*A/N* Okay we're starting to get into the bulk of the chapters so it's time for chapter one with the confrontation between Ichi and Ruki! Enjoy! –Chey

Chances Lost

Chapter One

I huffed as I walked through the streets of the noble housing district in the Seireitei. My anger from last week had boiled into everything I did and I could not and would not believe that Ichigo no longer loves me. It would not happen. I was Kuchiki Rukia and he was Kurosaki Ichigo we know one another better than anyone else and we loved each other. We were to be married and have two kids, a boy that looked like him and a girl that looked like me, that's how everything was supposed to go. He was supposed to chase after me and never did. It was probably Yoruichi's doing…she was always jealous of us. She just wanted Ichigo to be alone so she could control him and form him into the perfect little student and follower, just like Soi-feng.

I notice a flash of orange hair rounding a corner a bit away from me and headed my way. The man with long shaggy orange hair is flanked by two guards and a male servant who is talking quietly to him. They all are decked in noble clothing even if the house insignia isn't present like it is for the Kuchiki clan. As I get closer he looks up and his eyes widen for a moment before returning to normal. Shouldn't he be happier to see me?

I look up at him a bit shocked to see his shaggy orange hair instead of his spiky short hair. He is also wearing high quality clothing that is only made for those of noble status. His brown eyes level on me easily and send shivers down my spine. I missed his eyes but what I see in them makes me want to cry. They are warm but not smoldering like they used to when he looked at me. There is no love in his chocolate brown orbs.

"Good morning Kuchiki-san." He says before bowing at the waist and then straightening. I follow suit nearly shocked at his sudden manners.

"Good morning Ichigo…what are you doing here?" He frowns for a moment and turn to the servant who just murmured in his ear. He looks deep in thought for a moment before speaking slowly and in a regular voice.

"I forgot entirely…would you please return to the manor and tell her that I will return momentarily. I thought I told her that we needed to push back our sparring for the day so that I could talk to the Sotaicho? In any case please give her my deepest apologies and tell her that I promise to make it up to her." The servant nods and shunpos away quickly retreating back the way Ichigo had come.

"Kurosaki-sama, will your lady be upset that you are not on time?" A guard says before falling silent again. The two guards look like twins but one has shorter cropped hair and the other has long shaggy hair.

"More than likely yes she will be upset however I doubt that she will stay mad very long if you catch my drift. Besides we both know she can't go very long without a good sparing match. To answer your previous question Kuchiki-san I am getting married in a matter of two months." Ichigo says and I gasp in shock before staring up at him to see his eyes warm at the thought of his bride. I growl under my breath and grab his shirt before pressing my lips to his roughly. His eyes widen and he stiffens before gently grabbing both of my hands and pulling them and my body away from him. He places them at my sides and sighs softly.

"Why'd you stop me Ichigo you know you liked it? You know you love me." I quip and he looks at me for a moment before his eyes become sad.

"Rukia I haven't loved you for well over six years. I'm not sorry in the least for it either. Remember you walked out on me and not the other way around. I'm engaged I'm absolutely positive that if the woman I'm engaged to saw you do that you would not be alive. I apologize for my rudeness Kuchiki-san however I need to leave." His words cut at my heart and I frown and watch as he walks past me with his guards in tow.

-CB-

I walked forward with Yoshiro and Kazehiro behind me silent as usual. My anger had almost gotten the best of me. How dare she come here before my wedding and kiss me when she told me she didn't love me and walked out on me. I've moved on and I intend it to stay that way because I no longer return the feelings.

I break apart from my guards and walk into my room in the manor. Sitting down on a day bed I begin pulling the ties lose from my clothing. I feel smooth silky arms wrap around my shoulders and a head leans against the side of my face.

"Welcome home Kurosaki-sama…" She practically purrs the 'sama' and I smile and reach up stroking her smooth cocoa cheek. She leans into my touch before turning her head and kissing my palm. She pulls away and her fingers run over my tense muscle loosening the knots and kinks there.

"Hmm…It's good to be home koi. I talked to the Sotaicho today and he said that squad five is all mine and Momo is no longer lieutenant so I believe I need one…" I trail off letting her catch my drift. She sighs and stops working my shoulder before letting her forehead fall to rest at the dip between my shoulder blades.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready for that Ichigo." She murmurs and I turn to the side as she pulls her head away from me. I sigh softly seeing the unease in her heavenly eyes. Her lids fall closed and she breathes in my scent trying to calm down.

"Come here koi…" I murmur reaching out and guiding her to my side by her hand. She follows my pull easily. She settles beside me and leans her head on my thigh as I run my fingers through her dark hair. "What do you fear will happen, koi?"

