'I can't believe you changed my mind!' Grimmjow grumbles as he switches gears and swerves the car into a lane swiftly, causing the tires to screech.

'Not so fast, Grimm! I don't want Nel to get into an accident on her first day to her new home!' Ichigo scolds him and turns around to smile at Nel in her booster seat. 'You alright back there, Nel?'

'Nel is perfectly fine thank you, Itsygo,' Nel says politely and looks out the window eagerly. 'Nel has never been in this part of Karakura.'

'Did you hear that, Grimm?' Ichigo gushes. 'She called me 'Itsygo'!'

'Adorable,' Grimmjow says and rolls his eyes. He slows the car down to travel down into their apartment building's underground parking lot.

'She's quite the strange case,' Ichigo muses as he glances at her from the corner of his eyes. 'Remember what Urahara said about her? Apparently someone abandoned her on the steps of the agency 5 years ago. Can you believe how heartless someone can be?'

Grimmjow sneaks a peek at Nel from his rearview mirror. As reluctant as he had been to sign the papers and declare himself as Nel's legal guardian, he couldn't help feel sorry for the little one when Urahara had narrated her sad history. It isn't easy to realize that nobody wants you. He should know. For the longest time, his father had acted like he didn't exist, like he was nothing special. It had always been Ulquiorra this and Ulquiorra that. As soon as he had turned 16, Grimmjow had packed his bags and left his house. His father didn't bother stopping him. Like he didn't even know he had another son. So Grimmjow didn't care about him. Maybe that's why he let Ichigo convince him to adopt a child. He actually understood what it means not to belong and to crave it. But that doesn't mean he's good with kids. On the contrary, he can't stand them. With their little tantrums, runny noses and constantly getting into trouble. Sometimes he wondered why anyone would even want one! Well, Ichigo wanted one and Grimmjow loves Ichigo. Up till now, Ichigo had been the only one who has treated Grimmjow with any kindness and love and for that, Ichigo is Grimmjow's whole world. There is nothing he wouldn't do for him.

Grimmjow and Ichigo had met at a college party and one thing led to another with Ichigo ending up in Grimmjow's bed the next morning. At that moment, they knew they were meant to be together. They had been going steady well after graduation and after Ichigo had gotten a job as a lawyer. It wasn't until two months ago that Ichigo asked Grimmjow to move in with him. It was a big step on both their parts since it showed that they were going serious and ready to come out as a couple. But Ichigo felt they weren't official until they had a kid and now that they do, Ichigo is already planning a 'coming out' party in which they would invite family and friends. Grimmjow didn't mind as long as he didn't have to invite his own. He had lost contact with his family a long time ago and he wasn't sorry about it. He had also never told his father that he is gay. Not that his father had been suspicious when he would spend the night at a boy's place. He probably thought it was normal straight guy behavior.

'We need to invite Renji and Rukia,' Ichigo announces as he takes the groceries out the back of the car. He felt it necessary to get some things both for Nel and for the party. He had really gone on a shopping spree. He bought everything that Nel took a liking to at 'Kids R Us' which Grimmjow is now trying to juggle while he made his way to the elevator. Grimmjow's just surprised that he didn't buy the entire store.

'Sure, sure, just press the button! My arms are killing me!'Grimmjow growls.

'Itsygo, can I have my panda?' Nel asks as she tugs at Ichigo's jeans.

'Sure, baby,' he says sweetly and plucks a large stuffed panda from one the bags in Grimmjow's arms. The shift in weight catches Grimmjow off balance and sends him sprawling into the elevator as soon as it opens.

'Grimmjow! Stop fooling around!' Ichigo scolds him and steps in while pressing the button to their penthouse.

'Yeah! That's what I'm doing, Ichigo,' Grimmjow mutters as he gather all the items scattering the floor and stuffs them angrily into the paper bags. 'I just love falling flat on my face and being buried alive in baby toys.'

