Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

Prize of Victory 2
By : NovaAlexandria
Category: Bleach > General
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Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story
Chapter List
- 17
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Fraccion

Ajuga could not believe this. Not only had her parents sent her to bed the moment they arrived home, but her father also informed her the following morning, in no uncertain terms, that if she was going to be playing with a power with which she might accidentally kill her friends and family with, she was damn well going to learn how to control it.

She had to admit she had never thought about that and the thought of killing Hana thanks to a wild Cero had been enough for her to agree never to play with such power again in a populated area. Her father had led her far, far out of town to a clearing not cut by natural means. There, to her shock, they had met up with Diaemus and Ulquiorra.

With a simple �make sure she comes home alive or Karin will kick my ass,� he left her there. Now she stared at a tree stump with a smug Diaemus standing beside her as they fired low-level beams of red light towards their target. Diaemus had managed to hit his target dead on every time. She, on the other hand, was still struggling with trying to comprehend what it was Ulquiorra was trying to explain to her.

She could make a nice-sized Cero that destroyed her target, when she managed to hit it, but that didn�t seem good enough for Ulquiorra. He wanted her to make a smaller one by better controlling her energy, and for the life of her, she just couldn�t get it. She could tell by the way his right eye began to twitch that he was growing just as frustrated with her lack of understanding as she was.

It was a miserable day, and the ones following it only got worse. Apparently, since she had such a talent for getting into trouble, her father had decided to punish her by making sure she didn�t have a single moment to herself. It was hell! Her father had always been on her side, and now he was the one sternly ordering her about. It wasn�t fair, which was exactly what lead her to a conversation seven agonizing days later as she walked with Hana down the streets towards the large house Harribel had taken after the War.

�Sorry, Ajuga-chan, you�ll get no sympathy from me,� her friend said, a little exasperated. �I have been busy myself between work with my Division and the extra studies Sensei keeps giving me. Do you have the latest kanji done for Sensei yet?� Hana asked curiously.

�Sensei� was the scholar Byakuya arranged to teach them when they were cubs. That arrangement hadn�t ended when they�d grown older, although Sensei was far closer to Hana than he was with her.

�Yeah, the papers are in my room,� Ajuga answered with a scowl, ��and stop trying to change the subject. Something needs to be done about this before I lose my mind!� Ajuga cried out loudly in frustration as they walked up the steps leading to the front door.

The door opened before they could knock to reveal Sung Sun, a sleeve covering her face as usual. Ajuga frequently wondered if it was because she was scared of catching a disease or something, or if she really was just that bashful. She couldn�t imagine any Arrancar worth their salt being too shy to talk to others.

�My, you seem to be having a bad day Ajuga-chan?� she observed as she greeted them, her lavender eyes blinking.

�You have no idea!� Ajuga huffed as she marched into the house.

�I have been trying not to laugh,� Hana added, more to Sung Sun than to Ajuga as she also stepped into the house and gave the fraccion a small bow.

�Some friend you are!� Ajuga snapped irritably.

Sung Sun let out a little laugh as she watched the two bicker for a moment.

�Harribel-sama is waiting for us on the patio out back,� she informed them.

Both girls followed the slender, dark-haired Arrancar as she gracefully moved through the house, leading them towards the central court, sniping at one another all the while. Sung Sun was right; Harribel waited for them on the back porch, sitting in a sunny spot with a nice view of the ice-rimmed pond. A pot of tea steamed in the cold air and several platters of snacks waited on the low table. Mila Rose and Apache didn�t seem to be home but Sung Sun joined them at the table, picking out a cushion and settling down fluidly.

�You seem out of sorts about something Ajuga,� Harribel noted as the two girls found cushions of their own.

�You have no idea!� Ajuga pouted as she reached for a snack. Sung Sun, meanwhile, poured tea for the table.

�She�s upset because she got in trouble and now has to have Cero lessons with Ulquiorra-sama.� Hana chuckled, clearly enjoying her friend�s plight.

�Ulquiorra-sama?� Sung Sun asked suddenly, teapot poised in mid-air.

�How did this come to pass?� There was no mistaking the curiosity in Harribel�s voice as she folded her arms across her breast and waited for Ajuga to continue.