She rolls so she can look up at with worried eyes. "I fear…I fear losing you in battle because you are worried over my safety." She murmurs and I frown and run my fingers over her cheek soothingly. Her eyes open and close a few times while I think over my next words…trying to figure out how to calm her worries.

"Koi, there is nothing to worry about I shall always return to you." I murmur and she nods slowly. I remember when we first got together that she hated telling me she was afraid. Now it is almost second nature to us. She was so closed off then afraid of the world inside and so confident in everything on the outside. That's why I love her.

"You shall always return to me…" She murmurs softly before reaching up and brushing my bangs from my forehead soothingly. Her finger tips trail a small burn across my skin and I close my eyes against the feeling and a small smile reaches my features…content.

"Hai, I may come back a bit battered but I will always return." I murmur before smiling wider and then smirking deviously. "So will you please become my second in command because I'm afraid I have an addiction that I cannot go such long hours without?"

I bend down and press my lips to hers in a searing kiss. Her fingers knot in my hair as a smile blooms on her lips. Her eyes open as mine do and we stare into the depths of one another's eyes our lips still ghosting together in a soothing kiss to ease the fire.

"Alright I'll do it but you owe me big time for this and you may have to persuade me later tonight." She says softly before playing with the locks of hair at the back of my neck. Her eyes trace mine and I feel a smile cross my lips. Her eyes trace my features as if memorizing every detail for safe keeping. She once told me that she loves when I smile because when I smile it makes my face brighten.

Our stomachs rumble almost in time with each other and I chuckle softly. "I believe we should get up and get dinner don't you?" She stands haughtily and grabs my hand pulling me out of the room and toward our dinner hall quickly…practically running. We more than likely look like children instead of two adults about to get married. We enter the room and sit down before anyone else is in the room. Her small giggles into her hand offer me small incentive into her mind.

"Koi are you angered that I didn't make our sparing match?" I lean forward and nibble her lower lip before pressing a kiss there gently. Pulling back she smiles at me and shakes her head smoothly. Her dark locks swirl about her since she wore it down instead of in the high tie at the back of her head.

"Not when you do that Ichigo, never when you do that."

-CB-

"Are you nervous?" My voice barely carries to her ear as I wrap my arms around her in comfort. She shivers as both of our minds flash to our early morning escapades. She turns her head up and kisses me softly before nodding her head in one rough movement.

"Extremely so…" She replies before I trail my hands down to capture her at her hips. I drop one and squeeze the other silently and watch as she turns her hair swinging from the tie at the back of her head.

"You'll do fine, koi…I wouldn't have asked you if I knew you couldn't do it. I have faith in you." I whisper into her ear sending a shiver down her spine that is tightly pressed to my chest. She steps forward and drops my hand as the doors slip open revealing us to the small chamber to prepare for our introduction.

"Would you like help putting on your taicho haori?" She asks holding it up in her hands. I smile and turn around backward giving her the silent go ahead. She places the heavy white haori on me and I slip my arms through. Her fingers run gently across my back and I turn and reach for her lieutenant's badge. Reaching forward I tie it across her thin hips and allow it to fall so it's slung across the muscular surface of her torso.

"Perfect…" I breathe before tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. She chuckles and grips my hand tightly in her own before pulling it to her lips and kissing it. We walk toward the doors and she releases my hand allowing me to take the lead.

I knock on the large doors to the meeting hall and wait patiently. "You may enter gobantai Taicho." The Sotaicho says and I push open the doors before gliding into the meeting of the taicho with my head held high. My wife-to-be follows silently behind me and we come to a stop.

"Hello Yamamoto-Sotaicho I hope we are not late." I say giving him a cocky grin. He chuckles and shakes his head no. I nod and he sighs deeply for a moment.

"Due to recent discussions on who we are filling the open Taicho seats with I have decided to give the gobantai Taicho position to Kurosaki Ichigo. He was also given the choice of who his fukutaicho would be. Kurosaki Ichigo chose his mentor ShihoinYoruichi to be his fukutaicho." I watch as she squares her shoulders and a fierce look enters her eyes as whispers circle the meeting hall.

"Yoruichi-sama, why are you taking ranking under Kurosaki?" Suì-Fēng says shocked and Yoruichi turns her eyes to her former student before smiling brightly. Her eyes tell the world just what stands between us but if you weren't trained to read them you would never know.

"Suì-Fēng, I am doing so because he asked me to and in nearly one month he will be of equal ranking as I am." She states before looking to me and smirking. "Besides he is very convincing when he wants to be."

My mind instantly returns to the night I had to convince her that we couldn't spend such long hours apart. That was one long night. In any case I came out victorious and in the end she agreed whole heartedly to be my second seat.

