I never expected Daddy to have this many supporters. Thank you for sticking with me this far, guys.

x

Grimmjow leaned against the wall, cradling a sleepy Ichigo in his lap as he kept his emotions in check. The trays of food were cleared; the bowls half-empty. Well, at least he could console himself that he'd encouraged his child to eat something before he . . . well, was terminated. Executed. Killed.

Ugh.

And Ichigo would turn back to normal.

Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Grimmjow shut his eyes and let his shoulders sag. This was his last day with Ichigo. Tomorrow he would have half a day in a courtroom with Stark as the Shinigami higher-ups discussed the best way to execute them. Or something.

Not like he cared; he wouldn't be listening much.

His fingers automatically traced a line up Ichigo's cheek, over his nose and up his eyebrows before reaching Ichigo's hair. Grimmjow stroked his little boy, sleeping without a care in the world on his lap. He only had one day left. Just one day.

And it wasn't enough.

Unohana slid open the door to the room and smiled at him expectantly. Her eyes looked sad, like she knew what was going on inside Grimmjow's head.

Which was utter rubbish, because no one could fathom his thoughts. Not like he wanted them to. This was so frustrating. Grimmjow eased out from under Ichigo wordlessly and followed her out of the room.

So much for saying goodbye.

x

"So they're going to kill them?" Nnoitra spat from where he was sitting cross legged on a dangerous looking precipice of rock.

Ulquiorra answered with a one shoulder shrug.

"I still can't get through to Stark." Lilinette said, almost in tears. "I've tried everything!"

Halibel gave her shoulder a light pat. "Calm down. They're still alive. I can feel it."

They all could.

Yammy shared a look with Zommari, who raised both eyebrows at him. Beside them, Aaraniero stayed silent, his two heads bobbing up and down inside the water tank attached to his neck.

"And we're just gonna let them die?" Nnoitra scoffed. "Fucking hell."

Szayel started a little at those words, but remained quiet and contemplative.

"There isn't much we can do." Halibel replied, crossing her arms under her ample bosom. "Even if we brought this up with Aizen-sama, I don't think he'd even . . ."

A hand on her shoulder stopped her in mid-sentence. Several pairs of eyes swiveled to look at the person behind her. Grinning a Cheshire cat grin, Gin waved a hand in greeting. Nnoitra eyed him apprehensively.

"Planning a rescue mission?" Gin asked with an air of interest. "Sounds like fun! Count me in."

Halibel stepped away from him, deliberately inching closer to Ulquiorra, whose face remained expressionless. Nnoitra slung a possessive arm around Szayel's shoulders.

"One little thing though. If you're gonna do a rescue mission in Soul Society, that's acting without Aizen-sama's approval." Gin waggled a finger in the air, making tutting noises. "That's not a good thing, naughty Espada."

"You gonna tell on us?" Nnoitra asked with a leer.

Gin looked mildly affronted. "Like I'd do that to you guys."

"That's right." Aizen said quietly from behind the Espada, successfully shocking them. "I understand your concern over the Espadas Grimmjow and Stark."

Szayel brightened. "So what shall we do?"

"Do?" Aizen smiled a puzzled smile. "We wait, of course."

His tone made it clear he thought it should be the most obvious thing to do. All he received were baffled grunts and expressions of surprise.

"They aren't going to die." Aizen waved a hand and chuckled. "Without my permission, they can't die. You'll see."

With that, he strolled off with Gin in tow.

x

Third day in this shit excuse for a cell.

Grimmjow stared up at the ceiling blankly, feeling like one of his guts was missing. Maybe it was. Like his liver, or his heart, or his soul.

Rubbish.

He didn't have a heart.

Kicking his blankets off, Grimmjow leaped out of bed and stretched, trying to shake the angst-filled cloud from wrapping its tendrils around his mind. If he was going to go down, he was going to go down fighting, with the biggest shit eating grin on his face, ever. Not like some depressed, gloomy, miserable fool.

