'They're all so cuutttee!' Ichigo gushes as he ruffles the head of a brunette little girl with large innocent amber eyes. He squats down to her level. 'And what's your name, little one?'

'Genie,' the little girls says shyly, hiding her face in her hands. Ichigo straightens himself and clutches Grimmjow's arm.

'It's so hard to choose! I want to adopt them all!' Ichigo pouts.

Grimmjow gives an uneasy smile. If Ichigo actually did decide to adopt the entire lot, he's going to shoot himself.

'Grimm, don't be shy! Go say hi to one of them!' Ichigo coaxes and skips to group of kids playing Duck Duck Goose.

Grimmjow looks at him as if Ichigo has left him all alone in a foreign world. He looks about uncertainly. After a discussion in Shusui's office, he led them to the first floor where it looks like a kiddie paradise. Stuffed animals as tall as Grimmjow were propped up everywhere. There is a mini town in one corner with roads and traffic lights complete with kid-sized vehicles. In another corner, a man in a striped green and white hat is reading a picture book to a group of tykes while yet in another part of the room little girls are playing dress-up and House House. Grimmjow jams his hands in his pockets and shuffles over to the town area. One boy is pretending to be a cop with a little bat and a police hat perched on his head. Grimmjow approaches him nervously. The boy, sensing a presence behind him, swivels around and looks up at the tall man with a blank stare.

'Hey, ummmm, sup, little guy?' Grimmjow says with fake enthusiasm. The boy continues to look at him blankly. 'So, uh, you're a cop, huh? Busting those bad guys good?'

'You're weird,' the boy says, wrinkling his nose. Grimmjow's face goes scarlet. Great. A little boy is insulting him.

'Hey, don't judge me by the way I look,' Grimmjow says defensively.

'Did you dye your hair?'

'No I-!'

'Do you take drugs to look like that? Drugs are bad, you know.'

'Now listen here, pal,' Grimmjow snarls and makes to grab the boy who suddenly screams and whacks him in the shin with his bat. Grimmjow yelps in pain and clutches his leg as he hops about while the boy runs away.

'Aren't the kids here just so polite and well-mannered?' Ichigo praises as he comes to Grimmjow's side. Grimmjow stops hopping, still holding his leg, and glares at Ichigo.

'Oh yeah,' he says sarcastically. 'Precious little things.'

'Let's go talk to the man reading the stories,' Ichigo suggests, ignoring the sarcasm in Grimmjow's tone. 'He might be able to give us an insight on the kids here.'

'Well, hello, hello,' the man says pleasantly and touches his head lightly when he notices them coming towards him. The kids have dispersed to go play elsewhere and he is just wrapping up. 'What can I for you two?'

'I'm Ichigo and this is my boyfriend, Grimmjow,' Ichigo says politely and indicates to a grumpy Grimmjow. 'We're here to adopt a child but they are all so wonderful and adorable it's so hard to decide! We were hoping you could help us get to know the kids a bit.'

The man's grin widens and his eyes sparkle with excitement. Grimmjow has already decided that he doesn't like this guy. He looks to perky and mischievous.

'You came to the right guy,' the man says casually and tilts his cap on his head. 'I'm Urahara Kisuke and I'm kinda the babysitter of the kids at Shisui Adoption Agency. For now, I'll be your guide and believe me when I say that each and every one of these kids is special. Now it depends on your preference.'

Urahara leads them to the nearest group of kids coloring pictures on a low table and gestures to them.

'We have kids aging from 7 years old to 14,' he continues. 'But the older they are, the greater the responsibility and the expenses.'

'Expenses aren't a problem,' Ichigo says promptly. 'We've got enough money and love for any child.'

'But preferably a non-fussy one,' Grimmjow adds. As long as he doesn't have to change any diapers, age isn't a problem for him.

'Mr. Kisuke!' a boy whines out and holds up his finger. 'I got a papercut!'

'Fenji, this is the fourth time this week you need to be more careful!' Urahara sighs and pulls out a bandage to wrap the boy's finger. He then turns to Ichigo and rolls his eyes. 'Very accident prone kid. Need to keep an eye on him at all times.'

