AN: I'm so depressed because I can't study stupid aesthetics!
I made a mistake in one of the previous chapters, about when Renji achieved his bankai (which xnightmare'sxnightmarex was so kind to point out and I'm very thankful! ^^ ). But, for this story, let it be what I said (I'm lazy to correct it).
I want to thank you all for reading and reviewing this! I couldn't study, so I decided to write another chapter, since my inspiration won't let go of me. I hope that you'll enjoy, and please make sure to review!!
P.S. I apologize if there is any mistake in typing or so.
Unloved
Chapter 9: Orihime's Redemption
Ever since the first rumors had started to fill the corridors of the 4th, Rukia had decided that it was in her interest to pretend that she was asleep. Thus she could gather a lot of information.
It appeared that the Kuchiki staff had become encouraged by the rumors of other shinigami's speculation about whose child she had had, so they had started talking about Byakuya's and Renji's ten years long relationship.
"No way!" she could hear someone say. And then she heard some of the staff outside, talking to some low-ranked shinigami: " Every night, they used to be so loud that the whole mansion was shaking...Now master has a new toy, who looks exactly like his late wife...that street rat from Rukongai."
Rukia didn't dare touch the place where the swelling had been a day ago. She thought that, if she refrained from touching, nothing would be for real, and she could deal with it. Perhaps it would be better to think that the child never existed...
It was not time to suffer...Not now, when she had to help Renji recover from his own wounds...He had been looking after her...always and with such care. Now she had to be there for him. No time for mourning.
She tried not to think about new revelations, considering them to be just mere rumors. Rukia was tired, so tired of all that struggling...so much that her soul felt numb, unable to recognize pain and sorrow.
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When she woke up that afternoon, a perfect white blinded her eyes. After blinking several times, she recognized the face. It was the pleasant one, the one which would always put her at ease.
"Captain..." she spoke softly.
"How do you feel, Rukia?" he asked, dragging one chair in order to sit beside her. He was all white, like an angel, in his white haori, with his long, white hair...and the sun rays were completing the image.
"I'm better, but the baby didn't survive" she replied, all collected, trying to show as much resoect as she could towards her superior.
"You needn't be so formal" he said; his warm eyes full of sadness. "It is normal to feel grief after such a terrible accident."
She nodded, feeling a warm, masculine hand on hers. She smiled weakly. Uktake had always treated her as his own daughter.
"I know that time is inappropriate, but I heard the rumors...And I need you to tell me everything."
Who was he to forbid her to know? It was her brother who was involved, after all. And her best friend. Ukitake hesitated for several moments. Rukia could feel uneasiness in his reiatsu and she knew he was desperately trying to find proper words to tell her about...About a woman named Fumiko...About the real reason Renji had cut all the bonds with Byakuya. She knew how much he loved the man. She knew how much she loved her brother herself, and was terribly hurt and felt so betrayed when Ukitake finally spoke.
It was as if she had been cut by her own zanpakuto on the spot, thousands of lights had been dancing before her eyes before she fainted. Rukia was still very exhausted. She was unaware when her captain leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"Rest, Rukia..." he said ever so softly and exited the room.
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Real world
Still shaken by the recent events, Renji felt a bit of dizziness in his head. He had found Ichigo at Urahara's place. He had been practicing his new attack and Ukitake had been helping him. There had been that girl...Orihime. When he had confronted her in Urahara's house, all he could do was to give her a death glare, full of despise. She looked at him apologetically.
"Just to say, that Rukia disobeyed Captain-Commander's orders and was nearly killed by Espada just to save you. She had even trained you." he had told the girl with abnormally large brests. Orihime had lowered her head.
"I know that, Renji-kun...And I'm so sorry..."
Renji could never understand this, that somebody was aware of certain facts, yet they were able to do something against those facts. Just like Orihime and Ichigo had done. He felt sick.
He had asked Ichigo's whereabouts, and Orihime brought him to the Strawberry.
"Please leave us alone. This is private." he had told her and she had retreated, nodding slightly.
Ichigo had turned slightly and Renji nodded. This had not been the time to beat him up, despite Renji's wishes to do so. He had informed him of Rukia's loss.
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"A baby?!" Ichigo almost screamed, looking at Renji in disbelief. "Our..." he placed his hands on top of his head, then he bowed, sitting on the rock, covering his face. "No!" he shook his head. "I've gotta see her..." he looked at Renji with those determined eyes of his.
"That's why I came. She needs your support more than anything." Despite his cold composure, Ichigo saw so much hurt in Renji's eyes. But the redehad would never admit that, of course. The Strawberry knew Renji too well and knew that he was suffering a lot. But, as a warrior, he was trying not to show such emotions.
At the moment, he felt so hopeless, so left out of things, so confused.
"I'll wait for you upstairs. Gather your stuff quickly."
