A/N ... Hey everyone, I am so glad that you're still interested enough to continue reading. Thank you for the reviews it means a lot that you guys like the story. Here's chapter three...I hope you like it!

I will try to update more consistently...but do not fret this story will not hit a hiatus...yet...as of now I haven't had any writer's block with it...

Disclaimer : I do not own the characters of bleach; the creator Tite Kubo does.

Previously on, The Break Up. Rukia is in the living world on a mission. Renji against his will, must answer some of Rangiku's question about his break up with Rukia...

Rangiku asks the question we all want to ask...

Enjoy!

Rukia had finally finished her budget for her next mission. She planned on staying in the living world for three days. Entering the portal to the living world, she took in her surroundings. The sky was a light blue and thin strips of clouds traveled at a calm pace. Citizens passed by with a nonchalant attitude. They were unaware of her presence. She watched a cute living couple pass by; they were holding hands. From the way they looked at each other as they spoke, she could tell they were still in the eve of the relationship. The guy still seemed pretty much aroused by everything his girlfriend was saying; the female seemed pretty much invested in what he had to say as well.

Rukia watched them curiously and bitterly; she envied their relationship. The cute couple escaped her sight when they turned the corner. She came here to escape it all; the questions, the pity, and the thought of her ex. Unfortunately, for her, there was no escaping what was in her heart.

Ichigo's house stood behind a wall of reishi. Rukia felt around the wall with her small hands. Ukitake must have installed it after Ichigo's little sisters's brief run-in with a hollow a few months ago.

Rukia sighed, the thought of the wall reminded her how much of her job she hasn't been doing. Ukitake wouldn't have to put up this force-field if she made it in time to protect Karin and Yuzu. Instead, she was too busy arguing with Renji.

That argument was the first dwindled out straw in the imminent break up. She can't even remember what the fight was about. If memory serves, Renji had challenged her by saying that involving herself in lieutenant talk was a bit immature. (At that time; Rukia was not yet honored with the high roll of second in command.)

Calling her immature strung emotions in her that busted out like a body of water in a broken dam. She snapped. If she remembered correctly the fight might've even gotten physical. She remembered her fist meeting his jaw with an impulsive vengeance. Her bony knuckles crushed into his bones and strewed out a thin line of blood. The cut wasn't deep, but the remorse felt afterward hit her hard.

Right after the clash, silence hit them. Renji hid the pain he felt at the clash and Rukia hid the shame. She of course apologized when the silence faded. He took her apology and offered a hug to bury the conflict. But that moment of embrace was just a thin layer of bullshit that couldn't mend the real issue at the time. It added more weight, resentment, and anguish to it.

Rukia snapped out of her nostalgic daze. Thinking about things like that was what dragged her into angst. Inhaling a full lung of air she walks into the shield. Upon entering she exaled and looked up to see Ichigo peering from his window with a more than familiar scowl.

"What do you mean?" Rukia said. She walked right into a fight between Ichigo and Uryu. The two were fighting about the weak shield and how it can only be protected from Hollows, and its known fact that Ichigo doesn't just get visits from Hollows.

"What I am trying to explain to this dull minded fool is that this…" Uryu pointed to the invisible shield outside, "shield is not a reliable defense. "

Ichigo seemed less than interested in what Uryu had to say. "Don't call me dull minded." Chad stood in the corner quiet with little to no comments.

"Maybe Ichigo has a point Uryu," Orihime said, she stood up from where she sat and walks in the middle of the boys. "The shield can stay up in the time being for the sake of reassurance…"

Rangiku had made the shot all to Renji's chagrin. "Yes!" She threw her hands up with victor. Her honey brown eyes landed on Renji with amusement; the same look a cat gives a mouse before it pounces. "Time to answer some questions…"

Renji leaned back in his grand office chair and waits for his first question. His fingers crossed hoping it wasn't a more than personal question. Rangiku clears her throat and his desk to sit.

"Do you miss her?" she asked, her expression more concerned. Renji, caught off guard by this question, began to contemplate on it. Of course he missed Rukia—how could he not miss Rukia? He peels himself from his black chair and leans forward closer to Rangiku.

He waits awhile before answering, but in a tone that could only be the truth he responded, "I do."

"I see," she grabs a paper tucked underneath another paper, "So is this why you have this unfinished letter for her?" Renji snatches the paper from her hands before her eyes could skim the embarrassingly private note.

