From the poll on my profile, I gathered there's a whole horde of Grimmjow/Ichigo fans out there. I'm proud to be one! :D

October Bow: Yes, I'm aware that my writing has been having some [possibly] weird changes. You probably find it rather different. I'm having a dose of writer's block right now, but the only cure is to keep writing, right? :D

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! Your thoughts and comments are much appreciated.

x

The Espada were woken up early the next morning, called to a meeting by Ulquiorra, who came bearing some good news from Aizen. Grimmjow slid out of bed, careful not to wake his sleeping child. The Quarto had left his door ajar after he's awoken, and light from the big round hallway was streaming in. It was bright enough for him to move around without switching on his own room light. He pulled on his boots and shrugged on a clean jacket, feeling more than a little sleepy in the chill morning air. Grimmjow dragged his feet out of the bedroom, feeling like he missed the warmth of his bed more and more. Ulquiorra was already waiting outside with the others, who looked about as tired as he felt.

"Why does Grimmjow get to sleep a little later than we do?" Nnoitra grumbled, rubbing at his eyes. "S'not fair."

"I did not want to wake the child." Ulquiorra explained. "We will have a conference in the usual room."

The Espada traipsed their way down the corridor, walking out to the next building, which was connected by a pebbled pathway. The moonlight shone on them, giving them a somewhat eerie atmosphere, and the heels of their boots made little scuffling sounds on the sand. Ulquiorra pushed open the door to the big meeting room and led the others inside.

Szayel wiped his glasses with a silken cloth and put them on. "Well, what's the big news today?"

"We are travelling to a human town." Ulquiorra spread out a map onto the table. "The food supplies for the child are running out fast since we underestimated the boy's diet schedule and Aizen-sama wishes for me to scope out the area for future planning."

"Is it Karakura?" Nnoitra asked from where he was resting languidly on a comfortable chair. "If it is, I wanna fight those Shinigami again. It was fun the last time."

Shaking his head, Szayel added some milk into a bowl and poured cereal into it. "I don't think it'll be a wise idea to go there right now."

Ulquiorra gave them a one shoulder shrug. "It's Nishihara town again; a neighbor to the boy's birthplace, Karakura. Aizen-sama said to bring the Kurosaki boy along; he is allowed to see the sights and visit a street fair. With a chaperone, of course."

Snorting, Nnoitra waved a hand at Grimmjow. "Guess who's being a good daddy today, then."

"We're dividing up into two groups." Ulquiorra instructed carefully. "One group of us will head to Nishihara Town, and the other will go to Karakura to distract the Shinigami. It will be like a sort of hide-and-seek game, as Gin has mentioned to me. He played a part in this idea, and Aizen-sama approves of his plans. Those of you headed to Karakura are required to steal a hairbrush from the Kurosaki boy's bedroom for further experiments. From here on, we are allowed to choose which task we would prefer to participate in."

Szayel snuck a look at Grimmjow, who looked like a walking zombie. The Sexta was never really good at waking up properly in the morning. Stark was no better, despite the countless hours he slept each day. The Primera was standing still with his eyes closed; somehow managing to pull off a relaxed look rather than one who should be attentive during a meeting. Zommari, Halibel and Aaraniero looked normal, while Yammy kept yawning repeatedly and rubbing the back of his neck. Barragan just sat in the biggest chair he could find, and stared at the map like it was the only thing in the room. With the exception of Ulquiorra, it was evident that everyone was not a morning person.

"Shall we pick now?" Ulquiorra held out both his hands. "Everyone for Karakura, raise your right hand. For Nishihara, raise one finger."

Nnoitra chose his middle finger and stuck it up in the air resolutely. "Nishihara, ahoy!"

Grimmjow followed suit, using his index finger, and nudged Stark awake. "Make a choice, you."

"Mmm." Stark heaved a giant yawn and stuck out a thumb. "Nishihara's good."

Halibel raised her right hand, as did Aaraniero and Zommari. Yammy looked cranky and s\leaned against the wall with his arms folded over his chest. Barragan made no movement whatsoever aside from blinking slowly.

"Fine, Nishihara it is for me, then." Szayel sighed.

Ulquiorra counted the fingers and hands. "Five for Nishihara. The others will go to Karakura. It's settled, then."

"Eh?" Nnoitra sat up straighter. "But there are only four fingers!"

"I will be coming along to make sure things go smoothly." The Quarto answered quietly. "Are there any objections?"

The room was silent, save for the soft thumping of Yammy's head against the wall.

"Can we go back to sleep?" Stark asked.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow and didn't bother answering. He tapped the table and nodded at a few lesser Arrancar, who wheeled a long rack into the meeting room obediently. Stacked on the trolley rack were gigai for the Human Realm, suited for each Espada according to their appearance.

"Wear them now. We bounce at

x

"Playground, playground!" Ichigo sang at the top of his lungs to the sky and the bustling street of people from his vantage point on Grimmjow's shoulders. "Now Daddy!"

"We're not there yet, Ichigo." Grimmjow admonished, giving the little boy's legs a gentle squeeze. "Lower your voice."

"Humans are disgusting." Szayel edged closer to Nnoitra, who slung an arm around his shoulders in a carefree manner. "Look at that man just spitting onto the ground like that."

"Play along." Ulquiorra warned quietly. "We must make an attempt to intermingle with the humans."

