Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
A/N: I apologize to all my readers for the long and horrible wait. Unfortunately, my computer has decided to go into early retirement and so until I get a new computer updates will be slow (even more than usual) for all of my stories. No, I haven't stopped writing or anything of the sort. In fact, I'm fill with a bunch of new ideas. Sadly, though, my computer doesn't give a shit.
School has started guys! So updates… yeah. You get the picture. Any way, here's a new story. It's a Bleach/D. Gray-Man crossover.
He was so nervous, his heart pounding in furious beats, that he couldn't stop moving. Pacing back and forth within the hospital's hallways, he felt also a bursting feeling of excitement, one that would not be quench. Several nurses gave him the evil eye for his disruption, but the orange haired man didn't care, in fact ignored them as he continued to pace. Nothing, be it their stare or his father's refusal the week before, was going to ruin today.
Ichigo's wife, Senna, was having their first baby. He could scarcely believe it. After nine months of waiting, watching her belly grow, it was time for the kid to come out. Ichigo could feel himself have a case of last minute jitters.
Was he going to be a good father? Could he really take care of a kid, especially with their family situation? God, he hoped his mom was watching, from her place in heaven. He hoped that she had a front row seat, as she watched her grandson come into the world.
Or granddaughter. He didn't know yet!
It didn't matter which one was the first born. He would love that baby all the same. Mildly, he wondered if he was going to be the same father like his own, always hugging his kids until they were sick of his love.
At the thought of Isshin Kurosaki, his mind shielded from him and took its place somewhere else, back to the closed doors of the operating room. He had wanted to be in there, by his wife's side as she labored to give birth to their baby. But for some reason, Ichigo had been told to wait outside.
It was strange. He knew from his father's hospital that this was not uncommon. Sometimes the dads were worse than the laboring mothers and had to be kept outside. But Isshin often let some fathers in, to hold their wife's hand at such a memorable occasion.
Still, this hospital was much more new, fancy, and advanced than his father's simple hospital. Perhaps, things this way were much better. Ichigo could only hope so. He'd seen a lot of mothers in his life not make it.
"You could do it, Senna!" Ichigo yelled through the door, surprising many passersby. "That's it, baby. Push! You're doing great!"
The labor was long and stressful, tedious, seeming to last for days. Finally, Ichigo heard one last wail from his wife, different and longer from the rest and feel silent.
Then, a baby began to cry.
"Yes! Yes!" Ichigo cheered and pounded on the door in excitement. "You did it, Senna! You did it!"
He waited for a muffled answer, probably weak and tired from her long ordeal.
But none came.
"Senna?" he called again, putting his ear against the wood, trying to hear a sound. "Senna?"
The door opened suddenly, nearly dropping him forward. Ichigo managed to pull back at the last instant, just in time to face the doctor. Apron, white coat, all was drenched with blood, more blood than he thought came from a person still living. The man sighed and ran a bloodied hand through the thinning hairs of his scalp, his expression not the type Ichigo wanted to see.
Ever.
"Mr. Kurosaki," the doctor said softly, voice deep with regret. "I'm afraid there has been complications during the birth. Your wife began to bleed heavily and we couldn't stop it in time. I'm afraid she's dead, Mr. Kurosaki."
---
The baby had been taken away, to be cleaned of its mother's lifeblood and to be dressed and given milk. Whatever they did, they did it out of sight and away from the grieving father, sitting next to the dead boy of his wife.
Senna had been cleaned and dressed of the blood during the birth. Her eyes had been closed and her features eased from the painful mask when she died. Now, she look merely sleeping, as if any minute she open those beautiful golden eyes, smile, and ask him about their baby, if she did a good job.
That had been her greatest fear, that she would give birth wrong, and harm the child. It was a silly fear, one that Ichigo would tease her about it, telling her how it might make the baby have two heads or something. Then she would smack him and scold him for teasing.
He held her cold hand in both of his, squeezing gently as he gave her a gentle, proud smile. "You did good, baby," he told her. "You did real good."
A knock sounded on the door. "Mr. Kurosaki?" The doctor entered inside the door, closing it quietly behind him.
Ichigo barely acknowledged him, barely knew that he was there. He had eyes only for his dead wife.
"I am sorry for your loss. We had been careless with your wife's treatment and did not see the clot until it was too late. Had we, she might have lived."
Excuses, excuses, excuses. They were all crap. He let him talk, gave no indication that he was listening.
