I want to apologize for whatever has been going on with the site. I tried uploading this yesterday, like 4 times, but apparently something was going on which prevented me (and a lot of others) from doing so. So I'm sorry about the inconvenience. Thanks for contacting me MMagnet. I really appreciate it. :)

I hope everyone enjoys the chapter.

Unconditional Love

The heavy rain didn't matter. The freezing cold winds didn't matter. Being soaked to the bone didn't matter either. Not even the gloomy gray sky registered to the boy speeding hastily through the streets of Karakura.

As he sprinted through town in order to reach the Ishida family hospital, Ichigo could barely feel anything besides anxiety. Grimmjow was hurt, in critical condition given that he was in the ICU, and he needed to be there for him.

When the towering building he'd been seeking came into his sights, the boy increased his speed. He was going so fast he slipped on the slicked sidewalk and fell onto his face. It was when he lifted himself up onto his arms that he noticed he was crying.

"Shit…" he commented before quickly wiping his eyes with his soaking wet sleeve.

After picking himself up off the ground, he continued on his way to the place where Grimmjow was. And as he ran, he couldn't help but want to be with him again. It was now that he fully accepted that the aggressive, immature man was his everything and that he absolutely could not live without him.

He was stuck on that thought until he reached the hospital.

Ichigo ran through the front doors, into the lobby full of patients, and then past the front desk with the woman screaming for him to give her his information. Luckily he knew this place like the back of his hand thanks to all those days of visiting Ishida with everyone to help him when he needed it.

And speak of the devil, Ishida rounded the corner and nearly had a heart attack from almost being run over. But Ichigo stopped and nearly slid into a wall to avoid hitting him. The boy bent over and leaned against said wall, breathing heavily. For as much as he was panting, he felt like he was out really of shape.

"Kurosaki…" Ishida said, already anticipating his friend's emotions.

Ichigo regained what he could of his composure in order to get what he needed to say out, "Ishida, where's Grimmjow?! Can you take me to him!?"

"Jaegerjaques is in the SICU* now... And if you don't get out of those cold, wet clothes, you'll be visiting the ICU." Ishida commented, then looked down to his clipboard, "Come with me. I can't allow you inside while the surgeons are working."

"Surgeons?! Ishida, what happened to Grimmjow?! Let me see him! Please!"

"You aren't allowed into the surgery room and you know it. I will tell you what I know though, so come with me. We'll go to one of the empty rooms and get you something dry to wear."

Ichigo turned and watched Ishida head in the opposite direction of where he was going, feeling nothing but frustration. He knew from the start he wouldn't have been able to see Grimmjow if he was still in the ICU let alone the SICU, but just as had been claimed about Inoue, he lost all rationality when he was in danger too.

He turned and followed Ishida to the second floor. And then he remembered that the other had said he'd tell him what happened.

"Ishida, what happened to Grimmjow? Why does he need surgeons?"

The dark-haired man turned to Ichigo as they walked through the hallway, "You really do care about him, don't you?"

"Of course I do! Please tell me, Ishida. I need to know..."

"Very well." After looking his clipboard over again, Ishida began his assessment, "It appears he had quite a few wounds. If the report is correct, I think he got into a serious car accident and took significant head trauma from that. There was also a gaping wound going straight down his torso that appears to be the result of a sharp weapon. His knuckles were swollen and bleeding, which leads me to believe he was involved in a near fatal fight. His blood alcohol level was elevated, so he was probably drinking. Let's just hope he wasn't drunk driving…"

Ichigo took everything his friend said in as best he could in complete silence. What a horrible outcome this situation had taken. He wasn't expecting this when Grimmjow left him earlier, even if it had been in anger.

"I know that's a lot for you to bear right now, but you can rest assured that we have some of the best surgeons in Karakura, if not Japan, here at our hospital. They'll save his life."

"Right… Thanks, Ishida."

The two of them came to a stop in the hallway next to an empty patient room.

"Here, you can change into some dry scrubs in this room. You're practically a doctor so I'm sure my father won't mind. You should probably shower before you get into them though. I'd hate for you to get sick over foolishly running through the rain in the freezing cold. How imprudent of you…"

Ichigo walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Ishida was being annoying about it, but he was right. There was no need for him to get sick over this. Who'd be there waiting for Grimmjow when he got out of the SICU if he did?

