Hello everyone, I am here with a new Bleach fic. This fic was requested by LittleUnknownFighter with the idea of a family fic focusing on the Vizard. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter!

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

X

The baby was small, almost incredibly so, with rosy cheeks, pouty lips, and the biggest most adorable brown eyes Kisuke had ever seen. The tiny fluff of orange hair on the baby's head was interesting, likely a herald to the Kurosaki's earlier Matriarch Megumi who had sported the same bright shocking near unbelievable hair in the portrait Kisuke had found when he had been snooping. It was the same hair she had passed onto Masaki, though the young Quincy had only inherited a softer shade.

"Ichigo you said his name was?"

Kisuke asked turning from where his eyes had been glued to the baby to glance at Masaki who was tucked into Isshin's arms with a sort of weariness to her features. Isshin was beaming as if the world itself lay at his feet. The scientist silently prayed for the baby who would have to deal with Isshin's overbearing Shiba antics.

Masaki nodded with a half smile, her eyes falling to the crib and the small lifeform tucked inside. One that had the potential to defeat Aizen when they wouldn't be able to. The Queen of the philosophical chess board. Masaki with her sharp eyes but ditzy smile knew that as she nodded running one hand through her hair and commenting, "Yes, Isshin says the name has been in his family for decades, regardless of its ulterior meanings. But I think it suits him don't you Urahara-san?"

The mother finished with a flick of her hair and a snap of her eyes. Kisuke hid the shiver of fear that traced his spine at the way the young woman had pronounced his name with all the frayed danger of Unohana-taicho. The scientist silently and dutifully acknowledged that mothers were not a force to be tampered with and nodded his head in a subdued manner. The Quincy woman studied him for a moment with all the ice of the Siberian Fortress in her veins before she nodded and returned her attention to Isshin; who had missed the whole interaction and was as usual completely oblivious.

The two parents spoke to each other in quiet whispers about the adjustments they would need to make to their small home. Masaki briefly mentioned her cousin returning to Karakura town with his wife after a trip outside the country, "and they had a child maybe we should visit them?"

Kisuke returned his attention to the small lifeform in the crib and acknowledged the near-invisible presence of Yoruichi as she entered the room quiet as a cat. Large brown eyes stared up at Kisuke with a love so unfounded and underserved that the blond-haired scientist almost found himself speechless in his thoughts. It was like glancing into the void and having the void welcome you regardless of past sins or mistakes.

Yoruichi slipped beside Kisuke and peered into the crib staring at the baby for a moment with an unreadable expression. One that was like carved stone and bore resemblance to the Shihōin statues resting throughout the large mansion Kisuke had raced through in his youth. There was something in Yoruichi's beautiful features that reminded him of the Onmitsukidō and how in the face of duty, morals weren't an option.

He wondered or rather knew that the former Captain of the Second was considering that as she stared into Ichigo's big brown eyes and the baby happily gurgled at her. For a split second, at the wide toothless grin, a small smile slipped across Yoruichi's features, faint and hardly noticeable if one didn't know the woman incredibly well. But Kisuke did know Yoruichi incredibly well (after all, it had always been them and Tessai) and the smile left the scientist wondering if Yoruichi wanted children.

The thought seemed somewhat absurd and abstract. The idea that Yoruichi; vicious, ruthless, and youthful Yoruichi wanted children spiralled around in Kisuke's head for a while. Eventually, the scientist placed it in the box of things to contemplate and returned his attention to the former leader of the Onmitsukidō.

The cold look was on her features again, bright and sharp but something doubtful there and fragile that had appeared the day Aizen had shattered their world and left frayed knots. Yoruichi watched as the baby rolled on the cot and teethed on one of the many toys Isshin had loaded in there (probably too many but Masaki would handle it) and asked in a whisper as quiet as the breeze, "Are you sure about this Kisuke? He's an innocent."

