A/N: Alright guys. This will be my last Author's Note. This will also be the last episode of The Ivory Tower. What an amazing FOUR YEARS it has been with each and every one of you. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to update as quickly as I wanted to, but I graduated high school, said goodbye to a family pet, had a first love, lost it, and made a new one, and started college all in this four year span. I appreciate each and every one of you that took the time to review, because reviews really were my lifeblood, and drove me to keep writing. I hope that Ichigo and Rukia's story ends just the way you would imagine it to end. If you have any questions that I wasn't able to answer in the story or last chapter, please let me know in a review. Also, it would warm my heart if you left a final review to tell me what you thought of the finale, as well as the story as a whole. It would mean so much to me. I love you all, and thank you for the motivation to write what I love. Also, I would suggest that you either listen to Max Richter's The Leftovers, Season 1 soundtrack while you read, or James Horner's Becoming One of The People from the Avatar soundtrack, because it's been stuck in my head all day.

Thank you, I couldn't do this without you, and enjoy your last chapter. -Emily

Episode 29: The End

"He wants to rebuild his machine and use it on others. He's going to take more druggies off the streets and string them up in that machine. To make them like me. I can feel it in my blood. I don't know how… a premonition, maybe. But I know he isn't going to stop."

"God," Rukia grabs my shirt and pulls me close, wrapping herself completely around me. "We need to end this. All of it. I need to love you in a world where I don't have to look over my shoulder."

"I'm going to kill him, that's the only way we'll be safe," I kiss the top of her forehead.

"I'm scared."

"Me too," I say, the honesty ringing true. God, I'm scared, but I can't risk her life. I can't play games anymore like a child. I'm going to make sure he never touches Rukia again, even if it kills me.

Ichigo

Rukia drives while I try to rest my eyes and sleep. The beat-up old car clunks along the road as if it's begging us for a reprieve, but we don't have the time to sate its hunger and thirst. Rukia and I decided that we would head straight for Ulquiorra's estate, that godforsaken place that took my sanity not so long ago. No stops, no reprieves, just an ending. Even though all we had were blood-splattered clothes, deranged minds, and a baby on the way, we needed to go, and we needed to go now. We both agreed that we couldn't run anymore. We couldn't go back to another run-down motel, couldn't go back to a life of hiding and whispers. We wanted to kick, and scream, and shout. We wanted to tell the world that yes, we're here, we survived, and we're ready to live.

Finally, just live.

"Ichigo, are you at least trying to sleep?" Rukia rolls her eyes at me and grips the steering wheel with nervous fingers. "You know I'm not the best driver, and it's not like Seireitei had a Driver's Education course, so at least tell me that you're trying to make this excursion of mine matter."

"Trying is such a broad term, love," I'm not afraid to express how much I love her, anymore. For all I know, I won't have much longer to say how much she means to me. The words slip off my tongue like butter as I gaze at her profile, at her brilliant violet eyes staring down the dusty road. "If you stopped nagging me, I might be able to get some shut-eye before the big showdown."

"Shut up," Rukia laughs, and smiles, but that beautiful smile quickly pulls down into a hardened line, and her eyes become even harder. I frown, and place a hand on her inner thigh. She jumps, and says,"Shit, sorry. I didn't mean to jump. It's just-"

"I'm scared too, you know…" I mumble.

"I know that."

"We need to talk about the plan," I tell her, gripping her thigh. I needed to keep her safe. Her, and the baby growing inside of her. Our baby.

"What do you mean? I thought we were just gonna show up and hope for the best."

"Are you fucking serious, Rukia? You're not stepping one foot into that godforsaken house. Not on my life."

"What?" Rukia slowly starts accelerating on the gas in a rage, pushing the car to it's limits as we speed down the highway. We couldn't be more than an hour away from Karakura by now.

I stare her down, and try to be firm."You're just going to drop me off, and I'll come get you when I'm done."

"Like hell I'm just going to drop you off!" Rukia raises her voice at me, gripping the steering wheel so tight that I thought she would break her little fingers off. "I'm not just going to let you go in there by yourself and wait on the sidelines, hoping and praying that you're the one that makes it out alive, and not him."

"But that's exactly what I need you to do, Rukia," I try to keep my voice steady, so this wouldn't turn into a full-blown argument. "I can't focus on what I need to do if you're in there. I'll just be focused on protecting you, and not the job that needs to be done."

"I'm going." She says with finality.

"Like hell you are."

"I'm. Going."

I sigh, and let her drive in silence for a while, letting her simmer in her own thoughts and feelings. I lean back into the seat, and close my eyes for the briefest of seconds. Before I know it, my unconscious pushes me down, hard.

~.~.~.~.~

Ichigo…

Yes?

I'm there, in the basement. The floor is soaked in coarse, gritty, redness. Old and fresh blood, smothered together in a nauseating cocktail. Viscera entangle in heaps in every direction. Bodies.

Ichigo!

His eyes are right in front of my eyes. Dirty brown, and glimmering with excitement. He grabs onto my neck, and forces me into the machine. No, not again… no.

Please.

He attaches the contraption to my head again. The sparks. Electricity.

It hurts. It hurts so bad.

"Let's try this again… Ichigo…" I can feel his smile in my ear. He brushes a hand slowly down my arm, as if he's trying to comfort me. "But this time, I'm going to make sure that you have enough rage in order for the madness to take hold." I see his retreating back, and he enters darkness. There is nothing but the machine, and a light hanging overhead, beating down on me. The lights, so so bright. I strain against the cuffs he snared me in, but it's no use. Where's my inner demon's strength when I needed him most? I continue to struggle against my restraints until I hear footsteps, moments later.

