Chapter 9: Nocturne

Byakuya came awake with an awful pain in his head. He groaned softly and tried to go back to sleep, but woke more fully upon realizing that Tohma was gone from their bed. He rose and looked about for Torio, thinking it strange for the youth not to be about. Though it was difficult to sense him with his spirit centers sealed in anticipation of his delivery, he still found himself able to pick up on the attendant's whereabouts. He left his bedroom and moved out into the gardens, pulling a cloak around his shoulders and over his yukata to ward off the evening chill.

He felt an odd sense of something being wrong. The manor was quiet…too quiet, even considering that night had fallen. Byakuya inhaled softly, feeling a shiver of anxiety. He reached Torio's room and knocked softly on the door.

There was no answer…but he still sensed the youth was inside, so he opened the door quietly and looked in. A shock went through him as he spotted his attendant lying facedown on his bed, with his hands bound to the headboard. He rushed to the boy's side and quickly freed him.

"Torio…what happened? Who did this to you?"

The boy winced as Byakuya's hand touched his shoulder. Byakuya caught his breath sharply and pushed Torio's yukata down off one shoulder, gasping softly at the black and blue markings and small streaks of dried blood.

"Tohma did this?" Byakuya asked, resting a hand on his abdomen.

Torio nodded silently.

"I told you that you should have gone. Now you will not argue with me. Come, I will take you to Karakura Town."

"Are you going too, sir? Please tell me you're going too?" Torio pleaded, tears streaming down his face, "I won't leave without you."

Byakuya bit at his lips.

"Come with me," he said, pulling the boy to his feet, "I would take the time to heal you, but my powers have been sealed away because of the baby."

"But you're going to leave him now? We're escaping?" Torio asked desperately.

Byakuya knew better than to answer him. If he told Torio he would be returning, the youth would never leave him. He led the youth out of the servant's quarters and opened a senkaimon into the living world. They moved quickly and quietly through the precipice world.

"Do you know where he went?" Byakuya asked.

"No," Torio said softly, "He only said he would be back to free me in the morning…and that someone else would tend to you."

"Why did he hurt you?"

"Because I left you alone. Kuchiki-sama, he worries about you being so unhappy…"

"But I told you to go…"

"Sir, he is afraid of you being alone so close to your due date. He's probably right that I shouldn't have left you."

"I told you to go…and do not make excuses for him. He shouldn't have hurt you."

"He shouldn't be hurting you!" Torio exclaimed.

He swallowed hard at the stern look Byakuya gave him.

"Quiet now," said Byakuya, "I hear something…"

They stepped out into a small park near Urahara's shop and looked around. The park seemed quiet, but Torio pressed closer to Byakuya, sensing that something was not right.

"Kuchiki-sama…" he hissed softly, placing a hand on the dagger at his hip.

"Hollows…" Byakuya whispered back, "Keep to the brush…"

They moved slowly towards the shop, listening carefully. They had nearly reached the edge of the park, when one of the hollows lifted its head and sniffed the air. A screech sounded in the air and Byakuya grabbed Torio's arm pulling him into a run.

"Move!" he gasped.

The hollow lifted itself into the air and soared towards them. Byakuya pulled his sword free and slashed at the beast, cutting it in half. The two watched as it screamed in pain and dissolved. Torio turned to Byakuya, his face pale.

"We should hurry. There may be…"

He broke off as the bushes next to them exploded outward and a large hollow rose up next to them. Torio's dagger was out and slashing immediately, but the beast threw him aside and slashed at Byakuya. The noble fell back, blood soaking the chest area of the yukata and cloak he wore.

"Kuchiki-sama!" Torio screamed.

He turned and threw himself on the hollow as it moved in on Byakuya, who had dropped to his knees, holding his midsection. His dagger sank into the mask as the hollow's claws tore into his back and tried to pull him free.

"Torio!" gasped Byakuya, staring in dismay.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" cried Renji, appearing suddenly near the fallen noble.

His weapon extended and raked the hollow, making it drop the injured attendant as it died. Torio landed roughly and dropped to one knee, but managed to drag himself to his feet. Both he and Renji flash stepped to Byakuya and Renji lifted the bleeding noble into his arms.

"Can you run?" he asked Torio, "We have to get him to Urahara!"

