DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLEACH
Here is another chapter. Still trying to end the story. The italic is a fill –in flashback scene. Not a character flashback. Anyway, hope you enjoy.
Byakuya stood outside on the patio watching the sun rise. He looked into the cup of tea as he enjoyed the quietness of his house this earl morning.
"You're up early, Byakuya," Shunsui said as he sat at the table.
"When did you get out here? I thought I was alone." Byakuya moved to the table and sat across from his mentor. He gave him a weak smile.
"What's wrong, Byakuya?" Shunsui said as he looked at Byakuya. He could always tell when things were on his mind. He would joke with Byakuya that his eyes always gave him away. Shunsui place his cup down as he leaned forward. "Is Gin okay?"
Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed. "He talking," Byakuya paused, "no, he is having a conversation in his sleep."
Shunsui looked at Byakuya and asked, "What makes you suspect that…"
Byakuya interrupted Shunsui. "He said 'Non abeunt mei. Non sine me Pater, non sine amicis.'"
"I will not leave my family. Not my father, not my friends," Shunsui said as he translated Gin's statement in his mind. "The current Užsičiaupk must be near death. Gin's time is coming for him to take his place. Are you ready, Byakuya?"
Byakuya sat in silence as he thought about what could be unfolding in front of his eyes. He thought how he and Gin began to enjoy life again. His father, Ukitake, was with him all the time, the boys were now able to trust both him and Gin and Emiko, Byakuya thought, how she would adjust to Gin leaving.
Gin and Ukitake came outside and gave their spouses a hug and a kiss. Gin sat in Byakuya's lap and whispered in his ear. Byakuya looked at Gin and give him one of his rare smiles. Gin got and went back to the house. Byakuya followed him until he disappeared.
"I'm going to help Gin get the children ready for school." Byakuya got up and bowed to the Shunsui and Ukitake; turned and walked in the house.
Shunsui smiled as he watched Byakuya leave to follow Gin. He then looked at Ukitake and grabbed his hand.
"You knew that one day this time would come. If he chooses not go, the king will order that he is taken. We will not be able to stop it. Byakuya will be order to go. He would go because he loves Gin." Shunsui said as he looked at his lover. He could feel the sadness start to come over him. "Gin has started to speak the language of the Royal Realm. Their language is the first language. My father taught me and I passed it to Byakuya. Although all of our languages come from this, Byakuya recognizes it. The King's staff has been in touch with Gin."
Ukitake closed his eyes as he began to feel unrest in the surroundings. He started to go deeper into his thoughts when he heard someone call him.
"Grandfather, Grandfather," Hideki called out.
Ukitake opened his eyes and smiled. He saw Hideki and Hiroki standing in front of him; dressed in their school clothes.
"Are you feeling okay?" Hiroki asked. Both he and his brother had a look of concern on their face.
"Yes, I am fine. I feel great. Besides, I have a match with my grandsons this afternoon." Ukitake leaned and gave both of them a hug. "Now off to school with the both of you," he smiled.
The boys ran across the yard and in a flash, they were gone. Shunsui and Ukitake were surprised that the boys did a flash step.
"Surprise, they have been practicing all week with Yoruichi. She is very impressed with them. She said they are a quick study; better than Byakuya," Gin said as Byakuya came out with Emiko in his arms.
"What did that woman say about me," Byakuya said as he put Emiko down. She ran to her grandfather and sat next to him. Byakuya then put his arms around Gin and gave him a quick kiss. They sat at the table waiting for Breakfast.
After Breakfast, Emiko left with Jun for her lesson. Gin and Byakuya were drinking tea, smiling at each other. As they started to hold hands, they noticed Ukitake and Shunsui were staring at them.
"What is it Poppa?" Gin asked as reached for Ukitake's hand. He reached out to Gin and grabbed his hand.
"I am just looking at you two. You have been through so much but you always find your way back to each other. You two were always met to be together," Ukitake said as he turned to look at Gin. They laughed as Byakuya got up with Shunsui to go to work. He kissed Gin as he walked toward the gate.
Gin and Ukitake continued to hold hands. "You really amaze me. I was thinking about the time your father took you. You never told me how you did you know? When your father placed you in his world, how did you know it was not real?"
"Byakuya was left handed. Whenever Byakuya confronts an enemy, if I am with him or the children, he uses left hand to push us behind him. He always holds Senbonzakura in his right hand. In that world Byakuya was like a mirror image. The other thing that did not add up was Aizen was too understanding," Gin paused, "until Byakuya came into the picture." Gin stopped as his eyes watered.
"I'm sorry Gin; I didn't mean to bring up something so painful. It's just you and Byakuya are so happy now and I don't want you to ever feel that pain again." Ukitake squeezed Gin hand tighter as they Gin gave in a weak smile.
Gin closed his eyes as a vision came to him. It was a vision of Ukitake. It was a fear in his eyes the scared Gin.
'Help me,' Ukitake yelled as he was being pulled into a blacken hole. Gin jumped as he opened his eyes. He turned and looked at his father.
"You had a vision didn't you?"
"No, I mean, yes but no," Gin said as he placed his hands over his mouth. "Poppa, I could not read your thoughts," Gin said. "But . . ." he stopped.
Ukitake reached out to Gin and hugged him. "But you read my future," he whispered in Gin's ear as he continued to hold him tight. "This means that the seal is breaking. The King's court will try to contact you."