With what seemed to be the world�s largest chip on her shoulder, Ajuga informed the table what had happened and how she was now stuck in these stupid lessons and how �it was unfair that her father of all people had suddenly �restricted all of her freedom.� Sung Sun giggled softly behind her sleeve while Harribel�s eyes danced like ocean waves at the young hybrid�s plight, although both of her eyebrows had gone up when she learned that Grimmjow had been the one to put his foot down and not Karin, whose fierce reputation had made a name for itself amongst the Arrancar. Anyone who could tame the Aspect of Destruction was someone to respect, if not outright fear.

�I see,� Harribel said at the end of Ajuga�s tale of woe. �From what you�ve described, the issue is that you do not see the rationale behind using a smaller attack, correct?�

�Well, yeah, that is part of it,� Ajuga confessed.

Hana looked ready to open her mouth, but Harribel shot the girl a quick look that seemed to warn Hana to stay silent, so she closed it again. Ajuga gave the Espada a look of confusion and Harribel sighed, setting her teacup down.

�Perhaps what you require is visual aid. Hana, Sung Sun, come with me for a moment.�

Both of them followed Harribel out onto a bare patch of dead winter grass and stopped close to the large pond. They nodded as they listen to Harribel�s instructions and stepped in closer together. Harribel returned to Ajuga�s side and swung her hand around, as if presenting some kind of play to the young hybrid girl.

�Imagine this, Ajuga. Your friend Hana is engaged with an enemy soldier�� Harribel began, ��or perhaps, a persistent member of the Swarm.�

Sung Sun and Hana moved closer together and grasped hands, as if they were grappling.

�Your friend takes an injury and falls to the ground, unable to move. Perhaps her injuries are such that she loses consciousness and cannot move on her own.�

�Oh, my leg, I have been mortally wounded. At such a young age too!� Hana cried out melodramatically and fell down in a heap at Sung Sun�s feet.

The fraccion was having a difficult time holding back her laughter and even Harribel seemed entertained for a second before she cleared her throat. The two �combatants� immediately sobered up, if only for a short while.

�Now her opponent stands over her, poised to deliver the finishing blow, but you are engaged with a different opponent,� Harribel took one of her hands in a firm but gentle grip and Ajuga swallowed as those sea-green eyes bored into hers.

�Alas, prepare to be slain, foul fiend,� Sung Sun intoned in her soft voice, playing along with the drama and giggling at the end.

�I smell perfectly fine, thank you!� Hana countered from her place on the ground.

�So tell me, Ajuga-chan, how do you save her now?� Harribel asked casually, eyes never leaving the young hybrid�s face.

Ajuga tried to break the hold on her wrist, but she might as well have been trying to move a mountain. The Espada made an amused noise, as if she�d expected the girl to try to escape first.

�I told you Ajuga-chan, you are engaged and your opponent is not going to let you get past them,� Harribel reminded her. �Time is not on your side in this case either, I will add.�

Cursing in frustration, she started charging a Cero, but stopped. A Cero of this strength would hurt Hana. It might even kill her, as her Shinigami friend didn�t have a Heirro as she did. Ajuga�s aim was hardly something to brag about right now.

�I get it,� Ajuga finally admitted as she let the budding Cero flicker and die. �Why didn�t Ulquiorra just explain it like this in the first place? All he kept going on about was that I have to learn to make them smaller and gain better control. He could have saved us both the headache if he just put it down straight,� she grouched, scowling, ears flattened.

Harribel relinquished her wrist and Ajuga pulled it back instinctively. The girl got the impression that if the Third had really wanted to attack her and keep her busy while she tried to hypothetically save Hana, she would be decorating the back yard and not in a good way.

The Espada made a small noise and closed her eyes, then shook her head.

�Ulquiorra, for all that he has changed for the better these past years, is still� sparse with both his words and his instruction points. There are many ways to teach a particular lesson. It would appear you are a visual learner, rather than one who sticks to theory.�

�Can I get up now?� Hana asked from her spot on the lawn. Harribel nodded and motioned for them to return to the table. Sung Sun helped the girl up. As they got comfortable again, the girl announced, �Well, now that Ajuga-chan�s fur is no longer in a tangle, I have my own issue to bring up.�

�Are there more rumours spreading around about you getting it on with Toshiro and that�s why you spend so much time in his office and at his house?� Ajuga asked curiously, her tone teasing.

