Hey everyone so originally I had this story as a chapter 2 to The Beginning.

The 2nd chapter of this called The calm was originally supposed to be the chapter 2 of The Beginning however I didnt feel that it flowed with the story and hence I re-wrote The Beginning as The Storm so that it could be coupled with The calm.

Anyways to make a long story short I think I am going to go back to my original thought which leaves these to stories as their own pieces instead as re-writes I suppose but you will notice some similarities with The Beginning and The storm which by now I am too tired to change so I know it sucks but hope you like it!

Bleach: Not Mine

This Story: Mine

"Hime, do you remember when you told me about the confession you made right before you left for Hueco Mundo?" Ichigo sadly smiled down at the slumbering woman in his arms, gently tracing her delicate cheekbones with his calloused finger. "…I never understood what it was about me Hime… You, Kurosaki Orihime are the most beautiful and selfless creature I've ever encountered…So, I never understood why it was me you loved so much….My confession, Hime, do you want to hear it?" Ichigo looked up to the stars and spoke "I was afraid one day you would leave me…that you would wake up one day and realize that you could do so much better...that you deserved so much better… Not waking up to your radiant smile, your sweet voice…losing your love…this frightened me…." Moments passed as Ichigo stared up at the stars and crescent moon hanging above them. Ichigo didn't want them to come but he knew they would. The salt water dwelling in his eyes would come because he was angry, would shed because he was sad, would never run dry because he regretted.

Orihime loved the rain and here it was sliding down his cheeks to gently caress her face. Now they were both crying. Ichigo couldn't do anything except merge his warm body to her chilled, lifeless body. Her sprit already ascended to the heavens, leaving an eternal sleeping beauty in his arms and an unforgotten promise un-kept.

To protect her!

…

…

...

"Otosan, why are you crying?"

"O..to…san?" Ichigo repeated stunned. His clouded eyes wondered up to the little girl standing several feet in front of him. There matching hazels locked. He wanted to say she was a little replica of Orihime but her hair was a mixture closer to his own and that scowl…that was his…

"Otosan, why are you crying?"

…

…

…

"Otosan is crying because were dead."

Ichigo's eyes snapped towards the beautiful figure that suddenly appeared.

"O…ri….hime…?" Ichigo tore his eyes away from the woman he loved to his bare arms.

His bare arms?

Ichigo's eyes mirrored the confusion in his voice. "Hime your alive?!"

"You promised to protect me Ichigo."

"I know I-"

"Failed" she stated coolly.

"I tried to protect you! Hime you are my life and I would do anything to make sure that your safe…I would give my life for you Hime."

"Then why are you alive. Why are we dead? Otosan?" said the little girl.

"You didn't try hard enough ichigo."

"Otosan…look at the sword they stuck in okasan…did you really try to protect okasan?"

Orihime looked down at the little girl an eerie smile found its way on her face, "Your otosan pierced me with this sword. "

"O…ri…hime? Ichigo eyes were transfixed on her darkening figure. "I couldn't have? I wouldn't have? I didn't Orihime! I didn't do it!"

Orihime looked Ichigo straight in the eyes, "Ichigo is this sword not yours?

Ichigo's eyes widened as his sword found its way into her stomach.

"You killed me"

Ichigo couldn't tear his eyes away from her he wanted to run to her to comfort her to explain that he didn't do it but what he saw grounded him. Orihime's flesh was beginning to peel revealing the fleshy muscle tissue underneath; her once luscious hair now looked bristle as it fell in clumps next to her rotting meat. "You killed me Ichigo" her meatless mouth accused as maggots came spewing out with each word, though she need not say anything because her eyes…those eyes of hers…those white orbs of hers seemed to glow with hatred…accusation.

How she had gotten in front of him without him realizing it, Ichigo didn't know, but he could taste the bile rising in his throat from her stench. Her small cold hands rose and cupped his face.

The little girl…his daughter was gently stroking his face as she shook her head. "Okasan that's not true…"her fleshless fingers stroked his cheek. Maggots made use of her rotting arms and bone fingers as a bridge towards him, but Ichigo couldn't move. Her gentle but firm grip kept him rooted. " Okasan keeps saying that you killed her Otosan, but that's not true…that's not true at all Otosan…" Ichigos eyes began to water." You didn't kill Okasan…" the little girls strokes stopped as she moved her head towards her father their noses lightly touched and her eyes bore into his " You killed US!"