Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Epilogue

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There was a flash of light and a thunderous boom that shook Orihime out of her stupor and got her in to gear to move her butt in the opposite direction of the noise. She rushed forward without looking back, knowing the destruction that she was leaving behind.

She had to save them, save them all! She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard her name being called. She turned back in fear only to gasp and widen her eyes. The hideous creature that the entire Soul Society had feared for the past few days was right in front of her. Eyes glowing read, stature that was larger than Komamura Taicho's Bankai, a mechanical body made of the strongest steel that not even the sou-taicho could bring down.

She turned slightly and she looked into Renji's fearful face as the Robotic Monster tightened its mechanical fist around his body.

"Orihime! Save me!" He screamed in a high pitched voice.

No, she will not back down, she was Orihime, strongest in all of Soul Society, warrior woman who was going to save her people and her ravishingly, screaming, handsome man. She set her eyes on the large bulk in front of her with determined eyes, pushing her long hair behind her to flow along with her long cape which matched her spandex suit of blue and white and took to the skies to do her duty!

She was almost about to deliver her super charged fist when there was a loud bang followed with ear piercing screams of "Okaasan!"

Orihime sat up in bed so fast that she almost had whiplash. She looked to see her 2 year old daughter, who had slammed the door open, run to her, jumping on the bed and into her arms.

"What the fuck?" Renji bolted upright, grabbing his Zanpakuto, looking left and right for any danger.

"Renji-kun! Language…" Orihime said sternly, pouting slightly.

That's when Renji noticed the little girl in Orihime's arms. "Gomen… I thought we were being attacked or something…" he smiled sheepishly, placing his Zanpakuto beside his bed.

Orihime smiled at him then looked down at the bundle in her arms, her tiny little girl with bright red hair like her fathers and the grayness of her mother's eyes, "Reiko? What's wrong?" she asked soothingly.

The little girl looked afraid but spoke up. "Okaasan, oniisan wants to fry me for breakfast!"

"N-Nani? Akio! Get your ass in here right now!" This time it was Renji screaming..

Akio came bustling in, giggling nervously. "Eh eh eh...I was only joking…" he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Next time, think about what you're joking about, Gah… Waking up your mother and I like that…" Renji said, flopping back on the bed. He pulled Reiko out of Orihime's hands and started tickling her until she was crying with tears of laughter.

"Otousan! Stop!" the little girl giggled.

Renji stilled for a second, "Hmm… well do you promise not to come barging in here screaming in the morning again?" he asked, grinning.

"Hai! Hai! I promise!" she laughed even harder.

"Good, now your brother is gonna take you in the kitchen and make smoothies for the both of you, eh Akio?" Renji grinned at Akio.

"Hai!" the boy grinned back, knowing he was off the hook.

Renji kissed Reiko on the nose a few times to which the girl giggled and fussed, trying to get out of getting smothered and then he placed her on her feet. Just as Akio was about to pick her up, Renji gripped his shirt and pulled him down, smothering him with kisses.

"Otousan! Matte! You don't do this to boys!" Akio screamed, horrified.

"Heh eh eh. Don't think you get away so easy coz you're a boy!" Renji laughed as he continued.

The ten year old boy struggled and eventually pulled away, gasping on the floor next to his giggling sister. He got up quickly, grabbing his sister and running out the room, shutting the door behind him.

Akio had become very protective over his little sister. He was very playful with her and always teasing her but he never let her stay out of his sight for too long and always took care of her. She had picked up the clumsiness of her mother so he always had an eye out for her.

Orihime had been laughing throughout the whole scene and squealed out when Renji pinned her to the bed.

"And what you're laughing at woman? Did ya think you could also get away from the serial smoocher, eh?" Renji grinned, showing his canines, bringing his face closer to Orihime's.

"No serial smoocher-san, anything but that! I'll do anything!" Orihime got out in between giggles.

"To late little lady!" Renji gave out a maniacal laugh before descending upon Orihime and raining kisses all over her face.

