Unplanned: Ch 1

Chapter 1: An Impossible Situation

Renji watched as Ichigo cut through the mask of the hollow that had appeared. As the orange haired teen slowly came back down to the ground his vision swam. Reaching up he clutched his head, it felt light. He swayed on his feet, unable to keep his balance for some reason. The fight hadn't been that hard. He wasn't even injured, so why? As he considered the possibilities, his vision went black and he fell.

"Renji!" Ichigo's concerned voice echoed in the air as the Vice-Captain fell to the ground. He hadn't been hit. The hollow they were fighting had been weak. There was no reason for Renji to fall. Rushing to his friend's side, he knelt down, and glanced at his face. "Hey, Renji, get a hold of yourself! What's wrong?" Even with Ichigo's pathetic ability to sense reiatsu, he could tell that something was wrong with Renji's.

"Ichigo, what's going on?" Rukia asked coming to stand beside him. "Renji, what happened?"

As he lay there Renji could hear his two friends talking above him. He didn't know why, but he couldn't muster up any strength. It was like all of his energy was being sapped from him by something. He tried to find the source by concentrating, but all he could sense was himself, Rukia, and Ichigo. There was a slight alteration to his own reiatsu, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"We should get him back to Soul Society, and have Unohana Taichou check him out," Rukia suggested.

"Good idea," Ichigo agreed, and picked Renji up.

Renji wanted to say he was fine, and that he could walk on his own, but couldn't muster the strength to do so. He was just happy Ichigo hadn't thrown him over his shoulder, though he couldn't say why he was glad about that. He could instantly tell the moment they had entered the passage linking the two worlds, and finally when they crossed into Soul Society itself. As they made quick time to the Fourth Division Renji slowly regained his senses, his eyes opening just as they were being directed to a room.

"How long are you going to carry me, Ichigo?" Renji demanded.

Brown eyes looked down at the sound of his voice, a relieved expression reflected in the chocolate depths. "Just a bit longer," he grinned. "Here we go." Releasing Renji, he set him down on a bed.

The redhead frowned as his two friends looked at him, confused and contemplative expressions on their faces. "What?!" he finally asked after three minutes of them just staring.

"You seem… different," Ichigo answered.

"Yeah, not sure why I didn't notice it earlier," Rukia agreed.

"Huh?" Renji was beyond confused by their statements. What was that supposed to mean? He didn't feel any different. If anything he felt fine, now that he was back in Soul Society.

"Abarai Fukutaicho," Unohana's soft voice called as she walked into the room, cutting off any further conversation. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, now," Renji answered.

The quiet woman's features seemed tense as she looked at him. "It seems you were affected as well," she said with a sigh.

"Affected?" Ichigo asked. "Affected with, or by, what?"

"Kurotsuchi Taichou's latest experiment," Unohana answered. "We've only recently been made aware of it."

"What kind of experiment?" Renji demanded, the color seeping from his face.

"Male pregnancy," was the answer from the crazed scientist in question as he entered the room.

"Male pregnancy?" Renji's hollow voice asked.

"Though I must say, you conceiving was not part of my initial plans. So, who is the father?" Kurotsuchi asked. "Knowing will make my data more accurate."

"Wait a minute," Ichigo spoke up. "Before that, what the hell do you mean male pregnancy? And conceiving? Are you saying Renji's-"

"Pregnant," Unohana answered before Ichigo could finish his sentence, "Yes. That is exactly right."

"That's impossible," Rukia exclaimed, her eyes wide. "That would mean Renji-"

"Slept with a male, and a fellow male shinigami at that," Kurotsuchi cut in.

Rukia turned to look at her lifelong friend. The fact Unohana hadn't denied the information made it impossible for her to counter it. But, for as long as she has known him, she never saw a hint of him being attracted to men. She didn't know how to respond to this news, but she did know Renji was probably more confused than anyone right now.

"Sorry," Ichigo's voice cut through the tension in the room, "Can you all leave for a minute?"

"Of course," Unohana said respectfully. "Kurotsuchi Taichou, Rukia-san let's go."

As the three shinigami filtered out of the room, Ichigo kept his gaze on Renji. Once the door was closed and they were alone he spoke, "Whose is it Renji?"

Renji shook his head, and looked up at his friend. "It was only one night! This wasn't supposed to happen! How did this happen?" It was obvious the Vice-Captain was nearing a break down.

"Renji," Ichigo sat down next to him, and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Okay, I understand. But you have to deal with this. What do you want to do?"

"Keep it," was the first thing out of Renji's lips. He always wanted a family, and this was his chance to have not only that, but a piece of him as well.

"Okay," Ichigo nodded. "Now, who is the father?"

Renji instantly tensed up. Of all the times to admit to that night actually happening, of all the ways for it to come out into the open, this was the worst. "Kuchiki Taichou," he whispered.

Ichigo's eyes widened as the name left Renji's lips. He couldn't believe it. The father was Rukia's brother? Renji had slept with his captain? Despite the chaos his mind was under with the new information Ichigo tried to put his friend's situation and feelings first. "Will you tell him?"