Kisuke frowned at the statement. He knew it was true, he knew it in the deep marrow of his bones as he stared into those brown eyes and silently repeated a mantra about not getting attached. But they needed Ichigo and all the things he represented.

The small orange-haired babe in the crib represented their only hope for a future where the Hollows, Shinigami, and the Quincy could hope to work together. Ichigo was the only hope in defeating Aizen who already had a Hogyoku of his own and had numerous threads tangled every which way like a spider's web; some even Kisuke couldn't see. The child would be powerful, incredibly so, and their only hope.

Was it right to place that burden on the shoulders of a mortal soul? It couldn't be, and Kisuke knew the excuse 'for the greater good' was as empty and full of holes as the place Soul Society once held in his heart were. But, it was the world or the innocence of a child, right?

"We have to. There's no other way."

Kisuke admitted in a tone that belayed the confliction the scientist so rarely felt. At heart, the blond followed the call of his mistress science, his mind tugging and following whatever path of inquisition it sought, and rarely did it question morality. But putting the weight of the world on the shoulders of a child, even to discover how a hybrid of his nature would evolve and adapt and all the potential theoretical outcomes? It felt wrong.

Yoruichi frowned but said nothing staring at the baby with those golden eyes, ones that reminded Kisuke of a predator hiding in the shadows, waiting, watching. Then the small lifeform (so incredibly small) gurgled happily at Yoruichi with a toothless smile and a crinkle of brown eyes and the hardened soldier of the Gotei 13 cracked and made cooing faces at the small child who burbled happily with laughter.

Kisuke muffled his own smile into the sleeve of the long yukata he wore; one that hid the scars from the civilians and left him feeling comfortable in his own skin. Letting his fingers dangle in the crib the blond scientist watched as the baby moved without a care, wide curious eyes absorbing the world around him. Suddenly, a tiny hand was wrapped around Kisuke's pinkie, little fingers tugging tightly on the joint and grabbing the man's attention.

Grey eyes connected with deep brown and instinctively Kisuke knew that his plans would not survive this child.

X

The daycare was a sunny sort of place, the walls were cream white and the art of children, whimsical and misshapen, decorated the walls. Ichigo huddled behind Masaki's legs, stared happily up at his mother. He didn't listen to the other children as they ran about screaming happily or battling over the toys or playing house. It was time for Ichigo to go home and at that moment the daycare and the nice Ms Homura didn't matter. Or at least Ms Homura wouldn't matter if she would stop talking to his mother about how Ichigo needed to play more with the other children, how he was a nice kid, loved reading, how he played doctor with the other children, and he was such a great big brother already.

Masaki laughed and rubbed her hand over her swollen stomach and Ichigo stared for a moment, wondering about his future baby sister or baby brother. What would they look like? Would they have orange hair? Would they like reading? Ichigo knew, however, that no matter what he would be a great big brother. His mother had told him so, and she was always right. Ichigo also knew that in order to be a great big brother he needed to protect his siblings and be really smart.

But first Ichigo wanted to go home so he tugged on his mother's skirt. Masaki turned her head slightly, whispered a gentle, "In a minute," and resumed speaking to the daycare teacher.

Ichigo frowned for a moment in consternation at being ignored before a flicker of something dark and very red out of the corner of his eye distracted the young toddler. Ichigo turned and squinted at the doorway studying it for a moment, waiting for whatever he saw to appear once more. Then it was there, a flicker of red fabric darting out of the doorway.

Determined to discover what the mysterious fabric was Ichigo glanced up once at his mother who was still conversing with the nice Ms Homura and toddled towards the doorway. Ichigo for all his bright orange-hair and adorable smile, was not particularly noticeable when he wanted to be. And if at that particular moment one of the children threw a tantrum well, that was just fate.

