The next week passed in a blur. My heat was starting to drive me crazy… beyond crazy… and I knew Ichigo heard me every night. There were several times I'd felt his spiritual pressure fluctuating… as his body responded to my soft cries, soft gasps and whimpers… and I would hear his groans in the shower, his pants… and it would drive me crazy.

I desperately needed more release than toys and my fingers could do. Thus the reason I was, once again, in front of Kisuke's shop. I was so glad it was the weekend and I could get away from Ichigo and his delicious sounds, his sinful scent.

"Welcome back," Kisuke greeted me at the door. He took one look at my face and knew how poorly I was doing. He took my hand and pulled me into the shop, then down the hall and away from the prying ears of Jinta and Ururu. Once in the room I usually used when here, he turned to me. "You're struggling."

"Ichigo's my alpha," I explained quickly, making his eyes widen momentarily.

"I see," he said. "Wouldn't it be easier on you both just to have him sate your heat, then?"

I shook my head immediately.

"I refuse to take a v-card," I replied. "Especially his. It would be wrong."

"As opposed to masturbating to each other on opposite sides of the wall?" teased Yoruichi, walking in. I flushed, realizing she'd been keeping an eye on me. That amused Kisuke.

"Really now?" he teased, grinning. I slapped his chest, making him snicker. "Well then, you're having more trouble being so close to your alpha, aren't you?"

I nodded, still red. I frowned and sighed heavily.

"And he feels the pull even if he doesn't understand it," I pushed on. "However… this boy feels strange to me… I feel like he's an exception to all the rules… I could have sworn I saw a line connecting him to Orihime…"

"That doesn't make sense," Yoruichi stated seriously. "I thought you said Alphas only had ONE Beta…"

"That's the way it's supposed to be," I agreed. "Thus the confusion I feel…"

I shook my head.

"Not that it's going to matter for much longer at this rate," I grumbled darkly. "I've never had to struggle like this… but I've also never been this close to my Alpha without being satisfied by him in some manner… First it was Ulquiorra… Then it was Shinji… I always had someone there that I could use… not this time… and this time… it's not mine to take…"

"He should be the judge of that," Yoruichi told me. I scowled at her.

"He's FIFTEEN!" I objected, my tone scolding. "FIFTEEN, Yoruichi. I'd understand if he was out of the jailbait range, but he's not. That v-card… is not mine to take! It's wrong!"

I shook my head with an aggravated sigh.

"I'm mere seconds away from going to the Soul Society and having Sosuke take care of my heat," I admitted, watching them tense. "But I have school and…"

I felt pain grip my heart again.

"And I couldn't do that to Shinji…" I finished softly. "Another alpha, he could possibly understand if he knew everything… but the man that betrayed him… that would be unforgivable."

I shook my head.

"I just need to stay away from Ichigo for a while…" I stated. I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince. I knew damn well that wasn't going to be enough. Ever since things got really serious with Shinji all those years ago, Kouga had promised Shinji he would never lay a hand on me… and he'd meant it. I'd asked… and he still refused. It was driving me batty, this maddening desire inside of me.

"Stay here as long as you need," Kisuke told me, his voice kind. "It will give me ample time to gather data on your baby as well."

"Babies," I corrected him. "My vision showed twin boys. Blonde hair, like their father's… and blue eyes, as mine once were… Enra… and Yukiya… Hirako."

Kisuke nodded and Tessai appeared outside the door.

"Dinner is served," he announced. I smiled softly as we all walked to the dining room to eat. That meal was full of laughter as I told Jinta and Ururu some tales of our younger years, often making Kisuke blush. After dinner, my cell started ringing. I was a bit surprised. It never rang.

"Hello?"

"Vasilysa!" came Yuzu's voice. "Something's wrong with Ichigo… and he won't talk to anyone about it…"

I sighed, realizing my vacation just got cancelled again.

"I'll come right home," I told her. "Just relax, okay? Deep breaths. I'll figure it out, okay?"

I could hear the relief in her voice.

"Okay," she said. "Please hurry."

I sighed as I hung up, though I knew my entire conversation had been heard just by the looks on their faces.

"Guess I'll just be back tomorrow… with no complications, I hope…" I said, trying to make light of what I knew damn well was a bad situation. I knew as soon as I got alone with Ichigo, his instincts would be driving his emotions… I could feel a fight in the wind.