Hana glared at her.

�Yes, that stupidity is still going on, but that�s not what I was going to say,� the girl sighed. �I�ve been thinking about it for a while, and, Harribel-sama, we�ve gotten to know each other well over the last month, so, if you feel like you can stand having me around, I would like to officially accept a position as one of your fraccion,� Hana declared with a small, nervous smile.

�It is done then,� Harribel declared and took a sip of her tea. Sung Sun greeted her new companion with no small amount of delight in her eyes.

�Welcome! It will be nice to have someone calmer around and capable of holding a conversation without resorting to screaming!�

�As we agreed upon earlier, I do not expect you to change your schedule. However, as one of my fraccion you may be required to attend some meetings and to accompany me into battle. As Toshiro is your Taichou, and he is mine, that should not be an issue.�

Hana nodded her head in understanding.

�Have you considered my offer, Ajuga?� Harribel asked the other girl at the table. Ajuga sighed and scratched the back of her neck.

�Sorry, I like my independence, when my father isn�t riding me.�

�Funny, how �Papa� became �Father� just because she got into trouble,� Hana remarked to Sung Sun, who giggled.

�Shove it,� Ajuga shot back. �Or I�ll tell Szay that you decided to volunteer for that Shinigami vs. Hollow Virus sample experiment he tried to convince us to undergo after all.�

�He couldn�t do it even if we volunteered,� Hana retorted, and rolled her eyes at the threat. �You know Szay has strict orders not to do anything like that.�

�Oh I am sure Szay could find a way around his orders. He�s good at that.�

�I am not so sure. Your mother ordered him to adhere to the Code of Ethics, and Unohana-Taichou wrote that book,� Hana replied smugly.

�Huh, that�s true,� Ajuga relented. �He certainly snarked about it enough when Mama gave him the order to follow it as it was written, with none of his �well I interpreted it this way� nonsense.�

�I must admit, it took almost all of us by surprise when Szayel-sama announced that he was now Karin�s pet,� Sung Sun acknowledged.

They spent the rest of the afternoon eating treats, drinking tea, and chatting. Mila Rose and Apache returned at one point and joined them. There wasn�t an actual garden, but somehow the event reminded Ajuga of sitting on the porch in one of the Kuchiki Estate gardens with Byakuya while he showed her a different Kanji. She hadn�t seen him since his release from the 4th Division.

She made a mental note to try and find the time to see how he was recovering, assuming, of course, that she could weasel in a few minutes to herself. She had only managed to snag this free time because she had promised not to leave Hana�s side and because her father knew that Harribel wouldn�t entertain nonsense.

�Stupid Father! Mama has him totally leashed and collared,� she grumbled to herself. �The only way I am going to get out of this mess is to, ugh, apologize to Mama for goading Diaemus on.�

(POV)

Ggio winced in pain as he slowly lowered himself into the hot spring Yumichika had shown him hidden in the back of the estate. His rear smarted and he was definitely going to have bruises come morning. It would seem a new fetish was quickly spreading and he had no idea where Barragan had suddenly gotten these new sexual ideas, although the trail seemed to lead squarely to Yammy Llargo as the culprit. The Tenth had decked his pet out in leather, straps and Kami only knew what other insane devices. When had Barragan taken a sudden interest in this thing called �poker� anyhow? Yumichika at least knew the game and had been able to teach him at the last minute when they had been summoned to attend the game Barragan hosted.

�Itai!� he hissed as the water reached the claw marks on his lower back from Barragan�s nails. He forced himself to keep going until he was up to his neck in the hot water, regardless of how much his shredded shoulders and back felt.

�At least after Aizen-Kami�s little demonstration with Yammy-sama about what he did to people who put the warriors under their control out of commission, Barragan-sama has been less brutal with me,� he sighed.

