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This chappie tells you all about the separation. Enjoy.

Isshin was waiting, thankful for the warning that he was getting a visitor, oh and THAT visitor too! The traditional Japanese double doors appeared in his lounge and opened to reveal the silhouette of the head of the Kuchiki clan.

The two men stood looking at each other a moment. It had been 20 years since they had last seen each other. Fleeting memories of throwing insults of an unpleasant nature passed between them.

"I never thought I would see you again." Isshin said and knowing he wished that he could have had at least another 20 years before it happens again. Byakuya looked around the humble home questioning in his mind if the sacrifice had been enough. But the worry on Isshin's face told him it had been enough for him. "They say you found him."

"Isshin, you really would be better to not know."

"I have read Unohana's report." He gestured for his guest to sit and they moved to sit looking across the dining table at each other.

"I came with a proposition. I feel he needs to stay in Soul Society."

"Seeing as he's my son, I thought that you would be eager to get him out."

"At one time I would... He has virtually no Retsui even after this length of time. To send him back here would mean his recovery would take him years. I would like you to consider him staying with me and Rukia."

"At yours?" Isshin scratched the back of his head and gave a baffled grin and Byakuya was reminded of the similarity between father and son. "Really?" Okay Rukia was fine, he sort of thought they were an item anyway.

"You are welcome too. He might need his family around him."

"Byakuya, in the past…"

"We have not be on friendly terms Isshin. This isn't about us."

"Yet you want to take him in?"

"I have my reasons."

"No doubt you do…"

-- ByakuyaXIchigo --

Aizen watched his precious monitors knowing without seeing the screens who was coming into the room; although this boy had greater control over the spiritual energy than the previous owner, he still could not hide it enough to go unnoticed.

"Hichigo." Aizen turned with his impassive grin and faced the boy. "Not with Grimmjow this evening?"

Hichigo's eyes passed over the monitors in a flicker and smiled back at Aizen.

"You enjoy our little shows don't you?"

"They are interesting." Aizen's curiosity piqued as the white haired youth walked boldly up to him.

"Then maybe we could make our own show?" A finger casually traced the leaders jaw before daring to rub against his groin, teasingly showing he head a hard on. Aizen's eyes following the hand and looking coolly back up to the smirking boy.

"I don't do personal appearances."

"Then you would ideally know where we could go where there are no cameras."

"So many to choose from. Not all suitable of course." Aizen's hand brushed the bulge that stood in his eye line. Listening to the small gasp from the Espada.

"So lets try a few then shall we?" The boys voice sounded seductive and one eyebrow rose in a challenge. "There must be perks to being a God."

"Follow me." Aizen ordered him, standing and allowing his hand to caress the bulge one more time. "I think I know of the perfect place to deal with your insubordination."

The plan began to fall into place. Sucker. Hichigo smiled back at Aizen. I tell you this damn revenge stuff makes me as horny as hell.

Zangetsu nodded. #Indeed it does seem to have that effect on you.# Was the reply.

-- ByakuyaXIchigo --

"Ahh gentlemen. You've returned." The gentle Fourth Division captain smiled at Isshin and Byakuya as they entered Ichigo's room. "Everything ready?"

"What's happened?" When Isshin had returned with Byakuya yesterday. Ichigo appeared to be sleeping as he had done since his arrival. Now Ichigo sat in a chair looking blankly at the wall. His face a dead pan expression. Only the odd blink showed any movement.

"Ichigo?" Isshin sat on the bed and looked at his son with a hand on his boys shoulder. "Its me." Nothing registered. Ichigo sat looking ahead, hands in his lap.

"Stand." Unohana spoke. The two men looked in surprise as the teen stood. "Turn around." He turned a half turn. "Face forward." Again he turned back. "I realised this quite by chance only this morning. I was in here when I dropped his file. As my hands were full I could not pick it back up and was speaking to Hanataro. I simply asked for him to pick it up and we both froze as Ichigo opened his eyes, climbed out of bed and picked it up for me. I thanked him and asked him to sit. Since then every command I have given him, he has done quite literally. However I realise that this has implications too. Look."

