Adult-FanFiction.org : Bleach

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
Chapter List
- 93
- 94
- 95
Delays

She was growing to hate mornings.

There were plenty of things Tatsuki disliked, such as the unattractive kanji for her maiden name, or losing a karate match. Morning sickness and the current (and in her opinion, completely unnecessary) swelling in her ankles also qualified, though she did her best to try to keep the daily irritations in perspective. Dealing with things one found objectionable was an unavoidable, inevitable part of life.

Hatred was an altogether different beast, reserved for that which deserved it. Aizen came to mind, as did the Second and Tenth Espada.

However, even the thought of those bastards paled in comparison to the hate she felt when she believed that others were deliberately keeping her in the dark about something important, especially when it came to the wellbeing of her friends. A prime example would be Ichigo�s failure to inform her of what was really going on when Orihime went missing from school, an act that led her to strike him across the face. Moreover, he�d kept his stupid mouth shut when he�d become a Shinigami. Maybe she was still a little bitter about the last, as her old classmate�s inability to share had come back to bite every resident of Karakura in the ass and then some. Realistically, there had been very little she and the rest of Karakura�s citizens could have done on a personal level to affect the outcome of the war, but to Tatsuki, it was the principle of the thing� and that made her current predicament all the more vexing.

The sun wasn�t up quite yet and the room was still dim, though she could see, from the light under the door that someone had turned on the lamp in the hallway. Rolling to the side, she also noticed that she was the only one in the bed. Moving her hand to the spot where her mate ought to be, she found the sheets cool to the touch. That meant he�d been up for a while and all she had for company was her rapidly growing uneasiness, which whispered to her that something was not right.

To begin with there was the situation at the Palace. Someone there was keeping a secret, not only from her, but also from the rest of the Seireitei�s population. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get the tangible proof she needed to confirm her suspicions. Her pregnancy had confined her to the house along with Rangiku, on Nnoitra�s orders, and the resulting cabin fever added to her indignation and frustration.

For as long as she could remember, she had been keen at sensing reiatsu, even though she hadn�t known that was what she was doing at the time. When Tesra returned to her from the raid on the north with news of Grimmjow�s betrayal, she was shocked. It wasn�t until a few days later when she�d had some time to analyze things that she thought to ask Tesra what to her seemed like a logical question: if Grimmjow was a traitor, why was Karin currently at the Palace?

Her husband had given her a completely confused look.

Tesra�s bewilderment was genuine. As far as he knew, the raiding party had returned without Karin. He had also been under the impression that Grimmjow had taken her with him when the Sixth defected. Tatsuki knew her mate well enough to know that he was being honest with her, which only made her more determined to figure out why she could sense her friend�s reiatsu, plain as day, behind the Palace walls. It took some careful, roundabout questioning aimed at the �pack leader� during dinner, but to her growing concern, she discovered that Nnoitra had no idea where Karin was either. Like his fraccion, he assumed she was with Grimmjow. Though Rangiku said nothing during the meal, Tatsuki�s enquiries were what led the blond to fill her in on the powers of Aizen�s Shikai afterwards, when the two were alone in the kitchen with the dirty dishes.

The information got the wheels in her head working, guiding her toward a conclusion that Rangiku had already reached. The Shinigami seemed surprised that Tatsuki didn�t know about Kyoka Suigetsu�s illusory abilities. Tatsuki added her newfound knowledge to the growing stack of things labeled �crap someone should have told me years ago.� Then she wracked her brain to see if she could recall any instance of Aizen invoking his Shikai in her presence, eventually coming up with a big, fat �zero.� If Rangiku was correct, that meant that the Zanpakuto�s release wouldn�t affect Tatsuki, as long as she kept her eyes averted.

Not that doing so would do her much good. As worried as she was about Karin, Tatsuki knew better than to badger either of the Arrancar in residence about Karin�s presence at the Palace. Nnoitra didn�t give a flying fuck about the other human woman and Tesra was neither brave nor foolish enough to question Aizen, or anyone else for that matter, over something Kami clearly wanted to keep hidden. Neither Rangiku nor Tesra could sense Karin at all and they certainly weren�t slouches when it came to picking up energy signatures.

Tatsuki might have questioned her sanity had Aizen not taken Szayel�s children under his �protection.� She�d picked up on the twins� presence long before Gin brought them to the banquet. The fact that Rangiku and Tesra�s could sense the kids� individual reiatsu let her know her brain wasn�t playing tricks on her during the crowded �welcome back� celebration.

Over the next several days, Tatsuki made a point to �look in� on the Palace and her efforts had paid off� somewhat. Karin was usually in Vindula and Abisara�s presence in the evenings and because, per Tesra, both children were frequently in public and seemed in good health, Tatsuki surmised her friend was physically fine. She doubted either child would be able to smile or go about their day happily if they saw anyone beat or torture Karin. The most logical conclusion she could come up with was that Aizen had decided to take Karin prisoner and use her as bait to lure Grimmjow back to the Seireitei. Worse, she couldn�t really blame Aizen for doing it, if the Sixth had truly made an attempt on Kami�s life, though Tatsuki supposed she could justify being angry that the traitorous Espada hadn�t properly finished the job. At least Aizen hadn�t decided to execute her friend, publicly or otherwise.

Speaking up and revealing what she knew to the world at large wasn�t an option; she did not want Tesra punished for being unable to keep his �pet� in line. Aizen had scourged Ukitake Jushiro�s back and slashed at the Taichou�s eyes with his blade for speaking the truth about Yammy�s mistreatment of Kuchiki Byakuya. Shinigami as powerful as Jushiro and Byakuya were rare. Tesra, for all his power and rank, was still one of many Numeros and Tatsuki had no desire to find out if Aizen saw him as �replaceable.� Safeguarding Avispona was a consideration too. Tatsuki didn�t want to give �Kami� any reason to take the little girl away from them, as he�d taken her from Soi Fon.

She shifted and hugged her pillow closer, trying to get comfortable and failing thanks to her burgeoning midsection. Her bladder had woken up as well and she�d eventually have to leave the bed to deal with it, though that would mean going downstairs to the powder room, if the faint noises she could hear were what she thought they were. Sadly, doing so might be the easiest part of her day.

