Over the next six weeks, Grimmjow watched a creeping tension move into some of his fellow arrancar, especially the males. While some, like Szayel were eager to surrender to the fever and have offspring, others couldn't help but be afraid, and gruff or angry. But Grimmjow's tension was due to something else.
Grimmjow was not exclusively a seme, he could be persuaded to bottom on occasion and for the right person. And he'd bottomed to both Renji, Ichigo and Ulquiorra at some point or other during the fever. Grimmjow was also different in anatomy from the other arrancar. He'd consumed a tigeress as a hollow and due to this he had parts of him that were tiger like. It wasn't even two weeks (while Ichigo underwent his own fever and its incubation period) before Grimmjow started to get morning sick. He wasn't a medic or a scientist, but he /knew/. He would have a shorter gestation than the others, a tiger's gestation. That was four months. And he would probably have multiples as well, again due to his tiger anatomy, to simulate having a litter. Which meant it could be the shinigami's kid.
And he could imagine how Aizen would react to that. He'd use Grimmjow's children as experiment subjects. He wouldn't respect Grimmjow and Ulquiorra's bodies, why would he respect their children?
"Grimmjow." Ulquiorra entered the bathroom where Grimmjow had just thrown up. "What are you thinking?"
"Ulquiorra." Grimmjow said quietly. "We have to leave. I want you to pack up what little things you want to take with you, anything you need, and be ready to go. We're going to see Zephly, have him check us both out, and then we're going to bolt the door shut, and open the garganta to the world of the living. We'll find the nearest shinigami and surrender."
Ulquiorra rocked back a little. "But Aizen will pursue us."
"Ulquiorra, if he's willing to do this to you and me, what do you think he's going to do to our children. And if it works like a virus, odds are the damn shinigami have it by now. They know whats happening."
"This is sudden."
"not for me, i've been thinking about it since I started to throw up." Grimmjow groaned, Ulquiorra wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's waist. "Have you been feeling nauseous at all?"
"Yes, for the past two weeks. Why the hurry?"
"Its been two months since the fever. That means you have another seven or eight months at least. Unfortunately I don't think I have that long."
"How long do you think you have?"
Grimmjow paused, "The child, though I think its more than one, should start kicking any day now." He carefully slipped off his jacket and moved Ulquiorra's hands to his stomach. "I'm part tiger, their gestation is only four months." His smile was wane. "I don't want Aizen finding out that the child could be part shinigami. I'm scared of what he'll do when he..." Grimmjow gulped. He was not the kind to be frightened easily, but a chill had slowly settled into the pit of his stomach.
Ulquiorra could feel the telltale swelling of a baby belly. It wasn't that large, but Grimmjow was very masculine, he wouldn't show much even right before birth. His heart started to pound. He was showing. Grimmjow was right, VERY right for once. They didn't have much time. And if Aizen was willing to do this to him and Grimmjow, what would he do to their children. Ulquiorra's running away wasn't fair for Stark or to Nnoitra, both of whom had served his physical need when Grimmjow was away with Ichigo and Renji. But he had to do what he thought was best for the baby.
And Nnoitra had been rough with him anyhow, though Stark had been very sweet, very gentle with Ulquiorra.
"Alright. I don't have very much to pack. In fact, I think I only have a few books." Ulquiorra wrapped his arms around Grimmjow. "I'll come back when i'm done, do you have anything?"
"Nope." Grimmjow snorted. "Just my clothes, my sword and my bed. And I can't take my bed with me can I?"
"No, that would be too much. How do we keep from being discovered?"
"Put a chair against the outside of the door, thats the universal sign for "I'm having sex, stay out." Then we'll block the door with furniture, lock it, and then open the garganta from inside the room."
"Sounds like a plan, if we do that they won't come looking for us for several hours. We'd have a lead on any search parties." Ulquiorra came back with a small leather duffel bag. "You might want to pack a few things as well, I hate to admit it but we should bring some blankets or something to light a fire with and some water. Just in case we don't find any shinigami."
"No need, I have a small crash pad in the warehouse district. Thats where I went with Kurosaki. We can stay there if we don't find someone. And I have supplies there as well. We won't need matches or anything for a fire, chop up some old crates for fuel, then for kindling steel wool and an old battery will do." (1)
Ulquiorra blinked. "You didn't tell me you had a crash pad."
