Chapter 10: Whispers

"How is he?" Renji asked Unohana taichou pleadingly, "Is he conscious yet? Please, Unohana taichou, I need to know."

The healer gazed down at him with a calm expression.

"He is still unconscious, Abarai fukutaichou, but I assure you, he will wake as soon as the drug he was given wears off. I am more concerned about Byakuya's babies. You need to keep breathing slowly and remain very calm."

Renji nodded and forced himself to breathe more slowly.

"Have the pains stopped?" she asked, placing a hand on his abdomen and brushing each baby's reiatsu with hers.

Renji shook his head.

"They seem like they're less painful, but I still feel them."

Unohana sighed and bowed her head.

"I will need to switch the two of you back," she said quietly.

"But I thought that…"

"It is a risk, but Byakuya will simply be more at ease in his own body, more able to address what is happening."

Renji nodded, unable to think of anything to say. He rested quietly as his bed was wheeled into the room where Byakuya slept. Renji studied him carefully and thought that he looked comfortable enough. He breathed slowly as another pain began. The healer frowned and placed a hand on his forehead, sending him off to sleep before he quite knew what happened.

When he woke again, he found himself back in his own body and in a different room with Rukia sitting quietly at his side. She smiled at him, but he could see the tightness of the muscles in her face.

"Rukia, how is he? How are the babies?" he asked, trying to sit up.

"Hey," she objected, pushing him back down, "take it easy. Unohana taichou said no excitement."

"I won't rest until you tell me what's going on!" Renji insisted, "I can tell something is really wrong! Tell me!"

Rukia hesitated, looking back at the door, then sighed and bowed her head.

"She said not to upset you. Your babies are fine, but if you get upset, you could go into labor too early. Try to relax. I will tell you what you want to know."

"How is Byakuya?" Renji asked again.

"Okay," Rukia said, steadying herself, "Byakuya was in premature labor. They had to stop it…and the only way they could was to make him sleep, then perform surgery to reduce the flow of reiatsu through his spirit centers. He won't have use of his powers for the rest of his pregnancy. They would just seal away his spirit energy, but they can't, because the babies need the reiatsu to survive. Unohana taichou said that she would be in as soon as he was stabilized and out of surgery. She says that she is sure he'll be okay."

"And the babies?"

Rukia shook her head and shrugged sadly.

"Renji, they won't know until he is stable."

Renji nodded in acceptance, keeping his breathing slow and trying not to allow the panic to sink down beneath his skin. Rukia studied him, then looked back at the door for a moment.

"Renji," she said softly, "Gia is in the waiting room. She's with Ichigo, but she is really scared about the two of you and the babies. Do you think you could talk to her?"

"Yeah," Renji said, trying to look calmer than he felt, "Go ahead and send her in. I'll try to calm her down."

"You'd better calm yourself down first," Rukia commented, smiling sadly.

She rose and left the room, reappearing several minutes later with Gia at her side. The girl's long dark hair was tumbled and unbrushed and her face was stained with tears. She flew across the room and climbed onto the bed, careful not to jostle him, but throwing her arms around his neck and sobbing.

"Daddy Ren! Are you okay? Are our babies okay?"

Renji wrapped his arms around the girl and spoke quietly in her ear.

"It's going to be okay, Gia. The babies and I are both fine."

"But what about Daddy Bya? What about his babies?"

"They will be all right," Renji said, hoping he sounded more convinced than he felt, "They are helping him right now and when they're done, he will just need rest so he'll feel better."

"Are…are you s-sure?" Gia asked, rubbing the tears away from her eyes, "I saw Daddy Bya before they brought him here and he was sweating and his stomach was hurting really bad!"

"Look at me, Gia," Renji said firmly, patting her hair gently, "Byakuya and I…and our babies are all going to be okay. Just keep saying that to yourself, because that's the truth. Okay?"

She didn't answer, but buried her face in his shoulder and nodded.

Renji held her against his chest until the tears stopped and she calmed and drifted off to sleep.

"Rukia," he said softly, once he was sure she was asleep, "maybe you should go out and see if there's any news…"

"There won't be, I don't think," she said quietly, "Unohana taichou said that Byakuya's procedure was going to take several hours and that afterward, he would be in recovery for two hours…and then on bed rest here for a few days."

"Shit…" Renji breathed, "I didn't know it was so bad…"

"Stay calm," Rukia told him firmly, "We don't want you getting all up in arms and going into premature labor, too."

