Chapter 55: Self-Preservation with a Touch of Humanity

*Merry (early) Christmas~!

SasuTenLuvr, yes, yes, we all know it's bad. The snow makes driving very, very scary. But it also makes everything pretty and festive for the holidays. It's a shame Kubo hasn't done anything to make her awesome, hopefully he will later.

The Serene Dancer, I love leaving my readers with cliffhangers. XD I'm glad you liked Nemu's line, my favorite was the very last one that Yumichika and Naoko say together.

Seirin: Isn't today the Mayans said the world was going to end?

Gin: Yep, but we're all still here.

Could you guys do me a favor and check out another one of my stories? It's called "Hearts As Deep As the Ocean", it's a Bleach/Titanic fic and I'd really appreciate some reviews for it.

Please review.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Ayame, or Seirin, only a lot of OCs. *


Yumichika could only describe the feeling of releasing his shikai as exhilarating. He had used his true shikai plenty of times before but this felt different. This time he felt complete and right. The feeling of Naoko's hand wrapped around his and around the hilt of his sword.

The glowing blue-green vines split apart and shot towards the stunned man at the staircase. The vines wrapped tightly around his arms, legs and midsection, effectively immobilizing him.

Martin tugged and tried to break free but to no avail, "What the bloody hell is this? !"

"You mean you don't know?" Naoko mockingly asked.

"This is my true shikai. It's the first release stage of a Soul Reaper's zanpakutuo. I thought someone like you, who knew everything about everyone, would know this," Yumichika explained.

"Binding people? Is that your sword's ability? That's pretty damn useless!" Philip barked.

Yumichika's smile was cunning and a little wolfish, "You are surprisingly shortsighted. Don't you know that looks can be deceiving? Take a look at the vines that are holding you."

The old man did and his eyes widened at the sight of the lily shaped flowers beginning to bloom. As the flowers grew he felt himself strangely growing weaker. What the hell is happening? Are these vines... are they siphoning my energy and put it into those flowers?

"My sword's ability is taking energy from my target and putting it in those flowers. I can then eat those flowers and heal my wounds, the same applies to anyone else I give these flowers to. Does my sword still strike you as useless?"

"I can't speak for my grandfather but I would say that it surely isn't useless," a new voice broke in.

Everyone looked up to see Colette casually standing on the second floor.

"It's about time you got here, you worthless girl. Now get down here and help me!" Philip ordered.

"Help you?" She said slowly as she made her way to the staircase. "Surely you jest. Now I say this with the utmost disrespect, as if I would ever help a conniving arrogant old man like you."

"What are you saying? !" He was starting to panic a little now.

"What am I saying? Must I spell it out for you?" Colette said with a hint of irritation. "I am not going to help you out of the situation you have put yourself in. You deserve to suffer whatever hell comes your way."

"Deserve to suffer? If anyone deserve to suffer it's you and—"

"Silence!" Colette harshly interrupted. "I have grown quite tired of your tirades about how I'm a lower being, about how all women and people of a lesser status are beneath you. Well no more! From here on forth I shall be acting as the leader of not only the Desrosier Clan but the Martin Clan as well."

Philip could've sworn he was about to have a heart attack. He was past flabbergasted. She had to be lying, the claim was too outrageous to be true.

"Y-You're lying! There is no possible way you could have taken control of both clans!" Her grandfather's panic was rising. "Henry and Imogene would never allow that to happen and they would protect my clan!"

A cold coy smile appeared on her lips and rested her hand lightly against her chin, "Am I? Think about it. While you were so busy making backdoor deals, what do you think I was doing? You would have no idea of course because you never bothered to pay attention to those who you viewed as lower then yourself.

"Mother and Father never pay attention to what's going on around them, only to themselves. So wresting control of the clan was beyond easy. As for the Martin Clan I merely had to pay off a few people and show some incriminating blackmail to others.

"I must say I had no idea Uncle Herbert could lay that many prostitutes in one sitting and I'm sure his wife Aunt Jacqueline doesn't know... yet. But I digress, Mr. Ayasegawa if you could only drain his energy so he'll pass out. I don't want him dead, not for sentimental or familial attachment, but because I have all sorts of punishments prepared for him."

She then snorted derisively, "Oh and those two cowards ran for the hills with their tails between their legs as soon as they heard about you killing Matsuro and O'Keefe. It's all about self-preservation, Grandfather. You know all about that don't you?"

Colette Desrosier had given the phrase "hostile takeover" a whole new meaning.

Everyone in the cavernous room stood stock still and stared at her, at a loss for words. The Frenchwoman noticed and shrugged while twirling a lock of her orange curly hair around her finger.

"What?"


"I still think you should've ignored Colette's request and sucked the life out of that bastard," Naoko muttered as she draped a blanket over Yumichika's legs and waist.

After Martin had been sufficiently drained and weakened, he was carted off by Oliver and Uryu to the prison cells below the mansion for the time being. The other returned to the mansion as well and Naoko ordered Nemu and Yumichika to return to bed and rest for the remainder of the day. Despite everything that had taken place it was only late afternoon, even though the day felt significantly longer.

