Author's Note- Hello! I've returned with a sequel to Carry Me Home. I wish I had more to say but I can't think of anything right now. Enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Bleach characters that I've used. They, as always, belong to Tite Kubo.

Home Has Grown

"Miko, I'm home!" Renji called out as he entered the apartment. There was no reply. "Miko?" He was pretty sure she was home because her car was downstairs.

"I'm in the bathroom," she called back. He walked over to the door.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes and no," she answered.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sick or anything, but…" She trailed off as she opened the door with something in her hand. Renji's eyes widened as he realized that the thing in her hand was a pregnancy test that showed a little pink plus sign. When he didn't say anything, Miko put the test on the sink and took Renji's hand, leading him to the couch. He flopped down on the couch and just stared straight ahead as Miko sat beside him.

"Are we ready for kids?" he asked. The two of them had just made up after a bad break up. They were still trying to settle back in.

"I don't know but it's coming whether we're ready or not!" she cried. She dropped her face into her hands. Renji finally focused. He saw Miko's shoulders shaking. He smiled softly as he put one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees, pulling her onto his lap.

"We've got a few months to prepare. I'm sure we'll be okay," he said, placing a kiss on her forehead. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"You really think so?" she asked. This time, he pressed a kiss to her lips.

"We've got good friends that will support us and be there for us. Plus, we've got each other," he told her. She smiled.

"I can't believe that we're having a baby," she sighed, resting her hand on her belly. Renji rested his hand over Miko's, pressed his forehead to her and smiled.

Miko sat at the counter in the bookstore she ran a few days later. Rangiku, her friend and employee, came through the door with a take-out container.

"I'm back!" she said with a smile. A slightly unpleasant smell reached Miko's nose and she frowned.

"What'd you get today, Rangiku?" she asked warily. Rangiku's grin got brighter as she opened the container.

"Indian food!" she cheered. The smell hit full force and Miko put a hand over her mouth as she ran to the bathroom at the back of the store. Rangiku followed after her, stopping to put her food on the counter. "Miko, are you okay?" she asked as she heard her friend retching. The toilet flushed and a couple of minutes later Miko walked out.

"I'm fine. I promise," Miko said with a slight smile.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Rangiku asked, giving Miko that look that said she better spill. Miko sighed, already tired of Rangiku's scrutiny.

"Renji and I found out a few days ago that I'm pregnant," she said. Rangiku let out a squeal. Miko's other friend and employee, Izuru, walked out from behind some book shelves.

"Why are you being so loud, Rangiku?" Izuru said with a slight glare.

"Miko and Renji are having a baby!" she exclaimed. Izuru smiled.

"That's great," he said to Miko. "I'm sure you and Renji will make awesome parents." Miko smiled, happy to have her friends' support.

Renji and Ichigo were sitting outside the restaurant they worked at on their break. Renji sighed for the thousandth time.

"Are you gonna tell me what's up or just sigh all day?" Ichigo asked. Renji frowned at his best friend.

"Give me a break. I don't normally have conversations like this with anyone but Miko."

"That's a lie. You were very willing to have these talks with me the three weeks you were living with me." Renji rolled his eyes.

"Because it was about Miko and I was drunk half the time. And you're not making this easy," Renji said irritably.

"Sorry."

"Miko's pregnant." Ichigo's eyes widened.

"When did you find out?"

"A few days ago. I'm not sure what we're going to do. The bookstore is doing great, but we had just enough saved up to open my own restaurant. Now all of that needs to go toward the baby," Renji groaned. Ichigo patted his shoulder.

"That may be true, but you get to be a dad. That's an awesome thing," Ichigo told him.

"It is awesome," Renji said with a smile. "I can't believe there's a tiny person growing inside Miko." Ichigo smirked.

"You're welcome."

A Few Weeks Later

"So do you and Renji have any plans for the baby's room?" Hikari, Miko's younger sister, asked. "Hey! Don't climb on your aunt!" Miko laughed as her 6 year old nephew climbed off her back.

"Yes, Mommy," Hiko pouted. At that moment, her 3 year old niece climbed into her lap.

"Sit here?" Hime asked. Miko nodded and the little girl curled up in her lap.

"Not yet. We haven't really thought of a lot of things yet," Miko admitted. Hikari frowned at her as she chopped vegetables.

"How are you feeling physically?" Miko's cheeks reddened.

"Fine, mostly. Except…lately, my body's been really sensitive and I want to jump Renji as soon as he walks through the door." Hikari laughed.