After word of that had gotten around a lot of Arrancar were suddenly treating their pets a bit more delicately, not that the cases of abuse were as rampant as they had once been. When word had gone out that it was possible to breed outside of their own race, the first fallout had been a large number of the Shinigami slaves spending a hell of a lot more time on their hands and knees (only mates had sex face to face or, very rarely, if there was mutual agreement). When word spread that stress more or less held the key to success, well, suddenly there were a lot less pets limping around and several suddenly found themselves with doting Masters. The poor Shinigami slaves had no idea why things had changed and why their Masters had suddenly gone from sexually driven abusers to gentle owners. Not all cases ended this way of course, some were still just as cruel to their pets as before, but after that display with Yammy even they had curbed their hands a bit.

�I have to admit, there was almost something erotic about that display,� Yumichika chuckled as the former Shinigami shed his elaborate robs and joined him in the hot spring.

�There was nothing erotic about it,� Ggio sulked as he rested against the edge of the pool, stomach first to keep his wounded back and smarting rear pressure free. �How do you handle this so easily, Yumichika?� he asked softly.

�Experience and training,� Yumichika replied, after a minute or two of hesitation.

Ggio flinched as he felt a damp cloth touch the edge of one of the claw marks on his back, but held still as Yumichika tended to them. He couldn�t help but wonder if the others who had once been Barragan�s attendants, his former fellow fraccion, had done the same for each other. It was still a little hard to swallow, to understand and realize that they had kept him safe over the years, and it hurt to think that he had resented them for it. He wished he had a chance to apologize to them, but that was impossible, as they were all dead, all but him.

�It may sound cruel and selfish, but I am glad you�re here Yumichika,� he sighed. �I don�t think I could handle this alone, and I don�t think anyone else would be able to handle it the way you are.�

Yumichika sighed and sat down beside him, tipping his head back so he could gaze up at the stars. Unlike Ggio, he hadn�t spent any time lying across Barragan�s lap while the Espada took great pleasure in beating (Yumichika would hardly call it a spanking) his pet�s rear until it was bright cherry red. He was already beginning to bruise from it.

�I understand what you are trying to say,� the Shinigami assured him.

Silence settled between them for a moment, broken only by the sound of the water moving around them and the light rustle of the breeze in the bare branches overhead.

�I thought I would never find myself in a position like this again. I thought I had escaped this shit when I met Ikakku,� Yumichika said quietly and Ggio caught the slight catch of emotion in his companion�s usually controlled voice.

Loud rustling alerted them to the presence of a newcomer to their private retreat, both of them going tense until the intruder stepped into the moonlit little clearing. Then they relaxed as Soi Fon joined them. Unable to speak, she had deliberately made noise to let them know of her presence before just stepping out into the clearing. It was unwise to startled highly trained warriors, even if both of their Zanpakuto were back in their respective rooms.

�Soi Fon,� Yumichika greeted her with a smile.

She gave him a nod of her head in greeting before settling down at the edge of the pool beside Ggio, reaching a hand out to rest on one of his. No one felt uncomfortable with the nudity; they had all been broken of that long ago. Each of them knew the other�s body intimately. Barragan had made certain of that, although The Second had never forced Yumichika to sleep with Soi Fon.

Ggio answered her unspoken question.

�I am fine. How are you feeling?� he asked, far more concerned with her wellbeing.

She carried his first, and if Barragan had anything to say about, only child and worry for her safety and health had become his constant companion.

She patted his hand and gave him a small smile, indicating she was fine. She was really showing now and was easily half way through her pregnancy. In fact, Szayel predicted her term would run even shorter than Karin�s pregnancy had, although not by too much.

�You should not be out in this cold weather, especially wearing only that,� he admonished.

She was wearing the simple, plain white yukata Barragan had ordered her to remain in as well as a scarf, a gift from Ggio ages ago. She didn�t wear it very often and if Yumichika were to pick a point where Barragan began to notice his fraccion�s attention wavering, it would be the moment the Espada had noticed her wearing it. The Second had summoned them to serve him right after a long and tedious meeting and she hadn�t had a chance to put it away. That had been an unpleasant evening, especially for Ggio when he had been the one to confess giving it to her. It was one of the more violent times Barragan had used him to punish his fraccion.

