One Soul, But Never Alone

By Spunky0ne

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(This story is written in honor of the courage shown by the victim who Brock Allen Turner raped. Look up the name and you will see that this animal raped an unconscious woman at a fraternity party, and was given just a six month sentence, which may be only three months if he gets early release. There is no excuse to ever lay hands on an incapacitated person. Not ever. And as Renji says in the fullbringer arc, when the fullbringer, Jackie, tries to get him to attack her first, "A man who lays hands on a woman is scum. I would rather die than go on living as scum." Prayers for this brave woman's healing, and I call upon her attacker to do the right thing and take responsibility. Anyway, this will be an angsty one with mpreg by rape, non-con sex (not graphic), so don't read if that bothers you too much. Pairings are Ichigo/Byakuya, Kurushimi/Tetsuya, Rukia/Renji and maybe others if they fit. Kurushimi appears courtesy of Shima-taicho31. Thank you for reading. Love, Spunky)

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Chapter 1: Reckless Moment

Byakuya sat quietly at the head of his family's table, in the grand ballroom of the Noble's General Council Hall, watching as couples danced and festive music played. Only half listening to the conversation of the elders around him, he watched with an aching heart as he spotted his cousin, Tetsuya, in the arms of the handsome, caramel skinned Shima clan leader, turning and swaying and exchanging occasional kisses. Renji held Rukia close, lifting her off her feet and swinging her around, before setting her down and laughing heartily with her. Ichigo changed partners often, first dancing with the pretty, ginger haired human girl, Orihime, then with the quincy, Ishida Uryu, his friend, Sado and several of the seated officers that had been invited to his naming as Shiba heir. He thought Ichigo might have looked in his direction for a moment, but was distracted as he registered that one of the elders had addressed him directly. He gave a proper answer, then tuned mostly out again, focusing on the happily dancing couples.

I must wait for a waltz or other classic dance, and then always seem to be dancing with much older people, never someone my own age and never with…with him. With Ichigo.

He sighed softly, trying to imagine such a thing. But Ichigo danced like the much younger people did, with an unacceptable amount of hip swinging and sensual movement.

Not that I wouldn't like to try that kind of dancing alone with him…

He slipped into a little vision of such, sipping absently at his tea, then switching to sake as the pain in his heart grew stronger and the hour grew later. Gradually, as the dancing continued and the sake glass continued to be refilled, he began to feel a warning numbness and took a deeper breath, looking around the edges of the room for his attendant.

"Would you care to dance?" a male voice said.

Byakuya knew well not to allow himself to be seen acting publicly drunk. He blinked and nodded, accepting the man's hand, unsure where he had met the man before. They walked to the dance floor as a waltz began to play and Byakuya tried as they went through the steps, to look more closely at the man. But as much as he tried, his vision remained slightly blurry and his ears rang strangely.

"Are you all right?" the man dancing with him asked, "We should go outside for some fresh air. You look a bit ill."

Byakuya was sure he was blushing, as it must be obvious he had had too much to drink.

"It's all right," the man breathed into his ear, "I won't let them see."

He leaned against the man, vaguely registering that he had brown hair that was slicked back and held in a gold hair tie. He thought he might have scented musk as he was led outside and into a dark grove of trees. He paused, closing his eyes for a moment and trying to clear his head. He waited for the man to speak, but encountered only a heavier feeling of dizziness, then an odd, jolting feeling that made his legs give way and his body collapse onto the ground. He felt something scratching his chest, then everything seemed to fade into a deep grey silence.

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"Byakuya?"

Ichigo's voice cut suddenly through the haze that surrounded him. Byakuya opened his still blurry eyes and found a ginger colored smudge poised over him.

"Thank kami you're awake! I'm going to get some help, okay?"

"W-wait," Byakuya managed weakly, coughing as something thick and coppery leaked into his throat.

Dribbles of the fluid leaked from his nose and he began to feel sharp pain in his back and nether region.

