Disclaimer: This story is made completely from request from a friend which means the OC, Voltaire, is not mine. I am writing this story for Red Cr0w and I do hope it is to their liking and to everyone else's as well. I do NOT own Bleach or Voltaire.

Summary:Byakuya Kuchiki, a stoic noble and Captain of the 6th Division, for all important pretenses, holds back any and all objects of his past from anyone. Aside from Hisana, not even Rukia knows about the life he spent with a woman whom claimed his heart for nearly 8 years. Even as he stands alone as the leader of the Kuchiki clan, his heart still aches for the person he truly loved. He is able to keep up this façade until he is sent with a recon team to Zaraki to investigate a sudden surge of reiatsu. When they arrive, what will Byakuya do when he finds the woman who disappeared all those years ago beaten and broken and without any memory of him at all?

Castle Of Glass

Chapter 2: Take Me Down To The Fighting End

"Unohana-taicho, any news on our guest?" Kyoraku-sotaicho raised his umbrella hat from his head and turned to the 4th Division captain.

The recon team had long since returned from their assignment and the debriefing had begun only moments ago. Byakuya, who had been spacing out since before he came back, stood in his usual position with knitted brows and a confused expression. He had only heard bits an pieces of what the head-captain was saying seeing as he was in his own little world. The captains that stood on either side of the man noted his behaviour but disregarded it when the first Kenpachi started.

"It would seem she is in no real danger. She was in surprisingly good shape when Lieutenant Abarai and the others found her." She turned to the captain of the 6th. "Kuchiki-taicho," He jolted out of his thoughts. "and Muguruma-taicho brought her back here. She didn't speak to you during that time, did she?"

Byakuya narrowed his eyes and gave a negative nod. "The woman was unconscious when we discovered her. She spoke of nothing." He closed his eyes hoping to hide his frustration.

Unohana raised a brow at the younger man. "Something wrong, Captain?"

"N-not at all." No one had ever heard the man stutter before and it certainly caught everyone's attention. They all turned towards the man whom was flabbergasted at himself for such struggle to say only a few words.

"The hell's wrong with you, Kuchiki?!" Kenpachi barked.

"I'm fine." He replied all too shakily.

"Hmm." The hairy head-captain scratched his chin. "It seems you have a lot on your mind, Captain Kuchiki. For now, everyone is dismissed. I trust you'll be able to deliver a report next time, yes?" Kyoraku repositioned his umbrella hat on his head and motioned for the officers to leave.

"Byakuya, hold on a moment." The noble stopped in his tracks. Turning to the older gentleman accompanied by Unohana and Ukitake, Byakuya looked at him expectantly.

"Something you need?" He was facing Shunsui and the others directly while they passed understanding looks to one another. "What is it?"

"We know who the woman is, and so do you." Shunsui spoke plainly. Byakuya's eyes widened subtly before he shut them. "It looks like the little lady has returned to you." He brought a hand to his straw hat and smiled. "She just couldn't stay away, could she?" A small, combined chuckle erupted behind Shunsui.

"If that really is her, Byakuya, we have to find out what happened." Ukitake took a solemn look as he peered at the stoic noble. "We have to find out why she disappeared and why she woke up where she did."

"Yes." Retsu chimed in. "Her desertion left many que-"

"It wasn't a desertion!" Byakuya startled everyone including himself with his outburst. The anger and frustration twisted in his words calmed when he continued "She...she didn't desert her post. She...was..." Byakuya's voice got softer.

"Now, now, no need to get so riled up." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "Like Jyuu said, we need to find out why this happened and standing around here speculating isn't going to get us anywhere." He started out the tall oak doors that opened to the dirt path just outside the Captains' Meeting Room. "Let's go. I'd like to speak to her myself when she wakes up but, it would bode well if yours is the first face she saw, Byakuya."

"Yes, sir." Byakuya nodded and reclaimed his emotionless façade as he and the other two captains fell behind their leader.

The Captain-Commander, Unohana and Ukitake stood outside the wooden shoji doors that led to the hospital bed where the woman in question was resting. They awaited a signal from the raven haired noble to enter the room as they took into consideration the amount of fear and confusion the woman may feel when she wakes.

"This is truly astounding." Ukitake commented, peering through the small crack in the doors. He observed the man who sat in a hand-woven chair next to the bed as he placed his pale palm over the deep white one left out from under the blanket covering the sleeping figure. "He seems to still care deeply for her. He looks so worried."

"Of course." Shunsui, who was loeaning against the wall with his arms tied across his chest, caught the white-haired captain's attention. "Those two shared quite the bond before she left." He gazed up at the ceiling as a memory flashed before his eyes. "I remember the way she brought out the side of Byakuya only a few ever got to see. I don't even think he let his late wife see what he let her see. They were inseparable." Shunsui chuckled lightly at the thought.

"He loved her very much. He still does now but..." Unohana solemnly stared at the doors as if she could see through them. "It is a difficult situation."

