Disclaimer: Me no own Bleach.

Chapter 26

You're WHAT!?

BRING! BRING!

Keiko grumbled in her sleep and rolled over to face Jushiro in an attempt to ignore the ringing sound. Jushiro who was still fast asleep as it was still the dark part of the morning made a noise in his sleep and reflexively wrapped an arm around Keiko.

It was a day after Keiko had been bought back to Soul society with Jushiro she had spent most of the day in squad eleven playing with Yachiru and getting to know the members of squad eleven who she was liking more and more each day.

Anyway Jushiro had collected her from the squad eleven building at roughly seven pm so that they could go back to his squad where they had some dinner and discussed various things 'til the late hours of the night. They hadn't realized it had gotten so late and when they realized they decided rather than go to Jushiro's house the may as well just stay in his squad room as they were both tired.

BRING! BRING!

Keiko groggily opened her eyes. "Wha…?" she breathed in her tiredness.

BRIIIIIIIIING! BRIIIIIIIIIING!

Keiko blinked a few times to allow her eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room. 'I think someone's calling me…' she thought groggily twisting in Jushiro's arms to face her phone which was vibrating on the floor. On the screen in flashing lights read. 'Tiana'

'Tiana?' she blinked groggily again. 'Can she even reach me in soul society?' she slowly lifted the phone.

BRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!! BRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG!!

"Yes I'm answering…" Keiko sighed flipping her phone open, she absentmindedly noticed it was 2:00am from the time on the phone. She then pressed the answer button and placed the button to her ear. "H-Hello…?" she mumbled, it was still too early for her.

"KEIKO!!" Came the far too cheerful, and loud, voice of Tiana.

Keiko winced at the frequency of her aunt's voice. "W-What's wrong Tiana? Has something happened?" As she began to wake up she began to panic, Tiana NEVER rang her unless it was absolutely necessary.

Tiana's giggling could be heard on the other end, something that made Keiko even more worried because since when did Tiana giggle… "Nothings wrong my darling niece!"

Keiko didn't know what to do… Tiana was acting like Isshin… "Are you drunk…" she tried to sound calm and quiet, she didn't want to wake Jushiro up.

"I suppose I could be… hee hee…" was the laughed reply. "By the way Keiko there's something I wanna talk to ya about!"

Keiko raised a brow. "What?" she questioned.

Leone laughed. 'I like your aunt pissed!'

"You remember how when you were little I used to promise you that at my wedding you could be my bridesmaid?" Tiana half asked half explained.

Keiko nodded. "Yes?" she asked slowly remembering when she was little practically begging her aunt to get married so she could be a bridesmaid.

"Well guess what!!" Tiana practically sang.

"W-What…?" Keiko was somewhat reluctant to speak… she was slightly fearful about where her aunt was heading with this.

"You can't be!" Tiana laughed and this time Keiko could hear another voice chuckle with her… a masculine voice.

Keiko's eyes widened as realization began to hit her. "W-What do you mean…?" she managed to get out.

Tiana's laughter could be heard. "I got MARRIEEED!!" she shouted into the phone gleefully.

Keiko's eyes widened. "You're… you're… YOU'RE WHAT!?" she shouted so loud it effectively woke Jushiro and probably half of soul society.

Jushiro shot up in a panic. "Whats wrong!? Are you alright!! Keiko!" he reached for his weapon thinking that something was wrong.

Keiko's head turned to his. "Tiana's married!!" she exclaimed before turning her attention back to the phone. "To who!? You've only been in Vegas one day!!" she questioned her aunt loudly.

Jushiro sighed in relief before blinking and realizing two things. One: how the heck could Tiana call them in soul society. Two: She was married!? It had only been one night!

Tiana giggled and answered her niece's barrage of questions. "I'm married to the VERY naughty pink haired arrancar between my thighs." Her and his laughter could be heard.

Jushiro who could hear every word as the room was silent and Tiana's voice was quite loud, blinked. Had he heard that right? Tiana had married Szayel in the course of one night? 'How drunk are they…?' was the only thought he could process as he listened to the giggling on the other end of the phone.

"Tiana are you joking? You have to be, can you even get married in one night?" Keiko just couldn't believe that her aunt had gotten married after only spending one night in Vegas.

Jushiro inched closer to her, wanting to hear the answer.

"Well looking at the golden ring on my finger that has an engraving of Elvis next mine and Szayel's names as well as the strange bite mark on my neck, I'd say I'm married love." Another wave of her and Szayel's laughter could be heard… as well as a muffled moan from Tiana which was accompanied with a 'Not now! I'm on the phone!' and another wave of giggles.

Keiko opened her mouth to speak only to say nothing, she didn't know what to say… what could she say? "Tiana… I… congratulations?"

"Thank you!!" Tiana cheered. "Now I have to go, have my honeymoon and all that!" After another fit of giggles and moans she hung up.

Keiko flipped her phone closed and placed it next to her. "She's married…" she spoke still stunned. "Barely gone a night…"

"I suppose good things could come from this?" Jushiro suggested trying to cheer her up.