"I was working on it before our broke up, never got around finishing it." Renji crumples up the paper and makes another shot at a basket, and this time it went it.

"Do you think you and Rukia will ever get back—"

"Together?" Renji interjects. He picks up a paper from his file and begins to write something. Rangiku watches him carefully. He continues, "I think once you break up the first time there is always a chance, but as I see it, I think the only relationship that is even possible of a mend is our friendship…" Renji puts his pen down and inserts the paper into a folder that said Lt. Report.

"Do you think it'll ever be the same?" Rangiku's focus was now on the wide window behind him. "The friendship, I mean?"

"It won't; for a while, but once we move on and accept and give our blessings to whatever we chose to move on with than—maybe—there's hope…"

"It breaks my heart to hear that you two aren't even fighting to fix it," Rangiku's tone sounded somber.

"I notice you've asked questions without keeping your deal…"Renji said, changing the subject. He gives her another crumpled up paper. Rangiku smiles wryly and makes another shot. The paper skidded off the rim prompting Renji to stand up in hopes that Rangiku misses, but disappointment filled him when the paper yet again makes it in.

Uryu, Orihime, and Chad had left leaving Rukia and Ichigo alone to discuss more about the shield.

"I'll call the captain and give him this information." Rukia whips out her soul cell and makes a brief call to her Captain. Ichigo's focus was on his sisters who were outside. He watched somberly from his window. What kind of older brother would he be if he didn't put his younger sisters's well-being first? Rukia ended the call with her captain and prepares to put her soul cell away when she receives an alert. It was a level 5 hollow.

"Ichigo," she said; her tone was firm and commanding. Ichigo's attention didn't move from his sisters.

"Hollow?"

Rukia and Ichigo had reached the area where the signal was the strongest. For its high reishi level, this hollow could't be far. "The hollow is around here, "

"Even with a promotion you still haven't updated your soul cell," Ichigo said, "or maybe you did and you just don't know how to use it." A vein popped out from Rukia's head, irritated and frustrated. She remembered watching Renji work his Lt. Soul cell. Sure, it was more advanced than a regular soul cell but nothing she can't figure out on her own. Now where was the grid map function?

"Can't you sense it?" She said, still trying to work the cell.

"Call Renji on that thing and ask him how to use it…" Ichigo was now losing his patience. Rukia cleared her throat and ignored his advice. She hasn't mentioned to anyone about the break up yet. She didn't find it necessary for everyone to know.

"Give me that thing." Ichigo snatched the cellular device from Rukia's hands. Rukia shot him a death glare, but before she could intercede Ichigo managed to get the grid map function.

"There," Ichigo said, "not so hard."

"The map says that the hollow is here," Rukia said, "so why can't we—

The ground shook beneath them. A loud thump—almost like the footstep of a giant—approached them. The source was not seen.

A powerful wind hit them viciously. Rukia's small figure flew a few yards from where she stood. She read the scanner of the cell, "Ichigo!" she yelled, but Ichigo was already ahead of her. He unsheathed his zangpakto.

"Come out you coward!" Ichigo shouted, his voice was rough almost as if he'd been screaming the day before. Rukia dialed a number in the cell.

"Hello," her voice muffled by the strong winds on her line, "I need a dome protecting this general area from the rest of the town…I'll send the coördinates." Rukia hesitated, she wasn't sure of how to send the coördinates on this thing. She toyed with the menu for a while until she deemed it impossible to even send coördinates.

"In fact, why don't I just say it verbally," she high jumped to a building to get a better look. "I…" she stopped herself. There was no way she could give an exact coördinate just by looking around. If she did she'd mess up and risk the lives of innocent humans…

Ichigo's word from earlier crept into her thoughts. Call Renji on that thing and ask him how to use it… She pushed that idea away. Only in desperation would she even consider that suggestion. Maybe she should call Rangiku.

Thank you for reading. I hope you all enjoyed it!

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Tune in for the next chapter!

-The Call of Death

-Who will Rukia call for help? Rangiku or will she take Ichigo's advice and call Renji?

-Rangiku forces Renji to hand over his cell—what is she planning, but most importantly, who does she plan to call? (You'll be surprised who she calls)

Renji must face the one person he'd tried so hard to avoid...find out who

-Rangiku asks Renji one last question...before she leaves...

End Note *** Leave me a question you'd like Rangiku to ask Renji...and if its personal enough I will have her ask him.