Stark chuckled. "I'll say we're doing a pretty bang-up job of it, then."

If the passersby saw anything strange with five grown men of varying height and hair colors in the company of a little boy and a young girl, they made good progress by not staring openly. The five of them were wearing gigai as they traveled through the bustling roads of the new town. They were equipped with comfortable human clothing in an effort to blend in with the humans. Ulquiorra was handling all of the human money, kept in a little leather wallet tucked in the pocket of his faded jeans for safekeeping.

"Why is my gigai so short?" Nnoitra complained, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I look like a midget!"

"You're still taller than all of us!" Szayel sighed, adjusting the tight, hot pink tee he was wearing. "Get used to it, already. If you're too tall, you won't fit in with the humans."

Feeling the comfortable material of his ribbed shirt, Stark smiled. "This is a nice shade of gray."

Lilinette bobbed along excitedly beside him, looking cute in a peter-pan collared top and denim shorts. She slipped her hand into Stark's, leaning into his side with a happy smile.

"Here it is." Nnoitra checked the map Szayel was holding. "It looks exactly like it did in the picture."

"Little Bunny Indoor Playground." Stark read off the big sign overhead. "Wow. This whole building was created just to cater to children?"

"Human children must be special." Ulquiorra nodded solemnly.

Ichigo gave a scream of delight as they entered, kicking his feet. Grimmjow had to hold on tighter to his legs so he wouldn't slip off. They made their way to the ticket counter, where a pretty young woman stamped long rectangular strips of paper and clipped it around each of their wrists. For Ichigo and Lilinette, she had bright yellow stickers to be stuck on their clothing.

"Enjoy your stay at Little Bunny!" she waved them through a set of electronic sliding doors. "I hope you have fun!"

"That was one cheerful human." Nnoitra muttered under his breath, snaking an arm around Szayel's slim waist. "How much longer is she gonna stay happy like that?"

"Shush." Szayel placed a finger on Nnoitra's lips. "I think she can hear you. Those doors looked very thin."

Ichigo was yelling to be put down, which Grimmjow gladly complied to. Once his black booted feet touched the floor, Ichigo set off in a mad run for the colorful array of slides. He only tripped a couple of times. Grimmjow dashed after him, looking like a worried father.

"Don't run, you're going to fall. What will I do if you cry?"

"Play!" Ichigo hollered happily. "Lift me!"

When Grimmjow balked, Ichigo frowned. "Up, Daddy, up!"

Stark sauntered over with Lilinette in tow. "I think he wants you to put him at the top of the slide."

Grimmjow's mouth made a little O of understanding as he watched another father lift his young one and place her on the slide, letting go with a smile as she swooped down with a happy laugh. Awaiting his turn, the Sexta lifted Ichigo up and mimicked the other father's moves. Ichigo slid down with a whoosh, and when he stopped at the bottom he beamed up at Grimmjow and Stark.

"I played the slide, Daddy!"

"I saw." Grimmjow nodded, playing along. "Was it fun?"

"It was!" Ichigo raised both hands in the air excitedly. "Super fun!"

Lilinette tugged on Stark's gray shirt. "I saw something neat over there. Come and see!"

"Will you be alright with him?" Stark took his other half's hand. "I'm going to go look around."

Grimmjow nodded as he picked Ichigo up and placed him back at the top of the slide. "I'm good. Go ahead."

They spent an hour or so with the slides and swings, Ichigo insisting Grimmjow push him until he finally grew tired of it. He ran to a play pen, which was filled to the brim with brightly colored balls the size of Grimmjow's fist. There were soft toys and wooden blocks on small green tables, and children were playing around in absolute bliss. Their parents waited patiently outside the play pen, talking to each other or holding on to babies. Grimmjow looked down at Ichigo, who couldn't see past the orange and brown plastic gate.

"Wanna go in?" Grimmjow asked, picking Ichigo up so he could look. "It looks like fun."

Ichigo nodded eagerly and was hoisted over the gate. He took one look at Grimmjow for confirmation and ran forward, diving into the sea of colored balls, promptly vanishing from sight.

"Ah!" Grimmjow leaped over the gate. "You'll hurt yourself . . .!"

To his surprise, Ichigo emerged with a happy smile and aimed a beam at him. "Yay!"

As Grimmjow watched him scuttle off, a man clapped him on the shoulder. "Parents aren't really allowed in, you know."

The Sexta eyed the human, who was dressed in a navy blue business suit. He held a little girl in his arms. She was dozing on his shoulder, a little patch of drool marring his otherwise spotless suit.

"Oh." Grimmjow climbed out, hoping he wasn't breaking any human rules.

"Your first child?" the man smiled, looking at Ichigo. "He sure is a cute one."

Grimmjow thought about it, wondering if he should tell the man the truth. Still, he was a human, and he didn't really need to know how Ichigo came to live with the Espada. Moreover, if he did try to explain, he wasn't sure if the human would even understand. He might even go as far as to call the cops and have Grimmjow arrested – kidnapping a teenager after turning him into a little boy would be a serious crime in human eyes. The Sexta rubbed the back of his neck and decided to go with the flow.

"Yeah, he's my first."

It's wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie, either. Grimmjow could live with that.

The man chuckled. "Always rambunctious, the firsts. Especially if they're boys, but what can we do? Boys will be boys."

Even if he had no idea what the human was nattering on about, Grimmjow decided it was best to laugh along.

"You're right there."

