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Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87205 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
- 82
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Strangers in the Woods

Karin and Grimmjow didn�t argue very often, but when they did it was an event. Most of their disagreements usually involved Ajuga-chan, and Grimmjow could understand Karin�s concerns. But his mate needed to realize that Ajuga was not entirely human and that this type of training was necessary.

Still, they had fought over it, but in the end he had won and so he found himself and his daughter out in the forest, patiently stalking a herd of wild boars. He had considered taking Hana as well but her mother had steadfast refused to permit her daughter out on such a dangerous excursion and when he had brought it to Starrk the 1^st had merely shrugged and said it was her daughter.

He felt that Nanao�s attitude was as short-sighted as Starrk�s was disinterested. A pity, because the two girls worked well together and he was pleased his daughter had a potential training partner her own size. Then again, he had to admit that this kind of training wasn�t Hana�s strong suit. She was slightly impatient and not very adept at stalking like Ajuga was.

In fact, he had to confess his daughter was a veritable master of stealth, surpassing his own talents in that area long ago. He had no idea how she was capable of completely hiding her reiatsu, but somehow she managed to pull it off. If it wasn�t for Szayel�s birthing gift he would honestly have no idea where she was, not that he would ever admit it to the pink-haired twit.

He remained in his tree, lying across the branch leisurely while Ajuga stalked their prey from the other side. He had his eye on a nice, young boar arrogantly strutting about. His antics didn�t seem to impress anyone and Grimmjow knew it would be chased from the herd by the alpha male soon.

The alpha male of the herd was hard to miss. An older, powerfully-built, scared boar that walked with dignity and mostly ignored the younger males until they needed a reminder of who was in charge. He gave that reminder quickly, effectively, and viciously.

This young one was about to get another lesson before the old boar suddenly paused. The younger one strutted and postured in pleasure shortly before the herd scattered in fright as Ajuga launched herself from her position and landed on the young boar�s back, flipping them both over.

Her target shrieked as her claws and teeth sank into his hide. His hooves and tusks lashed about, but Ajuga was safely behind her target and with a deft slash of her claws, slit its throat. It kicked and squealed weakly for about a minute more before becoming still as it bled out.

Ajuga did not disengage right away and the boar gave a few weak kicks in death that might have hit her had she been foolish enough to believe it over. Smirking in pride, he rolled from his branch and landed gracefully on the ground. Only when he arrived and pulled the carcass away did Ajuga finally release her hold on the pig.

�I do good Papa?�

It was hard to miss the hopefulness in her voice.

�You did excellent,� he answered with a laugh, reassuring her.

There was very little blood on her other than on the hand she had used to slash the boar�s throat and a bit that ran up that same arm. It was a quick, clean kill and since Karin wasn�t there to stop them or nag them about proper manners and behaviour, they eviscerated and ate it right there.

He offered the heart to Ajuga, who munched it with relish. They even broke the bones, consumed the marrow and by the time they were done, little remained of her kill. Crows and other scavengers waited nearby for their chance at the scraps.

�Papa, if Mama isn�t one of us, how come you chose her?� Ajuga asked curiously setting down a bone that she�d nibbled the cartilage off of.

He blinked in surprise and gave his child an assessing look.

�You want the truth or a fairytale?� he asked.

�The truth. Hana-chan is the one that likes fairytales,� she said with a look of disgust on her face.

�Well,� he thought, �that settles that.�

�Alright brat, the truth it is�� he started, giving her a short laugh at her distaste for fairytales. ��your mother has a twin sister, and she was one hell of a good-looking broad. I had used my Claiming right to take the two under my wing because I have a beef with their older brother and was using them as bait.�

�You mean Ichigo?� Ajuga questioned curiously, remembering the name Yumichika had mentioned the one time she had met him. Grimmjow gave her a suspicious look, but waved his hand a little irritably.

�Yeah, forget about him for now, he ain�t important. Anyhow, your mother noticed her sister had caught my eye and she came up to me and offered herself freely instead.�

�But you said you Claimed them both,� Ajuga seemed confused. Grimmjow made a face and shook his head.

�Not physically, they were only little girls at the end of the War. I didn�t Claim your mother until after it was discovered she was pregnant with you. Think of what I had with them the same way that Starrk has a relationship with Nanao,� he explained.

