AN: My apologies on the lateness of this chapter. In all honesty, I've been working on another one-shot that's turning into another multi-chapter story. I've also been thinking over the sequel to CandC and it's driving me insane because I really want to get started on like 5 other stories I have in my head… I opened the flood gates to my imagination and I can't seem to shut it long enough to concentrate on one thing at a time…
Like trying to do a true one shot. It seems I am unable to write an extremely short story with these two. I want to add this and this and that… That's what happened to this story.
Anyway, Thank you!: Rukes, Star Princess, Aizi, Denidene, Shadow Pain and everyone else who has added this story to their alert and favorite lists! Thank you!
Lost and Found
The next morning, Rukia found herself standing back in the main hall in the House of Hinamori. Kira had let her in and without a word motioned for her to stay as he went to fetch the Lady of the House. Rukia stood there, her back felt better to the point she could at least stand and hobble.
"I don't like you going over there. There's no telling what she might do to you." Toshiro said.
"She'll only be able to do so much if everyone knows I am there. Besides, Lady Matsumoto said her guards will take me there and bring me home. If I can find something, anything on her while I'm there, don't you think it would be worth it?"
He remained silent and just laid his head in her lap. He closed his eyes and let her stroke his hair like she used to when they were alive.
"What if you don't find anything?" Rukia stopped.
"I don't know," she whispered.
Rukia looked up to see Lady Hinamori come down the stairs with a fake smile plastered to her face. Her mousy brown eyes darted from Rukia to Kira.
"Well, isn't this an interesting turn of events?" she cackled, "It's amazing that you remembered my Shiro-chan from the world of the living. I suppose I should thank you for taking such good care of him while he was alive. It's a shame about your wedding." She continued, looking to get a rise out of the short woman. "At least you'll still play a big part in his wedding. You'll be making the dress he'll be taking off of me on our wedding night!" She laughed and walked past Rukia. "Kira-kun, please show her the sewing room. I've picked out the material and I'm sure she still has the measurements." Without another look, she left the main hall.
"It's upstairs, attached to the formal dressing room." He said as if she was supposed to know her way. He led her upstairs and took her a few doors down past Lady Hinamori's room. He opened the door and motioned for her to enter. "I trust you'll find everything you need here. Someone will bring you food and water later." With that, he shut the door leaving her alone.
Rukia released the breath she was holding. She chanted over and over why it was she was standing there, holding material in her hands that was to become a wedding dress. A dress another woman will wear and later her beloved will be taking off. She threw the material to the floor. Damn her. She did what she said she wasn't going to and that was to let that horrid woman get the best of her. Rukia shook her head, picked up the material and started working.
Lunch time came and with it, brought a servant to knock on the sewing room door. Rukia looked up as a tall man with dark hair came in with a tray.
"This is for you," he said and turned back to the door.
"W-wait!" Rukia called out, "Look, I know we're not supposed to talk to each other, but could I at least get your name so I can thank you properly for bringing me lunch?"
"Kaien," he said as he turned back towards her with a smile. "My name is Kaien and I am one of the cooks here."
"Thank you, Kaien. I'm – "
"You are the infamous Rukia who is in love with the Lady's intended. Yes, we know all about you." He said with a grin.
"You know about me?" Rukia looked at him.
"Of course we do, you've been the hottest topic to hit this House since Lord Hitsugaya was found years ago."
"But…"
"We're not supposed to have any contact with each other? Yeah, Kira gives that speech to every newbie that comes in. The punishment is steep, but gossip is worth it. Besides, with Kira and the Lady out for the afternoon, it's our time to have a life in the afterlife. Get my meaning?" He said with the same grin.
"I see."
"I about fainted when you called the Lord by his first name! Do you really know him?"
"Yes, in the living world."
"Love interrupted by death, now interrupted by our Lady. That's sad. I must ask you, because everyone else is just dying to know…Why did you come back here?"
"I had to. I promised Lady Yoruichi to make her friend a dress. I owe her a lot." She wasn't sure if she could trust Kaien with what she was really doing here. She decided to play it safe with a lie that wasn't really a lie. It was more of a secondary truth. She did owe Lady Yoruichi, even though she was the furthest thing from her mind the moment.
"Well, whatever your reasons are, I'm sorry you got the short end of the stick. These Houses and Nobles…makes me wonder just how bad Hell really is." He laughed. It came out loud and haughty. "Enjoy your lunch."
Rukia looked at the door. What a strange man, she thought. A realization dawned on her. He said the Lady and Kira were gone for the afternoon. Which meant…
Rukia opened her door and peered down the hall. Empty. She felt her stomach roll as the butterflies in it seemed to flutter and fly in a frenzy. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to calm her nerves. Here we go…she thought as she went down the hallway to the Lady's room.
