Author's Notes: I think I have the soundtrack where I want it to be, or at least good enough to start adding it to the chapters. I have a Google Playlist with all of the music so far. It's set to public, so I believe anyone can listen to it, even if you don't have a paid account (don't hold me to that). Just search "For Love Soundtrack". If you can't find it, no worries, I'm going to be including the music for the chapters at the start of each chapter. I've gone back through the previous chapters and added the songs for those as well. The playlist on Google Play includes quite a bit of music, some of it assigned to chapters, some not. Basically, it's a work in progress.

Obviously you don't have to use this music, I know stories and music speak to people in different ways. These are songs that inspired me as I was writing.

Author's Soundtrack:

In the Air Tonight by Mindy Jones

Hater by Korn (first line break)

Homeostasis by Nostalghia (second line break)

Chapter Four

In the morgue of the London Bridge Hospital, Ichigo watched as Dr. Collins leaned over the bare body of a woman previously known as Marisa Piper. Her skin was flabby, draping over her bones like a soft leather blanket and pooling on the metal medical slab. Every muscle and ounce of fat was gone, as if it had all been sucked out of her. The doctor reached into the open cavity she cut into the dead woman's chest and systematically pulled out the shriveled remains of her organs.

Ichigo's stomach lurched. He'd seen a lot when his father had run the clinic and worked at the hospital - bones sticking out from the skin, gushing wounds, dangling limbs. Then there were the injuries he inflicted and experienced himself. But this? This was an entirely different matter.

"I think it's safe to say the cause of death was organ failure," Collins stated. She declared the unrecognizable remains were the liver and set it on a tray behind her. "And given that her stomach is near bursting, I would say for certain her death wasn't natural."

Grabbing a syringe from another tray where several tools were laid out, she pierced the stomach and filled the vial with dark liquid. She did this several times until the stomach was nearly deflated, then she removed it and set it on the table beside the body. Using a scalpel, she cut into the stomach and sorted through the contents.

"It looks like all she had was blood. She gorged herself, and yet her body acted as if it hadn't had a drop in months, devouring itself in an attempt to stave off death."

"So something tricked her body?" Rukia wondered.

"Seems that way. Judging by the similarities between this corpse and the others I'd say it's more than likely the result of whatever chemical they consume. Obviously, I'll have to do a bit more research before I can say for certain, but given what we already know, I'd say it's more than likely."

The doctor set the stomach next to the liver and dove back in.

"She's young, too," she continued. "I would say she only recently came out of the Rage. Six months ago would be my best guess."

Ichigo frowned, trying to focus on what she was saying rather than the string of intestine she was pulling out like a fishing line. "How can you tell?"

"The teeth." She set aside the intestines and pulled back the skin on Marisa's lips. They were tinted a slight yellow, with bits of flesh and other particles lodged in between the crevices. Collins pointed to the extended canines. "During the transformation process, the canines become stronger and more pronounced. As the vampire ages, the teeth become a little longer and stronger. I can extract one of the fangs and run a couple of tests. That will give me a more accurate age, but on experience alone, I could probably give you a solid guess as to when she was transformed."

The smile she wore was smug and full of pride.

"When was she turned?" Rukia asked.

Collins' smile widened to something almost gleeful. "Nearly a year ago."

"Wait," Ichigo said, his brow furrowing in further confusion, "you said her Rage ended six months ago."

"If that's the case," Rukia said cautiously, "then she was in the Rage for six months prior to coming out of it."

"Fascinating isn't it?" The bright gleam in the doctor's eye disturbed him.

"'Fascinating' isn't what I'd call it," Ichigo remarked darkly.

If what the doctor was saying was correct, Marisa was more than likely one of the vampires Aizen used to attack the Council. A newborn finally turned. An innocent recovering from the shock and horror of what she had done for the past year. Aizen's army had been made up of innocents, people he kidnapped, tortured, and experimented on.

It wasn't fascinating. It was tragic.

The doctor quirked an eyebrow at him before shrugging and digging around for more organs. "I suppose my theory could be incorrect. I'll gather as much information as I can before your Council finds out about this and whisks the body away. We should have some results in a day or two."

"That long?"

She glared at Ichigo over the body. "Lab work takes time. Honestly, getting them back in a couple of days is rather impressive. Normally it takes weeks." She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her narrow nose pointedly. He couldn't see her mouth behind the mask she wore, but he was sure her lips were pressed into a thin line of annoyance.

