Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters. Guess that it won't happen, only dreaming could bring such wish.

The Bridge Of Silence

+---+

'A perfect fairy tale ending cannot exist,

Because perfection can never exist

A perfect ending can exist.

Because a created happiness can actually exist.'

+---+

+Time Imperfect+

The shadows danced softly with the wind as Karin and Toushiro walked on the little path on the trees, the breeze playing with their skin, and they held hands as they reached the cemetery. They had left Soul Society early in the morning, but had to stay for a while at Urahara's store, while he had been making minor adjustments to their gigais.

Karin was dressed in a deep purple knee length skirt and a white top, along with a pair of black flats--something not to dressy as she hadn't gotten used to wear feminine clothing--despite the fact that she rarely came to the real world. Toushiro was dressed in fitted black jeans, a white long sleeved dress shirt, topped with a black pinstriped vest and dress shoes. Though, actually both of them felt very strange on the clothes because they hadn't gotten used to look like those people who cared about fashion, or anything like that.

"It feels nostalgic, as always." She squeezed his hand.

"You have said that the many times we come here, but I don't now how to respond at all." He looked at her, but smiled a little. "You look nervous."

"Damn it, I shouldn't feel like this at all." She grounded out, as they stopped by the grave of her mother.

He looked down at the grave of his mother-in-law, the kanji words that were written on the marble stone shinned with the light as they had being tinted in gold, despite that depicting death, it was beautiful. She bended to the ground, clapping her hands together three times and started to say something to her mother, and he decided to follow her example.

Though no one knew, Toushiro actually came each time he would visit to the real world to talk to her, to inform her about the family progress and other small things that he was willing to share with her. That wasn't weird for him at all, it simply made him nervous to say the least because somehow the feeling that she was present felt so--bizarre to him.

"Ah, I forgot." Karin suddenly opened her eyes and looked over at Toushiro. "There's something that I wanted to share with the two of you."

"What is it?" He asked suddenly, as she grasped his hand and looked back at her mother's grave.

He stared at her smile, so serene and soft it was somehow it was very warming for him in the inside, but what were the news that she was going to say to him. A minute pass, though it felt more like a century of agonizing silence, thick and filled with curiosity it could perhaps kill.

"Kaa-chan, Toushiro…" The dark haired shinigami took a deep breath, and her smile growing bigger. "I…I'm…with child."

The curiosity fell rapidly like a stack of bricks, replaced by the rushing feeling of happiness, a strange feeling indeed. The white haired shinigami hugged his wife, silently dealing with his emotions as always, but thanking his mother-in-law for having brought his wife to the world for him to meet. He swore that he would always protect her, maker her happy and allow her to full fill her dreams without judging her incorrectly about any decisions at all. And that promise extended to protecting her grandchildren, hoping that they would remember a woman they never had the chance to meet at all.

"I'm glad, your news was driving me into a demented state of mind." He expressed in relief, putting his forehead against hers. "How far are you?"

"About two weeks, Tatsuya said that I needed to go see Unohana-taichou." She explained, looking back at day before yesterday. "She needed to take samples of blood, while she was doing that, she found out about it today."

Toushiro was speechless, feeling like he wanted to jump up and down, screaming like a damn idiot just like he had when he found out about Tatsuya and Yuri. Instead of expressing it loudly like that, he kissed her fully, allowing his feelings to be convey themselves in such fashion for her to understand as well. Karin kissed him with the same enthusiastic feeling, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her and intertwining her fingers on his soft white hair.

'Thank you, Kaa-chan.' She thought, opening one of her eyes to look at her mother's grave. 'Thank you for giving me him, for being my mother and for everything else.'

What seemed hours…months…years…the two arrived at the Kurosaki clinic. The large sign was hard to miss, it had changed from its original boring state, to a more brighter one with small designs on it--sophisticated it looked somehow. They stood in the door of the house, a large banner in pink stood out horribly, their names grazing the banner in a bright gold colour along with extremely goofy versions of their faces on the sides.

"Hell, this is going to go on the books of the Kurosaki Most Embarrassing moments." Karin chuckled, as she opened the door to the old house, it was strange returning after so many years without visiting the house in which she had grown up, spent most of her life in. Everything looked warm and welcoming as always, everything was the same as one would enter the house--the house still looked the same as always. She was hit with a wave of nostalgia, as Toushiro closed the door behind him.

