Well, after a long hiatus, I am back. J I didn't take any classes this semester so I have free time. I promise to deliver an intense and suspenseful installment of ByaRukia fics. As we all know the manga is still thriving and a lot of you have written so many wonderful fics… I have been inspired by such things and now I will begin this new fic… thank you all who have favorited my stories and I hope I can inspire more talent as I have been inspired by some of your wonderful fics….

He sat on the porch with a hot cup of herbal green tea. His long silver hair occasionally made its way across his face. He took a long, careful sip and stared off into the mountains that peeked over the walls of his manor. Byakuya Kuchki was an old man now. His brute strength was minimized now and he could barely walk to his garden and feed his koi without the help of a wheelchair and a servant. He had someone to take care of him. He placed the cup back on the saucer and felt his eyes well up with tears. It's been so many years now. A small boy came creeping up along side his chair, but since his strength was gone, his senses were phenomenal. He raised his hand slightly, inviting the child to sit beside him. The boy smiled and took a seat beside the old grey man.

"What is troubling you my boy?" he asked in his usual tone.

The boy hesitated for only a minute before replying, "Why are you sad sofu?"

Byakuya froze. Was it that obvious? Clearing his throat, he looked over at his grandson with a slight smile.

"Mago, when you get to be my age, you will have lived a long and happy life." he simply said.

The boy smiled, " So if your life was happy, why is sofu so sad?"

Byakuya sighed. He never told anyone his life story, but his grandson had the right to know where he came from. He moved over just enough to let the boy sit beside him.

"Mago, I am going to tell you a story. This is the story of my youth. A story back before your mother was ever born, when your sobo and I first met…"

550 years ago….

Her oddly shaped head peered over the wall. Covered in mud from head to toe, Rukia swiftly snuck into the entry way to the Kuchki manor. Her tiny form enabled her to sneak past the servants and guards and she was inches from her room before a strong hand reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Why are you so dirty, Rukia?" he yelled.

Her heart was racing and she then began to tremble in fear as he reached just short of her shoulder only for her to turn and meet his eyes with her deep violet ones.

"Brother… I am afraid I have killed someone." she cried as she fell in her respectable bowing position. He thought for a second before he knelt down beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Rukia, what are you saying?" he probed.

Her shaking hands drew up to her face and her tear streaked, dirty face all said the same answer.

"Murderer…" she mumbled to herself.

Before she could do anything else, he pulled her up by her arms and flash stepped to the main bathroom, and without removing her clothes, dunked her in the already warmed bath that was intended for himself.

"Woahhh!" she yelled as she gasped for air, "Byakuya what are you trying to do!?"

"Silence, Rukia!" he snapped as he began to scrub her hair with some soap.

She glared up at him ready to snap back at him when she saw it. She saw the fear in his eyes. She knew then that his walls had started to crumple around him. Biting her lip, she allowed him to continue to scrub until she heard a change in his breathing.

She calmly took the soap from his hand and smiled, "I can do it, brother…"

He let the bar go and rinsed off his hands in the same water. He looked at her as she scrubbed the places he was beginning to become uncomfortable with, "Rukia, can you tell me what happened?"

She froze. With her head down, she turned to him and frowned, "I killed Kaien…"

Still kneeling beside her, Byakuya was in shock. He stared long and hard into her eyes before asking again.

"You did what?" was all she heard.

Rukia held her composure fairly well as she explained how Kaien was overcome by a hollow and attacked just about everyone in his squad. Her voice cracked as she went further into the story, reliving the nightmare once more. Byakuya's face showed no emotion nor indifference , but deep inside he was horror-struck . Her hands began to tremble once more as they slid up her cheeks to wipe away her tears.

He pulled her hands from her face and held them in his as he drew her attention.

"Tell no one. Listen to your captains' advice and just let him handle this. I will give you leave until you feel ready to return to your duties… Rukia…" he said in a calm tone.

Rukia nodded and held tightly on to his hand. He rose and let her finish her bath. She sat in the tub and hugged her knees. Her soaked clothes clung to her skin making her feel heavy. A servant girl came in with fresh clothing and a couple of towels. Rukia peeled out of her uniform and gently handed them to the girl who bowed swiftly and went about her duties. Rukia stretched her legs and lay back in the water to escape for a second, not knowing that someone was watching her from afar.

Byakuya shook his head in disbelief. Rukia killed the lieutenant of squad thirteen…

….

.…

….

The sunlight danced along the white linen of her tatami, causing a slight reflection right at her face. Rukia crinkled her nose and pawed for the slipping sheet that covered her. It was still very early and Byakuya had ordered no one to disturb her. He watched from her door way with his arm resting against the doorframe. His eyes were tired from staying up all night, and his complexion was already starting to lightly blemish. Her cries kept him up. At one point, he knelt beside her to keep an eye on her because she was screaming at the top of her lungs. He couldn't take the hurt away but he could be there incase she needed him. He closed his eyes for a minute as a light breeze blew in from her window. The light scent of lavender was all he breathed in and his eyes reopened catching a sight before him. Rukia had turned over on her back, losing the already thin sheet that covered her midsection. Her fair skin seemed to shimmer as the early morning light crept closer to her navel. His eyes were wide and fixed on her body and his skin was burning with discomfiture. Without thinking, he walked over and knelt beside her holding out his hand. The temptation to touch, no… skim… that soft-looking porcelain skin was becoming so great. So close…. His heart was now racing. Quickly, he grasped the sheet and with one swift moment he covered the tempting entity that called to him. The light movement caused her to stir making him freeze in his seated position. Rukia's eyes fluttered open at first, but blinked in astonishment as they started to focus on the man sitting right beside her with wide eyes.

