Thanks to all those who read and reviewed… sooo love you all. And I'm sorry for the late update again.

Special thanks to Blitch, for remaining to be a fan a faithful supporter. I'm trying my best! :D

And I will be updating Bloody Banquet soon, and I will be posting a new Bleach fan fic entitled "Sen no Yoru o Koete". Please read it! Totally manga-related, I think. ROFL

Here goes,

Chapter 25

In Bliss and In Pain

Daisuke smiled at Ichigo, who was looking at him in an encouraging way. Somehow he wanted to make his father proud of him, and show off.

The young boy laughed slightly at this thought, which earned him a perplexed gaze from his father. "Nothing dad," he said.

"Go on little boy," Shinji said, grinning. "I know you're better than this old man of yours."

Ichigo laughed. "Go on," he said.

Daisuke frowned in concentration, as a katana appeared out of nowhere in his hands.

Amazing, Ichigo thought. I remember that I could only call out Zangetsu in my shinigami form. Daisuke can even have his zanpakutou as a human, what's more he can make it disappear and reappear at will.

"Don't be so shocked Ichigo," Shinji interrupted, as if reading his thoughts. "We can use our zanpakutous even in our gigais. So, maybe your boy can do the same."

Ichigo nodded. Daisuke was indeed a similar case.

"Arise," Daisuke said. "Shukaku."

Ichigo was stunned as a blade of the purest gold covered the formerly plain katana, generating a twin of a deep ruby. It was a twin sword, joined together by a fine diamond chain that had spikes on it.

"WOW!!!" Mashiro said excitedly. "Looks good enough to sell!"

"Shut it, Mashiro," Kensei said, looking at the immature woman with condescending eyes.

"Kensei, you meaaaanieee~" Mashiro said.

Daisuke laughed, "Well, Mashiro-neesan, it looks a bit expensive," he said.

Ichigo was amazed. At such a young age, Daisuke has his own zanpakutou. This was probably the reason why he was saying to Orihime, in that fateful encounter in the beach, that he could fight. He had a zanpakutou.

"Do you know how to use this, boy?" Love asked, clearly amazed.

"Love, don't pressure the boy," Rose said, shaking his head slightly.

Then in a second, someone flash stepped towards Daisuke, aiming a rather dangerous kick at the boy.

Ichigo moved, but saw, to his relief and shock, that Daisuke was able to block the attack with his zanpakutou.

The attacker was Hiyori.

"Damn you, Hiyori!" Ichigo yelled. "What are you playing at?!"

Hiyori chuckled, "Let's see what this little boy of yours got."

Daisuke grinned, much to Ichigo's surprise. "Don't worry dad, I'm sure I won't get hurt."

"Really, now?" Hiyori said, pressing her foot harder on Daisuke's zanpakutou. "You're really cocky, like your dickhead of a father!"

Daisuke moved his zanpakutou in a slash and disappeared.

Now this time, Ichigo was sweating to the roots of his head.

He had never been so worried. He wanted to strangle Hiyori for doing this. He started to move when a hand stopped him.

It was Shinji.

"Watch," Shinji said, looking at Hiyori as Daisuke appeared behind her. "Daisuke seems to be having fun."

Ichigo paused and looked at Daisuke's expression.

The boy looked entertained, and there was a determined look on his face that reminded him of someone.

Himself.

"Nice shunpo!" Mashiro called out. "You're sooo cute, Daisuke-kun!!!"

Hiyori aimed a punch at Daisuke's face with Daisuke deflecting it with his hands as he clutched on to his zanpakutou. He used the chains to trap Hiyori's hand as he swung and aimed a kick to the woman's grinning face.

Hiyori ducked and tumbled backwards, freeing herself from the chains. But her eyes suddenly went wide when her hand started to shine, turning into something that looked like a diamond.

"Shit," she cursed. Then she grinned at the little boy who was smiling slightly in front of her. "What's this?"

"One of Shukaku's techniques," Daisuke answered. "When a part of you gets bound by the chain, it turns to diamond. You can't move that hand now, Hiyori-san."

Hiyori chuckled. "That's a tricky zanpakutou you have there. You can undo this, right?"

