This was an idea I had some time ago while at my Uncle's. I had been obsessing with the song Savior by Rise Against, and was listening to it when I thought of Ichigo saving Rukia. Then, of course, I turned it into a supernatural idea and here we are!

(One track mind...no?)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of the characters associated with the Anime/Manga. They belong to Tite Kubo and Shonen Jump Magazine. Please support the official release.

One thousand miles away, there's nothing left to say,

but so much left that I don't know.

We never had a choice, this world is too much noise

it takes me under once again.

She was leaving for good this time. She was leaving behind the corrupt people that had surrounded her for almost her whole life, leaving that corrupt society and the morbid morals it consisted of way behind her. No longer would she fall victim to the peer pressure, to the insatiable hunger that would only be intensified by the presence of another. No longer would she be a slave in her own world.

This time she meant it. There were many times she had claimed that she would be leaving once and for all, but that lifestyle always found a way to pull her back in. It had a permanent leash around her neck, making her its dog. And she was tired of that, tired of barking on command and sitting when told. She wanted to be free, and right now she had more motivation to leave than ever.

Rukia Kuchiki sat alone on the midnight bus to anywhere. She wasn't sure where she would end up, or what she'd do once she was there. She just knew that she needed out, and anywhere but here was perfect.

It was dark out, twenty minutes after midnight. The only lights that illuminated the blue bus' way were the street lights along the eerily lonesome road. Her violet eyes watched as the light poles passed by, as graffiti coated buildings swished by. She wouldn't miss any of it, wouldn't miss a single thing about this wretched town. Karakura would be the only thing in her life she would not miss out of all the things she has been forced to leave behind.

But, there was one thing she'd miss about this place. Wasn't so much the memories of living here, nor would it be the people she had befriended in her long, long life that now resided here. It was more like a few memories- only a select few that involved a certain someone. She wouldn't miss Karakura. She'd miss him.

He had been her rock; her anchor to reality. Within the hell the others had pushed her into, he had been the only one to be there for her when it all got to be too much. Rukia would miss him, and would forever be thankful for his part in setting her free.

–

They had met some odd years ago. It had been at the park- night, of course- and they had both been surrounded by others with malicious intent for their evening. Rukia had been in too deep at the time, the leash around her neck too tight for her to even attempt to break free. And he was still new to it all, only in his third year into the scene. He had been so naïve at the time, so unwilling for what was to come, but yet resigned for he knew by then that if he didn't submit he would perish.

At the time she had been worried, for she hadn't known him yet. And when she didn't recognize a face she was immediately wary of them. It was habit, after nearly a hundred and forty years having to live incognito and having to worry about being found out by the police.

They had met at the park- their usual meeting place- for the nightly "hunt." He had trailed along with an acquaintance of hers, looking paler than the norm at having to be at such a place. She had been skeptical of him at first glance. He had spiky orange hair, with amber-brown eyes and a rather impressive build, dressed in a dark hoodie with ripped jeans similar to her own. She had guessed that he had been around twenty when he was turned, and had later found out to be right on the dot.

The meeting was brief and to the point, as always. She hadn't even bothered to pay attention, instead taking a liking to the way the grass was tousled by the light wind. She was starving, an ache growing at the back of her throat, and couldn't concentrate properly on the terse words her cohorts had been spitting. But, despite her hunger and disinterest in the world around her, she had noticed with picture-perfect clarity the orange haired man's stare. He had been staring directly at her since arriving, and it sent chills down her spine every time she glanced and caught his eye. He hadn't looked away, not even as he was addressed and introduced by her closest "friend" Renji.

Ichigo Kurosaki...the man who saved her from this hell...

–

That night ten years ago had been almost routine, except for the odd feeling of always being watched. And she knew where the feeling was coming from, for every time she turned Ichigo would be there, watching her with interest, his amber eyes droopy with what looked like fatigue and hunger. She recognized the look, for it was one she wore all too much.

