Okay, here we go! Next update requested was Dream! If you don't like mpreg, just stop reading right now. Obviously, you should know by now that my fics have a 90% chance of turning into an mpreg, so I don't want to hear any whining =( So, now that I've given that away becuase I hate people reviewing just to tell me I ruined a perfectly good fic, let's keep going!

Shiro: what's that sayin' ya heard the other day?

Ichi: 'It's better to write for yourself and have no following, than to write for a following and have no self'. XD

Vae: Exactly! I write for myself, not the readers. That's what fanfiction is all about! =D

Ichi: I think some people forget that. =(

Grimm: Speaking of writing for yourself... You're gonna put in something good for me, right? =3

Vae: Don't I always =)

Ichi: They're all against me, I just know it! It's a conspiracy! DX


Chapter 11

The group took little time to figure out the basics on shifting, mainly because Shiro was such a… motivating… teacher. Once they managed to get it down, the group had to go to Seireitei for the okay from So-Taicho. They wait quietly for Grimmjow to open the Garganta to the living world, where Shiro will be opening a Senkaimon for them. Honestly, in four years you'd think the Shinigami would find a faster way to do this.

"What's with the backpack, Grimmjow?" Nnoitra questions.

"Uh… job stuff."

"Really?" Hallibel comments blandly. "So, your job consists of frilly maid outfits?"

"How the hell did you..?"

"I bought one!" Nelliel cheers. "It's so nice and sexy!"

Grimmjow slaps his forehead in disbelief, glaring at Hallibel before pointedly looking toward Ichigo. That's all he has to do and she knows what the outfit is for, a minute smirk of mischief laying upon her lips before she looks away. Nnoitra snickers at the orange head's expense; although he makes sure it's quiet enough Ichigo doesn't hear. He's not stupid enough to piss off that particular alpha bitch.

"Are we almost there?" Ulquiorra asks.

"It's just up here," Shiro responds. "Be careful, though… I normally get a fuckin' entourage when I open a Senkaimon ta Seireitei."

"Can't imagine why," Ichigo snorts derisively.

Shiro sends him a dirty look, yet says nothing. There's light up ahead and the group steps out into Seireitei, stopping before a small group of Shinigami. Ichigo can see Renji and Rukia standing beside Byakuya, Soi Fon scowling at the gateway, and Yachiru running around Kenpachi happily. The giant's grin gains in hope and bloodlust at the enlarged group of muscle before him.

"Brought some friends, Princess?" he teases.

"Shut the fuck up! I told ya I ain't no fuckin' princess!" Shiro snaps. "I need ta see the So-Taicho 'bout the Arrancar… I been playin' 'gain."

"Great," Soi Fon growls. "More of your kind to muddy up our view of life. I told So-Taicho Kurosaki would be nothing but trouble… then he gave birth to you to prove me right."

"Ew, that's just wrong," Ichigo mutters.

Grimmjow agrees wholeheartedly, a shiver of disgust running down his spine. Ichigo is enough trouble; he can't imagine taking his mate when the orange head had a kid to go along with him. Byakuya quiets the others, waving a hand to motion the group to follow. Ichigo's always liked Byakuya, as he's level headed and has learned not to judge based on the rules thanks to Rukia's misfortune long ago. Soi Fon follows the former Espada, her eyes peeled for any aggression only to be disappointed. Kenpachi scoops Yachiru up, however the minute he gets close enough to Grimmjow… the little girl leaps onto his shoulders instead. Since they live so much longer, these four years have shown no growth at all in the small pink haired girl… or Toshiro, much to his dismay. At first, Soi Fon tenses with Byakuya and Kenpachi lets loose a warning growl. Grimmjow, however, merely smirks at the little weight upon his shoulders.

"Hey, small fry," he comments.

"Hello!" Yachiru grins largely. "I'm Yachiru!"

"I'm Grimmjow, but Kitten just calls me Grimm. If that's easier for you, go ahead and call me that."

"… Kitten?" Kenpachi murmurs in question.

