Mistaken Identity

Bayakuya was away on a one month mission. The switch was made and Rukia took her place in the kitchen. Rukia knew it was going to be her or Hisana. One of them had to die in a few months.

Hisana was glad Rukia was there with her to help her. Hisana' manners weren't as good as Rukia' and Rukia had to help her with a lot of important information. Hisana settled in eating to her hearts content at first. She was ill very ill. By the end of the month she had gotten herself sent to the fourth for observation and tests. They found her heart defect, it was rare and hereditary there was nothing they could do. They were sure that as long as she ate well and took it easy she would live a much longer life and not become ill.

Bayakuya had returned and went to who he thought was his wife's side. Something wasn't right about her. This wasn't his wife. Then he felt guilty for thinking that. She had been ill for a while and he rationalized the illness for the change. He feared so much for her condition that he stopped thinking about the change.

A week later the real Hisana returned to the manor. Still in poor health. Rukia kept a close eye on her from the shadows. Hisana was finally ready to do it a few days later.

She came to Rukia who handed her the vial. . "Hisana you are so ill. I cant let you do it. I'll help you." Rukia told her with sincere eyes.

Rukia made some cold tea. Hisana poured the vial into one of the glasses.

"Hisana I will put a lemon on one and a lime on the other. Do not drink the one with the lime."

Hisana watched as Rukia placed a lime on the poisoned drink.

"Now go meet him in the garden and I will serve drinks."

Hisana left and Rukia switched the lemon and lime.

Rukia kept her head down and served the tea. She turned and left quickly. The sipped the cold tea in the garden. Hisana used the excuse of being too ill to offer much conversation.

That's it. It was done as Rukia watched them finish the drinks from the window.

Rukia thought she would be happy to know she saved her brother but she was so sad that she had gave the poison to her sister instead she started crying hard.

Hisana was still ill and this would only kill her more quickly. That evening she watched her sister spend another night in the bed of the man she loved.

The next day Hisana had become more ill. Rukia wasn't sure what it was from the poison or her heart or a bit of both but Hisana had to spend more time in the fourth division. It seems it would be a long time too.

Hisana didn't seem to care about her sister and Rukia was going to have to find a way to get herself adopted and explain the sword. She could just keep it all from him and hope for the best. But her heart wouldn't let her.

With Hisana gone for now Rukia took this as an opportunity to approach Bayakuya.

Her heart pounded as she approached his room and opened the door. She closed it behind her and knelt down beside him.

"What is the meaning of this." was his response.

Confessions Of A Liar

"It's me Bayakuya your wife."

"What are you talking about girl?"She removed her contacts and took her hair out of the rag.

"Now do you believe me."

"What are you doing out of the hospital and in those servants rags?" he demanded.

"I'm not the person in the hospital. I'm not Hisana the person in the hospital is. I just used her name. I'm Rukia her younger sister. I came from the future to stop something terrible from happening."

"This is not a funny joke." he said

"This is no joke. Let me explain."

She went on to explain everything that had happened. She wasn't sure where to start or where the beginning even was. But she told him everything from the moment she got a call from Urahara that afternoon to the point they were at now. He didn't say anything he just sat there and looked at her with the coldness of his usual demeanor. She had never hated his coldness so much. She wished he would yell or hit her or anything. But all he answered when she finished was "I see." Rukia' heart broke.

"There's more. You understand that this paradox must occur. So you must offer to adopt me at the time and place I told you. I will not know this future for a long time from then. You must not in anyway show that you knew me in the past."

"This is quite the situation. So you are the one I married? Rukia did you say?"

"Yes you only met Hisana for the first time the day you came back from the away mission."

"I knew something wasn't right about you..um her…um you." a bit confused and angered. "So this whole thing was a lie from the beginning!" he shouted.

