AN: Not going to lie, hate my life right now. Mainly because this took longer to write than it should. I wanted to get necessary information in here, put in major foreshadowing while also trying to not to bore you guys, and try to reach Ichigo and Rukia meeting each other. But alas, a useless endeavor even after 21 pages. For the last part anyway. Yep I said it, 21 pages *tired emoji*.

I also couldn't decide on which situations and occupations to use for some characters, so thank Sarisama for helping me decide on a couple of the more important ones or else this chapter would not be posted today...

This chapter has a lot more M situations than the last two and it will progressively become more situational with each chapter.

Hanzi - chinese characters (like kanji)

Dorei - slave

Ju ren - master/host in Chinese

odachi - long katana like sword

kiseru - long Japanese pipe

Haori(re) - jacket part of kimono (Bleach captian's coat)


"Renji, I don't want to have to make this any clearer to you, than I have now." Byakuya started, pinning the buffoon down with a steely gaze. "I want all perforations on this ship to be guarded before and while we depart onto China. I also want every entryway to be guarded by the best of your men around any room my daughter or wife are in. Do you understand me now?" Byakuya asked daring him to object.

"Y-yes sir!" Renji bowed deeply, scared-shitless by his Soudaishou of the great Kuchiki demon clan. Renji was one of Byakuya's closest subordinates—though still fairly new-, so when he got on the ship he had a demon messenger sonido off to bring him and some of his guard elite back, then he headed straight to the captain and told him his plans of adding even more people onto the ship so to hold it up. The demons could've easily sonidoed onto the ship while it was moving but since there was so many of them they would have gone under suspicion. Since the ship was one of his own the captain couldn't really say no, and allowed them to stay stagnant for 30 minutes—not that they had a time limit. There were a lot of passenger complaints and some threatened to get off but Byakuya knew this was the only passenger ship willing to travel to Rukongai so they were all bluffing. Even if they weren't, Byakuya could hardly care.

This ship made by the Kuchikis, was the most luxurious in all of Japan and stayed that way even when it traveled to some of the most dangerous ports. The passengers could thank the intensively trained soldiers guarding the boat for that. Speaking of the passengers, only people willing to pay exuberant amounts of cash were even allowed on board.

The young red-haired demon flashed off to go command the others after another bow. He knew that whatever happened on the pier got Byakuya angrier than he'd ever seen him before, thus knowing better than to linger in his presence unless he wanted to pile on top of the lifeless bodies Byakuya left behind.

Renji got his place in the Kuchiki family, not by family or claims, but strong determination and hard-work. Some of the means were immoral but he was tired of living the fruitless life as a yakuza's son. His father wasn't very high in the ranks and family life wasn't exactly ideal, if you called watching his mother whore for his father to get money while he did the same except for pleasure. He was a demon by birth but only a lowly blood demon, under the grim hold of hierarchy. Once he got to the age of 16—completely used to his reality, he let himself become cold and uncaring to the woes of normal people, killing as needed for his yakuza group and feasting on lives whenever it was open for him. By 18, running away with some friends and training to become a solider under the Council of Elders, also known as the Gotei 13. Over 100 years of willing to do unimaginable things for the bloodsucking leeches, he was here, serving under the man he believed he would be eternally grateful for.

Heaving a small sigh of irritation, Byakuya clinched his balled hands and finally allowed himself to check on the wellbeing of his family that he left 2 hours ago to clear his mind.

Going down the passage and up the nicely decorated entry to the stairs, and noticing no one was around, Byakuya quickly flashed to the nicest suite on the ship and gingerly opened one of the brass encrusted double doors.

The sight that greeted him calmed his frantically beating heart and relaxed his body. Both of the girls were fine, huddled under the covers on the bed. Rukia was tightly wound in her mother's protective embrace whereas Hisana's face was buried in her daughters raven hair.

Looking at them put his anxiety at ease and had his hardened heart flood with warmth, he leaned down to kiss both of his angels on the head before he crossed the sizeable room and relaxed his body wearily in the plush leather loveseat.

From there he muttered an incantation of a barrier kidou spell around the room, so that no one could get in for as long as he held it up.

His vision was fogging and he could feel the intense need to sleep. Blackness edged at his vision but even so, he forced himself to stay up until the moon hung high over the horizon.

Every so often, he spoke monosyllabically to Renji who gave him routine updates, and afterwards would pace, occasionally drink-alcoholic or otherwise, or sit in the chair. Silently, till he could see the small precipice of the sun peaking off the blue ocean water through the small window of the room.

oOo

"Otou-sama?"

Byakuya blinked his weary eyes, not realizing he'd dozed off. The sun was a little higher up in the sky so he couldn't have been asleep for long.

"Where's your mother?" The question unconsciously whispered out before his heightened hearing could perceive the swishing of water in a tub and the small amused hum of his wife.

"She's in the bwathroom I think." Rukia mumbled a yawn, stretching her little limbs in the air. Her head barely poked out of the large fluffed comforters even though she was in a sitting position. Byakuya felt a twitch at the side of his lip when seeing her morning head and sleepy eyes. Her mother had changed her out of her previous dirty kimono, replacing it with a light yukata, and took out the clip in her night hair, so she looked completely relaxed.

