Ba-ba-ba-ba-baby!

"You see...we both signed an agreement that we were to be married." Byakuya told Ichigo, who frowned.

"That can't be right! You have to marry another noble or someone of royal blood!" Ichigo told Byakuya, who smirked at him.

"...ah, yes...Well, you see. Renji IS of royal blood." Byakuya told Ichigo. Ichigo and Renji gasped in surprise. "Renji is the lost heir to the Tashimi royal family. We had discovered this while he was in training. He had gotten damaged during training and had to be healed...and the guess what we saw...He bares the royal family seal on his back. We would have returned him, however...there was some trouble brewing between Renji's family and our establishment. It was thought that he was discovered or someone told he was here...there would be an outbreak of war. It matter not if we had returned him...it only mattered that we had him. It would break our treaty that we had signed with them...It seems that they were already looking for a loop hole...So we decided to keep him here and treat him as one of us..."

"...I...I have family...I'm of royal blood...Ichi...?"

"..." Ichigo looked at a deadly pale Renji.

"I'm gonna faint now." Renji told him, then fainted. Ichigo caught him and picked him up bridal style. He glared at a smirking Byakuya.

"Do you see why the counsel will agree to let me marry him and bind him to me?" Byakuya asked.

"It doesn't matter about royal blood!" Ichigo growled at him.

"...Oh, but it does...It will compeletly bind together our establishment and his family. The treaty will truly complete...Do you not think that they will consider this...?"

"No..." Ichigo shook his head as he looked at Renji a little doutfully. "They...they won't agree..."

"We shall see..."
_____________________CHAPTER TEN___________________________

"..." Renji sat with his head bowed down on the room. His legs were pulled to his chest and his hair was lose, so that it created shadows which covered his face. It had been two days since Renji fainted...two days since Ichigo left...

_____RENJI'S POV__________

Ichigo...do you know how much it hurts that you're gone...you left and you haven't came back...are you leaving me...like Byakuya did...Please don't...

_______End of Ren's POV_____

"Renji...you should come inside." Rukia suggested softly as she stood beside him. "It's not good for you or the babies to have so little rest..."

"..."

"It's bad for the babies..." She continued.

"It...doesn't...matter." Renji whispered somberly, causing Rukia to gasp in horror and surprise. "Nothing matters-SLAP!"

"...I-I..." Rukia glared at Renji, who was holding his red cheek. "DON'T EVER SAY THAT! YOU CARE!"

"..."

"Renji..." Rukia's eyes soften when Renji looked down and started to cry. She got on her knees and hugged him. "I know that everything is a little confusing, but...it'll be alright."

"How do you know?" Renji asked between sobs.

"Because...Ichigo wouldn't have it any other way." She told him with a smile when he looked at her. It quickly turned to a frown when she saw that he didn't cheer up.

"Ichi..."

"He'll be back! And you want have to marry Aniki! I promise, no matter what!"

Little did she know, that that promise would have devestating effects...

____WITH ICHIGO______

"Don't you think you should be with Ren-kun?" Orihime suggested to Ichigo, only to wince from a powerful blow from Zangetsu.

"JUST SHUT-UP AND FIGHT ME! ALL YOU COME AT ME AT THE SAME TIME! I NEED TO GET STRONGER!" Ichigo shouted, causing everyone to look at him in shock when they saw some tears running down his face. "I HAVE TO GET STRONGER!"

"Ichigo..." Orihime started.

"Let's give the baka what he wants." Uryuu said as he started shooting arrows at Ichigo.

"But-"

"Ichigo does things for a reason Orihime." Chad interrupted her. "We should be his friends and respect his wishes." Chad then ran and attacked Ichigo. Orhihime sighed, then smiled as she tilted his head.

"If this is helping you...then I'll fight you Ichigo!"

"MORE! GIVE ME MORE!" Ichigo shouted out loud.