Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters.Thanks to CrystalRaindrop007 for Beta'ing!

Shadows In The Night — XIII

"She really looks like you, you know," Rukia said, looking down at the baby in her arms. Ichigo smiled as he watched the sleeping baby. Both children had been given a small, red bracelet that would hide their reiatsu; one of Urahara's inventions. And, as they were shown them, Byakuya took one and slapped it on Ichigo's wrist. Rukia had started laughing, and Isshin was still in la-la land.

"Nah, no really," Ichigo said.

"She has your personality for sure," Rukia said, reaching out to run her hand through Raye soft, fuzzy hair. Ichigo smiled and kissed Rukia gently on the lips before standing to his feet and walking over to the other side of the room to take Michio from Urahara and Yoruichi, the latter of whom had been entertaining him as a cat while Urahara held him. Michio apparently like fuzzy, black animals, as he was quiet while Yoruichi purred gently.

"He's a cutie. He's a lot quieter than Raye, though," Yoruichi said, turning back into her human form. She dropped down beside Urahara as Ichigo thanked them for watching Michio and walked back over to Rukia, who was abut to fall asleep again.

"Hey, Rukia, get some rest. They'll still be here tomorrow."

Rukia nodded and lay down on her bed, Raye by her side. The small baby was still sleeping.

After watching them both until Rukia fell to sleep, Ichigo walked out into the main part of the shop where Unohana, Isane, Byakuya and Renji were at.

"How's my dad?"

Renji laughed.

"He should be awake shortly. But then again, he hit his head pretty hard. I think learning that his grandkid was born three and a half months early, and learning that he had two grandkids knocked him for a loop. He's gone."

Ichigo nodded and sat down by the others, careful not to jar Michio.

"How is she?" Unohana asked. "Rukia, I mean. She seems very tired."

Ichigo sighed and scratched his orange head. After shrugging, he said, "Well, she does seem tired, but it's to be expected; she only gave birth like . . . a day ago. Give her some slack. Besides, she's sleeping now . . . and can one of you please take this darn thing off my hand?" Ichigo said, growling as he lifted his hand to his face to chew on the band around his wrist.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"No. You cannot control your reiatsu when you're feeling strong emotion. And I will not have you giving off our position. Abarai and I worked hard this afternoon to lead them on a false path, and you will not ruin that, understand?"

Ichigo mumbled something under his breath before giving up on chewing on the band and settled into a pouting position with the baby still in his arms. Michio, picking up on Ichigo's mood, began screaming loudly. Ichigo groaned and quickly checked the baby's diaper, only to find it clean. After ruling out uncomfortable, in pain and tired, he figured that Michio was hungry.

"Damn. Gotta wake Rukia."

Ichigo sighed and stood to his feet and walked into the back room again. Unohana looked around the table and said,

"Twenty says Ichigo loses his mind before the kids can walk."

"I see you and raise you thirty," Renji said, shaking his head.

"I bet one hundred he makes it through," Byakuya said, ignoring them both as he sipped his tea.

"Sorry, Rukia," Ichigo said quietly, letting Rukia lean back against him as she pulled her shirt up a little to allow Michio to feed. Ichigo reached behind them and grabbed the baby blanket that Urahara had supplied from his shop. He placed it over Rukia and Michio.

"It's OK, Ichigo. I'll get used to it," Rukia said, yawning a little. Ichigo nodded and placed his chin on top of her head as he watched Michio.

"Ya know, when my dad first told me you were pregnant, I was shocked. I couldn't believe it, and I couldn't believe that it was happening to us. I mean . . . I'd heard lots of stories of young teens having children, and my dad must have warned me a million times about safe sex . . . but when I found out you were pregnant . . . it was like . . . I dunno. Unbelievable, I guess. But when you were so devastated about it, and I didn't know why, I thought that maybe you didn't want the baby and you wanted an abortion. And although I'd only known about the baby for a few minutes, I felt as though my whole world was crumbling down. I'd seen my dad deliver babies before, and I'd seen a few die, and I had seen the pain that the parents had gone through when they lost a child, and for those few seconds before you told me what was wrong . . . I felt as though I would be going through that pain."

"Ichigo . . ." Rukia began slowly.

Ichigo smiled, then placed his fingers gently over her lips. He whispered, "Let me finish."

Rukia fell silent and Ichigo began speaking again.

"Even though I'd never seen the babies, I knew that I loved them, and that I would do anything, anything, to protect you and them. All throughout those six months, I was in an ongoing battle with myself. I know that this experience has changed me so much. Before, I was always sad and was constantly reminded of my mother and what she did . . . how she died for me. But now that I have Michio and Raye . . . I know that I would give my life for them, just as my mom gave her life for me. And not that I'm saying that it will happen, but if it does, please, don't let them grow up like I did. I want them to be happy. I want the to grow up happy and without the weight I felt on my shoulders all those years."

Rukia just nodded and buried her head in his chest after she had finished feeding Michio. Ichigo wrapped his arms around both her and the baby, careful not to hurt Raye, who was sleeping beside them.

"You've changed my life, Rukia. For better and for worse. You gave me a family, and I know how my mom felt. I'd do anything for you guys. Anything."

Rukia smiled and breathed in deeply, her eyes fluttering closed as she fell back to sleep. Michio was sleeping, too, and Ichigo gently set both him and Rukia down on the make-shift bed that had been laid out for them.

