He opened his eyes and found himself lying on his back staring up at the parallel beams of wood. He moved his legs and arms, there was a slight constriction as someone had placed a restraint kido on him. He willfully sat up, breaking the spell and looked around. He was being held in a heavily guarded hospital room and he knew why. His memories were already there but the feelings were gone, somewhere he had folded them up and tucked them away and he did not care for them either. He slipped out of bed and walking over to the mirror, pulled down the neck of his robes until they fell to his waist and surveyed his bare broad chest, flawless as ever and whole.

"Kuchiki Tiacho, it is good to see you awake." He looked in the mirror back at Unohanna Taicho and closed his eyes in acknowledgment and pulled his robed back on. Everything came back to him slowly and he looked back at Unohanna Taicho who was watching him though coolly quite closely.

"What are my charges?" He asked, readjusting his robes.

"There is talk of demotion." He let his hands fall to his sides, there was a lack of something inside of him and she seemed to notice. "Are you all right?"

"Quite." He returned to bed and and sat down. "What are my orders?"

"It is still being discussed what to do with you-"

"Unohanna Taicho!" Isane rushed in just then. "Ah! Kuhciki Taicho! Your are awake." She looked nervous and trembled slightly as she focused hard on her own Taicho.

"What is it Isane?" Unohanna encouraged her concentration by fixing her with a steady gaze of her own.

"The- the Gotei Thirteen has called a meeting and asks you to bring the patient if he is awake."

"Very well, thank you." Isane bowed and hurried back out.

"Come with me." Byakuya quietly stood.

….

"Are you all right?" Ichigo asked, coming up behind her. She smiled a little and nodded.

"Quite." She answered before turning back to straining the morning rice. She had slept all night and woke up early that morning feeling as though a part of her soul had fallen out. Her head was nothing more than a jumble of words and thoughts and she could discern nothing so she had fallen to house work. She sifted the rice free of water and placed it in a stone pot; it was silly, the idea of her being waited on, she liked doing things her way. She turned around and found Ichigo watching her carefully, she allowed herself a small smile.

"You didn't have to, Yuzu would have gotten up and done it."

"I know, but I think the girl might need some extra sleep." She said with a hint of an apology in her voice. After her screaming episode, she had fallen into a fit of fever that lasted some five hours and though it was the week end, she thought it only fair to make amends.

"Well let me wash the wares." Ichigo said, jumping to his feet and standing by her side, took the pot from her hands.

….

"Kuchiki Taicho, how do you plead to the charges laid against you?"

"Guilty." Byakyua answered. He was standing in the meeting hall of Squad One. His zanpactu had been confiscated and he was made to wear no more than a red bracelet that kept him from doing any kido.

"Because the damage done to the subordinate of the the eleventh squad Kitara had been minimal, it will be ignored." Hitsugaya paused as he read the verdict, "Are there any objections." At first there was only responding silence.

"Ahh, I have one-" Mayuri began.

"Do you really?" Shunsui drawled from where he stood, he shot Mayuri a gaze from under his hat. Mayuri pursed his lips.

"Not quite." The scientist said.

"Well then-"

"Actually yes I do." Mayuri decided to ignore the tension in the room. "Is no one else bothered by the mere fact that a Taicho had attained hollowfication? What had caused that is what I want to know and can it be done again-"

"My wife has returned." Byakyua responded. The shock was instantaneous.

"What? She left ya or something?" Kenpachi drawled. Byakyua had stiffened ever so slightly and his eyes shut "SHE LEFT YA!" There was the hint of glee in the scarred man's voice at the sheer cruelty of the idea. "HOW FREAKING IRONIC IS THAT!THE BITCH LEFT HIM!" The snap was almost audible and Kenpachi had been sent through the wall behind him and Byakyua stood where he had.

"She is not..." Byakyua stared at him, there was no need for words when there was a demon in his eyes. His reiatsu flared there and sparked and his body ran white with power.

"Kenpachi, that is enough." Yammamoto broke the responding sock to Byakyua's reaction. "Kuchiki Taicho will be kept under close observation by Squad Four, any objections?"

