A/N: Another week, another chapter! This chapter is just another filler, but an important chapter nonetheless! Please bare with me here, I know the story is moving slow as opposed to the beginning but it'll be worth it in the long run.
Disclaimer: I'm running out of things to say in the disclaimer…! Anyway, I don't own Bleach.
Two and a half weeks later.
Orihime lifted the shirt off the rack and pressed it against Tamotsu's chest.
"I think that'll fit…" Orihime couldn't tell. He was just growing every day. She made a split decision and draped the shirt over her arm. "I'll get it anyway."
"Mommy!" Tamotsu lifted his finger to his mouth. "My tooth is wiggling!" He smiled up wide for her to see.
She leaned down so she could get a closer look. He grinded his teeth together and sure enough the front one was loose. "Oh, that's wonderful, Monkey." She patted his head.
The mother and her son went to the check out to pay for the shirt and a few other outfits for Tamotsu.
It was a cute store. Perfect for all their shopping needs and only a ten minute walk from Isshin's.
The line was pretty long, but only because the woman in front of her had a boat load of junk to buy. Behind her the line began to pile and the register next to them opened up.
"…Hey… hey, I think I know you…" Orihime turned around. A woman with stringy blond hair smiled at her. She had a rounded belly and Orihime assumed she was pregnant.
"Huh?"
She squint her eyes. "I think I saw you in that magazine…"
"Oh, um…" Orihime averted her eyes. "I wouldn't know…"
The blond woman shrugged and sighed heavily. She looked new to the whole pregnancy thing.
Orihime tugged at Tamotsu's arm and he dropped his hand from his tooth.
"So, how far along are you?" She asked and the line moved up a little.
Orihime rubbed her stomach. It had gotten just a tad bit bigger in the past days. "…Twenty-two weeks."
"Really? So am I!" She patted her own stomach and smiled in triumph.
…But… her belly was bigger. Much bigger. It looked as if her child was just beginning to gain a human form. Orihime's belly looked as if it was holding a half deflated volleyball.
"Oh…"
"Miss." The cashier waved her hand and gave an irritated 'ah-hm'. "We have to keep the line going…"
Orihime placed the cloths on the counter. "I… I don't think I'll be getting any of this..." She took Tamotsu's hand firmly and dragged him out the store.
…
"Tamotsu, finish your plate."
Tamotsu harrumphed and pushed pea over on his plate. He was trying all night to avoid those tiny green veggies.
Isshin crossed his arms and frowned. "Tamotsu, you told me you wanted to be big and strong just like me!"
Tamotsu looked up from his plate, smiled and nodded. "I want to be big a strong just like grandpa!"
Isshin leaned in and cupped his hands around his mouth in a whisper. "Do you want to know the secret to being big and strong?"
Tamotsu leaned in too, completely intrigued.
Orihime giggled.
Isshin looked behind him to make sure no one was listening. Tamotsu did the same.
"I… I ate… peas." Tamotsu gasped at the revelation. Isshin nodded. "I ate peas every day, all of my life."
Tamotsu sat back down and stared at his plate. There were still remnants of chicken left, the mash potatoes had completely disappeared, and there was the slightest dent in the group of peas.
Without another word, Tamotsu grabbed his fork and hulked the tiny, green vegetables all down.
"Tamotsu slow down!" Orihime placed a hand on his back and he glanced up at her. "Mommy, I'm going to be big and strong!" He flexed his slim arms and grinned at her with green teeth.
"That's wonderful." Then she remembered something. "Tamotsu, did you tell grandpa about what happened to you today?"
The child sat back and thought for a moment. "Oh! Grandpa, I have a loose tooth. See?!" Tamotsu wiggled the tooth for all to see.
"Well I guess we do have a big and strong man on our hands!"
Tamotsu blushed at Isshin's praise.
Orihime took Tamotsu's plate and walked to the kitchen sink. "Tamotsu, go get ready for bed. I'll be up in a minute."
Tamotsu smirked and slid out of the chair. He ran quickly up the stairs and jumped into bed before his mother could change her mind about the rest of the peas.
She walked back to the table and took the rest of the plates. "Thank you, Isshin. I don't think I would have ever gotten him to eat his vegetables."