"Maybe it was for the best. I don't think Kujaku would've been able to hold onto him for much longer. He did not like how that man's reiatsu felt. He's still complaining by the way," Yumichika said.

'Well pardon me but that man's reiatsu felt disgusting. Here I thought that transgender Arrancar we had to deal with was bad but that man was far worse. He was pure poisonous slime,' the peacock complained.

"Think of it this way, at least Philip Martin will be forced to pay for killing those people and Heaven knows what other crimes he's committed," the Soul Reaper added.

What he said did give Naoko pause and made her think. He had a point, at least this way justice would be served... hopefully. She sat down on the sofa with her arms loosely crossed over her chest.

"I suppose you have a point." She noticed he was looking at her with concern. "What?"

"You look tired," he said bluntly.

She tried to perk up and not look so obviously tired when she actually felt drained in every sense of the word. It had already been a long day and the princess hoped it wasn't about to get longer. Yumichika could see she was trying to appear awake but her eyes begged to close and her body to rest.

He patted the empty space next to him on the bed, "There's plenty of room here if you want to take a nap."

Naoko gaped at him. The guy says he loves me and now he wants me to sleep with him! She was about to protest his indecent offer and storm out when another more reasonable thought crossed her mind. That bed is big enough to hold three people easily. There'll be enough space between us that it won't be indecent and we wouldn't be sleeping in the same bed in that way anyway.

She stood up, arms still crossed over her chest and she scrutinized him, looking for any hint of deceit or foul intentions. Deep down Naoko knew Yumichika wouldn't do anything indecent to her but one couldn't be too careful. Finally she settled on a decision and hoped it wasn't the wrong one.

"Fine. But I'm only taking your offer because I don't think that couch is comfortable to sleep on and I'm too tired to make it back to my bed," the princess said with a huff.

She crawled onto the bed and all the way to the other side, as far as she could get. Naoko curled up on her side with her back to Yumichika. Her head jerked up off the pillow when she felt someone drape something over her. It was Yumichika merely draping a spare blanket over her.

"I wouldn't want you to get cold," he said gently.

"Thanks," she murmured before turning away from him.

Better than nothing. I need to stay patient and let her work things out for herself. The Soul Reaper reminded himself, trying to ease the sting in his heart.

Naoko curled up in a tighter ball, pulling the blanket around her like a shield. She closed her eyes and hoped sleep would come easy to her. Before she drifted off completely one thought slipped through her mind.

I need to stop being such a coward.

It was almost an hour later that Yumichika woke from his light doze. He thought at first it was because of the feverish throbbing in his head but realized it was because of something clamped to his arm. His lilac eyes widened in shock when he saw Naoko clutching his arm in her sleep.

She looked so innocent and sweet sleeping like that. Her face was relaxed and devoid of its usual guarded fierceness. Yumichika shifted a little and Naoko gave a soft gasp before tightening her hold on his arm.

"Please... don't go..." she pleaded softly.

The Soul Reaper blinked and felt his hear twist painfully at hearing such fragileness in her voice. She sounded like a lost and scared child not the self-assured confident princess she always appeared to be. This was the Naoko he knew was hiding behind that strong-willed exterior. The one that was afraid to again lose someone she held dear.

He laid his hand over hers that clung to his arm and gently kissed her temple, "I'm not going anywhere, darling. I'll always be right here."

Her face visibly relaxed and she snuggled closer to him.


Uryu softly shut the door behind him and slumped against it in exhaustion. He and Oliver had been guarding Philip Martin until the proper authorities had arrived to take him. Oliver demanded to know what had been going on since he and Angelica were last here. Too tired to give him the whole story Uryu promised they would sit down tomorrow and he would tell him everything.

Right now he wanted to curl up on the bed with his girlfriend. Girlfriend... now there was a word Uryu never pictured himself thinking. He never imagined himself having a girlfriend let alone someone as lovely as Nemu. But he wasn't about to look this gift horse in the mouth.

"Uryu?" Nemu asked, propping herself up on the bed. "Is everything alright?"

He walked away from the door and onto the bed, settling behind her. "Everything's fine. Martin is in the custody of the proper authorities and... funeral arrangements for Seiichi and Sophia have been made."

The prince sighed and wrapped his bandaged arm around her waist. He was not looking forward to going to another funeral this year, first his grandmother's, then James Thornson and now Seiichi and Sophia's.

"How did that go?" Nemu asked softly. She gently threaded her fingers through his that rested around her waist.

"Well enough. The caskets and flowers have been ordered and so have the tombstones. The graveyard plots were already reserved for them. The funeral will be in three days, it'll be a small private affair at a local church."

Fatigue was showing through Uryu's voice and Nemu could hear it clearly. She gently tightened her grip on his hand, trying to give him some bit of comfort. Funerals brought very bad and uncomfortable memories from deep in his mind to the surface.

"What about Reginald and Mary?" Nemu asked after a moment's silence.

"Mary is being watched over by Min and Zola. Tomorrow she'll be shipped off back to America and I'm going to see if I can find a way to keep her from ever setting foot in this country again. As for Reginald I want to wait and hear what Colette has planned and decide from there," Uryu said as he removed his glasses and set them on the bed side table.

