"Hey girls!" Grimmjow looked over the food approvingly. Someone had clearly decided to set them up with a full English tea. Instead of sushi and sashimi, they had little sandwiches, tarts, bars and buns. He loved fish but the occasional sweet assortment was nice too. And the deep black tea, softened with cream, would go perfectly with the sweets. Lifting his gaze from the spread he smiled at the girls around the table. They'd already gotten into the food, picking out their favorites. He would do the same soon, but first he had a few things to say. "So I have some good news, sort of. It's about the Shinigami Men's Association." They all looked at him curiously and Yachiru stopped chewing on her bun. "Szayel told me during my checkup. He was there when some guy named Iba showed up and begged for funding. Szayel used a lot of big words, just like Tosen, but the gist was they're even more useless than we are and won't be getting a clipped copper." All the girls laughed and Grimmjow grinned.

"Is anyone getting funding?" Matsumoto asked and Grimmjow had no idea. Soi-fon did, though.

"Yes, he's funding the calligraphy society, the literacy initiatives and the philosophy society. His own pet projects, essentially." She said and Grimmjow nodded. Not that Tosen's picks were bad, really. From what he'd gotten from Renji the Women's Association really didn't do much useful stuff, not that he would say that to them.

"Well, that's funny but what about the calendar?" Yachiru asked, finishing off her bun and grabbing some tarts. Grimmjow pulled out his pictures.

"Good progress, very good. I've approached a publisher and they're interested in doing it for a cut of the profits." He'd brought Byakuya along for that, figuring that the publisher wouldn't dare try to cheat an ignorant arrancar with a powerful noble along. He'd been right about that, the cut they were asking was quite reasonable. "Take a look." He knew they would like the pictures and grinned as they clustered around, oohing and aahing.

Byakuya's picture was the most tasteful of the lot. He was fully clothed and sitting by the side of the meditation pool. It was a carefully staged picture under the light of the moon, and he was in profile. Truly artistic, lovely and only mildly damaging to his reputation. And if the Kuchiki council of elders dared make anything of it, he could simply blame it all on Grimmjow. Grimmjow wasn't sure he would, though. Byakuya had a lot of pride.

The other pictures quickly went risqué from there. Findorr's picture showed him leaning against the edge of a pool, the water teasingly hiding anything interesting, his six pack on display. His come hither smile was pretty good. Ggio's was amusing as hell. He was lying on his back with Soi-fon giving him a belly rub and offering him a smoked sardine. You could practically hear him purring and her smile was wicked. Abirama was doing a rather athletic pose, showing off his physique. Grimmjow admired it briefly. Abirama was a bit bulkier than his usual taste but not bad.

Nemu had failed to get a picture of Ishida, but Szayel had been delighted by the thought of exposing all the Seireitei to his perfection. The Octava was lying on a bed, on his side, a blanket artistically hiding anything untoward. His chin was propped on his hand and he was smiling seductively at the camera.

"Oh my god! Are we really going to use this?" Matsumoto laughed as Isane hid her eyes, turning red. Soi-fon just stared, her cheeks going rather pink. Grimmjow grinned widely. He knew exactly the picture they'd found.

"There's another one in there if that one's a bit too much." It was Ichigo's hollow. He was wearing a half mask of bone and a wicked grin, lying on the bed, propped up with pillows. A thin blanket was over his hips but that didn't do much good hiding the erection he was sporting… or the fact that his hand was under the blankets, teasing himself. Grimmjow felt his insides tingling at the memory of what had followed right after that picture was taken. It had been wonderful. Matsumoto flipped to the next picture and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Ichigo's hollow was still in bed, grinning cockily, but his hands were laced behind his head and his cock was not saluting the camera.

The next picture made Nanao smile in pleasure. It was Kyoraku, an arm around his Cirucci-chan and a bottle of saki in his hand. His clothing was in disarray and Cirucci was trying to escape, which made it all rather humorous. There were a few pictures with him alone as well in various poses. They would have to pick which one to use, but Grimmjow favored the one with Cirucci. It was just too damned funny.

