Love under the Sakura the sequel.
Byakuya and Rukia had been married nearly six months. The time had flown by and both were happier then they had ever been. As always life has its ups and downs, happiness wasn't to last long. The first of many trials to their marriage was yet to come and when I begin this continuation of their lives, you will wonder as I do, if their marriage can bear the strain.
The swords had regained their normal forms but were more communicative with their masters then before. Senbonzakura and Sode no Shirayuki were able to occupy the same plane of existence as their masters were now so close.
Rukia waved hello to some of the men posted at the front of the sixth division. She was used to seeing them almost daily, as she would join her husband and sometimes Renji for lunch.
Renji had indeed disappeared for half a week after he found out about Rukia' marriage to Byakuya. He had seen her happy, he wanted her to be happy, but he would always be left wanting more. Their occasional lunches were quieter then they had been before the marriage. There was always a look of sadness in Renji' eyes, but he faced her with a smile. They were the best of friends, they had stuck together through thick and thin, grown up together. Nothing could break that bond.
Rukia entered Byakuya' office, sat on his lap and gave him a big hug and kiss.
"My love I am sorry I can not join you for lunch today. I have a new recruit from one of the lesser royal families that I must deal with ." he said.
"Aw. You've been so busy. I miss you."
"I promise as soon as all this work is completed, I shall make it my mission to spend some special time with you."
"Promise?" she said.
"Yes I promise. Go and have lunch with Renji today. I am happy to see you eating better lately. I do not want you to miss lunch."
"Ok I'll drop by to see you when we get back if your still in your office."
They kissed again and she made her way down the hall and found Renji in his office. He was standing with a very attractive woman. She had long black hair, a tall and slender figure, and her uniform clung scandalously to her body.
"Oy Rukia, this is Himura, Ai." Renji introduced them as they both bowed.
Something was off about this woman. There was a strange look in her eyes that Rukia couldn't quite place. Rukia just knew she couldn't be trusted. Ai seemed to sense this in Rukia, and did not hold in a crooked smile that seemed to dare Rukia to try and take her on. Rukia hated to be disliked but she remembered this feeling, it was the same with Ichimaru Gin, so she did her best to get out of the situation as quickly as possible, and hopefully, not have to see her often. Renji and the other men in the building couldn't help but droll over this beautiful woman.
"Renji did you want to go to lunch today? Himura-san you may join us if you wish?" Rukia was too polite for her own good.
"Yeah let me grab my lunch." He said going to the bottom drawer to retrieve the bento.
"I am sorry, Rukia was it? You are so sweet to invite me but I have a meeting with my new captain today. Have you met him? I haven' been able to take my eyes off of him since I saw him this morning. You and lieutenant Abarai make such a cute couple." Ai said.
"Oh you have it wrong. I'm not…" Rukia started.
"Ok come on Rukia I'm starving." Renji was a bit too excited to spend time with Rukia that afternoon and practically picked her up and ran out of the room.
"Damn it Renji put me down your making me motion sick."
"Oh sorry Rukia, damn you've gotten heavy. What the heck have you been eating?" He peeked into her lunch box "Holy crap were you planning on eating all of that? You better share some of those cookies."
"Sure help yourself. I guess I've been training hard the last few months. It's really helped my appetite and I cant stop eating these cookies, they are so good and these strawberries are the best. I got out of bed late last night just to eat some, they are so tempting." Rukia said.
Rukia and Renji enjoyed a relaxing and filling lunch. Rukia walked with him back to his captains office smiling and laughing like old times. Maybe they should have knocked, but instead they entered the captains office nonchalantly and stopped dead in their tracks. The smiles long off of their faces.
Ai had her arms around Byakuya. He had been attempting to push her off earlier when the pair entered, but they had not seen that part. He gave her a hard shove and she fell onto the floor. It took a moment for Rukia to gain her senses then she was the first to speak.
"What exactly is going on here? Is this the new method of training?" Rukia asked not really believing her husband was at any fault but feeling extremely jealous and betrayed anyway.
Rukia locked eyes with the woman who was getting herself up off of the floor.
"Would you care to explain why you were touching him?" Rukia demanded.
"Rukia it is not what you think." Byakuya said trying not to incriminate himself further.
"Really, then how is it?" her hands were now on her hips demanding a correct answer.
"Hey it's none of your business, why are you even here? If you really must know, I was
just about to make the captain my boyfriend. don't be mad cuz I got to him first." Ai said resolutely looking Rukia up and down.
"Byakuya." Rukia said through her teeth giving him a death glare that would rival his.
