Disclaimer: Do not own Bleach, but one can dream can't they?

Warnings: This is an AU story.

Pairings: Mainly Ichiruki

A/N: Many thanks to my beta, ForeverSam, for everything.

Atonement

By: akirk85029

Rukia walked into the semi-crowded classroom with Ichigo at her side. She had missed the first three weeks of school as a senior. Her body finally felt back like normal. Hisana, who had not been back to work since the car accident, was watching the six week old Michiko while they were in school. Byakuya had rented them a small two bedroom apartment right across the hall from Toushirou and Momo's. Rukia smiled as their teacher looked up from her desk.

"Welcome back Miss Kuchiki." Their teacher said smiling.

Both Ichigo and Rukia stopped in their tracks, but said nothing. Obviously their teacher had not looked at the student roster too closely otherwise she would know that Rukia's name was no longer Kuchiki. They just moved to the back of the classroom, in case Rukia felt the need to text Hisana, to see how Michiko was doing, during class.

Ichigo looked over to Rukia from his desk and smirked. "So how many times have you thought about calling home already this morning?"

Rukia glared at him. "Don't start, you told me how many times you did when you had to start school three weeks ago!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Ichigo said with a wave of his hand and then smiled faintly. He liked coming home to his wife and daughter. It was something he had never thought about before.

"So how exactly are we going to tell everybody else?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo turned his head towards her. "I thought you were going to think of a way to do that while you were out."

"You say that like I had nothing else to do!" Rukia responded.

Ichigo sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. Besides I kind of want to see how long it takes for them to figure anything out. I mean I've been wearing my wedding ring at school all the time for the past three weeks and no ones noticed a thing."

Rukia raised her brows. "No one!"

"Not one person." Ichigo said.

Rukia tried not to laugh.

Byakuya and Yoruichi walked into the small apartment as Hisana let them in. Yoruichi immediately went over to the small bassinet to hold the little girl. Byakuya turned to Hisana after closing and locking the door, he kissed her lightly.

"Did you come all the way out here for that?" Hisana joked.

Byakuya raised a brow. "I brought food." He said holding up some take-out.

Hisana smiled at her husband. "Thanks. I was just about to make something too."

"How are things going?" Byakuya asked.

"Wonderful. Michiko is such a sweetheart. Although I think she takes after you." Hisana responded.

"How so?" Byakuya questioned wondering how exactly she had meant that.

"When she wants something she expects it to happen and to happen the way she wants it too." Hisana answered.

"So she's the girl in charge." Byakuya stated.

"Yeah." Hisana said smiling. "Byakuya, has anyone, you know, asked anything?"

Byakuya looked at her for a moment before continuing to remove items from the bag he had been carrying. "No one's asked about Tousen or Ichimaru. They had no one to miss them. One person named Loly had been asking around about Aizen, but Yoruichi had taken care of everything and so it looked like he had picked up and moved out of the country. The girl was some obsessed teenager apparently. I don't want to know if he had done anything with her."

Hisana didn't say anything for a moment. "Did you ever test his blood?"

"No, and I prefer not to know. He's gone and so the whole issue is pointless now." Byakuya responded.

A month later Hisana was walking into her brother's office carrying Michiko in her arms. She tried not to laugh when she witnessed her brother being hit in the face with a book when he tried to kiss his assistant. Hisana watched Nanao walked determinedly out of the office and turned to her brother's book imprinted face.

"She loves me!" Shunsui grinned at his sister.

"Uh-huh and what exactly about a book to the face says 'I Love You?'" Hisana queried.

Shunsui shrugged his shoulders. "'Sana, I haven't looked at another woman for a long time." Shunsui replied while looking longingly at the door.

"Have you told her that?" Hisana asked.

"I tell her all the time that I love her!" Shunsui stated dramatically.

"Like that?" Hisana questioned.

"How else am I supposed to say it?" Shunsui asked.

Hisana rolled her eyes. "You need help."

"Yes and my Nanao is the one to help me!" Shunsui declared before leaving the office to find his assistant.

Hisana shook her head before heading towards her husband's office as she was originally there to meet him for lunch.

Byakuya stood silently facing the window in his office. Ever since the day he had found out his sister was pregnant, the day that he didn't kill the kid that made her that way, he felt like something had been lifted. He felt lighter almost like he was free, but from what he didn't know. He turned around as he heard the door open and saw his wife and niece.

"Do you know that my brother is after Nanao?" Hisana asked.

"Yes, though I think she might actually do him some good." Byakuya responded.

Hisana stopped and looked at her husband. "You're in a good mood."

