Chapter 14: Torn and Mended
Byakuya gathered a few essentials and loaded them into a pack that he set on the bed in his quarters. As he finished placing the last few items in the pack, his mind went back to Renji's words…
"Captain…"
He didn't miss the look of pain that flashed in Byakuya's eyes. Renji sighed resignedly.
"Look, obviously, we can't afford to hash this out now. You got what you wanted. You have an heir on the way…and I'm not leaving you."
"You're…not leaving?" Byakuya repeated questioningly.
Renji shook his head.
"Whatever I might feel doesn't matter anymore. There's a kid involved here, and that changes things. The last thing I want…is for a kid that's part of me…to be fucked up by a psychotic family like yours. I'm staying to make sure the kid is healthy…and to give him or her some way of staying sane through all of the shit your fucking relatives are going to put him through…"
"I didn't know, Renji…"
Renji frowned in confusion.
"Huh…?"
"I didn't know about the baby."
Renji rolled his eyes.
"Yeah…sure. Byakuya…let's just stop the screwing around. You knew about this…just like you knew the elders wanted me to have the heir. I don't know…maybe you were trying to manage me and their demands for an heir and you just snapped or something. I don't know the 'why' of it…but it doesn't matter. Just…stop talking about it. Get some rest."
He sighed resignedly and summoned a hell butterfly.
"Renji, I understand that you have chosen to remain with me out of concern for our child. Your protectiveness of our child is commendable, but unfortunately, as Captain Unohana has ordered that I relieve myself of stress…and the stress of your rejection of me has taken such a toll, I find that it could be harmful to our child for me to remain living with you at Kuchiki Manor. I am taking a leave of absence from the military and going to stay at my private estate in the living world. I will be well attended and will see to it that no harm comes to me or to our child, but I must ask that you do not attempt to come to my location. Rest at Kuchiki Manor and regain your strength. I will return for the birth and make sure you are present. I am sorry for the pain I caused you. I do promise you that, as I said, the Kuchiki Council interfered and caused me to become pregnant. I understand that you choose not to believe me, and also why. I hope that as you heal, you are able to work through your anger and to come to understand that…I have fallen in love with you. I wanted us to be happy together. As you have made your feelings clear, I will use the time I am away from you to try to come to terms with you not returning that love. And hopefully, even though you do not love me, our life together will at very least contain some level of comfort for both of us."
He released the hell butterfly and watched it flutter away.
"You sent for me, Lord Kuchiki?" said Torio from the doorway.
"Hai. We are leaving for the living world…my private estate. Come."
He released the hell butterfly and he and Torio left the sixth division office. Torio stole sad glances at him as they walked and several times wanted to speak, but couldn't think of what he should say to the obviously depressed noble. Byakuya opened a private senkaimon and the two passed into the precipice world together. Torio moved closer to Byakuya, not liking the darkness and coldness of the precipice world. He shivered, hearing odd noises as they walked, but not wanting to annoy his master with his childish fears. They passed several diverging passages and Byakuya moved through them confidently. They were nearing the exit and Torio was beginning to relax, when all at once, a group of hooded figures appeared ahead of them. As Torio drew his long knife and turned to watch Byakuya's back, several more dark figures appeared behind them. Byakuya quickly raised a barrier of petals and touched a symbol on the back of his attendant's hand.
"Return to the manor and tell Renji…"
He broke off as a huge blast shattered the protective sea of petal blades and the reiatsu rose dangerously. Torio's eyes went wide.
"I can't leave you…"
"Go!" Byakuya hissed, "Hurry and bring help!"
His heart aching with doubt, Torio touched the symbol on his hand again and felt himself start to be pulled away. He cried out sharply as an attack struck as he was disappearing and the heavy reiatsu sent him spinning out of control. The precipice world disappeared and the youth landed hard in a grassy meadow, on the property, but well away from the manor. He started to get up, but felt a tugging on his foot and discovered that someone had been dragged along with him.
He kicked free of the other and rolled to his feet, avoiding several blasts of kido as he flash stepped towards the waterfall ahead of him. His attacker shouted for him to stop, but he flash stepped faster and narrowly avoided another blast of kido. He reached the edge of the lake and began to flash step up the face of the cliff. He made it up the first two thirds and flash stepped again to reach the edge at the top. As his feet touched down, a burst of kido struck the ground at his feet.
