Sorry this has taken so long to get out. Been having to work a lot lately and it is getting hard to find time to write. I will do better to get these chapters out faster. For those who are wondering where the heck is Ichigo, He will be in the next chapter. I promise. Thanks for everyone who has read and reviewed my Fic. You guys make this worth it.

Chapter 12: Ukitake's anger.

Ukitake hummed a happy tune as he walked towards his division barracks. Everything he had been working for, for the last two years had finally happened. Rukia was now going to be his Lieutenant and nothing Byakuya could say was going to change that. Still humming, he walked into his division and looked around. He saw several of his new recruits being trained by his fourth seat, and some of the veterans were milling around carrying papers or just chatting. It was good to see his division in high spirits. With all the friends lost during the Winter War, he had been afraid that a sense of gloom would hang over all the Divisions. It seemed however that everyone had moved on and things were back to normal. He walked by several of them and they bowed and greeted him as he walked by. As he came into his office, he saw Kiyone and Sentarō hard at work filling out paperwork.

"How is everything going," he asked.

Both of his co-third seats jumped to their feet and stood at attention. "Everything is going good sir," said Kiyone. "Of course if the idiot here would get out of my way, more would be done."

Sentarō rushed over to her and pushed Kiyone to the side. "Don't listen to this shrill harpy," said Sentarō. "If she would keep her loud mouth shut, we would have had enough peace and quiet to get everything done today."

Kiyone grabbed Sentaro's arm and bit it. As he fell to the ground clutching his arm muttering curses Kiyone said. "Don't listen to goat beard, while you were gone, I organized you whole office."

Sentarō got up and kicked Kiyone in the shin causing her to grabbed it and jump up and down in pain. "Sir while you were gone I organized all the files we had in alphabetical order," he said. "And I also…" He was about to say more when Kiyone tackled him to the floor and the two of them began to wrestle.

Ukitake put his hand on his forehead and sighed. "Ok you two that's enough," he said clapping his hands to get their attention. "I'm going to my office to catch up on some of the paperwork. Bring me whatever mail has piled up please."

"Don't worry sir," said Sentarō. "I'll bring you the mail and paperwork faster than this old hag ever could."

Kiyone pushed him back down on the ground. "Sir, I'll bring all the mail and paperwork," she said. "And I'll also bring you some fresh tea."

Sentarō looked up from the floor. "Oh no you don't," he said. "I made the tea and I'll bring it to him." The two of them ran for the door and got stuck in the door jamb together. They struggled for a second before the both pushed themselves free and ran over a poor recruit who happened to be in the way.

Ukitake walked over to the young shinigami and helped her up. "I'm really sorry about that, Minako," he said pleased that he had managed to remember her name from the orientation.

"Are they always like that?" she asked rubbing her shoulder.

Ukitake nodded his head gravely. "I'm afraid so," he said. "But you will get used to it after a while, or have a nervous breakdown, whichever comes first."

Ukitake's grinned as Minako laughed at the joke and hurried up to finish whatever she was doing. Ukitake walked into his office and sat down. A few papers had been left on his desk, so he reached out to get them. As he did, something fell out of his pocket and floated onto his desk. He picked it up and instantly recognized it. It was the letter from Byakuya that he was supposed to give to Rukia. He knew that he had forgotten to do something. Tapping the letter on his desk, he decided that whatever was on it, that Byakuya would tell Rukia when they saw each other later. Ukitake felt his stomach grumble, so he sat the letter on his desk and walked out into the small kitchen that was next to his office to see if he could find something to snack on. While he was in the kitchen he heard his office door open. Ukitake poked his head out of the kitchen to see who had come in and saw Kiyone setting a huge stack of papers on his desk.

"Is that all the paper work from one day?" he asked shocked.

Kiyone smiled. "It was larger," she said. "But I stayed up all night and got more done then Sentarō did."

As if on cue Sentarō burst into the room and slammed a pile of letters down on Ukitake's desk. "Yeah right," he said. "I sorted all the mail and re-filed the reports that you messed up."

Kiyone face turned red to the point that Ukitake thought that her head would explode. "What did you say?" she yelled. The two of them started arguing and it soon escalated into pushing and punching each other.

Their fighting caused them to role towards the door. Ukitake got up opened the door and let them roll out of his office and into the hallway. Once they were out he shut the door and sat down behind his desk. He picked up several of the letters and read the ones that seemed to be important. After a few minutes, he picked up another letter and opened it. Before he knew what he was reading, he was half way done.