Byakuya tried not to smile. He watched as Hisana sat across from him with Michiko in her arms. The sight before him made him think of something he had never thought he might ever want, children. "Hisana, what do you think about having one of our own?"

"One of what?" Hisana responded reflexively as she had been wiping Michiko's mouth with a cloth when he had asked.

"A child, Hisana." Byakuya said with a sigh as he sat at his desk.

Hisana jerked her head up. "I thought you didn't want any."

"Perhaps I have changed my mind." Byakuya stated.

Hisana studied him for a moment and then smiled.

It was the last day of school before winter break and Ichigo and Rukia were both annoyed at the lack of questions about anything. They only had one exam and they would only be in school for three hours, so they decided to bring Michiko with them to class.

Ichigo drove them to school this time instead of walking. Isshin had bought them a small four door sedan to help start them out and it was nice to have when they needed to take Michiko anywhere because wherever she went a lot of baggage went with her.

They arrived at the school earlier than normal so they wouldn't have much trouble getting into the classroom. Toushirou and Momo had ridden with them this morning. As Momo exited the vehicle, Ichigo reached in to undo the car seat which turned into a carrier. The four of them walked into the building with Ichigo holding the carrier.

As they walked into the classroom they were greeted by the shocked face of their teacher. Ichigo ignored her and walked to the back of the classroom and sat at the very last desk in the back placing the carrier down on the ground next to his legs with Michiko facing him. He looked down at her and smiled as she gummed the yellow plushie in her hands.

Toushirou and Momo took their seats as the teacher walked towards Rukia.

"You know, I was going to ask you today if there was a mistake on the register. I couldn't believe I hadn't caught it and the year is half-way over." The teacher said.

Rukia just smiled knowing that her teacher had just realized that Rukia's last name was listed as Kurosaki.

"I assume it is not a mistake then?" The teacher asked.

"No." Rukia responded before moving to take her seat as a few students started making their way in.

Most of the class entered and immediately took their seats as most knew that if they could start the test right away the teacher let them talk and gossip until school was out as she didn't expect to get too much work out of them the day before vacation began.

Thirty-five minutes into the test and Ichigo was already finished. Literature class was one of the few classes he didn't mind paying attention in. He looked over and saw that Rukia was still working on the essay question. He turned his head to his daughter who was still gumming the now slobbery plushie. He thought that his daughter was such a good girl. Of course he didn't know any babies besides her, but he felt she was easily the best out of all of them. Ichigo reached down and undid the buckle and lifted Michiko out of the carrier.

Ichigo sat her on his desk, his hand resting on her tiny back to support her in sitting up. Michiko's orange hair was brushed back and had a small pink bow in it which he removed. She didn't need bows to pretty her up; she was already perfect to him. Michiko was watching him with her big blue-violet eyes. Ichigo moved forward and her eyes got larger and he moved back, then forward again. He tried not to chuckle with how wide her eyes got.

Ichigo temporarily forgot where he was at and lifted Michiko into the air tilting her forward and bringing her face down to his. He kissed her nose lightly before lifting her up again. Michiko squealed in delight. Ichigo sat Michiko back on his desk supporting her once again as he suddenly felt a whole bunch of eyes settling onto him. He looked around at everyone. "What?"

Keigo stood up abruptly, eyes wide. "W-W-When?...What?...How?...Where?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned his head to Rukia who had finished her test as well. She smiled softly at him and at their daughter who gave her a toothless smile.

Rukia stood up and walked over and took Michiko into her arms. She stayed standing next to Ichigo and held Michiko facing forward, her back lying against Rukia's chest. Rukia held an arm under Michiko's thighs with her hand supporting Michiko's bottom to keep her in place so that she could watch everybody. Michiko was starting to get interested in the world around her.

Keigo pointed a finger towards Rukia. "You…you….slept with…."

Ichigo turned his head sharply to his friend. "Keigo, stop right there. If you say anything bad about my wife or daughter – you won't live long enough to regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

Rukia tried not to chuckle as not only Keigo but the entire class, minus those who already knew about Michiko's existence, nodded in acknowledgement.

"Jacket." Chad threw in, causing everyone to turn to him.

Tatsuki fixed her gaze on Rukia. "All last semester you wore Ichigo's jacket. That was to cover it, huh?"

"Yeah." Rukia responded.

Keigo walked up to Rukia and Michiko and studied the small baby. "Except for the hair she doesn't look a thing like you, Ichigo. That's probably for the best. Can I hold her?"

Rukia let Keigo take Michiko from her arms. He held her slightly away from him.

Michiko turned her head towards her dad. Her big eyes watering up, her little lower lip quivering.

