A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I didn't respond but there were a few family related issues that I had to take care of. I was out of town for the week. But I didn't want to leave you all hanging so I still updated!

Disclaimer: Life is so unfair!... I still don't own Bleach.

Orihime finally took a breath.

They did it they did it.

They got sole custody.

The judge's finalized decision came in the mail a few days later though the couple knew they had won. It was a bittersweet moment for Orihime and Ichigo as well. Just remembering how it all went down made her sick to her stomach…

Throughout the whole battle Orihime couldn't breathe, speak or even understand what was happening between the lawyers.

And when called to the stand, Orihime remembered to just answer the questions with "Yes", or "No", and only explain herself on if she was asked for clarification.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The judge asked.

"I swear." Orihime lowered her right hand.

Tōsen stood from his chair and walked slowly to the middle of the room. He had taken his orange scarf off but was still wearing the dark shades. "Orihime Kurosaki. That is your name right?"

Orihime nodded. "Yes."

Tōsen walked back and forth without looking at her. "And your son's name is Tamotsu Kurosaki. Correct?"

Orihime nodded again. "Yes."

"And who are you married to?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Can you point to him please?"

Orihime was unsure whether to really point or not but she lifted her finger anyway. Ichigo gave her a tiny smile of encouragement. Tamotsu was sleeping.

"Do you love your husband?" he asked.

Osamu's voice came from nowhere. "Objection. Your honor-"

"Overruled." The judge was a tired looking man; he eyes were so droopy it seemed as if he was sleeping more than he was paying attention. He looked back down at Tōsen. "Proceed."

"Do you love your husband, Mrs. Kurosaki?"

Orihime smiled warily. "Yes, I love my husband very much."

"Then why did you cheat on him?" He stopped but still didn't look up at her.

Orihime took a shaky breath. Osamu didn't prepare her for that type of question. "I… I…" She looked at Osamu then back at Tōsen. "…I don't know."

Tōsen took a second to let everyone in the room soak her answer in.

"Mrs. Kurosaki. Do you regret cheating on your husband?"

Again, Osamu spoke, but he stood up angrily this time around. "Objection. Your honor, this is blatant harassment."

The judged considered. His droopy eyes looked as though they shifted but Orihime couldn't tell from where she was sitting. "… Sustained."

Tōsen sucked in a breath. "Were you recently staying with Sousuke Aizen?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"My kitchen burned down so we needed somewhere to stay the night." Ha! Orihime memorized that one!

"Who is this 'we'?"

"Me and Tamotsu."

"Your son?"

Orihime placed her hand on her belly because she could feel one of the cramps coming along. "Yes."

Tōsen continued to walk. "So you and your son were staying, living with Sousuke Aizen…" He looked up but still not at her. "…for a night?"

Orihime shook her head and breathed through the pain as to not alarm anyone. "For about a week..."

"About a week?"

"Yes, just about." She exhaled and the pain went with it.

"Hmm…" Tōsen adjusted his shades. "In that time, did Aizen and Tamotsu interact?"

"Yes."

"Would you say a lot?"

Orihime shrugged then remembered she shouldn't do that. "A fair amount."

"Has Sousuke Aizen ever indicated to you that he wanted his son?"

"No."

He questions came in fast and Orihime hoped that she could keep up. "Hmm… Mrs. Kurosaki." Tōsen pushed the shades up his nose. "Do you think it is fair to cut Aizen out of his son's life?"

Orihime was taken aback. "Tamotsu already has a father."

There was an air to Tōsen that changed then. "But not his biological father."

Orihime's attitude wasn't getting any better either. "Tamotsu doesn't need two fathers. He's managed just fine with one."

"But not the real one."

"Ichigo is just as real as he is." She was trying her hardest not to raise her voice.

Tōsen shook his head. "Who is this he?"

"Sousuke!"

He finally looked at her face and she could tell that there was something dark and sinister about him, it was in his eyes and Orihime could tell even from under his shades. "Mrs. Kurosaki. I'm not asking you to get upset. I just want everyone to understand the right and the wrong." He turned to the side and walked again. "I'll ask again. Do you think it is fair to cut Aizen out of his son's life?"

