"What on earth are you doing here?" barked Ichigo at Byakuya.

"What does it seem like I'm doing?" asked Byakuya, draining his cup of sake.

"Getting drunk?" replied Ichigo, taken aback by what Byakuya said.

Rukia was seated between the two, drinking some tea. "Ni-san just dropped by to visit me for my birthday" She said tartly, returning to her cup of tea.

Kon crawled out of the backpack and said "nee-san, so that's your brother?" He seemed quite interested in Byakuya.

"Apparently" said Rukia.

"Which reminds me" Said Ichigo, pushing a box towards Rukia's direction, "this is for you."

Byakuya glared at Ichigo, while Rukia was almost ecstatic opening Ichigo's present.

"So now you're giving my sister presents, huh?" Byakuya said.

Rukia opened the present. It was a blouse, colored pink, with a rabbit design. There was also a pair of Pajamas, and a skirt.

"Thanks Ichigo!"

Ichigo simply smiled. Byakuya glared at the two, veins throbbing in his forhead "I can't believe this"...

"Huh? Why not?"

Byakuya was silent... Then he stood up, and turned their back on them. Ichigo and Rukia were clueless. There was a discreet tension in the air as Ichigo and Rukia (you can include Kon into this) await what the sixth division captain would do, or say...

A deadly knife of silence cut the party...

The silence was broken, not by people, but by a phone. Rukia reached into her pocket, Byakuya did the same. "orders"

Rukia donned a red glove that had a strange insignia: a flaming skull. She thrust her hand into Ichigo's face, as though she wanted to get Ichigo's soul out of his body. Apparently, that was exactly waht happened.

Byakuya already unsheathed his Zanpaku-to. Ichigo held his Zangetsu in hand, ready to strike the hollow they knew was in their midst. But where?

A sinister laugh... A hollow materialized behind Rukia. She was trapped in the twisting tentacles of the evil spirit, crushing her...

"Let's go! Zangetsu!" cried Ichigo as he lunged forward, ready to slice the Hollow's head in two. Of course, Byakuya could not simply stand and watch some other Shinigami save her sister. No, he had to do something.
"Sanbon Zakura..."

Byakuya's Soul Slayer disintegrated into tiny petals (If you can call it that way), and mentally controlled them, severing the tentacles that were binding Rukia. But let us not forget Ichigo's valiant efforts to save Rukia. He did manage to butcher the Hollow's head. The hollow disappeared soon afterwards.

Rukia fell to the gound. Byakuya could see that She was in pain. She strained to open her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

Kon could not help but watch. He jumped forward, in mid-air he cried. "Neeeeeeeeee-saaaaaaaannnnn!" He landed on Rukia's chest and began to cry, rubbing his head. "Don't die, nee-san!"

It took a while for Rukia to realize what Kon was doing to her. She glared at him, and yelled, "Get off me!" and flung her against a wall. "Pervert"...

Ichigo had a large sweatdrop on the back of his head. "I thought you were dead!"

"What do you mean dead?" I wouldn't let a simple Hollow get me, would I?"

"I think not..."

Byakuya said something. "I'm going now"

"Already?" asked Rukia.

"I have no more business to attend to anymore here. I must return to soul society at once." With this, he vanished...

"What's with him?" asked Ichigo.

Sorry aboput making this chapter short and crappy. I really don't know what Byakuya's personality really is... Watch out for the next chapter!
(dedicated to Blessie, Heidie, and Sean who introduced me to the wonderful world of bLeach)