Chapter Fourteen
Ichimaru?
World of the Living, Same Time...
"Tabitha?" Katie asked from the kitchen doorway, making Tabitha look at her with a saddened expression. "What's a Visored?"
"Shit. I should have seen this coming. I knew I couldn't keep it from you forever. Come sit down. You'll need to sit. But, I have to still warn you not to stress yourself. Nick wouldn't want you to stress yourself out with you being pregnant."
"I know, Tabitha, I know. Just tell me what Nick is now." Katie sat down and stared Samina down.
"Well, I'm also a Visored, but it isn't something that can be passed on to children. No, Nick is different than me. Do you remember when you had that feeling Nick was in trouble?" Katie nodded. "Well, I wasn't telling you the exact truth. The real truth is that Nick was bitten by that Hollow, and it just so happened to be one specially made to be able to create an inner Hollow in anyone it bites. Nick has an inner Hollow now, but he's training with the Visoreds in order to control it. The Visoreds are Soul Reapers that have acquired Hollow powers but can control their inner Hollows to the extent that they can call on the Hollow powers at will by donning a mask that activates the powers. Nick may have already finished his training, but I haven't got the message yet. After he finishes with that, he'll come home and we can see what happens. Okay, Katie. You know why I had to lie to you."
"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Tabitha. I think I'm just going to lie down for a while," She looked at Sakura. "Sakura, right?" Sakura nodded quickly. "Would you actually like to take a nap as well? Oh, you don't mind, do you guys?"
There was then a chorus of 'no' and 'go on' from all around the room. Katie smiled and led the little pink-haired girl up to her room to rest for a bit.
Once in the room, Sakura looked at Katie's now swelling stomach. "How far along are you?" She asked cutely.
Katie smiled. "I still have around six to seven months. If you're tired, you can take the guest bed in the corner. I know it's more of a crib, but your size seems to make it more fitting. Plus, it'll be a cute picture."
"Oh, that would be cool. I'll do it." Sakura jumped right into the crib, smiling and burying herself under a couple of blankets that were hanging off the side. Katie smiled and laid on her bed, rolling up in the covers and sighing.
"Nick, you'd better be okay." Katie muttered, still worried about Nick.
Soul Society, Visored Base...
Nick woke up and looked around the room he was in. "Where am I?" He asked, his eyesight still blurry.
"Nick, it's okay, You won," Jewel's voice said through the blur. "Wait a moment for your eyesight to correct itself. Then talk."
Nick nodded and waited for the blur to clear up. Once it did, he saw that everyone was huddled around him while he was laid on top of a medical gurney. Nick looked around again. "So, seeing as how I won the battle, can I go home now? Katie should know about all this."
I'm still here, Ace! Nikolai's voice said in his head.
"Fuck!" Nick shouted.
Jewel, startled by Nick's outburst, asked. "Was it your Hollow? If so, don't worry. Your mom took a long time to get hers to shut up, so you should be able to do it eventually. You can go home in a couple days. I've just sent the message that you succeeded to your mother. Katie will be waiting for you when you go back." Jewel smiled at Nick.
Nick nodded and tried to get up. Jewel set him back down. "No. You have to rest for a bit longer. Your sister hasn't fully healed your wounds yet."
"Where is Jasmine?"
"She's resting in the room next to here. She should be back momentarily, actually. Just be patient, okay?"
"Fine." Nick laid back down and yawned, falling back asleep.
Rukongai District Five...
Gin Ichimaru was walking around the streets of his home in the American Soul Society. Sure, he could've been part of a Squad, but he decided not to in case the Captains and Lieutenants from the Japanese Soul Society came for some sort of occasion. After he had left the Japanese S.S. With Sosuke Aizen, bent on domination of the Soul Society, he hadn't thought about what he'd put everyone he knew and was friends with in Soul Society. So, he had decided to go to the American equivalent. He saw some red hair that looked so out of place that he knew exactly who it was: Rangiku Matsumodo, the one person who had probably loved him. He knew he was going to regret this, but he went against his better judgment.
Walking over to her, he said with his cat-like grin still on his face. "Hello, Rangiku."
Rangiku froze at the voice. Slowly, she turned around and saw who had greeted her. "G... Gin?"
Residence of Elias...
Elias and Toshiro were talking about something. Rangiku had decided to venture off to another District and hadn't come back yet. "She's probably drunk already." Toshiro suggested.
"I wouldn't doubt that," Elias said. "If I didn't just feel her Spiritual Pressure go up in a sense of confusion. Should we go check it out?"
"Why not? I guess we can't just stay here when she may be in danger. Renji would kill me if anything happened to Rangiku."
Toshiro and Elias exchanged a quick glance and both hurried out the door. Elias ran ahead of Toshiro, since he was the one who sensed where Rangiku was. They had to stop when they kept hitting dead ends. "Why does your sense of direction have to be just like Zeraki's?" Toshiro asked, annoyed.
"Hey, at least I don't wear my hair in crazy spikes with bells on the end."
"True. Let's just find my lieutenant before anything bad happens. I can't help but think that something is going to happen when we find her."
"Really? I feel that way too. Hey, isn't that her?" Elias pointed to a redheaded woman in the crowd.
Toshiro looked at where his friend was pointing. "Yeah, but who is she talking…?" Toshiro couldn't finish that sentence because he had realized who it was.
Rushing over to Rangiku, he screamed. "Ichimaru?"
Gin looked to see the still short Captain Hitsugaya running towards him and Rangiku. He looked at her. "Uh oh. I think I may be in trouble," His smile still intact, he whispered in her ear. "Meet me in the forest tonight. I can explain everything then." Gin ran and just disappeared into thin air.
Toshiro and Nick caught up to Rangiku. "Rangiku! What was he doing to you?" Toshiro said.
"Nothing, Captain. He had only said hello," Rangiku said, looking at her captain. "I don't think that he meant any harm. If he did, he would've died as soon as he got here, right?"
Toshiro nodded. "I guess. Well, let's go. You're all shaken up and we have to go see if Nick has woken up yet." Rangiku nodded and walked behind her captain, thinking. Gin... What are you doing here? Why are you here? I guess I'll find out tonight.
A/N: Hey, I finished it before GHI. Well, I hope you like it, even though I brought Gin back. I honestly think that he was under Aizen's Hypnosis the whole time, and when he found out how to get out of it, he decided to run before Aizen would notice, so I made him in this.
Next Time: Gin is back, and Rangiku doesn't know what to make of it. She's already decided to go see what he wants to say, but what will he say? How will she explain feelings she may have been hiding the whole time for Gin… To Renji? Well, that may not be next, but oh well. Hope to see you next time on Bleach: Fire of Kyubi.