Keiko let out a sigh. "Why did I not see this happening?" there was a long stretch of silence and Jushiro, who in the darkness couldn't see her face all that well but he could see the illuminated shape of her body. He noticed how her shoulders shook and his instant thought was that she was crying.

"Keiko?" He spoke softly placing a hand on her shoulder. It was then that she threw her head back in laughter, the melodious sound filling his ears and warming his heart.

"Trust Tiana to get married in Vegas!" She laughed harder and soon enough to the point where she was clutching her sides and crying lightly.

Jushiro smiled at her and sat there listening to the sound of her laughter.

XXX

"MR. STARK!!" Lilinette called. "STARK-SAMA!!" she tried again.

"Where is he?" she questioned before letting out a yawn. 'I need some sleep…' she turned to go back to the Huco Mondo palace. 'I'll go back to looking for him tomorrow…'

XXX

Jushiro's eyes groggily opened at the feeling of the sun on his face. 'It's morning already?' he asked himself as he sat up and ran a hand through his hair. He felt as though he should have gotten a lot more sleep but after the incident this morning he supposed his body would be tired. Who calls someone at two in the morning?

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and glanced to the sleeping figure to the right of him who was facing the wall. He blinked. Wasn't she on the left side? Somehow she must have rolled over him in their sleep without him noticing.

He shook his head deciding he didn't want to know how that worked.

He was suddenly bought out of his thoughts as he felt a clenching in his chest. His hand shot to his mouth and he let out a cough but thankfully it was just that, a cough.

He suddenly froze and his eyes went wide as he heard the sound of feet stampeding towards the door. 'Oh no…' he inwardly groaned as the door flung open and Senataro and Kiyone pushed each other out of the way to be the first one to their captains attentions.

"Captain please forgive me for not being there to meet you and for not getting here before Senataro!" Kiyone shouted in one big rush.

Senataro pushed Kiyone out of the way. "Don't listen to her captain!" he pointed at her accusingly. "It was my fault we weren't able to meet you I accepted the task! It's my fault! Punish me!! And also punish me for pushing Kiyone out of the way!" he pointed to himself before falling to the ground in a pleading bow.

"Don't listen to him it was all my fault!!" Kiyone insisted falling into a similar position to Senataro.

Jushiro nearly twitched at his subordinates but he didn't. Instead he closed his eyes and opened his mouth to calmly speak only to have his eyes shoot open and his body freeze at the sound of Keiko groaning.

Kiyone and Senataro watched wide eyed as Keiko sat up and stretched, her back arching, her arms stretching high and her bed hair frizzing everywhere.

"Jushiro… too early… please stop yelling…" she was completely unaware of Senataro's shock filled eyes and Kiyone's shocked but also envious eyes. Keiko yawned again and rested her head on Jushiro's shoulder, her arms coming to rest around his neck. "Good morning…"

'W-Who is she!?' Kiyone thought as she stared at Keiko with a look a wife would have if she walked in on her husband with another woman.

"G-Good morning Keiko…" Jushiro tensed. This was NOT how he wanted her to meet his subordinates.

Keiko opened her eyes and looked at Jushiro's face. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Jushiro are you alright?" she questioned.

Leone suddenly burst out into a laughing fit.

Keiko's brows furrowed further and just as she was about to question Jushiro she felt eyes on her. Realization hit her. 'Oh no not again…' she thought as her head turned to the side where she saw the pair staring at her.

She gulped and went red. "H-Hello?"

XXX

"MOMMA!! Momma!!"

'Ash?' Emilla thought groaning and opening her eyes. The first thing she saw upon opening them was Ash's face in hers. "Ash?" she groaned sitting up when he moved.

She looked around the strange bedroom. "Where am I?" she questioned looking at Ash who was the only person in said room.

Ash smiled and hugged his mother. "You're in Auntie Ichigo's room!!" Ash jumped back and ran to the open door. "Uncle Grimmjow! Auntie Ichigo!! Grandpa Isshin!! She's awake!" he cheered before bouncing back to his mother.

"Ichigo's room?" she questioned. "How did I get…" she paused as everything came back to her, Ash, Atagra and her white angel. 'Did he take me here? Who was he…?' she looked up at Ash she wanted to know who had helped her, she wanted to thank him, she wanted to meet him properly.

"Who-" she went to ask but was cut off when Grimmjow, Ichigo and Isshin walked into the room.

"You're awake?" Isshin questioned coming to stand by the end of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Emilla looked up at him, she noticed he was a doctor from the white coat he wore. White? She looked him up and down to see if he was her savior but one look into his eyes told her he wasn't. "I'm feeling just fine…" she smiled weakly at him.

Isshin gave her a comforting smile.

Emilla turned her head to look at the other two. "You are Grimmjow?" she questioned looking.

Grimmjow, who was in his gigi, nodded.

'He didn't save me… his hair is blue…' she nodded at him. "Ash has told me all about you… thank you for being so nice to him." she smiled as Ash, despite his ribs, climbed onto Grimmjow's back. Grimmjow made a sound and held Ash piggy-back style.