"It looks the same." He commented, as the two walked farther inside.

The kitchen looked spotless, clean and shiny with everything in place unlike it had been in the past--where everything was thrown around or left unattended while the house had been empty for a few hours. Somehow, it was starting to look lonely and feel lonely, as if no one lived there and it was a show simply--a real estate agent would come and sell it--that wasn't a good feeling at all.

Karin made her way up stairs, followed by Toushiro silently, as he allowed her to contemplate on her childhood home. He couldn't say anything for himself, he only remembered seeing Ichigo's room once or twice when he had come to the real world before the whole Winter War, and there hadn't been nothing to it. The other times had been when he was invited--unwillingly--or dragged by his fukutaichou to have dinner in the Kurosaki home. Though, he had always known that the home was always so welcoming, warm and had a nice atmosphere to it where no one would judge him wrongly at all.

The Kurosaki home was a haven in a slight sense, a place where being one's self was never wrong at all, instead, it was supported by Kurosaki Isshin. The growing family, the happiness that ran deep and hung over them like a curtain--it was a nice home.

"Hmm, my room looks the same." Karin brought him back to reality. "Ah, my soccer posters and the twin beds, the extra for Rukia-nee. Nothing changes here at all."

"It looks lonesome though, but still welcoming as ever." Toushiro commented, as the two sat down on what used to be her bed.

She contemplated again, allowing the old childhood memories to bury her deep and remind her the reasons why she loved this house. Every single happy moment had existed there, the laughter and the good times had happen under this roof, it was so overwhelming though. The echoes of the past resounded against the walls, the loud calls in the morning were always so annoying, and the sweet smell of the freshly made breakfast travelled around the house like a raging storm. A lot of memories had been left behind the home, happy memories, sad memories, strong ones that changed three lives entirely and it helped to shape the present.

The laughter still rang in Karin's ears, she chuckled softly as she remember the awkward memories of the times in which she would bring Toushiro into the house, and get caught making out with him. She remembered yelling at her brother for hours, telling him off and saying very rude things, and it had been the same for her father for giving her the talk.

"A lot of good things happen here, its funny." She explained, before he would have the chance to ask about why she had started to laugh suddenly.

"I remember, awkward moments and humorous ones too." He added, looking around the room. "I see the lamp is still there, a bit cracked on the side though."

He remembered it like it was yesterday, he remembered knocking it over while they had been in her bed and attempting to--he couldn't think farther into the memory. All there was to it was that, he had kicked it accidentally and it had fallen into the ground. Somehow though, he felt happy to know that he had built good memories of the past in this house alone. Having a past, a history that could be shared with someone felt strangely odd, but it was a good feeling nevertheless.

"Accidentally falling, that was the excuse." She smiled at him, leaning back against her bed. "I miss it though. Being woken up by that loud mouthed idiot of a father, having breakfast being served by Yuzu, and Ichi-nii being a teenager."

"You're life was cut short, it can't be helped to reminisce back into the past." He looked at her. His teal eyes holding a confusing look about them, as if something was hidden behind them for the moment--it shocked her.

"I-I don't regret it you know…if you must know." She hesitated for a second on that. "There's nothing that…that could have been done in the first place. I wanted to be with you…it was what I wanted in the afterlife in the first place. It wouldn't have mattered if it had taken twenty or fifty years for it to happen."

The look on her eyes could easily be seen, there was no pretence on that or anything that was not the truth, it was far too sincere then he had thought about in the past. He laid besides her, pulling her close to him and wrapping his arms around her while closing his eyes. She fit perfectly there, a perfect fit that in the beginning it had taken him aback for a bit. Realizing it had been hard to really accept, to fully understand that only she could belong properly in his world that easily, and so, he had to make peace with it.

Who would've thought that he would marry a random girl, one who had lost her soccer ball, and he had ended up helping her on a soccer game in the end. Fate played strange games with everyone, whether they were dead or not, a life was a life despite of the circumstances, so how would that be easy to understand?

