Chapter 10 - Twins?

"AUGH!" The sound of frustration echoed through the Shoten and several of the weaker, less confident members of the hybrid pack scurried to hide from the resident lead Beta.

"Kitten…" The voice in the doorway of their room tried to reason with him.

"Grimm, don't." He growled. "Just. Don't.

At the moment, the orange-haired substitute Shinigami-hybrid was on his back on the futon-nest he shared with the Alpha of his life and fighting with the hakama-himo he normally wore over his kosode and shitagi. The ends simply wouldn't tie properly. Both times he'd successfully managed to get the fabric tied, it had bunched and twisted, meaning that he had to take the whole thing off just to get it straightened out again. Both times, Grimmjow, from safely across the room, had suggested that maybe Ichigo would be more comfortable in traditional Arrancar wear, since it was designed to accommodate expecting Betas.

The first time, he'd been answered with a 'thanks but no'. The second time, Ichigo had been ready to throw something at him. This time, if he uttered one more word, he'd find himself in what Kisuke alternatively called the "Bachelor Den" or the "Pregnant Partner Penalty Box". This was normally the common room of the Shoten, with two couches, a couple Yoruichi's pillows and a low table used for serving tea. However, with the influx of half-hollows running around, Tessai had moved both the couches and the table down to the underground chamber for more space. This opened the room up for use by the Alphas in much the same way that the Betas grouped together. If an Alpha was overwhelmed by or in trouble with their Beta, they could retreat to the former living room for some space that was both away from their temperamental mates but nearby in case they were needed.

"Oh, Kami damn them all!" The orangette swore, letting the fabric fall back to the bed and he huffed his frustration.

In the two weeks since the raid on Los Noches, Ichigo's button-popping-bump had become a full on belly, big enough for Grimmjow to put his hands around. Absolutely nothing in the hybrid's wardrobe fit anymore. Case in point, the hakama-himo he was trying to tie wasn't even his. It was Tessai's left over from when the mountain of a man had been captain of the Kido corps. And it still didn't fit!

"AUGH!" Growling again, he glared at the ceiling, then turned so that smoldering expression landed on his Alpha. "Fine. How fast can Szayel get me a pair of pants?"

Grimmjow at least waited until he was out of their room before allowing the ego-filled grin to split his face. Not only was his bitch feisty, powerful, and independent, he was intelligent and obviously growing very well. Next to the princess chick, who was due to whelp sometime after the beginning of the year, he was the biggest expectant Beta in the shop. It was almost enough to make the blue-haired Espada forget that he was trapped in his release form without his sword.

"Well, don't you look downright full of yourself, Sexta." The Octavo practically purred from his seat in the shopkeeper's lab.

Without needing to explain himself, the feline beamed, "He's outgrown the sash he got."

"So that's why our short-tempered Berry-kun has been swearing all morning." Kisuke appeared from a supply closed at the other end of the lab.

Szayel waved the captain of the Twelfth to hush. "I gather you're here to get him something that will actually accommodate your litter?"

"Shh!" Grimmjow looked around quickly, half-expecting his mate to appear out of nowhere. "Watch how ya say that word. Ya know he's already threatened ta maim Nell fer suggestin' that he's gonna whelp more than one cub."

"It is logical though, Grimm-kun." Kisuke ignored the blunette's twitch at the nickname. "You're a feline. He's apparently some sort of lizard. Plus you have you think about the fact that his younger sisters are twins. If what Szayel here has explained to me is the natural way of things, Berry-kun should at least be anticipating two."

"Actually, Kissu," The pink-haired scientist chimed in, "Berry-tan should be prepared for more than two. Given his human potential for twins, and his massive reiatsu? Heh, he'll be lucky if all he gets is a single set of twins." The grin on the effeminate Beta said it all, though he elaborated anyway, "I can't wait."

Grimmjow cleared his throat. "Yeah well, jus' don' go sayin' it too much around 'im. He's been really stressed out about the meetin' with the Shinigami comin' up this afternoon."

"Say no more, dear Sexta, unlike some currently residing here, I know how to hold my tongue around a temperamental expectant Beta." Szayel giggled, referring to an episode just after the Espada moved into the Shoten where Nnoitra had commented without as much tact as he should have. "I am one after all, without the expecting part." At that he gave a dramatic sigh, "All of you fabulous Alphas were taken by the time my turn came around. Oh well. There's always next year, and those simply wonderful Visoreds are around to play with now."

