Free Talk- I'm back in school now so I don't have time to write… I also don't have much inspiration. But here's something I wrote over the summer. It's the first chapter of an Aizen and Hinamori story that I wanted to write. I might finish it one day, but I don't know. I just figured it would be a waste to let it sit in a folder on my hard drive. If anyone thinks it's worth continuing, please tell me. School's out in December... Hopefully I will be writing more after that. But nothing is certain.

Bad Boy
By Miss Angel Maxwell

Chapter 1: Sentencing
Momo perched tensely on the edge of her seat in the gallery, her small, nervous hands scrunching and twisting the bow of her white sash. On a day like this, the heat penetrated all the way down into the central chamber, and nobody could tell the anxious perspiration on the young woman's face from the heat-sweat that bathed everyone else in the sweltering courtroom. The only soul who looked cool and comfortable was the convicted criminal, who sat casually in his chair on the floor, smiling despite being restrained by the most powerful binding techniques.

If anybody did notice how nervous Momo was, they would probably assume that she was afraid Aizen's punishment wouldn't be severe enough, that he wouldn't get what he deserved. This would not be a ridiculous presumption. Momo had been present in the courtroom every day of the trial. She had testified her side of the story for the prosecution, painting a picture of a ruthless monster that used her feelings to manipulate her then discarded her as soon as she wasn't useful anymore.

He was guilty, and she knew it now. The conviction came without shock. It was the verdict that everyone had anticipated, had wanted. Not a single soul was even willing to defend him. Now the word at the forefront of every mind was 'execution.' Any lesser sentence would cause a realm-wide uproar.

And yet, after watching Aizen smiling smugly through weeks and weeks of emotional testimony, Momo still couldn't bear the thought of his death. She knew he was disturbed. Maybe he really was evil. But Momo just couldn't believe that he was 'evil beyond redemption,' a popular phrase during this trial. There had to be a reason why Captain Aizen was what he was. And there had to be a way to fix it. Momo's heart squirmed in her chest. She knew she was the only one there who wanted to fix him.

"Are you okay?" The whisper in her ear was laced with concern. "If you need to get some fresh air, I'll go with you."

Through all of her worrying, Momo had forgotten for a moment that her close friend, Toushirou, was sitting right next to her. "That's okay," she whispered back without turning. "If we left now, we'd miss the sentence. Besides, it's even hotter outside than it is in here."

A comforting hand landed on Momo's shoulder and she heard her friend reply softly. "Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him."

The young woman's shoulders rose slightly as she drew in a quivering breath. "I know," she said.

Because the murdered Central 46 had not yet been replaced, and because the convicted criminal was once a member of the Thirteen Divisions, Aizen's fate would be decided by General Yamamoto and a handpicked jury of respected elder shinigami. An unsettling silence fell over the courtroom as the six men and six women were led in to make their official ruling. Momo's eyes darted anxiously back and forth between Aizen and Yamamoto, as the former sat relaxed in the defendant's seat and the later stepped up to the podium to announce the sentence.

"Shinigami of Soul Society, the Grand Jury has reached a unanimous decision in the sentencing of Aizen Sousuke. Having been accused and convicted of grand treason, conspiracy, terrorism, and multiple counts of first-degree murder, the jury has determined that the only punishment befitting the criminal is…" Momo held her breath as the old man spoke. "Death by Soukyoku."

Even though it was exactly the sentence that she had been expecting, Momo still went completely numb when the words entered her ears. For only a few fractions of a second, she remained silent, a buzz of whispers humming all around her. Then her mouth opened before her brain had fully authorized it.

"I object!" she shouted. The courtroom went quiet again and all eyes, even Aizen's, turned to the small young woman in the front row of the gallery. She stood up and opened her mouth again to apologize for her outburst, but that wasn't what came out. "I object to this sentence! I object to the execution of Captain Aizen!"

"What are you doing?" Toushirou whispered through his teeth. He grabbed Momo's wrist and tried to pull her back down into her seat, but she wouldn't budge. The girl now realized that she had meant every word that she said, and nothing would stop her from at least making her argument heard by General Yamamoto. Wriggling her hand free from her best friend's grip, she vaulted over the gallery railing and deftly landed on the floor below.

