Hi everyone! So sorry for not updating in so long, but don't worry I'm still alive!

This chapter is from Rukia's POV this time. I've had this chapter planned for a while so I was really excited to write this. Thank you all for your patience and I hope you guys like it!

Chapter 18

The Bet

"Ichigo, what are you-?"

"I-I screwed up, Rukia!" He was hyperventilating. "I-I s-screwed up…screwed up big time!"

"Calm down, what did you do?"

"I was so stupid! I was so incredibly stupid! Why was I so stupid?"

"What did you do!?"

"I saw her today and-and ran after her…the police came and now I can't attend Yuzu's wedding or the dance tournament!"

"Wait, WHAT?!"

"I can't go out…I-I'm sorry, Rukia. I'm so sorry…"

Fists clenching, Rukia quickened her pace. She was furious for several reasons:

1. Ichigo was truly stupid. She knew he was impulsive and did stupid things as a result, but what he did the other day? That was inexcusably stupid and messed everything up.

2. Aizen was the biggest bastard to walk the planet. The "I care so much about the public!" facade was such bullshit.

3. Because of Aizen, Ichigo can't go to his sweet sister's wedding. That's just cruel.

4. Also because of Aizen, Rukia lost her dance partner and can't participate in the dance tournament. Seriously, fuck Aizen.

5. Even though she didn't want to admit it to herself, Rukia was personally bothered by the fact Ichigo chased after his ex. God, the whole incident sounded like it came from a bad Nicholas Sparks novel. It was cringe-worthy.

As Rukia made her way down the hall, she suddenly realized the irony of her situation. She was frustrated with Ichigo for his impulsiveness and now, out of that frustration, she herself was doing something impulsive.

Jesus, I'm such a hypocrite. But I have to do this.

Taking a deep breath, Rukia turned left and stopped in front of a place she never wanted to see again.

Aizen's office.

Rukia raised her fist and froze before she could knock. She had only been in there once, and it was an awful experience. Knowing Aizen, he didn't forget their first meeting. He was definitely going to be relentless with her.

It's OK, Rukia, she told herself. This is important. You have to do this.

She knocked the door.

"Come in!" She heard Aizen say and slowly opened the door.

Aizen was sitting at his desk with a pile of paperwork on his desk. His eyes widened slightly before glowing with amusement.

"Kuchiki Rukia, long time no see! Please, take a seat."

"This isn't a bad time for you, right?" Rukia asked dryly, eyeing the paperwork.

Aizen smirked. "It's really not a huge deal. These aren't due for a long time. Besides, I'm infinitely more interested in what you have to say."

Rukia sat down and stared hard at Aizen. "I want you to allow Mr. Kurosaki to attend his sister's wedding and the Karakura Dance Tournament."

Aizen cocked his head. "Did Mr. Kurosaki ask you to do this?"

"Mr. Kurosaki didn't ask me to do anything," Rukia said. "It was my decision only to talk to you."

Aizen chuckled. "You really do enjoy giving people favors, don't you?"

Rukia couldn't help but wince. Damn, he really did remember.

Trying to keep her voice from shaking, Rukia said, "Please, Mr. Aizen. It's only two days, and he won't be alone. He can have nurses stay by his side."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that."

"Yes you can. You're just not particularly interested in doing so."

"I suppose that's true to a certain extent. I see no point in helping Mr. Kurosaki after what he did."

"He's a patient at your hospital. You're supposed to help."

"I'm supposed to help without bringing harm to others. Mr. Kurosaki harassed someone on the street, and injured another. He's too dangerous to be let out."

Rukia curled her lip. She desperately wanted to punch the smirk off Aizen's face.

"Mr. Kurosaki isn't dangerous. He's just stupid sometimes."

"And that can be dangerous as well."

"I won't deny that. But Mr. Aizen, everyone is stupid sometimes. Everyone has done something that had negative consequences. However, not everyone is stripped away of freedom as a result. People can learn from their mistakes, Mr. Aizen, and judging by Mr. Kurosaki's behavior last night, I'm sure he's learned his lesson."

"Why are you doing this?" Aizen suddenly asked. "Coming in here on your own will…to be honest, I'm baffled. Why are you trying so hard to help Mr. Kurosaki? What's in it for you?" He raised one eyebrow and grinned lecherously. "Do you and Mr. Kurosaki have a special relationship?"

In that moment, Rukia realized that her heart was pounding like crazy, as if it were trying to escape from its cage. Rukia hoped that Aizen couldn't sense her nervousness. If she knew anything about him, it was that showing strong emotions was the worst thing someone could do around him. Staying calm and logical was the only way to deal with Aizen.

