Next chapter, enjoy. Shouts go out to my beta reader BeccaBaby. She is made of awesome as normal.

Ichigo took a deep breath as he stepped out into the cool night air. The chill in the air instantly had a bit of a sobering effect on his body as it soaked into his senses. For the past three hours he and his father had been recalling old times while drinking his worries away. Not that Ichigo had consumed that much liquor. He had only taken enough to gain a slight buzz from the beer he had drunk. His dad on the other hand had consumed enough to fell a horse, but as his dad staggered to his side, Ichigo had to admit he was impressed how well Isshin held his liquor.

Their chat had given Ichigo quite a bit of insight into what life had been like while he had been up in soul society for the past couple of years. He got details about his sisters and how well both of them were doing. He was told about the practice and about his nephews and nieces. Yuzu had three kids, two girls and a little boy. As for Karin, she only had her one daughter which she doted on. Ichigo never thought Karin would have kids, but people change and it was good to know that his sisters were doing good. His father had called them half way through their conversation and even if he couldn't see both of them in person it was heart lifting just to hear their voices.

"Too bad our conversation had to be cut short." Isshin huffed as he stepped up to his son's side.

It had been a pity, but Ichigo wasn't really being all too discreet with his spiritual pressure. He wanted the hunters to find him and not Rukia's trail. He had vowed to himself to let nothing bad happen to her and he would keep that simple vow no matter what happened to him. Shrugging to his dad, Ichigo glanced up just as he saw a dark figure move across the roof tops.

"My fault, Dad… My fault." Ichigo said as he felt the hunters draw closer.

"You want me here, or should I take off?" Isshin asked as the father and son team started down the street as if not bothered in the least that they were being hunted.

Ichigo paused at the question before he looked up at the dark figure that suddenly appeared in their way cutting him off from moving any further. "Up to you, Dad." Ichigo offhandedly commented as his eyes fell upon the figure in front of him, knowing who it was even with the dark hood covering him. "Hello, Byakuya, why am I not surprised that you have come to take me?"

Reaching up Byakuya removed his hood, letting it fall back to rest upon his shoulders. Instantly Ichigo felt himself under the pressure of Kuchiki Byakuya's steely grey eyes. Ichigo returned his gaze, not at all intimidated by the head of the Kuchiki. Having been the brother-in-law of Byakuya for many years, such a look was almost expected from the Kuchiki head. Isshin, much like his son, felt no pressure within Byakuya's stare and committed himself to stay there to watch his son's fleeting last moments. If anything, Isshin just wanted to see with his own eyes what was going to happen to his son now that soul society had caught up to him.

"I am head of the detention squad, and I have come to detain you, Captain Kurosaki-Kuchiki Ichigo." Byakuya's voice held a commanding tone within it and it was clear that it was all business with him.

That was something Ichigo could admire even in light of what was happening. Byakuya always maintained a level of professionalism. Though the fact that Byakuya had called him Kurosaki-Kuchiki made Ichigo twitch slightly. No one else called him by that name unless they were being completely serious or formal with him. "Detain away, Captain Kuchiki Byakuya," Ichigo replied keeping his voice calm and level before his eyes shifted towards the shadows of the alley behind the bar they had been in moments ago. "You know you should at least say 'Hello' to your grandfather. I thought you had more manners, Dai…"

To Ichigo's left the shadows seemed to shift before another hooded figure stepped out onto the street. Not brothering to waste any time with secrecy the new figure reached up and removed his hood. Ichigo felt a signature set of violet color eyes level off against his own dark hazel. Daisuke definitely did look like his father in some aspects, the obnoxiously color hair they both shared being one of those common grounds. Daisuke's hair was longer then his father's, able to span down to his mid back when he didn't keep it up in a loose braid. Daisuke's long hair was something that his uncle had talked him into at a young age. Ichigo hadn't minded it, but to him, there was something a bit feminine about long hair. As far as personalities go, Daisuke seemed to be more of a strange mix between Isshin and Byakuya then of Ichigo or Rukia. The boy was fairly light hearted once someone actually got to know him, but when meeting people, or talking to people that should be respected, the stiff training he was going through to succeed Byakuya as head of the Kuchiki clan showed.

