AN: Hey everyone! Thank you all for your reviews! One quick reply (which I would have answered personally, but was anonymous) to a person called Y: have faith in me! I've already written these 'bridge' chapters, so no fear! One important announcement (depending on what you call important) – I'm not going to be able to update for a couple weeks due to being separated from my laptop. In other words, I'm out of England for a couple of weeks. Sorry! But thank you again and let's roll on with theme twenty-one! Enjoy!

21. Violence; Pillage/Plunder; Extortion

The mission he had gone out on with a group of shinigami hadn't gone so well. He was covered in blood from protecting as much of the group as possible. It had been a strain since the group had been running around all over the place, and it made it difficult to direct Senbonzakura without harming anyone. Byakuya had ended up taking some pretty severe hits from one hollow since he didn't have enough of his zanpaku-tô to protect everyone and himself and use it offensively. He cursed the fact that his bankai was still just out of his grasp.

Now he stood where he was confronted with two massive Hollows. Most of the rest of the group had either been critically injured or knocked out. Those left standing were exhausted, Byakuya included. But failure wasn't an option in his mind.

"Senbonzakura…" he murmured, wiping the blood beginning to blind him in one eye away. If he wanted to win, he had to gather all his strength and leave the injured and unconscious unprotected.

Senbonzakura whirled in the air around him before he mentally directed them to surround and butcher the nearest Hollow.

"You…" the Hollow howled, trying to tear through Senbonzakura with his claws, only to have them torn to shreds. The Hollow gave one last wail before disintegrating, leaving one Hollow left, which leapt into the air with a horrendous roar.

Byakuya drew Senbonzakura into a shield, which just held against the Hollow's monstrous weight. As calmly as he could manage, he dispatched the Hollow before facing his conscious team-mates.

"Kuchiki-san does it again… right?" the eighteenth seat of the thirteenth division wheezed, climbing to his feet and limping over to one of his fallen comrades. Byakuya remained silent, reforming his zanpaku-tô and trying to gather himself. The battle had been tougher than they had thought and it had taken its toll. But he refused to rest until he returned to Seireitei. He could not show weakness in front of the division. It was unthinkable.

"What do you think their goal was, trying to invade an almost deserted area like this? You would have thought they were here to devour some souls, but there ain't a soul in sight," another division member commented, pulling another badly injured member into his arms.

Byakuya picked one of the unconscious team up and shook his head.

"Who can say what goes through the minds of Hollows? They haven't got hearts. We cannot predict such a creature's movements," he answered, heading to the area where one of the remaining mostly unharmed shinigami was

"Some say you haven't got a heart, Kuchiki-san," the man quipped.

Byakuya said nothing.

Inside, his stomach churned at the remark. He wondered if people really thought of him that way, but drew no conclusions. His mind was beginning to cloud with exhaustion and injury. The blood from his head wound was trickling into his eye again, but he did nothing but wait to return to Seireitei. He was determined to walk into the fourth division relief centre on his own power even if it killed him.

Those left in good enough shape to help or carry others did so until they crossed back to Soul Society. Byakuya gladly handed over his unconscious team-member to a group of waiting relief shinigami before continuing on to the fourth division. He spotted Captain Ukitake, but decided to pretend he failed to see him.

"Byakuya-san! What happened?" said Captain Ukitake, drawing alongside Byakuya, who didn't stop.

"There were more Hollows than anticipated and the group was overwhelmed. We fought and won," he monotonously replied, causing Jûshirô to sigh.

"Was it that bad? I've already contacted Captain Unohana, so the relief team are on the way," Jûshirô said, amazed at Byakuya's composure. He didn't notice the man beside him was finally beginning to crack. Byakuya turned to face Captain Ukitake, blood still obscuring his right eye and Jûshirô was shocked to find the man had a slightly pained and desperate expression.

"Captain… I will talk about this another time. I need to get to… fourth division…" he faltered, trying to focus, but finding it increasingly difficult.

'Had the battle been so difficult, or am I still weak?' Byakuya wondered.

Captain Ukitake had never seen Byakuya in such a condition and it dawned how bad the situation must have been. In an instant, he took hold of Byakuya, used shun-po to reach the fourth division and released his protégé.

"No fuss, you're here now. You get healed up and I'll send a message to Hisana-san. I'm sure she's fretting – you are rather late," said Jûshirô and disappeared.

Byakuya sighed, trying to pull himself together, and entered the fourth division. As soon as he got to lie down, he passed out.

Hisana awoke when she heard a knock on the bedroom door.

"Who is it?" she called.

"I have a message, Kuchiki-sama." She recognised it as one of the older maids.

Hisana became tense. Byakuya was out on a mission and hadn't returned, and the maid's didn't wake them up for nothing. In fact, she couldn't recall a time when the maid had woken her up when Byakuya was around. She hastily pulled on a kimono and opened the door.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly.