"That's because you have three times the normal amount of blood pumping through you."

"I thought it was just me," Miko laughed. "Is it safe?"

"Completely. It's actually healthy," Hikari replied. Miko smiled as she noticed that Hime was asleep in her lap. "It won't be long until it'll be your own child sleeping in your lap." They heard the door to the large apartment open and Hiko let out a yell.

"Daddy!" Byakuya walked into the kitchen carrying his son. Hikari beamed at him.

"Welcome home," she said just before her husband pressed a kiss to her lips.

"Hello, Miko," he said. Miko smiled at her brother-in-law.

"Hey, Byakuya. How are you?"

"Quite well. Thank you. Are you well?" he asked.

"Yep! The little one and I are great," she answered, lightly patting her slightly rounded stomach. Hime stirred and opened her gray eyes.

"Daddy?" she said groggily. Byakuya put Hiko down and gather Hime into his arms.

"How's my princess?" he said with a smile. Miko only ever saw him smile at his wife and children. It was an adorable sight.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Hikari asked her sister. Miko shook her head.

"Thanks, but Renji should be home soon and I want to spend some time with him," she said. "I'll see you later!" She headed out the door, a bright smile on her face.

Renji yawned as he opened the door.

"Welcome home," came a sweet familiar voice. He looked over at the couch and saw Miko in a silk nightgown.

"Hey," he said, a little stunned. She patted the seat beside her, purple eyes shining. He said beside her and pressed a chocolate covered strawberry to his lips. She kissed him as soon as he swallowed the bite he'd taken. It didn't take long for the kiss to get intense. Miko put her arms around his neck as he kissed along her jaw and then began to suck and bite her neck. She let out a moan as she unbuttoned Renji's white work shirt. He started to slide his hands up her legs, pushing the nightgown up in the process. When his hands were on her thighs, he stopped.

"Is it okay?" he asked, breathing heavily. Miko grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards their bedroom.

"It's way more than okay," she said with a grin.

The next morning, Miko yawned and stretched, feeling the best she had for a while.

"Good morning," Renji said, pressing a kiss to her neck as his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Good morning," she replied happily as she rolled to face him.

"Ichigo's gonna cover my shift at the restaurant and I texted Rangiku to tell her that you won't be going to the store today." Miko grinned and gave him a quick kiss.

"Oh really? And what, may I ask, gave you that idea?" she said teasingly. He smirked.

"The fact that I want to have you all to myself today," he replied, nipping at her neck. She giggled and snuggled closer to him.

"I can work with that."

"What do you want for breakfast?" Miko thought for a moment.

"Waffles!"

"Ugh! I hate this! None of my clothes fit anymore!" Miko cried out. She walked into the living room where Renji was waiting. Renji looked up and saw tears shining in her eyes. A few weeks had passed and Miko's belly was even bigger. It was annoying her. "Can't I just wear pajamas?"

"It's a formal event," Renji told her. He was trying to sound sympathetic but he knew that he'd failed by the angry expression that made its way to her face.

"You don't understand what I'm going through! Nothing fits, my back and boobs constantly hurt, my feet are always swollen, and all I want to do is curl up in bed," she yelled, the tears making their way down her cheeks. Renji stood in front of her and took her hands. "And why do you always get to look so good?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he laughed. "You're the one who always looks good." Miko looked him over. He was in a black suit with a white shirt and his hair was braided down his back. He didn't have a tie on and the top three buttons of his shirt were undone.

"That's total bull and you know it," she sniffled. He chuckled, placed a kiss on her forehead, and started pulling her towards their room.

"I'm sure we can find something that will make you look even more amazing than usual." Miko smiled, happy that she had a guy like Renji.

Renji and Miko pulled into a parking spot at the restaurant that Byakuya was opening. Renji helped Miko out of the car and smiled at how beautiful she looked. They'd found a gorgeous flowy red floor-length dress. She frowned as she straightened her dress.

"If Byakuya wasn't my brother-in-law and was just your boss, I wouldn't be here," she said grumpily. Renji placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"Don't be like that. If he wasn't your brother-in-law, we probably wouldn't have met," he told her as they walked to the doors of the restaurant. Miko sighed but smiled.

"Probably. I wouldn't have had any reason to go into the restaurant if I hadn't needed to pick up Hiko and Hime that day," she replied. Renji grinned as they entered the new restaurant.

"Miko! Renji!" a familiar voice called out. They looked up and saw Hikari and Byakuya walking towards them. Hikari wrapped her sister in a hug. "You look beautiful!" Miko smiled.

