Another quick update! I'm on a roll!... was. I'm going on vacation next week, so I'm not really going to be near my computer, so I wont be able to type up the next chapter, so it might be a little bit longer than these updates have been. But not by much! And lucky for me im going on vacation again like a week after I get back from this one, so... yeah.:)
This chapter is where all the drama starts! hope you like it! (sorry for any grammer mistakes)
As always thanks to the reviewers that I can't respond to:)
Disclaimer: I Don't Own Bleach.
Happy Reading!:)
The day before kept playing itself through Rukia's head over and over again. She had had an amazing time with Toshiro, after their little talk they went and rejoined the group by the pool. Surprisingly, Rukia really liked his friends they were funny, and she had a good time around them. She really enjoyed her and Rangiku's conversations, they talked well into the night when Toshiro and the other boys were doing their thing. Funny enough, Rangiku was a fashion major at the university. She described what college was going to be like, it was very different from high school. Not that Rukia would know what high school was like.
When Rukia mentioned that she was only sixteen (almost seventeen), Rangiku practically had a heart attack. She turned around and yelled at her boyfriend from across the pool, that he was 'robbing the cradle'. For some reason, Rukia found she didn't mind the busty girls loud proclamation in front of all of Toshiro's friends. She distinctly remembered giggling at his facial expression.
Then Rukia got to thinking, is this what having real friends is like? People who laugh not only with you, but at you. People who push you into the pool when your walking by, and when they get up to get a drink, offer to get you one as well. People who tease you about silly meaningless things like Rangiku had to Toshiro about her age. Somewhere in her mind, Rukia knew that was what friends did, but actually seeing it was another thing.
It was real. Seeing is believing.
Knowing that she would have made those bonds with people as well had she not been locked away for six years made her very sad. What was it that Ichigo had said? "you know, you could have brought some of your friends Rukia."
No, no she couldn't. She couldn't even remember her childhood friends, she vaguely recalled that they the children of her mothers friends. For as long as she could remember, she had been by herself. It was hard to picture anything in her mind that wasn't white. Everything in that place had been white. It was very stereotypical, like in the television shows that made fun of people like her, they had actually gotten it quite accurate. Except the loneliness. They never showed or talked about how lonely it got. On the occasions you were out of your room, the random people you pass in the hallways would ignore you. Even the doctors could care less about you, they asked you questions about if you are in pain, or 'if you are seeing anything' but they don't ask what your favorite movie is, the don't ask what you like. They don't pretend to care.
Rukia could feel the tears well up in her eyes, but she didn't dare let them fall. She pulled the covers closer to herself, and closed her eyes. She wanted to forget the last six years. She would rather it just be a blank space in her memory, something impossible to remember. If she didn't remember, then it wouldn't hurt.
She had been feeling increasingly sad the entire day, doing nothing more that laying in bed under the covers. Only coming out to use the restroom and to brush her teeth. She knew that she should probably be hungry, but she wasn't. Rukia didn't register anything besides the overwhelming feelings of sadness and pain. But not pain in the physical sense. It was like something was weighing on her body forcing her from moving.
She knew letting herself feel like this was dangerous, when she had these occasional episodes she was suppose to call her therapist and talk to him, but she didn't want to. He would worry, and would want her to come into his office to speak to him. Rukia couldn't fathom the idea.
"Rukia?" Hearing the gentle voice of Hisana startled her, if she was home from classes that meant it was one o'clock. Rukia briefly looked over the coverlet that was hiding Hisana from her view to see her. "Are you feeling all right?"
Instead of responding, Rukia just nodded and re-hid Hisana from her view. "Have you gotten out of bed today?"
Still no response.
Rukia heard the shifting of the floor boards which told her that her brothers fiancee was crossing the room closer to her. "Would you like me to make you something to eat?"
Hisana was now standing right next to her peering down at her. "No," Rukia said with a raspy voice from not using it all day. She knew Hisana was probably worried, but she couldn't find it in her to care. The next second she was out the door.