"Good luck," was all Kisuke said as they waved me out the door. With a sigh, I walked back home. Once I arrived, I was met by a very concerned Yuzu.

"He's locked himself in his room," she told me. I gave her a gentle smile.

"Relax," I told her. "I'll see what I can do."

She nodded, trusting me. So, I walked upstairs and knocked on his door.

"It's me," I told him softly. Seconds later, I heard the lock click and I was let in. Once inside, I closed the door behind me and locked it again. Then I walked over and sat on the bed next to him. "Alright… What's going on? You've got Yuzu worried sick."

He was stiff as he focused on anything but me.

"Where were you?" he asked. "I came home from Karin's practice and you were gone."

I mentally groaned.

~Here we go…~

"I went to visit a friend and his family, the same friend I visit every weekend," I answered. "We were just finishing supper when Yuzu called."

He relaxed a little at a time.

"His… family?" he repeated. I nodded.

"Yeah," I answered. "Pair of kids, older brother, friend-with-benefits… the works."

He relaxed completely.

"Ichigo… were you… jealous?" I asked softly.

"Of course not!" he answered, scowling at the wall. "I just didn't want Yuzu and Karin to worry about you being gone."

I chuckled and kissed his cheek, startling him.

"Such a good older brother," I teased, then smiled warmly. "Don't get all worked up about me, okay?"

I know he saw the flash of pain on my face.

"I couldn't bring myself to date anyone right now anyway," I finished softly. That registered somewhere inside him, making his eyes soften with a tinge of guilt. I leaned my head on his shoulder. "Wanna get some ice cream?"

He snorted in amusement, making me grin.

"What flavor this time?" he asked as we walked downstairs, both of us retrieving our shoes from the front door.

"Banana and Strawberry!" I answered immediately, licking my lips at him. "Closest thing to tasting you!"

As predicted, he blushed darkly and sputtered, making me laugh heartily.

"You're so much fun, Ichi," I teased and giggled some more as we took our leave, making our way to the nearest restaurant that had both flavors. It was a frequent place of mine, considering they loved serving a pregnant woman and her teenage boyfriend. It made Ichigo blush every time and deny it… until he finally gave up and let them think that. Just made things easier for us both.

"Welcome back, you two," greeted the elderly waitress, handing us two menus as we sat down at our usual table. "Craving something new today?"

I grinned.

"Banana and Strawberry Ice Cream!" I squealed, making her and the cook laugh. Ichigo was hiding a smile. It was really hard on him, all these crazy mood-swings of mine… but he dealt with them okay for a teenager.

"And for you?" she asked Ichigo.

"Chocolate," he answered. She smiled and left to get it for us. I was giggling like a schoolgirl, bouncing in my seat. Finally, Ichigo reached over and put a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to sit still. "You're like a child… geez…"

I giggled.

"I blame these damned hormones," I replied. He shook his head and we ate our ice cream when it came.

"When are you due?" asked a stranger. I smiled warmly.

"Mid-July," I answered. She smiled softly.

"Congratulations, you two," she said, walking away. I giggled at Ichigo's blush as he realized he had, once again, been mistaken for their father.

"Sorry, Ichi," I said softly, still giggling. He just waved it off, the blush on his cheeks darkening. "Are you considering Rukia's request a bit more?"

Slowly, he nodded.

"I can't just sit idly by and watch others get hurt… but I can't just devote myself to complete strangers either," he stated. I smiled softly.

"That answer was one I would expect from you, Ichi," I told him softly, taking a bite. "That will be more than enough. You are Karakura Town's guardian now… and you love this city. I'm sure you'll do swimmingly."

He spared me a soft smile, but said nothing. Then I started thinking.

"Though… if you're up to it… I'd like to teach you a few techniques that would be helpful to you," I told him. Now I had his full attention. "They're techniques of Soul Reapers."

"How do you know so much about them?" he asked. I gave him a soft smile.

"I used to be one of them," I answered. "I stepped down from the position to be a homemaker before…"

I silenced, another wave of pain hitting me. His hand went over to mine, steadying it. The warmth was so welcome that I squeezed it softly… then just let my fingers caress the lines of his palm.

"Technically, there's no way for someone to resign from being a Soul Reaper," I explained further. "In their terms, I just took an extended leave of absence."

"For a hundred years?" Ichigo clarified. I nodded.

