A/N: Happy New Year to all of my readers! Thank you all for the reviews, favorites and follows. I thought I'd start the year off with an update to The Brotherhood (since I have writers block with the rest of my fics lol). Hope you all enjoy :)


Chapter Nine

Renji

The famous Benihime Gentlemen's Club was a popular spot to be on a typical night. Located in the heart of the Ryusei neighborhood, the upscale strip club was both a great social spot a much beloved form of entertainment for the male, and in some cases, female, Karakura City citizens. Benihime was known all throughout Japan and frequently received business from national celebrities, ranging from movie stars to politicians.

Yet despite all of the popularity the club had garnered in its short three year life, Renji had never given the place a second thought. Although he enjoyed spending time in feminine company, strip clubs did not appeal to him. In fact, he could count the entire times he had visited such a place on one hand.

Nevertheless, when the tall officer walked through the doors of the sleek parlor, he immediately could see why the club was popular. Both the décor and layout were chic and modern, something reminiscent to a hotel ballroom than a strip club. The dancers were in impeccable shape and gorgeous, the room didn't reek of the odors a seedy strip club would house and most importantly to Renji, everything looked clean and sanitized.

"Hello, Sir, welcome to Benihime Gentlemen's Club," the cute, seductively dressed, red haired bartender greeted Renji as he approached her station. "What can I get for you today? We have the finest selection of liquors, wine, sake and beer in all of Japan." Renji courteously smiled as he held up his badge.

"Thank you, but I am here to talk to someone named Lolita. Would she be around by any chance?" The bartender put a finger to her lips and adjusted her red framed glasses.

"Hmmm. She is working today but I think she's still getting ready in the back. She has a showcase in an hour and she usually takes forever to get ready for it. I mean, she's hot and sexy and all that but she can get real bitchy if you bother her. Maybe you can talk to her afterwards?"

"Sorry, but no can do. I need to interview her for a homicide case and time is of the essence. Her diva ways are of no importance to me." The bartender nodded and exited from behind the counter.

"Well then, Mr. Officer, follow me."


"Lolitaaa, you have a visitooor," the bartender said in a sing song voice as she tapped on the dressing room door in the back of the club.

"Ugh, tell them to fuck off! I have a show to do in an hour and my fucking hair won't work. And you fuck off too, Chizuru. I bet you're just trying to sneak a feel of my tits aren't you?!" Chizuru rolled her eyes behind the closed door.

"Definitely not. I like my women with Double Ds, not those sad little As you're sporting."

"What did you say, bitch?!"

"Enough," Renji said in a firm voice. "I do not have time for this. My name is Lieutenant Abarai and I am with the Karakura City Police Department. I need to interview you about Nnoitra. I heard he tried to assault you recently and I need to ask you some questions. Now you can either open this door or I c – "

Before Renji could finish his sentence, the door flew open and, immediately, Renji knew his day had gone down the drain. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I can't believe this," he muttered under his breath. "I can't fucking believe this."

"Well, well, well, look who it is. It's that fucking broke ass pig who skipped out on paying his bill," Loly said with a smirk, standing in the doorway with her arms guarding the entrance. "The fuck you here for?" Renji turned to Chizuru and smiled.

"Thank you, Chizuru. That was all I needed." Chizuru nodded and smiled back before leaving the duo alone.

"Hey, don't fucking ignore me! What the fuck are you -!"

Using an uncharacteristic overly aggressive approach, Renji quickly covered Loly's mouth with his hand, tightly grabbed her around the waist and forced her inside of the dressing room, locking the door behind him. Fearful, Loly squirmed around in the larger man's grip, her screams muffled. As soon as Renji released her, she punched him in the arm. "How dare you put your filthy hands on me! Fucking asshole cops!" Renji smirked, grabbing her arms to restrain her.

"That's funny, you didn't seem to mind my hands being on you a few months ago."

"That was before I knew you were a cheapskate!"

"Loly, for fuck sake, I do not have time for this. I'm actually here to help you believe it or not. So do you know Nnoitra or not?"

Upon hearing the Espada's name again, Loly calmed down. She pulled out of Renji's grip and folded her arms, looking down at her feet with a quiet stare. "Yeah, I know him," she said in a calm, yet defiant tone. "I definitely know that asshole."

"I was informed that he tried to sexually assault you not too long ago. Can you tell me what happened?" Loly ran a hand through her hair and sighed deeply before sitting in her dressing room chair.

