Author's Soundtrack:
5AM - Amber Run

Chapter Three

The digital clock on the oven read 5:00 a.m. as Rukia opened the door to her darkened suit. The bright green letters cast the sparsely decorated room in an eerie glow. She found it soothing compared to the harsh florescent lights of the Council Chambers and the hallways. The throbbing of her head eased as she closed the door and let the darkness surround her.

She headed straight for her room, only one thing on her mind. As soon as the door was closed, she stripped off her clothes. She baulked at the disgusting way the wet material peeled away from her skin. Tossing everything in the laundry basket, she made a beeline for the shower and turned the faucet to "Hot". Steam quickly filled the small bathroom, fogging the large mirror over the sink and the clear glass panels of the shower door. The water seared her skin as she stepped under it, burning away the layers of pollutants coating her body. The stress and tension released their stranglehold on her muscles and she began to feel her muscles relax. Leaning against the wall of the shower, she let the water eat away at her until she began to feel somewhat normal again.

After a half an hour she was forced to turn the water off. Her skin was beginning to prune and turn a violent shade of red. Worse, her head felt light and her vision skewed slightly. The last thing she needed was to pass out in her own shower. She'd suffered enough embarrassment in one night to last her another couple years. She would never hear the end of it if someone found her naked and unconscious on the bathroom floor.

Water dripped off her as she stepped out of the shower. Wiping the condensation from the mirror, she examined the distorted face that gazed back at her. The makeup she's applied had washed away, revealing dark circles etched beneath her eyes, evidence of her troubled sleep. Even after so many months, she was still plagued by blood-soaked nightmares. Was it too much to ask for a solid night of sleep every once and awhile?

Taking a deep breath, she sighed heavily and abandoned the mirror. Reaching for a towel from the rack, she dried herself and padded into the bedroom.

The bed mocked her. The soft white sheets beckoned to her like a siren's song. It was tempting, to slip beneath the soft folds and close her heavy eyes, but it was a trick. She would be awake in an hour. Instead, she would do something productive. A month's worth of paperwork was waiting for her. If she put her tired mind to it, she could put a nice dent in it before the rest of the Consulate was awake.

Not bothering with the pretence of dressing in the Council approved slacks and button down shirt, Rukia slipped into a pair of jeans and a tank top. If she was going to suffer through the slog of Council red tape, she would be comfortable.

Heading back into the main living area, Rukia turned into the kitchen to grab something to drink while she worked.

Designed to provide councilors and their personal guards with everything they could possible need, the open concept councilor suites were equipped with a fully stocked kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms - each with their own bathroom. The living room and bedrooms were minimally furnished with the basics. Although Shinji had been kind enough to splurge on comfortable mattresses, sofas, and an entertainment centre with a large flat screen TV.

Councilors were expected to live and work in the Consulate, an entirely different approach than the Japanese Council who allowed members to reside in their own homes. She had never been clear on the reasoning and often yearned for a place to call her own. The accounts Byakuya had secured for her would allow for her independence, but she had a workable deal with Shinji at the moment. It was difficult enough, trying to hunt Aizen. If she attempted to do so on her own, there would most certainly be no progress.

While a bag of blood warmed in the microwave, Rukia prepared a small snack to offset her grumbling stomach. It had been a few days since she last had anything of real substance. As she sliced an apple into several pieces, she noticed a dirty mug sitting in the sink. Blood lined the rim. Huffing in exasperation, Rukia set aside the knife and rinsed the mug out.

Was she his mother? Couldn't he clean up after himself? Glaring bitterly towards Ichigo's room, she noticed his door was ajar and the lights were on. She turned off the water and listened. His breath was slow with sleep. Her irritation bubbled to the surface. Why should he get a full night's rest when she was cursed to remain awake?

Marching towards his room, she pushed the door open and entered with a lecture on her lips. Like her own room, his was unmarked with anything personal, and the small desk in the corner was covered in paperwork. Ichigo was sprawled across his bed. He wore nothing but a pair of black slacks. His torso was bare, displaying his sculpted physique and the clean white medical bandages wrapped meticulously around his ribs.

An empty bottle sat on the edge of the desk. Rukia could make out the messy writing of Dr. Bell, with instructions on taking the medication with 2 bags of blood. The blade must have been poisoned after all. Her wave of irritation dissipated.