�Oh,� Ajuga nodded her head in understanding before looking at him, clearly waiting for him to continue.

�Anyhow, I accepted your mother�s offer because my usual partners were getting boring and she was starting to turn into a good piece of ass herself. In exchange for her body, I would protect her sister. I noticed she had potential and began to train her. In all honesty, neither one of us ever presumed for a second she could get pregnant. Somewhere along the way she sort of worked her way in. Neither one of us were expecting you, no one was. No one had considered that a human and a Hollow could conceive a child together before.�

His daughter looked down, as if taking that in, before she looked back up at him, worry on her small face.

�But you did want me, right?�

�Now where did that come from?� he wondered and hurried to dispel her anxiety.

�Both of us were happy when we learned about you,� he assured her firmly. �I never expected to be one of the few blessed with a child of my own.�

She smiled happily back at him as he said this. Seeing he�d at least put a few fears to rest, he thought he�d finish the story properly, and honestly.

�The night we learned about you, your mother came up to me and asked me to Claim her properly. Fuck she was so hot,� he groaned in remembrance. �Your mother may be human, but she is one hot bitch who can kick some serious ass, and that is all that matters.�

�Mama is amazing,� she agreed.

�That she is, just don�t let her know I said so though. I got this tough-ass demeanour to keep up�, he said and smirked at her. �Wouldn�t want anyone to think I was going soft, now do we?�

Ajuga gave him a chirp of agreement and then giggled before settling down.

�Ready for the next hunt?� he questioned.

�Yep,� Ajuga agreed quickly.

She was gone in an instant, and no matter how hard Grimmjow tried he couldn�t get a read on her location. Only the tracking bracelet let him know she was out there at all. He allowed a real smile full of pride to spread across his face as he moved off to the side and followed her signal.

The boar had fed them well, but the rest of the Estate would still need to eat, and sharing his kills with Starrk and his pack was a very small price to pay for the protection living on his lands offered his family when he was away from the den himself.

No one, not even Barragan, would dare to incur Starrk�s wrath by invading his staked lands. Sooner or later Grimmjow knew he would need to claim his own lands, but he was content to wait until Ajuga was older and capable enough to leave the den herself.

If he were truthful with himself, he didn�t mind sharing land with Starrk. Both halves of the First Espada seemed content to sleep and let Grimmjow do as he pleased. The First was like the old wolf in a pack, still hanging about to care for the youngsters while letting the new alpha pair run the pack. He also, in his few reflective moments, thought that Starrk truly enjoyed having the company, as long as he didn�t wake up on a regular basis with dyed and braided hair and drawings on his face. An old wolf�s patience had its limits, after all.

Not that Grimmjow thought Starrk was old, but the First Espada really had no desire to do much more than sleep and do as little work as he could get away with. Leadership and responsibility were not things that Starrk desired or seemed to be good at. Plus, as annoying as Lilinette could be, she was a pretty good babysitter and could easily keep up with the children. Perhaps, he considered, she might even be persuaded to help train Ajuga when his daughter got a little older.

The two of them had become so engrossed in thinking and hunting that he didn�t notice the sun was well past midday, the time he had promised Karin they would return by. In fact, he was so busy trailing the herd of deer Ajuga had decided to stalk that he failed to notice anything until her voice called to him.

�I thought I said to be back by noon,� Karin snapped angrily, causing him to jolt in surprise and the herd of deer to startle and run.

Ajuga was by their sides in an instant, scowling in annoyance that her hunt was spoiled.

�Mama,� Ajuga protested. �You let dinner get away,� she complained.

�There is plenty of food at the Estate. It is dangerous out here with the Swarm being able to show up any time,� Karin growled back.

And damn if that growl didn�t turn him on. If Ajuga wasn�t here he would have his mate naked and pinned against a tree before she even know what hit her. Hell, was there any reason not to? They could send their daughter back after the deer and he could have his way with her under the trees.

�Don�t even think about it,� Karin snapped at him in anger.

Damn that woman and her intuition.

�And as for you,� she said, turning to Ajuga, �we are heading back to the city.�

�I don�t want to,� Ajuga snapped, stomping one foot. �Papa and I are hunting.�

They both looked at Ajuga in surprise. It was rare for her to speak back, and she had never raised her voice to either of them before.

