Hey guys. Sorry for not updating in so long. I've been pretty busy and haven't had much motivation for this fic, but I am definitely going to finish it and it will be done soon anyway. This is a pretty short chapter, so it'll be a quick read. Sorry about that. Hope you enjoy!

Sacrificial Treasure

Chapter X

Mrs. Kawabata peered over the dozens of heads lining up behind cash registers. She desperately searched for the bright haired boy she loved to see so much. After coming face to face with his most drastic drama in life, she now understood why he had asked the questions he did and why he always acted a certain way when he asked them. She had not expected at all that this young man would be fathering a child in a very short amount of time. It just left her completely baffled. Someone so young should not have to take on the enormous responsibility of a life, but that is what he and his girlfriend had chosen, willingly or not.

She sighed. She couldn't see him anywhere. She was hoping to have given him the gift she bought for their baby. She held a bag full of toys, a blanket, and a stuffed caterpillar. She was sure the baby would love it and also that her parents would deeply appreciate it.

She walked over to one of the cashiers, passing many people because she did not have to buy anything. "Hello. I just wanted to know if…" she tried to recall Ichigo's name, but she could not remember. "… um, the bright orange haired boy that works here is working now or anytime soon."

The cashier stared at her with a bored look, obviously not enjoying scanning hundreds of items on a daily basis. "No, he's not working today."

"Oh… I see. Well, could you possibly tell me when he will be working and what hours?" she smiled hopefully.

"I'm not allowed to give you that information."

Her shoulders sagged. She felt defeated. "Alright, well, thank you anyway. Have a great day!"

The cashier nodded in return, evidently not happy enough to reciprocate her enthusiasm.

Ichigo grunted. "Why isn't there anything to eat in this house?" he muttered to himself, looking through the fridge. He decided to temporarily quench his hunger with a glass of water until Yuzu went grocery shopping later today.

He heard the front door open. "I'm home!" his father shouted.

"Hey."

"Hello there, son. Where are Yuzu and Karin?"

"They went school supply shopping and then grocery shopping. They left a few minutes ago, so they won't be back for a while."

"Ah, I see. Alright. It's just you and me then!"

You and me then…

Ichigo's heart went from a normal pace to outrageous one within a matter of seconds. He just realized no one was home but him and his father… the perfect opportunity to talk.

"Uh… so how was work?" Ichigo asked awkwardly.

"Eh… same old same old. Things have been kind of rough lately though," he sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

Ichigo noticed how his father appeared to be stressed. To bring up the looming topic of Orihime's pregnancy seemed so much more difficult now.

"Oh… how?"

"I only have a few faithful patients left. The rest keep leaving me so that's why I'm helping out at the hospital and other clinics, but let's not talk about that! How are you enjoying your day off of work?"

"I've just been bored. Um… can I talk to you about something Dad?"

"Yes, of course. What's wrong?" Isshin asked, suddenly worried.

Ichigo noticed the deeper wrinkles in his father's face. All the stress from work was slowly killing his father and now Ichigo would not make it any better. He felt horrible for keeping something as important as this from his father. He was no better than Orihime when she had done the same.

They both sat down at the kitchen table opposite each other. Isshin never took his eyes off of Ichigo who kept looking down at the table as though he was ashamed of something. Isshin's concern rapidly grew the longer the silence between them stretched.

"Son, what's wrong? You are never like this."

"It's um… me and Orihime."

"Oh… well, I knew you guys broke up months ago. I could read it all over your face. You never told me what happened actually."

Ichigo looked up at his father. He found it somewhat amusing that Isshin knew even though he had never told him. He had no idea he was that obvious.

"We're back together now though."

Isshin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Then why hasn't Orihime come over? She used to come here all the time. I actually really miss her."

Ichigo really appreciated his father's heartfelt words. He knew Isshin truly cared for Orihime as though she were another daughter and he knew that he had to sum up the courage to tell him what was really going on. Beating around the bush was continuing to tear him down and increase his anxiety.

"Well… it's because she…" Ichigo gulped.

Isshin patiently waited for his son to finish his thought, but instead Ichigo turned his face away, not even able to look at him. Now Isshin was genuinely scared.

"Is something wrong with her? Is she sick?" More silence. "Ichigo answer me!"

Ichigo flinched at his father's scream. He knew by not answering the question, he was just making Isshin feel more and more paranoid.

"No… she's not sick," he said, barely whispering.

Isshin relaxed a little. A disease would have been worse than any other news Ichigo could possibly tell him.

"Thank God… then what is it?"

Ichigo had no idea how terrifying it would be to tell the man who raised him that his girlfriend was pregnant with his child. Everything was about to change within a matter of seconds. He had no idea what lay ahead. He decided to at least look his father in the eye to deliver this news to him and when he did, he saw the distress and apprehension dancing across his eyes. He saw the worry and love he felt for his son and it broke Ichigo's heart.

