This is Week 1: Challenge 1 ~ part 7. Use each trait from the poem Monday's Child to write a one-shot.

Summary: Kaien and Miyako can't have children of their own, but one child makes up for it in his own way without realizing it.
Notes:This is based off something my brother and I have been discussing of late.

Sunday's Child
~But the child who is born on the Sabbath Day
Is bonny and blithe and good and gay~

Kaien's mood was dark and seeing Miyako honestly wasn't making said mood go away. Seeing her actually made the feelings worse and he found himself wishing constantly that there was something he could do about the situation. The fact she was in one of those moods where she suggested he cheat on her just to get an heir wasn't helping matters either when he knew he only had eyes for her and cheating on her even though she gave permission just so they could have a little one made him feel dishonorable by thinking about it.

This time though she had been overheard by his older twin brother who had been speaking to their Uncle Kyoraku about the future of the clan. Thus Kyoraku found out the pitiful plight Kaien and his wife were in where they could not have children of their own. The man had tried soft footing the whole issue and trying to cheer the two up, but nothing made him feel better. Despite the fact he and Miyako knew the problem lay with her, he still felt guilty for not giving her something he knew she wanted very much... to be a mother.

He found himself wandering through the Rukongai, when an odd spiritual presence caught his attention. Caught off guard he decided to follow the feeling and came to a small, shallow pond where a white haired child was carefully dipping his feet into the pool. Kaien pulled behind a tree as his own rieatsu caught attention of the small child, but looked back to see that the child's attention didn't last long. The man then carefully felt around, finding that the boy had an overly high level of reiatsu for someone so small.

The sound of other children caused the boy to look up suddenly in fright and look towards the sound. Four children appeared, the leader narrowing his eyes at the child. "What are you doing here?"

The small child stumbled backwards into the water, his clothing becoming soaked while the others laughed. One of the children picked up a pebble and flung it at the child, causing the child to raise his arms up to block the pebbles that were flying at him. It was then that Kaien stepped out. "What do you think you're doing?"

The four children startled and ran off, one of them... he wasn't sure which... yelling, "It's one of the Shiba clan members."

He then stepped over to the boy who was still sitting rather dejectedly in the pond. He reached out his hand to help the child up, only to have the boy look at him with what he had to describe as a beautiful eye color. Said eyes though were filled with fright and the child instead got up on his own and darted off, causing Kaien to frown, his problems momentarily forgotten.

M

Said problems weren't forgotten for long as Miyako's mood fluctuated monthly due to the fact she knew any attempt they made would be unsuccessful. By the next month he had gathered some information about the boy and even found where he lived. His interest had perked to the point he would watch the boy as the child watched various things, like a bird feeding its young. The boy would also collect small things and show his grandmother and foster sister, only to have his foster sister screw up her nose with frustration.

One thing was known to him though, the child needed help as his reiatsu was abnormal. Thus an idea had formed in his mind by the time the next month had rolled around. Question was could he possibly go about this the right way. Miyako was off moping at the Shiba clan's home when he approached her. She glanced up at him with a sad look on her face. "If this is about trying again..."

Kaien shook his head. "I'm actually wondering if you would be willing to adopt?"

The woman paused, before looking away. "I told you that I was willing to let you take a mistress."

"I don't want my child to be from anyone but you."

"But you're willing to adopt."

"I found a child out in the Rukongai."

"The Shiba clan is always finding children and helping them out. How is this different then the other times."

"This child is different." The man took her hand. "Can I show him to you?"

Letting out a deep sigh she followed him without complaint. The look on her face told him that she wasn't too thrilled with this plan. He stopped near the house and climbed up where he could position her near him so the boy wouldn't see them. He wasn't worried about the foster sister as she didn't seem to be acutely aware of things despite having a very minute spiritual pressure, while the grandmother would simply smile and wave upon seeing him.

Soon the boy came out of the house, tripping on the step into the ground hard. Miyako of course couldn't help but gasp and would have gone to help the small thing up if it weren't for the fact Kaien held her back. "Don't. He's a tough little one. Plus, can you feel that reiatsu?"

This caused his wife to feel out and another gasp came. "He's as high as you and Isshin were, but at a younger age."

"You actually remember us being at this level?"

"I've known you since childhood Kaien." The woman frowned. "His hair color though is odd."

"Does that bother you? Apparently the village he lives in thinks of him as an oni."