Making good on her promise to Soi Fon regarding parental visits was difficult, partly because of Nnoitra�s reluctance to let her and Rangiku leave the house and partly due to the Second Espada�s interference. To Tatsuki�s disgust, Barragan had forbidden Ggio from having anything to do with his child. She�d been able to bring Avispona to the 6th Division briefly to see her mother, but her latest visit to the 5th Division was a different story. Compelled by Barragan�s Claim-enforced orders, Ggio had left Nanao�s office, moisture pooling at the corners of his golden eyes, the moment she walked through the door with the baby. No amount of cooing and fussing over the infant on Yumichika�s part could make up for that and both she and Rangiku had left the 5th Divisions with lumps in their throats.

The short excursions, aside from providing both women with some badly needed exercise, gave Tatsuki a chance to observe and evaluate those with more authority, even if they were technically �pets.� To her surprise, that led to more questions for which she felt she needed answers.

She confirmed that Soi Fon and Nanao knew things weren�t quite right a few evenings prior to Soi Fon giving birth, when she, Rangiku and the two officers had gathered in the downstairs living room. Tatsuki had picked up on the veiled looks between her guests whenever certain topics came up... like Szayel�s twins, Hana�s absence and the AWOL Jaegerjaquez family. Her ability to read others� body language, gleaned from years of martial arts classes and practice, came in handy that night. In and of itself, the guilt and worry they exhibited didn�t surprise her. Nanao and Karin had lived together under Starrk�s roof for nine years and it had been Karin�s idea to help Soi Fon after Barragan had tossed the pregnant woman from his pack.

What she hadn�t expected to see in their eyes was resignation. That was what had tipped Tatsuki off. They knew Karin was at the Palace too, though neither of them had admitted it to their hostesses. They�d only said they hoped that Karin and her daughter were all right, wherever they were. What, she�d wondered later on, after the party had broken up, was going on? Those two had seen Aizen�s Shikai, so it wasn�t as if they could tell Karin�s location by her reiatsu. They had to have some other way of knowing where she was. The days that followed gave Tatsuki ample time to ponder possibilities, a few of them seditious and all of them disturbing.

The sheets she�d twisted around her body, plus the blanket over them were getting too warm. If the early spring were any indication of how hot the coming summer would be, Tatsuki would have to give some serious thought to sleeping on a bare mattress. The longer her pregnancy wore on, the more the heat would negatively affect her.

She wished the heat were the only thing troubling her. Whatever was going on with Soi Fon and Nanao tied in with Karin�s secret imprisonment as well as the defection of two powerful Espada. There was something ugly brewing and the human woman figured that Grimmjow and Szayel weren�t the only ones involved.

That had to be the reason that Soi Fon gave up her daughter, even though everyone knew Harribel would happily accept the child into her household. Considering her own pregnant condition, and the man who held her mate�s leash, who technically held hers, Tatsuki couldn�t begrudge them for keeping her out of the loop, assuming there was a loop, though she was willing to bet both money and her soul that a loop existed.

�It�s not like I could do much to help, any more than Rangiku could even if she managed to break Nnoitra�s Claim.�

Prior to her pregnancy, even the weakest of the Arrancar would have been a problem for her in a one-on-one fight. Then there was her human body. What would happen if she died in a fight or in an accident? Would she pop out of her physical form sporting a severed soul chain? Would she have a decent level of reiatsu if she became a Plus, or would she have very little? Since she was already in Soul Society, would her soul return to the Living World? It was not something she was willing to test, especially with an adopted daughter that needed care and a biological child on the way. If things went wrong, it would leave poor Tesra responsible for the welfare of four infants. As good as her mate was at juggling things around the shared den, such a burden might prove to be too much for even him to handle.

Tatsuki sighed and threw off the covers, then did a quick search for her mate. It didn�t take her long to find him, hovering over Rangiku in the bathroom. The poor woman had been going through a rough patch, with morning sickness so vicious she could barely keep down soup. As Nnoitra certainly wasn�t the sort to provide any kind of emotional or practical support, he�d stuck Tesra with the job.

�Just another jerk that wants a pet, but can�t be bothered to care for it himself, except when it best suits him,� she thought derisively. If it weren�t for Tesra, Rangiku would be in terrible shape, thanks to Nnoitra�s indifference. His treatment of her friend also fell into the �things I hate� category.

She glanced out the bedroom window, noting the brightening sky. It had to be after six am, but she couldn�t be sure. Tatsuki missed the timepieces she�d taken for granted in the Living World.

�Might as well haul my ass out of bed and relieve Tesra so he can make breakfast, and get a bottle ready for Avispona. �His Nibs� should be up soon and heaven forbid there isn�t something for him to eat.�

Her ears picked up the sound of a stomach complaining that it was empty. To her chagrin, she realized it was hers.

�Great. I�m starving too and Avispona will probably wake up in a few minutes. Time to get moving.�

Tatsuki was relieved that the house Nnoitra had claimed as his den had more modern, Western furnishings, including raised beds. It certainly made it a lot easier to roll out of the one she shared with Tesra and onto her feet. Sitting up as quietly as she could, she swung her ballooning ankles down and pushed her body up using the nightstand next to the bed for leverage.

�How did Karin manage to get up off of her futon every morning when she was carrying Ajuga? Maybe Grimmjow helped her. Gotta say that he at least took good care of her� even if he kept her under house arrest before and after she gave birth,� she conceded, and almost chuckled before the thought of Karin, hidden at the Palace, sobered her.

She checked on the slumbering girl first, glancing into the crib beside their bed. Tatsuki smiled as one of Avispona�s little black ears twitched, before she gazed down thoughtfully and placed a hand on her own belly. It would be another month or so before she delivered, although it could be sooner rather than later. There was really no way to tell. All in all, it could have been worse, she told herself.

Tesra�s base animal could have been an elephant.

