Chapter 9 – Ran and Gin … LOVERS?

He nodded and offered me his back. I climbed on shakily and wrapped my arms around his neck. Speed steeping the entire way, I knew that Shiro was thinking about his revenge against the Three Defectors of Soul Society. It wasn't until we were at the door to the Tenth Division building that he told me why Sajin-san was there. Rangiku was there for Ichimaru, Momo was there for Aizen and Jidanbo just because he was a source and the West Gate Keeper.

"Sajin-san was there because Kaname Tosen was his best friend. Their relationship was a little more complicated than that though because of how much time they spent together. Even I don't know all the details of that relationship. But to each his own. You will stay in bed until further notice from Unohana-Taichou. I'll get some tea and rice to help keep your stomach settled. Understood?"

"Thanks, Snow White," I said, throwing myself on the bed.

I was still dressed in the lighter Soul Reaper uniform and I decided that it was much more comfortable that the regular one. Four days and I still wondered if Jack and Sally were worried about me. I had already missed two days worth of AP classes. I had also missed three practices for our game that Friday night. Shiro kicked the door open, a tray in his hands. I saw a heaping bowl of rice and a pot of tea alongside two cups. He settled the tray across my thighs before picking up one of the two sets of chopsticks. They looked to have Bamboo on the top half and dark stained Cherry wood on the bottom half separated by a thin silver band. He poured tea into the two cups before attacking the rice. I had to smile at his childish enthusiasm over the rice before him.

"I love watching you," I told him, picking up the other chopsticks. "You always look like a child whenever you don't get your coffee or aren't in one of your moods. It scares me though when you want revenge on someone."

"Thanks, Field Mouse," he said, his cheeks slightly rounded from being stuffed with rice. "Looking at you is like looking at a dream come true. Care for some rice, Mouse?"

I nodded and looked at the chopsticks in my hands. They were a red stained dogwood with what looked like darker red flames crawling toward the round top half from the half way point. Fitting enough considering the upcoming mood swings. I took a bite of rice before my curiosity got the better of me.

"Hey, Shiro. What was the relationship between Rangiku and Ichimaru? Every time I hear Ichimaru's name and Ran is around, she always goes for the sake. I want to know the real relationship."

"They knew each other as kids. He saved her from starvation in the bad part of Rukongai. They entered the Academy together and graduated within a month of each other. Things got hot and heavy for a while but not before Gin found out about Aizen and his own sexual preferences. He was originally under Aizen in the Fifth Division before he got the job for Captain of the Third. After that, they never saw each other much. He broke her heart when he defected with Aizen and Tosen. She told me one night when she got too drunk to keep her mouth shut. I promised him that if he ever came near her or Momo and did anything to make them bleed or unhappy, he would pay with his life. Happy?"

"I understand," I murmured. "Do you even know if Yama-Ji will let you anywhere near the battle zone because of that? I wouldn't want to lose you when we have become so happy with each other. I don't want to be the one to hold you back if you really want to fight. If you do, don't you dare die on me, Toshiro Hitsugaya. Do you understand me?"

He cupped my cheek with his left hand, smiling genuinely at me. "I want to fight. I want to keep you and our child safe. I will lose my mind if I lose either one of you. This is a new beginning for both of us and there is nothing that I wouldn't do to keep you with me. My heart will freeze and shatter if I don't have either one of you by my side when this war is over."

"I am yours now and forever, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya. We will stand with you, no matter what kind of tricks Aizen manages to pull. War or not, we will always be by your side, Shiro. If you die and I can't kill Aizen on my own, then I will carry on your memory for both me and our child so that they may know their father. When this war is over, I want to marry you. I want the rest of my life to be spent with you here in Seireitei."

He stretched across the tray to kiss me when Jinta, Kisuke's Boy Wonder, burst in and he was panting as if he had just run a mile. He was trying to tell us something around his large gasps for breath.

"Jinta-kun, calm down and breathe," I told the ten-year-old boy. "When you have caught your breathe, then tell what's going on."

"Espadas. Over Karakura Town. Ichigo is trying fight off Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. There are five others that are there with Grimmjow. Come quickly!"

Shiro looked at me, then back at the still panting boy at the door. He nodded and pulled on his full uniform. He looked at me like he wanted me to stay behind but I just gave a look that said if he didn't let me go with him, he would regret it the rest of his life. He rolled his eyes and nodded at Jinta to lead the way. I quickly changed into my own uniform before following the man I loved and Kisuke's ten-year-old messenger boy. I heard Shiro mutter something about stubborn women and finding love at the wrong time. I smiled at the back of his head.

