Before they new it the ninth month had finally come. Ichigo and Rukia were staying put down the hall in Byakuya's estate. Ichigo's excitement about the new baby grew by the day, Rukia had mood swings on the impending birth. She was often excited but got nervous easily, afraid that anything could suddenly go wrong. Ichigo tried to ease her worries usually a back rub would get thrown in.
"Were about to be parents, it's kinda exciting" Rukia said, "Oh!" She jumped, springing forward.
"What?" Ichigo asked
"He kicked me!" She said excited, Ichigo put his hands on the sides of Rukia's stomach and he moved his face closer.
"Hey, Taro" Ichigo said gently in a hushed tone. "Don't kick mommy, and don't make me come in there," Ichigo said kindly scolding there unborn son. Rukia started to giggle at Ichigo talking to her stomach. He lifted her shit uncovering just her rounded stomach, he tenderly kissed her stomach. Rukia smiled running her fingers threw his hair as he rested his ear to her stomach, listening to the heart beat of their child.
It was late that night almost two am when they finally drifted to sleep. Not even an hour later, Ichigo was rudely awakened when Rukia suddenly screamed him name.
"Rukia…" He panicked, "It's almost three am what's wrong?"
"Its time!" Rukia said, clutching her stomach.
"Oh crap!" Ichigo panicked, He lifted Rukia into his arms, the sudden sound of water hitting the floor confirmed it, Rukia was going into labor. "BYAKUYA!" Ichigo screamed running downy the halls of the estate. "OI, BYAKUYA!" Ichigo shouted again. Byakuya was startled by the noise and the shouting, and his first instinct was to be irritated, but then reality sank in.
"Oh shit!" Byakuya cursed, and in a rare moment losing his composer, and racing out of his room. They raced off to the 4th Division.
"Ichigo I'm scared." Rukia said clutching Ichigo's shirt in her hands.
"We've come this far Rukia." Ichigo said, "How many times have you faced death, and beat it. Your about to bring new life into the world, so don't be scared now." Ichigo explained. "Besides, you're not doing this alone, and you'l never be alone." Ichigo continued to explain. He looked at this bride as he raced her to the 4th Division, he could see the pain in her eyes. "You have me, Byakuya, my family, countless friends here and in the human world. You'll never have to face anything alone." He finished.
"Ichigo." Rukia almost whispered before letting out a blood curling scream. The contractions were getting closer together. Ichigo saw his father waiting for them outside the 4th Division hospital. Ichigo was relived to see his father, and glad he had gotten to soul society so quickly.
"Dammit Ichigo!" Rukia cursed. Ichigo laid her down on a bed in one of the fourth Divisions rooms. "Why did you do this to me Ichigo!" She wailed. Isane and Hanataro raced into the room, Rukia screamed as the contractions worsened and the baby was on its way. Ichigo caressed Rukia's face.
"I don't no if I can do this." She panted, short of breath.
"It's ok Rukia, you can do this, just close your eyes, count to ten, take a deep breath and push." Ichigo said softly, trying to sooth his wife. Isshin Buzzed around taking photos and videos of Rukia.
"Oh boy! My grandson will be here soon!" He cheered.
"Ichigo!" She shrieked glaring at him with eyes filled with rage and death. Ichigo backed up against the wall in fear of his wife. His father buzzing around.
"Come over here, Ichigo" Rukia said gasped, fuming. She reached her hand out. Ichigo slowly stepped closer to the bed, he couldn't say no to her, and he knew she was in pain, he reached his hand out to her, knowing he might not make it out alive, it had already been nine hours sense she went into labor, and he had barley survived them. Renji had shown up to see Rukia, and the baby. Rukia latched onto Ichigo's hands crushing several of the bones in his hand.
"Help!" Ichigo cried the bones in his hand snapping as Rukia pulled him inches from her face. Renji couldn't hold back is laughter at the sight of Ichigo helpless and in pain.