Neither of them knew how long they had been asleep, until they felt a reiatsu appear suddenly in the house--it was strong--but it was very familiar to both of them already. Karin bolted up as she could hear her father's footsteps coming from the stairs and making his way up to where they were, somehow being found together in a bed would deem itself as strange. Though, before both of them had the chance to get out of bed--the door flew open.

"MY SON AND DAUGHTER!" Isshin said loudly, as always. "YOU HAVE COME TO VISIT ME--" He was then cut off momentarily by his daughter.

"That will never change." Karin looked down at her father, who sprang up looking like the punch hadn't affected him at all.

"You haven't missed your touch at all, its good to see the two of you." His tone suddenly changed, as he pulled her into a hug, and shaking hands with his son-in-law.

"How come you haven't taken out any of our stuff?" The daughter asked, looking around the room once again. "You should rent the rooms, I heard that you can make good mo…"

"I couldn't do that, trust me." Isshin cut her off suddenly. The look on his face was a painful look, so gloomy and pitiful that it made her feel bad about making such absurd comments.

"I…I'm sorry." She mumbled, scratching the back of her head. "That was out of line because…" She lost the thought, and kept quiet.

Isshin smiled warily, looking around the room that his twin daughters had lived in, and where his new daughter had lived as well. That past had been a happy one, filled with so many memories that could count for the next lifetime, and one that could be written into a book later in life. There was so many things that had happen since then, lots of changes that brought good things into different lives, and things that he was glad that had taken place in the lives of his three children and he was very proud of them as well.

His only son had become a captain, married his third daughter and had three grandchildren now that he proudly enjoyed talking about to his friends, and his son was always sincere about his promises to protect his family and his friends there was nothing else that he could ask for from him at all. His youngest daughter had become a vice-captain, married another vice-captain and gave him two grandchildren in return, while another one was in the way. And, his eldest daughter had also become a vice-captain and married a captain, she was strong and fierce when it came to work, but she had a kind side now that she was a mother of two children.

A parent couldn't be any more proud of his children like Isshin was, boasting about them was always nostalgic now that none of them were even living in the same plane as him, so it had become a bit lonely. There was nothing to regret of course, life would come and claim them sooner or later, and he was happy knowing that they were happy themselves with their lives.

"Don't worry about it, come on. I should start making dinner, wouldn't want you two to die of starvation now." He grinned stupidly as he walked out of the room, and down to the kitchen.

"He seems…a bit lonely." Toushiro spoke up suddenly, as they stood in the room still.

"I know, but he doesn't want to go back with us. It looks like he gets along well, even if he has to put up a front about it." Karin stated as they closed the door of her old room.

Her father had made Sukiyaki and Kombu dashi for dinner, which the couple greatly enjoyed as the dinner was a normal one with different topics. Laughter filled the table a few times, heated arguments and loudness seemed normal for them because they had never been a normal family in the beginning. Humans and shinigamis combining seemed to only bring up 'strangeness', but to them it was just the norm and strangeness was easily accepted by them.

"Son, how is the 10th squad doing now days?" Isshin asked after they had moved from the human concept of life.

"There's nothing negative to say, only minor improvements need to be administered to them." The white haired shinigami replied, taking a bite out of his sweet bun that they were having for dessert.

"That's good to hear, and I'm glad that Karin-chan was moved to your squad. Makes it easier to know she's safe." He expressed to his son-in-law.

"I'm capable of taking care of myself just fine, geez." The dark haired shinigami grumbled, glaring at her father as she spoke. "Besides, we're professionals."

"I know, but now with the condition that you're in now." Her father wiggle his brow on the process, earning two glares at once. "What? You two children thought I wouldn't know about it?"

"It was going to be a surprise." Hitsugaya said apathetically, tracing the rim of his tea cup with his finger. "I only found out about it today as well, so there's no surprise about it anymore."

"Well, congratulations to both of you though." Isshin stood up. "MY SWEETEST DAUGHTER HAS GRANTED US ANOTHER GRANDCHILD…" He wailed around the house, walking to the poster of his wife and yelling again.

Karin only groaned as she knew the whole neighbourhood would hear about that, and obviously, they would have a reason to talk about how badly they had been raised since most of them had been young parents--Ichigo had been the one to be a young father at the age of 17. So, she didn't clearly approved of teenage pregnancy of any sort, but she had been twenty then--and her brother had been a responsible adult with a girlfriend that was more then a 100 plus something years old, who just happened to look like a 16 year old.

