ZOMG Okay, I have enough reviews now that I'm gonna do something I never do.
I'm going to answer them in the chapter rather than in person. DJ Kiyone, que the review music of the chapter for me!
Kiyone: (dons her DJ outfit and throws "Dress" from Trinity Blood into heavy rotation) Got it boss!
kyoudragon
this is a really cute story I love all the side pairings you have in here can't wait for your next Installment of a chapter.
Thanks, I appreciate all the love. Its a rainy day right now and real life is rough, I could use it.
my renji-kun Best...smut...ever
you are not allowed to take as lond as you did to update this one D:
hurry
Unfortunately, I have Search Co to work with on Soucon MUSH. I'll have an ad for it up on my table of contents page on (plug plug). Just look on my main page soon.
Also, the amount of detail and thought that makes these chapters so great is part of what holds the updates up longer than most other stories. If I were to rush, then it wouldn't be as good as it is.
Tara Kitaide
Great as always! I love your story!
Hey, did you get the mark thing on Ichi's hand from Naruto? It just reminds me of when pery sage was teaching Naruto the Rasengan is all.
Shippuuden IS coming to America, but only the manga. T.T They hope to get to the end in the manga by December and Start Shippudden by January of next year.
Were only about halfway done with the anime so we still have a long wait. T.T I WUV DA NEW CHAPPY! Please update when you can!
Oh!
And when is Ichi gonna have his baby?! I can't wait! X3
Yes I got it from Jiraiya, thanks for the clarification on release dates for Shippuden. Shinigami gestation is three months. So far for Ichi its been ten days. I'll end up with time skips further down the line, but for now, let the chapters crawl. Trust me, it will be worth it.
And remember, Ichi's a man. Unless Unohana checks him out (and he won't go to her unless the symptoms become a problem,) he's not going to realize what's happening to him.
Ichixrenji-smexy love
OMG YAY! I love the kink! -Gives you many yaoi muffins- And the Hanatarou Rekichi paring is love.
Thank you for the muffins. (Munches) mmmm... blueberry.
wierdchick
Yay! you updated! I like the Rekichi/Hanatarou pairing, I'm glad Shunsui wants to keep the baby, I loved the little Renji/Ichigo scene you squeezed in there - and even though Gin and Aizen are evil bastards...I kinda feel sorry for them.
I like it too, or I wouldn't have done it.
Yeah, I don't think Shunsui would try to get rid of the baby. He's just too nice, and besides, its his precious Jyuu-kun! Think of it this way, you love somebody so much you'd do anything for them, but you don't think they'll be around much longer. And then they start to get better, they /will/ stay. And you get a second chance. That's what this is to Shunsui, a second chance to get things right.
Yeah, they're evil. But what happened to Gin is called poetic justice. Don't worry, my plot involves him getting his kid. This chapter paves the way for a psycho Gin later on. Remember this little thing called mood swings? Remember Karin's premonitions? S'all I'm going to say in the matter.
HunterKai
oh! AiGin! AiGin! Total rutting... Love that!! And the ReTarou pairing is also so unexpected (just like the quote from Clow Reed-sama... hahha yes, i know that too). But I wanna know what happens to Ichigo's kid, when will they find out?? And Jyuu's kid!! And ByaRyuu!! What will happen to them next?
Okay, that was me down there (points to the other HunterKai review) I couldn't log on because of this damn trojan that got into my comp, and I had to protect and change my passwords. Anyway, good job and keep it up!
And btw,
what'll happen to Tousen??
AiGin, and yes, rutting was the point. Sometimes lovemaking gets boring, that's why we have kink and rutting. (ebil grin) And yes, that's the point of this fanfic. I'm going to have so many plot twists you're going to be dizzy, and I'm going to keep you guessing whenever possible.
Ichigo's kid? I'll answer that question in reply to the last review I list today. Can you wait a few lines? Jyuu and Shunsui are both gonna keep the baby, and if Shunsui has his way it'll be a /biiiiiiig/ family. Plus, now that Jyushiro's body is healing itself, he'll be able to be uke soon and carry children instead of Shunsui. But that's more likely to happen a few years down the road.
Uryu and Byakuya will get their little one towards the end of the fanfic. I can only track so many couples at once!
I've had Trojans before, they suck. I'm sorry to hear you had to change everything.
Tousen, I have more plans for him. Like I said with Uryu and Byakuya, not all endings are happy ones.
////Authors note: HunterKai left a second review. I've condensed these together./////
zeldagamefan
very good chapter aizen and gin man smex very hot loved it
I love hot mansmex too. I almost got a nosebleed writing my own chapter.
As always, Emperess Satori sends the longest but most thorough review for the latest chapter.
I'm so happy for Juushiro and Shunsui! They're finally getting their happiness. And Mayuri needs someone to take him down a peg... or 10,
lol. Glad someone's willing to take that job!
