Chapter 11: Taken

Byakuya stared with widened eyes as the hollow entered his room and turned toward him, carrying something in his huge hands. He shivered softly, feeling exceptionally vulnerable without his powers and left alone with the hollow. The beast met his eyes calmly, but the golden eyes sent fresh chills down the noble's spine. He felt a twinge in his abdomen and forced himself to take a few calming breaths. He was taken by surprise at the look of sympathy the creature gave him.

"I brought you some tea," said the hollow, revealing the cup in his hand, "Hisoka-san has turned you over to me. I will care for you until your babies are born."

"What do you know about caring for a pregnant shinigami…especially a pregnant male shinigami?" the noble objected, "I am not handling my pregnancy well and I should not have been moved from the healing center!"

"Well, it seems that you and I have both been thrown into the midst of something unexpected, but I know enough to be of some assistance to you. When I was stationed in Las Noches, I used to be a prison physician. On occasion, such things occurred there…especially with Ichimaru Gin's experimenting."

Byakuya's face paled. He was aware, of course, of the reports of what went on in the prisons. All of the taichous were…

"Is that where you are going to take me when I have given birth?" he asked quietly.

The hollow met his eyes squarely.

"It is best if you don't ask any questions which have answers that might cause you stress. It is best, I think, to remain in the moment and deal with the situation at hand. I know you had surgery very recently…and that you need to be on bed rest and keep yourself calm."

"How can I be expected to remain calm when I am only being kept alive to bear my children? When I, most likely, will not even get to ever see them, but might only hear their voices when they are born?" Byakuya asked, closing his eyes.

"You seem to be a courageous and resourceful sort," the hollow commented, "I have no doubt you will do what is best for your children."

Byakuya sighed and leaned back against the pillows. The hollow extended one large hand and Byakuya opened his eyes again and accepted the tea wordlessly. He sipped at it silently, his eyes blinking slowly as he mulled over his situation. The hollow sat down in a chair next to the bed, sipping his own tea and watching Byakuya's every move.

"Do you have a name?" the noble said finally, "If you are going to be responsible for my care, I would like to know who you are."

"I am Naizetsumei."

Byakuya sighed.

"Not exactly encouraging, that," he replied, "but you said you worked in the prisons. So Hisoka wishes to torture me when the babies are born?" Byakuya queried, "Or are you merely here to care for me and one of you will kill me once I give birth?"

"Didn't you listen before?" the hollow admonished him, "I told you that you need to remain calm for your babies' health. This subject is not fitting for now. We will talk about it later. I will say that Hisoka asked me to care for you and that he left it to me to decide your fate when you have given birth."

"But he wants me dead…I feel it. And you are a hollow. I imagine you want the same thing…"

"If you do not desist, I will have to render you unconscious…for your own good. Rest…"

"Byakuya," the noble supplied.

"Rest…Byakuya," Naizetsumei said calmly.

Realizing the futility of argument, Byakuya closed his eyes and rested against the pillows. But beneath his eyelids, he pushed away sleep in favor of forming a strategy.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji swallowed hard and approached the senkaimon, mentally crossing his fingers and hoping that his plan would work. He extended his senses, but was still nearly taken by surprise when Hisoka's voice rose out of the darkness behind him.

"Stop there," the servant ordered.

Renji froze and waited as he was quickly searched and his weapon taken. Hisoka removed a blindfold.

"Wait," Renji said, "I'm not going any further until you provide proof that Byakuya is alive and has not been harmed."

Hisoka nodded.

"I expected that," he said, holding up an odd mechanical device with a screen, "This is a live feed from his current location. And when we arrive there, I will allow you to see him. But you must understand, you and Byakuya are over. I have paperwork the two of you will sign that will end your marriage…and you will marry me instead."

"And if I agree to this, you will release Byakuya…unharmed?" Renji asked.

"I will release him after he has had our babies," confirmed Hisoka.

Renji felt a chill beneath his skin. Hisoka was too calm, too sure of himself. The redhead took a breath and hoped feverishly that Ichigo would be able to track them…

"Now then, you must be blindfolded to hide the route to where we will be staying."