The maid bowed her head.

"Captain Ukitake sent a message to the Kuchiki house stating Kuchiki-sama has returned and is in the fourth division," the maid relayed. Hisana went to say something, but paused.

"… Fourth division? What does that mean?"

"It means he is injured, Kuchiki-sama," the lady stated.

Hisana lost it.

"I'm getting dressed. I want someone ready to take me to the fourth division. Now!" she commanded, slamming the door and pulling out appropriate clothing. She didn't wield the power bestowed on her from marrying Byakuya very often, but Hisana decided this was one incident that warranted using some of that power. She had to get to him right away.

When Hisana was ready – she was certain she must have changed in record time – she exited the bedroom to find a young man ready to escort her. They left in silence, Hisana walking as fast as she could, chivvying the young man to keep going faster.

Finally they reached the forth division and she sent the boy back to the house, running into the building. And stopped short.

The fourth division was a mass of bustling shinigami and nurses attending to various injured people. She had no idea where to go and wasn't sure asking someone was a good idea. Her determination to find Byakuya wavered, then flared.

'I'll find him if I have to go through every room in this place,' she mentally vowed and began to start heading along a nearby corridor.

"May I help you, Kuchiki-sama?" a pleasant voice asked and Hisana turned to be confronted by a scarily serene looking woman with a plait that ran down the front of her uniform. Hisana noticed the captain's haori and her hands involuntarily twitched.

"Yes, Captain…" she trailed, clueless.

"My name is Retsu Unohana, Kuchiki-sama," Captain Unohana supplied and Hisana gave a worried smile.

"Sorry, Captain Unohana. H-how do you know my name?"

Captain Unohana smiled.

"I heard all about your wedding from Captain Ukitake, of course. He was very pleased he was invited, as Kuchiki-sama is a rather private individual," Unohana explained.

'Captain Ukitake was at the wedding? I don't remember him being there…' Hisana thought, but quickly pushed it aside.

"Where is Byakuya… sama, Captain Unohana? I got a message from Captain Ukitake he was here," Hisana said, glancing down the corridor.

"Of course. Follow me; I shall take you to him. He has a private room. I am afraid he pushed himself a little too hard."

Hisana silently followed, wondering whether she should be angry with Byakuya.

'Pushing himself too hard? Idiot! What if he had went a little further and… and then…' but she couldn't finish her thought.

"Here we are. I shall leave you, Kuchiki-sama. You're welcome to stay in the room, if you are comfortable with a chair for rest," said Captain Unohana. Hisana distractedly nodded and thanked the captain before entering the room.

He lay there, eyes closed and disturbingly still. The urge to shake him gripped Hisana, but she was sure Captain Unohana would throw her out should she catch wind of such an action. Instead, she carefully approached him and dragged a chair beside the bed and sat down.

"Idiot," she muttered, trying to restrain the tears forming, "getting yourself into trouble. I'm betting you put on that stupid regal act and made things worse for yourself. Probably were calmly fighting and sapping your energy when you should have been resting, right? You think I don't know what you're like on a battlefield? Hah, you're likely the same as you are the rest of the time…" she let her rant pour out and quietened, allowing the tears seep down her face.

Hisana placed her hand in his own and shakily sobbed.

"Idiot."

"Is that my new name I've not been informed about?" he asked softly and Hisana gasped. He was motionless, save his eyes which were sleepily open.

"Byakuya! How… how do you feel?"

He drew in a deep breath and turned his head to face her.

"Not so well, at present," he said. Hisana saw his eyes were glittering with pain and any anger she felt melted away.

"What happened?" she whispered, but he just gave her hand that held his a faint squeeze.

"I don't have the energy to relay the entire story. I wish to simply rest," he told her, and she nodded.

"Good; then I can have a say in things for a bit. If you ever think of letting yourself get that close to doing yourself serious harm, then… then I'll… blackmail you into being more careful, if I have to," she rambled, starting to cry again. She felt so stupid, getting so upset when he didn't seem that injured. Truth be told, she'd never really seen him wounded at all.

'That's probably why it's so upsetting. I've just never thought about him getting injured and maybe… even dying. Leaving me. He always appears so untouchable; it's hard to imagine him hurt. It was a shock, really.'

She carefully embraced him and felt his arms come up to rest on her back. Hisana's eyes slid shut and she let her tears quietly continue until they finally dried up. She pressed a thankful kiss to his neck and went to draw back, only to find she couldn't move.

From her position, she just managed to peer at his profile. He was asleep, still holding on tight to her so she was stuck. She smiled, sighed, and pulled her legs onto the bed beside him before settling down in his arms.

He was going to be horrified in the morning.