"Mr. Kurosaki is my dance partner," Rukia said as calmly as possible. "Without him, I won't be able to participate in the dance tournament, and this dance tournament is something I've wanted to do for a few years. Mr. Kurosaki and I have no "special" relationship. I'm just helping him because ultimately, it will benefit myself."

Aizen seemed pleased with her response. Or maybe he was just amused. "And what about the wedding? What could you possibly gain from Mr. Kurosaki attending it?"

Rukia shrugged. "Out of good will, Mr. Kurosaki agreed to be my partner without receiving anything in return. However, I hate being in debt. Helping Mr. Kurosaki attend his sister's wedding will relieve me of said debt."

"'Out of good will,' huh?" Aizen murmured. In a louder tone, he added, "Is Mr. Kurosaki truly so kind that he's willing to make such a huge commitment to someone he's not close with, without gaining anything in return?"

An image of The Letter flashed through Rukia's head. "I suppose he wanted to redeem himself," she said, thinking quickly. "Imagine being held up in high esteem for years and suddenly being thrown into a mental hospital. It must have been a huge blow to his pride."

"And he thinks dancing will help?"

"Mr. Kurosaki seems to have a hero complex," Rukia said. "He desperately wants to fix everyone's problems. Helping me with this dance tournament, which you pointed out is a huge commitment, would certainly make him feel better."

To Rukia's surprise, Aizen buried his face in his hands and laughed. "What's so funny?"

"Kuchiki, Rukia!" Aizen raised his head and put his hands down. "You're different from that woman I met a few years ago."

"I should hope so," Rukia replied dryly. "If I were the same, it would mean my health wasn't improving."

Aizen smirked. "I'll never forget the day we first met, you know. You tried to act so tough and independent. But in those pretty eyes of yours, I could see how broken you were. And I don't blame you. It must have been difficult…"

Rukia's entire body grew cold and her heart pounded harder. She knew where Aizen was going.

"…having your only friends betray you…"

Rukia opened her mouth to tell Aizen to stop, but her voice failed her.

"…having your love force himself on you…and then murdering him…"

"No…" Rukia barely whispered. An image of Kaien's eyes staring without life flashed through her mind. Her head throbbed.

Aizen's eyes sparkled with malice. "Falling in love again…only for him to die as well…"

Rukia was clenching her fists so tightly that her nails drew blood. But the physical pain seemed so minuscule compared to the storm of emotions raging through her.

"You bring pain to others," Aizen continued. "That's all you're good for. Everyone you meet ends up suffering."

"That's not true!" Rukia protested, her eyes stinging with tears. Deep down, she knew Aizen was just trying to get a reaction from her, and the best way to handle him was to remain calm. But his words had too great of an effect on her.

"Really?" Aizen seemed to be bursting with glee. "Then why did your brother send you here? Why does no one visit you?"

"Byakuya didn't send me here, I-"

"No one cares about you, Kuchiki Rukia," Aizen said. "Have you ever wondered why?"

Yes. "You're a disgusting human being," Rukia said. She shut her eyes and saw Rangiku, Kenpachi, and Toshiro. They had been intimidated by her for so long, but now, they treated her like she was always their good friend. She saw Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu, welcoming her with open arms, as if she were apart of the family. And finally, she saw Ichigo, giving her that stupid, encouraging grin of his. She saw Ichigo taking a seat at her table when he was still the new guy. God, that felt like years ago. She had been so hostile towards him, but Ichigo was stubborn. He wanted to be friends with her. And now…

Rukia opened her eyes, feeling much more confident. "There are people that care about me. You probably won't understand, but I have people in my life who want the best for me."

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "Want the best for you? Everyone says that. I could say I wanted the best for you when we-"

"Shut up," Rukia interrupted. "I was in a difficult position and you took advantage of that. You could never say you wanted the best for me. All you care about is yourself."

Aizen shrugged. "You enjoyed it a lot though."

"You slut-shamed me in front of basically everyone."

Aizen laughed. "It amazes me how upset you still are about that. That was years ago, Kuchiki Rukia! Let it go."

It took all of Rukia's energy to keep herself in her seat instead of jumping on Aizen and clawing his face. "We've gotten way off topic. How about you let Ichigo attend his sister's wedding and the dance tournament."

As soon as the words slipped out, Rukia realized the huge mistake she made. She referred to Ichigo by his first name.

"Ichigo?" Aizen laughed again. "Seems like you really are well acquainted with Mr. Kurosaki."

Rukia bristled. "What's your beef with him anyway? You seem so bent on keeping him locked up. I can't recall you treating a patient this way before."

