Chapter 6:

When she awoke, she smelled rubbing alcohol. She also felt a dull pain in her chest. She moaned when bright light permeated her view, but her eyes adjusted.

"Kaa-chan!" a small voice exclaimed. She tried to sit up but a large hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Captain Isane said you shouldn't try to get up yet," a smooth baritone informed her.

Emiko walked to the top of the bed and bent down to kiss her cheek. Momo's lips couldn't help but curl upwards at the sweet gesture. Whenever Emiko was sick or upset, she would peck her cheek.

"You're awake. I missed you," she said. She laid her head beside her mother's face.

"I missed you too, Emi-chan." Her hand moved to tuck an unruly strand of wavy hair behind her ear. She noticed that Emiko was in different clothes, and she had bags under her eyes.

She frowned. "How long have you been at the hospital?" she inquired.

"Three days," Aizen replied from the chair next to her bed. Momo's eyes widened. She was shocked that he had stayed and that she had been unconscious for so long. "Emiko didn't want to go home since she wanted to be here when you woke up."

Emiko nodded enthusiastically and gave her toothy grin that made her mother's heart melt. "Emi-chan, you didn't need to wait for me. You look like you could use a good night's sleep." She pinched her nose, "and it smells like you need a bath."

"Kaa-chan! I took a bath all on my own today!" She pouted and went to sit on her father's lap.

"I'm kidding, and I'm very proud of you for taking a bath on your own. How grown up!," she praised.

"Thank you," Emi responded as she cuddled into Aizen's chest. He wrapped an arm around her and stroked her hair.

"But we can still take baths together right?" she asked shyly. Bathtime was one of her favorite parts of the day. She got to play with her special bath toys with her mother, and if she was extra good at helping around the house, she got to use bubble bath. The fluffy masses were fun to play with and smelled so good.

"If you want, but I'll need to be released from the hospital first."

"And then tou-san can take baths with us too!" Emiko added.

Momo reddened and sputtered. "Emi-chan, girls and boys aren't supposed to take baths together."

Emiko looked confused, completely oblivious. "Why not?"

Momo shot Aizen a panicked look. She had just woken up from a near death experience. She wasn't going to explain why she wouldn't bathe with her criminal ex-lover to her six year old daughter.

Unfazed, he said, "Let your mother rest. She's still recovering."

Emiko shrugged and let the subject drop.

There was a knock at the door. Momo told them to come in. It was Captain Isane and Shunsei. She had expected Isane but not the captain-commander.
"Lieutenant, it's good to see you awake. I'll perform a few tests, and then you can go home," Isane said as she looked at the IV and scribbled some notes down.

Shunsei offered her a friendly smile. "You're probably wondering why I'm here," he began. "I wanted to check on you, but I also needed to speak with you." He glanced at Aizen and Emiko. "Would you mind going to the waiting room?"

Aizen nodded and picked Emiko up. Isane also left shortly thereafter under the guise of getting some ointment and bandages to redress Momo's wound.

Momo became nervous, scared even. What could be so important that Shunsei needed to speak with her alone.

"Before I tell you anything, please try to keep an open mind." He pulled the chair close to her bed and sat in it. "But I'll start with telling you what has happened." His normally cheerful expression became grim.

"The explosions in the city injured or killed a third of the population. Squad barracks two, eight, and ten were directly targeted, along with the Research and Development Institute and Muken." Momo put a hand to her mouth. She instantly thought of Toshiro and Rangiku, and she also reasoned that maybe that's why Aizen was out.

"Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Masumoto are just fine, but we've suffered many losses," he added.

"Do you know who did it? And what about the wild animals?" she asked, eager for answers.

"It's possibly the work of a criminal group called Blue Indigo since their insignia was stamped on the Central 46. However, someone could be framing them. Blue Indigo has been somewhat active in the poorer districts, but they've never been known to leave those areas or commit acts of terror. They typically rob merchants or run gambling rings," he explained. Momo had never heard of the organization, but she rarely ventured outside of the Seireitei or her home district.

"Captain, I don't mean to be rude, but what does this have to do with me?" She appreciated that he had visited her and filled in on what she missed, but someone else could have done those things, like her own captain.

"A few things. First, we tested the substance on your zanpakuto, and it was the same poison from your wound. Second, we believe that those creatures were targeting you and Emiko," he explained.

"About Tobiume, I wasn't able to use her after I got that substance on her. It must be from that substance."

The brunette captain's eyebrow arched upward. "You were unable to communicate with her?"

"Yes. Do you think there's anything we can do about it?" She had almost forgotten about being unable to activate Tobiume until Shunsei mentioned it. Hopefully, once the substance was removed, she could use her again. Otherwise, she had no idea what she would do.

"I'll talk to Captain Kurotsuchi about it," he promised.

"And how do you know Emiko and I were targeted? And why?"

"The mutant animals were mostly concentrated around the squad five barracks where you two were. Aizen gave Captain Kurotsuchi the idea to expose the captured creatures to your DNA and see how they reacted. It wasn't pretty." She frowned at the mention of his name.

"And let me guess, you don't know why they were targeting us," she concluded with a sigh.

