Chapter 6
It's near six in the morning when Grimmjow is woken from his slumber, Ichigo scrambling over him before running to the bathroom of the safe house. It's a moment or two before the jaguar shakes the sleep from his mind, getting up to follow his panicked beta. Upon reaching the bathroom, he has to push down the urge to throw up at the sound of Ichigo retching.
"You okay, Ichigo?" he questions while testing the new name.
"I think I caught the flu," the orangette whines. "I feel like shit."
"… Um… I pretty sure it's not the flu."
He wasn't positive at first, but the scent entwined within that of bile leaves no doubt… his little beta is pregnant. The toilet flushes and he hears Ichigo running the sink water to wash his mouth, opening the door afterward to cast frightened and questioning eyes on his alpha. It's natural for a beta to look to their mate during this time, as they won't be able to do everything on their own, but Ichigo seems to not understand what's happening… and it worries Grimmjow.
"What do you mean?" the liger voices. "What else could it be?"
"… I'm one hundred percent sure you're pregnant."
"… Pregnant?"
"Yep."
"… One hundred percent? Not fifty, or twenty, or ten?"
"One hundred."
"… You're not pulling my tail?"
"Nope. We're gonna be parents, love."
Ichigo is quiet a moment, Grimmjow's nervousness palpable within the hall, and then the small uke begins to cry. The tears aren't one of happiness and barely that of fear, but mostly from frustration. Grimmjow carefully pulls his mate into his arms and shushes him, rocking them slightly and rubbing circles on his back. New mothers normally take it badly, but they get all that out within the first day… Ichigo will be fine within a few hours. That's not to say Grimmjow is ecstatic, he's never seen himself as a father and he's extremely apprehensive about all this. Yet this is his mate and he'll do everything within his power to keep him happy.
"I don't know what to do, Grimm," Ichigo sobs. "What am I supposed to do? I didn't know this could happen!"
"I didn't expect it either, koi," he sighs. "I mean… what the fuck are the chances I'd knock you up on the first time?"
"… What do I do?"
The large watery amber orbs turned up to him melt Grimmjow's heart, his only response being to lean down and kiss his mate on the forehead. Those lithe arms around his waist squeeze in hopes of comfort, the orangette burying his face in his alpha's chest as his figure trembles with his frustrated tears.
"It'll be okay, koi," Grimmjow promises. "I'm gonna take care of you and we'll love this little brat more than any parent could, okay? Everything will be fine, we'll deal with it as it comes."
Ichigo nods without removing his face, sniffling as he grips he jaguar's shirt and soaks in the safety he finds within his presence. This is his mate, his alpha, and Grimmjow will take care of him when he needs it… everything will be fine, just as the more dominant male says. It doesn't take long for Ichigo to cry himself to sleep, all his irritation over the last few days released in that little session. Grimmjow carefully carries him back to the room, laying his mate onto the bed and tucking him in. Once Ichigo is comfortable, Grimmjow heads into the living room and pulls out his cellphone. He dials the mobile to call the one person that would kill him should anything happen to Ichigo and he not tell.
"Good afternoon, Urahara residence," a jovial voice states. "How may I service you today?"
"Is that a trick question?" Grimmjow smirks.
"Oh… Kisuke! It's Grimm-kitty!" Yorouchi screams.
The teal haired male cringes, holding the phone away from his ear before mumbling a quiet curse. The woman lives to torment him, he swears. Once the phone is passed off and Kisuke is on it, Grimmjow returns his attention to the conversation.
"I was worried when you didn't call directly after the shooting," the blonde comments. "What took you? I hope you're not injured, Grimmjow."
"I'm not," he assures. "I just wanted to tell you that… Berry was with me at the time. She's not harmed either, I swear."
"… Oh good," the blonde breathes. "I would've had to murder you before hunting down those that harmed her. Where is she?"
"Sleeping… that wasn't really the whole story," Grimmjow mutters sheepishly. "I mated with her… I know who she is… and she's pregnant."
"… Grimmjow, you've always been my favorite," Kisuke sighs. "But I'm afraid Yorouchi will have to beat the shit out of you at the first opportune time! Fortunately, we're not allowed to kill you since you're Berry's mate now!"
"You know… I imagined this going much worse," the teal haired jaguar remarks. "Are you certain there's nothing else?"
"Saki will most likely attempt to kill you and you'll have to sit down for a chat with Tatsuki, she's Berry's pack alpha. Other than that… nope, I can't think of anything."