She approached Ichigo and held out a surgical knife. "Hold this." He took the knife in his hands, she looked back to the men. "I realised that this serves a purpose if you are the captor." She looked back to Ichigo. "Put the knife to your neck." The two men gasped as the knife went with speed to his neck only stopping when it touched the skin. A fresh red trickle of blood began to dribble. "Tell him to harm himself he will. Had I said to actually cut, he I have no doubt he would have done." She said sadly. "Hand me the knife." She held out her hand and it was placed back down in her palm. She sighed and wiped the blood on the boys neck. It was only a slight flesh wound, thankfully. "We are going to need to be wary of what we say to him. I think the real world and its many forms of stimulation would be too great a risk if he choose to consider them as commands."

"Ichigo." His father spoke to him but the boy didn't move. "Ichigo!" he said louder and the boy didn't move.

"He does not recognise his name."

"Face me." Isshin said his eyes showing the pain of a father. Ichigo turned and looked blankly at the man he now faced. "Do you know who I am?" The silence seemed incredibly loud. "Who am I?" Isshin repeated.

"The command is not obvious." Byakuya grasped the concept. "What is this man's name?" Byakuya asked Ichigo directly striding next to his father.

"I do not know." Ichigo answered impassively.

"Tell me where you are." Byakuya spoke again.

"I do not know." Everyone sighed.

"You are in Soul Society this is a hospital." Unohana smiled at him. "Sit down." She looked at the two men. "A perfect loyal subject." She surmised. "Just as they planned I dare say wouldn't you?" They all agreed.

-- ByakuyaXIchigo --

Moving Ichigo from the hospital during the day when so many people would recognise him seemed a foolish thing to do. They waiting until the death of night and Byakuya's division could secure the route to his home.

"Ichigo. Follow me." Byakuya spoke. Rukia and Renji joined Isshin and the two girls as they walked in a group from the hospital. Ichigo steps mirrored Byakuya exactly, from the place immediately behind him, literally following him. Karin and Yuzu glanced at each other with a frown at their brothers odd behaviour and followed with the group.

Half way there Yuzu could not control her desperate longing to touch her brother. She quickened her pace and reached to hold his hand looking up at him. He looked ahead accepting the hand, but his blank expression remained the same. Yuzu looked at her sister with her tears dripping silently down her face.

-- ByakuyaXIchigo --

"Your surprised?" Aizen ripped the upper garment from the panting boy. That kiss had left his legs weak.

"Your room has no cameras?" He panted his head still reeling from the kiss. Jeez is this man good at everything?

"Going to slit my throat are you?" Aizen asked pushing him back towards the bed.

"Now that rather depends on how good your performance is."

"Surely, that is my line." Aizen smirked at the cheek spilling from this kids mouth. Not many could get away with this and he got his retribution from a hard push down on the bed. He straddled his waist and held his head upright by a fistful of hair as he kissed him again. "I could order your death as easily as I did Ichigo's."

"What after you worked so hard to create me." He panted kissing him back.

"I can send you back if you desire." Aizen reached for restraints and began to fasten them around each of the boys wrists.

"To the fool?" Hichigo watched the fastenings being tightened to the bedposts.

"Fool or not, it's a perfect jail for you." Aizen stood to unpeel his clothing his eyes looking longingly at the kid.

"Fool or not, he's dead. Your options are limited. But let me guess, one pretty syringe from the pink haired one and I dissolve into who ever you choose."

"One pretty syringe into who ever I choose, another into you and you do yes, become jail bait inside who ever I want."

"Making a wonderful powerful enemy for the shingigami." Aizen's plan for him therefore was not to leave him as a simple independent figure for too long. This had implications on his plan.

"How did such an idiotic fool create you?" Aizen smiled.

"You know you have my thanks." Hichigo smiled. So much information so soon. This really was a great way to fight a war.

-- ByakuyaXIchigo --

Still following Byakuya, Ichigo followed him into the room that was to be his. Having wanting something that would seem familiar to him, Isshin had brought bedding, reading books, some music and photos.

"This room is yours Ichigo." Byakuya spoke to him. "The bathroom is here." He opened the door to the ensuite bathroom and gestured. "Your father has brought clothes for you. They are in here." He gestured the dressing area of the room. "This door opens to the side gardens."

The teen stared blankly. Byakuya sighed and took his shoulders.

"You must be tired. It is time to sleep." Ichigo waited until Byakuya withdrew his hands and laid flat on the bed and closed his eyes. Yes, literal instructions indeed. "You should have some night clothes here. Change first Ichigo." Ichigo stood as if he was a robot and for the first time looked hesitant. Just how precise did Byakuya need to be? "Undress." He said averting his eyes and turning to fish out some bed clothes.

