Chapter 26: The Price of Restraint

Byakuya knelt silently at Gia's side, his hands resting gently on his thighs and his eyes calm and focused. He fixed his attention on the rise and fall of her breathing and let everything else fade away. But some things refused to leave him. He still felt the weight of the girl's body falling against him as they tumbled to the ground beneath the heavy blast of the cero…the way she grabbed the sword from his hand and struggled to raise it against their enemy. He heard again the screech of the hollow as it descended and was impaled on the sword. And his eyes could not forget the too pale face…the bloody gash left behind by the beast's extended claws. She had been lucky. And he was lucky not to have lost her.

He reached out slowly with one hand and took hold of hers. It was so small and soft, it was hard to imagine it wrapping itself around the hilt of Senbonzakura…trying desperately to lift it. But he couldn't help but feel extremely proud of her. She had been exceptionally brave and. Despite his argument to Rukia that she should have run, that she hadn't, suggested that his instincts about the girl had been correct. She was going to make an excellent shinigami…if her recklessness didn't cost her her life first.

He breathed a sigh of relief as Gia's eyes slid open, blinked and slowly focused on him. He observed her quietly as her eyes brightened upon seeing him, then traveled around the room, taking in the fact that she was no longer in the Rukongai. She started to sit up, then winced and put a hand on her bandaged shoulder as Byakuya very gently pushed her back down.

"Don't try to get up yet," he told her, "You were seriously injured in the hollow attack and you need more rest."

"Renji?" she said questioningly, "Are we…in the world of the living?"

"Yes," Byakuya said, nodding, "I brought you here for healing."

He studied her appraisingly.

"Are you hungry?" he asked softly.

Gia smiled up at him and Byakuya felt a strong stirring of something deeply pleasant in his heart.

"I'm always hungry!" she exclaimed, "Miko says that I…"

She trailed off and a deep sadness stole over her features. Byakuya met her eyes with a look of understanding and slipped a hand into hers.

"Gia," he said gently, "I know that you have faced some terrible losses for one so young. It is quite understandable that you would feel some sadness when you remember. I have also faced losses of this kind and I am hoping that we might offer each other some comfort when those losses cause us pain."

Gia gazed at him curiously, then blinked in sudden understanding.

"That's right!" she exclaimed, "You are from the Rukongai. You grew up in Inuzuri!"

The door opened and Renji walked into the room. Gia's eyes went wide at the sight of the tall, dark haired shinigami. He smiled at Gia, then looked at Byakuya questioningly.

"Gia…" Byakuya began uncertainly, "There is something I need to explain to you about me. It will be a bit confusing, but you must understand that I am not who I appear to be."

Gia stared at him with a confused expression.

"You mean…you're not Abarai Renji?" she asked.

Byakuya sighed and bit his lip, trying to think of the best way to explain.

"This is Abarai Renji's body," he said, indicating himself, "and that is the body my spirit usually resides in. Abarai Renji's spirit is in my body right now…and mine is in his. We were attacked by a hollow that caused our spirits to switch places."

Gia's eyes widened in sudden excitement.

"I know about that hollow! My brother told me that story…about the Neko-hineri! So, it's a real hollow? It can really make spirits switch bodies?"

"Yes," Byakuya said, relieved that there was some level of belief in her eyes, "When our spirits were switched, Renji and I did not want anyone to know about it, so I let everyone believe that I was Renji and that he was me. We have been trying to find a way to switch back, but we haven't been able to, yet. I think that since you are going to be my daughter, you should know who I am."

Gia looked up at Renji as he knelt next to Byakuya.

"My name is Kuchiki Byakuya."

Gia's eyes grew as wide as saucers at the name.

"Kuchiki Byakuya?" she repeated softly, "You are Kuchiki Byakuya? The one who was hurt in a battle with a hollow and found by the Lady Hisana and you took her away to live with you in the Seireitei?"

"You know about Hisana?" Byakuya asked, sounding surprised.

Gia gave him a knowing look.

"Everybody knows about the Lady Hisana and the shinigami, Kuchiki Byakuya!" she exclaimed, "All of the children talk about it. All of the big girls always make big eyes and talk about how they wish they could be like Hisana and get taken away to the Seireitei, too! Do you mean that I will be living with you and Lady Hisana?"