Assured that her adopted daughter didn�t need her immediately and that she was unlikely to awaken soon, Tatsuki shuffled towards the bathroom, bent on handling the second problem on the morning�s agenda. The scene that greeted her when she pushed open the door was the one she�d come to expect over the last few days. Rangiku sat hunched over on the toilet, looking as miserable as a thrice-drowned cat. Judging by the sour smell in the air and the fact Tesra knelt over the tub with the hot water running, cleaning solution at his elbow and scrubbing at the sides, she deduced another bout of wicked stomach convulsions had taken Tatsuki�s fellow pregnant inmate by surprise. As the bath lacked two toilets, she�d turned her head to the side and emptied her stomach into the next best thing.

Tatsuki again tried to look on the bright side. Yakking in the tub beat yakking on the floor, by a long shot. Why Rangiku chosen the hall bather over the master bath attached to she and Nnoitra�s bedroom mystified her, until she remembered that waking the Espada with the dulcet sound of puking might be potentially hazardous to the Shinigami�s health. Sadly, the nausea wasn�t the end of it. The blonde looked up at Tatsuki tearfully, saltwater leaving glistening trails down both of her cheeks and then broke down into a new round of sobs.

�Fantastic. I wonder what set her off this morning.�

Tatsuki was grateful she hadn�t been similarly afflicted in the hormone department. She would take back pains and odd cravings over uncontrolled nausea and crying jags any day. Then again, if her back ached, Rangiku�s back had to be twice as bad considering the load she carried. Tatsuki didn�t even want to think about what her feet must feel like. She doubted Nnoitra rubbed Rangiku�s throbbing feet each night the way her darling mate did.

�Once again, I find myself pleased that I got Tesra to Claim me,� she thought smugly. �I�m almost tempted to find the idiot that tried to make a play for me so I can thank him for �chasing� me into Tesra�s arms. If not for that, I might never have considered submitting to a Claim at all. I would never have met Tesra either and I would probably still be the third wheel in Ulquiorra�s house.�

�Rough night?�

Tatsuki�s sympathetic question seemed almost unnecessary, since the haggard evidence of such sat before her on the commode. All she received in response was an unhappy moan. No words accompanied it, probably because Rangiku�s voice had grown hoarse from hours of weeping.

�Are you almost done love?� she asked Tesra as she sat down on the edge of the tub next to him.

�I am. Did I wake you?�

He seemed concerned that the commotion in the bathroom had disturbed her and she shook her head.

�Not really. When I realized you weren�t there, I did some thinking. Morning is the best time for that� fewer interruptions.�

It was the truth, after a fashion and there was no reason to bother him about her brooding when he had his sleeves rolled up and looked just as tired as she felt. Instead, she took pity on him and made a �shoo-in� gesture towards the stairs at the end of the hallway. �If you are done here, why don�t you make us some ginger tea, get Avispona�s bottle ready and start on breakfast? I can sit with Rangiku-chan for a while.�

He nodded at the good advice, stole a kiss and quickly retreated, closing the door behind him. That was as much to give them privacy, as it was to prevent the noise from traveling down the hall and waking Nnoitra. Tatsuki grudgingly admitted that the Espada deserved a few hours of uninterrupted rest, for all their sakes. Aizen had assigned him a patrol the prior evening and he hadn�t returned home until well after midnight. She only knew that because Tesra had accidentally woken her when he�d gotten up to give a fussy Avispona her bottle at midnight and because his Espada slogged through the door not long after that. She might have dismissed the memory as nothing more than a dream, given her perpetually tired state.

�I hate this,� Rangiku lamented, her voice low and raspy. Tatsuki had trouble making out her words at first and barely heard her at all.

�At least you have someone suffering with you,� she pointed out, rising from her spot on the rim of the newly cleaned bathtub and moving over to the sink. Rangiku�s puffy face was a mess and the front of her yukata was soaked. From the amount of liquid spilled about the sink and the still-dripping faucet, Tatsuki surmised that the blond hadn�t dampened her clothing with tears alone.

�You�ve been fine, other than some queasiness at the beginning,� Rangiku sniffled, wiping at her messy nose with a handful of toilet paper and glaring balefully at Tatsuki. �That�s so unfair!�

�Yes, well, you are carrying two brats in there. Just be thankful that yours have shells around them. Try waking up every ten minutes because a hoof kicks you in the ribs or tap dances on your bladder!� she grouched right back. �When I do manage to nod off, Avispona is right there to remind me she needs attention too.�

Tatsuki prayed that her child�s feet wouldn�t prove to be a disability, or that other children wouldn�t mock him or her for the differences. The Arrancar population wouldn�t see anything amiss or say anything unless the mutation interfered with fighting or hunting. It was the Plus souls and the Shinigami that worried her. The hybrid children hadn�t interacted much with the �normal� children in the 1st District.

Tatsuki still hadn�t seen Tesra�s Resurrección and she made a vow to correct that situation sooner than later. She wanted a better idea of what her cub might look like once he or she was born. Ultrasound pictures only revealed so much. Then there was the curiosity factor. Karin had gushed about the sexiness of Grimmjow�s Resurrección a time or twelve. Out of curiosity, Tatsuki had brought it up once with Tesra, shortly after Karin revealed what it was like having sex with the Sixth in his released state. Her mate had blushed and informed her that she probably wouldn�t enjoy a similar experience with his Resurrección. The rest of his response had been almost inaudible, but she had picked up the words �too big for the house� and �don�t want to hurt you.�

Staring down at her housemate, she decided that this was one thing that someone else wasn�t going to try to hide from her any longer.

�I�ll have to grill him about it today when the scans come back. He can�t put me off if I have a photo in my hands.�

For now, her problem was Rangiku. Tatsuki reached for the hot water tap. Turning it on full bore she patiently waited for the stream of liquid to heat before soaking a washcloth with it. Rangiku�s face was a mess, and a damp, steaming cloth would do wonders for her when it came to the crusting drying tears tracks on her cheeks and the slimy snot trails seeping from her nose. Wringing out the cloth, she handed it to the blond and reminded her that they had somewhere to be that morning

�Here, let�s make you presentable. Unohana-Taichou is holding those seminars today for all the expecting couples. I, for one, am looking forward to them, and to see what the other upcoming munchkins might look like, not to mention talk to the other mothers-to-be. Orihime has certainly been lecturing a lot lately,� she chuckled, pleased that her once-shy, often-bullied friend was so open and confident about something in her life.

