It was hard to stay still knowing Ichigo was right outside and Grimmjow had returned faster than expected. The unknown reiatsu awoke the pups, causing them to shiver in distress. Subtle, her brother had never been. Starrk left to meet them.
"Ukitake-taichou is here too," Nanao noted hesitantly.
"Isn't he the one that helped destroy the fire bird thing they tried to execute Rukia with?" Karin asked.
"Yes."
"Then relax, I doubt this is going to bother him too much," Karin shrugged. "Besides, Ichi-nii is here and like hell he would let anything happen to us. Grimmjow, on the other hand," she sighed, looking down at her very obviously pregnant belly. There was no hiding that.
Nanao picked up two of the pups and offered them a breast each, letting them suckle to calm down. She held two more while Karin copied her, setting two to breast and two to cuddle. It helped calm them down.
Finally, the sound of someone coming down the tunnel reached their ears and they glanced at the entrance. Karin vibrating in joy and Nanao in nerves. Ichigo pulled himself up, his eyes going right to them. His mouth dropped open in shock as he took in her mostly naked appearance, swollen belly, and the four pups she held: two eating.
"THE FUCK!" he shouted in shock.
"Nice to see you too, Ichi-nii," Karin returned the greeting. "Relax, these eight belong to Nanao and Starrk."
"I am not an idiot Karin, you are feeding and have a belly that screams you are pregnant," Ichigo growled dangerously.
"It was be fucked or be killed," she shrugged. "I chose 'be fucked' so I could return the favour," she offered him a feral grin.
He made some interesting gibbering sounds as the rest made it into the den. Starrk was curled up by Nanao in seconds, nosing his pups happily and offering them his body heat. Karin set the two that had finished feeding down in the cuddle pile and assisted the other two in finding her nipples.
Grimmjow prowled around to join her, working his way behind to act as a backrest. She sighed in relief and shuffled more comfortably.
"May I see one?" Jushiro asked gently, eyeing the pups.
"Of course," Nanao was quick to assure. "We haven't named them yet and their eyes haven't opened."
Jushiro moved in slowly and sat down before them, carefully accepting one of the pups Nanao handed over. It made little whimpering grunting noises until Jushiro cuddled it to his body, offering his own body heat.
"He is so adorable," Jushiro gushed. "Eight you said?"
"Yeah," Nanao blushed before clearing her throat. "I know the laws, but Karin is right. We had to stay alive so we could escape and bring back the information to report."
"Relax, Ise-san. We can't afford to be executing officers over archaic laws. Shunsui would never permit it and even if he tried, we all know Ichigo-kun would tear us apart again, and we can ill afford that right now."
"Exactly what I've been telling her."
"Wait, if Starrk took Nanao as his mate…" Ichigo trailed off.
"Sorry Ichi-nii, it's Karin Jeagerjaques now," she smirked at him.
"I am going to skin you for daring to dishonor my sister," Ichigo growled, dark energy rising around him as golden eyes glared at Grimmjow and a hand grasped the handle of his zanpakuto.
"Oh can it, Ichi-nii. I am not a child, I chose to do this, and not that it is any of your business, but Grimmjow was hardly my first and not even my third. Best sex I've ever had though, despite the logistic issues," she mused.
"Do you know how many you will have?" Jushiro asked.
"Six," she winced. "Can you freak out later, nii-san, because right now all I want to do is eat, sleep, and get somewhere safe. Please tell me you guys brought food."
"Yeah," Ichigo numbly handed her the bag.
"What's in there?" Nanao asked desperately.
"Onigiri," Karin sighed in relief, handing several to Nanao to tare open and eat.
"When did you eat last?" Jushiro asked concerned.
"Real food, over a week ago. Whatever Starrk and Grimmjow hunted down, few hours ago."
"You've been eating hollow meat!?" Ichigo demanded.
"It was that or starve, and frankly, I like being alive," Karin snapped. "Now stop freaking out and get your ass over here and hug me. I've missed you, you stupid lout."
Ichigo finally seemed to shake off his daze as he closed the distance and pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't have tears threatening the corner of her eyes, some sand had just gotten caught.
After they ate, rested, and Nanao gave her report to Jushiro over their imprisonment and what was going on at the coliseum, both Jushiro and Ichigo were suitably horrified when they learned about the rapes, they packed the pups into sacks and started the last lag of the journey to Las Nochas. This was after Starrk made it clear he would not be separated from pups or mate and trying to would result in his displeasure. Jushiro assured the former Arrancar it would be fine. Ichigo had been wise enough to not even whisper the idea of separating his sister from his former partner.