'I need to bake a cake as well,' Ichigo says thoughtfully as he balances the single grocery bag he is holding on his hip. 'I'll also need to whip up some pesto and sauce. Should I make shepherd's pie or the courgette surprise? I don't want to insult Uryuu since he's a strict vegetarian.'

'Are you seriously asking me for advice on the menu?' Grimmjow scoffs once he's cleared the floor. 'Dude, give me a plate of sloppy Joes and I'm good to go.'

'You're such an animal,' Ichigo says with a roll of his eyes. 'How did I ever fall for you?'

'You couldn't resist my boyish good looks,' Grimmjow teases him.

'Don't flatter yourself.'

'You're not denying it.'

The elevator gives a ping! As they reach their floor, Ichigo slides a card in the slot where a key hole should be and pushes the door open with his hip.

'Welcome to your new home, Nel,' Ichigo announces as he makes his way to the kitchen. Not that he likes to boast but Ichigo's penthouse is quite gorgeous and state of the art. The floor is paneled with planks of finely polished wood that reflects almost everything in the place. As soon as you enter the place, it opens up to the living room with cream-colored sofas and glass coffee tables complete with art pieces dotting the carpeted room. Picasso portraits were placed at random on the walls while one area was free to be occupied by a widescreen television hung up on the wall with a surround sound system. The living room has a ceiling to floor length view of Karakura Town below. Ichigo has a taste for a finer and more sophisticated lifestyle than Grimmjow and his penthouse reflected it. Grimmjow remembers when he first came to live here. Ichigo had never invited him to his place before and when Grimmjow first arrived to come live with him, he actually felt ashamed to be with Ichigo. He felt like a mongrel being compared to a dalmation and found it hard to believe that a man like Ichigo could ever fall for a guy like him. When he had confessed this fear to Ichigo, his lover had laughed and patted his hand reassuringly.

'I don't care what you are, Grimmjow, and you shouldn't either,' he had said warmly. 'I fell for you because of you and not for what you have. Does me being rich actually change how you feel about me?'

At that, Grimmjow had taken Ichigo's hand and had kissed it.

'That wouldn't cross my mind in a million years,' Grimmjow had then said. He's used to waking up in a luxurious pad like this but this time, it's going to be different. This time, he's going to wake up as a daddy.

'It's so biiiggg!' Nel cries out in ecstasy and runs into the living room to bounce on the wraparound sofa.

Grimmjow plops all the things he's carrying near the door. He'll pick that up later. Right now he just wants to relax on the sofa and maybe crack open a can of beer.

'I'm glad you like it, Nel,' Ichigo says as he enters the living room with a grin on his face. 'Now let me show you where your room is-!'

Suddenly, the pager on Ichigo's belt begins to ring loudly. Ichigo sighs and checks it before heading to his room. He returns shrugging on a coat with a briefcase in hand and a tie hanging around his neck, waiting to be knotted up.

'It's the Yasutoro case,' he explains to Grimmjow. 'Apparently Chad got into another fight. A robbery this time. His family called me up to defend him. I'll probably be back late. Please take care of Nel. This could be a chance for you two to bond!'

'Wait, you are not leaving me alone with her on the first day!' Grimmjow protests and follows him to the door.

'You'll be fine,' Ichigo says calmly as he knots his tie in a mirror.

'Earth to Ichigo? It's me! Grimmjow! I can't take care of a plant let alone a kid! What if something bad happens!'

'Then handle it.' Ichigo faces him and cups his panicking face in his hands. He smiles at him. 'You'll be a great dad, Grimmjow. Just have faith. I believe in you.'

'At least that makes one of us,' Grimmjow mutters pitifully.

'You'll be a great dad,' Ichigo repeats himself before kissing him on the lips and then turning around to grab his briefcase. 'But just in case, there is a list of emergency numbers on my dressing table and my number is on speed dial on the landline. Have fun. Bye, Nel! Bye, Grimm!'

