a/n (: hello everybody! this is likeee my first ichi/rukia fanfic soo pleasee don't flame (: constructive criticism is coool though. just no flames. (: oh and yes this is the new version of this story. Sorry i had the age on ichigo wrong i honestly forgot what age he was when his mom died. But i figuredd that somebody would point it out to me and then i could correct it (:

disclaimer:no i do not own bleach. if i did ichigo and rukia would be married living in africa with their thirteen children (:

You're not alone.

"no. mommy don't leave me."

&it rained on the little boy whose world was just turned upside down.

--

Ichigo sat up in his bed heart racing and head pounding.

'ugh just a dream. it's just a stupid stupid dream.'

only,

it wasn't a dream

His mother died when he was 9 years old trying to protect him. And now

the memory of that fateful day still haunts him.

he climbed out of bed and sat by his window looking up into the moonlight. After that day he had never been the same.

He never cried. He hardly smiled.

and his drive to protect the ones he loved was all the more powerful.

never again did he want something as tragic as that to happen again. It would be to hard.

Ichigo didn't hurt. He wasn't allowed to hurt.

He was too busy protecting the ones he loved to worry about the emotions that had been bottled up inside of him for ten years. But he was tired. Tired of having to hide his feelings. Tired of having to put on that scowl everyday pretending everything was okay when it wasn't.

but he couldn't rest.

Ichigo never wanted those around him to worry about him. because if he brought up the memories of her he felt that he would just make everyone else sad. so he didn't.

frustrated at his pain Ichigo got up and went to the one place where he could truly be at peace.

(--)

Rukia had been watching Ichigo from her closet the whole time. She knew he had another nightmare about his mother because she heard him crying out for her in his sleep.

&she wished she could help him.

She never talked to him about this though, because she didn't want to make him feel bad. but she knew that deep inside he needed someone to talk to.

so grabbing her robe and slippers she went out to go comfort the one person who she cared the most about.

-x-x-x-x-x-

Rukia found Ichigo standing in front of his mother's grave praying. He looked so serene and peaceful.

like an angel.

Feeling his partner's presence he looked up and stared at her.

&she stared back.

it was like at that very moment she could see through his hard exterior and down into the depths of his soul.

exposure.

she pulled him into a warm embrace and stroked his hair as he poured out his heart.

"ichigo" she whispered in his ear. "it's okay. you're not alone."

He nuzzled his cheek against hers and continued holding on to her. Until she kissed his cheek.

"let's go home." she said with a smile.

-

-

-

and hand in hand they started of to their home.

and from here on they knew, that nothing in this world

would be too hard for them to overcome.

because they had each other.

and that's all they needed.