When you Come Back to Me Again
Summary: Byakuya had always been careful not to let his feelings show. But when his wife returns from the dead, he has a hard time keeping his emotions in check. And what's worse, is that she doesn't even remember who he his! Read and Review!
Whew! Sorry about quitting on the other story. I felt so bad about it, but I almost had no other choice. It was just getting too hard to fit everything in and too many plot holes kept popping up. Also, I felt I was taking Byakuya a bit too out of character. So here's the new one, as promised. It won't be as cheery-cheery as the first one, but I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, Hisana would still be alive.
Chapter 1: A Fateful Reunion
50 years ago today… Byakuya thought as he stood before her grave. 50 years ago, his beloved had been so cruelly taken away from him by illness and 50 years ago he had made a promise
"Yes…I will protect her."
The words rang in his ear so loudly, that he almost shuddered. Byakuya had always made of habit of keeping his word. But then, so many years later, he would have to break that promise.
"Rukia is a criminal and must face punishment."
Had it not been for Ichigo and his friends, that punishment might actually have been carried out. But fortunately, Ichigo had been there to stop him from making a mistake.
"Rukia, I'm sorry…"
Despite his grief though, he was glad that his beloved hadn't been there to see him behave so coldly – to break the very promise he made to her. Suddenly, as if on cue, the wind, still cold from winter, picked up and sent a shiver down his spine. He quickly laid the flowers by the gravestone, next to the white lilies his sister had placed there earlier. His wife had always loved lilies…especially white ones. He had always thought them rather plain, but she had always seen something special about them. The funny thing was, Rukia also found them quite attractive and made a point of picking a bouquet of them after they bloomed. As he turned to leave, he couldn't help but notice the clouds gathering.
"It's going to rain today."His thoughts were interrupted by a small, tomboy-ish voice.
"Rukia," he said, shocked to see her standing by the gate of the cemetery. "I thought I told you to stay at home."
"I know." She said. "But you were gone for quite a while and I got worried." Quickly, she waved the item in her hand in front of her while mustering a small smile. "I even brought an umbrella – just in case."
He almost smiled…almost. "We should get going." He said, making his way back to the house.
"Right!"
xXxXxXxXxXx
It was about a miles walk back to the manor. They spoke little, only commenting on the weather. By the time they reach the front gate, it had begun to rain, making Byakuya thankful Rukia had been considerate enough to bring an umbrella. As they approached the house, they heard loud yelling from behind the door.
"As I have told you before, neither Byakuya-sama, nor Rukia-sama are here, so please leave."
"And I told you, I'm not moving till they get back!" It was Ichigo.
"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed loudly, half-pleased, half-irritated. "What are you doing here?!"
"Oi! Rukia!" Ichigo replied quickly running to greet her. "This old geezer kept telling me you were gone and that I had to leave! Can you believe that?!"
"Well, you probably just barged in, like usual!"
"What?! I knocked first!!"
Byakuya sighed. Every time they saw each other, they did nothing but argue.
"Ichigo. Rukia." Byakuya said, giving them both a stern look. "Go to the barracks and check up on Renji. Make sure he's not screwing up the paperwork I left with him."
"O-okay." She said, bowing quickly. "C'mon Ichigo, let's go!"
"Fine." Ichigo said, sounding slightly frustrated. "Later Byakuya!"
So, the two left, bickering as they went. Byakuya sighed again. Ichigo was always addressing him by his first name.
"Byakuya-sama" Said Yuu, the houses main servant. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No. I'm fine. I think I'm going to retire early tonight."
"Very well, sir."
xXxXxXxXxXx
All night long, Byakuya tossed and turned. Vivid dreams too disturbing to describe haunted him. His eyes shot open as he slowly returned to reality. As soon as he got his bearings straight, he knew that he was not going to sleep well, if at all. So he decided to take a walk. It was something he did when he felt restless. Throwing a robe on over his pajamas, he made his way to the door. The rain clouds had cleared and the full moon shone brightly in the sky. The air was filled heavy with the scent of fresh rainfall. As he stepped outside, he suddenly sensed another presence nearby. Looking around, he saw nothing, but something inside was giving him this nagging feeling that he just couldn't shake. He slowly stepped out further onto the wet grass, not caring if his feet got wet. In an instant he was airborne, just barely dodging the kido spell launched at him. As he landed on the rooftop, he saw something glint to his left. Jumping out of the way, he was able to get a clear look at his attacker. To his surprise, it was a woman of slight build, and surprisingly small. She wore a mask to cover her face and was dressed in all black. As stepped back as far as he could, only to notice that the woman had not moved since her last attack. Slowly she rose to her feet, her hair blowing in the wind, sword gleaming in the moonlight.
"Just who are you?" Byakuya demanded.
For a few moments, there was silence. Byakuya wasn't quite sure whether or not the woman had heard him, so he repeated his question.
"Answer me. Who are you?"
"Byakuya Kuchiki." She said raising her sword. "I am here to claim your head."
xXxXxXxXxXx
"What?" Byakuya said, staring at the woman before him.
"As I have stated before," she said, coldly. "I have been sent to kill you. Have I made myself clear?"
"Just who exactly sent you?" He demanded.
She was silent for a moment.
"Answer me!"
"I would tell you, but what's the point? You'll just die anyway."
"Is that so? What makes you think you can defeat me, let alone kill me?"
"Don't act so arrogant. What could you possibly do, unarmed?" she said, smirking beneath her mask. "The way I see it, I have the advantage."
"The only arrogant person is you! Hadou No. 4! Byakurai!!" He shouted. He smirked as the ray of energy pierced her chest, thinking of how foolish it was for her to underestimate him. But as soon as his muscles relaxed, her body turned to paper, making him all too aware of danger he was in. As he turned around to locate the attacker, it was too late.
"You shouldn't have underestimated me, Byakuya Kuchiki." She said, raising her sword to deliver the fatal blow. "Now you die!!"
It's too late for me to avoid it! Byakuya panicked as he saw the blade approach him. Everything turned to slow motion.
"Hoero! Zabimaru!" And just like that, he saw Renji's sword come crashing down, just mere moments before the blade touched him.
"Nii-sama! Are you alright?!" Rukia said, landing on the rooftop next to him.
"Yes." Byakuya said, still in a bit of a daze.
"Don't worry about thing, taichou!" Renji said, leaping to the rooftops. "We'll handle things from here on out."
"You shouldn't be so hasty." Said the woman. "Just because you numbers have increased doesn't mean you have the upper hand. I'll kill all of you if I have to."
"Hmph." Renji snorted. "I'd like to see you try!"
"Bakudo #75! Gochuu Tekan!!"
Suddenly, Renji, Byakuya and Rukia felt their arms and legs go numb.
"Damnit." Byakuya said. She knows kidou of that level?! As she stepped forward, he braced himself and began to weigh out his options.
"Hm. So much for that." The woman said, drawing her sword. But just as she was about to move, a blade lay across her throat.
"One move." Said the newcomer. "And I'll slice your neck."
"Oh? And just who might you be?" Asked the woman.
"Yoruichi!" Byakuya said, struggling to regain his composure.
"Yoruichi?" The woman said, intrigued. "Shihouin, Yoruichi?"
"That's right," Yoruichi said. "Now why don't you remove that mask so we can see what you really look like?"
"Well, I guess I have no other choice…" she said quietly, dropping her mask to the ground. A wave of shock ran through Byakuya as he gazed upon the face of his attacker. There. Standing before him was his deceased wife, Hisana.
Yup...definitely not as cheery-cheery as before.