A/N This is the last chapter and will be followed by an epilogue. It is a rather disturbing chapter with some of the descriptions, but it is not very graphic. If you would like, skip to the last part of the fic and you can still gather what has happened from there.

I apologise if this chapter upsets anyone. I have been hesitant in putting it out for this reason, but I believe the details are important to convey what I want the epilogue to make you feel.

Also, as this fic is coming to a close, I would really appreciate a review or two – especially on this chapter as I would like to know if it were too much or not. If it upsets you in any way, please contact me so I can talk to you about it; it's the last thing I'd want to do.

Tōshirō wasn't sure how much time had passed by; all he knew was that he and his brother had been here for a while and nothing good was going to happen. He had witnessed his brother's daily beatings and rapes, watched as many different people came in and hurt him with knives and swords…

But through it all, Jūshirō had begged and pleaded for his brother to be released. No matter what happened to him, the Ukitake's thoughts were solely on the younger Hitsugaya.

Tōshirō didn't know how much more of this he could take; his trauma had been acting up again, but the one thing that kept him strong was knowing that his brother was in dire need of support and reassurance himself, and if Tōshirō broke down again, who knows what Jūshirō would do.

The Hitsugaya was lucky, though; Gin was the only one who approached him. Whether or not this was because everyone wanted a piece of Jūshirō or Tōshirō was marked as the Ichimaru's property, he wasn't sure. But so far, Gin hadn't done much more than kiss and touch him, bringing him to releases with calloused hands.

Tōshirō was much better off than Jūshirō, who was covered constantly in blood and other mens' semen.

"Maa maa, Shiro-chan…" Gin lifted Tōshirō's face so that the smaller boy was looking him in the eye. "Must ya always stare at him? What's he gonn' do fer ya? Save ya?"

A single tear dripped down Tōshirō's cheek as he tried to ignore the feeling of a hand between his legs.

Tōshirō sobbed quietly at these words. He wanted desperately to be able to stand up for his brother, but it was so hard when all he could remember was his past trauma.

Gin leant down and kissed the tears away in what was a mock-soothing manner. "Ya shouldn' be cryin', Shiro-chan. Save that fer when I actually take ya."

"…How long…?" Tōshirō found himself whispering.

"Eh?" Gin's smile widened. "How long?"

"…How long has it been…?"

"Maa maa, nearin' two weeks." Gin pulled Tōshirō into a hug. He rested his face in the oily hair beneath him. "Of course, we can't always play this gentle together; I just wann' see how long it takes for ya to break, Shiro-chan."

Tōshirō's mind went over to his brother at these words. He remembered how things had been after his father tried to kill him. He remembered the daily battle to try and block his memories out, the way he was terrified of mostly everyone, how he was only able to begin to heal because Byakuya had cared enough to confide his own secret in him. About how his brother had tried two or three times to kill himself ever since and how when they thought they had lost him, Byakuya tried to follow…

"No…" Tōshirō heard himself whisper as he balled his hands into fists.

"Oh?" Gin cracked his right eye open and glanced down at the boy in his arms. The white-haired child was looking at his brother.

"…I…" Tōshirō's voice was shaky, but there was an ounce of confidence in it that told Gin he wasn't messing around. "…I won't break again… Not after the last time…"

"Oh, really?" Gin placed the boy on the bed and walked over to the unconscious Jūshirō. "Not even if I do this?"

Tōshirō watched with wide eyes as Gin drew a sword and placed it at the Ukitake's throat. He whimpered a few times before he started to struggle in his binds and shout.

"Don't!" Tōshirō had never fought as hard as he was right now to try and become free from his confines. "Don't you dare! He hasn't done anything to anyone! Leave him alone! All you are is a coward! You like picking on people who can't fight back and then once you've had your fun…! You're a monster! He hasn't done anything to you, and neither have I! Leave us alone!"

