A/N: So…it's that time again. It's been, in all technicality, about nine months since Orihime and Uryuu started living together…and something happened.
Mire- And, with this chapter, all is revealed in those nine months!
Yeah, like that didn't give it away. That was freakin' obvious.
LVT- Another T rated chapter…I promise that the next one will be K+!
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or "Night Light" by Anne Winters. I also don't own the lyrics to "Christmas Lullaby", despite it not being Christmas in this story. The lyrics are by Jason Robert Brown.
Night Light
Only your plastic night light dusts its pink
on the backs and undersides of things; your mother,
head resting on the nightside of one arm,
floats a hand above your cradle
to feel the humid tendril of your breathing.
Outside, the night rocks, murmurs…Crouched
in this eggshell light, I feel my heart
slowing, opened to your tiny flame
as if your blue irises mirrored me
as if your smile breathed and warmed
and curled in your face which is only asleep.
There is space between me, I know,
and you. I hang above you like a planet -
you're a planet, too. One planet loves the other.
- Anne Winters
The sound of her retching was not something to look forward to every morning.
Ishida Uryuu stood outside of the bathroom, trying to drown out the sound of his girlfriend regurgitating. For over a month, she'd been doing this every morning, and it seemed to have no signs of ceasing. He had his fears about what had happened, and they all led to that one night back on Christmas Eve…
The dark-haired Quincy sighed. He would not regret that night, but he might regret the results. He hoped that his father wouldn't get wind of what she was doing, but it might happen on the next day that the three of them meet.
The door clicked open, and the reddish-blonde Princess came out, slightly pale, "Sorry, about that, Uryuu. I didn't mean to worry you."
"It's okay. Ready to go?"
"Yep!" The Princess smiled as they walked towards the door.
"Orihime, you look pale again…"
Orihime looked up into the concerned face of her longtime friend, "What do you mean, Tatsuki-chan?"
"For over a month, you've been pale every morning. Are you not feeling well?"
"No! I feel fine!" The Princess waved her hands in front of her, giving a "that's not it" sign.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah! Don't worry, Tatsuki-chan."
"Well, it could be something else." The tomboy thought about other possibilities, most causing her for wanting to punch the Quincy.
"Huh?"
Tatsuki would never answer, because another one of their classmates walked into the room.
"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime replied, quite happily. She failed to notice the glares from other students.
Ichigo merely responded with a nod.
"Orihime, you know about him, right?" Orihime shook her head, "What is it, Tatsuki-chan?"
"Ichigo…he's going to have a son in April. Not many students in our college have problems like this, but many of them are shunning him. You and me…as well as the rest of us…we're the only ones still talking to him. You remember the wedding, right?"
Orihime nodded, "He and Kuchi-er…Rukia-san were married in January." Orihime and Tatsuki were invited to Ichigo and Rukia's living world wedding. It wasn't an extravagant event, but something simple, mostly consisting of family and friends. It was also there where they announced the gender of the baby, a boy. It was a wedding/baby shower all in one.
However, Ichigo and Rukia would be moving from the Kurosaki Clinic into their own house. Both had been working jobs (although Rukia had stopped recently due to her pregnancy interfering), and were going to move before the baby came. Fortunately, Ichigo's father was kind enough to help pay a small portion of the house, and even Byakuya gave a little bit of money. After conversions were made, some of the house had been paid off, but the remaining few hundreds would have to come from Ichigo's paycheck. Not that he minded, however, but it was draining him.
Orihime walked over to where her orange-haired friend sat. "How's your wife been?" she asked, waiting for the latest updates.
"Rukia's doing okay. She's become a better cook, thanks to Yuzu's help. She's been doing some work around the clinic, preparing bandages and working almost like a nurse. Dad's glad to have to help, with Karin doing sports as of late."
The Princess smiled. Things were going well for them. "What are you going to do after you two move?"
Ichigo exhaled, "I'm going to finish this semester, but I'm going to have to quit."
"What?" Orihime's eyes became wide. Nothing had ever been mention like that until now!
"The expected due date is in early April. It wouldn't make sense for me to start next year with a wife and son at home. I'll have to protect them both. Not to mention that, because he'll have two shinigami parents, he'll have to go to Soul Society for school to become an official shinigami."
