Oh, thanx to MidnightTune36 for being the 300th reviewer on my other fic 'Game Over', and for that she'll get an One Piece yaoi doujinshi since she mentioned it in said review! LOL, silly goose!

Red Light Escape by Boogermeister

Chapter 3- Predatory

Watching children played in the playground from the bench, Ichigo frowned lightly as she nibbled on free restaurant crackers, which she stole when workers weren't looking. She spent most of her money to feed Tensa, who babbled quietly in a second-hand stroller, that she often skipped meals. Her baby turned one a couple of months ago, but all she had recieved from her family were a few hundred dollars and some new clothes for Tensa. And once again, she had also received a letter from them, coaxing her to move back in.

She couldn't do that, not with all the shameful comments from their peers about her, which caused her family stress. Her father said that he doesn't care about her wrong choices, but she knew that he was only half lying. That was why she went away to live in the Seireitei, leaving only a note saying that she was sorry for doing it but it was for the best.

But the best didn't come, as she realized it quickly. She would wander around the park for the day until she returned back to a family shelter for another sleepless night. It had been that way for some months now. Tensa babbled some more, wiggling in discomfort for sitting so long. "Oh, sorry . . . ." Ichigo muttered as she reached down to take him out of the stroller.

"Ah-muh . . . ." babbled Tensa as he was set down, working his leg muscles as he waddled around. "Tah . . . .!" he pointed out at the nearby playground.

"Yeah . . . . you're too young to play there, Tensa," she sighed sadly.

". . . . Oh my gosh! Is that you, Ichigo?" Ichigo flinched at a familar voice, glancing behind her to see an auburn-haired girl walking up to her. She blinked at the surprised grey eyes and realized who it was.

". . . . Orihime . . . .?" she gasped softly.

"Ah, I knew it . . . .!" Orihime squealed happily as she hugged her, Tensa noticed the whole thing and pouted in confusion. "It's been too long . . . .!"

"I know," smiled Ichigo as she hugged back. "I haven't seen you since . . . . well . . . . your brother's death. When we were in seventh grade . . . ."

"Yeah, the foster care was never the best thing for me . . . ." her old friend frowned sadly, sitting next to her. "They were terrible, barely acknowledging me half the time."

"Well . . . . where are you living now-"

"Ah, you have a baby, Ichigo?" realized Orihime, when Tensa waddled up to his mother to hug at her lap. "Aw, he is so cute . . . .!" she smiled warmly at him. "What's his name?"

"Oh, this is Tensa," Ichigo sighed, petting through his hair.

"And the father?"

". . . . He's not in our lives anymore, he just left me saying that this is my problem now," she muttered sadly.

"Oh . . . . I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up like that," frowned Orhime but Ichigo shook her head.

"Doesn't matter," she sighed. "I'm on my own now."

"What about your family . . . .?"

"I don't want them to pity me," she smiled sadly. "That's why I came here . . . . but it's not getting better by the day."

"Oh . . . ." Orihime frowned sadly, staring at her then at Tensa, who stared with curious chocolate eyes before shyly glancing away. But then she thought of something, but wasn't sure if her childhood friend would accept it."Um, Ichigo . . . .?"

"Huh?"

"Um, I'm not sure if you want to accept this but . . . . there's this place I work at, and my boss said that he needed a new worker," she muttered.

"Huh, you're offering me a job?" Ichigo questioned in surprise.

"But it's a bit different from regular jobs, though," she said but Ichigo's lips stretched to a happy grin.

"I don't care, I'll take it no matter what!" she smiled, even though her friend was frowning in concern for her. "I need the money anyway, so I can get out of shelters! Tell me, what kinda job is it?"

". . . . As a stripper," Orihime reluctantly replied.

Looking at the receipt of her grocery bill, Ichigo frowned lightly. She spent 20 bucks more than supposed to; it seemed a lot to her considering her budget but at least the food she brought would last two weeks more or less. "Mama, wahn . . . .!" Tensa pouted, reaching for a box of cookies from the bag left on the coffee table.

