Chapter: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Shalan's Say: Boy, you guys have been through it all haven't you? From me updating almost twice a day to updating NEVER! I am SO sorry but I am happy that you all have stuck in there (at least I hope you guys have stuck in there… after all I haven't posted this yet so I don't know what kind of reviews I'll get) sorry for the outrageously short last chapter. The original was deleted and I have changed my mind several times as to how I was going to end my best story ever… please review… at the end of this chapter I will post a teaser for the sequel…
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For a moment she paused, looking up into the cerulean sky, her legs swinging out from under her and her long orange hair blowing out behind her. Her brilliant blue eyes sparkled as she giggled, swinging up so high she thought she would flip over. Her knee length white dress billowed as she released the swing and soared through the air. "WATCH DAD!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"MISAKI!" The short black haired woman shrieked as her daughter flew through the air towards her father.
"I gotcha!" The taller carrot top reached up and much to his daughter's delight snatched her out of the air.
"COOL!" Another voice chimed into the cacophony of noise. "Can I try?" the younger boy called as his father set his sister down.
"Alright Ichiro… you can try…" he walked over and set the boy down.
"Misaki are you CRAZY?" Rukia knelt in front of the windblown child as she continued to giggle from the adrenaline rush.
"Mommy! It was like FLYING!"
"NO NOT ANOTHER!" Rukia called as she heard the sickening sound of her son flying through the air. Ichigo reached up and caught him, swinging him around getting lower and lower until Ichiro's stomach touched the ground. "KUROSAKI!" She hit him upside the head as he laughed nearly harder than his son.
"Mommy! Calm down see I'm okay!" Rukia dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around her children.
"You scaring your old lady again Kurosaki?" Ichigo looked up as his best friend walked over, son in tow.
"Old LADY?" A voice parroted.
"Is there an echo out here?" Uryu looked around as Rukia fumed behind her husband.
"Shut up Ishida!" Rukia threw a rock at him and he dodged.
"What happened to making a good impression on our kids? Throwing rocks Kurosaki?" He narrowed one of his eyes playfully.
"Dad! DAD!" Uryu looked over at his son.
"What WHAT?" He replied, lifting an eyebrow.
"Lemme go! I wanna go play!" He motion to his friends then looked mournfully in their direction.
"Go then…" he let his son go and watched as the little boy scampered off towards the swings.
"Is he causing trouble again?" Kazumi chuckled as she hooked an arm around his hips, pulling him against her.
"More than you know…" Rukia frowned then giggled as Ichigo blew on her ear, sending tingles across her body.
"For the parents of two you two sure are flirtatious, planning on adding to that family of yours?" Uryu lifted an eyebrow before snaking his arm around his wife's waist.
"Look who's talking…" Rukia pointed out and for a moment a pink tinge entered the cheeks of her husband's best friend as his palm rested against his wife's round belly. Kazumi coughed slyly and Ichigo looked up.
"We only have one…" Uryu defended himself and Kazumi began to giggle. Rukia fought back a choked laugh and Ichigo continued to stare at the sky as if there were something interesting about the white puffy clouds above them.
"MOMMY!" Ryu appeared next to his mother, gripping her dress and pressing his face to her hip.
"What is it?"
"HIDE ME!" He shrieked as Ichiro finished counting. It was at that point that none of the parents could retain their laughter.
"Where?" Kazumi lifted an eyebrow as the other three cackled away. She placed a hand on the back of his head and smiled softly. Peace was good.
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10 Years Later
It was raining… and she hated it. "DA-ADDY!" She called. "I'M GOING OUUT!" She pulled her raincoat on.
"Where to?" Ichigo leaned his head out of the kitchen.
"The Ishida's…" She replied with a sour look.
"Of course… why'd I even ask… so should I start speaking to Uryu about the dowry yet?" She gave him another sour looked then walked out.
"Is she going to see Ryu again?" Ichiro asked through his sandwich.
"Where else?" Ichigo returned to the kitchen as Rukia appeared from behind the fridge door. "One of these days I'm going to forget that you're in there and shut the door on you…" Ichigo teased.
"I love the weekend!" Ichiro smiled as Rukia cocked her head. "Cause then you're home and we can all talk to you…" Ever since the end of the kidnapping ordeal, or what had come to be known as operation Love Boat courtesy of Kisuke, Rukia had returned to work as a criminal defense lawyer.