'I don't think so,' Grimmjow says to Ichigo when he looks in Grimmjow's direction. There is no way Grimmjow is going to spend his entire day bandaging a boy like a mummy. Ichigo pouts and turns back to observe the kids. He turns to look at a group of kids playing basketball and his eyes lights up.

'That's our group of kids that are ten and above,' Urahara comments. 'Good kids. But very, very stubborn when it comes to listening to adults.'

'And we don't want that,' Grimmjow announces and comes level to Ichigo, giving him a stern look. 'All these kids have a problem one way or another and one thing we can't handle right now is an unstable kid.'

'Then we'll just have to accept them flaws and all,' Ichigo says simply. 'Stop being such a worry wart, Grimm! You need to open your heart when you talk to these kids. It's the only way you can reach out to them.'

'Yea, before they exceed my patience level,' Grimmjow mutters as he rubs his leg where the boy had kicked him.

Things didn't look up from then onwards. With every kid they came across, Ichigo couldn't help but gush over it and Grimmjow couldn't help pointing out the problem in adopting the child. By the end, Ichigo felt like Grimmjow is riding the last of his nerves.

'Grimmjow!' Ichigo cries out as he once again comments on a girl for being too antisocial. 'Will you stop being so pessimistic! I really want to do this but unless you co-operate, we'll be walking out of here without coming to an agreement, without filling out the papers and definitely without a little one of our own clinging onto my hand and calling me daddy!'

'I don't want some cranky little kid that doesn't respect us and has goes about tripping over everything including his own feet!' Grimmjow snaps. 'You think I'm not co-operating? I don't want to do this all day, Ichigo, so either pick a kid or let's get the hell out of-!'

'Watch out!' comes a voice from behind Grimmjow and as soon as he turns around, a small bundle comes flying into his face, knocking him to the floor.

Groaning, Grimmjow slowly props himself on his elbows and looks down to see a green-haired little girl sitting on top of him and apologizing profusely.

'Nel is so so, so, so sorry!' she babbles. 'Nel didn't know what was going on or that we had guests so Nel decided to try the new trampoline they just got here! But Nel was jumping to high and suddenly Nel took off and didn't know which way she was flying and thanks to your big self, Nel is safe and didn't get hurt so Nel wants to say thank you but she is also very, very sorry and-!'

'It's alright, little one,' Ichigo says softly as he helps Grimmjow get up and he looks down at her with a smile. 'I'm guessing your name is Nel. How old are you?'

'Oh Nel may look small but Nel is actually seven and a half quarters and when Nel turns eight, she'll grow another two inches,' the spritely little girl says proudly and puffs out her chest. Then she smiles shyly at Ichigo. 'What are you guests doing here since Nel has never seen you here before.'

'We're here to adopt a child of our own,' Ichigo explains and ignores Grimmjow who is giving him a bewildered stare. 'But thanks to some people, it's a little tougher than I thought.'

'Nel always wanted a mommy and daddy,' Nel says wishfully. 'Nel has seen her friends leave home to go live with her new family and they always look so happy. Nel wishes she can be as happy as them one day.'

'You will be,' Ichigo says encouragingly. 'You'll find a mommy and daddy who will love you and take care of you.'

'Nel doesn't know when that will happen,' Nel says sadly. 'Nel has been here for as long as she can remember. Nel is starting to think she will never find a family of her own.'

Ichigo's eyes soften and he starts fiddling with fingers. He looks at the little girl as she pleats the folds of her little dress. Grimmjow had zoned out completely while Ichigo had been talking to the little cannon ball. When he looks at Ichigo, he's startled to see that Ichigo is looking at him pleadingly with his brown eyes all big and watery and his lips pulled into a pout.

'Oh no,' Grimmjow groans. 'No, no, no, Ichigo. Not the puppy dog pout. You know I can never say no when you do that!'

Ichigo keeps looking at him like that. Grimmjow throws his hands up in the air.

'She knocked me down! She talks like she's a third person! She has green hair!' he says desperately.

'You have blue hair and I still love you,' Ichigo points out.

'Shut up!' Grimmjow says hastily. 'I said no!'

'I say yes,' Ichigo says simply and ruffles the girl's hair and she giggles. 'Don't forget, you said pick a kid or leave and I pick her.'

'You…I…she…but…' Grimmjow stammers and glares at Ichigo as he smirks. 'I said no and that's final and there is nothing you can do to change my mind!'