Warnings: Non/dub-con/lemon, character death

Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Bleach nor do I profit from my admiration

Chapter 12

11 Months, two weeks: Hueco Mundo

"Ukitake is in the sands. How long we gonna wait Taichou?" Gin asked impatiently. The monitors showed the new Soutaichou and Kyouraku waiting outside with the beleaguered Fourth team – only Love, Tessai, Rose, Kira and Iemura were still alive. Uryu had found an exhausted Tessai and handed SoiFon's lifeless body to the giant kido master. Wordlessly he had closed her glassy eyes and laid her next to the other bodies they hadn't been able to save.

"Perhaps we will send him a surprise tomorrow. I'm sure he misses Kuchiki." Aizen smiled as his gaze studied Gin. Freezing his customary smirk, Gin was careful not to react under the demi-god's scrutiny. Aizen had forced Gin to watch as he tortured the once proud Kuchiki heir, scarring, assaulting, tormenting, and toying with the sixth division captain until Gin had finally – mistakenly – questioned Aizen's tactics. That night Aizen dragged Matsumoto from her cell with her suppression collar still in place and gave her to Yammy to do with as he pleased. Gin knew better than to intervene, refusing to even look at the screaming woman as she was dragged away by the brutal arrancar. Aizen had given his all-knowing smile and dismissed him with the wave of one hand. Such was the price of insubordination, even for one as seemingly valued as Ichimaru Gin.

"What makes you think Kuchiki will obey?" Gin asked, genuinely curious. The proud noble had withstood horrible disfigurement and pain without much reaction beyond mostly suppressed gasping and an occasional scream.

"He knows what I will do to his sister." Aizen said patiently, lazily fingering the hilt of his zanpakuto. "Or, at least he believes what he sees."

Gin nodded obediently, keeping the inscrutable smile that hid his growing unease. It wasn't that he was squeamish to torture or pain, and it wasn't that he actually cared about anyone other than two people, one of which who was now beyond his reach. It was more that he was beginning to doubt where he really fit into Aizen's grand kingdom. He was more than content to do Aizen's dirty work, hell he'd been doing it for over a century now, a few more deaths or beatings weren't going to deter him now that the end was within sight. No, it was more that Aizen was beginning to treat him the same as the Espada he created from hollows, dismissed as easily as an adjuchas, his skills and loyalty no longer regarded as more than a mindless if useful need to kill. Leaving to return to his room, Gin dropped his customary grin and stared blankly up at the unchanging moon. He had made a fatal mistake with Matsumoto, perhaps it was time to explore his dwindling options.

"Yoruichi should be in the throne room by – Kurosaki, try to restrain your reiatsu, that limiter can only take so much." Urahara chided as the three breached the lower levels of Aizen's stronghold.

"If the hogyoku is already in Aizen, how do we destroy it?" Ichigo asked as they carefully entered what appeared to be Mayuri's lab.

"Destroy Aizen. Or get close enough to remove it, but at this point it has probably merged with his body and extraction might not be possible." Urahara smiled cheerfully, as if their task were as simple as popping soul candy.

They were all masking their reiatsu, Shinji and Urahara voluntarily and Ichigo with a limiter. So far they hadn't run into any problems, only one adjuchas and it was swiftly silenced before their presence was revealed. Pausing, Urahara inspected the remains of Mayuri's latest experiment and was torn between curiosity and urgency.

"Oi! Over here!" Ichigo called out excitedly as he disappeared from sight behind a large, stainless steel table. Moments later he reappeared with a body in his arms, bloodied and broken but still breathing shallowly.

"Who's that?" Shinji asked curiously, leaning down for a closer view at the bruised, delicate face. "Back off pervert." Ichigo grumbled as the body stirred in his arms.

"Mayuri-sama…"

"No Nemu, he isn't here…what happened?" Ichigo asked quietly, puzzled by her sudden smile and wondering why she was the only body in the destroyed room.

