Chapter 10

Byakuya woke up that morning feeling like hell.

Last night, he got into a fight with his girlfriend who was now his ex-girlfriend and to make matters worse, a certain orange haired substitute shinigami was here getting on his nerves.

Deciding he couldn't, or rather a very persistent sister and substitute shinigami wouldn't let him stay in bed all day, he got up and prepared himself for work.

"Brother, so nice of you to join us?" his sister smiled at him while the boy she sat next to just stared.

"Do have something you want to say or are you just going to stare at me all day, boy?" he snarled at the orange haired shinigami.

"Ichigo!" Rukia slapped him on the head but the boy didn't flinch.

"Well . . . spit it out already" Byakuya growled at the boy.

"You look like hell", the boy commented.

As the boy stood, Byakuya grabbed the hilt of his zanpakuto with one hand and grabbed the boy by the throat with the other.

"Either you must be high or just that plain stupid to say some shit like that to me", he growled at the boy.

"That's not what I meant", Ichigo choked out.

"Brother, please", Rukia pleaded with him.

"It's okay Rukia", Ichigo smiled at her then turned to Byakuya. "What I meant was that you look like you're going through something and that you're having an off day. If you want, after you let go of my throat, we could sit and talk about it".

Byakuya reluctantly let the boy go, then walked out of the room.

"Ichigo are you—" he heard Rukia say as he was leaving.

Byakuya had only gotten half way across his front lawn when he heard footsteps racing up toward him.

"What do you want boy?" he stopped abruptly.

"What's wrong?" he heard the substitute shinigami panting behind him.

"Like I'd tell you", he said coldly and began to walk away.

"She must be something if she can make you this upset", he called after him.

Byakuya knew it was foolish and probably the most absurd thing he had ever done in all his one hundred or so years but it couldn't hurt to talk to someone.

And besides, it wasn't like Ichigo didn't have women problems of his own. Heck, Ichigo had two women after his heart, so it wasn't like he didn't know how to handle women troubles. Maybe he knew better than Byakuya gave him credit for.

Sighing, Byakuya turned around and decided to tell Ichigo before he changed his mind.

"Well", he began as he sat down on the ground beside Ichigo. "I have this girlfriend, or ex-girlfriend, and I think she's engaged".

"Wow, back up", Ichigo held up his hand. "She's engaged but you were dating her?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" he shouted.

"I didn't know she was engaged you idiot!" Byakuya shouted back.

"So what, she told you or you found out?"

"She told me. Actually, she said she thought she wasn't engaged but found out that she still was. Man, I was stupid to fall for her."

"No you weren't. You were stupid to take that and not ask her to explain further", Ichigo spat at him.

"Well, I was kind of mad and called her, or implied, that she was a whore then left", he looked down at the ground shamefully.

"You idiot!" the orange haired shinigami stood and punched him in the face.

"You had better had a good reason for doing that", Byakuya turned to him glaring icily.

"Shutup! How about explaining to me what reason you could have had for calling—"

"Implying", Byakuya corrected him.

"Who gives a damn?!" Ichigo threw his arms in the air. "You never call or 'imply' that a woman is a whore", he air quoted the word imply. Then he sat back down on the ground beside Byakuya.

"So you think you could have handled that better than me?" he snapped at Ichigo.

"Well, I wouldn't have called her a whore", he answered.

"I implied", he corrected again.

"Whatever. What exactly did you say to her?"

"I more or less said that she got lonely and decided it would be fun to date in his absence", he replied.

"Were those your exact words", Ichigo peered at him.

"No", Byakuya sighed. "My exact words were, 'What happen, he leave you alone for too long and you got bored and decided to date in his absence?" he spat out.

"So you mocked her while at the same time 'implying' that she was a whore. You bastard", he yelled at Byakuya.

"What?" he stood up towering over the orange haired boy. "She's the one who—"

"Was a fool for ever going out with you in the first place", Ichigo stood and began to walk away.

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Byakuya yelled after Ichigo.

"You love her, right?" Ichigo turned to look at him.

"I did, but—"

"Either you do or you don't" Ichigo walked over and stood in front of him. A smug look on his face. "Love just doesn't die because you're mad at her. If anything, you love her more because you think you can't have her".

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked confused.

Ichigo sighed, the smug look on his face deepening, as he sat down on the ground.

Byakuya sighed as well and sat back down beside him.

"Look, you said she said she thought she wasn't engaged but now she is, correct?"

"Yes?" he answered slowly.

"So then that means she's just as confused as you are", he laughed loudly.

"What— why are you laughing?" he barked at the boy.

"Look", he said turning serious. "Kohana loves you, I can tell, and she's probably upset that you wouldn't hear her out. There's more here than meets the eye or however you say that expression. Give her a chance. She just may surprise you and you could end up having the woman you've always wanted" he smiled then stood and walked away.

Byakuya pondered this for a moment then shouted, "Hey, how did you know it was Kohana?!"

"Bye Byakuya", Ichigo waved then disappeared back into his house.

