Hey guys, I'm back with this couple and it's not a one-shot! Yes, my dears, you guessed it. Finally one from me for this couple and about time too! This idea has been going through my head waiting to be written and after planning it out, here it is!

Oh, please don't mind any grammar errors since they do love to jump out at me when I'm - even the checker - aren't looking. Sneaky things!

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, which is just fine and dandy.

Another Chance to Love You

Chapter One


The darkness surrounded him after he faded away in front of their eyes. Unlike the other hollows, he had learned something and that something is what caused him to die in the first place. The belief of it not existing, as well as anything else that he couldn't see for that matter, is how he saw his end.

Or...did he?

A small light below him shined like a little candle, making him puzzled. What did that signify? Some may say hope but in his case, it was something else. Something that was also strong like hope was. The light soon grew brighter and started to twirl around him like vines. It wasn't alone either since part of the darkness was also doing the same.

Ulquiorra just watched on, curious on what was going on and when they reached his mask, his eyes started to glow a light emerald. He felt his body tense up while the light and dark strands covered him fully except for his eyes. Soon, the black and white strands shattered like glass into nothing. Ulquiorra noticed that his arm and leg were now back as well as one of his horns before his form reverted back.

It wasn't over though since hollows started to surround him letting out deadly roars before shooting towards him. A black shield sprang forth around him and bounced them off. His once emotionless face showed a little of surprise since he didn't have that ability, nor did he summon it. Movement to his left made him sonido before he sent a cero towards them. The green was brighter than before and completely pulverized them.

However, more and more kept coming and he easily destroyed them all with a bored expression. It was then that he noticed something on the ground below him. Going down, Ulquiorra landed beside it before picking it up - it being his zankpakutou. It pulsed in his hands before a flash of white flew out from the guard completely taking away the darkness. Unlike the nice darkness that wasn't such a bother to his eyes, the white was like a room full of lights in a photo-shoot.

There was no hollows to be found. It was like he was in another dimension but question was where? His eyes scanned around for any form and when he looked back ahead of him, a floating figure was in front of him.

"I've been waiting," they said while blowing out from their long pipe. "I was wondering when you were going to look down and figure out the puzzle."

Ulquiorra just stared at them, no doubt to study them. "Why am I not fully dead?"

"Strange, is it not? The boy didn't kill you with his sword out of fairness even though you begged for him to do it. You turned into ash and, well, here you are. Welcome to....to...oh bother. I forgot once more since, you see, I rarely get visitors and because of that I always forget the name. So, it keeps getting renamed."

"Yet you can remember that."

The figure chuckled, "Indeed I can. Strange, hm? Oh yes, that was the name." When Ulquiorra just stared at him, the figure huffed, "What? You were expecting something fancy? Anyway, to get out of here, you have to solve another puzzle. Heheheh, not much get past it either."

Ulquiorra lifted up his zankpakutou and slashed it down the figure.

"Urgk...well, seems you have."

The shadow disappeared like smoke but inside the sword, which made the blade black. The shadow already gave away itself since it was opposite of white and it was strange for it to be here. Looking at his blade, Ulquiorra was curious on how it was now like this.

Well, he didn't have much time to think since a portal opened up behind him and sucked him in before spitting him back out on his feet upon sand.

Sand? Ulquiorra looked around and sure enough, it was Las Noches. Only...it seemed different. The one place known as Las Noches was now in ruins while he barely sensed anyone in range.

How long was he out?

Sheathing his zankpakutou, Ulquiorra started a patrol of the area and all he found was other arrancar trying to survive - some even tried to attack him - and no one he recognized. Snapping his fingers, a Garganta opened behind him and he walked in to head to the human world. It was night time for them and the town seemed the same yet, it felt...older.

Just then, he sensed that boy's reiatsu only...it was more controlled. He followed it in curiosity - really, he never learned - and what he saw was a now grown man near his thirties. At his side was an unknown woman with black hair that was holding a child, toddler in human terms, in her arms. They were strolling in the park and noticed that the boy - er, man and woman was looking at him. Ichigo looked at him in surprise while the woman was sending a glare.

Ulquiorra just stared back while he watched Ichigo talk to her before they went out of eyesight to the others so that the woman could send him out of the body. Ulquiorra held his ground since he hadn't come here to fight nor did Ichigo seem to see him as a threat, which was strange.

He was starting to see a pattern after he left that place.

"How are you alive? I remember seeing you turn into ash!" The boyish voice was gone and in its place was a mature one of a man. However, Ulquiorra didn't answer since he didn't even know why or how it happened. It just...did.

"Hey, are you going to answer?" Silence was his answer once more. "There has to be a reason why you're back even though you died."

"Where is Lord Aizen?"

Ichigo felt like falling over. "He's dead. Now answer my question!"

"Dead?"

"Yes dead."

"You killed him?"

"Yes, I did."

There was a bit of silence before Ulquiorra said, "Impossible."

"Well, it is since he's dead. It's why we're living peacefully now." They were naive to think that. "So, are you finally going to answer on how you got back or do I need -"

"I don't know."

"-get you to...what? You don't know?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"You...the fourth Espada, doesn't...know?" Ulquiorra just stared at him blankly. Really, how many times did he need to say it? Ichigo started to laugh at the irony, "Oh man, this is too much! You don't know how or why you got back, ah hahaha!" This went on for a while until Ichigo finally calmed down since he had started to cry in laughter since it was too much for him to take.