"I go there when I want to be left alone." Grimmjow replied. "Lets get to Zephly. I want to have him take a look at me and see if he has anything to add. Qui-koi, you should have him check you out too. Then we barrier in the room and run."
Ulquiorra nodded. "I'm ready, lets move."
Zephly didn't take long to find. "I was wondering when you two would show up. I've just had to deal with Nnoitra. He's near hysterical so steer clear of him please."
"Hysterical?" Ulquiorra groaned. Nnoitra was bad enough swaggering and confident, hysterical could be deadly. "Why?"
"he has some, mantis like, instincts. The Mantis female eats its mate. He thinks he's going to get eaten." Zephly grinned stupidly.
"here." He handed Grimmjow and Ulquiorra each a pregnancy test. "Pee on the small strip. Then once you have the results come out, and I'll give you a more comprehensive exam."
"I'm pretty sure I don't need that." Grimmjow growled. He slipped off his shirt. "Look." He indicated his already slightly swollen belly. "Thats what I need to talk to you about. I've got some characteristics of a tiger. Tiger gestation is way shorter than a humans. And given that tigers are cats, and thus have a litter..." He let it hang.
"Yeah, four months. That means you'd be about halfway through." Zephly sniggered. "I made the fever to have permanent affects, meaning you'd still be able to have kids. But the first time you do if you took multiple partners during the initial fever then you have multiple babies anyway. Up to five, I didn't think the male body could take many more. I fixed it so that to maximize the distribution of the genepool you would be having one baby from each partner you bedded. So even if you weren't part tiger my friend, you'd be having a litter."
Grimmjow paled. That was absolutely the worst case scenario. It meant he was carrying two babies that would be at least part shinigami. Aizen was going to kill him if he stayed. It also meant that Ulquiorra was carrying his baby, and those of Stark and whoever else he had sex with.
Ulquiorra came out of the bathroom. "Is an X a positive?" He asked, handing the test over.
"ayup." Zephly replied. "Since Grimmjow is the furthest along, we'll do his exam first. Have you had multiple partners?"
"Yes, three."
"Then that means you're in for a triple score. Congratulations." Zephly sniggered.
Ulquiorra quirked a brow, looking somewhat concerned. Grimmjow knew his mate. Ulquiorra was probably very frightened at the prospect.
"If you had multiple partners, you will have one baby by each partner. Everyone you bottomed for, up to five. I didn't think the male body could handle more than five." Zephly explained.
Grimmjow was getting more and more pale. "Lets just get this over with."
"Very well, leave your shirt off Grimmjow and lie down. I'll be using a slightly improved human scanning device."
Grimmjow lay down on the nearest med table in the infirmary. Ulquiorra leaned in, taking Grimmjow's hand and giving him a kiss. "it will be alright koi. At least you'll be done with this sooner."
"At least." Grimmjow growled.
Zephly came back pushing a modified ultrasound machine. "Here we go." he pulled out a tube of some kind of gel. Grimmjow blinked as Zephly began to smear it on his stomach. "its for the scanning machine." he explained. "Needs it." He flipped a switch, the machine began to boot up. "You don't like being touched do you?"
"Only by people I know. I hardley know you, and you're the reason I'm like this."
"Fair enough, then I'll explain how it works. I smear the gel on, run this" he held up the wand. "over your stomach and it gives us a picture of the babies."
Grimmjow nodded. "Go ahead then." Zephly nodded and began to move the wand over his stomach. Grimmjow turned his face towards the monitor.
The image on the monitor was blurry, black and white at first, but slowly it began to grow clearer and clearer. "The human device is very blurry, I enhanced the image so that you could see it more clearly."
As Grimmjow watched, three small outlines could be seen on the screen. "oh wow, curiouser and curiouser, gender has almost formed, another two weeks and we should be able to tell the sex. Heh, you can even see a bit of a mask fragment, right here." Zephly reached out to the screen, indicating a tiny mark on the side of one of the babies faces. "Its very faint, right here..."
It didn't take very long for Zephly to switch Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Grimmjow struck him as being very fearful, but otherwise stable. Ulquiorra concerned him. Most parents to be were excited, showing some kind of emotion, not doing so was considered a red flag. "You alright?" Zephly asked as he reset the machine and spread the gel on Ulquiorra's stomach he asked. "You scared?"
"I am very. I do not express emotion very well, I am sorry if this causes you any concern."
"Yeah, sorry, most doctors consider total lack of emotion during one of these to be a red flag. NO depression? Wanting to hurt yourself?"
