AN: AAAAAH! Forgive me - another two (or three) shot to get me back into the writing mode after the big move.
WARNING: Content may not be suitable for all ages and all readers – contains rape, mutilation and death. You have been warned. This is 100% AU and OOC…
I don't own or operate Kubo or Bleach – although if I had a chance…
Vengeance
Pt 1
By: Abarai Starsha
Toshiro was beyond furious when he saw his wife's battered and bleeding body. He felt sick and helpless as he watched the doctors and nurses work to close up the many cuts she had on her hands, face and body. Blood was everywhere. How much could she afford to lose? How much has she already lost?
He got the call an hour ago. He had been waiting for her to get home from her weekly grocery shopping. They had plans to go out and catch a movie, something they enjoyed doing since they started dating two short years ago.
A clerk at the grocery store was empting the trash in the men's bathroom when he found her, unconscious and bleeding, on the floor in one of the stalls.
"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to wait in the waiting room while we use the rape kit."
Toshiro almost threw up and had to swallow several times. His face quickly drained of what color he had. "You think she was…" he whispered.
"Sir, I can't answer that right now. I need you to leave so we can give your wife our full attention." Toshiro gave the gurney one more look. Her raven hair, shaved in some spots to make way for the stitches. Her face was swollen and bruised. He could make out a bruise in the shape of a hand print across her throat. He stared blankly at the nurse before turning and walking out into the waiting area. He slumped down into a chair and closed his eyes. This had to be a nightmare.
"Captain!"
Toshiro opened his eyes. A tall beautiful blond was standing in front of him. She was dressed in a police uniform. A puzzled look was on her face.
"Matsumoto." He replied.
"I got a call about a woman who was beaten and possibly raped at the corner grocery. What brings you here?"
He looked at her, his face blank. "Rukia…"
Matsumoto's eyes grew. "Is she ok?"
"She was the one at the grocery store." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" She put her hand on his shoulder. "Is she alright? What has she said? Does she know who it was?"
"She's been unconscious since she was found. She was beaten and c-cut up pretty bad. They're doing the…the kit now." He said without opening his eyes.
"Ishida is working the scene." She said softly.
"Good," he replied. Ishida was the best investigator on the force and the only one Toshiro trusted.
"Sir?" The nurse said as she came out from the exam room. "The doctor would like to talk to you." Toshiro was on his feet immediately as he followed the nurse back into the room. Matsumoto followed two paces behind.
"Hello, I'm Doctor Kurosaki Isshin." Toshiro looked up to see a man in his early forty's standing in front of his wife's bed with his hand outstretched.
"Hitsugaya Toshiro," he said as he took the man's hand.
"I understand you're a police captain and the victim is your own wife?"
"Yes," he said flatly.
"I'm so very sorry."
"How is she? Was she…was she…?" He couldn't bring himself to say it. In his line of work he had seen all kinds of unimaginable things people do to each other and never had a problem dealing with any situation. It's easier to deal with the horrors of humanity when it happens to some random stranger, not someone you love. Toshiro looked at his wife's now bandaged head. Her eyes were still closed.
Dr. Kurosaki closed his eyes and took a breath. This was never easy. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but yes, she was raped."
Toshiro closed his eyes and tried to hold back his anger. Matsumoto put her hand on his shoulder to help ground him. She worked closely with her captain for many years and knew he would not be able to handle this news well.
"We need your consent before we can give her the morning after pill. Whoever raped her did not use a condom. I'm sorry."
Toshiro had to fight to keep the nausea at bay. His headache intensified as he felt like he was going to pass out.
"Give it to her," he whispered.
"We were able to obtain several samples. She must have put up quite the fight as we found skin under her nails and she was holding onto a swatch of clothing that was not her own."
Toshiro nodded as he opened his eyes and looked at his wife. In spite of her size she was always the little spitfire, insisting she could handle and take care of herself. Toshiro gave her a small smile. She probably did give that bastard hell. He turned to Matsumoto.
"I'm on it and will let you know as soon as possible," she said, referring to the samples and the rush to gets results. They both knew it would take days, sometimes weeks depending on the test before they knew anything. It wasn't like on TV where tests were instant and they had the bad guy by the end of the hour episode. Investigations took months, some DNA results took longer, however, Matsumoto took it as an out to get out of the room. She didn't have the words to comfort him and she knew he wouldn't want to hear them anyway.
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll go get some of the nurses and we'll move her upstairs to a private room. Based on my examination, she's stable and out of any danger. She should be waking up soon."