Orihime considered every possibility that he had brought up. It all made sense to her.
"'Have you chosen a name for your son yet?"
"Yeah. Rukia chose it. His name," Ichigo smirked, "is Ringo."
The Princess giggled, "What's the kanji mean?"
"That was my job. His name means, for 'rin', 'principle', and 'go', 'protects'."
"So, Ringo-kun's name means, 'he who protects his principles'?"
The orange-haired shinigami nodded.
"That's a good name. It makes me wonder what his principles will be. Hopefully, he'll become very much like you, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime thought, smiling.
"What about you? What would you name your child?" Ichigo posed the question casually.
"Hmm…I don't know. I've been considering possibilities for a long time. I've been thinking about 'Kengyuu', but that would have to have been Uryuu's name. However, I've considered 'Sora', 'Usagi', 'Tako', 'Okonomiyaki', 'Neko'…" Most of the names were either animals or food.
After the seminars were over for the day, the young couple walked back to their apartment. However, while Orihime went to the kitchen to prepare whatever they would have for dinner (whatever that would be), the Quincy was starting to go out the door.
"Uryuu, where are you going?" the Princess asked. He never went anywhere without letting her know.
"Ah, I didn't tell you?" The Princess shook her head. "I'm visiting the Kurosakis on a weekly basis starting this week. After we learned of Kurosaki-san's condition, I asked if it would be okay if I checked on her once in a while."
"Oh, pre-med stuff? You did say that you wanted to be a doctor…so, by visiting Rukia-san, you can help determine when Ringo-kun will be born and that he'll be healthy?"
"Ringo…kun?" Uryuu raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, that's what Kurosaki-kun and Rukia-san's son will be named! It means 'he who protects his principles', and I think it's a good choice! I would name our child something deep and meaningful like that!"
The dark-haired teen stiffened at the mention of a child. He calmly left the room, and headed towards the door.
"Have a nice trip!" Orihime said as he left.
"…I don't see any problems, so you should be fine for now. However, ask your father-in-law or go to the hospital for better information, since I'm not a doctor yet."
The black-haired shinigami was sitting on one of the medical beds at the Kurosaki Clinic. The Quincy was sitting on a chair near-by, while the orange-haired deputy leaned casually in the doorway.
"So, she's fine?" the orange-haired shinigami asked.
"Obviously, Kurosaki. I did say that she was fine."
"Okay, so I wasn't paying attention! You don't need to give me that attitude!"
"Enough, you two!" Rukia shouted at them. The two stopped and looked over at the woman, who had come down from the bed. She began to walk out the door, muttering something about her health. "Thank you, Ishida. See you next week?"
"Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me…"
"Ishida, how's Orihime-san been?" the petite shinigami asked.
"She's fine. She's still undecided with her life after college, but we're still freshmen. I think that she might have an idea, but she hasn't said anything to me."
"That's good. She should come by and visit before Ringo's born. Could you pass that on?"
"Of course, Kurosaki-san. Have a good evening."
When the dark-haired teen left the building, the two shinigami watched.
"His reiatsu was fluctuating, did you sense it?"
"Yeah, Rukia. What do you think it was? He isn't losing his powers, is he?"
"No, but I feel that it makes him uneasy to see me.
"He might have broken that promise."
February arrived quickly. Deciding that they had some time off, the sewing couple decided to visit the Kurosakis. The dark-haired shinigami was glad to see the reddish-blonde Princess again, since they hadn't seen each other since Christmas Eve.
"You seem to be coming along well, Rukia-san."
"Thanks, Orihime-san. How have you been?"
"Oh, fine. School's been beating us up, but I've been fighting back with some killer kick boxing moves!" Orihime replied exuberantly.
Rukia gave a slight laugh, "That's good."
"So, if the due date's in early April, what do you think it might be?"
"The doctor said it would be within the first two weeks, so I can't really say. Hopefully it will be early, because I don't think that I could stand too much more of this."
"Excuse me," a soft, yet cheerful voice came from the door: Yuzu, "but dinner's about ready. If you would like to stay, I made enough."
"Do you want to stay?" Uryuu asked the Princess next to him. She nodded, and the group prepared to leave the room.