Feeling deflated, and a little guilty, she turned to leave. An open case file clutched tightly in his hand caught her attention and pulled her back. Curious, she quietly approached the bed to try and get a better look at the file. A picture of his two sisters smiling happily with Yoruichi and Kisuke was stapled to the top sheet. A lengthy report was scrawled out on several sheets of paper, more than likely containing an in-depth report of Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki's health and well-being. Pity overwhelmed her.

She studied his face. Normally contorted into a scowl, it was nice to see his features almost serene, revealing his youthful age. Barely old enough to be considered an adult, and he had already suffered through so much. Leaving everything behind and being dragged into her dark and dangerous world - and here she was, mad at him for leaving a dirty glass in the sink.

Without thinking, she reached out and gently caressed his cheek. He wouldn't look a day over 25 for another two centuries - if he survived that long. Her heart ached at the thought of having ruined another life.

Quietly, he inhaled sharply and shivered. A small puff of breath floated through the air. Rukia ripped her hand away and took a step back. A thin layer of frost coated the taupe colored walls and the thermostat on the wall read 7°C. She scoffed at her useless powers and turned to leave before she somehow managed to make it snow.

Hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back. She spun and was suddenly staring up at the ceiling, the soft cushion of the bed pressing into her back. Her hands were pinned to the mattress above her head, and a heavy weight settled over her hips. The spicy scent of cinnamon and sandalwood saturated her senses, and a pair of bright amber eyes peered down at her. Her heart pounded against her chest and her breath caught in her throat. With the light behind him, his bright orange hair looked almost black. His eyes were full of a familiar intensity, calling to something deeper within her, stirring emotions and sensations she thought long dead.

But it wasn't Kaien who looked down at her. It wasn't Ichigo either. What studied her with such a scorching gaze was something else entirely. Ichigo's abilities were quite impressive. He moved with a speed she couldn't match, but he was clumsy, always focusing on how quickly he could get to a place rather than how quietly. She should have heard him get off the bed and approach her. Only when he wasn't in control, when the beast had taken over, was he able to act with his full potential. Unlike Ichigo, it wasn't restrained by his humanity and constant habit of overthinking. It acted purely on instinct.

She had been worried about the potential impact the beast might have on Ichigo, but she never imagined it would actually take possession of him. From her understanding, the constant struggle for dominance between the newborn and the beast was common. The stronger persona was determined during the Rage. If the beast won, chaos and disaster would follow in its wake - like Kaien. If not, then the person awoke as themselves.

Ichigo didn't go through the full Rage. It had been brief, like a flash of lightning. In that moment, the dominant personality had not been determined, and now they were fighting for domination.

She needed Ichigo to regain control and hold it. If the beast took full possession and never relinquished control, the results could be twice as devastating as if he had lost himself to the Rage in the first place. And if the Council found out he was too far gone, they would deal with him immediately. She refused to lose him and would use whatever means necessary to bring him back, even if that meant attempting to negotiate with a creature that wasn't associated with diplomacy.

"What exactly is it you plan to do now that you have control of his body?" She wasn't even sure it was capable of speech. Beasts were savage, like feral animals. If talking failed, she could try to find an opening and gain the upper hand. Of course, she needed to make sure it didn't kill her first.

To show she wasn't afraid, giving it another reason to attack her, she lifted her chin slightly and exposed her neck. The skin at the base tingled in remembrance, but she ignored it.

It tilted Ichigo's head to the side as if he were a dog hearing an intriguing noise for the first time. The gesture might have been amusing - cute even - if it wasn't so dangerous.

"A bit of advice," she continued, "it's best if you leave him in full control. Like this, you'll only get the both of you killed."

It growled, bearing Ichigo's teeth at the perceived threat. She rolled her eyes casually.

"No need to get defensive. It's nothing against you personally. If you have possession and the hunters spot you, they will think Ichigo has lost complete control. The Council doesn't like it when one of their own becomes a liability. You would be their number one target, and dead before you got to the main floor."

His lips fell back into place as it considered her words. It was just the moment's hesitation she needed. With all her strength, she popped her knee between his legs and heaved her entire body up and to the side, pitching him over. Using the moment, she straddled him and pulled a small knife from her back pocket, and pressed it into his throat. All resistance was halted.