Sitting in her seat on the bus, the only person other than the driver aboard, she couldn't help but remember him; his scent, his handsome face, his pale features, his smooth skin...and the two pin-prick holes in his neck that signaled he was one of her kind.

Looking at herself in the reflection of her window, she looked down at her neck to find her own marks. They were fang marks, given to her the day she had been turned into...this. It would forever be the only thing to mar her petite body, for what she was didn't allow for scars or blemishes to ever stain her skin.

Being a vampire has its perks... There was that word again. Vampire. She didn't much like the word, nor what it entailed. But she has heard and thought of it so much in her life that it was hard to ignore. She couldn't complete a thought without that word being referenced or directly said. It frustrated her to know something as insignificant as that one word had such a hold over her.

The marks on her neck were very faded, almost invisible to the naked eye. But her eye was by no means naked, and could see clear as day- something she hasn't seen in a hundred and fifty years- the two little holes at the crook of her neck and shoulder. They would always be with her, no matter how faded. Reminding her that she was not ever able to escape what she was until the day she ceased existing.

For a long time she hadn't cared about that fact. For a long time Rukia was a vampire without a care in the world except for when she'd get her next dose of blood; when she'd feed again...

The bus hit a bump, and she was brought out of her thoughts as she glanced ahead at the driver. He was an old man with long white hair that fell about his shoulders, his face long and his eyes dreary. She could hear his heartbeat, hear the flow of his blood pumping through his veins. He was sick, nearly defeated with an illness that stained his blood. That was the only reason she was able to resist jumping over the seats and sinking her fangs into his neck.

Looking back out of the window, she wondered what Ichigo would be doing right now.

Probably scowling at teenagers. She giggled to herself, watching as more street lamps passed by.

–

It had been a week after that first meeting when the strange new man talked to her. Rukia had been sedated from her hunger for the night, the small gang of vampires taking the bodies of those they had killed to the cemetery to hide them.

The cemetery hadn't been in use for over thirty years, preserved for those who had died in some war she had been alive through but hadn't caught her notice. She had carried along a portly young man with his neck ripped open and blood staining the whole front of his body. She gave one last lick at his open neck, the yellow globs of muscle now unmoving as the man's body succumbed to death. She dug a hole large enough for him, and tossed him inside, burying him and the evidence that she had hunted that night.

"This is ridiculous," was what the orange haired man said to her that night. She was shocked, for even though she had caught him watching her blatantly many times he hadn't spoken a word to anyone- at least not when she was in earshot.

She turned to him, for a split second wondering if someone else was talking. But when she caught his stare she knew he was the one talking to her. He tossed in the body of some teenage girl, then began the arduous task of covering her up with dirt.

"It's necessary," She retorted, that very phrase having been used against her so many times in the past that it felt odd to be the one saying it for once. "We can't have people finding men and women with their throats torn open regularly."

He snorted, his eyes locking onto hers as he finished burying the girl and dropped the shovel down onto the ground. "It's still bullshit." He said vulgarly. He scowled, looking back towards the others who were all finishing up.

Rukia wasn't sure what to think of him yet. At the time, he had just been a stranger. A newer vampire, his bite marks still apparent and his view of the world still slightly human. It'd be a while before he would be like her; cold, ruthless, and addicted. At least she had thought so.

That had made her slightly sad. Looking at him felt similar to looking at an infant; so innocent and untouched by the world around him. But it would soon have its clutches on him, pulling him down deep into the void of insanity. It wouldn't be long before the human in him would be gone, and the vampire would reign supreme.

"We're heading out!" Renji called, the self-appointed leader of their gangly group. Rukia walked away from the fresh grave, unsure of what the night would hold in store for her at this point. It was only two in the morning, and they all had hours before they had to disappear from the streets. She figured she'd branch off from the group and catch a late night movie.