"Last month, some of the guys from the Arrancar came to the club to celebrate Nnoitra's birthday in one of the VIP rooms. It was him, his stool pigeon, Tesla and another weird fucker called Szayel. They asked if I and my bestie, Menoly, could dance for them. We said ok and performed for them all night. So, when it's time for the club to close and after Menoly and the boys leave out, Nnoitra asks me to come back to his hotel and fuck him. I tell him no and he should get one of the other girls. He tells me 'no bitch I want you' and grabs my chest. I slap him in the face and he slaps me so hard I fall to the ground. He then tries to rip off my panties and force my legs apart but the top ranked Arrancar comes and stops him by choking him out."

"So, I take it that you are part of the Arrancar as well?"

"Yeah I am. What of it? You gonna arrest me or some shit?" Renji smirked and made a note on his paper.

"I was just curious. So what happened to him? I mean you both work for Aizen, so what did he do to him?" Loly scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"If you think he got in trouble for that, you're in for a rude awakening. Nnoitra is an Espada and all Espada are untouchable unless Aizen-sama says otherwise. Gin said they were gonna give him a pass since he was drunk that night. Whatever." As Renji stared at Loly, he could see how upset she was about what had happened no matter how hard she tried to seem. It was just something in her eyes that told of her hurt and fear about what had happened to her. She didn't deserve that. No matter how much of a bitch she may be, she didn't deserve that. No woman does.

"Well, what Aizen won't take care of, you better believe we will," Renji said as he put his notepad and pen in his pants pocket and walked over to the door. Loly rolled her eyes again and stood as well.

"Don't think I asked for your help, did I?" Renji smirked.

"Nope, but you're welcome all the same. Good luck with your show." As Loly stood to close and lock the door behind Renji, the smallest, grin spread across her lips.


Byakuya

"Bitch, you can sit on it and twirl, honey. You are nothing to me!"

"Girl, you are nothing to meeeeee! I made you relevant, bitch!"

"What?! Girl, bye! Waiter, can you hurry and bring me my check before I have to lose my cute and snatch this heffa?!"

"I can tell why Rukia says Bridget is annoying," Byakuya said to himself as he watched the latest episode of the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, the latest popular reality show to air on Japanese television, courtesy of the United States. Rukia had recommended the show to her older brother on several occasions, noting how it was one of her favorite programs. Adverse to the downgraded entertainment that was reality TV, Byakuya declined every time she suggested that he watch. However, after being confined to a hospital bed for the past three weeks, Byakuya decided to give the show a try . . . and loved it. He was now nine episodes into the first season after watching a marathon that was currently running on the Kankaku network, thoroughly enjoying his favorite housewife, Nikki, give her enemy, Bridget, a piece of her mind.

However, the sound of his hospital door opening caused an abrupt end to the captain's entertainment as he quickly grabbed the remote and switched the programming to Japan's leading 24-hour news network. Upon seeing who had come to visit him, he was glad he was able to change the channel before his secret got out.

"Good afternoon, Captain," Yoruichi said with a warm smile as she walked over and sat by Byakuya's bed, carrying a large paper bag, along with her purse.

"Yoruichi," Byakuya replied in his traditional, stoic tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was in the neighborhood having lunch with my younger half at Gatonden and thought I'd stop by to see how you were doing before I headed home. I even come baring gifts." Yoruichi reached into the bag and pulled out a warm, Styrofoam plate. "I figured you'd want something other than hospital food, so I had Kirio whip you up something before I left. She said you really liked her shrimp penne and bruschetta, so here you go." Byakuya opened the lid of the plate and the delicious smell of the Italian cuisine filled the room. Yoruichi was right. He had grown tired of the cafeteria meals and was craving the meals from his favorite restaurant.

"Thank you," he simply said as he took a bite of the bruschetta. Yoruichi smirked, chuckling a bit.

"You're welcome. Oh and Yushiro told me to tell you hello and to get well soon." Byakuya nodded his thanks to the younger Shihouin's always courteous nature. "So how are you feeling? Have you been healing alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I should be able to go home this weekend and finish my recovery there." Yoruichi smiled happily.

"Good news. I'm sure you'll be glad to be back in your own bed. I know Rukia must be happy too."

"She is. At least now she can get some more rest. She has spent the night here with me every night for the last three weeks. She finally stayed in her own bed last night after Ichigo and I both had a long talk with her about how she needed to get a good night's sleep for the sake of their son."

"Oh so, she's having a boy, huh? Are you excited to become an uncle?"

"I'm pleased, yes." Yoruichi rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Gee, I couldn't tell."

The two fell silent for a few moments as Byakuya ate his meal and Yoruichi texted her agent and family and friends. Byakuya marveled at how many texts the young woman had to send. He had never heard anyone's phone vibrate so much in his life.

