Disclaimer: Sorry I've been MIA. Personal life had gotten the best of me. Was engaged, and now I'm not. But during the time I was feeling sorry for myself, but why should I? I wasn't the one that cheated, and hung out with people who disrespected my significant other. So it took me some time to find myself again. I'm still sad, and I didn't want my sad and numbness to reflect through my fanfics especially when it wasn't needed so I took some time off. I'm doing better now, and I miss my fics as much as you guys so here's to better days yeah?

As We Know It

Chapter Five

Rukia sat on the raised examination table feeling quite grateful that her appointment with Dr. Urahara was here. He actually had her change into an examination gown.

"Are these migraines affecting your daily activities?" he asked.

Rukia scratched her cheek with her finger in thought. "Not necessarily. It happens irregularly."

"What do you think brings on these migraines?"

"Um…" Rukia looks over at the door as Yoruichi wheels in a cart with other screens and monitors that was upgraded in the tech world. Courtesy of Kisuke of course.

Yoruichi noticed the curious looks Rukia was giving them. "These are to see if we can catch one of your migraine attacks."

"There's technology for that?" Rukia ask with a tilt of her head.

"There's technology for everything silly," Yoruichi replied heartedly. It really was a device to monitor flares from her nerves, but also an enhanced version of detecting reiatsu.

While Yoruichi began hooking Rukia up to the machine Kisuke continued with the questions. "Ms. Kuchiki would you say stress brings these migraines on?"

"Oh! Um, no it's not stress. It's really random, usually happens when I'm hanging around with my friends lately," Rukia nodded assuring herself that it was usually when the whole gang is together.

"When would you these started?" Kisuke wrote more notes down on the clipboard.

"That's easy, it all started after this one dream I had," Rukia says then clamps her mouth shut after her confession. She sighs and looks around. "Saying that aloud sounded really silly, it's nothing. It honestly could be stressed."

Kisuke looks her squarely in the eye. "Rukia everything you say here is confidential. And even small things such as dreams can reveal a much deeper understanding."

Rukia nodded feeling better to be able to say anything aloud about that one particular dream.

"So what was your dream about?" Kisuke continues and begins to monitor the new machine with Yoruichi.

Rukia sits deep in thought for a few seconds to get all her words in order. "I don't remember all the details precisely, but I know it had a feeling of danger. It was dangerous actually. This freakish, disturbing looking monster was chasing me. About at least taller than two houses put together.

It wanted me for some odd reason, and no one else was around to help. I remember getting hurt, and I felt like that the wounds that I had should have, if not killed me, and then I should've passed out. I didn't though. I felt for sure it was going to get me then it disappeared."

Kisuke nods along. "Interesting dream indeed. Anything else you remember?"

"Uh.." Rukia frowns then blushes. "You were there at the end, and that's all I can think of."

"Oh my! You dreamt about your doctor?! I'm super flattered!" Kisuke sweeps his fan out from his robe, and began fanning himself. "Did your doctor save you, and patch you all up?"

Yoruichi throws a pen from across the room, and smacks Kisuke square in the face. "Do not encourage him."

"Right," a blushing Rukia agrees.

Kisuke moans and rubs his face. "My nurse is so cruel to me."

He straightens up, and stands by Rukia's side. "I would like to try an experiment on you if you don't mind."

Rukia nods, ready to do anything to solve these damn migraine plagues. "Sure what is it?"

"To simply take a nap."

"I'm not even sure if I can. Not really tired," Rukia explains.

"You will be," Kisuke winks, and a puff of smoke flashed before Rukia's eyes. He laid Rukia all the way back. "I love my technology."

"I bet you cried in her dreams," Yoruichi says with a smirk, knocking a couple of pegs down on her man's ego.

"Yoruichi!" Kisuke cries.

…"You will automatically be granted to move directly into the Kuchiki manor currently inhabited by Byakuya. You will also be required to follow all Kuchiki laws that have been upheld by this family for generations," Ginrei said as he swiftly glanced at Byakuya, his grandson.