Rekichi and Hanatarou, ne? That was a surprise, but it's cute so I'm all for it. And Rekichi's helping Hana-kun improve so I'm happy about that too.
So sweet:D
And Ichigo... I take it his kidou's not properly working cuz of the baby.
poor thing still doesn't know he's pregnant... better enjoy his fun times with Renji (as in getting whipped cream licked off his hair lol) as much as possible... cuz hell cometh soon if he doesn't figure it out!
And Gin... I do believe I know the reason as to why you can't get pregnant.
KARMA YOU LITTLE !! Honestly, that's what he gets... getting Izuru pregnant 3 times and then making him lose those babies... he nearly broke that boy.
he doesn't deserve to have kids really. Man their child's gonna be messed up in the head if they manage to have one... twisted thing.
And Tousen's officially a Vaizard... poor guy... seriously wanna know what happens to him!
BTW, thanks for explaining all the intricacies of the different pregnancies that occur. It was really helpful! And does that little skit mean you're adding Grimmjow (not as Aizen's breeding stud) and Ulquiorra into the mix?
Can't wait for the next chapter!
To start from the top down. I'm sick and tired of Jyuu/Shun that always ends in Ukitake dead and Shunsui mourning! Those two have such vibrant personalities they don't deserve what they get!!! (sniffle)
Oh yes, give Mayuri several blows to the head. But you'd probably be cranky too if you hadn't eaten since breakfast and only had four hours of sleep.
Ichigo not being able to do kido? You hit the nail on the head. His body is drawing his energy inwards, not out.
Oooooooh yes, not just Karma, poetic justice. But this time, Satori, they over did it, and Gin and Aizen are going to learn the hard way, "Be careful what you wish for." At the expense of three lives. Yeah, Karin's not the only one biting the dust by the end of the fic. S'all I'm going to say.
On Tousen, well... his inner hollow knows where to go to get him out of danger. He's only going to interfere if it seems that Tousen can't save himself. (if you recall, Ogichi only came out when Ichigo was in /really/ bad danger.) And neither Suzumushi nor said inner hollow wants him to die so... he'll be alright. They'll run into Shinji's gang soon enough. As for the limited vision? Its heat vision. He's seeing the infrared radiation of his environment. So technically he's still blind.
elwing59
nice ending. well in a kinky kind of way. but when are ichigo and renji gonna find out about their child? I hope it's soon. oh and I think Hanatarou and Rekichi make a kawaii couple! please update again soon!! I love this fanfic!
Oh yes, I was in a /very/ kinky mood. And you know... this is the chapter they'll find out in!
Hanatarou and Rekichi do indeed make a cute couple. I saw him bringing Hanatarou to heal Renji-kun in the manga and I thought they would be cute together. And that Rekichi could help Hanatarou improve his fighting skills a little.
Okay, one last item. Any reference to an herbal medicine or plant is drawn from All the Plants of Pern, online index, found at... the herb called willow salic is known to doctors as Salicylic acid, Asprin. And its a good thing Ichigo /doesn't/ take it in this chapter. It won't hurt the child, and it will help his headache, but his stomach is another story.
Yep, for all of you who were wondering, this is the chappie where Ichi finds out he's pregnant, and for the first time in this fic all hell breaks loose...
It was predawn in Izuru and Shuhei's apartment. And the first of the day's minor emergencies was about to begin. The burning sensation in his midsection woke Shuhei from where he was snuggled next to Izuru.
His eyes shot open. Shuhei rolled over. He was wet between the legs. Shuhei squinted in the predawn darkness. Blood?
A shriek nearly shattered Izuru's eardrums. "IZURUUUUUUUUU!!!!" Shuhei squealed. "i'm bleeding! Heeeelp I'm bleeding!!!!"
Izuru groaned, rolling out of bed and pulling on the lower portion of his Shuhaksho. "Shuhei come on... lets get you to Unohana's..."
"But the child! Izuru how can you be so..." Oh yeah, don't forget the moodswings on Shuhei's part.
Moodswings, an appitite the size of a horse, morning sickness, headaches that only large amounts of willow salic seemed to cure, hotflashes and frequently going to the bathroom had become common occurences in the small apartment they shared.
Izuru took it in stride. He'd gone through the first month of pregnancy before Gin had had him abort. And he knew what was going on. He could take Shuhei to Unohana, but he didn't have to worry.
For the past month Shuhei's body had been making a womb and a birth canal to support the developing child, and their growth had finally reached the outside of his body, hence the sudden flow of blood. If anything it showed that things were going exactly as they should. (1)
Izuru wrapped Shuhei in a blanket, grabbed a spare set of robes, and lifted the crying fellow Lieutenant onto his shoulder. It took a quick flashstep to get to Division Four's Infirmary, the cobblestones pink in the dawn's light. "Unohana taisho!!!!" Izuru called out when he entered the waiting room. "We have a problem!"
"I'm coming!" Unohana came from the officer's quarters, still in her night dress. "Oh dear, its still part of a week early. Come on Shuhei, its nothing serious." She turned to Izuru. "Follow me."