Immortality is boring, she thought sourly. Looking back at Ichigo one last time before heading off, she caught his heated stare yet again. A shiver had run down her spine.

–

The bus passed by a dumpster, where Rukia could see a battered and sickly looking cat nibble on something wet and decaying with age. She frowned at it, feeling sorry for the poor kitten and the horrible hand it had been given in life- much like her.

She had not chosen this life, nor would she ever if given the chance to redo it all. She had just been a young girl, barely eighteen yet when she was forced into this world.

She had met the devilishly handsome man that went by the name Kaien Shiba just before her eighteenth birthday. He had claimed to be twenty-four, pale and charming as he wooed her by night in the gardens of her family's estate. At the time, she had been in love with the idea of having such a relationship. She was forbidden to be courted by this man, instead being instructed that she would be wed to one of the Kano family.

Kaien had been the forbidden fruit, and she willingly tasted it. But, as a night of passion turned more sinister: Kaien revealed his true self and Rukia was no more a human.

He had disappeared after that, leaving her bloody and hungry. She had nearly burned in the sunlight the following day, and had hid in her grandfather's crypt until nighttime. She had gone out, her neck covered in dry blood and her body unclothed. Her stomach had growled, and she had killed everyone in the mansion.

Reflecting on those times made her sick. No matter how deep she fell into the life of a vampire she would always look back at those horrid moments of non-control and blanch in shame.

But he had always made her forget all those horrible memories...

–

Years passed, and she had grown accustomed to the orange haired vampire and his scowling face. The two of them had formed a sort of companionship, borderline true friendship. She hadn't understood what it was they shared, all she knew was was that she quite enjoyed it. He actually made it fun to show up to those meetings at the park every night before the hunt; made it so she had something to look forward to when awaking within her dark, boarded up apartment.

This night hadn't been much different. She arrived early, the second to arrive other than Renji and one of the other nameless bloodsuckers who wore dark hoodies and black pants. Ichigo had come as one of the last, and Rukia had been all too happy to welcome him with mockery- as per usual.

"Wow, you actually pulled yourself away from your dumpster-bed to join us. Bravo, Ichigo." She jeered jokingly, to which he replied with a mean scowl and glare.

"Where I currently live is no where near as good as a dumpster." He said, his usual pessimistic attitude in place.

Rukia shook her head, pleased with his answer for it was familiar and she enjoyed the familiarity he brought with him. Being alive so long you lost track of things so easily, and everything was always new and confusing, so to have one thing you could always recognize was comforting.

"Where are you hunting tonight?" She asked him, curious to his ways. He was so secretive of himself sometimes, and she made it a game to learn everything about him without directly asking.

"I don't know..." He said, sighing and looking up into the dark sky, as if searching for something dear to him. The look in his eyes at the time had been so emotional, so full of depth it made her shiver. She had always wondered why he looked so deep in thought all the time, and a big part of her wanted to get inside of his head to see what ran through it every night.

"Well, don't get caught." It was a lame line, but it was enough to end the conversation and signal the start of the hunt.

–

That night Rukia remembered specifically, for it was one of the nights she had truly pondered what might be going through that man's head. She had never really found out, at least not everything. She knew enough about him now to nearly guess every thought that may pass through his mind with nothing but facial expressions as signs. But there would always be that part of him that she would never understand.

Her eyes caught sight of a group of men walking down the sidewalk, and she could see in their goofy smiles and flushed faces that they were drunk. They had been her ideal targets- dazed, disoriented, and helpless should anything too serious go down. She felt her throat ache, the hunger rising at the thought of crashing through the window and attacking the group, but she held herself firmly in place and just watched them disappear into the darkness of the night. Probably off to become prey to the others.

–

Many times did Rukia lose her mind in this world of blood addiction. There was a time in Tokyo where she had nearly been spotted killing and chased a man all the way to the square where there were hundreds of other people. Another time she wouldn't stop drinking from a couple until the sun started to rise. But on this night her lust for blood not only nearly cost the vampire's secrecy- it had almost cost Ichigo his life.

