The moment you've all been waiting for: the reunion! I hope this chapter is long enough and fluffy enough to make up for the army darkness :)

The infamous day finally arrived.

"We're…done," Hitsugaya gasped in disbelief, gazing at the sword in his hand as if it was made of gold. "We did it. We reached our quota. Inoue-san, we…"

"I know," she said excitedly, grinning uncontrollably and clasping her hands together. "We finally get to go home!"

"Yeah, we…wait, we?" Hitsugaya asked confused. "You're getting out too?" Inoue smiled.

"When you decided to keep me and not switch to someone else, I was told that I could leave as soon as you reached your quota." Hitsugaya gaped at her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. Inoue shrugged.

"I guess I just forgot." Hitsugaya rolled his eyes.

"Even after three years, I still don't understand you," he mumbled. Inoue giggled.

"So, are we going to tell them that we finished?" she asked eagerly.

"Actually," Hitsugaya replied awkwardly. "There's one more sword I'd like to make before we tell them. I'm sure they won't begrudge me the materials after all the work I've done for them and it shouldn't take me that long."

"Ok!" Inoue exclaimed, racing over to the tool rack. "Let's get started!"

"Um, I'd actually rather do this one on my own," Hitsugaya stopped her. "I don't mean to be rude but…"

"It's a gift for your wife, isn't it?" Inoue asked knowingly. Hitsugaya nodded.

"Ok!" Inoue sang. "I totally understand. I'll just watch then."

"Thanks," Hitsugaya said gratefully as he began to work.

"You must be so excited," Inoue chatted as Hitsugaya mixed various metals together, trying to get the combination perfect. "You finally get to go back to your wife! After all this time. Ahhh, it's so nice to have a loving family isn't it?"

"Inoue-san," Hitsugaya began, "do you have anywhere to go?"

"Huh? Ah, no no no, don't misunderstand, Hitsugaya-san," she gasped, shaking her hands back and forth. "I didn't mean anything by that. I just…"

"You don't, do you?" Inoue ceased her ramblings.

"No," she admitted. Hitsugaya sighed.

"Why don't you come with me?" he offered. "There's plenty of room in my house, and I can help you find a job, or a husband, or something. I feel it's the least I can do to thank you for all your help."

"Oh!" Inoue gasped. "But, what about your wife? Won't she think it's strange?" Hitsugaya smirked. The last thing Karin had told him before he left was that she would beat him to a bloody pulp if he brought another woman home. He found it rather ironic.

"She'll understand," he assured her.

"Ok then," Inoue said with a smile. "I've got nowhere else to go anyway. Thank you very much."

"Don't mention it. Now let me get back to work so we can get out of here." Inoue giggled.

ooooooooooooooooo

Two figures dressed in plain, black traveling cloaks walked up the street towards the Hitsugaya manor. Other than a sword strung across one of their backs, they had no possessions. A gate with a coat of arms containing a dragon spiraling around a sword came into view.

"Woah, is this your house?" Inoue marveled. "It's so big!"

"I guess," Hitsugaya shrugged uncomfortably. "Anyway, I think I should go greet my family and explain to them who you are first. Otherwise my wife really may kill me."

"Ok!" Inoue replied. "I'll wait here for you." Hitsugaya nodded, pulled his hood up over his head, and turned the corner. He had no desire to go in through the front gate. That would alert the servants to his presence and the whole house would be swarming all over him before he could say, "I'm home." He wanted, if possible, to see Karin first, and spend a few moments alone with her before he was attacked by everyone. So he headed towards the back and snuck in through a little used and well hidden gate in the garden.

It had been three years, but Hitsugaya hadn't forgotten the layout. Luckily, he didn't run into anyone as he wandered the paths, hoping that maybe Karin had decided to go for a walk. He heard voices up ahead, and he crept as silently as he could into a bush, keeping himself as hidden as possible. He peaked through the branches and his heart leapt. Sitting on a bench, directly in his line of sight, were his two favorite women, Karin and Momo. Karin's face looked slightly older and her hair was longer, but it was unmistakably his beloved wife. Momo looked extremely happy, if tired, and was holding a bundle in her arms.

"I don't know what you expect from him Karin," Momo said. "He knew that job would take him four years. He's not a magician."