Orihime closed her eyes. She had been over the question a thousand times in her head. She honestly didn't know if it was right, but it was wrong of him to do this to her, to her family. To Tamotsu.

"Yes."

Tōsen took off his shades, breathed on them, and rubbed the corner of his shirt on each lenses and placed them back on. "No more questions your honor."

Osamu asked her a few questions too. He asked her if Tamotsu has a good relationship with her. She answered of course. He asked her if she could provide for him. She said that once she gets back on her feet she could, and Ichigo supported them just fine. He asked her… well he asked her a lot of things... Things that she knew that answer to, to show that she was the best parent for Tamotsu.

Then they called Ichigo to the stand, which didn't last long because Ichigo was very stubborn and was hard to question. Then they had Osamu call Aizen to the stand to question him.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

Aizen lifted his right hand before sitting at the stand. "I affirm."

Osamu came around the table. He walked to the stand Aizen was sitting on and smiled up at him. "Hello Aizen, how are you doing today?"

Aizen didn't break the gaze. "I'm doing well, thank you."

Then came the most heartbreakingly obvious question of them all. "Is it true that you had sexual relations with Orihime Kurosaki?"

He smirked. "Yes. Yes it is."

Orihime shook her head. She didn't mean to blurt it out but it was like a word vomit. "It was one sexual relation. Just once."

The judge raised his head in attention. "Mrs. Kurosaki. Please do not interrupt."

Orihime suddenly felt Ichigo's hand rub against her shoulder. "Orihime, its fine…"

She shook her head in stubborn denial. "We only did it once…"

Osamu continued. "And from that sexual encounter, Tamotsu was conceived."

Aizen seemed to look at something in the distance and his smile spread wider. "Yes."

"So you are Tamotsu's biological father?" Osamu asked, bringing him back to the present.

"That's what it states on the paternity test certificate."

Osamu unfastened the remaining button on his jacket and slid his hands in his pockets. "How long have you been active in Tamotsu's life?"

"Since two months ago."

"…Wait." Osamu gave him a look as if he didn't comprehend. "…But Tamotsu is four…"

"Yes" Aizen folded his hands. "He is."

"What reason would you want a four year old for?"

"Simple." Aizen locked eyes with Orihime and she looked down at her hands on the table. "He's my son," she heard him say.

Osamu turned and smiled at the people in their seats. "You honor, people of the courtroom, Mrs. Kurosaki is a woman with a stable home, job, husband and son. She has a family."

Osamu pointed at Aizen who sat across the room. "And for a man like Sosuke Aizen to just barge in and try to take that all from her is ridiculous. Will you all watch that happen as her son is ripped away from her?"

"'A man like Sousuke Aizen'? Are implying that my client is a bad man?" Tōsen's voice deepened. "He has a business and a blossoming one at that. He can financially and medically provide for his son. He has never done one wrong deed on this Earth. Not one strike on his records. On the other hand, the Kurosaki family has a huge target on their backs."

Osamu scoffed. "The Kurosaki family is a family. In what way do they have a target?"

Tōsen pulled a paper from his open briefcase. He lifted it up for the whole room to see. "Was Ichigo Kurosaki just hospitalized after a mugging and shoot-out?"

"Yes, well-"

"He has multiple bullet wounds between his fourth and fifth true ribs and one on his upper shoulder. Please, Osamu, tell me what if Tamotsu was out with him- On second thought, don't."

"Your honor, it still doesn't explain why the Kurosaki family is a target."

Tōsen went on. "Then what about when half of the Kurosaki household was crumbling down in flames? I don't even want to think about what would have happened if Tamotsu was in there."

"That is also true, but-"

"And was the bakery, BabyCakes, owned by the mother, Orihime Kurosaki, not robbed and destroyed?"

"All of it is true! But it was all coincidence! How, in a matter of weeks, do these random acts happen? It's not heard of. It was either organized by God knows who, or by accidental timing."

Tōsen banged his fist on the desk. "You cannot justify those accidents with the mere statements of sheer coincidence! I believe in the truth and the facts!"