"Byakuya, you're hurt pretty bad. I don't know what happened, but it looks like you were sexually assaulted."

Sexually assaulted?

I was…raped?

He looked down in alarm to find himself naked and his fine kimono wrinkled and torn, lying in the dirt, beneath him.

"Oh!" he gasped, trying to sit up and clawing at the ruined fabric.

"Stop, I've got it," Ichigo said, carefully extracting the kimono.

He paused, looking warily at Byakuya's torn and bruised flesh. Shaking his head, he instead removed his long, dark coat and wrapped it around Byakuya's slender body.

"You've got to let me take you to the fourth. They can…"

"No!" Byakuya gasped, "That is the last thing you should do."

"But, you're hurt! You need to see a healer, and you need to have someone…ah…there is evidence…"

Byakuya realized suddenly that he was shivering.

"C'mon, you know you need help, Byakuya."

"I know," Byakuya managed in a tremulous whisper, "But you don't know how this will be received by the other clans."

"The other clans," Ichigo repeated incredulously, "What's that supposed to mean? Who cares about them? You're hurt and there's someone running around here who did this to you! We need to take care of you and we need to get that person before anyone else gets hurt!"

Byakuya frowned, the words echoing strangely in his ears and sounding unusually hoarse and strained.

"I-ichigo, find…find Tetsuya. Bring just him. He will…protect my…"

"I get it," Ichigo agreed, giving him a worried look and summoning a hell butterfly.

He whispered a message to the insect and sent it winging back towards the council hall, then wrapped his arms around the more violently shivering noble and holding Byakuya against him, where he kneeled in the dirt.

"You're gonna be okay," he said soothingly, "Just stay still and let me take care of things.

"I don't want…anyone but Tetsuya and you to know," Byakuya stammered, choking and struggling to breathe properly as more blood leaked into his throat.

He groaned and tried to shift the coat as he discovered it had slipped off of one of his legs, revealing a badly bruised thigh with traces of blood and semen splashed along the inside. Ichigo rearranged the coat to cover him more completely. Footsteps sounded nearby and Ichigo gently laid Byakuya on his side and went out to meet whoever was arriving.

Byakuya felt a nasty jolt at hearing Rukia's worried voice, then Renji's and Tetsuya's.

"Look guys, Byakuya needs help, but he only wants Tetsuya and me to see him."

"But…"

"Rukia, please," Ichigo said anxiously, "He won't let me help him at all if I don't respect what he wants. He's hurt. Let's just…do what he asked and Tetsuya and I will get him home. You guys head off anyone who tries to come out here."

"But what the fuck happened?" Renji demanded.

"We're gonna find that out," Ichigo said evasively, "C'mon Tetsuya."

Tetsuya released his date's arm, turning back to kiss Kuri on the cheek.

"I will see you at Kuchiki Manor later," he whispered, "Sorry."

"It's not your fault, Tetus-hana," Kuri said, smiling sadly, "Take care of him."

Tetsuya and Ichigo left the others and headed back to where they found Byakuya sitting up and leaning heavily against a sakura trunk. Tetsuya's heart throbbed painfully and he felt a familiar sickness inside as the memories of his own assaults returned. He forced everything away and focused on his cousin, making his voice calm and quiet as he helped the injured man to his feet.

"Should I call Arashi?" he asked.

Byakuya glanced down and swallowed hard.

"I do not th-think I can," he panted, leaning against Tetsuya and closing his eyes as his head spun and the ringing in his ears grew louder.

He started to collapse again, then felt himself lifted into strong arms.

"I've got you," Ichigo said soothingly, "Tetsuya? How about you give us some cover, so no one sees, okay?"

"Of course," Tetsuya said, invoking his power and wrapping the three in protective waterforms, "Just remember to stay in the shadows as much as possible to avoid us being seen."

"Okay."