"I'm fine. I feel fine…but…I just wonder what was happening in our room…before we got carted off to the healing center. I have some images…some impressions of what Byakuya saw, but the drug he was given made him so groggy that he couldn't really see who was in our room."

"Well, for everyone's safety, I'm going to ask for more security around our rooms," Rukia said, looking worriedly at Gia, "and maybe you should consider letting me take Gia to Karakura Town for a few days. She can visit everyone there and the staff at home can focus more on watching over Nii-sama and you."

Renji sighed in frustration, but nodded.

"I think it would be best, considering. Byakuya is going to have to stay here, and I'll want to be with him. Even though what happened was aimed at us and not Gia, I don't want to take any chances."

Rukia nodded.

"Okay, I'll leave Gia here to visit with you and I'll get things ready for our trip to Karakura Town."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya shifted and stretched and his eyes opened.

"It's about time you woke up," said Renji, looking over from the bed next to his, "You know, you scared the hell out of me and everyone else."

"Are my…"

"They're going to be fine," Renji assured him quickly, "but you went into premature labor…probably from the drugs that creep used on us. Unohana taichou said we were both lucky we didn't lose our babies. She had the security increased around here…and Rukia had the staff increase security around our rooms at home."

"Gia?"

"She's fine. Rukia took her to Karakura Town to stay with Ichigo…and she'll stay there too…until we figure out who that guy was."

"I looked at him," Byakuya said, furrowing his brow, but his hood was down. I didn't get a good look and the drug he used on me made me too weak to struggle much. Renji, I do know that he was trying to sexually assault you…and he would have if you hadn't awakened and called for help. We need to find out who he is…I won't be able to rest comfortably until I know he's been caught."

"Don't worry," Renji said, rolling over and reaching over to slip a hand into his, "They'll catch him. I don't want you worrying about that. You have to stay calm and try not to push yourself. Byakuya, you are going to have to be really careful from here on in. Unohana taichou said that the pregnancy is putting huge amounts of stress on your body. For some reason, although my body seems to have adjusted pretty well, yours is more resistant. You're reacting more strongly to emotional and physical issues…and she says it's not really something you can control. The only things you can do between now and the birth are to stay calm and stay off your feet. She had to adjust your spirit centers so that the babies can still draw reiatsu, but you will not be able to use your powers. She says it's safer that way. And she is going to wait a little more and deliver your babies early."

"But…"

"Don't worry," Renji assured him, "They'll be all right. And it will reduce the stress on you and them. It's really the best thing."

Byakuya sighed and nodded.

"I'm going to go back to the manor…with a security guard and get a few things for us. I'm going to stay here with you until Unohana taichou delivers your babies."

Byakuya nodded again, but said nothing. Renji read his expression and moved to his side, slipping an arm around him.

"Don't worry, they'll be all right."

He stayed at the noble's side until Byakuya drank a cup of tea and drifted off to sleep, then dressed and left with a guard. Byakuya slept quietly, comfortable knowing that the guard was at the door. But his eyes blinked open as the guard knocked lightly and opened the door.

"Hisoka-san is here to see you, sir."

Byakuya nodded.

"Very well, allow him to pass."

The servant walked in, carrying a small box and wearing a warm smile.

"Kuchiki-sama," he said, bowing, "I was so sorry to hear that you were not well. I wanted to come and wish you well…and to give you a gift."

Byakuya's eyes rose to the box as it opened. His lips curved into a smile at the sight of the intricately carved sakura tree. The trunk of the small tree was dark brown and finely textured. It rose upward and broke away into dainty, reaching limbs that ended with pink, light metal sakura blossoms. The blossoms hung down and fluttered softly as Hisoka set the tree in Byakuya's hands.

"This is exquisite," Byakuya said appreciatively, "Hisoka…arigato."

"It was nothing, Kuchiki-sama. I enjoy making these small crafts in my spare time and I've seen how you love the sakura trees at your home…"

"Again, arigato."

"I am pleased you like it, Kuchiki-sama." Hisoka said softly.

Byakuya's brow furrowed suddenly and his head bent slightly in thought. A cold stab of fear passed through him as he heard Hisoka's softer voice in his mind. His breath caught sharply and he looked up at the servant.

"What is it, Kuchiki-sama? Is something wrong?"

Before Byakuya could answer, a soft hissing sound erupted from the tree and white mist enveloped him. He tried not to breathe it in, but it had happened so suddenly, the drug was already overtaking him. He felt a hand over his mouth and the tree was taken from him and set on the nightstand.