Rukia,

As you know we have had strained relations with the other Three Noble Clans. In order to help heal some of the tensions that have developed over time, I have decided to enter and alliance with the Akashiya Clan. As part of this alliance, you must fulfill your obligation as a Princess of the Kuchiki Clan and marry the son of Lord Akashiya to cement this alliance. It is unfortunate, but you must resign from your new rank of Lieutenant and fulfill the tasks that are expected of a wife and princess. I am truly sorry for this, which is why I am telling you this while you are in the Living World so you can say goodbye to those whom you feel need to. I also must tell you not to say anything to Captain Ukitake, Captain Abarai, and that Ryoka boy. I await your return.

Captain Byakuya Kuchiki 6th Division, 13 Court Guards.

Ukitake couldn't believe his eyes. He read the letter two more time just to make sure he did not read it wrong. Ukitake crushed the letter in his hands and could feel anger boiling up inside of his gut. He had known Byakuya for a long time and knew that he cared little for what the other so called Noble Clans thought of him. This was all because of Rukia's promotion and Byakuya had taken the only way he felt to stop it. Ukitake felt his blood boil and he ripped the letter in half and watched as the two halves burned up from the power of his Spiritual Pressure.

Kiyone and Sentarō felt this and rushed into the room. "Are you alright sir," asked Kiyone. Ukitake said nothing and walked past them. Kiyone started to follow, but Sentarō put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. He knew that Ukitake was pissed and Sentarō felt sorry for the poor idiot who was about to get the full brunt of his anger.

Byakuya's mansion.

Rukia and Byakuya left the main dining area and went to a private side room. Rukia walked past him and sat down crossing her arms. "Why are you doing this Ni-sama?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "Why are you surprised?" he asked. "I gave a letter to Captain Ukitake detailing what was going to happen when you got back."

"I never got a letter from my Captain," she said. "If I had, do you really think Ichigo would have let me come here, or that I would leave?"

Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "If you had seen the letter you would not have come?" he asked. "Why?"

Rukia looked away for a moment and Byakuya could tell she was steeling herself in preparation for making a big announcement. Rukia took a deep breath and faced her brother. "Ni-sama," she said. "I'm in love with Ichigo."

Byakuya felt his eyes widen. A sudden chill crept though his stomach and clawed its way though his body. "Rukia if this is a joke, it is in poor taste."

Rukia shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said. "This is no joke. Ichigo and I realized we were in love and have been for a long time. It just took us this long to figure it out." Byakuya stood silently as he processed this new information. Seeing this Rukia decided that she had nothing left to lose so she pushed forward. "Please Ni-sama," she pleaded. "Call this wedding off. I know that you want to protect me, but Ichigo and I are in love. He is one of the strongest Shinigami alive, he can protect from anything. I beg you don't make me marry this man."

Byakuya gave it some thought. It was true that he really didn't want to marry Rukia off and he was tempted to go back into the dining room and tell Akashiya to leave. The Ryoka boy was one of the strongest shinigami alive. There were some who thought that he may be even stronger than General Yamamoto himself. Byakuya doubted that the boy's power was that high, but he was stronger than all but maybe Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyōraku, and of course himself. There was no doubt that the Ryoka would be able to protect Rukia as Byakuya wanted. For a moment Byakuya thought about doing as Rukia wished and call off this wedding, but no. For all of the boy's power, trouble came to him like Yachiru to a candy store. If he allowed Rukia to do as she wished, maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, maybe not in this year, the Ryoka boy would be attacked and Rukia would be harmed in the crossfire. No matter how powerful the boy was, Rukia would come to harm. That he refused to allow. He saw hope in Rukia's violet eyes and he pained him that he was going to have to destroy that hope. "I am truly sorry, Rukia," he said. "But this wedding will continue as planned. No matter what you might have said or felt, it is your duty as a princess of the Kuchiki clan to do this. This way you will save yourself the pain if he died during his duties as a Captain."

Rukia's face fell and the hope in her eyes faded. She wanted to argue, but all the energy just seemed to leave her. Was this going to be her life from now on? She understood that it was her duty as a princess to form this alliance and make it work, but she could not deny her heart. She wanted to scream and tell her brother that she was not going to listen to him. She wanted to march out of the mansion and down to the gate to the Living World and go live at Ichigo's house. But she knew that she would not be able to do those thing. She looked one more time at Byakuya her eyes pleading with him to change his mind, but all she saw was determination. There would be no room for argument. She followed Byakuya out the door and back into the main dining area. She looked up with determination on her face and vowed that she would be with Ichigo again. Even if it meant, no longer being a Kuchiki.