"Did I forget to mention I'm a hunter?"

To make her point, she put more weight behind the small blade. It hissed and tried to move away from the sharp edge, hands reaching to restrain her. She pushed the knife closer to his throat and it stopped struggling.

"I suggest you slip back into the dark little hole of Ichigo's subconscious you came from and stay there. No more taking possession of him while he's sleeping, or feeling hungry, or any other time you think there's an opportunity for you to come out. You'll stop this nonsense and leave him be. Got it?"

It seemed the beast preferred dominant females. Her eyes widened when she felt something swell and throb against her. "Oh for the love of - you have got to be kidding me! Do you really think you're in the best situation to be thinking about mating?"

It leered at her. "You're better off with me in control. He's weak. At least with me in charge, I can take care of you." Her surprise at hearing him speak left her unguarded, and he gripped her hips, pulling her down as he thrust upwards. His swollen length pressed into her, sending a staggering wave of pleasure crashing over her. She clenched her jaw to quiet the gasp that threatened to escape, and quickly suppressed her own instincts. This was her mind game, not his. Showing she was still in charge, she pressed the knife into his throat. He stilled his ministrations and released his hold on her.

"I can take care of myself just fine." Her voice was uncontrollably husky, her mind clouded with a sensual haze and her body aching. She hated the effect this creature managed to have on her. This wasn't Kaien. This wasn't Ichigo.

It smirked. "You sure about that?"

Curling her nose, Rukia slid the knife across his throat, this time drawing blood. The smirk fell from his lips. "Let him go. Now."

"Or what? You'll cut me with your little knife?" He laughed. It was an unnatural, eerie sound that set her teeth on edge. "You don't have it in you."

Rukia set her jaw and leaned in close, sliding the knife a little further along his throat. Just one more inch and she would reach his jugular. It inhaled sharply and stilled.

"Let me give you a little insight into what I have in me. I transformed my husband of ten years into a vampire, and when he lost control and wiped out his entire family, I killed him with my own two hands. I cut off his head and stared into his vacant eyes as the immortal life I had given him faded away." She swallowed the tight lump in her throat, fighting the memories that surged to the surface. "Do you really think I can kill the one man in my life I truly loved and won't be able to deal with a whelp I've only known for a year?"

It was silent as it stared into her eyes, trying to gauge her determination. After a moment, it clicked his tongue and sighed. "I'll let go - for now. But if this brat continues to be weak and unsteady, I won't hesitate to take back the reigns. I'm not going to let this body go to waste because he doesn't know how to use it."

"I'll keep that in mind. Now leave."

"What, no goodbye fuck?"

Scoffing in disgust, Rukia struck him across the temple with the butt of her knife. She was almost satisfied watching his head fall back on the mattress, if not for the fact that Ichigo was going to be the one waking up with one hell of a headache. At least he would wake up.

Shaking off the strange hum that streamed through her body, Rukia climbed off Ichigo and headed for the door. She stopped short, glancing back to eye his unconscious form. She didn't think it would be that easy to deal with a beast that had taken governance of a body. It would be naive to think it would keep its word, but she had little choice in the matter. Trust it or kill him. The creature might be convinced she could do it - that was all that mattered - but she wasn't so sure. To ensure she wouldn't have to consider the decision in the future, she would start up his training again. Sparring sessions may have helped to some degree, but they needed to step up their game.

Turning off Ichigo's bedroom light, and turning up the thermostat to help erase her little mess, Rukia returned to the living area. She made it to the kitchen before her legs gave way beneath her. Her body still thrummed with unexpected pleasure, her skin aching to be touched. It was vexing to admit the damn thing had gotten to her - in more ways than one. How long had it been since she'd been with someone? Four decades? Five? Admittedly, that was quite a while, but to have such a single thing bring her to her knees? Pathetic.

The microwave chimed loudly, reminding her she had blood waiting for her. Testing her legs, Rukia made her way across the room. Grabbing the clean mug from the sink, she hastily poured the blood and downed it. Warmth spread through her body and she felt some of her strength return. Work was beginning to look considerably more tempting. Nothing to kill sexual desires like paperwork. Taking her sliced apple into the living room, she settled on the couch. Plucking her laptop from the coffee table, she set it on her lap and began the tedious task of filing mission reports and filling out request forms.