"I knew you would be too likely to remember," Hisoka said in a low voice, "You saw me with Abarai-san, didn't you? I know you did, so I will take you first."

"Why?" Byakuya managed dizzily, "Why are you…"

"Shh, sleep, Kuchiki-sama. You must not get overexcited. You have to think about your babies."

"Hisoka…don't…"

The noble's words faded and he fell back against the pillows. Hisoka smiled slyly and wrote a short note, then set it on the nightstand beneath the sakura tree. He turned back and carefully lifted Byakuya, then slipped out the window, and flash stepped quietly away into the darkness.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji closed the door to the bedroom and returned with his guard to the manor entrance. The head of security greeted him and bowed.

"Abarai-san, we are still working on our investigation, but we have found a few oddities."

"What did you find?" Renji asked quickly.

"Our initial search yielded nothing useful, but when we did a deeper reiatsu search, we located an item of interest."

He held up the small, carved wolf Hisoka had given Renji.

"The wolf?" Renji asked, narrowing his eyes, "What's interesting about it? It was a gift from Hisoka."

The guard nodded.

"But the reiatsu search revealed that it is a gift with a more insidious purpose. Inside is a small chamber that appears to have been filled with a drug to render one unconscious."

"So…Hisoka drugged us? He tried to attack me? Are you sure?" Renji asked.

"We are certain, sir," the guard said, nodding, "After we found this, we carefully searched his room and we found the tools he used for making this. We also found these…"

The guard handed Renji several pictures.

"Pictures of me?" Renji mused, "What? He has some kind of creepy obsession or something?"

"It seems so," the guard went on, "So we tried to locate him…but as of yet, he has not been found."

"Byakuya will want to know about this. Keep looking for that guy and let us know as soon as you find him."

He turned to his bodyguard.

"Come on, we need to get back to Byakuya and tell him about this."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are you comfortable, Kuchiki-sama?" Hisoka asked, bringing Byakuya awake with a start.

Byakuya opened his eyes and found himself in an unfamiliar room, looking up at Hisoka. He tried to get up, but was stopped by a restraint on his wrist that wouldn't allow him to get out of the bed.

"I have sealed away your spirit energy so that you cannot attack me and you will remain here until your babies are born."

"Hisoka…you have to release the seal on my spirit energy. The babies won't survive if you don't. I don't have my powers anyway! The surgery I had left me powerless, so that the stress on my body would be reduced. I swear to you. If the seal on my powers is not removed, the babies will die!"

"He speaks the truth," said a gruff voice from the doorway, "I sense it."

Byakuya's eyes widened at the sight of the huge hollow who stood, his body filling the doorway.

Hisoka nodded briefly and leaned over Byakuya, touching the restraint at his wrist and unsealing his spirit centers. Byakuya breathed a sigh of relief and rested against the pillows. He gazed up at his captor warily and waited.

"You need to be quiet and stay calm, Kuchiki-sama. As long as you cooperate, nothing bad will happen."

"But why are you doing this?" Byakuya asked, calm returning to his voice.

Hisoka closed his eyes.

"He is a beautiful thing, Kuchiki-sama. I have thought so for the longest time…ever since he became your fukutaichou. And you may treat him better now. But even though he has forgotten how you were before, I remember how you treated him…him and everyone else. Renji-san forgave you for that. He always makes excuses for you…but you cannot simply walk free after everything you have done. You deserve to pay. So you will give up Renji-san to me. I will take care of him and love him the way he deserves. He and his babies will be happy with me. He will forget you when you are gone and he will love me…"

"You won't hurt my babies..."

"No, Kuchiki-sama. I will wait until they are born..."

"What are you planning to do to me?" Byakuya asked, a note of tension in his voice.

Hisoka looked from Byakuya to the large hollow and smiled wickedly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji rushed past the guard at Byakuya's door and burst into his room.

"Byakuya, we found out that…"

He gazed uncomprehendingly at the empty bed and opened window. A breeze entered the room and he heard a soft, tinkling noise. His head turned and his heart leapt into his throat as he spotted the sakura tree on the nightstand. Flash stepping forward, he picked it up and found a note beneath it.

I have Kuchiki-sama and will kill him and his babies unless you come to me alone. Meet me at midnight at the central senkaimon…and remember…if you try anything or bring anyone, I will kill him immediately.