Hey guys! I've poster two chapters at once and this is the second one!!! Hope you guys will forgive me! Remember, these might be the last for a while since I'm going on holiday. Maybe I will be able to update a few more chapters, but who knows!!!

For now, enjoy the story and I love you all!!

JJ

For a minute, I just sat there staring, dumbstruck. Then my senses kicked in with a code blue alert, and I shot up like a rocket. "Hi!" I greeted him.

"I was just wondering around this neighbourhood, and I noticed you were sitting on the sidewalk. I thought you might have been in trouble, but I guess not." He forced a chuckle, and scratched the back of his head. "Well, sorry for pouncing on you like that."

"That's ok." I said. An awkward silence ensued, while both of us searched for something to say.

"So, what are you doing out here anyway?" He asked eventually. "It's already seven. Do you always read on the sidewalk?" He teased.

My hand flew to my mouth, ignorant of his mocking. "My brother should be back by now!"

I looked around in my purse for my phone. It vibrated and the screen lit up in a bright green light.

"New message." I murmured. Hitting the 'show' button, I scrolled through it. My brother was as brief as usual, with a:

KuchikiByakuga: I will be back by nine.

Dropping my phone into my bag, I sank to the sidewalk, letting my head fall onto my knees. "Shit!" I swore, forgetting about Ichigo.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

"Oh! Er, nothing!" In my hurry to get up, I tripped. He caught hold of my arm, and righted me. Instinctively, I snatched my arm away.

"Sorry." He mumbled, stuffing his hand into his pocket.

"Well, I guess you'd better go." I managed a flustered smile.

"Yeah." He began walking slowly away, as I tackled the front door. Wading through a few bushes, I saw that the key was not where it was suppose to be. (It was usually hidden discreetly at the bottom of a bush, blu-tacked to the house). Then, I remembered my brother had removed it a few days before, saying something along the lines of: 'It's too easy to steal'. What had been a wonderful day had turned out a disaster. Dejected, I walked to the front porch and sat on the steps, leaning against the cursed front door.

"Are you sure you're ok?" To my surprise, Ichigo was back.

"I thought you were going." I muttered.

"I was. But then I couldn't help noticing your inability to get in, so I decided to see what I could do." His voice was friendly, but held a cautious edge. Trying not to wade into the deep waters obviously. Not that I could blame him; I had been doing the exact same for all my life. Until now.

"You don't have to worry. I'll be fine."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, maybe not." I confessed.

He closed his eyes, scratched his head a few times and sighed. "Well, come on."
"What?"

"You heard me. Let's go."

"But-but…" I flustered. Had he already forgotten all the past events? The waters were rising to chest level, pressing against my ribcage and forcing it against my heart. But it was too late to get out now. I could only continue.

"Do you want to wait around for danger to find you, or do you at least to be somewhere a little safer?" He frowned.

I stood up, leaving my bags on the front. His eyes and voice were hypnotizing, and we walked in silence into the city.

"Uh, Ichigo?" I hesitantly asked.

"What is it?"

I back-pedalled. I was going to ask him if he was a shinigami or not, but then thought better of it.

"Uh, have you done the physic's homework?"

"We haven't got any."

"Oh."

He paused in front of a café. "You haven't had dinner yet, have you?"

I shook my head.

"Ok." He pulled a chair out from the table and motioned for me to sit. Meekly, I obeyed.

Later, over sandwiches and sodas, I regarded him with inquisitive eyes.

"Let me ask you." I toyed with my straw. "Are we friends now?"

He stared at me with eyes that were not angry, but curious. "Friends…" He murmured, tilting his head backwards and staring into the streetlight that suddenly held great interest for him.

"I mean, why else would you do all this?" I gulped, now nervous. I was pushing the straw of my soda in and out with abrupt little jerks, a habit of mine when I was distressed.

He was silent as he took a sip of soda. "It's better if we weren't."

"Huh?" I looked at him blankly.

"I'm a threat to you."

"But you saved me!" I couldn't stop the words from spilling out, like an overflowing kettle.

His brown eyes were now frozen hard. "Perhaps I did, perhaps I didn't. But you don't understand."

"I know enough to realise what's happening."

"I'm not good for you." He had lowered his voice to a harsher, more menacing degree.

"Ichigo…" I tried to coax him, without luck.

"You know when you're young, and you think that everybody in the world is wonderful? That mommy and daddy were made for each other, and that you're a happy family? That divorces and affairs only exist in movies and even then they have a happy ending. A few years later, 'mommy and daddy' start hating each other and 'bam!' The glass shatters, as does your 'happy family'. Well, I guess you still need to grasp that. There's no point in trying to reverse the irreversible. It's the cold, hard truth."

He called me naïve. I thought angrily. The words were pushing into my flesh like burning needles, but I could feel tears pricking my eyes. With an immense amount of will-power, I just managed to save them from flowing out.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I said icily, and stood up.

"Look, I'll walk you home." He said.

"It's ok. You don't have to." I said harshly.

"No. I want to." He said. I forced a smile, as I stormed out of the café. He kept a careful distance behind me, as I simply concentrated on keeping in the tears. At last, I rounded into the quiet lane. I usually avoided this way, but since I was ever so angry and I had a 'companion', I didn't care. But even through my anger I could hear his footsteps quicken so he could catch up with me.

The lights were on inside my house. I breathed with relief, and found my bags had disappeared from the front door. Thank you, nii-sama. I thought.

I guess as a last attempt to salvage the evening, Ichigo held me by this wrist just as I was about to knock. His grasp stung, and I tried to pull out of his grasp but of no avail.

"I'm sorry, Rukia." He said quietly. "I didn't want it to be this way."

He let go of my arm, and I banged on the door violently. My brother opened it, as I slipped nimbly under his arm. I didn't want him to see the tears that had finally forced their way out.

Ooh, tense much! I added this in because I thought it would add to the storyline and hopefully satisfy part of you guys, my dear reader's hunger for IchiRuki moments. More coming up, no worries!!! I'm deeper into this story than I thought I would get. Hope you guys are enjoying it!

And please review! They are the reason why I write the plots you guys love!!!

Love you all!!!

JJ