"I've got two twins myself. Both boys. See them over there by the toy house?" the proud father pointed, then shifted his daughter's weight in his arms. "This here's the third youngest. She's a quiet one; it's mostly her brothers who are loud. I've got another – about eight months. Stays home with the wife mostly."

Grimmjow wanted to make a face, but figured it would probably not be according to human standards of polite conversation. "Four children; how do you handle all of them?"

His face must have registered a genuine mixture of shock and curiosity, for the proud father laughed. "Well, me and my wife manage. I'm giving her a break from the twins and this little one here today. She's out shopping – left the baby with her sister."

"You can do that?" Grimmjow asked, surprised.

The man gave him a strange look, and then nodded understandingly. "Ah, you're a single father, I take it? Don't worry about it. I'd say you're doing pretty well on your own. As long as they're healthy and happy, that's quite an accomplishment."

Was he a single father? Grimmjow chewed on his lower lip and nodded along silently. Well, it did make sense, even if Ichigo wasn't his child by birth. Still, Szayel and Ulquiorra always helped, as did Stark. He wasn't alone in this child rearing thing.

"Not really, there are some other . . ." Grimmjow trailed off, waving a hand. He wondered how to explain about the Espada to the man. ". . . Guys I live with. They help me take care of him when things get . . . busy."

The human looked mildly surprised. "I see. Roommates, huh. Well, that's fine too. You're lucky; it's just the wife and me."

"No, I wouldn't put it that way. I mean, they aren't roommates or anything. They just live in separate rooms from me." Grimmjow realized he had probably said too much.

Thankfully, Szayel came up to save him – unintentionally, of course. "Grimmjow! Have you seen Ulquiorra? There's something I have to show him."

He glanced at the human and smiled. "Oh, hello."

The father nodded politely and gave Grimmjow a wink. "Good luck, sonny."

He called his boys over and strolled away before Grimmjow could ask him what he meant. The Sexta turned to Szayel, shrugging.

"He walked off somewhere. What about Nnoitra?"

"He's stuck in a maze." Szayel rolled his eyes, waving a hand dismissively. "Anyway, where is Stark? We need to stick together, you know. You can never tell when one of us needs help or receives new orders."

Grimmjow nodded and turned back to watch Ichigo wield a plastic sword as he played with other children. The boy seemed to be in a blissful haven, and the Sexta didn't really want to take him out of it so soon. Still, Szayel was right. The other Espada were nowhere in sight, and Grimmjow didn't like staying in one place for too long. He wasn't used to random humans making small talk with him, mainly because he didn't know what to say back.

"We'll go back to Nnoitra and collect him." Szayel pushed open the gate and gave Grimmjow a light shove. "Get the boy."

"Ichigo, come on." Grimmjow stood at the edge of the sea of color. "We're going now."

The little boy's face fell. "But I haven't finished playing with Natsu!"

Grimmjow looked at the other little boy, who had a round, happy face and light pink hair. Both children beamed up at him with childlike innocence. A young woman wearing an apron walked over, smiling.

"Hello, have you come to visit your child?" She asked politely, while her co-workers giggled and whispered behind her, looking at Grimmjow like he was a piece of meat.

Unaccustomed to the staring, Grimmjow began to feel like he was being sized up like a slab of beef in front of a chef before a giant barbecue. He fidgeted as the woman waved at Ichigo, cooing over his adorable actions as the little boy resumed playing with his newfound friend. Szayel leaned against the entrance and smirked knowingly.

"How cute!" Three more women wearing similar aprons sauntered over, effectively blocking Grimmjow's way before he could lift Ichigo out of the pen. "What's his name? How old is he? Are you a single father? Is this your first time here?"

"Ichigo." Grimmjow managed to answer the first question before the ladies swarmed up to him, all wearing identical sweet smiles and playing with their hair. "His name is Ichigo."

"Are you a regular? We've never seen you here before."

"Yes, if we had, I'm sure we would've noticed."

"Oh, we definitely would have."

"Teehee!"

There was some giggling, and more whispering involved. Alarmed, Grimmjow backed away until he reached the entrance – and Szayel. Sidling up to his side, the pink haired Espada muttered into his ear.

"Play along, and we'll get out of here faster."

"Eh?"

Szayel slid an arm through his and clutched his hand, smiling. "Where's our little baby, Grimmjow?"

"Uh . . . right in there." Grimmjow gestured to the play pen with his free hand. In a lower tone, he hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Shush, dear." Szayel laid a finger onto his lips and reached up to brush some imaginary dirt from the Sexta's casual shirt. "Is he having fun? I was waiting outside for a while. Don't you think it's time we left, darling? I'm sure there are better places we can visit."

He shot a pointed look at the gossiping women and gave them his haughtiest glare. "Definitely better places than . . . this one."

The women giggled some more and some blushed. Most of them had disappointed looks on their faces, which was a good sign. Szayel was sure he caught the words 'handsome' and 'oh well, he's taken'. He beamed, satisfied.

Grimmjow edged forward and plucked Ichigo out of the pen. "Let's go find Nnoitra, Ichigo."

"Aww, bye Natsu!"

"Bye Ichigo!"

They made a swift exit without further ado. Grimmjow breathed a sigh of relief as he moved away from the gaggle of women and remembered to thank Szayel for his help.

"Oh, it's fine." Szayel shook his head. "I recently studied how human females interact with one another, especially when there's a male involved."

