TEN YEARS LATER

"Rukia... Kuchiki." Said woman was startled out of her reverie, turning to look at the guard who had spoken. Quickly looking away from her ex-husband, she nodded her head in acknowledgment. "Captain Kuchiki requests your presence for lunch." Sighing, Rukia stood from her spot staring at the garden, throwing her appalling embroidery attempt into her rooms behind her and turned towards Renji. He bowed on one knee before her, scowling at the ground. With his eyebrow tattoos, gotten to mark his earliest accomplishments, he truly looked angry.

"Will you escort me?" She requested of him, and following a moment of silence in which she was afraid he would refuse, he nodded once and stood to lead the way. She followed his tall frame around the Kuchiki estate and lands, out towards the vast Soul Society. She hardly paid attention to where they were going (though she probably get to the sixth division blindfolded), instead choosing to admire Renji's broad shoulders, pronounced shoulder blades, tapered waist and hips, remembering when she had free reign to physically admire him rather than from a distance. Even his muscled forearms garnered her unabashed admiration, and only when he stepped aside to admit her entrance, did she look away. "Thank you."

He grunted in reply, turning and walking away. Taking a deep, long breath to steady her ever present disappointment, she focused on other matters. When she and her brother were finally seated outside for lunch, she settled into another state of apathy. Her brother, Byakuya, had only wanted to honor his late wife's dying request, to find and safeguard her lost sister. That was Rukia, and she would have refused his "help", had they not threatened Renji's progress as a Soul Reaper. "They" being the Kuchiki elders who controlled too much, in Rukia's opinion, and even Byakuya had a hard time fighting their will. In the maze of politics and power plays, Byakuya was Rukia's only ally, but it wasn't enough.

Rukia stared at her knees, clothed in a rich kimono she would have died to see when in Howling Dog, but now felt dead inside wearing it. She picked at it as listlessly as she ate, a small act of defiance that though "they" might stuff her in their clothes, they couldn't make her mold into its implied arrogance and superiority. Suddenly a warm hand stilled hers. Looking up, she met Byakuya's stern gaze. Taking back her hand, she smiled at him to ease his frown. "This was a delicious lunch, brother," she intoned, not really recalling what she ate, "it is rare that we are able to share a meal together. Is peace that boring?"

"Hardly." He replied, "However, I called you here to discuss in private what our elders have planned for you."

"Hmmm, I can guess what that is." Rukia mused. After all, the elders had demanded she divorce Renji so that she could be free to make ties with another, more worthy, family. It seemed Byakuya had vowed to never remarry, but hadn't foreseen what the elders would do to circumvent his decree. Not that Rukia would want Byakuya to sacrifice his love to help her, but he was too honor bound to his word to do so, had he wished. It was only a matter of time before the elders hatched their foul plans for her. "I thank you for saving me from their pompous proclamations; I'd rather hear bad news from you, brother. To whom am I betrothed?"

Byakuya didn't answer right away. Rukia was used to this, knowing he was trying to find the best way to say things, without saying them. It was dangerous with eyes and ears everywhere. She wouldn't know, her training as a Reaper unfortunately cut extremely short, but trusting Byakuya to sense old farts where they shouldn't be. Eventually, he put his tea cup down. "They want you to meet some hothead in the thirteenth division. Coincidentally, Captain Ukitake has requested Renji's assistance in training the man. Seems to think the two would bond and help each other."

So, Renji would go with her when she left the Kuchiki home, keeping close to her, as always. She masked a sigh of relief by blowing on her hot tea. "They want me to meet this hothead? So it is not set in stone."

"No." He confirmed. Sensing that she had no objections, yet, he continued to fill in some blanks. "He is a Shiba, the youngest male, though he is the only son of the clan's heir. He will eventually take over, if he learns to control his emotions. Knowing the Shibas, however, it is unlikely that will ever happen."

Rukia allowed a smile to form, aware just how much the boisterous family irked the more subdued families. If only her sister had married one of them! Rukia would never have had to loose Renji for the Shiba. "What made the elders finally decide on him, and not someone more... calm?"

"They believe they are doing you a favor, finding someone more to your tastes in men."

Rukia scoffed. "My tastes in men isn't loudmouths, it's..." Sighing, she shook her head. "Never mind, that no longer matters, now."

There was silence for a few minutes, and Rukia could feel Byakuya's gaze upon her, no doubt wishing to rebuke her, or console her, though she couldn't tell which. Eventually Byakuya just steered the subject back on course. "What the elders have always wanted was more to our name than prestige and power. The Shihoin train shinobi. The Kyoraku and the Yamamoto are old and powerful, with many cousins filling in the ranks of soldiers. Shiba have firepower, and if they do not have the numbers currently, their little close family is expanding. Faster than ours is, at any rate. We are declining, as before you, I was the only one with hope for future generations on my shoulder. No doubt you are aware of my failure." He never apologized, but she knew he did regret his inability to really help her. She never held it against him, either.

