Don't quite know where this came from. :P Anyway, I think it's cute, and I will probably end up doing a follow-up sometime in the future. Maybe not; I'm happy with it.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters.
Love Me More
"Daddy?"
Ichigo turned around to see his three-year-old girl jumping up and down beside him. He reached down, picking her up in his arms; her bouncing didn't stop. Her violet eyes glowed happily as her raven hair swirled around her small face, and Ichigo kissed her on the forehead, causing her to reach her small hands up and run her fingers over her forehead, searching for something as if the kiss were actually visible.
"Yeah, Rion?" he asked.
"Daddy, tell me 'bout mama!"
Ichigo let a sad smile filter across his face as he sat down on his couch and set Rion in his arms. She was still smiling brightly, and her light pink, fluffy dress ruffled as she crossed her legs.
"You want to know about mommy?" Ichigo asked, his voice quiet. Rion nodded, sticking her fingers in her mouth.
"Yeah ... I wants to know 'bout mama!"
"Your mama was very pretty; she looked exactly like you. Her hair was beautiful and her eyes spoke everything she was feeling. She was a midget, but I loved her a lot."
"This much?" Rion asked, spreading her small arms as wide as she could. Ichigo shook his head.
"I loved her more than the world."
"Wow! Thats a lot!" she said, her eyes wide as she stared up at him.
"Yeah, it is," Ichigo said, ruffling her hair as he picked her up in his arms again and led her over to the fireplace. On the mantle stood a single photograph. In the photo, Ichigo was smiling, holding Rukia in his arms. She was smiling wide, and in her arms, she was holding a tiny baby; Rion. "Look baby, that's mommy, and that's you."
"I was ittsy bitsy!" Rion said, reaching out to grip the photo. "Daddy, where did mama go?"
"Mommy went far away, baby. She went away."
He repeated the last line slowly and quietly. Then, Rion said, nearly crying,
"Did mama not love me? Is that why she left?"
Ichigo shook his head quickly.
"No, Rion. Mommy loved you so much, she would have given the world and more for you. She loved you more than I can ever tell you, and I'm sure she still does."
"Then why did she leave?" Rion asked, still staring at the photo.
"Mommy didn't have a choice. She had to go away to keep me and you safe."
"Will she come back?"
Rion still hadn't looked away from the picture. Her violet eyes were staring right into Rukia's, and her hands soon began shaking. She said, tears threatening to spill over, "I want mama to come back!"
Ichigo hugged her to his chest tightly, his hand rubbing her back slowly in a calming motion. He said, "I know, Rion, I know. I want mommy back, too."
Rion had started crying now. Her small body shook with sobs as she gripped the picture tightly. Ichigo tried to take it out of her grasp, but she squealed and hugged it tighter to her chest. It nearly made him cry, seeing the look of pain on Rion's face, but he held it in; he had to be strong for his baby girl.
"Rion, how about we say a prayer for mommy?"
Ichigo didn't normally pray, but he had been taking Rion to Sunday school every week for a few months now so she could make friends, and she liked to pray when she was scared or sad.
She pulled her head away from his chest and nodded, and soon, she was kneeling on her knees beside the couch, Ichigo beside her as she clasped her tiny fingers tightly together. He placed his hand on her back as she sobbed and said,
"Dear God, I pray that you keep mama safe, and I pray that she comes back. I love mama and daddy does, too, and we miss her. Could you tell her that, pwease? Could you tell her that I love her?"
Ichigo felt himself taking a deep breath to keep himself from crying like Rion as she continued, her tiny voice filtering over them both.
"I pray that you protect her, 'cause I wanna see mama again and I want her to sing to me, like she used to. Amen."
Ichigo picked Rion up in his arms and hugged her tightly as she buried her head in his chest.
"Daddy? Do you love mommy more than you love me?"
"No, silly. I love you both the same, OK?"
Rion nodded, not noticing that Ichigo was on the verge of tears, too. She closed her eyes and yawned, the picture of her, Ichigo and Rukia still tightly grasped in her tiny fingers. She was soon sleeping, and Ichigo walked her into her bedroom, laying her gently down on the bed. He didn't even try and take the picture out of her fingers; she wanted to keep it, so why shouldn't she? It was one of the only memories that Rion had left of her mommy, and he would give her that.
As he walked out of the room, he felt a breeze flow past him. Looking around, he realized that all the windows were closed against the cold November air.
And he smiled.
She would come home.
Hmm ... Well, I, personally, liked that. What about you though? Hmm? Should I do a follow-up?
Please Review!