She looked down at her feet as she swung them from the wall she was sitting on. Who knew Karakura town was full of random really high walls?
Also, who knew she had really tiny feet?

Things like this were good. Picking out small, unimportant details about her surroundings. It would help her to not focus on what had happened.
That being said, she knew she'd have to think about it soon. Maybe if she applied this strategic, simple way of thinking to it, then it would be a lot more bearable.

First off, a recap.

So; she'd argued with her brother. Byakuya Kuchiki never ever backed down on his word, and convincing him that her home was the World of the Living had been insanely difficult. But, after much deliberation, he had finally agreed to let her go, as she'd sworn on her soul that this was where she belonged.

What an idiot she was.

She blocked out that inner voice; it wasn't helping, and carried on with her recap.

Now she was back in the World of the Living. To be honest, she hadn't been too bothered about the game she and Orihime had been participating in previously; after the stressful ordeal with the whole pleading-to-come-back thing, all she wanted to do was greet both her friends with a huge smile on her face. And perhaps hug them both. And gaze into Ichigo's soft brown eyes. Maybe she'd forget the whole game; it was stupid, she was lucky enough to be able to stay in the World of the Living forever now, so everything else seemed trivial.

Or so she'd thought.

She'd skipped effortlessly through the window pane of the school, following Ichigo's delicious Spiritual Pressure scent. She had been so close to him, and her smile grew bigger and bigger as she prepared to grace her eyes with the sight of her best friend, her partner-in-crime, her ginger-topped idiot.

She didn't even pause for a second when she additionally felt Orihime's presence, her smile didn't falter, she was also looking forward to seeing first and foremost, her friend.

Bursting with excitement as she had stepped through the window frame, she overheard a voice.

"When we slept together."

...

Something bubbled up within her, and she snapped. All her previous happy anticipating attitude had been sucked away, and she was a raging inferno internally.

"You did what?!"

She didn't even remember what happened next. The red mist covered her memory, so all she recalled was her then running as fast as her Gigai legs could take her, no tears, no facial expression, a certain numbness within. She hadn't comprehended anything other than she had to get away.

And that was about up to date.

What was the protocol now?

What was usually the protocol when someone had had their heart torn out?

It was then that Rukia realised how much she was in love with Ichigo. Before? She had been in love too. But comparing that to how she felt now, it was more like a jealous little crush, wanting Ichigo to notice her, to kiss her. But hearing Orihime say they had slept together, that he'd chosen her, that Rukia had no chance of being with him anymore...

It hurt so bad.

Almost as bad as Kaien's death had.

So... What now?

Was there some way she could return to the Soul Society? Would they take her back after her audacity and stupidity at claiming her real home was here? She was such an idiot. She wanted to stay all for a boy. He had gotten in the way of her emotional barrier, she had become weaker. She was less efficient as a Soul Reaper. And a less efficient Soul Reaper was an inefficient Soul Reaper.

Nothing should ever get in the way of her work.

She sniffed and wiped her nose with her wrist. Enough sniffling. She was going back. What other choice was there?

Her heart had been broken twice over. Now it was clearly time to become a true Soul Reaper, and abandon all emotion, never do anything stupid like let herself fall in love again. From now on, she'd protect the Soul Society, and nothing else.

It was definitely not going to be as easy to abandon everything as all that.

In any case, she stood up, trying to still her shaking legs, and pulled out her Soul Pager, ready to call her brother. If she wasn't accepted back, she may have to consider the very worst.

"Rukia!!"

She could still hear his voice. That was how much impact he had had over her. But no more. She lifted the pager to her ear.

"Stop!!"