Countdown: 0
Hmm... I wonder why the last chapters always seem to be the longest =( Anyway, that's the case here. The end of this fic came too quickly for my liking, so there's more than 3 pages here XD I hope you've all enjoyed the journey I've created with this fic, but alas it must come to an end T^T Don't worry, there are plenty of other fics and... apparently... requests ;p I'm sorry I had to put them on hold, I'm getting overwhelmed with them. I think I've written around 3 and the number left to do just keeps going up. I'm such a sap when it comes to me readers, I just can't say no T^T
Shiro: What the hell happened ta not sayin' no ta us?
Vae: ... You're easy to say no to.
Shiro: Those Supernatural dicks turned ya 'gainst me! I demand their heads on spikes! DX
Dean: Like that's every gonna happen, have you seen our series? We're like... unkillable.
Sam: Actually, we've been killed plenty of times. We're just unable to stay that way.
Dean: Whatever, you know what I mean.
Shiro: Ya wouldn' last five seconds in our world.
Sam: Then it's good we don't have to go there. =)
Shiro: ... Damn you and yer logic! DX
Leo: The Lion
The months pass quickly, Shunsui and Ukitake visiting once a day as promised. Slowly, Ichigo's stomach swells and growa bigger to accommodate the child within. His power surges aren't nearly as bad as he thought, as Shiro made it a point to use as much as possible... the two even going as far as walking about in their demon forms. Naturally Shiro can't do that within the town, so he spends as much time as possible with Ichigo in the garden. He calls every morning before heading that way to see if his brother is craving anything, picking it up along the way. Now they lay in the grass outside the apartment, both gazing up at the artificial lighting overhead.
"I'm so fucking bored," Ichigo sighs out.
"Ya ain't the only one," Shiro mumbles. "Ever since ya started wit the power surges an' nausea, I ain't been able ta have sex with Gin. I'm either too drained er he's 'fraid he's gonna get zapped."
"I'm sorry, Shiro."
"Ah, it's fine. We don' need two fuckin' brats running amok out here, I can just wait 'till yer done ta have mine."
A soft grin touches Ichigo's lips, one hand setting atop his swollen stomach. He and Grimmjow agreed that they didn't want to know about the baby's gender. Since he's perfectly capable of using his powers to check it's health, there's no need for an ultrasound. By the size of his gut, however, the child is big and he'll likely need a Cesarian section to get it out. Not that he could've pushed it out through his non-existent female parts.
"Leo should be making an appearance soon," he murmurs. "I just hope Grimmjow and Gin will be okay."
"They'll be fine," Shiro assures. "They're too stubborn ta kick the bucket."
Ichigo groans, holding his stomach a little tighter as he props himself up on an elbow. Another pain hits, drawing a hiss as amber eyes look helplessly to his twin. Shiro is ready, pulling out his cellphone and practically screaming for assistance. The door to the apartment slams open, Grimmjow and Gin falling out in their hurry, and Ichigo reaches to his mate with a whimper. It's time and he's suddenly very scared. He's scooped up into Grimmjow's arms and the four rush to the hospital wing, Unohana should be waiting for them there.
The birth isn't as complicated as he thought it would be, but that may be because Shiro knocked him out during the first few minutes. His fear was sending him into a panic attack, which was pumping his blood far too fast. Had he stayed conscious he would've bled to death during the C-section. As he's being worked on, Grimmjow stands in the room worriedly. Shiro and Gin had to sit in the hall. When they hear the crying, Shiro's breath hitches and a massive grin spreads along his lips.
"That's my niece er nephew!" he crows. "I can' wait ta see 'em!"
"Ya know what that means, don' ya?" Grin smiles widely. "Means we gotta work hard ta give 'em a playmate!"
Shiro straddles Gin's lap with a seductive smirk, laying a kiss upon those lips. Just as he's about to initiate some seriously public sex, they hear a second voice crying. They both still in surprise, eyes wide as they gaze at the door. Grimmjow flings it open, a huge smile that shows his canines on his face.
"Twins!" he states happily. "We had twins! Both boys!"
"... Damn, there goes the playmate plan," Shiro sulks.
"It's 'kay, koi, the more the merrier," Gin smiles.
Ichigo wakes a few minutes later, his head bleary from the blast of power sent through his link with Shiro. He's dizzy and can't remember what was happening at the time. He finds himself in a hospital bed, freshly washed down and dressed in a gown. The blankets draped over him are warm, his feet clothed in socks, and Shiro is beaming at his bedside. He expected Grimmjow, amber eyes flitting about the room to locate him.
