety for him to return to her. Some time had passed before it suddenly went quiet, no more cursing or yells of pain- completely silent. Rukia strained her ears to hear some light male whispering before a set of footsteps faded away until they couldn't be heard anymore, uncertainly Rukia stepped out of the bushes and gasped before collapsing to the ground, her body wracking with sobs. Renji was lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood, his hair was down and lying around his battered face, his whole body was covered in cuts and giant purple bruises, a blood stained Zabimaru lay beside him- they'd beaten him with his own zanpakuto. She stepped towards him before collapsing to her knees again next to him, his breathing was laboured as she lay her head on his chest and sobbed, "please be ok, please be ok" she repeated before kissing his lips softly and quickly, not wanting to waste too much of what little time he had left Rukia struggled trying to pull Renji up, after minutes of groaning and struggled attempts Rukia had Renji slung across her shoulder, her legs buckled slightly under his weight- but there was no way she was leaving him there to die, she looked at him sadly one last time before flash stepping to the south division at an immense speed, all the time hoping and praying that he would pull through.