Free Talk- This chapter is just a little bit longer than most of the others. It is also kind of sappy and has a light Izuru x Momo flavor. I hope it doesn't turn too many stomachs. What can I say? I read a lot of shojo manga and watch a lot of crappy television. After this chapter though, the action will pick up quickly. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the support! Please comment and tell me what you think.

Sympathy For the Devil
By Miss Angel Maxwell

tenth chapter

IT IS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST TO FIND A WAY TO BE VERY TENDER

As the two former classmates stood facing each other in the blue-darkened streets of Karakura, the five-foot distance that separated them seemed much wider. Momo had anticipated the awkwardness between herself and Izuru. The last time he had seen her, the poor man had been on the receiving end of her flaming projectile, so it was only natural that he would be wary of approaching her now. The outfit she had chosen to wear today was intentionally feminine to emphasize her innocent objective. Still, she thought it would be best if she stayed a safe distance away and waited for him to close the gap.

"I'm just here to talk, I promise," she said. "I won't try to attack you. Is there someplace peaceful where we can go? Just the two of us?"

"I… uh, yeah," the blonde boy answered. "We could go to the rooftop where I go to think," he suggested. "It's kind of a habit I picked up from a friend of mine."

As Izuru walked over towards her, Momo sighed internally. He didn't seem suspicious or threatened by her, a little nervous perhaps, but he was always like that. "That sounds fine," she gently answered. With a small smile, he took her hand in his and she gasped softly when she saw his bandaged other arm sticking out of his sleeve. "Your arm! Oh my god! Does it hurt?"

Izuru laughed lightly, holding up the healing limb. "It's fine," he said. "It's been healed for a while. The bandage is just to cover the scar. Please, don't worry about it."

"I'll try," she said. " But it might be difficult since I'm the one who caused it and all. Now let's get going." She wasn't trying to rush him, but she knew her time was limited. Three hours was all that Mr. Tousen had allotted her for this visit so she had to make the best use of it. Holding hands with her friend did make her feel more relaxed. Yes, Kira Izuru was the right person to come to. She could trust him.

The two of them moved briskly through the suburban streets and alleyways, eventually coming to a stop in the middle of a neat row of homes. "Whose house is this?" Momo whispered as she deftly leapt up to join Izuru, who had already jumped up onto the roof. "Are you sure we won't wake up the people inside?"

"It's the orange-haired boy's next door neighbors' house," he replied quietly. "They're spending the winter in Okinawa so waking them isn't an issue. So, are you comfortable? Is this okay?"

Momo giggled. "It's perfect," she said. "You don't have to worry so much." A deliciously cool breeze came out of nowhere, ruffling her hair and her dress. It really was perfect. "I can see why you like it so much up here. The stars are beautiful."

As she gazed up at the sky wistfully, she had no idea that her friend was chewing on his lower lip to prevent himself from saying something lame like, '…not as beautiful as you.' It was probably for the better, because he could never pull off a line like that. "You look really healthy," he said instead. "When you were released from the hospital you'd lost weight and you were really pale… But now, your skin is bright and your figure has filled out… Not in a bad way! I mean it in a very good way! And your dress looks really… That is… uh…" Realizing that he was beginning to blush, he quickly got back to why they had come here. "So what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Momo tried to keep her smile from appearing too giddy, but she was truly ecstatic that Izuru had noticed that she was different. She wanted to tell him how she was different, but she knew she had to wait for the right time during her visit. It was a tough secret to keep, though. "I wanted to make sure that you're okay," she said sweetly. Then she gingerly picked up his injured arm and ran her fingertips gently across the white bandages. "And apologize for doing this to you," she added. "I'm truly very sorry that I ever raised a weapon against a friend, and even more sorry that somebody got hurt because of me."

"Like I said before," he told her, smiling sympathetically. "You don't have to worry about that. Besides, I know exactly how it feels to get caught up and attack somebody you care about. That guilt is punishment enough."

"I wish I could apologize to Shiro, too," she sighed. "After all, he's the one that I was actually trying to hurt."

"Why can't you?" Izuru asked. "I gotta be honest, I was really surprised that you wanted to talk to me and not him. He's been your best friend since you were little kids. The guy cares about you more than anything in the world. He'd be overjoyed to see you and just to know that you're alive."

Once again, the young girl began pawing at her clothing nervously. "I know," she said. "And I really wish I could tell him. I wish I could see him… But, if Shiro saw me, if he knew that I was here in the Living World, he'd want me to stay. He wouldn't understand that I can't stay. And I know he wouldn't approve of what I've been doing since the last time he saw me."

"What exactly have you been doing?" Izuru asked. "Nobody has seen or heard from you in two months. The prevailing theory is that you defected to Hueco Mundo and allied yourself with Aizen and his minions. Is that true? Are you our enemy now?"

"It's not entirely true," she answered delicately. "I have been living in Hueco Mundo with Captain Aizen. I'm not working for him, though. I don't support his campaign in any way… I just support him. Because… I'm in love with him…" She looked up at her friend's face, expecting an expression of shock, but he appeared perfectly calm.

