(AN) Hi y'all! Sorry for the slow updates! I've been sick plus work! Thank you for patiently waiting for the next chapter! I promise the next one will be longer! Enjoy a little ByaRuki moment :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Chapter 12

Byakuya approached Rukia's room slowly. He had a million things that he wanted to say to her, like she meant more the world to him or this act was getting quickly. Inwardly, he hated being Senbonzakura. It went against all his principles and his personality. Forcing yourself to be someone else for a long period of time was exhausting as well as running a great clan. Hell, having the woman he wants in front of him but can't have was torturing him. Somehow it seemed the Kuchiki leader was always suffering in silence. He'd put the reputation of the clan before his own, except for this one moment of weakness – rescuing Rukia and his brother.

Now, Byakuya had to deal with the minor fall out of what their marriage would bring. He already defied the elders, even if no one knew their marriage was fake. To him though, their marriage was real as ever, and he damn well refused to tell Rukia that yet. Who knows if he could persuade her to make this marriage eventually real.

As he wrestled with his own moral issues, Byakuya heard muttering on the other side of the door. The petite woman was probably cursing him and his brother, but he decided to move forward with his plan.

Gently, the raven-haired man knocked on Rukia's door. "Rukia? Can I come in?"

"I'm surprised you just don't barge in here like you did the other day." The petite woman growled. She was not happy with the either of the men, especially the one with the real steel grey eyes. He was her weakness, and she already made a mistake in letting him know that earlier.

Only silence greeted Rukia on the other side of the door, further aggravating her. She yanked the door open, glaring at the man. She knew who this one was by the way her raced in her chest, but she reminded it that he didn't want her.

"Byakuya, I am not interested in what either of you idiots have to say, so leave me alone!" She went to slam the door, but his large, elegant hand stopped her.

"Can I come in?" The man in front of her asked sincerely. He wanted to talk to her about everything, but the words left his tongue. If she hated them for protecting her, then he would let her. Rukia's safety was all that mattered now.

"No." The petite woman growled as she tried to remove his hand from the door.

Finding her efforts amusing, Byakuya countered Rukia's retort. "Technically, you are my wife, who lives in my house, so I can go anywhere I please." His words fanned the flames in those amethyst eyes that haunted his dreams.

"Then next time, I suggest you enter instead of asking for my permission because the answer is going to be no until the two of you decide to quit this ridiculous game!" The petite woman said with controlled fury while the man in front of her retained a poke face.

"I really didn't want to do this…" Byakuya said as he slightly pushed in way through the door. Those grey eyes sought her amethyst ones, which caused her to back up slightly. His eyes were either filled with so much emotion that they didn't know which ones to let surface first, or he was a complete blank slate. Was this the same man who ate dinner with her during Senbonzakura's recovering? That man knew what he wanted and went after it. Now, that man was one to be reckoned with. This one just caused Rukia to question herself and her heart.

Byakuya's large frame stood imposing in front of Rukia, but she refused to be intimidated by him. An arched eyebrow graced the petite woman's beautiful face in defiance.

"Please sit." He commanded. His voice sent a shiver down Rukia's neck, but not the good kind. This voice was the leader of the Kuchiki Clan. His command left leaving little room for argument.

Giving the raven-haired man a slight nod, Rukia lead Byakuya over to the small table in her room so they could have this confrontation. "What's so important that you have use the 'I'm greater than thou' voice on me?" She asked as she tried to gauge his temperament. The man seemed cold, but Rukia knew better. Somewhere he had a fire in him just like his twin.

"Some information has come to light about your family." Byakuya stated, slightly shocking Rukia.

"Oh, Kami! My father didn't do anything illegal with this Aizen fellow, did he?" She asked.

"No. It's about…"

"Before any of this goes further, please tell me you left Shirayuki out of this? I can't have her involved in its an heir issue. I refuse to put that on her plate." Rukia asked, which in turn caused Byakuya some concern.

"Rukia, why should she be left out of this since she is your bodyguard and a member of the Murakamis?" He asked curiously.

"You don't understand. If she gets in trouble, the family will disown her, plus disclaim everything that she has ever accomplished basically erasing her from the world!" Rukia fretted. Byakuya could see the bond even more clear now that each woman would give up their happiness for the sake of the other, just like him and Senbonzakura.

Fear crept into Rukia's eyes. "You don't know these people, Byakuya. If they even got a hint that she did anything against them, then they would do everything to destroy her! She only has her life because of me!" There was something here more than the adoption of Shirayuki into Rukia's family, so what was it?

"I thought we agreed to be honest with one another." Byakuya stated in a cold voice. He didn't understand why was Rukia leaving anything out or what Shinji missed in his investigations.

"We have been." She stated.

"Then tell me why you are so scared." He asked as his steel eyes caught hers. Byakuya watched as Rukia blushed.

"You know enough, Byakuya. I can't tell you the rest."

"Can't or won't?" He challenged the woman before him.

"I…" Rukia began to tell him the true story of how Shirayuki was adopted, but she couldn't bring herself to – not yet anyway. "I'll tell you when we know each other better. This is not just my story to tell, but hers as well."

"I'll find out one way or another, so you might as well tell me now." He told her.

"You can't always win." She countered his high handedness.

"I don't understand why you're so afraid even with Shirayuki in the mix. She is under the protection of the Kuchikis. Anyone who would challenge you or her should be terrified. Our reputation does proceed us after all."

"Even Aizen?" Rukia asked. A black eyebrow arched at her. "You never brought him back up, but I assumed he was the one who killed my parents." Rukia said with a sigh.

Byakuya remained silent at her assessment this time because she was partially right. "You and Zakura always try so hard to protect me when I don't need it, Byakuya."

Taking her words to heart, he steeled himself to tell her the truth without an essence of sugar coating. She was a big girl after all. "It wasn't just them, Rukia."

"Then who was it?" She asked confused.

"It was you family, specifically, your father's brother."

Instead of denial, Rukia rose from her seat and walked over to her closet leaving Byakuya stunted. He followed closely behind her to see what she was about to do.

"I am going to kill him." Rukia muttered as she looked for her knives and gun.

Once Byakuya realized what she was searching for, he wrapped his strong arms around Rukia. "You don't want to do this." He whispered into her ear as she shook with rage.

"Yes, I do. He needs to be stopped because he is going to come after Shirayuki and I next." Rukia replied with a heavy heart. Did she really want to kill her uncle for revenge? No. She wanted justice. She wanted safely. She wanted peace in this life that the world just decided to screw her over in.

"I'll protect you." Byakuya whispered as he held her. Water droplets fell on his hands as his words resounded within Rukia's heart. "I promise he will not touch either of you." A sob only echoed his words.

Thank y'all for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting!

Light Desired: I would love to do that, but I don't have your talent at writing lemons lol But that would be a fun one to write.