It's him. Aizen. He's dragging someone behind him, someone small.

No. It can't be her. Anyone but her.

"Ichigo..." It's not Aizen's voice this time. It's hers.

"Take your fucking hand off of her," I hiss through my teeth. Aizen smiles, and tugs on Rukia, bringing her forward and in front of him. She looks so scared, and so beautiful, clad only in a pristine set of white underwear and a bra. She's glowing… I look down. Her belly swells heavy with the weight of our child. She's at least eight months pregnant. A hand flies down to her stomach, cradling the underside of it while Aizen keeps a firm grip on her other arm.

"Let the rage consume you, Ichigo."Aizen slips a long, thin knife from underneath his white coat. "Let it bathe you in it's strength." He slowly eases his hand forward, the knife pointing straight at Rukia's swelling belly.

"Don't." My eyes dart from Rukia, to the knife, and back to Rukia. She looks so scared, but it's such an unselfish fright. She's not scared for herself, she's scared for our unborn child, cradled inside her without any way to protect itself. Is it scared? Is my baby boy scared?

Aizen barely grazes the tip of the knife against her, from her protruding belly button to about an inch upward. She winces, but doesn't fight him. Why doesn't she try to get away? I strain against my restraints as a small creek of blood starts to form where the blade had grazed my lover's perfect skin. I call out to her, but she says nothing, just worriedly looks down at her belly and cradles herself, cradling the baby inside.

"You're too calm." Aizen slinks forward more, dragging Rukia along with him until they're only a foot away from the metal table I'm strapped to. "Aren't you afraid that I'm going to kill your child?" With one swift movement, he stabs the entire knife deep into Rukia's belly, twisting it around inside. She cries out, only once, then just stares down at the mangled remains below her.

I don't even have time to scream. I just see black. And hear a voice. Not her voice this time, but his voice inside me, growing like Stage IV cancer. The demon has taken control of my body. But now, for some reason, my sight comes back. I can see everything: the horrified expression on Rukia's face, the look of sheer excitement on Aizen's as the electricity pours through my body and my brain. I push and pull against my restraints, feeling power surging through my veins.

"It's working!" Aizen exclaims. He releases Rukia, and she falls down onto the ground, clutching her stomach. She gazes up at me, nothing but fear and pure abandonment in her eyes. Aizen smirks, "I've got you, Ichigo Kurosaki. I'm not letting you out of my grasp this time. You're going to help me kill the world."

The inner demon inside me laughs maniacally, but it seeps out of my lips. I can't control it, I can't control any part of my body. I am simply a pair of eyes watching the demon do his will. "Yes, Aizen." His voice, coming out of my mouth. God, it hurts, it hurts. Is this how my demon feels all the time?

"Get up." Aizen beckons me forward.

Suddenly, the metal restraints feel like rubber against my skin. I peel them away, and slowly rise and walk over to come face to face with my enemy, with my love bleeding below my feet. There is nothing more that I want to do in this world then reach down and protect her, and mourn for our child that is surely lost, but I can't. I am the demon's puppet now.

"Reach in and take what is yours." Aizen commands, the deadliest of smiles on his lips.

No. God… no.

Rukia looks up at me, tears welling in her eyes but she doesn't let them fall. My body is moving against my will, reaching down, and picking my poor girl up. Looking straight into her eyes, my hand glides down into the wound that Aizen stabbed into her. Rukia's mouth hangs agape, a silent scream. I reach in, feeling the sickly warm flesh in my hands. It's killing me, but I can't stop it. She gasps, and cries out as I dig around to find it. I rip it out, the body of our baby, as Rukia slumps to the floor. I have not once stopped looking into her eyes, and scream inside as I watch the life slowly spill out of them, the brilliant light in her eyes creeping into a dull shade of purple. I hand the tiny little body to Aizen, who takes it into his arms and cradles it.

"A girl." He purrs, caressing the sweet face of it, which is unharmed.

I feel my lips curl up into a wretched smile. Aizen claps a hand on my back and urges me toward him into an embrace. "Taint the world with your disease, Ichigo, and you will be rewarded with death and destruction."

The inner demon of me laughs through my lips while the real me is shattered in darkness, fallen to the floor of my own despair.

A girl…

~.~.~.~.~

A jolt awake to the feeling of Rukia tugging on my arm. "Ichigo! Wake up."

"Rukia?" My voice rough with sleep. Instantly, I climb over the median of the car to embrace her. I touch her everywhere, her soft skin, her hair, I kiss her lips. I place a hand on her stomach.

"Bad dream?" She breathes in between kisses.

"Yes." I grip her harder, for just one moment, before letting her go. I had to make sure she was real. Once I've calmed down, I take a look at my surroundings. The car is parked, but I'm not exactly sure where. There are a lot of black creeping willow trees around. It's dark, we must have been driving a long time. The clock of the car reads 3:47 in the morning. "Fuck, Rukia, did you drive all this time?"

"No, I made a pit stop for these…" She reaches into the back seat and pulls up one of our black backpacks. "I might have done something slightly illegal." She unzips the backpack and hands it to me. I peer inside, and gasp. There are two guns, german Glocks by the look of them, a few hand grenades, and a knife as long as my forearm. Big enough to do damage but thin enough to slide between a pair of ribs.

"Did you steal these?"

"Yup." Rukia says calmly, too calmly for a pregnant girl about to await her lover's fate. "Also, we're about a mile from Ulquiorra's estate. I think I stopped far enough away for a safe distance. If Aizen is hiding out in there, I don't think he heard us coming."

"We're here…?"

"Yes."

Time to die. He creeps up inside me.

Go away. Just go away for once, at least until I need you.

But why would I do that? Do you think I want to be trapped here forever?