Gin's laugh was as cold and unforgiving as the very aura that surrounded him. He sheathed his sword again and walked back to Tōshirō. "I've never seen ya this worked up before, Shiro-chan. It was well worth the performance. Finally startin' ta get a bit of bite in ya. Took ya long enough."

"Just…!" Tōshirō gasped at the emotional strain. "…Leave us alone…! I hate you…!"

Gin laughed before he turned to leave. "I'm sure ya do, Shiro-chan. I'm just goin' out to tell everyone about ya anger problems. Be back soon."

Tōshirō watched as the silver-haired man left the room. He waited for a few more seconds before he started to struggle more than ever. He just couldn't let his brother go through this any longer. If Jūshirō couldn't take care of himself, he had to do something.

"Jūshirō…" Tōshirō said in a hushed whisper as he pulled against the chains that were wrapped around his hands. "Jūshirō…!"

The Ukitake's eyes opened slowly and blinked a few times before they fluttered shut once again.

"Jūshirō, I…" A steady stream of tears flowed down Tōshirō's cheeks as he took in his brother's battered appearance. "…You tried so hard to help when it was me, Jūshirō… You gave everything up just to help me… No matter what happened, you still loved me and wanted to fight for me… You threw away dreams you had chased after your entire life… You put up with me when I could only scream and cry if you came near me… You loved me… That's why it's my turn to help you…"

Tōshirō whimpered and gasped as he thrashed around, but his efforts were not in vain. He was rewarded with a loud clank as one of the bindings on his wrists came free.

Tōshirō wasn't a religious boy by any means, but he couldn't help but thank God for cutting him a break. Now with one hand free, it was much easier to get the other chains from his ankles.

The Hitsugaya knew that he wouldn't have much luck with his brother's confinement, so the only thing he could hope to do was find a key. He gulped at the mere thought of leaving the room, but once he heard Jūshirō's breathing becoming harsh and strained once again, he knew he had to do it.

"I'll be back to save you…" Tōshirō whispered to the elder just before he slipped out of their prison.

-XX-

Ichigo, Matsumoto, Rukia and Renji crept around what was apparently Aizen's base, ready for anything. No matter what had happened in the past, Tōshirō was still one of their best friends and they weren't going to let filth like Aizen put his hands on the boy. And taking Jūshirō as well made everything worse. The Ukitake was one of the sweetest, most loving people you would ever meet and he certainly didn't deserve the life he has lived.

"Makes you wonder how we got a layout of this place if it's supposedly so well guarded…" Renji muttered as they traversed the never-ending corridors.

"Nii-sama told me that someone from the group had been here before," Rukia explained in a hushed tone.

"If that's the case, then how can we trust them to not have lead us into an ambush…?"

"They were a victim, I believe. They had been here for a few weeks as Ichimaru's toy. No wonder they wanted to come."

"Know who it was?" Ichigo asked as he kept a sharp lookout for danger.

"That blond guy, I think," Rukia answered. "Izuru or something."

"But then he – look out!"

For someone who had been keeping such a 'close eye' on things, he hadn't been doing too great a job when he walked into someone just as he turned the corner. He grabbed at the gun that Kenpachi had provided him with, ready to shoot, but a familiar whimper stilled his hand.

"Tōshirō!" Matsumoto ran forward and pulled the naked child into a tight hug. She fought hard to keep herself from crying, not wanting to scare the boy more than he probably already was. "Tōshirō, thank God we found you!"

"J-jūshirō…" Tōshirō whimpered as he struggled in the girl's hold. "Jūshirō is s-still in there!"

Ichigo grabbed Tōshirō's shoulders and turned the boy to face him. Rukia and Renji were standing guard, ready to move the three if they sensed anyone coming.

"Tōshirō, where is he?" Ichigo asked. He had never been so serious with the Hitsugaya before. "Is he okay?"

Tōshirō choked on tears as he shook his head. "H-he's hurt! He's this way!"

"Renji, press the button!" Rukia growled as she grabbed her friend's arm and dragged him after the retreating group. "Let them know we're onto something!"

