When Ichigo and Ishida return from the woods, the two of them are not alone.

Byakuya is at the edge of the clearing to meet them, having heard Ichigo’s calling howl. Renji flanks him on one side and Yoruichi the other, the rest of his trusted council at his back as they wait to see who has come to visit them. Of course, Aizen would send someone back with them. If Byakuya was to send someone into Aizen’s territory, it would only benefit Aizen to do the exact same and make sure that Byakuya knows he is not afraid to do it. Just the same, Byakuya is annoyed Aizen did not come himself.

If it had been Aizen, Byakuya would have known. He would have felt it.

“Who do you think they brought back with them?” Yoruichi asks, lifting her chin. “Alphas? I’d be surprised if Aizen was willing to take such a risk with us.”

“No.” Byakuya shakes his head. “He wouldn’t do that. It would be an insult, sending his alphas back with an unmated omega. One I could not ignore, and something tells me that he isn’t prepared to fight just yet. He would have struck if he was prepared.”

Renji’s hand comes to rest in the small of his back. “Betas or omegas, to match Ishida and Ichigo. Aizen would keep the balance if he could do so.”

“Agreed.” Byakuya huffs a sigh. “Now I wish they would hurry up.”

Unohana’s eyes come to rest on him gently, but he only shakes his head once at her unasked question. Everyone is fine. The fatigue is not something she has a remedy for, and as far as Byakuya is concerned, he can handle this aspect of the pregnancy without needing anything from her to do so. Best to at least learn how to handle some of the symptoms on his own because they will increase and grow more intense as time passes. Once his body is larger and heavier, he is bound to be more tired than this, so he should train his body to become as used to it as possible. Or, if not his body, then his mind and determination.

When Ichigo and Ishida appear between the trees, Byakuya’s eyes widen. One of the men accompanying them is easily over seven feet tall.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Ichigo shakes snow out of his hair as he comes to stand in front of them, Ishida coming to stand at his side. “Aizen sent pack a pair of his omegas to speak to you directly, since he’s currently indisposed for the time being.”

He must be in rut, Byakuya thinks, nodding once. “I understand. Thank you for making the trip on our behalf. Feel free to relax, and I will come check on you later.”

His gaze lifts toward the two men standing just in front of the treeline, taking in their appearances as his nose twitches to take in their scents. Omegas indeed. The taller one smells like spring, which is vaguely shocking considering the way he leers down at them all from his impressive height, scar tissue peeking out from beneath the edge of a white eyepatch. The smaller omega, Byakuya understands, though his face seems oddly empty as he stands there, his eyes meeting Byakuya’s with an eerie calmness. All in all, they would have fit any of the various images Byakuya imagined for members of Aizen’s pack.

“My name is Kuchiki Byakuya, and I am the alpha of this pack.” Byakuya says smoothly, looking between the two of them once more. “I would ask that you introduce yourselves.”

“Ulquiorra Cifer.” The smaller omega says. “And my companion, Nnoitra Gilga. We were sent to speak to you on Aizen-sama’s behalf as he is currently unable to travel.”

Byakuya nods once. “So I have been told. Would you like to accompany me to a meeting room inside of one of our buildings? You will be treated like guests and once the meeting is over, you may be on your way back to your territory. We will not follow you.”

“Should anything occur that would injure either one of us, I would hope that you are aware we have alphas of our own that would take offense.” Ulquiorra says smoothly, his voice blank and toneless. “On top of that, our pack would come to repay the favor.”

The words are an offense, but Byakuya only nods once. “That, I can understand.” After all, he would be lying if he said the same thing had never crossed his mind.

“Well, it’s better than standing in the fucking snow.” Nnoitra finally says. “Lead the way.”

Byakuya takes his council with him and they settle into the same meeting room they had used when they needed to discuss Aizen the last time, Nnoitra and Ulquiorra taking seats on the far side of the table from Byakuya. Nnoitra’s eyes flick down to the map in front of them and he hums, sharp chin propped on the palm of his hand. Ulquiorra meets Byakuya’s eyes once more with a gaze that is unusually confident despite how little emotion shows in his eyes, and Byakuya wonders about him. About both of them.