Orihime laughed so hard until tears were rolling down her face. Suddenly she stilled and looked up at Renji, who had noticed her lack of movement.

"What's wrong Hime, Are you okay?" he said with a serious tone and a worried look on his face.

"No… Nothing's wrong…" she said smiling to which he frowned. She took his hand and slid it to the large bump on her tummy and held it there while watching his face.

A few seconds later Renji's eyes widened, looking searchingly at Orihime, eventually he started grinning.

"Hime, he kicked! I felt him kick!" Renji exclaimed excitedly.

"Yep! He's gonna be a strong one this one, just like his otousan." Orihime smiled.

Renji grinned and kissed her tenderly, moving his tongue to intertwine with her own. He slowly slid his hand along her left side, finally landing on her breast, giving it a tight squeeze then flicking her hardened nipple.

Orihime moaned into his mouth, being pregnant made her already sensitive breasts, over sensitive. The slightest touch made her tingle all over. Not to mention that they had grown even more, which was expected during pregnancy. This pleased Renji a lot.

He continued to attack her mounds while he left open mouth kisses along her jaw, eventually finding the crook of her neck and sucking on the skin there. She moaned at his assault and groaned when he eventually pulled away, she was left panting. After five years of a wonderful marriage, he could still leave her breathless with just a kiss.

He chuckled, "You really do know how to make the most arousing noises Hime…"

"That's coz you're always teasing me…" she pouted.

Renji smirked and bit on her protruding lip, earning a light giggle from his princess. He slid his body southwards and let his head rest on her stomach, listening to the sound of his second son. Unohana Taicho had informed them that they would be having a boy and both parents were happy, whatever the gender turned out to be. Orihime was 7 and half months along now and was as heavy as hell.

However Orihime was in a state of happiness. Her life had been one of joy, security and contentment since being with Renji. Akio had stayed with them, well it wasn't like they were letting him go anywhere. Renji had asked her to marry him to which she accepted immediately.

She decided to become a Shinigami and was placed in squad four which was always the obvious result. Her powers had manifested into her zanpakuto so they were definitely still a part of her. She loved her work and enjoyed working with Unohana Taicho and Hanatarou-chan. She also became quite close with Isane-san. It seemed they had much insecurities about their bodies to talk about.

On the side she would continue her baking if she had time seeing as many people demanded it and she just couldn't deny a kind request. The Captain Commander had even requested them!

Three years after their marriage, they had a beautiful baby girl which Renji was very excited about. What Orihime loved most about Renji was that he was an amazing father. He loved Akio as if he was his own and dotted on him just as much as he did on his little girl.

Ha had once said that it was because he had never gotten such attention when he was a kid and that was why he always showered Akio with love, so the boy wouldn't have to seek it out like he had to in his childhood.

It humbled her and brought her a lot closer to him. Her relationship with her family hadn't been a happy one either. She was glad Sora had taken her away from the abusive environment. She didn't want to imagine how her life would have ended up if he hadn't.

As for the other shinigami, it seemed as if Renji and her 'love' story had sparked a movement, if she could call it that. Toushiro-kun was finally pulling himself out of his ice box and finally showing some of his true feelings towards Momo. Just the other day she saw the both of them sitting under one of the Sakura trees at the tenth division, Toushiro-kun trying to look indifferent as Momo played with his hair, his head on her lap. She couldn't help but giggle at the scene.

She always made frequent visits to see Rangiku, well especially when she received a hell butterfly from her saying that her Taicho was 'occupied' so she had some 'free' time. Rangiku was also healing slowly although she did fall into a slump sometimes, reminiscing about Gin, which was accompanied by heavy drinking.

Orihime soon found out that Hisagi-san was always there to look after her and she had known for some time now he liked the busty fukataicho. Rangiku had also recently said that she was becoming fond of him as well but she wasn't ready for anything more than what they had at the moment, not yet anyway.