Toshiro nodded as he walked to her bedside. The bruises had darkened. He looked at the one across her throat. It was the perfect imprint of a large hand.
She stirred as Toshiro placed his hand over hers. Her eyes fluttered before they slowly opened. They were dark and unfocused. Her breathing grew rapid.
"Shh, you're with me. You're safe," he whispered as he leaned over the bed. Her eyes met his as they slowly became focused.
"Toshiro?" Rukia asked as her breathing slowed.
"I'm right here."
"I had the most horrifying dream…" she said as she tried to sit up. She looked at her bandaged arm as her eyes grew. "I-It wasn't a dream, was it?" she whispered.
"Rukia…" She looked at him, horrified. Her face contorted as her mind replayed what happened. She closed her eyes and shook her head. Toshiro carefully squeezed her hand. She leaned over and buried her bandaged head into his chest. "You're safe now," he said as he held her. He carefully rubbed her back before slipping back into cop mode.
"Can you describe this guy?" He felt her as she stopped breathing. "Rukia?"
Instead of answering, she turned her head before pushing him away.
"Rukia?"
"Yes," she whispered. Toshiro gave her the space she needed. He knew she would tell him when she was ready. It took every ounce of self control he had to wait it out. He wanted, no needed to know who hurt her.
The nurses came in and told the couple they would be moving Rukia to a private room on the floor above.
Toshiro sat in a chair next to her bed. He held her hand as she continued to stare blankly at the sheets in her lap. It didn't take long for them to move her and get her settled into the private room. After checking the IV tubes and showing them where the call buttons were, they left the couple to be alone.
Toshiro waited for her to start. Patience was not something he was known for and finally, he couldn't take it anymore. "What happened?" he gently asked her.
Rukia looked at him, her violet eyes dark and haunted.
"I went to the store," her voice was low, barely above a whisper. Her gaze fell back to the white sheets covering her lap. Her stare was blank as she relived what happened a few hours ago.
Rukia contemplated buying fruit. She wanted Toshiro to eat better. She made him most meals and he took a lunch to work every day, but the problem was that he was a cop. He worked long hours which meant that a lot of times he would have to catch his dinner out. He wasn't the best at making healthy food decisions.
She was picking out some apples when she felt someone bump into her. She looked up and into the face of a tall red haired man with tattoos on his face, neck and arms. Her violet eyes grew big.
"Renji!"
"Rukia!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Yeah, heh, haven't seen you since we broke up a few years back, huh?" he said as he fiddled with the back of his head.
"How have you been?"
"I've been good. Actually, I've wanted to run into you for a while now. I heard you married that midget of a cop."
Rukia's eye twitched. Granted her husband was short, but he was a bit taller than her. She didn't like it when people made mention of their size. It was like they expected less of them because of their height.
"Toshiro, yes." She said turning back to the fruit stand. Renji didn't like being dismissed by her again as he did his best to contain his anger.
"I, um…I got a girlfriend of my own and since you're here and all, I was wondering if you could help me?"
"With what?"
"It's going to be our anniversary soon and I was wondering if you could help me pick something out for her?"
Rukia looked at him.
"Come on…You know I totally suck at this kind of stuff and since you left me, I haven't had the opportunity to improve my skills."
"What does she like?" Rukia asked, relenting.
"Flowers. There's a huge stand in the back of the store. Could you help me pick out an arrangement?"
Rukia checked her watch, she was supposed to get through the weekly shopping quick enough so that she could meet up with her husband for dinner and a movie. She looked at her ex. "I supposed I could spare a few minutes," she said.
Renji smiled as he led her to the back of the store. He knew it would be deserted as he's been scoping the place out for months along with following Rukia. He knew her routine better than she did. He knew she shopped at this store every week at this time. He also knew that it was shift change and that no one would be back here for at least an hour as the clerks went through turnover and their daily dose of gossip.
Rukia stopped and cupped a delicate rose between her fingers, gently caressing the flower. That was when Renji came from behind her and yanked the rose out of her hands. The thorns cut through her fingers.
"Shit! I'm so sorry, Rukia! Come on, let's get you cleaned up." He said as he motioned for her to follow him to the bathrooms.
"It's ok. It's just a scratch." Blood oozed from between her fingers. Rukia set her purse down on the table and started to rummage through it with her other hand looking for something to staunch the flow of blood. She found a tissue and wrapped her fingers.
"Rukia, you're just as stubborn as ever," Renji said as he took her bleeding hand in his. "It's going to get infected if you don't clean it out. Come on," he said as he led her to the bathroom.
Rukia reluctantly followed.