"I see," he answered thoughtfully. "So you're saying that you recognize that what Aizen is doing is bad, but you're going to stay with him anyways?"

"It's not like that," Momo squeaked. "What you don't understand… what nobody else understands, is that there are two different versions of Captain Aizen. He may be a villain when he's around that fiend Ichimaru and those creepy hollows. But when it's just him and me he's very dear and good. He treats me like a princess and he makes me very happy."

Izuru's brow knitted into a concerned expression. "But Momo, he's the bad guy," he reminded.

"Not when he's with me," she insisted. "And every day he spends a little more time with me, which means that he's a bad guy for a little less time each day. Eventually I'll get him to stay with me all the time and then he'll be good all the time. It's all a part of my plan. And if it works, everyone's troubles will be over."

The boy next to her sighed and shook his head skeptically. "Is this supposed to ease my mind?" he asked. "Are you trying to convince me that you're perfectly safe and that the whole situation with Aizen is completely under control because you love him and have a plan?" She was about to reply, but he cut her off with his continuing hushed objections. "What you're trying to do is really dangerous, Momo. His good side could very easily be a façade created to deceive you. He did it for years within Soul Society. This man is an expert at exploiting people's weaknesses."

This was certainly an argument that the young woman expected, and though she still wasn't quite sure how to dispel it she would certainly try. She turned to Izuru and reached out to sweep his pale blonde bangs off of his face, causing a shiver to run through him. Now she could look into both of his watery blue eyes and command his full attention "I have to have faith that the way Captain acts when he's with me is real, because the way he makes me feel is real. When I'm with him… when it's just Captain and me… I feel happier than I've ever been before. And that means a lot. I have to believe that he'll choose a life with me and the baby over a career of evil. I have to believe he'll choose love over ambition."

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything, but just stared at each other in silence. Izuru was still processing everything Momo had said. She was waiting for him to realize that she'd just revealed her biggest news of all. When his eyes widened and his mouth relaxed, she knew he's figured it out.

"Baby?" he asked. "What baby?"

Momo giggled. "My baby," she answered delightedly. "Well, it's mine and Captain's. But it's in my tummy so I just call it mine."

"You're pregnant?" he uttered, his face a portrait of pure shock. "With Aizen's child? I guess that answers the question of whether you and he are lovers… Gee, I'm not even sure what to say…"

"How about congratulations?" she urged with an optimistic smile.

"Of course, congratulations," he said. "But are you ready for this? Is he going to take care of you?"

"I dunno if I'm ready," she said. "Is anyone ever ready to have a baby? But I'm really happy about it and so is Captain." Her smile spread so wide she had to pause for a moment. "We've even talked about names. It's gonna be Suzume if it's a girl, and Taka if it's a boy. They're names that are very special to the two of us. Aren't they cute?"

"They're very cute," Izuru answered, his expression softening into a smile. "A bit strange, but cute. And you seem genuinely happy, happier than I've ever seen you before, actually. And that's all that matters to me."

In a rush of bubbly enthusiasm, she pulled Izuru's gangly body into a warm embrace, completely unaware that it turned his pale white skin into a sea of goose bumps. "Oh I knew you'd understand! I just knew it! And I'm so excited! I love my baby so much! I already wish I could see it!"

"I think I might be able to arrange that," the young man said as he pulled out of the hug. Momo looked at him in confusion and he continued. "Seriously, I know a way. Follow me."

The two shinigami jumped down from the roof and walked just a few feet to the house next door. Momo stood behind Izuru and watched curiously as he picked up a small rock from the ground and hurtled it at one of the windows. It hit with a clatter and he threw another one, and then waited for a response. The window slid open and a man's face with dark spiky hair and a goat beard poked out.

"What? What is it?" he grumbled. "Oh, Kira, it's you. What are you doing out so late? And what are you throwing rocks at my window for? Jeez, you woke me up."

"Sorry Mr. Kurosaki," the blonde replied sheepishly. "I just didn't want to wake up your whole family. Listen, I have a huge favor to ask you. Could you come around and meet me in the clinic?"

Isshin rolled his tired eyes. "Alright, but tomorrow you're working a double shift, 'Nurse Kira.'"

A few minutes later, Momo found herself and Izuru inside the little home clinic, being greeted by Ichigo's dad in his pajamas and robe. He seemed to perk up a bit when he saw her. "I didn't know you had such a cute friend," he said with a vaguely suggestive grin towards the boy. "So what can I do for you two?"

"This is Hinamori Momo," Izuru informed him. Then he began to stutter. "She has a baby… Uh, that is, she will have a baby. She's pregnant, I mean… But it isn't mine! No I just… I was wondering if maybe you could use that machine you look inside people with and let her see her baby. It would really mean a lot to me… uh, to her I mean."

"I would be very grateful to you," Momo added with a polite and graceful bow.

"It's no problem," Mr. Kurosaki said. "A bit of a weird request for the middle of the night, but we can do it. Just hop up on the table, Miss Hinamori and lift up your dress."

