Buying Time

Marriage came in the form of a contract which all three of them signed. Then they had dinner. After a priest had come and they entered the family shrine and completed the ceremony without interruption.

"Bayakuya, do you know where this girl comes from? Her manners are impeccable and she seems very well educated. The way she pours tea and eats is like a lady. She seems to have much practice and she's quite lovely. I approve of your choice." Giniri said to Bayakuya

Rukia did have practice nearly sixty years of being forced into flower arranging, tea ceremonies, calligraphy, table manners, tutors, etiquette, small talk, dressing properly behaving properly and it took nearly all that time for her to submit to behaving properly. There will be no mistakes like when she was first taught. She would win everyone over easily by her behavior, they may even think she was secretly of royal blood. Which she found out not so long ago she was, at least before she died.

The first few months were happy ones. She never remembered the house being this alive and everyone being in such high spirits. She wondered why it couldn't have been that way all those years she had lived here. But she had work to do she had to keep Bayakuya happy and distracted as possible and it was easy to do. She was just as happy with him as he was with her. The sadness she carried with that happiness softened her features it was a different look then that of the usual emotionless or angst look which was normal for her. It almost made her look sickly.

Six months went by quickly and she still hadn't figured out who the conspirators were. All the servants were friendly and obedient, and she hadn't met many Shinigami. She would have to figure it out by needing someone's help with the charade and they would show themselves by stepping in like Dairo said.

She needed more time. She sent an anonymous tip to the authorities about Dairo and his gang. She described how he and a woman of a certain description robbed a temple some time ago and stole a golden statue. She knew where Dairo kept it. He didn't part with it because of his pride. The pair were arrested and sentenced to three years in exile to some place she had only heard about by rumor.

She got the time she needed. She still played dumb when she told Bayakuya she was going back to see some friends and ask them if they have seen her sister Rukia. When Rukia arrived at the gangs shack, they told her what happened. The gang had been thrown into chaos because everyone suspected the other of being the snitch. Rukia played her part. One man told her Dairo will get word to her soon, just keep things up for now.

Dairo and the real Hisana spent the next three years of their sentence in a land where criminals were sent on the rare and unfortunate chance they were ever caught. The place was about as bad as the eightieth district and it was every man for himself. Dairo had no trouble talking and fighting himself back to the head of a gang. He was a great talker a preacher. His words were eloquent and promises fell off of his tongue like liquid silver. During this time Hisanas health had taken a turn and she had become weaker from her heart condition and lack of nutrition.

Back at the manor Rukia waited for Dairos message. She knew it would come soon and she knew that she would have caught at least one conspirator. It came one day after her first anniversary in the form of a middle aged Shinigami. He looked rough but he wasn't a seated officer.

Dairo wrote :

Dear Y,

Thank you for hanging in there for so long. Your sills are without compare. Due to unseen and unfortunate events it will still be two and a half years before we can complete our mission. No doubt it should be easy for you as you are surely enjoying your great hosts hospitality. As for us we will try to shorten the time as best we can. But we must be patient. The world will soon be ours. Oh Hisana isn't well. If she doesn't make it I want you to reconsider things. I may be able to persuade someone else in the household to do it but since I am here and you are there it wouldn't be much trouble to you just see Akiko she will give you what you need. Please destroy this. We wouldn't want to get caught.

Much Love

Dairo

Rukia now had two of the five people Dairo told her about. No doubt Shinigami one knew Shinigami two. She just had to wait for the right time. Rukia started making more excuses that she was going to search for the sister she abandoned. She spent the next month following the Shinigami around and learning his comings and goings. He was in the sixth division and she knew it well enough. Finally she over heard the right two talking about the situation and if they would ever see the money Dairo promised. She began to plot and waited for the right time. She watched from the shadows assessing their abilities.

Rukia broke into the technical research building and knew exactly what she was looking for. She took a small shiny object with strange tubes going in every direction and a blinking green light. She sent the two Shinigami a hell butterfly with false official orders to meet at a field where no one was. Rukia hid herself and when they came she pressed the button on the object she had stolen. The sky opened and three hollow came out. She then disarmed both of their swords with her Shunpo. They didn't even see her. The first hollow injured both Shinigami with its tentacles but they were able to kill it. The second one was easily killed but the third did nearly fatal injury to one and killed the other man. Rukia finished off the hollow so it wouldn't hurt anyone else. Then the still living men said thank goodness you came. What Rukia did she will remember for the rest of her life. She finished him with her own hands and no one would know the better. She lied their swords next to them and went on to her next task. She quickly returned the hollow caller to its division.

Rukia couldn't believe how easily this all had come to her. She thought she might at least have a career with covert operations when she got back.

