HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE! Well, this is what y'all have been waiting for: The last chapter to Forgiveness! Now, just to give ya the 411, I've started working on another IchigoxRukia fic called RENT, the first chapter's already out. You all have been so great with your reviews, which is why I'm making the sequel. I'm gonna dish out a few disclaimers before we get down of business.

Song Used For This Chapter: Seasons Of Love

Artist: Cast Of RENT

Bleach is the property of Tite Kubo, and 'Seasons of Love', along with the musical, RENT, is the property of Jonathan Larson.

Consider this my New Year's present to you all!

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Ichigo and Rukia stood next to the small baby crib, watching their son, Takeshi, sleep. Ichigo had a huge smile plastered on his face, his brown eyes shining with happiness. He wrapped his arms around Rukia's waist from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head. Even though the room was nearly pitch black, he could clearly see the baby laying peacefully. He and Rukia had both been surprised that the baby had fallen asleep so fast, this being his first night in the house.

The day was May 5th, the day Takeshi was born. Ichigo had clearly remembered rushing Rukia to the hospital, after her water had broke, at two in the morning. Everyone was there, Renji, Byakuya, Urahara, Orihime, Ishida, the whole gang. Ichigo had originally been in the delivery room with Rukia when she started having contractions. She had squeezed his hand so hard, he could have sworn that she had broken it. The fact that she had been screaming at him the whole time didn't help, either.

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes.
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Moments so dear.
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes.
How Do You Measure, Measure A Year?

Ichigo had no clue how long it took for the baby to actually come, but it had seemed like forever. When the baby finally did come, it had been the happiest moment in his life. The baby hadn't cried all that much, which was a relief to everyone in the room. The doctors had washed off the baby relatively fast, then left Ichigo and Rukia alone in the room. Takeshi had both of his parent's features. He looked like Ichigo the most, right down to the facial expression. He did have Rukia's hair and eye color, however.

They had been allowed to take the baby home that day, with it being very healthy. Ichigo had been jumping around the house all day, ecstatic. It had taken Rukia a whole two hours to settle him down, but even then he was still too happy to sit still for long. Renji, Orihime, Ishida, and Byakuya had come over later that day to see the baby. Ichigo had been so happy, he had ambushed Renji with a hug the second he walked through the door.

Changing the baby's diaper had been another story all together. With Renji as his 'wing man', Ichigo had geared the both of them up with makeshift gas masks and a pair of tongs. Ever so carefully, he had undone each of the flaps on the diapers with the tongs, skillfully trying to avoid the brown present that awaited him and his friend. All was going well until the diaper was fully opened, an awful stench filling the nursery. He and Renji had ran out of the room, coughing and eyes watering, into the living room.

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights.
In cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

Orihime and Rukia had been watching the whole display from the nursery doorway, laughing as the coughing men stampeded out of the intoxicated room, shouting "Good God, that stinks!" Renji had been coughing for fifteen solid minutes before he could stop. They both explained how they would need to burn their clothes, much to the amusement of everyone who was present.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes.
How do you measure
A year in the life?

They day continued much like that, until everyone had left to return to their homes. The unusual quiet had been strange at first for Ichigo, but he had gotten used to it quickly. While Rukia was upstairs taking a shower, Ichigo had been left alone with the baby, watching television. He didn't really watch any TV, too preoccupied with the squirming baby in his arms. For a baby that was only a few hours old, Takeshi sure could move.

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Measure in love.
Seasons of love. Seasons of love.

Ichigo quickly found out that Takeshi enjoyed seeing Rukia kick him in the head, after releasing a wise crack in her direction. Ichigo had attempted to put the baby to sleep, but bouncing it on his knee only made it throw up all over his leg. He had handed Takeshi over to Rukia, on the verge of throwing up himself, and jogged up the stairs to change his pants. After changing into a pair of clean jeans, Ichigo returned to his former spot on the couch and suggested that they watched a movie.

They decided to watch RENT, and Ichigo walked across the room and placed the DVD into the player. Ichigo had pulled Rukia, who was holding Takeshi, into a strong embrace as soon as the move started. The living room was pitch black, except for the light being emitted from the television screen. The music seemed to help Takeshi go to sleep, because after fifteen minutes, he had fallen asleep.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan

When the movie had ended, Ichigo and Rukia had taken Takeshi upstairs. He had woken up as soon as the movie was over, so they had decided try and get him to sleep in their bed and put him in the crib as soon a he fell asleep again. They had gotten into the bed, with the baby laying across both of their laps. Ichigo had wrapped an arm around Rukia's shoulders and used his other hand to tickle the baby.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes.
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?

The baby had fallen asleep shortly after that. Ichigo and Rukia had carefully carried him to the nursery and wrapped him in a baby blanket before laying him in the crib. He had rolled over onto his stomach before becoming motionless, sound asleep. Ichigo sighed, watching the baby that was asleep. He and Rukia had come so far in their time together, from when they first met, to the rescue from Soul Society, to the present.

"Isn't he beautiful, Ichigo?" Rukia turned to face him.

His smile widened as he nodded. "Yeah, he really is. Especially his eyes. He's got your eyes, ya know."

In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.

Ichigo cupped her face with both of his hands and caught Rukia's lips in his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, kissing him back. He pulled back from the kiss and held her in a tight embrace. She laid her head on his chest, watching their baby sleep peacefully in the crib.

It's time now to sing out,
Though the story never ends.
Let's celebrate
Remember a year in the life of friends.

"I love you so much, Ichigo." Rukia whispered into the fabric of his shirt.

Ichigo grinned, briefly tightening his hold on Rukia, and murmured into her hair. "I love you too, Rukia. More than you could know." His eyes traveled back to their baby, when he made vow to himself. He would continue to protect Rukia, as he had done all these years. He would protect his baby, Takeshi. He would protect everything that he loved, his friends, his family. He swore he would do so until the day he died.

Remember the love.
Remember the love.
Seasons of love!