He then stood to his feet, and was about to walk out of the room when suddenly, his dad ran into the room, yelling something about wanting to see his grandkids.

This woke Raye.

After picking up the baby so she wouldn't wake Rukia and Michio, Ichigo grabbed his dad by his collar and hauled him out of the room, stopping to hand Raye to Byakuya. Before he had time to haul his dad outside into the cold air, Renji spoke up.

"Ah, sorry, Ichigo. Forgot to warn ya he was awake."

Ichigo kicked Renji in the back before he finished hauling his dad outside.

"Dad, Rukia was sleeping; what were you thinking, busting in there?" Ichigo said, glaring at his dad, but all in all, happy to see him awake. Isshin pouted, then his face grew serious. He ignored Ichigo's question.

"So, twins, huh?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah."

"So . . . why didn't you name him after me?"

Ichigo laughed.

"Yeah . . . as if! I'd be cursing the little boy if I did that! No, really, dad . . . I didn't think of it. But I probably wouldn't have named him after you even if I had. 'Cause really . . . I want unique names for my babies. How are Yuzu and Karin doing?"

"Ah . . . as well as can be expected."

Then, Isshin went back into silly mode and suddenly tears began flowing down his face in rivers as he grabbed onto the hem of Ichigo's shirt and wept into it.

"Yuzu has a boyfriend!"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Well, duh, old man. She's fourteen, of course she'll have a boyfriend by now!" Ichigo said, pulling his shirt out of Isshin's grip.

"You didn't have a girlfriend when you were fourteen!" Isshin yelled, standing to his feet.

"Yeah, well I doubt Yuzu will have two babies when she's eighteen! Leave her alone, old man!" Ichigo said, smirking as his dad fell to the ground, his head in his hands as he agonized over Yuzu's boyfriend. Who, come to think of it, was he? Shrugging, Ichigo walked back inside, leaving his dad on the ground.

He would come back in eventually.

Maybe.

Or not.

Sighing, he dropped down beside everyone else in the room and took Raye back from Byakuya, as the small child was crying.

"Hey, hush little one. No more waking mommy, alright?" he said quietly, smiling as she stopped crying. Instead, she just stared up at him with wide, blue eyes. Ichigo spoke again. "That's daddy's good little girl."

Raye yawned loudly and kicked her feet back and forth before turning her tiny head to the side and closing her eyes. Ichigo brushed her soft hair down with his hand before looking up to see everyone staring at him.

"Huh? What?"

"Nothin'," Renji said, shaking his head.

"No, what?"

"Well . . . do you even realize how much you've changed since, ya know, Rukia got pregnant?"

"Uh . . . no?"

"Wow. You really are dumb. Well, before everything, you were just a scowling, better-than-you carrot-top. Now, you smile," Renji said, stretching out the last word.

"Yeah, so? I smiled before."

"You smirked and you smiled evil smiles, but beyond that, nothing!"

Ichigo raised his eyebrows and glanced over at Byakuya.

"Is he, by any chance, drunk?"

Byakuya shrugged.

"Possibly. He had something to drink this morning. Might be the effects of that, because he normally isn't like this."

Ichigo sighed again, watching as Renji continued talking. He smiled a little as he watched Isane sipping happily into her cup and Unohana rolling her eyes at whatever Renji was talking about; Ichigo wasn't quite sure. Byakuya was just looking bored, sipping his tea, and soon, Urahara and Yoruichi joined them.

Life was good . . . but, as Yoruichi broke out the coffee instead of tea, life was suddenly overrated as he attacked her for coffee; he hadn't slept in days.

Rukia woke in the middle of the night to find Ichigo sleeping next to her. Michio and Raye were sleeping in a make-shirt crib about three feet from their bed, and Ichigo was holding her tightly to him. She smiled and rested her head on his chest.

Then, Michio started crying.

Sighing, Rukia untangled herself from Ichigo and walked over to his crib, reaching inside and picking him up. Raye turned over onto her stomach as she did this, and Rukia bit her lip until she was sure that her little girl would stay sleeping.

"You're awake?"

Rukia turned around fast to see Isshin standing in the doorway. Nodding, she grabbed the baby blanket from under Ichigo's head, having to jerk it out, and, holding Michio tightly in her arms, walked out of the room, following Isshin.

They walked into the main shop room and Rukia sat down, putting the blanket over her before beginning to feed Michio. Isshin turned his gaze away, and Rukia smiled, glad for his consideration. Neither spoke for a second, then Isshin muttered,

"Thank you, Rukia-chan."

"What for, Kurosaki-kun?" she asked, wincing as she shifted Michio in her arms.

"For changing Ichigo. He's a different man now."

Rukia didn't respond, so Isshin finished speaking.

"Just about everyone has said this today; Ichigo, Renji and a few of the others, and I feel like you're probably tired of hearing it, but Ichigo has changed a lot. Having you in his life made him a better person, and I want to thank you."

Rukia shook her head, a sad smile on her face.

"No, Kurosaki-kun, I didn't change him. He changed himself. And me. He changed me . . ."

Well, whatcha think? I know this was probably an extremely boring chapter, but what the heck? Things are drawing to a close and I have to have a boring chapter in there somewhere, don't I?

Anyway, I hope you liked it! (Crosses fingers)

Please Review!