Notes: Oy! Sorry for the long wait. Are you guys still there??? I think I've finally settled on a plot, so now I can get moving. I would like to give a HUGE IMMENSE GIGANTIC thank you to Boo-82 for reviewing my plot ideas. ^-^ It's helped so much and I finally have a sense of direction!

This, as well as the next two chapters were originally one that I expanded after rereading it... I'm sort of nervous about them, but the story is 'in progress' so I might change them later. Most likely once I finish the story, it will go through a major rewrite, so tell me what parts you like or would want me to keep. Chapters 8 and 9 should be up soon. Oh, I also started spacing out the paragraphs more, to make it easier to read.

Okay, one more note. I don't know if any of you have seen the new bleach episode 202, but they changed the ending song, and there is a scene with Yoruichi and Soi Fon, and there is a HILARIOUS picture of young Byakuya defeated with his butt up in the air in the background. Adorable! Just thought I'd share. ^-^


Chapter 7: Under Wraps

Enjoying the rare liberty of self-sufficiency, Rukia decided to walk home. When she arrived at the gates, she looked into the distance at the large manor in front of her; it was dwarfed only by the extensive grounds that surrounded it. Looking to her left or right, she could not see the eastern or western walls of the estate.

The Kuchiki manor was immense, excessive in every way, it was filled with countless objects and rooms, the only things of any use were the innumerable volumes that consisted of the history of Soul Society.

She had spent three months sleeping inside of a closet in a room that wasn't her own, yet here where if she desired it, she could have an entire building to herself, Rukia found herself uncomfortable. She walked through the gates towards her living quarters. She still had two hours before dinner to take a bath.

Rukia was walking along the paths framing the outside of the building, when the thought hit her. Rukia's eyes flew up to the building, she stood in place as her eyes darted hungrily, taking in every detail of her surroundings. What was the same? What had changed?

The manor suddenly looked completely different. Suddenly it was no longer a place rotting in excess, but part of the history of someone in her family – her real family. She was not the first commoner to walk these boards.

Hisana.

How many times had her sister walked these paths before her? She immediately slowed, taking her next steps carefully as if to step inside of another's footprints.

Where? Where did Hisana step? How many times did she walk this path?

The Kuchiki manor was filled with history. It was filled with her history - and the thought filled Rukia with regret: they had existed in the same place twice, missing one another only by the cruelest turn of fate and the tiniest sliver of time.

Rukia looked towards the gardens. With the breeze blowing in her hair, causing it to gently caress her face, she closed her eyes. She wondered what traces of her sister were left here.

I wonder if she smelled like the breeze here. What was her touch like? Rukia paused, opening her eyes.

What could she have thought to become so distraught that her guilt would consume her? How many times did she pace in worry for me? How many of her steps were wasted...when I'm just fine...

Hisana, am I responsible for your death too?

Hisana's abandonment had stung at first, but Rukia felt she could not begrudge someone she did not really know. Besides, she was guiltier of worse. She had killed someone she loved, to protect herself. Rukia felt her heart sink.

Kaien-dono...

She pushed aside the thought of him, unready to cross that painful threshold. Dinner would be soon - she didn't have the time to become emotional. She walked quickly inside and arranged for a bath.


Soaking in the hot water, again her mind wandered to her sister.

I wonder if she ever used this tub.

She crossed her arms over the edge of the wooden tub and rested her head.

Everyone around me... everyone around me knows more about my history than I do. I wonder how many of the servants knew her...

Rukia sank into the water, somehow the realization had embarrassed her.

I wonder if this chef cooked for my sister, I wonder who ran her baths, I wonder if she used perfume... How tall was she? What were her favorite foods?

Rukia knew the questions were meaningless, yet something inside of her burned to know. She was comprising a list in her mind, of all the things she wanted to know, pushing away the questions that she wanted the answers to the most. Eventually when she had runout of the smaller questions, it seeped it's way through.

Would she have hugged me, or let me rest my head in her lap, or given me advice? What would she have done in this situation? What would it have been like if she found me? What was she like with him? …. What was he like with her?

Rukia could feel a lump rise in her throat, but she pushed it back as she sank beneath the surface of the water. She shut her eyes tight and let the breath from her lungs out slowly. She had become accustomed to not showing that she craved it, yet she was cursed to be denied it by the only one who could have ever truly offered the familial affection she so desired.

When she came back up for air, she felt dizzy. She stood, feeling the weight of the water slide from her limbs and hair. Absently she grabbed her towel and wrapped herself. Not bothering to dry herself off, she walked back to her room.

She put on her clothes for dinner, and brushed her hair. Staring at herself in the mirror, she touched her features, for the first time relishing them as someone else's reflection. She imagined that she was staring at Hisana.

Rukia's expressions were bright, vivid, not as she had imagined Hisana to be. She had asked the elders a few questions about Hisana when she entered the household, curious about the woman who she was replacing, curious to know how she was expected to be. Her questions were always answered curtly, and she acquired that the topic was sensitive, so her questions ceased.

Rukia had only seen a single image of her sister. Lady Hisana was what she had called her.

Hisana? Hisa-nee? Onee-sama?... no... Nee-chan...

Now she looked in the mirror and tried. Her smiles were bright, toothy. The smile that Hisana's picture showed was gently, and soft. She tried to emulate the expressions, but only succeeded in making herself look drowsy.