As they walked along, Orihime eventually trailed behind a little. Everyone stopped when they heard a thud against the floor.
"Dad! Get over here, quick!" Ichigo shouted.
"…there's no doubt about it."
"I can't believe you, Ishida. I thought that out of all of us, you'd be the most careful."
The Princess opened her eyes slowly. She was in one of the rooms, lying on the medical bed. The orange-haired shinigami was holding her boyfriend up by his shirt, while his wife was trying to calm him down. The former shinigami was standing next to her, waiting.
"So, you're awake."
"Wha…what happened, Kurosaki-san?" she asked as she attempted to sit up. However, she felt a sharp pain in her head, and proceeded to lie back down.
"You fainted in the hallway. Ichigo called me over, and we moved you into here. I did a quick check, and, well…" the man drifted off.
"Huh?"
"Have you had any intercourse within the last few months?"
Orihime blushed, but nodded her head. "Congratulations," was all the doctor said.
"What do you mean?"
Isshin turned to the teen, a slightly concerned look on his face:
"You're pregnant."
"What?" The Princess thought through what she knew came with pregnancy, which wasn't a lot. Somehow, she came up with the concept of a seahorse swimming in a bay, and making a plaster that tasted like manju.
"I told him," her boyfriend started, "the vague details about that night, and how you've been since then."
"You mean…?"
"You've been experiencing morning sickness. It's perfectly normal, and you'll be over it in a couple of months," the shinigami doctor said.
The Princess placed a hand over the area. Now that she thought about it, she had been gaining a little weight…
"But it's all right now! Now that you're here at the Kurosaki Clinic, we'll be glad to answer any questions you have!" Isshin said cheerfully. "After all, Masaki had given birth twice, and one of those times was to the beautiful Karin and Yuzu! I know a lot about this subject! I can even tell you how it happened! You see, when you and your boyfrie--"
The man was cut off when a soccer ball suddenly hit him in the head. Everyone looked at the door where the dark-haired sister was. "Shut it, Dad. I don't need to hear about it. Hey, Yuzu, what's for dinner?"
As their freshman year of college came to an end, Orihime gave the secret away to her closest friend:
"What the hell do you mean you're pregnant!?"
The Princess flinched as the tomboy tried to catch her breath. Tatsuki exhaled, and took in a deep breath, "How long have you known?"
"Since late last month."
"And you didn't tell me then? Orihime, we've been friends forever, and you don't tell me as soon as you find out?"
"I know, Tatsuki-chan. I really should have told you sooner, but I've been really busy. I've been visiting Kurosaki-kun and Rukia-san weekly, as has Uryuu, and he hasn't been home lately. He's there in the morning, but after classes, he goes somewhere…"
The black-haired girl looked at her best friend with concern. "So, how much school are you going to have?"
"I'll be taking up until September next year. I'll be taking some courses during the summer, but that'll be all." The Princess looked down at the watch on her wrist, and gasped at the time. "Sorry, Tatsuki-chan, but I'm going to be late for my exam! See you later!"
Tatsuki watched her friend walk away at a quick pace. "But, seriously, Orihime, what the hell is that boyfriend of yours doing?"
"It was a puerile mistake. You should have been able to prevent something as serious as this."
It was all that he could do to prevent himself from punching his father.
The young Quincy was standing in his father's office at the hospital. As usual, their conversations were not of friendly banter.
"Yes, I made a mistake. Yes, it was my fault, and I should have been more careful. I don't regret my decision, however," Uryuu said through gritted teeth.
"Who do you think is going to pay for this? Inoue Orihime was, until a few months ago, receiving money from family. However, she has since lost touch with them, from what you told me. Since she'll be focusing on her school work until September, you'll have to take care of this," the older Quincy said, reviewing what his defiant son had said to him.
Both sets of blue eyes narrowed to each other. "What do you want me to do, Ryuuken?"
On April 8, Orihime received a call from her phone at home.
"Inoue? It's Kurosaki."
"Kurosaki-kun? What is it?"
"How quickly do you think you can make it to the hospital?"
"Huh?"
"If you want to know who's here already, Chad's here, along with Keigo and Mizuiro…"
"Kurosaki-kun, what happened?"
"Rukia had the baby."
Orihime hung the phone up quickly, left a note for Uryuu, and ran out the door.