The judge knocked on his gavel down twice. "Order, please, conduct yourselves as men." The room quieted down but the atmosphere still stung with keenness. "I feel like we are getting off track here." He rested his head on his hand. "What about Tamotsu? We only want what is in his best interest. That is why we are all here."

Osamu walked towards the judge. "As I was saying before, young Tamotsu has never met this man until six weeks ago. And even then he didn't know who the man was. He has a father and a younger sibling on the way." Osamu turned towards the people. "Why take everything from this four year old boy?" Osamu frowned and removed his glasses. "It's inhumane to take this child from his family… The only thing he knows..." Osamu looked around the room for good measure. "I rest my case."

It went on like that for another hour until the judge finally decided to give Tamotsu to his rightful guardian.

It was such a stressful process that Tamotsu fell asleep in Ichigo's lap thirty minutes in.

At the end of it all, when the people were piling out, Aizen walked over to the couple and shook their hands.

Orihime turned away from him. She couldn't look at that sickening man.

Aizen looked down at the sleeping Tamotsu. "I hope you'll take good care of him."

Orihime exhaled hotly. She removed her hand from him warm palm without a word and placed Tamotsu on her hip and waited for Ichigo by the door.

While Ichigo and Aizen clasped hands, Aizen leaned down and whispered to him. "This is not over yet."

Ichigo's scowl went deeper. "What do you mean?"

"This, all of it… is only the beginning…"

One week later.

Orihime sat up in excitement. "Ichigo! I think I can feel it! I feel something!"

Ichigo slid into the bed and touch her belly bump. "Is it kicking?"

"I think-" A fainted rumbling sound echoed in Orihime's stomach. "No," her body deflated. "I'm just hungry." Orihime had the feeling many times before, she was just waiting for the first real kick.

"I don't think any take-out is still open."

Because Chad was still working on the kitchen, the family had to buy small portions of food or take-out which was completely deceiving the first time because Orihime could have swore that the Chinese food carton was full of noodles instead of steamed broccoli. "I can run down to the 24-hour store for you if it is still hungry."

"No, I'll be fine…" Orihime pulled the blanket up and paused. "But, Ichigo… could we stop calling the baby 'It'. That just sounds so cold."

The man smiled. "Sure, we can call it- I mean the baby anything you want." Ichigo scooted under the covers and turned off the light resting on his nightstand.

Orihime moved under the covers too. "Ichigo… I meant to talk to you about that…"

"About what?" He turned to look at her. He could make out her lips and rounded nose in the dark.

Orihime turned and looked back at him. "I want to know the gender."

"Of the baby?"

Orihime nodded he ears strained in the dark until they adjusted to the dim lighting. "It would be easier for everyone! I would know what to buy, what colors to get. And we have that appointment next week after we postponed it for the twentieth time."

"That reminds me." He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her as close as he could with the exception of her tiny baby bump. "I'll give up my office for the baby room."

Orihime grinned. "Really?!"

It was Ichigo's turn to nod. "I told you we would get over this bump in the road."

The woman snuggled closer. "Yeah, we are doing well, aren't we?"

Later that night, Ichigo felt something poke at him repeatedly.

He pushed it away with his hand and rolled over.

The culprit wouldn't give up and he continued to poke and push.

Ichigo mumbled incoherently and the child furrowed his brow in a mixture of confusion and frustration.

"Daddy… daddy…" Tamotsu shook his father's shoulder. "…Daddy…"

Ichigo groaned and muttered: "What is it, Tamotsu?"

"…Daddy, I had a bad dream…"

Ichigo slowly rolled back over and turned on his lamp. Tamotsu stared up at his father unhappily.

The man wiped his hand down his face. "What's wrong champ?" Ichigo asked.

Tamotsu's wide brown eyes blinked twice. His hair flopped down in dark brown clumps. "I had a bad dream…"

Ichigo yawned and glanced at his alarm. It was near three.

After a few deeps breaths, Ichigo realized that he had to move the party elsewhere because Orihime and the baby had to get their much needed rest.

