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Prize of Victory	By : NovaAlexandria Category: Bleach > Het - Male/Female Views: 87207 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach nor make profit from this snippet

Chapter List
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Balloon

It was frustrating not being able to see one�s feet, and even more frustrating not being able to get up off of the couch without either taking ten minutes to gain her feet or without asking for help from someone else.

�Why did I want a child again?� she demanded in a moan.

�Because Ajuga-chan is so cute?� Rangiku suggested, setting down a cup of green tea with ginger and honey in it.

�Right, good point,� Orihime conceded.

She had to be due soon; in fact Szayel had assured her she could expect to go into labour at any moment. Thinking of the scientist caused her to play with the silver band on her wrist, the same one Karin had worn, or so she had been informed.

She picked up her tea and took a sip, sighing softly at the wonderful flavour and settling more comfortably (or as comfortably as a stomach the size of a beach ball would let her) into the couch.

�So, is there any juicy news from Karin-chan and her love life?� Rangiku almost demanded with a squeal.

�Other than finally being informed she could have Grimmjow�s family name, nothing much,� Orihime answered. �Ajuga-chan has been getting restless though and keeps disappearing at least once a week, usually during battles. I hope she hasn�t been trying to participate in them�� she fretted.

�It�s kind of funny when you think about it,� Rangiku mused.

�What?! What is funny about a child trying to fight?�

Orihime seemed shocked, eyes going wide enough for Rangiku to shake her head.

�Not that,� Rangiku waved her concern aside. �I mean the fact Karin was technically the first one to �take a mate� and the last one to gain permission for the name,� she chuckled in amusement.

�Oh, yeah that is kind of funny,� Orihime agreed.

She winced as she felt a contraction. She�d been having the phantom pains for a week and a half and while she was glad they meant her due date was approaching, she�d also become annoyed with them. The book warned her they would become more common the closer she got to giving birth, not that they would come at the most inopportune times or that they would be a serious distraction. Orihime hoped nothing would go wrong with her child�s birth like it had with Ajuga-chan�s delivery. The thought of being sliced open made her shiver.

Szayel assured her that both he and Unohana-san were prepared for any complications that might arise. Then, unfortunately, he had ever-so-kindly informed her about all of the imaginable complications.

In reality, the possible problems that Szayel foresaw were minor. The only difficulty they were really concerned about was the likelihood of the umbilical cord getting tangled up in the boy�s wings. The mask fragments adorning his head were smooth, rounded and small at this point so they hoped that there was little chance of his mask catching and preventing him from moving down the birth canal, like what had happened with Ajuga�s torso �mask�. Orihime sighed wistfully, absently rubbing her stomach and only half-paying attention to Rangiku�s rambling.

She was pleased that Nnoitra had permitted Rangiku to keep her company. Apparently it had been Tesra�s idea and he had actually been the one to approach Nnoitra over it. Word was that he had dropped some heavy hints into the Fifth Espada�s ear that women tended to run in packs in almost all things, so when one was pregnant, the others started longing for a child of their own, resulting in an increased sex drive.

Orihime didn�t know if that was true, but she could at least agree that when Karin was pregnant, and even more so after Ajuga-chan was born, the desire for a child of her own had definitely increased.

�Do you want one?� Orihime suddenly asked.

�Nani?� Rangiku asked, confused.

�A baby,� she clarified. �Do you want one now that I am having one and Karin-chan already does?�

Rangiku�s demeanour suddenly changed, and the enthusiasm she�d shown all afternoon slipped away. Her expression turned pensive and she bit her lower lip, looking down and away as she seemed to consider Orihime�s question.

�Not really,� she admitted slowly and softly. �I don�t know what kind of father Nnoitra-sama would be. Things are a little better now than they were at the beginning, but��

Orihime nodded in understanding. Nnoitra still occasionally �slipped� when he got angry and Rangiku would subsequently show up at their training location with a black eye or other bruises.

�Things have definitely changed in the last ten years, haven�t they?� Orihime sighed again.

