Sorry it's taken so long to start randomly updating ^^; It's hard to keep the stories straight so it's taking me a bit longer to straighten myself out ;p If you're upset about it, there's not much I can do... unless I focus on one at a time and I'm sure you wouldn't like that =) Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!


Chapter 12

Ichigo is bedridden that night, having been so all day long. He's been lying there staring at the ceiling since he awoke, highly pissed off and wanting nothing more than to get up. He can't even raise his head and it's driving him crazy, he's not used to being so weak! Yorouchi is talking to Kisuke, Unohana 'scolding' Mayuri… which is a mild word for 'threatening him with that tight smile'. No one is the wiser when that familiar reiatsu trails in and touches on Ichigo. He's so relieved at the head of teal hair creeping past his windowsill he wants to cry, whimpering as tears threaten to slide down his cheeks. When Grimmjow turns to give him a bright grin, his body littered with injuries, Ichigo finally breaks.

"G-Grimm, what… happened?"

"Shit, Ichi, look at you," the other states guiltily. "I'm so sorry. I should've been here earlier. Oh, fuck, I'm sorry, Kitten."

He hurries over and gathers the smaller male into his arms, sliding to sit behind him on the bed. Ichigo cries quietly, the relief washing through him far too much to push aside as though it's nothing, and Grimmjow holds him tightly as he rocks the other. His nose is buried in orange locks, his voice whispering assurances to a distraught beta, and Ichigo feels more safe than he's ever felt right there in that embrace.

"How's this, do you feel better?"

Ichigo sluggishly nods, sighing in satisfaction and relief as the other's reiatsu does its job on his body. It'll take a little while, but he can feel his strength returning bit by bit. The orangette mewls and snuggles closer, breathing in the scent of his alpha and calming all the more. He doesn't like being without Grimmjow, yet the Shinigami aren't helping matters any and it's pissing him off. How many times has he saved their lives? Shielded them from the frontlines while they watch him getting pulverized without lifting a finger? Is it too much to ask that they save him this one time and allow Grimmjow to stay with him? He doesn't realize that his thoughts are doing nothing but drawing tears from his eyes, his body quivering with his quiet sobs.

"Kitten? Are you alright?" Grimmjow questions in worry.

"Just take me back," Ichigo cries. "Just take me back with you. Please, don't leave me. I… I can't do this anymore, Grimm. I just want to be with you."

"Ichigo," the teal haired male sighs in concern. "Hueco Mundo isn't a place for pregnant submissives… it'll only make things worse for you. You need to stay here, as much as I dislike the idea."

"No, please. Don't leave me here."

"Don't worry, I'll be back…"

"Grimmjow, please! I don't want to stay here anymore, I want to be with you," Ichigo sobs harder. "I don't like being observed, hovered, treated like a girl, lying around too weak to move, and told constantly I'm not supposed to be feeling what I'm feeling. I know what I feel, I know what I want… why is that so hard for them to swallow? I just want to be with you. Take me back, stop punishing me. I promise I'll be good, Grimm, I promise I'll follow the rules and won't complain about going home anymore. Just please… take me with you."

"Ichigo, this isn't about punishing you. Hueco Mundo will be even more stressful for you and you'll have a miscarriage. Is that what you want?" the older male sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "This is familiar territory to you, you feel safer here where you know all the ins and outs. Szayel told me I have to keep you here for the time being. Just stay calm. All that stuff you don't like is going to happen no matter where you are."

"But I'll have you in Hueco Mundo," the amber eyed teen murmurs. "They won't let me have you here… they keep saying I'm not really in love with you."

"Kitten, we both know the truth, right? That's all that matters. Don't let them brainwash you, okay? Now… I have to leave…"

"No! God, please no!"

Ichigo's grip on him becomes tighter, almost frantic, and Grimmjow is sorely tempted to just take him back. Obviously this place wouldn't stress him out as much if the Shinigami weren't pissing him off, yet Szayel is right. It's very rare a pregnant Hollow actually carries all the way… or even survives it's pregnancy in the vicious sands. Ichigo needs to be here.

"Ichigo, where'd my strong beta go? Where's that fire in your eyes that I fell in love with?"

"It went away when you left me here," Ichigo growls. "Take me back to Hueco Mundo."

"Well, it's good to know not all that fire is gone," he chuckles. "I need to go before they find me. If they know I'm visiting you, they'll make sure I can't… you won't survive that Ichigo."

"When will you be back?"