"Unfortunately no, which brings me to our next point of business." He cleared his throat. "We're taking Aizen out of Muken and putting him on house arrest, so he can -"

"Excuse me for interrupting Captain, but are you serious? He's too dangerous to be out of prison," she interjected. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could they release him? After all the hurt and pain he had caused so many?

"I understand your concern, but we have no idea what we're up against. We need all the help we can get given how many shinigami we've lost. Aizen will of course have his spiritual pressure sealed and his location and activities will be monitored at all times. In fact, he'll be working under Captain Kurotsuchi." His assurances did little to comfort her. No matter what restrictions or rules they made for Aizen, he'd find a way to get around them.

"He agreed to this?" she pressed.

"Yes. He even offered to show us a better way to seal his reiatsu which we confirmed after some experimentation would actually work better than the chair," the brunette captain affirmed.

She was so shocked that she had to remember to keep her jaw shut. "And what do you need from me?" she inquired.

He flashed her a nervous smile. "Well, while we're making some preparations at his home, he needs somewhere to stay. I was hoping you'd be able to take him in for a week or so."

She gave him a deadpan look and didn't even bother to ask what the preparations entailed. Likely, someone would search the home for suspicious items, put up some cameras to monitor him, etc.

She sighed and reluctantly agreed. Why was she stuck babysitting Aizen?

"On the brightside, I don't think he'll try to kill you. He was quite adamant about coming to your rescue when the city was under attack." Her nonplussed expression became puzzled.

"I was a bit confused why he was even out," she confessed. "What happened?"

Shunsei leaned back in the chair. "Shinji arrived at the prison when you released a spike of your spiritual pressure. Aizen demanded to be released so he could save you and Emiko. He threatened to break out if Shinji didn't unseal him."

"I thought the chair was able to hold him."

"We did too, but his spiritual pressure has grown even more powerful, and the chair was constructed years ago. He was able to undo several of the seals on his own to demonstrate his claim." Typical Aizen. He always has a trick up his sleeve or some form of leverage. It seemed he was already making Emiko useful by using her as an excuse to break out of prison. She needed to be on her guard while he stayed with him.

Stretching arms, he stood up to leave. "I know this is difficult for you Lieutenant Hinamori, but we appreciate your cooperation. I'll speed the process along as fast as I can."

Once he left, she grabbed a pillow and half screamed and half groaned into it.

Emiko couldn't stop smiling the whole day. Her dad was coming to stay with her mother and her for a whole week! She was going to be with her two favorite people in the world. She had so many things she wanted to do with them. Painting, star gazing, reading together before bed. The possibilities were endless. This evening, she and her father were making dinner together while her mother rested in bed.

"Emiko, where are the knives?" her father asked.

"In the drawer to your left," she replied while stirring a pot of curry, atop a stool.

Aizen hummed while chopping some vegetables. "You like cooking."

"Yup. That's why I have my own apron. Yona-chan and her mommy made it for me for my birthday." With a hand on her hip, she scooped a small amount of sauce out and blew on it. "Mmm. It tastes great! Come try it tou-san!"

For a moment he was briefly reminded of an evening like this long ago.

Flashback

He put a hand on her hip and leaned over her to see what she was making.

"Captain Aizen, would you like to try some?" He took the spoon and sampled it.

"Delicious," he stated, savoring the savory flavor of the soup.

She blushed prettily. "Thank you." She had prepared one of his favorite dishes: tofu soup.

He had mentioned it offhandedly once, and she remembered. What a good pet she was. So attentive to his likes and dislikes as he had trained her.

"Should I get kaa-chan and tell her that dinner is done?" Emiko's question broke him out of his thoughts.

"Sure. You go, and I'll take care of the rest," he replied with a gentle smile. She bounded away like an excited puppy, and his smile faded.

Soon, this fantasy world of Emiko's would end. Their makeshift family was as ephemeral and fragile like the cherry blossoms on her apron. He would do it for her though. Ever since he discovered her, he couldn't shake the protective warmth she evoked from him. She was his most perfect and precious creation. She was a prodigy, but it was more than that. She had a passion for life and those around her that mirrored Momo's.

That passion is what caught his eye years ago. Momo had fearlessly faced the hundreds of hollows when she knew she didn't have a fighting chance because she wanted to protect her friends. Meanwhile, all the others had cowered in fear or ran away, but not Momo. She was fearless. He knew in that instant she would be his lieutenant. He had nurtured that passion into a passion for himself. Initially, he hadn't intended for it to become so in a physical sense, but he wanted to be sure that he had fully ensnared her.

A baser, more human part of himself had also enjoyed the seduction. He could admit that now. Since he wasn't currently a god, he could enjoy her again. From her coldness towards him, it would be more difficult to get her in his bed, but he always loved a challenge.

He heard footsteps, so he turned off the burners and plated the food.

"Emiko, can you come help me bring over the dishes please?" he called out.

"Coming!" The tiny pitter patter of feet followed, and his little helper was by his side. He gave her a small bowl of vegetables to bring to the table while he brought the rice and curry.