Turning away from the mirror, she rose. A servant had knocked on her door. It was time for dinner. The announcement was a welcome intrusion to her had been an intrusion to her thoughts, which were making her emotional. Gladly pushing them out of her mind, she left for the dining room.

Walking in, Rukia noticed there was no one there. Quietly, she kneeled to the table. She was glad. His presence always seemed to distract her from whatever else she was thinking, and right now, she did not want to think of him.

The time passed slowly as she waited. Her ankles were beginning to ache from sitting on them for so long.

Taptaptaptap... Taptaptaptap. Rukia drummed her fingers against the table, head resting in her left hand. He was forty minutes late for dinner. Her posture was now disheveled, her legs were removed from underneath her, now crossed indian style so they could receive bloodflow. Slouching further, she dropped her chin, and buried her face in her arms on the large dining room table.

Not particularly hungry, she thought, Maybe if he's late enough I can just leave and go to my room.

No sooner had she thought the words, Byakuya silently approached from behind.

"Is something the matter, Rukia?"

She jumped to attention in her seat at the sound of his glassy voice.

"N-nii-sama!!... nothing... I was just... I was waiting."

She turned around to look at him briefly before returning her head forward. Looking down in horror at her position, she quickly fumbled to place her legs to their proper position and smoothed her kimono, trying to hide her tabi socks.

"I see."

He paused briefly before he sat down next to her, watching her adjust herself clumsily and resume the proper position out of the corner of his eye. He looked at her bemusedly. She was so quick to make herself comfortable no matter what the setting.

Looking at her again after seating himself, Byakuya noticed that her body had tensed completely and she looked down only at the table beneath her.

Her palpable state of nervousness only added to his own, and they sat in complete silence as dinner was served.

Rukia kept her eyes on her plate, but she swore she could feel his gaze on her, freezing her to the spot, heating her under the intensity. Hyperaware of her every movement, she took small bites and chewed slowly, being careful to eat as quietly as possible.

Byakuya watched her as she ate. She was timid, her body language stiff and closed off. He mentally sighed to himself. Not one well practiced in expressing his emotions, he still had not yet figured out how to apologize to her more completely for what he had done. Two nights ago he had wanted to tell her everything, but now it suddenly seemed foolish. They were already returning to going through the motions of life as it had been before.

She had come to him that night, for what, he could only imagine, but now she was completely closed off from him. He had missed his window.

Byakuya had hoped he could have apologized to her then, and while he still wanted to, now did not feel like the right time. Even if he did apologize, things would not suddenly be made right. No doubt, they would have to talk about it.

It can wait just a little longer, he reasoned to himself.

Neither knew what to say to the other, both swimming in their own uncertainty, one in a pool of confusion, the other in one of guilt. The silence continued until they could no longer use chewing as an excuse. Neither prone to small talk, a quick exit was preferable for both.

Her stiffness was making him uncomfortable, something he had not felt for a long time. He shifted slightly, clearing his throat hesitantly.

Rukia set down her chopsticks and looked up at him as she placed her hands in her lap.

Here it comes...

"Rukia, I have receieved orders from Captain-Commander Yamamoto to train you until the winter war." He paused, waiting for her reaction to the news.

Expecting the order, part of the sentence shocked her: "The Captain-Commander ordered it?" she asked rhetorically. Byakuya watched her eyebrows furrow as though she was thinking hard about something.

She had received her orders from Ukitake Taichou and had considered them his way of forcing she and Byakuya to make amends. She had no idea that her training would be the concern of Captain-Commander Yamamoto himself.

Why would he take an interest in me? Bringing herself back to the conversation. "Yes, Ukitake-Taichou notified me that I would need to train with you." He had stated it, but somehow she answered him as though it were a question.

Byakuya nodded. "Rukia, I will begin my training tomorrow morning. When you are feeling well enough, please let me know when you would like to - "

"Tomorrow." The word had sharply flown out of her mouth before she could even think. She looked up at his surprised face. Apologetically she tried again, a little more slowly. "I'm sorry." she gave a half smile. "I am feeling well enough. Tomorrow is fine for me to start."

His eyebrows had raised slightly at her rapid response. He looked at her. She had read the expression on his face and repeated it again, more softly. He could hear some hidden resolve in her voice, not questioning it, he resumed his usual blank expression and nodded. "Very well. We will begin half an hour after breakfast tomorrow."

"Yes, nii-sama," she bowed her head slightly.

Rukia stared at her empty plate noticing how she had left it in a state of disarray, scattered rice everywhere and chopsticks thrown on top. She glanced over at his plate, neat and clean, with his chopsticks carefully placed together down the middle.

Her insecurities began to grip her. The differences between them were great. She knew tomorrow would show that well enough. Why it had flown out of her mouth, she didn't know, but saying it had made the uneasiness in her grow. Feeling entirely misplaced she excused herself from the table.

"I'm sorry, if I am to be rested to begin training with nii-sama tomorrow I must go rest." She could feel her insides begin to tremble with some unknown emotion as she rose, bowed, and exited.

Byakuya's chest caught on the distant way she had addressed him, as though she were talking about him, not to him. He nodded as a formality, but she had already risen from the table and was practically out the door as the servants came to take the plates.

She had not looked at him again, and he could sense that something inside of her had shifted during dinner. Her unease affected him, but knowing he didn't have the right to say anything, he watched her go.

Rukia... I'm sorry.

Why was it so much easier to think than to say?


Notes: I know you guys are waiting for some serious ByaRuki interaction and it's coming, I promise... but for now... thoughts?