"That child? But he is so..." Miyako went back to watching for a few minutes. "He seems like such a normal child."

"You just said his hair color is odd." The man let out a laugh.

"It's no different then taicho's." The woman frowned. "There are a lot of children like this though. What sets him apart."

"The high reiatsu, the beautiful white hair, the fact he's being raised by a little old lady that we honestly don't know how long she'll be around... what else do you need for me to sell you on this idea."

"Kaien... it's crazy."

"His eyes. His eyes made me think that if he was your child you would be happy even if he wasn't our blood child. He's... I don't know how to put it, special."

The woman bit her lip before jumping down, Kaien's hand reaching out to stop her. She approached the boy, causing the boy to look her straight in the eye. The reaction was as he expected. The child took off with a great amount of fright upon seeing someone try and be nice to him. She came back to him, still biting her lip. "He's a rather special case isn't he."

"You don't think we can do it?"

"I don't care if we can or can't do it. I want to break down that icy wall that child has up protecting him. You felt it as well. He needs us just as much as we need him."

M

Approaching said child was honestly a painful task as he became more aware of the rieatsu around him and thus more aware of them trying to approach him. The two took the time to speak with the grandmother while the boy was out and found that the child had only really ever opened up to her and his foster sister as everyone else shunned him and he honestly believed others would as well. This had caused the two to look at each other in worry.

"You two are planning on taking him in as your own, aren't you?"

Kaien stared at the woman in surprise while Miyako spoke to the woman. "I hope you aren't offended by the fact we wish to do so. How did you know?"

"The Shiba clan has always been known for adopting outsiders into their clan when they think they're special. I should forewarn you though that the boy's father may have something to say about the issue."

"I've never seen him around." The man frowned.

"His father has reason for..." The old woman frowned herself then. "The situation is complicated really. The man isn't in a situation where he can come near the boy. I don't know the reason, but I believe it has something to do with protecting the child."

"And the mother?"

"The mother is out of the picture due to complicated reasons and is also unable to care for the child. I get a monthly stipend from him though and it's used to care for both children." The woman frowned. "I think, maybe the man would relent if it meant that child could have a mother and father in his life, but he also may be possessive enough to not allow it. The other issue is getting close to the child so that he can get to know and accept you two."

"I would be more then willing."

"Because the two of you can't have children of your own?"

Miyako pulled back then, guilt on her face. "If you feel it is a selfish reason..."

"Is it really selfish for a person to want a little one to love? That child needs all the love he can get." The woman paused then. "I'll speak with the father. Speaking with that man is no easy task."

M

Things still weren't easy as the child would take off quickly. Then came the big concern, the fact Miyako and Kaien could feel the child's reiatsu reaching a dangerous point. So, after years of approaching the two found themselves approaching the child while they waited for the other answer from the old woman. Kaien then found himself approaching Isshin for help, much to his reluctance. "Nii-sama?"

Isshin looked up from the place he was napping. "Ah! Do you want to switch places for a couple of days?"

The younger twin let out a sigh of frustration. "Nii-sama. I came to you because I need your help. Be serious for once."

Isshin frowned. "What is it?"

"You know how Miyako and I can't have children?"

"No. Absolutely not. You of all people know my perverted attitude is just an act. And isn't that like her asking you to cheat on her? I bet you haven't asked her yet. Plus, she knows which one of us is which. She would kill both up us and our honor would be ruined in more ways then one as she'll take a knife and make sure neither one of us can have kids. So the answer is..."

Kaien let out a sigh and went into a proper seated position next to his brother, taking his hand and hitting the older twin hard on the top of his head with the side of his hand. "That's not what I'm asking for. No, seriously. Miyako and I are thinking about adopting."

The man paused. "There are a ton of children out in the Rukongai who could use a good home. Just go out and pick one."

"We already had... years ago to be exact."

Isshin sat up, a frown plastered on his face. "What is holding you back?"

"This child is only approachable by the old woman who takes care of him as well as his foster sister. Miyako and I have tried approaching him many times, but he runs every single time."

"Hold it..."

"Let me finish. There is also the problem with the fact he does have a father and mother who are out of the picture, so adoption may be a problem. There is a more serious issue here that is far more important then us adopting this child."

The older twin scratched his head. "In order for you to have found and taken an interest in this child his must be abnormal. He's approaching the point of becoming an undesirable and ending up in the maggots nest or worse off dead."