She led them to a hospital room with a big window. The bed had towels laid down on it to catch the blood. "Shuhei... shuhei get a grip..."
Shuhei tried his hardest to stop whimpering. But his midsection and groin were burning. And there was blood. The only reason why he wasn't bawling and screaming was that he could sense the child still inside of him, and that it was still very healthy. Sensing that he choked down his tears. "What's going on?" He asked, still sniffling slightly.
"Your body made a womb and a birth canal, and the birth canal reached the surface today. That's the blood." Unohana explained. "Another four days and the first trimester will be up for you. Izuru, stay here with him until the bleeding stops. I'll have Isane come with hot water to clean him with when he's finished. The area has to be cleaned afterwards or it will get infected."
Shuhei flushed. "Can't Izuru..."
"He can and he will. For now, my division needs breakfast. I'm leaving you a Hell butterfly to send for me in case something goes wrong. And one of my nurses will be coming in in half an hour to help you." Unohana turned to a single burner, filled a kettle with water. "This is for heat compacts Izuru. There are towels for them in the cupboard above the sink. I'll bring you breakfast when this is over."
Ichigo was /not/ likely to want breakfast for a long while. He was warm and snuggled in Renji's arms.
It was the headache that woke him first, it felt like somebody was hitting his head with a hammer. He reached for the willow salic (2) in the bedside drawer and realized he needed a drink to take it. Coffee would be more than welcome right about now, but the drink was rare in Soul Society. Coffee bushes were being cultivated, but would not bear coffee beans for a long while. (3) Besides, they were part of some experiment the 12th division's agriculture and botanical studies department was running to see if they could raise them. Therefore, no coffee.
Nope, chai tea with cream and sugar would have to do. Ichigo's stomach did a tiny knot when he smelled the chai tea. But he ignored the twinge, he'd been getting tiny nauseous twinges for the past three days, it was probably nothing.
All it took was one sip and Ichigo's stomach roiled. He slammed the cup down next to the kettle and bolted for the bathroom. As it was, he barely arrived in time before he retched into the toilet, violently.
A strong arm encircled his waist, another hand rubbed his back. "Ichigo..." Renji's voice crooned comfortingly in his ear. "Are you okay?"
"Sick..." Ichigo grunted as he spat into the toilet.
Renji kissed the back of Ichigo's neck, still rubbing at his back. "How about we take you down to Unohana?" He asked softly, gently. "You've been complaining of headaches the past how many days anyway?"
"Since I got here." Ichigo grumbled softly.
"Then lets see what's wrong okay?" Renji asked gently. "We'll get you some plain rice to eat and then go see her."
"No, we go see her now, get some stomach medicine, and eat a breakfast that actually has /flavor./" Ichigo corrected.
"Suit yourself." Renji chuckled, looping an arm around his mate's shoulder. "Although, you may want to go in something other than your bathrobe. I seem to have left some hickies last night, and not just on your shoulder."
Ichigo squeaked and smacked Renji with a towel hanging on a nearby hook.
"OW!"
Ichigo hung up the towel and dragged Renji to the room they'd shared last night to get dressed.
A few minutes later the two were ready to go, and started off at a steady shunpo for fourth division. Ichigo had more than his chance to think. They'd stayed at 13th last night in his room. Why was this happening?
His hand drifted down to the charm he was wearing under his shuhaksho, and Ichigo blushed remembering the night he'd first slept with Renji.
Renji and Ichigo came to a sliding stop out front of the fourth division. Ichigo's stomachache was almost gone. But he wanted to go in regardless. Too much weird stuff was happening with his body to not see Unohana.
Hanatarou was just coming out of the doctors area, stretching and yawning away after breakfast. "Huh, Ichigo, Renji-san. What are the two of you doing here?"
"We came to see Unohana if she's there."
"She's always here." Hanatarou replied. "She's seeing Hisagi-fukutaisho and Kira-fukutaisho now."
"Why? What's wrong with them?"
"you mean you haven't heard? They're bonded, and Hisagi-fukutaisho is pregnant! He slept with Tousen, but Tousen used an antibonding potion so that they could make the break clean. He didn't know that he got Hisagi-san pregnant, but Kira-san stepped in and bonded to Hisagi-san so that Hisagi-san wouldn't get hurt!"
"So Hisagi's getting a check up?" Ichigo had met Shuhei a few times, he seemed like a pretty nice guy.
"Um... I wouldn't call it that."
"Then what would you call it?" Ichigo asked as he moved past Hanatarou.
"I'll take you to her, but you really shouldn't look in on them. Really its a very bad idea." Hanatarou babbled worriedly as he led them to the room where Unohana was checking on Hisagi and Kira.
Ichigo walked in and took a step back. At the same time Shuhei spotted him and squeaked. Blood also was absorbed by towels covering the lower portions of the bed, which was tilted to allow the blood to drain.
