~2 Months Later~

Ichigo's POV

Going on eight months now and I cant wait for this to end. I have come to terms with everything now that I talk to Jin but I haven't been sleeping well enough to process much more. I sleep most of the day, sometimes the entire day straight through and then can't sleep at night so I haven't gotten much done. Although its not like I have the energy to do it anyway. It feels like the baby has outgrown the room it has in my pelvis so it pushed itself up into my chest so even walking around the apartment takes me a while, making me breathless like I ran a marathon so I don't get out any more. Heck if I did I probably would pass out at the elevator doors! So I don't even go to the Daily Struggle meetings anymore. Jin just call once in a while to see how things are going.

I do as much of my school work as possible but just looking at the computer screen makes me want to go back to sleep. I feel achy and sore all over but that isn't too different from the beginning of this whole thing but what makes me feel uneasy are these things called Braxton Hicks contractions. There suppose to be mild contractions but they really just scare the shit out of me. They happen randomly and once they start up my mind always jumps to the conclusion that I must be going into labor. I'm huge , round and uncomfortable and I hate to admit it but I'm kind of lonely too.

Sure I'm complaining a lot but I am always here alone pretty much. It's summer now so Karin and Yuzu are out with there friends. I gave them the ok to hang out with Toshiro and Jinta as long as they gave me their word to hold off on any type of relationship stuff for a long time. A LONG, LONG TIME. So they go and play soccer and go swimming or whatever because I don't want them to get overly concerned with how I'm doing. They're just kids and it makes me feel really guilty how they have to be self reliant now that I'm useless besides eating and sleeping all day. I want them to take advantage of how smooth things are going for now and just be regular for a while. So since the girls are out I'm here in the apartment by myself and I don't get too many visitors or when I do typically I'm asleep. Everyone wanted to help so bad that I just went ahead and made them a copy of the apartment key so they can come in and clean or check in on my sisters. That makes me feel pretty useless too and I really didn't want to but Rukia wouldn't leave me alone about it so I had to.

Summer means no school and I thought I would be seeing my friends just a little bit more but their lives have gotten pretty busy the past two months. School had its end of the year finals so everyone was freaking out over those, especially Renji who we all know is a bit of an idiot so they were cramming most of the time then life just exploded with commotion. Uruy and Orihime are student council members so they had a lot of end of the year work and now they have to get started on stuff for next year. They are at school almost everyday and when they do have time they slip by here and say hello but I want them to be together instead of over here all the time. They are suppose to be a couple but at the moment all they do is work and baby-sit me.

Renji has been helping out in the shop more so he can keep and eye on Jinta. I can also just tell he wanted to spend some time with his family. Matsumoto got a promotion so he sees her less than he already did so I think their relationship is more stressed than he would like for me to know. He is prideful like that so he has been staying at home more. Matsumoto with her promotion doesn't have time to see us , even as one of her cases, so I have no clue what she has been up to besides what little Renji knows or from what Toshiro says she has been up to.

Rukia has been with Chad and I'm happy to see them liking each other so much. They each have gotten to do some very fancy internships for the summer and I tell them to stay away as much as Rukia's stubbornness will allow them to. This could open some important doors for them and I don't want them screwing up just to make time to cook and clean for my family.

Nell hasn't spoken to me or even come over since me and Grimm brought her home. I think she is avoiding me. The person I do see a lot of though is Grimmjow. He is still working, staying out of trouble and all that but I guess if I had to describe how he's acting, he's acting, well…like a husband? It was weird at first but it seems like he's gotten his act together. Every time I wake up he's here washing dishes, doing laundry or dragging in bags of baby stuff for the room that's already packed with diapers and toys and bottles. Then he goes out to work comes back and does it all over again. He tells me how he is nervous because it's just another month before he is someone's dad and that he wished that I would just ask the doctor what I'm having to take a little bit of pressure off of his mind but I won't. I just want it to be a happy surprise.

Ichigo was napping in his bedroom when he heard someone come in the apartment. He was too lethargic to even stir so he stayed curled in bed when he felt someone lay down besides him. He opened his eyes and saw Grimmjow in front of him.

"Long day?" Ichigo was answered with a loud snore. Grimmjow stayed asleep as Ichigo moved to the living room to watch TV. He felt his stomach and it was hard as a rock and he felt a steady pain in his lower back. More braction hicks contractions. So he continued to sit and watch TV when there was a knock at the door. Since all of his other friends had their own keys and could let themselves in he didn't know who it could be. Walking with some effort to the door he looked through the peep hole and saw Nell. She still had her natural hair color and was wearing a pair of jean shorts, flip flops and a green tank top. He opened the door and Nell hugged him tight without warning.

"Ugh…It's nice to see you too?"

"Ichigo I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that. It's just I was at work and I got a weird feeling that was nagging me all day. I took the day off to see you, I was worried, I felt like something back was going to happen and I didn't want you to be alone."

"Well, I'm fine and Grimmjow's here . So everything is ok. I'm just happy to see you. Do you want to come in?" he stepped aside and she took his hand when they sat on the couch together.

They watched a long movie but Ichigo wouldn't be able to tell anyone what it was about. The pain he was feeling was steadily getting worse and he felt his palms getting sweaty and his stomach felt different. He tried to stay calm. He thought that like the other time the contractions would dissipate with time but now it was four hours later and he was biting his lip to keep from screaming.

"Ichiog,Ichigo, what's wrong?" Nell was holding me but I couldn't answer. The pain was too much. I was paralyzed with fear, I had never felt pain like this before and when I tried to open my mouth to say something I just started to cry as another wave of contraction hit me. I swore this must have been what it was like to die.

"What's wrong with him? Why is he crying?" I had woken up Grimmjow and Nell was breaking down right next to me at this point.

"I-I don't know, I think we have to get him to the hospital. I think he is going into labor."

When she said that my fears only got worse. I was still a long ways away from my due date and this didn't feel right. I didn't want to have gone through all of this struggling to lose this baby. I'm so scared. I looked at my parents pictures on the walls as Nell scrambled to pack me a suit case for the hospital and Grimmjow called an ambulance. I wish they hadn't died. I need them so much.

I was doubled over in pain when the paramedics made it to the apartment and the men were putting me on the stretcher before I was even aware of it because the pain was the only thing I could focus on as the rapidly spoke. I felt light headed and couldn't breath they gave me oxygen and asked too many questions I couldn't get myself together to answer. I cant do this, I'm not ready. They put me in the back of the ambulance and I saw my sisters standing on the corner together as Grimm hopped in the back with me and a pair of paramedics shut the doors. I was too scared with what was happening with me to even wave good-bye to them as I looked through the tiny windows of the doors and watched as Nell tried to comfort them as we drove away.