"Does that get annoying?" he asked as he set the now empty plate to the side. Yoruichi looked up from the Galaxy Four screen and gave him a questioning look. "The texts, I mean. Don't you get annoyed from being constantly bothered?" She sighed.

"Yeah it can get a little annoying sometimes, but it comes with the territory. Part of being a celebrity means you get a little more bothered than a private person. But it's cool, really." Byakuya nodded his head, understanding. He was pleasantly surprised how maturely Yoruichi handled her celebrity. Before she returned to Japan, he expected the dark beauty to be full of herself and rubbing her fame in his face just for kicks. But to see that she still remained humble even though she could basically get almost anything she wanted was very refreshing. He would even go so far to say that he admired it.

"Hey, what's Ginrei-sama doing on TV?" Yoruichi suddenly asked, pointing to the television on the wall and knocking Byakuya out of his thoughts. Turning, Byakuya saw the image of his grandfather standing behind a podium outside talking to a decent sized crowd of people.

"Oh, I almost forgot that Jii-sama was holding a rally this afternoon. He's campaigning right now. Byakuya grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

" . . . and while my opponent says that he is for safety and making Japan one of the most safe nations again, he has done nothing so far to help curtail the crime that is already running rampant in our streets. Just look around. Crime is up in Tokyo, Osaka, Naruki City and in Karakura City. These drug lords and crime syndicates are running amok in our nation and my opponent simply isn't doing enough to stop it. I know what crime looks like. As I speak to you today, my grandson, who is an officer of the law sworn to protect and defend the great citizens of Japan, is currently lying in a hospital bed, clinging to life, after being shot multiple times by one of these criminals."

"Oh wow," Yoruichi said with a smirk. Byakuya cocked an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"Your granddad just used you as a political device to help his campaign. How does that make you feel?"

"Jii-sama is telling my story so he can advocate for the good of society in the Diet. I do not mind if he tells what happened to me."

"I mean, I can understand that, but it all seems so cheap and tactical to me. Like, he's even exaggerating. You aren't clinging to life, you're getting released this weekend."

"It's all for the greater good, Yoruichi." Yoruichi shrugged.

"I guess so. Well, at least Ginrei-sama will keep his word if he gets elected. I would be happy to vote for him if his beliefs weren't so opposite to mine."

"Surely you don't expect a seventy four year old man to be as much of a heathen as you are?"

"Maybe, but I'd expect a thirty year old man to be less archaic." Byakuya narrowed his eyes at the smirk that spread across the woman's lips. "But we can debate the finer points of political ideology a different time. I need to get going. I have to meet with my agent about some things and you should get some rest since you're on the verge of death."

"Your jokes leave much to be desired."

"Well, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black. See you when you get out, Byakuya-bo." Had Byakuya still been a teenager, he probably would have thrown his plate of food at Yoruichi for calling him the nickname that he hated so much. However, he had grown use to his friend's teasing and the name barely bothered him.

After the slender woman had gone and he had finished his meal, Byakuya took Yoruichi's sarcastic advice and returned to his marathon, silently cursing her for causing him to miss another petty argument between Nikki and Bridget.


Jushiro

"As far as we know, Nnoitra Jiruga lives in Zaraki heights in a one bedroom apartment. The apartment is about six or seven blocks away from the high school there." Shunsui rubbed his beard in thought.

"Zaraki huh? That's odd. Why would he live in such a shabby place considering he's one of Aizen's men? Aizen usually puts them in prime locations."

"Well, according to some interviews I've done recently, Jiruga has a bad mean streak and enjoys a good fight. That's probably why he chose to live there," Renji said with a shrug. Jushiro nodded.

"Makes sense. Zaraki is one of the three most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. It would be a twisted sort of paradise for him." Renji nodded as well.

"Exactly. That's why my squad and I are planning to team with Squad Five on this one to take him down." Shunsui shook his head.

"No. I don't want Squad Five doing this, even though Zaraki is their jurisdiction. Team up with Squad Eleven. They are more equipped with handling things like this due to their aggressive nature. Not to mention that if this Jiruga really wants to fight, then Kenpachi should have no trouble bringing it to him." Renji nodded his head as he stood to his feet.

"I understand. I will make the necessary preparations soon." As Renji turned around to leave the police captain's office, Jushiro put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"You're doing an amazing job handling things, Renji. Byakuya would be very proud of you, even if he wouldn't admit it." Patting his hand and smiling softly, Renji nodded his thanks to the senior captain before exiting the door. After closing it behind him, Jushiro walked back over to his best friend's desk and plopped down in the seat across from him where Renji had been sitting. "I'm glad things are working out well for him. Renji has always tried to look good in front of Byakuya and capturing Jiruga should be a big boost to his confidence." Shunsui nodded his head as he sorted through some papers on his desk.

