Author's Note: First I want to go ahead and apologize about the shortness of this chapter. It will have a lot of history in it—I figured by Chapter 10 you guys earned the right to know why Ichigo got arrested in the first place. So look forward to that!

I'm trying to do this without relying on FLASHBACKS, because I know too many of those can get… eh… But I suppose that's a matter of opinion.

I really want this to be an enjoyable read for you guys, but you should know I write these parts because I really like a deep and thorough story with ALL the loopholes plugged. … -giggity-

Lies Open Prison Doors

Chapter 10: Long Story Short

"Nope. Nuh-uh. No way. No." Ichigo shook his head as he backed away, nearly bumping into Keigo, who was cowering behind him. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say." He scowled straight into twinkling azure eyes.

"Awww c'mon. Don't be like that." Grimmjow crooned, a coy grin curling the corner of his mouth.

Ichigo tried to calm himself. He knew he shouldn't be getting so flustered and hotheaded, but that damned smirk had a way of dragging it out of him.

"Well you got nowhere to run, so if I start talkin', m'pretty sure you'll listen." Fangs flashed and Grimmjow purposefully leaned himself against the open doorway. His long frame nestled diagnoally, with his uninjured shoulder against the iron bars and both ankles crossed to the opposite corner, effectively blocking the only exit.

Ichigo felt Keigo shift next to him and turned to see the man looking between them curiously. Ichigo only spared him a quick glance, not wanting to take his eyes off the unpredictable man trying to trap them.

"I'm sure whatever you're about to say is fucking fascinating-but I'm not staying. So get out of the way before I move you." Ichigo growled, growing ever more hostile by the second, fists clenched and body tense. Unfortunately, it all fell flat due to the stubborn blush clinging to his cheeks.

"Now that ain't right. You wouldn't hurt an injured man, wouldjya? That would be a dick thing to do." He took pleasure in watching Ichigo bristle. "Goddamn, you sure are edgy. Were you not able to cum earlier? You seemed to be enjoyin' yourself~" Grimmjow's amusement was clear on his face when he saw already red cheeks glow brighter. "No? What a buncha selfish bastards. And after you s—" Warm hands snapped forward to push against his mouth, effectively shutting him up.

"They didn't give me a choice, you asshole." Ichigo snarled defensively and his scowl returned when Grimmjow reached up to rip the hands from his face.

"Of course you had a fuckin' choice! No one can make YOU do anything!" Blue eyes sparked with rage and it actually made Ichigo pause. He knew he'd gotten under Grimmjow's skin, but to be this angry? "And I would fuckin' know!" His voice rose as the anger grew and there was a strange emotional twinge in that last statement.

"Uhmm… Keigo. Do you mind… uh…" Ichigo didn't want to be rude but he knew this conversation was beginning to take a personal turn.

Keigo looked like he wanted to protest—and he had every right to. After all, this was his cell too. However, one look at Ichigo's pleading gaze and he caved, "Yeah… No prob." He shuffled to the door and waited for Grimmjow to turn just enough for Keigo to squeeze through. He took one last look towards Ichigo before finally taking his leave.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes at some of the other inmates he saw peeking out of their own cells to see what all the noise was about. They instantly cowered when they realized who it was. He waited until the hallway was clear of anymore curious bystanders before returning his attention to Ichigo.

"Look…" the orangette started, a little exasperated, and he was looking everywhere but at the man still blocking his escape route. "Maybe I can't get forced physically, but that pink bastard is trying really hard to get me stuck here for another 8 YEARS. I'd like to get outta here in 8 months if I can help it—I only did what he said to avoid getting points. Unless I get into another situation like that stupid auction: meaning no guards, then I can't fight back… and, honestly, I don't know why I'm even explaining this to YOU, of all people!" Ichigo rubbed at his face in frustration while his feet turned him towards his own bunk. He glared at Ginjou's little gift basket that was still there. It was just sitting on the sheets, in the exact place he'd left it, like it was mocking him.

"What's that supposed to mean..?"

Ichigo's eyes finally snapped to lock with Grimmjow's. The man seemed a little confused but he was trying to hide it behind a gruff exterior. Ichigo felt his emotions malfunction, like a car that needed a jump—engine light flashing and everything.

"You're joking right?"

He had to be.

This was just another sick, twisted joke from Grimmjow's book of dark humor.