�If it�s not prying, could you tell me what it was like living out there?� Ggio asked.

Yumichika sighed and closed his eyes. Ggio kept quiet and Soi Fon sat still as they watched him. No doubt, she was curious too. He supposed her ability to listen was a holdover from once leading an organization whose entire purpose was the gathering of information and assassination.

�It was hell. Those with the power took what they wanted, those who didn�t have it found different ways to survive. They became slaves to those that had it, or died in many brutal ways. I am not talking about physical power either. Much of the �power� out there took the form of water, food, and money. Strength was definitely an asset, but the ones with the real power were those that had control over the resources.�

�I don�t remember if I was born here or if I passed over when I was younger. A group did take me in, but nothing is free in the 79th District. Everyone had to earn his or her keep. When I was old enough, they trained me as a prostitute. They said I had the beauty to get the good clients, the ones that paid well and were not too rough. They showed me everything I would need to know to please a woman, and everything I would need to know to please a man as there really were not that many powerful women out there.�

�Confidence was key, a false front to let everyone know I was not some cheap two-bit whore, but out there, without formal martial training, that didn�t always work. There were times when I knew that I was cornered, and the only defence I had was bowing my head and spreading my legs, hoping the damage wouldn�t be bad when it was over, to grit my teeth and bear with it.

�It was during one such encounter that I met Ikakku.�

Yumichika couldn�t help but grin at the memory. �He actually thought I was a girl and that he was saving some street tart, hopefully one that would repay the favour with a meal and a romp. I offered him both, naturally, but he firmly informed me he wasn�t into screwing men, even one that was as pretty as I was. He enjoyed the food though. We crossed paths several times over the years after that, mostly because he knew I�d serve him a decent meal. There were a few times that he stepped in when someone thought he could just take what he wanted from me. It was after another such altercation like that that he commented, and I quote �not that I don�t like getting a free meal out of your pretty ass, but why the hell ain�t you putting these pieces of trash down yourself?�

�I informed him I had no combat training, he decided to fix that. Before long, I had no time to work, as he set a strong training regimen. Instead of wandering the streets whoring myself out, I ended up following him, learning how to stand up and defend myself, tending to his wounds and all the while making sure our meals were edible. Ikakku was a dreadful cook�� he laughed quietly. �He would have expired from eating his own meals if I hadn�t come along.�

Soi Fon pulled out her chalkboard and wrote out a message before turning it around so they could read it.

�Is that why you are so obsessed with beauty, because it became a weapon and a defence for you out there?�

�That�s one reason,� he agreed. �But truly, when one is as gorgeous as I am, would it not be a crime to let it go to waste?� he asked and fluttered his lashes at her.

Soi Fon rolled her eyes and bopped him over the head with her chalkboard while Ggio shook his head. This was definitely better, much more enjoyable than the old days where he had held his two fellow suffering comrades in contempt and viewed them as beneath him. He had even taunted Soi Fon for a while; their battle contained a healthy dose of egotism on both parts. Now, they shared some common bonds, one beaten into them from the Master they served and the other...

Soi Fon suddenly froze and then grasped each of their hands and pulled them to rest on her swelling stomach. It took another moment, but there was definitely a flutter of movement. Yumichika all but cooed at her belly and Ggio gasped.

That was his cub, his offspring. He felt a fierce wellspring of protectiveness rise up in him, followed quickly by despair. Barragan had made it clear he had no plans on keeping the cub, of seeing to its demise. Their master was doing everything he could to get around Aizen�s orders to see to it the cub was never born. They had taken to smuggling food in for her to make sure that she kept her strength up as the staff had been ordered that she was not to be fed from the Estate�s pantry. Soi Fon had no money of her own, what little she had managed to salvage from her slavery had long since been spent in the last fifteen years.

He had to do something to protect his cub, to see to its survival. Maybe he could get one of the others to care for it. Soi Fon had mentioned that several of the other Espada had seemed sickened by Barragan�s callous disregard for the unborn child during the recent Claim meeting. However, who could he ask, who did he dare approach for help, should he manage to suppress his instincts long enough when it was born to let it go? It wasn�t as if he could just walk up to one of the other Espada and beg them for assistance. If he was seen talking to them, Barragan would probably figure out he had something planned. After all, what reason would a mere fraccion have to speak to an Espada he didn�t serve?