"Yes." Kaien bowed then to his brother.

"I wondered why that particular situation wasn't bothering the two of you anymore. I'll see what I can do about it."

M

Isshin tried himself approaching the child. He choose to be stealthy as if he were playing a game, much like he would do with Ganju. "Hello little friend."

The boy looked up at the man, taking in the smirk. The child looked horribly rough around the edges and at that point he couldn't see the charm in the boy. "I'm not your friend."

"Excuse me?"

"You and the other two Shiba's. It's the job of your clan to take care of those in your area. Thus the only reason you three keep approaching me is because of your job, not because you want to be my friend." The child then took off.

The next thing Kaien and Miyako knew Isshin was ranting at them. "That child is an absolute brat. I can't imagine why either one of you would want to adopt him."

"We've been trying to approach him for what now? Ten, twenty years?" Miyako glanced back at Kaien.

"If not more."

"I'll consent to a full proof plan to getting him into the academy, but I won't consent to you two adopting him."

The next thing Isshin knew something hard and heavy hit him in the face. "I will not have you telling us whether or not to adopt this child! I've had my hopes on this little one for some time and I am not giving up! Not to mention the fact you are being a judgmental as his village, which is likely why he's become the way he has! On top of this, what do you mean you have a full proof plan. Whenever you two have fool proof plans it almost always means some kind of trouble for me to clean up!"

"Now, now Miyako. I was just thinking of having Rangiku approach him. I won't tell her about why, but she should be able to sense the child needs to get into the academy as soon as possible. Knowing my fukutaicho, she'll not accept no for an answer on this one."

"Maybe you should marry her." The woman crossed her arms as she sulked.

"Is it that time of month?" Another heavy thing hit him in the head.

"You should know better then to say stupid things like that."

"Well, she's telling me to marry someone I think of as a little sister. Of course I'm going to say something like that Kaien!"

M

Kaien waited with Isshin in the room for Rangiku to get back. The plan was for her to head out on rounds right when they knew the boy would be going to get some more amanatto for him and his grandmother. Asking around had revealed the information. Of course, the woman blew into the room. "Taicho! I need a favor!"

"What do you mean you need a favor!"

"There is this kid in the area I was patrolling. The shopkeeper wasn't very nice to him." The woman went then into how cruel the people in that area were as well as how crazy the child's reiatsu was. She went on about how something had to be done as soon as possible and she would throw a fit if they didn't get the boy into the academy as soon as possible.

Isshin simply held out a paper. "Here... have at it."

"What?" The woman looked down. "This kind of paperwork needs the signature of a captain and a fukutaicho. Who was the fukutaicho who..." There was a period of silence as she took in Kaien's signature. "You both knew about this child?"

Kaien spoke up. "Seems like you've had better luck approaching him then we did. Don't though tell him that you're associated with the Shiba clan. Use something else."

"I could have signed this though!" Rangiku hit the paper.

"With a child as young as this Ran-chan, the signatures of two members of one of the top noble clans holds a lot more sway with the school board about the urgency of getting this child in. Otherwise they'll wait until next year to let him in."

The woman glanced away. "Still... I felt really drawn to this child and I felt like I just had to protect him."

"That brat?" Isshin snorted air out of his nose.

"Excuse me?'

"I talked to him. He's an absolute brat. Which is why..."

"You moron! He's absolutely adorable. Rough around the edges, yes... but adorable none the less. That roughness is just his way of protecting himself from all the abuse." Rangiku glared at him. "Why do males have to be such idiots."

Kaien raised his eyebrows. "Does this include me right now? I actually think the boy's adorable. I think he should also be placed on accelerated plan."

"Are you crazy?" Isshin's voice strained.

"We'd be crazy not to. You know as well as I that he isn't a normal child. He's getting into the academy at a much younger age then anyone else has been allowed in. He's going to stand out, not to mention he's intelligent for his age which is going to make him stand out even more. By getting him in and out as soon as possible we can safely place him in your squad where you can keep an eye on him."

"You found him Kaien."

"You also know full well that he's at captain level. You know Bankai, I do not."

"Crap."

M

Isshin though found himself warming up to the child as he found that the others had been right about the fact Toshiro was an intelligent child as well as a child who fought to protect himself. He and Kaien came up with the curiculum with the help of another former child genius. Why Gin came and helped neither one knew. It was possibly because Rangiku had also taken an interest in a child. Thus the boy ended up graduating in one tenth of the time it normally took someone to get through the academy.

