

### Unforgiven

An Alternative Universe

Bleach Yaoi Fanfiction Novel

Byakuya Kuchiki X Ichigo Kurosaki

Beverly L. Anderson

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Author's Note

1 Strawberry Sweet and the Lamp Post

2 Cherry Blossoms and the Heart of Glass

3 Strawberry Vines and the Lover's Snare

4 Death's Door and the Truth in Hearts

5 Darkness and the Pain

6 Close Connections and the Lovers Truth

7 Her Impending Death and the Truth

8 The Rebellion and The Messer's Traitors

9 Things Forgotten and Best Unremembered

10 The Protector's Heart and the Desperate Lover

11 The Messer's Island and the Hidden Truth

12 The Final Order and a Rescue Mission

13 Puzzle Pieces and Falling Apart

14 The Final Order and the Lovers' Last Res

15 The Little Boy and the Killer

16 Escape Plans and Lovers Reunited

17 The Scope of his Heart and the Repercussions

18 The Twisted Hearts and the Whispered Love

19 The Past that Won't Leave and the Future

20 The Vision and the Way

Author's Notes

From Beverly...With Love

Chapter One

Strawberry Sweet and the Lamp Post

"Fuck man," Ichigo said, lying back in the dingy cot. Luckily he had a better bed than most the streetwalkers. Beside him, Luppi climbed in, wrapping his arms around him. "Don't get caught in here, honey," he told him. "Last time Yammy almost broke your arm."

Luppi smiled into Ichigo's chest. "Don't worry; he's off at a meeting with the big boss man. I can take a nap with you."

Ichigo, or Strawberry Sweet as his fancy little business cards read, was a lot better off than some of the whores in this place, he guessed. At least he got his own room, and didn't have to fight for a street corner like Luppi and the rest of them. Granted, he only got these perks because of what he'd been through to get here. He sighed and rubbed Luppi's back as he fell asleep on him. He soon found himself falling asleep as well, and as usual his thoughts wandered to that exact thing, how he got to this place.

He woke with a start when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He gently shook Luppi awake. "Hey, honey, gotta go. Gotta go make the money," he said, winking at the shorter, dark haired man. "Got a job," he said winking as he slid off the bed and stripped off his t-shirt and shorts and shimmied into a pair of low rise skinny jeans and a pair of chunky red heels. He slid into a skin tight red t-shirt with a low cut neckline and glanced at the grimy mirror. He fluffed the wild orange hair that never seemed to lie down around his face.

He grabbed a packet of lube and a condom off the table and slipped them into the almost too tight pockets and rushed down the stairs. Luppi followed him down, pausing at the door to the common room where the other streetwalkers slept. Ichigo stopped and put both hands on his shoulders. "Honey, get someone tonight. Yammy's going to beat your ass again if you don't bring home your pay by this weekend."

"I know, Ichi, I know. I'll try," Luppi said with a sad smile. "But I'm not like you. You hit the corner, and they come from nowhere to have a go at your ass. You're an Escort, you ain't Streetwalker trash like me, Sugar. Even when you work a corner, the johns can tell. You got a different sort of class to you, something I'll never have stuck down here," he sighed and then grinned, hoping that Ichigo would understand that it wasn't his fault.

Ichigo had been on the receiving end of Yammy's "punishment" more than once. At least now that he was a high dollar whore, he had to go easier on him. It didn't mean Ichigo didn't still get knocked around when he had a bad run. Ichigo did feel bad for Luppi and the other Streetwalkers because they got into this life because they had to for one reason or another. Ichigo honestly didn't remember a life before working in La Noches. Luppi was a couple years older than him, and when Ichigo came up from Below, they became friends when Ichigo stepped in between him and Yammy one night.

Luppi's parents had kicked him out of the house for being an "abomination" when he came out as gay and genderqueer at fifteen. His devout Catholic family told him never to return because they wouldn't have someone possessed with such demonic evil in their household. Luppi had nowhere to go, but he found others like him on the street, and spent time in shelters and food kitchens when he could He turned a trick now and then for some money, and one night, one of Yammy's boys saw him working in their area. He followed him back to the soup kitchen and told him that he'd pay the price if he kept working Aizen's territory. Luppi didn't want to get hurt, so he stopped. About that time, a congenital heart defect he had under control began to flare up and no one would help him. He went to Las Noches, knowing that they made deals for people sometimes. The deal was simple, surgery to save his life in exchange for whoring on the corner for a couple years. Of course, he took it. He didn't expect the drug addiction. So, Ichigo actually had it a little better, in some ways. Luppi hadn't been forced into what was sex slavery at ten years old though.

He paused in the large bathroom and pulled out his makeup kit from his box and spent a few minutes putting on a little here or there. He didn't go for the heavy makeup like Luppi did, he didn't want to look like the painted girls around here. He was supposed to be a rough, strong whore, not one like Luppi who moaned and huffed like a horny housewife. There wasn't anything wrong with that, but Ichigo tended to go for a more antagonistic approach with his johns, which often meant he came back bruised or beaten. They enjoyed it, and Ichigo didn't mind.

He got down to the street one over from the main Las Noches building. He pulled out a cigarette and waited. As an Escort, they weren't supposed to let on that they worked at the main building. Sex work was legal, as long as it wasn't being run by a pimp, so they had to act as though they were independents. The same went for the Streetwalkers. Of course the others, the young ones Below and the ones upstairs, they never left Las Noches. However, to get to the basement or to get to the top floor, the clients were well vetted and most of them were being blackmailed anyway.

Ichigo just turned twenty this year. He'd actually been doing this for almost ten years now. Of course, at first, it wasn't his idea, those days were rough and he didn't like to think of them. Now, though, he was fine with what he did. Granted, to keep the memories at bay, it took a shot of booze and a syringe of heroin most nights, but he wasn't an addict. He really wasn't. He just used it to sleep. He sighed, flicking ashes into the street in front of the lamp post he was standing at. He thought of it as his and Luppi's because this is where Luppi stood and where Ichigo was picked up from by clients.

His hair reflected bright orange in the lamp light as he waited. He glanced at his phone. Yammy's bitch, Cirucci, was the one that took the calls for the "Escorts". Escorts, what a name. They were no better than the whores in the brothel house or the younger ones down Below where Ichigo had started out when he was ten years old. It was like they wanted to make the fact the Johns paid more make them better or something. To Ichigo's mind, a whore was a whore. Luppi could just as well be standing here waiting on a scheduled rendezvous. This one was super secretive though, so it must have been someone important. The instructions were not to ask any questions of the driver when he arrived to take him to the John's house.

As expected, a few minutes later, a black car with deeply tinted windows pulled up next to him, aligning him with the back passenger door. He sighed, pulling it open and getting in quietly. Payment had already been made, of course, but Ichigo knew he'd be lucky to get even a quarter of the amount of money this guy was paying. After a while, they pulled into a garage and the driver, a non-descript man in a black suit and shades, opened the door and led him to an elevator. Ichigo stepped in. The driver leaned in and touched a button. He nodded and left as the door closed. This was certainly one of the more secretive meetings he'd had, he thought to himself as he looked around what was a very nicely decorated elevator.

Ichigo adjusted his t-shirt and checked his face again. He sighed. It wasn't the first high dollar fuck he'd taken like this. He was young but experienced, so it was that he got sent to these high paying bastards. There were plenty of rich perverts who wanted to fuck someone that looked like a kid but didn't have to guts to actually fuck one. The ones like Ichigo fit the bill. The elevator came to a stop and opened and he stepped out cautiously, looking around into what appeared to be an entryway for a penthouse apartment.

To be honest, he'd never been in such a beautiful place. The elevator had opened into a wide, open foyer, and faced a large bank of windows. There was a living room situated near those windows and to the left side he saw an expensive flat screen TV built into the wall and all manner of electronics that he had no idea how to use. The right side led into an open dining room separated from a kitchen by an L shaped bar. Everything looked state of the art, and brand new. He blinked and walked across to the windows where they looked out across the city of Tokyo. The view was amazing, and he had to be up at least forty or fifty floors. It looked like he was in one of the taller buildings in the area. He pressed both hands to the window and stared for a long moment. It was frankly breathtaking to see the lights and motion of the night time city below and around him like this.

"It is a beautiful view," came a voice behind Ichigo, making him jump out of his skin almost.

"Fuck!" he yelped, covering his chest with both hands when he turned around. He blinked because rarely did he get johns so...beautiful. Ichigo refused to define his sexuality, but the truth was he was attracted to the strong, dominant johns more than the wimps that didn't know what the hell to do with him. They annoyed him.

The man was taller than him, but had impeccably neat black hair kept in place with metal kenseikan, an old noble tradition. That meant that the man was incredibly influential and wealthy, as if the apartment wasn't enough to show him that. His hair almost seemed to suck in the light around it, Ichigo thought. It fell around his face and just barely brushed the shoulders of his tailored black suit jacket. The lines of his clothes were impeccable, creases in perfect positions, and his tie perfectly centered on his neck. His eyes were piercing grayish blue in color and vibrantly clear and open. Underneath that suit had to be a well-toned body. What caught Ichigo's attention more than that, however, was the look on his face.

The sadness etched around his eyes was so deep that Ichigo was sure most people didn't bother to notice it at all. The worry lines and the absence of laughter lines, all of it made significant statements to Ichigo. He was standing there just staring at him, hands tucked behind his back, in his pristine suit, looking like he was talking to anyone except a whore he called in.

Ichigo licked his lips, tasting the gloss heavily at that exact moment. It was strawberry flavored. He ran his hand through the hair on the left side of his head and stared away from this heavenly man. Tonight wouldn't be so bad, maybe... Of course, a pretty john didn't mean he'd be treated well. Sometimes it was the exact opposite. Some of his most harrowing experiences had been at the hands of a john that looked really well put together.

"Uh, yeah, um, very nice, um, I guess you know who I am..." he said, glancing to the window and back to this stoic seeming man again.

"My name is Byakuya. What is your name?" he asked rather stiffly and formally.

Ichigo swallowed. "Oh, uh, Ichigo, er, my card says Strawberry Sweet, though, so yeah..." he stammered. He was a veteran, why was he stammering around a john like this? This was about the most basic thing in the world. He was supposed to present as an aggressive and tough whore, not like Luppi and some of the others.

Byakuya nodded. "Ichigo, one who protects, a good name."

Ichigo blinked and looked up at him with abject shock. "Oh...no one ever says that. Always talk about how I'm a fucking strawberry, or some variation," he muttered twisting his fingers as he spoke. It had followed him from the beginning. He had always blushed easily as a child, and when they took him to the area Below, with his hair and name, the nicknames stuck.

The other man didn't seem to smile, which didn't help Ichigo relax about the situation. Ichigo smiled instead. "So, yeah, you paid for a whole night, so whatever you want to do with me, I'm all fucking yours," he said, his voice slightly shaking a bit at the end because this guy was just looking at him.

"Follow me," he said, giving a curt nod and turning around.

Ichigo arched a brow and went after him into the back part of the huge penthouse to a door. He opened it and motioned for Ichigo to go in. Ichigo did, finding himself in perhaps the fanciest bedroom he'd ever seen.

"Holy shit," he muttered, turning around and looking. "Holy fucking shit..."

The place was resplendent with beautiful Japanese wall hangings in red and black. In the center of the room was a large, round canopied bed with black velvet curtains draped around it. Ichigo walked in and ran his hands over the soft bedding in absolute shock at the beauty of it.

"Do you like it?" Byakuya asked behind him, a strange question. What did it matter if his whore for the night liked the bedroom?

"Son of a bitch, who wouldn't?" he answered. "This is fucking amazing as twenty consecutive blow jobs, holy..." he said, exhaling as he turned back to see Byakuya just watching him with those steel gray eyes. "Um, sorry, I'm usually in hotels with my johns, not many take a whore home with them. Hell, half the time I don't even make it to a bed with them, impatient bastards."

"This is one of my properties, not my actual home," Byakuya answered. "I stay here sometimes when my wife is too sick to return home between her doctor's appointments or I have early meetings in my offices in the lower levels of this building."

"Oh," Ichigo nodded. "Um, so should we get down to business? I mean, I don't care, but you paid for a fuck toy, and I'm here."

Byakuya just stared again. "I am afraid I am new to doing this."

Ichigo nodded. He wanted to tell him no shit, it was pretty obvious this was his first time having a whore in his bedroom. He was way too formal and nice. "Well, we gotta start somewhere. Believe it or not, fucking a whore isn't much different than fucking someone else."

"No, I mean, I'm new to doing this, this whole situation," he explained.

"Oh, never fucked a guy before?" he asked, arching a brow. He often found that rich men wanted to experiment with sex workers because they were scared to do it with someone that would out them to their wives or the public. "No different than fucking a girl, just a different hole and you need lube so as not to catch your pubes on fire."

Ichigo was sure he saw a red tinge rise to the other man's face. "You misunderstand. I have never been with another person."

"What?" Ichigo asked, blinking rapidly for a moment. "But... you're married."

"My wife and I have never had relations. Our marriage was a political one, and she has been battling a slow growing brain tumor for the last ten years since we were married. She has gotten several times worse in the last few months. A...friend gave me your card and suggested that you might help me ease some of the stress associated with her dying days and my work," he said still as though talking about the rain. Even talking about her impending death, the only emotion on his face was the seemingly permanently etched sadness.

Ichigo stared for a long time. "Okay, well, I can work with that. So what do you want to do anyway?"

Byakuya shook his head. "I...I do not know. I am unsure how to proceed at this point."

Ichigo shook his head and kicked off the shoes he was wearing and then stripped his t-shirt off, revealing his far too thin body, and the unmistakable track marks on his arms. As careful as he was, he still left marks now and then. He then crawled onto the bed and sat down in the middle and beaconed for Byakuya to come over to him.

"Take off the coat and tie, business man," he said as he got to the end of the bed. "Not being fucked by a guy in a tie. Unless you want to use it for something else," he said, but he was sure that he didn't catch the innuendo associated with that comment.

Byakuya mechanically removed the tie and the coat, dropping both to the floor and kicking his own shoes off to the side. Ichigo pulled the packet of lube and the condom out of his pocket and laid them on the sheets before he patted the spot in front of him. Byakuya sat down gently on the end of the bed and watched him with eyes that were showing a bit of curiosity if Ichigo didn't miss his guess.

Ichigo sighed and crawled over to him, this time straddling his lap and looking into his seemingly emotionless face. He set about unbuttoning the white shirt to find out what was underneath it. He wasn't disappointed, finding a well-toned chest and stomach. Ichigo hummed in appreciation as he ran his hands over him slowly, pausing to run his fingers around each of the dusky colored nipples. Ichigo saw that Byakuya's hands were beside him on the bed so he grabbed them and clamped them firmly on his ass. Byakuya's eyes widened but he didn't let go.

"You really haven't done this before," he said softly, grinding against his lap until he felt him harden between his legs.

Ichigo felt his hands squeezing his ass now, so it seemed he was starting to get into it. Good, he had hoped he would be a bit more dominant, instead of letting him do everything. He'd really been in the mood for someone to take control from him tonight. It had been a hard week with several fucking annoying johns who didn't have any idea what to do with an experienced escort.

"There we go, just do what you feel; it feels good to let go, feels good to..."

Ichigo didn't finish that sentence because Byakuya flipped him onto his back on the bed with a surprising amount of strength. Ichigo gasped as Byakuya's fingers fumbled with his jeans' button. He had a determined look his eyes and Ichigo couldn't help but smile at the seriousness in his face.

"Hold on, let me," Ichigo said, shimmying out of the tight low rise jeans and laying on the bed to wait for him.

First, Byakuya stared, taking in the body laid out before him. Ichigo's arms were thrown wide, his legs askew and one slightly bent at the knee. Byakuya moved to kneel over him and began tracing his fingers lightly over his body, first running them across his jutting ribs, tracing the dip of his collarbone, and then following the light trail of hair down from his belly button. He stopped there at the top of his pubic hair, gazing at the fact it was only a slight bit darker than the hair on Ichigo's head. Ichigo wondered if he was going to do anything else, but thought that he'd simply continue this gentle form of exploration.

He didn't expect Byakuya to practically attack him first with his mouth. Ichigo gasped as he began trailing his tongue all over his chest and stomach while his hands roamed down his thighs and hips, fingers probing, pinching and pressing into his body. Ichigo let him, though. It wasn't like he could tell him what he could do; he paid a pretty penny for this. He was especially surprised by him stroking and touching his cock like he was some sort of lover and not just a fuck toy. Byakuya's tongue trailed down his belly now, and he found his way to Ichigo's cock, which had come to attention with all the touching and fondling, something he honestly wasn't used to in his encounters. Most the johns were out to fuck him as many times as they could for the money they paid. Byakuya began to lick and suck him slowly, experimentally. He'd had johns interested in this but never one that seemed to be trying to really go to town on him. He was doing everything he could to try and stop from going over the edge, but there just was no way. He tried to tell Byakuya to stop, to wait, but just as he was about to say something, Byakuya swallowed down hard on him and he couldn't stop it. His eyes rolled up and he felt the tightening of every muscle in his body.

Byakuya sat up and stared at him for a long moment, then wiped his mouth slowly. Ichigo couldn't believe it; he never went off before his john. Never. His face was bright red with the sheer embarrassment of it. Ichigo could feel the heat on his face and he knew he had never been so ashamed in his life. One of the basics was not to orgasm unless the john wanted it. Never.

"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, fuck, fuck, I don't...I can't...oh please don't tell them that happened, I...oh fucking hell," he gasped. "I just...that doesn't happen...and I..." he stammered, sure he was going to get knocked back down to street corner whore for this. All it took was one john to complain, and Yammy would bust him down.

Instead, though, Byakuya tilted his head to the side, then dropped down again. Slowly he continued to explore Ichigo's body with tongue and hands. Ichigo gasped as his hands slid down underneath and probed at his entrance. Byakuya pushed Ichigo's legs up; seemingly fascinated by watching what he was doing. Again, Ichigo was surprised when he pressed a finger inside him without warning.

"Oh fuck," he muttered as Byakuya continued to probe him and brushed his prostate, causing his cock to jerk and start dripping and another explicative to escape his lips.

Byakuya seemed to ignore anything he said, and continued to finger Ichigo, finally sliding a second and third finger into him, and trying to hit that spot again that made Ichigo moan and curse. He became very adept at it after a few tries. Ichigo wasn't sure he couldn't keep himself from going over again at this rate. It was as though he was trying to figure out how to make him orgasm. Finally, though, he withdrew his fingers. Ichigo released a sigh and started to reach for the lube and condom beside him. He should have remembered that his john had no idea what he was doing, and he just told him to go with what he wanted to do.

Byakuya flipped him to his stomach, sending the lube and condom flying off the bed and Ichigo was about to say something about it. He thought maybe he wanted to see what he was doing better like before. He had plenty of johns that liked to finger from the back, so it wasn't unusual, and with the way this guy wanted to see everything, it made sense. He was wrong.

Ichigo screeched in surprise as Byakuya slammed his full length into him without warning. He wasn't small, Ichigo thought as tears came to eyes and he balled his fists. He felt Byakuya's hands tentatively on his hips as he held still for a moment.

"I did something wrong," he commented.

"Goddamn mother fucking hell, son of a fucking bitch!" Ichigo growled out. "Fucking lube! Lube! Supposed to use fucking lube and a goddamned condom!"

"I...am sorry...I should stop?" he asked.

Ichigo shook his head, biting his lip. "Too late now, give me a second. You're a fuckton bigger than three of your slender goddamned fucking fingers..." he said, panting through it. "So much for hand size meaning anything about dick size, fuck!"

It wasn't like he hadn't had johns do this before. It didn't make a difference though because it hurt like a son of a bitch every time. Part of the reason was Ichigo seemed to have an uncanny ability to heal faster than others, and one of the reasons his johns came back to him is they said he never felt like fucking a well-used boy whore. He wasn't worried about the condom, especially if the guy was a virgin. He doubted that at first; he didn't now.

Ichigo panted for a second, letting the pain pass. He was going to be sore several days after this. The stretch and the burn was going to make sitting a little difficult, but he didn't think he'd bled. That was a good thing. Bleeding on the client was bad.

"Okay, okay, move," he finally gasped out as his body started to respond to being filled and Byakuya's huge cock pressing into his prostate.

It didn't take long for Byakuya to find a good rhythm, and one that tortuously rubbed against Ichigo's prostate. Ichigo hadn't had a guy make him cum once in months, let alone twice. As it was, he certainly sounded like a whore every time Byakuya's cock stroked against his prostate. He never panted and moaned like bitch, that was Luppi's thing. He supposed if the john was good, it made a difference.

"Please orgasm again, while I am inside you," Byakuya said, stroking his hands over Ichigo's hips and thighs.

"Fuck, I can't cum on command," Ichigo said, moaning several times before he finished the sentence. He'd never had a john's cock feel so amazingly good before, but maybe it was just because there wasn't a condom separating them.

Byakuya pulled out and turned Ichigo to his back, moving back up between his legs and sliding into him with much less gusto this time. By now, though, Ichigo's body was stretched to accommodate him, and Byakuya was dripping copious amounts of pre-cum as well, lubricating the way as he pressed into him now. Ichigo's eyes rolled up and he let out a pent up groan of pleasure because damn. Then, to Ichigo's surprise, Byakuya grabbed his cock and started stroking him in time with his thrusts. Ichigo's toes curled as he felt it building in his stomach.

"Fuck, fuck, good fucking gods," he repeated. Byakuya kept angling to find that place inside him, and it was driving him completely insane. This fucker learned fast, Ichigo thought. He learned really well, and really fast.

Finally, it crashed into him again, hitting him hard and making him arch his back up off the bed and clamp his legs around Byakuya's waist to pull him in as deep as he could. Byakuya closed his eyes, releasing inside the boy below him, as though his very body was trying to consume him with the heat and the pressure. Ichigo panted as he fell back to the bed, sweating a bit from the exertion.

"Holy fuck," Ichigo breathed as he felt Byakuya pull out and the unusual sensation of the fluids leaking out of him onto the bed. He didn't bareback, and he had no idea how fulfilling it would be. "You're like the fucking best goddamned fuck I've ever had," he said rolling his eyes a bit as his body began coming down.

Byakuya was quiet for a long moment still kneeling between Ichigo's spread legs. "Can I take you to the shower and do it in there?" he asked.

Ichigo blinked, looking down to see that the man was hard again already. Holy shit, he thought, getting a look at him for the first time. He had to be like eight inches and as thick as his fucking wrist, granted he had slender wrists. That might have been exaggerating, but not by much. Okay it was exaggerating a bit. Still. The man knew how to use it.

Ichigo nodded slowly and stared at him. "Daddy, you fuck like that, you can fuck me all goddamned night."

"Do that again," Byakuya said suddenly as he stood up, staring back into the bed at Ichigo with eyes blown wide.

"Do what?" Ichigo asked, crawling to the end of the bed and looking up at him.

"Call me that again."

"What, Daddy?" Ichigo asked, arching a brow. It wasn't the first time he'd called his johns that. It kind of slipped out now and then, and none of them really responded to it. He supposed in a way he felt like he needed someone that could handle him and that was so damn difficult to figure out.

It didn't take long to realize that he definitely had a bit of a kink because before the night was over, he thought he'd be walking awkwardly for a week. He'd never seen someone so enthusiastic about fucking a whore before in his life. Being slammed up against the windows in the living room had been interesting in an exhibitionist sort of way. The shower sex had frankly been amazing because Byakuya was freaky strong and able to pin him against the wall with ease. Luckily, by the time they got in there, Ichigo was dripping wet and the water didn't bother him.

Finally, they both fell into an exhausted sleep in the big bed. Ichigo, though, always dreamed without his nighttime hit. So Byakuya woke up when he heard Ichigo talking. He blinked wearily and looked at the boy beside him. He'd become twisted up in the sheets and was sweating profusely while he muttered in his sleep.

"Mmm, no want my pop, leave me 'lone...leave me...don touch that...no...want poppa, stop it...that hurts..." Byakuya caught him say among the unintelligible things he was whispering and blinked at him.

He reached out and pulled the young man into his arms until he quieted. His hands brushed up and down the inside of his elbows where he felt the needle marks. No wonder he couldn't sleep, he thought to himself. The boy was an addict and escaping his past inside a needle. He felt both pity and horror that that he'd taken advantage of someone like this. He'd use this boy for his own benefit, and he hadn't cared what had happened to him before this night. He cradled him until the sun came up, and despite his instructions to send him to his driver at dawn, he just couldn't do it. He instead tucked him into the blankets and dimmed the lights so he could sleep. He headed into the kitchen and found the phone to call the number on the card and make a request. He might not be able to lift this boy out of the life he was in, but maybe he could make it more tolerable for him.

Ichigo woke up slowly and sluggishly and went to stretch only to wince as he realized how sore his ass actually was. He groaned as he looked around. It was still dark, that was good, but where'd his john go? He got up, dressing slowly and then walked into the living room. When he did, the shudders opened automatically and Ichigo realized it wasn't dark at all, it had to be after one or two in the afternoon.

"Who the hell are you?" came a female voice behind him.

He turned around and stared at a very short violet eyed woman with black hair that framed her face. He knew he looked a mess, even after the shower, he still had smudged eyeliner around his eyes and more than a few bites and suck marks on his exposed neck. The woman as just standing there, staring at him and he didn't know what to do.

"Rukia," he heard Byakuya's voice from the other side of the room, the kitchen he thought. "Why are you in here without ringing me first?" Byakuya asked, dressed in a blue suit today with a gray and blue slate colored striped tie as he came into the foyer.

"I...I came to see if you'd be home tonight, Nii-sama, who is this?" she asked, still looking at Ichigo.

"None of your concern," he said to the short woman named Rukia and looked at Ichigo. "The car will take you back; it is waiting at the bottom of the elevator. Press the G for my private garage that you came in through. You will hear from me soon."

Ichigo nodded nervously and quickly walked past the woman. He got into the elevator without saying anything. Well, that was awkward...he thought to himself. However, it sounded like he might have got himself a regular now that would make things a lot better for him.
Chapter Two

Cherry Blossoms and the Heart of Glass

Ichigo had gone back to Las Noches the next day freaking out a bit because he was so late. He was nervous and thought for sure he was going to get it from Yammy. He nervously peeked into the building before he tried to sneak past the office Yammy sat in near the front.

"Yo, Ichigo, get your ass in here," he heard Yammy yell out.

He sighed and hoped this didn't end badly. He felt out of sorts, to say the least. Honestly, his ass ached right now and he just wanted to grab a needle and sleep it off before tonight. He stepped in and found Yammy glaring at him.

"Yeah?" he asked slowly.

"I got a phone call this morning," he said, still staring at him.

Ichigo's heart started beating faster at the mere thought. Had he called and told him that he'd done something wrong? Had he done something to make Byakuya mad? He'd kind of hoped that he'd call for him again...

Yammy stared for along moment. "Looks like you did a good fucking job," he said finally. "He wants you exclusive. Pretty fucking adamant that no one else fuck you except him. He said he'll call on Friday or Saturday night, and will keep you however long he wants before he sends you back. So, there you go, got yourself a pretty sugar daddy, huh?"

Ichigo did his best to push down the excitement. Getting an exclusive was everyone's dream. Only one person to have fucking you? It was the best possible thing to have happen for someone in this life.

"How much is he paying?" Ichigo asked finally because he wanted to know exactly what he was getting.

Yammy grinned. "Let's just say that you won't have any issue getting the best sleep aids you can, so just keep that fucker happy, and you'll be good. Get some rest, but I got a new boy coming in tonight I want you to show the ropes. He's got a bit of experience; little bitch was trying to turn tricks in our area. So we gave him an offer, and he doesn't like the thought of dying, so he took it," Yammy said with a sigh. "You don't have to go out on his johns with him tonight, just get him used to the way we do things."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, sure, boss," he said, practically stumbling out of the office and up the stairs. He grabbed his kit and shot up before he could really think much more. He fell back into the pillows and was soon encompassed in a deep and dreamless sleep.

"Ichi!" he heard by his ear. He looked over at Luppi. "Hey, babe! I heard! You got an exclusive!"

Ichigo sat up and smiled. "Yeah, but goddamn my ass is still fucking sore," he muttered as he sat up. He winced as pain shot up his spine. "I think that bastard fucked me in every room of his apartment."

"Who is he?" Luppi asked, kneeling in front of him.

Ichigo shook his head. "Name's Byakuya, that's all I know, real secretive and shit. Fucker was a goddamned virgin before last night," he muttered standing and popping his back.

"Wow," Luppi said with a sigh. "That's rare. So what do you think you'll do now?"

"I got tagged by Yammy when I came in, guess there's a new whore that needs to be shown the ropes around here." Ichigo stopped, kissing Luppi's forehead. "You go get a few good ones tonight, okay?"

Luppi nodded and headed back down the commons. Ichigo rummaged through the clothing locker beside his cot and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. These weren't anything special, just some clothes he wore around the building on the rare nights he was off. He headed down to Yammy's office to find a nervous looking blonde man sitting in the chair across from him.

"There you are, you think your fucking special now, slut?" Yammy asked, glaring at him. "Get to fucking work. Just because I can't put your ass on the corner don't mean you get to lay around."

Ichigo sighed, nodding as he looked at the new boy. "Come on, I'll show you around," Ichigo said with a deep sigh.

The blonde stood up and followed him out of the office into the hallway. "What's your name?" Ichigo asked as they went into the common room.

"Jugram," he said softly, looking around at the room as various people got ready for their night.

"Yeah, whatever, you don't have to worry about names or anything. So this is the common room where the Streetwalkers sleep. You'll sleep in here. Wherever you can find a spot, but don't take someone else's spot. Yammy doesn't like fighting," Ichigo said as several male and female workers left the room to head out. "You're responsible for all your own shit, so even fucking condoms and lube. If you don't have any cash for 'em, you go without. Trust me, you don't want that to fucking happen. None of the fuckers that call for us fucking boy sluts give a shit about that stuff," Ichigo said with a deep sigh.

"Do you stay here?" Jugram asked.

Ichigo shook his head. "Nah, I'm an Escort, I'm up on the second floor. Here, I'll show you around, but don't fucking get caught up here any other time, you'll get the shit beat outta you."

Ichigo led him up the stairs and into his room. Ichigo leaned down and rummaged in his locker as he flopped on the cot. He dug out a joint and smiled. He'd thought he still had some in there... Jugram looked around the small partitioned area. He frowned.

"So, why aren't you down there? What's the difference?" he asked.

Ichigo blew out smoke slowly as the heady feeling hit him. Damn, he was going to get hungry real quick. He smiled mildly. He had known that the guy would want the full run down, and to be honest, he couldn't do this without being high. He didn't even like to think about what he was going to talk about.

"Okay, see, this place is a whore house. I know you got that. Well, whore houses are illegal. If you been on the streets much, you know that you can solo whore without an issue. Cops'll leave ya be like that. Well, I suck a few cocks to make sure, you know. Not so much anymore. Anyway, so the Streetwalkers work the streets around Las Noches. There's nothing special to it, just if you fucking get picked up, you don't work for no one," Ichigo said, pausing to draw the smoke in for a moment. "Now, up here, we're Escorts, and we have calling cards," he said and pulled one of his cards out of the trunk and handed it to Jugram.

Jugram looked it over nodding. "Do the Streetwalkers ever move up here?" he asked.

"Nah, we get special treatment because we came up from Below," he said, sighing again.

"Below?" Jugram asked with a frown lining his face. "What's that?"

"The Youngers," Ichigo said. "Escorts started out as Youngers. That's where the perverted fucks go to get their rocks off. That and the porn that they produce and traffic. Mostly movies and pictures and shit. But the Youngers come in as underage. Kiddie porn and shit. They figure that we're trained well, so we can be trusted with the high dollar clients," Ichigo said with a shrug.

Jugram's face twisted in something like disgust, but he hid it quickly. "They keep underage kids here?"

"Yeah, about eight of us at a time, we work until we hit street legal then we get calling cards and a bit of space for ourselves. I was ten when I came in," he said, looking away from Jugram and drawing deep off the joint. "Ten to fourteen is the age for the Youngers. Nothing older. That's what the perverted fucks like, you know. I think one of the girls is going to come up street legal soon, Nozomi." Ichigo looked away for a minute, his mind fighting with him for memories.

"Then, up on the third floor you got the Courtesans. They're here by choice, and have exclusive clients."

"He said you were with an exclusive?" Jugram asked, glancing at him again.

"Yeah, got a fucking rich boy. It's nothing special, the guy just never fucked anyone before, so he's all fucking possessive and thinks he wants me all to him. He'll get bored after a couple weeks, then I'll be back to taking calls again," Ichigo said with a deep, and incredibly sad, sigh. "Sucks, though, it is so much fucking easier to be fucked by one than a dozen..." he muttered.

Jugram nodded. "So, um, how many am I supposed to work a night?" he asked tentatively.

Ichigo shrugged. "However many you can get. As long as you bring back money over what you owe them, you're good."

"What I owe them?" he asked, sitting down beside Ichigo on the cot slowly.

"Yeah, they charge you for everything, so be fucking careful. If you get dope or shit, comes out of your money. They'll charge you for whatever it was they got you in here for, you were tricking in their territory, yeah?"

Jugram nodded. "Yeah, I was..."

"Don't care why, doesn't matter, man. You gotta pay for that. Usually, that means you got a minimum you owe for tricking in their area. So whatever that amount is, you gotta pay before they let your ass go. And trust me, you don't want to fucking try to run out on your debt. They will throw your ass in the bay," he said and realized he didn't have much of his smoke left. He sighed. He felt pretty good now.

Ichigo stood up and smiled. "Come on, gotta start working tonight or your ass will be sorry," he said and led Jugram back down the stairs and out of the building. They walked for a bit until they got to a corner not too far from the building. "So, stand here, get a john, get the money, and come back. Do it again and again until you got as many as you can get before sunrise. And don't be late back."

Jugram nodded and looked up to see a car coming by slowly. Ichigo elbowed him. "Look at you, lucky little fuck. Already got one interested, and in that crappy outfit too. Not bad."

Jugram glanced down. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt, not too dissimilar to what Ichigo had on. "Um, what's your name?" he asked tentatively.

"Ichigo," he said as he walked away back to Las Noches.

Jugram got into the car slowly and looked across the seat at the petite, dark haired woman sitting with her legs crossed. "I'm in," he said with a smile.

"Good," she said and handed him a small stack of bills. "I'll have the driver take you back and drop you off in the morning."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo, even though he was expecting it, was still surprised when he got the call for Byakuya the next week. He was wondering what it was that he would want to do this time. He took the same car with tinted windows to the garage and went up the elevator. He was actually more nervous this time than the last. He pulled at the cropped t-shirt he was wearing and tried to adjust the tight jeans a bit. He'd decided that Byakuya seemed to like the look last time, so he'd keep wearing it. He'd worn a set of platform heels again, and had let Luppi convince him to do some makeup on him. Not much, but just a little.

The elevator opened and once again, he didn't see anyone. He stepped out and smelled something that smelled really good. He followed the smell into the dining room when he saw Byakuya come out of the kitchen and look at him with a grin. Ichigo hadn't expected this. He expected just to be fucked all over the damn place again.

"Ah, hey," he said, looking up at the ever pristine man.

"Sit, we'll eat together, if you would?" he said with a soft smile.

Ichigo didn't have to be asked twice. He was starving. All he'd had was the noodles that he'd been buying and then splitting with Luppi and Jugram. Both of them had been having a hard time making enough for Yammy this week. He felt his stomach growl just from the smell and he smiled.

"Ah, yeah, thanks," he said, and dove head first into the spread until he positively could eat no more. When he looked up he saw Byakuya staring at him with those wide eyes.

"What?" Ichigo asked, feeling slightly nervous.

"I just...I've thought about you all week," he said slowly. "And I was tempted to call earlier."

"Fuck, as much as you're paying, you could fucking have me all week and I wouldn't care..." he said but then his face turned into a pained expression. "But that wouldn't be good."

Byakuya tilted his head to the side. "Why is that?"

"Luppi and this new boy, they wouldn't have anyone to help them. Now that you are paying good, I can help them out a little bit here and there, food and drugs, you know," he said and picked at the remaining food on his plate. He hadn't really eaten that much, of course. He wasn't used to that much food at once.

"I see," he said softly. "So, why do my calls and payments go through someone else? I thought that doing that wasn't legal here..."

Ichigo nearly let it slip but he shook his head. "Ah, just a friend of mine that runs the phone for me, since I sleep all day, you know," he said, looking away as he spoke.

Byakuya stood up and put away the dishes while Ichigo watched. He was so lovely, and he walked with such grace. Ichigo sighed. To be able to live in this kind of luxury and have the things he needed... He nearly jumped when he felt hands on his shoulders. He smiled and turned in the chair, grabbing one of Byakuya's hands and sucking on his fingers for a second.

"Daddy, you gonna see to me tonight?" he said with hooded his eyes and a smirk.

The effect on Byakuya was instant. Before long, Ichigo was sure that he was probably glad he only came to see him on the weekend because his ass was going to be fucking sore again. At least this time, he remembered to use lube. He ended up sleeping well into the next day, and found that Byakuya had arranged for him to stay through the next night as well. As much as he wanted to check on Luppi and Jugram he was happy to be able to spend the day with Byakuya. He found out very quickly that Byakuya wasn't going to let a minute go by without enjoying their time together. He left Sunday early in the afternoon and felt really good for the first time in a while. He rubbed the inside of his arm and realized he hadn't shot up in two days, and other than starting to feel anxious, he felt okay.

Things continued the same way for two more weeks. Byakuya had dinner for them, then they'd spend the whole weekend fucking in some fashion. Then, the fourth time he visited Byakuya, he found that his john had something different in mind. Apparently, the stoic man had been reading things online, and Ichigo thought this could be bad or good.

He'd bought a bunch of things, it seemed. Most of them were toys of various sorts, and he was stoic as ever as he showed them to Ichigo. Ichigo couldn't believe all the things he'd bought. There were so many of them... Before he knew it, Byakuya had him leaning over the side of the bed and using various vibrators on him until he thought he was simply going to explode. He'd also found out about cock rings, and he was delighting in torturing him. It seemed he was intending on trying everything he bought in one night at this rate.

Finally, after fucking him with something like six or twenty vibrators, he had no idea how many, he was just exhausted from not being able to cum. Then, he felt him begin pushing something inside him that was a bit bigger than the vibes he'd been using, and round. Ichigo couldn't see what it was but he let out a deep moan as the last ball or whatever it was slid inside him. Whatever it was, it was pressing right up against his prostate and he was sure he was just going to die if he didn't orgasm soon.

"Daddy, you're so mean..." he gasped.

"Little boys like toys, don't they?" he asked as his fingers danced along his hips. "And it looks so nice, pushed inside you like that. I think I should leave it all night," he muttered.

"Daddy!" Ichigo gasped, thinking he was just going simple expire if he did that to him. "You can't do that..." he whined and he jerked as Byakuya slapped his ass hard, jostling the plug inside him.

"No whining," he muttered as he licked a long stripe up Ichigo's spine. "I'll have to spank you for that, you know," he said, hands sliding over his ass again. "I picked up a nice little paddle for that, too," he added.

Ichigo was practically coming unglued from the stimulation. He was panting hard against the bed and he couldn't even think about moving, even when Byakuya rummaged in the bag for a minute before moving from over him and swatting him with what was apparently the paddle he bought. It hit the plug just right and Ichigo let out a low cursing moan. Before long, he was sure his ass had to have blisters on it from as many swats as he got from Byakuya. Still, he didn't ask him to stop. He didn't want him to stop, even when he was hiccupping and gasping against the covers. Byakuya had stopped a few times, asking him if he was okay, and if he needed him to stop.

"Daddy, I'm sorry for whining," he moaned out finally, his ass burning but it felt so good at the same time. "Please, daddy, fuck me and let me cum..." he whimpered out after some effort.

There was another sound slap to his ass, right across the base of the plug this time. He gasped and let out a long whine. "You've got such a dirty mouth, little boy," Byakuya said slowly as Ichigo felt his hands slide down and begin to tug the plug out of him. "Little boys shouldn't say such bad words," he continued as he popped the first ball of the plug out, then slowly popped the second ball, and then popped the final one out.

Ichigo gasped when it was gone, his body lit with fire. "Ah, daddy, can't...please..." he muttered, truly unable to even talk at the moment.

Ichigo felt Byakuya's hands on his hips and then he moaned loudly as he slid into him. He pushed all the way and stayed there for a long moment, running cool hands over his reddened ass.

Byakuya wasn't sure where this had come from. The last two weeks had been nice, feeding the half-starved boy, then fucking him everywhere until he was completely spent. Still, there was this strange sensation when he called him daddy. And he wanted more of that feeling, whatever it was. So it had led him to investigate things. What he found made him understand why Ichigo might have accidently used it the first night, and he wanted to fill whatever needs he had.

Ichigo was twitching under him, his body covered in sweat. Byakuya ran his hands up his back, feeling the painfully protruding ribs and happy that they were somewhat less obvious since he'd at least been eating well twice a week. He felt his body, hot and wet around his cock, and the flesh quivered and squeezed him. It was just the most incredible sensation he'd ever felt, but he knew what he wanted. He'd teased him for almost four hours now, and he himself had been holding off as well. He could imagine how much he had to ache for release.

"Little boy, don't you dare cum until I tell you," he muttered as he leaned over his bent body and whispered in his ear. "If you do, I'll spank you much harder."

"Ah, yeah, yeah, daddy, please...just please..." he gasped and Byakuya smiled, watching his hands grab handfuls of the sheets again and again.

Byakuya ran a hand between Ichigo and a bed, down toward his cock and slipped the tight ring off of him. He heard the deepest moan he'd heard come out of him as he slid it off. Byakuya's hand came away dripping wet. He smiled, moving his hands up toward Ichigo's shoulders before he began to slowly thrust into him. He could feel him edging closer and closer and realized he was nearly sobbing under him.

"Little boy, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, pausing in his thrusts.

"Daddy," he moaned out and Byakuya had the impression he was somewhat nonsensical at the moment. "Oh, daddy, please..." He muttered a few other things, but it was really babbling at the most before he smiled and began to thrust into him harder and harder. Ichigo's voice began to grow with the amount he was holding himself back, now completely nonsense as he grasped the sheets and dug his feet into the floor on the side of the bed.

Finally, Byakuya leaned over and kissed the nape of his neck. "Cum for daddy, little boy," he whispered, and Ichigo's back arched as he went over the edge. Byakuya gasped himself in surprise as Ichigo's body tightened down on him and an intense throbbing sensation brought him over as well. Ichigo went nearly limp under him, panting and shivering. Byakuya had read about this, so he immediately swept him up into his arms and slid into the bed under the covers with him, wrapping him up and holding him tightly.

"Shhh, little boy," Byakuya whispered. "Such a good little boy for daddy," he said, rubbing his back as he waited to see what he needed. It seemed to take a long time, but finally Ichigo's breathing was normal and he started to move a little as he turned his eyes up to Byakuya's face.

"Oh, fuck, Daddy, that was fucking...I can't even describe that, Daddy..." he muttered, snuggling into his chest and falling asleep quickly.

Byakuya nodded and smiled to himself. He'd thought he'd respond to these things, but he hadn't expected him to respond so well to it. He let him sleep for a little bit before he slid out from under him and went to get a washcloth and warm water. He picked up the covers and slowly, and carefully, cleaned Ichigo off. He paused to check to make sure he hadn't broken the skin or anything, and while his ass was still red, there was no real damage. He smiled, running a hand over the heated flesh again before he moved back around and fell into the bed again beside him.

The next morning Ichigo yelped as he rolled over in the bed, waking Byakuya up suddenly.

"Goddammit, fucking son of a bitch," Byakuya heard and he looked over to see Ichigo had sat up on the side of the bed. "Daddy, my fucking ass hurts!"

"So you don't want me to do that again, little boy?" he asked, yawning slowly as he sat up.

Ichigo grumbled. "Didn't say that..."

"We should talk, though, Ichigo," Byakuya said finally. Ichigo turned and looked at him because he'd used his name that time.

The first thing that ran through Ichigo's head was that he was going to say he didn't want him anymore. He was going to tell him he was giving him up, and Ichigo didn't think he could handle it. He'd gotten used to seeing Byakuya every weekend, even after only four now. He didn't want it to end yet.

Byakuya saw the terrified look cross his face, so he moved closer to him and patted his cheek. "You silly little boy, don't look so scared. I mean about this that we did last night. You know that if we are going to do these things, we should talk about them. I do not want to do anything you don't want to do."

Ichigo arched a brow. That was a new one. He'd had kinky mother fuckers before, and not a one of them gave a shit about what Ichigo wanted or didn't want to do. He swallowed and shook his head.

"You...you pay for this, so you can do whatever you want," he said finally.

"I won't," Byakuya said, moving to sit beside him. "I want to satisfy you as well as myself, so I want to know these things. And I want you to tell me if I'm going to far."

"What, you mean like a safe word or some shit?" Ichigo asked, frowning at him. "That's not necessary, I can take anything you give me."

Byakuya sighed, remembering that this boy had never had someone care before. "Look, think of it as my desire. I want to know your limits and I want to make sure that we don't cross them."

Ichigo looked at him and bit his lip thoughtfully. "Um, okay...if that's what you want."

Byakuya nodded. "So, what things do you not want to ever do?"

Ichigo swallowed, thinking he'd probably done about every perverted sex act a male could do in his life so far. He actually had never thought of the things he didn't want to do at all. Why should he? He wasn't given a choice in what he could do. It was up to his johns. This was the first one to ever ask him anything like that.

"I don't know...I mean, I think I've had about everything imaginable shoved up my ass," he muttered, glancing at his hands as though suddenly embarrassed by the admission. He felt Byakuya's arm go around him. "So...I mean, I guess that stuff's all okay, though I don't like the dry fucking. I know I can take it, but it isn't my favorite. I don't really like to hurt like that," he muttered, looking up at Byakuya. "Um, I like being spanked and stuff, gets me hot and bothered," he said as he started to really think about it for the first time. "Don't like pussy. I've had to do that before and it's disgusting," he said, running a hand over his head. "Um, I don't know, I mean, I never thought about it. I'm a whore."

Byakuya's are tightened at the words. "You aren't, you're a person."

"Whatever," Ichigo muttered. "I like it when you do things, not so much other people," he muttered, a slight blush staining his cheeks.

"So, how will you tell me to stop if you need me to?" Byakuya asked, trying desperately to hold the boy against him and never let him go.

"I dunno, red light?" he muttered, looking up at him. "I won't ever say it though," he added, believing truly that there was no way Byakuya could ever take him that far.

Of course, he was wrong about that.

The very next weekend they had their dinner together as always, but there was something about Byakuya. He kept looking at him oddly. Finally as he took the plates away, Byakuya came back and grabbed Ichigo by the arm and pulled him into the bedroom quickly. Ichigo was shocked into silence, not even sure what to say as he pushed him over the end of the bed and ripped his jeans off him.

"Ah, what the fuck, daddy?" he asked and felt the hard slap to his ass.

"Language, Little boy," Byakuya said, slapping him again barehanded about five more times.

Then, Byakuya was sliding slick fingers inside him, rushing quickly up to three of them. Ichigo was so shocked by the speed that he could only gasp when he plunged into him in one hard thrust. He then fucked him harder and faster than he'd ever done so before. Ichigo couldn't help but grab at the sheets and pant as he fucked him hard enough that Ichigo was very glad he was over the bed and not a table. Ichigo felt his own orgasm building but then he felt the ring slide down to the base of his cock staving it off. He almost cried out at him but didn't as he came into him. Ichigo wanted to tell him to stop but then something thick and hard was being pressed into him, filling up the vacancy left by Byakuya. He gasped because it was hard, really hard and thick. He felt whatever kind of plug it was had a disk at the base that rested against him.

"Ah, Daddy, what...what's that...it's harder..." he panted, trying to look at it.

Byakuya snatched him up and pulled him stumbling toward some sort of chair that looked like it had rings... Before Ichigo could say anything he was pulled over the back of it, and his hands locked in some sort of wrist restraints, leaving his ass up in the air over the back of it and his knees resting in what he thought was a seat. There was another snap and he felt his thighs were restrained to it. There was a soft pillow type surface that his head cold drop onto. Obviously this was made for this very reason.

"You've been a bad little boy," Byakuya said behind him. Ichigo had no idea what he had in mind. His ass was stretched with whatever he'd plugged him with and it was pressing right into his sweet spot. "So I'm going to punish bad little boys. You didn't eat all your food tonight," he said, sliding a hand over his exposed ass and legs. "And you didn't give daddy a kiss when you got here."

Ichigo winced as he began to twist the plug and it twirled against his prostate. "Sorry, Daddy, sorry, please...I'll be good, I promise..." he gasped out just before the paddle hit the first time.

Ichigo lost count at about twenty swats before he was panting and sobbing over the back of this seat of whatever kind it was. His head was buzzing but he wasn't sure if it was the position or what. Then he felt something else snap against his ass. He jerked because that was not a paddle.

"Daddy, don't, that hurts!" he whined, and he knew that that meant he'd hit him harder.

"Oh, what did I say about whining? This little pretty is a lovely thing," he said, showing him the single tailed whip of some sort. "And I think you are a little boy that needs a lesson in manners," he said.

Ichigo jerked as he began laying hard stripes over his back, ass, and legs. He was panting and his vision was blurring. Then Byakuya began smacking him harder and harder. Ichigo was beginning to hit his limit though, and he had to wonder if Byakuya was doing this just to see how far he would let him go.

He held out quite a while but eventually he couldn't take any more of it. He managed to gasp out, "Red, red, red!"

Byakuya stopped mid swing and he heard him moving around and unlatching his wrists and thighs. Then the world tilted and he was on the bed again, on his stomach, and Byakuya was kissing his way up and down his back. Honestly, Ichigo couldn't even think, he was just barely able to feel the bed under him. The plug slipped out then and he nearly choked as started sobbing into the sheets and muttering. Byakuya was beginning to understand things now, knowing that this was Ichigo's most vulnerable point. He was trusting him with not only his body, but his tears, something he never showed.

Ichigo gasped when he felt the ring slide off of him and something thick and warm moved into him. He writhed back onto whatever it was because it was sending shocks of pleasure through his body. Some sort of toy, but he didn't know what it was. It felt so warm though.

"Cum, little boy, cum for daddy," he heard Byakuya whisper into his ear and he let go of everything.

The world blanked and he felt like everything was crashing down around him. He felt warm, and he felt everything all at once. He clung to his Daddy for everything he could. He was the only thing that Ichigo could feel, the only thing to see, and he knew that Daddy would help him when he needed it. He knew that and so much more. He came out of the daze and as his vision cleared he saw Byakuya's face. He was lying on his back in Byakuya's arms and staring up at him.

"Daddy, that was...fuck," he muttered, trying to articulate what it was that he was feeling. "You do so many things to me," he said as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Byakuya's neck.

Byakuya smiled as he rocked him gently, offering him the comfort he needed. He wanted him to stay with him. He didn't want him to go back to the streets. He didn't want anyone else to touch him. He'd paid well for it, but there were things that bothered him. The fact that his money was sent to another person bothered him. However, he didn't want to look further because he didn't think he could do without seeing him. If he did anything to jeopardize that, he'd never forgive himself.

Byakuya continued to call the number, and he continued to see him. He didn't know what else to do.
Chapter Three

Strawberry Vines and Love's Snare

Byakuya was having a difficult time understanding what was happening to him around the boy. He began researching, and he thought he understood. He knew this was more than sex, and more than what he had intended by the fifth week with him.

Byakuya prepared a meal as usual, and once done, had stripped him and set to wailing on him with the paddle again. He was so good at it now, Ichigo thought as he felt his brain slipping out of sync with the world around him. All he knew was sensation. He felt him stop and felt his fingers prepping him quickly, and before he even unhooked him from the chair, Byakuya was fucking him while he muttered things he would never remember. The tears, he never remembered the tears, either. And Byakuya never mentioned them, but Ichigo could tell when he'd been crying. He didn't understand it. Ichigo didn't know why he would do something like that.

Byakuya hadn't bothered with the cock ring, though, and before Ichigo could stop himself, he came suddenly. He felt Byakuya follow him before leaning over and whispering in his ear.

"What a naughty little boy, I didn't give you permission to cum," he breathed against his ear.

Ichigo's body was completely slack though and he didn't care as he pulled out of him. He felt the sharp sting of the single tailed whip. He gasped at first but he didn't care, and feeling that excruciating mix of pain and pleasure course through his veins. He had almost called out, but Byakuya stopped. He felt him kiss up and down his spine, then he was moving him. Ichigo clung to him and he felt the tears that were still falling down his cheeks as he was put down on his stinging back.

"Little boy, you want Daddy to make you feel good again?" Byakuya asked as he picked up Ichigo's legs and put them both on his left shoulder. He used his right hand to stroke him slowly.

"Please, please, Daddy," he sobbed and if Byakuya hadn't understood what was happening, that he was in a place of something called subspace, he might have worried.

Further research into the unusual reactions of his partner had revealed some telling information. He was fascinated by this, and even thought it wasn't as formal of a relationship as those he'd found, it was still filling a desperate need for both of them. He adjusted him and sunk into him again, watching as his back arched up off the bed and he let out a painful sounding sob. Byakuya knew it was because of the ring. He worked into him for a long time. He was about to lose control himself, but he also wanted to edge him as much as he could before he let him orgasm. He reached down and pulled off the ring and thrust a couple times into him. He felt his body start to clamp down on him. When he felt that, he gasped him at the base of his cock and stopped him. Ichigo practically screamed in frustration as Byakuya did the same thing a few more times.

Byakuya was fascinated by the state Ichigo was in, though. His body was completely pliant and open. He could have literally done anything to him while he was like this. He wouldn't have been able to speak or even know something was wrong. It was so pure, as strange as that sounded. He'd given himself over completely, and Byakuya found it amazing. Finally, he began thrusting hard and deep into him. He clamped down on Ichigo's legs with his left arm and held his hip on the right. Even in this state, Ichigo didn't orgasm. Fascinating, Byakuya thought as he leaned over him. He pushed his legs until Ichigo's knees were almost touching his own shoulder.

"Little boy, such a good little boy, cum for Daddy," he said softly. It was as if the words themselves were the only thing that would release him. Ichigo gasped out a deep sobbing moan and went over the edge, easily dragging Byakuya with him.

Byakuya moved to lie down beside him and clutched him to his chest. He ran his hands over his head as he sobbed and muttered against his chest. Ichigo's hands clutched at him desperately, and Byakuya pulled the covers around them. He liked to be rocked, Byakuya had realized. He practically melted against Byakuya's gentle touches and Byakuya had no idea how fulfilling it would be to have someone like this. His heart ached, though, and even though he knew Hisana wouldn't mind, would have encouraged this, he needed to tell her.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

After Ichigo had left Sunday evening, he headed to his limo and had the driver take him home. He was nervous, even knowing the likely response Hisana would give him. Still, he worried.

He went into the large mansion and made his way to Hisana's room. He could hear the soft beeping of the machines long before he got close to entering. He came in and saw her lying rather still. He could see the heartbeat on the monitor though. It wouldn't be long, though.

She turned and smiled at him. "Byakuya, I thought you were at the apartment this weekend?"

Byakuya sat down in the seat beside the hospital bed. They'd brought the bed in here because there was no reason for her to die away from home. He glanced up to the IVs and saw that the morphine would need to be changed soon. He'd have to let the nurse know before he went to bed.

"I needed to see you, Hisana," he said with a deep sigh. "I have to talk to you about something," he said with a tentative frown.

"About the boy?" she said with a half smirk.

