I'm so sorry that this chap is late. We had a couple of deaths both in the family and a friend's family. And they snuck up on us. Not only that but my mental health has been suffering a bit too because of stress. I have been working on the story- it's just very slow going right now.

It was rare, but from time-to-time Sullivan would come across people of other races...that utterly terrified even him. And here and now, staring at the deceptively innocent smile of the human man that had just introduced to him, he couldn't help but feel that he'd come across one of those people. Again.

"Uh, well, the laws of the Netherworld greatly differ from human laws." Sullivan said, trying to put into words that there was no concept of innocent until proven guilty where he lived. The Netherworld was a world brimming with demons and wickedness.

Usually if someone broke a law there- they were guilty regardless of the reason/reasons for breaking the law. No one was entirely innocent. Though he would admit that there were a few times where things weren't so cut and dry, or black and white.

But those times were typically few and far between.

The human's smile didn't slip, nor change in the least as he continued to stare Sullivan down. "I'm aware that human laws and the laws of the Netherworld are probably vastly different. But I'm still willing to give it a shot there, anyway. That is if you don't mind my tagging along."

The elderly demon stared at the man with unblinking eyes for a moment or two, trying to imagine just why the human wanted so badly to practice his trade in such a lawless, hostile, and inhospitable place. But didn't seem able to come up with any ideas.

"Young man-"

"Mizuiro, sir." The human corrected, politely.

"Ah, right. Mizuiro, may I ask why it is that you seem so keen to go to the Netherworld? I cannot fathom a reason good enough to understand your motives. And I do not simply think that it is because of my heir. If I like your answer, then I might consider taking you with me as part of a new project that I'd like to offer to the citizens of the Netherworld."

"Oh, of course. Well, it's like this. Ichigo is my mother," Isshin, who had been taking a drink of his tea right about then, suddenly and abruptly turned his head and spit his drink out. And then whipped his head around to look at the young man with a funny expression that practically screamed WTF. Mizuiro ignored his reaction as well as the shocked and stupefied expressions being shot his way by the others in the room and went on to say, "And I'd like to stay close to her even if it means plying my trade in a possibly hazardous place. That's all."

Sullivan stared at the human man for several speechless heartbeats. Unable to completely tell whether or not he had just been lied to. Or if the ridiculous story was supposed to tug at his heartstrings.

Finally, he turned his head to look at Opera, who seemed just as surprised as everyone else. But managed to recover enough to ask the human, "Your mother?"

"Yes." Mizuiro replied with a warm smile. Opera studied the man and then looked at his master as if to say, Well what now? After all, they had come to the human world expecting to leave with one person. And now it was looking like they would possibly be leaving with more.

Opera wasn't sure if he liked the idea of too many people being in his master's home. One or two was fine, since there was a certain sort of satisfaction that came from the excitement and chaos that they would bring. But more than that might be too much for him.

"How?" Kyoraku demanded as he leaned forward in his seat a little bit.

"Adoption."

"Wait- You mean those papers actually went through?!" Isshin blurted out in something akin to horror as he stared at the young man.

"That's right. Oh, hang on. I'll show you since I took pictures of the adoption certificate once I had it framed," Mizuiro said as he pulled something out of his pocket and did something with his fingers and then held it out to Isshin with a little, triumphant sounding, "Tada."

Isshin snatched the object out of Mizuiro's hand and practically pressed his face against the object held in his hand just to see what the young man had pulled up. There was a stained silence for a heartbeat or two before he finally moved the object back away from his face a bit and let out a pained sounding groan.

"Oh, that brat." He muttered as he held the object back out to Mizuiro.

"Try not to think too badly of us." Mizuiro said gently. "When I found out that I had cancer three years ago, I asked Ichigo to adopt me and give me the experiences that I lacked when I was still young since my parents basically abandoned me."

"Cancer huh? How bad is it?" Renji asked in concern.

"It's terminal now. I have a year, maybe less before my time is up." Mizuiro replied, and the other three men across from Sullivan and Opera all got sad looks on their faces.

"Damn, man. I'm sorry." Renji said as he pushed himself away from the wall to walk over to the human and gave him an impromptu hug.

The hug startled Mizurio, mainly because he wasn't used to his friends hugging him aside from Ichigo, Kago, and Orihime. Rukia too, if she happened to be around him for one reason or another. Yet, he wasn't upset nor bothered by the brief display of affection from his non-human former classmate.

If anything, the fact that he was getting hugged by Renji just seemed to make the hug itself more priceless since the red-haired man wasn't an overly affectionate or touchy-feely person. Which only made him appreciate the affection more.

"I know that you probably don't want to talk about it- but...uh,"

"I'm not going to be reaper, Renji." Mizuiro said, not upset in the least by the abrupt shift in conversation. "I'm going to be reincarnated as Ichigo's biological child."

"Really? She's going to do that?" Renji asked, sounding a bit surprised.

Mizuiro merely grinned at him, but that grin fell when Isshin decided to chime in with, "You'll be a girl."

"Nu-uh." Mizuiro said in vague alarm. Apparently not liking the idea of being reincarnated as a girl.

Renji guffawed at the mere idea of the human man becoming a baby girl. And Kyoraku and Isshin both sniggered, equally amused by the idea.

At least until Mizuiro finally said, "Well since you seem so intent on cursing me... I guess that I have no choice but to tell mom what you said."