"Do I look like I'm jokin'!?" Grimmjow snapped while throwing up his only mobile arm. He winced at the movement and instantly dropped the hand to run fingers across his chest. Ichigo lowered his gaze to the bandages wrapped around Grimmjow's torso. That long diagonal slice must have been deeper than he originally thought. There was a lot or blood... In fact, Ichigo is honestly surprised the man didn't bleed to death. "For fucks sake, quit beatin' around the damn bush. If you've got somethin' to say, then fuckin' say it!" Grimmjow's growl snapped him back to awareness.

Ichigo hissed through his teeth and his eyes snapped back up. Any sympathy he felt for the wounded man just then evaporated like dew in the sun. "Asshole! You told them my name! You're the whole godDAMN reason I'm in here! If it weren't for you I'd be home right now, living a normal life with my pregnant fiancé!" He shouted without thinking, but then instantly recoiled and hoped that no one else had heard that. He'd bet the whole damn cellblock was listening. "I mean… ex-fiancé." He whispered pitifully under his breath.

"Huh? What the FUCK are you talkin' 'bout? How's it my fault ya got some dumb bitch pregnant?"

"God-fucking-dammit." Ichigo grumbled and he really fought to keep his voice level as he spoke, "Ya know what? I don't have time, nor the patience, to deal with this, Grimmjow." He huffed and then stepped forward to stand toe to toe with the taller male. Ichigo's heart stuttered in his chest and his whole body ached from the close proximity, but he shoved all those feelings aside. "I'm glad you're still alive and back to your asshole self, but I'm just… I'm done…" Ichigo sighed quietly and his gaze dropped back down to the ground. "What's done is done..."

Grimmjow didn't like that look at all. He inspected Ichigo's tired face with narrowed eyes, but didn't say a word. He stood there, blocking the doorway for another ten seconds before finally relenting. He pushed off the bars and then shifted sideways to clear a path.

Ichigo glanced at the oddly quiet Grimmjow curiously. Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Ichigo turned sideways and went to squeeze out towards his freedom, but scowled when his right elbow was caught halfway through.

Reluctantly, Ichigo peeked up into the same azure gaze that had been haunting his dreams every night for the last week. There was no expression on his face except maybe a little frustration.

"Look, I'll stay outta your way if that's whatchu really want… but, for the record," Grimmjow ducked in close to calmly say in the other's face, "I may be a lotta things, but I ain't a snitch." He released the stunned man's arm and then turned on his heel to walk further inside their cell.

Ichigo watched Grimmjow easily hop up onto Zangetsu's old bunk with his good arm, chestnut eyes wide and face puckered in shock.

"W-what? But…" Ichigo was so confused now. This whole time he thought… "You're lying."

He had to be!

Grimmjow shifted around on the bed to get comfortable and didn't even glance in Ichigo's direction as he said, "Sorry ta burst yer bubble, but I've never once lied to ya—that was more your forte." Once he was nice and comfy he tucked his free hand beneath his head and closed both eyes.

Ichigo stormed towards the bunk, unable to control the emotions swirling inside his chest like a hive full of bees.

"But you told someone! No one else in the squad knew my name!" Grimmjow didn't move an inch and his lips remained sealed. "Stop ignoring me, asshole."

One cobalt eye peeled open to glimpse in his direction before shutting once more.

"Thought ya didn't have 'the time nor the patience' ta deal with me. Go on, go play hero somewhere. I think I can hear another lost pet yellin' for help—no wait—That's just Bazzard whistlin' for your loose asshole." Grimmjow snarled before turning to lie on his side, effectively giving Ichigo his back.

He was lucky Ichigo didn't have a weapon to contemplate stabbing him with.

Not that he would…

Especially if he really wasn't the one who ratted him out.

"Grimmjow…"

Said man completely ignored the call and Ichigo grudgingly stepped away. He felt like shit now.

…

Fuck it.

Ichigo stomped out of the cell and wandered aimlessly around the prison to try and clear his head. No one bothered to stop him and the other inmates stayed clear of his path—probably because he looked about ready to murder someone.

He eventually came to the hallway with all those different clubs. Peering into each window as he passed, Ichigo noticed it was pretty busy. Each spot was filled with a decent group of inmates and there were at least two guards per room. After passing a few more windows, he spotted Keigo sitting at a table and paused to see what he was up to.