After stripping out of his wet clothes, he went into the bathroom and showered. It was relaxing, of course, but the thought of Grimmjow's condition still remained to plague his thoughts. What were the surgeons doing to him right now? Was he okay? Had he lost too much blood? Would he… die…?

One can only assume the worst after hearing what had happened to him. What caused him to be fighting someone anyway? And while he was full of alcohol at that! It kind of felt like someone was trying to get rid of Grimmjow, given the circumstances. But that didn't make sense because Grimmjow had honestly been making an effort to live a better life.

As he stepped out of the shower, Ichigo let a creeping suspicion about Ginjo playing a part in this rise. "Would he really go that far to be with me?" he asked out loud.

That thought was crossing the line of insanity. Sure Ginjo was manipulative, but he didn't seem like a common murderer.

Once he had dried himself off, the orange headed boy walked solemnly into the room he assumed he could use for the night. Ishida had apparently come back in because there were some casual clothes on the bed for him to wear. Honestly, nothing mattered to him when he left his house. Grimmjow had been hurt, and he was determined to be there for him.

All because he meant the world and more to him.

"I guess some sleep would help… Worrying won't get me anywhere." he commeneted before putting on the clothes and getting into the hospital bed. "Pull through Grimmjow, please…" He ended after getting under the covers and closing his eyes.

Upon waking to the sun's dazzling light flooding in through the blinds in the room, Ichigo pulled the sheets over his head. He was really thankful he hadn't caught a cold from running through the rain last night. Hopefully Neliel had gotten as lucky as he did.

For a moment, he wondered how everyone reacted when they discovered her in the clinic. His father probably overreacted and hit on her.

But there were far more important matters to be concerned about. Grimmjow was probably out of surgery, so he hoped he'd be able to see him today. At least he had some time to calm down and gather his thoughts before he did. Not to mention rest.

After pulling his phone from the pockets of the scrubs he'd been wearing that were now lying on the floor, he saw that he had a new message.

"Jaegerjaques is on the third floor, room 312." – Ishida

Without hesitation, Ichigo threw the sheets back, jetted out of his room, and ran up the stairwell. Waiting for an elevator was out of the question.

It didn't take him too long to get to room 312. He had to stop and catch his breath before he knocked, he had run just that fast.

Ishida opened the door and adjusted his glasses, "Not wearing any shoes and you probably didn't even brush your teeth or wash your face… I should have given you the chance to actually get decent before sending that message…"

Ichigo ignored his glasses wearing friend and walked into the room, eyes glued on the slumbering man on the bed. Grimmjow. He was breathing regularly and there was no real damage on the face he was so proud of either. Just a few scratches here and there.

"Grimmjow…" he said, voice full of relief.

If he lost him… And before he could tell him how much he still loved him… It'd be another devastating blow, similar to what happened with his mother.

"He's fine, Kurosaki. He needs some rest, but he's going to be okay. He has stitches going from his chest to his lower abdomen and his knuckles have become much less inflamed. So you don't need to worry so much. Take it easy, okay."

"Thank you, Ishida. I just… don't know what I'd do if I lost him…"

The boy walked over to Grimmjow and pulled back the sheets then slowly moved his hospital gown aside to see the extent of the damage.

"You're not supposed to do that… but since you and Jaegerjaques have an… outstanding history together, I'll look the other way. …I've got some things to take care of so I'm going back to the first floor. Don't stay in here too long. If my father found out you were visiting a patient right out of surgery, he'd surely have my head for it."

"Right. Thanks again, Ishida."

After the dark-haired boy left the room, Ichigo sighed and took a seat in the seat next to Grimmjow's bed. It was then that he noticed a beautiful woman sitting on the opposite end of the room from him, reading a magazine. Her hair was short in the back, just a little longer in the front, and as white as snow. Her eyes were inviting, a beautiful shade of light blue too, and her skin was rosy.

She was dressed in a dark red button-down trench coat and was wearing leggings that showed off her attractive legs. Diamond earrings dangled elegantly from her ears. Despite her upscale choice in clothing, she was not wearing any makeup. It drew attention to her face, which was actually quite youthful.