It wasn't until the next day that she over heard one of the servants talking about what had happened. "What happened with a hollow?" She asked

"well miss" said the cook "I don't want to scare her ladyship."

"Oh please tell me, I hear so little news outside these walls." Rukia lied.

"If you want to know two Shinigami were killed by a hollow attack the other day. They just came out of nowhere. Everyone is in an uproar. No one knows why they were there in the first place. On top of that the two that died are being investigated. It seems they had been involved in some shady dealings with gangs."

"Oh my goodness!" She answered. "Are there hollow running about?"

"Oh no miss, It seems they got the hollow so nothing to worry her ladyship about." said the other servant

"Well that's comforting to hear, thank you." Rukia left the room.

There were so many servants in this household she didn't know if she would ever figure out who the three were and what if there were more.

Some servants she recognized they had been with the family their entire lives and she first eliminated them from the suspect list but still kept a watchful eye on them. She figured it would be a never servant but she didn't trust anyone enough to ask about their status. She would have to look over the financial documents to find out who Akiko was working with then eliminate them one by one.

She waited until everyone was gone for the day and was glad she read all those detective novels in Ichigo's room. She hoped her friends were all right and then realized they hadn't even been born yet. Two years had already passed and the whole situation hasn't even climaxed yet.

Rukia spent the evenings walking in the garden with Bayakuya. She took her happiness in his smile and shared his worries. Despite all that was occurring underneath this was the happiest times of her life. She wish so much things could be different. She had made the decision to end her life for her brothers honor when she returned to her own time. She hoped everything was going the way it should. It seems that fate seems to be playing and extra hand and everything was working out as it should.

Career changes and being found out

Time was passing too quickly and another year had gone. Giniri retired and Bayakuya took his place as the sixth division captain and head of the Kuchiki house. His behavior to everyone else had become even colder as he had taken to his new position as if he were born doing it. Rukia was running out of time. If Hisana made it she would come and take her place here to finish the job when they see that she hadn't.

Rukia went to Akiko "I cant stand him anymore" she said "Dairo will be back soon and we need to finish this. I need to know I can trust you Akiko, Is there anyone else who can help me I have a plan." Rukia said.

"I keep several vials right here in this jar whenever you are ready. it's a special poison it will leave no trace and will make the drinker ill for a long time a second vile will kill them. If they have any pre-existing conditions they wont need the second. Master seems healthy so he will need at least two spaced out over several months possibly a year. No one will suspect you or poison." Aikiko said

"You are smart Aikiko I'm so glad you are here with me." Rukia told her " I may need some heavy lifting done who can I trust?"

"Keigo the gardeners' assistant will help you with all you need and the footmen Taki will help you in and out of the manor. Do not trust anyone else, tell no one else." Aikiko said with fear in her eyes.

"I wont you can trust me, were all in this together." Rukia stated as if it were the gospel truth.

Rukia had all the information she needed. She had to get rid of the three. She already had her plans for Dairo and Hisana but there were more immediate threats to take care of.

She spoke with Keigo in secret and plotted an assassination with him.

"No one will catch you. I will say I did not see anything. Just sneak in this evening while we are asleep I will have drugged him to sleep heavily and you will dress as an assassin. I'll help you escape. No one will suspect anything. Killing is what I hear you do best anyway. We can cut out the others and you can have their share. Our secret" Rukia sweetly seduced him with her words. His ego easily giving into her. Rukia provided him with a mask.

Rukia put a little relaxer in Bayakuya' tea that evening. When he was fast asleep she signed Keigo with the lamp. He snuck in ready to kill Bayakuya.

Rukia was ready with her sword

" Tsugi no mai, Hahuren!" Bayakuya woke just in time to see the man impaled with ice.

"Hisana are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes that man just tried to kill me." she said shaking.

The house was roused by all the noise and many came running.

"An assassin!" one said. "Are you both ok?" asked another.

Giniri walked in. "Grandfather this man just tried to kill Hisana."

"I suspected something like this could happen. Many would kill to be in Hisanas position and with her dead you would be free to remarry." he answered.

Rukia knew their reactions all too well.

"What's with all of this ice?" Giniri asked

"It seems our Hisana knows how to call her sword." Bayakuya eyed her proudly.

She wanted him to stay asleep and not see what her sword could do. She knew now she would have to explain things at some point. But one down two to go.

"Aikiko damn it why didn't you tell me he was going to try an assassination attempt last night. I thought he was trying to kill me. He was standing over me wearing a mask, as if I don't have enough to deal with." Rukia told Aikiko like she was shocked and disgusted.

"That idiot always acting rashly and on his own. Dairo will be furious. I doubt he was trying to kill you but I'm sure he was planning on doing other things to you when he had killed the master. I knew he couldn't be trusted to follow a few simple commands." Akiko said angry.