The boy remained distant. When he found out that Isshin was his taicho, the words out of his mouth were, "I should have known. This is just another one of the Shiba clans projects to help the needy."

He then refused to speak to them for some time. Miyako though broke the silence the first time by instantly hugging the child, catching him off guard. She then proceeded to fawn over him and mother him. They invited the boy over to their place in the center part of Soul Society and he slowly began to open up to them. While around others he remained cold and distant, but at other times he could be the warmest child ever.

One night Kaien stepped out of the room while Miyako tucked the boy into bed as it was to late to send him to the division. When he came back from his rounds he found the captain of the third division sitting at the edge of the bed with his wife. Kaien sat down. "What are you doing here Gin? Your behavior seems a bit odd."

"Is it really true what Ukitake tells me, that you're planning on adopting the kid?"

The two Shiba's glanced at each other and then Kaien spoke up. "We've gotten over the most important hurtle. At least the one that is most important to us. Getting him to warm up to us isn't the same as passing the paper work through the noble clans. We also have to get the child's father to consent."

"I thought Shiro-chan died on a plain of ice?"

The older man frowned. "Well... that's honestly from what Toshiro's told us what he believes. The old lady who raised him, his granny... she told us that his father is still alive."

"What if there was a way to get the paperwork done fast?" Gin turned back to looking at the boy. "That would mean that he would have a father and mother in his life, right?"

"Where is this coming from?"

"Nothing..."

M

Ukitake found himself going through Kaien and Miyako's things looking for a specific piece of paper. Isshin was gone, the other two were gone. That paper had been signed by Isshin and Kaien before they had died. Died was the figurative word as Ukitake knew the older twin was out there somewhere. Also signing the paper before something happened to Kaien and Miyako were himself and Byakuya's grandfather. Gin had signed as well, thus binding the legal contract.

Kaien had upon seeing Gin's signature mentioned the fact he had suspected something of the sorts, while Miyako upon realization asked about Rangiku's side. To which Ukitake had replied that Rangiku was not in the position to be a mother from what he had learned from Gin as she had lost her memories and that was all he could say about the problem as the situation was complicated. Thus Hitsugaya Toshiro was legally Shiba Toshiro, but only a few people knew this. Not even the boy was made to know.

Except Kaien and Miyako had been killed the day after. Kaien had said something about suspecting something. Ukitake hadn't thought much of it and wouldn't think much of it for many, many years. The Shiba clan was in an uproar and he had to approach them. Sitting down in front of them a few hours latter they spoke about having Ganju of all people take the place as head as neither of the two older brothers had produced an heir.

"Actually... the younger of the two twins has an heir." Kyoraku glanced over at Ukitake. "Ukitake taicho is here because he helped with the paperwork. As Kaien and Miyako couldn't have children, they made the decision to adopt a child."

"You must be kidding me." Complaints went around the room. Ganju wasn't in the room and some said it wasn't fair as he had to representation for himself.

Kukaku spoke up then. "This wouldn't be little Toshiro-kun would it?"

"Yes. He doesn't know about the adoption as of yet."

"I'll take over as head until he comes of age. We can tell him of the adoption then. Not when he's still upset about losing Isshin, and now Kaien and Miyako. All that work they put into getting him to open, I've heard it's backfired."

"Come on. Who is this strange child."

"A much better candidate for the head position then my youngest brother. Or do you wish to place him in as head because you know you can easily control him, but this child you know you can not? Isshin and Kaien weren't stupid. They made plans in case something happened to them. Of course, in the long run they hadn't wanted anything to happen to them."

"This also isn't any normal child either that they picked." Kyoraku tilted his head down. "Youngest to ever graduate the academy, youngest to ever achieve Bankai. In a few more days he'll be the youngest to ever reach the rank of captain. In another decade or two he'll be at Isshin and Kaien's level. Ganju won't ever be that high. On top of this..."

There was a pause then before he continued. "This child has an unbiased outlook in life and is full of honor. He's a good child, a caring child who has a noble heart. He's the kind of heir any clan would want but so few manage to get. Consider yourselves lucky the twins were able to find him and bless the clan with this child's presence as well as add him to the family. There is word among some of the other clans since he graduated the academy about adopting him, but they haven't been able to approach him like the Shiba clan.

"That is how special this child is."