Nnoitra was found in a dark green maze, wading in colored balls that came up to his waist. "This thing is deep!"

"Please come out of there." Szayel pinched the bridge of his nose tiredly. "You're blocking the pathway for other children to explore!"

"It's alright, I chased them away." Nnoitra grinned, pushing his hair away from his face. "They all had marvelous reactions when I snarled at them."

Szayel looked aghast. "How could you . . . They're meant for children! Get out of there right now."

"I can't. I'm having too much fun."

Grimmjow chuckled, setting Ichigo down at the start of the maze. "Think you can go grab Nnoitra and help him out of there?"

"Like a mission?" Ichigo asked, wide eyed and hopeful.

"Exactly." Grimmjow nodded, ruffling his hair. "It'll be your special mission for today."

Ichigo looked like he had just won a prize. "Will I get candy?"

Nudging Grimmjow aside, Szayel nodded. "Of course! All you need to do is lure Nnoitra out somehow. He seems to have taken a liking to frightening other children."

"What's lure?"

"Never you mind, just go get him, please."

Obediently, Ichigo entered the maze. He passed a little boy crying for his mother, and looked back to Grimmjow for support. The Sexta nodded with what he hoped would be interpreted as an encouraging smile. Ichigo treaded through the winding maze, ignoring other children as they ran past in search of a way out. Grimmjow watched him like an anxious parent would while Szayel read the signboard information slowly.

"Adventurer Maze, for ages four and up. Helps to create a sense of independence and determination to complete tasks at hand." Szayel made a small noise at the back of his throat. "Child should attempt to find his/her way out with the friendly guidance and encouragement from parents/guardians. Adults are not allowed inside. Heh, what a load of nonsense."

Meanwhile, Grimmjow fretted. He couldn't see Ichigo's bright orange hair once he'd disappeared into the maze, and now he was feeling a little more than worried for his adoptive child. What if there were strange beings lurking in the maze? Who knew what lay hidden in the dark green fake moss hedges? The Sexta chewed on his lower lip anxiously. Szayel noticed, and smiled to himself, but remained silent. Watching emotions flicker over Grimmjow's face was proving to be amusing.

"You know, he's a smart boy." Szayel finally quipped, stealing a glance at Grimmjow out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah, he sure is."

"Pretty independent, too."

Grimmjow fidgeted uncomfortably, half wanting to run in to find Ichigo, and partly feeling like he shouldn't be so worried. This was just a children's game after all, right? Amid the green hedges, Nnoitra growled.

"Oh, it's you Ichigo."

Szayel heard Grimmjow release a barely audible sigh, and smirked to himself.

"Here's the way out." Ichigo chorused. "I know the way, you gotta follow me."

Nnoitra looked up over the green rows. His black eyes met Grimmjow's blue ones, and he winked. "Do you, now? Well that's pure genius. Lead the way, kid."

"I can take you back to Daddy." Ichigo said proudly. "Daddy can keep you safe."

They strolled out of the Adventurer Maze, and the little boy made a happy dive for Grimmjow's legs.

"Yay, it's Daddy!"

Grimmjow looked proud and relieved all at once. Swooping Ichigo up into the air, he cuddled him against his chest, rewarding him with a warm hug. He'd seen many other human fathers doing that, and felt an urge to copy their actions. Ichigo squealed and wrapped his arms around his neck. Nnoitra shot Szayel a sheepish smile.

"I had fun in the maze." He explained, avoiding the Octavo's accusing stare. "It was entertaining."

"I'm sure you did." Szayel relented after delivering one biting remark. "I take it violating the rules of children's games is your form of amusement?"

Nnoitra had the decency to look guilty. He tried changing the subject. "What's next?"

"Food for the child." Ulquiorra seemingly materialized out of nowhere, a special trait that only he possessed. "It is noontime in the human realm, and the boy needs to be fed."

Szayel looked horrified. "I didn't bring the food."

Ulquiorra stared, keeping silent as he figured out the endless possibilities of this mission going awry because of a forgotten pack of food. Grimmjow watched them blankly, unsure of what to do next. He pondered over what they would do with a half-starved Ichigo. As if on cue, Ichigo piped up.

"Daddy." He tugged on Grimmjow's shirt. "I'm hungry."

Launching into panic mode, Szayel wrung his hands. "What now?"

"We must find Stark and Lilinette." Ulquiorra said calmly.

"What happens after that?" Nnoitra asked.

Unprepared and without a proper plan, Ulquiorra deadpanned. Szayel was practically tearing at his hair now. It took all of Nnoitra's skills to keep him calm; the Octavo's grip on sanity was as volatile as a ticking bomb. Ichigo watched Grimmjow curiously, while the Sexta looked around nervously at the other human parents. Stark and Lilinette came up behind them. As Nnoitra explained what had happened, Ichigo played with the little black buttons on Grimmjow's shirt. His small fingers easily picked one button out of its thread, and he giggled at this newfound form of entertainment. The Espada stared at him blankly until he stopped and hid his face in the folds of Grimmjow's shirt.

"The kid is hungry." Stark mulled over this piece of information, allowing Lilinette to swing his arm up and down playfully. "So why don't we bring him somewhere to eat?"

The others stared at him in surprise. Their questions were punctuated with happy yells from Ichigo as Grimmjow proceeded to swing him up and down to distract him from plucking out his buttons.

