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
- 42
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Epidemic�s Darkness

Gin considered himself an expert on Unohana Retsu, particularly when it came to judging how her day had gone. He had fifteen years of experience doing so. He�d learned to decipher the subtle clues that anyone who wasn�t this familiar with her might miss to determine what she�d undergone during the course of the previous ten hours. Thus, when she dragged her tired, slumping body back to her rooms late on a day without a battle, he knew instantly that something significant happened. Aizen�s patience had been thin as of late, so even though Unohana was clearly exhausted, Gin wasted no time stripping her and leading her to the bath to get her cleaned up. If anything, he hoped that the hot water would help ease her stress a little and get her to perk up a bit.

�Rough day?� he asked as his fingers unbraided her hair to let the long, black strands float freely in the water. Instead of helping, the heated bath appeared to sap the energy she had left, which made Gin fret about his original assessment of her fatigue.

�Yes. It has been a� shocking day, I�d say,� she confirmed before dunking under the water to get her hair wet as he finished undoing her braid. Her voice was soft and subdued, as if she had a great deal on her mind and Gin wondered what she�d run into to leave her this pensive.

Since they were pressed for time, he didn�t try to get more out of her. He would hear all about it when she reported whatever was going on to Aizen. That was one good thing about serving Unohana personally. There was little that he didn�t know, as he was usually present in some capacity when Aizen and Unohana spoke. Not that there was much he could do with the information he gleaned. Still, just having it at his disposal was a form of power, even if it was a power he couldn�t currently use. One never knew when one�s knowledge might be the thing that saved one�s skin.

He only had time to half-prepare Unohana for her �bed date� and pray that Aizen was in a good mood. The former Taichou didn�t think that was probable, but he could always hope. Of course, Aizen being in good spirits was no guarantee that things still wouldn�t end with him either being tortured or raped, the latter outcome being increasingly likely of late. Gin found himself substituting for Szayel every time the Espada managed to weasel his way out of Kami�s bed. Yammy�s screw-up with Byakuya had resulted in an unpleasant day for Gin, as torture always turned Aizen on and Yammy was not exactly a fitting bed partner for anyone with a modicum of taste. It had also been a few days before Aizen felt secure enough to reel in his other male toy, which meant the bastard used and abused Gin in the interim.

He had barely taken his place on his cushion after settling Unohana in the expected spot on her bed when Aizen waltzed in, a pleased smile on his face as he noticed them waiting for him. Gin held his breath as he inspected his wife, even though the pale-haired man already knew he would find at least a dozen imperfections.

�While I am impressed to see you in my bed on time, I must admit your lackluster presentation continues to displease me,� Aizen sighed in annoyance.

�It has been a long day and as such, my late arrival prevented Gin from fully completing his duties towards me. I have a number of things I need to report to you.�

Unohana spoke firmly, bringing her husband�s attention fully onto her and drawing it away from a grateful Gin.

�Do you?� Aizen inquired as he shed his robe and made himself comfortable at the foot of her bed. �Prepare her while she gives me her report,� he ordered, not even deigning to look in the direction of the cushion.

Gin immediately scrambled to where Unohana lay on her back with her legs slightly parted and huddled between them, carefully moving her limbs so that he could complete the task quickly. He mindlessly used his tongue to moisten her exposed folds and sex while listening intently to the conversation. She was completely dry when he began, a sign of her complete distaste for the man at the edge of her mattress. It was up to him to give her the appearance, however false, of being wet and ready for her �husband.� Then again, given the alternative, if Gin had a choice on which of the two he had to pleasure orally, it would be her any day.

�Do tell me what was so intriguing that you decided to risk my displeasure by being late to bed?� Aizen asked, inspecting his fingernails.

Despite the fact she had a very talented mouth teasing the flesh between her legs, Unohana�s voice sounded as professional as ever as she answered her husband�s question.

�While performing a standard checkup on one of my Claimed, non-Shinigami patients, I discovered she was pregnant. The results came as a surprise, but��

�Did Szayel not indicate that the difference in reiatsu levels would make such a conception impossible?� Aizen interrupted her with perhaps a little bit of glee, no doubt over potentially finding something with which he could use to �legally� torment his favourite toy.