It was a night where she felt hungrier than usual. She hadn't really gotten her fill the night before, and was suffering the consequences that night. Her group had already met and dispersed into the night, everyone leaving in different directions. Ichigo had said his short goodbye and was off as well to find some woman to prey upon.

She found herself walking along the street, her ears catching the sound of mice shuffling about inside the trash cans in the alleys she passed. She heard a footstep, and then another, followed by a group of voices coming from somewhere up the street. She nearly jogged towards them, excited at having found her food for the night.

She found two burly men drinking some sort of whiskey in an alley. Their fat faces were beat red, their large arms swishing as they talked more with their bodies than their words. She could smell that they were very drunk, and she figured it'd be easy pickings for both of them. A treat for one as hungry as her.

She sauntered towards them, her head down but her shoulders square. She was so excited that she had let her fangs extend long before she even reached them.

The one leaning against the wall was the first to notice her, and gave a nasty grin as she neared. "Look, a pretty little lady has come to join us!" He cheered, raising his glass by the neck with a laugh.

"Oh..." The other who had plopped down on the ground slurred, looking back at her with his hazy eyes. "Well damn. You're right!" He said, his face breaking into a grin as he stood. "Hey baby, you want a drink?" He said, offering his own glass to her.

Rukia smiled maliciously at them. "Yes, I would." And with this she lunged, letting them see the fangs in her mouth glint. The one who had been sitting saw the fangs and fell back in his haste to get away as she jumped him. She gripped his head and turned it over to sink her fangs into his jugular, the blood stained by the alcohol but still so delicious...

"Hey! What're you doing?" The other man jumped and shoved her hard off of his friend. She fell to her side, dazed and confused by the sudden halt in flow of blood to her mouth. She looked around, her vision slightly blurry as her mind was trying to return to its logical state from the lustful haze it had been in a moment go, and saw the two men scrambling away from her.

"W-what the fuck man?" The one she had bitten cried, holding his bloody neck. His hand was beginning to stain with blood, and the smell of it was so intoxicating she couldn't help herself from lunging yet again.

"Bitch!" The other one swung and smacked her across the cheek. She yelped, losing balance and falling to her side. She felt so weak without blood in her system, and that hit felt like a megaton of bricks falling on her head.

Groaning, she crawled to her hands and knees, her head spinning from the force of the larger man's hit. She needed to feed to gain back her strength. The smell again caught her nose, and she forced herself up onto her feet to turn and try again.

She was hit again in the forehead and landed hard on her back. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she quivered in pain.

"You little shit..." The two men stood over her, sneering. They had sobered enough to stand and fight, much to her chagrin. "What should we do with her?"

The bloodied one growled loudly. "I say we fuckin' kill her. This hurts!" He said, indicating his neck. "She, like, bit me!"

The other laughed at his friend, grinning down at Rukia nastily. "Guess we do have to pay her back." He said, moving closer.

"Exactly." The bloodied one grinned as well as Rukia struggled to push herself up on her elbows.

"Ugh..." She was so weak...she hated herself so much. What had she gotten herself into?

The two men came closer to her, their faces twisted in evil smirks. She glared hard at them, pushing herself back to get away, but the uninjured one jabbed his arm out and grabbed her leg to pull her back. "Oh no you-"

"Oh no you don't." A hand shot out to grip the man's wrist, wrenching it sideways with a sickening crack of his bone. He cried out, lurching back away from Rukia as he held his broken wrist in his hand.

"Arrgh!"

"Don't touch her." Ichigo stood in front of Rukia protectively, his fists clenched and his stance rigid and angry.

"Who the hell're you?" The bloodied one snarled, having let go of his neck to bring up his fists.