"He's wit Gin," Shiro provides. "They're keepin' the babies company in the nursery."
"... Babies?"
"Ya had twin boys, Ichi! Should a seen Grimm's face when he came out ta the hall, he was ecstatic!"
"Did he name them? I want to see them."
"I'll send word ta Grimm, 'kay? Stay here an' don' fuckin' get up."
Ichigo sighs, yet waits for the other's return anyway. It doesn't take long, which tells him he's close to the nusery. Grimmjow walks in holding two bundles wrapped in blue blankets, Gin sulking after him... likely because he isn't holding one of the babies. Carefully, one of them are set in Ichigo's arms. He's surprised he feels so weak, though he's glad there are no signs of his pregnancy or C-section. Shiro must've healed him.
"What are their names?" he asks eagerly.
"Kaito and Jiro," he answers fondly. "They're beautiful, Ichigo... Thank you so much."
He doesn't know whether to laugh at the comment or fall into his mate's arms. In the back of his mind, he can hear the roar of the Zodiac, Leo. It echoes in his head until there's a dull throb at his temples, his worry suddenly overcoming him. They just started a family together, just got over their differences, he can't lose his mate now. With a resolve he's only ever seen in Shiro when he wants something, which usually ends up being sweets or junk food, Ichigo promises he'll protect his family no matter what.
They return to their home the same night, the spare room turned into a nursery by Shiro and Gin. It feels good to be home with their new additions, both twins sleeping contently in their parents' arms. Kaito is the oldest and looks much like Grimmjow. His hair is a shade darker and his eyes are a dark brown. Jiro has pale orange hair and the same dark brown orbs, but he's quieter and more shy than his aggressive brother. He's in Ichigo's arms right now, sucking on his thumb as he sleeps. They both appear human, they'll grow into demon features later in life. Ichigo and Shiro had them upon birth, but that was only because their power was so vast even then that they needed an outlet.
"Here, I'll put the to bed," Grimmjow remarks. "You make sure the baby monitor is working, okay?"
"All right."
He hands over Jiro, hurrying to the main bedroom to turn on the monitor. He's happy to see that it works just fine. Grimmjow returns to him with a feral grin, provoking Ichigo's inner demon. Instead of answering that challenge, he crawls onto the bed and beckons the other closer. There won't be any sex tonight, the orange head isn't well enough for that, but tomorrow... that's another story. They snuggle up beneath the covers, Ichigo wrapped in Grimmjow's embrace, and slowly fall asleep.
Ichigo is woken sometime within the night, the sound of the babies crying rousing him effectively. Even Grimmjow is wide awake and growling. They move to the nursery, opening the door to find a shadowy figure holding Kaito. Before the two can reach them, they're jumping from the window and vanishing into the night. It takes less than a second for Ichigo's eyes to go gold, Grimmjow quickly pulling him back into his arms to still his rage. They check on Jiro, glad to see him staring back up at them. He tilts his head to the side in question, reaching up as though realizing he was almost taken. Ichigo lifts him into his arms and holds him close, rocking the baby as he tries to still his nerves.
"I'm going after them," Grimmjow states. "I'll call up Gin, okay? We'll be fine, we've dealt with shit like this plenty of times. Kaito will be home by tomorrow night."
"Grimm... I don't know..."
"I swear to you, I will get him back."
Without another word, he goes to the bedroom and grabs his phone. He dials up Gin as he leaps out the window, his form racing off into the night. Ichigo tugs at his orange locks, distress coating every nerve in his body. Jiro can sense it, whimpering in his arms as one tiny hand touches his cheek.
"You're right, Jiro," he says softly. "Let's drop you off at the facility. I can't let your daddy run off without me, he hasn't the brain for fights like these."
Ichigo drops off Jiro with Unohana and picks up Shiro on the way back home, cluing him into the recent abduction. His reaction isn't what Ichigo expected. Instead of the determined fury he thought he'd be facing, he's given hesitant worry. Shiro isn't sure they should be running into this confrontation.
"We'll just help from the shadows then," Ichigo assures. "Just to make sure my vision doesn't come true."
"Fine," he sighs. "Just... don' go all vengeful momma succubus, that don' seem like it'll look good on ya."
They track their hunters do the docks outside of town, the warehouse there the prime real-estate for the things that go bump in the night. The closer they get, the more the twins feel the hints of a powerful demon. It worries them greatly, yet they continue on. Ichigo closes his eyes and casts out his mind, surveying the place carefully. Grimmjow and Gin are in the center of the warehouse, searching for any signs of the baby or the demon that stole him. The demon is everywhere and nowhere... a shadow that lurks on every surface of the darkened building. Kaito, thankfully, is resting happily in a crib within aside office. It'll be difficult to get into, the locks are newer and locked tight. As far as he knows, Grimmjow and Gin don't know how to pick a lock and they'll need that skill.
