Alrighty, here's the newest chapter.
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Byakuya recovered as quickly as possible though the process was slow and tedious. After another week of being in bed, he was able to sit up and talk without getting too tired to function. For example, he could easily complain without the stress making him worse than he was before.
"It upsets me that you voluntarily chose to ignore my orders," Unohana said, "I only want you to rest. Arguing with your poor lieutenant is not resting." Byakuya scowled at her while stretching his slowly healing arm. "I will not just sit here and do nothing for another week. And since you don't want me snapping at him, I'll ask you; have I gotten any mail?" Unohana gave him a slight frown.
"You've been in the World of the Living nearly seven months, I'm sure you've gotten something from your lovely wife." Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "You're evading my question. I received three months worth of letters from her. She wouldn't stop writing me, so I need to know if she has sent anything else." Unohana turned away from him. "According to your lieutenant, she has not."
Byakuya started to stand from the bed. "I need to return home." Unohana pressed her hand against his chest and gave him a freezing glare. "You will return home. Give your body at least two more weeks, Captain. You don't need to cause yourself anymore strain by worrying."
Byakuya forced past her and stood fully. He walked with great difficulty and made it as far as his door before coughing up blood. In his frustration he slammed his fist in the wall. He leaned against the wall for several minutes before returning to sit on the bed. He folded his arms stubbornly and closed his eyes.
"I'll be leaving in two weeks." Unohana smiled brightly. "Yes, of course."
Hisana tried to ignore the fact that her employer was a thief. She enjoyed finding reasons to pay the girls that worked for her less and less. She had promised Hisana twenty coins, but when Hisana asked permission to sleep in the workshop's back room, she only paid Hisana eight coins. It was difficult, but Hisana was able to eat and sleep in warm shelter, as winter was quickly coming.
When she first started working, Hisana would work from dawn until late into the night, in an attempt to make a bit more money. Miss Natsuko decided to pay Hisana and extra coin when she did work longer then the others. Her hands would cramp constantly and she would occasionally prick her fingers. The other girls disliked Hisana for some reason Hisana didn't care to figure out.
When she wasn't working, which was only once a week, Hisana tried to find a permanent home. There was a man who would allow her to like in a small shack on his property for two hundred coins. Hisana saved for the place, but her goal was a long while away, though she hoped to afford the house before her child came.
She had, luckily, made friends with a kind lady who worked at the place Hisana had most of her meals. Her name was Chiyo and she offered to be Hisana's midwife, which put Hisana's nerves about that aside.
She worked so hard that she barely had time to focus on how miserable her life was. By the time snow had begun falling, Hisana could barely sew as her fingers were thick with swelling. She couldn't even wear her wedding ring any more, so she wore it on a string around her neck. Her feet were also swollen and walking became difficult. She felt healthy though, and she thought her child was healthy as well, as it constantly moved and kicked with vigor.
Hisana sat sewing, as she often did, when Miss Natsuko walked into the workshop to inspect their work one evening. She walked around the room smugly, pointing out barely visible mistakes and insulting the work slyly.
"How are you today, Hisana," she asked. "I'm feeling well today, Miss Natsuko. Thank you for asking," Hisana replied calmly. "Look, Hisana, you need to leave." Hisana looked at her in shock. "Why?" Miss Natsuko leaned close to Hisana and whispered. "I don't want you here when that child comes. Go and have the baby, and then you can come back."
"Miss Natsuko, you don't understand. I don't have anywhere to go," Hisana explained. Natsuko scowled. "That isn't my problem, Hisana. But I am a generous woman, am I not?" she said. Hisana slightly frowned. "Yes, Miss Natsuko. You are very generous."
"I have a small warehouse behind the workshop. You can stay there until the child is born. I'll expect you to pay for the room though." Hisana nearly scoffed, expecting nothing less. "How much do you want?" she asked. "Ten coins for every week you're there."
Hisana sighed and murmured. "I'm not due for five weeks. I'll pay you the fifty coins now. Thank you for all you've done for me." Natsuko got a familiar greedy look in her eye. "How about we make a trade? You can stay in the warehouse for as long as you need to in exchange for that lovely ring you wear."
"I'm not trading the ring," Hisana said quickly. Natsuko smiled wickedly. "It seems to me that actual money is much more valuable than that ring." Hisana looked away from her so she couldn't see her anger. "I'm not trading the ring."
Natsuko shrugged. "Fifty coins, then. We'll see you again is five weeks."
Hisana paid her from her savings, and almost instantly regretted not trading the ring, so she could have kept money for the house she wanted. She would never sell the ring though, regardless of how hard she struggled.