"When this is done, we need to pick out names for our kid. I think that Gran-Gran still had that book of baby names the she had originally gotten for me and Momo. I guess that she thinks that Momo and I will still get together one day before she croaks. Stupid old hag."

"Key words being 'when this is over'," I said. "I wouldn't be surprised if this war will even be over considering all of the stuff that Aizen has put everyone through and all the paperwork that needs to be filled out. And here we are trying pick out names for babies right in the middle of it all. I would laugh but this is too serious."

Shiro just snorted and Jinta sniggered at our bickering. A sky-rip opened in front of us and I could see a sliver of Karakura Town before me. We stepped through and the rip closed itself up. The entire town stretched all around me in every direction. I marveled at it for a minute before someone came right at us with a sword pointed at Shiro's chest. The mask covering his left eye looked like bleached (a/n: pardon the pun!) bone. The rest sat on top of his head and whittled out to a sharp point out over his right ear.

"Perfect timing, Toshiro-Kun! And you brought friends I see," he sneered. "I am Shawlong Quafong. Arrancar number eleven. Grimmjow told us to keep you busy while he battled that orange-haired brat, Kurosaki. Now prepare to die, Soul Reaper!"

He came at us again, only this time he was aiming at me and Jinta. Shiro managed to get in front of us and block the blow meant for the ten-year-old boy next to me. He shot me a look over his shoulder telling me to get Jinta back to the Urahara Shoten so that both of us could stay out of danger. I nodded at him and grabbed the boy's hand, speed stepping all the way to the shop owned by the former Captain and his crew.

Why did I have to come along? I asked myself on the way there. Shiro should have ordered me to stay behind. But then again I guess that he wanted me to come so that I could see how Aizen is planning to take us down along with half of the town below me. I just wish that I weren't pregnant with that creep's kids! Damn him to hell and back three times over!

"Hatake-kun, we just passed the shop! We half to go back a few blocks!"

I noticed a sign a little ways behind me that read Urahara Shoten on the sign above the door. I snorted and turned on my heel, making my way back to the shop. As soon as I opened the door, I was pulled into a tight hug by the blonde shop keeper. Ururu was lying on the floor, a small yet deep wound on her abdomen just below the bottom of her ribcage. I sat down next to her and concentrated on something that I thought would help stop the bleeding. I closed my eyes while I worked on the simple healing spell I heard Unohana teach Shiro that morning. When I opened my eyes, the wound was practically healed with a slight scar appearing on her skin. Then I passed out.

"What's wrong with her, Kisuke-san?"

"She's fine. She used so much energy on trying to heal Ururu that she passed out from exhausting her spiritual powers. She should be coming around in a minute or so. Good thing you thought to find those smelling salts for me last night in case something like this happened, Tessai."

I heard a grunt that I took to be Tessai's way of thanking Kisuke for the compliment. I groaned, drawing everyone's attention to me. I tried to sit up but I quickly fell back against pillows because my head felt like it was about to split in two. I rubbed a hand over my eyes to try and keep the brunt force of the rooms lighting out of my sore eyeballs.

"How do you feel, Alex? Tessai managed to finish healing Ururu just after you passed out. Jinta, go get me some warm water and a clean rag!"

"My head feels like it's about to split in two. How long have I been out? Where's Shiro? I want to go back and help him defeat that Arrancar! Damn you, Kisuke! Let me go and help my Shiro!"

Kisuke was holding onto my wrist for dear life to keep me from leaving the store. He pulled me into another tight hug and I began crying into his rough layered hakama. I didn't know how long I cried until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned out of Kisuke's embrace and saw Shiro standing there with a slight cut over his eye. I pulled him close and held him there when I heard him mumble something. I pushed him to an arm's length away and asked him to repeat it.

"We have to help Ichigo against Jeagerjaques if we can, Mouse. Hold the fort down until we get back, Urahara-Taichou!"

I followed Shiro until he stopped me just below two people in the sky above us. One I recognized as Ichigo. The other one had grayish blue hair, blue eyes and bright green eye shadow on his bottom lid that made Shiro's eyes look tame. The exposed bone that covered his right cheek was really starting to creep me out. That had to be Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. I growled low in my throat and Shiro shot me a look. Just as I was about to jump and join the battle against the Espada, a sky-rip opened behind Grimmjow. A dark skinned biker type stepped out and laid a hand on the Espada's shoulder and whispered something to him. He said something to Ichigo that seemed to piss the teen off more than not being able to follow Renji the previous Saturday.

"What?! You can't just come here and attack us and then just leave!! You have got to be kidding! Come back here! We're not finished yet!"