"Yeah it will be. That boy is determined to make captain one day. He probably would have gone to Zaraki Heights alone to stop Jiruga if it ever came down to it." Jushiro cleared his throat awkwardly and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well . . . speaking of Zaraki . . . I have something to share with you." Curious, Shunsui looked over the report in his hand and stared into his friend's green eyes.

"Oh? Anything juicy?"

"Retsu and I are back together." Shunsui's eyebrows immediately rose and a smirk spread across his lips.

"Really now? Well, well that really is some news. When did this happen?"

"About a week ago."

"And you're just now telling me?"

"Well . . . I don't want to make a deal about it. Not yet anyway."

"And why not? I mean, it's not like she and Zaraki are together anymore. They are separated and getting a divorce. So what is the deal?" Jushiro's eyes widened.

"How did you know they were divorcing?" Shunsui smirked.

"I'm police chief now. Assume I know everything. Just go ahead and enjoy your romance with Retsu. You two have kept everything secret for so long. Aren't you tired of hiding?" Jushiro sighed.

"Of course I am but adjusting from an affair to a legitimate relationship is difficult considering that we have children to look after. Things would be a lot different if this had happened fifteen years ago. I mean, I have to think about Toshiro and Retsu has to think about Yachiru. He's not very receptive of new people so who knows how he'll react when I bring her around. He might act out again." Shunsui shook his head.

"Nah, I doubt that will be the case. I'm sure it was that girlfriend of his that caused him to act out before. Toshiro is a good kid. He'll be fine. He might just be very receptive toward having a mother figure in his life. Just give the boy a chance." Jushiro nodded.

"Yeah, you're probably right. I just want things to go along smoothly. I waited so long for Retsu to be mine and mine alone. I don't want to mess things up for us."

"I understand. Hey, why don't you invite her to Lisa's party Thursday night? You need to come have some drinks with us to relax and I know Retsu could use a break." Jushiro shook his long, light locks.

"Retsu is swamped with procedures well into the night for the next two days so I doubt she can make it, but I will definitely come."

"Sounds good."


"Ungh! Can you slow down? You're walking too fast and I almost tripped."

"I'm not walking fast, this is how I usually walk."

"Shiro-kun, can you slide over a little bit? I'm still getting a little wet."

"No I am as over as I can go and don't call me Shiro-kun! Look, can you two hurry up? We're almost there. We'd be there already if you two would walk faster."

"Oh God, just shut up already."

Holding onto the large umbrella hovering above their heads, Toshiro, Karin and Yuzu quickly walked toward his home after getting off at the bus stop just a few minutes earlier. Trying his best to shelter his companions from the rain, as he was the only one of the trio who had been prepared for the forecasted rainfall that afternoon, Toshiro walked between the twins as they made a fuss. The white haired youth could not wait until they all made it to his home. Not because he himself was bothered by the rain, but so the teenagers beside him could finally stop nagging.

"See look there is my home," Toshiro said in an annoyed tone as he and the girls rounded the corner and headed down the street where his house sat.

"Finally," Karin said. "I thought we'd drown in this crap."

"It's only a five or six minute walk and its only rain. Quit exaggerating already."

"Easy for you to say, shorty. You're the one who is the least wet!"

"What did you just call me?!"

"Shorty! Are you deaf now?!"

"Why you stupi – "

"Hey Toshiro, someone is at your door," Yuzu interrupted, drawing her sister and friend's attentions away from their impending argument. Toshiro looked in the direction Yuzu was pointing and saw a slim figure standing in the doorway to his home holding a white umbrella with a black and pink skull pattern all over it. Even though the girl's back was turned to him, Toshiro immediately knew who it was that had come to see him.

"Lilynette?" Toshiro said as he walked up behind the girl. Lilynette quickly spun around with a large smile on her face. However, her smile quickly faded upon seeing that her ex-boyfriend was not alone.

"Hey, Toshiro, how are you?"

"I'm good. Uh…why are you here? Do you want to come inside?"

"Nah you already have company."

"They're just here to work on a project with me. You can stay if you want." Lilynette shook her head.