Ichigo said nothing as he charged and as quick as lighting punched the man in the cheek, knocking him back hard against the wall of the building behind him. He groaned, holding his head in his hands as he fell.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelped. "Where did you come from?" She asked.

"I smelled the blood and followed it. Lucky I did because here you are about to get-" He was cut off as the man with the broken wrist came and broke his whiskey bottle over Ichigo's head.

"Oh my god!" Rukia cried as Ichigo wobbled and fell to his knees in pain. He held his head, gritting his teeth in pain as crimson began to stain the orange of his hair.

"Bastard!" The man sent his heel into Ichigo's chin, possibly dislodging it and knocking him down to the ground in a writhing heap.

"Ichigo!"

"Son of a bitch!" The other stepped up and kicked Ichigo in the gut, making him curl into a ball as the two began to wail on him with their feet.

Rukia gave a howl and jumped onto the bloodied one's back to yank him back off of Ichigo. He shouted curses as they struggled, his arms flailing about as she fought to move back his head. She found an opening and sunk her teeth in to drain him of his energy. He screamed, his flailing becoming more panicked.

The other stopped in his beating of the orange haired man below and looked as his friend was being killed. He called out to them, about to run to his friend's aid, but was stopped as a battered and bruised Ichigo came up to sink his own fangs into his neck. He yelled out, falling limp in the vampire's grasp as his blood was drained from him.

Both Ichigo and Rukia drank until the two men were definitely dead. After the two men fell to the floor, covered in blood and motionless, they exchanged looks. His face was bruised, his lip cut and blood dripping from the wound on the side of his head. But he'd heal, she knew.

"This didn't happen." Ichigo said sternly, leaning down to pick up the body of the one he had killed.

Rukia watched him, feeling much better now that she had blood in her. But something inside felt hollow, as if this achievement was nothing of the sort. She frowned, nodding silently to her companion before taking the one she killed over her shoulder and following Ichigo towards the graveyard.

–

By all appearances that night never did happen. They never spoke of it, ever. Though she had thought of it a hundred times over. She felt so guilty for almost getting him killed because of her foolishness. She had tried to think of a way to apologize to him for it, but she never got the nerve. It truly was never spoken of...

...not ever after that night a month later.

–

For the longest time- more than half of her vampire living years- Rukia had been celibate. After that fateful last encounter with that bastard Kaien she hadn't been interested much in sex at all. All she cared about was blood. The only time she ever employed her feminine features were to lure in a human for his blood. But as time went by, she noticed more and more just how handsome Ichigo was.

It was after the night's hunt when she had found herself and he walking along the empty streets of Karakura. They were talking about whatever came to mind- the weather, how big a fight this night's prey gave, what to do next. The night with the two drunken men had been forcibly pushed to the back of her mind with every ounce of mental strength she had. It was a particularly boring night for Rukia, but one she would remember always.

It was the night they first made love.

"I think I'm just going to go home." Ichigo had said after a bout of silence between the two. He had his hands buried deep into the pockets of his coat, his head hung low as he stared ahead with hooded eyes. He looked pale. Though that was to be expected of their kind, but he was more pale than he should be after a feast.

Rukia on the other hand had rosy cheeks and felt lighter than when she first woke up for the night. "Oh..." She had said, feeling disappointed. Why did he want to leave so quickly? They still had four hours before the sun came up.

He had looked at her, something stirring behind those amber eyes of his. She looked into those eyes and lost herself, feeling trapped in his gaze.

"Why don't you come over my place?" She had asked, and had been just as shocked as he that she had said it.

"You serious?" He had looked so nervous about it. It was cute. She had to suppress a chuckle.

"Sure. You can come keep me some company." She had said, feeling like if she still had a heart it would have been pounding so fast right then and there.

He had just nodded after a moment's hesitation and they were off downtown where her dingy little apartment was. It took them near ten minutes to reach it, and when they did she hadn't been sure what to do other than just talk. When they were in her cramped living room, sitting on the little loveseat she had stolen from the people across the hall twenty years ago, she had never felt so awkward.