�There are no bugs, if there were I would smell them. I want to hunt,� Ajuga argued. �Papa said I can hunt today, so we are hunting. Why do we always have to do things your way?� Ajuga demanded.

Karin looked shock, and it took a large amount of his will power to hold back the bark of laughter he wanted to let out. Karin shot him a glare that suggested she knew how he felt anyway and if he let it out he would be very, very sorry.

�Ajuga-chan,� Karin sighed. �I am your mother, and as such it is my job to worry about you. One day, when you have a child of your own, you will understand.�

�Che, like any male will ever be good enough for her.� Grimmjow snorted.

Karin muttered something irritably that he couldn�t quite catch, and then suddenly snapped upright, staring off into the distance with a frown. Grimmjow wasted no time reaching out with his senses in that direction as well. He felt nothing, but that didn�t mean much. People could suppress or hide their reiatsu, but they could not hide from Karin�s �sight�. If something caught her eye, then there was something there.

�How many?� he demanded.

�Four. They are breaking up, two heading this way and two heading elsewhere. They are strong, Grimmjow,� she reported worriedly. �They�re easily Taichou-class. I don�t recognize them.�

�Ajuga, go home. Now.� Grimmjow ordered firmly, leaving no room for argument.

�Yes, Papa,� Ajuga answered without hesitation, any sign of her early reluctance to go back gone for now. Then he sent Karin a warning look.

�Go with her,� he ordered. �Make sure she gets there.�

Karin looked like she was ready to protest, but finally nodded her head and turned to face the city.

�Come on Ajuga-chan. We are going to have to move quickly,� Karin held her arms out and Ajuga jumped into them, their argument forgotten.

With a nod to each other and one last worried look, Karin took off in a flash on Shunpo while Grimmjow drew Pantera and turned his attention back to the direction Karin had been facing.

He ignored the apprehension he felt about letting his mate and child take off without him. He would stand here and give them as much of a head start as he could, using himself as a shield against the foe coming towards them.

If Karin didn�t recognize the reiatsu then it meant the intruders were not Ichigo or that midget he hung out with. He finally felt a trace of their presence and spun to block the incoming strike with his own blade.

It was a woman, and it had been her foot aimed at him, not a sword. The other presence appeared before him shortly as he and the dark-skinned woman separated, the later springing away but never took her eyes off of him and was standing at the ready. The other tossed her green hair out of her eyes, gripping the hilt of the sword at her side, but made no move to draw it. This one he thought he recognized. The facial markings across her nose, the mask at the crown of her head, the impressive rack�

�Nel,� he said, finally digging her blasted name out of his memories.

�Grimmjow,� she returned politely. �We didn�t come here to fight.�

�Could have fooled me,� he said with a curl of his lip, turning to the other woman. �Yoruichi, I take it?�

�You guessed right,� she smirked at him and then gave him a bold look from head to toe. �I see what Karin-chan sees in you,�

Yoruichi�s frank smile, one that threw him off for a moment, promised him a completely different sort of �fighting�. He hurriedly stuffed down any interest that his inner tomcat might find in the offer before Karin could feel it across their link. There was no way he�d kick open that particular hornet�s nest.

�Sorry, but I will have to decline. Not to say it ain�t tempting, but the only sheath I am permitted to put that sword in is Karin. You may not think much of us Hollows, but I am faithful to my mate.�

That earned him peal of laughter from Yoruichi, but he also noted that she never took her eyes off of him and didn�t lower her guard.

�I do not question that. But Karin is the one we must speak with,� Nel interjected.

Grimmjow shook his head at that, turning his attention from one intruder to the other.

�She is long gone, but if you got a message for her, you can give it to me and I might pass it on,� he half-taunted.

When neither of them made any move towards a weapon, or took the bait he threw out there as an excuse to fight, he backed down a little, his brow furrowed, trying to figure out what they wanted with Karin.

�This is information Aizen cannot have,� Yoruichi stressed, narrowing those golden eyes and frowning at him. �How do we know we can trust you with it?�

�We can,� Nel said firmly, in that strange, self-assured voice of hers. �We tried to tell Karin before, but Szayel got in the way. It�s about who and what her father really was, and it has to do with the Swarm.�

That got his attention. He knew the Swarm was a problem in the Living World as well, but he had a hard time believing that it had anything to do with their current situation. Of course, if something was annoying, trust that there was a Kurosaki involved somehow. He snorted and his electric blue eyes bore into their gray and gold ones as he lowered Pantera�s tip.