"Don't get pouty," she continued. "The scans I took earlier revealed something interesting as well. Maybe it'll keep you busy while you wait for the other results." She pulled off a glove and handed Rukia a manila folder.

"What is it?" Rukia asked, opening it and taking a look at an image. She held it up to the light as Ichigo stepped behind her. It was an X-Ray of a brain. Near the stem he could see a small square of white.

"A chip."

"Any idea what its purpose might be?"

"Potentially. I'll know a bit more once I get it out."

Putting on a clean pair of gloves, the doctor called for them to assist her in rolling the body over and holding it in place. Ichigo cringed as the skin sagged with gravity like slow moving, flesh colored putty. With well-practiced movements, Collins removed the chip from the brain stem and dropped it into a plastic baggie. She held it up to the light and examined it with a thoughtful hum.

"Just as I thought." She threw another glove into the trash and got on her phone. When she found what she was looking for, she passed her phone to Rukia. "DARPA" was scrolled across the top of the screen in large letters, followed by "Restoring Active Memory (RAM)".

"When I saw the scan, I was reminded of this. I heard about it at a recent conference." The doctor leaned on the table. "The original intent behind this chip was to help rebuild memories of veterans with traumatic brain injuries. This chip matches the one that I just pulled out of our dead vampire."

Rukia glanced at her. "I feel a very large 'but' coming."

"But, I'm not sure that's how this chip is being used."

"She could have been used in a trial."

"Possible, but not likely. There's scar tissue around where the chip was inserted. Since you all heal without leaving scars behind, this had to have been inserted before she was turned. However -" she held up a hand for Rukia to wait before she asked more questions, "there's damage around the brainstem and the incision that indicates this was inserted without care. It was a rush job. Given the experimental and delicate nature of the RAM project, it's unlikely they would have been stupid enough to risk permanently damaging the subject and the chip. Plus, human trials haven't started."

"Of course they haven't," Rukia replied flatly. "So what does this chip do?"

Collins shrugged. "I don't know. I just found the thing. You'll need someone with a different set of skills to take a look at it."

Rukia narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You have a theory, though."

"Maybe."

Rukia waited patiently, uninterested in playing the doctor's games. She was quick to concede and tell them what she knew.

"There's no evidence to explain why the victim's body turned on itself. Poison was my original theory, but I've had no luck finding any trace of it. Given the circumstances, it was the only thing that made sense. However, this chip adds a new chess piece to the board and a new possibility as to what's happening to them before they die."

"Did you find a chip in the others?"

At this, the doctor's ego deflated considerably. "I hate to admit it, but there's a possibility I missed it entirely. I'm normally very thorough in my reviews, and I've been racking my brain trying to recall if I saw anything like this in the others, or if this is the first time we're seeing it. If it is, then my theory is wrong and we're back to square one. Unfortunately, I can't check out the bodies again. Your Council took them."

Rukia studied the chip intently. "I'll see what I can find out."

A phone on the wall rang and the doctor picked it up. "Morgue." Waving her hand in the air, Collins dismissed them. Ichigo wanted to ask her more questions, but Rukia bowed her head out of habit and exited the room.

"I hate leaving with more questions than answers," Ichigo grumbled, falling into step beside her.

"At least they're new questions." She stopped suddenly. "Go on ahead. I forgot to ask her something."

Ichigo was about to ask her what she forgot, but she had already turned the corner and headed into the morgue. He waited for a few minutes before making his way back. From the small window in the door, he saw Rukia and the doctor speaking quietly.

"The results were inconclusive. I'm sorry. I'll need more time to do more research." The doctor's tone was surprisingly soft and sympathetic, a strange change from her normally sharp and proud attitude. Rukia's arms were crossed, her shoulders sagged in disappointment. "Try not to worry about it for now."

Rukia nodded and headed for the door. He moved out of the way as it swung open. She froze in the hall, hand on the door, when she saw him standing there. Whatever it was they had been discussing, she clearly didn't like him knowing about it, and that bothered him. After everything they had been through together, she was still keeping secrets from him.

When she released the door and started walking, he kept silent, trying to figure out how to broach the subject without getting a fist in his stomach. He should have left it well enough alone. If she didn't want to talk with him about it, it wasn't his business. But curiosity, disappointment, and annoyance nagged at him.

"What was that about?" He finally asked.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Her tone was cool and dismissive, and it sparked an anger he hadn't known was ready to ignite.

