Author's Note:
Hello, my beautiful readers! Welcome back for chapter 12! I'm looking forward to hearing what you all make of this chapter, what you think will happen next, and how you think it will all play out. We're down to the last three chapters, so things will be coming to a head soon!
SailorStar9: You're right, Ichigo's reactions to HitsuKarin PDA will forever be hilarious X-D
Phany9634: I know, poor Ichigo, indeed, lol. Yes, Toshiro and Karin are perfect together, and you had me laughing so hard wishing for 'Aizen my "darling"' to die soon, ROFL!
Enjoy the read, everyone! Don't forget to drop a review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.
One week later…
The week that Isshin and Ichigo were at the castle passed by quickly, and went fairly well on the whole. Relatively few arguments broke out between the Kurosaki siblings, and Ichigo had only wanted to kill Toshiro a couple of times after the first dinner. The two kings and crown prince had discussed the various Espada sightings, and subsequent disappearances; and the Karakura rulers gave Toshiro all of the information that they had on Ulquiorra Cifer so that he could prepare for any and all scenarios that might arise.
They also discussed the unknown person with the Espada, and told Toshiro of Kensei's, Mashiro's, and Ichigo's encounter with the man. As they'd seen on other occasions when the masked figure had been present for an attack, he was clearly well-versed in various swordsmanship techniques, and he was highly skilled in implementing them. They gave the young king a full explanation of the extent of the injuries their allies had suffered while in combat against this person, and they warned Toshiro to be very careful if the man was sighted. Given that the figure disguised himself, no one could identify him; all they knew was that he had long dark hair that he wore pulled back, that he dressed in a light brown cape, and that he was tall, and thin. They were, however, able to tell that the man carried a Damascus steel sword; so, they told Toshiro that he might be an Ororan citizen, given his choice of weaponry. The young king took in all of the information, and said that he would do some extra research to see if he could come up with any leads, or find out if this man was indeed from his kingdom.
The ambush of the Fraccion had gone surprisingly well, and the allied kingdoms now had the last of them as prisoners for interrogation; a victory that they hoped would lead to the divulgence of crucial information that the allied kingdoms could use to uncover Aizen's true plans, and finally end the war. While they'd captured all the other Fraccion in the past few months, none of them had given any useful information; so, the allies were hoping that they could finally learn something of use from these new ones, now that all of them were in custody. It wasn't especially likely, but they were staying optimistic until the interrogations were over.
Ichigo also confirmed that all of the other rulers had a discussion recently, and agreed to distribute the many captured soldiers of Aizen's regular army throughout the thirteen kingdoms, and Karakura, so they weren't all concentrated in one location; including the other Fraccion that they had in custody. Everything on the front was going well, and many of the rulers believed that they could finally take a breath, and relax a little bit…aside from the Kurosakis, Sui-feng, Shinji, Shunsui, Mayuri, and Toshiro himself.
Isshin, Ichigo, Karin, Rangiku, Momo, Izuru, and Toshiro spent many nights after dinner in the drawing room discussing potential situations that they could foresee happening, should Aizen choose to play his final cards soon. They talked of counter-measures, defenses, and extra advantages that the kingdoms had up their sleeves, if the western ruler were to strike soon; and Isshin agreed to carry an account of their many conversations, and plans, back to Shunsui when he and Ichigo passed through Saikyo on their way home.
Outside of talking military matters, Toshiro and Karin had given the men a tour of the castle and kingdom, and they'd visited the town, as well as all of the villages; talking with as many of the Ororans as they could to introduce them to the southern rulers. Ryu grew immensely fond of the Kurosakis during their short stay, and, by the time they had to leave, he was calling them 'Uncle Ichigo' and 'Grandpa Isshin'; which made the two southern royals very happy. Even though the boy didn't yet know that they were now family, he thought of them as such; and that was worth everything to them.