His cub would need a stable place to live, somewhere where it will be safe and not instantly Claimed for future breeding purposes, especially if it was female. Whom could he possibly trust who would understand the trials and tribulations of a naturally born Hollow and who would have no interest in taking his child as a potential mate?

�Well, we should probably get out before we all look like prunes,� Yumichika sighed, rising from the water and accepting the towel Soi Fon handed him.

�Yeah,� Ggio agreed, standing as well and watching as the water flowed down his smooth chest and stomach, something only five other Hollows he could think of had; Nnoitra, Szayel, Nelliel, Harribel and Tesra. Three Espada, one former Espada who was gone for good and one�

Ggio froze. He had completely forgotten about his fellow, mated fraccion. He racked his brain, trying to think if Tesra�s hole was in an odd spot before concluding, thanks to having seen him in his Resurrección once, that he didn�t have one, or at least, not a noticeable one. Harribel was like that, as was Szayel, but clothing might obscure Szayel�s hole. There wasn�t enough clothing on the Third�s body in her Resurrección form, but that didn�t necessarily mean she was naturally born either. If Tesra didn�t have one, then were the stories true? Was Tesra the same as he? There was a chance. He also had a mate. Tesra wasn�t �mated� in the traditional sense but she was human and therefore would be no threat to his cub. In fact, from what he had observed, she was completely comfortable with Ajuga and Diaemus, even protective of them.

�What is it?� Yumichika asked. The Shinigami seemed concerned with his silence and the fact he hadn�t moved from the hot spring.

�Nothing, but possibly everything,� he answered as he numbly accepted a towel from Soi Fon. �I need to think about this, and I don�t want to get our hopes up, but�� he paused to smile at them, �I may have just thought of a safe place to put the cub when it�s born.�

Both of them looked at him expectantly, and he hoped that this would work, that everything would fall into place. Tesra was a fraccion; he belonged to Nnoitra, which meant anything Tesra owned also belonged to Nnoitra. Aizen forbade his Espada from interfering with each other�s fraccion. If he could get the cub to Tesra and his mate before Barragan could get to it, and they agreed to adopt the cub (a rare, but not unheard of arrangement) then the cub would be safe, at least for a while.

(TIME)

Ggio walked quickly down the streets, tracking the reiatsu he had latched onto. It wasn�t hard, for it would seem his target wasn�t moving. He hit one snag, however, when he realized that his target was at his Master�s house. He envied Tesra, having a den of his own. Barragan forbade it, wanting his toys and servants close at hand. Nnoitra was far more independent. It didn�t seem like Nnoitra was there presently, but he did not want word getting around that he had been seen at the Fifth�s home, nor did he want to aggravate the notoriously short-tempered Espada by intruding on his property.

Cursing to himself, he carried on past the place, not even slowing down. He hoped that his target wouldn�t be there too long, as he had to be back by evening so he could bend over and take it up the rear, probably unprepared again, so his Majesty would be pleased. He regretted his blind loyalty to the so-called �King� now and wished he had better studied the Espada who had propositioned him before foolishly agreeing to the post. It wasn�t as if he�d had much choice in the matter. When an Espada walked up to you and declared you theirs, the matter tended to settle in their favour.

He almost sighed in relief when he felt Tesra and his mate leave the Fifth�s house. Ggio discreetly followed them down the street and to their den. He had to hurry to catch up to them as they reached the stone fence that surrounded the house�s yard.

�Tesra, may I please speak to you?� he called out, before they could disappear and he lost his chance.

The other Arrancar and his mate, whose name he couldn�t recall, stopped and turned to look at him. Tesra appeared confused and by her body language, the human woman seemed apprehensive about his presence.

�Of course, Vega-san, what is it?� Tesra asked.

�I would� rather not talk about it out here.�

The Fifth�s fraccion stood there for a moment, as if he was considering whether to allow Ggio into his den, before inviting him in. The house was small, with only one bedroom, but it was very clean and quaint. Something about it, maybe its simplicity, helped to settle Ggio�s nerves. Tesra led him into the small combined kitchen and dining room. He and the woman sat at the table while Tesra went about making a pot of tea.