"Go in there and take a bath with your mother, I need to check up on some things." Byakuya said with finality that didn't faze the young Rukia.

"Why don't you take a bath with us Otou-sama?" Byakuya momentarily congratulated himself at finally getting her to really learn how to refer to him, though his heart panged a bit at the loss of the familiarity that came with 'Papa'. Mentally shaking that from his head, he steeled his look.

"Do I have to tell you again Rukia?"

"No Otou-sama." Rukia said dejectedly, getting out of the large bed with mouth twitching effort and walking solemnly into the bathroom. He knew Hisana overheard their conversation but wasn't surprised that she didn't have any input. They were most likely gaining the same resolve.

Byakuya stepped outside of the room, his confidence and rigidity not even a bit askew. Not a moment later, Renji was in front of him in a similar position as a messengers. Byakuya figured he was being extra cautious in his interaction with him. That had to be the smartest thing he's done.

"How are the affairs going? Is everything set up like I asked?"

"Yes sir, we have sent a telegram to Yamamoto-sama about Aizen. You should receive a reply before you depart from the ship." Byakuya just stared at him with cold indifference making the redhead squirm, "and we have detained the intruder per your orders, he is being held in the prison cells right now below deck. Information on that has also been sent."

Byakuya blinked in acknowledgement, "You may leave."

"Yes sir."

Once the red-haired male sonidoed away Byakuya walked off to tend to some important matters. Planning how he was going to kill Nnoitra Gigla, 4th in command of the notorious Rukongai Yakuza clan. Sneaking upon the ship just made it easier for Byakuya to find him. He wasn't going to kill him right at this moment, or even allow him to know of his presence, that would come later and would involve more than the merciless act of ridding him of his disgusting life.

Byakuya went to see if his subordinate was right about the actions of everyone on and deck and to see if Nnoitra was really being detained downstairs. He stayed stealthy when doing these rounds, not because he cared if anyone saw him but because he just didn't want to be seen.

Almost a half an hour later he would walk back to his room, as tired as ever but of course no evidence of that even seen in a glimmer on his face.

oOo

When her father left, Rukia walked into the bathroom where her mother was busily scrubbing herself, and when she walked in she received the loving smile her mother only held for her.

"Come Rukia, let's get you clean."

"Um Okaa-san, can I eat a bit more of the breakfast the servants brought up before I get in?" Rukia asked hopefully, putting on her most pleading face.

For less than a second, Hisana gave her a soft calculating gaze until it turned into a small smile, "Don't take too long so that the water becomes cold." Rukia bowed shortly before quickly turning out of the room. She ran towards the large silver platter holding food for three in an assortment of Japanese breakfast and also holding some of that weird wine her parents liked to drink. They allowed her to taste it before and the warm red liquid was surprisingly bitter, not gross or undrinkable but not as good as she thought it would be like the normal blood her parents gave her. Her father just told her she would grow to like it as she got older but Rukia wasn't so sure.

Rukia picked up a piece of thin meat her parents called bacon and stepped closer to the door to overhear her father and some other man speak.

"- we have detained the intruder per your orders, he is being held in the prison cells right now below deck."

'I wonder who they're talking about.' Rukia thought chewing slightly on the perfectly seasoned meat in her mouth and pushing her ear closer to the ebony door.

A moment passed before they said their goodbyes, Rukia's hearing being able to pick up an odd heavy sound that signified her father was alone. She heard her father breathe a small sigh, possibly for exhaustion, and then there was silence. Wanting to see her father along with child's curiosity, Rukia opened the slightly heavy door a crack to peer out in the hallway. Her large bright eyes took in the vast corridors, mostly wooded but also using gray metal to line the structures. She looked directly down an ominously dark passageway that she suspected her father went down, and for a moment tried to discern invisible shapes.

After a moment she gave up and startled her hold a bit on the door once she heard her mother's stilling in the water of her bath and her melodious humming halt.

Rukia let out a breath once the sounds started up again and then looked to her side to find the man that was most likely the one talking to her father-stare at her in obvious confusion. Rukia cringed, he was a little too close and it brought back memories of when the creepy man was really close to her face.

This man had weird tattoos all along his frowning hard-lined face, which didn't help him seem like much of a better person. Her own face turned into a small glare as she tried to relay her distrust to him without words.

Renji's eyebrows knitted together even more as he watched her put on an impressive glare, one that could make Byakuya proud. Could she be…

Renji tried to hold in his surprise by frowning deeper and concentrating on her face more, he noticed her presence the moment she peaked out of the room.

Renji had come back to tell Byakuya when they would be docking into Lanzhou down the Yellow River. It wouldn't be until a little over a week from now but God knows Byakuya always wanted to be updated about every little thing. Walking up to the brass doors, he found a little girl, barely tall enough to reach the door handles. He was only able to observe her silky strands of raven hair as it weighed over her face when she peered down the hall. He was surprised enough just seeing her there, realizing that the little thing must have been important to live in Byakuya's private quarters.