Karin had a hard time walking, her ankle still not fully healed and her front end rather heavy, and spent most of the time riding Grimmjow's back; something that amused her brother a little at least. It took them three days to reach the fortress, where they were met with a rather large crowd. Foremost amongst them was her father and Shunsui. Neither man waited for them to finish their approach before appearing before them in a flash of Shunpo.
"Nanao-Fukutaichou, reporting in, Soutaichou," Nanao saluted the best she could with a squirming bag of pups clutched to her chest.
"So formal, Nanao-chan," Shunsui whined.
"Karin, my beautiful, daugh… what the hell!" Isshin shouted as her condition became clear to her father.
"Can it, goat face, I'm fine," Karin snapped. "Now if you don't mind, our backs are killing us and we are all starving, exhausted, and would kill for a bed and shower."
"Oh gods, a shower," Nanao moaned. "I got sand in places I don't even want to think about."
"And a bed. I am tired of sleeping on sand and sandstone. I want a pillow damn it," Karin added. "My back and crotch are killing me, no offense love, but your spine is murdering me. I am going to have bruises for weeks."
"You think it's comfortably having your bony hips dig into my back?" Grimmjow grunted back as they walked past the stunned men who had run out to meet them.
"Karin-chan!" Nel shouted joyfully as the Vasto Lorde came racing towards them. "Are those cubs?" she squealed, spotting the wriggling sacks. "And you're expecting cubs too?" Nel added, eyeing Karin's obviously distended belly.
"Yes to both. Nel, where is the nearest bath, food and bed, somewhat in that order?" Karin asked exhausted.
"We will go to my wing," Grimmjow declared. "Your wing is a mess, Starrk."
"A pity."
"Starrk? That is you!" Nel cried with glee and gave the coyote a hug. "Look at you, all four legs and hanging around people. You will have to tell me about it. Go ahead, get your mates and pups to a den. I'll see about food."
Behind them, Isshin and Shunsui managed to regain some composure as Jushiro filled the two men in on the basics of what they had learned with Ichigo adding the occasional comment.
An hour later, Nanao and Karin were finally curled up on a large bed with bellies full of real food and hair damp from a long, wonderful, warm shower. What more, Nel did some searching around, and four cubs were now contently suckling milk from a bottle while the other four breast fed. It was a huge relief.
"It's so good to see you. Ichigo took Grimmjow's loss hard,"
Grimmjow snorted from his place resting beside Karin.
"but losing Karin nearly destroyed him. Yuzu took it hard too and Isshin, well, he probably took it the hardest," Nel reported.
"Hmm," Karin agreed sleepily. "Sorry Nel-chan, it's been a very, very, very long couple of months, and the last few weeks have been a nightmare. All I want to do right now is sleep and restore some strength before my own litter arrives."
"I noticed a few Arrancar hanging around that were not here before," Starrk commented from his place curled beside Nanao.
"Yes, thanks to Yuzu-chan," Nel beamed.
"I'm sorry, what?" Karin looked at Nel confused.
"Urahara-san figured it would take a Quincy to undo what a Quincy did, and since Yuzu-chan was such a caring and loving soul of healing, she managed to undo the damage after a bit of training by your… uncle I think he is. I am not sure on the relationship there."
"We can return to two feet?" Grimmjow asked hopefully.
"That or keep going and evolve on your own," Nel shrugged. "Honestly, what is holding you back Starrk?" Nel frowned at him. "Even now your power far outstrips my own."
"Knew it," Grimmjow grunted annoyed.
"That hell hole and on the run was not the place or time to leave myself, and the pack, vulnerable," Starrk sighed.
"What about you, Grimmjow?" Nel asked him. "You are close, I can sense that," she offered him a smile.
"I'll think about it."
"You will keep getting stronger either way, won't you?" Karin asked.
"I should," he agreed after thinking about it for a moment.
"And last longer than a few minutes?" she asked with an eyebrow waggle.
"Fuck yeah, maybe I will," he chuckled. "Show you what I can really do."
"Don't want to hear it," Nanao protested.
"Prude," Karin stuck her tongue out before a mischief gleam touched her eyes, "or is Starrk just not any good."
"What! He's fine," Nanao defended with a blush.
"Not that you have anything to compare it too," Karin continued to tease. "You should evolve Starrk, just so you can show Nanao what sex is really like."
