Chapter: Double Standard

Shalan's Gasp: OMG I've updated all three stories in three days… aren't you guys happy with me? YAY! Now all I have to do is update the other two and you all will be dancing in your chairs… and perhaps not throwing PSPs around…

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Ichigo sat at the kitchen counter, across from Rukia as they listened to the argument that was going on in the room above them. Rukia flinched as she heard her brother shout from above and Ichigo reached across the table, gripping her hand in his.

"Everything's alright baby…" she looked up into his amber eyes.

"SHE'S A GROWN WOMAN BYAKUYA!" Bella shouted at him. He had originally attempted to avoid this argument as he didn't like shouting matches but had soon realized that there was no way around arguing with her even if he wasn't shouting.

"SHE'S MY LITTLE SISTER! I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE HER TRAPAIZING AROUND WITH ADULT MEN!" He stood across the room from her as she shouted back, her face red and tears dripping down her face. "WHY IS THIS ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS! IF SHE WANTS TO SLEEP WITH HIM SHE CAN MARRY HIM!"

"WE'RE NOT MARRIED!" Silence flooded into his ears as he stared at her. After a few moments he could hear her haggard breathing from shouting and crying. She hiccupped lightly and sniffed as he stared at her.

"Rukia…" Ichigo muttered and within a flash she was in his lap, huddled against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head tenderly as she buried her face into his neck. "Everything's alright…"

"WELL THAT'S YOU AND ME!" He shouted back after a moment of silence.

"WHAT'S THE FUCKING DIFFERENCE?" Bella fumed then swung around, pulling out her suitcase.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Byakuya reached over to grab her as she threw her clothes into the bag.

"I'M LEAVING YOU IDIOT WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE!" His eyes widened.

"Wh-why?" He spluttered.

"Oh so your sister's a whore if she sleeps with someone out of wedlock but it's okay for me to sleep with you out of wedlock because it's YOU? FUCK YOU!" She zipped her back and stormed out, zipping up her jeans as she went.

"What is WRONG with you?" He followed and Ichigo and Rukia watched them storm towards the door with raised eyebrows. From what Ichigo knew of him, shouting wasn't Byakuya's style…

"WHAT DOES THAT MAKES ME HUH? YOU'RE SEX TOY?" He stopped dead in his tracks.

"DAMN IT! DON'T MAKE THIS ABOUT US!"

"IT IS ABOUT US!"

"HOW IS IT ABOUT US?"

"Because Byakuya… I'm doing the same thing she is… and if you don't like women that are like that… then I'll leave…" she slammed the door in his face.

"DAMN IT!" Ichigo followed him as he slammed the door back open and followed her. "BELLA!" He shouted and grabbed her by the arm immediately following a fist connected with the side of his face and, not bracing himself for the surprise attack, he stumbled back into the snow. "K-Kurosaki!"

"I think you… need to settle down…" he stood in front of both women, a fist in his palm. "Yeah, I'm a skater… but that doesn't mean that I'm not still a man… you seem to be forgetting something in this equation… I'm not some punk-ass kid…" his amber eyes gleamed. "I'm just as old as you are…" The oldest Kuchiki's eyes narrowed up at the man above him.

"You're younger than I am…" Byakuya stood up.

"Yeah… by four years," Ichigo nodded. "I suppose I am younger than you… but not by much…" Rukia looked between them then looked at Bella. She seemed to be more upset by this than Rukia was.

"Bella…" The older woman wrapped an arm around Rukia. "Are you alright?"

"I just hope… they don't fight too much…" She said as the other two stared each other down.

"Ichigo'll win…" Rukia smiled.

"You want him to put Byakuya back in his place?"

"Of course I do… He's got to learn his lesson some time… huh…" A car drove up just as Ichigo swung. Byakuya grabbed his fist and swung back connecting hard with the other's face. (Sorry… I hafta to this: WOOOOO! FIST FIGHT! My fangirl just wanted me to!)

"What is going on out there?" Yoruichi asked as Jushiro and Kisuke jumped out of the car hurriedly.

"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO GET INTO THIS KUROSAKI!" Byakuya earned himself an elbow in the stomach and the younger grabbed him by the arm and flipped him over onto his back. Rukia and Bella sat on him triumphantly. Jushiro ran into Kisuke as he skidded to a stop on the snow. The black haired man groaned from the ground as Ichigo futilely attempted to stop the blood that was now pouring from his broken nose.

"Ichigo!" Rukia jumped up and ran over to him. The others helped him into the house as Yoruichi walked over to Byakuya.

"You wanna explain why you broke one of my skaters' noses?" She asked as she helped him up.

"He was having sex with my sister…" was all the other said. Her eyes softened.

"You were worried about him breaking her heart?" He looked away from her. "Byakuya… you fool… Ichigo Kurosaki's not going to break her heart worth a damn…" he looked back at her. "You know better than anyone that how two people are on the ice is how they should be in real life…" His eyes softened, thinking back. "That's how you and Hisana were…" he huffed and she shook her head.

"I didn't sleep with her before we were married…"

"Those were different times than these…" Yoruichi told him. "She can sleep with him… he's not going to leave her if she gets pregnant…"

"How do you know that?"

"He's been in love before… he knows what it takes…" Byakuya looked away again.

"I've ruined my chance with Bella…" he said sadly then suddenly and ice pack was pressed to his eye. He saw a pair of familiar jeans. "Be-Bella…" Yoruichi passed him off to her and he hung his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. "I'm…"

"Don't." Was all she said as she helped him into the house. "Don't be sorry…" She shut the door behind them. "Just be quiet…"

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The next month was tense for all of them… though none were sure why. Byakuya and Bella had left, apparently she wasn't talking to him anymore. Ichigo and Rukia were practicing almost everyday for competitions and performing almost every week. Kisuke figured they were starting to get tired of seeing each other. But every time they asked the two to go out separately they went out together.

Now that they were together no one was going to separate them. They seemed as happy as a newly wed couple, and Ichigo was smiling more than ever. Jushiro believed it was a good sign for them in the future. The qualifying competition for the Olympics was coming up and it could make or break their career. They had had some troubles with the lifts in their routine but as time went on they picked up the nuances and they made the routine their own, adding flourishes that Jushiro and Yoruichi were surprised at.

Byakuya had begun watching his sister skate more often in practices, even going to the lengths of flying out in his private jet. He asked Rukia and Ichigo up to New York for Christmas and finally gave them his blessing. He was the driving factor behind Ichigo's improved performance. The older had actually gotten out onto the ice and pointed out a few gaps in Ichigo's performance and the younger immediately fixed it.

But what happened next… no one could predict.

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Ichigo grumbled as a knock was heard from the door downstairs. Rukia made to get up and answer it but he tightened his arms around her. "Let Kisuke get it…"

"But Kisuke's gonna tell Yoruichi to let me get it… you should know this by now…" she pulled out of his grasp at which he whined. "Stop…" she said sharply and he fell silent. She padded down the stairs and looked out the door. "Bella?" She gasped as she opened it.

"I'm pregnant."

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MUAHAHAHAHA! Byakuya's got it coming noooow! (insert evil laughter here) sorry to leave you guys hanging… the next one should be some interesting skating and maybe… will they make it into the Olympics? OMGOMGOMG I hope so!

Shalan