"What?"

"They have places like that here?"

"Higher Daddy!"

"Yeah, I think they're called restaurants. Or cafés, which look smaller. I just know they have food."

"You're getting a little too heavy for me." Grimmjow made a face.

"Where can we find one?"

"Up, up, up!"

"Okay, okay."

"We have to look for a restaurant, then." Szayel surmised, tapping a finger to his chin thoughtfully. "Come on; let's start searching before the child gets any hungrier."

Grimmjow was ushered along with Ichigo in his arms, and the small group was led by Ulquiorra, who looked determined to find the child some food before he started one of those ear-splitting tantrums. Stark pointed the way to a little restaurant with a tall dark haired waiter standing outside.

"How many, sir?"

Ulquiorra slapped at Nnoitra's hands, which were roaming his chest freely as he dangled his arms over the Quarto's shoulders. "Seven, with two children."

"This way, if you please."

The waiter ushered them into the slightly dark restaurant to a big round table with a lamp beside it. It gave their spot a lovely orange glow. They were each provided with thin books of menus, complete with pictures and prices displaying the variety of food served in the outlet. With a soft clacking of his leather shoes, the waiter reached into the pocket of his apron for a small clipboard and left to serve the occupants of another table.

"The hell's with this book? I thought we came here to let the kid eat something." Nnoitra voiced his disdain in a loud tone, and was immediately shushed by Szayel and Ulquiorra with a series of elbow jabs in his ribs.

Grimmjow turned to look at Ichigo, who was staring at the array of food images inside the menu, looking positively starved. A thin trickle of drool dribbled down his chin as he clutched his stomach and drummed his booted heels against the legs of his chair.

"Order what you like." Grimmjow heard a father at another table tell his daughter, who was hugging a doll to her chest. "They have mango pudding as dessert of the day, would you like some of that?"

Shifting his gaze back to his bright haired charge, the Sexta smirked. "You can order whatever you want to."

The look of delight on Ichigo's face made him feel good. The waiter sauntered over; clipboard in hand and a polite expectant look on his face.

"Do you have anything for little children?" Szayel asked, tapping his menu. "A lot of these seem to be rather much for the child."

"Certainly sir." The waiter whipped out a Kid's Menu and started rambling off the choices of the day.

"I think the steak cutlets and French fries are a good way to boost his protein and carbohydrate levels." Szayel voiced his opinion with a thoughtful smile, which garnered him an odd sidelong glance from the waiter. "What do you think, Grimmjow?"

"Whatever you think is best." Grimmjow replied as he shrugged. "Anything that'll fill his stomach is good enough for me."

Szayel nodded at the waiter and watched as the order was jotted down on the clipboard. "Will that be all, sir?"

Grimmjow held up a hand. "Dessert for the boy. This . . .whatever this is."

The waiter rewarded him with another odd look before resigning himself to the fact that one had to serve the occasional set of oddball customers in a lifetime.

"One chocolate banana milkshake."

The waiter sauntered away and eventually came back with a plate of food. Ichigo dug into his lunch with renewed zeal, obviously hungry from the day's fun activities. Ulquiorra motioned to Grimmjow to help Ichigo cut his steak into smaller bite-sized bits. When the boy had finished eating, he started on his milkshake, sucking from his straw until there was nothing left in the glass except frothy bubbles. The sound his straw made as he sucked in air through it was grating.

"Shh." Grimmjow laid a hand on Ichigo's head. "Stop it, you're attracting unwanted attention."

Ichigo merely giggled and drummed his heels on the underside of the table. That sent his knife and fork rattling on his plate, and upturned a salt shaker over the table cloth. Szayel hurried to upright it before the waiter strolled over, and Ulquiorra frowned at Grimmjow.

"I think you'd better make him stop." Stark leaned back into his chair. "The other humans are watching us."

"Gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee!" Ichigo sang out as he continued kicking the table despite the desperate pleas of the Sexta. "Gonna pee, gonna pee, right now, now, NOW!"

He belted out the last word in a loud shriek, and each Espada sank lower into their seats as the other patrons eyeballed them in annoyance at the ruckus. Nnoitra tossed a paper napkin he had been folding into a square at Grimmjow.

"Shut him up!"

"I'm trying!"

Seizing Ichigo by the arm, the Sexta reached down to grab both the little boy's knees before hissing a command. "Will you stop that?"

"But I have to go right now!" Ichigo yelled petulantly, sticking out his lower lip.

Grimmjow sighed in exasperation. "That doesn't mean you need to shout bloody murder, Ichigo."

A waitress stepped up, looking irritated. "Is there a problem here?"

"Oh, no. We're just leaving." Grimmjow muttered. "Check, please."

She click-clacked away in her pumps, leaving Grimmjow to glower at his adopted child. Ichigo gave him a sheepish grin before covering his lap with his hands.

"Uh oh." He said, and then giggled impishly. "I did it."

Grimmjow found several pairs of eyes boring into him. He sank back into his seat and sighed, glaring at the telltale puddle collecting under Ichigo's chair.

"He's your child." Ulquiorra muttered.

Half an hour later found the Espada in a clothing store for children, surrounded by dozens of clothing racks and followed along by four sales assistants. Ichigo was being fitted out for a new pair of shorts because of ruining his previous one. Ulquiorra made Grimmjow use the human money and follow Ichigo into the fitting room.