�Yeah,� Rangiku agreed, staring at her intertwined fingers.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the two women, each lost in their own thoughts until the sound of the door opening and closing brought them back to the present, along with the sound of rustling paper.

�Oi, I leave for ten minutes to get something for dinner, and I come back to this. If I don�t see smiles on those faces I am going to throw these into the trash and you can both starve,� Tatsuki threatened as she came into the room, arms full of takeout bags.

�Ah, don�t you dare!� Orihime protested, and then winced as she felt another contraction.

�Don�t make me take you out back, woman,� Rangiku told Tatsuki in a half-threatening, half-playful voice. �Those are fighting words, you know! A girl has to eat right to train!�

�I feel so intimidated,� Tatsuki shot back in a dry voice and gave a fake shiver before setting down the bag of food on the table before them. �We all know that when it comes to Kendo I got you all beat,� she smirked.

�Well, Haineko�s strength really isn�t in her sword work,� Rangiku taunted. �And we all know I am the only one capable of using Kido,�

�Yeah, but your Kido is no match to Orihime-chan�s flashy shield,� Tatsuki pointed out.

Orihime ignored their friendly banter and dove for the food instead. She was utterly starving! Pulling out various containers from the bag, she grabbed the ones for herself and started to devour her dinner as if it was her last meal.

She finished her portion, licked her fingers and swiped one around the containers for good measure, then began to eye Rangiku and Tatsuki�s untouched takeout food. Those two seemed content to continue their friendly sniping.

�They won�t miss one small bite,� she told herself, opening up one of Tatsuki�s boxes of chicken and picking up her chopsticks.

�Oi!� both women suddenly protested, turning on her in mid-argument.

Orihime froze, than blinked as she realized �a small bite� had turned into �eat everything in sight.�

�Oops, hee hee,� she giggled nervously. �You two want some?� she asked.

Tatsuki sighed in frustration while Rangiku gave her a small laugh and ran her fingers through her long hair.

�Nah, that�s alright, go ahead and finish it. You are eating for two and I need to watch my figure,� Rangiku replied.

�I can�t wait until that kid is out of you,� Tatsuki sighed. �I�m surprised you aren�t gnawing on the furniture, given your appetite of late!�

�Why, so you can spend more time with Tesra-kun?� Rangiku teased her.

Tatsuki scowled at her, but the faintest hint of a blush crossed her checks.

�No, so that Orihime-chan quits wolfing everything down,� she answered. �More time with Tesra is just an added bonus.�

Orihime nearly choked on her food as she held back a laugh at Tatsuki�s admission. Her old childhood friend was definitely a lot happier than she had been since the Winter War. Tesra had certainly been good for the woman.

�So what time is Ulquiorra supposed to be back?� Tatsuki suddenly asked.

�I don�t know,� Orihime replied. �You know how these meetings go. It could be several hours yet.�

She didn�t want to admit it, but she felt a little insecure without him nearby. She remembered all too well the information Karin had given her about a child�s reiatsu summoning others.

Normally no one would be foolish enough to cross Ulquiorra with the possible exception of Barragan, and she had brought that fear to her mate already. When an Arrancar�s instincts ran high, rational thought tended to fly out the window without a pause to say goodbye.

It made her feel better knowing that Tatsuki and Rangiku were here. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that both women would be able to last long enough for everyone�s partners to respond to any threat. Even Tesra would be capable of fending off an attack long enough for the two Espada to arrive, and Orihime had no doubt that Nnoitra would come if he felt Rangiku was in real danger. Even if she was positive the Espada didn�t love her friend, she understood that males had this strange thing about possessions, and that possessiveness was especially true for Nnoitra.

�Well, I had better go back out and get the rest of us something to eat,� Tatsuki sighed. �Are you still hungry, Orihime-chan?� she asked.

�Starving,� she admitted sheepishly.

�Of course.� Tatsuki rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. �I�ll be back in another ten minutes,� she promised.

