Stand in the Rain

Shadow of an Echo

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Welcome to the Show

It wasn't easy making it through the next week. Ichigo was terrified they would be discovered as final preparations were made and Yoruichi sent instructions on how to properly use the family heirloom she entrusted to them.

If anyone seemed to be getting a little too close to Ichigo and his secrets, those protecting him had absolutely no qualms about creating a distraction by any means necessary, even if that meant challenging one another to a spar at the drop of a hat. It was one time the reputation of the Espada played to their advantage, and since it was for Ichigo the training partners did not refuse them even once during those tense few days of being decoys.

Ichigo was so worked up he almost didn't hear his approaching guest until he was practically on top of him, he was too busy pacing and worrying about the next day which was when they were to start the time lapse.

Needless to say, he ended nearly jumping out of his skin when a firm hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing surprisingly gently for all the strength he could feel running through it. "Starrk! What the…why did you do that?" He cried out, whirling around and beginning to hyperventilate.

"I'm sorry Ichigo, I was worried, you were looking a little too lost for my liking." The Primera apologized, looking him over critically. "It would be useless to ask if you're okay, when you are obviously not. Also; I have a pretty good guess what's wrong. I thought this might happen, so I'm here to try and help you relax some." He explained, not liking how pale Ichigo had grown, or how rapidly he was breathing.

Ichigo let out a hollow laugh, "I wish you could, but I kinda doubt anyone could say anything that would make this easier."

That statement made Starrk quirk an eyebrow in exasperated amusement, "Oh I don't know, I'd think I have a fairly good shot, considering I've been in your place before."

"Wait, what!?" Incredulousness and disbelief colored Ichigo's outburst, the baby kicking him sharply in displeasure at the wash off emotion coming off him.

That quirked eyebrow turned into a small, almost wolfish, smirk; "Did you ever wonder how I knew the answers to the questions your Shinigami were asking the other day? Some is fairly general knowledge among Hollows, I'll give you that, but there was a tad too much detail for someone who's never experienced it."

Ichigo shook his head rapidly, trying to stall his racing thoughts, "Does that mean…well, did you have a baby?"

Starrk nodded, "I did, but it's probably not what you think. I've been pregnant before yes, but my circumstances were a bit different than yours." He was deliberately leading Ichigo on, seeing how the mystery and new information was slowly bringing Ichigo down from his frenzy which was the entire goal of bringing this up in the first place.

It was working, worry was being slowly replaced with curiosity, "What happened?"

"The child I carried was Lilynette; just as her soul came from mine, so did her body." He revealed. "When my soul first split, the new entity needed time to mature and grow strong before coming into the world. I provided that time, and the strength she needed."

There was a lot Ichigo could ask about, one relatively random thing spilling out first, "Does anyone else know?"

"Lilynette knows of course, and I think Barragan suspects something which isn't that surprising with how long he's been around. If the others have guessed they haven't said anything to me. Szayel is the most likely to have realized out of the ones here." Starrk explained easily, if he wasn't ready to answer questions he wouldn't have brought the topic up in the first place.

Ichigo had his hand over his daughter, "I never thought…" He mumbled, before returning his attention to Starrk, "So, you know what this feels like?"

A true smile this time, "Yes, it was the strangest and most awkward time in my life I admit, but it was worth it to not be alone anymore. It wasn't that hard carrying her, and having her was painful but not something that can't be handled. Especially with how many fights you wound up in." He was teasing with that last bit, but that didn't make it less true. They all spent time getting sliced up on the battlefield, so really what was one more session of pain when the reward was so high?

Ichigo looked down at his baby, now almost impossible to camouflage the swelling, "What's it going to be like, you know, when she comes?"

"I know for me I was so flooded with instincts it was like I was reacting without thought. It was obviously the first, and only, time I was ever in labor but somehow my body just knew what it was doing. It forced my head to take a backseat and just let it happen. I don't remember any time when I was more animalistic than that, and Hollows are already more primal than Shinigami by our very nature." The words flowed out of Starrk steadily, even if Ichigo could tell by the tinge of nostalgia that his thoughts were tangled up in the memories.

