Hi everyone! So while I was grounded I wrote this in my notebook and I really wanna share it with you guys. All that handwritten work yielded two chapters and I'm pretty happy about that. Had my hand cramping and whatnot. I'm still working on my other stories and they should be out in the next couple of days.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I wouldn't be so broke if I did.

Enjoy!

Chapter One:

Something was tickling his nose. Whatever it was, it smelled like a baby, like baby powder. There was something on his chest too. A warm, heavy weight that was actually very comforting. Now he couldn't breathe. Whatever was on his chest was grabbing his nose, stopping the flow of air.

"Papa!" It cried, letting go of his nose in favor of hitting him in it. Oh, now he knew what it was.

"Jinta, please...Let Papa sleep." He mumbled, placing his hands beneath the boys armpits in order to hoist him up and set him on the bed beside him. Maybe if he stayed still, Jinta would too and then he could get some more sleep.

"Papa,up!" The small boy cried again, pounding his tiny fists on the bed beneath them. Ichigo swore under his breath and cursed the fact that he was the one who taught the boy how to say the one word that was keeping him from sleeping. He rubbed a hand over his face and sat up, cracking a tired eye open to look down at the red headed little tyrant that decided to climb in his lap and peer up at him with that adorable, slobbery smile. The man shook his head with a smile and got up from the bed, taking the two year old with him to the bathroom. He grabbed a small, soft bristled tooth brush from its cup and handed it to the boy on the floor who squealed in delight and put it in his mouth, gnawing on it almost instantly.

Ichigo smiled at this as he brushed his teeth as well. After brushing his teeth and relieving himself, Ichigo set to work bathing and changing the toddler before setting him in his crib and showering. His shower was cut short due to Jinta's screeching and shaking of the crib. When he finished dressing, he took the boy downstairs into the kitchen.

"Oatmeal or pancakes?" Ichigo asked the little boy in the high chair. Jinta puffed his cheeks out and shook his head furiously, shaggy red hair swaying with the movements. The man sighed heavily and walked over to the chair, squatting down so that he was eye level with the toddler.

"Come on now, pick one." Again the boy shook his head, refusing to meet Ichigo's brown eyed gaze. Gently, he reached up to pinch a chubby cheek and was delighted by the cheery squeal that left the child. Ichigo smiled and kissed Jinta's pudgy cheek. "Pancakes or oatmeal, Jin?"

"O'meal!" The toddler cheered. With a small nod, Ichigo set to work preparing two bowls of peach oatmeal. Before Jinta's oatmeal completely cooled, the orange haired man turned on the small television in the kitchen and put on cartoons to keep the hungry little boy occupied while he waited. A soft chime called Ichigo's attention from the problem solving puppies on the screen. He looked down on the tables to see a text message alert on his phone screen.

Can you talk?

It read. Ichigo scoffed and typed a quick response in the affirmative. Almost instantly, the phone began to ring.

"Yes?" The man answered in irritation as he sat down in the chair to eat his breakfast, making sure to keep an eye on Jinta in case the boy threw his spoon like he usually did. He was so difficult sometimes.

"Are you seriously still mad at me?" The man on the other end asked.

"I'm not even going to justify your stupid question with a response." Ichigo rebutted through a cheek full of sweet oats.

"I'm coming back for a few weeks. I missed you." Brown eyes rolled in agitation.

"And you're telling me this because?" Ichigo asked as he finished off the last of his breakfast and cleaned up after Jinta, who was giggling and shrieking at the television screen.

"Because you love me and you wan-"

"False. I loved you. Past tense. If you've got nothing else to say, I'm hanging up. I've got a lot to do today and I don't want to waste time on you." Ichigo took Jinta from his high chair and and hiked him up on his hip as he and the boy ascended the stairs. Once upstairs, he headed to the toddler's room and proceeded to pick out his clothes for the day.

"Aw babe, don't be like that." Ichigo really hated when the idiot called him that. They weren't together anymore.

"I swear to-" The man snapped, startling Jinta as he dressed the boy in a long sleeved navy blue shirt.

"Okay, fine. I've gotta go anyway. I'll see you when I get home."

"I really wish you wouldn't." Ichigo sighed as Jinta wriggled his foot from his grasp. "Jin, please work with me today."

"My son's there too, ya know." The man's tone of voice sounded a bit more harsh than it did before.

"That's stopped you before and I'm hoping it'll work again." With Jinta fully dressed and his bag packed, Ichigo left him to play in his room while he himself got ready for the day. And what a long day it would be.

"Hey, don't act like-"

"Goodbye, Renji."

The man worked Ichigo's last nerve. Who did he think he was, trying to insert himself back into Ichigo's life after he made the choice to leave?