"Not finished? Tosen just saved your life, Soul Reaper! It's obvious that move of yours takes a toll on you. You'd be lucky if you could do it three more times. But even if you could do it a hundred times, you still couldn't defeat me while I am in Release Mode."

"Release Mode?"

"Don't forget my name. And pray that you never hear it again. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques! Next time you hear that name, you're dead meat, Soul Reaper!"

The sky-rip closed after the last comment from Jeagerjaques. Ichigo stood where he was, cracked and broken pavement all around him. Renji stepped up behind him.

"The Arrancars returned to Hueco Mundo, huh? You won."

"I lost."

"Fool. If you're alive, then you won."

"Stop. You know better. If you were me, you'd feel the same way. I didn't protect anyone. I couldn't defeat our enemies. I lost to Grimmjow."

We followed then to a nearby rooftop where Orihime, a red-head with big boobs, as healing a girl about Shiro's height with black hair, a strand hanging across her face. Ichigo looked at the black haired girl with a sort of blank look on his face.

"What's that look for? You feel responsible for my injuries? Give me a break! My injuries were my own fault. Now stop sulking!"

"Okay."

"If you're worried about the Hollow inside you, why don't you talk to Urahara about it? He trained you. He might know something."

"It's no use talking to him. Urahara already knows what's going on with me. Besides, if he knew how to fix it, he would have said something before we went to Soul Society. So he probably doesn't know how to suppress it either. He trained me and I am grateful for that. I don't want to bother him with any more of my problems."

"How sad," I said sarcastically. "Like she said, why not ask him anyway?"

He turned to me and scowled. "Like I said, he probably won't know how to suppress it. I want to leave it at that. I'm going home for a few minutes. I have other plans, so don't bother looking for me."

With that, he jumped off the rooftop. Rukia, the black-haired girl, went to follow him but was stopped by Renji. Shiro walked to the opposite edge and squatted, glaring at me. I knew then that he wanted me to ride piggy-back for the return trip back to the shop. Renji did the same with Rukia. Before long, we had arrived at the storefront, Kisuke standing on the front steps and Jinta trying to get Ururu to celebrate the small victory on the rooftop. The Soul Reapers nodded to each other and Kisuke smiled at me. I returned his smile, only it turned out more like twitching in a sorry attempt at the gesture.

"Shiro? I want to go back to Soul Society. I'm sure that Unohana wants to give me another daily check-up after all that's gone down in the last few hours. Please?"

All he did was look at me before turning toward Kisuke, who just so happened to have a folder tucked under his left arm. That could mean only one thing: registration at a pregnancy clinic. I guessed that my trip back to Soul Society would have to wait until the next day, which was Saturday. I had been gone for a week and I still have to bring up the whole thing up about missing classes and soccer practice and the game that was to take place that night against a rival school. Then it hit me like a wave of something. I needed Soul Candy for my limp form back at my place.

"Hey, Kisuke! I need to get back to the states so that I can get my Body to do my work for me while I am here with you guys. Besides, I still have to get in touch with Jack and Sally. I know that they are worried about me so I need to tell them that I'm okay and that I will be missing the game tonight. If I can't go back to the states, then can I at least use a long distance phone or something?"

The hatted blonde handed me a cell phone and I saw that it was equipped to work in and out of the states. I quickly dialed Jack because I knew that Sally would be with him even though she still to worry about taking care of her twin brothers. The phone didn't even get through the first ring when Sally picked it up.

"Alex! Thank God! Are you alright? Where are you? You need to come back for the game tonight otherwise you're off the team. Tell us where you are so that we can tell Coach that you were sick with a stomach virus or the flu."

"Sally, I'm fine! Calm down, chickadee. I promise that I'm fine. I'm in Japan with Shiro and a few friends right now. Tell Coach that I will be there bright and early for Monday morning practice. Put Jack on the phone so that I can tell him something. Hey, Jack! Look I need you to go to my place and do something very important for me. It's hard to explain everything right now but I will explain everything when I get back. What I need you to do is this…"

"Explain it now or I won't do it, Alex! Both sets of our parents are just as worried about you as we are, sweetie. So spill the beans, girlie!"

"Let me talk to you in a few hours. I'll be around soon. I'll explain it when I get there."

I hung up before he could object. I knew that he was getting red in the face and I actually smiled at the thought of my best guy friend being pissed off at me.

"I need to get back to the states. I need help to explain what's going on to my friends and their families so that they don't worry about me any more than they already have. Shiro, I want you and Red to come with me. Kisuke, tell Yama-Ji about the whole situation. Rukia, help Kisuke around here. AND FIND ICHIGO! I know that he said he didn't want to be bothered, but I need him to pull the American Soul Society together for this. NOW!"

