Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach and all of its characters! I apologize for this warning, but it will be on every chapter of every story I write. Copyrights are a major issue, so...~

.::7 YEARS::.

"You've grown so big, Hitomi!"

Grimmjow exclaimed as he picked his daughter up and held her in the air. She giggled madly and kicked her feet around. "Not as big as you, Mommy!"

Grimmjow grunts at the name, but shakes it off. "You won't ever be this big, you know?"

Hitomi giggles again. "I know, but a little girl can't help but dream, can she?"

Grimmjow was taken aback at his daughter's retort. "I guess so, huh?" Grimmjow managed to choke out after a while. He chuckled and ruffled Hitomi's hair.

Szayel walked into the room. "Hey there," he smiles as he sees his daughter walking around. "What are you doing, love?"

Hitomi giggles again and runs up to her father. "Nothing~" She says in a sing-song voice. "What are YOU doing?" She smiles.

Szayel chuckles. "Just came to grab a book or two, that's all." He gently pats Hitomi's head and goes to the bookshelf in the corner of the room. He picks out two thick books and holds them in his arm. "Well, I must be going again. I'll be in the living room if you both need anything." He squats to kiss Hitomi on the forehead and hugs her. "I love you."

Hitomi smiles. "I love you too, Daddy."

And Daddy leaves the room.

Grimmjow smiles at Szayel's back leaving the room. Grimmjow couldn't help but feel blessed. That man took care of him and saved his life, and he also helped bring Hitomi in the world. He felt that he couldn't thank that man enough for what he's done. Szayel insists that he doesn't need any thanks, but Grimmjow insisted anyway.

He glanced down at Hitomi, who was sitting on the ground. She stretched and yawned. "I'm tired, Mommy."

Grimmjow chuckled. "It is getting a little late for you, isn't it?" Grimmjow looks at the time, and his thoughts are right—it was getting past Hitomi's bed time. "Time to go to bed then, huh?" Grimmjow scooped up Hitomi into his arms and carried her to Hitomi's bed. She giggled as Grimmjow set her down gently, and he tickled her side. She squirmed and giggled as loud as she possibly could, and turned to her side and held her sides.

"Mommy! That tickles~!" She giggles some more and closes her eyes. Grimmjow chuckles and pulls his arms away.

"All right, all right." He sighs. "You need to sleep. You have school tomorrow."

Hitomi groans. "School? Why..." She moans laying on her stomach. "I don't like school. Everything is so easy."

Grimmjow chuckles. She has Szayel's smarts, no doubt. He thinks quietly. But he shakes that thought away and brushes the air out of her face.

"Don't worry. School will be over here soon, and you'll be going to a much more difficult grade. It gets difficult as you get older, you know?"

Hitomi groans again. "I know, but still..." She groans again. She turns around and lays on her back again. "School is tiring and boring. The only thing fun is when we get to go outside to play with everyone else."

Grimmjow chuckles. And that's where I come in, huh? Grimmjow gave Hitomi a big hug. "You'll get through it, I promise. It'll go by so fast, you won't even realize that the school day is over. All right?" He gives a big kiss on her forehead and covers her up. "Don't let the bed-bugs bite, sweety."

Hitomi chuckles. "All right~ I love you, Mommy~" She kisses Grimmjow back on the cheek.

"I love you too. Good night." He smiles as Hitomi mumbles a good night and turns to her side.

Grimmjow headed to the living room, shutting Hitomi's door as quietly as he could. Ichigo sat next to Grimmjow.

"Hitomi is in bed?" Ichigo asked. Grimmjow nodded.

"She had a little mini fit about going to school tomorrow." Grimmjow sighs. "She says 'it's too easy!'" He imitates her high pitched voice and thrusts himself onto the couch. "She's too smart, Szayel."

Szayel shook his head and closed his science book. "I can't help that she's like me. I didn't even do anything to make her smart like I am."

Grimmjow shook his head. "I swear that you added some of your genes to that sedative you gave me back then. She's just so much like you."

Szayel chuckles and kisses Grimmjow on the cheek. "Maybe it's because I'm around her so often. Children do tend to act like their parents."

Ichigo chuckles. "Sounds like a handful, huh?"

"Sure is. But I don't mind it." Grimmjow smiled. "I'm glad to have her in my life."

"It's too bad that she's already seven years old," Szayel started. "she did grow up so fast. Just think—not too long here and she'll have boys swooning over her, and she'll be going through puberty-"

"Don't even talk about that." Grimmjow cut Szayel off mid-sentence. "It's already bad enough that I have to see her growing like that, I don't want to even think what she'll be like when she's older."

Szayel frowns and nods. "I understand."

"Though," Grimmjow starts again.

"I bet she'll be the prettiest lady that anyone has ever seen."

Author's Note: Meh. Short chapter. I apologize for the huge time-span between Hitomi's age! I want to get it to her teenage years because that's what I've been wanting to write about this whole time~

Anyhow, review and let me know what you think. Thank you~