Byakuya looked at her for a long moment. "Rukia. She came to you about it."

"Of course, I didn't tell her everything, I just told her I wasn't worried," she said and Byakuya reached up and ran a hand over her nearly hairless head. The chemo had taken all of her hair, but it was just starting to grow back. There was no reason to continue something that only made her sick and wouldn't help at all.

"It...you truly don't feel betrayed?" he asked.

Hisana patted Byakuya's hand. "Senbozakura, love, you know I do not. I've asked you to take a lover many times. You've always refused."

"I know, but he is...he isn't..." Byakuya began.

"He's a prostitute?" she asked with again, the half smirk lighting her skeletal face. She'd lost so much weight in the last two weeks alone.

Byakuya nodded. "I just...a woman at my workplace gave me his card. She knows about my...preferences. And I just...I kept staring at it. I've had it for almost a year now, and I finally called after...after they told us that you were being made comfortable for the end."

"You have been the love of my life, Senbozakura. You are still, even in this, my last days with you," she said gently.

"I'm away on the weekends and I feel I should be here with you..." he said, looking up at her.

She smiled. "Don't be like this. You cannot sit by my deathbed every day until I finally breathe my last. You will live on. You aren't dying, I am," she said and cupped his face. "You have loved me so much and I have loved you as well."

Byakuya wiped his tears with one slender hand. He hadn't realized he was crying. Hisana was perhaps the only person to ever see the stoic, stern Byakuya shed tears. "I'm sorry I could love you more."

"You love me enough, sweet Byakuya, my Senbonzakura... You love a woman who wanted no love. We both did this because our families forced us to, Byakuya. You never wanted to lie with a woman; I never wanted to lay with another at all. Your love, though, it carried me through. We were a good pair to satisfy our families. I am always happiest with you, Byakuya," she said, reaching one far too thin hand up and brushing it over his cheek gently. "You were my samurai when they were no more. My defender, my protector; you were, and are, my everything. You love me no more than I want, and you love me for who I am. You never expected anything I could not give. Another man would not have been this way. I am, and always have been, the luckiest woman in the world."

Byakuya looked at her for a long time. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't take it, Hisana. I love you more than anything, yet I'm going to find carnal pleasure with a boy that..."

"That needs you," Hisana said with a soft smile. Byakuya looked up at her. "Rukia told me about him. She said that, a how was it, he was a 'strung out, drug using hooker', I believe."

Byakuya nodded. "I keep him with me over the weekends. He can't use while he's there, and I feed him, he's so very thin, Hisana. He...he...I can't explain it. I don't know what I'm feeling."

Hisana was quiet for a long moment. "He needs you. He's alone, scared, and he probably doesn't know how to get out of the life he's in. You know as well as I do, we always do things to cope with life, and some are not healthy. He copes the best he can. Maybe you can show him a different way."

Byakuya almost always forgot that Hisana had been working as a social worker before they married. She had seen a lot in the few years she had worked in the field. Once they married, she hadn't needed to work such a stressful job.

"He won't stay," he said finally. "I've asked him to stay. He says he can't. He says he has others he has to help take care of out there."

"So he's like you," Hisana said finally. Byakuya frowned and looked at her. "He tries to protect those around him. And you do as well. Follow your heart, Byakuya. It will take you the places it needs to take you."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo found himself being shaken awake by someone and he slapped their hands away. "G'way," he muttered, trying to roll over on the bed.

However, he was at Las Noches, not in Byakuya's bed, so he rolled off onto the floor. He groaned and pushed himself to his feet slowly. That hadn't been the first time he'd done that. He saw it was Luppi and it was probably almost dusk already. As he got up, Luppi grabbed his shirt and lifted it.

"Ichi, baby, what the hell?" he said.'

Ichigo reached behind him, feeling the welts there. He turned and smiled at Luppi with a mischievous grin. "Just fun from the weekend."

"Fun?" Luppi asked. "You're not...you are! You are enjoying this client!"

Ichigo smirked and sat down. "Yeah, can't explain it. He's so fucking hot, and he fucks like a dream. I told you he makes me cum, again and again. I have never had a john that wanted to do that. He even sucks me off, gladly..."

Luppi smirked and shook his head. "Damn, that's something. But your back..."

"Nah, don't worry about it. He won't hurt me. He stops when I tell him," he said and smirked at him.

Luppi wasn't sure; he still worried about it. Ichigo had been seeing this client for almost two months. Now, he came back with welts and bruises on his back, ass, and thighs. He didn't complain though.

"You came up for some of my junk stash?" he asked, reaching over into the trunk.

"Yeah, I used the last of it last night. That shit you're getting is good stuff. That sugar daddy of yours sure must pay well," he said as Ichigo grabbed a bag of the heroin he'd set aside for Luppi from his.

"Yeah, I end up getting almost a grand after Yammy takes his cut. But you know how it is. All the shit I have to buy, and I can't even touch the debt I owe from Below..." he muttered with a sigh. "I mean, a grand of what the bastard pays goes toward it, three grand to Yammy and Aizen, but fuck. After I buy this shit..." he muttered and flicked the bag at Luppi. "And everything else...I don't have much left."

"How much do you still have on your debt?" Luppi asked with a deep frown. Luppi actually had no idea what his own debt was, honestly, he was afraid to. He figured he'd die before he paid it off.

Ichigo sighed and ran a hand over his head. "Fuck, I don't know. I know when I came up from Below they hit me with the debt I owed just from down there. All the fucking shit I had to go through, and they still make me pay for the fucking dope they gave me," he muttered and looked away from Luppi. "No wonder they try and make us feel special once we get up here."

"Maybe after a few months they'll let you go..." Luppi said sort of sad because he would miss Ichigo.

"I doubt it, they'll find some way to stick me with some sort of debt," he said with a deep sigh. "I mean, I don't even know how they figure it. I think they just pick a fucking number and say we can't leave until we pay it. How's Jugram been doing?" he asked suddenly, trying to change the subject as he fished out the papers and the weed he had in there. He had more than that, of course. He didn't mention that to Luppi. His entire last week's take had gone to the bottles inside the chest.

Luppi nodded. "He's been doing okay, had a couple nights he didn't bring back enough to make Yammy happy, but for the most part, he's been doing good."

"Good, now," Ichigo muttered as he fumbled shaking hands to rolling the joint.

"Here, let me," Luppi said, taking the plate and the papers from him. Luppi was really good at rolling. He didn't mention Ichigo's shaking hands as he handed it back to him. "Okay, gotta hit the corner, baby. Keep safe."

Ichigo watched Luppi leave and drug down the smoke for a long moment before reaching down and grabbing the bottle of Xanax and popping a couple. He didn't want to think until Friday when he went back to see Byakuya again. He didn't even really want to be conscious unless it was with him.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Byakuya was sitting at the table in the kitchen waiting for Ichigo to get there when he heard the elevator come up. He stood and looked to see it wasn't who he expected. It was Rukia. He sighed and sat back down. Rukia stared at him for a moment, seeing the food sat out.

"You're expecting someone?" she asked as she walked over to him.

"Um, yes, so if you don't mind..." he began as the elevator opened again.

Rukia turned and stared. It was the same boy that had been here a couple months before. She couldn't mistake that obnoxiously orange colored hair. He was wearing a pair of platform heels and way too tight jeans studded with crystals or something down the seam. His shirt was cut off, exposing his stomach and lower ribs. He wasn't looking up as he came in, pulling the shirt a bit.

"I don't think I'll let Luppi pick my clothes out again, he always makes me look like a..." he stopped as he looked up and locked eyes on the dark haired woman. "Oh, I...you sent the car...I thought..." he stammered.

"No, no, it's fine, Rukia was just leaving," Byakuya said, standing up. "Come, sit down, I'll see her out," he said with a soft smile.

Ichigo went around and sat down with a slight glance at the woman as he passed. She was glaring daggers at him. The expression on her face read nothing but disapproval of him, and even though he expected it, it hurt more than he liked.

"Brother, why is he here again?" she asked, refusing to move yet.

"He is here because I sent for him," Byakuya said and put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Now, if you don't mind..."

"Why do you have a fucking whore in here, brother? Hisana is dying! How could you betray her like this? She's your wife!" she practically screamed.

Ichigo gasped and stared at his hands. It cut more than he liked to hear it. He knew, of course. Byakuya had told him his wife was ill. Still, to hear it put that way, it made him feel like some sort of vulture waiting for Byakuya's wife to die. Ichigo bit his lip and tried not to listen.

"Rukia, leave immediately. Hisana is already aware. You told her yourself when you ran into him the last time," Byakuya said, still keeping his calm despite the furious short woman in front of him.

Rukia glared at him and then at Ichigo. "I can't believe you would stoop to buying a fucking prostitute, brother. I am very disappointed."

She turned and left, leaving Ichigo somewhat cold. Ichigo heard the elevator shut but he didn't look up. He started when he felt Byakuya's hands on his shoulders. "I'd already told you these things, why are you so upset by her words? She is wrong."

"Just hearing it put like that." he said with a deep sigh. "I mean, it doesn't matter if you've lied or not. I'm just paid to be here for your use. I've had guys say their wife was sick or something, when they were just wanting to step out. I don't know."

Byakuya moved and sat down across from him; the fact that Ichigo thought for a moment he had been less than truthful with him hurt more than he expected.

"I had never slept with a man or woman, Ichigo. That was true. My wife and I have never had sexual relations with each other," Byakuya said with a sigh. "I've always been gay, and she was asexual. We married for political reasons, but fell in love with each other. Love that did not include sex."

Ichigo looked up at him curiously. He'd never heard anything like this. "So...she's really dying?"

Byakuya nodded. "An inoperable brain tumor, the kind that spreads through the brain. She's been dying for a long time. The day I called you for the first time, they had told us that the end was near. She has from one day to six months now, they say. She's already outlived their estimate from that day."

"And she knows about this?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"She does. I asked if she wished me to stop, and she told me no, because she knows that I'm struggling with her death. It gives me something to get away from it for a while," he said softly. "And I can take care of you in the ways I am no longer able to take care of her, and more."

Ichigo nodded. He wanted to believe him, he did. Part of him wanted to think he was lying, but he couldn't believe it. His heart clenched at the thought that there would ever be a time he didn't see Byakuya.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo stood under the lamp post again a couple weeks later, only this time, for a different reason. Ichigo looked up at the cloudy night sky, cigarette dangling haphazardly from his red painted lips. Luppi was in for a ton of trouble if he didn't bring home some pay this week. There had been a bad bust on one of the rival gang's ring and johns had gotten really scarce. Luckily for Ichigo, his meetings with Byakuya had been weekly going on three months now

Beside him, Luppi was leaning against the post, his spandex shorts barely covering his ass in the dim light. He wore a weird top that had sleeves that covered his hands but was cut up almost under his armpits. His black hair was pinned back with barrettes, and he had a thick layer of makeup on. Ichigo himself wasn't covering much more, he wore a pair of cutoff jeans that fell to his knees, but had huge holes ripped in the sides and hips. He wore a mesh shirt that hung low off one shoulder, and he decided to let Luppi do his makeup tonight.

Luppi had come up to his room when Yammy left earlier sporting a bad bruise on his ribs. Ichigo couldn't let him get hurt like that, so when Luppi headed up to work the corner, Ichigo had gone with him. Ichigo figured a few blow jobs in the lane or a few back seat romps would be enough to get Luppi out of hock with Yammy for a couple weeks. If not, Ichigo was afraid that Yammy'd break something this time. Yammy was known for getting too rough with them, and having to find replacements.

"Man, we ain't had good business in weeks," Luppi complained, glancing down the street.

"Yeah, cops have been cracking down in the girls' streets up north. Spooking even the ones looking to brothel dive," Ichigo said, dragging off the cigarette, sullenly. Even the traffic inside Las Noches had gotten slow.

Ichigo glanced at Luppi to see him wringing his hands nervously. He had never had the problem Luppi had because of coming from Below. He sighed, not really minding being out here. He hadn't done any work since Byakuya got him exclusive.

"Oh, look, slow drive, Ichi-baby," Luppi said, standing up as a car slowly drove past the other whores. Only one reason to drive by this area that slow.

"Wanna go for a two-fer, honey?" Ichigo asked. "Double the fun, and all that shit," he said with a smirk. It wouldn't have been the first time Ichigo had worked the same john with Luppi. He didn't come to the corner often, but when he did, he made one hell of an impression.

Luppi grinned and pulled the taller Ichigo down into a kiss, a very rough, deep one, and of course the intent was to convince their john that two was better than one. They parted lips as the car pulled up and a window in the back rolled down. Luppi winked at Ichigo and they sauntered up to lean seductively on the car together. Luppi played with Ichigo's clothes as he spoke, running his hands around Ichigo's abs and pulling at the waistband and fingers slipping under it gently.

"Yeah, you looking for some fun tonight, sugar?" Luppi said, licking his dark red lips slowly.

The man was hidden in the shadows of the car but then he leaned up, showing a pale face framed with unruly blonde hair.

"Ichigo?" he said softly, and Ichigo froze to hear his name. That voice saying his name made him freeze. There was something familiar about it. Considering that a lot of people knew him, and came looking for him, it wasn't unusual to match him with his reputation. His pictures and videos had been around for a long damn time after all.

He glared at the blond, recalling the base rates that Luppi charged and doubling them. If this guy knew him, he was going to scam the fuck out of him. "Hey, if you know who I am, you know I don't come for less than a hundred an hour for blow jobs, and two hundred for the full course fuck, anything rough is an extra hundred. I don't bleed, but you can leave marks if you really want. No bareback shit, and I don't care how fuckin' clean you say you are."

The man in the car blinked, and looked like he'd been sucker punched by someone. "Well, that's..."

Luppi grinned. "And if ya want a full show, I'll come along for an extra fifty. I'm not greedy, ya know, and I like to taste his cock while we get watched, anyway, sugar," he said, looking with sultry eyes up at the orange headed man as his hand slipped further down into Ichigo's pants, Ichigo nearly yelped and glared at him when his fingers brushed against him. "I've even been known to fuck him while he's blowin' someone else. But that's pretty rare, most our johns want his hot little boy cunt for themselves. He's a star after all," he said proudly. Ichigo rolled his eyes at Luppi. Luppi was working this guy hard, he thought. Yammy must have scared him this time.

The blonde's grey eyes looked dull for some reason. "Star?" he asked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the man in the car now. "You're coy, coming out here using my name and acting like you haven't seen all the shit I've done."

Luppi grinned. "What were you into? The child porn or the teeny porn? The freakiest ones that come around were the ones who liked the kiddie porn...you look like one of those," Luppi said grinning. The window shot up, and the car pulled away without a word, leaving the two frowning.

"The fuck was that about?" Ichigo asked, ignoring the twinge in his gut that he should know that voice.

Luppi shook his head and then elbowed him. "Got another one," he said as a beat up sedan pulled in beside them. A few minutes, money crossed the window, and both got into the car. Ichigo kept in mind why he was doing this as he stared at the dingy wall in the no tell motel as the john did his best impression of a horny dog. Ichigo definitely missed his Byakuya, at least that man knew how to fuck. Ichigo's breath caught, because it wasn't just that. He thought he might be doing the one thing a whore was never supposed to do.

He felt the john finally reach his end and then forced him onto his back. He glanced over at Luppi again. At least Luppi wouldn't end up in the hospital this time, he thought, but glanced on the bed where he'd already passed out after taking a 'lude. Too bad Ichigo couldn't bliss out like that, he had to keep an eye on Luppi and make sure he got back to Las Noches.
Chapter Four

Death's Door and Truth in Hearts

The next weekend found Ichigo in a quite mischievous mood. He was not going to let his Daddy get the upper hand as quickly as he usually did. As soon as he got into the door, Byakuya knew that something was different. For one thing, Ichigo's outfit gave him a clue. Ichigo was wearing what looked like some sort of plaid skirt and a halter top. He'd put on a pair of flat Mary Jane style shoes and had socks that went up to his knees. Byakuya tilted his head to the side.

"I thought you didn't do skirts, little boy," Byakuya asked with a smirk. Ichigo had been very adamant that even though he took it up the ass, he was not a girl.

"Well, I thought this one was nice, huh Daddy?" he asked with a smirk as he came over to the table and sat down.

Ichigo, as usual, dove into his food, but before they were done, he jumped up and ran out of the room. Byakuya growled under his breath because when he got up, he got a flash of his bare ass. He wasn't wearing anything under that skirt. He found him sitting on the bed with his legs crossed and bouncing his foot.

"Daddy, I think I should be in charge today," he said with a look from under hooded eyes at him.

Byakuya arched a brow at him. "Oh, is that a fact?"

"Um hum, you're going to do what I say. And I say you have to lick my cunt," he said with a smirk. "Cuz I'm a little whore, but I'm your little whore, right Daddy?"

Byakuya felt every bit of blood rush to his cock. Ichigo was even wearing make up with this get up. "Did your little friend Luppi help you get dressed?" he asked as he moved forward slowly.

"Yup, and I let him suck my cock, too, Daddy," he said with a flush rising to his cheeks. "I'm sorry, though, I know Daddy doesn't like that," he said, looking away.

Ichigo wasn't lying, they'd had a game this week. Ichigo won, and Luppi ended up having to give him a blow job. Luppi had won against one of the girls, and got to fuck her. They always had those sort of games, practice, of a sort. Some of the others didn't play, but Ichigo didn't mind.

"You let someone else touch you?" Byakuya asked slowly. "I think that deserves quite a spanking, don't you?"

"Nope, you're going to lick my cunt. Because I'm in charge," Ichigo said with a smirk. Byakuya growled as he undid his tie and tossed wrapped it around his hand.

"Oh?" Byakuya asked. "You say I'm going to lick your cunt, huh? What did I say about that rude language?"

Ichigo looked away and smirked again. "I'll say what I want. I'm a big enough boy, so I will use fuck as much as I want. So you need to..."

Ichigo didn't finish that sentence because Byakuya grabbed his hands and quickly tied the tie around his wrists. Ichigo gasped, surprised that he was acting so quickly. Before Ichigo could say anything, he'd been flipped on his stomach, and Byakuya had him gagged. When the hell had he gotten that out? Ichigo yelled against it, but it was the one that had a piece that went into his mouth and almost down his throat. Ichigo felt Byakuya pull his hips up and the skirt flipped up.

"Now, what a naughty little boy, telling me what to do after you were so bad this week. I'm disappointed in you, little boy," Byakuya said and Ichigo jumped with the paddle hit him square across his ass.

Ichigo whined as he felt Byakuya put both hands on his hips. "You want me to lick your cunt?" he asked and Ichigo thought he was going to regret that. He was entirely correct.

Ichigo always prepared before he went out on a job, and he always was clean for Byakuya since he liked to bareback. However, when he tongue swirled around his entrance and then pushed inside, he was surprised by it. He whimpered as Byakuya took a few minutes to work Ichigo into a state of high arousal with his tongue. He then reached around and slipped the cock ring on him, but this one was different. Ichigo groaned because it vibrated just slightly. When Byakuya leaned back he put a generous amount of lube on his fingers before he worked them into him.

"So, such a naughty little boy, you know what I'm going to do?" he asked and Ichigo gasped as he felt himself being stretched further as Byakuya slipped his pinky into him. Oh shit, Ichigo thought. He wasn't sure about this...but then he felt his thumb work into him and he hit the soft bundle of nerves.

"Hmm, you are such a good little whore for Daddy, can you take more?" he asked and ran his hand down Ichigo's hip.

Ichigo panted around the gag but he didn't do anything else. All he had to do was signal him, and he'd stop, he knew that. But he really didn't want him to stop. Byakuya smirked, watching as he spread his fingers and worked Ichigo open wider. Ichigo was in a constant state of whining and whimpering. Byakuya was interested in this, of course. He was interested in most things. He slid his hand further, watching curiously as his fingers delved further into him, down to the knuckles. Ichigo was trembling but dripping like mad on the bed. Byakuya smiled working his hand deeper and over the widest part, the thumb knuckle. He felt Ichigo's body contracting on him. He felt the soft folds of tissue and the he was surprised at how pleasant it was for him. He twisted his hand in a circle, his entire hand encased inside Ichigo's body. It was quivering and contracting. The heat was more than he expected, and he felt Ichigo's body react every time he moved his fingers to stroke him inside.

Ichigo had never had someone do this in a way that he enjoyed it. There'd been several times he'd had this done, but they didn't care about anything except their own pleasure at causing him pain. He sucked in a deep breath, feeling Byakuya pull back and slide forward again and he swore if he wasn't wearing the ring, he would have exploded right then.

"Hmm, my little boy likes that?" Byakuya asked, twisting his hand again as Ichigo groaned against the gag again. "This is supposed to be punishment, not pleasure," he commented as he started carefully working his hand back out of him. The process in reverse was almost as long as forward, and he didn't want to hurt his little boy.

Ichigo couldn't breathe for the sensations running through him as he felt the slow emptiness. He didn't have time to think more about it though, because Byakuya's hand was replaced with something thick and hard sliding into him. He felt it filling him and he couldn't stop the pleasured mumbling that came from him.

"Now for the rest of your punishment, my slutty little boy. Ten swats for being so mouthy. Twenty for letting someone other than me touch your cock. That belongs to me and I'm the only one who can give you permission to cum," he said as he swung the paddle hard.

Ichigo felt the strangest sensation of at the same time being pleasured and punished in a way he liked more than he ever thought. When Byakuya was done he felt him slide the plug out of him and replace it with his cock.

"Ah, my little boy, you did a good job, so I'll let you cum, perhaps," he said and Ichigo thought he really was going to come apart as he fucked him in that position.

His bound hands were nearly between his knees and his face was almost buried in the covers. The position left him completely exposed and he had no idea why he was okay with it. Byakuya slid his hand under Ichigo from behind and teased his cock for a long time, stroking it with his thrusts. Ichigo was sobbing now, though, his head floating somewhere between consciousness and trance. Byakuya slowly slid the vibrating ring down him and he felt his body tense from holding back.

"Alright, little boy, enough punishment, cum for Daddy," he whispered. Ichigo went over without another second. Byakuya smiled, stroking him through it and following him a second later.

He once again quickly buried them in the covers and rocked him as he cried and mumbled. Once Ichigo had fallen asleep, Byakuya cleaned him up and fell asleep as well. That had been an exhausting bit of fun, he thought to himself.

The next morning, Byakuya got a business call. He was annoyed at it because it was Sunday, and he had instructed them not to call him unless it was an emergency. He growled as he sat at the desk beside the bed. He then felt something thump into his back. He turned around to see Ichigo had woken up, and was kneeling on the bed trying to get his attention. Byakuya made a motion with his hand and shook his head.

Ichigo made a face and tossed another pillow at him. Byakuya turned back and glared at him again. Ichigo had the gall to stick his tongue out at him as he jumped up and swung himself around the post of the bed. He smirked at Byakuya and lifted his skirt up to wiggle his ass at him. Byakuya was going to give him the biggest spanking in existence for this, he thought.

"Yes, I'm here. I understand that the account is..." he started before he got hit with one of the bigger pillows. He turned and glared at Ichigo who proceeded to hang onto the post of the bed and pretend he was a stripper or something. Byakuya growled. "No, nothing, just remembered something I have to do in a little bit."

Ichigo grinned and tossed three of the small pillows at him in quick succession, nearly making him drop the phone. Byakuya glared at him and turned his back while he continued to talk. However, he couldn't keep the smile off his lips when he did. He liked the fact that Ichigo would do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Especially since he was going to turn him over his lap and spank him terribly before he tied him up and made him wait with the cock ring on for a while. He had quite the punishment ready for him after this...

"Goddammit!" Byakuya exclaimed as something heavier than a pillow hit him in the back. He turned and glared at Ichigo who was looking shocked.

"Sir, sir?" the man on the other end said. "Something wrong, sir?"

"No, no, stubbed my toe..." he said, glancing down to see that Ichigo had tossed the pillow that had the heavy beaded filling at him. "Yes, fine, do whatever you need to do. I'll be there early tomorrow."

Byakuya put the phone down and turned back to see Ichigo was standing on the bed, clutching the post and trying to not laugh. He didn't succeed, and Byakuya tried not to smile as Ichigo jumped down and tried to avoid him.

"Sorry! I didn't know it was that heavy!" he said as he tried to get past Byakuya into the other room.

Byakuya was faster than he anticipated, though, and snatched the far lighter boy up in his arms easily. Ichigo shrieked in laugher as Byakuya tossed him into the bed. Ichigo was laughing so hard that he couldn't get the wits to crawl away as Byakuya proceeded to paddle him red and follow through on his punishment...

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"I found him," the blond said man, shoving a green and white striped hat on his head as he entered the room.

"What?" asked his partner, a buxom woman with purple hair. "The Kurosaki kid? Seriously?"

He stopped and tossed a handful of photos at her. He'd taken them the night before after he'd stopped to confirm it was him. Photos of him leaning into a car, standing on the corner with the other man, and then some where he was just walking around outside the Las Noches brothel that morning. He'd gone and printed them off when he'd left the area a couple hours ago.

"Holy shit, Kisuke, he's a prostitute? For Las Noches?" she gasped. "Have you told Isshin?"

He hung his head. "Not yet. I'm torn, because he said something that I'm scared to even think about."

"What could be worse than finding out he's a prostitute?" she asked, eyes wide.

Kisuke swallowed. "When I knew his name, they asked me what I'd seen him in his kiddie porn or the teen porn he'd done. What happened, Yoruichi? He ran away. He's been on the streets, we guessed that, but what if he wasn't?"

She sighed. "First step, call the local cops and see if they've got anything on this, shouldn't be too hard to find out if they've had hits on an orange haired kid showing up in their raids for child pornography. Man, this is what I left the Shinigami to avoid..."

She walked out of the room and Kisuke stared at the pictures of the young man who used to be a child he knew. He remembered those big brown eyes, and how happy he had been when he came to visit Masaki, his younger sister. That little boy had loved his mom, and it had been tragic when she was murdered. Poor Isshin, he was overseas with no means to help, and Kisuke had not been contacted because he'd been in the Brazilian rain forest at the time. By the time he found out, the kids were in the foster system. Isshin had little choice but to allow it; Masaki had never been claimed by the Urahara family officially so there was no proof he was the kids' uncle at all. When Isshin got back, Ichigo was missing, his foster parents saying he'd run away. He'd been ten at the time, and only a year after his mother's death.

The investigation had stalled almost a hundred miles away, and almost eight years ago. At the time, Kisuke Urahara and his partner Yoruichi Shihōin had been members of one of INTERPOL's elite strike forces, the Shinigami. The Shinigami were primarily concerned with a huge, international crime syndicate called the Messer and its arm that controlled most of Japan, called the Arrancar. Kisuke had been in Brazil on a research mission for the division he ran, the research and forensics division, and Yoruichi had been the head of the espionage division. By the time everything was said and done, the Shinigami had launched an investigation because Ichigo's father, who had been away, was a Shinigami member, the head of the Terrorism division in fact.

Unfortunately, the division that handled kidnappings was run by Sōsuke Aizen. Sōsuke Aizen who currently ruled over the Arrancar, and who for some reason had made sure that the case got buried until he finally disappeared and showed himself a traitor. None of the old files existed, and all the trails had gone cold. That had been eight years ago. Eight long years.

Isshin had moved away to New Zealand with his two daughters after spending four years searching nonstop. With the death of his wife, and his son's disappearance, he couldn't take remaining in Japan. Recently, he had returned to Japan with his now sixteen-year-old daughters. Time had tempered his sadness and his anger at his son's disappearance and he'd bought a house in a small Tokyo suburb named Karakura Town and opened up a medical clinic.

Kisuke had gotten a call from an informant on the local vice squad. It had been about a orange haired male sex worker. It seemed he offered good blow jobs in exchange for staying away from the Las Noches area and instead busting the other brothel to the north of them.

Urahara found his shaking hand picking up the phone.

"Hello?" came a familiar voice.

"Isshin, its Kisuke. I've found him. Come to my office, but don't bring the girls, whatever you do, please don't bring them," he said, resting his head in his hand.

There was a long pause. "What aren't you telling me? Why shouldn't I bring the girls?"

"Please, I don't want to talk on the phone, just get over here, okay?"

He hung up the phone as Yoruichi entered. "I'm going down to pick up the files. Turns out there's a lot the cops weren't telling you."

He sat there alone, waiting; it would be an hour before Isshin got there, so Yoruichi might come back first. He was exhausted already, and was just starting the day. The key in the lock woke him as he sat up, nearly falling off the couch. He straightened his hat, and pulled down the green jacket he wore. Yoruichi walked in and dropped a file on the table, a CD slipping out of it.

"I couldn't look past the first few pages, Kisuke, I don't know..." she said as the knocking sounded on the door.

She went to get it and the tall, dark haired Isshin entered. He looked between them and then sat down beside Kisuke, and before he could stop him, the man grabbed the folder from his hands. He tried to grab it back, but he didn't have to, the file fell to his lap, pictures and stills from videos spreading out all over his lap and the floor. Kisuke, who hadn't even opened it, closed his eyes, his heart in his throat. Isshin was shaking beside him, and they both saw the face, the young innocent face that had smiled up at him so often, but in pictures that he should never have been in. Almost woodenly, Isshin went through the evidence photos, snapshots from confiscated material in raids. And he picked up the CD, labeled Evidence Case 15765. He glanced at Yoruichi.

"It's a copy of the videos that were trafficked from the time he was 10 until he was 17," she said softly. "They knew his name was Ichigo, and that was it. Because the files from Ichigo's case never reached local police...they never had anything to connect him to the kidnapping case. It was as though Ichigo Kurosaki and his kidnapping never happened."

Kisuke felt heavy. "You said you found him?" the man beside him said quietly. "He's here?"

Kisuke stood despite the heaviness and retrieved the stack of photos and handed them to the man who now wore a deadpan expression. He watched as he touched the picture, a particular close shot of the boy's face. It was aged, but there was no mistaking the child he hadn't seen in over ten years. Before long he was crying, and Kisuke held him close.

"I'll call the old man in the morning," Kisuke commented. "Go home, rest, and meet me at the Seireitei tomorrow."

Isshin nodded, thanking him and leaving slowly. After everything, was this better than him having died? Isshin wasn't sure if that would even be his son anymore. There was a really good chance it wasn't.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

The light had been filtered in softly from the windows, just as Hisana liked to have it. She had always loved the soft light when the evening sun began to set outside their bedroom. Byakuya sat beside her holding onto her hand tightly. Her breathing had become erratic and jagged, stopping altogether at some points. The light in her beautiful eyes, though, was still vivid and bright like a moon at the apex.

"I don't know what I will do without you," he said quietly to her, his eyes already welled with tears.

Hisana, gentle Hisana, he thought, staring at her. She smiled.

"Byakuya, you know I've always loved you with all my heart," she said hoarsely, stopping to take breaths now and then.

The doctors had said it close to the end. She knew so as well, as she was more than ready for the end. She never spoke of her pain, and her constant malaise. She didn't want to worry her sweet Byakuya. The morphine wasn't killing the pain in her head anymore, and she felt like she was in a constant state somewhere between life and death. The world would spin, and the lights would flicker. She saw things in her vision she knew weren't there. She'd started hearing noises as well, even though she knew they were not there.

Byakuya noticed that she was already speaking as though she had already passed. "You are the only one to pierce my stone, my dear Hisana. I have loved you with every piece of me that I was able."

Her hand shook as she pulled it from his face and took his. "My time is come, my love. Now, I have two requests."

Byakuya smiled gently. "Anything," he said quietly.

"Take care of my dear sister Rukia, and find someone that you can love. Perhaps that boy you've been taking to the penthouse," she said, smiling.

Byakuya nodded. "He is not...appropriate...for my family," he said softly. "It won't ever be more than it is. He gives me the things I desire and need, but that is all. He will never leave the life he's in. I cannot head this company and be with someone like him in the public eye."

"Make my sister and her betrothed your heir, and pursue your happiness, it doesn't matter where he has come from, he has earned his way into your heart, and even this dying shell can see that clearly. You say you have a heart of stone, yet I know it is a heart of glass, and it shall shatter if you do not find comfort in another. It doesn't matter if his past is one that is dark as night, he needs someone to show him the light of day," she said. "So promise me."

Byakuya nodded as he watched the light fade from her eyes. "I promise, Hisana, I promise," he whispered as her head turned gently and her hand went lax in his. The moon had finally faded from his sky for the last time.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

It was Saturday well past noon and Byakuya hadn't called. For the first time in over three months, Ichigo was scared. He knew that it might have to do with his ailing wife. He knew that, but he couldn't help but thinking maybe he'd abandoned him after all. Ichigo couldn't do this, he couldn't go on without his Daddy. He'd come to depend on him, he'd come to...need him.

His head snapped up to see Yammy in the doorway to the rooms. His face was a mask of fury.

"Your fucking sugar daddy didn't call, slut," he growled out.

"His wife, she was sick, and it might..." he tried to explain but Yammy was on him already.

Yammy grabbed him by the hair and lifted him up off the floor at least a foot. Ichigo tried not to cry out but he couldn't help the yell that escaped his lips.

"You dumb ass fucking cock-slut. How did you fuck up the easiest fucking job in the world? Did you do something stupid? Did you let that dumb mouth of yours overrun your ass? Huh?" Yammy said, and Ichigo was sure he couldn't stand it much more. His hands were intertwined in his hair as Yammy clenched it tighter and he felt stands pulling out of his scalp.

"Yammy! He's...he's not going to stop calling...he just..." he tried to explain, anything to get him to let go of him. He growled, dropping Ichigo to his feet, but before he could recover he slammed a fist into his ribs hard.

Ichigo gasped and fell to his knees, knowing another hit was going to come. He winced as two kicks landed into his sides hard. He knew something snapped and pain shot through him like crazy. He did scream then. Yammy growled and kneed him right in the face, throwing him backward into the hall this time. Ichigo had no idea how he'd ended up on the other side of Yammy.

"I fucking depend on your income, you fucking shit. You can't fuck up something this good and not suffer for it! I'll fucking beat you to death if I have to!" Yammy growled out.

"Yammy!" came a voice from the other stairwell. "What are you doing?"

Ichigo looked up with watering eyes to see the tall, dark haired Dordoni. He was one of the male courtesans from upstairs. Ichigo had met him a few times, but he usually stayed upstairs. He had quite a steady string of rich, older women that he enjoyed servicing. He was a kind man, too.

Ichigo was having trouble catching his breath a bit and he felt blood running down his face from several cuts. "Beating the fuck out of this worthless fucking slut for losing the best goddamn client he's ever had!"

"Wait, what good is that? If you injure him, he cannot work, yes?" Dordoni asked, frowning deeply.

Yammy stopped as he was pulling back his fist. "Yeah, true. If I kill this bitch, Aizen will be pissed. Alright, slut. You go on the corner tonight, and if you don't fucking show up with a grand by morning, you've had it. They won't find your fucking body, got it?"

Ichigo watched him leave and took a shaky breath. "Thanks..."

"Oh, sweetheart," he whispered and helped him up the stairs to his personal room. Dordoni knew the downstairs baths would not have any first aid equipment.

Dordoni got Ichigo into his room and sat him on the end of his bed. He disappeared into the bathroom and Ichigo looked around. He'd never been in this room. It was very nice, though. It had a large bed with four posters and a heavy head and footboard. The windows were curtained with rich red material that matched the covers and pillows on the bed. There was a vanity nearby but Ichigo couldn't see further.

"Sweetheart, you poor thing," Dordoni muttered as he began cleaning the cuts on Ichigo's face. "What happened?"

"My exclusive, he didn't call, but...but his wife was dying...she must have gotten worse...or something..." he managed to gasp out despite the crushing pain in his ribs.

Dordoni sighed. Things like this were the part of working with Las Noches he disliked more than anything. These boys and girls were so often mistreated by them. He did what he could, though, like some of the other Courtesans. The least they could do was help the others get by. He grabbed some tape and had Ichigo lift his arms.

Ichigo winced as he started to tape his ribs and tried not to whimper from the pin. "Ah, oh, gods, that hurts," he said, leaning over when Dordoni was done. "How'd you learn to tape ribs?" he finally asked when he realized that Dordoni had done it properly and quickly.

"I was a nurse, an age ago," he said with a smile as he picked up the well-stocked first aid kit and took it back to the bathroom.

Ichigo thanked him and left without another word. It hurt, but he had to bring in a grand. Or else.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"My condolences," a man with a stiffly starched black suit said as he bowed to Byakuya Kuchiki.

Byakuya stood in the room where his beloved Hisana lay. She had passed the night before as he sat with her. The cancer in her brain finally reached the point that she could no longer sustain her own breathing. She had insisted that no life support be given to her when things got to that point. She had been adamant that her ten-year long fight with the disease was quite enough. Despite Byakuya's stoic expression, he kept replaying watching his beloved Hisana die before him. He was glad, though, that he had been with her at the end.

Byakuya felt Rukia elbow him in the ribs and he blinked and started to see a family waiting for him to respond.

"My apologies, my thoughts were on my departed Hisana," he said giving a slight bow to the Ashikawas, a family nearly as old as the Kuchikis who specialized in real estate businesses.

The family was well known, especially in the high society circles. Unfortunately, the males were also known as serial adulterers. This couple was the current head of the family and ran the company that their collected holdings were under. Both were dressed in fine clothing, as were their two children, and another man who was with them. Byakuya couldn't at the moment remember the names of their children. He was honestly doing well to think of people he saw on a daily basis at the moment.

"Condolences, Kuchiki-sama," the father spoke and smiled. "I'm sure you remember my family, my lovely wife, and my daughter, Natsuko," he said, motioning first to the black kimono clad woman and then the little girl beside her that looked to be around eight or so. "And I'm sure you remember our son, Shinobu," he said, gesturing to the young man beside them with long black hair cascading down his back. He wore a black kimono very similar to his mothers. He was also curiously barefoot. Beside him was a slightly taller young man with trim black hair and black framed glasses. "And his partner, Uryū Ishida," he continued, gesturing to him.

"Thank you all for coming," Byakuya said, nodding to them each in turn.

Rukia nodded. "Thank you, Ashikawas-shachō," she bowed slightly to the taller man. "Ashikawas-sama," she acknowledged, bowing toward the prim woman. "And young Natsuko-kun," she said smiling at the little girl.

She arched a brow at the barefoot guest. "And to you as well, Ashikawas-san, and Ishida-san," she said bowing in turn to each one.

Just then, the door opened and Rukia groaned out loud by accident. Byakuya's shoulders sagged. He'd hoped that the office hadn't heard of Hisana's death, as he had specifically chosen not to inform them. Byakuya led a somewhat double life, that of the head of the Kuchiki clan and businesses and a member of the Shinigami organization. He preferred to keep those two lives as separate from each other as he possibly could. He thought that if he didn't mention the wake and funeral, they would miss it. He had, of course, been wrong.

"Byakuya-kun!" came the voice of one of Byakuya's fellows at the Shinigami. "I'm so sorry!"

Byakuya didn't move at all as the large breasted Rangiku Matsumoto practically smothered him in a hug. He sighed deeply. "Thank you for coming by, Matsumoto, but things are fine. Now, did anyone else come from..." he started as he sighed as he realized that her fiancé, Gin Ichimaru, had come with her. Gin gave him a sly smile and nodded.

"The guests are being seated," Byakuya said, hoping to avoid any other discussion.

Rangiku looked like she wanted to say something, but Gin pulled her away.

Shinobu and Uryū stayed at the back of the guest area and sat near the door as the formal ceremony began. Shinobu shifted uncomfortably against Uryū, glad to at least be able to sit down. His ear was killing him and throwing off his balance. In addition to being barefoot, he imagined that he looked drunk as well. It wasn't only that, of course. He hated funeral rites with a passion, mostly because of all the times he came far too close to death. Even just thinking about how Hisana Kuchiki had suffered made him remember vividly several times when he was younger and completely bedridden or stuck in a hospital.

"Are you fretting over things, Shin?" Uryū asked gently beside him. Uryū worried nonstop about his slightly younger partner. Shinobu had suffered from a relatively rare immunodeficiency generically called hypocomplementemia, which basically meant he was incredibly susceptible to every infection and issue around him. He was constantly coming down with ear and throat issues, and sometimes it seemed he was constantly sick.

"My ear is bothering me," he rasped. His throat was getting sore again.

Uryū squeezed his shoulders. "I worry so much about you when I'm gone, you know. Are you sure you don't mind me finishing this job?" he asked. Uryū always asked, even though he knew he really didn't have an option. He was contractually obligated to finish the assignment he was on.

"I'm fine; I've got my parents, my birds, and my business to keep me busy. Fashions don't design themselves, you know," he said, smiling at Uryū. His gray eyes twinkled a little bit at the mention of his career.

Shinobu was somewhat avant garde and was a very popular designer in some circles. Uryū, while he was currently working in something completely different, had met him in a sewing circle when they were both still in school. They both loved fashion, and Uryū had been completing a business degree for his current job, but felt that it would help him run a fashion business in the future. They'd curiously hit it off very well, even though both were incredibly awkward and inexperienced when it came to romantic attachments. It didn't take long for them to become a couple, though. Shinobu's family often worried about Uryū's continued absences, but Shinobu constantly told them not to worry. With a family that had a history of adulterers, their first thought was that any man gone for so long at a time must be unfaithful. Shinobu knew better than that.

"I know you hate funerals, your mother said you didn't need to come," Uryū said quietly as the last of the guests sat down. He pulled out the black and silver envelope of condolence money and waited.

"I know," Shinobu said as the Buddhist priest moved to chant the sutra. "I have a great deal of respect for Kuchiki-sama, though. He is extremely intelligent, you know. And the level of emotional detachment he has attained is enviable," he said with a smile as he watched the Kuchiki head.

Byakuya stood impassively at the front, and went through the motions for the tsuya. He really hated this, and a part of him wished they could skip the formality and get things over with quicker. Tomorrow would be the funeral and cremation, and then he could make his announcement of making Rukia the Kuchiki heir. With both his father and grandfather now dead, there was no one in the family that could dictate what he could do.

He was going to do this right this time. He had missed his appointment with Ichigo this week because of Hisana's condition. He would not miss the next one, and he would ask him to stay with him instead of going back. He wanted to be the only one to touch him. He knew that no one save Hisana and Rukia understood how far he had fallen in love with the feisty, foul mouthed escort, and even Rukia thought it was merely lust. Only they saw the changes, the life that had returned to Byakuya's face. The young man was his exact opposite in everything, and he had no problem telling Byakuya exactly what to do and how to do it. Of course, Byakuya then gave him a stiff punishment. Even thinking of him, standing up on the side of the canopied bed, holding onto the pillar and throwing pillows at him while Byakuya was trying to answer some important business questions on the phone. His laughter was infectious, and more than anything, Byakuya knew that he needed him, Ichigo needed his help.

Everyone filed out, leaving only Byakuya and a few others in the room. He walked up to the coffin and stared at Hisana for a long time. Her face was slack in endless sleep and he smiled at her. Ever his first love, nothing would change that for him.

"You knew my heart, didn't you?" he whispered to her inert form.
Chapter Five

Darkness and the Pain

Ichigo rubbed his eye with a sigh as they reached the lamp post. "Goddammit, Byakuya is going to flip when he sees this," he muttered as he cradled his ribs a little.

"You sure you're okay?" Luppi asked glancing up at him with a concerned face. He didn't like the way Ichigo was standing. Luppi had actually never seen Yammy lay into one of the Escorts so harshly.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "I'm fine, just let's find a fucking john so I can get the bastard off my ass. It isn't our fucking fault that half the fucking whores here don't do their goddamned job. Half of them can't even suck a proper cock. All they know how to do is spit on it and act like they're getting face fucked. If they'd suck a few more pigs for free, they wouldn't get so many patrols."

Ichigo knew it wasn't true, of course. They all knew what to do. Still, he was angry and hurt. There had been a crackdown on two other brothels recently, and it had scared off a lot of clients.

Luppi snickered, leaning against the lamp post. Tonight he was wearing a ripped up belly shirt and a pair of daisy duke denims that left his ass cheeks hanging out. Ichigo wasn't too pleased at having his clothes picked out for him by their idiot of a boss. So he was stuck in a pair of leather shorts that chafed and a small leather vest that cut off about where his nipples were over a white shirt to cover the freshly given bruising on his ribcage. He'd have to remember to keep his shirt on. He wore a pair of heavy boots with it.

"Fuckin' Yammy with his leather fetish," he muttered, adjusting the infernal tight shorts again.

Luppi grinned. "Ya look cute, sugar," he said, slapping him soundly on the leather clad ass.

"Well I hope someone comes along soon so I'm fuckin' out of this leather shit," he said, dragging deep off his cigarette.

It was turning cold. No rest for the wicked, though, even when the temperatures plummeted, Las Noches whores worked it. He thought back to last winter and the bad case of frostbite Luppi had gotten. At least he was only outside long enough to be picked up by a car. Luppi and the others like him had to stand out here in next to nothing and get whatever johns came along.

Luppi jumped, pointing at a familiar car. "Look it's that blond from last week, maybe he thought better and came back!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Weird mother fucker," he muttered. He had this twisting in his gut. "Try two for one again and get both of us out of hook with Yammy?"

Luppi's eyes lit up. "Honey, if there is any chance I might get to suck you off or plow your ass, I'm going take it."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and started to kiss Luppi. He smirked though, because if Byakuya called him, he was going to tell him he was kissing someone else. He popped a hand on his hip and then leaned over the window as it rolled down. The blond with the grey eyes stared at him.

"You came back, what's it gonna be then? Two for one special? Like I said last time, a hundred an hour for a blow, two hundred for the full ride, and an extra hundred if you want to get rough, no fucking blood though, anything more than bruises and I'll fucking have your nuts. And Luppi here for another fifty an hour," he said, dragging off the cigarette, not looking at the blond in the car.

"Where do we go?" the blond man asked softly.

Ichigo glanced down. "Well usually when I'm here on the corner, I get fucked in the back of cars or down in the alley, but some want to be private and there's a no-tell hourly down the street a little ways who knows us. Or you can take me back and fuck me at your place, whatever."

"Okay, sounds good," the blonde said tightly.

"Hey, cash up front, or these pants don't drop," Ichigo said holding out his hand through the window and standing with a hand firmly planted on one hip. "And one or both?"

"Just you," he said quietly staring at Ichigo. "We'll discuss the rest."

Ichigo pulled back two hundred and grinned at Luppi. "Take this back so if you don't find a john we don't get fucked up tomorrow, I don't want your stupid ass getting robbed again."

The door opened and Ichigo slid into the back seat beside the blond, the fake leather shorts squeaking a bit on the interior. He waved at Luppi as the window rolled up. He looked at the blond man with a strange bucket hat on his head this time.

"Well, what do you want, sweetie? You wanting full ride, I assume for that kind of money?" he said, straightening up, trying to avoid putting pressure on his sore ribs.

"What happened to you?" he asked softly.

Ichigo snorted. "What hasn't, man. I ain't here to talk about that shit, fuck me and get it over with so I can get back on the corner and try to hit a couple more johns tonight."

He wriggled a little again, trying to find a comfortable position. It was going to suck if this guy wanted to fuck him in a way he had to put pressure on his ribs or his knee. As near as he could figure, he must have twisted it when Yammy kneed him in the face. He'd managed to get enough pan makeup on his face to cover the worst of it though.

"I don't do bareback, so don't even think about that shit," he commented. He had to make sure of that, because he didn't want to pick up the clap or something and give it Byakuya. If he called him back.

Ichigo unsnapped the button on the shorts and crawled into the blond man's lap, and found himself looking down into a very sad face. He frowned, grinding his hips into the man below him and not getting a response. Considering how horny his johns usually were by this point, he was pretty damn confused to find he didn't have a hard on yet.

"The fuck, dude? Whatcha payin' a whore for, if ya ain't gonna get your cock hard? Or are you one of those kinky bastards? It costs extra if you got anything more than a vanilla fuck," he said, frowning down at him.

The car stopped and Ichigo looked up seeing a building. "Well, your place, eh? Must not be married."

Kisuke got out and Ichigo followed him, glancing around. The driver didn't get out, he noticed. "You rich? You got a driver and shit."

The blond just led him to the elevator and watched as the boy fidgeted beside him, unsettled by his John's behavior and the strange wave of familiarity. He shook it away though. He didn't like to dwell on things like that. It made his head hurt. Thinking of the past wasn't something he enjoyed doing.

The elevator "tinged" and he followed the blond man out and into what looked like an office. He flicked on the lights to find another, dark haired man sitting on the sofa.

"Fuck, dude, if this is gonna be two of ya, the price is double, okay?" he said, walking into the room and leaning against the desk, shucking the vest he wore.

The blond stood near the door, staring at the floor and the dark haired man was staring at him. "I don't do no strip tease shit, that's Luppi's thing."

The dark haired man stood up and another wave of familiarity washed over him. He looked familiar. His face, the eyes... He shrugged it off and gave him his sultry smirk.

"Ichigo?" the dark haired man said softly, staring at him with these weird, wet eyes.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Yes, look, everyone fuckin' knows me; I've been around the circuit and back over the last ten years, alright? If you were out looking for me, I'm sure you came across my shoots before, but I don't do fuckin' reenactments, so you aren't shoving me in no schoolboy shit. And I am not watching a showing of the baby fucks with me in it, I don't get off on that shit. Fuckin' perverts."

Ichigo looked up to see the man in front of him weeping openly now. He frowned. "Dude, what's up with this shit, I'm not into weird shit, so..."

In a second, the man had gotten up and wrapped him in a tight hug. Ichigo gasped. It wasn't sexual at all, just a tight, warm hug, though it did hurt his ribs a bit. He knew he should push the weirdo away, but it did feel good to be held like that, it was warm and genuine. But the guy started sobbing on him and he looked up to see the blond was crying too.

The guy pushed him back. "Ichigo, it's me, don't you recognize me?"

He looked at him again. "No, why would I? I've got no idea who had me Below, and I've had a hell of a lot of appointments since I made Escort up top. So no, I don't fucking recognize you."

The man took a shuddering breath and crushed him against him again. This time, Ichigo did whimper a bit from the pressure on his ribs. "I'm so sorry, Ichi, I'm so sorry I couldn't be here when she died, and they took you all away, I tried but when I got back, I got Karin and Yuzu, but you were gone already!"

Ichigo blinked slowly, his mouth going dry almost immediately. "Karin and Yuzu..." he repeated softly, something in his mind clicking. Why did that sound so damn familiar? "I know those names..."

The man pushed him back again and stared down into his brown eyes. "Of course you do, they're your twin sisters, Ichigo, and I'm your father."

There were only a couple times Ichigo had blacked out, and none of them he wanted to remember. Most had to do with massive amounts of alcohol, drugs or a severe beating. But at those words and looking at that man's eyes, he felt the world swim, and then patches of black overtook his vision.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo blinked slowly, his head aching slightly. The ceiling was clean and white. He sat up quickly and dropped his head in his hand. He had a blistering headache and he could feel that he'd been out for a while, and hadn't had his nightly sleep aid. Dammit, he had an expensive fucking stash in his room. If he wasn't there, someone would steal it. He groaned and tried to remember what happened, but the last he could remember was Yammy hitting him because his sugar daddy didn't call this week.

"Fucking Yammy, not my fucking fault he didn't call," he said, moving stiffly. He had to have been out a long time, his muscles ached.

"Who's Yammy?" came a voice from behind him that he vaguely recognized. Wait, the john from the...

Ichigo turned to see the blond that picked him up last night. His brain fog was starting to lift. He scowled at him and tried to lift his right arm, only to hear a soft clink as he looked down to see it was handcuffed to the bedrail. He groaned.

"Fuck, dude, what is this?" he said, yanking on the metal handcuffs. He'd been in cuffs before, of course. Usually, some cop thought he was smart and could get Ichigo to tell him that he worked for someone. He ended up leaving a few minutes later with no problems, though, leaving a sex dazed cop behind him.

"I asked who is this Yammy?" he repeated calmly. Urahara was well aware already who Yammy was.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "My fuckin' boss. Pimp I guess, though he hates that name. He says he runs a whorehouse, not a pimp house." He probably shouldn't have said that because what if the guy was a cop or something? He was pissed off though, and he had very little filter when he was angry.

The blond looked out the window. "The hospital records show you have been into the major hospitals a couple times after being mugged."

Ichigo flopped back on the bed. "What of it? I can't help it my sexy ass gets jumped because they know I have the cash. I'm good. Sometimes it happens when I'm heading back to Las Noches from meeting with one of my clients."

He didn't catch the man behind him grinding his teeth. "You don't know me."

"Fuck, man, of course I don't! Who the fuck are you and why the fuck am I handcuffed to a bed in the hospital? Last I remembered, I take off with you and that weirdo and wind up here," he said frowning. His skin was starting to itch and he was feeling the need to get out of the room now.

"Are you feeling anxious?" the blond man asked.

Ichigo growled at him. "Let me out of here, dammit."

"My name is Kisuke Urahara," he said softly and moved to sit beside him. He reached out and yanked down Ichigo's arm, glaring at the line of needle marks inside. "How long?"

Ichigo frowned, and tried to yank his arm back, but the bastard was deceptively strong. "None of your fucking business."

"It would help to know how bad the withdrawal is going to be," he said, letting go of his arm.

Ichigo scowled and yanked his arm back up against his body. "I'm not a fucking addict."

"How long?" he asked again. He was looking at him in a way that made Ichigo unnerved.

"The last fuckin' five or six years, alright," he said finally. "I'm careful. I only take what I need."

"How much?"

Why was he telling this guy anything? "I gotta fucking sleep sometime."

Urahara finally stood up and left the room, as Ichigo lay back and glared at the ceiling, that jumpy feeling cascading over him. Damn. He was already getting the jitters. After Byakuya hadn't called, he'd shot up with more than he'd used in a long time. Then Yammy got hold of him, and he had to take something for the pain or he wouldn't have been walking. He didn't know what all he took, honestly.

Urahara walked out of the room, closing the door softly and nodding to the Shinigami beside it, a young man named Izuru Kira from the third division, drug enforcement. He went to the waiting room where Isshin, Yoruichi and another couple of Shinigami agents waited.

"He doesn't remember us, and he's already getting jumpy. He's got track marks, but it's quite obvious he's careful about it to minimize the scarring," Urahara said.

The other two Shinigami agents were Captain Jūshirō Ukitake from the Search and Recovery division, and Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu from the Medical and Psychology division. Of course, Ichigo hadn't been taken to a regular hospital; he'd been taken to the medical floor of the Seireitei building. With him being the son of an ex Shinigami, and a member of the Arrancar's brothel house, he had to be kept under guard. Isshin sat staring into space in the open, quiet waiting area. There weren't a lot of patients in the medical floor; in fact Ichigo was one of only a couple people here.

"How did this happen?" Isshin asked. "He disappeared while I was on assignment overseas in America. Aizen buried it for some reason. And now he's one of their..." he stopped. It had been Ichigo's disappearance that had caused him to leave as head of division ten, the Terrorism division.

Jūshirō spoke up, pushing his long white hair behind his ear thoughtfully. "After going through the evidence, he's going to have a long recovery, Isshin. Just what they did to him as a child, I can't imagine him not being scarred deeply. He's going to need a lot of time to adjust; this life has become everything to him. To be able to live, he's accepted that this is what he is. People that come out of this type of thing don't adjust easily to normalcy, in fact, they rarely do. Most people that are in this situation end up relapsing within a couple years and going back out there. I think he should stay here for a few months," he said, smiling sadly.

"No, I'm taking him home," Isshin said, standing up and nodding at them.