Give her a chance huh? Couldn't hurt to try and maybe, just maybe, Ichigo is right and she will surprise me and I can have the women I've always wanted he smiled to himself then shunpo-ed off to work.

When Byakuya reached his office, he noticed the paperwork was already on his desk with a note attached to the top.

Here. Asshole! Kiyouhamura. It said in bold angry writing. If writing could be angry.

Byakuya just stood there in shock at the note.

He had missed his opportunity to run into her and would either have to go find her or wait until he could run into her again.

Just as Byakuya took his seat at his desk, he heard at a knock at his door.

"Come in", he said stuffing the note in a nearby drawer.

"Taicho, can I talk to you?" his lieutenant, Renji, came in.

"Sure. Have a seat", he gestured to the seat in front of his desk.

"Sir, there seems to be a problem with our twelfth seat, Kohana Kiyouhamura" his lieutenant spoke after sitting.

Byakuya's ears perked up at the mention of her name but he said nothing. Instead, he nodded for Renji to continue.

"Her problem is you, you asshole", Renji spat out then quickly added, "Byakuya Kuchiki sir".

It seemed everyone was mad at him today, not just Kohana.

Just as soon as Byakuya was about to defend himself, the tenth squad's fukutaicho came bursting into his office.

"Good, you're here", she said to Renji then pointed at Byakuya. "You bastard! How could you do that to her? She's been crying her eyes out all morning over you. Sorry ass excuse of a boyfriend."

"Rangiku!" her taicho called from the doorframe to his office.

"But taicho", she whined. "You saw her this morning. She couldn't even form a sentence from all her crying. He deserves a good ass whipping or at least a good scolding", she leered at Byakuya.

"I agree" Hitsugaya nodded. "But that isn't our call to make nor is it Renji's, its Kohana's call and she should do it when she's ready".

"Fine", Rangiku hmphed.

"Fine", Renji grunted.

"Well . . ." Hitsugaya looked at Byakuya. "Aren't you going to go after her or hide in your office all day?" he asked.

"But she hates and probably won't even care that I'm sorry", he replied.

"That may be true, but the least you should do is fight for the woman", Renji stated.

"It's better than doing nothing at all", Rangiku chimed in.

"Fine. I suppose it can't hurt", he sighed.

"Actually, it just might if she hits you or doesn't take you back", Renji commented.

"Renji" Hitsugaya and Rangiku glared at the red haired fukutaicho.

"Sorry, but you know it's true", he said defensively.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to state the obvious", Rangiku swatted at him.

"Ouch. That hurts", he whined.

"Big baby" Hitsugaya mumbled as they exited his office.

Byakuya took a deep breath and headed out the door behind the others chanting Ichigo's words over and over in his head.

Give her a chance. She just may surprise you . . . Give her a chance. She just may surprise you . . . Give her a chance. Give her a chance. Give her a chance.

"By the way", Byakuya spoke after a while. "Where is Kohana exactly?"

"I think she's at the training grounds under the big cherry blossom tree", Renji informed him.

"Thanks", Byakuya said then shunpo-ed off.

Byakuya shunpo-ed as fast as his body was able in hopes that Kohana hadn't left yet and that there was still time to say he was sorry.

As he approached the training grounds, he saw two girls walk past Kohana, look at her, then walk away laughing.

As he got closer he heard the blonde girl say, "Ahh. Did someone not get to see their taicho today?"

"The slut. Why can't she sleep with someone more her type or does she want to move up in rank that bad?" the other blonde sneered.

"Oh, Kuchiki-taicho, I didn't see you there", the first blonde said.

"I will deal with you two later", he peered down at the two blondes.

"Yes sir", they both saluted in unison then scurried off.

As he got closer to the cherry blossom tree, he heard someone crying on the other side of the trunk of the tree. When he reached the other side of the tree, he saw nothing but red hair spilled over a pair of legs and shaking shoulders.

"Kohana?" he asked leaning forward to get a better look.

He saw the body begin to lift up, hands pulling apart the waterfall of red hair and big watery green mysterious eyes looking up at him.

At first she looked surprised, almost happy to see him, then she frowned and said, "What the hell do you want?"

"What I want is to . . . is to . . ." he stuttered looking down at the ground.

Why can't I tell her what I want to say? Why am I so afraid to open up and let her in?

If I truly love her, which I do, I would just come out and say it.

"Well, spit it out", she snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What I want is to listen to what you have to say", he said taking a seat beside her on the ground. Then he took her hand in his and looked her dead in the eye, "Listen and not judge and accept whatever it is you have to say".

"Really? Whether good or bad, you'll listen?" she perked up at him.

"Yes, I promise", he held up one hand in the air.

"So how come you're willing to listen to me now and not last night?" she looked him dead in the eye.

"To be honest, I was mad at you and I really didn't want to hear anything you had to say last night but a friend of my sister's told me I should hear you out", he answered her. "He said I should give you a chance and let you surprised and maybe we could both get what we want", he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it gently before laying it down between them.

"Okay", she looked at him suspiciously. "But are you sure you want to hear the gory details?" she asked.