"You heard her, people! Renji, I thought that you were supposed to be watching over them and their families. Anyway, it's not my problem that your attention span is shorter than an eyelash. Now let's move out and get Mouse home."

I looked at Shiro lovingly before we went back outside to catch the next sky-rip back to Northern California. As soon as we stepped outside the little shop, I stopped cold in my tracks to see a man standing there. He had silver hair, slitted eyes and a wide grin on his face that sent shivers down my spine. This was Gin Ichimaru, the first of Aizen's spies that he sent after me in Redding.

"The mouse is going nowhere except with me back to Hueco Mundo. Technically speaking, she's dead, so she can't go back to her perfect little hometown without speaking with Aizen first. Isn't that right, Little Mouse?"

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID SON OF A BITCH!"

I drew my sword and swung it in a wide enough arc to slice the front of Gin's uniform. When I saw the blood soaking into his black hakama, I knew that I had gotten close enough to also cut through his pale porcelain skin.

"I knew that there was something different about her. Wouldn't you agree, Toshiro? Aizen will be pleased with this new little development. Until a later time then."

He disappeared into a sky-rip, supposedly to tell Aizen about the whole little escapade.

"What a son of a bitch," I muttered when he was gone. "I still want to go home to explain stuff to Jack and Sally. If Aizen sends one of those weirdoes after me, then I will fight, regardless of my condition with these kids. Come on, Red. Care to join us, Shiro?"

The short stack ice wielder nodded and a sky-rip to Northern California opened. I stepped through it to see my wonderful hometown of Redding, California, sprawled beneath me. I quickly picked out my apartment building and speed stepped toward it, Shiro and Renji behind me. I phased through the bathroom wall to see my limp form lying in the tub. That is when I noticed that Kon and the other two Mod Souls in Shiro and Renji's bodies were being a little too quiet. I slowly drew my sword and held it in front of me when Shiro pushed it down by the blunt side of the blade. I gave him a questioning look but he just shook his head.

"Someone else is here," he muttered over his shoulder at Renji. "I can't tell who but there is someone that is keeping our Mod Souls utterly quiet. Stay in here, Mouse, and get back in your body. Whoever is here doesn't need to know that you are a Soul Reaper. Understood?"

I rolled my eyes but nodded anyway. "Yeah. Just don't do anything brash or stupid, Shiro. I can't stand to lose you right now. Keep an eye on him, Red."

The tall red-head nodded and the two men walked into the living room. The sound that greeted my ears was a loud squealing and several rapid fire questions from my two best friends. I dropped into my body and exited the bathroom to see that Jack and Sally were practically ringing the necks of Shiro and Renji, respectively. I cleared my throat and four sets of eyes landed on me. I smiled and waved at Jack and Sally to let the two Soul Reapers go. They did but not before attacking me with their crazy questioning antics. I had to push them off of me with a death glare and a simple Kido spell that I got off Yoruichi. They were pinned to the walls on either side of the kitchen entryway, their eyes darting around.

"Will you two nerds calm down? See? I'm fine! Now calm down and we can talk everything over after the game tonight. I'm participating in that game, regardless of what Coach might do to me. Now, let's get ready to smash our opponents like we did the Turtles last week."

Shiro muttered the counter spell and my two friends were released from their positions. They nodded and practically glared at me while I went to go and change into my still dirty uniform from the week before. Kon was lying on my bed while Shiro's Mod Soul was on the floor closest to the door with Renji's Mod Soul on the other side of the bed by the closet. I snorted at the sight of the three snoring sleeping beauties. I stepped around Shiro's body and grabbed my uniform out of the laundry basket before going back to the bathroom to change. I hated the feel of week old sweat but I had to do this for the sake of my position on the team. By the time I was changed and in the living room, Shiro and Renji were sitting on the couch with Jack and Sally on the floor by the door to the porch.

"What's up, People? You look like you just came from a funeral or something. Come on, guys. I want to come back here and do some laundry before going back to Japan for something."

"It's you, Alex," Jack said. "Toshiro told us everything, from what happened last Saturday till what happened outside of Urahara's shop earlier. And as you already know, you missed this week's classes and practices. I had to explain to all of our teachers that you were out with a stomach flu and wouldn't be back until Monday. I told Coach the same thing. So you have like a stack of homework and about a month's worth the practices to catch up on, Girly."

"Thanks, Jack," I told him. "Now I know why you are one of my best friends. I'll deal with my homework when I get done with Japan and I will be here for practice every day regardless of what my other duties are. I promise, Jackie Boy. And when I make a promise…"

"You stay true to your word," Sally piped in.