"Doing acts of kindness will protect one from calamity and bad end"-H

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach and anything related to it.

A/N: AU setting. Rukia faces the task of parenting her 15 year old son. How can she handle her silently rebellious son? Will Ichigo finally be the role model father he wanted to be? Enjoy.

Good Parenting

-OPgirl

Chapter 1: Don't make your children feel alone

It's the first week of June, Rukia woke up early to prepare breakfast for her son, Rai. She had so many things planned for the day, as a project manager for the Ishida Clothing Line's upcoming Expo, she needs to be in the office round the clock and she also has to accompany her son to his new school. Although Rai is turning 15 next month, she still treats him like a little boy. She made it her duty to monitor his schools and other activities such as archery club and swimming.

Suddenly the oven dinged signaling that the food is cooked, Rukia walk over to it while beating the eggs on the bowl. She took the food from the oven and laid it on the table while she reached for her phone that was ringing.

"Yes, hello?" Rukia asked the person on the other line of the phone while she fried the eggs on the pan. "Oh it's you" she uttered.

The person on the other line talk and Rukia can't stop herself from smiling tenderly. It's been a long time since she had conversation with her high school friends. "Oh please wait a second".

Rukia covered the phone and look up at where his son's room is. It's past 6 already. "Rai, you're gonna be late for school. You should come down and eat your breakfast. Let's go to your new school together" she called.

There was no reply from him.

Rai's a silent child. Yet ever since I met with 'him', Rai would not talk to me or even look at me.

Rukia bit her lip.

His so much like his father.

A young man descended from the stairs, his raven black hair almost covered half of his face giving off a mysterious look. He had the same stubborn bang as her as well as the color of her eyes. As soon as he reached the kitchen where Rukia was standing, he averted his eyes.

He did not want to look at her face for long.

"I see that you are prepared to leave already" Rukia casually said to her son. He was a foot taller than her with a prominent shoulder and imposing vibe.

Rai walk passed Rukia without another word. He moved to get the plates for both of them and throw the eggshells to the waste bin. After that he laid the plates to both sides of the table and settled on his chair silently.

Rukia look at his son. She knew that, normally this actions from him would hurt her yet she ignored it. She did not want to start the day by having a fight with her son.

Ever since Rai was small, he never really gave Rukia a hard time in looking after him, it was only her that do things in extra mile to take care of him.

Rukia settled to her own chair opposite him and motioned for them to start eating. They have been always like this, eating in silence, sometimes she would strike a conversation yet his son would just stay silent.

Actually she was ok with her son's attitude, it's just that she wanted to get close to him, to make him feel that she is always there for him, that he has her as his family. Because she knew that behind those silence is a hidden raging emotion, she wanted him to express himself, to tell her his problems to trust her. Isolation was a feeling she did not like her son to have yet it seems that it was the trait he inherited from them.

After sometime they finished eating together, Rai stood up to take away the dishes and Rukia cleaned the table. They worked silently, Rukia would observe his son from the corner of her eyes.

His a very clever boy. And very handsome one at that. His grades are outstanding as well. I could not ask for more except that he would somehow gave her an emotion. To just once call her 'his mom'.

Together they exited their modest house. They walked side by side in silence towards the school, that was only a few kilometers away.

From time to time, Rukia would notice the appreciative glances from people they met on the street towards his son. She would prevent herself from smiling and cracking jokes towards his son, seeing as he is the type to ignore those kind of things.

Unknown to Rukia, as they walk together, Rai would walk half step ahead of her intentionally while glaring at every man who dared look at his mom. He hated it when those guys have the guts to approach her and talk to her. Especially, the man who live next to their house, the man who was currently walking towards them.

"Yo! Rai" Ichigo greeted.

Rai stared at him emotionlessly.

Ichigo scratched his head. "You have grown taller since I last saw you. How's your vacation at Byakuya's house?" he asked nonchalantly.

Suddenly Rukia beat her with the book she was holding. "Idiot. Why are you asking question like that this early in the morning" she asked in a very annoyed way.

Ichigo looked at her and smiled tenderly as he greeted her. "Yo! Rukia"

Rukia stared at him.

Rai felt really annoyed whenever his mom and their carrot top neighbor greeted each other. There is something there that he could not put his finger on. Something so deep and strong, that even though he see them bickered with each other all the time or just passed by silently with each other, he felt like the time stopped for both of them.

Rai clenched his fist. He really wanted to punch the carrot top in the face. He didn't care if he lost his composure.

Ichigo is well built man and he had an overwhelming appeal, Rai is sure that so many girls probably would kill themselves just to be noticed by him but what he could not understand is why he is paying attention to his mom. Why would he go to such length as to check on them as if he is his father? It pissed him so much to think that maybe he is the reason that his parents weren't together.