"Himura this is my wife Rukia. She is the lady of the House of Kuchiki. Watch how you address her." Byakuya said.
"Wife? Her? You've got to be kidding me." Ai said.
"It's true, although I pray to god it wasn't." Renji said with no one taking the last part into account.
"Abarai take this woman outside to join her ranks." Byakuya said. " I need to speak to my wife." With that they left the room.
"Rukia you do believe, it was not how it looked. She was quite persistent. Please don't cry." he hugged her.
"I cant help it. They way she was touching you. Just the thought of loosing you…I'm sorry."
"Do not appologize. It is not your fault and it will not happen again."
Rukia left the office feeling better but unfortunately for her she ran into Ai.
"I cant belive he's married to someone who looks like you."
"Excuse me?" Rukia said in shock and disgust.
"Your so short, and that hair style. I know his taste is better then that." she reached for Rukia' bang and got her hand slapped. "Really violet eyes, what are you trying to prove there? They are so fake." Ai said.
"I have work to do." Rukia said.
"Yeah and don't come around here anymore. I'm going to be extra busy taking your handsome husband. Who could want someone who looks like you." Ai said.
Rukia shrugged and left the building fuming, but still keeping her composure. This woman did not just insult her looks, but that of her dead sister who was Byakuya' fist wife, which only made her madder. The next day didn't go much differently from Rukia' perspective.
"Himura I wish to speak with you."
"Yes Taicho." She sat on his desk and tried to touch his face. He grabbed her hand midway just in time for Rukia to walk in and see them holding hands.
"What the hell is going on here?" she said all trust now gone out the window.
"Rukia wait outside." Byakuya was getting frustrated with the situation.
"I can do better then that, I'm going back to my division. It seems you want me out of your way." and she left despite his protests.
"You behavior has been entirely unacceptable. I understand you have just lost your father, it is because of him I have been lenient. But if you continue to threaten the happiness of my pride you will find me less then generous. Is that understood?"
When Rukia got home that night. There were a bunch of roses waiting for her. At first she smiled. Then she overhead the maids talking.
"The last time I got those it was because he felt guilty about cheating. I left the bum." said maid one to maid two.
Rukia was becoming upset. She didn't normally get this upset, but there were feelings welling in her she couldn't comprehend. She started crying again and by the time Byakuya came home he was being blamed for every bad thing that ever happened.
"Rukia get a hold of yourself." was all he could manage.
He hated seeing her like that, and it was understandable but she should at least trust him. She was inconsolable that evening, and in a rage she walked out and did not return home that night. Byakuya was frantic with worry, but knew she would return when she calmed down.
The next morning Byakuya arrived in his office and found Ai waiting for him.
"What is it now?" he turned to look at her. "What happened to you?"
"I didn't want to say anything sir but last night I tried to explain to miss Rukia that nothing happened and she hit me several times. It's no big deal. I was just trying to be friends with her. She was so mad. There was nothing I could do to stop her." Ai said giving some tears for effect.
"I see. I will have a talk with her. Thank you for keeping this quiet."
"Oh it's not problem." and she gave him a seductive smile.
Rukia had calmed down and decided she would apologize during lunch.
"Rukia where have you been?"
"I'm sorry I've been so stupid to think…"
"Rukia what you did to Ai was completely unacceptable. You should be happy you were not arrested and she is willing to keep this whole situation quiet."
"Situation? What? What I did to Ai? What?" Rukia couldn't understand what was going on.
"Tell me everything that happened last night."
"Oy hey Rukia you left this in my room last night." Renji walked in handing her the item.
Byakuya rose , looking like he was ready to kill. Renji backed out of the office door not liking that look at all.
"What have you done Rukia!" he was gripping her arm tightly.
"What are you talking about? I was so mad when I left the house last night, luckily I ran into Renji. I just couldn't come home or I would have just started yelling again. We had some tea and he let me sleep in his room, he took the couch. What's the problem? You don't think that me and Renji…." she said.
"Do not lie to me."
"What the heck is wrong with you? You have some nerve getting mad at me after what you've been doing. I swear I'm going to kill that damn Ai. I'm going back to work."
Neither of them spoke at dinner and the bedroom was just as silent and cold. Byakuya returned to spending his spare time in the shrine, trying to figure out what to do with this whole situation. Rukia' actions were out of control. She had attacked someone in a fit of jealousy and the first person she went running to wasn't him but Abarai.
Rukia trained extra hard the next day trying to forget all of the crazy feelings she was having.
