Author's Soundtrack:
Land of All by Woodkid
Chapter Nineteen
And he certainly had a lot of time.
Sitting outside of Rukia's room, a constant guard on alert for a rampaging Reyes, Ichigo had reduced himself to reading Orihime's reports back to the FCA. For such a bright and colorful girl, her reports were fairly lackluster. While he hadn't enjoyed the events of the past week, he didn't think it was possible to make them seem so dull. It seemed nothing transitioned well when written into a report. He'd given up on writing them well before they'd left England. Shinji knew if he wanted an update he had to either call Ichigo directly and get an extensively summarized version or review Rukia's work.
Not that her reports were any more interesting to read. They were painfully dry, but she always seemed adept at writing them, including the most minute details. He wasn't sure if she actually enjoyed doing the paperwork, but she was more than willing to do it, finding some sort of meditative calm whenever she worked.
Would she still want to do it? Orihime spoke of there being a "new person" at the end of it all. Would this new person still sit down at her desk and begin the long arduous task of describing a mission's events? It was difficult to imagine Rukia dismissing any part of her duty, even paperwork, no matter what happened in her life. The soothing rhythm of her typing away on a keyboard was a small pleasure she would want to keep - wasn't it?
What else would be different? What small habits would disappear? What new ones would he discover?
And how did he handle them?
Did he take notice? Point them out? Ignore them? Encourage them?
What was the right path? What would lead her back to the woman he saw as an integral part of her his life? Was there a way to get her back?
Did it matter?
Their lives were long, things were bound to be different, people especially. The Rukia he knew wasn't the same one Ashido knew. Change was inevitable.
He wasn't sure what to do, except one thing: stay with her. No matter who was on the other side of that door, she was a part of his life, a part of him. The thought of abandoning her now felt like cutting off a limb. Without it, he would be worthless. Just imagining it made his chest tighten and his heart ache.
He stilled at the muffled sounds of shuffling inside the room.
She was out of bed, pacing. Every couple of hours, when the drugs were beginning to wear off, she would walk about the room. She hated being stationary, locked in a room with no escape - and not because the door was locked. She was frustrated, he could hear it in the heavy step of her bare feet as they hit the linoleum, almost like a child stomping in a fit. The thought made him chuckle.
It was good to hear something besides her painful wails, if only because he felt all the more helpless when she was that far gone. He couldn't give her comfort, couldn't be there for her. The mere sight of him caused her distress. It was infuriating and perhaps the most painful thing - to be relegated to the sidelines where he could only watch others interact with her.
The bond between her and Orihime had grown, Rukia coming to rely on Orihime. Often she searched for her in the small group of doctors that visited her room, relieved when she came.
Ichigo was beginning to dislike Orihime greatly.
The thunderous sounds of heavy combat boots and arguing pulled his attention away from Rukia's room. Glancing up, a swarm of CAC agents, dressed in Reyes' favorite uniform of combat gear, marched down the hall. Reyes and Yasutura were at the head of the pack. No that Reyes ever looked particularly happy, especially after Yasutura broke the news about the the flash drive, but today she looked down right pissed, like a murderous viper ready to strike at the slightest provocation.
He caught her gaze shifting to Rukia's door. He was out of his chair and in front of it in a heartbeat.
Her dark brown eyes narrowed, but Ichigo didn't give under the intense heat aimed at him. He would take the brunt of her attack if it meant keeping her away from Rukia.
"Walk with me," she commanded, tearing her eyes away from him and continuing down the hall.
Ichigo grappled with finding out what had her on edge and leaving Rukia. He didn't dare leave her alone. Eyeing her horde of soldiers, he wasn't sure Reyes was giving him much choice in the matter. None of her agents had moved, not daring to get between their leader and him.
Yasutura, the only one in the group that was normal to him, gave him a nod. It was just a nod, but it implied there was nothing nefarious behind her actions. At least, that's how Ichigo chose to interpret it. Unlike Reyes, Yasutura seemed just as concerned for Rukia's health as Ichigo and the others. He stopped by frequently, asking him or Orihime for an update. He even seemed to be sneaking Rukia food, much to Orihime's annoyance.