"We have no 'beef,'" Aizen calmly replied. "Why would we? I actually find Mr. Kurosaki to be very interesting."

Rukia hated his tone. "What do you mean by 'interesting?'"

"He's a doctor. Isn't it ironic for a doctor to be the sick one? Las Noches has thousands of patients, and none of them were doctors. I think Mr. Kurosaki is a first."

All of a sudden, Rukia felt sick. "Mr. Aizen…how long have you known about him? After he checked in here, or for much longer?"

Aizen was silent for a moment, as if he were deciding whether to lie or be honest. "Of course I knew about him before he checked in. His…incident was in the news, you know."

"And…you found him interesting."

"Very. I followed the story diligently. I was even at the trial, though no one seemed to have noticed me."

Rukia wanted to throw up. "Were you involved in any way?"

Aizen smirked and Rukia knew.

"You bastard!" Rukia snarled. "That's completely illegal and you could-should-be thrown in jail!"

"I'm a rich man," Aizen snorted. "I could get away with anything. I wouldn't have done anything, or tipped you off, if I knew I'd be caught."

"But why? Just because Mr. Kurosaki was a doctor?"

"How many men do you know would react calmly if he saw his wife sleeping with another man?" Aizen asked. "He's a doctor, too. He could've gotten away with it. But I'm sure you know that Mr. Kurosaki does have mental problems. He needed to come here."

"No, you just needed another person to ruin. And a doctor would've been a new experience for you." Rukia stood up, heart pounding. "You're a disgusting human being. All you want in life is money and people to play with. But if you like games so much, I have one for you. The dance tournament is before Miss Kurosaki's wedding. Let Mr. Kurosaki attend it. If we get a score of at least 5, Mr. Kurosaki gets to attend the wedding. If we score lower, you can keep him locked up."

Aizen tapped his chin thoughtfully. "You know me well, Kuchiki Rukia. I'll admit, your offer is quite enticing. It's been a while since I've gambled." He paused. "Make the score at least 6 and you have a deal."

Rukia wet her lips. Getting a 6 was actually rather difficult. But what choice did she have? There was no way she could bargain.

"Deal."

Rukia's heart pounded as she ran to Ichigo's room. She knocked hard on his door. "ICHIGO! ICHIGO!"

For a moment, there was silence. Then, Rukia heard a few footsteps and the door opened. Ichigo looked like shit. There were heavy bags under his eyes and his clothes and hair were disheveled.

"Hey, Rukia," Ichigo said in the most despondent voice. He held out a chocolate. "I just realized that I accidentally stole this. Could you return it for me when you go out? I think the place is called The Chocolate Factory."

"You can return it yourself," Rukia said. "I just spoke with Aizen. You can attend the dance tournament."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "What?"

Rukia took a deep breath. "I just talked to Aizen. We made a bet. If we score at least a 6 at the dance tournament, you can go to Yuzu's wedding."

"And if we don't?"

"Then you can't."

Ichigo bit his lip. "Isn't getting a 6 like, really hard?"

"That's why we have to practice even more." Rukia squeezed Ichigo's arm in assurance. "We can do it, Ichigo. Don't worry."

Ichigo stared at Rukia's hand on his arm, and then at Rukia. He cocked his head. "Is something bothering you? You look…concerned. Did Aizen say anything?"

Rukia froze. She'd been wondering whether or not to tell Ichigo the real reason why he was in Las Noches. A part of her didn't want to. She'd hate to see Ichigo's reaction. But he deserved to know.

Rukia chose her words carefully. "Aizen…told me something funny about you."

Ichigo blinked. "What did he say?"

Rukia suddenly couldn't maintain eye contact with Ichigo. She looked down. "There's…there's a good chance that you didn't actually have to come here. But Aizen is selfish and manipulative and cruel so he…messed with the system a bit. Ichigo, I'm so so sorry."

Rukia glanced back up. Ichigo's expression was unreadable as he pulled away from her. He buried his face in his hands. Before Rukia could go up and hug him, Ichigo looked back at her and sighed.

"There's nothing we could do about that, right?" He said. "Whatever he did was absolutely disgusting and unforgivable, but we have no proof." He paused and seemed to be thinking hard. At last, he gave Rukia a small smile that made her heart flutter.

"I guess…I guess I should actually thank Aizen. Because coming here has actually been good for me in a few big ways."

Rukia was completely taken aback by Ichigo's words. This was not the reaction she had been anticipating. Despite everything, he seemed so optimistic. She studied Ichigo's face. He was still smiling and Rukia understood that it was genuine.

So she smiled back, knowing that whatever happened, they would come out alright.