AN: A Round Robin written by myself and Rachel Noelle. At some point there will be more chapters, just not sure when, haha! Anyway, I own nothing, blah, blah, blah. Enjoy!

To be a good employee for the Gotei 13, you should arrive early every day. There's nothing more important than getting a head start on your day's tasks. The more time you have to prepare, the more quickly you can accomplish tasks. And the more quickly you accomplish tasks, the more tasks you can get done by the end of the day. That was Toshiro Hitsugaya's view of things, and he always followed that philosophy.

At least it was until he was faced with taking over the lead of a division wherein the acting-taicho had quite the opposite viewpoint. Their first meeting as Taicho and Fukutaicho was tumultuous, to say the least.

For one, she was late, and that made him late and extremely grumpy, as she put it. Toshiro was not grumpy, he just liked to be on time, something his Fukutaicho liked to disagree on. He feared the scolding they would receive for their late arrival to their first joint Taicho-Fukutaicho meeting. And he began mentally drafting his transfer request. How did the Soutaicho expect him to work with someone as lackadaisical as she?

She told him not to worry, and said that the meetings had a tendency to start an hour later than they were actually supposed to. That made him feel a little bit better, but coming in just in the nick of time still irked him.

The first mission together only turned out to be more disastrous for the young taicho than the first joint meeting. She showed up an hour late to their rendezvous point, carrying a kitten in her arms, and claiming she'd found the kitten stranded in the rain.

He told her she should have just left it, but then she gave him this look. Her eyes got big and slightly watery and she started to pout. Then came, "But, Taicho, She's just a baby. And needs a mother. Can't I keep her?"

His response was immediate, "No."

And for the first of many times of a never ending cycle, Rangiku pouted, shedding just enough tears for the full effect, sniffled, and turned around dejectedly. She took a few steps, slowly, shakily, and Toshiro heaved a great sigh. How could someone he barely knew have such power over him?

"She can stay in the office bathroom until we get back, then you must find her a proper home." He rolled eyes when she perked right back into her cheery attitude. "Now, go and get back here before we're even later."

Rangiku returned moments later a new woman. She proved her worth on their mission, slaying hollows with a flick of her wrist. Toshiro watched her as she danced about with her zanpakuto, Hyorinmaru

becoming restless and excited within him as the ladies danced. Toshiro rolled his eyes again at the ice dragon, and moved nearer Rangiku as he felt a particularly large hollow approaching

"Aw, over-protective of me, Taicho?" she teased. Toshiro scowled and readied Hyorinmaru as the hollow came closer. It gave a massive roar and then lunged.

Toshiro dove in front of it, quite against his will. As far as he could tell, Rangiku was doing a fine job of handling the creatures. With the hollow slain, Hyorinmaru materialized beside him, surprising Rangiku and Toshiro both. Rangiku stared in amazement as Hyorinmaru began to speak.

"You both work well together," he said.

"And what do you mean by that?" Toshiro asked, glaring. He had learnt that wise the dragon may be, but he liked to make suggestions that weren't wise at all.

"Nothing at all, Master. Simply that I couldn't stand by and let my kitty's Master get hurt." Hyorinmaru waggled his eyebrows suggestively to Rangiku, and the fukutaicho felt Haineko purr deep inside her. Rangiku raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"I swear I have no idea what's going on, Taicho," she said, looking at Toshiro with an equally confused expression.

"Hyorinmaru, is there something you're not telling us?" Toshiro asked.

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

Toshiro raised his blade to his Zanpakuto, knowing it really wouldn't do anything, "Talk, Hyorinmaru."

"You'd never understand," Hyorinmaru replied, shaking his head sadly.

"Try me," Toshiro countered, making another demand for explanation.

Hyorinmaru sighed. "I have to keep you both alive in order to protect the natural order of things. If she is killed, Haineko is killed. And, Toshiro, you really should learn to like her, Rangiku-san will be the mother of your children someday," Hyorinmaru laughed heartily and disappeared back into Toshiro's inner world, leaving two heavily blushing, confused shinigami behind.

"I-I have no idea what he was talking about, Taicho. Haineko hasn't said anything to suggest something..." Rangiku quit talking as her Taicho continued to blush deeper. "I apologize for Hyorinmaru's behavior. He doesn't usually say things like that." Toshiro mumbled.

They finished their mission in relative silence, speaking to one another only when there was no way around it. Their blushes had receded by the time they made it home, and they each went their own separate ways.

In an attempt to let them both have some space, Toshiro worked harder than ever to live by his mantra of "Early to work is best."