A/N: Shinzo means heart, and is a common Japanese male name (Shinzo Abe is the current PM of JP as of 6/12/2020).

Chapter 37:

"A theory?" Ulquiorra stood up and let his wings snap open to their full wingspan. "What is this theory?"

"It's not just me, is it?" Orihime asked. She knew. She just needed confirmation.

Urahara nodded. "You on your own are a powerful presence. Ulquiorra without the dampeners and holding himself back has an overwhelming power. It's enough to kill people if unchecked."

"This is from the baby, but I know it's not actively doing it. It's as if the baby's spiritual gifts have been shared with me. Because we share my body, I am able to wield it." It sounded a bit crazy when she said it out loud.

"I think your baby is trying to protect itself. You feel threatened, it feels threatened. You feel angry, it feels angry," Urahara replied. He frowned. "You need to somehow keep your emotions in check, along with everything else you are doing. I know that seems like a lot but-"

"Why don't you ask her to move mountains while you are at it," Ulquiorra snapped. He turned and walked over to where his gigai lay. It took him no time to get back inside of it. "You are asking her to do something impossible," he said when he sat up.

Orihime rolled her eyes and looked at Urahara like he was a simpleton. "Urahara-san, please know that I hold your knowledge and intellect in high regard, but are you stupid?"

"Of course, I am," he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "What about my theory seems stupid?"

"Three is a seventeen week old fetus. His brain is just starting to develop. His major accomplishment this week would be something like making a sucking action. Whether he has any ability to detect anything at all is very, very questionable. However, it stands to reason that his innate abilities, something that would be written into his spiritual imprint or DNA, would be something that could pass between us. I was just telling Ulquiorra the other day about how fetal DNA stays with its mother for the rest of her life. Couldn't also a spiritually gifted baby be able to involuntarily impart some of its ability to a spiritually strong mother?"

Urahara tapped his chin for a moment. "It's possible, but without running tests, I wouldn't be able to know for sure. Of course, we can always wait until the baby is born to do this. It would be safer."

Ulquiorra could have hissed. "You will not be running any test on any of our children."

Orihime scoffed. "You're just being resistant because my theory is less romantic than yours. You don't have to run tests to know that the Belladonna thing I just did wasn't a fullbring, do you?" she said as she clumsily got to her feet and then crossed her arms under her breasts, looking at the scientist expectantly.

The ex-shinigami sighed. "That had a shikai feel to it, maybe-"

"Luppi could poison people-hollows. Loly could do it too. If Three has an ability..." Ulquiorra looked at Orihime with a worried expression on his face. This was all too much for him to comprehend.

"Does it really matter what classification the power is? Can we all agree that this is like- It's a zanpakuto. Arrancar have them. Shinigami have them. I still carry Kazui's DNA in my blood. I wonder, had I had a need while I was pregnant with him, if I would have been able to tap into his power?" she pondered aloud. "It was dull times back then, though." She held her chin between her thumb and finger and began to pace. "I know I don't have a sword, but my understanding is that a zanpakuto is just a manifestation of part of a shinigami, vizard, or arrancar's soul. So… maybe because of, I dunno, reasons, Three and I are just compatible that way?"

Urahara shrugged. "Perhaps the part of Cifer's soul that entered you has fused with yours. Three and you are one unit right now. You move and think as one. Perhaps this Belladonna is like a zanpakuto."

"It feels like it to me," she answered, turning her face to Ulquiorra. "What did it feel like when you held your zanpakuto?"

Ulquiorra studied Orihime for a moment. He missed Murcielago terribly sometimes. Being stuck in his second release just meant the sword was a part of him. "It felt as an extension of myself," he answered quietly. "Is this what it felt like?"

She nodded. "It was as natural as breathing."

"When did Kazui's shinigami powers become apparent? There is no way-"

"Most young children don't have powers," Urahara said, interrupting. "They grow into them. They're hungry all the time, but it's more than just a growth spurt."