"Wow great work today Rukia. You hit the target every time. I haven't seen you this focused in a long time." Kiyone said.
"Yeah, well I havent been focused enough the last few days."
"Hey Rukia are you ok."
"I'm fine I just need some water." she said as she collapsed.
"Oh my god Rukia!"
Kiyone picked took Rukia up and took her to the 4th as quickly as she could manage. She kicked the door open and two men helped get her to a bed. Rukia was feeling dizzy but steadied herself.
"Please don't tell Byakuya, promise me." she said to Kiyone and Unohana.
"Ok but just sit still and let Unohana Taicho check you out."
"It will only be a few more moments. For now this IV should help with the dehydration." Unohana said.
She came back in twenty minutes later with a stack full of papers.
"Well it looks like it was mainly dehydration that caused you to feint there's a minor heart condition we can control with mediation. It's not something you would have noticed before but with the situation it may cause you some strain. I have found the cause of your mood swings and weight gain and I think a congratulations are in order. You are with child. About five months. You were severely weakened from your training so no more training, even a minor blow can complicate things. There's another test we need to do so we can see how the child is developing." she said.
Rukia and Kiyone were shocked at first then they both smiled.
"Hey what are you doing there? You shouldn't be listening get back to the sixth division." Isane said at the dark haired woman outside of the door to Rukia' room.
Kiyone stayed with Rukia until she was able to leave.
"This is so amazing. When are you going to tell him?" Kiyone said.
"Really soon. I think it's time we both make up. This whole thing has been ridiculous." Rukia said.
"I'll walk you home."
"No it's ok. You still have work to finish. I'll be fine." Rukia said. The two women hugged and parted.
"Miss Rukia?" said an unknown Shinigami.
"Yes." she said to a man she did not know.
"Someone gave me this note to give to you."
"Thanks. Rukia, meet me at the 6th division training grounds now. Byakuya."
Rukia went to where the note told her to be. She didn't sense Byakuya as near as he should have been so she waited.
"You came quicker then I expected." Ai came out of the shadows.
"What do you want?" Rukia sounded bored.
"You dead and that hot husband of yours of course."
"I'm not in the mood for this right now." Rukia didn't take the threat seriously.
"Oh but it's all too perfect. See your going to attack me again."
"What are you talking about, again?"
"See this bruise? You gave it to me the night ran out of your house. I had been waiting for
something so perfect and you provided me so much fuel for the fire."
"So that's what he was talking about. You told him I attacked you." Rukia shook her head and grinned.
"Yep and the rest of my plan is about to go into effect. See I know your state and I have your death planned."
Ai pulled out her sword. Rukia took a defensive stance and easily dodged the first two attacks. Rukia was very week and had to end this battle as quickly as she could. She hit the limit of her riatsu and everyone in and near the 6th knew she was fighting. Byakuya left his office to see what was going on.
"Sir, someone told me to tell you that your wife has attacked Himura san and is about to kill her."
Byakuya flashed stepped to the area and didn't stop to look at the women engaged in battle. Sode no Shirayuki was wildly unsteady, sensing this Senbonzakura tugged at Byakuya for a moment not to use his release but he had to comply. "Chire."
All Rukia managed to hear was "what have I done.?" she couldn't figure out who the voice came from. She felt like she was moving. "We have to get her into surgery quickly." All she could see were the lights that passed her by, on the ceiling every time she managed to open her eyes. "Hurry." There were beeping sounds and people yelling everywhere. "Were loosing her."
Byakuya paced the halls of the 4th. Regretting his actions. There was no way she should have been hurt. He just wanted to discipline her for her actions. He didn't understand what had gone wrong.
"Byakuya what have you done to Rukia?" Ginirei asked.
"You son of a bitch! You killed Rukia how could you!" Renji rushed in and yelled grabbing his captain by the collar. Byakuya made no move to stop him and took the punch that was given.
Renji settled down and Byakuya explained the situation from the beginning to both men. Ginirei sat with his eyes closed an attentively listened. Renji on the other hand was not as calm and noticeably shook.
"And you believed that woman! I was with Rukia that night!" Renji yelled.
"Captain Kuchiki?" Unohana addressed him as all three men stood at the same time.
"Please sit there is much to discuss. Rukia has stabilized. She has explained the situation and I have issued a warrant for the arrest of Himura Ai. Isane has confirmed that she overheard Rukia' condition today when she was here earlier. It seems she plotted to have you kill Rukia. It was a most fantastic story but it checks out." she stopped for a moment trying to figure out how to explain the next part.
"I am afraid I have more to tell you." she said.