Ulquiorra listened with due diligence to Szayel�s report on what little information his staff had managed to glean from the dead Portal bugs. Starrk looked like he was asleep, if not comatose. Nnoitra and Grimmjow both had identical �dear Kami just kill me now and put me out of my misery� expressions on their faces. Yammy, that witless wonder, was busy using one of his huge fingers to clean out an ear. Halibel, at least, appeared to be focused on the report, if the direction of the teal-coloured gaze above her mask was any indication of interest, though it was hard to be sure with her as only half of her face was visible. That grizzled old lump Barragan seemed bored out of his mind. The only one who seemed to be paying full attention, other than him was Aizen-Kami.

Normally, Ulquiorra prided himself on being patient, but right now he truly wished Szayel would hurry and wrap it up. No one save possibly Kami-sama cared about the minute details about how he obtained his results.

�Enough with showing us the work, Szayel,� Barragen grunted, echoing Ulquiorra�s own private thoughts, �just give us an answer before the next ice age happens and I lose my patience.�

Szayel looked rather affronted that his lecture had been interrupted.

�If I just gave you the answers, you would never understand how things work,� Szayel countered, adjusting his �glasses.�

�If I wanted the opinion of some human girl�s pet, I would ask for it,� Barragan countered.

�Oi, back off my mate,� Grimmjow interjected, giving Barragan a menacing glare.

Ulquiorra held back a sigh of annoyance. Could these meetings ever go according to schedule for once? He glanced at Aizen-Kami out of the corner of his eye and noted he seemed more amused than angry at the disruption, which meant he wouldn�t put an end to the bickering until his good humour ran out.

The longer the sniping continued, the higher his anxiety climbed. All he wanted to do was get back to Orihime and his unborn child.

Grimmjow and Barragen were busy trading derogatory remarks back and forth now, their argument shifting to when the Second had dared to go after the Sexta Espada�s daughter. Aizen-Kami still didn�t look like he was planning on stopping the pointless squabbling anytime soon and Szayel resembled a kicked puppy as he was unable to finish his rather detailed report.

He felt his leg begin to twitch in irritation and the fingers of his left hand began to drum on their own accord on his thigh. Aizen-Kami turned to look at him with a raised brow. Realizing he had let his anxiety show, he forced himself to hold still and mentally berated himself.

Generally he was capable of controlling his emotions, of burying them under cold logic, but his anxiety suddenly spiked instead of dropped and before he knew it he had bolted to his feet, causing the entire room to fall silent in shock at his abrupt movement.

The sound of something beeping caused all eyes to whip about to Szayel. With a frown, Szayel pulled the device making the noise out of his pocket and stared at it before the scientist�s golden eyes darted up to lock with his own.

Suddenly, everything made sense. The anxiety he felt didn�t belong to him, which was why he couldn�t curb it. Instead, it was coming from Orihime.

�Something�s wrong,� Nnoitra suddenly stated, standing up as well, wide mouth turned down in a frown.

�May we please be excused, Aizen-kami?� Szayel asked politely with a bow.

�Why?� Aizen asked, in an almost bored voice.

�Because it would seem Orihime-chan has gone into real labour,� Szayel replied.

Ulquiorra forced himself to hold still, waiting for Aizen�s permission to go. He swore that Kami-sama took pleasure in seeing him squirm, internally anyway. He made damn sure that he appeared as calm as ever on the outside, eyes unblinking and his face a neutral mask.

�Of course you may. Szayel, Ulquiorra, you are both dismissed. I expect to hear good things come morning.�

�Hai, Aizen-kami,� they both bowed.

Aizen waved them away, and turned his attention back to Grimmjow and Barragan, who had momentarily dropped their quarrel.

It took every ounce of Ulquiorra�s willpower to walk calmly out of the meeting room.

�At this time of night Unohana-san will be at the palace. You are far faster than I. If you could, please pick her up while I get to the women,� Szayel requested, eyes intent on the device in his hand.