"Nice place," Ichigo had complimented halfheartedly.

Rukia had never thought her apartment was anything spectacular, interesting, grand, or even pleasant. It was a small little living room with boarded windows and a TV screen laying across the loveseat that she rarely used. She slept on the couch all day, curling to avoid what little of the sunlight came through the wood on the windows. There was a bathroom off to the side, moldy and disgusting. She had on a few occasions tried to clean it, but really it was an impossible task for someone as impatient as her.

"Not really." She had said, bitterly looking over the space with one sweep of her eyes. "What kind of place do you live in?" She asked him, and she watched as he shrunk slightly in his seat.

"Let's just say this is a paradise compared to where I've been living since being turned." He had said evasively. It had irked her, and she had let it show on her face so he knew so.

"Well, maybe next time we can hang out there." She said, leaning back against the seat to relax. She was full, but she knew it wouldn't be long before she started getting peckish.

And by the looks of it Ichigo was already hungry.

He had stood just as the thought had hit her. He took a few steps away from the couch and placed a hand on the wood over her windows. "This is how you live, huh?" He said suddenly, his head turned away from her so that she couldn't see his expression.

Rukia had been confused by such a question. "Yes, I guess." She said, worried that maybe he was looking down on her because this was where she lived.

He was silent for a moment, then turned slightly so that she may see the side of his face. He was looking over at the bathroom, his eyes darting around as if trying to memorize the place. "It's...cozy."

Rukia frowned, staring at him. "What are you thinking about?" She had asked, tired of just wondering what went through his mind all the time. She wanted to know, and wouldn't stop until she got answers.

Ichigo looked back at her in full, and the depth in his eyes made her shiver once again. He stared at her for a moment, mulling something over in his mind as she anticipated his next words.

"I'm thinking..." He said at last, her ears perked to listen. "...about how I can't stop thinking about you."

Shocked, her eyes widened. She looked up at him for the longest of moments, his words being processed in her mind slower than they should have.

She hadn't said another word, only stood to reach his chest level. They locked eyes, and Rukia leaned in, reaching up to pull his head down to her lips.

–

That day Ichigo had stayed at Rukia's place, both cuddled on the love seat with a blanket over them to protect against the sunlight. Never in her long life had she been so content- so happy. To this day she couldn't help but smile when remembering their naked bodies pressed together under that blanket with his arm around her.

She almost wanted to weep at the memory. After that they had slept together multiple times, each time just as amazing as the first. And even when they didn't sleep together he would stay over and they'd cuddle during the sunlight hours until nightfall. It was the closest thing to bliss she had ever reached in her vampire life, and it made her sad to think it was all over.

But she shouldn't dwell on such things. She would be free of this horrible society. Their little hunting group would forever be left one man short- at least until they replaced her. And they would. She didn't have a doubt in her mind that at most in a month they would bring another into this world to join their group. Probably Renji would bite someone, or maybe Shuuhei, or possibly Momo...

...or Ichigo.

Her fist clenched, her knuckles turning a shade so white it shouldn't be possible.

The thought of Ichigo preforming such an act made her cold blood run colder. She had been just barely comfortable with him going around drinking from women every night, and the only reason she was fine with it at all was because she had to drink from men. But the idea of him not only drinking from a woman, but also giving her his blood to activate the transformation made her fangs slightly pop from her gums.

Stay calm, She thought to herself, glancing up at the driver who had been looking at her from his above mirror. She sighed, breathing calmly until her fangs retracted and she was nothing more than a woman sitting on the bus heading to nowhere.

–

"I can't do this any longer Ichigo..." The day had come when it was truly too much for her to handle.

"Do what?" He asked, giving her one of his quizzical stares. They were in his own apartment this night- it wasn't too far off from what her own placed looked like, but without a bathroom and with no windows and half the size with only a single bed laying in the middle- after a long while of hunting together.