I don't know what the hell you want.

I want you to die, Ichigo. And you're going to die.

I drown out the rest of his taunting and insults as I gaze at Rukia, who has a stern, determined look in her eyes. It's a look I've seen before, and it scares the hell out of me. "Please, don't come after me, Rukia. Think of the baby." I rest a hand on her stomach, still flat as a board but that little bean is in there somewhere. For once, I want her to just listen to me. I love that resilient, independent head of hers, so goddamn much, but if she steps one foot outside of the safety of this car, I would never forgive her.

Slowly, her eyes morph from resolved, to full of uncertainty, and then finally, to resolved again. She sighs, and nods. "I'll stay right here."

I breathe a sigh of relief. "If I'm not the one you see emerging from those trees, you hit the gas hard and you get the hell out of here. You can stay with my father, he'll take care of you until you both figure something out."

"But…"

"That's the plan, Rukia." I lean in, and kiss her, tasting the sweet tenderness of her lips for what could be the last time. I relish in the softness, and gently caress her face with the palm of my hand, feeling her soft skin. "I love you. I think I loved you the first time I saw the fire in your eyes back in the cafeteria of the Seireitei Asylum. You are the one, and the only one, that will be in my heart until the sun goes dark. Take care of our baby, Rukia." Before she could protest, I grab the backpack crammed full with weapons and jump out of the car.

"Ichigo!" Her hand reaches out to me.

The car door hangs agape, and I stand there to look at her. "I love you, Rukia. I love you so goddamn much." Quickly, I slam the car door shut and take off running. Towards the end.

Rukia

The guns and other contraband were easy enough to steal, and I did it all while Ichigo slept somewhat peacefully in the car. All I had to do was bat my eyelashes at the cashier anytime they got suspicious of me scurrying around in their store with a black backpack in hand. Sneaking around and being deceptive in Seireitei really paid off today, almost enough to make me laugh. After that escapade, I drove non-stop toward Ulquiorra's grand estate, figuring Ichigo needed his rest, and I honestly got the hang of driving after a while. Wasn't too hard after Ichigo reminded me which buttons did what.

I stole a few glances toward his face as I drove, trying to memorize every little detail. The innocent thinness of his eyelids fluttered closed, the almost-steady swell of his chest as he breathed, and the subtle blush on his cheeks from the slightly-humid weather. His orange hair, blowing from the slight hush of the broken air conditioner. As I look at him, I start to think about how our baby will be half of him. Maybe I'll even be lucky enough for the baby to have his shock of bright orange hair.

I brush away the thoughts as quickly as possible. It's definitely not what I should be focused on, especially at a time like this. If Ichigo doesn't make it, I don't know how I'll be able to look into my baby's eyes without an absolute sense of loss. Glancing again at his flickering irises under closed lids, I swallow down my doubts. Ichigo will be fine.

He has to be.

~.~.~.~.~

I drive for a few hours, following the directions Ichigo told me before he fell asleep, and eventually we arrive just outside of what I assume is Ulquiorra's estate. I have been here before, the trees and their long, dark branches seem almost familiar, when Aizen and his associates took me from Seireitei and kept me there to coax Ichigo into their grasp. How things have changed, now we are the ones coming to the estate on our own free will to end it all. I guess that's how you could tell how desperate we are to be done with this place, and the people inside it. Shifting the car into park, I let it settle while I look at my sleeping boy, so peaceful, so full of life. He's been doing so well lately with the demon inside him. I'd only ever seen it pop up once or twice since we left Seireitei. Hell, I think that place triggered it more than the real world does. Softly, I reach out and run my fingers through his floppy locks of hair. I should wake him up, and tell him we're here, but I just can't bring myself to do that at this exact moment.

But then, the aura of Ichigo shifts. He no longer appears peaceful, with even breaths. His breathing comes in quick, shallow pants, and his eyes dart back and forth wildly underneath his eyelids. His hands grasp at the tattered upholstery. He seems so nervous, and scared. He must be having a nightmare, so I reach out and tuck on his shirt sleeve. "Ichigo! Wake up."

"Rukia?" He asks in a daze, and once his eyes reach mine, he instantly shifts and embraces me in the biggest hug I've ever received. He runs his hands through my hair wildly, with a passion I would never expect from someone who just woke up. Ichigo softly settles a hand on my stomach, stroking the area with the very tips of his fingers.

His kindness almost kills me. I ask, "bad dream?"

"Yes." He finally lets me go, and then glances around the darkness, before his eyes settle on the clock. "Fuck, Rukia, did you drive all this time?"

"No, I made a pit stop for these…" I reach around and present him with one of the black backpacks. "I might have done something slightly illegal." I unzip it and hand it to him, and feel the sides of my mouth curl up at the sight of Ichigo's eyes as wide as saucers.

"Did you steal these?"

"Yup." I say matter of factly. I take a shallow breath, trying to prepare myself for the situation at hand. We couldn't stay in this car in our own little bubble of peace forever. "Also, we're about a mile from Ulquiorra's estate. I think I stopped far enough away for a safe distance. If Aizen is hiding out in there, I don't think he heard us coming."

"We're here…?"

I look down at my hands. I hope he doesn't notice how hard I'm shaking. "Yes."

Ichigo stares at me for a long time before he places his hand on my stomach again. A thousand thoughts sprint through my mind but the only one that sticks out is will Ichigo be able to hold his own child?

"Please, don't come after me, Rukia. Think of the baby."

I am thinking of the baby. But I'm also thinking about him. He doesn't know what I'm planning, so it's best to just keep him in the dark. "I'll stay right here."