Rukia rolled over into a new position, facing the wall. Not even five minutes later, Hisana returned with something in her hand. "Here, you need to take these." When she reached her bed she held out her orange pills that Rukia was suppose to have already taken for the morning.
Rukia didn't even fight her on it, she sat up which made her bones pop from being in the same position all day. She reached for the pills out of Hisana's hand and gratefully took the water she held out as well.
After taking her medicine, she fell back down, and Hisana left the room again. No doubt she had called her brother. How else would she have known that Rukia hadn't taken her medicine yet? Byakuya knows everything and Rukia was fully expecting for Byakuya to give her a lecture later about not taking her medicine as soon as she had woken up.
Rukia was brought out of her cynical thoughts by a loud and annoying ring tone going off in the room. At first she had considered letting it ring, but after looking at the caller ID she knew that would have been a bad idea and would get her into further trouble.
"Hello?" She hesitantly said into her cell phone.
"Rukia, what do you think your doing?" Came the response of the calm and collected voice of her brother.
"...nothing."
"Exactly, get out of bed, go eat whatever Hisana made you, and if you don't start taking your medicine as soon as you wake up then I'm going to make you get up when I do at six and take it in front of me."
"Yes father," Rukia said sarcastically before hanging up on him. Rukia in her right mind would never dream of hanging up on Byakuya Kuchiki. She knew she was going to get it when he got home, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.
X
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X
Byakuya stared at his phone in shock, she did not just hang up on me. But the dial tone coming from the other end reassured him that she had. Byakuya wasn't angry, he knew how Rukia got when she was having a 'episode'. She would happily stay in bed all day if he let her. He just knew she hadn't taken her medicine and that that was the source of her depressed mood. He sighed and returned his phone to his pocket, remembering how worried he had been when Hisana had called him sounding upset.
Even though he knew not to take anything Rukia said to heart when she was having a bad day, her words did have truth in them. He was acting like her father instead of a brother. But in all honesty, Rukia needed to be taken care of, if he didn't do it then who would? Her actually father? Not a chance. He would simply place her back in the hospital and that would destroy her.
He didn't mind in the slightest that he had to look after Rukia. He had to protect his innocent sister from the harsh reality that was the life of being a Kuchiki. It wasn't always fun to be in the spotlight.
When Rukia was a child she was sweet and kind, she was always smiling and laughing without a care in the world. He admired that about her. Her carefree and easygoing nature, it made him feel at ease especially in the presence of their extremely strict father. He was never like that with Rukia, he treated her like a princess. He loved her deeply, it was hard to believe it was the same man who now so freely insulted her. He bought her whatever new toy she wanted, allowed her to stay up late, took her to the park when he wasn't working, he even gave her sweets before dinner when his wife wasn't looking. It was hard to believe that something like a mental sickness could erase all that care and love. But it had, now he treats Rukia like she is contagious, always keeping her away from him. Out of sight, out of mind.
Byakuya was startled out of his depressive thoughts by the sound of his ring tone. Taking it from his pocket, he frowned when he noticed the name, "hello?"
"Yes, Byakuya hi," Dr. Kurosaki's voice sounded very hesitant as if he didn't really want to be calling in the first place. Byakuya instantly assumed this was about this was about Rukia this morning. Maybe Rukia had called him? But that didn't even seem right, Rukia never called him, she didn't like to bother him. Which was foolish, he was being paid a very high sum to talk to her whenever she wanted.
He noted almost cynically that he and Isshin Kurosaki had been talking on the phone a lot recently. Much more than the ever had before. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Not really, I'm just calling to tell you something rather unfortunate." This statement made Byakuya's eyebrows rise in confusion.
"Okay, what would that be?" He was becoming impatient at Kurosaki's lack of getting to the point.
"I came back from my lunch break and I instantly noticed that my door was unlocked." He was talking soft now, almost whispering. "Byakuya, my door is always locked."
"Alright," Byakuya responded in a indifferent manner.
"I was worried, I searched my entire office, and I couldn't find a single thing out of place. So I looked through my filing cabinets and I realized what was missing,"
"And what was that?"
"Rukia's file."
