All You Need

AN: Well lovelies, the time has come to rap this baby up. It has been a blast! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited! I can't believe it's over! *Cries*

"There's nothing wrong with the baby." Unohana said kindly. "You're in labor."

"She's only seven and a half months along." Byukuya informed her calmly.

"The baby has high spiritual pressure, so I doubt that there will be complications. She will likely be small. We'll take you and prep you for labor."

"That's not fair! I have another two months!" Suì-Fēng yelped.

"Fair has nothing to do with it." Byukuya murmured softly. She gave him a fierce glare. He ignored her and sat still like a statue.

"I'm not sure I'm ready for this." She sighed when she was settled. He nodded.

"I don't suppose we could be." He supplied calmly. She had to agree with him.

This whole thing had been such a crazy trip. They were different people from when they had met. He was more affectionate, warmer, and she was nicer. At times they got strange looks for their out of character behavior. But they were still happy with what they had together. It was a strange, bizarre love, but it worked for them. Maybe that was what really mattered.

A few hours later the loving feeling was gone.

"Isane, could you take Byukuya Taicho to get his hand fixed up? He'll need to return to his wife shortly." Unahana began to take him into another room.

"What happened to his hand?"

"He let her squeeze it while she pushed. It isn't broken, but we'll need to ice it so it doesn't bruise too much."

"With all due respect I wish to stay." She seemed to be almost done. He wanted to be there when their daughter was born. Even if his hand got broken in the process.

"Does it usually take this long?" He wondered after a few hours.

"Do you want to do it smart ass?" She snarled.

"That isn't possible. I do sympathize with your pain." She gave him another dirty look and he resisted the urge to glare back. He shouldn't glare at his wife while she gave birth to his child. That was not something a Kuchki did.

"Stop pushing." Unohana said suddenly.

"What?" Suì-Fēng snarled.

"The baby's heart rate is dropping. We need to get her out now. We'll have to perform a C-Section if she isn't born in a few minutes." Suì-Fēng nodded, looking nervous, and failing to hide it.

"Heart rate has dropped even lower." Isane murmured.

"We're going to sedate you now, okay?" Unahana sounded calm, but Isane was hurrying about prepping her for surgery.

Byukuya watched silently as they wheeled her away.

"You can come too." He followed obediently.

She was numbed completely, but still conscious. He sat by her head and he wished he had access to her hand so she could hold it.

"Is this common?" She asked Isane.

"Labor is hard for the baby as well." The tall woman replied calmly. Byukuya hated how everyone was so damn calm. He was having trouble staying composed.

'She's fine you know.' Suzemebachi trilled.

'I know. I can feel it.'

'Are you ready to be a mother?'

'As I ever will be.' She closed her eyes.

Please don't let anything happen to this baby.

Within seemed like hours but was actually minutes, a shrill cry filled the room and she felt tears prick at her eyes. Her daughter had such a loud little voice. It was wonderfully strange to hear that wail. That tiny little voice.

"We'll heal you with kido. You won't have a scar."

"Where is she?"

"We're cleaning her. You can see her now." She held the baby for her to look at. She was small and pale. Bald. Her face was scrunched up in a loud wail. She was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen.

"There! All healed!" They wheeled her back to the room, and she was still staring in awe at the tiny person in her hold.

"May I?" She looked up and handed the baby to Byukuya. She couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry when he looked at the baby with the same wonder she had.

"She opened her eyes."

"What color are they?"

"Blue." He showed her. She had light blue eyes and they struggled to focus at the room around her. For a brief moment she seemed to see the room clearly. She whined once and then resumed crying.

"Sumiko." Byukuya said.

"What was that?"

"Sumiko. Meaning child of clarity."

"Sumiko Kuchki." She murmured to the crying infant. It was perfect.

"Let me see!" Yourichi burst into the room, startling them both. She spotted Sumiko instantly and let out a noise of pure adoration.

"She's adorable! She's perfect to be my flower girl!"

"The wedding is in the summer right? She won't be able to walk by then."

"You can carry her." The cat replied easily, "And we can get her a cute little dress! You're Auntie will get you a little dress!" She bent down and began to fuss over the baby. She caught Byukuya's eye from across the room and her mouth dropped.

"Are you crying?"

"No. Don't be ridiculous."

"Yes you are!" The two women cried in unison.

"He just became a daddy. He's happy." Yourichi shrugged. "It takes a real man to cry. Softie."

"I assure you. I was not crying."

"Uh huh."

"Whatever you say."

"Well. I'll give you a little privacy. Call me when you need a babysitter." Yourichi walked out happily, leaving the family together.

"You were ?"

"I suppose it's because I'm happy." He grumbled. She laughed at his embarrassment, and he avoided her eyes.

"You want to hold her again?"

"Yes." She plopped her into her father's arms. She had thought that she had all she needed, with her position and the respect she had at her job. The power she held. But this was something she had never dreamed of having.

She didn't know when she had started needing a family, but it didn't matter. She had one now. And if anyone tried to mess with them, she would beat the living shit out of them. She wouldn't give this up for anything.