The Princess arrived in the maternity ward quickly. She saw some of her friends standing in front of a wall where there was a glass window. She took some time to get reacquainted with the group, and it wasn't long before the orange-haired shinigami joined them.
"Which one is he, Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime said, peering through the glass.
"Let's see…there's Ringo." Lying in the second row, almost directly in front of her, was a small baby, sleeping. Tufts of black hair crept out from the tiny blue hat atop his head. Written on the card on his bed was his name, as well as date of birth and measurements.
"He's so cute! I hope that my child will be that cute…" she said, placing a hand over her slight growth.
"Oh, that reminds me…Ishida made an appointment for you to get an ultrasound. However, he can't make it, and asked me to go with you. Is that fine?"
"If that's what he wanted, it's fine. Do you know where he is?"
"He was here after the labor, but then I haven't seen him since. Sorry I can't be of much help."
"It's fine. When's the appointment?"
"Um…you still have a half hour. You should che--"
"Could I see Rukia-san?"
Ichigo sighed, "Probably not the best right now. She's sleeping right now, so she's not taking visitors except family. Sorry. She knows that you want to see her, but she'll probably be awake after the ultrasound."
"Okay…" the Princess said dejectedly.
The doctor that would perform the test was a nice woman named Sawatari. She had long, black hair tied back at the name of her neck and coffee eyes that seemed gentle in their appearance. When she entered the room, dressed causally in nice black pants and a white polo shirt with lab jacket overtop, there seemed to be an aura of relaxation. The Princess and her friend were a little less nervous about the upcoming procedure.
"Uh…Sawatari-sensei…" Orihime started slowly.
"Yes, Inoue-san?"
"I don't want you to think that Kurosaki-kun is that father."
"Oh, don't worry about it. I already heard that his wife just had their son an hour or so ago;" she turned to the orange-haired father, "congratulations by the way. Cute name, too: Ringo;" she returned to the reddish-blonde girl, "so he's here because the father couldn't. Who is the father anyways? I would like to write his name down just in case he arrives or comes to any others appointments."
"Um…it's…Ishida…Ishida Uryuu."
"The boss's son? Wow, Inoue-san…that would explain th--Oh! I'm not supposed to talk about that. Now, if you would come with me to the room."
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but Orihime would have died to learn what was happening with her boyfriend.
The ultrasound went smoothly. After finding the fetus, Sawatari looked carefully at it, determining the sex. "Would you like to know the gender? If not, I won't say."
"Sure! I mean…" the Princess looked over at her friend. He raised his hands, signally that the decision was up to her. "Yes. I want to know."
"You ready?" Sawatari asked. Orihime nodded.
"It's a girl." The doctor turned the monitor towards the two, and used a pointer, "At this angle, it's possible to tell. If you were having a boy, you would see the genitalia right here." She circled the area. "Fortunately, the angle is perfect, and it's a girl. Congratulations, Inoue-san."
"Thanks, Sawatari-sensei."
"Excuse me, Sawatari-sensei, I was wonder if y--" paused a familiar voice. The three looked at the door, and were surprised to see the younger Quincy wearing a lab jacket like Sawatari's.
"Yes, Ishida-san?" the woman smiled.
"…Err…"
"Uryuu!" the Princess said, looking over at her boyfriend.
"Ishida?" Ichigo said, looking at his friend. "You didn't mention that you were working here."
"What? You're working here now, Uryuu?"
"It's a thing I made with Ryuuken. If I work under him for a few months, I'll be able to help pay for the hospital costs later. It's to benefit both of us, Orihime."
"Thank you, Uryuu," Orihime smiled.
"Ishida-san, would you like to hear what the sex is?" Sawatari asked. "Inoue-san already knows."
"It never hurt."
"It's a girl. Congratulations," Sawatari smiled.
The dark-haired teen walked over to his girlfriend, and gently placed a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you," he started, "for being able to take care of this."
"Well, the next thing you two have to do is decide on a name."
The three were now standing inside the hospital room where Rukia had just woken up. They told the raven-haired woman the news, to which she congratulated them.
"I know, but…" the Princess pouted slightly, "it's such a hard decision!"