"B…B-rother… why…" she sputtered nervously as she tried to sit up.

His hand rested on her knee gently as he shook his head, "Never mind me, Rukia. The point is for you to rest… I was simply… covering you."

Her face was beet red as she clutched the sheet closer to herself. Byakuya covered her. He paused. He never pauses, let alone looks shocked. Rukia's mind began to ponder this odd behavior until she remembered what happened last night.

"He probably thinks I'm some kind of murderess," she thought to herself.

Her eyes had closed for a short minute and as they opened, they met his gaze. In that split second Rukia saw it. She saw a light in him she had never seen before and it made her smile.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked in his cool, monotone voice.

Blushing, she turned away and dropped her head slightly, "Nothing… I am going to lay back down if that is okay with you."

Byakuya nodded and stood up, "I will return after a while. If you need anything ring your bell and a servant will come and take care of you. I have to go to the barracks and talk to Renji. Please stay in the manor, Rukia."

All she could do was nod and continue to lay down. His odd behavior was too much to take in too fast and she could not produce words. Before her head hit the pillow, she felt a light brush of fingers on the back of her head and he was gone. With all the drama from last night still fresh in her mind, Rukia squeezed her eyes shut again. The vision of her late lieutenant hunched over her, with the hilt of her kitana smothered in his blood. Her eyes sprung back open and filled with tears almost instantly.

"I killed him… I … killed…. Kaien…."she repeated in her head. So much that she pulled the sheet off and leapt to the sliding door, gasping for air and choking back sobs. She held on to the frame of the door as she felt the world spinning in absolute chaos. Slowly Rukia slid down to rest on her legs as she cried steadily. She couldn't have. She didn't. Kaien… is…. Gone….

Byakuya felt his heart pull as he watched from a distance. Her sorrow and her guilt stabbed at him like tiny daggers and he felt her pain. He flash stepped back to the sixth division to search for Renji. He knew he would be the only person who could help her… and it angered him even more. As he approached the hallway to Renji's dorm, he stopped for a minute to think about today's reactions. What was wrong with him? Something was not right with him and he did not like this strange feeling. This feeling he hadn't felt since…..

"Hisana…." he thought to himself as his eyes closed to let it all sink in.

He had fallen in love…

"Rukia….."

….

….

….

"Bakka!" Renji called from the other side of Rukia's door.

Silence.

Byakuya looked over at Renji with a glare in his eye as though he were telling him to call her by her name next time. The stare became a bit more intense, but luckily or Renji Rukia slid open her door rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Why are you at my-" she looked up at Byakuya and paused, "Brother, why are you here?"

Byakuya stood tall and closed his eyes to appear impassive, "I would not let him wander the grounds instead of doing as I told him…"

Rukia pulled Renji in slowly, "It's okay, Brother. Renji is my best friend. We are past that stage…"

As the door slid behind her, she slapped her hand over her mouth and shut her eyes, hoping he did not hear her…. He did.

He glared at her door, knowing very well she was standing there… listening. He gave a slight chuckle and a snort just loud enough for her to hear it barely. Byakuya knew that alone would mess with her mind. He knew she had been trying to make him smile for the Women's Association… he laughed. Win.

As he walked away he could hear Renji trying to ask Rukia what was wrong. An even bigger grin spread on his face. He smiled.

"Rukia!" Renji called with a gentle shake.

"Huh?! What?!" she snapped back,

Renji sighed and plopped down to the floor to a kneeling position. Rukia sat across from him cross legged and still off in another world. He flicked a twig he had in his mouth at her, earning a growl.

"Why are you throwing things at me?!" she snarled.

"Where are you?" was his simple response.

Byakuya almost laughed as he heard that last sentence on his way to his pond. He was hoping that Rukia would feel much better and relieved to get out her feelings, but he had hoped he could do it. He stared down at a white koi fish who was skimming the top of the water in search of food. Byakuya thought about the night she came home covered in mud and blood. His eyes shut; he wasn't angry at her. The only thing he could feel was fear; fear for her. He talked to the captain of squad thirteen and knew the whole story now, but he didn't know how he would talk to Rukia about it. They never spoke. This was the most they have ever talked to each other since she moved in to the manor. He knew that this would take some time to fire up and getting Rukia to truly trust him. He looked back down at the water to find the white koi swimming alongside the black koi to catch some small bugs floating on the water. They worked together. He knew right then and there what he had to do.

"… forgive me." he said to the sky…

Well…. What did you all think of that? I mean it isn't as good as a lot of these other fan fics, but I thought I could do a little time jumping. I am already working on the next chapter and definitely won't be attending college this semester (especially since my school got evacuated today for gunfire on campus L ) So I will have ample time to bring on the goods… It's great to be back and I can't wait to see what ya'll think! 3 Runs Kura 3