Torio nodded and managed to keep the pace as Renji raced back to Urahara's shop. He nearly took the door off the hinges going in and shouted the shopkeeper's name frantically. Kisuke ran into the room and, spotting the two injured shinigamis, sent Jinta running to fetch Orihime. He directed Renji to a bedroom where he set Byakuya down and Tessai and Kisuke opened the cloak and yukata. As they started to work on Byakuya, Torio made a soft whimper of pain and dropped to the floor.

"Shit…" muttered Kisuke, moving to the fallen attendant, "Tessai, get to work on him. Renji…go and make sure Orihime comes straight in."

Yoruichi slipped into the room as Renji. Tessai leaned over Byakuya.

"M-my baby…" panted the noble, "I'm having…pains…"

"I'm going to deliver the baby now," said Tessai, "Relax. You'll need to sleep through this because of the injuries…"

"B-but…I…"

Yoruichi slipped a hand into Byakuya's and sat on his other side.

"I'll stay right here. Do what he says. Sleep."

Tessai placed a hand on the noble's forehead and Byakuya fell still.

"Tessai, how is the baby? He wasn't hurt?" asked Kisuke, his healing power flaring over Torio.

Tessai placed his hands on Byakuya's abdomen and frowned.

"He is weak. There is bleeding inside. We must hurry."

"Okay, Yoruichi, I need you to work on Torio while I deliver the baby."

Kisuke bared the noble's abdomen and readied his medical instruments. He marked the area for the incision and looked up at Tessai.

"We're ready. I'm going to get the baby out, then I want you to care for Byakuya while I see to the baby."

Tessai nodded. Kisuke leaned over Byakuya, quickly making the incision. Together, the two managed the bleeding.

"I'm going to push him out and you pull him free, okay?"

Kisuke pressed down and watched as Tessai carefully extracted the infant. Kisuke applied clamps to the umbilical cord and carefully cut it, then lifted the unmoving baby into his arms.

"How is Torio?" Kisuke asked Yoruichi.

"He lost a lot of blood, but he will recover," reported Yoruichi.

"Go and see if Orihime is here," Kisuke said, trying to keep his voice calm.

Yoruichi nodded and left the room.

"Tessai, I'll be seeing to Torio and the baby in the next room. I'm sending Renji in to help you. You two have to stop all of that bleeding or we'll lose him."

"I understand," said Tessai.

Kisuke slipped out of the room and into the next, setting the infant down and raising a healing field around him. He returned to the other room and carefully moved Torio as well. Then he returned to the baby.

"Come on, little guy. Hang in there. Orihime is coming."

Sweat broke out on his forehead and he intensified his power. Still, the tiny infant did not move. Kisuke let out a frustrated breath and poured his power into the infant's body. As he worked, the door opened and Yoruichi and Orihime entered the room. Orihime knelt next to Kisuke and raised her healing shield. Yoruichi and Kisuke rose and walked to the far corner of the room.

"Renji said it was a hollow attack," Yoruichi said in a low voice, "and after what he told me about Torio coming to him…Kisuke, I don't know if this was connected to whatever Tohma was doing or not. But you should know…word came from my contact in the spirit dimension that there was some kind of accidental explosion in the palace. The king and the crown prince were injured. Tohma was called to them and I haven't heard anything since. But I've been thinking about this…and I think Tohma is making a play for the throne. What I can't figure out is why he wasn't in fits about the child not being his. If he knew, then judging by his normal behavior, he should have forced Byakuya to abort the child. He didn't, and in fact, Torio says he has been looking forward to having the baby. That leads me to think the hollow attack on those two was a random incident, and what Tohma is doing…is going after the throne."

"But that still doesn't make sense of his response to finding out the baby wasn't his," argued Kisuke.

"I've been thinking about that too…and there are two possibilities…either he plans to use the baby's paternity to control Byakuya or perhaps to get him executed later on or…Kisuke, what if Tohma can't have children? The rules say the chosen heir to the throne must be able to have children. What if Tohma can't?"

"But you're suggesting that he somehow knew Byakuya and Renji were together…"

"Think about it. The royals have access to the book of lives…and the hell butterfly showed up right after Byakuya and Renji were together. Coincidence? Is it also a coincidence that Tohma didn't wait for the wedding to have sex with Byakuya?"