"I don't care," Karin replied. "He promised me he'd be done in three years. He's two weeks late." Momo chuckled.

"You miss him don't you?" Karin blushed.

"Nothing wrong with that right?" she defended. "Besides, I've had too much free time ever since Kira stole you away. I could do with the excitement of his return."

"Oh, is that what we're calling marriage nowadays?" Momo laughed.

"Marriage?" Hitsugaya gasped, the shock almost making him fall out of his bush. "Momo got married?! To Kira?" He was admittedly startled, but at the same time, he couldn't help smiling. Kira had clearly cared about Momo, that had been obvious to everyone, and while Hitsugaya didn't know much about him, it looked like he was making Momo happy. And, based on the way Karin was mocking her, it seemed like she approved.

"If she approves, I approve," Hitsugaya decided.

"And since when did you have free time?" Momo continued. Karin grinned.

"Good point." Just then, Matsumoto stepped around a corner and Hitsugaya could just barely see her past the leaves of his bush.

"Karin, I'm afraid that Hyourinmaru has eaten Yuri's ears," she proclaimed.

"Again?" Karin groaned, heaving a great dramatic sigh. Momo giggled.

"What was that about free time?" she teased. "Anyway, I'll let you deal with your crisis. I need to feed Shiro-chan." The bundle in her arms squirmed and a tiny hand reached out and grabbed onto a loose strand of Momo's hair.

"That's…that's a baby isn't it?!" Hitsugaya realized, feeling himself swell with joy. At least Momo had finally found some bliss in her life. She deserved it. He couldn't be happier for her.

Matsumoto left with Momo and Karin stood up and stretched.

"Time to deal with that crazy Hyourinmaru," she said to no one in particular. Hitsugaya snagged the opportunity to have Karin alone and stepped out from behind the bush.

"What's a Hyourinmaru?" he asked casually. Karin whipped around, but instead of screaming like most women would do upon seeing a strange, hooded man randomly appearing in her home, she challenged him.

"Who are you?!" she cried furiously. "How did you get in here?"

"Did you really forget my voice already Karin?" Hitsugaya asked, and Karin gasped.

"Tou…Toushiro?" she asked in disbelief. Hitsugaya smirked and pulled the hood off of his face.

"I'm home," he announced softly, loving the look of shock in Karin's eyes. But it disappeared all too quickly.

"Damn it Toushiro, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" she said crossly.

"I'll take that as a 'welcome back,'" Hitsugaya chided.

"You're late," Karin scolded, coming over to him. "By two weeks in fact."

"Sorry," he apologized with a grin.

"You'd better be," Karin insisted, but she too was smiling.

"But I made you something to make up for it."

"Oh?" Karin asked curiously. Hitsugaya removed the sword from his back and handed it to her.

"You wasted time making me a sword instead of coming straight home!?" she rebuked. "What's wrong with you?" Hitsugaya shook his head in amusement.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you Karin?" She shrugged.

"Maybe. A lot happened while you were gone. Momo got remarried."

"I heard," he replied. "And had a baby."

"You little eavesdropper," she teased. Her face became serious for a moment. "You didn't change, did you?" she asked anxiously. Hitsugaya smiled.

"I don't think so," he replied honestly. "Well, except for developing a new hatred for the army. And a love of proper hygiene. But I spent so much time in the smithy that I wasn't really affected by the brainwashing. I think I'm pretty unscathed."

"Good," Karin said thankfully, and Hitsugaya was amazed at the relief that spread across her face at his words. She really had been concerned.

"Aren't you going to look at it?" he asked.

"What?"

"The sword silly. It's no ordinary battle sword." Karin unsheathed the sword and her jaw fell open. It was the most incredible sword she had ever seen, even more amazing than Senbonzakura. The metal was the palest blue that faded to white around the edges and it was covered in intricate carvings that made it appear frosted over. It looked so much like a block of ice that Karin was almost convinced it would be cold to the touch. The guard was the shape of a four pointed star and light purple cords were threaded around the green hilt.

"This is…spectacular," Karin said with awe. "I can't believe you actually made this." Hitsugaya shrugged.