Jūshirō and Isane both exchanged a look and nodded. Isshin himself was a medical doctor, and it was his son. Isane cleared her throat. "Being in a stable environment might help, but we can't just let you go home with him, Isshin. Will you agree to one of the safe houses? I'll go, and maybe someone from the eleventh, just to be safe, and it will be under surveillance."

Isshin nodded. "Agreed, on the condition that the girls came come meet him with me, at least see their brother."

Jūshirō sighed, knowing that Isshin wasn't going to relent. "I don't think it is the best idea, but...as long as they can be put in a different safe house under guard for the time being after they visit."

Isshin stood up and walked out. He opened the door to Ichigo's room and went inside. Ichigo's eyes followed him suspiciously, and what hurt the most was that Isshin didn't see a trace of recognition in those eyes. That, more than anything, was like an arrow through his heart. As much as he loved all his children, losing one of them had nearly killed him. Masaki's loss had hurt, but Ichigo's loss was devastating to him. He wanted nothing more than to erase the last ten years, and he couldn't.

"What the fuck do you want?" Ichigo growled, looking away from him.

Ichigo was feeling several things at once that he didn't understand. Looking at this guy set off all sorts of bells and whistles in his head that he'd locked away a long time ago. To him, remembering anything before he was dragged Below was detrimental. He had pushed it all away so deep that it was like it didn't exist anymore. But his face, there was his face in front of him, and it made memories surface that he didn't want. Along with his face, came the early days Below, and those he didn't want to remember, the days when he was punished for crying for his father, for telling them he just wanted his pop, and the things they did made him forget...

"I'm your father, Ichigo. I know you don't remember me right now, but I'm taking you home with me tonight and you'll see your sisters again," Isshin said softly.

He glared at him suddenly. "Like hell! I don't fucking know you from half my johns. What makes you think I'm going anywhere? I get out of this fucking place, I'm getting back in before Yammy fucking misses me and beats me to death. You can't stop me, I haven't done anything illegal, so whatever you people think, fuck off."

Isshin knew that stubbornness. It may have been ten years, but he recognized that. "It's that or you're going to stay here under guard. You don't have any choice."

The scowl across the boy's orange brows would have killed a lesser man. But Isshin found himself chuckling at the look. Which of course earned a deeper scowl. Which increased Isshin's laughter. "The fuck!" Ichigo exclaimed with a very annoyed glance.

Isshin controlled himself. "That look, gods son, I remember that look so well every single time you got mad, and I thought I'd never see it again."

Ichigo turned away, heart fluttering in his chest because something felt familiar about him picking on him like this.

"I know you don't know me, and they said you can't remember what happened when you were younger, and you don't remember our family, but I didn't abandon you, and I've spent years trying to find you. And I want to get to know my son again."

Despite his anger, Ichigo could feel the warmth flowing off the man. He felt something for him. He knew he would regret it, he just knew it. "Okay, fine. But don't expect me to be someone I'm not. And I'm not fuckin' hiding what I do. I'm a fucking whore, okay? No matter what you think, I'm fucking fine with it. And I'm not going to pretend I'm not."

Isshin swallowed, hoping that his girls could handle seeing their brother like this. It had been so long, but when he said that he was bringing their long lost brother, both had broken down in tears. He hadn't told them what had happened to him. Just that he was different, and that they had to give him time to adjust. He got up and left him to the hospital so he could go home and get the girls situated.

The drive home was long, or at least it felt long, and finally he pulled in front of their house. He sat outside for a long time. He walked in the door and both girls asked questions furiously about where their brother was. He calmed the young women; they were both turning seventeen this year. "Yuzu, Karin, please, we have to talk before we go get him, okay?"

He led them to the kitchen table and sat down with a heavy sigh. "Girls, okay, we can't bring him home, so I need you to pack an overnight bag. A couple agents will take us to a safe house, and you can see him and even make him dinner like you wanted to do here, Yuzu."

"Agents? You mean Shinigami, the people you used to work for?" Karin asked, frowning. "Why are they coming to stay with us? You left that behind a long time ago. Why are we going to a safehouse with them?"

Isshin cleared his throat. "This is the only way you and I can see him until the possible danger to your brother, and us, since we've pulled him out of the life he's been in. He was working as an escort for some very bad people."

Yuzu looked up, her eyes wide. "Daddy, but isn't an escort..."

He closed his eyes. "He's going to be going through heroin withdrawal, and he's had a very rough time since he disappeared. Don't expect him to really know you, he doesn't remember life before..." he choked on the words, tears slipping from his eyes.

"But that means..." Karin started. "He's been... no dad that's not possible; he's only twenty this year!"

"Karin, you don't have to be an adult to be in the life he was dragged into after he disappeared. He's been in it since then," he said softly. The looks on both their faces nearly broke him. "I'm sorry but you have to know before you see him. You won't know him, and he doesn't act like you remember. He may say some really horrible things."

Karin had never forgiven her father for being gone when their mother died. More than that, when no one could be contacted immediately, they had been shuffled into foster care until their father returned from his undercover assignment in America. "So because you didn't get here in time to save him, our brother is a drug addicted male hooker?"

She stood up, knocking the chair flat and went to her room, slamming the door behind her. Isshin sat still. Yuzu stood up and hugged him. "She's angry, daddy, please don't be mad."

He shook his head, "I won't. Stay here and pack a bag. I'll have Kisuke came pick you up. I've got to take him clothes; I can't bring him home in what he was wearing."

He left and he set about picking up some things, jeans, t-shirts, and some tennis shoes. He'd gotten his shoe size from the clothes he wore, and added a little to it because they'd been very tight on him. He entered the medical wing and headed up to the room, and saw Isane and the other Shinigami agent, a man he knew only slightly, Ikkaku Madarame. From what he understood, he was a good man to have on your side in a fight. He had no doubt he would help protect his son if the need arose. He walked into the waiting room and cleared his throat. They all turned to look at him.

"Mr. Kurosaki," Ikkaku said, bowing slightly, his bald head reflecting the light. Isshin thought he must shine it.

"Isshin, please. We'll be rooming for who knows how long," he said nodding. "I'll go take him clothes and sign him out. He's not happy with this."

Isshin didn't wait for a response he just went to the room to find him released from his cuffs and standing in the bathroom poking at the black eye. Isshin saw a dark bruise on his knee and a few more light bruises here and there. They hadn't asked exactly what had happened yet. He'd had a sprained knee, two fractured ribs, and several bruised ribs, along with the black eye and a few other minor contusions.

He looked up at Isshin and sighed. "Time to go, eh, old man?"

Isshin nodded and handed him the bag. He looked in it and pulled out the clothes, clucking as he stripped off his gown and dressed quickly without a second thought in front of the man he had just met the day before. Isshin's heart clenched to remember the little boy that wouldn't even come out of the bathroom in his underwear without turning red. Ichigo moved toward him, pulling down the shirt and Isshin noticed long, thick scars across his stomach.

"What did that?" he asked.

He looked down, as if remembering something he hadn't thought of in a long time. "Fuck if I know," he said shrugging, but a hollow look remained on his face for a moment. "I don't remember the things I've forgot."

Isshin swallowed and led him out of the room. He gestured to the waiting room with the agents that were waiting for him. He blinked away the tears and followed him. He stood, hands jammed in his pockets, glaring around the room at the three detectives.

"Ichigo, this is Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, she's with the medical division. And this is Ikkaku Madarame, an agent with the arms division," he said softly.

He glanced at both of them then snorted. It was the white haired girl from the hospital place and the other one was a bald dude. Whatever, he thought. "Let's go, I feel like shit, old man."

They left, not another word was spoken until the two cars pulled into the driveway of the modestly large place. It was one of several of these type of houses, located in out of the way locations, away from other houses. After they had their dinner that Yuzu had wanted to fix, Kisuke and Yoruichi would take the girls to another location. Isshin got out and watched as behind him, the two agents emerged from the other car. Ichigo stared at the house then got out. He hadn't been in a proper house for as long as he could remember. He stepped out and ran a hand through his hair. He looked up as two young women came out of the doorway followed by the blonde he'd been picked up by. There was a woman with black hair with him. Both of the teenage girls stopped stock still. Then, the brown haired girl came running at him full tilt.

"Brother!" she screamed and latched onto him. He stiffened and held his arms out at an awkward angle, not sure what to do with the sudden show of affection. He pushed her back at arm's length.

"Who the fuck are you?" he said, scowling at her. She looked like someone had punched her at his words.

"Brother, I'm Yuzu, your sister, remember?" she said, tears collecting in her eyes. He just rolled his eyes and walked past her to the doorway.

Karin frowned. "What's your problem, she's been beside herself waiting for you to come home!" she yelled.

He looked at her. "Well, sweetheart, I won't fucking be here long, so even if you are my sisters, leave me the fuck alone until I can go back where I came from, then you don't have to worry about me, okay?"

He walked past her into the house, nausea and need running through him as he held onto the doorway, hoping it would pass. Isshin put a hand on Karin's shoulder and gave her a sad smile.

"Old man, where's the fucking bathroom?" Ichigo said, turning his head back. "Unless you got something for this."

"Ichigo, come on, come this way," Isshin said, stepping past Karin and into the house.

He led him into the bathroom and waited outside as he emptied his stomach painfully into the toilet. He looked up to see his girls staring at him.

"I warned you," he said softly. "Give him time."

The twins exchanged glances and Karin went to their room while Yuzu went to start dinner for everyone. Isshin went into the living room to wait until Ichigo came out of the bathroom. Ichigo was frantically going through the cabinets. He sighed. He thought the asshole was a doctor, and he didn't have shit. Actually, he realized, there was nothing in this house. He guessed this wasn't his house after all. He would have given his left nut for something to take the edge off right now. He shook his head and exited, almost running into the pale haired woman that had come with them.

"Are you feeling ill?" she asked softly.

"Of course, stupid fucking bitch," he said, shaking his head and went into the living room and flopped into the sofa. He sat unmoving until they told him he needed to go to dinner with these people.

Ichigo hadn't sat at a real dinner table and eaten real food like this in a long time. It was kind of nice, but strange at the same time. He felt sick and damp and jumpy and he didn't like it one bit. The girls brought out a large spread of various foods for everyone, more than Ichigo had seen at once in a while, other than the nights he spent with Byakuya, of course. Ichigo at slowly, pushing the food around a bit.

"Is something wrong, brother?" Yuzu asked quietly.

"This is weird, at a table like this. I'm usually on a sofa with Luppi or in a john's room when I eat, if I eat," he muttered morosely.

This whole thing was making him feel more than a little uncomfortable. He didn't belong here. He didn't belong at this table with this family. He didn't have a family. Families were liabilities. Families got hurt. Families were used to hurt people. This wasn't right. This whole thing was wrong and made his gut twist and he wanted nothing more than to get out of the house and away from these people. He was a diseased soul, he knew that. He couldn't, wouldn't, pass something like that along to people that didn't deserve it.

"Who's Luppi?" Karin asked, looking up.

Ichigo sighed. "Another whore, one of the streetwalkers I help out now and then so he doesn't get killed for not getting johns. He was there for me when I came up from Below, he helped me adjust, then I ended up helping him because I got to be an Escort and shit, while he was stuck turning tricks on the corners."

Everyone was quiet from then on and Ichigo sighed and went to the room his "father" said was his to stay in. The bald agent, what's-his-nuts, like he cared what his name was, pulled up a chair and sat down in the hallway. The blonde that picked him up had taken the two girls away, so that was good. At least if something happened, they wouldn't get hurt. No matter what he said, seeing them had made a difference to him. He wanted to curl into a ball and cry, honestly. He needed Byakuya. Badly.

He crawled into bed, shivering a bit and waited until everything grew quiet. He wasn't staying here. No way, he thought. If these people were his family, and at the depths of his heart, Ichigo knew they were his family, they were in danger because Yammy would track his ass down and kill anyone between him and Ichigo. He crawled out of the bed, irritated that he'd left his shoes at the front. There was a huge part of him that wanted to stay, but there was another that knew that if he did stay, these people who wanted to help him, give him a chance to change, were going to be in danger. He didn't want that. He wasn't going to be the cause of anyone else's death.

He found that the window was painted shut on the inside, but he made short work of it with his fingernails. They were bleeding and jagged by the time he was done, but he managed to get the window about halfway up. He sighed because that was going to hurt like a bitch when he squeezed through it... He shimmied his way out the opening, dropping gently to the ground outside, almost yelping at the pain from his knee Yammy had hurt.

He looked back at the quiet house and then took off, cradling his ribs and limping as he disappeared into the houses that surrounded this one in a sort of suburban jungle. He couldn't go back to Las Noches; Yammy really would kill him this time. It didn't matter why he'd disappeared. He had no idea where he was going until he stood outside a glass skyscraper. Byakuya's building.
Chapter Six

Close Connections and the Lover's Truth

Shinobu moved around the lobby of the building. It was nearly three in the morning and he had been in the mood to walk about with Yomi, a raven that had been his first bird. Now, he had quite the aviary, of course. He stopped at the large front windows of the Starlight 50. It was one of Byakuya Kuchiki's buildings, and he was staying in one of the furnished upper floor apartments while his house was being renovated. This was being done partly to refit the aviary room for several new birds he was scheduled to acquire and rehabilitate later this year, but also because Uryū was supposed to come home for good within the next six or seven months. He wanted something there for him as well.

He smiled as he stared out into the sky. This was such a unique building, mostly glass but made to reduce light pollution with a coating on the outside. It wasn't mirrored, though. He petted Yomi's head back thoughtfully as he turned to walk back through the lobby again. Yomi had been the only one of his birds awake when he came downstairs. All of his parrots had been asleep, and he enjoyed their companionship when he walked.

He saw a pair of people stumbling down the sidewalk outside the building, obviously having come from some sort of party or something. Their faces were red and they were laughing and hanging on each other. Shinobu had never been much of a party goer, though he was often awake at odd hours. He'd never had much of a schedule, between being in the hospital and on medications that altered his sleep patterns. The habit of sleeping when tired, and being awake when he wanted, no matter the time of day had stuck with him. He sighed, turning away from the windows and walking one more circuit around the lobby. The advantage to having a random sleeping, though, was he often ran into interesting characters that otherwise he would not encounter during regular daylight hours.

He was about to head to the elevator when the door slammed open, catching his attention and sending Yomi up into the rafters of the large lobby. He hadn't quite turned around to see what the commotion was about when someone stumbled into him.

"Oh my," Shinobu said, finding himself staring at a disheveled young man he'd never seen before.

He was barefoot, granted so was Shinobu, but this young man's feet looked like they were bloody. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but he was obviously injured and bruised. His eyes were wide; one was blackened, and both were bloodshot. He had wild looking orangish colored hair that was sticking out all over his head in strange angles and falling into his face. Had he been mugged? He didn't look to have anything on him other than his clothes. Or had he been in an accident of some sort? He supposed that was also possible.

Ichigo hadn't expected to see anyone in the front of the building; in fact, he'd never actually been in the lobby of the building. He'd always come through the private garage and the private penthouse elevator. He blinked as he took in the person he'd run into. A man with really long, wavy black hair and a short, white qipao dress. And he had a nose ring. Ichigo had no idea why he focused on the nose ring of all things, but that was all he could think about for a moment until he shook his head off the septum piercing he had.

Ichigo didn't know who he was; he just hoped he could help him find Byakuya.

"Please, I need to find Byakuya," he said frantically, looking around and spotting the raven above him, but ignoring it. No time for that; granted he was definitely going to have to come back to the fact this guy had a fucking raven inside a building.

"Kuchiki-sama?" Shinobu asked, slightly confused that some strange young man was asking so casually for the man that owned the building. He had never heard even Byakuya's sister or wife refer to him by his first name.

"I don't fucking know," Ichigo whined, sounding more like a child than an adult, he was tired and he just wanted to see him more than anything. "I don't even know his fucking last name, I always come up the private elevator, through the garage, and I never come down here. I came to the tallest building because I've looked down from the fucking penthouse a lot. I don't know if I can get to the top floor from here, even, and I don't know if he's here, but I fucking need him!" he said, brows furrowed as he leaned his weight off the bad knee.

Shinobu wasn't sure what to do with him, but he figured he should probably take him at least up to his own room. He almost sounded like a child throwing a tantrum. It was strange, but he was obviously in distress, and if some of the other tenants came around, they'd call the police on him. If he was somehow someone important to the Kuchiki head, he probably should help him.

"Come up to my apartment, I'll call him," he said, knowing that he had the Kuchiki head's number saved in his phone upstairs. "I believe he may be here, as he's been staying here of late quite a bit."

Ichigo nodded, watching as the black raven came down and landed on the odd man's arm. Again, Ichigo blinked. He had a big fucking raven. If that didn't qualify for a weird end to a weird fucking day, he didn't know what did. Ichigo followed him into the lavish elevator. It was nowhere near as fancy as the private elevator, but it was nice. He saw there were fifty floors to the place, but only the first forty-nine were buttons. A key was needed to get to the fiftieth floor, the penthouse, of course. Ichigo stood nervously, picking at his skin unconsciously. The elevator stopped and Ichigo followed him out of the elevator to one of the apartments and could not relax no matter what he did. He kept thinking of Yammy and Luppi, and what would happen to him if he didn't come back.

He stopped then and realized that there were birds in this place, and his new friend had one with him. A lot of birds. A lot of big birds in cages here. He took a long moment to look around. The apartment was plain, white walls, no pictures on the walls, no real decorations, but there were these cages, and it did have a nice sofa set and a chaise lounge inside a little ways. It of course was nowhere near as large as Byakuya's penthouse, but that room took up the entire top floor. He blinked, his eyes coming back to the bird cages.

"Birds?" he asked, blinking in the dim light. There were six large cages covered with blankets or something sitting around. "There are fucking birds. You have a fuckton of birds."

Shinobu looked up from putting Yomi back into his cage. "Yes, I have several. Wait here, I'll get my phone. I'm not sure how the head of the Kuchiki family will feel about being called at this time of night," he muttered as he left for a few minutes and returned. It was a good thing his family was so close to them and that he had taken an apartment here. That was the only reason he had his private number.

He rang the number twice before there was a groggy answer to the line. "What is it? This better be important," Byakuya said sternly. Shinobu didn't think he had any other way of speaking.

"Kuchiki-sama, I am sorry to disturb you at this time of night, but I encountered..." Shinobu started but then blinked as the phone was snatched out of his hand by his guest. He frowned and glared at him but realized something was definitely going on because there was a look of abject terror on this other man's face.

"Byakuya!" he exclaimed. "Please, I need your help, I'm in trouble, so much trouble, and I don't know what to do, Daddy, please...help me! He's gonna kill me and I know it and my father found me, and took me away, and I don't know...you...you're the only one I trust! I couldn't stay there, they...I know...no...I don't...but...okay."

There was a long silent moment and Ichigo handed the phone back to Shinobu and then just walked over and sat down by the front door with his orange head in his hands. Shinobu put the phone to his ear.

"Yes, Kuchiki-sama?" he said quietly, still confused.

"Shinobu, correct?" he asked with that same stern voice. He apparently wasn't rattled in the least by what this person had said to him. Shinobu wasn't surprised. He didn't think that Byakuya Kuchiki could be fazed by anything.

"Um, yes, Shinobu," he said, staring at the young man on the floor.

"Please attend to Ichigo until I can come down to retrieve him. I will be there shortly," he said, and the line went dead.

Shinobu put the phone on the counter and then retrieved a glass of water. He kneeled beside the other man and offered it to him. Ichigo looked up and took the glass and drank it down in one long gulp. "Do you need anything else?" Shinobu asked.

Ichigo swallowed and shook his head. "I need Byakuya, I want my Daddy," he said morosely. He had never needed someone so badly in his entire life.

Shinobu had no idea what was going on. He stood and then heard the door chime, so he went to answer it to see Byakuya there. He had to blink because he had never seen the prim, proper and completely pristine man look anything but perfect. Instead, he was wearing a rumpled blue yukata and a pair of tabi and looked like he had literally just grabbed the nearest clothing and left his penthouse. His hair was wild and all over his head and he nodded once, then pushed past Shinobu into the room.

"Ichigo?" he said, and Ichigo looked up, blinking at him and then struggled to his feet, but failing, sliding back down the wall. Byakuya went over to him and kneeled beside him. "Ichigo, what happened? Who did this to you?" he said, reaching up and gently caressing the bruises on his face.

Shinobu was stunned to complete silence and stillness. He had never in the entire time he'd known of Byakuya Kuchiki seen him touch another person willingly, and definitely never with such tenderness. The boy on the floor was looking at him with eyes that were open and vulnerable where a moment ago they'd been angry and closed off. Byakuya's whole posture was different, relaxed and leaning toward this Ichigo person.

"You...you didn't call...he got mad...so he went after me, and Yammy would have done worse but one of the courtesans came down and told him to send me to the fucking corner to make...make up for it..." he said, cradling his ribs and looking down. "And I got a john, but...but he wasn't a john. He was this guy named Urahara and he took me to his office, and there was this guy...he said he was my father...and I woke up in a hospital and I knew Yammy would be pissed because it was the next day..."

Byakuya stared at him in confusion, pulling his hand away from Ichigo's face slowly. "You work for Yammy."

Ichigo looked up, slightly annoyed, more from Byakuya pulling away from him than the question. "Who the fuck do you think I worked for? I'm a fucking high dollar whore in Tokyo. There aren't a whole hell of a lot of choices for that shit!"

"I...I did not ask questions...I should have...this changes things..." he said quietly, standing slowly, a deep furrow creasing his brow.

Ichigo's eyes went wide and he grabbed Byakuya's leg when he stood up. "No, please, don't leave me, I think I fell in love with you, Daddy," he gasped, realizing how true that statement was.

Ichigo's heart was beating so fast that Byakuya could feel the rhythm through his thin chest against his calf. The sudden and complete emotion and truth in Ichigo's words made his breath catch. Any doubts that Byakuya had were shattered in that second. Any chance that he would turn away from Ichigo had disappeared.

Byakuya's face betrayed him completely as the sheer emotion that played over him. Shinobu had never known that such a thing was possible. He reached down and pulled Ichigo's face up and nodded. "I won't leave you, come with me, we'll go up to the penthouse and let Shinobu alone. However, there are things...unexpected things...that we must discuss."

He helped Ichigo get to his feet and led him to the door. Ichigo immediately wrapped himself around Byakuya as much as he could and still walk. Byakuya looked to Shinobu.

"This must remain between us. I am sorry for interrupting your night," Byakuya said with a slight bow and led Ichigo from the apartment.

Shinobu shut the door behind them and thought for a moment. Well, that explained why Byakuya seemed livelier the last few months.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Byakuya let Ichigo into the room and was about to begin explaining things when Ichigo grabbed his face and pulled it to his in a passionate, needy kiss. Byakuya blinked and stared for a second, reciprocating, of course, but confused.

"Ichigo, I need to explain things...there's..." Byakuya began.

"Don't give a fuck," Ichigo said, pulling Byakuya's hands to get him to go into the room further. "You, I want you Daddy, right now," he muttered.

Byakuya frowned deeply. "You've been hurt, Ichigo, you..."

"Fuck me, Daddy, fuck your little boy," he said, cutting his eyes up at Byakuya and seeming smaller than he was. "I'm your little boy now, right? You came and saved me, Daddy, you love me, don't you Daddy? You'll take care of me now? I need you right now, right here," he said, stepping back and stripping off his t-shirt and tossing it and unbuttoning his jeans.

Byakuya was just staring at him unsure what to do, but he did know he hadn't been this aroused in a long damn time, even with Ichigo. "Ah, little boy, yes, mine, only mine, no more, you're staying here, with me, no more working for Yammy, no more letting anyone touch you without my permission, no, you're mine, from now on," he said finally, his voice wavering slightly. This was completely not how he had intended to propose Ichigo stay with him on a permanent basis.

Hisana knew. She had known he found someone that had cracked the cold exterior he showed everyone. Ichigo was the fire to his ice, the heat to his cold, he was everything he wasn't, and he could, no he would, protect that. He couldn't believe that he'd actually fallen in love like this. He couldn't deny it as Ichigo stripped off the rest of his clothes and stood there covered in bruises and bandages. He hadn't known he was one of Yammy's. He didn't realize, and he should have figured it out. He was one of the many victims of the Arrancar and the Messer, and it made sense, most of the sex workers in Tokyo were owned by the Arrancar. But it had been Matsumoto that gave him the card, he'd though she had vetted the boy. Had she known? There were a good number of freelance sex workers in the city, and he had erroneously assumed that this boy was one of them.

Ichigo smiled, fluttering his eyes at him and ducking his head. Before Byakuya thought anything more, he growled low in his throat and leaned over, grabbing Ichigo around the waist and tossing him over one shoulder. Ichigo whimpered a little as the pressure his ribs increased, but he wasn't complaining as he felt Byakuya possessively grip his waist and then dump him into the bed. Byakuya stared for a moment, then dropped his yukata and crawled into the bed with him.

Ichigo shouted suddenly as Byakuya swallowed his cock down and slid three fingers into him at the same moment. He moaned as Byakuya fingered him into an orgasm, sucking him dry. He then moved up his body and began sucking on his nipples while he used one of his hands to stroke him back to arousal. Ichigo whimpered because it was so close to the ribs. He realized Byakuya was carefully holding his body above him.

"Daddy, I want you inside, I want to feel you, I want to be yours, no one else's, I wanna be your baby boy for good, Daddy, claim me, claim me, ah fuck, Daddy, that's it," he chattered on as Byakuya continued to tease him with fingers and teeth and tongue. Byakuya had learned many ways to make Ichigo curse and several to make him stop, and nipping at his collar bone while he teased his perineum never failed to make Ichigo arch under him.

Byakuya reached down with his hands as he clamped down on Ichigo's mouth with a passionate, fierce kiss. He pushed Ichigo's legs farther apart before he slammed into him, with as much force as his first time with him. This time, though, Ichigo was prepared enough that it only burned for a moment before he slid into ecstatic exclamations of cusswords mixed with begging and moaning. Byakuya was always a fierce lover, but there was something different tonight. There were no games, no playing around, just pure claiming of his little boy.

Ichigo gasped as Byakuya pulled him upright, forcing Ichigo to straddle his lap, and once more Ichigo was floored by how freaky strong he was. He was still managing the same rhythm, only deeper, with Ichigo sitting on top of him like that. Ichigo's cock was trapped between them and being mercilessly stroked against Byakuya's taunt belly. It was more intense, more amazing, and he realized it was because he had done this of his own will. He wasn't being paid, he wasn't being told to let Byakuya fuck him. No, he asked Byakuya to do this, to prove to him that he was more than a whore. He needed to know, he needed to know if Byakuya loved him as much as Ichigo loved Byakuya. And in Ichigo's head, sex was the only way to prove that sort of thing.

"Daddy, Daddy, fill me with your cum, please, fill me up until it's dripping down my legs and soaking the bed," he moaned as he held on to Byakuya's neck for dear life. His legs were already weak from being clamped around Byakuya's waist but he didn't care. "Fuck, Daddy, I love you so much..."

Byakuya paused and shut Ichigo up for a long moment while he stopped in his thrusting to sit still and ravage his mouth with his tongue while his hands squeezed his ass rhythmically. Ichigo only ever shut up when he was being kissed, it seemed, and Byakuya needed to collect himself because he had to do this right. He had to. This was his chance. Finally he pulled back, rolling his hips into a slow and steadily building rhythm.

"Be my little boy," he panted, out of breath from the work he was doing to keep the position they were in. It was really testing his muscles no matter how light Ichigo was. "I love you, more than I can say, be my little boy forever, and I'll always take care of you," he said, and buried his head in Ichigo's neck.

At the words, Ichigo couldn't hold it back anymore, and an intense climax hit him and he nearly screamed with the pleasure and pain of it. He felt Byakuya stiffen under him and felt the warm wash of his own release inside, and it felt like he was complete. They both clung to each other for a long moment and then Ichigo snuggled his face into the hollow of Byakuya's neck.

"Yeah, Daddy. Yeah," he said, already falling asleep sitting up. He was emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted, and only in the comfort of Byakuya's arms could he let go enough to fall asleep.

Byakuya smiled and laid him down as gently as he could; grabbing the towel at the bedside and cleaning them both up before he pulled the covers over him. Byakuya wiped the sweat from Ichigo's orange and now relaxed brow, smiling because he was happy.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Momma, can we go by the river?" the little boy asked, smiling up at his mother. He was so happy today. He'd won a match at his martial arts class for the first time.

She smiled down at him, her eyes warm and calm. "Of course, love! You want to see the moonlight dance, don't you?"

He grinned, the look lighting up his features, and almost eclipsing his bright orange mop of hair. They walked down by the river and he watched the moon's reflection and ran up and down the bank chasing it as it moved. He didn't see the men behind his mom until it was too late and there was a gun to her temple. Then hands wrapped around him and tried to scream, but a hand was placed over his mouth.

"Hey, there Masaki, how are you tonight?" a gruff voice asked and she shook.

"What are you doing here, and why?" she asked, visibly shaken.

He pressed the gun to her temple harder. "Well, you see, I've got an interest in that boy of yours, and I'm determined to do something about it."

"Leave him alone, you bastard!" she said, only to have the gun gouged into her temple again. She yelped at the pain a little as tears filling her big eyes.

The man holding the boy brought him forward and shoved him at his mother, and she grabbed him tightly. He was shaking and tears were running freely down his face. The second man took the gun and stood behind him. The first one smiling at Masaki now. The little boy couldn't see his face. They were all in shadows and he didn't know who they were and how his mother knew them.

"He's so pretty, Masaki, you know. Too pretty to not be shared with the world," he said softly and grabbed the boy by the collar, yanking him away.

The mother wanted her child back but was held still by an arm at her waist.

"So little boy, tell me, will you come with me tonight?" he asked.

The boy screamed and tried to run away, but was held tightly. He heard his mother's screams of terror and then there was a loud bang and the boy stopped, watching his mother slump to the ground. The man leaned forward.

"You did this. If you had just listened..."

The boy dropped to his knees beside the glassy eyes of his mother and the rain began to pour. And the boy began to scream.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Ichigo!" a voice called. It seemed familiar. It seemed comforting and warm. "Ichigo, wake up!"

He sat up, breathing hard and unable to see, pain lancing through his ribcage. He felt he was in unfamiliar surroundings. Waves of nausea were crashing over him as he stumbled to his feet, feeling the retching sensation climbing up his throat. He felt hands on him guiding him and he was grateful when light flooded the bathroom as he fell to his knees in front of the toilet. He retched and half of what little he'd eaten the day before seemed to come back up with a vengeance. He finally laid his head on his arm on the toilet ring, his breath heavy and panting. He hadn't felt this bad in a very long time.

"Here, try this," the comforting voice said, handing him a flat pill. "It dissolves; it should help with the nausea."

Ichigo didn't bother to argue, he just took it and after a few minutes his rolling stomach stopped. He looked up at the man, tears streaming down his face still.

"I remember the night she died," he whispered. "They were trying to take me away and she wouldn't let them..."

"When who died?" Byakuya asked, kneeling on the floor beside the toilet. Ichigo's screaming had woken him up. Ichigo sometimes had nightmares, but they had always been easily quelled. This had been much different.

"My mother. I watched her die and they took me away. The people who were watching me, they were supposed to give me back to my pop when he came back from wherever he was, America, I think, and Uncle Urahara, he was in Brazil..." he said quietly.

That was when it clicked for Byakuya. He stared at the boy he'd just taken as not only his lover, but his responsibility. He was Isshin Kurosaki's missing son. Ten years ago, when everything had happened, Byakuya had been just starting at the Shinigami under his grandfather's tutelage as an heir to the family fortune and the family legacy. He'd remember thinking how bad it was that the captain of the terrorism division had lost his son while he was on assignment. Then he'd watched things fall apart when the head of their Kidnapping and Abduction division had disappeared, along with every record of the boy's disappearance. They'd known the two had to be related, but they had no idea how. Now he understood.

"She...she shouldn't have protected me, Daddy, I wasn't worth it, and you shouldn't do it now, I'm not worth protecting...I should...I should have just kept running; now you're going to be in trouble if he finds me..." Ichigo said sadly.

"Ichigo, I'm a captain with the Shinigami," Byakuya said finally. He understood now where Ichigo had been. He had been at the Seireitei building when he said he'd been in the hospital.

Ichigo frowned and sat up slowly. "What? I thought you were some businessman or something? You lied to me?"

"I didn't lie. I'm also the owner of Kuchiki Enterprises, but I lead a double life few know about. I'm the captain of the division for white collar crime and embezzlement. My position in the business world gives me access to information I wouldn't otherwise have. I just put together who you were. I'm so sorry I didn't do it before now," he said quietly. Byakuya knew he'd let his own emotions get in the way of seeing clearly, something that he normally didn't allow.

Ichigo frowned and thought for a long moment. It wasn't like he ever asked what his johns did, and until tonight, their encounters had been about fucking everywhere and anywhere around this apartment. It wasn't like there was a lot said between them except for Ichigo's explicative filled monologues. Byakuya rarely spoke.

Byakuya moved closer to him, just a little. "So you see I am in no danger by protecting you. I will call them this morning and let them know you are here with me."

"Don't let them take me!" Ichigo gasped and practically fell into Byakuya's arms. "I don't want them, that's why...that's why I came here..." he whispered, frantically clutching to Byakuya's body like he would never let him go.

Byakuya found himself smiling as he caressed the back of Ichigo's head gently. "No, you won't leave my side, even for a moment, baby boy. Not for a second. I will protect you with everything I have and everything I am. You are safer with me than in any safe house the Shinigami have."

Byakuya held to him like his life depended on it and he realized he was detoxing. He'd forgotten entirely about the track marks on his arms. He sighed and was reminded why he tried to distance himself from emotions like this.

"How long since you've used heroine?" he asked softly.

Ichigo swallowed. "A couple days now," he said, still clinging to him. "I want...I want it...but I want to give it up, but I'm scared. The memories find me from when I was Below in Las Noches," he said with a wavering voice.

That statement hit Byakuya hard. Below. He tightened his hold on him. That meant he'd been used as a boy, a child. "Were you there the whole time after you ran away from your foster family?"

Ichigo made a half chuckle, more felt than heard by Byakuya. "I didn't run away," he said softly. "They sold me to them a few weeks after I went to live there," he said, and Byakuya could feel his shoulder growing damp already. "I wasn't even ten yet, and I was down there for eight years...other than the johns and the handlers, I only got to see the others and this weird blonde kid that brought us food now and then through the window..." he said, sobbing a little. It was harder to push the thoughts of that time away without the drugs.

"I'm sorry, little boy, but I've got you now," he said, pulling him up into a bridal carry and returning to the bed with him. By the time he was there, Ichigo had fallen asleep again. Byakuya covered him up and wiped his own tear away. He knew he had to call it in; he couldn't put it off any longer. It was almost dawn.

Byakuya went and got the phone with the cherry tree on the back of it and dialed the number. There was silence when the phone picked up.

"Head Captain, Senbonzakura with a report. I have custody of Ichigo Kurosaki at my Starlight 50 apartment. Requesting backup from Sōgyo no Kotowari," Byakuya said formally.

"Affirmed." The line went dead and he put down the phone. Jūshirō Ukitake would be able to help. He knew that.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

It was almost noon when there was a buzzing from the intercom by his private elevator. He smiled, glancing in the security camera. It was Jūshirō and Kiyone Kotetsu from the thirteenth with Yumichika Ayasegawa from the eleventh division. In addition to being the division that handled arms and explosive, the eleventh division was also used as guards as they were the highest trained in combat skills. He buzzed them into the elevator and straightened his suit jacket. He had also left a yukata on the end of the bed for Ichigo if he woke up before they left.

The elevator opened to reveal the two men and the shorter woman. As usual, Jūshirō wore a loose fitting set of light colored clothes and had his long white hair tucked behind his ears. Kiyone wore the standard black suit that most of the Shinigami wore when they were on duty. Yumichika, of course, was rather more expressive even than Jūshirō in dress, wearing a frilly black blouse and a pair of skin tight black jeans. He claimed it was black, so it didn't matter what style it was. Of course, his hair was pulled back out of his face with two feathered barrettes, one purple and the other teal.

"Byakuya," Jūshirō said with a smile as he entered and bowed slightly at him. "You requested me specifically? How did you manage to come into the Kurosaki boy's custody?" he asked, confused obviously.

"Come to the sitting room, and I'll give you a full explanation of what has occurred," he said with a sigh.

Once everyone got seated, Byakuya paused. "As you know, my wife Hisana passed last week. Before she passed, she requested that I pursue my desires, instead of the desires of my family line. That is why today there was an announcement that Rukia is taking over as the official head of the Kuchiki family."

The others, seated on the opposite sofa glanced at each other. Everyone knew that Byakuya's marriage had been purely political. Just then, Jūshirō looked up to see Ichigo coming into the room rubbing his eyes sleepily. He was wrapped up in a sheet and made a beeline straight for Byakuya and crawled right into his lap muttering under his breath. More shocking to the three people watching, however was the fact that Byakuya simply moved to accommodate him, and let then began running his hands through Ichigo's hair. Ichigo clung to him and buried his face in Byakuya's neck and sighed.

"You were gone," they heard him mutter. "Was worried..."

"Shh, rest," Byakuya said, his voice carrying a tone none of those present had ever heard. "I've got to explain the...situation to my fellow Shinigami."

Ichigo turned his head at that and saw the white haired one he'd seen before from a distance at the hospital place and glared at him. "What's to tell? You've been fucking me for almost three and a half months, and now I'm staying here. It isn't that hard to understand."

Byakuya sighed at Ichigo's bluntness as all three of the others stared for a long moment. "That is far more blunt than I had intended to put it, Ichigo."

"Fuck it, tell 'em to go away," Ichigo muttered. "I'm fine, not going anywhere, just leave me alone."

Jūshirō stared at Byakuya for a long time. "Rangiku said she gave you an escort's card. It was Ichigo's card."

Byakuya nodded. "Yes, apparently, neither she nor I realized who he was, nor who he worked for. I believe she, like me, was under the impression, he was a freelance sex worker, not one of the ones from Las Noches."

Yumichika smirked finally, staring at Byakuya. "You're gay?"

Both Kiyone and Jūshirō glared at him. Yumichika held up both hands. "Well, sorry, it is kind of shocking, he's always been so straight laced I assumed that extended to the bedroom."

Ichigo turned and grinned at Yumichika. He kind of liked him, he was pretty, and didn't look so much like a stick up the ass type. "Hmm, he's anything but straight laced," he muttered, getting a whack on his ass from Byakuya. He giggled and snuggled into Byakuya's chest again. "Sorry, Daddy," he said just loud enough for the others to hear.

"And yes, I've always been gay," Byakuya said with a sigh.

"But...your wife...?" Kiyone said slowly.

"Hisana was asexual. It was the real reason we never had children, and why I depend on Rukia to provide an heir once she marries Renji," he said with a nod at them both. "We loved each other deeply, romantically, but never sexually. Now, Ichigo, I'd like you to talk to Jūshirō, please."

Ichigo turned his face toward the others again. "Why? The fuck he know about the life I've been through? I spent eight years being fucked by every freak and pedophile that came along, getting photographed and videoed and distributed, the last few being fucking sold to the highest bidder to pay off the debts I owe for shit I didn't want and using heroin as a sleeping pill."

Jūshirō smiled gently, unperturbed by what Ichigo was saying to him in the least. "First, can I tell you my story?"

Ichigo frowned but nodded, still draped around Byakuya, but watching him. Jūshirō nodded.

"My mother was a sex worker, I watched her descend into drugs and eventually suicide. I never found out who my father was, some client along the road, and we were always moving because her pimp was always a hair's breadth from getting caught. I watched her break down. She got picked up, and the police didn't care, just pushed her back out the door. They didn't care that she was crying out for help with every needle mark. I saw her at night, weeping herself to sleep, but she didn't know how to get out of it. And no one helped her. She was just another whore to them. Worthless, drug addicted whore."

He sat for a moment, Ichigo staring at him now. "I never thought of her like that, you know, no matter how many times the kids picked on me. Even when they were calling me a bastard son of a whore, or that sort of thing. It never bothered me; I let it slide right off, surprisingly. Nothing they could say about her was worse than what she said about herself. And I knew that if I got in trouble for fighting about her, she'd be sad. So I didn't," Jūshirō said with a sad smile on his face.

"It might have been okay, but she brought a violent man home one night, strung out on meth and coke, and he found his way into my room. I guess I was about fourteen then, almost fifteen if I remember right, and she came running in when I screamed for her. The guy had come in while I was asleep and tied my hands and feet and when she came in and saw him raping me, she broke. Her work had hurt me far more than she could stand. It had always been separate from me, something of her life, but not mine. She'd always kept a gun by her bed, and she left and came back without a word and shot the guy in the back of the head. I looked up at her and she just said, 'I'm sorry,' and turned the gun and blew her own brains out."

By now Ichigo had turned around on Byakuya's and was staring enraptured by the story that this man was telling him. It explained many things about the man before him, he found. He was so placid, though, and Ichigo had no idea why he could be like that.

"So now, I fight for them, and their kids. For the people like you, Ichigo. More than one sex worker has a family, and I don't want them to go through what I did. People like Aizen who are into this child exploitation are the worst. These kids don't deserve this. Wrong place, wrong time, for most of them. For some, like you Ichigo, someone pushes them into it, but it still is just a case of bad luck, just like having that man walk into my room that night instead of back into my mother's room. For a long time, I lost everything. I fell in a deep well, and found my way out with a heroin needle. A man named Yamamoto pulled me out of it, and I became his protégé in the Shinigami, and now I run the Search and Recovery division so I can help people who have been lost like I once was."

Byakuya, of course, knew Jūshirō's past. But Ichigo just stared at him in wonder that he could talk about it so freely.

"You are not the first I've told this to, Ichigo. And you won't be the last by far. I've seen it all, and I've felt it all. I know the pain, the self-loathing, the self-hatred, Ichigo. You can't forgive yourself for a lot of things. If I hadn't called out, if I'd just been quiet, and let that man rape me without screaming for my mother, she might not be dead. She might have stayed alive. I live with that every day, Ichigo, knowing that I may have caused her death. I have to come to realize it wasn't me, it was him. He was the one that pushed her too far. Not only was he guilty of raping a fourteen-year-old boy, he was guilty of her death. Those of us, with pasts like this, we are the unforgiven. We can do anything, except truly forgive ourselves," he said, smiling again. "Let me help you, Ichigo. From one of the unforgiven to another."

Ichigo stared for a moment then reached out to tentatively take his hand. Unforgiven. That was truer than he could imagine.
Chapter Seven

Her Impending Death and the Truth of Their Lives

Ikkaku had opened the door to the room at almost ten. He'd checked in on Ichigo at around two in the morning and he'd just snarled at him to get the hell out. Ikkaku had done as he asked, resuming his position outside the door. He stared into an empty room for a long moment. He couldn't have gone anywhere. There was nowhere to go. And they were on the second floor. He saw the window was half open. That was impossible, all the windows were painted shut and sealed. He checked under the bed and in the closet and then went to the window. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The boy had pried the damn window open.

"Ikkaku, what..." Isshin said as he came down to the room.

Ikkaku looked from the open wind to Isshin and had a look of shock on his face. "Um..."

Isshin came over, seeing that there were spots of blood and pieces of finger nails embedded in the wood. "How the hell..." he said. "Go outside, check around the building. I'll check toward the road," he said and hurried out.

About an hour later, Urahara had come to the house, leaving Yoruichi with the girls at the other safe house. Isshin was staring at him with disbelief.

"What?" He was struggling to understand exactly what the hell he was being told right now.

Urahara sighed. "It seems that your son, who ran away last night while everyone slept, ran directly to Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, who has insisted that he remain with him from here on out."

To be honest, Urahara had stared at the head captain for a good five minutes before he could speak when he told him. Of all the people for Ichigo to go to, the ever emotionless and stoic leader of white collar crime was the last he would have thought of.

Isshin blinked at him dumbfounded. "Why?" was all he could manage.

Urahara rubbed his forehead. He wished that he hadn't been expected to tell Isshin this. Quite rightly, he feared for his lovely nose. Isshin tended to lash out when provoked. "Well, it seems that, um, he was servicing Captain Kuchiki for the last several months. In ah, a professional capacity."

"How was one of the most straight laced prestigious man in the entire Shinigami's service, a happily married man and head of a huge empire of businesses, and perhaps one of the most upright members of society in all of Japan, if not the world, hiring an Escort employed by the very group he is working to try and take down?" he asked, skipping the fact that one of his fellows on his old force was having sex with his son. For the moment.

"It seems that Lieutenant Matsumoto gave him Ichigo's card," he said, handing him a copy of Ichigo's card. The card was pretty simple. A phone number and a large strawberry covered in chocolate was pictured on a white background. The title read Strawberry Sweet in red with a subtitle professional escort service below it. "The number is a burner phone. No way to tell who had it. They've dumped the phone since he disappeared. My guess is the dispatcher had a phone for each of the Escorts in the employ of Las Noches."

Isshin looked at it. He'd seen much less tastefully done cards in his time. There would be no way to know who they were calling. It looked very much like the cards the independent sex workers handed out. Of course, independent sex work was completely legal. The illegal part was organized "pimping" and child exploitation. Aizen's group was guilty of both, but proving slippery to deal with considering the connections they had and their ability to blackmail people in power.

"That explains what happened until now. Why is Kuchiki keeping him there and not sending him back to me?" Isshin asked through narrowed eyes. A part of Isshin knew it was because Byakuya was familiar, safe, and Isshin was unknown.

"That...that's an interesting story, my friend, it seems..." Urahara was really not sure how he was going make the man understand what had happened. "It seems that the professional relationship may have turned into an emotional one."

Isshin blinked rapidly for a few moments. "He thinks he's in love with my son," he stated rather flatly. "That's ridiculous. What about his wife?"

"His wife passed this week, and he missed his normal appointment with Ichigo on Saturday. Apparently, that's how he got beat up by Yammy, because he was angry Ichigo's regular didn't call him. That was the only reason I was able to pick him up. He was on the corner out of punishment for Kuchiki not calling him," Urahara said, rubbing his head. "I might never have found him again if he hadn't been there. He would only come to the corner to help his friend Luppi so Luppi didn't get in trouble."

Before Isshin could speak again, Urahara sat down. "Look, let me tell you what I've found out so far about him and the things that happened in his life and maybe you'll understand him a bit better. I've had a couple undercover agents come in about things, and one in particular is in the inner circle of Aizen's forces and had a great deal of knowledge about what happens in Las Noches. He frequents it to see one of the Courtesans; actually he has 'bought' exclusive rights to her, similar to what Kuchiki was attempting to do for Ichigo."

Isshin nodded, leaning back into the sofa to listen. He would listen, no matter how angry he was at the moment at Byakuya Kuchiki. He was at least fifteen years older than Ichigo. Ichigo was his son, and this was quite a bit beyond acceptable to him.

"From what I found out, his foster parents are real pieces of work. They take in kids, almost exclusively for the money, and then they treat them like crap. More than one of their fosters has been listed as a runaway, including Ichigo. The pictures they've painted of how bad these children were made sure that no one looked further. I sent in a couple people to their house yesterday. What we found out was startling, in fact, the other foster kids knew exactly what had happened to the ones that had disappeared," Urahara paused. "In fact, they used it to keep the kids in line. They had photos of the runaway kids, and there were unsurprisingly some of Ichigo. They were told if they weren't good they would end up like Ichigo and a couple others."

"They contacted Sōsuke Aizen. I haven't figured out the exact connection between them, but I'm working on it. They had gotten word that Aizen was looking for a kid matching Ichigo's description that had been put into foster care. At that time, he didn't have the legal contacts he does now, so he was going at looking the old fashioned way. The only connection we have is that Sōsuke and I had a falling out, and Masaki used to work for an office he owned. Not sure what this all means yet, but it is looking more and more like the attack on Masaki and Ichigo's kidnapping were purposeful. From what we know, Sōsuke isn't interested in anything except his research, and power, but I've got operatives on that now," he said, rubbing his head thoughtfully.

Isshin reached to the coffee table and grabbed a teacup and filled it from the pot sitting there. "You have operatives? Are you working for them again, Kisuke?" he asked as he sipped tea quietly.

Urahara nodded. "Yeah, Yoruichi and I got pulled back in at the Old Man's request. We agreed, on a provisional basis, and that we are officially overseeing the investigation, especially with light of Kuchiki's involvement. Of course, he would ask you, but he knows that answer."

Isshin nodded wryly. "Continue," he said dully, standing and walking toward the window. He watched the storm clouds gathering and put his back to Urahara so he could think as the other man spoke.

Urahara nodded, for himself, and continued the tale he needed to tell Isshin. "So we know there is more to this than what is on the surface, and we're beginning to think this goes all the way to the Messer, and more importantly, the Queen. Quincy A has reported that things have become tense on their happy little island, and Jin Kariya has been quite on edge. It may be that the Queen is in play."

Isshin turned around and frowned. "The Queen is in play?"

Urahara nodded. "As far as we can tell, the only time Kariya or the King as he describes himself, gets worked up is when the Queen is actively making moves."

Isshin sighed. "Do we have any idea who the Queen might be?" Isshin said, turning back to the window again.

The Messer was the parent organization of which Aizen's Arrancar were but one arm of. The Shinigami's ultimate purpose was to take down the Messer and every single arm of them in the world. Doing so was difficult, because their leaders had what appeared to be untraceable, unlimited funds, and ran the entire operation safely from international waters in the Pacific Ocean. Because of rumors and sporadic evidence, they had weapons of mass destruction, dirty bombs, and possibly other terrorist level abilities, INTERPOL was having a difficult time dismantling. The Shinigami had been the visible arm of their destruction. The Wandereiche was an invisible infiltration group that not even Aizen knew of that was run tentatively out of the black ops division 2. Without the ability to penetrate their exterior, infiltration and destruction from the inside was their only option. So it was that they had several operatives in various positions on the Messer Island, all who went by the code name Quincy and a letter to designate which one it was.

The Messer, they found, used the titles associated with chess pieces. The known pieces in play were Jin Kariya, the self-described King and figurehead of the organization. Two men, scientists, named Ugaki and Sawatari were considered Bishops. Their heavy guards for the island were named Mabashi and Gō Koga, or the Knights. Ryō Utagawa and his wife Yoshi were considered the Rooks, and a pair of twins named Hō and Ban was used as Pawns. The two boys had been foster children, and had been inside plants in the system to find children suitable to exploit until they turned eighteen. There were two that had turned on the Messer, a woman named Yoshino Sōma who had been a Rook, and a young man only known as Cain, who had been a Knight briefly. Yoshino's whereabouts were currently unknown and Cain had been summarily executed by Kariya.

The problem was they had no idea who the "Queen" was. The Queen, whoever they were, were the real power of the Messer. They funded everything, they set up everything, and there was no way to figure out who they were. Even the infiltrators only heard the Queen spoken of in hushed voices, and the vast majority of them didn't know who the Queen was either. This fact alone made it nearly impossible to destroy them. As long as the Queen, the mastermind for the entire operation, still remained, there was no way to take them out for good.

Urahara sighed. "You know the answer to that, Isshin," he said with a sigh, sitting down heavily. "Quincy A has been on that island nearly four years, only coming back to see his fiancé now and then. He's looking forward to the end of his assignment, but the Old Man said that if they had to, they'd insist he stay," he said, rubbing his forehead thoughtfully.

"Okay, well that's well and good, what about Ichigo's situation should I know?" Isshin said slowly. "I think you've caught me up on most the important changes since I left the services of the Shinigami."

Urahara nodded. "Well, my contacts dug up more information on what he did as an Escort before Kuchiki became his sole client. I sent someone over a couple days ago to extract the young streetwalker that Ichigo was with when I picked him up; Luppi was his name I believe. My contact inside said that he was in a lot of danger if Ichigo didn't show up again in the next few days. I guess this guy is the closest thing Ichigo had to a friend, and it seemed he'd taken almost a big brother status over him to keep him from getting hurt. The first night I saw him, he was only on the corner so he could help Luppi make enough money for his week."

Isshin smiled and nodded. "Some things never change. Put himself in between someone and danger to protect them."

Ichigo had always been protective of his sisters and his mother. "We know his protective nature is why he took Masaki's death so hard, Isshin. He couldn't protect her, and I think, in some ways, he thinks he deserves what happens to him. I spoke to Jūshirō earlier. He went over and did an initial evaluation of the situation, and he's relatively certain a lot of Ichigo's actions stem from a great deal of self-blame and self-hatred for what happened to her. Apparently, he had no problem engaging in bondage and abuse fantasies. Of course, his conditioning when he was Below also helped with that."

Isshin's hand shook almost so much that his cup of tea nearly dropped. "What else did he go through? I know what happens Below, I don't want to hear that part. What about the last couple of years?"

Urahara nodded, grabbing a file with the reports he'd gathered from his operatives. "As you know, Las Noches has three levels. Ichigo got better treatment as a reward of sorts for being a child when he started." Urahara paused to let the nausea pass because saying it brought back the images from the evidence they'd picked up on his time there. "He had a sectioned off piece of one of the Escort rooms, so it was semi-private. They had him addicted to heroin when he was Below, and they encouraged that addiction to continue when he came up. He learned how to hide it better, which is why he doesn't appear to have a lot of marks. The medical report said he had other sites he used on his body.

"Heroin makes it easier to control the Escorts, and the messed up thing is they're 'charged' for their drugs. So everything Ichigo was given during his time below is added together, and he has a 'bill' for everything he's used. They deduct about a tenth of the amount he earned for each job, but it's drilled into their heads that the owe them which is why if they leave, they'll kill them. They have the ability; we know they have a very effective assassin in their employ. That's of course, only one way they keep them in check. Once they come up to Escort, they have to buy everything, their drugs, their food, their condoms, everything. If they can't afford it, they're expected to work without it. If they catch an STD, they're thrown to the street, if they're lucky, if they aren't they're thrown into the sea."

Isshin turned back and stared. "How many clients would he have had to deal with?"

"Before Kuchiki, it depended on who they were. Kuchiki paid a lot of money to have him to himself for twelve hours, so much that he wasn't required to take other clients as long as Kuchiki kept calling him every week. I'm not sure the amounts, but it looks like almost three and a half months he's been nearly exclusive to Kuchiki. Before that, from what I gathered, Escorts would have anywhere from one to twelve clients a night, and rarely got more than one night a week off, and the streetwalkers had it worse, expected to bring in a given dollar amount, and it didn't matter how they got it by the end of the week," Urahara said with a sigh. "So no matter how mad you might be at Byakuya Kuchiki, he kept Ichigo from having to work anyone else. It didn't start that way, either, from what I found out. Kuchiki initially only paid the standard fees. After the first time they met, he requested Ichigo become exclusive, and how much it would cost to make that happen. Whatever you think, he didn't want anyone else with him."

Isshin nodded. That was true. He had to admit a bit of his anger was receding about Kuchiki's involvement. He didn't see Kuchiki as the type to get possessive of someone over a casual sex relationship. If he was insisting on Ichigo remaining exclusive, he wanted to make sure he was the only one to have access to him. That meant, obviously, Kuchiki was more invested than a simple sexual affair. "Why'd he go to an Escort?" he asked finally.

"Apparently he's gay, always has been, and when his wife's condition turned worse, he needed an outlet," Urahara said with a shrug.

Isshin frowned and looked at him. "He's gay?"

Urahara grinned. "Yes, apparently, from what I've heard from the others, his marriage was pure family politics, and while he loved his wife, and she loved him, they were never interested in sex with each other. She was purely asexual herself, and quite happy that Kuchiki wasn't interested in sex with her. He abstained, however, until things got very hard. It seems that she also told him to pursue what he loved, and that's why he has handed his company and the family reins to Rukia, who has been made an official Kuchiki."