Ichigo slipped out of the wedged open doorway and with a determined look walked down the empty street. It was early in the afternoon and the daycare was in a quiet neighbourhood. There wasn't much around, a convenience store, an old rundown candy store, and the road received little traffic. As Ichigo walked down the street, a bright red car passed by with a whoosh of mechanics catching the toddler's eyes for a moment before the faint red fabric appeared once more. It reminded Ichigo of the flashes of black and white he sometimes saw hanging over his head at night.

It was the sound of humming in the air, not unlike the sound of a particularly hot summer's day, that caught Ichigo's attention and dragged his gaze from the sidewalk to the right. In the buzzing heat of the early afternoon stood a building. It was old and dilapidated looking, made of a plain wood with windows that were impossible to see through and a yard full of dust. There was also a conveniently located sign within Ichigo's vision displaying the image of a faded lollipop.

Ichigo who had been taught the same lesson every child was about taking candy from strangers stared suspiciously at the sign for a moment. However, a light clatter from the shoji doors caught the toddler's eyes and he watched as the intriguing piece of red cloth he had been following for what felt like ages disappeared inside. For a second, the young child stared in indecision before with a nod Ichigo climbed up the two wooden steps and with a great push slid the rice paper doors open.

The shop smelled like incense, dust, and quite obviously sugar. Rows of bins with faded colourful logos lined the walls and led to a desk at the end of the small and narrow room. Wide brown eyes gazed around the room at the slow-moving ceiling fan that whirled the hot air around and at the floor lined with whorls of wood, and finally at the candy itself. For a moment, Ichigo felt very scared and sad. He didn't know where he was, or where his mom was, or if she would be angry with him; they had already talked about following spirits numerous times.

A rattle of doors clacking together drew the toddler's attention and Ichigo glanced up to meet the sight of a man with a bright green hat with stripes and straw blond hair swaying out of the doorway which was billowing an ominous purple sort of smoke. The scientist paused while he adjusted his hat as if just noticing the presence of something else in his humble shop and glanced down the long aisles filled with candies. Many of which he had imported on request of the various neighbourhood children (and Shinji who was much the same).

The blond Shinigami dropped the fan he had been anxiously fluttering about as he contemplated his latest disaster of an experiment, wide eyes studying the small orange-haired enfant staring up at him. Part of Kisuke wanted to laugh but the rest of him was Very concerned as to the sudden appearance of a young Ichigo Kurosaki in the middle of his candy shop.

Deciding to sate his own curiosity and hopefully the ire of Masaki when she found him Kisuke plastered a gentle smile on his features and stepped out from behind the counter and crouched down to Ichigo's level.

"So, brave wanderer how did you find my humble shop of various candies from across the known world?"

Kisuke asked in a tone of bravado enjoying the way Ichigo scrunched his brow and squinted at Kisuke in a suspicious manner. Those wide innocent brown-eyes flickered past Kisuke for a moment, landing on something invisible in the distance before returning to Kisuke with something less suspicious and more open. The toddler squished his lips together for a moment in what was undeniably an adorable expression before responding.

X

That was how Masaki found them fifteen minutes later, seated on the floor of the Urahara Shōten, a small pile of candy wrappers between the two and her son babbling happily about the adventures he wanted to go on when he was older. The worried mother leaned against the doorway for a moment taking the second to calm herself and put away the guilt and worry that had surged up and choked the words from her mouth in icy cold claws.

She watched for a moment longer as she regained her breath, noting the way Ichigo gestured with his arms in wide out flung motions, eyes bright and shining, animated in a way the toddler wasn't at the daycare down the road. The former Captain of the Gotei 13 sat across from Masaki's son, staring at the child with bright enchanted eyes as if the man had quite forgotten the boundless energy of life that a small child could contain, talking with the same excitement of her son about healing.

The young mother watched and wondered at the scientist who had aided the young Quincy, an enemy according to Soul Society when she had been in death's grasp, who had continued to support the growing family held in the palm of her hand. She wondered at the looks the scientist had thrown at the child scrutinizing and full of speculation, and the change she could see now in the man. It was something recognizable in the mirror, that fierce desire to protect the small lifeform in front of you regardless of all other compactions.