"You do not owe anyone, nor does Hisana. Events were... out of anyone's control."

He nodded in agreement, thankful she understood. Again, he steered them back. "Though the elders might wish for a stately Yammamoto, they will be happy with a wild Shiba if it means gaining heirs, and almost as important, firepower."

Quirking a brow, she looked at Byakuya in confusion. "A continuation of the Kuchiki name? But, he's a Shiba heir?"

"Indeed. Between the older male cousins, and the three women of marriageable age who might marry men willing to be adopted, Captain Isshin Shiba was amenable to your children keeping our name."

It was a lot to take in. This wasn't anything she ever wanted, even when dreaming of riches in the poorest districts of the Rukon. She wanted a family, a permanent roof, a full belly and bright clean clothing, true. All of her own choosing however, and the freedom to protect those she loved, in memory of those she failed. This... this was too much a perversion of her wishes. She swallowed her complaints one by one, however. Renji could have supplied as many Kuchiki heirs as they wanted, if only they didn't demand that Renji were richer, or owned a warehouse of goods or a dojo of warriors. They could shove their wants up their asses as far as she was concerned, only they had threatened to expel Renji from school. And what Renji didn't know, was they had also threatened his life at the time. To this day, when Renji had graduated and was lieutenant to their own darling heir, able to defend himself, it was too late. It would be criminal, in the eyes of the law, the Central fucking 46's estimation, for a man of such lowly status to marry or accost a woman of such high rank.

Of course, she clenched her hands, the double standard didn't apply, as it stood for her sister and Byakuya. Life was truly unfair; Brother was allowed to marry her Sister, yet wedded bliss ended before it had a chance to prosper. While she and Renji were not allowed to remain married, and had lived as many years divorced as Byakuya and Hisana had been together. And, now, "they" would be forcing her to accept a man not of her choosing, force her to submit to his touch, to carry children for this man. She sighed, knowing she wouldn't get very far if she ran.

Swallowing another angry retort, all of them were old complaints by now, she finally acquiesced to at least meeting the man. A Shiba boy couldn't be as bad as a Kuchiki elder, right? Anything to get away from them.

"Sister." Byakuya called her before she left his presence. "I will be with the elders tonight, discussing the future of the clan. I regret that you will be alone this evening."

She smiled at him 'I am not.' She thought, and knew he heard her unspoken thoughts. "A shame." She said instead. "I will make do."

Renji strolled across the Kuchiki compound, keeping an eye out for both danger and unwanted eyes. His Captain was in a family meeting, unrelated to Soul Society matters so Renji, his lieutenant but not family, was free for the night. However, he had graciously agreed to guard their home since the lord would be too busy to do so himself.

The tall tattooed man had started by the buildings that housed the meeting hall, listening to their murmurs and gauging how long they would be at it. By the shouts and contrary stance the Kuchiki Lord had taken, it would be a while. Soon enough, Renji had found his way to the opposite side of the Kuchiki lands, the side where the main branch of the family lived, and currently, that was two people; only one would be there at this moment.

Waiting for the other guards to move along, he then stealthily made his way to the shoji screen, knowing his silhouette by the moon was enough of a warning for the inhabitant. He could hear her shuffling inside, aware of him; hesitating no longer, he opened the barrier to her room, and walked in. In the dimness of night, he saw her, Rukia, the light of his life, kneeling before him on her futon in only a thin sleeping yukata. Her smooth hair was already down and around her shoulders, and even her face was free of the rich makeup the puffed up ladies liked to wear. When he closed the screen behind him, she undid the obi around her waist, and bared herself to him. "Husband." She greeted, a smile on her face.

After laying aside Zabimaru, Renji joined her. "Wife." He whispered, as he had for ten years, yearning to shout it and heal his soul, but stemming the hurt temporarily with stolen moments and fleeting gestures.

Byakuya stepped out in the wee hours of night, poised and serene, proceeding to enjoy the mist of his breath meeting the moon, low on the horizon. When the meeting had started, the moon had been high...

A man shifted into his sights, taking a knee beside his lord and captain. Not bothering to spare a glance towards the guard, Byakuya asked for a report of the evening.

"All is well," the redheaded man stated. "Nothing could have been better for an evening such as this."

Byakuya stifled a grin. "Good." he intoned, "The Kuchiki thank you for your services this evening, you are dismissed till tomorrow's duties."

Renji bowed, then was gone once more.