Alright, it's been a month or so since i last updated, and I apologize, been doing some things, and playing roms. Enjoying myself, so I wasn't so focused on writing. But fear not, Here is a new chapter, and there is soon to be another.

BUT! I WILL NOT UPDATE IT TILL I RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON A SIDE PAIRING! I need some important feedback before I update again. I'm sure its been obvious but I've been cultivating a side pairing of RukiaxArturo, in this story. Because lets be honest, Rukia is my fanfic whore, and favorite character and I pair her with just about anyone. Because I can.

Before I continue this story, I want to know if you guys think I should expand on the side pairing or RukiaxArturo. Are you guys even interested in it? This fic is still about Ulquiorra and Orihime. Don't worry, they will have plenty of romance to come. I just wanted to dabble in the waters of another crack pairing while I was at it. And if you guys truly don't mind, or like it, I will invest more time in the side pairing. But if you'd rather see it hit the back burner and not really surface, except for purposes of the plot, I can also do that. I can also upload a sister fic, pertaining to this one, that focuses more on the ArturoxRukia pairing if it is desired, and not wanted in this fic. I just don't want to bore my readers with a side pairing if they aren't enjoying it at all. R&R

Title: "I'm Tearing Away, From All of the Pain" -Eyeshine

Rukia was waiting patiently at the loading platform near the train, her eyes scanning the crowds for Orihime. It wasn't hard to pick the burnt orange color of her friend's hair from the crowd, The girl was carrying two suitcases and bumping into EVERYONE she passed.

"HEY ORIHIME!" Rukia called out to get her friend's attention, waving her arms enthusiastically. When she was sure Orihime saw her, she ceased her waving and waited for the girl to get up to the platform.

After a few more embarrassing collisions with people in the surrounding crowd, Orihime finally made her way up to the platform and greeted her friend with a big and very happy smile. Rukia tried to mimic the smile, but her mouth wouldn't grin that wide. She vaguely wondered how Orihime could smile so big, but her thoughts immediately went elsewhere when they both boarded the train.

The train was very nice, the seats were situated near windows so that the passengers could look out and enjoy the view. Rukia and Orihime had gotten lucky, they'd gotten tickets for seats that were in a relatively quite end of the train car. And after putting their suitcases in the cache at the top of the train they both dropped into the plush seats and fought to get a view out the window. The view was nothing spectacular right now, it looked out onto the crowds outside, all those people hustling and bustling to leave the loading area or to enter it. This only resulted in congestion.

"So!" Rukia started, the girls had finally stopped their squabbling. "What's the agenda for this week?"

"Oh.. I don't know." Orihime played with a piece of string on her blouse. "I just figured once we get there, we can get some brochures and see what they have to do in the area."

"You mean to tell me we don't have a plan, and this whole trip is just going to be a lot of improv?"

"Pretty much. Although the town is western themed, so it'll have things like bowling and a nice theater, and roller skating. And roller-skating waitresses that serve you burgers. And drive in burgers, that have those waitress skaters, but then we'd need a car, or maybe we can build one out of cardboard." She seemed thoughtful while she listed off things they could do. "And we could go visit a club or something."

"...A club?" Rukia raised an eyebrow. At the mention of roller skating, Rukia tried to hide her cane and tucked her synthetic leg behind her real one. She didn't want to tell Orihime that skating was out of the question, due to her condition.

"Yeah!" The orange haired girl replied and smiled as if the one syllable word had explained everything.

"Alright then." The kuchiki let the subject go, and turned her head to look at the other passengers wandering through the car, some taking their seats, others moving to a different car.

One man in particular caught her eye, He was carrying a suitcase and wearing a grey trench coat. Which was odd given the hot weather outside. He had a fedora pulled down shadowing his face. But every once in awhile she would catch a glitter of light catching on the man's gold pupils. She also sensed spiritual pressure about him. But it was dulled and dumbed down to a level that wasn't note worthy, Although she found it hard to believe that was it's usual level. The man seemed to ignore them though, and focused his attention on a very large and boring looking book. Every once in awhile he'd look up when a particularly noisy passenger pushed by, but he paid less attention to the girls than Rukia was giving him.

After awhile Rukia just felt awkward for watching him, and passed him off as just a strange man. The entire time she'd been analyzing the stranger Orihime had been babbling about something, or nothing, but Rukia hadn't caught a word. Not that it mattered, Orihime could talk for hours and never need a response from whoever she was talking to.

