Noriykoi: I am amazed at myself. I got a chapter out in less than a day and at a pretty decent length too.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The wonderful world of Bleach and all its characters are property of one Tite Kubo.

Chapter 3

It took a few days, but Ichigo believed he was doing better. Being around Karin and Yuzu helped to remind him why he was fighting, why he had to live. He would never forgive himself for those cowardly thoughts. If he died he wouldn't be able to protect his little sisters, and that was the whole reason he originally took Rukia's powers. If he had a choice, and it wouldn't affect his family and friends safety, he would give up his powers, content to live a normal life. He knew better though, thoughts like that were just a dream, as long as hollows came to Karakura Town for souls, his family would never be safe.

"Ichi-nii, breakfast is almost ready." Yuzu called from the kitchen where Ichigo could imagine her making a delicious meal.

Ichigo sat up glancing nervously at his door. That was weird; usually Old Goat Face would burst through the door and try to catch him by surprise by now. There probably was no need to worry. He was probably only trying a different tactic.

Ichigo was half dressed when the smell of food hit his nose. He dropped his shirt in his mad-dash to the bathroom, where he proceeded to throw up last night's dinner.

"Ichigo!" He heard his father's voice down the hall. "You're late for breakfast; we must eat as a family, so come on… Masaki! Ichigo's not in his room, where is our darling son!"

"Shut up, Goat Face." Ichigo heard a thud which he guessed was Karin kicking their dad.

"Masaki, our daughter is so mean to her father, and Ichigo is missing! Waaaa!"

"I saw him running to the bathroom a minute ago, you old Goat. Now quiet, I'm trying to concentrate." Karin stated which was followed by another thump and a yelp from Isshin.

Ichigo chuckled for a moment before nausea hit him again. Oh, god now was not the time to get sick. This was horrible, especially since it seemed to come out of nowhere. He ended up spending the next twenty minutes heaving everything out of his stomach.

"Hey, Ichigo, you alright in there?" Isshin asked through the doorway. He was slightly worried at the state Ichigo seemed to be in. Ichigo rarely got sick, thanks to his high spiritual pressure which tended to burn out any traces of a sickness before it could take root.

Ichigo at this point in time was resting his head on the toilet seat. He felt absolutely awful right then.

"I think so. Kami, I've never felt this bad before," Ichigo whined. He figured he had caught a bug or something, but damn, this just sucked.

Isshin crossed into the bathroom digging in a cabinet for a thermometer. Then he placed his hand on Ichigo's forehead a little confused that it didn't feel the least bit hot. Then he gave Ichigo the thermometer.

"Here take your temperature. I can't tell if you have a fever, but, humans' error, so let's see."

Ichigo temperature was a little high, but not high enough to count as a fever. Isshin frowned. Something wasn't right here. He helped Ichigo up and escorted him to one of the examination rooms in the clinic.

"Now let see if we can figure out what's wrong."

Ichigo glared, but knew his father wouldn't leave it alone until he knew exactly what was ailing his son.

"I woke feeling fine, it was only after I smelt food that I got sick." Ichigo said not noticing Isshin pale.

"Okay have you been craving anything unusual?" Isshin asked carefully. Kami he hoped he was wrong. Normally he wouldn't even consider this as a possibility to what was wrong with Ichigo, but he reminded himself that although male, his son was also spending a lot of time in spirit form.

"No not really. I did want some chocolate ice-cream yesterday really bad, but nothing unusual."

"Ichigo, I'll explain later, but could you step out of your body?" Isshin said holding out Ichigo's soul badge.

"What… You know, but how? I… I … " Ichigo started hyperventilating, the nausea from earlier coming back full force.

"Shh, calm down. For now let's just say there's a reason you have such a large spiritual pressure."

Ichigo took a deep breath glaring at his father as he took the badge and forced himself out of his body. Hm, that was weird, his belt felt a little tight. He eepped as his father pressed his hands to his stomach.

"Oyaji," He began slowly. "What's going on?"

"I think you're pregnant."

Silence, then…

"What the hell! Men don't get pregnant! It's probably just a stomach bug or something…" Ichigo trailed off at his father's expression.

"Normally that would be true, but Ichigo you're a shinigami and children in soul society are conceived in a different way than in the world of the living. You see, it's not gender, but spiritual pressure that matters in soul society. The stronger the parents are the more likely they can conceive. It doesn't matter if you're male or female."

Ichigo whimpered. "It's still not possible. I'm not pregnant, and how do you know all this any way?"

"I never wanted to tell you, but I was once a shinigami. You remember the story I used to tell you about how I met your mother? Well, its true if a little bit embellished."

