Author's Note: This little chappie went a little beyond the pale of what I was comfortable with under a "T" rating on FanFiction. **blushes** Since I really don't see this as an "M" rated fic, I've opted to post the entire, uncensored chapter on my DeviantArt account (same Rukilex name on Deviant as here) for those of you who wish to read it, and a slightly less schmexy version here on . I've posted a link to DeviantArt on my profile!–Lex
Chapter Ten: Adrift*
"You could show me a little gratitude," Ichigo said, scowling. "I did save your a…"
"The Captain gave you a minute, Kurosaki," Renji interrupted, pointing his sword at Ichigo's heart.
"I'm usually more comfortable speaking when there aren't two swords ready to cut me to bits," said Ichigo, irritated now.
Rukia released Ichigo and nodded to Renji, who reluctantly withdrew his weapon. Ichigo straightened his shirt and glowered at both of them.
"Let's hear it, Captain," Rukia said, sharply, still holding her sword by her side.
"I came to warn you," Ichigo said. Renji made an unintelligible sound and fingered his sword.
"Warn me about what?" Rukia asked, plainly unconvinced.
"About Ichimaru Gin – that's his ship, the H.M.S. Gallant, reefed up to the Warrior."
"How would Ichimaru have known where the Warrior was?" Rukia asked, skeptically. "We haven't even seen the Gallant in any of the nearby ports."
"I'm not sure," Ichigo replied, prompting Renji to point his blade at Ichigo's neck this time. Ichigo glared at Renji. "I've had my suspicions about Ichimaru for years."
"This is all a bunch of…" Renji began.
"Let him finish, Renji," Rukia said, cutting him off. "I want to hear this. "What kind of suspicions?"
"Ichimaru was always conveniently assigned to patrol in the waters where Aizen's pirates were said to have their hideout. Sure, he would catch a few known pirates from time to time, but never a ship, and he would never recover any of the loot taken from ships in the area," Ichigo explained.
"Then there was the capture of one of Aizen's flagships, the Sonata. Ichimaru was promoted from captain to commodore after the Sonata was sunk off the coast of Guadeloupe, but the ship was never recovered – only one of its cannons was ever raised. It just seemed too convenient."
"If Ichimaru is working with the real pirates, why would he bother with the Warrior?" Renji asked.
"Because we're a distraction," Rukia answered. "There have been rumors for years that Aizen infiltrated the Royal Navy, and there are more than just a few people who suspect that Commodore Ichimaru may be the pirates' spy. What better way to remove suspicion from Ichimaru and boost his image than to have him capture a known pirate vessel?"
"Ichimaru showed up the other day asking about the Warrior," Ichigo said. "I lied – I told him we'd chased another pirate ship and lost her off the coast."
"Obviously he didn't believe you," Renji said, stating the obvious. Ichigo scowled at him. "So what now, Captain?"
Rukia shook her head. "They've probably taken the crew into custody and commandeered the ship. There's nothing we can do right now, not without help."
"I'll help you." Ichigo said.
"You?" Rukia replied. "How are you going to help us? Are you begging to hang?"
"I have no intention of hanging," Ichigo replied. "But if Aizen and Ichimaru are working together, the Navy needs to know about it."
"What are you proposing?" Rukia asked.
"Join me on the Vincent," Ichigo answered, with a grin. "Nobody suspects Lady Kuchiki of any wrongdoing. Your brother is powerful enough to warrant our giving you an escort back to England."
"England?" squawked Renji. "But we need to take the Warrior back."
"We'll return to England eventually," Ichigo said, dismissively. "The Kuchiki's aren't important enough to warrant a change in orders – we still have three weeks left on our patrol."
"And what about Renji?" Rukia asked, mildly amused by Ichigo's suggestion.
"New conscript," Ichigo replied. "We've got plenty of uniforms in his size. He can assist my first officer."
"I'm not sailing on a Navy…"
"You will, too, Abarai Renji," barked Rukia. "Unless you're looking to be tried for desertion by the Assembly."
"Of course not, sir," Renji responded stiffly.
"But what about your crew? Won't they be suspicious if you start chasing after Navy frigates?" Rukia asked.
"My crew, with few exceptions, are aboard the Vincent because they have asked to be assigned to the ship. They will not question my orders," Ichigo replied.
Rukia looked at Renji for a moment, who shook his head in frustration, but said nothing. Then, turning back to Ichigo, she said, "If you make a fool of me, Captain, I'll show you just how good I am with a sword."
*********************************
It took them several hours to find their way through the woods to Le Péché, taking care to avoid Ichimaru's men. They wound their way through the back alleys of the port town so they would not be seen. Near the docks, Ichigo ushered them into a tiny inn and upstairs into a small room. Hisagi opened the door when Ichigo knocked, and eyed them suspiciously.
"You remember my First Officer, Hisagi Shuuhei," said Ichigo, motioning Rukia and Renji inside. "I'll see you both later, aboard the Vincent." Hisagi nodded to Ichigo and Ichigo turned to leave, closing the door behind him.
