Wow, thanks guys! I can't believe the reaction I got for the first chapter! I'm really really touched. I'm glad you think this looks like an interesting story. I hope I can live up to that.
"I'm going on a mission," Hitsugaya informed Matsumoto as he returned to the office to make sure everything was in order for his departure.
"Yay!" Matsumoto shouted, running over to him and throwing her arms around his head. "Sounds like fun! Where are we going this time?"
"You're drunk aren't you?" Hitsugaya said unnecessarily as he pried her off. "Really, it's the middle of the workday. And I said I, not we. I'm sorry Matsumoto, but I have to do this one alone. You're in charge of the squad while I'm gone. Make sure you don't get too behind in paperwork. I want to be able to move in the office once I get back." Matsumoto looked at him with concern. His attempt at humor did nothing to relieve the worry she could see behind his eyes. And he hadn't gone on a mission alone since…well, actually, he had never gone on a mission alone since he had become a taicho. Taichos almost always traveled with subordinates.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, sobering up at his expression. Hitsugaya sighed. He hated that he couldn't tell Matsumoto any of this. It was hard enough keeping the pregnancy a secret. Matsumoto had a tendency to weasel anything out of anyone, but luckily, he had so far managed to brush it off as just more apprehension about the war. But he would really have liked to bring her with this time, if for nothing else than to take care of the baby. Not that she had any more experience with babies than he did, but somehow, he thought she would be a little more intuitive about something like this than he was. Human interaction was not his strong point.
"Everything's fine Matsumoto," he assured her. "Just another Aizen related mission. But this one is classified." Well, at least he didn't have to lie about that. Matsumoto still didn't look convinced.
"Just be careful taicho," she cautioned. He nodded.
"I will."
ooooooooooooooooo
Hitsugaya waited until the cover of darkness to slip through an unguarded senkai gate, his precious cargo strapped to his back and hidden by both a large cloak and a powerful reiatsu-suppressing kido barrier. He held Hyourinmaru in his hands, the baby having taken over the sword's usual location. Luckily, the baby was sleeping soundly, and Hitsugaya prayed that it would stay that way, at least until he reached Ichigo's. After that…well, he was trying not to think that far ahead.
The baby whimpered a few times during the journey, but for the most part, he remained still. Hitsugaya tried to move as smoothly as possible to avoid jostling him and disturbing him.
He emerged in Karakura town and the first thing he saw was snow. It was fully winter here, unlike in Soul Society where the weather never changed all that drastically. Everything, the rooftops, the streetlamps, the parked cars, was covered in a thick layer of the icy powder which twinkled like diamonds in the bright moonlight. Thick icicles dangled from the trees like frozen fruit. A chill wind blew thought the air, causing them to clank together and tinkle like wind chimes, creating a music unique to the season. Hitsugaya pulled the cloak tighter around his shoulders. He hardly noticed the frozen wonderland, he was far too accustomed to the sight of ice to find much majesty in it, nor was he bothered at all by the temperature, but he was pretty sure the baby wouldn't like the cold. Deftly as a cat, Hitsugaya tread on the snow without leaving a single footprint as he headed off soundlessly towards his destination.
Dawn was breaking when Hitsugaya finally saw the Kurosaki clinic come into view, and he leapt soundlessly onto Ichigo's windowsill, careful not to slip on the layer of ice that coated it. The shinigami representative, who was still awake for some reason, was sitting at his desk, head buried in a book, with a look of stern concentration on his face. Hitsugaya tapped on the frosted glass.
"AHHHH!" Ichigo screamed, jumping a foot in the air and turning to face the window, breathing like he had just run a marathon. Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow as he felt something shift on his back.
"Toushiro!" Ichigo exclaimed, rushing to pull the window open. "What the hell were you thinking, surprising me like that!? Man, I almost had a heart attack!"
"Kurosaki, keep your voice down…" Hitsugaya warned, but it was too late. The lump under Hitsugaya's cloak woke up and began to cry.