With a bit of help, Rangiku managed to pull herself up from the toilet, before promptly swaying on her feet, twirling about, and going back down just in time to spew what little was left of her stomach into the porcelain bowl. Tatsuki grabbed the cup sitting by the sink, placed there for this very purpose and filled it with warm water. In the meantime, a gagging Rangiku sank to her knees, gripping the toilet seat for dear life. Tatsuki joined her on the floor, gently rubbing her back and offering her the water to help rinse the taste of bile out of her mouth and to try and keep her hydrated. Tesra arrived with their tea, and with a bit of coaxing she managed to get Rangiku to drink some of it. Unfortunately, it didn�t stay down long.

This was more than just morning sickness, in Tatsuki�s book. If Rangiku couldn�t eat anything, there would be serious repercussions for both her and the children.

�We have to bring this up with Unohana-san at the appointment today. I�m worried about how little she�s keeping down,� Tatsuki confessed to her mate as she held Rangiku�s hair back. Then she remembered her other responsibility and stifled a groan.

�Is Avispona awake?�

Tesra smiled at her and glanced over his shoulder at their bedroom door.

�Yes. I changed her and gave her a bottle a few minutes ago,� he replied, then added, �She�s feeding contentedly and her eyes are riveted on the cat mobile Soi Fon brought over a few days ago.�

Relieved that he�d stepped in and taken care of their daughter, she did her best to stifle a snort at the second part, lest Rangiku take the sound the wrong way and assume they were laughing at her.

�That�s good. At the rate she�s growing, she�ll be crawling soon and eating solids. I hope she doesn�t decide to make a snack of that mobile.�

Arrancar cubs certainly required less care than human or Shinigami ones. Avispona could already hold her own bottle, and she recalled Orihime telling her that Diaemus was capable of crawling to her within the first night to feed while she slept. That convenient trait had allowed the redhead to get a full night�s sleep from the get-go. Ajuga hadn�t taken long to learn how to crawl either, though Tatsuki didn�t consider that an entirely good thing. It took the girl ages to learn how to walk upright on two feet because she had been so comfortable scooting about on all fours.

�Oi, Tesra! Get your ass down here!�

Nnoitra angry voice rang out from the foyer downstairs and everyone in the bathroom stiffened. Sometime during the latest round of crying, the Espada woke up and he didn�t sound pleased about it. Tatsuki fervently hoped that none of them had been the cause of it.

�I�m coming, Nnoitra-sama,� Tesra called back, not quite as perturbed as the two women hunkered down near the toilet. Her mate disappeared, before coming back up the stairs a few moments later with an apologetic expression plastered on his face.

�There�s messenger from the 1st Division at the door. There have been a number of disturbances throughout the Rukongai this morning. Reports coming in about fires, multiple explosions and a brewery going up in flames in the 45th District. He also said something about two different forest fires in the outermost Districts, one to the north and the other to the east. I have been ordered to assist with the investigations,� he informed her.

Rangiku lifted her head and joined Tatsuki in staring at the fraccion and at the scope of the mayhem. The Rukongai was a huge place and not a day went by when there wasn�t some kind of commotion, especially in the higher-numbered Districts. However, when this many incident happened at the same time� it was unprecedented and worthy of scrutiny by the Divisions.

�How long do you think it will take?� she asked and his face fell.

�I do not know. I don�t think I have a complete list of the �problems� yet. In fact, this might just be the ones I�m required to check. It could take less than half-an-hour, or it could take several, depending on what I find.� Then he paused before amending his estimate. �I may need to miss our appointment.�

Tatsuki knew he wasn�t happy about the change in plans. Neither was she, but the 1st Division�s orders took precedence over prenatal exams. She put aside her disappointment and smiled at him.

�That�s okay. I�m sure we can reschedule for later. Go on. The thought of anyone laying there, trapped and injured, especially a child�� she began and stopped, unable to finish the sentence. As if on cue, Rangiku broke down, wailing about �poor, terrified, injured children.�

Tesra, being smart, leaned over to give her a peck on the cheek and beat a hasty retreat. Tatsuki, as soon as her mate was gone, joined Rangiku in a shared bout of blubbering over the possible casualties.

�Fucking hormones,� she griped silently as she wiped her eyes and tried to get a grip on her emotions, a task more easily pondered than accomplished as the minutes dragged onward. Two hours later, Tatsuki was ready to include �listening to Rangiku try to simultaneously cry and barf� to the list of things she hated.

�Are you sure we can�t just cancel, or better yet, make Unohana-Taichou come to us?� Rangiku moaned wearily. Her complexion had taken a turn for the grey. Tatsuki pressed down on the toilet�s handle, to flush the bowl and clear the stench of vomit from the bathroom before it caused her to imitate her housemate.

�No,� she sighed, wishing it was otherwise. �She insisted that every pregnant woman, and as many of the sires as is possible, show up at her Division for this �Hybrid Offspring Information Session,� in addition to the scheduled checkups.�

Rangiku made a face, half in fear of incurring Unohana�s fearsome displeasure and half in misery at the idea of moving from her spot near the toilet. Tatsuki had learned that the Shinigami had been up before dawn, her bladder insisting it was ready to explode from the pressure of the twins� eggs resting on it. Tatsuki could relate. Her own overfull bladder had propelled her downstairs to the powder room twice since Tesra made his escape. The only thing she�d had to drink was the ginger tea, so she had no idea where her body had found the extra liquid to excrete. She supposed it was a good thing that the toilet wasn�t separate from the washroom, since Rangiku�s first, nasty bout of morning sickness hit at daybreak and it hadn�t let up. In the middle of watching the other woman go from puking to dry heaves, Tatsuki wondered why she�d desired a child in the first place.

�Oh yes,� she recalled tiredly. �Tesra and I actually wanted and planned for this child. Stupid me. I�ll suggest that he carry the next one. At least I have that over Rangiku. Nnoitra didn�t give her much of a choice in the matter.�

Tatsuki brushed a sweat-dampened lock of hair out of the other woman�s face and regarded her housemate sadly. Her thoughts evidently had the power to summon the source of their troubles, as Nnoitra bellowed another complaint at them from the foot of the stairs.