"It sounds like you have everything figured out."

"For now," the prince sighed as he closed his eyes.

"You've been able to handle every obstacle that has come your way and I know you'll be able to handle any more that come your way," Nemu murmured and held his arm closer to her.

"Especially if I have you by my side," Uryu said as he brought her closer.


It was over.

Completely over for him.

Everything he had been given, assured, and deserved since birth was gone. His powers, his money, his... everything was gone. His pride really had gone before his fall. What was he to do now?

Reginald lifted his head from his hands when he heard the door open and he saw his traitorous cousin walked in. She looked confident as if she held all the cards in her hand. But there was one card he still had and that was the life of her precious servant boy.

"Well, look who has been pushed off his pedestal," Colette purred coldly.

"You think you're so damn clever. But I know Grandfather will put you back in your place soon enough," Reginald said viciously.

"Funny you should say that because my place is right where Grandfather's used to be," her smile was cunning and cold like a snake or a spider.

"What do you mean 'used to be'?" The disgraced former nobleman asked with hesitation.

"Apparently I must spell everything out to you people, what I mean is I am the new head of both the Desrosier and Martin clans. Not Grandfather, not anymore." Colette explained slowly, savoring the words she said and the reaction they brought from cousin.

Reginald felt as though the world had dropped out from beneath his feet. The tables had been turned completely. He always knew that he should never mess with his female relative because of her unrivaled tenacity, cunning and viciousness. But he brushed those mental warnings away and targeted someone she cared for; dangling said someone's life in front of her like a carrot.

All for the name of power.

Anything and everything that had ever been done in a noble family, Quincy or otherwise, had been for power. Gaining power, wrenching power away from an enemy, political power and power over others. To be the best, to reign supreme over everyone else like a king over his peasants.

But a glimmer of an idea sparked in his head. He still had one thing over her yet. One thing that no amount of power could prevent from happening.

Everything and everyone was equal in the eyes of death.

He could still order Armel Roux's death and there would be nothing Colette could do to stop it from happening. That thought brought a smile and a small consolation to his otherwise dim prospective future. If he was going to suffer then he would make sure she did too.

"At least I have the life if that servant boy as a consolation prize. Not even you and all the power you now possess can stop me from ordering his death to be carried out!" Reginald cried out with desperate triumph.

"You think so?" The orange haired Frenchwoman said calmly. She turned to the door, "You can come in now."

The door opened again and this time a strapping young man with russet red hair and hazel eyes walked in. Whole and unharmed. He strode up to Colette and placed his arm around his shoulders while she leaned against his frame. Her more petite body fitting nicely against his toned physique.

"Hello there, Reginald," Armel said with fake sincerity. "Nice to see you again."

Said man could only gape and dumbly point at the couple. His rarely used mind couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. There was no possible way this could be happening...

Colette felt untold high levels of satisfaction at seeing her cousin's dumbfounded face. She really now was a woman who had everything; the man she loved, her troublesome relatives under her thumb and even people she was willing to call friends.

"Did you really think I'd let you get away with threatening Armel? I had him slipped from the grounds by my personal spies and flown here on the private family jet. You no longer have anything to hold over me, to keep me under your thumb and in your control," she explained.

"So what do you plan to do with me then?" Reginald conceded in defeat. He knew when he was licked and he had been licked clean.

The blue eyed woman shrugged, "What can I do? You're a disgraced nobleman who has not one euro to his name and no one to turn to for help. I highly doubt any allies you think you have would want to associate themselves with someone in your predicament. You have nothing; you are nothing and will forever remain as such."

"Why don't you just kill me and be done with it?" He snarled.

"Because that would be merciful and you do not deserve mercy. You deserve to carry your shame and dishonor for the rest of your days." With that said Colette turned with Armel still at her side and walked out the door.

Of course she would make sure he carried that burden and didn't try to off himself. In Western, unlike Eastern, suicide was not seen as a way to undo the shame and dishonor one has brought upon them. She would also have her spies play little "tricks" to make him think he was always being followed and watched until he was driven mad.

The spider would make sure this fly suffered and struggled until its last breath in a web of its own making.


*Oh, wow did that take a dark turn or what? I'm sure most of you still wanted Reginald and Philip to be killed and/or tortured but psychological torture is much more lasting and effective.

I'm sad to say the next chapter will be the last chapter of this story and it will be posted Dec. 25th, Christmas Day. I do have a "bonus" chapter planned and that'll be posted Dec. 31st, New Year's Eve. Then on Jan. 1st 2013 (New Years Day) I will post the first chapter to my next story, "The Flaming Fox". As for my M—Rated chapter I will get that posted on Dec. 31st as well.

I was also thinking of doing a Q&A chapter, if you guys had any questions you wanted to ask the characters or me. I've always kinda wanted to do something like that but only if you guys want me too and give me enough questions.

*Gin, Seirin, Ayame, Naoko and Me*: HAPPY HOLIDAYS! MERRY CHIRSTMAS, HAPPY HANNAKA, and HAPPY KWANZA!

Please review and may your holidays be merry.*