"Go with a theme," Rukia started. "Ringo…well, his name is obvious where it came from. You should use things that are important to you."
'Well…there's many possibilities that I could use for her name. Maybe I should try to be creative…hmm…Uryuu uses arrows…"ya"…hmm…something-ya…
'When I think back, Uryuu made a difference in my life…"sa"…"saya"…Saya!' She placed her hands on her slightly enlarged belly, 'Your name will be Saya, little one.'
"Did you decide on a name?"
The reddish-blonde Princess looked over to her boyfriend, a smile on her face. "Saya, 'Difference Arrow'."
The teen considered it for a second. It was almost perfect in his mind… "I like it, but may I add something?"
A confused expression crossed Orihime's face, "What do you mean?"
"For whatever reason, part of the name from the previous generation goes to the next. Ryuuken received 'ken' from Sensei, and I received 'ryuu' from Ryuuken."
"You want to give 'u' to Saya?"
"No, I was thinking of changing the pronunciation to 'ame'."
"Amesaya…" the Princess let the word linger in her mind for a few seconds, "it sounds pretty, but is hard to say. I'm going to call her Saya, but that could be her real name. Ooh! It'd be like a nickname!"
The other couple in the room watched the other pair carefully. "That'd be a nice name. 'Amesaya'," Rukia thought aloud.
"Maybe if we decide to grow the family, we could borrow it from them," Ichigo said.
"Hell no! After what I just went through, I don't want you around me again!" Rukia said, giving a glare to her husband.
Uryuu came home late every night, around ten. They would be together in the mornings, go to classes, but after the seminars and labs were over, the two went their separate ways. Weekends were harder on them. The Quincy left early in the morning, and wouldn't return until nine. Orihime had started to feel lonely. The only thing that comforted her were the gently movements of the fetus inside. One day, on a Saturday, she decided to talk a walk. She just started walking, dressing light enough for the late spring weather, but enough to cover her signs of pregnancy.
Eventually, Orihime arrived at the far side of town. She had been here before, but it was a long time. The last time she was at this place was when her older brother took her away, years ago. However, she avoided all attempts to even find where she used to live before Sora took her away. Instead, she arrived in front of a very large church.
Orihime wasn't an extremely religious person, but she did follow some customs, such as that of her brother's shrine. However, this place…it seemed to call her.
The Princess slowly walked into the Basilica outside of Karakura. She didn't know what made her decide to go here, but it was a choice that she didn't seem to be frightened about. She pulled back on the handle and took in the sight on the other side.
It was rather large and oblong (being a basilica, it would be), with hundreds of pews on either side of the walkway. The benches were shining, almost as if no one ever sat in them, but cleaned them instead. As she looked in the distance, she could tell that the floor was made of a marble, as were the columns on either side of the altar in the distance. The said altar was decorated in metals and, maybe, plastic flowers.
Orihime began to walk up the aisle, and took a seat in one of the pews near the middle. She gasped as she felt a movement, 'I'm in my fifth month; it's completely natural. She clasped her hands together and began to pray, 'Oh…wait, who am I praying to again? A Kami? No, that's Shintoism. Buddha? No, Buddhism…um…is Allah for Judaism or Christianity? And who prays to the Kami who invented wasabi?'
A clear soprano voice cut through her thoughts:
"I'll never have the power to control the land,
Or conquer half the world, or claim the sun;
I'll never be the kind who simply waves her hand
And has a million people do the things I wish I'd done.
But in the eyes of Heaven, my place is assured.
I carry with me Heaven's grand design…"
The reddish-blonde Princess turned around and saw a young, waif-like woman. She had short black hair, almost in a bob, and vibrant red eyes. While red eyes were unnatural, Orihime had seen many peculiar eye colors in her life, and was unaffected by the abnormal shade. Her skin was ashen, and she had very dark circles around her eyes. Her outfit was in a gothic-punk style: torn shirt with a black mesh shirt underneath and a short skirt with fishnet stockings and knee-high boots. She had multiple piercings in her ears, and a couple on her bottom lip. Like the other young woman in the Basilica, she had an enlarged belly. The woman continued to sing:
"…'Gloria! Gloria!' I will sing the name of the Lord,
And He will make me shine…
And I will be like Mother Mary with a blessing in my soul,
And I will give the world my eyes so they can see.