Sending a message to Ashido for him to cover the door, Ichigo spared Rukia's room one last glance before following after Reyes.
"I'm taking a team to the facility," she stated when he finally caught up. She ignored him as he counted the heads of the agents to make sure no one stayed behind. "I was hoping we would have an opportunity to get more information out of your councilor, but it appears that is unlikely. The American is insistent we leave her be until after the psychologist speaks with her."
What little jealousy Ichigo felt for Orihime quickly melted into gratitude. "Good."
Reye's eyes snapped to him. He held her gaze, refusing to back down. Why she thought he would feel differently was beyond him. His loyalty was to Rukia and his sisters, no one else.
"We're hoping to find another copy of the data and rescue any survivors who are not too far gone. Although the chances of us walking away with anything beneficial is unlikely." She gave him a meaningful glare. "They have a few day's head start, and AI zen isn't a fool."
As much as Ichigo didn't like Reyes, he had to give her credit, she cared about her people. Since retrieving Rukia, Ichigo hadn't spared a single thought for those left behind. It was good someone was going to go back for them. And yet, here she was, wasting time speaking with him. To top it off, she was doing a piss poor job of hiding her anger and resentment towards him.
She blamed Ichigo and the others for the destruction of the flash drive, failing to see that the results would have been the same no matter what happened. It needed to be destroyed, and it certainly wasn't their fault she chose to delay sending people back. She was looking for a scapegoat. As long as they continued treating Rukia and left her alone, Reyes could blame him for her misfortune all she wanted.
That didn't mean he had to take it with a smile.
"I'm assuming there's a reason you're telling me all of this."
Reyes either wasn't affected or chose to ignore the hard edge to his voice. "You and the Japanese agent will come with us. We need as many eyes and weapons as possible."
The order was more tempting than he wanted to admit. The cries and screams of the people behind those steel doors coming back to him with a force. But there was something - someone - far more powerful, far louder, and that same someone had him hesitating. Although she clearly didn't want to see him, and she would have wanted him to go, he couldn't leave her. There was no telling how long they would be gone, and Orihime couldn't be with her all the time.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll be staying behind."
"It wasn't a request." Reyes stopped and glowered at him, her stance intimidating as she wielded her authority like a weapon.
Ichigo wanted to reminder her that he was not one of her agents and was under no obligation to obey her orders, but he needed to tread carefully. Rukia's rank and Orihime's constant reminders of such, kept Reyes in line, but she would only be pushed so far, and Rukia wasn't ready to leave yet.
"Rukia is my top priority and as her bodyguard, I cannot leave her. Ashido will be of more useful to you, although I can't speak for him."
Judging by her deepened scowl, she'd already made the same demand of Ashido, and gotten a similar response. Ichigo tried to suppress his amused smirk.
"It looks like you're taking most of your forces. They're all highly trained, I'm sure you'll be fine if you don't have a couple more people with you. With most of them gone, it would be good for us to remain behind, in case Aizen managed to track us here."
The tightened muscles in her throat indicated it wasn't Aizen she was thinking of, and Ichigo felt his patience begin to slip, along with his facade. He wasn't sure what she was planning, but he was more than happy to get in her way.
"Very well," she said with a huff. "There are a few agents who will remain behind to secure the building, but I understand your concerns."
Calling out to her agents in Spanish, she motioned for them to move out. He watched intently as they continued their march down the hall. When they turned the corner, he took out his phone and made a phone call. He needed to be sure he wasn't the only one keeping Reyes in line.
"Yo, Ichigo. What can I do for you?" Shinji answered on the second ring.
"Skirting your duties again?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied innocently.
Given the apparent importance of the meetings Shinji was supposed to be attending, it was surprising the number of times he actually answered his phone. Rukia would have chewed his ear off, but Ichigo appreciated him making her a priority.
"Reyes just stormed off in a fit."
"That woman is never in a good mood when I speak with her."
"I'm surprised you're speaking with her directly at all. Shouldn't that be Lisa's job?"