Ichigo sighs relief. "If I'm not the one you see emerging from those trees, you hit the gas hard and you get the hell out of here. You can stay with my father, he'll take care of you until you both figure something out."

"But…"

"That's the plan, Rukia." He kisses me, too briefly. "I love you. I think I loved you the first time I saw the fire in your eyes back in the cafeteria of the Seireitei Asylum. You are the one, and the only one, that will be in my heart until the sun goes dark. Take care of our baby, Rukia." Faster than what I thought to be humanly possible, Ichigo snatches the backpack and hops out of the car in a matter of a second.

"Ichigo!" I reach out to him in panic. No. He can't go yet. He's not ready. He's not ready. He's not ready.

I'm not ready.

His eyes are brimmed with tears, but his voice is stone cold and full of resolve and truth. "I love you, Rukia. I love you so goddamn much." He slams the door shut and takes off running.

That fucking bastard. Instantly, I reach down for the other black backpack in the back seat and hoist it up into my lap. I unzip the top and peer in. There, right where I left them. Another gun, a grenade, and an identical long, thin knife. Was Ichigo honestly stupid enough to think I would just wait in the car while he goes off to fight the one man that ruined both of our lives? The man that had my parents killed, took my inheritance, and did everything in his power to keep me locked up in an asylum without a voice?

This isn't even really Ichigo's fight to fight. It's mine. And that's why I'm going after him. I am not silent anymore. I am roaring.

Slinging the backpack over my shoulder, I rip the keys out of its socket and shut the car door. I don't run after him, but keep a steady pace so I don't become too close. The experiment that Aizen had performed on him changed his body as well as his mind. I don't think that either of us know the full extent of what happened, but I know for certain that Ichigo possesses higher levels of strength, agility, and hearing. When I went crazy I just went crazy, with no cool superpower effects. But, whatever, I digress. It's dark, but after many moments of walking, I finally come to a break in the trees. I dart behind one particularly sturdy willow tree, and peer up at the large white house. Ichigo is just approaching the back door of the estate, which seems to be conveniently unlocked, since his tall form simply slinks into the estate with no hesitation. A little too convenient, but I think we expected it to be this way.

Aizen is always one step ahead of us, after all. And it's too late to turn back.

Ichigo

I'm so close, I can smell the sick bastard. Going through the backdoor was too easy, I know that much, but turning around and heading back to Rukia with this constant threat still looming over us is not an option. I told myself that I would end this, even if it kills me. I creep down the small hallway that must be an old servant's passage. Mold and dust dominate my nostrils as I step as quietly as I can manage down the cement hallway. It's pitch black, but I can see the floor fairly well, enough to keep me on track. From what I remember, this should lead to the kitchen, which leads into the grand dining room. From there, I could find the elevator that would lead me down into the basement-

Don't take the elevator, you fool. He'll hear you coming.

He already knows I'm here no doubt. Besides, don't you want me to die?

Yes…

Then shut up.

Hell, maybe dying wouldn't be so bad. Rukia would be safe and our baby would grow up without an insane, delusional father. My kid needs someone stable, someone that can really, truly take care of it and enrich its life, which isn't something I could do. The world would be better off without me, anyway, especially Rukia. She deserves a man that can give her more than what I have.

A small scratching noise. I whirl around in the darkness. Nothing. A chill creeps up my spine, but I force myself to ignore it. Now is not the time to be the weak, druggie boy on the street. I have to be the hero. I have to be.

Once I reach the end of the hall, I reach around and grab both guns from the backpack. One I put in my waistband, the other I hold with both hands to stop them from shaking. I've shot a gun a few times before, and I have pretty good aim, but I'm still not confident enough with one. The metal of it is so, so heavy. Heavier than it should be. I sigh. Let's just get it over with. Shoving the door open with a shoulder, I scan the room. Dark. Dark, dark dark. No light turned on in sight. I quickly shuffle through the kitchen and enter the dining room. No light, nothing at all. This confirms my theory that Aizen must be holed up in the basement, in fear that the police would see the lights shining through the upstairs windows. They'd been after him ever since the videotapes of my experiment in the basement were released, showing both him and Ulquiorra looming over me with a metal helmet on my head, being shocked over and over again with electricity to ignite the demon inside. I shake my head to rid myself of the memories. Now was not the time to feel vulnerable. I have to be angry. I have to be.

You'll never be as strong as me. Let me out. Let me help you.

If I do that, I'll never get my body back. You'll never let me go.

Don't worry, you won't be trapped in the mind like I am. Once you die, I'll take over completely, and you will be nothing. Not even a speck of dust.

I may die, but if I do, don't you dare hurt Rukia.

She'll be the first to bleed.

It takes every inch of restraint I have to not punch the wall and give away my position. I take the elevator, and watch with dread as the number recedes down to zero. Ground zero, where it all started. The elevator doors open with a cheery ping, and I step into the darkness. The basement is just as I remembered it - concrete floor, concrete walls, with a few pillars scattered about. My eyes adjust even more, and I see it - the machine that caused my insanity, beeping and whirring against the far wall. An rust-iron red stain of blood permeates the floor. Ulquiorra's blood. I grimace, and cock my gun up, ready to aim at whatever comes my way. I need to focus.

With my gun in tow, I check behind every pillar in search of him, but I come up with the hell is he? The only sound I hear is my own two feet scuffing the hard floor. Just then, a single step, towards me is heard.

"Ichigo." His voice. The side door, fuck, how did I forget about that?

I cock the hammer of the gun and point it towards him. I see him, all of him this time. He's not shrouded in darkness because I see him clearly now. He's dressed in a crisp white button-down shirt and black pants. His hair looks clean, and freshly cut, and his signature glasses adorn his face. I point the gun straight at his black heart.