Rukia found the footmen Taiko to be young and naïve. He would be easy to deal with. He would just simply have to get himself dismissed from the house. She would have to set him up for failure.

First Yami-san the head servant beat Teiko for leaving his uniform slightly open. Rukia had passed by him and with a move she learned from Bayakuya she had used a knife to slash his buttons all the while her hands neatly clasped in front of her, at least to the untrained eye. Then he had broken a set of crystal goblets when he was helping with dinner thanks again to Rukia' cunning.

The next day the horses had somehow all gotten out during his watch and stampeded down the streets of Seireitei making people jump out of the way and run around in confusion. Somehow they made it all the way down to the thirteenth division. Ukitake- Taicho was quite amused seeing half a dozen horses grazing outside his bedroom window. Rukia did her best not to laugh.

Taiko was dismissed from the house.

The only problem left to deal with was Akiko before Dairo retuned.

Rukia snuck into Akiko' room.

"Akiko I have no one else to help me in this, please is there anyone else who can assist me?"

"There's no one else Yuki. It's just us. Its strange how everyone involved has left the picture. I shouldn't have trusted you. Did you fall for him? Did you get used to this lifestyle? If you don't let me in on this I'm going to poison him myself and blame you. No Hisana will be available soon and we wont need you. I should just get rid of you now."

The two women struggled. Akiko was strong and nearly strangled Rukia to death. Rukia was able to subdue Akiko by suffocation. Rukia didn't know what to do. Now she had a dead body to deal with. She thought fast. She locked the door and snuck out the back. She brought in some rope and hung it over the rafter. Making a perfect noose she slipped Akiko in and she froze as she watched the body dangle. She lied a chair on its back under her and rummaged through her things to find a pen and paper and something the woman had wrote.

Rukia copied the handwriting the best she could. She kept the note simple.

It read: I know no one cares what happens to me. My debtors wont leave me alone. There's just too much to deal with. I cant take it anymore. I just want to die. I cant go on.

Rukia slipped out the back door and skillfully made sure it locked from the inside.

The uproar the next morning was something to be seen. First came a blood curdling scream that woke her up. Then someone later said "I didn't really know her, she kept to herself."

Rukia didn't know how she slept anymore and by now thanks to the dark circles under her eyes she looked like she was ill. She would deal with the horrors later but for now she would do what needed to be done.

All that was left to deal with now were Dairo and Hisana. Hisana would be the next snake to enter the den and Rukia was ready to cut her down.

That winter Rukia had been so stressed she had come down with a fever. Her lack of sleep and her lack of interest in eating had made her susceptible of sickness. She spent the next month in bed. Bayakuya stayed by her side as much as he could be and looked worried at her worsened state. He had been much busier with all his duties and an away mission the last few months. She had missed his company and the pending doom to come had only made her weaker.

They had been married well over four years. Rukia hadn't heard anything from Dairo and she hoped he had died. But all too soon a note came for her.

Dear Y,

You know where to meet me.

Rukia was still a bit ill at the moment but she made an excuse about getting a letter from a friend who may have seen her sister. She insisted on going to see her friend. Bayakuya couldn't stop her.

"Yuki, I'm so glad to see you." Dairo said.

"I'm glad to see the two of you as well. I just want this whole thing over with. Hisana are you alright?" she said as Hisana collapsed.

"She's not been so well Yuki. It will be good for her to take your place. She could use the food. I see you couldn't finish the job."

They placed Hisana down and left the room.

"Well they do take such good care of me. Killing makes me squeamish, and I wanted to wait for you to return Dairo." she gave him a seductive look.

"My dear Yuki it will all be over soon enough and we can share in the wealth. Have you thought about what you will do with the money. You will have to play the doting widow for a bit." Dairo said.

"It wont be a problem. I have a plan to assist Hisana. I can easily masquerade as a servant and divert attention from any differences that might raise an eye."

"Yuki you cant hide those eyes."

" You see I have purchased brown contacts and I'll keep my hair covered. I'll keep an eye on things for you. How are things between you and Hisana anyway?"

"I don't expect her to stay around much longer dear Yuki. I could think of many uses for you when this is done. We could travel the living world. I'll buy you anything your heart desires."

Then Rukia mustered up the courage pictured Bayakuya and welled up as much passion as she could in that second. She then grabbed Dairo and kissed him so passionately that even he was taken for a moment afterward.

"Consider that my vow of loyalty to you." she said in the sexiest tone she could conjure up.

"You had better go back now before they miss you, and before I loose control of my reserve."

"Until later Dairo." she winked as she left him in a stupor.