"I got sick of making battle swords. Plus, I wanted to bring you something nice to make up for the fact that I was gone so long." He sighed. "I missed you," he said sincerely, reaching up his hand to trace the familiar lines on her face. "Terribly." Karin felt her body heat rise and her heart start to race at the first contact they had had in three years.

"Then show me just how much you missed me!" she demanded. Hitsugaya smirked.

"Gladly." And, finally, after three years of separation, the couple kissed. Hitsugaya snaked his arms around his wife's waist, loving every second, basking in the smell of her hair, the feel of her skin, the taste of her lips. He was home. He was really home. He felt blissfully at peace as he lost himself in the moment, and he was so engrossed in kissing Karin that he almost didn't hear the children's voices.

"Yumi, give me my ears back!"

"Can't! Hyourinmaru ate them!"

"Kaachan, why are you eating that man's face?" That did it. Hitsugaya broke himself out of the spell of his wife's embrace and gaped at her like he had never seen her before.

"K…kaa…chan?" he stuttered, positive that he had misheard something. Karin beamed at him.

"Toushiro," she said joyously, smiling so widely it threatened to split her face open. "I want you to meet your daughters." As if in slow motion, Hitsugaya turned his head to see three little girls standing below him. The first had long white hair and eyes so dark they seemed almost black. The second had raven hair pulled back in a braid and eyes that twinkled like emeralds. And the third had curly blond locks and chocolate brown eyes, and was clutching a small blue dragon with red eyes.

"Daughters?" Hitsugaya gasped, still not sure he believed it, even with the evidence standing right in front of him. "We have daughters?" Karin grinned uncontrollably.

"Yes," she replied. "Triplets. Yuki, Yuri, and Yumi. Girls, I'd like you to meet your touchan."

"Touchan?" the raven haired girl asked expectantly, looking up at Hitsugaya with her startling eyes. Hitsugaya was convinced that his heart melted right then and there. See, there it was in a little puddle on the ground.

"Yes Yuri-chan, touchan," Karin confirmed. "I've told you about him right?" Hitsugaya knelt down to face his daughters properly, his brain still reeling with too much information.

"Are you really my touchan?" Yuri asked, sticking her finger in her mouth. Hitsugaya reached out and patted her head.

"Yes Yuri-chan," he said, smiling wider than he had ever done in his life. "I'm your touchan." Touchan. The word wasn't real. It was too miraculous.

"Yay!" Yuri cried, running into Hitsugaya's arms. "Touchan finally came home!" Yuki giggled excitedly and joined her sister. Hitsugaya hugged the two girls as tightly as he dared, willing himself not to cry at the enormity of it all.

"Yumi-chan?" Karin asked, looking at the small blond girl who was still standing a bit away from Hitsugaya looking nervous. "What's wrong?" Hitsugaya looked up from the other two to gaze at the daughter who had yet to accept him.

"He doesn't look like me," Yumi pouted, clutching the dragon closer to her. "He's gots Yuki's hair and Yuri's eyes, but he don'ts gots anything of mine." Hitsugaya looked up at Karin desperately as she did her best not to laugh at how cute she found her daughter.

"Oh but he does," Karin assured her. "Did you know that Hyourinmaru used to belong to him?"

"Hyourinmaru did?" Yumi asked hopefully. Karin nodded. Yumi looked down at the dragon in her hands.

"Is this really my touchan Hyourinmaru?" she asked it, and this time, Karin did laugh. Yumi put her ear to the dragon's mouth and nodded.

"Ah, I see," she said as seriously as a two year old can. "Ok!" And with that she launched herself at Hitsugaya, who now did his best to wrap his arms around all three girls at once. Karin knelt behind him and placed her arms around his neck, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"We make beautiful daughters Karin," he said lovingly, gazing down at the multicolored heads pressed up against him. Karin chuckled.

"Yeah, we do," she agreed, turning Hitsugaya's face to kiss him properly.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Hitsugaya closed his eyes tightly against the assault to his ears.

"I think you broke something Matsumoto," he moaned, but he gave her a smile nevertheless.

"Hitsugaya-sama!" she cried excitedly. "What are you doing here? When did you get home?"

"About five minutes ago."

"Ne ne, Ran-bachan," Yuki said eagerly. "Did you know? Touchan's here!" She pointed at Hitsugaya. "See, here he is!" Matsumoto giggled.