Byakuya immediately stopped walking and for that matter, stopped breathing. "Excuse me?" He had to question what Kurosaki was saying, there was absolutely no way that the file containing every ounce of Rukia's life was missing. No way possible.
"I don't know how it could have happened, someone had to have broken into my office, I always lock it when I leave, I know how important that information is. I've already called security, and they are going to try and figure it out."
"I am deeply sorry, I-" Byakuya took a page out of Rukia's book and hung up on the man. It was his fault. He had to have done something, maybe he did leave his door unlocked by accident. Why was Rukia's file not stored somewhere where it couldn't be easily obtained? It was very confidential, not even the other therapists were aloud to look in it or know about her case without permission. There was too much of a risk that her life would be revealed to the world. No one knew that the famed billionaire Soujun Kuchiki had a daughter.
In a very un-Byakuya like manner, he decided it was imperative he skipped his next class and headed straight home. Upon reaching his car he felt a drop of rain splash his face, he looked to the sky and saw the angry dark clouds full of rain just waiting to be released. Good thing he drove today.
What a horrible day.
And it was only going to get worse.
X
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X
"Hisana?"
Said girl flinched from her spot in the kitchen by the break in silence. She turns and looks over Rukia who is awkwardly standing in the middle of the kitchen, holding herself. Her hair was wet, presumably from taking a shower, and she was looking towards the ground, "I'm sorry for my behavior earlier."
Hisana knew she had to tread carefully with Rukia, she was so breakable. So fragile. Like one word could shatter her completely. "Are you alright?" she hesitantly asked, "what was going on...?" She trailed off at the end, not really knowing what she was asking and praying that Rukia somehow would.
She didn't seem offended by the question at all, she wrapped herself up further in a comfy blanket she had on over her outfit. "I'm better," the medicine had had enough time to take effect. "I was just sad," the word sad felt childish to say. She knew thing to say would have been, I was just having a moment of depression because of I'm bipolar and hadn't taken my medicine. But who would actually say that? So Rukia settled with 'sad'.
Hisana nodded at her explanation seeming to understand that that was the only thing Rukia would say about it. She didn't like talking about her disorders very much, and Hisana didn't blame her. She didn't want to be viewed as the schizophrenic bipolar girl. She just wanted to be Rukia.
"Can I have that lunch now?" Rukia smiled a little sheepishly, with a little dusting of red on her cheeks. Hisana knew she was probably embarrassed about earlier, and nodded with a bright smile on her face.
"Of course, I hope French onion soup is okay?" Rukia nodded happily at her question, she actually loved the stuff. Hisana no doubt made it because she knew this. Rukia took a seat at the table as she handed her a bowl and spoon before grabbing her own.
They sat in a comfortable silence until Hisana couldn't bear it any longer, "are you excited to start classes next semester?"
A bright smile lit across Rukia's face, it was almost hard to believe that not even a half an hour ago the girl wouldn't even get out of her bed, "yes, very excited! I already know one person who will be in a few classes!"
"That's great, who is it?" Hisana asked very curious.
"Her name is Rangiku Matsumoto, she's a year ahead of me, but she just decided to take fashion and design courses so she will be in classes with me. She's very nice, she's Toshiro's friend."
Hisana noticed how she called her 'Toshiro's friend' and not 'my friend'. She was about to comment on it but the sound of the door opening and closing caught her attention. Instantly she was frightened, who would be coming in at this time? Byakuya was in class.
By the look on Rukia's face, she was thinking the same thing. Then they heard footsteps clearly heading for the kitchen, and Byakuya himself stepped into view.
"Jesus Byakuya! You scared me and Rukia half to death!" He clearly was in no mood for apologies by the look on his face. "Whats wrong?"
Glancing at Rukia, she was looking face down obviously thinking he was upset because of her not taking her pills as soon as she had woken up, and hanging up on him probably. "Hisana may I speak with you in our room for a second?"
Rukia raised her head and an eyebrow at Byakuya's strange behavior, if he was mad at her, he wouldn't be telling Hisana behind her back like a schoolgirl, Byakuya would say it to her face. Something else was wrong, and she was instantly concerned.
