Okay – this story had gone on long enough and I've decided to do a time jump! So this is later by years. Ichigo is in his early twenties, the war complete and of course they won so Aizen is dead – blows a raspberry - Life had returned to normal.

Apologies for losing track half way through this story and now getting bored of it!

Ichigo stood in the strange living room, he knew it wasn't his living room, but he felt odd. Something compelled him to stay here with this family, and he couldn't recall how long he'd been here either, a shadow on the wall in his Shinigami clothes ignored by the three family members.

He looked again at the small child, she could have been no more than three years old, sitting in her mothers arms. The father came in switching the TV on and exchanged an odd look with the mother as the news theme began to play.

Ichigo knew his family were going to be worried, he could sense he'd been gone a while and they'd be searching the beach looking for him and cursing him for ruining the family holiday.

The funeral of a holiday hero took place today…

The mother began to cry pulling her child tighter to her and the father put an arm around her shoulder. Ichigo stood behind the sofa and watched the news.

…3 year old Kai Huri was rescued from drowning when she fell from a pleasure boat touring the local islands by a young 22 year old man. The man jumped to save the child when he heard the distressed calls of his mother. Witnesses say the child was successfully pushed back into the boat after a 15 minute struggle due to her clothing snagged under water. Many people on the boat then watched horrified as the man clearly fatigued by the ordeal slipped under the water and out of reach. The man's own father, attempted a rescue and was hampered by rough waters. The body was found washed up several miles along the coast two days later and was formally identified as…

Ichigo startled at the hand that suddenly rested on his shoulder. He turned and looked into the dark troubled eyes of Byakuya.

"You scared the shit out of me! What the hell are you doing here?" Ichigo put a hand to his chest.

"Looking for you." He scanned Ichigo's face before his eyes looked to the TV, Ichigo snapping around at the same time at the sound of his father's voice.

"It was so typical of my son to try and save someone else. He was such a special person…"

"We have to go." Byakuya pulled him around again.

"But…"

"Ichigo, she doesn't need you anymore." They looked to the child pulled tight against her mother as the father turned the TV off. Byakuya caught Ichigo's hand and began to tug him away towards the waiting doors.

"Wait." Ichigo resisted and looked into his lovers eyes.

"No." Byakuya instantly knew what he was going to request. "You can't go there."

"If it's the funeral how long have I been gone?"

"It has taken me a week to find you."

"They'll be worried."

"You're dead. Of course they are upset; they are mourning your death."

"I have to see them…I can't just disappear!"

"You already did." The strain finally showed on Byakuya's face. His week of searching and praying that he wasn't either a Hollow or Hollow food had taken a toll on him. He cupped his lovers face. "Everyone is upset. This has been a living hell for me too." Their lips touched lightly. "For once I would have liked you not to play the hero."

"Please Byakuya; they've already lost my mum. You have a three year old son. What if it had been him?"

X

Ichigo waited with Kisuke Urahara.

"Sit down, you're wearing a hole in the mats!" The man tutted pouring them tea. Ichigo's restless spirit body sat crossed legged across from the scraggy beard and hat.

"I mean couldn't you have made me a gagai and I could have carried on my life?"

"Your time was up. It meant that you were never meant to live a long life. But you cannot go running around dead, think of everyone's surprise!" He chuckled. "More to the point, it is not our role to decide you should live on after you recklessly wasted your life. She was drowning, maybe she was meant to die and you were meant to live? Who knows but its too late now Ichigo. Accept that you died it will be a lot easier."

The doors to the shop opened as Kisuke poured the last cup of tea and smiled at his good timing. Ichigo stood abruptly jolting the table and Kisuke tutted at the spilt tea.

"I guess I can make some more?" He rambled moving back to the kitchen.

Isshin looked at his son holding back his ranting daughter Karin. He was clearly relieved, Yuzu was crying and Karin screaming on the top of her lungs.

"You stupid idiot! What did you do that for? What did you save her for?" She kicked him and punched him in the stomach.

"Karin!" Isshin pulled her back. She stood her arms folded and scowling at him.

"Yuzu?" Ichigo shrugged and gave her a apologetic smile. She smiled through her tears and they hugged tightly. Karin mumbled under her breath something no one could hear and shuffled forward to hesitantly join the hug. Ichigo wrapped an arm around her.

"Sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to do it."

"You are okay then?" Isshin asked.

"Other than being dead you mean?" Ichigo half smiled.

X

"I thought we were going to come out in your grounds." Ichigo said looking around at the communal entrance to Seireitei. Home from now on. Weird.

"Sotaicho requested I take you straight to him when I found you. Michico said you can stay with us for now."

"I can't sleep at your house."

"With a month old baby, no one sleeps at our house." Byakuya responded dryly and began to make his way towards the firsts division.

"What happens to us now?" Ichigo had not moved at all and Byakuya turned back to him. "You know I mean US? We can't do what we did before." Ichigo still lived at the apartment and Byakuya came at least one night a week and a whole weekend when he could. Now that he had two children, it had become harder, so how hard was it going to be when they lived in the same town?

Byakuya had had a week to think about this, and it had played on his mind, in-between thoughts of how would he cope if he never found Ichigo. "There is no need for secrecy anymore. Why do you think that I came to find you? Everyone knows about us. When it was suggested that Hitsugaya Taicho would be sent to find you… I thought you would prefer me over that cocky child." Byakuya was stood in front of him his hands slipping into Ichigo's. "I had to explain why and so now they know."

