A/N: Hello! First, I want to say that I caused Chapter 2 and 3 to glitch a few days ago by clicking on something (it had these string of codes on every line) but I fixed it so it should look normal now. I apologize to anyone who had to read that mess as it's been a while since I used ffnet. I finished this chapter today and was going to wait to upload till Friday but I feel like after almost eight years since the last update, I can afford to be early haha. It's just going to be future Rukia's POV on this one. Enjoy!

Rukia... Kurosaki?

Chapter 13

- Rukia –

"Alright, Chappy. Make sure you get my body back to the Kurosaki clinic. Go through the window so you don't run into Ichigo's family. Got it?" I gave the mod soul a stern look. Though I know she's more responsible than Kon, I can't risk her being seen by the arrancar looking for me. My gigai will be safe in Ichigo's room and since it doesn't have my spiritual pressure, my in-laws won't be in danger.

"Roger!" The faux body raises her hand in a mock salute, "I'll be on my best behavior!"

As I see her run away, I flash step to the old vizards' hideout where Ichigo did his training to control his hollow powers. It has been a few days since my last conversation with Urahara and I have been training with Yoruichi to get my bankai in this timeline.

I'm not crazy powerful like my husband who got his bankai in three days but theoretically, since I am still the same person who achieved bankai in my timeline, it's more like looking for something that I misplaced. We concluded that the time travel most likely didn't revert my spiritual pressure but suppressed it when I passed through the portal. In a similar sense, my younger self who is in my timeline would not be able to use my bankai but will experience a change in appearance as a side effect of jumping eight years into the future.

I don't know if this is what I need to do to in order to defeat The Dreamer but future Urahara's words keep echoing in my head.

"I know you can defeat The Dreamer with the power that your younger self, Rukia Kuchiki, did not possess yet."

The only thing that makes sense is my bankai. That's the only power I have in my timeline that I didn't have eight years prior. I wish Urahara would just cut to the chase.

My thoughts were cut-off as the door from above opened and a black cat with yellow irises approaches. "Yoruichi," I greet in acknowledgment. "You're late."

There's a poof and the creature morphs into the beautiful flash step master. "Now, now, Kuchiki. I'm the teacher here so I set the schedule. Also, I wouldn't have been late if we just did this at Urahara's since I live there." She smirks at me while putting on her clothes.

I huffed, "I told you, I don't want to see that conniving merchant's face right now. Also, call me Rukia please. I haven't been Kuchiki for five years." I chose not to tell her that the real reason I want her to call me on a first name basis was because years from now, she becomes the older sister I never had, and Takeshi's godmother. I don't want this knowledge to affect this timeline anymore than I already have.

"Hmmm?" She looks at me with a glint in her eyes. "What do you mean you haven't been Kuchiki for five years? I refuse to believe that that overprotective Byakuya-bo would let you get disowned. Did you get married, Ru-ki-a?"

I inwardly cursed. I forgot that past Urahara was out cold during the call and does not know that I married Ichigo in the future. I had assumed he knew and therefore, Yoruichi knew by extension because they tell each other everything.

With my best Byakuya Kuchiki tone, I looked at her calmly. "Why don't we start today's training to get my bankai back in this timeline so you can see for yourself if I get married in a few years?"

She let's out a monosyllabic laugh, "You're no fun Rukia. I'm betting it's either the strawberry or the pineapple anyway." She adapts a fighting stance, "Well, as you requested, let's get this started. The sooner we're done, the sooner you can dip that peach of yours in the hot springs."

She winks and not missing a beat, I smirk. "You're a little fruity today, aren't you?" I draw my sword, "Prepare to get sliced up."

This becomes my routine for the rest of the week. I can tell that Ichigo is worried and I see the question in his amber orbs, but he doesn't pry. He is choosing to trust me and to give me the space I need just as I did when he was training with the vizards.

With only three days left till The Dreamer's supposed meeting with Urahara, Yoruichi and I headed to the healing hot springs to tend to the aftermath of the blows we swung at each other. Today was rough but I've been regaining my spiritual pressure rapidly.

Though there is enough room for fifteen people, we sit side by side in comfortable silence. The only sound that can be heard is the occasional splash and the running water in the background. I can feel the soreness going away and I find myself relaxing for the first time in days. I might as well enjoy the calm before the storm.

After what feels like hours, Yoruichi breaks the quiet moment. "Ne, Kuch— I mean, Rukia." She tilts her head my way, akin to a cat. "What are you going to do if you're stuck here?"

"I'm not going to be stuck here." I said with a hint of stubbornness.

"All I'm saying is that The Dreamer provided Urahara the key to the time portal. How do we know that whatever power it is won't disappear when you defeat the arrancar?" She defends, "You need to be prepared for all possibilities. We don't know what we're up against."

"And whose fault is that?" I bite back, "I know Urahara knows more than what he told me. Do you trust him?"

"With my life," she says without hesitation. "Kisuke is the only person I trust enough to leave my family, my world, my whole life, and followed to the world of the living."

I don't know if it's the answer that I wanted but it was what I expected. The Kisuke she is thinking about is eight years younger than the Urahara I am asking about. I would be more confident if I heard this from my timeline's Yoruichi. Nevertheless, I don't correct her.

I just need some reassurance that I'm not foolish for still trusting the previous 12th division captain after what his previous betrayal. I am trying my hardest to keep my faith in him but the more questions I have, the more my doubts grow.

"I hope I can say the same. For all of our sakes, he better have a damn good reason for whatever he is planning." Neither of us say anything else as I get out of the hot spring to quickly dry myself and change into my shinigami uniform.