"Hai. Let's not worry about that right now, though. We have to see how things pan out from here on. Who knows what'll happen, ya know?" Shunsui replied with a smile.

"Yes, sir." Unohana returned the grin.

"Hey, you guys, look." He waved to them to get their attention as he looked through the sliver again making the two friends join in his peeping.

What they all witnessed was the once put-together, stoic, bold, icy noble stand over the slumbering figure and place a kiss on her forehead. They were all fighting back an loudly audible 'awwww' at the sight with only the fact of certain consequences of getting caught keeping them from it. The young captain returned to his spot on his seat gazing down at the fair cpmplected form. 'Her hair is still so vibrantly red...' He thought, taking in the sight that was the woman that lay before him. He flinched when the woman groaned.

"She's waking up, I think..." Ukitake whispered.

Another groan and knitting of brows led to the revealing of boldly emerald-green eyes behind pale red eyelashes. She blinked a few times before glancing through her deep red, near flame-like locks at the pure white, flower patterned ceiling. She softened her gaze as a breathy sigh escaped her full lips. She jumped nearly ten feet when she heard a deep voice next to her.

"You're awake?"

"Holy shit!" She sat straight up in the bed with her arms stretched out dramatically as she glared at the owner of the sultry-like vocals. She lowered her thin limbs, straightening the fabric that lay around them and revealing the large scar residing on her nose that stretched to the edges of her high but flattering cheek bones, as she took a few moments to take in all that was the man who sat next to her temporary bed.

'He's cute...' She thought to herself as a skeptical look painted her pale features.

He smiled warmly at her, earning the blush that matched her cherry hair. A light chuckle left his thin lips as he pulled his hand that previously rested on hers and reached for her face. She flinched lightly when his surprisingly tepid caressed her flushed cheek.

"Voltaire..." He held his palm on her rosy cheek until she pushed it away.

"What did you call me?" His brows furrowed at her words. "My name's V. Who are you, anyway?" She glared sternly at the misuse of her name. She raised a brow at the man's reaction.

"You don't know me?" He choked on the question left his mouth. "It's me. Byakuya." He sounded as if he was pleading for her to call his name.

"Byakuya? I don't know a Byakuya..." She turned her head towards the door with the sudden presence of three more people entering the room.

Byakuya, who held a confused and pained look, also turned to the new members.

"Captain Kuchiki, if you would give us a moment." Unohana spoke first.

He took a second to catch his breath at the preceding events before speaking. "R-right." He stood and uncharacteristically scurried out of sight, holding his head low.

All three officers watched the man leave and gave one another understanding looks. "Miss," Unohana smiled down at the girl who called herself V.

"V. My name is V." She corrected, shooting a glare at the woman. Did these people not pay attention?

"V, then. Would you mind if I examined you?" She carried her trademark smile with an underlying tone of demand, creeping 'V' out.

"N-not a problem. You're a doctor right?" She pulled her legs from under the blanket to the side of the bed ready to stand only to be stopped before she pushed herself off.

"Stay there." A confirming nod gave Unohana the permission she needed to retrieve tools to assist her. When the older woman left the room, Shunsui and Ukitake introduced themselves.

"Hello, there." The larger man spoke first. "I'm Shunsui Kyoraku, Head-Captain of the Gotei 13 and Captain of the 1st Division. Pleasure to meet you." He gave her a warm smile as he held out his hand expectantly.

She hesitantly took it and shook it lightly before retreating. "Who're you?" She shifted her skeptical gaze to the white-haired man who stood next to the 'Head-Captain'.

"Jyuushiro Ukitake," He waved at V. "Captain of the 13th Division. Nice to meet you."

She nodded in approval at the two men. They seemed pleasant enough. Didn't look like bloodthirsty killers or that they had ulterior motives. Top of the list as potential friends. That lady who was there earlier though, creepy. Bottom of the list.

The woman in question entered the room once more this time with a small case of materials in her hands. She placed the container on a small table that lay next to the bed before speaking.

"Retsu Unohana, Captain of the 4th Division." She bowed to V who had shifted under her freaky gaze revealing the top of her right thigh through the slit in her white kosode provided when she arrived at Unohana's barracks.

"Your name's Retsu?" V asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"No reason, you just...don't seem like a Retsu. You're more of a Yachiru than a Retsu, I think." The healer's eyes widened slightly before a small trail of ink that led behind V's leg caught her attention.

"What's that, if you don't mind me asking?" She pointed to her line of sight guiding V's eyes to it.

"Oh that?" She lifted her leg slightly to reveal more of the black marks. "It's kanji for someone's name. I can't really understand it, though. I'm not all that good at reading kanji." She rested her leg back on the mattress.

"Why do you have it then?" Ukitake blurted.

"Oh well...I don't really remember when I got it. It was before I went to Fugai." She recollected.

"Fugai? The district in Rukongai?" Ukitake asked.

"Hai." She nodded. "I was found there by some soul reaper, like you guys. He had glasses and brown hair...what was his name?" She raised her hand to her chin and thought as everyone's eyes widened.