He had moved closer to gain her attention, a weird stirring in his gut from her presence, off-putting him a bit and making him come closer than he initially intentioned. Before he could say anything, she had turned her small head towards him making the weird stirring in his gut grow fiercer. It was incredibly odd, a feeling that he was pretty sure he shouldn't have for the little girl. Ignoring it when he saw the shade of fear hidden in her violet eyes, he was able to realize that she looked incredibly similar to Byakuya!

"Rukia, are you still eating?" The little girl's eyes had widened from their glare and she quickly closed the door without another thought. When Renji heard her name called, his eyes had widened to the same size of her own, she must have been Byakuya's daughter.

"Wow, what the hell." He honestly felt stupid for not realizing it earlier. He stood and shook off the remnants of the tingles in his stomach with a dust of his hands and flashed off to find Byakuya elsewhere.


"So Otou-san, what are these people like that are going to visit us? How do they know uncle Kisuke?"

Isshin looked to Masaki, contemplating their son's question. When she didn't seem bothered with him answering it, he thought about what he would say. Unohana and Momo had left the family alone in the room while the twins rested. Before Ichigo had asked his question, they had been relaxing and basking in the presence of each other, Isshin doing his best to annoy his son while Masaki tried to force them to find peace so they didn't wake the babies, or else.

"Well son, the Kuchikis are one of the most powerful demon clans in the Council – they most definitely have the most money –." He finished in an offhanded grunt to his wife who smiled wryly at her husband. Ichigo just looked at him with his brows crinkled, obviously not understanding what he was saying.

"Money is power son." Isshin explained, "Well one form of power."

"But I thought the Kurosakis were the most powerful." Ichigo questioned with a disappointed pout.

"Ah… technically that's true since Yamamoto is my grandfather and he is the strongest demon alive right now; but our clan consists of just the people in this room. We're a relatively new clan so we only have individual power, most of that lying with me." Isshin said proudly before Masaki gave him a scorching smile that made him blanch, "and your mother of course."

Ichigo nodded along with this, trying to understand what his father was telling him. Birds chirped outside the open window as Isshin continued on.

"Compared to the Kuchikis who have 10 main members, who are all very powerful – in all forms of the word-, and 20 sub clans under them with their own respective families. We really have a long way ahead of us until we can compete with them, or many other demon clans for that matter. Even under the Yamamoto's, Genryusai is the only member and the other sub clan besides us is the Shiba's who only have 3 children, Kukaku, Kaien, and the youngest Ganju." Isshin said looking off thoughtfully.

"Don't worry Otou, I'll become strong and get my wife to make LOTS of babies with me so that our clan can really be the strongest." Ichigo said with his toothy determined grin.

"Haha! That's my boy!" Isshin applauded as he grappled his son into a bear hug.

"B-but wait!" Ichigo yelled trying to push himself out of his father's iron grasp, "What about the people coming to stay here? Tell me more about them!" Ichigo demanded after somehow sliding out of Isshin's grip.

Isshin sighed and sat down in the plush red velvet chair near Masaki, "Well you know how I said there are 10 main members in the Kuchiki clan?" Ichigo nodded emphatically. Isshin was amused by how interested his son was. "Well there's a main head that oversees everyone, and that just happens to be the guy who's coming to visit – he and his family that is."

"What's his name?"

"Kuchiki Byakuya. He's kind of a cold man – very strict in his ways but his family has made him tolerable." Isshin chuckled, "His wife's name is Hisana, she's about as nice as Unohana though I've never seen her glare-but I'm sure it would be just as scary, and their little baby daughter's name, most possibly is Rukia." He finished decisively, not much doubt in his mind with her name.

Ichigo grimaced, "Wait baby. Does that mean she's like Yuzu and Karin?"

Masaki chuckled amusedly, "No hunny she's just a year and a half younger than you, you know how your father exaggerates things." She said giving Isshin a sidelong glance while he just smiled happily back at her.

"Oh, that's good because I want to play with someone around my age." Ichigo replied with a short nod of his head and his arms crossed.

"Ichigo, I don't know if I should tell you this just yet…but I actually have played with the thought of you becoming their child's betrothed. We're really good friends with the Kuchikis, Masaki's sees Hisana as a sister and I practically raised Byakuya since he was a…a little older than your age! So it only seems natural to expand our clan that way. Not to mention it's easier than forcing your poor wife to bear so many children." Not that he still doesn't want a lot of grandbabies.

"What!" Ichigo didn't know much about the marriage thing except that you live with each other and make babies, but since his parents seemed to like being in it, it couldn't be too bad. A lot of it looked gross though especially the kissing part, he really didn't want to have to go through that when still so young! "Otou-san I'm too young to get married!" Ichigo panicked running to his mother for back up.

Isshin laughed at his son, "Don't worry boy! You won't have to worry about the marriage part until you're a lot, LOT older." Isshin smiled sincerely and that seemed to calm the boy down a bit. "Though I still expect you to court the girl when she gets here." Isshin said sternly earning a slap in the arm from Masaki but Ichigo didn't seem to notice as he settled into his thoughts.