Ulquiorra quelled his first impulse, which was to grab Szayel by the collar and shake him until his mask popped off. The scientist�s order was logical and despite his desire to run to his mate, he nodded. However, he did reach out and with one finger, tilted Szayel�s chin up until the other was forced to look up from the monitoring device and meet his gaze.

�If any harm comes to my mate in my absence, there will be nothing left of you for her to put back together,� he threatened coldly.

Szayel, a little taken aback, nodded his head and they both launched into a Sonido in opposite directions the moment they were clear of the building. He had never traveled so fast in his life as he stormed his way into the palace.

The guards bowed and let him pass. He may not have been the First Espada, but he was well known as Aizen-kami�s most loyal. If he was here then it was obviously with Kami�s permission. He found his way to Unohana�s chambers easy enough and forced himself to knock politely.

It was Gin who answered the door to her apartment. It had been a while since he had last seen the silver-haired ex-Taichou.

�Ulquiorra-san, what brings you here?� Gin asked with a smile.

It was a smile that was completely forced and Ulquiorra noticed several fresh marks, barely healed scars and bruises on the Shinigami�s ill-covered body.

�I require Unohana-san at once,� he answered monotonously.

�Oh, wha� for?� Gin asked curiously.

The anxiety coming from Orihime was climbing rapidly now and made his own temper short. It took all of his strength to remain calm and not either race to her side or reach out and break the neck of Aizen�s servant. Neither action would help him now.

�Get her now, or I will inform Kami-sama you failed to do so,� he commanded coldly.

The other failed to hide the flash of terror the threat created before stepping aside to let him into the main sitting room. Ulquiorra waited while Gin retreated to one of the other rooms before returning shortly with Unohana.

�Ulquiorra-san, what can I do for you?� Unohana asked politely.

She wore nothing more than a sleeping yukata and her hair was wet, clearly having just come out of a bath or shower.

�Orihime has gone into labour,� he answered, pleased his voice came in a measured, non-panicked way.

�Oh. Give me a moment to get changed into something more appropriate,� she requested. �Gin, if you please,� she smiled at the other male.

�Your wish is my command, Unohana-sama,� he bowed to her with a wide smile.

They both retreated into a space that he presumed was her bedroom. His hands clenched tightly in his pockets as he waited impatiently for them to remerge. His self-control was strained as he tried to remain standing still, rather than pacing in agitation.

Unohana emerged after a few minutes wearing her uniform, still as calm and patient, as if there was no hurry.

�I trust Szayel-san is already aware of the situation?� she asked as she walked serenely out the door and began to head towards her own Division.

�Hai,� he agreed, silently wishing she would pick up her pace.

Ulquiorra mentally slapped himself; he was becoming as impatient as that idiot Grimmjow, and that only made him more irritated that he�d been before. If Unohana noticed his impatience, she made no sign as she continued on her way.

�You may relax, Ulquiorra-san. Szayel-san is well-equipped to deal with any potential problems this early into the labour. I do not expect the later and more dangerous parts of labour to begin for some time yet. It will most likely be morning by the time your son is ready to join us,� she assured him. �But if it will make you and your mate feel more comfortable, I can find my way to my own Division,� she smiled warmly at him. �You needn�t accompany me.�

He blinked in surprise before silently thanking her and taking off. He tried to find Orihime via their link and blinked again in surprise. It would seem Szayel had already gotten his mate to the 4^th Division. He walked in, pleased that she was already there and that the staff instantly directed him to the room assigned to her.

A large amount of her anxiety went away the moment he entered the room and her eyes fell upon him. She actually appeared completely fine and that helped to ease his worry. She smiled as he walked up to her bedside and let her grasp one of his hands in her own, completely missing Szayel�s expression, a half smirk and half-wince as he eyed their clasped hands.

�How are you feeling?� he asked her.

�Better, now that you are here.� She smiled warmly up at him before gasping as a contraction hit her. �Szayel-san met up with us as we were making our way to the 4^th,� she answered.

Ulquiorra turned to look at the other people in the room. Tatsuki had been standing beside Orihime while Rangiku and Tesra both waited to the side. Clearly the Arrancar had felt his own woman�s distress and had responding to the call. Admirable.