Ulquiorra's face came to mind, but Grimmjow shoved that thought away forcefully and kicked it out of his jail cell.

No time for negative thinking today.

Today, he was Grimmjow Jeagerjacques, Sexta Espada from Las Noches, brimming with vitality and sex appeal. He wasn't blind; had noticed a few – to be modestly accurate, more than twenty – Shinigami female officers lining up around the building's walls when he'd walked through with his wrists cuffed. He'd heard them doing some silent squealing and had picked up on their quiet whispers – mostly flattering stuff about him.

Maybe being a captive Espada in Soul Society wasn't as bad as he'd thought.

He'd have to look into that soon.

Clicking his teeth, Grimmjow smoothed out the creases in his jacket and tightened the black sash around his waist. Sliding his feet into his boots, he ran a hand through his hair and wished there was a mirror he could check his reflection in. No sense in letting his good looks go to waste on the last day of his life.

There was a shuffling sound outside his cell, and cerulean orbs fixated their strong gaze on a slim, blushing female officer, batting her long eyelashes as she blinked hard, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Sexta Espada, I have been ordered to escort you . . ."

She trailed off as Grimmjow placed his hands on the pillars between them, giving her his best charming smile.

"You're my escort?" He reached out to tilt her chin in his hand. "I'm in luck today, then."

His smile morphed into a grin as she reddened into a nice shade of merlot. Her fingers fumbled with the ring of keys in her hand, and he noticed a slight tremble as she reached out to slip the key into the lock.

A hand on her shoulder stopped her in mid-action.

"He's my responsibility for today." Renji smiled down at the officer. "Here, let me."

"Oh, but Unohana-Taichou told me to –"

Renji nodded and did a one shoulder shrug. "I know, but she's looking for you now. Said something about needing more hands for the latest injured batch. Apparently they've been fighting Hollows in three human towns. There's been a huge attack all of a sudden."

Grimmjow frowned at this piece of information.

There were tons of Hollows going on a sudden rampage in the Human Realm, which meant Aizen was behind this.

He smirked.

Either that or Renji was lying through his teeth. But why would he do that? Grimmjow chewed over this thread of thought before dismissing it nonchalantly. Nah, it couldn't be. Ulquiorra must have done a good job reporting back to Aizen and now the troops were on their way to create as much destruction and chaos relative to a random tsunami or a hurricane.

So maybe things were looking up right now.

"Oh, really?" the officer looked panicked. "Well, I'll be off then. I'll leave the captive to you, Abarai-Fuku-taichou."

She hurried away, taking quick steps as she broke out into a brisk jog. Renji waited till she'd turned around the corner before switching his sharp gaze to Grimmjow.

"What're you here for?" Grimmjow asked with mild curiosity. "Gonna drag me off to the guillotine anytime soon?"

"You've got the wrong idea." Renji said in a low tone. "I'm here to bring you to say goodbye to Ichigo."

Whoa.

Raising both eyebrows, Grimmjow crossed his arms over his chest. "Why would you do that?"

"Kuchiki-Taichou needed you out of your cell so he could work with Kurotsuchi-Taichou on your double. It's actually a sort of hologram, but it'll have to do." Renji said quietly. "Meanwhile, you'll come with me to see Ichigo. Unohana-Taichou said you'd definitely want to see him before you leave."

Confused, Grimmjow stepped back from the pillars. "Wait, what?"

Then it clicked.

Double. Seeing Ichigo before he left.

Oh.

Renji had already unlocked the bars. "Let's go. We have lots of time, but Unohana-Taichou figured it would be safer for you to see him earlier . . . before Yamamoto-Taichou gets wind of it. You're not even supposed to be allowed out of your cell today."

Biting back a burning question, Grimmjow slid out of the entrance with ease, padding along quietly beside Renji as he led the way toward Unohana's division. The halls seemed to be deserted, void of the usual bashful Shinigami from the Fourth Division.