Ichigo quickly gathered his daughter in his arms. He didn't like it when she looked at him like that. He smiled at Michiko and soon her smile returned. Ichigo wiped the small tear that slid down her tiny cheek with his thumb.

"Can I give it a try?" Chad asked saying more words now than he had so far this year.

Ichigo let Chad pick up Michiko. She stared blinking into Chad's face as she was lifted high in the air to be level with him. She reached her petite fingers out and touched his nose and when he didn't give a negative response she squeaked with laughter. She gave Chad a small peck on his cheek. She had made a friend with the gentle giant.

Soon Michiko was making her way around the classroom as most students wanted to hold her, mostly the girls.

Orihime soon was holding Ichigo's daughter. She studied the little girl with interest and was surprised that it didn't hurt as much to know that he had a family now. She looked over at Uryu and wondered if it had anything to do with spending more time with him. She was beginning to realize that her thoughts had been slowly changing from being about Ichigo to being about Uryu. She wondered if he felt the same way. She knew that this time she wouldn't wait to find out.

The teacher finally told Ichigo and Rukia they could leave as Michiko was distracting the other students from completing their exam. Ichigo and Rukia didn't mind leaving school early in the least. Toushirou and Momo got permission to leave too as they had ridden with them, not that they would mention that it wasn't much of a walk either.

Isshin stood in the stands with the rest of the families with his ten month old granddaughter sitting on his shoulders. He tried not to yell out as she pulled and tugged on his hair. He hoped he still had some left by the time the graduation ceremony was over with.

Thirteen year old Karin and Yuzu sat on either side of him, both giggling at their father's pained expression.

"It's not funny!" Isshin whined.

"Michiko, it's not nice to be mean to your grandfather." Yuzu said softly, trying to be stern.

Michiko tried to throw herself into Yuzu's arms. Isshin let go of her legs when he knew that Yuzu had a hold of the little girl.

Michiko looked at her aunt. "'uzzu!"

"That's right, I'm Yuzu. You're Michiko." Yuzu said sweetly.

"Mich-ko" Michiko called out pointing towards herself.

Isshin beamed. "That's my beautiful and oh so brilliant granddaughter."

Byakuya and Hisana made their way over and Byakuya sat down next to Yuzu after making sure Hisana was in a comfortable sitting position.

"Bya-ka" Michiko shouted as she climbed in Byakuya's arms.

"Michiko." Byakuya responded looking into his niece's eyes. Michiko beamed brightly at him before making her way to Hisana.

"Sana." Michiko cried out wanting Hisana to hold her.

Hisana pulled Michiko to her and held her above her own slightly swollen belly. Byakuya watched with slight amusement as Michiko reached down to pat Hisana's stomach softly.

Michiko was sitting in Isshin's lap when the graduation ceremony had begun. It was a long wait before Ichigo and Rukia were finally called to the stage. Ichigo crossed the stage first followed quickly by Rukia. Both walked back to their seats hand in hand after receiving their diplomas.

As Ichigo and Rukia made their way over to their family after the ceremony, they could hear Isshin yelping as Michiko had continued her assault on his hair.

"And just what do you think you are doing little girl?" Ichigo said as he glowered at his daughter. He couldn't keep the stern face for long as his daughter threw a brilliant smile his way.

Michiko took a flying leap into the air and Ichigo caught her easily in his arms. He kissed her softly on her head as she hugged him.

Rukia walked up next to them and brushed her hand against her daughter's hair resting her other hand on Ichigo's lower back.

"Hi mom-mee!" Michiko crooned out while resting her head against her father's shoulder.

They all starting heading out of the crowd to go someplace a little quieter, and as they passed several parents would give Ichigo and Rukia scathing glares. They continued on ignoring them. They didn't care about what other people thought about them being parents at such a young age. They were happy and that was all that mattered.

Michiko glanced around her small classroom and when she spotted her best friend, Toshihiro, she waved him over. He was a little more than a year younger than her. He had even skipped kindergarten altogether and was able to join her first grade class. The class was learning how to read. Michiko and Toshihiro sat in the back with a few of the other students who already knew how to read and had been given assigned books to read. Toshihiro had his mother's dark hair and eyes but he looked just like his father otherwise. She pulled Toshihiro into the chair next to her.

"Hi Hiro." Michiko greeted him.

Toshihiro glared at her before picking up the short book he was supposed to read today. He tried not to smile when Michiko kicked him for ignoring her.

"I said 'Hi'" Michiko growled out at him. She absolutely hated it when he ignored her.

"Hi" Toshihiro responded nonchalantly.