�I want to stay, but I should return home,� Rangiku sighed reluctantly. �Nnoitra-sama will be home soon.�

�That�s okay, Rangiku,� Orihime said soothingly, and smiled at her friend.

�Alright� Tesra-kun, if you would be so kind as to escort me home?�

�Do you wish for me to leave as well, Ulquiorra-san?� Tatsuki asked carefully.

He felt Orihime go still at the question. As much as he preferred to be alone with her, he understood that his mate wanted her best friend to be here as well. Then she surprised him.

�That�s alright, Tatsuki-chan, you should go home too,� Orihime smiled at her friend. �I wouldn�t want to keep you up all night.�

The woman looked about to protest, before looking at him and nodding her head, leaving reluctantly with Tesra and Rangiku. He was honestly a bit startled that Orihime had sent her away, just when he had resigned himself to letting her stay.

Orihime turned a pained smile his way as the other three filed out before it turned into a grimace as another contraction hit her.

�So far all is well,� Szayel finally spoke up. �All there is to do now is to wait until the contractions come more frequently and there is more dilation to her cervix.�

�So, you will know his name when he arrives?� Orihime asked nervously.

�I will,� he assured her.

�What if I don�t like it?� she asked with a pout. Ulquiorra looked down at her for a moment and then shook his head.

This side of Orihime was at least familiar and therefore easier to deal with.

�I am sure nothing will stop you from thinking up a nickname to your liking, regardless of any displeasure I may have about it,� he stated.

She chuckled in agreement before cringing again and clutching his hand tightly. There was surprising strength in her grasp.

�How long will this take?� he questioned.

�It should take anywhere from under an hour to over twenty.� Szayel was quick to supply an answer happily.

Unohana arrived at that moment with Starrk of all people by her side. The First Espada looked very unhappy to be hauled away from his comfortable bed, but was there nonetheless.

�How are things progressing?� Unohana asked warmly moving to the other side of Orihime�s bed.

�Well so far,� Szayel answered.

Starrk yawned and moved off to a corner, leaning against the wall. For all intents and purposes, he appeared to fall asleep on his feet, arms folded across his chest and eyes closed

�How are you feeling, Orihime-san?� Unohana took the young woman�s hand and with two fingers, took her pulse.

�Alright I guess. I will feel better when he�s out though,� Orihime answered honestly. �When I can hold him.�

Fourteen hours later��.

Dear Kami-sama, he swore his hand was broken! Who knew such a small, human woman could have so much bloody strength!?

�That�s it, Orihime-san, you are doing wonderfully,� Unohana reassured her.

�Everything is coming along nicely,� Szayel added giddily.

Starrk hadn�t moved from his place by the wall and for all intents and purposes appeared to still be sleeping. For his part, Ulquiorra was having a difficult time remaining calm himself.

His mate was in pain and there was nothing he could do about it. He had never felt so utterly helpless in his entire life and just wanted the feeling gone. His apprehension rose at each cry she gave and each minute longer it took his son to arrive.

�Is this what Grimmjow felt while waiting for Ajuga?� he wondered.

He was no fool, he knew that the reason Starrk was here was to restrain him if things got out of control. He grudgingly admitted that if the child wasn�t born soon and his mate spared anymore pain he just might need Starrk to hold him back.

�You are doing excellent, Orihime-san,� Szayel murmured happily. �And so are you, Ulquiorra-san.�

�How much longer?� he found himself asking in a voice that was not-quite-devoid of pain.

�The child will come when he is ready,� Unohana assured him.

Orihime let out another agonized cry and he swore she broke three more bones in his hand.

�Here we go!� Szayel exclaimed excitedly..

�Alright Orihime-san, just like we talked about. Take a few deep breaths, and then give us a push,� Unohana ordered.

She did as she was told, and further mangled his poor hand as she pushed down. It took all of his astonishing control to keep his composure when all he wanted to do was start pulling his hair out in frustration that there was nothing he could do. He was completely and utterly useless, and that was something he wasn�t use to being.

He closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath as each whimper of pain she uttered tore into his supposedly nonexistent heart. Kami, he would do anything to end her torment.

�Almost there, keep it up, Orihime-san.� Unohana�s voice held nothing but encouragement. �Szayel I think we are almost ready here, can you hand me the supplies?� she requested serenely.

How the hell could the woman be so calm when his mate was all but howling in agony? Orihime gave another cry that nearly pushed him over the edge, and then another cry joined hers.

His eyes snapped open in shock as he looked at the bundle Unohana was handing over to Szayel. Beside him. Orihime panted softly in exhaustion.

�How is he?� Orihime asked weakly.

�So far he appears to be perfectly healthy,� Szayel answered, and he was pleased by the sound of it. �You can hold him in just a second. I am almost done what needs to be done here�� he assured them.

Szayel deftly cut the cord before tying it off. Then he began to clean the crying infant up with a soft cloth dipped in cool water from a metal pan on a nearby table. Meanwhile, Unohana pressed down gently on Orihime�s belly to expel the afterbirth. There was far more blood and fluid involved in this whole affair than Ulquiorra expected and the sight of it made him feel light-headed, almost dizzy. Was it okay for her to lose that much fluid?

Fortunately, Szayel�s voice cut through the fog that had begun to seep in around the edges of his vision, grounding him before he could add a concussion from fainting to a pulverized hand.

�Good news! He seems completely healthy and his wings and tail appear to have come out completely unharmed.�

The researcher finally put the washcloth down, picked up what looked like a large square of cotton and wrapped the baby up loosely in it before turning towards a small table in the back. Szayel quickly and efficiently began to gather the samples he needed from the child.

Unohana was busy wiping away the sweat and tears staining Orihime�s reddened cheeks with another cloth and removing any sodden or dirty sheets. The older woman�s hands then began to gently glow with Kido as she made sure that the new mother hadn�t sustained any internal damage or tearing from the birth. When she was satisfied that his mate wasn�t hurt, she moved back and motioned Szayel forward.

Szayel approached them with his son and he felt himself go still as the child was presented to his mate. Orihime smiled with a mixture of happiness and suddenly seemed to have gained a small second wind as she finally released his throbbing hand and held her arms out to receive the bundle. The Fourth shook his hand in an attempt to draw a little blood back into his fingers and to see if she had actually splintered any of the bones or if it just felt like she had.

�He�s so beautiful,� Orihime breathed, eyes wide as she stared at the baby. �What�s his name?� she asked suddenly, turning her head to look up at Ulquiorra expectantly.

�Diaemus Cifer,� he answered without a moment�s hesitation.

�Diaemus Cifer.� She tried the name out a few times before a massive yawn overtook her. �I like it��

With that, she traced a fingertip along her son�s cheek before her eyelids began to droop. Her breathing evened out quickly as exhaustion finally won and she fell asleep, cradling Diaemus to her chest.

�Do you wish to remain for observation or return to your home?� Unohana asked him softly.

Szayel was busy writing down the data he had gathered gleefully onto a clipboard while Starrk finally yawned, stretched, and made to leave since it was clear there would be no freak outs that required his attention.

Ulquiorra�s first instinct was to return to the den, but he was hardly as emotionally and instinctually driven as that idiot Grimmjow.

�Your recommendation?� he asked her.

It was obvious that she�d expected a different reaction when she blinked and paused a moment before answering.

�I would like to move her into a room and observe both mother and child to make sure everything is okay until at least tomorrow morning,� Unohana answered honestly.

�Then that is what we will do,� he agreed.

�Very well� If you would like to take Diaemus please, we will move Orihime onto a stretcher and into a cleaner room.�

Take his son? Hold something so tiny and helpless, where the slightest mistake in the control of his reiatsu could seriously harm the sleeping babe? Hesitantly, he slowly untangled his son from his mother�s arms and held the child gently.