Not knowing what she was looking for, she did a quick scan. Everything was as it was the other morning when she was here. Rukia went to the dressing table and started opening and closing drawers. Searching, looking for something, anything that will cancel this marriage contract.
An hour later, Rukia was coming up with nothing. She sighed disappointedly, as she was really hoping to find something incriminating. She carefully snuck back into the sewing room. Her lunch tray still there, she ate and got back to work. They still had time; it was almost three months to the wedding.
And so it was for the next two months, a routine was established. Rukia would be escorted by Lady Matsumoto's guards, taken to the sewing room. She would work on the many fine details of the dress, have lunch and when Kira and the Lady left the manor, she would continue her search. She would work on the dress some more until night fall where she was escorted back to Lady Matsumoto's manor where she would meet up with Toshiro.
As the days grew shorter to the wedding, Rukia grew more agitated. She knew the time she had with Toshiro would not last forever. Three weeks before the wedding, she made a desperate move. She confided in Kaien.
"You want to what? Oh, this is better than when you talked during the line up!" He grinned, "Wait till the others hear about this!"
"Kaien, please! You seem to be the gossip king around here. Is there anything, anything you may have heard that would help me?"
He closed his eyes and smiled. "I have heard plenty. What you've been doing, checking the rooms while they're out? That's all wrong. What you need to be doing, is watching them when they're here."
"What do you mean?"
"That's for you to figure out! But you didn't 'hear' it from me!" He said as he laughed at his own joke and left the room.
Not too long after, Kira entered.
"The Lady would like to inspect what you have accomplished and try it on. You will bring your work and come with me." He said. Rukia gathered the dress and followed him to Lady Momo's room.
"It's about time," the Lady snapped as they entered. She grabbed the dress and went behind the changing screen. Her mood changed when she stepped out. "This is actually lovely. Yoruichi was right, you do do good work."
Kira gasped as she emerged from behind the screen. The dress was beautiful. Corset type bodice with seemingly endless panels of white silk flowing from her hips. Each panel had flowers embroidered in gold thread with pearl beads woven in.
Rukia was pleased she liked the dress.
"Shiro is going to love this dress. He's going to love ripping it off of my body too." She said. "Do you know why this marriage is important, seamstress?"
"I understand a little bit."
"I figured they would tell you something like it's to gain my House power. In actuality, it's to save his House. The Hitsugaya's are about to lose everything. Title, House, power… They'll have to leave the Seireitei and live in one of the districts like common folk. It's a shame seeing as they used to be one of the five most powerful Houses.
Once a House loses power, it's only through marriage that they can get it back. I am their only hope in surviving as I am the only House that has someone who can marry."
Rukia was stunned. She knew the marriage was important, but she didn't realized just how important. They would lose everything…
"What I'm saying is this, seamstress. Unless you want to be responsible for the destruction of an entire House because of a silly thing like love, I suggest you stop sleeping with my future husband. I want you to take all of your thoughts about trying to find something on me to stop this wedding out of your head. It's not going to happen. This marriage will. And once we are married, he won't be able to save you. I will banish you beyond the districts and no one will ever know of your existence again. Do you understand what I am saying?"
Rukia looked at the floor, "Yes, Lady"
"Good. Unless you want to be locked in your sewing room, you will stop your snooping into my things. This is my House. I could have you banished now, but I really do like this dress."
"Yes, Lady,"
"Kira, take her back, she is done for the day. She can resume work tomorrow. I want to make sure my words have sunk into her brain."
When the guards led her back to Lady Matsumoto's House, the first thing Rukia noticed was the massive amounts of candles, lights and torches that were lit. The second thing was the food. A buffet was laid out and plates were piled high with all different kinds of food.
"Don't just stand there! Let's get you cleaned up so you can join the party!" Rangiku said as she came down the stairs.
"Party?" Rukia asked.
"Yes, there's too much tension as the countdown clock ticks on to this farce of a wedding. You're uptight, Shiro is uptight. Let's have a party so for at least one night, we can have fun and forget everything else. What do you say?"
Rukia looked around the main hall that was already decorated. "It seems like there's no way I could say no…"
"Good!" Rangiku said as she clapped her hands together, "Get up to your room, I have a dress picked out for you. I have some guests coming – other Houses. Don't worry, Lady Hinamori won't be here."
When Rukia got to her room she indeed saw a dress on her bed. It was a violet silk kimono. The bottom edge of the kimono had pink Sakura petals as if they were blowing in the wind. Rukia had never seen such a pretty kimono. Well, since her wedding day anyway. She changed clothes and found some combs on her desk. She twisted her hair up in the back and secured it with one of the combs. When she was finished, there was a knock on her door.
Toshiro came in and drew in his breath. She was stunning. The color of the kimono brought out her eyes. The silk clung to her curves in all the right places.