The world was messed up, everyone lived to their own prerogative, and there was no way in hell that she would allow others to inflict any kind of verbal say on her life at all. She was a grown woman, one who could make choices without consulting a figure of power to make choices for her. Life happened, nothing more to say on that matter at all.

+---+

As the cool night air played around Karin's dark tresses, she inhaled the sweet scent of the flowers that had bloomed in the empty roadway that which she enjoyed going to, and the place in which she had started getting to know her husband. The old afterimages of her ten-year-old self came back, along with the images of Toushiro who looked just about the same age--it was strange how that memory had never left her at all. Though, all of that past made her happy knowing that it actually had existed. Somehow that thought seemed off for her.

"The sunset never fails to amaze me at all." Toushiro interrupted her thinking, as his teal orbs gazed at the sinking golden sun. The raw colours seemed magical, the golden playing with the indigo colours was like nothing else in the world or dimensions.

He knew that the sunsets from Soul Society could never compare to the sunsets here, they were more real and vivid unlike the place in which all souls went to. After all, Soul Society was a place where the dead resided in, so it was a hard comparison. His gaze wondered there, instinctively he reached for his pocket to fish out his cell phone, but forgot that there was no longer a threat for the moment.

"Ha ha, you act instinctively." Karin laughed at him. "I keep thinking back at that time in which I saw you here, playing with your cell phone…old times."

"Yes, and you with your soccer obsession. Its hard to forget it." He smiled at her, supporting his weigh back with his hands that were holding onto the metal as he leaned back.

"I…can't wait until our new child is born." She suddenly said, turning her head to look at the white haired man besides her. The expression that had been peaceful was replaced with happiness, so full of unknown enthusiasm and wonder at the saying of a new child.

"I'm glad about that. Never had guessed that at all though, it was a nice surprise." He turned to look at her, raising his left hand to cup her cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. "Is it a fair life for you?"

That question took her by surprised as her gaze changed dramatically, it wasn't something that would come up easily on a conversation, but simply in a thought. Of course life wasn't meant to be fair, but somehow that shallow happiness seemed unfair to everyone else who wasn't allowed to be happy. Karin had gone thru that countless thinking though, so it was fair for her to say that…

"Yes, it is fair." She answered without missing a beat on her tone. "Are you happy now?"

That made him question on his own, because he had never known happiness on his own at all until she had come into his world. He could easily say that his life was fair, a few mishaps and missteps, but it was fair. Unhappiness had been something that which he had lived under for so long, having so many people being ripped away from his world managed to change a lot of views. So…could he really say he was happy?

"Happiness is knowing that you're there, nothing else can change it." He spoke. Soft and caring. "I am…happy now."

She leaned forward to capture his lips, while his cold hand grabbed the back of her head and allowed her to get carried away as always.

A strange happiness easily sprang from such action, it was placid and peaceful. The one love that had never been searched for, a kiss that seemed far more meaningful then anything that was described in a fairytale. A life like that could never be called a fairytale love, a romance of the century as it should--nothing could describe the anticipating happiness and joy that had sprung. The many years it had taken for such love to exist, nothing could compare to it.

A love from a simple romance story seemed to be too made up, a love that could only be seen thru two people's eyes and it became a bit frightening. The challenge that had taken place in their love was so complicated, all the hardships that they faced held a more powerful meaning unlike no other love story. Karin hadn't known what a great love story was, mainly because she had never cared so much about love itself. Romeo and Juliet--the star crossed lovers that died in the end--but to only end the feud of their families. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy--the couple that seemed to transcend some type of unjustifiable love and one that was complicated for her to understand.

Too many great love stories existed, classic couples that turned into timeless love heroes of their own--Karin had never cared at all--nor had she wanted to start at all. Toushiro, himself had never thought of it either as a love story at all--it was simply a fate winding road that had lead him into this life with its complications and good points. Nothing matter to him though, only knowing that Karin was there alive and breathing happily was enough for him.