"He was about three years old when he had a zanpakuto physically manifest. But, I mean, consider his parents," she said, not bothering with modesty. Everyone present knew.

Ulquiorra thought about the information he was given. She was powerful. He was powerful when not in a Gigai. "Could our souls fuse together?" he asked in an absent tone.

Orihime's brows rose at the idea as her sight moved from her lover, to Urahara, in question. It was Isshin who offered his opinion first, though.

"I'd think it's possible," he said, scratching his beard. Ichigo was a combination of me and Masaki; I don't know if I'd call it fusion, but I wouldn't rule it out."

"But Kazui seems to have mostly taken after Ichigo," Orihime countered.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime. "Does that mean Three will take after me?"

"I don't think so, not necessarily, anyway." Isshin answered. "You'll have to wait and see. My children were all different; even the girls, who are twins, are vastly different, both genetically and spiritually."

The green-eyed man sighed. "What can we do for her spiritual pressure? Is there any way we can build it up again?"

"I cannot return Kurosaki-dono to her natural levels, but I can supplement her with kido, if she has some time," Tessai supplied.

"Do we have time, Orihime? If it would help," Ulquiorra still had his eyes on her.

She nodded. "I'd like to get back to Eriko sooner than later, but I can stay a bit," she agreed.

Two and a half weeks later, Orihime woke up the morning of her twenty-week check up and anatomy scan feeling excited. Both she and Ulquiorra had been waiting for this day since they found out she was pregnant. She wished she could really take her time and enjoy the day, but she had to be up early at the cafe bakery, getting baked goods ready for the Saturday morning rush.

She and Ulquiorra had hired several more part-time people and two nearly full-timers to work at Halcyon, and while the extra sets of hands were useful, it was a handful for Orihime and Ulquiorra, with the help of Satomi and Endo-san, to get the new people trained up. Orihime was very, very tired. She didn't sleep well at night and she was pushing the limits of her work restrictions. She looked down at her phone, expecting a call any minute from Ulquiorra to tell her to take a break.

Her phone lit up and she answered, pressing the speaker button. "Hello Darling, I was just about to sit down," she said as she tapped some flour off of her hands in a clapping motion.

"Well, Kurosaki-san, I like you and everything, but I don't think we have that kind of relationship yet," a young man's voice replied with an awkward laugh.

"Excuse me? Who is this?" Orihme answered, somewhat alarmed.

"I'm sorry, it's me, Kitajima. The new delivery guy? I am supposed to come pick up the order for the Metro Hotel's breakfast bar this morning and I was wondering if everything is ready."

Orihime blew out a breath as she looked around. "I think so. If you get here early you can help me clean," she said.

"Alright, I'll be there in about ten minutes."

Ulquiorra rode the train with Eriko and Kazui to the cafe. After he dropped the children off to help while he and Orihime went to this appointment, he would be in the cafe working until close. The past month had been draining on him mentally and physically.

Eriko seemed to adjust okay to what happened. If she had more nightmares, she said nothing about it.

Kazui went on as if life was normal. He was turning into a pretty decent cook, if Ulquiorra wanted to admit it. The kid fixed dishes that were flavorful but weird.

However, his problem was not the children. It was Orihime.

He never was a heavy sleeper. He never really dreamt. Orihime tossing and turning in bed or getting up at night was what woke him up. Ulquiorra would stay awake until she got back into bed. He kept blaming himself for this problem. The guilt of what happened to Eriko, and what Orihime had to do, sat heavily on his shoulders.

The redhead's spiritual pressure hadn't been fully restored. He had to keep reminding her to stop for a minute and think about herself. Orihime was selfless at times. It worried him.

When they left the train station, he called her cell phone, wondering if she was taking a break, like she said she would, or if she had disregarded the doctor's advice to her.

"Halcyon Cafe and Gifts, Orihime Kurosaki's phone," a youthful male voice answered Orihime's phone in a soft volume.