All in all, Karin had enjoyed having her brother and father around the castle, and she was sad that this was their last night in Orora. 'Although, it will be nice to not have Ichi watching us like an enraged lion ready to move in for the kill' she thought as they all sat around the table eating dinner. Ichigo and Toshiro had butted heads more than once during this visit, and still weren't especially fond of each other's company; but they'd been able to get to know each other better through the process, which she was glad of. They'd seemed to have developed a strange sort of 'rivals but friends' bond, but it still hadn't quelled her brother's obnoxious guardianship of her from her own husband. 'Yeah…that, I won't miss' she thought as the main course was served, and everyone began eating.
While she usually loved glazed duckling, her stomach turned as soon as she smelled the dish. Struggling to keep what food she'd already managed to eat down, she glanced at Toshiro, who gave her a concerned look in response. "Karin, are you okay? You look pale." he whispered; with the raven-haired queen nodding unconvincingly as she tried to offer him a small, reassuring smile. "I'm alright; I just feel a bit nauseous. Would you mind if I go lay down?" she asked; her eyes telling him all that he needed to know.
Toshiro shook his head in reply; the worry on his face getting even more noticeable. "No, not at all. This has been happening all week, Karin; I really think I should send for the doctor." he said, as the raven-haired queen shook her head adamantly in response. "We've talked about this already, there's no need; I'm a trained professional, and I'm sure it's just the after-effects of the stress from the ambush. Don't worry, I'll be fine; I just need to lay down for a little while. I'll try to join you in the drawing room later." she replied; giving her husband's hand a gentle squeeze underneath the table before getting up, and excusing herself.
The young king looked to Momo, and the two siblings locked gazes; the Ororan princess nodding, before excusing herself as well, and following after her sister-in-law.
Isshin looked at Toshiro, and raised a questioning eyebrow; concern evident in his eyes. "Toshiro, is Karin okay?" he asked, to which his son-in-law nodded. "I think so. She's been feeling a little nauseous this week, but she thinks it's just from stress." he said; his tone even, but his eyes showing the concern that Isshin could hear in his voice.
"It wouldn't surprise me if it is." Rangiku said from the end of the table; a sympathetic, and understanding look in her eyes. "She's been pushing herself too much lately, and I know the planning and execution of the ambush yesterday was weighing on her. I'm sure now that we have the last of the Fraccion in custody, she'll be able to relax. This was an important capture, and a lot was at stake; but she did it. That's enough to make anyone feel sick to their stomach."
Isshin and Ichigo nodded in agreement, but the Karakura ruler's gaze looked thoughtful and distant as he focused back on his meal. Ichigo looked at his brother-in-law with curiosity, and concern; raising an eyebrow in silent questioning.
Seeing the look on his brother-in-law's face, Toshiro nodded to the strawberry, and Ichigo gave him a small, grateful smile in return before going back to the food on his plate.
Dinner resumed normally after that, but the young king was too distracted to eat. He'd been noticing Karin's sudden bouts of illness all week, but they never seemed to last long; and she always fought him whenever he suggested having the doctor take a look at her. After the fifth failed attempt to convince her to rest, instead of lead the ambush, he'd given up, and let her finish out her plans with Nanao and Genshiro. Ultimately, her presence during the ambush had been crucial to its success, but his concern for her hadn't waned at all. She was more tired than usual; she looked weaker, and paler; and the nausea had been getting progressively worse. 'I hope there's nothing seriously wrong with her' he thought worriedly, as he tried to refocus his attention back on dinner. 'I'll see if I can figure out what's going on, later'
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Once she'd left the dining room, Karin went directly to her bedroom, and found her wash basin; throwing up in it almost as soon as her mouth was over the rim. She stayed there for a few moments, breathing deeply, until she was sure that she wouldn't be sick again; grabbing a wash cloth, and soaking it in her water jug so she could wipe off.
Just a few minutes later, when she'd finished cleaning her mouth with the wet cloth, she felt another wave of nausea hit her. As she hovered over the basin once more, a knock came at the door; followed by Momo coming in, and closing the door again behind her. "Are you alright?" the princess asked worriedly; watching as her sister-in-law glanced over her shoulder, and gave her a small, dejected smile; shaking her head in reply. "No, not really. Don't tell Toshiro, though; I don't want him to worry."