�Oi, what the fuck is holding you two up? Some scrawny four-eyed jackass from Aizen-Kami�s bitch�s Division just showed up and wants to know why the fuck we ain�t there yet!�

Tatsuki suspected that most of the Espada�s irritation came from the fact that Nnoitra couldn�t remove the �jackass�s� head without hearing about it from Unohana. There was a reason not even Yammy dared to look at the 4th Division�s troops the wrong way and in theory, Nnoitra was much smarter than the Tenth. Rangiku flinched when she heard his words, although Tatsuki couldn�t tell if it was due to fear caused by Nnoitra�s pissed-off tone or from another round of stomach convulsions. Maybe it was a combination of both. Either way, this mess had to end now. Tatsuki fixed a stern look on her face and shook Rangiku�s shoulder.

�Come on, it only feels like your bladder is about to burst. I, on the other hand, have had to stand here and watch you moan for the last two hours. Hurry up and get off the damn toilet already so I can use it. We have an appointment at the 4th Division. I�m sure Unohana�s people will have something they can give you for your nausea when we get there.�

Tatsuki sighed as Rangiku answered that with a few sniffles and deliberately softened her voice.

�Let�s face it� we both know Nnoitra won�t stick around, even if Unohana wants all the sires to be there. You won�t have to put up with him for long.� Tapping one fingertip thoughtfully against her cheek, she tried to put a better spin on things. �Plus, it will get us out of the house!�

That helped to calm the Shinigami, enough to grab her by one arm and haul her from the floor into a standing position. In retrospect, Tatsuki realized that Rangiku might have spent so much time down there because she couldn�t get to her feet, especially when she had to use the tiled wall behind the toilet tank for support.

�Oi, did you bitches hear me or not?�

This time there was distinct displeasure in Nnoitra�s voice. As much as Tatsuki wanted to tell the Arrancar where he could stick Santa Theresa, she knew better.

�Just a bad case of morning sickness. We�ll be down in a minute Nnoitra-sama!� Tatsuki shouted back. Deciding that emptying her bladder was more important than privacy or decorum, she quickly took a turn on the toilet, letting out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, a bedraggled Rangiku draped her ailing form on the counter and looked unhappily at herself in the mirror.

�Why am I so ugly?� the blonde snivelled, glaring at her large front end. Tatsuki did her level best not to roll her eyes at the rhetorical question and the self-pity she heard in it.

�You are not ugly. You�re pregnant,� she snarked back as she reached for the toilet paper, �and really, really hormonal. You�ll be fine in a while. Just think of chocolate cake or shoes or silk kimonos� or something.�

Once she�d finished with the necessities, Tatsuki hurried Rangiku into a serviceable kimono and cleaned up her face and hair before they vacated the bathroom. Tesra, bless his soul, had made sure the diaper bag was fully stocked before he�d left so at least she didn�t need to waste time getting it ready. Wriggling out of her sleeping yukata, she dressed as fast as she could and then checked on the baby.

Mercifully, Avispona had drained her bottle and fallen back to sleep. Tatsuki quickly re-diapered her, wrapped her in her blanket before picking her up and settled the child in the crook of her arm. She grabbed the bag with the other. In the short amount of time it took her to do that, Rangiku had just made her ungainly way to the bottom of the stairs, looking like death warmed over. Nnoitra waited impatiently for them, leaning on the open door. He had Santa Theresa thrown over his shoulder and his left foot tapped an angry staccato on the floorboards.

�Finally,� he snapped and scowled at them as Tatsuki reached the foyer. She chose to ignore him as she dropped the bag and slipped on her shoes with one hand. That left Nnoitra to help Rangiku with her footwear and unhook the golden chain, a task Tatsuki or Tesra usually performed now that his pet could no longer bend forward to reach her ankles. Hearing him grumble just made Tatsuki grateful that she had only one child in her womb, not two and that Tesra, unlike his Espada, doted on her every whim.

�You know, considering our conditions, do you think that Rangiku could go without that chain, at least until the twins arrive?� she asked suddenly.

Nnoitra�s answer was a look of profound irritation, while Rangiku gasped at her audacity in bringing up such a touchy subject. However, when the Fifth didn�t push his blade against her throat, Tatsuki decided to make her case.

�If some idiot made a go at us, or if Barragan sent someone after Avispona out of spite, we wouldn�t have time to bend our fat asses over to take the chain off to beat up the moron,� she explained as she opened the front door and stepped out onto the small porch. There was no sign of the 4th Division �jackass.� Either Nnoitra had scared him or her off, or theirs wasn�t the only Arrancar household that needed fetching. Nnoitra grunted in response, which in her mind translated to �I�ll think about it.� She�d consider it a modest victory.

Despite the exasperation on the Espada�s face, Tatsuki grudgingly gave him a �good boy point� when he held his hand out and helped Rangiku awkwardly down the porch steps to the walkway. He even let her lean on him as they reached the street. She took that as a good sign and the tension she could see in her friend�s shoulders as she followed the two eased slightly.

She also wished Tesra were with them. His presence would have made the trip more bearable, since he could have carried either the baby or the diaper bag and spared Tatsuki�s aching back. Unfortunately, her mate had yet to return from his mission, and if he�d been gone this long, she doubted he would make it back to the Seireitei anytime soon. What little he�d told her of the ruckus sounded awful. Clamping down on any speculation about the aftermath was harder than she thought, but she mostly kept her cool instead of crying uncontrollably over things she couldn�t change.

�Thank Kami this crap will end when the child arrives,� she thought, surreptitiously wiping her eyes and glancing at Rangiku�s hunched back, �hopefully. With our luck, blind panic about where the kids are and what they�re getting into will replace the weeping�.

Thankfully, Nnoitra had been patient with his slave and hadn�t raised a hand to her despite Rangiku�s emotional outbursts. When things got really soggy on that front, he grabbed his Zanpakuto and sought refuge at the closest tavern. Poker night was on indefinite hiatus, or at least, Nnoitra no longer hosted the card game/brag-fest at his den. She doubted the men would suddenly quit playing just because Nnoitra had declared his house �off limits� and she suspected that on the nights he wasn�t home, he had gone to play cards elsewhere. It was a sad state of affairs that Tatsuki considered his absence beneficial to Rangiku�s worn-out psyche.