�We both knew it to be true at the time he said this. However, it seems that after years of living together, continually exposed to their Master�s reiatsu levels, most of those Claimed have adapted to the pressure that their Masters� reiatsu places upon their bodies. To confirm my suspicions, I had select members of my Division acquire blood samples from every Claimed female, Plus and Shinigami alike, and, as a precaution, every female Arrancar. The results seem to favour the adaptation theory. If we use Tatsuki Lindocruz and Rangiku Matsumoto�s conceptions as the starting point, fourteen Claimed women are now with child. It would mean that the adaptation process truly began to take hold about a month and a half ago. In addition, of the heterosexual, sexually active Arrancar females we managed to test today, four came back positive and we still have more tests to conduct tomorrow.�

Gin briefly paused in his ministrations, shocked by the words of the woman below him. Judging by the shifting of the mattress as Aizen�s frame stiffened, Kami-sama was similarly stunned. The number of pregnancies was outlandish, especially for the Soul Society! It was rare enough that one or two women were pregnant, but to have this many at once was unheard of! What the hell was going on? Crossbreeding species should be more difficult, not less. Aizen even said as much, as he�d created the Arrancar in the first place.

Unohana, bless her, had anticipated this, as she launched into an explanation for the sudden upswing in Shinigami/Arrancar fertility. Gin had to give her credit. He would certainly find it difficult to rattle off an accounting in such a business-like voice with someone�s wriggling, wet tongue pressed deeply inside him. That she could do so was a testament to her ironclad self-control.

�Official studies that covered the potential for Shinigami and Hollow offspring did not exist prior to the War. The nobles that comprised the late Central 46 banned such research. The possibility of viable offspring from a Shinigami-Hollow match did not present itself until the human girls residing here conceived, and even then, we attributed the resulting children to their respective mothers� human physiology. Humans, after all, are a �bridge� of sorts between Hollows and Shinigami. An analogy would be that one can successfully mate a wolf to a dog, as well as a fox to a dog and get live pups from either pairing, but a similar pairing between a wolf and a fox would prove less successful.�

�When Kurotsuchi Nemu became pregnant we all knew she was a modified being created by the late Kurotsuchi, and thus, not a true �Shinigami� in a genetic sense. I factored in any additional modifications Szayel may have conducted on her, in addition to the fertility drugs she took in the two years before the twins� conception as possible reasons for that impregnation. If anything, Soi Fon�s pregnancy is the first confirmed, unadulterated, successful Shinigami-Hollow pairing. Matsumoto Rangiku conceived a scarce month later, approximately.�

Aizen said nothing to this and Unohana resumed her report while Gin tried to coax a little more saliva from his suddenly dry mouth. He settled on working his tongue in and out of Unohana�s passage, which had thankfully started to warm and grow slick. Her mention of Rangiku created pangs within him that he did his best to ignore in favour of preparing his mistress.

�To make certain that none of the Shinigami women would be mistreated as a result of their pregnant state, I personally interviewed each male Arrancar involved. Their responses were quite similar to one another, with one exception. The majority of them seemed pleased, with a few shocked by the news, and only one seemed angered by the diagnosis. As for the women, most seemed to have a somewhat positive reaction at least, and a few were quite delighted about things once the information sank in, while the remaining three were horrified. I had to sedate one of those, as her reaction bordered on suicidal. As she was the pet of the lone Arrancar with a negative reaction to the pregnancy, I believe they may request a termination.�

Unohana paused here, clearly waiting for Aizen�s input on that particular situation. After all, Aizen had forbidden Barragan from ending Soi Fon�s pregnancy. Of course, Soi Fon was a Taichou-class Shinigami and the sire of the cub was one of the more powerful Arrancar not listed among the Espada.

�Which two?� Aizen questioned, eyes narrowing as he stared off into the room.

Gin didn�t recognize either name Unohana provided, even though Aizen seemed to know the Arrancar in question. There was no hesitation when Aizen ordered her to rid the couple of the unwanted pregnancy. What shocked Gin was that he didn�t phrase it as giving her permission to do so if the request came in, but as an order she should carry out without undue delay. Unohana didn�t let any emotion show over what she thought of such an order, and simply continued with her report.