"Sorry, Father… Hello, Grandpa." Daisuke's tone was warm, but not overly so.

Isshin smiled at his grandson. "It's good to see you again, boy."

"Who did you give your powers to Captain Kurosaki-Kuchiki Ichigo?" Byakuya took a step towards Ichigo, his voice as smooth and business-like as ever.

Ichigo offered Byakuya a small smirk as a symbol of defiance. "You really think I'd tell you that?"

No emotion played across Byakuya's cold face as he listened to Ichigo's rebuttal. "Very well then, I assume you will come without a struggle."

"Take me away." Ichigo responded.

Thrusting out his hands, Ichigo offered his palms to Byakuya. The sooner he could get out of here the better the chance Rukia would have of never being discovered. Byakuya seemed to take the movement as his complete surrender and reached to his side to grab his Zanpakuto. Ichigo was certain he was clear when a dark figure dashed forward and the sound of swords clashing sang in the air like a bad omen. Byakuya's blade reacted more on instinct to block and push back his attacker. It was only as Byakuya's attacker was thrown back skidding to a stop in front of Ichigo did the fifth division captain's chest suddenly well with fear.

"Sorry, Shinigami, but Deathberry isn't going anywhere with you!" Rukia's statement was bold as she leveled off Sode No Shirayuki in Byakuya's direction.

Byakuya remained still for a heart beat or two, his body statue-like as only his eyes reacted to the sight of his attacker. It was rare that someone surprised the great Byakuya and Ichigo could honestly count the number of times on one hand that he had seen that surprised look on Kuchiki Byakuya's face. Slowly, Senbonzakura lowered from its defensive potion as Byakuya stared at the teenager in front of him. Shock slowly melted into disbelief before it returned to his normal look of cool indifference. Byakuya wasn't the only one reeling at the sight. Though Daisuke had only seen pictures of his mother, there were enough pictures around his area of the estate to give the youth a good mental picture of his mother.

"Impossible." The words rang from Byakuya's lips as he brought Senbonzakura back up to a defensive stance.

Rukia kept Ichigo to her back as he stared down Byakuya. "Let me guess, I remind you of someone?"

Byakuya returned the stare, but even Ichigo could see the hesitation in both his blade and stance. Byakuya's and Rukia's previous relationship had been rocky at the start, but by the time she had died, Ichigo could honestly say he knew of no two closer siblings. Even Ichigo's relationship with his two sisters was nothing compared to the bond Byakuya and Rukia once held. Seeing her here before him like this must have been the shock of the century for Byakuya, because Byakuya loved Rukia almost as much as Ichigo loved her.

"Rukia leave…" Ichigo pleaded. "I need to do this."

Rukia glanced behind her out of the corner of her eye. "You're out of luck, because I'm committed."

Ichigo snorted. "Shouldn't you listen to me? I don't want to be rescued!"

Rukia spun around as steely violet determination met burning mocha defiance. "You don't have a say in the matter! I'm rescuing you and that is that, you stubborn idiot, even if I have to drag you away kicking and screaming."

Ichigo and Rukia stared each other down and Ichigo couldn't help but recall the moment when the roles had been reversed and he was the one convincing Rukia that he'd be rescuing her. They stared each other down, neither one willing to submit to the other's will. To Ichigo, this was the worst case scenario, for Rukia was in very real danger. Flicking his gaze from the defiant teen, he looked at Byakuya who was watching the interaction with a very guarded expression. If things couldn't get any worse, Daisuke suddenly shunpoed from his spot as a rain of blue arrows poured from the heavens. Airi appeared next to Rukia's side, her Quincy bow raised against the two other shinigami.

Daisuke's expression went from shocked to curious as he looked at both teens and slid his hands behind his head in a relaxed fashion. Clearly he didn't perceive either as a threat. "You know you two are late." There was a bit of mild annoyance in his tone.