�I am listening, but if I don�t find this so-called �information� important, then I am out of here, and I might just let my blade taste your blood before I go,� he warned them.

�Trust me, this is important, as it concerns your daughter as well,� Yoruichi assured him.

That clinched it for Grimmjow. Karin could take care of herself, but Ajuga still had a long way to go before she could properly handle a real fight, especially when up against something like the Swarm.

�Start talking,� he ordered, and settled back to listen to them.

Karin raced back towards the city with Ajuga, but she could see the other two racing towards her. She was fast, but they were far faster as they moved to intercept her.

�Ajuga-chan, quickly hide,� Karin ordered.

�Okay,� Ajuga jumped from her shoulder and concealed herself so completely that if Karin couldn�t see her reiatsu she wouldn�t have known her daughter was there.

Karin spun about as the two unknown reiatsu appeared before her. She was no fool; she knew she stood no chance against the overpowering force of even one of these two. They were in a league far beyond hers when it came to sheer power.

The first intruder was a small, thin girl with spiky blond hair and a scowl on her face that eerily reminded her of Lilinette in a bad mood. The other was a very large, heavy-set man with short hair and bright pink hair and a pink moustache that could have matched Szayel�s locks in hue. Their clothing was a little mismatched, but what bothered her most was the way that their reiatsu looked. It had that same �off� quality to it that she�d noticed when Ichigo had completely lost control and morphed into that thing that was half-Hollow and half-Shinigami. Karin felt her blood run cold, but she still fell back into the defensive stance Grimmjow had hammered into her.

If anything, hopefully she could delay them long enough for Ajuga-chan to reach safety. They were strong, but they were not as strong as Starrk and she knew the Espada would defend her daughter if it came down to it.

�What do you want?� she challenged as they closed the distance.

�Oi, you Karin?� the short girl demanded, her scowl deepening.

Karin was startled they knew her name, but since they felt similar to her brother, perhaps they were companions of his.

�What if I was?� she challenged. �Who the hell are you?� she demanded.

�Oi, Hachi, I think this must be her. She certainly looks and acts like that bald idiot.�

�So it would seem,� Hachi responded. �Forgive us. I am Ushoda Hachigen, and this is Sarugaki Hiyori,� he said politely, the introduction accompanied with a low, respectful bow. �Kuchiki Rukia informed us they were unable to pass on the message she wished to convey the last time they tried to make contact with you. We are��

�I don�t care who you are,� Karin snapped. �Whatever the message was, it is unimportant now. I have discarded that life. Now if you will excuse me, I wish to return home,� she said coldly.

The short blonde�s lip curled back in disgust and she crouched as if to spring at Karin.

�Keh, we come here to help you and you spit at us? That�s it, I�ll just fix the situation by killing her,� Hiyori snarled, drawing her blade. �I�ve had enough of this shit��

�Hiyori,� Hachi sighed, resting a massive hand on his small compatriot�s shoulder to prevent her from doing anything more than throwing nasty looks Karin�s way.

The big man�s shoulders heaved with the sigh of a man burdened with one too many problems and too few resources. He gave Karin a pleading look.

�Will you please at least listen to our message? We have sacrificed much to bring it to you,� Hachi asked politely. �Your father��

�I already know,� Karin said firmly.

�Huh?� Hiyori said, while Hachi just looked at her in surprise. Apparently, that wasn�t the answer they�d been expecting.

�Szayel and I worked it out between us. There is nothing more to say. Now, are you going to let me go home or am I going to have to kick your asses?� she asked, letting the anger in her voice become more pronounced.

�Keh, you couldn�t kick my ass if I had one arm tied behind my back,� Hiyori taunted, teeth bared and a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

�Want to try me, bitch?� Karin shot back, adding that last bit out of sheer spite.

�Why you�� Hiyori tried to lunge for her, but Hachi merely rested a hand on her shoulder once more to hold her in place.

Confident that she was relatively safe, she summoned Ajuga to her. Both of the intruders looked at her daughter in shock as Ajuga leaped into her arms and glared at them, showing her fangs.

�I am going home, farewell.�

�Wait you damn bald, broad,� Hiyori roared at them. �We�re not done here yet!!�

�Please wait,� Hachigan requested, his voice urging her to come back.