"Orihime is…" He paused and took in a shaky breath, "…pregnant."

All the emotions he had seen on his father's face slowly faded into disappointment. Isshin sighed and put his hand to his face, shaking his head. His silence was killing Ichigo.

"I was so scared you were going to say that."

Ichigo didn't respond, ashamed to even reply.

He heard Isshin sigh again. "You know that this is going to change a lot of things, right Ichigo?"

Ichigo bleakly nodded in response, looking at the floor.

"And how far along is she?"

Ichigo's heart pounded in his ears. It was hard enough to say she was pregnant, let alone say she almost seven months pregnant.

He didn't answer right away.

"How far along is she, Ichigo?" Isshin's patience was beginning to run thin. He had to force himself to stay calm.

Ichigo heard the impatience in his father's voice. "She's almost seven months pregnant."

Isshin slammed his fist on the table and stood up, the chair skidding behind him and falling over. "What? And how long have you known she was pregnant?"

He never got into serious fights with his father. Isshin was only known for yelling ridiculous things which were never relevant to anyone. Isshin was barely ever serious, just being a typically jolly man. The fact that his father was screaming at him, shook him. He couldn't even look at him.

"For about three months…"

He noticed that Isshin was trying to control his rage, pacing back and forth in the kitchen and constantly opening his mouth as though he were about to say something and then closing it again.

Ichigo did not know how he was going to face his father now.

"You know Ichigo… what really makes me angry is that you have known this for three months and have not told me a thing. This is not something that you can take the liberty of hiding from your father for as long as you'd like. Within all that time, you, Orihime, and I could have been discussing extremely important things regarding the baby. Things that are going to have to be rushed now just because you were too scared to tell me… look at me!"

Ichigo looked into his father's cold eyes. They were blazing with anger and even what seemed like hurt. He felt like a child being reprimanded by his father this way. When was the last time his dad forced him to look at him? He realized then and there how immature he had been about this whole thing. His plan of action had been childish and idiotic.

"You and Orihime are both idiots, but especially you. I thought I raised you not to get a girl pregnant this early on in your life. I thought I raised you to use your darn head." He tapped the side of his own head for emphasis. "You guys are too young to be having sex in the first place!"

His father continued pacing back and forth, groaning out loud. He abruptly halted his pacing and turned to Ichigo. He threw his arms up in the air in exasperation. "How are you two going to go school? She'll only be able to stay for one semester and she won't be able to go back for years to be realistic. And you don't have a high enough paying job to raise a child and support Orihime as well. You aren't going to have time for yourself until the child is grown. How are you and her both going to equally spend time with the baby? Are you going to live together? Are you even going to have enough money for that? And what about when the baby is old enough to go to school… how are you going to pay for all those expenses? Do you even think you're mature enough to raise a child? Ichigo… did you ever think of any of these things before?"

Ichigo's mind was mangled with a million different thoughts and the questions his father had just yelled at him. Questions he didn't think he had the answers to. His father was really giving him a taste of reality. Did Orihime even know how much time and money went into a child? At that moment, she seemed just as naïve as himself. The more he thought about his circumstances and all, the angrier he became. How could him and Orihime had been so stupid and careless as to get pregnant? How had they gotten into this situation? Why had he allowed this to happen? He was angry at himself because he knew Orihime being pregnant was completely preventable and partially his fault. And after the mental beating he had just received, he didn't even want to listen to his father anymore.

"Whatever, just shut up Dad! Yes, I have thought about all those things!" he lied. "But somehow, Orihime and I are going to make this work whether you believe it or not! It's nice to know that my own father doesn't believe in me."

"No, I don't! Don't ever think you can believe in yourself because not a single one of us are strong enough on our own. Go ahead and live in your dream world, thinking you can do it, but sometimes things don't work out the way we want them to Ichigo! And from the way you're acting, your immaturity is going to be your downfall!"

Something within Ichigo knew his father was right, but he refused to let that bother him, so he pushed the feeling aside, quenching it. "Whatever. You're not right all the time. You know that, old man?"

"Yes, Ichigo. I do know that. I've had many experiences where I've had to learn that the hard way, but I am not speaking ignorantly now because I have had three children! And for the past ten years have even had to raise them on my own!"

"Whatever, old man. I've heard enough of what you've had to say." Ichigo started walking toward the front door, ready to escape from his overbearing father. He needed to think alone, but before he went outside, he turned toward Isshin to say his final words. With incredible vehemence, he shouted, "Congratulations on having your first granddaughter!" He slammed the door behind him.

Alright, that's it for now. Tell me what you think!

~Yono~