The walk towards their destination was not a fast one, but it was a nice day and now that they were moving, Nnoitra didn�t seem to be in as much of a hurry. The few Shinigami they passed quickly scurried out of their way. Part of the apprehension might be because the Fifth had a fearsome reputation on the battlefield, but she suspected most of it was due to Aizen�s new Claiming law and the fact that Nnoitra still had two free slots and a pissy demeanour this morning. It was common knowledge that this particular Espada preferred women and those they passed on the street swiftly found other places to be.

�I can�t wait until you�re mobile, brat. You�re getting heavy,� she muttered to Avispona as she shifted the girl in her grasp, trying to alleviate some of the pressure on her shoulders and lower back. The bag grew heavier the longer they walked and Tatsuki tried not to think about how burdensome it would be once it had to supply three more children with bottles, diapers and toys while they were away from home. Suddenly, being confined to quarters didn�t seem so terrible.

�How long do you think that will take?�

Rangiku�s equally quiet question dragged Tatsuki�s wandering brain back to the subject of Avispona�s development and she gave it some serious thought before answering.

�I really don�t know. Every child is different and the hybrid children are in a class all their own. Ajuga started walking long before the other children did but that was on all fours,� she cautioned. �I just hope she doesn�t learn that �walking on air� trick anytime soon. Unlike the rest of you, I�m earthbound.�

�True,� Rangiku said and for the first time that morning, she smiled.

The warm sun soothed them as they walked and Nnoitra�s ugly mood slowly faded to mere annoyance, which seemed to be his default setting if Tatsuki was any judge. They were halfway to the 4th Division, having passed through the gates and into the Seireitei proper, when everyone on the wide, white-paved street froze. Seconds later, a powerful wave of reiatsu washed over the crowd and Tatsuki sucked in her breath as every nerve in her body went numb.

�It can�t be�� she told herself, but in this case, �feeling was believing.� It had been a very long time, and even though it was tainted, she swore that she recognized the reiatsu that lapped at her. The entire city no doubt felt the pulse of raw, menacing energy. The few Shinigami and Arrancar around them remained stock still as the pressure around them peaked, then waned. Avispona whimpered in her arms, upset by the disturbance.

�Ichigo!� she gasped as she and Rangiku turned to stare in the direction of the Palace. Rangiku had one hand clapped over her mouth in surprise, before she made a fist.

�That was Ichigo� and Grimmjow!� the blond whispered, confirming Tatsuki�s fears.

Tatsuki�s eyes shifted towards the Espada, who had pried himself away from Rangiku and taken a few steps towards the flare of power, his own reiatsu rising as if to answer the challenge. Nnoitra let out a raucous laugh and his grip on Santa Teresa tightened in anticipation.

Aizen had declared Grimmjow a traitor, ordering anyone who saw him to kill the Espada on sight. Ichigo had been on the wanted list since the end of the War. There was no way the battle-hungry Nnoitra would dare to give up an opportunity to indulge in some high-level violence with those two as his opponents. Around them, the Shinigami shuffled nervously and even most of the Arrancar in the vicinity looked slightly uncertain, although a few had grins on their faces like Nnoitra and were quick to turn towards the Palace as the alarms began to sound.

Tesra�s earlier explanations of Arrancar protocol, if one could call it that, stated that anyone who killed Grimmjow could take his property, which included Karin and Ajuga, as well as his former rank. Such a jump in prestige would mean a Numeros could take three pets and would no longer need to worry about becoming one of the Espada�s fraccion. That, apparently, had become a fear after the horrendous display Barragan had made in the market. She didn�t know the details because Tesra refused to share them, but she did know it had sickened her mate and, unfortunately, involved Ggio.

�He�s going to abandon us here,� Tatsuki realized fearfully.

Leaving them behind wasn�t really a dangerous thing. Both of them were Claimed and no one would dare piss off Nnoitra. The real concern she had was this: if Grimmjow and Ichigo were here, and close to the Palace, it meant they were going after Aizen. The last thing either one of them would need would be someone as powerful as Nnoitra coming at them at the same time they were fighting. There was also a slim chance some idiot might make a go for Avispona in a bid to try and get on Barragan�s good side.

�Nnoitra-sama, wai�� she began, to try to dissuade him, when the ground beneath her feet trembled and she staggered, almost losing her balance. Earthquakes in the Living World were common, but this was the first time she had felt anything similar in the Soul Society. Rangiku looked around in alarm and even Nnoitra seemed thrown off his game by the unexpected tremors.

Then the pavement not ten feet away erupted outward. A shower of loose dirt and chunks of broken stone flew every which way. Tatsuki dropped to her knees and covered her face with her unoccupied arm. She used the rest of her body to shield Avispona, who began to shriek, from the debris, some of which was large enough to kill if it struck them. Thankfully, none of it reached either her or Rangiku, who crouched in a similar position. Nnoitra had cleared the air around them with a quickly fired Cero and stood between them and a rapidly growing crater.

To Tatsuki�s horror, the hole spewed forth a geyser consisting of countless Locusts.

The Swarm was back.

The column of bugs crested far overhead and then scattered, coming down upon the city like a chittering black rainstorm. The perimeter alarms, silent for almost a month, screamed to life around them, joining the hideous blaring from the Palace and the sounds of thousands of beating, humming insect wings. In the distance, Tatsuki could see at least two more pillars of insects heading skyward. Nnoitra, despite his anger at not being able to go right after Ichigo and Grimmjow, held his ground and those Locusts that dared venture close met the business end of his Zanpakuto.