"My pleasure!" Isshin sat back and closed his eyes. "You just make such a wonderful dinner."
"It's nothing really… How about tomorrow I make castella for dessert?!"
Isshin hummed. "Sounds delicious… That's Ichigo's favorite, right?"
Orihime paused at the sink. Her hands were sudsy from all of the soapy dish water. "…One of his favorites…."
Isshin opened an eye. "… Orihime, come here my child."
Orihime dried her hands off and came back to the table. "Yes Isshin?"
"I love you like you are one of my own. So I have to ask… Are you happy being with my son?"
Orihime was shocked. No one had actually asked her that questioned. They either assumed or didn't pry. And if they did, they only gave her advice… But never had someone truly asked her about her happiness.
"Um… Life with him has its ups and downs but-"
Isshin lifted a hand to stop her and shook his head. "That's not what I asked you."
Orihime bit the inside of her cheek and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She had never actually been under close scrutiny from Isshin. "…Well… I think I am- But don't get me wrong, I love you son, I really love Ichigo and I'm happy. But when it's bad- and it gets bad- of course I'm not happy… But when I think about it… all of the times when it was good make up for every time it was bad… I'm extremely happy being with Ichigo. He makes the wrong decisions but he has good intentions, I know they are." Orihime took a deep breath. "But he's so impulsive and hard-headed and just… irking! He frustrates the… the… the hell out of me." Orihime smiled at her swear word. "But God I love that man."
She realized that she was gripping the table cloth and looked up at Isshin.
He was smiling, almost on the verge of laughing.
"What's so funny?" Orihime asked cautiously.
"Nothing… nothing." Isshin continued to smile.
Orihime went up to bed after that. On her way up the stairs Isshin burst into laughter.
She still never found out why he laughed so hard.
The next night.
"Have a good night, Kurosaki-san."
Ichigo waved a quick hand at his receptionist. "Night, Lisa." He looked back down at his computer which didn't say anything in particular. At first, he thought or at least he told himself that he was writing a report or a review or something like that, but it ended up being a collection of meaningless words on a half typed paper.
For the past two weeks he had been spending extra hours at the office just because… because…
Because you don't want to go home to an empty house.
Ichigo blew out hot air and sank back into his chair.
He opened the top drawer to his desk and pulled out two rings. It wasn't warm anymore, not like when she took them off. They were hard and cold.
He remembered how he proposed…
Her expression and how she stopped breathing…
He thought he killed her... well, she didn't die, obviously, but she did freeze in place until he told her to breathe.
After he sat her down and got her some water, she said yes.
The man smiled.
Maybe he should call… No, what if they weren't awake? What if Isshin picked up? What if it was Orihime? What would he say?
I miss you and I'm sorry.
Pathetic. He knew that.
But he missed her. He missed her so much.
Maybe he would just try, just to see what would happen…
…
Orihime piled back the wrapper to the Hershey Bar and grinned in delight.
Through all of the inconvenient drama going on in her life, chocolate was her only vice.
She took a bite and smiled. Between shopping, cooking, and eating chocolate, Orihime would be sleeping. But she could never sleep at night. It was like the baby had a whole night life and loved to party and squirm around midnight until four o'clock.
…Which was fine by Orihime because she was able to eat chocolate without Isshin on her back about how much caffeine she was digesting.
Orihime walked back to the living room. She sat down on the sofa just in time for the last commercial to begin.
It was an older woman and her husband, smiling at each other over a dinner table. The older woman told the camera that if it wasn't for the new dating cite, she would have never found her soul mate. The person she'd been waiting for all her life.
Orihime touched her now empty finger. It felt so weird. Light and… and, well, weird... Just weird…
She never realized how different she would feel without the rings on her finger.
Or how empty.
The phone rang and Orihime picked it up without another thought.
"Hello, Kurosaki residence."
Her heart gave that rough tug when she heard his voice. "Hey…"
She heard some shuffling in the background.
"The news is kind of dying down so I'll be down there tomorrow afternoon…" There was silence. "Are you still there?"
Orihime pulled her feet under her because they were cold. "I don't know what to say…"
Ichigo closed his eyes and laid his head on his desk. "I hate this…"
"How do you think I feel?"
