Author's note: I do not own Bleach or its characters. This is AU and set in Japan. This set after Love Song, Winter Song, and New Song.

Sweet Song

Rangiku let out a sigh as she reached for another sheet of paperwork. This was not how she had been planning on spending the day. In fact, she wasn't supposed to be in the office at all. However, she had been going crazy at home, and Gin's flight had been delayed. His performance in London had gone off without a hitch, but bad weather at Heathrow meant that he probably wouldn't be home tonight. It wasn't exactly how she had planned on spending Valentine's Day. Still, it was better than being cooped up along at home with nothing to.

The Assistant Head of Seireitei Music Academy's String's Department reached for yet another file of papers to be graded. Hopefully, between the classes he was teaching and his girlfriend, her boss would not be into look at the paperwork any time soon. There was a reason that Rangiku wasn't supposed to be in the office right now. Technically, she was on maternity leave. She was currently about a month shy of her due date. However, she had been really restless today, and her current condition made things like playing her cello or doing in housework to keep busy impractical.

She absently patted her bulging stomach. While she and Gin had not exactly planned on having children so soon after getting the whole mess with Aizen settled, neither of them were complaining about the current circumstances. This concert of Gin's would be the last one of his out of country before the baby was born. As she finished up marking the last of the papers, Rangiku heard voices and in the hall. She didn't even have time to get up and duck into the office ante room before her boss and his girlfriend, Momo Hinamori walked into the room.

"Matsumoto, what on earth are you doing here?"

Hitsugaya sounded almost flustered. Rangiku raised an eyebrow. What sort of plans had she interrupted by being here?

"I'm doing paperwork. Isn't that obvious?"

"You're supposed to be at home resting. I don't think your doctor would approve."

Rangiku gave him puppy dog eyes. "But I'm bored. It's not like I'm doing any more than I would be at home."

She carefully rose to her feet, collecting the stack of graded papers. As she came around the side of the desk, Momo shyly stepped forward.

"Is it okay if I--"

Rangiku nodded. It was a familiar request. "Go ahead."

The young woman pressed her hand to Rangiku's swollen belly. She was rewarded with a kick. Rangiku smiled. The baby was almost always rambunctious.

"How are you feeling, Rangiku-san?"

"Besides restless you mean?" Rangiku laughed. "Pretty good all things considered. I miss being able to see my feet, and the baby doesn't like to let me get much more than an hour's sleep at a time, but it's been a pretty easy pregnancy. It's hard to believe that there's only one more month."

"Do you know whether the baby is a boy or a girl yet?"

Rangiku shook her head, rubbing her back. It had been hurting all day. "Gin and I decided to be surprised. All we currently know is that the baby is healthy."

They chatted some more about the baby, Rangiku remaining standing despite the fact that her back pain was getting worse. It was only when she noticed her boss had been staring at her for a full three minutes without blinking that Rangiku realized something was going on.

"Is there a reason you're staring at me or have you just never seen a pregnant woman before?" It slipped out before she could censor herself; Rangiku blamed the hormones.

Hitsugaya made an inarticulate wave at her and the floor. "Um. You're, ah, leaking."

Rangiku took a step back, so she could glance down at where she had been standing. There was a little puddle there. Then she realized that her skirt and underwear were wet as well.

"Oh. I guess my water broke."

It wasn't until she actually spoke the words out loud that Rangiku really realized what was going on. Things sort of became a blur from there. Hitsugaya had a mild panic attack, and Momo had calmly call for an ambulance and then called the piano department to get a hold of Nanao Ise. Probably because Nanao had known Rangiku longer, and she was the perfect sort of person to have around in a crisis. Nanao had swept into the room a few minutes later and taken control until the paramedics arrived.

She didn't really remember much about the trip to the hospital. Nanao had stayed with her and dispatched all of the questions and paperwork with her normal calm. It wasn't long after Rangiku had been settled in a room that Shunsui Kyoraku showed up with her overnight bag. Rangiku couldn't help grinning. Nanao had the man very well trained. Nanao spoke in hushed tones with the man before sending him off on some other errand. A doctor stopped by to check on her and told her with a smile.

"You can just sit back and relax. You've still got quite awhile before delivery will actually start since you're barely dilated. It'll probably be another four to six hour before anything really starts to happen."

That was not comforting to Rangiku. It was bad enough that she was going through this without her husband here, but now she was going to have time to think about it? She was grateful that Nanao had stuck around though. Rangiku did not want to be here along. Nanao wasn't the same as having Gin here, but she would do. Her friend seemed to sense that Rangiku need some sort of distraction, and Nanao managed to scrounge up several different card games from somewhere. Flux in particular was good since the rules could change with every term.

The card games helped, but as the contractions got stronger, Rangiku found it harder and harder to ignore them. Every once in a while a nurse would come in and check on her, but she didn't seem to be making much progress. It was frustrating and uncomfortable. She was also a little nervous. This was nearly a month before her due date, and Rangiku knew there could be serious complications with premature birth. She didn't want anything to go wrong.

It was almost dark out when the doctor finally returned and told her it was just about time to start pushing. There was some noise outside Rangiku's room, and Nanao slipped out to see what was going on. Rangiku was more focused on her contractions. At least, until Nanao reappeared in the doorway with a familiar silver haired man behind her. Gin practically flew across the room to her side.

As he carefully slid his hand into one of his, Rangiku managed to ask. "How?"

He kissed her forehead. "Ise's stubbornness and Kyoraku's connections. I'd managed to get a flight to Moscow at the last minute this morning, but I couldn't find a commercial flight that would get me home when Kyoraku called. I was half afraid I was going to have to hijack a plane, Ran-chan."

The doctor interrupted them then, and the next fifteen minutes were highly uncomfortable. But soon the doctor was holding a tiny little bundle. She handed it off to the nurse.

"Why don't you get her cleaned up? All right, Mom, we're almost done."

Rangiku was still having pretty strong contractions. "What?"

"You're having twins. Didn't you know?"

Rangiku couldn't think of a proper response to that and was too busy pushing to try. However, it was worth it when she had the younger girl in her arms while Gin held the older one. Her husband looked rather mesmerized by his daughter.

"I guess we don't have to choose between the girls names after all."

Gin kissed Inari's forehead. "I guess not. Inari and Seiko."

Rangiku ran a finger over the top of Seiko's head. She already had a full head of downy red-gold fuzz. Inari didn't have nearly so much hair, but what little she did have was silver like her father's. Both girls had blue grey eyes. Gin met her eyes and treated her to that real smile he only gave to her.

"I love you, Ran-chan." He glanced down at his daughters. "All three of you."

Rangiku smiled back. "I know."