Ichigo turned green again, as nausea rolled over his insides. "Scuse me..." He turned around and covered his mouth to keep from throwing up.
"Hisagi-kun, you didn't tell me you were expecting." Renji said politely.
"It was... ah... I wanted it on the down low... ehhhh... Kira lighter please!" Izuru was cleaning the opening, dabbing at the blood with a cloth soaked in hot water. "Its been almost a month...ah! Izuru careful!" Hisagi whimpered.
"Hush. I've got you, and if you held still you wouldn't need me to push so hard." Kira growled.
"Its sensitive!!!" Shuhei quivered.
"I know." Izuru sighed. "I'm trying the best that I can."
"Its sensitive Shuhei." Unohana warned. "It will be for the next day or so. Remember, your body just finished creating an entirely new organ." She turned to Ichigo to explain. "Male shinigami have a gestation of about three months. Towards the end of the first month their body finishes building a womb to hold the child and a birth canal to let it out when the child is brought to term." Unohana explained. "When its finished, the wall between the external parts of the body and the birth canal lysses, and the result is a burning sensation and the bloody mess that Izuru's cleaning up."
Ichigo flushed. "Um... what does lyssing mean?" (4)
Unohana rolled her eyes. "When a cell or series of cells lyses it means that they break down into their original components, the protiens that create them. They're destroyed from within by a small amount of enzymes that they store up. Normally this is a bad thing, but in this case the cells themselves lysing isn't something to worry about, its even necessary." She looked over towards the couple. "But a lot of male Shinigami find themselves bleeding and get frightened, thinking that they've lost the child. Its only when they sense the energy signature still there that they calm down."
Ichigo took a look over her shoulder at the couple. "So why would Shuhei want to keep this quiet? He can't forever."
"Because the child isn't Kira-san's, its Tousen's." Unohana's face was filled with pity. "Shuhei said goodbye to him, a little too intimately. A private farewell was probably what Hisagi-san needed psychologically, but if he hadn't bonded to Kira-fukutaisho, he'd be in serious trouble about now."
Ichigo nodded, realizing the sort of trouble that could be if it were known.
"So, what's happened with you two?"
"This is the second morning in a row Ichigo's woken up with an upset stomach, bad enough to make him throw up. And he's been complaining of splitting headaches." Renji explained. "We've tried Willow salic for the headaches, but it doesn't completely work. And with the nausea, he can't take it at all now."
Unohana peered at the two of them. "I see." If Ichigo was the one Renji was buying the charm for, he should have gotten it made custom. "Follow me, lets see what's wrong with you, Kurosaki-fukutaisho." She led Ichigo into one of the nicer exam rooms. Inwardly the healer snickered, he'd need somewhere to faint on if he passed out. She already had a sneeking suspicion of /exactly/ what had happened.
As soon as Ichigo was seated on the exam bed, she brought out a scanner crystal and started checking him over. Ichigo gulped at the gaze she turned on him. "Increase in appitite?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Hmm... any unusual increases or decreases in riatsu. I know yours tends to be unstable but try to think."
"I was doing an exercise Rukia gave me, and it fizzled." Ichigo was getting really worried now.
"Unusual twinges of the abdomen muscles?"
"After practices yes." Ichigo was getting /really/ nervous now. How was she guessing all of his symptoms before he even /told/ them to her?
She's scaring me now. Ogichi observed. Think she's psychic or something?
Unohana sighed in disgust and held out the crystal, stained a pale pale blue. "Here's the problem. You're pregnant."
"SAY WHAT??????" Ichigo fell over, not in a faint, but he fell over backwards on the hospital bed.
You could count, one, two, three, four... four and a half... four and three quarters... five, before Ogichi joined in.
NO! NO NONONONONONONONONONONONO!!!! the Hollow wailed. This is NOT happening!!!!
"I shouldn't have to say it twice, you're pregnant." Unohana snickered.
"Bu... but Renji and I used a charm and everything!!!" Ichigo sputtered.
"Which would have worked for a /normal/ soul reaper. But Ichigo, your riatsu is so high its very likely you broke it. Are you still wearing it."
"Yes..." Ichigo flushed slightly.
"And how often have you been having sex?" Unohana asked simply.
"Just about every day. I mean, I can't keep my hands off him... I mean..." Ichigo flushed.
"Then you probably /did/ break it." Unohana told Ichigo sharply. "Renji, you should know better. You should have had it made custom so that it could take the added punishment. The two of you have /very/ high spiritual pressure. In cases like that its /always/ better to have the charm custom made." Unohana lectured. Then she sighed in resignation. "Give it to me, lets see how much damage was done."
Ichigo handed over the charm, flushed in embarassment. His mind was going in circles and it wouldn't stop, and at Unohana's harsh tone he felt tears brimming in his eyes. Unohana checked it. "Yes, its practically been shattered. I'll make a new one for you. For now Ichigo, I'll leave you alone with Renji for a bit."