"That is not what I wanted to walk in hearing," Shunsui complained as he walked into their room. "No, please do not move ladies," he held up a hand to stop Nanao from trying to at least sit up, two pups still feeding.
"Taichou-san," Starrk greeted, rising to his paws to stand before the pack.
"Starrk-san. I am surprised to see you alive and well."
"I am not so easy to kill."
"So it would seem. Jushiro gave me your report. We will be sending a strike force out within the week, assuming they don't move."
"They seemed arrogant enough not to," Nanao said.
"Especially with king dick face there," Karin added. "Make sure you plan for him. Did Ukitake-san mention how I noticed he seemed to be weaker during the night?"
Shunsui offered his head a nod in answer. "No one held in the facility, both now and formally, will be held accountable for anything that happened there."
Nanao let out a sigh of relief and tension that had been holding the woman taunt seemed to melt away.
"When can you return to work?"
"In a few days at least," Nanao answered.
"No," Starrk interrupted.
"This is my job, Starrk," Nanao protested.
"For now, Nanao Starrk, your responsibility is to our cubs. They are defenseless and cannot tend to themselves. For the next few months, they are our primary concern," Starrk declared firmly.
"Nanao Starrk, eh?" Shunsui asked, eyes going dark.
"You took Lilynette from me, Taichou-san," Starrk declared in a mixture of loss and smugness.
"I am not property," Nanao snapped. "Don't either of you dare treat me like it!"
"Men," Karin rolled her eyes in agreement. "Oi, dick measuring contest, give it a rest," Karin snapped at them, startling Starrk and Shunsui. "Starrk is right though, Nanao, the cubs need you. I have my own coming soon too. There is no chance in hell you are ditching me to raise fourteen cubs alone."
"You tell 'em," Grimmjow purred.
"Don't think you are getting out of this either. You are going to see Yuzu, you are getting a set of arms back, then you are going to be right here helping us. Half of this is your fault."
"Before or after I fuck you into the ground?" he asked with a wide grin.
"Preferably, before," Karin answered without missing a beat.
"And shall I call you Karin Jaggerjaques now?" Shunsui asked.
"What do you think?" she rolled her eyes at him. "Apparently, hollows have never heard of divorce. Besides, kitty cat here,"
"Oi," Grimmjow protested.
"promised me the best sex of my life once he was back on two feet. I want to see if he can live up to the promise."
"If what the numerous had to say was any indication, he should be able to," Nel giggled, reminding them all she was still in the room with them.
"You assume he will live long enough after Isshin is through with the man who deflowered his sister," Shunsui pointed out, crossing his arms in what was definitely not a pout over the fact he was getting his ass verbally handed to him.
"Not that it is any of yours, or theirs, business, but Grimmjow was not my first," Karin snorted. "Nanao, on the other hand…."
"That is personal information he does not need to know," Nanao shouted in protested as Shunsui went red. "And stop looking so smug," Nanao grabbed Starrk by the tail and jerked him down to lay beside her, getting a yelp from her mate. "What is done is done. Starrk and Karin are right," she admitted. "I need to take care of my children, but I can still help," she added before Starrk could get smug. "Bring me the paperwork I know is three miles high in a few days and I will get started on it. I can still do administrative tasks, and don't even dare to protest," she snapped as Starrk opened his muzzle. "I am not a damsel in distress and I still have a job to do, assuming you plan on keeping me," she looked at Shunsui.
"Yare, yare, how could I ever say no to you, Nanao-chan. I would be lost without you."
"You were lost," Nel deadpanned.
"Glad that's all worked out. Now if you don't mind, we'd like to sleep," Karin scowled at the arguing boys.
"Oh Kami, sleep," Nanao moaned.
"In a bed," Karin sighed.
"With pillows," Nanao added.
"And real clothing." Karin adjusted her yukata to cover her as the pups detached and yawned.
"And not freezing or getting sand everywhere."
"Clean for the first time in months."
As if to amplify their points, Starrk and Grimmjow both let out loud yawns, showing off their impressive fangs.
"We get the point," Nel giggled. "C'mon Shunsui, we can get a bottle of sake and you can moan to me all about losing your precious Nanao-san to the big, bad wolf."
"Coyote," Starrk muttered.
With clear reluctance, Shunsui let himself be pushed out of the room by Nel. The women did need some sleep. They were already drifting off before the door even closed, the pups safe in a basket nearby.