A/N: As always happens with these stories, I have a scene in my head that threatens the future rating of this story. Is that okay? I'm still considering a rewrite, toning it down a little, but that (those) scene(s) is some ways from now. Also, I researched nothing about Japanese electoral process before this…stupid, yes, but I will fix that later.

Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.

Nana

Rangiku sat in the midst of a flurry of activity, calm, like the eye of the storm, thinking. She was almost done dressing for the announcement, the main event of this weekend trip. Toshiro and Byakuya were already dressed, her son sitting on the end of the bed with his phone, as usual, and Byakuya at his computer. This was going to be the second biggest event of their new lives and yet all Rangiku could think about was that Ichimaru Gin was in the hospital.

Byakuya had told her what had happened, earlier that morning in the car on the drive back to the Kuchiki Manor when she was still half-asleep and wearing his clothes. It was an accident, the prison official had said. They had been moving Gin from one cell to the other when a small-time yakuza wannabe had run up and stabbed him in the gut, twisting the shiv to maximise the damage. The guards had only just managed to save his life. And he would live, while his attacker would get a few extra charges and Rangiku would know what Aizen Sosuke meant: that no place was unattainable for him.

She glanced over at Toshiro. Byakuya had promised that he would have a guard, a discreet one, and then informed her that actually he had taken the liberty of having various tracking devices installed in Toshiro's things. These devices were supposedly the finest in the world, made right there in Japan for law enforcement through the joint Kuchiki-Shihouin labs and the work of Urahara Kisuke and Kurotsuchi Mayuri.

Rangiku was only mildly reassured. Every time she closed her eyes she would see the black limousine and the men in flashy suits come to take Toshiro away while Aizen smiled at her from the backseat.

Finally, the makeup artist finished and said, "There we go, Kuchiki-san. We're ready."

Rangiku looked up at her reflection in the mirror. They had apparently gone for the "I-just-washed-my-face-and-brushed-my-hair" look. They had transformed her into a sweet-faced girl, younger than she was, even innocent despite the fifteen year old son. She glanced over at Byakuya. He nodded at the makeup artist and stood.

"Come, we have to go now," he said.

Rangiku looked back at her reflection, then at the still-open makeup kit, snatched up a very bright orange-red lipstick and spread it over her lips. The makeup artist paused and looked at Byakuya. Rangiku snapped, "No, this is me."

The girl blanched, and Rangiku put back the lipstick and smiled at her. Then she turned to Byakuya and said, "Now, let's go."

The press conference had been set up out on the grounds of the manor with the backdrop of the magnificent gardens. Kouga was there with Matsuko and Tomoe. Matsuko greeted them as they arrived, "Finally, we were about to send out a search party."

Tomoe pushed past her to take Rangiku's hands. There was a flurry of flashes as the photographers already assembled tried to capture the moment all at once. Tomoe ignored them all to say, "I heard you and Byakuya spent last night at Senbonzakura. How was it?"

Rangiku could not be rude to her. She plastered on a smile and said, "Wonderful. It's a very nice house."

"House? Yes, the house is nice. I meant, how did you like the gift we gave you?" asked Tomoe, her smile sly.

Rangiku did not have to fake her blush. She ducked her head a little and said, "It was lovely, thank you. And the flowers were a nice touch."

"Good," said Tomoe, then she released Rangiku to go to Byakuya. To him she said, "When you have a daughter, pray that she inherits her mother's intelligence."

Byakuya smiled at his grandmother, and glanced over at Rangiku, his eyebrows raised and eyes wide, expression screaming "help me". Rangiku looked away to the photographers. There were quite a number taking pictures of her, still curious even after a week. They were not yet allowed to speak to her though, and she suspected that Byakuya would never give them the chance. But she wanted one to ask her a question, if only so that she might find out a little more about how Gin was doing.

"Come on, let's go sit," said Byakuya, breaking through her thoughts. She turned and followed him to the stage.

Muramasa, Kouga's weedy assistant was already onstage making the introductions. Rangiku looked at Byakuya's back, Toshiro beside him, both deep in conversation. If Aizen wanted to he could hurt Byakuya too. And just like with Gin, the authorities would write it off as an accident, a hazard of his high-profile career. But Byakuya had to have known that before he approached Rangiku with his plan. He had to have taken that into consideration.

