June 19th
Vasilysa's POV
I was talking and laughing with Tatsuki and Orihime, the three of us comparing notes on the latest article about the newest romance film. I firmly believed the main character was NOT hot enough to play the part. Orihime and Tatsuki thought he was dreamy.
"—and I'm telling you, they could have—OH GOD!"
I cut off, feeling and hearing the water splash to the pavement beneath me. Immediately, both women's eyes widened, every woman knowing what that meant.
"ICHIGO!" we all three cried, causing him to whip around the corner to us. I put my hand on my abdomen.
"Call your dad," I told him quickly. "My water just broke!"
His eyes widened… but he quickly brushed it off and pulled out his phone.
"Oh god…" I groaned, feeling the first contraction hit. It was mild, like a cramp during PMS, but I remembered Isshin warning me they would get progressively worse. Meanwhile, nearly every girl in our class was coming over to me, making a shield around me so I could change out of my soaked undies and skirt and into clean, dry ones (provided by one of my classmates). They were also doing their damndest to keep me calm while we waited for Isshin to arrive. Tatsuki had my hand, letting me clench it every time a contraction hit which, thankfully, was not very often just yet.
Quickly, I pulled out my phone and sent out a text to Sosuke and Kisuke, letting them know what was happening. I then sent a bit of energy and thought through the bracelet from Ulquiorra, letting him know it was time as well. I soon got back a wave of soothing energy which made me smile, despite the pain of another contraction ripping through me. I sent him a bit of my gratitude, though it got cut off with another wave of pain that I didn't mean to send. I got amusement and another bit of soothing back.
"Good work," Isshin told the girls, getting them to step aside. There was a gurney next to him. "There's an ambulance waiting to take you to the hospital."
I nodded and he helped me onto the gurney, wincing and groaning as another contraction hit.
"How close together are they?" he asked me.
"S-six minutes," I answered, making his eyes widen. "Oh gods… I may not make it to the hospital, Isshin!"
Immediately, his helpers sat me up and he put a shot right into my spine. In moments, I couldn't feel anything from just below my breasts down, surprising me. As they laid me down, they began an IV while the gurney got loaded into the ambulance.
"This should slow the contractions," he assured me. "And you're having a C-section, so we don't want you fully dilated. Just breathe, kiddo. Just breathe."
So, I did as asked.
Four hours later, I was finally out of surgery and in my room, getting to hold my babies for the first time.
"They're so tiny," I said softly, cradling them to me.
"What are their names?" asked Isshin, ready to take them down.
"Enra and Yukiya Hirako," Ichigo and I chorused, much to the surprise of his family. I chuckled.
"I told him a while back," I explained. Isshin smiled and then left to get some more paperwork done. After he left, there was a soft knock on the door. "Come in!"
"Aww!" Yoruichi said, swooping in to look at the babes. I smiled and held out Enra to her, which she gladly took. I handed Yukiya to Kisuke, making him look nervous. I giggled, getting a dirty look from the older man.
"What are their names?" he asked.
"You're holding Yukiya," I answered. "She's holding Enra."
That made them smile softly.
"They're perfect names," they told me. I smiled softly, very tired and relieved that things went off without a hitch. Then I saw Kisuke's cheek. It was very dark from a recent bruise. I frowned but, before I could ask about it, Enra started crying.
"Here," I said, holding my hands out.
"Feeding time?" Yoruichi asked, handing him to me. Kisuke, wisely, looked elsewhere as I got Enra attached. I smiled softly, wincing at first. Isshin had warned me that nursing would hurt the first few times until I got used to it. He'd been right.
"What are you going to do about school?" she asked me. I smiled softly.
"I have the next two weeks off to recover," I answered. "Then I have special permissions to bring them to school with me until they're old enough for daycare, age one and a half."
She nodded, noting that both boys were born with full heads of bright, blonde hair, just like their father's.
"There's so much of HIM in them," I said softly, a bit sadly.