Renji was standing there, stunned, he wanted to rush over to Ichigo the instant Unohana started firing questions at him, but he didn't dare. As soon as Unohana was gone he moved in, wrapping his arms around Ichigo and sitting next to him on the bed.
Ichigo pressed his face into Renji's neck and cried. He just cried. Renji stroked his hair. "I... I didn't plan this..." Ichigo sniffled softly.
Renji chuckled softly. "Nobody ever does koi..." He opened his mind to Ichigo, kissing his mate everywhere he could reach and letting him feel his emotions, see his thoughts; he loved Ichigo unconditionally, it wasn't his fault, if anything it was Renji's. He'd been too embarassed to approach any of the fourth division members for a custom charm. He would protect his lover from harm, that's what the bond was for. Ichigo didn't have to cry.
The other man looked up at Renji sadly, he let Renji feel his own mind; there was a stigma against teenage parents in the society he'd grown up in, they were considered unfit, and now, like many before Ichigo who had been stupid enough to think they could handle it so young, his body was completely out of his control. He was scared, that fear shook him to his core. Even if Renji loved him unconditionally, love didn't take care of everything.
"You know, there are ways to get rid of it. As soon as the first month is up... there's a two week window in which..." Ichigo put a finger to Renji's mouth to shush him.
"Do you know why, I did something so stupid as to let Rukia shove a sword into my chest?" Ichigo asked softly.
"I..."
"I wanted to protect my family. There was a hollow after them, and I didn't want to lose them. My name doesn't just mean Strawberry, it means "one who protects." I vowed to protect them that night. Even the ones who haven't been born." Ichigo murmured softly.
Renji's eyes widened. Ichigo was /really/ willing to go through with this? "Hmmm... I'm going to have a lot to teach you then..." Renji murmured.
You have to be the most insane soul reaper I have ever met. Ogichi commented dryly.
"Uruhara Shoten, Uruhara-san speaking..." Kisuke picked up the videophone. "Ooooh, Unohana-taisho, quite the honor!"
Unohana's smile was absolutely evil. "Kisuke, you /did/ warn Ichigo about male Soul Reapers..."
"Getting pregnant, yes I did. I told him they needed a charm to keep from..."
"Did you tell him that charms, like the apparatus humans call condoms, have a tendency to break? That if the spiritual pressure of their user is too high that they will crack and leave the couple vulnerable. You did warn him of that didn't you?"
"I thought it was a given. If human birth control isn't 100 percent foolproof that means that our meathods are just as faliable. Only an idiot wouldn't know that."
"Guess who was an idiot?" Unohana demanded. She started to bellow. "SINCE YOU WEREN'T SPECIFIC ENOUGH ICHIGO BROKE HIS CHARM AND GOT HIMSELF PREGNANT!!!!! YOU WERE THE ONE WHO FAILED TO WARN HIM!!!! NOW YOU HAVE TO BREAK THE NEWS TO HIS FATHER!!!!!!"
Uruhara cringed. "Isshin's asleep. Please don't..."
Kon, in Ichigo's body went streaking past him on a beeline course for the bathroom. "What... just ran by."
"I've been having the modsoul known as Kon take care of Ichigo's body while he's away. That seems to have been a bad idea."
"You think? This is just great. Listen to me and listen good Uruhara. The child's physical body is still in Ichigo's physical body. If something isn't done, Ichigo's physical body will die and Ichigo will remain a soul reaper forever. That's not to say that further down the road he could carry a child safely in his physical body. He probably could. But since the two have been seperated so long, Ichigo probably won't be able to get back in until the child's born. The child's physical body will be born with no soul inside. And Ichigo's child will be born a pure soul reaper, if Ichigo's physical body has to undergo labor without him in it..."
"I know, he won't be able to get back in, and he'll lose his human form." Uruhara shook his head. "Damn, in battle or out of it, he gets himself in the /worst/ trouble. What do you suggest we do?"
"There's nothing for it, remove the child's body, he or she will grow up in Soul Society with Abarai fukutaisho."
"Ichigo won't like... I have an idea..." Uruhara grinned. "Its risky, but we can try it."
"What is it?"
"I can adapt one of the tanks I use to grow Gigai into a womb for the baby's physical body. Then the baby can enter it when he or she is born! What do you think?"
"It might work. But you're forgetting one thing."
"What's that?"
"In Ichigo's world, men don't reproduce with men. And this child would be born from a male/male pairing. That means no birth certificate, that means no way to get an ID, no signing up for school. He or she would have their humanity, and it would be a prison."
"So keep the body, let it grow in the tank, until the child is old enough to use it as a gigai?" Uruhara suggested. "When that happens, we can create a fake identity like we do when our folk go into the living world."
"Makes sense. Can you speak with Isshin about what's happened."
"Can do and will. That clod never could get out of bed until noon the day after sex." Uruhara snickered.
"/You're/ staying safe right Uruhara?"
"Me? I never said I was safe Unohana-taisho." Uruhara chuckled.