�I don�t think we have ever been formally introduced, despite having seen each other around. I am Tatsuki Lindocruz,� Tesra�s mate said, by way of introduction. He was not surprised to discover she had adapted her Mate�s name, which confirmed to him that the two were a fully Mated couple, even if no Mating Claim existed between them.

�Ggio Vega,� he returned the greeting.

�It is a pleasure to meet you.�

Tatsuki paused and then pushed her chair back, as if to get up.

�I can tell something is bothering you, and while Tesra and I keep no secrets from each other, especially ones that involve us both, if it will make you more comfortable I can always go visit Karin-chan or Orihime-chan for a while,� she offered. �I will not be offended if you want to kick me out.�

�No, that�s alright,� he found himself saying before he had time to think about it. Her offer and insight truly surprised him.

The friendship he had formed with Yumichika and the (dare he think it) love he shared with Soi Fon had beaten any feelings of racial superiority out of him. Besides, this would affect her and he wanted to get a read on the woman in whose care he hoped he could leave his cub.

Tesra set the teapot and three cups down before joining them.

�What is it Ggio? It is not like you to seek me out.� Tesra asked.

�I know. I��

He had rehearsed so many speeches, thought up a dozen different ways to bring about such a delicate subject, and all of them sounded either stupid or offensive. �Forgive my bluntness and rudeness here, but I need to know, before going any further with my request�� Ggio took a deep breath, and took a gamble. �Are you, like me, a naturally-born Hollow, Tesra?�

Tesra stared at him in shock, perhaps not so much at the question, but at Ggio�s revelation. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as her mate struggled to decide how to answer such a personal and sensitive question.

�Yes,� Tesra hesitantly admitted. �But I fail to see why that would be of interest to you, or even Barragan-sama for that matter. He cannot move against me, not as long as I belong to Nnoitra-sama. Unless�. is Barragan-sama threatening Nnoitra-sama?�

Tesra�s eyes narrowed dangerously.

�No,� Ggio was quick to assure him. �This has nothing to do with Barragan-sama� well, it sort of does. Damn it�� Ggio hissed, cradling his mug of hot tea in his hand and staring at it as he desperately tried to get his jumbled thoughts back in order. This was definitely not going how he had visualized it.

A hand suddenly covered his trembling ones and he looked up at Tesra�s mate in surprise. Unlike Tesra, she seemed less agitated, and that took skill. Of course, the only thing that could rile Tesra up was anything to do with Nnoitra-sama, especially if it was a threat.

�Ggio, what is it you are here for?� she asked with a warm, encouraging smile.

�I was hoping�� and here he felt the tears prick his eyes and viscously tried to blink them back.

�Hoping?� Tatsuki pressed him, trying to get him to finish his sentence.

�My cub, Barragan doesn�t want us to keep it�. has threatened to kill it once it is born and determined to be of no use to Aizen-Kami. He�s been trying to force Soi Fon to miscarry in any way he can that doesn�t directly disobey Kami-sama.�

The mug in his hand cracked as he clenched it tightly. The very idea that his cub was threatened set his hackles up. Unfortunately, he could do to nothing to stop it. It left him feeling like a captive lion, trapped in a space so small the bars of his cage rubbed against his skin no matter which way he laid.

�You want us to adopt your cub?� Tesra guessed, leaning forward.

Unable to speak, Ggio nodded his head. It was no easy task, offering up his offspring to another couple. The very idea made him bristle, but at least it would be alive and he would be able to see it from time to time. It would be safe and he could tell that these two would care for it in a loving manner.

�Tatsuki?�

The human woman sighed as she got up from the table, went to one of the cupboards and pulled down another cup. Bringing it back with her, she proceeded to pour a second cup of tea for Ggio, carefully taking the one he�d inadvertently cracked and putting it to the side.