“We would like you to show us where your pack territory is.” Byakuya says, pointing to the map, to the black marker set in the center of it. “As we have learned, your territory is set up in a previous space that was occupied by no one, so we are unaware of the boundaries. To be respectful, we would like to know what those boundaries are.”

Ulquiorra picks up the marker, slowly removing the cap and placing it on the opposite end of the marker. “Our pack has been living in this area for quite some time. Did you only recently become aware of our existence in this place?”

“One of your pack attacked my sister when she accidentally wandered into your territory one evening.” Byakuya says, and he watches Nnoitra’s eyebrows dart up. “That was our first clue. Then we noticed tracks close to our own territory and considered that you may be closer to us than we first knew. We are doing this, as I said, to be safe.”

“Smart man.” Nnoitra drags the map over closer to them. “Show ‘im, Ulquiorra.”

With one sharp movement, Ulquiorra tilts his head, narrows his eyes at Nnoitra. “You do not need to tell me what to do. I know exactly what I am doing.”

He makes careful, firm marks on the paper with the marker, filling in the space slowly between where the Kuchiki pack is already marked, between where the Zaraki pack is up north. When he scoots the map back into the center of the table with the marker resting on top of it, Byakuya leans over, wincing slightly at the sight. He could have guessed, had he thought it out, but their territory runs right up against both packs. Aizen had set himself up between them, a barrier they would have to travel around to reach one another. In the center of the space where Byakuya and Kenpachi usually met to discuss the alliance they have with one another, where Shinji usually joins them.

“I see.” Byakuya leans back in his chair, meets Ulquiorra’s gaze once more since he seems easier to speak to. “When did you establish yourselves as an official pack?”

“Shortly after Aizen-sama became exiled from your pack.” Ulquiorra says, and Byakuya lets that sink in, displeased with that information. “He, Tousen, and Ichimaru approached each of us in turn and asked us to join their pack. We took up residence in this space when we realized that it belonged to no one. We make our home underground.”

“Underground.” Yoruichi murmurs. “That’s why it was never clear to us if someone was there. There were no houses for any of us to see. But where underground?”

“Caves.” Nnoitra says with a shrug. “Cozy during the winter especially, nice and warm.”

The thought is slightly disarming. “Do any of those caves extend under our territories?”

“No. Gin checked for that first time when he was going through them the first time to decide which ones needed to be closed off and which ones didn’t.” Nnoitra smiles slowly, and when his teeth show, the sight is wicked. He looks nasty. “Some of ‘em weren’t safe, y’know, structurally unsound. But a kitsune can do about anything.”

“Nnoitra, what a strange remark to make.” Ulquiorra muses.

In answer, Nnoitra snorts. “None of ‘em are that stupid. The girl saw him ‘cause Gin ain’t got a fucking brain. He should’ve realized it was her by scent alone, but he didn’t.”

“You are correct. We are now well aware of the fact that Ichimaru Gin is a kitsune, not a werewolf. No need to keep it a secret any longer, Ulquiorra.” Byakuya ignores the way Ulquiorra looks at him, green eyes flashing. “We will not hold it against your pack. However, I believe it is customary to ask exactly what your pack is doing there. The space was unclaimed, and Aizen did not introduce himself to either of us.”

Ulquiorra inclines his head slightly. “Are you not aware of who Aizen-sama is?”

“The disrespect is not necessary.” Hitsugaya’s voice is icy. “Of course our pack is aware of who Aizen Sosuke is. Tradition dictates you introduce yourself formally to other pack alphas in the area so that we can all discuss living so close together.”

Slowly, Ulquiorra turns to face him. “Who said we wanted to discuss such a thing?”

The cold tone of his voice sends a chill down Byakuya’s spine. “What do you mean?”

“Aizen-sama is not interested in upholding a peaceful existence with your packs just because you were here first.” Ulquiorra folds his hands neatly on top of the table, blinking long black lashes at him. “If you venture into our territory, it is at risk of your own life. We only allowed your messengers to survive because you sent them in good will and to contact Aizen-sama. Otherwise, we would have fought them as we did your sister.”

Renji clears his throat and sits up. “What right do you think you have to speak to our pack alpha in such a disrespectful way? You are on our territory. You should—”

“Renji.” Byakuya waits until Renji falls silent, then folds his arms carefully across his chest. “He is not being disrespectful. He is conveying Aizen’s message with blunt honesty.”