"I didn't understand what was going on at first. I thought we were going to the sink, but when he opened the door to the last stall…I knew something wasn't right. I tried, I tried to leave, but in an instant he was in front of me. He wouldn't let me go," Rukia's voice rose in pitch as she fought to keep her tears in check. She stopped and took a breath to calm herself. She couldn't look at her husband. If she did, she knew she wouldn't be able to control her emotions.
"What are you doing, Renji? Let me pass."
"Do you know what happened to me after you left?" He asked as his eyes grew dark. Rukia looked at him as her heart started to beat faster.
"No."
"I was devastated when you left. I lost my job, my house, my car, everything. Everything! But you know what? I didn't care. I didn't care about any of those things because I knew…I knew in my heart that I would get you back and it would be good again."
"Renji…"
"I lived on the streets, but it didn't matter. I ate out of peoples trash cans! But it didn't matter. All that mattered to me was you. I knew you would come to your senses and come back so I held on," he said as he took a step towards her. "When you left, you thought you could leave me forever, didn't you? You moved across the country thinking you could leave me behind?" Rukia's eyes grew. "Nothing mattered to me more than getting you back.
I was in heaven when I found you. Although some years had passed, you were as beautiful as ever. You were standing in front of your apartment door looking up at the sky, watching as the stars came out." He took another step. "And then HE showed up."
Rukia gave him a puzzled look.
"That cop," he spat. "You got married behind my back." Rukia took a step backwards as Renji took another forward.
"Y-you have a girlfriend, now, right?"
"I lied. There is only one woman for me, Rukia…and that's you." Renji reached out and grabbed Rukia's arm. She pulled out of his grasp and ran to the back of the bathroom. "I've come all this way just to find you and you're trying to run from me again? This is how you treat me?" Anger in his voice, with two long strides he closed the gap between them and grabbed her shoulders.
"Renji! Let me go!" Rukia yelled.
"No! That was my first mistake! One I won't make again!" he said as he slammed her body up against the back wall of the bathroom. Rukia's head hit the hand dryer, splitting the skin open. Renji bent down and crashed his lips against hers.
Rukia, dazed from hitting her head, bit his tongue as he tried to enter her mouth.
"You BITCH!" Renji said as he slapped her. "You think that's going to stop me? Do you know how long I have waited for you?" He demanded as he shook her.
Rukia's eyes started to roll into the back of her head. Renji slapped her again when she didn't answer.
"Ren...ji," Rukia managed to croak out.
"I loved you with every fiber of my being and you left. You betrayed me. Do you think you love that little bastard? He's nothing compared to me. NOTHING!" He yelled as he kissed her again. "I won't let him have you. Do you understand, Rukia? You are mine. We were meant to be together forever!" He said as he took one hand and reached into his pocket pulling out a small knife. He slipped it under her skirt. In one motion, he tore the underwear off of her.
"No!"
"You just need to be reminded of who you truly belong to," Renji said as he placed his hand between her legs.
Rukia brought her knee up and tired to connect with his groin, but Renji was too quick and stepped aside. He pushed her down onto the floor and pressed his hand into her throat. Rukia, suffocating, clawed at his hand.
Colorful and bright spots of color bloomed before her eyes as her vision narrowed. She saw the glint of a knife and heard Renji's words before she passed out.
"You will always be mine!"
Rukia finished her tale and hugged her knees close to her chest. Toshiro didn't know what to say. He knew very little about Renji in the grand scheme of things. He knew he was Rukia's childhood friend and first lover. He knew he was very controlling and didn't know how to take no for an answer and he knew something bad happened between them that made Rukia run from him. She didn't like to talk about him and Toshiro never pushed her.
He balled his hands into fists as he felt pure anger course through his veins. He heard a faint sound and let out his breath.
"What?"
"I said I'm sorry…" She whispered. Toshiro was stunned.
"What are you sorry for?"
"I couldn't hold him off…I couldn't…do anything. I knew not to trust him, I knew it." She said as she berated herself with guilt and self loathing.
Toshiro put his arms around her and drew her in, laying her head on his chest. He stroked her hair, careful of the bandages.
"It's not your fault. Not any of it."
"No. It is."
"Rukia!" She sniffed as she looked at him. "This is in no way your fault! I will find that bastard and I will make sure that he will never ever hurt you again." He felt her nod and let himself relax a little. It pained him to think she was blaming this on herself. It added fuel to his already white hot anger.
It wasn't long before her breathing was even. He gently laid her back down onto the bed. He didn't miss the way her face contorted in her sleep as he brought up the covers. He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead in a spot that wasn't bruised. He stood up and looked at her one last time before leaving her room. He vowed that she would never hurt again.