"This one has a face on it." Nnoitra looked shocked, shoving a pair of denim shorts at Grimmjow, just before he managed to shut the door.

"That'll be the latest Muscle Man X-20 design, sir." A beaming sales promoter explained to the Quinto. "From the animated cartoon most children love watching on TV."

Nnoitra stared, not comprehending. Ushering a protesting Grimmjow inside the fitting room with Ichigo and a small pile of clothes, Ulquiorra helpfully slid the door shut and leaned against it. The salesperson blinked a few times and gave them an awkward, tense smile. Inside the fitting room, Ichigo made faces at himself in the mirror, giggling every time he caught an amusing reflection. Behind him, Grimmjow fumbled with the new pairs of shorts before finally deciding to drop them to the floor. He couldn't be bothered to hang them on the provided rack one by one.

"Ichigo, don't lick the mirror."

"It's cold!" Ichigo laughed excitedly.

Grimmjow sighed and knelt down to undo the orange haired child's pants. "Look at you, being all disgusting and stuff."

Ichigo beamed up at him and leaned over to plant a big kiss on his cheek. He chortled at the Sexta's surprised expression. "Grimmjow!"

"What?"

"Nothing."

x

Byakuya slid open the door of his office and stood watching his lieutenant filing his papers on his desk. After a minute or two, Renji looked up and jumped out of his seat before bowing in respect.

"Good evening, Kuchiki Taichou!"

Nodding at the redhead, the noble strode over to his desk and slid into his seat. "Prepare yourself; we're leaving with ten members of our squad for the Human World."

Renji looked surprised, then confused. "Why, Taichou?"

Sifting through his paperwork, Byakuya arranged them in a neat pile at the side of his table and slid his hair off his shoulders. "Despite the presence of Espada in Karakura town, our scouts seemed to have found out the whereabouts of the Espada in a neighboring town to Karakura. We've been assigned to investigate the place and get rid of any enemy we find."

The lieutenant looked ecstatic. There was a high possibility that Kurosaki could be with them right now and they would rescue him! It would be great to see his human friend once they managed to save him from Aizen's clutches. Soon they would be bragging about their battle scars, hanging out in Ichigo's bedroom and sipping Coke, just like always. His face lit up with an excited grin, which his captain noted and sent him a dry look.

"Will it be just our squad, Taichou?"

"Of course not, thought I should think we would be capable enough. We're leaving with other captains, so it's best to get things ready immediately."

Lieutenant Abarai didn't need to be told twice.

x

"The street fair is being held at a park five blocks from here." Szayel said as he read off the map Gin had provided him. "We could take the boy there."

"What's a fair again?" Nnoitra asked, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

Grimmjow walked in the middle with Ichigo holding onto his hand, looking curiously at the array of sights before him.

"It's something like a market of sorts. I'm not entirely sure." Szayel passed the map to Ulquiorra for safekeeping. "They have things like fireworks and games where you win assorted items called prizes."

"Lights!" Ichigo yelled, wrenching free of Grimmjow's hand and raced across the semi-crowded street, heading for a store.

"Ah – hey!" Grimmjow made a dash after him. "Don't run off by yourself."

Ulquiorra watched the panicked exhibit before him and frowned. "Perhaps carrying the boy would be easier."

Ichigo was found pressed up against a colorful window display, eagerly watching toy trains mechanically going round and round on a plastic train track, wheeling over green hills and past rows of miniature houses. Every few minutes the trains would stop and whistle, blowing steam out of their little chimneys. Sometimes the train would chug faster for a few seconds and let out an adorable tooting sound, almost like a real train's, but not quite as real. Ichigo was enthralled, flinging all cares to the wind. It was only when Grimmjow took his arm and tried pulling him away did he object.

"I don't wanna go yet!"

"Then why don't we go in?" Grimmjow asked. "You can see them better from the inside, right?"

Small hands immediately wrapped around his fingers and tugged as honey brown eyes practically glowed with excited anticipation. Ichigo dragged the Sexta into the entrance of the toy store, keen on finding the trains. They weaved through a small crowd of parents and children who were gawking alike over a display of imported handmade dolls. Stark followed behind them, mainly because Lilinette was pulled into the magnetic field of toys as her inner child reared its head.

"Wow!" Ichigo's cry of admiration would have been lost in the whirl of excited chatter from children calling to their parents had it not been for Grimmjow's extremely sharp hearing ability. "These are great!"

"You like them, huh?" Grimmjow knelt down on one knee, wrapping a protective arm around Ichigo's small waist and dropping a chaste kiss on his cheek. He had seen other parents do that, and felt like copying their actions would somehow make him feel better at understanding humans.

"Yeah!" Ichigo turned around and returned the loving gesture, wrapping his arms around Grimmjow's neck to plant a juicy kiss on his face. "What are they, Daddy?"

Grimmjow frantically scanned a small sign beside the enticing display. "Battery-operated classic train."

"What's battery, Daddy?"

The Sexta didn't know, but he felt like Ichigo deserved a proper answer. "It's a type of . . . toy."

Szayel snickered quietly behind him, and Grimmjow gave the Octavo's shins a light thump to shush him. It failed to wipe the knowing smirk off his face, however. Nnoitra hovered nearby, looking as awestruck as most of the children in the store as he gazed around at the amount of toys. Ulquiorra waited outside the shop, patiently staring in through the window. Ichigo caught his blank gaze and gave a happy wave. The Quarto raised a hand and waved back a tad uncertainly. It started a never ending chain as Ichigo flapped his little hands enthusiastically.