"I… don't know," Grimmjow sighs. "I honestly don't, Kitten. Szayel said he'll take care of things from here on out. I trust him to do as he says… he'll get us together again."

"I love you," Ichigo murmurs.

"I love you, too, Kitten," he smiles softly. "That'll never change, no matter what the Shinigami say. You're the most important thing in the world to me."

He leans down and kisses his mate, wrapping him in his arms and holding him close. The reiatsu within Ichigo's abdomen, that of the cubs, is weak and wavering. If he doesn't get Ichigo alone within his next two visits, that reiatsu will unravel. He'll just have to trust Szayel, that's all he can do for the time being. There's no way in hell he can fuck his precious mate while Shinigami litter the area. He holds Ichigo just long enough for the smaller male to fall asleep in his arms, and carefully tucks him into bed. His submissive has regained his tan complexion and his reiatsu has evened out in content, so there's no doubt he'll be stronger for a couple days more. he hurries out the window before he can change his mind and 'kidnap' his lover, growling in frustration at the shit he's inadvertently putting that gorgeous beta through.

Kisuke yawns and glances over at the small screen to his right, almost falling backward out of his chair at the sight of the Espada Ichigo now cuddles up to. Just to be on the safe side, he had installed some camera in that room while Ichigo bathed. At his jerk of movement, Mayuri glances up in boredom. A huge grin takes over his face and he makes a move to dart into the room, the blonde immediately grabbing his haori collar.

"No," he hisses in a whisper. "Look."

Carefully, he presses a couple buttons. The screen changes as he uses a special filter to draw up their reiatsu, the black and red of Ichigo's swirling violently as a blue colored aura contains it. It's surprising, how easily Grimmjow's reiatsu can encircle and contain Ichigo's, yet the two sit to watch curiously. The blue reiatsu doesn't invade the orangette's body at the slightest touch as they had assumed, but quietly gathers and bottles up the black and red mass of volatile emotion. Afterward, it slowly soothes the bundle of spiking reiatsu. Once the mass of black and red is still enough, the blue reiatsu starts pushing its way passed and into Ichigo's skin. Shinji was right, it's more than just touch… there are steps and an enormous amount of control they didn't see coming. To be able to contain the orangette's wild reiatsu is something not even its owner could do, let alone all those within Seireitei.

"I hate to say this, old friend," Kisuke mutters in disappointment. "But I think Ichigo really does need that Espada."

"I hate it when we can't invent something to bypass these situations," Mayuri sighs. "That would be much easier than convincing the So-Taicho of his needs."

"Agreed."

"We could always just let him kick the bucket and I could experiment on him!"

"Mayuri," Kisuke growls in warning.

"Or I could go talk to So-Taicho while you watch over him," he mutters unhappily.

"Much better! Oh, wait… let's turn on the sound," Kisuke comments curiously when Ichigo breaks down.

'Grimmjow, please! I don't want to stay here anymore; I want to be with you. I don't like being observed, hovered, treated like a girl, lying around too weak to move, and told constantly I'm not supposed to be feeling what I'm feeling. I know what I feel, I know what I want… why is that so hard for them to swallow? I just want to be with you. Take me back, stop punishing me. I promise I'll be good, Grimm, I promise I'll follow the rules and won't complain about going home anymore. Just please… take me with you.'

'Ichigo, this isn't about punishing you. Hueco Mundo will be even more stressful for you and you'll have a miscarriage. Is that what you want? This is familiar territory to you, you feel safer here where you know all the ins and outs. Szayel told me I have to keep you here for the time being. Just stay calm. All that stuff you don't like is going to happen no matter where you are.'

The two frown and look to one another once more, worry in both their eyes though for different reasons. Mayuri will never admit it, but the orangette has grown on him in a way no one else has… he actually respects the little brat, though he shows it with increasing interest and teasing. Kisuke, on the other hand, sees Ichigo as a nephew if not a son. To see such a powerful warrior break down is almost surreal, but to listen to their enemy insist the younger male stay here… that's just unforeseen.

'I love you.'

'I love you, too, Kitten. That'll never change, no matter what the Shinigami say. You're the most important thing in the world to me.'

Mayuri is up and heading toward the basement in half a second, Kisuke sighing miserably as he wonders how important his student is to Seireitei. He may have gotten beneath all their skin and wormed his way into their hearts… but they've always been good at sacrificing what they love 'for the good of Seireitei'. With a snort of derisiveness, he turns off the screen and heads over to check on the sleeping teen. It's not that he thinks Grimmjow may have harmed him, that comment was far too sincere for disbelief, it's just that the smaller male's health seemed to return and he wants to know by how much.