"Captain!" Matsumoto called from the end of the hallway. He turned towards the elevators and waited for her to catch up. "I've put a rush on the DNA but it's going to take a few days-"
"I know who it was." He said as he cut her off. Her eyes grew. "Rukia woke up." The elevator doors opened. They walked through and he pushed the button to the ground floor.
"Well?" She asked, impatiently.
"Abarai Renji. Her ex that doesn't like to take no for an answer."
"I'll call in for a warrant." Matsumoto said as she hit the speed dial on her cell. "We should have one in a few hours."
"We don't have that long."
"You're not going to go after him without one are you?"
"I'm not letting him get away."
"Captain!" She put her hand on his shoulder, turning him so that he would look at her. She felt a chill run down her spine as she saw the dark look in his teal eyes. This wasn't good. Not good at all. "Sir, I can get it expedited while we're on our way."
"You do what you have to."
"Do you even know where we're going?"
"He told her he's been following her for a while, means he's close to the house. There's a dive of a motel not too far from our house and the store where she was found. I think that's a pretty damn good place to start." The doors opened. Again, her hand shot out to gain his attention.
"I know how much this hurts, but we've got to follow procedure."
"He hurt her." Toshiro whispered. He turned and made his way towards the parking lot. Matsumoto followed and scrambled into the passenger seat and slammed her seatbelt into the buckle as the car pulled forward. She knew there would be no talking to him. The only thing she could do was ride along and hope when it came time, he wouldn't get himself into trouble.
They pulled into the parking lot of a small, weathered motel. Toshiro was out of the car before it stopped leaving Matsumoto to fumble with her seat belt. She heard the office door creak as he flung it open. She sighed as her seatbelt released. She stepped out of the car and was surprised to see him come out of the office and take off toward the rooms.
"Well? What did they say?" She said as she caught up to him.
"Room 107," he replied.
"They told you that fast?" she asked as she hurried after him. "Wait! We need the warrant! Captain!" She reached out for him but missed as he pounded on the door.
"Open up!" Toshiro yelled. Matsumoto pulled out her cell. She had hoped to have had the warrant by now.
The door opened. Toshiro looked up to see Renji standing there dressed in a towel. His long red hair was dripping water onto the faded blue carpet. Tribal tattoos marked the man's face, neck, arms and torso. Toshiro immediately noticed four long scratch marks running down the left side of his face. Renji gave him an evil smile.
"I see you've found me." He said as he opened the door wider and stepped back inside.
"Captain!" Matsumoto exclaimed. She silently begged him not to enter and knew it would be a lost cause.
Toshiro pushed open the door and went inside.
"It took you long enough to get here." Renji said as he grabbed a t-shirt off the bed and put it on. "I thought you were supposed to be this great prodigy…Che. The papers make you taller than you are."
Toshiro narrowed his eyes.
"You hurt her," he ground out.
Renji stopped and sat on the unmade bed. He looked at the short white haired police captain and cocked his eyebrow. "And?"
Toshiro lunged at the bed and grabbed Renji by the throat. He threw him back onto the bed as he jumped on top.
"You hurt her and all you have to say for yourself is 'and'?"
"I didn't do anything to her she didn't deserve." Renji sneered. "Don't you get it, shorty? She's mine. She's been mine ever since I can remember and I'm not going to give her up. I'm going to keep coming after her. I don't care where she moves or who she's with. She's mine for me to claim whenever I want."
"She is not! She is my wife! MINE! You will never, ever lay another finger on her again!"
"Oh? You think this is going to stop me? Arrest me, I don't care; it's three squares a day and a warm bed until I get out. And once I'm out, she'll be mine again." Renji laughed. Matsumoto shook her head.
Toshiro brought his fist back.
"Captain! You can't!" Matsumoto said as she stood behind him. She didn't know if she should try to separate the two or just let her captain go. She checked her cell phone for the warrant in vain. What the hell are they doing? She wondered as she heard the distinctive sound of Renji's nose being broken.
"You hurt her!" Toshiro said and felt resistance as he tried to connect with Renji's face again.
"You can't!" Matsumoto begged. She held onto his arm firmly. "Think of Rukia! You're not going to help her by getting kicked off the force!"
Her phone buzzed and with her free hand, she checked her text. It was the warrant. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Abarai Renji, you are under arrest for the assault and rape of Hitsugaya Rukia…" she began. Back up filtered into the room as Toshiro stood up and slowly made his way outside. The anger still burned inside.