His poison lips speak. "I'm glad you finally came. I was growing tired of looking for you," He smiles, all white teeth penetrating my eyes. "I will admit, giving you a head start was a cocky move on my part. You are actually hard to find."

Don't kill him. You need him.

Like hell I do.

Just wait and see. You'll need him.

Like hell I do. Fuck the voice in my head. I do not hesitate. I pull the trigger, and a bullet flies out of the gun at the speed of sound. Sweat accumulates on my brow in anticipation, and my eyes flicker, trying to follow the bullet. I stare into Aizen's face, still smiling, poor guy doesn't know what's coming for him. The tips of my mouth start to curve upwards as well. Could it all really end so quickly? It was too easy, it was all so easy-

Aizen swiftly moves to the side, the silver of the bullet whizzing just past his ribcage. I can barely comprehend what just happened. He… dodged it?

Aizen takes advantage of my confusion and twists around to come to my side. He grabs my shoulder, and unsheathes a knife from his pocket. With one swift motion, he buries it in between my ribs, and I hear my cry for pain before I even feel it. Aizen twists the knife inside of me, and the pain is too much to bear. I reach around and grab his neck, and toss him aside into one of the concrete pillars. Aizen's body should be crushed against the hard stone, but a long, simple crack runs up it, with Aizen's body completely intact. He rises, and brushes the dust off of his crisp white shirt.

"Ichigo, I must confess to you," he smiles, and adjusts his glasses. He looks perfect, while I hunch over, leaning against a pillar and clutching my side. Blood gushes from the wound, and I start to feel light headed. I'm almost positive that he punctured a lung, and my chest cavity fills with air with every breath, making it harder and harder to breathe as my chest becomes tight and heavy. Aizen approaches me, and runs a hand across my forehead, feeling my hair. "I don't need you anymore. I thought I did, because you were the only one experimented on that didn't die from the shock or the aftereffects. I thought you were going to be my masterpiece." He coos, looking at me intently with seemingly-loving eyes. He grabs my chin. "But I was wrong."

He punches me in the chest, knocking all the wind out of me and sending me straight through the concrete pillar. Scraps of stone scatter around me and fill my eyes and ears. I cough, trying to rid my lungs of the obstructions, but my wound makes it impossible. My arms are lead, my legs are jelly, and I don't have the courage to get up, but I must.

Just give up. Die already.

No, I can't. She'll never forgive me.

She'll be better off without you.

My mind races. Do I die? Do I just give up and do what the voice in my head has always wanted me to do? But I remember her face so clearly… her eyes, her voice, her smell. How can I leave her when she's all I have?

Let go.

Blood is seeping out of me like tap water turned on full blast. I need to make a decision. Lay here and die, accept my fate, or get up and fight. I sigh, and almost scoff at myself. Who am I kidding? I'm always up for a fight. Rising up, clutching my side, I stare Aizen straight in the face. His smile grows wider.

"How did you dodge my bullet?" I ask with hoarse, stolen breaths. God, it's so hard to breathe.

"I thought you would be smarter than this, Ichigo." He chuckles, and nods his head over to that fucking machine against the far wall that started it all. "I attached myself to the machine. And it worked perfectly. To think, all this time, testing out my machine on druggies off the street that nobody would miss, and all I had to do was use it on myself for it to become a reality. Now, I'm faster than a bullet, stronger than stone, and smarter than you will ever be."

He comes at me again, with full force, and pummels his hand into my chest, sending me flying back into the elevator doors. The metal groans under the pressure. I gasp, and cough up blood. Shit… I glance around the room. There's no way out, except for the side door leading out into the yard. If I make a run for it, will I make it out alive?

Don't worry about your life right now. Do what you came here to do. End it.

Oh, so you want me to beat him all of a sudden? I thought you said I needed him.

Don't you get it? Aizen doesn't need you anymore. Once he kills you, he'll kill me too. I'm just competition.

Then help me, and I'll do my best to set you free.

With pleasure.

Suddenly, a dark power clenches its claws in me. I cry out, taken aback by the new sensation. I've felt it before, but not as strong as this. My eyes morph from their original amber brown to a striking yellow - the whites of them are now an unsettling black. Turning to Aizen, I steady his gaze. No fear is shown in his eyes, only excitement. His smugness fuels my fire. A roar escapes from my lungs, and I notice that I no longer feel the pain of my wounds. I lunge at him, grabbing him by the neck and taking hold. Launching him through a pillar, just like he had done to me, I watch his smug smile fill with blood. The pillar disintegrates, leaving millions of tiny cracks in the floor and ceiling.

"Very good," Aizen smiles as he rises, brushing debris from his shirt, "but not good enough."

He's right beside me now, even though I launched him a good twenty feet away. How did he get here so fast? He swipes his knife towards my face, and I barely have enough time to jerk out of the way. I watch as the tip of his knife grazes the bridge of my nose, leaving it swollen and gushing red. Before I have time to react, he strikes again, landing a blow to my shoulder. Fuck, I may be stronger, but that still hurts like hell. Aizen has trouble dislodging the knife from my shoulder blade, so I use the advantage to grab onto his wrist and twist it, causing Aizen to cry out in pain, the first time I've ever heard him do so. It's only fair, he's given me enough pain for a million lifetimes.

I was expecting the voice in my head to make some kind of snide remark, but all is silent. In fact, I don't feel his presence at all, only his power in my body. I almost miss him.

I launch a leg out, knocking Aizen back, but not that far. I rip the knife out of my shoulder and grasp it firmly in my hand. He's on me again in an instant. This time, his eyes aren't full of excitement, they're full of rage.

