Chapter 8: Empathy

"Byakuya…come on! You're not really that mad at me, are you?" Renji asked, tapping on the closed and locked bathroom door.

He heard the sound of retching and shook his head sympathetically.

"I tried to tell you to take some deep breaths and calm down," he muttered, more to himself than to Byakuya, "Come on out. We'll switch back and you won't be so uncomfortable. Please, Bya, open the door."

He heard more retching and a decidedly miserable groan.

"Are you going to let me in or do I have to come in after you," Renji said warningly, "because you're starting to worry me."

"I'm…I'm okay," Byakuya managed, falling back and leaning against the wall, "I just need a minute. Oh kami, I feel horrible…"

"Okay, you want me to make some ginger tea? Get you some peppermint?" Renji offered.

"Oh…" moaned the noble, "isn't there any way out of your body that doesn't require moving?"

Renji smiled sympathetically.

"Come on…open the door. At least let me come in and sit with you."

There was a long pause, then the door unlocked. Renji stepped into the bathroom and eased himself down next to Byakuya. Renji brushed the red mane back from his pale face and kissed him on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry I upset you so bad. I'm an idiot. But you knew that."

Byakuya sighed resignedly and leaned against Renji, sinking into his embrace.

"It really isn't your fault. I just…I…"

"Are you okay?" Renji said, concerned at the whiteness of his skin and the trembling in his body.

"I don't know," Byakuya admitted, "I'm trying to stay calm, but…oh, kami, Renji…I…wonder if something's wrong."

"I'm taking you back to the healing center, Bya."

"I'm sorry," Byakuya gasped softly, "I'm really…trying…"

"Okay, just take slow breaths, all right? I'm going to grab someone to help since I can't carry you."

"Don't leave me, Renji…please…" Byakuya moaned.

Renji looked around in desperation. He spotted someone standing in the garden. He remembered seeing the handyman around the manor with fair frequency.

"Hisoka," he called, remembering the man's name, "Could you please help me with Renji? He is not well and needs to be taken to the healing center."

"Hai, Kuchiki-sama," the man said, rushing into the room.

He gathered Renji's body into his arms and turned toward the door, flash stepping alongside the one he thought was Byakuya. In moments, they reached the healing center and were directed to an examination room. Renji turned to Hisoka.

"Arigato, Sato Hisoka. I couldn't have carried him myself, due to my own recent illness. I appreciate your help."

"You are welcome, Kuchiki-sama. I hope all is well with Abarai-san."

"I'm sure it will be," Renji said, trying to sound convincing, "Will you please return to the manor? I wouldn't want to keep you from your duties. I will be certain to send word when more is known."

"Hai, Kuchiki-sama," the servant said, bowing.

He stepped out of the room and sat down in the waiting area, watching the door very carefully.

Inside the room, Renji slipped his hand into Byakuya's and talked to him in a quiet voice as Unohana taichou was summoned. Moments later, the healer stepped into the room and quickly began to examine Renji's body.

"Were the two of you able to switch back before this occurred?" she asked.

"No," Renji told her, "He started vomiting when we got home and couldn't seem to stop. Then, he went all pale, like he is now…and he seemed really weak."

Unohana nodded.

"I think I know what this is and it is treatable, but it will take some time."

"Can I stay with him?" Renji asked softly.

The healer nodded.

"That would be good, actually. The procedure could cause his power to flare and you two might switch suddenly. If you will lie down in the second bed, I will begin."

Renji walked to the other bed and climbed into it, then reached over and held Byakuya's hand as the healer used her power to send him off to sleep.

"His spirit centers have become compressed and the pressure needs to be relieved. It is the shifting of the reiatsu within his body that is causing this…and it may happen several times before delivery."

"But he…we…and the babies will be all right?" Renji asked.

"Yes," Unohana confirmed, "You will all be all right. But when this happens, it is critical to relieve the pressure, so that the spirit centers can continue to function properly…so you will need to come to the healing center immediately when it happens. I'm going to induce sleep for you now as what I do next will likely cause a power flare and switch you back."

She placed her hands on Renji's face and focused, sending him off to sleep. Then she turned back to Renji's body and leaned over him, sending her reiatsu into his sleeping form. She worked for several long minutes on Renji's body, before turning her attention to Byakuya. She studied his body carefully, then shook her head softly, sending her reiatsu into his body as well, then stepping back and examining the two one more time. Satisfied that all was well, she left the two sleeping and left the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya blinked slowly and opened his eyes, taking a few breaths and then slowly sitting up. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that he was back in his own body, but then turned and gazed down at Renji with deep concern.

"Renji," he whispered.

The redhead remained asleep. Byakuya moved closer, slipping his hand into the redhead's and stroking it lightly.

"Renji," he whispered again, "Renji, I'm…sorry."

Renji continued to sleep soundly beside him.

"This is my fault," he went on, "You told me to try to calm down and I did try…but I was so upset…about unimportant things. I really don't care that you said more than I would have. I should have stood up to them that way years ago. Maybe they wouldn't have given me such a hard time."

"Nah…" said Renji, opening an eye to look at him, "They probably would have given you a hard time anyway."

"Renji!" Byakuya said, squeezing his hand, "How are you feeling?"

Renji smiled.

"I'm fine. I'm okay, really, Byakuya."

Byakuya looked unconvinced.

"But I…I caused your body to…"

"No, you didn't," Renji corrected him, "Unohana taichou said that it was just my spirit centers being compressed by the babies' reiatsu. She fixed it right up. I am fine, really. Now, you need to relax."

"But it's my fault. It is, Renji." Byakuya insisted, "I panicked over the council meeting. I should have just trusted you."

Renji smirked.