He shook it off though and reached out again, putting his hands back on Ichigo's shoulders, "I honestly don't know how much you and Junichi's minds overlap, but the more you can combine and support each other the better off you will be. Let his nature help you cope, even if that seems backwards knowing what Hollows are like. Always remember the one thing we are is aggressively territorial over what is ours, and a body born of our body is going to be our singular focus for as long as they are dependent on us, there is no deeper connection for us. Trust me when I say even if you don't recognize the feeling as love, it is its own kind of devotion and just as powerful if not more so."

As much as Ichigo wanted the words to calm him, it only brought up another fear. "Starrk, what if my daughter is more Hollow than Shinigami? How will I keep her safe then?"

"Even if her power is more like ours, there is one thing that is very much in your favor when it comes to Hollow children. They are born maskless. You know by now that Hollows do not age physically, something more obvious once we are Arrancar but it is true for all of us. The exception to that is if a child is born a Hollow. The aging process is not halted until the child is powerful enough their mask manifests, it is a combination of pure spiritual strength and how quickly they grow hungry. We have no need to devour souls until that tipping point is reached. The more powerful the child, the quicker this happens. Lilynette looks like a child because she was born at too high of a level and her mask formed before her body was done growing. She isn't the only one I know of, but she is the youngest in body and the longest surviving one of those I've run across."

One breath of relief, followed by another sobering thought, "I have to ask, are the Espada starving themselves just to be here? If you are that is not going to end well, since I have no idea how long we will be stuck here."

"We are not starving, but I'm not sure you want to know what we've been doing to replace hunting." He hedged for the first time in the conversation. Not ashamed, just wary of the implications the answer might hold.

"Just tell me, I want to know as much as I can about what this arrangement is costing all of you." Ichigo urged, if they could handle doing it, he could at the very least handle the information.

Starrk didn't answer right away, instead he took a few minutes to decide how to word things. When words did come, they were steady and confident; if Ichigo really wanted to know than Starrk would trust in his determination and tell him. "We've been cannibalizing each other. Szayel has a method of trapping and storing spirit pressure in a separate form, it's what he used to make his Fraccion out of, but if we were to only consume the ones we made ourselves it wouldn't be enough to stave off the hunger long term. All we would be doing is replacing the energy lost in creating the energy spheres, not giving ourselves more. So we trade off, each of us make some and then rotate them out. Me and Nnoitra have been making the most and distributing them to the lower level ones, the lower we are the more we need to consume to keep up our strength. Remember hunting for us is more than just sustenance, it's filling in gaps that desperately need filling. The more powerful we are the less gaps there are needing to be filled. For example; for every one I need, Grimmjow needs two."

Ichigo had paled again, in worry for the Espada this time instead of himself. "Are you sure that is going to be enough?"

"Well, I can't say we would turn down an offer from others every once and awhile," Starrk admitted. "Only, Szayel's method might not work if the person doesn't have some Hollow in them, since in requires slowly shaving off bits of the souls we've gathered before and condensing them. Shinigami spirits might be too streamlined for it to work."

"I think the Visoreds might be willing to give it a try, some of them anyway," Ichigo offered.

"That might not be such a bad idea, I wasn't going to bring it up myself though. I imagine if the head-captain discovers we are engaging in cannibalism and encouraging others to help us do it, he might kick us out agreement or no agreement." Starrk warned.

Ichigo understood where he was coming from, but there was more to it. "I think it's kind of his own fault though, even I admit it took far too long to ask such a fundamental question. You would think it would be one of his first." The realization came slowly, but Ichigo was sure of it by the time the thought finished.

"I have a feeling Yamamoto was attempting to trap us, if we had to sneak off back to Heuco Mundo to hunt, or let our hunger get so bad we went on a rampage here, he would have all of his objections justified." Starrk speculated, and it made sense to Ichigo when he added up all of Yamamoto's actions and words since this collaboration started.

