seven

Ivy slid through the large door leading into squad 4 quietly, closing it behind her. It was still early in the morning and she didn't want to wake anyone up. She had tried to sneak out while Kisuke slept but it had backfired. He hadn't seemed angry, on the contrary he had told her he had needed to get back to work as well. She had to promise him she wouldn't forget to drink water before he would let her go. He had said that while he enjoyed her in his bed he would prefer if she wasn't passed out or weak. She smiled to herself as she crept down the hallway to her room. Hearing the sound of someone clearing their throat and she stopped, smile falling into a pained grimace. Captain Unahona stood just around the corner of the hallway she had just passed. Her pleasent smile spread across her face as always but Ivy could feel the Captain's intimidating energy radiating from her. "You're getting in late." Unahona said continuing forward to stand behind her. "Seinosuke told you to stay in bed, did he not?" Ivy cursed her lieutenant in her mind. He couldn't keep a damn secret. Her mind raced for a reason she wasn't resting.

"I'm glad you're alright." Unahona said placing a hand on Ivy's shoulder. Ivy turned and nodded to her Captain. "You'll take the rest of the day and tommorow off, unless there is an emergency. Isane has agreed to take your shifts in the clinic." Unahona said with a finality that refused to be argued with. Ivy made a mental note to make sweets for the girl. She was so eager to help and learn, she would be rising in rank in no time. Unahona past her 4th seat and turned to head to her office but stopped after a few steps, turning her head to look at Ivy with one eye. "Captain Urahara is quite handsome." She said as she disappeared down the hallway. Ivy tried to calm her inflamed face. Definitely going to kill Seniosuke later.

After a good nap and a shower Ivy set out to find Soi Fon, they were supposed to spar today though she doubted she would be a very great opponent. One of the ninjas at the gates of squad 2 told her that the young ninja had left early that morning on a mission. He had told her that Soi had left a message for her with him. Ivy read the few sentences scribbled on the paper. I got called in for a mission. Sorry to cancel on you. I should be back in a few days.

Shrugging she left the barracks and headed to the Rukongai district. Just as she made the last turn to leave the Seireitei she ran into a what she first thought was a wall. "Sorry about that. Are you alright?" The male voice of the figure standing over her was calming. She looked up to take the stranger's hand and froze, a large knot forming in her stomach. Lieutenant Aizen stood over her with his hand extended a gentle smile on his face. She fought the urge to scramble backwards and just stood quickly, a sharp pain blossomed from her shoulder. She tried to ignore it, probably going to be one huge bruise in the morning. "No thank you," She said quickly, "I'm fine. Sorry." She bowed to him in apology, winced and made to run past him. "Oh Miss Abarai," His words brought goosebumps along her skin. They weren't threatening but anytime he acknowledged her she felt incredibly uneasy. She turned and tried to give him a polite smile but it only came out as a grimice. "Your arm is bleeding." Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she looked to her arm where he pointed. That was odd, there wasn't anything sharp or jagged where she had fallen. How had she cut her arm so badly? The crimson liquid dripped off her fingers onto the ground forming a small red pool..

Aizen stepped forward hand still extended. "Do you need help? It looks quite bad." She shook her head as she backed away. "No, I'm fine." Her hand hovered over the wound and emitted a dim light. The lieutenant's eyes widened as he watched her skin stitched back together. Small thread like strands of skin shot across the wound to grip and pull it back together. In a matter of seconds her skin looked as good as new, a small pink line where the wound had been. She gave him a strained smile and nodded still backing away. "See no worries. Thanks for the offer." She yelled as she rushed away. He watched as she disappeared behind the gates his face now neutral. Her soul would be a wonderful addition to his project. With that power not only could his creation heal itself but he might also find a way to use that power for himself. It was almost impossible for him to be hurt but there still was a small chance. Aizen turned and started back the way he had come, running scenarios in his mind. Perhaps he could use that boy he had just acquired.

Ivy waved to Jidanbo as she walked through the dirt covered streets. She kept looking around like at any moment Aizen would pop up or walk around the corner. She really didn't like that guy. He was so creepy. Why was he on this side of the Seireitei anyway. How people didn't see through that fake smile was beyond her. She shook her head and pushed the creepy guy from her thoughts. "Hanna," she said as she entered the small house. She heard a whimper and immediately ran to her sister's room. Hanna lay on the bed, face pale with sweat soaking almost every part of her. There was a large wet spot on the sheets where she lay. "Holy crap Hanna," Ivy ran to her side, panic strickin. She looked up at her sister's worried face and tried to calm down. She didn't need to panic, she needed to get this baby delivered.