Ichigo walked his son back to his room. The walls were still a faded orangey-tangerine and he now had a miniature bed with green and orange pillows. Ichigo hated the color scheme, but Orihime loved it so the subject was never discussed... and he never objected.

Whatever made her happy made him happy.

Tamotsu climbed into his bed and so did Ichigo. They stayed up, staring at the ceiling and talking. Talking about what foods they liked and how pretty Mommy was. They talked about his bad dreams.

"When I close my eyes, like mommy tells me to, and I go to sleep, I have the same dream…"

Ichigo let Tamotsu play with his hand. The child traced the deep lines and ridges in his large palm and smiled. "What happens in your dream?"

"Well… I go to sleep and then I wake up and… and I'm in a big bed, but it's just not mine…"

"Huh…" Ichigo considered. "Whose bed are you in?"

Tamotsu shrugged and pressed down on each of Ichigo's fingers. "I know I was there before… but I vaguely remember…"

Ichigo was impressed at his son's use of words. "What else happens?"

"This man comes in the room… I call him Mister. He pulls the blanket up like this, see." Tamotsu put his feet under the covers and pulled the blanket up to his chin. "Just like that. See daddy?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Then he kisses me on the forehead. Right here." He pointed at his skull. "Right where mommy kisses me. Then he says 'Goodnight Tamotsu,' just like that. Then he walks out of the room."

Ichigo furrowed his brow. "Why is that a bad dream?"

"Because…" Tamotsu slowly frowned and his eyes began to feel prickly with tears. "…because no matter how hard I scream for Mister… he never comes back…"

…

"Wow…" Orihime looked around the kitchen. She smoothed her hand over the cool marble countertop. She opened the cherry-chocolate colored cabinets and closed it over and over again, amazed by how smoothly the door moved back and forth.

She could just imagine herself cooking up a storm.

Mixing in the new bowls she'll buy and using the new equipment she just ordered… Twirling around like Betty Crocker in a plaid dress while Ichigo sits at the table with a newspaper saying: "Breakfast smells delicious honey!"

Then she would say: "Of course it does! I made it just for you!"

And Tamotsu would be sitting like the gentlemen he is and he'll mock Ichigo just like he does. "Mommy, breakfast smells delicious!"

Then-

"Orihime?"

The woman blinked a few times. "H-huh?"

Orihime turned around and saw Chad and Tamotsu staring at her.

She chuckled. "I'm sorry! It's just that it looks amazing in here. Just wonderful!"

The sides of Chad's lips inched up. "I tried."

"Nonsense, this is fabulous. I can't believe you managed to turn the heap of burnt mess into a cook-able work space." She pointed at the door to the laundry room. "The back room looks great too. All we need is that new washer and dryer to come in."

Chad tipped his hat. "Anything for you and Ichigo. I'm finally repaying him for that dispute I had with my inheritance."

"Oh yeah, the necklace. Ichigo did help you with that." Orihime smiled and made a giddy sound from the pit of her stomach. "Either way, I'm sure he would have done it without the repayment." Orihime sighed and looked around the room again. "The décor is amazing."

"A friend helped me on that end."

"Tell them I said thanks." Orihime smiled at the rest of the room. "I always wanted an island!"

"I wasn't exactly sure about this. Ichigo suggested it. I'm not big on marble and children." The duo looked at Tamotsu who was completely oblivious to the conversation. "They don't mix well together."

Orihime nodded in understanding. "I'll keep Tamotsu away. And our little bun here."

Chad picked up his toolbox. "How far along are you now?"

"Oh, just about eighteen weeks. Everything is going A-okay. I have an appointment in a few days and Ichigo and I decided that we want to know the gender!"

Chad smiled, or at least the sides of his mouth lifted a little.

"Do want to come with us to lunch?"

Chad shook his head. "I'm not hungry."

Orihime tugged on the arm of the tall man. "Aw, come on! Please!"

"I have somewhere to be." He grumbled and averted his eyes.

She looked at him tanned face… was he… was he blushing? Orihime gasped. "It's a girl! It's a girl isn't it?!"

His face became redder and Tamotsu wondered if he could make his face look like that.