"You're horrible you know that?" Unohana growled. "Okay, what do you want me to tell Ichigo, and what are you going to tell Kurosaki-san?"
"Hmm... do you mean the things I want Isshin-kun to do to me? Or do you mean what I'm supposed to tell him about Ichigo?"
"About Ichigo, tell him also that you're an idiot. A... a... a coyote yowling at other people's misfortune! That's what you are!" Unohana snapped.
"Okay, okay. I'm going to tell him that he needs to call you and that its urgent. You and or Ichigo can explain to him what happened then. But do you /want/ his father to hear from me and you, or would you rather have Ichigo face him and tell his father. Which do you think would hurt him more?"
"People who've just found out they're pregnant but who didn't plan it don't always feel in the best of moods." Unohana pointed out. "I'll offer to talk to him on Ichigo's behalf, so that Ichigo's not necessarily upset, and has some power over how his family finds out. For now, hold off on telling Isshin."
"Knowing Ichigo, he probably won't have thought of his father yet." Uruhara chuckled.
Uruhara hung up, just as Kon came out of the bathroom. "I heard what was going on. I'm a /guy/ damnit! And I'm not a soul reaper either. I shouldn't have to /deal/ with babysitting a Soul Reaper's pregnant body."
"I'll as Ririn if she can swap for you... Kon? Kon?" Kon was swooning, he looked like he was ready to pass out.
"I don't feel so good..." Kon whimpered. "My head is swimming n' I can't stand..." His eyes were also fluttering tiredly and his muscles visibly relaxing. Signs of severe energy drain.
Fuck. Uruhara swore mentally. He ran to Kon. "Easy, easy, in here..." Uruhara led Kon to the room that served as both laboratory and infirmary. A quick bioscan with a scanner crystal showed that the problem was that Kon himself wasn't powerful enough to sustain both Ichigo's body and even the /shell/ of a soul reaper child. This was an even worse problem for two reasons. If Ichigo's body were abandoned too long, neither he nor the baby would be able to use their physical bodies anymore.
If they were to keep the child's physical body in stasis and let it grow until the child was old enough to visit the living world, Ichigo's body had to be kept animated until they managed to extract the embryo and put it in the gigai tank. The child's body would have to have both physical nutrients and reishi while it grew over the coming years, otherwise it would be unusable.
But the greatest two dangers were to Ichigo himself.
If Ichigo's body were inanimate for the remaining time he was away, Ichigo would be unable to return to it. His connection to his body would fade and crumble and he would /truely/ be dead, a full soul reaper, not just a pure blood.
Further, male human bodies like Ichigo's were not designed to carry children. That was another reason why Kon was having such a severe reaction. Pure blood shinigami could bear children and recover /if/ they were in their bodies and didn't separate into Shinigami form the /entire/ time they were pregnant. Ichigo was both /not/ in his body and /had/ seperated into Shinigami form. That had depleted his body's natural energy.
If any of the modsouls that Uruhara had with him assisted Ichigo in the capacity of carrying the child's physical body, Ichigo's body would die, even without him there. Ichigo would be stuck as a Soul Reaper, again, a full soul reaper.
As it was, just Kon and Ririn, (whom he was considering for the job seeing as she was a girl and not likely to fuss like Kon was) rotating care of Ichigo's body would not be enough. It would take all four, rotating shifts every 24 hours, and remaining out of battle /entirely/ to maintain Ichigo's body until both he and Isshin gave the go ahead to place the embryo into the gigai tank.
Uruhara sighed and sensed that the three of them were in the kitchen, plushie form, helping Tessai make Gyoza for dinner. "Kon, lie down here and stay still."
"I don't think I could move even if I wanted to." Kon groaned.
"I'll get you out of there in a few minutes." Uruhara sighed and headed for the kitchen.
Sure enough, Ririn was watching the pot of shrimp for Tessai. After all, to make Shrimp Gyoza(5), you first had to have shrimp tempura. To make shrimp tempura, you first had to have shrimp.
"Tessai, I need to borrow all three of them."
Cloud looked up from where he an Nova were rolling dough, both in plushie form and pulling the rolling pin back and forth. "What's happened."
"Well... its a long story. And Kon can't handle the job alone, so you four will have to take it in shifts." Uruhara led the three in.
Kon tried to sit up. "Something's happened hasn't it? Ichigo's body isn't okay, he's got to be in trouble somewhere."
"He will be." Uruhara explained to the other three and Kon what had happened, and what would happen. "Until Ichigo, Renji and his father can make a concensus of what to do, the four of you will have to rotate who's caring for Ichigo's body. Its /not/ going to be a cakewalk. And the rest of you need to stick around and be ready to yell when the one currently watching is in trouble."
"I'll go first." Ririn said, predictably. "I'm a girl. I should be able to take it longer than the others."
"Alright." Uruhara nodded. "Kon, when you're back in plushie form I have something to show you."