"Hmm it would seem so." I rumble in reply. She chuckles and I study Suì-Fēng's face watching her reaction. Her eyes widen and her mouth opens as her cheeks tint red. She opens and closes her mouth searching for something to say and then explodes.

"Are you fucking serious! I did not need that picture in my head! I didn't even know that this was the kozo you were marrying in a month. Oh god…why didn't you tell anyone so we could talk you out of it, Yoruichi-sama?" She shouts like a child her eyes shut tightly and her head shaking back and forth while she crossed her arms over her chest like it was all a lie.

"Exactly that reason Suì-Fēng you would have tried to talk me out of it and disapproved of my choice however I was positive that I made the correct choice. I love him Suì-Fēng and have for a while." I look on at her with a smirk at her bravery and blatant statement that she loves me. Her eyes find mine and she reaches forward and links my fingers with hers for a moment giving my hand a gentle squeeze and letting go. I reach back and tuck a strand of hair behind her ears before returning my undivided attention to the sotaicho. I'm startled though when a certain fukutaicho begins talking completely angered.

"You little bitch! Didn't you have the balls to tell me a week ago that you were marrying him or were you afraid that he'd come back to me?" Yoruichi's eyes widen and then narrow on Rukia who is glaring fiercely that her. I move to speak but Yoruichi shoots me a small look.

Rukia's eyes me for a minute thinking I wouldn't take the command but I shock her by falling back with a small smile on my face. "Do you know what today is, Ichigo?" I turn to her a bit shocked at being spoken to seeing as I was sure she'd yell at Rukia. I raise an eyebrow and begin thinking on her question. It's not our anniversary because that's in two months and it's not a holiday. What could today possibly be then?

I refocus on my beautiful fiancé and she smirks upon realizing that I have no clue. "I'm afraid that I have no idea what you're talking about Yoruichi" Her eyes glaze over and I watch as her muscles clench to force down the shiver at how her named rolled off my lips. The only time I really used her full name was when I was sexually teasing her or when I wanted her more than anyone really needed to know.

I can distinctly here Shunsui and Ukitake chuckle at the look they saw before Yoru composes herself and her eyes totally blank over. Oh later today is going to be fun I can see us breaking in my brand new desk rather quickly. "Ichi, I can assure you that Kuchiki remembers what today is…seven years to the dot, I believe." I hear Rukia gasp and she adverts her eyes. "Kuchiki, seven years have passed and Kurosaki Ichigo no longer loves you as you so desperately think. Despite what you may believe I do not fear of my lover leaving me because I'm the one that put the pieces, of the amazing man you left behind, back together. I'm the one that always saw him for what he truly was and you were either too blind or too dense to realize how truly special Ichigo is. You would do well to understand that we are to be married in two months and there is not a thing you can do about it. Now, I am a fukutaicho and this is the last time this will be spoken of during work hours do I make myself perfectly clear? If you are ever so inclined to speak with me outside of work hours then please do come to my home although I'm not positive I'll be available to answer because sadly I must be an attentive fiancée and that includes spending quality time with my Ichi."

I watch as Rukia's body stiffens before her eyes close briefly and her shoulders shake lightly in either rage or sadness. I get my answer when her eyes flutter open and tears fall down her cheeks rapidly. "Fuck you…you're such a bitch! You were just waiting for me to fuck up like a sick little puppy dog that followed Ichigo around! I hope you're happy with your fucking puppy dog Ichigo but remember Yoruichi he was mine first everything about him was mine first." Her eyes harden and she smirks but freezes when my voice rolls across the room and my reiatsu spills forth forcing most of the fukutaicho, excluding Yoruichi, to the floor roughly.

"Enough…I don't give a flying fuck who thinks they own me but I assure you I belong to no one. As it stands Kuchiki-fukutaicho I will be marrying Shihoin Yoruichi who I love dearly and despite what anyone thinks nothing will stop us. I will promptly cut down anyone if that is what it takes to have the woman standing right here as my wife do I make myself absolutely clear? I do not wish to hear anymore of this subject and to be quite honest that is a direct order from a Taicho to you, a fukutaicho!" I watch as her eyes widen and tears fall from them as my reiatsu is once against controlled and hidden easily. She turns and darts from the room in sobs. Yoruichi grips onto my hand tightly begging for me not to be angry with her. I tighten my hold on her hand and bring it up to my lips to brush them against the smooth skin.

Her lips part and she sighs in relief at realizing that I was not angered by her. I feel a small grin twitch onto my features as I turn and press a light kiss to her lips to sooth her completely. A few of the taicho gaze on in shock at how open we are both acting but the sotaicho wears a knowing smirk on his aged face. The bastard probably knew all along.