A/N: No spoilers! ^.^

Disclaimer: I own Bleach not. Yoda I am.

I: INNOCENT

Ichigo felt his throat close up and his cheeks burn red. How in Kami's name was he going to answer that question? By now he should've been used to it with all of Rukia's embarrassing questions, but this was a whole new level. He'd heard talk of children asking this question before, but he never thought he'd have to explain it to anyone. All Ichigo wanted was to find someone else, anyone else, to explain it now, but alas, he knew that this was his job and his alone. Taking a deep breath and swallowing hard, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Well…" His voice cracked and he blushed brighter. Trying to ignore the big violet eyes staring up at him in wonder, prying into the depths of his soul, (it felt like it, anyway) Ichigo went on. "It's a difficult question to answer."

"So you don't know?" his counterpart asked, both amazed and disappointed at the possibility of him not knowing the answer to a seemingly simple question.

"Of course I know!" Ichigo snapped. The big violet eyes flashed in surprise and fear before burning with a familiar anger. "Sorry," Ichigo said in a softer tone. "It's just that this question is… hard for me to answer."

"Why?"

Ichigo sighed. This was going to be a long, drawn out explanation. "Because it's awkward… to talk about… Most people… avoid these types of conversations…"

"Why?"

Trying and failing to keep his annoyance at bay, Ichigo rolled his eyes. "They just do!" he said after stuttering and searching for the right wording.

"Oh," came the reply. A petite hand reached up and brushed a strand of black hair from the violet eyes that stared at Ichigo longer, searching for the answer to their original question.

Sighing again, Ichigo reached a hand up and scratched an invisible itch on the nape of his neck. "Well, you see… When a man and a woman love each other very much…" He paused to look at the interrogator, hoping that something he said might trigger a memory of hearing his explanation once before. But the big violet eyes only blinked, telling him to continue. "Well, they, um, decide that they want a baby and then they… um… spend some quality time together and-"

"Doing what?"

"Er, well, um… being together. Doing… stuff." Ichigo's cheeks were giving Renji's hair a run for its money.

"What stuff?" A hand was cupped under its owner's slightly pointed chin.

Ichigo leaned backwards and avoided eye contact with everything in the room- even the things without eyes. "Erm… Having… fun." He chanced a wary glance at his counterpart, hoping he could get away will leaving it at that.

But nothing was ever so easy. "What do they do for fun? Play video games?"

"No, not video games. They, erm… wrestle."

"Oh." The raven-haired head bobbed in agreement.

Ichigo let out a sigh of relief. That was better than he expected. "After they… wrestle… the woman gets a baby in her belly and a few months later the doctors take it out."

The violet eyes grew big in either wonder or disgust, Ichigo couldn't quite tell. "She eats… a baby?"

"What? NO!" Ichigo's face heated up again. "A baby just sort of appears there. It's really small at first, but then it grows and grows until it's baby size and the doctors can take it out."

"How do they take it out?"

What is up with all these questions today? This is getting ridiculous. "Well, they can cut open the woman's stomach to get it out," Ichigo offered, hoping he wouldn't have to talk about natural birth today.

"Oooohhhhhhh… That makes sense. Is that the end, then?"

"…Yes…"

"Okay, thanks Daddy!" Kaien hopped up and sprinted off to the next room. Ichigo collapsed on the couch, thankful beyond belief that that conversation was over… For now… Eventually he knew he'd have to go into more detail, but he hoped that he could wait as long as possible before going there.

Rukia walked into the room and sat next to him, taking a while to do so. Her bulging belly was making it difficult for her to move around much any more. The baby was due next month, and with her petite frame, Rukia was almost hidden completely by her stomach. Ichigo wanted to help her, but he knew he'd only get a kick in the shin if he did so much as move a cushion. Instead, he sat and waited as she slowly squatted and eased into her seat, finally plopping down when she finally got down far enough to do so.

"What was all that about?" she asked once she was comfortable.

Ichigo sat back in his seat and covered his face with his hands. "I don't even want to talk about it."

"Aw, was it really that bad?" Rukia teased, ruffling his hair the way she knew he hated it.

"Shut up, Midget."

Chuckling, Rukia otherwise ignored the insult, knowing she got him worse than he could ever get her. "What was the question?"

