SILENT CRIES OF DESTINY

Part 10.

Still sniffling but I feel a little better. And 4 more cases of swine flu broke out here. I've been overdosing myself with Mucinex and the sinus pills I have.

Well, I'm going to try to keep this part of the story in into maybe three long chapters. I don't know yet. There is a LOT that happens to everyone while they're here, not just our little Hanataro.

And thank you to my reviewers! So far to date from this story I've had 44, not counting the one I made. That's more than I've had on any story, granted of course most of mine are one shots. I'm not very good at making chaptered stories.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo, not me.

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Byakuya smirked as he heard the frantic footsteps of Hanataro running downstairs. It could only mean one thing... Hanataro had found the room that had been assigned to him.

The door to the kitchen slammed open. "B...Byakuya! There's no way that can be my room! There's a mistake, right? Or...or a trick? It's my birthday today and everyone tricks me so it's okay but at least tell me where my real room is so..."

"It's not a trick, Hanataro. That room you just saw is your room for the time we're staying here." Byakuya sighed and stood up from the table. "I figured that it being your birthday had something to do with you wanting to come a day early. Your mother told me about what happens to you today and though I doubt anyone would have done anything knowing what you just recovered from, I agreed with you in coming a day early anyway. Now go back up and unpack and meet me down here in an hour. Rukia should be here by then and you two are going into town to pick up some things."

Hanataro nodded and left and Byakuya's heart stopped racing. He glanced down at the bag he had quickly hid before Hanataro bust through the room. If he had seen what was in the bag, Rukia would have killed him.

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"Ready to go Hanataro?" Rukia smiled. "The town is only a few miles away. Brother has hired a driver to take us into town and wait while we go shopping. Isn't this exciting?"

"Yeah, I guess." Hanataro scratched his head, looking down. He'd heard about Rukia's shopping trips before. Sometimes, they got ugly. He hoped she didn't shop too much and just got what they needed. He pulled out the shopping list Byakuya gave him and scanned it. If they just did what was on the list, they'd get back in about three hours.

"Before you go, Happy Birthday Hanataro." Byakuya handed him an envelope. "I didn't know what to get you so I hope this will do."

Hanataro opened the envelope and gasped. "The...there's money in here!"

"And? You'll be able to get anything you want with it."

"Bu...but there's $1,000 in here! There's a mistake right? I'm not worth..."

"Trust me Hanataro. There's no mistake. You need to have at least one good birthday memory and I'm trying to make sure you get it. Now Rukia, make sure he spends most if not all of it." Byakuya ushered the two out the door. "Don't come back until at least seven. Have fun."

No sooner had the two left, when a pink haired head appeared out of the kitchen. "They gone?" Yachiru asked.

Byakuya turned to the Vice Captain who had been joined by Yumichika and Rin. He nodded. "You have until seven to make sure this place is party worthy."

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"You're gonna look so adorable in that blue shirt you got Hanataro!" Rukia squealed as they began walking up the path to the beach house. There hadn't been too much to buy but Rukia had insisted they stay in town until seven when Byakuya expected them home.

"Yeah, I guess. It's not too flashy, is it? I don't want to call too much attention to myself." Hanataro meekly said. 'At least she agreed to let me get the blue one and not the one with the bunny on it. Rukia has no sense of style for guys.' he mentally added. He looked up and saw they were close to the house and breathed a sigh of relief. His arms were full of bags of the different things they needed plus most of the things Rukia insisted he buy with the money Byakuya gave him. It was mostly clothes but Hanataro did convince Rukia to let him buy a camera. He wanted to take pictures of things his squad should look into to make their jobs a little easier. Of course Rukia thought he wanted it to take pictures of friends and places they had been, so there were a lot she had taken of him in the different outfits she had picked out.

Hanataro's face fell when he realized there wasn't any lights on in the house. "Uh Rukia, you do have a key don't you? I didn't think Byakuya would have gone to bed early and I don't want to wake him up."

Rukia smiled. "Yes, I have a key and don't worry. Brother isn't asleep. I just talked to him about ten minutes ago while you were getting your things out of the car. He's waiting for us down at the beach. At this time of year, the beach is so beautiful at night. He wants to take a walk before we settle down."

The two made their way into the house and Rukia told Hanataro to just put the bags down on the couch and that they could put them away when they were finished with their walk. As Hanataro untangled himself from the bags, Rukia silently pocketed Hanataro's camera.

"Well, you ready? You're gonna love this!" Rukia smiled and pushed Hanataro out on the back porch. Lights immediately came on and Hanataro gasped.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANATARO!!!" Everybody that had been invited and who had invited themselves were present. The whole beach was covered in tiki torches and party decorations and Hanataro saw a giant table full of food and a large cake in the middle. There was a huge pile of presents next to it.

"Come on Hanataro! Let's go down!" Rukia beamed and grabbed his hand.

Hanataro hesitated. "This...this can't all be for me. I..."

"Don't say you're not worth it because you are. And I think it's about time you had a decent birthday for once. That's why I sent you and Rukia away so we could all plan this for you." Byakuya appeared beside him and smiled softly. "Now come on. You've got presents to open and cake to eat."

Yachiru ran up next to them. "Yumichika and Rin taught me how to make a cake! Now I can make them too. Try it and see!" She laughed and ran back to Rin who immediately started blushing.

As they made their way into the midst of the party, Hanataro looked around. He clearly saw the resident sake lovers had already made themselves their own party. "Um is Vice Captain Hisagi wearing a coconut bra? And where did Izuru get that lampshade? And I think..."