"Ichigo." She said panting. "Get your fathers and his camera, OUT!" She shrieked in his ear. Ichigo pulled away, his hand throbbing, he started to chase his father around the room.
"Get out old man, your gonna get me killed!" He shouted.
"But my grandson!" He whined.
"I see a head!" Isane announced.
"Ichigo you bastard!" Rukia shrieked.
"I can't believe I'm missing the birth of my grandchild!" Isshin whined before receiving a kick to the gut from Ichigo.
"What did you do to her Ichigo? She sounds pissed." Renji asked.
"I got her pregnant." Ichigo said laughing.
"So you admit you got her pregnant!" Renji accused.
"Yeah…" Ichigo said, "I never denied it…"
"I'll have your head for putting her threw this." Byakuya threatened.
"Ichigo! Ichigo! Look!" Isshin called out full of energy as if sons kick hadn't phased him.
"My Grandson!" the Isshin announced as Isane wrapped the baby in a towel and handed him to Rukia.
"Taro!" Ichigo said joyously, Rukia was holding her arms out to Isane who handed her, their new baby boy. A healthy baby boy, with tufts of black hair and Ichigo's golden brown eyes. Rukia held him close, Ichigo walked over and knelt down at her side, putting his arm around the happy mother his hand rubbing her shoulder while his free hand stoked his new son's soft cheek.
"Hello, Taro, my first born son." Rukia said softly and lovingly to the small baby in her arms.
"Kurosaki Taro" Ichigo smiled. "He's perfect." Ichigo kissed Rukia's forehead, Rukia looked lovingly at Ichigo.
"Sorry I hurt your hand…" Rukia apologized.
"It's ok, I think the bones all just got popped out of place," Ichigo assured. "It barely hurts."
"My grandson! Thank you Ichigo," Isshin said patting Ichigo on the back. "Good job!" he winked.
"I'm an aunt!" Yuzu cheered happily.
"This should be fun," Karin said with a grin.
"My nephew," Byakuya said, actually smiling. Renji looked at Byakuya, dumbfounded by his show of emotion.
"Ichigo." Rukia said softly, "I think Taro wants his daddy to hold him" she said moving the drowsy baby towards its father. Ichigo held the tiny baby in his arms. The baby's tiny hands held two of Ichigo's fingers, were much too large, for him to grasp. Taro drifted off to sleep in Ichigo's arms, he just stared at his son
"I helped to created this." He thought to himself looking over to Rukia.
"The baby is so cute." Renji said appearing suddenly in front of Ichigo, his face inches from the baby. The baby heard Renji's loud rough voice, his large violet eyes, looking upon Renji's tattooed face in fear.
Taro began to scream and cry Rukia held out her arms, and Ichigo handed their son back to her, sitting next to her on the bed his arms around her, she rocked Taro, until he calmed back down, Byakuya had thrown Renji out of the room in the process. Rukia rested her head on Ichigo's shoulder. She stroked Taro's tuffs of hair, and the Isane asked everyone to leave so Rukia and Taro could get some rest.
"Taro was so cute daddy," Yuzu said, passing Renji, who was leaning against the wall sulking about being kicked out of the room.
"He was so small," Karin said. "Hard to believe its Ichi-Nii's, I just never pictured him as a dad." She continued looking up as they walked out of the 4th Division hospital and left for their home in the real world.
Ichigo sat on the bed next to Rukia, the baby softly cooing in Rukia's arms, Ichigo pulled Rukia onto his lap. Rukia laid her head on Ichigo's chest, Ichigo wrapped his arms around Rukia who fell asleep after a short while. Ichigo and Rukia had fallen asleep, while holding Taro gently. In the morning there was a knock at the door.
"You have visitors." Isane said, letting in Orihime and Ishida in.
"Oh my god!" Orihime quietly squealed, "So cute!"
"Congratulations Kurosaki." Ishida said following Orihime over to the hospital bed where Rukia was still sitting besides Ichigo and holding her sleeping baby. "Hard to believe you're a father," Ishida stated.