"But there would be a paternity test…" Kisuke objected, "There always is for a crown prince…"

But if the king and crown prince died, Tohma would be seated before the paternity test and could exert power to conceal the results. And there's another possibility, Kisuke. If Tohma knew Byakuya and Renji were together and he explored Byakuya's past…he may have explored Renji's as well. You and I both know that more than a little bit of royal blood has shown up in Rukon kids before."

"You think Renji has some royal blood?" Kisuke asked, surprised.

"It's a possibility. And it's something we can confirm on our own. If he has some royal blood, then it could prove that Tohma wanted the throne, but needed a blood heir."

"Damn…" muttered Kisuke, looking back at the baby, "Yoruichi…this is bad. We can't let Byakuya and Renji's baby go back to Kuchiki Manor. Even if he does live through this, he would either be a wedge to keep a chokehold on Byakuya, a tool to bring Byakuya down, or a way to secure the throne for Tohma. And judging by what he's already done to Byakuya, that baby would be in harm's way."

"Not to add to the chaos," said Yoruichi, "but have you asked yourself why Byakuya and Torio came here tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I healed Torio, I noticed that while the claw marks were from a hollow, there were bruises and blood streaks from a whip. I know for a fact that Byakuya would never lay a hand on Torio that way."

"So…Tohma beat up on a defenseless kid," mused Kisuke, shaking his head.

He gazed back at Torio and the baby.

"What are you thinking?" asked Yoruichi.

Kisuke frowned deeply.

"I'm thinking that there's no way that we can let Byakuya and Renji's kid go back to Kuchiki Manor…and I'm thinking Torio shouldn't go back either. We need him alive and well to prove that Tohma was beating the living daylights out of Byakuya and him, because Tohma already has Byakuya too far under his thumb."

"Do you think Byakuya will go along with that? Won't Tohma just suspect he knows where they are?" asked Yoruichi, "Or should we take Byakuya too?"

"We can't take Byakuya," Kisuke said solemnly, "When I worked on him I noticed a royal cipher imprinted on the back of one hand. There is nowhere Byakuya can go where Tohma won't find him. Also…you've noticed how whatever Byakuya hears, Tohma seems to find out? Well that cipher may explain that too. I think the bastard monitors him at least some of the time. That's why I brought Torio and the baby in here. I don't want him to know they're still alive. It's too dangerous…especially considering what you learned about the king. We need to find proof…proof that Tohma was responsible…and until we have proof, we need to hide these two. Tohma must have no clue they are alive."

Yoruichi's eyes blinked slowly.

"Kisuke…you can't mean…"

"We will stop Tohma and free Byakuya…and then we will reveal the truth."

"But Kisuke…Byakuya will be devastated. We cannot do that to him…"

Kisuke met her eyes warily.

"You and I grew up in a noble home…with your cousin. Don't forget what happened to him. Byakuya and everyone close to him are in danger. How long do you think Torio would survive, being the only one who witnessed first hand how brutal Tohma was to Byakuya…and as much as he says it doesn't matter, how long would it be before Tohma cracked and did something to hurt or kill that baby? Yoruichi…we have to weigh one kind of bad against another. You say Byakuya will be devatated…and I know he will…but this way it's only temporary. If we send that baby home with him, the devastation will be permanent."

Yoruichi looked back at the baby and sighed in resignation.

"Do we keep this from Renji too?" she asked softly.

"Renji doesn't know the baby is his…but Byakuya may tell him…and if he does, how could Renji keep something like that from him? It's too dangerous. We have to keep this to ourselves. I'm going to get a few of my special 'stand in' gigais. And I want you to accompany Orihime , Torio and the baby to a safe house. I'll take care of telling Byakuya. I don't want you to be the bad guy on this one."

"I don't think we can avoid that, Kisuke."

"Now you listen to me. Byakuya is a noble. He will understand when we expose Tohma and reveal everything. He will know it was the only way…you know he will."

Yoruichi brushed away a tear.

"And think of it this way," Kisuke went on, "We're saving two lives …and we're not going to stop until we save Byakuya's too. We'll get them all out…but this? What we're doing? It's the only way to do that and all come out alive. Yoruichi, think carefully and tell me honestly if you think I'm wrong. Tell me that truthfully and we won't do it."

Yoruichi looked from Kisuke to the baby and the unconscious attendant.

"No Kisuke," she said quietly, "You are right. Until we stop Tohma, it is too dangerous for Tohma to know they're alive."