Momo shook her head, and walked over to the raven-haired queen; taking the wet cloth from her hand, cleaning it off, and dabbing the cold water onto her forehead. "Karin, you know he's already worried, and he'll keep worrying whether or not you explain it to him. So, how long has this been happening?" she asked, as the young queen sighed in resignation; looking guiltily over at her sister-in-law. "Two weeks. I hid it from Toshiro for the first week, because at that point, I thought it was just from stress. A lot was potentially hinging on the Fraccion's capture, and I was in charge of making sure we took them alive; which wasn't easy, I can tell you. I didn't give it much thought for a while, until last week…when I was looking at the calendar, and I noticed something." she said; her face taking on a look that Momo had seen herself wear seven years ago.
Nodding in understanding, the Ororan princess brought Karin over to the bed, and sat down with her on the edge; taking her hands, and giving them a slight squeeze. "How long has it been?" Momo asked, as Karin's gaze dropped to her hands. "Two months…well, technically, nine weeks. I can't believe it never occurred to me that I could be pregnant. At first, I thought it had to be a mistake; that it was way too soon after we married for something like that to happen…but, the more I thought about it, the more realistic it seemed, and the more I wanted it to be true." she replied; looking back up at her sister-in-law with a combination of joy, excitement, and fear.
Feeling tears prickle at the edges of her eyes, Momo gave Karin a reassuring smile, and brought her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you two, Karin. I know it's scary, but I promise it will be the best thing that's ever happened to you. Yes, the timing probably couldn't be worse, given the current circumstances, but you do need to tell Toshiro; he deserves to know."
Karin sighed, and nodded in reply as the two separated. "I know…I just haven't figured out how to tell him yet. My mom died when I was still just a kid; I never got to ask her about any of this. How did you tell Izuru when you found out that you were pregnant with Ryu?" the young queen asked; curiosity in her eyes. Momo smiled, and giggled in reply. "Well, since Ryu was due to be born seven months to the day after Izuru's birthday, I told him on his special day that he would be getting the best birthday present he could wish for, but that he would have to wait seven months for it. I'd never seen a man so shocked before, and I don't think I ever will again." the young mother said; her eyes shining with happiness from the memory. Karin smiled back, and chuckled slightly. "Well, that's not really my style of doing things, but thanks for the story, all the same." she replied, as both the girls chuckled, before a knock came at the door; Toshiro opening it, and walking inside with a small, concerned smile on his face. "Since I hear laughter, I'm assuming that you're feeling better?" he asked; feeling his worry abate slightly at the nod, and tender smile his wife gave him in reply.
Momo looked between the two for a moment, got up off the bed, and gave Karin's hands one last squeeze before releasing them. Walking past her brother, she looked back at her sister-in-law, and gave her an encouraging smile; exiting the room, closing the door behind her, and leaving the two alone to talk.
Karin raised a quizzical eyebrow at her husband as he made his way over, and sat down beside her; finding his gaze with her own. "Why are you up here already? I hope my sudden departure didn't make anyone think the food was poisoned." she said; sarcasm in her voice, and an amused smirk on her face.
Toshiro smirked back, and took her hand in his own; interlacing their fingers, and giving it a slight squeeze. "I slipped out early; and no, it didn't…though, I wouldn't have minded poisoning your brother earlier this week." he said; a smirk on his face that made his wife chuckle. Encouraged by her laughter, he gave her a soft, concerned smile as he held her gaze. "Jokes aside, though, how are you feeling?" he asked, and Karin returned his soft smile with one of her own. "Better. I think I can join you in the drawing room; the nausea's gone now."
Nodding in reply, Toshiro's facial expression shifted from tender, to something more serious; and he gave her a pointed look as he held her gaze. "Are you going to tell me what's going on, or am I going to have to ask Momo?" he said; his concern for her evident in his eyes.