"Uh," Ulquiorra stuttered for a moment. He was not used to other people answering his woman's phone. "Is Orihime there?"

"Yeah, but she's kind of… Hold on," the sound of the phone being set down could be heard before the man's voice returned, "Yeah, I think she's asleep. Can I, uh, take a message, or…?"

Oh well that was a relief. "No, I'll be there in a few moments," Ulquiorra replied and hung up.

"Who was that, Dad?"

Ulquiorra looked at his daughter. "I think it was one of the new people who answered. Orihime's asleep," he said. He was trying to push away the feeling of jealousy that started creeping into his brain. The delivery guy and the other new employees they had hired had been checked out thoroughly, because Ulquiorra had not wanted another Yamada situation on his hands. He had no reason to feel jealous of anyone at the cafe. They were upstanding people as far as things had been uncovered. "Come on. Stop dawdling, Kazui."

The boy sped ahead of Ulquiorra and Eriko towards the cafe. "I'll meet you there then, slowpokes," he teased. Kazui knew this was a difficult time for his family, but he was determined to make the best of it. Eriko had been struggling ever since whatever happened with her mom. No one ever told him what had happened, and he had enough sense not to ask. Maybe when Eri was older he would ask her directly, but for now, with the way Ulquiorra and his mom tiptoed around and sighed heavily when her back was turned, he knew it was a topic he had better let lie. In the meantime, he knew that everyone was stretched to their limits. "I'll make sure the newbs are on task!" he called back as he got too far ahead to converse with.

Ulquiorra had to smile at the boy. He was a good kid. Definitely a better kid than the one he had dealt with in March. It hadn't been that long ago, almost six months. He watched as Eriko ran after him, yelling at him to wait up. What if she wasn't adjusting well? What if she was just hiding her trauma?

As he walked up to the cafe, he sighed. He hoped that wasn't the case, and wished once again for some kind of Soul Society therapist.

The man found his lover asleep in her office. She looked so uncomfortable, but she was actually asleep. The kind of sleeping that brought on dreams. He hated to wake her.

"Hey Cifer-san," the new delivery driver said as he came around from the kitchen, still speaking softly. "Does she do this often? Is it a pregnant lady thing or what?"

Ulquiorra startled and turned around to see a man with orange hair. It was obviously dyed, but still it was a shock to see. "Excuse me? Who are you?"

"Ichiro Kitajima. You hired me, sir," the kid answered with an easy smile.

"Oh, but didn't you have dark hair when I hired you?" Ulquiorra pointed to the man's head. "I mean, I know we have a lax dress code here but..." He was unable to formulate a logical sentence. He could have sworn the kid had black or dark brown hair when he hired him.

The young man grimaced and scratched the back of his head. "Well, the truth is, my agency strongly advised that I use black hairspray during the interview process, and then after I'm hired to follow the rules of the company. Kurosaki-san's hair is colored, and so is Satomi's and Kazui's, so I thought it would be okay. Should I change it?"

Indignation went through Ulquiorra. How dare this kid claim that Orihime dyed her hair! That had never been the case! His mouth formed a thin line. "Kitajima, neither Orihime nor Kazui color their hair. That's natural. Your hair is fine, just do not dye it green or blue… Wild colors," he explained. "And she does this sometimes. She's supposed to take breaks."

Ichiro blew out a breath and smiled at Ulquiorra. "Okay, good," he said, then peered at Orihime's sleeping form. "I thought she looked tired so I suggested she sit while I get the muffins in the oven and she just kinda…" he gestured toward her. "That was nearly an hour ago."

The dark-haired man nodded. It was good she was getting some rest. "Is Satomi around yet? Orihime and I have an appointment."

"She called and said she would be here in a couple minutes a bit ago; she might be here by now. I've been back here," he answered, throwing another glance toward Orihime. "I've been making sure those cashiers keep it down."