"Arrancar are stone cold killers, you are not asking about that?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Of course not. All arrancar have an instinct to kill. I would be worried about you killing someone if that instinct were uncontrollable. Because you display a lack of emotion I'd be more worried about suicide."
"I have a very great will to live. But I do not wear my heart on my sleeve like Grimmjow." Ulquiorra replied. "It is not in my nature to express my emotions openly."
Zephly nodded. "Hmmm, again, looks like you have three babies. I don't see any sign of ill health or complications. Everything looks good. Both of you should be okay to go now." The three of them cleaned up.
Ulquiorra and Grimmjow made sure to walk through the halls in public, to be seen by Gin and four others and Grimmjow even provoked Nnoitra into screaming at them both and storming off. They took a longer way back to their quarters than they normally would.
Then as soon as the door to their room was closed, the chair in place outside it, Grimmjow began shoving furniture against the door. Completely blocking it with a ten foot high pile of anything they could find. Grimmjow then took several glass items and some eating plates and smashed them around the base of the barrier to further impede entry. Ulquiorra grabbed the bag he'd put together.
They opened the garganta and ran for their lives at top sonido. Grimmjow finally let the terror he was feeling show, running as fast as he could. The hunter had become the hunted. Then there was light at the other end and they emerged by the river in Karakura town. "Come on, keep running!" Grimmjow told Ulquiorra.
They ran downstream, down the riverbank, for easily another mile. Then all of a sudden Grimmjow heard. "Sting all enemies to death, Suzumibachi!" A blur of black, white and blue hair shot towards him. At the same time a dark skinned blur grabbed Ulquiorra and wrenched him around, unresisting. Ulquiorra felt a small, sharp knife at his throat and instantly relaxed into his captor's hold.
Grimmjow saw the shinigami charging and dropped to the ground. He curled up in a ball on the ground, instinctively protecting his stomach and snarling a warning. He could feel something burning on his back and then something sharp pressing against the burning part. "One more hit and you're dead." A sharp woman's voice growled. "Give me a good reason to leave you alive."
"We surrender." Ulquiorra said quietly. "We want to defect to the soul society. We no longer feel safe under Aizen's rule."
Grimmjow just flipped out. "Geroff me bitch! GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF!" He curled up into a tighter ball, hissing like a cornered cat. "I'm pregnant dumbass, lay a hand on me and I swear I'll..." Grimmjow had tears in his eyes. "Fucking hormones... just STAY BACK!" He snarled, letting out a sound like a tiger's roar.
Ulquiorra twisted his head around to try and see his captor's face. The knife removed itself, replaced by a restraint hold. "What's wrong with him?"
"Grimmjow is genuinely fearful for the first time in his life. Your friend frightened him even worse. Please forgive him. It is true, he is pregnant. That is part of the reason why we left."
Soi Fon was more or less shocked. Instead of fighting back like she'd expected, (the reason why she had used so much force,) Grimmjow just freaked out. Hadn't Kurosaki come away from numerous battles with him mangled to shreds? Hadn't he jammed his zanpakuto into Ichigo's wrists once? That was an absolutely brutal move.
"Was it Zephly?"
"yes, Aizen took the fever virus and spiked the water of the most powerful of the male arrancar with it, the Espada as well. Anyone who had the fever, and allowed himself to be topped became pregnant. And we discovered that if the person in question had multiple partners, and was topped multiple times, he would have one baby for each sire, up to five. Which is why we came for help. Grimmjow slept with Kurosaki Ichigo, and with one of the shinigami lieutenants, before he came home and slept with me. Two of the three children he's carrying are almost certainly half shinigami. He feared for our safety, and I agree. Aizen did not respect the sanctity of our bodies, why would he respect our children?"
Grimmjow was, for the first time in his life, shaking in fear on the ground. And he hated it. He hated that he was feeling so helpless, so... exposed.
Ulquiorra felt the grip of the woman who was capturing him loosen. "I'm gonna let you go, but I'm taking your zanpakuto. I hope you understand. I cannot allow a former enemy I don't trust to carry a weapon when I bring you to the commander general."
"Understood." Ulquiorra replied. He felt his zanpakuto slide from his belt, then he was let go.