Michiko narrowed her eyes at him and brushed her shoulder length orange hair out of her face. Michiko looked at her book and then shrugged her shoulders. Two could play that game and Michiko was determined to win.

By the end of the day, Toshihiro had talked to her several times and Michiko had just continued on as if she hadn't heard anything.

"Fine, I won't do it again." Toshihiro said in a huff.

Michiko smiled brightly and then pulled him out the door with her as recess was announced.

Ichigo walked onto the playground intent on collecting his daughter. He eventually found her climbing all over the jungle gym. He plucked her off as she neared the top. He chuckled as she screamed, "DADDY!!"

"You ready to go home?" Ichigo asked setting her down on the ground.

"Yeah!" Michiko readily answered.

Ichigo looked over at Toshihiro. "We'll see you this week-end."

Toshihiro nodded at Michiko's father.

Michiko ran up to Toshihiro to hug him good-bye and without even thinking about it kissed his cheek softly and then skipped towards her father.

Ichigo wasn't sure whether he or Toshihiro was more stunned. Ichigo suddenly felt like his daughter was spending too much time with the boy. He stumbled forward as his daughter was pulling with all her strength to make him move.

"Come on, daddy. I want to go see Mommy now." Michiko demanded.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. His daughter was spending too much time with her mother as well. He walked with her to the front office of the school to sign her out and then they walked home.

Rukia was just putting her photos onto her computer as Hiroaki pulled on her skirt. She looked down at her one year old son and smiled at him. He had her black hair and his grandfather's black eyes. Rukia couldn't make out his pupils, they were so dark.

Hiroaki held his blue sippy cup towards her. "Juce?"

"You want some juice, my big boy?" Rukia said with a lilt to her voice that made her son smile at her.

Hiroaki nodded his head. "Yes, juce!"

Rukia turned back to her computer to save her pictures. She was starting to become a well-known photographer and she enjoyed the freedom it allowed her to have. Rukia picked up her son and carried him into the kitchen for some more juice.

Rukia had just put the lid back on the cup and handed it to her son when Michiko came flying around the corner. Rukia had to pick up Hiroaki to avoid him getting run over as Michiko ran and threw her arms around her mother's legs.

"Hi Mommy! I missed you today!" Michiko informed her.

"Well, I missed you too Michiko." Rukia replied placing her son on the ground and then gave her daughter a hug hello.

Ichigo walked into the kitchen after having changed out of his suit and tie and was only wearing a pair of jeans. He snuck behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist giving her a kiss on the side of her head. "I missed you as well." Ichigo whispered into Rukia's ear.

Rukia smirked and leaned into her husband pressing her back against him. She looked down as Michiko was trying to carry Hiroaki into the living room. "I want a sister!" Michiko called out as she made it into the living room.

Ichigo and Rukia both tensed up. "What?" They called out in unison before following their children.

Michiko looked up at them. "What?"

"Why did you say that?" Rukia asked hoping she hadn't known the meaning behind that statement.

"Grandpa said that if you guys kissed, I should take Hiroaki with me, away from you both if I wanted a sister. He said that that was the only way it could happen." Michiko told them quite serious.

Ichigo rolled his eyes before moving to the computer. He looked through Rukia's photos. He was always amazed by her work. He thought she was a great photographer.

Rukia decided to just let it go. She could hurt her father-in-law later. She sat on the couch with Michiko crawling up next to her. She smiled as she watched Hiroaki walk up to his dad asking to be lifted into his lap.

Rukia lay in bed later that night after the kids had been put to bed. She had so many people coming over this week-end that her mind was constantly going over what she still needed to get. Her brother, his wife, their son and daughter were going to be coming over. Hisana's brother and his wife Nanao and their two daughters were also going to be over. Toushirou, Momo, and their son and daughter would be over as well along with Yoruichi, Kisuke and their daughter. Rukia glanced over as Ichigo dragged himself into bed and she smiled as she felt her body finally relax.

Ichigo turned to face his wife and pulled her closer to him. He moved his hand to brush his fingers gingerly across her face. "I love you."

Rukia looked into his eyes. She brought her arm up and rested her hand gently over his chest. "I love you too. Always and Forever."

Ichigo and Rukia kissed with a burning passion as if they were making up for a missing lifetime.

A/N : So I hope that the ending was okay for everyone:) Did anyone else notice that all the chapters started with the word Rukia. I noticed it about five chapters in and tried to see if I could finish the story that way:) I want to thank everyone who has reveiwed on this story - I appreciate it so much. I also want to thank Inazagi for letting me bounce ideas off of her. Now I have some more time to work on my other two stories - having three going at once was pretty interesting. Please be kind and review:)