The first quote/lyrics are dedicated to Yumichika and Ikkaku who are very strange but loyal companions to Kumi-chan!

Please enjoy! Thank you for everyone who has been reading so far! 3


"In Our Darkest Hour
In My Deepest Despair
Will You Still Care?
Will You Be There?
In My Trials
And My Tribulations
Through Our Doubts
And Frustrations
In My Violence
In My Turbulence
Through My Fear
And My Confessions
In My Anguish And My Pain
Through My Joy And My Sorrow
In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow
I'll Never Let You Part
For You're Always In My Heart."

-Will You Be There by Michael Jackson

Chapter Seven

Kumiko let out a cry, leaning against the bright green wall of her mother's living room. Sachiko hovered over her worriedly but refrained from touching Kumiko as she recoiled in pain. Yumichika was still frozen in the armchair, disgruntled and shifting uncomfortably as Kumiko continued to groan loudly. Ikkaku was pacing the length of the room, muttering incohesive things that involved a few creative curse words.

"Uhm, maybe just, uh, calm down," Yumichika stammered, clearly uncertain about what was happening to his female companion.

Kumiko slowly turned her head towards him and caught his attention with a dark glare, "Do not tell me to fucking calm down!"

"Just breathe in and out," Sachiko said soothingly, checking the clock hung up on the wall, "Your contractions are getting very short now."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Yumichika shrieked, his hair standing up as he levitated from his chair.

"It means that this baby is coming and nothing is going to stop it," Sachiko supplied in a disturbingly calm voice. She turned her head to her butler as he came waltzing through the doorway with a bucket of hot water, another servant trailing behind him with his arms full with towels and blankets.

"A little haste here buddy," Yumichika remarked, "You heard the lady, this baby's coming whether we like it or not."


"Kisuke, what are you doing?"

The blonde snored loudly before waking up buried in paperwork, rubbing his head and looking around. He smiled tiredly and gave a half-hearted wave to Yoruichi. She shook her head and walked over.

"Were you in here all night?" She asked, standing behind him and resting her hands on his shoulders.

Kisuke nodded, shrugging off her shoulders, "Yeah I kinda got carried away and ended up falling asleep." He stood up and started sorting through is pile of work, continuing to speak to his companion, "I figured out this new way to detach the human soul from the physical body without turning them into a Hollow or killing them. I mean it's all in theory so far but if my equations add up like I think they will then we might have hit a breakthrough here. I mean, can you imagine the possibilities? I need to find test subjects as soon as possible to see if it actually works—"

"Take a breath there Kisuke," Yoruichi interrupted him with a chuckle, "That does sound interesting and we'll have to explore that further but we have bigger matters at hand."

"We do?"

"Yup," Yoruichi nodded solemnly, "You're up on the counter."

Kisuke threw his head back and began whining like a child, "But Yoruichiiiiii!"

"I don't want to hear any of it Kisuke Urahara," she began tugging him out of his lab and towards the shop, "It's your turn for another six hours and then you can come back to your weird, nerdy world."

Kisuke slumped in the chair and stuck his tongue out as Yoruichi retreated back into the little house. He hated running the shop…

He pulled out a notebook and started jotting down more calculations and equations, checking them three times over before moving onto the next. The shop door rattled open and closed but no sound followed. No footsteps, no crying children. Kisuke lifted his eyes above his rimmed hat and hid his surprise behind a cool smirk.

"Well it's been a while, what can I do for you…Old Man."


Kumiko rested her forehead against the wall again, "Yumichika?"

"Present."

"Do me a favor and kindly shut the fuck up," She said through gritted teeth.

"Honey stop swearing so much," Sachiko scolded her daughter.

"I'm not fucking swearing though!"

Yumichika began pacing the room with Ikkaku, checking his reflection each time he passed a window or mirror. Ikkaku continued to race up and down the room, chanting his mantra of swear words over and over again.

"I swear to any god or high being that if one of you pricks lift another foot off the ground to continue your mindless marching, I will tear it off and shove it so far up your ass, you'll have athlete's foot on your tonsils," Kumiko growled then screamed out as another contraction came, "Where in hell's name is Unohana? I thought her Shunpo would have been quicker than this!"

On cue, the Squad Four Captain came rushing in with two members of her squad behind her. She spotted Kumiko easily in the spacious room and headed over to her while her assistants began setting up the towels and blankets and medical supplies.