"I had to do what I had to do. I was helping-" Ichigo stopped his self before he made himself angry. "I don't know how many times I have to say it, Orihime. I'm sorry."
"Words aren't enough for me, Ichigo. At least… not anymore…" Orihime leaned her head on the couch arm. "Why are you calling so late anyway?"
"I can't sleep." He opened his eyes in alarm. "Why are you up so late? You should be sleeping."
The woman took another bite out of the chocolate bar. "I can't sleep either."
"I can't… I can't take being apart from you and Tamotsu from this long." Ichigo sat up and powered down his computer.
"Ichigo…" Orihime turned the television volume down with the remote. She wanted to tell him that she missed him too, but that would be giving up. "I'm not sure if I can handle any of it anymore."
"Any of what?"
"Any of… us. I can't mentally or physically take us anymore…"
Ichigo blinked a few times, confused. "If you're talking about a divorce…"
Orihime surprised herself and gave a tiny yawn. "Look, Ichigo… I'm getting a little tired."
"We can't just leave this conversation as it is..."
Orihime adjusted her position on the couch until she was comfortable. "Let's talk about this tomorrow." She pressed the end button and placed the phone back in its place.
The television was left on and Orihime had fallen asleep within seconds. It didn't feel like long before she was awoken by a tiny poke.
"Ichigo…" she whispered. "Ichigo... stop that…"
Tamotsu cocked his head to the side and pushed at her arm again. Why were grownups so hard to wake up? "…Mommy."
Orihime repositioned herself on the couch and then rolled over again.
"Mommy." Tamotsu frowned at her.
She finally opened her grey eyes. "…Tamotsu?" She opened her eyes wider in confusion and pushed her long hair out of her face. "What are you doing up?"
He stuttered on his words. "I-I had a b-bad dream."
"Oh, honey," Orihime wondered how she got a blanket on her; maybe it was Isshin's doing, but she opened the blanket and let her son crawl inside.
He sighed at her warmth and asked her a question that she never heard before.
"Say that again…?"
Tamotsu yawned. "Will Mister come back?"
Orihime shifted under the blanket so she could see his face. "Why... why would you say that?"
"Well…" The child's big brown eyes looked down at the blanket. "Mister comes into my dreams, my bad dreams." Tamotsu sat up so he could see over her baby bump. "I see him when I go to sleep."
Orihime eyes widened. She knew for a fact… she knew for a fact that Aizen is the only person who Tamotsu calls Mister. "What happens?" Orihime slid off of the sofa so she could kneel in front of her son who was sitting down. "What does he do to you?"
Tamotsu thought for a moment. He wrinkled his nose and brought his finger up to his mouth to wiggle his tooth. Orihime waited patiently until he finally spoke. "Sometimes I have bad dreams about daddy leaving me…" He lowered his head then looked back up at his mother again. "…Then Mister comes and tucks me into bed, like you do. He tells me that he loves me and he says 'Goodnight Tamotsu', then he leaves me in the bed."
Orihime searched his face for anything else. "That's it?"
Tamotsu blinked. "I call for him but he never comes back… then I wake up."
She couldn't believe what she was about to tell him. She moved up closer to him on her knees. "Tamotsu, Monkey…" She held the side of his warm face. "…Mister doesn't exist… do you understand me?" She took a deep breath. "Do you understand the word 'exist'? …The baby exists," Orihime took his hand and placed it on her belly. "Me and you exist... But Mister does not. He isn't real."
He crumbled his brow. "But… I've seen him. I played I Declare War with him…"
She held his arms tightly and gently shook him, willing his young mind to understand. "He was never here. It was all a dream... You never met him or played with him… Tamotsu, do you understand me?"
He was out of their lives! Why did he manage to slip his way back inside her home? Into the one person who she loved the most?
Tamotsu slowly nodded.
Orihime brought Tamotsu up into a hug and held him tightly. "I love you."
His face was wedged between her chest and her arms and he couldn't breathe. "Mommy, you're hurting me!"
The next day.
The silvered haired man slid one icy blue eye over one face to the next.
They were fools all of them.
Even the ring leader, the one at the head of the table.