Renji grabbed the small device that was hidden in his pocket. Mayuri from their group had made this for them, a small device that held a tracker of sorts on a little screen. There was a layout of the building letting you know where you were, and two small buttons. One button was designed to let other devices within a certain range know that you wanted them to come to you, whilst the other button was meant to let others know you were in danger.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri wasn't called the mad scientist for nothing.

It felt like forever before Tōshirō had directed his friends back to what had been his prison cell. Ichigo and the others were horrified by the sight that awaited them when they stepped in. The smell of the room was rancid, and there was the heavy aura of blood, sweat and fear.

Human waste was tucked away in the corners of the room along with urine, letting the small group know that there hadn't even been such a thing as bathroom breaks for the brothers. While Tōshirō's side was free from blood, that was all that could be seen on the Ukitake's side. His bed was covered in it, the dirty cement floor may as well have been repainted red, and even the cement walls had splashes of blood along it. Mixed in with the thick liquid was unmistakably semen.

Jūshirō himself looked as if he were already dead. While he had bordered on emaciated in appearance on a good day, his body was nothing but skin wrapped tightly around bone. Every bone in the man's body could be seen – especially the bones that were outside of the body. Blood stained his white hair red, and bruises and deep gashes occupied every last bit of skin on the man's face.

There were deep tears through the man's body, rips that were undeniably savage in nature and should have been stitched up as soon as they were inflicted. However, they had been left open, showing plenty of infectious signs.

One leg looked as if it had been broken in multiple places, and every finger and toe had been crushed. But the thing that really got everyone the most was the way that Jūshirō's skin was stained in not only blood and semen, but urine and waste.

There was nothing any of them could do until someone came to help them, they knew that. It wasn't that they were disgusted with what they were seeing, but Jūshirō had never looked so fragile to the point where they were afraid he would break if they so much as breathed on him.

It didn't take long for Byakuya and Shunsui to come to their side, understandably the first to arrive. Shunsui only had to take one look at his best friend before a murderous aura filled the room. His eyes were wide and his jaw was taut. His whole body shook as he moved slowly to what had once been a man of pride.

"We can't waste any time here, Kyōraku," Byakuya called as he picked Tōshirō up and wrapped his scarf around the boy's bare body. "I'll send the message to everyone to get out as fast as they can."

"Oh, really now?"

Everyone froze at an ice cold voice from behind them.

"How very interesting. How many more of you rats are in here?"

Byakuya turned slowly, holding Tōshirō tight to his chest. He gasped as Aizen and Gin came into view.

"We thought it was very peculiar that Gin should return here, only to find his precious pet missing," Aizen said. He had his hand on the sheathe of his sword. "What do you think, Gin? Still want him, or have you got a few more new pets to play with?"

Gin's smile had not faltered in the least during this interaction, and it only widened at these words. "Well, of course I still want him. None of 'em are up to his standards, however."

"You're so sick…" Shunsui found himself hissing as he struggled to stop himself from charging at them. "What happened to you to have messed you up so much…?"

A glint of amusement shined in Gin's half-lidded eyes. Aizen's grin widened.

Without warning, Shunsui let out a feral growl and charged at the two. There was a loud bang and a cry of pain seconds later.

Byakuya's eyes widened as he pushed Tōshirō's face into his shoulder. He stood up and moved in front of the group of teens, ready to defend his sister with his life. He looked at Shunsui who was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from his shoulder.

"Why are you doing this?" Byakuya whispered. His body shook. "Why...?"

"Why?" Aizen laughed as he advanced on the group. "You ask why?"

Byakuya watched as Aizen threw the gun to the side and drew his sword. He glared with a hard gaze, not about to be intimidated this time – not when the lives of his family and friends were on the line.

The Kuchiki ducked as the sword was swung, moving he and Tōshirō out of harm's way. He put Tōshirō on the ground before he tackled Aizen.

There was a scuffle, but Byakuya was no match for Aizen. He was knocked to the ground and slashed with the sword.