Lilinette was standing by a tall rack of teddy bears, keeping her hands behind her back as she surveyed the huggable toys. Stark laid a hand on her head and smiled.

"I think it's safe to touch them, you know." He winked, jerking his chin at a younger girl who was grabbing some toys off the shelf like no tomorrow. "Go ahead and feel one."

Looking like she had just won a prize, Lilinette scooped a furry bear with a red bow round its neck into her arms. Her young face was a picture of delight as she hugged it to her chest.

"It's soft!" she exclaimed. "Like a pillow, Stark!"

"It's cute, isn't it." Stark shot her a smile and ruffled her short hair.

Outside the shop window, Ulquiorra motioned with his hand. It would be getting dark soon, and they still had a street fair to go to. Szayel gathered the others while Grimmjow scooped Ichigo up and sauntered out the door. They ventured down the street, following the instructions on the map. They reached a long stretch of road, littered with vendor stalls and colorful banners and lights. The whole scene was noisy, bustling with crowds of people who were making their way through the fair, enjoying the sights and mingling with friends and family alike. Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's hand before he darted off toward whatever caught his fancy. Stark kept a gentle but firm grip on Lilinette's shoulder. Together, they entered the street fair and joined the sea of people.

Once they had fully merged into the crowd of humans, Ulquiorra spoke quietly to all of them. His green eyes were bright and alert, darting left and right suspiciously as he eyed the throngs of humans distrustfully.

"Remember to keep your spiritual pressure in check." He said, giving Grimmjow a wry look. "We should stick together, but not too close. Shinigami could be anywhere."

Nnoitra gave the Quarto a playful punch on the arm. "Come on, it's not like they even know we're here."

"You can never tell." Ulquiorra rubbed his arm expressionlessly. "Do not get too engrossed in human whims and forget yourselves. Be cautious."

"Don't worry so much, Ulquiorra." Stark said with a yawn. "Let's just explore the place; we're here for fun aren't we?"

Chuckling, Nnoitra threw an arm around Szayel's shoulders. "Yeah, that's what I like to hear."

"Did you forget we're here on a mission?" the Quarto's words were drowned out by a chorus of "Come on, lighten up!" and "We'll be fine, let's just go with the flow."

Despite his fellow Espada's relaxed state, Ulquiorra remained wary and on the lookout for any change in the swarm of humans. He detected nothing so far, but there was a niggling sensation in his gut that he was being watched. Years of training in the Hollow World had taught him not to act like he knew he was being tailed, so he kept this piece of information to himself as he scoped out the area cagily.

"It is not a good idea to split up." Pulling the sleeves of his shirt up toward his elbows, Ulquiorra followed the others at his own pace. He knew they could hear him despite the noise the humans produced. They weren't Espada for nothing. "Staying together is key."

"Yank that stick out of your butt and relax." Nnoitra waved a hand airily, keeping his other arm wrapped around Szayel's smaller shoulders. "Shinigami in Karakura equals us here having fun. Alright?"

"Not alright." Ulquiorra muttered under his breath, but kept following the others at a distance. He wasn't about to blow his cover.

"We should stay together, really." Grimmjow told Stark. "I mean, I never know when the boy might need something, I'm just not good at telling."

Stark nodded understandingly. "No problem, I'll help out."

"Enjoy your little date." Nnoitra snickered behind one hand as he led Szayel away in another direction. "I'd make all the appropriate kissy sounds, but I wouldn't wanna attract unwanted attention."

Grimmjow rolled his eyes and sauntered after Stark, leaving Ulquiorra by himself.

x

Ichigo's mouth was stuffed as he chewed, keeping one hand in Grimmjow's bigger one and gripping a stick of cotton candy in the other. There was a cutesy plastic cat mask strapped to the side of his head – so it didn't obstruct his vision – and a helium filled balloon tied to his wrist. All in all, Ichigo looked content and eager to see more of what the fair had to offer.

"He's having fun." Stark noted with a small smirk.

"Beats having him throwing tantrums all day." Grimmjow chuckled, giving Ichigo's small cheek a gentle pinch.

"I want that, Daddy!"

Cerulean eyes followed the little child's sticky finger, which was pointing in the direction of a rainbow colored stall. A sign on the front said "Chewy Delights" in purple and blue. There was a small gaggle of kids eying the candy on display. Grimmjow was practically dragged along by the whirlwind that was Ichigo's excitement, with Stark and Lilinette tagging along behind. Grimmjow was inclined – or rather, forced by a petulant pout and pleading honey brown eyes that positively tugged at his heartstrings – to purchase a small bagful of jam-filled marshmallows, which made little Ichigo very happy indeed.

"I can't believe you can eat this much." Grimmjow made a face as Ichigo stuffed two marshmallows into his mouth at once. "It's so true when Szayel said humans are greedy pigs."

"I don't think he meant the child." Stark said as he gently wiped some cotton candy bits off the side of Lilinette's mouth with his sleeve. "Children are meant to be spoiled, he said."

"Yummy!" Ichigo voiced enthusiastically after swallowing his mouthful of sweets. "More!"

Shaking his head, the Sexta held the candy-filled bag out of reach. "No, I think he definitely meant this guy in particular. I mean, have you seen the way he's been guzzling all the food? It's like he doesn't have a limit; if he keeps going he might explode."