"Damn it, you woke him up!" Hitsugaya cursed, reaching up to pull his cloak off.
"Him?" Ichigo asked confused. "Toushiro, what…?" But his question was answered for him as the cloak fell off Hitsugaya's shoulders to reveal the screaming infant. His wails increased in pitch as the fabric was removed from his face, and Hitsugaya gingerly lifted him out of the pouch on his back and into his arms. He had never held him before, nor any baby for that matter. Unohana had placed him in the pouch to begin with. Hitsugaya didn't have a clue what to do and Ichigo, even if he did know, was still way too startled by the sudden appearance of a taicho with a baby in tow to be of any assistance.
"Who's making all the racket?" grunted an annoyed voice from under Ichigo's bed. "I need my beauty sleep!" A stuffed lion emerged and Ichigo grabbed him by the neck and shoved him into Hitsugaya's face.
"Here," he offered. "Use him."
"Use me for what?" Kon protested, kicking wildly in the air in a vain attempt to free himself from Ichigo's clutches. "Nobody uses Kon-sama for anything!"
"I don't think this is helping," Hitsugaya groaned as the baby screamed louder and louder.
"Ichi-nii, what the heck is going on in here?" came a voice, and the door was opened to reveal a raven haired tomboy, clad in knee length soccer shorts and a white tank top, who was wiping the sleep out of her eyes. "I didn't know you cried like a bab…" She trailed off as she took in the highly unusual scene in front of her.
"Toushiro!" she gasped, recognizing him from several months prior when he had helped her and her friends win a soccer game. "What are you doing here? And what's with the baby?"
"I think we'd all like to know that," Ichigo added.
"Put me down first!" Kon demanded.
"I…" Hitsugaya began, but was cut off by another piercing wail courtesy of the baby in his arms.
"Here, let me help," Karin offered. Hitsugaya relinquished the baby eagerly.
"Shh, there there little one," Karin cooed, rocking the baby gently back and forth. His sobs began to slow in response to Karin's calm voice and he eventually ceased his outburst and fell back to sleep.
"How did you do that?" Hitsugaya gaped in awe.
"Any idiot knows to rock a crying baby Toushiro," Karin replied, rolling her eyes. "And you all need to keep your voices down. Babies don't like shouting. It's common sense."
"Maybe for you," Hitsugaya grumbled. "I've never even held a baby before. And it's Hitsugaya taicho, not Toushiro."
"Really?" Karin asked curiously, ignoring his correction of his name completely. "Don't they have babies in Soul Society?"
"Not many," Hitsugaya responded. "I've only ever seen a handful in my life, and that was back in my Rukongai days."
"So where did this one come from?" Ichigo asked, trying to bring them back on topic. "And why did you bring it here?" Ichigo paused for a second as a thought struck him.
"It's not…yours, is it?" he asked inquisitively, his eyes opening wide with that realization. "Toushiro, you dog, I didn't know you had it in you!"
"Of course he's not mine!" Hitsugaya spat, trying desperately to keep his temper in check as Karin stifled a snicker. "And he's a he, not an it!" Ichigo laughed.
"Sorry, I should have figured. I mean, you haven't even gone through puberty yet, have you?"
"Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya growled threateningly. "You forget who you're speaking to!"
"And you forget who's in the room!" Karin scolded them, as the baby in her arms began to squirm. Hitsugaya held his breath, but luckily, Karin's soothing rocking lulled him back to sleep before he could start crying again.
"This is going to be impossible!" Hitsugaya mumbled, rubbing his temples.
"Oh, Karin-chan, let me rest in your bosom too…" Kon cried, flying straight towards her, but Ichigo yanked him out of the air and squashed him under his foot before he could reach his target.
"So are you ready to answer my questions yet?" Ichigo asked, ignoring Kon's muffled cries for help. Hitsugaya glared at him, but knew that they deserved an explanation. Although, he wasn't entirely sure what to tell them, and how much of the truth he wanted to reveal. Still, he knew he had to say something.