�The rest of the men were ecstatic with the news. As per your directions, I sent each couple to Szayel for cataloguing. I�ve little doubt his lab was even busier than my Division today as a result. He will probably have a full report for you about how far along each Shinigami pregnancy is, as well as their expected due dates by tomorrow evening. I believe he�ll also have a report on the Hollow pregnancies by the following evening or the evening after that, depending on how many more cases we discover tomorrow. It will take some time to run the tests and fill out the reports and we�ve yet to secure the compliance of all of the female Arrancar as far as the tests go. My own comprehensive summary of the situation, as well as the data on each woman�s blood work, should be ready at roughly the same time� provided I don�t have to pull any of my Division members away to deal with any battle-related injuries.�

�I see,� Aizen said and finally turned to smile at his wife. �Do you expect to uncover any other pregnancies in the near future?� he asked, perhaps a bit too intently.

Gin knew what Aizen was really getting at. Judging by the way that Unohana�s body tensed beneath his mouth, she did as well. If the Claimed population had begun to adjust, with successful pregnancies the result, would her body not also do the same? Would Aizen finally get the heir he wanted from her?

�I expect to find more pregnancies among the female Arrancar tomorrow, and it is entirely plausible that more Shinigami women will conceive as they ovulate in conjunction with an adjustment to their partners� power,� she confirmed. �Those couples who are farther apart in reiatsu will take longer to conceive, of course. Given what I have observed of the reiatsu levels involved today.� Unohana paused here, turning her head away from her husband and breaking eye contact. �My own body should adjust by the end of the year, perhaps early next year, provided you keep draining your reiatsu,� she finished softly.

Gin�s mouth and tongue froze at this point, fear clenching at his heart at the revelation. If Aizen finally managed to plant a child in Unohana, and if she successfully gave birth, he would have no further use for her, other than to warm his bed when he desired it. It also meant he would have even less reason to keep Gin around to care for her. He doubted Aizen would kill him. After all, he had promised not to and Aizen, for all his sadistic tendencies, had a penchant for keeping his word. No, Gin would simply end up as one of Aizen�s playthings, in an even greater capacity than he was now. Aizen might even make Gin his own personal servant and Gin did not relish such an outcome.

�I did not tell you to stop, Gin,� Aizen intoned dangerously.

Grimacing, Gin set to work again, already feeling the phantom pains from the punishment he knew would be coming after Aizen finished with Unohana. Reluctantly, he let his tongue toy with Unohana�s clitoris, a last-ditch effort to make her wet enough for Aizen�s unwanted penetration. The only indication he had that the act worked was a faint trembling of the woman�s stomach muscles and the fluttering of her opening when he went back to thrusting his tongue into her to try to spread out the trickle of fluid that resulted. Aizen had never allowed Gin to bring her to any sort of climax, since the tyrant�s joining with Unohana had only one purpose.

�If such is indeed true, then I suppose exposing you to more of my reiatsu would speed things up. From now on, I will attend to you in the morning as well as the evening, prior to taking breakfast together.� Aizen uttered this, pleased with her report and no doubt wanting to hurry up his wife�s acclimatization to his monstrous levels of energy. �You, Gin, had best make sure my darling wife is ready for me,� he added.

The servant couldn�t see the expression on his master�s face, but it didn�t matter. It wasn�t hard to picture the twisted smirk plastered on Aizen�s face.

�As you wish,� Unohana said, for there was nothing else she could say that wouldn�t land one, or both of them in trouble. Gin didn�t answer, as his mouth and tongue were busy with their appointed task.

Aizen�s foot suddenly connected with Gin�s shoulder, shattering the bone and sending the too-thin servant flying from the bed and away from Unohana. A sharp, pained cry escaped him as he crashed into the wall, striking the solid surface hard enough to crack the plaster. He crumpled to the floor and curled in on himself almost involuntarily, making sure to keep his weight off his damaged shoulder. His wrist hurt as well and he suspected that he�d damaged it when he�d come to rest on the tiles, with his arm breaking his fall.