"… he watched from the heavens unseen and unheard, until he went to another who was like him but vanished to earth, and so in return for his powers, he was made human, so that he may be with the woman he loves…" Ichigo mumbled obviously making parallels to what he was told as a child and what he knew about soul society. "It was true, but that means…"

"Yes, I gave up everything to be with your mother. It is only recently that I've began to gain my powers back, and it's also why I believe you are pregnant."

"You believe, but it's impossible. I've never…" He trailed off.

"Yeah, it should be impossible, but I don't believe that the arrancar was originally a part of your soul. There are too many inconsistencies. And if the arrancar within you is what I think it is, it's very possible that you're pregnant."

Ichigo paled, a soft whimper escaping his lips. He suddenly felt trapped. His father knew his shame. He thought he was almost over it. Then the tears started.

"Shhh its okay, it's alright, none of this is your fault." Isshin hugged his crying son to his chest. "It will be okay."

"But it's my fault. I wasn't strong enough, I couldn't protect myself, I was so weak, so helpless, and it… it…." He trailed off. He wasn't, he couldn't be …. He was a man, damn it, and men didn't get pregnant. At least not living ones and his chain of fate had been cut.

"I'm dead ain't I? That body is only a gigai, isn't it?"

Isshin paled. He didn't want to answer the question. Yes, Ichigo was dead, a spirit who had become a shinigami, because a living shinigami could never achieve shikai or bankai, because until they actually died they couldn't communicate with the spirit of their zanpakuto.

"I never wanted you to find out. I had hoped that eventually, with enough time you would give up your powers and become human again, but right now you're only a spirit inhabiting a gigai. I'm sorry."

"I'm not, you know…" Ichigo said quietly. "I'm not sorry I chose this. I did what was necessary to protect."

"I know. Now get back on that table, I'm not done examining you."

Ichigo groaned. Let it be said that as goofy as Isshin might act around his family he never neglected their health. "I'm not pregnant!"

Isshin paid no mind to the outburst, his hand glowing green with medical Kido, which slowly faded causing Isshin to sigh. "But you are. This just confirmed it."

"I'm not!" Ichigo yelled in denial.

Isshin shook his head as he pushed Ichigo back into his body. He would accept it eventually, but for now. "Go up to room and go back to bed. I'll have Yuzu bring you up some soup. You're not going to school today. And I believe you will see my diagnosis is correct within the next few weeks."

Ichigo grumbled but didn't dare disobey when his father used his doctor's voice.

"Catch." Isshin said throwing a shirt at Ichigo, and a bottle of anti-nausea pills. "Follow the directions on the bottle to the letter."

Ichigo just stared. So what if his father was a shinigami, he was still his father, and he was still an idiot most of the time.

"Whatever."

III

Zangetsu was suddenly alone again within Ichigo's inner world. Then the fear kicked in. When the arrancar took refuge he had some control over it and thus could protect Ichigo from the worst of the arrancar's temper tantrums. To make all this worse, it was still raining.

He hated the rain, and soon he feared this world would be swallowed by oceans of despair. Ichigo was breaking, and there was nothing he could do to stop it, because all he was in the end was Ichigo's sword.

"Survive Ichigo, because I cannot protect you as I should." Zangetsu whispered forlornly. He could only hope Ichigo's soul heeded his warning.

III

Orihime didn't know what had happened, but she knew something was wrong with Kurosaki-kun. She could see it in his eyes during school this past week, and he was always sick especially at the smell of food. Then there were the dark rings around his eyes which signified his lack of sleep.

The others had noticed it too. Then he started eating her food when offered, causing Rukia-san to look thoughtful. She always offered food knowing it would get turned down but then Kurosaki-kun accepted, and managed to keep it down. She knew something was wrong then. She just didn't know what.

"Hey, Rukia, can you look up an Isshin in a captain register?" She heard Ichigo ask one day. Isshin, wasn't that Kurosaki-kun's father's name?

"Why?"

"Just curious, he should be fairly recent if he on the register."

"Sure, got a last name to go with that?"

"No. But I'm sure you'll figure it out."

She walked away then. What was wrong with Kurosaki-kun? She had to find out. She never got the chance though, as the next day she was taken to Hueco Mundo, and she never even got to say goodbye.

III

Noriykoi: Looks like someone's in denial. Can't blame him though, I would be too if I was in his situation. Oh next chapter we get some hichiichi action yay. I hope because usually whatever I have planned goes out the window. This story is writing itself, and Ichigo is not very happy with me right now. Hichigo is though cause he writing the next chapter. I am scared now.