The faint sound of her elaborated breathing came, as they had sat on the grassy area in the park at night under the moonlight. He couldn't help but smile, tucking a piece of her long dark hair behind her ear to look at her face. That faint smile on her soft lips, the way she clung onto him was hard to understand, because he had never been aware so much at how she had attached herself to him. Losing her would be damning, the obliteration of his world and the end to life itself--though he could find himself moving along with life though.

A crease appeared on his frown, deep and dark at the unjustifiable thought that he was crossing in. A world where she didn't exist would be surreal, a nightmare because it wouldn't be right. Perhaps if she did exist, what would her life had been if she had stayed human? It was too much to think, how had he become pathetically dependent on another life like that? No, it wasn't a pathetic choice that he had made at all. Seeing her smile, waking up next to her in the morning knowing that she would watch him carefully--that was nice.

A smile appeared on his strong face, his eyes looking up at the moon as he carefully picked her up from the ground and into his arms. Carefully, he walked them back to her old home to sleep--getting back to Soul Society would do no good at the moment.

Karin opened her eyes quickly at the movement, his light footsteps were unreal that she sighed at how he was moving so gently like that. The musky smell of his shirt was almost like a drug, sometimes she wondered if he hadn't been part of the hallucinations given by that smell. It seemed silly to think so… fondly like that. A frown appeared on her face, the moon seemed to dance above her as he continued to walk in the street.

"You can let me down." She whispered, enough for him to hear.

"Its fine, I woke you up." He said, pulling her closer to him.

"No…I dozed off." It had been true, being near him like made that possible. Being too comfortable was too much, at least for her.

Toushiro said nothing as the clinic came into view, and from the looks of it, no one was home at all. The windows were all dark, the curtains draw closed together…so he decided to stick to the old tradition. Jumping was a natural reflex, his body flew up to the window of her room and he quickly opened it without trouble at all.

"Your father isn't here." As he sat her down on the bed, he tried to sense the man's reiatsu, but with no avail.

"Probably at… Urahara's. Who… knows." She mumbled weakly. The warmth radiating from the bed was welcoming too, a little too much though.

The pale moonlight illuminated the dark room, shadows playing nicely on different surfaces with the billowing of the curtains. Bright turquoise eyes stood out, like big emerald stones shinning underneath the light--bright and beautiful. Toushiro sat on the bed, placing his cool hand on his wife's stomach trying to feel the miniscule reiatsu that was growing there--his strength mixed with hers--their child.

"Thank you." He mumbled lowly, leaning down to put his head on her stomach.

"W…what for?" She asked, mumbling still.

"For…this. Everything. Happiness. Life." He wasn't sure why he hadn't properly told her how grateful he was for having her around.

"Mm…you're welcome." She sighed happily. Her hand lifting up and brought down on his head, the softness of his snow white hair tickled her senses, it was so silky smooth.

They laid there like that for minutes…hours…it was an unmeasured amount of time. Both had fallen asleep in their positions like that, neither bothered by it. The hours hadn't felt long though, as the sun peaked inside the room and brighten it up.

The wind was still fluttering softly, the sounds of the cars passing by came inside--bouncing off the walls as the birds chirping joined with the masses. The real world was obviously so different, the many sounds that it created gave life a different feeling compare to the more-peaceful sounds from Soul Society. Comparing two different realms seemed complicated on its own, living in both would also be as complicated, but they both were easily appreciated the same.

The dark haired shinigami awoke first, blinking her eyes slowly as the light danced across her pallid face--she struggled for a few minutes to adjust to the sudden brightness. The weight on her stomach was warm, a tickling sensation came from the softly breathing from the man laying asleep there. She brought her arm to cover her eyes from the blinding light--the early morning had come--but the house still felt empty.

The white haired shinigami fluttered his eyes open, the feeling of having someone look down on him was uncomfortable, but he was too wrapped up on the warmth of the body under him. He looked up, meeting dark soft eyes with his, a faint smiled appeared on his wife's face.

"Mm, awake yet?" Karin asked, attempting to sit up.

"I assume, I think." Toushiro got up, not too fast so he wouldn't give himself head rush.

Karin sat up and stretched, allowing the grogginess to disappear from her stiff body, and sniffed a large amount of air. Toushiro scratched his eyes, sleeping like that hadn't done good to his neck as it felt stiff, but the warmth from last night had felt safe. The two walked out of the room, after a five minute break to stretch and allow the sleepy feeling to lift from their bodies, and went straight to the kitchen.