"Hey-" Isshin said in a strained tone as he sort of cowered.

"Whoa. Let's not get crazy now." Kyoraku said as he put his hands up in a placating manner.

"Tell Ichigo. Tell her." Renji said in a loud whisper tone and then smirked evilly at the other two men when Mizuiro decided to go ahead and do that. Earning them both glares.

Up until then, Sullivan and Opera had been observing all of them in an effort to figure out where exactly the human, Mizuiro fit into things. It helped to know that he had been adopted. And his reasons for wanting to stay close to Sullivan's heir.

And in all honesty, since the young man was dying- Sullivan wouldn't mind taking him to the Netherworld to live out the rest of his short life. Especially since it would give him the chance to have a grandchild. Though he was a tad bit bummed about the fact that Mizuiro was already fully grown. Still...he could dote on him a bit as he was and then once he was reincarnated, he would have the chance to dote on him completely!

It was a win-win.

He was about to tell the young man the good news, but Mizuiro had called his 'mom' on his cell phone and Sullivan didn't wish to interrupt. Besides, he had the chance to finally hear his heir's voice for the first time ever. He wasn't going to miss out on that!

As it was, Opera had leaned forward in his seat so that his elbows were resting on his knees as his heir's voice filled the room.

"What's up, Mi?"

Mizuiro smiled sweetly and looked at Isshin as he said in a mock sad tone just full of crocodile tears. "Grandpa Isshin cursed me."

"No, I didn't!" Isshin shouted in denial. "I didn't do a damned thing."

"He did, Ichigo- I heard him." Renji said with an amused grin.

"Traitor! You were laughing about it too, Renji!"

Renji's smile vanished for a second and he glared at Isshin and hissed out, "Stop trying to drag me down with you."

"Okay guys, that's enough yelling. Mizuiro, tell me what dad said."

"He said that I'd be reincarnated as a girl."

There was a heartbeat or so of silence before the woman's voice let out an aggravated sounding, "Seriously?"

"I was just thinking-" Isshin said, trying to defend himself when the woman's voice cut him off again, this time it was coming from inside of the room. Which startled everyone.

Sullivan and Opera were both looking around for the source of the sound when Opera suddenly felt a pressure in his lap and blinked as someone materialized there.

It was the young woman from before. The one who had been grabbed and carried off screaming shortly after their arrival at this place. The cat demon would recognize the reddish-blond hair on her head anywhere. Though the style was vastly different from before, and she was wearing a vivid purple dress with black feathers on it.

Still...the fact that she had materialized in his lap was a bit problematic. Especially since he couldn't see her face.

And being able to see the face of his future lady was something that was necessary to cement certain bonds in place for him as a Security Devil who was bound to serve her as well as his master.

Yet despite that he was also reluctant to move and disturb her as she grabbed a cushion that Sullivan had had tucked underneath one of his arms, propping it up and fired it at Isshin. The cushion hit the man in the face, causing his head to snap back on his neck before he went limp and flopped over.

"Stop thinking of my son as a girl! It's not funny. At all. And Mizuiro, make nice with pappy please. He's an old man and won't be around forever." 'Pappy' made choking sounds at both being called Pappy and old.

"Yes, mom!" Mizuiro chirped happily.

"Yes, Ichigo!" Renji echoed. And got himself shoved playfully by Mizuiro as the woman made a face at the red-haired Reaper before then turning to Kyoraku and pointing at him as she gritted out.

"And you... Stop. Narking. On. Me."

Kyoraku hung his head and sounded oppressed. "Yes ma'am."

"I need all of you to do your best to behave since dad is expecting his relative. I want us all to make a good impression on them once they get here-"

Renji and Mizuiro both choked back a couple of laughs while Kyoraku kept his head down, all the better to hide the obvious sniggering escaping him. While Isshin snorted and twitched but otherwise remained flopped over, playing dead.

"What's so damned funny you bunch of heathens?"

"Look over your shoulder." Renji said, trying hard not to laugh any harder than he already was.

The women stiffened up a bit and slowly reached behind her and cautiously felt around. She felt one of his hands and let out a small squeaking sound before locating his stomach and then up higher- Opera stayed totally still and let her feel him, not wanting to add to any upset that the female was going to feel once she realized that she was in his lap. It was hard not to laugh at the occasional squeak or strained sound that escaped her though.

He'd never been in a situation quite like this one, but it was hard for him not to see the humor in it. Especially when the woman finally seemed to understand where she was sitting and finally jumped to her feet and turned around to look at him with wide eyes.

"Hello." Opera said in a friendly manner as he felt the magic that bound him to his master's service wind its way around him again, binding him to the unknown woman with invisible treads as unbreakable as steel.

So, this is sir's heir, and the current Soul King. How very interesting. Opera mused as the woman flushed and stammered out a startled, "Hi. W-Who are y-you?"

Opera didn't have a chance to respond to her query before his master all but pounced on the woman, causing her to scream as he began rubbing his cheek against one of hers. "Oh, my devil! You're so pretty!" Sullivan gushed before asking, "Isn't she just the prettiest Opera?"

"Yes, sir, she is." The cat demon said in amusement as he propped an arm up on the arm of the couch and watched the woman try and fail, to squirm out of his master's grasp. While everyone else in the room either groaned or tried desperately not to laugh at the elderly demon's antics.