"He's dead," the former lieutenant said softly. "They killed him, the captain with bells ripped his limbs off and cut out his heart. Blood…everywhere…Hisagi fukutaichou and the silver-haired vizard were angry and refused…but the prodigy approved. " Nemu paused to cough up blood, her whole body stiffening as it jerked and spasmed. Urahara quietly noted somewhere from the background that her lung must have been punctured.

"They spared me because I helped them." Nemu continued slowly, her breathing labored as she struggled for words. "I told them about the other captives and the experiments. I told them about the human girl and Aizen's plan to use her…" another coughing fit cut off her words and Ichigo restrained himself from shaking the dying shinigami.

"Nemu! What is he planning?" Ichigo questioned urgently, staring intently at her blood stained lips as she struggled to speak. "There are injuries, I'm not sure if Hisa-" Another violent cough wracked her body before she gurgled and suddenly went limp in his arms, her face going slack in an almost peaceful expression. Frowning, Urahara turned to look at the messy lab, his emotions conflicted as he thought about his former subordinate and the bitter consequences of unleashing Mayuri's evil brilliance.

"Come, we need to keep moving." Urahara said quietly, pulling off his cloak as he approached Ichigo. "Wait, what about her?" Ichigo asked hoarsely, his eyes narrowing as he unconsciously held the dead lieutenant closer.

"Leave her. We can't take her body with us. We have to keep going." Urahara's voice was quiet but it left no room for argument. Turning to look at Shinji, Ichigo's shoulders slumped as the blonde vizard shook his head. Slowly he lowered Nemu's body to a table and practically ripped the cloak from Urahara's hands. Reluctantly he covered the lieutenant and gently squeezed her hand, feeling more than a little hollow himself when the still warm fingers remained motionless. Turning, he followed the older men out, focusing his quiet anger back to the mission and the man responsible for everything.

Rukia stood quietly outside the heavy cell door, hesitant to pull it open and walk inside. She had been manipulated by Aizen so many times, she couldn't believe anything he promised, nor could she afford to call his bluff.

She realized now that Byakuya hadn't been saved, that it had all been a game by the two traitors to torture her and Renji mentally and emotionally while carrying out whatever they had originally planned the entire time. After seeing the look on Renji's face as he was dragged away, Rukia had consoled herself that she at least saved her brother, something that she and Renji both wanted. When Aizen had forced her to stand witness as he broke the Kuchiki heir's body after the isolation that had broken his mind, Rukia had begged Aizen to stop, promising him anything to release them. As she knelt at Aizen's feet with Gin's heel solidly digging between her shoulder blades, she heard Ichimaru question Aizen's tactics and the deadly silence that hung heavy in the air. It felt like an eternity before Aizen finally asked Gin to accompany him to the throne room, leaving her kneeling there and Byakuya still trapped in the stockade. Unable to free Byakuya, she had brushed the hair from his face and spoken quietly to him, grasping at anything that came to mind – her fears, her childhood, her resentment for having to maintain an image she never wanted. Unable to elicit any response she continued speaking just to hear her own voice until Gin finally reappeared and released the noble, his grin more forced than usual. He paused to pat Rukia on the head before he walked out and left the two siblings together.

Hours later Aizen appeared to summon Rukia saying Renji wanted to talk to her. Fearful, she wasn't sure if it was just another manipulation for his amusement and as she followed Aizen down the twisting corridors, she tried to prepare herself for the worst as they stopped in front of a windowless door. Looking up at Aizen questioningly, he merely nodded before he disappeared down the hall.

Looking up, she tried to stamp down the hope that threatened to break free from her chest, trying to summon her courage to face the worst. Taking a deep breath, she opened the heavy cell door and walked in, giving thanks that regardless of what waited for her in the cell, the bastard wasn't staying to watch her torment.

Peering into the darkness she saw Renji crouched in the corner, barely clothed and barefoot, his skin dirty and scabbed over. He was holding his head in his hands with his face hidden from view by lank, matted red locks, muttering incoherently under his breath.

"Renji, it's me…Rukia." She approached cautiously, realizing that he wasn't wearing a suppression collar and that he seemed to be in his inner world. Moving to kneel down in front of him, she held back tears that came unbidden as she saw the multitude of bruises and cuts that littered his arms. She didn't touch him, instinctively knowing if she startled him from his inner world that he would react first before realizing what he was doing and who he was doing it to.

