Chapter Twenty Two: Trapped Under Ice

Mizuho tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the coffee maker to spit out her morning cup of Joe. The sun glared through her window, not particularly improving her already grumpy mood. She scowled as she thought about what had happened recently in the Soul Society.

Ikkaku had told her last night about what had transpired. Apparently, Sosuke Aizen, along with several Vaizards, had stormed the Soul Society and had abducted three Shinigami. They had learned from this that Aizen was not the man behind the true plot against the Soul Society's King. A man calling himself the true heir was said to be the real mastermind behind everything.

What had confused them, Ikkaku had told her, was that they had brought both Tousen and Ichimaru to Soul Society, but only to kill them. This had frightened many of the lower ranked Shinigami, as they wondered how they could have afforded to simply kill two captain-class Shinigami like they did.

Mizuho bit her lip. According to Ikkaku, Momo Hinamori had been abducted by Aizen. This meant that her own father had abducted her mother. She wondered what he wanted with her...

She jumped slightly as she heard a knock at her front door. She made her way into her living room, "Who is it?" she asked.

A gruff voice answered back, "It's your extended family, dear cousin."

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

Ryuuken Ishida was many things, but a hyper man was not one of them. Thus, he found himself only mildly interested as he stared at the woman standing in front of him.

He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a long pull of smoke, and exhaled before speaking to the woman who the Shinigami thought had been abducted. "And to what do I owe the pleasure, Shaolin Fon?"

Shaolin smirked at the Quincy, "I see you haven't changed at all, Ryuuken, even after all these years."

Ryuuken inhaled more nicotine, "And why," he said as he exhaled a puff of smoke, "would you have expected me of all people to change?"

Shaolin shrugged. She then turned back to the food stall owner and thanked him as he handed her the food that she had ordered. Her face lit up with happiness as she bit into the foot-long, chocolate covered, donut with sprinkles on top. She then looked at Ryuuken.

He shrugged his shoulders and started walking again, Shaolin following him. He glanced at her and said, "Those things will kill you, you know. I'm a Doctor, so you know it's true."

She gave him a dirty glare, "I don't want to hear that from you, mister cancer-stick."

Ryuuken shrugged his shoulders, "I don't care."

She scowled at him, "I'll never see what my elder sister saw in you."

Ryuuken smirked as he flicked the shriveled up cigarette to the pavement below, before rubbing out the remaining embers with the heel of his shoe. He glanced at Shaolin before replying, "Maybe it was my dashing good looks and wonderful personality?"

Shaolin rolled her eyes, "Somehow I doubt that."

They were both quiet for several seconds before Ryuuken spoke up again, "So why did you come here? I doubt it was just to chit chat?" Ryuuken pulled out a set of car keys and unlocked his car. He stopped and stared at the Vaizard woman. "What do you want, Shaolin?"

Shaolin bit her lip and fidgeted slightly, "I think...I may be pregnant."

Ryuuken stared at her, "And you want me to ascertain if you really are or not?" She nodded, and he sighed. "All right then, get in."

He opened the passenger car door for her, and closed it as soon as she had seated herself inside. He got in the car as well, turning the keys and starting the engine. Classical music was playing over the radio as he made his way through the busy streets towards the hospital.

Shaolin glanced at him, "How's my nephew been?" she asked.

"He's stubborn," was the short reply.

Shaolin snorted in amusement, "Like you're one to talk."

Ryuuken spared her a quick glare before diverting his attention back to the road ahead, "To quote you, 'I don't want to hear that from you'."

Shaolin laughed as she stared out at the buildings that moved past the window. "How's my sister been lately?"

Ryuuken smiled softly, "She's still ticked off about that car running over her while she was in her gigai." Ryuuken's arms moved slightly as he made a left turn, "She's even told me in no uncertain terms that she's going to see her son again, whether I like the idea or not."

Shaolin sighed with exasperation, "Even though she knows she's not supposed to, she still does it anyway." She glanced at her brother-in-law, "You two are a match made in heaven, you realize this right?"

Ryuuken smirked as he pulled into his parking space, "You're just jealous, dearest sister-in-law."

As they made their way into his office, they both heard a woman's voice say, "Ryuuken, are you back from your errands?"

Ryuuken's normally cold expression grew soft as he replied, "Yes dear. And I ran into somebody who you haven't seen in a while."

A tall, blue-haired woman peeked out around the corner. Her face lit up with a smile as she saw the two. She walked forward and enveloped the smaller woman in a hug, "Shaolin!" she said as she hugged her sister close, "It's been too long!"

Shaolin smiled at her sister, "Indeed it has, Soi."

Soi rolled her eyes, "Do you have to remind me of that name every time we see each other? I thought we both agreed that I would go by Megumi from now on."

Shaolin smirked mischievously, "Sorry about that, Megumi-nee. I couldn't help myself. It's just too much fun calling you by great great aunt Soi's name."

Megumi, formerly Soi, now Mrs. Ishida, rolled her eyes. "Whatever. What brings you here today, Shaolin?"

-- -- -- -- -- --

Mizuho stared at the door in confusion, "What are you talking about? I don't have any cousins."

The man on the other side of the door tsked, "I see, I guess you really don't know then."

Suddenly, the man simply walked through the door as if it didn't exist. It was then revealed that he was in fact Keigo's classmate, Ichigo Kurosaki. He smirked at her as he continued, "My mother and your father were siblings, and that's how we're cousins."

She took a step back, "How do you know who my father is?"

"I think that's fairly obvious, dearest daughter," said a voice from behind her.

Mizuho quickly turned around and came face to face with her father, Sosuke, holding her mother, Momo, by the hand. They both smiled sweetly at her as Sosuke continued, "He's my boss, Mizuho-chan."

-- -- -- --

TBC

AN: I apologize, it really has been far too long since I had last updated this fic. I hope ya'll don't mind.(Too much)