Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Perhaps when I rule the world--nah! I would not want to, besides I can't replace Kubo-sensei!!

Summary: I think you know by now, if not--go back to previous chapters.

The Bridge Of Silence

+---+

+Silver Wrapping+

The echoing silence, so serene and peaceful it would be for anyone, at the moment though it felt like a agonizing silence in which everyone only ignored as they tried to recover from the long battle. Wounds, physical scars and emotional scars would need to be taken care of sooner then later. Ichigo stood, slightly limping as he walked towards Rukia, whom was aiding Toshiro after he had landed on the ground and collapsed.

"Hitsugaya-taichou!" She looked at all the cuts, spots on his hakama were stained with his blood and the enemy.

"Its fine, don't worry." His voice was still, but didn't bother to look at her.

Ichigo could not believe what had just happen in only a matter of hours, the world looked as though it could had ended easily. Why? Why had all of these happen over something that didn't even really mean anything at all, or held a certain importance at all. The Hougyoku could not be used, for its power had been sealed--or at least that had been the knowledge that which he had acquire from Urahara.

"Ichigo!" Rukia shouted his name, as he looked up and saw her violet orbs staring at him. He reached out with his hand to touch her face, to see and prove that she was actually standing over him. A smiled spread around her face, a happy yet sad smile, it seemed unfitting for her--but this battle itself seemed to be anticlimactic in a slight sense.

"I'm here, midget. I'm not going anywhere." The orange haired male smiled, looking at her and holding her chin with his hand. She was there, not leaving or scared at how he had used his Hollow powers in order to kill Aizen.

For a few months, all of it seemed like many years had passed from the day he had gained his shinigami powers up until the present, it was strange. Ichigo couldn't forget, Rukia was the sole reason why his world became more bright and filled with more moments that which he partook with her. She was like a saviour for him, pulling him from that depressive state of mind after locking himself away after his mother was murdered.

This war, was there a sole point to it? It seemed strange, so trivial as he pulled her into a hug--ignoring her pleads for a few seconds until she broke down, and started to cry. Despite all of the bad things that each of them had suffered, only when they were together was there no regrets or sad feelings.

"Ichigo…" She whispered, still crying and unable to break away from his iron grip hug. She smelled in his scent, allowing her mind to only filled with his warmth and sincerity as he looked into her eyes.

Why, why had he had to be such a perfect teenage boy? No, he was never a boy, but a man with strong beliefs and emotions that could never be changed at all. For so long now, her emotions and fears had been buried deep in a sacred coffin inside of her heart--not moving or being bothered at all, but somehow this man managed to play with her buried emotions.

"Rukia, never leave me or ever let go." He hugged her tighter, and closed his eyes to forget this battle, to move on and never look back again--despite the changes that had brought upon their lives.

"I won't, I promise." The petite shinigami stared up at the orange haired male in his eyes, longing and seeking out something inside of them. No fear, no worries, only a unknown happiness and sudden protectiveness showed in his eyes. "I love you, Ichigo." The female shinigami crashed her lips against the substitute shinigami, forgetting that right now everyone was in pain and wounded.

Kuchiki Rukia had wanted this for so long now, dreaming and picturing it in her head was nothing compared or could ever come close to the rushing feeling. Everything, his lips against hers and his touch was electrifying.

"I love you too, Rukia." He smiled, and continued to hold her close while the rest of the world seemed to be at a painful loss.

+---+

Karin opened her eyes, the sun shinning down on her eyes as she stared blankly at the ceiling of her room while so many thoughts crossed together. A frown appeared on her young face, thoughts crossing each other so early in the morning never faired well in the day, nor were they to her liking at all. A pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to a warm body.

"Toshiro, I have to get up." Karin murmured as she turned to face him.

"I know, but just stay here for a minute. Please." Toshiro had his eyes closed, a serene look was placed neatly on his mature face--yet it felt like there was a lost emotion there as well. The tone of his voice was that of longing, a loss in which sometimes everyone found themselves in--that vulnerability.

"Okay, I will." She expressed, while running her finger on the scar that ran across his collar bone. At that lithe touch, he opened his eyes and looked down at her dark ones, the expression on her face was grim and sad at the same time.