�This whole issue has been eating at a lot of people,� Tatsuki admitted, running a finger around the lip of her own cup. �Karin, Orihime, even their mates are sickened over Barragan�s reaction to this whole thing, and if something angers Ulquiorra enough for him to mention something about it, then it�s pretty bad. I see no reason why we couldn�t take the cub into our protection. Doing so would relieve a lot of people and he or she wouldn�t lack for protectors.�

To Ggio�s mind, her last statement lent some credence to the stories going around about the loose coalition of Espada that seemed to be taking shape, with Starrk and Grimmjow�s combined household at the center of it all. The odd connections between the formerly isolated households seemed to hinge upon the human women, especially Karin. She owned Szayel and therefore, his small pack of a mate and his two children, plus the tall, inked warrior he�d met four years ago as well. She and Ulquiorra�s mate seemed close too. Now it appeared the developing group could draw in Harribel and her girls, as observers had seen Karin�s daughter Ajuga and her friend visiting the Third Espada�s home of late. What that was about he couldn�t really guess, but Harribel had even more power at her disposal than Ulquiorra, with a Claimed Taichou and the Trés Bestias.

Tesra himself still belonged to Nnoitra and he and his mate comprised half of the Fifth�s pack, but Tatsuki was also a de facto member of Karin�s group of human and Shinigami females, and could petition them for help if needed. Ggio knew that Nnoitra wouldn�t care too much about the cub or show a lot of interest in it, since he evidently hadn�t done anything to Tesra over the years. He hadn�t forced his fraccion to start pumping out cubs with his mate in hopes of producing a potential female to take for himself either. His child would be safe, or as safe as any place could be, in such a large and powerful pack.

Ggio, lost in thought, missed the looks going back and forth a few feet away, as Tesra and his mate had some kind of unspoken exchange going on between them, one that started out with a great deal of uncertainty and ended up with matching expressions of agreement.

�Vega-san?�

Ggio looked up at his fellow fraccion, not realizing he�d begun to chew on his thumbnail while he spoke. He�d nearly bitten it to the quick. Tesra�s mate nudged the sandy-haired Arrancar�s cup with hers and gave him a reassuring �well, go on� motion of her chin.

�If you can find a way to get the cub to us, we will take it in,� Tesra confirmed.

It was far more than Ggio expected, with none of the hesitation he�d feared. Tesra hadn�t even brought up the Espada he served and he wondered about the degree of freedom the Fifth granted his follower. Evidently, a den and a mate wasn�t the extent of it. Still, it was a promising start and the rush of gratitude nearly overwhelming. He bowed his head in Tesra�s direction.

�Thank you.�

�Don�t thank me yet,� Tesra sighed and frowned. �First, the cub has to be safely born and transferred to us before Barragan-sama can get to it to make a Claim� or��

�or destroy it.

Ggio would do everything within his limited power to do just that.

�Of course! Just knowing there is some hope� you�re right, it�s a huge relief.�

�Who knows?� Tatsuki chuckled, turning her cup around in her hands and then taking a sip of the fragrant contents. �Maybe we will get lucky soon and he or she will have a playmate!�

�Let�s hope so,� Tesra replied and smiled lovingly at his mate, his expression brightening.

Ggio could only pray he was right about this. Against all odds, he had taken a chance and thankfully, found an adoptive home for his cub. Now all they had to do was survive until the cub was born, then get the child to its adoptive family. He desperately hoped everything would go according to his hastily-put-together plan.

Plans!!! It is way to damn hot to think, let alone write. Good thing we got over 700 pre written pages. This chapter ended on page 224. Huge hugs for those that took the time to review. I enjoy reading your comments.

Mystify: No comment. You will have to read to find out what happens.

Kain: Her Claim prevents her from attacking any Arrancar, unless if Ggio were to lift the restriction, but doing so would get him into shit with Aizen, let alone Barragan. And your right, nothing will make those two fall in love, nor do I ever intend for their relationship to turn into love. At this point it�s more like Nnoitra is rather fond of his pet and Rangiku is just trying to make an �Arrange Merriage� work the best she can. Tatasuki was mostly joking about the idea of those two trying to raise a child.

Gollumsfriend: Ummm. Does this Chapter answer your question?

Next Chapter: Karin has a bad run in with the Swarm.

This Week Question: How are you going to get your Bleach fix with a 5 week hiatus?
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56255 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2