"Just keep walking." Byakuya quickened his pace. "And don't think for a second to get Hanataro drunk!" he yelled at an advancing Rangiku. "I don't want to catch him wearing anything that goes on a woman or furniture!"

"It's alright Byakuya. I'm sure noone would remember by the morning anyway." Hanataro laughed softly.

"Well, that's why I brought down your camera." Rukia smiled evilly and quickly took a picture of Renji wearing nothing but Captain Kyoraku's pink kimono. "If only I could capture that dance he's doing." she pouted.

Hanataro grabbed the camera. "If you push this button, it takes video too. See?" Instantly on the screen came the dancing, singing form of Renji.

Rukia squealed in delight and ran off, taking more pictures.

"How much was the camera? Because either I'm going to have to buy Rukia one of her own or get you another one because I don't think she's going to give that one back to you." Byakuya sighed. "And I imagine she's going to be showing me those pictures for a long time. Sorry they've made themselves a spectacle."

Hanataro laughed. "It's okay. As long as everyone's having a good time, I'm happy. But how did you pull all of this off? It looks expensive and well planned out?" He looked down to the ground.

"Hanataro, I'll say it again. You really deserve this after the way you've been treated all this time. Don't think your life is going to go back to the way it was because it's not. This time around you have friends that care about you and will do anything for you. Everyone jumped at the chance to help out and as for how much everything cost, don't worry about it. I'm happy to spend it as long as it's making someone else happy."

Hanataro blushed and Byakuya couldn't help but smile. "Thank you Byakuya. Not just for this but for everything. I need to ask you something though..."

"Hey Hanataro! Get over here for some present opening!" Ichigo called out, a large gift in his hand.

"O...okay!" Hanataro ran over to where Ichigo and the presents were.

Byakuya watched Hanataro's retreating form for a second, before calmly walking in the same direction. He couldn't shake the feeling that Hanataro had wanted to say something important to him. He mentally brushed it off for the time being. He could ask him about it later when they were alone.

Everyone gathered around as Hanataro began opening the pile of gifts, first checking the name on the card, then carefully tearing open the paper. Byakuya checked the names as well, in case anyone got him something inappropriate. He then noticed Ichigo had his Zanpakuto with him.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, why do you have your Zanpakuto with you? You could have left it at the house." Byakuya grumbled.

Ichigo stared at Byakuya. "Well, considering we're at the beach and the three captains and everyone else that came the last time we went to the beach are here, I've made myself prepared in case you brought those watermelon tentacle beasts again."

"W...watermelon tentacle beasts?!" Hanataro jumped. "What watermelon tentacle beasts?!"

"Relax. We didn't bring them this time. I think we'll have too much excitement already without them." Byakuya coughed.

"Should I have brought them? I did want to know what they were capable of. I can always make a gate and have Nemu fetch them..." Mayuri pondered.

"NO!!!" It seemed like everyone shouted at once.

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The party lasted until about three when everyone who wasn't drunk and passed out already decided to go to the house to get some sleep. Hanataro had passed out about one and Byakuya had decided to take him to the house early, tucking him into bed. He had gone back down and helped some of the passed out soul reapers into their beds, shockingly getting a kiss from a very drunk Toshiro. Byakuya mused that Rangiku might have spiked his drinks.

Just getting into his bed clothes, Byakuya felt the reiatsu flare first before he heard the cry. He hadn't wanted to be right but had placed Hanataro's room next to his just in case. He entered Hanataro's bedroom to find the boy whimpering and crying out in his sleep. Byakuya quickly went to his bed and gently began to shake him awake. Hanataro's eyes shot open and confusion crossed his eyes before settling on Byakuya.

Hanataro gasped and sat up. "I...I'm sorry! I woke you up! I...I can move rooms so you can go back to sleep and..."

Byakuya shifted into the bed and brought the healer into his lap, softly stroking his hair. "Changing rooms is what you wanted to ask me earlier, wasn't it? You knew you'd have a nightmare and you didn't want to wake anybody."

"I...yes..." Hanataro nodded, wiping the tears out of his eyes.

Byakuya held the boy tighter. "That's why I had this room assigned to you, next to mine. I figured you might start having nightmares and were too embarrassed to have anyone know that you were. Am I correct in assuming you started having them after you woke up in the hospital?"

"Yes. I just...I didn't want everyone to worry about me anymore than they already were, especially mother... Please, I can change rooms so you don't have to worry about me." Hanataro tried to give Byakuya a weak smile.

Byakuya shifted and pulled the blankets over them, making sure Hanataro was comfortable. "Get some sleep Hanataro."

"T...thank you." Hanataro snuggled closer to the warm body before falling asleep.

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OMG this is finally out!

Sorry it took so long to update. With the swine flu scare here and me still being a little sick, it takes a lot out of you. Plus the fact I'm trying to make the chapters a little bit longer.

I know the whole Hanataro birthday has been done, but probably not on the beach, which reminds me...

In my head, they're probably somewhere like Hawaii or the Tropics or somewhere around that area, so it's pretty warm despite being April like in the story. I don't know where anyone else lives but it's still cold at that time where I live.

Ichigo's little comment is a little homage to that Bleach episode I made that comment about. I really think Hanataro would have totally freaked out seeing those.

And finally, Byakuya's making his move, though Hanataro is too sleepy and nightmare terrified to understand. It's still going to go slow, partly because I believe it will take some time for them and partly because even though I love yaoi, I can't write it worth a crap. So no steamy yaoi scenes except in context. (hint at next chapter...wink wink)

Anyway thanks for the reviews. Keep em up!