Grimmjow sighs in relief, glad that's over with, and presses the number indicating the safe house he's staying in with the young Urahara cub. Thankfully, Kisuke's number system is impossible to break. He changes the safe house numbers randomly every week, rarely using the same ones and never keeping to a specific order… no one's able to keep up with it. Even if the phone is bugged, it's a rarity anyone can recognize the beep of each individual number on a phone. Even if they could, the random numbers make it hard to pinpoint any specific safe house should they know the location of all seventy.
"Got it," Kisuke states. "I'll send Nnoitra by to inform you of recent events. Take good care of my baby, Grimmjow… I've caught wind from an inside guy that Aizen has requested Tsuki's death and Berry's capture."
"I'll fucking kill him," the teal haired man hisses.
"I sort of figured. My worry lies in the 'what if's," he comments. "Such as, what if Aizen does get his hands on Berry? The answer is quite clear… Possessing your pregnant mate gives him leverage over you, which means he'll order you to give me up in return for a mate he's never going to give you."
"I understand," Grimmjow frowns. "Nothing will happen to Berry as long as I'm able to fight… I'll kill anyone that tries to take her from me."
"Good, I always knew you'd make a good alpha for some lucky beta… I just never knew it'd be my little beta. I'm proud to welcome you into our family! I'll talk to you later."
Grimmjow mutters a quick 'thank you' and hangs up, his body automatically carrying him to his precious mate. Ichigo is just rousing, a wide yawn greeting the jaguar as he looks blearily about the room. At the sight of his alpha, the little uke smiles and reaches for him. Grimmjow smirks and crawls onto the bed, wrapping Ichigo in his embrace before leaning back against the headboard. The moment is soft and fluffy, yet he wouldn't trade it for anything. When Ichigo purrs against him, amber eyes glancing up happily as he finally calms at the idea of being pregnant. The orangette looks up at his mate, his orbs holding nothing but love and devotion, and Grimmjow conveys his own love with a chaste kiss...
-Tatsuki's place-
If there was one thing Tsuki hated more than someone hitting on Berry, it was not knowing where she was. Tatsuki was pacing back and forth, the Tiger Demi was both agitated and worried, neither were good and in the current combination they were in, she was especially volital. Tsuki jumped when his cell vibrated and he quickly checked the text he got from his father.
"Wha?" He said stunned.
"Is it Berry?" Tatsuki asked running over to look over his shoulder at the short but simple text. It said:
Come home now. Bring Tatsu too. Papa XOXO
Tatsuki blinked; what... the... fuck?
Tsuki sighed as he stood, grabbing his bag off the floor and grabbing Tatsuki's house keys, he grabbed the ebony haired tigress and dragged her out of the house where she locked her door and they both hoped into a cab going back to the Urahara residence...
-Kisuke's Candy Shop; Urahara Residence-
Kisuke sat behind his desk, his hat's rim hidding his eyes as his fan was held open and before his mouth; effectively hiding his expression from view. Across from him sat Sousuke Aizen, one of the heads of underground crimal world. Aizen was well respected and eaqually feared, not many could get under the man's skin and those that could vanished. At one point Aizen and Kisuke and been friends, even close enough to be brothers, but after Aizen stabbed him in the back, Kisuke learned to never trust anyone blindly again. He finally flicked the fan closed and Aizen smirked at him, knowing that Kisuke was willing to listen now.
"What do you want? You haven bothered with me since that night." Kisuke said evenly, his face void of all emotion.
"Is that anyway to treat an old friend? Really, Kisuke, and after all the trouble I went through to come visit your quaint little shop." Aizen said, smiling at him. "But I do digress there is something I wish to talk to you about."
Kisuke sat back, his gaze was cool and void, something not normal for the normally cheerful man.
"One of my men went missing about a week ago and around the same time there was a fire in an area I know well that you frequent when dealing with your... Heh, side business... And just a few nights ago a file was stolen from me... You wouldn't happen to know who did it right? Seeing as you're one of the Big Three..." Aizen said.
"Really? And why would I know what happened to your man and who knows maybe one of the lesser gangs are trying to make a name from themselves by messing with the big boys... You are not the only one dealing with theft." Kisuke said evenly. "And even if I did know what happened or who stole the file, I wouldn't tell you anyway... After all, I don't stab my friends in the back. If that's all, you can take your dogs and get out. I have a candy shop to run."
Aizen gave a brief frown, but then his smile was back as he stood. Walking out of the office he spied a framed photo on the wall and stopped to look at it.
"You have very lovely daughters, Kisuke... I'd hate to see something bad happen to them..." Aizen said in such an oily manner that Kisuke for one of the few times he loses his temper to jump to his feet, his fists slamming down on the solid surface of his desk. "My my, temper, temper!"