Ichigo scratched his orange head and turned away, 'I'd better get used to kissing then.' He thought begrudgingly.

"Does that help your curiosity Ichigo?" Masaki asked, disturbing his train of thought as she plucked him up into a hug on her lap. Ichigo cozied into her hug, his eyes opening and closing slowly from instant sleepiness. His mother's arms had a way of doing that.

"Eto, why are they coming here exactly to visit then?" Ichigo finally asked.

Isshin again looked to his wife, they both seemed to share something mentally with each other and Ichigo found the action weirdly amusing.

"That's not important Ichigo, they just want to visit us is all. We haven't seen them in a long time so we miss each other." Masaki finally spoke in a warm comforting tone, lightly brushing back a few orange strands of his hair. Ichigo took the deflective answer primarily because he was feeling too tired to ask for more information. He didn't normally take naps in the middle of the day, but running around the whole castle while Momo chased him took a lot out of him.

"I can't wait to meet them." He said finally before dozing off. Masaki started scratching and massaging her sons orange hair and it made him relax even further in her arms.


15 days later, 1 hour from docking on Lanzhou bay

"Byakuya-sama, I would like to formally teach Rukia myself in etiquette and handpick her other tutors when we arrive in Spain." Hisana spoke, looking at her husband straight in his eyes while they sat in their room, silently watching a couple of servants pick up their meals and get their bags ready near the door. She was holding onto Rukia tenderly in her arms while the young girl slept fondly with her head resting on her mother's chest and her small fists grasping onto the perch of her clothes.

Hisana was dressed in one of her formal kimonos though still impeccably beautiful. It was scarlet with the Kuchiki crest woven in patterns on the outer material along with the clan's visual representation, cherry blossoms stitched beautifully along it. Her obi was a pink that matched the blossoms along with an equally as scarlet woven belt. Rukia had a kimono similar except in a pale pink, the formalness of it more fitting for a cherry blossoms viewing.

Byakuya didn't bat a lash though his lip quirked up imperceptibly, something even she could barely catch. It seemed he was not surprised. His slate eyes showed agreement and no further need for discussion.

Hisana had been sticking to Rukia like glue ever since the apothecary left after checking on the child. Not letting anyone but Byakuya really even touch her even though only the servants from the manor were let into their quarters. It was obvious something must have also happened during the time he was out on their first morning on the ship because she seemed even more perceptive of Rukia's actions than usual, as if the girl planned to sneak away any chance she got. Rukia was a very curious child but was never this adventurous, the change was most likely from growth in age, she quickly landing in that stage of life. Her actions would have been more questionable if not for Byakuya pretty much doing the same thing, except of course, a lot more subtly.

He had found out from the boy's own lips that Renji had come back to the room after he left—which was probably also what changed his wife's behavior. After deducing such, Renji was surprised to see Byakuya pretty much breathe acid in his direction as he punished him with nonstop deck watch for the rest of the trip, only 2 hours of break each couple of days, while another subordinate Izuru Kira stood in for him with even stricter restrictions. He got off too easily.

After hearing some interesting remarks from Nnoitra when the man yelled comments at the soldiers about hisdaughter, he became much more on guard of his family. The things that foul yakuza growled unabashedly in the prison cell towards the guards had Byakuya fully relying on his very strict training to not lose control, though he did smirk cruelly when he allowed a few of his men to start the torture on the disgusting man earlier than planned. Good old Yammy loved to have his…way with the prisoners.

And since Nnoitra comments implied that he was in the mood…

While waiting for the ship to fully dock, Byakuya stared disdainfully at his wine glass while watching the liquid undulate while following his graceful wrist movements. The slightly brooding male took time to look back at his wife with precisely concealed longing. He knew she should feel its intensity but instead, the insufferable female irritatingly ignored him as she hummed louder to their daughter. There were some obvious downsides to Hisana declining to leave Rukia's side.

Every day was spent similar to the last and Rukia was becoming restless with being forced to stay in the room for so long with no one to play with. He only had his peace of not being forced to play games with her when she was asleep. He could thank kami that that was exactly what she was doing. Byakuya didn't know how many more games of mahjong, shoji, and renju he could play until he inevitably turned the instruments of torture into ash from the intensity of his glare… especially if he was going to continue to lose.

"Kuchiki Soudaishou, it's time to leave." The blonde subordinate Kira whispered through the door knowing his leader would hear, then quickly left. Byakuya flicked his eyes towards his wife as she met his gaze. He stood and walked out of the room with her only a foots-step behind as they made their way as the first to leave off the ship.


It was now around the middle of the night, the crickets chirping loudly and the bustle of people and caravans dully casing the sound. Soft lighting from paper lanterns hung over market stands and eateries that had hanging colored cloths over the entry way with the name of the establishment in hanzi. The small caravan the Kuchiki family was in drove slowly by, allowing Lady Kuchiki to take it all in for the first time.