Renji flinched at the feel of the hands that fastened the blindfold into place. Hisoka took his hand and led him into the senkaimon. As soon as they were inside, the servant stopped him.

"What is it?" Renji asked, feeling an odd premonition of doom.

"Just a precaution," Hisoka said, "In case we are followed.

A sudden puff of something beneath his nose sent Renji crashing unexpectedly to the ground.

"Bastard!" hissed the redhead, dizzily, "I knew you'd try something!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Renji," called a soft voice.

The red haired shinigami groaned and opened his eyes. He found himself looking up into a dark haired, brown-eyed man's worried expression.

"Renji…are you all right?" he asked in a concerned voice, "You've been unconscious for so long!"

Renji squinted up at the man.

"Who are you? Where is this place?"

The man shook his head sadly.

"You don't remember…then it is as the healers said, "your memory has been altered. Don't worry, I have captured him and I will force him to return your memory."

"What?" said Renji, sitting up and placing a hand in his aching forehead, "Captured…who? Someone…did this to me?"

"Easy, lie back," Hisoka told him gently, "you have to be careful or you will hurt our babies."

"Babies?" Renji said slowly, looking down at his slightly distended abdomen, "I'm having babies? What happened? How did I get here? What the hell is going on?"

"Lie back, please," pleaded Hisoka, "you should not be out of bed. The healers said that you are in a fragile state. If you become agitated, you could go into labor before our babies are due."

"Our…babies?" Renji repeated, confused.

"Yes…oh my, it's just as they said. He did steal your memories! I had hoped it wouldn't work. But it seems that he was able to, after all!"

"What? Who? Who did this to me?" Renji demanded.

"Well…it's a bit of a long story," Hisoka said quietly, "But if you will be calm, I will explain."

"Well, excuse me for being a little upset at waking up, not knowing who the hell I am, where the hell we are and what's going on!"

Hisoka smiled warmly.

"Now that's the Abarai Renji I remember!" he chuckled, "I will tell you then. But I warn you. It is complicated."

Renji blinked and gazed up at Hisoka, still trying to remember him.

"I am Sato Hisoka, a servant of the master, Kuchiki Byakuya. You also served in his house for the last several years. Kuchiki-sama is a very powerful man…and very used to having his way. Kuchiki-sama has a large mansion in the Seireitei…and I have worked there for many years. And ever since the death of his wife, Kuchiki-sama has been a very angry and cruel man. He wasn't always that way, but he was devastated when his wife died…and his grief drove him mad."

"You say that I also served him?" Renji queried.

"Yes. The two of you served in the armed forces. He was your taichou. But he became attracted to you, and being a man who gets what he wants, he could not accept that you did not return his affections. Kuchiki-sama was furious when you rejected him. But instead of moving on, he hatched a terrible plan. He kidnapped you and used his powers to steal your memories. He then forced you to marry him and to make him with child…but to punish you, he said he would keep the children for himself and he locked you away in the mansion. I witnessed what he did to you…and I knew that because of his great power and influence, that I had to help you escape and hide you. I did so and while I was here, concealing and protecting you, we became lovers. Because of Kuchiki-sama's spell, you became pregnant with my children. It helped you to regain some of your memories and you wished to save your other children from Kuchiki-sama's grip. So we hatched a plan to lure him here and trap him. We have been hiding him here and waiting for the babies to be born. Unfortunately, he nearly escaped…and as we recaptured him, he attacked you…and caused you to relapse in your memories. You nearly lost your babies because of him! I trapped him and took his powers so that he cannot hurt us…and once the babies are born, we will kill Kuchiki-sama. We will kill him and take what is ours."

Renji stared at Hisoka in utter confusion. The other smiled placatingly.

"But you must be very achy and out of sorts. I have made some tea for us."

He helped Renji sit up and placed several pillows behind his back.

"Are you more comfortable?"

Renji nodded and accepted the tea.

Hisoka watched as he slowly drank the tea. As he finished, a warm, drowsy feeling passed over him and he began to drift off.