"Don't--don't have that expression on your face Karin." He said, letting her go and getting up quickly. "I should get ready, there's a lot of papers that need to be done." She watched him walk off to the bathroom and slamming the door shut behind him.

There was obviously nothing wrong with that kind of behaviour at all, it only just hurt seeing him feel pain and the hollow expression that had been painted suddenly on his face. How badly had things gone in Hueco Mundo? There were so many things that Karin wished to ask--there really was never a good time though.

After three weeks, it seemed as though life was back to normal for Toshiro. Going to work, yelling at Matsumoto for not doing her work, finishing reports about his squad, evaluating his squad's ability, being with Karin, enjoying life with both her and Tatsuya. Somehow though, none of it felt like it was actually connecting him with anything at all.

Everything was the same, all the emotions bore with every ounce of life on them, but the fearful and frightening feeling of losing himself to the darkness wasn't so welcoming at all. Seeing Karin's hurt expression made it worse, seeing his child smile unknowingly about what was happening felt confusing--why? Having to feel paranoid about the slightest noises in the dark made him laugh at himself, it was stupid and extremely childish, but the fear of that darkness was ebbed at the back of his conscious.

The frustration that he had wasn't welcomed, having to feel so weak and fragile was new to him but why couldn't he tell it to anyone? For the moment, he stared out the window of the 10th squad office watching an unknown object while having those confusing thoughts drowning him whole.

"Toshiro…" He heard his name being called, as he turned his 'former' childhood friend stood there gazing at him. That always pleasant smile plastered on her face, the sickly looking shinigami wanted to say something as her mouth opened a bit, but it seemed as though there was nothing to say.

"What is it Hinamori?" His voice remained monotone, no feeling or anything to it--just plain.

"I--I…" She grimaced at the lack of words. "I'm sorry." She finally spat out, but that only made the white haired captain scoff . There was a long lasting unforgivable strain there, past and present always collided each time he met her.

"It's no longer your place to worry over me. You know that Hinamori, yet you act as though everything is clear between us like it was in the past." His words were cold, sharp as they pierced the delicate skin in her chest, wounding her heart. Toshiro, though, was not bothered by the reaction she had on her pallid face. "Sorry, sorry…why does everyone repeat that fucking word all the time? You are not sorry, Momo, you will never be. Don't ever parade around my squad to tell me you are sorry, please. Don't bother."

The former 5th squad fuku-taichou grimaced, taken slightly aback at his outburst like that without having any regret on his face at all. Her former Hitsugaya Toshiro was no longer present, the same watermelon-loving child had turned into a tall, masculine man before her eyes. His eyes started to hold kindness and love towards a certain former human girl, but for now, those ocean green eyes were hollow and very much empty.

"Shiro-chan…" Her trembling lips showed that she was about to cry.

"I've told you a million times already Hinamori, its Hitsugaya-taichou to you." Toshiro glared at her and stood up. "What do you want? Tell me, because I am tired of whatever fucking charade you like to hide underneath Hinamori. What? Want to tell me that you still hate me for landing a blow to that bastard Aizen?" He was shouting by the end of his sentence, making Hinamori flinch at his words.

"NO!" The fragile shinigami shouted. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. He was--he was my dear captain. Why can't you understand that? You--you promised." Tears were falling down her face, but Toshiro remained unmoving by them.

"Just go back to the fourth squad Hinamori, please." He walked past her, and headed out of the 10th squad barracks, hoping to clear his mind of whatever stupidity was running inside of it.

Sometimes he wondered the reasons why his old childhood friend had fallen in love with the traitor, being almost killed by him, but still in love with him. It bothered Toshiro, had been for so long now it was impossible not to stop and think about it from time to time.

His head was hazy, every rational thought couldn't come to him at all--it was all confusing and he hated that feeling. The weakness he refused to show was coming to him, so longing and extremely close--he had to see her, kiss her, feel her close to him in order to forget that the past existed and only the present mattered.

+---+

"Kurosaki-san, what are we to do now?" A few lower seat members stood there, each holding wooden shinais in their hands after a long few hours of practice.