They both stepped out of her sight and into their shared bedroom before closing the door behind them.
Oh well, might as well watch TV 'till Byakuya stops sulking. Rukia happily thought, making her way to the living room.
"Byakuya whats happened? Why are you home?" Hisana asked quietly, what ever he needed to tell her, it was obvious that he didn't want Rukia to know.
"Someone stole Rukia's file from her therapists office," he said in the same volume of voice that his fiancee had. Hisana gasped, "I don't want her to know, she would panic, we need to find out what happened, security has been looking into it, I'm going over there now, would you like to go with me?" She nodded in conformation.
She felt dread inside her, but she couldn't hold in a rather sarcastic response, "Byakuya Kuchiki skipping a class?" She gave him a small smile hoping that it relieved some of his tension. It seemed it had because he gave her a smirk of his own.
"It doesn't much matter, I don't even need to go to college if I don't want too," and Hisana knew he was right. He told her once that he was going because it was a way of stalling him from taking over the company. He wasn't ready to be in charge of a very large, international corporation. He wanted to live a little first.
"I'm glad you decided to, if you didn't, we would have never met." Hisana gave him a full smile, which was rewarded with a slight one from the man before her. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. It was moments like these when she knew there was absolutely no way she would ever love a man more than she loved Byakuya Kuchiki.
"We need to get going," she knew he was right, and followed him out the door of the bedroom.
The stepped into the living room to see Rukia flipping channels on the large flat screen. Rukia wasn't one to watch television a lot, she was more into reading and drawing then anything, so it was a strange sight. When she noticed they were both putting their shoes on and heading to the door, Rukia asked, "are you guys going somewhere?" She didn't move her gaze away from the changing channels.
"Yes, we will be back shortly," once Hisana had grabbed her purse, they were ready to leave, Byakuya put his hand on the handle and froze with his back turned to the door. Something interesting caught Rukia's attention on TV.
'Breaking news!' read the bold red header on the screen, Byakuya instantly knew where this was going and wished he had enough time to run and turn the television off.
"Earlier today, we received an anonymous package, and inside was a medical file of a person we never knew existed." The dramatic blonde reporter said with enthusiasm and a bright smile on her glowing face. It was as if she had just won the lottery with this new story.
"The file is for a Miss. Rukia Kuchiki, daughter of the infamous Soujun Kuchiki, head of Kuchiki enterprises. As you may know this company is a multi-billion dollar corporation that controls much of the economy of Japan. Rukia is the sister of Byakuya Kuchiki who is due to take over as CEO any day now. Your probably wondering why we never knew there was a daughter in the famed family, we found some disturbing evidence as to why this was."
Rukia was no longer relaxed in the chair, now she was sitting forward with a tensed back, and she looked terrified, "Rukia turn it off," Byakuya commanded, not wanting his sister to see hear they were going to say about her. Rukia shook her head and it sounded like she was beginning to hyperventilate.
"Miss Kuchiki was placed into Karakura Mental Facility when she was ten years old, she was admitted because she attacked her brother Byakuya with the intent to kill him, she was diagnosed with a mild Schizophrenia, and a bipolar disorder. When she was fourteen she tried to commit suicide by cutting her wrists, however we do not know the reason as to why. It is clear that she is disturbed. Schizophrenia is a mental illness that causes hallucinations and delusions that can be very dangerous. Bipolar disorder is when a person's mood fluctuates between mania -extreme happy feelings, and depression -extreme sad feelings.
They now showed a picture of Rukia when she was ten, followed by the picture the hospital took when she turned sixteen. She was not smiling in the picture, in fact she looked very sad. This is not happening, I'm imagining it. This is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening! Chanting this in her head was all Rukia could do to keep herself from having some kind of breakdown.
"A few months ago, Rukia was released from the mental facility at the age of sixteen and is now roaming around with the rest of society. There is no telling if she is dangerous or not, we tried to call Soujun Kuchiki to see what he had to say about the matter, but representatives from his corporation refused to comment." The lady on the screen paused to catch her breath, "we have reason to believe that the Kuchiki family did not want this information released to the public because it would tarnish the great Kuchiki name. There may also be a very bad relationship between the Kuchiki siblings, Byakuya probably never wanted to see her again after what she did to him."