Muramasa completed his introduction and Kouga and Matsuko went up onstage, holding hands and smiling. When it was Byakuya's turn she would have to do the same. Was she even ready for this? Being the wife of the heir of the Kuchiki was a very important position. Byakuya had promised her that she would be able to keep her career but how was that really going to work? So far he had made no demands of her, and no one had really commented on it, but the rarely seen Kuchiki women were not known for their great careers. Granted, Byakuya had so far allowed Rukia to go to Toudai, Rukia was his sister, not his wife. Had she really thought this through?

"Rangiku," said Byakuya. Rangiku looked up at him. He had his hand out to her and nodded at the stage. She took it without reply, then Toshiro's with the other and let Byakuya lead them up.

Byakuya greeted Kouga jovially while Rangiku exchanged air kisses with Matsuko. Both men lightly tousled Toshiro's hair. Toshiro's scowl never left his face. Rangiku could not resist putting a hand on his shoulder, bringing her son closer to her and planting a kiss on his forehead. He shrugged her off and some of the press laughed.

Introductions completed, Byakuya, Rangiku, Toshiro, Matsuko and Muramasa took their seats at the back of the stage while Kouga went to make his announcement. It took five minutes for Rangiku to get bored and let her mind wander. Kouga's chances of winning the election without the yakuza were very slim if this was the way he rallied. And he was doing it all wrong. If you really wanted to become Prime Minister you had to get out among the people, not the backyard of your wealthy aristocrat wife's ancestral estate. Maybe Byakuya should not try to stop him.

Byakuya beside her sat straight with his gaze trained on his uncle, looking very interested in whatever his uncle was saying. Rangiku wondered if he had learned that trick from years of practice. Or perhaps he was thinking about his own announcement? He was mere moments away from a grand coup and somehow he could still look so docile, so harmless.

He turned to her. She blushed and dropped her gaze to her lap. He really needed to stop doing that. It was not so easy to talk yourself out of falling for a man when he was very good-looking. Not even when you knew it was going to end up painfully unrequited.

Another twenty minutes passed and Rangiku began to wonder about Gin again. Was it possible for her to see him? He had expressly forbid her from going near him, and the authorities had respected his wishes because he was a prized prisoner and they needed him. But Gin was hurt. She had to see him, to know that he was still alive even if it was from the other side of a glass wall. Perhaps if she asked Byakuya nicely he would let her?

Probably not. And she could forget about sneaking off because she was very sure those tracking devices he had taken the liberty of having installed on her son's possessions also applied to her. But she had to see Gin.

Rangiku was jerked out of her thoughts by the sound of applause. She looked up to see Kouga with his hands in the air showing peace signs while the audience applauded. She joined them and hoped no one had noticed the delay. Byakuya stood up then to go to his uncle, shaking his hands in congratulations before going to the podium to formally announce the family's support. More than a few female reporters leaned closer, one even hitched her skirt up a little. Rangiku scoffed. If that woman thought the sight of a little leg was going to do anything to a man who could sleep like a log with a half-naked woman beside him, she was clearly delusional.

"Congratulations again, uncle. Let me say on behalf of my wife and myself, that we are very happy for you," Byakuya began. "The family…"

Byakuya's speech was supposed to be brief. Kouga and Matsuko were not paying any attention to what he was saying, too busy exchanging bows and smiles with the gathered press and neighbours. They stopped only when Byakuya said that critical phrase, "And on that note…"

The press stopped vying for Kouga's attention and turned to the stage. They had clearly been anticipating this moment. Kouga's brow furrowed slightly while Matsuko's blanked entirely, the Kuchiki mask of indifference descending as easily as a dropped curtain. Byakuya did not acknowledge them as he continued, "I also have an announcement. Starting immediately, I will be returning to the Kuchiki Corporation. I have already resigned my position in the prosecutor's office and handed over to my replacement. I know that my departure five years ago was a disappointment to many and I will dedicate my time to making amends. With my uncle soon to be Prime Minister, he will have no time to see to the daily running of a multi-national corporation. That is my responsibility as heir and it is beyond time that I should embrace it. Thank you and good afternoon."