With all his heart he wanted to give the kid some chance of decency that had obviously been lacking during his torture. He did not turn to watch him in his naked state change into the clothes. Instead he focused on pulling back the covers on the futon and lowering the lighting. When he turned Ichigo and resumed his robotic stance awaiting further instructions.

"Ichigo…" Byakuya looked at the blank eyes. He searched for anything that showed a glimmer of the real Ichigo hiding there. Nothing seemed to stand out, no flicker of acknowledgement or awareness. "Ask me a question. Any question you can think of."

"Ichigo?" he asked simply. It was the first thing that came to mind since this group of 'they' insisted on using the word so often. What did that word mean?

"Its you." Byakuya said. "Its your name." A slight frown showed that this didn't seem to be clear to him. "You are Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Ichigo." He tried the sound of the name then gasped waiting for the punishment. I spoke without permission! He cowered and shielded his face with his arms. Byakuya watched feeling his body turn to ice in horror.

"Why are you scared?"

"I spoke without permission." He whispered still waiting anxious for the pain he didn't want to feel, but having no choice but to answer the question.

"You are not allowed to speak?"

"No, not allowed. I didn't mean to I didn't…" The head and gaze had dropped into a submissive pose croaching at Byakuya's feet fearing for the outcome of this discussion.

Buakuya sighed involuntary and reached down for his hand to pull him back up on his feet.

"Your safe here, no one is going to stop you speaking if you want to speak." The face looked up slowly still wary, wishing not to fall into some kind of trap. "No one is going to hurt you here. Go to bed and sleep. Tomorrow you can ask as many questions as you want and speak as much as you want. Is that clear?"

Ichigo nodded. Tomorrow. So tomorrow, he had a day to ask questions. A whole day to be allowed to speak! This person was so unlike all the other 'they'. He never hurt me, never made me uncomfortable and now he gave me permission to talk! It was a gift. "A whole day!" The astonished face asked.

Byakuya hesitated and recalled his words. This was harder than he expected. "No, from now on. Not just a day. Always." He said softer realising how child like Ichigo's mind now was.

Ichigo dared to allow himself a small smile as he dipped his head submissively back down. The smile was priceless. "Go to bed and sleep." Byakuya said softly leaving him.

Isshin had stood in the doorway watching. He had wanted to see how Byakuya was going to look after his son and he could not have predicted what he saw. The frosty arrogant man seemed a different person to the one he remembered. He stood aside to let the noble pass and looked back to his son. He watched him climb into bed and lay down.

Isshin walked towards the bed and kneeled on the floor beside his fragile son. The eyes closed on the peaceful looking face, already asleep. He knelt forward to kiss the teens brow.

"Sleep well Ichigo." He whispered.

-- ByakuyaXIchigo --

Hichigo hips were ground deeply into the mattress as his leader let his last forceful thrust press him down. His body shuddered his release and Hichigo smiled as the powerful man slumped onto his back.

"You are pleased with me." He asked Aizen.

"You seek my pleasure do you?" The man panted withdrawing. "Yes. You pleased me. Please me more by staying here this evening."

"Yes Aizen-sama." Hichigo whispered letting the man pull him into an embrace.

Aizen smiled at the compliance. "Your becoming the perfect Espada. You please me very much."

-- ByakuyaXIchigo --

Rukia thought she was one of the first to wake the following morning. Obvious sounds of movement around the house told her that the servants were already busy with their morning chores. Thinking the guests would all still be making up for their lateness to bed, it would be a perfect time to see Ichigo alone before getting ready to visit her division.

Quietly in case he was asleep, she slid open the door and stepped into the darkened room. There was a sound, a repetitive sound. Clonk, clonk, clonk… it repeated over and over. Not too hard, just persistent. She looked to the bed and saw Yuzu soundly asleep beside the bed. But Ichigo was not asleep, he was not in his bed.

The clonking sound suddenly became more urgent in her mind; she needed to discover what it was. Her eyes searched the darkness following the sounds. In the furthest corner she saw him, knees drawn to his chest tightly as he hit his head back against the wall over and over. His face still held that blank expression.

"Ichigo stop." She whispered pleading crouching beside him and noticing the smudge of blood on the wall. How long had he sat there doing that? She ran to the bathroom wetting a towel and rushing back beside him.

Trying to be good, he had stopped but he still startled with a cry as she pressed the cold stinging towel to the back of his head.

"What's going on?" Yuzu asked her frail worry evident in her tone as she woke to the sound of her brother crying out again.