Who one earth was this woman?

She noticed him staring and looked up from her magazine, "Hello, deary."

"H-hi…"

"You're here to visit Grimmy?" she asked with a smile.

"Grimmy?" Ichigo thought. He realized the the woman was expecting a response. "Oh, yeah! I'm… one of his friends..."

"How splendid! You're the first one to come in here all morning. I assume no one else has arrived to see him since his father and Neliel were the only ones notified of his accident."

"… Um… Then how did you know about it? And if you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh, silly me! I've been told on multiple occasions that I don't properly introduce myself… I am Vivienne Jaegerjaques, Grimmjow's mother."

Brown eyes went wide. This beautiful woman, who didn't look much older than him, was Grimmjow's mother?! The woman who had abandoned him years ago? The woman who Grimmjow obviously detested had come to see him in his time of need…?

"The look on your face leads me to believe Grimmy has told you some unpleasant things about me. And I don't blame him… Seeing him in this condition, I suppose I never should have left him alone with his irresponsible father…"

"…"

Vivienne stood from her seat and walked over to the window to look out to the town, "This place hasn't changed one bit… Still the same as when I left."

"Ms. Jaegerjaques, I know it's out-of-place for me to ask, but why did you leave Grimmjow? He's been through so much because of you and his father… He thinks you hate him…"

Blue eyes turned to him, "I figure since he's told you that, I can tell you this tidbit to clear my name. I didn't leave Grimmjow to be spiteful, or because I hated him. I love my baby boy, dearly. He's the most precious thing in this world to me. It was his father who I couldn't tolerate… I… After living with him for as long as I did, I can't figure out why I ever tried to settle down with him…"

"…"

"He was always the senior who seemed unattainable in college, and somehow we found each other after we graduated. I was so glad because I had fallen for him much before then… And so when we met again and he treated me to dinner, we bonded and I figured we could actually be happy together. I got pregnant a few years after we married. I had attained the man of my dreams, let me tell you how happy I was. That was when I was twenty-two. I just knew a child would bring me closer to my husband, and draw him from his detached, religious ways. When Grimmy was born, I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him."

"Then why'd you leave him…?"

"Julian's religion got the better of him. He'd always been the type and I knew it, but I honestly thought I could change him from that buckled down mentality to serve only God and forget about the world. We humans all need to live a little, you know?" After turning back to the town, the woman continued, "I could only take so much of it. Everyday made me realize how incompatible we were. I stayed as long as I did for Grimmjow's sake. But when he started coming down on Grimmjow for showing no interest in religion, I knew I had to go. Leaving him was the toughest decision of my life, and I never stopped thinking of him. But he was better off here, not moving around so much. Children need a stable place to live, not being dragged along the coasts of dozens of different countries."

Ichigo turned and stared at Grimmjow.

This was a completely different take on this story. Grimmjow honestly thought his mother left because she didn't care about him. But it didn't have much to do with him at all. He turned his brown eyes back to the woman still standing at the window.

If she had taken him when she left, he never would have met him or Neliel. So in some ways, even though it seemed bad to him at the time, what happened was actually in Grimmjow's best interest.

"You know, for someone so beautiful, it's a shame you're just a good friend of Grimmy's. Perhaps he's got someone better though…" Vivienne commented after turning to look at the orange haired boy.

Ichigo blushed deeply and averted his eyes away from her piercing gaze. Her eyes were worse than Grimmjow's. They were also much brighter too.

It appeared that Grimmjow had taken his carefree and childish ways from his mother, but his looks from his father. The man he seemed to detest almost as much as Aizen had dark blue, near black hair, brown eyes, a sharp jaw line, and very tanned skin. He was also tall, which seemed to be the only other thing Grimmjow inherited from him. His mother was a little on the short side. Ichigo could tell from his seat next to the bed that he'd be taller than she was if he stood to his full height.

"I suppose I'll have to talk to Grimmy's boss to get him some time off… He'll never be able to work in this condition."

"Time off? What for?" Ichigo asked.

If Grimmjow took time off, he'd miss out on earning any money. And he'd need it too. Considering that he had been in a wreck, he'd either need to get his car repaired or to get a new one altogether.