"You can eat that later, it's time for your nap . . . ." she sighed as she picked him up into her arms gingerly holding a bottle of cold milk. "Here . . . . this will make you sleepy . . . ."

"Buh . . . ." mumbled Tensa but didn't turn down the bottle as he drank, feeling drowsier by the minute as expected. All the while, Ichigo sat on the couch and gently rocked him back and forth. She waited until the bottle was competely empty and removed it from his lips, before resuming to rock him.

"Sleep . . . . sleep . . . ." she hummed softly. Tensa blinked tiredly at her before closing his eyes, his breathing soon became even as he finally fell asleep. Ichigo smiled softly before she got up and walked into the small bedroom, carefully placing him into his crib and covering him in warm blankets. Sitting onto her bed, she reached inside her bag and recounted her pay.

". . . . With next week's coming up, I should be good," she sighed deeply. Thinking back to her reunion with Orihime, she would have thought that she herself would immediately decline the job as a stripper. But her child's needs came before her own, though she had expected to meet a weird perverted old man as the owner of Lilynette's. But Starrk was a decent and understandable guy, even offering her a job as a waitress instead of an entertainer if she preferred it.

"That's why I asked . . . . though the waitress job pays significantly less," he had suggested after meeting her. "But do you wish to do that form of entertainment?"

". . . . Can I do both jobs instead?" she asked determinedly. "I really need the money."

"Okay, if you want to . . . ."

Stuffing the money back into her bag, she laid on her side and sighed deeply. Maybe she should rest herself.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

"Knock-knock . . . ." came a childish voice behind a large double door. Grimmjow glanced up from his paperworks and frowned, only to resume what he was doing. "I said, knock-knock . . . .!" the voice chided. ". . . . Knock-knock-"

"What do you want, Nel?" he grumbled. "Can't you see I'm busy . . . .?"

"Oh so now you're busy, huh?" his cousin smiled as she opened the door and stepped in, her greyish yellow eyes stared at him as she made her way. "You weren't busy thes past few day since you came back, always hanging out at your friend's club," she ponted out and walked up to his large desk, her sea-green hair swayed behind her. Like her cousin, she was wearing a business attire, a charcoal-colored skirtsuit. "Tell me, what's going on over there?" she asked as she sat in front of him, casually crossing her legs.

"Tch, nothing that you would like," scoffed Grimmjow.

"Like what . . . .?" she pouted a little.

"If you can do half my work, then I'll tell you," he compromised.

"Grimmjow, me doing half of your work is the reason why this company didn't collapse," she smirked lightly, and Grimmjow smirked back.

"Got me there, but you still wouldn't like it," he sighed. "Starrk's club . . . . is actually a strip joint."

". . . . Does it look like any other strip clubs one would see in movies?" she questioned.

"I guess," he shrugged.

"And they got those kinds of strippers with family issues and are runaways," she added jokingly. "Grimmjow, you're not the type who would hang out over there."

"And what is my type, idiot?" he scoffed lightly.

"Hang out in a bar or something."

"They got a bar there," he countered. "And you right about strippers being runaways and having family issues. At least in one case I know."

"Ah, I was only kidding!" she gasped in mild surprise. "Tell me, what's this girl about?"

"Tch, she wouldn't tell me about it, thinking that I only wanted her for sex or some bullshit," he shrugged, tossing a folder towards her. "Here, do that one, you're better with numbers than me."

"Whatever," she muttered. "But, well . . . ."

"Well what?"

"You wished to have sex with her or not?" she frowned in misunderstanding.

"Fuck no, I'd like to know a girl first before fucking them," he frowned. "Hell, I wouldn't have sex with them unless they're clean. If not, then they're not getting anywhere near my-"

"Got it, I got it, Grimmjow," frowned Nel before starting her work. "So . . . . you're going back there tonight?"