"This child is the first baby to be born in Seireitei in over fifty years," he began. Well, that was true at least. "And because of that, we have reason to believe that Aizen may want to get his hands on him." Also true, although only partially. But good enough.
"Why would Aizen want a baby?" Karin pondered. Hitsugaya considered her. How did she know who Aizen was? How much did she know?
"She knows everything Toushiro," Ichigo answered his unasked question. "She pried it out of me when I got back from Hueco Mondo. I still have the marks."
"It's your own damn fault for disappearing for so long," she retorted. "I have every right to know."
"Aizen could have any number of reasons for wanting a child," Hitsugaya cut them off before they could start fighting. "Experiments, holding him for ransom, who knows. That doesn't really matter. The important thing is, Yamamoto soutaicho sent me on this mission. I am to hide the baby's true origins from everyone except for a few necessary parties and protect it at all costs. He suggested that I ask for your assistance in blending in and passing him off as an ordinary human baby. That's why I'm here."
"So, basically, you want us to adopt the kid?" Ichigo surmised. Hitsugaya scoffed.
"Hardly. I accept full responsibility for him."
"But you want to stay here," Ichigo continued. Pride wouldn't allow Hitsugaya to respond. "Well, I'm not so sure I can pull that off. I mean, 'he followed me home, can I keep him,' won't exactly work in this situation…"
"Oh, shut up Ichi-nii!" Karin interrupted. "You had Rukia-nee living in your closet for months. Besides, oyaji will be thrilled to put them up. Can't you just see him now? 'Oh Masaki look! I've had two more sons!' He won't let them leave. Besides, are you really so heartless that you're going to throw an elementary student and a baby out on the street?"
"I'm not an elementary student!" Hitsugaya insisted, but no one really cared.
"Fine," Ichigo caved. "But they're not staying in my room. I don't want to be woken up in the middle of the night by a crying baby."
"What, like you actually sleep?" Karin said sarcastically. "Well, fine, Yuzu's still on her ski trip, Toushiro can sleep in her bed."
"Who's Yuzu?" Hitsugaya asked.
"My twin sister," Karin replied. "Normally she's the one who takes care of the house and everything, but since my idiot brother has been gallivanting across this world and the next one, she almost had a nervous breakdown, so oyaji decided to send her on vacation with some friends to help her relax during our school holidays. Smartest thing he's ever done if you ask me. Although I've got to say, the timing is rather atrocious. No one would be better to take care of a baby. But whatever, we'll figure it out. I'll help if you want. I've got nothing better to do anyway, being on break and all."
"Thanks," Hitsugaya said gratefully. "I appreciate the help." Karin smiled at him.
"No problem! Think of it as a fair trade. You helped me with my soccer problem, so I'll help you with your baby problem."
"Count me out!" Ichigo said. "I don't want to touch that thing. Babies smell." Karin rolled her eyes.
"You're all heart Ichi-nii."
"And I'm not so sure I like the idea of him staying in Yuzu's bed," Ichigo said warily. "Where are you going to sleep?"
"In my bed. Honestly Ichi-nii, are you that dumb? He's already got one baby, he doesn't need another." Both Ichigo and Hitsugaya turned red at that and Karin burst out laughing at their embarrassment. Kon took advantage of Ichigo's distraction to worm his way out from under his foot and threatened to report him for stuffed animal abuse.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Hitsugaya wondered in exasperation.
So what'd you think? I lightened the tone a bit, since I don't want this story to be as dark as I was making it out to be. It's going to stay light, at least for a bit. And the winter thing…well, it was the "winter" war they were supposed to be fighting, so I thought it was the right season to place this in. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. It's not as interesting as I wanted it to be, but I had to get the ball rolling somehow. Oh well.
Oh, and I can't believe I'm saying this so early in the story, but shout out to Miichiya Mikan for guessing Ichigo's reaction. I suppose it was kind of predictable, but still, that was impressive :)