"Yes Bayakuya ni-sama. I'm so sorry.""Sorry? Is that all you have to say?" he spat

"Bayakuya I did it all to save the future that was my mission. I could have chose to stay with Renji and my sister but instead I chose your life. I may have lied about who I was. But my love for you and my devotion to you was never a lie. I know yours wasn't either. I know there's nothing I can do to make it up to you. I knew you would hate me forever for this. But I had to save you. You're the most important person in the world to me. I would do anything for you. I must return to my own time. When I get there you may do to me as you please. I have already resigned myself to die for your honor. But before I go I must defend your honor and that of my sister. There's someone who will taste the ice in my broken heart."

"No I will kill him for making you go through all of this for making us go through this. Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I couldn't there were too many people involved and each wanted you dead. It took me too long to weed them all out. It would have put us both at unnecessary risk. I know you would have come to the same conclusion."

He walked over to her his anger at her betrayal subsiding.

" Bayakuya-sama I do want you to know that the time we spent together was the happiest time of my life. Despite the lies that weighed me down. The guilt will haunt me for the rest of my life. I only wished we could have had this time together without all this. I'll never love another like I have loved you. I've betrayed everyone for you, even you."

To her surprise he had put his arms around her in an embrace.

"You will be leaving soon?"

"Yes."

"I do not want you to go." he whispered

"I'm not supposed to stay. Besides there is more to the story that must be played out. Pretend she is your wife stay by her side as the doting husband and don't let her die alone."

"After all she has done to you."

"She's still my sister and she hasn't long to live."

"I remember why I married you." he kissed her on the head. "I should be seeing you in a few years then we can be together." he said

"No you must not let on that you know. You must behave coldly to me like I told you earlier. I must not realize my love for you until I reach this time again. It has to happen that way.""How do you expect me to stay away from you for so long?"

"Do what you must. It's a long time from now and you may not love me anymore by then."

"I'll always love you Hi.. um Rukia."

"There's more I cant tell you much because I cant change the time line. Watch yourself around Aizen and Ichimaru. When the time comes about fifty years from now I will be trapped in the real world. You and Renji your then lieutenant will come for me. I will be jailed and later sentenced to execution. You must not make more then the basic protest for my life. Then you are to let them execute me.""What are you insane, how can I let them kill you!"

"Make and excuse about upholding the law and do all you can to defend it. I'm here aren't I? So everything will work out. Oh and when you adopt me you will not allow me to be a seated officer for my own protection. No matter how much I protest and captain Ukitake asks you should not allow me because, well that's how it is and I must end up in the real world to meet Ichigo. If I had been seated the events would change drastically. Much in my present depends on his abilities. Please it's your duty to bare the rest of this burden. I'm so sorry I wish I could have done it all but I realize I need your participation. Can I count on you?"

"Rukia" he looked down at her sternly "I will do what needs to be done."

"Thank you." she said no longer holding back her tears.

They held each other for a bit then Rukia realized that the head of the Kuchiki clan should not get caught that close to a maid.

Rukia left the manor without telling anyone and went to the place she started. She found her Shinigami uniform and changed. It would be another week before Hisana would be let out of the hospital. Then she would die in the manor never letting on who she is to protect Dairo.

Speaking of the devil Rukia had one more stop to make.

"Dairo!" Rukia said sternly stepping into the bar.

"Yuki what are you doing here and in that getup?""Come with me." They went to a clearing in the woods.

"Arm yourself" she said

"Yuki what has gotten into you?""I am not Yuki. My name is Kuchiki Rukia. You have dishonored my sister and you have plotted against my brother and husband Kuchiki Bayakuya. Prepare to die." she stated in the most serious and stern manner.

Their swords made much noise then Dairo let out his shiki form his abilities long hidden. Rukia was better trained and dodged his attacks easily. He was able the get out of the way the first time she tried to freeze him but the second time hit him and held him in place. She broke him out of the ice and bound him with a kodou spell.

One word "Hakuren!" ended the battle.

Rukia dropped to the ground blood and sweat dripped from her forehead. It was finally over. She took out the necklace and viewed the stone.