"Jinta, you ready to go?" He asked as he popped his head into the boys room to find Jinta jumping on his bed, laughing cheerfully as he fell to his bottom and hopped off of the bed.

"We go now, Papa?" He asked, picking up his backpack and stopping in front of Ichigo and staring up at him as he put his little arms in the straps. Ichigo smile as he and Jinta walked down the stairs and headed to the car.

XXXX

"Koichi and Koji are growing up entirely too fast for my liking." The ivory haired man spoke softly, a hint of both pride and sadness. Ichigo nodded understandingly, as did the rest of the group members. "They'll be eighteen in a month or so and I'm not quite sure I'm prepared for them to leave the nest, you know?" He sighed softly and his face flushed slightly. "They uhm…" He cleared his throat. "They said that when they leave that I need to get...laid…" A loud bark of laughter filled the room, resulting in the rest of the group members breaking into peels of laughter. Even Juushiro had to laugh at this.

"When's the last time you got some?" The man who initiated the laughter questioned, smirking as he waggled his dark brows at the blushing man.

"Ken, please don't ask me things like that infront of everyone." Juushiro pleaded, attempting to hide his face behind his slender hands. Ichigo couldn't help but smile at the two male's interactions. He knew from the moment he joined the group of single parents that he would grow fond everyone.

"Word on the street is you've been seeing someone, Juu." Shinji Hirako, father to a ten year old tyrant named Hiyori, inquired, leaning far too close for Juushiro's liking. Said man's face burned a bright red.

"I have not." He refuted, trying not to meet the face of the space invading blond, much to Ichigo's amusement. Juushiro was trying his hardest to lean as far away from the blond without falling out of his seat. Shinji arched a fine brow.

"Oh? Then who's that long, tan and handsome man I saw you having dinner with the other night?" He asked expectantly. "Tell me, Juu, do you always kiss on first dates or was it just something about him? Then again, that kiss lingered for far too long for that to have been a first date." Much like Kenpachi, Shinji had waggled his brows.

"You followed me?!" Juushiro shrieked, staring at Shinji with wide emerald eyes.

"That's irrelevant." The man said, waving a hand in dismissal. "How long have you been seeing him?" At that instant, the doorbell rang Juushiro nearly broke his neck to get it. "We'll talk later!" Shinji called, followed by a distressed 'No we will not!' The blond sucked his teeth in annoyance and flipped his hair over his shoulder.

"Everyone, this is Grimmjow." Juushiro announced as he returned to the living room accompanied by a man with astonishing blue hair. Ichigo had been typing a message to his sister and was therefore too occupied to notice that the white haired man had left, let alone that he had returned. When he looked up, he was floored.

The man had to have been at least 6"3, Ichigo surmised, taking in the man's lengthy form. His shoulders were broad and muscled in a way that could only be achieved via copious amounts of weight training, not off putting in the least. A strong, angular jaw, slightly squared chin, high cheekbones and straight made up the man's handsome face. If Ichigo hadn't been in a room full of people, he would have fanned himself. The man was extremely good looking.

"Uh, hey." Grimmjow offered, a pitiful attempt at a greeting, really. Ichigo studied that newcomer, taking note of the nervous way he rubbed his hands together, the subtle way he would shift from foot to foot and avoid eye contact with everyone. The orange chuffed softly. He'd had been the same way when he first joined the group. "I don't have to do a big intro thing like I'm at an AA meeting, do I?" He asked, hesitantly taking the empty seat between Juushiro and Ichigo. Juushiro chuckled, a slight rumbling in his chest and nodded softly.

"That's kind of a given." He smiled. "We'll all do it, if it would make you more comfortable. Right everyone?" A collective groan filled the room, causing Juushiro to frown deeply. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed before putting on his normal, cheerful face. "My name is Juushiro Ukitake. I'm fourty-two years old and I've got twin boys who will be eighteen in March." He announced in a sprightly tone, elbowing the blond on his left. Shinji startled slightly and frowned, crossing one long leg over the other.

"Shinji Hirako. I'm thirty years young and the ten year old fruit of my loins goes by the name of Hiyori." Shinji sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. "The little hellion's going to give me wrinkles, bags and grey hair by the time I'm thirty-five." Grimmjow chuckled at this and Ichigo couldn't help but admire the sound.

"Tier Harribel, mother of three girls, ages five, seven and nine." The stoic, chocolate skinned blonde announced rather quietly. She sat there observing most meetings, speaking only when spoken to. She was reserved and Ichigo initially thought her to be an ice queen but once she spoke, he learned that she was extremely sweet and polite. An ebony haired man two seats away from her smirked and Ichigo was sure he could hear it.