"You are absolutely beautiful." He said walking over to her and taking her into his arms.
"You are incredibly handsome, my Lord," she said smiling. Toshiro was dressed in a formal white kimono with a teal sash.
She met his gaze as she felt herself be pulled towards him. She loved the feel him as he held her. She loved everything about him. She didn't want to give it up. She didn't want to give him up. It was so unfair. Life is supposed to be unfair, not death.
"Toshiro-sama…" she whispered.
"It's ok," he said.
"No. It's not ok." She said stepping away. "We're down to two weeks and still nothing."
"I don't care if it was tomorrow, Rukia. I told you, contract or no contract, I will not marry her. I don't care if we have to run beyond the districts, you are the one I will be with."
"What about your House? Are you going to just let it fall and everyone in it? It used to be one of the five noblest houses."
"Now look at it!" His teal eyes narrowed in anger, "I die and they expect me to jump through their hoops to fix what they could not maintain. Rukia, don't let that wrench fill your head about doing this for the greater good. The greater good is our marriage; the one with you as my wife. I will not stand for anything less. I bury myself in the archives everyday hoping to find something that will save this House other than the solution they are giving me. I will keep looking until the last minute, but I will not, am not going to marry her. Now, if you're done fretting for the evening, Rangiku insisted we get our minds off of this noble mess and have a good time tonight. Are you ready?"
Rukia shook her head. He was just as stubborn then as he is now. She took his hand when a new concern crossed her face, "What are the guests going to think? I'm not nobility, I won't fit in."
"The guests are going to think you are the most beautiful woman they have ever seen. You will fit in fine, trust me."
Arm in arm, he led her downstairs to the main hall. While there were a few shocked gasps, there were more knowing looks. Rukia was introduced to many men and women and was surprised to find that they were not all nobility. Several servants from Toshiro's and Rangiku's House were there as guests. The thought never occurred to her that they would be treated differently in the different Houses.
"Excuse me for a minute, Rukia. I need to speak with one of the Elders."
"Of course," she said giving him a smile. She walked to the buffet table and feeling a little more relaxed, she got herself a plate. When she got to the end of the line, she noticed she forgot her eating utensil. Scanning the table she found they were in the center. As she reached for one, she realized they were just out of reach. Repositioning herself, she tried again. Standing on her toes she just had her fingers on one when someone bumped her. She lost her balance and fell into someone.
Stifling a curse under her breath, she looked up and was greeted with the coldest pair of grey eyes she had ever seen. Wonderful, she thought.
"I-I am so sorry. Please forgive me." She managed.
"No need, you were bumped." He said curtly and he held his hand out to her. She noticed he couldn't stop starting at her eyes.
There was no doubt this man was nobility. He wore a black kimono with a white silk scarf. The letter "K" was embroidered on the scarf. His long dark hair was neatly maintained. His cold demeanor could rival Toshiro's.
Rukia stood and dusted herself off. She straightened herself to her full height and put out her hand, "Thank you, my name is Rukia." She noticed he was still looked at her, but for the life of her, could not read his expression.
He took her hand, it was warm and soft. "Kuchiki Byakuya," he replied.
Oh shit, not only was he a noble, he was one of the nobles. One of the top four Houses, she thought. She smiled brightly.
"Do you have a sister?" The question caught her off guard. Rukia had been on her own for so long even when she was alive, it was easy to forget her family. They had all died in a car crash when Rukia was twelve. She bounced from foster home to foster home until she was able to take care of herself.
"Hisana," she said. The name sounding foreign on her tongue, "I have not seen her in a long time. She died when I was twelve." She looked at him for any change of expression. Nothing. "Did you know her?"
"She was my wife." He said in that same tone. Rukia's eyes lit up.
"Is she here? Can I see her?"
"I'm afraid she passed on. She was sick for a very long time."
She was sick? Passed on? Where the hell does one go after they died?
"So, I've missed her here, too." Rukia was saddened to hear that as she stifled her questions. She didn't know much about her sister to begin with as most of her memories faded over time. It would have been nice to have seen her.
"When you introduced yourself you did not give a last name. Do you not have one?" he asked. His eyes were piercing into hers. Crap. Here we go…
"I don't have one. I was born here in the 78th District."
"I see. You're the one causing heartache for the Hinamori House then." Rukia's eyes widened and for the first time that evening, something along the lines of a slight smirk passed across Byakuya's mouth before it was gone. "This may be a bit presumptuous, but I would like to talk to you about something." He said as he led her out of the hall and into the empty study.
AN: Again, I'm sooooooooo sorry this is so late! I'm actually almost done with another story so you'll be seeing the final chapter for this one next week and then a two shot called "Life, Love, Loss" coming right after.
Thank you for your patience!