"Thank you, Kitajima. If you would, please go see if Satomi is here," he stated and turned from the other man. He put his hand on Orihime's shoulder. "Woman?"

A groan answered him before Orihime's eyes squeezed shut and fluttered open. "Where- Why am I at work?"

Ulquiorra smiled at her. "Because you left the comfort of our bed to come in at the crack of dawn and work on orders and make sweets," he offered. "I've brought the kids to help out while we're at the doctors."

She leaned back and stretched. "Thank you," she said and smiled. "That Kitajima-kun really stepped up today. Where did you find him?" she asked as she grabbed her purse and rubbed her eyes.

He shrugged. "He came from the same agency that the other two workers came from. Are you okay? He said you fell asleep. Orihime, you need to focus on getting rest at night instead of pacing the house."

She sighed and put her hand in his elbow. "I'm sorry. I try to sleep, but I keep having dreams that wake me up. I don't even remember them, but once I'm up, it's like my body doesn't want me to go back to sleep."

"Is there some medication you could use that is safe for pregnancy?" Ulquiorra asked as he led her out of the office to the front of the shop. Sure enough, Satomi was there and had both children doing tasks. "Satomi-san, we should be back soon. Make sure Kaz and Eri stay in line, please."

"Of course, Cifer-san. Take your time. Good luck, Orihime!"

"Thank you Satomi, be good, kids!"

The dyed-haired kid was near the entrance. "Oh, allow me," he said, opening the door for his bosses and smiling.

"Thanks for everything this morning, Kitajima-kun," Orihime said, sparing him a smile and a nod of the head.

The delivery driver's face turned pink as he returned the expression.

This made Ulquiorra scowl before he escorted Orihime out of the cafe and to the car. He was a gentleman and opened the car door for Orihime and helped her into the vehicle. He was trying to not let jealousy overtake him. He couldn't help it. Ulquiorra had been jealous when Kurosaki had come to Hueco Mundo and entered that tower where he had Orihime. It was his nature to try and defend what was his, and Orihime was his. "That kid seems nice," he said as he got into the driver's seat.

She nodded. "He's sweet. Very helpful and considerate," she agreed.

He looked unimpressed as he drove off in the car. "Hopefully he's not the Yamada kind of helpful."

Orihime's nostrils flared at that memory. "I should hope not, too," she said, barely refraining from snarling. "I won't tolerate it." She exhaled slowly and let the sudden tension dissipate and then looked over at Ulquiorra. "He was really nothing like that though, I don't know why you would make that connection."

Perhaps it was his mind playing tricks on him. Maybe it was the fact this Kitajima looked an awful lot like her late husband, minus the naturally orange hair. Their initials were even the same. "I am wary of people; you know this."

She gave him an appraising hum. "Some more than others," she said with a half-smile as she put a hand on his thigh. She thought it was cute that he was getting snarly about the new guy. She decided to change the topic though. "So, today's the big one, are you excited?"

"I am apprehensive about today," he answered and glanced down at her hand before focusing his attention back on the street and traffic. "You seem excited."

She was only mildly disappointed at his answer and gave his leg a small squeeze. "Of course I'm excited! Today we find out whether Three is a little Euvestes or Euvegenia."

Ulquiorra's head swung in her direction as he stopped at a light. "A what?"

She grinned at him. "You know, a little Frank or Francine. Paul or Paulina. Hans or Hansleen… Okay I made that last one up, but you get the picture."

"I think we should name the baby Shinzo," Ulquiorra said in a quiet voice. "Regardless if Three is a girl or a boy."

"I'm sorry, no. I'm not going to let the poor girl get bullied for her name as well as her outstanding good looks, if she is a girl, thank you. But if Three is a boy…" Orihime's eyes met Ulquiorra's with a dreamy expression. "That is the perfect name," she said, love dripping from her lips.

He rolled his eyes. "What is your suggestion then if Three is female?"

