"The Ice Babies"

AN: Even though parts of this fanfic are going to seem Hitsu/Ruki, it will ultimately turn out Ichi/Ruki and Hitsu/Hina

I will never own Bleach.

Chapter 13: A Second Plan

Everyone left the auditorium house. Shinigami were still scattered outside, talking with each other. Ichigo and Rukia met with Chad, Uryuu, and Orihime.

"Hey," said Ichigo. "Sorry that your song did not turn out."

"Next time we will win," said Uryuu, eyes flashing ferociously behind his glasses.

"The problem is," said Chad, "We didn't practice enough."

"I don't think that was the problem," said Rukia softly.

"Yes," said Orihime cheerfully. "We must make sure we practice some more next time, okay?" She was speaking as if towards kindergarteners.

"You should also pick a different song," said Ichigo in a low voice.

"A different song…" muttered Uryuu

Soft kitty, warm kitty

Little ball of fur

Happy kitty, sleepy kitty

Purr Purr Purr

Sweat drops fell from Ichigo's and Rukia's heads.

"Any way," said Ichigo. "Rukia has a problem."

"A problem?" asked Orihime.

"Nii-san is arranging me a marriage," said Rukia.

"WHAT!?" Uryuu, Orihime, and Chad shouted simultaneously.

"Rukia-san is getting married?" said Orhime. "But who's your fiancé?"

"Hitsugaya Toshiro," said Rukia.

"The one with the white hair?" asked Chad

"The one with the polar bear plush?" asked Orihime.

"The little boy?" asked Uryuu.

"I am not a little boy," came a Hitsugaya's voice. He was joining them with the plush hanging loosely in his hand. "Anyway, it doesn't look like the plan's going to work."

"What plan?" asked Chad.

"The Kuchiki clan forbids singing," said Ichigo. "We were hoping that if Hitsugaya sang tonight, Byakuya would not want him in the clan anymore and thus terminate the marriage."

"Here comes Byakuya!" said Orihime cheerfully. "Let's pretend that the plan doesn't exist!"

Byakuya joined the gathering, gazing at Hitsugaya with his cool demeanor. There was a long pause of silence before he started speaking.

"You sang.... very well tonight,... Hitsugaya-taicho," said Byakuya slowly.

"Thank you, Kuchiki-taicho," said Hitsugaya.

"Understand,... Hitsugaya-taicho," continued Byakuya. "Once you join the Kuchiki clan you must never sing again. It is a rule, a custom, that must be upheld."

"I understand, Byakuya-taicho," said Hitsugaya.

Byakuya turned his eyes to Ichigo.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," said Byakuya. "If you ever again have an urge to make another theatrical rant of ear-splicing barnyard sound effects in front of public, please keep my sister out of the humiliation."

"IT WAS NOT BARNYARD SOUND EFFECTS, IT WAS SINGING AND REALLY GOOD SINGING TOO!" hollered Ichigo.

"The objective opinion thought otherwise," said Byakuya authoritatively. "Good night, Rukia."

"Good night, Nii-sama," said Rukia, kicking Ichigo before he could rant about how their was no "objective opinion" by the time that hell butterfly landed on Nanao's finger.

"Good night, Hitsugaya-taicho," said Byakuya.

"Good night, Byakuya-taicho," replied Hitsugaya robotically. Byakuya left.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY THAT YOU KNEW THE STUPID CLAN RULE AND THAT YOU SANG BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO GET OUT OF THIS STUPID MARRIAGE?!" yelled Ichigo as soon as Byakuya was out of earshot.

Everyone stared.

"I hate that bastard," said Ichigo, fuming with anger. "He pisses me off....."

Hitsugaya had an odd feeling of someone staring at him. He glanced to his left side. Rukia was looking at him with longingly eyes. Hitsugaya's insides cringed. Oh no thought Hitsugaya. She can't be falling in love with me.

The awkward silence made Hitsugaya aware of his heart beating in his burning ears.

Hitsugaya then glanced down at his polar bear plush. "You want this?" asked Hitsugaya, handing it to Rukia. Rukia's eyes sparkled. She grabbed the plush and hugged it. Hitsugaya sighed in relief. She must like cute things.

"Why is Byakuya marrying Rukia to Toshiro, anyway?" asked Uryuu.

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho," said Hitsugaya.

"Byakuya wants them to pump out super ice babies," said Ichigo.

Rukia hit Ichigo with a mallet. "Don't say it like that!"

"It's all about babies then," said Uryuu. "So if two shinigami with similar Zanpakuto types married each other, as two ice-type shinigami like Rukia and Hitsugaya, the children will be even stronger with that type."

"I guess," said Ichigo.

"Is that proven, though?" asked Uryuu. "Does it actually happen?"

"I honestly have never heard of any cases like that," said Rukia. "Noble families usually marry for political reasons so that they won't fight each other, not for the children's shinigami powers."

"What if there is no basis in the theory?" asked Uryuu.

"We can ask Mayuri-taicho," said Hitsugaya. "We always consult him in these kinds of matters."

"M-M-Mayuri…?" stuttered Uryuu.

"He can tell us everything about Shinigami genetics," said Hitsugaya.

"But what if Byakuya's theory really is sound?" asked Ichigo.

"We might be able to get Mayuri-taicho to lie to Byakuya-taicho and tell him that it isn't," said Hitsugaya.

"I can't imagine him doing that for free, though," said Rukia. "And I don't want to think about what he'll make us do."

"You don't have to come with us," Ichigo told Uryuu. "But thanks for helping us out with the idea."

"I'll come with you!" said Uryuu. "I want to help."

"Me too," said Orihime.

"Me three," said Chad.

"Don't leave me out," came another voice. It was Renji. "I overheard Kuchiki-taicho and Yamamoto talking about the marriage this afternoon."

"Renji!" said Rukia.

"Better not talk to Mayuri tonight, though," said Renji. "I've heard he's in a foul mood. He expected to win tonight's Sereitei Idol and blames Nemu for losing."

"Poor Nemu," said Uryuu.

Extra AN: The song "Soft Kitty" comes from the Big Bang Theory.