"Nah, she's off for the night," sighed Grimmjow. "But she's coming back tomorrow, though."

"Can I come? I wanna see this little crush of yours," she smiled a little.

"Ew, a woman in a strip club?" he questioned in disgust. "That seems weird."

"How's that weird?"

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

A third time this month, Ichigo had to clock out a patron for attempting to grab at her behind. He deserved, that drunk bastard, she mentally scoffed as security hauled away the poor sap, whose face was bruised beyond recognition, before returning to her waiting job. It seemed that even with her temper, the men hadn't learned their lessons about messing with her. Her behavior didn't hinder her boss' opinion about her, though, as she was doing a good job anyway.

"Damn . . . . you really did a number on him, Ichigo," sighed Renji, coming back from outside after throwing out the man. "With any luck, you'll drive the men away and this place will really go to shit."

"Unlikely," muttered Ichigo, collecting empty beer bottles onto her tray.

"Uh, hey, how're you feeling . . . .? Because the other day-" he attempted to start a conversation.

"I'm fine now, just needed to rest for the day," she sighed.

"Oh . . . . then how's your kid doing?"

"Why do you care? You know that Tensa doesn't like you," Ichigo frowned as she walked back to the bar to dump the bottles into the recycle bin.

"And why is that?" questioned Renji, and Ichigo glanced at the headband covering his tattoos on his forehead.

"Maybe it has to with your tattoos, he didn't go near you when he saw it since then," she sighed. "Anyway, Renji, I don't wanna talk anymore. I'll do my jobs and you'll do yours, okay?"

". . . . Fine, see you later . . . ." he nodded before walking away. Ichigo frowned, the red-head obviously liked her but she doesn't wish be in a relationship. It wasn't like she didn't want to . . . . but she internally feared of being hurt and abandoned, even if it involved her son. From what the other co-workers had said, he was a decent guy, but she didn't want to take it further than being friends. Moving to another empty table to collect the trash, her sight caught the annoying blunet coming into the club and before she can move away, he saw her and grinned.

"Good evening, Sweet Berry," smirked Grimmjow as he walked up to her.

"Oh great . . . ." she grimanced in annoyance. "What do you want this time, Grimmjow?"

"Come on, I'm not here to bite," he smirked, but she thought otherwise as she moved to another table. "I'm only here to support my friend's club, is that hard to believe?"

"Maybe, but since you're Starrk's friend I'll give you a benefit of a doubt," she frowned. "Now why are you really here, to talk to me?"

"Yeah . . . . and I think we got off on the wrong foot the other night," shrugged Grimmjow. "Now, why would you think that I'm tipping you so much so you can go on a date with me?"

". . . . I thought it would be more than that," Ichigo muttered, glancing at him warily.

"No, I just wanna know you more," he shook.

"Why? I assume that strippers were meant to be nobodies, since nobody would like to know about our personal lives," she frowned, the table was now clean as the businessman sat down.

"Well, I do," he smirked a little.

"Why?"

"Simply because I found you interesting," he replied honestly.

"You're saying like I'm some sort of book," she scoffed lightly.

"And I like to read through said book," he joked poorly, "or I could just skim it." Ichigo just frowned at him and shook her head.

"Sorry . . . . it's better if you don't wish to know me," she muttered as she began to walk away.

"Wait, come on, Ichigo," he frowned and stood up, but the girl ignored him as she quickened her pace. "Hey, wait a sec . . . .!" he called out as he tried to follow behind her, his left arm reaching out to her. All of the sudden, his wrist was grabbed and before Grimmjow could react, his arm was sudden twisted behind his back. "Fuck!" he yelled out in a mixture of surprise and pain.

"Didn't you follow our rules? You're not allowed to touch the workers," Renji growled, hooking an arm around the blunet's neck.

"You fucker . . . .!" Grimmjow hissed, glaring at the man behind him. "I wasn't tried to touch her, I wanted her to talk to me."