"Hey Orihime, have you seen that man over there, the one in the heavy coat." Rukia nodded at the man and tried to be subtle. Orihime turned to look at him, and was very obvious about giving him a once over. And even though she lacked all subtlety. the man continued to ignore them so engrossed in his book.

"Nope, I've never seen him." She turned back to Rukia and smiled an oblivious and innocent smile.

Rukia sighed and looked out the window, resting her head in her hand as the train finally finished loading, and was lurching to life. Ever so slowing the the hum of the engine and the creaking of the cars filled the air, and eventually the train began to move forward, a movement that promised its passengers that they were indeed going somewhere.

0000

Grimmjow and Ulquiorra arrived at the station after their confrontation that night. Neither males were in gigai tonight, their intentions were to follow unnoticed so as to avoid any unwelcome attention. The train with the two girls had already left hours prior, but they could still smell where they had been. Ulquiorra lurched forward, in an attempt to follow after the train, but the feline arrancar seized his tail and pulled the over eager murcielago back onto his hind end.

"Hold it there, feisty pants." Grimmjow fixed his bat partner with a disapproving look. "Why don't you revert back to your more... normal form. If you go rushing to meet her looking like this you might scare the skin off those girls."

"Revert..." He fixed the former with a blank stare.

Grimmjow uttered a sigh of contempt, and released Ulquiorra's tail in favor of slapping his hands against his face in exasperation. "Your amnesia is gonna drive me bat-shit crazy." The arrancar heard the clamoring of claws on roof top and looked up. Ulquiorra had taken advantage of the moment to leap onto the train tracks below. Before Grimmjow could even begin to follow after him, the other arrancar had already bolted in the direction the girl's scent had gone.

0000

The girls had been on the train now for several hours, and Orihime's time spent in the arrancar's care was starting to surface. Once during the evening after they'd eaten, Rukia had cuaght her cohort trying to draw on the wall of the train next to her. Some how Orihime had smuggled crayons in her blouse and had begun using them to deface the train. Rukia snatched at the crayons in earnest, and the girls began wrestling for control.

"You can't just draw your graffiti in a public transport!" Scolded the young kuchiki.

"But Wall-Ulquiorra wants to be a part of this trip too!" Whined the busty girl in reply.

"Orihime, That arrancar is deceased. don't you understand what that means?" Rukia's outburst was unguarded and insensitive. Especially given her friends fragile and still recovering mind.

"I KNOW!" Shrieked Inoue with raw emotion. "I killed him, I painted the walls with his blood, and turned him into a beautiful and terrifying demon! But why can't I make him live in my heart? Why do I have to forget him?!"

Rukia reached out and grabbed her distraught friend, clutching the now sobbing girl to her side, and held her like a sister. The Kuchiki ran a comforting hand along Orihime's trembling shoulder and arm. "The things that man did to you... were not out of love. He abused you, and hurt you. He imprisoned your body and mind, and manipulated you. He broke and carved away the strong and powerful woman you were. Why are these things blind to you?"

"I'm not blind!" she defended. "You just don't understand because my eyes see what your heart has closed."

And unknown emotion washed over Rukia just then. A longing ember, that had buried itself deep inside her chest. She tried to pass it off as foolish respect, but it was akin to something else. People always thought she liked Ichigo, but that was rather one sided. She found herself unable to return his affections. Though time and time again, he'd worn his feelings for her right out on his sleeves. No the burning she felt now, was foolish, and embraced with denial. It was forbidden, and sinful, so sinful. And sometimes at night, that figure would haunt her more sensual dreams, and disturb her with a seductive accent.

"I'm not as blind as you think.." she muttered under her breath, but Orihime was too busy sobbing quietly to listen to her. The girls spent the rest of the evening train ride without words, and just held each other for comfort. Neither willing to voice any more of the emotions they bottled up.

Distracted by her own mind by distant memories, Rukia failed to notice the gold eyes across the train, watching her with careful analysis over a large boring book.

0000

And that my dear readers marks the end of that chapter.

Remember, Once again I WILL NOT UPDATE if I don't get feeback about the side pairing. Like? Don't like? I need to know what to invest my time in. But as always UlquiorraxOrihime is win. Thanks for your time. your humble author, Saij Spellhart.