Random facts, anyone?

Bonnie and Clyde were a pair of bank robbers during the early 1930's. Sometimes viewed as "heroes", or more-so mordern-day "Robin Hoods", the couple are two of the most famous gangsters ever to commit a crime. They drove across America, robbing banks, gas stations, and small stores. Eventually, they were killed in an ambush by several police officers along a deserted road. Their killing is sometimes viewed as unfair, if not murder. The controversy still exists to this day.

Back to the story...

Renji was feeling positively homicidal. It was almost three in the afternoon, and he was getting tired of listening to Ichigo and Rukia flirt with each other. Apparently, every time she brought him something - more coffee, a sandwitch he'd ordered, extra napkins - they'd talk for several seconds, exchange subtle compliments, and even pass notes written on napkins. This is making me SICK... he mentally groaned.

It was annoying him on so many different levels. For one thing, Ichigo was the enemy - a Kurosaki, and the son of their leader, no less. And yet Rukia was practically flirting him to death. Is that even possible? Who cares, as long as it leaves Ichigo dead. Heh heh... Rukia and Renji had also been friends for years. Renji wasn't a top enforcer of the Kuchiki family for no reason. He'd been a childhood friend of Rukia's, and he'd ended up working primarily as her shadow and/or bodyguard for the past few years. And then of course, it was just disgusting to see people trying to hard to be cute with each other...

Eventually, Rukia swaggered over to Renji's table to see if he needed anything to eat. "So..." he whispered sarcastically, "How are things with lover-boy?"

"Good..."she giggled. "He wants me to go out to dinner with him sometime this week..."

"Really?" Renji frowned. "Rukia, are you actually considering dating this guy?"

"Maybe..." Rukia smirked mischeviously. "Why wouldn't I?"

"We've been over this already..."he groaned, letting his head sink down and smack his forehead lightly on the table.

"And I won the arguement, if I recall correctly..." she smirked.

"Yes, but..." Renji had to stop and gather his thoughts. There was a very big issue involved in all this, and he didn't know how to tell Rukia without making her mad at him and her brother. He finally decided to just tell her. "Rukia, your brother won't be too happy to hear about this. He might not even allow it!"

"Well, of course! I know how he feels about the Kurosaki Family. I know he'll be upset about me doing anything remotely nice with Ichigo..."she replied, rolling her eyes.

"You don't understand. He wants to meet Ichigo before he allows anything between you both!" Renji groaned.

"What!" Rukia paled. "What do you mean he wants to meet Ichigo?"

"I talked to him this morning. When he told me to watch over you, he gave me another set of orders. If Ichigo is to take you to dinner, or anything of that sort, I am supposed to convince him to come with us to meet your brother. His exact words were, 'I want to meet the man that Rukia seems so enthralled with. I wish to see if he's up to my standards, and if he's worthy of Rukia's affection, and my respect.' He told me the sooner, the better. There's still plenty of sunlight left in the day, so maybe we can just go ahead and get it over with. So... yeah... I guess you'd better talk to Ichigo about all that..." he sighed.

"Wonderful..." Rukia sighed sadly as she turned to go back to Ichigo's table under the guise of a coffee refill. I doubt he's going to be fond of that idea... This is horrible! What if he doesn't-

"Oh, and can I have a refill?" Renji grinned, waving his coffee mug behind Rukia's back.

Gr... she turned around and glared at Renji. "Right away, sirrrr..."

"Don't be mad at me!" he shrugged. "I'm only the messenger..."

After refilling Renji's coffee - and almost spilling some of the boiling substance into his lap in order to scare him - Rukia finally returned to Ichigo's table to converse with him. "Um... Ichigo... There'sa problem..." she sighed sadly.

"Hm?" Ichigo looked up from his turkey sandwitch, his mouth full. He quickly chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth, and after gasping for air momentarilly, he responded to her statement. "What sort of problem?"

"Um..." she bit her lip nervously. "My brother... Don Kuchiki... He... Well, he wants to meet you before we can eat dinner, or anything like that."

"Oooooohhh..." Ichigo slowly nodded his head. "I see..." Crap. Crap. CRAP! This is bad... I can't just go meet the leader of a rival family! They might try to kill me! They-

"He wants to make sure you're 'worthy of my affection, and his respect,' in his own words..." Rukia sighed deeply. "I'm really sorry..."

"Its alright..." Ichigo shrugged. "Um... When would the proposed meeting take place?"

"As soon as possible..." she replied. "Today would be good, since it would get everything out of the way..."

"Um..." Ichigo scratched his chin. "Hm. Let me finish my sandwitch. Then I think I'll go make a few phone calls. Perhaps I can work something out..." he smirked. This is not going to end well...

"Really? So you're okay with it?" Rukia smiled brightly. "I guess I'd better go talk to Renji... He's supposed to escort us."

"Yeah, I'm fine with all of that..." Ichigo grinned, trying to hide his shaking hands under the table. He then nodded towards Renji. "Go talk to Renji, then..."

"Okay. I guess I'll bring you some napkins in a few minutes, sir..." she said out loud, with a wink.

"Yeah, napkins..." Ichigo smiled nervously. "Wonderful..." I think I'm about to throw up...

----------

Not long afterwards, Ichigo found himself crammed in a phone booth outside the restaraunt. He sighed continuously as the phone rang, awaiting his father to answer the call. Eventually, he heard his father's voice on the other end of the line. "Hello, Ichigo..."

"How'd you know it was me calling?" Ichigo arched an eyebrow at his father's answer. Usually they had to state a few secret words or something...

"I've been expecting you to call me..." Isshin's voice replied somberly. "She wants you to go see her brother, doesn't she?"

"Yeah... How'd you know that?" Ichigo was confused. Something strange was going on, and he was the only one left out of the loop. "What's all this about?"

"Its complicated. If two members of rival families are to have any sort of relationship, it must be permitted by a higher authority. You're both immediate family to the Dons of your families. Thus, you need the Dons' permission..." Isshin explained.

"And you already gave yours..." Ichigo remembered their earlier conversation.

"And now you need Don Kuchuki's..."

"And how do I go about doing that?"

"You may be asked some questions. You may have to do a favor or two for the family..." Isshin explained. "It differs every time. They might make you fight one of their best enforcers. For all we know, they could even test your cooking skills... There's no way of knowing for sure what'll happen."

"Oh... I see..." Ichigo prayed it wasn't the last one. He couldn't cook anything. Not without burning the meal or the kitchen it was being prepared in, at least...

"So... What are you going to do, son?"

"Well... What sort of Kurosaki would I be if I let a stupid test get in my way?"

"That's my boy..."

Yeah, I totally made up all that stuff about meeting the Dons and what-not. I just have a cool idea for a scene, and I needed to do some plot stuff to make it happen. Heh heh...

Next chapter: Don Byakuya finally makes an appearance!

Thanks for reading, folks. It means a lot to me... I didn't expect this many people to start reading my stuff the day I got back. Let alone give me so many great reviews... Thanks folks!