She had become more practical in the kitchen, years of practice did make perfect, well in a slight sense that which she wouldn't burn the house down or make something that looked like it might walk out of the plate. The break was a simple Western style, pancakes with eggs, a glass of both orange juice and milk, and some fruit on the side--that was simple enough.

"Even the food tastes different." He commented out loud, wolfing down the last bit of his pancake.

"Maybe because you lovely wife made them with an extra hint of…love." She answered sarcastically, helping herself for seconds as she was now feeding two stomachs at once. "Okay, that was obviously a very crappy answered…what the hell do I know though."

"Hell if I know…" He rolled his eyes, pretending to act like the normal 20 something year old man.

That felt weird in its own way, a life that couldn't be easily dealt with due to how time transcended, and where he stood at in his real time. Having lived for so long did that, causing for one to fail to notice changes around, or having to put a mask that hid well what was truly inside. Yes, that was the life outside of this house and outside of the other realm, it was a difficult façade to put up for the rest though.

"Mm, I wonder sometimes if this would be the life we would have if both of us were living human beings." She expressed, staring at nothing in particular while she chewed on her spoon.

He never put much thought to it, so he wondered now. What would life be? Firstly, there was the job…what would be something fitting for him? Lawyer. Doctor. Businessman. Accountant. It wouldn't make sense, at some point there had been a picture of him in a suit--without counting the times in which he had really worn one. It was a different picture all the same, a medium sized house, with all the other human accommodates, and her along with their children. The picture itself was strange--so he shook his head to let it move into the back of his forgotten memories.

"I wouldn't know, it never really crossed my mind so much." He re-considered, but it wouldn't do good at all. "It would be too…daresay…normal…something that would be too far made up for even my own reality."

She sighed. "You're right…normal. Shit." She took off upstairs, the bits of her breakfast came back not so--subtle.

Hitsugaya followed closely by, watching her vomit all the stuff that she had fed herself with--first signs of morning sickness. Somehow, he felt sorry for her knowing that there was a few more weeks of that left.

"Are you alright?" He inclined, pulling her hair back so she would it get it filled with the bile.

"Ugh…shit. That fucking makes me sick altogether--morning sickness is shit." She felt the bile rise up on her throat, and she brought her head to throw it all out. "Fucking hell!"

He had missed his wife's sudden mouthful burst, obviously she favoured to express herself that way instead of completely punch something--or someone. A few more minutes, Karin stood up looking more pallid and sickly looking, but he knew that it was nothing to worry about much. Pregnancy…confusing.

"I…there should be an apology for that. Though, it wouldn't be proper." Toushiro inquired, as the two re-entered the kitchen again.

Karin knew that it wasn't easy to deal with it, but she couldn't blame him. "Perhaps we should start cutting down on sex…in the future." That wouldn't be a fair trade to say the least…she didn't fancy the thought of it at all. "Fucking screw that, never mind it."

"Punishment--wouldn't have seen that coming." He joked. She poked him in the ribs, causing him to jump back. "Guess…not."

"Ugh, I can't believe we're so stupid like that." She groaned again, laying her face on the cool table. "I'm acting like a very prudish high school girl, who's hormones react too quickly at the thought of sex. Damn…didn't see that one coming for myself."

"You were never a teenager, Karin." Toushiro reminded her, taking her hand. "Growing up too quickly makes you think that way…at least I think so." He wasn't sure about his little theory, but he had been part of it. Teenage hormones had come to him a few years back, the only thought that ran on his mind at some point had been…sex.

They continued to talk more deeply into the teenage hormonal years, how their little hormones called forth the very forbidden task of life. The one thing that could seal a destiny, change a life, and bring out a different view about life--it was confusing still though. Despite the fact of years of…experience…they still found it complicated to really grasp the idea of it. A deep love bonding, was that it?

By midday, they stood in the middle of the kitchen and the living room, dressed differently after a long shower. Karin was dressed on a midnight baby doll shirt, paired with black leggings, with her black upside down cross earrings and her hair pulled back in the middle. She was wondering if the dressing was being done on purpose just to annoy her, or simply because they though it looked nice.