Ichigo wrapped an arm around his kicking daughter, "The more we speculate the more terrified I'm going to get. He can't find out about her, he just can't."

"You let us worry about that for now, just remember in about a day if Yoruichi's estimate is right, you will be holding her. This plan will work and we will keep her safe," Starrk encouraged.

"I want her here already," Ichigo admitted, his grip tightening around himself.

"I know it will feel like an eternity to you, but just a little longer and she will be. Trust yourself and us, we will get her here safe and sound." The Espada reassured.

"That's the only thing I can do," Ichigo agreed, before forcibly changing the subject to discuss what it was like raising Lilynette. The pride Starrk allowed himself to show while speaking about her was soothing, and he needed that right now.

Slowly, agonizingly in some places, the night passed and finally Ichigo was settling down in the cave with the others so they could implement their careful plan.

Yoruichi warned that with the length of time they were attempting to stall, they would need at least two strong people anchoring the device or they would risk draining a single person of so much spiritual pressure it would permanently disable them.

The discussion about who would be the anchors was short, but didn't go the way any of them were expecting. "Do we really need to talk about this? Shun and I will be the ones protecting Ichigo and our daughter." Jyuushiro stated first, the circle of confidants convening in the cave for the last time before time would be halted for the pair. Those who would not be directly involved with the device would then scatter and be distractions to keep attention away from the cave and anyone looking for the people busy with Ichigo.

It was Shunsui who put a halting hand on his love's shoulder, "That might not be the best of ideas Jyuu, we don't want to push you into a relapse with the drain on your system."

"Shunsui's right, you two should stay fully aware, Ichigo will need you when he's in labor," This was Isshin. "I was going to suggest that from the start. I don't want you to miss her being born, so you need to save your strength. Instead I will be one of the anchors for this. We need one more though?" He trailed off with the question, looking at the assembled Shinigami and Arrancar.

"I'll do it," Starrk, stated calmly, though it definitely made some eyebrows raise. "What? I don't like fighting to kill but that doesn't mean I won't use my power at all. It would be foolish to ignore it when it could be useful. I will help Ichigo bring his cub into the world safely."

Byakuya spoke up, "It would be prudent to have a failsafe in case something happens and we need to switch one of you out, should that occur I will step in." What could he say, Ichigo's words during the last meeting had left an impression on him.

Isshin nodded in approval, "Good, so the ones staying will be us three, Shunsui, Jyuushiro, and maybe one or two for decoys in case someone finds us?"

"I'll stay," Grimmjow here, "Nnoitra you and I can stay at the entrance of the cave and if anyone comes we will start sparring to cover up what's happening."

The quinto just shrugged, it didn't matter too much to him as long as he was occupied. He hated being bored.

"Are you sure about this?" Ichigo asked seriously, giving them one last chance to rethink their aide.

"No need to ask in my case," Isshin was the quickest to respond, followed by affirmative nods from the rest.

That was Isshin's cue to start setting up the device, "Alright, let's get this done then. Starrk you will stand opposite me, facing inwards, with Ichigo bookended by us. With two people using this we need to balance the pressure released between both of us until it is roughly equal in intensity to keep the device stable and working properly. Is this making sense?" Never hurt to check comprehension, that was better than assuming wrongly.

"I figured it would work like that," Starrk confirmed before reaching out to the anchor points on his side.

"Ichigo, you are going to want to get as comfortable as you can before we start, it would be best if you picked one form to stay in for this." Isshin advised, not real surprised when Ichigo shifted over to his Hollow form.

"She seems to like being like this, so I'm going to run with it," Ichigo explained while getting comfortable. "Well, here goes nothing," He commented once he was as ready as he was going to get, listening to his father calmly count down from three to signal Starrk to start feeding power into the device. As they had planned during the last week, he let himself fade into his inner world where he would have the company of Zangetsu and Junichi to help relieve the solitude the time suspension would inflict.