'Bye, Itsygo!' Nel calls from the living room as she continues to jump on the couch. Grimmjow sighs as Ichigo locks the door behind him. He's left him all alone and on his own with a kid. Does Ichigo even know what he's done? He'll probably come home to find the house in shambles! Grimmjow covers his face with his hands. How the hell is he supposed to entertain a little kid?

'Hey! What are these?' Nel chirps curiously. Grimmjow swivels around and his eyes almost pop out. Nel is still jumping on the sofa but she has also discovered the CD stand in the corner and is pulling out CDs at random while throwing some to the floor.

'Hey! Get away from that! That's my music collection!' Grimmjow snarls and stomps over only to slip on a Led Zeppelin CD. He hits his head and is lucky he didn't crack open his skull thanks to the inch thick carpeting of the floor.

'Nel is so, so, so sorry again!' Nel exclaims as she stops hopping and comes up beside Grimmjow. As she comes closer, she accidently steps on his hand. He howls in pain and clutches it in his other hand, rolling away from Nel.

'Nel didn't mean that! Nel wasn't looking where she was putting her feet!' Nel cries out in dismay as Grimmjow gets to his feet, trying his hardest to control his anger.

'It's ok,' he says through gritted teeth. 'Just go play somewhere else. I need to go fix my hand which is probably broken.'

'Nel will listen to the blue guy!' Nel salutes him before running off somewhere else.

'My name is Grimmjow!' he hollers after her and then inspects his throbbing hand. It's slightly red and swollen but overall it'll be fine if he applies some ice. He makes to his and Ichigo's room to find it wide open. Suspicious, he pushes the door open with his uninjured hand to find Nel at Ichigo's dressing table and readily applying colognes to herself. She sniffs one.

'Ew! This one smells funny!' She exclaims and wrinkles her nose.

'What do you think you are doing?' Grimmjow cries out in anger.

'Well, Nel was looking for her toys that Itsygo bought for Nel but she couldn't find them so she decided to play with the dress up stuff here!' Nel says simply pointing to the array of colognes and aftershaves and what not on Ichigo's dressing table.

'Those are not playthings!' Grimmjow scolds angrily and snatches the cologne from her hand. Nel gives an injured cry and gives Grimmjow a watery look, like she's about to cry. Grimmjow steps back in alarm. 'Aw, man! Don't cry now! Please don't cry! I'm sorry, ok!'

Nel eyes begin to produce droplets now and her mouth is wobbling as if preparing to let out a never ending torrent of howling and crying. Grimmjow looks around the room, trying to find something to make her stop crying. What if she wanted something to eat? He quickly rushes out of the room and returns with an enormous chocolate bar. He pulls away the wrapper and waves it in front of her face.

'You like chocolate?' he says hopefully. She sniffs and her eyes follow the bar he is swinging in front of her. She nods her head slowly. Grimmjow breathes.

'If you don't cry I'll give it to you. You think you can do that?' he says softly. Another nod. Satisfied, he tosses her the entire bar. Maybe he shouldn't give her the entire bar but he's desperate right now. He'll do anything to stop her from throwing a tantrum. She gobbles the bar within seconds. Grimmjow stares in amazement.

'You must really like chocolate,' he whistles. She nods her head rapidly and doesn't stop. Grimmjow tilts his head to the side. There's something not right. Her eyes are twitching at the corners and she's fiddling with her hands like a mad scientist.

'Uh, Nel, you ok?' he asks uncertainly.

'Nel is fine. Nel is better than fine. Nel likes chocolate. Nel looves chocolate,' she starts saying rapidly and Grimmjow steps back in fear.

'Maybe you should sit down, Nel,' he says slowly. 'It's best for you.'

'Did you say chocolate?' Nel demands forcefully, taking a step towards him.

'No, I-!'

''Cuz Nel wants more chocolate. Nel needs chocolate!' Nel screeches and zooms out of the room, cackling like a maniac. Grimmjow jumps out of the way and lands on the bed. He stares after her and hears something shatter and more mad laughter.

'Oh shit,' he mutters under his breath.