"As soon as I got back, I needed to report to my Captain… and he continued my leave for me," I continued, my fingers absently following the veins up his arms as I spoke, my eyes following their trail up to his elbow… then back down to his fingertips again. I could feel his gaze burning me as he watched me, unable to look away.

"What will happen after your children are born?" he asked softly. "Will you go back?"

I shook my head.

"There's a chance they could be Halflings, Ichigo," I reminded him. "They are forbidden by the Soul Society to even exist. The very second they display hollow power, they will be killed… and me as well, for disobeying the law and bringing them into the world. They won't require the knowledge that I am a Halfling myself to doom me to their blades."

That upset him. I could feel it in the change of his pulse.

"Do not be troubled, Ichigo," I told him softly. "I knew it would happen the day I signed up for the academy. I only prayed that it would not happen so soon…"

I looked up and met his eyes with mine.

"Shall we head home and practice?" I asked. He nodded and we left, me paying the bill, much to Ichigo's annoyance. He was just as old-fashioned as his father and hated it when I paid for our meals. It annoyed me a bit, but I understood. It had taken years for Shinji to understand my need for independence. Smiling softly, I then thought of what to teach the boy first… and decided to teach him how to summon spirit ribbons. He would need that skill here in Karakura Town.

My heat finally went away, much to my relief. Ichigo, I noticed, also seemed to notice the effect, needing to masturbate a hell of a lot less… and not hearing me multiple times every night. It made me blush at the thought of what that poor boy had to endure… I wondered if Isshin had even realized the effect I had on his son.

I was dressing carefully, my uniform no longer fitting so I had to wear a button-up blouse with a modified skirt, made for pregnant women. I was lucky there was a seamstress nearby that could modify the uniform accordingly… at least two parts of it.

"Ready?" Ichigo asked, sitting at the door as he put his shoes on. I nodded, slipping on my own. I knew Rukia would join us at the corner like she always did. She greeted us both with a smile and I gladly walked on one side of Ichigo, Rukia on the other.

"Are you going to stay in class today or will hollows call you away again?" I teased. He shot me a dirty look and I chuckled. "Might want to look into what to do with your body. Claiming your narcoleptic is starting to become monotonous."

Rukia laughed while Ichigo looked downright annoyed.

"N-narcoleptic! Are you serious?!"

"I had to tell them something," I teased, watching him get flustered. He kept shooting me dirty looks the rest of the way to school. The morning was slow and monotonous, but lunchtime offered something new. A skin-tingling sensation went through me and my eyes shot over to one of Ichigo's friends, to Chad. In his hand…

~There's a soul in that bird…~

A tortured soul. This boy is part of a twisted game.

~It appears Ichigo's next assignment just arrived…~

I paused, sensing the hollow nearby. Soul Reapers couldn't sense hollows in-between worlds… but Halflings can… and I knew where this one was. It was staying close to that bird.

Twisted game…

Durnehviir's reminder made a frown cover my face, but I forced it away when Ichigo caught my eye. I merely nodded to the bird and he understood.

It was at times like this that I really missed being able to use my power. Sosuke had sent me a communication device, something that looked like a cellphone. He used it frequently to check up on me, since he couldn't come in person, nor could I go there. The hollow energy of my children… could be felt for miles when I wasn't borrowing his energy to suppress theirs.

I knew it was wrong, but I was actually jealous of Ichigo, getting to go out and fight like this… but I knew, one swing of my zanpakuto in its released state… and I'd be forced back to the Soul Society for a court martial. I knew Durnehviir would never be well thought of by my co-workers, though I'd met very few of them in the time I'd been in the Soul Society.

"Are you okay, Lysa?" asked Orihime. I jumped at the unexpected intrusion into my thoughts and smiled softly at her and the rest of our friends.

"I'm fine," I answered. "Just a little nauseas. Morning sickness, you see."

She immediately went off on a tangent about numerous things I could try to help with my nausea and I tuned most of it out. That evening, after we got home from school, everyone was in a rush. I quietly slipped upstairs after kissing Ichigo's cheek, which he barely took note of, too curious of the chaos he was seeing. I smiled softly as I began getting my homework done.

"A bit pointless for someone as old as you to be going to school and worrying about such silly things, don't you agree?"

I jumped out of my skin and spun around, nearly falling from the dizziness that had just caused.

"W-what… U-Ulquiorra!"