Kon nodded. "Alright."
"Ready Ririn?" Uruhara picked the plushie modsoul up and waited.
"Sure boss!" Ririn said fervently.
Uruhara reached into Ririn's mouth as delicately as he could and pulled the pill out, the plushie went still. "Kon, you have your lion plushie with you right?"
"Right side, I hooked it to my belt." Kon reached around exhaustedly and unhooked it. "I think when you're done I'll sleep for a week."
Uruhara took his cane in one hand, and lifted Kon with the other so that the pill would come right out into his hand. A gentle tap hit Kon's head and out he came. Uruhara then shifted Ririn's pill in his cane hand, kept Ichigo's body propped up, opened his mouth, and carefully put Ririn in.
It took a few seconds, then Ririn/Ichigo's eyes opened slowly. "Uuuurrrrggg..." She grunted. "I don't feel good at all. Kon you have my pity."
"Now you know what I went through."
"I know, but when do we do something about this. Ichigo's going to be in real trouble if this isn't taken care of soon right?"
"First he has to cope with the fact that he's pregnant Ririn. Listen to his hormones right now. Beneath the nausea..."
"it feels really edgy and unsettled." Ririn observed.
"Which is probably what's going through his mind." Uruhara pointed out softly.
"Did you ever have any kids boss?" Cloud asked boldly.
"Almost... things didn't work out too well..." Uruhara sighed.
"Oh..." Cloud wasn't /that/ naive, the modsouls could guess that /something/ had happened.
Ichigo was curled in Renji's arms, still crying softly. He'd almost stopped, his face buried in Renji's chest. Renji was stroking his hair, and kissing his forehead and murmuring loving little things to him.
Then Renji perked up, he heard Unohana start to argue with somebody outside. "Byakuya. I still say these constant headaches of yours are the result of overstress."
"I'm not overworked Unohana, Renji has actually been doing more paperwork than he usually does, and his practice drills have been brilliant."
"That's because he and Ichigo take their paperwork over to each other's offices to work on together. I guess he doesn't mind it when he's got company. Renji's always been social."
Ichigo was listening too now. Ears perked. Please don't let him find us here? Ichigo begged Renji.
Just stay quiet.
"There's a difference between over /work/ and over /stress./" Unohana told him. "I'm going to order a week long vacation. Speaking of which..." She sniffed for a moment. "you smell of sex, and I can sense you just bonded to someone. Go spend a nice, leisurely weekend with them and..."
Ichigo couldn't help it, the thought of Byakuya's possibly horrified expression at having his private 'affairs' found out was priceless. He giggled softly.
Renji's grin was pure evil, and he couldn't wait to mock his captain over it. He'd probably get beaten within an inch of his life over it, but the mere /thought/ of pranking his superior.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ichigo asked.
"Prank?"
"yeah..." Ichigo whispered in Renji's ear. "As soon as we're gone, this is what we do..." And he explained his plan.
Unohana came into the room and said to Ichigo in her usual calm way. "Ichigo, you have some decisions to make. First of all you need to decide whether or not you want to keep the baby. Think /long and hard/ on that. Its not something you decide lightly. Second of all, you need to talk to your father and Uruhara about what's happened. You can't cross the gate until you've delivered, your condition makes you too vulnerable to attack or just plain old fatigue when crossing. And lastly you and Renji need a day off, which I am ordering as of this moment. Both your captains and the sotaisho will be notified that I'm putting you both on medical rest. However, they will not be told why. Your respective superiors are /your/ responsibility."
Renji added via link. That's usually the case. A lower officer has to report if they're diagnosed with a condition or if they're pregnant. Its their job, not the fourth division's. (6)
Ichigo's heart sank. How the hell am I going to tell dad?
Dunno, but we'll need to do it soon. Renji added.
Fuck. Which was pretty near accurate.
Okay, so it wasn't the best of pranks. But Renji giggled as Ichigo explained his reasoning. Byakuya was a clanhead. He was expected to have kids. He would /need/ the gift they were going to give him. And so the sixth lieutenant let Ichigo stand on his shoulders to put the trigger for the 'trap' in place. Then the two soul reapers hid in the bushes outside and camouflauged their spirit pressure, well, Ichigo as much as he could. One would have thought he was just a bird or small animal he'd gotten so good.
Byakuya entered the bedroom, heading for the closet and some clothes for his trip to wherever. He opened the closet door and the boxes after boxes toppled on his head, the note with a raspberry smiley floating serenely onto the Byakuya/box pile.
Byakuya cursed and Ichigo and Renji took a peek. He was trying to straighten his kensaiken. And his scarf flashed in the light. It was then that Ichigo spotted the faint rip that had been mended. Wait... Byakuya sewed? He didn't seem the type. Orihime sewed, Chizuru sewed... Uryu sewed... wait a second... Uryu?
Byakuya read the side of one of the boxes. The label said, "Pregnancy Test." The note was signed with two signatures. It read, "Have fun :P!!!!"