Ichigo wakes with a yawn and a deep stretch the next afternoon, the sleep he managed to linger in helping to heal him up. Disappointment and sadness drape over him like a lover intent on hurting when he finds Grimmjow gone, his amber eyes dropping to the blanket before he forces himself to get up. Yorouchi is gone today, Unohana back in Seireitei, and Shinji is the only company he has. Shinji is an alpha, like Grimmjow, and Ichigo finds himself gravitating toward the other. He needs comfort and this is his 'pack' leader, this should be his comfort when his alpha is gone. Shinji is sitting at the low table for lunch when Ichigo drops down on his lap without comment. He's startled at first, but gives that piano-toothed grin once everything clicks in his head.

"Hello, Ichigo!" he chirps happily.

Ichigo mumbles a greeting back, burying his face in the other's chest and sighing in defeat when he can't find the muscle he normally does in Grimmjow's. The feeling of safety wraps around him like a blanket, though with Grimmjow that feeling is definite and unwavering.

"You should eat," the blonde comments as he holds half a sandwich to the orangette. "Here, it's yummy!"

With a soft growl, Ichigo takes the offered food and eats quietly. Shinji's long fingers running through orange silken strands to soothe the other, the teen purring loudly at the action. That's how Kisuke finds them, the room filled with the loud purring as Shinji attempts to stifle his laughter. He raises a curious brow as he joins the two, his unasked question hanging on the air.

"Ichigo needs to feel safe at this point," the Visored answers. "Since his alpha isn't present, he'll turn to the pack leader… that's me. Any other alpha will only make him feel threatened. Although he's usually feisty and aggressive, his pregnancy will only make him clingy."

"He'll be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Shinji smiles. "The cubs are another story. He's not intimate with the sire, so they'll eventually die."

Ichigo's eyes widen at that, a sniffle sounding before he starts to cry silently. Realizing his mistake, Shinji gasps and tries to brighten the other up unsuccessfully. The shopkeeper is frowning, his mind trying to formulate some sort of plan to help his young student. The more Shinji tries to soothe the vibrant haired male, the worse his sobbing gets. He's still crying when Unohana enters the room with Byakuya and So-Taicho, amber eyes holding a mixture of sorrow and rage land on them.

"It's all your fault!" he snaps. "You did this! How could you? What did I do so wrong that you'd do this to me?"

"Ichigo, you need to calm down," Shinji frowns. "This isn't good for the cubs."

"What does it matter!" he bawls as he stands up. "They're not going to live because of them anyway! I knew I should've made Grimm take me back with him! At least they cared!"

The orangette hurries down the hall to his room, slamming the door and blocking his tears from the others. It's only a moment, and then everyone turns to the blondes at the table for an explanation. Shinji shakes his head and looks to the table, Kisuke taking that time to inform the others. However, as they're passing on information… Ichigo is sneaking out his window and running away.

Szayel glances up at his screen in Los Noches, doing a double take and letting his jaw drop at the scene he's getting from Ichigo's collar. The other is moving quickly, heading away from the shop. He looks around, struggling with what he should do next, and finally hurries off to locate Grimmjow. He stops on a dime, growling at himself as he remembers that Grimmjow is out with Nnoitra on a patrol for fighting Vasto Lorde. He feels like pulling out his hair at that, yet runs off once more.

"Stark!" he yells. "It's an emergency!"

Ichigo stops by the river, gasping for breath as he stumbles to his knees. His chest is on fire, his middle assaulted by stabbing pains, and his vision is beginning to blur. He shakes his head to straighten his vision, forcing himself back on his feet and heading for the bridge. He needs to get away from Karakura, away from the Shinigami ruining his life; he just can't do this anymore. The cars whiz by, drawing wind past to beat against him, and Ichigo finds himself struggling to stay upright. He leans against the railing heavily, his breathing coming more difficulty as black begins to eat away at the edges of his vision. A truck speeds by, the wind too much as he assaults his weakening body. He trips and slams against the railing, toppling over the side and plummeting toward the water below. Just as his sight begins to fade into unconsciousness, he sees a blur below him.