Grimmjow sighs and scratches his head, glancing around the place carefully. He can smell Kaito in the area, knows he's close by, but can't seem to pinpoint the baby's position. Gin is beside him, foxed out and growling quietly. If he were an animal, the fur along his back would be raised. A clunk sounds to the right, the two turning that way as their gleaming eyes cut through the dark. Nothing is there, just a can rolling along the floor. Before they can react, something big slams into them from the left. They're sent sprawling across the concrete floor with grunts of pain.
"I've finally found you," the shadow being hisses out. "It's been so long since I heard you were born, but the rumors turned up nothing. Now that I have you in my grasp I can finish what I started."
"What are you talking about?" Grimmjow snarls. "Where's my son!"
"Ah, the baby. I've no more use for him, I just wanted to lure you here. I knew you would call for aide from the fox boy, it's a habit I've found you resort to frequently. I needed him here as well."
"Who the fuck are ya?" Gin hisses out.
The shadow doesn't answer, merely rushing the two and coating them in it's body. Ichigo and Shiro gasp, hurrying forward to stop what's happening. Whatever this thing is, it's powerful and they have difficulty even stepping close to it. They can hear the screams of pain within the bubble of shadow, the two crying out and fighting harder to get to their partners. Ichigo's eyes bleed gold, both pairs lighting up like the sun, and the shadow shrinks away from their combined anger. The features of two succubus unveil themselves, wings spreading wide in threat as bladed tails lash out furiously. They grasp one another's hands, their claws cutting into each other's palms. The blood never hits the floor, instead swirling around them in the air like the pentagram Ichigo created against the vampires. A blinding light devours them, spreading through the building like a plague sent from heaven. The shadow demon is powerful, but it's forced to flee the warehouse in the face of the Gemini fury. Not before finishing what it started though.
When it vanishes, Grimmjow and Gin are left on the floor... bloody and still. The twins are torn between retrieving the baby and healing their partners, but compromise quickly. Shiro heads to get Ky66
'45R'''''
aito, leaving his more capable twin to deal with the hunters. He heals what he can, calling Unohana to send an ambulance to their location. All they can do now is sit and wait.
Grimmjow groans as he wakes in the blindingly white room. He knows it's the facility's hospital room, a slight frown touching his lips. He remembers the shadow demon and a lot of pain... but nothing after that. He looks around curiously, finding Gin in a bed on the other side of the room and the twins sharing a chair between them. It's cute, he can admit that, yet something seems to be missing.
"The babies!" he gasps out.
"They're fine," Ichigo offers quietly. "Shiro retrieved Kaito and I dropped Jiro off before following you."
"You shouldn't have done that," Grimmjow scolds. "You could've been hurt!"
"I wasn't alone, Shiro was with me," the demon frowns. "Do you know what that shadow demon wanted from you?"
"... No. He was going on about how he needed to get me and Gin there so he could finish what he started," he sighs. "I don't feel any different though."
Ichigo gives him a slightly assuring smile, though it doesn't go to his eyes. This is what he was talking about... this was a part of his vision. It must've killed Ichigo to see what looked to be Grimmjow's death. He suddenly has a new respect for the orange head he calls his, pulling him forward to kiss him gently on the lips. They just have a few seconds to relax when a horrid pain spikes through the blue haired man. The hand he had atop Ichigo's suddenly grips it in a breaking manner, the orange head crying out in pain and waking his brother. Gin is sweating in his sleep, groaning in agony as he curls into a ball.
"Go get help!" Ichigo calls out.
Shiro is out of the chair in an instant, hollering down the hall for some help. It isn't normal to have so many scientists called in on a couple of hunters, but Gin and Grimmjow have never been their normal case. Ichigo and Shiro are pulled away from them, sent to stay in the garden with the baby twins. They aren't happy about it, however there isn't much they can do... aside from closing their eyes and spying on everything from afar.