She glanced at Ichigo. 'Not him… that hair is too bright…' "You're Auntie Ichigo…"

Ichigo scowled and nodded.

"Thank you all…" she smiled and pulled herself out of the bed, looking down she noticed that she was wearing tight jeans and a top that had to be a mans. A small tinge formed on her cheeks as she realized that one of them must have changed her. "Um…" she began hesitantly.

It was in that moment Ichigo noticed a similarity between Keiko and her mother. "Stark changed you… don't worry he didn't touch you in any way…" Ichigo explained knowing what was going through her mind.

"Stark?" Emilla questioned she had never heard Ash speak of Stark. She went to continue but froze as she watched Stark walk into the room.

Stark was in a gigi he had gotten from Urahara while Emilla was asleep, he was wearing a pair of fitted jeans that fit snugly around his hips with a pair of black shoes and a white business shirt that had the bottom two buttons undone and the top three undone revealing the hint of his chest, the outfit was plain but suited him perfectly. He looked like a normal human.

'The hair… those eyes…' her eyes widened and she rose from her seated position. "You…" she breathed.

Stark looked at her. "How are you feeling?" he questioned.

She stared at him for a few moments before stepping closer to him. "I…" she hesitated for a moment. "I wish to thank you for… for helping me…"

Stark nodded. "It… was nothing…" he shrugged awkwardly. For some reason he found it hard to say things to her, it was strange.

Grimmjow raised a brow. 'Stark wasn't in a gigi yesterday…' Grimmjow was confused as far as he was aware she couldn't see them without a gigi so how was she able to see him when he saved her… unless she was just assuming it was Stark.

There was a silence before Emilla coughed lightly. "Um… if its n-not too much trouble would I be able to have a d-drink…?" her voice shook nervously.

Isshin smiled. "Sure."

XXX

Stark watched intently as Emilla stood in the kitchen with the others. She accepted the cool glass of water from Isshin. His eyes narrowed as he saw her hands tremble as she took a sip.

"Are your hands hurt?" He questioned taking a step closer to her.

She blushed lightly and placed her hands on the bench. "N-Not really…" she attempted to lie.

"You're lying." He said bluntly before taking her hand and rubbing it gently to feel the tense muscles, being thrust into the wall the way she had been she had probably hurt it.

The others in the room went silent and watched the scene before them. Ichigo noticed how an almost feral grin formed on his father's face.

Ash's eyes went starry and he hugged Grimmjow and thoughts that were similar but a lot cleaner than Isshin's flowed in his head.

The moment was broken however as the sound of a car horn sounded through the house from the outside. Ash and Emilla visibly flinched.

"Mommy…" Ash whimpered climbing down from Grimmjow and tugging on his mothers shirt.

Emilla removed her hand from Stark's and turned her attention to Ash. "Ash I'm sorry…" she kneeled down and placed a hand on Ash's shoulder.

Another beep was heard.

"Momma I don't wanna go back…" he whimpered.

Grimmjow's urge to kill Atagra was increasing by the second.

Emilla blinked as she felt herself tremble as she felt her eyes sting. "Ash… we need to go back… he is your father…" she seemed so reluctant to say that.

"NO!!" Ash damn near shouted. "I don't care what you say he isn't my pappa!!" he ran forward and hugged his mother tightly. "Don't take me back momma, let's not go back…" he sobbed in his mother's arms.

"Ash…" she held back a whimper. She then moved back and looked Ash in the eyes. "Ash…" she took a deep breath. "I have to go… even…" another deep breath. "Even if for now you don't come with me…" trembling she looked up at Grimmjow who nodded in understanding.

"Thank you…" she breathed before turning her attention back to Ash. "Ash… for now would you stay with Grimmjow? I don't want you to be around your father right now… I can take what he has but you…" he voice crackled as she spoke.

"Don't do this." Isshin spoke not liking the idea of her going back to that man at all.

Emilla rose. "I have to go… please… take care of Ash…" Trembling she turned and made her way to the door.

Stark merely watched he had no idea what to say. She was going back to that?

"MOMMA!!" Ash cried running to his mother, he threw his arms around her mother from behind. "Don't go back to that man!"

"Don't do this Emilla." Ichigo spoke in an attempt to stop her, he couldn't really do anything though, it was her decision, as much as he wanted to do something.

Emilla turned back to them and flinched at the sound of another beep of the horn. "Please don't stop me I have to do this…" she paused and took another breath. "for Ash…" she breathed so low they barely caught it.

"I'll return your clothing soon…" she said to Ichigo before hugging Ash tightly before letting him go and slowly leaving the house.

"Momma…" Ash sobbed softly.

Stark stood there he couldn't believe that after everything that man had done to her that she would still go back to him. He couldn't understand it…

He looked down at Ash who was just staring at the door with an empty look on his face… he began to understand in that moment Emilla's reasoning. He understood her reasoning… even if, for reasons he didn't understand, he didn't like it…

"Ash…" he spoke softly not knowing why he cared. "You're mom 'll be fine…" he couldn't understand why he cared… he just did…

Ash looked up at the ex-Espada, he let out a whimper then flung his arms around Stark's leg and sobbed.

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