"Put them away, I think its obvious though." Karin stated the obvious, but everyone knew not to question her motives at all since their captain was the elder Kurosaki member of the family.

"Hai!" They all said in unison and started to pick up the mess.

Karin nodded and started to walk off, trying to find a peace in her head while trying to avoid thinking about Toshiro's worries, but it was a very difficult task at hand. From the weird behaviour, to the way sometimes he stared off in space, and that was becoming slightly worrying.

The extreme silence was becoming too much for her, for so long now she had pictured his return and having him around once again--somehow it was no longer the same at all. Karin couldn't understand of course, but why was he not talking about it? She remembered that she had spilled her pains to him, especially the one she had carried since she had been a small child.

"What are you doing Karin?" Ichigo's voice interrupted her restless thoughts.

"Ah, nothing. Just thinking, why is that illegal now?" She turned to look at her orange haired brother, whom only glared at her.

"No, everyone has their right to think about whatever the fuck they want." Ichigo scowled at her, and then stared out into the open training field. "How is he?" That seemed the thing that she didn't want to go back to think about again, but it was inevitable at all.

"I don't know." She answered, trying her best to come up with a less vague answer then that. "He's not himself at all, everything about him is empty and--and I don't know if I can continue pretending that it doesn't bother me at all." A hollow laugh escaped her lips, one of pain and agony that was buried inside of her.

The orange haired captain looked at her face, the sad expression she had was the same when he had told her that he was going to die soon about nine years ago. Despite the smile, it showed only the void in which her soul had been buried in for so long, and it hurt him to see his young sister like that. He swore to himself not to ever allow anyone do something to her in order to have that look on her face again.

Ichigo cursed inwardly, having that stupid white haired captain act like that wasn't making his sister happy--so he needed to do something about it quickly. The sooner, the better.

"I have to go for now Karin, are you going to be alright?" He put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn't bother to react or look at him.

"Sometimes I wonder that myself, don't you?" Her voice was at a whispering level, the one and only voice that would only be tainted with so much worry and pain. Karin turned to look at her brother. "Sorry, I shouldn't bother you with foolish things Ichi-nii. Go, please go back to your work." The odd pleading, the caring attitude--everything at the moment was unfitting for her.

"Watch yourself Karin." He forewarned, and then disappeared quickly without saying anything else.

+---+

The 13th squad seemed silent from the outer parts, inside though was a different story as a war of words between Sentaurou and Kiyone as to who was the one to take care of their taichou's important task for the day. Ukitake-taichou stared at the two, quite unsure of himself is he could exactly do about the situation seeing that the two were always at it, even after they had been married for almost six years. The jovial captain, simply smiled sheepishly at the two--hoping behind that smile that someone would come and put a stop to the two.

"Ukitake-taichou." The said man looked up at the person who had called upon him, only a worried expression seem to register on the older captain's face.

"Toshiro-kun?" He questioned, while looking at his fellow white haired captain. That grim, lifeless expression was extremely uncomfortable to look at.

Ukitake had known that somehow something like that would come out of the younger captain, even as the fact given that Hitsugaya Toshiro often did nor reveal his pain or worries in front of others like any normal being would do.

"Sentauro, Kiyone--please go do what I sent the both of two to do." His voice was firm, no bitter to it, just the one that he had to use towards the two. At the same moment, the two stopped bickering and saluted their captain, then running out still screaming at each other about making it first and all of that.

Sighing, the 13th squad captain smiled candidly at his visitor, and pointed to the cushion on the other side of the small table in which he sat at. Toshiro didn't say anything, except taking his seat and looking around the small room in which the older captain enjoyed spending a lot of his time in while checking his paperwork. His thoughts had led him here, so what now?

For a brief moment of silence, Toshiro sat there staring at the table uncomfortably while trying to think of something to say or express out loud. It seemed that all those months in Hueco Mundo had rushed into him, making him become so senseless about many things, but he was quiet keen on knowing that he was hurting a lot people--importantly Karin. He inhaled, his words forming coherent sentences on his head.

"I don't know what to do anymore Ukitake-taichou, I am--at a loss here." The ocean green eyed shinigami looked at the other shinigami, a pleading and hopeless expression was so present that anyone who would looked at him would feel the pain.