"Definitely the hair," Kisuke joked, making me chuckle. "Mind if I get a picture?"
I shrugged and held both of my boys, Yoruichi slipping out of the picture before he took it, making me chuckle at his light blush, realizing Enra had been attached to my tit at the time.
That's when I felt it. I tensed immediately and so did Kisuke and Yoruichi. A very tense, very loud knock came on the door. I didn't even need to look over to see the disbelieving and furious face of Hiyori Sarugaki.
"Hiyori…" I greeted softly, somewhat worried… then puzzled it out and glared at Kisuke. "How dare you! I told you not to tell him!"
"You're lucky Shinji didn't believe him," Hiyori snapped, only keeping her voice calm for the benefit of my babes as she forced her feet forward, towards the bed. One look at the babes and her eyes widened, then narrowed at me. "Explain."
"Ichigo, let's give them some space," Kisuke said, taking hold of his collar and pulling him out of the room. Yuzu and Karin went with, seeming to understand the unspoken command. I sighed, once it was just her and me.
"Wanna hold Yukiya?" I asked softly. After a bit of fidgeting, Hiyori nodded uncomfortably.
"This doesn't mean I've forgiven you for doing this to Shinji," she told me crossly, but took the baby. I corrected her hold once and she relaxed moments later, looking down into his eyes. Her face softened, an expression I had not seen on her face except twice.
"I found out I was pregnant the day that incident happened," I began to explain. "I wanted to tell Shinji, but he got called to the emergency captain's meeting… and then I never got the chance…"
I sighed and pulled aside my shirt to show her the hole.
"What the hell?!"
"I was born half-hollow," I continued. "When I gave my whole heart to Shinji, it shattered when I thought he was dead. I was told he was… and nearly hollowfied myself… This hole is my timer. When it reaches its full size, I will become a mindless killing machine, not at all like a normal hollow and much harder to kill, as all Halflings do when they lose their hearts. I only have roughly two years left…"
I paused.
"I knew I was dying and knew my children could also be half-hollow… so I left the Soul Society," I pressed on. "My Ada took things a step further and sent me 100 years into the future."
Her eyes widened for a moment.
"When you vanished!" she said. I nodded.
"I haven't told Shinji I was alive or here or even pregnant… because I couldn't bear to—"
"Put him through the pain of losing you again," she finished. I nodded sadly.
"Once a turning starts, it cannot be stopped… or at least it has never done so ever before," I added. "And I couldn't ask Shinji to watch that nor be there when it happened."
She sighed.
"You're an idiot," she told me. "A real special kind of stupid."
I laughed softly.
"What a Hiyori response," I teased. She rolled her eyes, barely resisting the urge to hit me.
"He's going to find out," she told me simply.
"And I'll deal with the repercussions when that time comes if I'm still here to do so," I replied. She gave me a hard to read look for a few moments, then looked away.
"Your secret's safe with me," she told me. "I'll let that stubborn ass find out on his own."
I smiled softly.
"Thanks, Hiyori," I told her.
"Che, don't thank me," she snapped. "I'm doing this for Shinji, not for you."
"I understand," I told her, then frowned softly. "Have you… have you managed to come to terms with that night?"
"We're in control, if that's what you mean," she answered. "We'd all love a piece of Aizen, too."
"Yes… Gin told me," I admitted, surprising her. "He told me it was Sosuke that did this…"
She scowled, then handed me Yukiya.
"What's the other's name?" she asked.
"Enra," I answered softly.
"You'd best take damn good care of them," she told me shortly.
"I will," I promised. She spared the two babes another soft look before taking her leave. Once she was gone, I gave a huge sigh of relief and relaxed. Ichigo, Yuzu, Karin, and Isshin came back in, but Yoruichi and Kisuke were nowhere to be found.
"They left," Isshin explained at my curious look. I nodded, accepting that. Enra finished eating and Yukiya then latched on, eating his fill.