Byakuya standing along side Rukia didn't give notice to the slight sting, or that he didn't care, or both. He already had planned in his mind this was the last family law he would break. Because once he had laid eyes on Rukia there was no way he could back out on his promise to Hisana. She looked exactly like her. It was eerie and comforting at the same time, it gave him an array of conflicting emotions. Sad because Rukia was underneath his nose the entire time, yet he searched far into the seventy-eighth district of Rukongai. Relieved because she wasn't dead, and in a way had a piece of Hisana still with him.

He closes his eyes, and concentrated on keeping his emotions in check. He vowed to himself that he would go down to his parent's grave to never break another rule. He will be the outstanding son, the best Kuchiki head clan, they wanted him to be.

"You do understand being adopted into this family will make your status aristocratic?" Ginrei asks looking sternly at Rukia.

She nods quickly understanding the severity of it all. Aristocrats were envied among the poorest districts of Rukongai, but most importantly so was having a family. She always wanted a family, but first she wanted to talk to—

"Rukia! Hey Rukia guess wha—," a strong built man came bursting through the doors, but stilled when he noticed the aristocratic family.

"Ah, well it seems we have been interrupted. We will be eagerly waiting on your replay," Ginrei says, and they all filed out past the red haired man who's eyes were following Byakuya in astonishment.

Once they cleared the room he quickly approaches Rukia. "Do you know who those people were?!" he asks ecstatically. "What did they want?"

"They want to adopt me into the Kuchiki family," she replies looking him directly in the eyes. He appeared shocked for a couple of seconds then grabs her by the shoulders.

"A family? That's great!" He laughs, and forces happiness in his voice. "That's always want you wanted!"

A wall of disappointment crashes into her. She wanted to say 'I thought we were family', 'I thought I was your family', 'Did you ever consider us together as anything?!'. Instead she lifts his hands off her shoulders says, "I see."

And walks out of the training room…

Rukia opens her eyes, and is overwhelmed with physical pain and emotions. She sits up, and cries silently. Why were these dreams affecting her so much? She was so disappointed with this red haired man, so disappointed that if she ever met a guy that looked remotely like him she swears she's going to slap him. Repeatedly. She calms her breathing down, and wipes her tears away. She doesn't remember being this emotional in her life, ever.

In an office room, Kisuke, Byakuya, and Yoruichi were observing Rukia through camera. Byakuya had made a move to leave when he saw his sister in distress, but Kisuke told him to not intervene. Rukia needed to feel every emotion, and the pain would help him determine what may be causing her to have these migraines. From what they had discovered previously, and from the reiatsu surge they just experienced, he has a pretty good hunch.

"That reading was in the green," Yoruichi says aloud typing onto the tablet she held. "We might have a couple of minutes before a hollow appears."

Kisuke sat in deep thought before standing up and rushing off to his patient's room. "I have a couple of more questions to asks," he says, his voice holding no sense of teasing.

Rukia was sitting with her fingers laced together, and chewing on the corner of her bottom lip when her doctor came through the door.

"I think we may have everything dear, but a couple of more questions will help me determine certain things," Kisuke said not wasting any time. "What did you dream?"

"Feudal? No, maybe like shogun? I really can't place the time period, but usually everyone is wearing black robes," Rukia starts to explain. "Byakuya was there this time, with older people, and some guy with red hair interrupted."

'Ah, the adoption.' Kisuke stored that information, and continued with the questions.

"And how did you feel?"

"Disappointed, deeply," she says while looking at the floor. "Not with my brother though."

'Physical and emotional responses. Interesting.' Kisuke stood with a stoic expression for a few seconds then beamed a smile at her.

"Well then Ms. Kuchiki I think that will be all for this month!" He walks over to a chair that held her clothing, and brought her articles to her. "I will be contacting you within a week or so with solutions, but they happen to intensify before I get to you I urge you to call me right away."

