A/N: This will probably have two or three more chapters before we get back to the main story.

0

September 1

Ichigo sighed as he came down for breakfast, today they were going back to school and he wasn't so sure that he was ready. He just had his baby Hikari, how could he leave her so soon without him? He wasn't even sure that she was ready to be without him. Aoi, Akira, and Makoto were all older than her, it was easier for them than it would be for his baby girl. But alas, he couldn't miss school, unfortunately.

He gave his twin sister a small smile as he saw her downstairs with her uniform on and already feeding the other babies. "Morning, how are they doing with their breakfast?" He asked her curiously as he walked over to his kids and looked them over. "I just fed Hikari upstairs, though I haven't gotten her ready yet to take her to Urahara's." He had put it off as much as he could, to be honest. It just bothered him to no end to have to leave her so soon after her birth.

Orihime giggled as she fed Makoto, while the twins ate by themselves. "They've been eating well, even Makoto. Though when Sora tries to feed them, they don't let him; its quite curious actually." She replied to him with an inquisitive look on her face as she flashed him a sunny smile, making Ichigo sigh and shake his head in amusement. Looking down at his oldest son, he watched as the baby ate. "If you want, I can get Hikari ready and you can finish feeding Makoto?" She offered him knowingly.

Glancing over at the six-month-old baby, he nodded as he walked over to where his sister was sitting. Well, as much as he wanted to be with Hikari, it would probably be best if he let Orihime handle that. "Alright, that would probably be best." Glancing to where Kon was sitting, he scowled for a moment. "Hey, I know Sora had to go to work early today and all, so the least you can do is help us, you know." He sighed in annoyance when the other didn't answer him and took the brown-haired girls place, before looking at his younger son. "Let's finish getting you fed, alright? Then your aunt Orihime and I will take you and your brother and sisters to see uncle Kisuke and aunt Yoruichi, you'll like that, right?" He asked as he made an airplane motion around for Makoto, before landing at his mouth.

The little boy grinned at Ichigo and swallowed the food, before cheering with some babbles. It was one of the cutest sights to see, honestly. His little boy was such a happy boy, he reminded him so much of himself. He was grateful for that, he hoped that there wouldn't be any part of him that would be like Aizen. And there really shouldn't be, they were living in the World of the Living now, very far from Aizen. It hurt to be away from Byakuya, but now with Hikari, it was at least a bit more bearable now. Grinning at the baby, he gave him the last spoonful of baby food, before looking up to see his sister walking downstairs with an already dressed Hikari in her arms. "Looks like the babies finished eating, we should get going then." She told him softly as she cradled her newborn niece.

00

Once they walked into the shop, Ichigo looked around, trying to feel Kisuke's and Yoruichi's spiritual pressures. Glancing at his sister in confusion, he decided to call for the other two. "Hey, Mr. Hat and Clogs, Yoruichi, we're here with the babies. Remember, we have school today?" He yelled, hoping that they would be able to hear him. When he got no answer back, nervousness and unsureness started to creep up. What was happening, why weren't Yoruichi and Urahara here? It was odd and he wasn't sure if it had something to do with the Soul Society either. "Mr. Urahara!"

"Jeez, you don't have to shout, you know." A male voice answered as the owner stepped out in his Gigai. "Urahara and Yoruichi are out right now, they asked me to watch your kids for now until they get back. They should be back in a couple hours at most." The redhead answered as he watched Ichigo carefully. This has been the first time since they were 'introduced' by Urahara that they saw each other again. "Ichigo, right?"

This made him really uncomfortable, leaving his kids with the other male. Its not that he didn't trust Renji to take good care of his babies, but what if he found out who they were and who he was?! What the hell were Yoruichi and Urahara thinking! Damn them and their weird schemes! "Yeah, and you're Renji, right?" He asked him nervously as he gripped the stroller in front of him. "Orihime, you should go on ahead, I'll catch up once I get the babies settled." He told her with a fake smile on his face. It would be easier to fool his best friend without his sister around, at least he hoped.

"Are you sure?" She asked him with furrowed eyebrows, when he nodded back to her she sighed and gave him her own smile. "Alright, I'll see you at school, and I'll see you later little ones." She blew the four babies a kiss and nodded at Renji, before leaving the shop. His sister knew the risk that they were taking here, Renji Abarai knew him best, along with his other best friend Rukia. He was just grateful that the girl hadn't come with Renji to the World of the Living right now, he was sure that he would never be able to fool her, even if he was able to fool Renji.