The too-familiar sound of flesh-on-flesh accosted his ears alongside the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears and his pain-filled pants. Thankfully, Aizen didn�t take long to finish with his wife. He never did. Unlike those others unfortunate enough to attract Aizen�s attentions, Unohana was only under Aizen to provide him with a child, not because Aizen actually desired her. Gin often wondered why Aizen didn�t partake of his wife for pleasure. It wasn�t as if Unohana was unattractive. Instead, Aizen seemed to prefer boyish, flat-chested females, such as the late Hinamori, or lithe, not-overly-muscled males such as himself or Szayel.

Maybe that was just as well, Gin decided with the part of his mind that wasn�t pain-fogged. The idea of Unohana having to deal with the things that went on in that �playroom� of his nauseated the servant.

As it was, a dazed Gin failed to notice that Aizen had gotten to his feet and left, until Unohana�s soothing healing Kido began to deal with his injuries.

�S�rry,� he apologized, his voice thick with remorse and hurt. Unohana �shushed� him.

�It is not your fault Gin. Let me see to this first before we pay a visit to Orihime-san so she can fix your shoulder.�

Either Aizen was in a very good mood, or Unohana had offered him something in exchange for permission to heal her attendant. Gin hoped it wasn�t anything too degrading. When he tried to ask, she again indicated that he ought to simply accept it and that they were going to see Orihime. Therefore, he stayed as quiet as he could and cursed under his breath when she wrapped his shoulder the best she could. His earlier assessment of this latest round of injuries had been accurate; two of the bones in his left wrist had snapped. The joint had never been as strong as it once was, not since the day Aizen broke it as punishment using Shinso. Unohana set the bones and bound his wrist tightly. Once he was somewhat ready to travel, she helped him to his feet and finally pulled a yukata around her body to cover her nakedness. With his shoulder and wrist compromised, she had to help him into his robe, leaving his bound arm under the sleeves and securing the belt for him.

The trip to Orihime�s house was less than pleasant, each step jarring his shoulder painfully. His broken wrist throbbed in time with his heartbeat as well as his footsteps. Unfortunately, there was no one home when the two arrived. Sighing, Unohana remained silent for a moment before leading him down the streets of the First District towards a different house. Gin figured she�d decided to track the human woman via her reiatsu. This time the knock on the door bore fruit. Tesra answered, pulling the door halfway open, obviously surprised to see them. Gin deduced that this was Nnoitra�s house.

�Is Orihime-san here?� Unohana asked pleasantly, her tone a contrast to the bedraggled image the two on the Fifth�s porch conveyed.

�Yes,� Tesra answered hesitantly, not entirely sure what to make of their abrupt appearance, yet not wanting to be rude to Kami�s wife.

�I need to see her please. Can you let her know that I am here?� Unohana requested with that smile that made even the toughest men scuttle for their hospital beds, despite having vehemently insisted they were fine. Gin supposed he could add Tesra to their number, as the Arrancar paled and stepped back inside.

Tesra left the door open, for it would be rude to close it on a superior�s spouse, and didn�t go far into the house. In fact, Gin could hear several women talking in low tones, including Rangiku. His heart froze at the sound of her voice. When was the last time he�d spoken to her? He couldn�t remember. He had seen her over the years of course, during various meeting and such, but Aizen had seen to it that he had neither permission nor the opportunity to say anything to her.

Orihime came to the door, her eyes red and puffy from crying over the loss of her son. She was probably here for some much-needed support from her friends. The human woman took one look at him and gasped, and then promptly shovelled her needs to the side. With the odd bit of sniffling here and there, she ordered them to come in so she could see to his injuries.

For a brief moment, he wavered, for he didn�t want Rangiku to see him like this, but the longing to speak to his childhood friend easily overcame any misgivings he had. There was another woman with Orihime and Rangiku, and he guessed that it was the third human, Tatsuki. Of course, he told himself, Tesra�s mate would likely have permission to be here. All conversation ceased as they entered the room and he forced himself to look into a pair of shocked, pale blue eyes.

�Gin?� Rangiku breathed softly.

�Hiya Ran,� he began, but never had the chance to finish the greeting. She had him in her embrace before he even realized she had moved. It killed his shoulder when she squeezed him, but he didn�t care. He returned the hug as best he could with one hand.