"Sakurai-san, come here and lie down on the blankets while I prep," Unohana led her to her one assistant while the other helped the doctor wash up. Sachiko and Unohana spoke but Kumiko could barely hear them. She assumed that Sachiko was passing on information about her contractions.

The one assistant began untying her hakama and pull off her underwear. Kumiko reached out and gripped the boy by his collar, pulling him in, "Are you listening boy?" He nodded vigorously, clearly unsure how to handle this situation, "If I don't get those back I will end you. Don't think that just because I'm holding an extra eight pounds that I won't live up to my word."

"Ease up Kumiko," Yumichika knelt beside his friend and grabbed ahold of her hand, "Everything's going to be okay."

Kumiko looked up at him and, for a second, he was afraid that she would threaten him as well but instead she broke out into a small smile. "Thank you," she whispered.


Kisuke held the cup of Sake in his hands, finished it in one gulp then returned his eyes to the man sitting in front of him. He tried to figure out what he was hiding behind that impassive gaze of his but it was difficult to tell behind his bushy eyebrows and facial hair.

"So let me get this straight…you've known where I've been for a while now?" Kisuke repeated slowly.

The old man grunted in response, "Three weeks."

Kisuke nodded, appearing calm on the outside but inside he was trembling with irritation and anxiety. Thank God that the Vizards had moved out three months ago so there would be little chance that the Gotei Thirteen had found them. Still…it was unnerving that Kisuke, Tessai, and Yoruichi had left themselves so exposed without even knowing.

"So I'm going on a whim here and guessing that there's a reason why you haven't executed us already," Kisuke leaned back in his chair and giving his former commander a leveled look.

Not impressed with his lack of courtesy, the old man grumbled, "It's not too late for me to change my mind."

"So why don't you?" Kisuke challenged him.

Called on his bluff, Yamamoto sighed and dived into his explanation, "We need your brains, Urahara. As much as I hate to let someone as vile as you get off of your crime, the Seireitei needs help improving and Kurotsuchi can only do so much. As for your two other companions, I will not kill them as a sign of peace between us; call it burying the hatchet."

"So what do you need help with?" Kisuke asked, obviously surprising the man with his lack of resistance. Kisuke added, "Believe it or not, I didn't commit those crimes and I've been bored stiff without my lab so the sooner I can go back to—"

"You are not returning to the Soul Society."

"What?" Kisuke exclaimed, "How do you expect me to do anything without any of the proper equipment?"

"The Seireitei will provide the means of supplying you with whatever you need," Yamamoto explained, "But you will remain in exile."

Kisuke remained quiet, his heart shattering. He had been stupid believing that he would be able to return to the Soul Society and he hated himself for letting that sliver of hope slither and sprout within him.

"Take it or leave it," Yamamoto interrupted his thoughts, causing him to look up, "But understand that if you say no—"

"No need to threaten me, Oldie Locks," Kisuke raised his hands in submission, "I'm all yours and so is Yoruichi and Tessai."

"And what about them?"

Kisuke arched his eyebrow, knowing that he was referring to the Vizards, "Them? Is that what you call them nowadays? Well, the former shinigami never came with Yoruichi and Tessai and I, so I'm as clueless as you are, Oldie Locks."

There was an intense stare passed between the two men before Yamamoto stood up with a frustrated sigh, "You will be contacted within the week. Make sure to start writing a list of the things you will need."

"Will do," Kisuke stood up with him and walked the Head-Captain to the door, "You have a nice day now, bye!"

As soon as the shinigami was gone, Kisuke let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. He was one step closer to finding a way back to the Soul Society…one step closer to returning home.


The next half hour was all a blur, involving a lot of pushing, cringing, instructing from Unohana's side, rushing around for the correct things, and more death threats. But then there was no sound, no movement for a split second before the loud sound of a sob filled the room.

Kumiko stared at the tiny creature in Unohana's hands, vulnerable and naked to the world. Unohana cleared the child's throat and handed the infant to its mother in a loose swaddle. She heard nothing but the word "girl" and her baby's soft whimpers.

Taking ahold of her, Kumiko gingerly cradled her, too scared to disturb or hurt her most prized possession. Tears slid down both Kumiko and her child's cheeks as they studied one another with absolute fascination. Kumiko's breath caught at the sight of the child's wide, blue-grey eyes and smiled widely.

"You look like him, baby," she murmured softly so that no one else would hear her, "My little Shizuko…welcome."


"Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother."

- Lin Yutang


WELCOME TO THE WORLD SHIZUKO!

Thank you for reading! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far :D I'll be posting up two more chapters today because I finally got into that writing groove again! xox