"Tch, as did that last guy a few minutes ago," he sneered as he tightened his hold on the other man's arm. Grimmjow gritted his teeth when the nerves were stabbing through the muscles, the old injuries from an accident years ago were hurting him again.

"Let go of me, asswipe, you're hurting me!" he scowled.

"Renji, what're you doing?" frowned Ichigo when she noticed the scuffle. "Just let go of him, he wasn't do anything."

"He was trying to grab you, Ichigo," scoffed Renji. "You said that I should do my job, and I'm doing it."

"If he was, I would've kick him down," she scoffed. "Leave him alone and he won't start any trouble."

"By throwing him out, he won't," he frowned as he attempted to haul him back.

"You heard the lady . . . .!" gritted Grimmjow, he used his free hand to quickly reach behind him and grasped for the red-head's headband.

"Wha-" Renji couldn't react when Grimmjow suddenly used all of his strength to flip him over his shoulders, the harsh action and the man's weight collided with a chair and immediately destroyed it. Renji groaned in pain and his eyes watered, painfully shifting his body to his elbows and knees to glare up at Grimmjow. "You fucker . . . .! You're so asking for it- aghh . . . .!" he winced when Ichigo stomped him down, pressing her foot hard onto his back.

"You imbecile, if you had let go of him then both of you wouldn't have broken the chair," frowned Ichigo.

"It was his fault, he tried to touch you!" Renji gritted.

"But not in a sexual way, retard . . . .!" Grimmjow scoffed, gritting his teeth when pain recurred in his left arm and grasped at it. "Shit, go away . . . . go away . . . ." he gritted under his breath as he rubbed it, and Ichigo noticed his pain.

"Did Renji twist your arm too hard?" she questioned.

"That damn monkey really did, Ichigo . . . .!"

"You were the one that started the whole thing!" scowled Renji.

"Tch, forget it . . . .!" Grimmjow winced, he could talk to her another time. When the monkey-brained man wasn't nearby. "I'm hiding out in Starrk's office for a while then I'll leave . . . .!" he scoffed as he turned to walk away.

"Wha- wait, what?" Renji frowned in angered confusion.

"That's why I told you to let go of him," scoffed Ichigo as she stepped off the red-head. "He's a friend of Starrk, I met him earlier this week though I didn't want to . . . ."

"Aw, fuck . . . ." he grimaced immediately.

"Get up, now I gotta clean this shit you guys created . . . .

Meanwhile, Grimmjow was slumped in a chair in Starrk's office, breathing deeply as the pain in his arm was subsiding too slowly. "Fuck . . . ." he breathed through his teeth. He hated this episode, if his left arm was postioned in a way that his body can't allow, the pain would come around and would not go away for a while. "That idiot had to grab me . . . .!" he winced, while Lobo whined softly by the sight of the man.

"Here . . . . this should work for a while," sighed Starrk, sitting next to him to place an ice pack against his arm. "Sorry about that, but I can't fire Renji for doing his job."

"I should've kicked his ass for this . . . ." Grimmjow scoffed. The cold compact was easing the pain, but it was still there. "But . . . . guess it was partially my fault for bothering Ichigo. Again, she doesn't wanna talk to me about her life."

"This is a strip club, the last thing that girl wish to talk about is their personal lives," nodded Starrk.

"Well, not like that," he muttered. "Just to know about her personality, her favorite things to do, that type of shit."

"Hm, sounds like you wanna go on a date with her or something," his friend smiled a little.

"Does it . . . .?" he sighed. "Well, the other night she assumed that I wanna pay her for dates and a lot more when I really don't. If I find a girl interesting then I'll pursue her no matter what."

"Well . . . . let's hope so," shrugged Starrk.

"Anyway, is Ichigo getting on stage tonight?" he asked.

"No, she's doing her waitress shift for the night."

"What about tomorrow?" he pestered.