The picture of Renji was a shot of his back, his tattoos on display, with him glancing over his shoulder with a smile. Grimmjow thought he looked great and honestly wondered if he would be interested in something. Of course, the problem with that was Ichigo and his hollow. They were grudgingly accepting Byakuya but adding a third, well…

"These are wonderful! It will be a great calendar!" Yachiru said enthusiastically and Grimmjow grinned before biting into a lemon tart. "We'll have funding! What will we do with it? Do we have any ideas?" She asked before glancing at him, but the Espada just shrugged.

"Got me. Not like we need it for candy." Just to spite the shinigami, Grimmjow had taken to using his chit with Tosen to buy Yachiru candy. The local candy shop clerks were starting to greet him by name. They'd always known Yachiru. "Maybe we should try to do some charity work in the Rukongai. A lot more orphans than usual lately." He observed and the girls winced a little. True, the conflicts were mostly between gangsters and Tosen's forces, but the civilians often got caught in the crossfire.

"Grimm? Are you here?" He looked up in surprise at the muffled voice. "I can't find the door!"

"That's because it's a secret door." He said easily before going to answer that questioning voice. Ichigo was there, looking a touch put out. "What's up?" Grimmjow asked, letting him in. Ichigo blushed a little as he realized he'd intruded on the ladies' meeting.

"I've just come to be with you. Renji shouldn't have left you alone." He said a touch crabbily and Grimmjow grinned.

"Pft! He escorted me here and left me with a half dozen shinigami, including the leader of the Onmitsukido. D'you really think someone'd try for me here?" He said playfully. Even Yachiru could probably hold off an assailant long enough for Ichigo to arrive. With Soi-fon in the room, no one would even get close.

"They have to leave eventually, Grimm. I'm staying with you." Ichigo said firmly before grabbing a cushion and joining them at the table. He helped himself to the tea and a tart and Grimmjow shrugged, going back to his spot. He'd actually been planning to call Kurosaki when the meeting was done and get Soi-fon to stay until he arrived, but this worked too.

What happened next was a girly discussion of various things, mostly how their lives were going with the various arrancar they'd been assigned to. Soi-fon and Nanao didn't have much to say but Rangiku made up for it.

"Oh, he's actually sort of a dear. Not really my taste, I prefer the strong, silent type – " The big breasted woman playfully leered at Ichigo, who choked on his tea. Grimmjow's eyes narrowed and he growled softly. He didn't think she was actually serious, though. "Still, it could be worse. He's quite handsome and good in bed!" She laughed, bouncing a touch. Grimmjow saw Nanao looking away and sighed to himself. She was probably envying her friend's good fortune.

"What's it like living with Starrk? Is that lazy bastard actually managing to stay awake long enough to screw your taichou?" Grimmjow asked Isane, who turned bright red and stammered.

"Grimmjow!" Ichigo punched him in the shoulder and the Espada blinked at him before rubbing the spot. "That was offensive." He said severely and Grimmjow ran over it in his mind.

"I shouldn't have used the word 'screw'?" He hazarded a guess and Soi-fon suddenly laughed. Soon all the girls were laughing, even Yachiru. "Oi, what?" Grimmjow felt completely baffled by this. He hadn't thought he'd said something funny.

"We forget that you arrancar are complete strangers to polite society." Soi-fon said with a smile before sipping her tea. "Have another tart." She advised him and Grimmjow shrugged before taking a lemon tart. They were very good. "What is it like living with Starrk, Isane? Barragan has some unflattering things to say about him." Grimmjow could imagine. One thing Barragan was not was lazy and he had no tolerance for that kind of behavior. The fact that Starrk was stronger than him would make it annoy him even more.

"Oh… he's very nice." She said, her blush receding a bit. "He's very kind and just wants to sleep most of the time. Sometimes he plays chess with Unohana." Grimmjow mentally put Starrk and his consort into the 'boring' folder in his mind. "He did go with us to the opera once." That made the arrancar frown. What was opera? "He fell asleep and started snoring until Lilynette punched him awake."

"Hah! That's Starrk." He said cheerfully. "What's opera though?" He had no clue at all. Ichigo laughed, picking out a sandwich and taking a small bite.

"Ask Byakuya and you'll find out." He advised and Grimmjow flicked his ears thoughtfully. That sounded a bit like a trap but he was very curious. Maybe he would ask.