"It will be hard to hear but I promised you I'd listen and that's what I intend to do", he smiled at her.

"Okay", she smiled back then she took a deep breath and said, "Tao was and may still be my fiancé but I in no way have feelings for him. Not then, not now, and I never will", she looked at him.

He just nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I didn't know it then, but once you join the Hyoujin family, you become their property and you have no say in anything. Whatever they decide, you do. No ifs, ands, or buts about it", she turned to look down at the ground tears beginning to fill back up in her eyes.

Byakuya let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his body.

She leaned into him and began sobbing.

"Shhh. It's okay", he murmured in her ear.

"I'm sorry. It's just . . . I never wanted to even marry that monster but he told me I had to", she sobbed.

"What?" Byakuya pulled away from her and stared at her worriedly. "What do you mean he told you you had to?"

"A year before I was to graduate, he came to me and told me that we were getting married and that he was proposing to me early and no, I had no say in the matter. And after he punched in the stomach too. What a way to propose to girl, huh?" she laughed bitterly.

"I don't think that was funny", he told her sternly. "I think that's sick and he should pay for what he did to you", Byakuya grew angry, clenching his fists tightly.

"Calm down", she grabbed his wrist gently. "He's dead or was or whatever. So there's nothing you can do".

"What do you mean dead?" he asked confused.

"Tao died a month before I was to graduate", she turned away from him.

Byakuya cupped her chin in his hands and looked at her puzzlingly.

"So if he's dead, why are crying?" he asked her.

"Because he isn't", she moved his hand from her chin.

"I don't understand", he just looked at her.

"About a couple of days ago, Tao contacted me and gave me a warning. He told me to behave or I'll suffer the consequences", she leaned into his chest and began sobbing loudly.

Byakuya didn't know what to do but he knew he had to say something.

He thought for a moment of what to say but everything he thought of sounded stupid and idiotic.

But just as was about to say something, Kohana spoke first. "I know it sounds absurd but it's the truth. I am not crazy and Tao is somehow haunting me", she sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I know you're not crazy", he said after a moment. Glad Kohana gave him an opening so he wouldn't have to say anything stupid. "But I do have one concern though, how can the dead haunt the dead?"

"Well, Hitsugaya-taicho and Matsumoto-fukutaicho think he may be still alive somehow but honestly, I don't know what to think. I mean, only I can see, hear, and feel him but the things he does feel so real and everyone has notice the effects. Like when I drowned or when he strangled me—"

"Wait, he tried to drown you then strangle you?" Byakuya asked angrily.

"Well, not exactly. I drowned on my own but only because he scared me but he strangled me. See, he even left fingerprints", she slid her shihakusho off her shoulders and he saw red fingerprints around her neck.

That was all the proof Byakuya needed. He knew that this Tao must be real and that he had to be stopped. By any means necessary.

"Has anyone else seen these marks? Were they there when we . . ." he blushed bashfully.

"Uh yeah", she blushed as well.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he looked at her concerned.

"I tried but you stormed out, remember?" she sneered at him.

"Oh. About that . . ." he looked down at the ground in shame. "I'm sorry I called you a whore. I was way out of line and should have never said such a thing to you".

"I think you implied I was a whore and you're right, you were out of line and just plain wrong, but . . ." she smiled at up. "I probably would have handled it the same way if I had been in your shoes. I don't know how I would have reacted if I found out you were still married and had been dating me. Why I would just die".

"I'm sorry", he said again. "I know all the sorry's in the world won't make up for how much of an ass I've been but I would like to try".

"Oh Byakuya, you don't have to do anything", she grabbed his hand in hers and rubbed gently. "the apology and the fact that you listened was enough for me".

"No, please, I insist. Let me take you out to dinner or to a show or I could cook for you. I could—"

"Byakuya", she giggled placing a finger over his lips. "First of all, you can't cook. Secondly, you hate shows. I know because I overheard you tell Renji one day when he tried to hand you an extra ticket since one of his friends couldn't go. And thirdly", she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. "Dinner sounds great".

"Great. Wherever you want to go, I'll take you", he smiled at her.

"Um . . ." she thought for a minute. "Surprise me", she chirped.

"As you wish", he smiled as he stood up. Then he extended his hand to hers.

She looked up at him and smiled then placed her hands in his and he pulled her up beside him.

"I love you Kohana Kiyouhamura", he kissed her then lifted her up in his arms.

"And I love you, Byakuya Kuchiki", she kissed him back, then asked, "But what are you doing?"

"We're playing hooky", he smiled at her. "There's an empty mansion that I just so happen to have the key to and we just had our first big fight and I thought we could—"

"Oh I know what you thought, Byakuya Kuchiki and I have just one thing to say to you", she then leaned forward and kissed him full on the mouth. When they broke apart she said, "What are we waiting for".

And with that, Byakuya shunpo-ed off with his girlfriend in his arms, heading toward his mansion where they would 'kiss and make up'. (he he he. Like you didn't know that's what they were up to)

Well, that's the end of chapter ten. Hey, that rhymes. Please review and let me know what you think. Bye.