"Who was that girl?" asked Ichigo. I gave him a worn smile.
"An old friend," I answered softly. "One I never thought I'd see again."
"A friend of HIS?" he asked cryptically. I nodded softly, sadly. Shortly after, Rukia came into the room, followed by nearly half the girls in our class. I laughed and chatted with them for a while, letting them coo over my babies, holding them and passing them around. I was very exhausted when they finally left. Shortly after, Isshin took his own family home, telling me he'd check on me in the morning. I smiled softly and nodded, holding my babies as they slowly went to sleep. Then the nurses came in and put them in their little bassinettes, given to me by friends at my baby shower last month. I smiled softly, then let myself drift off to sleep.
Third Person POV
"Was it her?" asked Lisa as soon as Hiyori appeared. Hiyori gave a small nod. That brought some relief and even more questions to the group. "How is she?"
"She just had twin boys," Hiyori stated calmly, shocking the group again. "She'll be in the hospital for a while."
"Whose kids?" asked Rose.
"Shinji's," Hiyori answered, confusing them. "She was sent forward in time 100 years."
That caused more questioning eyebrows.
"She also was removed from the Soul Society and can't go back now," Hiyori stated. "Kit hadn't lied when he claimed she was half-hollow. You could feel that a mile away."
"Why hasn't she sought out Shinji?" asked Lisa. "Surely Kisuke told her he was alive."
Hiyori now got a dark look.
"Because… she can't bear to hurt him again," was the answer. "Her hollow blood is devouring her. She only has two years… before she's gone. She'll have to be killed as soon as she finishes turning… and once a turning starts… there's no known way to stop it."
They all fell silent, absorbing that, their hearts growing heavy with grief.
"What will happen… to the boys… when she dies?" asked Hachi carefully.
"I didn't ask," was the reply. "If you want to visit, she'll be there for a while. I don't know where she's staying after that."
"The boys, do they look like—"
"They look like Shinji," Hiyori stated. "Even born with a full head of blonde hair."
That got a few smiles, imagining just that. Suddenly, a familiar energy entered the place and they all quickly changed the subject, finding other things to do.
"Finally back, baldie?" asked Hiyori. Shinji rolled his eyes at her and said nothing. That was upsetting. Now, he was going to be all depressed again.
Vasilysa's POV
Hiyori came back nearly every day I was there, came just to hold my boys. She rarely spoke a word to me, which I knew was deserved. As promised, Sosuke had come nearly every night, just to see us. The boys knew him the moment they sensed his reiatsu, the same one they had been feeding on for months. Thus, they cozied up to him quick enough. Gin and Rangiku were only able to come twice, as Rangiku's captain was a real stick in the mud and Gin, as a captain, had his own duties to attend to. Kisuke and Yoruichi only came back once, but that was due to things getting busy at the shop. However, I never saw Shinji or any of the other Visords. It seemed Hiyori HAD kept her word… and I was grateful.
"Knock, knock," came a soft voice. I smiled as I looked over at Rukia and Ichigo as they came in. I was fully dressed this time, so were the boys. Apparently, my stay in the hospital had caused me to miss an interesting debut of some spiritualist moron. Ichigo had told me all about this clown, making me question the man's sanity.
"Ready to go?" Ichigo asked, looking over my many bags and things. The bassinettes had been placed onto strollers for easy travelling as we made the walk back to Ichigo's home. Yes, we were walking nearly all the way across down. I wanted to lose that baby fat as soon as possible. Both Ichigo and Rukia grabbed as many bags as they could and I realized there was still more.
"I'll help," came Hiyori's voice. I smiled warmly at her.
"You're a life-saver, Hiyori," I told her. She just huffed and grabbed a few bags, leaving the bassinettes to me.
"Miss Kurosaki," interrupted a nurse. "Mr. Ishida arranged for a car to deliver your furniture and bags to your home. You need only worry about your boys."
