Thank you, thank you, thank you for your reviews! I was so shocked when I got on the day after I updated (Saturday) and saw that Chapter 6 had gotten 5 reviews in less than 24 hours! It completely flattered me! (And sorry, I know I've mentioned most of this before).

I never thought so many people would like this story. It truly does honor me, as the writer.

Well, that's enough of my completely shameless rambling. Here's what you really want to read, if you followed the story this far...Chapter 7.

The next evening, Rukia smoothed out her clothes, brushed out her hair, took a deep breath, and went to go find Byakuya.

This was it. If this didn't work, then she was all out of ideas. But she didn't have to worry about that, she was sure. Even Byakuya Kuchiki would cave to this.

But it was a measure so drastic that it required great and inhuman confidence. For some reason, Byakuya seemed to naturally suppress confidence with an intimidating and arrogant presence that could be matched by very few. She'd have to act quickly. If she stood before Byakuya, meaning to use such a bold thing as her last resort on him, then his presence might quickly kill her courage. She had to do this. Now. While she was still feeling bold. Otherwise...she might never pluck up this much courage again.

She had to do it...

It was now or never!

She marched to Byakuya's room. She was going to slam open that door, and drop her last resort on him while he was still stunned from her initial big entrance. Then, he would be so off-guard that the plan would be a success.

In a perfect world, that is.

She took a deep breath. She was going to do it! Now!

The door slammed open.

"Nii-sama, I demand--!"

She stopped. The room was dark. There was no one inside.

Byakuya...wasn't here.

She felt...deflated. Her confidence was seeping out of her, and it was replaced with...what was it? Disappointment? Not quite...or was it more relief? She couldn't decide.

She heard footsteps. Oh. Dammit! This would look really bad if Byakuya walked up and saw her standing there, the door to his room open. She closed the door and bolted, hiding around the corner as she heard the footsteps getting closer.

Whoever it was...they were very close.

She dared to peek her head around the corner. It was Byakuya...!

She hurriedly pulled her head out of sight. She'd hidden just in time!

She sat there, her heartbeat quickening. He most certainly knew she was here...he was Captain of Sixth Company, after all...he probably thought she was a snoop or a stalker or just plain weird...but of course he'd never tell her because he was respectful...but then again...

She heard the door open.

She heard the door close.

Dammit, why couldn't she have showed up five minutes later? Then there would have been someone in the room for her to make her big entrance to. She felt like such a stupid fool.

What an impression she must have made on him! What had she been thinking? He would never take her seriously now. It didn't matter what she did. At this point...their relationship was beyond repair.

Hisana had had a precious bond with him...but how arrogant Rukia had been, thinking she could achieve a similar thing! How completely arrogant! She'd never realized...things had been beyond repair from the very beginning.

She wasn't going to lie to herself. She envied Hisana. She envied her so, so much. She envied a dead woman. How pathetic was that?

No. No. What was she thinking? She couldn't give up. Everything she had gone through up until this point would have been for nothing. It was all for nothing!

That was why she couldn't give up! Even if it was the tiniest thing...that was enough for her. It was enough. But until she knew that her efforts had achieved something, she couldn't give up.

It was startling to her, to think that Byakuya was just on the other side of that wall. What was he doing? Did he ever think about things so deeply as she did? If he did, there was no way to tell...

Heh. There was more than a wall between them. That was for sure.

No. No. She was going to tear down that wall! By her own power! Byakuya obviously wasn't planning on meeting her halfway, so she'd have to do it by herself! Hisana had grown close to him, and Rukia was her very image...but still, when it came right down to it, Hisana was Hisana, and Rukia was Rukia. There was no real comparison between the two. Rukia had no idea what sort of tactics Hisana must have used, but it didn't really matter anyway. They probably wouldn't work for Rukia...Rukia would require her own tactics.

After a while, she got to her feet. She wasn't going to refer to this as her "last resort" anymore, because if it didn't work out, then she might try to give up again...



Filled with resolve, she turned the corner and walked back down the hall, to stand in front of Byakuya's door again.

All right. Here went nothing!

She slammed open his bedroom door. "Nii-sama, I demand--!" Just like the first time, she didn't finish.

Her voice got quieter. "I...nii-sama, I apologize, I...didn't realize you were sleeping..."

Byakuya got up. He walked over to her. He was standing right in front of her.

Rukia couldn't help but look. She'd never seen him dressed for bed before...somehow, without his shihakusho and kenseikan and Senbonzakura strapped to his waist...he looked...just a little less formidable.

Why was the thought that Byakuya slept so strange to her?

She somehow managed to talk. "N...Nii-sama, I have something to say...!" she blurted, "And--!"

"Tell me tomorrow", he said, and where Byakuya had been a moment before, she was now looking at a door.

All awkwardness was gone now. Sure, she'd burst in on him, but closing a door in her face was still rude! She could feel indignation welling up. If she was supposed to be respectful to him, then he should be respectful to her, too! If she walked away now, then that would be letting him win! He'd know that he could get away with degrading things like this and keep doing it! She couldn't walk away! If there was ever a time to gain or lose his respect, it was now!

"Nii-sama!" she shouted through the door, "I have something important to say, and I want you to listen! I hope you don't think you're going to get rid of me that easily...? Because I won't stop until you listen to me! And...and...I'll stay out here all night, if that's what it takes!!"

...

Rukia stirred where she had fallen asleep outside Byakuya's bedroom door.

She...she'd fallen asleep! Damn! That meant Byakuya could have snuck past her at any time!

Well...she'd messed up. Again. How was she always messing everything up?! She'd completely screwed up any chance she'd had...now she would never get any serious acknowledgment or respect.

She sat up. Sleeping on the floor made her back sore. And why did she have a blanket? Did she have that the night before?

No...she was pretty sure she didn't...

Then she realized what she was looking at. Her blanket was white, with a "six" inside a diamond.

She clutched the material tightly as it dawned on her. Even...after all she'd done, he'd still...

She got to her feet, wrapping it around her shoulders.

Byakuya...

Where was Byakuya?

By the way, she never actually got a chance to use her last resort in this chapter...it just worked out that way...

All right, then. Till next time.