Kisuke waved his fan in front of his face, though whether in amusement or irritation it was hard to say. "Come now, Sza-ya, let's get Grimmy-kun his clothing so he can get back to his Beta before the lovely mother-to-be comes looking for him, ne?"

"Hm? Oh. Quite right, Kissu." The Arrancar sighed with a wistful smile as he crossed the room to a cabinet near the door where the panther had entered. He pulled out a pair of white hakama with a similar style to his own and a cropped jacket with long sleeves, more fitted than Grimmjow's but the same length. Holding them out to the blunette, the Beta smirked over his glasses, "Oops, looks like we're too late."

Ichigo stood in the doorway, clutching his hakama closed with one hand. He bit his lip and looked away, flushing brightly. "Y-you were taking a long time." He mumbled.

Grimmjow couldn't help but smile, though with less of the sadistic edge he carried normally. "S'alright, Kitten. Was just comin' back ta get ya."

"Mm." The hybrid pulled on his hakama, trying to keep them up. Of course, this was why he wore them, but it was annoying without a belt of some kind. He caught sight of the clothing and frowned slightly, "I thought those uniforms were something Aizen came up with?"

"Nah, the fucker just adopted them himself. 'Member, Kitten, he fucked with ev'rythin' from the sand up." The Sexta took the outfit from Szayel and stood between the other two and his Beta. "Here, let's get ya dressed, and get some food inta ya b'fore ya gotta see them Shinigami bastards."

Ichigo vaguely nodded, contemplating his new costume, and allowed himself to be herded back to their room. When they emerged a few minutes later, the orangette was surprisingly comfortable, though feeling a little exposed. The hakama rested below his burgeoning belly, and the jacket was open from the ribs down.

"They aren't going to like this, Grimm." He intoned as they made their way to the underground chamber-turned-dining-and-living-room.

"That ain't the point, Kitten. Are ya comfy?" The feline raised an eyebrow, and his tail waved behind him. Blushing deeply, the hybrid nodded, and the blunette mimicked him. "Then that's all that matters." Sensing his mate hesitate before they crossed the threshold, he turned and ran a warm palm over the gentle swell, "This is somethin' ta be very proud of where I come from. Remember that. Yer amazin' an' 'M a damn lucky Alpha ta have ya."

That did it for Ichigo. He nodded and stood a little straighter as they made their way forward. If there was one thing Grimmjow could do it was soothe the orangette's fears. Ever since he'd woken up after the rescue mission the pair were closer than ever. It was as though the mating bond was stronger and closer than it had been. It wasn't too surprising since before the connection had been stretched over two worlds, but the hybrid swore they could practically read each other's thoughts now. He wanted to ask Shiro about it, but strangely the albino had been silent the whole two weeks. If he was truly honest with himself, he knew he'd been too wrapped up in just being with his Alpha to really notice much of anything else. The flocking of Mashiro, Nel, Tesla, and amazingly, his sister, to him to pet and coo over his belly brought the vibrant Beta out of his thoughts. It made him blush but the proximity of both the other Betas and his Alpha made it easier to accept the attention.

Several hours later, when Byakuya, Renji and Rukia came through the Senkaimon to escort him, Grimmjow, Kisuke and the three Visored-turned-captains to Seireitei, the reaction was slightly more disturbed. The captain of the Sixth raised an eyebrow at the state of his clothing, but said nothing, unlike his sister and life partner.

"Holy Hell, Kurosaki!" Renji sputtered, waving wildly. He caught himself before he could say anything physically endangering, but just that brought a glare from the orangette.

Rukia covered for him—badly, "He means you look great, right? We just weren't expecting you to be—uh—dressed like that."

"And just what's wrong with it?" Orihime scowled, crossing her arms under her ample chest. She was slightly more covered, but only because the shirt-like jacket that Ulquiorra gave her had a skirt much like Human maternity clothes. Her hakama matched Ichigo's though.

There was a certain level of pride the female Beta gave off and a quiet indignation regarding the newcomers' reactions. It was an honor to be dressed by one's Alpha, even the Visoreds held with that. Lisa wore what Rose enjoyed looking at, and Mashiro dressed in a catsuit because it made Kensei happy. Instinctively Alphas sought to show off their Betas. So for Ichigo that meant showing off more skin than he was used to, and for Orihime anything that highlighted her belly was a must. All in all it was a concept that left the Shinigami confused, in spite of their own version.

Sensing the danger of that question, Renji back-peddled. "Eh…n-nothing, Inoue!" He threw his hands up in defense.

"It's just not what we normally see you guys in." Rukia again tried to cover for her best friend's fumble.