Hisana wouldn't lie, she was a little anxious at this time at night even with her daughter still sleeping tightly in her arms. They had gotten off of the ship a little over an hour ago and had gotten straight on the public transportation of a cheaply wooded cart. Lanzhou was a large popular city with lots of demon residents that come and go while some unsurprisingly stay. It was like Kyoto in Japan, a place where people came to have a good time by shopping during the day or finding whores to bed at night. A place Hisana wasn't too happy about letting her child be in such an area, but there was hardly anything she could do about it. They had to be inconspicuous when traveling with Rukia through here, making sure that the driver knew exactly where they wanted to go and to not stop. Their retinue had to travel behind them at a distance, making Hisana even antsier to get to Urahara's business quicker.

She didn't know much about his establishment, only what Byakuya told her. Looking up to her husband sitting next to her on the three person seat, Hisana also had to admit that their relationship was a little strained since what happened to Rukia. They had barely talked to each other since then and she couldn't help but feel shame in herself for being disappointed in how long it had been since they really touched each other let alone had sex. It honestly had to have been the longest time they've been without that since they got married about 200 years ago. A shudder ran down her spine at the memory of his intimate touch.

Dark lashes fluttered away the loss of control before tracing the handsome strong lines of his face and smooth youthful skin with her eyes, she felt herself become astounded by how much power and influence the Kuchikis had to keep humans ignorant after so long. Especially with how long Ginrei lived. Rarely did anyone bat an eye or become outspoken to how youthful Byakuya looked after such a long time, as far as she knew anyway.

The caravan finally came to a stop and Byakuya didn't even catch his small sigh this time, Hisana openly stared at him in concern as he frowned and got off, flicking his own gaze at her in reassurance when he was on the ground.

Hisana clutched Rukia's tiny soft body closer to her bosom as she flash stepped lithely outside of the caravan, being sure that no one would see her, and for the first time in a very long time, walked side by side with her husband from the dirt road up to the brightly lit façade of their destination.

Byakuya placed a hand on the small of her back as he led them to the large double doors intricately encrusted with designs, one in particular of an imposing dragon, his large body lounging on a cloud as it exhaled smoke. The teeth on the dragon are what made it menacing, the tusk like fangs large and sharp as its skinny tongue slithered out as if to capture the smoke clouds back into its daunting mouth. The jade eyes of the dragon showed mirth, passersby's nonplussed on whether they should be frightened or in awe of the creature.

There were no windows or even any signs dictating the name of the place. There was no one guarding the door or standing outside of it, giving off the implication that you could just stroll in casually. Laughably that was far from the truth.

Byakuya pricked his finger with a fang he elongated as they walked up the short slope in front of the doors. His already heightened hearing picked up sounds from even wider ranges, and if he focused on one in particular could allow him to hear the heartbeat of someone almost a mile away. His now onyx eyes magnified to almost disturbing details, and the smell of his wife standing so closely to him had him metaphorically drooling in desire.

Once he drew blood, he quickly changed out of his sub demon state, knowing better than to stay like that with the situation they were in and the company they had ie: his daughter. Byakuya exhaled away his libido and placed his dripping blood on the split tongue of the dragon before his finger closed up from instant regeneration, and watched it travel down the appendage until it met its destination inside the mouth. The dragon's eyes turned a dark scarlet from its jade green, and the doors opened slightly.

Hisana stared at the door, eyes wide with amazement, "Only purebloods are allowed in after hours and without an appointment." Byakuya said believing that was answer enough.

Byakuya led the way in and didn't look back even when he heard the door slam closed.

oOo

Inside the building, was a lounge like area. Something Hisana was completely surprised to find since she was expecting something much grander, what with how they had to make it through the entrance. There were people lounging about on expensive upholstery, smoking cigars and drinking alcohol, in very expensive clothing from a wide arrange of cultures. Types of clothing Hisana wasn't very familiar with. A soft song played, coming from where? She had no idea. The large stage set to the side of the room was absent of anyone or anything.

There was a long mahogany bar set in front of them being served by an older man with slicked back black hair and an odd type of eye patch over his left eye. The men in the room appraised Byakuya haughtily or gave curt nods towards his direction while the acknowledgeably beautiful women gave seductive stares with a hungry gleam in their eyes. Hisana felt the need to stand closer to her husband, unlike the human women that usually came on to him that were of no threat, these were demon women who became vicious to get whatever they wanted no matter what. On closer inspection, everyone in the room was a demon, mostly vampires, blood demons to be exact.

Byakuya sent the people he deemed necessary a glance in acknowledgement as he made his way briskly to the bar tender.

The lone man at the bar looked up from using a rag for cleaning the area to greet Byakuya with a bow and replicated a shorter one to Hisana, then looked over Rukia for a moment skeptically until he turned back to the annoyed male in front of him.

"Where is Urahara?" Her husband started, curt as always.

"In the salon tending to a new client." The man answered in an accent Hisana had never heard before but it was in perfect Japanese nonetheless.

Byakuya scowled making the man raise his eyebrows seemingly in surprise. "Very well then." Byakuya nodded and moved to turn away.