Most of dinner, Emiko talked about her birthday gifts while Momo picked at her meal, not sparing him a glance. He had attempted to engage her in some small talk, but it had proven unsuccessful, so he allowed Emiko to dominate the conversation.

Her favorite gift was the GPS from Nemuri, but much to her dismay, Momo had confiscated it until further notice.

"Kaa-chan, when can I have my gift back?" she questioned.

"When you prove to me you can be trusted with it again," came her mother's calm reply.

Emiko frowned and started playing with her food, pushing her vegetables around.

"Emiko, you misbehaved, so you need to accept your punishment. Complaining proves you're still young to have that gift," her father added sagely.

Immediately, she stopped playing with her meal and sat up straighter, determined to prove she was mature. "I'm sorry tou-san and kaa-chan. I'll be patient."

Momo blinked, surprised that Aizen had somehow averted what she figured was an inevitable meltdown. While mature for her age, Emiko was still a child. When she didn't get something she wanted, she was prone to crying and whining.

"Good girl. Besides, you have the nice painting supplies your mother gave you. That sounds much more interesting than your GPS," Aizen pointed out.

Emiko playfully rolled her eyes. "You're only saying that because you like calligraphy."

He shrugged and continued to eat his meal while Momo stifled a giggle.

When dinner was over and the kitchen was cleaned, Momo pulled herself onto her feet, albeit a little too quickly. Dizzy and sluggish from her pain medication, she stumbled forward, but Aizen flashstepped behind her and steadied a hand on her waist and her shoulder.

Warm breath tickled the back of her neck, eliciting goosebumps and a familiar heat she pushed away.

"Thank you. I'm alright now." Unconvinced of her claim, he remained in place.

"Emiko, go get ready for bed, and I'll walk your mother to her room," he stated. From the concerned look on Emiko's face, Momo decided not to fight with him.

She let him guide her to her room, holding onto his forearm for support. She released his arm and slowly got onto all fours and crawled into bed.

"Are you alright to redress your wound?" he asked in an almost innocent tone. "I'd be happy to assist you," he added with a smirk.

She flushed and turned her head away from him. "I'm fine to do it on my own, thank you very much."

He chuckled, amused by her response.

"Why did you save me?" Her fingers curled into her comforter.

"Emiko needs you." She sighed. She had figured it was something like that. Why couldn't she be content that he loved Emiko? A tiny hidden corner of her heart yearned to know he cared for her even just a little bit, no matter how much she fought it.

A knuckle grazed the side of her cheek. "Had you hoped for another reason?" he asked softly.

"No. Now let me sleep. I'm exhausted."

He moved away from her. "Very well. Good night."

Today was the first official day of her two week mandatory vacation from work. She nearly laughed. There was nothing vacation-like about babysitting her ex. At least she'd have a week without him, but she was itching to get back to work. She knew that several divisions were understaffed, so she intended to help out where she could.

A knock on the door prompted her to stand up from the couch, but Emiko ran past her.

"I got it!" she announced.

"Oh. Hi Shishio-san," she greeted, less enthusiastically.

"Hello Emiko. Is your mother home?" he inquired, holding a bento box and bouquet of white lilies.

"Um, yes. Come in," she replied, leading him to the living room where her mother was and returned to her room.

She beamed at their guest. "Shishio-san. It's so good to see you."

"You too. I heard about your injury and wanted to say hello."

"Oh you really didn't need to bring anything," she said when he laid his gifts on the table. She gestured for him to sit next to her on the couch.

"I take it that we won't be able to train again for a while," he observed with a half-smile.

"I'm afraid not. Even once this heals," she explained touching her bandaged clavicle, "I don't know if I'll be able to use Tobiume for a while."

"What do you mean? What happened?" He put a hand on her knee.

She explained how the poison from the creature blocked her communication with her zanpakuto and how Mayuri was researching how to fix it.

"Wow. That's terrible, but I might not have much time to train you anyways," he revealed.

"Is the stealth force understaffed too?" she guessed.

He nodded solemnly. "We lost a lot of good people."

Her small hand covered his. "I'm so sorry Shishio. I hope we can find whoever did this."

"Me too." He caressed her knee for a moment, and she blushed. She coughed and removed her hand from his, and he followed suit.

"I'm going to be on leave for the next two weeks, so feel free to stop by when you'd like," she offered with a sincere smile.

"I can't make any promises, but I'll try." He gave her a half hearted smile and bid her goodbye. His shift started in half an hour.

Once he was gone, Aizen appeared. "So that's the infamous Shishio." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. He had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Yes. he's a good friend."

"You should be careful Momo. I used to be your good friend," he warned before turning around back to the guest room.

What the hell did he mean by that, she thought. She shook her head. He was playing games with her.

"My apologies. We were unable to obtain the girl master."

The figure shrouded in black shadows growled. "I thought I told you to bring her and her mother alive."

"There were," the henchman paused briefly, "complications. We had planned to drug them and take them from their home, but neither were there." They hadn't expected the little girl to break into the prison nor for the mother to follow her there. Most importantly, they hadn't counted on Aizen to escape and kill almost all of their monstrous experiments.

"I am well aware of that. Phase three of the mission is postponed until further notice."

"Understood master."