Masaki Kurosaki wondered if Kisuke Urahara still desired to use Ichigo to further the plans of Soul Society, or if the man's interests had changed.

Sparing a glance at the watch wrapped around her wrist Masaki realised Isshin would call if they didn't return soon, the silly man full of far-flung concern and outrageous theories. Coughing lightly, she gathered Urahara's attention and watched as Athena-grey eyes swung towards Masaki and the man's face paled in fear; a part of her was vindictively pleased with the expression.

"Good afternoon Kurosaki-san."

Kisuke greeted pleasantly gathering Ichigo's attention at the words. The orange-haired toddler glanced up with a blinding grin ran forward and hugged his mother looking up at her with a grin and squinted eyes, reaitsu swirling almost visibly around the child. Kisuke stared and said nothing even as his thoughts raced at the potency of the child's reaitsu. The Kurosaki matriarch laughed for a moment at her son's actions ruffling a hand through brilliant orange locks before she beckoned the toddler forward.

"Hello, Urahara-san."

The woman greeted with an edge of steel to her voice in a sudden switch from the smiling mother, warning that the man should have a sufficient explanation for everything. Ichigo unaware of the tension spiralling between the adults turned his attention to the flash of dark red he could see hovering out of the corner of his eyes and called after it. In the same moment, the back door to the Urahara Shōten slid open and Tessai stepped out with a searching glance.

The former Kido Corps leader paused as he observed the Kurosaki matriarch, her son, and his friend standing with his figurative hackles raised. Kisuke turned with an expression of relief at the large man's sudden appearance and asked, "Tessai if it's not any trouble, will you prepare some tea please?"

Tessai studied the room for a moment, noting everything that was lingering unsaid as Ichigo tottered around chasing at thin air. The man nodded and disappeared into the back room. Masaki's brow furrowed at the scientist's words, she didn't really have time for tea with the enigmatic man. But she supposed as she studied the scientist with narrowed eyes, she needed an explanation and Isshin would (hopefully) survive a little while longer without her.

"Why don't we head inside Kurosaki-san?"

Kisuke suggested with a placating smile and a tip of his hat. The Quincy considered the man for a moment before her eyes flickered to her son. Ichigo was chasing after something invisible, babbling about the colour red. The mother turned her attention to the scientist and raised a brow in partial confusion at the sight. For the most part, Masaki Kurosaki could see the vague outlines of the many spirits that haunted Karakura. But there was nothing in front of her son.

The former Captain of the Twelfth turned his attention to Ichigo with an inscrutable expression one that was wrapped up in layers of secrecy and thought. After a second, the man's eyes flickered to Masaki and he stated softly, "There is no plus spirit there Kurosaki-san. Is it likely an imaginary friend?"

Masaki considered the question even as the wry man beckoned the woman inside his home. Picking Ichigo up in her arms to the happy giggle of the child Masaki responded, "Perhaps, but imaginary friends more commonly appear around at least five years old from what I've read."

Kisuke chanced an intrigued glance at the mother at the mention of reading material charting childhood development. With a hum, he slid a door open and revealed a sitting room warmed by a light shade of yellow and pale brown. Masaki frowned as she settled on one of the seats set around a low table and set Ichigo on the ground; the child would prefer to explore.

"It is possible, but at the moment I can't ascertain anything. When Ichigo is older, if he speaks to them and describes them we may be able to make inferences."

The man suggested as he settled in his favourite chair that had just enough space for Yoruichi to sit beside him in her feline form. The mother across from him nodded appeased by the vague answer for a moment before cold brown eyes focused on Kisuke. The scientist swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry at the pure protectiveness that rose around the Kurosaki matriarch eerily reminiscent to Unohana but twisted with the wrath of a mother.