"Are you sure you want to bring the little girl with you?" Hisana was confused by what he meant but only for a second. Urahara was tending to a customer so that meant they were probably in the middle of 'inspecting' the merchandise. Hisana thanked whoever would listen that Rukia became catatonic on their way here. She had woken up on the trip to this place an hour ago but quickly fell back asleep. She was probably tired from trying to stay up with her father for so long playing those games Byakuya ruefully taught her, some of which he learned when he was a kid while growing up a couple of years in China.

As for if it was wise to take Rukia with them inside, they had no choice. Sonidoing to Spain would be ridiculous with a child or not especially in the amount of time they wanted to get there, and going by carriage would also take time they didn't have. Even though Kisuke was a blood demon like themselves, he and Yoruichi were masters at kido and could teleport them to the Kurosaki home in less than 30 minutes.

Byakuya glared the man into silence before leading Hisana to the far right side of the room where it was even more darkened than the overall dim room. There in the middle of the wall was a single door, extremely plain compared to the double doors that they encountered when they got there. It even had a cheesy flashing sign with 'Welcome!' in hanzi – how like Kisuke to make that, with also ironically, a very large brute of a man smiling eerily-as the guard.

"What can I do for yer?" His voice was chilling as he stood hulking down at them, clothed in a black shirt and hakuma with a long odachi at his side. Byakuya wasn't intimidated and even Hisana was surprised that he showed no emotion at all since the man seemed like he could churn fear in even the most courageous man.

"Step aside. I am the 23rd head of the Kuchiki clan, Kuchiki Byakuya Soudaishou, you will move out of my way before unnecessary force is utilized." The raven haired man said coldly, yet with enough aggressive undertone to solidify his approach, while the tall spiky haired male frowned with a raised eyebrow in confusion. Almost instantly, Byakuya felt extreme disdain for the brute of a man. He could feel that it wouldn't take much provocation from the other man to allow his blood thirst to raise its shackles.

"Byakuya-sama!" Hisana hissed, she was a pacifist and didn't believe in unnecessary squabbles. Though his acting like this admittedly turned her on.

Byakuya kept his gaze steady on the large man waiting for how he would react.

"The names Kenpachi Zaraki!" The man said after exploding in a loud guffaw that had people murmuring in the front of the room in annoyance. He smirked down at the smaller man extending his arm out for a shake. Byakuya obliged with a raised eyebrow of his own, shaking the man's hand as they gained mutual respect for each other despite their obvious aversion.

"Ken-chan! Pervert-san said to let the Kuchikis in!" A small pink haired girl said from behind his back. Byakuya and Hisana's eyes went wide at having not noticed her before. She seemed to have an ear piece around one of her ears meaning that was the object she got her information from.

"Haha, no problem. I was going to let them in anyway." Kenpachi grinned, turning his back to them to murmur a few words that sounded like an incantation, then opened the door wide. Unlike the dim lights of the room they were in, the room was a lot brighter but still had a comforting dimness to it. Kenpachi ushered them in with a bored wave of his arm while the small pink haired girl on his back waved excitedly. Hisana couldn't help but smile warmly back at the girl as she reminded her of her own daughter.

This room had even more people than the last. All of them lounging around a huge, almost macabre marble polished fountain, the likes of which had blood spilling and shooting out of it rather than water while a hypnotic type of demon music played in the background. Soulful bass and pulsating beats so memorizing they even made Byakuya's pulse stammer, rhythmically moved soulless bodies-even unconsciously, to its tune. Beautiful naked women bathed in the fountain, caressing each other provocatively to the sound of the synched violins in their ears, all while taking turns in drinking from the source's ruby liquid. Unsurprisingly, with a view like that the surrounding onlookers watched amusedly or with unbridled lust.

Beyond the outflow, which was in the center of the room, other people merely sat talking with each other as if they were in a normal atmosphere, relaxing with smokes or expensive drugs in hand and drinking an array of liquids. Even though they socialized about, it seemed they were waiting to be called on. Everyone in the room was very noticeably a blood demon except for the women and men in scantily clad clothing serving drinks and favors-of any kind. Since they weren't acting apprehensively or with even a little bit of fear, Hisana guessed that they were ignorant to everyone else not being one. That or they were under influence.

One of the female and male human servers walked up to them. The man was large, about the same height as her husband, with a cocky come hither smile, brown eyes, auburn hair trimmed to his ears in a very Greek like fashion. His skin was bronzed and muscled to perfection, shown off thanks to him not wearing a shirt, no shoes, though thankfully he was wearing white poufy Chinese fashioned pants. The woman had golden blonde hair, sea green seductively hooded eyes, and a welcoming smile (albeit a little too provocative). Her clothes were even more revealing as she only wore a brown low-cut two piece reveling her flat stomach and long legs. Hisana was somewhat of a short woman no more than 5'3, if even, but this woman made her feel even shorter as she was almost a full head taller than her and slightly shorter than both of the men.

These two were attractive indeed. Hisana moved closer to her husband, feeling her stomach clench at the way the male looked her up and down whist licking his full lips. The woman gave a smirking smile to Byakuya, emphasizing her large breasts as she clasped her hands together. Byakuya looked at the woman indifferently before glaring at the male threateningly. Hisana pulled Rukia even closer to her body as if trying to hide the small girl in the folds of her kimono. What with how tiny the child was and how extensive her clothing was, the possibility wasn't too farfetched.