As she predicted, explaining every last, minute detail of her ridiculous and obnoxious night successfully distracted her. But after a couple of hours of complete silence, she was aching for something more entertaining. She turned on the TV and lowered the volume until it was barely audible. No sense in risking waking Ichigo up sooner than necessary.

A news reporter was in the field, somewhere in downtown London. Police lights flashed behind her as she spoke into her oversized microphone. The words "Breaking News" flashed on the bottom of the screen. Two men pulled a gurney out of an alley, a black plastic bag set atop.

"Were the police able to find any more information about who might be doing this?" Asked the disembodied voice of the news anchor.

The reporter shook her head mournfully. "I'm afraid not, John. while the police have yet to give an official statement, a few sources say that, like the other attacks, there has been little evidence that might point them towards a suspect."

"Is this guy that good?"

"Not necessarily. It seems as though he chooses these locations specifically. There is a lot of foot traffic in and around these locations, making it difficult for investigators to decipher what evidence is pertinent to the case and what isn't. This is why they're searching desperately for any witnesses who might know anything about this girl and the tragic events that lead to her death."

A photograph of a woman filled the screen. She looked different, smiling with joy as the sun lit up her face. It was a shame they hadn't been able to save her life. Perhaps if it hadn't been raining, they might have picked up her scent sooner and gotten to her in time.

"Wait," she muttered aloud, her brows furrowing. They shouldn't have found her body at all. A clean up crew should have been sent to the site to deal with the corpse before anyone managed to stumble on the scene.

Rukia was on her phone in an instant.

"Harry Houdini, making all your crime scenes disappear like magic!"

The need to slap her forehead was strong. "Harry, this is Councilor Kuchiki."

"Oh! Uh. . . sorry about that sir - ma'am - Councilor. Just a little joke-"

"Harry, please explain to me why I'm seeing the body of the victim from tonight's attack on the news."

"Yeah, about that," he began hesitantly. "You see, we got the call from Captain Taylor, but when we got to the location the police were already swarming the place. We couldn't get near the body even if we tried."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she attempted to ease the pain of a returning headache. Finding another body was only going to make the humans more anxious. There would be an outcry for more security and results. It was an understandable reaction, but it would make it more difficult for her teams to track and capture their rogue without interference. Sharing the picture might have been a mistake. They would no longer approach this guy with caution, but all out aggression.

"I'm sorry, Councilor. I should have informed you immediately, but I figured with the late hour it could wait until a little later in the day."

Guilt prodded her. Harry was a good man who enjoyed his job and was almost magical in the way he managed to make evidence evaporate into thin air.

"It's fine, Harry. We'll handle it. Thank you for letting me know."

"Have a good night - morning, Councilor."

Groaning at her misfortune, she leaned her head back against the couch. Then she called Elizabeth.

"Taylor."

"Captain, this is Councilor Kuchiki. I apologize for waking you." Although the woman sounded like she'd been cleaning her weapons instead of getting sleep.

"Not at all ma'am. What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to inform you that the body from last night was discovered before Harry could get to it."

"Lovely. I'll inform my team and let them know to be cautious of vigilantes and a more determined police force. It was good you called. I got a lead a few minutes ago with a response from the leaked photograph."

"Oh? That was rather fast. Even with the body acting as another motivator, I didn't expect any results for another day at least."

"It appears Interpol has been looking for this guy for a while. His name is Nnoitra Gilga. He's known for his high-profile thefts. Originally from Spain, he's stolen several million Pounds worth of paintings from across the world. That is, until he went missing a few months back."

"That's a lot more than we knew before." If they could get a glimpse into his history, they might be able to find a pattern of behavior and predict the next attack. There was a chance they could come up dry, but it was better than nothing. And his potential connection to Aizen made her all the more motivated to capture him.

"Would you like me to put together a revised plan for his capture? I believe we could have something ready before the end of the week."

As much as she wanted to get that man off her streets, they needed to tread carefully. If he did have ties to Aizen they needed to make sure they took every precaution. The last thing she wanted was to kill him on accident or have him killing himself before he talked. Connections to Aizen were rare. If they lost this lead there was no guarantee they would be able to find another anytime soon.

"Not quite yet," she said. "After tonight, he knows we're on to him. He'll be extremely cautious. Any hint of a trap and we could lose him for good. I don't want to risk this bastard getting loose and causing more trouble for someone else. We'll be patient, taking our time planning, and wait for the right moment."