Time To Face The Music

The stone was ready for her. She trusted Bayakuya to do what needed to be done as she asked. She looked up at the sky for a moment and took a deep breath. It was a clear night and the stars shone brightly. She whispered a goodbye and pressed the button.

"Rukia!" shouted Ichigo seeing Rukia in such a state.

For her it had been years. For him it had only been minutes since she left.

"Lets get her cleaned up and let her rest a little before we debrief her." Said Urahara.

A few hours later Rukia was in her gigai and joining them for tea.

"this is how it all went down….." she left in every detail as they sat wide eyed with a shocked expression.

"And that's all there is to tell." she said

"Rukia, I'm so sorry we had to put you through all of that but you now see why you were the only one who could do this mission?"

"Yes I see." she said forlornly.

"Damn it Urahara you nearly destroyed Rukia!" Ichigo yelled.

Rukia left the two to argue and she walked out of the store and stood outside. She was happy to be back in the living world. It was somehow comforting now. It hadn't been before but It was now. So calm so familiar. Then she realized she would have to return to Soul Society soon. She wondered if his actions throughout the years had been because he still loved her and it was hard to be near her without telling her or if it was because he hated her but fulfilled his duty. She didn't want an answer. As long as there wasn't an answer the negative couldn't be true and she could continue to float through this existence.

Urahara broke the silence. "There you are Rukia-chan. I have instructions to send you home now. Please don't hate him for making you go through all of this. It was for the best."

"Go home I want to stay." she said

"It will be ok Rukia-chan. You should return home and rest. I'm glad you will miss me but its time." he said politely.

"Yo Rukia will you be ok?" Ichigo interrupted.

"Yeah I'll be fine. I'll see you soon." Out of character for her she hugged him and he hugged her back. She left through the gate and stood in the spot she had stood a thousand times before. She didn't want to go back to the manor. She didn't want to look Renji in the face either. She hung her head and walked slowly back to the manor. She stood at the front gate for a minute and walked through when a servant apologized and bowed because he was not at the gate to open it for her.

Her heart pounded as she approached the front door. It opened automatically by the butler who announced loudly. "Lady Rukia has returned from her journey." She really hated that stupid butler. She panicked at the sound of her name and made a B-line to her room. She was tempted to act like a three year old and pull a blanket over her head. "Oh god I hope he has amnesia or isn't home or anything" she thought.

Then she heard it, his voice. "Rukia are you in your room we must speak."

Her stomach tied in a knot and she backed against the wall.

"Rukia are you in there?" he questioned opening the door.

"There you are I said I wished to speak with you." He was certainly acting like his usual unfeeling self.

"Yes n..n..ni-sama wawa what do you want to speak about.?"

"Your habit of stuttering for one. Come with me." He yanked her by the wrist and led her to the garden.

"How was your trip to the living world.?" He asked "It wasn't too strenuous?"

"I um I um I."

"Rukia" he looked her in the eye no longer teasing her. " I'm really sorry I had to put you through all of that. I know it wasn't easy. But I did my part to finish the mission. I trust the future is now secured."

"I I don't know. That's what Urahara says."

"I don't care for the man but I cant see how it would benefit him otherwise. So I trusted his information."

"I'm so sorry ni-sama" she blurted out tears streaming everywhere. "Please don't hate me. Kill me if you want or if you wish I will do it myself."

"Rukia" he put his arms around her and she quieted her sobbing. "I've spent a good portion of my life pretending to mourn the loss of the person living a few rooms away. I stayed in that shrine meditating, doing whatever it took for me not to go to your room at night. I've waited so long to have you back. How can I hate you?"

She just looked up at him a smile breaking the sadness when what he said had sunk in.

"Rukia" he said. "Promises me no more lies."

"I promise." and she gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

He looked her dead in the eye scaring her again.

" Rukia I know that we have known each other for a long time, I'll not wait any longer. I insist that you marry me immediately." he said in his normal stoic manner.

"Um don't I have a say in this?" Rukia replied with a chuckle. Dejavu

"No I'm not giving you a choice I love you." He answered and then kissed her.

The end.