The meeting wrapped up after that and they all had to say goodbye. Several of the girls stopped to give Nanao hugs before they left. There was an ugly bruise on her left cheek and Grimmjow honestly wished there was something he could do for her. He wasn't stupid enough to think he could take on Yammy, though. Was there anyone who could?

"Not my problem." He muttered to himself. That would be up to Cirucci and Shunsui to figure out, if they could. His main problem was Rukia. Halibel's fraccion would be going to Los Noches tomorrow so he'd be finding out about her soon. "Hey, Ichigo?" He said, remembering that picture in the calendar. The one of his hollow. "Would you be up for some midday sex?" He asked hopefully and the shinigami choked.

"You are horrible!" He said before abruptly pinning the Espada to the wall and attacking his throat. Grimmjow moaned softly at the pleasurable pain. "And the answer is yes." He breathed and Grimmjow shivered a little in anticipation.

"There's something new I want to try. I'll explain it when we get there." He murmured, giving Ichigo a feral love bite. The teen looked at him with smoldering brown eyes. It was so different from the determined glare he'd always used back when they'd been fighting, yet so much the same. He wondered what Ichigo would think of his idea, though.

It didn't take long for him to find out. They went back to his rooms and Grimmjow got a bottle out of the dresser. He'd gotten it just for this activity, from a discreet little shop in the Rukongai. Ichigo was already getting undressed but paused, giving him a curious look.

"What's that for?" He asked and Grimmjow gave him a naughty grin, trying to hide his nervousness. He'd never done this before and he knew it could be painful.

"I was wondering if you might want to try the backdoor." He said casually and Ichigo's eyes widened as he realized what the arrancar was suggesting. "The trick is a lot of lube, and you have to take it slow. So tell that hollow of yours no rough stuff, or I'll have to kill you." He cautioned and Ichigo swallowed.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked hesitantly, his brown eyes uncertain. Grimmjow shrugged.

"I've done it before, but from the other side." It had been a sure fire method of birth control, so he and his wife had done it a few times when a child would have been very inconvenient. So he knew it felt great for a man, but it was definitely tricky for a woman. "I'd like to give it a try."

"Okay." Ichigo sounded a bit breathless, fascinated but also scared. Grimmjow grinned and pulled off his yukata, letting the silky fabric pool on the floor as he slid onto the bed, taking a hands and knees position. His pregnant belly wouldn't be in the way for this, not at all. Ichigo joined him on the bed, taking the lube and spreading it heavily on his fingers.

Grimmjow tried to stay relaxed as those fingers found his entrance. For an arrancar, that portion of the anatomy was generally left unused. They didn't make waste like humans and shinigami did. But it was still a faithful reproduction of the human body, and it wasn't designed to take things in. It felt very strange, as Ichigo's fingers stretched him out and explored inside him.

"So tight…" The teen murmured and Grimmjow glanced over his shoulder to see him swallowing. "Is that enough?" He asked, his voice a bit breathy and the Espada considered it.

"Yeah, should be fine." He did still have some hierro to protect himself. That would probably make a difference. "Nnngh." Grimmjow groaned as Ichigo began easing himself inside, his cock forcing past that tight ring of muscle. The teen was well lubed, which definitely helped but it still felt… weird. A touch uncomfortable. Then Ichigo slid a hand in front and began stimulating his cock, which suddenly made it a whole lot better. "Oh yeah." Grimmjow groaned as he felt his pussy getting wet. Then Ichigo began to move.

The pressure inside him was starting to feel good. Not the same way his vagina did, not even close, but good. Grimmjow moaned softly as Ichigo sped up, taking him a bit harder. Most of the hybrid's weight was on him and his arms were trembling a bit with the effort of holding them both up, but he didn't care. He'd gladly trade that for the hand on his cock, and the other that was tweaking his nipples. He needed that stimulation, needed it desperately. If he was going to cum from this, those sensations were critically important.

"Oh my god Grimm… you're so tight…" Ichigo sounded like he was losing his mind and Grimmjow chuckled harshly before deliberately clenching his muscles around the teen. "Ah! Don't… do that…" He panted and Grimmjow relaxed, wincing slightly at the burn he'd caused himself. Not the smartest idea, tightening those muscles.