Toushiro was dressed in dark blue fitted jeans, a long-sleeved black and blue stripped shirt, topped with a black blazer that fitted his so well, and with a small bracelet with a dragon on it. He too wondered the same as Karin, the clothes were oddly on him to begin with, and he wasn't like being the one to play dress up in.

"Barbie world, never the place you want to visit." She muttered, moving towards the living room. Somehow, it had been the room that which had gone avoided during their visit.

The room shocked her at first, it wasn't so bright due to the dozens of picture frames that hung perfectly still on the walls--it was so much. Her dark gaze lingered over the pictures, memories of her life, brother's, and her twin sister's. He looked around as well, those frames on the wall took him by surprised…was that really the large smile that he gave while looking at his wife?

The smiles of his children, nephews and nieces--all had been recorded in their own time and place. They stood in place, holding each other hands, while her free hand lingered on her stomach. Had they been real smiles? Smiles of happiness, surprise, heroic, fulfilled, enduring--there were so many words that could describe the many different smiles that held different emotions to it.

Was that…real?

They stood shocked for a second, thinking and re-thinking about it thoroughly to grasp the idea of what those pictures were really showing. Karin gasped after realizing it, a tear streaked down her face due to how it surprised her, how her own happiness was being programmed in a piece of paper.

"O…Otousan." She mouthed.

"I thought the two of you would like it." Isshin appeared, unheard by them as he walked inside the room from the front door. "It helps knowing that the three of you are happy, makes me proud to call the three of you my children."

She turned, and smiled. "Why?"

"Thought that someday, it would help recalling the happy moments that had being spent in your life along with the rest that gravitate around it too." He looked smug, proud of himself for making his daughter react that way. "Its like a biography with pictures, one that words can't convey the true meaning to neither your life, Ichigo's or Yuzu's. Toushiro, Shuuhei, Rukia…they are included in that pretty framed up life. All of my grandchildren…it's a large frame." He pointed to the largest frame, it was centred in the room.

Ichigo stood in the middle, holding five-year old Koji in his arms, he was smiling brightly at the camera while his free arm was wrapped around Rukia. Kazuki and Amaya stood behind them making peace-signs at the camera, while they smiled brightly as well. Yuzu and Hisagi were on the right side holding their twin children in their arms, both smiling as well with such radiating happiness that was addicting. Isshin was on the very back, arms stretched up in the air in victory with a huge smile on his face. Karin saw herself sitting on the left side, not sulking like other family pictures, instead she was actually smiling like the rest.

It took her a second to get it together, to understand that she was really happy about it. On her side, Toushiro sat there as well with a faint smile on his face, holding baby Yuri in his arms while Tatsuya sat on her lap, grinning widely at the camera. Truly, that was unfathomable to actually believe that it existed. Though, proof existed as a picture that hung perfectly in the wall next to other memorabilia of the Kurosaki/Hitsugaya/Hisagi family there. How had the Abarai family ended up there, along with the Ishida family? It was something unbelievably…meaningful.

"There's no words for it." She suddenly said, marvelling at the picture frames. Her wedding day, birth of Tatsuya, birth of Yuri--other moments of her and Toushiro.

"It is the only that I can keep growing, a few more hundred years and I wonder how much wall I would have to take then." Isshin chuckled, glancing at the picture of when the family had just started. Five year old Ichigo, new-born Karin and Yuzu cradled on Masaki's arms as he stood behind them with a smile as well. "I wished she was here…to savour all of the family together." There were tears threatening to fall, but he held back on that nostalgic feeling that was rupturing.

"Its lovely, I think." Toushiro spoke for the first time. "So many vivid memories, many lives that have joined our little world--magical in a sense." He was marvelled by it too, it was hard not to be drawn to all of the smiles on the pictures. Surreal.

After a few more hours of questioning, murmuring, and more laughter…they all stood in the doorway as the sun was threatening to sink soon. Another day had become wasted, though not in a bad way.

"I'll see you soon, kid." Isshin smiled, as he hugged his daughter briefly as she hated too much mushiness.

"Sure thing, strange how I didn't kick you today." She mused, but smiled nevertheless at her father.