Renji turned into a corner quickly, making Grimmjow hurry after him so he wouldn't lose sight of the redhead. There was a long, unfamiliar corridor that reeked of medicine, stretching ahead of them with a vast maze of doors.

"Ah." Renji looked puzzled. "Which door was it again?"

"Are you telling me you forgot?" Grimmjow sneered, sticking his hands into his pockets.

Renji shot him a look. "Shut it."

They shared an intense glare.

"Abarai-Fuku-taichou." Unohana said from behind the duo, surprising them. "This way, if you please."

Red with embarrassment, Renji jabbed Grimmjow in the ribs with his elbow as soon as the Espada started snickering. They followed her through a small side door into a regular sized room.

Orange hair brought Grimmjow to attention. Ichigo was lying down on a futon, the blanket neatly tucked around his body as he slept peacefully. His face looked relaxed and calm, like he was having good dreams.

There was something different about him.

"He's growing." Grimmjow noted softly. "Really quickly, it seems."

Renji released a soft sigh. "It's up to Ichigo now, really. I hope he gets through this."

Feeling rather to blame, Grimmjow trained his eyes on the sleeping child. "He needs a lot of rest, I take it?"

Unohana nodded at the Espada. "Yes. After consuming the antidote, he needs a good amount of sleep to allow his body to regenerate and adjust to the high speed growth rate he has currently attained. However, Yamamoto-Taichou insisted we give him maximum growth, but as I have already explained; we cannot make him grow any faster or any slower. His body might not be able to handle it as it is."

Grimmjow was surprised to see Ichigo had already grown a couple more years. The toddler he once knew was already now around the age range of nine or ten.

"In several more hours he may reach the teenager stage." Unohana stated gently, catching Grimmjow's eye. "That's the most volatile phase and frankly, we don't know when he can awaken."

"Define volatile." Running a hand through his hair, Grimmjow stared at Unohana, his expression blank. "Any side effects I should know about?"

Biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at the way the Espada expressed his fatherly instincts, Unohana sat down next to him. "Let's put this in simpler terms. Kurosaki-kun did not actually grow up with you –"

"What do you mean?" Grimmjow's tone was sharp. "I took care of Ichigo. I'm still his parent."

"Yes, I understand where you're coming from." Unohana replied patiently, while Renji fidgeted in a corner. "See, every human child has to come from a set of parents. Kurosaki-kun has a biological father and mother which he has grown up with since he was younger than he is now. Concurrently, when the pills he accidentally consumed forced him to revert back to his child-like form, it shaved off approximately fourteen and a half years off his memories."

The Fourth Division Captain straightened, watching the Espada to see if he was digesting all this information.

"So right now all his memories are coming back?"

Unohana nodded, pleased that Grimmjow had caught on so quickly. "Precisely so. You're very quick on the uptake."

"What happens to the memories he has now?" Grimmjow avoided her penetrating gaze as he watched Ichigo sleep. "The memories he has . . . of me."

"He will still have them." Unohana held up a hand as Renji tried to interrupt. "Everything he has experienced until now will be kept intact and unharmed. Should he wish to erase them from his mind, I will personally prepare the correct herbs for that procedure."

Of course.

Now that Ichigo was growing back to his normal time and age, he wouldn't want anything to do with Grimmjow. Somehow the feeling sent a spearing pain through him, but Grimmjow figured he would get over it. It wasn't like he had the right to control Ichigo's memories, anyhow. And he was about to be executed, anyway.

"Don't worry; he's in safe hands here."

Not that he really believed Unohana, anyway.

Renji exchanged knowing glances with Unohana. "Um . . . Grimmjow, you can stay here for a short while."

"What about the other Shinigami?" Grimmjow looked up at Renji, surprised by his sudden act of kindness.

The redhead shrugged. "I'll come up with something."