Then there was the extravagant Shunsui-san (he insisted she call him that) and his dear Nanao-chan. She felt they were making some head way. It seemed that Nanao-san didn't hit him over the head with her book as much as she did before… Maybe it was a sign…

Her own life was just a dream. Both she and Renji still made frequent visits to Inuzuri, Renji occasionally giving lessons in training to the boys. They had even set up a shelter for the kids she had known, providing them with a good roof over their heads and food to fill their bellies. She missed them from time to time, after all they had been her family when she first arrived in Inuzuri.

This made her to think about the other 'family' she had. The one in the living world. She had given Ichigo the letter she wrote for Tatsuki and he promised he'd deliver it to her although she wasn't on speaking terms with him at the time.

It was a few months later that she had gotten a reply when Ichigo had entered the Soul Society on the request of the Captain Commander, dealing with stray arrancar business. He gave her a letter that Tatsuki wrote. She remembered crying her eyes out at the words of her best friend.

Tatsuki had said that she had actually felt her presence diminish that night and ran out looking for her. She had been afraid that it might have been those arrancar that came back for Orihime but Ichigo had found her and relayed the news. She had been devastated at first and fell into a state of shock over the fact that Orihime was really gone for good this time.

However the shock had turned into pure rage and anger when she found out the reason Orihime had been knocked. The letter portrayed the hurt and regret over her pummeling Ichigo but she never forgave him for not protecting Orihime. He had promised and she had trusted him with Orihime's safety. After all, it was he who brought her back from Hueco Mundo.

It had taken a huge weight of her heart after reading Orihime's letter and knowing she was fine and safe in Soul Society. It also made her happy to know that she found love from someone who appreciated her just the way she should have been appreciated all along.

She had taken Orihime's words to heart, about not blaming Ichigo, saying it wasn't anyone's fault and what was meant to happen happened. She knew it would make Orihime happy if she tried to narrow the gap between herself and Ichigo.

She couldn't deny that it hurt her to have such a strained relationship with her childhood friend and she had eventually forgiven him and they were on talking terms. Everything wasn't rosy as it used to be but they would get there eventually.

She had wished Orihime well and hoped to see her one day, just for a visit. She had even hoped that Orihime would become a shinigami and be the one to watch over Karakura Town!

Orihime giggled at that thought. That had been the main reason she had become a shinigami, so she would be able to go to the Living World and see her friends once a while. After becoming a shinigami, as well as becoming a wife and mother, she managed to visit her friends in the Living World.

Seeing Tatsuki again was one of the most emotional moments of her life. She couldn't remember how long they held each other, without saying a word, just crying. After they had calmed down, they were able to talk about her life and achievements.

Tatsuki had managed to open her own Dojo and was well established in the business of martial arts. She was now married to a wonderful guy who she met at one of the tournaments and was expecting her first kid! Orihime was truly happy for her but sad that she couldn't share the whole experience with her.

Ishida had gone into the medical field as a researcher. He was full into researching the variety of diseases, viruses and illnesses in order to come out with the best cures. However, he was not seeing anyone. He had parted with his girlfriend due to the demands of his work. Orihime felt sad about that but in the end Ishida was a grown man who made his own decisions.

Chad had left Karakura straight after he graduated from High School, for his native land of Mexico. He had opened his own business and eventually got married and has four kids! She was truly happy for the silent giant that always stood by her side.

With Rukia, well the petite shinigami had approached her some time after she had regained her memories. They had had a heart to heat conversation which ended up being extremely emotional. Rukia was truly sorry for her actions and explained everything to her.

Orihime didn't need to forgive her but accepted her apology. She was past all that, she had moved on and it wasn't a sore point in her life anymore. They had left each other with light hearts and as Orihime would see Rukia around, they would greet and sometimes make polite conversation.

As for Kurosaki-kun… He had gone to college to study journalism. She had never known he was into writing. She had always thought he would follow in his dad's footsteps. He graduated and got an internship at the local paper. Ichigo was now the editor of it as well. He also published a book and always wrote a column in the paper.