"I'm sorry to hear that Toshiro-kun." The white haired shinigami tried to be reasonable due to prior situation, but it was hard to not get involved on something that seem to affect a lot of other people. He sighed, thinking of something to comfort him or ease the worry in his young mind. "Everyone goes through their emotions differently, I assure you that everyone would understand--but after all these time. I believe that now everyone is finding it hard to talk to you, even myself. What would I tell you? What words would be comforting for you? There's so much one could say, but none of it would be enough to ease your pain and fears."

Those wise words, Hitsugaya had been in need of hearing that. No one seemed to understand, no one bothered to ask because they were far too caring--now he was confused as to think about it though. That fear, that fear alone was a damning thing in a life making everyone worry so much and everything.

"I know, but somehow my mind can't fully comprehend that at all." The young shinigami expressed lightly, silently thanking his superior. "My own fear and pain is hurting the person I care about the most, yet, she seems to share the same worries as me as well. Karin understands what is like to lose a lot of things, and I don't even give her credit for being strong." He laughed darkly at himself for his own lack of understanding his wife to be. "She makes my world spin into an axis I can't control at all, she drives me crazy--and I am making her worry over me. My selfish ways of life have caught up to me, and I don't get it at all. And, maybe she doesn't deserve me."

"What the fuck!" Ichigo rushed inside the room, punching Toshiro in the face. "Pardon my intrusion Ukitake-taichou, but I need to knock some sense into this stupid man who is hurting my sister."

The captain said nothing, merely nodding silently and getting up. "I'll leave the two alone, please don't break anything. I would prefer for this to be done somewhere else, but it can't be helped." He dropped his head a little and walked out of the room.

Dark amber eyes stared into shocked bright green eyes, the anger flowing inside of the orange haired male's blood was too much--his heart was beating erratically as he wanted to beat him so badly.

"Damn it Toshiro, do you know what the hell you are doing?" Ichigo's voice held a cold tone to it, hard and strong. "I told you that you were not allowed to hurt my sister in any way, yet it seems that your stupid brain can't fucking comprehend that. This is no longer about me, but you knew that fucking moron. Tell me, wasn't it true you swore to never hurt her?"

He looked away, thinking and trying to recall that moment in which he knew that he had. It was bothersome to look back, to remember the past because the present was supposed to be much better.

"I did, but promises aren't always kept. You know that Kurosaki." Toshiro's voice was hard too, not of anger towards his brother-in-law to be, but to himself. "How do you deal with it?" He turned to look at him on that, carefully examining his face for an answer--though that deepening scowl revealed nothing.

"You don't, that's the secret. You aren't allowed to deal with the pain sometimes, the only way is to move on and never look back on it." Ichigo's eyes softened a bit, but only a bit. "I don't look back because it would only hurt Rukia, and I am not going to risk breaking her heart and hurt my children as well. You must grow stronger, someone once told me that." He let go, and started pacing.

A sorrow that had grown black for many years, until his world changed when he met a certain shinigami. Ichigo never wished for anyone to feel the same, blaming one's self for another loss and for being weak--that memory standing still wasn't worth thinking about anymore after so long now.

"You're a fucking idiot for thinking back on that stupid shit back in Hueco Mundo." The orange haired male couldn't think of anything else to say to the white haired shinigami anymore. "I've been there, done that and all of that consequential shit alright. Toshiro, get over yourself and move on because if you continue like that--not only will you lose a lot of your friends and fellow comrades, but you will lose my sister. Think thoroughly about that." With that, the 9th squad captain left.

Hitsugaya Toshiro slammed his fists on the small table, making the cups that were still filled with tea fall on the floor. Being weak was driving him so far as to not even having the guts to stand up against that man, it was maddening and completely repulsive--Toshiro needed to get over himself and that sulking attitude before losing everything that was holding his world together.

'About time, I was getting worried that little Shiro-kun wouldn't be able to resolve this.' Hyorinmaru spoke, a rather laughable tone laced around his words.

'Shut up!' The white haired shinigami groaned as he shunpoed away from the 13th squad, and tried to make peace with whatever was going to be pointed back into the past, to be forgotten.

