Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

---Chapter 10---

Ichigo laid on his back, his hand behind his head as he gazed at the ceiling. His eyebrows furrowed together in frustration.

"Damn it, I should've gone after Renji. I could've kicked his ass around..."

Rukia quirked an eyebrow.

"Ichigo, no you couldn't..."

He shot up instantly.

"What!? Who's side are you on, Rukia!?"

She let out a sigh.

"I'm on your side, you know that. But your leg is still broken, your ribs still aren't healed, and that gash is definitely still there."

He flopped back down onto the bed and placed a hand on his bandaged stomach.

"Yeah...I guess I can go after him when I'm not so damn broken." He said, his frown quickly changing to an ear-to-ear smile.

"Ichigo..."

He stretched his arm out, reaching it around Rukia and pulled her closer to him.

"Relax, I'm just kiddin'. But if that bastard does come back, I'll have his ass."

"I don't really think Renji is a threat, and I doubt he'll come back any time soon."

"Oh, I know he isn't a threat, he just pisses me off."

She looked up at him, knowing he was referring to when Renji made the remark of who would want to have his child.

"Don't listen to anything he says...I wouldn't want anyone else to be the father of this baby." She said, her expression mellow as she set her hand on her stomach.

He smiled down at her and loosened his hold on her shoulders, to put his hand on her tummy.

"3 more months."

Her violet eyes stared into his as she nodded.

"Mmhmm."

"I can't wait." He said, like a child anxiously awaiting Christmas morning.

"Me either. I'm exhausted." She murmured, blowing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

He laughed quietly, to what he thought was himself, until he felt a jab at his bare chest.

"Ow! Rukia what was that for!?"

She rolled over, turning her back to him.

"Oh, be quiet. I barely touched you." She said harshly.

A tad confused, he leaned down, touching his lips to her neck. He could feel her body relaxing as he lightly rested his chin there.

"How's it goin' waaay over here?"

She tensed up again and tried to shake him off as he slipped his hands around her waist.

"Aha, the Kuchiki mood swings are in effect."

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I do not have mood swings!!" She yelled whirling around.

"Hey, settle down. You don't want the baby to hear you hollerin' like that, it'll get scared." He said smiling.

"Why do you have to be such a smartass!?"

He lifted his head, looking at her confused. Usually he had her calmed down by now.

"Rukia...what did I say?"

She laid her head back down and her face sunk into the pillow.

"Ahw, c'mon. It's my baby too, ya know. Not like it's some other guy's..."

Rukia sat up.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"What!?!? Rukia, what the hell!!"

"I probably should've told you this at the very beginning...--" She trailed off.

His eyes widened.

"...Told me what?"

"Well...quite awhile ago I met up with Keigo Asano..and one thing led to another...and..."

Ichigo shot out of bed, grabbing his crutches and limped toward the door.

"KEIGO ASANO!? I'm gonna wring his neck!! That ass wipe is dead!!"

Rukia turned her back to him and he could see her shoulders rising and falling, but he couldn't tell whether she was laughing or crying. Crying, he thought, would probably be the appropriate gesture for the current situation. He slowly toddled over to her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

She lifted her head and he saw a particularly large smile on her face.

"Okay, what the hell is going on!" He said, now completely confused.

Bursting out in laughter , she covered her mouth with her left hand.

"Ichigo, how could you even believe that! I would never do that with Keigo Asano!"

His mouth dropped, gaping open.

"Well he always had a thing for you, so you never know." He said, turning away and folding his arms across his chest.

"Uh-huh..." She said, rolling her eyes.

"It could happen..."

"You're such a dope, Ichigo." She replied with a smile.

He quickly turned around.

"But at least I'm not a bi-polar dope."

She clenched her teeth and went with her usual instinct of throwing the nearest object at him, which this time happened to be their phone book.

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Mmkay, so would you guys be alright with me skipping the next few months to the baby birth in the next chapter? Cuz I can't think of anything else for the months in between. But...if you really want me to, I'll think of something.

Anyway, read and review!

You know you want to!