"Ya never told us how old ya were." The one eyed, slender man commented, sitting up to lean closer to Tier. He was actually pretty close considering the two people between them. The man was roughly seven feet tall, give or take a few inches, so one could imagine how far he could stretch. Tier's full lips pulled to the right slightly as she smirked.

"A lady never tells." She stated simply, turning in her seat just enough to face the woman in the seat beside her. Calming, oceanic blue eyes shimmering, seemingly brighter against her ebony hair that was kept in a low side ponytail, laying on the woman's left shoulder. She was beautiful.

"Welcome, Grimmjow." She smiled, waving in the blue haired man's direction. "I'm Retsu Unohana, mother of Isane and Kiyone; ages twenty-five and nineteen. As for my age, I'll side with Ms. Harribel." The two women shared a small laugh before quieting down for the next member, tan skinned man with a long, semi spiked mane of sorts. He eyed Grimmjow for a second, mentally evaluating the man.

"Kenpachi Zaraki." He said gruffly, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Yachiru's sixteen going on twenty-six. Already had to start fuckin' punks up for lookin' at her wrong." Grimmjow snorted at this. Was that what he would be like when his own child grew up? The man with the eyepatch leaned back in his chair, cracking his neck before he began to speak.

"Nnoitra Jiruga. My kid's fifteen, born a couple days after I turned seventeen." He frowned deeply, upper lip curling back in distaste. "Tes's mom was thirty something. We both lied about our age. Bitch left him with me then had the nerve to flee the country. Had to drop out of school and shit." Nnoitra shrugged his shoulders. "He turned out pretty good considering he was raised by a punk." Everyone but Grimmjow nodded, whereas Grimmjow's was shocked. So maybe his situation wasn't as bad as it could be. Ichigo cleared his throat as he fiddled with the phone in his lap.

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, I'll be twenty-six in a week. My son,Jinta and I share a birthday; he'll be three. They grow up kinda fast, don't they?" He laughed with a touch of fondness, earning soft murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group. It was now Grimmjow's turn and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't the slightest bit nervous. Seeking help from strangers wasn't his cup of tea. He cleared his throat nervously, shifting in his seat a bit.

"Uh, I'm Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and I'm twenty-six. Nelliel's four months...I think." He said. When the surprised expressions on the members faces started to make him even more uncomfortable, he realized his mistake. "She was on my footstep yesterday with a note that said 'This is Nelliel. She is four months old. She is your daughter. Man up.'" He sighed dejectedly.

"I'm not sure if she's really four months old but I know she's my kid. Her hair's green. No one else's hair is weird like that. Plus, she looks like me when I was a baby." Everyone in the room began to look at one another, but Grimmjow kept on. "I got no idea how to raise a kid; I was an only child, so I had no one to look after. I thought about giving her up for adoption, I really did. Then I looked at her and...I'm a dad now." He finished, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"That's...I'm not sure what that is." Juushiro spoke quietly, taking the information in.

"That's fucked up." Nnoitra commented, scowling. Not at anyone in the room, but at the thought of his son's mother and the audacity that she had to have left Tesla with him and never return.

"I've got some baby stuff left." Ichigo piped up, turning slightly to face Grimmjow. A wave of relief seemed to have washed over the blue eyed man. "I can give you the address to the daycare center that Jin-"

"Shit!" Grimmjow suddenly shouted, abruptly standing from his chair and startling everyone in the room. "I left Nelliel at the daycare center." He exclaimed, heading for the front door with quick steps. To everyone's confusion, Grimmjow walked back to the small circle and sat in his chair with his head hanging. "I forgot where the daycare center is…" He muttered looking utterly defeated.

"Do you remember the name?" Tier asked in a soft tone.

"Uhm...Little Steps or something like that." Grimmjow stated unsurely. The man sighed heavily.

"Little Feet, Big Steps" Ichigo corrected with a smile. "That's the one I take Jinta to. I was gonna get go him after this. Do you want to follow behind me?"

"Actually, I walked. Can't exactly put a carrier on the back of a motorcycle, now can I?" Grimmjow laughed nervously.

"Wait, you don't have a car?" Shinji questioned, seemingly baffled by this new piece of information. Grimmjow shook his head.

"I just got rid of it. Guess I've gotta get another one now." He sighed.

"You can ride with me, if you want to." Ichigo offered in attempt to make the man feel more at ease and judging by the sudden relaxation of Grimmjow's shoulders, it worked.

"That'd be great. Thanks." Grimmjow smiled, a real smile this time,causing a stir in Ichigo's stomach.

And that's that. I'm actually pretty excited about writing this. Reviews are greatly appreciated.