"Do I know her? Who is she?" Orihime bounced in place, unable to keep still with such a secret.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Just a friend..."

Knowing Chad, Orihime knew that that was all she was going to get out of him.

The woman sighed in defeat. "Well I hope you and this 'friend' has a nice lunch." Orihime took Tamotsu's hand and walked out.

…

Ichigo looked down at his phone and cursed Kyōraku to every kind of hell. His phone rang and he answered.

"Kuro-"

"I know. I saw."

"We can't cover this!" Ishida shouted into the phone. He immediately reeled himself back. "This is out and in one of the biggest papers, one of our enemies. We don't have the means to take this back from the public. Seireitei Communication's reach is too wide and far. The press is eating this shit up." Ichigo heard his friend inhale. "Kurosaki, you really fucked us over."

Ichigo took a deep breath and looked out of the car's window. "We have to talk about this later."

"What can possibly be more important than this right n-?"

Ichigo clicked end and pushed the phone in his back pocket. He would deal with Ishida later.

The man parked and got out of the car. He walked down the street and came to a restaurant.

He told the host his reservations and was quickly seated in a corner booth.

Orihime and Tamotsu came in soon after.

"Hey." Ichigo stood wrapped her arms around her waist. He bent his neck down and kissed her deeply.

When they broke apart Orihime gasped for air and smiled up at him uneasily. "What has you in such a state?!"

The man smiled down at his wife. "…Nothing." His hand remained around her waist and he squeezed her side. "I just love you too much to keep it all in."

Orihime gave him a funny look but sat down anyway.

Ichigo ordered pasta, Orihime ordered two sandwiches, and Tamotsu got chicken fingers and fries from the kids' menu.

The child munched on a fry dipped in honey mustard and grinned at his father. "Daddy, I painted a popsicle model of a house today!"

Ichigo grinned back. "Oh, really? What color?"

"I painted the house red and the grass green and the windows white… Um…" Tamotsu picked up another fry and chewed on a chicken finger in his other hand. "I painted the roof blue!"

Ichigo's phone vibrated in his pocket but he didn't pick it up. Orihime stopped chewing and waited for him to pick it up but he didn't. "A blue and red house, huh. When it's all dry, bring it home so I can see it."

It continued vibrating in the song rung in his wife's ears.

"Yes!" Tamotsu shoved another fry in his mouth and Orihime told him to slow down in an irritated voice. He apologized for his manners but went on with his story. "And, daddy, you know what else we did?"

Ichigo's phone vibrated again and the table went quiet.

Orihime sighed heavily. "Ichigo…"

The man pushed a noodle over on his plate. "Ignore it."

It vibrated again.

"Answer it, please." Orihime willed him with her eyes.

Ichigo wiped his lips with a napkin and answered his phone. He stood and walked away from their table.

Orihime took a breath. There was an odd tension in the air with him and she didn't want him to have to force a conversation with them.

Tamotsu pushed a chicken finger over the table until it nudged Orihime on the hand. "You can have one, Mommy!"

"Thank you!" Orihime took a bite out of the crispy meat.

"We have to go, now." Orihime looked up at Ichigo who suddenly appeared over her. He was texting quickly on his phone.

"But we just got here!" she whined. "Do you have to go?" Orihime took a napkin and wiped the corners of Tamotsu's honey mustard covered mouth. "Is it a new client?"

"Something like that…" Ichigo flipped open his wallet and placed the money down on the table. "I called a car. It should be waiting outside for you."

Orihime pulled Tamotsu out of the booth. "You aren't coming?"

Ichigo looked up from his phone. "No. I have to go back to office. But whatever you hear, do not jump to conclusions until I explain it to you."

"What conclusions? -Ichigo!" Ichigo held her forearm and ushered her out of the restaurant while holding Tamotsu by the hand.

As he said, a silver company car was awaiting outside for them. He told the driver to send them straight home.

"Don't watch the news until I get there." He instructed her.

"But why…?"

"Don't leave the house either." Ichigo looked down at his phone once more. "I have to go." He kissed her over the window then walked off around the corner to his own car.

The company car drove away.

One day later.