She had been thinking about it ever since the incident with the two drunken men. Despite the joy Ichigo had brought there was an ache in her chest that she couldn't shake. Getting up every night felt more and more tedious as time went on, the hunt becoming less and less enjoyable. She was feeling sick of it all, and had had enough of being a blood hungry monster of the night.

"This," Rukia said, waving her hand about.

"Us, you mean?" The look he gave her was heart-wrenching.

"No!" She quickly said, standing from his bed to take his hand. "No, no. I wouldn't give you up for the world." She said, squeezing his hand.

"Then what?" He asked, holding her small hand in his much bigger one.

"Being a vampire..." She said, sighing and looking away from him. "Every night...going out to hunt...I'm getting so tired of it..."

"We can't change it, Rukia." He said, frowning deeply. "It's what we are. There's no fighting it..."

She could tell he wasn't happy about his own statement, neither was she. But it was true. They couldn't do anything about their need for blood to survive.

"I know..." She whispered, looking down at her bare feet. "But...I'm sick of being here." She said.

"In Karakura?"

She nodded. "This town...every town I've lived in...it feels like a prison. I'm trapped in this cage and the only time I'm allowed out is when I drink. I can't stand that anymore, Ichigo. It's getting to be too much for me..." She said.

"So, what do you want to do?" He asked, squeezing her hand tighter and tighter.

"I..." She bit her lip, considering her words wisely. "I want to leave Karakura." She said at last.

"Leave...?" Ichigo's voice was in a shocked whisper. She looked up at him finally, looking into his eyes to see the hurt. "Where would you go?"

"Anywhere." She said hastily. "Anywhere that isn't here, where the others are." She took his hand in both of hers and held it as tightly as she could. "Ichigo, you could come with me! We could escape, leave behind all this madness to be free! To be ourselves for once!"

Ichigo searched her face, almost disbelievingly. "Rukia...I can't leave..."

If she still had her heart it would have sank. "What...why not?" She asked, almost desperately.

Ichigo looked away from her, an act which made her scared of his answer. "I was born here...I grew up here...my family still lives here in Karakura...I can't leave my home. It's been hard keeping myself under the radar here, but I've done it. I don't want to leave, because it's the last I have of my...humanity."

Rukia stared up at him, her eyes watering. Silence reigned for what felt like an eternity between the two, her lips quivering and his eyes never returning to her face. She bit her lip, letting go of his hand and taking a step back. He finally looked back at her, his eyes just as watery as her own.

"I see..." She said, closing her eyes and sniffling. She wouldn't cry. She would not cry. At least not in front of him...

"Rukia-"

"No, it's fine." She interrupted him, walking to his door. "I'll...see you later, Ichigo." She said, opening and closing the door behind her before he could say another word and see her cry.

–

That had been the night previous to this one. Rukia thought it over again and again, never forgetting that look in his eyes when she said she wanted to leave. It made her stomach curl in despair every time she thought about it.

That night she had gone home, having cried the whole way, and stood in her bathroom to stare at her tear-stricken face in the dusty mirror . She hated what she saw in that mirror; hated the bloodthirsty monster that looked back at her in the reflection. She wanted that beast to disappear forever. She wanted it to die a cruel and painful death to repay for its sins. The crueler the better. She couldn't stand to look at it, so she grabbed a pair of scissors and snipped at her hair to change the image she saw- even if only a little.

Looking at the reflection in the windows on the bus she stared at herself. Her new self. Her hair was now short, reaching past her ears but just barely down her neck. The single strand in the middle of her face was still there despite long contemplation over getting rid of it, and she had bought herself a new pair of baggy jeans and a short sleeved black top. She liked the new look very much, and was confident what she was doing was for the best.

Even if it hurt her dearly to leave Ichigo Kurosaki behind...