Daisuke grinned. "If I wanted to."

The woman just grinned wider as she drew out her zanpakutou and lunged at Daisuke, her damaged hand hanging loosely at her side.

Ichigo was amazed. He remembered the first time he wielded a zanpakutou. He didn't have a strategy, only the will to protect – to fight. He fought with his instincts and the skills he picked up here and there. And he gradually became stronger.

But Daisuke was different. His son managed to outwit a former Vice-captain and a Vizard. Sure, Hiyori was taking it easy on Daisuke, but Hiyori's current level while fighting with the boy was clearly that of a seated officer. And Daisuke fought with strategy, managing to incapacitate an opponent's body part without so much as a wink of doubt, like he had a plan for everything.

Ichigo saw it in the way his brows were furrowed together in concentration as he dodged and blocked Hiyori's attacks and countered with his own. It was like seeing both his and Ishida's fighting styles.

Right now, Hiyori was hurling a series of slashes and kicks on Daisuke. The boy rolled over, quick to react. Ichigo caught his breath in nervousness when a heavy blow from Hiyori's zanpakutou cracked the ground, only inches away from a barely spared Daisuke. He was barely stopping himself from attacking the blonde bitch and defending his son.

"That was so cool!" Daisuke said, looking at the hole beside him, laughing in a carefree manner.

Hiyori laughed along, "Well, you ain't seen nothing yet!"

Kensei chuckled. "Your son seems to be enjoying himself quite a lot."

Ichigo couldn't nod. He was very proud alright, but he was afraid out his guts. What if Daisuke got hurt? More importantly, what would Orihime say when he saw Daisuke now?

"GANBATTE, DAISUKE!!!" a voice yelled from behind them.

To Ichigo's shock, it was Orihime.

She was already standing, walking towards them. Hacchi was rushing close to her, grumbling words like, "Wait, Inoue-dono, I'm not done yet!"

Ichigo stared incredulously at Orihime as she walked slowly towards them, her eyes twinkling with pride and something he couldn't' quite identify as she watched her son fight with an experienced warrior.

"Orihime!" Ichigo yelled. "What're you doing?! You're supposed to be resting!"

"Hai, hai, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said, giggling slightly, but she didn't heed his warning, instead she said, "Go, go, Daisuke!"

Ichigo heard Daisuke's laugh erupt from afar, filled with joy that his mother was okay now. And there was a change in the boy's moves, as if he was inspired by the presence of this radiant woman who was trying her best to stand up.

"I'll win for you mom!" Daisuke called out, flash stepping out of the way as Hiyori sent a kidou spell at him.

"You better, or else you won't have a taste of my famous wasabi again," Orihime called back, giggling.

Ichigo couldn't believe his eyes. The woman who bore his child was there, standing and cheering as if nothing happened, watching their son fight. The two were even kidding around.

He felt a warm sensation within him. He felt like he wanted to gather them both into his arms and admit how much of a fool he was for letting them slip from his grasp. He should have stayed, no matter what the circumstance. He was weak enough to let Kyouka Suigetsu frighten him. And now look at what those years of cowardice has brought him.

"Stop worrying, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said, looking at him with gentle eyes. "I'm fine, and Daisuke's doing more than fine."

"Teach me some of those magic tricks some time, Hiyori-san!" Daisuke said.

Hiyori tsk-ed. She noticed that Daisuke seemed to be dodging her attacks in circles, as if he was making a pattern and directing her somewhere.

When Daisuke smiled again with a wise glint in his eyes, Hiyori knew.

"Crap," she said.

"Sand storm," Daisuke said in a hushed manner.

Hiyori stared as the footsteps Daisuke made to avoid her glowed, and the solid ground beneath her soften. The golden blade of Daisuke's zanpakutou was glowing as the earth beneath Hiyori's feet turned to sand and swirl all around her, engulfing her in an avalanche of sand and dust.

But, Hiyori had experience on her side. She drew her Hollow mask out, blasting a Cero to dissolve Daisuke's attack.

"Okay okay, stop," Shinji said, halting the two. "Don't get so pumped up, Hiyori. This boy made you draw your zanpakutou and your Hollow mask."