"You feel good too…" He said, groaning as Kurosaki kept taking him. This was never going to be his favorite thing, but for now it was working. And it got better when Ichigo let go of his dick, dipping his fingers inside his folds. "AH!" That double penetration was really good and Grimmjow felt his pussy tighten, the heat building inside that said he was close to cumming.

"Not yet…" Ichigo breathed in his ear and Grimmjow whimpered before closing his eyes, moving away from that edge. Kurosaki was enjoying himself and wanted to stretch it out. He'd do his best to comply. Ichigo pulled his fingers away, leaving him feeling bereft. He wanted that sensation back.

His arms were trembling and his body was slicked with sweat when those fingers found his folds again. Grimmjow gasped, as they dove deep inside him, reaching for that elusive spot. Then he screamed as Ichigo's cock filled his ass and the teen's fingers found his g-spot, pressing remorselessly on that sensitive ball of nerves. He bucked like a restive horse, his body going taunt with pleasure as his orgasm rolled over him. Ichigo cried out as the Espada's walls tried to smother him, and after a few quick thrusts he followed, filling the arrancar with his seed.

They stayed joined together for a moment, too exhausted to move. Then Ichigo slowly pulled away and Grimmjow let himself slump down, resting his head on the bed. Cum dripped from his ass, sliding down his thighs, but he didn't care. It was expected really.

"Ow!" He suddenly jerked in surprise as a hand smacked him right on the buttcheek. "What the hell, Kurosaki?" He asked, shocked and a little offended. The teen looked very sheepish.

"Sorry. My hollow just… really wanted to. Sorry." He said feebly and Grimmjow sighed before shaking his head.

"Tell him that just because you rode my ass doesn't mean he can smack it." He said grumpily, but he wasn't really that mad. It was sort of amusing. Turning on his side, he stretched out and smiled as Ichigo joined him, resting a hand on his belly as he did. The kids weren't kicking, but they were feeling active and Grimmjow sighed as he felt them squirming around. "You might want to sleep in your own bed. I'm going to have trouble sleeping." He was sure of that. When the cubs were squirmy, it was always hard for him to sleep. Ichigo shook his head with a smile.

"It's okay. I'd rather stay with you." Ichigo said and Grimmjow met his eyes, surprised. They were warm and tender, loving in a way no hollows ever would be. Warm arms encircled him and the Espada almost purred as he felt the strength there. It felt so good, being held and protected. He knew he was safe, safe with the sire of one of his cubs. "I love you, you know." Ichigo said very quietly and that made Grimmjow go completely still. Love?

He knew what love was like, of course. The old man hadn't married his wife for love, but they'd been a good match and it had gone that way. So he'd experienced love, although it was back in his human days. That warm, comfortable feeling was nothing like the intense ups and downs he'd experienced with Kurosaki. Wanting to kill him had been a kind of passion, though, and transitioning it to the other kind had been easier than he'd expected. What they shared was so intense, but there was tenderness in it too. Did he love the orange haired teen?

"I love you too." He whispered back before nuzzling Ichigo. Yes. This was love. Not the same as the way he felt for Byakuya – that was closer to what he'd felt for his wife, so long ago – but it was love. A more hollow kind of love, full of burning passion and fights for dominance. But that was good. He wanted that, needed it. Those arms tightened around him for a moment before Ichigo nuzzled him back, giving him a love bite on the throat. Marks there were becoming a constant, these days.

Displays of ownership, and Grimmjow wouldn't have it any other way.

Rukia sat in the windowsill, looking out over the ruins of Los Noches.

The sunlight was blinding, painting the sands and towers in a cruel relief. It looked hot out there, burning hot, and despite the promise of pain the tiny shinigami longed for it. She was so cold, so very cold.

Cold. Everything about her 'master' was cold. His wing was kept at a chilly temperature and constantly damp from the swamp gardens he enjoyed. Rukia could admire them and if she'd still been in the Seireitei, she'd have liked visiting and seeing the strange plants, the exotic amphibious hollow-like creatures and the curious bamboo structures. It was a good place to visit. She hated living here.