Byakuya's head bowed slightly.

"We will not be living with Lady Hisana, because unfortunately, several years after we were married, Lady Hisana died of illness."

"Oh," said Gia sadly, "I didn't know."

"That is partly what I meant when I told you that I have suffered losses like the ones you have suffered."

He studied her for a moment.

"Gia…because our spirits were switched and I am in Renji's body, I had to make Renji your father when I adopted you. When we are switched back, I will also adopt you…into the Kuchiki family…when Renji and I are married."

Gia sat up, staring.

"You…and Abarai Renji?"

Byakuya nodded.

"It seems that I wasn't meant to be alone. I was very sad when Hisana died. I felt like a part of me died with her. But Abarai Renji has been a good friend to me and we have fallen in love with each other. We want to be married and we want to raise you as our daughter…if that is acceptable to you."

Gia smiled widely.

"So…I'll have two fathers?" she asked.

Byakuya nodded.

"Does this sound acceptable to you?" he asked.

She started to speak, then stopped and furrowed her brow, then started giggling. She stopped and put a hand on her chest, wincing, then giggled again more softly. Byakuya and Renji looked at each other, mystified. Seeing their confused expressions, she giggled again, then tried to explain.

"It's okay with me," she said, smiling widely, "but if you and Abarai Renji are going to get married…um…who will wear the wedding dress?"

As Byakuya and Renji exchanged glances, the door opened and Yoruichi stepped into the room, smiling.

"How are you?" she asked Gia.

"Oh, I'm okay…just it hurts under the bandages."

"I brought you some tea and some lunch," she said, setting a tray of food in front of the girl.

Gia breathed in the smell of the hot food and then dove on it, eating quickly and looking like one who had no idea what the utensils were for. Yoruichi chuckled and Byakuya narrowed his eyes.

"Senpai," he said softly, "I dare say she seems to have learned your mannerisms already."

"Hah!" Yoruichi sniffed, "You think I'm bad? You should have seen Kuchiki Byakuya when he was a boy! I've seen trolls with better manners!"

"I beg your pardon!" Byakuya said archly, "I don't recall ever burying my face in a bowl of rice with the abandon with which you seem to accomplish it!"

"But as I recall, you…"

"Please knock it off, you two," Renji moaned, "You're going to give Gia and me a huge headache!"

"I think they're funny," laughed Gia though a mouthful of food.

Renji shook his head.

"I think they're obnoxious…but I guess I can see how it would be funny…if you didn't see the same thing every time they are in the same room!"

"Well," said Yoruichi, "if you're through criticizing, Kisuke wants to meet with you two to give you an update on how he is doing with his research. I'll stay with Gia while you take care of that."

Byakuya nodded and followed Renji to the door.

"Just don't teach her any more bad habits," Byakuya said dryly.

"What? You mean like refusing to wear clothes?"

"I was three years old!" Byakuya objected.

"Blasting a hole in the wall of your parents' bedroom?"

"Taichou?" Renji said, smirking, "Did you…"

"Shut up, Abarai!" Byakuya said, flash stepping out the door.

Yoruichi turned to Gia, grinning.

"Why don't you just keep working on your lunch and I'll tell you all about what Kuchiki Byakuya was like when he was a little boy!"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Ah…you're here!" Kisuke said, nodding and stepping away from the table where he had been sitting, "Come on in…just mind your step…lots of clutter in my lab. Some of it's a bit dangerous too. Anyway, sit down."

Byakuya and Renji sat and watched as Kisuke tinkered with a microscope, then looked back up at them.

"Damn…I have to tell you. This is not an easy one to crack. I've been trying just about everything…even some experimentation with small animals. I can always get them switched, but I can't get them switched back…something in the reversal process is just not working! But I think I'm getting close. Today, I switched a pair of cats with different temperaments…and they did switch back…unfortunately, they had escaped their pens and we don't know what they did that explained the switching back. Still working on that."

"But you still have nothing," Byakuya said quietly, looking at the pair of cats he had indicated.

"Sorry, but, yeah…I have nothing," Kisuke admitted, "Next time, I have to enchant them to speak, so they can tell me…"

Renji shook his head in annoyance.

"Damn, we can't catch a break," he said, looking at the cats.

