mating season

Chapter Ten

Renji, Rukia and Grimmjow were walking down the street which Ichigo lived on. Grimmjow was in far too deep now; there was no way he could get out of this. He was starting to feel nervous. This was his cubs' grandfather, he had to make sure he got Mr. Kurosaki's blessing. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. This would be the cubs' only grandparents – since Grimmjow didn't have parents around. In fact, he never knew them. It wasn't uncommon for parents to leave their young not long after their birthing. It was more uncommon for them to stay by their children actually. Staying with children meant more possibilities for their own demise. Once cubs were born and could essentially gather their own food they would leave their cubs behind. Sometimes the cubs lived, more often than not they didn't. That's how life was in Hueco Mundo.

"So, Red," Grimmjow started to say. "Ichigo's dad… what is he like?"

Renji turned to Grimmjow and smirked. "Crazy." He laughed and was punched in the arm by Rukia who continued, "He's a little nuts, but he's a good guy. He's a doctor in this world. He loves his family." She smiled at Grimmjow; she knew he must be getting cold feet. It was never an easy situation when you're going to be telling the in-laws that they're expecting grandchildren on the very first meeting with them. "I don't think he'll murder you, Grimmjow. He'll be too excited to know he's going to be a grandfather." She added.

Grimmjow glared at the short shinigami girl. "I ain't worried 'bout him killin' me."

"You're a bad liar," Rukia grinned at the blue-haired arrancar. "In any case, we're here." She stopped in front of the Kurosaki Clinic, which was also the Kurosaki house. Ichigo's father ran his on small clinic that the family lived above. His father was a good doctor, and he could perform many different tasks, but he chose to run his own clinic which was more like an urgent care than anything more serious. Though occasionally they would get a scary case come through the door and then they'd have to stabilize the patient and call an ambulance to take them to a hospital for more in-depth care. Ichigo and his sisters would sometimes help out in the clinic; they knew a lot more about healthcare than any of their friends and could be a makeshift nurse if needed.

Grimmjow looked at the clinic and took a deep breath, puffing out his chest before he reached out and pushed the doorbell. He held his breath as he waited for the door to open, and when it did he slowly let it out before greeting the small black-haired girl who wore the same scowl that his mate frequently gave him. "Hello."

The small girl raised an eyebrow while she managed to keep the glare still piercing Grimmjow. "Hi. Can I help you?" Her eyes flashed to see Renji and Rukia and her expression softened a little. "Rukia, Renji, you're back. Where's Ichigo? Did you find him yet? And who the hell is this?" She nodded her head in Grimmjow's direction as she questioned the shinigami.

"Karin, it's good to see you again," Rukia smiled warmly. "Can we come in and talk? Maybe to your father first?"

Karin nodded and stepped aside, letting the three into the home. She led them into the kitchen and offered them drinks. She then left the room to go get her father. The three of them sat awkwardly at the kitchen table, thinking of what was about to happen.

Ishiin bust into the room and threw himself on his knees beside Rukia's chair, grabbing her hands in a pleading motion. "Rukia do not tell me my beloved Ichigo has been killed in battle!" He wailed. "Is that why you have come? To tell me my boy is gone?!" Tears were falling from his eyes like rivers as he flailed about like a distraught child or monkey. He ran to a large poster of a smiling orange-haired woman and threw his arms on it, continuing to sob against her large face.

Rukia's eyes were wide and she gulped. "N-no sir, Ichigo is not dead! He is alive and well!"

"Oh thank you sweet Kami!" Ishiin bellowed. He wiped his eyes and sucked the snot running down from his nose back in with a loud, wet snort. Then looked at the three visitors sitting at his table. "Then where is my son? And why are you all here? Why is my Ichigo not here?" He looked at the newest, unknown visitor and he lunged at him, his index finger pointing at him, only an inch from his face. "You, Blue, who are you?! What brings you to the Kurosaki household?!" He only waited a second before yelling again. "TALK, DAMN YOU!"