AN

You know the drill

VioTanequil is awsome

AN

Since the day he had gone to bring Rukia to Soul Society to be executed, Renji had known that this day would come. The human she had given her powers too had to be one pretty amazing guy and Ichigo wasn't one to disappoint. No, Renji amended; he had lost her before then. Back when he decided that the new noble Rukia had no time in her life for a street rat like him. Maybe if he had held on, maybe if he had focused on Rukia instead of kicking her brother's ass, he would have been able to win in the end. But he hadn't and she hadn't and now she was about to marry Kurosaki Ichigo in a few hours.

Didn't change the fact that she had sent her servants to go and bring him to her.

That's how he found himself outside the room where Rukia was getting ready to be married to another man. Though he wanted to run away he couldn't. He could never deny her. So instead he raised his hand and knocked.

"Come in," a soft voice called.

He opened the door and suddenly wished he hadn't. He would have rather been on the receiving end of her brother's Bankai a thousand times than see her standing there. She was dressed in white that rivaled that of her Zanpakuto. Instead of a traditional kimono she had decided to wear a western-style gown. It was strapless, the bodice fitted perfectly to her small curves. The skirt was wide and romantic, a train behind her. The fabric had been embroidered with small crystals that made it sparkle in the light. Her hair was even up; he didn't think he had ever seen it up. Some kind of clip held the simple style in place, the crystals on it catching the light. She was nothing short of a vision. He thought, after her almost execution, that he would never want to see her in white again. Once again he had been proven wrong.

"Renji," she turned and hopped off the pedestal she was on, lifting her heavy skirt to come over to him, "I didn't think you'd come."

"You asked me to," he said stuffing his hands in his pockets, "I didn't want to say no on your wedding day."

"Right," she said, her eyes falling for a moment. His heart ached, he didn't want to make her sad, "Well that's—"she looked up at him, "That's good, actually, because I have a favor to ask you."

"You mean another one?" he grinned, relaxing into the familiar mode of teasing her, "That's a bit greedy of you."

"I know," she said, her eyes dancing, "But it's my wedding day and you've done a lot for me already so maybe you'd do one more thing."

"What is it?" he asked with a sigh.

"Bring a date," his eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say no but she stood on her tiptoes and clapped a hand over his lips, "Don't' say no. Just hear me out," she looked up at him, "You love me," he looked away, "And I love you," his eyes went back to her face, "Yes, silly, I love you. Not just like a brother, a part of me is always going to love you," she bit her lip, "But the thing is I've gone and fallen in love with someone else. And I'm always going to love him too," she smiled, "So if you could do me a favor, try to find another person, try to find the person whose going to make you happy like I can't," her eyes watered, "Please?"

"Don't cry," He said quickly, ducking so that their height difference wasn't so much, "I will, I mean, I'll find someone, eventually. But you beat me to it. You've already got that person. It's gonna take me a little longer.'

"I know," she said twisting her fingers in the folds of her skirt, "I want you to be happy," she said looking at him, "You've done so much for me, I wish there was something I could do to help you."

"It's okay," he said scratching the back of his neck, "I'll be happy, I promise. And I'll always be there for you," he smiled down at the little violet eyed Shinigami, "But even I know your heart belongs to Ichigo."

"Oh really?" her eyes narrowed, "How is that," he turned her around to face the mirror.

"You're practically glowing, Rukia," he said, "So now unless you want your groom to come back here to try and drag me to get ready for your wedding, I'm going to have to go."

She turned around and threw her arms around him, hugging him so tightly it took his breath away. He hugged her back just as fiercely, telling himself that this was silly, that he'd hug her again. He would but she would be Kurosaki Rukia then. Well he had loved her with two other names; he imagined a third wouldn't be so odd. When she pulled back, her eyes were dry and he was smiling down at her.

"You know it's a good thing Ichigo's a little shorter," he said, "Or your wedding dance would look strange."

"Shut up," she blushed, "Go before I tell him you said that."