"You sound confident he hasn't fled the territory already."

"There's a chance of that, but I don't think his ego will let him. He wants to taunt us. Until things get too dangerous, he'll stick around and cause as much damage as possible."

"Very well. Have a good morning, ma'am."

Hanging up the phone, Rukia stared at the TV. The weatherman was predicting another week of spotty rain and near constant cloud cover. There was shifting in Ichigo's room, and her eyes darted to the door. Part of her wasn't entirely convinced the beast would keep itself in check. She'd never made a deal with one - never spoken with one. Were they honorable? Did they even know the meaning of the word? Should she consider the alternative? Was she capable of taking another life that was dear to her? In the grand scheme of things, their relationship was but a brief spark in the long span of her life, but it was brilliant and scorching like the sun. Could she smother it?

A painful lump formed in between her lungs, constricting her breathing. The room was suffocating, the walls drawing closer and boxing her in. She needed fresh air, a change of scenery. She gathered her things in a hurry and rushed out of the suite.

As much as she criticised Shinji about his spending habits, he had given her an impressive budget to run her secret investigation. How he managed to hide it from the other councilors was beyond her, but she wasn't going to argue. Every pence was needed to help keep them off the grid and make up for the lack of Council resources. A small fraction of the budget went towards a safe house where Rukia and Ichigo could work without the prying eyes of the Council and store their findings. They'd settled on a recently updated flat near Tower Bridge Rd. not too far from the Consulate itself so that short trips wouldn't draw unwanted attention.

The flat wasn't terribly impressive. It had an open concept layout - all the rage this century it seemed - and was located near the Underground. She'd spent little on furniture, preferring to sink her costs into equipment and research that would help them locate Aizen rather than their personal comfort.

Affixed to an exposed brick wall was a large map of the world. Bright pieces of orange string created a messy web leading from one colored pin to another. The pins were shoved into specific locations with hurried notes and blurry images fastened to the spaces next to them. There was six months worth of information and research on that wall, and as she stared at it from the doorway, she was reminded of how little progress they had truly made.

Heaving a tired sigh, Rukia shut the door. She set her work bag on the couch and pulled Nnoitra's picture from one of the pockets. Grabbing a new pin from a small tray of them, she pushed it into London and taped Nnoitra's photo next to it. She pulled a sticky note from the side table and jotted down a few notes - name, previous profession, when he appeared in London, and a few other details - and stuck it next to his picture. It was just another image among many. Another vampire with a potential connection to Aizen. Another piece of the massive and complicated puzzle. Another loose end. She took a step back and studied the map, hoping for a miraculous revelation.

There was nothing, only more questions.

All around the world, there were whispers and hints of Aizen and his influence. Rarely was there a sighting. They tracked them, studied them, listening for any indication that he might finally be within their reach.

A blurry picture from a Miami nightclub hinted at a familiar figure. Wherever she was, a trail of missing persons and corpses followed. There was no proof, but Rukia was convinced she travelled with Aizen. Whenever Halibel appeared, those whispers followed.

The first picture they got of her had Ichigo railing. He was on the phone with Kisuke in a matter of seconds, demanding to know how Halibel had managed to get free and why he'd failed to tell him. Kisuke had taken the verbal assault in stride, explaining the situation to him in vague and elusive descriptions, leaving Ichigo in a worse mood than when he'd first called. Kisuke had guaranteed his sisters' safety. They had all been away from the house during the escape, and Halibel wasted no time getting out of Japan.

Rukia hadn't said anything at the time, but Halibel's escape was a testament to her intelligence and ingenuity. The prison in Kisuke's basement had been designed and built by him. Breaking out would not have been easy. And though Kisuke laughed off the incident, she knew deep down he was furious with himself and already working on modifications.

It had also revealed a connection between Halibel and Aizen they hadn't known before. When she'd first been captured, they thought her role was minimal - a glorified babysitter at the most. Now she was travelling with him, working with him. Had they misjudged her involvement from the beginning? What role did she really play?

And where did Nnoitra fit in with all of this? Was he a part of Aizen's plans? He hardly seemed the type to submit to the will and command of another. Was he moving on his own or was he taking orders? Or maybe he had broken free of his leash and was enjoying his new found freedom.