The brunette was concentrating hard on a single piece of paper lying on the table in front of him. He had a red crayon in one hand that he tapped against the table in thought, and the two other inmates sitting beside him watched him struggle with a fond sort of smile on their lips. One of the inmates was a smaller male with ebony hair, pale skin, and large onyx eyes. He was leaning into Keigo as the man worked, occasionally saying something before pointing to certain parts of the paper. Ichigo couldn't hear what was being said, but Keigo seemed to be getting a little flustered.

The inmate sitting on the other side of him was quite large. Maybe not as massive as Kenpachi or as tall as Nnoitra, but this man definitely wasn't dwarfed by them either. He had dark caramel skin and shaggy brown hair that fell in his eyes. He was just silently hovering over Keigo, but he didn't seem to be bothering the man.

When Ichigo looked around a bit more he noticed that the only other person in the room was Ikkaku. The guard was sitting alone in the corner of the room with his chair leaned back against the wall. It took a split second to recognize him because he was sporting the uniform's hat today and had it pulled down over his eyes. It almost looked like he might be snoozing.

If Ikkaku was running around like Zaraki this week, then Ichigo couldn't blame him. He looked back over to the table and blinked when he realized all three inmates were looking straight at him now. He locked eyes with bright hazel and Keigo immediately smiled and waved at him. He gestured for Ichigo to join them, and Ichigo couldn't think of a reason why he shouldn't.

He told Grimmjow he didn't have time to waste—and that was true, but Ichigo still wasn't sure how to start his quest for information. He wanted to understand Zangetsu's situation in the Psychiatric Ward and he needed to learn more about Grand Fisher without actually asking. The best way to do that was to gain people's trust and just let them talk.

Not the easiest thing to do in a prison, but meeting new people would be a good start.

Ichigo opened the door and suppressed a chuckle when he accidentally startled Ikkaku. Guess he really was sleeping. The man barely managed to catch himself as the chair rocked forward and then tilted sideways before all legs slammed to the floor with a loud CLACK.

"Shit." Ikkaku grumbled and quickly looked up, but then he relaxed when he recognized the person who entered. "Oh. S'just you." Ikkaku yawned into his hand and then slammed back in the chair with a tired huff.

"Hello to you too." Ichigo greeted with a small salute. He then turned back to Keigo and started making his way towards the table.

"Hey Ichigo!" Keigo chirped happily with a small trail of red spreading across his cheeks. Ichigo decided not to comment on the blush and nodded in greeting. He paused once he was close enough, but he didn't sit quite yet.

The two strangers seated on either side of Keigo were looking up at him and Ichigo couldn't help but notice the twinge of fear he saw in the smaller male's eyes. The bigger guy didn't seem scared, but he wasn't in any hurry to introduce himself either.

Keigo noticed the awkward air forming between them and instantly tried to correct it.

"Dudes! It's fine! Ichigo is a good guy, you don't have to worry." He wrapped an arm around his smaller friend's shoulder and tucked him close.

"But… he's Reaper…" The guy whispered, but Ichigo could hear him just fine.

Keigo waved off his concern then turned his grin towards Ichigo as he said, "This worry wort here is my friend Mizuiro!" He pointed his thumb towards the bigger guy, "And this quiet giant is Sado—but everyone calls him Chad."

Ichigo inspected the man and then ducked his head in greeting. The other hesitated before returning the gesture.

"Which name do you prefer?" Ichigo asked curiously. The man seemed taken aback at the genuine question but then his uneasiness noticeably thawed.

"You may call me Chad…"

"Well. Nice to meet you, Chad," Ichigo took a seat as he bowed his head and then turned towards the other, "And Mizuiro." His polite and friendly demeanor worked wonders. The suspicious glare he was receiving from Mizuiro morphed into curiosity.

"See? Told you guys he wasn't bad. Still can't believe you're actually the Reaper. Blows my mind! Granted—All I really knew about you was the random stuff said on late night talk shows, the news, or the gossip that goes around this prison. Some of these guys are real fanboys when it comes to famous killers. I think someone around here actually makes trading cards of them. If I'm not mistaken, he has one made for you!" Keigo laughed but it drifted to a nervous chuckle when he realized he'd been rambling. "But anyway… Did you and Blue work things out?"

Ichigo's scowl was back and his head snapped sideways to glare at the wall. He huffed under his breath and that reaction was all the answer Keigo needed.

"Oh… hm.. Yeahh, you guys seem to have a complicated relationship."