Soi Fon was, despite being vicious and ruthless, a woman. And she could sympathize with being pregnant and fearful for one's safety. She knelt down next to Grimmjow, who tensed up as he felt her shadow fall over him. Grimmjow tensed, snarling in his catlike way when he saw her hand reach out for him, then blinked in surprise when instead of a finishing blow there was a gentle caress to his cheek. "Get up. I've removed the mark from your back, you still have the stab wound but you're no longer in danger. I'm sorry. I saw the wounds that Kurosaki came back with after each of his battles with you. I thought it was a better idea to move with maximum force and I expected to be met with a powerful opponent, not a pregnant and panicking defector."
"Ah could," Grimmjow gulped. "Normally I'm stronger than this. I wouldn't disappoint you if you're looking for a battle. But I'm not feeling very well I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. But get up. My division tracks fugitives, we're used to the kind of pursuing that will be coming after you before too long. Did you take measures to disguise your exit?"
"Yes, and to be seen in the hallways of los Noches right before we left. We put a chair against the door to our quarters in a do not disturb signal to make people think we were having sex, then barricaded the door and scattered glass around the barricade to impede entry. Then we opened the garganta from inside our quarters." Ulquiorra reported. "They will not realize we're gone for some hours. Please, may we speak with Kurosaki and Abarai?"
"I'm sorry, we have to go straight to the seireitei to discourage pursuit. We'll have to confine you as well until the remaining captains can decide whether to accept your surrender. And Unohana will want to examine you both. We'll have a messanger bring Kurosaki and Abarai to you. Though I warn you they've both paired off with someone else. Renji recently submitted the forms necessary to allow his new mate to come visit him whenever he wished, and an elder of the Kuchiki clan is going to speak with Kurosaki about his alliance with the Kuchiki clan leader."
"That was the deal we made, Kurosaki could go on with his life. I didn't think I'd be affected like this by the fever." Grimmjow replied, carefully picking himself up.
Soi Fon sighed, grabbing Grimmjow's hands. "i'm sorry, I need to keep you in my sight, and have some amount of control over your movements. I'm hesitant to restrain you because I know my restraints probably won't work."
"We won't try to resist you."
"My name is Soi Fon, captain of shinigami squad two."
"Yoruichi Shihouin, former squad two captain, I was recently pardoned and allowed to return to the soul society when I wished." The other woman added.
Soi Fon pulled out her cellphone with her free hand. "This is captain soi fon requesting prisoner transfer via senkaimon gate." A pause. "We were approached by two of the Espada wishing to defect to our side. They feared for their safety. Requesting that the detention corps and the medical corps be waiting at the gate? There are medical concerns. Please advise?"
"Roger that Captain Fon, the detention corps have been dispatched. Captain Unohana and Commander General Yamamoto will meet us at the gate."
"When the senkaimon opens, you must keep moving. No matter what. Keep moving, don't look back, don't stop. We have a few minutes to get in before the cleaners are due to come through, and you don't want to be here when they arrive, can you sonido?" Yoruichi asked courteously. "And Soi Fon, let me." She took the phone. "This is Yoruichi Shihouin, let the commander general know that he can use the abandoned Shihouin compound on the north side of the Seireitei to house the prisoners."
"Yes." The two espada replied.
"Then we will move at Sonido and Shunpo paces." Soi Fon told them both. "And I warn you, Yoruichi and I are the fastest shinigami alive."
Grimmjow was rather numb as he ran through the senkaimon gate. Then they came out on the other side in bright, vivid light to find hundreds of shinigami, swords bared, Kidou active, barriers creating a corridor like riot squad officers making a wall with shields. Several of the captains and lieutenants were behind the barriers, bankai active, faces grim. One of the bankai was in the form of a massive giant, easily the size of a menos grande.
"Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Querta Espada Ulquiorra Schiffer, welcome to the soul society. You will be detained in a specially prepared cottage in isolation under armed guard until we decide what to do with you. Do you have anything to say to us, anything that should be taken into consideration?"
"Given that you already know about Zephly's virus, we, Ulquiorra and I are both pregnant as a result of the virus altering our anatomy. Each of us are carrying triplets." Grimmjow let Ulquiorra do the talking. "However, due to a quirk of his anatomy Grimmjow's gestation is faster than mine, a mere four months, he's already halfway through. Two of his children are sired by shinigami, the third is mine. Please treat him with appropriate care." Ulquiorra took a deep breath, steeling himself to be attacked. "Also, we have new information about Zephly's virus for you as well. Also, there could be upwards of three hundred male arrancar who were infected with the fever, not just us."