And I will be like Mother Mary with a blessing in my soul,
And the future of the world inside of me.
In the eyes of Heaven, my place is assured.
I carry with me Heaven's grand design.
'Gloria! Gloria!' I will sing the name of the Lord,
And He will make me shine…"
"Um…excuse me, but what are you singing?"
The woman paused, and looked over to the Princess sitting in a pew. A faint blush crossed the red-eyed one's face. "Sorry. Didn't know if anyone was here."
"It's all right. Would you like to talk?" Orihime moved over on the bench slightly. The woman smiled and walked over. She took the seat and sat lazily. The other woman looked over at the Princess, "Please tell me you know who the father is."
Orihime blushed at the question, "Um…yes…my boyfriend."
"That's good, unlike me. I'd never be able to figure out who the father is in a thousand years.
The Princess gave a quizzical look, "What do you mean?"
The woman sighed, "It's complicated. Oh, and I'm Sakura. Kurokawa Sakura." The black-haired woman held out her hand.
Orihime grasped it in her own, "I'm Inoue Orihime. Kurokawa-san, you have a beautiful singing voice."
"Thanks. It's a song that my mother used to sing. After she died, about four years ago, I started singing it. My dad hated the song so much that he verbally abused me, saying that if I wanted to get pregnant before I turned twenty I should do it out on the streets. And I did. Aren't I stupid? I just chose a couple of random guys to screw, and they got their enjoyment out of it," the red-eyed woman started to tear up.
"Pardon me for asking, but…how old are you, Kurokawa-san?" Orihime asked, now a little concerned with the woman's age.
Sakura looked over to the reddish-blonde, "I'm fifteen."
"EH?!"
During most weekends, Orihime went to the Basilica to meet up with Sakura. She would have visited Ichigo and Rukia, but they had since moved to another part of Karakura. It was out of her way to visit them. However, they called often enough to make sure that things were going well for her.
Sakura and Orihime's conversations were rather random. They usually talked about what they've experienced throughout their times together. Sometimes, Orihime would go off on her imagination, but the conversation would return.
"I just can't believe that I'm at then end of my second trimester," the younger teen said.
"Yeah…I'm almost there myself."
"Did you get a prospective due date?"
"Yes. Early October," the Princess replied.
"Heh, that's funny. I'm late September. Wouldn't it be funny if they were born really close to each other, or even on the same day?"
The two females smiled at each other. Finally, Orihime stood up. "I hate to leave, Kurokawa-chan, but I need to get back to my apartment. My boyfriend should be back soon."
"Okay, Inoue-san. See you next week?"
"Sure thing!"
When Orihime returned, she was surprise to see Uryuu there. He was holding a suitcase in his hand.
"Huh? Uryuu, what's going on?"
The blue-eyed Quincy angled his head to prevent his eyes from being seen by her. "Ryuuken…he wants me to be at the hospital more often. I've lived up to his expectations, and I'll be starting my internship early."
"But…you weren't supposed to do that for a few years!"
"I know, but with the situation, I'll need to move ahead with the plan. I'm going to be staying there, since I won't know when I'll be on call, and I don't have a cell phone or pager."
"How long?" the Princess asked, shaking slightly.
"I don't know, months? I've already made plans for any extra money I earn to go to you, so don't worry about that."
"But…what will I do without you? Uryuu…" the tears started following, "I can't go through this without you!"
"Orihime, you're a strong woman. If you were able to survive Hueco Mundo and Las Noches, you'll easily survive this." He walked over to her, place the suitcase on the ground, and placed his lips against hers. It wasn't a long kiss, but, for them, it lasted a long time.
"I'm sorry."
Those were the last words Ishida Uryuu said to Inoue Orihime for a time.
The summer months seemed to go by slowly. Orihime would spend most of summer sitting at the table in the kitchen, working on things for Saya.
"…she'd need a bed, some toys…"
A ring at the door on a late July day broke her away from her thoughts. She got up slowly and went to it. She opened it and saw her best friend standing there.
"Yo," the tomboyish teen said.
"Tatsuki-chan…" the Princess said. She started to cry, and wrapped her arms around the girl.
"Orihime, what's wrong?" Tatsuki asked, taken aback. She lead her friend back into the apartment. "Where's Ishida?"