"There's no relationship." Ichigo immediately snarled, but he tried to calm himself when he noticed Mizuiro shrink away. He sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face to help wash away the irritated scowl.

"Well… whatever you wanna call it—you punch him out the first time you see him here, but then you save him from White." Keigo recalled with this mischievous little grin on his face. "So it's hard to tell if you like him or hate him."

Ichigo crossed his arms and continued to glare holes in the wall. He refused to say anything, mostly because he didn't want to talk about the asshole but also because he wasn't sure anymore. He had to reassess his feelings towards the man. Preferably before lockdown today.

Keigo didn't want to torture Ichigo for too long. He opened his mouth to change the subject, but his lips snapped shut when he glanced towards the window and noticed a couple of inmates gathering outside their room in the hallway.

Ichigo saw how all three men sunk low in their seats. He spun around to see what they were looking at but the door opened just as he turned. The squeal of the hinges startled Ikkaku again, but this time he jumped to his feet. He lifted a hand towards the inmates as they walked inside and forced them to halt.

"Eyyy. What up Baldy?" Nnoitra's grin split his narrow face.

"M'not bald, dammit!"

"So wait… that's a fashion choice?" Yammy reached up with one giant hand and snatched Ikkaku's hat right from his shiny, bald—ehem—shaven head.

Ikkaku growled under his breath when he had to jump up to snatch the hat back. He shoved the item onto his scalp and then glared at them.

"If you're here to cause trouble, then get lost." He reached for the baton around his belt as he spoke.

"Ehh man, calm down. We're just here to chit chat. All the other clubs are full and we're bored." Nnoitra explained with a shrug but then his one eye swiveled towards Ichigo, making the orangette raise a brow in question.

"I don't believe you, but I'm not in the mood to argue. So just keep your hands to yourself." Ikkaku lifted his hand and pointed two fingers from his own eyes to the three inmates standing by the door, gesturing 'I've got my eyes on you!'. He then dragged his chair over to the table and settled himself between Chad and Ichigo.

Yammy closed the door behind them and all three inmates quietly sat in the remaining chairs. Nnoitra snatched up the spot on Ichigo's right, then Yammy sat beside him, and the last spot was taken by someone Ichigo had never seen before. The man's skin was just as pale and colorless as Zangetsu's but his shoulder length hair was pitch black. His large, green eyes were hooded with boredom and when they flickered towards Ichigo, he felt like the man was gazing straight into his very soul.

Ichigo gulped when he found himself sucked into that gaze like it was a black-hole. No other colors would seem as bright or vibrant as the one he was trapped inside of now.

"So! What club is this anyway? I always see you three in 'ere, but I ain't ever checked it out 'fore." Nnoitra crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair as he spread his long legs beneath the table. Ichigo finally managed to snap his eyes away and scowled when feet knocked into his. Nnoitra didn't notice, or rather didn't care.

"Uhm…" Keigo nervously scratched at his cheek as he rolled a random crayon back and forth across the papers in front of him. "This is… it's uh…"

"Well? Spit it out, Pup." Yammy's rough voice made the poor man jumpy.

"It's poetry club!" Keigo shouted before he could stop himself. He gulped at the incredulous looks he received and when he locked eyes with Ichigo, his face grew hot with a blush.

"Poetry? Seriously?" Nnoitra leaned forward with an amused smirk. "I gotta see this." He reached across the table easily and attempted to grab the paper in front of Keigo, but the brunette immediately slid it out of reach. When Nnoitra tried to steal it again, Keigo crumpled it up and stuffed it down his prison suit. "Aw c'mon!" Nnoitra laughed at the reaction as he slumped back into his chair.

"Make your own!" Keigo slid a few blank papers towards the man and Nnoitra caught the crayon that rolled across the table and nearly fell into his lap.

"Naw. If it ain't freestylin', you won't catch me rhymin' shit." Nnoitra slid the supplies to Yammy, who kept it moving until it settled in front of the pale man beside him. "I'll letchya do your thing though. I got somethin' I wanna ask his majesty anyway."

Ichigo nearly rolled his eyes when that amused grin turned on him. He should've known they were here because of him.

"What?" He nearly snarled.

"I'm curious," Nnoitra rested his chin on one hand as he leaned against the table, unperturbed by Ichigo's attitude. "If you're really Reaper then how come White is still here? Wouldn't he've been released as soon as you were caught?"