Beside him, Unohana smiled. "I will anything I can to let you have more time with Kurosaki-kun."

Suspicions raged through Grimmjow's mind, but a strong sense of instinct told him this was the best he was getting out of Soul Society. He bowed to his gut feeling and went with the flow, fully accepting that if Renji and Unohana wanted to hurt him, they would have done so a long time ago.

This was compassion, something he had never really experienced with Aizen.

The mere thought of his leader brought back unwanted memories from Las Noches.

He shoved the thoughts out of his mind and focused on displaying his heartfelt gratitude. Even if the words felt rough on his tongue; unaccustomed to being used, he managed to say them.

"Thank you."

x

Memories came back first, trickling slowly like a broken tap. Images floated through his mind, instilling confusion and the slightest tinge of fear into him.

What was going on?

First there were images of Grimmjow, then his father, Isshin. Yuzu and Karin's faces floated into view, their happy smiles and sounds of their laughter giving him a strong sense of familiarity. His mother's smiling face was next, and then his schoolmates. Keigo with rice on his face as he guzzled a rice ball. Muzuiro telling him about the latest game releases. Inoue wishing him luck for the English exam. Tatsuki punching his shoulder as she laughed at his joke. Chad walking beside him and Ishida as they argued over something trivial. The familiar sign of his father's clinic. The quiet street he loved to take on the way home from school, because it gave him a stretch of time on his own. The pastry shop which sold his favorite strawberry tarts. The music store he worked in with Keigo and Chad barely two summers ago. Rukia, Renji, and Ikkaku smiling at him.

Then Aizen, Ulquiorra, Nnoitra, and then Grimmjow's face flickered into view – Ichigo frowned as he tried to reach out to him in his dream.

"Grimmjow."

The dream-Grimmjow smiled at him.

"I'm here." He said.

It felt so real.

Someone was stroking his hair, squeezing his hand.

He could feel it like he was awake with his eyes shut.

Ichigo knew he was dreaming.

He also knew he couldn't wake up. It was as if someone had planted an endless video reel in his head. He didn't want to think about fighting Grimmjow, because it hurt.

Grimmjow was someone he loved and looked up to, and now there was another set of memories telling him he'd almost killed him. It was confusing and painful.

Grimmjow suddenly looked angry. His normally warm blue eyes were wild, his lips curled up in disgust as he rushed forward, swinging his sword.

Why? Grimmjow wouldn't hurt him, he knew that.

Ichigo reacted before he could stop himself. There was the long, horrifying image of Zangetsu slashing outward, slicing Grimmjow in the chest.

Blood gushed out as he fell, and Ichigo screamed.

"No!"

"It's alright." Grimmjow said as he fell.

Ichigo watched his tumble down into the blackness, falling into the endless dark pit, growing smaller and smaller until he was just a tiny white speck of light, a stark contrast to the gloom below.

"I love you, Ichigo."

x

"In you go." The Shinigami officer nudged him in with the hilt of his zanpakutou. "One hour till your sentence begins."

Taking a step into the cell, Grimmjow saw a familiar face and immediately felt a small spike of relief.

Sturdy brown pillars slid down from the ceiling to meet the floor, enclosing them in the bare room together.

Stark smiled wearily at Grimmjow as he shuffled toward him. They both had their wrists bound with kidou spells, and wards manifested the huge place, creating a stifling effect on their spiritual planes.

"This is . . ." Grimmjow waved his hands to indicate the room. "Much more spacious than I expected."

"Well, we're about to give our lives to them." Stark shrugged nonchalantly. "Might as well give us top treatment."

His words had an odd bitter tinge.

"Stark."

Gray eyes met blue ones for a split second before darting away.

Sighing, Grimmjow sat down directly opposite the Primera. He had some burning questions that needed answering, and Stark was the only one who could douse the fires.

"Are you worried about Lilinette?"

Stark eyed him warily. "What makes you think that?"

"If you die . . ."