XXXXXXXJunichiXXXXX

Junichi was bored, several months of limited fighting made for one very restless Hollow. His King was out there talking with the others and getting their soon to be segregation sorted out, but nothing was coming up that held his attention for long. This was already planned as well as it could be from his perspective.

A kick to his ribs drew his bored gaze down, eyeing up the culprit. She was getting bigger, but wasn't huge yet. He could definitely understand the urgency surrounding this little bait-and-switch, it was nearly impossible to hide her under their clothes anymore. Junichi was honestly surprised they hadn't been noticed before, but then again there were handy Espada around for distraction. That had to count for something.

In all honesty, he hadn't let himself think about this whole pregnant thing much. She was there, nothing he could do about that, but beyond the urge to protect her he'd kept his thoughts from straying.

Now though she was giving a firm reminder of her presence. The first kick was just the start of her squirming around. Seemed to him like their daughter was just as bored and restless as he was.

She was pressing out against his side, seemingly right under his ribs, and he threw caution to the wind and opened his white Shihakusho to inspect the hard lump the baby had very determinedly turned his abdomen into. He drew his hand over and prodded her where she had pushed against him. She responded to his poking with a little jab returning the favor. Junichi raised his eyebrow at the reaction before poking her again in a different spot, a second later and sure enough she was hitting him back. Even Junichi had to admit this was fun. He continued playing this new game for a while, seeing how far she would move and how quickly she responded. He was so entranced by the baby he barely noticed the shift in their outer form, he certainly wasn't going to object if his King wanted to use this form.

He might have kept poking at the baby even longer if it wasn't for his King sneaking up on him while he was distracted by the game with the baby.

Ichigo's eyes were sparkling mischievously when Junichi finally looked up at him, "Junichi, are you… playing with our baby?" His question was teasing, as he already knew the answer from observing his Hollow for the last few minutes. He'd been wondering why the baby had gotten so worked up, not just randomly moving around but pressing out, responding to something. He followed his instincts and kept quiet when entering his mindscape, and was rewarded with finding Junichi in the act.

Despite knowing he was caught, Junichi still tried to hedge around the question, "…Maybe." Though there was an incriminating disgruntled kick from the baby in response to the game stopping and he had yet to cover himself back up.

Ichigo settled down next to him on the skyscraper he'd claimed for himself, "What brought that on?" He was watching with amusement, no doubt about that, but there was a hint of relief under that at seeing the bonding moment between Hollow and baby.

"I was bored okay!" Junichi confessed in irritation. "She was there and it just kind of happened. Besides what did you think I was going to do, ignore her the whole time? That's hard to do when she keeps kicking me." That was all true. He didn't mind they were going to have a baby, but this part was not something he had been looking forward to. If pressed though, after his little game with her, it wasn't as bad as he had been afraid of.

"I had no idea how you were going to handle this, especially since I really don't know how I'm going to manage myself." Ichigo commented, careful to not challenge his Hollow's excuses for now. That wouldn't bode well for the isolation ahead.

A calm voice interrupted them, "You two would spend this time wisest by training. You've been given an opportunity, don't waste it." Zangetsu had heard all the conversations around them, and felt it was the right time to speak up.

Junichi glared down balefully at the swelling in his abdomen, "Oh yeah, and just how do you expect us to do that? She isn't getting any smaller here."

"Fighting is not the kind of training I was referring to," If anything Ichigo guessed Zangetsu was actually amused at the stubborn Hollow's predicament. "I meant working on yourselves, and teamwork especially. There is a higher level to your power, it should be clear by now what is needed to reach it."

Ichigo felt the Hollow puffing up in irritation beside him, and though he was calmer than Junichi he couldn't say he wasn't interested in what their Zanpakuto was saying. It was him who asked the obvious question, "So how do we do it?"

Zangetsu gave one of his small smile, a lot like Starrk's from the conversation the day before. "Think Ichigo, both of you are strong in your own ways. You have the Shinigami power while he houses the Hollow, switching off between you two has served you well to this point, but have you ever considered what might happen if you combined your consciousness and were true equals in control?"