The number one fool of them all….
"I think it's about time we move our plan into action."
A long smile stretched across his face. "I think we should let 'em scramble around some more. I like seeing 'em flounder."
He needed to buy himself some more time…
Aizen's dark eyes flickered to the smirking man. "I don't see why."
"I would like ta think that ya would let them suffer some more. Aw, Aizen-sama!" He leaned up in his chair and placed mock distress into his voice. "Don't tell me ya go'n all soft on me now!"
Tōsen frowned. "Gin's right." The silver haired man grinned some more when he saw that it brought the man great discomfort to agree with him. "If we move too fast everything could go awry."
His smile broadened.
Aizen turned in his chair, away from his associates.
"…We'll see."
As Gin walked out of his office, he couldn't help but feel that slither of hope. The hope that maybe, just maybe, he could bring things back to where they belonged.
But hope was a dangerous thing.
Gin frowned.
It was better to believe to have no hope at all then to let that tiny slither of light break through one's resolve and have their tower of defense come crumbling down.
No, Aizen would bid his time… and so would Gin.
He was planning on it.
…
"Are you all ready?" Isshin lifted his brow at his grandchild.
Tamotsu nodded, exasperated.
Isshin hummed, considering. "If you left that room a mess you're going to get it!"
Tamotsu giggled at his grandfather's attempt to be authoritative. "Yes!"
"Let's go play ball!"
The boys went outside and Orihime finished folding Tamotsu's tiny shirts and pants. They always left clothes at Isshin's just so they could stop over and spend the night anytime they wanted. She just didn't know that they'd end up staying for about a month.
The front door opened and closed loudly.
"Tamotsu, what did I tell you about slamming the door?" Orihime crammed all of the folded clothes into her basket. "Now try it again-"
He stood in front of her, hands in his pockets, a faint smile on his lips. "…Hey hun..."
Ichigo stuck out his hands and Orihime recoiled. She didn't know why she did; she didn't even want to recoil. Where did that come from?
Shock crossed Ichigo's features and his amber eyes expanded. His smile dropped though he was trying his hardest to keep it up.
He then lowered himself onto the couch next to her. "I've missed you so much…" He looked at the pile of laundry. "Do you want me to take that?" He reached out to take it but Orihime pushed it away from him.
Ichigo inhaled.
He had dark circles under his eyes and his face looked a tad bit thinner, Orihime observed.
Orihime exhaled.
"Are you ready to go?"
Orihime continued to stare at him. He just seemed different. He wasn't Ichigo anymore but someone completely different.
"I, um… I," Ichigo dug into his pocket and pulled out two rings. He sat on the couch next to her. "I saved these for you…"
Orihime furrowed her brow and she finally spoke. "I'm not taking those back."
His jaw dropped. "Why not?"
"I'm not taking that back until you show me that you can be a good husband and father…"
"I'm trying Orihime. I'm here aren't I?" He shook his head unbelievingly. "Now, please… I need you."
The woman rubbed her arm worriedly. "I… I missed you and I needed you and you weren't here." Orihime looked into his eyes. He looked so sad. "You left me here. Why would you do that…?" The woman lifted her hand to his cheek and rubbed her thumb across the skin there.
The man took her hand and kissed her palm. "I know and I'm sorry but it was the only thing I could think of to keep you safe. The last thing I wanted was to put the world into our business…" He sighed and squeezed her hand again. "I'm sorry."
The door slammed open and this time Tamotsu and Isshin came running through. "Hey! We saw the car out front!" Isshin quieted down as he saw the scene before him.
Tamotsu couldn't believe his eyes at first but soon ran to his father. "Daddy!" Ichigo let the child jump up into a hug. "Are we going home daddy?" Tamotsu asked.
Ichigo looked at Orihime. She lowered her eyes and sighed. Ichigo turned back to Tamotsu. "Yes. We're going home."
So if you guys would all take a step back a revisit chapter one, when Rukia got into the car and told Ichigo what happened to her she mentioned a little something about Gin…
We all know Gin likes to pull the strings from behind, but how?
I promise, in the next chapter (Chapter 11), which is really long, the majority of all of your questions will be answered!
Rocka.