"Nah, that's okay. I need to be getting back to my brother's place anyway. I dropped my phone in the rain at school but I wanted to come by to see if you had thought about what I asked you the other day?" Toshiro stared at his shoes silently. He had indeed been thinking about the question Lilynette proposed to him just two days earlier. The green haired teenager wanted to be a couple again, even though his uncle and her brother were against the idea. Lilynette truly had feelings for Toshiro and did not care about the consequences. Toshiro, however, was torn. He did not know what to do and he could not provide the girl with an answer today.

"I am thinking about it but I still don't know. Just give me more time, please." Nodding with a hint of sadness in her voice and eyes, Lilynette accepted his response.

"Okay, Toshiro. Call me tonight okay?" Before Lilynette began to make her journey back to the bus stop, she quickly gave Karin a dirty look and Toshiro a hug. Karin narrowed her eyes as the slender teenager walked away.

"The hell was that about?" Karin asked. "Does she have a problem with me?"

"It's nothing. Let's hurry up and get inside," Toshiro said, rushing to get the girls inside his home to avoid being questioned. However, the boy knew that Karin, nor Yuzu for that matter, would let him off the hook for long. As soon as they finished their work for the day, the questions would come in numbers. Toshiro was well aware of the mutual disdain between his ex-girlfriend and Karin, although the two never really had much contact with each other. He shuddered to think the lecture he'd get from Karin when she found out he was considering getting back together with her. Then there was his godfather and his uncle to deal with. Even though Toshiro deeply cared for Lilynette, he was starting to think that getting back together would be a mistake.


Shunsui

The very first thing that Shunsui noticed about Lisa was her confidence. It was the first thing that attracted him when he first met her ten years ago at the police academy, back when she aspired to be an officer of the law. Sure, he noticed her alluring green eyes, long, silky black hair and toned and sexy physique. However, Shunsui felt that the way she carried herself with such confidence was the sexiest thing about her. The way she could easily command the attention of him or any man whenever she walked in the room. It drew him to her like a moth to a flame.

The second thing that Shunsui would say that he loved about Lisa was her carefree nature. A type of carefree nature that would inspire the young woman to throw random house parties, in the middle of the work week. Lisa was known to throw parties that were both fun and risqué, without crossing too many taboo boundaries. For her birthday in February, Lisa requested that Shunsui hire the prettiest dancers that Benihime Gentlemen's Club had to offer. This was a request that he had no problems granting and the couple ended up having a great and memorable time at the small gathering.

However, on this night, Lisa opted for a more, sophisticated and relaxed party environment, which Shunsui tended to like even better. The party was in celebration of Lisa's erotica genre novel, which she had been working on for the past two years, being published by a small printing firm in Japan. Shunsui could remember how happy his lover was when she closed the deal with the company and was told that her book would appear in many independent and locally owned bookstores across Tokyo, Karakura City, and Naruki City.

That was why Shunsui was determined to show up to this party even though he was exhausted after working an eleven hour shift. After going home first to take a hot, soothing shower and to change clothes, Shunsui used the key Lisa had given him three years ago to open the door to her modest apartment. He figured that he was the last to arrive considering the spacious living room and open kitchen already contained about seventeen other people.

Some of the partiers he recognized due to his and Lisa's mutual friendships: Shinji, Rose, Hiyori and, of course Jushiro. However, the majority of people were unknown to him. Particularly one tall, statuesque gentleman who was currently holding the attention of his girlfriend off in a corner.

"Hey, Shunsui. Glad you could finally make it," Jushiro said as he walked up to his best friend. Shunsui gave the man a quick hug.

"Yeah, I am too. Traffic is hell tonight. How is the party? I miss anything?"

"No, not yet but you never know what Lisa has planned."

"Yeah, I know that all too well. Say, who is that guy Lisa is talking to over there?" Jushiro turned his head in the direction Shunsui was pointing.

"Oh, Tsukishima-san? Lisa says that he manages the Book of the End bookstore in Naruki City. Apparently they went to college together."

"Un huh." Jushiro bounced his eyes between Shunsui and the two old friends. Although Shunsui wasn't exactly too jealous when it came to Lisa, Jushiro could sense that his friend wasn't too happy with Lisa and Tsukishima spending a lot of time together.

"Say, where is Lisa keeping the beer?"

"Oh, it's in the kitchen in the cooler in front of the microwave."

"What do you say to a little drink, huh? I promised Lisa I wouldn't get drunk tonight, but a beer or two couldn't hurt right?" Jushiro shrugged his shoulders.

"No, if it's only a couple of beers, it should be alright."