Behind them both, Byakuya actually rolled his eyes. "We need to be leaving. The Central 46 are awaiting our arrival."

Standing from his seat next to Orihime, Ichigo growled, "Let's just get this over with."

He stalked passed the Shinigami and entered the Senkaimon, his hands balled into fists and his trademark scowl on his face. Of the Betas, his unique DNA sequence gave him the ability to transition from the Living World to the Soul Society without risking his or Little One's health. Not that it kept Grimmjow from being literally a step behind him. Kensei and Rose gave their Betas a short farewell and followed Grimmjow. Kisuke shot a glance at Shinji, who grinned, turning to the Senkaimon. Behind him, Szayel gave a small yelp. Then he and Kisuke left and the three Shinigami were forced to bring up the rear.

The walk from the main gate to the Central Building did nothing to help the hybrid's attitude. Shinigami from all over stopped what they were doing to stare at him. It was like they'd never seen a pregnant person before. He grumbled and growled under his breath, much to Grimmjow and Shinji's amusement, the entire time.

Just outside the building he stopped and whipped around, "This is funny for you?!" His eyes flashed gold and his scowl darkened. The two Alphas grinned and exchanged a look.

"Yeah." The blonde started.

And the blunette finished, "Yer scarin' the pants offa this trash.".

"Unbelievable." Ichigo threw his hands into air and entered the building muttering about egotistical Alphas. As soon as the violent orangette had passed through the doors, a glance passed from Kisuke, who flipped open his fan, to Shinji, who grinned, to Kensei, who smirked, to Grimmjow, who leered, to Rose, who turned with a small smile at the Shinigami.

Renji leaned closer to Byakuya. "Ya get the feelin' we're missin' out on somethin'?"

"Indeed." The noble intoned and Rukia shook her head.

The rest of the group followed the still muttering hybrid through the hallways of the Central Building to a set of ornate doors that were the portal to the courtroom. Inside the members of the Central 46 were seated in an amphitheater style panel. The highest seat, styled after a judge's bench, held the Chancellor, spokesman and voice of the council of elders. On the bottom tier of seats, Yamamoto sat directly below the Chancellor, flanked by labeled seats for each of the other twelve captains and their lieutenants.

When the group of half-Hollows entered the chamber a ripple of wariness rumbled around the room. The captains, Renji and Rukia took their places in the line-up of Gotei officers, and the Chancellor of the Central 46 stood.

"Shinigami-daikou Kurosaki Ichigo, before we hear testimony regarding Kurotsuchi-Taicho's indiscretions this council would like you to explain why you are dressed so casually? This is a formal inquiry. To be dressed in anything but the official uniform is a violation of the terms of your position as Shinigami-daikou."

The silence in the room was audible as many of the gathered elders and vice-captains shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The orangette in question closed his eyes, a small twitch making the spikes on his head shake. Glances were exchanged as he still did not answer, and Grimmjow saw that his mate was breathing deeply.

To him, the question was ridiculous. What did it matter what his Kitten was wearing? As the tension grew, his cerulean gaze shifted from his mate, to the Chancellor—still expecting an answer, to the shape of the former captain of the Twelfth. The man was seated on a simple chair, having only recently regained his physical form. As a prisoner awaiting trial, he had not been allowed to access his personal quarters. So it was a little odd, but relieving, to see the tormentor of his nightmares with faintly brown skin.

Realizing that the Chancellor had been waiting this whole time for an answer, Grimmjow barked, "Oi! What's it matter?"

Murmurs of outrage and shock rumbled from the panel of elders and the Chancellor looked down his nose at the blunette. "The complexities of the Soul Society's laws are not the topic of discussion here today."

"Neither is m' mate's clothin' choice, which, I might add, I picked out." The Alpha stepped forward, putting himself between Ichigo and the panel. He scanned the room, taking in the disgust and disdain on their faces.

"Kurosaki-daikou, is this true? Did you allow the Arrancar to determine what you are wearing?" The Chancellor addressed the orangette again.

Grimmjow didn't give his mate a chance to say anything, "O' course I did. 'S an Alpha's privledge."

The Sexta was ignored, "Kurosaki? Does this Hollow own you that you do not make your own decisions and speak for yourself?"

"Really?! Of all the know-nothin', self-centered ideas ya Shinigami've come up with…" The blunette ran a hand through his hair, trying to hold on to his temper. "Ya ever meet a person as wild as m' Kitten before? Ain't nobody c'n own 'im." A look of pride converted his frustration into a grin as he turned to look at the vibrant Beta, "M damned lucky." He repeated his earlier comment.