�Shit! I left my katana at home,� Tatsuki growled in frustration, though she knew there was little she could do even if she�d brought the blade. Her arms were full and she was in no shape to fight. �We should get back to the house!�

�No, the 4th Division!� Rangiku quickly countered, rising unsteadily to her feet and then reaching down to help Tatsuki stand in turn. The human woman wasn�t the only one without a weapon. Rangiku had left Haineko behind in their haste to make the appointment. �We�re closer to the 4th Division and it will have better defences. We can put Avispona there!�

There was no sign of the sickly, weepy mess she�d been a mere hour beforehand. Tatsuki flinched when Rangiku�s hand shot past her head and red fire burst from it to incinerate a Locust that had tried to come at them from behind. She grimly directed her next words towards Nnoitra. �You could leave us there and fully join the battle.�

�Fine,� Nnoitra bit out, as he strode boldly through the maelstrom, slicing his way through anything that didn�t get out of his way fast enough. The bugs seemed intent on attacking the Hollows they encountered, rather than the Shinigami. That was one thing that had never changed over the decade-long war. If given a choice between a Hollow and a Shinigami, they usually went for the Hollow. What worried Tatsuki was whether or not they�d target the helpless hybrid girl she carried too.

�Helpless� could just as easily describe her. Rangiku covered them with her Kido, but Tatsuki could tell even that small exertion wore on her companion. Her martial arts were much less effective with a large stomach in the way and the Locusts� armour made it likely Tatsuki would break a wrist if she tried to grapple with one of them. Unlike Karin, she could not infuse her hands and feet with reiatsu. There was only one thing she could think to do, and while it galled her to have to rely on another, she wasn�t so prideful as to think they didn�t need help � and they definitely needed help. Nnoitra might have strength, but the Swarm outnumbered them.

Tatsuki gave up any semblance of control and let her fear and terror rage, surrendering to panic. She even went so far as to clutch Avispona tightly to her chest and weep. Ironically, her traitorous hormones made falling to pieces easier. With any luck, her emotional upheaval would summon Tesra to her side. Her mate would help them get to safety, or so she hoped, until an additional complication appeared

Their forward momentum abruptly halted as Nnoitra came to a standstill. Glancing up, she spotted a bell-decked giant wearing an eye patch and a raggedy white haori blocking their path. A small, pink-haired girl dressed in a shihakusho clung to his shoulder. There was something familiar about them, but more than that, they both looked at Nnoitra as if they wanted to make a meal of him.

Surprisingly, Nnoitra didn�t seem the least bit upset about their sudden appearance or the giant�s vicious smile. In fact, he looked incredibly pleased, the corners of his mouth turning upward in a wide, bloodthirsty grin.

Rangiku�s reaction was very different. Tatsuki heard her suck in her breath.

�Kenpachi-Taichou! Kusajishi-Fukutaichou!�

�Hi!� the little girl called out cheerfully. �Ken-chan came to play again!�

She clapped her hands together as she did so, as if the danger and chaos around them was all one great game to her. Now that she knew their names, Tatsuki finally recalled why they seemed familiar: she�d seen their pictures on the Escapee wanted posters she�d seen from time to time.

If they were here, and if Ichigo was here� and if the Swarm was here too�

Tatsuki suddenly didn�t like the direction her thoughts were taking, especially when she factored in the explosions.

This wasn�t just Ichigo and Grimmjow trying to rescue Karin.

This was an all-out assault, courtesy of the Escapees.

�Play eh?� Nnoitra half-spat, half-laughed, delivering his retort with a sneer. �I like the sound of that, little bitch!�

�Yay! If you and Ken-chan are gonna fight, then I�ll keep the bugs away!�

She promptly hopped down from huge Taichou�s shoulder and pulled her short Zanpakuto from her sash, though she didn�t draw it from its sheath. Then she paused and peered closer at Rangiku, before she whistled in appreciation at her distended belly.

�Wow Ran-Ran, you got really, really big!�

�That�s because I am pregnant Yachiru-chan,� Rangiku replied testily. From her expression it was evident she was still having a hard time with the duo�s unexpected appearance. Tatsuki noticed the Locusts had backed away, possibly in response to the girl waving her sheathed weapon at them, but more likely at the threat of getting caught up in the brawl brewing between the Espada and Kenpachi. Then Yachiru said something that changed the entire atmosphere of the encounter.

�Not even Nel-chan is that big!� she blithely informed everyone. Tatsuki had no idea who this �Nel� was, and the uncertainty on Rangiku�s face told her the Shinigami didn�t know either, though Yachiru�s references to her size made the blonde�s lower lip tremble.

Nnoitra, on the other hand, went still as a stone, his one eye widening before it shifted from Kenpachi to his smaller companion. The knuckles gripping Santa Theresa�s hilt tightened until they were white and bloodless, and Tatsuki knew things had just taken a turn for the worse. She�d never seen Nnoitra stunned before.

�That cunt is still alive?�

The incredulous question earned him an extra-maniacal round of laughter from the brute with the bells in his hair. Yachiru�s merry demeanour took a sudden turn for the cruel, belying her outward �cute little girl� image. It made Tatsuki want to step back, but the Locusts prevented any wholesale escape. The end of the girl�s sheathed Zanpakuto did send a bug that got too close reeling off into the air. Moreover, the child had done it without looking at the insect.

�Yep! She�s gonna have a baby� an� it ain�t yours, you dirty cheater!�

The tall Espada paled at both the insult and the news, making Tatsuki revise her previous opinion.

Nnoitra wasn�t �stunned.�

Instead, he looked as if someone had hit him on the back of the head with a baseball bat and yanked his curl-toed boots off at the same time. He opened his mouth but for once, nothing came out. Kenpachi chuckled at the sight, finding Nnoitra�s reaction somehow funny. Yachiru�s pink glittering eyes lit on Tatsuki at that point and the nasty edge to her voice immediately vanished.

�Oooh!! Is that a baby?�

It took a moment for Tatsuki to realize the child had her finger pointed at Avispona.

�Yes,� she answered weakly, for lack of anything better to say.

Nnoitra still stood between them, his weapon dripping green ichor and his lips trying to form words that never made it out of his throat. Whoever this �Nel� was, it was obvious that she and the Fifth had some kind of unpleasant personal history between them. Whether he�d been shocked that someone he believed to be dead wasn�t, or because she was pregnant by someone else, Tatsuki couldn�t say, but since his sneer had turned into an outright snarl, he evidently welcomed neither revelation.

�Can I see? Can I see? Pretty pleeeeease?� Yachiru pleaded, oblivious to the Espada in her path.