Ichigo raised a brow at the very sudden and unusually astute question. He did have a good point, only…

"I never got arrested for being Reaper." Ichigo admitted. "The court still thinks they sentenced the right person, and Judges won't admit to mistakes like that easily."

"If that's not why you're here, then…?"

The rest of the inmates were looking directly at the man in question, their attention pinned solely on him and what he was about to say. Ichigo remembered Keigo asking the same question last week and he'd promised to explain it to the man at another time… but there was no way he could tell these guys—

"He was convicted of three different charges: Infiltrating the Military under a false name, desertion, and kidnapping while overseas." Chestnut eyes went wide and snapped to Ikkaku. The guard shrugged and wasn't really paying him much attention as he picked at the skin around his fingernails. "I got curious and took a peek at your file, so sue me."

"Kidnapping?!"

Ichigo slowly let his gaze drift back until he was looking straight at Keigo and he winced. The man looked devastated, maybe even heartbroken, at that single accusation.

"The fuck? Not another chomo." Yammy grumbled and he leaned backwards to glare at Ichigo from around Nnoitra's thin frame.

"Chomo?" Ichigo echoed.

"He ain't no chomo, ya moron." Surprisingly, it was Nnoitra that spoke up for him. Ichigo blinked at the man curiously, but he had his back turned while he growled at Yammy. The larger man bristled at being called a moron and turned his glare from Ichigo to the male beside him. They were about the same height so their gazes locked at eye level.

"What's a chomo?" Ichigo tried again, but he was ignored.

"And how the fuck would you know if he isn't?" Yammy spat.

"Have those muscles finally cut off circulation to yer brain, dumbass!?" Nnoitra shot back, "Ya really think Zaraki would protect a chomo?" Yammy, who was getting irritated at the name calling, tried to answer the question, but Nnoitra didn't let him speak. "No! He wouldn't. So shut da fuck up 'fore you start another goddamn war."

"Why wouldn't the captain protect a chomo?" Mizuiro pitched in. He seemed more calm and comfortable now that he realized the Vasto Lorde weren't here to start a turf war.

Nnoitra narrowed his eye at the smaller male and huffed through his nose before answering, "Because he has a daughter, dipshit. Do you know of any father that would stick their neck out for a child molester?"

Oh! Chomo is short for 'child molester'. Ichigo nearly 'ah'ed in understanding.

Nnoitra looked around the table after that last question. When no one seemed able to poke a hole in his logic, Nnoitra crossed both arms and lifted his nose towards the ceiling. "I rest my case then."

"How do you know about the captain's kid?" Ikkaku's peered suspiciously at the man from beneath the brim of his hat.

"Oh ya know, keep your friends close and your enemies closer kinda thing." Nnoitra waved off the threatening look and then turned back towards Ichigo, who had been enjoying the lack of attention until now. "So. Let's hear more 'bout this kidnapping."

Ichigo's lips twisted as he grew uncomfortable, but then he slowly unwound himself. Nnoitra had just defended him so it would only make Ichigo seem more suspicious if he refused to talk. Plus, everyone was looking at him expectantly—even Keigo was pleading with those big hazel eyes. He desperately wanted an explanation.

Ichigo released a long, suffering sigh.

Fine!

"Long story short—I joined the military to follow a lead. I heard from... a reliable source…. that one of the commanders had intel on the person I was tracking," Ichigo began. He was very careful not to mention any names or even use gender pronouns. He also wanted it to seem like he no longer HAD a target. He knew that at least two of these men were Vasto Lordes, and their leader just so happened to be Grand Fisher: So there was always the possibility they were sent here to fish for information. "Once I got the intel I needed, I deserted my post." Ichigo paused at the judgemental expressions aimed at him but ignored it. If they knew how he got the information, their looks would drop in horror. They had no right to judge him, but he also knew that every decision he made in his old life would be frowned upon. "I traveled to a different country and managed to find where the person lived. However…" Ichigo's voice went soft. Each man listening leaned closer so as not to miss a single word. "He wasn't there…"

Ichigo didn't notice the tiny slip up until it was too late. He was getting distracted by too many memories. They surfaced across his eyelids with every blink, clear as day.

During his month in jail for the trial, Ichigo had relived that night every single fucking day. He'd been interrogated so often and so thoroughly that Ichigo could recall each moment like it happened yesterday.

It was storming that night too…

"Well?" Yammy urged with wide eyes. "Get to the kidnapping!"