She left the workshop and went out to the warehouse. It was drafty, dark and empty. There was only a large roll of thick fabric. She was thankful, as she wouldn't have to buy a blanket. It was cold, but Hisana quickly got used to it. When she went to go have dinner, she would get a few candles from Chiyo. Hisana knew that when these five weeks were up, she'd be left with nothing and would have start saving all over again.
As she sat on the floor of the warehouse, Hisana felt the urge to cry for the first time since her exile. She didn't though, because the tears would only freeze once they hit the floor.
Byakuya walked, with a slight limp, toward the portal back home. The battles had been won and despite many deaths, the mission was seen as a success. Peace had been restored, so now people could start to travel home.
He had already met with Rukia, who would stay in the World of the Living a bit longer. "I'm going to help get things back in order here. There's a lot to clean up," she stated. Byakuya nodded in curt approval. "We'll be awaiting your return then," he murmured. Rukia looked down at her feet. "Try to feel better, Brother."
"I will," he promised. "And... and hug Hisana tight for me, please." Byakuya looked at her warmly. "I will."
When he arrived back home, a thin blanket of snow covered the ground. He reported to the Head Captain and met with other Captains, as he was ordered, then quickly went to return to the manor.
Once he entered, nearly all of his family was there to greet him. Old women gave him wet, affectionate kisses and others welcomed him kindly. Byakuya instantly noticed that Hisana was not there to greet him, but rationalized that she was in their chambers.
When he reached them, the room was sterile, as if no life had been there for some time. Something about the room made him vaguely suspicious. He opened the closet briefly, only to find that it was completely empty. The vanity lacked Hisana's perfume and various jewelry.
Byakuya swept out of the room, his brows furrowed and went straight to the Elder's counsel room. He walked into the room and saw all of them, except his own grandfather, conversing with each other. He heard one of them gush on about how happy they were that he was home. Byakuya chose to ignore it.
"Where is, Hisana?" They all stared at him in a way that only made him more impatient. "There is no sign of her here. Where is she?" The youngest of them, Takeda spoke first. "She left, Lord Kuchiki." Byakuya glared at him dangerously. "Do not lie to me."
"She was distraught, as we all thought you were dead. She left in her grief." Byakuya stared at him for a while, trying to decipher the truth somehow. A voice behind him gave him the answer.
"That's a lie," Ginrei spat, leaning weakly on a cane. Byakuya spun to face him fiercely, but softened as he had never seen his grandfather in this state. "Takeda wished to become Lord of the house when we thought you dead, Byakuya. They banished her. I have not always respected your wife, but I will not stand by and wrong you again."
Byakuya turned and faced the others slowly. "I never imagined such a betrayal from my own family." They all seemed to freeze in unison, which confused Byakuya, though he put if from his mind. "I'll deal with each of you later."
Despite Captain Unohana's orders for him not to strain himself, Byakuya raced out of the manor and toward Inuzuri quickly. He felt for her spiritual energy, but simply couldn't locate her. There was an energy that was eerily similar to hers, but the slight deviation made him skeptical. He didn't have any other leads, so he decided to locate the energy, regardless.
It was dark by the time he arrived in Inuzuri, and slow was falling slowly. He walked, still slightly limping, towards a small building where the energy was located.
"Pardon me!" He looked back at a gaudily dressed woman who was approaching him with a frown. "My shop is closed for the night, you'll have to come back tomorrow," she scolded. "I am not looking to buy anything from you," he stated and continued toward the building. The woman kept asking for him to stop, but all reason left him. He was so close and he had to find Hisana, no matter what.
He opened the doors to the building and looked down at the small sleeping form and he immediately sighed in relief. He kneeled down to Hisana and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hisana," he whispered gently, a small lump forming in his throat.
She moaned softly and turned her head to look at him. She shot up into a sitting position and threw her arms around his neck. He heard her begin to sob harshly, so he tightened his grip around her waist. "Hisana, I'm sorry." She shook her head into his shoulder and tried to stifle her sobs. Byakuya felt the tightness in his throat increase and let a single tear fall from his eye. "I'm so sorry," he murmured kissing her head and cheeks.
Her hands were ice cold against his neck, which completely infuriated him. She was nearly freezing, all because his family was filled with power-hungry monsters.
She eventually stopped sobbing and nuzzled her head in his neck. Byakuya stroked her hair gently before telling her that she was going to come home. He would have told her all of that, had she not let out a pained scream.
He looked down at her, worried, and realized why her spiritual energy was different that usual. He stared at her expanded abdomen and had the greatest urge to touch her. He was overjoyed, nearly ecstatic, then concern set it as she cried out again. He took her face in his hands. "Hisana, are you... Is it..." She nodded feebly and whimpered in pain.
Byakuya shifted his weight and moved to pick her up. She screamed again as he lifted her into his arms, and he noted the blood streaming down her legs. "I've got you, Hisana. Calm down, we'll be home soon."
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