"Have a good afternoon, Kurosaki-san." Toushiro bowed, and extended his hand towards his father-in-law. Though, he knew that the man wouldn't accept such courteous and brief good bye like that. No, he was pulled into a big hug and a pat in the back.

"Take care of my girl now, and the child there." He pointed at Karin's stomach. "I'll come visit, as soon as Ryuuken stops messing with poor Mika-chan again."

"Hai-hai! Tell them I send my regards for my lack of visiting them, promise that we'll try to make it longer next time." She said, looking at her wrist watch. "Ah, we should get going. Urahara is probably waiting, see you soon old man."

They waved at each other, Karin and Toushiro disappearing down the road and in the left turn of the street. Their reiatsu lingering in the air still, strong and healthy from how it felt--that made Isshin happy to know that both of them were doing great. He closed the door of the house, taking off to the Karakura General Hospital, for yet another shift.

The house stood empty, dark as the moon appeared as two invisible doors opened in the sky, while two butterflies appeared. The two figures that had stood there looked back for a second, turning back again while holding their hands, and walked inside the doors and they closed.

Back into the house, everything was silent and still as no sounds stirred inside--like the famous carol that was sung on the special occasion. The moon laying softly on whatever surfaces it could land upon, the living room silent still as the wind squeezed itself thru the smell openings, whistling softly in the night. The many dozen picture frames that hung on the wall shinned a bit, the light bouncing off the crystal glass that covered them--only one stood out from the rest.

The large family that had been imprinted there, black and white seemed to have captured the moment so right and perfectly. Though, the pictured depicted the imperfect time in their lives, a happiness that existed but had been hard to acquire for so many years. Their smiles were open, wide and filled with joy of life itself along with their family together like that--nothing seemed to break them at all--it was a family that was united tightly. A created happiness indeed, a perfect ending that could transcend into the after life, and the rebirth of life again. Not so perfect but… near it. And a silent bridge had been crossed.

+--THE END--+

Aww...the end people. Thank you for all of you who stuck to this story from the very beginning, or at least picked up at some point but follow thru. Gosh, there's no words that I can really say about how it feels to finish this story. I know that there's a lot of open gaps, but I couldn't bring myself to write a concrete ending there because there's so much else that could happen. I'm not going thinking about writing a sequel though, it would be too much of a 2nd generation and I wouldn't do something like that.

+happygirl24- 'Thank you, thank you for the many reviews and positive words that you have given me. I credit you on so many ideas for this story, so if I could send you a big awesome car I would--sadly I don't even own my own car lol. You're the one who has stuck to this story, always commenting on different things and everything. Thank you again. Hope that you liked this chapter.'

+Tsukihime nee- 'I'm poetic now? LOL. I'm glad that you liked it though, and its sad to say that its finally the end to this story. I wasn't keen into writing it for too long though, there's so much else that I could really get into, but that would lead no where at all. Hope that the ending was good, it was hard to write it. Thanks for the reviews though. And, hope that your first day back to school was good. Thank you for the support.'

+WatermelonPrincess- 'Aw, its sad to say that this was the final chapter. Thank you so much for those amazing reviews and wonderful support. Eh, so you like Nightmare? Cool. Hope that this ending was a good one since I really didn't know where I wanted to take it at all, plus its also a bit long :). Many thanks for listening to my complains, and for being very considerate over my story.'

+Kida Ookami- 'I was going to, but couldn't happen 'cos I really did not like the idea very much, and getting in depth with a lot of the Soul Society business really wasn't up on my front at all. Thank you so much for the reviews, for the positive feedback and everything else. Hope that you enjoy this ending as much as I enjoyed writing it, despite of so many difficulties.'

I can't thank my readers enough for their support, their kind words, and their thoughts at all because there's so much to be said at once...words obviously can't convey the proper message. I hope that everyone knows what I am talking about though. Many thanks to my friend Liz, who sadly doesn't have an account, but she was my outside support. Always bugging me about finishing, along with my friend Becca, who loves my writing. Hahaha...well I hope that I see everyone again on another story. I'm off to work on an AU Hitsu/Karin fic, the details are a bit unknown at the moment, but I want to work with some Supernatural thing like vampires (its a bit of my obsession here) or something like that, I'm unsure still. Thank you again...