Karin ignored them and kept walking away.

�Kurosaki-san, please wait,� Hachi called again, this time sounding utterly desperate.

Karin stiffened and tossed a glare back at them.

�I no longer have any right to that name, please do not refer to me as such,� she declared bitterly before launching into a Shunpo, anger fuelling her steps.

The wind whipped by as she raced back home. Thankfully, neither of the intruders chose to follow her after that and soon their reiatsu disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place. She hoped that they had returned to wherever it was in the Living World they�d come from.

�Mama?� Ajuga asked.

�What is it?� Karin responded.

�Why did they call you that?� she asked confused.

�Call me what? Bald?� she asked, trying to keep her answer deliberately vague.

�No. Kurosaki.�

Karin felt a stab of pain in her chest.

�It is my family name,� she finally admitted.

�Shouldn�t it be like Papa and I?�

Ajuga seemed baffled about the whole thing.

That ache beneath her sternum increased and she found herself shaking her head.

�Your father never gave me permission to use his name, and I have no right to my old name,� Karin answered softly.

The gates were finally in sight. She let out a soft sigh of relief as they continued on pass them to the Estate. So far it looked like the only ones home were Starrk and Jushiro. They were surprisingly near each other.

�Karin-chan?� Jushiro questioned as she appeared before them. There was a Go board between them, half covered in white and black stones already. Apparently she�d interrupted a match in progress.

�Can you watch Ajuga-chan?� she questioned.

�Of course but��

Karin never let Jushiro finish before disappearing into another Shunpo.

�I smell trouble,� Starrk sighed, not even bothering to look up from the board.

�Ajuga-chan?� Jushiro turned his attention to the little girl, who seemed only slightly less confused than they did.

The little girl wandered up to them and threw herself into Starrk�s lap with a huff, folding her arms across her chest and glowering.

�Papa is being Papa again,� she complained, clearly annoyed at her father. �He keeps forgetting Mama isn�t like us.�

The two adults looked down at Ajuga, then at one another, and back to the little girl.

�I see,� Starrk replied, and placed a white piece on the board. Whether he was referring to the cause of Ajuga�s irritation or to one of Jushiro�s previous plays was up for debate.

�Dare I ask what part of a Hollow-human relationship they are stumbling over this time?� Jushiro asked warily.

�Names,� Ajuga grumbled. �That�s such a stupid thing to fight over.�

Grimmjow listened to their tale with equal amounts of disbelief and worry, and if Nel, the former Third, hadn�t been the one to tell it he would have thought that they were bat-shit crazy.

But this was Nel, and per his past experience, he knew she wasn�t in the habit of exaggerating things, either as the stumbling child he�d seen tagging along with that bastard Ichigo in Hueco Mundo years ago, or the calm, collected adult he saw before him now.

He knew Karin and Szayel had been working on something, that the Swarm did seem to have a taste for her blood and the two times those �generals� had shown up they had done so in her vicinity. When Nel finally finished the story, the Sexta Espada had to admit that far too much of what she�d relayed made sense, given everything of late.

He may have been bloodthirsty, destructive and spoiling for a fight in the past, tendencies that had been mitigated somewhat with his mating to Karin. However, unlike Aizen, he was more than capable of putting two and two together to come up with a correct, if disturbing answer. By the end of the explanation he wasn�t sure who he wanted to beat up first for keeping this from him, Karin or Szayel. He could feel agitation coming from Karin, as well as what felt like emotional pain, the cause of which he wasn�t sure he wanted to deal with at the moment.

�Szayel it is then,� he decided.

As much as he would have liked to end this conversation with the two intruders with a bloodied blade, they had given him a lot to chew on, as well as an upset Karin on his hands, which was never a good thing. Kami forbid, she could deny him sex. While nothing was better than the heated passion of make-up sex, the obstacle was the �getting forgiven� part. Nel and Yoruichi vanished after that, to return via whatever means they�d used to sneak into the Seireitei. He could have care less where they went, as long as it was away from his family.

By the time he made it back to the city he had long since decided who he was going to have a chat with first about withholding some pretty valuable information pertaining to him, from him.

By the time he made it to Szayel lab he�d had some time to consider a few more aspects of the information he�d been given and his anger turned to a mix of frustration and relief.