"They already have. Byakuya said that he heard me saying that I will not leave with my family and friends. But I don't remember anything." Gin held on to his father. "He did not tell me what I said exactly but he did say it was the old language, the king's language. Poppa, I don't know the king's language."
"The Užsičiaupk must be near death or a war must be near," Ukitake said as he tried to ponder which answer was correct. He looked at Gin. He could read that he is scared and nervous about the whole issue. His read from Gin is that he knows that he is next Užsičiaupk but his life did not take that road for that position.
As he looked at Gin, Ukitake remembered the day that he was chosen; Chosen to bring the next Užsičiaupk into this world.
-#-
Gin's father, Teruo Shimizu, was the son of Shimizu taichou, captain of the Fifth Division of the Onmitsukido. He was also part of the inner circle. Any information that involved the king, Shimizu taichou knew. It was from his father, Teruo knew that if he could control the Užsičiaupk, he would be a very powerful man; more powerful than the king himself. Ukitake knew that and so did Shunsui. That was one of the decision of why they joined the Gotei 13. As Teruo began his quest for power, he left a path of death and destruction. Anyone who tried, they were eliminated. He killed his father and mother and was banished from the Realm. As he destroyed all who got in his way, he met this one orphan he found. This orphan wanted to be powerful then him. He wanted to be the next Spirit King. This orphan fit right into Teruo's plan.
After Gin was born, the Spirit King made sure that a Mažasis Raštas(Natural Protector), so powerful, that only he could protect the Užsičiaupk. Byakuya was chosen as that Mažasis Raštas.
"You see there," Teruo said as he placed a hand on the young boy shoulder. He pointed to the baby in the crib. "You see that baby in the crib? He is the one who will make your dream come true."
A young Sosuke Aizen looked at the child in the crib. "He's just a baby. What can he do?"
"Believe me, he will be very important one day," Teruo smiled.
"Is that boy holding his hand important?" The young Aizen asked.
"Naw, he's just some noble's son. If he gets in the way, just kill him. But he looks like no threat to you," a confident Teruo said as he and Aizen walked away. "If you stay focused and patient, all your dreams will come true."
-#-
Ukitake broke the silence. "Your life and Byakuya's life were planned before your births. No matter how you both tried to change the course of your lives, you both always ended in each other arms.
Gin thought of the many times they were together. No matter the odds, they were always there for each other. He remembered one conversation he had with Byakuya when they met.
-#-
Byakuya was married to Hisana and Gin was with Aizen. They met for dinner at a restaurant for lunch. She noticed that Byakuya and Gin tried their best not to look at each other but she knew that on some level, Byakuya cared for Gin. As she watched Aizen, she knew that he noticed it too.
Later, that evening, Hisana saw Byakuya sitting in his study working.
"You are thinking about him, aren't you?" she said as she sat in the door. She felt the ice walls go up around him as he continued to work at his desk.
"I do not know what you are referring to," he said as he stopped writing.
"Gin was an orphan when I met him. We all were but we would not let him hang with us. He was so funny looking. We didn't know who or where he was from. Then one day, Jushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyoraku were looking for this kid. They seemed so desperate to find him. I told them that I knew where he was and for a price I would tell them."
"Please stop Hisana. We are associates."
She stopped Byakuya before he went on. "He was," she stopped, "He is your first love. I am your second love."
Byakuya heard Hisana start to cry.
"Hisana, we have had this discussion for many times. Gin and I are friends. Shunsui Kyoraku is my mentor. He also, along with Jushiro Ukitake, is Gin's guardian." Byakuya said as his voice became monotone with a slight annoyance.
"I see the way you look at him. I see how you look into his eyes," she tried to choke back the tears that kept falling.
Byakuya got up and walked to her. "I love you, Hisana. You are the only woman I will ever love." He turned and walked away.
The next day, Hisana went into town to have lunch with an old friend.
"You stupid woman! I told you not to fall in love with the man we are trying to destroy," the voice said angrily.
She looked up and stared into the face of Teruo Shimizu. His eyes were a blood red. She knew he was angry but she was not afraid of him. "It is my love that is keeping him from going to Gin. Now I am doing my part but now it is up to Aizen to do his part. I can only do so much to keep Byakuya, but Aizen need to keep Gin away from him."
Teruo looked at Hisana. He gave her a little smile. "You're right. I will talk with Aizen."
She began to relax when Teruo grabbed her arm. She looked at him and the smile became a wicked smile.
"Don't ever get to comfortable with me," he hissed in her ear. "Your house of card is not as strong as you think. Remember, I can find Rukia." He stopped and looked into her eyes. He smiled because now she had that fear he thrived on.
-#-
Gin and Ukitake sat on the patio most of the morning. They talked about random things concerning the children and Ukitake going to visit his brother and sister on the other estate.
"You go and rest Poppa. The boys are looking forward to your training with them this afternoon. Even Byakuya is coming home early so that he can help with the training." Gin said as they walked back into the house.
Gin stood in the hallway and watched Ukitake walk to his part of the house. He walked to his bedroom and lay across the bed.
He closed his eyes and a vision came to him again. It was the same vision but he had earlier but he called his name.
'Gin, help me,' he heard as he looked at the expression on his face.
Gin sat up quickly in the bed. He placed his arms around himself and started rocking.
"What does it mean? What does it mean?"