She dies too.

Grimmjow didn't need to voice the unspoken meaning.

"I know that." Stark gave him an irritated stare. It would have worked if he didn't look so sleepy. "I'm not happy about it, but there isn't anything I can do."

Leaning back against the wall, Grimmjow nodded. "I know she's worried about you."

"She's alive." Stark said quietly. "I mean, I can feel her emotions fluctuating."

"But you can't do a thing about it."

Grimmjow smirked at the glare aimed his way. "Sorry. Had to run my mouth there."

They shared a comfortable silence.

"Stark?"

The Primera frowned. "You're worried about the boy, aren't you?"

"Nah."

Grimmjow shook his head and proceeded to explain to Stark about his rendezvous with Renji and Unohana.

"What made them give you that opportunity?" Stark wondered aloud, studying Grimmjow curiously. "These Shinigami are strange creatures."

They shared a chuckle.

"What made you decide to get caught with me, anyway?"

Gray eyes narrowed as Stark reached out to feel Grimmjow's forehead.

"What are you doing?" Grimmjow smacked his hand away lightly.

"Just checking." Stark grinned. "This Sexta Espada's getting sentimental with age."

"Shut up, you." Grimmjow gave him a mock-snarl. "If my hands weren't bound, I'd shoot a Desgarron at you."

"Ha." Stark scoffed. "Like it would hurt me."

Grimmjow rewarded him with a flick to his forehead. "It would if you stayed still."

"Who would do that?"

They caught each other's eye before bursting out into peals of laughter, which brought the attention of the Shinigami guards keeping watch on their cell.

"Quiet down."

Grimmjow ignored them, while Stark offered them an apologetic smile.

"No really." The Sexta blew stray hair out of his eyes. "Answer my question."

Stark tilted his head to the angel on his shoulder. He smiled and turned away, stretching before lying down on the floor.

"Who knows?"

Annoyed, Grimmjow nudged him with his knee. "Enough with the rhetorical questions already."

There was a click at the pillars barricading their exit, and the two Espada looked up quickly. To their surprise, Renji stood there, looking harassed as he held the key. Behind him, a gate guard lay unconscious, a purpling bruise blooming on his head.

"What . . .?" Stark murmured as Renji rushed in, kneeling down before them to quickly reach for their bonds.

"No time for questions. We have less than fifteen minutes to get you out of here safely."

Grimmjow frowned, angling his wrists so Renji could snipe at the kidou bonds with his reiatsu-covered sword. "Get us out of here? But we're the bad guys."

"I know that, shut up."

Stark exchanged a surprised look with Grimmjow. Evidently the redhead was doing something that would be frowned upon by the higher-ups. His actions further aroused their suspicion when he began to cancel the kidou wards around the room, thus preventing other Shinigami from being alerted if they moved out of the cell.

"Why are you helping us?" Grimmjow asked, studying Renji's harried face for anything that might give him away.

"Because Ichigo would do the same."

Well, that had been an unexpected response.

Concern laced Stark's tone. "Won't you get punished for this?"

"It's not important. Besides, I can't face Ichigo if I let you both die."

Stark got to his feet and helped Grimmjow up. Renji led the way to the door, sticking his head out first to check for any guards. When he was certain enough the coast was clear, the redhead beckoned for the two captives to follow him and darted out into the hallway. They ran down the corridor and out a side door from behind a painting stuck to a wall, which was a smart trick.

"Here." Renji guided them through a small tunnel – just wide enough for them to stand up in – and through another door, where they entered what seemed like someone's office.

"Abarai-kun!"

A busty strawberry blond made her way toward them. Grimmjow instantly recognized her as the Shinigami woman who had held Ichigo while he was being caught. He glared when he noticed the lieutenant badge around her upper arm. She smiled back, a mischievous lilt to her expression as she ran her fingers up his chest to his shoulders.

