Days have gone by since you've been gone on your mission. You were just a simple squad member, nothing to be worried about, but you were Rukia's closest friend and Byakuya having to sit back and watch her tear herself apart was heartbreaking.

He couldn't stand it any longer and requested her to come into her office. It was small and neatly done, just like how any other nobleman would have his office be. Rukia soon came into the room with heavy eyes, darkened around her lovely violet eyes.

"Rukia," Byakuya said, "what does your friend (y/n) look like?"

"S-She... has (h/c) and (h/l) ... and... here's a picture."

His heart throbbed when he saw the hopelessness inside her eyes. Ukitake said she was feeling down, but this was beyond worse than Ukitake described. Rukia pulled out the picture of you and showed it too Byakuya, tear visible in the sunlight by the window.

He studied your looks, remembering you around Rukia at times but never really bothered to ever speak to a peasant like yourself. "Thank you, Rukia. You can leave."

Rukia nodded and bowed to her brother before she left. Looking at the period you were gone from the soul society would mean you could be possibly dead, but the workers here slacked off so their information was useless.

Byakuya left a note for Renji before going off into the spirit world. He looked back at the report and saw you were last seen at the seventeen district and riding their village of hollows. "Hmm... maybe a hollow could have injured her..."

He flashed-stepped every few or so minutes before he arrived at the forest. It had the scent of a hollow, even blood stains were on the nearby trees close to the forest. He took out his zanpakuto and entered its horrors.

Every few minutes he would cut down some hollows in his way, trying to find a source of life besides hollows only. A cough came from the distances as he stopped, waiting to hear it again. It sounded more like a groan before he came closer to the sound.

You were inside a rather small cave, dry patches of blood on the side of your head as you coughed and shivered from the coldness of the cave. He quickly came into the cave and knelt by your side. "Are you (y/n)?"

You looked up and winced slightly. "Y-Yes... w-who are you...?"

Byakuya didn't bother answering as he got to work tending to your wounds. "What happened when you were on your mission?"

Your eyes were hazy, but you could talk just find after he gave you a drink of his water. "I was too report the amount of hollow energy in this forest when I got attacked. M-My partner is dead... and I couldn't save him in time... that's when I got this injury to the head... and I've been stuck here in this place for two weeks... I know kido for my injury, but I can't heal it all the way up."

Byakuya wrapped the side of your head with his robbed cape and picked you up bridal style. "Just stay quiet while I take you back to the soul society."

You nodded and rested your head against his shoulder, closing your eyes at the guilt for not being able to rescues your partner in time. Byakuya slashed hollows down with ease you watched with wide eyes, wanting to know who this man was.

An hour later Byakuya arrived back at the soul society and took you too squad four. Rukia came right away after hearing the news and tackled you. "(y/n)! You're alright!" She cried out.

You winced slightly at the impacted, but didn't pull away from her. "Hey Rukia... who was that guy who took me in?"

Rukia held your hand with a smile. "That's my big brother, Byakuya."

Suddenly, your heart dropped into your stomach. "Wait... that was your big brother? Now that I think about it... I do remember seeing his face time to time... I think the injury in my head made me forget who he even was."

"It doesn't matter." Rukia hugged you with a blessed smile. "I'm just glad your safe."

You smiled and hugged her back, through the window in your healing room you could see Byakuya's office. He was working on paperwork as you just simply smiled. "I'm glad too."