�Screw the pain�, he thought. He could live with it so long as he could continue to hold her for a few precious moments.

�Gin� you have no idea how much I have missed you,� she whispered tearfully.

�S�rry �bout tha�,� he murmured softly, discomfort lacing his voice despite his efforts to hide it.

Rangiku didn�t miss it though, for she took a step back. Her eyes went to the bindings around his shoulder and wrist. She didn�t ask what happened as the answer was painfully obvious.

�Come sit down Gin-san, so I can take care of that,� Orihime sternly interrupted, her throat only slightly hoarse from hours of crying. That cut into any reply he might have made.

Gin did as instructed, and couldn�t help but to sigh in relief as the gold light from Orihime�s shield infused his body with some badly-needed peace and comfort. It didn�t take her long at all to heal the broken bones, and after a quick checkup from Unohana, he shrugged his wrist and shoulder from the bindings. For the first time in months, he was completely free of pain and his wrist felt as if it had never been shattered in the first place. Feeling much better, Gin had a moment to flex his arms and wriggle his fingers before Rangiku was on him again, attempting to smother him with her cleavage as she hugged him, this time with a little more abandon than before.

�Has Nnoitra been taking care of you?� he asked worriedly and a bit breathlessly thanks to Rangiku�s enthusiasm. Gin tried to commit the feeling of her warm body pressed against his and her heady scent to memory. Who knew when the next time he could hold her like this would be? Rangiku showed no outwards signs of mistreatment that he could see, but he knew all too well that looks could deceive. If he found out Nnoitra had abused her he would find a way to kill the Arrancar and the consequences be damned.

�I am better off than some of the others,� she answered, with only a little reluctance.

There was no need to list who �some of the others� were. Unohana had shared her frustration over Yammy�s treatment of Byakuya with him, even if patient confidentiality prevented her from divulging the ugly details. Gin could guess what had happened, however. He was well aware of what kind of violence the Tenth dished out. He had been the brute�s superior at one time, after all. Gin was surprised Byakuya was still in one piece. Yammy had a habit of smashing his toys when he got upset� and it didn�t take much to upset the thuggish Arrancar. The only creature that hadn�t suffered at the hands of Yammy Llargo had been the pint-sized Adjuchas that followed the cretin around, wagging its tail and begging for a game of �toss the bone to the dog.� The rest of creation was fair game for the ill-tempered Espada.

�How many subordinates did we go through again during the build-up to the War?� he wondered, trying to recall the exact body count for which Yammy had been responsible. �I lost track after the first dozen or so��

�Matsumoto-san�� Tesra coughed nervously and he felt her shift and sigh in frustration.

�Damn jealous bugger��

Rangiku cursed under her breath before finally letting Gin go and stepping away. Gin understood. If Yammy was a violent, mentally defective goon, Nnoitra was a jealous, misogynistic, overcompensating bully with an insecure streak a mile wide. As much as he wanted to keep holding her, he didn�t want to get her in trouble either. Still, it was hard not to cling when all he wanted was a few more seconds with her.

�How is Hana-chan doing?� Tatsuki asked, trying to fill in the awkward silence that followed.

�She is recovering well,� Unohana replied truthfully. �She�s at home, resting.�

�That�s a relief at least. I am sorry I wasn�t at the 4^th Division to heal her injuries. I should have�� Orihime looked down at her clasped hands nervously, tears once more threatening the corners of her already-reddened eyes.

�You have your own worries, and Hana�s wounds, while not the prettiest, were hardly fatal or disabling. She will likely be released to return to light duty tomorrow,� Unohana informed the distraught human woman gently, trying to assuage any guilt the human woman might feel.

Gin couldn�t blame Orihime for hovering on the edge of a nervous breakdown. The Swarm had taken her son and there was a good chance the boy was gone for good. While the years of separation from Shinso had been horrible enough, at least Gin had known his Zanpakuto was intact and safe. Orihime didn�t even have that little comfort. Then there was Ajuga�s loss to consider, a double-blow to the soft-hearted healer. Overall, it was an emotional nightmare Gin wouldn�t wish on anyone.