Ichigo nodded, feeling so empty from the inside. He was still comprehending that he used to have a child...He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Kurosaki-kun.."
"Inoue, please leave me." he said, a bit annoyed. Ever since he had slept with Orihime, he had felt so guilty. He had been seduced by her breasts. And now, the weight of the world fell on his back.
"Please, Kurosaki-kun...listen to me! I feel so guilty, that I can't live anymore! Please, please take me with you...Perhaps I can help Rukia-chan! I know I can!" she pleaded.
Ichigo looked at her better. "Inoue...that could actually work!" he smiled. That would be a good redemption, indeed. Perhaps it would be a new start for Rukia and him. Orihime could reject whatever had happened to Rukia's body, which meant that she could bring the baby back to life.
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Seireitei
When Rukia opened her eyes again, there he was. Kuchiki Byakuya, sitting beside her on her bed, staring through the window. When he noticed she was awake, he looked at her with his porcelain-doll face.
"You are awake" he stated.
She didn't know how to say everything that had been on her mind. There were so many words of anger, that she thought that if she opened her mouth, her face would burst.
"Nii-sama" she greeted him seriously.
"How are you feeling today?"
"How could I possibly feel? I've lost a baby." she said ironically, disrespecting her brother for the first time. After a short pause, she added. "Nii-sama, I know everything." He winced a little.
"I see." he was as composed as ever. "Anything else you need to say?"
"Yes." she nodded, frowning. It was now or never, she knew, clenching her fists as if holding courage to prevent it to escape. Her muscles spasmed to the point of pain, as she was about to say everything that had been torturing her. "You don't need to pretend that you care anymore. Your wife is alive again, in some way. And that sets you free of all the vows to protect me and take care of me." her heart was pounding so loud that even Byakuya himself could hear it. Rukia's face was as red as Renji's hair, he noticed. "And Renji...Can't you see how much he loves you?! He even found her for you!"
"How did...?"
"Captain told me. He was here to visit me..." she looked aside. It was unbearable, the thing she was about to say. "And you discarded Renji as if he was nothing. You replaced him, Nii-sama. All we ever wanted was to be loved by you. But you could never love us back the way we deserved it. Therefore...Nii-sama...I disown you."
At this, Byakuya winced once again.
"If you can't love us, if you can't accept us, then we shall both let you go. I disown you. You're no longer my brother." her eyes were shiny, but never did she let a tear fall. He looked at her in disbelief; for the first time, she saw him shaken. There was hurt in his eyes, but he quickly hid it.
"As you wish, Rukia." he told her, leaving, his posture as arrogant as ever.
As he exited, he confronted Ichigo, who passed by him without a word, into Rukia's room. There was Renji, as well, and that girl with oversized breasts.
He addressed to Renji in his usual voice. "Captain-Commander summoned us to his chambers."
The redhead nodded. Ever since they had passed the gate, other shinigami looked at him awkwardly, he could hear them whisper among themselves terrible lies about him and Byakuya. He had continued towards the 4th Squad gracefully, as if nothing had been going on. This had been his way, he had had enough dignity not to start a fight. He had felt even more left out and hated. Their society had turned against them, it appeared.
Without a word, they were walking towards Yamamoto's chambers, ignoring looks and talks that were coming from all possible directions. Never did they lower their heads.
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Only when she saw Ichigo, did she let a few tears stain her face.
"Idiot!" he had scolded her. "Why didn't you tell me?!" he grabbed her by her forearms and shook her. She only gripped his sleeves and cried into his shoulder. She had finally let herself mourn over something so precious to her.
Ichigo was holding her tightly, his eyes firmly shut. He was rocking them back and forth, in order to calm his never-to-be-his-bride. He was resting his chin on top of Rukia's head, murmuring incoherent, comforting words. When she calmed down a bit, he told her about Inoue's plan.
"We're so lucky that we're shinigami, neh?" he whispered in her ear, still holding her. "Humans...they would be drowned in despair for good...We can have our child back, Rukia...They would never be able to revive their dead children" he was sobbing in relief. "You have no idea how lost I felt..."
Without hesitation, she accepted. What else could she do? She valued a new life more than her pride. And when Orihime shyly entered the room, Rukia greeted her with a grateful smile. She had never been taught to hate. She dared to rub her belly before she let Orihime start with her spells.
This was a good day for the 4th Squad. Captain Unohana wanted to be present and congratulate Rukia. Hanatarou was pleasantly surprised, as well.
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The atmosphere in Captan Commander's chambers was heavy. Both men were waiting for him to start his talk.
Renji looked at Byakuya, who was trying to hide his reiatsu. Something was wrong, he decided. The Captain was nervous and...there was some unpleasant feeling around him...sorrow, perhaps? The redhead didn't have a clue, but it was most likely to be it, which was surprising. He wondered what had happened...
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TBC...