"I don't feel like it," she laughed. Hikari gave her a look, red eyes clearly saying that Miko was being ridiculous.

"I tried to tell her that and she wouldn't believe me either," Renji said, wrapping an arm around Miko's waist. Miko rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.

"Congratulations on opening a new restaurant, Byakuya," Miko said.

"Thank you," he replied. At that moment, Ichigo showed up.

"Hey, everyone," he greeted. Everyone greeted him in return and he congratulated Byakuya.

"I'm very proud of you, Bya," Hikari said, placing a kiss on his cheek. The stoic man smiled slightly as his cheeks turned pink. Ichigo smirked.

"How cute," the young man laughed. Byakuya shot him a glare.

"How much do you value your job?" Byakuya threatened. Ichigo held his hands up defensively as everyone laughed. "It is about time I made my announcement." He kissed Hikari quickly and moved to stand near the bar. Renji moved behind Miko, wrapping his arms around her and resting his hands on her belly.

"Here you go," Hikari said as she passed a champagne flute to Renji and one filled with sparkling water to Miko.

"Thank you for coming tonight, everyone. It is an honor to have you here to celebrate the opening of this restaurant. I also have the honor of announcing the new manager. He is a very diligent employee who is wonderful at his job and is well liked by everyone he meets and works with. I do not know anyone who deserves this more. The new manager is Renji Abarai. A toast to Renji," Byakuya said. He raised his glass and everyone followed. Miko turned in Renji's arms and placed a passionate kiss on his lips.

"I'm so very proud of you," she whispered. "I love you." Renji couldn't help but grin.

Miko's due date was fast approaching and Renji was freaking out a little. He was constantly worrying.

Miko was half asleep one night and rolled over, her arm out to wrap around Renji. When she found mattress instead of her boyfriend she opened her eyes. There was a sliver of light coming from the partially open door. She got up and walked out to the living room. The TV was on and Renji was pacing back and forth, not even watching it. Miko turned the TV off and then stood in front of Renji to stop him from pacing.

"Oh, hey, babe. Is everything okay?" he asked. She frowned.

"You never call me babe," she said. "Are you okay?" He looked down at her and smiled tiredly.

"I just thought I'd try it out," he laughed. She rolled her eyes and took his hand.

"Let's go back to bed." She pulled him back to their room and they crawled into bed. Miko pulled up her camisole just enough to reveal her belly. She then took Renji's hand and rested it on her belly. "Talk to your son," she said quietly. Renji smiled and kissed her belly.

"Hey, little guy. It won't be long before your mommy and I get to meet you. We're really excited and we already love you very much," he said. Renji grinned at Miko when he felt something bump against his hand. "Goodnight, little man." Renji rested his head on Miko's chest and they intertwined their hands over her belly. Miko fell asleep with a smile on her face.

The next day, Hikari and Byakuya were throwing a birthday party for Hiko. Miko, Renji, some members of Byakuya's family, and a few friends were gathered in Hikari and Byakuya's apartment. They were in the middle of singing "Happy Birthday", Hiko grinning as he waited to blow out his candles, when Miko felt like she was wetting herself. This was followed by a sharp pain that caused her to squeeze Renji's hand tightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"The baby's coming," she answered as the contraction passed. She had decided she was glad she'd worn a sundress.

"What?" he said, slightly shocked. She glared at him.

"The baby is coming. My water just broke," she said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, shit. Hospital. We've got to get to the hospital," he mumbled. He looked at Hikari and Byakuya, motioned to Miko's belly and then to the door. Two pairs of eyes widened in response. Hikari whispered something to Byakuya and he nodded. Miko let out a groan as another contraction hit. Hikari was right at her side and she and Renji started moving Miko toward the door.

"You remember your breathing, right?" Hikari asked. Miko nodded and started breathing the way Hikari had taught her. "Byakuya is going to let Hiko blow out his candles and eat a piece of cake. Then, he and the kids will head to the hospital."

"You're doing great, Miko," Renji said with a nervous smile. She glared at him as they got in the car.

"Ahhhh!" Miko cried out as she was being rushed down the hall on a hospital bed.

"Everything's going to be fine," Renji told her.

"You don't know that!" she yelled. She crushed his hand. "This is your fault!"

"Hey now! It takes two to make a kid, sweetheart," he yelled back, his nervousness coming out as anger.

"Please, don't yell at the patient!" The doctor scolded.

