Bleach and all its characters belong to Tite Kubo! (If it were mine Ichigo and Rukia would be together by now!)

Pairings: IchigoxRukia, HichigoxRukia

'Bold' Ichigo's Thoughts.

'Bold Italics' Hichigo's Thoughts.

Rating: ?

-o-

Summary: After Ichigo is injured in battle, he makes a deal and trades places with his inner-hollow. While Ichigo recuperates and becomes stronger, what will Hichigo do in the world of the living? Is freedom really all the hollow thought it would be? Will he be able to come to terms with Ichigo's feelings towards Rukia? What about his own feelings toward the petite soul-reaper? And what does the midget-lieutenant think of all this?

-o-

Rukia clutched her zanpakuto tighter. The wound at her side continued to ooze red blood.

She had been careless and gotten injured; she was bleeding profusely as a result.

Suddenly, the soul reaper couldn't sense Ichigo's spirit energy anymore… His strong spiritual pressure just, vanished.

The three adjuchas in front of her laughed.

"Do you still think you can defeat us little girl?" one taunted as it circled around her.

"Shut up!" she screamed as she tried to escape them.

She didn't have time for this!

She had to go to Ichigo. He had probably gotten himself hurt! That reckless baka! She had to find him!

The leader of the adjuchas cackled loudly.

As if he could read her thoughts, he answered, "Foolish soul reaper! Your companion is already dead!"

-o-

"Foolish soul reaper! Your companion is already dead!"

It couldn't… It couldn't be true… Ichigo… dead?

Rukia struggled to breathe. Her purple eyes filled with tears.

Her whole world seemed to stop…

"Rest assured, you will join him once we devour you!" the hollow said as he attacked her.

The lieutenant soul-reaper was so distracted; she couldn't dodge the attack in time.

The creature hit her head on, and she was sent back flying several feet into the air, losing her weapon in the process.

The blow knocked the wind out of her, and she felt a terrible pain shoot through her body.

As she was suspended in mid-air, time seemed to stop and her head filled with images of her companion. With his bright orange hair, rare smiles, and soft brown eyes in her mind, she willed her eyes to close and she silently accepted death…

She vaguely registered her body hitting the forest floor on the outskirts of Karakura Town before everything went black.

-o-

The demon pinpointed her location with ease.

"You die tonight soul reaper scum!" it screamed.

The leader of the hollows prepared to attack her again.

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you!" a new voice appeared.

-o-

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you!"

The commander turned its attention towards the source of the interruption.

Looking back, the hollow saw his two comrades were dead.

They had been killed… It had happened so fast; he never heard a thing.

Their murderer stood triumphantly over their corpses. He cackled loudly at the look of shock on the adjuchas face.

"Hahaha! What's wrong? Did I spoil all yer fun?"

The adjuchas looked at the man wearing white.

It was the same punk as before, he was sure of it, but somehow, his appearance had changed. Apart from his new outfit, he also had white hair, pale skin, and his eyes were black with bright yellow irises. He had the eyes of a hollow… But that was impossible!

"Damn you substitute soul reaper! I thought you were dead!" the adjuchas said as it threw itself at him.

"You thought wrong… Only you wish it were him; I think you'll find that I am much less merciful! Hahaha!"

-o-

The hollow cackled loudly as he finished off his prey.

With just one more blow of Zangetsu, it was gone.

Putting away his sword, he looked around and examined the lower level hollows' corpses. They were starting to evaporate and disappear.

Everything seemed in place. The enemies were dead, and he should be able to go home now, err... well to his "master's" home anyways…

It wasn't until he heard her unconscious gasp for air that he even remembered she was there.

He frowned as he approached her.

The girl with short black hair was badly injured and bleeding everywhere.

His yellow eyes narrowed at the pathetic being.

He had just fought three adjuchas to protect someone as weak as her?

His nose wrinkled in disgust.

Should he just put her out of her misery?

His hand unconsciously reached for his sword as he contemplated slicing her up with his zanpakuto when he heard his master's nagging voice in the back of his head.

'Rukia! She's hurt! We've got to help her!' he said.

'What is this 'we' business? Yer in no position to be telling me what to do partner-'

'You bastard! If anything happens to her I'll gut you up and force you to eat your own innards!'

'Ooo! Is that a challenge King? That sounds like fun!'

'Shut up! I'd kill you right now if I weren't stuck here! Now go help Rukia!'

'Whatever, If it'll keep you from pissing your pants I suppose I could keep the soul reaper alive… for now.'

-o-

Rukia was surrounded by snow.

She recognized this place.

It was her inner world.

Despite how peaceful it was; she couldn't help the pain in her heart.

She began to cry.

Why did it hurt so much?

As she was crying, it began to snow heavier in her inner world.

She sank to her knees as she felt a wave of despair consume her.

Would she die here? Did she even care anymore?

"Ichigo…" she sobbed, wrapping her arms around herself.

It was her fault. If she hadn't been so weak, if she hadn't off gotten separated from him… If she were there, then he might not have had to sacrifice his life.

Nothing seemed to matter anymore if Ichigo was dead…

Then she heard him call out to her.

She stopped crying as she heard his voice again.

"Rukia."

Standing on her feet, she called out to him.

"I-Ichigo! Where are you?"

"Rukia!"

-o-

He was leaned over looking down at the petite woman, waiting for her to wake up.

She had rested and healed all night, now it was time to see if she was ok.

He had saved her last night.

He wasn't sure why.

All he knew was that the King said he was supposed to keep the girl safe.

After he had defeated the weak adjunchas, he had taken her back to the King's home.

Chappy and Kon had been already been asleep when he got back. It was easy for him to put away chappy without waking her. After removing the sleeping Kon from Ichigo's human body, he decided against putting him back inside of the lion-plushy. He did not feel like putting up with the annoying mod soul, nor did he want to have to give him any explanations. He was also grateful when he remembered that Icigo's family had gone to a doctor's convention in Tokyo for six weeks.

"Little soul-reaper." He called out again, slightly irritated this time.

Finally, the woman soul reaper opened her eyes slowly. When she saw the outline of Ichigo's figure, she smiled in relief.

"Oh, Ichigo." She said softly. Thank goodness he was ok!

"Not quite." He said.

-o-

Kinda a short chapter huh? -_-

Tell me what you think!

More to come soon...

~Lisa