"Urahara-san why was my son in your store?"

Masaki questioned with a tone of ice. Kisuke fiddled with the sleeve of his haori for a moment running through words in his head as he tried to find a way to diffuse the situation that didn't involve his head on a pike. The scientist sighed quietly but was saved from answering immediately as the door slid open and Tessai entered, a tray of tea balanced on the man's arm.

Tessai nodded once, placed the tray on the table before them, and with a small grin at a staring Ichigo, left the room. Kisuke took a sip of the steaming tea allowing the familiar taste to calm his nerves and the way his hands wanted to anxiously flutter about even as Masaki repeated the motion her eyes never leaving Kisuke. Finally, the scientist glanced into the eyes across from him and honestly expressed,

"I didn't lure your child here Kurosaki-san, I have no idea how he stumbled upon my store when there are a few other buildings of note to a toddler on this street. I can assure you that my intention was not to abduct your child in order to experiment or test his abilities in any way shape or form."

The mother listened to the words with a calculating stare that reminded Kisuke of a viper, unblinking eyes watching each minute detail of his features. Masaki Kurosaki was just as terrifying as Yoruichi. Eventually, after a tense moment, where Ichigo obliviously clambered over the furniture, the mother leaned back in her chair and sipped at the tea.

"I am not fond of the idea of my son becoming a pawn in some grand game Urahara-san. Ichigo doesn't deserve that and you know it," Ichigo choose that moment to come along and tug at Kisuke's haori with infinitely hopeful eyes as the man produced a candy from his voluminous sleeves. Masaki spared a smile and continued, "Swear to me on your honour that you will protect my child Urahara-san."

The demand shocked Kisuke, leaving the man to stare wide-eyed for a moment before catching himself. It was a demand that felt impossible and all-consuming, dragging holes through everything the world would throw at the young toddler sucking happily on the red candy Kisuke had given him. It was also the only way to earn Masaki's acceptance, to let the mother know that the scientist who had tempered a god cared for her son.

Kisuke stared into the pale amber coloured tea in his cup for a moment debating the merits of swearing a vow, one on his honour, whatever bastardized version existed. Some part of him, the part of Kisuke that justified his actions with the 'greater good' whispered that a promise could be broken. Kisuke knew this wasn't one of those promises.

Glancing up from the mug in his hands, the former Captain of the Twelfth glanced into Masaki's eyes and responded, "I swear to protect Ichigo in all the ways possible to me so that he may grow and live."

The Kurosaki matriarch ran through the words in her minds before she nodded, something heavy on her shoulders easing slightly. Suddenly, Ichigo burst out, "Mom! The lady in the red dress answered me."

The two adults traded concerned glances even as Masaki responded in excitement and Kisuke contemplated the meaning of the child's words. Masaki, as she ran a hand through her son's hair, glanced at the time before letting her flicker to the shopkeep across from her. Scooping Ichigo up Masaki said teasingly to her son, "It's time to go now Ichigo, we need to have a talk about wandering off and your father is probably worried. Say goodbye to Kisuke-san."

The orange-haired child pouted at the mention of his potential scolding but turned in his mother's arms to wave at Kisuke with a big grinning smile that made Kisuke's heart do a weird little happy tap dance. Masaki smiled in understanding and stepped closer to the man for a moment and whispered, "Next Tuesday stop by for dinner Urahara-san. You're Ichigo's godparent and you better start acting like one."

The scientist took the warning and invitation for what it was with a nod, Athena-grey eyes serious and understanding beneath the brim of his favourite hat. Masaki smiled faintly and nodded once in parting before sweeping out the door. Kisuke watched the striking figure of the pregnant Kurosaki matriarch for a moment, the image of Ichigo smiling up at him flashing through the forefront of his mind as Kisuke wondered how a godfather was supposed to act.

X

Hello once again, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and it's set up for the future chapters. Reviews/comments are always appreciated, till next time!