Byakuya looped his arms around Ichigo's neck and rested his head on the Shiba heir's muscular shoulder, drifting off slowly as he was carried home. He woke as he was being lowered onto a cot in the manor infirmary.

"It's okay. It's okay," Ichigo assured him, holding him down as the aged clan healer looked down at him through saddened eyes and carefully began to note each individual marking on his flesh. He worked his way carefully from head to toe, first documenting, then gently healing. Byakuya closed his eyes, only responding as necessary. He picked up small phrases, but mostly went in and out of awareness.

"Limiters placed on each wrist," Michio's voice said, calmly, but with an edge that was wholly unfamiliar, "Facial bruising and cuts. Bruising on the throat indicating stricture with one hand."

"…traces of dirt, skin and a bit of blood under the nails on both hands…"

"He put up a fight, even half out of it."

"…left wrist fracture…two broken ribs on the left side…"

"…anal tearing…semen deposits…significant bleeding…"

Ichigo's voice sounded suddenly near him, touched with a level of pain that made Byakuya quiver inside.

"How could someone do that to him? To anyone?"

"Do either of you know who was last to see him before this happened?"

Byakuya strained to hear the answer, but the ringing in his ears rose up again and darkness curled around him. He had vague memories of being carried a little farther and deposited in warm water, where Tetsuya's power allowed him to breathe even beneath the calm surface. He let everything fade away but the feel of the caring hands that gently supported and bathed him.

These are the hands that matter…the ones I want to remember. These people are family and friends. I am home. I am safe.

But…who would do this to me?

Why?

And how could that person leave me there like that?

He was grateful that the water he floated in allowed him to shed the tears that had gathered in the corners of his eyes. He looked up through the slight waviness of the water, through the glass ceiling of the bathing chamber and tried to count the stars he could see. He felt the healer touch him again, and he sank down into a deep sleep, not feeling a thing as he was lifted out of the water and his crying attendant carefully dried him off and dressed him in a soft sleeping yukata. When he woke again, he was fully healed and safely tucked into his bed, and he could feel that both Tetsuya and Ichigo were stationed outside his bedroom doors, in the garden.

"Byakuya-sama?" Torio's tear choked voice inquired, "Do you n-need anything? Are you in pain?"

Not any that can be healed. Don't look at me that way, like something is wrong with me…like I'm not the person you remember. Do I look so different to you than I did this morning?

"I would like tea."

"Of course, sir."

He waited until his attendant had gone, then sat up slowly, inhaling sharply at the residual aches and pains that lingered even after his healing. Tetsuya appeared suddenly and without speaking, carefully rearranged the pillows behind him.

"Arigato, Tetsuya," he said, his voice strengthening, "Will you stay?"

"Yes," Tetsuya said, sitting down in a chair beside the bed.

He felt a twinge of awareness that Ichigo was certainly within hearing range, but for some reason, found the thought reassuring, rather than distressing.

Tetsuya sat quietly, waiting patiently as his cousin gathered his thoughts.

"I suppose that, if anyone understands, you will," he said finally.

Tetsuya squeezed his hand and nodded.

"You know what will happen if this spreads around," he went on, "It is best to keep it to ourselves."

"Are you sure?" Tetsuya asked, "Byakuya-sama, I understand the need to protect your reputation, but there is a rapist and he is where he can hurt other people."

"I am sure that you and Ichigo are capable of following whatever leads Michio can provide. Investigate this quietly."

"I'm…really sorry, Byakuya," Ichigo said, coming in through the doorway with Renji and Rukia beside him, "but it isn't gonna to be that way."

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked, his heart fluttering at their distressed expressions.

"I don't know how it happened, Taicho. None of us said anything, I swear! Rukia and I didn't even know about the…about all of what happened. But someone leaked it to the press and now it's all over the news."

Byakuya's face went white.

"Oh no…" he whispered, "How could this have happened?"

"More importantly, what do we do?" asked Ichigo, "Is there any way to know who gave them the story?"