Pain exploded in Torio's ankle and the ground collapsed beneath him. He cried out and tried desperately to flash step away, but his ankle screamed with pain and then he was falling. He struck the water with stunning force and sank beneath the surface. He managed a small breath and kicked with his one good leg, trying desperately to make it to the riled water beneath the falls. Random kido strikes hit the water all around, but he managed to reach the waterfall and concealed himself in some bushes, ignoring the thorns and thanking kami for the cover as his pursuer searched around the edges of the lake. He held his breath, his body shaking badly as he caught a glimpse of the face beneath the hood. He stifled a gasp and sank deeper into the brush, doing his best to hide his reiatsu. The other remained for nearly an hour before shaking his head and disappearing. Shaken and ice-cold from being in the water, Torio lifted himself onto the tiny, hidden path behind the waterfall and spent several minutes splinting his foot. As soon as it was stable enough, he stood, ignoring the pain in his ribs and his aching head. He couldn't flash step, but moved with agonizing slowness through the brush, watching the nearby trail for any sign of the man he had seen. He reached the manor fence and climbed over, dropping down and falling onto the trail.
"Torio!" a voice hissed, "What happened?"
The attendant looked up at the distorted face of the one who had discovered him.
"M-michio," he managed, "Y-you must get Master Abarai! Lord Kuchiki and I were attacked in the precipice world. I didn't want to leave, but he made me go! It's…It was…a council member who followed me and tried to keep me from getting back. Michio, we have to get Master Abarai out of here!"
Michio nodded and helped his fellow attendant to his feet. Torio let his weight rest against the other youth as they crossed the gardens and slipped into Renji's darkened room.
"Master Abarai…" Michio said softly.
"Yeah, kid…what is it?" Renji asked in a low voice.
He turned his head to look up at Michio and gasped at the sight of Torio's battered form. The youth's eyes were wide with fear, his skin scratched and bleeding and he leaned heavily against Michio, holding a hand to his bruised head.
"Torio!" he said, sitting up quickly, "What happened?"
"It's Lord Byakuya," the attendant answered desperately, "We were passing through the precipice world to reach the living world…and…and these hooded men surrounded us! He sent me back using the crest on my hand, but one of them grabbed onto me and was dragged here with me. He made me fall from the cliff into the lake by the waterfall, and I hid in the thorn bushes until he left…but Master Abarai! The man who came after me was a council member! I don't know who the others were, but…"
"But they already tried to confine Byakuya once!" Renji said, his eyes flaring, "Damn it! I have some powers back, but I'm not able to use ban kai yet…and there are quite a few of them…and they would been trying to knock him out. They want the heir. They don't give a damn about us. They probably just snapped over him marrying me or something…not like it was our fault. Anyway, I can't do this alone."
He glanced at Torio.
"And I need you to show me where you were, so we can try to track him."
"B-but sir!" objected Torio, "The cleaner might have cleaned away the signs…"
"Then, we'd better hurry."
He lifted himself out of bed somewhat gingerly and picked up Zabimaru. They started towards the door, but heard voices coming towards the room. Renji turned to the two attendants.
"Get out of here and get to Urahara. We'll meet up there."
He opened a senkaimon and the two slipped inside.
"But what about you, Master Abarai?" asked Michio.
"Don't worry about me. Just get the message to Urahara and tell him I ran into some trouble. I'll just bet this has something to do with Byakuya's getting grabbed. I want to find out what they know. But I need you guys to help me track Byakuya when I get to Karakura Town…so go!"
He watched the attendants disappear, then opened the outer door of his room and stepped onto the walkway. Immediately, flash steps sounded all around and the garden filled with council guards.
"Stop!" called the one leading them.
He approached Renji and drew his hood back.
"Councilor Nori," he said in a low, dangerous voice, "What brings you to Kuchiki Manor…after Byakuya ordered you folks to stay clear without his permission?"
"Don't play innocent, Renji Abarai!" said Nori, viciously, "We know you had our leader abducted. We received word that he was taken from the precipice world as he traveled to his estate there. The only one who knew where he was going was you. We know he sent a hell butterfly to you this morning. Now, stop playing games and tell us where he is!"
"What? Are you out of your mind or something?" Renji said angrily, "I haven't left the manor since yesterday, and I'm not fully healed from what happened in the spirit dimension. And why the fuck would I kidnap the guy I'm married to! You're not making any sense!"
"Well, this will make sense to you, Abarai!" Nori exclaimed, "You are under council arrest for suspicion of collaboration with the attendants Torio and Michio in the disappearance of our leader!"
"You're crazy!" Renji insisted as the elite guards closed in around him.
He flash stepped away as stunning kido flashed around him, leapt into the air and flash stepped to the top of the building next to him, then rolled to the side to evade a hail of crawling ropes. He flash stepped over the top of the manor and down into the street as yells went up behind him and the Kuchiki Head Councilor called for help from the Seireitei guards.