Hiyori grinned. "Yeah," she replied, removing the mask. "Surprised he wasn't scared at all."

"Daddy's got a mask too, I saw it," Daisuke replied.

"Good job, kiddo," Hiyori said, patting Daisuke's head. "Your little tricks and your friggin' zanpakutou almost got me there."

"You just have to admit you're fuckin' weak, Hiyori," Shinji muttered.

A nerve ticked in Hiyori's forehead as she glanced at Shinji, murder flashing in her eyes, "What the fuck did you say, Shinji?!"

Shinji ignored her and moved as far away as possible, but not before Hiyori threw her sandal at the back of his head, which made him fall face first to the ground.

"OWWW!!!" Shinji yelled.

"Mommy!" Daisuke said, ignoring the two quarrelling adults behind him.

Daisuke flew to Orihime's open arms, as gently as the excited boy possibly can. Ichigo looked at the poignant scene before him as Orihime kissed Daisuke's forehead and rubbed his cheeks lovingly.

"You did well, Daisuke," she said, eyes shining with love.

Daisuke's chocolate eyes filled with tears as he hugged Orihime tighter. "But I couldn't protect you mommy. I'm sorry. I'll work harder."

"You don't have to, Daisuke," Orihime said, smiling as she hugged her son back. "It's a mother's duty to protect her child, no matter what it costs. Don't ever forget that. So, don't blame yourself, okay?"

Ichigo was struck by what Orihime said. It sounded like something his mother would say… something that Kurosaki Masaki would have said if ever she had the chance to talk to her son when Ichigo grieved over her death and blamed himself.

And he remembered vaguely, in that fateful encounter with the Grand Fisher – his mother's face.

A face that what etched now in Orihime's expression – loving, warm and gentle.

He wanted her.

He needed her.

He desired her.

He cared for her.

He loved her.

He loves her.

He approached Orihime and Daisuke and said, in a voice choked with emotion that didn't seem to belong to him, "Why are you looking for someone to protect you?"

Orihime and Daisuke looked at Ichigo in an identically curious expression.

"You don't have to worry about each other, I'm here," Ichigo said, moving closer, placing a hand on Orihime's and Daisuke's shoulders. "I will always protect you. Always and forever."

Orihime couldn't speak. She wanted to, but she couldn't. Her throat was choked up by something she couldn't quite explain, and she felt tears sting threateningly at the back of her eyes. She looked into Ichigo's chocolate eyes, assessing their sincerity.

But there was nothing to be assessed. She knew Ichigo quite well. Whenever he vowed, promised, or said something out loud, he was making a promise to himself and a reassurance to the people around him.

She remembered him doing so in his past fights – with Kuchiki Byakuya, Grimmjow Jaggerjack, and Ulquiorra Schiffer… even with Aizen Sousuke.

This was the man he fell in love with. One who would sacrifice everything for the people he loved. With every breath he labored to take and every drop of blood he dared to waste – over and over, he would try to fight.

And vowing to protect her and their son was something Orihime never dreamed Ichigo would do. Well, I never gave him the chance…

But she hoped inside her that the pain of the past would be over now. They could start a new life.

Ichigo and Daisuke would be father and son.

And Ichigo and her would be…

What?

"Will you?" Daisuke asked. "Will you protect us, dad?"

Ichigo smiled down and gazed into Daisuke's innocent eyes. "Of course," he replied.

Daisuke gave a whoop of laughter and jumped, hugging Ichigo by the neck as the boy dangled. Ichigo's arms went around his son's small figure and embraced him, longing for this moment.

"Thank you, Ichigo," Orihime said, tears falling from her eyes.

Ichigo looked at her in surprise. He slowly put Daisuke down and went near her, cupping her face and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"I will never leave you again," he said. "No matter what."

He bent his head down and captured the lips he so longed for.

A dawn of a new beginning – a rekindling of the memorable and blissful past. No more pain. A bright future.

That's it for now! :D No, this is not the ending yet. Heehee. Still more to come! :D

R&R!!! [Ok! Edited for the sake of Blitch! Thanks for reminding me that I wanted to change the name-calling. LMAO]