Without a thought regarding appropriateness, Momo obliged, pulling the hem up all the way to her chest and revealing a pair of plain white panties. Her belly was maybe a little bit bigger than it used to be, but it was still basically flat. It was almost hard to believe that there was a baby in there. Although Izuru turned around right away, she had a strange feeling that he was peeking through the corner of his eye. Apparently, the doctor noticed his bashfulness as well.

"Jeez Kira," he said as he pushed over the ultrasound machine. "You'd think you'd never seen a girl's underwear before. Your face is as pink as her dress."

Momo grinned. "You can look if you want," she said. "I don't mind."

So Izuru stood by her head as Mr. Kurosaki put gel on her skin and glided the scanner over her stomach. It tickled and she couldn't help giggling. But she kept her eyes on the little black and white screen, not really sure what she was looking for. Everyone's eyes were on the screen.

"Hmm," Isshin hummed as he scrutinized the image. Then he moved the scanner around a little and scrutinized it again. "Hmm… That's interesting…"

"What? What's interesting?" Momo asked, very nervous. "Is something wrong?"

"Well…" the doc replied slowly.

"What is it?" Izuru piped in, sounding almost as worried as the young woman.

"It's nothing bad," Isshin casually assured. "Actually, everything looks fine. I'd say you're about eight weeks along, Miss Hinamori. Implantation looks good. Amniotic fluid looks good. Oh yeah, and it's twins by the way."

"Twins?" Momo gasped excitedly. "You mean there are two babies in there? That's unbelievable! How can you tell?"

"Well, there's one," he said, pointing to a white, cashew shaped blob surrounded by a bubble of black on the right side of the monitor. "And there's the other one." He pointed out a similar shape on the left. "It looks just like Yuzu and Karin's ultrasound did. Yep, twins. Congratulations. Here, I'll print you a picture."

Still in a state of shear bliss, Momo looked up at her friend, who looked completely baffled. "Can you believe it?" she exclaimed joyfully. "Twins! I'm going to have my Taka and my Suzume! This is the best news ever! I can't wait to tell Captain! And it's all because of you that I found out, Izuru. Thank you. Oh, they're so cute! They look just like little fried shrimp!"

"You're very welcome," her friend said, eyeing her curiously.

When they left the Kurosaki Clinic and stepped back into the cool blue night, Momo couldn't stop thinking about how this visit really had been much better than anything she had anticipated. She had accomplished what she'd set out to do, checked up on her dear friend and apologized for hurting him. And she made sure that at least one person in the Living World knew she was safe and happy. Best of all, she'd found out that she was having Captain's twin babies and even had a picture of them, which was tucked safely into her dress.

"I think it's about time for me to go back," she said softly. "But you know, Izuru, I'm really glad I came here to see you tonight. Thank you for being so sweet to me."

"Oh course," he breathed. "I'm glad you came too. Tonight… just being around you… it was wonderful. I… I really wish you were staying though. I'm sorry if that sounds like something that Hitsugaya would say, but I mean it."

"You're really kind of cute some times," Momo giggled. Then she turned more serious. "But you know, you can't let Shiro find out about this visit. He'd probably be mad at you because you didn't keep me here somehow, and mad at Captain because I chose to stay with him. And I know he'd be needlessly worried. I don't want him to feel any anger or resentment or anxiety because of me. So please, keep tonight a secret, okay?"

"Okay," Izuru sighed. "But you know I'm going to worry about you in his place. That Captain of yours better take care of you and the little fried shrimp, ya hear?"

Momo reached out and clasped both of her friend's hands. "I know you don't have faith in Captain Aizen. But at least have faith in me. Have faith that I wouldn't make such a huge misjudgment of his true character. And have faith in love. Love is the only thing that can conquer hate. So please try, Izuru."

"If you insist," he said peacefully. "I will try. Goodbye, Momo. I hope with all my heart that this isn't the last time I see you."

"I hope so too," she pleasantly replied. "And I hope one day Taka and Suzume will get to meet you. Goodbye, Izuru. Take care of Shiro." Then she dashed off into the night to meet Mr. Tousen at the designated location.

Izuru stood alone in the gentle darkness, thinking about the weird and wonderful encounter he'd just had and feeling like the only soul awake in the entire town. He wasn't.


Ichimaru Gin had seen and heard every detail of Miss Hinamori's rendezvous with his former vice captain, except for what happened in the clinic, and he was both sickened and thrilled. He was sickened by the girl's cloying sentiment, but thrilled because he'd finally thought of the right course of action to eliminate her from Master Aizen's life once and for all.

So her only motive is love, eh? How disgusting… The girl's as clean as the bed sheets in the 4th Division hospitals. Ah, but she thinks she can 'save' her Captain. What a little idiot… and the way Izuru just ate it all up! It's a shame those two couldn't have hooked up. It would be like 'I'm with stupid' times two. Heheheheheh… It's good that she had fun, though. Because the delusion is about to end. I'm going to have to demonstrate to her the ugly truth, that Aizen Sousuke will never choose love over ambition.

To be continued…

(In case anyone didn't know: Suzume means sparrow and Taka means hawk)

Next up: Gin finally makes his move