"Renji," Hisoka said, shaking him gently, "before you sleep, you must sign the papers to dissolve your marriage to Kuchiki-sama. I am forcing him to sign…and then I will have your marriage dissolved, so that we can marry."

A pen was set in his hand and Renji dazedly scratched out his name on the papers set before him. He yawned sleepily and fell back against the pillows.

"That's a good idea," Hisoka's voice told him gently, "Sleep Renji-san."

He placed a light kiss on the redhead's lips and watched until he was sure that Renji slept comfortably. Then he took the papers and quietly left Renji sleeping.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya watched silently as Hisoka talked quietly with Naizetsumei and sent the hollow out of the room. He then approached the noble, carrying a set of papers. He shoved them in front of the noble.

"Sign them, Kuchiki-sama," he said coldly.

Byakuya frowned and stared at the papers.

"Why would I do that?" he asked, "and why go to the trouble of all of the paperwork if you are just going to kill me anyway?"

Hisoka gave him a sly smile.

"You shouldn't concern yourself, Kuchiki-sama. You will understand later. Sign."

"No."

Hisoka frowned.

"You will sign. You will sign them now!" he said more forcefully.

Byakuya shook his head.

"I have no reason to sign. You are not going to hurt Renji and you will not hurt me, for risk of hurting the babies I carry. You have nothing to hold over my head."

The servant's eyes flared and burned with fury.

"I may not be able to hurt you as I want to, but I can certainly put you in pain without hurting the babies…" he warned Byakuya, "Would you like me to have Naizetsumei torture you? He knows how to do so…"

"He can't," Byakuya insisted, "because the stress would make me go into labor too early. I would lose Renji's babies. He would be devastated."

Hisoka's eyes snapped with rage and he slapped the noble hard across the face. Byakuya sat calmly, looking up at him defiantly.

"What's wrong?" the noble said coldly, "That doesn't fit into your plans? I know you think you will take Renji and our children away from me…and I know you plan to kill me…but if you are going to do that, you had better work on a more effective plan. You cannot force me to sign anything. I won't."

Hisoka glared at him for a moment, then smiled.

"Well then, Kuchiki-sama, I will get right to work on that. You will see. I will have Renji-san in the end. He will love me…and you will die."

His smile widened wickedly.

"Yes…you will die…and Renji-san will be the one to kill you!"

He turned and flash stepped away, laughing madly. Byakuya touched his cheek where the servant had struck it, watching as Naizetsumei returned to the room. The hollow carried a tray of food, which he set down beside the noble.

"I'm not hungry," Byakuya said in a low voice.

"You haven't eaten since Hisoka-san brought you here," said the hollow calmly, "regardless of whether you are hungry or not, your children require sustenance."

He set the tray in Byakuya's lap and stepped away.

"I will return shortly to collect the dishes."

The hollow turned away and left the room. Byakuya sighed softly and contemplated the food. Despite his anger at being taken and held against his will, he knew that the hollow spoke the truth. He ate a small amount, then set the tray on the nightstand and gazed quietly out the window. After a time, he heard a noise in the doorway and looked up to see Naizetsumei entering the room. He picked up the dishes and left, then returned. He walked to the bed and unhooked the chain that was connected to Byakuya's wrist.

"Come…we will walk a bit. You must need to stretch your legs."

Byakuya stared for a moment, then allowed the hollow to help him to his feet. He walked alongside the creature as they made their way through the house and then outside. The hollow led Byakuya through a garden, where they rested and had tea, then the two rose and returned to the house.

"How are you feeling?" the hollow asked, "Are you in any pain?"

"No," Byakuya answered, leaning back against the pillows, surprised at how good it felt to lie down again.

The hollow leaned over him and touched his cheek where Hisoka had bruised it. Healing light glowed around the bruise and it slowly disappeared. The hollow turned and walked silently to the door.

"I will return later with your dinner," he told the noble.

Byakuya nodded and closed his eyes.

It isn't much, but at least there is hope.

As he had walked with Naizetsumei, he had felt the touch of Renji's reiatsu and now knew where the redhead was being kept. It wouldn't be long, he thought, until they escaped together.