How many times had she told him not to worry? Tried to push him away? How many times did he have to convince her she could trust him, rely on him? They were partners, weren't they? They were in this together, for the long haul, and yet she continued to keep pushing him to the side. He was still a child to her, a kid who couldn't handle the truth. It was bullshit.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a dead stop. His grip was tighter than it needed to be, but that was partially because she was yanking it from him with all her might.

"Don't."

Something inside him snapped, and he grabbed her again, pushing her against the wall so she couldn't ignore him and walk away. He glared down at her, his eyes boring into hers in an attempt to make her see he was there for her. His heart stopped at what he saw there. Determination. Anger. Fear.

Fear?

The tip of a knife pressed just beneath his ribs, digging into the still healing wound from Nnoitra. She had never drawn a weapon on him. She had never looked at him like that - except once. He could still remember it as if it had happened a few minutes ago. Her eyes were just as dark, just as worried as he had come out of the Rage all those months ago; when he had her pressed into the wall by the throat and had tried to kill her. For her to look at him like he was that monster - his heart felt like it had been punctured and was sinking heavily in his chest.

She didn't trust him, and perhaps she was right not too. How many times had the monster within torn at the walls and screamed for him to go after her? How many times had he bloodied himself to make it shut up? Even now he could feel it stirring, focusing on the sweet blood that flowed through her veins, pulsing beneath a thin layer of smooth skin.

Surprisingly, it did little more than quake with desire. He was so close, all he had to do was lean forward just a little bit, and he would be able to sink his teeth into her flesh. Still, it didn't fight or cry out in desperation and desire. Instead, it held itself back. Did it want him to give in to his own desire? Commit an act of betrayal on his own?

Like hell he would be so pathetic.

Cursing, he pushed off the wall and stormed down the hall. He wouldn't let that bastard win. Rukia was right to arm herself against him. Until he rid himself of this ghost, it wasn't safe for her to be around him.

Ichigo's back hit the mat with a painful thud, the weight of the impact spreading through his limbs like an electric shock. But there was no time to think about it. Pulling his legs in, he rolled backwards and barely managed to avoid Hiyori's sword as it came down hard. The tiny vampire clicked her tongue in disappointment before lunging at him. He managed to get to his feet and get his sword up before she could land a strike.

After he got back from the hospital, Ichigo sought the first person he knew would help him burn off his anger. Hiyori had practically skipped to the gym when he asked her for a sparring session. She'd nearly drooled when he asked her to go full out. She was small, but concealed in that compact little body was a lot of strength, speed, and ferocity. From the minute they started, she had gone at him like a vampire unhinged, and he returned the favor. Both of them were exhausted, sweaty, and covered in cuts and slices.

Rukia clearly spoiled him when they sparred. She challenged him, for sure, but it was always safe. Whenever she felt they were pushing it too hard she would stop the session. He'd never argued. If he drew too much blood it became too dangerous. With Hiyori he didn't have to worry about it. When he smelled her blood it was like smelling water - bland and flavorless.

"I'm surprised, Kurosaki." Hiyori was breathing hard as she wiped her forehead with the back of her arm. It was a good opportunity to attack, but after thirty minutes of constantly exchanging blows, he was grateful for the brief reprieve.

"By what?" He kept his answer short, not wanting to give away his own exhaustion.

"Everyone's been bragging about how difficult you are to beat. They said you were so fast they could never land a hit." She paused and smirked as she continued. "But I've got you all nice and bloody."

"Luck."

"Nah," she said with her lips spreading into a wide grin, revealing her sharp canines. "You're distracted."

To prove her point, Hiyori appeared to his right and nearly landed a blow on his exposed shoulder. Ichigo got his sword up in time and blocked her. Grinning, she pressed harder, pushing him back towards the edge of the mat.

"Thinking too much in a fight is a good way to get yourself killed."

"Easy for you to say."

Her smile disappeared and she screamed as she twisted away and tried to strike him from behind. Sometimes she made it just too easy to goad her. He twisted to block her attack and used the momentum to bring his leg around. His shin connected with her ribs and sent her flying across the mat. She rolled and stood, her smile returning.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"We're fine."

He didn't like the way she was smirking at him.

"That means you aren't."

"We're fine," he insisted, having no interest in discussing his issues. "I thought we were supposed to be fighting?"

"Fighting can be more than just physically attacking your enemy. It can be a mental game, too." She tapped her temple in emphasis.

He scowled and appeared beside her, swiping low. She jumped and put a few feet of distance between them. "You're just trying to catch your breath."

"I'm curious," she said, almost mocking him with her casual demeanor. "Normally you spar with the peons or the Princess. You came directly to me. I'm assuming it's because you knew I wouldn't hold back and you could work off some steam, which means you have steam to work off."