Giving Renji a tight smile, he picked up Akira and looked at the other curiously. "Alright, so where do you want me to leave them?" Usually, Yoruichi took them from him and let him go on his way, but she wasn't here. "I'm not really too sure where Yoruichi usually keeps them all day." He confessed as he watched the redhead carefully. "This is Kira, by the way." He told him as he looked down at his little boy.

Raising his eyebrow, Renji nodded towards the room in the back. "We can take them in there, to be honest I don't have much experience handling little kids. My friend, who coincidentally is also named Ichigo, has three babies and I've babysat two of them with my girlfriend a couple times." He replied back as he watched him himself and picked up Aoi from one of the strollers. "But he's a guy, so that's a bit different from you, right?" He asked him as he carried his daughter inside.

"Yeah" The brown haired 'girl' replied as he followed Renji into the room and set the infant down, before fixing his skirt and walked back to pick up Makoto. "That is a big coincidence having another Ichigo as your friend." He told him as he tried not to show how nervous he was around his best friend. It was so strange talking to him! He didn't know what he was supposed to do here, did the other suspect him to be Ichigo Kuchiki? And what if he told Byakuya and Rukia?!

"I would say so, I knew him since we went to the academy. Although, he and his twin sister ran away from home." The taller boy told him as he watched him put down his younger son, before going back to pick up his newborn daughter. "Which, coincidentally his twin sister's name is also Orihime. Like your sister's name is, right?" He asked him pressingly with a frown on his face. "It's a really big coincidence, don't you think?"

The smaller boy wasn't sure what he was supposed to say here, it was like Renji was interrogating him, damnit! Glancing over to the bassinet, he walked over and put Hikari inside, before facing Renji. "It sure is a coincidence, Orihime and I are from Osaka, where did you say that you were from exactly?" He asked him with a curious look on his face, hoping to get him off his back. He was faced with discovery here and he wasn't sure what exactly he was supposed to do about it. His sister and him would be in a world of trouble if Renji figured out who they were, this was very bad!

Grinning with narrowed eyes, he pointed at himself. "I come from the same city as Yoruichi and Urahara, Kyoto, of course." He replied to him, trying to see if Ichigo recognized the lie that they were fed to tell. It seemed like Renji, along with Urahara and Yoruichi figured out what to tell the humans if they were ever asked. "So, why don't you tell me your story?" He asked him as he looked down at the infants with a raised eyebrow. "You have four kids already, and you're just a high school student?"

Clearing his throat, he bit his lip and nodded, playing with his brown hair, before looking down at the ground. "I had a boyfriend and I had gotten pregnant with his babies, then of course, my parents passed away and Orihime and I were in trouble." He told him the rehearsed story he was told to tell everyone, including their pseudo cousin. "Our cousins offered to let us stay with them and my boyfriend broke up with me, because we would be so far away from each other. I didn't know I was pregnant again when I left him." He told honestly, at least that part was true. He had farewell sex with his husband and who the hell knew he would get knocked up again during this one time?! He just had Makoto too, after all! But at the very least he hoped that Renji would believe this and let it go.

"I see." The redhead nodded his head, before closing his eyes for a moment. "This might seem like a weird question, but are you sure you're a girl?" To a human this would be a very weird question and it would make Renji look like he was insane! The only possible reason that Renji would ask him something like this is if he suspected that he really was his best friend. "You see, my friend, Ichigo, is married to my girlfriend's older brother and he dearly misses and is very worried about his husband and kids."

He missed Byakuya too, but that was neither here nor there. He chose his path and he had to stick to it, even if it was hurting him to do it. He loved Byakuya dearly, but the Soul Society was dangerous, being a Soul Reaper was dangerous. He didn't want to experience that danger anymore! "Well, sorry to break it to you, but I am just a girl from Osaka." Looking at the clock, he sighed and started to walk out. "Sorry, but I have to head to school. Please take good care of my babies, I will be back with my sister after school to pick them up." He told him as he put on his shoes as the door and nodded at Renji, having being ready to leave so he wouldn't be late.

The taller redhead sighed in defeat as he looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face. "Alright, but I want to talk with you again sometime, Ichigo Inoue." He replied to him as he watched the other boy go in sadness. It was clear that he also missed his best friend and that he hoped that this Ichigo was it, and Rukia also hoped that they would find their strayed best friend and brother in law. And it really looked like he didn't want to be found. The redhead knew that he should report his talk with Ichigo to his captain, but found that he just couldn't do it. He hoped that one day Ichigo would come around. Trailing his eyes over to the infants and then the newborn, he grimaced at the thought of his captain not being able to watch these infants grow or meeting his daughter. But at the moment, there was nothing that he could do.

A/N: Did Renji really figure out who Ichigo really was? What do you think?