"Please, just go away." He said softly, forcing Rukia to lean forward to hear what he was saying. His shoulders were trembling and his breathing came in shallow, erratic pants. Carefully she sat down in front of him, feeling his altered reiatsu pulsing and fading; familiar and strange at the same time.

"Renji, talk to me. What happened?" She tentatively reached out to lay a hand on one lacerated arm, the need to touch him overriding her instinctive caution. Almost instantly she felt his reiatsu spike violently as he lifted his head and sneered at her through narrowed eyes.

"What do you think Rukia?" Roughly he pulled his hair back with one hand and crept forward on his knees until his face was inches from hers. The sclera started to turn black as a mask began forming, accentuating his sharp, predatory grin.

"You selfish bitch." He hissed, his face twisting as the mask developed and his voice altered. "You've always known what I would do fer you, never even had ta ask." His reiatsu was increasing and Rukia attempted to push him away, panic rising as she fought the urge to run, knowing that she was trapped in the dirty ten by ten cell and unable to keep from backing up until she felt solid stone against her back. Slamming one fist into the wall next to her head, Renji laughed at the fear in her eyes. "You fucking tease. Trusty, loyal, stupid Renji. So easy to manipulate, throw 'im a scrap and he'd come running, no matter how many times ya kick him away."

Renji leaned forward, nuzzling Rukia's neck gently and inhaling her scent as his other hand moved down her thigh. Trapped, she tried to stop trembling as Renji's movements became rougher and harsher, both hands roaming over her body, squeezing and pinching. His mouth suckled on her delicate outer ear before moving on to the sensitive lobe and settling on her throat, leaving purple bruises in its wake.

Rukia squeezed her eyes closed as she felt Renji's sharp teeth pierce the skin of her neck and his large, rough hands tear at her tattered clothing. Biting her lip she refused to scream, a twisted part of herself welcoming his rage and acknowledging the truth of his words while desperately wanting someone's touch that wasn't Aizen's. She didn't fight back when he yanked her to her feet, crying out as he squeezed her arms so tightly she thought the bones would shatter. She only flinched slightly as he tore the rest of her clothing off leaving her to stand exposed in front of him, shivering in the damp coolness of the cell, a mass of turbulent emotions.

"Not scared anymore? Ya like being Aizen's whore? He told me that you won't beg him ta stop no matter how hard he fucks ya. Maybe he just doesn't last long enough?" The odd hollow voice dropped pitch and turned sly. "Or maybe ya enjoy it." Rukia flinched again, reminding herself that the vile words spewing out like poison darts were not from Renji. Lifting her chin she stood up stiffly and stared down the hollow, her lips turning up slightly as she saw the gold eyes narrow.

"You aren't Renji, and you will never fully control him." She said softly as she stepped forward, her confidence growing as the hollow backed up. Reaching out she tangled one hand up in his long hair before she yanked hard and pulled his face down, mask still in place. Pressing her lips to his, she ignored the sharp bone fragments that cut her cheek. As she felt his reiatsu surge, she only pressed harder, some instinctive need to reach him driving her actions.

Snarling, the hollow yanked her head back as he sucked and bit around the suppression collar at her throat, marking the alabaster skin with his own consuming need to possess the defenseless shinigami. Realizing she wasn't trying to escape, he reached down and lifted her up to wrap her legs around him, pressing against her heat as she clung to him. Growling low in his throat, he licked across her collarbone, dragging his tongue against the bone before he sank his teeth into her pale shoulder. Crying out, Rukia only grasped on tighter, centering on the pain that quickly turned to something else, something darker, more potent as heat began to pool inside her core.