Isshin nodded. "Does he love Ichigo?" he said, turning back to the window. "You said that Jūshirō went over there to do an evaluation on the situation. Jūshirō won't lie."

Urahara sighed. "Jūshirō says he believes that there is more between them than sex. He doesn't know if it is love, but he doesn't doubt that Kuchiki wants to have him there, and he wants Ichigo safe."

Isshin nodded slowly. "Okay, that's good enough for me, for now, but I'll have words yet with Kuchiki for myself," he said with a sigh. "I'll let the girls know he's safe, and then head back to the safe house. If he decides to see me, call me, I don't want to impose right now. Withdrawal from the drugs is going to be bad the next couple weeks; I don't want to make things worse. What about the other young man, Luppi?"

Urahara looked thoughtful for a moment. "I might have an idea. From what I understand, he's frantic to see Ichigo and make sure he's okay, and Ichigo is worried about him. The Starlight 50 is easy to keep under surveillance, and Quincy A's fiancé is living there currently. I can ask him to let Luppi stay there with him. I really don't want Luppi and Ichigo staying in the same apartment, especially during detox, but it would relieve both their minds to be in the same building. And Shinobu is a good man."

Isshin put his cup gently on the table and nodded at Urahara before giving him a hug. "Okay, just call me with anything, Kisuke," he sighed with a grim smile.

"Of course, Isshin, of course. Go take care of the girls, and I'll do what I can here," he said, leading him out the door.

After the door closed Kisuke squeezed his eyes shut and slid down to sit on the floor and began to sob. He didn't cry often, and usually not in front of anyone, even his wife, Yoruichi. But he couldn't stop it after talking to Isshin. Everything he'd done wrong in the last ten years was crashing into him all at once. If it was his connection to Aizen that brought about Masaki's death and Ichigo's hellish childhood, how would he make it through the rest of this? If he was to blame, what was he supposed to do? He sat there for a long time until his tears ran out and just pulled his hat over his face and fell asleep with his back against the door. His dreams weren't pleasant.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo flopped back on the bed staring up, stomach clenching. "You have any idea how dead I am when Yammy finds me, Daddy?" he muttered, curling around the pillow, a wave of nausea gripping him.

"Well, I do have some good news. Luppi was picked up by the Shinigami the other night," Byakuya said as he came into the bedroom with a glass of water and some nausea medication.

Ichigo's eyes lit up immediately. "Is he okay? Did Yammy take it out on him?" he asked urgently.

Byakuya sat down on the bed and Ichigo crawled over to him, laying his head in his lap and wrapping arms around his waist. "A bit, but he wanted him to work, so he's looking okay, no worse than your condition, baby boy," he said, petting Ichigo's hair thoughtfully. "He's at the Seireitei medical wing right now, and he'll be moved somewhere to detox soon."

"I'm hot, I'm cold, I'm so angry, I want to scream, and I just want to sleep," he whined into Byakuya's lap before he suddenly sat up wide eyed and covered his mouth.

Ichigo rolled off the bed and ran to the bathroom again. When he returned he was given a glass of water by Isane who had come to take a shift as the medic on duty. "I just want a fix, fuck, this is gonna kill me, Daddy," he groaned, sinking into the bed again and looking up at Byakuya.

"Yeah, it feels like it. But just hang in there, and it will get better. And you won't die," Isane said, looking up at Byakuya with a soft grin.

She nodded as Ichigo gave her back the glass again. "Going to be a rough two weeks all around," she said, "But once it is over, you'll feel much better."

Kiyone, who had stayed while Jūshirō went back to the Seireitei ducked his head into the room. "Ichigo, do you want any lunch?" she asked softly.

The orange hair looked at him, and the thought of food sent him stumbling back to the toilet again. "Guess that's a no," Kiyone said with a sigh and left the room.

Isane crossed her arms and looked at Byakuya who was watching the bathroom door from his seat on the bed. "I get the feeling he might get explosive...he's struggling with emotional control as it is, and the irritability and irrational anger may kick in, Byakuya. You need to prepare for it."

Byakuya nodded as Ichigo came back, holding his yukata closed and crawled into his lap. "Daddy, make it go away," he whined as he buried his face in Byakuya's hair.

Isane arched a brow at Byakuya, having missed the fact Ichigo seemed to refer to him as Daddy most the time no matter who was around. Byakuya wrapped his arms around him and hugged him. "Little boy, I'm sorry, I wish I could," he said, the words so full of emotion and feeling that Isane almost didn't recognize the man. She shook her head and left the room. That was...unusual.

Kiyone looked up as her sister came into the kitchen and nodded. "How is he? He was looking rather green..."

Isane nodded. "Oh yes, it will get worse. I'm still trying to get this relationship between the two of them."

"He fell in love with a hooker. Happens to the best of us, I guess," Kiyone commented, chopping onions into the pot. "You know as well as I do, Kuchiki will get tired of him and the boy will decide he wants to go back to the streets."

The doorbell rang out and Isane headed to answer it, knowing Byakuya wouldn't leave Ichigo's side for a moment if he could avoid it. If nothing else, the man was dedicated. She opened the door to find Renji Abarai, Byakuya's lieutenant, and Rukia Kuchiki, Byakuya's sister in law.

"Oh, hi there!" she said with a broad smile.

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "Where is he?" she asked sternly.

"Your brother?" Isane asked, unsure who she was talking about.

Rukia stormed past her and Renji came in and shrugged an apology to the pale haired woman. She barged directly to the bedroom and shoved open the door violently enough to bang against the wall. Unfortunately, when someone is going through heroine withdrawal, they tend to get anxious and excitable; Ichigo was no exception and the loud banging sound send him scrambling right onto Byakuya's lap with a near shriek of surprise. Byakuya, however, didn't even flinch at the slightest at the sound; he simply pulled the whimpering Ichigo into an embrace and stared over his body at his sister.

"Nii-sama," she said, her voice dripping with distaste and annoyance.

Byakuya shushed Ichigo and pulled him up more securely onto his lap. He'd sat on the bed beside him, leaning against the headboard and reading on his tablet. He'd even managed to put it down calmly. He seemed absolutely non perturbed by his sister's entrance. "Yes, Rukia?"

Renji came up beside her and gaped openly at the sight before him. He had never in the entire time he'd known Rukia or worked with Byakuya for the man to show anything close to affection toward another human being. "I'm sorry, Captain, I really am, she wasn't taking no for answer..."

"It is fine, Renji. This confrontation was inevitable, and I had hoped it would have been further down the line, but things have evolved to make that impossible. My hand was forced sooner than I had intended," Byakuya said, hands idly stroking Ichigo's back. He was still clutching him, but now he could tell he was fighting another wave of nausea and could already feel the cold sweat soaking through the thin yukata he'd put him in.

"You can't do this. You can't...have him here. You are better than this, Nii-sama," Rukia said. "My sister's ash is barely cold, and already you've invited another to your bed."

Byakuya and Hisana had never confided their relationship with Rukia, though there had been debate between them about what to do. "Your sister never shared my bed, Rukia. Ichigo is the only person I've been with."

Rukia started to say something then stopped, staring at him. "What?" she asked. "What do you mean? You were...you were married to her...and I told her you were seeing a whore and she didn't bat an eye...because she already knew..." she said slowly realizing suddenly why Hisana had waved off the information that she'd caught Byakuya with a sex worker, a male at that.

"Hisana knew I was gay, Rukia, from the moment we were betrothed. This was something I never kept from your sister," he said with a nod. "Very few people were privy to that knowledge, Hisana and I kept it between us, and the only other person to figure it out was Matsumoto. You sister was asexual, Rukia. She and I loved each other deeply, but neither of us had that sort of interest with each other. Our relationship was not conventional, and the arranged marriage was only to placate my family and yours. She was quite happy with it, and if you go to the top drawer of her dresser," he said, pointing to the ornate dresser that had been Hisana's when she stayed here. "She wrote a letter for me to give you when you found out what our lives were really like."

Ichigo had looked up while Byakuya spoke then pushed off, and scrambled into the attached bathroom again. Byakuya shook his head and stood up while Rukia pulled open the top drawer. There was a letter and she opened it slowly, seeing her sister's writing.

Rukia cleared her throat and read it out loud as Renji came and put an arm around her shoulder. "Dearest sister, I'm sorry that I'm leaving you before your wedding. I can tell the end is coming soon, and that's fine. I've had a beautiful life and am thankful for you and most of all for my love, Byakuya. You may be reading this after finding out about your brother's new relationship, which he is pursuing with my permission. I haven't spoken to him yet, I intend to pontificate on my deathbed and be dramatic, but on the occasion that I pass without him present, I want you to have it in writing for him. The day I met Byakuya he told me that he was gay and if I was interested in children, we would have to make alternative arrangements. I was actually quite pleased, because I've hidden well that I have no interest in either children or sex in general. Together we made an appearance of a happy couple, and that we were, just not the way most people believed we were. We loved each other deeply and Byakuya, despite me telling him it was not necessary, vowed to remain chaste and loyal as long as I lived. I told him I had no issue with him taking lovers, in fact I encouraged him many times.

"This is why when you came to me to say you 'caught' him with another man, I was unsurprised. The cancer had progressed so far that caring for me was wearing on him. He had been so very dutiful and loving for so long, Rukia, denying every passion he had inside him, I only wanted him to be happy because he gave me everything I ever desired.

"I know you, my little sister, and you will be angry at him. You will feel he is betraying me. I want you to know he is following his heart, and the plan we made when I was diagnosed the year after we married. We agreed that our childless state would be blamed on the cancer, and that when I passed, he would declare you sole heir to the Kuchiki family since we had no children. As his family passed, it became more and more clear that when I did leave this world, he would be able to pursue his own interests and find a true love like no other.

"I know that the boy is younger. I know that the boy is damaged and I know very well what he has done, better than you know. But the life he has given my dear Senbonzakura has been apparent even in my twilight times. His eyes are brighter. His steps are lighter. His heart has opened to something he never allowed himself before. He has my blessing, Rukia. Please, understand that. And know that the choice to put you in the family's head was both his and mine. When you know you are dying for almost ten years, there's a lot of time to plan.

"Be good, be loved, and I wish the best to you and Renji, and many children to rebuild the Kuchiki clan that would otherwise be lost with Byakuya's death. I love you so very much. Love, your loving sister, Hisana."

By the end, Rukia was crying and handed the letter to Renji and ran to the front bathroom sobbing. Renji looked at it in amazement. He had no idea, no one did, not even Rukia. He looked up as the orange haired kid came back out and crawled into bed beside Byakuya again, laying his head on the older man's lap and looking at Renji with suspicious eyes as he stood there in the room. Byakuya's eyes were on Ichigo's head and he was calmly threading his fingers through the sweat damp hair.

Renji cleared his throat. "Um, Captain, I...um...I'll go check on Rukia," he said, turning and escaping the room quickly.

"I missed most of that, is she still pissed off and hating me for being a fucking whore? I mean, I am, and I don't deserve you, Daddy, but I want to stay with you so much it fucking hurts inside. I don't want to be a burden, and if you tell me to go I will..." Ichigo said.

The sudden hard slap to his ass surprised him into flipping onto his back and looking up into Byakuya's annoyed gray eyes. "Ouch! The fuck was that for?"

"For doubting me, you will never doubt me, do you understand?" Byakuya said, his brow creasing.

A chill went up Ichigo's spine and the shiver that took him was from more than the withdrawal chills. He moved a bit uncomfortably because he had an instant hard on. The corner of Byakuya's lip twitched slightly as he slid his hand, still warm from slapping Ichigo's ass, under the front of his yukata and gripped him hard. Ichigo's breath caught and sped up as he stared at him.

"You will not doubt my love and affection for you. You are mine now, and no matter what happens in the future, no matter where you go, that will not change," he said, beginning to stroke Ichigo slowly. Ichigo glanced to the still open door where someone walked by now and then. "Don't look out there, they're unimportant. The only thing important is right here, between us, little boy," Byakuya said softly, stroking faster as he spoke. Ichigo swallowed, his nausea and pain forgotten and the only thing in existence was Byakuya's face and his hand on him.

"Yes, Daddy," he finally whispered, and was rewarded by Byakuya increasing his pace, his other hand idly stroking his hair. "Oh, please, let me...fuck..." he moaned, eyes rolling up.

Byakuya allowed the slight twitch in the corner of his mouth again as he continued his ministrations. "I love you, little boy, that won't change," Byakuya said, feeling Ichigo's climax approach rapidly. Ichigo turned and buried his face in Byakuya's stomach, panting and muttering curses as quietly as he could. Byakuya brought him over in short order, and felt his whole body arch with the effort to keep his voice muted.

Byakuya grabbed the towel tucked at the head and cleaned his hand and Ichigo's body as he panted heavily against his belly. Ichigo finally turned his head back up and groaned. "Oh fuck, Daddy," he muttered, eyes already fluttering closed. Byakuya leaned over and kissed his forehead gently. He looked up and realized Renji was standing in the doorway, and wondered exactly how long he'd been there.

"You love him," Renji said quietly. "You really do."

"Of course, I do not love easily, but when I do, I do so completely," Byakuya responded, pulling covers around Ichigo as he slept.

Renji nodded. "And...who he is doesn't bother you? What he is?"

"That he's Isshin Kurosaki's son? Or that he was a professional Escort? Or both? Neither matter. They had no bearing on my decision," Byakuya said with a flat tone, and looked down at his sleeping face. The bruising was starting to fade. All he wanted to do was keep him safe and love him like a precious treasure that no other could have. That's what he was, his treasured love.

A few hours later, Ichigo had to return to the bathroom, and as he did, Isane had brought the phone into the room. "Sir, it is a call for the boy," she said softly.

Byakuya took the phone. "Yes?" he answered.

"Um, yeah, is Ichigo there, please? I...I want to check on him..." came a higher pitched male voice.

"You are Luppi, his friend," Byakuya stated.

As soon as Byakuya said it, Ichigo came out of the bathroom, and snatched the phone from Byakuya's hand.

"Luppi! Are you okay? Where are you? How did you get out? Who are you with? What's happened?" he said, pacing nervously.

"Slow down, I'm fine, well, you know, withdrawing sucks, but I'm sure you know that," he said and Ichigo could hear the smile in his voice.

Ichigo sat down on the bed slowly and Byakuya resumed reading on his tablet while the two of them talked about what had happened in the last few days to each other them. It was almost three hours later before Byakuya could convince him that he needed rest and that they could visit each other the next day.
Chapter Eight

The Rebellion and the Messer's Traitors

Luppi was worried when Ichigo didn't come back that night. A two-hundred-dollar john shouldn't have taken all night. After he'd worked a few johns of his own, the sun was coming up and he headed back to the common room. Unsurprisingly, Yammy grabbed him and slammed him into the wall as soon as he came in.

"The fuck is your fucking high dollar pussy boy buddy?" he growled into Luppi's face. Luppi turned away because he had horrible breath.

"I don't know, he got a rich john and he hasn't come back," he said, swallowing. "But look, I got five hundred tonight," he said, handing over the three hundred he'd made and the two hundred Ichigo had made. It was a lie, and if Ichigo didn't come back with more money, they were both in for a shit storm of trouble.

Yammy narrowed his eyes and swiped the money out of Luppi's hand. "You better fucking be right, if his skanky ass doesn't show up with at least twice as much as you made, you're fucking going to be working the docks, and his fucking ass is getting knocked down to Streetwalker with you and you can both spend the rest of your lives giving fucking blowjobs to rough necks and fish mongers," he snorted and turned and left, leaving Luppi clutching his chest. Oh shit, he thought. There was no way Ichigo was going to come back with a thousand. No fucking way.

Luppi chewed his thumbnail as he stood outside common room. Loly and Menoly, two of the Escorts like Ichigo, came in chatting, their makeup smudged, but smiling. Loly stopped and beside Luppi.

"Baby, what's up? You look scared out of your wits?" the dark haired of the pair said.

Luppi looked up with wide eyes. "I...I don't know...Yammy sent Ichigo with me last night, and he got a rich looking bastard...and he hasn't come back...he's been gone all night, Loly..."

Menoly ran a hand through her short blonde hair and leaned against the wall on the other side of him. "Oh sweetheart, he isn't answering his cell?" she asked.

Luppi shook his head. "I've tried all night. Nothing. What if...what if the guy...did something to him?" he said, looking up, even more scared of that than he was scared of Yammy at that moment.

They'd lost more than one of their number to killers. Sometimes they were accidental, sometimes they were sick people that targeted sex workers and wanted to find someone to murder. It was always there, in the back of their minds, because they had no idea who might want to kill them.

Menoly hugged Luppi. "Don't worry, he can fight, he won't let someone hurt him easily, baby," she whispered hoarsely but Luppi knew that she didn't believe that. No one cared if something bad did happen to them, after all. They were nothing but whores, after all.

"Hey, let's go up and ask Nelly," Loly said.

"Oh yeah, her boyfriend is one of the big shots," Menoly said with a nod. "You don't worry your pretty little head, love. We'll go up and see what Nelly can find out about it."

Luppi nodded, heading into the common room to try and sleep and hope that at some point Ichigo came back today. The two girls went up the stairs and headed up to the Courtesan floor. They flashed a smile at Shawlong, one of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's men, and knocked on Nel's door. A moment later, the blue haired tattooed brute that was Nel's boyfriend, and who paid to have her kept entirely exclusive to him, answered the door.

"What do you two want?" he growled. He obviously had just woken up, a yukata loosely tied around him and his hair even more mussed than usual.

"Can we talk to Nelly, Grimmy?" Loly said, twirling her hair on her finger.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and let them in. He wandered to the couch and flopped onto it and turned on the TV. Grimmjow spent most his nights in Las Noches, mostly to make sure that Yammy or the others didn't force Nel to work a john. He was extremely possessive and had warned Yammy that if he ever caught him forcing her to work a john while he was paying to have her his exclusively, he would rip Yammy's lungs out through his back. No one doubted that Grimmjow could do that because he was the head of the arms and explosives part of the Arrancar. He was known as perhaps one of the most vicious and unstable of all the Espada, or Aizen's right hands. Grimmjow was one of the few that even Aizen hesitated to anger. He truly had no regard for his own safety and was considered completely insane by his fellows.

"Grimmy, baby, can you please pick me up some Italian when you come home tonight?" Nel said, coming out of the bedroom in her thin nightgown and not noticing the two girls that had come in. "I'm dying for some pesto..."

"Hm, sure thing, sugar," he said, yawning. "Whatever you want," he muttered as she walked behind him and kissed his head gently. "Couple the girls came up to see you," he said, gesturing with his thumb at Loly and Menoly.

"Oh, girls!" she said and came over to give them both a quick hug. "How are you? You haven't even changed after working? What's going on?" she asked, her brow furrowing in worry.

"Well, see, big sis, its Ichigo," Menoly said, chewing her lip.

Nel was almost like the elder sister to the Escorts. This worked out nicely because if anyone did something to one of the workers, she'd tell Grimmjow, and Grimmjow would do anything Nel asked him to do, even if it got him in trouble with Aizen. In fact, the last time that she'd caught Yammy beating up Ichigo, Grimmjow had ended up breaking Yammy's jaw. She always took special care of those that came up from Below. She was caring of the others, but she felt like she had to help the ones that had been brought in young more than anything. That was the only reason she was there, and all the Escorts knew it. Nel had been a social worker, but found that she couldn't reach the ones that needed her most, so she went to Sōsuke Aizen and requested a position as a Courtesan. With her looks, he gave it to her. She didn't count on falling in love with the explosive Grimmjow.

No one but the Escorts were allowed up to her room, and none but the Escorts knew that her and Grimmjow were more than client and whore, they were planning to marry if Aizen's organization was ever brought down. Until then, they acted as an intermediary for the ones that needed it. Nel also had a huge soft spot for Ichigo. It had happened when he was brought in at the beginning. He'd managed to get out of the basement and upstairs. Confused he'd wandered into Nel's room and she'd wrapped him up in her arms for nearly an hour as he cried. Grimmjow had been there and gone and told Yammy where he was and if he bothered Nel he'd take out a few of his teeth. Then and there, even though she'd just started her mission to save these little ones, she had her resolve solidified as she wiped away that little boy's tears. It didn't take long before Grimmjow's threat lost effect and Yammy had come and drug the boy away from her. She swore then and there that she would stop it somehow. Grimmjow had made contact with the Shinigami a few days later.

"What about him?" she said, pushing a hand through her green hair and frowning deeply. Grimmjow looked up from the sofa at the two of them, his own brow furrowing.

"Luppi, he was standing in the front and he looked upset...so we asked what was going on, and he said that Ichigo went to the corner with him last night, his sugar daddy didn't call yesterday, so I guess that was Yammy's punishment for him, but he got picked up and he hasn't come back...and he hasn't called, and Luppi's freaking out about it."

Nel frowned and glanced at Grimmjow. "Anything you know of? Could he been picked up?"

Grimmjow stood up, shoving his hands into the pockets of the yukata. "Fuck, maybe. You know there's been movement in the Shinigami lately. But I hadn't heard of them culling the whores yet. There was talk of it, some quiet disappearances to get some of them out, but no word came down to me yet," he muttered. "I'll go change and hit up that skinny little spy bitch, find out what the hell's going on," he sighed out and stood, heading to the bedroom.

"Thanks, Nelly," Menoly said. "I know you worry about him, especially lately."

Nel nodded. "Yeah, I'll see what I can find out."

The next morning, Grimmjow had what he needed and headed back to let Nel know what was going on. Suì-Fēng hadn't been happy to hear from him so soon since last contact, but he had to do something to set Nel's mind at ease. He headed up, leaving Shawlong at the doorway as usual.

"Babe?" he called as he came in.

Nel was in the kitchen area and came out with a worried expression. The Courtesan "apartments" weren't real apartments, of course, but they were partitioned off into rooms with sliding paper doors. They also had a few pieces of furniture, a television, and a small kitchen with hot plates, microwave, and a small refrigerator. Each Courtesan could decorate as they chose, and Nel's taste was lush with rugs covering most of the concrete floors, and pillows everywhere.

"Well?" she asked nervously.

"He was picked up by the Shinigami. Well, sort of, he's with them now, but I guess the john that nabbed him was his uncle, and they took him to the Seireitei. He's there now, but I've been told Luppi's supposed to come in to answer questions about where Ichigo is. That is going to end bad for him, so I'm meeting with a couple of agents tonight to hand him in," Grimmjow said, hugging Nel against his chest slowly.

"Is that safe for you?" she asked, looking up at him.

Grimmjow nodded. "Don't worry, I agreed to take him in, but I've got a plan on why he won't get to the main compound."

Nel stood on tiptop and kissed him gently. "Okay, go be a crazy bastard and scare the shit out of all of them."

Grimmjow winked. "That's what I do best, isn't it babe?"

Nel smiled and went and finished her food. She shook her head. How anyone could think that her big old teddy bear was scary, she'd never understand.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Grimmjow jogged down and banged on Yammy's door. It was early evening, so most the workers weren't out on the beat yet. Yammy opened the door and glared at him.

"The fuck do you want?" he growled at Grimmjow.

"I'm taking the little fuck slut that's friends with the missing whore to Aizen's for a talking to," he said with a sigh.

Yammy snorted. "The fuck? I can't just beat the answers out of him?"

"Guess not, not your fucking call, or mine, I'm just doing what I was told," he said, rolling his eyes and turning away and going down to the common room.

"Hey, Luppi," he yelled as the short boy was about to walk into the bathroom. Luppi turned and saw who had called him.

"Um, y-yes sir?" he asked, eyes wide.

"Boss man wants you to answer some fucking questions about your faggot friend that didn't come home," he said, motioning for him to come along.

Luppi's heart skipped a beat as he nodded, and stepped over some of the others that were sleeping still. He was just wearing his sleep shorts and a t-shirt and a pair of flip flops. He hoped he wasn't required to do anything but talk. Somehow he doubted he'd be coming back, though.

Grimmjow grabbed him by the arm to hurry him along and Luppi nearly tripped over his own feet. Grimmjow didn't say anything as he practically dragged him all the way to his black two door car and shoved him into the passenger seat. By now Luppi was scared to death. Grimmjow was known as the one guy you didn't mess with because he was crazy as fuck. Luppi crossed his arms over his chest and tried not to look at him but his fear started to get to him when Grimmjow started the car and he jumped in surprise.

"Calm the fuck down," Grimmjow muttered as he pulled out into the street and headed off in a direction that Luppi didn't notice. He was trying to concentrate on not having a panic attack. It was bad enough he couldn't stop his hands from shaking.

After a few minutes, they stopped and Luppi looked up to see they were in a dark alleyway and his breath caught. He was going to kill him. There was no talking; this was him being taken out because of Ichigo going missing. He was going to die like this. By now, he was having a very hard time not crying out, and he felt tears already slipping down his face despite trying to hold it back. First Ichigo disappears, and now this...

Luppi nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Grimmjow put his hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Grimmjow looking at him, but not in the way he expected. His eyes were...kind.

"Hey, chill out, kid, okay? No one's going to hurt you, I promise," he said and smiled a bit at him and Luppi was so confused he started crying harder.

Grimmjow groaned inwardly. The kid was scared shitless. He couldn't blame him, of course. So he sighed and just waited for the other car to arrive. In a few moments, he saw the lights behind him and he got out of the car. He went around and opened the passenger door and had to pull Luppi physically out of the car to get him to move. He pushed and pulled him over to where the agents waited in front of their car.

"Here he is, keep a good eye on him. He's freaked the fuck out, but he'll calm down when you get him settled. I've got a murder to fake," Grimmjow said, nodding to them and going back to his own car.

Izuru Kira smiled at the obviously frightened young man and reached out to take his hand. "Luppi, right?" he said gently, getting Luppi to look at him. "I'm Izuru. I'm with the Shinigami, and we've come to take you someplace safe. Your friend Ichigo is already safe with us."

At Ichigo's name, Luppi looked up and stared openly at the blonde man and the girl with short green hair beside him. "He's okay?" he whispered.

"He is," Kira said with another small smile as Luppi took his hand. "Come on, we're going to get you checked out by our medics, okay?"

Luppi nodded, holding onto Kira's hand for dear life as the other one drove him to a place he'd never seen. All he could think was that Ichigo was okay. He was really okay. Kira let Luppi hold onto him in the backseat while his partner Mashiro drove them. Kira squeezed his hand.

"You're going to be okay, okay?" he repeated gently, smiling at him.

Luppi nodded. "So um, who are you, anyway?" he asked softly, looking up and blinking as he finally locked eyes on the blonde haired man.

Oh, holy hell, Luppi thought. He's beautiful. He hadn't paid much attention to him when they were outside because he was frankly scared out of his mind because he was sure Grimmjow was going to kill him. He had soft blonde hair, a small bit that fell into his eyes, and those eyes were stark and pretty blue in color. He had a softness to him, an almost shy quality to him, but he was imbued with a deeply etched sadness that Luppi couldn't understand yet. He wanted to understand it, because, damn. He was dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt, just like the green haired girl that was driving.

Kira nodded. "I'm the lieutenant of the third division of the Shinigami, Izuru Kira. I work in the drug enforcement division. However, lately, we're spread all over the place with the upheaval since Ichigo got pulled out of there. It has accelerated all the plans we have had in place and become a blast point, I guess, for us to move on the Arrancar and their masters."

"Masters?" Luppi asked, tipping his head to the side.

"The man you know that runs the Arrancar isn't the head of this organization," Mashiro said from the front as they pulled into a plain looking warehouse garage. "He's nothing more than a puppet. But here we are."

The next couple days were a whirlwind for him, and he was beside himself with worry over Ichigo's condition and what was going on with him. The withdrawal hit him hard, mostly because he'd been sneaking doses of Ichigo's stash when he couldn't sleep. Finally, though, he felt a little bit human and got them to agree to let him call Ichigo. He spent three hours talking to him about what had happened since they'd last seen each other. Arrangements had already been made to take Luppi to stay with someone in the same building as Ichigo, some guy named Shinobu. He had no idea, he felt terrible, and just wanted a bed to sleep on.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Uryū growled under his breath as he made his way through the incredibly large compound. They were in lockdown mode and he couldn't get any messages out no matter how many ways he had to circumvent Messer security. Something was going on and it was something big. Uryū, of course, had free reign over the compound. He was the head of security after all. The fact that he, of all people, couldn't get a message out was significant. Only the Queen had the power to enact this protocol. The Queen that after five years, Uryū had yet to meet or even heart the name of.

Uryū stopped outside the kitchen where Liltotto Lamperd ‎was reading the meals for the household.

"We're cut off," he commented, grabbing an apple off the counter.

"Yeah, all channels," she said, picking up the tray and heading to Jin's private dining room.

Uryū sighed and went back to his room to think. Things hadn't been easy since they had infiltrated the Messer's main compound. In a way, the Quincy had been looking for a way to make up for the crimes that had been committed in their names. The Quincy were an ancient Germanic clan, and their history began with a holy order of Knights that had called themselves the Wandereiche. Twenty five years ago, their clan's oldest member, a man named Yahweh, had decided that the only way to bring back past glory was to enter the spiritual realm. Unfortunately, not all of the clan agreed.

Uryū swiped his card thoughtfully to get into his room and picked up the phone that normally had a secure satellite connection with more encryption protocols than he could count on it. It had no signal. He had to hand it to the Queen; they had access to the best technology in the world. He growled under his breath. Shinobu would be disappointed if he didn't make his weekly call. Not only was it a way for him to contact his fiancé, he also used it to send encoded status updates to his superiors in the Shinigami.

He rubbed his head thoughtfully. His grandfather would have been happy, Uryū knew. It had been him that had warned Uryū's father about the dangers. Ryuken didn't take heed in time, and his wife, Katagiri, had lost her life to Yahweh's brainwashing attempts. Ryuken had been left with an infant Uryū to raise alone. At the same time, his mother's best friend, Masaki Kurosaki had left with the help of one of the Shinigami's captains. His grandfather had lived long enough to impart a lot of his knowledge to his grandson, even when Uryū's father refused to speak of it.

Inevitably, Uryū was approached by Yahweh and recruited into their cult. At the time, Uryū was sure that it was anything but a cult. It sounded so good, wonderful even, to bring back the glory to their family line. At that point, his father had acted to intercede. He'd initially appeared to side with the family patriarch, but in reality he was trying to recruit people among the Quincy to see the truth of what was happening. Yahweh had every intention to purify them, which only a select few understood meant that he intended to burn them alive. The ultimate purification was by fire, after all. In the end, Yahweh and seventeen members burned themselves alive. Ryuken, Uryū and nine others managed to get out before the fires began.

Along the way, the group had done a lot of damage. There were murders that had been committed in the name of blood sacrifices to prepare to be purified. There were drugs and weapons trafficked to fund their cult compound. Of course, Ryūken and the survivors had gone to the Shinigami and turned themselves in. Those who came forward were given immunity, but all wished to do something to give reparations for the wrongs the groups had done, so the youngest, all but Ryūken in fact, decided to become a small, undercover strike force in the Shinigami's fight against the Messer. The Shinigami knew they had been infiltrated, but they had no idea how. To return this, the Quincy in the end did revive the ancient order of the Wandenreich, just not in the way that Yahweh had thought they would.

Uryū's only contact was directly to the captain of the second division, but the captains and lieutenants all knew of the Quincy's infiltration of the Messer's base. Anyone else only knew that there were sources within the Messer. They had no idea who had infiltrated and how far. Either way, he couldn't get hold of anyone at the moment.

He put down the phone frustrated and headed up to the dining hall. The rest were in there eating, and he figured he should at least make a show of it. He passed out his door into the ornate hallway. He had to give the Queen credit, they had good taste. The entire compound was based on ancient Greco-Roman architecture, like some sort of throwback to that time period. The individual rooms all had the modern amenities' of course, but anything decorative was embellished and made of richly veined marble where possible.

He entered the large dining area and nodded to Bambietta and a couple of the others, and saw that Cang Du was having another discussion with the Ugaki. That should go well, he thought to himself. Ugaki was more than a little off putting for most people's tastes. Just as he sat down with a plate from the kitchen he looked up to see he was being watched by Mabashi. He grinned and sauntered over and sat down across from him.

"Hey, Ishida, need to work on some security measures with you," he said, rolling his eyes. "It's a real pain in the ass, but I guess we're going to have a new guest and the place has to be secure."

"Secure? We're already in lockdown mode," Ishida said with a sigh. "What more are we going to secure?"

"Well, I guess there's going to be a kidnap and lure for some stupid fucking whore the Queen wants brought to the island. And apparently, it is important enough the Queen's going to come here for good when he does. Apparently this slut's a slippery little bitch, and Jin's afraid he'll slip out despite the lock down. Also, boat should be coming in in a few days with him," he said, sighing and picking off Uryū's plate.

"We're kidnapping this person?" Uryū asked, now wanting more than anything to contact someone.

"Nah, Jin says the little bitch will walk right in the door. Guess they're gonna use his sisters or some shit as leverage to get him to come, and a little mental fuckery. You know, the Queen is really good at that shit," he muttered. "But either way, make sure your shit is together. Last security head we had got shot in the fucking back because he fucked up something like this."

Uryū nodded, watching the annoying man leave his table. Dammit all, he thought. He had no way to warn them of what was coming.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Kira waited patiently outside the medical room where Luppi was getting ready to transfer to the Starlight 50. He came out finally, dressed in a simple kimono that Kira had actually brought him and a pair of sandals. He looked up at Kira and smiled.

"This is really nice, you picked it out?" he asked, pressing the belt down. It was incredibly lovely, a deep purple color with green vines and small pink flowers.

"I thought it would look nice with the color of your eyes," Kira said, glancing over him them looking away.

Luppi blushed and nodded. "Well, let's go, I want to meet this guy and go see Ichigo!"

Kira smiled and gestured for him to follow. Mashiro had stayed down with the car, and started it as soon as Kira climbed into the passenger side while Luppi clambered into the back. Luppi was still admiring the pretty kimono that Kira had given him. Mashiro looked at Kira and dropped a wink at him. He'd asked her earlier if she thought Luppi would like it or if he should grab some sweats, and Mashiro said go for it. Kira had decided if he didn't like it, he'd just say that he hadn't known his size and the kimono could be adjusted until they got to the building he was staying in. However, he was incredibly please that he ended up liking it so much.

It wasn't a very long ride before they pulled into the garage at the Starlight 50 and then headed up the elevator to one of the upper floors with Luppi. Luppi kept staring at everything, and was just amazed by the splendor of the place. Finally he was led to Shinobu's door and Kira knocked.

"Shinobu, I've brought your guest," Kira said with a smile.

Shinobu nodded, "Please come in," he said. "I'll show you to the room you'll be staying in."

Luppi nodded, a little nervous because it was obvious this person was well off. As he came in he stared. There were birds in cages. Kira put a hand on Luppi's shoulder.

"Shinobu is having his house fitted with a larger aviary so he's staying here for a short while," Kira said quietly as they followed Shinobu to one of the rooms. Shinobu opened it and Luppi gaped.

It was a small bedroom, but it was still larger than anything Luppi had ever slept in. There was a beautifully carved sleigh style bed in the middle, at least a queen size, and a matching dresser beside it. The room was done in neutral tones, tans and browns. A bathroom was off to the side of the bedroom.

"Wow, this is your guest bedroom?" Luppi whispered.

"Yes, I don't use this one," Shinobu said, shifting a bit uncomfortably as he scratched at one of the scars on his back. "Now, I should..."

"I want to see Ichigo," Luppi said, looking at both of them. "Please, I need to see that he's okay," he said, glad at the moment they'd given him some wonderful nausea drugs at the hospital place he'd been at.

Shinobu blinked but nodded, "Oh, of course, should I come along?"

Kira nodded. "Certainly, I think it would help since I'm sure these two are going to insist on seeing each other quite often," he said, smiling as Luppi took off back toward the door.

A few minutes later they were buzzed up to the penthouse, where Shinobu of course had never been. He was a bit curious as to what Byakuya's apartment might look like. The door opened and someone tried to say something to Luppi but he was out the door and leaping up on Ichigo's back.

Ichigo had been waiting for Luppi to get there all morning and pacing the living room most of it, but had been distracted by Byakuya for a moment when the elevator came up. When he felt the familiar weight on his back he gasped and turned around, flipping Luppi in front of him and hugging him tightly.

"Oh Ichigo! You are alright!" Luppi cried into Ichigo's neck.

"I'm fine, honey, I'm glad you are too!" he said, putting Luppi back on his feet and then grabbing his hand and interlacing their fingers as they both flopped onto the floor where they stood.

Byakuya and the others looked on more than a little confused as they came as close to each other as possible, practically sitting with their legs intertwined. To anyone, it would look like they were longtime lovers or something. Byakuya felt a pang of intense jealously at the sight. Shinobu went and chose to sit down on the sofa and wait, and Kira followed suit. Byakuya, instead, folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Baby, baby! I missed you sooo much! Yammy was so fucking mad, I mean, he was going to kill me if you didn't come back, and then Grimmjow came and told me I was gonna go to Aizen to be questioned but he didn't take me there he gave me over to Izuru and then they brought me here, and I can't believe that you're okay and I didn't know what to do, because I thought I was dead, but I guess Loly and Menoly went to Nel and then Grimmjow got me and it was so fucking weird! Grimmjow is working for these guys! What the fuck, he's supposed to be this crazy ass bastard but look at what he did!" Luppi gushed all at once, almost too fast for anyone else to follow.

Ichigo smiled the entire time, both hands intertwined into Luppi's as he spoke. "Fuck, man that's some crazy shit! Grimmjow, I know he's nice to the Escorts upstairs, but I thought he was completely nuts other than being in love with Nelly!"

Kira looked up to see that Byakuya looked about ready to burst a vein in his head and bit down on his lip. He'd never seen the man jealous before. Oh, this would be interesting, he thought, leaning back and crossing his legs. Kira knew that those like Luppi and Ichigo only knew how to express their affection through touch, and no doubt, from what he'd heard, the two of them had more than once slept together for clients to watch. This is was Byakuya's first time coming face to face with Ichigo's past in person.

"I know! He was so fucking sweet, too. I was fucking scared stiff, though, and it just blew my fucking mind! I mean, like the best fuckjohn we ever had, blow my mind," Luppi said with a serious look.

Ichigo arched a brow. "Fuck, that fucking crazy?" he said.

"Shit, then they started detoxing me, and fucking hell I feel like shit, like my hair's coming out and my skin's coming off, like there's bugs under there, like, that time we got fucking crabs from that asshole in the alley that tried to break your arm, that fucking bad..." he said, scratching at his arms.

"Oh fuck that was bad," Ichigo said, starting to scratch his own arm. "Fucking hell, you goddamned bitch, now I'm itching too. I swear!"

Luppi leaned over and kissed Ichigo's nose. "Ah, poor Ichi-baby, I could suck it better," he said leaning back.

Ichigo giggled. "I couldn't stop fucking tossing my goddamn guts today, that's the worst part," Ichigo said when he stopped laughing, crisscrossing his legs over Luppi's.

"I know!" Luppi said, trying to get his legs over Ichigo's in some sort of dominance battle, it seemed. "Fuck! You got me that time, fucker," Luppi muttered, glaring at his legs that he hadn't been able to get over Ichigo's.

"Ha! That's what you get, you short ass whore," Ichigo muttered. He sighed. "I guess we gotta stop some of this stuff, we got other things to worry about," he said, staring at his legs which were pinning Luppi's.

Kira leaned over. "Stop what stuff?" he asked, curious as to what exactly they were doing.

Ichigo looked up and shrugged. "You learn to entertain yourselves when you got nothing to do but stare at the fucking walls. We always called it the topper game. Whoever came out on top, got to be the top. Luppi is actually pretty good, as short of a little shit as he is. We played it with the other whores too. Sometimes we got to play with the girls. Fucking dildos hurt like hell when they don't get to practice pegging, so we practiced with each other."

Shinobu tilted his head and looked at them. "So...you played games to decide who would dominate the other in sex?"

Luppi tipped his head backward and stared at Shinobu. "Well yeah, what the hell else is a house fulla whores gonna do for fun? Practice makes perfect, and makes more money. Fuck, if Ichigo wasn't so good at taking a dick, he wouldn't have gotten to good fuckin' calls, even upstairs," Luppi said, leaning back over and grinning at Ichigo.

"Fuck you're such a fuckin' slut, I've seen you take two goddamn cocks at once and moan like a bitch in heat," Ichigo said, leaning forward.

"Oh, don't go there, bitch," Luppi said. "You wanna talk about that, huh? What about that woman that wanted to use her entire toy collection on your ass that night! You complained for a fucking week how much your ass hurt!"

Ichigo leaned back and gasped. "You try having a fucking butt plug as big as your fist shoved up there without fucking warning and see if you don't fucking walk funny for a week!"

Luppi stuck his tongue out at him. Ichigo smirked. "Put it away or I'm gonna make you use it."

"You'd like that?" Luppi muttered narrowing his eyes and leaning forward and flicking his tongue back and forth at him. "Last time I used it on your slutty ass you came before I even touched your dick."

Ichigo looked abashed then started giggling and Luppi's serious face faded and started laughing too. They fell into each other's arms and rocked for a second as they laughed. Byakuya, though, practically was steaming at the connection between them. Finally Ichigo sighed and let go of Luppi.

"We're gonna be okay, honey," Ichigo said solemnly.

"Are we?" Luppi said, looking down at his nails and back up at him. "I don't know how to do anything but be a whore."

Ichigo put a hand on Luppi's face. "You can be anything you want, baby, you can, I promise, okay? I know you can."

Luppi nodded. "Okay, baby. Okay. But I don't know if I can sleep without you with me anymore," he said with a sigh. "I'm used to you being with me."

"I know, honey, but we need to get the shit out of our systems. Just try to find something to occupy your time with, okay? Like, TV, or video games, whatever, and we'll get to talk soon again, okay?" Ichigo said, patting Luppi's cheek.

Luppi sighed. "Okay, baby," he said, and leaned over and kissed Ichigo on the lips softly. "I don't know how to do it though."

"Neither do I, honey," Ichigo said with a sigh and then made a weird noise as he felt himself being pulled up by the arm.

Luppi looked up to see the dark haired man that had been scowling at them had come over and grabbed Ichigo by the arm to stand him up. Ichigo looked a bit surprised then smiled at Luppi. "Oh, this is Byakuya!"

Luppi smiled at him. "He's pretty, baby," Luppi said as he stood up, straightening his kimono. "Very pretty, gives a nice fuck I bet," he muttered, cutting his violet eyes at Byakuya.

"Hey, now, you don't get to be fucked by my Daddy, little whore," Ichigo said, waggling his finger at Luppi. "He's mine, so you find someone else to fill that greedy little ass of yours."

"Aw, baby," Luppi said, but cut his eyes over to where Kira sat and Ichigo grinned.

Byakuya tightened his grip, but not enough to hurt. Ichigo snickered a bit. "Luppi, go rest, I think Daddy and I have an appointment in the bedroom."

Luppi winked. "Okay baby, have fun, don't throw up too much, but yeah, I'm fucking tired," he said and headed toward the elevator, not even waiting for Shinobu and Kira. Both got up and followed him quickly while Ichigo got dragged into the bedroom with the door slamming behind him.

Chapter Nine

Things Forgotten and Best Unremembered

Aizen sighed and shook his head. He looked up as Nnoitra passed by the door to his office. "Nnoitra, come here," said, flipping through some paperwork on his desk.

Nnoitra inwardly groaned. "Yo," he said, coming in and leaning against the doorway.

"Got a kidnap order, you, Yammy, and Grimmjow," he said, looking up with a serious look in his eyes.

Nnoitra snorted. "Grimmjow? Last time you sent him to kidnap someone he ended up breaking the little bitch's neck."

"And that's why you're going with him, now isn't it?" Aizen said. "Here, this one comes from the Queen, so do this right. Do not hurt them; they're leverage, not the target. Lock them down in the cages below at Las Noches. Contact me when it is done," he said, waving a hand to dismiss the tall man.

Nnoitra rolled his eyes after he left the office and sauntered down to see if Grimmjow was even in house tonight. He knocked, then found it unlocked, no surprise he wasn't there. He was with his bitch at Las Noches, then, he thought. He shoved both hands in his jeans pockets and headed to his car. At least they were both at Las Noches, only one stop for him. He sat down and pulled his black hair back into a tail and adjusted the mirrors to compensate for his blind eye. Well, may as well get this over with, he thought. Maybe he'd see Tesla...

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo looked up with an evil grin on his face at Byakuya when he slammed him into the wall beside the door. Byakuya's face was almost entirely red and even his ears had turned pink.

"Uh oh, did Daddy get mad?" Ichigo said, and he could hear the audible grinding of Byakuya's teeth. "Daddy got jealous...Daddy doesn't like hearing about his boy getting fucked by other people, does he?"

Byakuya's only response was to pin Ichigo to the wall and suck a deep, hard mark into his neck. Ichigo gasped a bit because it actually hurt, and felt Byakuya's teeth digging into the skin. "Oh Daddy, you own me, don't forget that, Daddy, oh fuck...fuck me hard...punish me for being a little slut, I deserve it," Ichigo moaned as Byakuya moved to suck on his collarbone. "I'm such a fucking slut, and you know it," he said, gripping Byakuya's arms hard enough to bruise them. "Mark me, make them know I belong to you, fuck..."

Byakuya still didn't say anything just picked Ichigo up and threw him over his shoulder again. Something Ichigo never thought he'd enjoy was being manhandled like this...but he never got harder faster than when Byakuya tossed him around like this. It hurt his ribs still, but it was even hotter that way because when Byakuya got in this mood he didn't care.

The world shifted and he fell into the soft bed on his stomach and started to push up and roll over only to have Byakuya push him back down flat on the bed, pulling the shorts he was wearing off and slapping him on the ass harder than he expected. Ichigo yelped, and turned his head back to glare at him but Byakuya swatted him again, this time harder. Ichigo felt tears prick his eyes that time and he struggled to get over but Byakuya's hand between his shoulders was keeping him firmly in place.

"Daddy! Ow, please, stop!" he gasped out.

He could stop him, of course. Instead he buried his face in the comforter and wound both hands into the covers and tried not to scream every time he spanked him open handed. By the time he slowed, Ichigo was so aroused he could have come at a word from Byakuya. As it was, Byakuya had moved by now, pulling Ichigo's body over his lap and no longer holding him down, slowly caressing his ass and inner thighs between swatting him.

Ichigo had stopped crying out or saying anything and was just whimpering against his fist every time Byakuya touched him. He felt Byakuya shift his hands and pull him up onto his lap, having shed his own clothes at some point. He pulled Ichigo's legs around his waist and then grabbed his face with both hands and kissed him with more passion than he had before.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Daddy," Ichigo said between sniffles. "I'm sorry..."

Byakuya reached up and wiped away his tears and kissed each eye. "Shh, don't be sorry, baby, shh, don't cry anymore," he said, pulling Ichigo against him in a tight embrace.

Ichigo's sniffles may have made it look like he was upset, but his hardness digging into Byakuya's belly was a truer statement of what he was feeling. Byakuya moved and lay down on his back, leaving Ichigo sitting across his thighs. He stared at Ichigo with those steel eyes and Ichigo turned around, moving to take Byakuya into his mouth. He dove down, and Byakuya grabbed his hips and pulled his ass closer to him.

Ichigo went down all the way but nearly choked when Byakuya's tongue laved against the hot, sensitive flesh on his ass. He paused, panting around Byakuya for a minute as the intensity of the feeling hit him. It was hot and cold and painful and sent shivers directly to his dripping cock all at one time. It wasn't like he hadn't done this before, but this time...it was different. He huffed and tried to concentrate on Byakuya's cock again, but felt Byakuya's fingers sliding inside him and twisting around again. Ichigo convulsively swallowed against him, bringing Byakuya over quicker than he'd intended. Byakuya groaned and squeezed Ichigo's hips as he came and then held onto him to keep him in place.

"Stay," he said as his fingers went back to exploring him.

Ichigo laid his head on Byakuya's thigh and panted, waiting to see what he was doing. He didn't have to wonder for long as he felt his tongue slide against his already sensitive entrance. He let out a long low whine. He gripped Byakuya's thighs harder when he felt his tongue slide past the opening. It didn't take long for Byakuya's interest to have been rekindled. Ichigo swore the man had the shortest fucking refractory period of anyone he'd ever had fuck him, and it seemed like it had become shorter than before. He started to go down on his cock again, but Byakuya slapped his already heated ass. He gasped and put his head back on Byakuya's leg.

He slid his tongue away and then shifted upward, dumping Ichigo down face first onto the bed between his knees. Ichigo wasn't sure if he was supposed to move or not so he stayed there, in a very undignified position, he thought, ass up and face in the covers. He felt Byakuya's finger again, this time slick and cold, sliding inside him slowly, then the second beside it as he began to stretch him open. Ichigo was over sensitive to everything, and couldn't even articulate a decent fuck as he worked the muscle until his fingers moved in and out without any give. He then slapped him again, setting the slight burn across his ass to a fire again.

Ichigo started to turn around but Byakuya caught his hips. "No, little boy, I want to see your cherry red ass while you ride me."

Ichigo felt his cheeks heat up and he slid over him and seated himself in one move on his cock. He whimpered a bit as he adjusted himself flush against Byakuya's body, then leaned back and positioned his feet beside Byakuya's hips to give himself something to push against. He felt Byakuya's hands on his him as he began to move on him, and Ichigo was sure he was going to go off any second.

"Cum for me without touching your cock, whenever you want, you can cum," Byakuya said from behind him and Ichigo didn't think that would be a problem the way he was dripping.

It didn't take long before Ichigo knew he couldn't hold it any longer. He ground his teeth together as he clenched his knees against Byakuya's thighs. He felt Byakuya follow him almost instant, clenching his hands on his ass hard, which only made Ichigo's orgasm last longer. He fell forward, not caring that his ass was still in the air and panted furiously against the bed between Byakuya's legs.

He felt Byakuya's hands again, gently caressing his still stinging ass cheeks. He hummed, not able to move, but he didn't have to. He felt Byakuya shift and he was up in his arms, snuggled into his chest on the bed. Byakuya wrapped his legs around Ichigo's, pulling them tight between his own, and clutched his body against him while he stroked his back.

"Sweet boy, my baby boy, such a good little boy, my good little baby..." he whispered as he stroked him.

"You're not mad at me, are you Daddy?" Ichigo said, finally coming down enough to think again. What if Byakuya really was mad about the way he was talking with Luppi? He didn't mean to upset him; it was just the way they were with each other...

Byakuya shushed him and he could feel the smile on his lips when he kissed Ichigo's head. "No, baby, I'm not mad. I was...jealous and upset, but not at you, at the idea that anyone but me had ever touched you and I had to prove to myself and you that you're completely mine now, my little boy."

Ichigo nodded, his eyes closing in sleepiness. "Okay Daddy, I was worried cuz you have looked that mad before, and I thought you were really mad at me, and maybe send me away," he said.

"Not at all, little boy. Now, shush, and sleep for a while," he said gently and Ichigo didn't need more encouragement to do just that.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Luppi woke up in the middle of the night the first night screaming. Like Ichigo, the drugs kept the nightmares at bay. He sat up panting and running a hand over his head when the door opened and he saw his host, Shinobu standing there.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

Luppi nodded. "Just a nightmare, memory really, but you know," he said, pulling the cover up around him tighter.

"Anything I can do?" he asked, coming in a little. He was wearing a pale pink yukata. Luppi had to wear one of Shinobu's yukatas as well until he could get some clothes of his own.

"Um, well, I...could use someone to listen to. Ichigo used to tell me stories of his life and other people when I had a nightmare," he said, looking up at Shinobu with his wide violet eyes.

Shinobu nodded. "Oh, I can do that," he said, coming in and moving the side chair next to the bed. "What do you want to hear?" he asked.

Luppi pulled the covers up around him. "Well, Ichigo told me he had these sisters. He didn't talk about them by name, he said if he thought of their names it hurt too much, and he had a mom he really, really loved more than he wanted to remember, and he said he watched her die. It would make him cry but I always pretended I didn't notice. So maybe about your family?"

Shinobu nodded. His heart broke a little, though, at hearing what the other one had gone through. "Well, I was born to a surrogate mother because my mother had several miscarriages before I was born. When I was thirteen, my sister Natsuko was born, and she's eight years old now. I'm sick a lot, and grew up in and out of hospitals. I have an immunological disorder, and several times have almost died from severe infections I caught... I'm engaged to a man named Uryū that is a couple years older than I am, but he works with the Shinigami in an undercover capacity. I don't know his assignment, but he should come home when my house is ready..." he said, then smiled at Luppi.

"Oh, that's cool," Luppi said. "So you're totally gay then, huh?"

Shinobu frowned and shook his head. "Totally gay?"

"Um hum, you know, we always worked johns that would say they weren't 'totally gay' cuz they liked pussy in their regular life, they just wanted to fuck the younger looking boys like me 'n Ichigo," Luppi said.

Shinobu nodded. "Ah, they had a fetish for young men only other than women."

Luppi nodded, pulling up the covers tighter again. "But anyway, what'd you do stuck in the hospital all the time? It sucked when I had to go into one to have my heart fixed, and I was only there a few weeks."

"You had heart problems?" Shinobu asked, looking at him.

"Um hum, see?" Luppi said, opening the Yukata where the heart surgery scar was still clearly visible. "That's why I became a whore, to pay for it after my parents kicked me out. They didn't want an abomination to God living in their house."

"Oh, that's terrible," Shinobu said, frowning at him.

Luppi yawned. "Go on, tell me about other stuff."

"Well, I really got tired of TV really quickly, so I started reading a lot," he said. "I always read at above my level, but then I did a lot of reading when I was young. Turns out I have a really high IQ too."

Luppi nodded. "Tell me about your man," he said, smiling.

Shinobu smiled. "Well, I also taught myself to sew to keep from being bored, and I would do handicrafts. Well, I met Uryū when I was about fifteen and he was seventeen at a handicraft event. We hit it off immediately and we just clicked because he loves sewing as much as I do. When he comes back, he's going to help me with my fashion design business," he said, but noted that Luppi was barely listening. He stood quietly, flicking off the light and left the room, pausing at the door.

To be in so much pain, constantly, had to be misery, he thought to himself. Forced out of his home and into sex work because of his illness. Shinobu wondered if that could have been him had his parents not accepted him? The thought was chilling to be honest.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo thrashed in Byakuya's arms again waking him up. Byakuya blinked wearily and felt the dampness from his tears on his arm and he wondered what he was dreaming about. Whatever it was, it was intense. He gently shook him to wakefulness. As soon as he came awake he grabbed Byakuya and started sobbing against him.

"Oh, little boy, what is it? Tell me," he said, moving to sit against the headboard of the bed with him.

"I just...I dreamed about the first day, the first time th-they took me Below. It...it was almost the worst day of my life and I try so hard to forget it but it keeps coming back...just like the night Mommy died..." he said, taking a shuddering breath. "The drugs kept it away, most the time."

Byakuya didn't say anything, only passed comforting hands over his back and waited to see if he wanted to continue talking. He took another breath.

"They gave me to Aizen, he had long wavy brown hair and his eyes were so hard. He took me into Las Noches, and handed me to this man named Giriko. He was the guard for Below. He had one eye. He never smiled. He took me and told me I was going to be a whore from now on and I should get used to it." Ichigo's breath stuttered before he could continue. He didn't know why, but he had to tell him this. He had to tell someone. "They kept us in cages...then... then later he brought down a man, a fat man with a bald head, I'll never forget that, and he said...he said that he was my first client, that he paid a lot of money to have me first."