"General," she addressed as she walked up to the podium where he stood, ignoring the stunned stares that hit her from every direction. She bowed humbly before the venerated shinigami, saying a prayer in her head that she would find the right words. "I am very sorry to have interrupted the courtroom proceedings, but please hear me out."

The old man regarded her for a moment with wise grey eyes. "I will allow it," he said, causing another wave of murmurs to spread through the room. "Go ahead Vice Captain Hinamori."

"Sir," she began. "I have been hurt as badly as anyone else in this courtroom by Captain Aizen, and I do believe that he deserves to be punished. But execution is so final. Can't you give him a second chance? There has to be some way for the Captain to redeem himself."

"The convicted does not want to redeem himself," the General stated firmly. "He made it quite clear during his trial that he feels no remorse for any of his actions, not even for trying to kill you, Vice Captain. No, I am afraid that Aizen Sousuke has turned his back to all things good and can never be reintegrated as productive and cooperative member of Soul Society."

Momo's plea took on a much more desperate pitch. "But he wasn't born evil! Something must have happened to him to make him like this! Maybe he had a traumatic childhood and was mistreated! Maybe if he had gotten more love and attention… he could have turned out to be the man we all once thought he was! But… but if you kill him and burn up his soul…!"

By this point, the young woman's voice was cracking, tears rimmed her eyes, and she was nearly hyperventilating. She didn't even notice that her white-haired friend had jumped the railing and followed her until he put his hand on her shoulder and spoke calmly in her ear. "Ease down, Momo. Just take a step back and catch your breath. I think the heat has gotten to you. So just come with me outside where there's at least a breeze."

"Shiro…" she squeaked. "No! It's not the heat! I don't want them to kill Captain Aizen! Another death isn't the answer! Please, General! There has to be a way to save him!"

Yamamoto closed his eyes and shook his head. "You know very well that it is impossible to reverse history in Soul Society, the Living World, or any other known realm. Our time cannot be reset to when Aizen Sousuke was a child in Rukongai, before he chose the path he did. I am sorry, Vice Captain Hinamori."

Drawing in a quivering breath through her nose, Momo closed her eyes and let her chin fall against her chest. She had tried her best to change Captain Aizen's sentence, but it wasn't enough. As she turned away from the podium to leave the courtroom, like Toushirou had suggested, it took every fiber of will power she had not to look over at the man whose execution she'd tried to halt. Even with that cruel, feckless expression painted on his face, Momo knew that looking at Aizen when she knew he was going to die would break her heart.

She'd only taken one step towards the door when the General's voice stopped her."Why do you leave, Vice Captain Hinamori, when I have not yet finished speaking?"

Immediately, she turned around and answered timidly. "You haven't?"

"I haven't," the old shinigami replied, not a trace of anger in his voice. "As I was saying, the time in Soul Society cannot be set back. However, a shinigami of wisdom and experience, with an immense spiritual pressure, might be able to reverse the clock for one individual soul."

"You mean someone like you?" Momo whispered.

Yamamoto nodded. "I cannot perform this spell, but I do know a shinigami who can." He paused for a moment then continued in a louder voice, now addressing the entire room. "In light of Vice Captain Hinamori's earnest request, I hereby rescind the previous sentence. Aizen Sousuke shall not be executed. Instead, he shall be returned, in mind and in body, to the human age of five years old so that he may be reeducated and reformed into a productive member of Soul Society."

An immediate roar of dissent tore through the courtroom, growing louder and more defiant until Yamamoto spread out his arms and bellowed. "Order in my courtroom!" The room fell silent once again and he continued in a quieter but no less commanding voice. "Now I ask that the criminal be brought before me. And I also require the assistance of Captain Unohana Retsu."

Two tough-looking shinigami hastily attached leads to the collar around Aizen's neck, the overwhelming strength of the kidou binding him making the task quiet strenuous. The villain let them lead him without any resistance, smiling vaguely, like a man who had just gotten away with something.

Momo watched anxiously as Captain Aizen and his escorts approached from one side of the courtroom and Captain Unohana approached from the other. The 4th Division captain was unmatched in grace and beauty, with dark, intelligent eyes and long black hair plaited across her chest. Momo was always awestricken by her motherly patience and compassion, but the way Unohana was looking at Aizen right now sent a shiver over the surface of the younger woman's skin.