"Is everything alright," asked Lord Akashiya as they came out of the room.

"Everything is fine," said Byakuya.

"Good," said Akashiya clapping his hands once. "Then let's be on our way and we can…" Suddenly they all felt it. A massive burst of Spiritual Pressure was heading their way. Lord Akashiya, Mako, the Female bodyguard, the large male bodyguard, and Rukia all fell to their knees. Only Byakuya and the leader of Akashiya's bodyguards seemed to remain unfazed.

"Who in the name of heaven is that?" asked the head bodyguard. "Whoever he is, he is pissed at you."

Byakuya did not answer; he realized that Ukitake would find out about the wedding and come right here to try to stop it. Having anticipated this, he had made arrangements with General Yamamoto in case certain Shinigami decided to try to stop him. "Stay out of this," he said to the head bodyguard. "I shall handle him." Byakuya could see the hood tilt slightly. Wordlessly the bodyguard walked over to his companions and used a kido spell Byakuya had never seen before to dissipate the Spiritual Pressure coming from Captain Ukitake over a small area allowing the other bodyguards, Rukia, and the Akashiya Clan members to stand. That bodyguard seemed very interesting.

Suddenly the doors to the room burst open and Ukitake stormed in, not a hint of a smile that was usually on his face. "Byakuya," said Ukitake in a low voice the air shimmering around him from the power. "We need to talk."

Before Byakuya could answer, Akashiya opened his mouth. "Well since you don't have business with me," said Akashiya. "We shall be going. We do have a wedding to plan for." Akashiya patted his son on the shoulder and they turned to leave.

Without taking his eyes off of Byakuya, Ukitake raised his hand and pointed a finger at them and muttered a kido spell. A flash of lighting exploded from his finger tips and put a hole though the wall in front of them. Mako and Lord Akashiya jumped back. "If you take one more step," he said menacingly. "I will kill you where you stand, noble or not."

Akashiya looked at his bodyguard in anger. "He made a threat on my life and shot a deadly kido spell at me," he yelled. "Kill him now."

The bodyguard shrugged his shoulders. "Lord Byakuya said he would handle this," he said. "Besides, if that was aimed at you, I would have blocked it."

"I'm paying you to protect me," he said grabbing the front of his bodyguard's cloak. "Do something you idiot."

The Bodyguard sighed and reached into his cloak and was going to pull his sword when Byakuya held up a hand. The head bodyguard stopped and Byakuya turned back to Ukitake. "You have no right to come into my home and threaten my guest, Captain Ukitake," said Byakuya coolly. "I respectively request that you leave."

Ukitake flashed stepped toward Byakuya and grabbed him by the front of his Kimono. "You bastard," he spat. "What are you doing? What right do you have to take away everything Rukia has fought so hard to gain?"

"This is a private matter," said Byakuya evenly. "What right do you have to interfere?"

"I am Rukia's Captain," replied Ukitake. "I always come to help when a subordinate of mine is being forced to do something they don't want to."

"You are no longer her Captain," said Byakuya. "As of right now, Rukia is no longer a member of the 13 Court Guards. She is going to fulfill her duties as a Kuchiki Princess. The wedding will take place and nothing you or General Yamamoto can do or say will stop it."

Ukitake let go of Byakuya and closed his eyes. "There is one thing I can do," he said slowly. He opened his eyes and gave Byakuya a look that would have melted ice. "I'm going to the Living World and get Ichigo here. I'm sure he will have something to say about this wedding."

"Unfortunately you will not be going to the Living World," said Byakuya. "I knew that the Ryoka would interfere with this wedding somehow, he has the habit of showing up when he is not wanted, so at the request of the Kuchiki and Akashiya Clans, the Gate has been shut down until after the wedding and no one is allowed to go to the Living World or come from there unless of a dire emergency."

Ukitake eyes widened as he heard this. "Then that means…"

Byakuya never smiled, but this time Ukitake saw just the bare twitch in the corner of his mouth. "That means Ichigo Kurosaki will not be able to interfere in this matter."


Thanks for reading. Please R&R.