Byakuya turned to Kouga and bowed. Kouga was no longer confused but he gave no indication of this as he stiffly returned his nephew's bow. Matsuko's expression did not change. Rangiku stood up and went to Byakuya's side. Matsuko glanced at her, freed her hands from Kouga and walked to the podium. Byakuya's eyes narrowed a fraction.

Matsuko cleared her throat and spoke clearly. "Well, since we're all making announcements, I have one of my own."

All eyes turned to her, even Kouga looked at his wife surprised. She smiled shyly at him, ducking her head from his gaze and said, "I'm pregnant."

0o0

Byakuya had fallen asleep almost as soon as he lay down in the bed, thoroughly exhausted after the day's events. The announcement had prompted an emergency family meeting which the women had been locked out of but had listened in at the door anyway. The men had argued. Kouga was furious at Byakuya for what he saw as a clear attempt at sabotage. Byakuya was calm and unapologetic. He was the next head of the clan, and his uncle could not run the company and be Prime Minister at the same time. Matsuko's pregnancy changed nothing, not unless the child was a boy.

Matsuko on the other side of the door had just stared at Rangiku the entire time, Tomoe beside her. As they had descended the stage after the press conference, Matsuko had whispered to Rangiku, "Byakuya-sama will no longer be requiring your services. I'm sure you understand."

Rangiku had been too shocked to say anything but quietly follow them back to the house.

Tomoe had said nothing either until hours later when Rangiku decided to retire for the night, and then it was only, "I still want that great-granddaughter."

Rangiku did not have the heart to tell her that that was even more unlikely now. She was not an idiot. Despite his announcement, Byakuya's position as future head of the company was in trouble, or at least that much Rangiku had guessed from overhearing the other women's discussions. To keep that position Byakuya had to prove himself the better candidate, competing even now against an unborn rival as if he were also on the campaign trail. Rangiku had no idea how he was going to manage that, even with his grandmother's support. In the end it still came back to the same issue: eventually, Byakuya was going to need an heir.

Rangiku looked over at him in the darkened bedroom. He had chosen to wear a t-shirt this night, and silk pyjama pants, his hair loose about his head. She could not resist reaching over to twist a jet-coloured lock around a finger. He did not even stir, though his breathing changed slightly.

She could, if she put her mind to it, love this man. Women had been doing it for centuries, get married to a man they did not know or love, took care of his house and bore his children. But, and this was important, what the hell was she going to gain? Before Rangiku met Kuchiki Byakuya she had had everything that she could have possibly wanted out of life with what she had. She had a house, a good job, a car and her son was well on his way to winning a scholarship for university and a successful life. She had never believed that one should get married because society expected it of you and, after Gin, she could never find one that was better.

She had no idea if Byakuya was better.

She released his hair and lay back, staring up at the ceiling. There was a sound from the hall, probably Subaru on her nightly vigil. Rangiku felt kind of sorry for the girl. It was hard to love a man who did not return your feelings, she got that, but that did not mean you had to torture yourself with it.

She sat up and slipped off the bed, took up her robe and walked to the door. Sure enough, when Rangiku slid it open a bit there was Subaru on the other side, falling asleep on herself from where she sat on the opposite wall.

Rangiku watched her for a moment and then shoved the door open. Subaru jerked awake, startled, but that quickly gave way to feigned obeisance as she bowed and asked, "Is there anything you require, Kuchiki-san?"

"Yes," said Rangiku, folding her arms. "Go to bed."

"What?" Subaru asked, looking up.

Rangiku rolled her eyes and said, "You heard me. We don't need you for anything in the middle of the night and I'm very sure there's no good reason for you to be out here at this hour otherwise. Go to bed."

Subaru did not move. Instead she sat back and said, "I have been sent to watch over you. I am not to leave your side until stay is over."

Rangiku stared at her. Subaru stared back, defiant. Rangiku lifted an eyebrow and smirked at her. "Is that so?" she asked the girl.

Subaru, as yet unsuspecting, nodded. Rangiku said, "Fine." Then she turned and went back to the bed. There was no earthly reason for a woman to torture herself so. Rangiku had left the door wide open. She threw off her robe, climbed back into the bed and over Byakuya, bracing herself on her hands over him. She could feel Subaru's gaze burning into her back. She did not look over at the girl; she hesitated for only a second and then kissed her husband.