Grinding against her, Renji growled low in his throat as he felt her heat beginning to seep through his clothes. Needing more he moved to her lips, capturing her small cries as he invaded her mouth, sucking, licking and biting in an attempt to get what his hollow craved. Gasping, Rukia tore her mouth from his as her hands moved to his obi and fumbled to get it untied. Oblivious to her attempts, Renji lifted her higher against the wall as he latched onto her straining breasts, suckling before biting down harshly. Crying out Rukia jerked in his arms, thoroughly distracted from undressing him as pain and pleasure exploded in her core. Unconsciously she threaded her fingers in his hair as she arched up against his sinfully hot mouth and sharp teeth. As the ache between her legs grew more unbearable, she dropped one hand to toy at her wet folds, her body overwhelmed by the sensations flooding her nerve receptors. She gasped as she felt his thick fingers slide in against hers, pushing her hand away as he skillfully stroked her heat. Unconsciously she thrust her hips against his hand, trying to take more as his mouth moved back up to nip at her shoulder.

"Ren-Renji…" she stammered, desperation and demand lacing her words as she gripped his broad shoulders, trying to anchor herself against the waves of pleasure threatening to crash over her. Violet eyes glazed with heat, she stared through her long eyelashes at the edges of the white bone mask that hid her long-time love from her.

"Don't say his name!" The hollow snarled, instinctively slamming her against the wall so forcefully she saw stars as her head crashed against stone. Feeling his anger emanating in waves, she pulled his mouth from where it was bruising her collarbone and kissed the sensuous lips that she only recently tasted again and couldn't get enough of. Groaning, he forgot his anger as he pulled his obi off and stepped out of his dirty hakama. Pushing aside the remaining strip of material that restrained him, he pulled back to watch her as he gripped his swollen erection and roughly positioned himself just within her folds. Breath hitching, he rubbed the weeping head against her, pressing harder as she whimpered at the teasing.

"Renji, please… just … I need you…" Rukia gasped as her already tightly wound body coiled tighter with each rub. "Renji…please."

Gripping her hips hard enough to bruise, he sneered down at her cruelly. "Renji ain't here. Just me, and I hate you, stupid, ugly bitch. I want you to hurt, to be alone, to have nothing. That's all a whore like you deserves." With one brutal thrust, his hips bucked up while he slammed her body down, filling and stretching her to the point she felt she would break in half. Crying out from the physical pain so similar and yet so different than the pain she endured countless times from Aizen, she squeezed her eyes shut and twisted her fingers in his hair, not quite able to shield herself from all of the poisonous words that tried to cut through her. With her back rubbing painfully raw against the stone, she hated that she couldn't quite keep the tears from spilling as the hollow took her aggressively. Trying to detach from the physical pain that flirted on the edges of the darker, more potent sensation of pleasure, she forced her body to stop resisting and to relax into the powerful thrusts that shook her to the core. Eyes fluttering, the pleasure slowly began to build again, coiling and snaking its way up her body, as she melted into the strong arms that held her upright. Gasping, her grip in his hair tightened before releasing and raking her nails down his back, the guttural growl it elicited made her high with newfound power. Digging her fingers in, she rolled her hips into the thrusts as she felt her breasts tighten painfully. Her throat was ridiculously sensitive and her swollen lips bruised as she bit them against the lustful cries that escaped her fracturing control.

Racing towards release, Renji thrust harder, the rhythm of his hips in harmony with the slap of skin against skin, harsh panting and unrestrained cries. Moving his large hands from her hips, Renji reached down to squeeze her firm, smooth ass before he angled her hips up to hit her sweet spot with a particularly brutal thrust. The coil that wound so tightly before exploded under strain as Rukia's orgasm ripped through her and she instinctively clamped down, crying out hoarsely as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her nerves. Feeling her silky walls clenching around him, Renji thrust a few more times before he released into her, his body jolting as the dam finally broke and he sagged against her and the wall.

"Renji, oh Renji." She said softly, focusing on the tattoos just visible at the edge of the mask, memories of their long and twisted relationship flooding her pleasure filled aftermath. Guilt stabbed through her as she thought of the times she had depended on him, refusing in recent times to give back what he needed from her. All of the times she had toyed with him, used her noble rank on him, and flat out told him that her heart belonged to Kaien, even if she never could confess her love to the 13th division fukutaichou. Gently she loosened her grip on him, choosing instead to trace the edges of his mask with light fingertips. Her emotions were still riddled with guilt but it was quickly replaced with feelings of tenderness that belied the violence of the situation as she continued to call out to the boy she grew up with.