+---+

The feel of the refreshing warm water felt good, as Karin laid in the bathtub washing her body with the soap--carefully trying to avoid any type of pain to disturb her thoughts. For now, she smiled contently to herself after talking with her sister--whom seem to always find a way to comfort her even though things weren't always going to be alright. Except for now, the dark haired shinigami wanted to hold onto that hope and softly praying that he would be fine.

Perhaps it was impossible to deal with that kind of void completely, she had dealt with it while Toshiro had gone missing and was ready to move on after so long, yet it seemed as though something was holding her back. He wouldn't want her to worry over him, frankly, sometimes she wondered if he actually was trying to get someone to worry about him. She sighed in defeat, it was impossible not to think about not worrying about him--that was just impossible.

"Karin?" She jerked her head to the knock.

"In here." Her voice remained calm, even though she felt like everything would crumble sooner then expected.

The doors to the large bathroom opened, though she didn't need to turn, Karin knew who it was that had invaded her solace silence for the moment.

"Karin, we need to talk." Toshiro stated, removing his haori and removing his robes as well.

"About what?" Karin answered indifferently, moving to the other edge of the large tub to give him room to get in. A small splash noise filled the gapping silence, she felt his body heat near her, but that did not motive her to do anything about it.

"Karin." Toshiro began, staring at her back and her long black hair plastered against her creamed skin. Why was it so hard to say what he wanted, even though its purpose was to simply make it better in order to stop her worrying over him.

Somehow despite the closeness, the strong bond that they held for each other it seemed to only pull them farther away from them. That fear of losing her, losing the only happiness that which he had known was fierce and extremely awry to even bother to put much thought into it.

"I'm sorry Karin." His voice was soft, so unlike him and it really hurt Karin to hear that.

She turned, without even noticing that there were tears rolling down her cheeks and she smiled at him. For so long now, it seemed that things would only remained with sorrow and confusion that it felt extremely odd to have him apologize suddenly like that. Truthfully, there was nothing to be expected from such tremendous change in his behaviour, but nevertheless it was appreciated.

"Oh, Toshiro." She threw her arms against him and hugged him. Kissing his cheek on the process and smiling, wiping away her tears. "Sorry, I shouldn't cry like a baby. You shouldn't apologize at all, even though I really wanted to punch you in your face for being a stupid wimpy captain."

A smirk spread around his face, despite the fact that the new change would actually take a while, except that she was the first to know about it.

"I know, but that's why you like me that way." He smirked again, and earned a glare from his fiancée.

"Really now? I find you to be a rather pompous, icy, stupid, and egoist captain." Karin smiled, and snaked her arms around his neck and stared into his bright eyes. "Except, somehow I really think that its appealing for you, even though I honestly want to punch that smirk away from your face. Now, are we going to do rock-paper-scissors as to who will be the first to get their backs washed." Karin ran her finger seductively on his chest.

Hitsugaya groaned, not only because he disliked doing contests with her, but then again perhaps there might be something out of doing that.

"I don't think so. A captain never resorts to lowly tricks like that, so I refuse to follow it." He reached forward to grab the soap bar and began to rub her back with it. "We have to do this bath quick, its my turn today to put Tatsuya to bed."

"Oh, so caring." The dark haired shinigami smiled, and continued to run her hand on his chest. "And, change his diaper as well." At that, she broke into a loud laughter and sank under the water of the large tub to rise off the soap--even though she really didn't enjoy it so well.

Hitsugaya's eyebrow twitched as he watched her form disappear out of the doors, and with her loud laughter filling the house. Sometimes he never really got why he was so fixated in that girl, the one that had once been a human and then became a strong shinigami. Except, that he loved her dearly.

+---+

A warm wetness made Renji snap his eyes open, slowly the realization came to him as he jumped from his bed when he looked at his wife staring at him wide eyed. Incoherently, it seemed that she might have 'accidentally' wet the bed for not going to the bathroom, but suddenly he felt a sandal hit him square on the face.

"Don't fucking stand there idiot, this baby is about to come out!" Tatsuki shouted at him, getting up slowly and looking for her shinigami robes.