For a lingering second both Airi and Rukia thought Daisuke was talking to them before Kasumi appeared in front of Daisuke, low in a bow. "Sorrys Boss, but we gots a bits delayeds…We failed." Kasumi spoke as Kon also ran up to join Daisuke's side.

Daisuke sighed and looked at Byakuya. "Looks like we got to take Captain Kurosaki with us…" The boy's tone was more business-like then anything else.

"It would appear so, but it would also seem that we are meeting some resistance…" Byakuya nodded curtly.

At those words, both girls suddenly seemed to get more on guard. Airi drew back her bow, an arrow alit and ready to be fired as Rukia shifted and raised her weapon to Byakuya and Daisuke. Ichigo's mind worked overtime to try and figure out how to defuse the rising tension that suffocated the air. As much as he didn't want anything to happen to Rukia, he didn't want anything to happen to Airi either.

"You two don't interfere." Daisuke said, looking back at Kasumi and Kon before looking up at Byakuya. "Captain, I'll take the Quincy, if you want to take the other one?"

Byakuya remained impassive, but did nod in response.

"Don't hurt them!" Ichigo suddenly pleaded feeling a very real fear for both girls.

"What, you got no faith in us, Ichigo?" Airi asked glancing back at the shinigami behind her. "Oy, short shinigami, you think you can take me on?"

"Ouch, you just had to point out that I'm vertically challenged…" Daisuke sent a lazy glare in Airi's direction. "But I'm sure I can defeat you without even needing to use my zanpakuto or my hands."

A smirk rose on Daisuke's face that Ichigo knew well. It was that Cheshire cat grin that meant the boy was up to no good and had a plan. Ichigo had a sinking feeling in his gut and just as he opened his mouth to warn his son to behave, his words fell dead as a legion of arrows was suddenly sent Daisuke's way. Daisuke quickly shunpoed out of the way, Airi moved fast on his tail and they both quickly disappeared from sight. Ichigo knew Daisuke well enough to know he wouldn't kill Airi or harm her too much.

"Well I guess that just leaves you and me…" Rukia declared as she eyed Byakuya gripping her sword a bit tighter.

Byakuya only remained stoic, his sword lazily drawn at his side as he watched Rukia. He clearly didn't see her as a threat, or maybe he was still in slight shock at seeing her, Ichigo couldn't tell for sure with Byakuya. Rukia slid her foot back getting into a signature stance before she put her hand to the tip of her blade.

'If you are thinking about stopping her, now would be a great time, King…' The voice of Ichigo's hollow called from the depths of his conscious.

"Mae… Sode…"

Rukia hand started to travel down the blade, but it was soon stopped by Ichigo as he loomed over her in his spiritual form. His hand was curled around her wrist, preventing her from unleashing her shikai. His gigai sat motionless behind both of them, the skull glove still pressed firmly against its chest. Rukia shot a glare up at him, but it wasn't received. Ichigo took a deep breath before he felt Rukia tear her arm from his grip.

"Let me do this, Deathberry! Can't you see I can't lose you?" Rukia suddenly shouted, her words laced with desperation and anger.

Ichigo didn't say anything to Rukia as he stepped up between her and Byakuya. "Will you let me handle this?"

Byakuya slowly sheathed his blade. "Do what you want, but make it quick."

"Thank you." Ichigo reached behind him and drew forth Zangetsu.

The blade was dull in Ichigo's hands, showing that Zangetsu didn't approve of his current plan. Ichigo slid his foot back as his sword came to stand between him and Rukia. A look of surprise appeared in Rukia's violet eyes, clearly not expecting Ichigo to stand up against her. In flash, Zangetsu's blade arched towards Rukia with the clear intent to slice her had she not leaned back in time. Ichigo took a step forward and renewed his assault, this time causing Sode No Shirayuki and Zangetsu to meet in mid air with a ringing clash. Rukia was forced to take the defensive as Ichigo's hard strikes connected with her blade. They had sparred many times before, but only now did Rukia actually start to get a taste for why Ichigo was a shinigami captain and why he was a called a hero. Ichigo's strikes were lightning fast and every time Rukia's blade was raised to defend herself from the shinigami captain's strike, the power from the attack always made her small body slide back no matter how good of a stance she had gotten into.