"She was most likely kept in the institution for so long -six years to be exact- because of the threat the family felt from her. As I said earlier she had already attacked the older Kuchiki son, maybe they feared she would do it again. We have no clue as to why she was released but we will be researching into this matter further."
The bold red header on the TV now said, 'Kuchiki Scandal'. They seemed to have no more to talk about on the matter because they switched the view over to the weather, but the story was running in small print on the bottom of the screen.
Rukia was no longer paying attention to the TV, knowing that they weren't saying horrible things about her anymore. She felt like a large brick, so heavy that if she tried to move she couldn't. It was all happening much to fast, she could no longer control her heavy breathing and she knew she was having some kind of anxiety attack.
How could this be happening?
"Rukia?" In the back of her mind, she faintly heard her brothers concerned voice calling out her name, but she ignored it. She didn't want to speak to him, not to anyone. Faster than she thought she could possibly move, she darted off the couch, and into the safety of her bedroom. She swiftly closed the door behind her and locked it. (She had just convinced her brother not even a few days ago to buy her a locking door handle, Rukia previously wasn't allowed to have one.). Feeling like she had no energy to move across the room to her bed, she collapsed right there on the floor, she leaned her back against the cold wooden door.
Rukia continued with her harsh breathing, she could feel her heart beating against her chest so hard she thought it was going to come out. She put her head in her hands and tried to control it. She felt the dampness on her forehead that told her that she was freaking out so bad that she was sweating.
Her heart was beating so hard, the last time she remembered it feeling like this was when she met Toshiro for the first time. Toshiro...
A heart-wrenching sob tore from her throat, as her eyes began shedding tears faster than they ever had before. He was going to see almost all her secrets on TV, and he would hate her. Hate her more than if she were to tell him herself. She wasn't ready for him to know these things about her yet, she figured she would wait until she knew for a matter of fact that she was in love with him.
Rukia had such deep feelings for him that she couldn't bare the thought of him not wanting to be with her anymore. And the lies that the news reporter was saying made Rukia want to march down to that news station and scream in her face that she was wrong. She was not dangerous, and she loved her brother very much, what had happened when she was young was an accident. She didn't mean to hurt him.
She felt the door handle be moved as if someone was trying to enter her room, but they couldn't because it was locked. She heard her brother sigh from behind the thick door, "Rukia, will you let me in?"
She covered her mouth with a nearby pillow so that he couldn't hear her gasping for air in between her sobs. Toshiro is going to think I'm crazy, Rukia thought. She couldn't control her tears, they flowed down her face much like a river. Maybe if he hears it from me, he won't be so angry or upset or confused. Maybe he won't hate me.
Hope filled her whole being, she knew it was foolish to feel so hopeful. It was a dangerous emotion. It brought you out of a difficult painful place and into a much better one where everything works out for the best and nothing bad could possible happen. Then the bad horrible things do, and you feel worse than you had before you began to hope.
Even knowing this, a new determination roared in Rukia. She had to tell him before he saw it on TV.
First standing off the floor, she felt a little dizzy, and immediately wanted to sit back down but she knew that she couldn't. Rukia walked across the room, slipping into her shoes and took a deep breath. Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, she moved to the door before locking it and stepping out into the hallway where her brother stood staring at her with a strange emotion on his face, "I'll be back."
Before he could say anything to stop her, Rukia marched to the front door and went through it, into the hallway of the apartment complex. She decided to take the stairs, even though they were relatively high up. It gave her more time to think.
Rukia knew Toshiro was going to be in his dorm room, and luckily she knew where that was. All the way across campus. She started stepping down the stairs more quickly because he may have already seen the news. By the time she got outside Rukia was running.
She knew this could all go wrong, that it might leave her more broken than before but she had to hope because it was all that she had.
Hope
SO? What did you think? were you suprised? how do you think the file ended up at the news station? how do you think Toshiro is going to react? I would love to know what you think!
Thanks for reading! :) REVIEW!:)