"Go fetch your father Yuzu. He's banged his head." Rukia looked at the face she once knew to be strong and determined and felt a surge of hate for Aizen. "Why are you hurting yourself Ichigo?"

"He didn't come. He hasn't come… Why hasn't he come?"

"Who hasn't come, tell me who?" She asked watching his father rush towards them. Ichigo flinched at the sudden appearance and Isshin slowed and hesitated. "Ichigo, tell me who hasn't come." Rukia redirected him hoping he would talk to her again.

"Said he'd come… Said he wouldn't leave me." Isshin and Rukia frowned at each other.

"What's his name?"

"Yellow and black eyes…"

"Your Hollow?" Rukia knew the eyes. "Inside your head?"

He looked at her with wide eyes and suddenly looked incredibly scared.

A memory flashed to his mind … Ichigo screamed and panicked. He lashed out at everyone near him and moved back frantically trying to get away until his back hit the corner of the room again, looking tormented and scared to death. His hands flew to hold his head as if it hurt and a strangled scream filled the air.

Inside his mind, his memory swam frantically around –

He was tied hands and feet to the cold steel table. The needle came for him in the hands of the horrible pink haired man. He struggled to pull his arms free from their bindings, free his legs too, so that he could at least kick out. The needle came closer and closer and he could feel the panic rising in him.

"Relax Ichigo. This is what I bet you've wanted. To rid yourself of that damn Hollow inside your head." The evil smile on the face of the man he only knew as the man with pink hair.

The long silver needle sunk deep into his arm and he screamed and writhed with pain as the burning feeling first seeped them roared around his body. His mind felt like it was expanding but his skull would not budge, the pressure built and grew. The pain ripped through him and his Hollow screamed inside him.

"Ichigo! Ichigo!" Hichigo screamed too, stunned by the pain.

"Resistant little devil isn't he!" The pink haired man sneered and another needle jabbed harshly into him.

The burning increased almost as if his flesh was burning from the inside. His skin ripped at his binding as he convulsed and yelled with more fear and pain that he had ever felt. His head buzzed and pulsed. The pressure increased until his eyes rolled back in their sockets and with one last dire pressure filled pulse threw him into white blinding pain. Too much. It was too much. His body gave into a pain ridden shut down, his mind shut down.

Hichigo screamed on as he dissolved into a shimmering dust that flew from Ichigo's mind and formed a crumpled shivering heap in the bed beside his host.

Ichigo's chest heaved with sobs and he drew in breath with desperation quicker and quicker. His heart pounded with alarm, until his eyes were open as wide as they could go and his body was screaming for oxygen.

Make the memory stop. Make it stop! He screamed inside his head as the memory replayed over and over.

Byakuya ran into the room waking at Ichigo's cries. The boys stricken eyes fell upon his. It was as if his soul cried out to him, 'rescue me.' He was pushing Isshin and Rukia away from him. Flinching as they tried to hold him and calm him, but instead causing him more distress. All Ichigo could remember was this long haired man had told him he could talk. He was different to all the other 'they'.

Byakuya rushed to his side as Ichigo's face turned crimson. He took the boys face in his hands and looked at him firmly stating. "Breathe!" He blew on his face to emphasise his point and made exaggerated breathing himself to get Ichigo to follow his lead.

It was too little too late. Byakuya hated himself, but he had no other option. "Sorry Ichigo." He said softly as his hand cracked over the boys cheek. He yanked the surprised face into his chest as he panted his calming sobs. But at least he was breathing. Hands gripped Byakuya's clothing tightly and his body slumped down onto the nobles lap. Exhausted his body was dragging him into sleep and the confused eyes looked at Byakuya as he fought it.

"You hit me." he panted.

"I'm sorry." Byakuya rubbed the red cheek softly. "Forgive me." Byakuya watched the eyes close and red head became limp on his lap.

Byakuya sat for some time with the teen laid on his lap, with the restful strokes that drifted down his back calming his sleep. In little time, his breathing was soft and comfortable. The hands that had gripped him tightly were now loose.

The room was silent. Each person carrying their own distress at what they had just witnessed. Each carrying a silent surprise that Byakuya was the only one who managed to calm him.

"He spoke of someone not coming for him." Rukia swallowed the hesitation in her voice. "He said he had yellow and black eyes."

Byakuya looked at her surprised.

"His Hollow?" He had obviously concluded the same thing as her.