The door was open and it seemed dark inside the room. Ichigo peered inside nervously scanning for Rukia.
"Rukia?" Ichigo asked aloud.
"Over here," came a soft voice from the window near the corner of the room.
Ichigo looked over to see Rukia sitting and looking outside the window with the familiar white robe she had been in when he rescued her from execution.
"Rukia!" Ichigo cried. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Well," she hesitated, " I didn't want you to leave me so I figured it would be less painful if I had just left you instead.
It was at this moment that Ichigo had noticed the giant belly on this tiny woman.
"So I see you haven't gotten rid of it at all," he smiled.
"Of course not Ichigo!" she yelled, " I would never harm this child. It is yours as well as mine for the rest of our lives and I don't want it to live the way that I have. I want this child to have parents."
There was an awkward silence in the room afterwards.
"Well," Ichigo started, " it will. I'll be here for it and you, Rukia. I want to be with you forever and I know how this child will be the bond that connects us together. I know it will be hard to explain to my dad and all and since he isn't good with words, he probably use his fists. When he does, I'll use my fists and I'll beat the explanation into him and whoever else I have to." He looked down into her eyes that were now welling with tears. "I love you, Rukia."
"I love you too, Ichigo." Rukia had wept in Ichigo's arms. Ichigo had held her softly and surely, proving that he wasn't going to go anywhere. Yoruichi had come in and interrupted the moment. They both looked up at her and she made an awkward smile.
"Hey Ichigo, I've got to talk with you for a sec," Yoruichi looked at him.
"Okay. Um, Rukia?" Ichigo asked.
"It's okay. I know you'll be back" She smiled at him and then down at her stomach.
Yoruichi took Ichigo out of the room and into the room he had been in before.
"Ichigo," Yoruichi started, " I have something for you. It's a gift from me and a few others from the Soul Society."
Yoruichi handed Ichigo a satin black box which wasn't especially heavy. It was light and Ichigo wondered what it could be.
"Go on. Open it." Yoruichi smiled.
Ichigo opened the box and inside he found a ring. The ring had had a diamond with blue crystals on the side, surrounding the diamond. Ichigo's eyes widened at the sight he saw. He wasn't sure what to do with the gift.
"You can use it of course," Yoruichi was still smiling.
"Are you guys sure?" Ichigo hesitated.
"Yeah, we got it especially for you."
"But I couldn't," Ichigo was still hesitant.
"If you don't use it, I'll just have Kenpachi come over and make sure that you can still fight."
"Ok, ok I get it now, I'll use it. So where will it be?" Ichigo asked.
"It's wherever the two of you choose to have it and it looks like you'll have to explain to your family about where you got that ring."
Ichigo had just then thought about it and he knew Yoruichi was right. There was actually two rings in the box, one of them for Ichigo and he knew that he shouldn't keep the wedding a secret. He wanted to tell his family, but being as dysfunctional as it was, he was still afraid of what his dad would say. He wasn't sure if his dad would beat him to a pulp or hug him until he begged for mercy. Ichigo was confused but knew it had to be done. He went back to the room, hiding the box in his pocket, and sitting next to Rukia who was still stroking her tummy.
"Hey Rukia," Ichigo thought as he talked to her, " so do you know what it is yet?"
"No, I wanted it to be a surprise for both of us," she smiled.
"Rukia, I um I wanted to say," Ichigo couldn't get the words out as fast as he thought they would be, " Rukia, will you, be my wife, my love, forever, and raise perhaps more children one day?"
He awkwardly said it but Rukia understood just fine. Tears welled in her eyes again and she wept in joy because then man she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with had just asked to marry her.
"Yes, Ichigo, I will be yours," she held him tightly. Ichigo was on the verge of tears but decided to keep his tears and make his bravado known.
"You cry a lot," he said. Rukia wasn't upset at him for this because she knew he was hiding the tears that begged for freedom behind his eyes. She held him and cried into his chest while Kisuke, Yoruichi, Ginata, Ururu, and Tessai watched from afar.
"Aw," said Kisuke, " reminds me of when I was young." Yoruichi pinched him because she didn't want to know the details of his youth in the Soul Society.
Now what all was left to do was for Ichigo and Rukia to announce their plans to the world, which would be a hard thing to do….To Be Continued……
Ichigo will make his statement to the world in the next chapter but how will they do with it? What will Byakuya say when he finds out that his little sister is pregnant? I guess you'll find out in the next chapter! I'll try to write a chapter everyday, unless I have writer's block then you might have to wait longer lol Please reviews are welcome and appreciated!