"I'm not yelling. I-"

"You're yelling. Now shut up," Hikari said, cutting him off. He took a deep breath and looked down at Miko. There were tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry. I know that it's not just you. I'm just scared," she sobbed. Renji kissed the back of her hand as they got into a room.

"It'll be fine. I'm right here with you," he said with a smile. Not long after that, a couple nurses got Miko changed into a hospital gown. The contractions were getting closer together and Miko and Renji knew it was almost time.

"You're going to stay right here?" Miko asked. Renji grinned.

"You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried. I'll be holding your hand the whole time," he replied. The doctor entered the room and checked on Miko's dilation.

"I think we're ready to go," she said. "Now, when I tell you to push, push with all your strength." Miko nodded. "Push!"

"Ahhhh!" Miko screamed as she pushed. Renji held her hand tightly and whispered encouraging words in her ear. She stopped pushing and took a few breaths.

"Push!" the doctor said. Miko pushed and then stopped to breathe. This happened a few more times until a high-pitched cry filled the room. Miko smiled and tears filled her eyes.

"Is he okay?" she asked Renji. He smiled proudly as the doctor nodded.

"He's great."

"Tough like his daddy," she said with a laugh.

"Would you like to cut the cord?" the doctor asked Renji. He nodded and the doctor showed him where to cut. After that, a nurse took the baby and cleaned him up. She wrapped him in a blanket and handed him to Miko with a smile.

"He has your hair, Renji," Miko said happily. Renji looked down at his son. The baby already had thick red hair.

"Poor kid," he said with a laugh. "He's beautiful." He placed a kiss on Miko's lips.

"Wanna see! Wanna see!" Hime cried out. Byakuya picked her up while Hikari picked up Hiko.

"You have to be quiet so you don't wake the baby," Byakuya told his daughter. She pressed a tiny finger to her lips.

"Quiet," she whispered and he nodded.

"He's beautiful," Hikari said. Renji grinned and kissed Miko's forehead.

"We make a good-looking kid," he said. Miko smiled down at her baby boy. The baby stirred and opened his eyes. She gasped and everyone in the room froze. Hiko pointed.

"His eyes look like Auntie Miko's!" the little boy exclaimed.

"That's good. Miko's eyes are much nicer than mine," Renji laughed.

"Knock, knock," someone said from the doorway. Everyone looked over and saw Ichigo there with his girlfriend Miyu, Izuru, Rangiku, and Shuuhei, a friend who had been out of town for about a year. "How's the little guy doing?"

"He's great," Miko answered.

"Did you expect anything less? He's our son after all," Renji added proudly. Everyone laughed. The group that had just entered gathered around Miko and the baby.

"He's such a cutie," Rangiku said excitedly.

"Definitely going to be a little heartbreaker," Miyu said with a giggle.

"Poor kid got stuck with that obnoxious hair of yours, huh?" Shuuhei smirked, patting Renji on the back.

"Shut the hell up," Renji replied with a smile.

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Izuru asked. The new parents blushed.

"We've actually been arguing about names since we found out that we were having a boy," Miko admitted.

"I like Ryo. My friend's name is Ryo," Hiko said. Miko and Renji looked at each other.

"Ryo is a pretty good name," Renji said.

"I like it," Miko said in return.

"Ryo it is then," Renji said with a smile.

"Yay! I got to name the baby!" Hiko exclaimed. Everyone laughed.

Everyone had gone home and Miko was sleeping peacefully. Renji held Ryo in his arms as he walked around the hospital room.

"Mommy and I were terrified when we first found out you were coming," he said quietly. Ryo stared back at his father, fascinated by his voice. "We weren't sure if we were ready for a kid. But we're both really happy you're here. You're going to be a great man someday and we're going to do our absolute best to be great parents. We love you so much." The baby yawned and closed his eyes. Renji smiled and kissed his son's forehead.

"It's so nice to be home," Miko said as she and Renji walked into the apartment a small cry came from the baby carrier. Miko placed the carrier on the coffee table and carefully took Ryo out.

"Is he hungry?" Renji asked.

"I think so. It doesn't seem like he's got a dirty diaper," she answered. Renji grabbed a bottle out of the diaper bag and joined Miko where she was sitting on the couch with Ryo. He passed her the bottle and they both smiled as she started to feed Ryo.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy," Renji said quietly.

"Me, too," Miko replied. Renji pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Want to know the only thing that could make me happier?"

"Hm?"

"Marrying you." Miko looked over at him.

"What?" she whispered.

"I want to marry you. What do you say?" he asked. She beamed at him.

"Yes. I want to marry you, too."