A/N I don't own Bleach, nor do I make any profit from it

I'd get your tissues, it's going to get emotional :(

Chapter 35 – A Happy Ending?

3rd person – 6 months later…

"My waters have broken," Sara screamed, "Somebody…please help me!"

Maids scurried about and Rukia jumped up to support her sister-in-law. Sara was guided to the futon in the room she shared with Byakuya. Rukia removed Sara's heavy kimono and left her in the thin yukata underneath, making sure that Sara didn't over heat. She tied Sara's now long, hip length hair into a pony tail and clipped her bangs from her now sweaty forehead.

Rukia supported Sara's back and held her hand, "Somebody, please alert Squad 4 for her," Rukia cried to the chamber maids who were running about frantically. Sara's head rested on Rukia's shoulder, under her chin.

"Will someone tell Byakuya," Sara said weakly. Rukia gasped and nodded.

"Tsukasa, get you to Squad 6 and tell Captain Kuchiki of this matter! Go now!"

"Yes, Lady Rukia," she said with a quick low bow. As she did so, Retsu, Isane and Hanatarou were walking towards the bedroom.

"Is Lady Kuchiki in that bedroom," Retsu asked Tsukasa. Tsukasa nodded.

"Yes, Ma'am," Tsukasa replied, "She's just through there."

"Thank you," Retsu said before making her way into the bedroom. She walked inside and rushed over to the bed. Kneeling beside it, Sara had a look of relief on her face.

"Captain Unohana," Sara said weakly, "Thank you for coming."

"No need to thank me, child," Retsu said kindly. She turned to Rukia, "Miss Kuchiki, it would be better if you stayed out of the way."

She turned to a now pale Hanatarou, "Hanatarou, would you place yourself where Miss Kuchiki was? That way, we won't have you fainting."

Hanatarou nodded eagerly and Rukia gently showed him how to hold her. Sara squeezed his hand tightly, "Hanatarou, I'm sorry if I break your hand," Sara whispered. Rukia knelt by the futon, keeping Sara's legs down.

"Oh, it's all right, Lieutenant Kuchiki…" he said weakly. Isane smirked at him.

"Get used to it, Hanatarou," she said, "You might have to deal with more pregnant women in the future."

Hanatarou went even paler, "Great."

Retsu and Isane cast worried yet amused glances at each other.

"Where is my husband," Sara cried out in agony, "Where is Byakuya? He should be here by now!"

Sara buried her head in the crook of Hanatarou's neck, unable to bear the pain. Hanatarou tightened the arm around her shoulders.

Meanwhile Tsukasa was about to make her way out of the Kuchiki mansion when Noriko stepped in front of her, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going to retrieve Lord Kuchiki, my lady;" Tsukasa said timidly, "Lady Kuchiki has gone into labour."

"Has she now…? Well, that's not something that you should be bothering Lord Kuchiki about," Noriko said stiffly, "He's a very busy man. Get back to work."

With that, Noriko stalked away. Tsukasa felt torn. Sara needed her husband as this time but if she disobeyed Noriko, a Kuchiki elder, she would be punished for sure. She knew that she wouldn't be much good if she was punished severely.

She walked back to the bedroom, "He'll be on his way." Tsukasa lied. Rukia nodded.

"Very good, Tsukasa," Rukia said. Tsukasa felt a pang of guilt. Her mistress looked so distressed due to being in the middle of giving birth. Her distressed cries made her heart ache. She knelt by her mistress and held her free hand, something Sara was grateful for. She mopped her forehead with a cool flannel.

"Be calm, mistress, you can do it," Tsukasa soothed. Sara panted and pushed as hard as she could.

"Byakuya should be here by now," Sara cried out.

"I'm sure he's on his way," Tsukasa said. Rukia looked up at her.

"Are you sure that you told him," Rukia asked. Tsukasa nodded quickly.

"Yes, ma'am," Tsukasa replied. Rukia raised an eye brow but accepted the fact that Byakuya was a busy man but thought it odd that he wouldn't want to be there at the birth of his first born children.

After another three hours, the first child was born and to Rukia's disgust, Byakuya still hadn't shown up.

"It's a girl," Retsu announced, "A healthy girl."

Sara smiled as she heard her daughter's soft cries but she knew that it wasn't over. She still had her son to give birth to, "Get this thing out of me!"

"All right," Retsu said, "You will need to work extra hard for this."

"I can't…" Sara whimpered weakly, "I'm too tired."

"Sara," Retsu said softly, "Listen, there's no other way this child is going to come out. Now, I can see the head. It shouldn't be long now.""It hurts," Sara whimpered, tears pouring Sara's cheeks, "Please help me…" She squeezed Hanatarou and Tsukasa's hands, needing something to hold on to.

"I can only help you if you push," Retsu replied.

Sara nodded and prepared herself to push, "I'm ready."

"Good girl," Retsu said, "Now, do it now."

Sara cried out in pain as she pushed her son out bit by bit. Eventually, her son was born…but there were not cries of distress. Isane took the baby boy away to examine him.

"What's happening," Sara asked, "Where is my son? Isane, what's happening?"

Retsu looked up at Isane and back to Sara, "You're son…I don't know what happened, but your son…" she struggled to keep her tears back. Sara pale face looked expectant.

"What's wrong, Captain," Sara asked, her voice hoarse from her screaming. Retsu swallowed.