"Can we help you?" The blonde female purred. "I'm Catherine and this is my acquaintance Jin." She said continuing to give Byakuya a heated look, even turning her gaze to Hisana for honest appraisal and smirking sexily at her.

Byakuya continued to stand frigidly while Hisana blushed at the young girl's behavior.

"No we just need to speak to your master or mistress." The girl blinked, disappointment shown on her lovely face as she almost seemed to deflate.

"It's that door down the hall, Ju ren should be there." Jin said, obviously the quieter one out of the two though still heating Hisana with his sex-filled smirk.

Byakuya turned from the two, tired of continuously running into interruptions.

"Byakuya-sama, I thought you said Kisuke-san ran a concubine and bloodletting residence?" Hisana whispered, relaxing a bit once they were out of the presence of the two dorei.

"That he does." He answered, pushing open the door that was thankfully unlocked and…ajar. The office was large with only a fireplace for light. In the chair behind a large brown desk was not the owner of the fine establishment, but a purple haired woman with glowing dark skin and coquettishly sly golden eyes, grinning with held back laughter at the two unusually ruffled demons as she sat back in her chair.

"You knew we were here Yoruichi so why did you make us go through all of that?" Byakuya growled in annoyance with his face slightly flush. His fists were balled and all Yoruichi needed to see was him stamp his feet and he'd be a 12-year-old again.

"Psst—." The woman couldn't hold back her laughter any longer as she doubled over holding her sides. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes as she grappled onto her desk for leverage.

Byakuya fumed silently like an indignant boy while Hisana looked away and flushed, adjusting the sleeping Rukia in her arms who made a lazy smile and murmured 'Mama.' The action had Hisana kissing the crown of her head and holding her baby even tighter.

"Yoruichi…" Byakuya said with more ice in his voice than Hisana had heard in a while as the pressure in the room seemed to become even heavier, taking Rukia out of her contentedness and making her move about in her sleep in discomfort. Hisana started rocking the girl slowly to get her comfortable again and glared a Byakuya.

Brushing the man off completely, Yoruichi stood up from her plush chair and sauntered over to Hisana. "Oh goodness, is this the beautiful wittle Kuchiki heiress?" She asked staring closely at Rukia with a small grin. Yoruichi was wearing a tight dark purple Chinese fashioned silk dress that had her arms bare and long slits up the sides of her thighs, boldly stopping only at the bones of her hips. An idiot could guess she wore no undergarments. Pale pink cherry blossoms adorned her dress in patterns. Something that seemed to irk Byakuya more since it was obvious she picked that dress just for his arrival. The dress and all its add-ons… in this case take-offs.

Hisana smiled warmly, her trust with the woman having never been tried before, ever since they met each other. "Why yes, this is my precious akachan."

Rukia's small lips moved in her sleep, gaining a coo out of Yoruichi, "Aw, well isn't she adorable. I could almost eat her up." Yoruichi looked up to Byakuya flashing a Cheshire grin-more meaningfully, a fang that seemed to gleam in the low light of the room. Byakuya's hands tightened as he full on glared at the woman while Hisana gave her husband a calming look, not at all alarmed by the beautiful woman's antics.

"I don't think that would be wise."

Yoruichi cackled a laugh and placed a hand over her stomach, having to actually clear the tears out of her eyes this time.

"No of course not, remember the last person that tried to take a bite out of your daughter." Hisana stiffened, "That is the reason you're here is it not?"

The room was silent for a while. The ticking sound of a clock for the first time noticeable to the visitors. Yoruichi moved about lighting some more candles in the room, trying to give them time to change the subject.

"Can you answer a question of mine Yoruichi-san?"

"Of course dear. Anything for a longtime friend." She moved over to a coffee table to pick up a gold designed kiseru Japanese pipe and took puffs of it. She waved a hand to a comfy couch meaning for them to sit as she stretched languidly onto a brown leather loveseat. The action enhanced her curves and dangerously showed off more of her skin through the slits of her dress. Being who she was, she grinned slyly at Byakuya whose glare became even harder. "You're still no fun Byabo." Yoruichi purred exhaling a puff of smoke and looking much like the dragon on the first set of doors.

Hisana cleared her throat trying politely to get Yoruichi to focus, "This is a concubine and blood-letting liaison for demons is it not?"

"Hmm." The sound was noncommittal but the tilt of her chin leaned the answer towards 'yes'.

"Then why do you have human dorei giving themselves so easily?" Hisana asked, honestly confused.

"While this is a place for blood demons like ourselves," she gave them a hooded look, "you have to be willing to pay a large amount of cash for even my cheapest concubine or even dorei. The leeches from the Council," she raised a placating hand when Byakuya stiffened, "excluding you Byakuya…" she said with a purr," want to only fuck and abuse my beautiful men and women mentally and physically then leave, never to see them again." There was a harsh enunciation in her tone though she said it with her notoriously sly grin.