It was only on the cheek, but from Subaru's angle she doubted the girl could tell. Thank goodness he was dead asleep or she would never be able to do this. She slid a hand down his side and slipped it up under his t-shirt. She thought she felt the muscles contract but she was too busy marvelling at the fact that yes, there was very little fat under there and goodness gracious her life was unfair. She gave him a second peck near his ear, shifting closer, hoping that the silly girl would take a hint and go away already before Byakuya woke up and asked her—

"What are you doing?"

She froze and pulled back to find his clear grey eyes staring back at her. Mindful of Subaru, she smiled and replied, "Well hello there."

She shifted her eyes to the door, trying to hint that they were being watched then leaned in again, though she did not kiss him, and whispered, "We have a voyeur again."

She left her hand under his shirt though she was now very aware of where it lay against his chest. And then he rolled her onto her back, pressing her down into the mattress and put his lips to her ear and whispered back, "And you thought that molesting me was the way to get rid of her?"

Rangiku's heart skipped a beat and started racing. Subaru had gasped when he moved, but made no attempt to leave.

Rangiku removed her hand from under his shirt and put both hands around his shoulders, drawing him closer. He took her hands off his shoulders and pinned them over her head with one hand while using the other to grasp her chin and turn her face to his. Rangiku wondered if he would really do it the moment before he leaned in and kissed her.

It was nothing like the careful, chaste pecks she had given him since this ruse began. He kissed her like a lover he had not seen in months. He sucked her lower lip in between his teeth, nipped it and soothed the wound with his tongue. She gasped, surprised and he dipped his tongue into her mouth, and sucked her tongue into his own. She felt the heat pool low in her belly and tried to relax her hands and toes. The idea was to give Subaru a show, not to fall for it herself.

Byakuya kissed her until she was out of breath, then released her arms to put both of his hands around her waist and lift her into him as he seared a trail of kisses down her neck. She arched her back, despite herself, hands on his shoulders, unsure of whether she wanted to break free or let him continue. Surely Subaru had fled by now. Goodness knows, Rangiku would have disappeared at the first movement.

Then there was a clatter and the sound of hurried footsteps disappearing down the hall. Byakuya stopped with his mouth at the apex of her cleavage, close enough so that he could feel her speeding heartbeat, her shuddering breaths, and yet he released her without a word. Rangiku fell back on the bed and tried not to think that he did not look as affected as she. The shame flooded in very quickly after that and she slipped off the bed and sat down on the floor, steadfastly not looking at him. Byakuya did not look at her either, but after a moment he said, his voice cold, "Never do that again. Never make me do that again."

Rangiku squeezed her eyes shut. He may as well have slapped her. But he did not touch her, instead he got off the bed and quietly left the room.

0o0

Rangiku was fast asleep when Byakuya returned to the bedroom just before dawn. He was more than a little drunk, a rare occurrence for the fact that he generally abstained from alcohol but he supposed that his grandfather and old teachers could forgive him. Hisana would not.

There were visible tooth marks on Rangiku's lower lip and love bites on her neck. Tomoe would be thrilled, Matsuko would scoff and Toshiro would probably try to kill him. Byakuya wanted to kill himself. This was not the agreement. She knew that, they had both demanded it, expected it and she just decided to throw that out the window to play petty mind games with a servant. If she was a child he would have spanked her.

His traitorous brain was quick to interject. Of course you would like to spank her, wouldn't you? She was just playing a game, she barely even touched you. You were the one who took it too far.

To her credit, Rangiku had seemed sufficiently ashamed of her actions. She had given him her life, not her body, and he would not take her for anything less than love. She should have known that. She could have simply shut the door and ignored Subaru. She could have dismissed the woman on the spot for insubordination and no one would have batted an eye. But of course Rangiku would not have known that or even considered it. She was like a cat. She would have first thought to play. No wonder her son was so exasperated with her.

Byakuya shifted the pillows aside and lay back onto the bed. Rangiku stirred slightly and then rolled to face away from him. If he was going to be perfectly honest, he was mostly angry at himself. He could have just kept pretending to sleep in the first place. Not that it was easy with the way Rangiku carelessly flaunted her sexuality. But after the day he had had, the frustration at the way Matsuko had so completely thrown his life for a loop, yet again, and the realisation that he would now be facing factions for a position that had been rightfully his at birth, his rational brain was quite willing to take a backseat to emotion. And emotion had wanted an outlet.