"...Aizen?" Shunsui provided.

"Yeah!" She raised a brow at their angered eyes and questioned it mentally. 'Something wrong?' She brushed it off when Unohana started asking questions.

"How do you feel?" The dark-haired Kenpachi began her examination after motioning for the two fellow captains to have a seat at the other end of the room.

"Huh? Oh. I feel fine." She held no expression as the questions continued.

"Any dizziness or lightheadedness?" Unohana placed her hands on either side of V's face and titled it forward to analyze the top of her head for any exterior wounds she may have over looked.

"Nope." V's eyebrows knitted together as her extremity was turned to either side. 'What is she looking for?'

"Any pain or discomfort?"

"No."

"How about your stomach? No pain or nausea?"

"None."

"And your arms and legs?"

"They're a little numb."

"Oh?" Unohana pressed on the limbs with little force. "Do you feel that?" She traveled up and down the extremities applying pressure to the areas.

"Yeah, I can feel it. I just mean it was a little numb from where I was sleeping so long. How long was I out anyway?" She questioned, lowering her arms.

"About a day and a half." Unohana turned to the basket she carried her materials in and rummaged through it.

"Ummm, excuse me, Unohana-taicho?" She caught the older woman's attention who turned back to her holding a full syringe.

"Yes?" She pushed the sleeve of V's up and removed a small alcohol tab from its packaging before rubbing V's upper bicep and raising the needle to the sterilized area.

"What is that?"

"It's just saline. I'm not giving you this intravenously because your veins are quite skilled concealers." Unohana smiled at her own humor.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Now then," She removed the needle and disposed of it before asking another question. "I'm curious. What were you talking about when you spoke of Fugai and the brown-haired shinigami who found you?"

She rubbed the spot where the needle had plunged and pulled her sleeve back down. "About 10 or 15 years ago, I was found in Fugai by that guy, Aizen. He saw me on the ground and brought me to Junrinan*. He said I'd live an easier life there and that the people of that district would help me."

"But, Captain Kuchiki and Muguruma found you..." Unohana listened intently

"Yeah, I enjoyed it there but it was too laid back for me. That's how I got to Zaraki. I started traveling and found my way there. I got attacked by a group of thugs but I blacked out when one of them hit me. I don't really know what happened. Next thing I knew, I was here. Any time before the soul reaper took me to Junrinan I don't really remember. Dunno why, just can't" She recalled the face of the man who sat next to her. 'His smile was so nice...' She recollected Byakuya's expression.

"Umm..."

"What is it?"

"That man, who was in here earlier, who was that?" She blushed lightly when his voice repeated in her head.

A smile dance across Shunsui's lips when he heard her speak. "His name's Byakuya Kuchiki. He's the captain of the 6th Division and the current head of the Kuchiki clan." He stood and made his way back to the two women.

"Are you serious?!" She honestly couldn't comprehend the thought of having the head of one of the four great noble families sitting next to her or even being in the same room as her. "Why was he here?! I could have my head chopped off for being in the presence of someone like him!" She barked at the people who let him in the room.

"Relax. He wouldn't let that happen to you." Ukitake spoke, peaking V's curiosity.

"Why's that?" She knitted her thin, pale red eyebrows again when he and shunsui passed knowing glances at each other. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Another time." He waved nonchalantly. "Right now, I'm curious."

'Well so am I.'

"Unohana-taicho, if she were given triggers, certain things that would help her remember, do you think she would be able to recall the time before she was found by Aizen and after she disappeared?" Ukitake and Shunsui stared at the healer expectantly.

"Maybe. But, she is in a slighty compromised state at the moment. It could cause her-"

"WAIT!" V yelled in frustration. "What are you talking about, triggers and memories and shit?! What do you know about me that I don't know about myself?" She glared at the trio waiting for an answer.

They looked at one another once more. "Stop looking at each other at look at me! I wanna know what the hell is going on!" She barked, nose flaring and the comical steam erupted from each ear.

"Well," Shunsui sighed, finally replying to the younger woman. "Before the time that shinigami brought you to the 1st district, you were AWOL from the Seireitei."

"What?!"

"Yes." Ukitake confirmed. "You had disappeared from your post as stand-in Lieutenant of the 13th Division nearly 35 years before you were found in Fugai. It seems, however, that your lack of memory keeps us from discovering why you deserted your post. For now, you will stay here, as a patient in the fourth, until we can recover your memory and maybe...you will not be arrested for the crime you have committed."

"Crime?! I don't even remember being a part of the Gotei 13 let alone leaving without permission! You can't arrest me for something I don't remember doing!" She pleaded.

"That is why we must have your reasoning for leaving." Ukitake replied. "We do not wish to put you in custody, but for now, we will not have to seeing as your a patient. You will have to remain in writing as such until we have what we need. Understand?"

V was speechless. They intended to arrest her? If she had not been found unconscious but awake and responsive, would they have tried to do it before? What were they planing to do to her? And the most agonizing question of all, who the hell was she?