Karin gave him a slight smirk, and questioning look in return. "What makes you think Momo will tell you anything?" she replied teasingly, before her smirk shifted to a more serious look because of the intense way he was looking at her. Toshiro usually reciprocated her sarcastic attitude, but this time he wasn't amused; he was worried, anxious, and she could see it as clearly as if she were reading a book. He wasn't playing the game anymore, and she knew she couldn't avoid the subject any longer.
After a moment of silence, the young king narrowed his eyes at her slightly in a silent challenge. "She'll talk to me because she's my sister, and I'm not leaving this alone until I get some answers. Now, are you going to tell me, or do I need to go find her?" he asked; his probing turquoise eyes desperately searching her own stormy grey ones for answers.
Karin sighed defeatedly, and averted her gaze to the floor. 'I guess it's time' she thought, as she put her free hand on top of his. "Alright, you win; I do have something to tell you. It's nothing bad…actually, it'll probably be the best news I give you all year; it's just the timing that's incredibly bad." she said nervously; looking back up, and finding her husband's gaze. She watched Toshiro's facial expression slowly morph from concerned, to confused, to stunned as realization set in. His eyes widened, and his grip on her hand tightened slightly as he held her gaze with his own. "Karin…are you…?" he said; not trusting himself to be able to finish the sentence.
Watching his wife nod her head in confirmation, and gently bring his free hand up to rest on her stomach, a small smile made its way onto her face, and Toshiro felt his breath catch. He'd always wanted a family of his own, but hadn't really thought it would ever happen, until he'd married Karin…and, even then, he didn't expect to be a father at the young age of twenty-two. 'Well, I guess I probably should have, given how things have been since the wedding' he thought, as a soft, affectionate smile made its way onto his face. Moving closer to her, he leaned in, and kissed her with as much love and support as he could possibly convey. He could see in her eyes her fear and excitement about the prospect of a child, but he felt her relax as soon as he pulled her into his arms. She wasn't in this alone, and he wanted to make sure that she knew he was just as happy, and excited as she was. Yes, the timing couldn't possibly be worse; but they would get through it the same way they'd faced everything else in their path: together.
When they finally separated, Toshiro brought his free hand, which had been resting on her stomach, up to cup her face; gently caressing her cheek with his thumb as he leaned his forehead on hers. "You're the most amazing woman I've ever known, and I love you so much." he said; holding her gaze with his own as her smile widened, and his did the same. "How long have you known, and why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked; wanting more information, and wondering if her refusal to see the doctor this past week was in any way linked to her already knowing the cause of the nausea.
Karin closed her eyes, and took a deep breath; sorting out how she wanted to phrase her answer as she sighed, and found his gaze once more. "I've known for a week; it didn't even occur to me two weeks ago that I might be pregnant. I didn't tell you sooner because…" she paused; sorting through her words in her mind while Toshiro waited patiently for her to continue.
After a few moments, Karin spoke again. "…because I didn't want to be holed away in the castle, wrapped up in silk and feathers for seven months. I'm a soldier, Toshiro, and I have a role to play in this war. I want to work, and fight alongside you for as long as I can. I'm not saying that I want to be directly in the line of fire, anymore; risking both my life, and our child's. What I am saying is that I still want to do everything that I can for as long as I can. I'm not a person that can sit idle for months on end being coddled, and looked after like an invalid. I know that you know that, but I didn't want everyone else trying to keep me out of everything. Also, I wanted you to stay focused, and not be constantly worrying about me every time I left the house." she finished; watching a multitude of emotions flash through Toshiro's beautiful turquoise eyes. She could tell that he was thinking, and processing everything before he responded. No one understood his fears and reservations about her staying involved in the conflict as much as she did, and she knew that this would be hard for him to accept; but she also knew that he understood her better than anyone else, and he knew that she needed freedom. They were going to have to walk a fine line between protection, and imprisonment, but she knew that they would be able to get through it.