"But I can extend my services." The doctor stood close behind him, place his hands over his shoulders. "You see, I know a man, a very powerful man with the powers of God. He can bring your wife back to life."
Ichigo looked at him, staring at the doctor with sudden rapt attention.
He continued, his voice thickening and turning alluringly, almost caring. "He can. He done so many times. If you want your wife revived, I will place the call."
"Ichigo, do you think I will be a good mother?"
Ichigo's eyes closed in pain, as his wife's sweet voice filled his mind, remembering that moment. He had given her a smile and took her into his arms, hugging her while being mindful of her swollen belly.
"Of course," he told her. "You're a beautiful person, Senna. Both outside and within. If we have a girl, I want her to be like you."
"But then, what about a boy?" she asked him insistently. "Will I be a good mother to a boy?"
"Senna," Ichigo told her seriously. "I think he will be just like his father on that one. He'll never leave you alone."
He opened his eyes and felt the tears fall. it was a hoax, the logical part of his mind told him. Something to get more money. But the thought of having that cold hand warm again, to give her that chance she had desperately wanted to be a mother, proved to be much stronger.
Looking at the doctor, Ichigo said hoarsely, "Alright. Call out your sorcerer."
The doctor jumped to the air happily. "I will call him immediately then!" he gushed, hurrying towards the phone.
Ichigo sighed, feeling weary and exhausted, and turned back to his wife.
And stared.
He had held onto her hand the whole time, and when he turned, had pulled her hand as well. Now, the movement had taken her arm full out from the covers tucked around, revealing what he couldn't have seen before.
A careful cut had been made over the chest cavity, directly where the aorta would have been located. It was so slight and so easily missed to one not raised in a medical background. If asked, the doctor could explain it off as an injection site to ease the pains of birthing.
"He's on his way, Mr. Kurosaki," the man said, his voice high with happiness and excitement.
It made him sick.
Was he not human? How could-? The baby. What, then, about the baby? Was it alright? God, he hasn't seen it yet!
Senna would have killed him for this.
"My child," he asked. "Where is my child?"
"In the maternity ward. You can see her when we're done. It'll only take a few minutes. He doesn't take long to come."
What a joke. He was lying. Whatever the scam was, this man took his wife's life. She had probably been resting from that last push when he made the incision. Or perhaps when she gave that final scream, to get his attention, screaming for help.
At that thought, Ichigo lost his mind. His views faltered and became disorientated, as his eyes grew gold shining with malice and hatred. A paleness covered his face as a different visage appeared.
"He's almost here, Mr. Kurosaki. Please be patient."
"So all this time… you think I was fussing. How stupid humans are. They don't even notice when your something else."
"Mr. Kurosaki?" The man took a big step back as the other turned around, revealing a grinning face and crazed eyes.
"Uh, uh, uh!" he scolded. "That is not my name!"
The splattering sound was like music to his ears. The fake doctor took his sweet time falling to the ground, where sputtering and shook in disbelief as he died.
The man that was not Ichigo Kurosaki turned back to the dead woman on the bed.
"I'm sorry. That must have fucking hurt," he said quietly. "Don't worry now. I promise I'll take care of us whenever stupid Ichigo cant. Both our brat and the king. I swear upon my name Hichigo. Just… rest now, Senna. I'll let them bury you, for now."
His gold eyes grew moist and he rubbed them with his sleeves. "Now let's go get the brat. Maternity ward, right?" he asked no one, stepping over the body and out the door, with no look back.
---
"Stupid child! Stop crying!" the nurse scolded the babe, who was wailing. "Damn, I wish the doctor will only let me kill you!"
The babe suddenly stopped crying, and began to laugh, its tiny hands reaching forward.
"That's no way to talk to a baby, you stupid bitch."
"Who-" The woman coughed as blood spurted out of her, from the wound in her chest similar where they cut earlier in the woman that was the child's mother.
Hichigo caught the child away from the falling body and cradled it close. It did not mind his bloodied fingers and reached out with its small hands. He opened the blanket it was wrapped up and began to wipe at the blood that had dried.
"Huh. Didn't bother to clean ya." He blinked as he looked down the naked body. "You're a girl! Damn, it would have been easier if yer were a boy. Oh well. At least, you don't have to worry for a while. Daddy and your uncle Hichigo are here to protect you. We promise, little angel."
The wings from the child's back flapped happily at his words and Hichigo carried her out of the wretched hospital.
He didn't even look at the fat monstrosity watching him.
A/N: Something a little different that came to me in the form of a brain fart. Hope y'all enjoyed.