"WAIT A DAMN MINUTE!" Kenpachi now glowed gold with his own anger. "I MUST BE MAD TO-"

"Kenpachi Zaraki," Yammamoto's voice cut clear over the anger of the Eleventh Squad Taicho, "that is quite enough." Kenpachi looked from Byakyua to Yammamoto and back to Byakuya and his eyes widened a little for the sake of what he found in the man's eyes. "Are there any objections?" A few Taicho murmured their agreement. "Then this meeting is dismissed

….

"Are you sure you know what ya doin' old man?" Shunsui asked, after all the Taicho had gone and they stood watching some subordinates fix the wall.

"I mean I don't think it very safe," Ukitake supported his friend apologetically.

"Kuchiki Taicho would be quite all right." Yammamoto answered, also very interested in the work of the Squad members. "She will come back." He continued to which Ukitake lent him a look of skepticism. Shunsui pulled down his hat so that only his smirk showed.

"What makes you so sure?" Ukitake demanded.

"Because," Yammamoto sighed wearily, "I am an old man." He knocked his cane on the wooden floor and shuffled away.

….

They eventually let him go. After all of the paper work was done, really Hitsugaya encouraged the woman in her laziness and he wonder if it was for the sake of a little love. Byakyua paused his motions and inwardly blanched, that word was supposed to be wiped from his mind, he was supposed to forget her, he was supposed to do as Nobles do, as he was taught. He looked down the long and empty corridor touched by silver moonlight with shadows of falling cherry blossoms the only motions of the silent night and he wondered; why then was he doing this?

Rukia was not home, she was not in bed when he entered her room. Of course, she thought he did not know her but he actually did know she liked her space and sure enough, there was two futons, one larger than the other. One was simple and plain with neutral colors and another one was full of silk pillows and covers. It was far from neatly made though quite clean, books spread on one side and the rest of it too empty and his heart was wrought.

He sat down on the lavish bed and very carefully lay down next to the empty space. He let his slender fingers ghost over the impression of her body and closing his eyes, he cold smell and almost feel her; so close yet too far away.

"Byakyua-dono." He did not care to open his eyes and Senbonzakura was standing over him with a beautiful face, the deep and ugly scar steadily bleeding, his hair and clothes sopping wet from the rain of Byakyua's soul. Instead he let his hand rest on her pillow and allowed sleep to take him completely.

"Byakuya-sama." The nobleman opened his eyes and rolled over unto his back. Rukia was knelt at his side.

"Rukia." She seemed surprised at his tone; his humanity was showing and he sat up to hide it. They really had no words for each other and his hair cascaded over his shoulders, curtaining her out. He shifted his head lightly and looked over at the white touched space where the remnants of the contours of her last rest was dressed in gray shadows; there was no such thing as miracles.

….

They were finally alone, after a week of running around and constantly missing each other, of her running the house and him coming home late; of him being gone before she was awake, of moment shared with too many people in the room; they were finally alone.

Ichigo flitted around like a bird trapped in a cage. He could not be still, he could not enjoy her. Hisana sat on his bed beside him, her silk night gown slipping off her shoulders, she looked down into his eyes. She was so beautiful it was painful; he could not stand it. He was off the bed and behind his computer.

He spoke too fast, he spoke too much, his heart was about to collapse. Hichigo had fallen silent, overpowered by the situation; by Ichigo's own willfulness. He could not look at her for the sake of her beauty and for the pain of knowledge. Finally she arrested him into his chair and settled on his lap. Placing her hands around his neck, she looked into his eyes and he stared right back. He could not look too long; it felt like he was looking at the sun; she was just too beautiful.

Finally he kissed her. It was brief, too brief and she had no response. She looked back at him sorrowfully and leaned on his chest.

"I am sorry," Ichigo muttered into her hair.

"It's quite alright."

"No, it's not." He pulled up the strap of the night gown that was slipping down her smooth white arm. "I think we know who you belong to." She sighed a little and traced his bare chest and closed her eyes, only seeing the form of another.

"Yes," She whispered, "I do."

AN- So... enjoy... ?