After several moments of silence, Toshiro took a deep breath, and nodded his head. "You're right, I would worry, and I will worry; but I do know you, and I know that you can't just sit around the house while everyone else is out there fighting. You're not going into direct combat situations anymore, but if some cover, or an ambush is needed, none of us will ask you to stay out of it. I trust you, Karin, and I trust your judgement; you'll know when you can't be out there anymore. You're my wife, not my chattel…and the woman that I fell in love with was a brazen, sarcastic, flirtatious, fierce soldier who never backed down from a fight. That's who you are, and you can't be locked up in here until the baby's born; even if it is to keep you safe. Just promise me that you won't do anything reckless, and you'll stay out of conflict as much as possible?" he asked; the look in his eyes almost begging her to give him that reassurance. Karin smiled softly back at him, and nodded in reply. "I promise, my love…and thank you." she said; leaning back in, and finding his lips with hers once more as their eyes fell closed.
That one kiss quickly turned into two, which increased to three, then four; before Karin finally pulled back enough to look at her husband with half-lidded eyes. "Shouldn't you get back to the drawing room? Everyone's probably waiting for you." she said; her face adopting a playful smirk.
Toshiro smirked back, and returned her half-lidded gaze with his own, as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "They can manage without me; I'd rather spend the time with my wife." he said, before closing the remaining distance, and gently kissing her neck. Karin sighed contentedly as she felt his hands slide around her waist to untie the laces of her dress, and her hands migrated to the clasp of his fur-lined cape; unhooking it, and letting it fall to the floor. "You know, you're not being a very good host." she said sarcastically; feeling him smirk against her skin, before he pulled back to look her in the eyes. "I don't really care. Besides, I'd rather be a good husband, than a good host." he replied, as he leaned back in, and captured her lips with his once more; parting them, and pulling a soft moan from her, as her hands came up to cradle his face, and she felt him start to slide her gown off of her shoulders.
"Hey Karin, how are you-GAAAAH! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, YOU TWO, AT LEAST LOCK THE BLOODY DOOR, WOULD YOU?!" Ichigo shouted from his spot in the doorway; his hands flying up to cover his eyes, and his face turning as red as the rubies in his crown.
The young couple separated, red-faced as well, and glared daggers at their unwanted guest. Karin growled, and got up off of the edge of the bed; fixing her dress, walking over to her brother, and grabbing him by the collar of his tunic. "WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU EVER KNOCK, ICHIGO?!" she hollered, before whacking him on the back of the head, and throwing him out of the room; closing the door, and locking it.
Once he regained his footing, Ichigo whipped around, and glared at the door with enough intensity to burn a hole through it. "WELL, CLEARLY YOU'RE FEELING BETTER NOW!" he yelled, before turning on his heels, and walking angrily back towards the staircase; passing a rather amused-looking Isshin who was on his way to the couple's room.
The Karakura ruler chuckled to himself, before stopping in front of the large ebony wood; knocking, and announcing that it was him. He waited for a few minutes, but the door finally opened to reveal his scowling daughter, and irritated-looking son-in-law.
Smirking at the two of them, he walked in, and closed the door behind him; giving them both an amused, but sympathetic, look. "I'm sorry about Ichigo, and I promise I won't stay long. I just have one question that needs answering, if you're willing to hear it?" he asked; waiting patiently for their response.
Toshiro and Karin shared a look, and nodded, before focusing their attention back on Isshin; Karin raising a quizzical eyebrow at her father. "I'm pissed at him, but I know that's how he is; so, I'll leave it be…this time. If he does it again, though, he's losing a body part. So, what's the question?" she asked; watching carefully as her father's face went from an amused smirk, to a soft smile; and he brought a gentle hand under her chin. "I want you to be completely honest with me, Karin; am I right in thinking that we're expecting an addition to the family?" he asked; probing his daughter's eyes for a moment, before she sighed, and nodded her head. Isshin felt his smile grow, and he wrapped the two of them up in a big hug as he felt tears prickle at the edges of his eyes. "Oh, that's wonderful news! I'm finally getting more grandchildren! Oh, Masaki would be so proud of you!" he gushed, as Toshiro and Karin struggled to extricate themselves from the ruler's grasp; finally managing to escape after a few moments.
Karin gave him a pointed look, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Dad, stop with the idiocy, or you'll get the same treatment as Ichigo. I'm not in a good mood as it is, so don't push it." she said; shooting him an unamused glare.