"Well, she'll be born in the spring -technically the late winter if we're going by the equinox but I go by the weather- so we could call her Haruko or Harumi, something like that. I've always liked flower names, too."

Ulquiorra considered the name. It would match Eriko's name somewhat. "This is a satisfactory proposition," he said. It was only moments later that he pulled into the parking lot near the hospital. "Is Ishida going to be doing this or someone else?"

"I think Ryuken Ishida will be there with an ultrasound technician and Isshin. They should be there when we arrive. I wonder if we'll see Uryu Ishida," she said.

The man bristled again, the jealousy boiling higher. "Why? Do you want to see that man? He tried to turn you against me, in case you forgot. He was in league with your husband to tamper with your memory, Orihime. I do not hope to see him."

"Hey, look at me, Ulquiorra," Orihime said with concern.

His green eyes moved until they saw her dark eyes. "Yes?"

"I don't hope to see him. I was merely wondering if we would." She tilted her head to the side. "This isn't like you to snap at me. Are you alright?"

"I'm tired, Orihime. When you don't sleep, I don't sleep. I have to get up and go to school and teach bratty kids. I have to go to the cafe and keep up with that. Then I have to come home and deal with the children and I have to remind you to rest," he said, ending his words with a heavy sigh. "I wish you would sleep more or at least stay in bed."

She felt a lot of conflicting emotions at his admission. Guilt. Worry. Slight, tiny betrayal. "I'm sorry, Ulquiorra. I'll stay in bed." She didn't say he sounded like Ichigo after Kazui was born, but that's what she was thinking.

He reached over and cupped her cheek. "I'm worried about you, Woman. That is all. Your face speaks louder than your voice at times."

She leaned her face into his palm and closed her eyes. "I love you," she said and let them have this quiet moment of peace before they left to go meet their baby.

Taking a moment, Ulquiorra pressed his lips against her mouth and then pulled back. "I love you. Are you ready?"

"Let's go," she said, opening her eyes and smiling at him.

As they entered the hospital, they saw no one that they recognized. The woman behind the registration desk was younger than the daffy old lady Ulquiorra had been greeted by when he came to confront Uryu Ishida months ago. They were just about to be shown to Ryuken's office when Orihime heard a soft scoff. Something in the back of her mind told her not to turn around, but she did anyway, just in time to see a flash of Uryu Ishida's glasses as he pushed them up the bridge of his nose and marched away without a greeting. She had seen his eyes move from her belly to her face and the start of a sneer form on his own before he turned away.

Whatever. He didn't matter.

When the woman came back to escort them, she grasped Ulquiorra's hand and entwined her fingers with his. "This is it!" she squeaked.

Ulquiorra had heard the Quincy. He ignored him. He was focused on Orihime and her enthusiasm as they walked to a different room. "Were you this excited with Kazui?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I was more scared with Kazui. Now that I know what to expect, I'm not worried. Not as much, anyway," she said, squeezing his hand. "You still worried?"

"Somewhat," he replied. He was more concerned with Ishida ruining Orihime's big day. "Today is your day."

"No, it's ours. This is us. Me, you, and Three." She smiled at him. "Don't discount your role in this. You're the dad." Her smile turned into a wide grin. It was moments like these that their connection felt especially tangible, and she was loving it.

He chuckled. "You did most of the work," he murmured to her. Ulquiorra kissed the back of her hand. At times he was impressed with how much he could feel for this woman. "Fine, it's our day."

She sighed happily as they were escorted into a room and Orihime was given a gown to change into and a specimen cup to fill. "Be right back," she said, excusing herself from the room.

Isshin came in a moment later. "So, Cifer, today is the big day!" he said with a clap on his back. "So, what are you hoping for? Boy or girl?"

"A healthy child," Ulquiorra replied. "I think I want another girl, but I just want a healthy, normal child. Are you wishing for a certain sex?"

The older man shook his head. "The only thing I care about is the child's health, too."