"Oh, this is one sexy man." She giggled and dropped a kiss on Grimmjow's cheek. "Where'd you find him, Renji?"

"Matsumoto!" A sharp growl with a barely-mature tone made the lieutenant pout.

"What is it, Taichou?"

The short, white haired Captain appeared from behind her voluptuous body, frowning up a storm as he gazed at her disapprovingly.

"These captives are Espada!"

"Like I didn't know that! Lighten up, Taichou!" She rewarded him with a one armed hug, successfully winding him with her ample chest. "Oh, this brunette is cute!"

Stark blinked as he was the next victim. Renji just sighed.

"Now let's go." Hitsugaya walked over to the door. "I'll distract the guards on East side, and you lead them out to the Senkaimon. I'll meet you there."

Renji nodded at Rangiku, who smiled and took Grimmjow by the arm. "What're we waiting for?"

x

Ichigo could feel himself falling, being sucked down into the black vortex as he struggled to reach for Grimmjow, who always seemed to be just that bit farther than his hand could stretch. In between the falling he could feel someone's presence beside him, but it wasn't very familiar.

"Grimmjow." He heard himself croak.

"You'll be alright." A woman's voice told him.

A flicker of his father's face came into view. Isshin smiled at him, from a different part of his memory. Next was Grimmjow's face, smirking down at him as he ran his hands through his orange hair. Confused, Ichigo growled in frustration.

Isshin was his father, and so was Grimmjow. Grimmjow said he loved him. But wasn't he the enemy?

More fragments of his memories came back now, gushing through his mind like rainwater running in a clogged gutter.

The strange thing was, he loved Grimmjow too.

x

"Go! I'll hold them off!" Hitsugaya hollered.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto tried to rush back to aid him, but a whirling icy mist from her captain's bankai told her he had it covered.

Renji pushed the Espada ahead of him as they rushed onward, heading straight for the gate that was the only known exit in the whole of Soul Society.

"Open it!" Renji yelled, his strident tone catching the doorkeeper's attention. "Please!"

Lifting the bottom of the incredibly heavy boulder with his hands, the hulking silhouette at the exit groaned with the effort.

"Hurry!" Shoving Grimmjow forward so he was pushed into Stark, the redhead used a blast of energy from his spiritual pressure to temporarily distract the other soul reapers, who were making it their duty to keep them from escaping. "Run right through!"

A slashing of swords could be heard, and Matsumoto knocked out one of the guards before he could get to Renji.

The heavy boulder was lifted off the ground just wide enough for Grimmjow and Stark to slide under. There were more Shinigami running out toward them now from all sides. Renji and Matsumoto's efforts weren't enough to hold all of them back. The exit area was teeming with Shinigami as they hollered commands and chanted kidou spells, all in the endeavor to prevent the captives' escape.

Blazing white kidou spells in the form of long sharp edged poles flew past Grimmjow's ear, pelting the ground with their sheer force of power.

"We're close!" Stark panted as he ran full force.

"No!"

Grimmjow dived for the Primera, grabbing him and shoving him to the ground just in time to avoid a large spear of kidou-warded spells. Both Espada hit the ground and rolled together, sliding extremely close to the bottom of the boulder. More spells and arrows were headed their way, and Grimmjow could only watch in that split second moment where he knew he was about to meet his fate.

Well, until a foot nudged him and Stark none too gently under the boulder, where they rolled from the impact. The extremely large doorkeeper gave them a wink before dropping the rock with a resounding thud that shook the air for miles around.

Silence greeted them, enveloping the two in a relieved embrace after their ordeal.

"We're okay." Stark breathed, too exhausted to even talk.

Grimmjow nodded in reply and stood up, drawing out as much energy as he could to open a Gargantuan. "We're leaving. Before they come after us."

As they stepped into the black hole that ripped a space in the blue sky before them, Grimmjow risked taking one last look back.

Ichigo would be okay.

He could live with that.

x

I'm in desperate need of a hug or two.