"Quit rushing him!" Mizuiro flapped one hand in the giant man's direction without looking away from Ichigo. Yammy glowered towards the tiny male whose head he could probably squash with a single hand.

"I… uh… Yeah… I kidnapped..." Ichigo looked down at the table. His eyes landed on a crayon that had rolled to a stop in front of him. Ironically, it was a light sea-green color.

Just like Nelliel's hair.

Ichigo quickly flicked the crayon away with one finger and crossed his arms over his chest. The rolling object was caught between pale fingers. Ichigo's eyes traveled up the smooth ivory skin until his gaze eventually locked with dark emerald irises. The man was looking at him with deep seated interest and it made a small shiver go up his spine. Ichigo quickly broke eye contact and shifted as he cleared his throat.

"Ehem. Yes. Well, I went inside to make sure he wasn't hiding somewhere. I checked every room." What he'd never mention to these men is what he saw in those rooms.

It had been horrific.

Ichigo broke into the three-story mansion and almost every single room had been locked. He found his way inside through the basement, so that's where his search started. Most of those rooms were decorated with shackles and various forms of torture. The gruesome dead bodies he'd uncovered down there… Ichigo would never get those images out of his head for as long as he lived.

After searching the basement, he made his way upstairs. The whole first story was lavish and most of the space was used for entertainment purposes. Very fancy and bright, despite the gore and chaos that lurked just below.

The second story was where the mansion took another disturbing turn. There had been about thirty decent sized rooms; Each with at least ten beds, all lined in two parallel rows. Inside every bed lay bodies, all of them small, both girls and boys who were no older than fifteen; some even looked as young as six years old. The disturbing part was that these children were hooked to IVs containing heavy sedatives. Ichigo never stuck around to find out what exactly the children were being used for, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He didn't need more reasons to kill Grand Fisher... But even remembering those poor kids had Ichigo's fists clenching with the sudden urge to strangle.

Ichigo had to walk away from those poor children so he could keep looking for his prey. He eventually came across the master bedroom on the third, and last, level of the mansion. That was supposed to be it! that was where Grand Fisher should have been... but what he saw inside wasn't what he'd been expecting.

Ichigo blinked back to reality when fingers snapped right in front of his nose. His vision focused on the long, boney appendages and then jumped to Nnoitra, who was leaning his body across the table to hover in his face.

"'Ey. Ya spaced out there for a sec." Nnoitra curled back into his seat, revealing the concerned and impatient looks from the others. "So what happened when ya went inside? Ya find the guy?"

"No…" Ichigo shook his head, both to answer the question and fling away the memories clouding his thoughts. Focus, Ichigo! "He wasn't there, but I found his wife—or rather his slave. That poor woman... He had her shackled to the bed." At least there were no IVs attached to her... Especially since, "She was pregnant," Ichigo took a deep breath through his nose before continuing, "And she was in labor."

At this revelation Keigo slapped both hands on the table, making everyone else jump from the sudden sound. "You kidnapped a newborn?!" He came to the sudden conclusion with eyes wide and shoulders tense.

Ichigo looked back down at the table and distracted himself by sliding a piece of paper from the middle and began to fold it. The movement helped calm his restless nerves as he tried to remember some of the random origami he learned when he was little. His voice was soft and collected as he spoke.

"I did what I could, but she died while giving birth." That part had been hell. He scrambled to remember all the medical training he'd learned from his father, who happened to be a doctor, but Isshin rarely dealt with pregnancies. He worked in a family clinic—not a hospital. Ichigo tried to help the woman, he really did, but she gave up a long time ago. "She kept screaming 'Don't come out! Don't come out!'. She was trying to keep the baby inside—she wouldn't push!" Ichigo crumpled his sorry attempt at an origami flower and rolled it into a tight wad. He let the sharp corners dig into his rough palm then continued, "When I realized she was dead, I…" Ichigo kept his eyes locked on the table and refused to witness their expressions as he confessed, "I cut her open." He wasn't sure if it was Keigo or Mizuiro who gasped, but it came from that side of the table. Ichigo felt his chest tighten as he remembered slicing right through her stomach… and then down towards her womb. His obsidian tipped dagger made cutting through the skin and organs easy, but it took so long to sift through the mess to find the struggling newborn inside. He tried to be careful, but he accidentally nicked the baby's forehead with his dagger. It was only a small scratch but it had morphed into a scar that was still visible to this day. "The baby wasn't breathing by the time I got her out so I had to perform CPR… It worked. She survived. And then I had to make a choice..."