"Well, after talking to Julian, I realize that something in this town is just out to eat my son alive. So I'll be taking him with me to Dubai for a while. And considering how you children will be on winter break soon, I think it's appropriate. He hates the cold anyway."

"You're… taking him away…?"

"Not forever. He'll be back by early January to finish his senior year at Karakura High. I just think he needs some time away from all of this chaos he's been going through here. I heard some things about him and I think some rest and relaxation will do him some good."

"Oh…"

"You seem very interested in my son and his affairs. Are you sure you're not in love with him? You have that air about you."

"W-what!? How- What air!?"

"I was your age once. Not too long ago either. I think I can spot deep affections by now, deary."

"You… You wouldn't mind if Grimmjow was sexually attracted to men…?"

Vivienne started giggling, "Absolutely not. He's my son and I'd love him regardless of something like that. A mother loves her child unconditionally, and that love is eternal. Why? What makes you ask me that?"

"Oh, well, it's just that his father isn't so accepting of his preferences…"

"OH, THAT DAMNED BAKA! Julian will get an earful from me when I see him again!" Vivienne fumed for a minute until something hit her, "Wait! How do you know that!? Have you been with Grimmy!? Oh I just knew it!"

Ichigo stared at the child-like woman in awe.

Like day and night. Grimmjow's parents were literally like day and night. One was uptight, austere, and closed-minded, while the other seemed free-spirited, relaxed, and quite secular when it came to interests. Just what would Grimmjow be like had he been raised by his mother instead of his father?

Questions like that rise when faced with an alternate path that could have been taken, like a different parenting style.

Although it seemed selfish, Ichigo was glad to have met and loved Grimmjow. Had he gone with Vivienne instead of staying with his father, they never would have met at all and that was a pretty disturbing thought.

Ichigo turned back to Grimmjow who was still sleeping soundly. Thank goodness he had made it through whatever happened to him.

He sighed. Having Grimmjow gone over the break and Ginjo back in town was quite the turnaround. In the short time he was gone, it kind of felt like Ginjo had dropped off the face of the earth. Unfortunately, all good things had to come to an end.

But more importantly, Grimmjow would have a lot of work to make up for when he came back since he would be leaving before the semester's end.

"Are you good in Organic Chemistry? Grimmy is taking that course this year and I know he'll need to do some catching up when he gets back."

"ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!? Grimmjow is in Organic Chemistry!?"

"Yes. Neliel told me about it on the phone this morning. Are you taking it?"

"No… That's an advanced course… I'm not taking a science this year. I finished early. But I'll do my best to help him when he comes back home, I promise."

"Splendid!" she seemed fond of that word, Ichigo noted, "Thank you for being so good to my son. I think you two would make an adorable little couple. You really seem to care about him."

"… I have to go… But it was really nice meeting you, Ms. Jaegerjaques." Ichigo said before standing and walking to the door. With a final glance at Grimmjow, he turned to Vivienne again, "I think Grimmjow would like it if you returned here for good. Compared to Mr. Jaegerjaques, you'd be like a breath of fresh air for him. I hope you'll think about that while you have him in Dubai."

Vivienne stared surprised at the boy, who stared right back at her, until he exited the room and closed the door slowly behind him.

Then she turned to her son. Would that really be for the best? Returning here to Karakura, in the presence of Julian? Being able to see Grimmjow and Neliel at any given time?

"That adorable little brat! Who does he think he is?! Making me rethink my entire lifestyle!" she pouted and then picked up her magazine again.

Ichigo sighed as he walked back to his room. If it was to take Grimmjow's mind off of everything that's happened to him lately, Aizen and the lackeys who were still faithful to him, the mess with Ginjo, being arrested, or being attacked while he was most likely drunk, then it'd be best to let him go for now.

"But when he comes back, I'll devote myself to helping him catch up in his classes. As a friend, and one of the best he probably has, I have no choice." He thought.

Being apart for about a month would be tough, but he'd get through it. And at the thought of bonding through studying, Ichigo smiled.

*SICU – Surgical Intensive Care Unit

(So close to 100 reviews! This is really exciting!) What did you all think of Grimmjow's mother?