“Correct.” Ulquiorra spreads his hands wide. “I have no malice toward you, Kuchiki Byakuya. I have respect for any omega that can lead a pack efficiently. It is the reason that I chose to follow Aizen-sama when he came to me to request my presence.”

Silence stretches taut in the room. Byakuya’s eyes widen at the words and his mouth falls open for a moment, then snaps back shut as he narrows his eyes. What would following Aizen have to do with having respect for omegas who serve as pack alpha? Ulquiorra must not know much about Aizen after all. In the end, he was like so many alphas who sought to take Byakuya down from his position as the alpha to take over. Maybe Aizen lied to them. Maybe Byakuya should alert them to the truth so they can at least make an informed choice on who they should follow and the lives they should lead.

“What?” Nnoitra demands, his eyes shifting to each of their faces in turn. “You all really that stunned? Like hell I was gonna join any pack led by an alpha. Full offense to every alpha in this room, but literally all of you are unbearable in all ways.”

Byakuya clears his throat. “I believe Aizen must have misled you.” He murmurs.

Ulquiorra scoffs at him. “Aizen-sama has been honest with us.”

“Aizen isn’t an omega.” Isane says, wrinkling her nose. “We all knew him. We all knew him well, we all knew his scent. When you said he was indisposed, we assumed you meant he was having his rut cycle and couldn’t come to visit because of that.”

“Aizen-sama is an omega.” Ulquiorra says firmly. “We were hunting together the first time his pre-heat came on unexpectedly. Furthermore, I’d know an omega by scent alone.”

“And we’d know an alpha by scent alone.” Kaien interjects. “Where’d you get the idea he was an omega from? He’s not. He’s never been. I was there when he needed to ask Unohana-san for rut suppressants because he needed to put it off a bit.”

Nnoitra’s visible eye narrows. “Ulquiorra, I believe we might have let something slip.”

“Agreed.” Ulquiorra sighs, curls a hand beneath his chin and shakes his head. “Aizen-sama will be upset with me if they did not already know. No, Aizen-sama is not an alpha. He has always been an omega. I’ve brought food to him when he’s been in heat and his partners were too exhausted to leave his side. I would know what I smelled. Tousen is an alpha, Ichimaru is a kitsune, and Aizen-sama is their omega. Is that clear?”

“Bullshit.” Renji says, his voice a snap. “Why the fuck would he hide that from us?”

Ulquiorra arches an eyebrow. “The usual reasons, I assume. Has your alpha not been subjected to all sorts of questioning about his merit as the leader of your pack because he is an omega? Aizen-sama must not have wanted to deal with such a thing.”

“Funny, he was perfectly satisfied with using his status as an alpha in order to attempt to drag me forcibly down from my position while breaking our pack law at the same time.” Byakuya muses, and he notes the moment when Ulquiorra’s expression darkens.

But it’s Nnoitra who speaks, cackling like. Like a hyena. “Aizen’s just out here to get the job done that no one else wants to do, y’know? If he’s gotta spill some blood to do it, so be it. We all agreed that we were willing to spill blood if we had to.”

“That is true.” Ulquiorra agrees. “It is our pack motto, so to speak. None of us are willing to do anything less than what is necessary in order to survive.”

Yoruichi clears her throat, her head tipping to the side. “Aizen smelled like an alpha.” She muses, “but not threatening like an alpha. That’s one thing I do remember clearly.”

Nnoitra snaps his fingers. “You got it, babe. It’s really easy to fake scents but you can’t fake the psychological response. Just ‘cause he smelled like an alpha doesn’t mean he was one. Guess he must’ve been convincing to have all of you fooled.”

“Is there anything about Tousen we don’t know?” Unohana asks, her tone soft and polite. “I was under the impression he was a relatively mild-mannered alpha who perhaps did not agree with how our pack was run and chose to follow Aizen when he left.”

“Tousen is an alpha.” Ulquiorra agrees. “Only Aizen-sama and Ichimaru lied to you about such things for necessary reasons. I did not realize I had even let such a thing slip.”

“Happens to the best of ‘em.” Nnoitra stands abruptly, and the hairs on the back of Byakuya’s neck stand up. “Sorry, restless, ain’t used to be in a building. Just gonna pace around, but you should listen to me. I’ll give it to you straight. What I can, at least.”