Kisuke sat at his desk rereading his notes. Some of his papers were missing. He had asked Hiyori to help him the other day and it looked like she had taken the request seriously, straightening his papers and scribbling things like you're math is off idiot and this is never gonna work. He scoffed and smirked at the fact that even though she didn't want to admit it she was warming up to him. He looked up when he heard voices and watched as Mayuri and Akon passed his door. He had pulled the boy from the nest a few days ago and Mayuri seemed to have made him his unofficial assistant, though he was eager to help Kisuke if he ever asked. It seemed to make both his lieutenant's happy so he wasn't going to ruin that. He sensed movement from the corner of his eye but when he looked saw nothing. That had been happening a lot recently. The feeling of being watched or not alone was getting a bit disturbing.

He skimmed over what he had so far on the hogyoku and tapped his pencil to his chin. Breaking down the barriers was easy enough, it was bringing them back together that was proving difficult. Something was missing, he just couldn't quite see it yet. He shrugged and rubbed at his eyes. It's was still in the prototype stage. He had plenty of time to figure it out. He stood, intending to go on a walk but stopped and put his papers in his desk first, locking the drawer before he left. He was fairly sure he was being paranoid but if the wrong type of person got their hands on this and figured out what was missing then they would have immense power at their fingertips. He still couldn't shake the feeling of not being completely alone in at his desk.

The feeling was gone as soon as he left the barracks stepping out into the bright sun. "Kisuke? It's nice to see you out for once." Tessai's deep voice came rumbling from behind him. He turned and waved at his friend. The large man closed the distance between them and gave him an inquisitive look. "That's a new look. It suits you, though the way it shades your eyes may give people the wrong idea about your intentions." He hadn't thought about that. He had to admit he didn't always have the best intentions so it was probably fitting. "Thanks, everyone else keeps telling me it's stupid." Tessai chuckled at his friend as they started walking. "Where are you headed?" Tessai asked and Kisuke shrugged, he wasn't really headed in any real direction. "Just getting some air." Tessai nodded, "Any particular reason you're wondering in the direction of squad 4?" Kisuke looked around and realized that he was infact headed in that direction. His friend's laughter seemed to be contagious as the shape of a small black cat dropped infront of them laughing as well. "I'm happy that I can bring you both such joy." He said dryly.

"She's visiting her sister at the moment." Yoruichi's said as she padded next to them her tail swishing back and forth. He fought the urge to pout, didn't want to give them anymore ammunition. "I don't know what you're talking about." He said nonchalantly quickening his pace. He knew she would come by and see him later like she promised but he wanted to bounce ideas off her, see if she could help him out. She had told him that she knew she wasn't half as smart as he was once which had made him sad. He had assured her that when he went over his ideas with her she would think of angles that he forgot about or would gloss over. Honestly he had found it helped when he talked about them aloud. Some how talking to her always seemed to clear his head. Sometimes she would ask just the right question to get him out of his block. He would just have to wait till later to talk to her.

Ivy stood, cradling the newborn in her arms as she waited for Hanna to get situated. The labor had gone quite smoothly, the only problem had been with all the yelling as screaming, people had come to see what was happening. A few stood around awkwardly then shuffled out, some stared wide eyed until they were dragged out by the others and one kind woman ran and got the village midwife. The older woman was now checking Hanna over and making sure she was comfortable. Ivy worked with injuries and sickness and sometimes death. She stood riveted as the midwife worked. There weren't many births in the barracks though sometimes they went into the wealthy districts and helped but she had never gotten that opportunity to go.

"She should be alright." The old woman said as she stood. "I'll run home and get my things. She shouldn't be alone for the first week. I dare say I may be more help to her then you." She chuckled as she patted Ivy's arm and left. Ivy brought her nephew over to his mother and sat on the side of the bed. "That was crazy." She said through tired laughter. Hanna nodded with a smile as she fussed over her child. Hanna's expression suddenly turned serious. "Could you do me a favor?" Ivy shifted to look at her sister and nodded. Hanna continued, "Could you check on him for me? I know you and Soi don't like him and think he ditched us but," She stopped when Ivy patted her shoulder. "I'll check around for him. See where he is."

Hours later Ivy rubbed her temples in frustration as a burly squad 10 member looked down on her. Her sister had only given her one name because the man she had slept with had only given Hanna one name. He had promised Hanna eternal love and devotion and disappeared leaving her with a name and a description. It had taken Ivy hours to figure out what squad he had been in and she wasn't even sure it was right. Heck he could've been lying about being a soul reaper. "Ok," she sighed out and tried again, "He's about 6 feet tall with black hair and blue eyes. He has a scar on his left arm and his name is Saru. I was told he was in squad 10." The large man in front of her sniffed his bulbous nose and grunted. "Don't know anyone by that name but I just got into this squad a few weeks ago."