Still laughing he waved and walked into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady his pounding heart before he opened his eyes and turned, walking down a different corridor. He heard someone muttering and frowned, altering his direction so that he would intersect them. Finally they appeared at the entrance of one of the corridors. His eyes widened at the sight of them.

It was Nel.

But it didn't look like Nel. The green haired former Espada had never looked like that. Her dress was the color of champagne and sparkled in the light. It was short as well, barely brushing the skin of her knees. Her green hair had been caught up in some kind of clip, leaving the skin of her shoulders and neck wonderfully bare. He could just see the wing of the tattoo on her back above the edge of her dress. Unlike his black ones hers was a multitude of colors that made the bird literally look as though it was going to fly off her back and kick his ass. Well it wasn't as though, Nel couldn't manage it herself. At the moment though, she looked one thing and that was lost.

"Lost?" he questioned.

She jumped and turned around.

"Renji!" she gasped, "You scared me," she looked around, "No, I'm not lost, I just—" she sighed and shook her head, "This would be much, much easier if I could just move the corridors."

"Yes," he agreed, "But since this is the Kuchiki Manor and moving them will probably bring a pile of guards on top of you, why don't you tell me where you're going and I can help you?"

"I'm trying to find Rukia," she said, "Ichigo asked me to tell her something but he gave me wrong directions," she glared over her shoulder angrily, "He's worse than Yachiru."

"Come on," he motioned her, "I'll show you where she is," she hesitated, something flickering her eyes before she resolutely shoved it down and nodded, trotting after him to make up for her initial lag.

All in all, Rukia and Ichigo's wedding was a wonderfully normal affair. If one discounted the fact that two of the groomsmen and two of the bridesmaids had once been mortal enemies. Or that the maid of honor had power to rival the gods and the best man was taller than the groom. Even if only a handful of the guests were living, even if Byakuya spent the entire walk down the isle glaring at Ichigo, in the end he still gave his sister away. Rukia wore the same necklace and earrings her sister had worn when Byakuya married her, these she had been given. The engagement ring that belonged to Ichigo's mother was another something old. The dress was new and what was blue, well, what was blue was probably just for Ichigo's eyes.

Still as the sun set and the day ended, Rukia and Ichigo's life as a married couple began. Amidst all the Captains, all the nobles, everyone who had tried and failed to separate them, the two showed the world that this was their choice and that when it came down to it, they would choose each other. It may not have come as a surprise to anyone who knew them, but even Byakuya could enjoy the thinly veiled disapproval in the Commander General's eyes. He'd always secretly hated the old man anyway. And even if he wished he was the man at the end of the isle, Renji could find it in himself to feel happy for his friends. Because even if he wanted to be the man that Rukia chose, he doubted that he could make her smile like Ichigo could.

Though a part of her felt sad to see Ichigo marry someone else, Orihime was happy for her friends. She was happy the two of them were together because even if she loved Ichigo—and she did—she knew she couldn't make him look at her like that. Across the isle Ulquiorra offered her a small smile of reassurance that showed far more in his eyes. She ducked her head and smiled, trying to tell herself that grinning was a bad idea. She didn't think she'd smiled so much since he kissed her for years.

As for the couple, Ichigo couldn't believe she was actually marrying him. Okay, he could believe it—she had said yes after all—but a part of him had expected her to eventually tell him he was being an idiot. Or, knowing his luck, one of them would get kidnapped or die before their wedding day. But no, they had survived. They were alive and whole and everything he wouldn't have bet on them being. He was so ecstatic that he didn't even care that Sado's eyes kept going to Karin who was blushing rather spectacularly. His eyes narrowed as he confirmed it again. Maybe he was going to have to talk to Sado later. Then Rukia took him as her husband and he completely forgot everything else.

As for her part, Rukia couldn't believe that Ichigo and she were getting married. Despite every objection she had, every objection everyone else had. Despite her brother trying to kill him—multiple times, her mind supplied—and their age difference and all their differences they were still together. They were getting married. She may not have been a terribly confrontational person but even she could enjoy shoving the fact she was marrying Kurosaki Ichigo in Soul Societies' faces.