That got a relieved look from Ichigo and Rukia as they set some down. I gladly picked up Enra, letting Hiyori carry Yukiya. She loved holding my boys, after all. Thus, Ichigo got stuck with my purse and the diaper bag. He didn't seem to mind it much though as we made our way towards his home. I knew Hiyori was only here to find out where I lived. I knew she was attached to my boys already… and it made me smile. I knew she'd never admit it, but they definitely had a soft spot just for her, too, especially Yukiya.
"All of your homework is waiting," Ichigo told me. All week long, he'd been a real sweetheart, getting my homework and turning it in for me. I smiled warmly at him.
"Thanks," I told him. "You're always so good to me, Ichi."
He rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably and looked away, making Rukia and I giggle. Even Hiyori was smirking. Abruptly, there was a ringing sound from Rukia. I sighed as she fished Kon out of her bag and forced out his candy. She then had Ichigo swallow it and, with a quick apology, they left. I shook my head with a smile.
"Sorry you're stuck with the bags, Kon," I told the mod soul. He shrugged.
"I can handle that," he replied. "I haven't been able to see you all week!"
I laughed.
"Sorry," I apologized again. "Hiyori, this is Kon, a mod soul. Kon, this is my dear friend, Hiyori."
The two exchanged looks, but seemed to just KNOW they wouldn't get along.
"I told the others about you," Hiyori stated, getting my attention. "Shinji was gone."
That brought me some relief.
"I take it they're no more pleased with me than you are," I commented idly. She scowled at me.
"You and that thick-headed idiot deserve each other," was her reply. "You're both being ridiculously stupid."
I struggled not to roll my eyes.
"I know that's how you feel, Hiyori," I reminded her patiently. "But please keep in mind how we feel."
That earned a flip-flop to the side of my head, making me crash into a tree nearby, yelping.
"I'm tired of keeping that in mind, you selfish, egotistical, inhumane idiot!" she yelled at me. "It wouldn't be like this if you would just tell him!"
I ducked the second hit and then noticed that Kon had caught a now crying Enra. Hiyori seemed to catch it, too, and immediately looked guilty, also realizing her yelling had made Yukiya cry. Thus, us two women spent the next few minutes calming the boys down before we could walk on. I sighed softly.
"Hiyori, let's keep the fights away from the kids, okay?" I asked. Mutely, she nodded, still a bit guilty about making them both cry like that.
"Am I allowed to side with Hiyori on this?" asked Kon quietly. I groaned.
"No, you are not," I answered, making Hiyori huff at me. Fortunately, we made it home in record time. Once we got the boys settled, Hiyori had taken her leave. Once she was gone, I practically collapsed onto my bed, feeling my heart ache all over again. I knew she meant well… but the rate that she was pushing me was going to result in my heart breaking even faster. Between her, Tessai, Kisuke, Yoruichi, and even Isshin, I was going to scream! They all wanted me to tell Shinji about all this, to tell him the truth… but I couldn't. I just couldn't.
Kon said not a word, just held me as I rested, watching my babes sleep soundly.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asked me finally. I shrugged.
"I don't know," I answered. "In two years… I guess it won't matter."
He squeezed me softly, but just let me enjoy the silence. After a while, I grabbed the homework and began to do as much as I could between diapers, feedings, and rocking. I was getting really, really good at multi-tasking by the time Ichigo and Rukia got home.
"I'm home," Ichigo called.
"It's just us, Ichi," I called back. He entered the room and looked over the scene… Then popped Kon's pill out, putting it back in the lion, before dropping down beside me and pulling out his own homework.
"I apologize ahead of time if my boys wake you in the middle of the night," I said softly, quietly. "They don't quite sleep through the night yet… and won't for many, many months."
He just shrugged.
"Won't be any different than Rukia doing it for another mission," he told me simply. I smiled softly and gratefully.
"You're amazing, Ichi," I told him, kissing his cheek, making him blush. I giggled at that blush and turned back to my homework.