Although Jushiro remained faithful to his three beer limit, Shunsui quickly diverted away from his 'a beer or two'. Two beers turned into three. Then three into four. Then four into a shot of vodka. Then a shot into a glass of rum and coke. Then the rum and coke into a glass of 100 proof Kazeshini tequila. Even though Jushiro tried his best to cut Shunsui off, there was no stopping his best friend once he got into a certain mood.

Leaving Jushiro and Shinji alone to chat at the bar in the kitchen, Shunsui stumbled over to the couch in the living room and clumsily plopped down beside a bespectacled beauty. He laughed to himself before taking another sip of Kazeshini.

"I thought I'd never make it over here. This couch seems sooooo far away from the kitchen." Shunsui said, with a mild drawl. "I may just sti – still be tired from work y'know."

"Haha, maybe so," the woman said with an awkward chuckle.

"Ahhhh, I should have been like you and decided not to be a cop. I should have gotten out while I could. Maybe I wouldn't be and old man now if I had."

"Nonsense, you look good for your age."

"For my age? Haaaa. Now I really feel old. Guess I'm not as hip as your bookstore fuurrrrriend am I?"

"Excuse me?"

"Ahhh its nothing. Pay me no mind, love. I've just had one too many. Sorry I didn't keep my word, baby." The woman looked at Shunsui feeling very confused as she watched the man take another sip of Kazeshini in an attempt to down his insecurities. Even though he and Lisa had been polyamorous for years, it got to him tonight when he saw Lisa having a great time with this Tsukishima guy and completely ignoring him. Shunsui wanted Lisa on a solo basis, but he was beginning to think that she did not love him like he loved her. Perhaps this was why she did not want to become monogamous. Perhaps she had found love . . . elsewhere.

"You know, I still love you right? I know I'm not an uhhhh . . . oh crap . . . spilt some haha . . . a perfect uhhh guy, y'know. But I want to make it work, baby I do."

"Um, listen I think you got the wrong – "

"Shhhh," Shunsui said, putting a finger on the woman's lips "Just let me get this out, oooookay? I love you Lisa-chan annnnd . . . wait, did you change clothes or something? Anyway! Lisa, I love you! I want this to work and – "

Shunsui stopped in the middle of his drunken ramblings and attempted to give the woman a kiss.

"What the hell! Stop!"

Suddenly, Shunsui felt a strong hand grab him around his arm and pull him off of the couch. Turning to see who was so rude to grab him uninvited, he calmed when he saw that it was Jushiro. "Jushiro, what's uuuuuPUH?"

"Please excuse him," Jushiro awkwardly said to the woman whom Shunsui had been harassing. "He's usually behaves more properly than this." Before Shunsui had a chance to reply to his best friend's comment, the stately captain quickly ushered him away from the woman, out of the living room and into Lisa's bedroom. After closing the door, Jushiro led his staggering friend over to the bed, where he clumsily fell on his back.

"Wait, Jushhhhhiro, whuuut the hell?" Shunsui drawled as he struggled to sit up, his glass of tequila spilling all over Lisa's bed and carpet. "Why did you pull me away from Lisa?"

"Because that wasn't Lisa," Jushiro said, grabbing the glass of tequila from Shunsui and tossing the fluid out of the open bedroom window.

"Hey! I was still drinking that."

"Well, I think you've had quite enough for this evening. You're so drunk that you're confused as to who your girlfriend is."

"Wait…whuuut? That wasn't Lisa?"

"No. She really did look a lot Lisa but that definitely wasn't her."

"Really? Damn. Then who was it?"

"It was my cousin, you lush!" Before Shunsui had a chance to face his angry girlfriend who had just walked through the bedroom door, he felt a hand smack him over the head. Groaning and grabbing where he had been hit, the police chief looked up as Lisa's fuzzy image came into view. "Really, Shunsui! I asked you to hold back on your drinking tonight. I asked you not to get wasted and what do you do? You get shitfaced and harass, Nanao!" It was then that Shunsui realized who he had been talking to earlier.

"That was Nanao? Kami-sama, you two look so much alike. Twins even."

"Yea we do look alike, but if your drunk ass would have been sober, it would have been obvious that wasn't me!" Shunsui groaned again as Lisa took another shot at him. Jushiro stepped in between the couple before Lisa decided to use his best friend as a punching bag.

"Calm down, Lisa. Hitting Shunsui isn't very helpful you know."

"Yeah, I know but he deserves it right now."

"I'm sorry, Lisa-chan," Shunsui said, looking at his girlfriend with shame in his eyes. "I really am." Lisa groaned and ran her hands through her long locks. She hated when Shunsui pulled out that look. It would make her cave every time they had an argument. She sighed and plopped down on the bed beside him.