Ulquiorra just stood there waiting until he stopped since he wasn't the one to snap at people when they poked fun at him. Unless, of course, they really provoked him.

"Anyway, it's been quite a couple of years since then. It's why I grew up as well as the others."

Why was he talking to him and more importantly, why wasn't the boy, well, man now, attacking him?

"Man, if Uryruu and Orihime see you, they might- hey! Where are you going?!"

Ulquiorra had used sonido to find that woman that had showed him something that no one had. So, she too was grown up? When he found her reiatsu, it too had grown and led him to...some building with, what it looked like, children inside. Coloring, drawing, and laughing while even playing with toys.

When he saw her, his expression didn't change. She had grown a bit taller and had developed with some curves, nothing new, while her breasts were the same size. Her hair was up in a lazy bun but what captured him was her expression. The woman was smiling at the children while she helped and guided them - even laughed when they got some paint on their face.

Ulquiorra stayed where he was until it was time for her to head home.

"Have a good night Orihime!"

"You too!" Orihime smiled at the other teacher while they went their separate ways out of the gate on the sidewalk. While she got near the park, she noticed someone was standing near the lamp and the silhouette made her expression turn into complete shock. Orihime shook her head, trying to get the image away while thinking it was just her imagination. There was no way he was alive...right? Right, she and the other two had seen him turn to ash.

When they started to walk toward her, she froze in mid-step and watched with widening eyes when Ulquiorra stepped in the light of the city light up above.

"You....," she whispered while she tried to form words. "You-you're-how can - what is going on?" Ulquiorra kept walking to her before stopping three to four feet in front of her. "You're alive..."

"Yes."

"How?" Really, how was he alive? It just...didn't make sense! "I saw you turn to ash." The memory was still so clear to her even after the past years. She had cried silently without her two friend's noticing. Despite what most people saw or thought, Ulquiorra wasn't a monster to her. In fact, it was like he was a friend or brother to her.

"I believe you did it."

"Me? I didn't do anything-"

"You did." His voice still cut through her like butter. She didn't realize how much she missed it until now.

"But-"

"You showed me what the heart was," he said bluntly. "You treated me like I was a mere human, not a hollow." Ulquiorra walked up to her and she couldn't help but flinch from him. "You also said you weren't afraid."

"I'm still not, just...surprised. Shocked even that you're alive after all this time."

"I don't know how or why it happened but, I figure it was your doing, woman."

Orihime couldn't help but stifle a laugh coming forth since he hadn't called her that for a long time. However, Ulquiorra just stared at her before asking, "What is so amusing?"

"I do have a name." He knew, just never said it. "It's Orihime. Orihime Inoue," she said with a little bow to him while smiling. That didn't help to what he was feeling now, which was strange since he didn't feel being a hollow yet somehow he could. Perhaps she could help with this as well?

"You all right. Ulquiorra?"

"Yes." A new feeling sprang up now after she said his name. This was all to foreign for him to understand on just why it was happening. Maybe it had something to do with what happened earlier? "Woman, what are these...strange feelings?"

Orihime blinked, "Feelings? Oh, you mean emotions."

"Impossible, we can't feel them."

"You just said you were feeling strange, er, feelings. So, I think you can."

This was too strange for him. Hollows were not supposed to feel any emotions and yet, he could. Just what caused him to have them? Was it because of what happened in the darkness or in the room called "Strange"? Those options were what he was leaning towards since it made sense.

Orihime looked at his zankpakutou, noticing how it looked different by the bottom half now having a black shade. It was like a mini version of Ichigo's now that she thought about it. Wait, did it mean he was a Shinigami now?! Her eyes widened a bit to show her surprise and Ulquiorra looked to where she gazed at.

Ah right, his zankpakutou. The shadow he killed had transferred to it and made his look like...like that boy's.

What was going on?

"Ul-Ulquiorra?" She wasn't afraid, just surprised.

"Hm?"

"Uh...are you a, um, a Shi...Shinigami now?"

Ulquiorra whipped his head to her which made her flinch a little once more in surprise. She hated it when he did that. But was he? He still had his hole though yet his zankpakutou was different. So, what in the world was he now?

"No," he said while he continued to stare at her with the same expression in the past.

"But, why is your zankpakutou...I know! You can go see Urahara!"

Who was that?

"Come on, I'll lead you the way. It's not too far from here. He helped us in the past."

"Will he help a hollow?"

"Uh...we could see if he does? Come on, he could find out what happened."

Was she saying that this "Urahara" knew more than him? Ulquiorra always knew what was going on but now he didn't. That thought was irritating, which was also annoying him that he was feeling it. Blasted emotions!

"I'm sure he'll help you even though you're a hollow, Ulquiorra. You're different from all of them and the fact that you're back after turning into ash proves otherwise."

When did she get so intelligent as well as persuading? Well, since he was curious and was tired of not knowing what happened - and if what she said was true - he might as well go.

"Very well, woman."

Orihime smiled brightly at him before going the direction of Urahara's place. That smile had made something in him warm up and he was curious to what it was. Whatever it was, it was making him start to feel warm.

Little did he know that very warmth he felt was slowly going to grow something far more if he kept hanging around Orihime.

Figured this was a good place to stop. So, how do y'all like it so far? Good? Nice pace? Bad? Too fast? As always, constructive criticism is appreciated!

Also, the rating will change when it is needed but for now, it's okay for older kiddies.