Szayel had to know the whole truth, a truth Aizen would have been, and would still be, deeply interested to hear. It was no secret that the reason he had taken Unohana as a wife was to produce an heir of Royal blood. And here, right under Kami�s nose, were two direct descendants of the former King. The irony wasn�t wasted on him.

The thought of Aizen touching either his mate or his daughter sickened and worried him. Under no circumstance whatsoever could Aizen ever learn of Karin�s heritage. He didn�t even want to think about what the consequences would be for his family.

And Szayel, an Arrancar known for doing anything to sleaze his way up the ranks and who lacked any sort of moral code about the welfare of others, was the one with that knowledge. It also meant the same Arrancar who had been violently tortured and raped at Aizen�s hands hadn�t once let slip what he knew to save himself during his ordeal.

He knew Szayel was smart, as was Aizen, and he held no illusions that Szayel couldn�t easily find a way around Karin�s Claim-enforced rules about the secret. He could have offered the knowledge to Aizen to get the former Shinigami to stop his periodic torture sessions, or used the information to ingratiate himself further with the bastard. So the fact that Karin and Ajuga were still healthy, whole and with him meant only one thing. The conclusion he came to took him by surprise and left him a little unsettled.

Szayel had deliberately protected his mate and child of his own violation, despite undergoing some of the most gruesome torture Grimmjow could think up. He had never dreamed the other Espada capable of such an altruistic feat. It also left him with a great many unanswered questions, some of which he intended to pursue as soon as he got his hands on Szayel. He wasn�t challenged as he made his way past the guards at the Science Division and he made a beeline for Szayel�s usual laboratory.

�Grimmjow, how unusual of you to visit me,� Szayel noted as he waltzed into the lab, leaning back from a screen filled with scrolling numbers.

His dark-haired broad was typing away at one of the keyboards and the vacant-eyed red head was busy moving large pieces of equipment, but otherwise Grimmjow and Szayel were alone. That suited him just fine.

�How long have you known?� he demanded, his hands on his hips.

�Grimmjow, my knowledge is a vast thing. Perhaps if I knew what it is I am supposed to know this time, I could answer�.�

�Karin. How long have you known?� Grimmjow demanded again, wishing that he�d actually Claimed the little shit, so that he could at least get a straight answer for once.

This time the scientist cocked his head to the side, considering Grimmjow�s irritated state and demeanour, and turned to the woman seated next to him.

�Nemu, is the room secure?�

�Hai, Szayel-sama,� Nemu said and pressed a button on the console next to her chair.

The doors hissed shut and locked behind him. Once they were closed, Szayel crossed his legs and clasped his hands around his knee, turning in his chair to face Grimmjow.

�I take it you are referring to her rather unique parentage.�

�Cut the bullshit, how long have you known that she�s one of the bloody Heirs to the throne that Aizen-fucking-Kami wants so damned badly?�

Szayel had the good sense to start talking at his outburst, saving Grimmjow the job of throttling him.

�I knew there was something strange with her the first time I drew and tried to analyse her blood. It was the General of the Swarm that informed us about her lineage and Ukitake Jushiro who confirmed the identity of her father,� the researcher answered truthfully. Then he leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his back. �In truth, because Ichigo has become corrupted with his status as a Vizard and because her twin sister seems to have inherited none of the DNA associated with the Royal bloodline, your mate IS the rightful heir to the throne Aizen-kami covets.�

�And Ajuga?� he demanded, although he feared her knew the answer already.

Szayel must have noted his expression, because his voice turned hesitant, as if he were reluctant to be the bearer of bad news.

�Ajuga-chan inherited her mother�s Royal blood. Either one of them could give Aizen-kami what he desires should they bear him a child. And since we are on the subject, although it is much, much weaker, Hana-chan also carries traces of Royal blood, but that is to be expected of the daughter of one of the four Great Noble Houses, however illegitimate she might be.�

�So why haven�t you spilled that info to Aizen yet?� Grimmjow asked pointedly, baring his teeth. �Or maybe to me, as Karin�s mate and Ajuga�s father?!? Were you saving it up for a special occasion?�

Szayel blinked at him, then sighed and looked off in the distance, even if the distance was only a couple of feet to the nearest wall. It seemed as if he was searching for the right words.