Ichigo wakes in a familiar bed, his heart leaping to his throat at the thought of being with Grimmjow once more. he's a bit upset he's not back at home, yet he's not about to leave his alpha's side again… the last time didn't go very well. Footsteps outside Grimmjow's room… their room… sound and he grins excitedly. His dominant is here to take care of him, to take care of the cubs so they won't perish. When the door opens, however, his grin falls in confusion. Stark is standing there, lazy eyes gazing on the baffled teen.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

"Where's Grimmjow?" Ichigo asks immediately.

"He's not here at the moment, he's out with Nnoitra patrolling," the brunette comments. "May I step closer?"

The teen nods at once, knowing the Espada well enough from his time there to know they won't harm him. Stark walks closer, leaning against the wall beside the bed and turning his head to look at the smaller male.

"Where were you off to, Ichigo?"

"… Anywhere but there," he murmurs quietly. "I don't like it there. I asked Grimmjow to bring me back here, but… I guess he needed time to think about it before coming back for me. I hope he's not mad."

"He didn't go back for you," Stark remarks. "I caught you before you fell in the water and I brought you here… Grimmjow doesn't know you're here and I'm sure he'll be pissed once the shock wears off."

"He… doesn't know?" Ichigo pouts. "He doesn't want me here."

"He wants you beside him, but he also wants your health during this time."

"The Shinigami were going to let them die," the teen whispers sadly with a look to his abdomen. "Grimmjow was going to as well, wasn't he? He didn't want them."

"No, he wants them. He can't very well give you what you need with all those Shinigami waiting to run him through, so Szayel was working on getting you alone with Grimmjow. We're doing all we can."

"Just keep me here…"

"That's up to Grimmjow."

"He won't let me… he doesn't want me anymore."

"That's not true; he just has other things to take care of. It takes a lot to keep the peace relatively high in a world made for violence."

"… I guess."

Stark pats the smaller male on the head, a warm smile on his lips before he heads for the door. Ichigo begins to get panicky, the brunette stopping at the door and turning back at the feel of the spikes in his reiatsu.

"I'm just going to get Szayel," he informs. "You'll also be needing something to eat."

"No, just stay here," Ichigo pleads. "I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be," he smirks. "Girls."

Three girls hurry into the room, all of them jumping to the bed to encircle the vibrant haired teen. Mila Rose, Sun-Sun, and Apache grin at the orangette happily. He lets out a sigh of content, smirking at them before lying back down. He knows these three; they're okay to be around. As he lounges in the midst of the trio, Sun-Sun rubs his abdomen and Apache runs her fingers through his hair. Mila Rose watches the door intently, her muscles coiled and ready for attack at the slightest threat… she's the alpha female of the bunch. Szayel walks in a bit later with Stark, who's carrying a tray of food. A familiar reiatsu begins to swell in the area, but not strong enough that they need to worry. Grimmjow is still a long way away… not that Ichigo likes that idea.

"Ichigo, running off like that was a very bad idea," the pink haired male sighs. "You didn't have enough time to make a break for it before you started weakening. The more activity to put your body through, the faster Grimmjow's reiatsu wears off."

"I didn't know," he murmurs. "I just wanted to get away."

"I know, but… how could Grimmjow find you if you suddenly left the one place he can find easily?" he stresses. "The longer you're out the weaker your signature gets; eventually it would've been too weak to catch."

"I'm sorry."

"Just don't do it again, you scared us."

The concern in those golden eyes has Ichigo regretting his rash actions, he didn't mean to upset anyone… he just needed to get away. He nods his agreement at the request, never raising his eyes as they watch him. At his brief period of sulking, Szayel checks him over. After the quick check up, he stands back and hums in irritation. The Shinigami may have been trying, but they're not the most adequate at providing for his needs.

"I need to get a few things," he murmurs in thought. "I'll return shortly."

As Ichigo watches him leave, concern starts to brew within him and tighten around his chest. The girls lying with him frown at the behavior, knowing the pink haired male well enough to know something is wrong. That familiar reiatsu pulses stronger, Ichigo grinning happily as his own unconsciously reaches for Grimmjow's. That's when the teal haired Espada's reiatsu explodes in worry, anger, happiness, and lust. Stark looks up quickly, his own eyes widening slightly as he moves closer to Ichigo. Hopefully, being nearer the other's mate will lessen the injury he's likely to receive. Grimmjow sonidos to them, throwing his door open with an echoing bang as he turns furious cyan orbs on the only alpha in the room. Their blood runs cold and Ichigo cowers away from the other instinctively.


Oh boy, right back where he started. Good thing I decided against him just plain running away and getting lost in the forest, or Grimm wouldn't have been able to find him and the cubs would've died T^T You can thank me later =)