Diaemus fussed a bit as he was exchanged between parents, but settled down quickly enough. His son was so light it was hard to believe he was even holding onto anything. He felt his instincts both settle down and focus sharply as he held onto the little life in his arms.

Unohana was no threat to him; the woman was the mate of Kami-sama after all. He felt no stirrings to defend his mate from her as Unohana set about moving the comatose Orihime from the birthing chair onto a gurney. While Szayel might once have been a threat, he was now a Claimed being, the pet of a human woman who wouldn�t be pleased if Szayel tried anything suspicious.

Szayel left the room first, murmuring to himself and writing things out on his clipboard in a near frantic pace, taking the samples he had gathered from Diaemus with him. Unohana and Ulquiorra followed him out a moment later.

The halls were completely clear as Unohana led him to one of the far wings away from most of the occupied rooms. Once in a new room, she moved Orihime onto the bed and rolled the gurney out of the way.

�I will make sure you are not disturbed. I will not be offended if you do decide to return home, better that than an unfortunate accident occurring.�

�I am hardly as foolish or as mentally immature as Grimmjow,� he muttered.

�Yes, well, you did not witness your mate being sliced open and your child being forcefully removed from her womb, covered in your mate�s blood,� Unohana pointed out in a rather sweet voice that still, somehow, managed to make him feel three feet tall and slightly embarrassed at his own self boasting.

He was a little embarrassed when she put the situation into perspective like that; for she was correct. Orihime�s labour, for all that it had made him feel utterly useless, had gone fairly smoothly, without any complications other than its lengthy duration. Unlike Karin, Orihime would probably be up and about within a few days or so, faster if she healed herself.

Unohana excused herself, leaving him alone with his mate and child. He moved up to the bed and returned the baby to his mother before slipping into the bed behind her. Orihime stirred briefly to nestle up against him and curl up around Diaemus.

He took the time to truly study his new son now that they were alone. As promised, the boy had been born with wings and tail, both leathery and much very like his own when in his released state. His tail, on the other hand, was also webbed. It was very much like the bat he was named after, unlike Ulquiorra�s own more percentile like tail. It was clear Diaemus inherited his mother�s bright hair, which was elegantly crowned by his feather shaped mask fragments. What color his eyes were remained to be seen.

Time seemed to stand still as he gazed at his family. For the first time in his life, Ulquiorra thought he finally understood what it meant to be �blissfully happy�. It was both a frightening and yet wonderful feeling to experience.

Loves to you all.

As of Tomorrow I will be 24/40 weeks along. So past the halfway point. The munch kin sure was kicking up a fuss today, I have never felt so much movement, it was on all day right on top of my bladder.

See more Orihime/Ulquiorra/Baby interactions next chapter, and I am about halfway through the next chapter of the Real King. It�s one of those annoying filler chapter to pass time by before the next event and those are always a pain, and yet necessary, to write.

This Weeks Question: What elements of reading Fanfiction turns you completely off? One example that annoys the living hell out of me is when knick names are constantly overused in a story. Such as:

When Ichigo is constantly referred to as Ichi or Strawberry.

When Grimmjow is constantly referred to as Grimm or, heavens forbid, Blueberry (this one really really irks me to high hell and is pretty much a guarantee screen closer)

Other things are when characters go completely OOC right from the gate instead of a gradual change. Don�t get me started on the number of sudden Vampire or Hybrid AU clichés. I honestly hate AU�s (not alternate time lines, I mean stories that have ABSOLUTLY NOTHING to do with cannon) although I will confess I have read a few good ones as I believe everything deserves a try, but fan fiction net has become so cluttered with them you are lucky to find one cannon story a page�� It is really starting to turn me off of fan fiction, both writing and reading and I really wish they would put a blooming filter in grrrrrrrrrrr

Ahem, sorry about that. The pregnancy hormones and lack of sleep is really upping my frustration levels into the �rampaging pregnant woman� end of the dial. Most men are advised to duck and cover as, some how, this is clearly all your fault.
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Prize of Victory