Renji was silent. What was there to tell? Byakuya didn't even remember that night most likely. They had both been drunk, and neither in their right mind. Of course that didn't mean Renji hadn't enjoyed it. On the contrary, when he woke up and the memories flooded him he couldn't help but fill with joy. Until the realization of what had happened hit him, and he fled the room he had woken up in. He had left so quickly he hadn't even taken notice of where he was until he was far away from his sleeping captain.

"Renji," Ichigo called him again. The redhead had been extremely quiet for a while now, and he was starting to worry. When crimson eyes turned to look into chocolate Ichigo could see the internal struggle he was going through. "You don't have to tell him if you don't want to, but you're going to need someone by your side. Let Rukia and I help you."

"Help with what?" the commanding voice of Byakuya Kuchiki asked as he opened the door and took in the sight of Ichigo almost holding his Vice-Captain. "I was informed you were brought directly here upon returning, but you don't seem injured. What is the problem?"

Before anyone else could say anything Kurotsuchi spoke up, "Abarai is pregnant."

Byakuya's eyes widened, then narrowed on Renji. "For how long?"

"Three weeks," Unohana answered.

"And, who is the father?" Byakuya asked. His eyes were still narrowed on his Vice-Captain as if accusing him of something.

"He hasn't said," Kurotsuchi answered with a put out tone. "We haven't gotten that far as of yet."

Renji couldn't meet his Captain's eyes. He knew that the answer would be revealed the second that he did. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control, and Renji didn't think he could handle it. It felt like Byakuya's presence was seeping into his very being, and strangling the air from him. He took a shuddering breath just to confirm that he could still in fact breathe.

"That's enough," Ichigo cut in, and moved in front of Renji, protecting him from Byakuya's gaze. "Whoever the father is doesn't matter. The pressure you're putting on Renji isn't good for him right now. So back off." Chocolate eyes looked directly into the Sixth Division Captain's. "You aren't helping by being high and mighty right now."

"He's right," Unohana said and stepped into the room. "For now, I'll exam Abarai Fukutaicho. Everyone, please wait outside."

"Ichigo, you stay," Renji said before anyone had taken a step out.

Ichigo glanced at the Fourth Division Captain, and received a nod of approval. The others left the room a second time, and Unohana approached Renji. "Please remove your top," she instructed softly.

xXx Unplanned xXx

Rukia stood outside the room beside her brother, her mind in chaos as they waited. Why would he request Ichigo to stay? Was Ichigo the father? The thought caused a tightening in her chest. She didn't want that to be true. She didn't want Ichigo and Renji to be involved like that. She could forgive Renji for keeping something so huge in his life from her, but she didn't want to share Ichigo's affection.

Guilt washed over as she realized what she had been thinking. If Ichigo was the father, than she had no right to think such things. Still, she didn't think she would be able to just smile and be okay with it either.

"Rukia," Byakuya's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Do not worry, he isn't the father."

Large blue eyes looked up at him. "How do you know?" she asked.

Byakuya didn't answer, leaving Rukia even more confused. Still, her brother's words had brought a sense of peace to her mind.

He knew because there wasn't a trace of Ichigo in that small reiatsu signature forming within Renji. But there was a familiar feel to it, and he knew that both Unohana and Kurotsuchi most likely already knew who the father was. 'Why won't he just say it? What is he afraid of?' Byakuya wondered.

xXx Unplanned xXx

"You must stay within Soul Society until after you've given birth," Unohana instructed as Renji put his top back on.

"And just how am I going to do that anyhow? Last time I checked men aren't equipped to 'give birth'," Renji asked.

"I will perform a caesarean section of course," Unohana answered. "A natural birth is impossible."

"I see," Renji said. "What's a caesarean section?" he whispered over to Ichigo.

The orange haired teen rolled his eyes and whispered back, "It's a c-section. You know, when they surgically remove the child."

"Oh," Renji nodded. He'd never heard of such a thing. Then again, he'd never been around anyone who was pregnant before so he'd never bothered to learn about such things.

"I also suggest you tell Kuchiki Taichou he is expecting a child," Unohana said.

"Wha-why-how do you know?" Renji stuttered, his face once again turning pale.

The doctor fixed the redhead with a stern look. "This child, and all the others conceived in the same way, or combinations of two separate reiatsus. As the child is still in the first stages, the reiatsus haven't completely lost their individual signatures."

"In other words anyone who can read reiatsu will be able to tell," Ichigo said, his eyes widening and going to the door.

"Yes," Unohana nodded, "If they pay close enough attention. The signature is faint, but it is there."

"And if I don't want to tell him?" Renji asked.

Unohana's eyes narrowed, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Opening the door she allowed Byakuya and Rukia in, but direct Kurotsuchi to follow her.

"Are you alright, Renji?" Rukia asked as she went to sit next to him.

"Yes," Renji answered. "Both me and the baby are fine."

"So, are you going to tell us who the father is?" Byakuya asked again.

Renji looked up and met his Captain's eyes for the first time since he arrived. He could see the knowledge there. Byakuya knew, but he was forcing him to say it. How much crueler could he be to him? Taking a deep breath Renji calmed himself.

He opened his mouth, and said, "You."