Ichigo finally lifted his head to look his audience in the eye. Each man had a different expression plastered across their face, but the only one who seemed unaffected by the story was the green eyed guy. "I took the baby and I ran."

Ichigo sunk into his chair and quietly soaked in their reactions.

"That's fucked…" Ikkaku mumbled under his breath. He closed his eyes as he imagined himself in that same situation.

Nnoitra's lips were pursed and he was looking Ichigo up and down critically, as if he was trying to fill in all the blanks that were missing from the story.

Keigo had turned to Mizuiro during that last part and buried his face in the smaller male's shoulder. Ichigo could've sworn he heard sniffling and he was proven right when Mizuiro reached up to rub soothing circles in Keigo's back.

Yammy had his eyes closed and was leaning heavily on the chair, looking like he'd lost interest now that the story was over. At least he wasn't accusing Ichigo of being a 'chomo' anymore.

Chad's head was tilted down and he was slumped forward as if deep in thought. Ichigo couldn't see his expressions through those shaggy bangs.

The green-eyed man had returned his attention to the paper that was passed to him earlier and used the sea-green crayon Ichigo flicked away to write with. Ichigo was curious to see what the hell the guy could possibly be writing, but he couldn't read the large, cursive letters from this angle.

"So what happened to the baby? What did you do with her?" Mizuiro had grown tired of Keigo's blubbering and pushed the man away with a hand on his tear-stained face.

Ichigo managed a very small smile as he answered this time, "She's fine. Her name is Nelliel-Tu and she's six now." He really missed her chubby face and lispy voice. "My… ex," He struggled to say without grimacing, "Is taking care of her for now. Since I wasn't convicted of anything violent, the court agreed to let me keep custody."

"Huh… makes sense." Ikkaku nodded along.

"I've got a few questions 'bout your little story."

Ichigo smothered a sigh when he saw Nnoitra still eyeing him like he was trying to complete a rubix cube.

"I won't promise to answer them." Ichigo grumbled stubbornly.

"Well let's see… Since you're Reaper, I'm gonna assume that the guy you were chasing was on your hit-list, right? You were tryin' to kill him, weren'tchya?"

Ichigo hesitantly nodded his head at that, unsure of where Nnoitra was going with this.

"And.. what's the kid's name? Nelliel?" Ichigo nodded again in confirmation, "That's HIS kid—the guy you were chasing—HE was her father, yeah?"

"What are you trying to say…?"

"The way I see it," A wide, sadistic grin began to crawl along Nnoitra's lips, "You took that baby 'cuz ya thought the guy would come lookin' for you. That would be a lot easier than digging for more information on 'im, right?" Nnoitra's eye gleamed with cruel pleasure as he watched Ichigo unravel.

"W-what..? No!" Ichigo denied quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. "Don't twist this around! That's not why I did it!" He only wanted to take Nelliel away from that madhouse. He was trying to protect her from that awful place!

"Ya sure? Seems like I hit a nerve~" A shallow chuckle escaped Nnoitra's grinning lips as a long tongue peeked out to tease the corner of his mouth. He hummed in satisfaction as if he could taste Ichigo's growing anger. He tried to bait the man into releasing more of those pent up emotions, "How long did you wait for him before ya finally gave up and accepted the kid as your own? Or does she feel like your kid at all? Does she even call you daddy?" His fishing paid off.

Ikkaku jumped up at the same time Ichigo did and Nnoitra barely managed to dodge the flying fist aimed straight for his teeth.

"Okay! That's it!" Ikkaku shouted as he quickly grappled Ichigo into a headlock from behind. The orangette instantly regretted his reaction and sagged in the guard's hold, but Ikkaku didn't release him yet. "You three. OUT." He nudged his head at the door and looked pointedly towards their uninvited guests.

"Fiiiine." Nnoitra drawled and the chair screeched against the floor as he stood. Yammy and the other man followed suit.

Ichigo glared at Nnoitra as he passed but the guy just seemed amused. Yammy didn't bother saying anything as he passed. Ichigo's glare withered when he turned his head and got an eyeful of emerald once more. This time the man was standing right in front of him and Ichigo could really see all the different flecks of green in that intense stare. Ichigo felt a hand reach for his hip and he struggled in Ikkaku's hold for a split second until he realized the guy was only placing something in his pocket.

The man never said a single word and just as quietly shut the door when he left.