Ichigo's face lights up as Shiro points to him not so discreetly, the violent orange head planting his elbow in his copy's stomach as hard as possible. Shiro drops like a rock, arms around his wounded gut and whining like a dying animal. Kenpachi lets out a roar of a laugh at the admission, tears gathering in his eyes as he tries to wipe them away from the covered one.

"Awe," Yachiru squeals. "Ichi-kitty! That's so cute!"

"I'm not the one with the feline release," Ichigo scowls.

"Yeah, but you're the one that got a pet name first," Grimmjow points out.

Ichigo growls at the unfairness of it all, hanging his head and kicking Shiro just because he can. The poor abused copy whines, getting up and retreating to Gin's side with a pout. Now that his pet name has been leaked to Yachiru and Kenpachi, Ichigo will never live down this blow to his pride. The others snicker at his humiliation as Yachiru repeats her new name for Ichigo in a song, Grimmjow grinning in self-satisfaction as he reaches for Ichigo hand.

"This is your fault," the smaller grumbles.

"Probably," Grimmjow agrees happily. "But you love me anyway."

"… Unfortunately."

With a heavy sigh, Ichigo and Grimmjow step into the meeting hall of the Taicho. Byakuya must've sent a signal to the others, because all talking has stopped… and Yamamoto looks as though he's about to have a stress induced heart attack.

*Hmm, * Ichigo muses. *Must've been the signal for 'Kurosaki is in trouble again'. *

"Kurosaki," the old man grinds out. "Once again you've managed to send chaos through Seireitei with just your mere presence. What might be the reason for this random upheaval?"

"… Wow… I feel so wanted," Ichigo mutters petulantly.

"Actually, Ichigo's just here so I can keep an eye on him," Grimmjow smiles. "My bitch is a magnet for tro… oomph!"

Ichigo sends Grimmjow a warning glare after punching him, the larger male rubbing his stomach as Shiro laughs at him. Yamamoto holds a sympathetic expression, which only irritates Ichigo more. He's not a magnet for trouble, he's just… a little more popular!

"Anyway," Grimmjow grumbles. "I didn't want to leave Ichigo alone with his ex-boyfriend remembering him, but I had to stop by and catch you up on current events."

"Yeah, but," Renji starts. "Ichigo wouldn't need to stay with you all the time if he…"

Hallibel and Nelliel immediately cover the red head's mouth, trying to look as innocent as possible while also throwing a warning gaze at all the others. No one challenges the expression, though many show their confusion and hesitance. Ichigo sits down on the floor; for some reason he's been feeling increasingly tired since he got back. Grimmjow glances down at the feeling of weight against his legs, raising a thin brow.

"You okay, Kitten?" he questions.

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that here," Ichigo sighs quietly. "And I'm fine… just a bit tired."

"I want Szayel to give you a checkup when we get home," Grimmjow frowns. "Which leads me to why we're here. Shiro partially evolved the others; they can shift forms and lost their appetite for souls. I'd like them to stay in the living world with Ichigo and myself."

"And why should we allow that?" the old man inquires. "I allow you to stay because you're Kurosaki's lover… I have no reason to let them stay."

Ichigo lets his head fall back against Grimmjow's leg, the conversation stopping once more so the larger male can check on his mate. Ichigo's eyes are closed and he seems to be asleep, so Grimmjow turns his attention back to the Taicho… though worry begins to fill cyan eyes. Hallibel decides to take the reins at that point, keeping her tone calm and collected.

"There is more to us than you think," she states. "His Hollow instincts and even abilities are foreign to all of you. Even now he suffers from an ability all submissive Hollows carry, yet you say nothing… you realize nothing. He needs us to get through this new stage in his life; you cannot help him no matter how much you may want to. If you won't do this for us, do it for him."

"I don't believe you," Kurotsuchi sneers. "There isn't a single thing about Hollows that I have not figured out through my extensive research. They are merely animals."

"Watch it," Nnoitra snarls. "Just because we're more civilized doesn't mean we'll take your fucking insults lying down, arrogant bitch!"