"The club's closed on Sundays," Starrk muttered. Grimmjow frowned but dismissed it, as the pain soon became nonexistence and he removed the ice pack from his arm. That should give him time to concentrate on his own work.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""'

Ichigo listened to the dull hearbeats of her unborn child as the ultrasound machine checked out the progress of her pregnancy. It was one more month until her due date, but she wished that the baby could come sooner. She tuned out the discussions between her father and the doctors, her tired eyes gazed at the grainy image of the growing fetus. ". . . . Ichigo," her father muttered and she glanced at him hovering above her. "Ichigo, the doctor just asked you if you want to know the gender of the baby now," he said with a small smile. "Although I already know but do you . . . .?"

". . . . Yeah, it's easier to think of a name before the birth," she nodded.

"Well, congratulation, Miss Kurosaki, it's a healthy boy," smiled the doctor as he pointed out the image. "See . . . .? There's his obvious . . . . well, you know."

"Oh, now I noticed it," Ichigo sighed with a sad smile. "Can't believe I've missed that."

"Oh, that happens all the time," the doctor said. "Though there were some cases that we assumed the wrong gender before the birth. I've heard stories of rooms being painted blue and then the parents realized that they got a girl."

"Guess you can blame me for that," joked Ichigo's father. "Remember, Ichigo, when I told you that I thought you were a boy?"

"Yeah . . . ." sighed Ichigo. "Are we done yet?"

"Yes, we'll print these pictures as your souviniers then you can leave," the doctor nodded. A few minutes later, the appointment was finally done, and Ichigo and her father left the office. The baby seemed to be relieved of getting out as well, as he started to wiggle inside of her. She frowned lightly, they said that the last trimester was the most active of the pregnancy although it would cause her discomfort when trying to rest.

"Wow . . . . can't wait to get a new grandson next month," smiled her father as they walked down the street. "Good thing that Yuzu would stop pestering us about the gender . . . . Maybe now we buy some blue clothes for him, or we could buy any other color just in case-"

"Please, Dad . . . . we can talk about it later, please?" Ichigo muttered, frowning at herself for letting the emotion taking over her so suddenly. Her father glanced at her and frowned softly.

". . . . Sorry, thought that hearing the news mught cheer you up," he sighed.

"I know but still . . . ." Ichigo frowned sadly, rubbing over her stomach just as her unborn son kicked a little.

"Everything's gonna be okay, Ichigo," he muttered in reassurance and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing his oldest daughter on the top of her head. "Sure, the house is gonna be a little crowded when the baby arrives, but we'll make it work. Okay? The best days are ahead of us . . . ."

Ichigo blinked out of her sleep and felt the warm tears tricking out of her eyes. Within seconds, she sniffed and frowned sadly as she wiped away the tears. She was having those dreams again, when her family pretended to be happy for her pregnancy when it was her fault for the cause of it. That was what she believed, when she relented the truth to her father after her destructive argument with the child's father. The only thing did the father do was to smile and tell her that they will work it out. But she beileved that it was a lie to her, she knew that her father blamed her bad choices and caused problems for him and her little sisters.

Turning her head, she glanced at Tensa still sleeping through the gated crib. She gave up everything for him, but it wasn't enough as it still caused her family problems by worrying about her. Mostly because that she didn't have a cell phone and couldn't communicate with them, sparsely talking to each other by letters. That was why she wished to close herself from the outside world, but that man . . . . Grimmjow kept bothering her about her life. The life she gave up to live here.

Snifling, she sat up to carefully pick up her son. Tensa barely stirred in his sleep as she laid back down and curled around him tenderly. She remembered the last letter she had recieved from her family, again offering her to come back home if she was still struggling in the city. It even came with an extra letter from her little sister Yuzu, hoping that Tensa was in good care. More tears fell down as she tried to go back to sleep though the sky outside was getting lighter by the dawn.

Her new life was never better than her old one.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Done.

Read and review.

I'll update ASAP!