"And miss the opportunity to rile that woman's feathers? Lord no."
"She wants to speak to Rukia."
"Since Rukia's current physician has suggested such a thing is not recommended, she'll have to be disappointed."
Another reason to be grateful for Orihime. Not only was she fighting Reyes herself, she was arming Shinji as well.
"How is she?" Shinji's tone was somber.
"You've read Orihime's reports," Ichigo replied stiffly.
"Yeah, but that only tells me so much. You see her."
It was true. What Orihime typed versus reality was completely different. The reports mentioned Rukia's struggles with dealing with the doctors, getting enough sleep, drinking enough blood and eating enough food, but seeing it was another matter entirely. Seeing the fear in her eyes whenever someone walked into the room, that brief moment of utter terror flashing across her features, the slight tremor in her body whenever someone got too close with a needle. Hearing the sounds of her suffering when she woke from a nightmare, the pained whimpering as she slept - words were not enough.
"She's. . ." He couldn't think of anything to say. She wasn't better, not really. She didn't scream as much, but he was certain that had more to do with her determination to keep people from worrying. In a way, he supposed that was something reminiscent of her old self, but it wasn't what he wanted. It was just her taking on everything, even when he was sitting right outside her door.
"I see," Shinji replied with a heavy sigh. "I'll see what I can do about Reyes. You focus on helping Rukia in anyway you can."
As if he planned on doing anything else.
Hanging up, Ichigo headed back to her room. When he didn't see Ashido standing guard, he froze and immediately listened. There was a muffled voice inside the room. It was hurried, harsh, but quiet. And distinctly male. The beast stirred, baring its teeth and urging him forward - and he listened. Recently, they seemed to be on the same wave length, and he was okay with that. It made things easier, not having to fight with it constantly.
Reaching for the door, Ichigo prepared to fight off whoever was inside. The knob turned and he took a step back as Ashido stepped through. Their eyes met briefly before Ashido cast a glare into the room and stepped outside. As soon as the door was closed, he gave Ichigo a look that requested they speak, and headed down the hall. Ichigo hesitated to leave the door unguarded, but Ashido stopped at the end of the hall, keeping it within eyesight.
"What's going on?" Ichigo demanded, none too pleased with the tone he'd heard coming from Ashido.
"I wanted to try speaking with her. Orihime's been such a mother hen, it's been nearly impossible to get near her recently."
"And you decided snapping at her was the way to go?"
Ashido looked grim. "I let my frustration get the better of me. It was a method that worked when we first met, but this time is different."
Ichigo's anger with Ashido deflated and he felt the inklings of hope begin to fade. Ashido was much older, more experienced, and yet he was just as lost as Ichigo when it came to handling the situation with Rukia. If he couldn't help her, how could Ichigo hope to?
"At least then she was angry - at herself, at the world, at Kaien. With the rage that was brewing in her, you could have pitted her against the devil himself and she would have come out on top." He chuckled, reminiscing about a past Ichigo knew so little of. "I knew how to work with that. I could take that anger and focus it, hone it into something else."
A wry smile spread across his lips before crumbling away. "She'll get there. The anger will come, but right now, she's more lost than anything. She would rather stare out her window then talk to me."
Ashido sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "Have you spoken to her yet?"
"You know I haven't," Ichigo said with a scowl.
He looked disappointed. "You should, while the drugs aren't affecting her."
Ichigo scoffed, running his hands through his hair. He wanted to see her, talk to her. Hell, he would take her staring out the window and ignoring him if that's all she gave him. Given his track record, she was more likely to break down and cry. The sight of her agonizing grief was too much for him to take.
"I don't think I can handle seeing her like that again. Not right now."
Ashdio was quiet for a moment before speaking. "I understand where you're coming from, but what you have to remember is that this isn't about you. This is about her. We don't know what happened in that room, what Aizen said and did to her. There are no scars on her body, but that doesn't mean anything. We need to be there for her, to help her in any way she needs us to, even if she doesn't tell us how."