"What are you doing?" Rukia cried as she barely was able to raise her blade up as Ichigo brought his down.

Ichigo didn't respond. He continued to press his attack causing Rukia to spin out of the way just as Ichigo's sword came down were she had been not more than a millisecond ago. Ichigo continue to unleash a stream of powerful attacks as if Rukia really was the enemy. Rukia continued to defend herself the best that she could, but she could feel herself weakening under the strain of Ichigo's powerful assault. Her arm was growing sore from the sheer power that Ichigo put behind his strikes and thus it was become sluggish. Finally Ichigo blade seemed to prey upon a split second of indecisiveness on Rukia's part and came down hard on Rukia's unguarded left flank, or the blade would have if Ichigo didn't still the zanpakuto at the last second.

"The opponents you now face will not still their blade, even with a face like yours Rukia. I don't want you to get killed over someone as worthless as me." Ichigo's words were cold as he stepped back letting Zangetsu become limp at his side.

Rukia stared at him like a lost child. "I can't lose you… Ichigo, I love you."

There is was, the cat was out of the bag. Rukia had said what she been too frightened to say for a while now. She had been confused by all of the emotions she had been getting from him and it was only their kiss a few nights ago that affirmed how she truly felt. Even once she realized what her feelings were, she had been afraid, afraid of something like this happening. Afraid that she would lose him or that he didn't feel the same way. She was only a ghost of the woman he once loved after all. Ichigo's face looked pained as he took another step back from her.

"You can't love me…You are too young to know what love truly is. And if it is love, then you are young enough to find someone else to love, Rukia." Ichigo's words were distant as he tore his eyes away from Rukia to look at the ground, his arm moving behind his back.

"How can you say that to me? Look at me, Ichigo!" Rukia's voice was elevated to fevered pitch.

Ichigo looked at the woman before him. "Good bye, Rukia…" The words came out soft before Ichigo raised his hand and pointed it at Rukia. ""Bakudō 61: Rikujōkōrō"

Byakuya's signature Bakudō spell crackled from the tip of Ichigo's fingers as six pillars of light slammed into Rukia, instantly binding her completely. Ichigo had been preparing the spell under his breath while they had been talking so that he could take Rukia by surprise and it had worked. A surprised look appeared on the teenager's face as she struggled within the light's binding. He had laced a bit of a silence spell into the kidou so that he wouldn't be able to hear Rukia pleas anymore. He was afraid that if he heard her say she loved him again he'd just fall apart. Ichigo forced himself to turn away from her just as Daisuke appeared next to him.

"The other one is bound on the rooftop but I dunno how long it'll hold her." Daisuke looked at Rukia, a sad look appearing on his face as he watched her fighting the binding spell.

"Thank you…" Ichigo whispered. "Both of you."

Byakuya turned around, sliding his sword into thin air as a Senkaimon gate opened under his command. "I would have the same difficulty raising my sword against someone who looks like her, just as you would Kurosaki-Kuchiki Ichigo…" Byakuya took a step back as the doors slid open and five hell butterflies flittered out through the open gate.

Ichigo glanced at the gate before turning his attention back to Rukia. "I'm sorry, Rukia, but this is the only way I can protect you. Don't follow me. The path I walk only leads to death." Ichigo accepted the heated look he got from Rukia before he stepped up to the gate. "Dad, could you release them after we are long gone?"

Isshin, who had been a silent observer through the whole scene, nodded to his son. "I can do that… Good bye, boy… Good bye, Dai."

"See ya, Grandpa. Kasumi, Kon, let's go." Daisuke paused for only a second longer to look at Rukia before he darted into open gate with both Kasumi and Kon following behind him.

Byakuya gave Ichigo a look that distinctly told him it was time to leave. Ichigo could only give Rukia one final look before he took a deep breath and stepped into the gate. Byakuya turned and followed Ichigo. The Kuchiki head was the only one out of the group not to cast a look back at Rukia as the doors slowly slid shut. The last thing Rukia saw as the gate closed was the sorrowful look Ichigo gave her.