"No cause for alarm. I just want to make sure you're safe," and with that he left the room for Rukia to get dressed.

Byakuya and Yoruichi walked down the hallway as Kisuke came out from the room. He motioned for them to follow him up front so Rukia wouldn't overhear them talking.

"It seems to appear that it's not only physical touch from Ichigo and Grimmjow, but her memories are triggering her reiatsu as well." He retells the "dream" that Rukia had, and comes to the theories: memories will not come in order, and her pain is what they initial thought. Her body naturally suppressing her reiatsu. The strain and the amount of energy being used to keep her powers in are causing her migraines and her drowsiness.

"She needs a safe space to expel her reiatsu out, and not alert any hollows..or Aizen," Kisuke reasons.

Yoruichi smiles and crosses her arms. "Well we have a place for that. Make yourself scarce at home. Stay in our room in the corner somewhere."

"Why must you torture me so?" Kisuke whines.

Rukia was still in the patient room when she heard that blood curling howling from her dreams. She quickly tugs her shirt on, and rushes out the door. Yoruichi notices Rukia rushing towards them, and gives the men a look.

"I will do the honors. I need a workout anyways," Yoruichi leaves the building before Rukia caught up to them.

"Byakuya, is there anything happening outside?" Rukia asks, her heart pounding.

Byakuya stares Rukia dead in the eyes. "Why would there be anything happening outside other than what is happening now?" He felt the hollow's presence ebb away, and leads his sister to the door.

"It's as it was when we walked in. Sunny and hot."

Byakuya turns to give Kisuke a slight bow before he escorts Rukia out of the building. "What has you nervous?"

Rukia shakes her head to clear out her scared feelings. If Byakuya didn't seem to worry then she herself won't worry. Besides, she always felt safe around her brother. "Nothing, I think I'm overreacting to my problems. Stressing out for no reason. I shouldn't stress out until I have definitive answers right?"

Byakuya nods his head along with Rukia. Kisuke will call her later, and offer her solutions to her problems, he was sure of this. He just wants her body to stop going into overdrive protective mode, he didn't enjoy seeing her in discomfort.

"Okay then no more stressing!" Rukia says with a smile. "Positive thoughts only…" she trails off as she sees a ghostly figure smiling and waving at her. "Byakuya, are psychics real?"

He was about to slide into the car when Rukia threw him a curveball. 'Psy-chic?' He blinked his eyes at her, he was truly stumped. What the fuck is a psychic?

On the other side of town after taking care of the hollow Yoruichi went to their home a.k.a. shop to prepare the basement. She phoned Ichigo on the way over to meet her there.

Ichigo stood there in the training room scratching his head as Yoruichi gives it a make over. Giving some more greenery than desert look.

"So, Kisuke specifically said exercising?" Ichigo asks unclear of the instructions Yoruichi blabbered off to him when he came in.

"Well, he didn't necessarily say exercise, but don't you think it's a good idea to retrain her to the shinigami ways? I mean there's another way to exercise with her on the ground with you on top or vice—" Yoruichi implies with a devilish grin.

"Ohmygodwomanshutyourfreakingmouth!" Ichigo shouts clearly flustered.

"By the way, physical contact between you, and the other lover boy aren't the only triggers."

"You're saying someone else can trigger her?" Ichigo didn't like the idea that someone like Mizuiro or even worse, Keigo, could set her reiatsu off. That just didn't seem right.

Yoruichi shakes her head as she types in more codes into her tablet creating a waterfall in one part of the training grounds. "Nothing that radical. The people that are here, we, have been giving her all the emotions she can garner from us."

Ichigo's face had skeptical written all over it. "Even Byakuya?"

"You haven't been around him for the past five years to understand how Byakuya functions, and even if you were I highly doubt that you would even catch the signals with how clueless you are," Yoruichi says with a tug to her lips.

"Hey! I resent that!" Ichigo shouts.