He looked over at Rangiku's back, remembering the way she had not even resisted his assault. What happened to the woman who had backed away from him in the living room of his flat on their wedding night? They had not gotten to know each other not nearly enough for her to be so comfortable with him.

He exhaled heavily. This was not going to happen again, and they were not going to speak of it either. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

He was alone in the bedroom when he awoke a few hours later, the incessant ringing of his cellphone finally breaking through the haze of his alcohol-induced slumber. He snatched the phone up and answered it without looking. Renji, on the other end, said, "Kuchiki-san, sir, finally. Where have you been? I've been trying to reach you all morning."

"What is it that you need, Abarai?" asked Byakuya, trying not to snap. He had not gotten a hangover, but Renji's concern was irritating at the moment.

"Yes, sir, sorry. It's about the move, sir," said Renji.

Byakuya was instantly alert. He sat up in the bed, noticing then that Rangiku was just over in the next room with Toshiro. He could hear her teasing him while they played a video game together.

"Ne, Toshiro-kun, Kaa-san does not like this game. He should be dead, that type of gun does not work like that."

Renji said, "Well, I'm here trying to set up your office and the security are telling me to take everything to one of the lower departments. They're saying we've been assigned to a cubicle."

Byakuya swore, loudly, and then got off the bed. Of course Kouga would not let Byakuya's announcement go unpunished. He was going to give him a low-level position, possibly take away his assistant and keep him out of harm's way. The plan was falling apart.

"Sir?" asked Renji. He had clearly heard Byakuya's response but would not acknowledge it.

"Go where they send you. I'm supposed to be on the board but if this is the way he wants to play, he cannot put me in any lower position than upper level manager. I have far too many qualifications and the experience and he knows it," said Byakuya.

He walked out onto the balcony to see his aunt seated with the other women. Matsuko had her hand on her still-flat stomach but she was smiling. Byakuya was a fool for thinking that the child would change nothing. Now Kouga had an even more compelling reason to fight Byakuya's succession. If the child to come was a boy, he could be head of the clan and the company. The only way for Byakuya to win was to force his uncle out entirely.

All of this would have been so much easier if Hisana had lived or if they had had a child.

"Yes sir," said Renji, and disconnected.

Byakuya watched his aunt and cousins for a while longer, and then someone cleared their throat behind him. He turned to find Tomoe glaring up at him. He sighed and said, "Yes, Grandmother?"

"What happened with Subaru? She went crying to Matsuko in the middle of the night and then ran away this morning," said Tomoe.

"And? I want no part of this nonsense," said Byakuya, glaring at a point just over his grandmother's left ear.

Tomoe scowled and said, "And I've noticed the marks you left on your wife. Are you an animal?"

At this, Byakuya looked at Tomoe directly and asked, "What is your point, grandmother? I thought you would be thrilled?"

She snorted and said, "Of course, I'm thrilled. I'd be even happier if you not stopped. Oh, don't be surprised, she told me what happened. Yes, it was foolish, but I don't see anything wrong with sleeping with your wife. That's how babies are made."

Byakuya turned away from her, back down at Matsuko and the ladies and sighed. "Really, grandmother?" he asked.

"I'm an old woman, forgive me if all I want to think about new lives instead of my impending death," she replied, cheerily. "And besides, it would not hurt to cement your position with an heir."

Byakuya did not reply and Tomoe patted him gently on the arm and said, "You will be the next head of the company and the clan. Sojun was the first-born and by right, succession goes through him. You are not an illegitimate child and Matsuko could very well be having a girl. Do not trouble yourself about something that has been set in stone since before you were born."

"And if she has a son?" asked Byakuya, insistent. "Do you know what Uncle has tried to do?"

"I've heard the whispers. It will not stand," said Tomoe. "And if Matsuko has a son, you will welcome your cousin with open arms and treat him as expected of a Kuchiki."

Byakuya looked down at Matsuko again and then asked in a low voice, "You have heard of what happened to Ichimaru Gin?"