"Very well then, Captain Unohana, Captain Komamura, please take charge of the prisoners."
A large, green, creature, landed. And a woman with long, braided hair and a serene expression and a man easily ten feet tall, with half human, half canid features moved forwards. Yoruichi gently pushed Ulquiorra forwards. "Komamura is the one who looks half dog, when I let you go, walk to him. Yamamoto will keep your zanpakuto safe." She whispered in his ear. "Soifon and I will come looking for you later."
Soifon said quietly in Grimmjow's ear. "When I let you go, walk forwards to Unohana, she's the one with the braid and the serene expression. She'll take good care of you. You have no need to fear anymore, she'll defend you and your children with her life if she had to. Yoruichi and I will come to visit you later."
Grimmjow had tears streaming down his cheeks. Then the hand holding onto his arm released, and Soi Fon gave him a gentle push forwards, and Yoruichi did the same to Ulquiorra.
Grimmjow squared his shoulders, walking forwards to meet their escorts. Unohana delicately held out her hand for Grimmjow to take. "Come with me Grimmjow, my zanpakuto Minazuki will transport you."
"Thank you." Grimmjow said quietly.
"I need to ask you some questions about your condition along the way, but lets get away from the crowd first."
It wasn't long before Minazuki was carrying them through the air towards a compound at the edge of the seireitei. Unohana sighed. "Alright, I need to know exactly what you found out about Zephly's virus."
"Uh, well we found out that if the person infected has multiple partners, they have multiple babies. Ulquiorra and I each took three partners, so we each have three babies. The only difference was that for me, two of those partners were shinigami. I'm not sure what will happen. Do you know any..."
"Unfortunately i've never seen an arrancar shinigami hybrid, however you should be aware that hybridism can sometimes cause genetic damage. We'll have to keep a careful eye on your health."
As they flew, and the strange bankai created giant followed them, Grimmjow felt some of the fear in the pit of his stomach slowly melt away. Unohana was a very good listener, and by the time Grimmjow finished the story of how they'd gotten there, how they doubted Aizen would respect their children if he wouldn't respect THEM, how he was afraid of what he might do to the children of his that were half shinigami, how he'd finally realized that Aizen didn't CARE about the arrancar, he just wanted to use them, the normally blustering Sexta Espada was in a fit of pregnancy hormone induced tears.
Ulquiorra saw Grimmjow start to cry in a hormonal fit and threw his arms around his Koi. He'd sat obediently at Komamura's side where he'd been told to sit the whole time, offering information, details or an observation here or there. And now he threw his arms around Grimmjow and snuggled against him.
Grimmjow got ahold of himself about the time they landed in an abandoned series of buildings. It was about the same size as a large victorian in the world of the living. "If this is a prison I dun ever wanna leave!" Grimmjow exclaimed, looking around at the dust covered, but lavish furniture and the wall hangings and other decorations and the repeated use of the Shihouin's clan seal.
"its going to need some cleaning." Unohana sighed. "Grimmjow, each of the captains is going to want to spend some time with you and your mate to decide whether or not they want to accept your surrender and what they want to do with you."
"What if they don't?"
Komamura ahermed. "We would return you to the world of the living, and abandon you to whatever trackers Aizen sends for you. If Yamamoto were willing to harm a pregnant... er... person... or a child I wouldn't follow him." He said that last stubbornly and with pride.
Grimmjow nodded. "I'm getting tired... Unohana you wanted to examine us right? How long will that take?"
"I can wait until you wake up. I'll be here for a few hours anyway." Unohana said pleasantly.
Komamura grinned. "i'm gonna take a nap, if any of you need something, come get me, I'll be on the couch." The canid taichou headed for the living room and flopped on a large futon, folded up in the couch position.
Grimmjow and Ulquiorra followed Unohana as she lead them to one of the bedrooms. "I'll be in in about three hours, so please get whatever sleep you need. I warn you though, the Kidou corps has several barriers up over the property, you cannot get out, but on the bright side, nobody but a captain or lieutenant can be let in without permission. So you won't have to worry about being disturbed by the curious."
"Thank you for ensuring our privacy."
"Not a problem, I doubt you'd be used to socializing, and a large group of curious officers can be a lot to deal with. We shinigami, when not fighting, tend to extremely social and friendly. Some are even eccentric, if I know the sorts of tactics Aizen's been using to psychologically keep his officers in line, you two won't trust easily."