“What you can.” Byakuya says thinly, his eyes narrowing.

Nnoitra walks a slow half-circle around the table, careful not to get too used to Byakuya when Renji pointedly growls at him, eyes narrowing. “Aizen doesn’t want to play nice. Aizen doesn’t want to make friends. He wants to keep our territory tight and keep all of you out of it. Stray into it, you get hurt. It’s up to you if it’s worth the risk. We didn’t take all the empty territory, but we took what we needed. Considering you ain’t on good terms with Aizen in the first place, I don’t think it’s gonna be that much of a strain.”

“Why would you even come back to tell us all this if he wasn’t interested in communicating with us in the first place?” Byakuya asks, scenting the air carefully. Nnoitra smells as restless as he looks, but there’s something else underneath that.

Ulquiorra sighs softly. “Because Aizen-sama asked us to tell you in person so that the appropriate message would be conveyed. To make sure there was no misunderstanding. If you want to test your luck and come into our territory to see him, that is your mistake.”

“We’re all killers.” Nnoitra says casually. “And believe me when I say that even with numbers, you ain’t gonna win if you decide to start a pack war.”

“Excuse me.” Ukitake says softly, rising to his feet. Nnoitra stops just behind him, tilts his head down, almost looming over him but Ukitake does not so much as flinch. “Would it not be wise for all of us to at least have a working relationship with one another? Should hunters enter the area, we should all be working together to stop them.”

Nnoitra snorts and leans down further, shoving that fierce and sharp face into Ukitake’s. “We’re not stupid, old man. We ain’t gonna do shit for any of you. That’s the point.”

“That is our final word on the matter.” Ulquiorra stands, taps a single finger on the map. “You know your boundaries now, so do not cross them. Should you truly need to see Aizen-sama for any reason, feel free to risk your lives in order to speak to him, but do know that you will have to go through all of us to get to him. It would not be worth the trouble, I would think. Leave us in peace, and we will leave you in peace. Simple, yes?”

Byakuya slowly rises to his feet and walks around the table to where Nnoitra looms over Ukitake and snarls, and Nnoitra flinches back automatically. “Get away from him. Do not ever threaten a member of my pack. If that is how Aizen wants to do things, then so be it. We can agree to those terms. But you do not come into my territory at the bequest of your alpha to threaten me or mine. You are excused.”

Ukitake’s hand comes to rest on his shoulder. “Byakuya, I’m fine. He wasn’t—”

“It doesn’t matter.” Byakuya tells him, resting his hand on top of Ukitake’s. “Both of you, go. Kaien, if you don’t mind, escort them to the treeline. If you are both not out of my territory within the time it takes to walk to yours, you will be punished.”

“Aizen-sama said you were capable of being ruthless if need be.” Ulquiorra takes Nnoitra by the elbow, leading him toward the doorway while Kaien stands to follow them. “Let us go, Nnoitra. We have done our job. Aizen-sama will be pleased.”

As soon as the two leave the room, Ukitake sighs and shakes his head. “That was something else. I can’t believe how aggressive they were. They really are Aizen’s pack.”

“Aizen the omega.” Byakuya muses. “I never would have guessed that.”

Kyoraku rises slowly, wraps his arms around Ukitake from behind and nuzzles the side of his neck. “Are you okay, my love? That was a very stressful situation just now.”

“Yes.” Ukitake leans back into him and Byakuya’s eyebrow arches slightly when he watches Kyoraku’s hand slide over Ukitake’s stomach. And Ukitake must see him, because he clears his throat quickly. “Alpha, a word? In private. I suppose Renji can be in the room.”

“Very well. Everyone, dismissed. Renji, remain.” Byakuya bids each of his council goodbye and thanks them for their time and effort, and then locks the door behind them. It feels like deja vu, but he is not going to have sex with either Kyoraku or Ukitake on the table, so there’s that, he supposes. “What did you mean about stress, Kyoraku-san?”

Ukitake sits back down and unabashedly rests a hand on his stomach, beaming up at Byakuya as he does. “You’ve already guessed, haven’t you, Byakuya? It’s taken us this long, but we’re finally going to get to have pups together after all. Are you happy for us?”

Pups. Byakuya wavers on his feet for just a moment before looking at Ukitake properly, at the glow in his skin and the brightness in his eyes. “Are you pregnant, Jushiro?”