There wasn�t much Tatsuki could do to stop her, so she nodded. Rangiku�s use of the intruders� Shinigami titles meant she was familiar with them and neither of them displayed any hostility towards either her or her housemate. Avispona had ceased crying, and only occasionally snuffled. Maybe she could distract her adopted daughter with something shiny and exotic, and in this case, pink, to quiet her. Doing her best to keep her hands from shaking, she pulled back the blanket from around the infant�s face, revealing a pair of big gold eyes and a thumb stuck securely in her tiny mouth.

�O� of course! This is Avispona.�

Yachiru had no problem using Kenpachi as a step stool and climbing to the closest rooftop to get a better look at the baby. For one brief moment, as the little girl and baby studied one another, Tatsuki forgot they were in the middle of a Swarm invasion and on the verge of having two very aggressive warriors go at one another with all they had, regardless of any bystanders� safety. That small slip on her part almost cost them dearly.

�Wow� she�s soooo pretty!� Tatsuki heard Yachiru proclaim just before a loud buzzing noise overhead drowned out the rest of what she had to say. While they�d been distracted, three Locusts came at them from above. Before any of them could react, the little girl finally drew her short blade and dispatched the flying menaces in mid-air with ease. Seeing that did nothing for Tatsuki�s composure, especially when she heard Yachiru addressing the insects� remnants as they splashed to the pavement.

�Silly bugs, you aren�t supposed to attack us! Go bother someone else so I can play with the baby,� she admonished the dead things, and then grinned cheekily at Tatsuki.

The air displaced beside her before she could ask what the brat meant by such a statement and Tatsuki found herself in her mate�s arms. Tesra immediately inspected both her and Avispona for any injuries or distress, before he seemed satisfied that they were unharmed. Fresh ichor and smeared soot covered his once-pristine uniform. She guessed the latter was the result of his investigations involving the explosions out in the Rukongai. The bug guts were self-explanatory.

�All three of us are fine,� she told him, grasping one of his hands in her free one to stop his pawing. �Panicking was the only way I could think of to get you here.�

Tesra tensed again when he caught sight of Kenpachi and Nnoitra circling each other like rabid hounds. They hadn�t leaped at one another yet, and Tatsuki wondered if they were holding back because of her, Rangiku and Avispona. Such caution seemed at odds with Nnoitra�s disposition, but she supposed that �accidentally� losing his pet and offspring thanks to a fight he�d let get out of hand would undercut his bragging rights.

�Nnoitra-sama!� Tesra shouted, trying to get the Espada to hear him above the sound of the Swarm, the alarms, the fights going on nearby and the terrified cries of Plusses fleeing for their lives.

�Just keep the bitches and brats out of the way and the bugs out of our hair,� Nnoitra commanded his underling, not even bothering to look their way. Then he paused and added darkly, ��and don�t even think of jumping in, Tesra! I don�t need ya!�

�Hai, Nnoitra-sama!�

Tesra bowed but Tatsuki didn�t need a two-way Claiming bond to know that Tesra didn�t like the order one bit. Her mate was devoted to his Espada after all. Telling him not to participate had to chafe the fraccion. Reaching over, she tugged at her husband�s dirty sleeve to remind him why she�d summoned him.

�Geez� are ya done gabbing yet? Ya babble on like an old woman!�

Kenpachi�s drawled complaint showed just how bored he�d become while he waited to carve up his opponent. He even went so far as to dig into his ear with a pinkie, inspecting it casually before flicking the dirt away. �We can pick up where we left off, if ya like��

�Che, I don�t need any consideration from you! Let�s do this!� Nnoitra barked in return and spat for good measure. His sneer seemed to take up half his face and to Tatsuki�s dismay, Kenpachi matched it tooth-for-tooth.

�That�s more like it! Let�s see if ya can fight without someone helping your candy ass!�

If Tatsuki were to describe their shared expression, it would be �gleefully psychotic�.

Kenpachi brought his giant, chipped sword off of his shoulder and pulled his eye patch off before tossing it aside. Nnoitra did something in turn that the human woman had never seen before� he entered his Resurrección. Both men apparently intended to forego the usual banter in favor of jumping right into the thick of things. The combined energy very nearly suffocated her, and even Rangiku, weakened by the children she carried, gasped and wrapped her arms around herself. Avispona let out a loud wail while Yachiru giggled excitedly, not at all disturbed by the power rolling over them. Tesra pulled Tatsuki to him and moved closer to Rangiku, so that he could shield them with his own, non-depleted power. Avispona�s wails dwindled into whimpers as a result, but she still scrunched her face unhappily.

�We need to move back!� Tesra insisted, mirroring her thoughts, but there were few places they could go. The Swarm still swirled about them, cutting off the best escape routes. For the moment, their best bet seemed to be taking refuge behind a few of the scattered pieces of broken paving and concrete. Rangiku was still a waddling duck, although it was Tatsuki�s private opinion that a duck with a missing leg and two broken wings could move faster. A glance at Yachiru revealed the little Shinigami still sitting on the rooftop, dangling her short legs off the overhang and kicking her feet back and forth. The human woman wasn�t certain if she should let the girl, who watched her �Ken-chan� with the same sort of over-enthused anticipation a normal child would have for a passing parade, join them or not. Yachiru seemed too into what was about to happen to care for her personal safety.

�So much for playing with the baby,� Tatsuki growled inwardly, �or keeping the bugs away�.

When the two men finally did clash, the shockwave created as scythe met sword nearly toppled her over with its strength and the nearest members of the Swarm buzzed away to what they must have thought to be a safe distance. If titans had ever existed to clash with one another, Tatsuki guessed that this was what it must have felt like to any innocent bystanders. The scant protection the rubble afforded seemed much iffier than it had a moment ago. Tesra shoved both women down and used the diaper bag and his body to keep them all from blowing way.

Perhaps, it would be best to keep moving towards the 4th Division and leave Nnoitra to fight Kenpachi here. A battleground was no place for two pregnant women and a newborn child. The problem Tatsuki saw was getting there in one piece and she groaned, wondering if she�d live long enough to place �getting trapped� on her list of hated things.
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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