Upon seeing the look on her face, Isshin immediately sobered, and gave his daughter a loving smile. "Alright, that's fair enough. I mean it, though; your mother would be very proud of you…as am I." he said; pulling her into a gentler hug this time, filled with fatherly love, and pride.
The young queen gladly reciprocated this one, and gave Isshin a light squeeze in response. "Thanks, Dad." she replied, before separating from him completely, and taking Toshiro's hand.
Smiling warmly at his daughter, Isshin turned his attention to the young king at her side, and put a hand on his shoulder. He could see the fear, unsureness, and excitement in the white-haired man's eyes, and he knew where those first two emotions were coming from. What the father-to-be needed at the moment was a little extra support, so Isshin decided to give it to him. "I'm very happy, and proud, to have you in the family, Toshiro. I know that you had to navigate your later years without a father, or father figure, and I'm sure the prospect of being one is daunting; but I know you'll do a great job, so don't worry. If you ever need advice, or help, I'm always here. You're my son now, and we Kurosakis stick together. Ichigo would say the same thing, so don't hesitate to call on us if, and when, you need us." he said; his eyes soft, and a gentle smile on his face.
Toshiro gave the Kurosaki patriarch a small, but grateful smile in reply, and nodded his head. "Thank you, Isshin; that means a lot to me, and I'll keep it in mind." he said, as he let go of Karin's hand to wrap his arm around her waist.
Isshin nodded in reply, before wishing them both a good night, and exiting the room; telling Karin he would see her tomorrow when they left for Saikyo.
Once he'd closed the door behind him, he finally let a single tear run down his cheek as he made his way back to the drawing room. 'Oh, my dear Masaki, I wish you could be here to see your children, and grandchildren; you would love them all so much. I'm sad that you're missing all of this, but I know that you're watching over us' he thought, as he stopped at the door to the drawing room, wiped the tear, and entered the room; being greeted by a still-irritated Ichigo, a widely smiling Momo, and a smirking Rangiku.
"So, how's Karin doing? Is the morning sickness any better?" the busty blonde asked; watching with great amusement as everyone's heads whipped in her direction, with shocked expressions on their faces. Next to her, Ichigo started choking on the wine he'd been drinking, and Momo looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. "Wh-how did you know?! Were you faking ignorance this whole time?!" she asked, wide-eyed, while the strawberry wheezed, and coughed, beside her. "W-Wait, Karin's pregnant?!" Ichigo spluttered once he managed to clear his airway.
Rangiku started laughing as she crossed her arms over her ample chest. "I'm not blind, you know. I've known the king since the day he was born; you really think I didn't notice his distinctly happier mood, or the discreet looks, stolen kisses, subtle flirting, and inconspicuous touches? Not to mention the uncharacteristically late mornings, locked bedroom doors, disheveled hair and clothes, and-"
"Shut up, Rangiku; we get it!" Ichigo interrupted; his cheeks red, an angry scowl on his face, and his hands over his ears.
The bubbly general laughed again, with a self-satisfied look on her face. "I'll admit that they've done a good job of hiding it, but I notice more than his highness gives me credit for. I am sad that he didn't tell me, but I understand the necessity of keeping as many people in the dark as possible. That's why I played along for so long, but there's really no more reason to, now; everyone will know soon enough. So, how far along is she?!" the busty blonde asked; clasping her hands together excitedly with a huge smile on her face.
Everyone shook their heads amusedly, aside from Ichigo; and Momo smiled widely. "She's at nine weeks. She'll probably start showing in another month, or so...Oooh, I can't wait to be an aunt!" the young mother said excitedly, while Ichigo ran his hands through his hair, and started pacing. "I'm gonna be an uncle..." he murdered disbelievingly several times, before he came to an abrupt stop a few moments later, and a big smile overtook his face. "Ha! I'm gonna be an uncle!"