There were simply too many questions and not enough answers. She needed more data. Turning away from the wall, she pulled her laptop from her bag and sat on the couch. First, she would look into Nnoitra's past. Elizabeth said he was wanted by Interpol, which meant they had records, which wouldn't be difficult for her to access. And, considering he was the flashy sort, it made her search all the easier.

Within half an hour she discovered quite a bit of information on her rogue. Born in Spain, he committed his first crime at 14 - a painting from a small museum. He got busted, but saw it as a challenge and began perfecting his methods. By age 25 he was on Interpol's list, wanted for the theft of a dozen high-priced art pieces. For years he stole from millionaires and museums alike, leaving mocking messages for his victims and pursuers. Then he disappeared a few months ago. The thefts simply stopped. Through pure luck, she managed to find him in a small prison in Greece. The police there failed to log the proper paperwork and he disappeared into the system until his escape.

Judging by the prison medical work and reports from the facility, Nnoitra hadn't been a vampire before his arrest. There had been no lethal attacks, no violence to draw blood. He would have starved otherwise. There was a chance he had a hookup, but it was unlikely. The reports expressed the confusion of the prison guards when Nnoitra broke out. There had been no signs of preparation, no trace of his route. It was if he simply vanished. He was a good thief, but was he good enough to escape without leaving any evidence?

No. He was a proud man who loved to boast about his accomplishments. No calling card had been left and the high-profile thefts didn't continue. There was no real evidence to point to Aizen's involvement, but a churning in her gut told her he was behind the prison break. But why Nnoitra? Why go through the effort to grab someone like him? And, were there more like him?

Rukia scoured criminal databases in areas where she was convinced Aizen had been, searching for criminals who fell off the grid or went missing over the past year. She came up with very little, but not with nothing. There were at least 3 other cases where criminals had gone missing around the time Aizen was present. Logging into the Council network, she then scanned the list of rogues captured or hunted in the past year.

Nothing.

Maybe Nnoitra was just playing with her mind. Maybe he made it out of prison on his own and was turned by a vampire on accident. During his travels, he could have easily heard about what transpired in Japan. Given his aptitude for manipulation and mockery, he might have used the information to get under her skin. Meaning there was no connection to Aizen at all.

Feeling defeated and exhausted, Rukia caved to her body's needs and fell asleep on the couch amongst a pile of sticky notes.

When she woke up, she found a blanket draped over her. The afternoon sun glared down at her through the large windows. Sitting up, she studied Ichigo's broad back as he finished pinning one of her latest notes to the wall. The muscles in his hand tensed as he pushed the pin into place. Unwillingly, she recalled the feeling of those fingers gripping her hips, the pressure of his body against hers, his heated desire mingling with her own. Clicking her tongue in disapproval, she buried the thoughts and stood. Ichigo turned and gave her a quizzical look.

"When did you get here?" She asked, ignoring his questioning gaze. She tossed the blanket on the couch and stretched her arms above her head. The stiff muscles ached pleasantly as she relieved some of the tension in her lower back.

"About an hour ago. I tried waking you up, but you were out cold. I figured I'd let you sleep for a bit longer. Updated the board, I see."

She joined him at the wall, reviewing her notes to refresh her memory and keep her inappropriate thoughts at bay. She could feel his eyes on her and it wasn't helping.

"With a bunch of guesses more than solid evidence."

"Better than nothing."

He continued to stare at her and it was beginning to grate on her nerves. Couldn't he keep his eyes to himself?

"What?" She finally snapped, glaring at him.

He didn't look bothered. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she huffed, her anger quickly extinguished by his concern. She didn't particularly like when he could read her moods. It made it difficult to hide things. "I'm just frustrated with the lack of progress is all. What about you?" She glanced at his throat and saw the small incision she made was gone.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Then he frowned. "Although, I woke up with a bitch of a headache. I think it's the meds the doc gave me, which, by the way, she was right. Apparently, that dick had some kind of poison on his sword. Nothing serious, according to the doc, just something that slows healing. The pills she gave me should help neutralize it. I should be good in another day."

"And I imagine she told you to rest during that day."

"She might have said something of the sort."