"Did it do down well?"

"I think they may have been surprised after all, all they have seen is me playing happy families with Michico. I had not even had chance to confer with her about revealing our relationship. No doubt she had had many visitors whilst I have been gone. You go and have your meeting, I will inform Michico I have found you." Their lips met again, hands wrapped around each other and their love confirmed as still strong. "I love you." Byakuya panted.

"Sorry that I made you worry."

"You are Kurosaki Ichigo, I should expect nothing less from you!" Byakuya chuckled.

"I love you too." He took another quick kiss and they went their separate ways.

X

"Now the question is what to do with you." Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai looked with his half closed eyes at the young man standing nervously in front of him. "I have been quite popular with the Taichō's and fukutaichou's this past week. Everyone had had an idea of where I should place you. What about you any ideas?"

"I have no idea sir."

"No?" He raised his fluffy eyebrows. "Of course the choice is natural. This division has suffered from too many ordeals. I want someone who can bring back its status and pull the division back from its jinxed label. Would you consider stepping into the formidable shoes of Hirako Shinji and Aizen Sosuke as the Captain of the 5th?"

"Well…"

"No doubt your father just said to take the job I offered? There is a reasonable salary, a house with a housekeeper and a good natured fukutaichou." Ichigo shuffled nervously on his feet and stood thinking a moment. "It is a surprise to be dead yes?"

"Yes."

"And a surprise to us all that you seemed to have kept your contacts in Soul Society all this time. He is a married man…"

"Byakuya and I were together before he was married. Michico knew of our relationship sir. She apparently said that I am welcome to stay at their home for the time being."

"Time being until we see that the House in the fifth meets with your approval. No one has stayed there since the defection."

"Thank you sir."

"I'll take that as your acceptance. You may leave."

X

Chōjirō Sasakibe was surprised by the impromptu gather of the Gotei 13 officers. He looked hassled and barred the door of his Captain.

"What are you all doing here? The sōtaichō is busy!"

"We're here to see if Ichigo is alright!" Matsumoto ran a finger down the even more flustered mans cheek leaning forward to give him a good view of her breasts.

"I am thanks." Ichigo's voice sounded behind Chōjirō as he stepped out of the office door. He looked bewildered by the thousands of questions suddenly flowing his way and the press of bodies pushing towards him – none more so that Matsumoto and her breasts.

Like the tides parting the Red Sea for Moses the crowd made a path for the Kuchiki Clan leader, his wife and children.

"Ichigo!" Ginrei Byakuya's carbon copy three year old took a running leap at the now Captain. Ichigo smiled widely at the kid and he lifted him up.

"I have been so worried about you!" Michico, holding the for once not crying baby in her arms kissed his cheek and did a motherly look up and down to see if he was harmed in any way.

"I'm fine I guess." He smiled.

"Fine, of course you're not fine! You know I can read you like a book after all these years." She tutted.

"Well?" Rukia pushed her way through the crowd thanks to Renji and his elbows.

"Come on we all want to know, what did he give you?" Renji asked.

"Captain of the Fifth." Ichigo said sheepishly.

"Yeah! Captain like my father!" Genrei screamed.

"Captain! You made captain before me!" Renji said clearly irritated.

"He can boss you around now." Rukia elbowed him in the ribs.

"Yeah and you smart arse." Renji answered her.

"Oh we have to celebrate Ichigo! Come and have a drink with us." Matsumoto's breasts wiggled suggestively and Ichigo stepped back into the woodwork looking to Byakuya for some help.

The noble stepped between the two loves of his life, and placed a hand around their waists looking like the cat that got the cream and declared in true Kuchiki style that they were leaving and swept them out of the room.

X

Tonight for the first time for quiet some years, Ichigo needed quite a lot of support from his lover. Having fallen asleep during dinner, he found himself sleepily being ushered into a large and beautiful guest room.

"Its all so confusing, I don't remember dying."

"It doesn't matter. I told you years ago that I would find you. And I'm glad I did."

"I seem to be saying sorry a lot today… I wish I didn't need finding. I wasn't ready to leave everyone behind…leave everything I wanted to do…"

"Your tired that always makes things seem worse. It will all get easier."

"I know." He concentrated on the hands that rubbed his back, the feel of those arms that made him feel safe around him and let his stress that had coiled itself in his lower back begin to unwind. Byakuya was only too willing to help his lover adjust.

Over the years he'd leant a lot from his two partners. These days, he laughed more, smiled freely and spoke in kinder ways; but some of that may be due to the pleased family elders now off his back, the fact he was a father and loving every moment of it. Michico and her optimistic outlook on life and Ichigo and his never ending thirst for life and helping everyone he could.

It could also be due the strange connection that bound Ichigo and Michico and the results of their combine manipulation to get him to be more human. Damn them and their sneaking behind his back, but he did feel somewhat happier, fulfilled and at ease with the world for it. Maybe he had mellowed into the next level of his existence?

"You know that this makes it all a little easier on us. You will be closer to me, a home you can call your own where my visits can carry on as we have so far. The children always love seeing you and no doubt you and Michico can devise even more evils traps for me to fall into."

"You are one jammy bastard."

"Even jammier now I have you here with me too." Byakuya kissed him. "Mine to ravish when ever I feel the need." The two men smiled.

And they all lived happily ever after!