Ichigo's breath hitched at the thought of him. "I didn't want him, I told them I wanted my pop, I wanted him so much, and I was crying and he just slapped me and dragged me from the cage and into one of the rooms. They were bedrooms off to the side with locking doors. And he told me if I screamed, they'd gag me, and if I tried to run, they'd tie me up. I was so scared, so scared..."

Byakuya's arms tightened reflexively around him. "I think that when you are that young, you don't understand it. You don't know what they're doing to you, why they'd put something inside you there, what it means...I didn't even know things could go inside there, and it hurt so much, the first time, and I cried and cried and he gagged me and just kept doing it and I just wanted it to be over..."

Byakuya understood now, very clearly, why Ichigo liked to be treated like a child. He'd had his entire childhood stolen from him and it was filled with nothing but pain and terrible memories of what people did to him. "They took me out, you know, and I managed to run away up the stairs up and up, and I ran into this woman with green hair, and she was so nice to me..."

Ichigo got quiet. "Her boyfriend, I know him now, his name is Grimmjow, he's got blue hair, do you know him?"

Byakuya nodded slowly. "Yes, he's one of ours."

"I didn't know that," he said quietly. "But I understand now. He was so mad and I thought he was mad at me but he went and told everyone to stay out, and leave me alone with Nelly. I don't think he was one of yours then, though. I remember that clearly. He slammed the door and I was crying in Nel's arms and he just looked so disgusted. And I'll never forget he just said to her, 'they have fucking children here?' and Nel just held onto me. They took me back to my cage eventually, even Grimmjow couldn't stop them, but he tried. He never wanted to fuck me."

Byakuya felt the weight of that statement. For Ichigo, the only value he had was his body. He swallowed hard and just held him. "There were others, Daddy; there are still others down there. How...how did I go upstairs and forget them? How did I not do something about them? They're down there still, being hurt, and I didn't care, I was just so happy to be upstairs...I'm a terrible person, Daddy, I'm disgusting, I didn't even try and help them, and they're hurting..."

Byakuya put a hand over his mouth. "Baby, hush, no, don't do this. Don't blame yourself. You are not to blame. And things are in place to get all of them out now, okay? We have the right people in the right places, and we've got the ability to take them down all the way to the top. It just takes time, but we'll get them out and get them help."

Ichigo nodded and nuzzled back into Byakuya's chest. "I...I'm scared, Daddy."

"I know, baby, but I've got you. I've got you, little boy," Byakuya said, kissing his head gently as he fell asleep again.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Nnoitra sighed as he stared at Grimmjow beside him in the car. Yammy was in the back seat and Nnoitra was driving. He hoped that the crazy ass bastard wouldn't snap this time. He'd been a little upset when he found out Grimmjow had killed Luppi when he was supposed to bring him in. Nnoitra's cousin, Tesla, was friends with Luppi. Tesla was another Streetwalker, and one of the reasons Nnoitra was still in Aizen's group. He had to keep an eye on him. He didn't mention it, because Grimmjow was fucking nuts.

They pulled up to the school where the two girls went to school. "What's the plan?" he asked, looking at Grimmjow.

"I'm gonna go up and tell them I'm with the Shinigami, and that their brother is sick and their father is already with him," Grimmjow said, his hand twitching on the steering wheel.

Yammy snorted from the back. "Don't kill them this time, fucker," he muttered.

Grimmjow turned and glared at him. "Fuck you, you mother fucker, not my goddamned fault the little bitch..."

"Shut up, both of you, there they are," Nnoitra said, seeing two girls coming out of the school building.

Grimmjow nodded, getting out and heading over to where the brunette and black haired girl were standing waiting for their father. He would be late because they'd sent someone to fake an emergency at the clinic he worked at.

"Yuzu and Karin Kurosaki?" he said as he approached. Both looked up at him suspiciously.

"What of it? Who the hell are you?" the one with black hair said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Look, I'm gonna have to have you come with me. 'Bout your brother. He's in need of your help," he said, running a hand over his head slowly. "Please, just come with me, I don't wanna tell you any fucking lies, but I'll promise this, you won't be hurt if you do it. The other two with me are fucking bastards and would kill you as soon as look at you. I'll make sure it doesn't happen."

Yuzu grabbed Karin by the arm. "Why should we trust you and not run?" Karin said.

"Because I don't want them to send the assassin after your brother, and if this doesn't work, that's what they'll do," he said, trying to look nonchalant as possible. "I don't have a good way to make you believe me, but I'm not who they think I am, but you gotta go along with what they believe."

Karin and Yuzu exchanged a look that spoke volumes. "Look, I swear to you, this is the best way. I work with the Shinigami, they think I'm lying when I say it to you now, but I'm not. Your brother's lover? Byakuya Kuchiki? I know that he's a Shinigami, just like your father was before. I don't want you to get hurt, and I don't want your brother to get hurt either."

Karin steeled her back and took out her phone. "I'm texting my father before I leave with you. Are you going to stop me?"

Grimmjow looked over his shoulder at the car and back. "Nope, just hurry."

She then handed him her cell phone followed by Yuzu. He pocketed them both and nodded, leading them to the car, and opening the back door to let them in. They got in without a word and looked anxiously at the others as Grimmjow climbed in the front seat and hit the door locks and window lock.

"Fuck me sideways, Grimmjow, you actually got someone without killing them," Yammy muttered, glancing at the girls. "Hey, they sure are pretty little things. Maybe I should put them to work a little before we turn them loose?"

"Aizen said they weren't to be fucking touched unless the whore of a brother doesn't come back, then they're all fucking yours," Grimmjow muttered. "After I fucked up that little slut, I can't take the chance of this one getting fucked up. So you do what he said. Lock them Below in the fucking cages and that's fucking it."

Yammy snorted. "Fine, whatever," he muttered looking out the window.

Karin and Yuzu held onto each other for dear life as they pulled into an underground garage that had been hidden from view. A few minutes later they were each grabbed by one of the men, the one called Grimmjow grabbing Yuzu's arm, and the big one that had been in the back grabbed Karin's. They went in through a door that had a hell of a lock system on it and entered into an open basement or something. There was a staged set up, like for photo shoots or something, and a stage style bedroom sitting in the middle of the room. To the right there were closed doors, and then further down they saw there were barred cells. Immediately, both girls saw hands appear around some of the bars, and they were tossed into the first cell together. There was a dingy cot and a makeshift toilet in the corner. The looked out and saw the other cells contained young people, really young.

"Well, girls, welcome Below. Enjoy your stay, you won't have the fun that most people have down here, you're far too old for our clientele," Yammy said, smirking as he turned and walked away.

"Hello?" came a girl's voice from the cell beside them.

"Oh, hi," Yuzu came, smiling nervously at the girl; she was tall and slender and had short, greenish black hair. She was wearing what looked like a short school girl outfit. "Um, I'm Y-yuzu. This is my twin sister, Karin," she said, motioning to Karin who was standing at the side glaring out into the basement that was now empty of anyone but those in the cells.

"I'm Nozomi, I'm the oldest down here, about to age out, actually, I turn eighteen next month," she said matter of factly.

Karin turned. "Age out?"

"You're over eighteen, right? You aren't here to work, then," the boy across from them, a boy with short brown hair dressed in a kimono with purple flowers said, looking at them. "I've got a year before I age out. I'm seventeen too, but just turned so I've got nearly a year down here left. I'm Keigo Asano. Some of us don't remember our last names."

The twins looked at each other. "Well, our eighteenth birthday is later this year. Wait. B-below..." Yuzu said. "This...this is where..."

"This is where Ichigo was..." Karin finished.

"Ichigo?" the younger girl next to Keigo said, her black hair set in pigtails on her head. "My name's Ururu Tsumugiya. I'm fifteen this year. I only knew Ichigo a little while. He's been gone two years now. You know him?"

The girls stared for a minute. "He's...he's our brother."

"Really?" the girl down further said, they could barely see her, but she looked like she had brown hair. "He talked about you, you know, his sisters. He couldn't remember your names though. At least I'm here with my brother," she said. "I'm Mizuho Asano; Keigo up there is my older brother. We were taken together when I was about ten years old and he was eleven."

"What is this place? He said he had come up from Below, but..." Karin said, looking at the recording equipment set up for the bedroom set and the photo set again. "They do videos and pictures?"

"Of course, what do you think they'd do down here? They traffic in child and teen pornography, sweetheart," Nozomi said, leaning against the bars of her cell. "There's private rooms over there too for the clients. But their real money comes from selling our pictures and shit. But things have been quiet lately. They haven't even come to pop Rin's cherry yet," she said nodding toward a cell with a very young boy with brown hair. "They just brought him in last week."

They all heard the door open and voices coming toward them and they saw the tall, thin man come into view with Yammy and a man in a business suit.

"You know of course, there's a surcharge for the fresh meat," Yammy said, thumbing through a stack of bills as he walked toward them. "And we're not responsible for anything that happens to you as the result of taking his first one."

The business man nodded. "Of course," he said, and they could see his cheeks were slightly red and he was twisting his hands.

"Giriko, pull out Rin, please," Yammy said, and the tall dark-haired man walked down and unlatched the cell and pulled the younger boy out.

"N-no," he said, eyes wide as the man pulled him along. "Please, no, I don't want to..."

Yammy snorted, putting the bills away. "Shut up, whoreling. Put him in room two, one still has to be cleaned. You got one hour, don't get your nut off, too bad," Yammy said as he nodded to the client then left. They watched as the business man followed Giriko and the struggling Rin.

"He can't be fifteen yet," Yuzu gasped.

"He's twelve, actually, same as Hanataro down there beside him," Nozomi said quietly. "Kinda was hoping he wouldn't have someone come for him so quick, but a week is a long wait."

Giriko came back and stood at the bottom of the stairs. "I don't understand, this...this is what happened to our brother?" Yuzu whispered.

Nozomi smiled. "Your brother, Ichigo, he was so sweet. None of us, of course, were here when he came in. He was ten, you know, and when I got here, he'd been here two years already. He helped me a lot get used to things. He's a good guy," she said smiling. "Even had to do a couple videos with him. Never minded when it was him fucking me. He hated it though, oh gods, he'd bitch for a week after having to fuck a girl on the videos. Said he hated the squishy parts."

The twins glanced back and forth at each other. She was so open about it. "I...I don't know what to say," Karin said softly.

"It is what it is, honey. We're whores, all of us. We'll be whores after we turn eighteen, but once we get there, we'll be Escorts instead of Streetwalkers, so that's good. We'll get the good tricks and the good money," Keigo said with a smile. "Not much longer for me either. We just wait it out."

Karin and Yuzu felt sick, so they just sat down. After nearly an hour was up, Giriko left his post and went to the room and let out the client, who he escorted up to the door and let him out. He returned and came to Nozomi's cell and let her out. She followed him and disappeared into the room for a while. Another hour passed and Giriko went back and let her and the younger boy out. She was talking softly to him, and he was just staring into space.

"Don't worry about it, love. You'll get used to it, and it gets easier. The first time's always hard," Keigo said as Nozomi led Rin back to the cell he was from. He sat down on the cot and just looked around.

Nozomi was put back in her cell and sat down as Giriko turned and left, heading up the stairs and out this time. There was one other cell further down but they couldn't see the person in it from theirs and they hadn't come into view.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Yuzu asked quietly.

"He has to be," Nozomi said, shrugging. "No choice."

There was a thump and a rattling sound and all the ones in the cells stood up, and looked out excitedly, even Rin, though he seemed still rattled. Yuzu and Karin glanced at each other and then watched as from past where the cells were, there came a short boy with blonde hair carrying a bag with him. He smiled, and waved at them.

"Hey, what'd you bring today?" Nozomi asked, smiling as the boy put the bag down and then handed her a candy bar.

He turned and looked at Karin and Yuzu, frowned and then dug around and pulled out a white board and scribbled a note on it, holding it up. New? Too old...

"Yeah, they're just being held down here. They're not like us, they're Ichigo's sisters, though, remember him?" Nozomi said, unwrapping the candy.

The blond boy nodded enthusiastically and grinned, then hugged himself tightly. "Wonderweiss liked Ichigo a lot."

"What...who is he?" Karin said, blinking.

Keigo accepted a rice ball from him and sat down. "No idea, been sneaking in through the window over there as long as I've been here. All we know is his name is Wonderweiss and he can't talk for some reason. He can write a little bit, but doesn't do it often."

The blonde boy went down and gave some sort of food to everyone then sat down in the middle of the floor and ate something himself. After everyone was done, he went and collected the wrappers and put them away in his bag carefully. He waved and disappeared down into the darkness and there was another bang and then silence.

Finally, exhaustion won out, and the twin girls fell asleep against each other on the cot. They hoped that their brother was okay because if he wasn't, they were going to just about die. They had no idea what the future held. They just hoped that it didn't include their brother being hurt further.

Chapter 10

The Protector's Heart and the Desperate Lover

Luppi got up and yawned. He was still tired, but Shinobu had some pretty awesome medicines in his cabinet. No doubt because he was always sick, he thought to himself. He crawled out of bed and found he was feeling a little bit better, not a lot but a little. He came out into the main room and smiled in amazement. The birds that had been in the cages were flying freely around the room.

Shinobu came in and smiled at Luppi. "Good morning. Did you sleep well the rest of the night?"

"Yeah, wow, I've never been around birds this big..." he said, staring at the raven that flew down and landed on top of the cage.

"Would you like me to introduce you?" Shinobu asked, smiling at the child like look on Luppi's face. Luppi only nodded, mouth slightly agape.

Shinobu retrieved two birds, one bright red in color, and one bright green. "This is Ruby, and this is Malachite. They're Eclectus parrots," he said and a then they both took off. "They're a mated pair, though I've yet to have chicks born of them."

Shinobu led Luppi to the perch where two more were sitting, preening each other. "These are Amazon parrots, also a mated pair, Ursula and Isaac. I named them after two of my favorite science fiction authors. And this little lovely is Lucy. Lucy doesn't have a mate, as I rehomed her from a bad situation," he said, leading Luppi to a cage with a smaller bird. "Lucy is a Quaker parrot. I do ask that you not curse in front of them, though. It took a very long time to break Lucy of using curse-words she picked up from her previous family. They had been going through a very nasty divorce, and there was a lot of cursing around her."

Luppi nodded then heard a screeching noise and glanced to the deck. "What is that?" Luppi breathed, catching site of the peafowl outside.

"Oh, those are my peafowl. Beautiful, yes? Avalon actually sleeps with me on the bed," he said, opening the door and letting one of the large birds into the room. The other two seemed happy to stay outside, but the one, Avalon came in and nudged Shinobu's leg with its head.

"Avalon enjoys visitors, really, I think she's more dog than bird sometimes," he said, petting the large bird thoughtfully.

"I've never seen peacocks," Luppi said with a wide stare.

"Well, only the males are called peacocks, the females are peahens. They're quite beautiful creatures," Shinobu said. "But they can be noisy."

"Avalon noisy!" came one of the parrots in the background. Shinobu smiled. "They are something, all of them."

Luppi nodded. "Yeah, they are," he said, but suddenly felt his mood take a dive hard. "Can...can we go see Ichigo again?" he said, looking up.

"I can call and ask if we can," Shinobu said with a nod and headed to the kitchen where he'd left his phone. A deep foreboding had settled into his stomach.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Yammy waited in his office for his boss, Aizen to get there. He had no idea what exactly was going on, he just knew that there was going to be a reckoning for his best Escort. He wasn't sure exactly how things would play out, but it was going to be an event, to be sure. He smiled as he heard the knock on the doorway.

"Enter?" he called and watched as the door opened and Aizen stood there with a sublime look on his face.

"Yammy, time to go forward with the plan. I'll be making contact with them about the boy in a few hours' time, until then I want you to show his sisters...hospitality," he said with a nod before he turned away and headed down to his private office he kept here on the premises.

Yammy was quite excited for the next part. He enjoyed using people's family against them. He smiled and headed down the stairs to Below and nodded to the ever silent Giriko. He wasn't sure if the fucker could talk or just chose not to. Either way, didn't matter to him. He was perhaps the most stoic and emotionless man he'd ever met, besides Ulquiorra Cifer, of course. And that bastard just wasn't human. He headed down and grinned at the cage the two girls were in. They both stood up and glared at him.

"I take it Nozomi's informed you about why everyone is here, huh?" Yammy said, smiling sideways at them.

"Let us out of here, now," Karin said with a glare at the much larger man.

"Oh, but why let you out when I can show you what a fuck-whore your brother is? You think he didn't enjoy what he did? You think he ever tried to run away? You'd be wrong, you know," Yammy commented, looking over to see the other Youngers were looking away from him.

"I don't care what you say. You hurt him and made him do this," Yuzu said, her eyes already full of tears.

"Come on, we'll see," he said as he unlocked the cell and reached in, grabbing each of them by the arm and dragging them out. "I'm sure you would like to know what your brother learned down here. I mean, if you want to be supportive of him, you should know everything, right? Of course, you should be disgusted because he's nothing but trash now," he said, dragging them toward a closed door on the other side of the floor.

He pushed open the door with his foot and the twins found themselves in some sort of showing room.

"See, this is the arcade, they put money in here," he said, shoving each of them into one of the comfortable looking armed chairs. There was a machine to take money or cards beside the outer arms of each seat. "We have four of these rooms, two down here, two upstairs. They're for the cheap bastards that just like to watch and not participate." Yammy pulled two pair of handcuffs from his pocket and secured Karin first by each wrist, then grabbed two more and secured Yuzu. Neither girl could move with both wrists shackled to the metal frames of the chairs.

"Here," he said, smiling as he punched buttons beside Karin's seat. "Strawberry Sweet. That's your brother's whore name, by the way. See, my boss is calling about him, to let them know that you've been captured and are going to die before the night's over unless your slut of a brother shows up. So yeah, and your father is going to give up any information he has, but I know that boy, Ichigo will show up to protect his sisters. That's the way his dumb ass is."

"He won't come," Karin said coolly. "And our dad won't give up information on him just because of this. He's not going to abandon him like that."

"Karin, please, don't agitate him," the Yuzu said softly.

"Like hell, Yuzu. This is the fucking bastard that did this to our brother, that turned him into what he is now. Our brother," she said glaring at him.

Yammy snickered. "I can tell you're the spitfire's sister. He was like that at first. All insults, scowling and biting. I remember when they dragged him in here by the hair. He fought like a mad dog. He managed to tear a chunk outta his handler's hand. Of course, the beating he got for that almost made us think he was gonna to die before we started whoring him out. He only ran off one more time, after we took him to the rooms for the first time. He got a reprieve with one of the high dollar whores upstairs, but only because of that fucking bastard Grimmjow," Yammy muttered. "He was a fucking crybaby after that."

Karin swallowed. That had been the brother she remembered. Temperamental, violent at times, lashing out, and getting into fights with older kids because they didn't like his loud orange hair. He was also an emotional, tearful child. "You are sick. All of you. How could you do that to a kid like he was? He was ten years old."

Yammy grinned, leaning back. "Oh, but the feisty ones are the best on camera, you know. He got put in the playroom a few times. Didn't take long before he started to listen. Not like I blame him."

"The playroom?" Karin whispered softly.

Yammy grinned. "Yeah, where the toss the unruly ones for some lessons from their betters. They love fresh, unbroken ones. Just a room, no windows, one door, and a lot of things to play with. I visited him once in the playroom. I certainly loved laying into that pretty little back with a whip for an hour or two. Wasn't a lot of fun though once he passed out."

The huge man turned and grinned at the two girls. "While we're waiting, want to see what got your brother his top slot in my gig? I swear, I never had a better whore."

Karin swallowed and looked at Yuzu. The look on his face was scary, and he started to chuckle. He punched in a few buttons and the screen in front of them came to life with a scrolling credits screen. Las Noches Productions. Strawberry Sweet.

"Early days, back when he was such a little spit fire we had to tie him down every movie..."

To the horror of the twins, their nightmare was just beginning. Never, in their eighteen years, could they imagine the things they saw as Yammy took absolute delight in showing them what their brother was put through. He would stand off to the side and explain things while the girls simply sat agape at what they were seeing, unbelieving. Aside from the obvious nature of the recordings, Karin watched as her bright, explosive brother slowly became complainant, docile, and did what was asked without question. And then slowly, became a willing participant, less fighting, less bruises. But Karin saw the needle marks and bruises here and there at different times.

"You drugged him to get him like that..." Karin said, looking up at him.

Yammy grinned. The girl was smart. "Only when he decided to get resistant again. A few days in the playroom with some opiates always settled him down. You know it is a process, to break someone like this and turn them into what he became, standing on the street turning tricks and giving blow jobs to cops so they'd leave his corner alone. He was a fighter though; it took so damn long, we wondered if it would just be better to slit his damn throat than deal with him."

Yammy smiled as a more recent movie began, one where he acted out the scenes like he were any other perfectly willing pornography star. It had been almost noon when they were brought in. Yuzu was crying openly, hurting deeply for what she knew had happened to her big brother. Yammy was quite enjoying himself. He never knew that this kind of torture was so damn much fun. The anger across the raven haired girl's face was so much like her brother. He really, really wanted to break her like he'd broken the boy.

He walked over and grabbed Karin's chin in a painful grip, forcing her to look at him. "If I didn't need your brother back so much, I would love to take you to the playroom and break you in myself."

"But you won't," came a voice from the doorway.

Yammy stood up and glared at the brunette newcomer. "Yes, Aizen, sir," he said tightly.

Aizen came forward and looked over the two girls. "I suppose it is a shame, both of them are lovely. But I need Ichigo back. He's ready to meet the Queen."

Karin frowned. "Who are you anyway and what are you going to do to my brother? Who is this Queen?"

"I'm Sōsuke Aizen, and Yammy works for me. I work for the Queen. I picked out the little gem of your brother out myself a long time ago, right before I had your mother killed. Well, I didn't order it, after all, the Queen ordered the hit, but my people made sure it happened. So convenient, right? No, not convenience. I don't kidnap my boys and girls, I rescue runaways, you know. They are brought to me. My connections making the perfect placements and then a few buy outs here and there, and I'm landed with a perfectly moldable whore. But your brother was different. You see, he was chosen to be a companion to the Queen from the beginning," he said, flipping his hair from his face.

Neither girl could speak. This guy had just confessed to having their mother killed. He turned back. "Imagine your brother's surprise when he found himself handed off to the very men he watched murder his sweet mommy. It was no wonder he tried to bite his handler's hand off that first night."

Karin frowned deeply. "Why are you telling us this?"

The man turned around. "Well, because once I have your brother, Yammy is going to kill you both. Your use will have run out, and I can't have my sweet Ichigo thinking he has anything to come back to. He's a useless slut, and his dad didn't even bother to look for him then, and he won't look for him now in the midst of grieving over his daughters. And his dad will blame him forever for getting his daughter's killed. And Ichigo will know that every day he lives serving his new master."

Yuzu's face darkened. "Kill us, but our dad won't blame Ichigo! Not one bit!"

Aizen grinned. "Oh? Well, Ichigo won't know that. He'll get what information we give him. And he'll get the messages I give him, the letters written to him, as I tell him his father knows where he is, and doesn't care. And then, the Queen be all there is for him. His comfort, his heaven and his hell all in one. He'll know very soon that we have you, and that you're as good as dead if he doesn't show."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

After lunch, Luppi and Shinobu headed up to Byakuya's apartment with Kira in tow. Luppi would feel better once he got to see him again. With the elevator a direct link to the room, they knew they were coming up already, but Shinobu still knocked as they came in.

Ichigo came running immediately, hugging Luppi against him again. "Hey!" he said, pushing him back and winking.

"Hey," Luppi answered. "You look no worse for the wear," he commented, glancing at where Byakuya stood against the doorframe.

"Oh, not at all, I think I might piss him off again," Ichigo said, glancing back toward him with a sly look.

Luppi giggled and Ichigo took his hand and led him to the living room. They had just sat down to talk when Byakuya answered the phone and walked into the kitchen with it. A few minutes later he came back in and glanced at Ichigo, then back up as the door to the elevator opened and Isshin Kurosaki came in with a thunderous look upon his face.

Ichigo stood up, gripping Luppi's hand tightly as Isshin stopped and spoke quietly with Byakuya for a moment then they both came into the living room where they were standing.

"Ichigo," Isshin said quietly. "I just got a call from...from someone...and it seems that...your sisters have been kidnapped."

Ichigo started to respond with a who the fuck cares but something stopped him. "By who?"

Isshin exchanged a look with Byakuya. "They're with Yammy, we think they're at Las Noches."

Ichigo dropped Luppi's hand and scowled at his father. "What does he want?"

Isshin sighed and looked away. "He says he wants you to come back, or he's going to kill them both before the end of the night. Now obviously, you can't do that, so we're..."

"The fuck, old man, their lives aren't worth mine," he said, feeling Luppi grab his arm. "I mean, if I go back, he said he'll let them go, right? So I go back."

Byakuya stared at the floor and didn't say anything. How could he say anything? He looked up and locked eyes with Ichigo.

Ichigo moved around, leaving Luppi where he was and moved between Byakuya and his father. He reached up and put a hand on Byakuya's face. "Daddy, I love you so much, I do, but I can't...I can't let them die for me. I'm not worth that. They're good people, not sluts like me. I come with so much baggage, Daddy, and I'm just gonna drag you down with me. I'll be okay, because I'll know I did the right thing," Ichigo said, then buried his face in Byakuya's chest.

Byakuya wrapped both arms around him and squeezed him. "Little boy, you don't have to go, we can do something else. We can make plans."

Ichigo looked up in the embrace. "No, there's no time. You have what, twelve hours? Less than that? No, there's no time. Las Noches is a fucking fortress, otherwise you'd have busted in before now. There's no way in that basement hell hole except through the upstairs, and they've got a shit ton of guards. Way too fucking dangerous, and there's too many people between the door and them that can get hurt."

Isshin was shaking his head. "We can't do that; we can't let you go in there, Ichigo..."

Ichigo reached up and grabbed Byakuya's face and pulled it down to him in a long kiss. He smiled as he separated from him. "No one is gonna stop me," he said softly and turned and ran full tilt for the elevator doors, disappearing inside before anyone could stop him. He knew the way from there.

Immediately, Byakuya was on the phone and the crews were mobilizing. They would make it work for them, they thought. They'd follow Ichigo, and wait for an opening. They didn't have much time, but they did have people in place to make sure things went as well as possible. They had no idea how Ichigo managed to slip unnoticed by their men, but he had indeed. He had a lot of experience eluding police and tails, though. It didn't take long for them to realize that they were going to have to pull every string they had threaded through the Arrancar organization to pull off this night without multiple deaths on their hands. They'd been working toward this day for years, and while they hadn't planned to go ahead this night, their hand was forced.

Ichigo had to give them on thing, they were harder than fuck to lose. He made his way through the dark spots of the city, and soon enough found himself before a familiar building. He felt watched and he knew that both the Shinigami and the Arrancar knew he was there. He nearly yelled when a black bag covered his head and someone yanked him off his feet. He knew it was for shock value more than anything. He felt that he was being taken downstairs again. Despite trying to stay calm, the old fear rose in his throat.

He nearly fell over on the sore knee as he was put down and the hood was stripped off his head. He turned to see Grimmjow standing beside him; he'd been the one to snatch him outside. No wonder he hadn't hurt him in the process. He looked up to Grimmjow. The bigger man didn't look down, but he squeezed his arms gently in a sort of reassurance. Ichigo turned his attention on the room he was in. He blinked in the dim light and saw a familiar video on the screen in front of him. It was one of the Below arcades. He turned around and found himself, though, face to face with his two sisters sitting in the twin arcade chairs. His eyes went wide.

"Your sisters seem to have enjoyed our little showing for their benefit," Aizen said from one side of the room.

"Yeah, they really liked seeing you get fucked when you were tiny, you know," Yammy said, snorting and staring at the now gagged twins.

"Fuckin' let them go, I'm here," he said and forced his hands into his pockets to hide the shaking. He felt Grimmjow trying to hold him as easily as he could. "You've done enough by making them see this. You shouldn't have done that."

Yammy shrugged. "You're such a good fuck toy, I thought I'd make them watch what made you so good at your job. But, as good as you are, I'm afraid I'm losing you to the higher ups."

Ichigo glanced at Aizen and back at Yammy. "Not Aizen, you are going to the big boss."

"The fuck you mean?" Ichigo asked. "Aizen's the boss."

"I'm the boss of the Arrancar, Strawberry Sweet, my lovely boy. My boss, however, took an interest in you from the day you were brought in, and has kept up with you since that day. Part of the reason you were so popular for videos is because the Queen wanted it. And what the Queen wants, the Queen gets," Aizen said, smiling softly in the dim light. "The Arrancar is but one small piece of a much larger, more global syndicate, Ichigo."

"Let them go," Ichigo said again. "They're done with this now, you got what you wanted."

Aizen came forward. "How long has it been, Ichigo?" he asked, moving toward him, walking between him and the two girls. "How long since I've visited you for my own pleasure? In fact, is there anyone in my ranks that hasn't fucked you?" he said, turning and grinning at him. "You were always my best and favorite little whore. You know, no one else let themselves be beat quite like you did. So many times I got calls about what a good little slut you were, doing anything they asked, if they paid enough. I know why, do you know why? Why you liked being hurt so much? Because you let your mother die, isn't that right?"

Ichigo snarled at him. The two girls beyond him were staring, he hoped at him, and not the movie still playing behind him. It was a particularly vicious film that had almost killed him before it was done. It was one of the rougher rape fantasy movies and it made his stomach turn to even think of how bad that had been. Aizen leaned forward and kissed his forehead, only to have Ichigo try to reach out and push him away despite being held by Grimmjow.

Aizen smiled. "See, that defiance, we can't have that where we're going. And I can't have you trying to run away from the Queen. He's waiting ever so patiently for you." Aizen glanced down to see that Ichigo was leaning awkwardly on one leg. "You've injured yourself. Let's be sure you can't run easily."

Aizen struck out with one foot into the knee Yammy had already hurt. There was an audible snapping sound and Ichigo saw both Karin and Yuzu's eyes go wide and Ichigo looked down at the awkward angle that his lower leg was at now. For a minute, Ichigo stared blankly until the pain caught up with his addled mind. He screamed and tried to get out of Grimmjow's grip but felt him holding him up as best he could. He knew Grimmjow was almost completely supporting his weight now.

"I wasn't going to do this in front of your sisters, but you know, maybe this will get you under control again, Yammy, bring me some of Ichigo's personal stash," Aizen said. "He's in pain."

Aizen smiled and came forward, nodding at Grimmjow who grabbed Ichigo's arm and yanked it down, exposing the tracks inside. Ichigo shook his head and tried to pull his arm away, but Grimmjow's grip was sure and strong. Ichigo felt tears welling.

"No, please, not again...I stopped, I stopped it...no..." he said, watching the needle slip into his vein so easily.

"Oh, you tried to give it up? Not a good idea, because this is going to be your only escape for the rest of your miserable existence, which ends when the Queen decides it does," he said softly, and pressed the plunger down.

A moment passed; his head flopped back to Grimmjow's shoulder and he felt all the pain and hurt go away at once. He moaned at the ecstatic pleasure that coursed through his veins. It was a high dose, more than he ever used, and after going without, it hit him hard. Just on the edge of being too much. His head lolled to the side, his eyes wide, dilated, and unseeing.

"Ready the car, Yammy, quickly. After I'm gone, have Cifer shoot them. But wait until I'm gone. I can't be connected with their murders directly, neither can you," Aizen said, stepping back. Grimmjow held Ichigo up completely now, his body having gone completely slack. "Grimmjow, leave him here while I get things ready, he's not moving for at least four hours. Head up and wait until I'm gone."

Grimmjow lowered the nearly unconscious Ichigo to the floor gently as the other two left first. The door shut and he looked up between the two.

"Stay strong, for him, I'm not sure, but I'll do what I can..." he said quietly and as he walked by them he pulled their gags free.

Ichigo's head was lying near Karin's feet now. She reached out with her foot and pushed on his head. "Ichigo! Get up! You have to get up and get out of here!" she whispered fiercely.

His head turned in her direction, but all that met her gaze were wide empty eyes. If he was even conscious of the world, there was no indication. She looked to her sister, who met her with an equally frightened expression. Neither of them had seen someone use heroin, or any drug for that matter. Even at nearly eighteen, they'd avoided drugs and drug users. A moment later, the man called Aizen returned with a couple of large men, and had one of them pick up Ichigo. He tossed him over his shoulder and left with him. He smiled and looked at Yammy who had come with him.

"Yammy, you've been a good sport, so you can do what you want before you kill them. Just as long as they're both dead by the morning," Aizen said.

Yammy turned to them with a leer on his face. Karin gasped. "Stay away, you fucking pedophile!"

He only chuckled as he advanced on the girls, his gun left at the desk and his eyes hazed with lust and malevolence.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Captain Kuchiki!" came over the com.

"What is it?" the stoic faced man said from his position inside the van.

"We have a car leaving; do you want to order a car detail on them?"

"Yes, immediately. Could you identify the occupants?" he said, worried that they'd gotten Ichigo out of the house.

"Negative, sir. Windows are tinted, only one driver for sure. Came from a previously unrecorded garage entrance," came the answer.

"Do so. Update me when the car stops," he answered, sighing and turning to see Renji come up the back of the van. "Are we in place?" he asked.

"You bet, sir. All entrances are covered, at least those above ground. "

Byakuya turned his attention to the people that had just showed up and set up the operation. He was white collar crime, true, but he was also a highly trained strategist, and often assisted on raids like that. However, this time, he was going in the front. Even his head captain couldn't dissuade him from being one of the first in the building. Once everyone was in position, which took nearly no time because they knew what they were doing. They'd planned this over and over. They were ready.

Byakuya entered the building, his lieutenant and several others on his heels. As expected, there were guards waiting for them. The fight was short and strategic, and actually used more tranquilizers than anything. They knew there would be plenty of those that worked there in house, and they knew that it was going to be hard to make sure there were no innocent lives lost, or even those guilty. Many of those that worked here weren't here by choice. Byakuya opened the basement door and went down with Renji and several others behind him. He stopped when he got to the bottom and stared.

All the cages where the Youngers were held were open, and there were seven young adults sitting on the floor with a small, blonde headed boy, playing cards. They all stood up and looked at the people coming down the stairs.

"Hello, Wonderweiss said you were here to help us," Nozomi said.

Byakuya shook his head and nodded. "We're the Shinigami. We came to help you. Where are the two girls?"

"Room A-1," a brunette boy in a kimono said. "I saw Ulquiorra and Grimmjow go in there. Ulquiorra is the assassin."

Byakuya turned and rushed over and pulled open the door to stare in complete shock. The large TV in the back was smashed completely and on the floor was a pale skinned man with vivid green eyes and black hair. One of the girls was braiding his hair as he sat there. The other girl was examining a handgun while she sat in front of the blue haired Grimmjow who was explaining how the pieces fit together. In the opposite corner, a bloodied and unconscious Yammy was hog tied with electrical cords.

Grimmjow looked up. "I did what I could, boss," he said. "I couldn't stop Aizen from taking him to the Queen, not without risking the girls."

"Aren't you Ulquiorra Cifer?" Renji said, staring at the light skinned man.

"Yes," he said, tipping his head to the side, blinking rapidly.

"Ulquie, quit moving," Yuzu commented. "You're going to ruin the braid."

"Oh, I apologize, Miss Yuzu," he said, straightening his head.

Byakuya pushed the com. "Status on that car."

"Sir, car entered a private aircraft hangar, but the no fly zone is in effect, they've managed to slip out in a helicopter. They're headed toward the Messer Island. We have no confirmation the target was on board," the agent answered.

Byakuya stepped out. "Senbonzakura to Minazuki. We're going to need you. We have seven underage victims. We have an unknown number of sex workers on the next three levels. Suggest you bring a team from Division 13 as well."

The confirmation came and Byakuya went in to see the boy with a backpack and blonde hair. "Who are you? You're not one of these."

Wonderweiss smiled and shook his head. He grabbed a white board and scribbled on it quickly. "Wonderweiss Margela. You're the good guys, so I'm helping you."

Byakuya didn't have time for that, he just shook his head. He needed to find out what happened to Ichigo. It wouldn't be so easy as to just have him be here. Of course not.

He looked up as Ukitake, his husband Shunsui Kyōraku who captained the cybercrime division, Retsu Unohana, captain of the medical division, and her team came down the stairs. Her team of four was her lieutenant Isane Kotetsu, her second lieutenant Hachigen Ushōda, Yasochika Iemura, and Shūkurō Tsukishima.

Unohana went over to Byakuya while her team and Ukitake headed over to where the victims were sitting together.

"This is where they kept the underage kids," she observed. "We're going to need division twelve to do a full forensics sweep once we get the people out of here."

Byakuya nodded. "We will. There's plenty evidence, now we just have to connect it to the people we need it to connect to."

Karin walked up to where they were standing, Grimmjow with her. Behind them, Yuzu was leading Ulquiorra by the hand, his long black hair done in intricate braids around his head. Byakuya nodded to them.

"Your dad's at the Seireitei. Let's get you back there. I'm sure I know where your brother has been taken. I intend to bring him back. And if I can extinguish the life of those that caused this, I will," Byakuya said, a promise if there ever was one from him.

Karin looked at him a serious look in her eye. "Do that. Do exactly that. Because if you don't kill him, I'll do it when I'm strong enough. If he doesn't die, I will make it my life mission to destroy him by any means necessary."

Byakuya nodded and headed up the stairs to leave the various teams to do their jobs. He stepped out into the night air. Las Noches was unassuming, a large building at the end of a private road set near to an upper middle class neighborhood, with their people working several streets over in the more seedy areas of town. He had to get his heart back. He had to.
Chapter Eleven

The Messer's Island and the Hidden Truth

Ulquiorra Cifer sat with an expressionless face as Yuzu undid the braids in his hair so she could start again with a different style. She said something about doing two French braids down each side, and making them one down to the end. His hair wasn't overly long, but it was perfectly straight and cut evenly. The texture lent to being braided as well. They were sitting in one of the conference rooms, or what Ulquiorra was sure was actually an interrogation room. Yuzu, however, had insisted on staying with him. He didn't understand why, but he sort of enjoyed the company for once.

"I think green," she said softly, grabbing her bag and pulling out a bottle of emerald colored nail polish. "What do you think, Ulquie?"

He nodded once and gave her his hand, watching curiously as she applied the nail polish to his long nails. He rarely cut them, to be honest; he just let them grow how they would. He wasn't one to bother with such things. She finished and sat down beside him.

"Ulquiorra, why did you do the things you did?" she said, looking up, blinking her wide eyes at him.

He tilted his head to the side and blinked for a moment. "I had no other options. I owed Sōsuke Aizen for my life. I only had my skills to repay him with."

Yuzu looked up at him, staring into his dark green eyes and took his pale hands, the dark green polish bright against his nearly white skin. "You didn't go outside much," she muttered, running her fingers over the skin.

"There was no need, I worked in the darkness, and other than that, I was to be unseen, an abomination of the world, to be put away and never seen again," he spoke slowly, as though the very words were foreign to him.

Yuzu looked up at him, abashed. "Don't say that, you are beautiful and wonderful!"

Ulquiorra's brows knitted and his head tilted the opposite direction. "I am a murderer. I have no conscious. No emotion. How can you say such a thing? I've been trained to be an assassin since I turned six years of age."

-o-

"What, the whore had a kid?" the man said as the little dark haired boy with the bright green eyes was shoved into the office.

Aizen stood up and walked over to him. "Should we kill the little bastard?" Yammy asked from beside him. "His father said he was worthless. He couldn't talk until he was like five years old, and since then he's one weird kid, won't look at you, reads books on biology that college kids don't read. Freaky little bastard."

Aizen knelt in front of the pale boy and tilted his head up. "What's your story?"

The boy looked everywhere but Aizen's face and tilted his head in Aizen's grip, blinking quickly. "I'm Ulquiorra Cifer, nice to meet you, how are you," he said, as though repeating a script.

"He's not a freak, he's autistic," Aizen said, standing up.

As soon as Aizen let go of his chin, he looked away, wringing his hands. "Did he see his mother die?"

"He was in the room when her john bashed her skull in. When I got there, the guy was trying to choke him, saying he was a demon spawn or some shit. Said he just watched as he killed the whore. Then he asked to see the body when he stopped. He hasn't shed a tear or anything. What do you want to do with him?" Yammy said, glancing at him, Ulquiorra's eyes darting around the room before resting on Aizen's feet.

"He may be useful. Take him down to the basement, put him in one of the dark cells. No one but me is to have contact with him. Provide him with books he wants, I have an excellent idea of how to use him. Train him from today on to be a perfect assassin. Train him to be merciless, emotionless, a thing, not even human anymore. That's what I shall do with him," Aizen said, grabbing Ulquiorra's hair and pulling his head back, forcing him to look at him. "And you'll do as I say, won't you?"

-o-

Ulquiorra blinked and looked at Yuzu, and saw her eyes were very sad. "My mother worked at Las Noches. She had me in secret and left me with my father. He hated me. He hurt me. He gave me to her. She was killed by a client. Aizen gave me life and purpose. I do not know anything else."

"Ulquie, don't say that!" Yuzu said, smiling gently at him. "You have very deep emotion, I can see it in your eyes. You suffer. You just don't know how to say it."

Yuzu picked up one hand and interlaced her fingers in his. "I feel your heartbeat, do you feel mine?"

"I do," he said, and his brow furrowed for a long time before his lips twitched in a semblance of a smile.

Outside the room, on the other side of the two way mirror, Byakuya watched with amazement. Grimmjow and Nel stood nestled together, and he let out a long breath.

"Son of a bitch, I had no idea. He's deadly as fuck, there's no one he can't kill, but I never knew he'd been there since he was a child, that's some fucked up shit," Grimmjow said softly. "I mean, not that anything Aizen did wasn't, but I couldn't believe when I went down there with him. Yammy had one of those girls pinned to the floor, and trying to get into her clothes, I think it was the other one, with the black hair, and as soon as the door opened, he was in motion. Yammy never saw what hit him. Ulquiorra just did something; still don't know what the fuck he did, and Yammy dropped like a stone. He just looked at the girl on the floor and then un-cuffed that other one. This one hugged him and then she sat him on the floor with her. Weirdest shit I've seen in a while," Grimmjow muttered.

Soi-Fon came in and looked up at those gathered. "So this kid, and he's a kid, he's only twenty three years old, is autistic. He's extremely knowledgeable about biology, chemistry, and physiology, which is why he was such a good assassin. We've had him confirm his kills from the files for us. The interesting thing about every single one of his hits, though, is that they all died as close to painlessly as possible. I've never seen an assassin take this much care to ensure their victims don't suffer. This kid did. He's been doing hits since he was about twelve years old, according the age of the hits he identified as his," she said, glancing into the room where he was sitting and staring at his painted nails while Yuzu re-braided his hair in another style.

Byakuya looked over at her. "What's his outlook? He wasn't there because he wanted to be. I cannot imagine charging him any more than we would charge the others that were forced to work there."

Ukitake, who had been standing at the back and watching silently, spoke up. "His outlook is dubious at best. What we're seeing is a lack of remorse for the killings, but I'm not sure if that's a façade or not. I think he needs to be observed interacting with others more. People with autism tend to struggle with social situations, which it seems that Aizen capitalized on to make him completely anti-social. In some ways, it's like his life was frozen at six years of age."

"Is that good then?" Grimmjow said, motioning to where Yuzu was playing with his hair, then moving around and putting makeup on his face, to brighten him up, she said.

Ukitake shook his head. "Only time will tell what damage was done to him."

Byakuya sighed and walked out of the room into the main bullpen area. "Kuchiki!" he heard and turned to see Gin Ichimaru running toward him.

"What is it?" he said, glaring at the serpentine man.

"We have confirmation that the helicopter arrived on the private island, but we have no way to get in at this time. Communications are frozen, even the Quincy are unable to contact us," he sighed and shook his head.

Byakuya nodded and headed down to the other room, where the younger ones had been placed. They hadn't wanted to be separated from each other and the strange blonde boy. He went in and nodded to Tsukishima who was keeping watch on them.

"They've been mostly talking to each other. The youngest ones, Rin and Hanataro, I believe will need some intensive therapy, both have refused to speak," the dark haired medic said sadly. "I'm more worried about the older ones that seem to be acting as if things are good for them. They are suppressing a lot."

"Very well, I'll stay here if you wish to let Dr. Unohana know what you've observed," Byakuya said with a sigh. Everyone was under heavy observation, and the best psychology and psychiatry specialists were rotating around the various groups. Tsukishima was one of the newer psychologists on hand. He was older, nearly forty years old, but he was new to the field. He was also in forensics, which was why at his age he was just starting to work in psychology.

Byakuya was about to sit at the conference table when the door opened and a woman came in carrying a small dog in her arms. Byakuya arched one black brow and the blond kid came and took the dog, nodding enthusiastically as he took it over to the others.

"Good afternoon, Captain Kuchiki?" the brunette woman said, bowing slightly to him.

"And who are you?" Byakuya said with a deep sigh.

"I'm Wonderweiss's assistant, Sachiko Yorimoto, and when I heard that he'd been picked up during the raid at the nearby building, I came down with is favorite pet, it sooths him," she said, smiling slightly.

Byakuya frowned. "Sit down, I need to find out what exactly he is doing with them."

After she'd sat down, the door opened again, this time it was Renji, and he handed Byakuya a file folder. He opened it and looked over at the blond kid.

"You're this kid's...assistant?" Byakuya said as he looked over the files.

"Um, yes, I live in the first level of the house to the south of the Las Noches building, Wonderweiss lives in the basement level. He enjoys his privacy. I drive him places and often speak to his family on his behalf," she said, running a hand through her hair.

"Yes," Byakuya said thoughtfully. "But that's not your real name," he said, looking up at meeting her eyes.

She blinked. "What?"

"When you entered, your finger prints were scanned, Yoshino Soma. Until five years ago, you were a member of the Messer Organization," he said casually. "I'm not worried about that, however. According to this, our mystery boy is Wonderweiss Margela, only living heir to the Margela Security empire, son of Angelo Margela, though illegitimate. He's been made an official heir. He was left with mild brain damage and completely mute after suffering severe encephalitis during a bout of spinal meningitis as a child. However, that doesn't explain what he was doing in the secure basement of Las Noches when we raided the place," Byakuya said, glancing at the young man who was watching him now.

He scribbled for a moment on the board. "Our security system. Easy to bypass. I wanted to help a little. I knew what happened there. No one would listen to me."

Byakuya nodded. "I suppose that makes sense."

Actually, none of it made any damn sense and he was just really tired of the whole situation. "So, how long have you been sneaking into the place?" he continued.

Wonderweiss wrote again. "Since I was a child. I heard crying one night, and I found Ichigo and a couple other young ones down there. I didn't know why then. I do now. I chose to help you when you came."

Byakuya nodded. "Alright. Well, you were helpful. What would you like to do now?" he asked.

"I need to go home to tend my dogs," he wrote, and held up the small beagle looking dog. "His name is Killian. It means small and fierce. I have two more at home. But I want to help if I can, now that I know everything that happened there."

Byakuya nodded and stood. He looked at the woman who was still taken aback that they'd uncovered her true identity so easily. "He's free to go. There will be more questions later," he said and headed out into the main lobby.

He had to think, but his heart wasn't letting him.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

His first thought was that he felt really, really good. That was until a sharp pain struck up his thigh from his knee. He groaned then, his head rolling to the side. He tried to move but found himself unable. He opened sticky eyes from the familiar haze of a high. He found himself staring at Aizen. He looked up to see he was secured by his wrists to a bed. "The fuck?" he snarled at Aizen.

"Welcome to your home, my Strawberry Sweet. You are now the Queen's personal property, and you'll be going nowhere from now on unless the Queen so decrees. We've been grooming you your entire lifetime for this, you should be proud. You no longer have to work the streets, only those here to satisfy, and no more Yammy looking over your shoulder. You are now a kept man," he said, standing and moving silkily to the bed to sit down beside his head.

"Fuck you, I don't want this, now let me go!" he said, yanking harshly on the handcuffs.

"Oh I always loved that fire in you. But don't push me too far, whore," he said, tracing fingers across his chest and down his belly. Ichigo growled and jerked away.

"Fuck you and Yammy and all of you! You took away my family twice now. I'll get out and go back!" he spat.

Aizen smiled. "Well, that won't happen. Yammy already put a bullet in your sisters, and I'm sure your father is currently very upset that he ever brought you home. Now, we're far away, and you won't be going anywhere unless your new master takes you. The Queen's instructions were simple; you were to be available to all those here until he arrives to claim you as his own. He doesn't want you to get out of practice, after all, and he will be arriving in a week or so."

Ichigo couldn't help it. Tears filled his eyes and he felt like a hammer had slammed into him. He'd gotten his sisters killed. They were dead because of him. He may as well have pulled the trigger on the gun himself. He slumped back, only to have a moment's notice before his mouth was attacked by Aizen's domineering tongue. There was no resistance in him, he was too shocked at what he'd said, but then he was angry and bit down on the intruding muscle as hard as he could. This elicited a yelp and Aizen's mouth was gone, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"You'll regret that. I was going to be nice, and give you pleasure as well, but I'm afraid that that won't be the case now," he said, lapping the blood on his chin.

One fast punch had Ichigo's head spinning, as he felt his pants being slipped down his legs. As his head cleared he arched his back in pain as Aizen had pressed down on the injured knee. He then maneuvered his legs up onto his shoulders and Ichigo tried to pull away. With the busted knee and his wrists held, he couldn't, though. He was helpless.

"Fuck, no, not like this!" he cried, knowing what was coming. Even after years of the abuse, it still hurt to have someone go in dry and unprepared for it. The burning and tearing made him let out a low whine in his throat and he wasn't sure whether that or the messed up leg hurt more. Of course, he was still on the edges of his high, so he was relatively sure that it would have been worse otherwise. It didn't take Aizen long, and finally he dropped him back to the bed. Ichigo wanted to die. He'd betrayed his family. He'd betrayed Byakuya. He'd betrayed himself.

"Here," Aizen said and tossed a blanket over him. "I'll clean you up eventually. Or maybe I won't."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

He wasn't supposed to go in the bedrooms, not really. Even as the head of security, the private rooms were just that, private. He stood on the deck outside his room on the third floor and watched the waves. It was a small island off in the Pacific. No one visited, yet tonight a helicopter had come in. He was curious because usually people came during the day, and generally they were accompanied with more preparation than this time. He guessed this was the guest Mabashi had told him about, and that meant that the Queen was to come in soon as well.

So, Uryū found himself patrolling the hallways after a while, double checking that everything was in order for the Queen eventually arrived. He was the boss after all. However, Uryū had a job to do, even if he couldn't currently report in. When Aizen came from one of the rooms and headed off to a different guest bedroom down the hallway, Uryū needed to find out what was happening. He checked the other room to find Aizen had fallen into a deep sleep. He headed back to the other room and heard voices. He paused and stood by the door. It wasn't like anyone could stop him from entering the room, but he wasn't sure what exactly was happening just yet.

"Aw, isn't he cute?" came a familiar voice. Cang Du, one of the Quincy, he recognized. Cang Du was close friends with Mabashi, at least, that was the part he played.

"Aizen's had his fun for the night, I smell it on him," the second voice said, Uryū knew that to be Mabashi. "Our instructions from the Queen were quite clear. Enjoy ourselves with him before we are unable to do so. Not every day we get an experienced whore in here.

"Fuck you," came another voice, one that Uryū didn't really know well.

"He's got a temper," came another voice. Jin, the King, was in there too. No doubt he was curious about this, then. He actually wasn't sure what the deal was there. If this was the Queen's consort, and obviously, male, Jin wasn't into guys.

Inside, Ichigo was fuming. He had done more johns than this before, but that wasn't the point. He'd stopped doing this. He'd given it up. He'd left for his Daddy, and they'd dragged him back into it. He just wanted to die. Even if the time he'd been truly free had been brief, he loved someone for the first time in his worthless life. "Look, get this over with. I'm fucking coming down fucking fast. I know, already, fuckers. I'm your goddamned personal fuck slut. Nothing I'm not fucking used to already," he said, trying his best to make it seem like he didn't care. He was trying to slip back into that person he'd been before Byakuya.

It wasn't working.

Jin, or the King as he called himself, smiled at him. "I'm not a fucking faggot, but a fucking blow is a blow, and I hear you're a fucking beautiful mouth fuck," he said, moving over Ichigo and releasing his hands. "You got nowhere to go, so I can take these off. You step out the fucking door, though, and you'll be tied like the dog you are," he said, undoing his pants and forcing himself into Ichigo's mouth. Ichigo was glad he wasn't that big, though, he was a bit nauseous.

He kept telling himself this was no different than working the corner and giving the money to Luppi. No different.

Except it was.

He felt one of the others move onto the bed and slide into him easily enough. He wanted to laugh at these assholes. Dickless jerks, he thought as the other one, the one with bright hair like him, Mabashi he thought was his name, finished quickly, and the dark haired one who hadn't spoken his name took his place. Ichigo winced because he was a bit closer to Byakuya's size, but not near it. Finally, Jin finished in his mouth, holding his head to force him to swallow. The other one, the last one, moved away, and he didn't think he'd even entered him. Strange, he thought, coughing at the bitter taste and trying not to vomit.

"I'll come see you again, you do have a fine mouth," Jin said, leaving as the other two followed him.

Ichigo heard the door slam and then he couldn't hold it anymore. He pulled his legs up and rested his chin on his knees. He started to rock as the tears started to fall. He'd been a fucking whore for almost twelve fucking years, and he was bawling like a baby, and it wasn't even the worst treatment he'd been given.

Ichigo started as the door opened and shut quickly and he glanced over to see a tall, dark haired man with glasses standing inside the room.

"You next?" he muttered, trying to hide the tears on his face. "If so get it over with."

"I don't think my fiancé would appreciate me having sex with others while I'm away on assignment," he said, moving over and sitting down on the bed.

"Who...who are you?" he whispered, his voice hoarse, the tough façade dropping briefly.

"My name is Uryū Ishida. I work here, and I heard what happened, I'm so sorry I couldn't stop them," he asked, softly.

Ichigo swallowed. "I...I..." He stopped and sighed. "I deserve this. I really do."

He frowned, his fine brow crinkling. "No one deserves this, no one."

"Even if I've spent half my life fucking people for money?" he said softly.

Uryū frowned even deeper. "Unless you've been a prostitute since you were like ten, I doubt that..." He trailed off as thoughts clicked together. "How old are you?"

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, ignoring the bright purple bruises that were forming on his wrist. "I'll be twenty-one soon. Maybe."

"What's your name?" he asked quietly. "I didn't know who was coming, I just knew that the Queen's consort was being brought in."

"Ichigo Kurosaki," he said softly, and Uryū's eyes went wide.

"Kurosaki? Are you related to Masaki Kurosaki?" he said.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "My mother. She died before I got sold to Aizen's child porno ring," he said, frowning.

"I knew her, well, sort of, I was a child, but that's not important now. I work with the Shinigami, and we're doing everything to bust this whole thing wide open. Aizen isn't the main thug we're after, it's the Queen. You being here is the first and only time we've ever known that the Queen was to get here. So, you've actually given us a chance to stop this thing for good," he said softly, reaching out to put a hand on Ichigo's arm.

Ichigo flinched away, though, and Uryū pulled his hand back. "That's fine, look, I just want you to know that we're going to get you out of here."

Ichigo nodded as he watched him leave the room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He saw a door to the side and got up, finding an en suite bathroom. He turned the shower on as hot as he could and stayed until the water ran cold and his skin was red. At least no one could see his tears.
Chapter Twelve

The Final Order and a Rescue Mission

Shinobu stood with Luppi and Kira outside the shrine. When the news came down that Ichigo had been taken again, well, more he'd given himself up, Luppi had broken down terribly. For a while, Shinobu thought that they might have to call for help, but Kira had managed to calm him. He was sputtering and crying and neither of them knew what to do about it.