I was in complete shock as I looked up into the face of the arms that had caught me. It was him… but it wasn't. Where his full mask had once been, now remained but a fraction of a helmet. Black, silky hair framed his face, his eyes their usual, stunning green. Softly, I reached up and cupped his cheek, running my thumb over the dark green tears… and then met his gaze with my own.

"How?" I asked. His expression, ever the same stoic expression… It was definitely him.

"When you screamed for me as I sent you away, I felt a surge of power within myself," he answered. "You restored me completely… and increased my power ten-fold. My once black skin turned white… and I became an outcast even by hollow standards."

I winced, biting my lip, realizing how much trouble I had caused him in saving him that day. My eyes fell to his white-robed chest.

"I was alone… and was part of a tree for the longest time," he went on. "Until a Soul Reaper came and made an offer I could not refuse. In return for my life in the service of his Lord, he could guarantee that I would see my Akalia Sapphirano again."

That got my attention as I looked up into his eyes.

"Gin," I said, just knowing exactly who he meant. He nodded. "You… work for Sosuke."

Again, not a question, but he confirmed it with another nod.

"How are you here?" I asked softly. "I sense nothing from you… and I should."

He showed me a strange bracelet on his arm.

"It hides my spiritual pressure completely," he explained. "It was an invention of one of our numeros."

I nodded, then took a seat as my legs started to ache.

"I do not understand," he told me, looking me over. "You are with child… but you remain unmarked."

I gave a heavy sigh, then gave him the cliff-notes version of events up to this point. When we met Sosuke, when Kit and I had become Soul Reapers, when I had grown close to Kouga, then fell in love with Shinji, Kit's betrayal, Kouga's imprisonment, Kensei's troublesome alpha tendencies, Gin and Rangiku becoming part of our family, Shinji's proposal, the hollowfication incident, my turning (I showed him my hole to confirm it), and my being sent 100 years into the future by Ada. I finished with the notation that Ichigo, the boy who also resided in this home, was another alpha of mine… and how I had struggled deeply against it during my last heat. But I also explained my confusion about the boy, telling the listening hollow about the second beta I sensed for Ichigo, which made no sense.

Through it all, Ulquiorra said nothing, just absorbing the whole story I was telling him. He even took a few moments after I finished speaking to think to himself.

"So… you did not mark him… because he does not know who or what you really are," he summed up. I nodded, watching him take a seat at my desk, turning the chair to face me as he crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap. Ever so proper, he was… always so refined… It often made me wonder if he hadn't been royal blood in his human life… or at least nobility.

"But you have chosen him?" he clarified, taking another glance at my missing heart. "And he is alive or dead?"

"Alive," I answered. "But I don't know where… nor do I think it will matter or make any difference."

"Agreed."

"Small consolation is knowing he will be happy…"

"A vision?"

I nodded sadly, recalling the smiles on their faces again. All my friends… so happy…

"How long do you have?" he asked.

"The best calculations… say I'll see my boys' second birthday," I answered softly. "But not much past that…"

Wordlessly, Ulquiorra pulled me into a hug. While not usually affectionate or kind, he always knew when I needed him to be… and I never turned him away. Instead, I snuggled down, relaxing in his arms, breathing in the scent I once knew so well… A soft ruckus downstairs caught my attention for a moment, but I didn't leave his arms. I didn't ever want to leave him again, my precious Ulquiorra. It had been so long…

"I have missed you so much," I whispered. The slight tightening of his arms told me he heard me.

"And I you," he answered, his voice that stirring gentle he reserved only for me. It warmed my heart to hear it again.

"Don't ever leave me again," I begged softly. "I can't handle it…"

"I won't," he promised. "You have my word. When you have need of me, you only need to call. I will always hear you."

He slid something on my wrist and I smiled, seeing it was another invention, but this one… was infused with his energy. In a way, it bound me to him… and him to me.

"I'll never take it off," I promised. I felt him give a rare smile against my hair before he forced his face neutral again.

"It's late," he commented, pulling my body up his for a moment as he slid back, laying down on my bed, molding me to his side so I could stay in his arms. "Rest. I won't leave until you're asleep."

I smiled softly and kissed his cheek.

"It's so good to have you back, Ulqui," I whispered, resting my head on his shoulder. As expected, he said nothing in return, just held me against the heart that no longer beats.