"You need to understand something," Yoruichi begins to explain as she surveys her work. There was still a section of the desert left, but more lush fields and trees on one side complete with a waterfall, and another healing spring.

"Byakuya loves Rukia very much. The way he expresses himself has changed drastically, and it was all thanks to some teenage ryoka," Yoruichi walks over to Ichigo, and pats him on the shoulder. "You did that. Open your eyes more, and stop antagonizing the man."

Ichigo didn't have a response to that, and listened to wise woman. "That's one thing, but I don't know about training her. I feel it would rush the results."

"Oh I forgot to mention this. Her memories are not chronological."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Ichigo mumbles. "Her next memory could be of me screwing up!"

"Or of her in Rukongai as a child. Look Ichigo, Rukia was around a hundred and fifty years old when you two met. She's got a lot of memories to shift through before, and after you," she tries reassure him.

"I don't like this."

"And I'm sure she'll hate this as well. It's enough to have all this started cause of that damn hogyoku and Aizen," She responds sharply, not meaning to get distressed. "You have to suck it up when it happens, and get over it. Getting feelings hurt isn't worst than death. You of all people should know this by now."

She finishes typing on the tablet locking the new settings in place before she ascends the tall ladder.

Ichigo sits down on the newly made grass and texts Grimmjow the information. He was sure the Arrancar would be at the shop, but he was out doing grocery shopping with the teens. Ichigo disliked being scolded. He was a fucking captain in Soul Society yet his age compared to majority of the souls, like Yoruichi, was just another grain in the sand to them. Yes, he knew better, but it also didn't make him feel any better about the past. It haunted him in different shapes and forms. Kaien, Orihime, his mother, Grimmjow. The past and the present colliding continuously no matter what he did.

He wants to be the man that Rukia admires, and follows around blindly in love. He wants to stop these jealous urges he gets from Zangetsu. He wants to be the only person to protect her. And above all, he wants to be the man she chooses.

"I just need you to love me again Rukia," Ichigo balls a fist up, and squeezes. "Just love me."

…"You're telling me that you couldn't handle me being gone for a few weeks? Did you ever consider my feelings?!"

"You never told me you were ever coming back. In fact, you never explained anything to me!"

"Why would I just leave you like that, and never see you again? After everything we've been through, after all the intimacy we shared? Nothing meant anything to you!"

Ichigo gritted his teeth together. "Will you shut up, and let me think?!"

"To think? Like the typical boy you are, think with your dick," Rukia got up to leave, and before she walked out she turned back to him. "You're right, maybe it was my fault for not clarifying things between us, but I at least thought you wouldn't go behind my back and screw someone so close to us.

We will help you get your little friend back. Afterwards you can expect me to not return."

Ichigo yelled in anger, and knocked everything off his desk violently. Shattering his lamp, and scattering books and papers everywhere…

"Why did I do it?" Ichigo has asked himself this every time he felt bad. Rukia eventually forgave him, but that took years. Grimmjow was in her life by then making everything complicated. She was going to tell him something important five years ago, but Aizen attacked and the rest was history.

His cell let out a beep letting him know he got a message. It was Grimmjow responding with a bunch of slurs and typos, but he wasn't really worried about Rukia's memories with him. They were fairly exciting and pleasant with what he recalls. Grimmjow just wants to be the one to stir the pot, get all her memories out, and claim her as his partner.

Ichigo scoffs at his rival's message. Not in a long shot. Ichigo began to formulate, and plan. If anything this situation could be used in his advantage. This will be his second chance to redeem himself, and explain himself better. Ichigo sat up straighter with a bit more hope. He will win Rukia back once and for all.

'Get our Queen back.'

"I will," Ichigo stands up, and make his way over to the ladder out.

A/N: Oh man my R&T fans are going to be mad at me for posting this one up before theirs! I need to reread some chapters, but hey I'm coming back. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. FYI all this happening was already planned before my own betrayal from an ex. Just saying. Maybe I'm a psychic.