"It is a little weird to me, too." Ichigo laughed.
"I think you're ok to leave now Rukia" Isane said, helping the new mother out of bed. Ichigo stood behind her and picked her up. Ichigo gathered her things, and they headed back to the Estate.
At the estate they discovered Byakuya had one of the guest houses transformed into a more suitable home for the new family. It was a way to keep them close, but to allow them the privacy they needed now that they were parents.
"He's got your eyes Ichigo," Orihime said, "and your hair, Rukia-Chan"
"I was surprised," Rukia said, "I was expecting another strawberry head." She giggled as she laid taro down in his crib.
Ichigo scowled he was always annoyed with being referred to as a strawberry. Rukia yawned and looked around at all of her friends and family, it was dinner time and she was ready for bed.
"I think I'm going to bed Ichigo." She explained.
"You sure you ok to walk?" Ichigo asked.
"I'm fine." Rukia wined, rolling her eyes.
"Well, I know that." Ichigo said slyly, "But your body doesn't hurt anymore? You're not feeling weak or anything?" Ichigo kept asking, Rukia rolled her eyes and watched their son sleep peacefully.
"You've had a day my angel," Rukia said sweetly, stroking Taro's soft black hair, Ichigo came up behind her putting his hands on her hips.
"Let me help you into bed." He insisted leading Rukia to their room, and pulling the covers over her once she was in bed. He sat with her for a moment while she fell asleep. Her body had been threw a lot, and now it was time for him to take some of that burden off of her. He walked back into Taro's room everyone was gathered around the crib looking at the new baby.
"He is so cute," Ichigo admired, watching the babies eyes wonder the room, his little legs, moving around.
"Oi! Ichigo."
"Hey Renji." Ichigo replied, turning away from his son for a moment.
"I just wanted to apologize, for making your kid cry and all." Renji said.
"Byakuya yelled at you and made you come here didn't he." Ichigo said smirking.
"He just guilted me a bit, I decided to come here on my own." Renji said walking over to the baby, whose eyes opened wide upon seeing Renji's face.
"Hey kid, sorry for scarring you earlier." Renji said smiling, "We'll be good friends when your older, well make your dads life hell." Renji said laughing, all the while Taro's eyes grew larger, filling with tears, and Ichigo pushed Renji away from the crib and picked up his son.
"It's ok Taro." He said holding Taro, and rubbing his little back. "Looks like Taro doesn't like you Renji." Ichigo said, smirking.
"What I ever do to him!" Renji asked annoyed.
"It could be the tattoos, the wild bright red hair, the loud voice, the bad first impression, you smell bad too." Ichigo began listing.
"Bastard" Renji grumbled. "I bet Taro don't like you either." Ichigo took this as a challenge, taking Taro from his crib, he gently pressed his forehead to Taro's, and his little hands stressed out grabbing his fathers ears, a big smile spread across his tiny face.
"What makes you so special?" Renji grumbled.
"I'm his father." Ichigo grinned.
"Please, he's only hours old, how dose he know who you are already." Renji protested.
"Instinct." Ichigo replied kissing his newborn son's forehead. "Its time for dinner Taro," Ichigo said after glancing at the clock and noticing it was already seven. He went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle. Ichigo sat on the couch and started to feed Taro, when Rukia wondered into the living room.
"Rukia, what are you doing up?" Ichigo asked concerned.
"I'm having trouble sleeping." She replied, she sat next to Ichigo and took over feeding Taro. Ichigo leaned over to Renji with a grin and whispered,
"You wish you were that baby don't you?" Ichigo taunted.
"I'm ganna kill you!" Renji shouted, stirring the baby, Taro began to fail his limbs, and cry, pushing the bottle away.
"Will you two stop making Taro cry?" Rukia said annoyed, once again trying to sooth Taro's tears, while glaring at Renji, who was snarling at Ichigo, who was snarling back.
"Let's go finish dinner in the other room." Rukia said caressing her sniffling babies cheek, and leaving the room.