"Good to see you again, Lieutenant-Commander," said Rukia, reaching her hand out to shake his. Renji stood next to Rukia protectively, giving Hisagi a curt nod of acknowledgment.
"The Captain has filled me in," Hisagi said, gesturing over to the bed. "Your uniform, Abarai." Renji looked at Rukia, hoping for a last-minute reprieve, but she glared at Renji and he picked it up and walked behind the dressing screen which stood in the corner.
On the screen hung a set of women's garments and a hat. "Captain Kurosaki has picked these out for you, Lady Kuchiki," Hisagi added. "He hopes they are acceptable to you."
"Thank you," Rukia said.
Several minutes passed, and Renji emerged from behind the screen looking quite handsome in a Royal Navy uniform, his long hair tucked neatly into his hat. Rukia followed suit, dressing behind the screen while the two men spoke.
"The Captain has asked that you serve directly under my supervision," Hisagi told Renji, who looked extremely displeased with the turn of events. "I have no doubt you are more than capable, Abarai." Renji raised an eyebrow. "You will, however, be required to acknowledge me as your superior." Rukia poked her head out from behind the screen and gave Renji a look that made it clear he had no choice but to cooperate with the arrangement.
"The crew will only be told you are a transfer to our ship sent at the Captain-Commander's request," Hisagi continued.
Renji was just about to complain, when Rukia walked out from behind the screen and any thoughts he had entertained about resisting the working arrangements on the Vincent were replaced by a look of pure distraction. "You look…"
"Beautiful," Hisagi finished, admiringly.
"Your captain has surprisingly good taste," said Rukia, turning to look at herself in the mirror. The dress, which fit her perfectly, was made of a deep green silk chiffon, with an empire waist and low cut bodice. In her hand, she held a matching hat. Renji looked extremely irritated and crossed his arms over his chest.
Renji said little on the short boat ride from the docks to the Vincent, which was moored near the entrance to the harbor. Hisagi, on the other hand, chatted comfortably with Rukia, much to Renji's dismay. Arriving on the Vincent,Hisagi left Renji with one of the other sailors, and escorted Rukia aft towards the officers' cabins. They reached the door to the captain's quarters.
"These will be your quarters, until we return to London, Lady Kuchiki," he said, opening the door.
"My quarters?" she asked, surprised. "But…"
"The Captain has taken other quarters for the duration of our trip," Hisagi said, blushing slightly. Rukia laughed softly.
"Thank you," Rukia replied, walking inside. Hisagi nodded.
"Please let me know if there is anything I can assist you with, Lady Kuchiki," he said. She smiled at him.
"How much has the Captain told you about what happened this past week, Lieutenant-Commander?" she asked, as he was turning to leave.
"Everything," he said. Then, seeing the discomfort on her face, he added, "I owe the Captain my life several times over, Lady Kuchiki. I would no more betray his confidence than betray my king or country, ma'am." And with that, he turned on his heel and headed back to the upper decks.
Rukia closed the door and took a deep breath. In spite of herself, she couldn't help thinking that all of this might have been prevented, if she had just left Ichigo, wounded on the beach, nearly two weeks ago.
"Come on, Rukia," she thought. "You'd never have left him there, any more than you would have refused to have dinner with him on the Vincent." He fascinated her, and there was little point in denying the truth to herself. She could tell Renji it was over with Ichigo, but she knew "it" – whatever "it" was – was probably just beginning. He had gotten under her skin in a big way.
She walked over to the large windows overlooking the harbor. There was a large trunk where she had not remembered seeing one before. She saw a small note on top of the trunk that read:
Thought you might need some clothes for your stay aboard. Hope they are satisfactory. –K.I.
She opened the trunk and her jaw nearly dropped. There were at least six dresses, and several more casual, island outfits, similar to the one she had worn to dinner in this very cabin, weeks ago. Several pairs of shoes sat in the bottom of the trunk, and three hats were hung neatly on the opposite side of the clothing.
"When did he have time?" she wondered, shaking her head in disbelief. Yet again, he had surprised her – first by giving up his cabin, and now… "Stop it, Rukia," she thought. "You know this can never be. Sure he's charming, attractive…" –her eyes wandered to the bed, visible through the doorway- "sexy, smart…"
"What the hell am I doing, thinking about him, when my ship and my crew are in the custody of the Royal Navy?" she said, aloud. She walked over to the table and poured herself a glass of rum – yet another touch that had not escaped him. Kicking off her shoes, she sat down in one of the leather chairs and propped her feet up on the table.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come," she said, gulping the rest of the rum and leaning back in the chair.
"Glad to see you're comfortable," said Ichigo, with a grin.
She stood up and glared at him, refilling her glass. "Damn you, Kurosaki Ichigo," she said, taking a large swig of rum. He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "I don't want to be comfortable."
"You're feeling guilty," he said, perceptively.
"Yes," she said, finishing her second glass and slamming it down on the table.
"We'll get your ship back," he said. The grin was gone, replaced by a look of sympathetic understanding.