"GET OUT!" He yelled, pointing at the door. "And don't you fucking dare come near my mate or children do you hear me Sousuke? If anything happens to my family; They wouldn't get a needle in my arm fast enough."
Aizen felt a mild shiver at the death threat, but smirked never the less and waltzed out of the office and out of the shop, his doberman on his heels, smirking at him evilly...
Kisuke stood there, shaking with fury for only a moment longer before he calmly grabbed his things and left the shop, waving to Tesai as he left. He pulld his cell from his pokect and texted his his mate and son to get to the house. They needed to talk. Kisuke barely walked into the house when his cougar pounced him, the violet haired woman looked crazed as she demanded to know what happened, if her kittens had been hurt and if she needed to rip someone's adam's apple out of their ass.
"Saki's fine, she spent the night at Tatsu-chan's place." Kisuke said calmly, even as he was shaken and being tossed about in his mate's fury. "Berry-"
"POPS!"
He sighed again when his mate was replaced with his eldest child while Tatsuki stood to the side, watching with awe as Tsuki shook his father about demanding to know where Berry was and if she was okay. He pried free, straightened his clothes out and gave his son a serious look.
"Ichigo's fine." He stated, instantly everyone paled, Yourichi matched Shiro's pasty palor as Tatsuki leaned on the wall. Never before in the years they've been together as a family, has Kisuke ever called either one of his sons by their birth names. "He's safe for now, but last night someone tried to take out Grimmjow. They shot up his car pretty good, but luckily he and Ichigo were fine. They are in one of our safe houses for now; I sent one of Grimm's men to check on them and to gather up what he can of what is going on. Shiro; you are not allowed to dress as Tsuki for a while. It seems someone's put a hit out on him and that same someone gave them Berry as a means of leverage."
Shiro's jaw tightened as his fist began to bleed from his claws piercing into the white flesh of his palm. Not only did his baby brother almost get gunned down, someone's out to kill him and they want to use Ichigo to get to him. Like fuck he's going to allow that to happen! He growled, but calmed down when Yourichi grabbed the back of his neck, applying mild pressure on the pressure points there to get him to calm down.
"Now another thing is this... Youeichi, you get to beat Grimm, but you cannot kill him." Kisuke said. "Same goes for you Shiro and you Tatsuki."
"Why?" All three asked.
"It seems that Ichigo and Grimm mated last night-"
"WHAT!" Shiro bellowed.
"And Ichigo's currently pregnant. Either Grimm has very good timing, or whoever is out to kill him has lousing timing. Because of the near death experience, Ichigo would have sought out a dominant male to protect him and since he must have imprinted Grimm as a possible mate, one thing led to another and well Ichigo was due to go into heat soon enough anyway..." Kisuke trailed off.
Tatsuki growled, punching a fist into her palm. She wouldn't dare hit Ichigo, but that shiney new mate of his was going to get it! Shiro was growling as he paced back and forth, his tail lashing out and hitting the ground before smacking into the table. Finally he looke up and demanded to know which safe house Ichi was in.
"No. You're going to march right up to your room and you are going to find a replacement for Tsuki, got it? And if you even so much as try to sneak out of the house, I will revoke all your street fighting privelages." Kisuke said.
Shiro sighed, his father was serious and he knew better than to push the envelop. As he turned to go upstairs Kisuke called out.
"Shiro; you have to be careful... I don't want you or Ichigo ending up hurt or killed... You also need to find a mate soon; if any of those bastards get a hold of you or Ichigo..."
"We'll be brooding whores for the pits..." Shiro finished, heading up to his room as Tatsuki joined him worried for one of her other betas as Yourichi stood glaring at her mate.
"Is that why Grimm called?" She demanded.
"Take it easy; He followed protocal, though mating and impregnating Berry wasn't meant to happen. Nnoitra's going to be in the area with them and as soon as things die down, we'll get them out of there. We can't risk something happening to Ichigo now... Aizen's getting bold and I don't like what he was promising..." Kisuke said.
Yourichi's eyes grew wide. Aizen threatened them! Was he insane? She grabbed Kisuke's face and stared into his eyes, but there was no playfulness, no teasing; nothing.
"He'll fucking pay..." she promised. "He's caused my babies enough heart ache! Killing their birth mother-"
"We don't know that for sure-"
"HE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE! Whoring her out and taking her child away from her before she could even see them? You might as well grab that gun in the draw right now and shoot me in the head! If they were my babies... my blood and my flesh, Kisuke, I'd have died!" She yelled at him in hushed tone, choked with raw emotions as Kisuke sighed and held her close. "I don't want them to suffer... I don't want to see anymore suffering!" She wailed.
He nodded, kissing her forehead as he promised that when this was over there would be no more suffering from haunting pasts...