'Execute this' she thought with a satisfied grin her soon-to-be husband couldn't help but return.

"You may kiss the bride," they heard the instructions.

Not one to pass up on an opportunity, Ichigo wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up, the closing their height difference as she yanked him down, showing how incorrect the delicate image her dress gave her was. He grinned.

"Brilliant idea, eh Kurosaki Rukia?" he said, rolling the name on his tongue.

"Shut up and kiss me," she ordered grabbing a fistful of his orange hair and yanking her new husband down.

Byakuya sternly reminded himself that sending Ichigo to the Fourth Division was pointless. They were married, and they were obviously going to kiss again. The cheers went up from all their friends. Even the few who held out with their disapproval were deafened by the cheers everyone else gave. Neither the bride nor groom cared. Hell, even Byakuya didn't say anything. Even he could appreciate knowing that his sister had found true love. After all, there was something to be said for a man who would throw himself in front of swords, Hollows and execution rituals for his sister. Finally the two pulled apart, their eyes full of unconcealed delight.

And thus the next Mr. And Mrs. Kurosaki came to be.

Gin watched it all with a smile; he always had loathed sad stories. Even if his own was not the happiest he could appreciate a happy one when he saw it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the slip of paper that the Commander General had given him from the Vizards.

Commander General.

After careful consideration we must decline your offer of returning to Soul Society. The cure should work on Ichigo but we're not ones for going back to how things had been. There was a time when we would have given anything to return but the truth is that time has passed. We can't go back to what we were anymore than the former Espada could and just like them we don't want too.

It may be easy for some to accept the drastic changes in their lives but we've made a home for ourselves in the Living World, a home that we do not want to give up. Sometime during our stay being a Vizard went from being a punishment to being a choice. We may not have asked for what happened but we did adjust, we learned to live. We don't want to un-learn, if that makes sense.

For the first time in our lives we are happy again. We won't have that taken away. What happened to us was, in short, unforgivable. There was a trust and that was broken. We have learned to only depend on ourselves and that is how we will continue to exist for now.

Don't try to find us, you couldn't before and you won't now. If you've learned anything from this it should be that you do not have the right to tell people how to exist. We cannot promise that one day we won't be enemies but for the moment we have found peace and hope the same for our friends.

The Vizards

Oh and Kensei-Meanie said to tell Hisagi that he's proud that he joined the Division and Lisa says that Nanao-chan should whack Shunsui for her and finish the book! She wants to know how it ends.

Friends. It was a strange concept but one Gin was getting more and more used too. These people, these friends, they didn't mind his silver hair or red eyes or the fact that he could kill them in a heartbeat. They didn't judge him for the fact he had loved and trusted Aizen Sousuke. It was not his mistakes that mattered to them, but what he did to fix them that they cared about. After all they had all made mistakes. For some reason, the one who seemed to understand the most was Kuchiki Byakuya. He understood the pain in Gin's eyes, he understood the days when no force in the world would get Gin out of his room or away from Rangiku's grave. Those days were the worst, but somehow between whichever Captains had free time and Kira, they managed to get everything done and drag him back from the dark place.

He couldn't tell them how grateful he was, he couldn't tell them how their friendship that he didn't even know he was lacking meant to him. He couldn't. Not yet. But he had a feeling he was getting close.

When the wedding was finished, the celebrations moved to the gardens. The Kuchiki staff had outdone themselves; it was like walking into something straight out of a fairytale. Tents had been erected, thin enough so that you could see the stars through the silk. It seemed like all of Soul Society had been invited to the celebration. If the Vizards decided to attack it was tomorrow that was probably going to be the day considering everyone was going to have Shunsui-worthy hangovers. Even Yoruichi and Urahara looked like they were going to be pretty much useless in a fight.

"This is romantic, isn't it Bel-Bel?" Nel smiled looking around at the wedding, "It's like being in a fairytale." Halibel inclined her head in acknowledgement, "Ooh, look at poor Byakuya," Nel pouted, "He looks sad," she nudged Halibel, "Go talk to him."

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, fighting down the heat in her cheeks, "He's fine."