"They can do whatever the hell they want as long as they have the money," she smirked to herself, "but we all know not everyone is that frivolous with their gold, so as the great business woman that I am and that Kisuke is not, I have decided to allow customers to...test out the human merchandise. Some demon ones too if with available sums, though I try to keep my girls here pure."

"Your girls here?"

"Not all of my concubines are slaves Hisana-san, I help non-nobles to nobles arrange suitable partners." She supplied. "The clients you saw outside of here are mostly regulars who come without an appointment so they have to wait their turn. As we've become more popular we have gotten more merchandise, so they don't have to wait too long." Yoruichi placed the kiseru between her lips while shrugging her soft shoulders lightly.

Hisana sighed, relaxing more into her seat while still keeping her posture straight. "Well I guess that answers my question."

"Are you sure?" Yoruichi said in a playful tone, her golden eyes gleaming mischievously as she looked in Hisana's confused wine colored ones.

"Yoruichi." Byakuya started, suspicious on what she was going to say. He knew that tone of voice anywhere and it still brought chills down his spine to this very day.

"You are fully allowed to try out one of my males… on the house. I only have the finest specimens around the world, trained thoroughly in the art of satisfying others. You can even drink their blood to your fill, though do not kill them unless you want to pay fees." Her eyes narrowed fractionally, the threat hidden in her golden gems.

Byakuya closed his eyes trying to calm himself.

Hisana's eyes widened, "I-I'd rather not."

"Oh please, I could smell your arousal a mile away."

"Tha-that's not-!"

"Oh, is it because Byabo isn't putting it out for you now huh?" Feline like snickering filled the air.

"No!"

"I will kill you!" Byakuya hissed, standing up in a flash pinning Yoruichi down to her seat with his blade. What seemed like a pregnant pause was only mere seconds before Yoruichi's smile grew larger. She slowlyrubbed her leg up and down his own, a purr falling from her mouth when he gasped. Before he could blink and press his blade closer, Yoruichi was behind him with a small kunai blade pressed up against his own throat. The cords in it twitching from irritation.

"Oh it really has been a while hasn't it? You aren't usually this short-tempered Bya-ku-ya." She stated lowly. In a small whisper, that even Hisana would have to turn to hear, she continued on in the shell of his ear as her full soft lips brushed against, "and you certainly wouldn't get aroused from just that." Her hand imperceptibly smoothing down his torso. Byakuya held his breath as his eyes grew wider the lower she went, until she stopped at his lower midsection, right above his hardened length, Yoruichi chuckled and pinched the area making Byakuya jump his skin. "Ah, sit down boy!" She kicked him into her former seat, he looking ruffled and flushed with a not so ignorable bulge in his kimono.

Hisana gasped at seeing his reaction and he looked to the floor guiltily.

"It can't be helped," Yoruichi sighed boredly, putting a hand to her hip, "we're demons, insatiable creatures of lust. No matter how much you love each other, it you don't satisfy your instincts after a while, you start to refer back to your nature."

Hisana looked down at the floor herself, feeling ashamed because Yoruichi was right, everything she said today was right. She started feeling disgusting for holding her daughter.

"Yare, yare. What's going on in here love muffin?"

"Gah, Kisuke." Yoruichi said as if there was a bad taste in her mouth, then turned towards the door that she heard his cheery voice come from.

"Oh wow." Urahara Kisuke stepped into the light of the room making a show of sniffing the air. "This is an unusual occurrence." Urahara snickered. He was wearing his usual stripped hat over his blonde hair and the dimness of the room emphasized the shadow that covered his blue eyes. Unlike his partner in crime, he wore Japanese styled clothing, a black plain kimono under a matching stripped haori and plain geta. "Sorry about the wait, I had to show Marechiyo to one of our ladies." He said with evident disdain.

Yoruichi grimaced, cocking her hip to her husband, "Did he pay for last time?"

Urahara pulled out a bag from his coat and shook it letting the sound of coins fill their ears. "I made sure he doubled, including the cash upfront for today." Urahara grinned devilishly, a smile that could put Yoruichi to shame, "It only took a little convincing."

Yoruichi sighed then pulled the side of her lip up, and turned back to her visitors with a smile to lighten the mood. "What do ya say Kisuke? Ready to go?"

Urahara lifted the brim of his hat to look around the room, "It seems you've distressed our visitors enough, why not."

Byakuya's face hit the arm rest of the love seat in defeat.


AN: So there are probably some errors grammatical or otherwise, but I put this off for a while and didn't feel like editing as heavily as I usually do, so it was either update and edit tomorrow or edit tomorrow (hopefully) and then post.

Next chapter will DEFINITELY be dedicated to IchiRuki and then afterwards there will be some time-skipping until Ichigo and Rukia become adults, yay! I'll have pieces of their lives written in-between too before we go to their present age, so excited! It's going to be good.

BTW, what do you guys think about me having a little ByaHisa action? I don't know if I could write it but I have my story building up in that direction huh? Or do you guys want me to stick to just writing IchiRuki lemon?

I'm sure you guys will have a lot of questions so ask away! Comments on how I could improve with my writing and how I should make something is also approved of.

Sleep is calling.