"He's away."
"What?! While you're in this condition? How could he?"
"It's for funding. Since we don't have a lot of money, he's working at the hospital. He started his internship early, so he's staying there." It hurt her to say the things he said to her almost a month ago.
"Some boyfriend he is. You need someone to take better care of you." Tatsuki stood up, and went into the stove. She grabbed a few pots, and went to the fridge to grab ingredients.
"Tatsuki-chan, what--"
"Hold on, you'll love it!"
A few quick minutes later, and Orihime had some "normal food" to eat. She carefully grabbed a piece of meat with her chopsticks, and took a bite.
"…Wow, Tatsuki-chan! This is amazing!"
"Yeah? It's something that I learned before I moved into the dorm. If you eat your usual stuff, that baby's not going to be the healthiest."
"What do you mean?" Orihime pouted, "Taiyaki-style ramen with wasabi and honey tastes amazing!"
The last month of summer drifted in slowly. The Quincy called his Princess only once during his absence, and that was only for a few quick minutes. Tatsuki was coming over twice a week to check on her, and make food that those with "normal tastes" would eat. And, still, Orihime and Sakura found time to meet.
Orihime continued to see Sawatari at the hospital. She never saw her boyfriend while there, but, once, she saw Ichigo and Rukia. Ringo was bigger than she had last seen him, which was at the hospital. He was happily playing with some kind of stuffed animal. The parents were happy as well, glad to know that their friend was still fine.
Once, Orihime brought Sakura to the hospital with her. Sawatari was glad to know that the Princess had found someone close enough to her state to bond with and make a friendship with. She suggested that they took lessons for parenting, to which they both agreed.
Because of Sakura's situation, Sawatari was nice enough to have the teen be paid for free while she saw her. However, the cost for the labor would have to come from somewhere else. Orihime suggested that the money that she received from Uryuu could also cover for Sakura's, but Sawatari decided that she would pay for it.
Orihime had returned from the classes for the evening. As she contemplated what to make for dinner, she was surprised to see another pair of shoes inside. She quickly identified them, and moved a little quicker to the main room.
"I'm home."
The Princess smiled, walked to her boyfriend, and wrapped her arms around him.
"Welcome back."
Orihime's twentieth birthday went off without a hitch. She received calls from her friends, and even a few cards. The present from Uryuu, however, wasn't for her.
"Since we're in need of things for Amesaya, I took the liberty of buying and redecorating the furniture, not to mention that I made blankets, afghans, and plush toys."
Orihime smiled, then the fetus moved again. "I think Saya-chan likes it."
The Quincy wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, hands resting on her belly. "You might be right.
When Orihime went to an appointment on September 24, she was surprised to find out that Sakura had already been admitted for birthing. She went to her check-up like normal, but asked Sawatari if she could see her afterwards.
"I don't know, Inoue-san. Kurokawa-chan was already weak when she came here, so I don't know if the doctors will let you in."
"What?"
Sawatari's eyes looked into Orihime's, "Kurokawa Sakura might not survive."
Sakura lived along enough to see her baby, a girl. She named the light brunette baby "Chiaki", the kanji meaning "very fine in autumn". However, thirty minutes later, the girl's life was lost.
At Sakura's funeral, a man held the small Chiaki. He appeared to be in his forties. Like the baby, his hair was a light brown, yet was darkening as he got older. Red eyes, like his daughter and granddaughter, looked dismally at the coffin being lowered into the ground. He wore a gold pendant with a vibrant red stone around his neck.
"Excuse me, sir," Orihime approached the man as the guest started to leave, "but allow me to express my condolences."
"Oh, were you a friend of Sakura's?" the man asked. He looked the Princess over, and took notice of her condition. "She was a rebellious daughter, and she got what she deserved."
"What?!" the Princess asked.
"You should know what she did. She slept with different men; what a whore. Chiaki will not end up like her mother."
"Kurokawa-san, you shouldn't talk like that! Sakura-chan…she'd never forgive you! She'd never…!"
A pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders, "Orihime, calm down. This isn't causing any good for Amesaya."
"But…Sakura-chan…she's--"
"Calm down…he's just a father, thinking that he knows what's best."