"No." The hollow hissed, suddenly stiffening and his expression turning furious. "Shut up! Stop…Stop!" He snarled, backhanding her viciously as he suddenly pulled out and away from her, dropping her to the ground in his haste to put distance between them. Hissing and cursing, the hollow jerked erratically as it struggled to maintain control before the mask disintegrated and Renji's eyes turned back to crimson.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck no…no, no no…" He stuttered in horror as he emerged from his inner world. Rukia was still whispering his name over and over, silvery tears streaming down her face, her large violet eyes glazed and her bruised body motionless. Her lip was split and an angry bruise was already forming on her right cheek. Without thinking, Renji gently brushed his thumb over the freshly bloodied lip and fought the urge to wretch as he saw the damage he had done to her, dropping to his knees as disgust filled him. Crying out Rukia wrapped her thin arms around him, burying her tear stained face in his dirty hair.

"Rukia don't, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, goddamit." Renji quickly pulled her arms away from his neck, looking for her clothes and cursing himself when he saw what his hollow, what he had done to them. Grabbing his own discarded hakama, he ripped the material in half, wrapping one part around his waist like a towel before bundling Rukia's now shivering body in the remains.

"Renji." She said softly, watching him struggle to secure the material around her with shaking hands. Ignoring her he went to the door, grabbing the bars as he yelled for Aizen or anyone within hearing before he suddenly lurched to the side and started dry heaving. Panting on his hands and knees, he refused to think about anything except getting the door open and Rukia as far away from him as possible. Coughing a few more times and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he froze when he saw two tiny bare feet in front of him. Leaning down, Rukia cupped his face in her hands, her grip firm and insistent as he tried to pull away. Gently she kissed him, his mouth closed firmly and his hands up as if to push her away but she persisted, losing herself to exploring the chapped lips that she once was so familiar with. Pushing the hair from his face she traced the tattoos where his eyebrows should have been and smiled her small, enigmatic smile.

He refused to meet her gaze, his body frozen as he felt the hollow's rage inside, spewing vile things and promising misery. The hunger inside him burned as brightly as ever but for a brief second he felt a fragile lifeline in her touch and he grasped at it greedily, like a man drowning. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around the thin waist and pulled her upright, leaning in to press his face against her stomach and inhaling deeply. His shoulders trembled slightly but he didn't cry, because he'd be a dead man before anyone ever saw him cry, even in his most wretched and hopeless moments. Rather he recognized that she offered forgiveness and he accepted it to make her happy, boxing the guilt and disgust away to store with the many other boxes he had collected over the years. Hisagi-senpai wasn't the only one good at repressing.

After a minute Renji sighed and pulled away from the tight embrace. Looking not quite at her, he plastered a pained, bitter smile on and gently pushed her away. "Sorry Rukia, more than you'll ever know. I think it's best if we just stay apart until you get to leave." He backed up to the corner he had originally been squatting in and sat down, stretching to lay down with his face to the wall. He had lost control and the bastard had hurt the one person he truly cared about. No one gets over that, even if they tell you they do.

She watched him withdraw, furious and sad at the same time. She understood why he did, had watched him time and time again withdraw when the idiot believed he was protecting her but instead was protecting his own vulnerability he tried so hard to hide..

Refusing to give up she marched over the to the tattooed lump and climbed over, wriggling herself between him and the wall and grabbing one muscled arm to drape over her body for extra warmth. "Baka, there's nowhere to run away to anymore Renji." She felt him flinch involuntarily and wedged herself closer, smiling triumphantly as the arm tightened reflexively around her and she drifted off to sleep, battered but nowhere near broken.

A/N: Sorry it has been so long. Next chapter can go either 1.) the war is over and a faster recap of how it ended similar to the beginning of chapter 2 OR 2.) one last chapter dedicated fully to ending the war with continuation of Ren/Ruki in the chapter after. I (as are others) am tired of the war and want to move on in the story but I am not sure if suddenly shifting the story line is appropriate. Suggestions welcome, thank you for reading.