She turned and walked over to the windows, throwing them open so the breeze was on her face. The sun was setting over the water in shades of purple, red and orange.
"I was careless," she said, bitterly.
"There was nothing you could have done," Ichigo said. "Ichimaru tracked you down. He may have known all along where you were, but had no reason to take your ship into custody before now. I'm sure he's the one who alerted the Navy that yours was a pirate ship."
"I know," Rukia said. He was right, of course, that she felt guilty. She wanted to blame herself – it was easier than this feeling that she was not in control of the situation, that the men who had served her so faithfully on the Warrior might be suffering on her account.
"We will get your ship and your crew back," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder and turning her around. She was ready to protest – that this was hardly the time for romantic dalliances – but he surprised her yet again, by simply holding her against his chest. For a moment, she drank in the comfort his arms provided her, but then she pushed him away and walked across the cabin, so that the table stood between them.
"Why are you doing all this?" she asked him, her voice accusatory.
"I don't know what you mean," he said and, for once, he genuinely did not seem to understand her discomfort.
"This," she said, frowning. "Taking us in, helping me to reclaim my ship, giving me your quarters, the dresses…" Her voice trailed off and she absentmindedly ran her hand through her hair.
He had not expected the question. "I don't know," he said, truthfully. "I guess it's because of Thyilea, and the things I learned there." He knew, instinctively, as he spoke these words, that they were only a small part of the truth, but he was loathe to admit it. This answer seemed to satisfy her, and she relaxed her stance somewhat, the frown fading to a slight scowl.
He refilled her glass and filled a second glass for himself, doing his best not to look at her, with her tousled hair and her bare feet. It was far too tempting, being in such close proximity to her. He walked around the table and held out a glass to her – a peace offering, of sorts. She eyed him warily, but took the glass from him, swirling the clear liquid around a few times, before sipping it, this time. He drank his glass in one swallow.
She walked over to the table and put her glass down, turning to face him once again. He had not moved, but had followed her with his eyes – he did not want her to feel she owed him anything for his hospitality, let alone any sexual favors. But he could not stop his body from responding to her, and he breathed deeply to slow down the pounding of his heart in his chest. He had never wanted a woman so much. He found himself clenching his jaw and, when he could stand it no more, he turned to walk out of the cabin.
"Don't leave," she said. "Please." He stood still for a moment.
"You don't owe me anything," he said, not looking at her.
"You're right," she said, walking over to him. "I don't owe you anything. But I seem to keep coming back for more, don't I?"
He turned around. She looked just as confused as he felt.
"You know this can never be," she said, looking into his eyes.
"Of course I know that," he said. "And when you get your ship back, I won't follow you, Rukia. You know that, too."
"Yes," she said, moving closer to him.
"And if the Warrior is caught stealing from other ships, for whatever reason, I will be duty bound to hunt you down."
"Yes," she said, pulling his face to hers and running her lips across his cheek. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of her. "And I might just have to sink your ship then."
"Hmmm," he murmured, as he kissed her neck and reached around to undo the hooks of her dress. It fell to the floor with a soft fluttering sound. He greedily ran his fingers over her shoulders and she moaned softly.
"Damn you, Captain Kurosaki," she said, biting his ear, "why do you have to make things so complicated?"
"You have to admit, Captain Kuchiki," he laughed, as she unbuttoned his jacket and threw it to the ground, "that it's far more interesting like this."
*************************************
They clung to each other afterwards, as if they were no separating one from the other – neither of them wanting to let go. The light from the sun had long since faded, and the cabin was dark, silent.
"I should go," he said, finally and, with the greatest of effort, he got out of the bed and dressed. He wanted nothing more than to stay with her. "I don't want the crew to think…" His voice trailed off.
She laughed, softly. "Concerned for my honor, are you Captain?" He blushed, and she realized, with some consternation, that he was truly concerned for her reputation. Another surprise, among many that he had presented her with.
"You are too good to be true, Ichigo," she thought.
He bent down and kissed her, gently. "Join me for dinner in the mess hall in an hour?"
She nodded and smiled as she watched him walk out of the cabin. As the door closed behind him, the smile on her lips faded as a new thought began to grow, unbidden. She closed her eyes and shook her head. There was no getting around it – she was absolutely sure.
"You're falling in love with him, Rukia."
********************************
Ichigo closed the cabin door behind him, but he did not immediately climb the steps. Instead, he stood there for a moment and took in a deep breath. No woman had ever affected him as she had. The strength and self-confidence he exuded in his command – the power that had won him the respect of those far more experienced and older than he – all seemed to crumble before this tiny, headstrong woman.
"Of all the women to fall in love with," he thought, as he walked up the stairs to the deck. "Why her?"
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Adrift – Afloat and unattached in any way to the shore or seabed, but not under way. It implies that a vessel is not under control and therefore goes where the wind and current take her (loose from moorings, or out of place). Also refers to any gear not fastened down or put away properly. It can also be used to mean "absent without leave".