"Yes," said Tomoe. "And she's going to want to see him. Do not allow it. Take her on a trip. You really should go on your honeymoon soon. When she comes back she absolutely must not think of that man or any other."

"This again," said Byakuya, walking back into the house. "That is not the agreement and you know it."

"Byakuya-sama," said Tomoe, sharply. He stopped in his tracks. He had no choice. There was no disobeying Tomoe in that tone. She walked into the room behind him and said, "Do you know why this family has existed for as long as it has?"

He did not answer. The question was rhetorical. She continued, "It is because we do what we must and move on the side of caution. She did you a kindness and you repaid her by bringing her into this mess. She risked her career to save yours. That was her first mistake. You approached her with an offer of marriage and she did not run away. That was the second. She is clearly falling for you. That is the third and most fatal. You need her for this to work and the easier it is for her to leave, as it still is now, the more tenuous your position. Matsuko down there is convinced of her victory. Because Rangiku-san does not kowtow to her she is now trying to close her out. If Rangiku-san leaves, you are once again out of the loop. Do not allow that to happen. You are the one who came up with this plan in the first place, there is nothing preventing you from changing the rules."

Byakuya sighed and said, "I should have stopped this from the moment I learned her history."

Tomoe lifted an eyebrow at him and then laughed. When he looked at her, surprised, she said, "Believe me, Byakuya-sama, if she was still so bothered by what happened to her she never would have gotten into this bed with you. Now, go change, get your wife and get out there as if you have not a trouble in the world."

"Yes, grandmother," said Byakuya. Tomoe acknowledged his response with a nod and left.

Byakuya did as he was told. He showered, changed, retrieved Rangiku from Toshiro's room even as the boy glared daggers at him, and took her down to where Matsuko was holding court. How quickly they had cleared away all traces of the announcement. Except for the turmoil in the house, it was as if he had never happened. Win or lose in a matter of months, the Kuchiki would be unchanged.

As they approached, Matsuko called, "Oh there you are, at last, Byakuya-sama. And Rangiku-san. We heard whispers that you all had had a very good night so we weren't expecting you until later."

Byakuya tensed, waiting for Rangiku to flinch, but instead she smiled and said, "We need food. And fresh air. I should thank you though, you inspired him."

The sauciness of that smirk made the lie feel so very true and Matsuko's cheeks crimson. Rangiku went over to the lounge chair next to her and sat down. Then Eriko looked up at Byakuya and said, "This is the second time you made Subaru cry. Have you no heart?"

Byakuya ignored her and took a seat at the end of Rangiku's lounge chair. Rangiku replied, "Ah, the little voyeur. I've never understood women who go out of their way to hurt themselves. But then I think the more painful thing was that she felt that she had no choice. Poor thing."

She smiled at Matsuko as she said this. Then she looked down at Matsuko's hands and said, "Oh, have you started the morning sickness yet? That is the worst. I thought I was going to die. Was hospitalised twice. And then when that goes away the swelling starts. Fingers, ankles, face. I mean, you wind up with a cute kid but it sure does a number on your body. Thankfully Granny Hitsugaya had some remedies that you might find useful."

Matsuko's smile became condescending and she glanced at the cousins before replying, "That is quite kind of you, Rangiku-san, but there is no need. The family doctor knows best."

"Of course," said Rangiku, still smiling earnestly. "But I merely mention it because Granny Hitsugaya was a midwife. She is still consulted regularly by the hospital in our area on the more difficult cases. Breech is the worst. Do you know they actually have to reach in there and turn the baby around sometimes?"

A few of the cousins paled and Matsuko's smile froze. Rangiku nodded as if they had replied and said, "But again, in the end, you have the kid. Oh, and Toshiro hated to sleep at night. He was the weirdest little bugger. Loved the cold, don't cover him up no matter how chilly. He told me once, very seriously, he was like four when he did this, that he was a samurai warrior named Hyourinmaru and that he had come to protect me. Then he started following me everywhere with a fire helmet and a light-saber. He had the wildest imagination."

That was not how Byakuya expected Rangiku's little speech to end but he supposed she had decided against scaring Matsuko when she saw the woman looking a little green. He lay back against Rangiku's legs and said, "You should take her advice, Aunt. She has been through this before."

Matsuko grunted her acknowledgement and said, "Thank you, Rangiku-san."