"No, we wouldn't. I have a bit of an aversion to anyone but Grimmjow or a medical officer touching me, and I doubt I'd understand some of the more subtle forms of socialization." Ulquiorra sighed. "I tend to be very emotionally reserved, when Zephly gave me an ultrasound he asked me if I was having any signs of depression. I had to explain that I am naturally detatched, and do not show my true feelings easily."
"I'll keep that in mind when I examine you." Unohana closed the door behind her.
A few minutes later when Unohana opened the door, she saw the most adorable sight. Grimmjow and Ulquiorra were curled in each others arms, Grimmjow was on his back, arms slightly in the air like a cat rolling around on its belly, Ulquiorra had his head on Grimmjow's chest, one hand on his stomach.
Rangiku had been present at the crowd of shinigami come to watch the surrender of the two Espada. She was about to leave when Yamamoto tapped her on the shoulder. "Matsumoto, Byakuya and Ichigo are at the Kurosaki clinic right?"
"yes, Kuchiki-taichou offered to have the place renovated and added to. Something about no sister of his is going to be allowed to sleep in the closet."
Yamamoto chuckled. "From what I'm told thats where she hid when she first met him, and she seems to like using it. Go tell Ichigo and Byakuya what happened, then get Renji and Uryu from the Urahara shop. DO NOT tell them that they're the fathers. Please."
"Oooooh, alright." Rangiku wouldn't have blabbed something so important! She had her standards after all. "Just tell Taichou where I've gone please? For once I have an excuse to get away from paperwork."
As the crowd disbursed, Rangiku made her way towards the gate they'd just left and as soon as she was in the world of the living she made a beeline for the Kurosaki clinic.
Byakuya sighed, "Kurosaki-dono."
"Call me Isshin." They'd been back and forth for an hour, Byakuya nagging slightly. Isshin found it amusing.
"I don't want my sister anywhere in Ichigo's room, I can pay for everything, materials, supplies, labor. And besides, the girls are getting old enough that they should have their own room. We can use the opportunity to add a little more space to the clinic."
Isshin sighed. "your generosity is appreciated, unfortunately modern Japan does not have as much space to expand into as the soul society does. We live in a city, and there's only so much space. How would we expand the place? The only way to go would be to the front, towards the street, and the side yard, which Yuzu is growing a garden in."
"Expand up?"
"Doable, but that only adds living and storage space, doesn't help the clinic."
"i'll make up the difference in funding, we'll add a room for either Karin or Yuzu, whoever wants the new room, then build a couple of guest bedrooms so that Rukia and a couple of visitors can stay overnight. Slip some crawl spaces in around the edges for storage. I have some extra furniture from a compound the clan shut down on the edge of Jurinan (1), it doesn't look too old. And its only taking up space in the Kuchiki clan's store rooms that we could use for other things. We'll add a second bathroom, a home office for the clinic's papers to be stored, and so that you can have a calm, quiet place to do office related things."
"I probably won't use it for peace and quiet," Isshin replied. "I like to be social. Be involved."
"oh, and Ginrei will be coming this afternoon to speak with you." Byakuya reminded him. "I've also let him know that you were worried about how he'd treat you. And that you thought he hated you."
"Way to be tactful."
"Should I not have said anything?" Byakuya asked.
"no, its just the way you say it sounds so negative." Isshin replied.
Just then the two men heard the door slam shut with an eager. BAM! Ichigo squealed, running in and throwing his arms around Byakuya. "Bya-koi!"
"Ichigo?" Byakuya blinked in surprise. "Is something wrong? You're home two hours early."
"I got sick in class, so the nurse said I could go home." He said with a faint smile. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"It will be another week or so before Unohana can tell for sure." Byakuya kissed Ichigo tenderly on the lips.
Ichigo sighed. "I'll be glad when I do know for sure. I'm getting restless."
"You'll get even more restless when you're too heavy to fight." Byakuya purred, scooping Ichigo up in his arms bridal style and was about to flash step with him up to Ichigo's room when someone pounded on the door. "Its Rangiku! I'm supposed to fetch Ichigo and Byakuya!"
Byakuya set Ichigo down and the two hurried to the door. "Rangiku?"
"Ichigo, we need to move, you and Byakuya are both being called, its urgent!"
"What happened?"
"Two of the Espada defected!" Rangiku exclaimed. "Grimmjow and Ulquiorra! I'm to get you both and then get Renji and Uryu and hurry!"