She looked at him and waited for him to go ask someone who had been there longer. The man just stood and looked at her as if that was all the answer she needed. She closed her eyes and tried not to grind her teeth together. "Could you go ask someone who's been in the squad a while?" Her hands were shaking. He shrugged, nodded then turned to go inside. A few moments later the burly man emerged again scratching the scruff on his chin. "He was in this squad, went missing a few months ago on some mission outside of Rukongai." Ivy brightened, at last she was getting somewhere. "Ok thank you." She said with a small bow and turned to leave. She stopped short after a couple of steps. Her vision blurred slightly and she remembered that it had been a while since she had drank or eaten anything. Kisuke's warm grey eyes flashed through her mind as she remembered this morning. His calloused thumb sliding softly over her lips as he made her promise to drink regularly. She spun and caught the man as he was headed back inside. "Hey could I grab something to drink?"

She walked along the darkening corridors of the Seireitei and wondered where she should start. She pulled the pretzel out of her satchel and went over her options as she chewed. The archives would be the best place to start but she could also go back to squad 10's barracks and ask around. The second option would be easier but she would most likely get stopped for being too nosy or digging where she didn't belong. The squads were so secretive about some of their missions. A hand landed on her shoulder causing her to jump and whirl around, hand in a defensive gesture. "Well," Kisuke laughed, "I called for you but you didn't seem to hear me." She relaxed and smiled tiredly.

"So," he continued as they started walking again, "What's on your mind?" She shrugged and pulled out another small pretzel. "My sister just asked me to find her baby's father. It shouldn't be that hard but I feel like the answer I'm going to find isn't the one she is wanting to hear." He hummed and took the pretzel she offered him. "I would assume any answer is a good one as long as she gets some kind of closer, right?" He asked. She grimiced then nodded.

After a beat she nudged his arm with her elbow. "What's got you out and about? You and Mayuri usually have your noses stuck in some experiment." He took another bit of the salty treat and thought. "Well it just feels like someone's been standing over me." She nodded so he continued. "Everytime I start to work on the hogyoku, I don't know, it just seems like someone is there watching me lately. I checked with Yoruichi and she's been busy with clan matters. When I leave the feeling passes. I start to wonder if I'm being spied on but can't think of anyone who would be interested in my research. Between that and the fact that I've hit a wall with one of my experiments I just felt I needed some air."

They walked in a comfortable silence for a bit, every few minutes she would hand him a pretzel. "Maybe," Ivy started before giving the man running toward them a confusing look. It was the man from squad 10 that she had spoken to earlier. His red face was closing in on the two of them. Kisuke moved to stand partially on front of her, as if the newcomer would harm her. The man stopped just short of where they stood, hunched over and panting. "I'm, I'm" He tried to speak through deep drawls of breath. "I'm suppose to find you. My lieutenant said that he would tell you about Saru." Ivy and Kisuke exchanged a look and she gestured for the squad member to lead the way.

The tired looking, overworked and obviously starved lieutenant had informed them of Saru's short time in the squad. He told of how Saru seemed to have a good disposition and was well liked amoung his peers. He had only been with them for bout a year before he disappeared. The entire time he shifted through the papers that lay strewn across his desk and some on the floor. Kisuke wasn't sure why but he suddenly had a bad feeling. The more information the lieutenant gave the more uneasy he felt. Apparently he and a few of his squadmates were sent out to the woods past Rukongai where some strange noises had been heard and a few disappearances have been reported. It seemed non of the party had come back. He handed over a copy of the report and the two of them left.

"I wonder what happened. It says there was no trace of any of them. It's so weird." Ivy said going over the papers. Kisuke bad feeling from earlier twisted his insides. "You're not going to investigate." She turned to look at him eyes wide. "What?" He gripped her shoulders turning her to face him. "Promise me you won't go investigate this." She opened her mouth, thought better of what she seemed to want to say then closed it. Her honey brown eyes softened as she looked up at him.

"Kisuke,"she started sadly reaching up and cupping his cheek with her soft hands. He turned his face into her palm and slid his hand up her arm to gently hold her hand in place. He kissed her wrist and sighed, "Just promise you won't go alone." She smiled and nodded to him.

They stopped just outside her barracks and he slid his arms around her pulling her close. "Don't forget," He mumbled into her neck as he buried his face in her hair. She squeezed his middle and hummed. "I won't." He pulled back and looked down at her, the feeling in his gut screaming at him to keep her close, keep her safe. He pulled the hat off his head and slid it on her. "Not alone. Me, Tessai, Yoruichi or Soi Fon. Someone goes with you." She nodded. He watched as she disappeared inside and turned to head back. He would feel better after she investigated this and got back.