"You're supposed to be dead already." He whispers, more menacing than any scream. I stab the knife in the direction of his jugular, but he dodges again. I make another jab, and land a small cut in his chest. He stops, and stares at me, bewildered. "How…" He muses, and reaches down with his fingertips and touches the small trickles of blood. He eases his fingertips to his lips, and tastes the red liquid. "I can't wait to taste yours."

My eyebrows furrow. He's goddamn insane. Aizen comes at me again, more furious than ever before he pummels into me head on, launching us through the side door of the basement and out into the fresh air. The blow was particularly hard, and I can't seem to make my legs work. I claw at Aizen as he grabs me by the shirt collar and drags me up the concrete steps and into the grass. The night sky has slowly faded into a purple and orange sunrise, slowly rising into a new day. I look up at Aizen from the dirt, who stands above me with the knife in hand. I look down to my empty palm. When did he take that from me? I try to stand up, but when I glance down at my lower body, I see that my right ankle is twisted all the way around. Oh. That's why. I may not feel the pain, but my body must have its limits.

"Your blood will taste so good in my mouth," Aizen grasps the knife with both hands and pummels it straight into my chest, right where my heart should be. I don't cry out, I just stare at the knife, the blade is completely obscured in my body, leaving only the black handle for me to look at. Aizen looks down on me with hateful lust, eyeing the blood oozing out from me with force. I reach behind me, under my back. Yes, the backpack is still there. I reach in and take the grenade. I hide it behind my back, Aizen probably just thought that I'm writhing in pain. The pin of the grenade rests in my index finger. I just have to give it the slightest pull, and it will explode. It should kill him. It has too.

I close my eyes, and imagine my girl for the last time. Her raven dark hair, her bright violet eyes, the way her voice shakes, only slightly, when she tells me that she loves me. Fuck, what I wouldn't give to hear her say my name one last time. Take care of our baby Rukia, love it as much as I would.

I love you.

I hear Aizen laugh above me, and feel his palm against my chest, collecting the blood trickling from me. I can feel his smile as he stretches his palm up to his mouth and sniffs. He hums, and I hear slurping sounds. He's drinking me. I've had enough. I take the pin out of grenade just as I hear a gunshot. A heavy weight falls down on me.

What the hell?

My eyes shoot open, and I see my girl standing there with a gun shaking in both of her hands. Her face is soaked with tears, and her lips quiver. Rukia is here. I smile. I got to see her one last time…

I look down at my hand. The grenade.

Fuck.

I throw Aizen's body off of mine with every last ounce of energy I have and launch the grenade into the air. It lands on the roof of the estate with a loud thunk, and explodes. Rukia screams, and rushes over to me. She covers me with her body, trying to shield me from the debris. No, it should be the other way around, I should be protecting her. She's my girl. I roll over, and protect her body with mine. The knife had come out of me at some point, and blood gushes freely all over her body. She looks up into my eyes, scared as hell, and places her hand gently on my face.

"I love you."

I smile, but my vision is going dark. "I love you...too…"

It's all black, but that's okay. I've accepted what's going to happen.

Rukia

I never went into the house. I knew that Ichigo would hear me in the echoing halls, and he would have dragged my ass back to the car. But I knew where he was going to go. The basement. That's the only place Aizen could be hiding. It's where this all started, and it's where we're going to end it. If I remembered correctly, there was staircase settled in the ground that led down to a side door to the basement. That's where I would go.

I take the gun out of the backpack and hold it in my hand as I walk towards the estate. It felt heavy and cold against my palm. Full of death. As I walk, I hear a crash, coming from the house. Fuck, what was that? A chill runs up my spine. Please don't be Ichigo. Please. My pace quickens as I finally reach the estate. Another crashing sound, and a cry of pain. I cock the hammer of my gun back, prepared for the worst. If Ichigo is dead, then I am too, and no one is leaving this estate alive. I hear a multitude of quick punches and groans, and muffled talking. I hide behind a large bush settled on the side of the house and try to catch my breath. Alright. You can do this Rukia. You're strong now, and no one is going to silence you. Okay, one more breath, and I'm going in. In, out. In, out.

A deafening screech penetrates my eardrums, and two bodies burst through the door. My eyes strain, the sun is rising but it's still pretty dark. I can't make out who is who, but there is someone dragging a body behind them up the stairs and into the yard. The man standing throws the other down into the dirt. I see the glint of a knife, and my hand flies to my mouth. That's not the knife I got for Ichigo, it's different. It's Ichigo on the ground, and Aizen is above him. I see that clearly now. I strain my ears to hear the words coming from his putrid soul.

"Your blood will taste so good in my mouth," I watch as Aizen stabs Ichigo in the heart. I muffle a scream in my hand, and watch as my love's blood drowns him. Ichigo writhes, an arm under his back. He's spasming, his body is going into shock - no, wait, he's reaching for something behind him? The backpack. What is he going to do?

Aizen laughs maniacally, and I feel anger pump through my veins. He reaches down and cups a handful of blood gushing from Ichigo, and kneels over his body. He sniffs the blood, then eases his tongue out and tastes it. I fight the urge to vomit, but I take advantage of his distraction. I pray that he won't be able to hear my approach. Aizen seems very content, slurping up the droplets and humming. It's time to send him to hell.