Grimmjow holds up a hand, eyes never leaving Ichigo's form. He can sense the other's discomfort, can feel the exhaustion lingering about Ichigo's body, and the other's reiatsu has leveled out… something that never happens. Ichigo's signature is always twisting and active, spiking erratically at random intervals.

"Szayel, something is wrong," Grimmjow comments. "Ichigo's reiatsu doesn't feel right."

"He is fine," Hallibel comments. "It's nothing that demands immediate attention. As I said before… these people cannot help him, as they know next to nothing about us. Ichigo doesn't respond well to them in the first place, so he'll respond even less when they try to lead him through something they've never experienced before."

"Kurosaki has done just fine without all of you," Soi Fon snaps. "He would've done even better had he not been weighed down by that poor excuse of a demon in his head!"

"Fuck ya!" Shiro hisses. "He would a done fuckin' fantastic witout all a ya fuckin' up his life in the first place, so don' say shit 'bout me! I was a side effect a yer damn arrogance nearly killin' 'im! In all retrospect, I'm here 'cause a yer actions… ironic, ain't it?"

"Enough!" Grimmjow bites out in a feline growl.

Everyone quiets immediately, all eyes on the man exuding such a dominating aura even the most powerful Taicho are stricken by it. It's obvious Shiro's play had sent a spike of power through Grimmjow that far surpasses what the Shinigami are used to facing… surpasses even that of Aizen. A trickle of fear spirals through them at the lingering thought, yet it's squashed quickly when Nelliel smacks Grimmjow upside his head and he sends her a petulant look.

"Don't do that!" she huffs. "It scares me when your reiatsu slams out with no warning!"

"… Sorry," he pouts. "This meeting is just getting out of hand. I want it over so I can take Ichigo home and get him some help."

"He's probably got the flu," Kurotsuchi scoffs.

"Once more, you only prove my earlier point," Hallibel sighs as she shakes her head. "It's quite obvious what's wrong with him, his reiatsu practically screams it… he's pregnant."

Silence fills the room, long and still like a graveyard. Everyone jumps in surprise when Grimmjow whoops ecstatically, however, sending Nell to hit him again. Slowly, everyone pulls themselves from their dumbstruck states. Kurotsuchi is first to comment, outraged he could miss anything so monumental in his studies.

"That is highly impossible!" he snaps. "I have studied Hollows of both male and female persuasion; there is not a single reason to believe they can even give birth at all! From what I've learned, they have no way to reproduce!"

"What an idiot," Nelliel scoffs. "Every animal can reproduce."

"Ichigo's a male!" Yamamoto sighs out in frustration. "Men cannot reproduce in such a manner! Your weak attempts at drawing forth reasons for me to allow a small army of ex-enemies and questionable allies to live among humans are wearing thin on me!"

"… They really don't know anything about Hollows," Szayel murmurs. "How truly fascinating! To think that they would hunt something they deem animal without even knowing such basic information."

Grimmjow growls in warning, the others stepping away and standing down from the argument at hand. Yamamoto is truly impressed at Grimmjow's ability to keep these vicious creatures in line with just a look… he can't even do that with his Taicho. Ichigo's body shifts against Grimmjow's leg, falling sideways to the floor with a quiet thump. The larger male drops to his knees in worry, scooping his mate into strong arms.

"Szayel!"

"I'm on it," the pink haired man replies in a sing-song tone.

"This meeting is over," Grimmjow growls. "I'm taking him back to Hueco Mundo for now. If you need to talk, that's where you'll find us."

"Hold on a moment," Byakuya comments. "Perhaps the So-Taicho was being a little rash and jumping to conclusions. I may have a suggestion to appease you both, if you'll listen."

"Quickly."

"Obviously, our barriers stand made of misinformation and unfounded facts," the raven almost purrs out. "Why don't we take a couple days to share information? We'll set you all up in a residence within Seireitei, Unohana can provide assistance to your… medic… and we'll decide on how to handle everything in two days or so."