"You good..?" Ikkaku grunted in Ichigo's ear with his arm still tucked beneath his chin, elbow pinching the adam's apple.

"Yeah." Ichigo said and turned to face the man once he was released. "Sorry… I didn't—"

Ikkaku raised a hand to stop him.

"S'alright. I wanted to punch him too. But ya gotta keep a better lid on that anger of yours."

Ichigo scratched the back of his head with a sigh. He was right. If it had been any other guard, Ichigo would definitely have that stupid point he'd been trying so hard to avoid today.

"Fucking… dammit." Ichigo was emotionally exhausted again. He sagged back into his chair and Ikkaku did the same. "Sorry I ruined your club." Ichigo glanced up at the three silent inmates across the table. Keigo shrugged as he tried to casually wipe the rest of the tears from his face.

"It's okay, Ichigo. I know you never try to cause trouble. It's like you're a magnet for this stuff or somethin'."

Ah! That reminded him—he still needed to call Rukia!

Shit… She was going to give him the lecture of a lifetime.

He really wasn't in the mood to deal with that right now though, so he reminded himself to contact her tomorrow.

"I've actually been told that before…" Ichigo smiled fondly when he remembered how much she worried about him. If only she knew just how much of a mess he'd gotten himself into. Being here in Hueco Mundo was like standing in quicksand—the longer you stayed, the worse it got. He wouldn't say he was neck deep at the moment, but it was getting close. "Anyway. I'll leave you gentlemen to your poetry, but before I go, I wanted to see if you knew anything about Psych Ward?"

Keigo and the others shared a look and it was Mizuiro who spoke up.

"Not really… people who get sent there usually never come back."

"Usually?" Ichigo pressed, "Zangetsu couldn't have been the only one to leave."

Ikkaku adjusted his hat as he leaned back comfortably in the chair and said, "I've only ever heard of four people who managed to get out of there. The first being White, of course. The second was Ukitake—don't know if you've met him yet."

Ichigo nodded his head, "I think so.. Long white hair and dark eyebrows, right?"

"Yup! That's the guy. The third person to get out was Ulquiorra."

"Who?" Ichigo asked, wanting more details just in case he ever had to find the guy.

Ikkaku leaned forward as he jutted a thumb towards the door. "That quiet guy who was in here earlier."

"Oh… Wait!" Ichigo quickly reached into his pocket to retrieve the folded piece of paper that the aforementioned man had given him. The others watched curiously as he unfolded it over the table and then flattened it out for them to see.

…

"Pff! HAHAHAHA!" Ikkaku's hat rolled across the table and then spun until it settled on its flat top as the man doubled over in laughter. Keigo couldn't help but join.

Ichigo felt a tic form in his brow as he glared at the single word written in elegant cursive.

'TRASH'

"What the FUCK? I thought he was writing something serious! This is just uncalled for."

"Oh my god. That's too fuckin' funny." Ikkaku had to stop and catch his breath as he straightened back up. He wiped an amused tear from the corner of his eye with a sigh. "That made my whole week." Once he was composed, he adjusted his uniform and cleared his throat to return to a more serious demeanor.

"Fuck it." Ichigo crumpled the paper and chucked it across the room with a huff. "Who was the fourth?" He turned his scowl back towards Ikkaku.

"You sure you wanna know?"

Ichigo's expression scrunched in confusion at that. Why wouldn't he want to know?

"Just tell me."

Ikkaku shrugged his shoulders and kept his face neutral as he answered, "Last person I heard of to ever return from Psych Ward was Kaien Shiba."

Chestnut eyes went wide.

"Sooo..." Ichigo struggled to wrap his head around that. He never knew Kaien got admitted while he was locked up. Then again… Kaien didn't talk about this place much—not that he could really blame him. "Is that all the information you know? About Psych Ward, that is…"

"Eeeyup." Ikkaku stretched his legs out under the table and crossed one ankle over the other.

"Thanks. I'll see ya later Keigo." Ichigo waved farewell to the brunette as he stood to his feet.

Keigo looked like he wanted to argue and ask him to stay, but Mizuiro quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and interjected, "It was nice meeting you, Ichigo! Good to know not everyone here is a jerk."

Ichigo nodded to him and then to Chad, who returned the gesture with a small smile. He gave another wave over his shoulder as he turned and left the room, shutting the door on his way out.

He had a lot to think about now…

...

..

.

TBC