“I am. We’ve been trying for so long. I suppose my health problems might have contributed to how difficult it was, but.” Ukitake shrugs, then beams up at him. “Are you happy for me? I know when you were younger, you used to talk about how you wanted to see if the baby would end up with my white hair or not. I guess we’ll get to find out.”

Byakuya pulls out the chair next to Ukitake’s and sits down slowly. “May I?” He asks, holding out a hand, smiling softly when Ukitake takes it, brings it to his own stomach. “Oh, you’re starting to show. I can feel it through the shape of the fabric.”

Ukitake nods, holding Byakuya’s hand to his stomach. “Already showing this early, so it’s probably more than one. Wouldn’t it be so exciting if I had twins?”

“Of course. I’m very happy for you, Jushiro. You’ve wanted this for so long.” Byakuya drops his hand so he can lean in closer, wrapping his arms around the older man’s shoulders to hug him, mindful of his belly. “You half-raised me. If there was anyone in this pack who deserves a family, it’s you. No one deserves it as much as you do.”

“You’re sweet.” Ukitake presses his face into Byakuya’s hair and he can hear the slight wetness in Ukitake’s voice. Kyoraku catches his eye and smiles fondly, shaking his head. “I’m so glad to have seen you grow up into the man you are today. I can only hope my own children can follow in your footsteps and rise to such a level.”

Byakuya scoffs softly, leaning back to kiss Ukitake on the cheek. “Hush. I only did what I have to do. I hope in our pack, they can live whatever life they want to.”

“They will, with you here.” Ukitake touches his belly fondly, smiling softly.

A glance at Renji and Byakuya raises an eyebrow at him, nodding once when Renji cocks his head before waving his hand. “Jushiro, let me see your hand, if you don’t mind terribly.”

He takes Ukitake’s hand and brings it to his own stomach, and there is a moment of silence as Ukitake looks down, then back up at him, then back down once more before his free hand rises to his mouth, shock lighting his eyes. Byakuya is not imagining it. His eyes are definitely wet now, and when he exhales it comes out as a soft shudder against his fingers. Before Byakuya can say anything to him, Ukitake is suddenly half in his lap, clinging to him, muffling soft sobs against his shoulder that have Byakuya momentarily panicked.

“I never thought you’d want children of your own.” Ukitake hugs him harder and Byakuya laughs softly, rubs a hand up and down Ukitake’s back. “I wouldn’t have pushed you but gods, the thought of getting to be here to see what your pups will look like… I’m sorry. I’m crying all over you, you don’t need to deal with this right now.”

“You’re fine.” Byakuya reassures him. “I don’t mind at all. I know you’re just excited.”

Kyoraku whistles lowly, eyeing Renji. “Just took you one heat cycle to do it, huh?”

“What can I say?” Renji smirks, but then his face softens. “I’m happy for you two. You were trying even before I came along. It’s good to see it finally working out for you.”

“Just took a little time, as some things do.” Kyoraku chuckles softly, shrugging out of his flowered kimono to drape it around Ukitake’s shoulders, kissing the side of his head. “Take a deep breath, my pretty boy. For you and the pups.”

Ukitake leans away just slightly, and then comes back in, tucking his face against Byakuya’s neck once more. “I’m proud of you. For handling that as well as you did. For being so good at leading our pack. You’re going to be an incredible father.”

“You are, as well.” Byakuya smiles when Kyoraku chuckles softly.

“So, that meeting was shit, huh?” Renji sits on the edge of the table, chin resting in the palm of his hand. “But I guess we’re going to leave Aizen alone as long as he stays in his place, right? Not much else we can do besides that.”

Byakuya nods, running his hands up and down Ukitake’s back. “For now, we shall. I’ll make a note to go see Kenpachi when the snow lets up so I can let him know the situation. As long as Aizen keeps to himself, everything should be fine. If he tries to attack, we’ll take him down. I don’t care if his pack are killers. There is nothing I won’t do to protect this pack.”

When Ukitake leans away, Byakuya reaffirms his vow to himself to keep this pack safe and sound. This is their home, and he wants to make sure that his words to Ukitake were true. This place needs to be safe for their pups no matter what.

Aizen couldn’t kill him the first time. He won’t be able to at all.