"Captain Unohana, you may begin," the General said.

With a nod of compliance, the Captain took a container of black substance from a small sack on her hip and dipped her fingertips into it. She reached out and touched Aizen's handsome face. He didn't blink or flinch as she deftly painted an elaborate pattern over his features, or even when she pushed the top part of his white prisoner's kimono off his shoulders and painted across his bare chest. Once he was sufficiently decorated, Unohana took the long blade Minazuki out of its scabbard and held it out, touching the tip of the blade to the design on Aizen's chest.

The reaction was almost immediate as the black paint turned blood red and began to glow. Everyone in the courtroom was watching, transfixed, but Momo's gaze alone was concentrated on Aizen's face. Just before his whole body turned to white light, for the briefest moment, she saw an expression she'd never seen on his face before. It was fear. A second later it was completely swallowed up in bright light and the shinigami seemed to deflate before everyone's eyes.

The light was intense but brief, quickly fading and leaving an empty white kimono in a heap on the floor right where Aizen had been standing. A lump in the pile of cloth twitched and Momo took a cautious step forward. The lump wriggled more noticeably and out from under the kimono emerged a small boy with big eyes and generous mop of brown hair. He was very cute and, except for the loose white collar around his neck, very naked.

Momo was the first one in the courtroom to say anything. "Hello," she greeted gently.

The little boy blinked curiously at her before opening his mouth to speak. "Who the Hell are you?" he asked loudly, wrinkling his nose in annoyance. "All of you, who are you? And why are you all staring at a naked little kid? You perverts!"

"Perverts?" Momo uttered. "Where would a child learn a word like that?" She stooped a bit lower so that she was on the same eye level as the boy. "Is your name Aizen Sousuke?"

The child folded his small arms across his chest and looked her in the eyes defiantly. "Yeah, what's it to you? I'm the one who should be asking questions! I went to bed last night and woke up in a weird room with a buncha perverted grown-ups staring at me in my birthday suit!"

Momo had to put a hand in front of her mouth to hide a small smile at the shear ridiculousness of this situation, of this child. She became more serious, though, when she turned around to address General Yamamoto and Captain Unohana. "I hate to question you two… but are you sure you did it right? This little loudmouth can't possibly be Captain Aizen."

Behind her she heard little Sousuke's voice barking at her. "Hey lady! Are talking about me behind my back?"

"The procedure was flawless," the Unohana said.

"This is Aizen Sousuke at five years old," Yamamoto added. "I take it you had different expectations?"

"I don't know what I was expecting," the young woman admitted. She looked over her shoulder at the young boy, who was now trying his best to tie the oversized robe around his tiny body, snapping an occasional rude remark at the gawking crowd. "This kid is just so mean and obnoxious. Evil or pretending to be good, Aizen never acted like this."

"Aizen Sousuke has been returned to before his adult personality had developed," the old man informed. "It wasn't until later that he learned to conceal his meanness and selfishness. These are his formative years. Isn't this what you wanted, Vice Captain Hinamori?"

Momo smiled wistfully. This was exactly what she had requested. Yamamoto had defied the will of everyone else in Soul Society to grant it. "This is what I wanted," she said. "I'm happy. At least Aizen will get a second chance now. And he is awfully cute…"

"I'm glad you feel that way," the General said. "Because from now on he's your responsibility."

"What!" Momo gasped. "My responsibility?"

"Why yes, Vice Captain," Yamamoto responded. "You are the one who argued that Aizen could be redeemed. Now prove it. Take care of this little boy and show him all the love in your heart. If the evil inside Aizen Sousuke was really the product of a troubled childhood then this time around he will grow up to be as kind and compassionate as you."

The young woman squeezed her fists nervously. "But I… I don't know if I can really do it. I don't know if I can handle a kid like this all by myself. What if I end up making Captain Aizen's life even worse than it was before?"

A knowing smile came onto the old man's wizened features. "You'll do fine," he said. "Just be yourself. And you won't be alone. Everyone in Soul Society will support you."

