A/N: Fifteen people to thank for their reviews: Shadewolf7, JaegerjaquezLover101, KarinHitsugaya, Rukia's Reflection, Eradona, Bleached-Whale, Assault Godzilla, bleach otaku, XIce-and-SnowX, BlackGryphon101, Xtrepe Nobody, hollownature, soulreapertravis, ADV4life, and novicestar. And thank you to everyone who added this or its author to their lists.
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Every Teen's Worst Nightmare
Time to Meet the Family, Part Three
While Raiden was causing a catastrophe among the Gotei Thirteen, Kei was being introduced to his "grandfather." Orihime held the doll while sitting across from Ryūken Ishida at the doctor's house. The tense silence was thick enough to cut with a knife and the ginger haired Rikka wielder wished she could "reject" the conditions between father and son as easily as she did the wounds her friends tended to get while fighting.
"So this is the infernal contraption that Shinigami came up with. I always knew he was trouble." The elder Quincy had paid little attention to the dolls when he'd given his lecture, at the time not concerned with what the project really entailed as long as Isshin Kurosaki was far, far away from it.
"That's correct, Ryūken," his son answered, pushing his glasses up, knowing that the light would gleam off of them. The action and inability to read Uryuu's eyes irritated the elder Ishida to no end and that's precisely why the archer did it.
"Ishida-kun, you shouldn't call your father by his first name. It's not polite."
"Indeed, but then, that's why you do it, isn't it, Uryuu?"
"I simply treat you with the same distance you do me." Ishida placed a hand gently on Orihime's arm when he felt her reiatsu become sad. "It's all right, Inoue-san. This is how we relate. I told you it was a useless gesture to come."
"But the project said to introduce our children to family. My aunt is too far away to go visit over the weekend, and your father is the only family you have close by. We really didn't have a choice." Belatedly realizing that she sounded like she was insulting the doctor, the flower spirit wielder was quick to apologize.
Ryūken narrowed his eyes, focusing on the doll. They had explained how advanced it was but he hadn't realized the project included reiatsu collection. "Uryuu, your doll emits reiatsu."
"Yes, we know. Urahara is experimenting again."
"I see." The elder Quincy made a mental note to visit the Shinigami when he had a free moment. "It is rather fortuitous that you came when you did. I have clients that wish to meet my son. They are coming to dinner. You two will stay."
"We would be honored, Ishida-sensei."
"Inoue-san, do you not remember the slight problem we have when Kei is around strangers?"
"Problem? Are you saying you cannot control an electronic doll, Uryuu?" The doll, which had been sleeping until then, woke when his "grandfather" made the disdainful remark.
"Hardly, he is amazingly well behaved, he just…"
"Mama!" Kei said, his reiatsu spiking slightly at the sight of Orihime.
"Talks," Ishida finished. The trio of supernaturally powerful humans watched as Kei climbed out of Orihime's lap and struggled to pull himself to his feet. "Oh, yes, and he can do that too."
"It is nothing more than a prototype, Uryuu. If I am not mistaken, there are dolls that can crawl and talk out there."
"Perhaps, but do they emit spiritual energy strong enough to break things?" the doctor's son asked. "This morning we noticed that when Kei is in a temper, he likes to break things. Unfortunately, when he breaks things…"
The doll, not liking the disapproving aura of the doctor, reached out to knock over the tea cup. His small fit of pique released energy similar to a Quincy arrow and shattered the porcelain. "I'm sorry, Ishida-sensei but Urahara's sensor can pick up the changes in your reiatsu. You're displeased so…"
"With the Shinigami, not the doll."
"As it is a doll, Ryūken, it knows no better. The computer it has for a brain believes that you are displeased with it. Kei is acting like a normal toddler. That is, if a normal toddler can make things explode."
"It would not be out of the realm of possibility for a child born of two spiritually empowered humans to break things in such a manner. However, it would be troublesome if my guests were to see something like that. Is there not a way for you to put it to sleep? They will be arriving shortly before eight."
"Well, he does tend to go to "sleep" then. I suppose we could put him on "babysitter" mode," Orihime mused. The tense posture of her partner told her he didn't want to stay.
"Then it is settled," Ryūken said and had the pleasure of seeing irritation and resignation in his son's eyes. The girl had an interesting effect on Uryuu. Perhaps it was worth studying. "Tell me, Inoue-san, where are you ranked, academically?"
"Um… I think I was still third on the last test," Orihime answered, unaware of the doctor's reasons for asking.
"Interesting," the elder Quincy said quietly. "You were at least smart enough to choose an intelligent partner, Uryuu."
"I hate to disillusion you, but Ochi-sensei is the one who did the choosing. I am quite relieved to have Inoue-san as my partner, however. Some of my classmates were not so lucky." Ishida didn't mention that Orihime might be book smart but she was lacking in certain other areas and could be a klutz on occasion.
"You do seem to have more than your fair share of luck," his father sniped, picking at his son's choices in regards to how he used his powers.
Orihime, wondering if a father-son fight was about to break out with the use of Quincy powers, stood with Kei in her arms. "If you could show me where I can put Kei, I'll be more than happy to help fix dinner."
Ryūken watched as utter horror overtook his son's face. "That won't be necessary, Inoue-san. My father has a chef that would be quite put out if you were to interfere." The archer was quick to reassure the flower spirit wielder when it looked like his father would have interrupted his attempt to save his hide. If it wouldn't have also made the guests sick, Ishida would have let her do it but they were innocents and didn't deserve the punishment.