"So, basically, you're saying King and I need to start playing nicer with each other?" Junichi scoffed.

"Not exactly," Zangetsu corrected, "This goes much deeper then sentiment. In having the relationship you two do, it creates a barrier between your thoughts, we need to bring that barrier down so your thoughts are his and his are yours. Not always, understand this is much like having a Bankai or Ulquiorra's second stage resurrection, you won't need it constantly but if you do find it necessary it will be there."

"What happens to us when the barrier falls?" Ichigo was worried about losing himself, and he was willing to bet Junichi felt the same by the way he was tensed and trembling with fight or flight instincts.

Zangetsu's tone changed to something more comforting, "You will each still be yourselves, like I said this is not permanent. You will be fully linked meaning that your thoughts will be shared, but that doesn't make you less of who you are. If anything it will increase your understanding of the other for the times when you are not linked, reaffirming your separate identities as much as your combined one."

Sharing a look with black rimmed eyes, the Hollow grumpily nodding while lifting his chin in defiance, Ichigo answered for the both of them. "Alright, let's give it a try. We are going into a war, we will need all the strength we can get."

"Good choice," Zangetsu commended, before getting down to the business of teaching them to connect.

It would take all three of them to get it achieved, because the key to the process was Zangetsu himself, he was the bridge between Hollow and Shinigami, already connected to both halves of the soul. By focusing on channeling their strength to Zangetsu, he would in turn blend it together until neither Junichi or Ichigo were able to tell who gave what power. That opened the door for meditation practice, which provided the relaxed environment they needed to reach out and join their thoughts together. It was alien and awkward for both of them, but having the familiar rush of power going back and forth between themselves and Zangetsu helped them fade into each other.

Ichigo learned a lot from sinking into his Hollow self, the emotions and impulses were much stronger than his own. Each feeling while inherently simpler, was felt all the more sharply for its singularity. Junichi did not get a wash of feelings like Ichigo did, instead he felt each thing almost brutally intensely due to its singularity. That one thought or feeling ruled him, with nothing to buffer it. So when the Hollow was angry, he was furious and only furious, much the same for pride or frustration.

It made so much more sense now, why Hollows gave into their urge to hunt, no matter the morals of the person they had once been. Hunger was agonizing when there was nothing else to mask it, not even fear or rage like when a human was starving, just an all-consuming soul deep need to eat. It was maddening to feel that much of one thing and not being able to staunch it on their own.

Junichi had the opposite education. He knew now what it was like to feel a swirl of emotions working together to either give or take away confidence. He could understand some of his King's more reckless decisions now that he'd felt the maelstrom clouding judgment and making people do foolish things. Too many emotions were just as maddening as only having one intense feeling, but it hit them in different ways.

With their thoughts aliened they had the benefits of both ways, and could balance out the negatives. When Junichi felt his King getting much too involved for their own good, he could wash it out with his much simpler way of seeing things, in this case the sheer intensity was needed to break him out of the cycle of thought. Also, when Ichigo attempted to get his point across to Junichi, he could now show the Hollow what he was talking about rather than trying to muddle his way through complex explanations.

It was a long and grueling process, taking up much of their time and distracting them from worrying about their daughter. She grew steadily in all that time, rounding out their belly, kicking and dancing inside them while they worked on their minds. The first time Junichi and Ichigo succeeded in blending their thoughts, they knew it worked because every kick and jab was shared and the emotions flowed between them, Ichigo's relief and Junichi's pride washed over the both of them.

Their daughter was strong and sometimes, when they needed a break, Junichi and Ichigo would lay down together and relax into the feeling of having her inside them. Her tiny core of power grew along with her body, and it latched onto them tightly. An affirmation that she was right there with them and would soon be ready to great them.

It was exciting and their anticipation only grew as they slowly realized their body was changing, morphing into something neither Hollow or Shinigami, but with elements of both. Their hulking body grew more streamlined and muscled, the baby the only thing altering their slender but powerful form. The once bright red markings darkened and simplified, until they had streaks along their mask, chest, and shoulders the same color as dried blood. Instead of spiked shoulders and smooth wrists, they had almost feather like tufts pluming out, and two long horns rose from their mask.