The murmurs of scorn and contempt grew again, such that the Chancellor had to bang his gavel. The noise simmered, and the haughty elder sneered, "Kurosaki-daikou, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

The tension built again and finally, Ichigo whipped his head up to glare at the Central 46 eyes flashing gold, "You know what?! I don't care! It doesn't fit. I can't wear your Kami-damned uniform right now! I'm not gonna be able to wear the thing for months yet! Cuz guess what? I'm a Kami-forsaken half-Hollow damn it all! And if you stuck-up, irritating, good-for-nothing Shinigami can't do something to keep fuckers like him," He pointed violently at the kido-bound former captain of the Twelfth, "out of our world, I'm gonna bring justice here—Hueco Mundo style! I'll show you exactly what we Betas did to Los Noches. So get your act together, or so help me you'll wish you'd never laid eyes on a Hollow!" He was panting but he'd stunned the Central 46 speechless.

"Kurosaki," Yamamoto was the only one brave enough to speak.

"WHAT?!" The orangette yelled, rounding on the old man.

"Why are you unable to wear your uniform this early in your fecundity?" The Sotaicho was unfazed by the hybrid's violent temper, even as he seethed.

Several deep breaths, clenched fists, and a full-body tremble kept Shiro from breaking through and aiming a Cero at the entire lot of the ignoramuses. "Why? Why, he says." This was mostly to himself, but he did look up to answer, "Because there are fucking FOUR OF THEM!" With that the hybrid had no more patience for this group of stodgy, narrow-minded old men. Not even caring to give testimony anymore, Ichigo stalked out of the Central Building.

In the gaping silence that followed, Shinji fell back in his chair laughing. Every eye in the place fell on him, but the blonde captain couldn't hold himself back. Kisuke pulled out his fan, smirking behind it. Several of the other captains were infected by Shinji's mirth, and much to the Central 46's dismay, the Arrancar on the floor in front of them grinned with the biggest show of dangerous teeth yet.

The color drained from the Chancellor's face. "You, Hollow," He pointed the gavel at Grimmjow, "Explain this!"

Casting his grin at Shinji and the other Visored captains, the blunette responded, "Ya wouldn' understand the..." he paused for empahsis, letting his gaze slide back over to the flabbergasted elder, "complexities o' Hollow society."

This set the Pack Alpha off in another bout of rib-grasping laughter, which several of the other captains imitated in their own way at the stuffy words being thrown back. Another few moments of enjoying the chaos and the Sexta left after his mate, more proud than he had been ever before. Nothing the Soul Society could throw at them could wipe the smile off of his face. Four?! That was better than he'd hoped for. Twins he was expecting, three would have been great, but four!? He was so proud of his berry that he thought he might just crack his mask from the way he couldn't stop grinning.

The remaining assembly took the pair's exit as cue to start talking all at once. Outrage and demands for the hybrid's arrest were the top of the conversation. Several were shell-shocked, but the majority of the Gotei 13 captains were quietly amused. Through it all Shinj and Kisuke continued to laugh, spurring each other on by just exchanging glances. Above the Chancellor tried, in vain, to regain control of his courtroom.

This carried on until a solid wood-on-wood thunk radiated through the din. Instantly, all were silent, eyes drawn to Yamamoto-Sotaicho. The old man stood, both hands on his staff. "I move to recess until after the beginning of the year. At such time representatives will be sent to collect testimony from those most personally affected by Kurotsuchi Mayuri's actions. The accused will remain in custody in the Senzaikyu until such time as this court can be reassembled."

"Is there a second motion?" The Chancellor actually looked relieved.

Both Jushiro and Shunsui stood and spoke at the same time, "Hai."

The sound of the gavel punctuated the statement. "Motion carried. Soi-Fon-Taicho, please escort Kurotsuchi-Taicho back to his cell. This council will reconvene in six weeks to hear testimony regarding the accusations. Dismissed."

~End Part 1~

Belly Report:
Ichigo – 12 weeks
Orihime – 31 weeks
Nel – 7 weeks
Tesla – 6 weeks

A/N: Now, before anybody panics-no! A&B is not over. However, I want to know if you guys want me to continue posting Part 2 here or in a new file? Let me know in your reviews. Also, between Part 1 and Part 2 is a one-shot I'm co-writing with my wonderful partner Silver Eternity (go check out her stuff! Seriously!) called "Christmas At the Shoten" which will be posted next week. So, stay tuned, minna! Ja ne!