"I guess we'll have to do some digging," Rukia said, frowning.

She gave Byakuya a cautious look.

"Nii-sama, please let Renji and me help with this. We can try to find out how the story got out. You should just rest and get better."

"Rukia's right, Taicho," Renji agreed, "We'll take care of this."

"Very well," Byakuya sighed wearily, "I am not sure that it is worth the effort or that finding out who reported it will help locate the offender, but…if you wish, then I appreciate your assistance."

"Whatever we can do, Nii-sama."

"Like she said," Renji added, "We're not going to let whoever did this get away with it."

"We should probably go and get started," Rukia suggested.

The two exited the room and Ichigo glanced from the door they had just passed through, then back at Byakuya and Tetsuya. Torio arrived just in time to stave off the awkwardness of the moment.

"I made some ginger tea," the attendant said, smiling encouragingly, "I thought it would be soothing for you."

"Arigato, Torio," Byakuya said, accepting the hot tea and sipping at it, "It is good."

"Is there anything else I can bring you? Anything I can do?"

"You have done plenty for me tonight," Byakuya said quietly, "Thank you. That will be all, Torio."

"Yes sir," the solemn faced attendant answered, bowing and leaving the room.

"I uh…guess I will go and help guard," Ichigo said, turning away.

"You do not have to leave," Byakuya said, making him stop and look back over his shoulder, "Actually, I would like to speak to you."

"You wanna talk to me?" Ichigo asked, looking surprised, "I already know you don't want me to talk to anyone about…things. I'll keep quiet. And if you want me to help Renji and Rukia…"

"I wanted to thank you more personally," Byakuya interrupted him, "What you did upon finding me was profound."

"Oh," Ichigo said, looking embarrassed, "I just…did what anyone would."

"No," Byakuya corrected him, "Ichigo, you were not raised in a noble home. You only found out recently that you belong to one. You are just now learning the importance of reputation and family honor. And yet, when I explained my needs, you did exactly as I asked of you. You were accepting of my needs, even though you and I differ a bit in many areas. I am deeply grateful for that, and I hope that I can find a way to express that to you…when I am able."

"You don't have to do anything," Ichigo said, sitting down in the chair beside Tetsuya's, "All I really want is for you to be okay. I mean, I know you've been healed and physically, you're all right."

"I will be fine in the other ways as well," Byakuya assured him, "I may not have been able to prevent this from happening, but I am cognizant of my choices, such as they are, and I know how to navigate my way from here."

"I think what Ichigo is saying is that you will need your friends around you," Tetsuya suggested, "and having been through something like what you are going through…"

"Tetsuya, you were assaulted repeatedly, over the course of years," Byakuya said dismissively, "This happened once…and I will certainly never lower my guard that way again."

Tetsuya looked as though he wanted to say more, but he let out his breath and nodded briefly.

Arashi and I will be diligent in watching out for you also," he promised.

"Thank you again, watashi no itoko. Now, I do think I wish to rest. If you would like, Ichigo, you are welcome, as it is very late, to use the attendant's recess on the other side of my room for the night."

"Don't you maybe want Torio near to help you out if you need it?" Ichigo asked.

"I will be fine," Byakuya assured him, "Torio is highly sensitive to my reiatsu and will know when I wake."

"All right, then, thank you," Ichigo said, catching the look of approval Tetsuya gave him, "I'll go and crash over there for the night."

"There are some sleeping yukatas in the dressing area," Byakuya informed him, "You are welcome to borrow one."

Byakuya closed his eyes and drifted towards sleep as Tetsuya left the room to see to his guard duty and Ichigo changed and laid down in the attendant's recess.

I am fine, Byakuya assured himself, I was injured, but it was nothing that will not mend. I only need to rest and try to take one thing at a time.

It will be all right.

It will be all right.

Everything will be fine now.

And everything did seem that way as he drifted off to sleep…

…until the moment he came awake, gasping and crying out in terror.