"I can't go, I'm not...clean." Luppi shifted on his face nervously, adjusting the loose yukata he'd borrowed from Shinobu. It was too big and drug the ground.

Kira put an arm around his shoulders gently. "Shush, the shrines are for anyone to visit. We're here to offer prayers for Ichigo's safety, right?"

Luppi's back straightened but he didn't move Kira's arms. "Yeah. For Ichigo." Luppi's eyes filled with tears again and Shinobu looked at Kira for a second. Luppi got hold of himself, though. "Okay, I can do this. For him."

Even so, at the Torii, Luppi stopped, almost panicking as he gazed up the wooden gates across the path to the shrine. Kira turned and took his hand. "What is it?"

"I'm impure, how can I visit the shrine?" he whispered.

Shinobu had come as well, to pray for Uryū's safety. "Nonsense, you're not sick, and you have no wounds. You'll purify yourself when we approach. Come," he said, taking Luppi's other hand and leading him through the arch of wood. _Komainu_ sat on each side of the door and Luppi looked the guardian dogs over.

"I've never been to a shrine, not since I was a child."

Kira smiled as they knelt at the purification trough. He ladled the water into his hands then handed it to Luppi. Luppi frowned and noted that Kira didn't rinse his mouth, but Shinobu poured water from the ladle to his hand then sipped it to rinse and spit beside the trough. Luppi did as Kira did, though, and then stood to follow the other two into the shrine.

The went into the offering hall together and Shinobu went first, tossing a coin into the offering box before ringing the small gong. He bowed down twice before the sacred scroll for the local kami, then clapped twice. He bowed the final time and then was quiet as he offered his prayers. He then stepped back. Kira did a similar series of actions, though a little stiffly as though he weren't used to visiting the shrine.

Luppi stepped up last, adjusting the obi on his yukata before bowing and clapping. After he bowed the last time he closed his eyes and prayed harder than he had ever prayed that Ichigo would return safe and alive. He opened his eyes and stepped back.

Shinobu smiled gently. "Did you want to write an ema?"

"Yeah, I would," Luppi said as they approached the area with the wooden plaques to write on. Luppi wrote simply "Ichigo's safe return" and Shinobu likewise wrote "Uryū's safe return". Kira didn't show them what he wrote and they headed back to hopefully hear some news from someone.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Uryū was nervous. He now understood what this was all about. He couldn't believe the disregard for a human being that the Queen had. He'd ended up getting some information about the young man locked into the bedroom for the time being. It had revealed some startling truths he didn't even want to believe were possible. He was finding out there were connections that he never knew existed that explained why he and the other Quincies had so easily found a place among the Messer. He had thought it seemed so easy that they were let into the innermost ranks of the Messer's base.

The Queen, whoever he was, was in complete control of everything associated with the Messer organization. Twenty years ago, before Uryū had even been pulled into the cult, an alliance between the budding Messer organization and the Wandenreich's founder, Yahweh had been formed. Yahweh had needed two things in abundance. Hallucinogenic drugs for his vision quests, and disposable human beings for blood sacrifices. To get those, he'd formed an alliance with the Messer. As far as he could tell, Ichigo's mother came in because she had been one of the people that this Queen of the Messer had come across. Rumors were that he'd become enamored of her, and approached her romantically. He had been rejected as the leader of the syndicate providing drugs and people to Yahweh. She shortly thereafter had left the Wandenreich in disgust with Isshin Kurosaki to help her. Uryū didn't know exactly where Isshin had come from or how that went down, but it had incensed the Queen.

He had found that Ichigo's mother had been stalked from that point on. The Queen had gone after her, and when she had children, he had watched from the darkness. Then, he found himself more interested in her son. There began the most frightening part of Masaki Kurosaki's life, because then the stalking surrounded Ichigo instead of her. She never told anyone of it, in fact, refused to even acknowledge it when it was about her. The night she was murdered, she had planned on telling Isshin after she returned home and get them all to safety. That was when the Queen and his forces, by then which included Aizen and his people, moved on them. When Masaki refused to give up Ichigo, knowing that it was the Queen that wanted him, she was killed, but the job was botched. They were seen, and Aizen had to acquire the child through other means.

The only other detail he'd uncovered was that the Queen enjoyed watching the boy from afar. He refused to touch or even be in the same room with him, even during all the time he was at Las Noches, instead, requesting the videos and photos sent to a secret drop box in Tokyo. The scary thing was that no one knew who he was except for Masaki and Aizen. Ichigo had seen him; he knew that, the night his mother died, but he wondered if Ichigo even remembered what had happened that night clearly. He was still in Tokyo, though. The most recent drop that Uryū uncovered had been three months ago.

It had taken almost the entirety of the last two weeks to put all the pieces together. He might have more pieces this afternoon. Another helicopter was scheduled to land with some of the Messer agents that had been planted in Las Noches in an hour's time. There was a great deal of nervousness associated with this revelation, because there might be plants elsewhere. He knew that Ichigo would have a difficult time with this situation because there would people he recognized.

Uryū had been tasked with delivering his meals, as it seemed Jin didn't trust anyone else to do so. He'd informed Jin that he didn't have any desire to have sex with him since he was celibate, unlike the others in the Island. Jin found it amusing to send his celibate employee to deliver to the island's whore, as he put it.

He knocked gently on the door, and as usual got no response. He opened it and came in, sitting the tray on the small table near the door. Ichigo, as usual, was sitting in the bay window, wrapped up in a blanket and staring out over the sea. The windows were sealed, and there was no other way out of the room than the door, which was under surveillance.

"I've brought you dinner, Ichigo," he said softly.

Ichigo looked up and Uryū realized he'd been crying again. "Leave it. I'm not hungry."

Uryū moved around and went to stand beside him. "Is there anything I can do, Ichigo?" he said softly.

Ichigo shook his head. "Open the window so I can throw myself on the rocks. They won't even bring me a knife, and the mirror's unbreakable. Tried that already," he said still staring out on the rocky beach and the angry afternoon surf.

Uryū sat beside him, reaching out and seeing him flinch, he put his hand down without touching him. "You have to hold on. They'll find out how to get you out. I know it."

"You can't even contact them, how do you know?" he said morosely, still staring out the window. "There's been nothing, a week and nothing. I fell in love with him, and he's just abandoned me."

Uryū blinked. "Fell in love with who?" This was the first time Ichigo had mentioned someone he fell in love with.

"Byakuya," he said softly, looking down at his hands. "I thought...I thought he loved me too...he said he did, but...but he's left me. I don't want to live like this Uryū. I learned how to live like a fucking normal person for a few days. How did a few days change me so much?" he said, eyes tearing up again. "I don't want to go day to day with everyone using me like a fucking whore. I don't want to anymore. I take the drugs, because I can stop thinking," he said, glancing down at the now noticeable needle marks in his arm. He'd stopped caring if they were visible or not. "They won't give me enough to overdose, though," he said, looking back out the window.

Things started to click for Uryū. "You were the one," he whispered. "Shinobu said Byakuya had been different."

Ichigo looked at him. "Shinobu? The guy with the birds in Byakuya's building?"

"He's my fiancé," Uryū said. "He said Byakuya Kuchiki was different, happier. You did that, Ichigo. Nothing has made that man happy since I've known him. He didn't abandon you. He wouldn't lie."

Ichigo shook his head. "What does it matter now? All I am is a fuck whore, and just waiting for the next person to come in here and take what I don't want to give anymore. I've been a fucking whore as long as I remember, but all I want to do now is die every time they leave. I'm used to being fucked by up to six fucking guys a night. How does this bother me now?" he said, rubbing tears from his eyes.

"You found out that this wasn't all there was," Uryū said softly as the door opened and Jin stood there.

"Yo, Uryū, scat. Got some newly arrived friends Ichigo needs to see to. They've been locked up in the Shinigami's place for the last couple weeks since they raided Las Noches. They're really randy, and you should recognize them, Ichigo," Jin said, stepping away to let them in.

Uryū saw the utter horror cross Ichigo's face as he stared at the new arrivals. His hands gripped his blanket and even so, Uryū could see his hands shaking.

"See Uryū, this is Giriko, he was our guard for the basement level at Las Noches. You knew him very well, whore. And of course, Kūgo, he was the guard for the Escort level. They weren't allowed to touch you while you were working there. Now, however... They're going to take what they wanted to take all along. Riruka is relaxing upstairs, you remember her, she was one of the Streetwalkers. So, get the fuck out of here, Ishida. We've got some fun to have."

Uryū stood up and was surprised when Ichigo's hand grabbed his arm in a tight grip. "Don't leave me," he said softly, eyes centered on Giriko.

Jin sauntered over and grabbed Ichigo's arm where it held Uryū's. "Nope, little slut, time to work," Jin commented, dragging him over to where the others were waiting.

Uryū got up and left, shutting the door behind him. What was he supposed to do? He looked up to see a woman he'd never seen before standing in the hallway. She had pink pigtailed hair.

"Who is in there?" she asked.

"Ichigo, Jin and the two that came with you," he said quietly and walked away.

Riruka stood there for a moment and soon became disturbed by what she heard on the other side. So, they had been right. She had thought the Shinigami were lying to her. They weren't. She remembered Ichigo. He had always been kind to the Streetwalkers, and had taken care of sweet little Luppi. She didn't think Luppi would have made it without Ichigo. Her heart ached as she left. She wasn't so sure anymore.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

A week. Byakuya sat at the table with his head in his hands. He was truly going out of his mind. They had just released a large group of those from Las Noches, those that had somewhere to go, that is. Some they had kept in the Seireitei until they could figure out what exactly to do with them, which included most of the people in control of Aizen's organization they had nabbed. Yammy was locked up, Grimmjow and Nel were still on premises and rooming together, and Ulquiorra was also rooming there. They'd released a great deal of the sex workers after getting what information they could. They couldn't hold most of them. Some asked to stay because they needed protection from Aizen. The Youngers were still in house, and the strange boy, Wonderweiss came to visit each day.

He looked up to see the door open and several of the higher-ranking Shinigami agents came in and sat down, Renji sitting beside him. The head captain came in last, taking his seat at the head of the table.

"Reports," he said simply.

Soi Fon, captain of the second stood up first. "Sir, all communication has been severed on the Messer's island with the Quincy contingent. They have fall back orders in such an event. They are to do everything possible to avoid breaking cover, and await instructions once communication can be reestablished. The last information we had confirmed that Ichigo's presence was for the Queen's own purposes, and he was expected to return to the island specifically for him." She bowed slightly and sat down.

Gin stood up next. "There has been a marked decrease in drug trafficking through the usual channels the Messer employ. With the majority of Zommari's best clientele coming from Las Noches, there is no doubt that his division has taken a deep hit. Lieutenant Kira has been keeping track of the young man at the Starlight 50 as a personal guard. The young man has detoxed as have most of the other sex workers we rescued from Las Noches that were addicted to heroin." Like his previous captain, he bowed slightly and sat down.

Dr. Unohana stood up next. "The vast majority of the sex workers that I treated were suffering from various physical wounds; several were treated for various STDs. Surprisingly, we had only one HIV positive individual, and he's being treated accordingly. Many have been habitual drug users and are detoxing. Mentally, most of them are suffering from some form or post-traumatic stress disorder or another. Some, those of the highest level, were completely voluntary, and they have been released. Escorts were the most deeply affected, as we found all of them had been child victims. The ones they called 'Streetwalkers' were the ones that have a wide variety of situations from which they came from." She bowed and sat down.

A blonde, thin man stood next, the man who had replaced Sōsuke Aizen in the kidnapping division after he turned on them, Shinji Hirako. "We've uncovered several abduction victims among the various groups. Some have been reunited with their families; others are unwilling to go back. All the underage individuals are listed as runaways or abductions, and the majority of those in the Escort category that were brought in as children. We are having some difficulty with a few of those, as they are having severely adverse reactions to our attempts to reunite them with families." He bowed and nodded to Byakuya.

Byakuya didn't respond immediately, so Renji stood in his stead. "We've lost contact with several of the businesses were monitoring, confirming our belief they were shell companies for the Arrancar. Some of the smaller businesses that were paying protection to Aizen have contacted our operatives needing help. The embezzlement from within Kuchiki Enterprises is still ongoing, leaving us hope that not all of the Messer operatives have been pulled back from their duties. We do not believe that the Messer will suffer greatly from the loss of Las Noches, however Sōsuke Aizen's operation will. He depended a great deal on the income from Las Noches."

Byakuya nodded in agreement but still didn't speak as Sajin Komamura stood up next to speak. "The Black Market sales from Aizen and the Messer in general have all but stopped. Currently, we're not seeing trafficking of illegal wares at any of the known locations. Operatives are currently attempting to locate other avenues of distribution, but so far, nothing has come up." He bowed, pushing his blond hair behind his ears as the table went to the person on the other end, Shunsui Kyōraku stood.

Shunsui was Ukitake's husband, but also the known second in command of the Seireitei, hence his position on the opposite end of the table from the Head captain. "The sex trafficking, of course, has taken the largest hit of both Aizen's operation and the Messer's total operation. The Messer's other arms are still active, though it seems that worldwide, there has been a near stop on moving human victims. The influx and incidence of kidnapping has lowered. Without Las Noches active, they have no active place for them to work from. We've put tails on all those we've released. Interestingly, three individuals have gone to the Messer's island directly upon release."

Everyone looked up at that point. "Infiltrators?" Soi Fong said curiously.

"So it would seem. Two of the guards from Las Noches, Giriko and Kūgo as well as one of the first-floor sex workers, Riruka, all boarded a helicopter that returned to Las Noches a few hours ago. What this means, I'm sure you all can guess. If the Messer had people in these positions within Las Noches, they may have others within Aizen's organization. There is very real danger here." He bowed slightly and then sat down.

Kaname Tōsen, the head of the Cyber Crime and Identity Theft division stood up. "We've seen a severe increase in reported identity thefts coming in. We believe that the higher incidence has something to do with the loss of income from the other divisions." He too bowed and sat down. Tōsen had been blind since birth, but had adapted so well to the use of technology to aid him that he quickly became a protégé in technology. There were literally none better than he at his job.

Toshiro Hitsugaya, the eternally short head of the Terrorism divisions stood next. "We've seen no major changes. We still believe, based on our intelligence, and satellite scans, the Messer still have at least one WMD on the island. We are unsure if it is biological, explosive, or even nuclear. We have been unsuccessful at discovering the identity of the seller, though I have operatives close to finding this answer."

Kenpachi Zaraki stood next, towering over the rest of those at the table. His lieutenant, a small, slight woman with bright pink hair, stood up too, saluting as her Captain leaned against his chair. "We're doubling up on disarmament training in case of full attack on the island, I've got my best working on the various technologies necessary to diffuse anything those bastards have. I think this is our best chance of taking these people down once and for all. We can't lose the momentum we gained through the takedown of Las Noches." He nodded and sat down, the pink haired woman beside him grinning and sitting down beside him.

Mayuri Kurosuchi stood next and glanced around. "There have been some disturbing rumors that Aizen is reaching out for more scientists. My guess is that we've forced him to shift back into designer drugs. I've noticed the curious absence of his head scientist Szayelaporro Granz lately in the photos of the labs. I don't know the significance of his absence..." he started.

Ukitake stood up next. "I can help with that Mayuri," said, smiling as Mayuri sat down.

"It seems one of our sex workers is Yylfordt Granz, Szayelaporro's younger brother. What we have gathered from the younger of the two is that his elder brother was employed by force, as a result of Yylfordt being forced into becoming a sex worker. It seems that Yylfordt got caught after he and an unnamed partner robbed a drug shipment. The debt was to be worked off, but like most those there, this was impossible. Szayelaporro took the job to help watch his brother and help him work off the debt he owed," Ukitake explained. "There are many other such unfortunates, I'm sure you read the report on Ulquiorra Cifer and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Both of these men were brought into the organization by force and manipulation. I believe, too, that there may be more that have been manipulated into their position such as these," Ukitake paused to cough for a long moment then looked back. "My largest concern are the Escorts and the younger ones that were in the basement. There are many issues with these and reuniting them with families, as Shinji explained."

Ukitake sat down after bowing to the Head Captain. Yamamoto sat silently and thoughtfully for a long time.

"We will assault the island in one month. If the Quincy operatives cannot be contacted by then, they may be lost in the assault. Captain Zaraki is correct. We must not lose the momentum this has given us. No one except those present is to know about the operation until the last moment. There were infiltrators within Las Noches. There may be infiltrators among the Shinigami. If information leaks from this room, we will know that corruption goes to the highest level of our people and we are already lost. The Final Order is given."

The head captain nodded, stood, and left the room. Everyone sat for a long moment. Renji's heart was in his throat as he looked at his captain. A full assault meant that there would be no orders to remove or rescue anyone. If the Quincy agents could not be warned, they too would die in the assault. Byakuya stood and left quickly. He couldn't think; his head was full of cicadas and his ears full of white noise.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Rukia stared at Renji. "What happened in there? Nii-sama was completely out of it when he came back."

Renji shook his head. "We...can't talk about it," he said slowly.

"He's not going to try and save him, is he?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Renji turned his dark eyes on her and didn't say anything. "He's going to let everyone on that island die for the greater good, and Nii-sama won't say anything because he isn't going to rock the boat. What about our people?"

Renji didn't have to say anything for the slight woman to read him. "They're all as good as dead, aren't they?"

Renji didn't know what to do. A full assault would include an air raid meant to set off whatever weapon of mass destruction the Messer had on that island before it could be launched so they could contain it. Byakuya's first and only love would die, and so would any of the Quincy agents they had there.

"We can't have that," Rukia said finally.

Renji looked up. "What are you talking about? We can't stop what's coming."

"We may not be able to do anything, but we might know someone that can," she said, nodding with great determination as she pulled out her phone.

"Kisuke?" she asked. "You need to contact the head captain. You might not like the plan."

There was a short pause. "Okay," she said, putting the phone up.

"What'd you do? If they head captain finds out information leaked..." Renji said, eyes wide.

"But he won't. Urahara doesn't know anything. I don't know anything for sure. Just assumptions at this point," she said, smiling.

On the other side of the city, two hours later, Urahara looked at Isshin and Yoruichi in his office. "I think they're going to move on the Messer, and something tells me if they do, they aren't going to worry about collateral damage. You know that if they could confirm the Queen's presence on the island that the Final Order would come down. The rumor is that Ichigo's placement is going to draw him out, finally."

The Final Order. The Final Order had always been in existence, since the establishment of the autonomous INTERPOL unit called the Shinigami. The Final Order was specifically created for the Messer's destruction. If, at any time, the Queen's presence could be reliably confirmed on the island, an all-out and complete assault would happen, with the full intention to lay waste to the island and possibly blow the entire thing out of the water. The Queen was the missing piece and had been for almost twenty years. They had to have him to bring an end to the international crime syndicate.

"So, everyone on that island is dead," Isshin said softly.

"Yeah," Yoruichi said sadly. "Unless, of course, someone intrepid decided to break into the place first."

"Someone who has the knowledge of how to disarm explosives and knows the identity of every Quincy agent inside the place, someone who has the knowledge of how to sneak into a place like that, and someone who has the knowledge of how to navigate to the island and chemicals that can disarm without killing," Urahara said, smiling at each of them.

"And someone who has nothing to lose," came another voice from the door.

Everyone turned to see Byakuya Kuchiki standing just inside Urahara's office door with his arms crossed. Urahara smiled crookedly and nodded to him.

Chapter Thirteen

Puzzle Pieces and Falling Apart

Shūkurō Tsukishima flinched as he heard the door slam to the lab. He looked up and saw that it was Byakuya Kuchiki that had come down for something. He wished today he'd been doing rounds at the medical for his psychology classes rather than here with an irate Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Captain, can I help you?" he asked, walking over to him.

Byakuya glared at him. "Do you have the toxicology reports yet from the blood samples we identified as Ichigo's?" he asked with a sigh.

Shūkurō smiled. "Of course, sir, hold on a moment," he said and went into the office. He came out with a file and gave it to Byakuya. "Seems that you were right about there being no drugs in his system at the time this blood sample was taken. I cannot imagine how difficult it would have been to gone without after being such a longtime user."

Byakuya nodded. "No, not at all," he said quietly as he walked away.

"Um sir?" Shūkurō asked as he was about to leave.

"What is it?" Byakuya asked with a deep sigh.

"Nothing important, sir, I just was wondering why you seem so involved in this particular case. It doesn't seem to be under your purview of white collar crime," Shūkurō said with a slow smile.

Byakuya shook his head. "Personal reasons," he muttered and left the room.

Isane came into the room and sighed. "He's looking rough around the edges, huh?" she said, clutching some file folders to her chest.

"What do you mean?" Shūkurō said with a frown at her.

"Well, you didn't hear yet?" she said quietly.

Shūkurō shook his head. "Heard what?"

Isane smirked. "That boy, the one that we've been trying to find? Kuchiki fell in love with him. I wouldn't believe it, but I saw it with my own eyes."

"But wasn't he some sort of hooker or something?" Shūkurō responded, looking out the door where the captain had left.

"Yeah, but he was head over heels in love with him, and I couldn't imagine it ever happening to Kuchiki. I even saw him smile!" she said with an excited proclamation.

Shūkurō's eyes went wide. "Smile? Kuchiki? Wow, he must have done something to melt that frozen heart, huh?" he said with a shake of his head. "What's this guy like to actually get to Kuchiki?"

Isane looked thoughtful a moment. "Well, he's got spunk, for one thing. But they've got this weird thing, like he calls Kuchiki Daddy, and like, he'll just hold the boy and snuggle him like a kid. Something odd, you know? They also did some kinky stuff," she said with a slight blush rising on her cheeks. "I didn't see it but I heard it sometimes while were there."

Shūkurō nodded. "Wow, who knew that it would just take some kinky sex to loosen up Kuchiki," he said and returned to the samples he'd been looking at.

"But shush, don't mention that I told you, okay?" Isane said as she left the room.

Shūkurō watched her go. Interesting. Of all the people in the world to have someone affect him emotionally, Shūkurō would have never imagined Kuchiki. He shrugged and leaned over the microscope again to look at the cell structures. So much fascinating stuff cold be found inside cells...

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Luppi didn't want to go shopping. Ichigo was on that island, possibly already dead at the very worst. He didn't even want to think of going out. However, he also knew that hanging out in the apartment and moping wasn't going to help much. Shinobu had suggested they go shopping to get his mind off things. He had to admit it might be good for him. Kira had to come along, though. He was still under watch.

More than a week had passed and Luppi worried a lot about what would happen. He sighed as he stood outside a department store with Shinobu, Shinobu's sister, his mother, and Kira.

"I'm not so sure," he said quietly as he looked back at Kira.

Kira smiled at him. "Don't worry, things will be fine. You just have to be confident in that Ichigo will be able to hold himself together. You know him better than most, so you should believe in him."

Luppi nodded, following these strange people into the store. They had gone to Ginza to shop, which had been a nice trip. Luppi glanced at Kira again and looked around. The place was rather fancy, to be honest. He instinctively grabbed at Kira's hand since he was the nearest person to him. Luppi glanced down and realized that Shinobu had not worn shoes on this trip either. He thought he was rather unusual, but nice enough.

Chisato, Shinobu's mother, smiled at him. "Come, dear. Let's see what we can find for you."

One of the sales clerks walked over to them. "Oh, good day, Shinobu, Chisato, and Natsuko-chan. I see you brought friends today!"

"Yes, Hinata, this is Luppi, and we need some clothing for him today. Kira here is coming along to help us with things," Chisato said with a mild smile.

"This is too much," Luppi whispered, glancing around and clinging to Kira without even thinking of it. "Everything here ishhu expensive."

Shinobu smiled at him. "Think nothing of it, I want to help. Besides, this store carries some of my designs. Maybe you can do some modeling for me sometime," Shinobu said as he walked toward one of the change rooms. "Come on, now."

Luppi followed behind and drug Kira along. Kira, for his part, was curious as to why the short man was hanging on him. He figured that he was insecure, but Kira had no idea why Luppi would reach for him. He shook it off, thinking it was obvious that he had just been the nearest familiar person to him. They came into one of the fanciest change rooms that Kira had ever seen. It had a bench along two walls, and a set of three mirrors in front of a raised pedestal to stand on.

Hinata looked him over. "Hum, strip down to underwear, hon," she said with a smile and guided Luppi to stand on the slight pedestal.

Luppi shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Um, I can't..."

Hinata looked at him for a second. "Oh, I see, do you normally go without them?"

Luppi shrugged. "I never really had any, and the work I did, I was out of my clothes more than in them," he said, glancing around.

Hinata blinked and glanced toward Chisato for a moment. "Ah, I see, do you happen to know your sizes?"

Luppi shook his head. "Most my clothes were stuff I got out of a thrift store and modified for working in," he said. "I...I don't really know."

"Okay, well, here, let me get an approximate measurement and I'll bring you some under shorts so you can try on things, okay?" Hinata said and wrapped the tape around his hips and waist. "Okay, just a minute."

Luppi twiddled his thumbs and looked around nervously. This was such a nice place. There was no way he could have ever thought of affording something so nice. A few minutes later, the clerk came back and handed him a pair of soft shorts. Luppi touched them gingerly then nodded. He didn't hesitate and pulled off the oversized t-shirt he was wearing and kicked off the loose hakama that Shinobu had let him use.

Hinata turned away, blushing slightly. Kira arched a brow and kept an eye on him. Shinobu and Chisato didn't think much of it. They knew that Luppi had little modesty.

"Okay, there," he said, straightening back up. "Wow, I've never had something so soft on my ass," he said as he ran his hands over his hips and ass.

Chisato smiled at him then caught Hinata staring at him. She finally spoke. "You've had heart surgery," she said as she noted the scar on his chest.

Luppi touched it. "Yeah, that's why I started doing this, because I had to pay for it after my parents kicked me out. Danger of dying makes you do things you didn't think you'd do..." he said, sighing deeply.

Hinata glanced over at Chisato and back to Luppi. "I don't understand, what did you do?"

Luppi looked up and bit his lip. He wasn't sure if he should say something. He didn't want to embarrass Shinobu and his family. He glanced over at Chisato who gave an encouraging smile. "Luppi, it is your life, you may speak on it how you wish," she said with a nod.

"Um, well, I was ah..." he stammered and started rubbing the inside of his elbows. It drew attention to the track marks and bruising there, even thought it had been a bit since he'd used. "I had to pay them, or...or they wouldn't operate, so I had to make a deal with someone bad, and I...I've spent the rest of the time being a sex worker..."

Hinata had a look of sadness cross her face but she smiled. "Then, we should get you in some nice clothes."

"Hinata, can you pick out a few pieces for him? Natsuko, go help her pick out some nice things," Chisato said with a smile at the younger girl.

"Okay," Natsuko said and left the change area with the sales clerk.

Luppi stared at the ground, feeling horrible for having said what he'd done. He felt someone put a hand on his arm. He glanced over to see Kira was standing there. "Hey, don't. It was where you came from, it isn't where you are now, you know?"

Luppi nodded, looking up as Hinata came back with a selection. He went through numerous outfits and ended up picking a variety of clothing. There were skirts, some short and some long, and blouses to match. He'd grabbed a couple of nice kimonos that he liked, along with a few yukata. He picked out a few pairs of jeans, some dress pants, and a few different types of shirts. Most of his choices reflected his wide sense of style. When they were done, Chisato handed a card over to Hinata and when she came back, everything was bagged up.

"They'll send it to the house, now, let's go have something to eat," Chisato said with a smile.

Luppi had no idea how things were going to work out, but he really, really wanted to stay with these people. They were so normal. Well, other than the extravagant nature of their lives of course.

After the whirlwind of the day, Luppi fell into the futon when they got home. He'd almost fallen asleep when he heard Shinobu knock. Kira was in the kitchen getting something together for a light dinner. Kira was surprisingly good at cooking. He called out for Shinobu to enter. He glanced over and saw him holding a dress.

"Um, I wonder if you would try this on for me?" Shinobu asked with a slight blush. "This is one of my designs and I think that it would suit you beautifully."

Luppi frowned, but got up and took the dress. It looked like a traditional qipao at the top, but the skirt was floor-length and full. He put it on and Shinobu's face lit up. "I knew you'd be perfect, can I take pictures? I mean, I want to show a friend of mine that is a model agent, and I think he'd love you... If you want, of course."

Luppi flushed red. "A model, me?"

"Why not?" Shinobu asked. "Don Kanonji is a good person, he won't let you do things that aren't good, and I think you might be able to make a life for yourself like that. You haven't talked about what you want to do now that you're free to live as you want."

Luppi frowned but grudgingly nodded. "Okay."

"Um, would you like to cover your face?" Shinobu reached over to the shelf behind him and grabbed a fan. He popped it open and handed it to Luppi.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo's gaze remained on the ocean waves. The only thing he could imagine was sliding under them for good and not thinking anymore. He wanted to leave any way he could, and that included dying. He had been trying. Another week had passed and apparently the Queen had been delayed in returning to the island. They didn't tell Ichigo why. He couldn't get much peace, of course. These people delighted in showing him exactly how much power they had over him. He spent most his time when he wasn't on his back trying to forget about everything he'd come to love.

The door opened and he looked to see it was Uryū with his food again. He sat it down and came over by the window.

"Ichigo, I know that you don't believe it, but they haven't forgotten us," he said quietly.

"Me," Ichigo whispered in response. "You're safe, well, relatively. At least you don't get used as a cock sleeve for every fucking person in the place. I just need...need..." Ichigo's voice choked. He knew what he needed so badly.

Uryū put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "What do you need, Ichigo?" he asked softly.

Ichigo shook his head. How could he explain what he needed to him? How could he make him understand?

"I need Daddy," he finally whispered. Fuck it, he thought. He looked to see Uryū's face turn confused. "Byakuya," he said quietly. "My Daddy," he said again. "It's stupid, and ridiculous, and it is more than anything I ever wanted in my life."

Ichigo looked away to the sea again. "He...he's the only one I can let go with, the only time I can cry, the only one that will take me where I need to go," he whispered to the waves. "I don't know when it happened. I just...I said it the first time we were together. Called him Daddy just...I don't know why. Just happened, maybe because I needed something and that's how I said it. No one ever reacted to it. Not until then. Then...he was taking care of me. It wasn't something that had ever happened," he stopped, almost feeling tears welling in his eyes. "He would make us dinner every night I was there, and yeah, the fucking was amazing, but it became more. I don't know. Thinking of him made me happy. And I didn't want it to end. I should have remembered what I am."

Uryū wasn't sure what to make of this. He knew, though, a person that needed to be comforted. He went and sat beside him and put his arm around him now. At first Ichigo resisted but eventually, he seemed to understand he needed it.

"I know...I'm not Byakuya, but I would like to help if I can," he said quietly.

Ichigo swallowed thickly. "I don't know what to do," he whispered. "My heart is coming apart," he said with a sob at the end as he buried his face in Uryū's embrace. It wasn't Daddy, but it was better than nothing. "I just want to see him. He's the only thing that makes sense. He's the only one that makes me feel like more than a fucking whore. He loves me. I thought he loved me, anyway. Was I wrong?"

Uryū tightened his grip, pulling Ichigo into a tighter embrace. "No, you weren't wrong. Byakuya Kuchiki would never do anything without sincerity."

Ichigo nodded, and Uryū could feel the dampness spreading on his shirt where he was crying on him. Uryū sort of understood this openness and vulnerability. Sometimes, he knew that people that were strong needed a chance to let go of that strength. And from what he'd seen, Ichigo was stronger than anyone he had ever met.

The safety didn't last, though. The door opened again and Uryū saw it was Jin. Ichigo looked up and sighed. "Go on, don't watch," he said quietly.

"Oh, don't worry, whore, he'll watch, everyone will watch." Uryū frowned as Jin came over and grabbed Ichigo by the arm and drug him out the door. Uryū ran after them and tried to figure out exactly what was happening.

Jin took them into one of the larger rooms and threw Ichigo on the floor. He fell, sprawling. He was not able to stand in any fashion with the broken ankle. He choked back a cry of pain as he looked up and realized there were a lot of them here.

"See, we decided to have a little fun today. The Queen arrives tomorrow to take you into his possession and when he does, he's the only one that gets to touch you," Jin said. "So, we're going to enjoy you one last go round before he gets here for you."

Ichigo's eyes went wide as he realized what they meant to do. "I can't...you can't...there's no way...that..." he stammered, starting to panic.

"That's too much, what if you kill him?" Uryū exclaimed. "You can't..."

"Fuck off, Uryū. We won't kill him. Last I checked, fucking a whore doesn't kill 'em. So, how many cocks do you think you can take at once?" Jin said as he knelt down in front of him, grinning. "Two? Three? You know, I saw this porn once where this guy was being fucked while someone had a fist up his ass. You think you can do that? He was a thin little twink, not as well built as you."

Ichigo didn't know how to respond to that. He just stared at him as he stood up and laughed. Uryū took off out the door. He had to stop this. Somehow, he had to figure out how to stop this... He didn't get away from the room fast enough to miss the first time he heard Ichigo's screams. He was truly afraid that they would end up killing him if he didn't do something.

He made it to Riruka's door and knocked on it. She opened it and stared at him. "What is it?"

"Please, they're going to kill him if we don't do something," he said. "They...they..."

Riruka didn't know what to make of the whole thing, but she knew someone that was terrified when she saw them. She swallowed and nodded. "Go get Cang."

She watched as Uryū took off to get Cang to help. She frowned and walked down the hallway to knock on someone else's door, this one she knew would do whatever she asked.

"What is it...oh Riruka," Koga said with a frown. "What is it?"

"I want you to help me. The others, they've decided to take advantage of the Consort before the Queen arrives tomorrow, and Uryū is scared. I believe that this is wrong. The whole thing is wrong, but this...this even more so. That boy, they tortured him for years. And now, they're going to break him when that life at Las Noches couldn't," she said.

Koga had been feeling like things weren't right for a while, and when the Consort arrived, he'd begun to doubt things a lot. Something was wrong with how this had happened. The idea that Aizen had been allowed to traffic in underage exploitation was enough, but then to find out that this boy was specifically groomed for the Queen's personal use. It disgusted him and he was less and less sure that their goals were right.

"Where?" he asked, looking toward the rooms further down.

"I'm sure it isn't that hard to figure out," she said and faintly, they heard noises that were all too indicative of where they needed to go.

She looked up to find Uryū coming down the hall with Cang in tow. He looked somewhat amused but he was following nonetheless. Riruka nodded and headed off with the three men following her. She'd done that job for the Queen. She'd sold her body and soul, and she'd given everything for him. She'd turned a blind eye to what happened Below. She was not innocent, but she was not going to let something happen that she could stop. She slammed open the double doors into the conference room and everything stopped.

"What the hell, Riruka? You think you need to join?" Jin asked. He had the boy leaned over the table, hands tied on his back. She could hear the jagged breathing coming from him without even trying.

She locked eyes on Jin, then Mabashi, and several of the others. "How dare you?" she said quietly as Uryū and Cang moved toward the back. Koga crossed his arms and glared for a moment before he followed suit, pushing Mabashi to the floor as he passed.

"I'm the fucking King, bitch," Jin said, eyes narrowing at her. "I will do whatever the fuck I want."

"Killing the Consort?" she nearly shouted. "You know that the Queen will be here tomorrow! He should be prepared for his new master, not fucked by every one of you greedy bastards. You've had him for three weeks, haven't you had enough? The Queen wants a Consort, not a fucking corpse."

"He's not going to die from being fucked a few times," Ugaki said from the side.

"No! This isn't that at all, this is you making him suffer," she said, looking around at them. "There is no need for this. He should being prepared for the Queen, not given more bruises and cuts, and taking even the slightest chance you'll injure him. How is the Queen supposed to bed him after this? How?"

Jin exchanged a look with Ryo and then looked back at Riruka. He stopped back as Uryū checked to make sure Ichigo wasn't hurt too much. He was breathing roughly, and bleeding in several places, but he couldn't assess anything here. He turned and grabbed the yukata he'd been wearing when they dragged him in here. He put it around his shoulders and then nodded to Koga.

Koga stepped between him and Jin and quickly picked the lighter boy up and carried him out. He waited at the door for Riruka. She turned. "To the baths. He must be prepared properly."

Koga nodded and headed that way. Riruka shook her head and followed. Cang shrugged and went back to the security room. Uryū paused at the door. "You have just gone too far," he said quietly. He caught up with Riruka and Koga at the bath.

Koga had sat Ichigo into one of the larger bathtubs and was running water in it. Ichigo looked somewhat dazed, and as the water rose, it was more than a little pink tinted.

Uryū knelt down beside him and took his hand. "Ichigo?"

He didn't move, just stared ahead. Uryū looked away and sighed. Riruka took the job of cleaning him up on herself. Before long, she'd managed to bandage several cuts and punctures from something. She'd wrapped his broken ankle as best as she could without the equipment, and she'd managed to wrap up his swollen knee a little. The ribs needed to be taped, but she didn't have what she needed. Even after only fifteen minutes, they'd managed to do a lot of damage. He had deep purple bruises on his arms and hips, and his lip and nose had bled profusely. Koga took him to his room and left with Riruka. He had no idea what to do.

Uryū sat down on the bed beside him and then slid down into it. He wrapped his arms around him and just held him. He didn't know what else to do. He swallowed and began to sing, a low and soft lullaby. He held him and he sang to him until they both had fallen asleep.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Byakuya sat in the small room waiting for the others to return. He had left the Shinigami offices early and he wasn't going to be going back for a while, if ever. He'd made peace with the fact that this trip might be one way. He knew what he was going to try and do was dangerous, and more than that, it was unsanctioned. They were going to get in position. The small boat would anchor some distance from the island. Byakuya didn't care about the Queen. He didn't care if they caught them or not. He needed to get his little boy back. And after three weeks, he was sure that Ichigo would have thought he'd been abandoned.

All the Shinigami waited for was confirmation that the Queen was on the island, then the Final Order would be given. Everyone on it would be dead. None of their agents would get out, and Ichigo would be gone from his life forever. He couldn't handle that. He'd finally found someone that he could give everything to and he wasn't going to lose it.

Byakuya looked up and saw that Isshin had come in. "Anything?" he asked, hoping that they hadn't been too late.

"No Final Order. The Queen hasn't been put in play yet," Byakuya said with a nod.

"Good, then we're not too late. We have to get in and out before that Final Order comes down," Isshin said and looked up to see Urahara coming in with a computer.

"Alright, we've got everything arranged. We'll anchor here," he said, showing Isshin and Byakuya a point on a map. "Once there, we'll suit up in the scuba gear. The air tanks should get us to the island from this position and back. We'll leave some friends of mine on the boat. They're no friends of Aizen, and they've had the Shinigami turn a blind eye to them. One of their number sits as a Captain, only by virtue of him being able to do what others can't," he said with a sigh.

"Who are they?" Isshin asked and looked at him.

"Vizard, you're talking about Shinji's people, the ones that were abandoned," Byakuya said with a nod at Urahara.

Urahara nodded. "Yeah, Shinji stays as a Captain, a sort of emissary to these people. They suffered at the hands of Aizen, were set up to take a fall for him. They became effective at assassination. They have some other skills, mostly learned during their time in exile. They were cleared of wrongdoing, but the stigma remained."

Byakuya had not dealt with them much, but he knew that they were fiercely loyal and good to have in a fight. "Okay, so we get to the island, then what?" Byakuya asked.

"That's where Yoruichi comes in. She's going to get in to the inner compound and get an opening for us. Once that's done, we can get inside the defenses. I can disarm most of the things we come across, and we can get into the place. However, what we find inside, we have no idea. Best case, we contact a Quincy and get the message across about the Final Order. Worst case, we're shot on sight," Urahara said and snapped the laptop closed.

"Well, let's get going," Isshin said. "The sooner we get there the better. We have no idea when the Final Order will come down."
Chapter Fourteen

The Final Order and the Lovers' Last Resort

The morning sun came in through the window and washed the room in pale lavender colors through the sheers. Uryū's eyes opened and he found he was still wrapped around Ichigo, and during the night, Ichigo had clutched him tightly. The whole situation was far more fucked up than he had ever imagined. He had certainly not imagined that he was very likely not going to make it off this island. He chewed his lip thoughtfully and wondered where everyone would fall in the end. The Queen was coming, and so was the Final Order. Only, unlike they had planned, there was no way to evacuate for Uryū and his people with the island under this type of lock down. They wouldn't know when it was coming. There would be an alarm to announce that there was a missile incoming. The countermeasures would not go off, as they'd been sabotaged long ago, and then everything would just end. At least going out this way was so fast that it would be virtually painless. Things would just be over all at once.

He felt Ichigo's arms tighten on him and he looked down at him. "I'm here," he whispered.

Ichigo nodded and put his head down again. "Thank you, for what you did...yesterday..." he whispered. "I thought they were going to kill me the way they were talking, the things they were saying they wanted to do..."

"Hush, now," Uryū said and ran fingers through his hair. "Don't think about it. Just rest for now."

"He's coming today." Ichigo spoke with such sadness that Uryū thought his heart would break.

"He is. That's what they've said," Uryū said with a sigh.

"I guess being a whore for one is better than all of them," he said with a sigh.

Uryū closed his eyes. "Don't talk like that, Ichigo."

"I deserve this, all of it," Ichigo said with a wavering voice. "My sisters are dead. My father will blame me for it, and he should blame me because it was my doing that they were killed. Daddy will be better without me. He'll find someone that isn't a heroine addicted fuck up."

"Ichigo, don't..."

"He's coming today, Uryū, he's coming. The man that took everything from me, that ripped me from my family and turned me into this thing I am now. How...how can I even deal with knowing that he's going to be here. He had...had my mother killed, he let Aizen do things to those others like me. He's behind all of this, and I'm going to see him." Ichigo's voice dropped to a barest whisper. "I'm going to kill him, I am. I'll die, but I'm going to kill him."

Uryū felt a chill run up his spine because the sudden metal in Ichigo's voice left him with no doubt that Ichigo planned to do that very thing. He smiled, though. That was fine. They were all as good as dead anyway, as soon as the Queen landed. So, if Ichigo murdered him with his own hands, he would feel like he had accomplished something, as if he'd gotten revenge for what had happened.

"Ichigo, I'm going to tell you the truth, so you know," Uryū said, whispering as well. "The Queen was in love with your mother. She was one of us, the Quincies. When you mother rejected him in favor of your father, he became obsessed with her. He stalked her until you were born, then or whatever perverse reason, his attention shifted to you. He watched you for years, Ichigo," he continued, feeling the body in his arms tense. "She was so scared, and the night she died, she was trying to get away. She wouldn't give you to him. But things to messed up, and then Aizen manipulated things so he could get you. He spent the last twelve years getting videos and photos from Aizen. Ichigo, this man is so dangerous and horrible, I'm so sorry that we didn't know the extent of this before."

Ichigo nodded. "Thank you, Uryū," he said quietly as the door opened.

"Get the whore up, get him ready, the Queen arrives in an hour. He's to be presented to him," came Jin's voice. "Hurry up. There's clothes and everything in the main bath."

Jin turned and left, leaving Uryū to sigh in relief. "Come on, I'll help you get ready," he said as he stood up.

"I'm going to kill him," Ichigo said with a sure sound to his voice. "I promise that I am."

Ichigo stood up and wrapped the yukata around him. He let Uryū help him as they headed to the main bathroom. Uryū helped him wash up, and he was still horrified by the state Ichigo's body was in. After the bath, Uryū helped him use the makeup kit that had been left out, covering some of the bruises with the concealer and spritzing the expensive perfume on him. It made Ichigo gag a bit, whatever the smell was he found horrible, some sort of sweet musk scent. He glanced to see that there was a set of underthings laid out. He didn't comment as he pulled on the pink stockings and attached them to the lacy garter belt that went with them. There was also a soft pink corset thing, and a pair of lacy looking underwear. Great, so the bastard had an underwear fetish, he thought as he stared into the large mirror.

Uryū helped him get into the cherry blossom covered formal kimono, then put the flower hair clips in his hair. He didn't know, of course, but dressed like this, Ichigo bore an eerie resemblance to his mother. He led Ichigo down to the Queen's quarters. Uryū had to admit a degree of curiosity because he had no idea what the inside of this room looked like. Cang and Kugo were both standing outside and nodded as they pulled the double door open.

Uryū couldn't help but let out a low whistle. This had to be the most extravagant room he'd ever been inside. The middle of the room was dominated by a large canopied bed with white and red curtains around it. The wide bank of windows behind the bed were covered with velvet red curtains, pulled back to show the surf clearly at the moment. On the right side, there was a large desk set up, and on the left, there was an entry to what looked like a massive bath. Fresh flowers, red roses, were set out in vases throughout the room. A drink cart was set beside the bed with a pair champagne flutes and a bottle of what looked to be champagne or wine of some sort. A large bowl of fresh fruits sat beside it.

Ichigo froze, though as his gaze stopped at a cabinet that sat beside the bed. One of the doors was slightly cracked, and he could see the glint of metal inside it. He didn't want to know what was inside that cabinet, but he was certain he would find out before the day was through.

A voice behind them surprised Ichigo from his thoughts as he turned to stare at someone he didn't know.

"Well, it was worth the wait, my love..."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Shinobu, are you sure we don't need to call the doctor?" Luppi asked for the third time that morning.

"Luppi, yes, I'm just having some dizzy spells. I need to stay laying down or sitting until it passes, but I'm going to be fine," Shinobu said, patting Luppi's shoulder as they sat on Shinobu's bed.

Kira leaned against the wall near the door and watched the fretting Luppi. "Well, we could watch a movie, right?" Luppi said, glancing over at the TV.

"Sure, but be careful, there's some things you really shouldn't watch while sick," Shinobu warned with a smile.

Luppi tipped his head to the side. "Why's that?"

Shinobu smirked. "Well, you see, if you've got a fever, you can have fever dreams. Those can sometimes be influence by TV. Some horrible nightmares after things like Akira...." He smiled. "But then I hallucinate when I'm sick now and then, sometimes from medications I've had to take, and sometimes from fevers. I remember one time I had believed that a sock was a hamster. Uryū still teases me about that..." he said, smiling at first, then his smile faded. "I hope Uryū is well."

"I'm sure he's fine," Kira said from the doorway. "From what I hear, he's good at what he does."

Shinobu sighed as Luppi got up and rummaged through his DVD collection. After a few minutes, he picked out a tame looking animation and sat down beside Shinobu. He looked up at Kira.

"Come on, sit down with us," he said to him with a grin.

Kira hesitated until Shinobu gave him a nod. He slid into the bed and sat with his back to the wall beside Luppi. Luppi shifted and put his head on Kira's shoulder as the movie began. It was hard for all three of them because they knew that at that very moment, their friends were in the middle of the ocean. They would be attempting to do something to rescue those there. They all felt somewhat useless, but all they could do was wait for it to be done.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"Have you seen Tsukishima today?" Mayuri snarled as he stomped through the lab. "He was supposed to be here early today!"

Isane looked around. "Actually, no, did he call in?"

Mayuri growled. "Call him, if he's not going to be here I need to know it! He better be dead if he didn't call in," he said as he walked out.

Isane sighed and went to the back to call him. She pulled his number but was surprised when the number was disconnected. That was odd, she thought. She headed up to human resources to find out if they had another number for him. She was getting a bit worried. Shūkurō never called in, so him not showing up at all would be weird. She nearly ran into Renji as she came out of HR.

"Isane, what's up?" he asked, seeing her face.

"Ah, well, I can't find Tsukishima. He didn't come in today, I hope nothing happened to him. It's not like him at all. He's been so punctual for the last ten years he's worked here..." she said.

"You have his address? I'm about to head out to check on the captain. He called in sick today as well. Maybe a bug going around?" he said with a sigh.

Isane handed Renji the call card. "Yeah, his number's no good. He must have changed it or something."

Renji nodded and headed out to check on Byakuya. He didn't think he was really sick. Depressed, yes, sick, no. He sighed and stopped at the Starlight 50. He found him gone from there, so he would head to his other house and see if he was there. He wasn't picking up his phone, but that wasn't surprising. This lab tech's place was between the two, so he figured he check on him first. He didn't know why he was doing it, but he figured it wasn't a big deal to check on someone.

He got to the address and was confused. It was a warehouse, but it didn't look like one that had been converted into an apartment building. It was a literal warehouse. He knocked on the door but found it open already. He pushed it open and headed into what looked like an empty building.

"Hello?" he called out, only receiving his echo in response. He shook his head. How odd...

He saw a set of stairs that led up to what looked to be the main office from when it had been a functioning warehouse. He knocked there again, but like the front, found the door open. He flicked on the lights and stood in complete shock for a full minute before he numbly pulled his phone out.

"Captain Kyōraku, I need you to come to this address immediately. Bring a full forensics team, and bring Captain Kurotsuchi, he needs to see this," he said with wide eyes. He relayed the address and just stood there in disbelief as he waited. Right in front of them. This whole time.

"Lieutenant Abarai?" came the call from down below.

"Upstairs, sir," he said. "Did you bring forensics?"

A few minutes later the other captain came into the room and stopped in shock. "No..."

Mayuri growled. "Why did you insist I come on...a..."

The office, well, it had once been an office, had been converted to a living space. A futon sat on one side, and the glass windows that looked over the warehouse floor had been covered with butcher block paper. There was a desk with a laptop open on it, and a small table on the floor. To the side, on another table, there was an electric kettle and a hotplate. A small microwave sat behind it on this table. Attached to the butcher paper covering the windows were photos of Masaki Kurosaki that slowly changed into photos of Ichigo. At first, the photos were long lens shots, easily marked as someone being photographed from a distance, especially those of Masaki Kurosaki. Then, they continued to be similar, but they began to focus on Ichigo once he was about five years of age. Then, the photos changed, and even though they knew, and had seen, the evidence files for what had happened to those in Las Noches, these photos were even worse. They continued all the way up until recently. On the long table under the window, were DVD cases marked with dates, each one making about three months in time for the last twelve years.

"But, he's worked for the Shinigami for ten years..." Mayuri said quietly. "He's always been the perfect employee, he's never caused any problems...he just does his job and leaves...no questions, no..."

Renji looked at him. "It was perfect. No one would suspect him..."

Shunsui, with a glove on, tapped the spacebar on the laptop and a video started to play immediately. They saw the missing lab technician, Shūkurō Tsukishima appear with a placid smile.

"I'm sure you are confused, my friends. So I've decided to leave you a message to explain myself. Once I leave to my island, you won't see me again, or my consort. You see, Masaki Kurosaki was perfect in every way. She was everything I wanted and more. At least, I thought she was until she had a child. My first glimpse of the boy was enough that I knew what had to be done. Masaki was nothing, but the boy was everything. I had to groom him, and to do that, he couldn't be with his family. I had Aizen arrange Masaki's death, and Ichigo's acquisition. The underage group was entirely my idea. I know, it seems a great deal of work to groom one child to my perfect consort, but I had to convince the boy that he was meaningless, that he wasn't special so there had to be others like him. I couldn't have my consort believing he was better than others, now could I?" Tsukishima smiled and looked placid.

"I know that you think me horrible, but I am only following my heart. By the time you find this message, I'll be with my consort. Luckily, I know all the ways in which my dear consort likes to be treated, and what will make him happy. I know of the Final Order, so don't believe I am unaware of it. I've put in play countermeasures, so please, break your forces upon my fortress. I will enjoy killing them. If you have any common sense, you'll leave us be. I care not for Aizen, or many of the Messer's other nonsense enterprises that I allow my people to run. I have everything I need, and I will defend it, and myself, should you come to face me." He paused. "I also have no issue setting off the missiles I have. You were right about that, of course. I have four WMD. I have no qualms about using them. I will see you long before you arrive, and Tokyo will be blown off the map should you attempt it."

The video ended, leaving everyone in the room stunned. Shunsui looked at Kurotsuchi. "Get this entire room bagged, I'm going to see the head captain about this. He's made a credible threat. We have to do something."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Byakuya glanced at his phone again as he sat inside the cabin. Renji was trying to call again. He sighed and put it down. Isshin sat down beside him. "We're almost there," he said. "Are you ready for this?"

Byakuya nodded. "I am. No matter what, I'll fight for him," he said with a sigh.

Isshin clapped him on the back as they anchored in position. Byakuya came out as everyone suited up in scuba gear. Urahara adjusted his mask and looked at the other three. "We don't know if there are any underwater cameras. We're depending on the fact that this type of thing is not something the Shinigami does. We'll go in, surface and wait for Yoruichi to signal to come in. We can't use any electronic communication devices because it will be picked up. Once on the beach, watch out for trip wires and laser alarms. Ready?" he said looking around. When he received three nods, they each sat down and fell into the water.

The waters were clear, and they had enough air to get there only. They would have to find another way off the island instead of scuba diving. Byakuya felt like they were never going to get there, but finally they started ascending onto the island. They surfaced and came up and crouched behind the rocky cliffs on this side.

Yoruichi dumped the air tank and scuba gear, nodding to them as she took off through the rocky beach to find a place to get into the actual compound. Byakuya, Isshin, and Urahara didn't speak as they waited. It seemed forever, but after almost two hours they heard the triple whistle that meant she had found a way in. They waited a few minutes until they saw her come back. She nodded and led them quietly through the rocks on the beach to the wall. She'd found an entrance and neutralized the guard before securing the doorway. The four of them snuck through and then found themselves facing a massive building. It took up most of the back side of the island. Yoruichi led them to a drainage grate and into it. They followed her, replacing the grate from the inside and found themselves coming out into a basement of sorts that was really more of a crawlspace below one of the store rooms.

Within an hour, they had made it into the main house. Where to go from there, though, they weren't as sure. Yoruichi had them wait inside a linen closet while she went out to scout. If they were going to try and get out not only Ichigo, but their operatives, they had to be careful about it. They needed to know where everyone was.

Yoruichi found it easier than she expected to sneak around this place. It was obvious they were prepared for a big, flashy attack by the Shinigami. They weren't prepared for something like this. She flattened herself against a wall when she saw someone come out of a nearby room. He turned, though, and she recognized him from the photos of the Quincies. She made a low whistle, and his head turned her direction. She slipped away and back into the storeroom with the others. They looked up as she came back and she put a finger to her lips. A few moments later, the door flung open and all four of them looked at Uryū.

"Godsdammit," the dark haired man whispered.

"Ishida! What the fuck are you doing? You're supposed to be delivering dinner to the Queen and his whore!" a voice came from further down. Uryū turned back and spoke in return.

"Consort, don't let him hear you call him that, he'll cut your throat, he already told Jin he's as good as dead after yesterday's events," Uryū said calmly. "And I'm getting fresh linens, remember?"

"Whatever, glad you deal with the werido and his fuck toy," came the response as whoever it was got further away.

Uryū looked back in the closet. "What are you doing here?" he whispered. "You're going to get killed!"

Byakuya stepped out of the shadows he'd been in and locked eyes with Uryū. Uryū let out a resigned sigh. "Okay, look, you'll need to wait until after dark. There's too many awake."

"It's more than that," Urahara whispered. "They've given Final Order. We don't have much time; your people have to get out. They're not going to take chances. I doubt they'll launch a water assault. They'll just bomb the place."

Uryū sighed. "I figured as much. Stay hidden. I'll try to arrange things with my people. There's a transport helicopter for evacuation, if one of you can get to it and prep it for takeoff, we can try to get them off the island. Other than that, there's a small helicopter, but those are the only ways on or off the island."

"I'll go for the copter," Isshin said with a nod. "Show me the best way," he said quietly.