Yet Rai knew that somehow Ichigo was the kind of person that cared about his mom tremendously. He wanted to ask his father why he let this thing happen. Why did they separated? Is it because his mom has an affair or is it because of him? Yet he could not dare to ask the question seeing as every time his scheduled to live at his father's mansion, he could clearly see the pain in his eyes.

Is it because of mom? Rai is afraid to know the answer. All his life, he believed that he could not ask for anything more than his mom. She took care of him and struggled to make a living for both of them. Although he knew that in a normal situation, both of them could just live under his father's wing and live a luxurious life for hundreds of years without lifting a finger. Yet he also knew how free willed and independent his mom could be, he knew she would not want to live a life like that.

Whenever Rai stayed at the mansion, he could hear the unending whispers about his mom's infidelity and arrogance. It enraged him so much yet he tried to be strong, just like how his mom deal with baseless gossips, so he learned to isolate himself from those rumor mongrels. He preferred the company of his books over those unrefined people.

Rai look at his mom and noticed the unmistakable joy behind her eyes. Even though sometimes he hates to see that the carrot top is the cause of it, he can't deny that it made him happy to see his mom happy.

After sometime, they reached the gate of Karakura High. Rai stepped inside the gate without a single word. Rukia was left staring at his back.

As Rukia turn around, Rai stopped walking and turned towards her. He saw her waved for a taxi.

'I wanted to make you happy yet I don't really know how. I wish I could be just like those other kids who can say their feeling out rightly. I love you so much. I don't want to share you with anyone'

"Mom have a good day"

Rai walked inside the building, all heads turned towards him but he did not care. All he wanted to do is to find a way to clear his mind. He wanted to know what happened to his parent's relationship.

Why are they separated?

He believed that if he could understand the reason behind everything, he would be able to express his feelings in a better way. Although he feared that, the answers to his question might not be what he wanted to hear.

"Oh! Rai-kun" Inoue-sensei greeted him.

"Good morning Inoue-sensei" Rai greeted formally as soon as he read the nametag on her uniform. She was one of his mom's friend.

"Is Rukia with you a while ago?" Inoue asked.

Rai nodded.

"Just as I thought. I saw her from the window. Where is she going?" Inoue asked conversationally.

Rai just look at her.

"You really look so much like your parents in their younger days. I could say you are a perfect copy of your father except for the eye part" Inoue commented after some awkward moment. "We are high school buddies with your mom. I can see her strong resemblance to you. The Kuchiki blood is indeed pretty strong" Inoue added without much thinking.

Rai stared at his new teacher. He knew that she is close with his mom but she did not know their history goes deeper. She talks about his parents like she knew them very well.

Inoue dismissed Rai and walked towards her assigned class for the first period.

Rai moved fast towards his room. As soon as he entered the room, the class fell into silence.

"Oh. Here is the transfer student" Abarai-sensei said as he saw Rai entered the room.

"Gosh. You look exactly like your father, it creeped me out. Please introduce yourself to your new classmates" Renji said.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Kuchiki Raizel"

Throughout the day Rai meet the people who were his mom's high school buddies and through them he finally connected the dots about his parents.

Rai got home that day feeling heavy and extremely exhausted. There is no way he could easily wrap up everything he heard. Everything felt so surreal, even the fact the he got home and look at his mom in the longest of time.

Rai could not believe the sacrifices his mom did for her family and for him. For the first time, he hugged his mother and called her.

"Mom"

"What happen Rai? Is everything ok? Come inside, Ichigo brought something. Let's eat dinner" Rukia said to her son while she was being hugged by him.

This is strange… Although Rai would hug her before but he was in grade 3 when he stopped doing it.

Nonetheless, she hugged him back.

She was very worried when it was already past 7 in the evening and Rai wasn't home yet, but as she saw him walking beside the road towards their house, she felt overwhelming relief that she did not noticed Rai calling her 'Mom'.

Rukia took out his cellphone, seeing as it had ring multiple times when Rai arrived.

"Ichigo" Rukia uttered. She look up at his son who was staring at her. She was about to cancel the call yet Rai motioned for it to be answered before he entered inside the house.

Rukia was left outside of the house yet unlike before when Ichigo used to call her in front of Rai. Rai seems to be more civil about it than before.

What a good boy.

"Hello Ichigo?" Rukia greeted him from the other line.

"Yo! Rukia. I can't find Rai anywhere but don't worry I will find him no matter what" Ichigo answered in the other line.

Rukia smiled. He never changed. He always go to extra mile to help his friends, to help her.

"Come home now. Rai had already arrived" Rukia said.