Byakuya groaned. "Uryu's going to have my head for this..." He muttered.
Ichigo nearly choked. Uryu??????
But then Byakuya roared. "ABARAAAAIIII!!!!!! KUROSAKIIIII!!!!!!" Then he dove for the window. "Omae o korosu!!!!!!" (7)
Ichigo cackled in glee as he ran off. "Uryu and Byakuya!!!" He almost doubled over.
Renji paled and scooped Ichigo up before Byakuya could catch them. "That was /priceless!/"
"Uryu got some ass, oh I'm so going to enjoy this." Renji giggled in glee once they were safe.
"Or it could be the other way around. Uryu got poked instead!!!!" Ichigo cackled.
Byakuya sighed. Oh well, he'd his old charm, from his... his mind couldn't finish it... from when he was with Hisana. They'd both worn one so that they'd be able to /plan/ when they had children.
Maybe Uryu /could/ top him when he got there. Byakuya would welcome it, welcome being held and comforted, stroked and rubbed and kissed. He'd love to have Uryu inside of him, a fast, rhythmic motion making him pant and sweat.
Byakuya felt his blood rush to his groin. The mental image made him moan softly. God, he wasn't going to be able to hold back at /all/ this coming week.
The hollow struggled. He couldn't get Tousen's body to move, the man was too weak. Which warehouse was it? The voice calling him had said something about a barrier. It was a voice like his...
Tousen's inner hollow almost walked into it, but then leaned on it, panting weakly. Move damnit... Tousen was too weak. MOVE YOU DAMN SHINIGAMI!!! YOU CAN'T EVEN SAVE YOUR OWN ASS!!! The response was fading. The hollow didn't know what else to do, he fell to his vessel's knees, knocking on the barrier faintly. "Help... gods help..." He pleaded weakly, "Help me please..."
He felt the barrier go down, the murmur of voices above, somebody very big and muscular moving him. There was a male voice drawling, and a female voice that was kinda twangy and rather snappish rebuking the first. (8)
But then Tousen's hollow passed out, its mission accomplished, and neither shinigami nor hollow knew anymore for a long time.
1. This particular part of the process was inspired by a Full Metal Alchemist Fanfic, a Roy/Ed where Riza was preggy and died, but the twins she was carrying were still alive. Edward used a special transmute circle to transfer them into him. Hence the mPreg component. However, at one point he actually gained a birth canal. His body started changing so that he could care for the children naturally, and the bloody mess was part of it.
2. Willow salic is the extract of willow bark in solid form. It's also the main component in asprin (assuming that you find a company that makes it naturally.) If you are sick to your stomach, do /not/ take asprin. The salic part is known as Salicylic acid, acid upsets your stomach. What you should be looking for instead, but that Soul Reapers wouldn't have, is sold under the name Bufferin and is known as Acetalsalicylic acid, a special buffered form of Asprin that was meant to not upset the stomach. Perhaps if somebody besides Mayuri were in charge of Div. 12, they'd discover in a century or so how to buffer medicines, but for now they can't.
3. The Soul Society is, when all is said and done, an Edo era civilization. Because they are taking souls from all over the world, however, its very likely that some of the non Japanese Soul Reapers would have gone home and brought back plants from their native countries. Making sure that these plants would not bring any infections (ever wonder what happened to the American chestnut?) into the Soul Society, and making sure they would not take over the environment they grow in (a plant or animal that does this is known as an "invasive organism" in ecology, prime examples being zebra muscles, pigeons, starlings, poison sumac and kudzu vine, none of which have natural enemies in North America, therefore they run wild.) Ecology and Botany are sciences, therefore running these checks would be the responsibility of Division Twelve.
4. Inside a cell there is an organelle (an individual cell's parts are called organelles) known as a lysosome. Lysosomes contain the enzymes that allow a cell to Lyse. When the Lysosome breaks it releases the enzymes and destroys the cell.
5. Gyoza and shumai are both forms of Japanese dumplings. However, Gyoza is lightly fried in a little bit of water. The shrimp variety requires grinding or crushing shrimp tempura and mixing it into a mash, then wrapping it in the Gyoza dough. I've tried them, they're quite good and can be found frozen and ready to cook in minutes in organic or japanese groceries.
6. This is equivalent to Dr./Patient confidentiality. Unless the patient poses a danger to himself or others, the doctor cannot reveal anything about a patient's appointment. If you're a Law and Order fan, you'll find that the SVU detectives come across this barrier frequently in their investigations, because of the sensitive sort of medical problems they come across during their adventures. However, the fictional doctors that they question ususually repeat the law accurately, only a court order can bypass this law. And not without a damn good reason.
7. "I am going to kill you." aaaaaah, I harken back to the good old days when this was Heero Yuey's line! Oh well, it fits! Ruuuuuuuuuun!!!
8. You know who found him right? You have figured it out right? I'll give you three guesses but you're only going to need one!!!!! :D