Stark chuckled. It was his turn to shake his head. "Well, look at all the other children here. You don't see them blasting into a million pieces just because they're eating so much."

As if on cue, another little boy dressed in a shirt and shorts ran up to Ichigo with a huge grin on his face. He laughed mischievously and reached up a hand with a pen toward Ichigo's red and blue balloon. With a loud bang, the balloon burst into several pieces of thin rubber. Ichigo looked stunned. The impish boy stuck out a tongue at him and waggled his fingers in Ichigo's face before turning tail and running off into the distance to join other laughing children.

"What the hell was that?" Grimmjow looked equally stunned, staring at the bits of balloon and watching the other children race off, still laughing.

Ichigo's lower lip quivered as he let out a small choking sob. In his hand, he held the string which was attached to the remaining bits of deflated balloon. Stark sighed, anticipating the worst was about to happen.

"He's going to cry."

Grimmjow snapped to attention, looking Ichigo over with worried eyes. The little boy was scowling at the pebbled ground, as if blaming the bits of balloon for being so vulnerable. He took a deep, shuddering breath, which caused Grimmjow to suck in a gulp of air.

"It popped." Ichigo finally said after a pregnant moment of awkward silence.

He didn't cry, only swallowed a little and gulped in a few more breaths of fresh air. Grimmjow felt relieved. Stark grinned widely, which was something rare, coming from him. Looking up at Grimmjow, Ichigo held out both hands, dropping his balloon string. After a thoughtful moment, Grimmjow leaned down to pick him up; he was slowly getting used to Ichigo's need for contact and little hugs.

"You're brave and strong, like a real man." Grimmjow made placating noises to make Ichigo smile. "Real men don't cry, right?"

He cuddled the little boy against his chest, allowing him to lay his chin on his shoulder. Ichigo made contented gurgling sounds as he soon forgot all about his balloon disaster. Next to them, Stark fed Lilinette some popcorn she had begged him to buy. Peace reigned upon the foursome as they strolled through the pleasantly buzzing street, filled with happy chatter and the excited yells of children as they enjoyed themselves in the fair. The tranquil bubble burst as soon as Ichigo set eyes on a merry-go-round.

"That!" He screamed suddenly, successfully making Grimmjow jump in shock.

"What? What's wrong?" Cerulean eyes darted around the area suspiciously. "Do you need to pee again?"

Lilinette pointed helpfully in the direction Ichigo was flailing toward with his small fists thumping the back of Grimmjow's head. "I think he means that big human machine there."

Grimmjow eyed the merry-go-round skeptically. Children were laughing as they were swept around and around at snail's pace on the machine. Parents stood nearby, some watching with a bored look, others encouraging. Stark gave Grimmjow a gentle nudge. Reluctantly, the blue haired Espada joined a short line that was in wait for the next round. He held out the money Ulquiorra had given him to the attendant. A plump man dressed in festive clothing handed Grimmjow a ticket and a golden coin.

"Souvenir from the merry-go-round!" He winked and sauntered to the front of the line to crank the handle.

The ride slowed to a gentle stop and the passengers filed off it for the next customers. Grimmjow was ushered along with the others in line. He looked back to find Stark, but the brown haired Primera was lost in the crowd. The attendant patted his shoulder lightly and advised him to follow Ichigo onto the ride under the rule that children under the age of six shouldn't ride unsupervised. The Sexta took it in stride, regarding it as one of the many strange human rules in this realm.

He helped Ichigo up onto a lovely plastic horse. Watching other parents, Grimmjow held onto the pole that held the suspending animal shaped rides and made sure Ichigo didn't slide off. The ride started with a tinkling of chimes, and Ichigo beamed up at him.

"I'm moving, Daddy!"

"I know." Grimmjow couldn't help but smile back.

It felt kind of nice, being able to spend time like this with the boy. In Las Noches, he never really did have the time to do leisurely activities other than sleep. The ongoing war with the Shinigami kept him from being able to relax. Having a little child with him made him see the new sides of the life he had been missing out on.

"Are you having fun?"

Ichigo aimed a happy grin up at him. "Yeah! Is Daddy having fun too?"

"I sure am."

Grimmjow surprised himself when he realized he meant those words.

x

"Surround the area. Shield yourselves and keep your spiritual pressure in check." Byakuya ordered his squad members, receiving loyal assents in return.

To his left, Hitsugaya commanded his crew and his lieutenant to spread out around the outskirts so they could stop any of the Espada from escaping. If they ever got past the captains and lieutenants, that is. They still weren't sure how many of the enemy was in Nishihara Town, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Besides, they had other Shinigami already patrolling the area. There were plenty more in Karakura, dealing with the other Espada.

"Blend into the crowd." Hitsugaya ran a hand through his white hair. "Be on full alert."

Renji and Rangiku nodded tersely, both intent on finding the Espada and proving themselves to their captains. They were all impatient to find the Shinigami substitute, but Aizen's minions had successfully eluded them for almost a month. It was getting old, and they were mostly on edge; mainly for Ichigo's welfare.

"The search begins now."

x

Longest chapter ever! It was actually joined with chapter 7 but I had to split them up. It was getting pretty close to 20k lol. And this ended with a cliffy . . . not what I had in mind. Next chapter's where Ichigo and Grimmjow have a showdown with the Shinigami! :)