Isshin smiled, and walked up to his son; putting a hand on his shoulder. "Wait until we tell Yuzu and Orihime; they'll be over the moon." he said, as Ichigo smirked, and nodded in agreement. "True. Yuzu's going to be so paranoid about everything going smoothly, that she'll want to be here two months before the baby's due. Momo, Izuru, Rangiku, I hope you're ready for the Kurosaki invasion." he replied amusedly, and everyone chuckled in response.
Izuru, who'd remained quiet until now, adopted a worried expression, and looked around the room. "While I'm excited about the baby, I have to ask: how are we going to keep this as quiet as we can? Rangiku's right; everyone will know soon. A pregnant woman, and a baby, are vulnerable targets…targets that Aizen wouldn't hesitate to go after once he knows. There's a reason why Momo and Ryu never leave Orora, so are Karin and the baby going to be subjected to the same limitations until this ends?" he asked from beside his wife, and everyone immediately sobered at the thought. No one wanted to keep Karin locked away in the castle for the next seven months, and they knew she wouldn't stay even if they tried to. She was too much of a free spirit, and Toshiro wouldn't allow it, anyway; but that put her at a substantially higher risk the further along her pregnancy went.
All was quiet for a few moments, until Isshin decided to speak; a thoughtful look on his face. "There's really no way we can keep this quiet for too much longer, or keep them both completely safe, without holding Karin a prisoner here. I know Toshiro would never allow that, so we'll just have to do our best to keep them both as safe as we can; that's really all we can do. Besides, I'm sure that she won't be joining us on the front lines anymore, and Toshiro's really tightened the security of the castle since his parents' death. I don't think we have too much to worry about, barring any unforeseen circumstances. We just need to make sure that someone's either with Karin, or close to her, at all times, for protection…not that she'll want it, but it will be needed, eventually." the Karakura ruler said, and everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
With a consensus reached, Isshin let go of Ichigo's shoulder, and looked back at his son. "Now, I think it's time we retired for the night; we have a long journey ahead of us. Goodnight, everyone, and thank you so much for the hospitality; the visit has been wonderful, and I'm glad I got to spend some time with my new family." he said with a warm smile, which Momo, Izuru, and Rangiku reciprocated.
The two Ororan royals, and bubbly general said goodnight in return, and the Karakura rulers made their way out of the drawing room; heading back to their rooms.
On their way, Ichigo glanced at his father, with a questioning look on his face. "What do you think the likelihood is that all of this comes to a head before the baby's born? We know Aizen's planning something, but we still haven't been able to figure out what; and the Fraccion that Karin and her team captured haven't been helpful yet. Do you think I should stay here to help Toshiro with the interrogation, and security around the castle?" he asked; slight anxiety in his voice that his father picked up on immediately.
Isshin remained quiet for a moment before coming to a stop at his bedroom door, and looking to his son; understanding in his eyes. "I think your instincts are right, and that this war will be over before the baby arrives; but you should go back to the front, instead of staying here. I understand your concern, Ichigo, but Toshiro is more than capable of handling this. Trust him, and let him protect his wife, and child; that's his responsibility now, not yours. You're needed elsewhere."
Ichigo swallowed hard, and sighed in defeat; knowing that his father was right, but not wanting to admit it. "Okay, fine; I'll leave with you, then. Goodnight, Dad; I'll see you in the morning." he said; turning, and walking to his own room while his father disappeared behind the bedroom door. 'Dammit, I hate it when he's right, and he knows that I know it' Ichigo thought dejectedly. He'd been looking after his sisters his entire life, so it was hard for him to give that responsibility to another man…but he still knew that goat-chin was right, and that he had to learn to walk away. Karin belonged to Orora now…to Toshiro; and, so did their child. It was time for him to take a step back.
Sighing as he entered his own room, Ichigo stripped out of his formal attire, dressed in his sleepwear, and packed up the rest of his loose garments; setting out his clothes for the morning, and crawling into bed. 'For their sake, and the baby's, I hope this ends sooner rather than later…although, not knowing what Aizen has planned makes me nervous' he thought as he closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep; an unsettling feeling that things were about to get much worse, very soon, creeping into his mind.