~Ulquiorra & Orihime~
It took me a minute to resurface from my dream. I lay in bed, eyes swimming, trying to remember what the past five years of my life had been. It was like this almost every morning, but it usually only took me seconds to remember, but now it was like I was swimming in a black sea, fighting against the currents for solid ground.
"Orihime are you awake?" It hit me them, BAM! Being trapped in Hueco Mundo as Aizen's prisoner, Ulquiorra there, him helping Ichigo and the others save me, how hard he's fought against himself, and how he'd finally been freed from his Hallow. I sat up and smiled at him, my hair a mess. He smiled back, that look in his eyes that always made my heart do backwards summersaults. I stretched and stood up, laughing. Ulquiorra walked over and grabbed my hand, spinning my around like we were dancing. I laughed again and stumbled into him. He caught me and landed a surprise his on my lips.
"I love you Orihime, I have since the first moment I saw you." I couldn't help blushing; I always did when he said he loved me.
"I love you to Ra. Now it's time to get this day started!" I changed out of my pajamas and went downstairs to make breakfast.
I'd just put the plates on the table when I heard the small pattering feet running down the stairs, and Amaya launched herself into my arms. I caught her giggling form and spun her around like an airplane.
"Good morning mommy!" Her big, green, clear eyes sparkled up at me, and I laughed, brushing strands of dark auburn hair from her face.
"Good morning daughter! Where's your daddy?" I set her down in her chair and she shrugged, digging into her pancakes like she hadn't eaten in months. I rustled her hair and turned, calling for 'daddy' to come eat his food before it got cold.
"Be down in a minute!" The phone rang on its hook by the stairs, and I turned down the heat and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Orihime? It's Rukia."
"Oh Rukia hi! What's up?" I shifted the phone between my ear and shoulder and returned to the stove.
"Well some of us where planning a get together, sort of like a family reunion, and we were wondering if you and Ulquiorra wanted to come? Ichigo and Grimmjow haven't met Amaya, and neither has anybody else really besides me and Karin!" I laughed, flipping over a pancake.
"We'd love to go Rukia! When is it?"
"Great! It's in a week at the park just down from Isshin's house. It starts at 2:30."
"I'll see you there Rukia!" I returned the phone to the cradle and turned off the stove, again calling for Ra to get his butt down here.
"So Rukia invited us to a reunion in a week at that old park by Isshin's house. Do you want to go?" I asked over breakfast. I was worried, because even though he had proved himself over and over, and five years had passed, everyone still harbored negative feelings towards Ulquiorra, even Grimmjow, who resented him for abandoning him with Aizen. I never understood why Ichigo would trust Grimmjow completely enough to marry him, but not trust poor Ra at all.
Every time we saw someone from the old gang Ulquiorra put on a brave face, even though I could tell that I could feel the enmity rolling off them. I hoped that maybe seeing Amaya and how much she loved her daddy, seeing something so pure and innocent come from him, maybe they'd stop hating him so much.
"Sure. No one but Rukia and Karin has seen Amaya, so I'm sure that everyone wants to meet her. Do you want to meet your uncle Grimmjow, Amaya?" The last part was said to the three year old sitting next to him with syrup all over her face. She grinned really big and nodded vigorously. Even though Grimmjow hated him, Ulquiorra still thought of him as a brother.
X
"Wake up Amaya! We have to get daddy up and get ready to meet everyone!" I gently shook the little girl awake, and she smiled sleepily up at me. Yawning, she hopped from the bed and ran with me into my bedroom, where Ra was still sleeping.
"On three," I whispered, and we jumped on the unsuspecting ex-arancar. He jumped up, dazed, and caught Amaya in one arm and me in the other, laughing.