The changes were gratifying to Junichi in particular, having picked up the significance of the change much sooner than his counterpart. They hadn't just combined their power, the mixture had amplified it into an entirely new class, and he wasn't the only one to notice it.

XXXXXXStarrkXXXXXX

Outside of their own little world Starrk was watching the changes with a critical eye, not missing how uncertain the slow shifts were making the watching Shinigami. It was with gritted teeth that he spoke up, the drain of the device taking its toll. "Stay calm, nothing's wrong."

Jyuushiro, having been busy hovering and worrying, was the first to pounce on the words, "Do you have a clue what's happening?"

"Only a bit," Starrk admitted, "I don't know why but Ichigo is getting stronger, almost exponentially. His form, it looks like he's upgrading his level."

Seeing how difficult it was to both speak and hold the device steady, Shunsui decided to break in, "Don't strain yourself to talk too much, I think we could get the rest from either Nnoitra or Grimmjow." He was glad to see a nod, and the other two Espada proved how good their hearing was when they came over as soon as their names were mentioned.

It was the Sexta who put the pieces together first, he knew what both Ichigo and Junichi used to feel like and things fell into place from there. He let out a low whistle when the realization came to him, "Never thought he'd get there before me."

"Just tell us what's happening, stop dancing around it." Jyuushiro commanded, worried for his love and child.

"The two of them are advancing from Adjuchas to Vasto Lorde," Nnoitra informed, stealing Grimmjow's limelight. "That's what the change in power and form signifies. They must have made some kind of breakthrough while stuck together for so long."

"The baby is alright?" The demand was stiff and urgent.

Unfortunately the Hollows could only shrug, Grimmjow taking back over before Nnoitra could respond, "It's not like we're experts on this, but judging by how big he's getting the cub is growing just fine."

"I agree," Isshin spoke up, in much the same shape as Starrk, "He's progressing well, she's going to be here soon by the looks of him." It was admittedly hard to judge the baby's progress while Ichigo's body was changing himself, but Isshin was confident he had a handle on it now.

Isshin words calmed them down, and he was proven right when not even five minutes later (or about a month for Ichigo as close as they could get worked out), he started to shift around in discomfort, and they could see him come back from his inner world, eyes opening and throwing a hand up to single his father and Starrk to release him.

Just as Isshin was about to drop to his knees and check on his son, Ichigo reared up and nearly ran to the back wall of the cave, pressing up against the rock and letting out a low grumbling hiss. His eyes were gold, ringed with black, and he hadn't realized the Hollow form like they assumed he would.

Starrk took command, despite fatigue and breathlessness, experience telling him what was happening. "He's still deep in his own head right now, and if the baby's on the way he's likely to rip apart anyone who gets too close while in this state. Unless he asks for help I suggest we hold back."

Isshin looked pained, but it was nothing on the pure defiance displayed by Shunsui and Jyuushiro, the brunette disagreeing rapidly, "We are not leaving him alone to have our daughter, if he hurts us, so be it." And with that he started picking his way over to the agitated Hollow, Jyuushiro hot on his heels.

Warning given, Starrk decided it wasn't his place to interfere anymore, and just watched the two captains approach their love. Everyone else held themselves tense and ready, hoping intervention wouldn't be needed but preparing to rush in if needed.

XXXXXShunsuiXXXX

Shunsui shoved back any worry and doubt, this was Ichigo having their baby and he was going to be there for him no matter what.

His steps were slow and cautious, Jyuushiro so close on his heels he could feel the other captain's breath on the back of his neck. He called out softly when they were a few paces away, "Ichigo? It's okay now, you're safe, let us help you."