It was like being lectured by Orihime all over again. As if he didn't know he needed to be there for her. He wanted to be there for her, but he could do little more than stand guard and protect her from a distance. How could he help her when being near her only seemed to cause her more pain? Why couldn't they give him useful advice instead of useless platitudes?
"You think I don't know that?" Ichigo snapped viciously, the last of his patience evaporating. "I want to be in that room, sitting beside her and helping her, but you don't see it. You don't see the way she stares at me and crumbles as if she's failed, as if there's no hope left in the world, as if. . ." He searched for a word to describe what it was he saw so often when she looked at him through the tears. It wasn't just grief, it was something else, something more painful. "As if she's begging for forgiveness."
Just saying it was like a lightning strike to his heart. What did she have to apologize for? Being captured? Being tortured? Not being the same? How was any of that her fault? How could she have stopped any of it? The only one at fault was Aizen. He was to blame, not her.
Ichigo clenched his jaw, struggling to swallow the lump growing in his throat. He wanted to look her in the eye and tell her there was nothing to forgive, but how could he when he couldn't get near her? "How can I help her when all I do is cause her more pain?"
Ashido was silent. Ichigo had expected some sort of rebuke. Part of him was disappointed. A good fight would have relieved some of his pent up stress. Instead, Ashido studied him with understanding and pity, as if he was seeing a reflection of himself from another time. Maybe he was, but it didn't matter. It didn't help them. It didn't help her.
Cursing, Ichigo turned and paced the hall. He hated feeling so helpless. There had to be something he could do, something that could be done to help her without requiring his immediate presence.
Shouting and slamming doors echoed through the hall. Medical personnel dove into open doorways as Reyes came storming down the hall, her entourage following close on her heels. A panicked Orihime was frantically trying to get her to stop, trying everything but grabbing onto the woman and physically pulling her to a stop. Shooting Ichigo and Ashido a look of desperation, they acted immediately. Standing side by side, they now blocked Reyes' path to Rukia's room. Hissing, the councilor came to an abrupt stop.
"Step aside," she growled menacingly.
"What's the problem, Agent Inoue," Ashido asked, keeping his eyes on Reyes. The councilor gnashes her teeth as he blatantly ignored her command.
"She wants to 'speak' with Rukia." The concern lining Orihime's voice told them Reyes intended to do more than talk. Both men tensed and Ichigo felt the beast reel in anger. He almost lashed out at the councilor, but Ichigo managed to reign it in.
"An interrogation?" Ichigo snarled. "She's not even in any condition to talk with those she knows and you want to question her? Like hell I'm going to let that happen, especially before she speaks with the psychologist."
"I don't give a damn what you want," Reyes ground out through clenched teeth. "She's the only witness left and I want to know what was in that facility."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ashido demanded.
"The facility has been completely destroyed," she spat. "We didn't even make it out of the parking lot before we got a call from one of our teams spying on the building. There was a large explosion. All that's left is a fiery crater. There is no more information. No prisoners. No witnesses. No suspects. Just her. She's all that's left, and I will know what she does."
"She was a prisoner," Ashido reminded her sharply. "What kind of information do you think she could possibly give you? Do you think Aizen was stupid enough to reveal his plans to her?"
"I don't know! But she's our only option, and if you don't get out of my way, I'll have you all detained and thrown in cells until I'm finished with her."
Feeling his grip on the beast slip and baring his teeth, Ichigo grabbed the hilt of his sword. "If you think I'm going to let you waltz in there and start berating her beau se you've got some goddamn bug up your ass, you've got another thing coming."
"You little son of a-" Reyes charged forward, hand on her own weapon, a saber with a wicked curve, but stalled when Orihime planted herself between them.
"Councilor Reyes, I understand your frustration-"
"You don't understand shit!"
"However!"Orihime continued with a vicious snap. "Given your precarious situation, I recommend you take some time to consider your position before taking another step or issuing another command.
Reyes studied Orihime cautiously, evaluating the weight of her words. Shinji was one phone call away, and Ichigo wasn't sure what impact the FCA would have, but the threat of their involvement was enough to stall Reyes.
After a few tense seconds, Reyes took a deep breath and released her sword.