"I don't understand why we have to go shopping now. We've managed fine without a bunch of groceries…"

"Ichigo, the kitchen is finished so we need some food to go inside of it." After the mini fiasco at the restaurant yesterday, Ichigo was acting completely strange. He made her unplug the phones and close the curtains.

He was about to unplug the television, but Orihime had to promise that she wouldn't watch the news or any recent news or entertainment shows. "Besides, I don't trust others to cook food for me and my baby, especially if it's from a take-out menu."

They walked down a few aisles, placing things they needed and didn't need cart where Tamotsu was napping.

"This is a lifesaver!" Orihime picked up a box of heating pads for the back. "I used these sometimes when I was with Tamotsu." She placed them in the shopping cart.

"Do you think it'll be painful this time around?" Ichigo added a bottle of her favorite scented lotion to the cart, careful not to drop it on the sleeping Tamotsu who was way past his nap time.

"I'd rather not think about that." Orihime smiled up at him. "But I can't wait anymore. I want to meet him… or her so bad."

"Once we find out the gender we can start narrowing down names."

"Right! We haven't decided on those yet." Orihime turned down another aisle hoping that Ichigo didn't see the sign.

"If it's a girl, I was thinking along the lines of Ai or Azami."

Orihime wrinkled her nose.

Ichigo frowned. "You don't like those?"

"I want the name to come to me, just like Tamotsu. I want to feel it like… Oreos!" Orihime reached for the beautiful blue and white box but Ichigo grabbed her wrist.

He shook his head. "You can't have those. Orihime, you know better."

Her lip poked out and her voice became a whine. "I deserve a tiny snack!"

Ichigo's phone vibrated and he walked a few feet away. Orihime could hear a few muffled swears.

She placed the box of Oreos in the cart and Tamotsu rubbed his heavy eye lids. He looked around wondering how he got inside of a shopping cart, and more importantly, why a box of Oreos was on his lap.

Ichigo clicked his phone off and walked back over to the cart.

"What was all that about?" Orihime asked.

"Some things were leaked to the press… Are we done here? We need to leave." Ichigo took control of the cart and pushed it all the way down the aisle. Orihime tried hard to keep up.

"Is… Is all of this about the custody case?"

"What? No." Ichigo turned a sharp corner to the checkout line.

"Is this about what he said to you?"

"Who?"

Orihime huffed at his ignorance. "What did Aizen say to you?" It was on her mind for a while now, but she didn't say anything because she hoped that if the issue didn't arise, it would leave from her mind. But Orihime was never one to just drop a subject that was throbbing at her head.

Ichigo placed the groceries onto the conveyer belt. "Huh?"

"What did he say before we left the courthouse?!"

"He…" Ichigo looked down at Tamotsu and picked up a box of oatmeal from the cart. "He told me that… I better be a good father."

"He has no right." Orihime rubbed her hand on his bicep. "You are an amazing father."

Ichigo stopped stacking the food and looked at his wife. "….really?"

She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "The best!"

Ichigo lifted his son out of the cart and placed him on the ground. His wife took Tamotsu and Ichigo grabbed the groceries.

Orihime walked out of the store, and suddenly, a large flash blinded her.

"How long did you know about Ichigo and Rukia's affair?" A woman and a man with a flashing camera shoved against her.

Orihime was stunned and blinked at another flash. "…Wha-What?!"

"Mommy!" Tamotsu clutched her shirt and wrapped his legs around her torso tighter.

Someone from behind with a camera shouted at her. "What relationship do you have with Rukia Kuchiki?"

"If this issue arose beforehand, do you think it would have had an effect on the court's decision?"

"Did you know that he was privately funding her with housing and clothing?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Orihime held Tamotsu close. Where was Ichigo?

"Are you and your husband divorcing? And if not now, later?"

"Will your husband's infidelity affect the previous custody battle?" More flashes. More lights. More questions.

Someone grabbed Orihime's free hand and pulled her out of the mob. Ichigo pushed them both into a car shouted at the driver to pull out.

The last scene was actually longer (In fact, this whole chapter was longer than I expected), but I had to cut it short because so it could start off the next chapter.

Rocka.