Most of all that had happened during the first five years she had spent in Soul Society. That day he had come to see her when her decision was made, they had never got around to talking about how and what everyone had been doing in those past years so on her visit to the Living World, she had a lot to catch up on.

He had changed a lot and had definitely matured from the last time she had seen him. They never spoke about their disastrous 'love' but she found out that he wasn't seeing anyone, he was just taking the time for himself and his family, no matter how much his dad pestered him about finding someone.

He looked like he was in a good place in his life, she even noted that his permanent scowl had also eased a bit and his aura wasn't as brooding as she remembered. She was glad that he had reached somewhat of an equilibrium in his life…

She missed all her friends, from the Living World, deeply from time to time when her mind would wander, but she also had a new life here, with a wonderful husband and two, soon to be three, amazing children. This was definitely not one of the lifetimes she had imagined when she was alive but she liked this one the best.

She giggled when she felt Renji's arms tighten around her waist as he snored away lightly. He had fallen asleep! He always did when he laid his head on her swollen belly.

She stroked his hair lightly, receiving soft sounds from him. She smiled and then nudged him softly.

"Renji-kun… You need to wake up…"

He just grunted in annoyance and held her tighter.

"Renji-kun…" Orihime whined. "You're heavy… and I'm guessing the kids are making a mess in the kitchen by now."

He picked his head up and moved up to look at her from above, eyes half lidded from awakening. "Tch… Hime, I don't remember you complaining about me being heavy the other times I was on top" he grinned mischievously.

"Renji-kun!" Orihime squealed and blushed bashfully. After all these years he could still turn her into a squealing teenager even after all the things they've done…

He chuckled and planned on kissing that blush away, but stopped with a groan when he heard a crash come from the kitchen. He placed a quick kiss on her forehead and moved off the bed. "And I was so comfortable…" he muttered, making his way to the door. "I swear there's no desert for those brats tonight!" he said in a huff, a bit louder this time as he made his way out the door.

Orihime just laughed. She knew that no matter how much Renji would say he wanted to discipline them, he would always cave and let them have their way. He was a bit of a softie at times but when he really needed to get a message through to them he wouldn't waiver. The kids knew when he was serious and knew when they weren't getting off the hook.

Akio and Reiko were very playful with their father but they respected him a lot. Especially Akio, Renji was like a hero to the boy. She was so happy with her life, glad that she now felt as if she belonged, right there with her family. She giggled as she heard the squeals and laughter coming from the children and the hollering of Renji.

He was probably chasing them around the table. She got up slowly off the bed, making her way to the kitchen to join her family and start off another day in her life of being an Abarai. She smiled happily, she loved the sound of that…

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The End

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Now that truly was the end to the story… I hoped you guys liked the epilogue :) I'm hoping that's what you were looking for (nypsy ;D ). I didn't want to go into detail about everyone's lives, it would have taken to long so I did a quick run through.

To all my new story favorites, author favorites and story alerts, thanks!: war90, butterfliesinspring, OpheliaLauren, glasclach, MrsBennington, rebelpyroflame, XelaLove, SuperYuuki, LiluFaery87, mspris, Talon-Murtagh-Carter-Jason-Bya and mizperceived.

Special Thanks to my wonderful reviewers! I really appreciate you guys taking the time to leave me a comment: war90, nypsy, BrittBratt03, Xio Yven, Hyou no joo, butterfliesinspring, kurenai cakes, porcelainsnow, glasclach, crazy4music, Boobie-Chan, Otepbunni, MrsBennington, rouge demon, Fantasy Obsession, Dark Gothic Lolita/ Headoverheels4anime2011/ Leonessa del buio (lol), mspris, and mizperceived.

I was so motivated to get this out soon after the recent manga chapter came out. I'm loving Renji's hair! It's not a major difference but I think it looks awesome! As well as the other changes to the other characters :)

Thanks again for all the support!