Rubbing her arms, she turned away from the tempting vista. She was not allowed to leave the Espada's wing. It was a direct order through her collar, so she couldn't disobey. Biting her lip, she wondered if he would come for her today. Rukia honestly couldn't decide if she wanted his presence or dreaded it, and that almost horrified her.

The Espada was rough with her. He hardly bothered with any preliminaries, pinning her down and fucking her as the mood came to him. Fortunately, that wasn't very often. Unfortunately, that was because he was constantly away. Rukia was used to being alone, but not to this degree. She literally saw no one and nothing for weeks on end. There were no numeros, no fraccion. The only other presences she could detect in Los Noches were adjuchas class hollows, waiting to be evaluated and possibly taken to the spiritual plane to have their masks cracked. She didn't want to talk to them but… she would have, if she'd had the chance.

"So alone." Rukia murmured to herself, absently pacing. There were books, but she'd read them all so many times she'd practically memorized them. Then she stopped as she suddenly felt something unfamiliar. Arrancar? And they were in Zommari's wing! For a moment she felt a wild hope but it was quickly tempered with caution. It was unlikely that another arrancar would harm something belonging to an Espada, but it was possible.

"Rukia-chan!" The voice was completely unfamiliar but it was female. It sounded loud and strident and Rukia was completely confused. You couldn't evaluate personality on nothing but voice, of course, but this person sounded like someone Zommari would hate on principle.

"It's san, not chan, you idiot." The next voice was female too but it sounded… prissy. Rukia was irresistibly reminded of one of her etiquette instructors, after she'd joined the Kuchiki clan. "Chan means 'cute' and it's reserved for close relatives and – umph! Get your hands off me, you barbarian!"

"Can you two stop being idiots? We need to get in and out before Zommari finds us." The third voice said and Rukia blinked. Another woman, and this one's voice sounded warm and pleasant. She hesitated a moment before venturing closer. "Rukia-san! Byakuya sent us." That wiped away any hesitation and she practically ran towards the voices.

"Nii-san sent you?" She demanded as she ran through a doorway. The three arrancar gave her a startled look and she saw they were indeed three women. None of them were Espada level but they were far from weak. "How is he? Is he alright?" She asked, anxiety in her voice. Byakuya was strong and he would never submit to an arrancar willingly. What had they done to him?

"He's fine." The arrancar with the warm voice assured her. "I'm Mila Rose, by the way. This is Cyan Sung-Sun and this is Apacci." She pointed to her friends and Cyan nodded, a sleeve against her mouth. Apacci gave her a mocking salute, grinning. "We were sent here by Grimmjow to retrieve some items for him and see how you are." She added and Rukia frowned. That made no sense.

"Grimmjow? Why would he care about me?" She asked. As far as she could see, that Espada could have nothing to do with her and her brother. Apacci laughed as Cyan sighed, and Mila grimaced as she ran a hand through her hair.

"Well… it turns out that he is actually a she." She said cautiously and Rukia stared. "Or rather, something in between. Grimmjow kept it quiet because being a woman is just a pain in the ass for hollows, and he looks like a man anyway. He's pregnant with your brother's child right now."

"And Kurosaki's too. Promiscuous cat." Apacci said, then sniggered. Both her companions gave her a disgusted look but Rukia just tried to digest the news.

"What did he do to Nii-san?" She asked, appalled. They must have forced Byakuya to comply. There was no way he would have slept with Grimmjow, of all people!

"Nothing. Your brother is fine." Cyan said and Rukia gave her a look like she was an idiot. The arrancar just gave her a calm, placid look. "Apparently all the logical heirs to the Kuchiki clan were killed. The elders sanctioned the union, so your brother decided he had to provide a new heir."

"…Oh." Rukia muttered. That, she could actually see. Byakuya did have a strong sense of duty and he'd ignored the entreaties to marry again for a very long time. He'd justified it because there were several good, strong clan members in place to succeed him. If they'd been killed… well, that changed things. Still, an Espada… and one that looked like a man? That was beyond peculiar. And the elders had sanctioned it?

"But we're not here for him. We're here for you, and we might not have much time. How has Zommari been treating you?" Mila Rose's eyes ranged over her, looking for any signs of abuse as Rukia bit her lip. "You don't look too bad. A bit thin though."