Momo looked around the courtroom and her heart swelled with doubt. Every eye in the room save for hers and the General's was glaring hatefully at the fidgety little boy. They all had wanted Aizen to die. His sentence was an injustice in their minds, and she was the one responsible for it. How could they possibly support her?

As if sensing her uncertainty, Yamamoto placed a hand on the top of the anxious girl's head. "In time they will come realize that this was the right decision. They will support you. And I won't allow anyone to harm either one of you."

"Hey! So when is someone gonna explain to me what's going on?" a rude voice interjected. Little Sousuke was pulling against the leads attached to his collar, straining like a poorly trained puppy.

"Let him come over here," Yamamoto told the two guards.

As soon as the guards dropped their ends of the leads, the tot was staring right in the old man's face, his big brown eyes filled with venom. "I know you were talking 'bout me gramps," he snorted. "Just go ahead and tell me! Tell me what you're planning to do with me!"

Even when faced with such a belligerent child, Yamamoto seemed as composed and patient as always. He smiled at Sousuke and spoke in calm, measured tones. "I understand that you must feel overwhelmed, young fellow. After all, you have been torn from everything that you are familiar with and plunked down into a room full of strangers. But neither I nor anyone else here is planning to harm you. We are merely discussing your living arrangements. You see, Sousuke, you have been brought here so that you may have a loving home and receive a proper upbringing."

"A loving home?" the kid said from under a crinkled brow. "A proper upbringing? By who? You, gramps?"

With a slight chuckle and a small shake of his head, Yamamoto gestured towards Momo. "Actually, this young woman here is the one who will be taking care of you. Her name is Hinamori Momo."

"Hello," Momo greeted for the second time, beaming the youngster her brightest smile and hoping that he wouldn't notice how nervous she actually was.

Sousuke squinted his eyes and scratched his chin as he inspected her. Then, after a brief pause, he spoke up. "I know who you are," he said matter-of-factly.

Momo pulled back and blinked. "You do?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Sousuke replied. "I know exactly who you are. You're one of those jerks form Soul Society… a shinigami. Am I right? We're in Soul Society right now, aren't we?"

"Y-yes," Momo answered. "We are in Soul Society. And I am a shinigami. I'm not a jerk, though. I promise to be nothing but nice to you… Sousuke."

Without a trace of embarrassment, the little boy replied. "Who's paying you and how much?"

Momo's response was almost involuntary. Her lips curled up into a smile before a giggle bubbled its way out and grew into to an outright laugh, feminine and sweet. Despite Sousuke's scowl at her laughter over him, Momo continued until she had to wipe tears from the corners of her eyes. When it was finally out of her system, she stooped down and offered her hand to the boy. "Come on," she said. "Let's you and me go home."

General Yamamoto nodded in acknowledgement of the arrangement before turning around to address the room. "This courtroom is hereby dismissed. Please do not loiter here. Go back to your homes and families."

Shinigami spilled out into the isles and shuffled towards the exits, muttering over the sentence in scathing tones. To Momo their voices were just a vague buzz in the background as she watched the little boy who had once been her Captain. He was staring suspiciously at her hand, as if it might be poisoned. When he finally reached out to her, Momo swore she could see his tiny hand tremble in the air and it occurred to her just how frightened he must be.

Poor Captain. Everything about him was reset to being a child. It really is like he woke up in a strange place filled with people who hate him for reasons he can't figure out. His whole life is being rearranged and he has no idea why. This Aizen doesn't know the horrible things he will do when he grows up. No. He won't be like that this time around. I won't let him turn out that way. I'll figure out why he's so argumentative and rude and find out how he went from this to cold-hearted and ruthless. And I'll figure out how to set him straight. That is my only goal right now.

Just as her thoughts were reaching a conclusion, Momo felt a hand, soft and small, slip into hers. "Okay," Sousuke said without making eye contact. "You win. Let's go home."

Momo smiled and led the tiny version of Aizen to the door, brushing past Toushirou without noticing the 'what have you gotten yourself into' look he was beaming at her. Her eyes were focused only on Sousuke, walking as best he could with an oversized kimono dragging for a meter behind him. "I think the first thing we need to do is get you some clothes that fit."

To be continued…