"I don't know how to tell you this…but…but your son didn't make it," Retsu said with a broken voice. Sara's eyes showed disbelief.

"Please don't say that…" Sara's tears silently rolled down her cheek. "Was it my fault?"

"No, it wasn't," Retsu said, "Don't blame yourself. It appears that this child died quite recently, obviously between your last scan and now. Sometimes it happens. Childbirth is a risky business. You never know what will happen."

Sara nodded, "Can I see my little girl?"

"Of cause," Retsu said and Isane handed the little bundle to Sara. She gazed at her newborn, lovingly.

"She's beautiful," Sara whispered. The little girl stared at her mother, trying to make sense of everything. The little girl had steel blue eyes, a mixture of blue and steel grey. Her skin was pale and from what she could tell, she had white tufts of hair. Sara couldn't even look at her dead son, it was too painful. "I want to call her Reina."

"It's a beautiful name," Retsu said. Sara nodded and she tried to dry her oncoming tears. Hanatarou, who was still supporting her, fluffed up her pillows. Tsukasa stood up, "Tsukasa, where is my husband?"

Everyone looked at her, "I…didn't tell him…" she said timidly.

Rukia jumped to her feet, "You didn't tell him? Why not?"

"I was ordered not to do so," Tsukasa trembled, "By Lady Noriko, my lady."

"That bitch…" Rukia whispered. Rukia immediately flash stepped from the room. Tsukasa sank to her knees.

"Please forgive me, Lady Kuchiki," Tsukasa whispered, "She told me that he had better things to do than help you with your labour. She also threatened to punish me if I so much as went to get him."

Sara bit her lip, "Rukia's gone to find him, and all will be well."

Reina was placed in her cot next to the futon and Sara was left alone at her request. She wanted time to tell her husband about their partial lost.

Meanwhile, Rukia ran through the halls of Squad 6, looking for her brother. She tore open his office doors and opened the office door. Byakuya was calmly doing some paper work and he looked up when he saw his sister, panting in the doorway.

"What is it, Rukia?"

"Sara's just given birth," Rukia said.

Byakuya immediately stood from his chair, "Why wasn't I informed earlier?"

"I'll give you three guess of who told Tsukasa not to tell you," Rukia said with her hands on her hips. Byakuya guessed immediately that it had been Noriko. He clenched his fists.

"Is Sara at the mansion," Byakuya asked.

"Yes, but there's some bad news about…the birth…but I'll leave Sara to tell you," Rukia said. Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Bad news," Byakuya questioned, "Did I hear you right?"

"As I said, Sara wants to tell you herself," Rukia said. Before she could think, Byakuya had flash stepped from the room. Rukia sighed sadly. This was supposed to be a joyous day, but now it just didn't feel like that at all.

When Byakuya arrived back at the mansion, he felt for the spiritual pressure of his wife. He followed it to their bedroom and he slowly slid the door open. His eyes lay on the small woman in his bed. The sheets that covered her made her look even more small and delicate. Her snowy white hair was splayed out behind her. He heard strangled sobs coming from his wife. When Sara felt her husband's spiritual pressure she turned her head and sat up gingerly.

"Byakuya…I'm so sorry," Sara sobbed. Byakuya walked over to the bed and knelt down. He cupped Sara's face kissed her lightly on the lips.

"What happened? Tell me," he whispered.

"I lost our son…he died…" Sara choked, "Please don't be angry with me, Byakuya, I tried."

Byakuya immediately embraced his wife, pulling her quivering body into his strong arms. Sara sobbed against his chest, "Sara…" Byakuya whispered, "I don't blame you…at least we have one child."

"But it doesn't stop me from feeling bereft, Byakuya," I said, "I loved him before he even left my womb."

"As did I," Byakuya replied. He looked over into the cot that rested beside the futon, "Is our daughter in that cot?"

"Yes," Sara replied, "I've already named her."

"What did you call her?"

"I've called her Reina," Sara replied, "Do you want to hold her?"

Byakuya nodded and Sara reached into the cot to pick up the little princess. She placed Reina into Byakuya's arms, "She's beautiful," Byakuya commented.

"Yes she is," Sara said, "She has blue grey eyes and white hair."

"She's the image of you," Byakuya said, "And so very beautiful. I will have to fend off any male suitors when she's old enough."

"Your fatherly instincts are kicking in I see," Sara chuckled a bittersweet laugh. She loved how Reina gazed up at her father and Byakuya smiled one of his rare, cheerful smiles.

"At least we have this child, my love," Byakuya said, "Remember; we can always have more children if you wish it so."

"I know that, Byakuya, I just wish that…he didn't have to die," Sara whispered. Byakuya place his child back into cot and embraced Sara again. He kissed her on the lips tenderly and Sara clung to him desperately.

Perhaps it wasn't the best way to start their family with the death of one of their children, but at least they had one child and they loved that said child.

But would they live happily ever after? No, because there is no happily ever after, life goes on. We can only hope life is kind.

A/N Well, that's the end of this story and it made me cry.

But

It isn't the end! No! I have a sequel planned and there's gonna be a big twist. So, if you want it in your mailboxes, you'd better put me on author alert rather than story alert and you will get it straight away when I post it and you won't have to go looking for it. Of cause if you're reading this years (or weeks) later perhaps…you'll just have to look on my profile. You'll know it when you see it.