It's been a long time. I am sorry.

Just, for some reason I lost my momentum or something. This story suddenly became impossibly hard to write for some reason. I was never quite satisfied with this chapter and kept doing it over, but I'm content with this end result, and I've got my momentum back (which is good for you readers).

Oh, yeah. Since people keep mentioning the fact that Renji was OoC in Act II, I feel I should explain myself. That chapter probably doesn't really "fit in". That's because I had a different course for the story at the time I wrote it. He was intentionally OoC...but then he got BiC and the story ended up like this...

Oh well. It's probably for the best anyway.

Byakuya was in the house. Alone.

He didn't like being alone. When he was alone, his mind couldn't help but drift to Hisana.

And of course, what that idiot Renji had said as he left didn't help anything.

Why was he letting it bother him, anyway? Renji Abarai was a hothead and not worth regarding.

And yet it still nagged at him.

So was he to assume that Rukia had never told Renji about Hisana? Well, that was probably for the best anyway.

What was he to say when this month was over? Although he had to admit that Renji and Rukia seemed quite fond of each other, that wouldn't make it any easier to give his blessing. Especially to Renji…of course, he was still better than Ichigo Kurosaki, but not by much…

Then again, how could he be sure it wasn't an act because he was here watching?

It seemed real enough, but still…

Or did he just really want it to be an act?

No! There was no point in speculating over it.

He really needed to find something to do to distract himself.

…

Byakuya was hungry. So what was he supposed to do? Had Rukia really left him to starve while she went out to enjoy herself?

Then he spotted a covered bowl on the counter. There was a note with a bunny on the front sitting next to it.

He opened it.

"Nii-sama,

I made dinner for you.

Love, Rukia."

There was a little heart after Rukia's name.

Well, that was that.

…

After dinner, Byakuya went outside. The moon was bright and full, illuminating the world of the night.

It didn't matter where he was, or who he was with, or how he was feeling, there was always the moon. It was always there, marking the passing of time.

He wasn't quite sure why he preferred the moon over the sun. He had always been partial to the night. When Hisana had first come to live with him in the Seireitei, she had been afraid to come outside at night. She'd stay inside, and though Byakuya would ask her to join him, on that issue, she was stubborn, and he couldn't imagine what her life in the Rukongai had been like to make her so scared of the dark.

But after a couple of days, he had noticed that when he went out at night, she watched him through the windows. Every night, she watched him. And then one day, she finally came out and accompanied him.

She had at first been wary, and had clung to him as though he was her protector who would ward off the evils of the night. But then, over time, she grew more relaxed. She wasn't always so guarded. Not in his presence. She'd take walks in the moonlight with him every night. It was something special that they did together. It was as though no one else in the world existed.

How maddening that Hisana came to mind every time he looked at the moon!

He could see it in his mind…him and Hisana taking moonlit walks together…except Hisana became Rukia and it was Renji by her side!

But of course there was no comparison, between him and Hisana and Rukia and Renji. No comparison!

Even when they were gone, he couldn't get away from them?!

Now that he thought on it, he had not taken a walk in the moonlight since he came to stay here. It probably wasn't safe, anyway. At the Kuchiki manor, it was safe, and secure, and the night was nothing to fear…not that he really feared it here, either. It wasn't like he really had anything to worry about. But still, the audacity! He couldn't believe Renji would bring Rukia to live somewhere even remotely unsafe.

Of course, when it came to safety, Renji probably wasn't the most reliable person. This might be a matter that Byakuya would have to take into his own hands. Surely even the loudmouthed Renji wouldn't protest too much at Byakuya's involvement, since this matter had to do with Rukia's well-being. And in the end, that was something both he and Renji were looking out for…right?

Well, at least they had one objective in common.

But of course, the safest place for Rukia to be would be at the Kuchiki manor, where Byakuya could always protect her and keep an eye on her. Because if he wasn't around and Rukia got injured or killed…well, he didn't really want to dwell on that, and he wasn't quite sure he could trust Renji with this all-important task.

He went inside.

It wasn't the fact that he'd thought of Hisana that bothered him. That happened all the time. How could he not think of her, when he lived with her sister, who was her very image? Or had lived, anyway. But for that idiot Renji to mock Hisana's memory…and he thought he might eventually get Byakuya's approval? Not at this rate!

He found himself in the front hallway, by the door Rukia and Renji had passed through what seemed like quite a while before.

Stupid Renji.

…

Byakuya had just finished in the bath when he heard noises outside. Despite his suspicions that Renji had brought Rukia to live in an unsafe place, he wasn't overly concerned at first. It was just him at home, anyway. Any common thief would be foolish to cross him. Besides, since this was the Seireitei, he had to question the number of common thieves that might be lurking about (although, some of the lower shinigami and anyone from 11th company were suspect).

As he dressed, however, the noises persisted--and unless his ears were failing him, they were growing louder. He was about the put in the kenseikan, but he stopped. It was a woman's voice he was hearing!

Just as he'd suspected. What sort of place had Renji stolen Rukia away to?!

He grabbed Senbonzakura. There was no question. Even if he did give Renji and Rukia his approval, they were coming back to the Kuchiki manor with him. Well, Rukia anyway.

Before he had a chance to open the front door and see what was the matter, the door slammed open, and Renji was standing there. Rukia ran up behind him, yelling at him ("Renji, you jerk! What the hell?! Answer me!")

Byakuya stood behind Renji. His left hand held Renji's left wrist, and his right hand held Senbonzakura at Renji's throat.

"Nii-sama?!" cried Rukia.

"Oh. I see. It was you I heard, Rukia", said Byakuya.

"Um…nii-sama, maybe you should release Renji?" said Rukia delicately.

Byakuya let go of Renji and withdrew Senbonzakura. "Hardly worth unsheathing Senbonzakura for." He pushed past Renji and went back into the house.

Renji seemed to have finally recovered his wits enough to speak. "Wh…what the hell?! This is the crap I come home to?!"

"At least he didn't break your wrist", said Rukia optimistically.

"That's not helpful! I feel sorry for the person who sneaks up on him in the dark!"

As Byakuya sheathed Senbonzakura, Rukia said, "You may have overdone it, nii-sama…"

"Rukia", said Renji, who was still feeling humiliated, "Did you know that was going to happen?!"

"That's why I told you to announce yourself before you go barging in, you moron! Nii-sama doesn't like to be startled."

"Yeah, I could have told you that! How was I supposed to know he was going to be right by the front door?"

"You are back earlier than expected", said Byakuya, "Did something occur?"

"Don't ask me!" said Rukia, "He just took off for home and won't tell me why!"

"Rukia, stop talking! You'll make me lose my willpower!"

"Don't speak to her that way", said Byakuya.

"Kuchiki-taichou! You stop talking too!"

Byakuya was regretting withdrawing Senbonzakura from Renji's scrawny neck.

"Kuchiki-taichou!" said Renji, "I…apologize."

When it comes to Rukia being paired with someone, I said Byakuya might prefer Renji over Ichigo because Renji's, you know, never beaten him in combat. Byakuya seems like the sort who dislikes losing, especially to someone like Ichigo. It's nothing personal on my part.