"Yeah, ok. Whatever." After seeing that she had calmed, Jushiro excused himself from her bedroom. As close as he was to Shunsui, he knew that whatever relationship issues he and Lisa had were none of his business. Plus, he felt that he had better smooth things over with Nanao and make sure that she hadn't been offended.

Lisa and Shunsui remained quiet for a few moments. Shunsui didn't know what he should say and Lisa didn't know how to say what she wanted without blowing up again. Finally after a few more moments, and after Shunsui had sobered up a bit, she felt she could maintain her cool.

"You can't keep going on like this. All of this drinking you've been doing lately. It's too much."

"But you knew that I was a drinker when we first began dating."

"I know that, but you didn't drink nearly as much as you do now. Your standard one drink a day was fine but now you drink 4 or 5 per day? Don't you think that's a little excessive?"

"Are you saying that I have a problem?"

"I'm saying that I'm worried about you. Look, I don't have a problem with you drinking. Up until you became police chief, your only goal was to relax and you could hold your liquor pretty well most of the time. But now, you're drinking way too much and you're constantly wasted. I know you're stressed but you can't keep doing this. You're hurting yourself and you're hurting our relationship. If this keeps up . . . I don't know if we can be together anymore." Shunsui stared into his lover's green eyes and could see her concern. He could also hear the sadness in her voice. He knew that his drinking habits had taken a more frequent turn but he didn't realize how much his drinking upset the woman in his life. He sighed as he pulled Lisa in for an embrace.

"I'm sorry, okay," he solemnly said, resting his chin on top of her head. "I didn't know how much this hurt you. I'm not an alcoholic but I will try my best to cut back, okay? I'll do it for you."

"Thank you." Taking her delicate face in his hands, Shunsui sealed his promise with a tender kiss.


Ichigo

It was a relatively quiet day at KCPD's fifth precinct. The criminals who were currently running amok in the city had not been very active in Squad Five's jurisdictions. The most heinous crime committed that day was a botched bank robbery. Nevertheless, Ichigo remained busy as he read document upon document that pertained to his two high profile cases.

Sitting at his desk analyzing the papers, Ichigo felt frustrated. Nothing seemed to help him in finding Grimmjow or Ulquiorra. Every hot lead the station had been able to collect had ultimately gone cold and it was if neither man had ever existed. But Ichigo knew for a fact that was not the case. Some of the scars that resulted from the beating he had suffered from Grimmjow and his boys still remained with him. Every time he looked in the mirror, the scar on his forehead reminded him of his duty and of a more personal reason to catch the illusive Espada. But what could he do with no information to go on?

"Wow. You look like shit." Ichigo looked up from the papers in his hand to see Uryu standing before him with two cups of coffee in his hands. Smirking, Ichigo took one of the coffees from his friend.

"Yeah, well, you'd look like shit too if you were swamped with cases and had a baby and a marriage on the way." Uryu smirked as he sat in the chair across from Ichigo's work station.

"Touché."

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be out working on cases? And besides, I thought you hated cops."

"I do and yes I should be, but I thought I'd stop by and pay you a visit. I got a tip for you." Ichigo watched with curious eyes and raised eyebrows as Uryu fumbled inside of his sweatshirt. His curiosity piqued when his raven haired friend pulled out a manila envelope.

"What's this?"

"Some information on Grimmjow." A smile spread across Ichigo's face. It was as if his prayers had been answered.

"No way. What is it?"

"Open it and see you idiot." Clumsily opening the envelope, Ichigo pulled out the contents which were high quality photographs of Grimmjow and his associates near a two story, brick house. "One of the photographers I work with took those for me. They are pictures of Grimmjow's new home in Kusajishi."

"Kusajishi? Wait a minute. What?"

"Yeah, I know. I had the same reaction. Why would one of Aizen's men be holding up in a ghetto in a house that even I could afford in a few years. Word on the street is that Tosen and Grimmjow got into a huge brawl and Grimmjow lost his home in Junrinan because of it. Not only that, there is talk that Aizen is planning to demote Grimmjow as an Espada."

"How do you know all of this?" Uryu smirked.

"Oh, you've forgotten already? Surely you remember that bounty hunters can get away with more things than a cop can. More freedom means more information." Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, right, I forgot. So . . . why are you giving this to me? Surely you would earn a lot of commission for capturing Grimmjow, so why not keep it for yourself?"

"You asked for my help right? I'm doing my job as a friend by looking out for you. But then again, there is also the fact that a new and more exciting case has come up for me."

"And there we have the real reason why you gave this away. And here I thought you had grown soft on me." Uryu smirked as he stood to his feet.