"'Where do babies come from?' It was awful."

"And what did you tell him?" Rukia said cautiously. Truthfully, she was scared of what he said to their 3-year old son. Ichigo probably had the exact correct answer given to him (in great detail) when he was a kid by Isshin; shouldn't she be worried?

Ichigo explained what he had told Kaien eventually, but it took him nearly as long as it had to come up with the answer. Once he was done, both parents were silent for a moment, Ichigo trying to erase the one scar he actually minded, Rukia surprised and trying to fully comprehend what was just told to her.

Suddenly, she burst out laughing and socked Ichigo in the arm.

"OI! What was that for?" he yelled irritably, rubbing the sore spot.

It took a minute before Rukia was able to reply. She was laughing so hard, but she was angry, too. It was really quite confusing. Finally, she spoke. "W-w-w-wrestling? Really, Ichigo?"

Ichigo turned beet red and glared at her before yelling, "WELL WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO SAY? THEY HAVE S-S-S- THAT?"

"Sexual intercourse?" Rukia offered before laughing; if it were possible, Ichigo turned even more red.

"DON'T SAY THAT!"

Rukia laughed again, but rested a reassuring hand on his knee. Once she stopped laughing enough, she spoke in a soft voice. "You did a good job, Ichigo."

Plastering on a scowl, said man looked stubbornly away from her. "Whatever."

Rukia smiled, knowing this was his version of a thank-you. "Idiot."

And Ichigo knew that was her way of saying 'you're welcome.'

It's funny how they understood each other. It was like a different language, one made especially for them.

Unbeknownst to the two squabbling parents, Kaien was in the other room with his grandfather, who was making vivid diagrams and using different foods as examples. Needless to say, Kaien liked his father's interpretation better.

A/N: Hehe… So sorry if that was another awkward one. ^.^ I didn't mean for it to be, but you know how it is. It just seemed too perfect for "Innocent" to pass up. Kudos and 100 points go to the ones that figured out from the beginning that it wasn't Rukia Ichigo was talking to! :D Anyway, I wrote this early! Be proud of me! ;) And I know what I'm going to use for "j" now, so you can guess if you want! Taking suggestions for "k!" Keep in mind that I'm only doing feelings or states of being in this fic, okay? ;D

Thanks to my amazing reviewers! And thanks to those who favorited/followed! You guys are awesome! I really feel blessed to have such a wonderful audience. Seriously. I really do. I mean, I haven't even been flamed. Not once. You guys are awesome, because honestly, I don't know if I could take it, haha. (And that was me jinxing myself… Way to go, Poisonfish.)

Anyways, please be sure to review! It lifts my spirits! ^.^ And it makes me want to write more. ;D

REVIEWS…

Winter Knight- Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! :)

andromeda0909- Fluffiness is always good! Haha, and don't worry about it; I find it funny. ^.^ And sugar highs have to be worn off somehow. Otherwise we explode. ;D

Lunacat13- Thank you! Glad you liked it!

Andr3w R0b3rts0n- I. Love. That. Word! Haha. Oh, I LOVE the jinxed one, by the way! Definitely going to use that, but I might switch it up a bit. ;D Also, your email STILL didn't show up. Try writing it like this next time: email email . com. It might work that way. ^.^

Disha5- Haha, we've already discussed the greatness of Rukia being back, but I'm still UBER excited about it, so I just keep going on about it… everyone of my friends thinks I'm a crazy person… Oh, well. I probably am. Thanks! Glad you liked it. :D

Rukia's Reflection- Thanks so much! I'm so glad you liked it!

ArchShadow24- Haha, thanks! And I have officially added completelyutterlyawesome to my dictionary/vocabulary. ^.^ And it was Innocent! Yay! Both of your suggestions were GREAT and things I could easily work with with the two of them. Haha, they're such idiots. The reason I actually chose Innocent (if you're interested) was because I didn't have internet connection where I was when I started writing it and forgot about all the suggestions I got… Oops… Anyway, thanks for the review! I'm glad you like it!

MN- Here's the update! Hurray! That was my favorite part, too. ^.^ I like it when the guy goes all sappy for the girl… Sigh… Thanks for the review and encouragement! Glad you liked it! :)

Don't forget to REVIEW! :D