"Here, dress quickly." The red headed male threw her robes, and he got himself into a fresh clean ones before rushing around the room and trying to gather the necessities--even though 4th division would be able to pretty much provide everything for them.

"Oh, you give me the old ones while you get clean ones?" Tatsuki voice held an extreme rising anger to it, but that was possibly due to the pain, but he was unsure.

"There's not time to argue about this--" He hissed in the darkness, trying his best not to suddenly trip at all since there was nothing he could do at the moment.

Tatsuki on the other hand was rushing around, without even thinking much about the pain because she wasn't sure that there was a way to handle it at once--so she didn't think about it. As she looked in the darkness, her hand reached for the opening of the door, except that a pair of hands stopped her own.

"What the hell Renji? We have to get going." She argued, even though her brain couldn't truly think properly at the same time as she thought about the pain.

"Are you seriously going to walk all the way to 4th division?" Renji chuckled a bit and picked her up, bridal style.

"Put me down!" Tatsuki protested, even though she knew it was true for the most part.

"No way in hell, come on I am going to shunpou you there. So, quit squirming or I'll fucking drop you." At that, she said nothing more as she clung onto him and buried her face in his chest.

Somehow, this felt extremely awkward because the baby wasn't due until next month--but she had forgotten that babies didn't care at all. Sighing, she gave up on thinking about it thoroughly.

"Abarai-fukutaichou, what brings you here?" Unohana-taichou smiled, and then saw his wife in his arms. "Oh, Isane will you please get a room available as soon as you can?"

"Hai!" The 4th squad shinigami ran off to the opposite direction to find a room.

Renji was trying his best to hide behind a mask, the one where he wouldn't panic and start thinking that there was something wrong with his child--which he couldn't afford to think about. The baby, his son had to be alright after he had waited so long despite the many hardships of recent weeks now. All there was on this one moment was happiness, a new start, and the mark of the beginning of a new soul in Soul Society.

Lately though, the birth of a child in Soul Society was still considered strange and extremely rare, but no one bother to do anything about it since neither Renji, Ichigo, and Hitsugaya would allow their children to be tested by the ever-so creepy 12th squad captain.

"Renji--you son of a bitch!--How dare you!--" Tatsuki was yelling at him, as the birth of their child was taking place. "You idiot, how could you make me go through all of these?"

"Tatsuki, the yelling isn't going to fucking help at the moment!" Renji clenched his teeth tightly, trying hard to avoid the extreme pain that was shooting in his hand as she squeezed it tightly. He looked down at the motherly shinigami, as she smiled at him with that always soothing calm face.

"It always happens Abarai-kun, so there's no need to worry." Unohana expressed sweetly. "I need you to push again Arisawa-san, can you do that?"

"What the hell? Of course I can!" The mother to be yelled again, pushing hard as she continued to squeeze tightly onto her husband's hand, slowly it seemed that the hand would be crushed during the night. "Fucking hell!!"

The 4th squad captain saw the baby's head, sweat was forming on her brow at the stuffiness in the room seemed extremely uncomfortable for some odd reason--but that wasn't the important thought at the time. She focused as she continued to instruct the female shinigami, this baby was going to be born and adding more to the new souls in Soul Society.

"Damn you Abarai Renji for getting me pregnant!" Tatsuki continued to shout at him, gripping his shinigami robes on the process.

"I know, I know." The red headed shinigami could not think of anything else to say to her, he was far too ecstatic about the fact that he would be a father soon, so he could not say or think for that matter. "I love you Renji!" She suddenly said, looking at him with the most loving expression ever.

Kotetsu Isane shook her head incredulously at the couple--somehow they always managed to be extremely comical in a way in spite of whatever the situation was present in front of them. They belonged together oddly enough, but it seemed to make Renji happy after she had seen him depressed for so many years.

"Congratulations, you have a baby boy Abarai-fukutaichou and Arisawa-san." Unohana held the baby and then handed him to Isane for her to clean up. "He's healthy, so you don't need to worry about that. I'll the two be, good job Arisawa-san."

"It's a boy, Renji." Tatsuki broke down and started to sob.