As I make my way to the Kurosaki clinic to retrieve my gigai, all I thought about was Yoruichi's question.

"What are you going to do if you're stuck here?"

A few more days passed which makes it the day before The Dreamer is supposed to make himself known to Urahara. I'm supposed to go to his shoten tonight to use the time phone so I still have a few hours to kill.

I turned my head as the door to Ichigo's bedroom slammed open and the teenage version of my husband walks in with his trademark scowl. He pauses for a second when he sees me sitting on his bed and his scowl softens but he doesn't show any signs of surprise.

"Oy, midget! It's rude to sit in a person's bed without their permission." The door closed behind him as he sets his bag on the floor by the closet.

"Aughh," he groans in pain when I deliver a swift kick to his stomach. "Baka! Don't talk to your elders that way."

"Don't call yourself my elder until you stop looking like a middle schooler— OOF! STOP HITTING ME MIDGET!"

"STOP CALLING ME A MIDGET, STRAWBERRY!"

"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE CALLED A MIDGET THEN STOP BEING SHORT AND STOP MAKING PEOPLE WORRY!"

"IF YOU WERE WORRIED THEN DON'T YELL AT ME!"

"I DIDN'T SAY I WAS WORRIED! AND YOU'RE YELLING AT ME TOO!"

"SHUT UP!"

"FINE!"

"Fine!"

We paused as we realized that our faces are only inches apart now with our right fists raised at eye-level. We blinked at each other twice and neither of us could stop the smiles breaking out in our faces as we straightened up.

He looked to his side with a small tinge of pink on his cheeks and I resisted the urge to tease him. He was way easier to embarrass at this age.

He walked toward door and slid it open then turned his head to address me, "Oy, you coming?"

I looked at him cluelessly, "Where are we going?"

His scowl is back as he started walking outside the room and towards the stairs. "You'll see soon. Don't fall behind."

I followed his lead wordlessly, knowing that the house is empty since my father-in-law took the twins grocery shopping.

We walked side by side in silence and caught up in my thoughts, I didn't realize we were at our destination until Ichigo stopped walking. I looked up and I smiled when I saw the cute sign of my favorite ice cream shop.

In my timeline, the family-owned establishment closed a few years ago since they moved to the city after their grandfather's passing. The week before they did, they gave Ichigo and I a huge tub of strawberry ice cream to thank us for being regulars with a note containing their contact information to keep in touch and update them on my pregnancy.

Takeshi was born a few months later and we named him after the late Takehiro-ojisan who had taken care of me when I fainted in front of their shop right before finding out I was pregnant. I make a mental note to schedule a visit to his family once this whole mess is over.

"Rukia-chan! Ichigo-kun!" A cheerful voice greets us, "Welcome back! I'll get your usual orders ready."

"Thank you, Hinata-san! Is Takehiro-ojisan around?" I asked the part-time worker for my selfish reasons while Ichigo just grunts "Yo" in acknowledgement.

"Ah Rukia-chan! You know how to make an old man blush with the amount of attention you're giving me." His voice comes from the doorway that connects the store their house as if summoned by my question.

"Takehiro-ojisan!" I did my best not to tackle him but I could not stop myself from giving him a tight hug. "It's so nice to see you again after all this time."

He gave me a confused look and then a big smile, "But I saw you last week Rukia-chan! Did you miss me already?"

Before I could make up an excuse, Hinata-san calls out our orders. "One double scoop strawberry ice cream with bunny shaped vanilla bites and one single scoop chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup!"

Ichigo grabs and pays for both, ignoring the old man's protests of us paying, and thanks the cheerful part-timer. He mumbles a quick hello to Takehiro-ojisan and hands me my frozen treat.

"Ah Ichigo-kun! I feel like you grow taller every time I see you." He quips lightheartedly, "I remember how small you were when I met you. Now you even have a cute girlfriend to take on dates."

"Wh-what? Who said that this is a date!" Ichigo turned red and for the second time today, I resisted the urge to tease him about it. No one points out that he didn't deny the girlfriend part.

"Whatever you say, Ichigo-kun!" He patronized teasingly.

Ichigo took this as our queue to leave and I followed him shortly after I said my goodbyes. We walked at a slow pace with Ichigo looking straight ahead, ice cream cone in one hand, and myself head down, focused on my ice cream cup. I didn't notice that he stopped until I almost bumped into him.

"Oy, don't just stop walking out of nowhere." I lifted my head up to look at him and noticed that we weren't by the clinic. A small gasp came out of my mouth when I realized we were at the river bank that his mother was killed.

"Ichigo?" I looked at him worriedly; his name loaded with unspoken questions. Come to think of it, he has been uncharacteristically too quiet.

I've been so distracted by everything else but looking at him now, I scold myself for not noticing that something was wrong. His stance is tense, his scowl more pronounced, and his lip almost bleeding from his teeth's abuse.

"Ichigo." I repeat, but this time it's not a question.

Finally, he tilts his head to look me in the eyes. He takes a deep breath, "You don't have to tell me everything but at least tell me she's safe."

My brows furrowed, "Ichigo, who are you talking about?"

"Rukia." He addresses me and I'm even more confused but I answer, "Yes?"

"No. I mean, is Rukia safe? Not you. My Rukia." My eyes widened.

How did he know?

- To be continued -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Yes, cliffhanger again. I'm trying to find a balance between plot and cute moments because while I don't want to drag the plot, this is in the Romance genre and I honestly created this originally because I wanted these cute moments to exist. Let me know what you think in the reviews!