He was expecting a rejection, either verbally or physically, he was unprepared for the crash of a Hierro hardened body slamming into himself and Jyuushiro. Ichigo had plowed into them, and proceeded to collapse into his arms and bury his face in Shunsui's neck, almost like a scared animal scenting his surroundings. Jyuushiro reached out and started stroking lightly up and down Ichigo's back soothingly. "The baby's coming," They heard the muffled words echoing with shadows of Junichi's voice, and Shunsui held him a bit tighter.

Jyuushiro responded first, "That's so good to hear, I can't wait to see our daughter." He affirmed.

"Do you need anything?" Shunsui asked gently.

Ichigo shook his head, "No, just stay with me. Only want you two, no one else." This time when he nuzzled into Shunsui's neck the elder Shinigami felt the mask pressing against his skin.

"Are you comfortable like this?" He couldn't help but question.

Only to receive another nod, "Junichi and I are one like this, want to do this together." He absently explained while the majority of his focus was drawn inward, the muscles in his abdomen clenching tight in a contraction.

Jyuushiro waited for his tense body to relax, "Can't say I understand the bond between you two, but this is your choice. Do what feels right." That elicited a smile from leached white lips. Ichigo turning so he could look at Jyuushiro from where he was resting against Shunsui. The white-haired Captain making it easier by coming around to the side and holding onto Ichigo right along with Shunsui.

Ichigo settled down into his task from that point. Junichi's instincts demanding they stay separated from the group, Ichigo's balancing desires allowing for the presence of their loves. The exception grudgingly allowed once Junichi felt just how safe and happy being in their arms made his King.

He curled up against Shunsui's strong chest, with Jyuushiro's arms circling all of them, and let pain wash over him. Ichigo and Junichi linked tightly, their consciousness melding together to form one whole. The balance of instinct and desire getting them through the grueling process.

They had sunk so deeply into themselves that they were startled by their water breaking, soft and gentle hands helped to calm them down and strip them of wet clothing before they'd even had time to register the discomfort, Shunsui draping his pink Haori around their shoulder's. The cloth was warm and smelled like home to their paired minds, Junichi had no protest towards sinking deeply into the silk and just breathing in the mild fragrance of their loves.

Even though Ichigo had waited to signal them until he couldn't handle another moment locked in his own head, it still took hours for labor to urge his baby deep down inside him.

As the pressure in his back and hips increased he had to adjust position, going from curling up against Shunsui's chest to kneeling upright with his arms thrown equally around Shunsui and Jyuushiro's shoulders. His breathing grew heavy and harsh, the pain increasing and getting closer together.

The others watching saw these signs, and it spurred Isshin into taking a risk. He came over to them with a bundle of towels and supplies, though the moment he stepped into range of Ichigo's highly strung senses the low growl started up again. In the interim hours Starrk had given a rundown of the instincts his son was obeying right now, and Isshin used that knowledge to help instead of taking offense. He slid the bundle to Jyuushiro, and after some calm words of encouragement he backed off to let the trio handle the birth of their daughter just between them.

And it was getting ever more apparent they wouldn't have much longer to wait. Ichigo was trembling and rocking with the pain, his legs splayed wide. His groans were getting deeper and longer, the tone changing as the pain evolved into nearly overwhelming pressure.

"King, she's coming," Junichi's strained warning cut through the haze, the words breaking through to the outside world without them realizing it until Shunsui's calm voice washed over them.

"You're doing so well, go on, if she's ready to come then help her," He whispered, pressing his lips to their left temple, Jyuushiro mirroring the move from the right. "We're right here with you." He added.

Their words helped give him strength as he took a deep breath and pushed with the urge, a cry of surprise and pain pulled from his throat as the effort only increased the pressure from her head dropping.

Strong hands rubbed against his strained back, "That's it, keep going." Shunsui encouraged. "I know it hurts, but our little girl is almost here."

The reminder, and the love pouring into him from all sides, affected both Ichigo and Junichi, their pained cry cutting off and turning into a low growling grunt of effort.

The baby must have liked their determination because they felt her respond steadily, stinging pain signaling their success at bringing her down. When the contraction was over, he gasped out, "I can feel her head."