Orihime returned to the room wearing the hospital gown with bare feet. She seemed much smaller than usual, apart from the belly. "Oh, hello, Isshin! Are we all ready?"

Ryuken and the technician arrived as she asked the question. "Yes, if you'll get on the examination table we can begin," the elder Ishida said dispassionately.

Orihime nodded and used Ulquiorra's shoulder to steady her climb up to the exam table and ease her descent into a lying position. The technician put a sheet over her legs and pelvis and the pulled the gown up to expose her belly.

"Aw,' Isshin said softly as the protrusion came into view.

"Okay, this gel should be nice and warm, but let me know if the pressure is uncomfortable, Kurosaki-san. It may be unavoidable, but I'll do my best," the technician said, as a black screen came into view on two monitors in front of everyone that said "Baby Kurosaki - Due Date March 7, 2020".

Everytime Orihime winced or made a strange noise, Ulquiorra wanted to grab her hand or punch the person who was doing this to her. Isshin had a hand on his shoulder and was assuring him it was normal. This procedure made things uncomfortable for women. He scowled as he looked at the monitor. It looked like a human. The outline was there. He could see hands and feet and a nose.

The look on the technician's face worried him though. She kept her mouth shut for the majority of the scan, take pictures and measurements. After a time she said, "The amniotic fluids look like they're at good levels. Umbilical cord and placenta are normal. Did you want to know the baby's sex?"

Orihime bit her lip and looked at Ulquiorra, nodding.

"Please," he answered.

The tech smiled as she moved the wand slightly. "You see that?" It looked like three small appendages.

Orihime nodded.

"That center one is your baby's testicles and penis. Congratulations, you're having a very proud baby boy," the tech chuckled. "His face is pretty cute, too. Ready for 3D?"

The smile that blossomed on Ulquiorra's face was wide and he beamed at Orihime. Their child was no longer a number, but now he had a name. He was their heart. "Yes." His girlfriend's enthusiasm was finally catching up to him.

"Shinzo…" Orihime whispered as she tightened her grip on Ulquiorra's hand; her chest tightening along with it. She nodded at the tech as she tried not to cry.

There was a bit of finagling and switching settings and adjusting angles; in the meantime the tech pointed out the little arms and shoulders and fingers, and finally she got to the baby's face.

Orihime gasped. He was beautiful.

Oh. Oh… Oh. That's the only thought running through Ulquiorra's head at the moment. This was his son. He had created this person along with Orihime. It had been an unintentional move, but still, he didn't regret it. "He's..." the man managed to get out before becoming choked up.

"He's perfect," Orihime whispered, wiping tears from her eyes.

Neither parent was able to tear their eyes away from the monitors after that, as the tech continued to take angles and pictures which printed off a machine attached to the monitors. "Don't worry, you'll get to take these home with you," the woman mentioned as she started turning off the machine attached to the wand. "I'm going to talk to your physician and he'll be right back to talk to you. In the meantime, these are yours," the tech said, handing Ulquiorra the small stack of printed images before leading Isshin out of the room.

With the printouts in his hands, Ulquiorra stared at the image of the baby inside of Orihime. He then looked at her with sparkling eyes, full of adoration. "You are remarkable, Orihime."

Orihime gave him a confused smile but accepted the compliment. "So are you, Ulquiorra." She looked at the pictures and rubbed a hand over her still exposed belly. "So are you, Shinzo." Fresh tears sprung from her eyes and she covered her mouth with one hand, laughing at herself. "I'm such a big baby. I knew he was a boy," she added with a small smirk.

Ulquiorra helped the woman sit up. Once she was upright, he kissed her slowly, letting his hands trail down her body. "Yes, you did. Do you think Kazui will mind?"

"I'm sure he won't. What about Eriko?" she asked, a bit dazed by his kiss.

"I have no clue. She hasn't said much about the baby."

Orihime nodded as there was a knock at the door. "I'm coming in," Isshin's voice called out.