"I guess you know me better than I thought. In all seriousness, I want you to succeed in this case, Ichigo. So don't fuck up this time, alright?" Ichigo smiled at the man's sincerity.

"Thanks, Uryu. Trust me, this bastard is going down."


Near the time when she first discovered that she was pregnant, Rukia fell in love with Muramasa. Muramasa was a large baby store located in the shopping district of the Chidoribashi neighborhood. Rukia would often come here after her classes ended at the University of Tokyo to browse the latest that the store had to offer in infant apparel, even though Ichigo insisted that they already had enough clothing for their son.

"Awww look at this," Rukia squealed, holding up an onesie. "They have Chappy pajamas. Isn't it cute?"

"Ummm, Rukia," Orihime said. "Don't you think Chappy is a little too . . . girly?"

"Well, I don't think he'll care," Rukia chuckled. "All he'll care about is being warm. These should do the trick just fine."

"Then you both should love the little Chappy booties and mittens that Uryu is making for you." Almost immediately, Orihime's eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth. "Ooops! . . . That was supposed to be a surprise. Pretend that you didn't hear that." Rukia chuckled and shook her head as she draped the onesie across her arm.

"I can't wait to see you enter into motherhood. You being pregnant ought to make for quite the entertainment," Rukia said with another chuckle. Orihime chuckled as well as she awkwardly put a hand behind her head.

"Aha, ummm, yeah I guess it should be. But . . . ummm . . . I don't think pregnancy is in my future anytime soon." Rukia nodded.

"Ahhh, that's right. You and Uryu haven't even done the deed yet, huh?"

"Rukia!"

"I'm just saying," Rukia said with chuckle. "There isn't anything wrong with it, but I would like to know what you two are waiting on. You have been with him for a year now right?"

"Ten months this Friday."

"Okay, well yeah, ten months. Many couples only wait three months, if that long. So what's holding you back?" Orihime awkwardly fidgeted with her hands and bit her bottom lip.

"I'm just not ready yet. Just the whole thought of sex just makes me blush you know."

"Yeah I can tell," Rukia said with an amused grin as she watched her beautiful friend's face redden in embarrassment. "But if you aren't ready, that's fine. Just know that when the time comes, you have nothing to worry about. As long as you and Uryu love each other and be safe, everything should be okay." Orihime pursed her lips and nodded. "Well . . . unless he's . . . y'know . . . bad at it."

"Rukia!"

"I'm just kidding."

"Oh look, they have a sale on strollers!" Rukia burst into laughter as Orihime hastily walked over to the stroller section, trying her best to change the subject of their conversation.

"Alright, alright, I'll drop the topic. Just slow down, will you? I'm not as quick as I used to be."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

Right when the duo made it to the section, Rukia's phone began to vibrate in her cream cardigan's pocket. She rolled her eyes when she saw that the call was from a blocked number. "Not this again," she said with a deep sigh. Orihime peeped over her shorter friends shoulder.

"It's that creep again? The one who has been stalking you and Ichigo?"

"Yeah, I'm sure it's him. He has not called me in a while. I was starting to think that he had moved on. I was glad of it too."

"Maybe if you ignore him enough, he'll go away."

"I've tried it. It doesn't work. Look, see, he's already calling back." Nevertheless, Rukia once again attempted to ignore him and rejected the call before placing the phone back in her pocket.

The harassment died down as Rukia and Orihime continued to browse the store. However, as the ladies left Muramasa and travelled back to Rukia and Ichigo's apartment in Seireitei Hill, the petite officer received a text notification on her phone. Finally giving up on her ignore strategy and feeling curious as to what it said, Rukia read the message aloud.

"'I do not appreciate you not answering my calls, Honey. I need to check on how our child is doing' – "

"Our child?" Orihime said with a disturbed look.

"This guy is insane," Rukia said, rolling her eyes. "'If you would be so kind, please call me back. I have some nice names all picked out for him and I want to make sure that you are okay with them. Also, I sent you a video for you to keep with you so you know how much I love you. See you soon, Honey.'"

"Kami-sama."

"Yeah, I know right. But I really do want to know what this creep looks like. Maybe then we can catch this idiot."

Rukia should have known from the last time not to click on videos sent to her from Number Nine. As soon as the video played, her mouth opened agape and her breathing became labored. Orihime looked over at Rukia from the driver's seat with great concern.

"Rukia? Are you okay? What is it? Who is it?"

"Oh my god!"

"What? Rukia, what happened?"

"It's Kaien. Kaien is the one who has been stalking me."


A/N: Uh ohhhh.