"Come on, I'm headed to the kitchens, and the cook's one of us," he said as he led Isshin out. "The weapons are the floor below, and other than that I'm not sure. They keep tight lipped about most things. I handle security, but even I can't get access to the missiles."

Yoruichi and Byakuya stayed there, waiting to do what they could when the time came.
Chapter Fifteen

The Boy and the Killer

The chance to murder the queen was not presenting itself as Ichigo had hoped. He swallowed a lump in his throat as this guy, who had finally introduced himself as Tsukishima, walked around the bed and stared at him. He'd chained Ichigo's arms to the head of the massive bed, and wrapped strap around his legs that bound his calves to his thighs. He hadn't done anything else, yet. He was just looking at him. Tsukishima wore a simple pair of tan slacks and a button up shirt with suspenders over it. His hair was wavy, long, and light brown. He had an empty look to his eyes, and Ichigo was left feeling cold after looking at him.

"I fell in love with your mother, you know," Tsukishima said finally. "Then she slipped from my gasp, and you were so much like her. I thought of kidnapping your sister, the one that looks like her, Yuzu, but then, that look in your eyes when she died..." He smiled. "I knew then. You were the one."

"You're a sick bastard. You say you loved her, what would she think about what you've done? Taking me, doing this. You took everything away from me!" Ichigo growled at him.

"It is true, I did. But I couldn't have you fall into anyone else's hands. You are mine, and you have been since the moment of conception. Fate," he said as he came and sat beside him now.

Swallowing again Ichigo looked away. "I want to leave. I want to go."

"You want Byakuya Kuchiki. I didn't anticipate you falling in love with him, I must say. Of all the people to be tempted by a whore, I never imagined he would be the one," he said and reached out to caress Ichigo's face. Ichigo flinched away.

"You...you're fucked up. Who decides they want someone and then makes them live their life as a fuckin' whore? Who does that?" Ichigo was still trying to wrap his head around this idea.

Tsukishima smiled. "Ah, I know, that seems odd, right? I mean, I could have just had Aizen bring you to me and then had you from then on. But as much as I enjoyed watching what others did to your small body as a child, I don't have those inclinations myself."

"But you watched? So you do!" Ichigo exclaimed. What was wrong with this man's head?

Tsukishima reached out and yanked him the collar Ichigo wore and smiled. "Oh, that fire. That's what I want to see. And now, I can't hold back. I've waited twenty years for this moment.

Ichigo closed his eyes as he moved to bite and lick at his collarbone. He just was like any client. This was nothing different from every other time he'd sold his body to a stranger. No, this wasn't any different.

When his eyes flew open, he knew that wasn't the case. "Stop, please, don't do this. I don't want it." This was different. This was the man who had taken everything and forced him into the detestable life he'd lived for so long. He tried to push him away, tried to fight. He didn't know why, it didn't matter.

"Oh, you do know how to rile me up," the Queen answered and Ichigo found himself gagged. "But enough of that mouth. Right now, I don't want to be bothered by whining and complaining. I intend to enjoy the fruits of my labors."

Ichigo endured him. He had to endure him if he was going to kill him. And he had to kill him, for everything he'd done. He'd taken his mother, his sisters, his father... Then he stole him away from the one person he'd ever really cared about in his life. This man had to die. He seemed to have an insurmountable amount of energy, and it seemed he was intent on going at it in every position imaginable. Still, he wouldn't untie him. He wouldn't ungag him. He knew.

Food was delivered at some point, Ichigo realized. There had been a brief reprieve. He had lay on his belly and glared at the handcuffs binding his hands together. He could get his hands out, he decided. He'd break something, but he'd get a hand out. Once he did that, he could get them off the metal slat in the bed they were wrapped around. He'd kill this guy with his bare hands if he had to. And he would. He would do it.

Still, his heart ached at the thought. To actually kill someone? He would; he had to.

Time had no meaning as he took his time, forcing him into pleasure alongside him. Ichigo's body responded, of course. His body was trained to do that, even when his mind was not on it. No, real pleasure was not something this kind of thing held for him unless it was his daddy. When finally Tsukishima fell on his back beside him, Ichigo was glad.

"What was it about Kuchiki that drew you in, my love?" he asked as he looked over at him. "The stoic nature? Or is there something about that man I do not know? I can't imagine him in bed. He would be so dull and boring."

Ichigo's brows scrunched and he snorted. Tsukishima smirked. "Ah, I see that no matter what I do, he will have your heart. Well, that won't do for me. I'll send the order to have him killed in the morning," he said simply as he leaned back and put his hands behind his head.

"Mo!" Ichigo tried to yell through the gag.

"I'm sorry, but I can't have you hoping to be saved by him," Tsukishima smiled. "I'll haave his head brought to me, so I can show you. That will sever all ties to your old life, and then, you'll only have me. I'll take care of you, I promise."

Ichigo felt the tears before he realized they were coming. He didn't want him to kill Byakuya. He didn't want to sever all those ties to the people he loved. Tsukishima reached over and stroked his hand over Ichigo's head.

"I know, it will be hard. First your sisters, and now your lover. But I will not share your affection with anyone else. I know it is hard to imagine, but you will give me your affection. Because there are others in that world I can still kill. Your father. Your school friends. The other whores. There are lots of people I could kill."

What was he supposed to do? Ichigo didn't know what to do. If he did anything, this man was going to destroy everything for those people. Instead he put his head down on the pillow and let his tears flow. What more could he do.

Tsukishima sighed. "Here, I'll get a warm cloth, then we can sleep."

Ichigo watched him go to bathroom. While he was gone he tugged at the chain and figured as soon as the bastard was asleep, he would try it. If he could get his hands free, he could kill him. He flinched as he felt the cloth being used to clean him off. He heard Tsukishima chuckle.

"You know, I spent the last twenty years pining, and working in forensics for that horrible Shinigami researched. It was all worth it, though," he said, pausing to kiss the small of Ichigo's back. "You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And even without your heart, your body responds with such passion."

It took another hour before Ichigo looked over to see that he was asleep. He growled and pulled his body up to kneel by his hands. The pressure on his wrists was excruciating, and his broken ankle was throbbing. He bit into his lip and started working his left hand. Soon, the metal of the handcuff caused it to bleed, but he kept pulling, feeling the skin scrape away. He felt the tears in his eyes. He wasn't high right now and this hurt like a bitch. It gave, though, and he felt bones in his hand crack. He yanked his hand free, panting from the effort. He cradled his hand against him. It was already starting to swell and turn purple. He reached up and ripped off the gag.

Looking at his sleeping face, Ichigo thought he looked so vulnerable. He reached toward his throat with his right hand but when he muttered in his sleep, he snatched it back. He couldn't choke someone one handed. Even just to the point of passing out, that was impossible. No, he had to figure out some other way to kill him. He managed to slide off the bed without waking him, and he hobbled to the bathroom. Frustratingly, there were no scissors. Wait, he thought. The dinner tray. No one had gotten it.

He took his hand and used the wall to find keep him standing as he stumbled toward the tray near the door. He got there and found a knife. It wasn't a steak knife, just a spreading knife, but if he did it right, it would kill him. Nearly breathless, he picked it up and started to make his way with painful slowness back to the bed. It didn't look like he'd moved at all. He came up beside him and held the knife over his chest. He had to do this. He had to.

When Tsukishima's hand shot out and snatched his right wrist in a painful grip he yelped. "You can't do it, can you?" Tsukishima sad and reached up with his other hand and flipped Ichigo over and onto the bed. He moved and pinned him. He straddled him and then plucked the knife from his hand. "You hesitated, as I thought you were. You're no killer. So, a lesson."

Tsukisima smiled at him in an almost sleepy way for a second before he slammed the knife down into his shoulder. Ichigo's eyes went wide and he screamed. Then Ichigo screamed again as he yanked the blunt knife back and slammed it down again, and again, stabbing each of his shoulders at least three or four times with it.

"You should have killed me while you had the chance, my love. You'll never have the chance again."

Ichigo felt blood from both his shoulders running down onto the bed. "I hate you!" he screamed. "I don't care what you do. I'll never stop trying to get away from you. I'll kill you or I'll kill myself, either is fine with me!"

"Oh, you won't be allowed to do either. I'll order some special chains to keep you in check. Perhaps I'll remove your hands, how would that be? Or I read in a book that an ancient man with a harem used to cut off the arms and legs of his harem, then pull all their teeth, making his women nothing but receptacles for his cock. Would you like that? Become nothing save a hole for my pleasure? I could arrange that if you keep this up." Ichigo hadn't been afraid of him earlier, but the look his face now was frightening. "I will keep you however I can. And you will come to love me for it." He smiled. "No matter what, you don't have the heart of the killer. You have the heart of a little boy, and it disgusts me."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Wonderweiss sat down at the table and smiled. This would be fun in a lot of ways. He had brought the youngers to his house with him. He supposed that the choice hadn't been his, but Yoshino had arranged to have the kids come here. It might have been close to Las Noches, but it was also far more secure. Wonderweiss knew that it was more secure than anything the Shinigami had going on. It was just a fact. Ichigo's sisters had come as well, along with Grimmjow and Ulquiorra, and several Shinigami. All in all, his house was full of people.

In the next room, the living room, he could hear the dogs barking. Killian, the one that was a chihuahua/beagle mix, was howling up a storm now and then. He could hear Yoshino doing her best to calm him. He looked down to see Honey come trotting into the room and jump up on the chair next to him. Honey was some unknown breed but she had a face just like a teddy bear. He smiled as he scratched her head. He smirked as he heard the last of their canine number, Tock, let out a volley of barks. He was a really shaggy looking mutt. His name came from Wonderweiss's favorite childhood book, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster.

"Wonderweiss?" he heard and looked up to see that Yuzu came in with Ulquiorra carrying Aunt Beast, the blind gray mother cat he had. Yuzu had the two kittens, Meg and Charles. Those, too, were named after characters in one of his favorite stories, 'A Wrinkle in Time', by Madeline L'Engle. He nodded and tilted his head in query.

"You're going to do something to help them, aren't you?" she asked.

He smiled and opened his laptop and began typing. A smooth, almost human sounding voice spoke from the speaker. "I am going to hack into the security system for them."

Before long, the table was surrounded by the Youngers and several others as they watched him hack first into the Shinigami systems as though it were logging into a computer. Of course, the laptop he used was only a component of the complete linked setup he had in his bedroom. He'd shown them when they came in, including his huge store of stuffed animals. In fact, several of those animals were now distributed around among some of the youngers. Rin and Hanataro, who had stopped speaking in the last few days, had taken each to holding one of them each. Rin had a large teddy bear, and Hanataro a large round doll.

After a few minutes, Wonderweiss was in the Messer's system. He'd had to use a backdoor into it, and had to bounce it off the company satellite, but he'd managed. He grinned as their entire system opened up to him. Easy.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Byakuya sighed and was half asleep standing up when he heard a beep in his ear. He blinked and tapped the commlink.

"Margela Securities are easy to access," came the voice of someone he didn't know. Of course, it had to have been the boy that used to sneak in and give the Youngers food. Byakuya was confused for a moment because he didn't think that boy talked.

"Wait, how did you get on here?" he whispered, glancing over where Yoruichi was waiting.

"I have access to father's accounts. Please wait. I am accessing the Island's security system."

Byakuya frowned and looked up as a camera in the room turned toward them. "Did you do that?"

"I see you," the boy said. "Please wait."

Byakuya needed to get out of this room and find Ichigo. He had to be frightened, and he had to be wondering where he was. He'd promised with everything he was that he would care for him. For the first time in his life, Byakuya Kuchiki wanted something that was strictly for his own benefit and had nothing to do with his family.

"Kuchiki. I have removed several layers of security. The missiles are under more layers. I will continue to hack into their system. For now, most of their cameras have gone offline, and they should have lost their communication off the island. I would suggest that you move now." The line cutout and Yoruichi glanced at him.

"That is an unusual boy," she said. "He's right, though. We need to move. Something tells me this is a now or never situation."

There was a beep on the com. "Kuchiki, secured the helicopter. It is a transport vehicle, so we should be able to get a lot of these Quincy off the island."

"Understood, we'll send them as we find them. Stay there, I'm going to find Ichigo and this Queen." Byakuya pulled the door open. He turned to Yoruichi. "You want to clear the Quincies out?" he asked.

"I will. I'll contact you if I find your Ichigo first."

"Thank you," Byakuya said as he took off.

Almost halfway to the end of the hallway he came to a stop as he saw a brown-haired man staring at him. He frowned, squeezing the handle of the gun he held. "You came." He smiled. "I guess if I want to get out of here alive I should cooperate, huh?"

"Who are you?" Byakuya asked, wondering if this guy was being serious about cooperating.

"Kugo. You looking for the Consort?" he said with a smile. "I worked the Escort level as security. Boy was good, strong. He'll be fine once he leaves." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "If ya don't mind, I'm going to take a few good people with me. Thanks."

Byakuya nodded, letting the guy leave. Was that right? It didn't matter, he just needed to find Ichigo, that was all. He found his way to the end of the hallway where there was a set of massive double doors. He supposed that was where the "Queen" would be. Where else?

The first yelp sent him running to the doors to find them locked. He knew that voice. That was Ichigo. He tapped his com.

"I need you, Yoruichi. The lock, I can't get the door open."

"I'll come to you," she answered.

Byakuya heard him scream again and he resisted the urge to shoot the door. He had no idea what shooting into that room would do, and he wasn't going to lose his little boy this way. He heard steps and turned to see a woman staring at him. She had pigtails in pink. Despite his fear that she would stop him, she did nothing. The next scream sent Byakuya's heart racing and he held the handles to the door tightly.

"You've come for him," the woman said. "Here," she commented as she walked up and punched a code into the lock and handed Byakuya a keycard. "Take care of your boy," she said and turend to leave.

Byakuya didn't even get her name, but he used the card and pushed the door open. He saw someone from behind having pinned Ichigo on the bed and the smell of blood was strong.

"No matter what, you don't have the heart of the killer. You have the heart of a little boy, and it disgusts me."

Byakuya was somewhat happy. He couldn't kill someone, not Ichigo. He did have the heart of a little boy. His little boy. He moved forward in silence, gun at the ready.

"Yeah, so what?" Ichigo responded, and Byakuya heard the choked sound. "You know who loves me for that? Byakuya. He's always going to be the person I love, no matter what you do. Kill him, whatever. I'll never love you. This is what I am. And you made me this way. I just wanted to be loved by someone, and it got twisted up into sex and fucking, and you did it. You did this to me. But you know what? That's okay, because I met my Daddy Byakuya, and that is the only fucking thing that has ever been good in my pathetic life. So kill me. Because I'll never become yours. Not really."

The man over him leaned up and Byakuya saw a bloody dinner knife in his hand. Wait, he thought. No way.

"So it was you all along, Tsukishima," he said out loud, gun leveled at him.

The man turned around, glaring at him. Ichigo's gasp of surprise was accompanied by a plaintive "daddy".

"It's okay, little boy. I'm here. Daddy will take care of it. You've been doing a good job so far," Byakuya said, moving around the side of the bed. "Move away, Tsukishima."

Tsukishima grinned, moving quickly to snatch Ichigo up in front of him, holding him tight and putting the bloody knife at his throat. "No, I don't think so, Kuchiki."

Ichigo gasped, gasping as he clutched him around the chest, holding the knife with the other hand. "So, how did you get here? The Shinigami were warned."

"I'm not with them. I came on my own."

"Impossible. I would have known. There are alarms, motion detectors, cameras. There is no way that you could have gotten here without help," Tsukishima said with a frown.

"I had help, of course. Isshin Kurosaki. Yoruichi Shihōin, Kisuke Urahara. The Visored. They all helped," he said, not lowering his gun an inch. "Ichigo, little boy, I'm sorry I took so long."

Ichigo was trembling where his hands held onto Tsukishima. Then again, he was still bleeding profusely. "My sisters..." he whispered.

"Your sisters are fine," Byakuya said. Tsukishima's face twisted. "Oh, didn't you realize? Grimmjow was our man. And Ulquiorra, he's really taken a liking to Ichigo's sister Yuzu. She's been helping him learn to be a human again. And you want to know why we got here? Because Uryū Ishida and half your people belong to us."

"That's not possible," Tsukishima whispered. "I know for a fact they all turned."

"You're wrong," came a voice from the doorway and Tsukishima turned enough to see Uryū standing there. "We've been here under your nose all this time. You never knew. Where do you think we disappeared to when we were on our own? We were reporting to our superiors in the Shinigami. You were duped, Queen. And now, they are going to drop several very large bombs, and blow this island out of the ocean, and your missiles with it."

Tsukishima growled. "Impossible. The security protocols are impossible for you to get past. Only I control them."

"That would be true," Byakuya said. "Except Wonderweiss Margela, son and heir to the Margela Securities Firm, was friends with the youngers. He would sneak in all the time and keep them company, including Ichigo when he was there. Now, he's grown, unlike before when he could do nothing. He's already hacked into all your systems and has complete control. He's already shut down the jamming field, and by now, Isshin Kurosaki has taken off with our people to take them to our boat. Everyone else has been rounded up by Urahara and Shihōin, and that just leaves us. Surrender is your only option."

The smiled that lit Tsukishima's face was disconcerting but he kissed Ichigo's cheek. "Then I take him with me. In death."

The next few moments seemed to expand into hours for Ichigo while they kicked into high speed for Byakuya. Ichigo felt the tightening around his chest, and he knew he was not about to let this guy win, not like this. He dug his nails into Tsukishima's arm and threw his head back as hard as he could into his face. The stun wasn't enough that Tsukishima didn't stab him. It was enough to throw off his aim, and instead of slamming into his throat, the knife slammed higher up into his left eye. Blinding pain exploded there, but he didn't let it stop him from moving. He used it to throw himself forward, hearing a clatter as the knife dropped and went skidding over the floor.

Then there was a thunderous explosion right over his head. He felt the flash and the heat but then he was sprawled on the floor. Thankfully, he was still in the kimono, but he was panting as he felt blood from everywhere. Then he was spinning and looking up into Byakuya's face. He swallowed, tasting blood everywhere.

"Daddy," he whispered. He couldn't hear his own voice though, and his ears were ringing.

"Little boy, I'm so happy you're alive," Byakuya said. "We have to go, I'm sorry, but we have no time left." Byakuya's voice sounded dull and far away, but he could hear him.

"Is he dead?" Ichigo asked as Byakuya gathered him up in his arms.

"He is, I wanted to keep him alive, but when he went to stab you, I reacted. We need to go. The big helicopter took off, but there's a small one left. We have no idea if they're going to blow the place," he said as he took off at a jog with Uryū behind him.

They were almost to the second helicopter when there was the report of a gun and Byakuya stumbled forward, clutching Ichigo even tighter. Ichigo frowned seeing blood shining on his shoulder.

"Ah, trying to rescue the whore?" came a familiar voice. Despite the wound, Byakuya didn't drop Ichigo.

"Jin Kariya," Byakuya snarled.

From around of the building came the "King".

"I gotta say, thanks for cleaning up the riffraff. Including that bitch, the Queen. He never had our best interests in mind. But you got all the traitors off the island, and that was helpful. So those of us that are left behind can run the Messer like it should be run, right?" he said with a smirk. "But that means I can't let you leave. And by the looks of that bitch, he's not long for the world anyway. He's damaged goods, don't see why you want a slut like him anyway. I thought the great Byakuya Kuchiki was better than taking up with a whore."

Ichigo turned his face into Byakuya's chest. He'd wondered the very same thing, many times. Byakuya spoke then. "You'd never understand, Kariya. Never would you understand that a person's choices, and the events that happen to them, they are only pieces of the world they live in. My relationship with Ichigo started as a professional one. I needed relief, he provided it. But then something happened. He wasn't the only one providing services. I was giving him everything I could because I cared. It didn't matter what he had done before." Byakuya pulled Ichigo up and kissed the top of his head. "No, every moment that came before, it didn't matter. Just like it doesn't matter now."

"You aren't leaving here. Your bodies will feed the sharks," Jin said with a smirk.

Ichigo heard a chirrup and Byakuya smiled. "Your plans are for nothing. A boat rendezvoused with our people. The Messer have all been taken into custody. There is nothing left for you here."

Jin held up a remote. "Oh? This is the missile launcher. Shall I take out Tokyo? Or Kyoto? Never liked that place," he muttered as he pushed the button.

First, there was a silence then a rumbling explosion under their feet caused everyone to stumble. From the ground on the far side of the island, smoke began to rise.

"That was your missiles, I fear. We accounted for that. Now, did you have another play, Kariya because..."

Jin picked up the gun and shook his head. "Like hell you're leaving, Kuchiki."

There was another loud report and Jin's eyes went wide as his arm dropped, his gun skittering off. Ichigo smiled, a burned hole in the kimono he wore and Byakuya's gun shaking in his hand. When Byakuya had picked him up, he'd pulled the kimono over him and slipped his gun into Ichigo's right hand. Ichigo had held it against his chest until he could shoot. The bullet had hit Jin in the shoulder, causing him to drop the gun. Ichigo let the gun drop on his chest as he winced at his ringing ears.

"That's loud," he said as he let himself pass out on Byakuya's chest finally.
Chapter Sixteen

Escape Plans and Lovers Reunited

Byakuya nearly fell when the gun went off, and he was glad he'd thought to grab earplugs; otherwise he was sure his ears would be bleeding. He clutched Ichigo and felt hands on him. He realized it was Uryū. He'd put both hand on the back of Byakuya's shoulders and was making sure that he didn't go over with Ichigo in his arms. For a moment, Byakuya was very glad that he was not completely alone in this. He had to hope that the others got out of the place, because he could still feel the ground shaking under his feet.

"We have to go. Whatever that was, the infrastructure of the island is crumbling. There isn't much time left," Uryū said, panting. "There was a self-destruct sequence, but I thought that it was completely offline. I think that it got triggered somehow. The whole island is a nest of tunnels underground. If any one of those charges blow, they're rigged to set the next one off."

"Kuchiki?" buzzed his earpiece. "We're off. You need to get off that island, now. The single helicopter is toward the south side of the island..."

As Yoruichi spoke, Byakuya turned to the south, but there was another explosion in that direction. Uryū gasped beside him.

"The south helipad," Uryū whispered. "That's the last helicopter on the island." Smoke was steadily rising from the direction they were looking. It was obvious that it had been something meant to stop people from leaving the island or landing on it.

Byakuya felt blood soaking his clothes and knew that they all had to get off this island or they were done. There was blood dripping from the sheet he'd wrapped Ichigo in, and he really didn't know if it was Ichigo's blood or his own. "Is there anything else?" he asked, turning toward Uryū again. There was no way they could swim. He guessed that their suits were still at the location they came onto the island, but he couldn't be sure. That was a gamble and they were running out of time.

Uryū chewed his lip for a few moments. "Ah, a speedboat. Maybe, in the submerged cove dock...."

Uryū took off in the direction of the western side of the island. Byakuya moved as quickly as he could with as much blood as he was losing and clutching an unconscious body. He was sure he was only moving on adrenaline alone right now. He stumbled too many times to count, and he heard Ichigo mutter and moan now and then. Ichigo was already in shock, and Byakuya knew that he most likely was as well. They managed to get to a manhole. Uryū hefted the top off to reveal a straight down ladder leading into something that looked like sewer or bunker.

"How are we going to get down with him?" Byakuya asked, starting to worry more about that very problem.

Uryū frowned. "Hold on, I'm going down and get some rope. I can sling him to my back if you think you can manage it with one arm."

Byakuya nodded. "Do it."

There was another thunderous explosion and the ground beneath his feet shifted. They didn't have much time. His earpiece buzzed again. "Kuchiki, we've got to move away. Setting off those missiles seems to have set off a chain reaction. Margela thinks there was a self-destruct set up, and the charges laid out in the tunnels under the island are going off as they get jostled. He can't stop them."

"Go ahead, Ishida and I might have a way out, western side of the island. Going to need medical immediately if I can stay conscious long enough to get there," he said and tapped the com link off. He didn't want to have to explain to them right now that he'd been shot and what condition Ichigo was in.

Uryū came up with a coil of rope. Between the two of them, they harnessed Ichigo's light body onto Uryū's back and he started to descend. Byakuya winced as he saw how much blood had soaked through the sheet once he could see the whole thing. He swallowed a thick ball in his throat but followed. The descent was difficult for both of them as it was at least twenty feet down. They dropped to the ground and Uryū headed in the direction where the cove was located. They came out into a small manmade cove with an opening toward the ocean. There was one boat, a small speedboat.

Uryū put Ichigo in the boat and started it. Byakuya fell into the boat himself, nearly passing out as Uryū got the boat moving. Another explosion brought down debris into the cove, but Uryū narrowly missed several pieces dropping as he steered toward the exit. They were nearly out when another dropping of debris happened, this time falling into the small speedboat. Uryū was hit by some of it, knocking him back, and pinning him and Byakuya to the bottom of the boat. Byakuya had managed to shield Ichigo's body, though, but he felt something in his crack from the weight, and his breathing began to hurt. The world grayed out for him, and he saw that Uryū was out as well. The boat was still moving, though, one of the beams that fell hitting the speed control and locking it on.

Byakuya saw sunlight as the world faded around him finally. He had to hope the others would see them and stop them before they went skidding into the distance for who knew how long. He didn't think they would float without being picked up, but who knew what kind of explosion would happen when the rest of those charges went off on that island.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

When the call came in, no one was still. Shinobu, Kira, and Luppi were all bundled into a car and headed from the Starlight 50 to the Medical facility. None of them could believe what they'd been told, but they hadn't had the whole story yet. The world was coming down around them, though, and none of them were sure what to do about it. Shinobu was feeling sick, but he wouldn't listen when Luppi and Kira both tried to convince him that he should wait to go see Uryū. There was no way he was going to just wait for him. His Uryū was back, and he was hurt, and he had to see how bad it was.

The three were led to a large room where three beds were positioned. Shinobu ran toward the bed where Uryū was lying. He was hooked up to IVs, a heart monitor, and oxygen. His head was wrapped with bandages, and his face was scratched up pretty badly. A chair was brought to him and he sat down beside him, clutching a hand in a tight grip.

Luppi ran toward the two beds on the opposite. Byakuya was lying in one, similarly hooked up as Uryū was, though his shoulder was heavily bandaged. Next to him, Ichigo was in the other. His eye was covered on the left side, and he was bandaged on both shoulders. His leg was put up in traction, and it was easy to see that he was in bad shape. Kira stood beside Luppi and winced at the beaten and bruised sight.

"Shinobu," came Retsu Unohana's voice as the doctor came into the room. She looked over and nodded toward Luppi and Kira. "Luppi, Agent Kira," she acknowledged.

"Please, please, is he okay?" Shinobu asked with a gasp.

"He'll be fine. He's had a concussion, and some severe bruising. I have him sedated right now, so don't worry. He's been conscious and talking, but he needed some rest," she said and patted his back. She then turned to Luppi.

"Ichigo is injured severely though, he's had some terrible wounds, and he's lost the use of his eye. The ankle had to have pins and screws to put it back together, and he's covered in contusions and scrapes from their escape. Byakuya was shot, but he was also injured in the escape and there's a few broken ribs. He did have a punctured lung, so that was a bit hit or miss for a while," she explained to him. "Both of them should be fine, but Ichigo hasn't woken up yet, and I don't know when he will wake again."

Luppi felt the tears and then turned into Kira. "Oh, why did this have to happen?"

Kira threaded gentle fingers through Luppi's dark hair and patted his back. "Hush, we just have to wait for him to wake up, alright. Try not to worry on it. Ichigo is strong, right? He'll wake up soon."

Except, he didn't wake up soon. The next day, Byakuya came around, and Unohana allowed Uryū to wake up. Byakuya, of course, began to fret over Ichigo immediately, almost forgetting his own injuries immediately. He spoke to him and pleaded with him to please wake up. Ichigo, however, didn't seem to be ready to wake up just yet. Uryū left at the end of the week, and Luppi returned to live with them while he waited. Kira stayed there until they could be sure that the danger was past for them all.

Three months passed before Byakuya would get anything that gave him hope that Ichigo would wake up again. Byakuya had taken up a constant vigil in the private room that Ichigo was eventually given. Most his wounds healed well, but his comatose state worried Unohana and the other doctors. Isshin and the girls had come and visited, only to be disappointed that he was not awake. Yuzu brought Ulquiorra once, and eventually, all the Youngers were able to come and visit Ichigo, and Byakuya. To them all, Ichigo and Byakuya were a unit, and no one expected that when they visited that he would not be there.

Byakuya had arranged to have a recliner for himself put in the room that he could comfortably sleep in, and he had decorated the room with things that Ichigo liked and enjoyed. He had found out through Luppi that Ichigo favored old black and white movies, and so Byakuya had brought in a video player and played old movies in the room as Ichigo slept on. He brought bedding from home, especially a blanket that Ichigo often wrapped himself in when he was needy. Byakuya just wanted to have him wake up. Then, it wasn't like he could do anything else but wait with Ichigo. Ichigo was everything now that he could no longer serve as a Shinagami. He had given up his position in Kuchki businesses to his sister, and now he had given up his position at the Shinigami to Renji.

The damage to Byakuya's shoulder had been severe, though. The nerves and tendons had been severed and he had been put discharged from Shinigami duties. He could use his arm, but with it being his right, he had to have several surgeries to attempt to give him a full range of motion. He had told them he didn't care as long as he could lift Ichigo. The doctor had looked at him with a strange look and said he'd do what he could. The only time that Byakuya left Ichigo's side was when he was in surgery or recovery.

"Nii-sama," a quiet voice spoke behind him as he sat beside Ichigo. He had a rather comfortable chair brought in and he sat with his hand clutched in his own.

"Rukia," he answered solemnly.

"Will you leave for a while?" she asked, and Byakuya looked to see that she and Renji were standing in the door. "I know you want to be with him, but you need to at least get out of the hospital now and then."

"What would I leave this room for? Everything that means something is in here," he whispered and his sister and her husband turned and left.

That night, he'd fallen asleep with his head cradled on his arms. No matter what he did, he saw Hisana when he closed his eyes, and the pain that he felt before was amplified tenfold. All he wanted in this world was to be happy again. He was startled out of his sleep when he heard a knock on the door behind him. He lifted his head and saw that it was Jūshirō.

"Byakuya, any news?" The white-haired man said as he entered the room, hand tucked across his chest.

"Retsu said we can only wait. The shock from all the trauma he endured might have been the reason for his body shutting down like this. She thinks that once he recovers enough, he may wake up," he said with a sigh.

"You need to leave this room, and I know you don't want to do that, but tell me... Would Ichigo want you to waste away waiting here for him?" Jūshirō's voice was sad and solemn.

Byakuya sighed and shook his head. "No but how can I leave him?" He swallowed a thick ball in his throat. "I wasn't there for Hisana, and now I need to be here for Ichigo. If he wakes and I'm not here, I'll never forgive myself. He has to know that I still love him no matter what has happened to him."

Jūshirō sat down with a deeper sigh. "Byakuya, I know that you love him, but you need to prepare yourself that he will not wake. It has been three months. The brain, the self, it can only take so much trauma, both physically and mentally. The anguish he went through at that place, and just everything that happened before that..."

"He's the only thing in the world to me," Byakuya answered. "I can't leave him alone. Never."

Jūshirō nodded, seeing easily that there was no way he was going to change Byakuya's mind. "Just make sure you eat, okay?" he asked and stood up. "I'll check on you soon."

Byakuya stared at the person he wanted to hug more than anyone in the world. All he wanted to do was embrace his little boy and make him feel better, nothing else.

Byakuya got up after Jūshirō left and went to the bathroom. While there, he pulled down the collar of his robe and sighed. The crisscrossing of the scars on his shoulder were bright red still. It really would never be the same as before, he guessed. He swallowed thickly and went out to arrange his pillows and covers on the recliner that sat beside Ichigo's head.

The plaintive sound of Ichigo's voice shocked him into dropping his water bottle in his hurry to turn around.

"Daddy?"

"My little boy!" he gasped and leaned over the bed to put both hands on Ichigo's face. He was blinking his right eye as the left was still covered with a patch. They planned to have a prosthetic eye made for him to replace the lost one, but it had not been made yet.

"I feel funny, where are we?" he asked, pulling at his arms.

"Hold on, little one," Byakuya said as he pressed the nurse call button and then unstrapped his wrists. "They didn't want you pulling out your IV lines so they tied your arms like this. But I've got it," he whispered as he picked up his left hand and kissed the back of it.

"Oh, my!" Isane said as she looked in, seeing Ichigo awake. "I'll get Dr. Unohana!"

Byakuya kissed every finger on Ichigo's hand before he let it go. "You've slept a long time," he informed Ichigo. "I was worried that you wouldn't wake up."

"I had to see my Daddy again," Ichigo said and reached up to cup Byakuya's face. "Daddy, you look rough, haven't you slept?"

"I did, a little when I could. I'm sorry, I haven't even combed my hair in days, little boy," he sighed. "But I promise I'll comb my hair and shave now that I'm not worried you'll wake up without me."

"Why would I do something like that? You're the reason I wanted to wake up," he whispered before his eyes fluttered and he fell asleep again.

Unohana confirmed that he was on the mend. Over the next week, he was kept without visitors, except Byakuya, of course. They managed to complete all the testing and get him fitted for a prosthetic eye that matched his own pretty well. The fabrication would take several days. Before then, after the restriction on visitors was lifted, Ichigo found himself facing a lot of people who had missed him more than he imagined.

Isshin and his daughters came to visit first. Ichigo cried when he saw his sisters, hugging them. The reaction surprised everyone except Byakuya, who expected that Ichigo would react strongly to seeing the sisters he trhought he had caused to die.

"Ichi-nii!" Yuzu cried as she hugged him. "I'm glad you woke up, we were so worried!"

"I thought... He said you were shot!" Ichigo gasped as he hugged Karin next.

"Ah, well, he sent Ulquie, and he couldn't shoot us. That big guy was trying to hurt Karin and it made him mad," Yuzu explained with a smirk.

"Ulquiorra? The assassin?" Ichigo asked with a frown. "He sent him and he didn't kill you?" he asked, shocked beyond belief.

Isshin hugged him tightly for a second. "Turns out the boy was coerced into doing it. He's become quite attached to Yuzu, actually. He's been staying with us for the last month of so at Jūshirō's encouragement. He hasn't had much normal interaction with people, so he had thought our family would be a good place for him."

Ichigo nodded. "Wow, I can't believe that..." he whispered.

They talked for a while longer until Ichigo became exhausted. When the girls left, Isshin grabbed Byakuya and pulled him outside the door with a serious look on his face.

"What is it? I want to..." Byakuya gestured back into the room but Isshin shook his head.

"My son, though I know I was never able to be there for him before, I will now. He is my son and I want to know what you intend to do with the relationship you have with him. He's been abused and hurt enough," Isshin demanded.

Byakuya swallowed, having not thought too far ahead about this part of being with Ichigo. "I want to be with him, that's all I know. I love him more than my own life," he whispered, clutching his shoulder unconsciously. "I went to get him and would have died there for him if it was necessary. I won't let him go, no matter what."

"Even when he pushes you away?" Isshin asked.

"He can't push me away," Byakuya said with a tone to his voice that brokered no argument. "I will stay with him through everything because there is nothing more important to me than his happiness."

"And if his happiness is without you?"

"I will do what makes him happy. Even if it means leaving him," Byakuya said with a sigh. I hope not, because my love is deeper for him than I ever imagined."

Isshin left, and Byakuya returned to sit and wait through another night with him. After breakfast, the next day, Luppi came to see him with Kira in tow. Byakuya sat in his recliner while Ichigo's face lit up at seeing Luppi again.

"I was so scared you were gonna die this time!" Luppi gasped out and hugged Ichigo against him.

Ichigo kissed Luppi's forehead. "I'm sorry, I really am. But I'm fine, and it's all over," he said with a smirk.

"But your lost your eye!" Luppi said, touching the eye patch gently.

"That's okay, but I got back and so did my Daddy so it worked out, right? Daddy's gonna take care of me since he can't work for the Shinigami any longer," Ichigo explained. "What about you? What have you done?"

Luppi sighed and shook his head. "So much stuff has happened while you were gone and when you were out!" Luppi looked thoughtful. "Okay, well first off, I'm a model!"

"A model?" Ichigo said, smiling. "How did that happen?"

"Um, well, Uryū's boyfriend, Shinobu, you know the guy with the birds at the Starlight? Well, he makes clothes! And he thought I would look good in them. He took some pictures and sent them to this guy named Don Kanonji. And he's really nice and cool and does some beautiful pictures and sets me up to go on these really cool photoshoots!" Luppi rushed through the worlds. Ichigo smiled, knowing that Luppi was happy.

"Then, I started reading this Earthsea book that Shinobu gave me to read, he has all kinds of books that are really cool, and it is so neat. I think I like it a lot, and that's been fun. Ursula K. Le Guin is the author of it, and oh my it is sooo cool. I want to read more books like that, and Shinobu has so many!" He paused. "I've been clean of all the drugs this whole time, Ichigo, and I'm seeing a counselor, that Jūshirō guy has been helping me too." He looked thoughtful then leaned in close. "And I'm dating that guy over there, Izzy is so sweet, and he likes me even though I was a whore," Luppi whispered to him. "I can't believe he wants to have anything to do with someone like me!"

Ichigo smiled and caressed Luppi's face. "Baby, you are worth having someone love you. But I get it. Daddy's attention still surprises me."

"How long before you can come home?" Luppi asked, frowning.

"Dr. Unohana says that once I can walk with help I can go home. So, since my ankle is healing well, I'll start physical therapy soon. Then once I can get around with a little help, I should be able to go back to the Starlight. Oh..." Ichigo frowned and looked at Byakuya.

"Daddy?" he asked and Byakuya looked up from the tablet he was reading on.

"What's wrong?" he asked, standing and coming toward them. "You look concerned."

"Ah, I was wondering where we would live?" Ichigo asked. "I mean, I'm assuming I'm going to live with you, I guess I wouldn't have to," he stammered.

Byakuya reached over and brushed a hand over Ichigo's head. "Silly boy, of course we'll live together. I've been arranging everything so that we can live in the Starlight and be near your friends. I've provided a small place for Luppi and Kira to use if they want," he said and winked at Kira who was looking surprised at him. "I want my little boy happy, and that means having his friends nearby. I've also agreed to let some of the youngers stay with their adopted families in the building if they like. I want to see all of you happy and successful."

Ichigo blushed and looked away from him. "Daddy's a good person," he breathed out.

Luppi nodded. "Yeah, yeah he is."
Chapter Seventeen

The Scope of his Heart and the Repercussions

Luppi was still frantic. No matter how often Shinobu and Kira told him that everything was going to be fine, Luppi couldn't seem to calm himself down about Ichigo. What if there was someone else out there that would hurt him? What if someone else came after him? Luppi didn't think his heart could take seeing anything happen to him again. That was why he was no standing in front of the man named Yamamoto, the absolute head of the Shinigami organization. Kira stood beside him, so that was good, but still.

"Luppi Antenor, do you understand what is that you wish to undertake?" the old man asked with a concerned crease to his otherwise inscrutable brows.

"Y-yes sir. I want to learn how to protect him, and I want to make sure he's always safe no matter where he goes or what he does," Luppi stated. "But I don't want him to know. I know him, I know him so well, and he will tell me to stop. He will tell me he doesn't need protection, and he will tell me that I can't do this because he doesn't deserve it. But he does. He deserves to be happy and to have everything in the world that he wants, and that includes being with his Byakuya in peace from now on."

Kira had tried to deter him when he said he wanted to see the man that ran the Shinigami. But Kira couldn't stop Luppi's determination.

"You wish to be trained to become Ichigo Kurosaki's personal guard. You will endure the harshest training that we have under a man named Kenpachi Zaraki and his best men. You will be forged in fire if this is your decision. I understand that you have had heart problems in the past. You must understand that I cannot guarantee that this training will not cause issues with that."

"I know. I am prepared to accept the consequences of taking on this. I know that I can handle it. I will handle it. I have to do something for him, and this is what I want to do," Luppi said, a determined look on his face. "I understand from Izzy that typical training takes almost a year, and I am willing to dedicate that time to doing it. I do ask to be allowed to maintain my outside life so that Ichigo doesn't know what I'm doing."

Yamamoto stared at him for a moment. "You are asking for more than typical training. You will undergo physical trials and training for well into five years of your life, especially since you wish to maintain the illusion that this is not occurring. You will have several long absences that are unavoidable. Are you prepared for this?"

Luppi swallowed, his throat clicking dryly. "I will do what it takes. My only request is that Ichigo is my only task once I have been trained. I will stay by his side to the end of my life."

Yamamoto gave a curt nod. "Return in one week. I will arrange things with the combat division. You will spend a year working with Captain Zaraki. After this, you will be transferred and trained by covert operations under Captain Soi-Fon. This training is anticipated to last for closer to two years. After that, you will spend six months with Captain Unohana's medical division to learn the basics of biology and first aid. At that point, we will assess your deficiencies and strengths to determine the next placement for your training. When you return in one week, you will remain here for three months without leaving as initial preparation, classes on protocol, and other non-combat items are discussed."

Yamamoto stood up and left the small office. Kira led Luppi from the room and stopped in the white hallway. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, eyes starting to tear. "This isn't something to take lightly. This could kill you."

"Ichigo is going to be in physical therapy for six months. This is the time for me to do this. After this, I can protect him, don't you see?" Luppi's eyes glistened with tears.

Kira licked his lips and sighed. "I'll be there beside you, then. I hadn't wanted to take the optional courses in combat and covert, but I will go with you."

"You will?" Luppi asked, eyes going wide.

"Yeah, I will. Now, I have to go take care of making the arrangements for myself so that I can do this with you. Then I'll meet you back at Shinobu's place. I want to get moved into our place across the hall before we both leave on this three-month training," Kira said and kissed the top of Luppi's head. Luppi nodded and took off for a car that was already waiting for them.

Once he got back, he found a package outside the door with Shinobu's name on it. He smiled and went into the apartment and was so happy that he was going to be doing something.

"Shinobu! I'm back, there's a package for you!" he yelled.

Shinobu came out of the kitchen and smiled. "Oh, it got here," he said with a smirk.

"What is it?" Luppi asked, noting the box wasn't too big.

"Um, oh, a thing," Shinobu said, his face going red immediately.

Luppi grinned. "A thing? Is it a sex toy? It is!" he gasped. "Lemme see what you got, I've probably use done before!"

Shinobu was still red but walked to the bedroom with it. Luppi didn't see Uryū, so he must have gone shopping or something. Really, when Uryū got home, the two of them spent two days closed up in their room. Shinobu upened the box to reveal it was from an adult toy website and contained a very well made prostate massager.

"Oh, those are fun," Luppi said, picking it up. "Not as fun as having a dick in your ass, but certainly fun."

"Ah, I don't really like doing things anally, um, kinda never can get past how dirty that part of the body is," Shinobu blushed still as he spoke.

Luppi cocked an eyebrow. "So, if you don't fuck Uryū up the ass and he don't fuck you, what do you do?"

"Anal sex isn't the only thing you can do!" Shinobu said with a frown. "I like to give him oral and hand jobs, stuff like that. But, um, I got this because I have some issues with getting an erection sometimes. I think all the times I've been sick has caused me some trouble..." he said, turning the implement over in his hands. "I mean, it is easy to clean and sterilize, so I thought it would make things easier."

"Does Uryū like to suck you off?" Luppi asked as he flopped on the futon.

"Yeah, but I kind of like doing public things too."

"Public? Oh, aren't you a kinky thing," Luppi commented, winking at him. "An exhibitionist, huh?"

"Well, not so much being watched, but you know, it can be exciting doing something like a hand job under the table at a restaurant or covered up on the sofa when others are around," he explained with a deep red blush staining his cheeks.

"Aw, that's cute," Luppi said with a sigh. "I don't think I could go without being fucked. My ass is sensitive and I really, really have always liked being the receiving party. I hated when I'd get a call for some guy who wanted me to stick it in him. I mean, I guess it's okay, but the only time I ever liked topping was when I had Ichi fucking me while I did it."

Shinobu was silent for a minute. "Is it weird now that you don't have to do that anymore?"

Luppi nodded. "Yeah, but not as weird as Kira being willing to love me even though I've probably been with hundreds of guys while I was working the streets." Luppi grinned at Shinobu. "But he does, and he's got a pretty nice dick, too. So that works. He can satisfy me that way and he makes for a good cuddler. I really like it, being with one guy. Though I miss playing with Ichi a little."

"You do?" Kira's voice came from the doorway, surprising both of them. Shinobu had been embarrassed and in a rush and had left the door open. Kira had heard voices and come to see them.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Izzy, don't worry about that, it is just nonsense."

Kira tilted his head to the side and reached out for Luppi's hand. "Come here, I had some of my things delivered to our new apartment."

Shinobu bid them a good day and Luppi followed Kira across the hallway to the opposite room. Like Shinobu's, it was furnished for the most part. They entered and Luppi smiled. It was so nice to have their own place. Kira pulled him back toward their bedroom, and as soon as they were inside, Kira lifted him up and planted Luppi on his back on the bed. Luppi gasped as Kira started stripping him of his loose pants and was going down on him before another word was said.

Luppi put his legs up over Kira's shoulders and arched back as Kira slipped three fingers into him without warning. He gasped at the burn but he didn't mind one bit. Kira could be gentle, or he could be rough, and it would seem that this was going to be a rough encounter. It didn't take but a few moments for Luppi to whimper out and moan as he came down Kira's throat. Kira did this thing with his tongue that was frankly amazing, then with the pressure he was putting on his prostate, it didn't take long.

Kira came up, crawling over him and locking his lips on Luppi in a ferousious kiss that was a clashing of teeth and tongues. Luppi could feel his cock bulging through Kira's pants and wondered why he hadn't taken them off yet.

"Are you mad?" Luppi asked as Kira started kissing and sucking down his neck.

"No," Kira managed between bites. "You were so hot, standing up in front of the Head Captain like that, demanding, and then talking about missing Ichigo, I wanted to christen this bed with everything."

"Does it bother you that I still love Ichi?" Luppi asked as Kira's fingers invaded him again, stroking his prostate again.

"Nah, Luppi, not at all, and if you wanna play with him, and Byakuya is okay with it, I don't mind," Kira breathed out on Luppi's neck before unbuttoning his shirt slowly and then attacking the pert nipples with tongue and teeth. He picked his head up and looked at Luppi's debauched face. "I know he'll always be someone you love, and that's okay, because at the end of the day, my bed is the one you chose, and I'll help you protect him."

Kira spread Luppi's legs wider and lined himself up. He paused a second, then plunged forward. Luppi groaned and came immediately. "Huh, you came from me putting it in? Damn," Kira muttered as he started stroking Luppi's cock back to attention. A few more seconds and he had Luppi riding him for all he was worth. The change in position had been a surprise. One second Luppi was submissively laying there and the next he was rolling them and bouncing on his cock like it was the best thing in the world.

After several rounds, both of them fell into the bed, avoiding the soaked spots on the sheets. Panting, they clutched each other and let their heartrates slow down to normal.

"I love you," Luppi whispered with a smile. "You know that?"

"I know that, and I love you too," Kira answered. "I never liked guys, until you."

"Well, I'm not really a guy, since I'm thinking I'm genderfluid," Luppi said with a yawn. "So, I think I'm both and neither and one or the other, as far as girl and guy."

"Well, not that it matters," Kira kissed Luppi's cheek. "Whatever you are, you are mine and I love you."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Ichigo woke up on another morning and felt the aches and pains that he had been getting used to lately. Every day, he hurt in so many places, but especially his ankle. The muscles of his body still weren't used to being used so much, and he was struggling a lot with the physical therapy. It wasn't easy at all, and more than that, he'd been told that he couldn't do anything strenuous that might put undue stress on his body outside the physical therapy. That made for an extremely grouchy Ichigo. He'd been separated from his Daddy, then he had slept away for way too long, and now he still couldn't fuck.

"It isn't like we could do anything here, Ichigo," Byakuya said with a sigh when Ichigo got back from his latest physical therapy meeting.

"I just want to love you, Daddy," Ichigo muttered grumpily from the seat he'd taken by the window.

So far, he was able to get around a little on his ankle, but learning to walk when the joint barely moved was harder than he thought it would be. They'd ended up fusing parts of the joints and now he was limited in how much he could move it.

They'd gotten him the prosthetic eye and he hated it. It felt funny, and it didn't move. He felt like the empty socket when they'd removed the rest of the eye would have been less obvious than the piece of glass they'd put in there. Byakuya assured him that it looked fine, but all Ichigo could see was how fake the stupid thing was. The scarring in his shoulders had been severe, and some of the tendons and cartilage had been damaged around his shoulder joints. This led to him having to deal with occasional numbness in his fingers and hands, as well as excruciating pain when he overused his shoulders. Byakuya sat with him on more than one night as he rocked and sobbed from the pain. He couldn't have opioid pain killers, and the non-narcotics just didn't seem to dull the pain all that much. He would have killed for a hit of heroin right then.

Then he looked at Byakuya and knew he could never go down that road of drug use again, no matter how much pain he was in. He would simply have to learn to deal with it, and move on with his life.

He was hit with a sudden urge to cry and before he knew it he was sobbing into Byakuya's chest. The suddenness of the attack of tears surprised Byakuya and he sat on the arm of the chair cradling his head until he calmed down enough that he could s peak.

"Baby, little one, what is it? Are you in pain? Is something wrong?" Byakuya asked, threading fingers through Ichigo's longer hair. Since he'd been in the therapy wing of the medical building he hadn't cut his hair, saying he wanted it to look different from the days when he was whoring. Byakuya repeatedly asked him to stop calling himself a whore or a slut, but Ichigo couldn't, not yet. Not until he was no longer those things. Not until he could look in the mirror and see someone besides the person he had been.

"Sorry, Daddy, I just... I'm overwhelmed. I want to go home. I want to be with you. I want to be... I wanna be your little boy again and not have to think for a little bit. Not long, just a little bit of time that I don't have to think, that's all... I know I can't be that way all the time, but I need..."

"Hush, now, you silly thing," Byakuya whispered and clutched him to his chest. "I know you need it, okay? I know, and I promise you, as soon as we get out of here, you and I are going to our, yes, our apartment, and I'm going to fix you a meal fit for a little boy that needs comfort food. And then, we're going to sleep in our bed. After I fuck you into the mattress at least three times. Then, the next morning I'm going to take you and we're going to go to a park for a little while, and we'll play on the swings like you said you would like to do one day, and I don't care if people think we're silly. Next, we're going shopping for you some clothes and things that you will need, maybe even a few childish things for when you're in that mood." Byakuya didn't stop stroking his head as he spoke. "Then, we'll go to whatever place you want to go to and have a meal together, out and in public. And I'll deal with any questions about me being out with my lovely, beautiful fiancée."

Ichigo snuggled into Byakuya's chest with a satisfied sigh then blinked rapidly for a minute. He sat back and looked up at Byakuya. "F-fiancée?"

"Oh, yes, didn't I mention that before? We're having a winter wedding, once everything is settled and I've set up the business and the financial affairs as I want them. There will be problems, I assure you. My financial advisor is having a fit because of the bad press once we release the wedding announcement," Byakuya didn't sound worried as he explained things, Ichigo noted. "There will be accusations that you want my money, which is why I am being so careful to arrange things ahead of time. On the surface, we'll have a pre-nuptial agreement, as all my advisors insist on, but the reality is that you are the recipient of everything of mine. If you ever leave me, you will get half of what I own, that is my promise."

"If I leave you?" Ichigo asked, frowning against his chest. "I'll never leave my Daddy, I'm more afraid that you'll get tired of me than anything," he whispered.

"Oh, my little one," Byakuya whispered and planted a kiss on his head. "When I take your hand, I plan to put a collar around your neck." The words struck something deep in Ichigo's heart. To be owned...by Daddy. "That collar is going to be my mark that you belong to me and no one else. No matter what, you're my little boy, and I will take care of you. No matter who tries to get between us, that won't change."

"Daddy..." Ichigo whispered. "How can you give everything up for me? I'm not really worth much..."

"You are worth more than all the riches in the world to me," Byakuya stated smoothly. "I don't love easily, but you caught my heart."

"How?" Ichigo pressed. "I don't get it. I was just some whore you called and then..."

"Let me explain this the best way I can," Byakuya sighed and stood. He pulled Ichigo up and replaced him in the chair. "Come now, sit."

Ichigo nodded, crawling up into the big chair and sitting across Byakuya's lap. Byakuya put one arm around his back and tucked Ichigo's face tight to his chest. "Now, this is the only time I tell you this, ask again, and I'll spank you until you cannot stand." Ichigo couldn't help the heat the rose to his cheeks at that. "You have more strength inside you than anyone else I've ever known. You stand for yourself, but more than that you stand for others. Despite what happened to you, being abused and exploited as a child, you still put others before yourself. You're antagonistic and feisty, and you don't back down when you put your mind to something." Ichigo felt Byakuya's hand tighten where he had it laying across his lap on his thigh. "You are beautiful, inside and out, even when you're cursing like some street urchin. You make a face of complete bliss when you have an orgasm, and it is the only thing I see when I imagine my own pleasure." Ichigo tucked his head shyly, though he didn't know why. Shyness wasn't one of his generally used attributes.

"I fell in love with someone that was so strong but needed someone so badly and didn't know it. I didn't know I needed someone to take care of so badly. I needed purpose in my life. I had everything, yet I had nothing."

Ichigo smiled and nodded into his chest. "Okay, Daddy, I promise not to ask again. I know that it hurts for you to have to tell me the same things. I don't doubt you, Daddy, but I do sometimes feel like I'm in a dream and I'm going to wake up and everything will go away, and I'll be chained to that bed on the island and..."

"Baby, don't do that to yourself. This is real, I promise. And in two weeks, they said we can take you home. To our home."

Two weeks passed and Ichigo had never been happier. Their plans were not quite as detailed as Byakuya had intended, though.

The second they were inside the apartment, Ichigo practically climbed Byakuya to kiss him. "Oh, Daddy, no dinner, later, you gotta fuck me now."

"Are you sure, little boy? It has been a long time..."

"Fuck, now, Daddy, my insides have forgotten the shape of you, you gonna have to carve yourself into me again..." Ichigo breathed against his mouth.

The sound of Byakuya's restraint snapping was nearly audible as he hefted Ichigo up and managed to get them to the bed before he started sucking marks on his neck. He dropped him to the bed and both of them stripped faster than either had eve stripped. As soon as clothes weren't between them, Byakuya dove down and sucked biting marks from Ichigo's neck all the way down to his navel, leaving trails of red circular suction spots as he went. Ichigo was practically coming out of his mind by the time Byakuya got to his cock and started to expertly suck in every way that sent Ichigo off in seconds.

"Oh, my fucking gods, shit, fuck cumming!" he growled as he buried both hands in Byakuya's black locks.

Byakuya sat up and looked at Ichigo as he wiped his mouth. "You were such a good boy, weren't you? Didn't jack off once?"

"You said no, Daddy," Ichigo whined, wiggling under him and then bucking his hips up. "But now you can fuck me, right?"

"Yeah, little boy, yeah," Byakuya said as he leaned over to the side table and grabbed the lube.

"Oh, Daddy, I've not cleaned up, you should get a condom..." Ichigo muttered, noting that there were some packages in there yet.

Byakuya squirted the lube on his fingers and plunged two into Ichigo without warning. "Oh fuck, Daddy! That burns!"

"Don't tell Daddy what to do, I'll fuck you when I want to fuck you, and I'll not have anything between my cock and your insides. I don't care if you're not cleaned. Now, tell Daddy what to do again, and I'll spank you and leave you in a cockring."