Uryuu was fortunate that Orihime couldn't see his face. It was a look similar to what he gave his father.
A couple weeks after Sakura's death, Orihime was resting at home. The date read October 9. It was a regular morning, but things changed in the afternoon.
"Ah…Uryuu!" she called out. It wasn't that he was far away, just a couple of feet.
"What is it?"
"Um…I think my water broke, and I'll be going into labor."
"What?!"
Within minutes, thanks to the joy of taxis, the two arrived at the hospital. Orihime was admitted, and was put into her room. She was attached to different machines, each checking different parts of her body.
A few hours later, just as evening arrived, Ishida Amesaya entered the world. She had dark hair, like her father, and blue eyes that matched his for the short period of time that they were open.
The newborn was taken to the nursery after essential needs were done. The young couple stayed in the hospital overnight.
The next morning, Orihime was given breakfast, and Saya was brought in for hers. For what time they spent together, it always seemed so precious.
"Hey, Inoue!" came an all too familiar voice during the afternoon.
"Oi, Kurosaki. Don't come in. She's feeding Amesaya."
"So, I can then?"
"You could, Kurosaki-san, but it'd be rude."
"It's fine, Uryuu. She's fed now."
The curtain was pulled back, and mother and daughter were both relaxing in the bed, Saya in her mother's arms.
"Orihime-san, you already make a great mother," the petite, raven-haired woman commented.
"Thanks, Rukia-san, but you're better. After all, you've been at it for a few more months, you're a pro!"
"I wouldn't say that much."
"Where's Ringo-kun?" Orihime asked.
"He's in the nursery right now. We actually need to get back in a few minutes, so we just came to see how you and the baby were doing, Inoue," the orange-haired shinigami replied.
"Yeah, sorry. In fact, we need to leave now. Take care, Orihime-san, Ishida."
"See ya!"
"Thank you for visiting."
A few days passed before Orihime and Saya could come home. The Quincy had gone home at night to make sure that everything would be ready when they returned. When they did, the baby had a chance to sleep in her own crib. As Orihime rocked Amesaya to sleep, she eventually fell asleep herself.
She awoke when she felt a pair of lips touch her forehead. As she slowly opened them, she saw her boyfriend leaning over to kiss his daughter as well.
"Uryuu? What's wrong?"
"I have to go."
"To the bathroom?"
He left out a faint laugh, "No. Ryuuken wants me back at the hospital. I have to leave again."
"What?" Orihime raised her voice slightly. Saya, hearing her mother's voice, started to make noises of distress. The Princess returned to rocking the crib, settling the baby. "How could he do this to us?"
"I know. It'll be hard on both of you, as well as me. I've made arrangements with Kurosaki's father to call and check up on you, and you'll still have appointments with Sawatari-sensei. Arisawa-san will come over; I've given her a spare key."
"How long will you be gone?"
"I can't be certain. I'll come back; I did before. I'll always return to you, Orihime."
No number of tears could be determined as the dark-haired father left the apartment. He shared a final kiss with his girlfriend, and turned towards the door.
"I'll be back."
"Take care."
It was the last time they would see each other for the month.
A/N: To be concluded in Part 6: Love Letter. Due on 12/24/08!
Mire: For anyone who doesn't get the Ringo joke, it's like how Ichigo can also mean "strawberry" when written differently. Ringo can mean "apple" when written in different characters.
LVT: The Kengyuu thing is Tanabata stuff. For more info, search for "Tanabata" using your favorite web browser.
Mire: Both "u" and "ame" mean the same thing: "rain". If we all flashback to early in Bleach, Ichigo mispronounced the kanji in Uryuu's name as "Ametatsu". This is the one thing LVT hates about learning Japanese; the multiple pronunciations.
Chiaki's name came from a stupid online "what's your name in Japanese" thing. LVT's name came out as "Kurokawa Chiaki", and she liked it. Chiaki, when she eventually gets more character, will be NOTHING like LVT.
LVT: Yes, Saya-chan get's her father's family name. My parents are unmarried, yet I live with my mom, so I have my mom's name (not to mention that everyone in my house has the same last name). Since they live together, I assume that Saya would receive her father's name, but, hey! whatever happens, happens.
LVT (and Mire) Out!!