"I see that Yuki-chan," she replied merrily. "Do you think he'll let me give him a hug?"

"Have you ever needed permission before?" Hitsugaya asked with a sigh. "The only reason you haven't given me one already is because I have girls in my arms." Matsumoto laughed again. But Hitsugaya stood up anyway and allowed Matsumoto to hug him.

"Come on," she said enthusiastically. "Everyone will want to see you!" Hitsugaya scooped up the two nearest girls as Karin picked up the third and together they headed out of the garden.

"Um, Karin," Hitsugaya said as soon as Matsumoto was distracted with screaming her lungs off for everyone to come greet Hitsugaya. "There's something I need to tell you. I brought home…" But before he could finish, several dozen people poured out of the house and his words were drowned out by the servants who were all welcoming him back and asking him so many questions at once, he couldn't decipher a single one. Momo came over to him, squealing almost as loudly as Matsumoto did, and they exchanged hugs and compliments on each other's children.

"I'm really glad you're happy Momo," Hitsugaya said truthfully. Momo beamed at him.

"Thanks Hitsugaya-kun."

"Hitsugaya-sama!" shouted an authoritarian voice, and Hitsugaya turned to see his chief of security heading towards them, leading a redhead in a black cloak by the arm.

"Uh oh," he thought frantically. "I never got the chance to tell Karin about Inoue-san."

"Do you know this girl?" the security guard asked roughly, indicating Inoue, who was gripping the back of her head in an embarrassed fashion.

"Sorry, Hitsugaya-san," she said rather cheerfully for the situation. "But he saw me outside and asked me why I was loitering and…I'm not interrupting anything am I? Oh, are those your children? You never told me you had kids! They're so cute! Hi girls, I'm Inoue Orihime…"

"Toushiro," Karin said sternly, coming over to him. "Who is she?" Hitsugaya felt the eyes of everyone around him boring into his head, but it was Karin's gaze he returned.

"Karin, this is Inoue-san," he introduced. "She was my assistant in the army. She has no family and no home to go back to, so I asked her if she wanted to stay with us for a while. She's the reason I got out so early. Without her help in the smithy, I…"

"I thought I told you I'd kill you if you brought another woman home," Karin said darkly. Hitsugaya blanched.

"Karin, I promise, it's not what it looks like. Nothing happened between us…" but Karin finally lost control and burst out laughing.

"Oh please, you still can't take a joke? We've been married for three years already!" She approached Inoue and held out her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Inoue. I'm Karin, Toushiro's wife."

"Oh, Hitsugaya-san told me all about you!" she exclaimed, shaking her hand so hard Karin thought it might just fall off. "I'm so excited to finally meet you! You sound like such an amazing woman!" Karin chuckled.

"I'm not that great," she assured her. "If I was, I wouldn't make my husband quaff every time he looked at me." She flashed Hitsugaya a grin and he shook his head.

"Your kaachan's so mean to me," he told the girls in his arms.

"Really?" Yuki asked concerned. "But I thoughts you was strong, kind, and handsome?"

"Oh I am, am I?" Hitsugaya asked amused. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Karin who was blushing furiously.

"Shut up!" she snapped.

"I didn't say anything," he replied innocently. Everyone present laughed.

"Come on!" Matsumoto directed. "Let's have a party! Sake all around!" As much as Hitsugaya wanted to protest, he knew he had no control over this one. He shifted the girls higher up on his arms and cocked his head to indicate to Karin to join him. She placed her free arm around his waist, and the happy family began to head inside.

"Let's go, Inoue!" Karin called back over her shoulder. "We're going to leave you behind!"

"Coming!" she sang. She walked a little ways behind them, observing Hitsugaya and Karin, as they continued to tease each other, and she smiled contentedly.

"I've never seen Hitsugaya-san smile before," she thought to herself. "I'm so happy for him."

I think I almost died writing the part where he meets his daughters. I awed so much I scared my cat. Don't worry, it's not over. There are still a few chapters left.

Oh, and I know everyone names Hitsugaya's kid Yuki, but I've wanted them to have triplets named Yuki, Yuri, and Yumi for the longest time, and I thought this was a good place to do that.