He narrowed his eyes and attacked again, but it was slow with no determination behind it. Mostly he just wanted her to shut up. He wasn't there to talk.

She avoided his attack, landing behind him. "I figure that means you're having a lover's spat and want to work off some of that tension."

"Which is becoming increasingly difficult the more you keep talking," he mentioned through gritted teeth.

She ignored him and continued speaking. "You two would be better off just banging and getting it out of the way. It's different from sparring, but has some benefits."

Ichigo stilled, his face and body heating up like they were on fire. "Like hell we're doing that!"

"Why not?" Hiyori looked genuinely baffled.

Ichigo was certain his face was bright red. The last thing he needed was to think about was sex, especially with Rukia. He was distracted enough as it was. What he needed was to concentrate and end this session before Hiyori started throwing out any other weird ideas.

"It's inappropriate on so many levels." Hoping that would be the end of it, he attacked again. She dodged.

"Because she's your boss?" She waved her hand dismissively. "It's hardly uncommon. Some Councils encourage it. A bodyguard who is protecting their lover is more effective than one who's getting paid to do it."

Ichigo gawked and nearly tripped over his own feet. "That's beside the point." And then he was looking for another reason. "She's older."

He didn't see the butt of the sword until she was hitting him in the face with it. Cursing, he stumbled back as he clutched his nose, trying to stem the bleeding.

"What the hell?"

"Sorry, gut reaction." She didn't look particularly apologetic. "You're not worried about her age."

"How do you know?" he demanded, his voice muffled by his hand as he continued to pinch his nose.

"Because she looks like she's no older than 25. When you think 150, you think of a withered wrinkly old woman with stringy white hair who can't get out of bed. No, I think instead of being unattracted, you're too attracted."

The bleeding had stopped and he released his grip on his nose. He wish it hadn't. It served as a good distraction. She was watching his face with amusement and he didn't like it.

"Hit the nail on the head huh?"

"She's attractive," he admitted begrudgingly.

Hiyori rolled her eyes. "Most vampires are. Some of us look a little weird, I'll admit, but at the core of it we're supposed to be. It comes from the old hunting days. It's much easier to lure our targets when we appeal to them physically. But that's not all I'm talking about." She tapped the vein along her neck. "You want to drink from her."

Ichigo clenched his jaw shut, afraid if he said anything she would take it and run with it. Rukia and Hiyori weren't on friendly terms, but he didn't want her running off and exposing his weakness to Rukia. It would only add to her distrust.

"Relax, Jesus. You look like I'm threatening to skin your puppy or something." She dug the tip of her sword into the mat and leaned on the hilt. "Wanting to drink from a pureblood is pretty natural. I'm not sure what it is about them, but their blood is appealing, even to vampires. Seems like a flaw in the code to me."

"So everyone wants to drink from a pureblood?"

Hiyori shrugged. "Most vampires who have been turned anyway. I mean, it's not unmanageable. Anymore I find it a nuisance, like an itch in my throat."

He wasn't sure how he felt about others sharing similar craving. The beast roused, ever so slightly, feeling angry and . . . territorial?

A force the size of Hiyori's foot struck him from behind and knocked him to the floor. He felt the point of her kneecap dig into his spin.

"Ha ha!" She barked in victory. "I told you it was a mental game too!"

Growling, he pushed up. His strength overpowered hers. When he was on his feet, she was standing several yards away.

"Look, it'll get easier the longer you're around purebloods. It's kind of like a gorgeous view. When it's new it still pulls at your heart and takes your breath away. But after staring at the same thing for days on end for over a decade you become desensitized to it. It becomes another thing you see every day, and that's it."

He wasn't quite sure that analogy applied to his particular situation, but he was hesitant to talk to Hiyori about what was truly the root of his concerns. Perhaps, at the heart of it, she was right. The longer he was around Rukia, the less interested the animal would become. At least, he hoped so.

Tapping the dull edge of her sword on her shoulder, Hiyori smirked at him. "Now, are you finally ready to give it your all or do you need me to give you a few more nosebleeds?"

Scowling, Ichigo prepared himself and launched at his sparring partner. She hadn't exactly been helpful, but she'd tried in her own way. The least he could do in thanks was kick her ass.