The bus gave a slight lurch as the driver pulled over next to the curb. She kept her eyes on her reflection, cursing her luck as she heard the bus door sliding open to let another hop on. She had been enjoying her loneliness on the bus, for it meant she didn't have to deal with listening to the heartbeats of people around her- tempting her to kill yet again.

"Welcome, young man." The driver said politely, smiling at the person outside on the sidewalk.

She closed her eyes to sigh as she heard the person step on and walk down the middle to find a seat. The bus gave a hiss as the door closed and it rolled on down the dark street. She could hear the person walking, their foot steps loud in her ears, almost foreboding. She heard them take a seat across the hall from her own, and had to suppress a groan at this. Why did they have to sit near her when the whole bus was empty?

Rukia opened her eyes and looked out the window, trying her best to ignore the person. It wouldn't do for her first act as a free woman to drink their blood. This was her new life, and in her new life she wouldn't be a cold hearted killer.

Silence washed over the bus once more and Rukia couldn't help but mope over this new person's presence. She stared out at the darkened street, noting how the buildings were starting to become more and more sparse, signaling that they were nearly out of Karakura. This fact made her feel slightly better. She gave a sigh and a slight smile. She was almost there; almost to the finish line of the race to her freedom.

"We're almost there, huh?" A voice said, and she froze completely.

The voice was so familiar...

It couldn't be...

Rukia's head spun so fast that she was afraid it would snap off her neck. Her eyes widened as she spotted the person sitting in the seat across from her's.

Her whole world seemed to freeze in time as Ichigo gave her a smile. "Hey," He said.

Rukia felt her whole body tremble as her eyes watered and her chest clenched. "Ichigo..." She whispered his name, staring at him so intently to make sure it was real and not her imagination.

He was dressed in a long sleeved black shirt with tan jeans, a large duffel bag sitting next to him in the seat. He had never seemed so beautiful to her. "Did you really think I'd let you go alone on this crazy adventure of yours?" He teased.

A tear fell from her eye, falling down her cheek as she sniffed and chuckled. "Not for a second." She said, smiling brighter than she had ever in her whole life- vampire or human.

Ichigo grabbed his bag and lugged it with him as he slid across the hall to her seat, placing it next to hers on the ground by their feet. "Good," He said, grinning and taking her chin in his hand. She leaned up and they kissed deeply.

"What changed your mind?" She asked when he pulled back, staring into those eyes that made her shiver over and over again.

"I thought Karakura was all I had left to remind me of my humanity..." He said, smiling at her. "...but after you left last night I figured out something."

"What was that?" She asked.

Ichigo gave her a charming grin. "Karakura isn't where my humanity is. It's with you."

Rukia nearly swooned like a lovesick schoolgirl at his words. She leaned in and kissed him once more.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, kissing and leaning against each other. When they pulled away Rukia laughed she was so happy. Ichigo chuckled as well, grinning at her as the bus passed the sign saying Leaving Karakura.

"We're free." He whispered to her, taking her hand in his and placing it in his lap.

Rukia nodded happily, smiling the whole time. "Yeah, we're free."

She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes to sigh in content. She felt him lay his head atop hers, and could almost feel warmth rising from her chest.

Thank you Ichigo...for being my savior.

I'm happy to have this done. I've been trying to work with it for months now. I'm such a Werewolf guy that doing a Vampire-themed story was slightly hard for me. But I feel I did good by it, and am very proud of this piece. I hope you guys can appreciate my hard work!

For those who've read the newest Bleach chapter (459) you will get the Rukia cutting her hair bit! I THINK SHE'S SO SEXY WITH THAT HAIR!

Also, I recommend listening to the song Savior by Rise Against. It was the inspiration for this Fic, and a lot of this Fic is based on the music video. Such as the bus and some of the sights Rukia saw while riding on it. Check it out, and you'll see what I mean!

I hope you guys enjoyed this new story!

REVIEW!