�Can you stay long?�

The hope with which Rangiku asked this almost made him wince, mostly because the answer he had to give her would dash it.

��M�fraid not,� Gin sighed unhappily.

�Aizen is in a particular mood tonight. It is best not to tarry and be late for dinner,� Unohana added, the deftly-worded excuse rolling off her tongue with practiced ease.

�Well, that�s an understatement�, Gin thought grimly. The conversation that he and Unohana interrupted had been depressing, but at least it was a conversation. He would sooner sit here and let Rangiku sob all over him, holding her safe in his arms, than return to the drudgery, slavery, rape and torture that was his hourly lot at the Palace. Furthermore, he knew how Aizen�s slippery mind worked. Their ruler would deem the breaking of Gin�s body this evening as a mere �accident� that occurred while removing him from the bed. Now that his mind wasn�t fogged with pain, Gin understood that the only reason Aizen had given Unohana permission to take him to Orihime was so that he would be in good enough health to receive his punishment for his haphazard work in preparing Kami�s wife. Worse, he�d now have to perform such duties twice a day from tomorrow morning onward.

�Yeah, you�re right,� Gin acknowledged tiredly, giving up on hiding his depression about what he knew would be waiting for him once they made it back to the Palace.

Rangiku pulled him into another long hug. Whatever protest Tesra seemed about to make about it fizzled when his mate placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a soulful look. Nnoitra�s fraccion took in her expression and sighed. Then he left them to their embrace, even though it was clear the Arrancar was nervous about the entire situation.

If Gin could have one wish, it would be for time to stop completely and allow him to remain in the circle of Rangiku�s arms. The universe bloody well owed him that much, he thought with some despair.

Time, unfortunately, turned a deaf ear. A hand settled on his own shoulder and he looked away from the top of Rangiku�s head to see a sympathetic expression on Unohana�s face. Unfortunately, her demeanour also suggested they had best be going. Reluctantly, he stepped away from his friend, doing his best to ignore the tears that pooled at the corners of her eyes. They were a dark reminder of yet another promise he�d failed to keep.

�I�ll see ya around,� he said as farewell, trying to summon up some of his old cheekiness to cover the lump he could feel forming in his throat.

�Yeah,� she agreed, wiping away a tear with the heel of her hand. One corner of her mouth rose in a half-smile. Gin fancied that if he stared at it long enough, he�d be able to hold the picture of her in his mind. Maybe it would help him get through whatever Aizen had planned for him later.

He forced himself to turn around and walk out the door, following in Unohana�s wake back to the Palace that served as his overly-opulent prison. They said nothing to one another on the way. Really, Gin considered, what could either of them say?

Dinner was a solemn, apprehensive affair for the both of them. Interestingly, the only one who seemed to be in good spirits was Aizen. In fact, the usurper�s cheer was such that Gin�s punishment after the meal consisted of a harsh caning, using the abused servant�s own sheathed Zanpakuto as the instrument, and nothing more. That surprised him. He�d expected something far worse in the way of discipline, such as ending up a raw, bloody mess beneath the tyrant, or at least, with a mouthful of heated flesh. Torture always whetted Aizen�s libido, but it appeared that the bastard had already picked out one of the hollow-eyed and mostly-broken serving girls to use as a means of quenching his lust after Gin�s beating.

The pale-haired man pondered whether or not he ought to hate himself for being grateful that it was someone else, and not him, taking the abuse in Aizen�s suite that evening. He also wondered at what point he�d come to think of the beating he�d received as a �light� round of discipline.

Shinso crooned to him after he staggered back to Unohana�s rooms. Gin curled up in his cubby with the flimsy blanket wrapped around him, doing everything to keep his weight off his aching backside. He couldn�t help cradling his Zanpakuto against his chest, afraid Aizen would take Shinso away again for some paltry �error.� In his inner world, the little fox was in his lap, nestled against him, trying to convey how sorry he was for hurting his partner while offering what comfort he could. Gin absently stroked the animal�s snow-white fur. The fault was not with Shinso and he didn�t blame his Zanpakuto in the least for the painful, red stripes forming quickly across his back. Instead, he allowed himself the brief luxury of thinking about his earlier encounter with Rangiku.