Violent, bloody images and worried faces flickered across the large screen TV, illuminating the darkened apartment with vibrant whites, blues, and reds. Nnoitra mused silently to himself as he watched the humans, panicked over another death, wailing at how cruel the world was to claim the life of someone so young and sweet and beautiful and barf. The girl had been so blitzed out of her mind he'd gotten a buzz drinking her blood. It shouldn't have happened to her? Please. She had painted a neon target on her back, like a weak animal in a herd. If anything, they should be thanking him for ridding the world of another useless bag of meat taking up space and oxygen.

He snorted into the glass of bourbon. As if he cared for their gratitude.

Taking a sip, he peered down at his current host. The large man stared up at him with dull eyes. Well, that happened when someone broke their neck. The man had been an idiot, thinking his 136 kilograms of muscle would be able to overcome Nnoitra. He'd gone down in less than a second. At least he had good taste in alcohol. The bourbon was probably the cheapest thing in his cabinet, and it was worth a couple hundred Pounds.

His girlfriend - or was she a high-priced whore? - stared up at Nnoitra from the corner of the room, shaking like one of the vibrators probably hiding in her purse. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with her yet. Her client tasted of steroids, which always ruined his appetite, and he was in no mood to play with her.

Tapping his finger on the edge of the glass, an idea came to him. Maybe he would leave her as a present for the little princess and her puppy. Her royal highness didn't seem too attached to the humans, more bothered by the disturbance of the peace. But Rover? Rover clearly had an attachment to the walking meal tickets. Probably still clinging to the fragile mortal life he'd left behind.

Revolting.

How pissed off would they be if he left not just this body, but a few of them, wrapped up like gifts and sprinkled about the city?

His phone rang, startling the bitch in the corner, causing her to burst into a fit of tears. He growled and she swallowed her wails, cowering further into the corner. His long nose curled in disgust. When he looked at the caller ID he snarled. He didn't want to talk to her. Wordy lectures and commands, even if they were coming from a walking, talking piece of sex, weren't his style. Lifting the phone to his eyes, he tried to determine how much he wanted to risk his own life by not answering. There was no guarantee she would, or even could, kill him from this distance. Then again, there was no guarantee she couldn't.

Unwilling to risk his own life, he huffed and answered. "And what can I do for you, oh eternal pain in my ass?"

"I know English is your second language, Nnoitra, but I didn't think 'low profile' was a difficult phrase to understand."

Clearly, she was pissed. Nnoitra couldn't decide if that amused him or terrified him.

"I got bored."

"I don't care. You were supposed to keep an eye on the Kuchiki girl, not gorge yourself on the local cuisine and call attention to yourself."

"Why can't I do all three?" He ran his tongue over his teeth. "And it's not like they can find me."

"How do you think I found out you were the one pulling this stupid little stunt? The Council leaked your picture to the authorities. Everyone is keeping an eye out for you now."

He shrugged. "That'll just make it all the more amusing when I drop another body on them."

He could hear her tapping her fingernails on a surface, a slow rhythm as if trying to keep her calm. "Do not do anything that will compromise his plans."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll keep my hands off the little runt. Why's he even interested in that pipsqueak? She's hardly anything to look at. I mean, seriously, where are the curves? It's like she stopped growing at 13."

"His interest in her is none of your concern."

"I supposed" he took another drink. "I really couldn't give two shits about the sick things that monster thinks about, and unless he's going to fly his ass over here, I'm going to keep doing things my way."

"I see you've managed to find your balls somewhere in those back alleys."

Judging by her less than murderous tone, she wasn't going to kill him - yet. A grin spread across his lips.

"Well then, if you're done bitching-"

"Just a reminder, Nnoitra, you are to look, not touch."

"She may have a pretty face, but I prefer my women more physically formed."

"Don't play dumb. I don't want to have to call you again."

The phone clicked as she hung up. Nnoitra stared at it with disgust. Ever since she dragged him into her world she had been nothing but a pain in the ass. What good was everlasting life if it came with a leash? He spent months in prison, fighting, killing, and feeding. He'd survived their damned tests and experiments. He'd earned the right to do whatever the hell he wanted, and he was going to start with playing with Aizen's precious little princess and her ginger puppy.

Author's Notes: Thank you to those who reviewed, favorited, and followed the story! I'm glad you guys seem to be enjoying the story so far! A special thanks to the 3 guests and yocel who left their thoughts and questions. I'd love to answer all of your questions, but I don't want to spoil anything, but I hope you'll be pleased with things as they progress.

I want to thank lightdesired for sending me a very lovely and passionate PM. I hope can continue to make you happy with my story and thank you so much for your support :).

I know things are still ramping up, so thanks for sticking it out. Please R&R! I love hearing from you wall.