I'm right behind him now, and he still hasn't taken a notice of me. He never has. I've always just been a splinter in his finger. An annoyance he wanted to get rid of. He took advantage of me. Murdered my parents who never laid a hand on anybody. Took my family's money and used it to torture the love of my life. Enough was enough.I raise the gun an inch away from the back of Aizen's head. I hesitate, but only for a moment, as I look down at Ichigo. His eyes are closed, and he's stopped moving. Is he dead? I can't take it anymore. I squeeze the trigger, and send a bullet straight through Aizen's head. He collapses on top of Ichigo, who winces. He's still alive. He looks up at me with a frightened look in his eyes. His eyes… They're yellow and black. The demon is in him. A pang of fear shoots through me just as he throwsAizen off of him and tosses something up into the air. What the hell was that? I don't even have time to react when the explosion hits. All I can think about is him. I launch my body down to protect his, but he instantly counteracts and rolls me over so he's on top of me, much like lovers do, but this time the events are a little more cynical.

I look up at him as debris flies all around us. His eyes are yellow and demonic, but they're still his. It's still Ichigo. The words come out of my mouth, truer than they ever were. "I love you."

He smiles wide, all his teeth showing, but his eyelids start to quiver. He's losing too much blood. Shit. He barely makes out the words, "I love you...too…" before he blacks out.

No. No, no, no. I had a feeling that he was going to die, but now that it's happening, I don't know what to do. There's no phone to call an ambulance, and he'll be dead before I can drag him to the car, even if I was strong enough. What do I do…

I stare at my Ichigo, bleeding out into the grass. The earth will soak it all up, and there will be no evidence of what happened here. He'll die, and they'll take him away, and he'll just be… gone. And our baby won't have a father. It's too much to bare.

Suddenly, Ichigo's eyes snap open, still an unsettling yellow color. His lips move, but it's not his voice. It's high pitched, and sounds like it's underwater. I've heard it before, when the demon had slipped out of Ichigo back at the shady motel, and plenty of other occasions in Seireitei. I shiver.

"You can save him." The demon says through Ichigo's mouth.

My voice shakes. "...How?"

"The machine," the demon points down to the hole blown through the basement. "Strap the helmet to him and turn it on. I'll do the rest."

I look at the hole blown through by the two men. The grenade had hit the roof of the estate on the far side, so the basement was still intact. The machine would still be there. Maybe it could work."How do I know you won't kill him?"

"Oh, poor little thing, he's already dead." The demon sighs. "But there's still a small piece of him in there, you just need to give him a boost."

Ichigo's… dead? The world spins around me, but time is of the essence. I contemplate for only a few moments. "Alright. Can you stand?"

"No, his body is at his limit. You'll have to drag him."

"Okay," I feel numb. He said Ichigo is dead. But I have to try. That's the least he deserves. I throw the backpack off of him and clutch onto both of Ichigo's arms and drag him down the stairs as fast as I could. His eyes stay open and fixed on me the whole time, full of an emotion I couldn't put a finger on. "What?" I ask the demon.

"I can see why he loves you." The sick voice comes from Ichigo's mouth. "I guess a part of me always wanted you, too."

I grimace, and keep dragging him toward the machine whirring against the far wall of the basement. Multiple pillars are either cracked beyond repair or disintegrated entirely. I try not to think of the horrors that happened here, starting with the first experiment and ending now. Aizen may be out of our lives, but this place will haunt us forever.

"You're the only thing keeping him in my mind." He muses as I try to lift him onto the metal table of the machine. It takes a few tries, but I eventually get him up there. Ichigo's body is still bleeding profusely. How is there still so much blood? The demon speaks again. "The machine isn't too hard to operate. Just put the helmet on him, and press the big black button."

I do as I'm told, and secure the metal helmet to his head. The machine seems to purr in anticipation. I look into the demon's eyes… full of pain and sadism, but still Ichigo's somehow. He opens his mouth. "I guess you're the real reason I'm doing this anyway. I may be a demon, but I'm still Ichigo, more or less. Now that I'm out here, instead of in his mind, and I'm in his body… I can't hurt you. So, I'll let him have you."

For some reason, I lean down, and place a chaste kiss on his cheek. I reach over, my finger hovering over the button. "Thank you," I breathe, and then press it.

Electricity surges through him, and the demon screams. Quickly, I cover my ears with both hands. I've never heard such a scream.

Ichigo

I should be dead. Why am I not dead?

Or is this what death is?

Pure night, with nothing but my own thoughts? Not even a body to keep my soul in? Is this what my demon felt like? Hell, I would want me to die too, just to get out of here. It's intelerable. And all I can think about is Rukia. At least I know she's safe. She killed Aizen, which is more of a poetic end than I thought it would be. No matter how mad I am at her for putting herself and our baby at risk, she deserved to deliver the final blow to that motherfucker, that was for sure. She's been fed his poison for years.

It's all dark, but I hear muffled voices. Talking. Is it coming from the outside? Is Rukia there? I strain my hearing farther, trying everything in my power to listen to what's going on.

Can save him…

How?

That was Rukia's voice.

More muffled talking.

Machine…

Oh god. No, please no. It must be the demon talking to Rukia. Does she know that it's not me out there? I'm in here, Rukia! I'm in here! If I had a voice I would scream. If I had a body I would thrash around in pain. But there's nothing I could do.

I just sit in the silence and the dark of my own mind and wait for whatever is to come. God, this is agony.

But then, suddenly, things start to shift. There's a pulse, thin and subtle, but I feel it. Wait, I feel something! In my fingers. I have a body? But I don't see it… I can't see anything.

Then it's the pain. Sharp, shooting pain, everywhere. I have a body, but it's fucking agony. I scream, and open my eyes (I have eyes?)

And there she is. Rukia, with tears in her eyes and the metal helmet clutched in her hand. She's staring at me with wonder and fear. Does she know it's me?

"Rukia…" I reach my hand out to her. I feel weak. Weaker than I have felt in long, long, time. Since before this all started.

"...Ichigo?" She takes my hand. "Is it you?"

"Yes, baby," I breathe, "It's me."