"Oh, all right. Excuse me, I'll be right back."
Ishida waited until they were alone before warning his father. Finishing his tea, he became utterly serious. "If you value your stomach, and possibly your life, don't ever eat anything she cooks."
"I shall take that under advisement."
Dinner was a fairly quiet affair, most of the conversation centered on the hospital. Ishida and Orihime ate and talked amongst themselves, letting the adults ignore them unless they were directly addressed. The situation suited them both as they were not very talkative around strangers.
"Ishida-kun, your father tells me you are number one in your year." The client's wife, a woman of middle age, turned her curious brown eyes to the lanky teen.
"That is correct."
"What about you, dear?" she continued, directing her question to Orihime.
"Inoue-san is rank third," he answered for her, not liking how she was put on the spot. The matriarch had been giving them curious looks all evening.
"And you two are engaged?"
Orihime grew red at the inquiry, her hands fisting in her napkin. "No, ma'am."
"Inoue-san is a friend and our teacher paired us for a project."
"Inoue-san would make a fine daughter-in-law, Narumi-san but as they are still in high school, I do not wish to encourage such things as yet." The elder Quincy got a twist of pleasure in seeing his son's cheeks redden.
"Of course, I was just teasing them a bit. They've been so silent I was beginning to think I'd offended them. Why don't you tell me about this project?"
"Oh, well, it's for Health Studies and we were given this really neat doll that…" Before Orihime could begin a long winded discussion, Kei let out a wail from the other room.
"Oh, my," the woman said. "That sounds exactly like a real child."
"Doesn't it?" Orihime started excitedly, not noticing the hint of doubt in the elder female's tone. "Urahara-san, who's an inventor we know, made this prototype doll that does all these interesting things. It cries, and throws up, it crawls and even talks. Would you like to see it, Narumi-san?"
Narumi-san blinked at the girl's animated face, surprised at her openness. "Sure…" she agreed, unable to think of a reason to say no.
"Ah, Inoue-san, perhaps…" Ishida was interrupted by another wail.
"You shouldn't keep your son waiting, Uryuu," Ryūken jabbed, a smirk in his eyes.
"Like you're one to talk," the son shot back under his breath as he left the room. The distinct feeling of doom weighed heavily on his shoulders. Going into the room where they'd put the doll, he found Kei on the floor, crawling towards the door.
"Tou!" the toddler shouted, reaching his mechanical arms out to be picked up. "Mama?"
"I will bring you to her," Ishida said, slightly put out that he wasn't the favorite parent. "Just don't break anything." He returned to the dining room where Orihime was once again expounding on the wonders of the doll.
"Oh, wow, you were right, Inoue-san, he does look real."
"Mama!" Kei shouted. Chubby arms reached for Orihime, making the school girl smile.
"Kei, I would like to introduce you to the Narumis."
"I thought the 'babysitter' mode would prevent it from interrupting," the doctor asked with fake politeness.
"I forgot to put it on, Ishida-sensei, I'm sorry. He fell 'asleep' right away so it never occurred to me." Orihime flushed in embarrassment and looked at her partner for help.
"That's quite all right, Inoue-san," Ishida soothed.
"Let me see," the older woman asked, holding out her arms. The electronic doll gazed at her critically for a moment before going to her willingly. "Well, he certainly weighs a bit more than a real baby. The detail is so exquisite. My little niece would love one; do you know when Urahara-san plans on selling them?"
"If I have anything to say about it, never," Ryūken answered.
"Don't be so quick to judge, Ishida-sensei," his client scolded, moving to inspect the doll. "This could be a rare investment opportunity." The man had been silent about the teens' project until then. The scent of possible money had prodded him into investigating.
"I doubt that," the doctor returned. "The doll is not without its…glitches."
"Well, it is only a prototype," Narumi reasoned. He poked the doll, earning a whimper in return. "Huh, that's interesting. I wonder if I hit a sensor."
"The computer it has for a brain registers data from a number of sensors," Ishida said. "Its eyes can recognize a number of people, and it has preprogrammed reactions to strangers. I would be careful. Urahara-san has amused himself by creating a formula that the doll throws up. As a word of warning, it stains."
"That's not good." Narumi's wife frowned, wondering if she should give the doll back.
"Yes, well, as I said, it was for his amusement. I believe he's been rather bored lately. And he has an odd sense of humor."
"I'd still like to meet this Urahara-san," the client declared.
"If he survives this project, I will introduce you," Ryūken agreed. Let the Shinigami inventor get explain his way out of that meeting.
"That is unlikely," Ishida muttered. He and his friends would make sure of it.
"Ishida-kun!" Orihime scolded lightly. Kei let out a burp that shocked the assembled company right before he let out a giggle.
"Oh, that is so cute," the older woman said, unable to resist lifting him in the air.
"Um, Narumi-san, Kei doesn't like it when you do that…" The two teens watched as the doll's eyes seemed to cross and the mouth opened. Instead of a bellow of anger or a pulse of spiritual energy guaranteed to make something explode, he sprayed his "vomit" all over the woman.
Ryūken closed his eyes in a bid for patience while his client laughed at his wife's predicament. Ishida groaned silently and looked at his partner. "I told you it was a mistake to come. She's never going to get that out of her clothes."
Orihime laughed nervously and shrugged. "You should look on the bright side, Ishida-kun."
"There's a bright side to this?"
"He didn't make anything explode," she said, right before some left over rice seemed to inexplicably launch itself in the air.
"You were saying?"
Orihime could only shrug.