Renji stared at the baby that Isane was holding in her arms to give to him, his maroon liked coloured hair seemed soft and thin--it had been a while since he had seen a new born. A huge smile spread around his face as she handed his child to him to see, the little dimples that appeared on his slight chubby face as the child smiled.

"He's so beautiful, Renji." The dark haired coloured shinigami smiled as she held her child in her arms, gently rocking him. "Now, I know how it feels to be a mother. I've never imagined myself having a child on my own."

"It's damn incredible I must admit." The 6th squad vice-captain smiled and kissed her in her temple. "What will we name him?"

Tatsuki smiled again, caressing her baby's cheek and running her finger delicately on his maroon locks. His eyes were a soft shade of grey mixed with blue, they sparkled and she loved his dimples. Somehow though, this child managed to look like both of his parents--which Tatsuki could not complain at all.

"Takehiko." She smiled, looking into her husband's loving eyes and continuing to rock the child.

"Soldier prince?" He looked at her, arching his brown on the process.

"He kicked a lot on my stomach, so I think he'll be a fighter like you and I." She explained, as a different 4th squad came inside to take the child. "And, I feel that he'll be like you."

Renji chuckled and kissed her fully in the lips, wanting and hoping for everything to go better because he needed to lead this life. It was happiness, knowing that he had a family who he had to protect made Renji feel better about everything. Suffering for so long wasn't suited at all, all the bad memories and moments of the past washed away, the waters were settling and calm--it felt like a new life was been given to him.

"I love you too Tatsuki." He smiled and hugged her.

'When love is deep, much can be accomplished.'

Capitulo 8, everyone! Wow, its going great I think so far. Thanks to happygirl24, rose-of-alabaster, Tsukihime nee, realityfling18 for their reviews, those who alerted, favoured--all of that stuff. You know who you are XD!! I know that Kurosaki manor sounds completely stupid, but I'll have to bloody explain that 'cos I haven't gotten around as to how in the bloody hell I am going to actually explain--man did I just completely confused myself. Anyways, but I am still going with my idea of them being nobles. Sighs, I had a special hard time with this chapter because of happiness/sadness/confusion/void/anger and all of those emotions being combined in one time. It wasn't easy, but hopefully I did alright--so I'll just give myself a yogurt cup for it or whatever. This is one of my longest chapters, so please don't mind it--I will try to make less longer ones 'cos they are hard to type. I will start answering your comments, though I don't promise to always do it. [Forgot, the quote at the end is by Suzuki Shinichi-san, he's a violist and a teacher]

+happygirl24-'I really didn't know that was actually Byakuya's song! Well, I'll have to think of another name now or something. Geez! And, really? I thought that a lot of people would be complaining about what I am doing to Orihime. And, thanks for supporting my ideas.

+rose-of-alabaster- 'Aw, I know you don't like the name of Kurosaki manor. I, myself don't like it either, but I kind of ran out of original ideas. Silly me, and I'll have to explain further how their home is actually set up just so I don't confuse you.'

+Tsukihime nee- 'Sad endings--I find them to be anti-climactic and not to my taste, though sometimes I can handle them. And, well we'll see how this story ends because I am not near finishing this story, so stay tuned to read more.'

+realityfling18- 'Thanks for finding my story, makes me happy that you like it a lot. And, well I had a hard time writing this and still am seeing that I haven't worked with so much void and sorrow, so its new for me. And, hope that you stick around to find out more.'

There it goes everyone, hope that I haven't disappointed you so far on this chapter. Toshiro was extremely OOC, but what the hell--I don't get to see his vulnerable side very often so I want to really explore that and at the same time trying not to go off his character. And, yes he's very angry still at Hinamori, but maybe in the next chapter I'll explain why he actually doesn't like her anymore and the reason why he can't be friends with her. Too much angst, sorrow and pain--not my liking but I am trying hard to move away from that by adding the part in which Renji and Tatsuki welcome their son Takehiko, and well I already said the meaning and that is according to a website so don't blame me for bad meanings and whatnot. Perhaps that scene could had been better, but I really needed to finish this chapter 'cos I was having early stages of writer's block! I almost panicked. So, next chapter will have to be the wedding I think. Thanks, until next chapter. Like it? Review it. Hate it? That's alright.