�Karin-sama� she is something else isn�t she?� Szayel said quietly, and then straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat before continuing. �If Aizen-Kami took an interest in her, I have no doubt that he would take her away, and I would lose my best opportunity to study a member of the Royal family,� he admitted.

Nemu had stopped typing and was listening, though Szayel�s other pet continued to move cabinets into place as if there was nothing going on behind him.

�That�s the professional side of it, you see. I also have, as you know, a personal stake in Karin�s well-being.�

Szayel rubbed his forehead, and winced as his fingers brushed the place where his mask had cracked, as if touching it actually hurt. Well, Grimmjow thought, for all he knew, it might.

�Karin-sama, as you know, is also the only one willing to keep my condition stable. Without her intervention, I would degrade, taking on the form of a mere child. Despite all my amazing scientific discoveries, even I would be extremely vulnerable in such a state and I have no doubt I have made many enemies over the years that would be thrilled to take advantage at any sign of weakness on my part.�

�So it�s self-preservation and curiosity,� Grimmjow snorted.

Szayel opened his mouth, then closed it and considered the more powerful Espada�s assessment.

�I suppose you could sum it up that way,� Szayel agreed, then paused. �Then again, as I said, Karin-sama is something else. I know of few who would be willing to stitch the wounds Kami gave me closed.�

Szayel�s broad was giving him a sympathetic look, to which Grimmjow just rolled his eyes. Still, his mate�s supposed �fraccion� had a point and had actually been a bit pensive regarding that last part.

�Yeah,� he agreed, �she sure is something alright. Don�t forget it either.�

He hadn�t really been thinking too much about it, but thinking about her now he realized she had been sending a wide array of emotions down through the Claim at him. He frowned as he tried to make heads or tails of them and didn�t like what he felt. Anger, frustration, despair, sadness, longing, misery� The emotions moved from one to another so quickly he had no idea which one was real. He frowned and closed his eyes to focus more intently.

He knew she and Ajuga had made it into the city. He had checked before returning himself. Ajuga was with Starrk and Jushiro, but Karin� Karin was, surprisingly, at the 3^rd Division.

�What business could she possibly have there?�

He contemplated going over to find out what on earth was going on, but given the intensity of Karin�s anger and upset coming at him down the link he decided that it might be a good idea to let her calm down a bit before he approached her. Besides, he had fully intended to use this day off to train with Ajuga. The stupid war with the Swarm had seriously cut into that, and like Hell he was going to let his daughter grow up incompetent in combat.

Sensing from his silence that their conversation was over, Szayel unsealed the room and bid him goodbye before returning to whatever project the three of them had in the works. Grimmjow returned to the estate, intent on finding his daughter.

What met him instead was Starrk. The male half of the First Espada looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but standing before him. Behind him Ajuga and Jushiro offered the sleepy-looking Arrancar a smile of encouragement.

�We need to talk,� Starrk finally said to Grimmjow with a sigh, scratching the back of his neck.

�Can it wait?� Grimmjow almost whined.

Why did everyone feel like they had to get in the way of him spending time with his daughter?

�It won�t take long, and those two seem to think it�s important,� the other said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

Grimmjow held back a snarl of frustration, but he really couldn�t say no to Starrk. This was his land and the First was far more powerful than he was. Considering one of the two who had put Starrk up to this was his own progeny, he gave in and simply nodded his head in agreement, following Starrk out of the room. Today looked like it was going to be one hell of a long day.

I doubt Grimmjow would ever Claim Ichigo, the two share a rivalry type of relationship and he would be in no condition to Claim Ichigo after their fights even if they did end up in such a situation. Given Ichigo�s powers now a days, the one ending up getting Claimed would probably be Grimmjow. Yammy will get his due, everyone will when the time comes, but that won�t be for a while yet.

A usual I love the reviews, thank you so much everyone. The baby is doing fine as far as I can tell, even if I am getting my ass kicked, lol. I have so many pinched nerves that I can barely use my hands right now and forget sleeping. I Haven�t really typed anything in weeks since I am just too damn exhausted and typing is really uncomfortable.

This Weeks Question: Who do you think was at fault over the �name issue,� Karin for never brining it up that it bothered her or Grimmjow for never informing her his name was now hers?

Next Chapter: Karin uses Toshiro to work out her frustrations upon.
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Prize of Victory