Once he was in the room, he looked at the couple for a moment. There was a vague tension in his features. Finally, he said, "Congratulations. Did I hear that my new grandson's name is Shinzo?"

Ulquiorra noticed his face. He stood in front of Orihime as if to shield her. "Yes, Shinzo Cifer. What is it, Isshin?"

Isshin pursed his lips and his eyes trailed to Orihime. "Well, Shinzo looks like he's developing well; all his parts are in the right place and are in fine working order, he is just a bit small."

Orihime had been listening, expecting a "but" to follow. When none came, she began to worry. "What does that mean, Isshin?" she finally asked in a small voice.

"You need to rest more, Orihime. You need to eat and rest. You need less stress. Your blood pressure is too high. There are trace amounts of protein in your urine. I'm sorry, but you are going to have to stop working altogether."

Orihime's brows rose in protest, but Isshin shut it down quickly. "It's the only way to guarantee your safety and Shinzo's. I'm going to put you on a blood pressure medication, but if we can't get it under control and keep it under control, it could become dangerous for Shinzo, but even worse for you. If you don't get your blood pressure under control, there is a chance you will not survive the pregnancy, Orihime. This is serious."

Ulquiorra knew this was bad. He had kept telling her to rest; to relax. She swore she had everything under control. Everything was fine. He turned towards the woman with a stern expression on his face. "There will be no arguments about this. I do not want anything to happen to our son, but more importantly I do not want anything to happen to you. Kazui has already lost one parent. You must think of him, too."

Her face crumpled. She knew it was her fault. She kept going, knowing that she was taking a risk, but counting on being able to power through this pregnancy as she had with Kazui's. His was not as stressful, though. She had been a fool to think that because she was more emotionally mature, everything would take care of itself. "I'm sorry," she whimpered as bitter tears clouded her eyes. "I promise, I'll stop. I don't care if we lose the cafe. I don't care if we lose the money. I would never forgive myself if-" she couldn't go on.

"I'm glad you see reason, Hime-chan. I'm sorry to give you this news, but it's important. I'll write you a prescription you can fill here at the hospital. You'll need to have your blood pressure checked regularly. I can stop by every couple of days if you like, but I don't want you to leave the house. A walk around the garden is fine, but no shopping, no lifting, no working. Do you hear me?"

The woman nodded and sniffled.

Ulquiorra sighed. It would do no good to get frustrated at Orihime for this. He shook his head. "She will abide by your demands. We will figure it out, Isshin."

"Good. Let me know if I can help in any way, or if Yuzu-chan can lend a hand, I'm sure she'd be happy to," Isshin said as he helped Orihime get wiped up.

"Are you okay, Orihime?" Ulquiorra asked. He knew she was upset.

She nodded and took his hand to help her stand as Isshin left the room. "Yes, I just feel guilty. I should have had my priorities straight. Shinzo's life depends on it."

He grumbled for a moment. "You shouldn't have done what you did alone. Had you just called me I could have been there," he said. Ulquiorra stared at her for a moment. "Your life is important to me."

She regarded him for a moment before putting her arms around him. "Thank you. I promise to be better," she whispered. The fact that he cared about her wellbeing made her care about it. "I'll promise to stop disregarding myself."

"Good. Would you like to go home or go to the cafe?"

"Let's stop at the cafe and tell the kids the news," she said with a growing smile as she took off the hospital gown and stepped into her pants.

Ulquiorra had to bite his lip and turn from her as she got redressed. The doctor at the Naruki City hospital said that if she went on full bed rest then there couldn't be any sex. It could jeopardize things. "We can do that. You can pick the kids up and take them back home with you to help out. I'll stay at the cafe and work. Is there a list of things to do?"

She nodded her agreement and answered, "Just keeping the new hires in line and answering questions."