"Byakuya…are you kidding? Every time I open my mouth…It doesn't even matter whose body I'm in. I make a mess of everything," he said, shaking his head, "I don't mean to…I just…have a talent for it, I guess."

Byakuya loosed a soft sigh and squeezed his hand again.

"You didn't make a mess of things, Renji. You actually did a good job of getting through to them. And lest we forget, you taught them a lesson that I wouldn't have dared to," he said, beginning to smile at the memory.

Renji chuckled softly.

"And damn, if you didn't look cute busting in and looking all frantic like that! If I hadn't been trying to be you, I would have melted on the spot!"

"Well…I needn't have worried. All you did was what I wanted to, anyway. They deserved it. And nothing was lost that can't be replaced. I hated the décor in that room anyway. Now, they'll have to redecorate."

Renji smiled widely.

"Then you forgive me? You're not mad at me anymore?"

Byakuya smiled at him gently.

"There's nothing to forgive, Renji. And I wasn't mad before…just…shocked."

"You must have been to use that kind of language!" Renji laughed.

"Well, it seemed appropriate, given that I was in your body at the time."

The door opened and Unohana taichou walked in, carrying their medical charts and smiling.

"It is good to see the two of you awake, back in your own bodies and getting along so much better," she said, approaching them.

She spent several minutes quietly examining Renji, pausing to ask several questions, before moving on to Byakuya.

"I adjusted your spirit centers as well, because they were also beginning to be affected. This likely to be a constant concern as the babies' reiatsu grows stronger. Luckily, adjusting their position is fairly simple to do, and I can monitor the centers when you come in for your appointments."

"Arigato, Unohana taichou," Byakuya said in a relieved tone, "I was concerned that my temperament had caused problems with Renji's body."

"No," she said quietly, taking his hands, "You didn't harm Renji's body, "but I will warn you that you must breathe a bit easier, Kuchiki taichou. Your vital signs were off the charts before. The simple truth of this is that physically and otherwise, you are not coping as comfortably as Renji is in this situation…likely because you are looking to control what you cannot. If you were someone else, I would suggest meditation or the like, but for you, I would suggest long, slow walks in the moonlight, making sure you eat well and getting lots of sleep."

Byakuya nodded.

"Now, I just need to draw a bit of blood and reiatsu and the two of you can go home."

"Oh no…" groaned Renji, "again with the damned needles! Do you have to do that every time we walk in?"

The healer laughed softly.

"I am sorry, Abarai fukutaichou, but there's no way around it."

"Not to worry," Byakuya assured him, "I'll make sure to catch you when you fall over in a faint."

"Gee, thanks…" the redhead muttered, paling as Unohana closed in on him.

He grew quiet as she drew the blood, but managed to remain conscious.

"You see," said the healer, "You are growing more used to this. I told that you would."

"Yeah," said Renji, "well, I still feel like I'm going to puke and faint at the sight of those stupid things!"

"I certainly won't hold that against you," Unohana said, turning to Byakuya and drawing his sample.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya stood quietly in the gardens, gazing quietly up at the moon, breathing slowly and feeling the calm settle over him again. He felt the small pulsings of life growing inside him and couldn't help smiling and letting his hand drop to his abdomen, sending small pulses of greeting in to them and loving the feel of their reiatsu lightly touching his. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the light breeze that cooled his overly warm skin, calming the flashes of heat that seemed to nearly always be with him.

"Kuchiki-sama," said a nearby voice.

Byakuya opened his eyes and let them settle on the man standing in the garden in front of him.

"Yes, Hisoka," he said quietly.

"I was just wondering if Abarai-san was doing well."

"Renji is fine now," he said, feeling a complex mixture of guilt and relief at his own words, "He will make a full and swift recovery. His condition was not overly serious. I thank you for assisting me in moving him to the healing center."

"I was glad to help, Kuchiki-sama," the handyman said, smiling, "and I brought a small gift…to wish him a speedy recovery. It is nothing grand…just something I made in my spare time."

He handed Byakuya a small carved ironwood statue of a wolf, with dark, shining inlaid eyes. Byakuya accepted it from his hand and paused in the moonlight, turning the figurine to admire the fine detail.

"This is lovely," commented Byakuya, "This is a hobby of yours, then?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. I like to work with different types of wood, varied textures and the like."

"Do you also handcraft furniture…with this quality of detail?" he asked.

"Actually, I do," Hisoka said, smiling, "Do you need something made?"

Byakuya paused for a moment, thinking.

"Yes, I do. But I will need you to keep silent about this project. No one is to know what you are constructing or why."

"Of course, Kuchiki-sama. I am accustomed to keeping things to myself."

Byakuya nodded.

"Then I will reveal to you that due to…an odd occurrence, Renji and I will be having multiple children…soon."

"H-having…ch-children, sir?" the man asked, looking confused.

"Yes," Byakuya said quietly, "An unexpected circumstance has led to us being with child…and we will need to prepare two rooms for ten babies."

Hisoka's eyes widened and he stared wordlessly for a moment, but he simply nodded.

"As you wish, Kuchiki-sama. I will begin work on this tomorrow."

"And remember to use proper discretion," Byakuya reminded him. We will be making an announcement later, but we wish to avoid the stress of undue attention."

"Oh, I understand, sir," the handyman assured him, "and I am honored you have chosen me to do this. Arigato, sir!"

Byakuya nodded, then watched as the man disappeared into the night.

Hisoka walked back to the entrance to Kuchiki manor, Byakuya's words still repeating in his mind.

"We are having babies," he whispered, "ten lovely little Abarai babies! Well, this changes things a bit! I will need to make a few adjustments to my plans to prepare for their delivery…and I will have to allow Kuchiki-sama to live a bit longer before he is eaten."