Judging by his lack of concern, it was likely he was going to ignore Dr. Bell's orders. Normally she might have found a way to keep him from making the damage worse, but since they weren't going after Nnoitra for a bit, and they had no active cases at the moment, the risks would be low. It just meant her plans for his training would be put on the back burner. Two days wasn't a terrible delay, and it was unlikely that little bastard would show its face in that short amount of time.

A phone began ringing from its place on the kitchen counter. Her own phone was still tucked in her back pocket. It was the second phone Shinji had given her, a secret line that connected her with all of the resources she could use safely while running the investigation. He didn't have many, but those he did have were quite good at their jobs and keeping off the Council's radar.

She grabbed it and answered before it could go to voicemail.

"Kuchiki."

"Ms. Kuchiki, this is Doctor Sarah Collins from the Southwark Coroner's Court."

Dr. Collins was a forensic pathologist for the Inner South area of London. Rukia wasn't sure how she knew Shinji, but the connection had worked out rather well for her. Even though she was human, Dr. Collins was very good at identifying and understanding vampire anatomy and physiology. The Council had tried to recruit her out of college a few years ago, but she had no interest working for a private company. She wanted to do her work for the people of London, which is probably how Shinji had gotten his hooks into her. What better way to protect her people than by getting insight into the secret society that lived in the shadows alongside them?

Despite their limited interactions, Rukia liked her. She was smart, observant, and concise. She wasted little time with pleasantries and made sure the information she provided was accurate.

"Good -" Rukia saw the stove clock read 1:00 p.m., "afternoon, Dr. Collins."

"I have a body on one of my slabs you might be interested in. A. . . Marisa Piper?"

Plopping on the couch, Rukia opened her laptop and did a quick search through the Council files. The face of a middle-aged woman popped up. It was grainy, taken from a security camera outside a bank. The notes indicated she was a rogue who had passed through their territory a few months back. Taking advantage of dwindling chaos Aizen left behind, she helped herself to a few civilians and then split. She'd been a nuisance, but not worth wasting more time and effort chasing after her when she crossed the border.

"Where did they find her?"

Ichigo watched her, listening in from his place near the wall.

"Let me see," she said as she shuffled some papers. "It looks like they found her pretty close to the Consulate. I'm surprised your guys didn't pick her up."

That didn't make any sense. Marisa had made it into another territory, why risk coming back? Even more, why get so close to the Council itself where she was even more likely to get caught?

"Do you have cause of death?"

"I thought you might be curious. If that didn't catch your attention, I figured the fact that she looks like one of your vampires that poisoned themselves might have."

"She poisoned herself?"

"I didn't say that. I just said she looks similar to the ones who did. Her skin is flaccid, like it's too big for her body. And given she should only weigh 8 stones when filled out and wet, I'd say it's not from extreme weight loss. I'll know more once I do a full examination and post-mortem. I'll begin in 30 minutes."

"We'll see you then."

"Why would a rogue who escaped go to the Council?" Ichigo wondered.

"You're assuming she was going to the Council. She might have been passing by." He looked like he believed that as much as she believed it herself. If she came back to London for some reason, there were plenty of ways to get around without getting close to the Consulate. She had been there for a reason, and it more than likely got her killed.

Rukia put the phone in her other pocket and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"What about Nnoitra?" Ichigo asked.

"We won't hear a peep from him for a few days a least. Until then we can look into this."

Author's Note: Normally I try to post on Fridays or the weekends, but I wanted to post this one a little early.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. There was a little more going on, a little more insight to Ichigo's struggles with his transformation, and a few more mysteries for our duo to figure out in their hunt for Aizen.

I'm going to be honest, sexualized scenes aren't exactly my strong suit, so I hope the bit with Rukia and the beast turned out well. Obviously it isn't the ideal situation for romance since Ichigo wasn't in control, but this wasn't really about that. Most creatures that run on instinct only think about 3 things, I figured it made sense the beast would be attracted to a strong female and try to mate with her.

Thanks to everyone who added this story to their favorites and are following it! And a special thanks to those who left reviews: mautauaja (I'm sorry I forgot to thank you in my last update!), Kay-Dis89, lightdesired, and the 2 guests. I'm so glad you all are enjoying the story so far and were willing to come back and read the sequel even though it's been so long since I finished the original.

I know things are slow going, but they're starting to get going. I'm excited as we start getting further into the story. Thanks for reading!