Grimmjow stills to think it over, a thoughtful purr rumbling from his chest unconsciously, and then glances to the others. A quiet murmur from them all and their leader sets cyan orbs back on the Shinigami, providing a curt nod of agreement. Byakuya gives a polite smile to the So-Taicho.

"Shall I lead them to the training grounds Grimmjow resided in before?"

"… Yes, that should do fine."

"Unohana, would you like to accompany us. I'm sure they'll want to check Kurosaki over immediately," Byakuya announces.

The woman with long raven locks braided over her chest nods, her small smile never wavering as she steps up beside Nnoitra and Ulquiorra. Byakuya steps in front of the group, leading them out of the meeting hall and toward the hidden training grounds Ichigo had used on his rebellious invasion of Seireitei. The house Urahara had set up for the couple is still standing untouched, possessing more rooms to house the other Espada… obviously, Kisuke's been looking ahead as usual.

"Wow, nice digs," Nnoitra murmurs. "Who's dick did you have to suck to get this?"

"No ones," Grimmjow comments. "Ichigo went into heat, I got stuck as a feline, and everyone was going fucking nuts! We were placed here to keep Seireitei from tearing itself apart looking to claim my Kitten's ass."

The other blinks in response, nodding slowly at the revelation. Females have always been dangerous to deal with during heat, yet Ichigo is young and vulnerable… he probably had no clue what was going on, so Grimmjow had to pick up the slack. It was more than likely the smartest thing the Shinigami have done when dealing with the fiery orangette.

The group heads inside, Grimmjow immediately taking Ichigo into the master bedroom they made their home once before. Ichigo is laid on the bed, Szayel and Unohana ushering the others out quietly to get started. They don't dare kick out the feline, however, as his glare is enough to put someone down for weeks without hassle.

"How's Ichi doin'?" Gin asks his lover.

"He's fuckin' pissed," Shiro shrugs. "I had ta tell 'im what was goin' on wit the meetin' while he was out… mental speech durin' everythin'. He's ready ta tear the Shinigami down wit one blow…"

"I meant about the pregnancy," the silver haired male sighs in exasperation.

"Oh! Well… I didn' really tell 'im 'bout that part," the copy states sheepishly. "I don' like bein' the bearer a bad news wit Ichi… he likes ta hit first an' ask questions when ya get out a yer coma."

Gin grumbles under his breath about his mate's lack of courage, yet knows he would've done the same. Grimmjow was the dumbass that took Ichigo for his mate, he's the dipshit that knocked him… he can suffer the little pistol's wrath. The two wait with the others as they listen intently to the motion in the other room, muffled by the closed door. Shiro mentally checks on Ichigo once more, finding him snoozing quite happily on a roof. The sun highlights his orange locks, sending warmth along his tan skin as he stretches. He hadn't told Gin the complete truth, as he's not that scared of Ichigo's wrath… he's dealt with it enough. The problem actually lies beyond current events. Ichigo doesn't know it now, but it's likely he won't carry the baby full term. Shiro was hoping no one noticed his condition, as they would only mention it. When the time came, Ichigo would take the loss much harder.


Lmao! i loved that line! 'He likes ta hit first an' ask questions when ya get out a yer coma' XD Anyway, hope you liked the update. I had absolutely no clue what to write before I threw in the mpreg. I couldn't get it out of my head, so Ichi became preggers. Not fair to him, but I'm liking it so far! I also had another idea for a fic... but sadly, I'm not writing it T^T Jail Bird is turning out to be longer than I anticipated, I caught writer's block for that fic, and I'm back on writing Life (which has only a single update left in the pool, but isn't over yet). Now, Life or Dream? Those are your choices, happy reviewing ;p

Shiro: I told ya not ta make Ichi preggers in this fic, now look what's gonna happen! He's gonna die inside 'cause he's gonna lose it!

Ichi: I'm gonna what! 00

Grimm: Shut the fuck up, Shiro! You don't know what's gonna happen! D=

Shiro: I don' have ta know! I can feel it! She's gettin' hostile! DX

Vae: I'm getting what? =(

Shiro: ... Nothin'. *pouts*

Vae: That's what I thought!