"He abducted Lord Byakuya!" called Nori, "Hurry!"
He flash stepped into an alley and opened a family senkaimon.
"They'll raise the alarm and close the main senkaimon, so that way's no good," he mused, "but using the family senkaimon, they're sure to follow!"
He ran through the precipice world, feeling the strain on his healing body. He heard voices and footsteps somewhere behind him, but didn't dare to look back. He flash stepped now, despite the burning in his spirit centers.
"Shit…have to make it…to Urahara…" he hissed.
He turned into a passageway, then immediately took another sharp turn. The voices behind him faded and he slowed, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. He walked quickly, closing in on the entrance to the living world, then jumped back in surprise as a dark form came out of nowhere and grabbed him, dragging him down. He struggled wildly, but then froze as his assailant pulled back his hood and he found himself looking at Byakuya.
"What? What the hell are you doing?" he hissed, "I could have killed you by mistake or something!"
"Not likely," Byakuya said flippantly, "Besides, you were about to walk into a trap. They have the Karakura Town exit blocked. Come with me. I know of another exit we can use."
Renji frowned.
"Why?"
Byakuya met his eyes squarely.
"Because…I am done with them!" he exclaimed, his eyes flaring, "They dared to attack me. They wanted to confine me for the rest of my pregnancy. Then you know that they would have taken our baby. Nori was planning to set himself up as our child's mentor. He would either have killed you and me or had me declared insane and you imprisoned."
Renji gave a short, sarcastic laugh.
"See," he said, his voice betraying more than a little affection, "I told you your family was fucked up!"
"Well…they might have made me miserable all of these years, but I won't let them ruin our child's life. I am leaving until this child is born. I am taking you away so you can get well and I can have this baby without them interfering. And when that is done, we will return together and reclaim what is ours!"
Renji couldn't help but smile.
"You're really pissed at them, aren't you?" he laughed.
"They attacked me…and Torio. I don't even know what happened to him."
"He's all right. I told Michio to take him and get to Urahara's place. He'll make sure those council members don't find them."
He went quiet for a moment as he followed Byakuya along a dark passage.
"Look," he said finally, "I guess you were telling me the truth before…"
"Renji…don't apologize. I understand why you didn't believe me. I handled things badly before. I really didn't give proper consideration to your feelings or what you would want."
"Yeah…like I was so much better," Renji said, shaking his head, "demanding sex from you like you were some kind of…servant. And I acted out recklessly and ended up hurting you…"
"Well…neither of us expected to even be together. We were tied together and set afloat on our own. We just had establish some kind of balance…and we both got hurt along the way. But I won't let that happen anymore," Byakuya promised, "We may not have chosen each other before, but Renji…I choose you now. I am ready to build a family with you. I want to have this baby, then return and take back what is ours, once we're both strong enough to defend it again. But you need time for healing…and I need to have a peaceful, safe place to bear this little one…"
Renji stopped and gently pulled Byakuya to a stop as well. He placed his hands on the noble's face, smiling at his curious expression, then leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. He met the dark, surprised eyes warmly.
"Then…I choose you, too, Byakuya. I guess it doesn't matter anymore why we were thrown together…just that we make the best future together that we can…for us and for our kids."
Byakuya's eyebrows rose.
"Kids?" he asked.
Renji smiled.
"Well…Nori tampered with things to make you get pregnant. You can still get me pregnant, right?"
Byakuya blinked.
"You…would want that?" he asked softly, "even knowing what a fucked up family I come from?"
Renji chuckled.
"Well…it's not like I can leave. We're already having one kid. Tell you what. After we show those bastards they shouldn't mess with us…we'll make that second baby together."
Byakuya stared.
"What?" Renji asked, looking around them, "Did you see someone following us or something?"
"No," Byakuya said, smile touching his lips, "I just like seeing your spirit return. You haven't been yourself since before this all happened. But it's like the person I remember is coming back…"
"And that's…good?" Renji asked.
"Yes…that's good," Byakuya said, sinking more deeply into his arms.
They stood in silence, exchanging slow, deep kisses in the now silent passageway.
"So…" said Renji, pulling away for a moment, "How far is this place you're taking us to?"
"Not far," Byakuya assured him, "but it is private…and they don't know about it. We'll be safe."
"Oh, I know that. I was just asking, because I was really enjoying kissing you. I was thinking that when we got to where we are going, we might lie down together…warm each other…get used to each other again."
Byakuya turned his head to hide the instant blush Renji's words caused.
"I think I would like that," he managed.
He took Renji's hand and led him on through the dark passageways and out into the living world.