Byakuya looked again at the cats, then at Renji and sighed.

"Perhaps we should go and allow Kisuke to continue his research," he said softly.

He started out of the room. Renji's eyes returned to the cats, then he turned and followed Byakuya.

Kisuke shook his head and leaned over the microscope again, muttering to himself. He pulled away and rubbed his eyes, straining for a new idea…then he thought about what he had said earlier.

"Next time, I have to enchant them to speak, so they can tell me…"

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he snapped his fingers.

"That's it!" he said, flash stepping out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji followed Byakuya into the bedroom and sat down next to him on the bed. He studied the noble's downcast eyes and the slight slump in his posture. He had watched Kuchiki Byakuya for far too long not to notice and understand such behavior.

"Hey," he said, leaning closer, "Don't worry, we'll find a cure. Everything will be fine and we'll be back to ourselves in no time! Besides, I thought you kinda liked being me."

Byakuya sighed.

"I do…It isn't that."

He met Renji's eyes resignedly.

"There's something I have to tell you…something I learned from Michi while I was in Inuzuri. It has to do with the Neko-hineri."

"Yeah?"

"A few years ago, a Neko-hineri attacked several residents of Inuzuri and Michi spent some time attempting to cure them. He couldn't find a way to reverse the situation…but two of the affected residents did find something that appeared to work."

Renji's eyes widened.

"Byakuya, that's great! What did they do?" he asked quickly.

"Well…"

Byakuya paused, searching for the right words. Renji noticed the hesitation, the look of unease.

"It's…not painful…or dangerous…or anything like that, right?" he asked nervously.

"Well…no…but…"

"But what?" Renji asked impatiently, "If it isn't painful or dangerous, then what's the problem?"

Byakuya went silent, staring down at the bed they sat on. Renji gazed at him, mystified.

"Byakuya…what's wrong? You said you know a way to reverse this. What's the matter? You don't want to switch back? What?"

"I want to switch back," Byakuya said finally, "I just…Renji, I didn't want for things to be this way when…when we…"

Renji stared a moment longer, then his eyes widened and he bit back a laugh.

"Abarai, I swear that if you laugh at me right now, I will kill you," Byakuya said quietly.

"Aw, come on, it isn't so bad," Renji said bracingly, "I mean, it is a little odd and I know you wanted to wait until we switched back, but…really, I can think of a whole lot of worse things!"

He studied Byakuya for a moment longer, then slipped an arm around him. Byakuya shrugged the arm off, sighing in annoyance.

"Damn!" Renji said, shaking his head, "That whole time we were waiting because you didn't want to until we were switched back, when if we'd just done what nature was telling us…we would have been switched back ages ago!"

"Shut up, Renji!" Byakuya snapped, "and wipe that smug look off your face or I'll remove it for you!"

Renji smirked.

"You're cute when you're flustered, Taichou!" he said appreciatively.

"Renji," said Byakuya, fury in his tone, "by kami, if you don't shut up, I'm going to…"

He found himself unable to speak as he was captured firmly in Renji's arms and forced down onto the bed, then a warm mouth took hold of his and sent the rest of his thoughts into oblivion.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, I think I have it!" Kisuke said excitedly.

"Have what?" Ichigo said from the doorway.

"Ah, you're back again, eh? How about you do me a quick favor before we get started training? Go tell Byakuya and Renji I found an answer to their problem."

"Huh? What problem is that?" Ichigo asked, frowning.

"Just do it, please? I'm trying to finish this up. They're just down the hall. I think they went back to their room."

"What? Do I look like your messenger boy?" he asked, but Kisuke was already deeply involved in his work again and gave no answer.

Sighing resignedly, Ichigo left the room and flash stepped down the hall. He stopped at the door as Yoruichi appeared in the hallway.

"Hi Ichigo," she said, smiling, "What…more training?"

"Yeah…after I finish being Kisuke's personal errand boy. I'm just delivering a message to Byakuya and Renji."

"Oh, I was just going to see them, myself," she said, taking hold of the doorknob.

"Shouldn't you knock?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh," said Yoruichi, "I never wait for an invitation. I'd be waiting forever!"

(AN**Sorry about the little cliffie! I will provide more detail of events inside and outside of that bedroom in the next chapter!)