It was Jyuushiro's free hand that slid down his back and didn't stop, gentle searching fingertips were rewarded when they felt something warm and wet bulging from the canal formed for the baby's exit. "I've got her," He assured, kissing Ichigo's temple again, "She's so close Ichi, just a few more pushes."

A pleased nod and smile was the only response Ichigo could muster up before he was pushing again, urging the baby out into Jyuushiro's waiting hand so efficiently the captain needed to shuffle Ichigo fully into Shunsui's hold and move around to give his full attention to the arriving baby. "You are so strong Love, I can see her nose already." Jyuushiro's voice was wavering and his eyes were filling with joyful tears, he locked eyes with Shunsui across Ichigo's shoulder and could see all the emotion filling him was swelling inside Shunsui as well. Love shone through brightly in this moment of new life.

Ichigo and Junichi could feel their devotion showering down on them and their little girl. It was perfect as he bore down again, the sudden release of pressure and surge of unanticipated pain had him shuddering, in lieu of an explanation Jyuushiro made a happy demand, "Give me your hand."

Releasing his death grip around Shunsui was not easy, but the reward was unfathomable when his hand was guided to his baby and he first felt her little nose, tiny mouth, and miniature chin. Her head was out.

He lit up brighter than the sun with the realization, Jyuushiro grinning just as broadly, "She's so ready to be here Ichi, come on, one more push."

Together, Junichi and Ichigo strained hard, pain and devotion driving them to finish this. She slowly emerged, shoulders showing themselves one at a time, Jyuushiro shifting the baby forward as she arrived, until when they had paused to gulp in a breath he urged, "Go on Ichi, catch her." It didn't take the pair a heartbeat before they'd lowered both hands to their baby -Shunsui's grip steady and sure on their shoulders- and with one last deep breath and steady shove she was born into their arms. Junichi and Ichigo's intertwined minds were humming with pride and love as they brought her up to their chest, inspecting every inch of her with Jyuushiro and Shunsui surrounding them protectively.

She was wailing her lungs out, red and messy from birth, but in their eyes she was the most gorgeous creature they had ever laid eyes on. From her ten little toes to the top of her head, she was perfect.

Shunsui laughed with glee when he got to the tuft of damp hair on her head, it was silver as corn silk, "Well, that answers one question." He announced joyously, squeezing his arms around Jyuushiro, Ichigo, and their baby. "I thought so all along, my two favorite people just gave me a little treasure to love."

Jyuushiro was showering both his loves and his new daughter with small kisses. "She is our own perfect treasure isn't she?" He didn't think his heart could get any bigger, but then it just kept growing.

Ichigo, both exhausted and triumphant, spoke up, "Yes, she is, so let's call her Takara."

Both older Captains just about burst with love and pride at hearing Ichigo name their daughter while curled up against them, the tiny newborn clutched to his chest as her continued cries affirmed her vitality.

"That's a perfect name, Takara, our little treasure." Shunsui agreed, the first of them regaining the ability to speak.

Jyuushiro was too choked up to speak, so he decided to show his love rather than say anything at all. He pulled the bundle Isshin had given them closer, and retrieved a towel to softly clean and dry her, never once loosening Ichigo's grip on her small body.

It was only when she was completely comfortable, and Ichigo's body had taken care of the aftermath of delivery that he and Junichi slowly disconnected and allowed their body to change into their Shinigami form. Takara's only protest was a whine of displeasure at being jostled while she snuggled closer to Ichigo's warm chest, hard Hierro being replaced with soft skin.

That was the sign the others needed that it was okay to approach, Isshin in the lead to see his son and granddaughter. Ichigo's triumphant grin made his own eyes tear up as he held his baby so proudly, like a badge of honor. "Dad, meet Takara." He introduced, but made no moves to release her. Not even his loves had held her yet, only himself.

Isshin dropped to his knees in front of them and laid a gentle hand on the baby, stroking her cheek with his thumb, eyes overflowing. "She's perfect Ichigo."