"Oh, I see…" Rukia smiled then looked around. "Where are Shinogu and Kirika?" She glanced around the room.
"Outside… duh…" Ichiro said through another mouthful as he read the book in his hand.
"ICHIRO! IT'S RAINING THEY'LL TRACK MUD IN GO GET THEM!" Ichigo flinched as his son was practically blown out of his chair by his mother.
"I'm GOING!" Ichiro dragged himself off the ground and begrudgingly walked off towards the front door. "'NOGU! RIKA!" He shouted.
"You are just one notch above a caveman there Ichiro…" Ichigo chuckled as the black haired boy stomped out onto the front veranda.
"SHIN-O-GU! KI-RI-KA! COME INSIDE! MOM SAYS SO!" Ichigo plugged his ears. His oldest son sure had gotten his mother's pipes.
"Don't get your panties in a bundle Ichi… geez…" a soaking wet red haired boy walked up, his clothes stretching slightly from the weight of the rain. His mud covered shorts were dripping filth on the wooden veranda.
"You know mom hates it when you guys do this…" Ichiro took the offered towels from his father.
"Sorry Ichiro… we were just playing with Gumshoe…"
"Oh no…" Ichiro groaned. "You brought Gumshoe OUTSIDE?" A muddy and soaking wet pile of fur thundered towards him. "GUMSHOE ! NO! GUM NO!" He was immediately pinned to the ground by a hulking hairy beast. The German Shepherd opened its mouth and began to lick its master vigorously.
"Haha! You two have caused enough trouble for today…" Ichigo wrapped towels around the two. "Come on inside before your Type A mother has the heart attack she's been working towards."
"What are you saying about me Ichigo?" Rukia called from the kitchen.
"Nothing darling!" Ichigo replied then sniggered with his kids. He ushered them upstairs then swung around as he heard a scream and a roar of laughter. Ichigo walked to the door and looked upon the sight before him. His 16 year old daughter was pinned to the ground by the hulking hound while her brother and her brother's best friend attempted to retrieve her.
"GUMSHOE!" Ichiro yanked the dog back from his now muddy sister while Ryu laughed hysterically.
"RYU ISHIDA!" Misaki shouted as he helped her up. "You are dumb!" She grumbled as he chuckled from beside her.
"I'm sorry…" the black haired young man hung his head and her eyes softened.
"It's okay…" she placed a hand on the side of his face. Ichigo watched it with contemplation then caught his son's eye, there was still a protective side of him.
"PDA!" Ichiro shouted and earned himself a glare from his best friend. "Sorry dude… but I'll let you borrow my Dirge of Cerberus…"
"HEY! THAT'S MY GAME!" Ryu chased after him as he sprinted towards the house. Misaki looked at the dog who panted.
"I haven't got a clue Gumshoe… I haven't got a clue…" She watched as her brother wrapped an arm around her boyfriend's neck and drag him to the ground as they began to wrestle on the front porch. She lifted her eyes higher as her father watched her. She smiled the lifted her eyes higher. "Somewhere… OOOOVER THE RAINBOW! WAAAAY UP HIIGH!" She began to sing as a rainbow appeared over their house as the clouds began to fade. "Birds fly over the rainbow… why oh why can't I?" Ichiro and Ryu looked over as she continued to sing.
"She does have a heavenly voice… doesn't she?" Rukia wrapped an arm around her husband's waist as their best friends exited their house to listen. Uryu smiled across the street at his partner in crime as Ichigo smiled softly.
"Somewhere over the rainbow… is a place my heart once knew…" Ichigo muttered under his breath then laughed as his family ran out to join their sister. Uryu and Kazumi walked across the street to join them as the other two children sprinted across the lawn towards their oldest brother. "Somewhere huh? Somewhere over the rainbow… is not where I want to go… just yet…" Ichigo looked out over the mudfight as his wife even got involved.
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THE END
Sequel coming later today or this week!
SHALAN'S FINAL SAY: I am so happy that you all have waited patiently for me to update… well here it is… I am so sorry it was short but I honestly have to tell you that… well… will update the first chapter of the sequel as soon as you guys tell me to! READ AND REVIEW!