"The food isn't very good." Rukia said, reminded of the other thing she hated about living here. The food had been better in the Rukongai. All she had here was bread and water. But that really wasn't the worst of it. "And I'm just so alone here." She didn't mean to spill her misery on these arrancar, who had once been her enemies and probably didn't care. But there was no one else and she just needed to talk. "I'm alone here, all alone. There's no one to talk to, nothing to do. I've read all the books…" Tears were filling her eyes and she couldn't help it. "I think I'm going crazy." She almost whispered. The three arrancar exchanged glances.

"Stupid Zommari. Thinking that just because he can live in an empty room for weeks on end, everyone else can." Apacci said as Mila gently patted her on the shoulder. Rukia sniffed, rubbing her eyes, grateful for that small contact.

"He says he's meditating but I think he's just trying to bounce his two brain cells together." Cyan said with a sniff and Rukia couldn't help but smile. That was pretty funny. "Well, we can't stay too long. How often does Zommari show up?" She asked and Rukia shrugged.

"It's pretty random but no more than once a week." She said and the arrancar exchanged a look of disgust. "Sometimes once a month." She'd been tracking the days by putting marks on the wall, so she knew it sometimes took him that long.

"Ugh. We'll try to visit you when we have more time." Mila said then winced as Apacci planted an elbow in her head.

"Oi! What if Zommari catches us? We'll get in trouble for sure!" She demanded and Cyan sighed behind her sleeve.

"He won't dare hurt us, we belong to Halibel. The worst he'll do is forbid us to come into his wing." She said as Mila shoved Apacci off her head, growling threats. "So we'll just have to be cautious. I'm very good at reiatsu sensing, unlike you two." She said with a bit of smugness and the two other girls were distracted from their squall.

"What did you say?!" They both demanded and Rukia's smile widened as she watched them. She never would have thought she would enjoy watching three arrancar girls bicker like children, but it felt almost normal. She'd bickered with Renji and Ichigo exactly the same way. That thought gave her an idea though. She had these three here, if only for a short time.

"Can you tell me what's been happening to Ichigo and Renji?" She interrupted the squabble. "Did you say that Grimmjow is having Ichigo's child?" That was an even greater shock than the Espada bearing her brother a child! Ichigo and the Sexta had always hated each other with a fiery passion, or so she'd thought. And she was quite sure Ichigo had been interested in Orihime.

After that, they spent the better part of an hour catching her up on the gossip. Rukia was very relieved to find out that most of her friends were well, although some of the casualties saddened her. The loss of Juushiro hit her especially hard. The kindly taichou had been a special friend to her for a time. One part, though, was particularly amusing.

"Chad is such a dear. The strong, silent type. He carries all my bags when I go shopping!" Cyan said cheerfully and Apacci snorted as Mila rolled her eyes.

"And if you go shopping anymore, Halibel is going to tear your head off. You went over your allowance three times in a row." Mila Rose said, a hand on her hip. Rukia smiled, amused by the interactions.

"I don't know why you bother with all those fancy kimono and yukata. It's not like you can wear them on duty anyhow." Apacci said and Cyan sniffed.

"There's more to life than duty, Apacci. And Chad loves me in them, I can tell. Toshiro turned absolutely red when he saw me in my new lounging robe! They both have crushes on me, I can tell." She had her back to Mila Rose, who made a 'she's nuts' gesture by her ear. Rukia had to hide a laugh. Apacci didn't try, sniggering loudly. "What's wrong Apacci? A frog in your throat?"

"More like a snake." She said with a grin and Cyan's eyes narrowed. But Mila interrupted before another brawl could happen.

"We really do need to get going, we have duties for Halibel. But we'll try to visit again, and maybe bring one of your friends." The arrancar assured her and Rukia nodded, feeling almost touched. These one-time enemies were going out of their way to help her and it could potentially cause them harm. Not a lot of harm, maybe, but some.

"Thank you." She watched them go before going back to her place at the window. But with their visit fresh in her mind, Rukia had plenty of things to think about. What would a child between Ichigo and the Espada look like? She smiled a little as she realized she was going to be an aunt. What would that child look like? Would it be a boy or a girl?

It was a lot to think about and that would keep her occupied for a while.