She traps me in a bear hug and squeezes. I wrap my arms around her and relish in the feeling, with gentle caresses on her back. We made it. From the clutches of Seireitei, to the evils of Aizen, we made it. We're free.

And all is silent in my head. The demon is gone.

"He saved you," Rukia pulls away and places an index finger on my head. "Him. In there. He wanted you to live."

My brows furrow. "Really? What happened?"

"He told me that he had control of your body, and that you were dead, but a part of you was still in there. He told me that I had to hook you up to this machine in order to save you." Rukia places a hand on my stomach, right where Aizen stabbed me, but it doesn't hurt. She lifts my shirt up, and there's dried, crusted blood, but no wounds, only scars. "He did this too. I don't know how, but he healed you right before you came back to me."

I stare at my skin in disbelief. He could do that all this time? The bastard. "Despite all the shit he gave me, I guess I should be grateful to him."

"I guess…" She smiles, and she's so goddamn beautiful. "Are you ready to go?"

I glance around the room that started it all, coated in old blood and new, filled with bad memories and only one good one. "I'm more than ready."

Rukia helps me hop off the table, and leads me outside, towards the car. The sun is shining brightly now, blanketing us in a delightful warmth. We breathe the lovely, fresh air, and all is well in the world.

Rukia

We stayed at Ichigo's father's house for a while, only three months or so. The police were still snooping around, and we didn't want him to get in trouble for harboring fugitives. In the first week of the second month, I lost the baby while I slept. I wasn't too far along, so it didn't hurt, but I knew something was wrong when I woke up the next day, so I had Isshin check. The little heartbeat was gone. Isshin said that he didn't know why, and that these things just happen sometimes. It made me feel better knowing that it wasn't anyone's fault, especially mine. Ichigo was completely devastated, but a part of me was relieved. We weren't ready to raise a baby, not quite yet. I thought about our baby often, and still do, but the pain is less now. In a few years, Ichigo and I agreed that we would try again. Because that's what we do. We just keep going.

The police would always be after him, but I was prepared to live with that. Maybe after a while, they would just stop looking. That's what we hoped for, at least. During the third month, once we were ready, we packed up everything we could take that we needed from Isshin's house and headed north, into a mountainous, wooded area. Apparently, Ichigo's great-grandfather had an old cabin up there, and he used to go on fishing trips up there with him in the summers when he was a little kid. It was completely off the map and totally safe, he told me. I believed him. When we arrived, I was taken aback by the beauty of the place. It was small, with a natural fireplace, oak floors, and walls, and old rustic rugs and blankets that had been left there by his grandfather. The furnishings were simple, but they were enough. Everything was covered in a layer of dust, but with a little elbow grease, and hard work, it would be perfect. We would fish, and we even started a big garden in the backyard in order to get food going. Isshin brought us supplies and food every month to make things easier, although I think it's mostly because he missed his son. Even Yuzu and Karin came up a few times. Everything was good.

Ichigo loved me more and more everyday, and I did the same with him. We grew together, each of us making the other person stronger, and lived in peace, like we've always wanted.

It's been five years now, and it's Ichigo's twenty-third birthday.

I've spent all afternoon baking Ichigo a cake while he went out on his morning hike that usually lasted a few hours. I'm just pulling it out of the oven when he comes in through the old wood door. It's my third attempt, and the cake is only burned on the edges this time, so I smile. It's a success. I start layering on the strawberry frosting when Ichigo comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me.

"That cake smells delicious," he kisses the top of my forehead. "Is it for me?"

"Of course not," I scoop a dollop of frosting onto my finger and shove it my mouth. I've been famished, lately. "It's only your birthday, after all."

"Shut up," Ichigo rolls his eyes. "Sometimes I wish you still didn't talk."

"Don't be rude!" I smack him on the shoulder, and turn around to face him. "The cake has to cool for a bit, I think. Do you want your present now or after?"

Ichigo's amber eyes light up. "Now. Duh."

I laugh, and kiss his warm lips. He wraps one arm around my waist and the other caresses my hair as he kisses me deeper. I hum into his mouth, still feeling grateful that we can do this without feeling threatened, or persecuted. No security cameras or wandering eyes. It was just him, and me. I break free from him and reach over to the counter where a simple white box with an orange bow laid. "Here you go," I reach out and put it in his palm. "It's not much, but I hope it makes you happy."

Ichigo opens the box, and just stares at it. His fingers start to shake, and he gazes up at me with tears welling in his eyes. He takes it out of the package and cradles it in his palm. A positive pregnancy test.

"Really?" He asks, full of wonder.

"Yeah, really." I smile wide, and wrap my around around his torso. "I'm two and a half months along. I just wanted to make sure, before I told you. Are you ready for this?" I place a hand on my stomach, which was just starting to swell, but he hadn't noticed.

"More than ready." He smirks, "Guess I'm going to have to put a ring on your finger. Wouldn't want the kid to be born a bastard."

I smack him playfully. He always knew how to make me laugh.

"I'm glad I met you. Even if I had to go through hell and back to have you." Ichigo tilts my head up and kisses me briefly.

"Me too."

We stand there, in the small little kitchen that was all ours.

"Rukia, you're my medicine." He says, love full in his amber eyes.

"And you're mine."

We sit down, and share the cake together. Ichigo's hand rests on my thigh as I eat probably more than I should, but hey, I'm eating for two, now. I look out of the open dining room window to the hot sun shining through the trees, leaving specks of light on the soft grass. There is a slight breeze gracing my face, and a brilliant brown hawk perches on an oak branch just within eyes reach before lifting its powerful wings and taking flight into the warm summer air. I place my hand over Ichigo's, and his hold tightens on me.

And I'm never letting go.

The End.