Orihime nodded in approval. "Analysis of the blood sample your doctor took from Councilor Kuchiki revealed a number of drugs in her system. Aizen more than likely kept her on a specific cocktail to serve his own means during her imprisonment. The likelihood of her remembering any details beyond her cell walls is unlikely. And, anything she does recall is more than likely some twisted, nightmarish form of reality, and would be of no use to you."
Reyes didn't look convinced, leading Orihime to offer a suggestion. "Feel free to speak with Dr. Garcia if you'd like. He'll confirm my findings."
Yasutura tapped Reyes' shoulder and mumbled something in Spanish. It was nearly imperceptible, but the muscles in her shoulder loosened.
"Very well. I'll leave this for tonight." Motioning to her agents, they turned and left. Yasutura gave them a slight nod before the team of agents was gone.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Orihime released a heavy breath and turned to them with a smile. "Well, that was fun."
"If that's what you want to call it," Ashido remarked, sneering at the now empty hall. "I'm honestly surprised she didn't try to pull this stunt sooner."
"The British and American Chancellor's have been keeping them in line, but the loss of the facility seems to have forced her hand. Without any other witnesses, Rukia is the only remaining connection. Whatever was on that flash drive has Reyes desperate. She's grasping at any straws she can get her hands on, even if they aren't viable ones."
"So you didn't lie?" Ichigo asked.
Orihime's smile wilted. "No. Even after her recovery, there were still trace amounts of the drugs in her system. The fire should have burned everything, but with her blood and some of the ash residue we gathered from her body, there was enough trace evidence left to get a decent picture."
Ichigo tightened his hand into a fist and pushed past the ever present desire to dismember Aizen slowly and methodically. "Do you think she'll actually take Rukia and interrogate her?"
The thought alone had Ichigo's skin crawling, the uncomfortable sensation racing a crossing his skin and leaving bruising scorch marks. If it wasn't safe anymore, he needed to get Rukia out - and fast. Nelliel and Grimmjow hadn't been spotted since the night of her rescue. If they were still in the area, he might be able to convince them to help them escape.
"Not right now," Orihime replied, offering a small smile. "Rukia's rank continues to protect her. Should Councilor Reyes be brazen enough to try anything, she would have the full wrath of the British Council coming down on her head. Despite his recent rise to power, Chancellor Shinji has already secured a name for himself, though others would deny it. And the FCA is more than willing to back him in this cause. She is still under our protection after all, and," the corners of her lips twisted into a frightening smile, "we don't particularly like it when we are crossed."
"We're all very well aware you yanks like to flex your muscles," Ashido said with a disapproving sigh, but Ichigo was certain he was just as grateful as Ichigo for their support.
Orihime gave Ashido a playful wink, but her levity did little to easy Ichigo's concerns. Their "protection" didn't save Rukia from an immediate threat. He was in desperate need of a Plan B. Should Reyes decide she was more than willing to take on Shinji and the FCA, he needed to be sure he could escape with Rukia. Until then, he didn't dare leave Rukia's room unguarded, and returned to his post.
Author's Notes: One more chapter from Ichigo's perspective. I'm sure you can see why I broke this away from the previous chapter. In the next one we'll be jumping back into Rukia's perspective. I hope you're all prepared…
I'm hoping to have it posted on time, but I'll be in the middle of a road trip so I'm not sure. Some of the hotels we're staying at have free wifi and some do not. I'm working from my iPad that doesn't have a data plan, so no internet = no post :(. Fingers crossed!
Thank you for everyone who keeps reading and enjoying this story! I really hope you all keep loving this story, even though I'm being kind of cruel to Rukia. Thank to those of you who left reviews as well - MugetsuIchigo, IchiRuki 4vr, NieveDrop, Kneegrow Goku (I'm so glad you enjoy the music!), Yesmin,(x2), any anonymous guests. Please keep R&Ring. I love hearing from you guys, and I promise it isn't because I enjoy your tears (kind of).
P.S. Apologies for any errors you find. My usual computer has an online editor I use to catch some basic mistakes and my iPad doesn't have access to it. I may come back later and do a clean up.