She had actually looked good, all things considered, and still as beautiful as he remembered. He�d overheard Unohana inform Aizen of her pregnancy several weeks ago, but from what he�d seen that evening, the former Fukutaichou had just begun to show and he wished he�d had the time and the nerve to ask her about it. Most of the pain he had seen in the group was the result of the loss of the children, and in that, he shared their grief. The thought of never seeing Ajuga again was devastating on a number of different levels. The child, arguably an Arrancar teen now, was often the only highlight to his week, on the days she decided to take the risk and sneak in for a quick visit. Unwittingly, the girl had helped him retain his sanity, giving him a small taste of both smuggled food and desperately-needed cheer.

Sleep eluded him. His back was awash in agony and his thoughts allowed him no peace. Judging by the sound of Unohana�s breathing, she wasn�t asleep yet either. No doubt, her own mind was awhirl with what she had learned today. So many women pregnant� and all signs indicated that she might be joining their ranks soon. For a long moment, Gin even contemplated slipping her the herbs to keep her barren again, but he quickly tossed that idea aside.

Aizen was already onto that game, and this time his punishment might not be a simple shattered wrist, but the loss of a hand. The bastard might even use Shinso to do it. He could never allow that to happen to his Zanpakuto, nor to Unohana. Aizen had promised Gin that he would punish her as well if it happened again, and he couldn�t bear to see the only light in his miserable existence hurt for something he�d done. Nor would he put her in a position where she would be the one forced to maim him. She in turn, to protect the lives of the Shinigami in her Division, would have to obey the order to carve him up with no hesitation. She might deeply regret having to do so, but she wouldn�t hesitate.

�Gin, do you want me to help you sleep?�

The whispered words, seeping out of the darkness, made him jump in alarm. That aggravated the pain in his back and he let out a sharp hiss. Gin scrabbled his way out of his inner world, crawling back to his usual, dismal reality.

�If ya wanna,� he responded, getting his heartbeat under control. Aizen wouldn�t permit her to heal any of the welts decorating the flesh Orihime had newly healed, but there was no rule about using Kido to give him a brief respite from consciousness. He had a feeling that tomorrow would be a long day. His chores, in particular, would be difficult to complete, with the added need to prepare her for another round with Aizen in the morning and he could use all the rest he could get. He�d be a fool to turn down the offer.

The bed sheets rustled and Gin heard the padding of Unohana�s bare feet as she approached him. Then she gently placed her hand on her forehead. A wave of relaxation and warmth washed over him as her reiatsu infused his body, followed by blessed darkness and peace. He would be stiff and sore in the morning, but at least he would have several hours of dreamless sleep in which to let his mind and body rest.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! Huge hugs and thank you for all the reviews. They mean so much to me. I hope everyone had a good Christmas.

Yes, Aarenero would have taken Rukia. I toyed with the idea, but I wanted the cast to be as small as I could get it, which is one reason I killed so many off. It�s still almost too large as it is.

I seem to need to make one thing clear, I will never hold any chapter hostage, or other such nonsense, behind number of reviews. I do write this because I greatly enjoy it, however, it takes time to edit chapters and get them set up and posted on the various sites. I have a child I care for in the day and a job I work at night, so I have limited writing/posting time as it is. If no one showed an interest, why should I waste what limited free time I do have posting? (no worries everyone, you all definitely proved there are a lot of lurkers out there, thank you for that). I am proud to say I am probably one of only a dozen authors that have regular updates, partially because I take the time to write as damn far ahead as I can get. I know as a reader it drives me bonkers waiting for updates.

One thing I can assure everyone is the Prize of Victory WILL be finished. We are just shy of 1200 pages written, of which this chapter ends on 580, so that means not even half of what is written had been posted.

Next Chapter: Harribel meets with Szayel and learns some things she would have sooner not known about. Okay, the next batch of chapters are sort of a set, so Black Fox and I decided to post them together, as you all know I tend to do when we hit a joint set to keep the mood flowing, so look for what I believe will be a triple update.
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Prize of Victory 2	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > General Views: 56251 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make a profit from this story

Prize of Victory 2