They can see the scientists gathering around their partners, said men thrashing about in pain. Suddenly, that darkness from the shadows leaks around them like a fog, the sound of bones popping and cracking filling the room. Flesh rips and tears, blood pouring through the cracks freely. They're changing, fur sprouting between the cuts in their skin as they morph. Their teeth sharpen and noses lengthen, nails elongating into claws that immediately lash out at those around them. When they finally still, breathing coming in shallow pants, the twins can see two large animals in their mind's eye. Gin is the first to move, the grinning face of a silvery kitsune turning on the men in the room. He jumps between the beds, nudging Grimmjow impatiently with his muzzle. Grimmjow raises a large head, roaring in anger at those watching them. He holds himself high, almost like royalty, and snarls viciously. Without anymore of a warning, he leaps off the bed with Gin on his tail. They tear down the hallway and toward the garden, knocking down everyone in their way.
Shiro and Ichigo are startled from their clairvoyance when the doors to the bio-dome blow open. The two large creatures barge in without a care to who they bowl over. They skid to a stop around the twins, curling up behind them as they glare balefully at the world surrounding them. The twins stare at them warily, the babies laying on a blanket in front of them.
"... Uh... Grimm?" Ichigo questions. "What the hell, man?"
The feline blinks at him curiously, before closing cyan orbs. He shivers viciously, hissing as his body slowly changes back. Like when the twins hide their demonic features. Gin follows suit, that wide fox-like smile still firmly in place. It doesn't matter what form he's in, he'll always show the subtle hints of his upbringing. When they're back in their usual form, Ichigo blushes in mortification while Shiro grins lecherously. The two are stark naked.
"Put some fucking clothes on you pervs!" Ichigo shouts.
"Chill out, babe," Grimmjow mutters. "We just went through a fucking painful change that shouldn't be possible, leave us the hell alone. I'm more interested in getting answers than clothes."
"Whoa!" Kisuke says in astonishment. "That was amazing! Do you two have any idea what that was? That was the same shadowy force I saw creating Ichigo and Shiro! Whatever it is must be the source of all demonic life! And you, Grimmjow! You were here the whole time and we never eve suspected!"
"What are you talking about?"
"You're Leo, the lion! Our missing Zodiac! All the signs appeared the day you should've been born, but we didn't reach you before you were found by a hiker. You were born in the forest, we gathered that much from Nelliel. She said you used to tell her about when you were a baby. And Gin... Gin was born in that same forest. You two were so close to each other, but the kitsune didn't look beyond him. How fascinating that you should've found one another later on in life!"
Grimmjow grumbles beneath his breath, curling up behind Ichigo again and tucking his head on his arms. He's exhausted, he doesn't want to hear all this shit. Gin looks between the rambling scientist and Grimmjow, deciding he has the perfect idea before using the blue haired man's side as a pillow for himself. They don't hear the rest of Kisuke's speculations and theory, already snoozing happily.
"I don't think Grimmjow cares he's the ruler of the Zodiac," Ichigo remarks. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll deal with all that while he screws around on missions... I can see that's how it'll end up anyway, so we might as well cut to the chase."
"You're such a responsible little demon," the blonde grins. "I knew I raised you right. I always thought Shiro was a bit tainted by your mothers, though... only time will prove that right."
Ichigo laughs at the affronted look on Shiro's features, the babies answering his joy with their own little coos. Finally, the Zodiac is complete and they have their king. Gin and Grimmjow will need time to learn their powers and settle into these new forms, though they'll likely refuse to use them often, but when they're ready they'll be unstoppable. Ichigo will be busy with their expanding family, yet he'll always be behind everything going on. That's his talent after all, knowing everything and manipulating the world carefully for each end result. He's positive it won't be long before Shiro has a couple kids on his hips, the feeling of desire coming through their link almost palpable. The only problem they're likely to face in the immediate future, is the fact they're the first demon couple since the Zodiac started helping the government. The time for change has come with the first steps of the Zodiac king, and that change will wait for no one.
There you have it, an end to a fairly good fic... in the opinion of my readers. I'm sure it could've been way better. I've been a bit busy, so I haven't even contemplated the next fic I'll be finishing. I've gotten a lot of requests to finish Hunter and Born to the Shadows, though. I might go back to not posting any new fics until they're completely written though. It's so much easier then, I don't have to worry about disappointing my readers with unfinished works. I hate losing interest in fics you guys really like =( As it is, I have another idea for a Supernatural fic. It's a rather good one, too XD
Shiro: I refuse ta allow ya ta write anymore fer them! DX
Dean: *grabs demon blade*
Sam: *Tackles Dean* It's not worth it!
Dean: One less demon in the world is definitely worth it!
Shiro: 00 *slides away from hunters*
Ichi: Don't come over here, I'm tempted to off you myself. Controlling asshole.
Shiro: The whole worlds 'gainst me! T0T
According to Babynames:
Kaito: Sea, Ocean; Soar, Fly
Jiro: Second Son