Ichigo gasped because while the spanking sounded fun, being put in a cockring didn't. "M'sorry Daddy, sorry," he whimpered as Byakuya worked him open. It had been almost six months, and it was tighter than Byakuya expected. It was taking him a long time to loosen the muscle enough that he would be able to fit without hurting him. "Daddy...enough, fuck me, please..."

"Little boy, it is far too tight, just give me a few more minutes," Byakuya wouldn't penalize that whine, because he understood the urgency he was feeling. Finally he slipped a third finger into him and it felt like the muscle was going to accept him. "Little boy, if it hurts, tell me and I'll take it out, but it has been so long that it might hurt."

"It will hurt good, Daddy, because it will be you," Ichigo whined as Byakuya slid up between his legs and began to probe his entrance with the tip of his dripping cock. He slicked himself with the lube again, but he knew it would hurt considering his size.

Ichigo arched up off the bad with a long, low whine as he slid forward. Byakuya himself winced because Ichigo's body was clamping down on him almost painfully.

"Baby, relax, let me get in," he panted. "Should I stop?"

"Fuck, no, please, don't stop, Daddy," he gasped out and Byakuya felt his body loosen somewhat.

Byakuya knew he was too excited to get to the thing he had been wanting for nearly three months now, and his excitement was making him tense. Once he was seated, Byakuya leaned forward and pulled Ichigo up onto his lap, thrusting shallowly up into him as he got used to being full again.

"Daddy, Daddy," he whispered as he nuzzled into Byakuya's neck. "Oh, Daddy, feels so good," he growled and started to move his hips on his own. Byakuya set a slow rhythm into him, waiting until the tension started to melt from Ichigo's entire form. Finally, he felt like he was adjusted fully and he threw him back on the bed, grabbing his ankles and forcing his legs up until his knees were at his chest. The angle was deep and he could get every inch of his cock buried into him. Ichigo stopped making sense a while before and now was just seemingly muttering nonsense that consisted of words mixed with groans.

Byakuya leaned forward and licked the shell of Ichigo's ear. "Cum with me, baby. Cum for Daddy," he whispered.

Ichigo arched up under him again and nearly screamed as he went over the edge. Byakuya went with him as soon as his body clamped down on him. He thrust several times into the quivering flesh that was sucking him in deeper still as he filled him with his essence. He panted and felt that Ichigo's legs were trembling. As much as he would like to fuck him several times, he knew that he couldn't take it yet.

He fell over and pulled Ichigo into his arms, waiting out his mumbling and let him cling to him. When he came out of his subspace, he was panting and looking up at Byakuya with cloudy eyes.

"Daddy, I'm tired, can I take a nap before dinner?" he asked plaintively.

"Yes, little one. You can. What do you want to eat?"

Ichigo hummed. "American Macaroni and cheese," he muttered as he faded into sleep and Byakuya couldn't help but snicker. He'd gotten started eating it at the hospital when Nozomi brought it to him, and it had quickly become something he loved. He smirked as he cleaned him up, then covered him with the blankets. He got up and grabbed the phone to have the ingredients he needed to make the food for his little boy. After all, he'd make him whatever he needed, no matter what it was.
Chapter Eighteen

The Twisted Hearts and the Whispered Love

"Forgive me, sir, but you want to what?"

Byakuya was beginning to get frustrated with the response from his people about this issue. "I said that I want you to draw up a prenuptial agreement for me. Then I want you to acquire the licenses and necessary paperwork for the marriage to be official and recognized. The wedding will be held this winter."

The boardroom was quiet. This was the final meeting on the issue, and so far no one was taking him seriously. Kuchiki Enterprises was a thriving business and he understood their trepidation that the owner and CEO was about to get married to someone they considered less than acceptable. However, he was about to make sure they realized how serious he was.

"Sir, the shareholders are going to have a fit. I understand that your family owns fifty-one percent of the shares, but the other forty-nine percent is publicly traded, and I cannot see how anyone is going to find this situation appropriate. You lost your wife less than a year ago to a long term disease, and you're going to marry a prostitute that was recently in the papers. This will be the death of this company," his chief financial officer stated, glaring at him. "I had hoped this... Dalliance would fall apart once you rescued this whore from..."

"Don't you dare." Byakuya's eyes were cold and hard as he stared at the CFO. The man was a very plain and unremarkable man. "Speak those words again and I will be very quick to release the images I have of you frequenting the Las Noches brothel."

The CFO's eyes went wide and Byakuya stood up, hands tucked behind his back. "What none of you realize is that I have always been a captain in the Shinigami Organization. You didn't wonder what happened? Why I was suddenly taken ill?" He turned, pulling open the front of the traditional kusodo he was wearing, revealing the scars in his shoulder. There was a murmur through the board room.

"Yes, I got shot by storming the Messer Organization's island. This was the result. I am not just some rich family's heir. I have spent my life training to be an agent in law enforcement." There was a click and Byakuya looked behind him to see that Renji and Rukia had arrived. "Just in time." Another murmur went through the room.

"What is this? Is this that ridiculous idea you had of transferring ownership to her? We blocked that attempt in this room. You cannot..." one of the other board members started.

"Ah, no, please, that fifty-one percent you said? Those shares have all been officially signed over to Rukia Kuchiki-Abarai. She now is the Chief Executive Officer. Your blockade of the last transfer was ingenious, Yamada. Considering the fact that your nephew was one of those rescued from the horrors that was the Las Noches Brothel, I'm surprised at you. For your information, Hanataro has been removed from your brother's care, permanently, after it was revealed the child was sold to Sōsuke Aizen to clear gambling debts." There was a collective gasp.

"You disbelieve that I am what I say I am." Byakuya shrugged, pulling the official Shinigami badge from his pocket and slamming it on the table. "I have led the white-collar crime division for many years now, and as of this week, that position is passing to Renji Abarai, my successor in the Shinigami. Yes, he's more than my sister's husband. He has also been my second in command. You wonder how I seem to always find out about espionage and hostile take-overs before they happen? It is my job."

"Sir, how..." one of the others started.

"Don't speak until I'm finished." Byakuya picked up his badge and pocketed it again. "I will be marrying Ichigo Kurosaki this winter. This company now belongs to Rukia; she is your boss from here on out. You will also be under Renji's watchful gaze from the Shinigami. Not to mention that out of the other forty-nine percent of Kuchiki shares, as a wedding present to my new son in law, he now owns an additional twenty five percent. That makes him the chair from here on of the board."

Byakuya turned back to the CFO. "I was surprised to see that you frequented the illegal brothel. Now, you have a choice. Turn yourself in or I will let them catch up to you when you leave this office. I had hoped that you would have helped with arrangements before I turned you over, but considering your attitude, I don't need your assistance." Byakuya looked over the board members and shook his head. "I have files on each of you, so don't look at me like my engagement to this young man is the worst thing done in this room. Half of you are being charged by the Shinigami Organization, and there will be more, no doubt, to come out of it." Byakuya sighed. "I have passed on my ownership. Now, if you don't mind, I'll leave you with your official CEO, and your new chairman of the board."

Byakuya turned and left, hearing Rukia stand at the end of that table and take complete control. He smiled to himself as he paused and listened outside the door.

"You cannot allow him to marry that...whore Ichigo Kurosaki. He will be the downfall of the Kuchiki name." The CFO again. Byakuya was sure he might have gotten the hint but it seemed that he hadn't.

"Do not sully his name by putting it in your mouth." Rukia, despite her initial distrust of him, had come to be very protective of Ichigo. For that, Byakuya was glad. "He is five times the man you are, and his is more honest than this whole room put together. If I deem it, he'll have a job here, if he wants it. Perhaps he should be my secretary? What do you think?" There was silence. "Now, on to what I came here about. The quarterly reports for..."

Byakuya had no doubt in Rukia's ability. The girl had earned a degree in business, graduating at the top of her class, just for this purpose. She would run the company with no tolerance or their idiocy and if they thought for a moment that she would be softer than Byakuya had been, they were dead wrong. He took his time, stopping to collect the very few personal items he had in his office. He smiled, picking up Hisana's picture and holding it. He turned to leave once again to go to the elevator. After all, Kuchiki Enterprises was headed in the Starlight 50.

"Kuchiki-sama!" he heard and turned to see one of the junior financial officials.

"Yes?" he said to the out of breath man.

"I wanted to offer to draw up the financial papers for your and help with the marriage licensing. Uh, the CFO came out a few minutes ago complaining that you had expected him to do it, so I wanted to offer. I'm only a junior here, but no one else wanted to offer so I thought I would."

Byakuya nodded. "I need complete prenuptial agreements safeguarding Kuchiki properties, but I also need an agreement that classifies my own personal properties as being split fifty fifty between myself and Ichigo should we separate."

The young man, who was strikingly good-looking thought for a minute. He had black hair that was straight and neat. "Um, sir, I don't understand why we would do that?"

"Because one is to be for show, and one is that if Ichigo ever leaves for his own ends, he'll be taken care of. I also need a living will that he is the beneficiary of all my assets, including the Kuchiki family name. Speaking of, what is your name?"

"Mizuiro Kojima," the young man said with a nod.

"Mizuiro, from now on you don't work for Kuchiki Enterprises," Byakuya stated with a flat expression. The young junior's eyes went wide. "Because you're now my personal business advisor. Come to the penthouse tomorrow morning and we will finalize all the arrangements for my separation from the Kuchiki businesses."

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"You look worried about something, Ichi-baby?" Luppi said as he brought a glass of water to Ichigo in the living room.

While Byakuya was out of the apartment dealing with business things, Ichigo had come to Kira and Luppi's new apartment.

"I just worry he's going to be getting into trouble for what he's doing for me," Ichigo sighed as he took the glass from Luppi. He was sitting in the middle of the floor cross legged and Luppi dropped down into the same position in front of him.

"Habits are hard to break," Kira said as he sat down on the sofa behind them.

Both looked at him and then Luppi patted Ichigo's knee. "Hey, don't do that. Your Daddy is fuckin' Byakuya Kuchiki. He does whatever he wants, you know."

"But that's why. What happens when a man like him marries a whore like me? I'm going to ruin his good name just be being me." Ichigo sipped the water, noticing how dry he was these days. "I heard him on the phone this morning. Whoever he was talking to was loud, but I couldn't hear exactly what he was saying but Daddy wasn't happy..." he muttered.

"Don't worry so much, Ichi-baby," Luppi said and took Ichigo's hand. "Um, hey, do you think that your Daddy would, you know...ah be willing to share a little?"

Ichigo blinked and looked at Luppi. "Huh?"

"You, Ichi-baby, can you find out if he would let me and you spend some time together? Izzy said it's okay..." Luppi said with a smirk.

"Daddy is so possessive, I don't know that he'd be okay with that," Ichigo said with a shake of his head. "I don't know that I can ask him that. I mean, you saw how upset he got when he just saw us playing together, Luppi," Ichigo said with a slight blush. "I'm glad you still want to play together, but..."

"Come on, just ask him, Ichi!" Luppi said with wide eyes. "I mean, he might think it's a fun time watching me fuck you or something."

"He's not like all those johns we shared," Ichigo said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Daddy won't agree to that."

"I won't agree to what?" Byakuya said from the door. Ichigo's head snapped up and he stared at him.

"Nothing, Daddy, nothing," Ichigo said as he scrambled to stand. Luppi growled and reached up and snatched Ichigo down to his lap.

"You ask him!" Luppi said, wrapping both legs around Ichigo's middle and pinning his arms across Ichigo's chest. "Or I'm not letting go!"

Ichigo realized that Kira had gotten up while he was talking to Luppi and let Byakuya in. He grumbled and tried to break the hold Luppi had on him, but he was reminded that he was the one that taught the brat the hold that would keep him from moving.

"Argh," Ichigo growled. "Alright, fine, Daddy... Help me!" Ichigo said suddenly.

"What is it that Luppi wants you to ask me?"

Ichigo glared at Byakuya because he hadn't moved at all. Had Kira said something to him? Well, he would just have to do it and get Byakuya to say no so he could move on with things.

"Daddy, Luppi and Kira want to know if I can play with them," he muttered. "And I told them you'd say no."

"Do you want to play with them, little one?" Byakuya asked as he came forward and knelt in front of him. Ichigo couldn't tell anything about him based on his face. He wasn't angry, but he wasn't happy either. Ichigo had no idea what kind of mood Byakuya was in at the moment. To be honest, to ask this sort of thing without knowing his mood was frightening.

"Um, maybe," Ichigo couldn't lie to him. "I miss playing with Luppi," he said and dropped his head down. "I'm sorry, Daddy, I'm sorry."

Ichigo flinched when he felt Byakuya's hand against his cheek. "Little boy, why are you sorry? Because you're telling me the truth?"

Ichigo turned his face up toward him. "B-be-because I want to play with someone else besides Daddy. Aren't you mad about that, Daddy?"

Byakuya sighed and smiled. "Why would you telling me such a thing make me mad? You and Luppi were each other's only source of comfort for a long time. It is a lot for me to ask that you give up on someone that was so important to you so quickly. And who are you going to marry? Me, no one else. So my answer is that I don't mind if you play, as long as I know about it, and preferably am involved with the situation to make sure my little boy is safe. That's my only concern."

Luppi let go from behind and Ichigo leaped up to put his arms around Byakuya. "You mean that, Daddy? You really mean that it would be okay?"

Byakuya returned the hug, putting arms around Ichigo's back. "Of course, little boy. You are a little one, and little ones need playmates, don't they?"

Ichigo felt a shiver go through his body at the way Byakuya was talking. It was turning him on rapidly. He leaned forward. "Daddy, take me home and fuck me."

Byakuya stood up easily, picking Ichigo up and smirking. "Alright, my boy. Kira, Luppi, we'll discuss this more at length."

Byakuya took off with Ichigo in his arms and left Luppi sitting on the floor with a smile. He leaned back on his hands and sighed.

"Why the floor?" Kira asked as he came and sat down on the floor by Luppi.

"Huh?" Luppi asked, moving to crawl into Kira's lap.

"The floor. You and Ichigo both, you sit down on the floor before you sit down on a sofa or a futon."

Luppi thought and nodded. "Beds were for fucking," Luppi said with a sigh. "And futons and sofas, and anything like that. If you were on the floor, then you weren't there for fucking." Luppi twined his hand into Kira's. "The floor was a safe space, even in the brothel. If you were sitting on the floor you were there to talk and have fun, not to fuck. Because if you laid on the beds, they were for practicing and fucking each other, you know."

"Didn't you sleep on the beds?" Kira asked.

"Sleep or drugged out of your mind, yeah, but those were rare. Sleeping on the floor meant you wanted to be left alone. On the bed, well, you took the chance of someone wanting to fuck if you lay there. Unless you were lucky like Ichi and the Escorts and be on the second level where they left ya alone. I used to sneak up there and sleep with Ichigo a lot. Would get beaten if I got caught, though," Luppi said with a sigh.

"You love him a lot," Kira said as he squeezed Luppi against his chest. "That's good because he needs to be loved, and so do you."

"But being with more than one person, doesn't that just mean we're even more still a couple of whores? I just..."

"Luppi, being with more than one person isn't something that makes you a whore. What does that mean anyway? You were in a rough circumstance and you sold your body. So what. If you slept with a million people, it doesn't change who you are, you see. You still are the same person no matter what. I know it is hard to understand, but your worth isn't dependent on how many people you had sex with and how often you had sex. I fell in love with a feisty boy that cared more for his friend Ichigo than anyone in the world. How in the world could I be upset that you want to spend time with him? How could I be upset that you want to be intimate with him still?" Kira paused and took a breath. "Though, if we do end up playing with them, I'm afraid the thought of being in the same bedroom encounter with Byakuya Kuchiki is what frightens me. I've heard the man has a huge... huge... um. Yeah. Locker rooms."

Luppi started laughing then, and Kira proceeded to tickle him into oblivion.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

Uryū and Shinobu were putting the last of the bird cages into the moving van when Luppi and Kira came down with Ichigo. They were in the garage at the freight elevator.

"Are you really moving out?" Ichigo asked, frowning deeply at the pair.

"I'm afraid this was always temporary. We would have gone last week but Shin was sicka gain," Uryū said with a soft smile at Ichigo. "But you can come visit anytime you want."

"Daddy has to take me though, you live outside the city!" Ichigo whined.

Uryū smiled and put an around Ichigo's shoulders. "I'm sure he won't mind bringing you out to visit now and then, Ichigo."

Ichigo crossed his arms and pouted. The sight made Uryū smile. The Ichigo on the island wouldn't have argued anything, and would have taken anything silently. This Ichigo was full of life and vitality. This Ichigo was alive. The one that Uryū had met was dying while breathing, and it had been a truly sad thing to see. Uryū knew that it had to be Byakuya Kuchiki that did this to him. Of course, any doubt that Uryū had of Byakuya's intentions had been destroyed when there had been an official marriage announcement published in every major newspaper in Japan. The news had caught fire and everyone wanted to know about the Kuchiki head's soon to be spouse.

Uryū hadn't been immune to the fallout from the announcement. Even he had been approached as being a known associate of the two of them and assailed with questions about the Kuchiki head's personal life. Luckily, he had dodged most of them, but it didn't take long for them to figure out how Byakuya and Ichigo had met, and who Ichigo had been. The slander articles were abhorrent, and everyone did what they could to make sure that Ichigo didn't see them. They weren't always successful, and they could all tell when Ichigo had read another slander piece. Today, they had invited him to come along as they took the birds from the apartment to their newly remodeled house in the country. Ichigo hadn't been happy to find out that Uryū was moving away. Ever since he'd been back at the Starlight, he came to see Uryū at least once a day. Now, he wouldn't be able to do that.

"Come on, let's get these birds to their new home, and you can see the place we have," Uryū said with a smile as everyone piled into the back of the van that contained the birds.

They drove to the outskirts of the city to the newly purchased Ishida Estate. It was a large piece of property with a large open style house sitting on it. They began moving the cages with the birds and Ichigo was astounded by how beautiful the whole place was.

"Shinobu and I converted the second level to half sewing room for us, and half for the parrots. There's a large terrace so we can sit and watch the peafowl walk about," Uryū noted as they came into the tea room. The area around the estate was fenced and Ichigo saw that there was a structure that he had to assume was for the birds to use when they were outside. Of course, the pea fowl were the only ones that walked around outside. The parrots and the raven stayed inside in their rooms.

"The place is really pretty," Ichigo said as they all rested on the terrace with tea that Shinobu had made. They had gotten the birds in their new home, and Ichigo had admired the state of the art kitchen.

"Thank you, I like the country," Shinobu said as he brought out snacks to go with the tea. "I like the peace and quiet."

"I've never known peace or quiet," Ichigo commented, staring at his hands. Luppi and Kira had been quiet for most the trip after the day before when they'd brought up things with Ichigo for the first time. They both also knew that Ichigo was struggling with everything that was happening with Byakuya.

"What do I do if he gets tired of me?" Ichigo said with a sigh.

"Kuchiki?" Uryū gasped. "Get tired of you? Are you kidding? That man is so in love with you that he'll die before letting you go."

Ichigo sighed. "But what if it fades? Love is like that, after the initial obsession and first love, things grow boring and the it is gone and what happens? He's giving me half of his assets, for when I leave him, he says, but that won't happen. He's the only good thing I've ever had, but where would I go if he tosses me aside?"

"Ichigo, you're only thinking of these things because of what all those stupid papers say," Luppi said and put a hand on Ichigo's arm. "Just don't listen to them."

"But they're true. I am bringing him down. I am soiling his family name. I am beneath him."

Uryū didn't know how to assuage Ichigo's fears. He didn't know the man well enough to change Ichigo's thoughts about him.

"I know that he only does what he wants to do, Ichigo. Please, remember that," Uryū said and smiled gently at him.

Nearby, the pea fowl called, and Ichigo felt like his heart was shattering. He didn't have any reason to feel this way, but the fear was catching up with him. As things moved forward, especially after the newspapers, he kept thinking about the what ifs. He sipped his tea and hoped that life didn't screw him like it always had. He was happy with Byakuya, and he never wanted it to end. But his mind kept going to what would happen when it did end. He just knew that it would end.

Chapter Nineteen

The Past that Won't Leave and the Future They Make

Ichigo was happy at the moment. How could he not be? Another couple months had passed, and the wedding was coming closer and closer. It was already September, and they had set their date for December 1st. Ichigo had already chosen his suit, which had been altered a great deal by Shinobu and Uryū to something, as they put it, "more suitable" to a Kuchiki and to Ichigo.

The time that had passed involved rigorous physical therapy still, and he had gotten used to his ankle not bending like it used to. The numbness in his hands left him unable to consistently do a lot of things, and even though he hated it, he wore the prosthetic eye at Byakuya's request. He still hated the damn thing, and when he was alone, he'd often take it out and put on his eye patch. He supposed it could have been much worse, but he didn't know how. Missing an eye was probably one of the most annoying injuries ever.

He hadn't really intended to listen in on anyone, but he was taking trash down the hall to the compactor outside the apartment. The penthouse level was all one apartment, but the trash compactor was located out in the hallway that led to the fire escape and the stairwell. The recycling and everything was collected out there. As he rounded the corner he heard a couple of people talking. He didn't know them and as he looked he saw one was in a suit and looked like he was building security and the other looked like one of the random Shinigami officers that came to stand guard with the building security.

"So he's seriously going to marry that guy?" security guy asked. He had long hair pinned back at the nape of his neck.

"Seems that way. I mean, who is gonna tell the Kuchiki clan head no?" the other answered. Ichigo could see the Shinigami badge on his arm. Division four.

"Fucked up," the first muttered. "I mean, he's a prostitute for one thing."

"Well, it wasn't like he wanted to be. He's like that assassin guy. He kinda got forced into it at an early age," the Shinigami said.

"Pfft, yeah, so why didn't he run away?"

"Man, you didn't see that shit. They kept those kids in cages. There was no running away for them."

"Still, when he got older, he could have run."

Shinigami man sighed. "Yeah, I guess, but I don't think it is fair to blame the guy."

"Look, that guy started coming here as a slut, he's still gonna be a slut, and that's all there is. Any guy that sells his body for money is worth less than a chick that does it."

"What? How's that make sense?"

The guard snorted again. "Because, pussy, that's one thing. Women are made to be used like that. But to lay down and spread your legs as a man? That's the worst insult to any man there is."

"That's fucked up, man. What about just regular gay dudes?"

"They're fucking disgusting."

"Um, your boss is gay," the Shinigami agent reminded him. "Are you going to tell Byakuya Kuchiki he's disgusting?"

"Nope, he doesn't do the laying down, so whatever. I'll fuck a chick up the ass, so it can't be much different. No the disgusting one is the one that lays down and allows themselves to be fucked like some slutty woman." The guard was smug sounding.

Ichigo had stopped with the boxes clutched to his chest. He could hardly breath and he certainly couldn't move.

"You are fucked up, man. I'm just worried for the Kuchiki clan name. They have been calling for him to be disowned from the family," the Shinigami said with a sigh. "I mean, I don't know how a family head could be severed from the family he's the patriarch of."

"They can't. He can't be disowned no matter what since he's the oldest and only elder member of the family. But they can make life suck for him. I heard he gave all his shares in Kuchiki Enterprises over to that sister of his that he adopted, and then he bought a quarter of the remaining shares and gave them to his second in command, that redheaded guy she married," the guard said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Smart. Betwween the two of them now they have almost seventy-five percent of the company. That's impressive, and that Redhead is now the chairman of the board. He made the little bitch the CEO too."

"Hush, what if he came out here?" the Shinigami man said with a waving motion a the other man.

"Nah, Kuchiki never comes out. He sends his bitch boy out to do things. I suppose he should be a little bitch wife since all he's good for is to be fucked. I still wonder why Kuchiki got attached to someone like that. His ass has to be fantastic or something," the guard mused, reaching up to scratch his sparse beard.

"I heard they have this fucked up relationship where he calls him 'Daddy' all the time, and Kuchiki-sama treats him like a kid, so maybe Kuchiki-sama was a closet pedophile?" the Shinigami asked.

"Maybe, would explain why someone that was in kiddie porn would trip the trigger," the guard muttered, looking thoughtful again.

The Shinigami shivered. "Ugh, just the thought. How could anyone have sex with someone they knew had been used in child pornography? Isn't that disgusting? To know that someone did that when he was kid? I couldn't do it. All I could think was about all the men that had come before me. I don't want to get with anyone who has slept with more than one other person, really. My woman will have to be nearly a virgin."

"That's unrealistic, even bitches are sluts, now," the guard said with a sigh.

"I just can't even look at that guy and not think about what he's done, you know? I can't understand how anyone can look at someone like him and not be disgusted. Maybe Kuchiki-sama feels sorry for him and plans to kick him out when he gets tired of him."

"Yeah," the guard agreed. "I tell you what, if he's still here when this farce of a wedding happens, I'll be surprised. The nerve of someone like him, thinking he can be wed to someone as upstanding and proper as Byakuya Kuchiki. Disgusting."

Was this what people thought of him? Was this really how they saw him and Byakuya? He'd read so many of the articles, slandering him as nothing but a gold-digger, as some sort of person seeking a sugar daddy. Granted, he did think of Byakuya as his sugar Daddy, but not in the way they thought about it. His heart was pounding in his ears as he turned and went back into the apartment, dropping the boxes and then running for the elevator.

Byakuya came out of the office then and saw him pounding on the button frantically.

"Little one, what are you doing?" he said.

"Going. I'm going. You don't' need me, Daddy, I'm just ruining your life, so I'm gonna go," he said as tears started to fall down his cheeks.

Byakuya stood for a second in confusion. He thought this was handled. "Wait, Ichigo, what are you talking about, what brought this on? You're being ridiculous, now come here," Byakuya demanded, patting his leg.

"No, I'm going away and letting you have your life back," he snapped and stepped in the elevator and turned teary eyes on his Daddy for what he thought was the last time. He was sure he could just run away and find something else to do, anywhere but here where he made his Daddy dirty and hated.

-oooooo-OOOOOO-oooooo-

"What did you say to him?" Rukia sighed out over the phone as she walked out the parking garage doors onto the street.

"I told him that he was being ridiculous, of course."

"Nii-sama, you are a fucking idiot," she said and put the phone in her pocket, purposefully leaving the call open. She already saw him.

She sighed, putting her hands into the pants pockets of the three-piece suit she wore. To everyone's surprise, Rukia didn't wear skirts. She wore suits with ties just like her brother did, having them tailored just for her size. She wasn't going to be seen as a woman in that office. No, she was going to be every bit as vicious and ruthless as her brother had been, and with Renji at her side, she had no doubt that she would do just that.

Ichigo was sitting on a bus bench with his head in his hands. He was leaned over, elbows resting on his knees and kneading his scalp as he rocked back and forth a little. It was obvious he'd just run out on a whim because he was wearing a t-shirt that belonged to her brother and fell down too long on him, and a pair of pajama pants. He was wearing a pair of slippers, and now his hair was all over his head and mussed. Ichigo wore it long these days but usually in a braid that came to the middle of his back. It was everywhere in a wild orange corona right now. She shook her head.

"Stupid, perverted, idiotic boys," she muttered to herself as she sat down beside him. Ichigo didn't see her at first and scooted to the side but she reached out and grabbed his arm. He turned and stared at her.

"R-Rukia?" he asked, blinking. "Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Nii-sama called me to say you ran off and were upset. He was dumb and didn't follow you, and he didn't know what to do," she said with a shrug.

Ichigo sighed and sat back and looked around. Now Rukia saw that he was wearing one of the Kuchiki Enterprises t-shirts that her brother never wore.

"Look around and what do you see?" he said with a sad look at her.

"I don't understand what you mean, we're sitting on a bus bench. I assume you were going to try to catch a bus, but you can't dressed like that, and you don't have any money," she told him.

"I can't even run away right," he said and ran his hands through his hair, pulling it back and out of his face. "No, look at the people. The ones who know about me stare, they give me looks with sneers and they all judge me."

"Ichigo, what brought this on? Did someone say something to you?" she asked, frowning.

Ichigo looked away from her. "No, not really."

"Out with it."

"I just overheard something, and it was all true, and I can't do this to Daddy. I love him so much it hurts and I can't hurt him by staying with him."

Rukia was quiet for a long time before she sighed again. "Look, yeah, there's talk right now, but he's a Kuchiki. For one thing, all their talk means nothing. Everyone wants to see my brother fail. He's rich, privileged, and he has a lot of influence. They're going to wish the worst on him, and they're going to say things to make him look bad. That includes using you and your past to do it. But that's not what it is for. It isn't about you, it is all about him and trying to make him look bad. If he were anyone else, no one would care. But he's the head of the Kuchiki clan, so everyone's gotta make a fuss over it. And it is so stupid, I know. But that's what happens when you're in this family. And you're going to have to get used to it and thicken your skin or you will become a liability to Nii-sama."

Ichigo stared at her in shock. "You know what I am, what I was, you hated me too," he muttered and turned away.

"I didn't hate you for what you were, and when I said those things, I was just angry. I hated the thought of anyone replacing my sister. But that was something I had to deal with. My sister was dying and I was angry because I thought Nii-sama was doing things without her knowledge. He wasn't, and she liked you very much."

"What?" Ichigo started and stared at her.

"He showed her pictures, you probably didn't even know he took them, but he would talk to Hisana for hours about you and what he did for you. He was so proud of getting you to eat meals while you were here. He wanted to do so much more for you than he did, too." Rukia paused and smiled at him. "I didn't know any of it until after she was gone, but you were there when I read the letter. Look, I was hurt, and you didn't deserve my anger. But what I'm going to say now is what I was told the first day I was given the Kuchiki name when I was fifteen years old and told I was to be his heir."

Ichigo frowned and nodded slowly at her. "What is it?"

"Kuchiki is more than a name. Kuchiki is a history and with it is a history of good and bad. The good has led to the family having money, prestige, and influence. The name opens doors and from now on, there will be few that are closed to you as a Kuchiki." She paused nodding to herself, remembering her brother's father and his words. "But with the name comes the bad. People are jealous and hateful of just this name. This history of being a survivor when others failed to survive, that is what incites hatred in others. We persevered even though others died out. We still exist and for many that means we deserve to be eradicated. We are a reminder of days long past, and we are a reminder that not just anyone can thrive. We are loved, and we are hated, and because of the fact you wear the name Kuchiki upon your breast, from now on you are a target for both."

Ichigo didn't know how to answer her but he didn't need to say anything because she continued. "You feel like these attacks are against you, and they are, but also the rest of us. You don't see the scathing articles calling me the 'bitch usurper' or those calling Renji the 'delinquent pariah', and those are the more flattering things we've been called lately." She smiled. "Oh, my favorite was the one about how Renji is only married to me because of my name, and there are so many on how I'm not a 'real' heir since I'm not blood."

"Wouldn't he be better to father an heir with a woman?" Ichigo asked, twisting his fingers in the hem of the too big shirt he was wearing.

"Don't be ridiculous. He would never do such a thing. He made me heir, and once he did that, he told me that he would make sure that my claim was never challenged. If Nii-sama had a child, he feels that they could take my place one day if he wasn't here to stop them. So the reason he doesn't father an heir with a woman has more reasons that the fact he loves you more than life itself." Rukia paused and smiled at him. "Ichigo, you have made Nii-sama happier than you know. You are the reason he smiles, and for so long he never smiled. Your spirit, your heart, he loves you so much that he fears you'll run from him because he loves you too much."

"Run from him? I'm waiting for him to throw me aside, and I feel like I have to run away before he does..." Ichigo bit his lip and swallowed a ball in his throat.

"Ye Gods you two are so stupid. Come on," she said and hefted Ichigo to his feet. She drug him back to the garage and into the elevator as he followed on shuffling feet.

When they got in the elevator, Ichigo let her hold his hand and stared at the floor, moving now and then. It tinged and they got out and Ichigo looked up to find Byakuya standing with his back to the elevator, and when he turned, his face was red. Ichigo's eyes went wide and he tried to escape back into the elevator.

"Nope," Rukia said as she pushed Ichigo toward Byakuya. "Nii-sama, what happened?"

Ichigo crossed his arms and ducked his head, thinking that surely, he was angry at him. He was surprised when Byakuya spoke. "I just fired a security guard and a Shinigami in one breath, that's what."

Rukia's eyes widened and she looked to see that her brother's laptop was open on the nearby writing desk. "Ah, that's who Ichigo overheard."

"The stupidity was astounding considering that the security guard knows that I have security cameras out there. I suppose he might not have realized that I do have them all equipped with microphones. It didn't take long to figure out why my little one went running away in tears," he said and stepped toward him, putting a hand on his face. "I'm sorry they said such horrible things about you. But you need to understand the only thing that would hurt me would be you leaving."

There was a buzz on the elevator intercom and Rukia stepped over and clicked it. "Yes?"

"Um, Kuchiki-sama called to ask if Ichigo was at our place, I wanted to check and see what was happening?" came Luppi's voice.

Byakuya looked up and smiled. "Ah, yes, ring them up, Rukia. And you can go, I think I know what to do here," he muttered.

Rukia saw the glint in her brother's eyes and smirked. "Alright, I see," she muttered as the elevator opened, revealing Luppi and Kira. Luppi ran out and grabbed Ichigo around the waist while Kira bowed slightly to Rukia. "Enjoy," Rukia muttered as the elevator closed.

"Ichigo, what happened?" Luppi asked, as he pushed Ichigo back and glared at Byakuya.

"I just...some other people said somethings, and I got freaked out..." Ichigo said with a sigh. "It was stupid."

"And dangerous," Byakuya said, and Ichigo turned his eyes onto him and saw that stern look. "Go to the bedroom. Strip and lay down to wait for me. You wanted to spend some time with Luppi? Well, you are getting punished before that happens."

"But Daddy!" Ichigo gasped, glancing at him, then looking at Kira and Luppi.

"Now," Byakuya said, and a chill ran up Ichigo's spine. He turned on his heel and disappeared through the bedroom door.

Byakuya turned to them. "You wish to be involved, I will give you the opportunity. He needs some relief, and this is how he deals with a lot of strong emotion. Everything we're doing we've agreed on. Ichigo knows the words to stop what I'm doing, and he has approved all the things we are about to do, though adding others to our play is new, so I'll ask him several times if he wants you to join. One or both of you may become involved if you wish."

With that, he turned and disappeared into the bedroom as well. Luppi looked at Kira. "Come on, let's go..."

"Um, I'm not sure, I mean..." Kira let Luppi take his hand. "I mean, I don't know Ichigo that well, how can I..."

"You're someone I love, so Ichigo will accept you," Luppi said and pulled Kira behind him as he opened the bedroom door to find that Byakuya had sat down on the end of his huge bed and smiled when they entered. Ichigo had stripped and was kneeling on the bed behind him. He looked up as they entered.

"I hoped you'd come. Now, little boy, over my lap, you've earned twenty."

"Twenty!" Ichigo exclaimed. Fifteen was the most that he'd had before.

"Shall we make it thirty?" Byakuya asked. Ichigo swallowed and shook his head as he crawled down and slipped off the bed. He laid over Byakuya's lap and glanced up to Luppi who was watching transfixed.

"No, Daddy, twenty," Ichigo said as he gripped Byakuya's leg and started counting the hard swats with his hand. It was rare to get a bare-handed spanking, so he knew that Byakuya was upset with him for running off like he had. By the time he got to twenty, he was writhing in pain and need because he almost came against Byakuya's leg. Byakuya reached in his pocket and pulled out a cockring and slipped it down on him.

"Now, come here," Byakuya said and pulled Ichigo up on his lap, facing away from him. "Shall I slip inside this little boy while his playmates watch?"

Ichigo's eyes went wide and he blushed despite the fact he'd been like this before Luppi countless times. This was different as he felt Byakuya's slicked fingers quickly prep him. He had no idea when he'd gotten out lube, but he had. It wasn't like it too much. They'd had a go round this morning already once, and he was still soft from that one.

"Little boy, you have such a hungry hole, sucking in my fingers and twitching, how naughty. Or is it that you like being watched by your friend?" Byakuya whispered hoarsely in his ear. Ichigo's eyes widened as he felt Byakuya rubbing against him, sliding between his legs. He whimpered, wanting him to just put it in, but knowing speaking up would make Byakuya take longer. He looked to see Luppi was flushed bright. He came over and dropped to his knees in front of them.

"Fuck, goddamn, Ichi-baby, your Daddy is packing," he muttered, reaching out and stroking Byakuya's cock where it rubbed under Ichigo.

"That was the rumor," Kira whispered, then flushed and turned away when Byakuya looked up.

"Well, little boy's playmate Luppi seems to be larger than expected, too, no wonder my little boy enjoyed my cock," Byakuya said as Luppi pulled himself out of his underwear under the skirt he was wearing. "For such a small person, your best playmate has a big cock."

"I wanna suck him while you fuck him," Luppi grinned, looking up and locking eyes with Byakuya.

"Guide me in, then," Byakuya murmured and Luppi did just that, sliding Ichigo toward him and then watching as Byakuya disappeared inside Ichigo's body.

"I never get tired of watching that." Luppi leaned forward and started to thoroughly worship at Ichigo's cock, sliding his tongue up and down as Byakuya thrust up and back in small increments.

Kira couldn't watch anymore without joining as he moved over and flipped Luppi's skirt up over his back and buried his fingers in him. He heard a noise and looked up as Byakuya tossed a bottle of lube at him. He smirked and ended up quickly prepping the wiggling ass in front of him before he held on for dear life as he slammed forward into him.

Luppi swallowed Ichigo down as Kira penetrated him and hummed in appreciation as Kira was obviously in a rough mood for fucking him hard. This wasn't the first time that he'd been in a position like this, but it was the first time he'd blown someone being fucked while he was being fucked, and it was frankly fantastic. He wasn't going to last, and before he knew it, having Ichigo down his throat and Kira fucking him set him off like a shot. Kira yelped and Luppi felt him go over too. He came up off Ichigo and saw that Byakuya was wearing an almost pained expression. Luppi smirked and used one hand to pull off the cockring while he used the other to clamp down around the base of Ichigo's cock.

"Daddy, can he cum?" Luppi asked, looking up and grinning at Byakuya.

"Ah, yeah," Byakuya said, grabbing Ichigo's legs and starting to thrust up into him. Luppi smirked because Ichigo's belly bulged slightly when he slammed up hard.

Luppi went down to the base and swallowed. As he did, he let go and Ichigo arched under him against Byakuya. Luppi held on, swallowing as Ichigo spent down his throat and he felt the quivering of his thighs. When he came up, Ichigo had fallen back on Byakuya and was sobbing. For a second, Luppi worried, but then he realized this was something Byakuya was used to. He was whispering to him and pulling the blanket over him, snuggling him against his chest while he rocked.

"He's fine," Byakuya explained as he clutched him, kissing him gently now and then. "The intensity of the release, the punishment, everything, he gets like this and it will be a little while. He hasn't gotten this deep into a subspace in a while."

Byakuya pulled him up and got into the bed with him. Luppi followed a second later and snuggled on the other side of Ichigo. Kira hesitated, but when Byakuya nodded at him, he went ahead and got in behind Luppi. They laid there for most the afternoon, snuggled in the large bed with each other, and all of them got much needed love and rest.

Chapter Twenty

The Vision and the Way

Ichigo Kurosaki stood in front of a huge audience and made a promise to the man he loved more than anything in the world. He wore a suit that had been specially tailored for him by his dear friends Shinobu and Uryū. The plain white base for the suit had been altered significantly into an amazing original creation. The suit jacket's white sleeves had been replaced with lace that was fitted tightly to Ichigo's thin arms. The back of the jacket morphed slowly into layers of sheer material that fell down from the back in a short train. The front cascaded a bit in a series of sheer layers that fell to the middle of his thighs in the front. The white pants were fitted, almost leggings, and had an over layer of white matching lace to the arms. The white shirt underneath the jacket was sheer about the shoulders, and had a deep neckline. The front of the jacket covered the rest of his front, and he wore a bright blue corsage in the button hole. He wore it without a tie or a vest, and when he had stepped out of the back, his soon to be husband had stared so hard that the officiant had to shake him out of his stupor.

Ichigo promised to always love him, and never to walk away from him. Ichigo promised that he would always be there, and that when he got scared, he would come talk to him instead of running away.

Byakuya Kuchiki likewise stood in front of that same huge audience and made a promise to the man he loved more than his own life. He wore a black suit with a bright red corsage in the button hole. His dress was more traditional modern, having dismissed wearing the older traditional outfits. It did not suit the man he had become, and it certainly didn't suit his new husband. His hair was long, tucked behind his ears, and his silver kenseikan were pristine in the light of the afternoon sun. His undershirt was black, and his tie was bright blue to match his new husband's corsage.

Byakuya promised never to turn away from him, and swore to always love everything about him, even if others couldn't understand why he did so. Byakuya promised that he would hold him through being afraid, and that he would never let him go.

After the ceremony, and the kiss between the two that lasted longer than was perhaps necessary, the new couple sat at the head table in the reception. Luppi had stood beside Ichigo, and had been dressed in a simple red dress of Shinobu's making. Rukia and Nozomi had also stood with Ichigo. Renji had stood beside Byakuya, also wearing the red corsage. Kira and Ukitake had been the other two that stood with Byakuya. Now, the eight sat around the table and chatted. Ichigo looked up to see his father and sisters coming over. Curiously, Ulquiorra was being pulled along by Yuzu. Nozomi got up and went to mingle, as did Renji and Rukia. The dancing had started, and in a while, there would be the couple's dance.

"Hey," Ichigo said as Isshin sat down beside him and took his hand. "I guess you didn't expect your son to get hitched to another dude, eh?"

"Nonsense, you're happy, right?" Isshin said with a soft smile.

"Yeah, I am. And I heard that all the Youngers got taken care of too, so that makes me happy too," Ichigo smiled and let his father kiss his cheek. "I want... Um, if you want, maybe we could get to know each other?" he asked, his eyes hopeful as he looked up at hi m. "I mean, I know I was pretty terrible to you and the girls, and I wish I could blame it all on the drugs, but I didn't want you to get involved with me, to be honest," he looked toward where Yuzu was trying to get Ulquiorra to try something from her plate. He smiled. "She looks happy."

"Ulquiorra is coming along," Isshin smirked. "I think that I might have another son-in-law to go along with Kuchiki-sama there."

"And Karin?" Ichigo asked as Karin argued with him a little.

"Ah, I'm not sure, but your friend, Mizuho, the Asano girl, has been hanging out at our house a lot. I think Karin might have a little crush on her," Isshin shrugged. "I might get at least one daughter-in-law!"

Ichigo shook his head and saw that Keigo and Mizuho were headed toward the table. He smiled as Karin got up and met the other girl and Keigo rolled his eyes and came up behind Ichigo.

"Hey, you," Keigo said with a smirk. "So is it true that you guys' and Luppi figured out how to make things work?" he whispered. Isshin's eye perked.

"How'd you know about that?" Luppi hissed as he shifted into Byakuya's seat. Ichigo looked to see he was over talking to Renji about something.

"We know all, we live with Wonderweiss, remember?" Keigo said with a smirk.

"Make things work?" Isshin asked.

"I didn't tell you because I thought you'd think bad of me," Ichigo muttered and grabbed the champagne class to chug the contents.

"What?" Isshin said with a frown.

Ichigo twisted some of the fabric on the jacket in his fingers. "Well, see, Luppi and me, we were always close, and we had a love between us, though the only way we could express it in the brothel was through sex, you know?" He paused, swallowing. "So, we couldn't just let go of it, and Da- Um, Byakuya was okay with us being, um, intimate with each other too. And since Luppi is with Kira, that means we kind of, you know, sometimes do stuff together."

Isshin thought for a second. "So...like a polyamorous relationship, then?"

Ichigo looked up. "Um, yeah, exactly like that. How do you...?" Ichigo trailed off.

"Son, your old man isn't that old. Whatever makes you happy, and as long as Kuchiki-sama is okay with it, well, there's no harm in having more love to give and receive, is there?"

Nodding slowly, Ichigo smiled and realized that his family loved him no matter what, even if it was a family he hadn't really hadn't known until very recently. And since the return from the island he hadn't seen many people except Byakuya, Luppi and Kira, and Uryū and Shinobu. The pair came and sat down opposite them.

"The ceremony was lovely," Shinobu commented with a smile.

"I want to thank you for the outfits, they are so amazing," Ichigo commented and pulled at the hem of the jacket's sheer layers. "I didn't think I'd like something so... Feminine. But I do like it more than I thought."

"It looks gorgeous on you," Uryū said with a smirk.

"I agree," Nozomi said from behind Ichigo, surprising him. She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. Ichigo's hair had been pulled back in a braid down either side of his head and pulled tight at the nape of his neck. Nozomi had been the one to do it. She'd started cosmetology classes and wanted to be a hairdresser and a makeup artist.

"You got a nose ring and one in your eyebrow," Ichigo noticed as she sat down on his lap suddenly. Ichigo only moved to hold onto her so she didn't fall. Isshin arched a brow, but Ichigo honestly didn't think anything of being close like this with the other Youngers. After all, they'd done more than sit on each other's laps.

She reached up and touched the crystal stud in her left nostril. "Yeah, I kind of thought it was a way to celebrate being free." She looked across at Shinobu. "Why did you get one?"

Shinobu touched the ring in his septum. "Oh, kind of the same thing. When I turned eighteen I got it to symbolize freedom."

There was a little more talk and then Nozomi stood up. "Oh, there's Grimmjow and Nel," she said with a smile. "I didn't tell you. I took on Rin and Hanataro's care. Well, me and Grimmjow and Nel. We've moved in with them. Dr. Ukitake is working with the both of them almost daily."

Ichigo nodded and hugged her around the waist. "Good, take care of them. I don't know them as well, since they came in after I left, but I know what it feels like to be them."

"We may need you to come talk to them," she said and patted Ichigo's head. "They might need some words from a nii-san that knows what they've gone through."

"I think I can do that," he said with a nod as Nel came up and snatched him up into a hug. Ichigo gasped out that he couldn't breathe through her big breasts and she set him back down.

"Itsygo, you're married and happy and that makes me happy!" she said as she leaned over and smothered him again.

"Ack, woman, I hate boobs!" he complained as she stood back up. Grimmjow was rolling his eyes at her. "Hey, did everyone get out of there okay?" he asked, realizing he didn't know much about what happened after he'd been taken to the island.

"Most of the streetwalkers went home to their families, and the other Escorts are being helped by the Shinigami. Some are going home to families, but there are a lot that are too scared to do so. Loly and Menoly just got engaged, so I think they'll be fine," Nel said with a grin. "But that's a lot of talk, and some of it isn't good for here. You'll need to come over and spend time with Rin and Hanataro." She paused and snickered. "Uh oh, I think Rikichi found himself someone he likes to hang around with."

Rikichi had been one of the middle youngers, he was almost sixteen now, but he had been completely mute while in the Below. Now, however, Ichigo saw that he was talking in a very animated fashion to Renji. Renji was smiling and nodding, answering him, and it looked like he was happy with Rikichi talking to him. Ichigo couldn't help but smile.

"Who is taking him?" he asked suddenly.

"Oh, didn't you hear?" Isshin spoke up from where he still sat beside Ichigo. "Urahara, the man that found you, he and his partner Yoruichi took in him and the girl with the pigtails, Ururu. I guess his friend Tessai has come to stay with them, and he has a nephew named Jinta that's helping out around his candy story. I think he just wants them to work for free," Isshin said with a chuckle.

Ichigo saw that there was Ururu and she was sitting next to a boy with bright red hair. Urahara was sitting at the same table with Yoruichi, the dark-skinned woman Ichigo had only met briefly, and a very big man with a moustache. He made eye contact with Ururu and she smiled at him. That made him happy as he turned back to his table where Grimmjow was chatting with Uryū now.

Keigo came over a few minutes later and dropped down beside Ichigo, grabbing his hand. "Ichigo, quick, who is that guy with your Daddy?" he whispered, though everyone at the table could hear him.

Ichigo frowned. "Oh, that is Mizuiro Kojima. He used to be a junior financial officer at Kuchiki Enterprises, but now he's Daddy's personal finance officer."

"How old is he?" Keigo whispered again, staring at the young dark haired man. Mizuiro turned and locked eyes on Ichigo and Keigo. Keigo reddened and turned away.

"Not very old, he's like nineteen I think..." Ichigo said with a frown. "He was barely more than an intern..." Ichigo didn't finish because Keigo was up and headed over where he was now standing alone. Byakuya was headed back over to their table now.

Byakuya sat down and Ichigo smirked at him. "I think Keigo like's your financial advisor," he commented as Keigo started talking to the slightly shorter Mizuiro.

"Well, that is good, he had just commented that he thought your friend kept watching him, and that he was kind of cute."

"Is everyone gay here?" Karin growled as she sat down with a flop opposite them by Uryū and Shinobu.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Shinobu asked.

"No, just seems like the percentage rate is higher than normal," she muttered.

Ichigo snickered and then sighed. "I just wish the papers would leave me alone," he felt a sudden sadness at the thought. "There was a terrible piece today about me."

"I wish I could be around someone that said something like that," Shinobu said suddenly, getting everyone to look at the normally rather docile dark-haired man. He looked around. "What? I have a temper, especially about that."

"Yes, I try to keep that stuff away, we don't want another incident." Uryū sighed and shook his head.

"Incident?" Karin asked from beside him.

"Oh, we were in a park and this guy called him a 'sissy faggot' because he was wearing a dress. I had to pull him off the guy because the guy was turning blue from being choked." Uryū looked at Shinobu with a wry grin. "Though I suppose that now and then a little extreme action is necessary."

Everyone seemed happy and Ichigo got up to walk around. He saw different people talking and then he was caught by Byakuya. He realized it was time for their dance. Byakuya pulled him to the floor center and the music started. The song was special to them, a song with a refrain about closing eyes forever, and it was slightly morbid, since it was about death in a way. But for the two of them, it was about life. It was about their choices. As the song ended, Ichigo ended up dancing and dancing as the night wore on. By the time exhaustion took him, he slipped out of the building into the cool night.

The wedding and reception had been held in a country resort, and it was surrounded by trees and nearby there was a small fountain. Ichigo found his way to the fountain and sat on the edge to stare up at a waxing moon. He didn't know how long passed but he was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Byakuya.

"Little one, I missed you in there," he said as he sat down and dropped his jacket over Ichigo's shoulders. "And you'll catch your death out here in this chill."

"I'm sorry," Ichigo said as Byakuya sat down and pulled him into his arm. Ichigo rested his head on Byakuya's shoulder and sighed. "I just wanted to get some air. That's all."

Ichigo stared at the sky and couldn't help but wonder. "Little one, you know, everything I said in there is true. You are my everything."

"I know, and you are everything to me. What does our future hold, though? What are we going to do? You aren't a Shinigami anymore, well, with your shoulder, you're not an active one. But you gave up the company too. So, what are we doing?"

"Well, about that," Byakuya said and squeezed him tightly. "Seems that Luppi is working for an old friend of mine as a model, Don Kanonji. And he was begging Luppi to go on tour. I thought, what better reason to see the world?"

"What?" Ichigo asked, looking up at him sharply. "You mean, go where Luppi goes for modeling?"

"Yeah, Prague, Paris, London, New York, those are a few of the places that Kanonji said they were going to be presenting designs. And the best part, Uryū and Shinobu will come to some of them because most of what Luppi wears is their clothing lines."

"So, we could go places and be with them too?" Ichigo gasped out without thinking.

"That's right, little one. You and your playmates, and me of course. We'll be together, and we'll see what's out there. Who knows what we'll find? You want to get away from the slander? This is one way. We leave Japan until it all dies down. People in those other places don't know us, and we can make new friends, and perhaps a playmate for my little boy."

Ichigo stared at him, tears starting to form. "I wanted to go somewhere else, but I didn't think we could..."

"And, if we want, we can fly your family out to visit us while we're away. I mean, I am still the family head."

Ichigo nodded and snuggled into Byakuya's body. He was safe. He was warm. And most of all, he was loved. Not everyone would get them, and not every day would be a good one. That didn't matter, though. In the end, Ichigo was a little one, and Byakuya was his Daddy. No matter what, that wouldn't change. Daddies take care of their little ones, and Byakuya was certainly going to take care of his precious Ichigo.

Resources

Autism and Autism Self-Advocacy

Autism Self-Advocacy Network

• info@autisticadvocacy.org

• http://autisticadvocacy.org/

Autism Women's Network

• https://autismwomensnetwork.org/

Identity First Autistic

• identityfirstautistic@gmail.com.org/

• https://www.identityfirstautistic

Mental Health and Mental Health Resources

National Alliance on Mental Health

• 1-800-950-6264

• http://www.nami.org/

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

• 1-800-826-3632

• http://www.dbsalliance.org/

Eating Disorder Resources

National Eating Disorders Association

• 800-931-2237 (M-F, 11:30 am-7:30 pm EST)

• http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

ANAD: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

• 630-577-1330 (M-F,12 pm-8 pm EST)

• http://www.anad.org/

Substance Use Disorder Assistance

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

• 1-877-SAMHSA-7

• https://www.samhsa.gov/

Drugrehab.com

• 866-957-1026

• https://www.drugrehab.com/addiction/

Transgender Assistance and Equality

Transgender Youth Equality Foundation

• 207-478-4087

• http://www.transyouthequality.org/

Trans Student Educational Resources

• TSER@transstudent.org

• http://www.transstudent.org/

Bullying Prevention Assistance

Stopbullying.gov

• https://www.stopbullying.gov/

PACERS National Bullying Prevention Center

• 1-800-537-2237

• http://www.pacer.org/bullying/

Suicide Prevention Hotlines and Help

National Suicide Prevention Hotline

• 1-800-273-8255

• https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/

Crisis Text Line

• Text "Start" 741-741

• http://www.crisistextline.org/

Trans Lifeline

• US: 1-877-565-8860

• Canada: 1-877-330-6366

• https://www.translifeline.org/

Suicide Prevention Resources

• http://www.sprc.org/

The American Association of Suicidology

• http://www.suicidology.org/

American Foundation of Suicide Prevention

• https://www.afsp.org/

GLBT National Youth Talk

• 1-800-246-7743 (M-F, 4pm-12am EST/Sat, 12pm-5pm EST)

The Trevor Project

• 1-866-488-7386 (24/7)

• Text "Trevor" 1-202-304-1200 (F 4pm - 8pm EST)

• http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Warm Ear Line

• 1-866-WARM EAR (927-6327)

• http://warmline.org/

Self-Injury Assistance

S.A.F.E. Alternatives

• 1-800-DONTCUT

• http://www.selfinjury.com/

Human Created Disaster Helpline

Disaster Distress Helpline

• 1-800-985-5990

• Text "TalkWithUs" 66746

Sexual Violence and Abuse Resources

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

• 1-877-739-3895

• http://www.nsvrc.org/

RAINN- Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network

• 1-800-656-4673 (National Sexual Assault Hotline)

• https://www.rainn.org/

Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence Resources

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

• 303-839-1852

• http://www.ncadv.org/

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

• 1-800-799-SAFE

• http://www.thehotline.org/

The National Resource Center on Domestic Violence

• 1-800-537-2238

• http://www.nrcdv.org/

Human Trafficking Resources

National Human Trafficking Resource Center

• 1-888-373-7888

• Text BeFree (233733)

Runaway and Child Abuse Resources

National Runaway Safeline

• 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) (24/7)

• http://www.1800runaway.org/

USA National Child Abuse Hotline

• 1-800-422-4453 (24/7)

National Safe Place

• Text SAFE and your current location to the number 69866 (24/7)

• http://nationalsafeplace.org/