"You and the faggot can just lay there and watch while I kill these brats." Aizen's voice conveyed his sick enjoyment. "You won't die from those wounds – at least not yet."

Tōshirō was on the ground, watching in terror as the sword was then turned on his friends. He knew that he couldn't let this happen to anyone else – the things that he and his brother had gone through because of these people was a hell in itself. There was no way he would allow his treasured friends to have to suffer as they had.

The Hitsugaya moved so that he was standing in front of the group. He was terrified – who in their right mind wouldn't be? – but he knew that he would rather die than allow harm to befall on these people.

"Touch them and I will kill you..." Tōshirō hissed. He had never been much of a fighter, but his cold voice was enough to allow Aizen to know that he wasn't messing around. "These people are my friends, and you're nothing but trash. The duty of a weapon is to protect and be employed by duty. A sword that is wielded in hatred is just a filthy tool of violence. You just proved that you're nothing but a coward, using a sword to cut down those weaker than you."

Aizen laughed. "Oh, really, now? Come, Hitsugaya; look at it this way; we all know that not one person in this room besides myself has any worth."

Tōshirō gasped at these words. He looked at the silver haired man that was standing beside Aizen. "You could say that... about your own subordinates...?"

"I can and I do." Aizen smiled pleasantly. "They are nothing more than tools to me."

"You're okay with this... Ichimaru...?" Tōshirō whispered.

Gin just shrugged, his ever present smile not wavering for a second.

Aizen didn't bother to comment; he instead raised the sword above his head and swung it down towards the child. He wasn't aiming to kill – oh, no; Gin still had use for him – but viciously maiming the child was fine. Besides; he was really aiming for the people behind Hitsugaya.

There were screams and cries from behind Tōshirō, but they only fuelled the boy's desire to protect. With a snarl, the white-haired male charged forward, ducking underneath Aizen's sword as he mustered as much strength as he could and put it all into tackling the brunet.

"Don't touch them!" Tōshirō screamed as he knocked the man to the ground and aimed punch after punch into the elder's face. "Leave them alone! I'll kill you if you hurt them! I'll kill you!"

It didn't take much for Aizen to throw the boy off of him, but it was miraculous that he had actually taken damage from someone – a child, nonetheless.

Tōshirō whimpered as he was thrown into the wall opposite him, but he didn't hesitate into getting back onto his feet. He charged again, only to be hit in the stomach with the handle of the sword. He fell to his knees with a cough, but his hatred-filled eyes didn't leave the man's once.

"I'll kill you…" Tōshirō whispered. "You hurt them… I'll kill you… Just leave us alone…"

"This one is out of control." Gin laughed as he stepped in front of Aizen. "Guess he's not goin' ta break any time soon. I migh' as well finish him off, Aizen."

"Do as you will." The smirk that Aizen wore quickly vanished and was replaced by a look of shock as Gin's sword impaled his body. He turned furious eyes onto Gin, unable to speak as his body hit the ground.

"Yare yare…" Gin sheathed his sword as he looked down at Aizen. He snorted as he kicked the fallen brunet's head. "Took a long time but was worth it. That's for what ya did to the one I loved, Aizen."

Tōshirō's eyes were wide, frozen in shock. He couldn't even bring himself to move as Gin approached him.

"Shiro-chan, it's been so fun playin' with ya, but I have ta fly," Gin spoke as he knelt before the child. He placed one last kiss on the younger's lips for good measure before he stood again and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Tōshirō found himself whimpering. He flinched when Gin turned back to him with half-lidded eyes. "…Why… Why did you do that to him…?"

"Because he killed Tosen and would have killed me as well." Gin shrugged. "It's as he said; we're nothing but tools fer him. Besides; I've waited nearly twenty-five years ta kill him fer what he did ta my love…"

With that said, Gin left, leaving so many unanswered questions running through his mind. He collapsed from the stress of everything that had happened, leaving the rest up to his precious friends.