"Alright, we'll meet you at Urahara's." Ichigo replied.
Rangiku nodded and disappeared, flashstepping over the rooftops.
It took about ten minutes alone to chase down Kon, who complained the entire time Ichigo tried to get his pill out. Then he yelled curses after their retreating backs.
But Kon had put them enough behind Renji and Uryu that they were waiting for them and the gate all ready to go by the time they arrived. "Sorry about that. Kon held us up."
"What was he doing this time?"
"Reading hustler."
"Hustler?" Demanded Renji, rolling his eyes. Even he knew what Hustler was.
"Yes, no idea where he got it. I hope he didn't steal it. Or convince some hapless child to buy it for him." Ichigo growled. "or he could have taken it from Lisa."
"Who's Lisa?"
"One of the vaizard, and appearantly she was Kyouraku's lieutenant before Nanao. She reads porno and sports illustrated swimsuit edition."
"eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwww."
"You give him too much credit." Uryu growled. He turned to look at Urahara, who was putting the finishing touches on the gate. It opened and stablized. "Alright, lets go." The four of them ran as fast as they could.
Yoruichi and Soi Fon were waiting for them. "follow us."
They ran, shunpoing and in Uryu's case Hirenkyaku'd in silence through what appeared to be an upperclass neighborhood. Several shinigami were sitting on walls or gates, standing on guard it seemed. Ichigo didn't recognize their uniform, though several of them saluted Byakuya or Yoruichi. "Clan guardsmen." Byakuya whispered in Ichigo's ear, scooping him up in his arms bridal style.
"You don't have to..."
"I said I like sweeping my lover off my feet." He husked in Ichigo's ear, Ichigo blushed, realizing that it was a gesture of affection. "Besides, I want to make my interests in you clear. The parents of this really, really annoying girl... were hoping to arrange a union I'm not interested in making."
Ichigo blink, blink, blinked, and then it hit him, oh yes, Byakuya was a noble. They practiced old fashioned prearranged marriages, and Byakuya was beautiful, definitely quite a catch. It would make sense that the other noble families might try to compete for his affection. And while it was a custom Byakuya was used to, obviously it was not something he enjoyed dealing with."
Ichigo smirked, and reached up to kiss Byakuya on the lips mid stride. Byakuya sputtered, suddenly finding it impossible to flash step and kiss Ichigo at the same time. Ichigo realized he'd startled his koi, and pulled back, blushing a bit and wrapping his arms around Byakuya's shoulders. "Just trying to make your interests clear." He whispered back in Byakuya's ear.
Byakuya chuckled. "OYE! HURRY UP!" Yoruichi called lead them to a deserted compound guarded not by clan guardsmen, but shinigami in second division uniform.
"Let us in." Soi Fon ordered. The second divisioners parted to let them enter. Ichigo climbed down out of Byakuya's grip.
All of a sudden Ichigo was tackled by a blur of teal. He found himself flat on the ground, being sniffed and... purred against? Ichigo blinked, and as his vision cleared after being tackled he realized that Grimmjow was pinning him to the ground, purring and snuggling against his chest. He looked up towards the hallway and saw Ulquiorra standing there, an almost shy expression on his face.
"G... G... Grimmjow?" Ichigo stammered.
"Berry!" exclaimed Grimmjow, looking way, way too happy. Grimmjow sat up, and Ichigo hesitantly wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's shoulders.
That was when he felt it, Grimmjow had gained weight, his stomach was bulged slightly. "Grimmjow?" Grimmjow was purring against him, a soft, possessive noise. "Are you..."
Grimmjow had tears in his eyes, and a dumb, stupid, shiteating grin on his face. "Yeah." His hands guided Ichigo's fingers to his midsection. Ichigo blushed hugely. "ahm pregnant Berry-chan." He smirked.
Ichigo blushed hugely, remembering how he and Renji had taken turns being top or bottom. "Is it..."
"Uh, sorta.... there's three of 'em, one's yers, the second is his..." he indicated renji. "And the third is Ulquiorra-koi's."
Ichigo passed out on the floor, fainted.
1. You can use steel wool and a battery to start a fire, so whatever you do, do not put these two together. See the history channel special "Apocalypse Man" with Rudy Reyes. Fluff out the finer strands in the wool and rub the prong end of a nine volt battery against it. Coolest damn thing I've ever seen.