Eriko saw how happy Orihime looked. She saw her dad frowning. She wasn't surprised as she and Kazui were ushered into the office. Her dad's girlfriend had a big appointment today. They were going with Grandpa to the hospital for it. "Is everything okay?"

"Well, yes and no," Orihime started. "Everything is okay and we have some exciting news, but first I have to tell you that my health is not good. I'm not going to be able to work or do anything much around the house until after the baby comes," she explained with an apologetic expression.

Kazui was worried. "Are you going to be okay, Mom?"

"Yeah, Monkey, I just have to be careful."

"This means you two and I are going to have to help your mother. We need to do our best so that she can rest," Ulquiorra said.

Kazui looked at Eriko and nodded. "We can do that, right Eri?"

Eriko nodded. "We will and we can. Is your health not good because of-"

"We don't know Eriko. It's hard telling what caused this," Ulquiorra said, interrupting the girl.

"It's not good because of a lot of things. My blood pressure is too high. It's a common complication of pregnancy, caused by any number of things. What's important is not what caused it, but what I can do to prevent it from getting worse and harming me or the baby. Speaking of which…" Orihime's face started to glow as she began to smile. "We have something good to tell you, too." She looked at Ulquiorra. She wanted him to have the option of relaying the news about Shinzo's sex and name.

Ulquiorra looked at her for a moment. He understood why she paused. "We found out if you two are going to have a new brother or sister today."

"And?" Eriko asked.

"Do you want to tell them?" the green eyed man asked Orihime.

"You can," she offered with a grin. "Or we can both do it on three."

The man smirked before he leaned over to whisper in Orihime's ear. He could tell she wanted them to share this news together. He couldn't deny her this. "You tell them what we're having and I'll tell them his name. Deal?" he whispered to her.

She nodded, the apples of her cheeks turning pink under the pressure of her grin. "You two are going to have a new baby brother!" she squealed joyfully, looking into the wide eyes of the children. They did not immediately react.

"His name will be Shinzo," Ulquiorra added.

It was silent in the office for another moment. Eriko looked at Kazui and then back at their parents. "So I'm going to be the only girl?"

"Well, no, it's you and me," Orihime argued. "Two against three, I guess," she chuckled.

"No, I mean after he's born you're going to stop having kids," Eriko said.

Ulquiorra sighed and then glared at the girl. "Do you have a problem with us having more children?"

Eriko's head shook back and forth. "Our house is small. I don't think that you two should do this again."

Orihime laughed. "Don't worry about it, Sweetheart. We'll take things one baby at a time, okay? Besides, you sound like a little old lady saying things like that. Next you'll suggest we take up a wholesome hobby, like checkers or something."

Ulquiorra had to stifle a laugh. His girlfriend just schooled his daughter by subtly telling her to mind her business. "Okay, you two get your stuff. I'm going to give Satomi some directions."

When the children scampered out of the office, Ulquiorra looked at his woman. "You're remarkable and you're taking this whole thing rather well."

Orihime sighed heavily but smiled at him. "Thank you. I just realized that I have no choice. When you don't have a choice you can either resign yourself to your fate, or fight for no reason and lose. I don't want to lose. I can't lose. I need to protect Shinzo. I need to stay healthy. There is nothing else to consider."

He reached out and put his hands on her hips and drew her closer to him. "That is good. Perhaps with this mindset, I'll let you have some treats." Ulquiorra kissed Orihime slowly, letting his hands stroke her back gently.

"Oh? What kind of treats?" she asked with a raised brow after the kiss was broken. "You've got my attention."

A small smirk spread over his mouth. Ulquiorra flashed his eyebrows at Orihime then gently grabbed her ass. "The kind which involves us in bed without clothes. I know the doctor said we couldn't do that but… I'm sure with careful planning I can bring us both to a pinnacle of pleasure."

She whined softly. "Is it time to go home yet?"

"Soon."

A/n: Thanks for reading! What do you think about Shinzo? What about that Ichigo... I mean Ichiro, and Ulquiorra's jealousy?