"Scared, Bel-Bel?" she challenged, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm not the one who can't seem to form a sentence around a certain red haired Vice Captain," she said.

Nel opened her mouth to refute that, but found herself unable too. It was true. She had been finding it harder and harder to talk to Renji without wanting to grab him by the shoulders and stick her tongue in her mouth. Dondochakka had even asked who 'he' was when she had spaced out during a game of Tag and he wound up catching her. The last time he did that, she had been in love. It had taken her years to fall out of love with Nnoitra. Even if she hated him for what he had done to her, a part of her had loved him. A part of her would always love him, she supposed. Even though she really, really didn't want too. But more and more, it was not his memory that was making her heart pound; it was the sight of the red haired Vice Captain.

She was being ridiculous, she knew that. So what if he could be shockingly sensible sometimes, most of the time he just shot his mouth off. So what if he was a great swordsman and had finally become equally competent with the whip, she could still kick his ass. So what if his shampoo smelled really, really nice? She liked him better when his red hair was hanging down his back, half hiding some of the black lines that decorated his skin. They mixed with the scars he had, turning his already sculpted body into a legitimate work of art. At the end of the day, he was still in love with Rukia and she was starting to loose her ability to form a sentence around him.

And then there was the trust thing. She couldn't see Renji trying to kill her but she couldn't have seen Nnoitra doing it either and he had. She didn't know if she could take that another time. If she could be betrayed another time. Maybe it was better to just not let herself care that much. She scuffed her foot; it would be easier if she hadn't started to care already again.

"Oh look," Halibel said with a rare wicked smile, "He's coming this way."

"He's what?!" Nel gasped turning to see Renji walking them, "Hide me!" Halibel laughed, waved and vanished, "You bitch!"

"Nel?" Renji looked at her curiously.

"Renji!" Nel jumped a mile in the air.

He was dressed like all the groomsmen in a suit. His hair was down from its normal high ponytail into a low one at the base of his skull. His tattoos were largely hidden underneath the fabric. He looked, well, Nel was having a hard time focusing on anything else. And his hair smelled really, really good. Nel fisted her hands behind her skirt, trying to force the pounding in her chest to stop. This was Renji, the man she had met back when she was the amnesic Arrancar playing Eternal Tag with Dondochakka and Pesche. He had been nothing but nice and understanding to her, she shouldn't feel so nervous around him. But she did. She did and—she looked down, her hands were sweating. Her hands were sweating and she was blushing. She was like a teenager on her first date. He hadn't even asked her out! How could she be so nervous? Why was he standing so close to her? What did she last eat? Was her breath bad? Oh God her breath was bad! He was probably thinking she had horrible breath, that she was a bad kisser—

"You want to take a walk?" he offered, "Everyone's looking at me like I'm a time bomb that's going to go off and hit Ichigo at any minute."

"Nah, everyone thinks Byakuya's gonna hit him first," she blurted out. He grinned, "But I'll take a walk with you."

He smiled and the two walked off into the garden, hand in hand.

From her position in her Ichigo's arms, Rukia smiled and watched Renji and Nel head off. Ichigo smiled down at her. Rukia's face hurt but she couldn't stop smiling, neither could Ichigo.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"I'm thinking about that night," he said, "When you came through my bedroom," Rukia laughed, "I just—"his grin widened, "I never would've thought that we'd be here."

"Me neither," she said tightening her grip on him, "I'm glad we are though."

"Me too," he agreed. Rukia chuckled, "What?"

"I'm just thinking about that first sword of yours, before you knew about Zangetsu," she shook her head, "That thing was huge."

"Don't go insulting my sword," he said, smile on his lips contradicting his words.

"I would never," Rukia said with mock serious, "There's so much else to work with."

He shook his head, his laughter sending vibrations through his chest to hers, "So, Shinigami," he said, his eyes dancing.

"It's not Shinigami," she said, playing along perfectly, "it's Kurosaki Rukia."

"It's perfect," Ichigo murmured, ducking his head and kissing his wife.

Rukia couldn't help but agree.